Why the title Apostles Prophets And The Coming NEW AGE?
The answer to that is simple. The more I look into the Apostolic-Prophetic Five-Fold Ministry Restoration
Movement, the more similarities I find to New Age teachings Occult.
In addition to that, the essential teaching of this movement, is that certain truths have been lost
to the church which they are called to restore.
That claim is no different from Joseph Smith's, Mary Baker Eddie's, Ellen G. White's, Watchtower
Bible and Tract Society's and scores of others who claim God is not able to make his will and truth known except through them
and their anointed interpretation.
So we can add the word "cult" along side occult and new age into our description of this movement.
A prominent leader in this movement, Mike Bickle (founder and director of IHOP [International House of Prayer])
aggressively promotes New Age contemplative prayer among his followers. I find this news alarming.
Below is a short example of the theology promoted by these movements (from the website of
apologeticsindex.org):
The teaching that in the last days, a "new breed" of Christians
will arise--the "Manifest Sons of God"--who will have super-natural spiritual power and be instrumental in subduing the earth.
This movement is also referred to as "Joel's Army."
It is claimed that these people will be perfected into their "glorified
bodies" prior to Christ's return. That perfection will allow them to subdue the earth for Jesus. Proponents of this doctrine
also claim Christians, having a "divine nature," become "gods." They say Christ came into us as a "seed" and grows into a
"prophet." Thus Christ does not physically return, but returns within us. The rapture, according to this doctrine, will be of the wicked--not of believers.
This teaching is part of what is known as 'dominion
theology' which teaches that an elite army of 'overcomers' will
either destroy or subdue all the enemies of Christ until they eventually gain power and authority throughout the world. The
government of the nations will be upon their shoulders and when all the secular authorities, governments, princes and kings
have finally submitted to them, Christ will return and they will present the kingdom to him.
Source: Clifford Hill, "Prophecy Today," Vol. 7, No. 1 Eng., as cited in "Joel's Army,"
1991, Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment Min.
The "reverse rapture" of the Manifest Sons mirrors that of New Age teaching. David Spangler
wrote that all who were at lower stages of evolutionary (spiritual) development would be removed from earth to another
planet or be withdrawn to inner worlds within the earth or to another level of earth's own consciousness that would better
reflect the needs of their (poorly developed) consciousness:
- It is possible that many from earth will find themselves attracted to such other spheres or planets within
the universe which are at a stage of growth comparable to what earth has moved out of." (Revelation, Birth of a New Age, pp.163-164)
Since the Manifest Son's identify themselves with Joel's army, which is a demonic army, I have no problem agreeing
they may be right on there.
Throughout this work, the work of Dr. Bill Hamon (along with other leaders of the Apostolic-Prophetic Movement) will
be closely examined.
Hamon is the head of Christian International Ministries headquartered in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida and author
of Apostles Prophets And The Coming Moves Of God. He has been called the "Father of the Apostolic-Prophetic
Movement," therefore examining what has been written by him concerning the movement is not only entirely
appropriate but a responsibility as well.
Because I do not agree with what he writes, Dr. Hamon regulates me (and anyone else who may
have the nerve to disagree with him) to the "anti-christ religious system" camp, which he claims propagates
division, disunity (God forbid!), hatred, anger and rebellion." That can all be found on page 22
of his book.
However, he makes it clear, in his book, that I can redeem myself and become part of the group that
will be included in the "first phase of God's end-time purpose" by dying to "old religious traditions" (such as taking
the Bible seriously and as the final authority by which to judge all TRUTH including "present truth" or
"present restored truth" which Hamon refers to repeatedly throughout his book--see page 22).
Hamon, of course, is claiming to be receiving revelation of this "restoration of truth," and he
wastes no time in labeling anyone who judges his prophetic utterances (by the scriptures) as being like those
in the "dark ages" (page20) who kept God's people ignorant and "segregated."
On page 14, he labels Christians who won't cooperate with his agenda as "religious, seclusive and exclusive."
He goes on to accuse them of having an agenda of their own. On page 15, he adds "competitive, jealous,
envious and critical" to the list.
Dr. Hamon is very skilled at using a method of mind-molding socialists have been using
successfully for years.
It's called dialectics--"group think" to us ordinary people.
One of the reasons group think is such an effective mind-molding method, is because it has a
default, "intimidation and alienation," setting, which is triggered the moment anyone demonstrates free
and independent thinking.
In group think, the group interactively, through the help of a facilitator, reaches a consensus on any given subject. Anyone
who refuses to submit to the group consensus, is then intimidated and alienated through being labeled
as uncooperative and causing disunity and conflict within in the group.
I once heard a Christian woman talking about her experience with dialectics while she was attending
nursing school.
The alienation she experienced, while taking certain required courses, because she would not agree
with the group consensus, eventually led her to give up nursing school altogether to pursue another vocation.
In group think, anyone who is an independent thinker, and refuses to surrender their thoughts and will to
the group, by default becomes pitted against the group, thereby becoming a source of conflict and an object
of negative attention from everyone else.
Many people are unable to tolerate the alienation and choose to surrender their will to the group--even
though they may initially (or secretly continue to) disagree.
That is a nutshell, layman's, description of how group-think (dialectics) works.
Dialectics, as used so adroitly by Hamon, is the preferred method of mind-molding among the leaders
of the Apostolic-Prophetic movement--along with New Agers and Socialists ([and many others] whose One
World agenda is identical--hence, disunity is the biggest sin one can commit among them).
Is this sounding familiar to anyone?
Hamon facilitates well in his book, and his method of leadership is clearly revealed. he declares
his consensus (that God is moving in the way Hamon describes) and then immediately introduces intimidation
and the possibility of alienation (dialectics) by labeling, in advance, anyone who might be tempted to disagree
with anything he says.
This movement is spreading like wildfire, and many sincere Christians are being seduced by it--why?
Is it part of the last days apostasy? Is this a wheat and tare situation that we should be leaving alone?
How should Bible believing Christians be responding to this movement?
These and other things will be examined closely in the articles to come.
