John Burton wrote this for Charisma...and while I have disagreed with him over some issues when he was posting on FFF/CC, I have to "amen" him on this!
It's kinda long, but here is what he wrote on "revival" that struck me...
http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/...-s-not-jezebelRevival
Interestingly, one of the major manifestations of a spirit of entitlement comes when contending for revival in a region (or any manifestation of God's plans and promises in any setting).
Something happens when the prophecies of a massive outpouring in a region start flooding in. Instead of resulting in a contending spirit in the church it most often results in a lazy, entitled church that presumes they are due a move of God. They wait and wait with eyebrows raised irritated that there's a delay of the arrival of what's rightfully theirs.
We need to remember that any prophecy not found in Scripture is conditional. It's contingent on the response of the people. If revival is prophesied over a region then a primary enemy to revival is a people who are expecting revival to come—without being the laborer that revival demands.
I believe this is the result of a casual, American theology that emphasizes easy salvation and an easy life for those who name the name of Christ. If we jump through the hoops of tithing, praying, reading our Bibles and asking Jesus into our hearts (which really isn't biblical, but that can be addressed at a different time), then by all means we presume to be owed a mansion in heaven!
It's no wonder there are over 19,000 cities in our nation and none of them are engulfed in revival. Not one. Is there a presumption that we are entitled to revival and that it will come regardless of our participation?
In one particular region there was an extremely strong spirit of entitlement that had infiltrated the culture. Revival was extremely close to breaking out, yet you could pick up on that spirit as people were slow to respond, casual and lazy. The laborers didn't show up in sufficient strength.
I'll never forget a stern prophetic word that was given in that season: If this region doesn't respond to the opportunity for revival, then God will move on.
He named the next city that would be given an opportunity.
Well, the hope of revival did leave that region (not that it can't return at some time; it absolutely can). Very interestingly last night I was in a meeting led by Mario Murillo here in Branson, Missouri. He named a few regions that are currently on God's radar for revival. The city that the first prophetic messenger named a few years ago was on that short list. Mario mentioned that God will move if there isn't a right response. That brought be back a few years, and the truth remains—we must say yes to the call of God and advance as if the prophecy may not come to pass—because it absolutely won't if we hold back.
The question is, will that city (Chicago) mentioned by both prophetic voices respond in this critical season or will entitlement cause the church in the region to expect the outpouring with no investment?
False Faith
Entitlement in spiritual contexts can feel a lot like faith. It's not. It's presumption.
Faith without works is dead. Maybe another way to say that could be, faith without works is presumption, or faith without works reveals a spirit of entitlement.
"What does it profit, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but has no works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and lacking daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' and yet you give them nothing that the body needs, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But a man may say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God; you do well. The demons also believe and tremble. But do you want to be shown, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:14-20).
True faith results in action. Entitlement results in inaction.
True faith results in joyful expectation. Entitlement results in grumbling and disappointment.
True faith results in blessing those who curse us. Entitlement results in resisting and rejecting those who don't meet our expectations. We need a people to rise up who are dead to self, full of life, driven by faith, relentless in their pursuits and ready to serve others with passion, not expecting to be honored, served or counted.