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
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Having done all, stand
Dear friends,
I pray that you are well. As I have opportunity to meet people, I've found that if we get beyond surface conversation that they have a story. Too often, we never get to know people well enough to hear their story. Some have great stories of perseverance and encouragement, others have lives that have been continually marred by wrong choices, and some through no fault of their own have been ambushed with life's problems. There are so many people that are hurting. Some need help, but they all need hope. Hope comes from experience with the faithfulness and character of God. Some find themselves in situations where they don't know what to do. Even as Christians we find ourselves asking, "What do I do?" Today, I would like to offer a few thoughts on "what to do when, I don't know what to do."
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 4:13
It is easy enough to say that when you don't know what to do, stand! What does it mean to stand? This reference in Ephesians is a very familiar passage and gives keen insight to spiritual warfare. Many have gotten up for years and symbolically put their armor on. There is nothing wrong with that, it may well encourage some people's faith, but you really don't have to put on what you never took off. All of those things have to do with being in Christ. He is the truth; He is our righteousness; He is our peace; Faith comes by His spoken word; He is our salvation; the sword is His spoken word. We are in Christ. We see Moses could not view God's goodness (glory) except he be hidden in the cleft of the rock. That rock is Jesus. If we cannot handle even a glimpse of His glory in our flesh, neither can we withstand the full onslaught of the enemy except we be "in Christ".
In the passages of Ephesians 6:10-19 The word "stand" is used 3 times. We are not to run; we are not to fall; we are to stand. It is interesting that Paul describes us being all suited up in Christ (our armor) and what is the command? Stand. When people get suited up in armor, it is for going to war. Did Paul say go into battle? One might say no, but in verse 18, Paul says, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit". Prayer is the battle.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is pray. It seems that when in a crisis we tend to exhaust all human possibilities before we turn to God in prayer. Paul is saying that when the onslaught of the enemy comes, stand in Christ and pray in the Spirit not just in tongues, but all prayers. We are suited in Christ and Christ is in us and greater is He in us than he that is in the world. So when trouble comes knocking, let Jesus answer the door. So what do I do when I don't know what to do? First, I must stand. Do not back up or back down. Do not quit. Secondly, I must pray, but thirdly I must praise.
1. Stand
2. Pray
3. Praise
We looked briefly at the first two, now let's look at praise. I have written many times about 2 Chronicles 20 because it has been so meaningful in my life, but allow me to visit part of it again today.You know the story; three enemies were about to attack Judah.(Our enemies are three as well, the world, the flesh, and the devil.) There was no way they were prepared for such an attack. Jehoshaphat called a solemn assembly to fast and pray and seek the Lord. God responded by speaking through a prophet. I won't go into the whole prophetic word, just the first part of verse 17, "You will not need to fight in the battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, Who is with you O Judah and Jerusalem!"
The next day they sent the praisers out first and the Lord ambushed their enemies and a great victory was won against impossible odds. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5 that it is the will of God for us to give thanks in everything and Ephesians 5:20 to be giving thanks always for all things to God the Father.
There may be someone in the pit of despair today. Self-pity will not deliver you. It will only get worse. There are times when a simple prayer of "help me" will be answered, but I have found for those who are walking in a measure of maturity, that God sometimes says, "Get up off the ground! Stand up and be who I called you to be." I remember a time a few years back when there were several situations working against me in my life. I became more and more discouraged until I was wallowing in self-pity. The Lord basically said,"Stop it, get up and fight. I began to pray and take authority over the things He had given me authority. I prayed His word and began to praise Him. Not only was there an immediate lift in my spirit, but the situations began to change. From time to time I have visited the valley of despair, but my visits have been fewer and shorter since I learned to stand. I have shared this before, but it applies "If you want to escape the low places enter into God's high praises." Stand and see the salvation of the Lord.
May the knowledge of God's love encourage your heart today. He is faithful. Don't give up or give in. You are sons and daughters of the king.
In His love,
Herb Dean
I pray that you are well. As I have opportunity to meet people, I've found that if we get beyond surface conversation that they have a story. Too often, we never get to know people well enough to hear their story. Some have great stories of perseverance and encouragement, others have lives that have been continually marred by wrong choices, and some through no fault of their own have been ambushed with life's problems. There are so many people that are hurting. Some need help, but they all need hope. Hope comes from experience with the faithfulness and character of God. Some find themselves in situations where they don't know what to do. Even as Christians we find ourselves asking, "What do I do?" Today, I would like to offer a few thoughts on "what to do when, I don't know what to do."
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 4:13
It is easy enough to say that when you don't know what to do, stand! What does it mean to stand? This reference in Ephesians is a very familiar passage and gives keen insight to spiritual warfare. Many have gotten up for years and symbolically put their armor on. There is nothing wrong with that, it may well encourage some people's faith, but you really don't have to put on what you never took off. All of those things have to do with being in Christ. He is the truth; He is our righteousness; He is our peace; Faith comes by His spoken word; He is our salvation; the sword is His spoken word. We are in Christ. We see Moses could not view God's goodness (glory) except he be hidden in the cleft of the rock. That rock is Jesus. If we cannot handle even a glimpse of His glory in our flesh, neither can we withstand the full onslaught of the enemy except we be "in Christ".
In the passages of Ephesians 6:10-19 The word "stand" is used 3 times. We are not to run; we are not to fall; we are to stand. It is interesting that Paul describes us being all suited up in Christ (our armor) and what is the command? Stand. When people get suited up in armor, it is for going to war. Did Paul say go into battle? One might say no, but in verse 18, Paul says, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit". Prayer is the battle.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is pray. It seems that when in a crisis we tend to exhaust all human possibilities before we turn to God in prayer. Paul is saying that when the onslaught of the enemy comes, stand in Christ and pray in the Spirit not just in tongues, but all prayers. We are suited in Christ and Christ is in us and greater is He in us than he that is in the world. So when trouble comes knocking, let Jesus answer the door. So what do I do when I don't know what to do? First, I must stand. Do not back up or back down. Do not quit. Secondly, I must pray, but thirdly I must praise.
1. Stand
2. Pray
3. Praise
We looked briefly at the first two, now let's look at praise. I have written many times about 2 Chronicles 20 because it has been so meaningful in my life, but allow me to visit part of it again today.You know the story; three enemies were about to attack Judah.(Our enemies are three as well, the world, the flesh, and the devil.) There was no way they were prepared for such an attack. Jehoshaphat called a solemn assembly to fast and pray and seek the Lord. God responded by speaking through a prophet. I won't go into the whole prophetic word, just the first part of verse 17, "You will not need to fight in the battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, Who is with you O Judah and Jerusalem!"
The next day they sent the praisers out first and the Lord ambushed their enemies and a great victory was won against impossible odds. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5 that it is the will of God for us to give thanks in everything and Ephesians 5:20 to be giving thanks always for all things to God the Father.
There may be someone in the pit of despair today. Self-pity will not deliver you. It will only get worse. There are times when a simple prayer of "help me" will be answered, but I have found for those who are walking in a measure of maturity, that God sometimes says, "Get up off the ground! Stand up and be who I called you to be." I remember a time a few years back when there were several situations working against me in my life. I became more and more discouraged until I was wallowing in self-pity. The Lord basically said,"Stop it, get up and fight. I began to pray and take authority over the things He had given me authority. I prayed His word and began to praise Him. Not only was there an immediate lift in my spirit, but the situations began to change. From time to time I have visited the valley of despair, but my visits have been fewer and shorter since I learned to stand. I have shared this before, but it applies "If you want to escape the low places enter into God's high praises." Stand and see the salvation of the Lord.
May the knowledge of God's love encourage your heart today. He is faithful. Don't give up or give in. You are sons and daughters of the king.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Escaping the Boundaries of Human Limitations
Dear friends,
I hope you are well this morning. I woke up this morning thinking about God's calling me into the ministry years ago. As a good many of you know, when God called me, I ran. I was a timid individual who found it difficult to stand before groups. I ,basically, told the Lord I could not do it and ran for ten years. As a broken man at the end of those ten years, "I heard the Lord say, you were right all along; you can't do it, but faithful am I Who calls Who will also do it." This morning as I thought on these things, I began to think about the response of those in scripture to the call of God on their lives. Some of their experiences were not that far removed from my own. I want to look at a few of those this morning. Maybe someone out there in cyberspace is wrestling with a call from God.
Too often we place limitations on our ability because we see the frailties of human flesh. What we don't realize is that when we place these limitations on ourselves we place them on God as well. One of the first verses I memorized when I was five or six years old was: I can do things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil. 4:13. I could quote it, but it would be many years later before I would enter into the good of it. In fact, it brought me little comfort when God called me to preach. How many people have rejected the call of God because of their perceived limitations? Really, it comes down to a matter of faith. Can God do through me that which He has called me to do? If we reject the call of God, we reject His grace to be what He called us to be. Your limitations are not established by your inabilities, but by your rejection of God's ability. Neither is your potential limited by your inability. Your potential is found in God's ability. Let's look at some of the men God called in scripture. I want to look at not only their response, but God's response to them.
1. Moses- When God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush and told him he was going to pharaoh to deliver God's people, Moses' response was,"Who am I that I should go to pharaoh....?" Later in the conversation Moses says to the Lord,"O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." God's response,"Who made man's mouth? ...... Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore ,go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." Moses, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send. He was still not convinced and angered the Lord. You can read the whole conversation in Exodus chapters 3 and 4. You can see the reluctance of one of God's choice servants.
2. Gideon- The angel of the Lord called him a mighty man of valor. At that moment he was hiding in winepress threshing wheat. Gideon's first response was to moan and groan about being forsaken by God. The angel gives him God's call and his response was,"O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
3. Saul-Samuel prophesied that Saul was the desire of Israel. In other words, he was saying you are chosen to be king. Saul's response,"Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?"
Are you seeing a pattern? The children of Israel didn't enter the land because they saw themselves as grasshoppers in the sight of the people of Canaan. If our perception keeps us from the call of God, we have trusted only in the arm of the flesh.
4. Jeremiah- God's word to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah's response, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." God's response to Jeremiah, " Do not say, I am a youth, for you shall go to all whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
If anyone knows our ability, it is God, and yet He refuses to accept our excuses. He does not look at our strength; He looks at His own. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power working in us. Ephesians 3:19 What is that power working in us? It is the Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, the same Holy Spirit who was brooding over the face of the waters when God said let there be and there was. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Are you too hard a case for Him to use? Absolutely not! You can do all things through Christ Who is your strength. You've heard it said that God is not interested in our ability, but our availability. Paul said that when He was weak, then he was strong for His strength is perfected in our weakness. God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. I believe that grace is not just unmerited favor, but it is God's ability. His grace is more than sufficient to enable us to do what He has called us to do. He delights in showing Himself strong in the lives of those who totally trust Him.
Friend, don't set your boundaries according to your ability. God wants to take you far beyond where you thought you could go. Don't limit God. Don't limit God in you. God can do whatever He wants to do and He can do it in you.
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
I hope you are well this morning. I woke up this morning thinking about God's calling me into the ministry years ago. As a good many of you know, when God called me, I ran. I was a timid individual who found it difficult to stand before groups. I ,basically, told the Lord I could not do it and ran for ten years. As a broken man at the end of those ten years, "I heard the Lord say, you were right all along; you can't do it, but faithful am I Who calls Who will also do it." This morning as I thought on these things, I began to think about the response of those in scripture to the call of God on their lives. Some of their experiences were not that far removed from my own. I want to look at a few of those this morning. Maybe someone out there in cyberspace is wrestling with a call from God.
Too often we place limitations on our ability because we see the frailties of human flesh. What we don't realize is that when we place these limitations on ourselves we place them on God as well. One of the first verses I memorized when I was five or six years old was: I can do things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil. 4:13. I could quote it, but it would be many years later before I would enter into the good of it. In fact, it brought me little comfort when God called me to preach. How many people have rejected the call of God because of their perceived limitations? Really, it comes down to a matter of faith. Can God do through me that which He has called me to do? If we reject the call of God, we reject His grace to be what He called us to be. Your limitations are not established by your inabilities, but by your rejection of God's ability. Neither is your potential limited by your inability. Your potential is found in God's ability. Let's look at some of the men God called in scripture. I want to look at not only their response, but God's response to them.
1. Moses- When God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush and told him he was going to pharaoh to deliver God's people, Moses' response was,"Who am I that I should go to pharaoh....?" Later in the conversation Moses says to the Lord,"O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." God's response,"Who made man's mouth? ...... Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore ,go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." Moses, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send. He was still not convinced and angered the Lord. You can read the whole conversation in Exodus chapters 3 and 4. You can see the reluctance of one of God's choice servants.
2. Gideon- The angel of the Lord called him a mighty man of valor. At that moment he was hiding in winepress threshing wheat. Gideon's first response was to moan and groan about being forsaken by God. The angel gives him God's call and his response was,"O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
3. Saul-Samuel prophesied that Saul was the desire of Israel. In other words, he was saying you are chosen to be king. Saul's response,"Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?"
Are you seeing a pattern? The children of Israel didn't enter the land because they saw themselves as grasshoppers in the sight of the people of Canaan. If our perception keeps us from the call of God, we have trusted only in the arm of the flesh.
4. Jeremiah- God's word to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah's response, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." God's response to Jeremiah, " Do not say, I am a youth, for you shall go to all whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
If anyone knows our ability, it is God, and yet He refuses to accept our excuses. He does not look at our strength; He looks at His own. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power working in us. Ephesians 3:19 What is that power working in us? It is the Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, the same Holy Spirit who was brooding over the face of the waters when God said let there be and there was. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Are you too hard a case for Him to use? Absolutely not! You can do all things through Christ Who is your strength. You've heard it said that God is not interested in our ability, but our availability. Paul said that when He was weak, then he was strong for His strength is perfected in our weakness. God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. I believe that grace is not just unmerited favor, but it is God's ability. His grace is more than sufficient to enable us to do what He has called us to do. He delights in showing Himself strong in the lives of those who totally trust Him.
Friend, don't set your boundaries according to your ability. God wants to take you far beyond where you thought you could go. Don't limit God. Don't limit God in you. God can do whatever He wants to do and He can do it in you.
Be blessed,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Be Not Weary In Well Doing
Dear friends,
I pray you are walking in God's blessing. Have you ever felt like giving up? If you are like myself, you have.
As a pastor I went through a time where every Monday morning I was ready to resign. I am reminded of the cartoon where a woman is standing over someone in bed who has a sheet pulled over his head. The person in bed keeps crying, "I don't want to go to church!" The woman responds, "You have to go, you're the pastor." There can be difficult seasons in our lives where we just don't feel we can continue to go on. I want to encourage you today, that there is a harvest coming. Don't give up!
I usually post a verse each day on facebook and this morning I posted Galatians 6:9, " And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not faint. Then as I was reading my e-mail a minister who sends out a word for today used that same verse. I heard the Lord say this morning as I was praying,"with persistence comes reward." We have talked about it before, but all the promises to the churches in Revelation were to those who overcame. Let's look again at some who persevered until they reaped.
1. Abraham was 75 when he was promised a son, 100 when he received the promise.
2. Jacob wrestled all night with the angel, part of which was probably in great pain because his hip had been disjointed, refusing to let go until he received a blessing.
3 Joseph was given a dream at 17. He went from the pit to the prison to the palace where he stood before pharaoh at age 30. He was probably 40 or more before he saw the fulfillment because it was in the third year of the famine that his family bowed before him.
4. David was anointed king of Israel as a teenager. He spent years fleeing for his life living in caves and Philistine territory and at his lowest point at Ziklag he was just a few days from becoming king of Judah. At age 40 he would reign over all Israel.
5. Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law and go back to her land. She remained faithful to Naomi and was rewarded with a husband and though she was a Moabitess was included in the lineage of Christ.
In the parables of Christ, Jesus told about the unjust judge and the widow. The judge gave in because he knew the widow was persistent. Then there was the friend with a visitor late at night. He sought his neighbor for food, but his neighbor had gone to bed. Jesus said he would not rise and give him bread because he was a friend, but because of his persistence, he would rise and give him all he needed. Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray and not faint (lose heart). Luke 18:1 In Luke 11:9, Jesus says, " So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it will be opened to you. Ask, seek, and knock are present imperative in the Greek which means a continuous action. In other words ask and keep on asking; seek and keep on seeking; knock and keep on knocking. There are some who would say to ask more than one time is not faith. I say ask until you hear from God, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the rhema (spoken word of God).
" I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth." Isaiah 62: 6,7 The Lord wants us to be persistent, unwavering. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Friend, don't give up. I could give you all the cliches like it's always darkest before the dawn, or breakthrough comes right before breakdown, but the truth is God has given us a promise, "with persistence comes reward." "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of god, you may receive the promise." Hebrews 10:36
You might ask, "Haven't you written this same thing before?" I have written very similar teachings, but I have found I need to be reminded from time to time that my efforts are not in vain. There are some of you who have prayed and prayed; you have expended great energy for little results and you wonder at times, "Is it worth it?" or "Am I counting for anything in the kingdom?" You cannot measure results by what you see. Be faithful pilgrim, there is a harvest coming. Be encouraged today in His love.
Blessings,
Herb Dean
I pray you are walking in God's blessing. Have you ever felt like giving up? If you are like myself, you have.
As a pastor I went through a time where every Monday morning I was ready to resign. I am reminded of the cartoon where a woman is standing over someone in bed who has a sheet pulled over his head. The person in bed keeps crying, "I don't want to go to church!" The woman responds, "You have to go, you're the pastor." There can be difficult seasons in our lives where we just don't feel we can continue to go on. I want to encourage you today, that there is a harvest coming. Don't give up!
I usually post a verse each day on facebook and this morning I posted Galatians 6:9, " And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not faint. Then as I was reading my e-mail a minister who sends out a word for today used that same verse. I heard the Lord say this morning as I was praying,"with persistence comes reward." We have talked about it before, but all the promises to the churches in Revelation were to those who overcame. Let's look again at some who persevered until they reaped.
1. Abraham was 75 when he was promised a son, 100 when he received the promise.
2. Jacob wrestled all night with the angel, part of which was probably in great pain because his hip had been disjointed, refusing to let go until he received a blessing.
3 Joseph was given a dream at 17. He went from the pit to the prison to the palace where he stood before pharaoh at age 30. He was probably 40 or more before he saw the fulfillment because it was in the third year of the famine that his family bowed before him.
4. David was anointed king of Israel as a teenager. He spent years fleeing for his life living in caves and Philistine territory and at his lowest point at Ziklag he was just a few days from becoming king of Judah. At age 40 he would reign over all Israel.
5. Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law and go back to her land. She remained faithful to Naomi and was rewarded with a husband and though she was a Moabitess was included in the lineage of Christ.
In the parables of Christ, Jesus told about the unjust judge and the widow. The judge gave in because he knew the widow was persistent. Then there was the friend with a visitor late at night. He sought his neighbor for food, but his neighbor had gone to bed. Jesus said he would not rise and give him bread because he was a friend, but because of his persistence, he would rise and give him all he needed. Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray and not faint (lose heart). Luke 18:1 In Luke 11:9, Jesus says, " So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it will be opened to you. Ask, seek, and knock are present imperative in the Greek which means a continuous action. In other words ask and keep on asking; seek and keep on seeking; knock and keep on knocking. There are some who would say to ask more than one time is not faith. I say ask until you hear from God, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the rhema (spoken word of God).
" I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth." Isaiah 62: 6,7 The Lord wants us to be persistent, unwavering. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Friend, don't give up. I could give you all the cliches like it's always darkest before the dawn, or breakthrough comes right before breakdown, but the truth is God has given us a promise, "with persistence comes reward." "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of god, you may receive the promise." Hebrews 10:36
You might ask, "Haven't you written this same thing before?" I have written very similar teachings, but I have found I need to be reminded from time to time that my efforts are not in vain. There are some of you who have prayed and prayed; you have expended great energy for little results and you wonder at times, "Is it worth it?" or "Am I counting for anything in the kingdom?" You cannot measure results by what you see. Be faithful pilgrim, there is a harvest coming. Be encouraged today in His love.
Blessings,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Express Image of the Father
Dear friends,
I pray that you are walking in the reality of the Lord's presence. I haven't written in a while because I have been so busy. Part of that has been preparation for my youngest daughter's wedding. She is getting married August 1. Much has been done and there is still a lot to do, so lately most of my scheduling has had to be ATW (after the wedding). The Lord has laid something on my heart so I want to share a few thoughts with you about where the body of Christ is headed. I hope this will encourage you.
And the express image of His person....
This is a portion of scripture taken from Hebrews Chapter 1 verses 1-4 speaking of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the express image of the Father. We could say He was the expressed image of the Father. If we want to know what the Father is like, we need only look at Jesus. Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. He came not only to represent the Father, but to re-present the Father.
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." Philip said to Him,"Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say,'Show us the Father'?" John 14:7-9
Jesus makes it very clear that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, so if we see Him we've seen the Father. What implications does this have for the church and its destiny? "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one ,as You, Father are in Me and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17: 20-21. We are to be one with Jesus and the Father. In being one with Them we present a witness to the world that Jesus Christ came from the Father that they may be reconciled unto the Father.
Our journey in Christ has as it destination, the Father. The Father is where we are headed. Some time ago I wrote about the kingdom being about the Father. It was the message of John the baptist which was to restore the hearts of the children to the fathers and vice versa. The only way that will effectively happen is the hearts of the fathers and the children being restored to the Father. What was this message that was to bring this restoration? Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! I talked about how the failure to preach the kingdom had brought about the curse of fatherlessness we have experienced in our land. See Malachi 4:6. The kingdom message is about the restoration of all things to the Father.
Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him", it is evident that He Who put all things under His feet is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him Who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. 1 Cor. 15:24-28
All things have their beginning and ending in the Father. The coming of the kingdom in it fullness results in all things being subject to the Father. Our destination is the Father.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28,29
In the redemptive purposes of God all things may be used in conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is the express image of the Father and we are being conformed to the image of Christ then whose image will be ultimately expressed? John says of Jesus that they beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Jesus said that the glory the Father had given Him, He had given us that we might be one, one with Him and the Father and one with each other. We must become one that the world may see the glory of the Father in the corporate man and know that the Father sent the Son. We have been called to re-present the Father and the Son to the world.
We are heading to the Father. That is our destination and no one can come to the Father but by the Son. In Christ we are seated in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father far above all rule and authority. In His presence there is fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forever more. Positionally we can taste those blessings here, but ,oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Jesus Christ is the way(the path,the road, the means) and the destination is the Father.
Be blessed of the Lord today. He has everything under control. He is not wringing His hands over the economy or the national deficit. He bids us to come unto Him and find rest. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. You are a blessing to me.
In His love,
Herb Dean
I pray that you are walking in the reality of the Lord's presence. I haven't written in a while because I have been so busy. Part of that has been preparation for my youngest daughter's wedding. She is getting married August 1. Much has been done and there is still a lot to do, so lately most of my scheduling has had to be ATW (after the wedding). The Lord has laid something on my heart so I want to share a few thoughts with you about where the body of Christ is headed. I hope this will encourage you.
And the express image of His person....
This is a portion of scripture taken from Hebrews Chapter 1 verses 1-4 speaking of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the express image of the Father. We could say He was the expressed image of the Father. If we want to know what the Father is like, we need only look at Jesus. Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. He came not only to represent the Father, but to re-present the Father.
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." Philip said to Him,"Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say,'Show us the Father'?" John 14:7-9
Jesus makes it very clear that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, so if we see Him we've seen the Father. What implications does this have for the church and its destiny? "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one ,as You, Father are in Me and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17: 20-21. We are to be one with Jesus and the Father. In being one with Them we present a witness to the world that Jesus Christ came from the Father that they may be reconciled unto the Father.
Our journey in Christ has as it destination, the Father. The Father is where we are headed. Some time ago I wrote about the kingdom being about the Father. It was the message of John the baptist which was to restore the hearts of the children to the fathers and vice versa. The only way that will effectively happen is the hearts of the fathers and the children being restored to the Father. What was this message that was to bring this restoration? Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! I talked about how the failure to preach the kingdom had brought about the curse of fatherlessness we have experienced in our land. See Malachi 4:6. The kingdom message is about the restoration of all things to the Father.
Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him", it is evident that He Who put all things under His feet is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him Who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. 1 Cor. 15:24-28
All things have their beginning and ending in the Father. The coming of the kingdom in it fullness results in all things being subject to the Father. Our destination is the Father.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28,29
In the redemptive purposes of God all things may be used in conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is the express image of the Father and we are being conformed to the image of Christ then whose image will be ultimately expressed? John says of Jesus that they beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Jesus said that the glory the Father had given Him, He had given us that we might be one, one with Him and the Father and one with each other. We must become one that the world may see the glory of the Father in the corporate man and know that the Father sent the Son. We have been called to re-present the Father and the Son to the world.
We are heading to the Father. That is our destination and no one can come to the Father but by the Son. In Christ we are seated in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father far above all rule and authority. In His presence there is fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forever more. Positionally we can taste those blessings here, but ,oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Jesus Christ is the way(the path,the road, the means) and the destination is the Father.
Be blessed of the Lord today. He has everything under control. He is not wringing His hands over the economy or the national deficit. He bids us to come unto Him and find rest. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. You are a blessing to me.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Carriers of His Presence
Carriers Of His Presence
And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. 1Chronicles 13:7.
In chapters 13 and 15 of 1Chronicles we read the account of David bringing the ark to Jerusalem. The first attempt failed as the oxen stumbled and when Uzza put out his hand to steady the ark, he was struck down by the Lord. David was displeased and left the ark in the house of Obed-edom. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had. I Chronicles 13:14 In type the ark represented the presence and glory of God. The house of Obed-edom was blessed by the presence of the Lord. If we are to experience blessing in our homes today, we need the presence of the Lord. In His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11
In chapter 15 David makes the second attempt, but this time he chooses to follow God's order. The Levites were to carry the ark on their shoulders according to God's pattern. The Levites sanctified themselves in preparation for bringing up the ark. They carried the ark upon their shoulders with staves as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord. They went six paces and made sacrifice according to 2 Samuel 6:7. The ark was then brought to Mount Zion where it was set in place in David's Tabernacle.
What is the application for us today? The new cart is man's attempt to usher in God's presence man's way. God has a lot to say about man's ways. When they built an altar they were not to set a chisel to the stone. Israel saw the signs, but they did not know His ways. Moses knew His ways. Our motivation may be good. There was nothing wrong with David's motivation on the first attempt, but it was not according to God's order. There are many people in the body of Christ who have good intentions, but they are out of order. I believe that denominationalism was birthed out of people who wanted to do good, but had the wrong order. If we attempt to usher in the presence of God using the patterns of man we have simply put the ark on a new cart. We often devise our plan and ask God to bless it rather than finding out what God is doing. Like Henry Blackaby says we need to find out what God is doing and get in on that. God blesses what He is doing.
We see David get angry with God on the first attempt when Uzza was killed. We often hear in our day and time when catastrophes happen, "Why did God let that happen?" or "Why did God do that?" For example, when 9/11 took place we heard those questions. Some said that it's the judgement of God. I believe this way; God is under no obligation to protect that which is not committed to Him. He often does and that is because of His great mercy. In fact 9/11 was the result of religion which I define as man's attempt to find God man's way. Isn't interesting that when the rebellious sons of Eli saw the battle was being lost they went and got the ark hoping it would turn the tide of the battle, but it did not.
The ark was to be carried upon the sanctified shoulders of the Levites. Sanctified means holy, set apart unto. It's no coincidence that they went six paces and they made a sacrifice. Six is the number of man. A sacrifice requires death. I believe this was signifying death to self. It is only when we have died that we can experience the presence of God. It was only at that place of self-surrender that I experienced His presence. We are to be those sanctified priests who carry the presence of God.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9
Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. Revelation 1:5b,6
We have received the Holy Spirit of God to be with us, in us, and upon us.
John 14:17b But you know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.
Acts 1:8a But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.
Every where we go the Holy Spirit goes. If we understand that the kingdom of God is in the Spirit then we understand why Jesus said that the kingdom of God was within and that when He or His disciples went out to minister, the kingdom of God had come near. We are called to be carriers of His presence.
We are entering a season where we are being stripped of those things we have trusted in. The methods of man will ultimately fail. The shaking of things which are not kingdom must fall away that we might depend wholly on the great Agent of the kingdom, the Holy Spirit. God is looking for holy people, not committed to man made devices and forms of religion, but wholly committed unto Him.
My friend if you are born again and filled with the Spirit of the living God you are a Carrier of His Presence and wherever you walk in the Spirit the kingdom of God has come near. If we understand Who it is that is in us, we can make a difference in this world.
Blessings,
Herb Dean
And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. 1Chronicles 13:7.
In chapters 13 and 15 of 1Chronicles we read the account of David bringing the ark to Jerusalem. The first attempt failed as the oxen stumbled and when Uzza put out his hand to steady the ark, he was struck down by the Lord. David was displeased and left the ark in the house of Obed-edom. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had. I Chronicles 13:14 In type the ark represented the presence and glory of God. The house of Obed-edom was blessed by the presence of the Lord. If we are to experience blessing in our homes today, we need the presence of the Lord. In His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11
In chapter 15 David makes the second attempt, but this time he chooses to follow God's order. The Levites were to carry the ark on their shoulders according to God's pattern. The Levites sanctified themselves in preparation for bringing up the ark. They carried the ark upon their shoulders with staves as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord. They went six paces and made sacrifice according to 2 Samuel 6:7. The ark was then brought to Mount Zion where it was set in place in David's Tabernacle.
What is the application for us today? The new cart is man's attempt to usher in God's presence man's way. God has a lot to say about man's ways. When they built an altar they were not to set a chisel to the stone. Israel saw the signs, but they did not know His ways. Moses knew His ways. Our motivation may be good. There was nothing wrong with David's motivation on the first attempt, but it was not according to God's order. There are many people in the body of Christ who have good intentions, but they are out of order. I believe that denominationalism was birthed out of people who wanted to do good, but had the wrong order. If we attempt to usher in the presence of God using the patterns of man we have simply put the ark on a new cart. We often devise our plan and ask God to bless it rather than finding out what God is doing. Like Henry Blackaby says we need to find out what God is doing and get in on that. God blesses what He is doing.
We see David get angry with God on the first attempt when Uzza was killed. We often hear in our day and time when catastrophes happen, "Why did God let that happen?" or "Why did God do that?" For example, when 9/11 took place we heard those questions. Some said that it's the judgement of God. I believe this way; God is under no obligation to protect that which is not committed to Him. He often does and that is because of His great mercy. In fact 9/11 was the result of religion which I define as man's attempt to find God man's way. Isn't interesting that when the rebellious sons of Eli saw the battle was being lost they went and got the ark hoping it would turn the tide of the battle, but it did not.
The ark was to be carried upon the sanctified shoulders of the Levites. Sanctified means holy, set apart unto. It's no coincidence that they went six paces and they made a sacrifice. Six is the number of man. A sacrifice requires death. I believe this was signifying death to self. It is only when we have died that we can experience the presence of God. It was only at that place of self-surrender that I experienced His presence. We are to be those sanctified priests who carry the presence of God.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9
Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. Revelation 1:5b,6
We have received the Holy Spirit of God to be with us, in us, and upon us.
John 14:17b But you know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.
Acts 1:8a But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.
Every where we go the Holy Spirit goes. If we understand that the kingdom of God is in the Spirit then we understand why Jesus said that the kingdom of God was within and that when He or His disciples went out to minister, the kingdom of God had come near. We are called to be carriers of His presence.
We are entering a season where we are being stripped of those things we have trusted in. The methods of man will ultimately fail. The shaking of things which are not kingdom must fall away that we might depend wholly on the great Agent of the kingdom, the Holy Spirit. God is looking for holy people, not committed to man made devices and forms of religion, but wholly committed unto Him.
My friend if you are born again and filled with the Spirit of the living God you are a Carrier of His Presence and wherever you walk in the Spirit the kingdom of God has come near. If we understand Who it is that is in us, we can make a difference in this world.
Blessings,
Herb Dean
Friday, June 5, 2009
A lesson from the fish tank
Dear friends,
I hope things are well with you. As I mentioned the other day I was praying about sending out prophetic words and insights to those who read these letters and teachings. I heard from a few people who encouraged me to go for it and some of them even had situations in their lives where they needed to hear from God. I was not sure how to go about it, but I believe that some times God will give specific words to people I communicate with and other times it will be a more general word that may apply to many or may apply to a situation one of you maybe dealing with. As I was preparing for Sunday's message I felt strongly that something I saw yesterday was a prophetic picture for someone who reads these letters so I am sending it out to you. I pray that you will be encouraged.
Yesterday I had to be in north Macon to call on a couple of businesses I serve as a chaplain. While I was there I decided to take a few minutes and go by the Bass Pro Shop. As many of you know these stores always have a large aquarium with varieties of fish that are usually indigenous to that area. While I was in the store they announced they were about to feed the fish. Included in the tank were some very large bass, two walleyes, and some gar. There were other breeds, but they were not carnivorous. I noticed up at the top of the tank there were a number of minnows swimming peacefully. None of the fish seemed interested in them. They then began to throw live minnows into the tank ranging from two to five inches long. The minnows who swam peacefully were not attacked. It was only those who sped up and began to swim erratically that the bass ate. There were some who took off to avoid the fish behind them only to swim in to the mouth of another bass in front of them. The whole time I watched I was expecting the bass to eventually go after those swimming peacefully near the top of the pool, but they never did. So what is the relevance of this experience to someone today?
There are some of you who are facing some serious situations. To you they appear big and dangerous and there is the tendency to panic; even to have panic attacks. The Lord is saying today to set your mind on Him and He will give you peace. Fear is your enemy and will set you on a destructive course. Some are running and the Lord is saying, "Slow down; get your perspective right. It is no time to panic. Don't make your decision out of fear." The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 The psalmist said what time I am afraid I will trust in thee. Psalm 56:3 Remember the minnows swimming peacefully at the top of the pool. You are above and not beneath, over and not under. You are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus far above all rule and authority. Be encouraged the Lord knows what you are going through and He is with you.
Pray for me that I will be sensitive to the Lord and confident in hearing Him. I pray that these writings will speak to you and be an encouragement to you. Let me know if I can pray for you or be of any service.
In His love,
Herb Dean
I hope things are well with you. As I mentioned the other day I was praying about sending out prophetic words and insights to those who read these letters and teachings. I heard from a few people who encouraged me to go for it and some of them even had situations in their lives where they needed to hear from God. I was not sure how to go about it, but I believe that some times God will give specific words to people I communicate with and other times it will be a more general word that may apply to many or may apply to a situation one of you maybe dealing with. As I was preparing for Sunday's message I felt strongly that something I saw yesterday was a prophetic picture for someone who reads these letters so I am sending it out to you. I pray that you will be encouraged.
Yesterday I had to be in north Macon to call on a couple of businesses I serve as a chaplain. While I was there I decided to take a few minutes and go by the Bass Pro Shop. As many of you know these stores always have a large aquarium with varieties of fish that are usually indigenous to that area. While I was in the store they announced they were about to feed the fish. Included in the tank were some very large bass, two walleyes, and some gar. There were other breeds, but they were not carnivorous. I noticed up at the top of the tank there were a number of minnows swimming peacefully. None of the fish seemed interested in them. They then began to throw live minnows into the tank ranging from two to five inches long. The minnows who swam peacefully were not attacked. It was only those who sped up and began to swim erratically that the bass ate. There were some who took off to avoid the fish behind them only to swim in to the mouth of another bass in front of them. The whole time I watched I was expecting the bass to eventually go after those swimming peacefully near the top of the pool, but they never did. So what is the relevance of this experience to someone today?
There are some of you who are facing some serious situations. To you they appear big and dangerous and there is the tendency to panic; even to have panic attacks. The Lord is saying today to set your mind on Him and He will give you peace. Fear is your enemy and will set you on a destructive course. Some are running and the Lord is saying, "Slow down; get your perspective right. It is no time to panic. Don't make your decision out of fear." The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 The psalmist said what time I am afraid I will trust in thee. Psalm 56:3 Remember the minnows swimming peacefully at the top of the pool. You are above and not beneath, over and not under. You are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus far above all rule and authority. Be encouraged the Lord knows what you are going through and He is with you.
Pray for me that I will be sensitive to the Lord and confident in hearing Him. I pray that these writings will speak to you and be an encouragement to you. Let me know if I can pray for you or be of any service.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The Ministry of Encouragement
The Ministry of Encouragement
We are entering a time when there is a great need for encouragement in the body of Christ. When the word prophecy is used today, it is usually in reference to the "end times". Prophesying has been defined as declaring truth or forth-telling. It is those things, but it is so much more. I would say from experience that out of the few hundred that may read this there are some who are going through struggles. There are times when we need an audible voice revealing the heart of God for us in a situation. One of the great roles of the prophetic in the body of Christ is to be a "ministry of encouragement." I would like to share a little today on the prophetic gift.
But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 1 Cor. 14:3
New Testament prophecy was not given to declare judgement and condemnation; it was given as a gift, a blessing to be an encouragement to the believer. Look at those three words:
1. Edification- given for the purpose of building up. Edify means literally to build, to place one brick upon another.
2. Exhortation- to call along side to help. It comes from the same words as "parakletos" which is the word for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "I'll send you another helper." The word there is parakletos. To encourage, to help.
3. Comfort- Literally means to "cheer up"
We could say prophecy builds up, helps up, and cheers up. We all need these things in our lives. In much of the church this invaluable gift is not in operation or is not understood.
In Acts 4:36,37 we see a man named Joses or Joseph, who the apostles renamed Barnabas which is translated "Son of Encouragement" or "Son of Consolation". In Hebrew the "bar" means "son" and "nabas" means "encouragement, consolation, or prophecy." Barnabas could have just as easily been translated "Son of Prophecy." Why do you think the apostles called him that? He must have been prophetic; he must have been an encourager. In fact, in Acts 13:1 it says that certain prophets and teachers had gathered at Antioch. Barnabas was among them. Which do you think he was?
Paul placed great emphasis on prophecy. Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor. 14:1 There are at least three schools of thought out there. Most would fall into one of these three:
1. Cessationists- They believe that the gifts are no longer in operation. They ceased with the death of the apostles.
2. Those who believe the gifts are still available. They would say that they are open to the gifts, but they don't seek them.
3. Those who believe the gifts are for today and they seek to operate in them.
The word desire in 1Cor. 14:1 is a strong word. It means to earnestly desire or covet. So according to the writing of Paul, it is not enough to be open, but we are to seek spiritual gifts. That seeking is never for exaltation of one's self or to the exclusion of the giver, but the desire to see His body edified. Gifts are "power tools" given to build the body of Christ. It is much easier to build a house with power tools than just a hammer, a hand saw, and an axe.
Years ago, I planted a church. The church was about three years old when because of a doctrinal issue and another pastor coming to town that about half the church left. Most of the ones that left were tithers and the income of the church dropped by 60%. The amount coming in each month was now less than my salary. I was very discouraged and was inquiring of the Lord what I should do. I thought about shutting down or finding a job. I really had four questions that I was asking of the Lord. I had heard about a church in Atlanta where they had prophetic teams minister to your people, so I called them and set up a time. These people knew nothing about our circumstances. As they began to prophesy over me every question was specifically answered. "God started this church and He doesn't want it stopped." They placed their hands on my hands and said that these hands were to do nothing else, but the ministry of the gospel. I left greatly encouraged and strengthened in the Lord. In fact, had it not been for the Lord speaking through these people, I might very well have given up. I have seen the Lord use prophecy in my life to encourage me and praise God, He has spoken through me to encourage others as well. I am fully persuaded of the necessity of prophecy in the church today.
It is my desire to encourage you. I am praying about sending out prophetic words on a regular basis as often as God may give them for the people who read these teachings. Would you pray with me on that. I know there are people out there that need to know that God still knows their address and that He is concerned with the situation they are dealing with. To give them hope that yes, the prodigal is coming home. The pain you are dealing with will last for a season, but God is going to use your deliverance to minister to others. They need to know that God has given them a purpose and a destiny. I appreciate your encouragement and your prayers. May you be greatly blessed of the Lord.
We are entering a time when there is a great need for encouragement in the body of Christ. When the word prophecy is used today, it is usually in reference to the "end times". Prophesying has been defined as declaring truth or forth-telling. It is those things, but it is so much more. I would say from experience that out of the few hundred that may read this there are some who are going through struggles. There are times when we need an audible voice revealing the heart of God for us in a situation. One of the great roles of the prophetic in the body of Christ is to be a "ministry of encouragement." I would like to share a little today on the prophetic gift.
But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 1 Cor. 14:3
New Testament prophecy was not given to declare judgement and condemnation; it was given as a gift, a blessing to be an encouragement to the believer. Look at those three words:
1. Edification- given for the purpose of building up. Edify means literally to build, to place one brick upon another.
2. Exhortation- to call along side to help. It comes from the same words as "parakletos" which is the word for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "I'll send you another helper." The word there is parakletos. To encourage, to help.
3. Comfort- Literally means to "cheer up"
We could say prophecy builds up, helps up, and cheers up. We all need these things in our lives. In much of the church this invaluable gift is not in operation or is not understood.
In Acts 4:36,37 we see a man named Joses or Joseph, who the apostles renamed Barnabas which is translated "Son of Encouragement" or "Son of Consolation". In Hebrew the "bar" means "son" and "nabas" means "encouragement, consolation, or prophecy." Barnabas could have just as easily been translated "Son of Prophecy." Why do you think the apostles called him that? He must have been prophetic; he must have been an encourager. In fact, in Acts 13:1 it says that certain prophets and teachers had gathered at Antioch. Barnabas was among them. Which do you think he was?
Paul placed great emphasis on prophecy. Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor. 14:1 There are at least three schools of thought out there. Most would fall into one of these three:
1. Cessationists- They believe that the gifts are no longer in operation. They ceased with the death of the apostles.
2. Those who believe the gifts are still available. They would say that they are open to the gifts, but they don't seek them.
3. Those who believe the gifts are for today and they seek to operate in them.
The word desire in 1Cor. 14:1 is a strong word. It means to earnestly desire or covet. So according to the writing of Paul, it is not enough to be open, but we are to seek spiritual gifts. That seeking is never for exaltation of one's self or to the exclusion of the giver, but the desire to see His body edified. Gifts are "power tools" given to build the body of Christ. It is much easier to build a house with power tools than just a hammer, a hand saw, and an axe.
Years ago, I planted a church. The church was about three years old when because of a doctrinal issue and another pastor coming to town that about half the church left. Most of the ones that left were tithers and the income of the church dropped by 60%. The amount coming in each month was now less than my salary. I was very discouraged and was inquiring of the Lord what I should do. I thought about shutting down or finding a job. I really had four questions that I was asking of the Lord. I had heard about a church in Atlanta where they had prophetic teams minister to your people, so I called them and set up a time. These people knew nothing about our circumstances. As they began to prophesy over me every question was specifically answered. "God started this church and He doesn't want it stopped." They placed their hands on my hands and said that these hands were to do nothing else, but the ministry of the gospel. I left greatly encouraged and strengthened in the Lord. In fact, had it not been for the Lord speaking through these people, I might very well have given up. I have seen the Lord use prophecy in my life to encourage me and praise God, He has spoken through me to encourage others as well. I am fully persuaded of the necessity of prophecy in the church today.
It is my desire to encourage you. I am praying about sending out prophetic words on a regular basis as often as God may give them for the people who read these teachings. Would you pray with me on that. I know there are people out there that need to know that God still knows their address and that He is concerned with the situation they are dealing with. To give them hope that yes, the prodigal is coming home. The pain you are dealing with will last for a season, but God is going to use your deliverance to minister to others. They need to know that God has given them a purpose and a destiny. I appreciate your encouragement and your prayers. May you be greatly blessed of the Lord.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Dealing with Rejection
There is, probably not a one of us, who sometime in our lives has not experienced the pain of rejection. Some have experienced it more than others. I would like to talk about dealing with the pain of rejection. I pray that this might encourage someone today.
Coming to Him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 1 Peter 2:4.
In some sense we came into this world in a state of rejection. We were born in sin, dead in transgressions and sins. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). Ephesians 2:4,5. We were lost and hopeless, But God. Don't you love that phrase? If you have been born again I can tell you that you have experienced the pain of rejection. Some of it, we may have brought on ourselves; some of it we may not understand. If we do not get beyond that pain it will keep us from finding our place in the body. Let's look at some of the pitfalls.
1. When a person experiences rejection it causes them to turn inward. They are constantly looking at themselves. Their unmet needs become the object of focus and their neediness will eventually add to their rejection by driving others away.
2. A fear of rejection often develops and keeps the person from establishing meaningful relationships. They
are afraid that if they get close to someone, they'll only be hurt again so they keep everyone at arm's length.
3. Oftentimes there will be development of a stronghold that is like a threefold cord: shame, fear, and control.
Shame says," I am flawed". Fear says, "I am afraid you'll find out I'm flawed." Control says, "I will control everything around me so that you don't find out I'm flawed." It creates a wall which keeps us from getting free.
4. Rejection often flows out of self-rejection or even self-hatred. If I am to love others as I love myself, how can I receive others if I can't receive myself. A person with self-rejection will have difficulty loving others.
5. Rejection can be a state of unbelief. The person does not believe what God says about them.
So how do I get free? Sometimes the wounding was so severe that the enemy was given place and there is deliverance needed, but regardless I like to use the three r's:
1. Recognize- You must first recognize you have a problem. You must forgive those who hurt you.
2. Renounce- If I am living in rejection I have bought into the lies of the enemy. I must renounce those lies and break all agreement with those lies.
3. Replace- I must replace the lies with the truth.
So what is the truth?
To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the beloved. Eph. 1:6. You have been accepted in the beloved. Please read verses 3-6 in Ephesians 1.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15 In the process of adoption the parent chooses the child he is to adopt. You were chosen.
You did not choose me, but I chose you.... John 15:16a
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44 The Father has drawn you to Himself with chords of love.
Coming to Him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:4,5 You are a part of that house. It is incomplete without you.
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world... Ephesians 1:4 God looked through the portals of time and saw you, His beloved.
You have been chosen. You may suffer rejection in this life, but the lover of your soul will never leave you nor forsake you. His plans for you are good. Man may hurt you, but our Father is faithful and He is there for us, if all else forsake us.
I hope this was an encouragement to you. I made a typo on the blog address last week. The correct address is: http://basiliea.blogspot.com/ If I can help you any way, don't hesitate to contact me. If these writings are an encouragement to you, I'd love to hear from you. That encourages me. May god bless you exceedingly.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Coming to Him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 1 Peter 2:4.
In some sense we came into this world in a state of rejection. We were born in sin, dead in transgressions and sins. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). Ephesians 2:4,5. We were lost and hopeless, But God. Don't you love that phrase? If you have been born again I can tell you that you have experienced the pain of rejection. Some of it, we may have brought on ourselves; some of it we may not understand. If we do not get beyond that pain it will keep us from finding our place in the body. Let's look at some of the pitfalls.
1. When a person experiences rejection it causes them to turn inward. They are constantly looking at themselves. Their unmet needs become the object of focus and their neediness will eventually add to their rejection by driving others away.
2. A fear of rejection often develops and keeps the person from establishing meaningful relationships. They
are afraid that if they get close to someone, they'll only be hurt again so they keep everyone at arm's length.
3. Oftentimes there will be development of a stronghold that is like a threefold cord: shame, fear, and control.
Shame says," I am flawed". Fear says, "I am afraid you'll find out I'm flawed." Control says, "I will control everything around me so that you don't find out I'm flawed." It creates a wall which keeps us from getting free.
4. Rejection often flows out of self-rejection or even self-hatred. If I am to love others as I love myself, how can I receive others if I can't receive myself. A person with self-rejection will have difficulty loving others.
5. Rejection can be a state of unbelief. The person does not believe what God says about them.
So how do I get free? Sometimes the wounding was so severe that the enemy was given place and there is deliverance needed, but regardless I like to use the three r's:
1. Recognize- You must first recognize you have a problem. You must forgive those who hurt you.
2. Renounce- If I am living in rejection I have bought into the lies of the enemy. I must renounce those lies and break all agreement with those lies.
3. Replace- I must replace the lies with the truth.
So what is the truth?
To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the beloved. Eph. 1:6. You have been accepted in the beloved. Please read verses 3-6 in Ephesians 1.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15 In the process of adoption the parent chooses the child he is to adopt. You were chosen.
You did not choose me, but I chose you.... John 15:16a
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44 The Father has drawn you to Himself with chords of love.
Coming to Him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:4,5 You are a part of that house. It is incomplete without you.
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world... Ephesians 1:4 God looked through the portals of time and saw you, His beloved.
You have been chosen. You may suffer rejection in this life, but the lover of your soul will never leave you nor forsake you. His plans for you are good. Man may hurt you, but our Father is faithful and He is there for us, if all else forsake us.
I hope this was an encouragement to you. I made a typo on the blog address last week. The correct address is: http://basiliea.blogspot.com/ If I can help you any way, don't hesitate to contact me. If these writings are an encouragement to you, I'd love to hear from you. That encourages me. May god bless you exceedingly.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
According to Its Kind
Many years ago I went away to a Christian campground to fast and seek the Lord for direction. One of my objectives during this week of fasting was to read the Bible through. I was expecting the Lord to speak to me and He did confirm some things. I did not get a whole lot out of my Bible reading because I approached it as a task to be checked off. Reading large amounts of scripture without taking time to ruminate is not necessarily a good way to hear from God. Interestingly enough the scripture that stayed with me was found in Genesis chapter 1. Eight times in chapter one is found the phrase "according to its kind." I saw a principle there that was very basic in nature yet at the same time was very profound and applicable on so many levels. "Like kind produces like kind." The question comes to mind as a mother or father or a Christian leader, "What am I reproducing?" I thought about denominationalism and how many people are in the church they are in because that was their mother and father's church or that was the church where they were saved. So often, we are the products of what we have been taught. Baptists usually beget baptists, methodists beget methodists, and pentecostals beget pentecostals, etc. I am not attacking these denominations, I am simply asking the question, "What are we reproducing?"
Genesis 1:25 concludes the creation of the animals. Then in verse 26, "God says let Us make man in Our Own image, according to Our likeness.. The animals would reproduce according to their kind, but God made man in the image of Himself. After the fall, in Genesis 5:3 it says,"And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth." What was different? Adam had lost dominion, he had lost the glory of God, and he had lost the life of God. The best he could do was to reproduce in his own image and likeness. God's objective has not changed; He is still producing sons in the image and likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29. Those of us who know the Lord are being conformed to His image.
Everything that was lost in the first Adam has been restored in the last Adam.
1. Dominion - Jesus said all authority has been given unto me. Therefore go..... Matthew 28
2. Glory- And the glory which you gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as You and I are one. John 17:22
3. Life- And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1
These things should be evident in the life of a son. Are we bringing forth life?
Why are these attributes missing? Here are some reasons I see.
1. We teach truths rather than introducing people to the Truth. We must introduce people to a living viable faith. They must know the person of Jesus Christ.
2. There is a lack of understanding concerning the Person of the Holy Spirit. Life cannot be reproduced without life. No amount of scripture can change a life apart from its author. The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life.
3. The tyranny of the familiar holds some people in bondage. They are unable or unwilling to step beyond their comfort zone.
4. A lack of hunger for truth. We tend to become products of what we are taught, accepting the words of those in authority as truth. We must be like the Bereans and search the scriptures to see if these things be so.
5. Some people are controlled and manipulated by those in authority over them.
6. Many have believed the vain philosophies of men.
7. Much of the church has preached a powerless gospel.
As mothers, fathers and Christian leaders we are accountable for what we reproduce. That which is important to us will be important to our children. Can we expect our children to believe what we ourselves don't? If our relationship with the Lord is superficial, can we expect them to accept the reality of God? We were not called to make converts. We were called to make disciples, devoted followers of Christ. Even as Paul had sons in the faith (Timothy, Titus, and others) we are to produce sons of the Most High. I was asked the question once, " Do you want your children to be just like you?" It caused me to do some serious soul searching. God wants His children to be just like Jesus.
For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Hebrews 2:10,11
But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. John 1:12
In closing, we may ask the question, "If kind reproduces according to its kind, what kind am I?" I praise the Lord today that I can say that I am a son of the Lord Most High who is being conformed to the image of His beloved Son and those who come after me are sons and daughters of the Most High as well. Amen! May you be greatly blessed of the Lord today.
Many years ago I went away to a Christian campground to fast and seek the Lord for direction. One of my objectives during this week of fasting was to read the Bible through. I was expecting the Lord to speak to me and He did confirm some things. I did not get a whole lot out of my Bible reading because I approached it as a task to be checked off. Reading large amounts of scripture without taking time to ruminate is not necessarily a good way to hear from God. Interestingly enough the scripture that stayed with me was found in Genesis chapter 1. Eight times in chapter one is found the phrase "according to its kind." I saw a principle there that was very basic in nature yet at the same time was very profound and applicable on so many levels. "Like kind produces like kind." The question comes to mind as a mother or father or a Christian leader, "What am I reproducing?" I thought about denominationalism and how many people are in the church they are in because that was their mother and father's church or that was the church where they were saved. So often, we are the products of what we have been taught. Baptists usually beget baptists, methodists beget methodists, and pentecostals beget pentecostals, etc. I am not attacking these denominations, I am simply asking the question, "What are we reproducing?"
Genesis 1:25 concludes the creation of the animals. Then in verse 26, "God says let Us make man in Our Own image, according to Our likeness.. The animals would reproduce according to their kind, but God made man in the image of Himself. After the fall, in Genesis 5:3 it says,"And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth." What was different? Adam had lost dominion, he had lost the glory of God, and he had lost the life of God. The best he could do was to reproduce in his own image and likeness. God's objective has not changed; He is still producing sons in the image and likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29. Those of us who know the Lord are being conformed to His image.
Everything that was lost in the first Adam has been restored in the last Adam.
1. Dominion - Jesus said all authority has been given unto me. Therefore go..... Matthew 28
2. Glory- And the glory which you gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as You and I are one. John 17:22
3. Life- And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1
These things should be evident in the life of a son. Are we bringing forth life?
Why are these attributes missing? Here are some reasons I see.
1. We teach truths rather than introducing people to the Truth. We must introduce people to a living viable faith. They must know the person of Jesus Christ.
2. There is a lack of understanding concerning the Person of the Holy Spirit. Life cannot be reproduced without life. No amount of scripture can change a life apart from its author. The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life.
3. The tyranny of the familiar holds some people in bondage. They are unable or unwilling to step beyond their comfort zone.
4. A lack of hunger for truth. We tend to become products of what we are taught, accepting the words of those in authority as truth. We must be like the Bereans and search the scriptures to see if these things be so.
5. Some people are controlled and manipulated by those in authority over them.
6. Many have believed the vain philosophies of men.
7. Much of the church has preached a powerless gospel.
As mothers, fathers and Christian leaders we are accountable for what we reproduce. That which is important to us will be important to our children. Can we expect our children to believe what we ourselves don't? If our relationship with the Lord is superficial, can we expect them to accept the reality of God? We were not called to make converts. We were called to make disciples, devoted followers of Christ. Even as Paul had sons in the faith (Timothy, Titus, and others) we are to produce sons of the Most High. I was asked the question once, " Do you want your children to be just like you?" It caused me to do some serious soul searching. God wants His children to be just like Jesus.
For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Hebrews 2:10,11
But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. John 1:12
In closing, we may ask the question, "If kind reproduces according to its kind, what kind am I?" I praise the Lord today that I can say that I am a son of the Lord Most High who is being conformed to the image of His beloved Son and those who come after me are sons and daughters of the Most High as well. Amen! May you be greatly blessed of the Lord today.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Refiner's Fire
The Refiner's Fire
In the past year or so we've been talking about the shaking in Hebrews 12 and how we must be properly related to the kingdom or we will be shaken. It reminds me of what Jesus said in Luke 6 about the one who built his house on the rock and the one who built his house on sand. They both had storms, but the one that stood is the one which was built on the right foundation.In the shaking only that which is kingdom remains. There is a lot coming down the pike right now and we need to grounded in His word and properly related to His kingdom. In a time when we need to be unified, the body of Christ is all over the map spiritually and I believe the Lord is turning up the heat that the body of Christ will be purified. As I was praying this morning thoughts came to mind of a refiner. I would like to share some of those thoughts with you today.
There are those in the body of Christ today that think Christians are exempt from adversity and if we are going through difficult times it is because of a lack of faith. I do not question that some of my own ills have come from a lack of faith or seeds that I have sown that brought an unwanted harvest, but when I look at Jesus' disciples both before and after the resurrection, they encountered many troubles. I look at the life of Paul and see that he went through much adversity. In fact, he told young Timothy that those who live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. In Romans 5:3,4 Paul said, "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Trials produce endurance and endurance produces character. We definitely need character in the body of Christ. We are not wanting for characters, but we need character.
I am sure most of us have heard the story in one form or another of the man watching a goldsmith refine gold. He watched the goldsmith turn up the heat and then skim the dross off the surface. He would then turn up the heat some more. More impurities would come to the surface and the goldsmith would skim them off the surface. After watching this process for a while the observer asked, "How do you know when it's pure?" The goldsmith replied, "When I can clearly see my reflection." I must admit that there was a time when that story ministered to me, but I had gotten away from that way of thinking. The trying of our faith has a perfect or maturing work as we see in James.
I believe that we are entering a time where we will be tested. As the stock market goes down and our 401k's tank, can we say with confidence that God is our source? We will be tested in those areas that we have been tempted to lean on rather than having confidence in God. What are we holding on to? Some in the church are trying to hang on to God with one hand and the world with the other. Doublemindedness receives nothing from God. God will purify Christ's bride. God wants hearts without alloy. He searches for perfect or pure hearts. 2 Chronicles 16:9. To remove the dross, it is necessary to turn up the heat. Let's look at a few scriptures concerning the refiner.
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10. I know some would say that is old testament and we have a new covenant. Yes that's true, but this was written to a rebellious people. If we do not walk according to covenant can we reap the benefit of the covenant?
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10b
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as silver and gold, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Malachi 3:3
I will bring one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, "This is my people" and each one will say, "The Lord is my God." Zechariah 13:9
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake in Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12,13
Don't be surprised that you encounter trials. There will be trials. You may say the devil caused that trial or I brought it on myself. It may have come from the devil. It may have come from my own stupidity. It may have come from God. Trials will come, but we have this promise from God: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28,29 The purposes of God are always redemptive and whether it came from the devil, from God or your own stupidity God is able to redeem it.
Purity must first happen on an individual basis before we see it corporately. If we purify our hearts individually, there will be corporate purity. The bride of Christ will be pure and spotless, without wrinkle. Trials will come, as in the parable of the wise builder and the foolish builder, they both had storms, but the one who built his house with a foundation laid in the obedience to the words of Christ had a house which withstood the storm. In these times of change we must have a foundation built upon the rock. We must hear His words and do them.
I pray that you will be blessed today. If you are going through a trial, the grace of God is available to bring good out of it. When the disciples were in the storm and it appeared their boat would sink, they did not have the faith to deal with the storm so they woke Jesus up and He dealt with the storm. If you are not able to deal with the storm you are in, seek Jesus, He's close by. May the Lord bless you exceedingly and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
In His love,
Herb Dean
In the past year or so we've been talking about the shaking in Hebrews 12 and how we must be properly related to the kingdom or we will be shaken. It reminds me of what Jesus said in Luke 6 about the one who built his house on the rock and the one who built his house on sand. They both had storms, but the one that stood is the one which was built on the right foundation.In the shaking only that which is kingdom remains. There is a lot coming down the pike right now and we need to grounded in His word and properly related to His kingdom. In a time when we need to be unified, the body of Christ is all over the map spiritually and I believe the Lord is turning up the heat that the body of Christ will be purified. As I was praying this morning thoughts came to mind of a refiner. I would like to share some of those thoughts with you today.
There are those in the body of Christ today that think Christians are exempt from adversity and if we are going through difficult times it is because of a lack of faith. I do not question that some of my own ills have come from a lack of faith or seeds that I have sown that brought an unwanted harvest, but when I look at Jesus' disciples both before and after the resurrection, they encountered many troubles. I look at the life of Paul and see that he went through much adversity. In fact, he told young Timothy that those who live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. In Romans 5:3,4 Paul said, "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Trials produce endurance and endurance produces character. We definitely need character in the body of Christ. We are not wanting for characters, but we need character.
I am sure most of us have heard the story in one form or another of the man watching a goldsmith refine gold. He watched the goldsmith turn up the heat and then skim the dross off the surface. He would then turn up the heat some more. More impurities would come to the surface and the goldsmith would skim them off the surface. After watching this process for a while the observer asked, "How do you know when it's pure?" The goldsmith replied, "When I can clearly see my reflection." I must admit that there was a time when that story ministered to me, but I had gotten away from that way of thinking. The trying of our faith has a perfect or maturing work as we see in James.
I believe that we are entering a time where we will be tested. As the stock market goes down and our 401k's tank, can we say with confidence that God is our source? We will be tested in those areas that we have been tempted to lean on rather than having confidence in God. What are we holding on to? Some in the church are trying to hang on to God with one hand and the world with the other. Doublemindedness receives nothing from God. God will purify Christ's bride. God wants hearts without alloy. He searches for perfect or pure hearts. 2 Chronicles 16:9. To remove the dross, it is necessary to turn up the heat. Let's look at a few scriptures concerning the refiner.
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10. I know some would say that is old testament and we have a new covenant. Yes that's true, but this was written to a rebellious people. If we do not walk according to covenant can we reap the benefit of the covenant?
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10b
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as silver and gold, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Malachi 3:3
I will bring one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, "This is my people" and each one will say, "The Lord is my God." Zechariah 13:9
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake in Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12,13
Don't be surprised that you encounter trials. There will be trials. You may say the devil caused that trial or I brought it on myself. It may have come from the devil. It may have come from my own stupidity. It may have come from God. Trials will come, but we have this promise from God: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28,29 The purposes of God are always redemptive and whether it came from the devil, from God or your own stupidity God is able to redeem it.
Purity must first happen on an individual basis before we see it corporately. If we purify our hearts individually, there will be corporate purity. The bride of Christ will be pure and spotless, without wrinkle. Trials will come, as in the parable of the wise builder and the foolish builder, they both had storms, but the one who built his house with a foundation laid in the obedience to the words of Christ had a house which withstood the storm. In these times of change we must have a foundation built upon the rock. We must hear His words and do them.
I pray that you will be blessed today. If you are going through a trial, the grace of God is available to bring good out of it. When the disciples were in the storm and it appeared their boat would sink, they did not have the faith to deal with the storm so they woke Jesus up and He dealt with the storm. If you are not able to deal with the storm you are in, seek Jesus, He's close by. May the Lord bless you exceedingly and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"Woman behold thy son"
Dear friends,
I pray that you are prospering in the Lord. It is not often that I write something thematic, but as I thought of Sunday being Mother's Day, I thought of Jesus and His mother, Mary. I thought,also, about the character and nature of our Lord and was convicted by it. I hope this will encourage you today.
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26,27
If you think about these verses situationally, it reveals much about the character of Jesus. He had been betrayed, taken captive, beaten, mocked, and unjustly put upon a cross, yet He spoke no words of defense.
He was not angry, but prayed for forgiveness for the perpetrators. Now as He is close to dying His final thoughts are not of Himself, but of His mother. His last heartbeats still beat with compassion toward those He loved and He gave John instruction regarding His mother. He entrusted her care to the beloved disciple. In His final moments He made sure His mother was taken care of. Among the laws that only Jesus fully satisfied was the law "Honor your father and mother." Jesus did that. There are so many things I think of as I look at this passage that I have to rein myself back in to make a few relevant points.
1. This is a picture of covenant. His very blood which was being shed was the sealing of the eternal covenant. (Hebrews 13:20). Unfortunately in western culture we have little understanding of covenant. Marriage is a covenant and in America we haven't done too well with that. I heard a minister introduce a ministry friend originally from Israel. The minister said we are in covenant together. Then the minister being introduced said that we do not take the word covenant lightly. He said, "If something happens to him I'll raise his kids or vice versa. John taking Mary as his own mother is a picture of covenant that should exist in the body of Christ.
2. The temptation of Christ was not over until He yielded up His spirit. How easy would it be for us to turn in on ourselves and want vengeance in times of great betrayal and pain! Yet Jesus remained faithful to His purpose until His last breath. He came to seek and to save those who are lost. He extended forgiveness to those who were torturing Him. He extended mercy to the thief dying beside Him.
3. Mary stood by the cross. She was unashamed to be identified with her son. How painful this must have been! As parents it hurts to see our children suffer. I remember the prophecy of Simeon, "Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed." Luke 2:35. I remember times when my children were small and they became sick, that I actually prayed to take their place. Jesus did take my place and He took Mary's place. I am sure that in the pain of the moment, Mary like the others did not understand what was happening. That sword was piercing her soul.
What would become of Mary? I know often Mary is almost ignored because of the reaction of some to Mary being deified in some circles. She is not God, nor is she a deity, but she was a woman blessed and favored of the Lord. She was a woman worthy of emulation. She was a woman of faith. I have often thought about this woman whom God chose to be the mother of Jesus. She accepted what was a difficult, even life-threatening position to be placed in, yet she glorified God and believed the Word of the Lord. The study of her life is a great encouragement to my faith. Think about this for a moment. Jesus appeared to over 500 people after the resurrection, but there were only 120 in the Upper Room. Look at Acts 1:15 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with His brothers.
Yes, Mary was in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out. Mary was one of those 120 who was filled with the Spirit. If the resurrection were fictitious would she have been there? I think not. You can't fool Mama!
I am thankful to God for the sacrifices of my own mother, as I am sure are many of you. I pray today that God would bless our mothers and that we all would aspire to the character of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In His love,
Herb Dean
I pray that you are prospering in the Lord. It is not often that I write something thematic, but as I thought of Sunday being Mother's Day, I thought of Jesus and His mother, Mary. I thought,also, about the character and nature of our Lord and was convicted by it. I hope this will encourage you today.
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26,27
If you think about these verses situationally, it reveals much about the character of Jesus. He had been betrayed, taken captive, beaten, mocked, and unjustly put upon a cross, yet He spoke no words of defense.
He was not angry, but prayed for forgiveness for the perpetrators. Now as He is close to dying His final thoughts are not of Himself, but of His mother. His last heartbeats still beat with compassion toward those He loved and He gave John instruction regarding His mother. He entrusted her care to the beloved disciple. In His final moments He made sure His mother was taken care of. Among the laws that only Jesus fully satisfied was the law "Honor your father and mother." Jesus did that. There are so many things I think of as I look at this passage that I have to rein myself back in to make a few relevant points.
1. This is a picture of covenant. His very blood which was being shed was the sealing of the eternal covenant. (Hebrews 13:20). Unfortunately in western culture we have little understanding of covenant. Marriage is a covenant and in America we haven't done too well with that. I heard a minister introduce a ministry friend originally from Israel. The minister said we are in covenant together. Then the minister being introduced said that we do not take the word covenant lightly. He said, "If something happens to him I'll raise his kids or vice versa. John taking Mary as his own mother is a picture of covenant that should exist in the body of Christ.
2. The temptation of Christ was not over until He yielded up His spirit. How easy would it be for us to turn in on ourselves and want vengeance in times of great betrayal and pain! Yet Jesus remained faithful to His purpose until His last breath. He came to seek and to save those who are lost. He extended forgiveness to those who were torturing Him. He extended mercy to the thief dying beside Him.
3. Mary stood by the cross. She was unashamed to be identified with her son. How painful this must have been! As parents it hurts to see our children suffer. I remember the prophecy of Simeon, "Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed." Luke 2:35. I remember times when my children were small and they became sick, that I actually prayed to take their place. Jesus did take my place and He took Mary's place. I am sure that in the pain of the moment, Mary like the others did not understand what was happening. That sword was piercing her soul.
What would become of Mary? I know often Mary is almost ignored because of the reaction of some to Mary being deified in some circles. She is not God, nor is she a deity, but she was a woman blessed and favored of the Lord. She was a woman worthy of emulation. She was a woman of faith. I have often thought about this woman whom God chose to be the mother of Jesus. She accepted what was a difficult, even life-threatening position to be placed in, yet she glorified God and believed the Word of the Lord. The study of her life is a great encouragement to my faith. Think about this for a moment. Jesus appeared to over 500 people after the resurrection, but there were only 120 in the Upper Room. Look at Acts 1:15 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with His brothers.
Yes, Mary was in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out. Mary was one of those 120 who was filled with the Spirit. If the resurrection were fictitious would she have been there? I think not. You can't fool Mama!
I am thankful to God for the sacrifices of my own mother, as I am sure are many of you. I pray today that God would bless our mothers and that we all would aspire to the character of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning
Dear friends,
I hope you are prospering in the Lord. I woke up early this morning thinking about how so many Christians live with shame and regret over past sins. The psalmist said that weeping may last a night, but joy cometh in the morning. In this letter, I want to encourage those who feel shame, regret, or guilt. I pray that this will encourage someone today.
In my years of counseling I have found that many people live in shame and regret over past sins. They spend their entire lives apologizing for their failures. I want to make a few statements and ask some rhetorical questions that I hope will get us to the root of the issue. It is essential that we get our focus off the past or it will destroy our future. You cannot move into your future destiny if you are looking backward. Remember Lot's wife. God told them not to look back. She did and turned into a pillar of salt. One little boy in Sunday school said his mother looked back and turned into a telephone pole. We cannot embrace our future if we are looking back.
Those who live in shame and regret tend to be entirely self-focused. They walk about with head held low unworthy of God's blessings. Because of the self focus they often engage in self-pity. They are constantly plagued with the "if only I had" or "if only I hadn't". This is totally unproductive thinking. Religious thinking will keep us introspective all the time and we will be forever doing penance for our sin. The truth is that this type of thinking is:
1. Egocentric- It is all about me. It puts the focus on the wrong person. It should be about Christ. It is still rooted in the mindset, "I am what I do" or worse yet, "I am what I have done." We cannot save ourselves. It is not by works that we have been saved. It is grace through faith.
2. Rooted in unbelief. Is there anything that I have done that the blood of Jesus and the finished work of the cross is insufficient to cover? Has the blood of Jesus lost its power? If I am still carrying the burden of past sins I have never appropriated the cross of Christ. Shame and regret were nailed to the tree.
3. A lie of the enemy. One of satan's greatest fears is that Christians would discover who they are. In Colossians that certificate of debt was nailed to the tree and principalities and powers were spoiled. That which you are grieving over has been paid for. The enemies right to hold that against you was taken from him.
4. Antithetical to forgiveness. To think this way is a failure to appropriate the forgiveness of God. God's forgiveness is not only extended to you, but is to be extended through you to others. For some people it is easy to forgive others, but the hardest person to forgive is themselves. Friend, if God has forgiven you and you can't forgive yourself then your standard is higher than His. You are rejecting His grace and opening yourself up to the tormentors.
There is good news. Remorse was to last only a short time. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Look at the scriptures. He has turned my mourning into joy. He has turned my mourning into dancing. Their mourning shall be turned into laughter. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We have been called to joy and freedom.
What must you do? Take your burden to the cross and leave it there. Guilt, shame, and regret were nailed to the cross. Appropiate the finished work of the cross. Choose to forgive yourself. Change your focus from self to the author and finisher of your salvation. Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Replace wrong thinking with God's truth. Instead of "I am what I do" replace it with "I am what I am by the grace of God". Paul said,"Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil.3:13b,14
My friends, be blessed today and may you forever be encouraged by His love.
In His love,
Herb Dean
I hope you are prospering in the Lord. I woke up early this morning thinking about how so many Christians live with shame and regret over past sins. The psalmist said that weeping may last a night, but joy cometh in the morning. In this letter, I want to encourage those who feel shame, regret, or guilt. I pray that this will encourage someone today.
In my years of counseling I have found that many people live in shame and regret over past sins. They spend their entire lives apologizing for their failures. I want to make a few statements and ask some rhetorical questions that I hope will get us to the root of the issue. It is essential that we get our focus off the past or it will destroy our future. You cannot move into your future destiny if you are looking backward. Remember Lot's wife. God told them not to look back. She did and turned into a pillar of salt. One little boy in Sunday school said his mother looked back and turned into a telephone pole. We cannot embrace our future if we are looking back.
Those who live in shame and regret tend to be entirely self-focused. They walk about with head held low unworthy of God's blessings. Because of the self focus they often engage in self-pity. They are constantly plagued with the "if only I had" or "if only I hadn't". This is totally unproductive thinking. Religious thinking will keep us introspective all the time and we will be forever doing penance for our sin. The truth is that this type of thinking is:
1. Egocentric- It is all about me. It puts the focus on the wrong person. It should be about Christ. It is still rooted in the mindset, "I am what I do" or worse yet, "I am what I have done." We cannot save ourselves. It is not by works that we have been saved. It is grace through faith.
2. Rooted in unbelief. Is there anything that I have done that the blood of Jesus and the finished work of the cross is insufficient to cover? Has the blood of Jesus lost its power? If I am still carrying the burden of past sins I have never appropriated the cross of Christ. Shame and regret were nailed to the tree.
3. A lie of the enemy. One of satan's greatest fears is that Christians would discover who they are. In Colossians that certificate of debt was nailed to the tree and principalities and powers were spoiled. That which you are grieving over has been paid for. The enemies right to hold that against you was taken from him.
4. Antithetical to forgiveness. To think this way is a failure to appropriate the forgiveness of God. God's forgiveness is not only extended to you, but is to be extended through you to others. For some people it is easy to forgive others, but the hardest person to forgive is themselves. Friend, if God has forgiven you and you can't forgive yourself then your standard is higher than His. You are rejecting His grace and opening yourself up to the tormentors.
There is good news. Remorse was to last only a short time. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Look at the scriptures. He has turned my mourning into joy. He has turned my mourning into dancing. Their mourning shall be turned into laughter. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We have been called to joy and freedom.
What must you do? Take your burden to the cross and leave it there. Guilt, shame, and regret were nailed to the cross. Appropiate the finished work of the cross. Choose to forgive yourself. Change your focus from self to the author and finisher of your salvation. Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Replace wrong thinking with God's truth. Instead of "I am what I do" replace it with "I am what I am by the grace of God". Paul said,"Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil.3:13b,14
My friends, be blessed today and may you forever be encouraged by His love.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
They that wait upon the Lord
Dear friends,
How are you doing? So often, I tell you about how I am doing and pray that things are well with you, but today I want to ask, "How are you doing; how are you really doing?". There's an old rock song that has the line, "I just dropped in to see what condition,your condition is in." The scripture says that we are seated in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority. That is our position, but if you are like me sometimes my condition and my position don't line up. I want to talk about His presence today, because I believe that if we are in His presence we experience the good of our position and our condition changes.
When I talk about being in the presence of the Lord what do I mean. The psalmist made it clear that we cannot escape His presence and the Lord Himself promised He would always be with us. So what am I talking about. I am talking about His manifest presence. Jesus said," For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them." If we know that God is omnipresent any way, there must be something special about the two or more gathered in His name. I believe it is His manifest presence. In His manifest presence there is often a tangible awareness that the Lord is present.
A couple of weeks ago I talked about those who seek after the Lord's presence as in Psalms 84, will make springs in the desert. Those springs are the overflow of His presence. Let's look at a few scriptures that make mention of the presence of the Lord. There are many.
Psalms 16:11 In thy presence is fulness of joy. Have you found that when you encounter the Lord's presence that the things that were troubling you seem to disappear. There is a sense of peace and well-being. Hopefulness arises within us.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. What are they waiting on? They are waiting on the presence of the Lord. The presence of the Lord gives us renewed strength. The presence of the Lord allows us to soar above our circumstances. The stronger the wind currents, the higher the eagle soars. The presence of the Lord brings endurance. If are experiencing His presence we can endure and continue on. There is nothing more tiring than to go through what we feel are our Christian (religious) duties when God is not in it.
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come fro the presence of the Lord. The verse is to unbelievers, but there is truth relevant to all of us and that is that times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. Many a time in my life I have come into the meeting house tired and discouraged but when I made a choice to worship and praise Him I found myself refreshed in His presence. God inhabits the praises of His people. He dwells in our praise. That is the reason that satan resists praise.
As I thought about what I might share today, I remembered the disciples rowing with all their might against a contrary wind into the wee hours of the morning. They must have been very tired and when they saw Jesus walking on the water they thought He was ghost and that they were going to die. But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. John 6:20,21 Isn't it amazing how the presence of the Lord can accomplish instantly what man in His best, well-intended efforts cannot accomplish. I had this thought and perhaps I have shared it before, but there are some of us who have been straining hard against the oars. We've grown tired and weary. Yes, we started across in obedience to the Lord and we encountered a contrary wind and it seemed that the Lord was not there. Lord, we want to see you walking on the water, but more than that we need you in the boat. Lord some of us need an immediately. I heard a pastor share that the key to church growth was in Mark 2. And again He entered Capernaum after some days and it was noised abroad that Jesus was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer any room to receive them, not even near the door. and He preached the word to them. Mark 2:1,2 What we need is the presence of the Lord. In His presence we are changed from strength to strength and glory to glory and faith to faith.
Lord, I pray today that all who are weary, discouraged, and dry might be refreshed by your presence, even this day. We need you Lord in this hour more than ever before. Come, Lord Jesus in manifest presence into the lives of those who are crying out to you now, in Jesus name, Amen.
I finish as I began. How are you doing? Be blessed.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Called to make Springs
Dear friends,
I pray that you are well. I have not written in a while, but we are well. We have seen God wonderfully answer some of our prayers that we had persistently prayed for a long time. I am thankful I have a Father who hears and answers our prayer at the appropriate time. Though these are difficult times for many in the body of Christ I believe we are on the threshold of a great spiritual breakthrough. He is calling us to Himself, calling us to prayer, and when He calls us to pray, we know He will answer. I hope you will be encouraged by this message today.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools.
Psalms 84:6
How often I have read this psalm and on many occasions have sung parts of it, but the passage about the Valley of Baca never meant much. The Lord really spoke to me through it recently. I had never really thought about the Valley of Baca. As this passage of scripture was illumined to me I began meditating on it and looked up the Valley of Baca. Baca is actually a type of plant known for its ability to survive dry places. So what we see being described in Psalms 84 is the pilgrimage of life for those who have found the intimacy with God that the psalmist begins the psalm yearning for. It describes those who intimately know their God and are continually praising Him. In this pilgrimage of life heading toward the New Jerusalem we pass through dry places. Some of you may be in a wilderness or dry place in your lives right now.
A year or so ago, I was visiting a church in another city and I was complaining about how dry the area where I was living was. One of the elders who is very prophetic said that he was familiar with the area and that it was indeed a dry place and that the Lord was calling us to dig new wells. How do you dig a new well? As I pondered on that, I felt that it was pressing into God, seeking Him whole-heartedly, and developing an intimacy with Him. I believe that is true, but oftentimes the natural is a picture of the spiritual. To dig a well, you have to remove a lot of dirt to get to the water; sometimes you have to move or go through stone.
One morning in my quiet time, the Lord asked me, "Is it Middle Georgia that's dry or is it you?" I thought about it and came to the realization that it was both me and Middle Georgia that was dry, but it was not the fault of Middle Georgia that I was dry. Maybe it was dry because I was dry. I could give many reasons or probably better said excuses like hurts and disappointments in ministry, unfulfilled prophetic words, betrayals, and misunderstandings that had made me less and less intimate with the Lord. My prayer life was not what it had been at one time. It was necessary to redig the well in my own life that I might begin to dig new wells in Middle Georgia.
I cannot say that it is my responsibility to bring revival to this area, but I do have a responsibility to be a conduit through which the Spirit of God flows. Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:38 It is obvious from what Jesus said that other scriptures make reference to this. There are many scriptures that talk about rivers and water. In Ezekiel 47 we see the small stream of water flowing from the threshold of the temple that became a huge body of life-giving water. Are we not the temple of the Holy Spirit from which this live-giving water flows? In the Psalms 46:4 it says "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God." Are we not tributaries of that river?
The kingdom of God came in power when the Spirit of God was poured out at Pentecost. The kingdom is in the Spirit. Jesus said the kingdom of God is in you. He told his disciples that when they entered a place to heal the sick and to say that the kingdom of God has come nigh. If we have become conduits of the Holy Spirit then the kingdom comes wherever we go. We must all pass through our Valley of Baca and we will either impact it for the kingdom or we will be impacted by it. If we are not flowing in the Spirit we will be drained dry and become like our surroundings, but if we are flowing in the Spirit we make springs in it. I have heard it said that water attracts water. We make it a spring, but look at the second part of the verse. The rain covers it with pools. The Spirit of God within us attracts the presence of God. God promises to make streams in the desert and pools in the wilderness and He chooses to pour Himself out through you.
You may be in a very dry place. God has put you there to make a difference. You may have redig old wells or dig new ones. There may be a little dirt or a lot. There may be some stones that have to be removed, but there is an abundant source of water sufficient to turn your dry place into a well-watered garden. You may be the stream that your dry land is waiting for. We had close to a nine inch rainfall deficit since the first of the year and over the past three weeks we have had so much rain we made up the deficit. Last Wednesday at our prayer meeting a young man said, "The drought is over." I inquired as to whether he was talking about the natural or the spiritual and he said the spiritual. The next night the local meteorologist declared that the drought was over. I could not help, but believe that was a confirming word. If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you, He can change the environment through you. May God fill you with Himself today that all who encounter you may encounter life-giving water.
In his love,
Herb Dean
I pray that you are well. I have not written in a while, but we are well. We have seen God wonderfully answer some of our prayers that we had persistently prayed for a long time. I am thankful I have a Father who hears and answers our prayer at the appropriate time. Though these are difficult times for many in the body of Christ I believe we are on the threshold of a great spiritual breakthrough. He is calling us to Himself, calling us to prayer, and when He calls us to pray, we know He will answer. I hope you will be encouraged by this message today.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools.
Psalms 84:6
How often I have read this psalm and on many occasions have sung parts of it, but the passage about the Valley of Baca never meant much. The Lord really spoke to me through it recently. I had never really thought about the Valley of Baca. As this passage of scripture was illumined to me I began meditating on it and looked up the Valley of Baca. Baca is actually a type of plant known for its ability to survive dry places. So what we see being described in Psalms 84 is the pilgrimage of life for those who have found the intimacy with God that the psalmist begins the psalm yearning for. It describes those who intimately know their God and are continually praising Him. In this pilgrimage of life heading toward the New Jerusalem we pass through dry places. Some of you may be in a wilderness or dry place in your lives right now.
A year or so ago, I was visiting a church in another city and I was complaining about how dry the area where I was living was. One of the elders who is very prophetic said that he was familiar with the area and that it was indeed a dry place and that the Lord was calling us to dig new wells. How do you dig a new well? As I pondered on that, I felt that it was pressing into God, seeking Him whole-heartedly, and developing an intimacy with Him. I believe that is true, but oftentimes the natural is a picture of the spiritual. To dig a well, you have to remove a lot of dirt to get to the water; sometimes you have to move or go through stone.
One morning in my quiet time, the Lord asked me, "Is it Middle Georgia that's dry or is it you?" I thought about it and came to the realization that it was both me and Middle Georgia that was dry, but it was not the fault of Middle Georgia that I was dry. Maybe it was dry because I was dry. I could give many reasons or probably better said excuses like hurts and disappointments in ministry, unfulfilled prophetic words, betrayals, and misunderstandings that had made me less and less intimate with the Lord. My prayer life was not what it had been at one time. It was necessary to redig the well in my own life that I might begin to dig new wells in Middle Georgia.
I cannot say that it is my responsibility to bring revival to this area, but I do have a responsibility to be a conduit through which the Spirit of God flows. Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:38 It is obvious from what Jesus said that other scriptures make reference to this. There are many scriptures that talk about rivers and water. In Ezekiel 47 we see the small stream of water flowing from the threshold of the temple that became a huge body of life-giving water. Are we not the temple of the Holy Spirit from which this live-giving water flows? In the Psalms 46:4 it says "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God." Are we not tributaries of that river?
The kingdom of God came in power when the Spirit of God was poured out at Pentecost. The kingdom is in the Spirit. Jesus said the kingdom of God is in you. He told his disciples that when they entered a place to heal the sick and to say that the kingdom of God has come nigh. If we have become conduits of the Holy Spirit then the kingdom comes wherever we go. We must all pass through our Valley of Baca and we will either impact it for the kingdom or we will be impacted by it. If we are not flowing in the Spirit we will be drained dry and become like our surroundings, but if we are flowing in the Spirit we make springs in it. I have heard it said that water attracts water. We make it a spring, but look at the second part of the verse. The rain covers it with pools. The Spirit of God within us attracts the presence of God. God promises to make streams in the desert and pools in the wilderness and He chooses to pour Himself out through you.
You may be in a very dry place. God has put you there to make a difference. You may have redig old wells or dig new ones. There may be a little dirt or a lot. There may be some stones that have to be removed, but there is an abundant source of water sufficient to turn your dry place into a well-watered garden. You may be the stream that your dry land is waiting for. We had close to a nine inch rainfall deficit since the first of the year and over the past three weeks we have had so much rain we made up the deficit. Last Wednesday at our prayer meeting a young man said, "The drought is over." I inquired as to whether he was talking about the natural or the spiritual and he said the spiritual. The next night the local meteorologist declared that the drought was over. I could not help, but believe that was a confirming word. If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you, He can change the environment through you. May God fill you with Himself today that all who encounter you may encounter life-giving water.
In his love,
Herb Dean
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