With Ben Carson’s campaign circling the drain, Ted Cruz is making a play to establish himself as the religious right’s candidate of choice. This weekend, he’s due to make a play for one of the most extreme elements of the religious right. Specifically, the New Apostolic Reformation, an overtly fascist movement that thinks it can bring about the Second Coming by taking over the world.
On Saturday, Cruz will be the keynote speaker for a “National Security Forum” in Fort Mill, South Carolina—20 minutes south of my hometown of Charlotte. That would seem to be a standard move for a Republican someone wanting to establish his foreign policy bonafides. What matters, though, is where it’s being held--MorningStar Ministries, pastored by Rick Joyner.
I’ve written extensively about the NAR in the past. For those who don’t recall, this movement thinks that Jesus can’t come back until Christians—in submission to so-called apostles and prophets—take over the world and violently suppress anyone who stands in their way. How do they plan to do it? The answer is the “Seven Mountains strategy,” which calls for Christians to take over the seven forces, or mountains, that influence our culture--business, education, entertainment, media, education, the family, the church, and especially government.
If you click over to my piece about Cruz’ appearance at Liberal America, you’ll see a couple of videos I found from Lance Wallnau, one of the architects of this blatantly fascist strategy. They both explain exactly how Christians submitted to “apostles” and “prophets” are supposed to take over the “mountains” so they can hand the world back to Jesus when he returns.
Joyner is one of the leading “prophets” in this movement. You may recall that two years ago, he openly called for a military coup since there is no prospect of us electing the right kind of people. And a year earlier, he and another “prophet,” the now-deceased Bob Jones, actually LAUGHED at the suffering wrought by Hurricane Sandy, since it was divine punishment for New York and New Jersey embracing marriage equality.
Apparently Joyner wants as large an audience as possible. He sent out an email blast to members of the Oak Initiative, a “grassroots” NAR group that he helms. In the past, Joyner has worked to bridge the gap between the NAR and the rest of the religious right. Most notably, Jerry Boykin doubles as a member of the Oak Initiative board and the executive vice president of the Family Research Council.
For those of you in the Charlotte area, this meeting is going to take place at Joyner’s complex in Fort Mill—on the grounds of what used to be Jim Bakker’s Heritage USA. Maybe some Charlotte-area Kossacks ought to be there as a “welcoming committee” for Cruz. I’d be there myself, but I had plans to be out of town long before I knew Cruz was coming down here.
Most of you know that Cruz has tapped David Barton to helm his main super PAC. But if anything, this appearance at Joyner’s church is the strongest evidence yet that he’s courting the most extreme elements of the religious right.