May the mumbling commence!
Where does the burden of proof lie? When two prophets who claim to speak for the
Lord have opposing messages to the people, where does the burden of proof lie? And how does our faith in the Lord develop?
Our faith develops over time spent with the Lord. Think about the Lord Jesus and his
disciples. They witnessed many miracles
that Jesus performed – miracles that were in direct line from the Scriptures
and their Spirit.
In Matthew, after the feeding of the multitude, Jesus
walked on water to his disciples. Note
their response to this new miracle. Read
from Matthew chapter fourteen:
Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back
into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people
home. Afterward
he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while
he was there alone. Meanwhile, the
disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and
they were fighting heavy waves.
About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them,
walking on the water. When the disciples
saw him, they
screamed in terror, thinking he was
a ghost. But Jesus spoke to
them at once. "It's
all right," he said. "I am here! Don't
be afraid."
Then Peter called
to him, "Lord, if it's really you,
tell me to come to you by walking on water."
"All right, come," Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the
water toward Jesus. But when he looked around at the high
waves, he was terrified and began to
sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted.
Instantly Jesus reached
out his hand and grabbed him. "You don't have
much faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" And when they climbed back into the boat, the
wind stopped.
Then the
disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!"
they exclaimed. (Verses
22-33)
While the disciples were moving on, Jesus dismissed the
crowds and took time to pray. It had
been a difficult few days – learning of the death of John the Baptist, serving
the people in a remote place. Jesus
needed to pray, recharge, and refocus.
Then, Jesus rejoined his disciples.
Even after witnessing so many miracles, the disciples
responded in fear. They were terrified
when they saw Jesus walking on the water.
So Jesus spoke to them. They must’ve
recognized his voice. He did not tell
them his name. Jesus only said, “I am
here”.
God is here for us.
May we feel the presence of our Lord in our lives. May we realize the impossible can become
possible when we follow the Lord. May we
stop and take time to pray, to worship, and to exclaim.
So, where does the burden of proof lie? It lies where the word of the prophet is in
direct conflict with the Lord as we have known Him through our growing
relationship with the Lord. Read from
Jeremiah chapter twenty-eight:
One day in late summer of that same year – the fourth
year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah – Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet
from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and
people listened. He said, "The Lord
Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I
will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks. Within two years, I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar
carried off to Babylon. And I will bring back Jehoiachin son of
Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon.
I will surely break the yoke that the
king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the Lord, have spoken!"
Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of
all the priests and people at the Temple.
He said, "Amen! May your prophecies come true!
I hope the Lord does everything
you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple
and all our loved ones. But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the
presence of all these people.
The
ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke
against many nations, always warning of war, famine, and disease. So a prophet who predicts
peace must carry the burden of proof. Only when his predictions come true can it be known that he is really from
the Lord."
(Verses 1-9)
When we speak a word contrary to the essence of
Scriptures and the way that God walks with His people, the burden of proof lies
on us. May blessings come! May they come from the Lord! But the proof must be in the pudding. They must happen… or we must listen and
accept the discipline of the Lord for us.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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