Build According to the Pattern

I would like to open Part 5 of this series with the motto of the Chief Apostle Dr. Clifford E. Turner and visionary of the ministry I attend…”We’re not just building great churches, but great people, one sermon at a time”

Before we get started, I would like to recommend a short prayer to you.  We should always confess our need for God to give us wisdom, understanding, knowledge and revelation in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ better through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are awesome in all of your ways.  Please give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ more and more as I read this article.

Part 1 of this Series – What is the Fear of the Lord? – Part 1
Part 2 of this Series – What is the Fear of the Lord? – Part 2
Part 3 of this Series – Walking in the Fear of the Lord – Part 1
Part 4 of this Series – Walking in the Fear of the Lord – Part 2
Part 5 of this Series – Build According to the Pattern
Part 6 of this Series – Avoiding Satan’s Will for the Church
Part 7 of this Series – Revival

I would like to begin this article with a question.  For what purpose is Jesus Christ building His Church (the body of Christ at large, not a particular building or gathering of any one people) in the earth realm? As I understand scripture, there is one main purpose for Jesus building His body, the Church, on earth, to establish a permanent habitation for the Glory of God to dwell, the foundation of which is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the chief corner stone.  Within this ultimate purpose is the heart of God to reach the lost so that none should perish but have everlasting life.  Since I’m a logical thinker, I’ll present this thought in the following manner:

  • Ultimate Purpose – A Permanent Habitation for the Glory of the Lord to dwell
    • Ministry to God
      • Five Fold Governmental Offices of the Church
      • Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices
      • Worshiping the Father in Spirit and in Truth
    • Ministry to the Lost
      • Preaching The Gospel of Jesus Christ
      • Teaching the Word of God to Make Disciples for the Lord Jesus Christ
      • Spiritual Warfare – breaking spiritual strongholds of the enemy that seek to keep the lost…lost
    • Ministry to the Widow, the Orphan and the Poor
      • Be the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ in the earth
      • Be the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ in the earth
      • Be the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ in the earth

Assuming it’s true that “God Will return the Glory of the Lord to the Church, and returning the Fear of the Lord to the hearts of God’s people is the first step“.  This presents us with two important questions, first, how will God do it and second why is the Fear of the Lord at center stage?

The Three Part Harmony of Divine Architecture

In previous articles in this series, we discovered that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and Knowledge, and that Knowledge of the Holy One (knowing and understanding the way God does things) is true Understanding (see Job 28:20-28, Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10) for mankind on the earth.  To wrap it up in a nutshell, the Fear of the Lord is the foundation necessary for men to build anything for God’s glory in the earth (see What is the Fear of the Lord? – Part 2).  Let’s dive into the scriptures. As normal, the Word of God speaks for itself, however, I would like to draw your attention to a few key principles presented in the following passages from two different perspectives.  The first perspective will be the pattern used by the God Head to build, as recorded in scripture.  The second perspective will be the pattern established, by the God Head, for mankind to build on the earth to the Glory of God.

Pattern of the Third Heaven

By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew Prov 3:19-20 (NIV)

The Foundation

Observation #1 – Wisdom was the Kingdom Technology by which all three members of the God Head consulted together and in unity agreed to lay the foundation of the earth.  This an extremely powerful truth that must not escape our attention.  The Hebrew word for founded – yasad (seen in the KJV version of the scripture) meant to consult, to sit down together, to settle in order to create the earth and set it in it’s place.  This reveals to us that Wisdom is the means by which we, in unity and agreement, are to establish any new work in the earth realm, if we intend on doing it according to the pattern of the third heaven.  Please notice that the God Head engaged Wisdom with no scriptural mention of the Fear of the Lord.

The Atmosphere

Observation #2 – Understanding was the Kingdom Technology by which all three members of the God Head erected or set up the heaven(s).  Please notice, it’s not just one heaven, but multiple heavens.  At least one of these heavens was marked as the atmospheric container for the earth.  Continuing in our quest to establish the pattern established by the third heaven, whenever we want to build for the Glory of God, the atmosphere must be set using the Kingdom Technology of Understanding.

The Provision

Observation #3 – God’s Knowledge was the Kingdom Technology by which all three members of the God Head divided the depths (all types of depths, seas, oceans, deep things of God, deep parts of the earth) or hid the provision and made a decree to the bodies that would distribute provision to the entire earth.  Please notice, it’s God’s Knowledge that’s used, not just knowledge alone. The God Head used Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge to build, what we now call, the universe, and everything needed to sustain it.  What may appear as odd is that the Fear of the Lord is not contextually mentioned in the first passage of scripture.  The reason for this is that the God Head does not need to fear God, the Fear of the Lord is an eternal Kingdom Technology uniquely for mankind alone.  It’s purpose is to protect us against our natural instinct to attempt to build without God; remember the tower of Babel (see Job 28:28 and Genesis 11). I also would like to draw your attention to the fact that these Kingdom Technologies were used to establish the universe long before mankind was on the scene.  This is critical to understanding the divine pattern and the source of provision to build anything for God’s Glory.  It can never be done by the ingenuity, craftiness, education or resourcefulness of mankind.  It can ONLY be done for God’s Glory when the source is God Himself.  Notice also that, if these are the Kingdom Technologies used by the God Head to build the universe, stands to reason that if we’re to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ, daily, we should be following this same pattern.

Pattern on the Earth

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:  And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches Prov 24:3-4 (KJV) For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding Prov 2:6 (KJV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding Prov 9:10 (KJV)

The Foundation

Observation #4 – Please notice the subtle change of the introductory words that proceed the Kingdom Technology.  When the God Head is building, the term is by Wisdom.  However, as we see in the passage above, when mankind is building, the term is through Wisdom.  This is a very subtle but important distinction which must not escape our attention.  Mankind does not posses the capacity to access Wisdom apart from God Himself.  In others words, we get it second hand.  God Himself has direct access to Wisdom, and we gain access to Wisdom through the Kingdom Technology of the Fear of the Lord (see Job 28:28). Please also notice the word house.  The original Hebrew word for house contained a much richer meaning than just a house for people to dwell in.  The word also means household, temple, prison, place and family.  Hmmmm, if I’m not mistaken, that pretty much covers the entire spectrum of things we’re inclined to build on the earth for God’s Glory. On earth, the foundation of any spiritual structure is only as sure as the technology used to construct it.  I thank God that His word reveals the Kingdom Technology required to guarantee we always lay a sure foundation.  This includes, a person’s salvation, a ministry gift or a ministry (see Walking in the Fear of the Lord – Part 2 for Jesus’ teaching on firm versus weak foundations).

The Atmosphere

Observation #5 – Please notice that, according to the Proverbs 9:10, unless holiness is the atmosphere in which we attempt to erect, settle or confirm something being built on the earth, for God’s Glory, it will not be able to endure the storms that are also present in the earth.  The Kingdom Technology of Understanding is what caused the house being built to become settled and enduring, but Understanding comes to mankind through learning God’s ways and walking in them.  Since the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge, it reasonable to assume that without the Fear of the Lord, it’s impossible for mankind to build structure on sure foundations that will endure the test of time.

The Provision

Observation #6 – I draw your attention to the reality that true knowledge only comes from the mouth of God.  Please notice that the provision does not fill the house as a result of any man or woman doing anything.  The provision is the direct result of the Kingdom Technology of Knowledge being received by men and women believers walking in the Fear of the Lord.  This reality then translates into men and women understanding the purpose of the personal provision God has entrusted to their care as stewards. According to the foundation laid through the passages of scripture I’ve included, it is a matter of “putting the cart before the horse” to expect a man or woman believer to contribute to building natural structures on the earth without first ensuring that the spiritual structure and foundation within their souls is present as a result of walking in the Fear of the Lord.  As a matter of fact, trying to do that is most assuredly a work of the flesh and could never produce a result that brings Glory to God.

Access to Kingdom Technology

Now that we’ve identified building materials, the Kingdom Technologies of Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge, let’s go on to discover how we gain access to them.  It should not surprise you, at this point, that the entry way is the Kingdom Technology of the Fear of the Lord.  Before we proceed, I want to suggest that you read the two part series on Walking in the Fear of the Lord, if you haven’t already done so.

For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding Prov 2:6 (KJV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise Psalms 111:10 (NIV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge Prov 1:7b (NIV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding Prov 9:10 (NIV) The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor Prov 15:33 (NIV) The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them Psalms 25:14 (NIV) Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing Psalms 34:9 (NIV) He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them Psalms 145:19 (NIV)

I don’t believe commentary is necessary at this point.  God has already settled every provision needed for us to access the technologies of heaven to guarantee we successfully build in the earth.

Building a Habitation for the Glory of the Lord

As I have walked with the Lord Jesus Christ, I’ve found that He has NEVER asked me to do something without there already being a pattern established in the Word of God.  Now, it usually takes me a while to locate the pattern in scripture, because as I’ve stated a few times before, I’m a logical thinker, so my first instinct is to attempt to figure out how I’ll go about accomplishing what the Lord has asked of me.  Well, suffice it to say, my powerful problem solving ability has repeatedly resulted in disastrous results.  Once I acknowledge the disaster, repent for interfering with what the Lord has already pre-prdained for me to walk in before the foundation of the world, then I start digging and searching in scripture for the pattern.  OH MAN!  When I locate it, it still amazes me how riches packed the Word of God is. Let’s dive into scripture.  As you read the passages below, remember, we’re establishing the divine pattern for building in the earth.

The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him Ex 15:2 (KJV) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit Eph 2:19-22 (NIV) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple 1 Cor 3:16-17 (NIV) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus 1 Peter 2:5 (KJV)

Alright, let’s have some fun unpacking this.  With respect to building spiritual structures in the earth, there are three types.  All three are intended to result in a suitable place for God to inhabit.  Please note the fact that I am NOT using the word visitation.  I am intentionally using the word habitation because this is God’s heart.  He longs to constantly dwell among His people, it was never His goal to visit us every now and then.  Here are the three types of spiritual structures built in the earth.

  • Personal Habitation – The Holy Spirit Filled Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who is perfecting the personal place of habitation for God
  • Corporate Habitation – The local Church assembly made up of believers (wheat) and non-believers (tares).   Responsible for setting and maintaining an atmosphere appropriate for the habitation of God
  • The Body of Christ (the Church) – The collective assembly of all believers each of whom are perfecting their personal place of habitation for God.

Building Natural Structures in the Earth

I think I would be labeled an idiot if I only presented the notion that we only needed to build spiritual structures in the earth.  Well, that’s definitely not something I’m attempting to convey.  I do intend to communicate the divine pattern, established by God Himself, that always result in producing natural structures that continually give Glory to God. Once the spiritual structures are built according to the pattern, building the natural structures that endure, are no longer a struggle.  They no longer produce frustration, because only a few are aligned with the vision of heaven, and they no longer have to be propped-up by human effort and toil. This section is intentionally brief because it’s the ultimate will of Satan to have every believer stressed out building or attempting to maintain natural things as opposed to building and strengthening the spiritual structures which then support everything in the natural.

The Ultimate Pattern for Building on the Earth

And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it bea daughter, then she shall live.  But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive Ex 1:16-17 (KJV) Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses Ex 1:20-21 (KJV) During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God Ex 2:23 (NIV) And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Ex 3:5 (KJV) And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians Ex 3:8 (KJV) Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt Ex 3:10 (KJV) And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it Ex 25:8-9 (KJV) And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,  See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:  And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship Ex 31:1-3 (KJV) And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee Ex 31:6 (KJV)

I’ve selected particular passages so that I don’t wander from the subject of conversation in this article.  We want to look at the divine pattern for building in the earth; established by God Himself.

  1. The Kingdom Technology of the Fear of the Lord was at work preserving the life of the deliverer well before the deliverer was born.  As a result, God demonstrated favor to the women walking in the Fear of the Lord (see Psalm 147:11).
  2. God’s people cry out to God for deliverance
  3. God introduces Himself and His Holiness to the deliverer
  4. God reveals to the deliverer His plans to dwell among His people.  Please notice that God has not spoken to those crying out to Him, at this point.
  5. After teaching the deliverer, God sends Moses
  6. God gives Moses a vision to build in the earth.  Please notice, although God reveals all of the plans for what He wants built, even the intricate details, He does not command Moses to build it himself.  He holds Moses responsible for seeing that everything’s built according to the pattern.
  7. God Himself fills Bezaleel and Aholiab with His Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit then gives Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge to these men directly for the sole purpose of completing the command he gave the deliverer.  God deals directly with Bezaleel and Aholiab specifically for the sole purpose of actually building according to the pattern God gave Moses.

Please notice, at this point in the unveiling of this divine pattern, Moses, although God has given him the vision, doesn’t know who’s been appointed to work out the vision, prior to God speaking to him.  This reveals to us that long before God identifies who He has anointed to work out the vision you’ve been given, He will spend time with you making sure you understand the pattern, because you will then have to communicate the pattern to those appointed, and make sure they hold true to the pattern God has revealed to you. In addition, Bezaleel and Aholiab had no clue that God was talking with Moses about their very livelihoods and destinies.  However, I am 100% positive that both Bezaleel and Aholiab knew, without a shadow of doubt, that they were visited by God Himself and that their equipping came directly from the Holy Spirit of God.

And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;  And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;  And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,  And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.  And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.  Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, evenof them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work Ex 35:30-35 (KJV)

If you have a vision that you know you’ve received from God Himself, you really should be asking yourself, where are the Bezaleel’s and Aholiab’s God has appointed to the vision I’ve been assigned to execute?  By no means am I saying you should only look for Bezaleel’s or Aholiab’s.  I am saying you need to identify those of this kindred, that God has assigned to the vision He’s made you responsible for.  Here’s why this is critical.  Not only has God not given you the ability nor the capacity to build what He’s shown you, but these Bezaleel’s and Aholiab’s posses within them the divine ability not only to do the actual work themselves, but also to teach others.  So in a way, God planted seeds among the congregation of the Israelite’s that had within them the divine ability to reproduce after their kind. I have spent years studying the lives of these two men, so I’ll share some insight that will help identify these pillars/magi among the masses of people.

Identifying Bezaleel (Tribe of Judah)/Aholiab (Tribe of Dan)

  • Spiritual Worshiper – No matter what’s happening around them, they’re focus is God as they worship.  They are fully aware of where they’re gifting comes from and that using they’re gift is an act of worship.
  • Servant – They are not interested in climbing the social, corporate or church promotional ladder.  They are content serving others with the gift they’ve been given.  This is also usually a source of pain and rebuke for them because the gift God has entrusted to their care is not to be squandered but diligently guarded with divine stewardship.  They understand fully their God ordained role in the body of Christ.
  • Stability – They are not double-minded or fickle.  They posses strong confidence that often comes off like pride and arrogance, usually, purely due to immaturity and the fact that they really are anointed by God Himself.
  • Trustworthy/Integrity – They’re integrity is of the utmost importance and is what sustains them.  They will often seek to defend themselves if they feel like their integrity is in question.  However, because of this integrity being present, one of the greatest weapons  the enemy uses against true Bezaleel’s is the temptation to demonstrate a lack of integrity around money (see Exodus 36:5 and Joshua 7:1).
  • Character/Honesty – They have ingrained within them the building blocks for Godly character.  Usually, this results in them being openly honest about how they feel and their struggles, without demonstrating wisdom, early on.  This is also a challenge when dealing with others, until wisdom, discernment and tact is formed in them.
  • Gifted – These individuals are most assuredly gifted, anointed, talented to do what God has anointed them to do.  If you discern the characteristics above in addition to the last one, I recommend investigating further.
  • Peculiar – You never find them hanging with crowds, clicks or the main stream.  They can be sort of quirky and definitely leaders.  However, they are leaders who have no issues following because of the servants heart in them.

The information above can be used as ancillary sanity check along side the leading of the Holy Spirit and the directives of the Commander and Chief the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course there is absolutely no sure fire way for you to pick these people out of a crowd, and quite frankly, if I were you, I wouldn’t trust my limited knowledge enough to make the right decision.  However, God can reveal them to you.  I believe God revealed them to Moses for this very reason.  There are situations were God will allow leaders to use there judgement to select people for service (see Exodus 18:21 and Acts 6:3).  However, selecting someone as strategic and critical to accomplishing the vision as Bezaleel and Aholiab, is NOT one of those times. Finally, after God dealt spiritually with Moses, Bezaleel, Aholiab and the other craftsmen, THEN they all worked together to build the very first team oriented, God sanctioned and God honoring physical structure in the earth (if I’m technically wrong about this because of the altars and tents Abraham built or the tent of meeting Moses built, please forgive me). As is my normal custom, I offer a brief prayer to close this article.

Father in Heaven, I know that you love me because your Word says you demonstrated that love by sending your only son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for my sins.  Father, in the name of Jesus, I acknowledge your awesome power, your everlasting mercy, the grace you have extended to me and your loving kindness which you continue to demonstrate.  Father help me, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to build that which you’ve appointed to me according to the pattern established in your word.  I thank you that as you help we walk in the Fear of the Lord, according to your Word, this vision will lack absolutely NOTHING.  Father, give me your wisdom, understanding and knowledge so I can obey every commandment The Lord Jesus Christ gives me and so I can depart from every evil way that’s contrary to your ways.