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The Religious Right unites with the Religious Renegades, Part 2

by: marsha west | published: 06 10, 2011

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My purpose for writing this article is not to discredit, scold or embarrass the Christian Right (CR) for their part in helping to advance the bizarre beliefs of a renegade movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). My words are intended to be loving but firm. (Eph 4:15) I believe the CR’s intentions are good and that they are honorable men and women who believe they are faithfully serving our Lord. What they fail to understand is that the NAR is a Christian sect!

So with this in mind I am calling for spiritual discernment from CR leaders. Prominent Christians are not exempt from doing as the Bible instructs: “Prove [test] all things; hold fast to that which is good [true].” (1 Thes 5:21) My hope is that CR leaders will scrutinize NAR’s theology and doctrines by the light of God’s Word. If they will do this, what they will discover is that the NAR’s message has little to do with the true Gospel of Jesus Christ – and this should be cause for alarm.

CHRISTIANITY 101

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

(Heb 1:1-4)

The words the Son of God spoke while He was among us are found in the pages of the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the four Gospels to correctly record what they heard from the lips of Jesus. One of the essential doctrines of Christianity—a non-negotiable-- is the inerrancy of Scripture. In other words, everything in the Bible is true, thus God’s people must believe what the scriptures say. This is Christianity 101, my friends.

Nowhere in Scripture does it teach that we can expect “new revelation” from God. Those who teach this are in error. Moreover, our feelings and experiences are not to be trusted. I mean, seriously. Can you really trust your emotions?

Many Christians, especially Charismatic Christians, are open to receiving a “prophetic word from the Lord” through a so-called prophet. Some have even bought into the notion that they actually hear God speaking to them in a sort of whisper. Apologist Greg Koukl offers this warning:

This teaching that God will whisper in your ear all kind of particulars that pertain to you and His will for your life is very appealing to Christians. Even though when you look at the Scriptures, the specialized directions are rare. They are unusual. They are usually unsought. And they are always crystal clear. None of this "I think the Lord is telling me" business. People are still gravitating to the suggestion that we can develop a sixth sense that can tie us into a hotline to God so that we can have certitude about the things of life and the decisions we ought to make. Why is this appealing? Because it's easy. (1)

It is vitally important that we understand that God has chosen to speak to us through His Word:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16-17).

The Bible makes it clear that God’s people are to live righteous lives. The Bible says thou shalt not lie, cheat, steal, have sex outside of marriage, laze around, dress like a slut, get occult tattoos, drink like a fish, view pornography, and so on and so forth. Living righteously means not being involved in immoral behavior. (I find it ironic that Christians knowingly participate in all sorts of activities that displease God, yet they sit around fretting over whether or not it’s God’s will for them to take that job offer, or marry Harry, or go on a mission trip to Timbuktu.)

Simply because someone believes they hear God whisper things that pertain to them—or His will for them--does not mean the “voice” is God’s. (Read Greg Koukl’s article Does God Whisper?)

Christians must be careful of such things as voices, visions, dreams, revelations, strong impressions, angel visitations and drawing on theirexperiences. None of these things should be given equal or greater authority than what is contained in Scripture. The Bible is the believer’s final authority. Everything we need to know has already been written. “If we do not base our understanding of Christ on the Word of God,” says Justin Edwards, “then all we are left with are opinions based on the figment of our imagination, the consequences of which are fatally hazardous to the soul.”

SEVEN MOUNTAINS TO CONQUER?

Conquering The Seven Mountains for Christ is the brainchild of the Dominionist movement. Over the years Dominionists have gone by many names including Latter Rain/Kingdom Now /Joel’s Army/Manifest Sons of God and most recently the NAR. The so-called Apostles and Prophets have a plan to aggressively “retake the reins of our country” for Christ. Dominionist Johnny Enlow wrote The Seven Mountain Prophecy where he shares his expertise on the subject. Enlow proclaims:

You are called to impact your culture! The coming Elijah Revolution will affect the entire world and will prepare the way of the Lord before His return.

What is the Elijah Revolution? ER’s website explains:

Elijah Revolution is a new ministry working in partnership with TheCall, Luke18 Project, and IHOP–KC, launching teen conferences and high school campus initiatives, calling teenagers to a life of wholehearted devotion to Jesus and radical commitment to God, in the spirit of a Nazirite.

Enlow continues:

There are seven nations “greater and mightier than we” – the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These nations correspond to seven “mountains” of global society – Media, Government, Education, Economy, Religion, Celebration/Arts, and Family. These culture-shaping areas of influence over society are the keys to taking a nation for the kingdom of God.

This is hogwash.

The purpose of Enlow’s book is to:

help each individual determine his or her specific assignment in this mission; and then to offer insight into the nature of the battles involved in this spiritual confrontation.

Enlow then adds:

With divine power and favor, revolutionaries will take these mountains for Christ!

Revolutionaries? Does he mean Christian young people must stand together and organize a far-left type revolution to take mountains for Christ? Yes, this is exactly what Enlow is purporting.

I don’t have a problem with Christians standing together to try to shape the culture using biblical morality as a guideline. Nor do I have a problem with Christians becoming social activists, especially when it comes to protecting the unborn and traditional marriage. But here’s what I do have a problem with. It is a fact that the NAR is awash in heresy -- and this is easily proven – and yet these men and women, who teach doctrines of demons, are being taken seriously by the CR.

Something else I find troubling is that many professing Christians no longer share the Gospel of Jesus Christ – ever! Christians of all people should know that real change will not come until hearts and minds are changed. Why? Because the unregenerate (unsaved) man is dead in his sins. In other words, the unsaved man is spiritually dead. (Eph 2:1) When he accepts Christ, he is “born again” or regenerate. Thereafter he will see things through a spiritual lens. In time his worldview will change. Which leads to this question: Why are Christians not sharing the good news?

Listen to what Jesus commanded His followers to do:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Mat. 28:19-20)

This is a far cry from what the NAR is doing. They think God has given Christians a mandate to stem the tide of evil in this world. In order to accomplish this they must take the Seven Mountains of influence. These mountains of influence are:

(1) Arts and Entertainment; (2) Business/Economy; (3) Education; (4) Family; (5) Government; (6) Media; (7) Religion.

They believe that as they accomplish ridding the world of evil, things will get better and better and then Jesus Christ will return to set up His kingdom. And this is in the Bible?

One disgruntled left-wing blogger wrote:

I've been writing a lot about the steadily increasing influence that 7 Mountains/Dominion theology has been having on the Religious Right recently, though mostly as it has relates to Janet Porter.

But it is important to note that Porter is not alone in embracing this theology and partnering with activists who espouse it. For instance, Lou Engle played a central role in last year's Family Research Council "prayercast" against health care reform and has developed ties to many other Religious Right leaders as well. Others, like Cindy Jacobs of Generals International, have likewise been making similar connections and several of these groups have also become members of the right-wing supergroup known as the Freedom Federation.

And even Newt Gingrich is cultivating his own ties to 7 Mountains advocates. Last year, Gingrich appeared alongside Engle at a "Rediscovering God In America" conference where Engle laid hands upon Gingrich and prayed for God's protection for him. Not long thereafter, Gingrich formed a group called Renewing American Leadership and tapped Engle-associate and Prop 8 leader Jim Garlow to serve as Chairman of the organization. (2)

So what is going on here? It is obvious—even to the far-left--that the CR has united with the NAR. If this is untrue then why, for example, is the American Family Association (AFA) part of the leadership group promoting Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s “apolitical prayer meeting” The Response: August 6 1011? Is AFA not aware that the group includes several NAR leaders? Look at the list! In the leadership are such notables as:

Luis & Jill Cataldo—Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOP)

Randy & Kelly Bohlander—IHOP &Lou Engle’s The Call

Dave Sliker—The Call & The Elijah Revolution

Doug Stringer—NAR Apostle

I can only assume Gov. Perry’s heart is in the right place and his purpose for this event is honorable, but without question the aim of many of those in leadership is to advance the NAR’s Seven Mountain agenda to take over society and government for Christ.

Sarah Leslie of Discernment Ministries has written extensively on the NAR. In an email to me Sarah explained the depths of the NAR leader’s depravity:

They believe that the modern-day apostles are gifted with the same gifts as the New Testament era Apostles (with a capital "A"). We know from Scripture that the first Apostles in the New Testament era were given a unique job by Christ Himself, which was to write the books that we have in the Canon of Scripture. These 12 men gave us the Foundation (Rev. 21:14) of the DOCTRINE of the Gospel of Salvation. It was the APOSTLE'S DOCTRINE which built the church.

The NAR believes that the modern-day apostles are being given new words (both rhema and logos) from God and are able to re-write that doctrine with "new understandings." We have many articles posted about this on Herescope, including some key quotes from C. Peter Wagner and Hector Torres.

The NAR teaches the heresy that the modern-day apostles are the "foundation" of the church in a reverse hierarchical pyramid structure where they will rule the world (the 7 mountains) from a top-down networking structure. Their rule is said to be absolute and requires obedience from their downline. See the series that we ran on Herescope, for example. (3)

I’ll end part 2 with a quote from 2 Thes. 2:13-15:

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Stay tuned for part 3

Read part 1

FOOTNOTES

[1] Hearing God’s Voice—By Gregory Koukl

[2] The Dominionist Agenda Driving Gingrich's New Organization—RightWingWatch.com

[3] The quote was taken from an email sent to me by Sarah Leslie, used by permission.