"Apostle Joseph Mattera is back again, espousing absurd NAR dominionism and maligning the church.

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Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. - 1 John 2:15-18

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/the-pulse/80970-15-contrasts-between-the-kingdom-age-and-religious-systems

At the core, the NAR dominioninst theology is the spirit of rebellion. Specifically, a rebellion against God by rebelling against His word. Of course, they do not admit such. Most people who espouse dominionism will never even be able to admit to such. They just think they are being good stewards, or good citizens but the reality is they are espousing NAR dominioninst theology. This is not old beloved. The Kingdom Now theology first became popular in the late 1980s. The NAR has simply placed it on steroids and after decades or poor Pentecostal teachings, has gained traction to the point that the majority of churches are infected. The key verses remind us that we are not to love the things of this world and that by doing so, we show the love of the Father is not in us. Now look closely. God defines ALL that is in this world as the desires of the flesh and eyes as well as the pride of possessions. Now the NAR dominionist pretends they merely wish to change or "influence society", allegedly for the "kingdom" but that is a ruse. They love the world and the possessions it provides. Dominionism defenders seem to not grasp that this world is passing away, as the key verses state. There is no saving it. There is no influencing it. By the way, this does not mean that we are not to address our carnal concerns about this world, our country or our community. The issue is when we interject those concerns into our theology. There is simply no way of doing that without conferring righteousness where it simply does not belong. Suddenly one political party is evil and the other deemed good. Nonsense. They are all of Satan and neither cares about the cause of Christ. There is a reason why all the falsest teachers rally around one party.

One of the staunchest Kingdom Now, NAR dominionists is Joseph Mattera. Mr. Mattera fancies himself an apostle and he believes the apostles need to take over the church and wrestle power away from the pastoral class. You can debate this philosophically but at the end of the day it is just usurpation and rebellion against the word of God. to achieve his ends, Mattera paints opposition to him as a "religious spirit" because he is only worried about "kingdom matters." That kingdom matters he is advocating for however is simply the kingdom now heresy. The above link is to his latest screed on these matters where he outlines 15 perceived differences between a kingdom system and a religious system. Let us reason together once more.

Jesus and the apostles did not inaugurate another religious system; rather, they established the age of the kingdom of God. As we examine the Gospels and the book of Acts, most of the teachings are about the kingdom of God. The church is not the kingdom; rather, it is the primary agent of the kingdom. The church exists to represent God and to manifest the reign of Jesus on the earth. Despite this fact, many churches, historically, have bypassed Scripture and have instead created a secondary tradition that is not close to the way of Jesus and the apostles.

I believe now is the time in which God is shaking the global church and establishing Kingdom principles. God is ripping away and exposing extraneous second-tier traditions and denominational positions that are opposed to His kingdom. Believers need to understand the difference between the characteristics of the kingdom and man-made religion. The body of Christ and its surrounding environment will be transformed only through proper alignment with His kingdom." -- Joseph Mattera

Really. Jesus and the apostles did not inaugurate a religious system? Has Mattera even read the New Testament? Look how much detail Paul goes into regarding the mere structures of church. It is within these structures that the Gospel is preached, which conveys the teachings about the kingdom. Mattera wants to remove the structures because they provide the guardrails. The bible provides the rules. There is absolutely no biblical support for this dominionist nonsense about the church representing God to manifest the reign of Jesus on earth. None. The world is passing away. Jesus did not ask us to manifest His reign, nor does He need our help. We represent Christ on earth by living our own lives according to His precepts. The notion that the church has bypassed scripture, when that is exactly what he is trying to do is transparent and clumsy. Now, are there heretical teachings throughout the known church today? Absolutely and these are among them. That does not mean the concept of church is heretical. Note the NAR language here. Mattera's goal is to transform the surrounding environment, also known as the world. Let's see these 15 differences he sees between his NAR dreams and the current church.

"1. The kingdom focuses on manifesting God in the earth, while religion focuses on applying its traditions inside church buildings. The word "kingdom" implies that there is a king who rules within a region. Psalm 24:1 teaches us that the earth belongs to the Lord, and Psalm 22:28 tells us His kingdom rules over all nations, not just over the church. Consequently, we in His kingdom are called to show that the cross of Christ impacted the whole cosmos, not just the church realm (Col. 1:12-13, 1:20)." -- Joseph Mattera

The earth does belong to the Lord because He created it. That does not mean that we have to figure out how to rule it for Him. Yes, He is the King but the kingdom is not of this earth, which Jesus specifically said. The Psalmist is referring to the overall notion of the fact that God is the ultimate King over His creation not that He is asking us to rule the nations or even influence them. Mattera's poor interpretation is founded on his heretical beliefs. I agree that the church shows the world the cross but that is achieved through the preaching of the gospel. The problem Mattera has is that preaching the gospel is hard, thankless work that does not usually amount to many trinkets and baubles from this world unless you preach heretically. Much easier to think that changing a law or electing a politician is somehow doing the Lord's will than actually preaching the gospel.

"2. The kingdom transforms individuals from within, while religion focuses on observing outward rituals. Jesus taught us that God requires truth in the inner man (Matt. 5-7, 23; Ps. 51:6). Hence, the kingdom focuses on inner transformation, while religion concentrates primarily on observing church rituals (Luke 17:21). Christ-centered spiritual disciplines help create proper habits of the heart that are conducive to growth in the knowledge and love of God." -- Joseph Mattera

By using buzzwords such as ritual Mattera hopes to smear the notion of organized church as it presently exists. Is he honestly suggesting people are not saved within the structure of church? If they are saved, how do they avoid internal transformation when that is exactly what salvation is! If you want to grow in the knowledge and love of God -- start by sticking to His word!

"3. The kingdom releases all believers to the work of the ministry, while religion merely releases professional clergy to minister. In the kingdom, all believers are both kings and priests (Rom. 5:17, 1 Pet. 2:8-9). In religion, only those trained in seminary and who are employed in church ministry are considered priests." -- Joseph Mattera

I assume the citation from Romans is an error since it literally has nothing to do with this topic. The Peter reference is simply about how we are a royal priesthood. I have seen this vision of Mattera in real life. Watch a Bethel prayer service and watch everyone thinking they are a prophet or preacher. It is demonic. God is a God of order. He established that order. He created the leadership positions within the church. I know Mattera fancies himself a king but there is only one.

"4. The kingdom sees the Spirit poured out upon all flesh. Religion sees the Spirit move only during Sunday services. The apostle Peter made it clear that the Resurrection inaugurated the kingdom age, which was seen when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon every culture, tribe, kindred, tongue and nation (Acts 2:17). Two of the results of the outpouring was that God was no longer restricted to the religious Jews, and His Spirit was not limited to the most holy place in their temple. Despite this, many in the body of Christ continue to restrict the Holy Spirit to moving only within the four walls of a building during mass or church services." -- Joseph Mattera

NAR dominionists love to abuse the Joel verse about the spirit being poured out. The notion that church only sees the spirit move on Sundays is absurd. Now, mega church purpose driven churches do only focus on Sunday but Mattera is not railing against that. he is railing against organized church structure.

"5. In the kingdom, the Scriptures have primary ecclesiastical authority. In religion, second-tier religious tradition has primary ecclesial authority. This second-tier religious tradition is an issue not only for the Roman Catholics, who put custom and canon law on equal terms with Scripture, but also for the Orthodox Church. Many people place the writings of the apostolic fathers on the same level as the Holy Scriptures. Many evangelical Protestant denominations, Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal churches also have second-tier traditions that they regard as primary authority as they relate to Christian practices." -- Joseph Mattera

I have never seen any gospel preaching church place anything above scripture. Mattera talks a good game but his entire theology seeks to undermine scripture. There are no scriptural mandates to support influencing culture, getting involved with the politics of man or conquering seven cultural mountains. None.

"6. In the kingdom, the presence of God is wherever the believer goes. In religion, the presence of God is at the altar of their church building. In the kingdom, the power and presence of God that heals, delivers and saves the oppressed were commonly manifested in the streets. God wants to unleash an army of believers who will turn the world upside down, but religion wants to keep believers closeted inside church buildings." -- Joseph Mattera

Ehhh not quite. First of all, it is true that evangelism has become a dying ministry within the greedy modern church but the notion that the bible seeks to release all believers to turn the world upside is ludicrous on its face. God wants believers in church so that they might learn to grow into the stature of the fullness of Christ. If you want to see Mattera's vision in practice, watch the "Holy Ghost" movies and be scared. Go talk to the dead raising team from Bethel. These are clueless people. Waterless rainclouds without the gospel. They are modern day version of the seven sons of Sceva -- all pomp but no relationship with Christ.

"7. In the kingdom, the fivefold minister equips the saints to do the work of the ministry. In religion, the fivefold minister does the job of the ministry. Traditional religious systems keep people dependent upon professional clergy to pray for the sick, counsel, preach and represent God to the world. In the kingdom, fivefold ministry gifts are focused not on doing the work of the ministry but on equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-12)." -- Joseph Mattera

Everyone does not have every gift. Despite Mattera's vision of an army of out of control ministers, the bible does not support such. Yes we can all pray. We represent God to the world within the construct of our lives. Not every believer should be preaching and counseling. Have you met some of the folks in church? Just hop on Facebook and see how whackadoodle some theologies are and then ask yourself if they should be preaching and counseling. Mattera is proof himself that not all who are currently preaching should be, let alone the entire sheepfold.

"8. In the kingdom, the ministry focus is Monday to Saturday. In religion, the ministry focus is Sunday. People participating in kingdom-focused churches cannot wait until Monday comes. Whereas those who are trapped in religious systems will only see purpose and meaning during church services." -- Joseph Mattera

Sigh. Realize that one of the fundamental misperceptions Mattera and dominionists have is the focus of the church. It sounds so pious to couch everything in terms of evangelistic zeal but zeal without doctrine is like a sword in the hand of a lunatic, as Calvin once said. Church is meant for the believer beloved. read the breakdown of church organization laid out by Paul. Read Acts Chapter Two. Woven into the false doctrine of dominionism is the false purpose driven teachings that change to focus from the saved to the lost. While we want the lost in church so that they might hear the gospel, the entirety of church is designed for the edification of the saints.

"9. In the kingdom, the church is sent to serve its community. In religion, the church strives to get the community into the church. Kingdom-focused churches equip believers to be the problem-solvers of society. They provide them with a biblical worldview to frame their service in every vocation that affects communities. In the kingdom, it is not about how many people attend church services; rather, it is about how many people in the church are sent out to transform their world!" -- Joseph Mattera

Wow, the heresy here is staggering. Religion does not insist that unbelievers visit church -- the bible does! Believers are not called to solve carnal problems of this world. That is so antithetical to the gospel. The usage of "biblical worldview is straight up NAR code-speak. If you want a biblical worldview, read the key verses again. The world is passing away. Have nothing to do with it. There is no transforming what is passing away. Try as hard as you like but you are not changing a rotting corpse.

"10. In the kingdom, the focus of concern is for the whole body of Christ. In religion, the primary focus is only on the denomination/local church. Any person with a kingdom agenda will be concerned about the health of the entire body of Christ. Those with a religious mindset are sectarian and only care about the health of their denomination or church." -- Joseph Mattera

And here we have the ecumenicalism that hides within the dominionist agenda. The body of Christ are only those that do the will of my Father, as per Jesus. Bill Johnson is not my brother. People espousing doctrines of demons are not my brothers. Beloved this is not some random hole in Mattera's theology. The entire screed is heretical and needs to be discarded.

"11. In the kingdom, every sphere of life is integrated under King Jesus. In religion, the church stays out of the public square. The kingdom of God prophetically speaks to societal structures such as law, politics, economics, families, art and business. In religion, the view is that such things are unimportant, unspiritual and therefore should be left to the concern of the world." -- Joseph Mattera

Odd, because Jesus stayed out of the public square completely. As much as the disciples wanted Him to deliver them from the oppression of Rome He came for bigger purposes. To deliver them from sin and Satan. Jesus still has that same larger purpose yet so many are focused with the petty issues of this world that have absolutely nothing to do with the kingdom. The church does not prophetically speak into the cultural mountains Mattera lists. His portrayal of what the church thinks is of course skewed and inaccurate. We do not believe the matters of this world are unimportant. Just that they are not kingdom matters an deserve no spiritual connotation. We do not call evil good. We see the world for what it is -- passing away and seek to save some out from among it while there is still time. We do not pitch our tent towards Sodom. There is only one thing that can save someone from it. It is not cultural influence, "Christian" politicians or even legislation. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"12. In the kingdom, Jesus is the King of kings. In religion, He is merely the symbolic leader of the church. In the kingdom, Jesus is not only the head of the church, but He is also the King of kings (Rev. 19:16). This is the most politically charged statement anyone can make about Jesus! Jesus is the political head of every president, politician, governor and mayor. It obligates every believer to be politically active by voting and doing their part to speak truth to power, as well as elect candidates who best represent kingdom values." -- Joseph Mattera

Uh-huh. Jesus Himself once lamented why bother calling Him Lord if you refuse to do what He says. The error of course is that Mattera takes a prophetic image of Christ when He returns and applies to today. Of course Jesus is King over all but when He returns, those that thought they were king, or president, or in charge will find out that He is King over all of them. It is again the height of NAR absurdity to think that because Jesus is known as the King of Kings that it obligates us to vote and elect people we deem as representing the kingdom. No matter the election all we have are two choices that are equally flawed and evil. The NAR believes they have figured out one is evil and one is good. Hear me very clearly -- there is a reason why all of the false teachers are flocking to your perceived "good" candidate." When we stand before Christ He will not care one iota who you voted for. If you choose to vote based on the lesser of two evils remember two crucial things. The first is that it is only your perception and secondly, it is still an evil choice. Do you think God plays the lesser evil games we like to? No.

"13. In the kingdom, the church is the salt of the earth. In religion, the believer is the salt of the church. Jesus called His followers to reflect His character and values. He called them to be the salt of the earth and light of the world, not the salt of the church and light of religion." -- Joseph Mattera

This is barely even coherent. We are salt and light by living our lives according to the word of God. Full stop.

"14. The kingdom participates with Christ in the renewal of all things. Religion is focused on perpetuating its traditions in the church. Every person in a kingdom-focused church should understand that the Great Commission involves influencing people groups and subcultures, not just individuals (Matt. 28:19). People stuck in religious systems work only to perpetuate the second-tier traditions of their church members." -- Joseph Mattera

I am unsure what Mattera means by the renewal of all things but this again highlights poor NAR theology. We worship Christ. We follow Christ. We are servants of Christ. We do not "participate with Him." That is again purpose driven influence within the NAR dominionist domain.

15. The kingdom engages culture, while religion escapes the earth. The nature of religion is that it wants to create an enclave of safety from the unpredictable realities of the unredeemed world; religion is mystical, not practical or spiritual. However, disciples of the kingdom view every global challenge as an opportunity to be a problem solver and seek to reflect Christ to the surrounding culture. May God help all of us discern whether we are primarily informed by the kingdom or by a religious tradition and system!" -- Joseph Mattera

The true believer sees everything as an opportunity to present the gospel. Not resolve the carnal problems of this world. If you want to view the church as a haven of sorts, I am fine with that. Sheep need to be tended to. In Mattera's vision, the church is solely focused on this world and all of the problems it has. He is focused on solving those problems under the veneer of Christianity and the hysterical part is he calls this "kingdom" focus. It is exactly the opposite. It is first "me" focused. We suddenly are the change agents instead of Christ. We have the power and the mandate, not Jesus. Beloved, if you are not engaging culture with the gospel then you are just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Take it from me. the ship is going down. I've seen the movie. Secondly it is worldly focused. It is concerned about all of the carnal dealings of a fallen world. it confers righteousness where it does not belong. Lastly, it may very well be kingdom focused but sure is not God's kingdom it is focused on.

Lastly, just a word to those still caught up in these teachings. I understand. These nationalistic idol worshiping teachings have infected the church for decades now. What you cannot escape from is that this is Kingdom Now, NAR dominionist theology. I know it feels right because it is how you were taught. It is not right. It drags the focus off of the gospel and onto this world, which is passing away. It amazes me how someone can escape the NAR. They can escape the false signs and lying wonders. They can escape the healing on demand beliefs and false prophet paradigms. They can escape the NAR in such totality yet still cling to dominionism. They can escape the depths of Bethel or IHOP yet cannot see that it bad to share like beliefs with Paula White or Franklin Graham. They got out but there is still one part of it left infecting them and they cannot purge it. I pray that you can beloved. Come back to your first love. Truly leave this NAR madness behind you.

In Jesus name.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- April 30, 2020

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.