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Liberty Advocate http://www.libertyadvocate.com/
Beware of Dominionism
Part 1
by
Karen Pansler-Lam, J.D.
Dominionist leaders proclaim that God is restoring the lost offices of Prophet and Apostle. Specifically, these leaders proclaim they alone have the special knowledge, power and authority to execute God’s plans and purposes to fulfill the destiny of the Church – the New Church Order. Of course, they have appointed themselves the head of this New Order, a global church they will govern. Dominionists preach a false gospel that God is doing a “new thing.” Dominionists emphasize dreams, visions, and extra-biblical revelation instead of the Bible. They claim their revealed teachings and alleged direct communication with God, visits by angels, etc., cannot be proved by the “old” Scripture because God is doing a new thing. This new thing – the New Church Order - will usher in a worldwide revival to set up a physical Kingdom of God on earth. They allege that the Second Coming of Christ will not take place until the Church has gained control of governmental and social institutions. First, nowhere in the Holy Scriptures does God declare in the latter days He will do a “new thing” to usher in a worldwide revival. In fact, the Bible tells us before the Second Coming there will be a great falling away of the Church.
Let no man deceive you by any
means: Second, nowhere in the Bible does it either directly or indirectly say that the Second Coming of Christ will not happen until we set up a physical Kingdom of God on earth. Beware of Dominionism. Within the Dominionist cult there are various sects, but this article will only briefly discuss: 1) the New Apostolic Reformation's occult theology; and 2) the Dominionist papacy; and 3) taking dominion over governmental and social institutions.
The New Apostolic Reformation's Occult Theology Simply put, the new “apostles” and “prophets” of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) claim full and supreme jurisdiction over church matters. Through their dreams, visions, and other alleged divine revelation, they claim to have special revealed knowledge that the ordinary Christian dare not question. The truth is this “new” thing is an old thing - Gnosticism. Briefly, Gnosticism was a counterfeit Christianity in the early church that claimed special knowledge or science through divine revelation. Generally, Gnostics believe new truths or secret knowledge about the nature of the universe and the origin and destiny of humanity are communicated only to the initiated - and they are the initiated. Gnostics believe selected individuals have a divine spark imprisoned in their material body. Through gnosis (knowledge), that divine spark is liberated from the basically evil world and united with the Supreme Being. Gnosticism is an occult “science.” The aim of occult science is to marry science and occultism. Gnostics and other occultists profess that they possess a secret and mysterious knowledge, in no way accessible to those outside, and not based on reflection, on scientific inquiry and proof, but on revelation. In short, Gnosticism is mysticism. Mysticism is the doctrine of Mystics who profess to have direct communication with the Spirit of God. Mystics get their knowledge of God through dreams, visions, and other occult experiences. Thus Paul’s warning to Timothy: “avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20). Paul is referring to occult science. Occult science includes astrology (the so-called science of the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs), psychology (the so-called science of the phenomena of mind), and other so-called science that is not true science. This includes theology, the “science of religion.” Theologians pretend to have superior intellectual and spiritual knowledge about the Bible. They believe they are “enlightened.” They pretend they have special knowledge or powers of perception giving them a superior understanding. And with their enlightened state they can answer questions about religious truth. Theologians believe new truths not apparent in the Scripture are communicated only to the initiated - and they are the initiated. Theologians are Gnostics who are so-called “enlightened.” They are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Listen… According to the Bible, God has ordained preachers and teachers of the Holy Scriptures. That is, they preach and teach the Bible alone. They do not preach new truths outside of the Bible that are revealed to them in dreams and visions. This is the occult “science of religion.” This is theology, not Biblical Truth. Avoid theologians and their occult theology. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians:
13 For such are
false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles
of Christ. We must not blindly follow false apostles and false prophets who deny the authority of the Bible as the complete Word of God. And that is what the NAR prophets and apostles do…deny the Bible as the complete word of God. They claim to get their knowledge of God and His plan and purpose for the Church from dreams, visions, trances, and other occult experiences. But this is one of their strategies to set up the New Church Order: denigrate the “old thing” – authority of Scripture alone, doctrines, and other Biblical instructions to the true Church. Instead, claim special revealed knowledge from trances, visions, and other occult experiences as a way to know God instead of Bible knowledge. Beware of the New Apostolic Reformation's occult theology.
The Dominionist Papacy The goal of the NAR is to change our thinking about what we believe, and get us to rebel against the established church: sound doctrine and reverence - the Biblical Church. Once we rebel against the Biblical Church, we can be seduced into believing the NAR claim of infallibility, and submit to their demand of dominion over the churches and us. The NAR is trying to establish the Dominionist papacy. Like the Roman papacy, the Dominionist papacy demands that all men submit to its authority over all church matters. Like the Roman papacy, the Dominionist papacy believes it has jurisdiction over all believers, and has the right to govern them. Dominionists plot to make the Church the most important institution of the time, with its apostles and prophets in every area of life. In other words, the head self-anointed apostles and prophets are working for Dominionism to rise to heights of power. Dominionists want to have the power of the Roman Catholic Church that dominated the Medieval Ages... 1. Membership in the Medieval Church was compulsory. Everyone was required to belong to it. All Western Europe formed a single religious association, from which it was a crime to resist. To refuse allegiance to the Church, or to question its authority or teachings, was regarded as treason against God. The Medieval Church excommunicated resisters of the Church and could forbid all men to associate with them, since they were accursed. Similarly, Dominionists teach that men can be coerced or compelled to enter the Kingdom of God. Dominionists work to build a single religious association – a global ecumenical church. Dominionist churches require congregants to become members and sign covenants swearing allegiance to church authority. Those who refuse allegiance to the church, or dare question its authority or teachings, are regarded as resisters and are dealt with harshly. To resist the New Church Order is to resist God’s “new thing.” It is regarded as treason. For example, Dominionist Rick Warren teaches pastors and other church leaders to bully resistant members into submission. Church Transitions, an associate of Saddleback Church in California, trains church leaders how to deal with resisters:
1. Identify those who are
resisting the changes; Marginalize…vilify…silence all resistance. Like the Medieval Church, Dominionists punish those who challenge their authority and teachings by bullying them into submission, or excommunicating them from their church. 2. The Medieval Church was wealthy. It did not rely for its support upon the voluntary contributions of its members. It enjoyed, in addition to the revenue from its vast tracts of lands and a great variety of fees, the income from a regular tax, the tithe. Church members were forced to pay it. The tithe was a compulsory church tax. Likewise, the Dominionist elite are wealthy. They also own vast properties and accumulate wealth by demanding a variety of fees and a church tax – the tithe. Sometimes it’s 10%...sometimes it’s more. And they also demand “voluntary contributions” in the form of firstfruits offerings, special tithes, special offerings, and so forth. They threaten that if we do not pay tithes and offerings to them, we are robbing God. One reason they force congregants to become members is they must sign a covenant promising to pay tithes and other church taxes (offerings, special offerings, etc.). The Dominionist papacy considers itself the royalty of Christendom and demand to live like kings. Of course, we are their subjects – slaves - who must submit to their demands, including demands of our money. Certainly, Dominionist leaders are not the only ones who put their followers in financial bondage to their ever-increasing monetary demands. Even those who denounce Dominionism are corrupt and extort tithes, offerings, special offerings, and other monetary demands to rob us of the fruits of our labor for their rich and glamorous lifestyles. 3. The Medieval Church was not merely a religious body. Certainly, it maintained places of worship, and cultivated the religious life; but it did far more. It was like a State. It had an elaborate system of law, and its own courts. The Medieval Church wielded great power, even over kings. The Dominionists are trying to gain control of the State. Many Dominionists are in governmental offices. They desire to wield great power, even over presidents, by being appointed presidential spiritual advisors. And some Dominionists believe we must return to Old Testament judicial law. 4. The Medieval Church not only performed the functions of a State; it had the organization of a State. All churchmen and religious associations were under one supreme head, the pope, who made laws for all and controlled every Church officer in all countries. The Medieval Church was a monarchy in its government. The pope was its all-powerful and absolute head. He was the supreme lawgiver. The NAR was founded by C. Peter Wagner who claimed that the 21st Century will be ruled by apostles and prophets. Wagner anointed himself NAR’s “Presiding Apostle.” Sounds like he anointed himself the Protestant Pope. Clearly, the Dominionists are trying to establish a Protestant papacy to rise to heights of power. Beware of the Dominionist papacy. Beware of Dominionism.
July 2017
Note: Some of the general information in my article came from http://bereanresearch.org/dominionism-nar/
Coming Soon...
Beware of Dominionism
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