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Daniel
09-08-2008, 11:03 AM
Bruce Wilson, at HuffintonPost, wrote the following article about The Third Wave movement.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-wilson/sarah-palins-churches-and_b_124611.html

What is the Third Wave? A belief system which was condemned as heretical by the Assemblies of God in the late 1940's.

Click on the link for additional information.


Sarah Palin's Churches and The Third Wave: New Video Documentary

Posted September 7, 2008 | 12:22 PM (EST)

Sarah Palin's churches are actively involved in a resurgent movement that was declared heretical by the Assemblies of God in 1949. This is the same 'Spiritual Warfare' movement that was featured in the award winning movie, "Jesus Camp," which showed young children being trained to do battle for the Lord. At least three of four of Palin's churches are involved with major organizations and leaders of this movement, which is referred to as The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit or the New Apostolic Reformation. The movement is training a young "Joel's Army" to take dominion over the United States and the world.

Along with her entire family, Sarah Palin was re-baptized at twelve at the Wasilla Assembly of God in Wasilla, Alaska and she attended the church from the time she was ten until 2002: over two and 1/2 decades. Sarah Palin's extensive pattern of association with the Wasilla Assembly of God has continued nearly up to the day she was picked by Senator John McCain as a vice-presidential running mate. Palin's dedication to the Wasilla church is indicated by a Saturday, September 7, 2008, McClatchy news service story detailing possibly improper use of state travel funds by Palin for a trip she made to Wasilla, Alaska to attend, on June 8, 2008, both a Wasilla Assembly of God "Masters Commission" graduation ceremony and also a multi-church Wasilla area event known as "One Lord Sunday." At the latter event, Palin and Alaska LT Governor Scott Parnell were publicly blessed, onstage before an estimated crowd of 6,000, through the "laying on of hands" by Wasilla Assembly of God's Head Pastor Ed Kalnins whose sermons espouse such theological concepts as the possession of geographic territories by demonic spirits and the inter-generational transmission of family "curses". Palin has also been blessed, or "anointed," by an African cleric, prominent in the Third Wave movement, who has repeatedly visited the Wasilla Assembly of God and claims to have effected positive, dramatic social change in a Kenyan town by driving out a "spirit of witchcraft."

The Wasilla Assembly of God church is deeply involved with both Third Wave activities and theology. Their Master's Commission program is part of an three year post-high school international training program with studies in prophecy, intercessory prayer, Biblical exegesis, authority and leadership. The pastor, Ed Kalnins, and Masters Commission students have traveled to South Carolina to participate in a "prophetic conference" at Morningstar Ministries, one of the major ministries of the Third Wave movement. Becky Fischer was a pastor at Morningstar prior to being featured in the movie "Jesus Camp." The head of prophecy at Morningstar, Steve Thompson, is currently scheduled to do a prophecy seminar at the Wasilla Assembly of God. Other major leaders in the movement have also traveled to Wasilla to visit and speak at the church.

The Third Wave is a revival of the theology of the Latter Rain tent revivals of the 1950s and 1960s led by William Branham and others. It is based on the idea that in the end times there will be an outpouring of supernatural powers on a group of Christians that will take authority over the existing church and the world. The believing Christians of the world will be reorganized under the Fivefold Ministry and the church restructured under the authority of Prophets and Apostles and others anointed by God. The young generation will form "Joel's Army" to rise up and battle evil and retake the earth for God.

While segments of this belief system have been a part of Pentecostalism and charismatic beliefs for decades, the excesses of this movement were declared a heresy in 1949 by the General Council of the Assemblies of God, and again condemned through Resolution 16 in 2000. The beliefs and manifestations of the movement include the use of 'strategic level spiritual warfare' to expel territorial demons from American and world cities. Worship includes excessive charismatic manifestations such as hundreds of people falling, 'slain in the spirit,' and congregations laughing, jerking, and shrieking uncontrollably.

In early 2008 an outbreak of those phenomena commenced at the palatial former ministry estate of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, recently bought up and restored by prominent Third Wave author and leader Rick Joyner's Morningstar Ministries. The (spiritual) "breakout" lasted for many weeks and was publicized in an extensive collection of video footage available on YouTube. Healing services in the Third Wave movement claim to heal the sick and injured through methods that in some cases can appear bizarre - including, as in recent cases involving Todd Bentley, the patient being head butted or kicked by the anointed healer. Recipients of such "spiritual" or miraculous healing make a wide range of astonishing claims - to have been cured of life-threatening illnesses, had joints repaired or replaced, been given gold teeth or gold fillings, regrown stunted limbs and even had deformed skeletal structures straightened and reshaped. Worldwide mission efforts of the movement are built around the idea of combating witches, warlocks, and generational curses, which prevent churches from being able to take root.

Mike Rose, senior pastor of Juneau Christian Center has a long relationship with Rodney Howard -Browne, credited with being the instigator of the outbreak of 'Holy Laughter' around the world, including the Toronto Airport Revival. Thomas Muthee visited Wasilla Assembly of God and gave 10 consecutive sermons at the church, from October 11-16 2005. As both Palin and Wasilla AoG Head Pastor Ed Kalnins have attested, Thomas Muthee 'prayed over' Sarah Palin and entreated God to "make a way" prior to Palin's successful bid for the Alaska governorship. Muthee made a return visit to the Wasilla Assembly of God in late 2008. Thomas Muthee's Word of Faith Church is featured in the "Transformations" video which details an account on how Muthee drove "the spirit of witchcraft" out of Kiambu, Kenya, liberating the town from its territorial demonic possession and enabling a miraculous societal transformation. The "Transformations" video set is used as an argument for social improvement through spiritual instead of human means, and as the best method for fighting corruption, crime, drugs and even environmental degradation.

In the video, producer George Otis declares that after Thomas Muthee and his followers banished the "spirit of witchcraft" from the town, the crime rate in Kiambu dropped almost to zero, along with the rate of alcoholism, and according to Otis most of the residents of the town joined churches. The "Transformations" video has helped spark a network of 'Transformation' ministries and mission organizations and 'transformation' has become a buzz word for change based on supernatural instead of human efforts.

The Third Wave, also known as the New Apostolic Reformation, is a network of Apostles, many of them grouped around C. Peter Wagner, founder of the World Prayer Center. This center, which was built in coordination with Ted Haggard and his New Life Church in Colorado Springs, was featured in an article by Jeff Sharlet in Harpers, May 2005, "Soldiers of Christ." Sharlet was one of the first to write in the secular press about the World Prayer Center which is often referred to by those familiar with the Third Wave as the 'Pentagon for Spiritual Warfare.' It features computer systems that store the data of communities around the world, mapping out unsaved peoples' groups and spiritual mapping information for spiritual warfare. Wagner has his own group of about 500 Apostles in his council and each of these Apostles has ministries under their authority, sometimes hundreds or thousands. Recently various networks of Apostles came together to form the Revival Alliance. Leaders of the Revival Alliance including Rick Joyner of Morningstar anointed Todd Bentley whose Lakeland Healing Revival has recently been a controversial topic in the Evangelical world.

Wagner's top leaders often conduct spiritual warfare campaigns against the demons that block the acceptance of their brand of Christian belief, such as 'Operation Ice Castle' in the Himalayas in 1997. Several of their top prophets and generals of intercession spent weeks in intensive prayer to "confront the Queen of Heaven." This queen is considered by them to be one of the most powerful demons over the earth and is the Great Harlot of Mystery Babylon in Revelation. (The "Great Harlot [or 'whore'] of Mystery Babylon" theme also figures prominently in the sermons of Texas megachurch pastor and Christians United For Israel founder John Hagee, former endorser of John McCain's 2008 presidential bid.) Wagner and his group also claim that the Queen of Heaven is Diana, the pagan god of the biblical book Ephesians and the god of Mary veneration in the Roman Catholic Church. Following the 'Operation Ice Castle' prayer excursion which included planting a flag for Jesus on Mt. Everest, one of the lead prayer intercessors from the excursion, Ana Mendez, reported that there had been dramatic results including, "millions have come to faith in Asia... and other things happened which I believe are also connected...an earthquake had destroyed the basilica of Assisi, where the Pope had called a meeting of all world religions; a hurricane destroyed the infamous temple 'Baal-Christ' in Acapulco, Mexico; the Princes Diana died... and Mother Theresa died in India, one of the most famous advocates of Mary as Co-Redeemer."

Church of the Rock, led by Senior Pastor David Pepper, has taken their youth to participate in 'The Call, Nashville.' This event is held at various locations around the country under the leadership of Lou Engle, also featured in the movie "Jesus Camp." At these events youth are worked into a frenzy of anger and consternation at supposed national moral corruption. Engle, who shuffles while he preaches in imitation of Jewish prayer, is featured toward the end of the "Jesus Camp" video documentary.

The Third Wave movement is cross-denomination and is not synonymous with any specific denomination, nor is it synonymous with Evangelical or Fundamentalist. Although the movement emerged from Pentecostalism, it draws its support from a variety of denominations and religious streams. They believe they are forming a post-denominational church to take the world for the end times. To date, all of the writing and objections to this movement have emerged from other Evangelicals and Fundamentalists who believe the movement to be unbiblical. Also, it is other conservative churches that refuse to embrace the 'outpouring of the Spirit' that are targets of much of the anger of the movement.

ctozrn
09-08-2008, 12:32 PM
That is some scary stuff! My ex's parent's used to go to an AG church and would ask us to attend with them (they didn't know we were together) I would say, "no, please don't make me go to the scary church!" :eek:

Christine

nmwolfboy
09-08-2008, 02:41 PM
The Third Wave is a revival of the theology of the Latter Rain tent revivals of the 1950s and 1960s led by William Branham and others. It is based on the idea that in the end times there will be an outpouring of supernatural powers on a group of Christians that will take authority over the existing church and the world. The believing Christians of the world will be reorganized under the Fivefold Ministry and the church restructured under the authority of Prophets and Apostles and others anointed by God. The young generation will form "Joel's Army" to rise up and battle evil and retake the earth for God.

For more on "Joel's Army," check out this article (http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=964) from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

Zerbie
09-08-2008, 03:00 PM
I was wondering what the bleep Joel's Army was. :confused:

If there's a blurb on them at SPLC, I'm not in a mood to find out just yet. Tomorrow.

matthewspeed
09-08-2008, 04:53 PM
This IS scary stuff. I know, because I was involved in this teaching. I attended a service at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church. As I understand, the other Vineyard churches around the country has broken away from the Toronto church.

I attended a church in Detroit that believed in this nonsense. It is scary and very dangerous. The pride in these followers is amazing. They think they are Gods mouth piece and are not that far from The Westboro Baptist thinking. Everything to them is evil and demons manifest in all people.

I knew of many people that believed that the demon of "chocolate" needed to be cast out of a women who had a habit of eating too much chocolate!! This is no joke!!

I was in a home where "deliverance ministers" made a family throw out any childs toy that had a frog on it. Frogs were considered evil and of the devil. Supposedly, frogs are some type of satanic symbol, possibly due to the book of Genesis when the frogs were sent by God to by Moses as a plague in Egypt.

This is scary stuff and it makes my blood curdle hearing about it!!

keltic63
09-08-2008, 05:34 PM
This IS scary stuff. I know, because I was involved in this teaching. I attended a service at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church. As I understand, the other Vineyard churches around the country has broken away from the Toronto church.

I attended a church in Detroit that believed in this nonsense. It is scary and very dangerous. The pride in these followers is amazing. They think they are Gods mouth piece and are not that far from The Westboro Baptist thinking. Everything to them is evil and demons manifest in all people.

I knew of many people that believed that the demon of "chocolate" needed to be cast out of a women who had a habit of eating too much chocolate!! This is no joke!!

I was in a home where "deliverance ministers" made a family throw out any childs toy that had a frog on it. Frogs were considered evil and of the devil. Supposedly, frogs are some type of satanic symbol, possibly due to the book of Genesis when the frogs were sent by God to by Moses as a plague in Egypt.

This is scary stuff and it makes my blood curdle hearing about it!!

even if the General Council of the AofG opposes the Third Wave movement, some of that theology is present in the individual churches. I've heard AofG members say things like "you know that ET (the extra-terrestrial of Spielberg's movie) stands for 'eternal torment' " and that cabbage patch dolls were a conspiracy that would teach children to accept "ugly" things as beautiful so that when they grow up, they would be accepting, even welcoming to the Anti-Christ. Of course, I'm only recalling my days as a teenager in the AofG. I haven't heard the latest pearls of wisdom because I don't hang out with them anymore (except my parents, and I think they are sworn to secrecy; they never tell me anything about their church!)

tymejumper
09-08-2008, 05:58 PM
Why does this NOT suprise me that Palin is/ was part of this cult?

Steven E. Webster
09-08-2008, 06:50 PM
Daniel and friends,

Thanks for starting this thread. I'd like to refer people to the web site www.talk2action.org. They are carrying a number of articles with good links on this very issue of Sarah Palin and the Third Wave.

The Third Wave is another brand of the bigger movement known as "Dominionism" that includes a whole lot of what we call the Christian Right. Sarah may be a weird Pentecostal, and James Dobson a member of the Church of the Nazarene, but what they have in common is Dominionism.

Dominionism is the idea that Christians have a mandate from God to rule over the rest of humankind and the world.

These folks make political allies with others in order to gain polical power. We need to pay attention to how Dominionists like Sarah Palin have become allies of Neoconservatives in the Republican Party.

Neoconservatives are not particularly religious at all--they are just interested in power. But the Neoconservatives consider religion to be a useful tool in order to gain and maintain power.

What is "demonic" is the obsession to seek power. I believe Jesus' way was a different way altogether.

Steven Webster

BruceChris
09-08-2008, 11:18 PM
Obviously, not the same "Third Wave".

A governor named Sarah was chosen
From a state perpetually frozen
To stand in for a man
Who lacked any plan
To lead the party he rose in

Comment, from the Huffington Post

BC

Rick336
09-08-2008, 11:49 PM
I knew of many people that believed that the demon of "chocolate" needed to be cast out of a women who had a habit of eating too much chocolate!!

Uh oh. I think I might be possessed by the demon of marshmallow peeps.

http://www.kbromley.com/gallery2/d/2784-4/peeps.jpg


Rick

Witch of Hope
09-09-2008, 06:33 AM
As i heard that this icecold Lady from Alaska would be the running mate of McCain, my first thought was, that the right wing "Christians" should had become their idol. i don't like her and Mccain, but I also don't like Obama. Cause I think that it wouldn't change so much in foreign policy and also for the American people.

tymejumper
09-09-2008, 07:11 PM
As i heard that this icecold Lady from Alaska would be the running mate of McCain, my first thought was, that the right wing "Christians" should had become their idol. i don't like her and Mccain, but I also don't like Obama. Cause I think that it wouldn't change so much in foreign policy and also for the American people.



That is what upset me so darn much about Busch and his policies. All that time and countless other presidents trying to promote peace and harmony in the world and in under 2 years of his first term, he managed to destroy and ruin almost all of it! He pulled us out of NATO and angered almost everyone. He is a bully and I am very afraid that there will be more of the same if another Republican gets into office. The world already thinks we are aweful just because we are Americans, and they don't always think that the individual people of the country may not be in agreement with the president.

antiochian
09-17-2008, 02:40 PM
Why can't all Pentecostals be like Tammy Faye?? May she rest in peace!

Daniel
09-17-2008, 07:53 PM
Why can't all Pentecostals be like Tammy Faye?? May she rest in peace!

You mean the tattooed mascara? :rolleyes::D

Actually. I loved Tammy. She didn't judge. And that's what endeared me to her. And that takes a lot of guts. I swear I could see her conditioning re gays being sinners be a part of her thinking, but something overrode that. And that's what makes her one of the gay community's patron saints (there- I said it!). She had love, real love for gay people. She didn't just mouth the words for show.

God Bless Her Indeed!

tdogg
09-17-2008, 10:41 PM
Tammy Faye was a real example of Christ's love. And the evangelicals constantly made fun of her (as did many of my relatives and friends). I think they were jealous because they did not have the love of their savior in themselves.