In looking up articles on Joyner and his theologies, I found some very interesting information about Paul Cain and John Wimber, which is tied to John Piper.
What are some of the teachings of Joel's Army doctrine which Rick Joyner espouses:
Rick Joyner, a popular purveyor of the Joel’s Army doctrine, writes of a time when “news teams will follow apostles like national leaders, recording great miracles. . . . Miracles which exceed even some of the most spectacular Biblical marvels will cause whole nations to acknowledge Jesus. . . . The appearances of angels will be so common that they will cease to be related as significant events. The Lord Himself will appear to councils of apostles and elders to give them directives. . . . Young children will cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, and divert raging floods with a word. Some will actually take dominion over entire hospitals and mental institutions, healing every patient in them by laying hands on the buildings” (The Harvest, 1993, p. 32–34). This is a bold prophecy—and one we are still waiting to be shown to contain an ounce of truth.
New prophecy is another problematic teaching of Joel’s Army. Those receiving a word directly from God, in the same way the biblical prophets did, would effectively reopen the canon of Scripture. Joel’s Army’s belief that large numbers of Christians are being raised up, performing Spirit-filled miraculous works, taking “possession” of large areas of earth prior to Christ’s return, and causing dread in the hearts of unbelievers goes directly against clear biblical teaching. God cannot contradict His own Word, and He is not adding to it through the visions of self-proclaimed prophets today.
True to their Holiness roots, Joel’s Army expects to be completely sinless as they complete God’s work in the world. Joel’s Army, the sinless ones, will be the agents through whom God will purge all sin out of the world. Such teaching is totally unbiblical. The apostle John could not have been more clear: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
New prophecy is another problematic teaching of Joel’s Army. Those receiving a word directly from God, in the same way the biblical prophets did, would effectively reopen the canon of Scripture. Joel’s Army’s belief that large numbers of Christians are being raised up, performing Spirit-filled miraculous works, taking “possession” of large areas of earth prior to Christ’s return, and causing dread in the hearts of unbelievers goes directly against clear biblical teaching. God cannot contradict His own Word, and He is not adding to it through the visions of self-proclaimed prophets today.
True to their Holiness roots, Joel’s Army expects to be completely sinless as they complete God’s work in the world. Joel’s Army, the sinless ones, will be the agents through whom God will purge all sin out of the world. Such teaching is totally unbiblical. The apostle John could not have been more clear: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
Paul Cain, a teacher of Joel's Army and part of NAR, was associated with heretic William Branham.
On Paul Cain and William Branham:
Both Cain and Branham had continual disembodied Spiritistic visitations. Like Branham he is not sure who it is speaking. Branham's influence of Paul Cain is not to be underestimated he has said of William Branham: “The greatest prophet that ever lived in any of my generations or any of the generations of revival I've lived through.” (Paul Cain, Selections from the Kansas City Prophets)
Jack Deere, a Vineyard pastor, stated that in January 1989 Cain told him an earthquake would occur on the same day Cain arrived for the first time to meet John Wimber at the Vineyard church in Anaheim, California....
In 1989 The Kansas City Prophets was incorporated into the Vineyard. Wimber had only respect for Cain said “he's interacting in two dimensions continually. He's not only seeing you and talking to you, but he's hearing from God constantly. There's continual flow. I think it's interrupted periodically, but a continual flow of information is coming to him about things.” ... “be in one room and be listening to the conversation of people in another place at the same time.” (John Wimber, “Speaking on Paul Cain and the Office of the Prophet,” Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Anaheim, CA 2/19/89)
At the same time the Latter Rain movement is birthed. Cain at age 19 received a visitation from the angel of the Lord who stood like a warrior had a bright shining sword and pointed to a billboard that said Joel's army in training. At the time he didn’t know what it meant so he asked the lord and he took him by the hand and led him through the book of Joel. There's more to this story than anyone could imagine because Cain at age 8, like William Branham (age 7) was being visited by an angel. His discipler Branham and his story become so similar at times one can scarcely know which is which. He is absolutely sure: Cain describes “I heard an audible voice and, of course, often the Angel of the Lord-it might have been the Lord Jesus Christ -but anyway when he speaks it's rather awesome”( Paul Cain, The New Breed, audio tape (Kansas City, MO: Grace Ministries, undated).
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Branham was not a Christian, but rather he was a cultist who was a Modalist (denied the Trinity), taught the racist and heretical Serpent Seed doctrine (Eve had sex with the Serpent and Cain was the result of that union), and taught annihilationism (there's no eternal punishment for unbelievers). According to Got Questions, he held the zodiac and Egypt's pyramids are equal to the Bible.
Let Us Reason goes on to talk about Paul Cain's teaching on Joel's Army/Manifest Sons of God:
Cain is a promoter of the aberrant Latter Rain teaching that certain believers become immortals on earth before Jesus comes “There will be a manifestation of the sons of God. And it won't be this baloney that we've heard of in the past;. . .I'm talking about a true manifested son of God;. . .and God wants us to realize once again in closing that there's going to be a great company of overcomers prepared for this mighty ministry which I call the prize of all the ages. (From Paul Cain's tape Joel's Army)' This is what is called the manchild company (overcomers).
He teaches that the whole body of Christ will manifest Christ at the end and take over the world as Joels army which was the revelation personally delivered to him by the Lord....
He teaches that the whole body of Christ will manifest Christ at the end and take over the world as Joels army which was the revelation personally delivered to him by the Lord....
The Manifest Sons of God interpretation of Rom.8 is that a certain group of overcomers will attain immortalization after coming to perfection under the authority of the latter-day apostles and prophets teachings (of which he is one). They will be able to move in and out of the supernatural and natural realms, even have the ability to walk through walls.
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For more on NAR and it's Manfest Sons of God doctrine go here.
The Let Us Reason article goes on, and here's where the timing as well as doctrine is crucial:
It was Feb. 12 1989 at Wimber's pulpit he proclaimed “That I have found that leader that’s going, before he dies to usher in a new move of God, a new wave. And not just a little gathering here and not a few vines out there but its going to be more than a cluster, listen to me buster- I mean its going to be more than a cluster. I mean in spite of all your blunders God’s gonna still give you signs and wonders.” This is where they got off track to pursue the new wave. God says signs will follow the true preaching and exposition of his word. The vineyard and through Cain and others the signs became a means to end in themselves.
Wimber considered Paul Cain a prophet like the apostle Paul, one who came “with signs and wonders.”
Today they are no longer in the Vineyard they are currently known as the Metro Christian Fellowship. Once under Mike Bickle, he is now an apostle on the road and it is now headed by former Ywamer Floyd McClung.
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By the way, now Francis Chan, who has shared the pulpit and stage with Beth Moore and John Piper, is a big fan of Mike Bickle.
Ok, now for the connection I wanted to get at:
You can see Paul Cain ( associate and mentored by William Branham), first went to John Wimber's Vineyard church in Janurary 1989 and then again in February of 1989. That was the year the Kansas City Prophets (WOF, which led to NAR) was incorporated into Wimber's church. Then in February of 1990 John Piper took almost 60 sheep to Wimber's Vinyeard conference::
"Last week fifty eight people from Bethlehem went to a conference in Anaheim, California called “Holiness Unto the Lord.” It was sponsored by Vineyard Ministries International. The Vineyard movement, led by John Wimber, is characterized by 1) openness to all spiritual gifts for all God’s people, 2) an expectation of supernatural power in the form of special guidance or healing in the ministry of compassion and evangelism, and 3) vital corporate worship. It is different from traditional Pentecostal and Charismatic renewal in 1) minimizing the place of tongues, 2) stressing power evangelism, 3) being rooted in reformed theology, and 4) treating all the gifts as available to all Christians as the need for them arises. The best introduction to the Movement is Power Encounters by Kevin Springer and John Wimber.
I saw at least ten things at this conference that I thank God for and want as part of my life..."
End quote.
Please note that Wimber wasn't rooted in reformed theology. He was by that time, fully immersed in outright heresy.
So here is the theological friendships that promoted doctrines of demons, literally:
William Brennan=>Paul Cain=>John Wimber=>John Piper
This is why today Piper continues to be a mystic and has talked about his mystical Charismatic experiences, whether it's through hearing "God's voice" or fighting the devil through singing songs God literally gave the words to because Scripture wasn't enough (even though Scripture is absolutely God-breathed whereas men's words and lyrics are not) . Piper is not an anomaly as John MacArthur likes to pretend he is. Rather Piper is what he's always been.
This is why today Piper continues to be a mystic and has talked about his mystical Charismatic experiences, whether it's through hearing "God's voice" or fighting the devil through singing songs God literally gave the words to because Scripture wasn't enough (even though Scripture is absolutely God-breathed whereas men's words and lyrics are not) . Piper is not an anomaly as John MacArthur likes to pretend he is. Rather Piper is what he's always been.
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