pt.2 Engle’s background, Education and teaching on being a Nazarite

Engle attended Messiah College that was founded in 1909 by the Brethren in Christ Church, it is a Christian college of liberal and applied arts and sciences. https://www.messiah.edu

I cannot find anything about Engle’s graduation, or any degrees earned but I did find Engle’s Basketball recognition https://gomessiah.com/hof.aspx?hof=16.

The College states they embrace an evangelical spirit rooted in the Anabaptist, Pietist, and Wesleyan traditions of the Christian Church. In their statement of faith they use the Apostles' Creed, appear to be premillennial and are broad evangelicals. Students from 30 different countries attend their college.

From what I can surmise this college also had an influence on Engle. Pietists were characterized by ethical purity, along with asceticism, and mysticism. They frequently practiced fasting and prayer. We can see this reflected in Engle’s practice and ministry. On the other-hand the Anabaptists kept the church separate from the government. Holding that Jesus’ kingdom was "not of this world,” there were also pacifists. This is contrary to how Engle believes. His belief is that the Church is to have influence with, and over the government. Engle does present a Kingdom now view in his teaching (the NAR view). He wants to legislate morality into an end time secular culture that wants no restraints. The Bible already tells us what will take place in these last days. Engle’s mission claims fasting and prayer can change nation[s]. See 2 Tim.3:1 that perilous times will be our state in the last days. (lawlessness)

Wikipedia info  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_College

Engle is often led by his circumstances. He explains, “Before a service preparing in a pastors office the pastor reached down and pulled off his shelf the book Rain From Heaven and said, "I think you're looking for this book." It was shock and awe! I knew God was confirming His promise. The following morning I was teaching a prophetic class. One of the students came in and said, "Mr. Engle, I was down at the Anaheim Vineyard this morning and a man shouted, 'I know you are going to see Lou Engle today. Give him this book Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting...he's searching for it.'"

The Call is past

Engle is previously known for his leadership of “The Call,” that has hosted intensive prayer meetings, with up to twelve-hour prayer rallies.  His first “Call” meeting was on the national mall in Washington, D.C. in 2000.  Hundreds of thousands of people have attended similar held events held around the country and in Jerusalem. He recently ended his 18-year ministry to begin a new movement called “The Send,” which hosted its first event in February of 2019 in Orlando Florida  (this will be fully examined later).

He admonishes the youth to dedicate themselves wholly to an unabandoned devotion telling them his way of prayer and activism is the solution to our nations problems. Yet the Bible does not say this of prayer and fasting.

 On the national mall in August:

“[Washington Times] I know it’s hot, but thank God He’s given us a breeze. We are not here for our convenience, but to move heaven. I did not come here to have a nice meeting while America is going to hell.”

No one can deny his zealousness but should take issue with his doctrine. The Call described its mission as:

“The Call Institute exists to equip, disciple and commission an emerging generation of radical Nazirites to prepare the way of the Lord by embracing a lifestyle of prayer and fasting that is energized by intimacy with Jesus.

In this historic hour of human history, God is raising up a new breed of young men and women who refuse the status quo of religion and seek to explore the depths of God. In past history, this holy breed was called the Nazirites. With lifestyles based in prayer with fasting, Nazirites frequently surfaced in the darkest hour of Israel’s history. They emerged as voices who challenged the waywardness of Israel and awakened the nation back to the Lord.

The Nazirite lifestyle is not something reserved for the select few or the elite. It is a summons extended to anyone and everyone that will heed its invitation. The Nazirite call gives permission to the most “ordinary” among us to enter into the radical devotion of the forerunners (Luke 1:1517). Today, it serves as a call to be abandoned to the Lord and His purposes.”

No it is not! There is no Nazarite invitation or generation in the New covenant, Engle changes a Nazirite who is in complete service as servant to the Lord to be forerunners. Another use of the vocabulary of the Latter Rain/ Branham.

It was William Branham that used this concept for himself. More and more the words and terms we hear from the revivalists, including Engle, come straight out of the Latter Rain movement that Branham spearheaded. Branham claimed, “I was born under Nazarite birth, of course, ….” (52-0725 Experiences). With unbelieving parent’s this was not the case, nor does this fit anyone else in our day.

Engle says, “The Nazirites arose in the darkest times of Israel’s history. God raised them up primarily as a youth counter cultural resistance to the spiritual decline of Gods people and a holy protest to the increasing domination of Baal worship over the hearts of those called to the jealous love of Yahweh. These firebrand extremists became the conscience of the land, rebuking apathy and indifference toward the worship of Yahweh. These young men and women became the hinge of history and the course of the nation turned upon them. When God wanted a new era, a new prophetic priesthood and turning back of a nation to God, He raised up Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist, lifetime Nazirites. Nazirites! The word Nazir in Hebrew means ‘consecrated one; separated one; a person of the vow.’ The Nazirite had a desire, an aching, burning desire to be close to the Lord…. Last night on a live web chat on Elijah Revolution.com, a young lady expressed how she feels a continual burning inside her, a burning hunger for God, That is the Nazirite burn. Jesus said of John the Baptist, a Nazirite from his birth, “he was a burning lamp and you enjoyed his light for a little while” (John 5:35). The true Nazirite is a burning man! A true Nazirite is a burning woman! Have you ever felt this inward burning for God? That burn is more holy than anything on earth. Treat it as holy, guard that fire. For that fire is God’s burning heart of jealous desire for you. “Or do you not think Scripture says without reason that he Spirit he has caused to live in us longs jealously for our devotion?” (James 4:5) Praise God the law of jealousy is moving in America and is creating extreme passion in a young generation to separate themselves from other lovers in a vow of purity and holy intimacy.

The Nazirite movement in the scripture was a counter cultural youth protest against the Baal worship of that day. Whenever great spiritual decline and evil began to take over in the land of Israel, these Nazirites would begin to appear in great numbers. These holy youth were God’s preservative for the nation of Israel. And they are God’s preservative in our nation today. During these days, is God calling you to some commitment of separation from the world? How about turning your TV off for 40 days. How about waking an hour earlier, to seek God and pray for revival? Do you love God more than sleep? How about drinking juice for 40 days, expressing your burning desire for God in fasting? Separate yourself from video games and Internet pornography.

May you burn for God more than you burn in lust for this world! O Nazirite generation arise! The Nazirite not only separated himself to God in a vow of holy devotion, but is seems that the vow had a definite kingdom purpose in mind as well. John the Baptists’ vow had to do with turning a whole generation back to the God of their fathers. …Turn the nation back to You. Raise up the Nazirites! “

"I was inspired by this book by Lou Engle to live a life of consecration and to say Yes to the call of God.The Call of the Elijah Revolution: The Passion For Radical Change By James W. Goll & Lou Engle. (ed. Note Jim Goll also promotes the 7 mountain mandate of Loren Cunningham, that is a kingdom Now teaching. We the church are to exercise dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of these political and cultural institutions to build a Christian civilization. family, religion, education, media, Arts & entertainment, business, and government.))

Engle (and Goll) makes the Nazirites into a movement. There were only two people in Old Testament history were called to be a Nazirite from birth: Samson and Samuel.. Samson in Judges 13:5 The angel told his parents,  for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. Hannah prayed for a son and she vowed to dedicate Samuel to the Lord as a Nazirite (1 Sam. 1:11) and as soon as he was weaned brought him to Shiloh and gave him over to Eli (1:24–28). He later became a prophet and judge.

God called them as individuals. It had nothing to do with a new prophetic priesthood, or movement of youth, John the Baptizer was not a priest either. John was to be a Nazarite from birth as told in Lk.1:15-17. According to the prophecy of Mal.4:6 he was sent with the purpose 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17-18). John who transitional in purpose was not under the New covenant but was still operating under the law that was in effect. Besides, only Jews partook of a Nazirite vow (mainly because it was tied to service in the Temple).

Nazarite- (Heb. nāzı̂r, and n zı̂r ˒ĕlōhı̂m, “Nazirite of God”). The term comes from the verb nāzar, to “separate,” and denotes in general one who is separated from certain things and unto others, and so distinguished from other persons and consecrated unto God (cf. Gen. 49:26; Deut. 33:16). (Unger’s Bible Dictionary)

Those who were Nazarites did not make it by their own choice, they were dedicated from birth in service to the Lord by their parent[s], so Engle’s angle on this does not make any sense. To claim there is going to be a Nazirite generation is to oppose Scripture itself. One must understand there was no Nazirite generation, nor is it a call to New Testament believers. It is Nazirite, singular, not Nazirite's as in plural, one person at a time  Again, it had nothing to do with a priesthood.

More importantly Jesus from Nazareth was not an Nazirite. A Nazarite was obligated to abstain not just from wine, but grapes, (and from every kind of intoxicating drink Num. 6:2-3). A Nazirite was forbidden to cut his hair or to approach a dead body, so he could not lay hands on the dead to be raised (as Engle and others want to see take place). If they were to touch a dead body they would have to give a trespass offering (Num.6:9-12). Which means one could not be cleansed of this today, since these offerings and the temple are done away with by the New Covenant.

There is no Nazarite vow, or similar requirement for any new covenant believer. Engle presents himself a modern-day John the Baptist before the return of Jesus, no doubt that some of his supporters do as well (as did William Branham). Engle is spiritualizing the term to make it have a broader appeal to the church. So we see how Engle uses the Scripture for promotion of his own agenda. Nazarite’s or Jesus, it cant be both as Jesus was not a Nazirite, Jesus increase while John the Nazarite decreased.

He has said he is trying to mobilize a “John the Baptist extreme generation” through public events and through more intensive training made available at TheCall Institute. Another use of Branham’s language.  Considering Engle’s admiration and support of Paul Cain this whole matter becomes problematic. Paul Cain was a disciple of Branham.

An example, one of many problems is, “God, I’m asking – start the sons of thunder! Release the fasting, revivalists God! A new day of prophetic preachers and worshipers! That God, RIP THE VEIL GOD! I’m asking for a New Breed that aren’t looking for a stage, they’re looking for a heavenly anointing. We’re asking for the song of Azusa to ROAR on the earth again we pray.”

“The Nazirite–John-the-Baptist Generation is arising and 400,000 came down to that trumpet in September 2nd 2000! We’ve seen stadiums filled! We’ve seen arenas filled of fasting and prayer! But it was recently I was crying out to God… And a woman comes to me and says ‘You don’t know who I am but the Lord told me to pay your salary this year because you’re going to start something with the youth of America that will change the destination of prayer… And I’m thinking, ‘My God! He’s releasing this thing because he is wanting a movement of nazarite-burning men and women, fasting, praying, loving God, loving the coming of the bridegroom…

“And as I’m crying out I cry, ‘God! Has The Call failed?’ I felt like the Lord speak to my heart. ‘If it truly was a John-the-Baptist’ type of movement, you can bet there’s a Jesus movement coming’. Because the last word of John was not ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’. The last word of John is, ‘Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world’… I am beginning to pronounce to America, ‘THERE IS ONE COMING!’ … ‘He’s already here but he’s coming!’ … I would say the revival is God’s arrival.” https://youtu.be/KNw4eyjbFiw

For full transcript and points this is posted at https://churchwatchcentral.com/2016/04/20/rosebrough-reviews-lou-engle-aka-pulpit-humper/

First, we do not go back to a John the Baptist as movement because there was none. After Jesus was revealed his disciples left him (neither was this the last word from John). Second, the Jesus movement already began with the apostles. With all the people following the false apostles and prophets today I can assure there is a new Jesus movement coming from them, There is something forming, something coming like you never imagined; aka manifest sons of God, i.e. Joel’s army, and it is not a good or Godly movement, it is part of a great deception.

“Recently, while in Kona, Hawaii, on our way back from Israel, the voice of the Lord broke in once again. That night, on American soil, I dreamed of a sudden burst of waters that filled the streets like a mighty river. As I watched, I heard it said: “We are about to see The Parade of the Nazirites!” …

After writing it down, I went back to sleep and dreamed the same scene again! The sudden breaking of waters. The mighty rushing flood. The river in the streets. This time I heard it said, “We are about to see the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!” 

He concludes could it be that God has reserved for Himself companies of nazirites, prepared in the caves of obscurity, who are about to be thrust onto the public scene with power and authority to deliver the masses? 

Thus Engle asks ‘Would you pray with us for the imminent revealing of such nazirites once again in America and beyond?- Pray Joel 2:28” https://www.thebriefing.us/blog/2019/6/25/053-the-parade-of-the-nazirites

Those who follow Engle's view and teaching on Nazirites need to know it is unbiblical and is leading them to be under the NAR leadership that he is in unity with.

As Engle states often, “Thank God for the apostles. Thank God for the prophets and evangelists. But when the nazirite voices like John the Baptist begin to be heard, I tell you, nations will shake and turn back to the Lord at the sound.” (Lou Engle, Nazirite DNA) 

This is Latter Rain speech, “nations will shake and turn back to the Lord … This is the same statement we have heard for 30 years with no results.

“TheCall, I’m convinced, was raised up in an answer to my prayers in 1999 “How can I turn America back to God?” As I’ve considered the history of TheCall and the storyline that God has been writing through it, I see us moving into another divine chapter for the fulfillment of that original vision.” https://www.thecallannouncement.com/

Clearly Engel is utterly convinced of his mission, he sees himself as the chosen anointed leader for this generation.

While he says he is ending theCall, what he actually means is that he is transferring it. His spiritual son and daughter David and Audry Kim are to launch a movement called Contend, which will take a double-portion of TheCall’s DNA and message of fasting, prayer and nazirite consecration to the next generation and beyond." https://www.thecallannouncement.com/

He mixes the countries politics into his God mission. Engle was featured in several films, the 2012 film Call Me Kuchu and in the 2013 film God Loves Uganda. The 2006 film Jesus Camp, which after watching this gave me a great concern of cult like tendencies.

He is recruiting the youth, even children into a kingdom now movement that believes the church is to conquer and rule the nations for Christ without him being here. In the documentary Jesus Camp children were taught to take back America. The Children mimicked what they learned, and were encouraged to become “Warriors for God.”  While Christians believe in spiritual warfare this is not something children should enter into like adults. The talk of warfare is a constant in Engle’s speaking, its unavoidable. The Head of the apostles, Chuck Pierce says “the enemy will be defeated by violent praise.” It seems violence is saturated into every Christian practice they do, 

For example the July 1 - 4, 2006 meeting was called the Summer of Blitzkrieg, which means a violent lightning fast offensive which was part of the successful tactics used by Nazi’s. A very bad choice of words.

“For 18 years, I have never looked to build a ministry or a name, only to see America turn back to God and to help ignite missions and prayer in the nations. This is my legacy: I am looking to the next generation of sons and daughters to carry this nation into its full purposes.”

America was never fully a Christian nation, neither was she fully secular. And what purpose could he know of, since it is not written in Scripture. We all would like to believe this nation would change her direction and be under the Lord, but the Bible does not speak of any nation turning to him in the last days, in fact Scripture says the opposite.

Engle, believes he was anointed by God to lead the church in its warfare to bring an end to abortion in America, his warfare prayer movement he has organized for years outside the U.S. Supreme Court has targeted this. He has made ending legalized abortion law one of the primary focuses of his stadium prayer and fasting events.

We would all like to see abortion be a diminished option instead of a first choice. But for this to be a reality one must deal with the cause. Which means the only solution is a change of a person’s heart to choose to obey the Lord and His ways. It does not work the way he thinks it will. You cannot legislate a Bibles morality through man’s government but only restrain it.

pt.3 Fasting and praying