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Has your pastor ever preached or taught on the three strikes of Aaron, Moses’ right hand man who was destined to take the helm after Moses?
If not here it is in a nutshell.
Aaron had opportunity after opportunity to show God he was worthy to take over when Moses died, and after Moses stole God’s glory by striking the rock not once but twice , Moses misses out on the promised land and that was Aaron’s third strike.
Aaron’s first strike came when Moses went to commune with God and Aaron allowed the people to act a fool and build a golden calf and declared this would be their god. (Ex 32:1-)
He made matters worse by saying that the reason he allowed this was because he was afraid of the people. Wow, incredible.
Or was it that you thought God was gonna let that lame excuse suffice disobeying his word.
Strike one.
The second strike comes when Moses again went up to commune with the almighty God and Aaron and his padna, your ace boon Miriam started taking about Moses behind his back, as though the omnipotent, all powerful, omniscient, all knowing, and omnipresent, everywhere all at the same time, didn’t hear what you were saying. The one that knows not only knows everything we do or say but also our thoughts. (Num 12:1-)
Strike two.
Notice that both times God chose not to punish Aaron. God didn’t let Miriam get away with it though.
The final strike comes on the heels of God showing His omnipotent power by opening up the earth and swallowing 250 of rebellious folks led by Korah. (Num 16:1 *31-35)
The remaining rebellious stiff-necked folks at first being in fear eye witnessing such an event, seemed to have short-term memories or again thought God wasn’t gonna do anything about their disobedience. Unfortunately for them, they were wrong.
As I mentioned at the beginning, Aaron’s third strike came when Moses got beside himself and after receiving direct instructions from God to speak to the rock for these murmuring complaining whiners could and would quiet down, he instead strikes the rock twice. The water did come out but, by Moses striking the rock,, made it seem as though his striking is what produced the miracle. Not so of course, it was God’s awesome power that created it but the people didn’t acknowledge it in the manner in which they would have had Moses did what he was told.
Some would ask, why does this have to do with Aaron and his third strike, well what did Aaron say or do when he saw Moses violate God’s Word, nothing, silence.
The sin of silence was the most powerful sin first created when Adam stood right there and listened t the entire discord between his woman and the serpent and not only did he do absolutely nothing, he then proceeded to disobey God by taking the “FRUIT”, not apple, and did bite as his wife told him to.
After the disobedience and silence of both Moses and Aaron, God decided it was time to set into motion the changing of the guards which soon ushered in Joshua and Caleb.
There could be more details I could add but you need to go back and study to show yourself approved.
The reason God led me to bring this story up is very simple, I don’t care what you think your position is in the kingdom, how close of a relationship you think you have with God Himself, when God says something, He means just that.
As great a man as Moses was in God’s eyes and even Aaron, Adam, and many others throughout the Bible, as rich and wise as Solomon was, when God says something, that’s what He means.
If you decide you are gonna attempt to change God’s Word, water it down, sugar coat it, or any of the like, just so that people will like you, it will fill the pews, some will cut you a check, you had better prepare to receive what each of these men of God, whom none of us could hold a candle to in terms of the great and mighty works they performed, received for your disobedience.
If people don’t like what the Bible says that’s cool. You don’t have to read it, buy it, study it, or debate it, understand it, or believe it. That’s fine too.
I will never waste my time debating with someone that has made up in their minds that they just ain’t gonna believe or receive what the Bible says, or for that matter, who Jesus really is, not was, or the authenticity of the Word of God.
There are far too many that still wanna know who Jesus is and does His Word really apply to them and can they really receive what it says if they obey it.
As a matter of fact this brings me to the scriptures I feel every preacher/pastor needs to start meditating on so that they get it into their spirit.
2 Thessalonians 2 Amplified Bible (AMP)
2 Now in regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to meet Him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be quickly unsettled or alarmed either by a [so-called prophetic revelation of a] spirit or a message or a letter [alleged to be] from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has [already] come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed], 4 who opposes and exalts himself [so proudly and so insolently] above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he [actually enters and] takes his seat in the temple of God, publicly proclaiming that he himself is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now [from being revealed]; it is so that he will be revealed at his own [appointed] time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way.
8 Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming. 9 The coming of the [Antichrist, the lawless] one is through the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies], 10 and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not welcome the love of the truth [of the gospel] so as to be saved [they were spiritually blind, and rejected the truth that would have saved them].
** 11 Because of this God will send upon them a misleading influence, [an activity of error and deception] so they will believe the lie, 12 in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe the truth [about their sin, and the need for salvation through Christ], but instead took pleasure in unrighteousness.
1 Timothy 4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
4 But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning]
Revelation 22:11-21 Amplified Bible (AMP)
11 Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy (vile, impure), still be filthy; and the one who is righteous (just, upright), still be righteous; and the one who is holy, still be holy.” 12 “Behold, I (Jesus) am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to the merit of his deeds (earthly works, faithfulness). 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End [the Eternal One].”
God’s chosen Men must go back to being flat-footed, back-boned, and recommitted to standing on the unadulterated, uncompromised, straight no chaser Word of God and have the Faith to believe it will yield what God said it would.
Till next week,
God Bless.
Rev. Dr. Robert L. Harrison, PhD – pastorrobharrison@gmail.com, @drrobharrison (Twitter), Robert Bob Harrison (Facebook) Pastor – The Apostolic Open Door Church of God & True Holiness, 2800 41st Ave. N, St. Pete – www.weareholiness.org | Church of God and True Holiness, Intl. www.trueholinesschurches.org First Vice President – NAACP St. Petersburg Branch Chaplain – Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Pinellas Parent Support for Education Board | Chaplain – Dept. Juvenile Justice for Circuit 6 Democratic Black Caucus Member
