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God creates by fiat command. Thus, when he tries to make our lives what He wants them to be, He is likely to tell us what he wants us to do. Which is great unless we are stubborn and we won’t be told what to do. Hence twice the people of Israel were chastised for rejecting God‘s command and chain of command. structure. Once for rejecting His fiat provision of Moses as command sergeant major because they feared his African wife. Second they revolted against God’s order to take up arms and go in and possess the land. Miriam turned leprous and the children of Israel were turned away for two generations and forty years from the promised land of Israel. When God turned them away they rejected him again and tried to take it without him and suffered military defeat. How can we let God work his creative power and artistry in making our lives all they divinely can be? How can we avoid the penalties God will use if He must to teach us (or others by our sad example) to be subordinate and obedient? Perhaps it starts with fear. God is a sweetheart in today’s post-Christian worship. Our lover doesn’t boss us around. Our romance interest doesn’t tell us what’s what and that’s that. So God’s commands become discussion topics, interesting suggestions. The pastor must prove they have practical benefit in our lives, then he can ask us to follow them. Spiritual leaders become poor excuses for salespeople. When you sell well you let your prospect know the downside of rejecting your deal as well as the upside of embracing your deal. Selling God as the sweetness and light allows your prospect an easy out that isn’t there. Ezekiel’s watchman of Israel is accountable for not warning God’s people. Hey people, there is no exit. God’s narrow way of divine creation in you or the broad path that leads to destruction: Which will you tread? What will you be? Broad minded or narrow minded? To be truly broadminded wouldn’t you at least allow the pupil to decide based on all three sides of the directive. 1. God commands. Obedience to God is virtuous. 2. Benefits promised and perhaps proven. 3. God’s corrective disciplinary punishment and exemplary disgraceful humiliations To put forth one, or, even, none (as when the benefits of a command of God are discussed apart from God’s commanding it) of these three in response to God’s communicative and pastoral order is insubordinate on the spiritual leader’s part. Listen up for what God tells you to say and compare it with what you say.Enough by far about spiritual leaders. They are only a problem because their subordinate congregations are rebellious and won’t accept God’s commandments. What can we do? Be the two and not the ten.(Joshua and Canaan saw the next day! The ten did not, topside of this Earth. Good reason to be the Two and not the ten, eh? And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. Capital punishment is administered by the Lord and before the Lord. Because of treason and traitorism. In doing what? War protestation. War nay saying. Why do the people rage and their rulers plot this vain thing? Fear! Why do they demant God’s shackles be broken off them? Fear! Hear the ten: Numbers 13:28-33Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. Hear the two: And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. Hear the ten: And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Result: Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. Be the Two Follow the leader if he leads you to God. Accept rebuke. Take the punishment and learn from it. Be contrite as in expressing remorse for rebellion and infraction. Learn to hear, listen to and obey the Holy Spirit himself. Against His doings there can be no law. Gal. 5.19-25. The fruit of the Holy Spirit follows God’s universal commandment that we love; that we rejoice in our salvation and calling which is Joy; that we make the prosperity and security that is peace: That we persist in our faith which is patience; That we rescue others from destruction and want which is kindness, accepting and giving which is goodness, that we are ethical and reliable, which is faithfulness, courteous and respectful submitting our desires to the other which is humility, finally putting our wants and appetites into God’s hands for satisfaction which is selfcontrol!
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