Late last night, Cindy Jacobs announced the formation of a major prayer drive with the goal of influencing the election.  The campaign, called "FastForward," is sponsored by her newly formed United States Reformation Prayer Network.  It starts on January 2 and runs through Inauguration Day 2013--52 weeks of prayer and fasting in order to "shift this nation."  Jacobs outlines her game plan to her followers here.

Jacobs makes no bones about where she wants this shift to go--hard right.  If there was any doubt of that, take a look at the prayer guide she's put out for the first 21 days of the year.  On January 15, she wants her flock to pray for the end of "separation of church and state."  The next day, she wants them to pray for the appointment of Supreme Court justices who won't "legislate from the bench."  On January 18, the new focus will be on praying "favor" for "pro-life, pro-biblical defense of marriage, pro-fiscal conservative candidates."  Sounds like Jacobs wants to pick up where the Christian Coalition left off.

Having soundly been defeated at the ballot box, the Personhood initiative in Mississippi has been resurrected via the new governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant and his allies in the state government. For the first time, Mississippi's state government is solidly republican and so the will of 58% of the voters is being ignored.
A grass-roots campaign has been started to oppose this back door legislation. Here is an excerpt from the petition site.
http://signon.org/sign/no-means-no-stop-personhood?source=s.em.cp &r_by=1329818

 On November 8, the people of Mississippi voted resoundingly to reject the so-called Personhood Amendment. We--mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons--did not reject the initiative because we were misled. We did not reject it because we were confused, or because of scare tactics, or because of media bias. We rejected the Personhood Initiative because we believe that families--not the government--should make their own medical decisions.

Since the initiative's failure, Governor-elect Phil Bryant and the Mississippi legislature have threatened to trample the democratic will of Mississippians and pass Personhood through the legislature.

It's time for the voters of Mississippi to tell them once and for all: no means no. We are the 58%. And we vote.

 

I'm writing this to highlight the section of Chris Rodda's story on the Camp Pendleton Cross that may be of most interest to a lay audience unfamiliar with the issue. As Chris Rodda, Senior Research Director for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and author of Liars For Jesus: The Religious Right's Alternate Version of American History explains in The Camp Pendleton Cross: The Facts vs. What the "Persecuted" Christians Are Saying,

Earlier today, David Barton proved just how far he's willing to go to push the "Christians are being persecuted" meme.  His guest on "Wallbuilders Live" was John Freshwater, a former middle school science teacher from Mount Vernon, Ohio.  Freshwater claims he was fired because he refused to remove his Bible from his desk (he's a devout Pentecostal--Assemblies of God).  He claims to have kept it on his desk for years until a new principal came along and fired him in 2008.  Listen to the whole thing here, if you can stand it.

Well, turns out the truth is a bit less cut-and-dried.  Turns out Freshwater was actually fired for doing a crappy job and teaching creationism as science.  He did such a poor job teaching evolution that a lot of high school teachers had to spend a lot of time reteaching it.  He also tried to teach creation as science, and repeatedly bashed gays as well.

Additionally, two students claimed Freshwater burned a cross onto their arms.  All in all, behavior that would get a teacher fired anywhere in this country.  Just last month, a court upheld the firing.  And this in one of the reddest counties in Ohio--Obama lost by 20 here.  

cross-posted at dKos

PFAW's Right Wing Watch reports that the Website for "The Response" prayer rally is back online.  And the organizers have planned at least four rallies already--including one for Cedar Rapids, Iowa on December 6.  More rallies are planned for South Carolina and Arizona in January and Florida in February.  

Although The Response disclaims any affiliation with a presidential campaign, PFAW notes that the rally dates are awfully close to the dates for Republican primaries in those states.  Remember, the American Family Association--which helped put together The Response--sent out an email urging the members of the rally's email list to join an effort to mobilize fundie voters.

The Iowa rally is being held at River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids, a church founded by prominent Latter Rain minister Francis Frangipane--further underpinning the movement's links with the New Apostolic Reformation.

Stay tuned.

Excerpt from Transformation Michigan/Oak Initiative conference call with MI State Senator Mark Jansen, May 17, 2010

6:05
Rich Warzywak: What about the aspect of traditional marriage in our state? I know this is important to a lot of people on this call, and - what is going on regarding that aspect, of traditional marriage. Is there anything, like, hidden, or is it pretty much protected at this time, or is this a federal thing?

Michigan State Senator Mark Jansen: That's a great question. I'm trying to think quickly on my feet here. I'm trying to think - we're always, it seems like, you know there's always this tension of, you know, one man-one woman and, you know, the biblical belief of marriage and there's always pressure to say it's OK to have gay marriage or it's OK to have a partnership or whatever it happens to be.

There's always that underlying tension and I think that happens at the local level, it happens at the state level. You know, things that happen among even state employees or public employees. They'll want their insurance to cover their partner. You know, there's always those kind of tensions that are going on. And so that's an issue that we all, we really all need to be fighting really in our own back yards and at the state level and at the federal level. `Cause they are aggressive yet quietly aggressive when it comes to things like that.

9:22 [Mark Janses, discusses tensions, battles in MI state senate and house]
Jansen: You know, we're also fighting off, kind of, the union thing, and some of those kind of things - I'm not going to get into that much here. But, you know, they're coming at it from a particular angle and, you know, pushing an agenda, and that's often a challenge when you have two houses like that [Jansen has previously discussed difficulty of Senate being Republican-controlled and House Democratically-controlled]

Warzywak: You know, we may have, you know, already covered this ground somewhat, but again I'll, I guess I'll rephrase the question here in another way, but do you see that there's any present threat regarding the Judeo-Christian biblical worldview that are pending in the legislative process in Lansing right now? I mean, maybe it has its head rising up a little bit, and we're trying to hold this back? I mean do you - is there anything there that we should be aware of as constitutents in this state?

Jansen: What came to mind when you asked that was kind of the whole stem cell discussion and, kind of, fight. There's - you know, obviously for me, the life starts immediately upon conception and, you know, they're arguing that stem cell is, you know, that's just a blob. And so what you're finding is - to me, that's an attack on what I believe is life. And so I think that's probably the most blatant attack on what I would consider, you know, respecting of human beings and so I think that one, in particular, is one that's out there and you're going to hear it, and it's going to be out there on a regular basis - which we all need to engage in that battle.

11:00-13:00 - Discusses home schooling
13:00-15:00 - Discusses effectiveness of calling legislators, Christian "mentoring" of legislators.
15:00-17:00 - What is most effective way for constitutents to influence legislators

18:17
Janses: I think all of us, at least I do, realize you can't do it on your own. You know, there's no superman or superwoman that's going to save this state. It's going to be where God's people, I think, come together and, you know, this state becomes obedient to God, and we get back on our hands and knees - I think that's where we're going to see God turn Michigan around and, until we get there, we're going to keep stumbling away. But I think these [new] legislators and this new governor, and all these people - we're going to need friends, if you will, like people on this phone call, who are being obedient to God, and are walking in God's ways, and then I think we're going to see that this state can be blessed by God.

20:55
Jansen: Some folks prayed for me, the other day, on the National Day of Prayer, and I truly believe that we need to be praying for, a little of everybody - that we need godly solutions to Michigan's problems, and I just pray that God will bless the hearts and the minds of everybody in the state - whether they're Christian businesspeople or whether they're leaders of some other form or fashion - we do need God's solutions to get Michigan out of here, and I believe that's what we ought to be praying for.

Apostle Ellis Smith
Speaking at New Song Community Church
October 9, 2011

"On  11/11/11 something that is unprecedented is going to happen. I don't mean just in Detroit, I don't mean just in America - for the world.

Lou Engle has something on him that's crazy.  It's an igniting contagious  anointing that eclipses cultural barriers, religious barriers, racial barriers, denominational barriers, gender barriers, generational barriers.  There is something on him that eclipses all of that and engages God's people to one thing. [unclear] that one thing has to do with an intimate relationship with our King as it relates to our prayer life, a life of sacrifice and fasting, a lifestyle of worship. So when he has called this solemn assembly referred to as TheCall at Ford Field, Detroit is the most unique one he's ever done.  

I've talked extensively with him about with this. Couple weeks ago, last week actually, we sat in my truck. I was talking to him [Lou Engle] and Francis Frangipane about Detroit and how pivotal this upcoming meeting is and why I believe it is by divine appointment. Let me tell you why I believe that.

Detroit is the most religious city in America. Because it's the most religious city there are reasons for that but I want get into that, because I don't have time, but believe me on that. There is no other city in America that's even close. Because of that religious spirit, okay, that's here, it was more akin to allowing Islam to have a root here. That's why there are more people of the Islamic religion in the Metro Detroit area than anyplace else in the world except for the Middle East.    Because it found a kindred spirit - a religion.

Islam is a false religion.  It doesn't move people in the things of God.  Islam is lame.  People are decrepit, cripple, they can't move forward. It's a perverse religion.  It's kind of what he's talking about in Acts 2.  What I'm saying to you is Detroit had to happen, what we're talking about right now, because we have to break these barriers that have hindered us in so many ways.  

When Lou first came here and I began to reach out to the black leaders in this city, somehow, I don't know how this happened to me. Some kind of Mr. Magoo experience, I don't know. But I just ended up being the point person for this.  I'm like I didn't ask for this. I wasn't praying this to God, "I want to do this." No, I will let someone else do it and I will follow them.  But somehow God sought this to fall in my lap.  So, I've been the key person talking to these leaders - black leaders, bishops, apostle, elders, pastors, what have you, and none of them, not one had ever heard of Lou Engle or The Call - not one. I was hoping I would find one - none of them!  I went to the largest churches in the city. Most of them are friends of mine. I know them personally. One of them, megachurch - thousands. He said,  "Ellis, I have never heard of Lou Engle." Then I gave him the website information, had him go and look at the video. And he said, "My God, I don't know how this guy has done things this huge, this large. I've never heard of him."

I told him why.  Because what God is doing now isn't based on personality.  The only face to this is the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is not about self-promotion, my ministry, my anointing, my entourage. None of that stuff. It's all about Him. So that's why you've never heard of this guy before.  Different ones, every who has actually heard Lou, not one of them have heard Lou and said, you know what, I don't think I can be a part of this.  Everyone whose ever heard him says where do I sign up."

Please bear in mind that there might be minor errors in these transcriptions, which Rachel Tabachnick and I made of selected segments from several Transformation Michigan/Oak Initiative conference calls held in 2010 and 2011. But we've done our best, given limited time.

Date: September 9, 2010
Speakers: Transformation Michigan coordinator Rich Warzywak, Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network head John Benefiel, West Michigan Prayer Center head Anita Christopher.
[listen to audio from call segment]

15:24 September 9, 2010

Rick Warzywak: And it's incredible how the favor that you have received.  You were allowed to go in, and this is again for the listeners here, into our Senate Chamber [Michigan] literally. I mean, that was awesome.

John Benefiel: Well it was, and two State Senators there welcomed us into the Senate Chambers and in the Senate Chamber we were able to decree the Baal divorce decree.  And that just puts the enemy on the run.  So, I know he's on the run there in Michigan. And we've been able to do this in lots of state capitals. God just opens the doors - I don't really have to do much.  Just go where He opens up the doors and it's been very, very powerful.

Warzywak: Well let me bring Anita into here, Christopher, because of what you've done here.  You know, you came in, you just plowed in here and now Anita is kind of like going out with a SWAT team here. And again, Anita, why don't you explain how you are going right along in the flow with what John has started here. And describe what is going on in the state, and then we're going to get back to John in here again. But I want you to describe, Anita, what's happening?

Anita Christopher: So in our state we realized that this iniquitous Baal structure is in every county and permeates all the Seven Mountains. The influence over our state is tremendous. So, we just went on the website and we found out, it's easy to find out, where all the Masonic lodges and temples are located, and to see how they structured Michigan. And they've divided Michigan into 21 areas, so we divided Michigan into 21 areas. And we are taking area by area, standing in front of each Masonic lodge and divorcing Baal in front of each lodge.  

And the scripture that the Lord has instructed us -so it's just a wonderful scripture, you're going to love this- and it's Jeremiah 51:44. And we write this, we literally write this scripture on a stake, like a tongue depressor. And it says that, this is what God says to Baal, and so this is the declaration we say in front of each Masonic temple where they are meeting with the Masons, and the Eastern Star, and many times the DeMolays and the Job's Daughters, all of those things, all of those organizations coming together under the Baal structure.

And the scripture says, "and I will punish Baal." And we say, "and I will punish Baal, this inquitous structure, this masonic structure in..." and we name the little town, village, or city that we are in, "...in the city and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up."  And he has swallowed up in our cities the Seven Mountains, the wealth, the health of people, and idolatry of all kinds and sexual perversion and immorality.

So and it says, "And the nations shall no longer flow to him, and the walls of his structure will fall down."  And we decree that those walls - we just agree with the scripture.  And then we say,  "And My people will come out of her." So we feel like we are literally standing in front of this prison house and we are divorcing Baal here, we are marrying the land and the people to Jehovah. And we are opening the prison doors and letting the people out, taking the hoodwink off of them, that veil that the Masons have put on them, and taking the shackles off their legs and letting them go free.  So we believe that we are changing that atmosphere above the town and allowing the people then to make a clear choice for God and we're calling them out in that area.

So we have teams set up to go into all of our counties to do this and we are about 3/4 of the way finished.  We have 377 Masonic temples and centers in our state, and so we are 3/4 of the way finished with that, and in just a couple of weeks we are going to be finished.  And we are looking for visible signs of what God is doing.  And we can sense, we're even sensing now that the atmosphere is changing over our state.

Warzywak:  You know a sign -as I shared with you off the call- of this movement, in Detroit and the greater Detroit area, of this the synergy of unity even amongst, across the races here, there is like a stirring going on - we need to come together, in prayer and impact the culture. And so I believe this is one of the things. So, you know, John came in, Anita, you're liking mopping up now, and we all have to do our assignments. Now John, obviously declaration and declaring, or declaring and proclaiming, is very important in this divorcement of Baal, isn't it?

Benefiel:  Yes, you've got to do that and there is a, there's bigger picture to what we are doing. We're not advertising about going to the Masonic lodges and we really don't want people to say that because they'll mix up what we're doing.  I probably ought to say this so that everyone will understand:

None of us are against Freemasons.  We're not against the people. Ephesians 6:12 says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world and wicked spirits in the heavenlies."

We are for the people.  We are for freemasons, and Mormons, and Muslims getting free from the bondage that they've been under to know the Lord Jesus Christ.  The bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 says the god of this age, that would be Baal, has blinded the mind of the unbelievers. And  when you bind the god of this age, then the minds of the unbelievers are open to the truth; they can begin to see the truth.

And I believe this is going to result in the biggest harvest of souls that we've ever seen.  I know because you've told me in your state there, in the Dearborn area in particular, that's probably the biggest stronghold of Islam in our nation.  Well, in going to the masonic lodges, I believe that we are earning authority from God -and that's correct we do earn authority from God- just like the parable of the talents and the parable of the minas.  When you handle what God has given you in the right way, he'll multiply your authority.  I believe we'll earn authority to pull down the spirit of Islam over our nation."

Date: April 11, 2011
Speakers: Transformation Michigan coordinator Rich Warzywak, Anita Christopher, West Michigan Prayer Center
[listen to audio from call segments: Bill Sudduth, Anita Christopher]

[start of call]
Rich Warzywak: Well, everybody, I'd like to welcome you to another Transformation Michigan/Oak Initiative conference call, and as I stated earlier, to some of you, when you were coming on, that what we do is, uh, we are having a lot of information being given out on TheCall coming to Michigan, on 11.11.11. So for our whole series for the rest of the year up until that time we'll be focused on that but also related things, to TheCall, and tonight we have two guest speakers on, Anita Christopher from the West Michigan Prayer Center. We also have Bill Sudduth on the line.

9:27
Bill Sudduth: And we truly believe that freemasonry is the open door in this nation that has allowed radical Islam to come and give it a foothold.  And if we don't deal with it that foothold will become a stronghold.

Rich Warzywak:  Well you know we had a visitor in our state, Bill  and Anita. Anita, you know - you met him -General Jerry Boykin, retired general. He was a former head of our U.S. intelligence.  He's a compassionate Christian believer and he talked about the importance of whenever you engage in any type of war you send in special teams first. And here, we know on 11/11/11 we're going to have a stadium-wide event.  And the general said that, like in Afghanistan, the first time we went in, they send in special teams. And they really did all the work - because they took out all the pockets and when the regular army came in, it paved the way.

And so, I see what you're doing as sort of like the special forces coming in.  So, again, let's reiterate, what is the real purpose of your visit on may day may day visit in Dearborn, which I'll have Anita explain more on April 29th and 30th. Bill give us, what is the - really define it -  the purpose of your visit is what?

Sudduth: The Lord gave me a very clear strategy to deal with freemasonry and Islam over the nation.  That strategy is number one to teach on it, to give people an understanding.  And Anita has actually been through the teaching and she'll be able to tell you that it's very eye opening.  Folks get an understanding of the truth and  we know John 8:32 says, "You'll know the truth and the truth shall make you free."  And A lot of times we don't understand what we're dealing with so the teachings will actually give folks an understanding of what we're dealing with, the spirits behind it, how the spirits operate, etc.

After the teachings we actually  do the prayer of release. There is a prayer of release for freemasonry , the one I just referenced that Selwyn Stephens wrote. But  there's also a prayer of release from Islam and the spirits behind it. And we corporately break that as well.  And then we do Identificational Repentance and we have three specific categories.  We have a government official or a state employee of Michigan actually repent for the state's involvement, we have a pastor repent for the churches' involvement, and then we have an ex-mason or Eastern Star - someone who was personally involved in the masonic - repent for the damage it has done to families and then corporately we pray and we just literally pull it down over the state.

19:10
Anita Christopher: After lunch we're coming back to the facility and then we will, for those who want to do this, we will be doing some teaching on what the strongman over this is, and we do believe as do many of the prophetic and apostolic people that Baal is the strongman over our country and directly the strongman over Islam and freemasonry. So we will be teaching about Baal and then using strategy that we've been given to go to mosques to do this strategy and to pray right on site. It's not going to be prayer walking.  It's going to be really prayer driving. And we will have maps, and directions, and the strategy, after we have been set free ourselves from freemasonry and from Islamic influence. Then we can go then and tear down, like Gideon did, the Asherah poles, the grove that has set up false worship in our state. So we'll just be doing that close around where we're meeting over  in the Dearborn area. And I think that'll be a good training, I think you'll really enjoy that and feel like that you have been part of this and then can  move out and do it in your other parts of the state.

Just saw this quote from Goldwater, and as many stories on T2A deal with the Religious Right, I thought some here would find it timely and perhaps even a little prescient.
---------------
"Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them...

There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism.'" - Barry Goldwater, prophet.
---------------------

http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2006/11/quote-for-t he-day/232168/

cross-posted at dKos

Many of you know that I'm particularly unnerved by leading dominionist "prophet" Rick Joyner's recent rise to prominence because he's based just a few miles south of me.  His operation is headquartered at the old PTL complex in Fort Mill, South Carolina.  But there's another reason--he's recently joined hands with the former leader of a group that gave birth to an outfit that burned me badly back in my college days.

One of the board members of Joyner's activist group, the Oak Initiative, is Bob Weiner.  If that name is familiar to some of you guys, it's because Weiner was the founder and leader of one of the more notorious "campus cults" of the 1980s, Maranatha Campus Ministries. They caught all kinds of hell for abusive and controlling tactics with its members--most notably, a ban on dating.  It was also one of the more prominent promoters of the same dominionist crapola that Joyner preaches now.  Weiner claims to have "repented" of his past teachings, but that seems hard to believe given that he's linking up with Joyner.