Charismatic Captivation

12 REASONS “SPIRITUAL COVENANTS” ARE NOT OF GOD AND UNAUTHORIZED
By Steven Lambert

Fourteen years ago, almost to the day, I wrote and published in an article titled, The Curse of Unauthorized Covenants, a strong warning against engaging in so-called “spiritual covenants” relative to what some Christian leaders refer to as “Covenant Relationships,” which we subsequently published on this site as well as various other websites we maintain. In that article, I referenced and quoted from a portion of one of the last books world-renowned international Bible Teacher Derek Prince authored prior to his death on September 24, 2003, Blessings and Curses. Prince, as I stated in that article, was one of the originators of what became known as the Discipleship or Shepherding Movement, transpiring in the 1970s. To his credit, when the doctrines associated with that movement were challenged and repudiated by numerous prominent church leaders in the mid-‘70s, the highly-respected Bible scholar was the very first of the “Fort Lauderdale Five” to publicly acknowledge the teachings were patently erroneous, recant them, personally repent of propagating them, release everyone who had submitted themselves to him, and ask fellow believers for forgiveness from the spiritual harm he had been instrumental in wreaking upon the Body of Christ.” (more…)

Posted in: Absolute Submission, Covering Doctrine, Curses, Discipleship Movement, Doctrines of Demons, Domination & Control, False Teaching, Leadership, Nicolaitanism, Personal Pastors, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Idolatry by admin / Tags: Abuse of Authority, authoritarian abuse, Biblical Authority, ECAL, Hyper-authoritarianism, ICA, ICAL, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual adultery, Spiritual Covering, Spiritual Idolatry, USCAL

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[Note: This article is an adaptation from Chapter Five of the book, Charismatic Captivation.]

It is absolutely vital for every minister to understand that the context and sphere of his shepherding is limited primarily to the spiritual. While Fivefold ministers may occasionally be able to proffer some inspired or experiential counsel and advice even regarding natural matters, their foremost calling and enablement is to feed, care for, lead, and guide the sheep of God’s Flock spiritually and in relation to spiritual matters, not so much natural affairs.

We (ministers) are charged by God with the responsibility to feed His sheep spiritual food, to care for them with the spiritual wherewithal of the Holy Spirit, to lead them unto the one and only true Rock of their Salvation and Provider, Jesus, and after the pattern given us by the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4;  Ps. 23) we are to guide them “in the paths of righteousness,” which is, the Way, Truth, and Life of Jesus.

When a minister routinely goes beyond the God set, albeit, invisible, boundaries of his calling and purview of authority, which is the limitation of the spiritual realm primarily, and habitually interlopes into the natural, physical realm, interposing his own will in the ordinary private matters of his followers’ lives, he is engaging in unsanctioned usurpation and illegitimate authority. In the process, he also leaves behind his legitimate duties, responsibilities, and sanctioning from God as an under shepherd, as well as his effectuality. (more…)

Posted in: Absolute Submission, Covering Doctrine, Discipleship Movement, Doctrines of Demons, False Teaching, Personal Pastors, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Idolatry by admin / Tags: covering doctrine, Spiritual adultery, Spiritual Covering

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Everything written in this book prior to this last chapter has been dedicated to the purpose of identifying erroneous hyper-authoritarian doctrines and practices being espoused and implemented within Charismatic and other Neo Pentecostal churches and groups. But, certainly, a work such as this would be wholly incomplete and deficient if it did not include instruction regarding how those caught up in the throes of such “charismatic captivation” can be set free and recover from it. This final chapter is devoted to that end.

Over nearly the entire course of my ministry, I have been studying this matter of hyper-authoritarianism, weighing it against Scripture, and ministering in various ways to many victims of authoritarian exploitation and abuse. Based on my experience and the understanding attained during that time, I have concluded there are fifteen primary actions that victims must take in order to break the fetters of predomination binding them and effect a full recovery from all the spiritual and psychological effects they have experienced. Though it is generally prudent to avoid improper dogmatism, there are some matters that require definitive actions in order to achieve a designated result. This, I believe, is one of those matters. Though I believe the steps I proffer here are critical and imperative, I would certainly allow that there could be other actions required to recover from authoritarian exploitation that I have not delineated. However, the ones I have enumerated here, I believe are absolutely necessary if effectual and comprehensive recovery is to be realized.

Although the effects of authoritarian abuse are profound, the actions necessary to break its bondage and to bring recovery are comparatively simple; not simplistic, perhaps, but simple. Thus, I have presented them in as simple and straightforward terms as I know how to present them, not only because of their simplicity, but also in order to make them as understandable as possible. (more…)

Posted in: Discipleship Movement, False Teaching, Spiritual Abuse by admin /
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In the 1980s a spiritually perilous trend began developing in the Neo-Pentecostal realm, which was the human appointments of certain leaders into the supposed office of “bishop” by groups claiming ” Petrine apostolic succession.” This vogue has become especially popular and common in an increasing number of so-called Neo-Pentecostal “networks” that have emerged since the 1980s, comprised of affiliated though purportedly autonomous churches. One prominent Neo-Pentecostal organization¹ in 1982 formed what it called “The International College of Bishops,” comprised of ecclesiastical leaders upon whom the organization had conferred the title of “Bishop,” which they purported positioned the conferees in the bimillenial hierarchical system of bishops of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) supposedly leading back in unbroken “succession” to the Apostle Peter, who the RCC regards as the first “Pope.”

This trend has developed despite the irrefutable fact that no such “office” or “position” is established anywhere in Holy Writ (The Bible), but rather in fact is undeniably antithetical and subversive to the governmental offices God has established in His Word, namely, the Fivefold Ministry Offices (Eph. 4:11). Nowhere does Scripture establish or even vaguely support the notion of a spiritually efficacious “office” of bishop or hierarchical lineage of ecclesiastical surrogates appointed by Christ, the supreme Head of the Church. (more…)

Posted in: Covering Doctrine, Discipleship Movement, Doctrines of Demons, Domination & Control, Leadership, Nicolaitanism by admin / Tags: Apostolic Succession, Bishops

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[CLICK HERE to read Part 1 of this article.]

In the Revelation He communicated by the Holy Spirit to the Apostle John, Jesus issued a terse but severe warning to the Early Apostolic churches expressed His utter disdain for both the deeds and the doctrines of the Nicolaitans. He commended the Ephesian Church for being in accord with His own hatred for the deeds of the Nicolaitans: “Yet this you do have, that you hate the DEEDS of the Nicolaitans, WHICH I ALSO HATE” (Rev. 2:6). Conversely, the Pergamum Church Jesus condemned for the fact that, “you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” Further demonstrating His contempt for the Nicolaitan false teaching, He followed this indictment with the command, “Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” (more…)

Posted in: Absolute Submission, Covering Doctrine, Discipleship Movement, Domination & Control, Leadership, Nicolaitanism by admin / Tags: Abuse of Authority, Nicolaitanism, Shepherding Movement, Spiritual Abuse

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One of the common denominators of false cults, false religions, and the occult is that their doctrines and practices are predicated upon the “isms” of vain, humanly invented philosophies. The same is true of the heretical hyper-authoritarian Discipleship/Shepherding doctrines, dogmas, and practices that were infused into the fabric and foundation of the Neo-Pentecostal church, which fact is further corroboration that they are all of the aforementioned characterization: cultic, false, and occult. One of the most significant “isms” of the Discipleship heresy is one that is specifically mentioned and condemned in the Bible—Nicolaitanism. (more…)

Posted in: Absolute Submission, Discipleship Movement, Domination & Control, False Teaching, Leadership, Nicolaitanism by admin / Tags: Abuse of Authority, Nicolaitanism, Shepherding Movement, Spiritual Abuse

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A rather ironic and curious characteristic of the idolatry of false teaching is that essentially it is “zeal without knowledge.” It is quite common for those caught in the throes of deception and false doctrine to be quite zealous and ardent in their spiritual pursuits. Wherever false teaching is being promulgated, the perpetrators and adherents commonly are fervently dedicated to their church-group and its purposes, beliefs, and goals. In fact, it is this zealousness by participants in aberrant and cult-like religious groups that makes it extremely difficult for concerned observers to: one, fully recognize and realize the existence of error and errancy; two, to take serious the potential for spiritual and psychological injury and ruin; and, three, to recognize the need for and actually effect appropriate remedial action. (more…)

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For over thirty years, I have been doing all the Lord has allowed, anointed, and enabled me to do to set captives of spiritual authoritarian abuse free from the bonds of witchcraft, or the “yoke of slavery,” in which they are ensnared.In the last few years, the Lord has kindled a fire in my belly for the State of Florida in particular. Not only to do what I can to set the captives residing in this State free, but also to be used of the Lord to ignite prophesied fires of revival and refinement in the humanly nicknamed “Sunshine State,” but Heavenly named, “Sonshine State.” (more…)

Posted in: Curses, Discipleship Movement, Spiritual Idolatry by admin / Tags: Abuse of Authority, Shepherding Movement, Spiritual Abuse

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“Spiritual covering” as theorized by the Discipleship theosophy is an absolute MYTH. No semblance of the Shepherding teaching version of “spiritual covering” exists anywhere within the pages of Scripture. “Spiritual covering,” in the vein it is presented by proponents and propagators of these hyper-authoritarian teachings, is an outright deception! It is a complete fabrication concocted by the originators of these fallacious doctrines as a supposed pretext for facilitation of entirely self-aggrandizing objectives of subjugation, domination, and control. (more…)

Posted in: Absolute Submission, Covering Doctrine, Discipleship Movement, Doctrines of Demons, Domination & Control, Spiritual Abuse by admin / Tags: Abuse of Authority, Personal Pastors, Shepherding Movement, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Covering

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Wholesale abuse and misuse of authority is an integral part of the very foundation, fabric, and functions of an ever increasing number of church groups today who are engaging in the most insidious form of hyper-authoritarianism by which they are dominating, controlling, and manipulating their followers for personal gain and private kingdom-building. Being able to readily identify the signs and symptoms of authoritarian abuse and psychological enslavement is absolutely essential for every believer in their quest to know and be personally related to the Great Shepherd, who is the Prince of Peace and the true “Guardian of our souls,” rather than the thousands of counterfeit  shepherds claiming to be the proxies of Christ. (more…)

Posted in: Absolute Submission, Covering Doctrine, Discipleship Movement, Domination & Control, Spiritual Abuse by admin / Tags: Abuse of Authority, Shepherding Movement, Spiritual Abuse, Spiritual Covering

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Multitudes of sincere and trusting believers are caught in the virtually invisible web of religious captivation in Charismatic and other Neo-Pentecostal churches, and don’t know it. They are unaware victims of spiritual abuse and exploitation under the heavy-hand of hyper-authoritarianism. That is to say, the leadership of the church-group of which they are a part is dominating, controlling, and manipulating their followers, and exploiting them for their own personal gain and private kingdom-building.

Horror stories of authoritarian abuse and exploitation and psychological enslavement in certified Christian churches abound. From time to time, particular isolated incidents have erupted in highly publicized news stories. However, those high-profile cases really are only the tip of the iceberg. The truth of the matter is, I know from my twenty years of ministry, ecclesiastical enslavement and exploitation is widespread in certain sectors of Christendom in this country. And, it is vital to understand, I am not talking about radical, fringe religious sects and cults, but well-respected church-groups espousing orthodox Christian beliefs, whose membership is comprised of a cross section of average Americans, individuals and families, of every race, education level, station, and walk of life.

(more…)

Posted in: Absolute Submission, Covering Doctrine, Curses, Discipleship Movement, Doctrines of Demons, Domination & Control, False Teaching, Leadership, Nicolaitanism, Personal Pastors, Spiritual Abuse by admin / Tags: Abuse of Authority, Hyper-authoritarianism, Shepherding Movement, Spiritual Abuse

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