American Gospel: Spirit & Fire - Review

Believers Unite to Warn the Church About the New Apostolic Reformation

Why American Gospel Means So Much to Me

Nine years ago I was blindsided by the confusing doctrines of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). I was a Bible college grad serving full time as an urban missionary with no plans of becoming embroiled in a global controversy. I was young, naive, and unprepared to face the demands of the New Apostles and Prophets. These new leaders are quickly redefining the Christian Faith and confronting believers everywhere with an ultimatum… “Submit to the fresh revelation of the New Apostles or find yourself fighting against God.”

My ministry leader had all of us watch video teachings from Christ for the Nations Institute about the restoration of the Apostolic office. I had never encountered such ideas before. Some of it was new even to my Charismatic coworkers. I began doing research on the NAR and became overwhelmed with concerns. I knew this wasn’t going to be an issue I could just tuck away and ignore.

I sat down for three meetings with the leadership. Here’s an extremely condensed version of how it went…

Me: I’m just not on board with this teaching on the Apostolic.

Leaders: God is testing you. He called you to be here and now you’re in the crucible. Your true character is being revealed as prideful, critical, and judgmental. You are resisting the Spirit and hardening your heart to what He’s trying to do. Also, you’re attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan which is dangerously close to committing the unpardonable sin.

Me: But I’m seeing new age practices accompanied by bizarre manifestations. Isn’t that a problem?

Leaders: You’re watching videos? Those are all discrediting attacks that put God in a box and such critics don’t want God to do anything new. They are being used as tools of Satan.

Me: I’m not sure I should be here anymore.

Leaders: You made a commitment to be here… a vow before God that He takes very seriously. If you run home to your parents, then you run away from His will. And you’ll be stepping out from under your covering.

Me: Well, Paul and Barnabas had to part ways over a secondary disagreement and God still used them. They still agreed on the Gospel.

Leaders: Yeah but you never hear a word about Barnabas ever again in Scripture because He left the will of God.

I gave up trying to make my case. I broke down and wept under the pressure. They took it as a sign that God was breaking through to me. I called my parents and told them I was full of uncertainty. The stress got so much that I couldn’t eat for a few days. I didn’t know who was right. Were my concerns invalid and a manifestation of pride in my heart? Or was God opening my eyes to something dangerous?

I couldn’t bear the thought of ending up on the wrong side of this issue. All my coworkers could tell something was wrong because I was visibly distraught. I had loved my time in this ministry and never had a single issue. There were strange doctrines that I brushed aside for the sake of unity but I wasn’t able to shake the seriousness of the following claim…

The claim: God Himself is restoring the lost offices of Prophet and Apostle to govern the Church. Once the Body of Christ embraces the Five Fold Ministry, God will release a movement of signs and wonders surpassing the Book of Acts… a movement of spiritual power so irresistible that all nations will be swept into a global Christendom. A Christian Golden Age will follow to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ.

My soul was torn down the middle. I hate conflict and division and I’m a peacemaker at heart. But I had to choose between submitting to new revelation and standing up for my Biblically informed convictions. I wasn’t the hero though. I had so much fear of man and my dad had to basically come rescue me because I was waffling so much.

After a 3rd, tense meeting, my dad by my side this time, we made it clear that I was leaving and I got up to give a farewell hug to my leaders. As I leaned in to hug the main leader, I heard him say, “You’re making a very dangerous decision”.

His words haunted my sensitive conscience for months. Had I landed on the right side of the battlefield? Or had I run away from God and partnered with Satan? I loved these people like family and I had trusted their judgment. Their opinion mattered to me.

Despite the inner turmoil this caused, I praise God, because the haunting echoes of condemnation drove me into deeper and deeper study. I listened to every podcast I could find. I read every book. But there weren’t many voices speaking out in 2016. I hadn’t yet heard of Chris Rosebrough. Steve Kozar was just getting started. Holly Pivec and Doug Gievett’s books were helpful and Keith Gibson’s book, “Wandering Stars”, was a game-changer.

But I can hardly put into words my sense of validation and relief when I watched American Gospel: Christ Alone for the first time in 2018. To see so many different voices speaking out against the Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith brought me to tears. I shared it with everyone I could. Every Christian needed to see this crystal-clear comparison of truth versus error. I wanted eyes to be opened like mine had been.

Before AG1, no-one in my circles understood what I was trying to warn about. Years later, the Bible College I graduated from is having students watch American Gospel in theology class. There is a growing momentum in bringing these issues to light. My wife and I have been able to make some lifelong friendships with other individuals who escaped the movement. Suffice it to say that these films have played a major role in my journey to reestablish my faith on solid ground.

Spirit & Fire

When I heard that American Gospel creator, Brandon Kimber, was working on a third installment to address the NAR movement, I was beyond thrilled. I didn’t know it would take multiple years and endure so many setbacks but I can see God’s hand in shaping the final result into a more comprehensive series of documentary films.

What started as possibly a 2 or 3 hour movie has grown into a 13+ hour, multi-season mega-project. I believe this level of thoroughness is critical to providing enduring documentation of a movement known for revising history and adjusting language to adapt to criticism.

Brandon Kimber has spent over five years gathering research, conducting interviews, and editing overwhelming amounts of material into a precise format that will serve the Church with much needed clarity. We live in very confusing times and the NAR is an extra large fog machine in a room already full of chaos.

So many believers from different backgrounds have united behind this project to warn the Body of Christ and I truly believe this documentary might be the closest thing we get to an ancient Church council in the modern age. The Early Church would assemble diverse representatives in the first centuries to confront error, and, though we don’t have that ability today, American Gospel: Spirit & Fire brings together eye witnesses, theologians, pastors, writers, and researchers from all across the denominational spectrum to confront the threat of the NAR’s false teachings.

Now to disclose my own bias, I’m personally involved in the project. I met Brandon in 2020 and have been honored to contribute in very small ways. So take my opinion for what it’s worth. I consider Brandon a friend and I’m fully behind what he does. But my heart was in it long before I met the man behind the films.

I have previewed all the episodes that Brandon has completed and they are beyond what I could have hoped for back in 2020. All the setbacks delaying the release have been used of the Lord to fine tune the focus and scope of the project. Much has happened in the NAR scene over the last five years and it needed to be documented and addressed.

AG3 is not merely about highlighting error. It boldly proclaims soul-satisfying truth. Each episode contains teaching to reorient the viewer to the primacy and sufficiency of the Gospel. Each episode builds a case and defends it with Scripture-in-context. For those with a lot of experience in the Hyper-Charismatic world, this series will encourage you to reconsider many things you’ve been taught. If you are willing to accept the challenge and examine the issues with an open Bible, you will shed unnecessary burdens and grow in your understanding and appreciation of the Gospel.

In March 2025, a pre-release of four episodes was published as Brandon works on finishing some final episodes for the full Season One release. Below are my thoughts on each installment.

Bethel Redding Pt. One - Dominion

This episode begins a four part exploration of the impact Bethel Church has had on the city of Redding and the broader visible church as a whole. A former BSSM student shares her perspective as a now secular journalist, reflecting on the positive and negative effects the megachurch has had on the local community. I am grateful for the way she highlights the good intentions of Bethel congregants. She used to be one and her intentions were also good at the time.

A local man working at a Christian college in Redding shares how Bethel has infiltrated his school and community over the years. His heart for people caught in deception is evident.

As different locals testify, this episode weaves in an examination of the Dominion theology that is foundational to Bethel’s mission and culture. The Biblical concept of binding and loosing and the authority of the believer is explained better than I’ve ever heard before. The way different groups of Christians approach secular culture with varying eschatological persuasions is compared to the aberrant approach of Bethel and the NAR. I’m not new to any of these topics but I learned a ton from the teaching in this episode.

Bethel Redding Pt. Two - The Attraction

The Gospel message is offensive to the proud heart, so a local church preaching it boldly might not attract a large following. However, Bethel Church draws a crowd by promising a supernatural thrill ride. “If you come to Bethel, you will ENCOUNTER God’s presence and receive miracles, impartations, and activations.”

This installment excels in showing what Bethel Church truly values. In practice, they seem to believe the power of God is something other than the Gospel. At Bethel, the power of God is something to be demonstrated by signs and wonders and mystical manifestations. That’s why they aren’t known for Gospel proclamation. While we believe that sinners encounter God through the MESSAGE of Christ crucified, Bethel leaders teach it is the believer’s mandate to facilitate an encounter through miracles and prophetic words.

The enemy of our souls is more than happy to replace the power of God in the Gospel with a counterfeit that cannot save.

Bethel Redding Pt. Three - The Prophets

The year 2020 was a gift from God to those who have been sounding the alarm about the NAR. If anyone needed additional reasons for questioning the legitimacy of the new “Prophets”, the events of 2020 more than suffice. None of these self appointed mouthpieces of God predicted any of the watershed moments we experienced together that year. They actually prophesied the opposite of what happened in each circumstance.

This episode looks at the way Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry is leading young people into sin. By requiring students to practice the prophetic and make mistakes, Bethel leaders are encouraging them to take God’s name in vain. Nowhere in Scripture are we told that the gift of prophecy is something to be experimented with. BSSM students aren’t allowed to advance to the next year without missing a prophecy several times…I guess that wouldn’t be too hard seeing how it’s not real prophecy to begin with.

The arguments made by false prophets to justify themselves are expertly handled throughout this episode. The prosecution came with all the evidence. These individuals are not hearing from Heaven. God gave us clear ways to test those who claim to speak on His behalf and these people fail every portion of the test.

A Christian couple from Redding share testimony of a bizarre experience with a BSSM student that illustrates how seriously this theology hurts people. Their babysitter fully believed she was God’s princess and anointed prophetess and she had a mental breakdown as a result.

This episode will help those unfamiliar with the NAR movement to understand just how serious these matters are. People are being led into real and present danger.

Bethel Redding Pt. Four - The Gospel

I love this one. The perfect way to end this four part arc is with loads of Gospel. Throughout this 1 hour and 19 minutes, we see Biblical Gospel dramatically contrasted with the distortions taught by Bill Johnson.

In just the first few minutes, we get a beautiful explanation of the incarnation of Christ. The visual illustrations of the Divine and Human natures made a difficult concept really click for me.

The importance of the Law/Gospel distinction is explored. Later on, a street preacher shares his heart for the lost and describes an encounter with students from BSSM. It’s heartbreaking to witness these Bethel students having no understanding of the basics of the Christian Faith.

Many BSSM graduates have deconstructed their faith as they leave the Bethel bubble and become disillusioned with real life.

As Christians, we need the Gospel every single day. It’s not an entry level doctrine to check off a list before moving on to deeper things. It is the deepest thing a human being will ever try to comprehend.

We need the Gospel, and this episode is worth watching for that reason alone.

The Church Must Respond

Every Christian needs to take a serious look at the claims of the New Apostles and Prophets. If they are from God, then we should follow them and write down their words for the next generation. If they are NOT from God, then we must warn the next generation to flee from these soul destroying lies.

Please watch these four episodes and pray for the remaining work that is being done to finish up Season One. Souls will be saved through this project as the powerful Gospel of Christ brings life to needy sinners around the world. It won’t be the skillful editing. It will be the Holy Spirit working mightily through the Word of the Cross. That’s a promise that God actually makes.

The next generation needs us to take a stand for the Gospel as numerous threats are mounting.

“The issues occurring within the apostolic and prophetic movements are not peripheral. They affect nearly every central doctrine of the Christian faith… If the Church does not respond to these issues, the Christian faith that we pass on to our children and grandchildren will bear little resemblance to the Historic Faith.”

- Keith Gibson, author “Wandering Stars”

In His Grip,

Ex-NAR Christian

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