The idea of people being scattered and gathered is prominent in the Bible for better and for worse, although God has seemingly preferred scattering because of man’s rebellious spirit. This isn’t intended to be an exhaustive study, but the contrasts provide a different view of the story of mankind and the church. The first two…
Posts Categorized: Apostasy
The Dark Light of a False Spirit
Have you ever wondered in reading Luke 11:33-36 what a dark light is? What does Jesus mean in speaking of a light being darkness? “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is…
Nineveh’s Repentance & America’s…What?
In the book of Jonah, we learn that God called the prophet to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh. Famously, Jonah resisted that call and ran as far as he could in the opposite direction. God demanded obedience and convinced Jonah through his adventure with the whale to go do what he’d been told….
The False Prophets of NAR
In the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), the primary presumption is that God has designated the leaders in this movement as modern-day apostles and prophets. They lean on Ephesians 4:11-13 for their Scriptural basis: And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds [pastors] and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of…
Scoffers & Mockers Then & Now
Back in Ezekiel’s day, he faced much scoffing and mocking when he brought forth the Word of the Lord. Despite being so faithful to God and being a conduit for many messages to the Israelites, their constant scorn of God’s prophetic Word had to weigh on Ezekiel. To reassure him, God spoke extensively about those…
How Preterism Leads to NAR Thinking
Preterism is an eschatological position that believes all or most Bible prophecy was fulfilled by the end of the first century. A couple of years ago some friends from our church spent a week at Bethel Church in Redding, CA, bought a book on partial-preterism from the Bethel bookstore, and recommended I read it since…
Whose Kingdom Is NAR Ushering In?
In a most amazing passage, Isaiah details his standing in the throne room of God with all its might and majesty. In Isaiah 6:1-10, he sees God’s glory and knows His holiness: In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of…
NAR’s Last Days Revival
Our church has a seniors’ ministry which I’ve studiously avoided. I certainly qualify in the appropriate age range, but I engage in a bit of denial. When I meet people and they ask me what I do or if I’m retired, I tell them I don’t use the “R” word; I’m too busy. That being…
NAR Purposes vs. Jesus’ Purposes
In February 2019 a huge event was held in Orlando that attracted 50,000 young people. It was birthed by one of the so-called apostles and prophets of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and included many leaders of that movement. There was high energy and determination; there were encouraging declarations; there were many prayers and expectations. …
Martyrdom & NAR
Because of the ten years I’ve been associated as a volunteer with Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), I’ve gotten a perspective of the church and of Jesus Christ that, frankly, few Christians are privileged to witness. In this time, I’ve read the classic book by Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured For Christ, a couple of times and…