Concocting a Great Awakening

Part 4: The Next Great Awakening. . . Or Great Deadening?

The prophets are declaring that a 3rd Great Awakening has begun. There is a shift in the air ..... a GLORY SHIFT!

- TheElijahList[1]

A significant change came in 1974 when the evangelical movement, led by Billy Graham, held the International Congress on World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland. At that point, evangelicals began reconsidering the place of the cultural mandate alongside the evangelistic mandate within the total mission of the church. This was a very important shift for those of us who now advocate social transformation. It turned out to be only a partial shift, however, in that the Lausanne Covenant insisted on subordinating the cultural mandate to the evangelistic mandate. Still, we evangelicals then began to have social responsibility on our radar screens, even though it wasn’t front and center.

- C. Peter Wagner, "Let's Take Dominion Now!"[2]

The idea of concocting a Third Great Awakening is not a new one. The early neoevangelical leaders, seeking to escape the stigma of old-fashioned biblical fundamentalism, took on the task of creating a broader, more appealing faith. By the 1970s there was a genuine revival going on in America, part manufactured, but part real, and many people were actually repenting of their sins and living transformed lives. The neoevangelical leaders met together and addressed the problem - yes, problem - that this created. They needed to shift people's worldview, change their theology, and move them over onto a new track - a reinvigorated, reinvented social gospel.

Five years ago when this blog first began to report on the rising tide of heresies, we wrote about two significant conferences attended by a very broad spectrum of evangelical leaders that were called "Consultation on Future Evangelical Concerns."[3] These consultations were seeking to develop an alternative eschatological framework, and to assist them in this effort they employed Willis Harman, a leading Theosophist.[4] Furthermore, these leaders had been profoundly affected by the controversial Club of Rome report that anticipated dire conditions on earth.

In addressing the church of the future, in Evangelicals Face the Future, the first Consultation report, the leaders proposed a shift in worldview, one where evangelicals "will actively seek to transform values" in the culture (p. 11). As evidenced by the quotation at the top of this post by C. Peter Wagner, this was part of the agenda of the Lausanne Congress in 1974. Below we will list snippets from the first "Consultation on Future Evangelical Concerns" in 1977 that are indicative of this shift to the cultural mandate. Many of the speakers quoted below went on to become influential evangelical leaders in the ensuing decades.

NOTE: Even though these leaders did not yet use the terms "mountains" or "spheres" to describe the cultural centers of society to be taken over by the church, they are easily recognizable. As these men envisioned a new awakening in the church, they were defining it in terms of a social mission to change culture.

• "Evangelicals in the 1980s will seriously endeavor to penetrate the power centers of society so as to effectively challenge and expose the secular and humanistic sources of values operative in the media, advertising, lifestyles, public education, and government." - Warren Webster, p. 11
• "7. Increasingly encourage the laity and equip them for ministry where they work, helping them to recognize and accept the market place of their vocation as the frontlines of the faith in which to serve Christ (i.e. education, politics, medicine, jurisprudence, etc.). 8. Encourage the development of godly talent and its infusion into the media, arts and education." - B. Clayton Bell, p. 15
• "We will seek to bring together an evangelical 'think tank', a group of scholars and implementers from all major disciplines in order to develop both a theology of Christ's Lordship over every area of life and also concrete strategies and policy options for applying that theology." - Ron Sider, p. 19

Leighton Ford specifically addressed the topic of a Third Great Awakening in his talk to the Consultation which was titled "Images of the Future: An Evangelical Perspective." He said:

• "Socially concerned evangelicals are calling for the recovery of prophetic social challenge as an evangelical priority.... Are we watching real awakening?" (p. 32)
• "A study of the classical evangelical tradition shows that leaders in all millennial camps [during the 18th century] were working together to expand the rule of Christ on earth to the widest possible circle among the nations before his bodily return.... [T]heir labors to expand Christ's kingdom brought in revival and social reform.... It seems to me that one of our most urgent tasks is to think through a biblical approach to the future in which evangelicals of all millennial persuasions can close ranks today." (p. 35-36)
• "[A] third image of our future... [is] a vision of completing the Reformation and reviving of all the fragments of the Body of Christ.... Certainly this is a vision which will be fully realized only when our Lord returns finally to rule in power. But is it not also a vision which should spur us to faithful, expectant labor now? Should we not anticipate the first fruits of the eternal kingdom to appear however imperfectly in our personal lives, in the body of Christ, and in society? Is Christ not now Lord? Has he not already received all authority? And should we not expect Him to win victories, however incomplete, even now in this present evil age?... [W]e must always be ready to extend His rule still further within history...." (p. 37)
• "We seem to be in the opening stages of what could be another great religious awakening.... Could we see evangelicals becoming cobelligerants with other Christians against social injustice?... Could we see evangelicals challenging critical issues like those of homosexuality and the teaching of values in education, engaging in 'power encounters' as Elijah confronted the false prophets, so that these encounters become evangelistic moments...?" (p. 38-39)
• "Could we see a future in which cultural depravity is no longer tolerated as an inevitable feature of modern life, with evangelicals taking up the weapons of prayer against pornography and the sexual revolution, drugs, and crime, and emerging from prayer to form voluntary citizens' organizations to fight these products of cultural decay?... Could we see believers at the grass-roots level of the local church being taught that Jesus Christ is Lord both of our personal and family lives, and across the whole spectrum of human affairs... [L]eaders meeting... and covenanting together to act and teach.... [R]ecognizing that a call from God to civic involvement may be as holy a calling as that of being a missionary?" (p. 40)
• "And may He stir us to act, believing as Abraham Kuyper once said, that there is not a 'thumb-breadth of the universe" about which Christ does not say, 'It is mine!'" (p. 41)

Gordon MacDonald called for rethinking theology:

• "[W]e must think new thoughts about the eternal gospel. I don't want to get in trouble in suggesting that we change the gospel, but that we ask ourselves; How can the old, old story be told in new, new ways to face the new, new realities?" (p. 86)
• "[W]e need a theology that is aware of the structures that humanity uses and which to some extent it seems to me are part of the common work of God in the world. I don't think the average Christian and Christian leader understands the nature and structure of government and business and education and the arts and how to proliferate them.... We need more Daniels who are in the structures of society today, but I don't think our theology adequately understands structures." (p. 87)

Martin Marty, commented near the conclusion of his talk that "I worry lest some of the Protestant scripts actually ask for a new, subtle theocracy" (p. 120). And Carl Henry was permitted to write a "Response to Conference Findings" in which he expressed dismay about its ecumenical nature, pointing to the "lack of an identifiable theological criterion for participation in the Consultation." He also raised many pertinent questions, including "How much pragmatism can evangelical Christianity accommodate without jeopardizing its own evangelical ingredient?" (p. 164)

"The Elijah Revolution"

Fast-forward three decades and see how far the plan to transform society by the church taking over cultural institutions has progressed. Johnny Enlow, associated with Lance Wallnau,[5] in his book The Seven Mountain Prophecy: Unveiling the Coming Elijah Revolution, presents a radical new cultural mandate for the church that makes mincemeat of orthodox biblical theology. He proposes an actual revolution (p. 19), and redefines the Greek work apokatastasis ("restitution" in the KJV) in Acts 3:21 as "restoration of a true theocracy" (p. 23). He asserts that "Jesus is retained in heaven until Elijah's Revolution" which "clearly entails the crushing of Satan here on Earth before He returns for His bride" (p. 23).

Worse, he teaches a heresy that "The Lamb was slain, making the ultimate sacrifice, to enable us to disciple, or instruct, the nations in these seven foundations of culture so that we would in turn deliver them to Him,..." And he says that the "harlot" church on 7 mountains in Revelations is a "demonic entity" "under a demonic assignment" that must be "displaced" by the "seven pillars of society" ( p. 9), meaning the 7 mountains that he is working on building! He invents a story that God has told Jesus, "You will remain up here as the Head, and Your body on Earth will crush your enemies. The last generation will be the 'foot' generation and will rule on Earth over Your enemies... until she has accomplished this crushing of Satan" (p. 23-24).

This revolution is not a pretty picture as Enlow describes it, and it is apparent that those who resist (those who are defined to be of a "Baal" or "Jezebel" spirit) are slated for destruction. Reaching far into some inventive heresies, Enlow asserts that

"Elijah will first come and raise up that which will destroy the spirit of Baal and the spirit of Jezebel here on Earth. We are going to take on the false prophet and the beast, and we're going to annihilate both of them. When they are crushed, we will... present the nations of the world to the Lord as His possessions. They will be the dowry that the Father is providing for us to present to the Bridegroom. Lovesick for His bride, Jesus will no longer be able to restrain Himself and will burst through the clouds to come sweep us off our feet." (p. 24)

This man's false teaching is indicative of the extremes of the New Apostolic Reformation, what we have referred to as "Dominionism Dark." But the more respectable Leadership Network is also teaching the 7 mountains "domains of culture" mandate, particularly through the recent vehicle of Eric Swanson's and Sam Williams' new book To Transform A City (Zondervan, 2010).[6] Theirs is more indicative of "Dominionism Lite," until one starts asking just how they intend to transform culture and build a Christian Society.

Like other Dominionists in the evangelical camp, Swanson and Williams rely heavily on Ralph Winter's reinvented notion of the Old Testament Abrahamic Covenant, which he merged with the Great Commission, to come up with the idea that "God created a people to partner with him in his redemptive mission in the world" (p. 12), a mission that sublimates the Gospel of Salvation with the agenda for societal transformation.

To define "community transformation," the authors rely on Bob Moffitt (founder and president of Harvest Foundation), who brings in the Genesis 1-2 heresy, widely taught by Dominionists of all stripes, that claims that man must restore what was lost at the Fall:

"I define biblical transformation as the process of restoration to God's intentions of all that was broken when humanity rebelled against God at the Fall. it is not the same as spiritual conversion, though it begins there. It is God's work. He calls his people to participate with him in it. This ongoing process will not be fully completed until Christ returns." (p. 43)

The authors hearken back to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as "a shining example" of the type of societal transformation they are talking about. However, they corrupt his original message and intent with their definition of "real community transformation" which they say "occurs when the 'dream' of those who follow Christ are translated into values and laws that reflect the kingdom of God," which they define as "new values and new behavior... adopted by greater society for the greater collective good" (p. 45). As is the case with all Dominionists, they shift from personal spiritual transformation (based on Romans 12:1-2) to "Community Transformation":

"What if that same understanding of my personal transformation in Christ were applied to the idea of community transformation? Might cities be transformed in the same way that you and I are changed?" (p. 47)

Their example of community transformation? Yeast! Leaven! Which they say is like "externally focused churches that engage their communities with good works...." (p. 47)

"Similar to the way that the presence of Christ in our life begins the personal transformation process, so too an externally focused church that is present and involved in a community begins the process of changing that community. And just as it takes the thorough penetration of the yeast to transform flour, water, and sugar into bread, it takes the church penetrating every domain of the community to transform the community." (p. 47)

To be continued....

The Truth:

"For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it." (Deuteronomy 30:11-12)

Endnotes:

1. The Elijah List advertisement for upcoming Glory Shift conferences, 9-29-10, http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=9177

2. C. Peter Wagner, "Let's Take Dominion Now!" http://www.intheworkplace.com/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=22902&columnid=1935

3. Evangelicals Face the Future: Scenarios, Addresses, and Responses from the "Consultation on Future Evangelical Concerns" held in Atlanta, Georgia, December 14-17, 1977, Edited by Donald Hoke (William Carey Library, 1978). An Evangelical Agenda: 1984 and Beyond: Addresses, and Responses from the "Consultation on Future Evangelical Concerns" held in Overland Park, Kansas, December 11-14, 1979 (William Carey Library, 1979). The Discernment Research Group first broke this story in September 2005 in a series of posts that ran into October 2005. One can look through the posts to read more details about these consultations. http://herescope.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_archive.html and http://herescope.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_archive.html
4. An Evangelical Agenda: 1984 and Beyond, Willis Harman, “A Utopian Perspective on the Future, ”pp. 27-37. For more information on this point, see our article "Quantum Eschatology" posted at http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/009/discernment/8-emerging-7.htm

5. See, for example, http://www.the7mountains.com/tag/lance-wallnau/

6. There are two vivid illustrations of the seven "domains of culture" on pages 10-11 of this book, in the Foreword by Reggie McNeal, the second of which depicts the church taking over them. Leadership Network and its head, Bob Buford, are listed in the Acknowledgements on page 13.

The Next Great Awakening. . .

. . . or Great Deadening?

Part 3: Building the 7 Mountains

“The coming Elijah Revolution will affect the entire world and will prepare the way of the Lord before His return. According to Scripture, Jesus will sit at God’s right hand until all of His enemies are put under His feet. The Elijah Revolution will accomplish this as God’s end-time emissaries confront seven nations and 'greater and mightier than we' the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusits. These nations correspond to seven 'mountains' of global society Media, Government, Education, Economy, Religion, Celebration/Arts, and Family.”[1]

"Several months ago, we noted that Jim Garlow and David Barton were leading a 12 day tour of the East Coast where participants would learn all about the Christian history of our nation and its founder and visit "the sites of the 1st and 2nd Great Awakening, while praying for the 3rd."

"This 'Next Great Awakening Tour' wrapped up in Washington, DC on July 4th and, as we noted,... it was during this tour that both Barton and Garlow were featured on Glenn Beck's television program. As it turns out, participants in this tour also got to participate in a taping of Beck's program and met with several Republican and Religious Right leaders, according to updates from Garlow's Skyline Church blog.[2]

In Part 1 of this series, we reported that Jim Garlow's and David Barton's "Next Great Awakening Tour" included Lance Wallnau. Garlow, a pastor/activist who chairs Newt Gingrich's Renewing American Leadership campaign, gushed, "Lance Wallnau was, as usual, exceptional in his laying out of how to see the culture transformed."[3]

Who is Lance Wallnau and how did he come to the forefront of this national media extravaganza where he has rubbed shoulders with politicians, media types and religious leaders? The answer to this question tracks right back to C. Peter Wagner and his New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).

In November 2007, Os Hillman, president of Marketplace Leaders, and of the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries, sent out his TGIF ("Today God Is First") newsletter announcing two important developments: "1. Reclaiming the 7 Mountains of Culture: The Next Focus?" and "2. New 7 Mountains Site, www.Reclaim7Mountains.com." Os Hillman then chronicled the historical development of the marketplace (workplace) transformation model, and announced the launching of the 7 Mountains model:

"There is a new trumpet call going out to men and women of influence who are seeing the negative influences in their culture as a wake-up call.

"They are beginning to be used by God in the 7 mountains of influence in business, government, media, arts and entertainment, family, religion and education to reclaim their nations for Christ."[4]

Os Hillman announced that his organization, Marketplace Leaders, "has established a new website to fan this new focus. Visit our brand new website www.Reclaim7Mountains.com." Hillman also promoted a "Church in the Workplace Conference: Reclaiming The 7 Mountains That Shape Society," conference for January 24-26, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia. This conference featured Lance Wallnau, who has been described as "the motivational guru for the Seven Mountains."[5] Lance Wallnau's "Seven Molders of Culture," are also known as mountains or spheres (and sometimes other terms), and are usually listed as: 1. Family, 2. Religion, 3. Government, 4. Media, 5. Education, 6. Business, and 7. Arts.

Lance Wallnau was propelled to national fame by C. Peter Wagner, chief of the New Apostolic Reformation. In his 2008 book Dominion! How Kingdom Action Can Change the World (Chosen Books) Wagner wrote concerning Lance Wallnau:

"I maintain that whatever society we live in, we cannot hope to see that particular society transformed unless all seven molders of culture are transformed simultaneously. Business consultant Lance Wallnau was the first to draw my attention to this. He likes to call the molders the 'seven mountains.' Wallnau says, 'If the world is to be won, these are the mountains that mold the culture and the minds of men. Whoever controls these mountains controls the direction of the world and the harvest therein.' ...

"Lance Wallnau would say that few outsiders could enter one of the seven spheres and expect to reach the top of the mountain. The most likely ones to do so would be insiders. Why? Because each one of the seven has a distinct culture." (p. 144)


In an earlier book The Church in the Workplace (Regal Books, 2006) Wagner says essentially the same thing about Lance Wallnau on page 113-114. In this book, which was endorsed by Os Hillman, Wagner explains that each of these seven mountains should be headed by an apostle. This is an open acknowledgment that his self-anointed, self-appointed apostles in his New Apostolic Reformation are planning to take charge of each of these 7 mountains!

"Each [mountain] should be seen as an apostolic sphere, requiring apostolic leadership to transform that unit into a society that reflects the values and lifestyle of the kingdom of God....

"Only extended-church apostles will be able to lead the army of God into these strategic battlefields. Lance Wallnau asks, 'How do we go about reclaiming the mind molders of nations, and what does this have to do with you and your calling to the marketplace? Everything! You are about to be drafted into an elite unit of marketplace commandos.'

"Then Wallnau goes on to suggest a battle plan: 'Look at your occupational field and see it as a mountain. What companies and people are at the top of that mountain? Why are they at the top? What skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics are needed to occupy that position? What would need to exist for you to occupy the top of that mountain?'"(p. 114-115)

To understand just how LITERALLY these men take actual, physical dominion of these various cultural segments of the global society, read C. Peter Wagner's "Let's Take Dominion Now!" which is chapter 3 in his The Church in the Workplace book and is posted HERE at Os Hillman's "In the Workplace" website. In this chapter, Wagner describes Dominion as "social transformation" and claims that this agenda comes from God, describing it is "one of the strongest words that the Holy Spirit is clearly speaking to the churches today." Of course, adding this "endorsement" by the Holy Spirit is meant to give added weight and impetus to Wagner's Dominion mandate.

At its core, this Dominion theme is a perversion of Scripture, particularly the doctrine of the Gospel of Salvation -- that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and has redeemed you by His shed blood, and that you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Substituted for this humble, simple Gospel of the cross is the new gospel of 7 mountains -- the gospel of the KINGDOM! C. Peter Wagner's Dominionist gospel of "social transformation" is a "cultural mandate" which is based on changing things on the earth to match things in heaven. In "Let's Take Dominion Now!" Wagner, who has acknowledged concocting new theologies, admits that this whole agenda is Kuyperian:

"Calvin... taught that believers are responsible for social transformation, and his followers began to believe that we have a cultural mandate (the mandate to transform society) as well as an evangelistic one (the mandate to save souls). One famous Calvinist, pastor and theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), lived this out, entered politics, became prime minister of the Netherlands and caused tremendous positive changes in society as a result."

In C. Peter Wagner's faulty theology, Jesus did not defeat Satan on the Cross.

"While Jesus never questioned Satan’s dominion, He came to earth expressly to take it away from him. Jesus came as the second, or last, Adam (see 1 Cor. 15:45-47). The first Adam lost dominion; the second Adam will regain it." [emphasis added]

Because of this heresy, that teaches that the church is supposed to complete what Christ didn't, Wagner can then teach the false gospel that "our new paradigm for taking dominion includes a dual task: the evangelistic mandate (saving souls) and the cultural mandate (transforming society)." An invented corollary heresy teaches that entire nations collectively are to be saved, and that "the Great Commission’s biblical goal is nothing short of social transformation."

This type of teaching is prevalent throughout Dominionist circles. The "cultural renewal" or "Kingdom" gospel is being substituted for the real Gospel of salvation. When Os Hillman was first launching Lance Wallnau and his "Reclaiming the 7 Mountains of Culture" strategy, he offered a package deal -- one could purchase a copy of Landa Cope's book An Introduction to The Old Testament Template: Rediscovering God's principles for discipling all nations (Template Institute Press, 2006) and get a free copy of a FaithandWork Resources.com DVD with Os Hillman and Lance Wallnau discussing the "Reclaiming the 7 Mountains of Culture." We wrote about this on December 6, 2007 in a post, "Rethinking Eschatology: Dominionists on the Move," where we quote from Landa Cope's book:

"The Message Is The Kingdom
"This means when we preach salvation alone we are missing the majority of God's kingdom message. Salvation is essential. There is no other way of entry into the Kingdom of God. But salvation is the entry into the kingdom; it is not the goal or the Kingdom itself. By making it the goal we have lost most of God's message. (p. 147) . . .

"Our destiny is not salvation
"God died to save us and desires salvation for all. The only way into the Kingdom of God is through Jesus Christ, but salvation is not God's ultimate goal. The new birth is a means to an end." (p. 150)

To promote Dominionism and the concept of the 7 mountains/spheres, C. Peter Wagner and Os Hillman put Lance Wallnau and his 7 Mountain show on the road. In 2007, the Wagner Leadership Institute (WLI) and his Global Harvest Ministries featured Lance Wallnau (along with Wagner, Chuck Pierce and Barbara Wentroble) in an April 26-28 seminar "Taking Dominion Now!" In 2008, Wagner and Wallnau were featured at a "Positioned for Kingdom Leadership Summit" sponsored by Kingdom Alignment International. This event was described as:

"This Summit June 6 & 7 in Franklin TN, for leaders, emerging leaders and anyone who senses the change in the paradigm of how we are doing church, will greatly be impacted in this two day intensive meeting with Dr. C. Peter Wagner and Lance Wallnau. You will not only be refreshed, but this meeting will challenge you to move forward in a new kingdom paradigm that will greatly influence society and help advance the kingdom of God.

"Awakening has begun in our nation and a new breed of kingdom minded leadership is arising!"[6]

Wagner had sent a letter on May 31, 2007 that introduced Lance Wallnau in the context of some major apostolic ministry restructuring. This letter, which has been posted HERE for posterity, states:

"The major catalyst whom God has brought into the picture to help renew our minds in terms of our philosophy of mission is Lance Wallnau, founder of Lance Learning Group currently based in Rhode Island. Lance, in a former season, planted churches and formed an apostolic network which he has now turned over to other leadership. He is a member of ICA, and he currently travels widely as a conference speaker and as a consultant to business and government leaders. Through the years we have formed a close relationship, he has been a speaker at several of our conferences, and Lance is the newest member of EVAT.

"Lance's trademark teaching relates to what he calls the seven 'mind molders' or the 'seven mountains.' These have now become a permanent fixture in my personal teaching on taking dominion, and I have referenced Wallnau in The Church in the Workplace as well as in my forthcoming book Dominion! In my view it is not possible to get an operational handle on how to initiate corporate action toward social transformation without taking into account the seven mountains or what I like to call 'molders of culture.' The seven are religion, family, business, arts & entertainment, government, education, and media."

C. Peter Wagner promoted Lance Wallnau heavily early on, especially through his Wagner Leadership Institute (WLI). Lance Wallnau is listed along with Todd Bentley (of Lakeland Florida fame) on the 2006 WLI schedule.[7] And Wagner featured Wallnau on the Global Harvest Ministries conference schedule for "The Spirit and the Bride Say Come: Unlocking God's Kingdom Strategy for Today" conference, March 8-10, 2007.[8] Wallnau also appeared with Barbara Yoder at the "Welcome to the School of Transformers WLI Kick-Off on November 8-10, 2007.[9]

By 2008, Lance Wallnau was ready for prime time. TheElijahList, chief purveyor of NAR and Latter Rain cult information, promoted a conference at Che Ahn's Harvest Rock Church, July 30-August 3, 2008, “Bringing Revival to the Seven Mountains of Culture,” with notable speakers 
Lance Wallnau, Che Ahn, Cindy Jacobs 
and Peter Wagner. This event was described as:

"As the Lord’s glory is pouring out in Lakeland, we are looking forward to a time of revival coming to the wells of Southern California. As part of the 33 Days of Glory, 
Harvest Rock Church is hosting 
Bringing Revival to the Seven Mountains of Culture
. We are to transform cities and nations by our presence and prayer in every realm of our culture. Join us for this time of equipping by international leaders. The Lord is speaking to the Church in this present day to transform these realms of influence with the light of Christ."[10]

As mentioned earlier, Wallnau appeared on the docket of Os Hillman's January 24-26, 2008 "Church in the Workplace Conference." This conference's theme was prominently displayed as "Reclaiming the 7 Mountains," and it included presenters that focused on various topics of how to take Dominion:

• Os Hillman - "UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR RECLAIMING THE 7 MOUNTAINS"
• Lance Wallnau - "STRATEGIES TO RECLAIM THE 7 MOUNTAINS"
• Katherine Leary, Director of the Center for Faith and Work at Tim Keller's Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York - RELIGION MOUNTAIN - "How The Local Church Can Equip Workplace Leaders To Reclaim Mountains"
• Chuck Stetson, Chairman of The Wilberforce Project and Chairman of the Bible Literacy Project - "EDUCATION MOUNTAIN"
• Colin Ferreira, a leader in marketplace ministry and has been instrumental in igniting nation transformation initiatives in his nation [Trinidad] - FAMILY MOUNTAIN
• Dr. Lance Hurley "and his wife Sharon will portray President and Mrs. George Washington at a special lunch time presentation" - GOVERNMENT MOUNTAIN
• Doug Spada - RELIGION MOUNTAIN
• Erik Lokkesmoe, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Outreach for Walden Media/Bristol Bay Productions -- ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT & GOVERNMENT MOUNTAINS
• Johnny Enlow, senior pastor of Daystar International Christian Fellowship in Atlanta, Georgia, who was in the process of writing The Seven Mountain Prophecy -- "Understanding The Spiritual Roots of the 7 Mountains"

Special topics included a "BUSINESS MOUNTAIN Workplace Ministry Leaders Panel" of "CEOs of national membership-based workplace ministries to reveal their strategies to re-claim the 7 mountains through their ministries." It also featured case studies of "of CEOs of national membership-based workplace ministries to reveal their strategies to re-claim the 7 mountains through their ministries."[11] A Power Point Presentation of this conference can be found HERE. See page 50 where it says: It's not enough to have Christians at the top of the 7 mountains. They must have a "culture-changing" faith." And be sure to see Abraham Kuyper on page 66.

Another "Church in the Workplace – Reclaim 7 Mountains of Culture International Conference was held on February 6-8, 2009 in Atlanta, and again featured Lance Wallnau. Os Hillman, in the closing of the conference, said, "We must become Change Agents. Together we can learn our calling, walk in our anointing, reclaim the mountains and change culture for Christ!"[12] Other related resources describing these 7 mountains can be found at the www.faithandworkresources.com website.

Nowadays Lance Wallnau is all over YouTube. For example, HERE, where he is "discussing the importance of gaining control of the 7 Mountains during the "Pray and Act" webcast. This time around, Lance is being featured by Jim Garlow again, who has mounted a high-profile national 40-day fast as part of a countdown before the mid-term national elections.[13] To add to Wallnau's fame and influence, Os Hillman has been offering a free September 16 teleseminar, "Strategies for Transforming Culture through the 7 Mountains with Lance Wallnau & Os Hillman," complete with a free 8-CD bonus audio package, "Strategies for Reclaiming the 7 Mountains."[14]

Meanwhile, Wallnau is still making the rounds of TheElijahList NAR crowd, and was recently a featured speaker at the "Kingdom, Power & Glory Festival" in Sedona, Arizona, which was advertised as:

"Join us as we access this seasonal portal during Rosh Hashana! Receive the impartation and revelation to invade the 7 mountains God activates in you to take the Gospel to the world (Business, Hollywood, Education, Religion, Government, etc.) as you enter your promised land! God promises that when we come together on purpose during this exact seasonal portal, there is a promised blessing, visitation, and grace to enter your destiny like never before. God has divinely orchestrated the speakers in a supernatural synergy that will propel you into the next season!

"New Beginnings and the New Year starts spiritually during this week when you come together with God's people as we access divine blueprints from Heaven for the new season. Every year at this time, the highest level of spiritual activity and Heavenly encounters occur. This festival will be a time of major glory, miracles, prophetic direction, revelation, impartation and New Beginnings and new direction for many! Don't miss your special appointment with God in the mountains of Sedona. Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord!!!"[15]


Time for yet another reality check in this series. A man who has recently and quite suddenly been given respectable credibility by political and religious right leaders at a very high level, is also part of a wild and wacky "seasonal portal" event that is described as an "impartation and revelation to invade the 7 mountains" with a "supernatural synergy."

Have these political/religious leaders lost their minds?! They are openly associating with the man who is the chief marketer of C. Peter Wagner's grand designs for apostolic Dominionism! Lance Wallnau is the top PR guy for engineering this grandiose scheme to take over the planet! Even secular political pundits have noticed how bizarre this political/religious mishmash is becoming![16]


The Truth:

The truth is that no truly biblical revival, awakening, reformation, transformation or renewal can take place without the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation. And in all of this hubbub for another great "awakening" we hear no clarion Gospel call. What we are hearing is "Let's Take Dominion Now!" We are hearing about "mountains" and "spheres," "armies" and "strategies," "cultural and social transformation," "issues" and "covenants." But we aren't hearing about ministering one-on-one to people with broken hearts and lives who need Jesus.

If this "awakening" was truly about the Gospel, instead of conquering the world, you would hear a humble heart-rending message like this:


"As a brief summary of the sanctification of the Church by the Son of God, we may lay it down from the Word of God that He took part of the flesh of the children (Heb. 2:14); bare their sins in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24); made atonement for their transgressions, and expiated all their crimes by being made the propitiation for their sins (1 John 2:2), Romans 3:25); shed His precious blood and laid down His life on their behalf (John 10:15, 1 Peter 1:19); reconciled their persons when they were enemies and aliens unto His heavenly Father (Romans 5:9, Col. 1:21); offered Himself a sacrifice for their offences (Heb. 9:14, 26-28); and washed away all their iniquities in the fountain opened in one day for all sin and uncleanness (Zech. 13:1)."[17]


Endnotes:
1. "Jim and David's Excellent Right-Wing Adventure," 7/6/10, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/print/5587 . To see Jim Garlow's diary of the Next Great Awakening Tour, go to http://www.skylinechurch.org/skyline/?p=2201. The conference brochure is posted here: http://www.skylinechurch.org/images/NGAtourBrochure.pdf
2. Extract from Pastor Johnny Enlow’s book “The Seven Mountain Prophecy” posted here: http://www.the7mountains.com/tag/lance-wallnau/
3. To see Jim Garlow's diary of the Next Great Awakening Tour, go to http://www.skylinechurch.org/skyline/?p=2201.
4. This newsletter was originally posted here: http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/pages.asp?pageid=11118 but is no longer accessible in its entirety. It was archived on 12/7/07. However, the original newsletter article, "Reclaiming 7 Mountains of Culture Next Focus of Faith at Work Movement," by Os Hillman is now posted here: http://www.intheworkplace.com/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=39002&columnid=1935
5. Rachel Tabachnick, "The Head And Not The Tail" - Battle Cry For The Seven Mountains Campaign, Part Two - Will Hawaii Be The Next 'Transformation' Conquest For The Apostles And Their Prayer Warriors?" 9-13-10, http://www.talk2action.org/story/2010/9/13/11834/9878. For Part One see "Will Hawaii Be The Next 'Transformation' Conquest For The Apostles And Their Prayer Warriors?" 9-12-10, http://www.talk2action.org/printpage/2010/9/12/172231/428
6. Promo e-mail by Tammy L. Alsup, Kingdom Alignment International, Pulaski, Tennessee – held in Franklin, TN, sent April 29, 2008 from Kingdom Alignment International, emphasis added. The original url was here: http://kingdomalignment.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=29
7. December 29, 2005 letter from Craig Davis about Wagner Leadership Institute. The letter was from Global Harvest, the url was still here as of January 21, 2008: http://www.globalharvest.org/global_link_72.htm.
8. Url was still here as of January 25, 2008: http://www.thespiritandbridesaycome.org/Schedule/tabid/3200/Default.aspx
9. On January 25, 2008, the url for this conference was here: http://www.wlimontgomery.org/
10. Promo posted here: http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=6571
8. The url for this was originally http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/pages.asp?pageid=42065 and recordings of the sessions and presentations are still available here: http://www.best-christian-conferences.com/bcc/store/Scripts/orderform.asp?id=5929
11. 2009 Conference Report: "Change Agents Gather in Atlanta, GA USA to
Consider Culture Changing Strategies," http://www.reclaim7mountains.com/pages.asp?pageid=82164
12. http://www.tgifbookstore.com/category_s/22.htm
13. See report and video clips, "Pray and Act: Dirty Tricks, Stonewall, 7 Mountains, and Biblical Economics," 9/13/10, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/pray-and-act-dirty-tricks-stonewall. Garlow wrote a "Pray & A.C.T." newsletter on September 1st that explained that his fast would begin on 7:14 AM on September 20 and continue through 7:14 AM October 30, based on 1 Chronicles 7:14, where it will culminate in yet another Lincoln Memorial event. See: http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/04/may-day-prayers.html Jim Garlow and Chuck Colson are using this fast as a way to promote their controversial Manhattan Declaration. See: http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/009/discernment/12-manhattan-declaration.htm
14. See http://mpleaders.ning.com/video/reclaim-7-mountains and other videos on this site.
15. Promoted on TheElijahList on August 17, 2010. See also: http://www.injesus.com/message-archives/christian-living/DavidHerzogMinistries/prayer-alert-sedona-conference-during-911-very-strategic-israel-praise
16. See, for example, this sobering article "Dominionism and The Religious Right: The Merger Is Complete," July 6, 2010, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/dominionism-and-religious-right-merger-complete
17. J.C. Philpot, "On the Person, Work & Covenant Offices of God the Holy Ghost," Meditations On Matters of Christian Faith and Experience, Vol 1, p. 217. Some formatting was changed for modern usage. Available from Old Paths Gospel Press, 406-466-2311. This particular meditation by Philpot, which we were not able to locate in its entirety online, is one of the most beautiful and balanced works we have read on the ministry and office of the Holy Spirit, and, as such, stands in stark contrast to the flaky and freaky false "spirit" of the NAR movement.

The Next Great Awakening. . .

. . . or Great Deadening?

Part 2: A Political Platform

Third Great Awakening
We believe that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that came on November 11, 2009, in Kansas City signaled the beginning of a Third Great Awakening that we prophesied would come to America and the world. November 11th was the day that the Pilgrims made covenant with God in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Many intercessors across the nation are crying out to God for the nation to once again become "a city set on a hill." If we continue to pray and call out to God, the nation will shift.

- Cindy Jacobs[1]

“A prophetic word from Cindy Jacobs, August 19, 2009: ‘Florida is going to be a great army; God has made Florida a great weapon in the hand of God.’ (Jer. 51:20) ‘Florida, you are my battle axe and weapon of war. Florida is a war-club, a battle axe. There is terror in Tampa, Tallahassee and Miami - a ring of terror; but, God has a ring of fire. Shaking, shaking, shaking. Florida is my threshing floor for the nation. The key is the marriage of righteousness and justice.’ There are revolutionary angels moving around; we are moving into a Kingdom Season where we war from the glory realm of Heaven, bringing forth our future.'”

- Cindy Jacobs[2]

“I want to tell you, and I believe, that we are on a verge of the greatest awakening, not only what we would say just in the church, but we are on the verge of the greatest awakening that we have ever seen in our history as a nation.”

- Cindy Jacobs[3]

Cindy Jacobs, who has been called a “prophet to the nations”[4] is identified by C. Peter Wagner as “the U.S. national apostle”[5] in his 2002 book Spheres of Authority: Apostles in Today’s Church. This book is one of the earlier attempts to describe his “New Apostolic Age” in which he calls the “New Apostolic Reformation” (NAR) – “the most radical change in the way of doing church since the Protestant Reformation back in the 16th Century.”[6] In this book, he lays out the principle that his newly conceived “apostles” will be in charge of designated “spheres of authority” for “the task of implementing what God wants done on earth.”[7] Wagner endows these “apostles” with supernatural gifting to hear new revelation directly from God:

“Apostles receive revelations from God, and consequently they are able to say ‘This is what the Spirit is saying to the churches right now.’ Making such a statement with credibility carries with it tremendous authority.”[8]

In this book Wagner provides a “definition” of apostle in the context of “spheres,” which are governing realms that are also now referred to as “gates” or “mountains”[9] –

“An apostle is a Christian leader, gifted, taught, commissioned, and sent by God with the authority to establish the foundational government of the church within an assigned sphere of ministry by hearing what the Spirit is saying to the churches and by setting things in order accordingly for the growth and maturity of the church.”[10]

C. Peter Wagner believes that apostles are an important part of getting “the biblical government of the church in place” through vertical and horizontal networks. These new-fangled apostles “had a network of which they were at the top. For each of them, the primary apostolic sphere in which their authority received a divine anointing was their particular network.”[11] But these apostles aren’t just in charge of restructuring churches into downline networking hierarchical non-denominational ecumenical structures. These apostles are also in charge of “social transformation,” utilizing the same networking structures for cultural renewal and political action. In Chapter 8, titled “Apostles for Social Transformation,” the first subheading is “Our Goal: Social Transformation.” Wagner explains how the concept of taking over the "spheres" of society developed into a plan of action:

“During the 1990s the idea that the kingdom of God is not confined to the four walls of the local church began to take hold strongly among Christian leaders. We began to take our prayer, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ more seriously than we had in the past. We believed that not only did God desire to save the lost and bring them into our churches, but that He also desired to change the world we live in for the better.

“We began to talk about ‘city taking,’ and ‘city reaching,’ and ‘community transformation.’ But gradually, toward the end of the decade, ‘social transformation’ seemed to be the most satisfactory way of expressing our outreach goal. The renowned Transformations video, produced by George Otis, Jr.’s Sentinel Group, helped sharpen our thinking. ‘Social transformation’ includes all of the other terms, but it is broader. It encompasses spiritual transformation, educational transformation, and governmental transformation. This can be applied to neighborhoods, cities, regions, and nations.”[12]

We would now recognize this plan as the Seven Mountain Mandate for Dominionism. Wagner believes that each of these newly-concocted “apostles” will be assigned a regional, cultural or territorial “sphere of authority” with which to work out this planned societal transformation. Admitting that “few apostles are pacifistic,” Wagner describes his apostles as “visionary, aggressive, uncompromising, warlike, and often abrasive.”[13] He promises that if you voluntarily “submit gratefully to the authority of the apostle who is over whatever territorial sphere” you find yourself in, then there will be a “powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”[14] It is this much-touted "powerful outpouring" that is now being equated with a "Great Awakening."


Cindy Jacobs: "U.S. national apostle"

Time for a reality check. What all this means for you, if you are an American, is that you must now submit to Cindy Jacobs, whom C. Peter Wagner apparently appointed to be the “U.S. national apostle” in charge of our nation. According to this new apostolic (NAR) worldview, when these "apostles" come into "alignment," we will then see a great revival, i.e. a “Great Awakening.”

If this apostolic position of power for Cindy Jacobs is indeed a genuine fact, it explains some strange happenings this past year. If Jacobs truly has been set up as the chief “U.S. national apostle” it explains why she has suddenly and inexplicably emerged prominently as a spokesperson and activist on the national political scene this past year. In a Herescope post of June 24, 2010 we observed this curious fact:

On June 16, 2010 Cindy Jacobs, head prophetess of the New Apostolic Reformation, issued a political statement, an "Urgent Call to Prayer Concerning California's Proposition 8 and Defense Of Marriage Act." Written on the letterhead of her "United States Reformation Prayer Network" it has all of the hallmarks of a political action alert. This is a major first for the woman who has been associated with all sorts of strange doctrines and wacky practices. By taking a political position on these high-profile issues Jacobs is obviously attempting to enter the Christian Right mainstream as an ally. Just this week she and fellow "apostle" Chuck Pierce have actually spoken out about the Gulf Oil Spill.

The "Great Awakening" has been one of the consistent themes accompanying the public outing of America’s new apostolic Grande Dame[15] Cindy Jacobs is apparently running on a platform of a "Great Awakening."

On July 17, Jacobs reported that "God spoke to her and warned that America was on the verge of slipping into 'another Great Depression' and the only hope of stopping it was for massive prayer, fasting, revival, support for Israel ... and, of course, proper voting."[16] Jacobs reported that she heard a message from the Lord that said, "If the Church doesn't fast and pray for a faster acceleration of revival and awakening, the iniquitous sin structures in the nation will tip the scale that is teetering and there will be another great depression."[17] This “awakening” message of Jacob's was widely distributed, and one account said it was accompanied by “signs” and “wonders”:

We must rise up and press in to the Lord for a full release of the Awakening and Reformation that our nation so desperately needs. God has spoken that He is releasing the beginnings of awakening, and He desires to release in a greater measures a mighty awakening with signs, wonders, miracles, and creative miracles through those who will press in to Him as never before.[18]

Shortly before this episode, Jacobs headed up a prayer initiative for the BP Gulf Oil Spill on June 30, 2010, billed as a “Solemn Assembly: Standing in the Gap on Behalf of the Land: Crying out in response to the Gulf Oil Spill Crisis and its affect upon our nation and the nations of the world,” in Montgomery Alabama. Joining Jacobs and her husband Mike was John Kilpatrick, who is best known for his pastoral role in the frenzied drunken and shaking phenomena of Pensacola, Florida in the 1990s.[19]

Just prior to this oil spill prayer event, Cindy Jacobs had been in Georgia for the “Awake Georgia” conference held June 24-26, which also featured the well-known NAR apostle Dutch Sheets. Dutch Sheets has his own brand of an "The Awakening and Reformation Tour," complete with a promo video proclaiming the fulfillment of "God's Dream," an esoteric theme of global Dominionism efforts. Not surprisingly then, after this "Awake Georgia" conference was over it was also described as an “awakening”:

“We have stepped into a ‘Kairos Season of Awakening’ in Georgia! A season of the flames of awakening burning more and more brightly within our hearts. A season to fan the flames of passion, to fervently press into the Lord for increased faith to operate in signs, wonders, and miracles, and to cry out to the Lord with passionate desire to be those He will use to disciple nations.”[20]

John Benefiel was also a featured speaker at this “Awake Georgia” conference. He heads up the Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network (HAPN) that partners with Cindy Jacobs’ US Reformation Prayer Network (USRPN) and the US Alliance for Reformation headed by Dutch Sheets. Each of these purported “prayer networks” is actually an apostolic downline political/spiritual “sphere of authority.” All this prayer activity is a cover for their Dominionist agenda to build the 7 Mountains. For example, HAPN's prayer activities are described in terms of grassroots political organization:

Raising Up An Army of 10,000 Mighty Men & Women of God 
Across the State of Georgia
 To Advance Christ's Kingdom On Earth... as It Is In Heaven

The Spirit of the Lord has charged each state coordinator within the HAPN to raise up 10,000 men and women of God to stand in intercession, making declarations and decrees, and doing the work of ministry in all the seven mountains of culture to advance the Kingdom of God. By faith, I know that there are thousands already engaged in this work across the great state of Georgia. I am asking the Lord -- and you -- to help us build bridges of networking and partnership all across this state that we might discover how the Lord would have us to co-labor with each other to see our state and region enter into Awakening in our Day and Reformation in our Lifetime through healing the land, setting captives free, dismantling strongholds, laying foundations for Kingdom work, building relationships of effective ministry where we live, work, and play, and bringing the culture of Christ Kingdom to bear upon every sector of society through gifted, trained, equipped, empowered, celebrated, and supported men and women of God.[21]

As part of this politicized prayer initiative, Cindy Jacobs launched what is called the “ROOT 52 National Prayer Strategy” this year via her United States Reformation Prayer Network. Concerning this prayer "strategy," note that these apostles teach that they can issue “decrees” from heaven that will implement their ambitions on earth. Jacobs explained that:

The first two weeks will be a special concerted time of prayer for the governmental leadership of the nation and then we will go state by state in the order that they joined the Union. By the end of the year, we will see all 50 states have a covenantal root established or deepened as we build a highway of prayer across the nation from state to state.

Part of the strategy is to make proclamations from the Preambles of State constitutions. For the first two weeks, and throughout the year, let us also pray over and make decrees from the Preamble to the United States Constitution and the United States Constitution itself. We also need to "declare" from the Declaration of Independence and pledge our nation to be "one nation under God".[22]

Jacobs, who happens to also be named as a "prophet" in the NAR, said that she “heard two distinct prophetic words for 2010 - they are ‘Win in 2010’ and ‘Arise and Shine America’” and called her followers to “battle… until we see the Great Awakening and Reformation back to biblical worldview.”[23] Her “ROOT 52” USRPN National Prayer Strategy incorporates the theme of “seven gates or mountains,” and has been accompanied by a “torch of prayer” that goes en-route from "state-to-state in the sequence that they joined the Union and came to form the United States of America.” It also

encompasses all 50 states standing together in covenant both to fast and pray in agreement during the first two weeks of 2010 for our national leadership and national governmental structure. We will then move forward each week with individual states continuing to bow in repentance before God and taking up the torch of prayer and fasting until we complete 52 weeks, equaling 1 year. (50 states plus 2 weeks for government leadership).[24]

Cindy Jacobs' prayer activities are totally interconnected to her political commitment to the “7-M Mandate” of social transformation, which she has described aggressively as

“His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven… we need to understand that every sector of society needs to be governed by the knowledge of God…. Generals are strategists. And so we as generals have these different mountains of society that we want to take systematically. And some of you will fit on each of these mountains…. You will become the principals of the universities on the education mountain. You will write the textbooks that are read. The law of God becomes the law! God is calling his next generation to be the heads of nations….”[25]

In this same youtube video cited above Jacobs gives an account of how she has anointed two young men, one in Argentina and one in Mexico, to be the next presidents of their nations. This is the highest calling of the way-up-the-ladder apostles in the NAR. They actually believe that they are supposed to appoint and anoint leaders, not only of churches, but even the political leaders of nations! How can they do this? C. Peter Wagner begs us to enable these new-fangled apostles with our tolerance and affirm their divine “destiny”— arguing, “Let’s agree that apostles are expected to be further up the scale toward perfection than other believers.”[26]

Now that we know that apostles are more perfect than the rest of us, it is quite fascinating to see how far and wide Cindy Jacobs has gone in the political Right. She was part of an “The Awakening 2010” conference this year, hosted by a group called The Freedom Federation, which also featured the eclectic mixture of “Rick Joyner, Ken Blackwell,
 Tony Perkins, Richard Land, Cindy Jacobs, Ergun Caner,
 Wendy Wright, Lou Engle, Samuel Rodriguez, and many more
 Christian cultural leaders.”[27] This rise to fame was apparently planned for some time because Cindy Jacobs, along with the other self-anointed self-appointed “apostolic elders” of the NAR, in October 2009, predicted a “Third Great Awakening” for 2010. They also “prophesied” their involvement in the rising Tea Party Movement, which they claim is the formation of "a new third political party":

Over the next years in the United States there will be a new third political party that will arise. The Lord is preparing His leadership for this party that will come out of the citizens of the United States groaning under the corruption of the old guard. Many leaders are being tested and tried in the fire right now who will take leadership in due time, for it will begin not so much as a political party but a movement. The movement will become a party in time.[28]

Running on the "Great Awakening" plank, Cindy Jacobs hosted a third annual Convergence conference, “Convergence: A Cry to Awaken a Nation,” held on March 4-6, 2010 in Cedar Hill, Texas, and described its theme as to “see the nation experience a Great Awakening that turns us back to God.” This conference featured Janet Porter, who coordinated the May Day 2010 event at the Lincoln Memorial with the assistance of Mike and Cindy Jacobs who "helped us to birth the idea of May day."[29] Convergence 2010 also featured Lance Wallnau, who is the chief promoter of the 7 Mountain scheme for Dominion.

The Great Awakening campaign theme continues right into election season, as another conference planned by Cindy Jacobs is timed just before the elections. The “Open Heavens Conference” is scheduled for October 21-23 in Melville, New York, and it is billed as “Releasing the Apostolic & Prophetic.” Its stated purpose is similar to that of all of the other conferences – a Great Awakening –

The Church is in a very critical hour. Not only is the moral foundation of America fractured, but the moral foundation of the Church is fractured as well. The Church has a mandate to be spiritual salt and light. In order to see God's Kingdom advance in the earth, the Church is in a desperate need of another Great Awakening.[30]

All of this above represents mere snippets, randomly collected small pieces of evidence that the planned "Great Awakening" is nothing more than a scheme to take Dominion over various segments of American culture and society. Elsewhere around the world, there is increasing evidence that the self-anointed self-appointed apostolic networks are coming out into the open and claiming their "destiny" to rule the nations.[31]


The Truth:

Since their inception, the self-anointed self-appointed apostles of the New Apostolic Reformation have claimed to have supernatural powers, and they assert that they are a revival of the authentic New Testament early church "apostles" that were somehow lost during the church ages. They believe that they receive revelation from God that is on a par with, or supersedes that of written Scripture, the Word of God. They state that they can issue edicts and decrees that having binding power over spiritual and physical realms, and they demand absolute allegiance. They write that they are aligning themselves into networking hierarchical downline cellular structures where they can control the world.

This pompous and grandiose scheme might be funny, or whimsical, or even the farcical stuff that comedies are made of, if it weren't for the fact that these men (and women) have gained great ground and credibility in certain political circles. One might ask why no one is pointing out that these "emperors have no clothes" this is all so patently absurd. Nevertheless, these men (and women) have stated that in order to access God and His will, one must go through them. To obey them is to obey God. And to stand back and permit these leaders their positions of mountainous power, is to further the "kingdom of God on earth," they say.[32]

The biblical truth is that "apostles" in the New Testament sense have always been "simply those who are sent out with a particular mission. From this concept we get the word 'missionary.'"[33] The church has always had missionaries. But the original New Testament Apostles, who received their doctrine of the Gospel of Salvation by direct revelation from God, and who wrote the books that are in the Canon of Scripture, did not continue into our present age. This false teaching of the NAR conflicts with both Scripture and solid New Testament history.[34]


"Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it. And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell." (Isaiah 57:7-9)


Endnotes:
1. “Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders (ACPE): Word of the Lord for 2010,” compiled in October 2009 by Cindy Jacobs of Generals International, published on TheElijahList, January 21, 2010, http://www.elijahlist.com/words/html/textonly-012110-ACPE.html
2. Cindy Jacobs, United States Reformation Prayer Network, “Florida Root 52 State Prayer Guide,” July 16-23, 2010, distributed by Jacquie Tyre to her lists, July 14, 2010.
3. Remarks by Cindy Jacobs transcribed in “Jacobs: ‘The Bible is the Government of the People, by the People, and for the People,” April 16, 2010, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/jacobs-bible-government-people-people-and-people Video coverage and more articles from the perspective of the political Left can be found at: http://www.alternet.org/news/146634/exposing_the_christian_right%27s_new_racial_playbook_/ and also here: http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2010/04/8311/
4. "Cindy Jacobs: The Great Awakening Part 2," posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehIDBzDpEW0&feature=related. Here
she is described as “Cindy Jacobs, the prophet to the nations.” See also her interview with Peter Kairuz on “The 700 Club Asia,” April 9, 2009, "Cindy Jacobs: The Great Awakening Part 1," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bHesSNQ_Zo&feature=related, where one can hear her say, “God is on the move. The Lion of Judah is arising. And he is demolishing everything before him that is not righteous. He is coming with his refiner’s fire.”
5. C. Peter Wagner, Spheres of Authority: Apostles in Today’s Church (Wagner Publications, 2002), p. 97.
6. Ibid, p. 121.
7. Ibid. pp. 22 and 15.
8. Ibid, p. 24.
9. See Herescope posts, “The 7-M Mandate,” June 15, 2007, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2007/06/7-m-mandate.html and “Neo-Kuyperian Spheres,” June 28, 2007, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2007/06/neo-kuyperian-spheres.html and "Seven Mountains: Set To Go Viral," June 24, 2010, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/06/seven-mountains.html
10. Spheres of Authority, p. 27.
11. Ibid, pp. 31, 60, 76.
12. Ibid, pp. 101-102.
13. Ibid, pp. 60, 103, 110. For more “sphere of authority” quotations along these lines, see the lead quote at this Herescope post: http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/05/mainstreaming-dominionism.html
14. Spheres of Authority, pp. 117-118.
15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_dame
16. “Cindy Jacobs Issues "A Serious Warning and a Call for Urgent Prayer," July 20, 2010, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/cindy-jacobs-issues-serious-warning-and-call-urgent-prayer reporting on “Cindy Jacobs: An Urgent Call for Massive Intercession” put out by TheElijahList, July 20, 2010, http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=8968 as a promo for her book The Voice of God.
17. Ibid.
18. Jacquie Tyre of Kairos Transformation Ministries in Georgia put Cindy Jacobs’ prophecy out in her newsletter on July 20, 2010, along with this added commentary. Linking political action to this anticipated “awakening,” the title of the newsletter was “A Call for Urgent Prayer & a Reminder to VOTE & PRAY for today's General Primaries across Georgia.”
19. Jacquie Tyre, “Prayer Gathering with Cindy Jacobs in Montgomery: Gulf Oil Spill,” Kairos Transformation Ministries newsletter, June 28, 2010. Documentation on John Kilpatrick can be found at this webpage: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/pensacola.html
20. Ibid.
21. Jacquie Tyre, Kairos Transformation Ministries newsletter dated April 21, 2010.
22. This “ROOT 52 National Prayer Strategy” newsletter from Cindy Jacobs, was posted here on March 30, 2010: http://www.injesus.com/getMessageContent.php?msgID=HB007H5J For more information about this national prayer strategy, see the “50 State-by-State Weekly Prayer Calendar,” http://txapn.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/50_State_by_State_Weekly_Prayer_Calendar.pdf and the “Prophetic Words on Covenant Roots by Chuck Pierce,” http://txapn.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Prophetic_Words_on_Covenant_Roots.pdf and the “Root 52 Proclamation,” written by Cindy Jacobs on December 21, 2009, which confesses national sins corporately, and is and titled “Proclamation of a Year of Repentance, Fasting and Prayer To Call the United States back to Her Christian Roots During the Year of Our Lord 2010,” http://txapn.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ROOT_52_Proclamation.pdf
23. Ibid.
24. “7 Mountains Mandate - Cindy Jacobs,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD6OmQe_t2U&feature=related
25. Spheres of Authority, p. 38.
26. Newsletter by Matt Staver, Liberty Counsel, dated April 7, 2010. “The Awakening Schedule” is posted here: http://freedomfederation.org/content/schedule. See photos of this event here: http://freedomfederation.org/index.php?url=content/summit and videos here: http://freedomfederation.org/videos. To read about the downline networking structure of this organization to the precinct level, see this webpage http://freedomfederation.org/content/about and note the wide range of organizations that have joined together under this hierarchy for political action: http://freedomfederation.org/content/members. Also see article of August 2, 2010, “Oak Initiative Warns Democrats ‘We're Coming After YOU!’" at http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/oak-initiative-ad-warns-democrats-were-coming-after-you and http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/sputtering-start-religious-rights-rebranding
27. “Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders (ACPE): Word of the Lord for 2010,” compiled in October 2009 by Cindy Jacobs of Generals International, published on TheElijahList, January 21, 2010, http://www.elijahlist.com/words/html/textonly-012110-ACPE.html In 2009 Cindy Jacobs and the ACPE had prophesied “The Beginning of a Third Great Awakening,” http://www.generals.org/newsletters/e-newsletters/acpe-word-of-the-lord-2009 . This theme continued in 2009. For example, an AWAKE Arizona ’09 conference was held in the Phoenix area that featured Dutch Sheets and Lance Wallnau http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=7711
28. "Join Mike and Cindy Jacobs for Convergence: A Cry to Awaken a Nation - March 4-6, 2010 - Cedar Hill, TX," advertised on TheElijahList, http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=8394
29. May Day 2010 event program, http://f2a.org/mayday/MayDay2010Program-Color.pdf
30. Open Heavens Conference, Releasing the Apostolic and Prophetic with Matt Sorger, Cindy Jacobs, James Goll, Roberts Stearns and Steve Swanson, Oct. 21-23, 2010, Melville, NY, co-sponsored by TheElijahList, advertised August 18, 2010.
31. See, for example, this website from South Africa, where Natasha Vermaak is sponsoring a conference called "Ariel Gate Summit," which is billed as: "This is our first Ariel Gate Summit and we aim to gather Kingdom intercessors and leaders who are ready to read the scrolls from heaven, legislate in the heavens and then begin to administrate into the earth. It is time to see the Ecclesia of God establish His Kingdom government in the earth!" http://www.arielgate.co.za/Events_-_Conferences_and_Schools.html and http://www.arielgate.co.za/About_us_-_Future_Perfect_-_Ariel_Gate.html and http://www.arielgate.co.za/About_us_-_Natasha_Vermaak_.html
32. Herescope has run a series of posts on these topics, for example: http://herescope.blogspot.com/2007/03/apostolic-regions-spheres-of-authority.html Also see this unfinished report: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/cellcurch.html
33. For a good understanding of the role of apostles in the modern-day church, see Pastor Anton Bosch's excellent book Building Blocks of the Church: Re-examining the Basics, available here: http://home.etcable.net/hestervanboven/Books.htm See especially chapter 8, on "Apostles." This quote was taken from page 130 of his text.
34. Ibid.

Part 1 of this series is HERE.