Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

   I want to look briefly at this phrase from the Lord's prayer. It is interesting that the verb here is aorist tense imperative mood which is to say , "Give us today's bread, now." Now I think there are far too many people trying to tell God what to do. I don't much believe in giving God commands unless He commands me to and in this case Jesus said to pray this way. Daily bread speaks of provision for the day we are in, not tomorrow's bread, but today's bread today. You, remember in the wilderness they were to gather bread for that day only, except the day before the sabbath when they gathered two day's worth. God wants us to trust Him on a daily basis. I believe the phrase concerns our daily provision, but I believe it is much more than that.

    Bread is often likened to the word of God. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4  Gathering the bread daily is a picture of getting fresh revelation and instruction from God. Jesus only said what He heard the Father saying and only did what He saw the Father doing. We need to hear from God on a daily basis. We cannot live off yesterday's manna.

     When the Syro-Phoenician woman tried to get Jesus to heal and deliver her daughter, he made an interesting statement."It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to little dogs." Dogs was a reference to Gentiles. Jesus was sent first to lost house of Israel, but He had healed others. Jesus showcased this woman's persistence and faith for our example, but let's look at His statement. Simply put He was saying healing and deliverence were the children's bread. I believe we can believe for healing even as we ask for our daily bread. We have become God's children by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Jesus said healing and deliverence are our bread.

     Then finally, Jesus is the bread of life.  Jesus said, " I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." John 6:51   When we pray for our daily bread we are acknowledging our need for His life to be manifested in us on a daily basis. He is our daily bread.

    
  
  
  

The Truth You Know

    I used to be involved in a group that had some marvelous teachers. Their teaching was so revelatory that it encouraged me to seek for great revelations from the word of God. God gave me some great revelation and I am sure I probably over spiritualized some things to make a point. One day as I was reading Acts 17 and I saw in verse 21 where Athenians and foreigners spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. I realized that my hunger for some new revelation had gotten out of balance. I am not saying that we are not to search the word. I believe God will reveal  truth to us by the Holy Spirit. What God reveals is not for information, but for application. Knowledge puffs up. Revelation without application and impartation is simply information and will not provide motivation.

       Many times we hear people say ,"The truth will set you free." That passage is taken out of context and is not always true as it is quoted. Let's look at the context.  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, " If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Romans 8:31,32   It is the truth that we know that sets us free.   The word know there is a stronger word than intellectual knowledge. It is the word "ginosko" #1097 in the Strong's. My Spirit-Filled Life Bible defines it this way: To perceive, understand, recognize, gain knowledge, realize, come to know. "Ginosko" is the knowledge that has an inception, a progress, and an attainment. It is the reconition of truth by personal experience.      In other words ginosko is experiential knowledge. It is the truth we experience that sets us.  Statistically over 85 per cent of Americans believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It is pretty obvious that 85 percent of Americans are not saved.  It is that experiential knowledge, that knowing relationship with Jesus Christ that saves us.

        It is wonderful to know the word of God, to understand the types and shadows, and to be able to communicate truths. What a joy it is to plumb the depths of His infinite wisdom! But our great store of knowledge is of no value unless we introduce people to the Truth. Paul expressed his fear that the Corinthians' minds would be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  Jesus said, I am the way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me. John 14:11  Jesus is the Truth and if you know the Truth, He will set you free.

A Few Thoughts on Snow

     I was watching the coverage of the snowstorm in the northeast on a local TV station when they showed some old footage from the snowstorm in middle Georgia in February of 1973. It brought back a flood of memories. My wife and I have experienced two major snowstorms in the South during our lives. The storm in 1973 was a little over sixteen inches in an area that rarely sees snow. While living in Rome, GA,  in 1993, we had a blizzard that dumped nineteen inches of snow.  You can imagine what kind of problems these storms caused in the South. I am not a fan of the difficulties that snow causes, but I am like a little kid when I see a few snowflakes fall. It truly is beautiful. It is amazing how the white covering transforms the deadness of winter into a winter wonderland.

     Snow is one of many things that show the immeasurable creativity of our God. Think of how many snowflakes have fallen in the Northeast this weekend and then consider that no two snowflakes are alike. Each is beautiful in its own right, designed and fashioned by our Father. Snow is mentioned a number of times in the scripture, mostly as a means of giving a description of how white something is. Snow is sort of the standard for whiteness. If we say something is as white as snow, we are saying it is as white as it gets.  When David was repenting for his grievous sins in Psalms 51:7 he says, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." If you remember, hyssop was used to apply the blood of the lamb in Exodus. Is that not what the blood of Jesus has done for us.  That was what the songwriter was expressing when he penned the words, "Whiter than snow, yes whiter than snow; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow."  Because we know of nothing whiter than snow it gives just a hint of how complete the finished work of the cross was. Isaiah said, "Though your sins be as scarlet; they shall be as white as snow." He has taken the darkness of our sin, washed us and made us as white as snow.

      In the New Testament Mark describes the transfigured Christ this way, "His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them." When people go snow skiing it is imperative that they where goggles because they can be blinded by the sun reflecting off the snow. Eyes can be seriously damaged because of the brilliance. Thinking about that makes me think of the seraphim in Isaiah's vision. They used two of their wings to cover their eyes. Imagine, here were creatures created to dwell in the presence of God and yet they could not look upon Him because of the brilliance of His glory. John in Revelation said that the hair of Christ was like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire.  Later in the passage he says His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.  The brilliance of the sun reflecting off the snow is only a feeble comparison to the glory of the Son.  Thank you, Lord, that you have made us whiter than snow.  

    

Jesus in the House

      Just saw a book title,  Jesus Killed My Church.  That provoked a few thoughts I would like to share. I don't know what was in the book, but I suspect he'll share some of what I'll share here. The first thing I see wrong there is that he had taken ownership of the church. The church belongs to Jesus and Jesus said He would build it. Too many churches have been man built.
      I guess the main thing I thought about was the presence of God. I remember a minister whose church had experienced genuine revival said, "One day Jesus showed up and I don't think the ushers meant to seat Him." That church and its pastor were radically impacted by the Lord's presence. When I say the Lord's presence, do not confuse that with the Lord's omnipresence. I know God is everywhere. He is also in us by His Spirit. Yes, God is always there, but it is different when God chooses to reveal His glory. It is the revelation of His glory that reveals that we fall short. The revelation of His glory reveals and exposes. Flesh cannot handle His glory. When His glory was revealed in the dedicating of Solomon's temple the priests could not stand to minister. Moses had to be hidden in the cleft of the rock (a type of Christ). When Isaiah had his God encounter the temple was filled with smoke which represents God's glory. The words of this established prophet were "Woe is me for I am undone for I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips".
Job, who was described as a perfect and upright man who hated evil, had a God encounter and He could only say, " I have heard of You with the hearing of the ear, but now I see You and I abhor myself and I repent in sackcloth and ashes." Peter recognizing that Jesus was more than an ordinary man, said "Depart from me for I am a sinful man, Oh Lord." 
       Yes, the arrival of Jesus would be destructive to many churches. I have been in meetings when the Spirit of God was brooding over a congregation. The Spirit would begin to move, but instead of flowing with what God was beginning to do the leadership quickly took things back to the program. It is as if they were saying "Lord, You can move as long as You don't disrupt the program and we have to be through in time for the second service." Is it any wonder churches are not experiencing revival? They have great music, great preachers, and many wonderful people but everything is orchestrated. It is a controlled environment. Many pastors are afraid of losing control. Part of it is ignorance, but a major part is fear. Everything must be done decently and in order so we stick to the program. We like things safe and don't want things messy.  "Where there is no ox the stall is clean, but there is much increase by reason of the ox."  "Lord, we want you to build your church; come and take Your rightful place. Do what seems right to You." If we allow Him to be who He is in our midst then He will do what He does.
        If Jesus kills your church it's a good thing. He is then free to build His and His will storm the gates of Hell. The secret to church growth is Jesus in the house.

Hello from Herb Dean

Dear friends, fellow ministers, and prayer warriors,

I pray that things are well with you. I am writing today simply to touch base with you and let you know what I am doing. Some of you don't really know me and some of you know me well. It is a wonderful thing to be in the service of the Lord, but it is not without times of adversity, challenge, and transition. As some of you know I relinquished my pastoral responsibilities last year. I did not do this because I wanted to get out of the ministry, because I was mad at anyone, or because I was asked to do so. I did so because I felt the Lord wanted me to change course and develop ministry in other areas. It was somewhat terrifying to look at starting over at age 62 and I would be lying if I said I walked in great faith all of last year. Physically, it was a difficult year. My mother nearly died from cancer and was in the hospital for weeks. Financially because of the lack of income it was a difficult year. So ,yes, there were times of great discouragement and wavering as to whether I had heard God and made the right choice. One of the things I know God is doing in me is bringing me back to that place of simple trust. You see, I had gotten somewhat comfortable. I was not walking in the same levels of faith I once did. There were times when I did not have to nickels to rub together

and I was seeing the power of God released in my life. I am not saying we need to take a vow of poverty. What I am saying is, we are in a season where the foundations are being shaken and God wants us to return to that place where our faith is completely and totally in Him. Those things that we have held on to or leaned upon may well be taken away from us. The kingdom of God is received with the trust of a child.

I, no longer aspire to building some mega church or fill stadiums with people coming to hear the "man of God". I used to desire those things because there was that need in me to be affirmed, to feel like I was somebody. I am learning to rest in the affirmation of the Father, that I am His beloved son in whom He is well-pleased. I have not arrived and I would be lying if I said I was completely free from the desire of the praise of men, but God is doing that maturing work. My heart is to produce disciples who will go beyond where I have gone. I love preaching and teaching the word and seeing the light come on in someone's eyes. I love to pray for people and through words of knowledge or prophetic words see a burden lifted or a broken heart mended. I want to say this in a way that does not sound boastful, for if I boast let my boast be in the Lord. I am nothing apart from Him and have only what I have received from Him. He has made a deposit in me and it so blesses me when someone draws from that deposit. I believe God has given me gifts to impart. I tried building churches for a while, very unsuccessfully I might add; I want to spend my remaining days building people.

I am presently seeking direction from the Lord. I am open to pastoring again if God plants me there. I

would love to take a group of hungry men and disciple them. I am open to be a teaching elder in a church or ministry. I love intinerant ministry but you can't be an itinerant minister if you are not itinerating, and I've been out of circulation for a long time. I do think I would be a blessing to your church, not because of who I am, but because of who He is in me. Every attempt I have ever made to promote myself has failed, so I look to God to speak to your heart if it fits His purposes concerning me and concerning your people. I do not believe Ephesians 4:13 can be fulfilled without the cross-pollination of ministries. We are each necessary parts of the whole. I covet your prayers and your prayerful consideration. I simply put my name out there. One of my mentors once said that you can't expect people to be spiritual enough to find you. If you would like to have me come, just send me an e-mail. If you know of or have an opening you think I might fit, please let me know. Lastly, I know some of you will pray for me for which I am greatly appreciative. If I may pray for you, please let me know. May the Lord bless you greatly.

In His love,

Herb Dean