NAR: Charismania on Steroids

More thoughts on the NAR.  From John MacArthur's sermon on the Holy Spirit:

What’s going on today is the opposite, attributing to the Holy Spirit the work of Satan. That’s what’s going on. Attributing to the Holy Spirit the work of Satan. Satan is alive and at work in deception, false miracles, bad theology, lying visions, lying dreams, lying revelations, deceptive teachers who are in it for the money and power and influence. Satan is alive and well and the work of Satan is being attributed to the Holy Spirit, that is a serious blasphemy just as attributing to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit is a serious blasphemy.

The latest wave of this, I’ll just give you one illustration, the latest wave of this that is gaining traction and has entered into the sort of national news is a new form of Charismania, bringing reproach on the Holy Spirit called the New Apostolic Reformation, NAR, the New Apostolic Reformation. It is not new, it is not apostolic, and it is not a reformation, by the way. It is like Grape Nuts, it’s not grapes and it’s not nuts, it’s like Christian Science, it’s not Christian and it’s not scientific. Well the New Apostolic Reformation isn’t new, it isn’t apostolic and it isn’t a reformation. But it is a rapidly expanding movement being generated by some of the same old troubling false teachers and false leaders that have been around in Charismania for decades, always dishonoring the Holy Spirit, always dishonoring the Scripture, always claiming miracle signs, wonders, visions, dreams....

....There was a couple of weeks ago, a few weeks ago now, a prayer breakfast in the city of Houston that you may have read about. It was an event sponsored by the New Apostolic Reformation and their leaders and the guests and the main speaker there was Rick Perry, who is a candidate for the Republican Party for President. At this event sponsored by the New Apostolic Reformation, two pastors were leading in this event. They are apostles. They have been given apostleship by the Holy Spirit. They called Rick Perry’s office, as governor of the state of Texas, and told him that the Lord had revealed to them through the Holy Spirit that Texas is the state that God has chosen to lead the United States into revival and godly government and Rick Perry is to play a key role. And at that event, these two apostles of the New Apostolic Reformation Movement, laid hands on Rick Perry and prayed over him. They claim that God speaks directly to them specific instruction…specific instruction. And if people fail to listen to this divine revelation that comes through them, there will be more earthquakes, more terrorist attacks and worse economic conditions....Now you know where this all comes from. This is again attributing to the Holy Spirit the work of Satan. I don’t know what Rick Perry knows or doesn’t know about all of this, you know, in a campaign year, you take the prayers from anybody especially if you’re not sure what this is all about. But this is just one illustration of the aberrations that continue to be placed on the back of the Holy Spirit as if these are things that He is doing. It is such a frightening, frightening form of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit....

The Rise of Rick Perry and the New Apostolic Reformation?

An article by an old friend, Greg Metzger, that I've rediscovered the joy of verbal jousting in recent months.  (Thanks Greg!)  The piece talks about the possible influence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and the theology of dominionism on Governor Perry - a republican presidential candidate.  Greg posits the notion dominionism generally and that NAR influence specifically, is something beyond the usual pandering for Governor Perry.  As is common, I disagree, although this is a "less than hearty" disagreement. 

Dominionism can sound awful - but properly balanced it merely suggests that we are to be steward's of God's creation. To be steward's we must be involved in word and action.  Certainly Christians shouldn't pull out of society like the pre-trib brethren and leave it to those who would be "left behind"? The notion de-legitimizes this very platform.  I, for one, am much more excited about Christians infiltrating with consequence the public square rather than leaving it in it's "nakedness" as described by RJ Neuhaus. True "little christs" doing so would mitigate the fringes, yes? Like any theological view point - the extreme fringe can be dangerous - but a very powerful motivator and hence political tool. I get the impression - and it is only an impression - that a president Perry, in spite of his NAR ties, does in fact offer more of the same.

So far, little has enthused me about this Governor. While I suspect I know more than the average citizen about him, I have yet to spend much time analyzing outside of a few interviews, articles and right wing media buzz. What is interesting to me is that generally the buzz doesn't measure up to the man - as far as I am concerned. In spite of the hype - to me - his speeches aren't that great, off the cuff statements touch the fringes of sensational and even his persona strikes me as hollow. While I won't judge the man in total, I have to say that his alliance and persona comes across more opportunistic than heartfelt. I suspect that NAR will be the governor's version of the Rev Wright and, beyond the primaries, will go the way of Obama's "old uncle".