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
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)