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Subject: A Review of the book The Reformation Manifesto,

Your Part in God’s Plan to Change Nations Today by Cindy Jacobs

(Thur., March 4, 2010)

(approx. 6275 words, 11 pp.)

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More thoughts on reclaiming planet earth for Christ as a condition of the Creation

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I came across this book (The Reformation Manifesto, Your Part in God’s Plan to Change Nations Today by Cindy Jacobs) in my church bookstore last year, and after paging through it decided to buy it and read it. It is a wonderful, delight, and very serious book on the future of planet earth and "God’s Plan" for us as people and nations on this ball flying through space, which is for the serious Christian part of a larger meaningful story of the Creation. And since I am developing related themes at this time in other places on this website, I decided to review this book now.

It is my personal view that there are an increasing number of people who sense or think that something very profound is going on in the realm of the spirit in our current times, and not just in the realm of philosophy and worldview thinking, which many people understand to be the case. I think Cindy Jacobs is one of these people who tends to see into the realm of the spirit because she approaches the subject out of the Charismatic tradition, and so, for me, she brings some fresh insights into these debates, whether we are actually at the end of the Church Age or not, and whether a new time or era on earth may be at hand in God’s Plan for the Nations in all history in his sovereign story for man in the larger story of the Creation.

Ms. Jacobs is convinced, correctly in my view, that true (Holy Spirit-filled) Christianity should bring about a "reformation" of the society and culture in which it exists, and in fact this is not currently happening, but through prayer and a greater involvement by Christians with a greater understanding of how Christianity in fact should relate to all aspects of a society, culture or nation, we can in fact bring about truly desirable reformation or transformation of the nations of the whole world. This is Kingdom thinking, with which I am in complete agreement, but, in my view, what is most disturbing is many Christians today are thinking otherwise.

The fact is, though Ms. Jacobs traces numerous moves of the Spirit over the last few centuries since the Protestant Reformation, she does not really get into how today’s churches have gotten off track historically with what is commonly called their "cultural mandate." It is my view with the rise of Liberalism in the Church or Body of Christ in a serious manner at the beginning of the 20th century, Bible Christians tended to retreat into something of a "salvation only" Gospel message, basically in order to keep the faith alive in history, in my opinion.

However, now in our day this salvation only message (true and good though it is, in itself) is currently being augmented by a traditional Christian philosophical, cultural and political so-called worldview analysis, which in fact creates a Christianity that is closer to the Christianity of the American founders than today’s mostly salvation only Christianity. What I find to be interesting in this book is that, as a Charismatic, Ms. Jacobs understands the crucial role that prayer will play in the current massive spiritual battle for the complete transformation or reformation of the society in a larger Kingdom sense. (I will discuss this at length later, below.)

Not to be a wise guy here, but Ms. Jacobs asks a pretty basic question, that pretty well sums up the themes of the book, (p. 68) "How do we see the kingdom of God come into every aspect of society? What would it look like if God’s wisdom and righteousness were incorporated into our laws, government, educational systems, as well as into our workplaces, homes, and everything we do?"

I would suggest that this is actually a traditional notion of Christianity that has been, until recently, increasingly lost over the last 100 years or so. In any case, in her asking this question she sees it being based on, correctly I think, a traditional Biblical concept of salvation bring forth "a new holiness movement" that will transform all aspects of society and culture in politics, government, education, and law. (I personally have done so many videos on this particular subject I could not count them all!)

She asks a very basic question: "We are stewards of God’s earth in every sense. Yet how do we ‘occupy’ the business world, legal and legislative systems, government agencies and public services, educational institutions, and other sectors of society crucial to letting God’s ‘goodwill toward men’ reign in our nations?" (p.80) She also lists what she calls the "first five gates" (presumably spiritual gates) to a society, "..the first five gates of society: (1) government, (2) media and communications, (3) the marketplace, (4) the arts, and (5) education." And, she even makes, a comment at this point in the book that I as well as many others have made, and it is very profound spiritually speaking, "If Communism [with its almost total nonsense, I would add] could influence whole continents in their belief system, why can’t we? Communism is the counterfeit of Christianity [even the atheist Bertrand Russell could see that!]. God has a Plan for the nations [most definitely]; we need to care enough to find out what it is." (p.100)

It seems clear to me Ms. Jacobs is trying to light a fire under the Church? And I think she does a pretty good job of it! However, not to be critical here but in truth the first "gate" of societal transformation or reformation is probably "religion" and hence the first goal must be getting the whole Body of Christ back on track with the Gospel message in spirit and truth and overcoming its 3 classic corruptions of the 1.) Sadducee, 2.) Pharisee and 3.) Herodian as seen in 1.) the mainline Protestant mainline denominations, 2.) Roman Catholicism (even after Vatican II) and 3.) the worldly power Black Church and others. (This is my thesis of course not hers, but, regardless, basically, she and I are doing the exact same thing, but I tend to give a broader historical and philosophical panoramic view of the total subject.)

Ms. Jacobs on training and inspiring youth says, "This is part of the reformational shift that needs to take place in our nations. We need young people who will study to become righteous judges, lawyers, and politicians who love God’s Word and seek His face on how to please Him in every area of our legal systems." (p. 92) This seems, again, to me, anyway, to be pretty basic and straightforward stuff, but some Bible Christians of what I call the "salvation only" mode are not comfortable with it, and at times even oppose it.

Again, her comments on America and the Protestant Reformation are a pretty standard history lesson of previous generations, before the educational system in the 20th century went Liberal/ humanist revisionist. She writes, "If you study the subject, you will find that some revivals have had dramatic, long-reaching consequences. Luther’s Reformation led to Protestantism, and Protestantism led to many social experiments, including the American experiment and opening the door to new ways of thinking about government, science, economics, politics, education, the relationship of church and state, and so on." (p. 82) Yes, that is correct and a very big "and so on"! One could write volumes on that "and so on"!

On journalism she writes, "I believe that if we are to see righteousness and justice marry in the thinking and hearts of the nations, then we must see journalists write and newspapers print reformational platforms to be read by the general public. There are probably conservative newspapers today, but they are few and far between. The newspapers I know of are so infected by anti-Christian sentiments that they are just propaganda machines against God’s kingdom. We need those who are called as newspaper publishers to publish the good news (not only of the Gospel but of the kingdom)!" (p.155)

I agree with her assessment here, but in truth this is also an area for prayer as well as action. Liberals and humanist are generally going to act like Liberals and humanists! We should not, on the whole, expect them to act otherwise? We need to be praying for them! And speaking of prayer? Ms. Jacobs ends her book by making it very clear that prayer is the place where we really engage things in the unseen realm the spirit, in Jesus name! And there is, in fact, a complex relationship between evangelism and the transformation or as she says "reformation" of a society or nation.

She writes of a personal experience in Germany: "Rushing out of the museum (to Luther in Wittenburg, Germany) into the damp, chilly afternoon, I could no longer contain myself. With my face to the wall, tears erupted from the depths of my being as I moaned, ‘O God, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! My generation has utterly failed you! O Lord, what is wrong with us?’" I would say not that much wrong "with us"? In fact, I think we are simply under the final all-out demonic spiritual attack, and we are simply buckling under the insanity, depravity, irrationality, and pressure of it?

In any case, she goes on about her tearful breakdown in Germany outside a museum to Luther... "Tears flowed down my face and mingled with the drops of rain, as I groaned, ‘Eighty-two million people in Germany and only 1.6 million believers. O God, what is wrong with us? I’m so sorry God. How could we have let this happen on our watch?’" (p. 28)

This is a very moving story, no doubt, but the truth is while the situation in America is certainly somewhat better, it is not a lot better? Almost 300 million Americans and only about 60 million Bible Christians, as such? A pretty bleak situation, all the way around? Certainly this should also be a call to prayer and to action?

In truth, the postmodern collapse in the West in both Europe and America after World War II and the 1960s, signals the end of the Church Age, I think, because it is so ridiculous. Whether one thinks this irrational hedonistic collapse is good or bad, its occurrence is hardly debatable. Even Eugene Weber comments on it in his Western Tradition video series, as the sign of our times in the second half of the 20th century. Still, where do things stand for the Body of Christ in the world today? Sixty million plus Bible Christians in America, and it is often said as many in China, and presumably at least another 60 million spread around the world? This would mean as many as 180 million people are prepared for the Final Battle for planet earth in the realm of the spirit? That is, ready to do evangelism, social and political action, and prayer! Prayer, prayer, and more prayer! (Joshua at the Battle of Jericho and the walls come tumbling down! I would say.)

Here are some extended quotes from the book on prayer and very, very real demonic forces, and how in reality people on earth are often victims of demons and are in need of very serious prayer for deliverance from their darkness and deception. First she quotes Jesus in Matthew 18:18-19, "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven"

She goes on to say, "Note that Jesus did not say, ‘Ask me to bind or loose.’ He said, ‘Whatever you bind or loose’ (‘in my name’ is a given here) on earth will be done.’ [her bold type] He said we are to do it in His name. Therefore it stands to reason that if we do not take our place of authority in intercessory prayer, then wicked laws have every legal right to be put into place. We need to pray and do. By this I mean we need to bind the powers of darkness that are blinding the eyes of those who make laws in our nations as well as become voices who speak out against sin in every sector of society. Literally, Jesus told us that whatever we loose in prayer-- or permit-- will be legal in our nation, and whatever we bind-- or declare illegal-- in intercession will be illegal. This is the basis upon which we can ‘convene the court of heaven’ through our intercessory prayers and legislate in the heavens certain laws of our nations. Dutch Sheets [she says] sums it up nicely in his book Intercessory Prayer: ‘Although Jesus fully accomplished the task of breaking the authority of Satan and voiding his legal hold upon the human race, someone on earth must represent Him in that victory and enforce it’." (pp.188-189)

Is this all true?

Is this all true? Pretty much but not completely? I think the situation of "binding and loosing" may be a bit more complicated than she lays it out here because Jesus does say in that above Matthew 18:18-19 passage, that though we "bind and loose" in verse 18 it is an "asking" He himself says in the next verse 19 when He repeats himself. (This confusion is a bit like the "faith movement" which gets carried away with the idea of faith thinking that anything one has enough faith for God will supposedly supernaturally do. Clearly not Scriptural?) If the spiritual "binding and loosing" thing is actually real, which I think it is, it is not negated by asking God, and not telling Him what to do.

The big debate today, of course, in the Church or Body of Christ is: can we, in the name of Jesus, bind demons of darkness and deception in the realm of the spirit, or can we only ask the Father to do it in the name of Jesus, or, perhaps, is the whole question bogus? It is definitely not bogus in my opinion, and I would say by all means we should be asking the Father to do it, and perhaps, but probably not merely decreeing it ourselves. Though there may be in fact things we do decree in the name of Jesus, this is probably not one of them? In fact even Charismatics argue among themselves about this, and exactly what this "binding and loosing" thing is and how it works.

My personal view is few in the current "binding and loosing" debate get it quite right, though the Charismatics as represented by the above quotes from Cindy Jacobs are very close to the truth. The view I tend toward, which I got from a "binding and loosing" Charismatic, is we have as Christians, without question, the power to "bind and loose" a particular demon or group of demons in a given individual and directly address it or them and send it or them to the pit.

This is overtly Biblical, but I think definitely some, maybe many if not most, of our "demons" are figurative and not literal. That is, all real hang ups and personal confusions are not necessarily real demons, as such. I go with C. S. Lewis on this. However, many hang ups or really stupid (and/or un-Godly) ideas can be, and presumably are of a literal demon, but certainly not all? You do not need a demon to be carnally minded, selfish or a jerk about things? But, Biblically, the situation with demons which are "powers and principalities" over nations and false religions and ideologies are not exactly particular demons in a particular person, and hence the situation is more complicated. Or, at least it might be. Why?

The Charismatic is correct I think on the major point, we as Christians have spiritual authority on earth in the realm of the spirit, and we are generally not exercising it. (As a slight understatement?) This is strategic thinking and not merely the usual tactical thinking and praying about personal problems and situations and health and so forth. (In fact, Ms. Jacobs calls her ministry and website generals.org, which in effect, makes this very same strategic point.)

But as a Charismatic once said to me, if you attempt generally to bind demons in the heavenlies, you are not really speaking to God, but rather throwing something out into the realm of the spirit and decreeing it yourself in the name of Jesus. For example, "I bind you demons of pornography, humanism, Liberalism, postmodernism, etc. over this city."

I, personally, know people who do this (and Ms. Jacobs is advocating it), but I am not sure it is exactly the right way to go with the very real binding and loosing and spiritual authority thing in the name of Jesus, who in fact in the Lord’s prayer told us to ask the Father to deliver us from the Evil One, which is also what Paul did when being buffeted by a messenger from Satan.

In any case, crazy, irrational, un-Godly religions, philosophies, ideologies, and even activities are frequently associated with demons, and rightly so, in my opinion, how else could people be so screwed up, irrational, and un-Godly, etc.! And if these things are something in the realm of the spirit (demons or otherwise) they should be the subject of prayer for the Christian. But how so in terms of the "binding and loosing" question?

In my opinion, the binding and loosing thing is more like blessings and cursings and, hence, judgments (than it is simple petitions). The Christian, of course, is not supposed to be cursing things even his enemies, and presumably even demons, but we do have power to pass "judgment" on demons in the name of Jesus. (1 Cor. 6:3)

I got part of this analysis from a Roman Catholic priest years ago, and I think it is correct. Roman Catholic priests bless things all the time as part of their official priestly function, and it is very Biblical, but Protestants (as best I can tell) generally do not "bless" much of anything or anybody (in the name of Jesus), though in fact Jesus has commanded all believers to do blessings. However, in fact a blessing is a "judgment," in effect, more than a simple petition, but, at the same time, a blessing is a request to God to carry it out.

What this has to do with "binding and loosing" seems to me to be fairly clear, if you do the math on it. Binding demons is not blessing them obviously, and it is not cursing them, but it is judging them, and it is not exactly a petition, but it is a petition of sorts. For example, before a Billy Graham Crusade people pray (among other things) that those who come to the crusade will not be blinded to the obvious truth and desirability of the Gospel. Blinded by what? Demons, of course, (or perhaps a hard heart).

The fact is one has to be a totally self-centered fool to reject the Gospel or be blinded by a devil as Scripture says (2 Cor. 4:4, though we do not know how). There is little or no other possible explanation for rejecting the Gospel besides these 2 reasons? In my opinion, "Father, bind these demons" is a petition. By contrast, "May these demons be bound (in the name of Jesus)" is more of a binding and loosing judgment (exercising spiritual authority in the realm of the spirit) than it is a straightforward petition. It seems to me it is splitting hairs to make much of this distinction here, and both should be uncontroversial theologically speaking? The key point is we have the (legal) right to ask God to get the demons out because of the work of Christ (all theologians would agree I think), and some, perhaps many, would argue that God even has the (legal) right to do it now because we asked, in Jesus name? (In truth, the Father may just be waiting for us to ask in faith? Is that a possibility? I think so.)

By contrast to the Christian, Socrates or Cicero are natural moral law theists, but they have no such power in the realm of the spirit to make much of any blessing or judgment about much of anything, but they could petition God, even, as non-Christians, but God has little or no obligation to answer them. This is the whole point of very real covenant theology in both the Old and New Testament, namely, God has committed Himself to us!

In any case, something very real is going on in the realm of the spirit with faulty religions, political ideologies and even moral decadence (and even our current ridiculous, absurd postmodernism in the Church and out), and Scripture frequently, even generally associates these things with demons in ways we should be praying about and in ways that we do not understand. For example, what happened to the clear demons of the ideology of Soviet Communism? They are gone, or to the demons of nutty Nazi Germany? They are gone too. In both of these cases something happened in the realm of the spirit (and mind or intellect) and not just on a physical plane in this world.

As a philosopher, my frequent personal prayer (a binding and loosing of sorts) is that as a society and culture "may we be delivered from the current absurd demonic deception, namely, the postmodern spirit of our age, that everybody supposedly has their own truth!" (Or even at times "Father, bind these demons," etc.) This idea we all have our "own" truth is an utterly absurd and even ridiculous idea and spirit of our age, presumably a demonic deception of sorts that countless millions think is brilliant! I also pray that all groups, Christian and otherwise, would be delivered from the darkness and deception of the demonic in their religious and spiritual beliefs.

Clearly people tend to be victims of ridiculously faulty and irrational thinking, and they often even believe almost utter nonsense religiously, politically, philosophically, spiritually, ideologically, etc., and they think it is the height of profundity, and this can only be attributed to demons presumably, but when people by the millions start seeing the obvious truth and desirability of the Gospel as well as the error of their philosophical ways we will know that we are truly having a breakthrough in the realm of the spirit, and presumably that literal demons of darkness and deception have literally been bound in that realm (in response to our prayers, petitions, judgments, etc.), but really no one knows how?

Certainly Christians now have spiritual authority legally over the earth as Ms. Jacobs points out (and it would figure they have this only in the name of Jesus?), and the binding of demons in the Kingdom Era is going to be permanent, as I read Scripture, not temporary. What this means exactly we do not know nor how it works, but when people stop believing obvious nonsense and start believing obvious truth, then something by definition is changing drastically in the spirit of our age, and on earth.

And this is not just about the Gospel, remember Jefferson said, "We hold these truths to be self-evident," but the whole point of the Liberal and the radical and the outright humanist/atheist is the truths of the Natural Revelation are not "self-evident," for them. And, in the end, you can only "argue" so much with such people? (Paul says essentially the same thing in Romans 1 without mentioning demons.) Really after "arguing" about all you can do is pray for them, and that they will be delivered from their "darkness and deception" (demons or otherwise) in the name of Jesus? Is this controversial? Hardly?

The truth is Ms. Jacobs’ The Reformation Manifesto, Your Part in God’s Plan to Change Nations Today is something of a book by a Bible Christian for Bible Christians. If you are still hung up in a silly Liberalism or atheism or denominationalism or New Age-ism or something like that, this book will have little to say to you, in my opinion. If you are looking for a book by a serious Christian for serious Christians, this book will probably be something you will find to be very interesting, encouraging, and instructive. It is hardly the whole story of man on earth, nor does it claim to be, but it may be pretty close and in point of fact it is a very insightful view on God’s Plan for the nations today and how each and everyone of us can participate in that Plan, in prayer, evangelism, and direct social political action to set up the Kingdom on earth. No small matter?

Most of the prayer issues and strategies Ms. Jacobs develops deal with atheism and unbelief outright, nothing wrong with this, of course, but in truth we probably need to deal with all demons of darkness outright as well as of deception, both in the Church and out. Further, we, as Christians, tend to do the end time analysis in terms of the nation of Israel or in terms of the moral decline of nations and culture (Ms. Jacobs’ approach), but in reality the state of the Church or Body of Christ is as telling in Scripture about the end times, and is also an important subject for prayer (and, hence, so-called "binding and loosing" correctly understood, I would say).

For example, clearly, Liberal Reform Judaism was an attempt to "update" Judaism and its covenants for modern times and for modern science etc., because of supposed supernatural problems in the Hebrew Scriptures, and similarly Liberal Protestant Christianity also attempted such an "update" because of supposed supernatural problems in the Bible generally. And Liberal Protestant Christianity, for its (I would say "demonic") part, attempted to replace a literal salvation, new spiritual life in Christ message and spirit with a message and spirit of unity, tolerance and oneness, which is clearly not the Bible Gospel, and not only is "unity, tolerance and oneness" overtly amoral, it is also virtually useless more generally for it solves hardly any (let alone all) social, cultural, educational and political problems (as the Liberal avidly maintains)!

How utterly, totally, and completely ridiculous Liberalism is, but the Liberal simply cannot see it, Christian or Jewish. He is unbelievably confused and presumably deceived by demons (that is, "the Devil") and these are the sorts of situations the Charismatic Ms. Jacobs says (correctly I think) we should be praying about in order to have people delivered, as much with Liberalism (I would say) as with modern atheism, hedonism (something of a postmodern atheism), as well as all false non-Christian religions outright.

Clearly, we should be praying for everybody... to get on board for the Bible Gospel, as a prelude for the transformation of the nations in peace, justice, and righteousness. In fact, this is the only way are going to get there? And, we must start with the confusions or deceptions in the Church? It seems to me the Devil has a nose ring in the Liberal and leads him around on a chain, while the Liberal is convinced he is getting more and more enlightened, and is his own man or woman, etc. However, once we start seeing those caught in false spiritualities as not being simply wrong and generally un-Godly, but actually deceived by demons, and hence as victims, it changes our hearts, and it changes our hearts immensely to pray for them in compassion, no less, for deliverance.

In short, we should be praying for the Christian and Jewish Liberal as well as for the atheist humanist (modern or postmodern). Further, in my opinion, it would have been almost impossible to have a more corrupted Pharisee nature (self-professed traditions of men supposedly equal to but actually in opposition to Scripture) than pre-Vatican II Roman Catholicism, and in fact Roman Catholicism attempted, for its part, to "update" itself without falling into the black hole of Liberalism that Protestant Christianity and Reform Judaism already had, but it was not completely successful, though it did not deny the faith outright (praise God), as the Liberal Protestant had done.

Catholicism and Greek Orthodox each have their own problems or "demons"?

Though Vatican II did not embrace an outright Liberalism, as such, as the Protestants had done, in the end Vatican II was probably more Liberal than Biblical, though they correctly saw that not being a Roman Catholic does not necessarily mean one is not a Christian. They got that right? And just as not being Roman Catholic does not mean one is necessarily not a Christian, so too, being a "Roman Catholic" itself does not necessarily make one a Christian. Being Catholic still means primarily simply accepting the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. However, being a Christian is personally accepting Christ, and though in fact Vatican II essentially actually asserts this (believe it or not), it was hardly ready to embrace the idea outright and take it where it leads when one does the math on it. One last time: one can believe on and receive Christ as a Catholic, no doubt, but this is not official Catholicism, as such, and Roman Catholicism, though seeking to be the one true faith, is not seeking to be, nor claiming to be, a Bible-based faith, but tradition equal to Scripture faith. (Big mess here?)

Thinking one is the most correct of all groups is (in my opinion) probably of the flesh, thinking one has authority equal to Scripture is (in my opinion) probably a demonic deception, and once you go down this road, it opens the door outright to faulty traditions of men (because you, in theory, can do no wrong). Such were the traditions in Roman Catholicism, for example, which the Church of England threw out, when the opportunity presented itself, when they separated from the Roman Catholic Church because they had nothing invested in those traditions, though the Church of England still did not (to my knowledge) embrace the priesthood of all believers outright, which the Reformation was touting, nor the Abba Father relationship and internal witness of the Spirit, which Wesley later would make his cause, and which, in effect, is a direct relationship to God and experience of Him without a needed priest, etc., etc.

This is hardly the place for an entire history of the entire Church! But the other main Christian group, the Greek Orthodox Church is up to its eyeballs in "icons," which no one else can figure out, and which appear to have blocked the blessing of God on those cultures and nations for centuries, and though icons are seemingly aids to one’s spirituality, they are actually a practical divergence from and a hindrance to the very point of the Christian faith, namely, the priesthood of all believers and the Abba Father relationship and the indwelling Spirit, etc. The use of icons let alone the Greek Orthodox obsession with them appears, to me anyway, to be either of the flesh or of demons, but not of God. I have heard numerous, even many, Scriptural denunciations of icons, but never even a single Scriptural justification for them. (Do the math here?)

My point here is Ms. Jacobs is correct. We need to be praying for the culture and the nation and to be actively involved in the pursuit of justice and righteousness in all areas of society (government, media, law, journalism, education, marketplace, etc.), but we also need to be praying for all true as well as even nominally Christian groups as well as for all those caught up in outright false religions and ideologies that they would be delivered from the folly and errors of their ways (demons or no demons).

Look, Satan, that is, demons can somehow blind us to the truth of the Gospel, and its desirability and its rationality, how we don’t know, but this is clearly an area to pray for God to bind these demons. Further, as Paul says once you get saved, that is, personally enter into the New Testament covenant (with an "I do" to it), Satan attempts to make a shipwreck of your faith, doctrinally, morally, theologically, or spiritually. Tragically, I think I’ve been "shipwrecked" so many times I cannot keep up with them all!

You could almost call me Robinson Crusoe, but it gives me a deep compassion, for so many people. At one time or another in my life I have gone down with probably all four of the shipwrecks of doctrine, morality, theology, and spirituality, and probably even a few others! I have, personally, been taken down hard by Satan, sad to say, and I would say a good bit more than once or twice in my life... However, though I may go down and even go down hard, I do get up (Proverbs 24:16), and I learn from my mistakes, and defeats. I am a bit bloodied, no doubt, but I am still on my feet and still carrying on the good fight. And, in truth, the last battle is the only one that really counts, is it not? And, so here we are...

Similarly, Satan over the last 2000 years has played the very same game with the Church or Body of Christ that he plays with us, as individuals. He either opposes the Church from without or attempts to corrupt it and take it down from within, but now it is time to purify or restore the entire Body of Christ into a pure Bible faith, is it not? And this is done with much prayer, deliverance from deception, and much teaching, convincing, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with all longsuffering, is it not?

What does that have to do with Ms. Jacobs’ book? She is advocating that we do intercessory prayer in the realm of the spirit "in the name of Jesus" for everybody everywhere to be delivered to a Gospel Christianity as a prelude to the nations being delivered to a Kingdom Christianity. This is considered controversial by some Bible Christians, no less. I cannot for the life of me figure out why. She may be shedding tears, and staying up late nights praying for people and the nations, but most Bible Christians are not in my opinion, but maybe they will be now!

Even further, do you think Liberal Christian leaders are staying up nights trying to figure out if Liberalism might be complete heresy and outright ridiculous? You must be joking. But somebody needs to be! Or, are Bishops and the Pope staying up late nights praying asking God if there might be some possible, shall we say, "inadequacies" in the truly significant Vatican II? Maybe, but I would seriously doubt it, but maybe they will be now after Ms. Jacobs’ book?

Not to be a funny guy about this, but if this silly housewife from supposed hicksville Texas (of all places) can figure out all this fairly straightforward stuff about the Kingdom of God on earth for all time, what in the hell is wrong with all the supposed geniuses and great intellectuals and religious leaders in all the major metropolitan areas and universities in America and indeed around the world? Who knows? Maybe she is right? Maybe they are either flat spiritually blind or just simply deceived with whatever worldview, moral theory, political philosophy or religion they hold?

All I know is I find this woman’s Christianity to be significantly more mature and insightful than many, perhaps most, Bible Christian leaders of our time, male or female, and I do not find it to be particularly that controversial to tell you the truth. I think she may have Jesus nailed, so to speak, about as much as anyone I’ve heard of in our time, quite possibly or pretty close anyway, when she says of Jesus, (p.64) "Jesus wasn’t looking (simply) to get people to change so much as He was looking to get kingdoms to change." (Or, to take down you know whose? Way down! In the name of Jesus! For 1000 years!)