Joseph Herrin (05- 17-2014)
“God is raising up a modern day group of Moravians.”
http://youtu.be/62dDdCHZ5nk
I encourage you to begin this post by watching the 5 minute video above. It is not put out by Morningstar Ministries. Rather it is produced by The Harbour Church out of Florida. It is advertising a week long summer event that was held in Moravian Falls, North Carolina last year. The images in the video of the worship services with people dancing, lying on the floor, and laughing, are similar to what one might see at a Morningstar church meeting.
The video begins by giving a brief history of “The Moravians,” a group of men and women who professed faith in Christ. They were Protestants, and many of them were forced to flee from Moravia in the Czech republic due to Catholic persecution. A group of them were invited to settle on the lands of Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf. The year was 1722. Several hundred of these Moravian Protestants formed a commune there that they called Herrnhut (Lord’s watch).
The young man speaking at the beginning of the video repeats a common testimony that is heard about the Moravian believers. He states that the Moravians “literally launched modern day missions. They are also responsible for what we know today as the 24/7 prayer movement. They started a prayer movement (meeting) that lasted for 100 years.” Although these Protestants trace their beginnings back to the 15th century in Moravia, it was the group who settled on the land of Count Zinzendorf that has garnered the most attention, and which concerns this study. Count Zinzendorf was born in the year 1700, a member of the European nobility, and very wealthy. Some describe him as “the rich young ruler who said ‘Yes.’”
The Light of God Illuminating Zinzendorf
(There are Kabbalistic elements to this painting if you know what to look for)
It is quite pertinent to this present study to identify clearly who Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians were. Rick Joyner and Morningstar Ministries, Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer, and many of the prophets and other modern ministers/ministries, testify that they are building upon the foundation laid by Zinzendorf’s Moravians. Rick Joyner lives in Moravian Falls, North Carolina. The land around Moravian Falls was purchased by Count Zinzendorf in the 1740s. He moved there himself for a time, and established a religious community there. Morningstar Ministries has conference and retreat facilities at Moravian Falls. They had acquired significant parcels of land, to develop them, building homes, and inviting supporters of Morningstar Ministries to relocate there, which a number of people have done.
Although Morningstar’s largest church and facility is located in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on the former site of Jim Bakker’s Heritage USA, it is appropriate to state that the spiritual center of Morningstar Ministries is at Moravian Falls. Rick Joyner has spoken about this, and the manner in which he was led to this area. His account is filled with testimonies of prophetic signs and wonders. It reveals the profound influence of “prophet” Bob Jones. I invite you to watch the following video, observing how persuasive the word of a single individual can be in directing the course of an international ministry that impacts people worldwide. Bear in mind that Satan has his prophets that can speak with remarkable accuracy, even as Yahweh has His prophets.
Acts 16:16-18
And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl having a spirit of divination (literally “python” spirit) met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” And she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.
Rick Joyner Speaks of Moravian Heritage (Commercials Included)
http://www.morningstartv.com/prophetic-perspective-current-events/count-zinzendorf-and-history-moravian-falls-north-carolina
When one considers that Zinzendorf’s Moravians are credited with beginning a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week prayer meeting that continued for 100 years, it is easy to perceive a link to Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer whose ministry centerpiece is 24/7 prayer and praise music. Mike Bickle and IHOP have also made it publicly known that they are building upon the work and spirit of the Moravians. One of the communal living centers they have established for their interns at the Kansas City IHOP is named Herrnhut Apartments. This is an intentional reference to Zinzendorf’s Moravian commune in Germany.
http://www.ihopkc.org/visit/housing/month-to-month/
The IHOP Kansas City website provides the following historical information on Count Zinzendorf.
The Moravians and Count Zinzendorf
In 1727, Count Zinzendorf, a young and wealthy German nobleman, committed his estate in Germany to twenty-four-hour-a-day prayer ministry. He renamed his estate Herrnhut, which means “the watch of the Lord.” About 300 persecuted believers moved from Bohemia to Zinzendorf’s estate, forming the Herrnhut community. At that time, Zinzendorf gave up his court position to lead this new ministry.
They committed to pray in hourly shifts around the clock, all day and night, every day, taking inspiration from Leviticus 6:13, “The fire must be kept burning; it must not go out.” This prayer meeting continued non-stop for the next hundred years. From the prayer room at Herrnhut came a missionary zeal that has hardly been surpassed in Protestant history. By 1776, over two hundred missionaries had been sent out from this small community at Herrnhut. These were the first Protestant intercessory missionaries.
Zinzendorf became the leader of the first Protestant missionary movement in history. He sent out missionaries, two by two, to the unreached people groups of the earth. As they were sent out, the prayer furnace back home in Herrnhut covered them in prayer. The first Protestant missionary movement married the prayer aspect of the Great Commission with evangelism. Count Zinzendorf saw prayer and missions as inseparable.
[Source: http://www.ihopkc.org/intercessorymissionaries/]
There are numerous biographies available on Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians. They almost universally present him to the body of Christ as a deeply committed Christian with unusual missionary zeal. He is described as a great champion of Christianity, and an inspiration for other believers to emulate. What, after all, could be wrong with being devoted to prayer and missions?
Sadly, there are times when Christian biographers paint a false portrait of an individual and his beliefs. In the book Dragon Flood I demonstrated how this has been done by Christian and secular authors who have written biographies of America’s founding fathers. Some have described men such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin as devout Christians. The truth is far different.
Because these prominent men and ministries I have named have embraced Count Zinzendorf with such fervent admiration, seeking to emulate his works, and expand his teachings, it is important to know accurately the history of this man and the Moravians he led. As one discovers the hidden identity (duplicity again) of this man, it will be observed how the beliefs, actions, and spirit of Zinzendorf are truly being replicated at IHOP, Morningstar, and among other prophetic ministries of this hour.
Nicolas Ludwig von Zinzendorf was influenced by the spirituality of Europe in the time in which he lived. Zinzendorf was contemporary with men like Emanuel Swedenborg, and William Blake, both of whom developed followings of their own. One thing each of these men shared in common was a devotion to the teachings of Kabbala. Kabbala is an ancient form of Jewish mysticism that combines the Old Testament of the Bible with occult practices that originate in Babylon. Each of these men (Zinzendorf included), also embraced sexual practices that Yahweh in the Bible describes as unholy, unrighteous, or sinful. Although each of these individuals made frequent reference to the Bible, none of them could be described as Biblical literalists, or orthodox in their views. An example of this is Zinzendorf’s portrayal of the Holy Spirit as female, and his lifelong reference to the Holy Spirit as “Mother.”
I could not speak about it [the Holy Spirit], since I did not know how I should define it. I simply believed that she is the third person of the Godhead, but I could not say how this was properly so. Instead I thought of her abstractly. … The Holy Spirit had known me well, but I did not know her before the year 1738. That is why I carefully avoided entering in the matter until the Mother Office of the Holy Spirit had been so clearly opened up for me.
[Source: http://zinzendorf.com/pages/index.php?id=holy-spirit-as-mother]
Despite the fact that all three members of the godhead are spoken of throughout Scriptures in the masculine tense, it did not trouble Zinzendorf to adopt a view that was contrary to a literalist interpretation of the Bible. Zinzendorf championed a view that is readily observed among the prophetic movement today whereby Biblical correctness and sound doctrine are de-emphasized, and
emotions and experience are elevated. Whatever belief serves to bolster one’s experience, one’s happiness, is just fine, while attention to doctrinal correctness is minimized.
A modern day expert on the Moravians and their beliefs gave a speech at the Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. During the speech he stated that one of their five major focal points is Simplicity, which he defined in the following manner.
Simplicity is a focus on the essentials of faith and a lack of interest in the niceties of doctrinal definition. Shawe quotes Zinzendorf’s remark that The Apostles say: ‘We believe we have salvation through the grace of Jesus Christ….’ If I can only teach a person that catechism I have made him a divinity scholar for all time (Shawe, 1977, p. 9)
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_Church#Spirit_of_the_Moravian_Church]
What is meant by “a lack of interest in the niceties of doctrinal definition” is that faithfulness to the teachings of the Bible is not considered to be of any great importance. Unity, and an avoidance of conflict, is given higher regard than truth, or Scriptural accuracy. Zinzendorf would not have welcomed a critical examination of the Biblical soundness of his beliefs. He stressed unity among mankind, and he sought to find common ground for Catholics, Jews (the non-Messianic variety), and diverse denominations to join together. It is not surprising that groups like IHOP and Morningstar describe themselves as bridge builders who exist outside of denominational structures, reaching across all denominations to bring forth unity by focusing on spiritual experience rather than Biblical doctrine.
Zinzendorf was born into great wealth. His family had immense land holdings that were located throughout Europe. It was requisite of young aristocrats to be trained in a variety of viewpoints, and Zinzendorf’s education evidently exposed him to Rosicrucian and Kabbalistic teachings. These influences caused him to see the Bible as a very flexible writing that contains the seed of many mystical truths that only the initiate can perceive. It would not seem strange to such an one to arrive at some very unorthodox interpretations of the Bible. Kabbala is well known to set forth teachings and principles that lead to behavior and beliefs that are diametrically opposite of the literal meaning of Biblical passages.
In the book Politics and the Occult, author Gary Lachman (not a Christian) writes about Zinzendorf’s “grand tour,” a year long sabbatical where young aristocrats are to visit the various great cities of Europe in order to gain experience and knowledge of the world.
Zinzendorf had a kind of mystical experience during his Grand Tour, then a de rigeur “gap year” for all young aristocrats. In a museum in Dusseldorf, Zinzendorf saw a painting by the Baroque artist Domenico Feti, showing Christ with the crown of thorns on the way to the crucifixion. Entitled “Ecce Homo” (Behold the Man), its inscription read: “This I have done for you – now what will you do for me?”… This was a fully humanized Christ, and Zinzendorf could almost feel his (Christ’s) fleshly nature. It was the exact opposite of the belief, often attributed to the Gnostics and known as Docetism, that Christ’s mortal body and crucifixion were a kind of illusion, that he was wholly spiritual and not mortal at all. On the contrary, for Zinzendorf, only through a deep grasp of and participation in Christ’s humanity could we join, literally, in his mystical body.
For Zinzendorf this mystical-human body of Christ included not only the wounds he suffered during his passion but also his sexuality. It may seem odd to us, and it certainly seemed scandalous to some of Zinzendorf’s contemporaries, but during what became known among the Moravians as the “Sifting Time” – referring to a period of egalitarianism (all classes of men were treated equal), communal living, esoteric practices, and sexual antinomianism (lawlessness) – Zinzendorf preached that deep meditation on Christ’s sexual organs, as well as his wounds, would lead to a mystical experience. Yet “meditation” may be too sedate a term for the kind of worship the Moravians in London, and elsewhere in Europe, practiced, seeing that it involved activities we would usually associate with Tantra (Eastern religious belief that sexual experience can be used to unite a person with the deity) and other forms of sacred sexuality. As one commentator remarked, in Zinzendorf’s peculiar form of worship “all the senses must be mobilized, the whole body must participate,” an admonition that Zinzendorf’s congregation certainly followed.
SEXUAL METAPHYSICS
By the time Zinzendorf established the Fetter Lane mission (in London), he was convinced that the mysticism of the Jewish cabala – the esoteric reading of the Jewish holy books – could bring Jews and Christians as well as Catholics and Protestants together. His belief that followers of different faiths could unite in a common piety chimed in many ways with Masonic notions of universal brotherhood and a common belief in a Supreme Being, and it certainly resonated with the Rosicrucian ethos. His epiphany in Dusseldorf concerning Christ’s carnal nature seemed to prime him for cabalistic notions of what we can call “sexual metaphysics…”
As in spiritual alchemy, for the cabala, in sexual union, the male and female overcome the rifts of the fallen world and achieve an ecstasy that echoes the original unity of being… God himself has sex, the cabalists believe, in the cosmic lovemaking he enjoys with his Shekinah, his female emanation. Zinzendorf Christianized this cabalistic holy marriage and declared that the Holy Spirit was feminine, the Mother of Christ…
HOLY SINNING
One antinomian work was both a criticism of some of Swedenborg’s ideas and also a handbook for “holy sinning”: Blake’s early prose poem “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.” The title alone suggests a reversal of mainstream morality, and its “Proverbs of Hell” offer “dangerous” maxims like, “The road of excess leads to a palace of wisdom” and “If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise,” as well as “Sooner murder an infant in its cradle that nurse unacted desires.” The problem with this is that it’s not always easy to know whether you’re going “beyond good and evil” as a saint or as a sinner, an argument that the orthodox make against the pitfalls of “enthusiasm” and the followers of mystical spirituality. If “anything goes,” then the most questionable practices can be excused as expressions of a more profound spirituality that adherents to the safe path of righteousness simply fear.
Zinzendorf’s followers certainly took the message to heart, literally, and his new “Herzenreligion” (religion of the heart) emphasized the importance of a “heartfelt” regeneration over obedience to rigid moral standards… In what may appear to us, and did appear to many of Zinzendorf’s detractors, as a revolting form of spiritual sadomasochism (or the equivalent, as the term had yet to arise), Zinzendorf taught his followers to visualize Christ’s wound, from the infamous spear of Longinus, as a kind of vagina and the spear itself as a kind of phallus whose union made possible spiritual regeneration. Coupled with his own fully male sexuality, the “side hole,” as Christ’s wound came to be called, in effect transformed him into an androgynous being, an earthly manifestation of the cabalistic cosmic man, Adam Kadmon, who enjoyed the primal unity of the sexes that the cabalists, and in a different way, the spiritual alchemists, desired.
Among other practices, which included mentally kissing and licking the “side hole” in order to receive the revivifying blood, Zinzendorf urged his followers to visualize Christ’s wound as a womb and themselves as children, safe within it, but their peculiar form of erotospirituality also took less bizarre, if not less scandalous, forms. At the Fetter Lane Chapel, the Moravians spoke openly about their sex lives and were advised by Zinzendorf and his agents on how to improve it, how the women could achieve ecstasy more easily and satisfactorily, and how the men could perform their spiritual labors with greater perseverance. The meetings, often known as “love feasts,” seem to have included couples making love in view of the other parishioners, and the singing, dancing, and general joyous exultation of the senses – necessary in order to fully appreciate the human nature of Christ – may have ended in a communal unification of the opposites.
[End Excerpt]
Such claims about Count Zinzendorf, and at least a portion of his Moravian followers, are truly scandalous. Yet there is much more that could be shared. When Zinzendorf was in his late teen years, and engaged in his studies at Halle Academy, he formed a secret society with some fellow students that they named “The Order of the Mustard Seed.” Gary Lachman writes:
The idea behind the order was that its members, all of whom were nobles destined for important positions in society, would secretly use their influence to spread Christ’s message. All shared a profound sense of brotherhood with their fellow men and took as their motto “No one lives for himself,” which they had inscribed on the rings they wore as a sign of their commitment. In later years when Zinzendorf reactivated his youthful order, he brought into the fold the archbishops of Canterbury and Paris, as well as Christian VI, King of Denmark. This later version of the order was linked to both Freemasonry and the Rosicrucians.
The parallels between these accounts of Zinzendorf and the men whose ministries honor him today are striking. In the previous post I wrote of Rick Joyner joining an order that has links to Freemasonry, and who claim as their goal the advancement and defense of Christianity. Even as Zinzendorf and his “brothers” from the order wore special rings to signify their league with one another, Rick Joyner, General Jerry Boykin, and their fellow Knights of Malta wear special pins on their clothes to denote their affiliation.
The Freemasons claim Count Zinzendorf as one of their own. On the website for the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, there is the following entry:
The German title is Der Orden vom Senfkorn. This Association, whose members also called themselves “The Fraternity of Moravian Brothers of the Order of Religious Freemasons,” was one of the first innovations introduced into German Freemasonry. It was instituted in the year 1739. Its mysteries were founded on that passage in the fourth chapter of Saint Mark’s Gospel in which Christ compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard-seed. The Brethren wore a ring, on which was inscribed Keiner son uns lebt ihm selber, meaning in English, No one of us lives for himself. The jewel of the Order was a cross of gold surmounted by a mustard plant in full bloom, with the motto, Quod Suit ante nihil, this Latin meaning What was before nothing. It was suspended from a green ribbon. The professed object of the Association was, through the instrumentality of Freemasonry, to extend the kingdom of Christ over the world. It has long been obsolete (see Zinzendorf, Count son, Nicolaus Ludwig).
[Source: http://encyclopediaoffreemasonry.com/m/mustard-seed-order-of/]
In the year 1868 J.B. Lippincott and Co. Published the book Masonic Biography and Dictionary: Comprising the History of Ancient Masonry, Antiquity of Masonry, Written and Unwritten Law, Derivation and Definition of Masonic Terms, Biographies of Eminent Masons, Statistics, List of All Lodges in the United States, Etc. The book contains an entry for Count Zinzendorf in which the following statements can be found.
Count of Zinzendorf and Pattendorf, a descendant of noble family of Austria, founder of the Moravian sect, born in Dresden, Saxony, May 26th, 1700; Died at Herrnhut, May 9th, 1760. In 1741 he came to the United States and commenced preaching at Germantown. At Shekomeco he established the first Indian Moravian congregation in America. His entire life was marked and brilliant. He modified Swedenborgian rites of Freemasonry; in 1737 he promulgated the Rite of Zinzendorf in Germany.
Directly below this, being the very last entry in this section of the book, is a listing for “Zinzendorf Rite.” This 146 year old book is available online at Google Books.
Another old book, though not quite as ancient, is Occult Theocracy by Lady Queenborough, Edith Starr Miller, published in 1933. This book is available online as a pdf file. Following is an extract from the section on the Moravians.
The Moravians came to England in 1724, brought by Count Zinzendorf. The following extract from the work of an Anglican Bishop, written in 1751, reveals that they were not particularly appreciated in that country as a force for good!
“Of what dangerous Consequence the Moravian System is to Government and Civil Society, appears by their progressive Multiplicity of Prevarications, Lies, Frauds, Cheats, and juggling Impostures (Greatly detrimental to Princes and State, as well as ruinous to private persons) which have so plainly been proved by Mr. Rimius, and others, particularly in ‘The History of the Moravians, very lately published, from the public Acts of Budingen, and other Authentic Vouchers.’ Of this Nature are their devouring the whole substance of any wealthy Convert, and declaring that the Society may say to a young rich Brother ‘Either give up all that thou hast, or get thee gone.’ — Sending away any of the Society to the remotest Parts of the World, at a Minute’s Warning, by the Authority of the Saviour, who will have it done Post-haste :’ Whereby any, though his Majesty’s Subjects, whom they suspect, or that dislike their Proceedings, or, for prudential Reasons, must be married up, or may discover any of their Iniquities, are instantly sent into Banishment, and condemned to Transportation ; not for any Crime, but for their Virtue and Duty, Which is more than all the Authority of Great Britain can do, for any Crime, without an open and legal Trial, Making Marriages void, though before contracted, unless the carnal Cohabitation has been performed in the Presence of the Elders. — Seducing Men’s Wives and Daughters, and then keeping them by Force, or sending them out of the Way ; and allowing no Power of Earth to reclaim them, though the Parents beg it on their Knee. Taking away the natural Authority of the Parents, and making their Children disobey and renounce them under Pretence of obeying the Saviour, the Father that created them : ‘ thereby making the Fifth Commandment of no Effect. — Sometimes bribing, and sometimes threatening States, as Occasion serves, and denouncing Argumenta Regum, if they are opposed; and telling Princes, that such or such a Place in their Dominions, was founded by the Saviour for his Theocracy; which he won’t fail to maintain.’ — These Things have been proved upon the Moravians, both as to Doctrine and Practice, by divers Instances. And that in Fact they claim an Independency on Government appears from the ‘Letter to the Regency of Budingen, from the Count (Zinzendorf) and his Brethren, wherein it is said, in plain Terms, ‘ That all the Sovereigns on Earth must consent to the Theocracy in the Moravian Brotherhood, or have no Brethren in their Dominions. ‘ I need not add, that Theocracy signifies an immediate Government by God, which of Course excludeth all Civil Authority. “
The Moravian dogma was Spiritism which generally means Black Magic. As for their moral code, it can be summarized in the few following words of Count Zinzendorf in a dialogue with Mr. Wesley. “We reject all Self Denial, we trample it under Foot. We Believers do what we please, and no more.” Claiming to be free from all law by their Marriage with Christ, they refuse to be bound by any law at all: either of the Old Testament or the New. To bring all Sects under his sway, Roman Catholics, Socinians, Fanaticks, Chiliasts, Anabaptists etc., Count Zinzendorf made a new translation of the New Testament… “This was the practice of almost all the Gnostic Heretics, in order to deceive, and draw disciples. Nor did they make any Scruple of Omissions, Expungings, or any Corruptions that might serve their Purpose…”
Missionaries were sent abroad, everything being done by the Saviour’s Injunction…
“Heaven, for them, is to consist in their being metamorphosed into Female Angels, for a carnal Enjoyment of Christ in his human Nature, in the eternal Bedchamber…
“Where in the Scriptures do you find panegyrical Hymns in Honour of your Phallus? asks Lavington. For what follows we refer the reader to page 140 of the Bishop’s book.
Count Zinzendorf is said to have been the head of the Rose Croix from 1744 to 1749.
He was on intimate terms with John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
Of all its names, that of “The Order of Religious Freemasons” is the most significant today.
It should also be remembered that the head of this order was also the head of the “Esoteric Rosicrucians” of the time!
[Source: http://www.whale.to/c/occult-theocracy.pdf]
Even assuming that some of these charges manifest bias due to religious, political, economic, or other interests, and that some of the critics may be unfaithful in their accounts, there is a harmony of claims that appear in repeated statements from a variety of witnesses. Among these claims is that Zinzendorf was a member of certain secret orders, either the Rosicrucians, Freemasons, or both; that Zinzendorf and his Moravian followers had embraced some deviant doctrines befouled with the unclean merging of human sexuality and mysticism that bears a striking similarity to Kabbalistic teachings.
Additionally, there are the similarities to the charges against Zinzendorf’s Moravians and complaints frequently raised against IHOP and Morningstar today. Charges of cult-like behavior; isolation from family members; spiritual elitism; doctrinal heresy; financial fraud; covetousness; and sexual misconduct are common to both the Moravians of the 1700s and IHOP, Morningstar, and other prophetic groups that pay homage to Zinzendorf and the Moravians.
As a person begins to dig deeper into the life of Count Zinzendorf, and to consider the many accounts of the conduct of the Moravians from sources close to their time, it becomes evident that they were not the selfless champions of Christianity that they are declared to be by their present day admirers. One of the reasons I am inclined to believe these charges is that I see the very same pattern in the lives of the men and ministries that pay verbal homage to Zinzendorf and the Moravians today. Do we not see Rick Joyner and other members of Morningstar Ministries joining elite orders that have links back to Freemasonry, the Knights Templars, and other secret societies? Even as Zinzendorf began his own order, Rick Joyner has created a new order at Morningstar which he has dubbed the Knights of the Cross (KOC).
http://www.morningstarministries.org/ministries/future-leaders/knights-cross
(Quite interestingly, these are the same initials as the Roman Catholic “Knights of Columbus.”)
One of the most disturbing accounts of Zinzendorf and his kabbalistic and sexual form of spirituality is found in the book Why Mrs. Blake Cried by Marsha Schuchard.
Although the book is primarily focused upon William Blake, it contains information on a number of his contemporaries, including Count Zinzendorf.
In the l740’s and ’50’s, “Rabbi” Zinzendorf (as he was then called) directed a mission to the Jews in London, in which mutual Kabbalistic studies served as a bridge between religions. At the same time, he organized his followers into a hierarchical secret society that functioned as an offshoot of “irregular” or “illuminist” Freemasonry. According to James Hutton, an English Moravian who became a lifelong friend of Richard Cosway, the public society held open meetings in the Fetter Lane Chapel, while the elite interior order (the “Pilgrim Church”) met secretly, lived communally, and practised Kabbalistic rituals.
It has been mentioned several times that Zinzendorf started a chapel on Fetter Lane in London. This is a very interesting detail, for the word “Fetter” is defined as “a chain or shackle placed on the feet or ankles. Fetters – anything that confines or restrains.” The subtitle of this series is “Deception and Bondage of the Bride of Christ.” This Bondage was signified in the movie Double Jeopardy by the character Libby being deceived aboard the Morningstar resulting in a seven year prison sentence. The roots of the deception and bondage we see today in these ministries were formed a long time ago. This present post is attempting to show that this is an ancient scheme of Satan that has been resurrected in the prophetic movement of this present hour.
Marsha Schuchard continues in her book:
Henry Rimius, a Prussian visitor to the London Moravians, charged that their “clinging together” was a euphemism for communal sex. In a sensational exposé that received wide publicity in London, Rimius described the Moravians as a nonsectarian, subversive secret society, whose leaders “are gradually sapping the foundation of civil government in any country they settle in, and establishing an empire within an empire.” While the higher initiates practise “gnostic obscenities,” the neophytes are left in ignorance of the ritualistic orgies. It is perhaps relevant that Crabb Robinson characterized Blake’s philosophy as consistently Gnostic.
Attendants at the public services in Fetter Lane were certainly aware of the theory, if not the practice, of Zinzendorf’s Kabbalistic sexual agenda. In public sermons, the Count affirmed that “a person regenerated enjoys a great Liberty,” because “Christ can make the most villainous act to be a virtue and the most exalted moral virtue to be vice.” Though the depravation caused by the Fall gave the “hideous name Pudendum” (literally “parts to be ashamed of”) to the genitals, the Saviour has changed it “into Verendum” (to be regarded with awe or reverence). Moreover, “what was chastized by Circumcision in the Time of the Law, is restored again to its first Essence and flourishing State.”
Because the genital organs of both sexes are “the most honourable of the whole body,” he exhorted the wives, when they get sight of the male member to honour that “precious sign by which they resemble Christ.” The female vulva is “that little Model of a Chapel of God,” and husbands must daily worship there. When Blake later sketched “a naked woman whose genitals have been transformed into an altar or chapel, with an erect penis forming a kind of holy statue at the center,” he seemed to give vivid expression to Zinzendorfian sexual religion. The Count further chastised his fellow-males that they “do not perform and labour enough for their Wives, there is still too much remissness.” He exalted marital intercourse as “the most perfect Copy of God,” noting that “Our Sex is an Employment, an Office,” with Jesus acting as the “Spouse of all the Sisters and the Husbands as his Procurators.” Thus, even marital “procuring” within the society was a divine act. Though Hutton tried to defend the English Moravians from Rimius’s charges, he admitted that the foreign members enticed the more radical locals into their erotic experiments.
[End Excerpt]
Anyone familiar with Mike Bickle and IHOP will recognize a similarity of theme as they romanticize the relationship of Christ and the church. The interns are instructed to spend much time in meditation in the prayer rooms, and the environment is one that appeals to the emotions as music groups are assigned time slots to make sure there is praise and worship being offered up to Christ 24/7. This type of romantic fixation upon Christ as the dewy eyed husband of the church is nowhere present in the Gospels or the writings of the apostles. When you combine this romantic fixation, with the emotional stimulation of the IHOP and Morningstar environments, and throw into this mix a large number of young adults, many of whom are away from home for the first time in their lives, it is a perfect recipe for sexual temptation.
Rolling Stone Magazine recounted a twisted and disturbing tale of sexual deviancy among one of the group homes associated with the Kansas City IHOP. Among the revelations was homosexuality among a number of the young men in the home, wife swapping, and egregious forms of deception and manipulation. For those who have the time to read the lengthy account, I recommend it, as what is revealed is surely not the anomaly that IHOP and Mike Bickle would portray it to be as they seek to distance themselves from this sordid tale that ended with one young woman dead, and a young man from the same home she lived in confessing to having murdered her at the suggestion of the woman’s husband.
Love and Death in the House of Prayer (Rolling Stone Magazine)
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/love-and-death-in-the-house-of-prayer-20140121
The things that Zinzendorf was teaching about Christ, relating His “side hole” to a woman’s vagina and encouraging members to visualize themselves kissing it, or licking it, is truly profane. Conflating sexual intimacy and spiritual union with Christ is a sure path to transgression. Should Christians not beware then when major ministries with a worldwide influence pay homage to Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians? When these same individuals move to properties formerly occupied by the Moravians, and build ministry centers there, and adorn their properties with names related to this cult-like and, to a large degree, apostate group, you can be certain that there is a spirit at work and it is NOT the Holy Spirit.
I encourage the reader of this post to consider the gross immorality that has been exposed among leaders of the prophetic movement: Paul Cain, Bob Jones, Todd Bentley, Jim and Tammy Bakker, etc., and understand that this is but the tip of the iceberg. Yahweh is truly warning His people, even as He warned me fourteen years ago, that all is not as it seems with these ministries. Strong Delusion has gripped the leadership and they in turn have brought the people into bondage. Those entrusted with the shepherding of the people have fleeced them instead. They have drugged their unsuspecting followers and cast them into spiritual slumber. When they awake they will stumble about in the fog searching for answers, wondering how they became separated from the Son of God.
May Yahweh be merciful.
P.S. Although I could post many more writings in this series, for the corruption, deception, and darkness among the prophetic movement is seemingly endless, I anticipate posting only one more writing to wrap up this series. Please pray for Yahweh’s Holy Spirit to guide me, and to share those things that would benefit those who have need of this information.
Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws
Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com
Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063
Thank you for this eye-opening series of articles. It is shameful that there are so called Christians following and practicing these anomalies. Thanks be given to Yahweh for His mercies in taking me out of this foul current of heresies!