Rocky Cape Christian Community

published by the Twelve Tribes Communities

The lion had been the undisputed king of the beasts. No one dared say otherwise. He had it all the survival of the fittest. He was at the top of this social order, right or wrong. He was known as a "have."

Eventually, an undercurrent of grumbling began among some of the less fortunate beasts. Let's call them the "have-nots." A panel of five animals elected themselves as a committee to dispute the old social order. This panel consisted of a giraffe, a sheep, an antelope, a zebra, and a dove. The panel decided that "survival of the fittest" was not the way it was going to be. A new social order was in the making. They discussed how peace could be achieved by suggesting that one law could be passed, forbidding the eating of meat.

A campaign was now underway to pass the new law. Slogans and songs were composed. Rallies were scheduled often at the water holes, farms, forest clearings anywhere meetings could be conveniently held.

Now one characteristic of the lion which was most unfortunate, was his indifference. He was at ease, complacent. He paid no attention to his rights to air his opinion. His days were filled with eating, drinking, and resting ... mostly resting.

Time passed by. Systematically, legally, it happened. The have-nots finally were to have all. The law was passed. No meat allowed. Only grass and other plant products were to be eaten. There was now no alternative. Life became a nightmare for carnivores, as they struggled with the new substances.

Could a social order be designed to accommodate everyone's needs equally?

Didn't it say somewhere in the Bible (Isaiah 65), that the wolf and the lamb will feed together and the lion will eat straw like the ox? How could he change his whole structure?

Of course, animals could never change themselves without the help of the One who created them. And of course, we couldn't give up all of our possessions, opinions, individualism, and self-sovereignty and enter a new social order, either.

Is there mercy for both lions and lambs? How about people who want to change and can't? Can there be a new social order born of a higher wisdom than the strife between the haves and the have-nots? Do you see why creation must groan for that new social order?

Only the One who made Himself a lamb of sacrifice and yet became the Lion of Judah can bring this about through our Master Yahshua. It will take hands like His to rescue all of us. The new social order requires love, commitment, and vulnerability, all the things we don't have teeth for yet. A caterpillar can't possibly sip flower nectar. A tadpole can't catch flies to eat. So, what must they do to change?

Well, we're getting into the cocoon. We're going to risk it all. We're trusting ourselves to the author of metamorphosis. We're looking forward to the new social order. Can you picture the result?

It is truly amazing to see who can live together now that our Master has a people who are being fashioned by His own hands.

Can it come together? We can see a glimpse of it now. He is beginning to form us! His kingdom. The New Social Order!

New Society – New Rules

We are members of a new society, a new social order. The peace that reigns in our midst is not due to laws and law enforcement. We do not do things out of obligation, but because we choose to. In this life of love, no one has a right to be cold to his neighbor. Malice, put-downs, and paybacks are foreign to our way of life. Love restrains us from striving to get ahead of each other, from taking advantage of one another, from turning our backs on one another when times get hard.

Everyone knows what the old social order is like, in which each person is responsible for his own life and the lives of his family, if he has one. Once people have food, clothing, and shelter, they may try to be kind to their neighbors.But there is a limit and there are barriers — racial, religious, political, and economic. No matter how many laws are passed, the walls between people still remain. Even within families there are barriers. One brother has his set of friends, the other has a different set, the sister has still another. And many families can’t even sit down and have a simple meal together without fighting.

A Radical Solution

The new society we live in is not this way. We have found a radical solution that enables us to love. The chains of fear and guilt that used to bind us have been broken.

Who can love when the barrier of guilt rises up? That barrier is the painful weight, the sudden memory that comes when you are with someone you have hurt, or someone who has hurt you. Who can give when they are afraid of losing their possessions, their time, even their own life?

Our Master Yahshua, the Son of God, has washed away our guilt with His own innocent blood. He has given us the power to forgive others just as He forgave us. We have received the same spirit that raised Him from the dead, His Holy Spirit. Now we can dare to suffer loss in loving others, because fear and guilt no longer have any power over those who trust Him.

The new social order we are talking about is not ideal. It is real. Ideal societies are the territory of dreamers and intellectuals. No one has ever thought up an ideal society that actually works in reality. In fact, there is no location on earth where you can observe an ideal society at work. Man-made societies are based on laws, and laws can only limit evil, not create virtue.

No, this new social order is not perfect. We who were raised under the old order are faulty in our love. The desires of the self tug at us, and we are continually inneed of forgiveness. But our Master Yahshua gave His life to pay for our sins so that we could forgive each other and press on towards the goal — that His new order would one day fill the whole earth.

So it is not because of rules, regulations, or even religious principles that we in this new social order live together and share our property and possessions. Bible verses do not have the power to cause people to love and respect each other. The Bible by itself can’t even make people agree on what it says. The thousands of Christian denominations are ample proof of this.

The old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together" aptly describes every social institution of the world, including all religions. Unless forced to do otherwise, people naturally gravitate toward others who have a similar self-interest. So in Christianity, for example, you have the white church, the black church,the rich church, the poor church, the conservative church, the liberal church, and even the "gay" church. Today, there is a denomination for every inclination

The saying holds true even for communal living, both religious and otherwise. Whatever "intentional community" a person joins depends on his intentions. Some rally around a social cause, others a political agenda, and still others a doctrine or philosophy. But the deeply rooted barriers of guilt and fear spring up even there. Ultimately self-preservation outweighs all other considerations and even birds of the same feather find it difficult to nest together for very long.

Yet, despite these overwhelming obstacles, the prophet Ezekiel, 2500 years ago, recorded a vision of something new and different. In his vision God Himself took a tender shoot and planted it so that it would grow up to become a mighty tree itself:

Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind. (Ezekiel 17:23)
This prophecy might seem obscure and unimportant if the Son of God had not echoed its words some 500 years later:

What is the kingdom of God like? ... It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; and it became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches. (Luke 13:18-19)
This new kingdom is a social order ruled by the God of love. He is the "someone" who planted that tree. It is His doing. It is not because of man’s ideals or laws that we are able to live this life of love, but because of His Spirit.

Restoration

All the prophets since ancient times have spoken of this new social order in which all things are restored — the relationship between humanity and God, men and women, parents and children and between the different races.

Some will not be able to see the difference between what we are describing here and a dozen utopian ideals and philosophies. Some will feel that it is too good to be true. But there are those who are ready to do the will of their Creator and they will know whether this is actually God’s kingdom we are talking about or just something wemade up. To gain this life costs you everything, but as our Master Yahshua said: Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:24)

All who really believe that He died as a payment for their sins will no longer live for themselves but for Him — giving all their possessions, time, and energy to see His people flourish and His justice prevail.

If you are looking for a nice community where you can do your own thing, you would certainly be wasting your time to come here. But if you desire to live a life of self-sacrificing love, to experience the deep soul satisfaction of doing what you were created for, we invite you to be a part of this new social order that is re-emerging on the earth.

A Brand New Culture

About thirty years ago, our culture began from a few people with childlike hearts who left the popular culture of the world, walking away from their old lives. At that time it was mainly young single people, but soon there were families with children, and even grandparents. They started giving up their houses, farms, and businesses to become part of the new life that they had found. Something special and exciting was happening — an enlightenment, a revelation was permeating us. There was an assurance of being cared for, a conviction of something worth living for. This caused us to cast off fear and self-interest so we could live for each other.

At that time we started to understand some of the things that were written in the Bible long ago: "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields -- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

The farmer was promised a hundred farms for the one he gave up. Those who gave up houses would gain a hundred in return. And all the people who were giving up parents, relatives and friends to be disciples would, in turn, live in those houses and receive an abundant social life with those hundreds of new brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and children. What else could the Master have meant by those words? We saw that he was talking about starting a brand new culture, and we began to realize what was happening right in our midst - a new spiritual nation was forming.

Soon we began to form our own economy based on cottage industry, farming, and traditional crafts, because we wanted to keep this new culture pure, free from greed and selfishness. With conviction, we took our children out of the public school system in order to teach them at home. We realized that everything we did would be in vain if we left our children to be corrupted by the disrespect, independence, and peer pressure of the old culture.

We also began creating and making our own garments, to uphold modesty and purity and respect for each other. Each step of the way our Father was leading us to be more distinctive from the world that surrounded us (Isaiah 49:6).

And so it continues to this day. The meals we eat together are simple and nourishing, not driven by "health fads", but simply made from whole fresh foods. We like to focus on careful preparation and serving, rather than richness of ingredients, because we know that our Father cares about what we put into our bodies. We want to live a long life so we can serve the One who saved us from death.

This new culture is pure, so nothing strange or defiling from the old culture is allowed to come in. Everyone must give up everything to become a part of it, otherwise our new culture would become contaminated. It is not just material things that we give up, but also our strong opinions, philosophies, prejudices, politics, fears and fantasies.

Our life is marked by compassion, practicality, and functionality. If someone is lacking adequate clothes or shoes, we provide them. If someone doesn't know how to keep his room clean, someone will show him. Someone who is lacking practical skills will be taught how to use his energies to serve in a cottage industry or a household or farm activity, learning a trade in the process. If a rich person comes, he gives up everything for the benefit of everyone, and of course his own personal needs are met in return. If someone comes without material wealth, he is no less significant and is taken care of as well.

We work and talk and sing and dance and eat together every day - except that we don't work on the Sabbath. As we continue knowing, loving, and obeying our Master Yahshua, we keep learning more and more about how we should be in this new culture. We have learned that our God continues to reveal Himself to those who obey Him. It only makes sense. Without revelation, we would perish.

Our worship is in a circle, a gathering of men and women and children, young and old, married and single. All can speak, and all are heard, because our Father communicates with every one of His children. More understanding and revelation from His Spirit comes every day to help us know how to deal with the unusual situations, problems and purifying circumstances that arise in everyday community life.

For us worship and service are the same. In Acts 26:7, "earnestly serving God night and day" the Greek word actually means both serve and worship   some Bibles translate it one way, and some the other. The way we sing to our God and what we say about Him, the things we say to and about each other, what we teach our children and how we treat them, and what we do during every day of our active lives   it all goes together. It must all be special, holy, and pleasing to Him. That is how it will remain a living, flourishing, and reproducing entity   the very life of God.

By far the most important aspect of that life is our children. They are very special to us. We respect, appreciate, and listen to them. We have a life that includes and makes room for them. This is their people, their culture, their heritage and inheritance. Everything we have belongs to them. They are not left to themselves, in their own world of skateboards, or to fill their souls with television and video games, or to have their consciences worn down by peer pressure. Children who are left to themselves to do these things have no idea who they are or why they are alive.

The way we raise our children gives them dignity and confidence. They learn to relate to and enjoy being with people of all ages. They have plenty of opportunity to show kindness and hospitality toward strangers and guests. How unique, in a world where people can hardly say hello to each other on the streets because of their fear and insecurity.

Also, we teach our children to be wholehearted. We want them to value and give all of their strength to everything they do. Why? Because we live for each other and no longer live for ourselves. Our Master said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give My life as a ransom for many." Our children are learning along with us to set aside their own selfish interests in order to serve one another, for we are building a nation together, not our own personal kingdoms.

The generation gap is being bridged from father to son to grandson, and from mother to daughter to granddaughter. The bonds between the generations are being restored and strengthened as one of the most essential aspects of our brand new culture. Parents desire their children (from conception on ² there are no abortions here) and thoroughly enjoy being with them. You see this as they generously share all that they have with them ² all their wisdom and experience as well as their faith and their hope for the future. And so the heart of one generation is passed on to the next, and to the next after them!

As wonderful as our life together is, this new culture that is forming is not an end in itself. We have a magnificent purpose that is always in our hearts and on our lips. It is summed up in the chorus of a song we often sing and dance to; parents and children and single people all together:

We've not yet loved enough —
We'll love and keep on loving until it fills the earth!
Oh, if that is not enough,
We'll love and watch it fill the universe!