The Unwelcome Necessity - The Burden
Lars Widerberg
The distinguishing feature of the prophetic dimension is its passion for
quality. A prophet's pursuit is wholly dedicated to the laying hold of
perfection. The prophetic voice is at all times raised in favour of
truth. Excellence is the sole goal and superior target when a prophet
addresses the congregation. He has somehow been able to and allowed to
look into Heaven and therefore he cannot but be praying for Heaven to
arrive as a transforming factor in man's affairs. The prophetic
dimension is the realm of heavenly qualities and it holds motivational
dynamics powerful enough to thrust men into paths of the Presence.
Prophets follow hard after the Lord. Quality, the scent of the personal
presence of the Lord lies at the core of anything prophetic. The
prophetic pursuit of mastering the art of worship moves into focus as
the reason for existence. Quality, holiness and worship, is the essence
of a life at the foot of the Cross.
The prophet is the bringer of Heaven. His role consists of inducing and
planting quality. He establishes and examines quality. His addresses
concerns the condition of the people. The prophet defines their position
and discerns the source of their living and behaving. He analyses
tendencies and trends, he speaks up during times of apostasy. He cannot
hold his breath watching ungodly practices. In short, he has become a
man of responsibility - anchored in reality. To him Heaven is real.
Heaven is a practical reality, involving spiritual and moral quality.
God spoke, Jeremiah listened. God gave a picture, Jeremiah watched.
There, a rod of an almond tree. Then, a word play - you saw a rod, you
have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it; Jer
1:11-12. A prophet will learn to look at things from God's point of
view. His pictures and words become prophetically simple, but always and
above all - anchored in reality. The words of the Lord are practical,
having solid implications. Generalities, meaning hundreds of things to
hundreds of people, does not belong to the prophetic realm. God is
relevant - he is never religious. God is relevant - his words forebodes
performance.
True prophets appear in times of apostasy. Prophets of quality move in
when the people are moving away from the ideal laid down once and for
all in the Book. The prophetic mind develops into its finest and most
rare expressions during times of apostasy. A Jeremiah is born for and
prepared for the babylonic confrontation. A man who is prepared to watch
and to cry will appear. The burden-bearer will be made ready. A man who
won't give in will always be found in times of apostasy. Such a man is
made able to see - see reality. He sees God's intervention coming. His
burden is something very real, indeed tangible. He relates to reality,
speaks reality, speaks quality.
God's personal performance is directly related to words and visions. God
expects his presence and performance to be taken seriously as a word has
been released from a prophet's mouth. The burden develops, a prophet's
heart is increasingly troubled as he sees the unwillingness of the
people to adjust to reality.
Heaven is not the liberty and prosperity promised by vanity prophets.
Heaven is modest quality as is displayed in the beatitudes. At rest,
blessed are those who are poor in spirit. Blessed are those who
mourns.The vanity prophet never carries this prophetic mark as his
vision for himself and for the people is to flee from hardship at any
cost. The words of a vanity prophet never carries the quality of
presence and fulfillment Bring the gift of prophecy to test, bring the
prophets to be judged. Most of their words will be classified as wanting
quality.
The prophet is a man of the Book. Comparison, correspondence, and
conformity are his words. Not one dot or iota would be found missing. No
single thing will be found nonessential or unfulfilled. Not one thing
should be allowed to be diverging from the ideal. His lifetime
occupation is to became fully mastered by the Book. His desire is to
read it and to understand how the prophecies of old are to be applied in
this present day.
Two major elements opens for the burden of the Lord - revelation and
investigation. Revelation - a soul in anguish, Jer 4:19. Sent on the
road with a word. Running, but cannot run away from the task. The burden
will move and also carry the prophet. Those who carry a vision will
never travel far from the point of beginning. Those who allow themselves
to be carried by a vision will reach the goal, mission accomplished.
A vision of the ideal, of Heaven, transforms into a burden, into the
unwelcome burden when it begins to - almost demandingly - occupy every
aspect of your life. You are not your own, 1 Cor 6:19. The split mind,
the doublemindedness of a prophet manifest thus: Must stay with it; Must
try to get away from it - Jer 9:1-2. Prophetic stickability manifests
thus: Must cry over my people, the love of the Lord is an ever present,
compelling force, a fire burning within. Yet, it is getting too hot,
getting to narrow.
Jonah ran off, only to have a strange encounter with the burden that
carries a prophet on to final fulfilment of the words planted. Amos was
brought out of his favourite occupation to become an excellent political
commentator, obviously not liking his new role - Am 7:14. Elijah ran off
and away from the Jezebelic confrontation. And while on the move in the
wrong direction - a decision based on his own analysis - he was served
refreshing meals by angels. - We would have decided that we were
perfectly right, based on the fact of the graceful angelic visitation.
And we would have added to our error and folly by taking down the story
in a colourful manuscript, describing the meal and the appearance of the
servant in minute detail, for the sake of making a few more bucks.
Elijah found grace in the sound of the gentle wind, brought back to
reality by mere silence.
The burden of the Lord is planted in men's hearts for the benefit of
those who are defenseless, and mistreated. The burden is nothing but the
willingness to go between, to act on behalf of the ones who hurt , to
come to the assistance of those who are crushed - Isa 58:6-8. Prophets
work with reality. His tools are facts. His tools are minds girded for
action. His tools are hearts burning for righteousness. Prophets are
practical men in the field of religion as well as in the area of culture
and social science.
His main area of investigation comprises the everyday "how to's"
concerning the ten commandments. The main question runs as follows: How
to build a society, a fellowship ready to serve the poor and needy
spiritually as well as in every manner possible physically and socially?
God is relevant. He co-operates with men who are ready and willing to
become burdened. God does not operate flows and winds of impersonal
change. Prophecy tells you how to act and to relate. Prophecy never
pacifies. It raises expectations, it motivates and it makes you ready to
participate in God's work. Prophecy makes you think and act.
The sign of the Presence is fruit, not power. We may expect miracles -
as well as counterfeit miracles. But, we must set our minds and hearts
to the displaying of fruit of the fellowship with the Spirit. The enemy
does not produce christlikeness. The Antichrist is anti and against
fruit. The enemy is never against the spectacular and self-produced, but
he heartily dislikes a character moulded at the foot of the Cross.
Fruit, likeness and identity brings identification, a burden and
co-operation.
The prophet has handed himself over to the Word and to the ministry of
intercession. A prophet has made himself available to the Word to
explain and to expound itself. Investigation brings revelation.
Revelation forces investigation and explanation. The Word has to become
internalised, eat the scroll. The Word externalises itself through
intercession. Bowls full of intercession and incense brings thunder and
lightning, Rev 5:8.
The greater and larger part of the work of a prophet is his occupation
with the transforming Word and its application, the minor part is the
public part -speaking to people. A vanity prophet never gives out a word
from the Lord, simply because he never gave himself to the Word. He may
speak perfectly in line with what the Book teaches, but what he says is
not from the Lord.
Prophets become men of revelation because they follow hard after the
Lord and hand themselves over to the Word. Prophets never sound like
parrots. Prophets are men of quality. A prophet is one of its kind,
never copying, never to be copied. He is comfortable being alone, like
Michaiah - 2 Chron 18. Sometimes he is horribly lonely like Elijah.
Spiritual and moral quality establishes the framework and sets the
limits of true prophecy. The identity of the source of a prophetic word
becomes the sole target for testing and probing. A little leaven leavens
the whole lump of dough, 1Cor 5:6. The enemy preaches well. The spirits
prophesies with great fervour and inspiration. What sounds good and
edifying may spring from a bitter source - seduction and counterfeit.
Ecstasy and manifestations are not valid parameters for testing.
Presence - the presence of the Lord - guarantees quality. The prophetic
word divides the soulish from the spiritual. Flesh operating
prophetically produces divination and brings spiritism into the Church -
Jer 14:14, Gal 5:20.
The prophetic word is a motivational force, it becomes a burden unto
quality in practical kingdom expressions. The prophet is a man of
precise words and wording. He finds himself developing a language that
properly and prudently mirrors the presence of Heaven.
A burden from the Lord may be compared to a consuming fire, Jer 20:9.
It drives home every single point in the message by heavy punches, Jer
23:29. It holds the compelling force of something otherworldly. It goes
far beyond the ordinary. But, watch, beware, God may not present. God is
not the source just because of the extraordinary, the sensational. "For
you will no longer remember the oracle of the LORD, because every man's
own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted the words of the
living God, the LORD of hosts, our God." - Jer 23:36.
Oracles, burdens of men's minds and imaginations of men's hearts - the
same word is used for "oracle" and for "burden" in the Hebrew language -
may quite easily out manoeuvre and overrule the Word of God. Sensations
and forcefulness are not parameters to be used to identify and classify
true burdens and oracles. Overwhelming experiences and astounding
manifestations are used as means to shortcut testing procedures and to
invite the spiritistic and demonic. Demons are attracted to the bizarre.
"Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams, declares
the LORD, and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods
and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do
they furnish this people the slightest benefit, declares the LORD." -
Jer 23:32. 2. Blessed are the peaceful rather than the boastful. Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are
the meek and gentle.
[ Priscilla's comment: This does not mean to me that manifestations are not God...but that we should not judge by manifestations, but by FRUIT...the character of a person when judging prophecy...and not religious parameters, but what is the heart of that person. Some are being judged without even knowing them. We need to seek God's opinion...His is the only one that counts. This is because suspicion is also a spirit behind witchcraft control. ]
The fullness of the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit is but, and
nothing less than, the fullness of the operation and the workings of the
Cross. His presence teaches us how to carry the cross. He plants
christlikeness. He is the sole qualified instructor in regards to the
topics related to burden-bearing. God has chosen the weak things of the
world to shame the things which are strong, 1 Cor 1:27. The Holy Spirit
confronts pride. He confronts those who violates the defenseless, he
confronts offenders. The true burden produces tears, not boasting. A
true burden serves, never making profit.
Prophets and profit just don't combine.
[ Again a comment by Priscilla : I don't think he means a prophet can never have means...because Joseph was a prophet...a seer. But that we are not LOOKING to make money off our "words" etc...for self-gain...selling the word of God to gain affluence and self-indulgence is not possible for the true prophet...one can make a mistake in the arena...but a true prophet's heart is always toward his spiritual inheritance...the presence of GOD Himself . One thing you will note with psychics is that they are doing it for money...seldom is money out of the equation...and that has slipped into the church as well...people buying and selling with no regard for the poor...people making a name for themselves. ]
A burden is an oracle. A burden defines itself. A burden aims at
specific targets and appears within specific parts of the framework
called reality. An oracle is a burden. A word from the Lord hurts. To
become aware of the reality, as God perceives it, hurts. To carry a
burden, to live within the realm of the Cross is painful. To share and
deliver a burden is not done without cost. A prophet's office is no
glamorous office. "Like emery harder than flint I have made your
forehead", Ez 3:9. Made able to cope with the rebellion. Made able to
stand the pressure. The glamour prophet is in every sense and situation
a false prophet. "Therefore I say, Turn your eyes away from me, Let me
weep bitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of
the daughter of my people." - Isa 22:4. The glamour prophet heals
superficially, if at all, and he is not ashamed of it. "They have healed
the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' but
there is no peace. Were they ashamed because of the abomination they
have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how
to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time
that I punish them, They shall be cast down, says the LORD." - Jer
6:14-15.
Nehemiah invited a burden by asking simple questions about the remnant
residing in Jerusalem. The reporting brought him to tears, not of the
religious type but of a more productive kind. Investigation invites
revelation. True revelation can afford to be tested. Revelation and
investigation belongs as a inseparable pair in the realm of reality.
Daniel gives a perfect example of how a burden is nurtured and
cultivated: "So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by
prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." - Daniel 9:3.
The prophetic office is the opposite to and is contrary to the
discipline of delusion, Jer 10:8. A burden of the Lord shatters follies
of fantasy. A heavenly oracle will be brought in among the vanity
prophets to overturn their kingdoms of delusion. What is at hand when
the Lord "declares", Jer 4:28? There are several words, sharp as iron
from the north, linked to the utterances of the Lord through his
prophets. To declare, to pronounce, to proclaim, to command. What is at
hand when the Lord brings in his sword in the form of a prophetic word?
The carnal and the spiritual will be separated. Delusion and reality
will stand out as crystal clear entities opposing each other. The
mixture presented as "modern Christianity" will be toppled and
disqualified.
The corrupted optimism of this day is indeed contrary to biblical
Christianity. The covenant among vanity prophets not to confront each
other and the various interpretations of the message of peace and
prosperity, will come to an end with dramatic manifestations. Their
phony brokenness, their superficial tears and repentance does not stand
the test of reality. Prophecy brings thorough change, if allowed to work
as a word from the Lord. The Jeremiahs of this hour will not obey any
demanding voice, declaring silence in the name of unity. Curses brought
against the Jeremiahs of this late hour will not bite. Jeremiah-types
will not quit.
The office of a prophet holds specific burdens for nations, Isa 13:1.
Men of the prophetic dimension are sent to men in authority with oracles
concerning national issues, and their words hold information and
instruction for the restructuring of motivation and intentions - Rev
10:11. In times of apostasy and depravity there will appear men of God
with uncompromising words on repentance, grace and judgment. The
prophetic mind develops into its finest and most rare expressions in
times of antichristian lack of adherence and unwillingness to listen.
A major, and perhaps the final, confrontation and judgment of the
babylonic patterns are to be expected, Isa 14:22. The prosperity
perspective based on a false view of man's potential intertwined with
spiritistic hopes and helpers will meet its end, Jer 14:14-15.
Indeed, the burden becomes overwhelming for the prophetic people when
the Day of the Lord is ruled out as an impossibility in the name of love
and positive confession. Could it be that the old prophets were wrong?
Could it be that the Lord, while walking the paths of Israel, were
mistaken concerning the Father's intentions as they were revealed
through the prophets of the Book? The burden of an Isaiah concerning the
last days - Isa 24-27 - a mistake, another delusion? Who makes God a
liar - the prophets of old or the vanity prophets?
Prosperity prophets try to speak a new reformation into existence, a
reformation which in the end eradicates the necessity of the Day of the
Lord. Again the old trick is used and tried: If a statement is repeated
and repeated, it will eventually come out as truth one day. Prophecy by
manpower. At the root of the reformers' prospect lies a spiritistic
hope: No death, no decay, no decline, no demands, no judgment - be
positive, become prosperous, develop your potential.
Prophets sow with tears, and will reap with joy, Ps 126. Blessed are
those who mourn. When the nation of Judah was about to be destroyed,
Jeremiah purchased land. He was investing in the impossible future. The
burden-bearer belong to the future - the future belong to the
burden-bearer. Blessed are the meek and gentle for they shall inherit
the land. Burdens are not real if the blessed hope of a future promised
land is missing at the core of it. Burden-bearers are not a pessimistic
people. Burden-bearers cannot give in.
Prophets carrying a message of judgment will not be able to carry
through while delivering their message if they have missed the mark
concerning investment in the future. The tears are their fountain,
and they are somehow resting in a song which only Heaven can plant. The
burden is planted while looking into Heaven. The burden is a matter of
quality. The burden sings about the qualities of Heaven. Prophets are
men occupied with a continuous pursuit for quality. The prophetic office
rests on an ongoing encounter with the God of hope, He who sent his only
begotten son to re-establish holiness and hope. Prophets are burdened
simply because they are anchored in this reality.
*******************
The European Prophetic College.
Please, allow these articles to be circulated among your friends.
To become partaker of the regular flow of mailings from the College,
mail us a request.
