Acts 13:2 And as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for Me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. (Recovery Version)
All spiritual work is done only before God. If we take care of our work properly before God, we will not need many ways [such as promotions and proposals]….we should examine ourselves very honestly before God. Let us ask Him, “O Lord, am I really ministering to You or to the work? O Lord, is my ministry unto the house or unto You?”
The work of the Holy Spirit can only be revealed at the time of ministering to the Lord [Acts 13:2]. Only at the time of ministering to the Lord will the Holy Spirit send some forth. If we do not place ministering to the Lord as the top priority, everything will be out of order.
To minister to the Lord is not to forsake all the work on the outside. To minister to the Lord is not to give up serving in the villages. What I say is that all the work on the outside should be based on our ministry to the Lord. We go forth, out from our ministry to the Lord, rather than out from our own desires, which have no basis in the ministry to the Lord. There is a vast difference between these two matters. The difference is greater than that between heaven and earth. All those with experience realize that there is no difference greater than the difference between ministering to the Lord and ministering to the house. (Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 11, pp. 800-803)
