Some people have the mistaken idea that when the direction of the Holy Spirit comes to them, they can just ignore it for a while if they want to and then obey Him later in their own good time. They think to themselves, I know what I'm doing is wrong. I know my lifestyle isn't right, but I'm just going to do it a while longer. Then I'll get things straightened out with the Lord.

Let me warn you, that is an extremely dangerous thing to do. Because God says that when you refuse His guidance, your heart grows hard. It's not that God's grace doesn't extend to you anymore. It's not that He wouldn't forgive you if you turned to Him. It's just that sin will callous your heart to the point where you can't hear Him calling.

That's what happened to the children of Israel. God would tell them what to do and they wouldn't do it. When He was trying to bring them into the Promised Land and He told them to go in and possess it, they flatly refused.

Of course, they thought they had good reasons for refusing. They were so full of fear and unbelief that they actually thought if they did what God said, they'd be destroyed. But, you know, it doesn't matter how good your reasons are for disobeying God. That disobedience will still cost you. It will still harden your heart.

The children of Israel ignored God's leading so often that He finally just sent them into the wilderness. They were so stiff-necked, He couldn't lead them into the blessings He'd planned for them, and He had to just let them wander around until all but two of them had died. He had to raise up a whole new generation of softer-hearted people before He could take them into the land.

Take a lesson from that and don't play around with sin. When God tells you what you need to do, don't put Him off thinking it will be easier to do it later. It won't be. It will be harder!

When the Spirit of God comes to correct you, follow His instructions—and follow them quickly. Keep your heart tender. Obey the Lord!

Scripture Reading:
Nehemiah 9:6-37

If you know how to listen to the voice of God, you can hear Him calling throughout the Body of Christ today. He is calling for unity. He is calling us to lay down our disagreements and come together in preparation for Jesus' return.

Just the thought of that scares some believers. "How can I unify with someone from another denomination?" they say. "I'm not going to give up my doctrines and agree with theirs just for unity's sake!"

What they don't realize is this: scriptural unity isn't based on doctrine.

Winds of doctrine, according to Ephesians 4:14, are childish. Winds of doctrine don't unify. They divide and blow people in every direction. The Word doesn't say anything about us coming into the unity of our doctrines. It says we'll come into the unity of the faith.

In the past, we've failed to understand that and tried to demand doctrinal unity from each other anyway.

"If you don't agree with me on the issue of tongues," we've said, "or on the timing of the Rapture...or on the proper depth for baptismal waters, I won't accept you as a brother in the Lord. I'll break fellowship with you."

But that's not God's way of doing things. He doesn't have a long list of doctrinal demands for us to meet. His requirements are simple. First John 3:23 tells us what they are: to believe on the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another.

Once you and I come to a place where we keep those requirements and quit worrying about the rest, we'll be able to forget our denominational squabbles and come together in the unity of faith. We'll grow so strong together that the winds of doctrine won't be able to drive us apart.

When that happens, the devil's going to panic because the unity of the faith of God's people is a staggering thing. It's the most unlimited, powerful thing on earth.

Right now all over the world, the Spirit is calling the Church of the living God to unite. Hear Him and obey, and you can be a part of one of the most magnificent moves of God this world has ever seen.

Scripture Reading:
Psalms 132:13-18, 133

If you are smiling a little by now, most likely, you know about such prayers and might have prayed a couple yourself. My friend, God does not want you to pray pleading prayers all the time. He wants you to use the authority He has given you to pray powerful prayers, to boldly command and to “stretch out your hand” and see miracles happen.

When Moses stood before the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit, the Bible tells us that he cried out to God. But God told him, “Why do you cry to Me?”

There is a time for you to cry out to God and there is a time for you to use your authority. God told Moses, “Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it.” The “rod” you have today is the name of Jesus. As you command in Jesus’ name, your “sea” will open and you will go on dry ground through the midst of your problem.

Do you realize that Jesus did not say, “Go and pray for the sick”? He said, “Go and heal the sick.” (Matthew 10:8) So stop pleading and asking all the time, and start using the authority you have in Christ.

Jesus told the church, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore…” (Matthew 28:18–19) My friend, God wants you to go and use the authority that He has given you. And as you go, miracles will flow!

I remember a man who wrote us from the penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. He was in the penitentiary because he killed somebody. He was not only a murderer, but was also a gambler and a thief.

He said in his letter, "I've tried it all and haven't found satisfaction. I don't know if there is a God or not, but if there is, I want you to help me find Him." Well, we were able to help him find God.

Now we didn't write and tell him, "You've murdered people. You've been living in sin and immorality. You'll have to wait for Jesus to die for you to purchase your salvation."

No! God had already purchased this man's salvation through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. His new birth was waiting; it was wrapped up with his name on it. God was just waiting for him to accept it.

Salvation didn't just drop on him while he was in the penitentiary. It belonged to him, but it didn't just drop on him like a ripe cherry off a tree. He had to want it, to seek it, to look for it.

The same thing is true regarding healing. Healing is not going to just drop on you, even though you're saved. You have to find out what belongs to you and take it. Healing belongs to you; it's yours for the taking.

Confession
Healing is mine because God provided it for me. He gave it to me, so I take it now.