Sonlight Devotional

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Romans 12:6-8

Let us look at God’s ministry today. We hear about the apostolic ministry. We are talking about the thumb ministry as the thumb is the apostolic ministry. Now, the church must have an apostolic ministry or else it is a church without direction. God drew another picture for us. He drew a picture of the boards of the tabernacle. The boards in the tabernacle are kept in a straight line by one bar that runs from one end to another, and all are in complete order because the Spirit of God is in the board. Why did I say that? The bar there is not just wood, it is covered with gold. Don’t you see? The bar is covered with gold, and it is the gold that makes it straight or else that bar would bow. The bar is 30 cubits long (a cubit is about a foot and a half). The temple cubit would be a foot and a half and a span. So we are talking about one long bar that is 45 feet long, plus 45 spans (each span is about four inches). A span is the width of your hand. We are not sure if it was the temple cubit or the natural cubit. Of course, the temple cubit was supposed to be bigger by a handbreadth than the natural cubit. So, the natural cubit would be what we would call about 18 inches, but the temple cubit would be like 22 inches. So, think of a bar that stretches approximately 60 feet long. It would bow without being covered with gold. But it had gold on the outside, and that bar kept the whole tabernacle standing straight. Let me tell you, brethren, do you know how thick the boards were? They were over six inches. You can imagine a board 1.5 cubits wide, ten cubits high [15 feet tall], and 6 inches thick with gold all around it. Can you imagine how heavy that must have been? That is some weight! It was standing on mortise and tenon. So the two legs went down, like man’s legs, into the sockets, and that is what kept it standing. Therefore, from side to side it would be firm, but from the front to back, the boards would have the ability to sway forward and backward. The only thing that held it from going forward or backward was the apostolic bar, the middle bar covered with gold running from one end to the other.

So you can see what has happened to the church. The church lost its apostolic vision when it began to reject the apostles of God and accepted other apostles. That is why we are in the condition that we are in, because some of the ministry that is in the church is not ordained of God. Now, behind that apostolic bar, the Lord said that there are helps and governments (I Corinthians 12:28). It is very important that some of you are helps and governments in the church. You are not ordained to preach, except to preach with your life.

One day the Lord told Mavis that the women should preach with their works. “When they behold your chaste behavior” (I Peter 3:2). It brings correction to people when they can look at you and see how you live your life. But there is a service that each of you must do and you must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

God had a time when He would allow a certain amount of slackness to be in the church. But at this time, God is saying, “NO MORE SLACKNESS, MY PEOPLE MUST BE ONE!” The only way the people can be one is to be under the ministry. Do you hear me? Not minister, but ministry. The ministry that God has put in you, you had better look after it. He says, “Wait upon your ministry” (Romans 12:7). If God endows you with a voice, sing! If God endows you with wisdom, use it for God. Do you understand? The ministry is a spiritual endowment that God puts upon the church. Every time two or three of them gather together, God gives them their portion. That ministry is supposed to stand and minister life to the world, not just to the church, but to the world. That is why God said if you don’t behave at home, you can’t come into the church and prophesy. If you talk and you use your mouth as a weapon out there on the job site or anywhere you are, don’t bother to try to come to church and speak the Word of the Lord. It will be contaminated. It will be mixed. God wants you to wait upon your ministry. Somebody says, “Well, what is my ministry?” That is your business! Go ask God. Go ask God. What do you do best? Jesus said to Matthew and Mark, “Come! Be a scribe unto the Kingdom of God.” That means to say that the Kingdom of God needs scribes. The Kingdom of God needs people who can write, who will be able to take the Word and put it in places, and divide it up where people can be fed all over the world. The Kingdom message needs to go forth. Hallelujah!

(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, December 2006, pg. 5-6)

Thought for today: There is a service that each of us must do and we must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

Read Full Post »

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Romans 12:6-8

Let us look at God’s ministry today. We hear about the apostolic ministry. We are talking about the thumb ministry as the thumb is the apostolic ministry. Now, the church must have an apostolic ministry or else it is a church without direction. God drew another picture for us. He drew a picture of the boards of the tabernacle. The boards in the tabernacle are kept in a straight line by one bar that runs from one end to another, and all are in complete order because the Spirit of God is in the board. Why did I say that? The bar there is not just wood, it is covered with gold. Don’t you see? The bar is covered with gold, and it is the gold that makes it straight or else that bar would bow. The bar is 30 cubits long (a cubit is about a foot and a half). The temple cubit would be a foot and a half and a span. So we are talking about one long bar that is 45 feet long, plus 45 spans (each span is about four inches). A span is the width of your hand. We are not sure if it was the temple cubit or the natural cubit. Of course, the temple cubit was supposed to be bigger by a handbreadth than the natural cubit. So, the natural cubit would be what we would call about 18 inches, but the temple cubit would be like 22 inches. So, think of a bar that stretches approximately 60 feet long. It would bow without being covered with gold. But it had gold on the outside, and that bar kept the whole tabernacle standing straight. Let me tell you, brethren, do you know how thick the boards were? They were over six inches. You can imagine a board 1.5 cubits wide, ten cubits high [15 feet tall], and 6 inches thick with gold all around it. Can you imagine how heavy that must have been? That is some weight! It was standing on mortise and tenon. So the two legs went down, like man’s legs, into the sockets, and that is what kept it standing. Therefore, from side to side it would be firm, but from the front to back, the boards would have the ability to sway forward and backward. The only thing that held it from going forward or backward was the apostolic bar, the middle bar covered with gold running from one end to the other.

So you can see what has happened to the church. The church lost its apostolic vision when it began to reject the apostles of God and accepted other apostles. That is why we are in the condition that we are in, because some of the ministry that is in the church is not ordained of God. Now, behind that apostolic bar, the Lord said that there are helps and governments (I Corinthians 12:28). It is very important that some of you are helps and governments in the church. You are not ordained to preach, except to preach with your life.

One day the Lord told Mavis that the women should preach with their works. “When they behold your chaste behavior” (I Peter 3:2). It brings correction to people when they can look at you and see how you live your life. But there is a service that each of you must do and you must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

God had a time when He would allow a certain amount of slackness to be in the church. But at this time, God is saying, “NO MORE SLACKNESS, MY PEOPLE MUST BE ONE!” The only way the people can be one is to be under the ministry. Do you hear me? Not minister, but ministry. The ministry that God has put in you, you had better look after it. He says, “Wait upon your ministry” (Romans 12:7). If God endows you with a voice, sing! If God endows you with wisdom, use it for God. Do you understand? The ministry is a spiritual endowment that God puts upon the church. Every time two or three of them gather together, God gives them their portion. That ministry is supposed to stand and minister life to the world, not just to the church, but to the world. That is why God said if you don’t behave at home, you can’t come into the church and prophesy. If you talk and you use your mouth as a weapon out there on the job site or anywhere you are, don’t bother to try to come to church and speak the Word of the Lord. It will be contaminated. It will be mixed. God wants you to wait upon your ministry. Somebody says, “Well, what is my ministry?” That is your business! Go ask God. Go ask God. What do you do best? Jesus said to Matthew and Mark, “Come! Be a scribe unto the Kingdom of God.” That means to say that the Kingdom of God needs scribes. The Kingdom of God needs people who can write, who will be able to take the Word and put it in places, and divide it up where people can be fed all over the world. The Kingdom message needs to go forth. Hallelujah!

(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, December 2006, pg. 5-6)

Thought for today: There is a service that each of us must do and we must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

Read Full Post »

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Romans 12:6-8

Let us look at God’s ministry today. We hear about the apostolic ministry. We are talking about the thumb ministry as the thumb is the apostolic ministry. Now, the church must have an apostolic ministry or else it is a church without direction. God drew another picture for us. He drew a picture of the boards of the tabernacle. The boards in the tabernacle are kept in a straight line by one bar that runs from one end to another, and all are in complete order because the Spirit of God is in the board. Why did I say that? The bar there is not just wood, it is covered with gold. Don’t you see? The bar is covered with gold, and it is the gold that makes it straight or else that bar would bow. The bar is 30 cubits long (a cubit is about a foot and a half). The temple cubit would be a foot and a half and a span. So we are talking about one long bar that is 45 feet long, plus 45 spans (each span is about four inches). A span is the width of your hand. We are not sure if it was the temple cubit or the natural cubit. Of course, the temple cubit was supposed to be bigger by a handbreadth than the natural cubit. So, the natural cubit would be what we would call about 18 inches, but the temple cubit would be like 22 inches. So, think of a bar that stretches approximately 60 feet long. It would bow without being covered with gold. But it had gold on the outside, and that bar kept the whole tabernacle standing straight. Let me tell you, brethren, do you know how thick the boards were? They were over six inches. You can imagine a board 1.5 cubits wide, ten cubits high [15 feet tall], and 6 inches thick with gold all around it. Can you imagine how heavy that must have been? That is some weight! It was standing on mortise and tenon. So the two legs went down, like man’s legs, into the sockets, and that is what kept it standing. Therefore, from side to side it would be firm, but from the front to back, the boards would have the ability to sway forward and backward. The only thing that held it from going forward or backward was the apostolic bar, the middle bar covered with gold running from one end to the other.

So you can see what has happened to the church. The church lost its apostolic vision when it began to reject the apostles of God and accepted other apostles. That is why we are in the condition that we are in, because some of the ministry that is in the church is not ordained of God. Now, behind that apostolic bar, the Lord said that there are helps and governments (I Corinthians 12:28). It is very important that some of you are helps and governments in the church. You are not ordained to preach, except to preach with your life.

One day the Lord told Mavis that the women should preach with their works. “When they behold your chaste behavior” (I Peter 3:2). It brings correction to people when they can look at you and see how you live your life. But there is a service that each of you must do and you must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

God had a time when He would allow a certain amount of slackness to be in the church. But at this time, God is saying, “NO MORE SLACKNESS, MY PEOPLE MUST BE ONE!” The only way the people can be one is to be under the ministry. Do you hear me? Not minister, but ministry. The ministry that God has put in you, you had better look after it. He says, “Wait upon your ministry” (Romans 12:7). If God endows you with a voice, sing! If God endows you with wisdom, use it for God. Do you understand? The ministry is a spiritual endowment that God puts upon the church. Every time two or three of them gather together, God gives them their portion. That ministry is supposed to stand and minister life to the world, not just to the church, but to the world. That is why God said if you don’t behave at home, you can’t come into the church and prophesy. If you talk and you use your mouth as a weapon out there on the job site or anywhere you are, don’t bother to try to come to church and speak the Word of the Lord. It will be contaminated. It will be mixed. God wants you to wait upon your ministry. Somebody says, “Well, what is my ministry?” That is your business! Go ask God. Go ask God. What do you do best? Jesus said to Matthew and Mark, “Come! Be a scribe unto the Kingdom of God.” That means to say that the Kingdom of God needs scribes. The Kingdom of God needs people who can write, who will be able to take the Word and put it in places, and divide it up where people can be fed all over the world. The Kingdom message needs to go forth. Hallelujah!

(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, December 2006, pg. 5-6)

Thought for today: There is a service that each of us must do and we must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

Read Full Post »

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Romans 12:6-8

Let us look at God’s ministry today. We hear about the apostolic ministry. We are talking about the thumb ministry as the thumb is the apostolic ministry. Now, the church must have an apostolic ministry or else it is a church without direction. God drew another picture for us. He drew a picture of the boards of the tabernacle. The boards in the tabernacle are kept in a straight line by one bar that runs from one end to another, and all are in complete order because the Spirit of God is in the board. Why did I say that? The bar there is not just wood, it is covered with gold. Don’t you see? The bar is covered with gold, and it is the gold that makes it straight or else that bar would bow. The bar is 30 cubits long (a cubit is about a foot and a half). The temple cubit would be a foot and a half and a span. So we are talking about one long bar that is 45 feet long, plus 45 spans (each span is about four inches). A span is the width of your hand. We are not sure if it was the temple cubit or the natural cubit. Of course, the temple cubit was supposed to be bigger by a handbreadth than the natural cubit. So, the natural cubit would be what we would call about 18 inches, but the temple cubit would be like 22 inches. So, think of a bar that stretches approximately 60 feet long. It would bow without being covered with gold. But it had gold on the outside, and that bar kept the whole tabernacle standing straight. Let me tell you, brethren, do you know how thick the boards were? They were over six inches. You can imagine a board 1.5 cubits wide, ten cubits high [15 feet tall], and 6 inches thick with gold all around it. Can you imagine how heavy that must have been? That is some weight! It was standing on mortise and tenon. So the two legs went down, like man’s legs, into the sockets, and that is what kept it standing. Therefore, from side to side it would be firm, but from the front to back, the boards would have the ability to sway forward and backward. The only thing that held it from going forward or backward was the apostolic bar, the middle bar covered with gold running from one end to the other.

So you can see what has happened to the church. The church lost its apostolic vision when it began to reject the apostles of God and accepted other apostles. That is why we are in the condition that we are in, because some of the ministry that is in the church is not ordained of God. Now, behind that apostolic bar, the Lord said that there are helps and governments (I Corinthians 12:28). It is very important that some of you are helps and governments in the church. You are not ordained to preach, except to preach with your life.

One day the Lord told Mavis that the women should preach with their works. “When they behold your chaste behavior” (I Peter 3:2). It brings correction to people when they can look at you and see how you live your life. But there is a service that each of you must do and you must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

God had a time when He would allow a certain amount of slackness to be in the church. But at this time, God is saying, “NO MORE SLACKNESS, MY PEOPLE MUST BE ONE!” The only way the people can be one is to be under the ministry. Do you hear me? Not minister, but ministry. The ministry that God has put in you, you had better look after it. He says, “Wait upon your ministry” (Romans 12:7). If God endows you with a voice, sing! If God endows you with wisdom, use it for God. Do you understand? The ministry is a spiritual endowment that God puts upon the church. Every time two or three of them gather together, God gives them their portion. That ministry is supposed to stand and minister life to the world, not just to the church, but to the world. That is why God said if you don’t behave at home, you can’t come into the church and prophesy. If you talk and you use your mouth as a weapon out there on the job site or anywhere you are, don’t bother to try to come to church and speak the Word of the Lord. It will be contaminated. It will be mixed. God wants you to wait upon your ministry. Somebody says, “Well, what is my ministry?” That is your business! Go ask God. Go ask God. What do you do best? Jesus said to Matthew and Mark, “Come! Be a scribe unto the Kingdom of God.” That means to say that the Kingdom of God needs scribes. The Kingdom of God needs people who can write, who will be able to take the Word and put it in places, and divide it up where people can be fed all over the world. The Kingdom message needs to go forth. Hallelujah!

(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, December 2006, pg. 5-6)

Thought for today: There is a service that each of us must do and we must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

Read Full Post »

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Romans 12:6-8

Let us look at God’s ministry today. We hear about the apostolic ministry. We are talking about the thumb ministry as the thumb is the apostolic ministry. Now, the church must have an apostolic ministry or else it is a church without direction. God drew another picture for us. He drew a picture of the boards of the tabernacle. The boards in the tabernacle are kept in a straight line by one bar that runs from one end to another, and all are in complete order because the Spirit of God is in the board. Why did I say that? The bar there is not just wood, it is covered with gold. Don’t you see? The bar is covered with gold, and it is the gold that makes it straight or else that bar would bow. The bar is 30 cubits long (a cubit is about a foot and a half). The temple cubit would be a foot and a half and a span. So we are talking about one long bar that is 45 feet long, plus 45 spans (each span is about four inches). A span is the width of your hand. We are not sure if it was the temple cubit or the natural cubit. Of course, the temple cubit was supposed to be bigger by a handbreadth than the natural cubit. So, the natural cubit would be what we would call about 18 inches, but the temple cubit would be like 22 inches. So, think of a bar that stretches approximately 60 feet long. It would bow without being covered with gold. But it had gold on the outside, and that bar kept the whole tabernacle standing straight. Let me tell you, brethren, do you know how thick the boards were? They were over six inches. You can imagine a board 1.5 cubits wide, ten cubits high [15 feet tall], and 6 inches thick with gold all around it. Can you imagine how heavy that must have been? That is some weight! It was standing on mortise and tenon. So the two legs went down, like man’s legs, into the sockets, and that is what kept it standing. Therefore, from side to side it would be firm, but from the front to back, the boards would have the ability to sway forward and backward. The only thing that held it from going forward or backward was the apostolic bar, the middle bar covered with gold running from one end to the other.

So you can see what has happened to the church. The church lost its apostolic vision when it began to reject the apostles of God and accepted other apostles. That is why we are in the condition that we are in, because some of the ministry that is in the church is not ordained of God. Now, behind that apostolic bar, the Lord said that there are helps and governments (I Corinthians 12:28). It is very important that some of you are helps and governments in the church. You are not ordained to preach, except to preach with your life.

One day the Lord told Mavis that the women should preach with their works. “When they behold your chaste behavior” (I Peter 3:2). It brings correction to people when they can look at you and see how you live your life. But there is a service that each of you must do and you must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

God had a time when He would allow a certain amount of slackness to be in the church. But at this time, God is saying, “NO MORE SLACKNESS, MY PEOPLE MUST BE ONE!” The only way the people can be one is to be under the ministry. Do you hear me? Not minister, but ministry. The ministry that God has put in you, you had better look after it. He says, “Wait upon your ministry” (Romans 12:7). If God endows you with a voice, sing! If God endows you with wisdom, use it for God. Do you understand? The ministry is a spiritual endowment that God puts upon the church. Every time two or three of them gather together, God gives them their portion. That ministry is supposed to stand and minister life to the world, not just to the church, but to the world. That is why God said if you don’t behave at home, you can’t come into the church and prophesy. If you talk and you use your mouth as a weapon out there on the job site or anywhere you are, don’t bother to try to come to church and speak the Word of the Lord. It will be contaminated. It will be mixed. God wants you to wait upon your ministry. Somebody says, “Well, what is my ministry?” That is your business! Go ask God. Go ask God. What do you do best? Jesus said to Matthew and Mark, “Come! Be a scribe unto the Kingdom of God.” That means to say that the Kingdom of God needs scribes. The Kingdom of God needs people who can write, who will be able to take the Word and put it in places, and divide it up where people can be fed all over the world. The Kingdom message needs to go forth. Hallelujah!

(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, December 2006, pg. 5-6)

Thought for today: There is a service that each of us must do and we must either come in to God’s service now or be left out.

Read Full Post »