John Crowder — Sons of Thunder

On the website of their ministry, Sons of Thunder (domain name: thenewmystics.com), John and Lily Crowder describe themselves as follows:

John and Lily have a passion to spread the exhuberant love and joy of the supernatural gospel of Jesus Christ. They are prophetic healing revivalists based out of Griffin, GA. They are founders of Sons of Thunder Ministries and Publications, speaking at conferences, events and evangelistic campaigns across North America and around the world. John has authored two books, “Miracle Workers, Reformers and The New Mystics” and “The Ecstasy of Loving God,” as well as thousands of published articles.

John and Lily long to release a creative new movement of ecstatic believers, who are enthralled by the finished works of Christ and who demonstrate miraculous lifestyles. Their heart is to see the Kingdom of God invade every sector of society. John has a vision to equip a supernatural generation with effective spiritual tools, including signs, wonders, miracles and prophetic abilities, needed for the last-day harvest.
[…]

John’s ministry is marked by creative miracles and unusual signs and wonders. He carries a vision for revival and longs to see the Glory of God in the land of the living. He primarily carries a mandate to engage the church in deeper realms of intimacy with Christ, and to reconnect the mystical body of Christ to its supernatural roots. John has a strong historical focus on the wonderworkers of the past — as well as a prophetic perspective of the wonderworkers of the future.
– Source: John and Lily Crowder“, Sons of Thunder. Last accessed, Jan. 7, 2009

In reality, words can not truly convey what — and how — John Crowder ‘teaches.’

If you thought the unbiblical manifestations associated with the Toronto Blessing and its offshoots were bad — we’re talking about such things as being ‘drunk in the spirit,’ making animal noises, crunches, birthing, and ‘doing carpet time‘ — you will likely not be able to stomach this:

At the very least, what is exhibited there is contrary to orthopraxis.

Drunken Glory Tour

Together with worship leader Benjamin Dunn, Crowder travels the world on a “continual Love Feast known as the Drunken Glory Tour.” This is but one of the ways Crowder’s teachings are marketed:

Their ministry is marked by extreme supernatural manifestations, ecstatic celebration, miracles, signs and wonders.
[…]

Unfortunately, the modern church has had little historical or theological context for what the New Testament calls “ekstasis” (from whence we derive our word ecstasy, trance or raptures). But God is restoring an understanding of our mandate to drink deep of the Holy Spirit in these days, as we are empowered by God to usher in the greatest revival the world has ever seen! There is an emerging body of believers who are hungry to plore the depths of mystery of the Gospel, who are craving greater intimacy with the Lord accompanied by a supernatural lifestyle chock full of demonstrations of power!

God is releasing wholesale encounter today. More than any time in history, He is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:17). People are having visions, experiencing raptures and moving prophetically more than ever before. This was but a prototype of what is to come in this final outpouring.

Believers are about to begin encountering the Glory realm with such intensity, they will be taken up in the Spirit for weeks at a time — sometimes unable to eat or drink or even carry on a coherent conversation.
[…]

International House of Prayer founder Mike Bickle prophesied that God would change the face of Christianity in one generation. The church is truly in a season of revolutionary change. We believe that boring, naturalistic religiosity is being replaced by enthralling intimacy with the bridegroom. This is the love of God that Song of Solomon says is “better than wine!”
[…]

As believers, we are called to be Holy Ghost winebibbers! We are called to live an intoxicated lifestyle, inebriated on the presence of God to the point of full possession. The love of Christ elates us, for His love is better than wine (Song Sol. 1:2). Perhaps more than any prophet, Joel speaks of this new wine of God’s Spirit flowing — so copious is this wine that it flows from the mountaintops! Interestingly, the only sin Joel preaches against is the sin of drunkenness. We will either be drunk on the things of the world or drunk on the things of Heaven. The choice is ours. We will either be possessed by the demonic or possessed by the Spirit of God in the days ahead. There is an increasing clash between the light and darkness, and there will be no gray areas in-between.
– Source: About Us, Drunken Glory Tours. Last Accessed, Jan. 7, 2009

The essence of John Crowder’s ‘ministry’ appears to be this: experience over doctrine. Like those who promoted the controversial revival movements that peaked a few years ago, Crowder tortures the Scriptures in order to find an excuse for outrageous behavior — which he then attributes to God’s Holy Spirit.

Crowder, who claims he met Jesus while on an acid trip, suggests that ‘intimacy with God’ is expressed by living in a trance-like, spiritually drunken state of ecstacy. This is then presented as ‘the presence of God’ and the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Here’s an example of what Crowder considers to be ‘intimacy with God’:

Tokin’ is slang for smoking weed. In the video John Crowder says, “I firmly believe in tokin’ the Ghost. Have a little Jehovahuana.”

Crowder and Dunn pass off their blasphemy as “YouTube antics.”

Sadly, many people who identify themselves as Christians fall for this kind of stuff. Many are unfamiliar with sound doctrine. Others are unwilling to accept the fact that God sets boundaries. As a result they are unable to apply spiritual discernment, and thus fall prey to all manner of demonic teachings.

The apostle Paul told Timothy:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
– Source: 1 Timothy 4:1, New International Version

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
– Source: 2 Timothy 4:2-4, New International Version

Articles

• This is Not That: An Analysis of John Crowder’s “The New Mystics” by Jackie Alnor

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