NAR False Prophet, Jim Raley, while preaching at Ark Fellowship in Kannapolis, NC, says that God told him that the audience was “pregnant” and that they need to be prepared to “push” because they’re getting ready to “birth” something.

How stupid. The fact that anyone is willing to sit under such nonsense is a complete disaster and an indictment on not only the spiritual state of these lost souls, but the intellect of people in general.

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a controversial movement within Christianity that claims to restore the authority of modern-day apostles and prophets. When NAR preachers say that they are “pregnant” in a spiritual sense and about to “birth” something, they are using metaphorical language that has no clear basis in Scripture.

In this context, being “pregnant” is supposed to represent carrying a spiritual burden, a divine revelation, or a new ministry initiative that they believe God has placed upon them. The process of “birthing” refers to the manifestation or realization of that revelation or ministry in the physical world, such as launching a new church or starting a new outreach program.

This metaphor of spiritual pregnancy and birth is not found in the Bible and is an attempt by these self-appointed “prophets” and “apostles” to sensationalize their message or mission. By using such vivid language, they are trying to gain attention and support from their followers without providing a solid scriptural foundation for their claims.

Raley refers to himself as an “apostle” despite there no longer being prophets and apostles in the modern church. The very notion of modern-day apostles and prophets is a blatant departure from the biblical teachings and a distortion of the foundations upon which Christianity rests. Scripture itself provides irrefutable evidence against the existence of such self-proclaimed authorities in the church today.

Firstly, let us examine the qualifications of an apostle as laid out in the Bible. According to Acts 1:21-22, an apostle must have been an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ, and must have accompanied Jesus and the original twelve apostles from the beginning of His ministry until His ascension. No modern self-appointed apostle or prophet can claim this and possibly fulfill these requirements, as they were clearly exclusive to the first-century followers of Christ.

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul’s unique calling in Acts 9, as the “apostle to the Gentiles,” was a singular event that demonstrated God’s grace and sovereign plan. Attempting to equate modern individuals with Paul’s apostleship undermines the unparalleled nature of his calling and diminishes the divine purpose that Scripture ascribes to his ministry.

Ephesians 2:19-20 describes the role of the apostles and prophets in the establishment of the church: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” This passage affirms that the church’s foundation was laid once and for all by the original apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. Introducing new apostles and prophets is not only unbiblical but also challenges the sufficiency of Christ’s work.

The New Testament consistently warns believers to be vigilant against false prophets and teachers (e.g., Matthew 7:15, 24:11; 2 Peter 2:1). The Bible urges Christians to test every teaching against Scripture (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21), which remains the ultimate and final authority for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). By claiming to receive new revelations, modern prophets seek to subvert the authority of Scripture, casting doubt on its sufficiency and opening the door for subjective, fallible human interpretations.

The idea of modern-day apostles and prophets is a baseless innovation that contradicts the clear teachings of Scripture. Those who adhere to such beliefs disregard the qualifications of apostles, undermine the unique calling of Paul, challenge the foundational nature of the apostles and prophets in the church, and threaten the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. The Bible is unequivocal in its opposition to these unbiblical claims, leaving no room for confusion or compromise for the true followers of Christ. The New Apostolic Reformation and those movements aligned with it are nothing more than cults built around the personalities of men who should be marked and avoided.