“Releasing Kings!” is a recurrent theme of marketplace ministries, and it is blatantly proclaimed at http://www.releasing-kings.com/. Releasing Kings for Ministry in the Marketplace by John Garfield and Harold Eberle is a popular new book telling men “how you can be part of the next global revival that is beginning in the marketplace.”
This book is connected with the marketplace transformation movement of C. Peter Wagner, Ed Silvoso, Kent Humphreys, Os Hillman, Dennis Peacocke (see yesterday’s post) and others in the International Coalition of Apostles. It is the latest example of dominionism — taking over the workplace to “advance” the Kingdom.
“Imagine an army of Kings (or just one good one) that can take on projects to advance God’s Kingdom. Just as David’s mighty men, they would take on battles or projects outside the normal influence of their local church and bring home great victories. What kind of feats would they undertake?” [http://tinyurl.com/pkz4p emphasis added]
Promotional material for the book describes this seductive concept of Christian businessmen becoming “kings.”
“What’s a King? ‘Kings’ is the term we use to describe men and women who harness wealth and influence in the marketplace…in business, government, communication, education, entertainment, finance, the arts…to expand God’s Kingdom. . . . a movement of God’s people into their ministry and their dreams. It provides a Scriptural basis for the expansion of the Kingdom of God into all areas of society. It paints a picture of Kings who are naturally bold, competitive, creative, and decisive, who are being used to fulfill the Great Commission. God is going to use an entrepreneurial people to fill the whole Earth with His Glory.”
Under the title “7 Reasons You’ll Find Yourself in love with Marketplace Ministry”:
1. “Finding purpose. . . .”
2. “You don’t have to wait for heaven to experience God’s blessings (Psalm 16:11). The Kingdom of God has come upon you (Matt. 12:28).”
3. “Kings are people who have healthy self-concepts. They sense permission from God to be bold, creative, competitive, decisive, and willing to take risks. . . . Christians have rights. Kings think its normal to ask God for the desires of their heart.”
4. “Kings cannot be content to live the typical, month-to-month, barely-get-by lifestyle. For Kings, it represents a poverty mentality that denies the abundance that God has for them. . .. “
5. “God has prepared a generation of Joshua’s who are hungry for a tangible expression of their purpose (ministry) and receptive to the revelation of God’s Spirit Who will escort them (theology).”
6. “Kings are willing to ask for the desires of their hearts. Servants never trust their hearts (or God) enough to ask and they live out their lives working for someone else’s dream.”
7. “Until you activate the real desires of your heart, you never will be fully passionate about God or anything you do for Him. You’ll just be a servant going through the motions looking for a wage, a retirement, and an eternal pension.” [All emphases above are added]
Dominionism isn’t just a spiritual concept. It is obviously one that appeals to the flesh. Particularly when accompanied with enticements for worldly riches, significance and power! It was a flash of evil brilliance for these new apostolic leaders to merge the doctrines of dominionism with material motivations, particularly as a mechanism to corrupt Christian men into adopting this worldview.
The Truth:
‘Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou are old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.“ (1 Samuel 8:4-7)