Dear friends,
I pray things are well with you. As I woke up this morning the Lord was speaking. He brought to mind Hebrews 4:12. I want to share with you this morning what the Lord was giving to me. Prayerfully consider these things.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
In 1 Kings 3:16-27 we see a spiritual picture of this verse in action. Two harlots came before the king for him to make a judgement. One had lain on her baby during the night and accidentally killed him. She took the other ladies' baby and claimed it for her own. These were ladies of the night and a nursing baby was a means of birth control. They came before Solomon wanting a decision as to which woman the baby belonged. The king asked for a sword and then gave orders for the child to be cut in half with each woman getting half. The one lady would rather give the child up than for it to be killed while the woman who had stolen the baby would rather the baby die than be exposed. The sword revealed the thoughts and intents of the heart. The baby was given to the woman who was willing to give him up rather than see him die. The truth was revealed by the sword.
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13
Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Matthew 10:26
This is what the Lord put on my heart: The hearts of men will be laid bare. Wickedness will be exposed. That which has been hidden will be revealed to all. The intents of the heart will be revealed. We will again see the days of Ananias and Sapphira as the fear of the Lord is restored. 1Kings 3:28 And all Israel heard of the judgement which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. Godly justice brings the fear of the Lord. It is a time of purifying our hearts; it is a time of purifying our motives. Though I had a sense that the primary application was to leaders in America it certainly applies to the Christian community.
For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1Peter 4:17
It begins first with us. This is not a message of gloom and doom. The heart must first be revealed before it can be healed. God desires to bring healing. His peace is everything set right. The revelation of His glory exposes that which is not glorious. Wickedness must first be exposed before it is destroyed. When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever. Psalms 92:7 It truly is a message of hope.
I have often looked at 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a formula for national revival, but as I was studying for a teaching the other day I saw it in a different light. I remembered how a great teacher, Alan Vincent, who had once been an atheistic scientist before getting saved, shared the fact that an element such as copper will always test copper whether it is a bar, a crystal, or a molecule. He went on to say that everything that is kingdom will apply at every level whether it be an individual, a family, a church, or a nation. We can apply that verse to ourselves individually. If Herb Dean who is called by My name will humble himself and pray and seek My face, and turn from His wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive his sin and heal his land (soul). parentheses mine. Some may say that's old covenant; that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I say, yes, and amen. I am not wicked; I've been given a new heart, but there are still areas of my life where I struggle with my flesh or am I the only one? There are times I've had selfish motives, times when I have rejoiced at the fall of my enemies, times when I envied the success of others. Yes, it is true there is wickedness in my flesh and sometimes carnality in my thinking. This must be brought into the captivity of Christ. Humility, prayer, seeking, confession, and turning are as relevant now as in the old covenant and praise God we have the Spirit inside us and His enabling grace to do it. Can we expect the heathen to change if we are unwilling or unable ourselves. I had not intended to get into all that, but just to say we are entering a season of the revealing of hearts.
As I said earlier, weigh these things prayerfully. God is moving. It is a time of transition and God is desirous to move each of us to new levels of glory. I appreciate all of you and am always thankful for your encouragement. If I can be of any assistance to you send me a note.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Prophetic words
Dear friends,
I am sorry that I have not written. I was hoping that I would be able to send prophetic words out on a regular basis, but then life got busy. Most of my prophesying has been relegated to our prayer groups. There has been such a sense of His presence in our prayer groups of late that it becomes easy to prophesy. Many of you received the last Kingdom Keys about 2010. I thought this morning that I would send you the word I received New Year's eve and one from this morning. I do not claim to be inerrant. Try these words; hold fast to that which is good; receive with faith that which is witnessed in your spirit, and ask the Lord for confirmation. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. Be blessed.
December 31, 2009 11:50pm
For there will be difficult times ahead, but know even as I restored the fortunes of Job, I will restore the fortunes of my people. In tragedy, I will reveal myself and I will reestablish the fear of the Lord. Yes, I grant unto you double for your trouble and 2010 will be the year of the double portion. This will be a season in which there is a paradigm shift from the local church dynamic into a kingdom dynamic. Hear the word of the Lord. It is those who have persisted who can ask Me for the double portion. (See 2 Kings 2) Even this year there will be a shift economically in which the wealth of the wicked begins to be transferred into the accounts of the righteous. You, son, will see it. You have sown faithfully and now I will bring home the waves. (parentheses mine)
January 29, 2010
For this indeed is a new season; there is an air of anticipation. You who live expectantly will not be disappointed for I do not bring conception and not bring to birth. That which is birthed will come forth quickly and the time of travail is at hand. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. That which I bring forth will be so far beyond your expectation and your experience that you will be as one who dreams. There will be a coming together of my people and there will be realms of worship that you have yet to experience. There will be a shaking in the heavenlies and principalities will be displaced. There is a great harvest coming. It will be a time of reaping what many of you have sown for years. There are some who have sown faithfully and not seen increase and I say your time is at hand. Prepare yourselves; this is a time to be seeking my face for that which I do will be a suddenly. Be prepared.
As I was typing about being prepared, I pictured a young couple with the lady being almost nine months pregnant. They have prepared a nursery. The bed , the linens, the little outfits, blankets, diapers, and other paraphernalia are all in place in anticipation of the new birth. That is the kind of expectancy we should have. We used to say that of someone who was pregnant, "Their expecting."
Test it. It is my desire to hear the Lord and encourage His people. Be blessed.
Expecting,
Herb Dean
I am sorry that I have not written. I was hoping that I would be able to send prophetic words out on a regular basis, but then life got busy. Most of my prophesying has been relegated to our prayer groups. There has been such a sense of His presence in our prayer groups of late that it becomes easy to prophesy. Many of you received the last Kingdom Keys about 2010. I thought this morning that I would send you the word I received New Year's eve and one from this morning. I do not claim to be inerrant. Try these words; hold fast to that which is good; receive with faith that which is witnessed in your spirit, and ask the Lord for confirmation. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. Be blessed.
December 31, 2009 11:50pm
For there will be difficult times ahead, but know even as I restored the fortunes of Job, I will restore the fortunes of my people. In tragedy, I will reveal myself and I will reestablish the fear of the Lord. Yes, I grant unto you double for your trouble and 2010 will be the year of the double portion. This will be a season in which there is a paradigm shift from the local church dynamic into a kingdom dynamic. Hear the word of the Lord. It is those who have persisted who can ask Me for the double portion. (See 2 Kings 2) Even this year there will be a shift economically in which the wealth of the wicked begins to be transferred into the accounts of the righteous. You, son, will see it. You have sown faithfully and now I will bring home the waves. (parentheses mine)
January 29, 2010
For this indeed is a new season; there is an air of anticipation. You who live expectantly will not be disappointed for I do not bring conception and not bring to birth. That which is birthed will come forth quickly and the time of travail is at hand. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. That which I bring forth will be so far beyond your expectation and your experience that you will be as one who dreams. There will be a coming together of my people and there will be realms of worship that you have yet to experience. There will be a shaking in the heavenlies and principalities will be displaced. There is a great harvest coming. It will be a time of reaping what many of you have sown for years. There are some who have sown faithfully and not seen increase and I say your time is at hand. Prepare yourselves; this is a time to be seeking my face for that which I do will be a suddenly. Be prepared.
As I was typing about being prepared, I pictured a young couple with the lady being almost nine months pregnant. They have prepared a nursery. The bed , the linens, the little outfits, blankets, diapers, and other paraphernalia are all in place in anticipation of the new birth. That is the kind of expectancy we should have. We used to say that of someone who was pregnant, "Their expecting."
Test it. It is my desire to hear the Lord and encourage His people. Be blessed.
Expecting,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Double for Your Trouble
Dear friends,
It has been a while since I have written. I pray all is well with you. Things have been busy or seemingly so, and I don't function too well in the cold. I would like to share a few thoughts with you concerning the new year. Every year I pray and ask the Lord for a word for the new year and today I am finally getting around to sharing it with my e-mail friends. I believe this will bless you.
I awakened very early one morning and I heard the words "trouble" and "double" . My first thought was, "Oh no! this is going to be a year of double trouble." Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but when I inquired of the Lord He gave me something different. Isaiah 61:7 came to mind and I heard the Lord say, "double for your trouble." Here are some confirming verses:
Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy will be theirs. Is.61:7
As for you also,because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. Zech. 9:11,12
And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10 I believe there is a word in here as well. His fortunes were restored when he prayed for others. We must take our eyes off our own difficulties and intercede on be half of others. If our problems become our focus we will take our eyes off God and others and we are effectively out of the ministry.
Also, as an elder was sharing at disciple class about Bill Johnson's message from Isaiah 45. I looked at Isaiah 45 and this part of verse one was quickened in my heart: To open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut. In fact, you would do well to read the whole chapter. I have often desired to go other places and minister and yet for many years have labored in relative obscurity. I felt like the Lord was saying to me, I am opening doors for you. That is a word for someone who will read this message. The Lord is saying ,Obscurity, no more! I am releasing you and going before you opening doors and breaking away the gates of bronze and bars of iron that have kept you captive.
For over a month now the Lord has been giving me Is. 40:31 and with that a promise of renewed strength. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired. Is.40:31 is a promise to you. The word wait in Hebrew implies being entwined. Those who are wrapped up in Jesus will have their strength renewed and they will rise to new heights in the Spirit.
Let me say this as a word of admonition. These words may require something of us. We must mix it with faith and take the appropriate action. The word God gave me last year was about sowing in the time of famine. There must first be a famine before we can sow during it and with the word this year there has to be trouble before you can get double for it. Now some of you have been through and the blessings are being released while others may be going into trouble shortly. Last Wednesday, I arrived early at the church to get it warmed up for our pastors' prayer meeting only to discover that we had been broken into for the third time since Christmas. Immediately, I felt a wave of discouragement roll over me, but then I remembered the word of the Lord and began to confess it. God will be true to His word.
Finally, I would like to share something my wife received and it bore witness with me. As she looked at the number 2010 she began to think about vision and felt impressed that the Lord said He was going to give us 20/10 vision. She asked me if 20/10 vision was good and I told her it was very good. To have 20/10 means we will see things quicker and more clearly at greater distances. I see this as the ability to see the vision with greater clarity. Ted Williams, one of baseball's all-time greats, was said to have 20/10 vision and it allowed him to pick up the rotation on a curveball a fraction earlier than someone with normal vision. That helped to make him a great hitter. We will see quicker and intercept things in the spirit.
I have great hope and expectancy for this year. Prayer over these words and where the Spirit gives witness claim them for your own. Confess them in the midst of your situation; we war with the rhema. In closing the abbreviated points are as follows:
1. Double for your trouble. Is.61:7
2. Renewal of strength. Is. 40:31
3. Doors and gates opened. Is. 45
4. 20/10 vision
Thank you for allowing me to share with you. Be exceedingly, abundantly blessed.
In His love,
Herb Dean
It has been a while since I have written. I pray all is well with you. Things have been busy or seemingly so, and I don't function too well in the cold. I would like to share a few thoughts with you concerning the new year. Every year I pray and ask the Lord for a word for the new year and today I am finally getting around to sharing it with my e-mail friends. I believe this will bless you.
I awakened very early one morning and I heard the words "trouble" and "double" . My first thought was, "Oh no! this is going to be a year of double trouble." Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but when I inquired of the Lord He gave me something different. Isaiah 61:7 came to mind and I heard the Lord say, "double for your trouble." Here are some confirming verses:
Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy will be theirs. Is.61:7
As for you also,because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. Zech. 9:11,12
And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10 I believe there is a word in here as well. His fortunes were restored when he prayed for others. We must take our eyes off our own difficulties and intercede on be half of others. If our problems become our focus we will take our eyes off God and others and we are effectively out of the ministry.
Also, as an elder was sharing at disciple class about Bill Johnson's message from Isaiah 45. I looked at Isaiah 45 and this part of verse one was quickened in my heart: To open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut. In fact, you would do well to read the whole chapter. I have often desired to go other places and minister and yet for many years have labored in relative obscurity. I felt like the Lord was saying to me, I am opening doors for you. That is a word for someone who will read this message. The Lord is saying ,Obscurity, no more! I am releasing you and going before you opening doors and breaking away the gates of bronze and bars of iron that have kept you captive.
For over a month now the Lord has been giving me Is. 40:31 and with that a promise of renewed strength. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired. Is.40:31 is a promise to you. The word wait in Hebrew implies being entwined. Those who are wrapped up in Jesus will have their strength renewed and they will rise to new heights in the Spirit.
Let me say this as a word of admonition. These words may require something of us. We must mix it with faith and take the appropriate action. The word God gave me last year was about sowing in the time of famine. There must first be a famine before we can sow during it and with the word this year there has to be trouble before you can get double for it. Now some of you have been through and the blessings are being released while others may be going into trouble shortly. Last Wednesday, I arrived early at the church to get it warmed up for our pastors' prayer meeting only to discover that we had been broken into for the third time since Christmas. Immediately, I felt a wave of discouragement roll over me, but then I remembered the word of the Lord and began to confess it. God will be true to His word.
Finally, I would like to share something my wife received and it bore witness with me. As she looked at the number 2010 she began to think about vision and felt impressed that the Lord said He was going to give us 20/10 vision. She asked me if 20/10 vision was good and I told her it was very good. To have 20/10 means we will see things quicker and more clearly at greater distances. I see this as the ability to see the vision with greater clarity. Ted Williams, one of baseball's all-time greats, was said to have 20/10 vision and it allowed him to pick up the rotation on a curveball a fraction earlier than someone with normal vision. That helped to make him a great hitter. We will see quicker and intercept things in the spirit.
I have great hope and expectancy for this year. Prayer over these words and where the Spirit gives witness claim them for your own. Confess them in the midst of your situation; we war with the rhema. In closing the abbreviated points are as follows:
1. Double for your trouble. Is.61:7
2. Renewal of strength. Is. 40:31
3. Doors and gates opened. Is. 45
4. 20/10 vision
Thank you for allowing me to share with you. Be exceedingly, abundantly blessed.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Full of New Wine
Dear friends,
I pray that you are well and prospering in the Lord. These are interesting times in which we live. I believe God is calling us to Himself. "Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you." He is our hope and shield.
Recently, I began teaching from the book of Acts. I haven't made it very far. At the moment I am revisiting Pentecost. I would like to share a couple of thoughts that came to me as I was studying Acts 2. As always I desire to be an encouragement to you.
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. Acts 2:5
These men were men who were serious about God. Many had probably made great sacrifices to get to Jerusalem. They were from all over the known world. Many had traveled great distances on land and by boat to come to Jerusalem to participate in the feasts. They were God seekers and they heard a "sound".
And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Acts 2:6
"---- we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" Others mocking said,"They are full of new wine." Acts 2:11-13
There were basically two responses: one group began soul searching and the other began mocking.
God encounters usually evoke these two responses. Ultimately there are really only two choices, receiving and rejecting. The one group rejected the message of God and accused the messengers of being drunk.
The accusatory phrase was really pretty accurate as wine is often a type of the Holy Spirit. They were mocking, but there was a measure of truth. These men were full alright, full of the Holy Spirit. As I thought about the new wine statement, the words of Jesus concerning wineskins came to mind.
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. Luke 5:37, 38
I believe you could label the two groups as wineskins; those who received were new wineskins and those who rejected what God was doing were old wineskins. In the spiritual, age does not determine whether you are an old or new wineskin, it is the attitude of the heart. A new wineskin has not lost their hunger for God; they are seeking for a greater and greater revelation of the Father. They are teachable and open. They still have a reverse gear in order to back up and line up with the truth. In fact, someone can be young and be an old wineskin. They are rigid, unteachable, and satisfied that they are right. They are not open to greater revelation and manifestations of God. They reject as wrong anything that does not fit their paradigm. I have known young "old wineskins" and, praise the Lord, I know some old "new wineskins."
On the day of Pentecost, an awesome immeasurable gift was offered and it was received by many, but some would not receive because they didn't like the package it came in. As I wrote this I thought of a vision I had years ago, I saw a beautiful Christmas tree surrounded by many presents. There was no one in the vision, just the tree and the presents. When I inquired of the Lord as to the meaning of the vision, He said, "I have many gifts for My children, if only they would receive them. Would you agree with me that every gift of God is good and that we want everything He has for us.
In His love,
Herb Dean
I pray that you are well and prospering in the Lord. These are interesting times in which we live. I believe God is calling us to Himself. "Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you." He is our hope and shield.
Recently, I began teaching from the book of Acts. I haven't made it very far. At the moment I am revisiting Pentecost. I would like to share a couple of thoughts that came to me as I was studying Acts 2. As always I desire to be an encouragement to you.
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. Acts 2:5
These men were men who were serious about God. Many had probably made great sacrifices to get to Jerusalem. They were from all over the known world. Many had traveled great distances on land and by boat to come to Jerusalem to participate in the feasts. They were God seekers and they heard a "sound".
And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Acts 2:6
"---- we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" Others mocking said,"They are full of new wine." Acts 2:11-13
There were basically two responses: one group began soul searching and the other began mocking.
God encounters usually evoke these two responses. Ultimately there are really only two choices, receiving and rejecting. The one group rejected the message of God and accused the messengers of being drunk.
The accusatory phrase was really pretty accurate as wine is often a type of the Holy Spirit. They were mocking, but there was a measure of truth. These men were full alright, full of the Holy Spirit. As I thought about the new wine statement, the words of Jesus concerning wineskins came to mind.
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. Luke 5:37, 38
I believe you could label the two groups as wineskins; those who received were new wineskins and those who rejected what God was doing were old wineskins. In the spiritual, age does not determine whether you are an old or new wineskin, it is the attitude of the heart. A new wineskin has not lost their hunger for God; they are seeking for a greater and greater revelation of the Father. They are teachable and open. They still have a reverse gear in order to back up and line up with the truth. In fact, someone can be young and be an old wineskin. They are rigid, unteachable, and satisfied that they are right. They are not open to greater revelation and manifestations of God. They reject as wrong anything that does not fit their paradigm. I have known young "old wineskins" and, praise the Lord, I know some old "new wineskins."
On the day of Pentecost, an awesome immeasurable gift was offered and it was received by many, but some would not receive because they didn't like the package it came in. As I wrote this I thought of a vision I had years ago, I saw a beautiful Christmas tree surrounded by many presents. There was no one in the vision, just the tree and the presents. When I inquired of the Lord as to the meaning of the vision, He said, "I have many gifts for My children, if only they would receive them. Would you agree with me that every gift of God is good and that we want everything He has for us.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
How Good and Pleasant it Is
Dear friends,
I pray you are doing well. I am hungry for God's presence in my life individually and corporately in the church. Some would say, "He is omnipresent; He never leaves us or forsakes." The psalmist asks , where could I go from Your presence?" Answer: "nowhere". That is true. He is in me and upon me; I don't have to go anywhere to find Him. So why am I hungry for something I already have? There is a difference between the omnipresence and the manifest presence of God. In Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Would it be necessary for Jesus to make this distinction if He were speaking only of His omnipresence? No, I believe He is speaking of His manifest presence. Today, I want to look at something that I believe attracts the manifest presence of God.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. Psalms 133: 1,2
The description of the oil being poured on the head of Aaron is the anointing. Let's put it this way. Brethren dwelling in unity is like the anointing. I believe that if we are to experience the corporate anointing it must be in that place of unity. Unity attracts the presence of God. Why is it that God so often manifests Himself in corporate worship? Well, we know in Psalms 22 that God inhabits the praises of His people Israel. I believe it is because when we are praising and worshipping God we are one; we have a single eye, a single focus. When I am lost in worship I am not so much concerned whether the guy next to me is Calvinist or Arminian, my eyes are only on the King.
Let's look very briefly at some of the places in scripture where the Spirit of God was manifest. I know that we have looked at some of these scriptures a number of times before, but I think we need to revisit them, because if we ever needed unity, if we ever needed the presence of God, we need it now.
1. 2 Chronicles 5:13,14 there is a phrase in verse 13 that is key: when the trumpeters and singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in thanking and praising the Lord. They were as one to make one sound. When we are making one sound unto the Lord His glory will fill the house.
2. Acts 2: 1 Look at the verse; they were all with one accord in one place. Then came the suddenly.
3. Acts 4:24-31 Here we see the corporate anointing coming in great manifestation. It was preceded by prayer and look how that prayer began,"They raised their voice with one accord......
Based on scripture, I believe we can make the statement that unity attracts the manifest presence of God. God is there in omnipresence, but it is in unity He chooses to manifest Himself in the corporate setting. You may ask,"Won't God manifest Himself to us individually?" Yes, absolutely, but even in an individual there can be divided heart. The doubleminded man receives nothing from the Lord. He will manifest Himself to those who have a single eye and an undivided heart. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. A perfect heart is not a perfect person. A perfect heart is an undivided heart. He is looking for undivided hearts.
If unity is the place of blessing, what is division? It would follow that it is the place of cursing. Jesus said a kingdom divided cannot stand. That is a principle that will apply on every level. A divided church will not stand, a divided nation will not stand, a divided family, or a divided heart will not stand. It seems we have divided ourselves on issues of race, politics, pet doctrines, and sadly even our gifts. Are you talking about compromise? No, there are certain things I refuse to compromise. Doctrine is important;it affects our worldview. I am saying there is a place for deference. If the defense of my nonessential doctrine is destroying relationships and bringing division in the body then I have taken my eyes off the King. For the kingdom of God is not eat or drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 We oft quote this verse in defining the kingdom of God, but what is the context? It is about not destroying a brother because of my personal beliefs. Where the government of God is, there is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Where He reigns there is peace. Peace is not just the absence of conflict, but nothing missing, nothing broken, things as they should be.
The manifestation of the Spirit is really an invasion of the kingdom of God and where the kings reigns there is peace. I have often found that I can be weary, worried, or aggravated when I gather with my brothers and sisters to worship and in the presence of the King I find peace. In the presence of the king there is fulness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures for evermore; in His presence there is peace. We have a promise from the Father that the hungry and thirsty will be filled. Are you hungry for His presence today? What would happen if the next time we gather everyone has a single focus, the King?
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
I pray you are doing well. I am hungry for God's presence in my life individually and corporately in the church. Some would say, "He is omnipresent; He never leaves us or forsakes." The psalmist asks , where could I go from Your presence?" Answer: "nowhere". That is true. He is in me and upon me; I don't have to go anywhere to find Him. So why am I hungry for something I already have? There is a difference between the omnipresence and the manifest presence of God. In Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Would it be necessary for Jesus to make this distinction if He were speaking only of His omnipresence? No, I believe He is speaking of His manifest presence. Today, I want to look at something that I believe attracts the manifest presence of God.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. Psalms 133: 1,2
The description of the oil being poured on the head of Aaron is the anointing. Let's put it this way. Brethren dwelling in unity is like the anointing. I believe that if we are to experience the corporate anointing it must be in that place of unity. Unity attracts the presence of God. Why is it that God so often manifests Himself in corporate worship? Well, we know in Psalms 22 that God inhabits the praises of His people Israel. I believe it is because when we are praising and worshipping God we are one; we have a single eye, a single focus. When I am lost in worship I am not so much concerned whether the guy next to me is Calvinist or Arminian, my eyes are only on the King.
Let's look very briefly at some of the places in scripture where the Spirit of God was manifest. I know that we have looked at some of these scriptures a number of times before, but I think we need to revisit them, because if we ever needed unity, if we ever needed the presence of God, we need it now.
1. 2 Chronicles 5:13,14 there is a phrase in verse 13 that is key: when the trumpeters and singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in thanking and praising the Lord. They were as one to make one sound. When we are making one sound unto the Lord His glory will fill the house.
2. Acts 2: 1 Look at the verse; they were all with one accord in one place. Then came the suddenly.
3. Acts 4:24-31 Here we see the corporate anointing coming in great manifestation. It was preceded by prayer and look how that prayer began,"They raised their voice with one accord......
Based on scripture, I believe we can make the statement that unity attracts the manifest presence of God. God is there in omnipresence, but it is in unity He chooses to manifest Himself in the corporate setting. You may ask,"Won't God manifest Himself to us individually?" Yes, absolutely, but even in an individual there can be divided heart. The doubleminded man receives nothing from the Lord. He will manifest Himself to those who have a single eye and an undivided heart. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. A perfect heart is not a perfect person. A perfect heart is an undivided heart. He is looking for undivided hearts.
If unity is the place of blessing, what is division? It would follow that it is the place of cursing. Jesus said a kingdom divided cannot stand. That is a principle that will apply on every level. A divided church will not stand, a divided nation will not stand, a divided family, or a divided heart will not stand. It seems we have divided ourselves on issues of race, politics, pet doctrines, and sadly even our gifts. Are you talking about compromise? No, there are certain things I refuse to compromise. Doctrine is important;it affects our worldview. I am saying there is a place for deference. If the defense of my nonessential doctrine is destroying relationships and bringing division in the body then I have taken my eyes off the King. For the kingdom of God is not eat or drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 We oft quote this verse in defining the kingdom of God, but what is the context? It is about not destroying a brother because of my personal beliefs. Where the government of God is, there is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Where He reigns there is peace. Peace is not just the absence of conflict, but nothing missing, nothing broken, things as they should be.
The manifestation of the Spirit is really an invasion of the kingdom of God and where the kings reigns there is peace. I have often found that I can be weary, worried, or aggravated when I gather with my brothers and sisters to worship and in the presence of the King I find peace. In the presence of the king there is fulness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures for evermore; in His presence there is peace. We have a promise from the Father that the hungry and thirsty will be filled. Are you hungry for His presence today? What would happen if the next time we gather everyone has a single focus, the King?
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
I ,also, am a man under authority
Dear friends,
I pray that you are being blessed of the Lord. As I was meditating this morning I thought about the centurion who had a servant at home paralyzed. He was one of two gentiles in the gospels whom Jesus praised for their faith. What was different about his faith that Jesus would remark," I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel." Hebrews 11:6 says," Without faith it is impossible to please God". If we are truly born again and love God, it will be our desire to please Him. So I want to take a few moments to examine the faith of this centurion.
And Jesus said to him," I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed. "For I, also, am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one,'Go', and he goes and to another, 'come' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." Matthew 8:7-9
First, let's look at the centurion. A centurion was an officer in the Roman army. He was in charge of a century which was a subdivision of a Roman legion. This would be one hundred soldiers under his command. We will draw some thoughts from this fact in a moment. Let's look at the entire text (Matthew 8:5-13) and see what we can glean from his character and actions.
In verse 5 we see, he came to Jesus. He sought Jesus out. He came to him pleading; he was persistent. Hebrews 11:6 which we quoted the first part above ends with these words: "And that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him". He came seeking Jesus. Let's make a couple of points within this point. 1. A Roman coming to a Jew for help was a great act of humility.
2. For him to have sought Jesus out, he must have believed Jesus could heal his servant.
In verse 7, we see faith drew a response from Jesus. God is moved by faith. It is faith that takes hold of that which is in the kingdom of heaven and brings it to earth.
In verse 8, we see the incredible humility of this man. Though in the natural his position was superior to a Jewish man, he humbled himself before Jesus. He asked Jesus to just simply speak a word and his servant would be healed. This was, indeed, great faith. Some of Jesus' best friends at Bethany, said ," Lord, if you had only been here, Lazarus would not have died, yet this Roman soldier said that he didn't have to come there, just speak a word.
In verse 9, I believe we find the keys to a victorious life.
1. We cannot have authority unless we are under authority. The centurion had authority over the hundred because that authority was delegated to him by a higher authority. He recognized that Jesus was operating under the authority of God. Jesus was fully man and fully God. As a man and a son He was totally submitted to the Father. He did nothing of His own initiative; He said nothing of His own initiative. He received His instruction from the Father. The works of the Father He did.
2. All authority has been given to Jesus. Matthew 28:18 John 17:2 Says the Father has given Jesus authority over all flesh. The centurion recognized that sickness, disease, infirmity,etc. were subject to the authority of Jesus and just like he could command a soldier under his charge, Jesus could tell disease to go and it had to go . He could tells demons to go and they had to go. He could tell the fig tree to die and it died. All natural kingdoms are subject to the kingdom of God.
So how do we walk in kingdom authority? To walk in kingdom authority, we must be totally submitted to the King. Authority ceases where submission ends. In James 4:6b,7 God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. The centurion was a great candidate for grace because of his humility and his recognition of a higher authority. If there are areas of our lives we have not submitted to God, then we are resisting God and submitting them to the devil. You may say that sounds a little hard, but remember what Samuel said to Saul when he was disobedient concerning the destruction of the Amalekites. "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king." 1Samuel 15:23 As I was reading this, the thought came to me that though Saul remained king for many years after this that the kingly authority that God made available to him was gone, soon to be given to a shepherd boy with the heart of a shepherd, a heart after God's own heart.
In summary, authority is delegated to us by the King. We are His ambassadors given authority to do His business until He comes or as some translations say occupy until He comes. We, too, are men and women under authority.
Blessings,
Herb Dean
I pray that you are being blessed of the Lord. As I was meditating this morning I thought about the centurion who had a servant at home paralyzed. He was one of two gentiles in the gospels whom Jesus praised for their faith. What was different about his faith that Jesus would remark," I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel." Hebrews 11:6 says," Without faith it is impossible to please God". If we are truly born again and love God, it will be our desire to please Him. So I want to take a few moments to examine the faith of this centurion.
And Jesus said to him," I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed. "For I, also, am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one,'Go', and he goes and to another, 'come' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." Matthew 8:7-9
First, let's look at the centurion. A centurion was an officer in the Roman army. He was in charge of a century which was a subdivision of a Roman legion. This would be one hundred soldiers under his command. We will draw some thoughts from this fact in a moment. Let's look at the entire text (Matthew 8:5-13) and see what we can glean from his character and actions.
In verse 5 we see, he came to Jesus. He sought Jesus out. He came to him pleading; he was persistent. Hebrews 11:6 which we quoted the first part above ends with these words: "And that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him". He came seeking Jesus. Let's make a couple of points within this point. 1. A Roman coming to a Jew for help was a great act of humility.
2. For him to have sought Jesus out, he must have believed Jesus could heal his servant.
In verse 7, we see faith drew a response from Jesus. God is moved by faith. It is faith that takes hold of that which is in the kingdom of heaven and brings it to earth.
In verse 8, we see the incredible humility of this man. Though in the natural his position was superior to a Jewish man, he humbled himself before Jesus. He asked Jesus to just simply speak a word and his servant would be healed. This was, indeed, great faith. Some of Jesus' best friends at Bethany, said ," Lord, if you had only been here, Lazarus would not have died, yet this Roman soldier said that he didn't have to come there, just speak a word.
In verse 9, I believe we find the keys to a victorious life.
1. We cannot have authority unless we are under authority. The centurion had authority over the hundred because that authority was delegated to him by a higher authority. He recognized that Jesus was operating under the authority of God. Jesus was fully man and fully God. As a man and a son He was totally submitted to the Father. He did nothing of His own initiative; He said nothing of His own initiative. He received His instruction from the Father. The works of the Father He did.
2. All authority has been given to Jesus. Matthew 28:18 John 17:2 Says the Father has given Jesus authority over all flesh. The centurion recognized that sickness, disease, infirmity,etc. were subject to the authority of Jesus and just like he could command a soldier under his charge, Jesus could tell disease to go and it had to go . He could tells demons to go and they had to go. He could tell the fig tree to die and it died. All natural kingdoms are subject to the kingdom of God.
So how do we walk in kingdom authority? To walk in kingdom authority, we must be totally submitted to the King. Authority ceases where submission ends. In James 4:6b,7 God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. The centurion was a great candidate for grace because of his humility and his recognition of a higher authority. If there are areas of our lives we have not submitted to God, then we are resisting God and submitting them to the devil. You may say that sounds a little hard, but remember what Samuel said to Saul when he was disobedient concerning the destruction of the Amalekites. "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king." 1Samuel 15:23 As I was reading this, the thought came to me that though Saul remained king for many years after this that the kingly authority that God made available to him was gone, soon to be given to a shepherd boy with the heart of a shepherd, a heart after God's own heart.
In summary, authority is delegated to us by the King. We are His ambassadors given authority to do His business until He comes or as some translations say occupy until He comes. We, too, are men and women under authority.
Blessings,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Love thy Neighbor as Yourself
Dear friends,
I pray that you are increasing in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord. I want to revisit something today that is on my heart. It is an area that I have had to deal with in my own life and feel it may be a key in the lives of many of God's children. I pray this will minister to someone today.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31
Many years ago in a conversation with a Christian brother, there was something said that caused a reaction inside me. He had simply said that the Christian life was not that complicated, that all we had to do was love God with all our being, love ourselves, and love our neighbors. The part that caused a rising up in me was the thought of loving ourselves. It was only after I had prayed and meditated on the word of God that I saw that reaction for what it was, a religious spirit. There needed to be an adjustment in my thinking. There needed to be repentance.
Growing up in the church there was much emphasis on salvation, but not nearly so much on discipling. We heard how we were filthy, rotten sinners and that even after we were saved our hearts were still desperately wicked. Most of us lived with a spirit of rejection any way, because of our fallen state and even after we were saved we didn't measure up. I don't know about you, but I felt it was spiritual to hate oneself.
For some of us hating ourselves was not something we had to attain to; we already did. Growing up I didn't like the way I looked; I had big ears and a long skinny neck and in the fifth grade I found out I had a big nose, too. A spirit of rejection not only sets us up for rejection by others, but is really rooted in self rejection.
I am convinced that many of the issues people are dealing with today both in the church and the world is rooted in self-hatred. How can I say that? Foundationally speaking, this is what God showed me: how can I love my neighbor as myself, if I don't love myself. I cannot love others if I don't love me. So many relationships are destroyed by the fact that we can't love others if we don't love ourselves. Look at the marriage relationship; can the husband truly love his wife if he hates himself. If we don't love ourselves all relationships are just surface. We live with a sense of shame, believing we are flawed and believing that if you really knew me you would hate me, too. It causes one to throw up a wall that know one can get through.
So many of the health issues of our day are brought on by self-hatred. Obesity is often a result. In extreme cases depression, suicidal thoughts, death wishes, destructive habits, addictions, and abuse. Sometimes it manifests itself in anger toward God like the clay saying to the potter, "Why have You made me this way?"
So when we talk about loving ourselves, what are we saying? First, we are not talking about egotistical, "How wonderful I am kind of thinking." Loving yourself is being able to receive yourself as God's creation fearfully and wonderfully made, not deriving one's self worth by appearance, ability, intelligence, or any other measurement of man, but by the love and worth that God has given you.
Years ago when my son was collecting baseball cards, he asked me how much a certain card was worth and I replied, "It is worth what someone is willing to pay for it." How often I have thought of those words in reference to what God was willing to pay for us! If your value is determined by how much someone is willing to pay, what was paid for you?
Sometimes when I am writing or teaching, the more I get into it the more it grows and there is so much in this that I am not even scratching the surface. I do want to include some scriptures that I believe are applicable and maybe make a comment or two.
Proverbs 18:9b (Amp. Bible) and he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide. Now why did I put that in there? Because if we have a healthy love for self we will take care of our bodies which are, after all, temples of the Holy Spirit. As we said earlier much of the abuse many inflict on their bodies is due to self-hatred.
Psalms 139: 13-16 For You formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me. when as yet there were none of them. You are not an accident. When God made you He didn't say ,"Oops." God wasn't having a bad day; He doesn't have Mondays. You are a unique creation of a loving God.
Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Rejected, no more, you are accepted.
Romans 15:7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Know that you have been received, receive yourself, and then you can receive others.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you: I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. In the new covenant you have been given a heart transplant; you don't have that old deceitfully wicked heart anymore.
May you be ever encouraged by His love extended to you and shed abroad in you by the Holy Spirit.
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
I pray that you are increasing in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord. I want to revisit something today that is on my heart. It is an area that I have had to deal with in my own life and feel it may be a key in the lives of many of God's children. I pray this will minister to someone today.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31
Many years ago in a conversation with a Christian brother, there was something said that caused a reaction inside me. He had simply said that the Christian life was not that complicated, that all we had to do was love God with all our being, love ourselves, and love our neighbors. The part that caused a rising up in me was the thought of loving ourselves. It was only after I had prayed and meditated on the word of God that I saw that reaction for what it was, a religious spirit. There needed to be an adjustment in my thinking. There needed to be repentance.
Growing up in the church there was much emphasis on salvation, but not nearly so much on discipling. We heard how we were filthy, rotten sinners and that even after we were saved our hearts were still desperately wicked. Most of us lived with a spirit of rejection any way, because of our fallen state and even after we were saved we didn't measure up. I don't know about you, but I felt it was spiritual to hate oneself.
For some of us hating ourselves was not something we had to attain to; we already did. Growing up I didn't like the way I looked; I had big ears and a long skinny neck and in the fifth grade I found out I had a big nose, too. A spirit of rejection not only sets us up for rejection by others, but is really rooted in self rejection.
I am convinced that many of the issues people are dealing with today both in the church and the world is rooted in self-hatred. How can I say that? Foundationally speaking, this is what God showed me: how can I love my neighbor as myself, if I don't love myself. I cannot love others if I don't love me. So many relationships are destroyed by the fact that we can't love others if we don't love ourselves. Look at the marriage relationship; can the husband truly love his wife if he hates himself. If we don't love ourselves all relationships are just surface. We live with a sense of shame, believing we are flawed and believing that if you really knew me you would hate me, too. It causes one to throw up a wall that know one can get through.
So many of the health issues of our day are brought on by self-hatred. Obesity is often a result. In extreme cases depression, suicidal thoughts, death wishes, destructive habits, addictions, and abuse. Sometimes it manifests itself in anger toward God like the clay saying to the potter, "Why have You made me this way?"
So when we talk about loving ourselves, what are we saying? First, we are not talking about egotistical, "How wonderful I am kind of thinking." Loving yourself is being able to receive yourself as God's creation fearfully and wonderfully made, not deriving one's self worth by appearance, ability, intelligence, or any other measurement of man, but by the love and worth that God has given you.
Years ago when my son was collecting baseball cards, he asked me how much a certain card was worth and I replied, "It is worth what someone is willing to pay for it." How often I have thought of those words in reference to what God was willing to pay for us! If your value is determined by how much someone is willing to pay, what was paid for you?
Sometimes when I am writing or teaching, the more I get into it the more it grows and there is so much in this that I am not even scratching the surface. I do want to include some scriptures that I believe are applicable and maybe make a comment or two.
Proverbs 18:9b (Amp. Bible) and he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide. Now why did I put that in there? Because if we have a healthy love for self we will take care of our bodies which are, after all, temples of the Holy Spirit. As we said earlier much of the abuse many inflict on their bodies is due to self-hatred.
Psalms 139: 13-16 For You formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me. when as yet there were none of them. You are not an accident. When God made you He didn't say ,"Oops." God wasn't having a bad day; He doesn't have Mondays. You are a unique creation of a loving God.
Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Rejected, no more, you are accepted.
Romans 15:7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Know that you have been received, receive yourself, and then you can receive others.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you: I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. In the new covenant you have been given a heart transplant; you don't have that old deceitfully wicked heart anymore.
May you be ever encouraged by His love extended to you and shed abroad in you by the Holy Spirit.
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
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