Is There A NAR Influence In Your Church?

The Church is under attack. Believers around the world face persecution beyond anything we encounter in the United States. Thankfully, we are still blessed with the freedom to worship freely in our nation, but that doesn’t mean we are not also under a real attack. Of course, there are those who mock and belittle us. Some would even legislate our freedoms away if they had the votes. The most dangerous threats to the Church, though, are coming from inside the Church itself. A persistent attack on the Church we are facing today is from a New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) influence, and Christians don’t seem to see it happening right in front of their eyes.

What Is NAR?

NAR stands for New Apostolic Reformation. It’s difficult to pin down exactly what NAR is because, for starters, some people deny NAR is even a thing. They call it a “boogeyman” that conservative Christians made up to discredit particular churches. Additionally, there is no particular denomination associated with NAR, therefore, these churches are often independent or tucked away unnoticed in a denomination.

Defining the NAR influence can be tricky because each church governs itself and only answers to the apostles and prophets in leadership. (More on that later.) Despite the challenge, I’m going to try to give a very short overview of a basic NAR church, but I will dive deeper a little later in this post.

NAR churches focus heavily on experience, mysticism, prophecy, and modern-day “apostles.” They have lean hard into the miraculous, and churches with a NAR influence will generally rely on signs and wonders to win people over to their church.

You’re likely to hear messages about our ability to perform the same miracles as Jesus. Specifically, there seems to be a lot of focus on healing and resurrection. The explanation for our god-like powers is an unbiblical understanding of Jesus as man. They teach He was 100% man and not divine while on Earth, and believers are supposed to emulate His miracles. You see, according to NAR teachings, Jesus performing miracles was about us rather than being a display of His divinity.

Lastly, churches influenced by NAR will usually spend a disproportionate time focused on spiritual warfare. Demons and spirits are a constant threat to members of NAR churches, and ridding the world of these spirits is all a part of the role of the Church in ushering in the Kingdom.

Read This Book

There is so much to say, but I am writing a blog post, not a book. Lucky for you, there is a great book on NAR that I can’t recommend enough called “Counterfeit Kingdom: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church.”

The authors, Holly Pivec and R. Douglas Geivett do an excellent job breaking down the New Apostolic Reformation with respect and plenty of Scripture to back up their arguments. If this topic interests you, please get this book, read it, and share it with everyone you know.

Is The NAR Influence Big Enough To Be A Problem?

If NAR was not influential, then there would be no need to have this conversation. The NAR influence, however, is moving into churches quietly and loudly. Some influence is coming in through the backdoor, so to speak, and some is proudly marching into our communities making declarative prayers over everything and everyone.

Music: The Unnoticed NAR Influence

Churches that sing the tried-and-true hymns in worship are more difficult than ever to find. For a lot of churchgoers, the music needs to be a professional show with music that sounds like what they hear on the radio. In fact, they would prefer the songs actually be from the radio, if possible. And they are getting just that in all kinds of churches. Popular songs in churches today come from Bethel, Hillsong, Jesus Culture, Elevation Church, etc.. The songs are catchy, radio-friendly, and they give people the feels.

The Musical Trojan Horse

Pivec and Geivett claim NAR influenced music is a trojan horse in the church. These songs seems harmless, sound nice, and make us feel good. That can’t be bad, right? Wrong. The songs are carefully written to softly introduce NAR ideas into churches with little to no pushback. That might sound like a conspiracy theory, but Bill Johnson, the Senior Leader (i.e., “apostle”) at Bethel Church in California, has given us a clear view of his plans with music.

“Music bypasses all of the intellectual barriers, and when the anointing of God is on a song, people will begin to believe things they wouldn’t believe through teaching.”

Bill Johnson (Bethel Church)

He’s not wrong. Music shapes our beliefs and how we see the world. My husband is a pastor, and I know that some people forget what he preached about before they even sit down for lunch on Sundays. On the other hand, a song can be stuck in your head for days or weeks after hearing it despite your best attempts to forget it. The lyrics of that song will repeat over and over again in your mind. Each repetition making the words truer to you than the last time.

NAR Influence In “Champion”

I can’t quote entire songs to you from any of these churches or music groups because of copyright laws. If you get the chance, though, listen to the popular song “Champion” from Bethel Music. It isn’t the only NAR influenced song to sneak in NAR theology, but it’s a solid example.

One verse claims we have “authority” from Jesus and that “miracles [will] start breaking out” when we, as believers, speak. I’ll talk more about miracles later, but can you see how that lyric is unbiblical? There is zero Scriptural basis for claiming that the Lord has given us an authority to perform miracles. This assumes we can do the supernatural things Christ did on Earth, and it is very me focused. So, it’s totally NAR.

The Musical Feels

In addition to including NAR theology, music from these churches appeals heavily to our emotions. Watch any movie, and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Without the music to pull on our heartstrings, we have much less reaction to what we see on screen. Composers know exactly the right way to pull us in and pull out the desired emotional response. Plenty of churches do the same thing. Why else do you think some pastors require musical accompaniment when they pray? They are manipulating their audience into an emotional response.

This emotional response to NAR music inevitably leads us to adopt the lyrical assertions of those songs, and some people become warrior-like defenders of their NAR church because of their love of the music. Don’t believe me? Criticize Bethel Church on an online public platform. I dare you. The response will be a harsh rebuke of your apparent lack of spirituality and claims such as:

“Those songs literally saved my life.”

“I have learned so much about God through these songs.”

“The old hymns are so boring, but this church plays music that sounds like what I listen to on the radio and makes more sense.”

“I can really feel His presence when I listen to these songs.”

Comments like these remind me of someone I used to know. I once heard her say that she didn’t get a whole lot of anything from preaching. She said her worship and spiritual experiences were found in the music. If your Christianity is reliant on your music preferences, then there is something fundamentally wrong with your faith. But churches under a NAR influence depend on people to be so moved by the music that they feel the only way to be close to God and experience the Holy Spirit in their lives is through the church’s music.

Revivals: The Noisy NAR Influence

Not every NAR influence is a quiet one being snuck into our local churches. Some NAR churches are trying to influence entire communities. There is a church in my region doing just this through meetings/revivals throughout the entire state. It partners with a community’s local NAR influenced churches and promises to offer great speaking, fantastic music, healing, and prophecy.

A recent meeting they had claimed one hundred souls were saved. I hope so. If they were, however, those folks need to be rescued from the false teaching of the churches likely to scoop them up.

The entire event looked like a concert. The speaker was described online as “prophetic,” and people walked away claiming to have been healed. Call me a skeptic, but I’m always suspicious with these claims. If you haven’t seen the documentary American Gospel: In Christ Alone, check it out. It discusses “healers,” and Justin Peters shares a disheartening, yet completely predictable, story about his experiences with these people.

It has become clear to me, as I’ve watched this church move about in my state, how undiscerning people are about NAR teachings. A local private Christian school in my area set up a booth at this event, and there were no questions, feedback, or concerns from anyone on social media. Did the school leadership not know this church’s beliefs? Or worse, did they not see the problem? I can’t say, but I can say this event had a packed house. And it breaks my heart. People want to be close to God, and NAR is pulling them to a false god through extraordinary emotional experiences, shows, and gifted speakers who tell lies with pretty words and enthusiasm.

How To Identify A NAR Influence In A Church

So, maybe it’s not very clear whether or not a church you attend or plan to attend is under a NAR influence. It can definitely be difficult to tell, especially if a church is only slightly influenced by NAR, because many of these churches mix some good stuff in with unbiblical teachings. Thankfully, the NAR influence can be more easily detected when we can recognize the red flags.

Please, keep in mind that red flags don’t automatically mean the church you are thinking about is under the NAR influence. These flags are just something to take note of while gathering enough information to see the whole picture. This is meant to help not condemn.

NAR Influence Red Flag #1: NAR Buzzwords On The Website And In The Statement Of Faith

Sometimes the easiest way to know what a church is all about is to Google it. Go to the church’s website and social media pages, and search out any clues you can because it is unlikely the church will simply say, “Come on over to our New Apostolic Reformation church.”

Look for references to “prophetic” messages and “prophets.” You might also see the word “apostolic,” but that could be something unrelated to NAR, as well. Be especially concerned with any mention of “fivefold ministry.” This means the church places leadership in the hands of five kinds of people: “apostles,” “prophets,” evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

Also, don’t neglect the church’s statement of faith. The NAR beliefs a church holds are often left out, and the statement may basically sound all right. In fact, I’ve seen some that are so basic that they hardly tell me a thing about where the church stands on any issue. Nevertheless, look for any mentions of present-day “apostles” and “prophets.” Also, take note of disproportionate attention to the Holy Spirit, if applicable.

NAR Influence Red Flag #2: Prayer Rooms

Some NAR influenced churches have 24/7 prayer rooms. Now, I’m in favor of prayer, and I know God is, too. We are instructed on how to pray in the Bible, in fact (Matthew 6:9-13). So, yes, prioritize prayer, but these prayer rooms are not as innocent as simple rooms open for prayer.

Mike Bickle, founder of the International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC), claims he had a revelation to start a prayer room in which there is always someone praying. He opened this prayer room in 1999, and teaches that the prayers in prayer rooms throughout the world will release judgment from God and, ultimately, kill millions of people. He discusses it in the video below.

In the video, Bickle refers to Moses releasing judgment on Egypt. I hope you understand that Moses did not release anything. One might call him a spokesman, but God did what God was going to do. The Lord didn’t wait on Moses to allow Him to act. God acted through Moses as He planned. One view is God-led while the other is man-focused. Nonetheless, NAR teachings insist that prayer rooms will release God’s power. As is common in NAR theology, God needs us in order to accomplish His works.

Let us not forget God is the Creator of everything and can accomplish whatever He wills on His own.

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

Psalm 115:3

NAR Influence Red Flag #3: Associations With Unbiblical People And Organizations

Be careful who you spend time with, right? We all know that those with whom we associate affect how we live and what we believe. Not to mention, our friendships with people say that we validate them and their beliefs. Maybe we don’t, but that’s not how people see it. For example, if I had a member of the Church of Latter-day Saints speak in my church, wouldn’t everyone assume I validated his beliefs?

If a church or pastor you are interested in associates with IHOPKC, Bethel Church, Elevation Church, Bill Johnson, Mike Bickle, Kris Vallotton, Todd White, Heidi Baker, or Greg Locke, get as far away from that church or pastor as you can.

NAR Influence Red Flag #4: Questionable Guest Speakers

A church under a NAR influence may not be overtly teaching NAR theology or may be just beginning a move in that direction. That means the warning signs may be far and few between, but something NAR churches appear to love is hosting special speakers. Personally, I love hearing guest speakers, but I have learned to look into the speaker’s history and beliefs before taking what he says too seriously.

Are the speakers controversial? Do they come from the Assemblies of God or Foursquare Church? Are they Pentecostal or Charismatic? None of these things means the speaker is NAR influenced, but you may require to do more digging to make sure this person has a biblical understanding of the gospel.

The biggest clue, of course, would be if the speaker calls himself a “prophet” or “apostle.”

NAR Influence Red Flag #5: Apostles, Prophets, And New Revelation

Anyone who refers to himself (or herself) as a “prophet” or “apostle” is highly questionable. Jude 3-4 and 2 Peter 3 refer to apostles in the past tense. Also, the apostles were chosen by Christ. Mark 3:16-19 covers when the original twelve apostles were chosen. After Judas died, Matthias was named his replacement in Acts 1:20-26. Paul, who some wrongly say was not picked by Jesus as an apostle, is recorded as being chosen to be an apostle by the Lord in several places in the Bible (1 Corinthians 15:8-9, Galatians 1:1; 2:6-9).

The time for prophets and apostles has ended. The same goes for new revelation. We have the completed Word of God, and we no longer need Him to speak to us through specially “anointed” men and women with a “new word.” All we need for salvation and a life in obedience to God has already been revealed to us through His Word and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God’s Anointed

NAR churches rely heavily on the leadership of their “apostles” and “prophets.” The “prophets” give the alleged revelations to the “apostles,” and those “apostles” share the vision and lead the church. Some NAR churches are part of an apostolic network which is a network of churches governed by an “apostle” or a group of them.

“Apostles” and “prophets” are understood as anointed leaders of the church and unquestioning allegiance is highly encouraged or expected. We hear “touch not my anointed ones” (1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15) to prevent anyone from criticizing people in these positions. Of course, this understanding of the verse is completely twisted to support a modern-day perversion of apostles and prophets.

Another method of manipulating people into unquestioningly following “apostles” in NAR churches is “divine destiny.” Believers have a destiny that God means for us to fulfill, but we cannot do so unless we follow the “apostle” and believe everything he tells us. This teaching makes “apostles” gatekeepers to your God-ordained purpose.

NAR Influence Red Flag #6: Supernatural Trainings

A very popular example of NAR trainings in the supernatural is the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) through Bethel Church. Students at BSSM learn to prophesy as one may expect at a NAR influenced school. In order to learn, the students need to practice, and what better way to hone their grift skill than to go to a psychic fair and offer readings? (I wish I were making this up…) In an attempt to add more new age practices to their lessons, they have also been known to use Destiny Cards, and BSSM wants us to all understand that these cards are not the same as tarot cards because they’re Christian…or something.

Accuracy seems to be an insignificant detail, thankfully for these hucksters, because wrong readings are common. A quote recorded in Counterfeit Kingdom (p.34) from a teacher at Bethel while students were learning to prophesy says, “If you’re right, you’re right. If you’re wrong, who cares?” Um, being wrong immediately disqualifies someone from being a prophet because getting an incorrect message from God either means you are a fraud or God was wrong. It isn’t the latter, y’all.

“Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

Psalm 147:5

BSSM has also been caught partaking in an occultic practice known as “grave soaking.” Put simply, individuals lay on top of the grave of a known “prophet” or revivalist, and the person soaks up their gift from the grave. I have no more to say on that practice. I’m too disgusted to expound on it.

Any church training its members to prophesy, perform miracles, commune with the dead, or heal has left Scripture for the occult. It has denied the Word as sufficient for a search of God’s power for themselves.

“If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.”

Leviticus 20:6 (ESV)

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:8

“And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.”

Acts 19:19 (ESV)

NAR Influence Red Flag #7: Too Much Holy Spirit?

As a Baptist, I will readily admit that many Baptist churches downplay the Holy Spirit. Some even seem offended at the mention of Him. It can be a serious fault in our churches because the Holy Spirit is one-third of the Trinity which we hold dear. He is essential to believers’ lives just like God the Father and Jesus Christ. He indwells us, convicts us, helps us discern what is right, and has sealed us with a promise of what is to come. So, He absolutely deserves our respect, love, thankfulness, and acknowledgment.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

1 Corinthians 3:16

“And when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:”

John 16:8 (ESV)

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

Ephesians 1:13

Where do churches with a NAR influence go wrong? Well, for one, there is a heavy emphasis on the atmosphere of the worship service and inviting the Holy Spirit’s presence into the service. There is even a popular worship song that says, “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here.” That just makes my brain hurt.

First, He didn’t need the invitation. God the Holy Spirit is free to be wherever, whenever. Second, if these churches are truly filled with born-again Christians, then the Holy Spirit is already present because He indwells each and every one of us. This invitation makes as much sense as you walking into my house, sitting next to me on my couch, and then loudly declaring I am welcome to join you.

The second issue with how NAR churches handle the Holy Spirit is they elevate Him above Christ. He becomes the focus of their worship efforts as they attempt to gain His powers to allow them to heal and prophecy. Jesus may have died for the sins of the world, but NAR churches shift the focus on how the Holy Spirit can help members level-up in their faith to a new skill or gift.

NAR Influence Red Flag #8: Unbiblical Kingdom Thinking

Many of us understand that Christ will return in His timing, and we cannot know when that will be. NAR leaders teach that believers will bring the Kingdom. First, we must conquer the “earthy kingdoms” or the “mountains.” You might see this referred to as the Seven Mountain Mandate. The mountains are government, media, entertainment, education, business, family, and religion.

End times, as most conservative Christians throughout history have understood it, doesn’t seem to apply to NAR teachings. Instead, the focus is taking over those seven spheres of influence (and the money involved in them). This might explain why some of these churches also have a heavy leaning toward political topics. The mindset is laser-focused on things here and now because they believe this is how they will bring Jesus and His Kingdom here.

Let me say this again. God doesn’t need us to do anything to allow Him to make His next move. Jesus doesn’t need us to usher Him in. We don’t know when the Lord will return, but we do know He won’t be coming back because we made the world better and more Christian for Him.

NAR Influence Red Flag #9: Overemphasis On God’s Love For Us

This red flag must sound silly. Can someone overemphasize God’s love? I think so, especially when love is boxed into the world’s version of love. God’s love should include words like sin, forgiveness, and obedience. God’s love in a NAR influenced church, though, relies heavily on God wanting to bless us. And though He certainly does want to bless us, He doesn’t always bless us. In fact, He may not even bless us (in the ways we request) no matter how obediently and faithfully we live.

NAR churches make our relationship with God transactional. For instance, if we give enough money and time or have enough faith, then God will bless us with something like material things or healing. It feels a little bit like the prosperity gospel.

If a church lays off sin and a clear gospel while muddying the waters with a “Divine Butler” message, then it is probably influenced by NAR.

NAR Influence Red Flag #10: Signs And Healings

When Christ was on Earth, he performed miracles, along with His apostles, in order to demonstrate His divinity. It’s difficult to believe someone can forgive sins, but that claim is a lot easier to digest if the same person heals a blind man or resurrects someone! As I said earlier, the time for these signs and healings has come and gone.

Moreover, Christians have been warned about seeking out signs and healings.

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

Matthew 24:24 (ESV)

“A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.”

Matthew 16:4

All the sign we need is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rather than seek after experiences, we ought to celebrate living at a time and place in which God’s Word is complete and easily accessible.

Final Thought

Does any of this even matter? Don’t these NAR churches preach Christ? Why don’t we just let them do their own thing? These questions are fair and deserve a response.

What “Christian” churches teach believers and the unsaved absolutely matters. Remember, there is only one truth.

NAR churches preach Jesus, but they lay off sin and make Christianity about themselves. They don’t throw aside the Bible completely, but they feel a need to add new revelation to it because Scripture isn’t sufficient. As an evangelist I met years ago likes to say, that’s not Bible! Additionally, they commonly remove Jesus’ divine identity from His ministry on Earth. So, what Jesus do they preach?

I’d love to let the NAR movement happen while I peacefully ignore it. But how can any Bible believing Christian ignore the lies and false teachings spreading into the Church? Should we not warn others before they have been ensnared by a seemingly harmless influence? Isn’t it time to speak out against the New Apostolic Reformation as one body of believers?

Have you seen a NAR influence near you? Tell me about it.

Resources:

Counterfeit Kingdom: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church

Got Questions?

What’s Wrong with Bethel Church and the NAR Movement? with Holly Pivec

Image courtesy of Jon Tyson via Unsplash.