Joseph Mattera is at it again, pretending the bible supports the NAR dominionist agenda. It does not.

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One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. -- Luke 24:18-21 (NIV)

https://www.charismamag.com/life/culture/40553-7-ways-the-church-can-foster-a-christian-culture-in-our-nation

Joseph Mattera is now vying for the leadership of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). As such he keeps putting out NAR propaganda pieces where he keeps trying to convince people that taking over the world and conquering seven mountains is what Jesus wants from his followers. The idol worship of America is one of the fastest growing heresies today and will lead to the one world religion. Beloved the reality is that America has been the best pagan nation in history but that does not change its paganism. Its Founding Fathers did not seek out to establish a religious country. The majority of these men were deists, which means they believed "a" god, but necessarily THE God, Thomas Jefferson rewrote the bible to remove all references to the deity of Jesus Christ! The link above is yet another attempt by Mattera to justify the heretical beliefs of the NAR. Let us reason together once again.

"The fact that Jesus rose from the dead proves that a new heaven and new earth inauguration already began. Jesus, as the first fruits, and His saints will follow at the climax and culmination of history and full manifestation of the new heavens and earth when our bodies are also resurrected in the last day (see 1 Cor. 15:20-23). The following realms of society were reframed at the resurrection because of the lordship of Christ:" -- Joseph Mattera

Mattera's opening premise is biblically absurd. He was fine right up to the point that he pretended the bible says anything about reframing realms of society at the resurrection because of the lordship of Jesus Christ. It sounds pious. It sounds like it could be biblical if you never read the bible. I always liken this line of thinking to the shortsightedness of those that followed Jesus when He walked the earth. The NAR preachers and dominionists all like to play the victim. They decry the sinful world they live in but keep trying to revive it. In the days of Jesus the Jews were real victims of oppression from Rome. Jesus came to deliver than however from something far more important and oppressive -- their sins. It is the same mission the Gospel still carries out to this very day yet those that fancy themselves Christian are still more concerned about being delivered from Rome.

Consider the key verses from the story of the Road to Emmaus. Jesus comes alongside followers of his walking to Emmaus. He asks them what they are talking about and the recount the sad ending at Calvary just three days earlier. After three years of the ministry of Jesus and the promises of deliverance from sin what is it that they are saddest about? That He did not deliver them from Roman oppression. Those that claim to know Christ today are equally sad about their plight in this carnal world when they hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel. Here is today's sad and deep theology. They do not want the kingdom of heaven. Do not be deceived beloved. When someone says that "realms of society have been reframed" you are about to go seven mountain climbing down the road to Emmaus.

"Politics. Jesus is the true Caesar: "'These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus'" (Acts 17:6b-7). Since the church was spreading among the Gentiles (not merely limited to the Jews) Rome had a huge problem on its hands, because their empire was held together politically with Caesar worship. Now thousands of people were proclaiming that there was another King who was Lord of everyone else, including Caesar. This is what eventuated in the violent reaction of Rome against the church." -- Joseph Mattera

At least Mattera did not try to bury the lead and pretend that politics is not the most obsessed over of the seven mountains. The challenge that Mattera and NAR adherents always face is their theology is so unbiblical it is simply impossible to support scripturally. The story in Acts 17 is of the Jews stirring up trouble against Paul by spreading disinformation. They used the worship of Caesar to further their point but the reality is that Gospel is apolitical. It is apathetic towards the politics of man. The Gospel does not seek to supplant earthly politics. It is above them. The kingdom of Christ is not of this earth, remember? Those men turned the world upside down because of and through the Gospel.

"The Workplace/Business. The church functioned as a benefactor community for all people in its community: "As we await the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for Himself a special people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:13-14). "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you constantly to affirm, so that those who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to everyone" (Titus 3:8). These two passages elucidate the fact that the early church saw themselves as a community of people called to serve and better their community. This reframed even the workplace and the purpose of wealth as each believer used their time, treasure and talents to serve their city and extend the reign of Christ through a practical demonstration of His love." -- Joseph Mattera

What?? The Titus verses have nothing to do with the early church seeing themselves as a community of people called to serve and better their community. Titus 3:8 essentially says that Christians should do good works. Why? Because they are excellent and profitable to everyone. How so? A Christian known for their good works is a testimony to Christ. The early church did not use their talents, treasure and time to serve their city. Where is he getting this from? The bible says that the early church gave all they had to serve each other -- not the world. Even when Paul takes an offering it was for brethren who were in need -- not the community. The lost need a practical demonstration of the Gospel

"Family. Their leaders modeled a family unit in submission to Christ as the head. Read Ephesians 5 :21-33 and 1 Timothy 3:5, which gives as a primary qualification for church elders the call to be faithful to their families: "For if a man does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?" Also, Ephesians 5 speaks about a husband loving his wife as Christ loved the church in the midst of a Roman-Greco culture that generally devalued women and used marriage only as a way to have children and perpetuate their family legacy (romance was often connected to arrangements outside the bounds of traditional marriage); hence, the command to love their wife connected both romance and sacrifice in the marriage, which revolutionized Western civilization." -- Joseph Mattera

The NAR constantly blurs the line between what is done for the benefit of the church versus the world. Yes the family unit is very important within the church and the symbolism Mattera points out is spot on but it has nothing to do with the world. The things of God are foolishness to the world. When a Christian politician recently stated that he would not have dinner with someone who was not his wife he was mocked and ridiculed by the world. Do not lose sight of the argument that Mattera is trying to make. That these areas of culture are somehow transformed and reframed because of the resurrection. He has yet to provide any proof of such.

"Education. They honored the Scriptures as the primary way of equipping and maturing the saints starting from childhood. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." Scripture was used to catechize new believers and disciple their children (see also Deut. 6:6-9) which eventually became the impulse to create a "grand synthesis" that universities (starting in about the 11th century) utilized, in their attempt to orbit all truth and every discipline around theology and the study of the Bible." -- Joseph Mattera

Mattera cannot help but give the game away when he cites scripture. The Second Timothy verses clearly state that the word of God is for the man of God! So that he may be complete and thoroughly prepared for every good work. I never heard of anyone wistfully harkening back to the glory days of the 11^th Century. The reality is that carnal education seeks to disprove the bible. Education insists that a six day creation timeline is not possible. They insist the age of the earth cannot be 6000 years. They think they can explain away the plagues of Egypt. Anything to remain their own god.

'Philosophy. The apostle Paul challenged the wisdom of this world with the wisdom of God demonstrated in Jesus (see Paul before the Areopagus in Acts 17, in which he challenged Greek polytheism, idolatry and quoted their famous poets to make a case for worshipping the one true God). Read 1 Corinthians 1:17-24 to see how the gospel of Jesus challenged the philosophy of the times. In Colossians 2:8-10, Paul says: " Beware lest anyone captivate you through philosophy and vain deceit, in the tradition of men and the elementary principles of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him lives all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all authority and power."' -- Joseph Mattera

This is crucial to understand beloved. Paul challenged society with the Gospel for the purpose of calling people out of the world. What Mattera and the NAR seek is to change society to accept the things of God without salvation. Even the Colossians verses he cites are the same dynamic. The NAR wants to challenge culture to change culture and that is simply not supported anywhere in the bible. Having more Christian politicians will not save one single soul. Neither will having more Christianese movies or an education system that teaches biblical truths. Salvation is a supernatural event caused by the preaching of the Gospel through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If Mattera was honest he would admit his goal is to fundamentally change society so it behaves better but salvation is not behavior modification.

"Religion. Jesus turned the religious world on its head when He challenged the dark powers of the false deities, worshipped in Roman-Greco culture. As we see in Matthew 16:16-19, Jesus said He was building His church upon the rock that was next to the goat god, Pan, which was connected to the cave or pit called the gates of hell (into which people were alleged to be thrown alive if they did not appease the goat god Pan in their immoral rituals and worship).

We also see Paul challenging polytheism and witchcraft in Acts chapters 14 and 19 in his gospel messages." -- Joseph Mattera

That's odd. The cited Matthew verses make no mention of Pan. That aside, the times Paul challenged false religion was always in the context of the Gospel. This is the point Mattera and the NAR keep missing. It is not about this world beloved. It is about saving people out from this world.

'Art. Paul recharacterized art and poetry by renaming and reframing their statue to the unknown God and giving meaning to popular Greek poetry (see Acts 17). A new genre of music was created for the Gentile world. Ephesians 5:18-19 says: "Do not be drunk with wine, for that is reckless living. But be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." "Music. Paul taught the church to make use of the Hebrew Psalms, as well as the creation of new hymns and spontaneous spiritual songs of the heart, which created a new genre of music for the Gentile world." -- Joseph Mattera

Ugh. Paul did not "reframe and rename" the statue to the unknown god. He presented the true God through the Gospel. Even his reference to new music is unfounded as Psalms were used by the Jewish people for songs long before the New Testament. Remember these are the reasons given for a Christian responsibility to change culture. That because the bible implores believers to speak to believers using Psalms and hymns that this must mean we should conquer the cultural mountain of entertainment. When we really think about it, what has the NAR attempts at conquering this mountain wrought? Jesus Culture, Hillsong, and a me-centric form of self-worship. In a matter of years we have gone from How Great Thou Art to Oh How He Loves Me. You cannot dabble in the world and not be polluted by it. We have created a new genre of music for the world that teaches a false christ and theology that will not save anyone. Consider Healer was written by someone hiding a pornography addiction by faking cancer. Consider that I am a Friend of God was written while Israel Houghton was having an affair on is wife. Consider the Gungors and all the "Christian" artists who have left the church to pursue the wealth and fame of that mountain.

"All of the above demonstrated that the church--as a new nation--was not focused merely on going to heaven but rather introduced a new vision for life on the earth related to family, politics, business, music, art and philosophy as the "new man" (see Eph. 2). The church was called to envision and walk out a new creation (see 2 Cor. 5:21) that began at the resurrection and ascension of the true King of kings and Lord of all--Jesus Christ. As they modeled the kingdom of God in their own subculture, they were able to export it to every aspect of the communal life of the city they were immersed in." -- Joseph Mattera

This conclusion is factually ridiculous. Mattera has proven nothing. He has made assertion after assertion that seem to come from only his deceitfully wicked heart and certainly not from scripture. First of all the church is not a "new nation." That is made to fit the NAR narrative. Don't you just love the downplaying of heaven? Beloved THAT is the NAR. This world over heaven. This world needs revival. The notion that the church was not "merely" focused on heaven is blasphemous. It was entirely focused on heaven and the mechanism for getting people there -- the Gospel. The new man referred to in Ephesians 2 has to do with salvation and reconciling us back to God through Christ and His work on the cross! 2Corinthians 5:21 summarizes our new roles as ambassadors for Christ in bringing the Gospel. Are you sensing a theme yet Joseph? The notion that the early church exported their subculture to affect every aspect of communal life is asinine. The church was largely persecuted in the early going. They were not trying to influence culture as much as they were trying to survive it.

"In light of this article, we need to ask ourselves some questions: Do we embody and celebrate biblical values or the values of the secular humanistic worldview? Are we a disciple of Christ who integrates our faith in the workplace, or merely a Sunday church attender? Should churches empower disciples for the workplace, or only the church place?" -- Joseph Mattera

The first question is hysterical. This whole article has been about how we can influence secular humanistic worldviews. Embodying biblical values should mean we actually follow the bible and act as a shining city on a hill and be ready to give reason for our hope. Not lobby for politicians, demand more silly movies that the world will not understand, and continue to loathe the very people we are supposed to bring the Gospel to. The second question is good ole Catholic guilt. A true disciple of Christ does not look upon the fellowship of believers as "merely" anything. Now I am a believer in letting people know you are of the faith at work but that is not what Mattera is advocating at all. He is seeking to conquer imaginary mountains, not spread the Gospel. Beloved, church should disciple the sheep. They should feed the sheep. The more they grow in the Lord the more Christlike they will become and like the glow around Moses so the world shall see them and want what they have. That is the plan of God -- not some mountain warfare steeped in the pure carnality of this world. Make no mistake about it. The NAR idolizes this world and this country and will stop at nothing to preserve it. Hold fast to your bible beloved. There is a world out there that desperately needs Christ. Not Christian movies, but Christ. Not Christian politicians, but Christ. Not Christianese curriculum, but Christ. Not Christian philosophy, poetry, or any other NAR dreams of dominionist nonsense. Stop climbing these mountains. Get off the road to Emmaus and realize that Jesus came to deliver us from so much more than perceived worldly oppression. The only question arising in light of this article is whether Joseph Mattera can see any of this anymore through the dense NAR fog that now permeates his theology.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- March 5, 2019

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.