The unity I am presenting to you in this message is not man’s unity; it is the unity people have in the Holy Spirit, and it is a very special bond when it works in the midst of God’s people. Adam and Eve had that unity in the Garden of Eden. They had such great fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that in the cool of the day, God Himself would come down and walk and talk with them. What a great privilege that was!

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve’s disobedience destroyed the unity they had with God. To restore unity with the human race, God had to send His only Son, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost into this world. He knew we needed to be able to stand as tall as Jesus did when He lived on Earth. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

To be in unity with the Godhead and to grow into the stature of Jesus Christ, you must have the Holy Ghost abiding within you; but that is not enough. You must go on to yield completely to Him every day and let Him teach you. The Spirit doesn’t come in just to occupy an empty space; He comes to fellowship with you, to work in and through you, and to use you to help other people in need. That is why you must seek to be full of the Holy Spirit at all times.

God’s Work Requires Unity

Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites had many great teachers and guides. They included Moses, Samuel, David and many prophets, both major and minor; but the Bible tells us that the Israelites refused to listen to and obey them most of the time. The people were full of grumbling, complaining, disobedience and backslidings. They were full of self, and they wanted what they wanted. As a result, the people suffered in the wilderness, in exile, in captivity, and as slaves and outcasts when it was never God’s intention for any of that to happen to His children.

When God’s work is carried out in the unity of the Holy Spirit, no power can defeat it. Like the mortar in a brick wall, the unity of the Spirit binds everyone together to make the work solid, stable and secure. Nehemiah and his workers possessed the unity of the Spirit in their divine mission to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem; and because of that, they were able to overcome every obstacle and make any sacrifice necessary to accomplish their divine task.

Today, the body of Christ has a divine mission to build the Kingdom of our Lord with souls; and like in Nehemiah’s day, the enemy from without and within will seek to distract us from our work and break our unity. As Nehemiah and his workers were finishing the walls, the enemy came to him saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I [Nehemiah] sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you (Nehemiah 6:2,3)? Never take time to listen to bad reports. Stay on the wall building and doing the will of God.

Let the Divine Fruits Manifest

The Holy Ghost was sent to us to be our guide and leader, so keep your ears tuned to what He is saying. The churches in the book of Revelation were told, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). To do that requires spending time in God’s presence every day. Open your mind to His guidance, direction, wisdom and understanding. Open your mind to His patience, kindness, discipline and encouragement.

You must give the Holy Spirit liberty to produce all nine fruits of the Spirit within you every day. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22,23). When the fruits of the Spirit abound in every member of the body of Christ, it keeps the unity of the Spirit working.

The first and greatest of these fruits is divine love. Paul said, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal (I Corinthians 13:1). You are just noise and chatter in the ears of God without His love.

Paul went on to say, And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing (I Corinthians 13:2). Divine love casts out all fears and doubts, and it fosters an environment in which the unity of the Spirit can thrive. Then the other fruits of the Spirit can be produced in abundance as well.

You cannot yield yourself to the Spirit one day and yield to your own selfish spirit the next. There are Christians who try to do that, but it brings about unpleasant fruit and breaks the unity of the Spirit. You must yield yourself to the fruits of the Spirit every day.

Help Win the Lost

When Jesus lived on Earth, He used the divine fruits all the time while He was fulfilling His divine mission, even when He was suffering and dying on the Cross. That’s why He was able to say, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). Jesus paid the price at Calvary so we could use the fruits of the Spirit to help us fulfill our divine mission of winning the lost at any cost in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

The business of the body of Christ is helping souls who need help and love—those who are out in the night and seeking hope but not knowing where to find it and those who are close to eternal fire. Without the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the body of Christ will not have the harmony to function as one and do the work of the heavenly Father. There is no discord among the members of your physical body, and there can’t be any among the members of Christ’s spiritual body.

Children of God are on Earth to represent Jesus; and through the power of the Holy Ghost, we are to take His place. We are to be His hands, His feet, and His voice of love, faith and compassion. We are to do the Lord’s work, serve our brothers and sisters in the Lord and serve sinners.

Self Breaks the Unity

Before Calvary and Pentecost, the disciples were constantly breaking the unity of the church with their foolish thinking and idle words. In fact, the disciples once asked Jesus, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1)? That question revealed that the hearts and minds of those disciples were not focused on Jesus or the souls in need of help but on self and their own personal gain.

The disciples wanted to know, “What is in this for me?” So Jesus took a young child and set him in the midst of the disciples and declared, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3,4).

Unfortunately, that didn’t sink in with the disciples because the Bible tells us that they exhibited the same internal strife during that Last Supper.

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest (Luke 22:24). This time, Jesus responded by taking a towel and a basin of water and washing the feet of every disciple there, including those of Judas, the one who would soon betray Him.

Jesus told His disciples, I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him (John 13:15,16). This is the definition of Heaven’s greatness.

What Do You Serve?

When you don’t serve Jesus to others, you are serving them self; and that breaks the unity of the Spirit. People in this dark world of sin need you to serve them love, joy and kindness; and those things can lead them into the Kingdom of God. However, if you don’t have enough love to serve to your brothers and sisters in the Lord, you won’t have the love you need to serve to those who are out in the night and need your help.

The more love you possess, the more compassion you will have; and divine compassion makes you a better servant of the Lord. Be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind (Philippians 2:2). That is the “first love” you received at Calvary, and that is always supposed to work in the body of Christ. Peter referred to it saying, And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8). If that love can cover all those sins, it is definitely strong enough to cover anything that would seek to break the unity of the Holy Spirit among God’s people.

Jesus said, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:35). Do you serve love and patience to others; or do you insist on always having your way on the job, at home or in your work for the Lord? If you always want your way, that is not divine love in operation; it is ego, and ego is of the devil. It breaks the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Children of God are chosen by Him not to be served but to serve others, not to be lifted up but to lift up Christ before souls in need of help. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another (Romans 12:10). Divine love in operation will prefer your brothers and sisters in the Lord over yourself, and that helps keep peace and harmony among God’s people.

A Lesson from the Church at Ephesus

In Revelation 2, Jesus addressed the church at Ephesus. He acknowledged their works, their labors, their patience and their hatred of evil. He acknowledged their steadfastness in working in His name without fainting; yet in light of all this, He told them, Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love (Revelation 2:4).

Perhaps those people worked for the Lord as if it was a job or because they wanted the approval of others. Maybe they did it because they enjoyed it within themselves; but in any case, they did not work for the Lord because of their love for Him and for lost souls. That is why Jesus told them, Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works (Revelation 2:5).

Jesus was telling the members of that church, “Remember the child of God you used to be when you were first born again. Remember the first love you had for me and how it changed you and gave you a new life. Remember the moment when I forgave you and know that I put that same love in you, and you are to use it to forgive others of anything they have ever done to you. Remember the meek and humble person you used to be, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:5).” That was an ultimatum given by Jesus Himself.

The Holy Ghost Came

On the Day of Pentecost, there were about 120 people in one mind and one accord in the Upper Room. Self had been cast down, and there was no more internal discord or strife among Christ’s followers. There were no more arguments about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven because everything was no longer about self.

Finally, doing the divine will of God was paramount in the lives of those disciples, and they were humbly obeying Jesus’ command to tarry in Jerusalem and do no work until they had received the Holy Ghost and His power. And, being assembled together with them, [Jesus] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence (Acts 1:4,5).

In such a beautiful spirit of unity, an explosion of Holy Ghost power took place. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).

The effects of the Holy Ghost coming covered the known world of that day in a matter of years. The Holy Ghost valued and treasured the unity in His Church so much that when Ananias and Sapphira lied and kept back part of the money they had received for the property they had sold, the Holy Ghost killed them both. You can read about it in Acts 5:1-11.

A Plan of Unity

God’s plan for His Church was simple—people were to be born again and become new creatures in Christ. They were to live free from sin and receive the Holy Ghost baptism with power, so they could grow in the Lord. They were to let the fruits of the Spirit abound, and those fruits would bring the body of Christ into the unity of the Spirit. They were to do the works of Christ and let His light shine brightly in this dark world of sin.

Take note of this simple scripture: Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). “To endeavor” means to make a serious, determined effort; so this scripture tells us that the unity of the Spirit in the midst of the body of Christ does not just happen. Every member must make a conscious and diligent effort to create that unity.

Divine unity starts with each person examining themselves in the mirror of God’s Word. Are all the fruits of the Spirit being produced in your life, and are you sharing those fruits with the people around you? Is first love operating in you? The devil seeks to break the unity of the Spirit by causing confusion in the midst of God’s people because he knows a house divided against itself shall not stand (Matthew 12:25).

The Danger of the Tongue

James tells us, If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain (James 1:26). When your religion is vain, you are worthless in the eyes of God; so you must be careful with your tongue. The tongue can be a great tool the devil uses to break the unity of the Spirit by sowing confusion and discord among God’s people.

In today’s society, the tongue can take on many forms. You can use your computer or texting in place of your tongue, but they are still your words; and that is all the same in the eyes of God.

James had more to say about the tongue: For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:2,5,6,8). No man can tame the tongue, and that is why you must have the Holy Ghost abiding within. He will put the love bridle on your tongue when you yield to Him.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. (James 3:10-13).

Don’t Listen to the Wrong Things

Beware of serpent talk because that is what broke the unity between God and His perfect creation in the first place. Don’t listen to gossip and hearsay because God holds people accountable not only for what they say but also for what they listen to and believe. If you let someone deceive you into believing a lie, God holds you accountable.

Numbers 13 and 14 verify this. Israel was on the verge of crossing over into the promised land after recently being delivered from 400 years of Egyptian bondage. Moses sent twelve spies into the land of Canaan, and ten of them returned with an evil report saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13:32,33).

Only Caleb and Joshua gave a good report of truth saying, The land…is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not (Numbers 14:7-9).

After hearing both of the reports, the Israelites chose to believe the evil report; and they wept and cried in despair. They then grumbled and complained against Moses and Aaron so much that they were ready to stone them. Then suddenly, the Lord rose up in His glory and cast judgment upon Israel declaring, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun (Numbers 14:28-30). God held the people accountable for believing the evil report.

Later, the people realized what they had done, and they tried to repent before God and Moses and then take the land by force. However, that was not the will of God, and they failed miserably. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them [the Israelites], and discomfited them, even unto Hormah (Numbers 14:45).

Let Nothing Hinder You

You must have enough of God’s grace abounding for you to keep your ears sanctified and holy because ears that become contaminated lead to a mind that becomes contaminated, and a mind that becomes contaminated will eventually lead to a contaminated soul. Paul said, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8). To be able to think on these things, your ears have to be in tune with the Word and with the Holy Spirit. You can’t feed your mind just anything and expect to think on these six things because it won’t happen.

If you are not full of faith and the Holy Ghost, the devil, people and self will plant thoughts and imaginations in your mind that will cause fear, doubt, worry, questions and mind battles about your brothers and sisters in Christ. Some people share their opinions on matters they have little or no knowledge about, yet they speak as one of authority. That is deceitful; and it brings about confusion, misunderstandings, grumbling and complaining when it ought not to be. Jesus said, But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment (Matthew 12:36).

The Bible warns, Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes (Song of Solomon 2:15). This means that even seemingly little things that tend to go unnoticed can be a hindrance to the body of Christ and the unity of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Never allow those little foxes to come around and spoil the Jesus in your life. There can be no grains of sand between you and your Lord, the foundation of your life.

Live One Day at a Time

We are in testing times, and the Lord is trying His people to see if they are worthy to be on the one flight out. The Rapture is the ultimate privilege of escaping death that billions of people in the past have never had, but you can’t just slide onto Rapture ground. You will be tried and tested; and in this shaking time, you will either go deeper in the Lord or be shaken out.

No one knows what tomorrow holds, but the Lord taught me some years ago in the midst of my most trying hour that you have to live one day at a time. The Apostle Paul wrote by the Holy Ghost, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13,14). Jesus said, Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof (Matthew 6:34).

If you are born again, you aren’t responsible for the past because it is under the blood. You aren’t responsible for the future because God holds the future in His hands as long as you are living in His will, but what you are responsible for is today. You can choose to please God or please yourself. You can be a living sacrifice for Christ or go your own way. God is big enough to make plain paths for your feet all the way to Rapture ground, but you have to allow Him to.

Accept Jesus Today

To be able to make it in this final hour, you have to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer; but you can’t do that without first having the Lord living within. If you are one of those who has a loose tongue and has been causing trouble, the Lord knows all about it because He sees and hears everything; and He holds you responsible. You may fear what people know and think about you, yet you never consider what God knows or thinks when that is all that really matters.

If you have been saying or doing anything you know God would not be pleased with, this is your opportunity to be free. With great love, Jesus paid the price so your sins can be washed away; and you can receive forgiveness and eternal life.

Pray this prayer with me right now: Oh, God, I confess all of my sin before you. Forgive me, Lord, and I will serve you for the rest of my life. I believe there is power in the blood of Jesus that washes away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus! Come into my heart, dear Jesus! If you meant that prayer, Jesus is yours.

Now, you need the Holy Ghost because salvation is not enough to take you to Heaven when Jesus comes. The temple of your body has been made clean and holy, but it must also be full of the Holy Ghost. Lord, in the name of Jesus, I call your anointing down upon the people today. Lord, anoint them to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In the name of Jesus, receive ye the Holy Ghost! Friend, keep praising the Lord with all of your heart and don’t stop until the Holy Ghost comes in.

You Can Have a Miracle

The price Jesus paid on Calvary was a twofold atonement—forgiveness of sin and deliverance for the soul as well as healing and deliverance for the body. If you are sick or afflicted in any way, it doesn’t matter what the doctors have said; Jesus has the cure. He healed all manner of sickness and disease when He lived on Earth, and the same Jesus still lives today. James said, And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up (James 5:15).

Lord, in the name of Jesus, I bring the people before you. Lay a healing hand upon each one; according to your Word let it be done. In the name of Jesus, heal! Heal! Heal! Let your healing virtue flow to each one and make them whole for your honor and glory, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Friend, watch every improvement and give God the honor, the praise and the glory for the testimony of your deliverance. God bless you today.