Identifying New Apostolic Reformation churches in your city

Posted by Marsha West ∙ November 27, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Cult, Discernment, False Doctrine, False Gospel, False Teacher, Heresy, Hyper-charismatic, New Apostolic Reformation, Bethel Redding, Johnson Bill

Holly Pivec of Spirit of Error offers 5 tips for identifying NAR churches in your neighborhood. For example, NAR churches often provide links to other NAR websites or advertise their upcoming conferences — but not always. As well “they might share the leaders’ Facebook comments or even invite them to speak at their church. Any church that invites Bill Johnson to speak is almost certainly steeped in NAR,” says Pivec. The following tips will help point Bereans (Acts 17:11) in the right direction:

After I speak about the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and its dangers, a question I’m often asked is, “Do you think there are any NAR churches where I live?” My answer is “Almost certainly. Churches that hold to NAR beliefs can be found in pretty much every city and town.”

The next question is, “How do I know which churches those are?” That’s a very good question since most NAR churches don’t put the words “New Apostolic Reformation” on their street sign or website. So how are you supposed to know if they’re part of NAR?

Here are five tips to help you locate NAR churches your area. Keep in mind that some of these churches have formally joined an “apostolic network”—that is, a network of churches that’s governed by an apostle or group of apostles. These are typically hardcore NAR churches, and may be easier to identify. Yet many other churches have come under significant NAR influence, even though they have not formally joined an apostolic network. These churches may be part of a Pentecostal denomination, such as the Assemblies of God or Foursquare Church. Or they may be independent charismatic churches that are not affiliated with any denomination. These tips will help you locate those NAR-influenced churches, too.

5 TIPS FOR IDENTIFYING NAR CHURCHES

Search the Internet using the name of your town or city along with the keywords “church” and “apostolic” or “prophetic” or “fivefold ministry” (also sometimes hyphenated as “five-fold ministry”). Be aware that the search term “apostolic” might provide links to churches that are not generally associated with NAR, but rather use the word “apostolic” to refer to their conviction that they hold to the teachings of Christ’s original apostles. For this reason—in addition to a church’s use of the word “apostolic”—it’s helpful to look for additional signs of NAR beliefs. View article →

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

Research: New Apostolic Reformation

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The Disturbing Legacy of Charles Finney

Posted by Marsha West ∙ November 27, 2017 ∙ In Opinion ∙ Arminianism, Church Growth Movement, Pelagianism, Finney Charles

From Berean Research:

Dr. Michael S. Horton, Member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and cohost of the White Horse Inn radio program. penned the exposé on Charles Finney that’s posted over at Monergism:

No single man is more responsible for the distortion of Christian truth in our age than Charles Grandison Finney. His “new measures” created a framework for modern decision theology and Evangelical Revivalism. In this excellent article, Dr. Mike Horton explains how Charles Finney distorted the important doctrine of salvation.

Jerry Falwell calls him “one of my heroes and a hero to many evangelicals, including Billy Graham.” I recall wandering through the Billy Graham Center some years ago, observing the place of honor given to Charles Finney in the evangelical tradition, reinforced by the first class in theology I had at a Christian college, where Finney’s work was required reading. The New York revivalist was the oft-quoted and celebrated champion of the Christian singer Keith Green and the Youth With A Mission organization. He is particularly esteemed among the leaders of the Christian Right and the Christian Left, by both Jerry Falwell and Jim Wallis (Sojourners’ magazine), and his imprint can be seen in movements that appear to be diverse, but in reality are merely heirs to Finney’s legacy. From the Vineyard movement and the Church Growth Movement to the political and social crusades, televangelism, and the Promise Keepers movement, as a former Wheaton College president rather glowingly cheered, “Finney, lives on!”