The Next Great Awakening. . .

. . . or Great Deadening?

Part 3: Building the 7 Mountains

In Part 1 of this series, we reported that Jim Garlow’s and David Barton’s “Next Great Awakening Tour” included Lance Wallnau. Garlow, a pastor/activist who chairs Newt Gingrich’s Renewing American Leadership campaign, gushed, “Lance Wallnau was, as usual, exceptional in his laying out of how to see the culture transformed.”[3]

Who is Lance Wallnau and how did he come to the forefront of this national media extravaganza where he has rubbed shoulders with politicians, media types and religious leaders? The answer to this question tracks right back to C. Peter Wagner and his New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).

In November 2007, Os Hillman, president of Marketplace Leaders, and of the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries, sent out his TGIF (“Today God Is First”) newsletter announcing two important developments: “1. Reclaiming the 7 Mountains of Culture: The Next Focus?” and “2. New 7 Mountains Site, www.Reclaim7Mountains.com.” Os Hillman then chronicled the historical development of the marketplace (workplace) transformation model, and announced the launching of the 7 Mountains model:

“There is a new trumpet call going out to men and women of influence who are seeing the negative influences in their culture as a wake-up call.

“They are beginning to be used by God in the 7 mountains of influence in business, government, media, arts and entertainment, family, religion and education to reclaim their nations for Christ.”[4]

Os Hillman announced that his organization, Marketplace Leaders, “has established a new website to fan this new focus. Visit our brand new website www.Reclaim7Mountains.com.” Hillman also promoted a “Church in the Workplace Conference: Reclaiming The 7 Mountains That Shape Society,” conference for January 24-26, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia. This conference featured Lance Wallnau, who has been described as “the motivational guru for the Seven Mountains.”[5] Lance Wallnau’s “Seven Molders of Culture,” are also known as mountains or spheres (and sometimes other terms), and are usually listed as: 1. Family, 2. Religion, 3. Government, 4. Media, 5. Education, 6. Business, and 7. Arts.

Lance Wallnau was propelled to national fame by C. Peter Wagner, chief of the New Apostolic Reformation. In his 2008 book Dominion! How Kingdom Action Can Change the World (Chosen Books) Wagner wrote concerning Lance Wallnau:

“I maintain that whatever society we live in, we cannot hope to see that particular society transformed unless all seven molders of culture are transformed simultaneously. Business consultant Lance Wallnau was the first to draw my attention to this. He likes to call the molders the ‘seven mountains.’ Wallnau says, ‘If the world is to be won, these are the mountains that mold the culture and the minds of men. Whoever controls these mountains controls the direction of the world and the harvest therein.’ …

“Lance Wallnau would say that few outsiders could enter one of the seven spheres and expect to reach the top of the mountain. The most likely ones to do so would be insiders. Why? Because each one of the seven has a distinct culture.” (p. 144)

In an earlier book The Church in the Workplace (Regal Books, 2006) Wagner says essentially the same thing about Lance Wallnau on page 113-114. In this book, which was endorsed by Os Hillman, Wagner explains that each of these seven mountains should be headed by an apostle. This is an open acknowledgment that his self-anointed, self-appointed apostles in his New Apostolic Reformation are planning to take charge of each of these 7 mountains!

“Each [mountain] should be seen as an apostolic sphere, requiring apostolic leadership to transform that unit into a society that reflects the values and lifestyle of the kingdom of God….

“Only extended-church apostles will be able to lead the army of God into these strategic battlefields. Lance Wallnau asks, ‘How do we go about reclaiming the mind molders of nations, and what does this have to do with you and your calling to the marketplace? Everything! You are about to be drafted into an elite unit of marketplace commandos.’

“Then Wallnau goes on to suggest a battle plan: ‘Look at your occupational field and see it as a mountain. What companies and people are at the top of that mountain? Why are they at the top? What skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics are needed to occupy that position? What would need to exist for you to occupy the top of that mountain?'”(p. 114-115)

To understand just how LITERALLY these men take actual, physical dominion of these various cultural segments of the global society, read C. Peter Wagner’s “Let’s Take Dominion Now!” which is chapter 3 in his The Church in the Workplace book and is posted HERE at Os Hillman’s “In the Workplace” website. In this chapter, Wagner describes Dominion as “social transformation” and claims that this agenda comes from God, describing it is “one of the strongest words that the Holy Spirit is clearly speaking to the churches today.” Of course, adding this “endorsement” by the Holy Spirit is meant to give added weight and impetus to Wagner’s Dominion mandate.

At its core, this Dominion theme is a perversion of Scripture, particularly the doctrine of the Gospel of Salvation — that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and has redeemed you by His shed blood, and that you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Substituted for this humble, simple Gospel of the cross is the new gospel of 7 mountains — the gospel of the KINGDOM! C. Peter Wagner’s Dominionist gospel of “social transformation” is a “cultural mandate” which is based on changing things on the earth to match things in heaven. In “Let’s Take Dominion Now!” Wagner, who has acknowledged concocting new theologies, admits that this whole agenda is Kuyperian:

“Calvin… taught that believers are responsible for social transformation, and his followers began to believe that we have a cultural mandate (the mandate to transform society) as well as an evangelistic one (the mandate to save souls). One famous Calvinist, pastor and theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), lived this out, entered politics, became prime minister of the Netherlands and caused tremendous positive changes in society as a result.”

In C. Peter Wagner’s faulty theology, Jesus did not defeat Satan on the Cross.

“While Jesus never questioned Satan’s dominion, He came to earth expressly to take it away from him. Jesus came as the second, or last, Adam (see 1 Cor. 15:45-47). The first Adam lost dominion; the second Adam will regain it.“ [emphasis added]

Because of this heresy, that teaches that the church is supposed to complete what Christ didn’t, Wagner can then teach the false gospel that “our new paradigm for taking dominion includes a dual task: the evangelistic mandate (saving souls) and the cultural mandate (transforming society).” An invented corollary heresy teaches that entire nations collectively are to be saved, and that “the Great Commission’s biblical goal is nothing short of social transformation.”

This type of teaching is prevalent throughout Dominionist circles. The “cultural renewal” or “Kingdom” gospel is being substituted for the real Gospel of salvation. When Os Hillman was first launching Lance Wallnau and his “Reclaiming the 7 Mountains of Culture” strategy, he offered a package deal — one could purchase a copy of Landa Cope’s book An Introduction to The Old Testament Template: Rediscovering God’s principles for discipling all nations (Template Institute Press, 2006) and get a free copy of a FaithandWork Resources.com DVD with Os Hillman and Lance Wallnau discussing the “Reclaiming the 7 Mountains of Culture.” We wrote about this on December 6, 2007 in a post, “Rethinking Eschatology: Dominionists on the Move,” where we quote from Landa Cope’s book:

“The Message Is The Kingdom
“This means when we preach salvation alone we are missing the majority of God’s kingdom message. Salvation is essential. There is no other way of entry into the Kingdom of God. But salvation is the entry into the kingdom; it is not the goal or the Kingdom itself. By making it the goal we have lost most of God’s message. (p. 147) . . .

“Our destiny is not salvation
“God died to save us and desires salvation for all. The only way into the Kingdom of God is through Jesus Christ, but salvation is not God’s ultimate goal. The new birth is a means to an end.” (p. 150)

To promote Dominionism and the concept of the 7 mountains/spheres, C. Peter Wagner and Os Hillman put Lance Wallnau and his 7 Mountain show on the road. In 2007, the Wagner Leadership Institute (WLI) and his Global Harvest Ministries featured Lance Wallnau (along with Wagner, Chuck Pierce and Barbara Wentroble) in an April 26-28 seminar “Taking Dominion Now!” In 2008, Wagner and Wallnau were featured at a “Positioned for Kingdom Leadership Summit” sponsored by Kingdom Alignment International. This event was described as:

“This Summit June 6 & 7 in Franklin TN, for leaders, emerging leaders and anyone who senses the change in the paradigm of how we are doing church, will greatly be impacted in this two day intensive meeting with Dr. C. Peter Wagner and Lance Wallnau. You will not only be refreshed, but this meeting will challenge you to move forward in a new kingdom paradigm that will greatly influence society and help advance the kingdom of God.

“Awakening has begun in our nation and a new breed of kingdom minded leadership is arising!”[6]

Wagner had sent a letter on May 31, 2007 that introduced Lance Wallnau in the context of some major apostolic ministry restructuring. This letter, which has been posted HERE for posterity, states:

“The major catalyst whom God has brought into the picture to help renew our minds in terms of our philosophy of mission is Lance Wallnau, founder of Lance Learning Group currently based in Rhode Island. Lance, in a former season, planted churches and formed an apostolic network which he has now turned over to other leadership. He is a member of ICA, and he currently travels widely as a conference speaker and as a consultant to business and government leaders. Through the years we have formed a close relationship, he has been a speaker at several of our conferences, and Lance is the newest member of EVAT.

“Lance’s trademark teaching relates to what he calls the seven ‘mind molders’ or the ‘seven mountains.’ These have now become a permanent fixture in my personal teaching on taking dominion, and I have referenced Wallnau in The Church in the Workplace as well as in my forthcoming book Dominion! In my view it is not possible to get an operational handle on how to initiate corporate action toward social transformation without taking into account the seven mountains or what I like to call ‘molders of culture.’ The seven are religion, family, business, arts & entertainment, government, education, and media.”

C. Peter Wagner promoted Lance Wallnau heavily early on, especially through his Wagner Leadership Institute (WLI). Lance Wallnau is listed along with Todd Bentley (of Lakeland Florida fame) on the 2006 WLI schedule.[7] And Wagner featured Wallnau on the Global Harvest Ministries conference schedule for “The Spirit and the Bride Say Come: Unlocking God’s Kingdom Strategy for Today” conference, March 8-10, 2007.[8] Wallnau also appeared with Barbara Yoder at the “Welcome to the School of Transformers WLI Kick-Off on November 8-10, 2007.[9]

By 2008, Lance Wallnau was ready for prime time. TheElijahList, chief purveyor of NAR and Latter Rain cult information, promoted a conference at Che Ahn’s Harvest Rock Church, July 30-August 3, 2008, “Bringing Revival to the Seven Mountains of Culture,” with notable speakers 
Lance Wallnau, Che Ahn, Cindy Jacobs 
and Peter Wagner. This event was described as:

“As the Lord’s glory is pouring out in Lakeland, we are looking forward to a time of revival coming to the wells of Southern California. As part of the 33 Days of Glory, 
Harvest Rock Church is hosting 
Bringing Revival to the Seven Mountains of Culture
. We are to transform cities and nations by our presence and prayer in every realm of our culture. Join us for this time of equipping by international leaders. The Lord is speaking to the Church in this present day to transform these realms of influence with the light of Christ.”[10]

As mentioned earlier, Wallnau appeared on the docket of Os Hillman’s January 24-26, 2008 “Church in the Workplace Conference.” This conference’s theme was prominently displayed as “Reclaiming the 7 Mountains,” and it included presenters that focused on various topics of how to take Dominion:

• Os Hillman – “UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR RECLAIMING THE 7 MOUNTAINS”
• Lance Wallnau – “STRATEGIES TO RECLAIM THE 7 MOUNTAINS”
• Katherine Leary, Director of the Center for Faith and Work at Tim Keller’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York – RELIGION MOUNTAIN – “How The Local Church Can Equip Workplace Leaders To Reclaim Mountains”
• Chuck Stetson, Chairman of The Wilberforce Project and Chairman of the Bible Literacy Project – “EDUCATION MOUNTAIN”
• Colin Ferreira, a leader in marketplace ministry and has been instrumental in igniting nation transformation initiatives in his nation [Trinidad] – FAMILY MOUNTAIN
• Dr. Lance Hurley “and his wife Sharon will portray President and Mrs. George Washington at a special lunch time presentation” – GOVERNMENT MOUNTAIN
• Doug Spada – RELIGION MOUNTAIN
• Erik Lokkesmoe, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Outreach for Walden Media/Bristol Bay Productions — ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT & GOVERNMENT MOUNTAINS
• Johnny Enlow, senior pastor of Daystar International Christian Fellowship in Atlanta, Georgia, who was in the process of writing The Seven Mountain Prophecy — “Understanding The Spiritual Roots of the 7 Mountains”

Special topics included a “BUSINESS MOUNTAIN Workplace Ministry Leaders Panel” of “CEOs of national membership-based workplace ministries to reveal their strategies to re-claim the 7 mountains through their ministries.” It also featured case studies of “of CEOs of national membership-based workplace ministries to reveal their strategies to re-claim the 7 mountains through their ministries.”[11] A Power Point Presentation of this conference can be found HERE. See page 50 where it says: It’s not enough to have Christians at the top of the 7 mountains. They must have a “culture-changing” faith.” And be sure to see Abraham Kuyper on page 66.

Another “Church in the Workplace – Reclaim 7 Mountains of Culture International Conference was held on February 6-8, 2009 in Atlanta, and again featured Lance Wallnau. Os Hillman, in the closing of the conference, said, “We must become Change Agents. Together we can learn our calling, walk in our anointing, reclaim the mountains and change culture for Christ!”[12] Other related resources describing these 7 mountains can be found at the www.faithandworkresources.com website.

Nowadays Lance Wallnau is all over YouTube. For example, HERE, where he is “discussing the importance of gaining control of the 7 Mountains during the “Pray and Act” webcast. This time around, Lance is being featured by Jim Garlow again, who has mounted a high-profile national 40-day fast as part of a countdown before the mid-term national elections.[13] To add to Wallnau’s fame and influence, Os Hillman has been offering a free September 16 teleseminar, “Strategies for Transforming Culture through the 7 Mountains with Lance Wallnau & Os Hillman,” complete with a free 8-CD bonus audio package, “Strategies for Reclaiming the 7 Mountains.”[14]

Meanwhile, Wallnau is still making the rounds of TheElijahList NAR crowd, and was recently a featured speaker at the “Kingdom, Power & Glory Festival” in Sedona, Arizona, which was advertised as:

“Join us as we access this seasonal portal during Rosh Hashana! Receive the impartation and revelation to invade the 7 mountains God activates in you to take the Gospel to the world (Business, Hollywood, Education, Religion, Government, etc.) as you enter your promised land! God promises that when we come together on purpose during this exact seasonal portal, there is a promised blessing, visitation, and grace to enter your destiny like never before. God has divinely orchestrated the speakers in a supernatural synergy that will propel you into the next season!

“New Beginnings and the New Year starts spiritually during this week when you come together with God’s people as we access divine blueprints from Heaven for the new season. Every year at this time, the highest level of spiritual activity and Heavenly encounters occur. This festival will be a time of major glory, miracles, prophetic direction, revelation, impartation and New Beginnings and new direction for many! Don’t miss your special appointment with God in the mountains of Sedona. Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord!!!”[15]

Time for yet another reality check in this series. A man who has recently and quite suddenly been given respectable credibility by political and religious right leaders at a very high level, is also part of a wild and wacky “seasonal portal” event that is described as an “impartation and revelation to invade the 7 mountains” with a “supernatural synergy.”

Have these political/religious leaders lost their minds?! They are openly associating with the man who is the chief marketer of C. Peter Wagner’s grand designs for apostolic Dominionism! Lance Wallnau is the top PR guy for engineering this grandiose scheme to take over the planet! Even secular political pundits have noticed how bizarre this political/religious mishmash is becoming![16]

The Truth:

The truth is that no truly biblical revival, awakening, reformation, transformation or renewal can take place without the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation. And in all of this hubbub for another great “awakening” we hear no clarion Gospel call. What we are hearing is “Let’s Take Dominion Now!” We are hearing about “mountains” and “spheres,” “armies” and “strategies,” “cultural and social transformation,” “issues” and “covenants.” But we aren’t hearing about ministering one-on-one to people with broken hearts and lives who need Jesus.

If this “awakening” was truly about the Gospel, instead of conquering the world, you would hear a humble heart-rending message like this:

“As a brief summary of the sanctification of the Church by the Son of God, we may lay it down from the Word of God that He took part of the flesh of the children (Heb. 2:14); bare their sins in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24); made atonement for their transgressions, and expiated all their crimes by being made the propitiation for their sins (1 John 2:2), Romans 3:25); shed His precious blood and laid down His life on their behalf (John 10:15, 1 Peter 1:19); reconciled their persons when they were enemies and aliens unto His heavenly Father (Romans 5:9, Col. 1:21); offered Himself a sacrifice for their offences (Heb. 9:14, 26-28); and washed away all their iniquities in the fountain opened in one day for all sin and uncleanness (Zech. 13:1).”[17]

Endnotes:
1. “Jim and David’s Excellent Right-Wing Adventure,” 7/6/10, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/print/5587 . To see Jim Garlow’s diary of the Next Great Awakening Tour, go to http://www.skylinechurch.org/skyline/?p=2201. The conference brochure is posted here: http://www.skylinechurch.org/images/NGAtourBrochure.pdf
2. Extract from Pastor Johnny Enlow’s book “The Seven Mountain Prophecy” posted here: http://www.the7mountains.com/tag/lance-wallnau/
3. To see Jim Garlow’s diary of the Next Great Awakening Tour, go to http://www.skylinechurch.org/skyline/?p=2201.
4. This newsletter was originally posted here: http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/pages.asp?pageid=11118 but is no longer accessible in its entirety. It was archived on 12/7/07. However, the original newsletter article, “Reclaiming 7 Mountains of Culture Next Focus of Faith at Work Movement,” by Os Hillman is now posted here: http://www.intheworkplace.com/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=39002&columnid=1935
5. Rachel Tabachnick, “The Head And Not The Tail” – Battle Cry For The Seven Mountains Campaign, Part Two – Will Hawaii Be The Next ‘Transformation’ Conquest For The Apostles And Their Prayer Warriors?” 9-13-10, http://www.talk2action.org/story/2010/9/13/11834/9878. For Part One see “Will Hawaii Be The Next ‘Transformation’ Conquest For The Apostles And Their Prayer Warriors?” 9-12-10, http://www.talk2action.org/printpage/2010/9/12/172231/428
6. Promo e-mail by Tammy L. Alsup, Kingdom Alignment International, Pulaski, Tennessee – held in Franklin, TN, sent April 29, 2008 from Kingdom Alignment International, emphasis added. The original url was here: http://kingdomalignment.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=29
7. December 29, 2005 letter from Craig Davis about Wagner Leadership Institute. The letter was from Global Harvest, the url was still here as of January 21, 2008: http://www.globalharvest.org/global_link_72.htm.
8. Url was still here as of January 25, 2008: http://www.thespiritandbridesaycome.org/Schedule/tabid/3200/Default.aspx
9. On January 25, 2008, the url for this conference was here: http://www.wlimontgomery.org/
10. Promo posted here: http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word_pf.html?ID=6571
8. The url for this was originally http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/pages.asp?pageid=42065 and recordings of the sessions and presentations are still available here: http://www.best-christian-conferences.com/bcc/store/Scripts/orderform.asp?id=5929
11. 2009 Conference Report: “Change Agents Gather in Atlanta, GA USA to
Consider Culture Changing Strategies,” http://www.reclaim7mountains.com/pages.asp?pageid=82164
12. http://www.tgifbookstore.com/category_s/22.htm
13. See report and video clips, “Pray and Act: Dirty Tricks, Stonewall, 7 Mountains, and Biblical Economics,” 9/13/10, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/pray-and-act-dirty-tricks-stonewall. Garlow wrote a “Pray & A.C.T.” newsletter on September 1st that explained that his fast would begin on 7:14 AM on September 20 and continue through 7:14 AM October 30, based on 1 Chronicles 7:14, where it will culminate in yet another Lincoln Memorial event. See: https://herescope.net/2010/04/may-day-prayers.html Jim Garlow and Chuck Colson are using this fast as a way to promote their controversial Manhattan Declaration. See: http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/009/discernment/12-manhattan-declaration.htm
14. See http://mpleaders.ning.com/video/reclaim-7-mountains and other videos on this site.
15. Promoted on TheElijahList on August 17, 2010. See also: http://www.injesus.com/message-archives/christian-living/DavidHerzogMinistries/prayer-alert-sedona-conference-during-911-very-strategic-israel-praise
16. See, for example, this sobering article “Dominionism and The Religious Right: The Merger Is Complete,” July 6, 2010, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/dominionism-and-religious-right-merger-complete
17. J.C. Philpot, “On the Person, Work & Covenant Offices of God the Holy Ghost,” Meditations On Matters of Christian Faith and Experience, Vol 1, p. 217. Some formatting was changed for modern usage. Available from Old Paths Gospel Press, 406-466-2311. This particular meditation by Philpot, which we were not able to locate in its entirety online, is one of the most beautiful and balanced works we have read on the ministry and office of the Holy Spirit, and, as such, stands in stark contrast to the flaky and freaky false “spirit” of the NAR movement.