The Dr. Michael Brown Checklist of Manipulation

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The New Apostolic Reformation

The New Apostolic Reformation

Dr. Michael Brown is an enigma.  Sometimes he says some really good things that all Bible-believing Christians can agree with (and we gladly recognize that), but other times he goes out on a limb in support of the most extreme New Apostolic Reformation teachers, pastors and leaders. For some reason, he has become a very convincing apologist and "front man" for obvious false teachers like Bill Johnson, Heidi Baker, Rick Joyner, Lance Wallnau and even Benny Hinn.

Here's a list of things that Dr. Brown often says and does in order to garner support for his New Apostolic Reformation friends (the "NARpostles"): 

  • Always use a moderate and reassuring tone while making extreme assertions and contradictory statements. Make it sound like you're the most reasonable & intelligent person in any discussion.
  • When confronted with clear and obvious false teaching, end the discussion. "I'm going to cut you off, to be fair to the other callers" or "we're almost out of time" or "if you continue asking these questions I will have to block you" are all good examples of how to end the discussion.
  • Enable & promote NAR false teachers who claim to "love the Lord," especially if their ministries are very large. False and un-Biblical teachings are acceptable when being taught by those who claim to "love the Lord" and are hyper-charismatics like Dr. Brown.
  • Pretend to consider opposing views while actually misrepresenting and/or ignoring them.
  • Put all serious bloggers who challenge you on the same level as teenagers eating Doritos in their parents basement. (Btw, the vast majority of "discernment bloggers" are not anonymous.)

 

  • Do not use primary source documents that would quickly and decisively display the heretical beliefs of your fellow NAR friends; instead, pretend that you're too busy to do any research. For example, instead of admitting that you refuse to review just one or two sermons from Bill Johnson, say that you just can't take the time to listen to hundreds of hours of sermons. Continually reinforce the notion that you're a world-class expert on a topic that you cannot possibly do any research on. This is where your moderate and reassuring tone will really pay off.  
  • Pretend to be holding NARpostles accountable, while not actually curbing any NAR false teaching.
  • Uphold C. Peter Wagner as a great man of God who should be respected and trusted, while simultaneously overlooking all of his published writings; writings that clearly portray his bizarre and heretical beliefs. Ignore the fact that this "great man of God" is the very person who named the New Apostolic Reformation and defined its characteristics; meanwhile, you can imply that the NAR isn't even a real thing. 
  • Claim to believe in Sola Scriptura ("Scripture Alone") while you vigorously defend the never-ending (and non-sensical) extra-Biblical revelations from your NARpostle friends. Don't try to explain how these two things can co-exist, because they can't. Instead, tell lots of convincing stories about what God told you or someone you know. Refer to the good old days at the Brownsville Revival, where all sorts of weird and disturbing manifestations took place, but tell everyone how wonderful it was. You must constantly assert this belief anyway you can since you can't defend it from the Bible. Again, a moderate and reassuring tone will help you retain listeners, as you continually make contradictory assertions. 

 

Dr. Michael Brown claims that he is not a part of the New Apostolic Reformation, but the clear, obvious and overwhelming evidence says otherwise. (Read: Michael Brown: More Proof He's Part of the (So-Called) New Apostolic Reformation) He is The Apostle of Obfuscation in the NAR. Listen to this clip of Fighting for the Faith where Brown pretends he knows nothing about the NAR in 2017 but is very knowledgeable in 2010: 

For those who think it's mean, judgmental and un-loving to criticize Dr. Michael Brown (or any other teacher, pastor or leader) here's something just for you: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.

If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend Dr. Michael Brown, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.

Finally, here's an article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.

 

-This article by Steven Kozar