Today we have tremendous movements that attempt to utilize the blessing of the Spirit of God to improve the lot of Christians and to minister all kinds of good things to a "lost and dying world." It is true that we should be concerned with a world that truly is lost and dying, but how about the lost and dying Christians who are living in the spiritual death of fleshly, sinful pursuits?

But there is something more important than ministering to the lost and dying of the world, something ultimately more important. It is that we wait before the Lord until we understand His will.

When we go forth blindly, not hearing from the Lord, our intentions may be of the best, but we may be bringing death.

Some years ago a famous American newspaper reporter had brought the wrath of the underworld against himself because of his investigative reporting. He was eating in a restaurant. He was called to the door of the restaurant by someone. When he opened the door the individual threw acid in his face and fled.

He was blinded. A person in the restaurant grabbed a bottle of soda and began to pour it into his eyes to dilute the acid. The manager of the restaurant, I think it was, said, "You better not do that until you get advice from a doctor. You might be doing more harm than good."

So no more soda was poured in his eyes while they called for the doctor.

As it turned out, if they had continued to pour the soda into his eyes it would have saved his eyesight. But the reporter was permanently blinded.

This is what happens when we, with the best of intentions, give advice or act without knowledge. No one present knew the correct action to take. They were guessing. They had to wait for the doctor.

Our Doctor is always present and available when an immediate decision must be made. We do not have to guess when making important decisions concerning His Kingdom, or concerning anything else for that matter.

Sometimes we just have to press forward doing as well as we can with whatever task is before us. If we keep praying fervently, looking to Jesus for every detail, He will close and open doors so as to keep us in the right way. God never scolds us when we ask for wisdom but gives to us liberally.

How many destructive acts have taken place in the world because people thought what they were doing was the right thing!

Of course, many times we have to do what we think is best.

But when it comes to the work of the Kingdom of God, before we launch out on some program we need to hear from God. Sometimes we are to go. Sometimes we are to stay. Sometimes we are to speak. Sometimes we are to remain silent. Sometimes we are to reap. Sometimes we are to sow.

When we are not hearing from the Lord on a regular basis we do not know what we are doing. In this case we should pray much and do what is set before us until the Lord Jesus advises us to change; and this He is well able to do.

This, I believe, is where the Charismatic move is today. There are a million voices, it seems, counseling us to get busy and save the world. But in many instances the Lord still has not spoken.

The issue is one of our will.

To be continued.