IHOP Enters Dominion/Christian Right Politics

IHOP is starting to feel its Dominion oats
By Dr. Orrel Steinkamp

We are not merely to have the message of the Kingdom, but become the message.

We are to be living epistles and God's Word incarnate if we are to meet the needs of this generation and become the army prophesied in Scripture.
--Bob Jones & Paul Keith Davis, "The Light of Favor and Grace is Upon Us. And Doubt Not, Have Faith to Move Mountains," 1/17/07, TheElijahList

Where religion has reigned now get ready for God's government to reign. This government will prepare a way for the Kingdom to come in the Body of Christ out of the innermost part of the sons and daughters.
--Bob Jones, "The Keys 22:22," 8/13/10, TheElijahList

Another national politician is joining with the false Apostles and Prophets of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).[2] Texas Governor Rick Perry is leading an event scheduled at the Reliant Stadium, seating 100,000, in Houston on August 6. Alice Patterson of JusticeAtTheGate, who is a big part of the Dominionist activities of the NAR, sent out an invitation on June 21st that stated:

Texas Governor Rick Perry, in an historic move that has not taken place in our lifetime, is calling for a National Solemn Assembly called The Response: a call to prayer for a nation in crisis, on Saturday, August 6, 2011, in Reliant Stadium (indoors) in Houston, Texas.

In a letter dated May 18, 2011 inviting the 49 other Governors to join him, Governor Perry cited the book of Joel as the answer for the challenges facing America.[3]

The NAR faithful are shaking the Tea Party trees to fill the stadium. This event is yet another prayer event with a Dominionist agenda: "The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis." The organizers are dubbing this event "a non-denominational apolitical prayer meeting." But don't be fooled. This is common fare for the NAR apostles and prophets in their bid to promote the Dominion Mandate of their apostles and prophets around the world.[4]

Christian Right politicians see this as an opportunity for securing much of the Christian Right vote, as well as politically acquiring access to the on-ground Network (NAR is a network) of the apostles and prophets, which is well organized even to the precinct level across America. There will be prayers, sermons, prophesies, and spiritual warfare to be sure, but there is only one reason for this event and it is Dominionism political activism pure and simple. Gov. Rick Perry may or may not make a run for the White House. But even if he doesn't it serves the Dominion/Political Mandate of the NAR apostles and prophets and makes them more visual to the Christian Right political base. It garners more influence for them in national politics. And this is the crux of the matter.

What is new about this event is that the organizational burden of this event will be shouldered by IHOP (International House of Prayer)[5] staffers from Kansas City. This is the group known as the "Kansas City Prophets," which forms the foundation of the NAR. The Response event leaders, listed at http://theresponseusa.com/leadership.php, include Luis and Jill Cataldo, who are "currently on staff at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City." Randy and Kelsey Bohlender are "prayer missionaries with the International House of Prayer and on the leadership team" of Lou Engle's "The Call Institute," now located in Kansas City at IHOPU. Others among the organizers are IHOP "Apostles" Doug Stringer[6] and Dave Silker, "a senior leader at the International House of Prayer Missions Base" and "on the board of TheCall with Lou Engle."

Jay Swallow, another NAR Apostle, has often spoken at Apostle Lou Engle's IHOP sponsored "The Call" events. Swallow trains people at his SWAT (Strategic Warriors At Training) camps for identifying and purging American soil of territorial spirits. This training has more to do with militia training than sitting round campfires. Cindy Jacobs is heavily involved in bizarre spiritual warfare events.[7]

Mike Bickle, director of IHOP, is listed among the endorsees of this conference. This RESPONSE event marks the beginning of IHOP personnel (excluding Lou Engle) in direct involvement in politics. Christian Right mainstream politics! This is not a fringe operation.[8] This is a noteworthy shift in that previously the public ethos promoted at IHOP has been that of 24/7 prayer intercession and a wilderness lifestyle. If the hundreds of interns and staffers from Kansas City and IHOP satellites are recruited and inducted into the NAR political efforts, it represents a large body of political warriors.[9]

The Significance of IHOP Entering American Politics

It was in A.D. 2000, the now 54-year-old Mike Bickle resigned his church then called Metro Christian Fellowship to launch Kansas City's International House of Prayer, now known by the acronym IHOP. Today Mike Bickle is the executive director of the multiple ministries of IHOP and senior pastor of Forerunner Christian Fellowship. IHOP is a 24/7 worship and warfare prayer ministry to be sure. But it has ballooned into much more than that. This ministry is sourced from a Bob Jones prophecy and is modeled after the "Tabernacle of David" teaching, with singers and musicians being "released" to lead corporate intercession and worship 24/7 (ongoing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). IHOP boasts over four hundred fulltime staff that identify themselves as "Intercessory Missionaries."

Mike Bickle has authored several books one of which is his book Growing in the Prophetic. Bickle's core teaching is concerning the return of Christ. Out of the book of Revelation he lifts certain key elements of his message (more about this in Part 2). He stated on a CBN interview the following, which seems to encapsulate Bickle's essential message: "God doesn't send his Son into a vacuum. God sends his Son in answer to a consistent global cry from the church." Bickle continued: "God prophesies a day that the church in its identity as the bride of Christ will work in union with the Holy Spirit beckoning Christ to return.... The world-wide church will become in sync with the Holy Spirit crying out 'Come Lord Jesus, break in! break in!' and so Jesus will then come in His second coming and before that He will release a revival... the church will be interceding together [globally] just before the Lord returns. That is one of the great signs in Revelation of the second coming." (Note he references the IHOP teaching on Bridal Paradigm and allegorizes of the Song of Solomon[10]).

Elevating the Latter Rain teaching of the Tabernacle of David to a functional level of impelling Jesus to return is behind the whole rational of the 24/7 of IHOP. It really becomes the way the church can force or at least entice Jesus to return. (See my article, "The Restoration of Davidic Warfare/Worship," Plumbline, Vol. 7, No. 4, Sept/Oct 2002). The Tabernacle of David (TOD) teaching, which Bob Jones prophesied would be restored at IHOP, is not new to IHOP, but clearly is a part of the restoration scheme of the old Latter Rain cult teachers of the early 50's. George Warnock, Latter Rain teacher of the 50's, often referred to the TOD. The so-called 24/7 TOD teaching is just a companion piece of the whole restoration scheme in which Apostles and Prophets claim to be "restored" to the final overcoming end-time church. Along with "restored" apostles and prophets, the Latter Rain TOD is " restored" after a supposed appearance in the first century which is now applied to the last days.

In this regard, however, it can be easily be established that Acts 15 is not a reference to Davidic worship forms at all. The context of Acts 15:16 and Amos 9:11 demands that the word "tabernacle" (Heb. sukkah, which is often translated house) actually refers to the dynastic rule of David (as in house of Usher, etc.). In fact in Isaiah 16:5, the TOD is translated as the "rule of David." "In love a throne will be established and in faithfulness a man will sit on it , one from the Tabernacle [house] of David" (NIV). In Latter-Rain/Manifest Sons of God teaching the Tabernacle of David is elevated as a symbol of God's manifest presence on earth in the last days. According to this teaching we are to expect the TOD to be rebuilt in the last days by the church, and as such it becomes a metaphor for Dominionism. In Latter Rain teaching, which is the source of TOD and also IHOP, this all points to a powerful end-times revelation of believers as glorified, transformed, and perfected and possessed by Christ to such a degree that they become one with him and become a living corporate Son of God on the earth ruling with him. This is accomplished by the descent of "the glory" in a final overwhelming event that will transfigure all those who receive it.[11]

The Kansas City Prophets and their Rise to Power

The Mike Bickle story at IHOP however does not begin in A.D. 2000 and the launching of IHOP. There is a long historical chain reaching far back into the 1980s. It is absolutely necessary to refer back to the earlier events connected with the so-called "Kansas City Prophets." The launching of IHOP, which came much later, was as a result of a prophecy given to Bickle by Bob Jones, the most disputed of the on-site prophets. Jones and other resident prophets had gathered around Bickle and become known as the "The Kansas City Prophets." These Kansas City Prophets were exposed as frauds to the Christian public by Ernie Gruen, pastor of Full Faith Church, who later published a report that became widely publicized and is still available.[12] The report is called "Documentation of The Aberrant Practices and Teachings of Kansas City Fellowship (Grace Ministries)." It is still the most comprehensive exposure of the founding years of Mike Bickle and the Kansas City Prophets the precursor of the current IHOP.

As Christians around the nation were calling for investigation and more information into this maelstrom of controversy regarding the KC prophets, suddenly in stepped John Wimber from Vineyard Ministries. In 1991, the late John Wimber stopped the public bloodletting of the controversy and took the Kansas City Prophets under his authority and oversight. He renamed the ministry Metro Vineyard Fellowship. This was a pivotal time in their history:

Just at this moment in history, a confluence was beginning which was to have massive repercussions throughout the rest of evangelicalism: John Wimber of the Vineyard Movement connected with the Kansas City Prophets. John Wimber had previously been picked up as an “experiment” by C. Peter Wagner at Fuller Theological Seminary for “signs and wonders” classes. For several decades Fuller had been.laying considerable groundwork for the formation of new doctrines – ecclesiology, eschatology, missiology, soteriology, etc. Wimber’s connection to KCF proved to be the catalyst for the beginnings of what C. Peter Wagner was to later call the “New Apostolic Reformation.” The esoteric doctrines of the Latter Rain movement became an integral part of his post-modern evangelical canon. And because of Wagner’s influence, KCF leaders who would have been obscure in 1991, such as Mike Bickle, are now widely known throughout evangelicalism.[13]

Among the Kansas City prophets, especially Augustine, Cain and Jones became controversial, not only for the prophesies they uttered but for the prophetic foundation they laid down, which Bickle now calls "The Blueprint Prophecy." Currently all IHOP interns must study this "Blueprint Prophecy." But even more alarming than the silly and absurd prophesies given in this "Blueprint" is the fact IHOP is openly and squarely built on these three prophets. They form the foundation of the current ministry. But the interns and others at IHOP are only given a redacted and sanitized version of these prophets and their prophesies. Furthermore, Bickle has revised this "blueprint document" a number of times to excise terms like "Latter Rain," etc. Some of the prophesies have been removed, and when questioned about this Bickle says he simply couldn't understand or even remember some of these now hidden prophesies.[14] Later I will select certain prophetic examples from the "blueprint prophecy." but first I am now going to deal briefly with the three founding prophets who are still at the foundational blueprint of what we know today as Kansas City Prophets/IHOP.

The Kansas City Prophets: By Their Roots You Shall Know Them

The three foundational prophets at Kansas City are demonstrably false. That in itself would not make them unique among the current club of these self-anointed, self-appointed apostles and prophets. But these prophesies, even by current prophesy standards, are odd, silly and ludicrous. Even more alarming is the fact that all three of these prophets have a history of sexual perversion. How can a movement expand when its foundation is false and sexually perverted? This only casts a shadow on the total movement that is built upon them. It is not surprising then that the IHOP practices a "Bridal Mysticism," with sexual overtones among those who experience personal, imaginative, even romantic intimacy, with Jesus the bridegroom.[15] Lou Engle, the Apostle at IHOP, has led young people in an actual Hebrew marriage ceremony to Jesus at his "The Call" rallies. It would take too much space to give a full historical account of these three false prophets. I will simply list these three and give random samples of their prophesies and sexual perversions.

Augustine Alcala
There is not much information on him. His claim to fame is that he prophesied to Bickle in St. Louis that he would move to Kansas City and initiate a new move of God there. The reason there is not much information on prophet Ausustine is that apparently he early fell in disrepute.[14] "Julie's Story," that was once published at "Gray Coats" on the Internet, revealed what apparently happened. She stated: "My husband and I were a part of KCF from its inception... Augustine prophesied that Bickle needed to move to KC and begin a new move of God. Augustine was later dismissed as somewhat false when a certain prophecy never came to pass. He was later discovered to have had a hidden homosexual life style that was exposed before he passed away." Augustine apparently had a run-in early on with Rick Joyner and Bobby Conner (of throwing spiritual glory grenades fame[16]), and reportedly mentored Terry Kruse, who authored a book called God's New Breed. Augustine died 5-11-10.[17]

Paul Cain
Paul was a boy wonder child evangelist, who often filled in for William Branham[18] emulating Branham's ministry. But after the sudden death of Branham on Dec. 18, 1965, and the resultant demise of the Latter-Rain as a movement, Cain went into self-imposed exile for years, probably in the Phoenix area as a single man among some die-hard Branhamites still waiting for Branham to be resurrected.[19] In 1987, Cain suddenly reappeared, linking himself to the Kansas City Prophets, Mike Bickle and Bob Jones.[20] Cain was given special recognition as "the Terror of the Lord" prophet by Bob Jones, who also became associated with the KC Prophets during this time.[21] In a sense Cain was like the second coming of Branham. All of the other prophetic wannabes, including Jones, gave deference to Cain. Cain appeared to have the same clairvoyant abilities as Branham. Nevertheless he once prophesied that Bill Clinton would lead America in a worldwide revival.[22]

One person who was on staff at Metro-Vineyard at the time has since reported that Bickle often pointed out people in the meetings, providing both Cain and Jones with historical commentary that enhanced the awe of their ministries. However, there is no way to establish this report. In those days of researching Cain's clairvoyance fetes, I can remember having attacks of doubt flowing over me to the effect that this man must be a man of God. It was like a cloud over my mind and spirit.[23] But now history has provided for us all the fact that, at the time of his great awe of clairvoyance activity with Bickle and Jones, Cain was even then a practicing homosexual. In Feb 2004 even Cain's most loyal supporters, Rick Joyner, Jack Deere and Mike Bickle, were confronted with evidence that Cain was a practicing homosexual, to which he confessed. But Cain resisted a process of restoration.[24] Nevertheless, recently Todd Bentley in his Lakeland fiasco invoked the alcoholic homosexual to make a cameo appearance.[25]

Bob Jones
Augustine is dead and Paul Cain is discredited, but Bob Jones is currently very active. Although he is not in residence in KC he still is used in promotion videos by IHOP. If Cain was followed for his apparent clairvoyance abilities, Jones is known for the silliness and absurdity of his visions, and his trips to the 3rd heaven. My friend Mike Oppenheimer has compiled a short list of Jones visionary oddities.[26]

Bob Jones, however, is still adulated by the prophetic community. I recently saw online how he was featured at Bill Johnson's Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding CA.[27] Thousands of young people were pressing in on Bob Jones and each was promised an impartation from him as he grasped their hands. It's like they needed to touch him (or the hem of his garment) to have an impartation. With Cain now discredited, Bob Jones seems now to have inherited the awe inspiring "Terror of the Lord" reputation that previously was accorded to Cain. In recent times Jones takes people on guided trips to the third heaven. Bickle claims to have gone on these trips on two occasions. Bickle was interviewed by the Kansas City Star and cryptically stated that he had gone to heaven twice.[28] In a series of five hour-long tapes entitled Visions and Revelations, Mike Bickle and Bob Jones are heard wowing followers of the KCF with all sorts of tales of their experiences in the paranormal.[29] Bob Jones claims that when he was 9 years old living in Arkansas, an angel carrying a "great trumpet" came riding down the from the sky on a white horse and stopped before him in the middle of dirt road. He didn't know what to make of it until he was 13, when he was escorted to the very throne room of God in heaven.... Many years later he saw Jesus in the form of a light who would grab and kiss men and women of different ages and then make them disappear by absorbing them into his body. It was like "two big ole doors right there in his heart and it'd be just that, and they was gone."...

Many of Jones prophesies are not only silly, but just plain wrong. But never mind. Restored prophets and seers have no need to be accurate. Jones response to his and the other prophetic failures is that if they had 100% accuracy it would cause too many dead Ananias's and Sapphira's (referring to the story in Acts 5).[30] How is that for making people thankful for failed prophecies? Jones tells us God told him that prophets are like guns and prophesies are bullets and inaccurate prophesies are like blanks. God said further: "I'm loading the guns. I am putting the blanks in!" Wow! Jones would have us believe that God is responsible when prophets shoot blanks, that it scares the enemy.[31]

It would take a large book to catalog the comical nonsense of Bob Jones visions and revelations. But what concerns me even more is the sexual misconduct of Bob Jones. Two women confronted Bob Jones for sexual misconduct in "using his prophetic gifts for sexual misconduct." Various people have described this as a fondling or having women stand before him naked during prophecy. This leaves too much to the imagination. Bob Jones asserted that he did not have sexual intercourse with them. Sounds almost like Clinton asserting "I did not have sexual relations." But this only underscores that for Jones he was not only sexually discovered, but as a sex offender he cannot be trusted let alone receive adulation as a prophet/seer. He is not only a false prophet, which is bad enough, but an admitted sex offender, and he is still a foundation stone for IHOP.[32]

In Bickle's book Growing in the Prophetic, in the appendix Bickle gives a catalog list of phenomena that supposedly accompany the presence of God: shaking, jerking, loss of body strength, heavy breathing, eyes fluttering, lips trembling, oil on the body, changes in skin color, weeping, laughing, drunkenness, travailing, dancing, falling, visions.... angelic visitations, violent rolling, screaming, coldness, and nausea." There are more ad nauseum.

Stay tuned for Part 2:
The Rapid Expansion and Franchising and Global IHOP Branding

Editor's Endnotes:
1. Dr. Steinkamp has followed these New Apostolic Reformation (particularly the IHOP/Latter Rain) leaders for the past two decades, and written about them extensively in his publication, The Plumbline. His archive of old newsletters can be found at: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/plumblinearchive.html. Many of the comments in this article can be exhaustively documented from his prior writings as well as archived materials found at these websites http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/ and http://www.discernment-ministries.org/ and also on this Herescope blog. Some of the documentation for this article pertaining to the history and background of the Latter Rain, New Apostolic Reformation, Kansas City Prophets and IHOP is so exhaustive that we refer readers to these excellent web archives. These Editor's Endnotes were compiled with the research assistance of Sarah Leslie.
2. For important background information on this article, read the previous articles by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp posted on Herescope: "The Coalescing of the Christian Right with Apostolic Dominionism" by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp, 4/8/10, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/04/coalescing-of-christian-right-with.html; "R&R Revival and Revolt: The Tea Party's Strange Bedfellows and What They Believe," 4/22/10, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/04/r-revival-and-revolt.html; "Hitting the Political Big-Time: Can the New Apostles and Prophets Seize Dominion by Political Intermarriage? Can God's Supposed Lost Dominion Be Regained By Mere Political Means?" 4/11/11, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2011/04/hitting-political-big-time.html; "Restoring the Gospel of Salvation: Does not the salvation of sinners trump national restoration?" 6/29/10, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/06/restoring-gospel-of-salvation.html.
3. The letter, titled "A Personal Request from Alice Patterson, continues, "Listen to Gov. Perry’s special invitation here: http://www.stephenstephanian.com/PrayerEvent/2011-06-09-Greeting-AudioPrayerEvent.aif," and urges people to sign up at www.theresponseusa.com. See www.justiceatthegate.org. The latest rally appears to be one of a series of "renewal" gatherings of a similar nature, in which Texas Gov. Perry has been a key leader. See the documentation in the article Iowa ‘Pastors’ Policy Briefing’ to host 2012 hopefuls," by Lynda Waddington, 3/1/11, http://www.americanindependent.com/171596/iowa-pastors-policy-briefing-2012-presidential-hopefuls. Gov. Perry is just one of many potential Republican candidates for president who have developed close ties with leaders of the NAR. This often comes via groups such as the American Family Association, Family Research Council and other more "mainstream" evangelical political activism entities that are now working hand-in-glove with the false apostles and prophets of the NAR, including Rick Joyner, Lou Engle, Cindy Jacobs, etc. The extent to which these groups and candidates share the radical Dominionist warfare agenda of their new NAR partners should be a matter of deep concern to every freedom-loving American citizen.
4. We do not question the need for prayer. But see previous articles on Herescope about the "prayer agenda" of the NAR and how it is part of the Dominionist agenda, such as: "May Day Prayers: What Repentance?" 4/27/11, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/04/may-day-prayers.html.
5. The International House of Prayer IHOP is finally, after all these years, being sued by the International House of Pancake (IHOP) for trademark dilution and infringement. See "Pancakes and prayers: IHOP name prompts another suit," Kansas City Business Journal, 6/1/11,
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2011/06/01/pancakes-and-prayers-ihop-name.html?s=print and
IHOP Sues IHOP," 9/10/11, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/print/5953
6. "Apostle Stringer of IHOP" has blamed the Sept 11 attacks on the homosexuals in our land (See http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rick-perry-partners-apostle-who-blames-america-september-11-attacks). Even if this were true, the first century was filled with homosexuals in Romans circles. The only way to know this is from revelations from already false prophets. See information about the false prophet Paul Cain and his homosexuality later in this article.
7. Swallow has been a ringleader in the movement for a long time. He can be found in the company of the false apostles and prophets on The Elijah List, chief organ for the NAR/Latter Rain, e.g., http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word/7147 and http://www.elijahlist.com/words/textonly.html?ID=7747. An article"Jay Swallow," http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/individuals/jay-swallow, summarizes Swallow's recent activities: "Another The Response endorser is 'spiritual warfare' leader James ‘Jay’ Swallow, a Native American “apostle” who founded the Two Rivers Native American Training Center. Like Jacobs, Swallow has spoken at The Call rallies including one in which he accepted on behalf of all Native Americans Brownback’s apology for the federal government’s mistreatment of indigenous people. According to his biography, 'God has given Dr. Swallow extraordinary insight into ‘healing the land’ through prayer and spiritual warfare.' The Center is built around the 'Strategic Warriors At Training (SWAT): A Christian Military Training Camp for the purpose of dealing with the occult and territorial enemy strong holds in America.' Seminars include 'Demonic Spirits,' 'Spiritual Warfare,' 'Identifying the Strongman,' and 'Freemasonry.' The training is apparently so intense that Swallow asks participants sign a 'release of liability' form to waive their right to sue." Notice the highly Dominionist "SWAT: Strategic Warriors At Training" graphic posted with this article.
8. The mainstream nature has been observed by a political commentator who noted that the event "will feature Don Wildmon and Buddy Smith of the American Family Association, Jim Garlow of Renewing American Leadership, David Lane, who was involved in the effort to remove the Supreme Court Justices in Iowa and is behind the various "Restoration Project" events across America, former Congressmen Bob McEwen, as well as several leaders associated with Lou Engle and/or the International House of Prayer in Kansas City." http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rick-perry-teams-afa-call-prayer-rally. Elsewhere on Herescope we have written about Jim Garlow's open association with Lance Wallnau, who is aggressively working to build the 7 mountains of Dominionism. See these posts: http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/05/mainstreaming-dominionism.html; http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/08/next-great-awakening.html; http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/09/next-great-awakening.html; http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/09/next-great-awakening_20.html. Garlow sent out a letter on June 18th promoting the Gov. Perry event titled "If a Governor Asked Us as Pastors to Pray, Would We?" And Texas Gov. Perry has previously appeared with Cindy Jacobs, Rick Joyner, Lou Engle, and other NAR and evangelical leaders at the April 2010 Freedom Federation Summit at Liberty University.
9. For important background information on Mike Bickle, see Bob DeWaay's report, "Mike Bickle and International House of Prayer: The Latter Rain Redivius," posted here: http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue107.htm
10. See the Herescope post by K. Jentoft, "Mike Bickle's Gigolo Jesus," 5/1/08, for important background understanding of this "Bridal Paradigm" of Bickle's movement. http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/05/mike-bickles-gigolo-jesus.html
11. See also Ed Tarkowski's 1990s series on the "Laughing Phenomena: Its History and Possible Effects on the Church." Part 3 explains some of these doctrines: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/Laugh3.html
12. This report can be found here: http://www.deceptionbytes.com/AberrentPractices.pdf. A full write-up about this article by Pastor Gruen and the background was published by Discernment Ministries back in 1990 in the Discernment Newsletter, "The New Order," Vol. 1, No. 7, 1990, http://www.discernment-ministries.org/Newsletters/NL1990Nov.pdf. Hard copy of this report is available upon request. Dr. Steinkamp observes, "Ernie Guen was mercilessly attacked for the publication. The KCP fabricated a response that Gruen confessed to being deceived, etc. But Gruen rejected this fabrication completely. Gruen has since passed into glory. Some of those of us still involved in Discernment Ministries heard firsthand accounts of these details."
13. "Preface" by Sarah Leslie from the booklet published by Discernment Ministries titled JOEL'S ARMY, which is a history and compendium of the aberrant beliefs and practices of the false prophets of the KC group. This booklet is a "must read" for those trying to understand the IHOP movement. http://www.discernment-ministries.org/JoelsArmy.pdf.
14. Dr. Steinkamp comments that this "might indeed be the understatement of all time. It leaves me wondering what these excised prophesies now hidden could have been that required that they be forgotten or actually hidden. The prophesies we still have are such that the hidden prophesies must be so ludicrous, absurd and false that they cannot stand the light of day even to the faithful at IHOP." Click on the live links wherever the "Blueprint" is mentioned in this article to see the many variations on the theme posted online.
15. See "The Bridal Paradigm," The Plumbline, Vol. 14, No. 2, by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp at http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel34.pdf. See also "Mike Bickle's Gigolo Jesus," Herescope, 5/01/08, http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/05/mike-bickles-gigolo-jesus.html
16. See Dr. Orrel Steinkamp, "Tossing Glory Grenades," The Plumbline, Vol. 11, No. 4, http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel30.html which connects Bobby Conner to the Todd Bentley meetings in Lakeland, Florida. Bobby Conner "prophesied" this radical Dominionist "word" posted at http://www.etpv.org/1999/ritch.html: "This revolution is not going to be with guns, knives and hand grenades; it’s going to be with something far more powerful than that. It is going to be with the weapons of the Kingdom of God... The definition of the word revolution is 'an overthrow of a corrupt government.' We are not talking about the White House here; we are talking about the church house. God is going to take the government of the church out of the hands of man and put it back into the hands of the Son of God. That is the only place it deserves to be. Let me tell you a few things about revolution. There is no such thing as a peaceful revolution. And, a revolution always starts with a small group, never with the masses. It sweeps in the masses but it always starts with a few that are hungry, desperate, destitute and willing for change. Many of you already believe that there is a change coming. If you have been listening with any prophetic insight, you can hear the wind moving in the mulberry trees, you can feel something in the air; there is change coming. God is going to bring about this change in a very strong, unique and dynamic way."
17. "God's New Breed," see https://christiancrunch.wordpress.com/2007/02/07/gods-new-breed/. This is an obvious reference to the "New Breed" prophecies about an "elect seed" that is foundational Latter Rain heresy, which we explained in this Herescope post: http://herescope.blogspot.com/2006/02/new-breed-defined.html. See "Prophet Bob Jones and The Florida Fires," 5/14/08, http://christiancrunch.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/prophet-bob-jones-and-the-florida-fires/ where it says that: "Bob Jones is a prophet from the prophetic movement in the early part of the century. His words have come to pass over the years. He runs with Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries, Bobby Conner, and used to run with a little-known prophet by the name of Augustine Alcala. (This was the man who mentored Terry Kruse from our ministry, Miracle Life Now, and prophesied to Mike Bickle about his ministry that became IHOP. He has now passed away to be with the Lord.)"
18. William Branham's teachings undergird the Kansas City Prophets movement (IHOP) and are foundational to understanding the NAR. See his history and teachings summarized at http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/williambranham1.html, Branham's quotations can be found in an article by Mike Oppenheimer, "The Teachings of 'the Prophet' William Branham," posted here: http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain4.htm.
19. There was a "Special Prophetic Edition" of the Grace City Report, which was a "monthly newsletter for the six congregations of Kansas City Fellowship," dated Fall 1989, which contains many key articles about history and mission, one of which is "Paul Cain: A Personal Profile," which gives a somewhat sanitized and glorified history of Paul Cain and his ministry. This report says that during this time Paul lives in a "small, two-bedroom home in Phoenix, Ariz., where he, with the help of his sister and family members, took care of his mother." This report also notes that in "1957, the late William Branham had an angelic visitation and was told not to go to a series of large meetings already planned in Europe, but to send Paul instead." The report indicates that during this time Paul was working on the doctrine of "a new breed of men and women leaders."
20. The Grace City Report cited above records, "On April 27, 1987, the Lord ordained a divine appointment for Paul with Mike Bickle, Noel Alexander, John Paul Jackson, Bob Scott and other brothers from Kansas City Fellowship. Mike, KCF senior pastor had heard about Paul in 1983 and had prayed many times that the Lord would arrange a divine appointment between them." It then chronicles how Mike and Noel met Paul at a pastors conference in Birmingham, Alabama, and how after that Paul began to visit "KCF regularly" and became "a beloved father and pillar in the church" as he helped "lay a more solid foundation." The report says that "Mike and the KCF eldership instantly felt the Lord prompting them to make a deep and permanent commitment to serve Paul Cain in any way possible for the rest of his days as the Lord permitted."
21. This same Grace City Report on Paul Cain records that "Bob Jones said the Lord spoke to him in a dream and revealed the nature of Paul's ministry" which would be "'The terror of the Lord' or "The jealousy of God.'"
22. See Mike Oppenheimer's report on "Prophet Paul Cain," posted here: http://www.letusreason.org/latrain5.htm
23. And no wonder this is confusing and troublesome. The same Grace City Report cited above also ran an article "Paul Cain's Ministry: Recent Manifestations of the Holy Spirit," which indicates that the man frequently had manifestations that would normally be associated with occult activity, including power surges, electrical reactions, and predicting earthquakes. A notable earthquake prediction that came true, giving Cain the aura of credibility, accompanied John Wimber's visit with Paul Cain in Anaheim. The story as told by Wimber, which is recounted in this Grace City Report, is that in 1987 Cain informed Jack Deere, a pastor in the Anaheim Vineyard, that his visit would be accompanied by a big earthquake. The Report says "At 3:38 a.ml on the day Paul arrived, Dec. 3, there was a major earthquake in Pasadena" which resulted in Paul Cain receiving John Wimber's "full attention."
24. Dr. Orrel Steinkamp, "Paul Cain, Latter Rain Prophet of Renown Is Now Discredited," The Plumbline, Vol. 9, No. 5, Dec. 2004, http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel19.html
25. Thanks to YouTube, you can see this for yourself: "Paul Cain with Todd Bentley, Pt. 1," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o25jTVb5Bj8 and "Paul Cain transfers His "Anointing" to Todd Bentely [sic]," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db76DwFSZjE For a reality check, recall the subject of this article post, which is that these IHOP leaders are now part and parcel of the Christian Right Tea Party in America, and are openly associating with high profile presidential candidates.
26. Mike Oppenheimer, "Bob Jones - A Tail of a Prophet," http://letusreason.org/Latrain52.htm. See the Ernie Gruen report for many more examples. Bob Jones was also the subject of a featured article in the Grace City Report cited above, in an article titled "Bob Jones: A Personal Profile" which details his angelic visitations and out of body experiences.This story chronicles how Bob Jones began to hear about "an army of young people who would be raised up. 'I saw them, they were all young soldiers,' he said.... In early 1983, Bob heard about a group of young people who had only recently begun a new church in the south Kansas City area. After visiting them, he knew this was some of the 'new breed' the Lord had told him about in the visions in 1976. The Lord brought Bob to Kansas City Fellowship just a few months after its beginning."
27. http://www.scribd.com/doc/25418818/BILL-JOHNSON-THE-DECEIVER and note the aberrant theology in evidence on this sad YouTube video of a Bethel student: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4VpH1FKkSQ. See also TheElijahList promo for "A Call to the Body of Christ: The Shift: Washington DC" http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=9239 where Bob Jones appeared with NAR bigshots like Chuck Pierce, Rick Joyner and Dutch Sheets at a quasi-political "prayer" event Oct 30-Nov. 6, 2010. In case you think this foray into politics is an aberration, note that Bob Jones, Rick Joyner, Paul Keith David, Ryan Wyatt teamed up with 7 mountains cheerleader Lance Wallnau for a "Taking Your Land Advancing the Kingdom Conference" in Knoxville, TN, Sept, 17-20, 2009, http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word/7956, where the Dominionist church is said to have "a mandate to invade every worldly culture with the supernatural culture of God's Kingdom. God has a mountain that He wants you to conquer; a destiny that only you can fulfill."
28. This is reported on and quoted here: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/ihop-call-247 which is linked over to the Kansas City Star article which is no longer available online
29. This material is excerpted from the report by the late William M. Alnor, "The Kansas City Prophets," posted http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/kcp.html
30. Documented by Pastor Bill Randles,"Beware the New Prophets," http://www.e-n.org.uk/p-986-Beware-the-New-Prophets.htm
31. This is a paraphrase (except for the Jones' quote) by Pastor Bill Randles, Weighed and Found Wanting (1995) book. The excerpt is published here: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/heresy.html and it reads: "Jones says we shouldn't worry about inaccurate prophesies, for God told him that prophets are like guns and prophecies are like bullets and inaccurate prophecies are like blanks. And he also says that God told him, "l'm loading the guns, I'm putting the blanks in!" Incredible! Jones would have us believe that God is responsible for inaccurate prophecies! Supposedly, even when we shoot blanks, it scares the enemy! Bob Jones complains about people who "try to make us Old Testament prophets" meaning to hold them to the standard of Deut 18."
32. In the Wikipedia entry for Mike Bickle, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bickle_(minister), footnote 21 states: ^ "Kansas City 'Prophet' Disciplined", Christianity Today 36 (3): 67, March 9, 1992., ISSN 0009-5753 "Vineyard leaders took strong steps recently to discipline well-known "prophet" Bob Jones after Jones admitted to "Sexual misconduct (not adultery)" with two women." "Vineyard leadership also is supporting the Joneses through regular counseling, visits by the Kansas City Metro Vineyard leadership, and monetary contributions."
Source: Herescope

Can the New Apostles and Prophets Seize Dominion by Political Intermarriage?

Can God's Supposed Lost Dominion Be Regained By Mere Political Means?
By Dr. Orrel Steinkamp

"How far into compromise will pastors go to “re-establish” America as a Christian nation? Has that become more important to them than serving the Lord and preaching the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ WITHOUT COMPROMISE? If establishing the lie this kingdom of God on earth is so important that the Gospel fades in comparison, what are they willing to do next. . . ?"[1]

On April 12-13 there is scheduled "The Government Transformation Summit for Visionary Leaders" in San Antonio. It is also called "Justice at the Gate." Before we proceed with our comments we must establish that the term "transform or transformation" as used in Dominion writings is simply a code word for Dominion or Rule. The introduction to this conference begins:

"God's heart is to transform [read rule, ed.] the nations not just individuals.... You are not getting this invitation if your vision is simply to grow your congregation [read traditional evangelism, ed.]. We applaud and affirm that, but this personal invitation is extended exclusively to proven leaders who have a heart for their city, state or broader."

Some of the leading speakers introduced to us are: Ed Silvoso, considered by many as the father of the Nation Transforming Movement, and Jim Garlow, pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego, the one tapped by Newt Gingrich be the Chairman of Gingrich's Renewing American Leadership committed to freedom, faith and free markets. The introduction continues:

"Expand your vision to a movement [notice not the church, ed.] forging an intersection of worship, reconciliation [the new meaning of the term, ed.] Governance Systems and Nation-Changing transformation [notice the bringing together of transformation and Dominionism, ed.]."

The Dominionists are now hitting the political big-time. There was a conference scheduled at Liberty University on April 8-9 sponsored by Freedom Federation called Awakening 2011. Broadcast on C-Span for the first time, it included 60 nationally known political operatives and many Dominionist personalities. The politicos included: Newt Gingrich, Rep. Mike Spence, Gary Bauer, Frank Gaffney, Marco Rubio and Michele Bachmann. The Domionist Clergy included Rick Joyner, Lou Engle, Cindy Jacobs and David Barton.

Then, just recently on March 25-26, the Iowa Renewal Project "Rediscovering God in America" was held. This political event included pure politicians and Dominionist/Tea Party clergy. Included were George Barna, evangelical pollster and Jesuit trained. Barna in his 2009 book Master Leaders: Revealing Conversations with 30 Leadership Greats extolled as leadership greats New Age sympathizers Ken Blanchard, Laurie Beth Jones, Newt Gingrich and emergent futurist Erwin McManus. We can only assume that Barna resonates with their teachings. Also a speaker was Mike Huckabee Southern Baptist presidential candidate anointed by apostle Lou Engle's apostolic hands. Also a speaker was well known politico Newt Gingrich, a presidential candidate and a lapsed Baptist and recent Catholic convert and serial adulterer. Other speakers included Minnesota's own Michele Bachmann, the Oral Roberts trained Word/Faith Congresswomen. Mike Huckabee has previously accepted an endorsement by and spoken at a "Watchmen on the Walls" convention. Watchmen on the Walls is a Joel's Army radical Dominionist group active in Ex-USSR countries but with a major presence among Russian and Slavic emigrants.

I have in the last year written about the convergence of the New Apostolic Reformation and the Christian Right. Some articles on the net include: "The Coalescing of the Christian Right with Apostolic Dominionism," "R&R Revival and Revolt: The Tea Party's Strange Bedfellows and What They Believe," and "Mary Glazier: Wagner’s NAR Chief Prophetess In Alaska." Some months have passed and now these political apostles no longer feel any need to hide their political intentions and associations.

Roger Oakland, former Calvary Chapel lecturer, writing about the Iowa Renewal Project, can only exclaim:

"Are you familiar with these names: David Barton, Newt Gingrich, George Barna, Mike Huckabee? Do you know what Barna Group is? Do you know who David Barton is? What about Newt Gingrich? Do you know what role they are playing? WHAT IS GOING ON?

"If you look at the list of speakers for the Rediscovering God in America, it reminds me of a book I once read called Who's Who and What's What? Check out Barna and Barton and see for yourself their backgrounds and the things they are doing, then check out the Jesuit plan to establish the kingdom. Newt Gingrich is a Roman Catholic by his own admission, and he and Huckabee may each be running for President (or maybe a ticket together). George Barna was trained at a Jesuit college. And let’s not forget Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Catholicism and Catholic convert, interfaith activist Tony Blair?"

Perhaps one reason Roger Oakland was concerned about this "secretive" event is that the two clergy at this Iowa political conference were Calvary Chapel pastors, namely, Jack Hibbs Calvary Chapel pastor in Chino Hills, CA and Ken Graves Calvary Chapel pastor in Orrington, ME.

"Rediscovering God in America"?

Those promoting God's absolute rule upon the earth have become bedfellows with national politicians and are calling for the Kingdom of God to be politically instituted first in America and then around the world. This is a convergence that goes well beyond elections cycles. It is a union of national politicians and clergy who share not only political views but also share a vision for a Christian political domination for the whole world, in order to bring back Jesus to the earth. They no longer wait for a King from heaven but are straining to establish a political kingdom of God upon the earth before The King can return. Their goals are like hidden leaven within American politics, disguising their real agenda from unsuspecting voters.

Rachael Tabachnick, in her report, "The Rise of Charismatic Dominionism," explained:

"These Christian warriors would no longer be constrained by having to wait for a future Rapture. The battle against evil to bring about the millennial utopia would not wait for divine intervention, but be initiated by human hands - an army of Christian warriors bringing about the Kingdom, now."

This is a major shift. Twenty-five years ago Pentecostals and evangelicals were all awaiting the Rapture. Now many, if not most, are on board looking to gain control of society and government, postponing the Rapture till the earth is one huge Christian caliphate. Tabachnick observed, "A newer and potent movement has emerged like a phoenix from the ashes of Darby's Dispensationalism."

This hybrid eschatology, a heresy, is described by Earl Paulk, in his Handwriting on the Wall (p. 20), as:

"Jesus Christ has now done all He can do, and He waits at the right hand of the His Father, until you and I as sons of God become manifest and make this world His footstool. He is waiting for us to say, 'Jesus, we have made the kingdoms of this world the Kingdom of our God, and are ruling and reigning in your world." [emphasis added]

There are thousands of Christians converted to Dominionism who already are found on school boards, city officials, state legislators and Tea Party elected officials. They are already in place and they take their cues from the Dominionist/Political leaders, and they are totally convinced they are in the exciting struggle to bring total Christian Dominion to the earth. Christian Dominionists have become the Christian Right on steroids. They are found in one party but they are also political squatters who ultimately will have no allegiance to any party whatsoever.

But it amazes me most that these dominion advocates can actually suggest that God, the August All-Powerful Sovereign of the Universe, would need to sneak back into a so-called regained dominion of all the earth on the coattails of political operatives! Isn't this demeaning to pronounce that our Sovereign God needs political endorsement and financial gifts from the world's Uber-Rich? Isn't God capable to openly placard to the world his own Dominionist aims (if indeed that were His will before He returns)? Isn't God sufficiently omnipotent to take dominion in His own name and authority -- without being beholden to common variety politicians and clerical camp-followers?

The self-anointed false apostles and prophets of the NAR (C. Peter Wagner's New Apostolic Reformation) make stupendous claims for wielding God's power even to the extreme of calling down from heaven ginned-up signs and wonders. Cindy Jacobs tells a story of the seraphim catching her hotel room on fire, etc. Why then do she and her co-apostles and prophets have to work cap-in-hand as mere political operatives?

If this political Dominionism should succeed do you think the God of creation would be happy to be an in-house vice regent with Newt or LDS Romney along the lines of the secret astrologer who advised Nancy Reagan on the safety of the president's foreign trips? How does this political dominionism construct compare to the biblical Jehovah Who chose to establish His rule by directly confronting the Egyptian Pharaoh?

D. James Kennedy, sometimes called by some the god-father of Dominionism, expressed his views openly. In 2005 He hosted at his church in Coral Gables a conference called, "Reclaiming America for Christ." He provided for the conferees some of his written materials. One such written source stated:

"We are to exercise godly dominion over our neighborhoods, our government , our entertainment, media our scientific endeavors, in short over every aspect and institutions of human society."

George Grant, who was for a time an associate pastor at Kennedy's church in Coral Gables expressed the dominion mandate ever more bluntly than Kennedy:

"Christians have an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim the land for Jesus Christ - to have dominion in civil structures, just as in every other aspect of life and godliness. But it is dominion that we are after. Not just a voice. It is dominion we are after. Not just influence, it is dominion we are after. Not just equal time. It is dominion we are after. World conquest is that which Christ has commissioned us to accomplish. We must win the world with the power of the Gospel. And we must never settle for anything less. Christian politics has as its primary intent the conquest of the land of men, families, institutions, bureaucracies, courts and governments for the Kingdom of Christ." (George Grant, The Changing of the Guard: Biblical Principles for Political Action [Ft. Worth: Dominion Press, 1987], pp. 50-51)

The so-called Dominion Mandate is a fraudulent interpretation of Genesis 1:28 and the Great Commission. Note that the Genesis mandate was simply a stewardship responsibility over the land and sea and the animal species. This verse hardly refers to political institutions and other humans. In the Great Commission we are called to preach the Gospel and baptize the nations. But this can't have political dominion ramifications for how do you baptize whole nations? The only precedent that comes to my mind may be early Roman Catholic missionaries to China who declared the state evangelized and employed mass broom baptisms by dipping a broom in a pail and sprinkling the populace. Now China is hearing the Gospel, but it spreads not by state broom baptizing but from individual to individual. Furthermore, the Greek word ethne ("nations" in the Great Commission) does not refer to whole nations but it was a Jewish term for non-Jews, that is, Gentiles. The Gentile Church is evangelism by sharing the Gospel, person by person, and not by state sponsored Christian dominion.

How the Seven Spheres Became the Seven Mountains

It is not my purpose here to elaborate on the 7 mountains teaching. It has received sufficient coverage. But it is helpful to reflect on the history of this teaching in dominion circles. It is irrefutable that the original source of this teaching originated in 1994 among Coalition of Revival (COR) advocates and Jay Grimsted in particular. (See Al Dager, Vengence Is Ours: The Church in Dominion, Sword Publishers, Redmond WA, pg 235-258).

But the political prophets of the NAR have chosen to recast the COR "Seven Spheres of culture" into a first person dominical revelation directly from Jesus. Apostle Lance Wallnau and others repeat ad-nauseum the oft repeated and embellished account of Loren Cunningham and Bill Bright. As I have heard the story, Bright and Cunningham wrote on their breakfast napkins the areas of concern in the culture. Lo and behold! They had written the same seven spheres as COR and Grimstead had taught earlier.

But the political prophets have now further morphed the 7 spheres into a visionary first person prophecy from Jesus and recast the Seven Spheres as Seven Mountains. Among those who accept current prophetic statements, the 7 mountains teaching now is just simply as true as the biblical story of Jesus feeding of the 5000. This highlights the indispensable nature of continuing prophetic false prophesies given to the Kingdom church, even though their prophets only claim a certain percentage of factual prophesies. For biblical Christians who hold to the "scripture only" teaching of the Reformation, with which the Reformers dispensed with extra-biblical revelations, we have trouble with a visionary appearance of Jesus among 7 mountains that appears out of a sea. The fact that this emanates from one Kim Clement arguably the most inaccurate of all the new prophets should give any serious bible reader extreme caution. But for those in the Seven Mountains Kingdom Church, they have all the false authority they will ever need.[2]

So-Called American Covenantal Roots

Cindy Jacobs, who claimed her room was invaded by the seraphim and who is C. Peter Wagner's designate for America's prophetic destiny, called for and completed a "Root 52 National Prayer Strategy," a 52-week tour of the USA to bring each state back into covenantal alignment with God going from state to state in the sequence they joined the union. By "releasing" the prophetic destiny of an American Covenant she purported to bring the USA state by state back into covenantal status with God.

All of this is far-fetched. Indeed America has been blessed but just what is this assumed Covenant that the USA has with God? It can hardly be in the Constitution for God isn't even mentioned in it. Mike Huckabee stated on January 14, 2008 in Warren Michigan:

“I believe it is a lot easier to change the Constitution than it is to change the Word of the Living God. And that’s what we need to do, is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards, rather than try to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other, and how we treat the family.” [emphasis added]

In other national founding documents the term God is not defined and the name of Jesus isn't mentioned. Furthermore the chief architect of the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson, was hardly a Covenant-Maker for the Biblical God:

"Thomas Jefferson for example, the man who contributed more to the framing of our constitution than anyone else was a Deist and hardly a model of moral rectitude. Accounts of his philandering and marital infidelity are well documented. And the so- called 'Jefferson Bible,'... was actually what he had cut up with a pair of scissors to remove all references to such things as the shedding of blood for remission of sins. He wanted nothing to do with the cross, and by the time he had finished with his 'bible', all that remained was a collection of platitudes he could use to add an apparent 'godly' air to his political postulations. Ben Franklin was a Rosicrucian who had no interest whatsoever in the truth as it has been revealed in and through Jesus Christ." (Zens and Bjork, Searching Together, Vol. 25)

Most of the founding fathers were Freemasons and Deists. Check it out. By the way, Deists taught a radical transcendent God who wound up the universe like a clock and has now disappeared forever. Furthermore, no Americans nor any other political institution could never on their own initiative establish a national covenant with God. No nation of its own accord dare claim a covenant with God. Indeed, God choose to enter a covenant with only one nation and that was Israel. The Puritans signed a Mayflower Compact but it related back to the king of England. God's covenant with Israel originated from God's sovereign will. Jehovah not only created this Covenant but He authored it Himself! That Covenant was succeeded by a New Covenant. It's author was, not this time by God through Moses, but by the Eternal Son of God in human flesh (Heb. 12:24: "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling...."). The God-Man through His death on the cross established a New Covenant -- not with a national entity but with all who would believe from all the nations.

It is pure fantasy when the NAR prophets declare that American has covenantal roots with God. Jon Zens and Cliff Bjork wrote:

"It is a serious perversion of biblical truth to use the promise of God's blessing as some kind of carrot to dangle in front of unregenerate sinners to entice them to follow OT moral codes. It is a promise that cannot be realized.... We have seen intense governmental lobbying and a flood of books, magazines, newsletters, videos and tapes calling for a return to traditional values. Leading proponents have invaded the media and drawn large crowds.... But the moral condition of our society has not improved. It has grown worse [and will grow even worse according to scripture]. To live and advance the Christian faith is indeed to engage in a great battle. But the frontlines to which we have been called are not the halls of congress, our nation's courts, or the muddy trenches of public opinion. The NT is quite clear that 'our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:12). It is the ramparts of spiritual bondage surrounding the individual sinner's heart and mind that we must scale with the message of forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus Christ. The Gospel was never intended as a battering ram to penetrate the embattlements of a fallen nation's political and cultural mores. [Jesus came to a Jewish nation clamoring for a political warrior Messiah to drive out the Romans and reestablish their OT covenantal kingdom reigning from Jerusalem. Jesus was dragged before a Roman court at the demand of OT Jewish dominionists.]

Why did the son of God submit so willingly to such injustice and ignominy? It is clear that he had the power to save himself... When He was arrested and Peter drew his sword to resist, Jesus rebuked Peter and said 'Put your sword away!... Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels.' (John 18:11).... Would this not have been an ideal time to launch a vigorous protest?... Jesus submitted to an ignominious kangaroo court not because of the ropes and chain that bound him.... Jesus understood that his real battle was not with Caiaphas or Pilate.... Jewish or Roman courts were not the front lines of Jesus battle. The Fathers appointed battlefield was the blood-stained cross of Golgotha. As far as reclaiming human kingdoms is concerned, Jesus answered the charge that he was leading a revolt against Rome explaining to Pilate - even in the face of certain death - 'My kingdom is not of this world. if it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews (the Judeo part of Judeo/Christian). But my kingdom is not from this place. [enteuthen] John 18:36.... Nearly 2000 years have gone by since Jesus victory at Calvary over sin and death. While that particular battle was His to fight alone, it defined the nature of our warfare and established the ground rules for victory that have not changed... the secret is to carry the battle to the right place. The enemy is not entrenched in political Washington, but in the hearts of anyone anywhere who still remains in the darkness of unbelief, enslaved by all kind of pleasures. You need not go further than your backyard fences or the local marketplace to find the frontlines of that battle. It can be fought in the halls of congress, not by lobbying for some political agenda, but by telling unbelieving senators and representatives about the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. Better that a single legislator's mind and heart be turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God than for dozens to sign on to some new "moral" legislation and remain in unbelief. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Cor10:3-4). That should be quite clear when you consider Paul's experiences at Corinth. Here was a city, a culture and a government that was 'morally bankrupt' beyond anything we can imagine in America." (John Zens and Cliff Bjork, Searching Together, Spring-Autumn 2000 and Spring 1997)

The So-called Kingdom Church

Though eschatology has many details, the teaching of the New Testament is clear enough for all. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself takes physical dominion of the earth when He as King comes back in His second advent. He, not the church, will dispense judgment when He arrives. The words of Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians bears this out. The Thessalonians were undergoing affliction and persecution for the sake of the Kingdom of God. But Paul assures them they are deemed worthy for the Kingdom of God. In 2 Thess 1: 7-8, we read:

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:"

The Risky Future of Dominion Apostles and Prophets

The current bevy of apostles and prophets conveniently avoid the first person words of Jesus "my kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). In addition Jesus told his disciples: "But I say unto you. I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom." (Matt 26:29).

What is there about these sayings of Jesus nearly 2000 years ago that is so hard to understand? Those mobilizing for dominion and rule appear to be in rebellion against the king himself and the teaching of the biblical apostles.

I have no hope that the NAR and its false apostles and prophets will abandon their efforts and organization of a Kingdom Dominion Church. They will never cease their efforts and politicians will never cease to exploit them for votes, especially when evangelicals make up the bulk a national party. No! they all have gone too far. They have too many self generated prophetic words, and their self deluded paradigm to cease this effort. In their minds they would have to abandon the Lord altogether.

We must choose. Do we go with these false prophecies of dominion or do we stand with those whose feet are both in biblical truth? The new apostles and prophets must run their course till perhaps even the King returns to earth. Indeed, Jesus could have called legions of angels to take him from the cross. But The sovereign Lord had a plan. It was for Salvation. God has a right to His own plan and it is clearly recorded in Scripture. Indeed! Jesus could have led a political rebellion after his resurrection and judged the nations and established His eternal rule then and there. But Scripture leaves no doubt this was not His plan. There is a first advent and a second advent. As He suffered in his first advent, His church must suffer with him till this evil age runs its course -- until it is stopped and dramatically interrupted by the visible return of the risen King from Glory. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will establish His Kingdom by His presence on earth and Judge the nations. Then His true people will enter with Him into THE AGE TO COME. Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!

A Concluding Remark

Please don't misunderstand me. Should we not vote? Should we not share our views with others about the moral decline of the nation, etc? Of course we should vote! This is a precious privilege given to us in this country and many other countries. But we must avoid becoming political activists and political warriors who are determined to put away evil and evil doers by a so-called "kingdom authority" before Jesus returns. Judgment is God's prerogative and it is divinely planned for the second advent of Christ. Our calling now is to persistently preach and witness the Gospel of Grace by every means.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)