Weekend Fun!

Had our church dog groomed last night. And this morning, I had to wake up so early for the USAIS graduation! tired but blessed! Tomorrow, I will be preaching at a church in the village and praying for the Lord's guidance for all our hearts to learn and understand more about His Word. Go to church tomorrow my friends :)

Short Prayer for God's People

 We are all sinners, unworthy of God's love and favor. Yet, through the redemption offered by Jesus Christ, our standing before Him and His kingdom has been changed eternally after receiving Him in our lives. His mercy is boundless, and His grace is a gift to us.

Lord, we trust in Your promise to protect and guide your Church especially in the days to come. We pray that you will draw back to Yourself those who have wandered from your path, leading them to repent and humble themselves before you. We also lift up before you all those who serve as pastors, missionaries, teachers, and all the rest of the workers in your vineyard. Protect your children from false teachings and ideologies, that when we speak, we may declare only Your truth and Your truth alone. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

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Prosperity Theology and the “Name it Claim It” Theology (Word of Faith)

Dominionism as an Eschatological Concept

Along with the growing desperation of the NAR churches for superficial things is the growth of pastoral malpractice in the different denominations. The apostles and prophets, in order to please the congregation and make them believe the dominion theology that they teach, will do outrageous things that will later cause damage and defamation to all Christians in the world in general (even the non-NAR churches). One example is the “Wake Up Olive”[1] issue from Redding California’s Bethel Church in 2019.  It was a huge thing that year when the little girl Olive, daughter of Bethel Church’s worship leaders died in sleep. The parents claimed that Olive will resurrect and they have to pray over her and so the whole church agreed, even the pastor supported and had a campaign for the pray for Olive. It was a trending issue and a lot of big names in the Christian media, arts and entertainment supported the campaign as some of them are from Hillsong and and Jesus Culture and popular artists like Kari Jobe.  Thousands of posts on Instagram and other social media platforms were posted about the wake-up Olive campaign including songs, selfies, dancing, and original artwork. But after a week of passionate prayer amongst the participants, Olive did not resurrect and the parents announced that they will be preparing for a funeral service for their poor child.[2] The pastor and the whole Bethel Church announced on facebook about their stand on the issue by saying “We have sought a miracle from God to raise her from the dead. We realize this is out of the norm, but that’s what a miracle is – it’s outside the box of nature and our power…"[3]

Dominion theology, according to Trevor O’Reggio from the Perspective digest, is grounded upon three basic beliefs: “(1) Satan usurped humanity’s dominion over the earth through the temptation of Adam and Eve; (2) The Church is God’s instrument to take dominion back from Satan; (3) Jesus cannot come or will not return until the Church has taken dominion by gaining control of the earth’s government and societal institutions.”[4]

Reggio further describes Dominion theology to be having an eschatology rooted from a special interpretation of Genesis 1:28, Matthew 28:19–20, Deuteronomy 28:13, 14; Psalm 24:1 where it is asserted that the church will increase until Jesus returns but do not imply absolute dominion as in a sinless world but a preparatory dominion before the return of the King.[5] This theology basically proposes the view that Christians gain complete authority over the earth before Jesus comes.

Dominionists expect for the kingdom of God as a literal and physical kingdom to be advanced on earth in the present age. They also have an esoteric idea that believers can incarnate Christ and function as His body on earth to establish His kingdom rule. A strong belief that there will be a great wealth transfer from the ungodly to the godly amongst the dominionists because they believe that this monetary and wealth movement will facilitate the rapid expansion of the kingdom. Hence, Dominionism becomes closely related to the prosperity theology.

Some dominionists also believe in the fusion of Dominion Theology with Dispensationalism where some  hold that they will not be secretly raptured from the earth but will remain here to transform and rule over it.[6]

            Rooted from “reconstructionism” on the other hand, Dominionism is said to see Puritanism (American Puritanism) to be resurrected as purer version of the church, “tried in the furnace of opposition and hence more consistent to the basic premises of Calvinism than seventeenth century Puritanism.”[7]

            The wake up Olive issue is also a part of another dangerous teachings of “Word of Faith” theology or the “Name it Claim it” theology. The egotistical madness amongst the NAR churches is evident on their prayers which usually sound like they are forcing God to do the things they desire. Their prayers are delivered with full powerful voice and oftentimes repeated words that almost sound like chanting with total authority since in their minds, the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Prosperity gospel and the "faith movement" affirm that believing in Jesus is a "package deal", which  means that aside from receiving salvation, one also gets health, wealth and prosperity. Romans 10:9 that says "believe in your mouth and confess that He is God" is usually taken by the faith movement extremely to the point of taking all the blessings of eternity like the expectations for a glorified body and all that is to come, pointing these to be the believers’ present blessings.

Prosperity gospel teachers would use the atonement of Jesus Christ more than His payment for our sins but also to give healing to the sick and money to the poor. Reckoning with Revelation 21: 1-4 [8], the faith movement claims that the promises of God that are in store for us in eternity can be experienced today through positive confession. Most of them carry faith as a “divine ATM card” to get money from God or a “divine pill” to heal all sicknesses.

The danger of prosperity gospel is so broad that it can rob every  believer and unbeliever of the truth about the true God since it is presenting a different god who, according to the prosperity teachers, is a god who wants them to be super well and rich as they normally quote 2 Corinthians 8:9.[9] Hermeneutically speaking, this is an example of a bad interpretation of the Scripture since clearly, Paul was not about physical health and wealth blessings but about the lavish love and grace of God that saved us from being dead to sin and now alive in Christ. The true blessings that Paul was preaching is about the victory of Jesus over death, giving a way for us to escape the torment of the punishment for our sins. Understanding God’s love that has been lavished on us is more than enough for the children of God to be led to not ask for more. But when we ask, we ask according to His will and not on our own selfish motives.

In prosperity theology and name it claim in theology, the speaking in tongues is a big thing, along with the many mystified tools like the “anointed oil” and “healing bottles”[10]. There is a necessity for a church goer to open his or her mouth and speak in tongues to “confuse the devil” while affirming the reception of the Holy Spirit of that person there and then.[11]  

Incantation is also a common sign for all congregations who practice the name it claim it theology. Paula White is one of the popular preachers who practice incantation deceiving many in the churches.

The “Holy Spirit Activate Theology” is a manipulative incantation practiced by many in the NAR movement. A popular TV Game show in the US called the “Family Feud” had guests in one episode where one of them had to make a chant with the words “Holy Spirit Activate”. The caption of the said video clip reads: “Holy spirit activate! Chynna from Wilson Phillips calls on the Holy Spirit to win Fast Money! Steve Harvey has never seen this before!”[12]

The word power, manifestation, and incantation are just among the manipulative practices of the NAR movement where the supposed to be believers are being educated that the power is with what comes out of the mouth without realizing the downplaying of the full work of Christ on the cross. Apparently, the gospel presented in dominionism is totally different from the true Gospel of Christ, which rests fully on the work of Christ rather than the work of man.

Kenotic Theology

Kenotic theology, also known as kenosis, is a theological concept that emphasizes the self-emptying or humbling of Jesus Christ during his incarnation. The term "kenosis" comes from the Greek word "kenōsis," which means "emptying" or "deprivation." This theological perspective is rooted in Philippians 2:5-8, a passage in the New Testament that describes Jesus' humility and self-sacrifice.

The problem with this concept is that some take it too far and promote an unbiblical view of Christ’s nature, teaching that the divinity of the Son of God was somehow lost or lessened when the Lord took on human flesh and entered our world. This teaching misleads a lot of people, including some NAR churches, by having a twisted understanding of being Christ-like. For them, believers can be “like Jesus” and become “little gods”, powerful and able to make wonders, which make a lot of NAR churches appear to be “thirsting for more” of power and wonders. This is missing the whole point of God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ alone.

You may want to see my post about "Your Church Might Be A Cult: It's Time to Wake Up"  click here

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[1] Pivec and Geivett, Counterfeit Kingdom, “Wake up Olive”. 

[2] Article from USA today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/21/bethel-church-prayer-hasnt-brought-olive-back-life/2724417001/

[3] Ibid.

[4] 2014. Perspective Digest 19, no. 1–4, Page 6.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Revelation 21: 1-4 says "He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; [4] he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."

[9] Faith movement often points to 2 Corinthians 8:9 that says "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." Making a bad interpretation about the whole theology of Jesus’ atonement for our sins. Prosperity teachers teach that if you are poor and sick, you are not really saved and there is something wrong with you.

[10] The healing bottle according to Costi Hinn are “Bottles (were) taken to hospitals and deathbeds and kept in homes for the next time healing was needed. Healing in a bottle! I remember thinking, Peter healed people with his shadow in the Bible; now we can do it with bottled water. God is so full of surprises.” - C.Hinn, God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel. chapter 2

[11] Ibid.
“Services at our church” Vancouver Christian Center were an experience like no other. We would sing for hours, endlessly speak in tongues, hear stories from the healing crusades that increased our faith, and give money in two offerings. On special Sundays (which could be any given Sunday), the anointing of God would descend on our church and God’s power would cause people to fall over. As my dad prayed or anointed people with olive oil, they crumpled to the ground. We never referred to this event as being slain in the Spirit, though that is one way it’s described. Instead, we joyously referred to it as falling under the power.”

[12]  Family Feud Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@familyfeud, Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGrTRVSt1Tc , video title: Holy Spirit Activate! | Celebrity Family Feud, posted on Sep 20, 2021. 2,318,423 views  as of March 14, 2024.

Your Church Might Be A Cult: It's Time to Wake Up

 Recently, I posted this on my facebook:

"Sadly, some Christians desperately thirst and cry for "power". Some even sing, "God I want more, more, more of your power..", seemingly treating such power as something to serve them in making "magical wonders" or turning them into "superhumans".

This is false theology (especially amongst NAR). We should go back to what the Scripture says. The Apostle Paul even taught what the true power of God is in Romans 1:16.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

May we find satisfaction in God and His work on the Cross alone. That way, He is most glorified.

Let our worship be Biblical and not emotional, God-centered and not self-centered."

The reason why I thought out loud that way is my sentiment against the disaster brought by cults sweeping off their way into the mainstream Christianity. They have brought serious damage in many churches today and it saddens me so much.

With all that I will be writing on this post, I meant love for all my brothers and sisters who have been under the influence of the damaging teachings, ideologies, and theology of some false "Christian leaders" as it happened to me too. Let us ask for God's wisdom to easily see false churches and leaders especially those who call themselves "apostles" and "prophets" but in reality having their self-centered motives. I appeal to you my brothers and sisters to open your mind about the truth, pray and always submit to the authority of the Word of God. I myself is not perfect nor holy, for without Christ I am nothing. And so I ask that you do not take it personally since these are not about me but about God and His truth.

THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION

The New Apostolic Reformation is not new, not Apostolic, and not Reformation. The true reformation happened in about 500 years ago when Martin Luther and other reformers stood up to go against the false teachings of the church leaders then, with the objective of redirecting the Church back to the Word. For the reformers, the Scripture is the only authority in the Kingdom of God and not the pope nor anyone or anything else.

Today, the movement called NAR seems to be bringing in the same problem. It has been sweeping off the mainstream with their dominionism, revivalism, and other false theologies, putting many churches in danger. It is becoming a high time for a wake-up call again to remind the Church to go back to the Scriptures and let it become the only authority alone, not the Apostles or Prophets of the NAR movement. History definitely repeats itself and each one should check their own church again and again because the last thing you know, you have already been trapped in a false church.

NAR leaders teach a bunch of false theologies especially their position on the essentials and some eschatological concepts. Their presentation of the “secret rapture” doctrine is a bit disturbing. For them, instead of escaping the earth prior to tribulation, all the believers will defeat evil by taking dominion, or control, over all sectors of society and government that will pave way for the mass conversions. This way, God’s kingdom on earth will be set and built. This is called Dominionism[1] and is popularly known as the seven-mountain mandate. NAR promotes a different concept of theocracy as raising up kingdom-minded people who will take over all the seven areas in the society namely: Business, Family, Education, Media, Government, Education, Arts-Entertainment, and Religion. [2] NAR leaders teach that the taking over of these mountains should happen in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ.[3] This is very dangerous since the church is being taught with the theology that Jesus Himself was against. The Lord Jesus is the one who inaugurated the Kingdom and will come back to become the Judge and King. The church's role is not to reign or to promote self-centered concept of dominion over the earth but to serve as an instrument of Jesus' teachings, love, and salvation.

Which are the NAR churches?

                If I mention names, it will probably hurt a lot of my brothers and sisters as it hurt me too. We sing their songs and looked up to the success of the ministries that they have been working with but sadly, most of them have fallen into the lies of the enemy along the way. Some popular names are Bill Johnson, Kris Valloton, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Peter Wagner and so forth. Sadly, we also need to stop singing the songs of their ministries such as Bethel, Hillsong, Jesus Culture, Elevation Church, and many more.

What do they teach?

            Dominion theology is very evident in many Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations, which both represent a broad spectrum of theological perspectives. However, it would be inaccurate to assume that all of them embrace dominion theology or the NAR movement. Many Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians adhere to sound biblical doctrine, focusing on personal faith, prayer, worship, and service to others, without necessarily adopting dominionist views. Hence, we should not label all of them being in the NAR movement or any other related movements.

            The main problem in dominion theology is the way NAR churches view the Scripture. The modern day apostles has become the source of new revelation from God and so their words are treated with more authority over plain text of the Bible. Hence, instead of what the Scripture says, NAR churches pay more attention on the experiential components such as passionate preaching, touching music, out-of-this-world signs and wonders, and over-rated relationships. This way, people in the NAR churches have become more and more desperate for healing, financial breakthrough, love, and other superficial desires that deceives them and keeps them away from the true and Biblical Jesus.

Other Popular Names

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement has connections to several notable figures in the religious sphere. Among them are Lou Engle, founder of The Call; Guillermo Maldonado, co-founder and senior pastor of El Rey Jesús; Rick Joyner, founder of Morning Star Ministries; John P. Kelly, founder of John P. Kelly Ministries and Convening Apostle; Ché Ahn, leader of Harvest International Ministries; Todd White, founder of Lifestyle Christianity; Randy Clark, founder of Global Awakening; Kenneth Copeland, founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries; Rodney Howard-Browne, founder of Revival Ministries International; and Faytene Grasseschi, founder of V-Kol Media Ministries. These individuals share various aspects of the NAR movement's beliefs and practices, contributing to its widespread influence within the Christian community and causing wildfires everywhere.

In addition to the previously mentioned figures, there are several other popular names within the religious sphere that warrant caution for various reasons that include destruction in the contemporary churches. These include Martha West, Steven Furtick, Samuel Rodriguez, Ed Silvoso, Jim Ammerman, Cindy Jacobs, Os Hillman, Julius Oyet, Pat Francis, Bill Haman, Harry Jackson, Lance Wallnau, and John Benefiel. Furthermore, there is Todd Bentley, who also warrants attention due to their involvement in churches or religious organizations. It is essential for individuals to be discerning when engaging with these figures and their teachings, ensuring alignment with their personal beliefs and values.

 

Organizations Related to NAR

The Perspective Digest enumerates some of the popular organizations that are associated with NAR:[4]

1. The International Coalition of Apostles (ICA) is a network of several hundred apostles in the United States and about 40 other nations formed by the convening apostle, C. Peter Wagner. Each of these apostles has ministries under him or her.

2. The Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders (ACPE) is an inner circle of about two to three dozen apostles.

3. The International Association of Healing Ministries (IAHR) is part of the Kingdom Health Care System, an international network of healing centers headed by Carl Pierce, an apostle of C. Peter Wagner, a faith healer, and demon exorcist. According to Pierce, “Healing is the undergarment that God’s army will wear to support the armor for bakle.”

4. The International Society of Deliverance Ministries (ISDM), headed by Bill and Janet Sadduth, exists to expel demons that cause physical and emotional pain.

5. The Apostolic Council for Educational Accountability (ACEA) is an accreditation system, under the apostolic authority of Leo Lawson, which ensures that all the various organizations and ministries adhere to the ideology and goals of the NAR.

6. The Eagle Vision Apostolic Team (EVAT) is a secretive inner-circle group whose membership list is not publicized.

7. The Wagner Leadership Institute (WLI), led by Apostle Carl Pierce, is an international network of faith-healing centers.

8. The Heartland Apostolic Network (HAN), under the directorship of Apostle John Benefiel and based in Oklahoma, is a coordinating center for prayer networks in the United States.

9. The Global Harvest Ministries, the personal para-church ministry of C. Peter and Doris Wagner, is also the legal parent entity of many of the other NAR organizations listed above, including ACEA, ACKW, EVAT, ICA, ISPM, and WLI. [5]

NAR Practices

Tarot Card Reading

The use of cards and aligning it to Biblical tradition has been becoming more popular these days as part of the NAR practices. Christalignment[6] is among the active practitioners of this claiming that the prophetic artists and photographers are being "used" by God to provide information about the destiny of Christians and they call this "destiny readings"[7]. They do this by using the art pieces of the said artists and photographers.[8]  Christalignment.org says that they believe that the art pieces are more accurate and higher than all other forms of reading, carrying a special presence. Their card readings are always followed by the reader who takes the client into a beautiful, deep encounter through a much “higher realm”, which is the main part of any reading. Holly Pivec says that Bethel uses destiny cards “in an attempt to discover hidden knowledge outside of God’s ordained means”[9]. Using these cards is plain blasphemy as “card readers” attempt to use this tool of divination to represent the Holy Spirit.

Astral Projection, Telepathy, Necromancy [10]

Many NAR churches deny that astral projection, telepathy, necromancy are parts of their teachings but some have been doing otherwise. While many of them claim that they primarily focus on spiritual warfare, dominion theology, and the restoration of apostolic and prophetic gifts in the church, some individuals within the movement may have personal beliefs or experiences related to astral projection, telepathy, and necromancy. These individuals are led by some NAR leaders who promote the belief that the children of God can talk to the dead and can travel from one place in the world to another or to heaven or to hell in just a snap and can even do time traveling either to the past or to the future.[11]   

 

Cold Reading and Hot Reading

            Both cold reading and hot reading are so very common in the NAR movement and Pivec call these as fraudulent prophecies[12] Cold reading is “a technique used by phony psychics or mentalists who pretend to know things about a person in the audience that they couldn’t know by ordinary means.”[13] Hot reading, on the other hand is when the “psychic or prophet obtains information about the person before the live event”[14]. Along with these two fraudulent prophecies of the NAR movement are others like “broad fishing net prophecies”[15], “archetype prophecies”[16], “fortune cookie prophecy”[17], and “loophole prophecies”[18]

Pivec and Geivett say that all these prophecies become false as they fail “three negative tests:  the Orthodoxy test (do their prophecies line up with Scripture?), the Lifestyle test (are they greedy and lustful?), the Fulfillment test (did they get it right?)”[19]. These authors of the book, Counterfeit Kingdom, call these the negative tests because once a “prophet” fails any of the three, the prophecy and the prophet himself become unacceptable and automatically disqualified.

I am posting more about the NAR, Prosperity Theology, Word of faith theology and so forth next. Please click here

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[1] Dominion theology also refers to Christian reconstructionism and theonomy. It reasons that society will be reconstructed by the Law of God as per the gospel and the Great Commission. Theonomy, on the other hand, is a post-millennial view asserting that moral laws contained in the Old Testament are yet binding today. These two are often used interchangeably.

[2] Perspective Digest 19, 2014. no. 1–4.

[3] Ibid.

[4] This list is from the Perspective Digest 19, 2014. no. 1–4.

[5] This list is from the Perspective Digest 19, 2014. no. 1–4.

[6] https://www.christalignment.org/destinyreadingcards

[7] Pivec and Geivett, Counterfeit Kingdom, pp. 43-45.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Astral projection is a spiritual practice that aims to separate one's consciousness from the physical body, allowing the individual to explore other realms or dimensions. Telepathy, on the other hand, refers to the ability to communicate thoughts or ideas without using conventional language. Necromancy is the practice of communicating with or summoning the spirits of the dead for the purpose of divination or gaining knowledge. This practice is generally considered to be a form of occultism or witchcraft, and it is explicitly forbidden in the Bible.

 These practices are more commonly associated with esoteric or New Age beliefs, rather than mainstream Christian theology. It is crucial for Christians to base their beliefs and practices on sound biblical teachings and avoid engaging in activities that are not grounded in scripture. While some may argue that certain spiritual practices can be beneficial or enlightening, it is essential to ensure that they align with biblical principles and do not lead to spiritual deception or harm.

[11] Pivec and Geivett, Counterfeit Kingdom, pp.40-48.

[12] Ibid, p.68.

[13] Ibid, p.69.

[14] Ibid, 70.

[15] Ibid, p.64.

[16] Ibid, p.63.

[17] Ibid, p.61.

[18] Ibid, p.59.

[19] Ibid, p.50.