The church has erroneously structured itself to allow the pastor to decide who holds positions in the church. Pastors do not have the right to decide your calling. Again, your calling to the ministry will be determined by the influence of God's grace in your life, the influence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Once you have been influenced by Christ, no one can stop God from using you. That is why the Word says your gift will make room for you. Knowledge, understanding, revelation and wisdom is only given through obedience. As you obey the initial dispensing of the Word, you will begin to obtain the depths in the mysteries of God. If you do not obey the elementary, you will not find the depths. This comes only through submission.
There are many people who have obtained knowledge, but have no revelation. There are some people who have revelation but no wisdom. Why? Because it is hidden from them. You can read and obtain knowledge, but the reason you cannot read to obtain revelation and wisdom, is because it is only found in the mind and heart of God. In order to get revelation and wisdom, you must enter into God's heart and mind and you cannot enter in without obedience. Obedience is what takes you into God's heart. As you obey the Word, you enter into the heart of God and become a partaker of His mind. He will release unto you the hidden mysteries, the hidden manna, but only through obedience and submission. If you do not enter into submission, you will never receive this wisdom and revelation. All you will be able to do is read and receive the letter of the Word, but you will not be able to operate in it. The five-fold ministry is the frame and everything else sits on that frame; the muscle tissues, the sinews and the skin. When we are talking about moving into the apostleship, the office of the prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher, it is strictly based upon the measure of faith (influence received). The gift of God is given to you in proportion to the measure of the gift of Christ; and that measure is determined by how much God has influenced you.
HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED?
God’s influence in your life is going to be determined by the disposition of your mind. God always knows where you are in Him. He knows your mind. The devil does not know your mind, but he will try to feed your mind. God knows exactly what you will do when given a set of circumstances. He knows whether you will fail or whether you will succeed. So, what is the job of the Holy Ghost? Faith is the operation of the Holy Ghost. He has one purpose, and that is to influence us by grace; the effectual working of God's power inside us. Faith's only purpose is to bring us into the mind of Christ. Every now and then the Holy Ghost is going to allow you to enter into circumstances to reveal to us the disposition of our mind. God knows your disposition. He knows what you are thinking. He knows what your response will be to any given situation. The Holy Spirit is always setting up situations and circumstances that will reveal the disposition of your mind. Every situation you enter into; every trial and test, is to reveal the disposition of your mind; to show you how far you are from the mind of Christ. Most saints erroneously believe that God only does this with "big" situations. Actually He will do this right in your house. Here are some of the everyday situations God may use to reveal your mindset:
1.He will allow your husband to say something to you and expose the fact you will respond the wrong way.
2.He will allow your children to do something to show the disposition of your mind.
3.He will withhold things from you, to reveal your response
4.He will take you past your deadline. What is the disposition of your mind when you go past the deadline?
5.He will bless you.
This is the most subtle testing. What is the disposition of your mind while you are being blessed? Are you seeking God as much now as you were when you did not have anything? Are you praying as much? Are you studying as much? He will allow the circumstances to reveal the disposition of your mind. Your daily routines, dispositions, the way you entreat people and the way you respond to how you are entreated, will reveal how much influence God has in your life. The revelation of the disposition of your mind is very important, because as Paul pointed out to us, it is “with my mind I serve the law of God.” Whoever controls your mind, controls your body. Whoever controls the disposition of your mind, controls your service. If Satan controls your mind, you are going to yield your members to sin. But if the Lord can influence your mind, you can serve Him. Without that you cannot serve Him. You can desire to serve Him, and envy those who do, but you cannot serve Him of yourself. Why? Because your mind is influenced by Satan. People sit in the church frustrated because they are waiting for their gift to operate. But it will not operate, because it only operates by the measure of Jesus Christ.
How much influence does Jesus have on your life? Is He really Lord over all, or just Lord over a few areas? Often we think the pastor is holding us back, and will not use us. But it is God who will not use you! God will not loose your ministry and allow you to go forth and minister.
MINISTRY: AN ANOINTED SERVICE
Ministry is only an anointing on that which is within. You are going to serve the Body of Christ with that which is within you. If you are sent to another country to pastor or teach, you cannot depend on what is in someone else. Ministry is an anointed service. It is an anointing placed on what has been developed in the individual who is delivering ministry. Some people in the church are very dutiful, in good standing with the pastor and get along with everyone. A position might become open in the church and it might appear obvious that you should be selected, because you have been faithful and dutiful. If the pastor puts you in that situation and six months later you fall into a very negative circumstance and begin whining and complaining, what happens to the people you are leading? At that moment what can you say to them? How can you minister to them? What do you have to tell them? As you are being developed in this measure, the disposition of your mind is being developed into the measure of Jesus Christ.
There are going to be times when you want to be weak. There were times when I was strong and hated my strength. I wanted to be weak. I was tired of being strong. There may be times when you too, will become weary of everyone looking to you for answers. You will want to look to someone for your answers even though you already have the answers. Why? Because you have a revelation of Jesus Christ, but you just do not want to walk in it. You are tired. The disposition of your mind is being revealed. The beautiful thing about God is that He will develop you on the job without the people around you being hurt too badly. He wants you to develop this measure and the only way you are going to be developed is by more influence being sent to your mind. Every time God reveals the disposition of your mind, it is so you will seek Him for more influence. God will show you where and how you are not allowing Him to be strong in you. Many of our trials and failures are to reveal the dispositions of our minds for it is with your mind that you are going to serve the Lord. When God influences you, you change. You will not be the same person any longer. God is trying to tell us that having the measure of Jesus Christ is a prerequisite to our ministry becoming a reality. Saints, we can change. God bless you, Apostle Mary Banks
