``--- title: "Counterfeit Kingdom" author: "Holly Pivec and R. Douglas Geivett" source: "" category: books cover: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rjoyyxI5L._SL500_.jpg date: 2026-07-18 published: tags: - readwise/books --- Counterfeit Kingdom  🔗 **Source:** [Counterfeit Kingdom]() ## Highlights - More, God. More! I must have more of You at any cost! —The “apostle” Bill Johnson ([Location 485](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=485)) - Bethel’s teachings on how to activate prophetic gifts resembles the New Age attempts to “awaken” psychic powers.5 ([Location 736](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=736)) - The Bible gives us three negative tests: the Orthodoxy Test (do their prophecies line up with Scripture?), the Lifestyle Test (are they greedy and lustful?), and the Fulfillment Test (did they get it right?). ([Location 943](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=943)) - You should never accept a prophetic word without evidence that the speaker is a true prophet of God. This requirement is a game-changer. The principle is, evidence first, then belief. ([Location 957](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=957)) - Not a single prophet saw Covid coming. But soon after its arrival, a speedy recovery was predicted by multiple NAR prophets of note.14 ([Location 1044](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1044)) - if a prophet’s record is inaccurate, he has no practical authority as a prophet of any kind. ([Location 1070](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1070)) - NAR prophets are actually inconsistent in their teaching. They expect people to believe that they are genuine prophets when their prophecies “come true.” But when they do not come true, they assert that this does not mean they are false prophets. They want it both ways. ([Location 1072](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1072)) - The whole movement rests on the giant claim that God Himself is restoring the offices of apostle and prophet and the entire body of Christ must submit to their authority or else miss out completely in the “new” move of God. If that claim is false, the entire movement crumbles. —“Dean,” a full-time missionary whose ministry was overtaken by NAR1 ([Location 1295](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1295)) - because of the powerful position they supposedly occupy between heaven and earth, their authority can wreak powerful havoc in the lives of those who submit to them. ([Location 1300](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1300)) - They frequently engaged in NAR-style “spiritual warfare.” They commanded demons. They commanded angels. And the couple did not feel free to make decisions—to move, change jobs, have children, or even discipline their children—without consulting a prophet or the apostle himself. ([Location 1304](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1304)) - “Apostles” and “prophets” lure their followers with the promise of blessings. Blessings are the bait. They claim they have something no other church leaders have. Pastors teach the written Word of God and nurture their flocks. But apostles and prophets have the new revelations their followers need to develop miraculous powers, bring God’s kingdom, and fulfill His will on earth. ([Location 1324](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1324)) - Apostles and prophets hold the keys to the kingdom. ([Location 1331](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1331)) - We pause here to ask: Does your church have apostles and prophets in leadership, or does it defer to apostles or prophets in some larger network? Or does it instead recognize only pastors/elders as the ultimate church leaders? ([Location 1351](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1351)) - Ephesians 4:11, which states: “And he [Christ] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds (pastors) and teachers.” But this verse merely lists five types of gifted leaders that Christ has given the church. It does not teach that He has given the church a hierarchical leadership structure made up of five formal governing offices. It doesn’t say anything at all about offices. Thus, it does not support the NAR fivefold ministry teaching. ([Location 1375](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1375)) - Other than the apostles of Christ (most notably, the Twelve and Paul, who held an exclusive office in the early church), the only two churches offices that are clearly identified in the New Testament are elders/overseers (what many churches refer to today as “pastors”) and deacons.15 ([Location 1394](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1394)) - It is shockingly pretentious and condescending for NAR leaders to teach that, for the past 2,000 years, the vast majority of churches have gone off the rails—neglecting the form of government that Christ Himself established—and that only today’s NAR churches have gotten it right. How odd that Christ should allow such a major slip-up during the course of church history! ([Location 1402](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1402)) - “Alignment”: The word alignment is code for submission. ([Location 1414](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1414)) - “Spiritual covering”: A spiritual covering is NAR code for the blessings and protection that come to a believer who has aligned with (or submitted to) the authority of an “anointed” church leader. ([Location 1426](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1426)) - Tags: aqua - A spiritual covering has been described as a “spiritual force field” because it supposedly brings in “good things” (God’s blessings) and blocks “bad things” (demonic attacks).21 ([Location 1428](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1428)) - Tags: aqua - “Spiritual fathers and mothers”: This phrase is NAR code for “apostles” and “prophets.” ([Location 1430](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1430)) - Tags: aqua - “spiritual fathers and mothers” stands for figures with special authority in the group. Access to spiritual covering comes through these leaders. You must “position yourself” in the submissive role of a son or a daughter to gain access. ([Location 1438](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1438)) - Tags: aqua - “Covenant relationships”: NAR leaders teach of the need for all Christians to be in a “covenant relationship,” which is code for a relationship that entails spiritual accountability and submission to another wiser believer, spiritual leader, or a local church congregation. ([Location 1444](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1444)) - Tags: aqua - If you enter into a covenant relationship with a NAR apostle or prophet, you pledge your support for and accountability to them, and they exercise the power and authority in the relationship. It is a lop-sided relationship. ([Location 1454](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1454)) - Tags: aqua - “honor everyone, but especially the apostles and prophets.” ([Location 1457](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1457)) - Tags: aqua - “Relational leadership”: NAR leaders like to use this language to insinuate that today’s apostles are not heavy-handed and authoritarian. Rather, they are collegial and “lead from consensus,” choosing to build leadership teams around themselves with whom they govern and receive input from. ([Location 1463](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1463)) - Tags: aqua - NAR leaders don’t always state candidly their most controversial teachings. Rather, they rely on insinuation, implication, and innuendo. ([Location 1468](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1468)) - Tags: aqua - “Eat the meat and spit out the bones.” This popular catchphrase means that if you hear a teacher give a questionable teaching—something ([Location 1474](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1474)) - Tags: aqua - “You should trust God’s ability to protect you from being deceived more than you trust Satan’s ability to deceive you.” NAR leaders often recite this catchphrase to dispel people’s fears of being deceived by false apostles and false prophets. ([Location 1488](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1488)) - Tags: aqua - “God offends the mind to reveal the heart.” This catchphrase means that God works through “prophets” who seem bizarre and do things people don’t understand, or may even find offensive. ([Location 1496](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1496)) - Tags: aqua - “God is bigger than His book.” This is a very common catchphrase used by NAR leaders. A closely related catchphrase is “Don’t put God in a box.” ([Location 1513](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1513)) - Tags: aqua - “Be childlike and read the works of those who have succeeded in the healing ministry. Stay away from the books and tapes of those who say it shouldn’t or can’t be done. If the author doesn’t walk in power, don’t listen, no matter how proficient they may be in another field.” ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1523)) - Tags: aqua - Instead of responding to legitimate challenges, “apostles” or “prophets” often resort to slapping their critics with disparaging labels. The labels they’ve given their critics are numerous: mean-spirited, heresy hunters, judgmental, Jezebel, Pharisee, legalist, unspiritual, and unanointed—to name a few. ([Location 1531](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1531)) - Tags: aqua - They also frequently accuse them of being under the influence of a demonic “religious spirit.” ([Location 1533](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1533)) - Tags: aqua ## New Highlights added 2026-07-19 at 10:56 PM - Pastors align with apostles and prophets by joining one of the many apostolic networks, such as the Bethel Leaders Network, Harvest International Ministry, or Global Awakening. ([Location 1422](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1422)) - “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). ([Location 1573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1573)) - a church publishing a sound doctrinal statement is no guarantee that the church is doctrinally sound. ([Location 1609](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1609)) - People crave a “touch from God” in some fashion or other. They want to be noticed by Him and feel special. ([Location 1660](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1660)) - “apostles” claim this mandate gives them authority to govern not only the church, but also society. ([Location 1686](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1686)) - In their “Victorious Eschatology” (also called “apostolic eschatology”), Christians under the leadership of apostles and prophets in the last days will experience great victory by performing signs and wonders that will cause a worldwide revival. Entire nations will convert to Christ.20 ([Location 1730](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1730)) - NAR prophets can announce “Thus saith the Lord” and expect their words to be taken seriously.40 ([Location 1824](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1824)) - NAR leaders teach that, for revival to occur, their followers must engage in peculiar spiritual warfare practices that are not identified in Scripture, such as casting out high-ranking demons (called “territorial spirits”) who are believed to rule over cities. ([Location 1841](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1841)) - One of the most controversial NAR teachings is that, when Jesus came to earth, He gave up the use of His divine powers and worked all His miracles as a mere man, through the power of the Holy Spirit. So, contrary to what Christians have believed through the centuries, His miracles were not evidence of His deity. ([Location 1853](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1853)) - biblical revival is measured in terms of obedience and holiness. Anything short of that is a counterfeit. ([Location 1945](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1945)) ## New Highlights added 2026-07-21 at 11:37 PM - First, every major translation of the Bible—such as the New International Version, the New King James Version, the English Standard Version, or the Christian Standard Bible—begins with a team of seasoned scholars assembled for the task. ([Location 1973](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=1973)) - If you know anything about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly known as Mormons), you may be picking up on something familiar: Simmons’s claims sound eerily similar to those of Joseph Smith, that cult’s founder. Smith claimed that he translated the Book of Mormon from golden plates inscribed with so-called “Reformed Egyptian” hieroglyphics (scholars note that no such language as Reformed Egyptian ever existed). Enabling Smith to translate the plates were special stones shown to him by an angel named Moroni. Simmons’s fanciful tales are no more credible than Joseph Smith’s. ([Location 2003](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2003)) - Simmons has crafted a Bible that would gladden the heart of a narcissist, while slighting the sovereign exercise of God’s will through us. ([Location 2072](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2072)) - One main way that NAR has gained entrance into churches is through its music. Turn on any Christian radio station or open a popular playlist, and you will almost surely hear songs by Bethel Music, Jesus Culture, Hillsong Music, Forerunner Music, or Gateway Worship. These wildly popular music labels all hail from large and influential churches that are either overtly NAR or exhibit significant NAR influence.1 In addition, other music labels created by non-NAR churches, such as Elevation Worship, also show signs of NAR influence. These groups’ music is among the most used in worship services throughout the world, but especially in America and Australia. ([Location 2166](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2166)) - Sketchy NAR teachings have been smuggled into many popular worship songs. ([Location 2211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2211)) - Do you realize, if you sing along with Bethel Music, that Bethel Church sees you as partnering with them to alter reality by adding your voice to their declarations? ([Location 2226](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2226)) - of the disappointments we face (see 1 Corinthians 15).6 Another NAR buzzphrase that is found in many songs is “open heaven.” In NAR, the concept of being “under an open heaven” refers to a moment in time when God is supposedly making His presence tangible in a church, city, or nation. He makes His presence known by speaking to people in dreams and visions and giving them new revelations. ([Location 2255](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2255)) - The fact that music contains NAR theology is not accidental. It’s by design. Bill Johnson says that he has instructed the musicians at his church to think about what they’d like the church to look like in five years—what beliefs they want Christians to hold—and then write songs incorporating that specific theology so that people could “sing [their] way into it.”12 ([Location 2276](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2276)) - We’re exporters, I don’t ever want to change that. . . . Let’s get a model that can be duplicated anywhere in the world. . . . And let’s take it somewhere. And let’s plant it. Let’s plant it through Jesus Culture, let’s plant it through the music we write. Let’s plant it through the conferences that we do.15 Both Jesus Culture (which was founded at Bethel Church in 1999) and Bethel Music are a deliberate means to an end—spreading their NAR teachings.16 Johnson’s statement undermines one of the most common defenses made by pastors and worship leaders who allow Bethel Music to be used in their churches. ([Location 2301](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2301)) - When churches that are otherwise sound use NAR music, the leaders are giving an implied pass to the churches that produce that music. ([Location 2313](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2313)) - Likewise, many love the way NAR music makes them feel. Emotions are forefront. The focus is on experiencing and encountering God apart from rational thought. ([Location 2326](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2326)) - Ask yourself these questions about the lyrics of a song: Do I believe that what they are saying is true? What are my reasons for believing they are true? Are they consistent with Scripture? Or do I believe they’re true simply because everyone singing around me, in a worship service, seems to believe they are true? And what are the lyrics telling me about how I should live my life or act? Are they encouraging me to live in a manner consistent with or contrary to the teachings of Scripture? If the lyrics seem true enough, you should ask some additional questions: Are they profound? Do they express truths of special importance, or are they theologically weak, vague, and overly repetitive? Taken together, do the songs we sing highlight various aspects of God and Christian belief, or harp on the same few subjects over and over (such as miracles, miracles, and more miracles)? To help you answer these questions, compare the words of a popular NAR tune with a theologically rich and long-treasured hymn that has stood the test of time. Or read the Bible’s songbook, the Book of Psalms (most of which was composed by King David). The paltry lyrics of so many of today’s songs reflect the paltry theology of the songwriters. Pay attention to how the lyrics are “packaged” by the beat, the melody, the fog machines, the singers and the way they dress (and otherwise present themselves) on stage, and so forth. It is important to pay attention to the non-lyrical aspects because you may find that you’re responding emotionally to a song because of how it is packaged, not because of the truth of the actual lyrics. One way to determine whether the lyrics have merit on their own, apart from the external trappings, is to read them online without listening to the music. When you look closely at the lyrics of a song you like the sound of, you may find that they are theological fluff and that you’re disappointed by their lack of doctrinal depth. ([Location 2347](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2347)) - We advise churches to avoid using NAR music as a matter of practical wisdom and discernment. And they should be alert to the potential for NAR influence on any song, whether or not it is produced by a known NAR church. They should not allow anything in a worship service that will prime people to be more receptive to NAR teachings and will advance the NAR agenda. ([Location 2371](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2371)) - NAR teachings about healing also create an unhealthy dependency on the “apostles” and “prophets.” What happens when their followers fail to heal someone, as they inevitably will? ([Location 2679](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2679)) - To summarize, the core teaching is this: apostles and prophets must govern churches. Churches must submit to the authority of apostles and prophets, who can then bring critical new revelation that Christians need for developing miraculous powers, setting up God’s kingdom on earth, and paving the way for Christ’s return. There are many different revelations, coming from different apostles and prophets, but they all boil down to one thing: they are strategies equipping the global church to rise up as an end-time army of miracle-working Christians. ([Location 2816](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2816)) - NAR-influenced music groups: Bethel Music, Gateway Worship, Hillsong Music, Forerunner Music, Elevation Worship, and Jesus Culture NAR practices: Sozo, fire tunnels, prophetic evangelism (known, at Bethel, as “treasure hunting” evangelism), prophetic activation exercises, classes teaching people to prophesy or work miracles, “impartation” of miraculous gifts through the laying on of hands, 24/7 prayer rooms, healing rooms, prayer walking, warfare prayer, “soaking prayer” (or “soaking worship”), and making “prayer declarations”5 NAR buzzwords: Apostles and prophets (also “apostolic” and “prophetic”), spiritual covering, alignment, spiritual fathers and mothers, fivefold ministry, Seven Mountain Mandate, bringing heaven to earth, “Normal Christianity,” glory realms, spiritual atmosphere, open heavens, spiritual breakthrough, anointing, activating, awakening, birthing, the “greater works” (or “greater things”), “decree and declare,” “bind and loose,” billion-soul harvest, and end-time transfer of wealth6 ([Location 2824](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2824)) - “Love bombing”: Love bombing is the practice of flattering individuals or showering them with affection to draw them into a group, community, or organization. ([Location 2901](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2901)) - thinking. If they regard a certain church leader as an apostle, you might ask them why they believe that person is an apostle. What has that person done to demonstrate this? What does Scripture teach about apostles and the requirements for being one? ([Location 2994](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BH8PS3FS&location=2994))