Let the Lions Roar: Why Prophecy Is Critical in This Late Season - JOHN BURTON CHARISMA NEWS

It's time for the lion to roar. (Flickr )

Let the Lions Roar: Why Prophecy Is Critical in This Late Season

1/7/2017 JOHN BURTON  CHARISMA NEWS

"But to the wicked God says, 'What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth? You hate instruction, and cast My words behind you'" (Ps. 50:16-17). 

Financial breakthrough is coming in 2017!"

"This is the year of fulfilled promises!"

"No more delay! Prosperity is yours in the new year!"

"This is the year of promotion!"

Sound familiar?

Prophecies like these or any variety of others are shouted from rooftops online and in other venues every year at about this time. Many of these such words are being given by those God is addressing in Psalm 50. What right do they have to recite God's statutes? They are undisciplined, and God's true words are cast off.

It's time for the fear of the Lord to hit the prophetic movement in full force.

"Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing His purpose to His servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:7-8).

Lest you misunderstand my intention, I'll make it clear: Prophecy is critical in this late season. We must see an increase in clear, true prophetic revelation now more than ever. I believe God is hand-picking key voices who will not shrink back and who refuse to carelessly play with this supernatural gift as if they were some Disney-level wizard.

It's time for the lion to roar with such force that these prophetic messengers are blown back as if standing behind a jet engine at full thrust.

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary notes: "As when 'the lion roars' none can help but 'fear,' so when Jehovah communicates His awful message, the prophet cannot but prophesy. Find not fault with me for prophesying; I must obey God."

What a striking contrast to so much of today's fortune-telling promises of wealth, health and happiness.

I read a "prophetic" word for the new year earlier today that promised miraculous wealth in the early part of 2017. My initial question was, "Is this word true for every Christian in the world?" Of course that is absurd, but this prophecy follows the pattern of so many that we hear at the first of the year. Big promises, freedom from anything negative and extreme satisfaction for all who hear. Yes, the fear of the Lord must return to the prophetic movement. The lion must roar.

I propose we embrace a prophetic protocol that has Jesus as the central figure. It's found in Isaiah chapter 11:

"And there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. He shall delight in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge by what his eyes see, nor reprove by what his ears hear" (Is. 11:1-3).

The shoot from the stump of Jesse and the roaring lion are Jesus, and the prophetic role He plays is worthy of our alignment. As we endeavor to reveal accurate prophetic words, it would do us well to pray according to this passage in Isaiah:

1. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him (and us): There is too much divination in today's prophetic culture. The spirit of Balaam is strong. Instead of the Spirit of the Lord, we are experiencing too much revelation from the realm of the soul or the demonic.

2. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding: Godly prophecy is the result of revelation received in the place of prayer. Why is this? Human wisdom and human understanding are all too eager to share their soulish revelation. It's only when we pray and live in the Spirit that we can truly adopt supernatural wisdom. The mysteries of God will be revealed, and human logic will be confounded. It's sadly rare to hear prophetic words today that shock our senses instead of satiating them.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil" (Prov. 3:5-7, MEV).

3. The Spirit of counsel and might: The Hebrew translation of the word "might" is "power" or "force." When the lion roars, you can be sure that immeasurable power and force will be felt. Instead of turning our stomachs like too many softball prophetic words do today, God's prophetic force will knock us to our knees. There will be clear direction, counsel, as to how we are to respond to the revelation. Cover to cover in Scripture, we read prophetic directives that are intense and dependent on the right response of the hearer.

To the angel of the church in Sardis write: "He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain but are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfected before God.Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not soiled their garments. They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev. 3:1-6).

You can be sure John felt the force of those words, and the counsel was clear and urgent. I yearn for prophetic unction like this today.

4. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord: Words that don't contain enough weight to cause the fear of the Lord to strike us are suspect. Even true, positive messages that would cause us to rejoice should still bear the marks of the fear of a most holy God. Instead of avoiding such sharp messages, the next generation of prophetic warriors will delight in the safety, the plumb line, that is the fear of the Lord.

"Now it will be, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I am commanding you today, then the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth" (Deut. 28:1).

"But it will happen, if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord your God, by being careful to do all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you" (Deut. 28:15).

God is ready to bless us beyond measure, and that blessing is even brighter in contrast to what will come to the disobedient. This is the delight that the fear of the Lord produces—the realization that God is full of love and mercy and we can be free from his wrath.

5. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear: It's all too easy to gaze upon the landscape of our world and produce supposed prophetic revelation that will capture people's attention. We can't have any more tabloid-style prophecies that capitalize on the current events of our day. Proclaimers are much different than reporters. We need those who will hear God's voice in secret and proclaim it to the people much more than we need to hear opinion on what is going on in society.

"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own hearts, "Hear the word of the Lord!" Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!" (Ezek. 13:2-3).

My Prophetic Word for 2017

I don't mean this to be a snarky or creative way to end this article. I feel something burning very strongly in my spirit; something extremely simple.

While timely rhema revelation must be received, the church must return to confidence in the logos. The infallible written truth. The Bible.

When timely prophetic words are given to me, I value them highly. However, I don't seek after them. I don't crave them. I only need them when God knows I do. What I do long for is the Word of God, the Bible. I deeply desire for it to explode in my Spirit in fresh new ways. I want God's eternal Word to capture me!

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever" (Is. 40:8).

"Forever, O Lord, Your word is established in heaven" (Ps. 119:89).

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away" (Matt. 24:35).

I exhort you to dive into the Word of God. The wealth it contains will transform your new year much more powerfully than a low level prophetic word ever will.

Consider some of the following and begin your quest to encountering God through his Word. Take note of the promises and also of the conditions associated with them. Let the Lion roar. May the fear of the Lord delight you. May your new year be marked by the force of the very breath of our mighty God.

"Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: Whoever sacrifices a thank offering glorifies Me and makes a way; I will show him the salvation of God" (Ps. 50:22-23).

"The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways" (Deut. 28:7).

"Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and pay your vows to the Most High, and call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me" (Ps. 50:14-15).

"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Now a slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever. Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed'" (John 8:34-36).

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1).

"Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

That's a start. Now go ahead and receive the remaining promises in the Bible that are waiting for you in the New Year. There are thousands. 

John Burton has been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought-out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. John has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he has planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer- and revival-focused ministry school in Detroit called the School of Prayer. John's mandate is to call the church in the nations to repentance from casual Christianity and to burn in a manner worthy of the King of kings. He is equipping people to confront the enemies of God (established religion, Jezebel and so on) that hinder an extreme, sold-out level of true worship.

For the original article, visit burton.tv.

Prophetic Dream Serves as Wake-Up Call for Believers - JOHN BURTON CHARISMA MAGAZINE

This is a message all believers should hear. (Flickr )

Prophetic Dream Serves as Wake-Up Call for Believers

 11/3/2016 JOHN BURTON  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Note: This is the second of a two-part series. For part one, click here.

In a fraction of a moment my overwhelming sense of peace and safety and relaxation turned to the most gripping terror I had ever known. It was as if every source of life and good had been eliminated from the atmosphere. Evil dominated the place that just moments ago was so enjoyable.

My mind raced in an attempt to figure out what had just happened. The fear I was experiencing was beyond description. It made no sense. What was going on? Everything was so perfect! Today was supposed to be about enjoying life!

Suddenly, as I was confused, horrified and trembling on the floor, two hands grabbed my ankles. My terror instantly escalated to levels I cannot describe. I quickly looked back and saw nothing—but I knew a demonic entity had grabbed on to me.

The grip on my ankles was like a vice. The thought of escaping was a ridiculous one. It was impossible. My life, which seemingly just moments ago had been under my own control, was now overpowered by an invisible yet horrifying force, a force that I knew had intents—and the ability—to destroy me.

Again, the terror immediately increased nearly to the point of literally losing control of my mind as that demon started to pull me backward—and then down. My feet and legs were disappearing below the floor of that shack. I knew I was going to hell.

How can this be? It's impossible! I'm going to hell? But I'm saved. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. This is contrary to everything I have ever learned in church. Yet the moment was real, and I was losing every ounce of hope. I was about to enter an eternity of continual torture. Never-ending panic, madness and torment was upon me.

The demon kept slowly pulling me downward, as if he was relishing every single moment. My feet were well below the floor and my waist was at ground level. Then, suddenly my hope increased. I thought to myself, "If I say the name of Jesus, the demon must flee!"

So in my new state of hope I was able to squeeze out, "In the name of J—–. In the name of J—–. Ahhhhh!"

I couldn't say it! The demon was controlling my very breath. I was suffocating every time that name was about to be said. I could have said any word in the dictionary but that one. My hope instantly was lost and I started to cry out as I convulsed under the unbreakable control of that demon.

He continued to pull me down, one grueling inch at a time. Finally, my neck and then my mouth were entering hell as my body was taken below. At the height of my madness and terror, and as my eyes were about to descend beneath the floor, I woke up.

I sat straight up, trembling in my bed in that old church building. I was sweating in such volume that my entire bed was saturated. The light switch by my bedroom door was no more than seven feet from my bed. Just two quick steps to the wall would have been all it took to lighten the room. But I was frozen. I sat there for at least three hours in the darkness in absolute terror.

What Just Happened?

I finally fell back to sleep and awoke the next morning. I didn't realize how radically my life had taken a turn the previous night. As I tried to gather my thoughts while the events of the previous night overwhelmed my spirit and my mind, I looked outside the two windows that were there in my bedroom in that old church building. It was a beautiful sunny day—but I did not feel comfortable or relaxed. I was shaken.

I begged God to tell me why I had that dream. What had just happened? Finally, later on that day, He spoke to me, "John, you represented the church. You were comfortable in your place of supposed safety. The storm was intensifying, yet you were lulled into a state of apathy. Many in the church will be surprised one day, just as you were surprised in the dream, to find themselves under the control of demons as they are taken to hell."

"The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that cheer is grief. The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied with his" (Prov. 14:11-14).

There is a way that seems right. Intellectually, it makes sense. Other people seem to confirm that it is right. Common sense tells us that it is right. Even our theological dispositions confirm it is right. But it leads to death. And if it's the type of death I experienced in my dream—it must be avoided at all costs. 

A backslider is focused on his own condition, on his own comfort zone while a good man is in tune with the heart of God. His pleasure comes from intimacy with Father God. His pleasure comes from going where God is going, doing what he is doing and feeling what he is feeling. There is no sense of ease in the storm, but there is satisfaction and joy in the presence of God and by being in active agreement with Him.

This message is a wake-up call for every one of us. Many wonderful people will be terribly shocked to find themselves separated from God forever.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name?' But then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil'" (Matt. 7:21-23).

This Scripture is in reference to those who would call themselves born-again Christians, people who have understood and actually flowed in the power of the Holy Spirit. They understood their heavenly position and earthly authority as they overcame demons. These were your miracle workers.

We need a wake-up call, church. We can't presume to be in a place of safety simply because we said a prayer, go to church, give offerings and talk about Jesus. An intense pursuit of holiness and intimacy is required.

This is a message that must be shouted from the rooftops.

I can't imagine multiplied millions of people who are current following Jesus in an unsaved condition crying out in terror one day, "I'm going to hell? That's impossible!"

"He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain but are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfected before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you" (Rev. 3:1-3, MEV). 

John Burton has been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought-out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. John has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he has planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer- and revival-focused ministry school in Detroit called the School of Prayer. John's mandate is to call the church in the nations to repentance from casual Christianity and to burn in a manner worthy of the King of kings. He is equipping people to confront the enemies of God (established religion, Jezebel and so on) that hinder an extreme, sold-out level of true worship.

For the original article, visit burton.tv.

Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.

Get to know the Holy Spirit and how to interact with Him on a daily basis. Learn to enter God's presence and hear His voice clearly for yourself! Go deeper in your faith with Life in the Spirit and change your life and destiny. Are you ready to start your journey?

How the Holy Spirit Awakened This Evangelist to the Reality of Hell - JOHN BURTON CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Some self-professed Christians couldn't fathom the possibility of going to hell. (Flickr )

How the Holy Spirit Awakened This Evangelist to the Reality of Hell

 11/2/2016 JOHN BURTON  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

How could I be going to hell?

What I was experiencing messed with my theology to a radically uncomfortable degree. The Holy Spirit was making sure I would never be the same again. Mission accomplished.

I count the early 1990s as the most significant season of my life to date. God had invaded my life. Do you feel the weight of that reality? The burning, raging Creator thrust Himself into this mere mortal!

The Holy Spirit took me beyond a mere understanding of my need for a savior and a simple acceptance of Jesus as that savior to a place of breathtaking experience in His extreme, fearsome and surprisingly vivid invisible realm. The sudden all-consuming desire of my heart was to be intimately joined with the Lover of my soul every moment of my life. I was craving and experiencing a legitimate, reportable and constant weighty manifestation of the presence of God in my life. I was burning! The desire and the cry of my heart was, "More!"

In those early years, as I was diving into the increasingly deeper realms of life in God, many things happened that I'll never forget—but one event shook me like no other before or since. 

I Had a Dream

The night I had this uninvited invasion of both God and hell into my sleep, I was living in an old, vacant church building as the caretaker. The dramatic scene was what you would imagine—the church was a relatively ancient stone structure. I would regularly encounter God as I walked through the now empty corridors, hidden rooms, sanctuary and other mysterious places throughout that relic. The countless hours praying in this vacant building resulted in forming me as a young burning man in some very memorable ways. 

One destined evening I prepared for bed as I did every other night. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I prayed myself to sleep in the weighty and wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit as I had done so many times before.

What was about to happen as I slipped into sleep that fateful night would result in a tremble that is with me to this day—25 years later. I was invited into an otherworldly encounter that I had no freedom to turn down.

Because of the unimaginable panic and terror I experienced that night long ago, I would often pray as I went to sleep, "God, please don't give me any dreams tonight." I prayed that way for 13 years.

Thirteen years! God eventually spoke clearly to me, after 13 years of receiving many visions, but no dreams of God, "John, I need you to stop praying that prayer. I have things to reveal to you. I need to talk to you. I have dreams for you to dream." I relented and have since craved dreams, angelic visitations and other forms of communication from the heavenly realm.

During this night of terror over 25 years ago, I fell asleep in the old, empty church building and found myself dreaming.

In my dream, I was laying on my stomach in a one-room building. It was very comfortable inside, though there was nothing in the room. It was empty. I rested on the carpet and looked out of the two windows, one in front of me and one to my right. The overwhelming feeling that I had was one of comfort and relaxation. I had no concerns and no thoughts beyond enjoying the atmosphere I was in. This feeling is what drove my entire experience. Obviously nothing could be wrong if I was feeling so good, right?

Through the windows I could see a peaceful, lazy and bright sunny day unfolding. It was beautiful! The trees were blowing in a gentle breeze. The birds were chirping and flying from tree to tree. What a brilliant Creator we have! Everything was so refreshing and alive! I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon.

Then, suddenly, I experienced a changing of the scene. Like time-lapse photography, as I was in the same position on the floor looking out the window, I watched the atmosphere suddenly change. There was an immediate and progressive shift. The clouds were ever so slightly darkening and increasing in coverage in the sky. The gentle breeze picked up velocity and the brilliant brightness started to go in and out as periodic shadows covered the area while the sun hid beyond the advancing clouds. It seemed as if some rain might be moving in. I rested there, stretched out on my belly with my head in my hands as I watched it unfold. I remained immersed in my own comfort. I was taking deep breaths and enjoying every moment of my day.

Time lapsed again and I saw the sky completely covered in clouds—clouds much darker than just a few moments ago. I could now smell the fresh and unmistakable scent of the coming rain.

"Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matt. 24:36-39).

The birds were taking cover as the wind picked up significantly. In the distance I saw several lightning strikes. It sure seemed as if this could be quite a storm. How was it that I was feeling no concern, no urgency to prepare as I enjoyed my personal, careless experience in that small, one-room shack? I stretched out and relaxed even more. The greater the threat, the greater the "peace." What a wonderful day I was having.

Again, for the third time, I watched the scene in front of me change suddenly. Now, it was fully obvious the storm would most definitely hit—and soon. The wind was intense and large, ominous drops of rain started to hit the windows. Violent and arrogant lightning that seemed to have a personality all its own struck less than 300 yards away.

The thumps of hail hitting the roof started and quickly increased in force. It was time for concern. The threat of danger was increasing by the second, but I didn't feel any urgency or need to respond. I remained prostrate on the ground, refreshed and at ease, just as I did when it was a beautiful sunny day. I was enjoying the perceived safety of my environment. I was feeling so good.

Once again, time lapsed and I found myself in the center of a churning, dreadful force that seemed powerful enough to split the Earth in two. The storm of the century was upon me. The massive trees were nearly snapping in two as they bent over parallel to the ground. The hail was massive in size and was slamming every surface around me. The windows were buckling in and out as the incredible pressure of the storm weighed on them. The lightning that burned hotter than the surface of the sun was literally striking mere feet from the shack. The walls were shaking. You can imagine what I was experiencing in that terrible and fearful moment. You guessed it: beautiful peace, safety and comfort. It truly was a wonderful day, until ...

Tune in Thursday for part two of this article. 

John Burton has been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought-out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. John has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he has planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer- and revival-focused ministry school in Detroit called the School of Prayer. John's mandate is to call the church in the nations to repentance from casual Christianity and to burn in a manner worthy of the King of kings. He is equipping people to confront the enemies of God (established religion, Jezebel and so on) that hinder an extreme, sold-out level of true worship.

For the original article, visit burton.tv.

Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.

Get to know the Holy Spirit and how to interact with Him on a daily basis. Learn to enter God's presence and hear His voice clearly for yourself! Go deeper in your faith with Life in the Spirit and change your life and destiny. Are you ready to start your journey?

Why Running Away Won't Bring Freedom from Your Bondage - JOHN BURTON CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Why Running Away Won't Bring Freedom from Your Bondage

 6/21/2016 JOHN BURTON  charisma magazine

Running away from your problems won't make things any better. (Flickr )

Join us on our new podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Stay tuned Wednesday.

We are in a generation of runners. At the point of crisis, God's children tend to run from the battle instead of defeating the very enemy that has them fleeing.

People leave assignments. They quit jobs for the wrong reasons. They break off relationships.

People run from church to church, hoping to leave their past behind them. That never works. Their undefeated enemy, whether it's a spirit of rejection or anger or outright rebellion, shows up the very first day they visit their new church.

Someone visited Revival Church in Detroit a couple of years ago. One of the first things this child of God said to me was, "I've been kicked out of every church I've been in. I'm determined that this won't happen here too!"

That was a great plan, but, unfortunately, she was unwilling to battle the demons of old. Sadly, she didn't last more than several weeks with us.

Freedom

We so crave freedom from whatever bondage we are experiencing that we often demand an immediate yet premature resolution to our captivity.

In Portland, Oregon, a man was scheduled for release from prison in less than a week after 272 days behind bars. He couldn't wait. He escaped with six days left on his sentence!

He was caught just hours later.

Sometimes the quickest route to freedom is not the most direct, or the easiest, or the most obvious. In fact, sometimes it's to back up and entice our enemy to pursue us!

"Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Speak to the children of Israel, so that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. Opposite it you shall camp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, "They are confused in the land. The wilderness has shut them in." So I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he shall pursue them. And I will be honored because of Pharaoh and because of all his army, so that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so'" (Ex. 14:1-4, MEV).

"They were already on the borders of the desert, and a short march would have placed them beyond the reach of pursuit, as the chariots of Egypt could have made little progress over dry and yielding sand." – Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

The Israelites could have continued in the direction they were heading, and they would have been out of the reach of Pharaoh should he decide to summon his armies and chariots to pursue them.

It surely seemed to be madness for Moses to direct the people to turn back.

Freedom was to be had! It was right in front of them! But, their mandate was to turn back and to face the enemy they fled from.

I propose we embrace leaders like Moses today—those who aren't trying to lead us into the Land of Promise while avoiding the challenges, struggles and pursuing armies that God desires for us to defeat. We need leaders who lead into trouble for the sake of victory!

It is a valid question: Why would God cause freedom to be delayed? Why would he put people he loves in grave danger? Two simple reasons:

1. God will get glory.

2. They shall know God is the Lord.

God is interested in our freedom. He's also interested in His glory.

"I the Lord have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand, and will keep You and appoint You for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations, to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images" (Is. 42:6-8, MEV).

This is such an important lesson for all of us. God's primary motivation is not to make our lives easier, nor to give us immediate satisfaction as we pursue freedom. As it always has been, and always will be, God is focused on His name being known for the sake of the generations.

We must trust God's wisdom, His truth, if we desire to experience freedom. His truth will very often violate our own wisdom or common sense:

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you remain in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free'" (John 8:31-32, MEV).

Note how 250 years later Gideon had an important point of reference as he dealt with his own issue of captivity:

"Then Gideon said to him, 'O my lord, if the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened to us? Where are all His miracles that our fathers told us about? They said, "Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt?" Yet now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites'" (Judges 6:13, MEV).

Gideon heard of the of Moses and the Hebrews. That story would not have been the same if God hadn't caused them to turn back and face a fierce enemy.

"But Moses said to the people, 'Fear not! Stand firm! And see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show you today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see again. The Lord shall fight for you, while you hold your peace'" (Exo. 14:13-14, MEV).

Instead of taking matters into their own hands, devising plans and strategies and moving according to their own wisdom, God was instructing them to stay put and be silent. How hard this must have been for them! What a lesson in faith this was!

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Israel, so that they go forward. And as for you, lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it; then the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.  As for Me, surely, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, so that they shall follow them, and I will be honored through Pharaoh, through all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen'" (Exodus 14:15-18, MEV).

Quit crying and follow my instructions! Now it was time to advance, in the direction God revealed—right into an impossible sea. What kind of God was leading them? It seemed He was a monster, bent on their sure demise. How could God profess to love anybody if He is pushing people to the limits of their sanity by toying with them as pawns on a great, seemingly demented game board? No wonder they would end up demanding to return to Egypt!

What they needed to understand, and ultimately would, is that freedom isn't found at the place of safety. It's found in God's presence. Where He is, there is freedom, even if that means turning back to face the enemy:

"Now the Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17, MEV). 

John Burton has been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought out teacher, prophetic messenger, and revivalist. John has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he has planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer- and revival-focused ministry school in Detroit called the School of Prayer. John's mandate is to call the church in the nations to repentance from casual Christianity and to burn in a manner worthy of the King of kings. He is equipping people to confront the enemies of God (established religion, Jezebel and so on) that hinder an extreme, sold-out level of true worship.

For the original article, visit burton.tv.

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False Human Rights Destroying the Church and Our Nation - JOHN BURTON CHARISMA NEWS

False Human Rights Destroying the Church and Our Nation

 5/17/2016 JOHN BURTON  charisma news

Gay rights activists (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini)

Does a moment go by that we don't hear about some group or movement making demands for their supposed human rights?

"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." —John F. Kennedy

What happened to this? What happened to America? What happened to the church?

Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Today we are absolutely overwhelmed by the constant, self-centered shouts of those who demand that their country—or their church—gives them what they believe is rightfully theirs.

It's a false human rights movement.

The right to abortion. The right for same-sex marriage. The right to be equal. The right to be heard.

It's a sickening, selfish focus that is driven by human desire instead of a willingness to take up our cross and die. How often have people left churches because their supposed rights weren't addressed? How much dissension is in the workplace because people are looked over in favor of another?

I've said it before—today, when people's self-centered pursuits are rejected, they abandon relationships, leave churches and cause division, but when Jesus was rejected, He didn't abandon people. He didn't forsake the church.

He let people kill Him so they might be saved. He died so the church could thrive.

My point in this article isn't to address specific issues as much as it is to deal with a deadly, demonic spirit that is extremely advanced in its progress in the destruction of the church and, thus, the nation.

A Spirit of Entitlement

This spirit is pervasive in our nation, and unfortunately it has infiltrated the church to such a degree that it has altered the church's very DNA. Today people attend church with expectations of how they should be treated instead of a plan to lay down their lives for the sake of the mission. There is a predetermined checklist of items that they presume they are rightfully entitled to. If those demands aren't met, then trouble is initiated—just as the enemy planned.

This spirit of entitlement convinces us to look inward and fight for our perceived rights. It's fueled by pride that results in the pursuit of personal attention, gain and satisfaction.

Isaiah 14:12-15 says, "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also on the mount of the congregation, in the recesses of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Hell, to the sides of the pit."

Lucifer was focused on self—entitlement. This pride resulted in destruction beyond anything we could measure. He fell and weakened the nations simply because he was focused on self!

America, are you listening?

Because of Lucifer's attitude, millions of people have been destroyed, the Holocaust terrorized a generation, an ancient flood destroyed the masses, 55 million American babies have been murdered and Hell is growing in size to hold the increasing number of people who will live there for eternity.

Yes, a spirit of entitlement destroys.

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18).

"When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom" (Prov. 11:2).

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility" (Prov. 18:12).

Taking on Offense

When entitled people gather together, you have a union. Here in Detroit, this is understood well. There are certain expectations that must be fulfilled by leadership, or those in union will threaten harm to them or the organization. This concept isn't hard to understand. Often on the news we hear of school teachers or bus drivers who are in a union, and when their demands aren't met, they strike.

When an entitlement isn't met, offense is the result—and when people are in union with another who has been offended, they very quickly take on that offense—and, again, it is deadly.

We see this happen in churches all the time. Offended people have friends, who unify with them and come into agreement with their arguments.

Of course, it would be very easy right now to start considering all of the secular benefits to actual unions. We could discuss how the playing field is evened and the way leadership treats the working class is improved by holding them accountable.

But I'll say this very clearly—this spirit of false unity, entitlement and offense has no place in the church. Our nation would begin down the road of healing and strengthening if we all stopped making demands and started serving, loving and following Jesus and the principles of Scripture.

An offended people will destroy a nation. A surrendered people will build a nation.

As an example, the spirits of entitlement and offense drive the abortion industry. False compassion, demonic in nature, is one of the tools that is used to gain sympathy and support for that movement. The threat is that we will come across as unloving, uncaring people if we oppose that movement. The same is true with the homosexual agenda. False love results in accusations of homophobia and hatred for those who don't support their movement.

As Christians, we are handcuffed as we are forced into a position of affirming our love of these people. If we don't, they win the debate.

Our only weak, predictable response seems to be, "We love the sinner and hate the sin."

Boldness

We as prophetic voices in the church must brake off intimidation and fear of man. Keep in mind we are wrestling against demons, not humans. What is difficult is that when humans embrace the lies of the demons, we who stand for truth can come across as attacking those people. So many Christians avoid any appearance of conflict at all.

Listen closely: People are going to enter into Hell today. If we don't have bold prophetic messengers rise up in the spirit of John the Baptist, in the spirit of David and other historic Godly warriors, millions upon millions of people will actually, literally go to Hell! If it's rare to make it to Heaven, and common to enter Hell, how can we sit back and avoid a violent conflict with those forces of hell? We cannot.

"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has forcefully advanced, and the strong take it by force" (Matt. 11:12).

Check out this commentary on the above scripture:

Greek: biazo (GSN-<G971>), to use force, to force one's way into a thing. The idea here is that before John the kingdom could only be viewed in the light of prophecy; but now that it was preached, men were pressing into it with ardor resembling violence or desperation. They appeared as if they would seize it by force (Matt. 11:12; Luke 16:16). It expresses the earnestness that men must have in getting rid of sin, all satanic powers, the world, and in standing true when relatives oppose them (Matt. 10:34-39). (From Dake's Annotated Reference Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments of the Authorized or King James Version Text.)

This is where we are now! Let the fire-branded, love-driven warrior bride arise!

When David killed Goliath, it's true that he killed a human, but he was actually fighting against a demon that was manifesting through a human. David didn't sit down in a coffee shop to passively, casually discuss the dispute with Goliath. He was ready for a violent assault against the kingdom of darkness.

---

He made clear what the situation was and what was to be done! How easy it would be for David to be accused of not loving Goliath! But the truth is that David loved God first (Luke 10:27) and was fully invested in partnering with him. Human arguments would have to meet the fierce decrees of the child of God! Fear-driven false humility was not an option for David. David was on a mission of salvation—the salvation of God's people.

"David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, 'What will be done for the man that kills this Philistine and takes away this reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?'" (1 Sam. 17:26).

David was bold. Who is this uncircumcised Philistine? He was calling out Goliath's immorality and his lack of consecration to the Lord.

Come on church! Quit cowering in false-humility and rise up in the greatest love this nation has ever known! It's time to declare the word of the Lord to the uncircumcised enemies of the Lord in America!

But beware, many in your sphere, in the camp of the Lord, will also be intimidated by your love-driven boldness. The prophetic, apostolic anointing often results in jealousy and accusation against the one advancing fearlessly. Accusations of pride will always accompany those who are willing to live radically by laying down their lives for the Lord.

Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, "Why have you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the evil of your heart. For you have come down that you might see the battle."

David said, "What have I done now? Was it not only a word?" (1 Sam. 17:28-29).

His brother attacked him! I'm sure he felt conviction as little brother David was going to do what every other person should have done—deal with the uncircumcised Philistine with expediency!

Will you raise your anointed, prophetic voice, or will you seek a false sense of peace? Remember we are to be peacemakers, not peacekeepers! We cannot keep peace where there is no peace!

We have no obligation to passively form our words in such a way that we will be heard. It's time to bring a shaking to this nation—before it is literally destroyed!

The Philistine came walking and drew near to David, and the man bearing the shield went before him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him. For he was a youth and ruddy with a handsome appearance. The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the field."

Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have reviled. This day will the Lord deliver you into my hand. And I will strike you down and cut off your head. Then I will give the corpses of the Philistine camp this day to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (1 Sam. 17:41-46)

It's time that we go after the anti-Christ spirits that are overtaking our nation! We can no longer use human arguments. It's time that we are anointed in the boldness and power of the Holy Spirit! We aren't to prove our love, we are to love—and true love brings true problems in the pursuit of liberty for a nation! We see this cover to cover in Scripture.

Let me be clear: I deeply love but do not care.

I will say it very, very clearly. I radically love those who are advancing humanistic agendas, even though you may not believe me. That's your battle, not mine.

Jesus loved people though He would not bend to their demands. He cared about their emotions, their hearts, their eternities—but He didn't defend himself. He let his accusers kill Him. Who was the one who cared and loved when he was lifted up on a cross that day?

In an attempt to break the church out of a passive, false-love driven debate over holiness and morality, I will say this very clearly:

I do not care enough, young woman—about your career, your comfort, your supposed right to independence or the crisis and cost a new baby will bring to your life—to affirm your plan to kill your baby. You are not entitled to comfort. You are not promised happiness. I challenge you to lay down your life for a baby that God thought enough about you to entrust its care to.

When you wave a coat hanger in the air during an abortion rights protest, you are declaring that you have more compassion for one who would intentionally harm someone than one who is being harmed. The answer to losing access to 'safe abortions' (how is intentional murder safe?) is not to head out to the back alley to abort the baby yourself with a hanger—it is to have the baby and love it with selfless passion! The answer is so simple!

I do not care about a supposed right to sexual freedom, gay or straight, that results in a devastating lifestyle that is bringing destruction on our nation. Decrees of holiness must return to our churches and nation again.

I do not care about equality in our nation if it results in climbing over people who are in our way or forcing them to affirm our self-centered position. It's time that we lay down our demands, surrender our agendas and quit manipulating systems in a selfish pursuit of personal gain. It's time for humility to reign in America again!

Christian leaders, I honor you deeply and pray for you, and I do understand the pressures you are under. However, I do not care about personal agendas, self-centered ministry projects, self-assigned titles or ego-driven programs, and I will not unite with those who embrace them. Your legacy and history in the city is meaningless unless it results in a future of Holy Spirit freedom for desperate people. I will expend energy, time and money to run with you if you are humble and passionate about the plans of God in the region. Let's slow the flow to hell together.

"Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the form of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:4-8).

I care about the heart of God and His overwhelming love for people—and the fact that hell is swallowing millions of them. I care about the clear truths of Scripture. I trust in God's wisdom and I refuse to allow humanism to gain the upper hand in the debate. I care about bold prophetic messengers who will lay down their lives and open their mouths and shout truth from the rooftops.

Today, not tomorrow, it's time to die to self and run to the battle, as the spirit of Goliath is threatening to destroy us. It's time for the circumcised, consecrated lovers of God to take back America.

John Burton has been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought-after teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. He has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer- and revival-focused ministry school in Detroit called theLab University. John also has a web- and graphic-design business and is continually developing new and exciting ventures. He and his beautiful wife, Amy, have five children and live in the Detroit area. He can be reached via his website atjohnburton.net.

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Revival or Judgment—Is God About to Move Positively or Negatively? - CHARISMA NEWS

We as end-time Christians should be ardent supporters of God's judgment, of His act of love. (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Revival or Judgment—

Is God About to Move 

Positively or Negatively?

10/29/2015 JOHN BURTON CHARISMA NEWS

 

I was first introduced to the concept that God only moves and functions positively when I was planting my first church in Manitou Springs, Colorado. What I was hearing was a strange doctrine that didn't set well in my spirit, but I endeavored to allow God to change my theology if I was unbalanced or incorrect even slightly.

Was it possible that God was more relaxed and carefree than I understood Him to be? Was His method of kingdom advance simply a revelation of how good He is?

I noticed quickly that those who were buying into this philosophy were living without a contending spirit. If the unction for prayer was there, it was mostly to enjoy God's presence (which I highly value, of course) but not to intercede with passion and fire. Desire for experience was there, but fervency in mission was lacking.

The second time I dealt with this fast-growing doctrine that exclusively promotes God's happy nature was in Detroit.

After a season of truly amazing encounters in the glory of God, I was stricken by the Lord with a severe, weighty message—that season needed to give way to a focus on the blood, the cross, brokenness and repentance. Those who were sold out to a culture of positivity found themselves outside of the "happy sauce" they so enjoyed as they were being called into the depths of God's heart.

Those depths include clearer revelations of God's mission, of His response to the infection of evil in the land, the cost of His Son's brutal slaughter on the cross, the horror of hell and the disease of apathy in the church. The reaction of many was to pull back and dream of the good old days as if God had somehow left the room. He never left. He actually intensified and the way He manifested changed. He was inviting us into the deep realities of the age. He was looking for a remnant army to carry this light but troubling burden.

While I always want to grow in understanding God's more positive characteristics, I can't allow myself to stop my learning at that point. I crave to understand God as He is—in fullness—whether it's positive, negative, encouraging or troubling. Further, I can't presume He will only move on the earth in a positive fashion. Honestly, you have to be quite lacking in biblical knowledge to presume that He would be restricted to functioning in that manner. God always has, and still does, move in both revival and judgment. They aren't competing ideas. They are intentionally intertwined. They go together.

"But the Lord remains forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; He will give judgment to the peoples in uprightness" (Ps. 9:7-8).

We Should Be Praying for Judgment

"Then the trees of the forest will ring out before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever" (1 Chr. 16:33-34).

We should be singing for joy regarding His judgment!

Let me make something clear right up front—judgment isn't the result of an evil God doing evil things. Judgment is a vehicle used by a loving God to positively impact those who will respond (though the impact will certainly be negative for the rebellious). Judgment is an act of deep love. It has to be, as God is love just as He is the Judge. He doesn't lay down love when He moves in judgment and He doesn't forsake justice when He pours out His love.

We as end-time Christians should be ardent supporters of God's judgment, of His act of love.

In America, we have a justice system. It's a good one. I can't imagine anybody reading this wanting to eliminate it in favor of anarchy. When someone murders, that person should be tried and judged—not because we hate that person but because we want them restored and because we love the others who are in harm's way if they were to go free. We agree with the judge's verdict of guilty and with the sentence of prison for the sake of both the murderer and the general public.

If we can trust our nation's justice system, even with all of its inadequacies, we certainly can trust the judgment of a perfect, loving God, right?

People need to know this! It's critical that we preach about Jesus as the Judge. We can't eliminate that from the gospel message!

"He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead" (Acts 10:42).

I often pray that God will judge me. I actually crave it! I trust Him. He loves me, and I know that. He's not evil. He's not out to destroy me. I need His judgment in my life so any and every issue of my heart is dealt with. I can't let it fester. It needs to be addressed so I can repent and shift into a life of greater consecration. I know a life that's compromised by sin can do great damage to me and others. God's loving judgment in my life will resolve that.

"Now all has been heard. Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Eccl. 12:13-14).

The whole duty of man is to:

1. Fear God
2. Keep His commandments

Do we understand how critical both fear of the Lord and obedience are?

"In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They shall be punished with eternal destruction, isolated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thess. 1:8-9).

If we don't obey, judgment will come to us. God will deal with our nation in similar fashion, and we should embrace that—because the judgment that comes after we leave the earth is permanent. Our fate is sealed.

"As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment" (Heb. 9:27).

This should result in the fear of the Lord returning in full force to the church!

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28).

The Bible tells us that judgment begins in the house of God. This is good, not bad—though the results can be quite terrible if repentance isn't the result. If we plan on continuing in sin, I can understand why we'd be anti-judgment. That makes sense. However, whether you are opposed to judgment or not makes no difference—it will come to you if you don't repent.

Those in the church are most definitely at great risk if repentance doesn't come. Hell is their future.

"For if we willfully continue to sin after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation, which will devour the adversaries" (Heb. 10:26-27).

Are you starting to see why judgment now is so glorious? It's a part of God's divine plan of redemption. In fact, we as Christians are called to enact judgment in certain situations.

"Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life?" (1 Cor. 6:2-3).

For example, if someone continues in sexual sin the church leadership is to turn them over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh! When is the last time you saw this happen in a church? Why is such harsh judgment necessary? The Bible tells us its so their spirits might be saved.

"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that a man has his father's wife. But you are arrogant. Instead you should have mourned, so that he who has done this deed might be removed from among you. For indeed, though absent in body but present in spirit, I have already, as if I were present, judged him who has done this deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you are assembled, along with my spirit, in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus" (1 Cor. 5:1-5).

Additionally, we can't even eat with supposed Christians who are sexually immoral. That type of judgment is mandated. We have no option but to exercise it.

"But I have written to you not to keep company with any man who is called a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Do not even eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?" (1 Cor. 5:11-12).

Again, the reason we do this is not because we hate people—but because we love them! Judgment now is restorative. The final judgment is not. Judgment now should be celebrated and welcomed as a way to avoid eternal judgment in the end.

"So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 13:49-50).

Evil Must Be Addressed

When revival comes, that will be the first invitation to the world to surrender their lives fully to Jesus. Those who reject that call will be visited by more direct, negative, persuasive measures—judgment. Again, this is an act of love that will encourage the greatest number of people to respond to God as possible.

Completely different from judgment, however, is God's wrath. This is what we should be trembling about. When we understand the potential of God's wrath, and that those who are not in Christ are living under threat of the outpouring of His wrath every second of their lives, judgment will actually be cried out for! We need God's wise justice to deal with every situation on the planet so His wrath hits as few people as possible.

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).

"His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean His floor and gather His wheat into the granary, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matt. 3:12).

"Whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town" (Matt. 10:14-15).

God is much more severe than we often realize! We must address the evil in the land, and trusting both revival and God's judgment are necessary. If judgment doesn't come, more people will go to hell, and evil will overtake the earth. It's as simple as that.

We can't fall in love with a God who manifests positively and reject Him when He manifests in judgment or wrath.

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"But because of your hardness and impenitent heart, you are storing up treasures of wrath against yourself on the day of wrath when the righteous judgment of God will be revealed" (Rom. 2:5).

In fact, I believe the rejection of God's negative traits, of His judgment and wrath, is setting up millions for destruction. How many current Christians will reject God when they see Him destroying a fourth and then a third of the earth? How many cursed God when He brought the floods of death to the entire world, save eight?

"When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 'Come!' So I looked, and there was a pale horse, and the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed him. Power over a fourth of the earth was given to them, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth" (Rev. 6:7-8).

"A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues—by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone, which came out of their mouths" (Rev. 9:18).

13 And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Genesis 6:13 (ESV)

How will you react when a holy and just God moves in severe and fearful ways? When God moves negatively, will you presume it's actually Satan doing it? Or, will fear of the Lord result? This is a critical question!

"So God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh is come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I will destroy them with the earth" (Acts 5:10-11).

Will you commit the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit by attributing an act of God to Satan or will true fear of the Lord come upon you?

"But he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal condemnation.' For they said, 'He has an unclean spirit'" (Mark 3:29-30).

Where Does This Leave Us?

Christian friend, we should be sober, but we can be at peace!

If we are obedient and serving God in love, the Bible is clear—we are in a very good place!

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:13-20 (ESV)

There is no fear of eternal judgment if we are in the love of God.

However, please take note of the warning that follows in that passage:

20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:20-21 (ESV)

Your theology doesn't save you. Your surrender to Jesus and obedience to him does. We can attempt to rest on the encouragement in the passage shared above in 1 John 4, but actually be unsaved, unprotected from final judgment, if we are haters and liars. If we say we love God but hate another we can't presume to be exempt from judgment—temporal or eternal.

This is why we must live our lives consecrated and surrendered, fueled by the supernatural grace, the power, of God. If we do, God is well able to keep us.

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25 (ESV)

Jesus is coming soon as King and Judge. His Spirit is moving on the earth now. Judgment is here and wrath is coming. Love will win and our eternities hang in the balance. I encourage you to trust God's judgment in your life. Your eternity hangs in the balance.

12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Revelation 22:12-17 (ESV)

John Burton has been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought-after teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. He has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer- and revival-focused ministry school in Detroit called theLab University. John also has a web- and graphic-design business and is continually developing new and exciting ventures. He and his beautiful wife, Amy, have five children and live in the Detroit area. He can be reached via his website atjohnburton.net.

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