In 2004, I left a highly authoritarian group which at that …

They renamed themselves Every Nation around the time I left. They were previously known as Morning Star International. They were directly descended from a notorious Religious Right campus "cult" of the 70s and 80s, Maranatha Campus Ministries. 2/

Maranatha Campus Ministries was among what Sara Diamond once called the "shock troops of the Religious Right." And underneath the rebranding and leadership shuffles in the wake of MCM's breakup in 1990, the new group arising from its ashes also aspired to take over the world. 3/

I left bc 1. I was terrified that they could take over the US and world. 2. they believed that they would become like God by being "under authority" and rule and reign AS GOD. 3. they lied about their past. I wasn't in the group long but leaving was excruciatingly difficult. 4/

Part of my healing process involved participating in an online cult recovery forum and doing lots and lots and LOTS of research into the group's past, present and teachings. Including the teachings they gave to indoctrinated people once they were properly "under authority." 5/

This has relevance today since what they and similar Religious Right groups did in the 70s and beyond has helped lay the groundwork for what happened on Jan. 6. 6/

I'm going to share two transcripts that I personally transcribed from audio recordings that I have in my possession. They were posted a long time ago - one on a discernment website, and one on a cult recovery forum - but I can attest to the authenticity of both of these. 7/

(I'm thinking here of people like @profagagne who do primary source research - these aren't primary sources but I have the original recordings.) 8/

The first one was from when my group announced their name change to Every Nation at their annual conference. Our group's head prophet gave this sermon, entitled "To Reach and to Rule." Yes, their plan was to reach and to rule Every Nation. 9/ https://t.co/2tIuq1AlXX

The 2nd was by C. Peter Wagner at the Arise Prophetic Conference in California in 2004. Wagner was giving similar talks to similar groups around the same time, incl at the same conference as where "To Reach and to Rule" was preached. 10/ https://t.co/oK5ycSpoOB

Have to do a short errand, but I'll be back to highlight what I think are pertinent points from these two sermons. They should highlight why I've been so afraid of what is going on in the US right now for over 15 years. BTW, the Wagner talk predates Wallnau's 7 Mountains. 11/

I'm back. Don't know if syringe feeding a sick and angry cat is the best thing to do in advance of discussing these two sermons, but she's fed and happily hiding under the bed. First up, the Wagner "Arise Prophetic Conference" talk. 12/

I'm not responsible for the forward on the site I posted, but the site editor notes the same part of the talk that I was and still am the most disturbed about-the part about overthrowing governments. I said at the time that it was promoting sedition. I still think so. 13/

Wagner's logic is that church, or the "ecclesia" goes beyond Sunday gatherings, The church is in the world, and in each of the spheres that make up society-government, education, military and so on. 14/

He argues that God's plan is for these spheres to be brought under apostolic authority-under God's government. It is up to the church to populate these spheres to bring them under apostolic government. The existing secular authorities belong to Satan and must be overthrown. 15/

The church creates a new government. And once the government is established, then the existing governments can be overthrown. "It takes a government to overthrow a government." Teachings like these have become more and more mainstream since 2004. 16/

This was spiritualized and refined in Lance Wallnau's "Seven Mountains Prophecy," but it's basically the same thing. It's also very similar to what Maranatha and Morning Star/Every Nation had been doing for years before this. 17/

The New Apostolic Reformation & similar Religious Right groups view themselves as the only legitimate authority over... everything. Even though other Right and white supremacist groups were at the forefront on 1/6, this is the kind of thinking that permeates these movements. 18/

Anyone who opposes this are demonized. It doesn't take much to go from "it takes a government to overthrow a government" to believing that you have been given God's authority to actually overthrow the government-because it is illegitimate and evil. Satanic. 19/

"To Reach and to Rule" isn't much different logically, but Jim Laffoon's sermon is a call for followers to join an army that will "open the gates and let the rest of us in" to rule. Very similar to what happened on 1/6. 20/