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John Burton Using COVID Chaos to Promote His NAR Dominionist Dreams

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"Institute Strategic Prayer - The days of simply attending a Sunday-morning service where we worship a little, pray a little and listen to a sermon before heading back into the world for a week must come to an end immediately. The primary focus of every legitimate Christian church must be fervent, passionate, powerful and strategic intercession. The days of simple prayer lists and prayer chains are over as the call to groans and cries of spiritual prayer explode out of the saints. For years I've been campaigning for services that are marked by people laid out at the altars from start to finish as the Holy Spirit broods over them. Deep, guttural groans of intercession will be heard throughout the sanctuary every Sunday (and ultimately, every day of the week). I am absolutely convinced that a church filled with tongues of fire will do more than any other single activity to make everybody ready for the coming storms. When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4)." -- John Burton

While Burton sounds very pious we must not lose sight of his diminishing of "simple prayer." If you want to see his model, google the YouTube clips from the Brownsville demonic outpouring. There is nothing strategic about turning our corporate prayer life over to an uncontrolled free for all. I was saved in a semi-Charismaniacal church so I have seen what Burton pursues. The problem is that no matter how much you intend to be "spiritual" your flesh strives for the super spiritual status that others will envy. Our super spirituals used to seek the first two rows at every service. Eventually this was not enough attention so they moved on to Hebraic prayer shawls. Intercession is not to be done within the church service. True intercession occurs in the back room while the service goes on. it does not seek the limelight. Consider the key verses today were the teachings of Jesus specifically on prayer. It is the hypocrites who love to pray to be seen by others. C'mon, be honest. You know people who are exactly like this. Saying a prayer of grace for a meal should not include a ten-minute journey into God's provision from Egypt to Canaan; just saying. Does Jesus teach that prayer must be fervent, passionate, powerful and strategic? Of course not. In fact His description of shutting your door and praying in private sounds, dare we say, simple. There is nothing special nor extra-spiritual about exploding prayer. Services with people laid out at the altar has always led to carnally fueled emotionalism disguised as a spiritual move. Charismania has always been marked by a very narcissistic showy spirit. Look at me! I can speak in tongues more than you! Oh yeah? I have a word of knowledge for you! Let's all get slain! The problem is that John Burton is absolutely convinced that his vision of tongues of fire is what the church needs and cites the Day of Pentecost when there were indeed tongues of fire! Except that was the only time we actually see tongues of fire so to pursue them now as what the church needs is not biblically supported.

"Deal Directly With Spirits Of Fear - It's astonishing how a very dark spirit of fear has blanketed the church. Fear results in unsettled, nervous reactions, while faith results in a confident, peaceful, calculated response. Pastors must introduce deliverance into their churches as a primary ministry. The spirits that are tormenting Christians have been exposed all over the world during the pandemic. I believe nearly all Christians need or have at one time needed deliverance. The enemy is especially attracted to children of God as he seeks to find open doors to latch on and destroy. We cannot afford a scared, timid people who shrink back at the sight of their own shadow. This end-time season requires mighty warriors, an army who has annihilated fear and who will stare right through the darkness, expose the enemy and send him fleeing! In fact, it very well may be time to allow those who are afraid to step back so the church can finally do what God has ordained it to do--fight and possess the land! "'So now, call out so the people can hear, "Whoever is afraid or anxious may turn back and leave Mount Gilead." So twenty-two thousand from among the people turned back, and ten thousand were left'" (Judg. 7:3)." -- John Burton

While I agree that there may be too much fear and not enough faith these days I recognize there is a reason for it. Preachers like Burton espouse denial as a virtue when it is not. Some fear is healthy. If we had no fear of hot stoves we would constantly be burned. If we had no fear of tigers we might get eaten alive. If we had no fear of a global pandemic that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, we might look like the people who showed up for church service this past Sunday at Rodney Howard-Browne's church. This was not out of courage but rather recklessness and a cult like devotion to the preacher. Because Burton fancies himself in a cultural war he is constantly asking for warriors to fight it. God never asked Christians to possess the land. That was Israel. His usage of the verse from Judges is out of context not relevant to the point he is trying to make. This was when Gideon had too many men and God was whittling them down. The first cut were those who were fearful. This is a portion of scripture that is historical narrative. It is not meant to be prescriptive. If it were, then we should all drink water with our hands, lapping it with our tongues because those were the ones who made the second cut.

Develop a Prophetic Culture - Possibly a primary source of fear in the camp is the lack of foresight, the absence of prophetic revelation. Imagine how different everything would be if God's people were made ready in their spirits as God prepared them with all sorts of prophetic communication. Dreams, visions, God's still small voice, words of wisdom, words of knowledge and other divine impressions are extremely powerful and necessary if everybody in the church is to weather the storm. Every Christian must be both equipped and activated prophetically. The church needs to hear God's ever-present voice now more than ever. To have some people who are not tuned in compromises the camp and gives the enemy a very powerful and secure foothold. "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies" (1 Thess. 5:19-20). -- John Burton

So we come to the whackadoodle portion of Burton's NAR theology. This is a defining trait among these heretical groups. A reliance upon false prophets and false prophecy. Burton espouses the same beliefs here as Bethel Church, who believes they can teach the gifts of the spirit and that everyone can prophesy. Nonsense! The bible makes clear that prophecy is a gift and that the gifts are not given to all. The Holy Spirit decides who gets what gift in order to edify the body of Christ. Every believer is NOT supposed to be "activated prophetically." If the church wishes to hear God's present voice -- read the bible! Instead of the verity of scripture Burton, like Bethel, prefers to rely upon these flesh driven concepts of still small voices and listening for God's voice apart from the bible. Shawn Bolz for example pretends to be a prophet and he receives fake words of knowledge through his smart phone. The people are taught to empty their mind, like in eastern mysticism, and wait for the first thing that pops into their minds and assume that is god talking to them. They are encouraged to share those words prophetically, as if God spoke them, and embrace the times they are wrong as opportunities for growth. That is biblically absurd and dangerous for the people who getting the false words! There is nothing God forgot to tell me in His word that He now needs John Burton to relay to me. Nothing.

"Grow in Powerful Faith - There is an angry crowd of "believers" who are demanding we "use wisdom!" regarding this crisis. I wish they'd shout, "Use faith!" It's much more effective. It's disappointing to see very little difference between the world and the redeemed in time of trouble. For so many, the initial and most powerful reaction is natural protection instead of supernatural advance. On social media, I've run into an angry Christian crowd that snipes anyone who suggests peace, faith and authority over the schemes of the enemy are the answer. They see such counsel as a minimization of their human efforts and a threat to that strategy. I wonder just what counselor they are listening to. They love to promote "wisdom" but tend to see faith as haphazard and even some sort of nonsensical supernatural voodoo. A life of true biblical faith is so foreign to them that the extent of their belief system is a cop-out by simply "trusting that God will do as he pleases." True faith looks nothing like that. It's confident, authoritative and declarative. Pastors have no option but to repent of their silly anti-faith positions and to actually embrace some of the teachings they previously dismissed. Whether you appreciate the whole of who Kenneth Copeland (or similar ministers) is or not, you cannot deny the powerful truth on the subject of faith that he carries. "Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Heb 10:38)." -- John Burton

I can deny the faith of Kenneth Copeland. Yep, sure can. Do you know why? Because I exercise discernment. Besides seeing that Copeland has scammed a billion dollars off of the sheep of God I can see his theology does not line up with scripture. He thinks he can stop pandemics and control the weather when I know he can do no such things. It does not take faith to believe you can do things you cannot do. It takes lunacy. Take for example these nuggets from Copeland just this week:

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Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to (more...)
 
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