(Marsha West – Chistian Research Network) Six years ago the Southern Baptist Convention borrowed the Seven Mountain Mandate (7MM) from the New Apostolic Reformation/Dominionism (NAR) to promote the National Day of Prayer. To be clear, the NAR is a theological cult. So those of us involved in online Discernment were gobsmacked when we got wind that the SBC guide contained the same spheres of power as the NAR’s 7MM. Pulpit & Pen (now Protestia) took note and promptly raised a warning flag:
The SBC Executive committee released a guide designed to support members during the upcoming National Day of Prayer. Captioned ‘How to pray the 2020 theme, Pray God’s Glory Across the Earth, into the Seven Centers of Influence in America for the National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2020.‘… (Source)
In summary P&P reported that SBC’s guide was suspiciously like the NAR’s “Seven Mountain Mandate.”
Before I go any further, for those reading this who are asking what exactly is 7MM theology? Back in 2016 I published a piece entitled 7 Mountain Politics and Theology where I wrote:
Supposedly there are “7 mountains” of global society – Media, Government, Education, Economy, Religion, Entertainment and Family. Conquering these areas of influence is the key to taking a nation for the kingdom of God. The 7 Mountain mandate is the brainchild of the Dominionist movement. Over the years Dominionists have gone by many names including Latter Rain/Kingdom Now /Joel’s Army/Manifested Sons of God and most recently the New Apostolic Reformation. Modern day “apostles” and “prophets” have a plan to aggressively “retake the reins of our country” for Christ. In other words, they believe that Christians must occupy and subdue the world as God’s stewards of the earth. Moreover, these people believe it is a Christian’s duty to go into the world using “spiritual warfare” tactics to crush evil before Jesus Christ’s final return.
So, guess who’s one of the movers and shakers in the apostate NAR movement? None other than “apostle” Rafael Cruz. If you don’t know who this man is, he’s Sen. Ted Cruz’s father.
Without going too far into the weeds, I’ll just tell you that P&P revealed that the 7MM was introduced in 1975 by Youth With A Mission (YWAM) founders Loren Cunningham and Bill Bright who claimed that the idea came to them through a “direct revelation from God.” Thereafter Cunningham and Bright “brought it to the Church as something that must be shared, and it was quickly latched onto and popularized within charismatic circles by “prophets,” “prophetesses,” and “apostles” such as C. Peter Wagner, Chuck Pierce, Lance Wallnau, and Cindy Jacobs.”
With this background in mind, I’ll move on to the 2026 National Day of Prayer. The theme this year is “Glorifying God Among the Nations, Seeking Him in All Generations.” The artwork features an image from the painting “The Prayer at Valley Forge” by Arnold Friberg.
To bring religion back into the American way of life and to prepare for the National Day of Prayer and other significant religious activities for America’s 250th birthday celebration, The White House has established the White House Faith Office, the Religious Liberty Commission, and a task force to stop anti-Christian bias. Two of the events these offices will coordinate are the National Day of Prayer which will be held on May 7 and on May 17 Revival Nation.
According to their promotional material, the national prayer gathering “will unite Americans across faiths in gratitude and reflection, drawing inspiration from the Continental Congress’s historic calls for prayer during the Revolutionary era. It serves as a spiritual highlight amid other signature events, including the Great American State Fair in June and the grand July 4 Salute to America.”
For the remainder of this piece I’ll highlight some of the reasons Bible believing Christians should be concerned about ecumenical prayer events brought about by professing Christians who do not adhere to the fundamentals of the historic Christian faith. This calls to mind the question: How is it possible for gatherings such as these to bring glory to God?
Latter Rain Heresy Has Both Feet Firmly Planted In…. The White House
In 2011 Christian Research Network contributor Crystal Witt warned the Body of Christ about NAR’s founder, C. Peter Wagner because of Wagner’s surprising success introducing Latter Rain heresy into the visible Church. Apprising Ministries editor, Ken Silva, posted Crystal’s piece.
Crystal reminded us that the proponents of the NAR were once looked upon as being on the fringe of charismania but had managed to gain inroads into churches, politics, government and were quickly going mainstream. “But Wagner didn’t do this alone,” she warned. “Wagner had many self-serving false prophets and false apostles who were more than willing to help him spread this poison.”
She went on to caution about NAR’s Seven Mountain Mandate. According to Peter Wagner:
“The word mandate, you gotta understand, mandate means an authoritative order or command. It doesn’t mean a good idea, it doesn’t mean a suggestion; it means an authoritative order. Dominion has to do with control. Dominion has to do with rulership. Dominion has to do with authority and subduing, and it relates to society…..” (C. Peter Wagner. Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! conference. Sonrise Chapel, Everett, Washington. November 2-4, 2006.) (emphasis added)
Now, what is all of this going to accomplish? According to the NAR, it is to bring about Christ’s second coming. According to latter rain theology, these super apostles and prophets will become immortal, will subdue the earth through the seven mountain mandate, or the seven spheres of influence, will conquer the enemies of God (anyone who opposes the NAR) through spiritual mapping/spiritual warfare, and will eventually take over the earth. Once the earth has been completely conquered, then Jesus can come. Until then, He is being held in Heaven. Once man perfects this world, Jesus can come and man will lay the earth at His feet. Take out your magic eraser and eradicate the book of Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah… in fact, erase it all. You can’t hold to any of it anyway if you follow this doctrine.
This is a warning that I am giving more loudly and clearly than any I’ve ever given. Keep your eyes and ears open! This thing has not only gained traction, but is spreading like a cancer. Watch and pray, friends. It’s getting darker by the minute!
Downgrade In The Visible Church
In a piece I penned in 2020 entitled Evangelicalism Has Been Hijacked By Woke Elitist ‘Progressive Christians’ I laid out conservative believer’s concerns over how quickly unorthodox theology was gaining ground, not only in mainline denominations, but unbiblical beliefs were flooding into non-denominational churches as well. I reminded that there’s a “diabolically inspired supermarket of truth and error in the postmodern Church.” I love word pictures so I took readers for a stroll through a supermarket to shop for the ingredients in Syncretism Stew….
Aisle 1-Mysticism Madness;
Aisle 2-Charismatic Confusion;
Aisle 3-Pentecostal Pandemonium;
Aisle 4-Enlightened Emergents;
Aisle 5-Purpose-driven Pragmatism;
Aisle 6-Secular Strategies…to suck in seekers;
Aisle 7-Twelve-steps…to “group think”;
Aisle 8-Preposterous Pop Psychology;
Aisle 9-Discernment Disintegration;
Aisle 10-Predatory Pastors;
Aisle 11 Social Justice Socialism;
Aisle 12 Critical Race Theory…absent critical thinking
On and on it goes.
I went on to say, “syncretism in Evangelicalism started happening when elements of various religious beliefs were integrated into mainline denominations. As syncretism spreads, creeds, confessions and doctrine get tossed aside resulting in a fundamental change of beliefs. When Truth declines, false teaching flourishes. The wily serpent uses syncretism to separate God from His people.”
Simply put, syncretism in Christianity is when we adopt incompatible beliefs and traditions into the Church.
So now that I’ve made clear what Satan’s agenda is, let’s move on to another tactic the dark forces of evil use in their effort to separate God from His people.
Getting People Into The Seats
In Ecumenical vs Evangelical Mike Riccardi opens his essay with “One of the most devastating attacks on the life and health of the church throughout all of church history has been what is known as the ecumenical movement—the downplaying of doctrine in order to foster partnership in ministry between (a) genuine Christians and (b) people who were willing to call themselves Christians but who rejected fundamental Christian doctrines.”
As I always like to remind people, a mouse in the cookie jar is not a cookie.
Riccardi goes on to say, “In 1908, more than 30 denominations representing over 18 million American Protestants set their doctrinal differences aside and met in Philadelphia at what is called the Federal Council of Churches. Their great concern was not the Gospel, but how to address the social issues of the day: race relations, international justice, reducing armaments, education, and regulating the consumption of alcohol. This was the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement.”
Down the page Riccardi reminds us that “…it was all—as it always is—driven by numbers. One of the Anglican liberals said of partnering with Graham, ‘What does fundamentalist theology matter compared with gathering in the people we have all missed?’ In other words, Who cares about the theology? Just get the people in the seats! And sadly enough, the uncrucified lust for influence worked in both directions.”
Further down Mike says, “And though the motive is almost always pure—that is, to influence the enemies of the Gospel to be swayed from their opinions and embrace the Gospel—when you blur the lines between belief and unbelief, it always works in the opposite direction. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, ‘Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’” You might think, “Oh, I’m just partnering with them so that I can minister to them and so that they can get saved!’ But Paul says, ‘No, don’t be deceived! Good morals do not reform bad company; bad company corrupts good morals.’”
Back in the 1960s Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer challenged, “What is the use of evangelicalism seeming to get larger and larger if sufficient numbers under the name evangelical no longer hold to that which makes evangelicalism evangelical?”
Has anyone else noticed that the ecumenical agenda being pushed on the Bride of Christ is growing more brazen with each new event?
The Ecumenical Church Of Satan
The late Ken Silva addressed creeping ecumenicism in 2008 and warned the Church visible against it until his death in 2014. Here’s an excerpt from The Ecumenical Church of Deceit:
And while I don’t agree with everything A.W. Tozer taught he did put his finger right on the problem when he wrote:
That so-called Bible religion in our times is suffering rapid decline is so evident as to need no proof. I have observed one significant lack among evangelical Christians. The great deficiency to which I refer is the lack of spiritual discernment, especially among the leaders. How can there be so much Bible knowledge and so little insight? Surely one of the greatest needs is the appearance of Christian leaders with prophetic insight. Unless they come soon, it will be too late for this generation.
Oh, but how much easier it is instead to tell ourselves that “we must work for unity in the love of God” than to look a professing Christian in the eye and inform them the Lord has not sent these of the new post-evangelicalism like Rick Warren, Richard Foster, Brian McLaren and Joel Osteen into our midst to teach counterfeit versions of Christianity. There are many false prophets and teachers in this lying ecumenical purpose driven-emerging-word faith-church who are deceiving you. Do not listen to their dreams of one big happy family of “Christians” as we reunite with the Church of Rome and its long apostate Roman Catholicism. These purveyors of post-evangelicalism are whitewashed tombs who are not telling you the truth, because if the Lord had truly sent them with their message of man-love then it would mean that the Reformation itself had been a lie.
Unfortunately, Christians unwilling to turn their backs on the comforts of this world have been sleeping while the enemy moved his forces deeper into pagan American culture. And before we knew it up rose a Purpose Driven Church with its pragmatic man-centered attempt to Christianize the “American Dream” as well as an Emerging Church complete with its own seducing spirits and doctrines of demons designed by Satan to attack the Word of God from within the evangelical community itself. What first alerted me that something was seriously amiss was when in dialogue with Emergents I found myself having to use the same arguments to establish the authority and infallibility of the Bible that I would use in talking with skeptics! Men like Doug Pagitt and Rob Bell have bought the lie of so-called postmodernism becoming essentially Christian agnostics.
Tragically Satan has been able to deeply embed a twisted lie concerning tolerance into the very soul of our society. Of course we should be tolerant of other cultures and religious views here in our pluralistic world. However, the feigned tolerance of this society is in actuality quite aggressively hostile to the historic orthodox Christian faith. And the time has now arrived where we must confront false doctrine within our Lord’s church visible, and return to Gospel purity. And at the same time His Christian community also needs to stop being wishy-washy and to make a firm commitment to start exposing the veritable cornucopia of false religious systems that are all around us. This also means that we are going to have to prepare ourselves intellectually to be able to confront their erroneous teachings, such as those of apostate Roman Catholicism.
Yes, we must face a hard reality here. It is true that many people infected by today’s Purpose Driven/Seeker Driven so-called attractional churches aren’t going to like it. They will cry that we are “intolerant,” and they will call us “narrow-minded.” But this type of self-centered people said the same kinds of things about Jesus of Nazareth, so we are in the best company. For this is what He said — “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own” (John 15:18-19). You may draw strength from this: If someone who claims to know Christ “hates” you, then according to what our Lord and Master Himself just said, who do they actually belong to? <end excerpt>
Although there is much more that could be said regarding the issues addressed in this article, I’m out of space. Suffice it to say, the 7MM has slithered its way into the various Executive Branch leadership organizations. Disappointingly, Church leadership appears to be incapable of standing up to the charismatic chaos that has invaded the Church and defiled the Gospel, not to mention the invasion of an ecumenical attitude that puts social issues before Church doctrine has placed significant hurdles in the way of America once again becoming a nation that honors God. Without question honoring God is a worthy goal for our country. A good starting point to achieve this goal is to do the unthinkable: Read and study the Bible and be obedient to God’s commands!
Scripture couldn’t be any clearer that God’s people are not to unite with corrupt religious systems or theological cults (such as the NAR’s “apostles” and “prophets” who have managed to spread the 7MM poison into churches).
Returning to Mike Riccardi’s sage words above:
You might think, “Oh, I’m just partnering with them so that I can minister to them and so that they can get saved!’ But Paul says, ‘No, don’t be deceived! Good morals do not reform bad company; bad company corrupts good morals.’”
Related:
True Unity in the Body of Christ by Ken Silva
Is the ‘Christian Right’ doing the right thing in God’s eyes? by Marsha West
Not a good development – 7 Mountain Mandate now part of the National Day of Prayer Michael Grant podcast
From Truth to Corruption: The Fall of the Catholic Church Todd Friel interviews Nathan Busenitz
John MacArthur speaks bluntly about Billy Graham / Robert Schuller “Wider Mercy” doctrine
Ignite : Geoff Eckart Mon AM – Bethel University Chapel Geoff is Chairman of the board of NDOP
CRN has compiled a list of false teachers and several other professing Christians we’ve warned you about over the years. The list also contains those we must keep an eye on plus movements, organizations and “frauds, phonies and money-grubbing religious quacks” to mark and avoid as per Romans 16:17-18