SCRIPTIURAL REFERENCES
(2 Chronicles 7:14) "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
(Psalm 85:6) “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?”
(Isaiah 64:1-2) (1) "Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence," (2) "As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!"
(Isaiah 57:15) " For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
(Isaiah 44:3) "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:"
(Psalms 51:10) "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
(Joel 2:28) "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions."
(Psalms 34:18) "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
PREFACE SUMMARY
The purpose for this message is to share some truth and insight to the body of Christ concerning the lax condition found in some churches today where people want a religion they can control and rarely question what may be preached from their pulpits but what can you expect from people who are always in a hurry to go nowhere?
Did you know that in many churches today, pastors are feeling tired from all the pressure they face and it is not good when people have to be begged to attend church not realizing that without the fellowship of other believers, their spirt man will become weak?
All one need do is show up early before a church meeting and observe the attitude of the ones that are gathered for what is supposed to be worship but beloved, some have turned prayer meetings into a chance to spread church gossip and there is no regard for the lost souls looking for a reason to live.
Did you know that some churches today tend to resemble a social gathering catching up on the latest trends, and dear reader, this is the breeding ground for the start of apostasy in the church today. Do you not recognize that scripture being fulfilled right before our very eyes, and do you not agree that we are definitely living in the Laodicean church age as spoken of in the book of Revelation the third chapter?
(Revelation 3:14-16) (14) "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;" (15) "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot." (16) "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
We need to come back to our first love and remember what it was like when we first believed, awaken from our sleep and come back to God and pray that he will visit us with his Holiness and power.
The bottom line to this message concerning the roadblocks to revival is the fact that we need revival which is God's proven method of awakening his church, and beloved, revival is not all about preaching or even reaching the lost as much as it is to revive or resuscitate something that is dying.
Beloved, it is time to come out of our comfort zone and seek the Lord with all our heart asking God to send his cleansing fire to strip away the worked-up flesh that some call manifestations of the Spirit, yes beloved, we need to seek God for a spiritual house cleaning that will get rid of the unconfessed sin and ungodliness in Christian leaders.
Saints, God has a plan to rescue as many as possible from Satan's camp and gather together unto Himself a people that He would call His family, and did you know that God foreknew who would choose His plan and He also knew that the majority would reject it and be lost forever?
Dear reader, did you know that our accepting Jesus is the first step in God's plan of redemption that was predestined for us before the foundation of the world?
God demonstrated a desire to save people by His Love, His Grace, and His workmanship in our doing good works to glorify His name in the Earth, and we must understand that God's divine plan for us is of the Spirit and His Holy Spirit is in us enforcing this plan as Spiritual law.
Beloved, may you understand that His Spirit is the enforcer of Spiritual law, and He will take charge of the circumstances that surround us and cause natural law to be for or against us.
Dear Saints, did you know that Christ represents us in heaven and we need His classroom with his great reservoir of wisdom, for beloved, his council resides within our spirit just waiting to be released, for our purpose and calling can be revealed through the personal inward work of the Blessed Holy Spirit, because beloved, the Holy Spirit knows our purpose and calling for He was in the Father's presence when our life was planned?
Saints, do not place boundaries and limits on God for He is above anything we can imagine with our infinite minds and is able to work behind the scenes to fulfill His purpose on Earth with and through whomever and whatever he chooses to bring his desire to pass.
CHURCH SOULD BE MORE THAN AN OUTWARD SHOW
Praise the Lord Saints of the living God; we begin this message on the roadblocks to revival thanking the Lord for reminding me in prayer, just how important and how on time this message is today concerning some of the obstacles we encounter in what I call the "Christians Process to Greatness!"
Church, our founding scripture for this message can be found in (Romans 12:2-3) which says "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."
Saints, have you longed to experience a move of God like you have read about but never experienced?
Beloved, in my 43-years as a commercial truck driver, I can say that I have witnessed just about anything you can imagine and some you would not be able to but as time progressed, more and more drivers were on the road with some making careless mistakes that injured even claiming the lives of others.
Beloved, the roads are dangerous today and it is not a surprise to find an entire interstate closed because of the actions of a careless driver.
Saints, the enemy of our soul does not mind if we make a resolution to seek God or have special meetings to help our church experience the power of God because he knows that all he has to do is sow some confusion by causing things to happen among the members that will cause fear, thus hindering their sound judgment to keep coming to the meetings to seek God for their continued growth in their Christian walk.
Beloved, down through the pages of church history, we discover that God has allowed his Spirit to empower and use men and women of God in mighty demonstrations of his power, causing medical science to take another look at the power of prayer.
Church, I have great respect for these patriarchs of our faith who paved the way for us to read about their life experiences with the God of the bible and develop within our own hearts a hunger to experience God’s presence in our own life.
Beloved, these powerful men and women of God allowed the Lord to use them to leave his signature through them to future generations including us today.
Saints, they left behind some profound revelations and eyewitnesses who themselves have experienced a one on one covenant relationship with the Living God of the bible.
Beloved saints, these patriarchs all agreed that He is the same today as He was in bible days and he desires to be found.
Church, the lives lived by these saints, is a treasured map that leads to a treasure buried in a remote hidden place just waiting for someone to find it and claim it.
Beloved, please know that I am praying that as you read this hub that you will explore the depths of God’s Spirit in such a way that you will never be satisfied with church in the norm like we have in many services today.
Beloved, I will now make an attempt by the Spirit of God to expound on the strategy and tools of the enemy that can and will hinder the flow of God’s spirit in our lives and ministry, but before I expound upon these dangerous schemes of the enemy, let me post for you some scriptures that I think will give us clarity concerning how God feels when we grieve or insult his spirit.
(Ephesians 4:30) "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
(Isaiah 63:10) "But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."
Church, to better understand what it means to grieve the Holy Spirit, we must first understand that this indicates the Spirit possesses personality because, only a person can be grieved; therefore, the Spirit must be a divine person in order to have this emotion and once we understand this, we can better understand how He is grieved.
Beloved, can you remember when someone embarrassed you in front of others that caused you to become hurt and ashamed; beloved this happened because you were grieved or a better word could be because you were insulted.
Dear Saints, did you know that we insult or grieve the Holy Spirit, when we live and practice a sinful lifestyle like the world, because beloved, Christians are to be an influence to the world and culture around us and not allow the world to influence us, therefore to grieve the Holy Spirit is to act out in a sinful manner, whether it is in thought only or in both thought and deed, it is sin?
Church, did you know that both quenching including grieving the Spirit are similar in their effects because both hinder a godly lifestyle and both happen when a believer sins against God and follows his or her own worldly desires?
Beloved, did you know that the only correct path to follow is the one that leads the believer closer to God and purity therefore the correct path will lead us away from the world and away from sin?
Saints, I believe I can be safe in saying that we do not like to be mistreated and grieved, therefore we should not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit by refusing to follow His leading.
Beloved, this is a powerful message concerning some of the roadblocks that hinder our walk with God and it would do us well to recognize including appreciate the abiding and indwelling presence of God’s Spirit living within and allow him free course in our life that we may be presented blameless on that day and hear him say the words found in (Matthew 25:21) "His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
Saints, God's Spirit was present when our life was planned and He is armed with the vast knowledge of God’s preordained plan for our life therefore let us be thankful that God allowed us as spirit beings to be born and enjoy life on this planet for we have a divine purpose and destiny to fulfill.
DONT CHASE THE DOVE AWAY
Church, I was led of the Lord to use the dove in the title of this chapter as a reference to God’s Spirit and God’s abiding presence.
Beloved, I have took the liberty to provide you with several references concerning the dove as used in the Holy scriptures and we all remember that it was the bird sent out by Noah to see if the water had receded from the Earth.
(Genesis 8:8-12) "Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground." "But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole Earth." "So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him." "He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark." "And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf." "So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth."
Beloved, the dove is recognized as a symbol of purity, and many times the dove can be found pictured carrying the olive leaf as a symbol of peace, and purity.
Saints, the dove is often mentioned as the emblem of purity which can be found in (Psalms 68:13) and dearly beloved, the dove is also presented by the Apostle John to be recognized as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:32)
Church, the dove can be found in the book of Luke to describe the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus when he was baptized by the Apostle John.
(Luke 3:22) "And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
Dear Saints, did you know that doves and turtle-doves were the only birds that were considered to be clean and they were the only birds that could be offered in sacrifice, as they were clean according to the Mosaic law.
ROAD BLOCK NUMBER ONE
" THE SIN OF PRIDE "
Beloved, did you know that people are important to God and he does not want us living in bondage but in the power and victory of the cross.
Saints, the Sin of mankind was dealt a mighty blow by our savior at the cross yes beloved, God raised him up for our justification that we could come into his holy presence as one who that has no sin because, we are declared righteous through the blood of Jesus and we need to start living as one that knows God from the free pardon of sin and put the devil where he belongs and that is under our feet.
Friends, we must never give the devil an inch in our lives, because he will tempt and lure us to take the bait dangling before us like an angler trying to catch a fish.
Beloved, he will make it look appealing but remember, if we do take the bait, it will have consequences and place us in bondage.
Saints, if we have a sincere desire to experience a fresh move of God, we must put away our sin and realize that It is time to come to God asking him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Beloved, did you know that there are two sins of the flesh that will hinder the flow of God’s Spirit in our life and ministry? Saints, the title to this part of the message is do not chase the dove representing the presence of God away and these two sins are Pride and Racism”
Beloved, before you close the chapter, let me please ask you some questions then I will expound upon the danger behind these schemes of the enemy to divide and conquer?
1. Did you have anything to do with what era in history you would be born?
2. Did you have any say as to what gender you would be and who your parents would be?
3. Did you have anything to do or say concerning what nationality or what race you would be born into?
4. Did you have anything to do or say concerning the gifts that would be placed within you at birth.
GOD HATES A PROUD LOOK
Dear Saints, we find in (Proverbs 6:16) that God hates a proud look and one of the reasons God hates a proud look is because beloved, out of the billions of people upon this planet, no one is like you because no one has your brain waves, your DNA, your finger prints and even your gifts therefore, we have no right to place our-self as being superior to another person living on this planet.
Beloved, I want to place the definition of pride for us to view and see if any of these traits identify in us and if they do then we need to quickly repent before God and ask him to cleanse us with the blood of his Son. (John 1:9)
Wikipedia - Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two antithetical meanings, with a negative connotation pride refers to a foolishly and irrationally corrupt sense of one's personal value, status or accomplishments, used synonymously with hubris.
Pride refers to a humble and content sense of attachment toward one's own or another's choices and actions, or toward a whole group of people, and is a product of praise, independent self-reflection, and a fulfilled feeling of belonging.
Beloved, in Judaism, pride is called the root of all evil, and in Christianity, pride is the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, (the father of all sins.
Beloved, some social psychologists identify the nonverbal expression of pride as a means of sending a functional, automatically perceived signal of high social status.
Saints, the bottom line in describing pride, would be to define it as a lowly disagreement with the truth.
ROADBLOCK NUMBER TWO
"THE SIN OF RACISIM"
Dear reader, if you have read this message and meditated on its truths, you are on your way to a revival within your soul that will surely not be able to be contained but let me now expound upon the scheme the enemy of our soul is using to divide our churches especially our nations and that sin is Racism.
Beloved, the Azusa Street revival in 1906 that touched the world was started when some white people in Los Angeles was praying for a move of God. Saints of God, the Lord heard their prayer and directed a black man by the name of "William Seymour" to their residence which was against curfew and was late at night.
Beloved, the black people were under a curfew and were forbidden to be out at that time of the night but our sovereign God who knows all, had a plan to bring a powerful revival to Los Angeles.
Saints, there was knock at their door and there stood a black man with a patch over one eye and when they asked what he wanted, he replied, you been praying for revival and God directed me to come here.
Beloved, the Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement.
Saints, this powerful magnified outpouring of God's Spirit was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. Beloved, the revival began with a meeting on April 9, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915.
Beloved, the Azusa Street Revival was a historic revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California, and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement.
Beloved, the revival was characterized by spiritual experiences accompanied with testimonies of physical healing miracles, worship services and speaking in tongues. Saints of God, the participants were criticized by the secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at this particular time in history and today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.
Church, near the end of this great outpouring of God’s Spirit, the white people began to complain about the worship of whites and blacks together.
Beloved, the persecution became so great that soon the Azusa street mission was deserted by the whites and became a mostly black church.
Saints, sadly, the fires of revival that swept the world had been hindered as racism once again grieved the flow of God’s Spirit.
Dear reader, how can we as a people that had no say as to when we would be born, what gender we would be or even what race God would allow us to be born into, think that we as frail human beings that are dependent upon him for the next breath we breathe, could even think that we or our race of people is superior to another when God is the one that chose and carefully planned when, where, and what race we would be born to experience life and to fulfill his divine purpose for our life which one day all of us will stand in front of him the giver of life and give an account of the life we are now living to fulfill his divine purpose and call upon our life and ministry?
Beloved. the enemy’s plan is to divide and conquer as holds true the old saying “United we stand and Divided we Fall?” I could write many chapters on this subject but even the late A. A. Allen and my Apostle Don Stewart that was mentored by him encountered protests and courts for having mixed multitudes in their services.
MY CONCLUSION
Dear reader, this world and especially America, desperately needs a move of God to bring a correction and a reverential fear upon us that we would put aside our differences and come together in unity of the faith, working in harmony.
Psalms 133:1-3) "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments." "As the dew of Herman, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."
Beloved, Pride and Racism are not only roadblocks and dangerous threats to the security of our future, but they are hindering blocks to have and experience a true outpouring of God's Spirit in true revival.
Beloved saints, there is no room for these evil sins to exist in the life of a true Christian therefore churches and religious organizations that send their missionaries into other countries and rejoice over their pictures being took with other races, but refuse to allow other races to attend their church, are not of God, and are caught up in pride and religious bigotry.
Church, it is a proven fact that Racism is a taught behavior and God will have NO part of it.
My question for us today is, "how can one claim to know God and be a part of something that God hates with a passion?"
Dear reader, until we can see people the way God sees them and realize that the only way the devil can hurt God, is through souls because men and women are made in the image and likeness of almighty God.
Beloved saints, if we are hung up on our cultural differences, and allow those differences to racially divide and hinder our walk with God, we will miss the mark and the call to fulfill the great commission.
Beloved, if we allow these differences influence our life causing the lost to slip through our fingers and cause them to miss Heaven, beloved, they will be forever separated from God and will be a part of God, that he can never get back.
Church, if we allow others to influence and dim our vision in reaching the lost at any cost, we will be missing the greatest time in the history of man to experience the fires of a life changing revival where lives can be changed for eternity.
Saints of the Lord, let us contend for the faith and agree on the virgin birth, the death, burial and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who gave his life for all races, creeds and people that they may be rescued from the rebellion of Satan and be adopted into the royal family of God.
Beloved, let us not get caught up in the religious system we have to day, beloved, let us treat all men with love, respect, and honor because church, I assure you, that this will get God’s attention causing him to send his Dove to nurture, and bless our life and ministry.
Dear Lord, I ask you to use this message to awaken our inner man and bring us together as one united in our faith as fellow believers working as one in perfect harmony that will bring a move of God, that will bring deliverance and healing to our world, Lord, we ask this in Jesus mighty name and everyone enjoying this inspirational message, may we shout together with a voice of exclamation, "let the redeemed of the Lord say, A-Men." "www.witheredhand.org"
Be Blessed and Be A Blessing!
International Evangelist
Jerry W. Hulse Ph.D.
Miracle Life Church International
