Before we can move on to God's fullness we must have our pinnacle experience. We must be brought to the place of uselessness and helplessness. This test may come after we have the vision of the needs of the world and God's plan to meet those needs, and have also the understanding of what the Lord will perform in the Church. In any case, we possess some understanding of what needs to be done in the Kingdom of God.

Now that we know to a certain extent what should be brought into being, and God's anointing is abiding on us, can the world, the devil or our own ambition or fears cause us to act before God's time? Can we be tempted, cajoled, frightened, persuaded or otherwise pushed into "stepping out in faith on God's Word" apart from the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Jesus was so obedient to God that He would be sitting there yet if the season of temptation had not come to a close. Are we this obedient? Will we remain perched on the gable of futility until God brings us down? Until the angels minister to us?

There are times in our Christian experience when we must step out in faith, and then there are other times when God says, "Wait!"

It is not always clear to us what we should do, whether to wait, or to take a step and watch carefully to see if God is with us and is blessing our efforts. It is easy to get ahead of God.

We must be cautious but not overcautious. Each of our moves and decisions should be accompanied by prayerful attention to the mind of the Spirit. Also we should examine the actual results of what we are doing.

We must present our body a living sacrifice in consecration in order to prove the will of God. There are no shortcuts, no quick, easy way to find God's will for us.

Sometimes God waits forever it seems. On other occasions He moves like a flash of lightning. Meanwhile the world, the adversary and our self-willed nature challenge us to do something, to come down from the pinnacle, down from the cross.

The three temptations of Christ followed Him throughout His ministry as they follow us throughout our discipleship.

Finally, as Jesus hung on the cross, that ultimate pinnacle, the voice of temptation cried out to Him: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. Do something! Do something! If you are what you claim to be, demonstrate that fact now!"

The Christian churches have not, through the centuries, faced and overcome the pinnacle temptation. Perhaps it is because the motivation of each denomination is to get to work and "do something for the Kingdom of God."

The idea of being put into a condition of helpless waiting on the Lord for guidance and enablement may be difficult to work out in an organizational framework. Yet the only path to the fullness of fruitfulness and strength is by way of the pinnacle.

To be continued.