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
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
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
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
I sought for a Man
Dear friends,
I hope this finds you well. In recent weeks there has been an intensifying of spiritual warfare in our area. I have felt it personally and seen many who are being affected by it. I know a number of marriages that are in trouble. Crime has seemingly increased. Our church has been broken into a number of times and people close to me have experienced loss due to burglaries. Yesterday, our mayor committed suicide. I am not a prophet of gloom and doom, but one might ask the question, "What in the world is going on?". The truth is that the kingdom of God is advancing and there is going to be an acceleration of what God is doing here. In a war there is no advance without conflict. As I was praying this morning the Lord laid some things on my heart, I would like to share. It is a call to war.
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30
1. God is looking for men and women to stand in the gap. God is calling out intercessors. There are some who have been so beaten down that they have pulled back. They have become pew sitters or bench warmers, but there is still a small ember, a little spark that won't die. There is an unrest in your spirit that can only be satisfied by His presence and being who He called you to be. The Lord says to you today, "Be healed, it is time to take your place on the wall. Little spark feel the bellows of God that you might burn brightly again."
2. Awake from your slumber, Oh church, it is time to arise and conquer. The tyranny of the comfortable has kept us bound in apathy and complacency. The assault has come because we have not taken our rightful place. North Korea and Vietnam were lost because we only tried to maintain a line instead of conquering. Imagine what kind of football team you would have if you only played defense. The gates of Hell are not to be attacking us. We are to be attacking the gates.
3. Difficulties are bringing purity. The intensity of the battle is increasing and it is time to seek the Lord. Pressure brings forth the precious. Loss often reveals that which is truly important. There must a prioritization of what is really important, an extracting of the precious from the worthless, if you will. There must be a purification of motives, a purification of thought and actions. Only the pure in heart can be trusted with true power. It is the pure in heart to whom God reveals Himself.
We are being conformed to the image of His Son. Jesus was and is the Intercessor of intercessors. He stood in the gap for us all. God looked for a man and He found Him in His only begotten Son. Not only did He take our place, but we are being saved by His life. He didn't stop interceding, but ever lives to make intercession for us. Jesus is interceding for us and the Holy Spirit is interceding for us; how can we fail?
Desperate times call for desperate measures and I know God is calling us into the fray. There are some who have been so discouraged that you have felt like giving up. There were times you wanted to quit, but the Holy Spirit in you sustained you. We must be like the woman with the issue of blood, for though she was weak, sickly, and broke she pressed through a crowd to get to Jesus. God is calling you to Himself to be healed, refreshed, equipped, and given new orders.
Some are being greatly shaken; hold fast to the King for when the shaking is over only that which is of His kingdom will remain.
Perilous times may lie ahead, but this is destined to be the church's finest hour. We must respond to the call, for we are not yet prepared for the glory the Lord wants to release on us and in us. The intensity of the struggle is an indicator of the prize to be gained. Rise up, church.
This writing may be an accumulation of random thoughts, but I believe it is addressed to several groups of people. I pray that you will be encouraged and that you will be drawn into deeper intimacy with Him.
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
I hope this finds you well. In recent weeks there has been an intensifying of spiritual warfare in our area. I have felt it personally and seen many who are being affected by it. I know a number of marriages that are in trouble. Crime has seemingly increased. Our church has been broken into a number of times and people close to me have experienced loss due to burglaries. Yesterday, our mayor committed suicide. I am not a prophet of gloom and doom, but one might ask the question, "What in the world is going on?". The truth is that the kingdom of God is advancing and there is going to be an acceleration of what God is doing here. In a war there is no advance without conflict. As I was praying this morning the Lord laid some things on my heart, I would like to share. It is a call to war.
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30
1. God is looking for men and women to stand in the gap. God is calling out intercessors. There are some who have been so beaten down that they have pulled back. They have become pew sitters or bench warmers, but there is still a small ember, a little spark that won't die. There is an unrest in your spirit that can only be satisfied by His presence and being who He called you to be. The Lord says to you today, "Be healed, it is time to take your place on the wall. Little spark feel the bellows of God that you might burn brightly again."
2. Awake from your slumber, Oh church, it is time to arise and conquer. The tyranny of the comfortable has kept us bound in apathy and complacency. The assault has come because we have not taken our rightful place. North Korea and Vietnam were lost because we only tried to maintain a line instead of conquering. Imagine what kind of football team you would have if you only played defense. The gates of Hell are not to be attacking us. We are to be attacking the gates.
3. Difficulties are bringing purity. The intensity of the battle is increasing and it is time to seek the Lord. Pressure brings forth the precious. Loss often reveals that which is truly important. There must a prioritization of what is really important, an extracting of the precious from the worthless, if you will. There must be a purification of motives, a purification of thought and actions. Only the pure in heart can be trusted with true power. It is the pure in heart to whom God reveals Himself.
We are being conformed to the image of His Son. Jesus was and is the Intercessor of intercessors. He stood in the gap for us all. God looked for a man and He found Him in His only begotten Son. Not only did He take our place, but we are being saved by His life. He didn't stop interceding, but ever lives to make intercession for us. Jesus is interceding for us and the Holy Spirit is interceding for us; how can we fail?
Desperate times call for desperate measures and I know God is calling us into the fray. There are some who have been so discouraged that you have felt like giving up. There were times you wanted to quit, but the Holy Spirit in you sustained you. We must be like the woman with the issue of blood, for though she was weak, sickly, and broke she pressed through a crowd to get to Jesus. God is calling you to Himself to be healed, refreshed, equipped, and given new orders.
Some are being greatly shaken; hold fast to the King for when the shaking is over only that which is of His kingdom will remain.
Perilous times may lie ahead, but this is destined to be the church's finest hour. We must respond to the call, for we are not yet prepared for the glory the Lord wants to release on us and in us. The intensity of the struggle is an indicator of the prize to be gained. Rise up, church.
This writing may be an accumulation of random thoughts, but I believe it is addressed to several groups of people. I pray that you will be encouraged and that you will be drawn into deeper intimacy with Him.
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
It is to You Advantage
Greetings,
There is awakened in me a great need of being led by the Spirit. Jesus, did only what He did by the power of the Spirit. So it must be with us as well. He told the disciples He was sending them someone just like Him. He said it was to their advantage that He went away so that the Helper could come, the one just like Himself. It is of necessity that God's people be filled and continually filled with the Spirit of God. We cannot walk in the government of God unless we are led by the Spirit. The kingdom of God is in the Spirit, so if we are to walk the kingdom walk we must walk in the Spirit. The kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. So if we allow ourselves to be led by our flesh, we do not experience His government which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.
The absence of power in the church is due to the Holy Spirit not being given proper place in our lives. the kingdom is in the Spirit and Paul says that the kingdom of God is not in word, but power. Jesus told His disciples that there were many of them who would not die until they saw the kingdom of God come in power.
There are many today who have projected the coming of the kingdom far into the future. If that is so, some of those guys must still be alive somewhere. In Acts one Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them. In Luke 24, He told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power, so obviously the kingdom came in power at Pentecost. We don't believe in tarrying much anymore, but whatever it takes we must be filled with His Spirit. In Acts chapter 6 those who were chosen to wait on tables had to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Should any less be expected of us who serve the Lord and especially, we who preach the word.
What would happen in the church today if everyone from the nursery to the greeters at the front door were filled with the Spirit? Look at what happened immediately after they set the deacons apart. Act 6:7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
I have shared many times how I asked the Lord one morning to give me something from His word that day and He led me to 1 Samuel 16. It's a great chapter and one I was extremely familiar with. In my pride I kind of thought, "what can the Lord show me in that passage?" I had not finished the first verse when a sentence in the very middle of the verse leaped off the page. "Fill your horn with oil, and go." How many times have I gone out to minister and the horn was empty. The Lord showed me that intimate with His Spirit was necessary in keeping my horn full. He has made provision for us to be continually filled to overflowing, that there is a river. Jesus timing and choices all flowed out of intimacy with the Father.
Our communication, our fellowship is with the Spirit. If you do a careful study of God speaking in the new testament, other than Jesus speaking to Paul on the road to Damascus, it was always the Holy Spirit that spoke to them and gave instruction. The scripture was written by holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a person. He is not a force or power. He can be insulted;He can be grieved; He can be quenched; He can be blasphemed; He can be ignored. As I said earlier, the reason for the absence of power in our people is because we have not given the Spirit His proper place. We have forfeited our advantage and quenched Him by our ignorance and fear. The Spirit is Lord and we must submit ourselves to the Spirit of God in us and bring this flesh under subjection. If you touch a live wire you are in for a shock, unless it is adequately insulated. We have so insulated the Holy Spirit with our flesh that the power is not being released. Many cannot tap into the Spirit's power because they are so afraid to be out of control. Oftentimes we have more desire to be respectable than powerful. Many times Jesus offended minds to reveal hearts.Jesus, being Who He was was dependent on the Spirit. How much more so should we be? It takes more than programs and rhetoric to change the lives of people.
Too long, we have brought men's methods into the church to make up for the absence of power. We have come to a time in the church where we must return to the power of the Spirit. We cannot do the work of the ministry apart from Him. We must return to the basics. Whatever we need to do to be clothed with power from on high we need to do. We are being summoned. There is a lost and dying world crying for help. If
Now is the time to seek the Lord. Repent of those things which have quenched the Spirit, remove hindrances, and ask Him to fill you up. Fellowship with Him; He is your friend, the one along side, the comforter, the Helper, the enabler, the standby, your counselor, your guide. He is your advantage.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen 2 Cor. 13:14
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
There is awakened in me a great need of being led by the Spirit. Jesus, did only what He did by the power of the Spirit. So it must be with us as well. He told the disciples He was sending them someone just like Him. He said it was to their advantage that He went away so that the Helper could come, the one just like Himself. It is of necessity that God's people be filled and continually filled with the Spirit of God. We cannot walk in the government of God unless we are led by the Spirit. The kingdom of God is in the Spirit, so if we are to walk the kingdom walk we must walk in the Spirit. The kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. So if we allow ourselves to be led by our flesh, we do not experience His government which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.
The absence of power in the church is due to the Holy Spirit not being given proper place in our lives. the kingdom is in the Spirit and Paul says that the kingdom of God is not in word, but power. Jesus told His disciples that there were many of them who would not die until they saw the kingdom of God come in power.
There are many today who have projected the coming of the kingdom far into the future. If that is so, some of those guys must still be alive somewhere. In Acts one Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them. In Luke 24, He told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power, so obviously the kingdom came in power at Pentecost. We don't believe in tarrying much anymore, but whatever it takes we must be filled with His Spirit. In Acts chapter 6 those who were chosen to wait on tables had to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Should any less be expected of us who serve the Lord and especially, we who preach the word.
What would happen in the church today if everyone from the nursery to the greeters at the front door were filled with the Spirit? Look at what happened immediately after they set the deacons apart. Act 6:7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
I have shared many times how I asked the Lord one morning to give me something from His word that day and He led me to 1 Samuel 16. It's a great chapter and one I was extremely familiar with. In my pride I kind of thought, "what can the Lord show me in that passage?" I had not finished the first verse when a sentence in the very middle of the verse leaped off the page. "Fill your horn with oil, and go." How many times have I gone out to minister and the horn was empty. The Lord showed me that intimate with His Spirit was necessary in keeping my horn full. He has made provision for us to be continually filled to overflowing, that there is a river. Jesus timing and choices all flowed out of intimacy with the Father.
Our communication, our fellowship is with the Spirit. If you do a careful study of God speaking in the new testament, other than Jesus speaking to Paul on the road to Damascus, it was always the Holy Spirit that spoke to them and gave instruction. The scripture was written by holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a person. He is not a force or power. He can be insulted;He can be grieved; He can be quenched; He can be blasphemed; He can be ignored. As I said earlier, the reason for the absence of power in our people is because we have not given the Spirit His proper place. We have forfeited our advantage and quenched Him by our ignorance and fear. The Spirit is Lord and we must submit ourselves to the Spirit of God in us and bring this flesh under subjection. If you touch a live wire you are in for a shock, unless it is adequately insulated. We have so insulated the Holy Spirit with our flesh that the power is not being released. Many cannot tap into the Spirit's power because they are so afraid to be out of control. Oftentimes we have more desire to be respectable than powerful. Many times Jesus offended minds to reveal hearts.Jesus, being Who He was was dependent on the Spirit. How much more so should we be? It takes more than programs and rhetoric to change the lives of people.
Too long, we have brought men's methods into the church to make up for the absence of power. We have come to a time in the church where we must return to the power of the Spirit. We cannot do the work of the ministry apart from Him. We must return to the basics. Whatever we need to do to be clothed with power from on high we need to do. We are being summoned. There is a lost and dying world crying for help. If
Now is the time to seek the Lord. Repent of those things which have quenched the Spirit, remove hindrances, and ask Him to fill you up. Fellowship with Him; He is your friend, the one along side, the comforter, the Helper, the enabler, the standby, your counselor, your guide. He is your advantage.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen 2 Cor. 13:14
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Spiritual Synergy
Dear friends,
I hope all is well with you. You are loved. I'd like to share a few thoughts today on spiritual synergy. It is a time where the body of Christ needs desperately to come together. Ben Franklin once told the leaders of the American Revolution ," We must all hang together or we, most assuredly, will hang separately." That is true in the body of Christ as well. A kingdom divided shall not stand. I pray this teaching will be an encouragement to you,
A few years ago at a horse pulling contest, a single horse pulled 4500 pounds. The horse was later teamed with a weaker horse and together they pulled over 13,000 pounds. What made the difference? It's a principle called synergy. Ecc. 4:9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. That was an illustration of synergy in the natural, but there is also synergy in the spiritual. Let's look at spiritual synergy for just a moment. Spiritual synergy combines not only the joint effort of the participants, but the supernatural power of God. Look at Deutoronomy 32: 30 How can one man chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them and the Lord had surrendered them? The answer to the first part of the question is the Rock. God can deliver the enemy into your hands.
Synergy mutiplies the abilities of the participants. In synergy the sum of the whole is much greater than the sum of the individual parts. There is a synergistic effect in unity. It is the power of agreement. "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. Matthew 18:20. Individual praise times are good, but get in a group of people of one heart and mind praising God and intensity is magnified. His presence is magnified. It is the same way in corporate prayer. There is power in agreement. Looking back at the horses, they had to pull together for the synergistic effect. What if one horse had dug in his hooves and refused to pull? The other horse would be pulling not only against the weight, but the resistance of the other horse and his output would be greatly diminished if not negated. This happens in so many churches. There is not like vision; some resist where leadership is headed and the ministry of the church is ineffective. It happens, also, in marriage. If the two are pulling together there is great strength, but if they are pulling against each other it cannot stand. Children sense this division and it often leads to destructive patterns. Unity is the place of blessing. Productivity is found in that place of pulling together.
We must pull together or we will be pulled apart. The heart of Jesus is that we become one as He and the Father are one. He wants us to be yoked up to Him. He said,"My yoke is easy and my burden is light." It could be today that you have been pulling by yourself and your burden has been heavy. You are weary from the load. Jesus wants you to yoke up with Him. If you are yoked to Him, you can far exceed any thing that you thought was possible, because when you are yoked to Him there is spiritual synergy and He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20. That power is the Spirit of God.
There is much going on in the spiritual realm right now and it is important that we lock our shields and stand together. We have an old testament promise that when the enemy comes against us one way, he'll be scattered 7 ways. Let's stand together yoked with Christ. Be blessed.
In His love,
Herb Dean
I hope all is well with you. You are loved. I'd like to share a few thoughts today on spiritual synergy. It is a time where the body of Christ needs desperately to come together. Ben Franklin once told the leaders of the American Revolution ," We must all hang together or we, most assuredly, will hang separately." That is true in the body of Christ as well. A kingdom divided shall not stand. I pray this teaching will be an encouragement to you,
A few years ago at a horse pulling contest, a single horse pulled 4500 pounds. The horse was later teamed with a weaker horse and together they pulled over 13,000 pounds. What made the difference? It's a principle called synergy. Ecc. 4:9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. That was an illustration of synergy in the natural, but there is also synergy in the spiritual. Let's look at spiritual synergy for just a moment. Spiritual synergy combines not only the joint effort of the participants, but the supernatural power of God. Look at Deutoronomy 32: 30 How can one man chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them and the Lord had surrendered them? The answer to the first part of the question is the Rock. God can deliver the enemy into your hands.
Synergy mutiplies the abilities of the participants. In synergy the sum of the whole is much greater than the sum of the individual parts. There is a synergistic effect in unity. It is the power of agreement. "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. Matthew 18:20. Individual praise times are good, but get in a group of people of one heart and mind praising God and intensity is magnified. His presence is magnified. It is the same way in corporate prayer. There is power in agreement. Looking back at the horses, they had to pull together for the synergistic effect. What if one horse had dug in his hooves and refused to pull? The other horse would be pulling not only against the weight, but the resistance of the other horse and his output would be greatly diminished if not negated. This happens in so many churches. There is not like vision; some resist where leadership is headed and the ministry of the church is ineffective. It happens, also, in marriage. If the two are pulling together there is great strength, but if they are pulling against each other it cannot stand. Children sense this division and it often leads to destructive patterns. Unity is the place of blessing. Productivity is found in that place of pulling together.
We must pull together or we will be pulled apart. The heart of Jesus is that we become one as He and the Father are one. He wants us to be yoked up to Him. He said,"My yoke is easy and my burden is light." It could be today that you have been pulling by yourself and your burden has been heavy. You are weary from the load. Jesus wants you to yoke up with Him. If you are yoked to Him, you can far exceed any thing that you thought was possible, because when you are yoked to Him there is spiritual synergy and He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20. That power is the Spirit of God.
There is much going on in the spiritual realm right now and it is important that we lock our shields and stand together. We have an old testament promise that when the enemy comes against us one way, he'll be scattered 7 ways. Let's stand together yoked with Christ. Be blessed.
In His love,
Herb Dean
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