Spiritual Warfare and Territorial Spirits (~5.5 MB) - Moriel Ministries

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Continued: Special Reportto individuals.”Within New Apostolic Christianity,Wagner sees this governmental authoritybeing exercised in the localchurch by the pastor and on atranslocal level by apostles who operatewith a relational authority ratherthan a hierarchical, bureaucratic onethat had typically been exercisedthrough denominational structures.“The other important thing with regardsto this authority is that allegianceor relationship with the apostle isvoluntary,” adds Wagner.“There is nothing that holds the pastoror the church related to the apostlein the apostolic network except theperception that the apostle is addingvalue to their life and ministry.” 11Along with this new authority, Wagnerperceives that the new contemporaryform of worship is a commonality amongthese fast-growing churches. Financialsolvency is also a plus, according to Wagner,because the leadership of thesechurches expect their people to be faithfulin their tithes and offerings.A NEW THING?While Wagner says that the ApostolicReformation is a new phenomenon thatwill bring spiritual reformation to thechurches, in reality it is a re hash of theLat ter Rain Movement of the mid-twentiethcentury. It is Pentecostalism goneamok, led by such notorious men asFranklin Hall, William Branham, and,lately, Paul Cain, recently exposed as ahomosexual by some in his own ranks.What Wagner is promoting is an apostolicconcept inherited from the LatterRain Movement primarily among charismaticchurches and Pentecostal denominations.(For an in-depth study of thismove see my book, Vengeance is Ours: TheChurch in Dominion.)The impact of this movement inNorth America has been observed in the“Toronto Blessing,” the “Pensacola Revival”(AKA “Brownsville Revival”) andother similar charismatic foolishness.The unscriptural nature of these movementsis a clue to their ungodliness.FELLOW TRAVELERSOne is known by the company onekeeps. Not that we don’t all have familymembers, friends, and associates that arenot true believers. Nor do all true believersagree on every point of Scripture. Butthose whom we promote and with whomwe engage in ministry reveal much about26 Moriel Quarterly • June 2007what we think. A true apostle would notassociate his min is try with some onewhose theology and/or methodology isunscriptural.As we look at a few of the “apostles”with whom Wagner claims to be in as so -ciation, we can judge whether he is legitimatelyan apostle himself.Che Ahn, Har vest Rock Church,Pasadena CaliforniaHarvest Rock Church bills it self as a“multi-ethnic, spirit-filled Christian congregation,”and sponsors “apostolic conferences.”Speakers scheduled for theJuly, 2005 apostolic conference are JillAustin, Paul Keith Davis, Lou Engle,James Goll, and Chuck Pierce.Jill Austin is part of the “propheticteam” at Metro Christian Fellowship(formerly Kansas City Fellowship, whencesprang the Kansas City prophets). Sheconducts “Master Potter” conferences atwhich “holy laughter” is promoted.Paul Keith Davis is an associate ofKansas City “prophet” Bob Jones, andfounder of White Dove Ministries.White Dove Ministries spreads the LatterRain doctrine of apostolic and propheticrevival with an emphasis on youth.Lou Engle is founder of Elijah Revolution,a call to take America and the worldfor Jesus. His group “rum bled in theheavenlies for justice!” with the “Reversethe Decree of ’73 Conference,” a call to reverseRoe v. Wade in January, 2005.Speakers and worship leaders werecharismatics and Latter Rain proponents:Lou Engle, Dutch Sheets, CheAhn, Bishop Harry Jackson, CindyJacobs, Bonnie Chavda, Patricia King,Kirk Bennett, Jason Upton, Jay Swallow,Dr. Negiel Bigpond, Will Ford, KevinKleint, Laura Woodley, and Rick Joyner.James Goll is head of EncountersNetwork and has written books on “prophetic”ministry. He promotes so-called“contemplative prayer and worship” designedto bring God into one’s presence,as if that were possible. Contemplativeprayer and worship is rooted in RomanCatholic mysticism and has wormed itsway into nonCatholic churches primarilythrough the charismatic movement.Chuck Pierce is the apostle of Gloryof Zion International Ministries. He promotesdeliverance and spiritual warfare.Bob Beckett, The DwellingPlaceFamily Church, Hemet, CaliforniaBob Beckett has taught the localchurch’s role in prayer and communitytransformation as part of Peter Wagner’sWorld Missions Class and his SpiritualIssues in Church Growth classes at FullerSem i nary. He believes that the “Church”is gifted to “conquer” through spiritualwarfare and deliverance.Rice Broocks, MorningstarInternational, Brentwood,TennesseeMorning Star International calls itself“a world wide family of churches and ministrieswhose vision is to reach ‘Every Nationin Our Generation.’” Rice Broockscollaborates with Bob Weiner, a proponentof the Latter Rain, Manifested Sonsof God heresy which they spread on collegecampuses.Naomi Dowdy, TrinityChristian Center, SingaporeNaomi Dowdy is a global leader forapostolic strategies and Founder-Presidentof Global Leadership Network andGlobal Business Network Partners. She isalso said to be Apos tle/Senior Pastor ofTrinity Christian Center, and is highlysought after by Christian leaders aroundthe world for her coun sel and wis dom.(So now we have fe male apos tles, as if fe -male pas tors were not un scripturalenough for these people.)Interestingly, Wagner says church officesare reserved for men. So why is hecom promising here?John Eckhardt, CrusadersChurch/IMPACT, Urbana, IllinoisJohn Eckhardt founded the IMPACTNetwork (International Ministries of Propheticand Apostolic Churches Together)in 1995. It has grown to includeover 400 churches and ministries in 25nations. IMPACT Net work is a vehiclefor global apostolic reformation. As an“apostle” himself, Eckhardt is ordainingapostles and prophets around the worldto facilitate the current “reformation.”He also conducts “apostolic breakthrough”conferences in many nations.Bill Hamon, Christian International,Santa Rosa Beach, FloridaBill Hamon is a classic ManifestedSons of God apostle whose doctrine centerson the belief that before Jesus can returnto the earth (if He returns at all),certain overcomers in the “Church” willbecome immortal through submission tothe new apostles and prophets for theLast Days. (See my book, Vengeance isOurs: The Church in Dominion for anin-depth analysis of dominion theology,including the Latter rain, ManifestedSons of God heresy.) This is based on thebelief that Jesus first returns “in” His
“Church,” not in His flesh.AN APOSTLE? REALLY?So Wagner thinks himself an apostle.And an apostle of apostles at that!Interesting, since his discernment is, atbest, around zero. How does a true apostleof God hob nob with wackos who callbarking like a dog and cackling like achicken a manifestation of the HolySpirit? How does a true apostle of God endorsesome one like John Wimber andbrag that Wimber was his “mentor”? Howdoes a true apostle of God give credibilityto Latter Rain teachers?Can such lack of discernment, as wellas unequivocal endorsement of thesepeople qualify such a person to be a trueapostle of God? I say no. And if not, thenthe entire concept of his “Apostolic Reformation”is not merely in doubt, it mustbe refuted.TRAINING OF APOSTLES?There is an issue which re quires addressinghere. It is Wagner’s statementthat millions of dollars are needed for thedevelopment of facilities where apostlesand prophets can be trained.Where in Scripture do we find apostlesand prophets being “trained”? Onecan not be “trained” in the gifts of God.That is man’s way of trying to control thegifts to further some religious belief system.In Wagner’s case the belief system isthe Latter Rain philosophy. True apostlesmay mentor one another, but they arelargely independent and led by the Spiritof God. Most of what they say and do isrejected. They do not find the popularitythat to day’s self-proclaimed apostles andprophets enjoy.Another issue is Wagner’s erroneousbelief that what he perceived in thirdworldcountries is somehow different from whathe sees in the West. The form and functionmay appear different because of alack of de nominational oversight, butthere really is no difference.For example, Wagner says the pastorin the type of church he credits with havinga different authority structure is “theleader of the church in stead of employee.”What’s so different aboutchurches in the West? Pastors are generallyabsolute leaders as well as em ployees.But pastors in those third-world churchesare employees also. Most of them receivetheir living from the contributions oftheir constituents.IS THERE A REFORMATION?There is no Apostolic Restoration.Apostles and prophets have been operativethrough out the centuries, but havebeen relegated to the realm of the unknownand unheralded. They may nothave been called apostles and prophets,but they have operated in those capacitiesamong small, humble gatherings of believersapart from the denominationalstructures. They were persecuted andmartyred for standing against the heresiesof Romanism, Calvinism, Anglicanismand other “Christian” authoritarianstructures. They have stood against theheresies of the Latter Rain Movementthat sought to usurp the positions ofapostle and prophet for the benefit of asatanic deception. The true apostles andprophets have not touted themselves assuch, but have worked in relaiveanonymity.We must understand, however, thatthe role of apostle is not the same in all respectsas that of the first-century apostles.Those apostles defined the faith, andsome gave us the Scriptures. Their revelationssealed the revelations of God asthey pertain to the entire Body of Christ.The similarity between those apostlesand subsequent apostles through the agesis the role of “beingsent.” That is, apostlesare those sent under the anointing ofthe Holy Spirit to establish assemblies ofbelievers and to over see them to thepoint where they may appoint elders toserve the as semblies.The role of apostle has been largelyusurped by “missionaries” who are sentby denominational institutions to establishchurches in accordance with thoseinstitutions’ dictates. True apostles operateapart from religious structureswhether denominational or, in the caseof Wagner’s “apostles,” beholden to aberrantreligious philosophies (such as theLatter Rain Movement).If there is a restoration of apostles andprophets it is not through any of thechurches or para-church organizationsthat operate in an unscriptural manner.More and more of the true believers arecoming out of the religious institutionsand are gathering in homes, their eyes beingopened to the true pattern for thegathering of the saints. It is in this settingthat apostles and prophets will in crease,but not to their own profit, and not bytheir own pro motion.That’s not to say that everyone meetingin homes is led by God, or that allhouse assemblies are of God. It is to saythat the megachurch phenomenon is notthe place where true believers can grow inwisdom, knowledge and understandingContinued : Special Reportbeyond the elementary truths of Scripture.Yet that is where C. Peter Wagnerpoints for evidence that his newly- discovered,old Latter Rain authority structureis at work.NOTES1.www.globalharvestministries.org/in-dex.asp?ac tion=about2. Ibid.3. Ibid.4. Ibid.5. (New Ap os tolic Reformation, Arise, September,2000)6. Ibid.7. Ibid.8. C. Peter Wagner, The New ApostolicChurches (Ventura, CA: Re gal Books, 1998)pg. 15.9. Ibid.10. Ibid.11. New Apostolic Reformation, Op. Cit. Copyright ã July, 2006, Media Spot lightHave you seen this Jewish Warrior?He may well be dangerous (that isif you are a Benny Hinn, a Kenneth Copeland,a Rodney Brown or any otherfalse prophet out there). The above pictureshows this unidentified strangerwill be partaking in a pre-war ritual,which we believe could signal a suddendeparture from previous methodshe has deployed against these rivals. Wehave reason to believe he could now beturning to more tried-and-tested methodsof eliminating these seducers of theChurch. If you have seen him please let usknow. Thank you for your co-operation.MORIEL MINISTRIESJune 2007 • Moriel Quarterly 27
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