Revolutionary Rules, The

Dad
May 10, 2003

—MOMarch 1972GP No.S

[HomeARC note: "The Revolutionary Rules" of the early Children of God is a forerunner of The Family's "Love Charter."]

1. THE REVOLUTIONARY CHILDREN OF GOD have been around a long time, from Abel to the prophets, along with Jesus and His bearded, long-haired, barefoot rebels, and their followers from then till today. All the famed reformers, world-changers, pioneers, martyrs, and other young, radical revolutionaries were rebels against the rotten, decadent, decrepit, hypocritical, self-righteous, inflexible‚ affluent‚ self-satisfied, proud, stubborn, disobedient, blind, bloodthirsty, Godless, dead, selfish‚ churchy‚ unchangeable older generation of their day!

2. THE REVOLUTIONARY CHILDREN OF GOD have been waging an uprising of youth for the Truth where the kids are. From coffeehouses and communes in California in 1968, they began the Jesus Revolution that's sweeping the world! With thousands of full-time Revolutionaries for Jesus‚ they have established hundreds of Colonies around the world on every major continent in most of the major cities and countries of the world and islands of the sea! They have invaded campuses and capitals‚ fairs and festivals, from US to UN‚ with teams of as many as 150 travelling 15‚000 miles a year making national news and TV headlines! "The Children of God", "Mysterious Red-robed Prophets", "Revolutionary Christian Nomads", "Militant Teens for Christ", and "Young Gospel Gypsies", are bypassing the hopeless, unresponsive older generation and churchy people and bringing "New-Time Religion" to a new "Now Generation"!

3. THE CHILDREN OF GOD'S REVOLUTION FOR JESUS has made front-page headlines in many newspapers for their unusual witnessing activities, such as marches, demonstrations, picketing, sit-ins and court cases for preaching the Gospel in unexpected places to surprised audiences. Political rallies, market places, beaches, burger stands, bases, boulevards, parks, churches and school campuses from Piccadilly to Hollywood Boulevard have felt their impact! And frequently they have found less freedom is allowed for the distribution of Gospel tracts than for smut, pornography and Communist propaganda; and that the peaceful preaching of the love of Jesus is more taboo in some places than violence, nudity and obscenity; and that it is more difficult to smuggle the Gospel and Scripture portions onto the average campus than it is to push dope! Constitutional freedoms of religion, speech and press are often ignored by local governments.

4. OUR REVOLUTIONARY MUSIC is mostly composed by ourselves under inspiration—strictly non–conformist folk and rock style with guitars‚ drums and startling language! No organ lullabies for the dead! We have declared War of the Spirit on the System's Godless schools, Christless churches and heartless Mammon! We hope to stop the pollution and destruction of the earth by the world's worst rebels of all time—the generation that produced us—our parents!—Who taught us rebellion against God and His laws—and we long to return to the Truth, Love, Peace and Beauty of our ancients in dress, customs, appearance, and the simple life of true happiness in God and love for fellow man! And in the peaceful, natural, beautiful and unspoiled, unpolluted surroundings of God's creation!

5. THE RADICAL TEACHINGS AND TACTICS of us Christian Revolutionaries are from our Revolutionary Handbook, the Bible, and the greatest of all Revolutionaries, Jesus Christ, and His 12 bearded militants: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature!" "Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in!" "Sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and come follow Me!" "He that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be My disciple!" "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you!" "Warn the wicked of his wicked way, to save his life!" "All that believed were together and had all things common!" "And they continued steadfastly in the Apostle's doctrine and fellowship‚ and in breaking of bread, and prayers." "And daily in the temple and in every house‚ they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ!"—The Bible.

6. WE BELIEVE that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus), that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." "There is none righteous, no, not one." "All we like sheep have gone astray, but the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." "For by grace are ye saved‚ through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." "And ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you‚ and ye shall be witnesses unto Me."—The Bible.

7. THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A CHRISTIAN REVOLUTIONARY must therefore be very rigid. He "must be born again‚" a "new creature‚" "transformed by the renewing of his mind" and "not conformed to this world." He must "know that he has eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" and believe that he "must confess Him before men", "forsake all" and "go into all the world to preach the Gospel" to "make disciples of all nations" to follow Christ. He must be willing to "endure hardness, as a good soldier, not entangling himself with the affairs of this world, that he may please Him that hath called him to be a soldier." He must gladly suffer affliction and persecution, as "all who live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer," and "rejoice, for so persecuted they the prophets." "Having food and clothing he must therewith be content", "eating what is set before him, giving thanks," remembering Jesus "had nowhere to lay His head." He must be free of debts, payments‚ and family or legal obligations—"Owe no man anything, save to love him." Any under 16 must have written permission from a parent. Health is important, too! The weak or handicapped may find this life too rigorous! We are soldiers of the cross!—The Bible.

8. THE DISCIPLINE OF JESUS' REVOLUTIONARIES must be absolute "obedience to them that have the rule over them‚ for they care for your souls, as they that must themselves give account." "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might"—duties, study, witnessing, sharing, prayer, praising, sacrificing, accepting joyfully suffering, persecution, and even martyrdom!" "As unto the Lord, and not unto man", "all for the glory of God," for "they that shall not work, shall not eat!" You must obey implicitly, quickly and without question your officers in the Lord, "without murmuring," remembering that "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." "To love God‚ and our neighbour as ourselves—is all the law."—The Bible.

9. THE RULES OF THE REVOLUTION are strict: Attend all classes and meetings‚ study and go witnessing, do your duties faithfully, arise when wakened and retire at lights out. "Study to be quiet" and "to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." "Preach the Word‚ be instant in season and out," and "always ready to give an answer to him that asketh thee." "Let everything be done decently and in order, for God is not the author of confusion!" Keep your quarters neat and tidy, and yourself clean—"Defile not the temple of the Holy Ghost"—no smoking or smooching other than "greeting one another with a holy kiss"—and absolutely no dating without permission. Betrothals only for staff members after months of service and ready to go on their own with Team approval. Do not leave anywhere without permission, and absence from Bible study, duties, or witnessing must be only for emergencies by direct permission of the officer in charge. Absence without leave will be considered desertion of your post. You will only be given one warning, after which your place will be given to someone more deserving. "He sent them out two by two"—you will never go alone, but a veteran with a trainee.

10. THE HOURS OF THE REVOLUTION are strenuous, and vary with local battle conditions. Since much of our work is done at night, usually to very late hours, sometimes all night in meetings‚ witnessing, etc.‚ your mornings should generally be your own for sleep‚ prayer, and Bible study and personal duties, with "brunch" in the late morning (no lunch), class or witnessing in the afternoon‚ dinner at six, meetings or witnessing at night, sometimes a late night snack or refreshments and quietly to bed. Unusual circumstances or assignments can change this at a moment's notice, without complaint. The only things you can be sure of are the Lord, hard work, suffering, constant change, and joy. There are no days off, except some Saturdays or Sundays.

11. THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE REVOLUTIONARY is quiet, orderly, obedient, cheerful‚ willing, and faithful, as well as diligent, respectful, sacrificial, and longsuffering, meek, gentle, peaceful, loving‚ unselfish, and kind, "forgiving one another, as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." "Above all else, having fervent love one toward another." All must memorize and practice 1Corinthians 13. In the field‚ instant obedience is imperative, with the welfare and safety of souls and your fellows at stake. Obey the laws and officers of the law, owners of property and officials of schools and establishments. "Agree with thine adversary whilst thou art in the way with him, lest he hail thee to the officer, and he take thee before the judge, who shall cast thee into jail, and thou shalt not come forth from thence till thou hast paid the last farthing!"—Jesus' own warning! "If they refuse to receive thee, shake off the dust of thy feet and depart." "If they persecute you in one city, flee to another." Don't stop to argue! We don't put up bail—you'll have to serve your time! "Be all things to all men in order that you might win some!"—Be winsome!—The Bible

12. THE EQUIPMENT, UNIFORM AND APPEARANCE OF A REVOLUTIONARY depends largely on the field of battle. "To the Jew as a Jew‚ the Greek as a Greek, the Roman as a Roman"—or the hippie as a hippie! While with a type of people, you adapt the costume and customs of your mission field, with rare exceptions. Jesus adapted the flesh of sinful man, "that we through His poverty might become rich." "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace. ... For meat destroy not the work of God. ... It is good neither to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended. Let every one of us please his neighbour." So you will change according to field conditions—on order‚ if necessary—"without strife or vain disputation." Informal sport clothing is generally acceptable for most conditions, without extremes‚ except for special occasions as ordered. One small suitcase or bag, two or three inches of hang–up clothes, Bible, notebook and pen, with one coat and your bedroll is the luggage limit. Cameras, tape recorders, radios and musical instruments are very useful.

13. THE REVOLUTIONARY'S ADDRESS is always uncertain, so mail is to be sent to your home Colony, which will be forwarded by the secretary in case you move. Inform the office as soon as possible of your new address, and also your home and relatives. Write your parents often of your whereabouts and activities, even if hostile. "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you." "Honour thy father and thy mother." "Live peaceably with all." "That if any obey not the Word, they also may be won" by your love.

14. TO BECOME A REVOLUTIONARY FOR JESUS: You must study and learn these Bible beliefs and rules prayerfully, accept and promise to obey them before you join. You will voluntarily and gladly contribute all your worldly possessions to your local Colony for sharing with your brothers and sisters‚ as they have need, according to Acts 2:44–45, and 4:32-35. You will withhold nothing from the Lord, lest you share the fate of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5! Neither will these things be returned to you, for you have given "as unto the Lord, and not unto men." Even your life will no longer be your own, but belong to Jesus. "For ye are not your own" but God's!—1Cor.6:19-20. You will gladly submit to a search of your person and things for drugs or other things not permitted in our Colonies. You are free to leave at any time, but please inform your elders of any questions. We want you to be healthy and happy serving Jesus!