You have a ministry in the Body as do I. But we cannot discover or operate our particular contribution until we really present our body a living sacrifice and thus prove the will of God for our own life and ministry. Also, there must be in the services an expectation that people will minister, a suitable climate that will encourage widespread ministry, and an opportunity to minister. This change from the pastor-congregation model will take a period of time to develop properly.

Sometimes a great ministry is prophesied over a believer, a true prophecy. But the individual never presses forward in God until the words that were spoken become a reality in the material world.

American Christians do one of two things: either they get as far as talking in tongues and then occupy themselves primarily with the challenging and interesting elements of our culture; or else they try to be "God's man of faith and power" and run around the countryside trying to force God to do something. As God said, "When they bring their offering of consecration to Me and ‘slay their bull' it is as though they were murdering a man."

How many people do you know who have been pushed over when they were prayed for because the "minister" was trying to prove he or she was a powerful man or woman of God? What nonsense! But it goes on all the time.

We are not to get so involved in the American culture we have little or no time each day for prayer and reading our Bible. Neither are we to rush out in a fit of personal ambition to try to save the world. We are to think soberly in terms of the measure of faith God has given us, and then use our talent in the marketplace as the Lord leads.

We must keep ourselves ready for service, day after day, year after weary year. We always are to pray, read the Bible, and wait on the Lord as though we were the mightiest of apostles, even though we are not being used at all as far as we can tell. The Lord loves faithfulness and diligence!

It is of the utmost importance that Christ be formed in us in the present hour. The tares of wickedness are coming to maturity and the same must be true of the wheat of righteousness, the wheat that is Christ.

Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. (Matthew 13:30—NIV)

How will the wheat come to maturity?

He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, To prepare God's people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:10-12—NIV)

To be continued.