A short-ish word:

On easter

WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW THAT I DIDN’T KNOW, ABOUT passover

(based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

 

-one-

 

My thoughts & feelings concerning easter are much the same as they are about christmas; highly westernised; under scrutinised; overtly secularised; commercially popularised. All of that is bad enough, but I am unpleasantly surprised each year by just how many believers jump aboard this happy bandwagon in order to aid & abet annual sacrilege. What’s the big deal?  I expect it from the world. I don’t expect it from The Church. Yet here we are. Rather than trawl through the material attachments to the Feast, I thought it best to stick to what Scripture says about Passover, afterall, we ought to be getting our theology from there & it is rich with actual & typological truth. If we taught our children & our churches these things, instead of christianising worldly tropes, we’d be better off. Surely? I know. I know. I’m no fun. But amidst the chocolate eggs, the bells, the kites, the flags & the bunnies, there is no room for The Lamb. John the Baptiser described Him as The Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Apostle Peter describes Him as a Lamb without blemish or spot (1^st Peter 1:19-20). The Apostle John described Him as The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). He does not share the spotlight. When The Church denies The Lord the glory, honour, majesty & power due Him & His Name, how can we expect those in the world to take notice when there is nothing to convict them. In order to set the record straight, we have to go back to Exodus & listen in on a chat that YHWH had with Moshe Rabbeinu. You know the story, don’t you? Don’t you? Alright, let’s recap.

Moses is spoken to out of the bush that was aflame, but did not burn. He is sent back to Egypt, with Aaron his brother, to tell the Hebrews that God had spoken to him. He invokes the Divine Name. He also goes to Pharoah, telling him to allow the Hebrews to leave. Of course, the king denies them permission, but The Lord has several miracles up His sleeve. Moses & Aaron defeat Pharoah’s magicians. The Lord blasts Egypt with blood; frogs; gnats; flies; livestock pestilence; boils; hail; locusts; darkness & death. There wasn’t so much as a barking dog in the streets when Israel left town (Exodus 11:7). Quite a thing.

Any sensible person would have tapped out sooner, rather than later. But God hardened Pharoah’s heart, in order to flex His muscles & glorify Himself by executing judgement on all the gods of Egypt.

² Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. ³ And I will harden Pharaoh' heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. ⁴ But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. ⁵ And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them (Exodus 7:2-5). 

Any Sunday School teacher worth their salt has laid this narrative out in full colour & digital surround sound for eager, listening children. I was once one of them. However, the next part of the story bears a significance that few have brought out & taught to our children, or to The Church. God gives Moses specific instructions concerning what will become Nissan, the very first month of the Hebrew calendar; the feast of Passover & Unleavened Bread. This is such a hum dinger!!

¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ² This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. ³ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: ⁴ And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: ⁶ And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. ⁷ And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. ⁸ And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹ Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. ¹⁰ And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. ¹¹ And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover (Exodus 12:1-11).

So, what’s so special about The Lord’s instructions to Moses? We’ve read this narrative hundreds of times. The lamb was selected, examined, bled, roasted with fire & eaten quickly. Nothing was to be left. Why? So that it could be said that it is finished! The Israelites were actually demonstrating Messiah’s death, until He came. Just as we The Church do, when we receive communion. Paul says, ‘For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.’. (1^st Corinthians 11:26). In this, The Lord played an absolute blinder!

Perhaps we should show more reverence to the meaning of the communion table. Not only in the way that it is taught, but also in the way that it is approached. Anyway, I digress.

The Lord instituted Passover as a holy memorial (Exodus 12:14) & one that they were to teach their children. It is sad to note that The Church at large will abandon the theological in order to embrace the theoretical & enjoy the theatrical. Then, our doctrine is reverse engineered through the whole mess. What are the most often heard excuses for doing this? That it’s harmless. That it’s fun. That it’s for the children!

²⁶ And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? ²⁷ That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped (Exodus 12:26-27).

Not only had The Lord beaten Egypt down, now He was to deliver a brutal parting shot. The king of the Egyptian gods was a bloke called Amun, who after being combined with the Egyptian Sun god Ra later became known as Amun-Ra. Ok, he wasn’t really a bloke, but I hope I have your attention.

‘Ra travelled through the firmament on two solar boats. By day he travelled through the sky on the Mandjet (the Boat of Millions of Years). At night he took on his form as a great ram and travelled through the underworld on the Mesektet (the evening boat).. Amun Ra had several forms which reflected his diverse origin, but he was most often portrayed as a mighty ram or as a pharaoh with a distinctive towering head-dress..he was also known as the ram of the underworld.’.

Ben Eastaugh and Chris Sternal-Johnson, ferrebeekeeper, Wordpress.com (emphasis added).

In choosing a lamb to sacrifice for the first Passover, God was throwing down the gauntlet & delivering a massive insult to Egypt & its supreme being. While old Amun-Ra was sailing through the underworld at night, with his massive, ugly ram’s head, the Israelites were roasting lambs & preparing to ritually consume them in the real world. The offense this would have caused is almost unimaginable, but YHWH wasn’t done.

The self-created Egyptian icon of protection, prosperity & power had its throat cut & was being systematically barbequed. The aroma of roast lamb would have been everywhere. Apparently, the constellation of Aries would have been in ascendancy at the time, looking down on Amun-Ra’s systematic defeat. On this night, as the destroyer moved through the land, the demon god could not safeguard Egypt. The divine father & protector of Pharoah, would himself be cut down.

YHWH demonstrated quite clearly that He & He alone, is The Lord!

Furthermore, the Egyptians inscribed incantations & names on their doorposts, including the false doors within burial chambers. These were believed to be portals to the afterlife, through which the ka, or spirit, travelled. What is YHWH’s retort? By instructing Israel to cover the doorposts & lintels of their homes with the blood, The Lord prefigures a vital New Testament truth. It is only through the Blood of The Lamb, The Lord Jesus Christ, that we enter eternity. Only through the blood of The Lamb. Again, The Lord smacks Amun-Ra across the face. While each Israeli household was obeying that which they were commanded by Moses, The Lord was at work.

²³ For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. ²⁴ And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever (Exodus 12:23-24).

Egypt was not so blessed. I can only imagine the horror that emerged that night as every Egyptian household discovered their firstborn stone dead. From the pit to the palace, YHWH decimates the array of the Egyptian pantheon & at the last, He delivers a hammer blow to Amun-Ra, their god of all gods. Moses says, ‘Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him (Deuteronomy 4:33-35). 

God’s awesome power & it’s purpose would later become a new beginning for those who believe in The Lord Jesus Christ, the true Lamb of God. Jesus Christ is our Passover (1^st Corinthians 5:7) & in His death, burial & resurrection, The Lord gloriously recapitulates His Divine superiority to any & all pretenders. YHWH took Israel by the hand & led them out of Egypt (Jeremiah 31:32). Take His hand brethren & do not let it go. If you like chocolate eggs, have as many as you want to. If you like bunnies, fill your boots.

But do not christianise these things as if they are part & parcel of what is called Easter, because they are not.

¹ When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1).

copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxvi all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

10 th anniversary guest article

 

The Rise & Fall

& Rise Again

of the

Narcissistic, Celebrity Rock Star Pastor

By Joseph Bachota Jr.

AS promised late last year, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of this little blog, we will be publishing several guest articles written by individuals that I have come to know & trust. One such person is PASTOR JOSEPH BACHOTA. Jo is a Pastor, War Veteran, Author, Husband & Father, although not necessarily in that order. I tuned into his YouTube channel (walking through the scriptures) while writing the series ‘DOGS IN THE MANGER’ and we hit it off. The rest, as they say, is history. Please enjoy this apt piece & I encourage you to follow the links supplied. God bless. Take it away Jo!

As we look over the church landscape today, one thing that has always rubbed me the wrong way, was and is, the rise and fall but rise again of the Narcissistic, Celebrity Rock Star Pastor. What do I mean by that? Well, we have always had celebrity rock star pastors who have been narcissists. Where they feel the people in the pews need to bow down to them and have the people kiss their feet. That is nothing new.

When one looks at the Shepherding Movement, in the 1970’s America, it was about power and control. Pastors who would be called (fathers in the faith) and they would then dictate to the congregants where to work, what jobs to take, whom to marry, how much money they owed the church and to them etc. This was a system of leadership abuse, systemic control by the clergy which led to all kinds of abuses within the church and led to a wide road of abused victims along the way. So again, this is decades old and therefore, not new.

Many, of these pastors got caught and justice was done, but sadly, in many cases, many pastors were not caught, they died, and victims, never got the justice they so rightly deserved. In some cases, there are pastors that are still operating like this today, shameful!

However, what is killing me is even after some of these narcissistic leaders fell and were found out, (thank God) after COVID and once the COVID ban was lifted, there seems to be a rise of this kind of leadership and pastoring again. Let me explain.

Celebrity Rock Star pastors and Mega churches were huge before COVID 2020. Not that Mega churches are bad necessarily, as long as the teaching is sound and the pastor doesn’t let it go to his head and he becomes one of these celebrity rock stars I’m referring to, but many pastors did, and it was a cancer within the body of Christ. Then a funny thing hit America in around February 2020, COVID 19.

With that came the shutdown of everything including churches. Funny thing that. Many did not understand the prophetic writing on the walls. Because when that happened, there were no longer mega churches open and no more celebrity rock star pastors for a while. It was almost as if God was showing us something in the Spirit, like God was trying to make us aware of something or trying to get us delivered from something. The narcissistic celebrity rock star pastor and formula. Yes, churches tried to do churches in different ways, internet, smaller groups etc. But once the COVID ban was lifted, for the most part, what Happened? Churches went back to the same old same old and went right back to having church as usual. So, what happened? Narcissistic pastors got their jobs back, and we thanked God for it! We completely missed it! It went right over our heads like a cold wind during a winter’s day. All the while thanking God for the cold, nonsense!

Prophetically, I think God was trying to get our attention. He was trying to show us how bad we had gotten and how far off track we were. In doing that, I also think he was trying to give grace to the church to regroup, reset, and re-pent! Repent of what we turned church into: a circus where people come to be entertained, where the pastor is the showman, the sermon and praise and worship team the entertainment and the show, and then you just leave your tithe and offering in the bucket on the way out to pay for the happiness of the experience. Where was the Gospel? Where was revival? Where was Jesus being lifted up on the cross so all the world could see to be saved? Instead, we traded all that in for entertainment and the people praised our churches and pastors for it and we praised God it was so, all the while making the church one of the most spiritually malnourished, weak, spiritually babes in Christ generation we have ever seen. And we loved it! For me, it made me sick. And After COVID what did we do, for the most part, we went right back to it.

So, what happened? Churches never learned their lessons and neither did these narcissistic pastors and they came right back in again. Just waiting to pounce on their next victims. Who could they take advantage of today? How much sexual sin can run amuck in churches today? How much money can we fleece from the people? How much sin will go unchecked and or covered up? How many lives will be ruined? How many victims will go across the land with their cries being unheard by the very pastors and churches that should have been there to minister to them? Hard to be blessed by a church when they are the ones hurting you! I pray and I hurt for the victims! I pray for their wholeness and healing. I also pray for justice for these pastors to repent, go to jail if crimes were committed, and resign never to occupy a pulpit ever again. Lives are at stake and someone needs to tell the truth, shame the devil and hold the line for righteousness. It’s time we get back to discipleship again in our churches! We don’t need circus’ we need training grounds for discipleship. A place where hurting saints can find Jesus and be saved, not a place to entertain them and then take advantage of them and then calling that ministry, SMH!

So, what can be done? First, leave these pastors and churches if you are in them. Pray for the victims and call authorities if crimes happened. Don’t allow abuse to go unchecked! Call it out, make people aware of it. Be bold! Like the book of Acts, Ask the Holy Spirit to give us Holy Ghost boldness to preach the truth without compromise and make it about Jesus again and not ourselves. Scripture teaches: Judgement FIRST begins in the house of God (with Believers) why? Because it says if the church can’t get it right, then the world has no hope! Strong words from the Apostle Peter indeed! It’s time we adhere to them!

I hope this message leaves you encouraged, why? Because I hope it births a Holy Ghost fire for righteousness. I call for justice, peace, and hope in believing in the Holy Ghost instead of the facade we have been having with the smoke and mirror shows with these Wizard of OZ preachers who really have no power! I pray for a burning in our spirits again, where we get on fire for God instead of these clown shows! In order for true revival to happen, it first starts with us. We need to repent church in order to see this kind of passion again. Let’s repent today and be blessed and see the power of God return to our churches, who’s with me?!

 

Bio

I’m Joseph Bachota and I received my Honorary Doctorate with Core Kingdom University in May of 2022, using my book to expose prosperity gospel/word of faith theology, and I have my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Wayland Baptist University. I’ve served in the army for 20 years with four combat tours (3 Iraq and 1 Afghanistan). While serving in Iraq, the Lord allowed me to pastor the Gospel service and I have co-pastored many other services while deployed. I have served in many churches all over the world, Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington State, Virginia, just to name a few. The Lord has allowed me to serve all over the world and I look forward to continuing to serve anywhere, and everywhere, and any how God would have me to serve.  I’m married to a beautiful black woman and have four beautiful black children. My wife (Teri) and I moved to Wake Forest, North Carolina around nine years ago from the Seattle, Washington area. We have four children, Alec, our son whose 31, and Nia our daughter, whose 22, and we adopted two children, 3 years ago, Jeremy who is 9 and Kaylee who is 7. We also have a little beagle dog named Kirby. Well, that completes our family, blessings, Joe

 

Books:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0595529461/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ENp9zIh-soWyJX7joZSdal3CUs2C1MmiXAZyzPbKTPGueAoJuUntjVPYsygoI5o-VT5hFLyo-1T6KFMTiIr-EnUwkyNu7fdbyTfnbQu-IBPVDuPPBeVoVXGo96apkZnzBToYShiCt-uPSCKGxad3-l86gI6fNZAx-_f4b5Oc2_YZr2T7Zi2FM8hnOgRsr0vHogGEv6Ld_bLXDEx9JhDseQ.hx3p9XHu4-3ykr8lQFJu4O0LUGEzk04ifZycTb4kOMA&qid=1739230514&sr=8-2

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1450231454/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gKXQaXAenlBj0Kzkb68UYV3CUs2C1MmiXAZyzPbKTPGueAoJuUntjVPYsygoI5o-VT5hFLyo-1T6KFMTiIr-EnUwkyNu7fdbyTfnbQu-IBPVDuPPBeVoVXGo96apkZnzBToYShiCt-uPSCKGxad3-l86gI6fNZAx-_f4b5Oc2_YZr2T7Zi2FM8hnOgRsr0vHogGEv6Ld_bLXDEx9JhDseQ.yVzLmkRWs9eiI8qjqV7Vjd8yE5mMb0IhD3XiPrpOZxs&qid=1739230584&sr=8-1

 

Website and YouTube page:

https://www.walkingthroughthescriptureswithjosephbachota.com/

 

My YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@josephbachota/featured

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Axe of

The Apostles

-5-

dominionism by deceit

we began this series of articles in 2018. parts 3 - 5 were not written. until now.

 

We have something extremely serious on our hands, brethren. It’s scandalous, but many of us are blissfully unaware of what is happening. When unorthodox movements represent themselves as The Church, masquerading shamelessly in her attire, using her name & claiming her persona, there is a massive problem. This is a case of identity theft. Unfortunately, it has gone unchecked. As I have said before; the great falling away is being accompanied by a great falling asleep. What’s even worse, is the fact that The Church has had its pockets picked & doesn’t even realise it. Voice after voice after voice has cried aloud & been ignored for the most part. When systematic attempts to wake a person continually fail, you can only conclude that the candidate must be dead. The leadership of the New Apostolic Reformation are pretending to govern & guide The Church in the end times, much in the same way that senior members of the word of faith were. 

What do the nar promote? The Gospel? Nope. They boldly endorse themselves. Paul says, ‘For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.’ (2^nd Corinthians 4:5). They will claim that they are bringing in the most significant changes to Protestantism since Martyn Luther. That is their gospel. Is that strange noise I hear, Luther turning in his grave perchance? Scripture is clear about what our Gospel is. Paul declares at the beginning of his epistle to Rome, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Romans 1:16). 

At the end of his treatise he says, ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.’ (Romans 16:17-18). 

When fundamental doctrines aren’t preached or taught, how does The Church identify things contrary to them & protect itself against them? Instead, we have been given a poor substitute. Good words. Fair speeches. Prophetic rhema words have superseded the logos, the written Word. Remember Wagner’s words; ‘Teachers research and expound the logos, prophets bring the rhema, and apostles put it together and point the direction into the future.’. Said no Scripture, ever. 

Those who are laying claim to apostolic & prophetic ministry ought to be protecting The Church. Instead, they are unleashing hell on it. 

A significant part of the problem is the fact that this modern infestation desperately wants to be the first century Church. However, they have none of the early Church’s character. None of it. So they satisfy themselves by attempting to replicate its characteristics. It’s a very poor show indeed. The Church began in explosive power. There were signs. There were wonders. There were miracles. There were powerful conversions. There were visions. There were dreams & angelic activity. The Lord pulled out all the stops, just as He’d promised His disciples. 

By comparison, the movements we’ve identified are clearly counterfeits. 

Don’t misunderstand me. I certainly believe that God is well able to do whatever he has done in His Word. Of this I have no doubt. However, He never, ever produced snake oil. Neither did Jesus or the apostles swing their coats, blow on anyone, sprinkle gold dust, brandish angel feathers or drop jewels. Someone ought to tell that to Bethel Church, in Redding California. It is a sad indictment that so many have failed to notice that the only event The Church is explicitly told to look for, is Christ’s return. 

Paul says, ‘Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?’ (2^nd Thessalonians 2:3-5). Did you get that? When Paul was with them, he told them these things! 

Brethren, take some stock. What are those who are with you, telling you? Good words. Fair speeches. 

The first century Church lived as if Christ’s return was imminent. The modern Church lives as if eschatology is an inconvenience. They want to circumnavigate His coming, downplaying it as a distractive mindset or escapism. Just ask Rick Warren. Those of you who have read The Purpose Driven Life will be well aware of this. Warren said, ‘The bottom line is that we intend to reinvent mission strategy in the 21^st century. As I stated, this will be a new Reformation. The First Reformation returned us to the message of the original church. It was a reformation of doctrine; what the church believes. This Second Reformation will return us to the mission of the original church. It will be a reformation of purpose; what the church does in the world.’. Good words. Fair speeches. 

Rick Warren, speaking at Angel Stadium, Anaheim California, April 17 2005 (emphasis added). 

We intend? We who? We me? We you? Given Mr. Warren’s timing, what he said fitted hand in glove with everything else in that moment. Bill Hamon conveniently lays it out for us. Cheers Bill! 

1517 Salvation  by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9).

1600 Water Baptism. Separation of Church & State.

1700 Sanctification. The Church set apart from the world.

1800 Divine Healing for the physical body. Healing in The Atonement.

1900 Holy Spirit baptism with speaking in tongues.

1950 Prophetic presbytery. Singing praises & melodious worship.

1950 Evangelistic ministry. Mass evangelism. Evangelism reactivated.

1960 Renewal of all restored truths to all past ministry churches.

1970 Faith confessions. Prosperity & victorious attitude & life. Teaching ministry re-established as a major fivefold ministry.

1980 Prophetic. Activating gifts. Warfare praise. Prophets to nations. Prophet ministry restored & a company of prophets brought forth.

1990 Miraculous signs & wonders. Apostolic ministry & unity. Great harvest of souls. Apostolic ministry being restored to bring divine order & structure. Finalize restoration of fivefold ministers.

Apostles, Prophets and the Coming Moves of God, Bill Hamon © 1997 Destiny Image, Inc.

Needless to say I have issues with Mr. Hamon’s historical accuracy, as well as with the validity of his claims. However, this is as plain a view of the new apostolic agenda as we could hope for. Anchoring themselves using Luther’s actions in 1517, consecutive movements have followed the same typical timeline & summary. Apparently, God has been systematically restoring lost things to The Church through successive waves, which are now culminating in one last end-time push, before the return of The Lord. 

In theory, the dominionist directive will see The Church triumphant, having conquered the world. With denominations scrapped, apostles & prophets leading & Church members doing as they’re told, Jesus can come & claim his shiny prize. 

In reality, the dominion directive & its call for Kingdom Now is nothing more than a post millennial power grab, on crack. So desperate are they to have a move of God, that they will manufacture it. They will fake it, ‘til they make it. 

The only reliable statistic in nar history, is Luther’s protest. Try as the new apostolic reformation might, their reforms are nowhere near the same. 

To the uninitiated, Wagner & Hamon et al are on the cutting edge of what God is doing. We know this, because they are constantly telling us they are.

They’re the apostles.

 They’re the prophets.

 God has shown them.

They seem to have forgotten Bill Bright, Loren Cunningham & Francis Schaeffer, whether or not he was an actual dominionist. It was their revelation that was incorporated into Wagner’s, seven mountain mandate, which is dominion of the spheres of influence in the world: religion; family; education; government; media; arts & entertainment; business. Why seven? Why not six? Why not eight? Bright, Cunningham & Schaeffer claim to have received their revelations separately in 1975. Apparently. 

Interestingly, in 1973 calvinist reconstructionist Rousas John Rushdoony published his infamous Institutes of Biblical Law, laying out his beliefs on theonomy. Note this; Rushdoony was not a Charismatic. It’s possible that Cunningham Schaeffer & Bright had been influenced by Rushdoony’s work & developed their new apostolic doctrine from there. Not from revelations. 

While we’re having so much fun, let’s look a little further. Rushdoony advocated a dominionist mandate well before the new apostolic reformation claimed the crown it now clamours for. However, before Rushdoony, there was the Dutch neo-calvinist preacher Abraham Kuyper, who theorised sphere sovereignty, mentioning the areas of family, business, science & art. He in turn influenced Dutch-American Cornelius Van Til, who asserted that society should be reconstructed by believers, beginning with the family & eventually incorporating philosophy, politics, economics, business, education systems & sciences. Van Til influenced Greg Bahnsen, Gary North & the aforementioned Rushdoony. 

Why didn’t Bill Hamon mention the fact that the idea for the new apostolic reformation was simply stolen by the evangelicals from the calvinists? All of the prophecies, dreams, visions & revelations are a comprehensive lie. The Church has been seduced & duped. Again. 

Peter Wagner claimed to be the president of an international coalition of five hundred recognised apostles. Sounds like a big job doesn’t it? It was indeed. He conducted the apostolic alignment of Todd Bentley, a Canadian evangelist & self-proclaimed revivalist, during the notorious Lakeland Outpouring. 

Wagner declared, as all good apostles do, ‘Your power will increase. Your authority will increase. Your favour will increase. Your influence will increase. Your revelation will increase. New supernatural strength will flow through your ministry. New life force will penetrate the movement and government will be established to set things in proper order. God will pour out a higher level of discernment to distinguish truth from error. New relationships will surface to open the gates for the future.’. 

C. Peter Wagner, Todd Bentley commissioning service, June 23^rd 2008 (emphasis & laughter mine).

Only one aspect of Wagner’s declaration was true. Bentley had a new relationship with one of his assistants, Jessica Hasbrook, which surfaced. He left his wife two months after his ordination & divorced her in 2009. This is to say nothing of the other accusations that came to the fore later. He is one of many to bear the immoral fruit of this movement.

The unusual suspects were also present. Steven Strader. John Arnott. Che Ahn. Rick Joyner. Stacey Campbell. Bill Johnson. Cindy Jacobs. Satan. Wow. It was so powerful. You know I’m kidding, right? Oh, Chuck Pierce sent the be revived anointing oil. 

I’m sure that we will revisit aspects of this movement again in the future. However, if you are a part of this insidious cult, let me warn you; the ungodly edifice that these men have erected will soon crumble under its own weight & all those who are holding it up may very well be crushed in its downfall. I’ll leave you with some wise, old words.

‘It is almost as difficult to make a man unlearn his errors, as his knowledge. Mal-information is more hopeless than non-information; for error is always more busy than ignorance. Ignorance is a blank sheet, on which we may write; but error is a scribbled one, from which we must first erase. Ignorance is contented to stand still with her back to the truth; but error is more presumptuous, and proceeds in the same direction. Ignorance has no light, but error follows a false one. The consequence is, that error, when she retraces her footsteps, has farther to go, before she can arrive at the truth, than ignorance.’. 

Lacon: Many Things in Few Words, Rev. Charles Caleb Colton A. M. c1820 (emphasis added).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxviii all rights reserved.

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

 

 

 

The Axe of

The Apostles

-4-

dominionism by decree

we began this series of articles in 2018. parts 3 - 5 were not written. until now.

 

 

For decades after The Latter Rain’s star had seemingly waned, word of faith teaching within charismania gained & held a dominant position throughout The Church at large. At the tip of this mythological iceberg was Rhema & in its hot seat was self-proclaimed prophet & teacher, Kenneth E. Hagin. Mr. Hagin had been an associate of William Branham’s Voice of Healing organisation & had preached during the healing revival of 1947 to 1958. He had also been an Assemblies of God Pastor from 1937 to 1949, but surrendered his credentials to concentrate on itinerant ministry. The rest, as they say, is history. We covered some of these elements in our article ‘Betrayal: A Clarion Call to Defending The Faith Once Delivered to The Saints.’. Hagin built up unrivalled influence within the word of faith movement & was once hailed by Kenneth Copeland as the most accurate minister in the United States. Norvel Hayes dubbed him the apostle of faith. High praise indeed, eh? 

I am convinced that Hagin et al believed they would usher in a revival for the last days. They believed this. They taught this. They prophesied this. As such, no one of note within their camp challenged Hagin’s teaching or leadership, especially because he claimed Jesus had appeared to him & instructed him personally. Who in their right mind would argue with The Head of The Church? Not me. Unless Kenneth was lying. He recounted a vision he had in September of 1950, in which, among other things, an angelic rider gave him a scroll & commanded him to read it in The Name of Jesus Christ. Hagin wrote: 

‘The scroll was written in the first person, and seemed as if Jesus Himself were speaking. I read, "America is receiving her last call. Some nations already have received their last call and never will receive another." Then, in larger print it said, "THE TIME OF THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND This statement was repeated four or five times. Jesus also said this was the last great revival. He went on to say, "All the gifts of the Spirit will be in operation in the Church in these last days, and the Church will do greater things than even the Early Church did. It will have greater power, signs, and wonders than were recorded in the Acts of the Apostles." He said that we have seen and experienced many healings, but we will now behold amazing miracles that have not been seen before. Jesus continued, "More and more miracles will be performed in the last days which are just ahead, for it is time for the gift of the working of miracles to be more in prominence. We now have entered into the era of the miraculous."…"This is the last revival. I am preparing my people for my coming. Judgment is coming, but I will call my people away, even unto Myself, before the worst shall come. But be thou faithful; watch and pray, for the time of the end of all things is at hand."’. 

I Believe in Visions © 1972, 1984 Rhema Bible Church aka Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Inc (emphasis added). 

Well there you have it. The last great revival would see more miracles, all of the gifts & a greater outpouring. Bits were chomped. Breath was bated. The edges of seats were worn out. The Charismatic movement would usher in the coming of The Lord. Or so they believed. There were stirrings in other places though. What a pity that The Lord had neglected to inform Hagin about one or two other end-time details. 

Perhaps Jesus forgot. Perhaps Jesus was nervous because He didn’t know whether The Cold War would erupt. Afterall, relations between The Soviets & The USA had entered tensions in 1945, solidifying with The Truman Doctrine & The Marshall Plan in 1947. Coincidence? Again, I am convinced that Hagin et al believed they would usher in a revival for the last days. They believed this. They taught this. They prophesied this. 

Viewed subjectively, we could all sit around our respective camp-fire, toasting marsh mallows & say that Hagin wasn’t wrong in what he prophesied. He wasn’t told that he would see the last revival. At best, he was heralded as a forerunner. However, the other voices coming to the fore had been told something completely different by The Lord. Remember, dominionism is identified by its mandate & the seeds of that movement had been sown way before Jesus allegedly spoke to Hagin. Let’s look. 

Charles Fuller had become an associate of William Branham after their meeting in 1947; the same year that Fuller had established the Seminary named after him. Initially, Fuller held the healing movement somewhat at arm’s length, but eventually he acquiesced in recognition of Branham’s healing movement. The two were certainly ministering together in Long Beach, California at one point & Branham supported Fuller’s Old Fashioned Revival Hour radio broadcast. That said, it would seem that Fuller maintained an intellectual & theological distance from Branham’s more extreme beliefs. These would include The Manifest Sons, Serpent Seed & of course Branham’s Message doctrine. Despite all of this, Fuller Theological Seminary was to play a pivotal role in the launch of the New Apostolic Reformation. 

Branhamism, as I call it, had unfinished business. The restrictive collar of word of faith dogma & Hagin’s dominance within the same, forced the Charismatic movement to adhere to his biblical interpretations. They cast a long shadow. Yes, apostles would be back. Yes, prophets would re-appear. Yes, there would be signs, wonder & the gifts. But all of that frilly 1950s window dressing had to go. Like every drive before it, the nar would take the functioning components of the word of faith movement & reconstitute them as something fresh. Almost overnight, high level spiritual warfare was resurrected, the believer’s authority was on rabies & the prosperity message was on steroids; Why? Because the new kids on the block said so. They declared it. They decreed it. This was the second apostolic age. This was the third wave. This was biggest attempt to unscramble eggs, ever! 

The Manifest Sons turned out John Wimber’s Vineyard. The Vineyard movement produced Mike Bickle’s Kansas City Prophets. After some wriggling & jiggling, out popped the New Apostolic Reformation & the dominionist Seven Mountain Mandate, which had as its chief architect, Charles Peter Wagner. Google him. He looks just like Colonel Sanders! Fitting, because of the Kentucky Fried Christianity the movement has created. For the most part, traditional Pentecostals stayed out of the nar. They were too busy struggling to climb one more mountain, never mind seven. Mind you, they liked the wealth transfer message. I wonder why. In a preamble to a 2011 interview, NPR host Terry Gross summed Wagner et al up thus: 

‘In August, Texas Governor Rick Perry held a prayer rally called The Response. Several of that rally's organizers and speakers are part of an emerging movement of charismatic Christians called the New Apostolic Reformation, or the NAR. After the rally, Rachel Tabachnick joined us on FRESH AIR to discuss the NAR, which she has reported on for the website Talk2Action. She said that as part of the NAR's belief in dominionism, they want to take control of the institutions of society and government. She also talked about their belief in demons and their practice of spiritual warfare against demons. After our interview with Tabachnick, we got in touch with C. Peter Wagner. He's one of the leaders of the New Apostolic Reformation. He named the movement and has written books about it. Leaders in this movement are considered apostles and prophets, gifted by God for the role. Wagner is the former presiding apostle of the International Coalition of Apostles. He recently retired as president of Global Harvest Ministries. For 30 years he was a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Missions…C. Peter Wagner is a leading apostle in the New Apostolic Reformation.’. 

Copyright © 2011 NPR. All rights reserved (emphasis added). https://www.npr.org/transcripts/140946482 (Full Interview Transcript). 

This was a stark departure from classic word of faith rhetoric. The apostles & prophets of the nar were not the super-powered missionaries or demoted diviners that The Church at large was expecting. Oh no. These lions had teeth. These bears had claws. These wolves had sheep. Remember, this dominionist movement is defined by its mandate. What is it: 

The Governance of Apostles & Prophets over The Church.

Conquering the Seven Spheres of Influence.

Strategic High Level Spiritual Warfare to Establish Dominion.

Ushering in The Kingdom.

End-time Wealth Transfer.

Specific Prophetic Guidance by Revelation.

Whatever They Think of Next. 

This brings us to the meat in the sandwich; what is the trade off between harm & good? This is always the case & more specifically whenever the enemy is attempting to finish what he started. Deer! Headlights! Oops! We are so easily dazzled & distracted  by talk of revival, by numbers of souls, by stories about miracles, by promises of wealth & any number of other equally cheap parlour tricks. These too can be traced back to William Branham & beyond. This is also true of the stinking anti-intellectualism that those claiming to be Spirit led, wear so casually on their sleeves. 

‘What are we talking about? What is theology anyway? Here is my attempt at a definition: Theology is a human attempt to explain God’s word and God’s works in a reasonable and systematic way. This is not a traditional definition. For one thing it considers God’s works as one valid source of theological information. For another it sees God’s word as both what is written in the Bible (logos) as well as what God is currently revealing (rhema). Admittedly, a downside of seeing theology in this way is possible subjectivity, but the upside is more relevance to what the Spirit is currently saying to the churches on a practical level. Teachers research and expound the logos, prophets bring the rhema, and apostles put it together and point the direction into the future. The practical theology which best builds a foundation under social transformation is dominion theology, sometimes called “kingdom now.”.’. 

C. Peter Wagner, Dominion! Kingdom Action Can Change the World (emphasis added). 

That’s an interesting definition by Wagner, but it’s only a snippet of the broader work in question. It interests me that although he decries theology proper, he has the unmitigated gall to label his diabolical diatribe with the same word. ‘Theologians are not mentioned, for example, in Ephesians 4:11 alongside of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.’, he writes. Well, neither are pulpits or pens & yet they are utilised. Theologians may not be listed in Ephesians 4, but something else is; every wind of doctrine; the sleight of men; cunning craftiness & deceit. As usual, it is the flock who are caught up in this systematic meat grinder. With every layer of false teaching that is peeled back in this churchified game of pass the parcel, believers are moved steadily from the sublime to the ridiculous. 

Well, I too have a working definition. Dominion theology is a structure within which its members can be fooled, manipulated, used, abused, lied to, exploited & robbed blind. Where else would you find congregations doing the hokey cokey, or reenacting scenes from Lord of The Rings? I kid you not. We’ll look at these things in our final meeting on this subject. Although it is a departure from mainstream Charismatic belief, many believers happily occupy both camps. This is a problem if they cannot tell the difference between them. If this is you, please get out of both; dominion theology is nothing more or less than demon theology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxviii all rights reserved.

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.