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The Berean Call picked up this article from Pastor Larry DeBruyn
If you are not familiar with dominionism it is coming forefront because of the latest prayer rally called the Response. What is wrong with a prayer rally? In the background you will find The New Apostlic Reformation. These self-ordained “apostles” claim they have to christianize the world before Jesus Christ can return. They call themselves, forerunners, or Joel’s Army. They will not be going away anytime soon. True prophets call for repentance of sin and preach the message of turning away from things of the world and of turning only to Christ.
DOMINIONISM’S FATAL FLAW [Excerpts]
Despite the involvement of the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition in America’s political process over the last few decades-in 1976, a cover of Newsweek read, Born Again, and declared that year to be the year of the evangelical-the moral decline of this nation continues down that slippery slope. Because little has changed, many who have fought the good fight against national corruption are understandably discouraged. One leader has even informed his constituency that, “attempts to restore morality ‘through the political process have failed’.”
About the religious right’s failure to influence this nation’s moral life, one thing needs to be said: Welcome to the school of the biblical prophets. Their warning of judgment and witness to God’s Law could not prevent the moral meltdown occurring in their era either (See Hosea 4:1-3; Jeremiah 9:2-6; Micah 7:1-6; Isaiah 1:4, 21-23.). Their ministry also failed to affect significant moral change in ancient Israel. They were voices crying in the wilderness.
Any prophetic message does not resonate with America for the same reason that it did not in Israel. The reason is sin, the forgotten word not only in our culture, but also in the church. Within the pan-evangelical movement, there seems to be an “us-against-them” mentality. We’re the righteous, they’re the sinners. While concluding his argument regarding the universality of depravity amongst both the irreligious and the religious, and before stringing together a list of biblical quotations to prove his point, Paul addressed such an attitude. He first asked and then answered, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Romans 3:9).
As one critical historian notes, “The only trouble with Christian morality is that Christians on the whole, do not practice it.” It’s doubtful that efforts at a Christian reconstruction of and dominion over America would succeed. From the evident lifestyles of pan-evangelicals as revealed by surveys-bornagains are no different from non-bornagains-and the moral failures of a few high-profile but now disgraced leaders, there is every appearance that would-be reformers desperately need reforming.
Good laws cannot change bad people. Only grace can do that. The only end for wickedness is divine judgment. It was for Israel, and it will be for America. So beloved, don’t be discouraged by political ill fortunes of the present. Press on. Keep the faith. Live the right. Speak the truth. Be good neighbors and loyal citizens. Vote truth, right and your conscience, all the while knowing that there will be no earthly utopia this side of God establishing His rule on earth, a kingdom “wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). In the meantime, continue to pray, “Father . . . Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
http://guardinghisflock.com/2009/06/30/dominionisms-fatal-flaw/#more-34
Excerpts FROM:
Truth Endures: Landmark Sermons from Forty Years of Unleashing God’s Truth One Verse at a Time
“It is only through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that you or I or anyone will ever enter the kingdom of God. We can’t enter through our religious emotion or our sanctified feelings. It is only through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Lip profession is no good–there must be obedience. And in the statement, “Lord, Lord,” you get the idea that these people are surprised-in fact they’re shocked. “You mean we’re not even getting in?” But remember what Jesus Christ says in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”‘
The following verse is on an old slab in the cathedral of Lubeck, Germany:
Thus speaketh Christ our Lord unto us,
ye call Me Master and obey me not,
ye call me Light, and see Me not,
ye call me Way and walk Me not,
ye call me Wise and follow Me not,
ye call me Fair and love Me not,
ye call me Rich and ask Me not,
ye call me Eternal and seek Me not,
you call me Gracious and trust Me not,
ye call me Noble and serve Me not,
ye call me Mighty and honor Me not,
ye call me Just, and fear Me not;
if I condemn you, blame Me not.
“Millions of people depend on their morality, their good deeds, their baptism, their church membership, even their religious feelings. There will be many church workers in hell, many pastors, and sad to say, many teachers in so-called religious schools. I’m sure many of them are going to say to Christ, “Christ, it’s us, we prophesied in your name.” But Jesus will tear off the sheepskin and lay bare the ravening wolf. That’s exactly what He’s been talking about in Matthew 7:15-20, where He reveals the false prophets–those who claim to have reality and have it not.”
“The true church of Jesus Christ is not a religious institution that welcomes everyone; it is the body of Jesus Christ apart to God, uniquely married and wedded to Christ, and redeemed by faith.”
This was taken from the very first sermon John MacArthur gave to 300 people at Grace Church in 1969. The sermon is titled
“HOW TO PLAY CHURCH”
TEXAS GOVERNOR’S UPCOMING LEADERSHIP EVENT INCLUDES CULT MEMBERS
By Marsha West
August 3, 2011
NewsWithViews.com
The prayer event I’m speaking of is The Response: a call to prayer for a nation in crisis. The cult Gov. Rick Perry has involved himself with is the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). The NAR has dozens of offshoots and an assortment of names such as Dominionists, Latter Rain, Kansas City Prophets, Third Wave, Joel’s Army, Manifest(ed) Sons of God, Five-Fold Ministry, to name a few. Another offshoot, and the one I’ll deal with here, is the International House of Prayer (IHOP), a splinter group of the Kansas City Prophets. Confusing? You betcha!
I’m not alone in my view that much of the NAR and IHOP theology and doctrines are unbiblical, most conservative Bible scholars, apologists and pastors agree. According to Brannon Howse:
The Response…is being promoted as a time of prayer and repentance. However, how can Christians and Christian leaders gather together in a spiritual enterprise and a spiritual service, with individuals that embrace a theology and doctrine that teaches a different Jesus and a different gospel? I, and thousands of pastors and theologians, believe that the Word of God reveals that the teaching of the New Apostolic Reformation, (NAR) the Word of Faith movement and the prosperity gospel is completely unbiblical. (Online source)
The American Family Association (AFA) is sponsoring the event. AFA is part of the Religious Right a.k.a. the Christian Right (CR). Is the fact that cultists are involved just a slip up or a failure on the part of AFA to fact check? No. They know perfectly well who these people are and have decided to unite with them anyway.
So why would a so-called Christian group pal around with members of a Christian cult? In a word, pragmatism. This is the philosophy that “the end justifies the means.” In this case the end is getting people motivated to show up at a prayer rally. The NAR has the resources to accomplish this task because a large part of what they do is planning global prayer events. Although I have no way of validating how this project was conceived it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the NAR wanted to do a prayer event in Texas that included the governor so they presented the plan to the AFA and a partnership was created. Since it benefits politicians to have the support of the Religious Right, Perry also jumped on board. Another possibility is that AFA’s leadership has Dominionist leanings and they, feeling comfortable with this group, sponsored the event. Finally, it very well might be that the governor’s staff came up with the idea and presented it to the AFA, they liked the idea and agreed to sponsor it. Although it would be interesting to know how the idea for this event was conceived and how this group of organizers was put together, the fact remains that Gov. Perry and the CR are involved with cultists.
Full Article HERE
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO JOIN THE RALLY?
Saturday, 06 August 2011
by Jackie Alnor
Apostasy Alert.org
Christians around the world reacted in such shock that the media would dare to label the Norway terrorist a “fundamentalist Christian,” when in fact he was a hate-filled degenerate with no connections to the Christian faith whatsoever. But these allegations did not come out of a vacuum.
There are voices in the “Christian” media chanting slogans all over the public airwaves calling for Christians to rise up and take dominion over the entire world. There are groups that gather in large numbers at political prayer gatherings chanting affirmations such as: “We’re taking back the world for Christ” “We’re the head and not the tail”- and the world takes notice. Preachers in mega-churches are telling their congregations to “take back what the devil stole” in the marketplace, economics, entertainment, politics, and everywhere in society.
This chatter that permeates social media is bringing persecution upon all professing Christians who get labeled as one of them – especially when all streams in this polluted river join together for a show of force and unity. But where did this cocky collective Christian attitude originate that appears to the onlooking public as a threat to their freedoms? Besides from the prince of the power of the air, it comes from his agents who have wormed themselves into the professing church and seek to climb to the top of the heap.
Unbelievers cannot differentiate between Islam’s professed aim to dominate the planet and the boastings of professing Christians who are boldly proclaiming that they’re the ones who will rule the world and create Christ’s kingdom on earth before He returns.
Hitching their star to a presidential candidate, such as Texas Governor Rick Perry, the Joel’s Army visionaries are trying to position themselves to expand their power base. The Response (name of the prayer rally in Houston for America on behalf of Perry’s potential presidential bid) is an attempt of the Mother Harlot to ride the Beast of secular power. The new “Holy Roman Empire” is to rise again!
JOEL’S ARMY ON THE MARCH
There have been many efforts over the past couple of decades by Joel’s Army leaders to capture a critical mass of people and rally the troops behind them. A leading “prophet” in the movement is Bill Hamon, founder of Christian International Ministries in Florida. He calls the current effort to bring people together “the Saints Movement” in an ongoing effort to achieve what he calls “the restoration process” of the Church – the idea of restoring secular authority back to the Church that was once held by the Roman Catholic Church.
In an interview with The Voice Magazine, he describes where he believes we are now in the restoration process.
“We are at the prophetic-apostolic. The prophetic movement of the 80s brought in the prophet. And in the 90s it was the apostle. Now we have all five ascension gifts fully restored. Now we can get busy, working, training, equipping, and activating the saints to demonstrate the Kingdom of God…Now it’s the whole Body of Christ arising and demonstrating the supernatural. We will see the Body of Christ coming forth in the Saints Movement. We’ve crossed over the Jordan. The moment you cross over Jordan you’re going into warfare. As fanatical as it may sound to fundamental evangelical Christians, the Church is destined to subdue all things and put all things under Christ’s feet before He actually literally returns from heaven…The Church is being prepared now for the next moves of God. After the Saints Movement will be the Army of the Lord Movement. The next movement after that will be the Kingdom Establishment Movement.”
[Source: http://www.thevoicemagazine.com/ApoMoments_BillHamon.htm ]
The only thing holding them back, according to Hamon, is the belief in the Rapture.
“Rapture teaching is one of the most faith deadening teachings ever preached. It has the most neutralizing affect on a Christian’s aggressive growth process…If you don’t have a big comprehensive vision, both restorationally and eternally, then what motivation is there to do much except try to win a few souls to get a big reward in heaven?”
At the same time “The Response” is taking place in Houston, the Roman Catholic Church is holding a prayer rally in Maryland. Called “The Summer of Mercy,” sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington and the Archdiocese of Baltimore, this Catholic event also includes Protestants coming together with them under the pro-life cause. http://summerofmercy.com/
The website announcing the Summer of Mercy event, shares the testimony of a person who attended the last one a decade ago:
“We (Catholics and Protestants) prayed together… rallied together… sang together… processed together… attended church services together. It was peaceful and it was prayerful unity. In response to what the Holy Spirit is doing in this hour, we are inviting Christians and people of good will from all across America to come to Germantown, Maryland and be involved in the Summer of Mercy 2.0. Our desire is to see a sovereign God powerfully move, shift history, bring awakening to our nation and end abortion. Join us July 30 though August 7, for this historic season of prayerful and prophetic witness in Maryland. We will be having; 24/7 prayer and worship, inspiring evening rallies with national political and Christian leaders and cutting edge public events.”
Protestants and Catholics together, united in prayer and power to “shift history” – Is that the purpose of the body of Christ today? Jesus told His disciples, “they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” [Matt. 24:9] and the Apostle Paul wrote, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” [Phil. 3:20]
POO-POO PROPHET
So-called prophet Bob Jones is one referred to in the circles of dominion-seeking “Protestants.” Leaders like Rick Joyner of MorningStar and Mike Bickle of IHOP point to him as the one who gave them their marching orders. Jones blatantly teaches the Joel’s Army idea that the end-times church will go to war with the world and come out on top before the Lord’s return. How odd that Jones is still admired when he was exposed as the pervert he is years ago when he used his “prophetic office” to molest women.
Jones claims to be taken up to heaven on a regular basis. On one occasion, he described his heavenly garments as diapers. “I had a pamper on,” Jones told Mike Bickle who was interviewing him. “And I really messed it good. It was running down both my legs. And the Lord had ahold of my hand and I was a bawlin and a squallin…And so it was like the angels come and changed my pamper and washed me up and the next thing I knew I was back in bed.”
Jones revealed where he gets his marching orders in the 2008 Shepherd’s Rod publication. He wrote, “In our own ministry, we have been emphasizing the importance of honoring healing revivalists such as A. A. Allen, John Alexander Dowie, John G. Lake, William Branham and others. Some of these have been the most dishonored individuals of the 20th century Church, yet used most notably in soul winning and the miraculous. Our adversary has effectively attempted to neutralize the testimony of these individuals as forerunners by overly emphasizing their shortcomings and weaknesses. Even so, the Lord is allowing a body of people to recognize the pioneering influence these individuals conveyed in order to position us to carry forward the unfinished commissions.”
[For background on these “healing revivalists,” see my article on “God’s Generals” at: http://www.apostasyalert.org/generals.htm.%5D
These men did indeed have dishonored lives that included homosexuality, alcoholism, false doctrine, denial of the deity of Christ, and unverified claims of healings. Before joining with these groups in their prayer/political rallies, a Christian needs to pay heed to the warnings of the discernment ministries against associating with errant brothers.
Mike Bickle may put disclaimers on his website, denying that he believes in the Joel’s Army teachings, but that would carry more weight if he would apologize to the church for promoting them in the past. After all he published the writings promoting Joel’s Army by men like Bob Jones and Paul Cain in his newsletters when he was their pastor overseeing the “Kansas City Prophets.”
But he and Joyner and the other associates of the New Apostolic Reformation have picked up the mantles of the “unfinished commissions” and are vying for the top positions in the end-times army. Their slogan to take back America has caught on with the apostate lukewarm church with the help of the “Christian” TV networks and the compromising broadcasters who have joined hands with them by appearing on their networks without pointing out their errors.
The war has begun, and the persecution of the true saints is at hand.
It was great to get a mention on WorldViewWeekend…
*****************
Mike Bickle of IHOP wants a book about Catholic mystics to be “manual for IHOP-KC”
Much of the literature being sold through the International House of Prayer’s online FORERUNNER Bookstore indicates a contemplative influence. One such book being offered is Fire Within, written by Father Thomas Dubay. IHOP founder Mike Bickle states, “I want this book to be the manual for IHOP-KC.” [1]
That is high praise indeed from Mike Bickle. The full title of the book is Fire Within: St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel–On Prayer. Incredibly, Bickle’s “manual” is about Catholic, contemplative mystics! Also for sale on the website are books by and about St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and even Madame Guyon.
Another book being offered is The Forgotten Desert Mothers, by Laura Swan. Swan writes, “We begin to discard our old ways and go in search of new ways of communicating with God. Our prayer matures and takes on new forms.” [2] And what are these new forms? Swan states, “Centering prayer, lectio divina, Christian meditation, Taize, and the Divine Office are all sought. Prayer moves us toward the simple: often sitting silently before the Divine–in contemplative or centering prayer–is all we feel drawn to do.” [3]
In an audio message, Mike Bickle apparently voiced great enthusiasm for contemplative prayer. Jocelyn Andersen has transcribed some of what was said, which you can find HERE. Kim Olsen of Discernit has reproduced IHOP’s promotion of contemplative prayer HERE. Perhaps it is not surprising that these have vanished from the web but can still be examined because of the diligence of these two saints.
Full article HERE
Related Articles
The Parable of the Candy Apple – Or What is the Doctrine behind IHOP
Confusion on the Davidic Tabernacle
and a very strange and sad story of IHOP youth evangelism at a Psychic fair:
in the comment section after this article a representative of the International House of Prayer tries to play down its involvement.
Governor Rick Perry’s “The Response” prayer rally is, if nothing else, revealing the growing political influence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) evangelists. These are people who believe they have supernatural powers and the divine authority to rule over “the nations.” The prayer rally is a snippet of a widespread, well-organized movement.
The NAR evangelists embrace “seven mountains dominionist theology,” a belief that Christians must dominate seven “mountains” of culture which include church/religion, family, education, arts and entertainment, business/finance, media and government. Emerging as a leader of this movement is a group that calls itself The Oak Initiative, which seeks to reshape the culture and “to work on every level where government is found, from the most local to state and national levels.”
A number of The Oak Initiative’s board members are involved with Perry’s prayer rally and, in a recent newsletter, the group announced its latest goals:
Article HERE
Make sure to watch the video about Rick Joyner
“Joyner also claims that he has transcended time and space by mysteriously popping from one city to another.”
Anyone that has appeared on Sid Roth’s show is a false teacher, participates in false teaching, or is deceived by false teaching.
I like to jump around on other people’s posts on facebook. Going down the rabbit holes, or finding the source of one’s inspiration is very telling of the spirituality they speak of. For instance I bounced around to a site that had the title:
Theological/philosophical/cultural/spiritual thoughts about God and the Real Jesus.
Oh, this person has found the Real Jesus. Let’s see! I had only to scroll down about 7-8 articles to find what he wrote:
Thomas Merton has written: “Keeping a journal has taught me that there is not so much new in the interior life as one sometimes thinks. When you reread your journal you find out that your newest discovery is something you found out five years ago. Still, it is true that one penetrates deeper and deeper into the same ideas, the same experiences.” (Merton, Thomas (2007).
Growing deeper and deeper into Christ and His love is to discover new things about the same thing. I think that if you and I were more mastered by Christ’s love it would be life overwhelming, life overflowing.
Today stick to the basics, the most foundational of which is: Love.
Ah….Thomas Merton…. So let’s take a good look at Merton. Lighthouse Trails Research has this good article about him titled:
Thomas Merton – Contemplative, Mystic, Panentheist.
Article HERE
Here are a couple of quotes from Thomas Merton.
“It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, … now I realize what we all are …. If only they [people] could all see themselves as they really are …I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other … At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusions, a point of pure truth … This little point …is the pure glory of God in us. It is in everybody.”
FROM A TIME OF DEPARTING BY RAY YUNGEN (quoting Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (1989 edition, 157-158)
“I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity … I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can.”
(David Steindl-Rast, “Recollection of Thomas Merton’s Last Days in the West” (Monastic Studies, 7:10, 1969)
There is no way I can trust this person’s claim that they know the real Jesus when they are following false teachings.
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oTohomas Merton – Contemplative, Mystic, Panentheist Thomas Merton – Contemplative, Mystic, Panentheist
An Escape From Bethel and the False Prophetic
excerpt from m’kayla’s korner
Just received this as a comment. Please, if you are involved with Bethel, Crowder, any part of the charismatic/word of faith movement, the healing rooms or the prophetic, check these methods with the word of God. They may seem right, but they are occult at the core. I know this is so because I used to be a part of it all. Praise God for His saving grace!
I really wanted to share my story too as my church in the UK has become well & truly Bethelized, the transition into it has been a subtle & underhanded invasion, swapping of truth for error, what Im posting is about that journey of utter deception & how it gets in.
late 2009- Bill Johnson comes to my town in a big church wide event…. some time after that mtg (I didnt go to it because I really dont like big events) our senior pastor sat down with some leaders & discussed the audacity of bethel people visiting mind/body/spirit./psychic type fairs & setting up stalls that would offer to pray for healing & prophesy over people that would frequent such a place… 1st red flag no gospel preached/ & irresponsible – how on earth do people who are mostly drawn to occult practices discern & distinguish & make appropriate responses to that which is reportedly from a Holy God in that type of setting. ok I know god can reach anyone anywhere anyhow – but his “method” promotes spiritual confusion I believe in people who are dead to sin & lost to HIM.
Full Story at m’kayla’s Blog HERE
IHOP’s New Breed Leaders
The very strange teachings about Bloodlines, New Breed, Elect Seed, New Order and Abortion in the history of the IHOP movement
- “The best of every blood line”
- “300,000 that will have a special measure of the Spirit”
- “getting the next generation into the warfare”
- ” the elect generation”
- “leadership over the one billion” (Mike Bickle & Bob Jones)[1]
The IHOP (International House of Prayer) movement is now front and center stage as a national controversy continues to swirl around Texas Governor Rick Perry and his upcoming prayer rally The Response featuring prominent IHOP and NAR leaders as “endorsers.” The national media is scrambling to catch up with the significance of this event, and a few reporters are bungling it badly.[2]
In the meantime, The Response showed no signs of faltering, as James and Shirley Dobson, Max Lucado and Maine Governor Paul LePage added their weight to a new promo webpage for the event, “What Others are Saying.” This quasi-political prayer event continues to be controversial because of the potential political ambitions of Gov. Perry who, according to one reporter, “may be counting on apostles and prophets to help propel him to the White House.”[3] This same article recounts the attempts by the NAR and IHOP movements to bridge racial divides:
Full STORY
I believe that the 66 books of the Bible is the divine Word of God.
Those who subtract from the 66, end up with an incomplete knowledge of God. Those in this camp, isolate verses to create their own theology or pet views. Or they focus only on one book like Acts, or Revelation and like to ignore the epistles which are full of warnings to the church. Ignoring the Old Testament deprives one of the richness of learning about the Patriarchs and learning about God’s power and sovereignty.
Those who add to scripture do so in various ways. One way is to read the gnostic books that were rejected long ago. The seduction that one has found secret answers outside of scripture is very bewitching. But as I watch those who pay heed to these writings I see them falling away from the simplicity that is in Christ, and ridicule those who cling to the canon as narrow and unsophisticated. They use John 3:12 as a verse to say that others do not understand heavenly things like they do. Eve desired this knowledge so long ago, she thought it would make her wise and like God. But the opposite happened. She doubted God by listening to the serpent who asked, ” Did God really say?”
Another way people add to scripture is to prophesy from their hearts and minds, but they tell fables and their predictions do not come true. The Bible is clear…do not listen to them for they do not speak for God.
******
ASSAULT ON BIBLE PROVES ITS DIVINE INSPIRATION (Friday Church News Notes, July 15, 2011, http://www.wayoflife.org
The broad assault on the Bible today is a fulfillment of prophecy and therefore an evidence that the Bible is true. 2 Timothy 3:7-8 warns that even professing Christians will join in the assault. They will be ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, and in fact, will resist the truth (2 Tim. 3:7-8).
This is a perfect description of Christian higher education today, even among “evangelicals” (as we have documented in the book New Evangelicalism). The typical seminary takes a syncretistic approach, having a tolerant attitude toward a wide assortment of “theologies” and enthusiastically entertaining an endless stream of ancient and end-times heresies, while despising any dogmatic approach to doctrine and attacking those who hold the Bible as the infallibly inspired Word of God.
Christianity Today recently published an article questioning the historicity of Adam and Eve and pretending that it doesn’t matter one way or the other. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 prophesies that end-times Christians will trade sound doctrine for fables and will be led in this diabolical business by heaps of teachers who are willing to scratch people’s ears with new things. Peter prophesied that many will teach damnable heresies, even attacking the person and character of Christ; and by their false teaching and sensual lifestyle they will bring great reproach upon Christianity (2 Peter 2:1-2).
Peter also prophesied that at the end of the age there will be widespread unbelief toward the global flood and the second coming of Christ; there will be scoffing and flagrant rejection of God’s moral laws (2 Peter 3:3-6). The apostasy, which began in the days of the apostles, will grow in intensity as the church age progresses (2 Timothy 3:13).
These amazing 2,000-year-old prophecies, which are precise and detailed, give a perfect description of conditions in our day. This would not be possible apart from divine inspiration.
DiscernIt 
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