SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(John 13:34-35) (34) "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (35) "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another."
(1 Corinthians 13:1) "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
(Psalms 133:1-3) (1) "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (2) "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;" (3) "As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."
PREFACE SUMMARY
When the Lord gave me this message, I thought about Satan standing comfortably in the temple, attempting to persuade God to punish or kill Joshua the high priest, which can be found in Zechariah 3:1-3.
It has been passed down through Jewish elders that Elijah's mantle was placed in the temple near the table of Shewbread, and that if any entity appeared in that area, it must be God.
This is why John’s daddy, Zechariah, was frightened when the Angel Gabriel showed up to tell him that his wife would be with child, and that the child would be named John and the forerunner of the coming Messiah.
The only mark I could find on Joshua the high priest is that he had married a heathen woman, and remember, they used to tie a rope on the high priest in case he entered the holy place with sin in their life.
My argument is, what made Satan feel comfortable standing at ease in the holy place, accusing Joshua before God, and remember, the Angel Michael appeared rebuking him in the name of the Lord. I myself believe he said, " The Lord rebuke you, Satan. Is this not a brand that I picked out of the fire, is because the lord Jesus had not yet come as the Messiah?
As I consider the church's influence in the world today, I am left with some very important questions that I am not sure everyone will agree on. However, there is hope in Jesus's words in Matthew 16:18, which states that the Lord will build His church and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
This means that Christ, who is the head of the church, will build His church on falsehoods, broken dreams, and broken hearts, including divorce and worldly views. Yes, beloved, the true church of Jesus Christ is not and will never be a weak church.
I have two important questions regarding the nature and role of the church Jesus is returning for. I want to explore the characteristics that define this church, how it aligns with scripture, and the expectations for its members as they prepare for His return.
1. What is it that allows people to sit comfortably in some churches today and feel at ease with their sin?
2. Have church leaders and Christians overlooked or even forgotten why they were saved?
I believe you can agree that we are living in a time when we desperately need a spiritual cleaning to remove the confessed sins and ungodliness among Christian leaders. I also believe that the living God is gathering an army that has weathered life's storms and is prepared to face the enemy on every front.
The word in (John 13:35) states that people will know that we have experienced the new birth when they see love in our lives, and you can follow someone around for a day and tell if they have passion for the lost person on the street; they can tell when love is present.
These foundational stones (Love) (Unity) (and harmony) must be present in our life before we can operate in the gifts of the Spirit, and if they are not present, we will be operating out of worked-up flesh, and that is why I titled this message, "Something's Missing."
(1 Corinthians 13:1) "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
This message is about what is missing in today’s church, and I hope to present to everyone listening that we need each other more than we will ever know, especially when the enemy is doing everything he possibly can to break up the institution of marriage to destroy the very foundation of our faith.
"MY DREAM THAT WAS SO REAL."
When I was in the US, I had an unusual dream. It was so real, and it started with the setting: the shop of an auto dealership.
I was a truck mechanic from my teens, working for several trucking companies, including Mason & Dixon, American Farm Lines, McClendon Trucking, and General Car and Truck. I left them in 1987 and re-entered long-distance over-the-road trucking.
I remember that in the dream, some of the mechanics knew me and asked me questions while they were installing a transmission in a vehicle. However, I cannot recall if the car was mine, but I do remember they were asking me for my information.
Please note that this usually represents service. Suddenly, I found myself in a fairground-like setting, with a breeze blowing. I remember people joining hands as if expecting something special to happen, and they did so like ball players placing one hand on top of the other players' hands, signifying that they were a team.
In the dream, one of the elderly men, for some reason, took hold of my left hand, and it was the one that showed up on the scanners at the Atlanta airport on my way to be a guest at Apostle Don Stewart’s anniversary in the Philippines.
The fireball in my left hand was showing the anointing that had followed my ministry. Their TSA scanners had captured it, to which the agents were quick to pull me aside, acting like they were excited about what they were seeing.
What I did not know was that the TSA officers turned out to be spirit-filled ministers of the gospel who not only led me back to the right gate for my flight but sat down beside me, asking for prayers and some of the books I had in my carry-on bag.
This is the hand that the man took hold of in my dream. I noticed in the dream that he started dancing as if to put out a fire, because, in letting go of my hand, the man looked at the man beside me, who appeared to be stunned, and exclaimed, “This guy has got some fire.”
The man got a kick when his buddy took hold of my right hand and started dancing as if he had touched an electric wire. It was at that moment that I woke up from the dream.
In the dream, I looked down at my hands, and both had beautiful white leather gloves, symbolizing purity and endurance.
I approached the President of my ministry, Withered Hand Ministries, Inc., Robert Hale, concerning this dream, and he, with excitement, made a statement that brought everything into focus.
Several years ago, Brother Robert and I had some discussions concerning how the first church would bring food and eat a portion of their tithe in the church.
Brother Robert explained to me that they were celebrating the Lord’s goodness and his blessing in their lives, as it was not unusual to see them going from house to house, breaking bread and sharing testimonies.
Brother Robert then said something that got my attention when he mentioned “The unity of the corn.”
This took me back to the founding of our ministry, Withered Hand Ministries, Inc. For you see, in 2004, the Lord came to me in a vision and asked me to found an end-time restoration ministry based on the scripture in Matthew 12:13 concerning the man with the withered hand, which, to me, referred to a miracle ministry.
The Lord visited me in a dream, walking through a website, quoting Psalms (92), asking me to start his restoration ministry. Did you know that this chapter speaks volumes about a restoration ministry and mentions the horn of a unicorn?
When we think of the unicorn, we think of the beautiful wild horse with a horn on its head that comes to the little girl, and through the passion and kindness of the little girl, we catch a glimpse of how her innocence tames that wild horse.
Did you know that in the days of Jesus, there was an animal called a unicorn? However, it was not a beautiful wild horse like in that story, but in the days of Jesus, it was a wild, untamed bull, and this untamed bull can be likened to the untamed church.
The main message of this story is that the little girl's innocence tamed a wild horse. Similarly, the passion and kindness of Christ, along with his great sacrifice at Calvary, can tame the wild church.
To get a better view of our need to settle our differences and walk in unity and harmony as the body of Christ, we need to split the word unicorn into two words, which would be unity and corn, then add some more words like the unity of the corn.
It is no secret that history shows the first church set aside a portion of its tithe for fellowship and to celebrate the Lord’s goodness in blessing their crops and family.
To better understand where I am going in this message, we need to look at (Psalms 133) and read where it speaks of brethren dwelling together in unity, and realize that this is not only where the blessing of the Lord can be found, but it is one of the foundational stones needed for true revival.
God emphasizes through the writer of this Psalm that for brethren to dwell together in unity, which could be better translated as “unified harmony,” as if completing a note in an orchestra, is a beautiful thing to behold, because this is a reflection of the heart and purpose of God in His people that can be best described as a unity of holiness.
"THE SUPERNATURAL OIL APPEARED."
God emphasizes through the writer of (Psalms 133) the beauty that can be found when brethren dwell together in unity, (harmony as if completing a note in an orchestra), describing it as a wondrous and beautiful thing to behold because this beauty reflects the heart and purposes of God working in His people that can be best described as a unity of holiness.
I vividly remember receiving a call ten years ago about Pastor Joseph Dunn's father. At that time, Brother Joseph was a pastor of a small church in Bristol, Tennessee.
Pastor Joseph is a young minister who announced his call to preach at the age of thirteen, and his father was diagnosed with lung cancer, requiring him to receive treatment, informing the family that they may have to remove one of his father's lungs.
I recall being in another state, recording a video to encourage his family. I got so excited during the recording that I said, “They will take his lung out over my dead body.”
Looking back on that statement, I do not think I was making it as a dare, but as a statement of faith that I would seek God and do everything in my power to secure the breakthrough this family needed. Beloved, God honored my faithfulness.
Later, the Lord allowed me to make the trip to the hospital in Abingdon, Virginia, and pray for Pastor Joseph’s dad, but while in the room, my spirit noticed Pastor Joseph’s brother, "Jr. Dunn," and the call of God upon his life, which he had been avoiding.
I remember that God encouraged me to call him forward to minister to him, and I remember being led by the Holy Spirit to the scripture found in (Psalms 133) concerning the anointing oil flowing down the beard of Arron the chosen priest.
As I prayed over this young man, I remembered using this scripture in my prayer. I remember purposely using the part about the oil representing the oil of holiness running down the High Priest Arron’s beard to the skirt of his garment when suddenly, there was a splash of what I thought was water but later turned out to be oil that fell on his forehead and did so in front of everyone in the room.
Later, after I left the hospital, I was informed that someone had stood on a chair to see where the oil had come from, but to their amazement, the ceiling was dusty and dry, and yes, the water turned out to be oil.
Sometime later, WLFG TV personality Bob Smallwood and I ran a revival at Pastor Joseph’s church, and his dad, Wendall, was allowed to attend the services.
After the revival, the doctors went ahead and performed the surgery to remove his father's lung, but could not find any trace of cancer and decided against removing his lung.
The cancer went away, and for more than ten years, pastor Joseph's dad has been cancer-free, still attending church and telling what great things God has done in his life, thanking God that he can live another day to see his young Son preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our God is all-wise and all-powerful. He has his unique way of blessing and encouraging his people who put their trust in Him, for he watches over His word to perform it in those who will submit their lives to Him and take Him at His word, believing the word which states that "these signs shall follow them that believe. (Do You Believe)
"THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS."
(Joshua 23:10) "One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fights for you, as he has promised you."
The time is now upon us to cease acting like a bunch of loose body parts and recognize that we make up the body of Christ here on Earth.
We all know that wood needs other wood to burn. Did you know that if you move a piece of wood in a fire away from the other wood, it will not have enough heat to keep burning and will soon go out?
Many stories and thoughts come to mind when I think about the subject of unity in the body of Christ, and one of them is a great move of God’s Spirit that took place in 1995 during a church revival I started in Bland, Virginia.
God was using my radio program, broadcast from WCRR Radio in Rural Retreat, Virginia, to touch and heal people in their cars, homes, and nursing homes.
The Virginia State Police loved my programs and would occasionally pull me over on the road with blue lights and sirens, especially when they recognized my semi, which had the three crosses lit up on the grille.
A well-known radio and TV personality, Bob Smallwood, owned the station. He is still on TV today and, for years, has given away my books on his program.
I remember one time when a family called the station and made a statement on the air that one of their loved ones, who was born blind, had regained their sight while listening to one of my programs.
I received several letters from pastors, including a well-known TV program host, stating that they had to pull over while driving because tears ran down their cheeks while listening to one of my programs.
I remember that many local pastors were encouraged by their congregations to visit our revival in Bland, Virginia, and check out the truck driver preacher calling himself the Guardian Angel.
The revival began, and God was preaching through me with an anointing that was evident and felt, which caused quite a stir in that little community in Bland, Virginia, and the surrounding areas.
It was so wonderful to be in the flow of God’s Spirit, and one night the local fire department showed up, knocking on the door to report a fire they could see in the vicinity of the church.
The people at the church had experienced a real God who was making Himself known, and He was expressing His presence because they were all in perfect unity and harmony.
Just like the one hundred twenty disciples in the upper room who were in one mind and one accord, waiting on the promise, out of nowhere they were visited by a mighty rushing wind of God's Spirit, with a visible sign of tongues of fire over their heads, speaking of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:3)
"BETTER TOGETHER."
First of all, the Holy scriptures teach that we who have professed Christ as our Lord and Savior have become Sons and Daughters of His royal family. They teach that we make up the body of Christ on Earth, and that when one member of the body suffers, the whole body suffers.
We are approaching the close of the church age as we know it. It is time for the Scripture in Joel 2:17 to ring in our hearts and ears concerning the priests, the ministers of God, chosen by and for Him, to close out this dispensation with weeping between the porch and the altar until the cleansing fire of God falls upon us, ushering in one of the greatest outpourings of His Spirit known to man.
This is the time to break up the hardness of our hearts by earnestly praying, asking God to cleanse and forgive us for our sins, and crying, "Bend me, Lord, to do thy will, Oh God, bend me till there is none of me left."
If we desire a change in ourselves and our lands, let us ask the Lord to create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us as we pray between the porch and the altar, from the depths of our souls, until our prayer runs out of words and becomes a cry of true repentance for ourselves and for our nation.
The time for change is now upon us, and it is time for those professing to be part of the body of Christ to cease acting like a bunch of loose body parts and recognize that we make up the body of Christ here on Earth.
" MAKING A DIFFERENCE."
The Holy scriptures teach that "we who have professed Christ as our Lord & Savior” and have become Sons and Daughters of his royal family are the body of Christ here on Earth.
Looking at the world situation today, we need to realize that we are coming to the close of the church age, with its freedoms as we know them.
(Joel 2: 17) "Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?"
May we let this scripture ring in our hearts and close out this dispensation with weeping between the porch and the altar until the cleansing fire of God falls upon us, ushering in one of the greatest outpourings of God's Spirit that has never been known to man.
Now hs is the time to break up the hardness of our hearts by earnestly praying, asking God to cleanse and forgive us for our sins, crying, "Bend me, Lord, to do thy will, Oh God, bend me till there is none of me left."
In closing, may we pray together, asking God to send His Spirit to help us pray between the porch and the altar from the depths of our souls till our prayers run out of words and become a cry of true repentance for ourselves and our Nation. Amen.
MY CONCLUSION
Can you agree with me that it is a sad sight when the enemy can attend a house of worship and feel comfortable without any fear or respect for the one who created all things both seen and unseen?
My Holy Bible tells me that "the sinner cannot sit in the congregation of the righteous." (Psalms 1:5)
Sadly, many who attend worship services today do not know, or even attempt to know, the people who attend their church services.
You see advertisements claiming these churches are in revival, stating they are receiving a visitation from heaven, but there are no reports of changed lives or souls being saved. If the truth were known, there is every form of immorality in their church, with some living in sin holding offices in the church.
The Holy Word of God spoke of these times when men would become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
We are living in dangerous times and are nearing the end of the day of grace, which will be followed by the great tribulation, but do not lose heart, for when all hope seems lost with no good end in sight, always remember, “It is in our darkest hour that our true character is displayed. Just like squeezing toothpaste, what is inside will come out.
For it is in our darkest hour, with nothing but bad news coming from a thousand directions, that we hold on to His promise that He will never leave us but go with us all the way, even to the end of the world.
Think about this for a moment, the old shipmen of old amid a terrible storm would tie themselves to the big mast of the ship to keep from getting washed overboard, and we have his promise in (Psalms 46:1) that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in the time of trouble.
Church, in these trying times, with trouble on every corner, let us keep fighting the fight of faith as one unified body, working in harmony as we hold on to His everlasting arms, because many facing what we are facing today are losing hope and giving up.
It is not so bad to miss the mark in target practice. We may make many mistakes, but that does not define who we are, for what matters most is that we dare to believe (Jeremiah 29:11) ESV "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
The enemy has a way of knowing when God is getting ready to move for us. He will send distractions our way to get our eyes off our assignment; therefore, may we hold on just a little longer and realize we need each other, for we are nearing the end of the day of grace, and His coming may be sooner than we think.
The attacks on our faith are meant to shape us into the image of God’s Son, transforming us into humble servants. They teach us how to apply God’s word more effectively in our lives. While some observe us going through these trials, they are also experiencing their breakthrough.
In summary, let me close this inspirational message, which I feel is a clarion call to the body of Christ, by saying: It is essential that we recognize God's timing, for it is usually when we are at our lowest point in our faith and just when we are about to give in, that we find God has been working behind the scenes orchestrating events to take place in our favor.
International Evangelist
Jerry W. Hulse Ph.D.
Miracle Life Church International
