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Declaring Spirit War on the spirit realm - new apostle style Pt .5 As we look at the roots of the new spiritual warfare being used today we find that Ana Mendez Ferrell was associated with Peter Wagner for a long length of time. She has worked with C. Peter Wagner (located in Colorado Springs), who coordinates up to 60 million intercessors world-wide to do battle against demons and high principalities wherever they are found. Mendez has a number of activities: training the army of God to tear down the strongholds of evil and to what she calls “usher in the glory of God.” “As a Warfare Ministry, Voice of The Light takes high-level warriors to some of the darkest places on earth, to fight the powers and principalities that are keeping those nations in darkness.” Voice of the Light Ministries holds conferences throughout the world, coordinating the Spiritual Warfare Network in 50 nations. She says “Our mission is to train believers throughout the world to identify the powers of darkness and destroy them. This requires profound understanding of the Spirit Realm.” Which will secure victory for themselves, their families, and delivering cities and nations from captivity.” Where did she learns about this spirit realm? From new revelation, God is giving her words that exceed what is taught in the Bible. She also claims because of her short background involvement in voodoo “Ana has known the powers of the invisible world in a deeply personal way” (website.) These persons are recognized as ‘leaders’ in spiritual warfare by virtue of their insight into the Spirit realm, by seeing what others do not see. Just because she was previously into witchcraft does not mean she has insight into a spirit realm. It is the occult that teaches traveling in the spirit and into the spirit realm, the Bible does not. But this is what their Christianity is about – control of the Spirit realm i.e. demons, which is neither taught nor mentioned in the Bible (look it up). This is trafficking in the Occult, being in a constant pursuit to what is hidden, not spoken of or revealed in the Bible (because it is not there). They claim God, his angels and their trips to heaven have informed them what they need to do to wage a spirit war against the powers of darkness and be victorious. The Devil cannot be incarcerated by believers. But the spiritual warfare practitioners of new revelations seek to battle him and his kingdom. Not until Jesus ends the Tribulation and brings his kingdom to earth, literally, with him ruling, the Devil is not destroyed nor captured (see Rev. 20:1-2). The tribulation has not begun, but they have a very different view of the kingdom and his rule. Voice of The Light ministries: Arise Oh God -Prophetic Direction … “how the angels in heaven are mobilized by God to go into battle. Shortly after battle, captives are being set free. … His breath brings life to the dry bones of his fallen Army. The earthly warriors are now ready to give glory to the Lord.” Besides the new interpretation of the dry bones, the failure of the spiritual warfare movement is about their going into battle, engaging with the enemy (aka Peter Wagner). Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world, they want to take the world back and put it under the church’s jurisdiction and control. This is what the 7 mountains teaching from Peter Wagner is all about. It is based on Preterism and fulfilled in dominionism. Is it demons or mans sin nature that has always kept mankind in darkness. As one reads through her writings and teachings we find the unhealthy focus on the demonic and their training to make warriors to fight “in the spirit realm.” God is constantly speaking, instructing them how to identify the enemy and how to battle in the spirit realm. But where does the Bible teach us to enter a spirit realm? We does it say we are sent to deliver cities and nations by spirit warfare or are we sent to bring the gospel to people to deliver them from darkness? In fact, where does the preaching of the gospel fit in all this? Lest see if these questions can be answered. The roots of occult spirit warfare and those involved In 1990 one of the Kansas City Prophets, Jackson, spoke, which was received as prophecy about Wagner. He was supposed to reshape Christianity, beginning in South America. Wagner believed this prophecy, that it would shape his work for the decade to come. Wagner met Ed Silvoso and together experimented in spiritual warfare in Resistencia, with the concept of territorial spirits. Argentine Víctor Lorenzo, under Silvoso’s Cosecha was the architect of the Spiritual Mapping in Resistencia, which is said to directly be inspired by John Dawson’s Taking Our Cities for God. (Source: R. Holvast – Spiritual Mapping: The Turbulent Career of a Contested American Missionary Paradigm, 1989-2005). Spiritual mapping, though in its infancy was incorporated into Argentina’s evangelism. Peter Wagner was teaching his Signs and Wonders course at Fuller seminary and introduced courses that contained teachings of Spiritual Mapping. During this time period Cindy Jacobs, Chuck Pierce, Peter and Doris Wagner traveled regularly to Argentina. The School of World Missions of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California became the US epicenter for introducing this new model of evangelism to those who went there to do mission work. After leaving Fuller Wagner carried this methodology to the world through his own ministry and developed it even more (see Transformation or retransformation). Today it has been accepted and absorbed by numerous churches and organizations, it has become associated with the signs and wonders neo - Pentecostalism. Both Wagner and his wife Doris attribute Jacobs as the person who set the content of the teaching at the seminars of Plan Resistencia: ‘Before Resistencia almost nobody knew about Spiritual Mapping, but Ana Mendez and Cindy Jacobs knew some.’ (Source: Spiritual Mapping: The Turbulent Career of a Contested American Missionary Paradigm, 1989-2005; Wagner 2006(b). by R. Holvast) Here we have Mendez in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s involved in spirit warfare and associating with Wagner. Spiritual mapping is a term allegedly coined in 1991 by George Otis, Jr. (the Sentinel Group) He defines it as “The discipline of diagnosing the obstacles to revival in a given community. Through fervent prayer and diligent research, practitioners are able to measure the landscape of the spiritual dimension, and discern moral gateways between it and the material world.” George Otis Jr. formed the Sentinel Group that presented itself as: ‘A Christian research and information agency dedicated to helping the Church to pray knowledgably for end-time evangelization, and enabling communities to discover the pathway to genuine revival and societal transformation’ (Sentinel Group 2000) Otis Jr. says “The 1990s are not the 1790s,” “God is very wise and very resourceful, and he brings to his church different emphases, different methodologies, different strategies to commend the gospel to the prevailing culture” (Christianity Today Jan.12 1998). However the emphasis is not on the gospel but on demons that are geographically mapped within the concept of the ‘10/40 Window’. After they are identified those who are part of the army enter into battle to conquer them. Interest in this began to grow. In 1992 Jacobs and Doris Wagner went to Rosario for a Spiritual Mapping seminar. Cosecha held its Second Harvest Evangelism International Institute, training Wagner and Jacobs among others. It was Ed Silvoso that claimed that within a radius of 100 miles of the city of Rosario accelerated multiplication of churches took place because a prayer team broke the power of the spirit of Merigildo in 1985. Appointed by Harold Caballeros Ana Mendez became the coordinator of the Spiritual Warfare Network for Southern Mexico and became involved in several activities of Global Harvest Ministries. Ana and her husband, Torcuato Luca de Tena, pastored the New Anointing Church of Mexico City. Mendez of Intercessors International was instrumental in some major Spiritual Mapping prayer campaigns in the second half of the decade. (Source: Spiritual Mapping: The Turbulent Career of a Contested American Missionary Paradigm, 1989-2005; Otis 1991, 1997, 1999(b). also known as Spiritual Mapping in the United States and Argentina a Geography by Rene Holvast) In 1993 prayer campaign Praying Through the Window was in conjunction with YWAM and was repeated in 1995, 1997 and 1999. On June 27 - 28, 1993 the Sentinel Group organized first public conference on Spiritual Mapping in Washington. AD 2000 in December 1993 held a Strategy Consultation for the overall AD2000 work, of which the United Prayer Track was a part. Doris Wagner was Executive Director of the AD2000 between 1992 and 2000. The Sentinel Group researchers believed they found cases in which spiritual revival was followed by rapid improvements in a community's political and social fabric. In 1995, the ministry began to investigate these reports in earnest. Researching the four continents, Sentinel researchers claimed to have document numerous examples of spiritually transformed communities. They were also able to identify the factors responsible for these remarkable changes. In June of 1999, their discoveries were released to the public in the video documentary called “Transformations.” Spiritual mapping has become more sophisticated and popularized under Wagner – they call it strategic level spiritual warfare. In his book “Freedom From The Religious Spirit “(p.12), Peter Wagner defines "the spirit of religion": "I have come to the conclusion that the spirit of religion is an agent of Satan assigned to prevent change and to maintain the status quo by using religious devices." Change is a word often used to bring a diaprax to a large group of people. What they want you to do is give up your preconceived notions of Christianity you learned from the Bible and instead follow their new revelators, if not you may be considered to have the spirit of religion because you are not on board with the new program the Spirit is doing. So what does Wagner offer? Wagner speaks of “The rhema is regarded as a more immediate word from God which we do not find in the 66 books of the Bible” (Engaging the Enemy, by C. Peter 1991, pp.15-16). So this is their intention: to speak words that from outside the Scripture from the new apostles and prophets. Wagner makes this perfectly clear as he writes, “...[one] among rapidly increasing numbers of others who believe that a valid source of divine knowledge comes through what some would call “extrabiblical revelation.” I daresay that the standard- brand evangelical doctrine of “logos only” that we were taught might now find a place on an “endangered doctrines” list, about to become extinct” (C. Peter Wagner, “Confronting the Powers” (1996) p.55). This is clearly evident in the area of spiritual warfare which Ana Mendez Ferrell is appointed as one of their generals (prophets and apostles) that is able wage war against the powers of darkness. This activity which has nothing to do with real spiritual warfare described in the bible. It can be described as no less than a Christian Jihad against the government of the devil. The fact that they are aggressors in pursuit separates them from any Biblical foundation, or justification. Much of Wagners/ Otis Jr.’s warfare of the spirit was formed by soon to be president of YWAM, John Dawson, who wrote "Taking Our Cities for God." His primary objective in his book: "This book focuses on the deliverance of cities and nations rather than individuals… (p.21) "It is the evangelization of our cities that holds the key to bringing millions of people to Christ"(p.29). If we want to bring nations to Christ, we must win their cities" (p.35). This is Not by spreading the gospel but by readjusting the spirit realm. Among the models of spiritual warfare is the idea of replacing the principal demon with an angel thus it will be a transformed city or nation for Christ. At this same period it was disseminated into YWAM. [read Orrel Steinkamp’s: Spiritual Warfare Evangelism: How Did We Get Here?] Since the "take the city" spirit warfare teaching has become popularized we have seen sin and violence increase globally, not decrease. No major city has been taken for Christ in 20 years, even though they claim it has with this practice. In the “Summary Report: AD2000 United Prayer Track” report by C. Peter Wagner, we see under Peter Wagner the inventions and promotions of many of the new doctrines which include: strategic-level spiritual warfare, identificational repentance, prayer evangelism, on-site praying, spiritual mapping, prayer walks, and a host of other concepts that constantly surface with the corresponding activities of spirit warfare. But we do not find any of these in the Bible. Ted Haggard, In his book The Life Giving Church, describes a 1992 meeting that began his and Peter Wagner’s partnership by establishing of The World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs on the property of Ted Haggard’s New Life Church. Lee Grady of Charisma Magazine described it as the “spiritual version of the Pentagon”. It became a spirit intelligence center gathering information on demonic activity throughout the world so they can pray against the evil spirits and change the atmosphere over areas. In the book “Shaking the heavens” Ana Mendez Ferrell writes, “Largely unopposed by the Church, the enemy has overrun our society. Now God is awakening and calling His people to battle. He is arming us with a new understanding of our times, bringing a new anointing upon His Church and equipping us with the tools we need to archive victory. Ana Mendez Ferrell exposes the enemy's plans and shows how God is raising up a victorious army, one with the power of the Holy Spirit that will vanquish the enemies of Jesus Christ and place them under His footstool for His glory! On her website: “As a general in spiritual warfare, Ana Mendez Ferrell has coordinated many of the most important prayer initiatives in the darkest places of the earth. She with others travel all over the world to do battle with the demons. She battles in the upper regions of the Nile river. She went to Mt. Everest to battle the Queen of Heaven (which in the next article we will look in detail). On page 70, Taking Our Cities For God, John Dawson writes: “Unless you understand biblical warfare, you will be frustrated, angry, confused, and ineffective in your ministry to the city…We need to bind the strong man and gain a place of authority over Satan before we will see the full fruit of our labors.” Ana Mendez Ferrell writes, “I was returning from a trip of intercession in Poland where we prayed in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Treblinka. We waged spiritual warfare in order to liberate that nation from the spirits of death that had remained there after the Holocaust of the Jews” (July 20, 2007 By: Ana Mendez Ferrell The Mystery of His Blood) And how may I ask would one know they were successful? How about liberating your own country of deaths that currently come from abortion. In a letter from C. Peter Wagner he refers to Unlocking the Supply chapter, "The
Transference of Wealth," in his book “The Future War of the Church” Thus Spiritual mapping is a necessary strategy to “map out” the demons’ geographical activity by those according to Wagner, that have "gifts of prophetic espionage” or a spiritual “hunting instinct to track down the enemy’s manipulations.” Her Book HIGH LEVEL WARFARE advertised as, “Move in courageous warfare into deeper levels of holiness, obedience, adoration and transformation. Learn to implement revealed wisdom and use the “weapons of our warfare” to conquer the world for Jesus Christ” Nothing could be clearer on their mission and manner. Spoken like a true dominionist of the latter rain ilk.She claims to teach “the strategies necessary to take their cities for the Kingdom of God. Having established intercession networks around the world. “Expanding the Kingdom of God and training a generation to make a footstool for Christ.” Are we to make a footstool for Christ? The concept of footstool is first used by King David 1 Chron. 28:2-3 where he wanted to build a temple but was not allowed because he was a man of war. Ironic isn’t it. Ps. 110:1: “The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." This quoted by Jesus to the Pharisees to prove he was God’s ONLY Son. This is later quoted by Peter in Acts 2:36. Heb. 10:12-13 speaking of Jesus “sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.” The point is, do we make his enemies the footstool or does God? Clearly there is a Tribulation period coming where the enemies of God are “given authority” to rule for a short time and are dealt with only in Jesus’ second coming. It’s not the church that vanquishes his enemies. In John’s Revelation we see the dragon gives the Beast “his power, his throne, and great authority” (Revelation 13:2). To rule “over every tribe, tongue, and nation,” the 10 kings who rule, v.17: they “receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.” Isn’t that the key word we hear from the neo - Christians involved with the new apostolic spirit warfare … AUTHORITY, power to control, to fight, to make what you want to happen in cities and countries. They may be sincere in their motives but their method is not taught by Jesus or the apostles no matter how much orange juice they want to squeeze from a cabbage. Psalm 2:1-2: “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed…” V:9 “You (Jesus) shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'" Thus is accomplish by Jesus alone at Armageddon, His second coming. Anyone who tells you the church is to rule over the earth, by removing the demons before He comes is joining themselves with those who will be destroyed at His second coming. I’m sure its exhilarating to think you are destroying Satan’s kingdom single – handedly or with other special forces in spirit battle but it also brings delusions of grandeur. 2 Corinthians 4:3: “But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.' In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the Image of God, should shine unto them.” The "warfare" the bible is addressing is to turn people from darkness to light, to get them to receive forgiveness of sins and the inheritance of Christ by THE GOSPEL. This is accompanied with prayer to God and the preaching of truth in love. Real Spiritual warfare is challenging the strongholds of people's ideas, that are in their minds. It is taking away the justifications, the excuses and reasonings, and the high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. It is easier to pray against "strongholds" than actually confront people with their false belief systems and explain to them why they are wrong! You don't have to say anything to anyone just command devils to do your bidding and think you are actually making a difference. In Pagan theology when one would win the battle over another god they received his goods and territory. The underlying philosophy of the Spiritual Warfare movement is Christianized pagan warfare; to pull down the head demon over an area will win back that property for the Lord. Gnostics believed in strongholds located over cities in the sky. it is presenting to believers a Gnostic concept to be used in place of the teaching in Scripture. Mendez, one of their generals in the new apostolic movement of Peter Wagner, tells us how she takes authority, “Darkness is the absence of light; it is the realm of the devil. Just as a fish needs water to live, the devil needs darkness to survive. When we drink the blood of Y'shua, His light runs through our veins and fills us with light so that we become a fearful adversary for the devil." So by communion she is able to enter battle with the enemy, “ I release the power of Y'shua over these sons of man. I command the powers of darkness on behalf of the sons of man to release them. Be set free. I command evil forces to leave you and the freedom of heaven to enter your body and enter your soul” (Power in Communion: Ana Mendez Ferrell, Part One) Obviously she thinks she is in control of the Holy Spirit and it is because of communion power that runs through her veins. Where did she get this idea? From being in heaven and a demonstration from Jesus. As far as darkness being the realm of the devil, He doesn’t only work at night. Eph. 2:2: “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” He is the prince, commander that is in our atmosphere, the first heaven influencing those who are not adopted sons of obedience. Also known as the spirit of the world (1 Cor. 2:12). After 1900 years we have the church run by new revelation that came down from heaven from those who visited (like John) to teach us how to seek and destroy demons. In fact the whole “new reformation” driven by Wagner and Pierce is about these new revelations, especially spirit warfare. This new revelation distracts people from a true understanding of the word, and it hinders true growth in the Spirit. James 3:14-18 “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” How is peace made, by the gospel of peace being spread. But one must have peace in their hearts first, that is to be compliant with the Holy Spirit, not attribute revelation and new doctrine to him and have them lead the church into non biblical practices. They are teaching not stand or resist (as the bible teaches - Eph.6:11,13,14; Jms.4:7; 1 Pt. 5:9), but that we must aggressively go after him. Last time I looked the great commission has no mandate for this kind of Spiritual warfare. Our armor is Christ, we are to be under authority, we do not go around and take authority like this. The Lord fights as we stand in faith in him. The Real Spiritual war Eph 6:11-13: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Paul’s solution for every believer “..take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.” The amour of God enables us to “stand against the wiles of the devil” the armor is Christ, the word, He protects us. Our war is defensive not offensive. We do not chase the demons entering some invented spiritual realm. Where are we taught this? We have victory in our spiritual warfare by standing. It is by knowing the word “in truth” that we are not moved any “longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Eph. 4:14). New revelation of the spirit realm and this spirit war is a “wind of doctrine,” and it is blowing at gale force inside the church. 2 Cor. 10:4-6: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” In other words we counteract the false philosophies and religions of the day by speaking the truth, by using the word; explaining the word, not by new revelation. Prayer is our dependence and the word is our weapon. The strongholds are fortresses built to oppose the truth of Christ and the word. Walls are built with false ideologies and philosophies that have taken people captive. In other words it is untruth, false patterns of thinking, vain imaginations that hold people captive. The enemies strongholds are pulled down with the word of truth. All falsehood is seen clearly next to the straight ruler edge of the word. When the Gospel is presented against the thoughts contrary to God's word (in an apologetic fashion such as Paul reasoned with the Jews from the scriptures) they will be brought into captivity and obedience to Christ. The current philosophies and worldly ideas of our day that are esteemed as truth are exposed as only mans wisdom against the eternal truth of God. The Gospel is veiled to those who are perishing 2 Cor.11:14. It is up to us to make sense out of it. It is the truth of the word that cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. It is the old nature still dwells within us and that it expresses itself through the body, our yielding to the desires of the flesh is what brings a Christian into bondage, we should not blame it all on demons. People that listen to this type of Christianity put themselves in a position to be deceived. The more supernaturally outrageous the story is the more easily acceptable it becomes. Once someone gets away with telling people stories like Jesus appeared to them in their room or they visited heaven and were given new revelation the rest comes easy. They become lost at sea adrift with their SLSW (strategic level spiritual warfare). Being called a demon chaser is not a adequate term to describe people infatuated with the spirit realm and the demons influences on our world. This is more than an unhealthy obsession, this is a mania that is near addictive to some. The reality of demons should not be dismissed, they are deceptive. The unsubstantiated claims from revelations is opening people up and giving legal access for demons to attack them and deceive them. This is introducing an occultic teaching inside the church that has gained far too much traction.The Spirit war of Generals “In the book Regions of Captivity Ana Méndez Ferrell is teaching us how to deliver people by going down into dark dungeons of hell together with angels to lead captives out of these real prisons in the dark side of the spiritual world. Until now the Lord allowed me to go there once and I observed a person in captivity. I can’t wait to receive the next level to get people out of the dark into the light by these process."In Spiritual Authority 4 CD's
Postscript: Anna WARNS us to NOT glibly travel/wader/do tourist walks, lest we land in a pothole into the demonic underworld. Hawaii, in particular, seems to be on that list of not to visit in ignorance” underline mine (source: http://www.schizophrenia-info.info/ found under deliverance, caution of this site, it is promoter.)This becomes probably the most concerning when she teaches about going to hell for healing pieces and rescue, that there is a parallel underworld, much like what is taught in the new age movement (going by astral travel). Much of what is taught would be more suitable as a Hollywood script. A spiritual war that is taking place on earth for the heart and minds of everyone whether they know it or not. The same spirit that can give a psychic insight by feelings and colors or thoughts can influence one in false teaching by visions and dreams. this does not exclude Christians being influenced by the demonic. My conclusion is that they have been taken captive by the warfare itself. They see everything through their myopic unbiblical – worldview of demons over all the countries, over all the cities and over the things people do. The Occult means to reveal what is hidden, thus they are fighting the occult with the occult -- which amounts to nothing. It does not affect the Devils plans, in fact it allows him to reach inside the church to have a greater influence of deception.
Pt. 6 Climbing Mt. Everest for the great battle
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