Another popular worship song, one that blatantly preaches the Dominion/Kingdom Now theology, is “Break Every Chain.” Here are the lyrics:
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
To break every chain
To break every chain
To break every chain
To break every chain
Break every chain
All sufficient sacrifice
So freely given
Such a price
Bought our redemption
Heaven’s gates swing wide
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
To break every chain
To break every chain
To break every chain
There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
There’s an army rising up
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
To break every chain
Break every chain
Break every chain
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
To break every chain
To break every chain
To break every chain
Break every chain!
Kingdom Now theology says that in the latter days, there will be a latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit who will anoint an army that will rise up and break the chains that currently bind the seven “mountains” or spheres of influence: family, education, government, economy, arts, media, and religion. Once this army succeeds in breaking these chains, the Church will dominate the world and then Christ will return.
The song was written by Will Reagan and was recorded by him and his band, United Pursuit, in 2009. I have not been able to find out what Reagan or the band specifically believe, but they do seem to have been influenced by the Dominion/Kingdom Now theology. Here are the lyrics to another song written by Reagan:
With the wind
At our backs
And in the strength
Of the Lord
We will rise
On the wings
Of the dawn
We’re gonna take back
All the enemy has stolen
It’s in the blood
Of the One who’s worthy
I know God has not forgotten
All that’s lost and broken
So, come and see the turning of the times
Come and see His sons and daughters rise
For how could He who did not spare His own son
Not freely give us victory
Against the darkest of nights
We’re gonna take back
All the enemy has stolen
We’re gonna plunder the pits of hell
We’re gonna plunder the pits of hell
We’re gonna plunder the pits of hell
We’re gonna plunder the pits of hell
We’re gonna plunder the pits of hell
We’re gonna plunder the pits of hell
We’re gonna plunder the pits of hell
We’re gonna plunder the pits of hell
Dominion theology teaches that the Church must take back what it has lost to Satan, including the dominion over the whole earth.
“Break Every Chain” was then recorded in 2011 by Jesus Culture, which is Bethel Church’s youth worship band. This is not surprising because Johnson also teaches Kingdom Now theology.
The song was then popularized by Tasha Cobbs, who recorded it in 2012. The song went straight to number one on the Billboard charts for gospel music. Cobbs is one of the pastors at dReam Center Church (yes, that is how they spell it) in Atlanta, GA. The church’s website does not have a statement of faith and I cannot find anywhere what they specifically teach. However, this is what they say about themselves on their website (as of 2016; they are revising their website as of today):
About Us
The dReam Center Church of Atlanta is called to change the world’s expectation of the church, by emerging as a generation of honor and influence. We embrace the foundational truths recorded in scripture and yet we remain relevant and necessary for mankind’s evolution and growth. We are to encourage, teach and train men to discover and execute their God-given assignment to subdue and dominate the earth. Our expression of worship is aligned with the times, but founded and rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are not a black church, but a Kingdom Church, that does not identify solely with any certain ethnic grouping. We are, in truth, a multi-cultural ministry, and a House of Prayer for all nations…
So Cobbs recorded the song because it fits so well with her church’s vision of itself as a Kingdom Church and its emphasis on teaching men to “subdue and dominate the earth.”
Like Johnson, many of the Kingdom Now preachers are also health/wealth preachers. That makes sense because if the Kingdom is here on the earth right now, then we should be able to enjoy its benefits right now and its benefits include health and wealth. The army is to rise up and break every chain, including the chains of poverty and sickness. Thus, on the website of the dReam Center Church, there was a picture of the stage with a backdrop that says, “do it BIG.” Underneath are the areas of life which the church emphasizes: prayer, worship, family, evangelism, education, wealth development, social action. Note the last two.
The head pastor of the dReam Center is William Murphy III. In a YouTube video in which he was interviewed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajpZUgfLY38), he says that his mentor and overseer was Eddie Long. Long is a WOF (Word of Faith) preacher. Murphy also says that Long’s overseer was T.D. Jakes, who also preaches the health/wealth gospel. He also says that Paul S. Morton is his pastor. Morton preaches the same thing that Johnson does (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUy69v6-nOc; near the end of this video, the choir sings “Break Every Chain” during the altar call).
So the song “Break Every Chain” keeps showing up in Kingdom Now and Word of Faith circles because those preachers interpret the song as promoting their theology.
To be continued…