If you still think fulfilling the Great Commission is all about spreading the Gospel to individuals in nations all over the world, you haven't been studying the rhetoric of the neo-evangelicals lately.
C. Peter Wagner, in his 11/01/05 Global Link letter Global Harvest Ministries (referred to in yesterday's Herescope), described the new evangelization:
"Since 2001, the body of Christ has been in the Second Apostolic Age. The apostolic/prophetic government of the church is now in place. This may well be the reason that God has chosen to entrust to us the most challenging assignment that GHM has ever had—the Muslim peoples of the world, starting with the 15 nations of the Arab Middle East. . . .Our sphere also includes the Non-Arab Middle East, the Muslim nations outside the Middle East, and the Muslim Diaspora.
"In previous international prayer initiatives, we began to build our base by locating and identifying with the intercessory prayer movements. This time, however, we feel that God wants us to start governmentally, connecting with the apostles of the region. God has already raised up for us a key apostle in one of the strategic nations of the Middle East, and other apostles are already coming on board. Once we have the apostles in place, we will then bring the intercessors and the prophets into the inner circle, and we will end up with the spiritual core we need to move ahead for retaking the dominion that is rightfully ours.
". . . The old days of missions are over, and we are now in a new day. . . ."
" . . . We need you with us as we launch out into these new territories with the apostolic/prophetic government of the church. We will depend heavily on workplace leaders, not just traditional church people." [emphases added]
C. Peter Wagner's new style of evangelization is rapidly supplanting the old-fashioned preaching of the Word of God to the lost. It has to do with seizing dominion over all "spheres" (health, education, workplace, food supply, etc.) of all nations (ethnic groups and/or regions) of the world, as part of a plan to build the "Kingdom of God" on Earth. Wagner has come up with plenty of new doctrines to justify the new methodology. And these doctrines and methods should be very controversial. This plan literally has to do with changing governments and forms of governance by altering the political and social structure of the nations of the world.
Since the mid-1990s C. Peter Wagner has been developing an ecumenical, apostolic, hierarchical structure which is being put in place right now across the face of the Earth, from cities to nations to regions to global. These apostles claim to be vested with "authority" not unlike the first Apostles of the New Testament, which they say gives them right to exercise dominion and power over people. This scary structure is reliant upon the databanking and monitoring of individuals and groups, and comes complete with "prophets" who declare "new things," including heretical new doctrines, and who believe they are invested with Old Testament authority. [For more information on these points, see http://www.discernment-ministries.com/Catalog.htm #L177 cell church tapes.]
The Old Evangelism vs. the New Evangelization
According to Al Dager, in his book The World Christian Movement (Sword Pub., 2001),
"To the average Christian there is no distinction between evangelism and evangelization. But to the World Christian movement there is a distinction.
"Evangelism, of course, is a legitimate name and a legitimate endeavor. It is the work of believers to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to bring souls into the Kingdom of God. True evangelism follows the spreading of the pure Gospel with the planting of churches and the discipling of believers that will guard the biblical truths and practices vital to sustaining a viable relationship between individual believers and the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Evangelization is the term used by the global, ecumenical World Christian Movement to gain the support of churches throughout the world. It denotes the 'Christianizing' of all the world's 'people groups' by means of a work that combines social and political action as equal elements with the Gospel of Jesus Christ." (p. 25) [Emphases added. This book available from http://www.discernment-ministries.org/Catalog.htm]
Christianizing nations, as has been evident throughout history, does not make individuals Christians. Forced baptisms, or group agreements by psycho-social consensus methods, do nothing to convert the heart. This only creates a church/state with immense power over people's lives. This new global hierarchy, being established in the name of "mission," is openly dominionist both spiritually and politically. For more information on this topic, see the 9/19/05 and 9/15/05 Herescope posts.
The Truth:
Author Paul Shirk has written, in his book Come Out Of Her My People,
"The promise of privilege to rule has extended beyond the apostles to those who overcome and persevere to the end. Revelation 2:26,27 includes a promise to overcomers that they will rule the nations with a rod of iron, even as Christ has received this privilege from His Father. This is a promise that finds fulfillment after the end; that is, the end of time as we presently know it. There is no such promise granted to believers in this age, that if they overcome they shall rule the nations with a rod of iron. It is a promise that finds fulfillment when Christ Himself comes to rule the nations of this world, as recorded in Revelation 19:15. Our reign over the nations of this world is concurrent with Christ's rule and not with man's rule. The rule of Christ over the nations in a literal sense occurs at His physical reappearing, and at this time all those who have suffered with Him shall also reign with Him. This honor is not limited to those who are elected to civil office, as in our times, but rather is extended to all His saints (Psalm 149:6-9) [p. 200-201, emphasis added. See http://www.discernment-ministries.org/Catalog.htm to order this book.]
Of course, if these apostolic folks go so far as to set up a phony "Christ," an antichrist, then they will claim to possess this rod of iron and will wield it against all those who oppose him. Therefore, it is good for true believers to remember this eternal Truth:
"The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all." (Psalm 103:19)
Check your daily Herescope!