Stop Denying the Facts
The New Apostolic Reformation is NOT a conspiracy theory.
Dr. Michael Brown has been an important defender of hyper-charismatic leaders for decades. When confronted with information about the claims of the NAR movement, he says it’s nothing more than an overhyped conspiracy theory and that you are guilty of slander if you bring attention to it.
Most of us who are publicly responding to the teachings of the modern day apostles are those who have spent time in the movement personally. We aren’t basement bloggers with nothing better to do. Most of us have spouses, children, careers, and church families. But we also love people and we don’t want others to be deceived like we were. We love what God’s Word actually teaches and it is heartbreaking to see multitudes led astray.
What is the New Apostolic Reformation? It’s a global movement of Charismatics who claim that God Himself is restoring the lost offices of Apostle and Prophet to govern the Church. Not all Charismatics affirm the NAR, but the new apostles and prophets have been wildly successful in spreading their teachings.
They believe God is bringing back all the phenomena of the book of Acts but on a grander scale. Once the full restoration is complete, they believe a new breed of Christian will arise with unprecedented miraculous powers to unleash a signs and wonders revival that will take the world by storm.
I’ll say more about the significance of these claims later in this article. But the first thing to establish is whether this is a real theological movement or if it’s just a wild conspiracy theory like Dr. Brown says.
We don’t believe the leaders of the NAR are maliciously conspiring behind closed doors to take over the world. They truly believe their own false teachings. They think that God is behind their efforts to bring about a second apostolic age.
Apostle Ché Ahn has made it plain and simple for all of us by writing a book titled “Modern Day Apostles”. In it, he gives his definition of apostle and recalls the history of the restoration of the apostolic office in recent years. Many prominent Charismatic leaders wrote endorsements in the book and Bill Johnson himself wrote the foreword.
The views laid out in the book are not fringe beliefs but mainstream in Hyper-Charismatic circles. When questioned, these leaders will claim that apostleship isn’t about authority and hierarchy, but as this book shows, they believe that modern day apostles wield extraordinary authority and are directly sent by Christ to His church for His end times purpose.
The evidence is clear.
Please see for yourself and then I’ll say more about it below.
Has God Sent These Apostles?
To reject an apostle is to reject the one who sent them. To reject Paul or Peter was to reject the Gospel they preached and the Savior they proclaimed.
We had better be absolutely certain of the legitimacy of those claiming to hold the office of Apostle. If Ché Ahn and Bill Johnson are sent by Christ to His Church, then their spiritual authority must be acknowledged and honored. Their words must be written down for the next generation. Their instructions to the Body of Christ must be obeyed.
If Jesus Himself has sent them to us and we reject them, then we will find ourselves rejecting Jesus. If they have His backing, then to oppose them is to oppose Him.
That’s why this matters, folks.
The super apostles of the New Apostolic Reformation have nailed their 95 theses to the door of the Church. Their claim cannot be ignored. Either they are the second coming of the Apostolic Age to lead us into the ”Great End Times Revival” like they claim or they are false apostles spreading strong delusions and deceiving the nations in “The Great Falling Away”.
Their claims are too massive to simply chalk up as a secondary issue to yawn about.
Ché Ahn has given his definition of apostle in his book, “Modern Day Apostles”...
"An apostle is a Christlike ambassador with extraordinary authority called and sent out by Jesus Christ with a specific assignment to align the Church to bring Heaven's culture to earth and fulfill the the mandate to disciple nations.”
- Extraordinary authority
- Sent by Jesus Christ
- Authorized by God for a global task
- Commissioned to bring Heaven to Earth
I cannot and will not submit myself and my family to the authority and teachings of the new apostles. I do not believe that they are sent by the LORD. They have not proven their apostleship. Instead, they’ve given countless proofs of the opposite.
They are false apostles who peddle a counterfeit system of subjective spirituality. They don’t go around preaching Christ crucified for our sins. Instead, they preach a message of miracles, mysticism, and money.
Miracles are their fascination.
Mysticism is their vehicle to pursue God.
Money is their measure of God’s favor.
The Gospel of Salvation is old hat to the super apostles. On the same page of “Modern Day Apostles”, Ché writes,
“I believe we're in that season where God is changing the expression and understanding of Christianity. For example, we focus on saving souls, which I strongly believe in. But now we understand that when Jesus said He came to seek and to save that which was lost, He was speaking of more than individual salvation. Jesus was speaking of what was lost in the Garden of Eden, the presence of Heaven here on earth.
God wants to see Heaven on earth again, and that means bringing about social transformation. The expression of Christianity has shifted from individual salvation to discipling nations, which includes social transformation. To bring this about God has restored the office and gifts of the apostle through apostolic networks.”
God isn’t changing anything about the Faith which has been once for all delivered to the saints. Change has come through the imposters of the NAR as they lure people into an endless pursuit of power and self promotion. They preach about purpose, destiny, and increase. They keep their followers on a hamster wheel, seeking breakthrough for finances, relationships, and physical health. They forbid sufferers from accepting hardship as part of God’s plan. They pretend to cast demons out of people…spirits of poverty, spirits of religion, and other imaginary foes.
I really could go on and on. But the question remains for each Christian to answer. Are these apostles coming to us on behalf of God? Has God restored the office of apostle for His end times purpose?
No, dear ones. No.
If these were apostles sent by Christ, they would preach Christ with a laser focus. They would preach the Law to convict of sin and the Gospel to give peace to the convicted. Their theology would not differ from that of the first Apostles.
I’ve listened to more NAR sermons and speeches than I care to admit, and I never hear them preach Christ in the way that Paul and Peter and John preached Him. Their message is most often NARcissistic. It’s all about you becoming a glow-in-the-dark miracle worker. They tell you how important you are and call you to believe in yourself. They don’t sound anything like the Apostles we know in God’s Word.
Friends, it’s crucial that you read the New Testament again and realize that these aren’t the Apostles you’re looking for.
This movement is not a “boogeyman” invented by heresy hunters. It’s the fastest growing theological phenomenon in Evangelicalism and it’s ripping through churches and families as we speak.
We seek to educate our fellow believers because we care for the preservation of the Gospel, the evangelization of the lost, and the well being of the saints. False teaching hurts people and the truth sets them free. We are a growing chorus of individuals calling for the Church to respond. We trust Christ through it all knowing He warned us about these days and He will keep His sheep.
To the Good Shepherd be the Glory.
In His Grip,
An Ex-NAR Christian
Further Resources
The Roots and Fruits of the New Apostolic Reformation - by Bob DeWaay
Testimonies of those who have left the NAR movement (one of them is mine)
Collection of articles on the New Apostolic Reformation
Collection of articles on Bill Johnson & Bethel Church
Follow on Facebook - These Aren’t the Apostles You’re Looking For