BUILDING ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN
8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
9 ACCORDING TO ALL THAT I SHOW YOU, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
40 AND SEE TO IT THAT YOU MAKE THEM ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."
Exodus 25:8-9,40 (NKJV)
"WHO serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “SEE THAT YOU MAKE ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.”
Hebrews 8:5 (NKJV)
When a vision is given by God to a believer, there is always a pattern with which God would want the person to fulfil the vision. Whatever you are building for God; either a church, ministry, parachurch or whatever, there is a pattern with which God would want you to build the work.
This is the reason why It is important for anyone answering a call to the ministry to know what God actually wants him or her to do, where to do it, when to do it or the time of the commencement, and how to do it. These questions are pertinent and important to answer before the commencement or start of the work—as you are preparing for the work or assignment.
If a minister misses It in the place of pattern, that is, If a minister could not get the accurate pattern with which God wanted him or her to build, they may suffer and toil so much in doing the work—in carrying out or fulfilling the vision.
The instruction to build or make according to the pattern shown to Moses was being emphasized and repeatedly said (Exodus 25:9,40), because It was very important.
Likewise in the contemporary time, whoever is being assigned, to fulfil a vision or pioneer a new work or ministry or whatever, would do well to get it right before the commencement of the work; anything apart from this, toiling and struggling would be inevitable. Because what God has not commanded, He will not support or finance.
I want to strongly believe that a number of ministers struggling in their assignments are doing so because they could not get or understand the specificity of what God has instructed them to build. One intricacy or complicacy of the ministry work is that It evolves. If this is not well understood, you may start well and get plateaued or hooked or stagnated after you get to a point or stage.
Ministry varies, and the call on an individual minister differs, no two ministries are alike. Each ministry has its own uniqueness.
The call of God on your life is unique and It should not be compared with that of another person (2 Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 2:7,8). You should strive to discover or know the unique pattern or way with which God wanted you to build the ministry given to you (Acts 22:17-21).
Some people's calling or ministries are not straightforward or are not easily understood, they are a bit complicated. Some who have a missionary-apostolic work or ministry, like that of Apostle Paul, their works might be diversified and a bit complicated. Such at times may not be allowed to be stationed in a place or have a base in a particular place. The ministry of some of such people could be the type that changes or metamorphoses at one level or another—it is not direct or straightforward so to speak.
Those who are in this group used to experience toughness and roughness in the work If they are not circumspect and painstaking in their walk with God.
a. Their sensitivity or keenness to the hearing from God should be topnotch or excellent.
b. There should be a special tie between them and God for them not to be missing Him when He is giving them signs or signals to switch over or move to another phase or level or stage.
Theirs is always like the case of the Israelites following the cloud in the wilderness (Numbers 9:17-23). In following the cloud, you do not decide or determine your movement. The cloud may start moving in the midnight while they are sleeping or It could be in the daytime, but the moment the cloud started moving and It is sighted and the trumpet is blown everyone will begin to park his or her things and begin to move with the cloud. Whoever does not move would be left behind.
If God started moving in your ministry to another stage or level or phase wisdom demands that you move also. When you failed to move, you become a monument—you would be stagnated. Because God has left that scene or level or stage, your lagging behind would make you suffer and attract wrong set of people. Everything needed for the work would be withdrawn, including finances, because God is no longer with you at the stage or level or phase.
The complication is usually at the point when the person or minister ought to switch from one phase to another. If he or she refused to pick up the signals or signs being given by God that It is the time to move up to another phase or stage or level, If they did overstayed at that current level or phase, things would begin to dwindle and the work they had taken time to build at that phase would begin to crumble. In fact, If they could not get the message being passed across through the dwindling and crumbling on time, the whole work may collapse and be brought to an extinct—no longer existing.
If I may ask, Are you still on course? Are you building according to the pattern given to you? And, How are you faring in the doing of the work? It is my prayer that you will not miss it and you will not labour in vain in Jesus' name. Peace.
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