To argue that man is a free moral agent and the determiner of his own destiny, and that therefore he has the power to checkmate his Maker, is to strip God of the attribute of Omnipotence. A.W. Pink Why do we struggle with the sovereignty of God? One of the familiar teachings among NAR circles is the Dominion mandate or Dominion Theology. Some of us have heard of the Seven Mountain Mandate, a teaching and belief that Christ cannot return…
“To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze.” R.C. Sproul When I consider the years I spent in the prophetic movement, one of the things I reflect upon was the desire to have encounters with the Lord, where it seemed as if we…
It was June 20, 2017. The debut broadcast of a prophetic collaboration initiated by a local professing apostle I personally knew was aired locally and on social media. One of the contributors was yours truly, and the first word I felt led to share was about an alleged vision and conversation I had with God about Ezekiel 47. Earlier that year, I had written a blog post that was picked up by Charisma Magazine and Charisma News about this claimed…
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13,14 ESV The teaching of generational curses is not a new teaching, nor is it exclusive to the charismatic movement. Various beliefs have been perpetuated regarding this belief, ranging…
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5 ESV We are a week past the midterm elections in the United States, and for some, the words of the self-professing prophets were claiming for months and days up to the election, victory. There was talk…
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 When Jesus prayed what is known as the High Priestly prayer in John 17, He prayed for three distinct things. The first was to be glorified so that He would glorify the Father. The second was for His disciples whom He had chosen as apostles to proclaim His Word, and finally, Jesus prayed for those of us who come to saving faith in Christ through the writings of the…
On October 10, 2022, a statement was posted online titled the NAR and Christian Nationalism statement. This statement was co-drafted by Dr. Michael Brown and the leader of USCAL, Joseph Mattera, addressing both issues and seeming to hitch the wagons of each one to another. As of today, 307 individuals have signed this five-page document in agreement of its affirmations and rejections pertaining to both subjects. Included in the initial signatures are well known leaders in the Charismatic movement such…
In the mid second century, a cult monk turned Christian arrived in Phrygia. His arrival did not go unnoticed as he fell into a trance and “began to prophesy under the influence of the Holy Spirit.” Soon after, two women, Maximilla and Priscilla, joined this man in prophesying, claiming to have divine revelation in the midst of ecstatic behavior. This movement did not remain isolated in Phrygia. Rather, it gained momentum and spread into Asia Minor, Africa, and Gaul. This…
On June 23, 2008, numerous apostles took the platform in Lakeland, Florida to participate in a ceremony for the apostolic alignment and commissioning of Todd Bentley. Peter Wagner presided over this ceremony and was accompanied by Bill Johnson, John Arnott, Che Ahn, Rick Joyner, and other recognized apostolic leaders. In preparation for the commissioning, Wagner invited the Holy Spirit to come with power and direction. He then proceeded to lay a “Biblical foundation” for what was to follow, reading from…
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. Ephesians 2:19-21 ESV Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful…