Hebrews 8:5 “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” God was the architect of the Tabernacle. He gave the pattern to Moses and Moses was to follow exactly the pattern. There was to be no revisions and no ‘I believe this would work better that way.” Why was God so very particular that His pattern be followed. One reason is that it was the way that the Tabernacle could be set up, taken down and carried for 40 years in the wilderness and other years in the Promised Land until the Temple was built. I believe the main reason is that every part of the Tabernacle represents some aspect of the Savior who was to come. If God was so particular about the Tabernacle, don’t you think God would be even more particular about the Church which is the Body of Christ? Don’t you believe that the pattern showed unto us is the only way that the Church could survive and fulfill the purpose of God. Again God was the architect and the Builder was the Holy Spirit. The material for the building of the Church which is His Body was not fabric, wood, silver, gold or any other material. The material is now spiritual men. The Holy Spirit was in charge of seeing that all things answered to the mind of God. The Church was born on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was ‘poured out’ on the 120 men and women, who obeyed the Lord’s command. “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high”(Luke 24:49). That day, the ‘Builder’ came and began the work of building the Church using the spiritual men, who were under His authority. Acts 2:41-47 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. The early Church consisted only of spiritual people. Naturally, Satan would not leave this to continue without intruding his evil ways into it. We have the case of Ananias and Sapphira, who sold a piece of property and held back a part. Ananias lying to Peter, telling him that the amount they submitted was the total of the sold price. Peter said, “Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost...” Note, Peter said to the Holy Ghost, not to the Church, A study of the Book of Acts and the writing of the Apostles will be very beneficial in understanding what the pattern or the Early Church was. God has not changed the pattern. That change has come about by unspiritual men inserting their plans and their ways contradictory to the revealed plan of God. Consequently, the visible church is void of the power that energized the Early Church. The Holy Spirit will never sanction the works of man. Therefore, in many assemblies, what you experience in the gathering is nothing more than man carrying out their programs, creeds and ecclesiasticism. The Holy Spirit is not there. But God has never and will never be without a witness to His Son and the Purpose that rests in Him. In the book of Malachi, the last Word from God to Israel until the coming of John the Baptist, we read: Malachi 3:16-18 “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. You will not find the Holy Spirit in places where man has substituted their power for the power of God. That is why anyone who has a hungry heart for God, will be like the Ethiopian Eunuch, who had been to Jerusalem and went into the Temple, as far as he was allowed, and was leaving disappointed that the official place among the religious leaders in Jerusalem was unable to satisfy the longing in his heart for the truth. God saw the thirst of his spirit and sent Phillip to show him the way. Here is the Word of the Lord given by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. An idol is anything that is substituted for the Lord Jesus.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 16:25:51 +0000