There is a great variety of gifts and ministries in the Body of Christ and each one is necessary for the building up of the members of the Body to full stature. We discover our role in the Church as we present our body a living sacrifice to the Lord.

If we would be successful in finding and operating our own ministry we must patiently wait on the Lord as did Barnabas and Saul, meanwhile performing faithfully the tasks and duties set before us..

Concerning the gifts and ministries given by the Spirit of God, it is of utmost importance that we look to the Spirit for ourselves and not attempt to imitate other gifts and ministries. Then, having received gifts and a ministry from the Spirit, we must faithfully look to the Spirit for every move we make, not taking anything for granted.

It is the responsibility of the Christian apostles (missionaries) to go into all the world and make disciples from every nation, teaching them to keep the commandments given by the Lord Jesus. It is the responsibility of the Christian Church to bear witness of Christ to every nation on earth. But in order for this responsibility to be fulfilled, all the members of the Body must function—each one according to his or her own gift!

For example, let us say an individual was convinced God wanted him or her to be a doctor. First of all, that person would have to attend medical school, which would be comparable in the Kingdom to coming to maturity in Christ. But think of the numerous parts of the body of this new doctor? It would be true that his brain, his hands, his eyes, ears, and nose would be active in learning to be a doctor and then working as a doctor.

But these active parts are totally dependent on less obvious parts of his or her body, such as the lymph, pulmonary, and circulatory systems, the secretions of several hormones, and, for appearance, the hair and skin.

Can you see the point? The brains, hands, and eyes cannot operate apart from the pulmonary and circulatory systems as well as numerous hormonal secretions of which most of us are unaware.

Some believers are called to be intercessors. Those who are called to go forth and preach the Gospel depend on the faithfulness of the intercessor.

While the twelfth chapter of I Corinthians reveals the variety of gifts and ministries that the Holy Spirit assigns, it is the twelfth chapter of the Book of Romans that shows us how we are to get into the actual practice of them.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1,2)

The writer has been "in Pentecost" since 1948. We have heard many prophecies go forth over people. Most of the glorious destinies prophesied never took place. Why is this?

It is because the recipient of the prophecy never presented his or her body a living sacrifice, never went on to become a diligent disciple of the Lord Jesus.

The prophecy told what God desired for the individual; what could have been true. But the believer did not present his or her body a living sacrifice. God will not work where His Word is not being honored.

To be continued.