Transformation Michigan, led by Rick Warzywak, has been the leading state coordinator for the "spiritual warfare" events leading up to TheCall Detroit. Warzywak was instructed by Lou Engle, co-founder of TheCall, to develop both the state and national leadership teams for the Detroit event. Transformation Michigan, an affiliate of the Oak Initiative, hosted numerous conference calls concerning TheCall Detroit throughout the year, which included leading NAR apostles and prophets and the national leadership team for 11/11/11 event.  Engle and Warzywak participated in pre-Call events in locations around the state.  TheCall, has held large venue events across the U.S. and in other nations since 2000.

Following is a partial transcript of a conference calls with Apostles John Benefiel and Cindy Jacobs, two of the apostolic authorities over the 50-state "prayer warrior" networks of the nation's apostolic and prophetic movement or New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Jacobs and Benefiel were both endorsers of Rick Perry's prayer event in Houston, which was organized by leadership of TheCall and the International House of Prayer.

John Benefiel - September 9, 2010

Warzywak introduced Apostle John Benefiel and Anita Christopher, head of the West Michigan prayer center. Benefiel describes how teams in Michigan are going to all of the masonic lodges in the state to perform a "divorce" ritual from Baal.  This is done because the apostles and prophets of the NAR teach that all other belief systems and religions are controlled by demons, also described as "strongmen."  The removal or "binding of the strongman" is supposed to result in miraculous healing of  societal ills, including poverty, corruption, illness, and even ending droughts.  

In other words, according to the apostles, societal ills are not due to structural problems, but due to the presence of literal demons.

Benefiel described for the audience a demonic principality named Baal that he claims has been allowed to take control of geographic areas because of freemasonry.  He claims this has, in turn, allowed the entrance of Islam into the nation. Benefiel is traveling around the nation leading apostolic teams in states to "divorce Baal" and "remarry the Lord."  A sample divorce decree, as well as the claimed positive results from these ceremonies is available on Benefiel's Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network website.

Anita Christopher states that the teams are going to all 377 masonic temples and, at the time of the conference call, were about three quarters of the way through.  These rituals include a divorce ceremony and burying of a stake with words from Jeremiah 51:44. In another call Christopher references a plan for going to mosques in the state.

Benefiel then states,

"We're not advertising about going to the masonic lodges and we really don't want people to say that, because they'll mix up what we're doing."

 

He continues at about 21 minutes into the call,

"We are for the people.  We are for freemasons, and Mormons, and Muslims getting free from the bondage they've been under, to know the Lord Jesus Christ.  The bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 the god of this age, that would be Baal, has blinded the mind of unbelievers.  When you bind the god of this age, then the minds of the unbelievers are open to the truth.  They can begin to see the truth.

I believe this is going to result in the biggest harvest of souls we've ever seen.  I know because you've told me in your state there, in the Dearborn area in particular, that's probably the biggest stronghold of Islam in our nation.  Well, in going to the masonic lodges, I believe that we are earning authority from God. And that's correct, we do earn authority from God.  Just like the parable of the talents and the parable of minas.  When you handle what God has given you in the right way, he'll multiply your authority.

... I believe we'll earn authority to pull down the spirit of Islam over our nation. And here's why I say that.  When you study it out, you find that freemasonry and Islam are very very tied to the same root."

Benefiel continues, explaining how Islam has been given legal right by demonic forces  to enter the nation.

"Now, I believe that Islam has a legal, spiritual right to be in our nation.  I believe that when we worship Baal in the, you might as well say churches of freemasons, because that's what they are.  Freemasonry is a religion and when you have a lot of pastors and lot of deacon boards that are full of freemasons that worship and swear to Baal, then we give a legal right for those that worship Baal to stay in our nation. And I'm talking about Islam in particular.

And when we practice sexual perversion and pornography, which is all under Baal and the Queen of Heaven, we give this legal right.  But when we divorce Baal and we declare that we remarry the Lord, we take away the legal right for the Baal worshippers to stay in our land and I'm talking about Islam.  

We are not against  Moslems - we are for the people.  We want them to know the Lord Jesus Christ. And in order to bring down that strongman behind Islam, we have to earn that authority by bringing down that spirit that we've allowed in the United States.  I believe that God is going to give us the authority to address the spirit behind Islam after we've gone to the masonic lodges across our nation.  By the way what you're doing there in Michigan is going on in all the states and we're coordinating this."

Cindy Jacobs - May 23, 2011

In addition to her national role as an apostolic authority over state apostolic prayer networks, Cindy Jacobs is on the board of the Oak Initiative and the national leadership team for TheCall Detroit.

Rick Warzywak interviews Jacobs on this Transformation Michigan conference call. Jacobs begins by telling the audience that Lou Engle was at her house the evening before and how excited they are about the upcoming TheCall Detroit on 11/11/11 and what "the Holy Spirit is going to do with Michigan and Detroit."

Jacobs describes a "prophetic word" given by Chuck Pierce, another major NAR leader,  that 10,000 prayer intercessors should be "raised up" from each of the 50 states in preparation for the 2012 election.  She adds that God will use 11/11/11 in ways that they can not understand.

Jacobs continues,

Jacobs: "The Lord showed me that the black community was given a major key to changing the whole nation.
.
..I want to speak to any African American on the lines, and of course I love Kyle Searcy, a special friend of ours.  Please, this is your time to arise and we're behind you, as you run and take the torch for the nation. We must have you arise to see the shifting of this nation. We're very excited and I've been following closely what's happening there  in Michigan and in the Detroit area in particular with the black community."

Warzywak: "I know you as said you are a friend of Lou Engle and you've been on a number of calls with him around the country, and he was over at your house last night,  you are on our national team along with Rick Joyner,  Kim Clement, Sammy, Larry Jackson, I could go on and on.  David Kubal of Intercessors for America is on the call right now. He's part of the national team. I know  he's on this call.   We have the Islamic thing here and we know that Detroit is 80% African American. Now what is  your feeling about the significance, again we may be redundant in part but not in totality here, of the meeting  on 11/11/11 knowing that the Islamic community is here and Detroit is 80% African American.  Can you give us some insights, Cindy?"

Jacobs: "Well, you know, we are going to see amazing things happen in the Islamic community. I've already seen their fervency for prayer. They're praying five times a day and we the body of Christ, we need to do better than that.  I see that this whole day is saturation of prayer that God is going to give on 11/11/11 is going to absolutely shift the atmosphere.  And I believe what we're going to see is dreams and visions of young Muslim men and women that God's going to start giving those visitations like we've seen in Africa and different parts of the world.  

...I've been in many, many TheCalls.  I get excited about every Call.  I was on the national board for TheCall D.C. and all these, but I have to say this is probably the most significant one we've ever had."

Warzywak asks Cindy Jacobs about events in Israel

Warzywak: "I think you've said so many times that we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and get behind Israel.  Isn't that correct?"

Jacobs: "Yes, in fact, I  am so grieved right now. I have not felt such righteous indignation from the Lord as what has happened.  I want to take care that I honor our president for the office he's in, but I think he's putting our nation in great jeopardy. I am very concerned . We are in a 2 Samuel 21 season where our president is making really bad decisions and I'm very concerned for the nation. We've got to pray for the nation. We must pray.  It's a very serious time.  The earth is groaning right now."

Warzywak: "Oh gosh!"

Jacobs: ."..We can not divide the land.  Joel says that essentially that there is a curse on people that want to divide the land of Israel."  

Jacobs then addresses the economy.

"My husband had an amazing download from the Lord about what was going to happen for Michigan, and the glory of God coming and the diversification that was going to come.  I absolutely believe, so I'm very concerned with the president's decisions about the economy. I do know that prayer can change things up.  In fact, Jerry Tuma, gave us a presentation recently showing, an economist, showing that every time the Lord gave me a word that the economy was going to slip into a depression tipping point, people prayer, it started going back up.

...If people pray for the economy, God is going to make it a shining light."

Cindy Jacobs follow this with a word of prophecy chanted for Michigan.  Warzywak asks Jacobs what it will take to "really impact the Muslim community."

Jacobs: "I really believe signs and wonders.  God is going to do extraordinary, supernatural wonders. And the Lord would say out of this area I'm going to raise up my most on fire evangelists says the Lord, and the Lord says watch and see there will be a generation of young people I will raise up after 11/11/11 for the evangelization of Dearborn and for this region.  They are my burning ones and they will have fire in their heart."

Jacobs speaks briefly about the issue of abortion, stating that if 54 million babies had not been aborted, "the housing market would be stellar, our economy would be booming." She states with certainty, "Abortion will be overturned in our lifetime."  Warzywak then closes with encouraging listeners to attend a meeting with Lou Engle at Dearborn Heights Assembly of God on the next day.  Jacobs closes stating,

"Don't miss this time of visitation. .  I want to say to you.  This is probably the most important event of the whole year on God's calendar and on God's heart.  Bring everyone that you can find. This is a turning point for our nation.  this is a do or die time."

A Few Notes on The Conference Calls

It should be noted that TheCall and other entities organizing and preparing for the 11/11/11 event - the Oak Initiative, Transformation Michigan, Michigan and other state apostolic prayer networks, and International Houses of Prayer - do not limit their demonization to Muslims.  They claim that those of all other belief systems and religions outside of their own are blocked by demons from conversion to their brand of Christianity.  This includes Mormons and Roman Catholics. Leading apostles and prophets, including Cindy Jacobs, have called for audiences to destroy any items they may have in their possession of other faiths and belief systems, and in their media they have claimed to be able to damage the buildings, statuary, and icons of other faiths through prayer.

John Benefiel has led events where the apostles claim to have smashed Native American pottery because it was demonic.  Benefiel has also claimed that the Statue of Liberty is demonic.   One "spiritual warfare" excursion taken by leading apostles and prophets in the 1997 was followed by testimonies claiming that their supernatural warfare against the "Queen of Heaven" may have resulted in fires, destruction of a basilica, a hurricane, and the death of Mother Teresa.

Although the NAR apostles and prophets are obsessed with the role of Jews and Israel in the end times,  Jews do not fare any better in their narratives than Muslims, Catholics, Mormons or Eastern religions.  

Lou Engle and TheCall  are based at Mike Bickle's International House of Prayer (IHOP) campus in Kansas City, Missouri. Bickle teaches that one third of world Jewry will convert to Christianity and become super missionaries, but that two thirds will be destroyed for refusing "grace."  

Bickle describes a "fishers and hunters" scenario common in Christian Zionism, in which those Jews who refused to be "fished" will be "hunted." Fished in this context means being open to missionary efforts for conversion.  Bickle describes Jews of the future ending up in prison camps and death camps.  (Although he leaves out mention of future death camps, John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, teaches the same "fishers and hunters" scenario.  Both Bickle and Hagee teach that Hitler was a "hunter" sent by God.)

The apostles and prophets are at the heart of an intensive international effort to convert Jews and support Messianic ministries, particularly in Israel, something described by Bickle and IHOP as the "Israel Mandate."  One of the leaders of this effort, Apostle Don Finto, gave the prayer for Israel at Rick Perry's event, calling for Jews to be converted in Israel and worldwide.  This received almost no coverage in the press, although journalists representing national media outlets were present.

Bickle is now an international figure.  IHOPs can now be found all over the world which use Bickle's training materials and live stream from the KC IHOP, where Lou Engle is also based.  Bickle has helped lead TheCall events and was one of the prayer leaders of Rick Perry's Houston "The Response" prayer event.

Given the increase in media coverage of the apostles and prophets since Rick Perry's event, it's possible that there will be little that is alarming about the prayers and speeches during TheCall Detroit.  But the event will draw churches, ministries, and individuals from the region into the sphere of the apostles and prophets of the NAR and expose them to their unique methods of scapegoating and demonizing others.  

For an overview of the NAR and it's activities, listen to my interview on August 24 with Terry Gross on Fresh Air.  Also see a previous article that summarizes the significance of the apostolic and prophetic movement in the U.S. and the Resource Directory on the New Apostolic Reformation in the left side panel of the website.