BEYOND THE SONS OF GOD
Charles Faupel
Sarah Faupel
God’s
activity in the twentieth century—especially in what has come to be known as
the Latter Rain Movement—has resulted in a deeper and more profound spiritual
walk for those who have had ears to hear and hearts to receive the messages
that have issued forth from it. Moreover, it has revolutionized our
understanding of who we are in God’s
great Kingdom purposes. We have come to
understand that we are much more than merely “sinners saved by grace.” This
mid-twentieth-century move of God known as Latter Rain went in a number of
directions to be sure, but if there is one central theme, it is the unveiling
of the fact that God is preparing and maturing His elect to rule and reign with
Him in the Kingdom that He is establishing in us. These whom He is preparing in this way are
referred to by Paul and others as the sons of God.[1]
So powerful
has been this revelation that we have witnessed the emergence of an entire
movement promoting this understanding of the sons of God as its central theme. Great ministries have been built by those
following in the Latter Rain tradition, including the healing ministries of
William Branham and Oral Roberts. Other
ministries, such as that of T.L. Osborn were birthed in this context,
broadcasting this message in its myriad of forms throughout the world. So successful were many of these ministries,
that this move of God became institutionalized and under the control of
self-appointed prophets and teachers.
What began as a mighty move of God in the mid-twentieth century followed
the course of every other great work of God throughout human history—including
Luther’s Protestant Reformation, Calvin’s Geneva, Wesley’s revival of a
personal encounter with God accompanied by a circumcision of the heart and
inner sanctification, and the Azusa Street outpouring in the early years of the
twentieth century. All of these powerful
invasions of God into the course of human history were brought under human
control resulting in the thousands of organized religious orders that we,
today, call denominations.
Understanding
the sons of God to be those matured believers who are being purged and refined
in preparation to rule and reign with Christ was one of the central themes of
the Latter Rain Movement from its inception.
This understanding has taken on such force that it might be rightly
considered a movement in its own right. This “Sons of God” movement, with which many who
are reading this article identify, is, regrettably following the same path of
institutionalization. The wonderful
truths that have been spoken forth through messengers such as George Warnock,
Bill Britton, George Hawtin and J. Preston Eby, among
numerous others, have been formalized, by those who would seek to
institutionalize these truths, into firm and often strict doctrines that are
being preached in various organized settings, both large and small, throughout
the world today. But these precious
truths are not to be contained within the walls of organized religious
institutions, no matter how much these so-called “churches” claim to be free of
the shackles of organized religion. Nor are
they to be codified into a set of doctrines.
These truths cannot be constrained in these ways because they contain
within them the seed of radical transformation of individuals, families,
communities, and indeed nations and the world; but this will not—indeed cannot–take place within the old
wineskins in which the promoters of this message currently tend to operate.
AWAY WITH THE OLD WINESKINS…
Jesus said:
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts
the wineskins, the wine is
spilled, and the wineskins are
ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins (Mark 2:22).
Yet, we have
tried to once again pour the fresh wine of God’s Spirit into the old “tried and
true” wineskins of churchianity. How has this happened with the message of the
sons of God? This is important to
understand because, in being forced into these old structures, the wineskins
are bursting and spilling this new wine unto the ground.
The Message has Become Just Another
Doctrine
The
wonderful truth of God’s election of a remnant of his creation to sonship has been carefully and methodically developed into
but another doctrine on the smorgasbord of doctrines to which people give
mental assent. We would be so bold as to
suggest that many of those who consider themselves within the “sonship movement” know nothing of sonship
beyond an intellectual understanding and affirmation of the tenets of the
doctrine that have been put forward by leaders of this movement. They have confused knowing about sonship with walking in sonship,
mirroring the modern day church’s tendencies to do the same with even more
basic truths concerning Christ and our relationship to Him. This is the problem with doctrine in the old
wineskin. Like the law, it has no power within
itself to provide the life necessary to walk in the truth that it declares. Like the many doctrines that have separated
the body of Christ into the multitude of denominations in existence today, teachings
regarding the sons of God have resulted in just another doctrine calling for
one’s allegiance. In this way, like the
many other doctrines before it, this sonship doctrine
has been made into a form of law because it demands a mental assent to a truth
which, if the Life is absent, is powerless to enable one to abide in the
reality it proclaims.
The other
problem with life-less doctrine is that it divides. This is as true regarding the doctrine that
has developed concerning the sons of God as it is about any doctrine. Mental affirmation of doctrinal beliefs
becomes a litmus test of sorts for the validity of one’s faith and walk. Our observation has been that in the case of
the Sons of God movement, the depth of one’s walk has been measured by how
fully one understands and affirms the doctrinal tenets set forth. If a fellow sojourner fails to believe or
understand what it means to co-reign with Christ in the way articulated by
certain accepted spokespersons, he or she is regarded as somehow inferior or
lacking. Some doctrines held dearly by
some sons of God adherents are rejected by others who also understand
themselves to be sons. A belief in the
reconciliation of all things to Christ and all of its implications, for
example, is a dearly held truth by many who have come into this revelation,
including us. This belief has often
become a source of pride and engenders a sense of superiority over others who
believe in an eternal hell. Those who do
not accept this doctrine, on the other hand, regard those who do as having
fallen victim to heresy. Division occurs.
These doctrines
are not bad because they espouse untruths; the
problem is that these wonderful truths have become just another lifeless doctrine! They have become a dividing wall that
separates members of the body of Christ from one another. Doctrine is exclusive and divisive when it is
devoid of Life. Those who cannot or will
not endorse the doctrine are dis-fellowshipped, or at best, regarded as lesser
in some way. This has played out over
and over again throughout church history; and among those who identify
themselves as “sons of God,” we have observed a spiritual arrogance that rivals
just about any doctrinal one-upmanship that has taken place in the some 2000
years of church history that have gone before.[2] The inevitable result, when the Holy Spirit
is not alive and fully functioning in His many-membered body, is that when
unveiled truths are developed and codified into doctrine they take on the
character of law, which divides and elevates one group of people over all the
others. Christ, however, transcends
doctrine, and when He is in control, He breaks down the dividing wall that
doctrine creates.
For he himself is our peace, who has
made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…(Ephesians 2:14).
The Sons of God has Become an
Organization
That which was birthed among those very early followers of
Jesus was a living, breathing organism. Whenever and wherever the fresh winds of
God’s Spirit have moved upon people throughout history the result was always the
same, characterized by a newness of life, an outpouring of love for one another
that came from the very heart of God, and a lively boldness in the Spirit in
speaking forth God’s word—even when that word was not a popular one. There is always a large measure of
unpredictability about what might take place in any particular gathering,
because the Spirit of God—not some humanly appointed leader—is in control of
what takes place there.
Organizations are an animal of a completely
different stripe. Organizations are painstakingly
planned and highly predictable entities with carefully specified goals. Those organizations which are most successful
take on the form of a bureaucracy,
whose purpose is to accomplish these stated goals in the most efficient way
possible. This is true of any
bureaucracy, whether we are talking about Walmart, McDonalds, Delta airlines, or the organized church system today.[3]
This process of organizational development has been the fate
of the Sons of God movement just as it was among previous moves of God
throughout history. We saw this take
place in the early years of this movement, with the organized healing crusades
of William Branham and then others such as Oral Roberts. These and other
ministries created very sophisticated publicity and fundraising strategies that
would be the envy of Madison Avenue. Local
churches were effectively organized to promote these meetings and participate
in a smooth-running production when these ministries came to their town. We observe a similar effort at organization
today in the many conferences that are sponsored to proclaim this message. There are, furthermore, many churches—both
large and small—which are being carefully organized around this message
throughout the land today. All of these
efforts, as well intentioned as they might be, are deadly to the glorious
gospel that they seek to advance.
It is important that we address why these efforts to organize
are so devastating to the life of Christ among a body of believers. If the ecclesia
of Christ is truly a living, breathing organism—and it was intended to be that
by Christ when He established it among his disciples—then we must understand it
in terms that are descriptive of an organism.
Thankfully, we do not have to invent this description ourselves. Our forerunner, Paul, has provided us with a
masterful analogy in 1 Corinthians 12, wherein he describes the ecclesia as a
“body.” Most of us are very familiar with
this passage in which he talks about each body part having a unique function,
with each being vitally necessary to the functioning of the whole body. Paul even goes so far as to say that those
parts which are more feeble, and which seem less honorable, are especially important in the functioning
and proliferation of the body.
Let us consider the truth of this in the analogy itself. One of the most vulnerable parts of the human
body is the eye. This is why we wear
safety glasses when performing certain tasks; and all states require eye
protection when riding a motorcycle, though many states do not require the use
of a helmet to protect the human skull and brain! We treat the human eye with special
care. Similarly, at least in western
culture, the least honorable body parts consist of the genitalia. Nevertheless, God has ordained that these
parts, which are even regarded as “dirty” or offensive, and not appropriate for
public display, are the very organs required to bring forth new life—and in the
creation thereof, provide an unparalleled joy in our human experience. In point of fact, every body part is
necessary if we are to function as a complete and healthy human being.
Moreover, each part of an organism must be allowed to freely
function in its created role. One with a
broken arm, constrained in a sling, is at a disadvantage when playing baseball,
playing a musical instrument, or engaging in a myriad of other activities. Lungs that are filled with water are unable
to take in the necessary oxygen so necessary for the vital functioning of
nearly every organ of the body. If one
part of the body is hindered in any way in its free exercise, the entire body
suffers to some extent or another.
This is obvious in the natural, and the analogy to the
spiritual body that Christ has established is made crystal clear by Paul in the
twelfth chapter of First Corinthians.
Yet, by the very way in which His body comes together today as a
bureaucratic organization, we are filling lungs with water and putting arms in
slings. Rather than move and speak
freely as the Spirit of God would lead them, church members are forced into
positions that need to be filled to accomplish the goals of this organization
that we call “the church.” They sing
songs from a hymnal printed by a for-profit publishing company, and selected by
a worship leader who chooses them based on what the pastor has told him or her
is the sermon’s theme for that week. The
big elephant in the room is the ever present clock—whether it hangs on the back
wall or is simply strapped around the wrist of the parishioners. In such an environment as this, whether it be
a weekly church service or an annual conference, the body of Christ is not
functioning as its creator intended. It
is sickly, and throughout most of Christendom today, is on life support. This is no less true of those organized bodies
who claim to be “sons of God” than it is of our Roman brothers and sisters.
The most fatal flaw that comes with “organization,” in our
understanding, is the tendency—necessity really—of establishing one or more
individuals as “pastors” of these bureaucracies. This is an issue that we single out for
special consideration.
The Sons of God has a False Head
Since at least the time of Constantine, Christ’s ecclesia has been under the rule (sometimes
brutal, sometimes benevolent) of a human dictator. The Roman church, of course, has ruled
through a human pope. Despite the many
revolutionary changes that Luther brought to Christianity, he did not trust the
average, uneducated layman to interpret scripture for him or herself, and
insisted on the need for a professionally trained clergy to teach and lead the
people. Every move of God throughout
history has left virtually unchallenged the sacred cow of a clergy class,
devoted full or part time to being the “pastor,” “head elder” or leader by any
other name, who is usually paid to provide leadership to a local flock. This is no less true of the many groups that
have emerged from the Latter Rain Movement, that move of God that provided the
impetus for the Sons of God teaching today.
There are untold numbers of local churches today who identify themselves
as “Sons of God” bodies with paid pastors and often other paid staff as
well. They frequently hold conferences
and gatherings featuring high profile pastors in those circles. Lip service is often given to full body
participation, but inevitably the only ones that are heard from are those
invited to “sit on the stage.” We are
aware of one sons of God group that hosts an annual gathering of people from
around the nation. Much lip service is
given to allowing the Holy Spirit to identify and select those who would speak
at the gathering. Predictably, however, the
Holy Spirit seems to select the same people year after year, with an occasional
variation, and there is evidence of younger protégés being groomed to insure
the future of the ministry and the gatherings.
It has become very clear that what is advertised as a Spirit led
gathering is the same carefully choreographed stage show that has been going on
in the larger church world for centuries.
Please understand—the message that is presented at these gatherings, as
with other meetings of this type, is more often than not a very powerful one,
full of incredible life-giving truth. It
is presented, however, in an old wineskin that relies upon a separated clergy
class to present it. As we will be
suggesting below, at gatherings such as this just about every member present
should be prepared to have a contribution to make. In the settings such as that which we have
observed above, however, their voices remain muted.
This is tragic. The ecclesia, when it is functioning
properly, has a single Head, that being Jesus Christ. There is no need for a stage which lifts up
and sets apart pastor-heads, song leaders and other assigned positions to
“lead” the congregation in worship, or in prayer, or in any other of a myriad
of activities thought to be so crucial in “having church.” Christ alone is to be Head who, through the
ministry of the Holy Spirit, intends to speak through His many-membered
body. It is His intent that the whole body be operative whenever it
gathers together, and that it take its direction from Him, rather than some humanly appointed leader. This cannot happen under the Babylonian
wineskin that has constrained Him all these many years. Babylonian leadership is greatly in fear of
services getting out of control, or one or more voices speaking heresy if the
congregation is given free rein to speak as the Holy Spirit gives utterance. They do not trust the Holy Spirit to bring
forth His own order—an order which, to be sure, will not look like the order
that old wineskin preachers would impose.
What is desperately needed at this hour is a vision for a new wineskin
in which to understand and experience the Kingdom and its message which God is
now bringing forth.
…AND ON WITH THE NEW WINESKIN
The first words of Jesus recorded after he came into His
public ministry were “The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel”
(Mark 1:15) . Let us consider the meaning of this word repent.
The Greek word rendered here “repent” is metanoeō, which most literally translated means “to change one’s mind,” or
“reconsider.” It is a word which
suggests a complete change of mental orientation, a paradigm shift. Jesus was really saying: “Forget everything
you thought you knew about God, you need a new mind to apprehend Him, because
His kingdom is now here!” A short time
later, Jesus presents a picture of what happens when we attempt to force this message
of the kingdom into old ways of thinking and doing things:
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts
the wineskins, the wine is
spilled, and the wineskins are
ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins (Mark 2:22).
And so the metanoeō that is required is
not merely a new message, but also a new wineskin with which to contain
it. We need a new wineskin, and we
invite you to vision with us for such a new “container” that will not burst
with the new wine. For our part, we are
aware that we are entering into unchartered territory here, and we see “trees
as men walking.” Much of what we share
here is already beginning to take place, and has been taking place throughout
the last 2000 years by a faithful remnant,[4]
though the religious system of Babylon has largely ignored, rejected and even
persecuted those of that remnant because they have been a threat to the
institutional framework that has so skewed our understanding of who we are as
the body of Christ. So we share these
thoughts and observations because we believe strongly in the truths conveyed in
this message of sonship, and we do not want to see it
relegated to the dustbin of religious history, as just yet another doctrine to
be discussed by theologians, that has been the story
of Christendom. This is a living and powerful
message that cries out for a wineskin that can contain it.
Christ Alone is Head
The cornerstone of a new wineskin
must be the establishment of Christ alone as the head of His body. The organized church has given lip service to
this bedrock truth down through the ages, but when we examine closely how the
church has operated throughout history, the functioning head has been the pope, or
the bishops, or the district superintendents, or the pastors, or…whatever title
has been adopted for any given denomination for this purpose. This “beheading” of Christ from His body has
been no less true in the so-called “free” churches, including those who carry
the Sons of God message. We do not
necessarily lay the blame on pastors or leaders of these assemblies. While all too many are seeking to promote
themselves and their ministries, exalting their positions to do so, we also
know of many who eschew this positioning.
They understand well that Christ and Him alone, is the Head, and in
their writing and speaking would seek to diminish their own importance. The problem is, however, that their
followers—those to whom they are speaking and writing—have put them on a
pedestal and look to them as their spiritual guru, rather than the Holy Spirit
within.
Because of this tendency of the body
of Christ to promote certain individuals to a place of prominence, the Lord
cannot and will not allow anyone to indefinitely
occupy a place of such prominence in the body that He is drawing together and
building up. We have seen some very
great men of God stripped of their standing, whether through premature death or
through scandal. Jesus Christ insists on
being the one and only Head over His body.
If Christ alone is to be Head, how
then are meetings to be conducted?
Surely, you say, someone has
to be in the leadership position! We are
by no means suggesting that meetings conducted in the name of Christ alone as
Head are characterized by disorder or even anarchy. Leadership does and will emerge in such faithful assemblies, but it emerges organically, directed by the Holy
Spirit, as participants in those gathering come together with the intent of
hearing and being obedient to the Spirit of God. God speaks to whomever He will in such
gatherings. He is no respecter of
position or title in doing this.
Gatherings of His people who are truly committed to Christ’s headship
alone will respect and honor any word of the Lord issuing forth from the least
among them. Furthermore, carnality of
any kind will be quickly discerned as the Holy Spirit brings about His order in the gathering.
Those who meet with one another on a
more or less regular basis[5]
will not be dependent on one, or even a small group of people to provide
leadership for their times together. No
one is considered the “pastor,” or
even the “leader” here, though some
groups may find themselves in a situation of rotating leadership, where one
member of the group is led to conduct a series of teachings on a subject for a
season, followed by Holy-Spirit led guidance in another direction and through
another individual in a season to follow.
Other groups may come together with no pre-determined topic or focus,
except to wait before the Lord for His direction, and He will move upon one or
more persons for teaching, worship or sharing for that particular occasion. Whatever any given group looks like in the
details, a defining characteristic of any
local body that deliberately comes together under the headship of Christ is the
lack of any on-going or permanent humanly appointed leadership.
Our experience, sadly, has been that
while many groups—including and especially home groups—may start out with these
ideals in mind, they quickly devolve into mini-versions of old wineskin,
institutional churches where one or two individuals become recognized as
leaders and set the agenda for the group.
This is why we envision a far more fluid ecclesia than that found in
home groups.
A Decentralized Body
While the body of Christ will meet in
various locales at various times, this ecclesia
that is being raised up in our day has no need to meet
at a regularly designated time or location.
They may meet for a season, and then know and understand that the
purpose of their getting together on a face to face basis has been
accomplished—and agree to disband. Gatherings
will also be spontaneous, meeting on street corners or in the aisles of supermarkets,
drawn together by the Spirit of God because we have been given a word to share
with someone at the other end of the aisle.
We can no longer understand the “local assembly” as a permanent group of
people who espouse a certain set of doctrines and who meet every Sunday morning
in the church with the pretty little steeple on corner of Fifth Street and
Main. The lively body of Christ that is
being formed today, functioning in and by the Holy Spirit, is a much more fluid
entity with no allegiance to any denomination or organization. Their only allegiance is to Christ. Many individuals in any given locale that
come together in this way already know one another, but will have no group
identity beyond being followers of Christ, their Head. Others are being drawn together by
God-ordained circumstances, never having met each other before. Those coming
together in these ways are accomplishing the Kingdom purposes of God. They are
the body of Christ in that place, time and circumstance.
We are seeing something even more
fluid taking place as God is forming this new wineskin. Increasingly, the body of Christ is coming
together by way of phone, email, messaging, and discussion threads on internet
websites. This is a phenomenon that one
has termed the “wire church.”[6] Those who are connected in this way are often
those who have been called apart to a very lonely walk, as God has separated
them to do very deep and often painful surgery within them. These truly are sons being refined and
perfected, a preparation that is taking place away from the hubbub of
spiritual, and certainly religious, activity.
Their connection with the wider body of Christ is almost exclusively
through these long-distance connections.[7]
An important point that we wish to
make here is that these “decentralized” and “fluid” manifestations of the body
of Christ are not aberrations, or some temporary arrangement to meet the
immediate needs of a few individuals until they can find themselves in some
more “permanent” assembly. Nor are
people who find themselves in these sorts of gatherings simply disillusioned
with denominational (or other sorts of institutional) Christianity. It is our humble but deep conviction that
these, many of whom the church world has considered “misfits,” are pioneers in
the building of the new wineskin that God is constructing so as to contain the
powerful new wine that has been pouring forth in these days.
Unlikely Building
Materials
Whenever God moved in past centuries,
those who were a part of what God was doing were generally from among the ranks
of church traditions. Certainly,
outsiders were drawn, as evidenced by eyewitnesses to the fact that bars and
saloons were closed because of a lack of business in cities where revival was
sweeping. These alcoholics, prostitutes
and others coming from their places of disrepute found their way into the
church buildings where revival fires were being preached from the pulpits. The established church world of that time would
typically reject these new moves of God, regarding them as heresy, and those
who participated—especially the emergent leaders in these new moves—as “holy
rollers,” “mystics,” or some other brand of heretic. New groups would then form from among these
“disinherited,” however, and eventually another church denomination would form,
as these small sectarian groups would grow in size and stature.[8]
We envision something quite different
than that which has ever taken place before, and is even now taking place,
though not recognized or even seen by those who have no vision beyond the old
wineskin. Rather than those in the
highways and byways being brought into the church, the Spirit is giving witness
to us that the very presence of Christ is being brought to them, in their places of habitation, employment, and leisure; coming to their circumstances of
suffering, sorrow and misery, or to their place of celebration and
blessing. Indeed, “the least of these” will, in fact, become the church, right where they
are. These are the “weak” and
“dishonorable” members of the body that have been ignored and disdained, but
who are so critical to the vital functioning of Christ’s ecclesia. There is no need for church buildings,
pulpits, paid pastors, or any other of the accoutrements of the Babylonian
ecclesiastical structure among these who are now being called out. There will be messengers of God’s precious
truths, of course, and many of them will be those who have come out of the
institutional church and have heard the call of God to “come out from among
them, and be ye separate…and touch not the unclean thing” (2 Corinthians
6:17). These faithful messengers,
however, will not be ministering for the purpose of recruiting anyone to join
any group, Bible study or home church that is forming, except as directed by
the Holy Spirit. Their sole purpose will
be to give witness, with word and deed, to that which God is doing. In turn, those receiving new life in Christ will
find themselves ministering to one another. These will not have all the baggage of
institutional Christianity to shed. They
share with power and simplicity, the message of the glorious gospel that has
apprehended them on street corners, in shooting galleries, in bars, at Walmart,
and wherever else the Spirit of God has drawn them. Their language is almost certainly a little
rough and not very “religious.” But
their faces are aglow with the transforming presence of Christ in them, their
hope of glory. Their gatherings, when
they have them, are “fluid,” being comprised of new mixes of people every time
they meet; they are spontaneous and without programmatic planning. Most importantly, there is no need of any
designated “pastor” or other leader.
Christ, as Head of His body is conducting these meetings through the
yielded vessels that have gathered together.
There are others, those who are part
of the wire church, whose “meetings” take
place remotely with the aid of modern electronics. These may take the form of emails or
discussion threads which allow for group conversations to take place. Similarly, these saints gather by telephone,
sometimes on group calls. Many of those
who meet this way have been called, not only out of the institutional church,
but apart from regular face-to-face fellowship with fellow believers for an indefinite
season. These are called apart for the
specific purpose of refining and purifying, preparing and maturing them as sons
who will be co-reigning with Christ.
There is much of self that must be dealt with, and needs the application
of the cross before they are ready for these Kingdom roles. God knows that this is most effectively done
in the hidden place, apart from all of the spiritual activities and
relationships that distract, and can so readily puff up the carnal man
within. Even these hidden ones, however,
are part of Christ’s body and in need of one another if they are to be
complete. We observe that these, whose
lives are unseen by most of the world, are discovering each other through these
electronic means, and are profoundly ministering to one another in this way.
There is, of course, no limit to the
ways in which God might reconstruct the wineskin that He is creating to contain
what He is doing and about to do in our time.
The specific expressions of the body of Christ are as varied as the
cultures and subcultures in which they are manifest. However it is expressed in any given
situation, it will take on the qualities of organic spontaneity and every-member
participation.
New Mediums of
Expression
The substance of what God is doing in
our day cannot be adequately expressed in the forms of communication that have
been used in the church to the present time.
Michelangelo, Bach and even Fanny Crosby cannot possibly capture the
powerful and glorious thing that God is beginning to bestow upon and through
His sons. There will be new and
unprecedented language, music, and artistic expression that will come from the very
heart of God. These are Holy Spirit-
inspired expressions that are transformative for those who can receive that
which God is doing.
The language of contemporary Churchianity is
impotent to bring forth anything which God is purposing to do in this hour. The churches of today bring a most anemic
message that teaches its members that “we are but sinners saved by grace.” There is, of course, a truth that is captured
here, namely that we have been born into alienation from God, and it is only
through the working of His grace that we are reconciled back to Him. While we do not want to minimize the
importance of this message, it is a message for babes in Christ. As we grow in Christ, He has in store for us
deeper, more transformative truth. Those
who remain under the constraints of organized religion remain babes sucking on
the tit of pastors and itinerant evangelists for their next drop of watered
down milk. This is fine, even necessary
perhaps, in the infancy stage of one’s walk.
There is a far deeper message, one which Paul refers to as “meat,” that
is in store for those who would go on to maturity in Christ. Those whom God is calling apart today are
indeed responding to a different message than that which has dominated the
pulpits and the airwaves of Christian radio and TV. They are responding to a Kingdom message that empowers them to take the Kingdom by force (Matthew 11:12). These are not mere spectators of God’s
activity (or, as many of those in the old “church paradigm” see it, of the
hold-your-breath battle between God and Satan); they are participants in His program of establishing His Kingdom here on
earth. They are, therefore, inheriting a
language that empowers them to do this.
There has been a new language coming
forth since the mid-twentieth century that has revolutionized the thinking and
lifestyles of a first-fruit remnant, while at the same time inviting charges of
heresy from more “orthodox” circles. It
is a language of empowerment—not in any humanistic sense, but rather of
understanding who we are in God’s great plan for the ages. It is a language that speaks of sonship, of being
heirs of all God is, of priesthood, and of co-reigning with Christ. One
remaining problem with the “language of sonship,” however,
is that it is still too often couched in vocabulary of a bygone era. Many of its proponents are still using King
Jimmy’s English! When God speaks, He
speaks in a language understandable by those to whom He is speaking. He spoke the language of ancient Hebrew to
the Israelites. He spoke through Paul to
the Corinthians and others in their native language of ancient Greek. Moreover, both Jesus and Paul used idioms and
metaphors that were commonly understood by their hearers. It is now time for a new language, understandable
by the hearers of this message.
We have suggested earlier that this
Kingdom is increasingly being brought to the marketplace—to the streets, the
shopping malls, neighborhood parks, and even to alcoholics in bars and drug
addicts in shooting galleries. It is also
being shared with Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and humanistic atheists within the
various cultures in which they find themselves.
The message of the Kingdom is being spoken forth in all of these
cultures and subcultures with language, metaphors and idioms that speak to them.
Speaking of a seed producing 30-fold, 60-fold and 100-fold, for
example, was clearly understood by those in the agrarian society
of Jesus’ day, and to anyone involved in farming or gardening today. This metaphor may not so readily be understood
by an inner city dweller, however. Such
an individual (at least if they reside in the United States or some other
capitalistic country) might relate much more readily to someone making an
investment that pays 3,000, 6,000 or 10,000 percent interest. A heroin addict will understand this same
message when he or she is told that the Kingdom of God is like the investment
of a bag of heroin that will produce bundles and even kilos in return.[9] We must make it very clear here: We are not attempting to establish a new
vocabulary that will be used by “the Church of Wall Street,” or “Shooting
Gallery Chapel.” The point we are making
is that this new language will be fluid
in nature, readily adapting to the culture and understanding of the hearer, and
done so by the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Most importantly, this Spirit-inspired, laser focused language will be
used by God to bring transformation and overcoming power in the lives of those
who are able to receive this word.
This is nothing more—nor
less—than what took place on the day of Pentecost when Jesus’ disciples
were gathered in the upper room. They
were in one accord, and the Spirit of God came upon them with transformative
power. The record states that they began
to speak in other tongues. They were not
merely speaking forth in a “prayer language” here. They were speaking in languages that were
understandable to the hearers in their own native tongue:
Now when this was
noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were
confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these
which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue,
wherein we were born? Parthians, and
Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and
Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and
in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our
tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:6-11)
Where was this message being
heard? It was in the streets and in the
market place by whoever was within hearing distance of this upper room. And the multitude of people who were gathered
from near and far and of many language groups each heard this message in their own language! God is also empowering a people today to
bring forth His message to those whom He has predestined to hear: first to
those first fruits in every generation who are being called to a life of
separation unto God, and ultimately to the whole world. And like those hearers of old, this message
is one that is being heard in their own language, and in idioms that are
intuitive to their understanding. This
has always been God’s way, for He is never limited in His ability to speak to
anyone.
Not only is God bringing forth new
language forms as part of the new wineskin that He is creating this day; but a
new song with new music is being
heard and sung coming straight from the counsels of Heaven. This music will be unlike any traditional
hymns, contemporary Christian, or gospel music that we hear today, though to
the spiritually untrained ear, it may sound very similar to these. As with the new language, the new music will
appeal culturally to all walks of life.
Much has been made in Christian circles, even Sonship
circles, of the satanic “beat” of rock and roll music. We would contend, however, that the rhythm
and cadence of rock and roll music is no more evil than the cerebral tones of
Bach or Beethoven. God has created it
all, and just like Luther’s A Mighty
Fortress is Our God, which was originally a German beer-drinking song replaced
with alternative Christian lyrics, contemporary rock and roll (or rap or hip
hop) can deliver powerful kingdom truths just as it can satanic and dark
messages. Paul, in warning Titus that “there are many unruly and vain talkers and
deceivers, specially they of the circumcision” (Titus
1:10), declared that “unto the pure all
things are pure: but
unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is
defiled” (Titus 1:15). It seems that
just as the first century church was offended by the eating of meat sacrificed
to idols and judged those believers under Paul’s charge accordingly, so have
many in our day been offended by certain kinds of music that they have dubbed
“the devil’s music.” The music that God
is bringing in our day, however, will not be held back by such odious
judgments. The writers and performers of
this new music that God is orchestrating are compelled by the very Spirit of
God to speak forth that which He is proclaiming with music and lyrics that
transform the hearers. We are not
speaking here of music designed to appeal to the masses so as to titillate
their soul passion. We are in heartfelt
agreement with those who decry the fact that we are “bringing the world into
the church” when bands with drums and electric guitars are leading a “rock and
roll” worship, simply substituting Christian lyrics so as to attract more
attendees to what amounts to a religious concert. Most certainly, “seeker friendly” churches
whose agenda is to bring in large crowds does
bring the world into the church when they simply rewrite a few lyrics over
secular rock and roll songs to provide a rather thin veneer of a Christian
music. This is anathema to the Kingdom
agenda that God is now bringing about in our day.
We are speaking of something very
different here. We are speaking of music
that originates in the very halls of heaven.
The music that God is bringing will be truly Holy-Spirit inspired music,
not only lyrically but rhythmically and melodically as well. It may not always follow the rules of musical
scales and rhythms that are taught in conservatories. Harmonies will flow with a fluidity that
comes only from the Living Spring of musical creativity. This music will be recognized by the
spiritually astute as something totally “other.” It will, moreover, be highly varied,
sometimes taking on a feel of southern gospel, other times a swing mode, and
possibly even a rock and roll or hip hop flavor, depending on the cultural and
subcultural milieu of God’s intended
hearers. Still other musical creations
will go beyond anything that we experience as music today in that they will be
infused with the Author of Life and therefore will be imbued with the power of
Glory to produce God’s spiritual life within those who have ears to hear it.
Moreover, this new music will
increasingly blur the distinction between sacred and secular, as otherwise
secular songwriters will find a new creativity coming alive within. They will be writing lyrics
which speak forth Kingdom truths in everyday settings of work, family, love
affairs gone wrong and even struggles with drugs and alcohol. Alongside these writers will be classically
trained artists, perhaps even steeped in religious music, whose creative
energies break free from the constraints of “sacred” musicology, boldly
capturing heaven’s creative composition in song. God will move upon individuals from all walks
of life to create a powerful mosaic of musical expression reflective of the
varied cultural and subcultural realities that comprise God’s Kingdom people.
We believe that the defining
characteristic of this music—regardless of the genre it might resemble—is that
it contains life transforming power. The
lyrics are not merely words, the melodies not merely a rhythmic changing of
pitch, nor the harmonies but complementary pitches pleasing to the ear. This
music, because of its origins in the very orchestra of heaven, is life, and beats the very heartbeat of
God. It is a form of the spoken word
that brought the very worlds into existence that resonates with the energy of
Love. It is uniquely inspired for our
day as part of the new wineskin that is necessary to contain the new wine that
even now God is beginning to pour out on His elect saints.
We will also see the bursting forth
of fresh and vibrant expressions of art, which will take the form of paintings,
sculpture, stained glass, and manifold creations using light, colors and
material objects. This art will be full
of new spiritual language, speaking forth a bold word concerning Christ and His
Kingdom being built. As with the new
music, much of this freshly inspired art will resemble genres recognizable
today, whether that be realism, impressionism, abstract
art, pop art, primitive art or other art forms.
Holy-Spirit inspiration of these expressions will be mediated through
the cultural milieu of the artist and those receiving this art. It will speak of the power and reality of God
and His Kingdom, and will have the power to transform the lives of those it
touches. It will be vibrant and possibly
even “other-worldly” in its hues and shapes.
We even foresee a “synesthesia” effect, whereby sounds and shapes are
translated into heavenly hues and imbued with profound meaning to those experiencing
this heavenly art. This is, interestingly,
one of the effects of using hallucinogenic drugs, which are not technically
hallucinations at all but rather this “cross-sensory” effect of
synesthesia. The synesthesia that God is
bringing, however, is not some counterfeit experience induced by physically
destructive drugs. It will, rather, be life giving and life enhancing in its effect!
These art forms will, as will the new
music, almost certainly be rejected by orthodox Christianity. They will be accused of being “new age” or
perhaps “too Eastern” and thereby relegated as unworthy or even dangerous. It is certainly true that the New Age
movement as well as the LSD and other psychedelic drug subcultures have
counterfeited these heavenly expressions. This does not mean that there is not
a substantive reality behind them, however.
Indeed, for there to be a counterfeit, there must be the real
thing! We have learned that one of
Satan’s strategies is to preempt any true work or creation of God with a counterfeit. The purpose of this, more often than not, is
to prejudice and harden the hearts of God’s people to the real thing when God
brings it about. Those whom God has
called out to be those first fruits of the new order that He is creating,
however, are discerning between the profane and holy, and are by the Spirit of
God, able to distinguish between that which is counterfeit and that which is of
God.
Costly Obedience
The cost to
those who faithfully follow the call of their Lord is staggering. These new wineskin people are suffering the
loss of family, friends, careers, homes and lifestyles, just as Jesus
promised. Most of all, they experience
the most excruciating process of being dealt a death blow to the once dominant Adamic nature that had governed their life and decision
making to this point. We say an
excruciating process, because this old nature does not let go of its grip
without a serious fight. This is not a
fight between some wishy washy God who hopes against hope that we will make the
right decision so as to avoid hell fire, and a seemingly all powerful Satan who
is intent on putting us there. By no means. We are,
however, destined to be brought through whatever fire necessary to purify and
refine those of us whom He has called and chosen.
The exact
nature of this cost will vary. Some are
called to leave a lucrative career for the simple purpose of being set apart
and isolated for God’s refining purposes.
Others are called to leave the security of home to live a nomadic
lifestyle in search of the Land of Promise that God has prepared for them. Still others are called to leave husbands,
wives and children as a result of their uncompromising obedience to that which
God has called them to be and do. Indeed
we, and others whom we have known, have experienced all of these costs. The endurance of these costs is not for the
purpose of appeasing an angry God, nor for somehow proving ourselves worthy of
the high calling to which we have been beckoned. It is, rather, for the ultimate purpose of freeing us from every obstacle and
distraction which would come in the way of true fellowship and union with
Christ.
This is not
a call to the masses, as the user-friendly churches would make. It is a call, rather to those few who know
that there is more to life in Christ than the usual Sunday morning and
sometimes hectic life of immersion in church activities. It is a call to those few whose only desire
is to be all that He has intended them to be.
Indeed, this very one-dimensional desire—placed in the heart by God
Himself—is the evidence for their being one of the chosen. It is this desire which will lead us into
persecution and suffering, and sustain us through it. But praise God, the desire only increases as
we endure the suffering. We say, with
Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou
hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
REFERENCES
Caporaso, Jackie. 2016. “The Bride, the Woman, the Wire Church”.
Post number 280.
Faupel, Charles. N.d. “Bureaucrachurch.”
On the “Books and Articles” page of www.wordforthebride.net .Kennedy,
John. 1965. The
Torch of the Testimony. Gospel Literature Service.
Reprinted by SeedSowers
Publishing, Jacksonville, FL.
Niebuhr,
H. Richard. 1929. The
Social Sources of Denominationalism.
New York: Henry Holt and Company