God visited William Branham with one of the several extraordinary ministries that have so blessed the twentieth century, ministries that have pointed the way to the fullness of the power of the Spirit that is to be poured on the churches in our day. Dr. Henrietta Mears, Smith-Wigglesworth of England, Aimee Semple McPherson, Billy Graham, Kathryn Kuhlman, Watchman Nee of China—all are "Elijahs" and "Elishas," prophets of the end-time who announce the coming of the Kingdom of God.

The Spirit of God is ready to anoint the members of the Body of Christ with power so they may reveal the Kingdom of God and call all people everywhere to repentance in preparation for the Day of the Lord that is at hand.

Before God can trust us with the power of the Kingdom we first must be willing to allow God to bring us down to helplessness and barrenness, weakness and futility.

The Lord Jesus waited helplessly on the roof of the Temple. Are we willing for the Lord to bring us to the place where we look foolish and useless while talented and energetic people are passing us by and "accomplishing great deeds in the Kingdom"?

Think how Job, the wealthiest man of his day, must have felt when he became an object of derision and disgust to all who had in time past trembled at his presence.

Are we willing to "sit on the pinnacle" as long as the Lord requires even though we think we have the answer to the needs of the churches and the world? Or are we going to go forth in "ministry" before God's timing and fall into the sewage of the Kidron Valley?

The death of the pinnacle, of helplessness, futility, frustration, is a difficult test of the servants of the Lord. We may be just one step away from ministry in the power of the Spirit and everything in us may be leaping toward the freedom to work the works of the Kingdom of God.

Here we sit, the picture of incompetence and foolishness. Meanwhile, everyone who sees us is tempted to be scornful, to mock our inability to do anything of value. We grow older while younger people forge ahead with great success. We can become quite frustrated as we wait on the Lord.

Christ Himself was willing to become nothing, to do nothing. He emptied Himself of His Glory and became a servant. He waited helplessly on God for all things.

People attempted to make Him a king but He would not accept it. He remained throughout His ministry "on the cross," on the pinnacle of helplessness, coming down to act only in the express timing of the Father.

There are moments when we must go ahead in faith. If we walk prayerfully and carefully in the Lord, one step at a time, we can move along in Christ. We are to proceed prayerfully and watchfully unless the Lord Himself urges us on to greater speed—as He does on occasion.

At other times it appears every door has closed. We are back up on the pinnacle. Then the temptation comes to do something—anything! "Jump off and God will meet you! This is what the Bible teaches," we are advised. "Saw through the prison bars. Move out and show what you can do by faith in God."

To be continued.