THE FALSE GOSPEL OF REVIVAL
You’re probably thinking the brand Nike, right?
It’s an interesting name for a brand don’t you think? Let’s see if we can find Nikes origin. Let’s go back to ancient Greece.
Nike means ‘victory’. Victory was seen in the Olympian games. Victory was also a god. Nike is seen engaged in raising a trophy, or in battle inscribing the victory of the conqueror on a shield.
So we have the Greek god Nike who personifies Victory.
She is a winged goddess, often seen flying above the head of the victor. Nike translated across to the Roman religion is Victoria. She is also portrayed in greek art as a divine charioteer rewarding those on the battle field with reward, glory and fame.
She is also the god of Strength and Speed. (Strength, speed and winner obviously being associated with today’s brand.)
She is often portrayed in Greek painting, sculpture, statue and currency.
Just as Eros and Aphrodite’s were one and the same (Gods of sex), so too are Atlas and Nike.
PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH SPIRIT
I remember clearly about three years ago a bit of hype was coming out of America and was hitting Australian shores. There was word that ‘revival’ was coming to Sydney. This made me feel uneasy and with a bunch of close friends we prayed about this. If this was to be God, so be it – if it wasn’t – may it be rebuked. We felt sure God was doing something and if it was revival, we’d embrace it.
I don’t know why I prayed this – but I felt lead to pray against a competitive spirit as I suddenly imagined myself BEING THE FIRST to bring revival to Sydney Australia, seeing God use me mightily in the Manly Corso leadin thousands to Jesus.
I observed my vanity and self-elevation and was disgusted with myself. If this revival came, I wanted to be FIRST!
I felt that I wouldn’t be the only person feeling the pressure to be the first to bring a revival to Sydney - I liked the pride, glory and ownership that would come with it. I don’t think I had have ever felt like that before. As a result, I shared what I just experienced and prayed a rebuke against a ‘spirit of competition’ that would want to work that way in the church.
Not long after that prayer meeting, I started meeting off Christian’s who started calling themselves ‘Revivalists’. Going to and hearing big name preachers speak at Hillsong and C3 conferences, Sunday nights and in various other churches – I noted the elitism of certain churches being the first to bring revival to Sydney for the city.
One preacher specifically went to a small church and said revival was coming first to the local church - those humble to do Gods work in the community.
That same ‘preacher’ then went to a mega-church and then told that mega-church they were going to be first. Both churches shouted ‘amens!’, both churches were flattered, both churches - at that time could not see at the time this could not be true.
I’ve heard preachers say, ‘God will be using this church to bring revival’, ‘God will be using the small local churches to bring revival to this great nation’, ‘God will pour out His Spirit in ways unimaginable to this congregation. He will makes nations come and partake in the glory in this place’. I observed these STRONG preachers were from America.
These ‘outpourings’ would be a QUICKENING move of God to bring radical change in the church and the community and all would see God move with STRENGTH and power. From this anointing, (the definition of this word at this time being associated with oil quickening the process), God was going to bring this church into glory and bring other churches to be apart of this revival.
Nike is seen carrying a palm or a wreath. Symbols of reward and flattery for the victor Do you see the similarities with Nike - this manifestation of the corrupt platonic thinking?
This revival gospel is Nike’s Gospel!
Paul never once preached revival – he preached dedication to Christ and seeking first the prize. James preached the importance of holding on, defending and contending the faith. Jesus continually warned to NOT be deceived by flattery, vain words, self-glory and pride.
The Gospel of Nike offers a so called revival of God-Speed, Power and things that brings glory and fame to the church. And many churches today want to be seen as that church WITH THAT GLORY! Beware of this gospel!
It offers revival but it takes our eyes off the prize. Anyone see that happen to any significant ‘revival’ in the past few years?
Because of Nike, I’ve added a new False Gospel/God entry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE COMPETITIVE GOSPEL
Names: Anointing Doctrine, Triumphalist Theology, Latter Rain, Kingdom Now, Dominion Theology, Manifest Sons Of God Theology, Revivalists, House Of God Doctrine, Bridal Paradigm, [Biblical Character] Generation, [Biblical Character] Army, City Takers
Works: promises and flatters a church that they are the specific carriers of revival, or that they will be the FIRST to bring a revival of glory to the city and the nations, promoting a very Competitive Jesus.
Greek God Gospel: The Gospel of Nike/Atlas
Outcome: COMPETITION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The last thing we need in the body of Christ is to compete against other ministries. With the peddling of the Nike Gospel, this is what I believe we are seeing in the church today, and it is fragmenting and dividing church against church.
I’m sick of seeing division in the body of Christ because ministries are trying to be the first to be the most impacting to the nations. As a result, they are hoping they may receive some kind of recognition by God through their works – a revival or glory to set themselves apart from the rest.
Whether they be so-called religiously dead or stock-standard or common ministries – they desire to be more set apart and be more noticed by God, noticed by other ministries and last of all, the actual community or city itself.
EXAMINING THE GOD ATLAS - NIKES HUSBAND
I want to look briefly at the Greek god Atlas. People often have the misconception that Atlas carried the earth on his shoulders/back. Creepily enough, the truth of Greek mythology reveals that he carried the weight of the heavens upon his shoulders/back.
The unhealthy focus of revival in the church also places upon the back of saints, the burden and deluded conviction that it is meant to be US that is to bring a revival fire to the world.
It’s true we carry the Spirit of God within in us and we are part of a heavenly Kingdom. But there is an unnecessary burden that some people choose to carry in the church, the ‘heavens’ demanding God to have them opened for revival’s sake. This has convinced some in the church that a work is needed for God to bring revival or to a mighty work. As a result, Christians - like Jews of old, are doing odd rituals to get God to send revival or do a new thing.
This is wickedness.
They hold nights of repentance, events for interceding for cities, weeks of fasting and praying. They do other odd works they think is required of them by God. They are trying to force God, or finally make God reward them by opening the heavens and bestowing a spirit of revival so they can spread this revival across the atla- I mean world FIRST.
Some ‘thing’ has convinced us it is our job to carry the heaven’s on behalf of God to the nations. A pastor I know once spoke of how guilty he felt for not bringing the Kingdom of Heaven or gospel to Africa. He then taught how God knows what He is doing. He exposed the twisted idea that their is an unhealthy ‘ideal’ (the platonic ideal) for Christians to do world missionary work because it is the Christian ideal thing to do. And if you don’t, you’re not fulfilling heaven’s cry to spread God further. (You’re a Christian and you haven’t done missionary work? Better get on the fields then!)
I have felt this heavenly oppression. I have shaken off it’s oppressive weight. This isn’t God. He let me know it wasn’t Him. It was a sickening ideal that was driving me, guilting me, shaming me that I was not being responsible enough in my Christian walk. How dare I not be going into all the nations of the world, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to desperate tribes and people!
Have you not felt this unrealistic burden and oppression?
Ask God if this is him or spiritual oppression!
THE FINAL WORD
Now to quickly expose the lie of this Nike/Atlas gospel: Christ is our Victor and Victory but shows no favouritism to His church – His grace and favour are poured out onto to all those who believe in Him. The anointing doctrine is a lie. (Hopefully I wont forget to do an article on this soon). The Holy Spirit is a person, not an oil or a ‘speed’. The Spirit leads and points us to Christ to deal with us.
Revival should never be the church’s focus – God, His message and us walking in accordance to this message and obedience to His Spirit, is essential to the mission of the church.
Competition cares about winning and being set apart, bragging of it’s strength, speed and accomplishments. Jesus moves at his pace one heart at a time. He boasts of His greatness through our weakness, vulnerability and foolishness – and it’s in living this way that exposes the demonic doctrine of Nike. I pray that you hold onto the true gospel and reject the demonic gospels that plague the church of today.
