Marsha West
The Religious Right uniting with Religious Renegades, Part 1
By Marsha West
Some Religious Right leaders have joined forces with movers and shakers, literally speaking, of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). They have been warned about this "New Breed" of Christian and their global kingdom agenda and have chosen to disregard the warnings. This article will put to rest the notion that the NAR's esoteric doctrines fall within the pale of orthodox Christianity. The hope of course is that the Religious or Christian Right will wake up and smell the coffee and sever all ties with these renegades.
What's astounding is that conservative Christian leaders, many of whom are biblically literate, fail to recognize blatant false teaching. For instance, some of them assume John Hagee, senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, is an orthodox preacher when Hagee promotes unbiblical word-faith teaching!
But this is not about John Hagee's promotion of the doctrine of positive confession. This is about the unorthodox teaching and the sinister plans of the NAR. The reason I'm sounding the alarm is that more and more Christians are getting caught up in this cult.
False teachers have made their mark on the Church by marketing a user-friendly "relevant" Christianity that is a whole lot more palatable to the unchurched "seeker" than the Christianity of the Reformers. Admittedly, even to the discerning believer truth laced with false teaching is as tough to detect as a few drops of arsenic in a tall glass of water.
Some apostates are so sly that the average Christian in the pew is defenseless against them. But, thankfully, not everyone is taken in by them. When false teaching comes into churches from lose canons who depart from sound doctrine (Titus 2:1) some folks recognize it and alert others. In many instances those who speak up and address their concerns are ignored, marginalized, or accused of being divisive. The person who will not back down is often given the boot!
THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION
I have written about NAR previously. I pointed out that,
leaders in the New Apostolic Reformation, a heretical movement that sprang from the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, claim that they hear directly from God, Jesus and angels. They even encourage their followers to contact angels despite the fact that Scripture expressly forbids contacting the spirit world because Satan and his demons can appear as an "angel of light" to deceive people. (2 Cor 11:14) Like the apostles who established the early church, these "restored apostles and prophets" believe they are called by God to lay the foundation and government for the new earthly Kingdom. Moreover, they believe that soon they will take dominion over government and dominate the world politically and spiritually. (I'll cover Dominionism in Part 2.)
It has become necessary to report on the NAR again because it is gaining credibility with evangelicals as well as the conservative media, entertainers, politicians and the Tea Party movement.
Last year self-professed NAR prophet Cindy Jacobs' and General's International held the May Day 2010: A Cry To God For A Nation In Distress at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial where "local representatives shared about their state's Christian heritage and lifted up prayers for their state and the United States. National leaders offered up prayers of repentance for seven main issues: family, the church, education, arts and entertainment, business, government and the media." Janet Porter of Faith2Action had an active role in organizing the gathering. In attendance were such notables as James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Wendy Wright, Jerry Newcombe, Peter LaBarbera, David Barton, Mathew Staver, Robert Knight, Alan Keyes, to name a few. Also in attendance were several NAR leaders including C. Peter Wagner, Chuck Pierce, Dutch Sheets, Lance Wallnau and Rick Joyner.
In April 2010 conservative Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA hosted The Awakening 2010 conference sponsored by the Freedom Federation. They define themselves as "a group of the nation's largest multiracial, multiethnic and multigenerational faith-based and policy organizations representing more than 30 million Americans united by core values. The group's mission is to bring together community leaders committed to mobilizing the Judeo-Christian worldview to preserve freedom and promote justice."
One of the speakers at the event was Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Other influential leaders include Newt Gingrich, Gary Bauer, Tony Perkins, Wendy Wright, Richard Land, Andrea Lafferty, Kelly Shackelford, Ken Blackwell, Mat Staver, Rick Scarborough, and NAR Apostles Cindy Jacobs, Lou Engle, Harry Jackson and Samuel Rodriguez.
What is wrong with this picture? People from the NAR who are in the grip of evil were invited to participate in both of these events. One example is Cindy Jacobs. Jacobs is the NAR's "lead U.S. National Apostle." Cindy is supposedly a modern day prophet. But I beg to differ. This woman has uttered more false prophecies than Walgreen's has pills, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that she is no more a prophet of God than Lady Gaga! The truth is, Cindy Jacobs is a false prophet.
The May 2010 edition of Herescope reported:
Forays by NAR Apostles into the political scene in America have been until recently sparse. But Lou Engle...who has his own ministry to youth called "The Call," has been politically active in pro-life and homosexual issues. Some months ago he was able to pray for Gingrich and Huckabee with the laying on of apostolic hands. But very recently the political stars seem to have come suddenly into alignment.
American political landscape has suddenly changed. A tumult is appearing in the land with the passage of health care reform. The Christian Right, with its years of courting political influence, is now poised to merge with the new Tea Party Movement. In times of crisis, natural or caused, things seem to happen faster and opportunities, that would take years, seem to happen in months. There is the scent of rebellion in the air.
Before I move on, I should point out that there is nothing wrong with Christians gathering together to stand up for biblical principles and fight the forces of wickedness that are destroying America. And there's certainly nothing wrong with praying for our country and for the men and women in the armed forces who put their lives on the line so that we can live free. To say that our nation and our soldiers are in dire need of prayer is an understatement. Even though the Christian Right (CR) often shares a stage with controversial groups/persons it does not mean that they necessarily share their views; what it does mean however is that when controversial groups/persons are invited to participate in a CR event it appears that they endorse these groups/persons. It grieves me to say this — and I'll get a lot of flak for it — but many professing Christians seem to have little or no problem partnering with false teachers and cultists, perhaps because these groups/persons are useful in furthering their political causes.
As a conservative Christian myself, I find partnering with the wicked unacceptable for the reasons that: (1) God opposes the wicked; (2) The wicked should not be given a platform — especially when God's people provide that platform!
But that's just me.
Ever notice how the CR complains about RINOs (Republican in name only) hijacking the Republican Party? Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani is considered a RINO because he's fiscally conservative and socially liberal. So when he ran for President in 2008 he couldn't muster the support of socially conservative evangelicals because they get all hot under the collar when liberals, who call themselves moderates, refuse to adhere to the official Republican platform on important issues such as abortion, homosexuality and same-sex "marriage." Yet the CR has no problem joining forces with CINOs (Christians in name only) that pervert sacred Scripture!
Listen to what Jesus said about false prophets:
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Mat. 7:15).
And,
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect (Mark 13:22).
MOVIN' ON UP
The NAR a.k.a. Latter Rain/Kingdom Now/Dominionist/Joel's Army/Manifest Sons of God — no doubt I've left some names out — has been on the rise for over six decades. As you can see the name has been changed umpteen times so that unsuspecting Christians will swallow the hype that there's a "New Wave" or a "Paradigm Shift" taking place in Christendom. They claim they're receiving new revelation from God and are ushering in "a reformation greater in scale than the reformation of the 1500's." They also claim that a new group of believers will rise up and be given the power to perform miraculous signs and wonders, even greater than the miracles of Jesus and the Apostles — and they believe they have the power to cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead and bring multitudes into the Kingdom of God.
The founder of this sect is C. Peter Wagner from Fuller Theological Seminary. Wagner is one of the leading authorities on the Church Growth movement and has been studying the field of church growth for close to 40 years. (Rick Warren wrote his doctoral dissertation at Fuller Seminary on Wagner's church growth ideas and was mentored by Wagner.) C. Peter Wagner is the "presiding apostle" in the International Coalition of Apostles.
Orrel Steinkamp of Discernment-Ministries believes Wagner is,
attempting to will into existence [the] 'New Apostolic Reformation.' He tells us in a book he has edited called 'The New Apostolic Churches' of the struggle he had with naming his new reformation. [3]
As I pointed out earlier, what the NAR is putting out there is not new. In fact, Bill Hamon of Christian International has been teaching it for decades. Hamon runs a school to train people to become modern day "Apostles" and "Prophets." In his view the church is in her third and final Reformation and Christ can't return to earth until the Church purifies itself.
Steinkamp wonders:
Can it be argued that this 'New reformation' is something that God has just recently dropped new from heaven like the baby Superman from Krypton? I suggest that there is nothing new here at all and for anyone willing to do the study they will find it a mere cutting edge version of something at least 100 years old. G. Raymond Carlson, former General Superintendent of the AOG [USA], had this to say regarding the new apostles and prophets:
'I saw it in the New Order of the Latter Rain in the late 40's and early 50's. Before that, it made its presence felt in the early days of the century among early Pentecostals.'
Steinkamp continues:
To Latter Rain teachers it seemed obvious that if there was to be a repeated apostolic Pentecost then apostles and prophets must be restored as well. These teachers then devised a historical scheme of restoration. Church history was understood as a succession of recoveries of lost or neglected truths. Luther recovered justification by faith, Baptists believers' baptism, Wesley holiness, A.B. Simpson healing and the early Pentecostal pioneers the gifts of the Spirit. The recovery process was now extended further. The end time body of Christ must go on to maturity and restore the apostles and prophets and these restored ministries must lead the church to a new and final dimension of power and authority not only bringing in the final harvest but establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth. [4]
Are we to establish a Kingdom of God upon earth? Listen to what Jesus says:
My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36).
The NAR has one thing right. The ministry of the apostles continues today:
Not in the person of anyone claiming to be an apostle, but in the New Testament. Every time the Word of God in the New Testament is read and proclaimed, the apostolic ministry and office fulfills its role. The apostles of the first century live on today, in the Church, through the Word God has given us through them. [5]
Part 2 coming soon!
NOTES:
RECOMMENDED READING
The Coalescing of the Christian Right with Apostolic Dominionism — By Orrel Steinkamp
Dominionism and the Rise of Christian Imperialism — By Sarah Leslie
NAR Prophetess's Inflammatory Comments on the Egypt Crisis — Herescope blog
The 'Great Wealth Transfer' — 100 Percent Returns! — By Spirit of Error
Links to articles that cover the New Apostolic Reformation
© Marsha West
May 18, 2011
Some Religious Right leaders have joined forces with movers and shakers, literally speaking, of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). They have been warned about this "New Breed" of Christian and their global kingdom agenda and have chosen to disregard the warnings. This article will put to rest the notion that the NAR's esoteric doctrines fall within the pale of orthodox Christianity. The hope of course is that the Religious or Christian Right will wake up and smell the coffee and sever all ties with these renegades.
What's astounding is that conservative Christian leaders, many of whom are biblically literate, fail to recognize blatant false teaching. For instance, some of them assume John Hagee, senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, is an orthodox preacher when Hagee promotes unbiblical word-faith teaching!
But this is not about John Hagee's promotion of the doctrine of positive confession. This is about the unorthodox teaching and the sinister plans of the NAR. The reason I'm sounding the alarm is that more and more Christians are getting caught up in this cult.
False teachers have made their mark on the Church by marketing a user-friendly "relevant" Christianity that is a whole lot more palatable to the unchurched "seeker" than the Christianity of the Reformers. Admittedly, even to the discerning believer truth laced with false teaching is as tough to detect as a few drops of arsenic in a tall glass of water.
Some apostates are so sly that the average Christian in the pew is defenseless against them. But, thankfully, not everyone is taken in by them. When false teaching comes into churches from lose canons who depart from sound doctrine (Titus 2:1) some folks recognize it and alert others. In many instances those who speak up and address their concerns are ignored, marginalized, or accused of being divisive. The person who will not back down is often given the boot!
THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION
I have written about NAR previously. I pointed out that,
leaders in the New Apostolic Reformation, a heretical movement that sprang from the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, claim that they hear directly from God, Jesus and angels. They even encourage their followers to contact angels despite the fact that Scripture expressly forbids contacting the spirit world because Satan and his demons can appear as an "angel of light" to deceive people. (2 Cor 11:14) Like the apostles who established the early church, these "restored apostles and prophets" believe they are called by God to lay the foundation and government for the new earthly Kingdom. Moreover, they believe that soon they will take dominion over government and dominate the world politically and spiritually. (I'll cover Dominionism in Part 2.)
It has become necessary to report on the NAR again because it is gaining credibility with evangelicals as well as the conservative media, entertainers, politicians and the Tea Party movement.
Last year self-professed NAR prophet Cindy Jacobs' and General's International held the May Day 2010: A Cry To God For A Nation In Distress at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial where "local representatives shared about their state's Christian heritage and lifted up prayers for their state and the United States. National leaders offered up prayers of repentance for seven main issues: family, the church, education, arts and entertainment, business, government and the media." Janet Porter of Faith2Action had an active role in organizing the gathering. In attendance were such notables as James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Wendy Wright, Jerry Newcombe, Peter LaBarbera, David Barton, Mathew Staver, Robert Knight, Alan Keyes, to name a few. Also in attendance were several NAR leaders including C. Peter Wagner, Chuck Pierce, Dutch Sheets, Lance Wallnau and Rick Joyner.
In April 2010 conservative Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA hosted The Awakening 2010 conference sponsored by the Freedom Federation. They define themselves as "a group of the nation's largest multiracial, multiethnic and multigenerational faith-based and policy organizations representing more than 30 million Americans united by core values. The group's mission is to bring together community leaders committed to mobilizing the Judeo-Christian worldview to preserve freedom and promote justice."
One of the speakers at the event was Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Other influential leaders include Newt Gingrich, Gary Bauer, Tony Perkins, Wendy Wright, Richard Land, Andrea Lafferty, Kelly Shackelford, Ken Blackwell, Mat Staver, Rick Scarborough, and NAR Apostles Cindy Jacobs, Lou Engle, Harry Jackson and Samuel Rodriguez.
What is wrong with this picture? People from the NAR who are in the grip of evil were invited to participate in both of these events. One example is Cindy Jacobs. Jacobs is the NAR's "lead U.S. National Apostle." Cindy is supposedly a modern day prophet. But I beg to differ. This woman has uttered more false prophecies than Walgreen's has pills, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that she is no more a prophet of God than Lady Gaga! The truth is, Cindy Jacobs is a false prophet.
The May 2010 edition of Herescope reported:
Forays by NAR Apostles into the political scene in America have been until recently sparse. But Lou Engle...who has his own ministry to youth called "The Call," has been politically active in pro-life and homosexual issues. Some months ago he was able to pray for Gingrich and Huckabee with the laying on of apostolic hands. But very recently the political stars seem to have come suddenly into alignment.
American political landscape has suddenly changed. A tumult is appearing in the land with the passage of health care reform. The Christian Right, with its years of courting political influence, is now poised to merge with the new Tea Party Movement. In times of crisis, natural or caused, things seem to happen faster and opportunities, that would take years, seem to happen in months. There is the scent of rebellion in the air.
Before I move on, I should point out that there is nothing wrong with Christians gathering together to stand up for biblical principles and fight the forces of wickedness that are destroying America. And there's certainly nothing wrong with praying for our country and for the men and women in the armed forces who put their lives on the line so that we can live free. To say that our nation and our soldiers are in dire need of prayer is an understatement. Even though the Christian Right (CR) often shares a stage with controversial groups/persons it does not mean that they necessarily share their views; what it does mean however is that when controversial groups/persons are invited to participate in a CR event it appears that they endorse these groups/persons. It grieves me to say this — and I'll get a lot of flak for it — but many professing Christians seem to have little or no problem partnering with false teachers and cultists, perhaps because these groups/persons are useful in furthering their political causes.
As a conservative Christian myself, I find partnering with the wicked unacceptable for the reasons that: (1) God opposes the wicked; (2) The wicked should not be given a platform — especially when God's people provide that platform!
But that's just me.
Ever notice how the CR complains about RINOs (Republican in name only) hijacking the Republican Party? Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani is considered a RINO because he's fiscally conservative and socially liberal. So when he ran for President in 2008 he couldn't muster the support of socially conservative evangelicals because they get all hot under the collar when liberals, who call themselves moderates, refuse to adhere to the official Republican platform on important issues such as abortion, homosexuality and same-sex "marriage." Yet the CR has no problem joining forces with CINOs (Christians in name only) that pervert sacred Scripture!
Listen to what Jesus said about false prophets:
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Mat. 7:15).
And,
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect (Mark 13:22).
MOVIN' ON UP
The NAR a.k.a. Latter Rain/Kingdom Now/Dominionist/Joel's Army/Manifest Sons of God — no doubt I've left some names out — has been on the rise for over six decades. As you can see the name has been changed umpteen times so that unsuspecting Christians will swallow the hype that there's a "New Wave" or a "Paradigm Shift" taking place in Christendom. They claim they're receiving new revelation from God and are ushering in "a reformation greater in scale than the reformation of the 1500's." They also claim that a new group of believers will rise up and be given the power to perform miraculous signs and wonders, even greater than the miracles of Jesus and the Apostles — and they believe they have the power to cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead and bring multitudes into the Kingdom of God.
The founder of this sect is C. Peter Wagner from Fuller Theological Seminary. Wagner is one of the leading authorities on the Church Growth movement and has been studying the field of church growth for close to 40 years. (Rick Warren wrote his doctoral dissertation at Fuller Seminary on Wagner's church growth ideas and was mentored by Wagner.) C. Peter Wagner is the "presiding apostle" in the International Coalition of Apostles.
Orrel Steinkamp of Discernment-Ministries believes Wagner is,
attempting to will into existence [the] 'New Apostolic Reformation.' He tells us in a book he has edited called 'The New Apostolic Churches' of the struggle he had with naming his new reformation. [3]
As I pointed out earlier, what the NAR is putting out there is not new. In fact, Bill Hamon of Christian International has been teaching it for decades. Hamon runs a school to train people to become modern day "Apostles" and "Prophets." In his view the church is in her third and final Reformation and Christ can't return to earth until the Church purifies itself.
Steinkamp wonders:
Can it be argued that this 'New reformation' is something that God has just recently dropped new from heaven like the baby Superman from Krypton? I suggest that there is nothing new here at all and for anyone willing to do the study they will find it a mere cutting edge version of something at least 100 years old. G. Raymond Carlson, former General Superintendent of the AOG [USA], had this to say regarding the new apostles and prophets:
'I saw it in the New Order of the Latter Rain in the late 40's and early 50's. Before that, it made its presence felt in the early days of the century among early Pentecostals.'
Steinkamp continues:
To Latter Rain teachers it seemed obvious that if there was to be a repeated apostolic Pentecost then apostles and prophets must be restored as well. These teachers then devised a historical scheme of restoration. Church history was understood as a succession of recoveries of lost or neglected truths. Luther recovered justification by faith, Baptists believers' baptism, Wesley holiness, A.B. Simpson healing and the early Pentecostal pioneers the gifts of the Spirit. The recovery process was now extended further. The end time body of Christ must go on to maturity and restore the apostles and prophets and these restored ministries must lead the church to a new and final dimension of power and authority not only bringing in the final harvest but establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth. [4]
Are we to establish a Kingdom of God upon earth? Listen to what Jesus says:
My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36).
The NAR has one thing right. The ministry of the apostles continues today:
Not in the person of anyone claiming to be an apostle, but in the New Testament. Every time the Word of God in the New Testament is read and proclaimed, the apostolic ministry and office fulfills its role. The apostles of the first century live on today, in the Church, through the Word God has given us through them. [5]
Part 2 coming soon!
NOTES:
[2] Rick Joyner. Restoration, May/June 1988, "The Harvest"
[4] Ibid
[5] Unknown author
RECOMMENDED READING
The Coalescing of the Christian Right with Apostolic Dominionism — By Orrel Steinkamp
Dominionism and the Rise of Christian Imperialism — By Sarah Leslie
NAR Prophetess's Inflammatory Comments on the Egypt Crisis — Herescope blog
The 'Great Wealth Transfer' — 100 Percent Returns! — By Spirit of Error
Links to articles that cover the New Apostolic Reformation
© Marsha West
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
