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Thread: The Spirit That's Taking Over Our Nation—And It's Not Jezebel

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    The Spirit That's Taking Over Our Nation—And It's Not Jezebel

    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...

    Revival

    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.

    http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/...-s-not-jezebel

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    Absolutely, profoundly, EXCELLENT! John did a great job with this.

    It's interesting because there was a recent interview with David Herzog on Sid Roth's show, and he said, in essence, that by the end of the year, a lot of upheaval will be occurring in the US, but that great outpourings would be directly tied to the Church's response, and that it was all very conditional.

    Quote Originally Posted by FaithfulOne View Post
    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-jezebel

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    FaithfulOne (08-28-2015), FresnoJoe (09-26-2015)

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    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    John Burton : We need to remember that any prophecy not found in Scripture is conditional. It's contingent on the response of the people
    Where can I find the above categorical statement in the Bible ? Defining every prophecy as conditional makes for an easy way out when the prophecy doesn't come to pass - the conditions weren't met.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Colonel View Post
    Where can I find the above categorical statement in the Bible ? Defining every prophecy as conditional makes for an easy way out when the prophecy doesn't come to pass - the conditions weren't met.
    Not an exact answer, but this demonstrates conditionality of prophecies. If it happens in scripture, it can still apply today.

    1Kings11v29About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, 30and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. 31Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes. 32But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. 33I will do this because they haveb forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon's father, did.

    34" 'But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. 35I will take the kingdom from his son's hands and give you ten tribes. 36I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. 37However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. 38If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. 39I will humble David's descendants because of this, but not forever.' "


    History and the bible shows that things didn't exactly work out as planned for Jeroboam.

    A few chapters later on we find out what actually happened to Jeroboam.
    1Kings14v7Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.

    10" 'Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free.a I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. 11Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!'

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    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    Yes there is an if there. But that does not demonstrate that every prophecy given by the Church today is conditional.

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