There are a great number of things that must be done through the synergy of consensus. There are many things that can only be achieved with the help of a cooperative of creative ideas. Leaders have to be able to listen and draw on suggestions for change to be successful. But obeying the Word of God is not one of them. That is a non-negotiable standard.
By Gary D. Ellis
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Deuteronomy 13:1-4 (TLB) 1 If there is a prophet among you, or one who claims to foretell the future by dreams, 2 and if his predictions come true but he says, “Come, let us worship the gods of the other nations,” 3 don’t listen to him. For the Lord is testing you to find out whether or not you really love him with all your heart and soul. You must never worship any God but Jehovah; obey only his commands and cling to him.
Moses said, “The Lord your God is testing you to find out if you really love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Worship the Lord your God, fear Him, obey His commands, listen to what He says, serve Him, and be loyal to Him.”
God says the reason He allows false dreamers to dream accurate dreams, and predict things that actually come to pass, is to test you to see if you love Him and trust Him completely.
There are six things that God commands us to do if we love Him with all of our heart and soul: worship Him, fear Him, obey Him, hear Him, serve Him, and be loyal to Him. These are things that anyone who claims to dream, prophesy, or speak into your life on God’s behalf will encourage above all things. These six things will trump any personal goal or benefit.
Worship consists of more than the rituals of church-time performances. It is not merely singing, dancing, praising, or praying. Those things are expressions of worship. Worship is a lifestyle; it’s an attitude. Worship is living our lives entirely for God’spleasure. Worship is when we consider everything we say and do, both in public and private, as an act of adoration and are content that our greatest reward is the assurance that we have made God happy.
God wants us to fear Him. Any dream, vision, or prophetic prediction someone shares with you will deepen your sense of awe and fear of God. To fear God is to revere Him, value His Word, honor His presence, and respect His established order. He desires for us to live our lives in such a way that every word and deed would show that we know He is a righteous and just judge. Those who fear Him will never say, “I know He says to do this, but I feel…”
When we love God, we delight in keeping all of His commandments, and to us His commandments are not burdensome. We love His commandments because we love and trust Him. If someone says the Lord revealed something to them in a dream or a vision, or if they prophesy and what they predict comes true, and then declare, “Come, let us (fill in the blank with anything that contradicts the principles taught in God’s Word),” that person is false. God is testing you to see if you really love Him and delight in His commandments.
God wants us to obey Him. No dream, unction, vision, or prophecy can take precedence over obedience to the principles of God’s written Word. To disobey God, even with the best of intentions, is indistinguishable from rebellion in the sight of God.
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