The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief
cornerstone. Psalms 118:22
At times in our lives we all deal with rejection. Rejection can stem
from many things, personality, looks, race, financial status, etc. The rejection
mentioned in this verse was man's rejection of Christ. If we are the chosen of
God rejection comes with the territory. Paul's goal was to know Him and the
power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.(Philippians
3:10) If we know Him we will know the fellowship of His sufferings. Part of that
suffering is the rejection of men and it may even come from those who are close
to us. Knowing this does not necessarily remove the pain, but it helps us
understand that it is part of the process of being conformed to His image.
I began praying Ph.3:10 over myself years ago. After being extremely
hurt by some people, I questioned the Lord as to what was going on. This is what
I believe God said to me (you can test it with your own spirit), that this was
an answer to my prayer, that I could not know the power of the resurrection
without knowing the fellowship of His sufferings. I am not saying God caused
this thing to happen, but our God who is able to bring redemptive purpose out of
everything that comes into our lives is redeeming it now even as I write. We
cannot know the power of the resurrection except something first dies.
Rejections will come, but remember you are accepted in the beloved, a
son of the most high God, a choice vessel of the Lord. He came unto His own and
His own received Him not. He experienced rejection and so will we, but that
which has been rejected by the world is chosen of God.
Coming to Him as to 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 2:4,5
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Taxes, Detours, and the Sovereignty of God
Dear friends,
I hope this message finds you well. I would like to revisit a few thoughts from a Christmas message in 2008. I believe it will be an encouragement to you wherever you might find yourself this Christmas. The first advent of Christ was an awesome event and we look forward to the second advent which is nearer now than when we first believed. I pray we will all have room in our hearts this Christmas for the one whose coming we celebrate. May you be encouraged by the awesomeness of our God.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. Luke 2:1
Why is it that tax notices always come at the end of the year right before Christmas time? No, I'm not trying to make that spiritual, but just to say, I'm sure Mary and Joseph were probably not excited about traveling all the way to Bethlehem to be registered for taxes. I know I wouldn't have been happy about it. Think about for just a moment; here is Mary probably 8 or 9 months pregnant or as the scripture said great with child and the getting word that they must go 70 miles on foot to be registered for a tax levied by the empire that held their people captive. I can't imagine a pregnant lady that far along having to walk 70 miles. I know pictures show Joseph leading a donkey on which Mary was riding, but personally I doubt that they had a donkey. He's not mentioned in scripture and we know that Mary and Joseph were very poor. We know this because when Jesus was dedicated they sacrificed pigeons which was the sacrifice of the poor who could not afford a lamb. ( God has chosen the poor, rich in faith.) It is quite probable that Mary in her very pregnant condition had to walk the entire way. I have found that the ways of God are not always comfortable. He is more interested in developing our character and the fulfillment of His purposes than our convenience or comfort.
Mary and Joseph were devout in their faith. I don't know how much of the scripture they knew or how well they understood prophecy. It is not likely they got up that morning and said we need to hurry to Bethlehem so Jesus can be born there. You see in the purposes of God a pagan emperor by the name of Caesar Augustus had a role to play. God used a pagan emperor to position Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem at the set time, the appointed time of God for the Christ child to be born. God had foreordained that the Bread of Life be born in the House of Bread (Bethlehem).In Greek we have at least two words for time. One, chronos is regular time but chairos time is the appointed time, the set time or appointed time. Mary and Joseph, being obedient servants did what was required of them and in the walking out of the chronos the chairos came. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. You see God can use things we see as difficulties to position us for the blessing. Let's look at another couple of examples.
What about the Old Testament Joseph? God had given him some great prophetic dreams concerning his future. Yet, we find him first in the pit, then Potiphar's house as a slave and then in prison. He had all those detours before reaching the palace. Those detours positioned and prepared him for the fulfillment of his God-given dreams.
Then there was King David. He was anointed as a king while yet a teenager and then spent years in the wilderness dwelling in caves fleeing from Saul. Often the trials we face are proportionate to the level of authority God wants to entrust to us. Tribulation works patience and patience has a perfecting or maturing work. (James 1) We see those trials in Paul's life as well. Tribulation worketh patience and patience, experience or proven character. (Romans 5)
Our tribulation, our detours, may be positioning us for the blessing of God. They may be preparation for something greater. God may be preparing us for a new level of authority. I don't know what you may be going through; it may be problems of your own making, but be encouraged. God is able to bring redemptive purpose out of everything that comes into our lives. He's good that way.
Friends, Jesus came during a very dark time. There had been no prophetic word for 400 years. Israel was under the dominion of the Roman empire. The Light was revealed at a dark time in history, but like Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 60 we can say in our day,
"Arise, shine for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Is. 60:1-3.
I believe this is to be the church's finest hour. It is time to shine. It is a time of shaking, but the glory of the latter house comes forth after the shaking.
A good many years ago as the pastor was reading the Christmas story in the school chapel, the Lord spoke a word to me when he read about the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. He said, " Those shepherds who have been faithful in the dark of night are the ones to whom I will reveal my glory." You faithful church leaders, some of you feel almost like God has forgotten you, do not be discouraged. God will reveal great things to you in the days ahead.
I had not intended for this to turn into a potpourri, but God can use that, too. I hope this has been encouraging to you. Thank you so much for your encouragement to me over the years. I pray that you will have a wonderful Christmas season and that 2012 will be a blessed year for you. 12 is the number of government and I pray God's divine order for you life. His kingdom come! His will be done! God bless you.
In His love,
Herb Dean
I hope this message finds you well. I would like to revisit a few thoughts from a Christmas message in 2008. I believe it will be an encouragement to you wherever you might find yourself this Christmas. The first advent of Christ was an awesome event and we look forward to the second advent which is nearer now than when we first believed. I pray we will all have room in our hearts this Christmas for the one whose coming we celebrate. May you be encouraged by the awesomeness of our God.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. Luke 2:1
Why is it that tax notices always come at the end of the year right before Christmas time? No, I'm not trying to make that spiritual, but just to say, I'm sure Mary and Joseph were probably not excited about traveling all the way to Bethlehem to be registered for taxes. I know I wouldn't have been happy about it. Think about for just a moment; here is Mary probably 8 or 9 months pregnant or as the scripture said great with child and the getting word that they must go 70 miles on foot to be registered for a tax levied by the empire that held their people captive. I can't imagine a pregnant lady that far along having to walk 70 miles. I know pictures show Joseph leading a donkey on which Mary was riding, but personally I doubt that they had a donkey. He's not mentioned in scripture and we know that Mary and Joseph were very poor. We know this because when Jesus was dedicated they sacrificed pigeons which was the sacrifice of the poor who could not afford a lamb. ( God has chosen the poor, rich in faith.) It is quite probable that Mary in her very pregnant condition had to walk the entire way. I have found that the ways of God are not always comfortable. He is more interested in developing our character and the fulfillment of His purposes than our convenience or comfort.
Mary and Joseph were devout in their faith. I don't know how much of the scripture they knew or how well they understood prophecy. It is not likely they got up that morning and said we need to hurry to Bethlehem so Jesus can be born there. You see in the purposes of God a pagan emperor by the name of Caesar Augustus had a role to play. God used a pagan emperor to position Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem at the set time, the appointed time of God for the Christ child to be born. God had foreordained that the Bread of Life be born in the House of Bread (Bethlehem).In Greek we have at least two words for time. One, chronos is regular time but chairos time is the appointed time, the set time or appointed time. Mary and Joseph, being obedient servants did what was required of them and in the walking out of the chronos the chairos came. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. You see God can use things we see as difficulties to position us for the blessing. Let's look at another couple of examples.
What about the Old Testament Joseph? God had given him some great prophetic dreams concerning his future. Yet, we find him first in the pit, then Potiphar's house as a slave and then in prison. He had all those detours before reaching the palace. Those detours positioned and prepared him for the fulfillment of his God-given dreams.
Then there was King David. He was anointed as a king while yet a teenager and then spent years in the wilderness dwelling in caves fleeing from Saul. Often the trials we face are proportionate to the level of authority God wants to entrust to us. Tribulation works patience and patience has a perfecting or maturing work. (James 1) We see those trials in Paul's life as well. Tribulation worketh patience and patience, experience or proven character. (Romans 5)
Our tribulation, our detours, may be positioning us for the blessing of God. They may be preparation for something greater. God may be preparing us for a new level of authority. I don't know what you may be going through; it may be problems of your own making, but be encouraged. God is able to bring redemptive purpose out of everything that comes into our lives. He's good that way.
Friends, Jesus came during a very dark time. There had been no prophetic word for 400 years. Israel was under the dominion of the Roman empire. The Light was revealed at a dark time in history, but like Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 60 we can say in our day,
"Arise, shine for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Is. 60:1-3.
I believe this is to be the church's finest hour. It is time to shine. It is a time of shaking, but the glory of the latter house comes forth after the shaking.
A good many years ago as the pastor was reading the Christmas story in the school chapel, the Lord spoke a word to me when he read about the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. He said, " Those shepherds who have been faithful in the dark of night are the ones to whom I will reveal my glory." You faithful church leaders, some of you feel almost like God has forgotten you, do not be discouraged. God will reveal great things to you in the days ahead.
I had not intended for this to turn into a potpourri, but God can use that, too. I hope this has been encouraging to you. Thank you so much for your encouragement to me over the years. I pray that you will have a wonderful Christmas season and that 2012 will be a blessed year for you. 12 is the number of government and I pray God's divine order for you life. His kingdom come! His will be done! God bless you.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Love of God
Dear friends,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had a thought that might encourage someone so I decided to send it out. May you ever be encouraged by the love of God.
It has been my personal experience and my experience in counseling that many people have difficulty really believing that God loves them. This is often because of their past. They may have done things that they feel make them unworthy to receive God's love. Though they are Christians they have not fully appropriated the work of the cross. They still carry the burdens of self-condemnation, guilt, shame, and regret. I was thinking about this as I prepared my Sunday message and the prodigal son came to mind. We have all heard it preached various and sundry ways, but I felt the Lord was giving me a fresh application. Think about this for a moment; the prodigal son spent his inheritance in riotous living. He consumed his living with harlots and on a life of debauchery. As wicked as he had been, living totally contrary to the things he had been taught, he finally came to his senses and returned home content to be just a servant in his father's home. When the father saw him, he ran and embraced him even before he could speak his prerehearsed speech of repentance.
I'm just thinking as I write and here's what comes to mind:
Because of his wickedness, he could no longer perceive himself as a son. The guilt he bore caused him to be willing to settle for being a lowly servant instead of a son. He did not understand the love of his father. He felt he could never again have an intimate relationship with the father.
The good news is that regardless of what he had done, his father still loved him. In fact, when he was doing his worst the father never stopped loving him.
It was God's love that put Jesus on the cross and His sacrifice was sufficient to cover what ever you have done. If you are still carrying guilt and shame, it may be unrecognized by you, but you are still trying to pay a debt that was fully paid. When He said it was finished, it was. It is time you took condemnation, guilt, shame, and regret to the cross and received the Father's embrace. He loves you and He desires intimacy with you.
As the old song says, "The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell." Of faith, hope, and love the greatest is love. Hope sustains us; faith will make you an overcomer, but love will make you more than a conqueror. Nothing can separate us from the love of God and today God wants you to hear His words,"I love you."
I know many of you are secure in God's love and I praise the Lord for that, but there are still many who need those yokes broken off to receive His yoke. May God's richest blessing be yours and may you know the height, depth, and breadth of His love.
In hIs love,
Herb Dean
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had a thought that might encourage someone so I decided to send it out. May you ever be encouraged by the love of God.
It has been my personal experience and my experience in counseling that many people have difficulty really believing that God loves them. This is often because of their past. They may have done things that they feel make them unworthy to receive God's love. Though they are Christians they have not fully appropriated the work of the cross. They still carry the burdens of self-condemnation, guilt, shame, and regret. I was thinking about this as I prepared my Sunday message and the prodigal son came to mind. We have all heard it preached various and sundry ways, but I felt the Lord was giving me a fresh application. Think about this for a moment; the prodigal son spent his inheritance in riotous living. He consumed his living with harlots and on a life of debauchery. As wicked as he had been, living totally contrary to the things he had been taught, he finally came to his senses and returned home content to be just a servant in his father's home. When the father saw him, he ran and embraced him even before he could speak his prerehearsed speech of repentance.
I'm just thinking as I write and here's what comes to mind:
Because of his wickedness, he could no longer perceive himself as a son. The guilt he bore caused him to be willing to settle for being a lowly servant instead of a son. He did not understand the love of his father. He felt he could never again have an intimate relationship with the father.
The good news is that regardless of what he had done, his father still loved him. In fact, when he was doing his worst the father never stopped loving him.
It was God's love that put Jesus on the cross and His sacrifice was sufficient to cover what ever you have done. If you are still carrying guilt and shame, it may be unrecognized by you, but you are still trying to pay a debt that was fully paid. When He said it was finished, it was. It is time you took condemnation, guilt, shame, and regret to the cross and received the Father's embrace. He loves you and He desires intimacy with you.
As the old song says, "The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell." Of faith, hope, and love the greatest is love. Hope sustains us; faith will make you an overcomer, but love will make you more than a conqueror. Nothing can separate us from the love of God and today God wants you to hear His words,"I love you."
I know many of you are secure in God's love and I praise the Lord for that, but there are still many who need those yokes broken off to receive His yoke. May God's richest blessing be yours and may you know the height, depth, and breadth of His love.
In hIs love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The Silence of God
Dear friends,
I hope you are well. It has been quite some time since I have written. I don't like to write for writings sake, and there hasn't a lot that was fresh and burning in my heart. I believe I am in a place of transition and the Lord is not giving clear direction at this time. I want to share a few thoughts about this time of silence because in conversations with other leaders there are many others going through a similar thing. What does it mean when God is silent? Here are some ideas I feel the Lord has given me.
1. His silence is a summons. I once heard someone say that hearing is matter of proximity. If someone is whispering in the back of a large room, you cannot hear them, but if they are whispering in your ear you can.
I believe God speaks even in His silence and one of the things He is saying in His silence is," Draw near".
John could hear the heartbeat of Jesus because his head was on Jesus' chest.
2. His silence often preceded great change. When Eli was judge the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation. Then came Samuel who as the next judge of Israel would anoint its first two kings which ,of course, included David. Before the coming of Christ there was a period of four hundred years of silence. A minister blogged recently and said he knew of at least twenty-five people that had walked with the Lord a long time and heard the Lord but were receiving no directional instruction from the Lord right now. His blog title was "What If" and basically what he said was, what if these people are in a holding pattern because something is about to happen that will change the whole landscape of things. Could it be that our lives as we have known them are about to change? Could it be that how we operate is about to radically change?
3. His silence is to get our attention. Have you ever had a teacher or preacher who would get very silent and would wait for you to get silent as well before they would speak because what they had to say was very important and they wanted to be sure you heard it? There are many voices vying for our attention and sometimes it is only in the quietness that we hear the voice of the Lord. It seems the Lord is waiting for our attention before He speaks.
4. His silence causes us to revisit what He has already said. Sometimes we fail to walk in the last thing He said. If we are not walking in the things He has spoken why should He give us more. Sometimes we are guilty of heaping unto ourselves prophecies without walking in obedience. The word to Israel did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith.
5. His silence cause us to refocus. Hebrews says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.." The psalmist said that God would guide us with His eyes. Too often, I find myself looking for His hands when it is His face I should be seeking.
So what are we to do during this time?
1. Continue in what He last told you to do.
2. Seek the Lord with your whole heart. Draw near to Him.
3. Take time to listen. Wait on the Lord.
4. Read and meditate on His word. It is often in reading and meditation that the logos becomes rhema.
5. Do not lose heart. God has not forsaken you; His plan is about unfold.
I hope that encourages you. These are exciting times and regardless of what our eschatology may be, we can say with surety that our redemption is much nearer than when we first believed. On a personal note, I have felt that I was to go other places and minister. I am not one to promote myself and I simply ask if we have ministered to you over the years, that you prayerfully consider having us come. My calendar is open and I have a great deal of flexibility. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.
In his love,
Herb Dean
I hope you are well. It has been quite some time since I have written. I don't like to write for writings sake, and there hasn't a lot that was fresh and burning in my heart. I believe I am in a place of transition and the Lord is not giving clear direction at this time. I want to share a few thoughts about this time of silence because in conversations with other leaders there are many others going through a similar thing. What does it mean when God is silent? Here are some ideas I feel the Lord has given me.
1. His silence is a summons. I once heard someone say that hearing is matter of proximity. If someone is whispering in the back of a large room, you cannot hear them, but if they are whispering in your ear you can.
I believe God speaks even in His silence and one of the things He is saying in His silence is," Draw near".
John could hear the heartbeat of Jesus because his head was on Jesus' chest.
2. His silence often preceded great change. When Eli was judge the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation. Then came Samuel who as the next judge of Israel would anoint its first two kings which ,of course, included David. Before the coming of Christ there was a period of four hundred years of silence. A minister blogged recently and said he knew of at least twenty-five people that had walked with the Lord a long time and heard the Lord but were receiving no directional instruction from the Lord right now. His blog title was "What If" and basically what he said was, what if these people are in a holding pattern because something is about to happen that will change the whole landscape of things. Could it be that our lives as we have known them are about to change? Could it be that how we operate is about to radically change?
3. His silence is to get our attention. Have you ever had a teacher or preacher who would get very silent and would wait for you to get silent as well before they would speak because what they had to say was very important and they wanted to be sure you heard it? There are many voices vying for our attention and sometimes it is only in the quietness that we hear the voice of the Lord. It seems the Lord is waiting for our attention before He speaks.
4. His silence causes us to revisit what He has already said. Sometimes we fail to walk in the last thing He said. If we are not walking in the things He has spoken why should He give us more. Sometimes we are guilty of heaping unto ourselves prophecies without walking in obedience. The word to Israel did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith.
5. His silence cause us to refocus. Hebrews says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.." The psalmist said that God would guide us with His eyes. Too often, I find myself looking for His hands when it is His face I should be seeking.
So what are we to do during this time?
1. Continue in what He last told you to do.
2. Seek the Lord with your whole heart. Draw near to Him.
3. Take time to listen. Wait on the Lord.
4. Read and meditate on His word. It is often in reading and meditation that the logos becomes rhema.
5. Do not lose heart. God has not forsaken you; His plan is about unfold.
I hope that encourages you. These are exciting times and regardless of what our eschatology may be, we can say with surety that our redemption is much nearer than when we first believed. On a personal note, I have felt that I was to go other places and minister. I am not one to promote myself and I simply ask if we have ministered to you over the years, that you prayerfully consider having us come. My calendar is open and I have a great deal of flexibility. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.
In his love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Lay Aside Every Weight
Dear friends,
I pray you are well and prospering in the Lord. We have begun a new year and as is customary many have made resolutions, some have broken them already, and there is still hope that things will be better this year. The gyms will be full until about March usually and it will be easier to find machines to work on. The traditional prophetic rhymes have been given concerning the New Year, "On earth as in heaven in 2011," etc. and we pray that it is so. I would like to share what I feel the Lord is speaking to me for this year. I hope this will be an encouragement to you.
Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrew 12:1b
Our church hosts a pastors' prayer meeting every Wednesday morning. After prayer we were talking and one of the brothers said something about casting off restraint, not in the negative sense but a positive. This resonated in my spirit and I began to think about it. I had been asking the Lord for a word concerning the New Year and I was convinced this was it. So, what does that mean for us? As I meditated and studied these are the thoughts I had concerning this word.
Hebrews 12:1 came to mind, especially the part about laying aside every weight. The amplified says it a little stronger, "Strip off and throw aside". The writer likens our life or course to a race and is saying to throw off anything that is holding you back. The word for weight in the Greek is the word ogkos which means a tumor, mass, impediment, magnitude, weight, burden. Let's look at some of the things that are holding God's people back.
1. The past.... Some people are held back by the past whether good or bad. Some long for the way it used to be. Some are loaded down with disappointments and wounds from their past. Listen to this oft quoted for the New Year verse. 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 Paul says he forgets those things behind (whether good or bad) and he reaches forward and presses toward. You cannot reach forward and press toward if you hold on to the past. You have to put the past behind you. If because of hurts wounds and disappointments you have developed wrong thinking pattern you must throw off the old and embrace God's truth. That is part of renewing the mind.
2. Fear..... Fear is the antithesis of faith. Fear and unbelief are like matching bookends. Hebrews says the children of Israel did not enter the land because of unbelief. Had they mixed the promise with faith they would have entered the land. They were afraid because they did not believe God. They were afraid of giants in the land. They were afraid of the walled cities. David boldly faced a real giant because he had faith in the Lord. Proverbs says the fear of man is a snare. You cannot run a race with a snare around your ankle. Fear will keep you from moving in the gifts. Fear will keep you from stepping forward. Fear will keep you from possessing what God has already said is yours.
3. False burdens-false responsibilities..... Some people are carrying things that are not theirs to carry. I see pastors that are so loaded with cares and responsibilities that they have forsaken what Jesus called the one thing necessary. We must learn to cast our cares upon the one who cares for us. Jesus said, I will build My church. The psalmist said,"Commit your ways to the Lord and He will bring it to pass." Cast off those burdens and take His yoke.
4. Infirmity.....I did not put this in my original message, but as I looked again at the definition of weight in the Greek word ogkos and saw the words tumor and mass, I thought about Christian brothers and sisters who are in a battle for life with cancer and other infirmities. This is indeed a weight that is holding them back. I think of Paul when the viper came out of the woodpile and attached itself to Paul's arm. Paul shook it off into the fire. I say in the spirit Shake it off! I certainly do not want to be presumptuous, but I believe many of these tumors are snake related. Paul's deliverance opened an awesome door for ministry.
5. Debt.... I really believe God wants His people unencumbered by debt. Owe no man anything, but love. The borrower is servant to the lender. Throw off the shackles of debt that you might be free to give, and free to go. I believe there will great grace to get out of debt for those who choose to do so.
The year 2011 will be and has already been an eventful year. There will be great tragedies accompanied by great opportunities and I believe it will be a great year of spiritual breakthrough. We must contend in prayer for our cities, and nations, for our families and for the church. It is a time to travel light and not let anything hold you back from the destiny the Father has set before you. If you don't know what is holding you back, ask the Father. He will show you and give you the grace to be free.
May 2011 be an awesome year for you truly ,and may the kingdom of heaven be revealed in greater manifestation in 2011.
Blessings,
Herb Dean
I pray you are well and prospering in the Lord. We have begun a new year and as is customary many have made resolutions, some have broken them already, and there is still hope that things will be better this year. The gyms will be full until about March usually and it will be easier to find machines to work on. The traditional prophetic rhymes have been given concerning the New Year, "On earth as in heaven in 2011," etc. and we pray that it is so. I would like to share what I feel the Lord is speaking to me for this year. I hope this will be an encouragement to you.
Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrew 12:1b
Our church hosts a pastors' prayer meeting every Wednesday morning. After prayer we were talking and one of the brothers said something about casting off restraint, not in the negative sense but a positive. This resonated in my spirit and I began to think about it. I had been asking the Lord for a word concerning the New Year and I was convinced this was it. So, what does that mean for us? As I meditated and studied these are the thoughts I had concerning this word.
Hebrews 12:1 came to mind, especially the part about laying aside every weight. The amplified says it a little stronger, "Strip off and throw aside". The writer likens our life or course to a race and is saying to throw off anything that is holding you back. The word for weight in the Greek is the word ogkos which means a tumor, mass, impediment, magnitude, weight, burden. Let's look at some of the things that are holding God's people back.
1. The past.... Some people are held back by the past whether good or bad. Some long for the way it used to be. Some are loaded down with disappointments and wounds from their past. Listen to this oft quoted for the New Year verse. 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 Paul says he forgets those things behind (whether good or bad) and he reaches forward and presses toward. You cannot reach forward and press toward if you hold on to the past. You have to put the past behind you. If because of hurts wounds and disappointments you have developed wrong thinking pattern you must throw off the old and embrace God's truth. That is part of renewing the mind.
2. Fear..... Fear is the antithesis of faith. Fear and unbelief are like matching bookends. Hebrews says the children of Israel did not enter the land because of unbelief. Had they mixed the promise with faith they would have entered the land. They were afraid because they did not believe God. They were afraid of giants in the land. They were afraid of the walled cities. David boldly faced a real giant because he had faith in the Lord. Proverbs says the fear of man is a snare. You cannot run a race with a snare around your ankle. Fear will keep you from moving in the gifts. Fear will keep you from stepping forward. Fear will keep you from possessing what God has already said is yours.
3. False burdens-false responsibilities..... Some people are carrying things that are not theirs to carry. I see pastors that are so loaded with cares and responsibilities that they have forsaken what Jesus called the one thing necessary. We must learn to cast our cares upon the one who cares for us. Jesus said, I will build My church. The psalmist said,"Commit your ways to the Lord and He will bring it to pass." Cast off those burdens and take His yoke.
4. Infirmity.....I did not put this in my original message, but as I looked again at the definition of weight in the Greek word ogkos and saw the words tumor and mass, I thought about Christian brothers and sisters who are in a battle for life with cancer and other infirmities. This is indeed a weight that is holding them back. I think of Paul when the viper came out of the woodpile and attached itself to Paul's arm. Paul shook it off into the fire. I say in the spirit Shake it off! I certainly do not want to be presumptuous, but I believe many of these tumors are snake related. Paul's deliverance opened an awesome door for ministry.
5. Debt.... I really believe God wants His people unencumbered by debt. Owe no man anything, but love. The borrower is servant to the lender. Throw off the shackles of debt that you might be free to give, and free to go. I believe there will great grace to get out of debt for those who choose to do so.
The year 2011 will be and has already been an eventful year. There will be great tragedies accompanied by great opportunities and I believe it will be a great year of spiritual breakthrough. We must contend in prayer for our cities, and nations, for our families and for the church. It is a time to travel light and not let anything hold you back from the destiny the Father has set before you. If you don't know what is holding you back, ask the Father. He will show you and give you the grace to be free.
May 2011 be an awesome year for you truly ,and may the kingdom of heaven be revealed in greater manifestation in 2011.
Blessings,
Herb Dean
Friday, December 24, 2010
A Prayer for You
Dear friends,
Another year is coming to an end. It has been a somewhat challenging year for many of us. There are many who are hurting and discouraged. Looking ahead to the new year there are so many negative possibilities that it is easy to get under the circumstances. The psalmist asked the question, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The next verse says,"The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven." God has not moved; He has not abdicated. He is not wringing His hands or fretting over the condition of our economy. He is perfectly secure in who He is. Yes, there is a great shaking going on and it appears the foundations of those things we have held fast are being shaken. Remember, we are citizens, not of this world, but of a kingdom which cannot be shaken. The King of this unshakeable kingdom has said that it is the Father's good pleasure to give us this kingdom. Be encouraged today, the Lord is on His throne and nothing escapes His notice. He loves you and His plans have not changed. He is not making it up as we go along. He knows the beginning and the end.
Do not give up! It is a time for war. The Kingdom is an ever advancing kingdom, but it does not advance without resistance. May your resolve be strengthened to push through, though the pressure may seem unrelenting at times. It is a kingdom that is worth everything. The most important thing you can do in preparing yourself for the battle is to spend time with the King. Refreshing comes from the presence of the King.
Know this, God loves you. There is nothing that can separate you from His love. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. You are not forsaken. The Lord is near.
I wanted to send out a Merry Christmas to you, but as I wrote I felt impressed to pray this prayer for you:
I pray that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. In the Name of Jesus.
Amen prayer taken from Ephesians 3:16-21
Thank you for your friendship. May you have a Christ-filled Christmas and may the ever advancing kingdom be revealed in you and in this earth as it is in heaven in the year of our Lord 2011.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Another year is coming to an end. It has been a somewhat challenging year for many of us. There are many who are hurting and discouraged. Looking ahead to the new year there are so many negative possibilities that it is easy to get under the circumstances. The psalmist asked the question, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The next verse says,"The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven." God has not moved; He has not abdicated. He is not wringing His hands or fretting over the condition of our economy. He is perfectly secure in who He is. Yes, there is a great shaking going on and it appears the foundations of those things we have held fast are being shaken. Remember, we are citizens, not of this world, but of a kingdom which cannot be shaken. The King of this unshakeable kingdom has said that it is the Father's good pleasure to give us this kingdom. Be encouraged today, the Lord is on His throne and nothing escapes His notice. He loves you and His plans have not changed. He is not making it up as we go along. He knows the beginning and the end.
Do not give up! It is a time for war. The Kingdom is an ever advancing kingdom, but it does not advance without resistance. May your resolve be strengthened to push through, though the pressure may seem unrelenting at times. It is a kingdom that is worth everything. The most important thing you can do in preparing yourself for the battle is to spend time with the King. Refreshing comes from the presence of the King.
Know this, God loves you. There is nothing that can separate you from His love. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. You are not forsaken. The Lord is near.
I wanted to send out a Merry Christmas to you, but as I wrote I felt impressed to pray this prayer for you:
I pray that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. In the Name of Jesus.
Amen prayer taken from Ephesians 3:16-21
Thank you for your friendship. May you have a Christ-filled Christmas and may the ever advancing kingdom be revealed in you and in this earth as it is in heaven in the year of our Lord 2011.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
From: rborvitae5@aol.comTo: rborvitae5@aol.comSent: 12/14/2010 11:49:56 A.M. Eastern Standard TimeSubj: Kingdom Keys: Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Dear friends,
I pray that things are well with you. In years past I have written some thoughts concerning Christ's birth and today I'd like to remind you of some things that I believe will encourage you.
Years ago as I heard the Christmas story being read, the Lord dropped something my spirit. In the part in Luke 2 where it speaks of the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night and then the glory of the Lord shown round about them. The Lord spoke these words in my spirit,"The shepherds who are faithful in the darkness of night are the ones to whom I will reveal My glory." Be encouraged you faithful shepherds. I hear the words from Isaiah 60. "Arise shine for the light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you, for out of deep darkness there has shone a great light." God is faithful; don't give up.
God gave me a revelation of His sovereignty one Christmas as I pondered the Christmas story. I thought about a very much pregnant woman and her espoused husband making a seventy mile journey on foot to be counted for the purpose of taxation. God used a tax notice and a pagan emperor to position Joseph and Mary for the fulfillment of prophecy.He used external circumstances to position them for blessing. He used a pagan emperor to have the Bread of Life born in the "house of bread as prophesied." It may well be that the difficult circumstances you find yourselves in are positioning you for blessing. God is able to bring redemption out of everything that comes in our lives.
A couple of years ago, I did a study on the wise men. It was very revealing. God revealed Himself to these men in powerful ways. I am sure that you have probably seen the statement on church signs,"wise men still seek Him." It was true then and true now. As I thought about writing this morning, this verse came to mind,"And I will be found by you when you search for Me with all your heart."
I pray that during this season with all hustle and bustle, that you will make time to worship Him. I know some believe that the Christmas celebration has pagan roots. I respect that, but every day is His day and I choose to celebrate the fact that God so loved the the world that He gave His only begotten Son. He may not have come on December 25th, but praise God! He came. Joy to the world! the Lord is come.
I hope these little reminders were an encouragement to you. I pray that you will receive a greater and greater revelation ofm who Christ is to you, in you, and His life through you. May you have a wonderful season of celebration and a new year of hope, expectation, and prosperity; body, soul, and spirit.
In His love,
Herb Dean
Dear friends,
I pray that things are well with you. In years past I have written some thoughts concerning Christ's birth and today I'd like to remind you of some things that I believe will encourage you.
Years ago as I heard the Christmas story being read, the Lord dropped something my spirit. In the part in Luke 2 where it speaks of the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night and then the glory of the Lord shown round about them. The Lord spoke these words in my spirit,"The shepherds who are faithful in the darkness of night are the ones to whom I will reveal My glory." Be encouraged you faithful shepherds. I hear the words from Isaiah 60. "Arise shine for the light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you, for out of deep darkness there has shone a great light." God is faithful; don't give up.
God gave me a revelation of His sovereignty one Christmas as I pondered the Christmas story. I thought about a very much pregnant woman and her espoused husband making a seventy mile journey on foot to be counted for the purpose of taxation. God used a tax notice and a pagan emperor to position Joseph and Mary for the fulfillment of prophecy.He used external circumstances to position them for blessing. He used a pagan emperor to have the Bread of Life born in the "house of bread as prophesied." It may well be that the difficult circumstances you find yourselves in are positioning you for blessing. God is able to bring redemption out of everything that comes in our lives.
A couple of years ago, I did a study on the wise men. It was very revealing. God revealed Himself to these men in powerful ways. I am sure that you have probably seen the statement on church signs,"wise men still seek Him." It was true then and true now. As I thought about writing this morning, this verse came to mind,"And I will be found by you when you search for Me with all your heart."
I pray that during this season with all hustle and bustle, that you will make time to worship Him. I know some believe that the Christmas celebration has pagan roots. I respect that, but every day is His day and I choose to celebrate the fact that God so loved the the world that He gave His only begotten Son. He may not have come on December 25th, but praise God! He came. Joy to the world! the Lord is come.
I hope these little reminders were an encouragement to you. I pray that you will receive a greater and greater revelation ofm who Christ is to you, in you, and His life through you. May you have a wonderful season of celebration and a new year of hope, expectation, and prosperity; body, soul, and spirit.
In His love,
Herb Dean
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