Okay time for the sermon. I have been reading, well listening to the ending chapters of the Exodus and the beginning chapters of Leviticus. Boy did God had a lot instructions for being holy. I stumbled on a verse that I never read before and barely began to understand the meaning behind the message. The verse is Leviticus 10:1-3.

" 1) Aaron sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2) So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3) Moses then said to Aaron, ' This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:
" 'Among those who approach me
I will show myself holy;
in sight of all the people I will be
honored.' "
Aaron remained silent."

Wow, that's some harsh punishments the Lord put on those two sons of Aaron. Poor Aaron, I can imagine what he might have felt. Obedience is something that everyone human being suffers to comply with even to the individuals own standards not to mention God's standards. Obedience in the OT meant a lot of things that are true today. In some cases, obedience was a matter of life or death. In the case of the Aaron's sons, they did not obey God's instruction on how did should present themselves before the Supreme Being who is the Almighty and Holy. If Moses was only allowed to see God's back and that considering that God was actually honoring Moses with such a blessing since to see a small portion of God's glory like a fire cloud is barely bearable in present human condition. How could two disobeying sons of man be able to just walk up to God and say "what up Big Guy" in their manner. To really see the situation spiritually, we need to understand the basis for obedience to God and how it is done, and the result of doing or not. The basis for obeying God along with those He appoints is really simple, because He says so. Not getting thru, well that's the child in us saying "no" already. We must understand as growing Christians that mere blind obedience is not what God wants. He wants us to understand that He has given us things to obey and follow by for OUR own good. Remember that God, is well God. He does not require anything from Creation for His well being, it's for Creation's own well being namely human beings that we have instructions from God. Aaron's sons failed to understand that scoop of the situation. Since God is beyond any expression of power and majesty that to see Him face to face was death. Sin could not be present in front God without it being destroyed. In the case of the sons of Aaron, the instruction of the fire that was acceptable by God was more for the benefit of their well being because God new that He could not be approached in any given human way. It's like literally handling live fire in your hands. Last time I checked, my hands are flesh made from the earth and fire consumes earth pretty well (just check the top of the real Mt. Sinai, if the Arabs let us). Because the sons of Aaron disobeyed, God had to punish them to show that He is holy and no one can handle what God truly is, I am still trying to conceive the fact that God was on Earth living like as a man, I mean I believe the miracle but still WOW. Everything that God has commanded us to do is for the purpose to us closer to Him with complete truth and open love and for humanity's better good.

Jesus set the best way to obey God and others as needed. Jesus obeyed in faith, with love, and that resulted in action of good fruits of holiness and righteousness. Faith in the God and His Divine is necessary since no ones' own work can match God and what He requires. Faith in a obedience and obedience in faith ensures that the heart of the believer is sincere and honest and humbled. Obedience with love meant that you have faith and selfgivingness or sacrificial ability to do what is asked of you by your own free will and heart and not for a self gaining motive and falsehood, in a nutshell, you cared about to whom the obedience was for and the results of your actions. Last but not least, is action, the actually obedience in motion being accomplished. Carrying out the commands and instructions given to you by God and His servants is the end result of the obedience made flesh and doing the task. The outcome is blessings galore depending on the situation according to God' will.

If God had tolerated the disobedience of the fire commandment by Aaron's sons, they would in effected the camp with more sin. In such way, present leaders and ministers can do extreme damage to themselves and others by not obeying God's Word. Rather then having more suffering people being effected by the disobedience of some people, God will find it necessary to discipline harshly even to the point of death for the better good of His people. We will never understand all of the reasons for God purposes until we stand completely before Him when the time comes, but we must keep faith in the Word of God that provides hope that it is all for the good of all. Obedience can mean the difference between life or death. If I choose to disobey my instruction to control my anger and just kill someone, I will reap my evil harvest and allow more evil to harm other people. But obeying the Word of God is allowing blessing in the world for the Glory of the Kingdom of God to work love, joy and peace to those of want God in their lives and also brings punishment, judgment and justice to those who hate God with evil and sin. I can't say that i obey myself knowing that I am in danger of death beyond compare but because one being the Supreme Being had obedience, I am able to continue my life anew with forgiveness and hope that I can change to despite my falls, and will completely rise by the power of God and His Supreme Love for His family here on Earth. Praise be to one is Unknowable that make Himself Knowable thru grace, mercy and Love. Holy is the Lord God because He is LOVE. Because God was obedient and faithful to His promises of salvation to the world that being Father and Son at the same, God revealed His infinite Love for us all. And because God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all at once in His own glory, God enjoyed the fruits that come from the obedience in Jesus Christ specially on the Cross of Salvation and Triumph. His people were restored to Him and salvation was achieved. At the same time, God felt the sting of disobedience in Jesus Christ by the people that God loved so much, because although Jesus Christ was obedient representing the goodness holiness human beings were created to perform reflecting God's nature, Jesus Christ was also representing our disobedience and evil to the point that was sin for us so that God's Wrath might be placed on the Savior at full blast. Full blast because Jesus Christ completely embrace death in all of it's horrible context, physically, mentally and spirit. Jesus Christ died from his torture and was heart broken. In His mind, Jesus was at a lose away from His Father which were the true death is express. Even the Holy Spirit was filled with sorrow for even some women and men cried for Jesus and felt sadness. God the Father looked away from God the Son and Jesus was separated from God therefore excepting total penalty for our disobedience. Ironic huh, Jesus, being the best perfect human being, was rewarded on Earth with death, torture and all kinds of evil for His obedience in order that we may have salvation for our disobedience. It's true, in this world one man's loss is one man's gain. But God is just too powerful to be taken down and we all know how the real story goes and now I am alive because of the God of Love and Mercy and Grace forever. Forgive my disobedience my Lord and God and renew me everyday to see past the instruction and laws but see the good in you, me and your Holy Word. Aaron must have been very sad for the loss of his sons and had to except a harsh truth of how God feels towards us when obeying or not obeying the Lord. So we need to take to heart of obedience and remember that we have it a lot better then OT worshipers/saints but now the responsibilities are greater but we also have God's Holy Spirit to help us to fulfill the purpose Our beloved Father and Lord has made us with. Thank you forever God and I love you because you loved me first. Obedient and True is what you are Lord Jesus, King of Glory. I learned to be a true leader seeing your obedience and faithfulness to God and to us thru your Word and by the love of your people. Love is Supreme and reigns because God is. Amen