Meditations by John Dean

Yes Sir

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:49:00 +0000

(Job 36:11-12 KJV) If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

Over the years, the subject of “obeying” has fallen significantly in the ranking of important lessons to teach our children. We have also been told that there are no “absolutes” in life...which would imply that there are no guidelines for our children to follow either.

As a result of not having boundaries (or banks to their river), children soon learn to debate their parents on every direction given to them. Eventually that child learns to question all authority.

While sitting in an airport today I noticed a child fighting their parent regarding everything the parent told the child to do. I watched the parent surrender to the child every time after the child threw a “fit.”

For all practical purposes that child had an absentee parent, even though they were there together. The results of such parenting (or lack thereof), will ultimately cause anger, fear and insecurity to take control of that child.

This may sound a little old fashioned, but I believe the term “Yes sir” is as relevant today to teach a child as it was when I was growing up. If one cannot learn to say “Yes sir” or “Yes ma’am” to a parent, they will never learn to say it to God either.

A few days ago, my wife was going to drive an hour away from our home to see our six year old great-niece in her dance recital. My plan was to stay home and rest, because I had just gotten home from Hungary and the Ukraine where I had been ministering for a week...and I was very tired.

As I was leaning back in my chair looking forward to a time of rest I heard the Lord clearly speak to me, “Go to the dance recital.” Because I always try to make a habit of saying “Yes sir” to everything I think I hear God say, I told my wife that I would go with her.

I could not even imagine how uncomfortable I was going to be sitting in a tight-seated school auditorium for an hour and a half surrounded by hundreds of gloating parents and grandparents.

The kids in this dance recital ranged from age three to age twelve. As soon as the curtain was raised I knew immediately why the Lord wanted me to come. Standing there in the middle of this very large stage stood a few tiny little “three year old angels” in their colorful little dance dresses. No longer was my mind thinking about my tired body. It was focused on the special “gift of joy” the Lord had given me that could only be found standing in the middle of the stage.

I was even more overjoyed when my little six year old great-niece came out with her group. I could not take my eyes off her. She was absolutely beautiful and I am quite sure that all of the other hundreds of parents and grandparents could not take their eyes off her either. Her moves were as soft and delicate as that of a butterfly.

While driving back home that day I realized the Lord had just given me a gift to rest my spirit while teaching me that perhaps we take ourselves far too serious. He took the delicate things of life (these sweet little girls) to bring a perspective to the strong things in life.

The question is, “Could I have learned this lesson if I had not first been taught to say ‘Yes sir’ while I was growing up?” I also wonder how many opportunities and blessings I may have missed by not saying “Yes sir” at other times. Perhaps the only real faith is blind obedience. Think about it.

Father,

We DO desire to be obedient to You by saying “Yes sir” and not debate with You or question Your perfect wisdom.

Amen

Classes of People

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

(Psalms 119:78 KJV) Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

False pride produces a look of personal ‘god-ship’ which is extremely distasteful. I believe it was the same look that was on Satan’s face when he attempted to promote himself to be equal with God. One would be naïve to believe that somehow Satan’s look of pride vanished somewhere along the way when mankind seems to have inherited every other personality trait of his.

Satan’s ‘proud look’ is easily identified on the faces of the powerful who look down on those they consider to be inferior to themselves. What is even more appalling is when those who were once looked down on now turn and look down on others with the same ‘proud look’.

For some reason the spirit of pride seems to be the nastiest of all of Satan’s personality traits. The result of the ‘proud look’ actually demoralizes others while establishing a class difference at the same time.

This was certainly the case according to what I learned while visiting one of the large beautiful estates in England a few days ago. This large breathtaking home that was built in 1704 once employed twenty-six maids plus numerous gardeners, grounds keepers, stable boys and horse trainers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

This particular home had a tunnel running from the house to the garden area behind a fence so the maids would not be seen going to the garden to get fresh vegetables for the family. As a matter of fact, if a maid was seen on the grounds by a family member or guest she would be immediately dismissed.

Another rule was if a member of the family or a guest came into a room where a maid was cleaning, the maid was to immediately turn and face the wall and stand still until the family member or guest left the room.

The upper class was expected to have a ‘proud look’ and apparently they were more than willing to carry out this assignment. Since there was no middle class in those days—but only the upper and lower classes—the difference between the two was huge.

It has been a long time since the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and even though a middle class of people has been added…the ‘proud look’ still remains. It is not difficult to see a class difference even among those who are supposed to be of the same class. Having more money, power or education does not necessarily mean a class promotion. I think it is interesting that to further separate ourselves from one another we have even divided the middle class into two groups. We now have the upper middle class and the lower middle class. Wow, what will pride think of next?

I have spent a lifetime studying people and I have come to the conclusion that pride will probably be the last enemy to be defeated. My point in saying this is that all of us should make a practice of taking the lower road, even though the higher road may seem like a more desirable path.

Father,

It was You who made man in Your own image. Lord help us to understand that by judging Your image (our fellowman), we are in fact judging You. Help us to see that our brothers and sisters are fearfully and wonderfully made in Your precious image regardless of what they may or may not have.

Amen

Biscuits,Gravy & Deer Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:33:00 +0000

(1 Corinthians 13:3 KJV) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Some things seem to be more difficult to explain than other things. This scripture happens to be one of those things that takes some doing to explain. For example, what would motivate one to give all they had to feed the poor, and then offer their body to be burned―if love was not the motivating force?

I can understand why one would give out of their abundance if they were going to receive personal glory for it like the Pharisees did. However, it is difficult for me to understand why a person would give all they had to the poor and become poor themselves without a God-kind of love. Since mankind is basically selfish and self-centered, then how can one actually do what this scripture suggests without love?

Perhaps Paul’s extreme example had nothing to do with what we give, but with who we are. Love is a heart issue and giving is the outworking of that love. This scripture indicates that when one gives out of love they will profit from their benevolence. However, when one is truly giving out of love, they do not think about what they will receive in return, even though the law of God says that they will receive a benefit.

Several years ago my wife and I owned a ranch in South Texas. We would usually go to the ranch and spend a day or so two or three times a month and check on the cattle. Our ranch house was back off the road and set behind a little hill which we loved because it made it very private.

Whenever we were at the ranch on Saturday mornings our tradition was to have biscuits, gravy and deer sausage for breakfast. I realize that for all the dieters and weight watchers that would not have been considered a healthy breakfast, but for the rest of us it was a grand slam.

We had a friend who owned a ranch a couple of miles away. Every time we were at our ranch on a Saturday morning he would always show up for breakfast. He would walk in our front door and say the same thing every time. He would say “Oh, I did not know you were having breakfast.” I would always respond, “Come on in and have breakfast with us.” His response was always, “You should not be eating that kind of food because it is not healthy for you.”

As we were going through our little routine he would be pulling out the chair and setting down at the breakfast table. Without any further ado he would start grabbing the biscuits, gravy and deer sausage and filling his plate.

After breakfast as we were getting up from the table he would always grab the last biscuit and start sopping the remaining gravy out of the bowl before leaving and going back home

As I look back I think I learned something from my friend while he was scarfing down my biscuits, gravy and deer sausage. I learned that giving him my breakfast “profiteth me nothing” because it was not done out of love...he just showed up.

Perhaps this scripture is not as hard to explain as I first thought.

Father,

Help us not to be bound by trivial things that can only feed our bodies when a deeper opportunity is at hand to satisfy our spirit. Thank you for these little reminders of our value system. Help us Lord!

Amen

A Fetching Cat

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:47:00 +0000

(Proverbs 22:6 KJV) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

This scripture does not suggest that we train our children up in the way they should go…it instructs us to train them up in the way they should go. It also does not suggestthat our children may not depart from their training when they are old...it emphatically says they would not depart from their training when they are old.

Over the years I have watched many things vanish that my generation thought were of great value. Among those things were “respect” and “honor.” For all practical purposes it appears that “respect” and “honor” has gone the way of the dinosaur, or at least it is at an all-time low.

There was a time when parents not only believed every word of our text, but they followed it to the letter of the law because they knew what the outcome would be. That being the case, one would have to conclude that the problem with the lack of “honor” and “respect” today is not the result of wayward children, it is the result of wayward parents.

The question is, “When did this begin?” I think I know when this problem surfaced, but I am not sure when this problem actually began. The independent, rebellious, no respect plague that surfaced back in the 60s apparently was the result of the previous generation. This plague was then spread by the lawless, drug infested, free sex, flower child generation of the 60s that was up for the job. This generation has also been accused of starting this spiraling decline of morals and disrespect, but I am not sure they did…they just spread it. However, in spite of what we may think of the 60s generation, it seems that many of them actually turned out fine and are wonderful citizens today.

The problem is not what the 60s crowd actually did at the time. It is more about what they have produced. The generation they produced seems to be hopelessly dishonoring and disrespectful to everyone and everything. The reason for that…the 60s crowd was so free spirited themselves that they failed to teach the principle found in our text to their own children. No child is born with the wisdom of how to do things right…they have to be taught.

Recently, while I was in England I stayed with a couple that had a gray Burmese cat. The cat’s name was Solomon and the owners trained this cat to play fetch like a dog! They would wad a piece of paper into a ball and throw it, and the cat would run, fetch it, and bring it back and drop it at their feet so they could throw it again. They even taught this cat to run up the stairs and get the ball of paper and bring it to the edge of the stairs and drop it on the floor, then push it down the stairs with its foot.

My intention is not to minimize the seriousness of the first part of this Meditation by telling a cat story. Nor am I trying to compare cats to children, I am simply wanting to compare training to no training. The point I am trying to make is this; if one can train a cat to fetch a paper ball then surely we do not actually believe that our children can learn without some measure of training. We may not train them to fetch a paper ball, but we must train them to honor and respect others…by doing so we can be assured of the results.

Father,

Help us to “train up our children in the way they should go: so when they are old, they will not depart from it.”

Amen

Living Above the Snake Line

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:51:00 +0000

(Act 28:3 KJV) And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid themon the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

This scripture is not meant to just fill a page in the Bible, it is meant to show us a very important principle.

Just because Paul was spiritually sensitive in some areas of his life that did not mean that he was spiritually sensitive in all areas of his life. As we see in our text, when he picked up a bundle of sticks to put on the fire, he was totally unaware of the snake that was hiding in that bundle of sticks. He only became aware of the snake when the heat of the fire stirred up the snake and it bit him on the hand. This shows us that he was not necessarily sensitive to everything that was dangerous.

The second part of the principle is this...just because Paul was not sensitive to the danger of the snake that did not mean that he did not live in a state of anointing. This was proven when the snake bit him and yet it did him no harm. It was the anointing on Paul that made the difference. This proves that one’s anointing is not the same thing as one’s sensitivity.

Once while in Colorado Springs I rode the cogwheel train up to Pikes Peak. As we chugged along, the temperature began to change and the trees began getting shorter. The conductor came over the loud speaker and said, “Folks, we are now above the snake line.” In other words snakes did not live at that altitude…they like warmer climate.

Over the years I have thought about the comment the cogwheel conductor made and I have come to the conclusion that there is a spiritual principle in his statement. And that is, each of us can live in a spiritual place in God that is also above the spiritual snake line.

Jesus lived above the spiritual snake line and therefore no harm could come to Him. When there were those who wanted to harm Him, He passed through the crowd unnoticed. When the storms came up on the sea he walked on the water. When there was a need for tax money He told Peter that he could find the money in the fish’s mouth. Even when the soldiers came to capture Him and to ultimately crucify Him, they could do nothing until He chose to yield Himself to them.

Could all of this mean that we have spent most of our lives living below the snake line, when in fact we could have been living above the snake line? If that is the case then I have decided that I am going back and learn from my cogwheel experience and reevaluate where I have been spending most of my time. I suggest that all of us stop and ponder this possibility and then go up our spiritual mountain.

Father,

Help us to enjoy all of the benefits of our salvation. Teach us how to live—like Jesus did—in that heavenly place as an overcomer while here on earth. Help us to understand that there really is a spiritual place called “living above the snake line.”

Amen

What Is In a Name

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:45:00 +0000

(Isaiah 9:6 KJV) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Names are so powerful and are often descriptive of the personality of the one to whom they belong. One’s name seems to be more than just a way of introduction. Their name is often a way of telling a short story about that person. As a matter of fact, without realizing it, when one hears the name of a person, a picture of that person automatically begins to form in their mind.

Sometimes hearing a person’s name will bring joy. At other times that name could bring fear. For example...the name Billy Graham paints one picture in our mind, but the name Charles Manson paints a different picture in our mind. The reason these names paint different pictures is because we know the personality behind them. However, even if one did not know the personality behind a name, a picture would still begin to form when hearing it.

For example, what picture would begin forming in your mind if you heard the name Bob, Betty, Shirley or John? Think about these names and say each of them very slowly and allow a picture to begin forming in your mind. When you do this exercise you will find the outcome to be very interesting.

All of the names in our text are certainly important, but the name that seems to warm my heart the most is the name “Prince of Peace.” When I hear that name something begins to happen on the inside of me.

There is another name that causes something to happen on the inside of me as well. That name is “Daddy.” When one of my three daughters calls me “Daddy,” I not only feel warm on the inside, but for some reason the cares of the day seem to vanish a bit. “Daddy” has to be one of the most enduring tender names in the entire world...particularly when it is spoken by one’s daughter.

My son likes to call me “Dad” and that causes a different feeling and reaction. When I hear him say “Dad” I feel strong and capable of leaping over tall building in a single bound, just like Superman.

In other words, when my daughter calls me “Daddy” I am ready to surrender all, but when my son calls me ”Dad” I am ready to conquer all.

The wonderful names noted in our text mean: our Miracle Worker, our Counselor and our Champion—makes us feel secure with the knowledge that everything is going to be alright.

I am not sure why, but over the years I find myself having a higher expectation of people with certain names. There is probably no scientific or spiritual basis for such an expectation, but I seem to do it anyway. As far as I know I am not intentionally judging people by their name.

Among the many names that I have a high expectation of is the name John, which is my name. However, I do not think that my expectation comes as a result of John being my name, but because it seems to be a name that one should expect more from. My expectation for a person seems to vary a little depending on their name.

I encourage everyone who studies the Bible to also study the meaning of the names they read in the Bible because there is a message in each one of them. I think it is also interesting that God told several parents in the Bible what to name their children because their names are very important.

Father,

Thank you for teaching us how important our names are and how important it is to give our children names with significant meaning. Lord I thank You for your love, and that you know each of us by name.

Amen

Weight or Illumination

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:37:00 +0000

(Matthew 11:28-30 KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I love this scripture because it has the feeling of a father taking a child in his arms and cuddling that child. It develops a security in one that says that everything is going to be alright.

I suppose at one time or another everyone has felt that their particular yoke or burden is a bit heavier that the next person. However, when we look real close, we see clearly that there are many who bear a heavier burden in life than we do. That does not mean that our particular burden is not heavy, but it does mean that the Lord wants to lighten our load by offering His yoke to us.

There are many aspects of our text that catch my attention, but there is one particular aspect that really catches my attention. When the Lord said, “...My yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” my mind immediately focused on the word “light.” I believe the word “light” could have two meanings. It can mean light as in weight or it can mean light as in illumination.

I believe it refers to both weight and illumination. It refers to weight because Jesus is sharing the load with us, and that makes our load lighter. It also refers to illumination because according to John 1:4 and following, Jesus is the Light. The weight interpretation speaks of the natural, whereas the illumination interpretation speaks of the spiritual.

It is important for us to understand that there is a big difference between a real burden and a perceived burden. Many people today believe they are carrying a burden when in fact they only have a discomfort. For example, a real burden is a single mom trying to raise her children with no money. A real burden could even be an elderly person who has lost their home and has no place to live.

Growing up on the farm in East Texas in the late 40’s, I perceived many things as burdens when in fact they were not. I perceived that working hard in the heat all day long was a burden, but it was only a discomfort.

Looking back at living in houses with no air conditioning may cause one to think they were really carrying a burden. However, that was not the case at all because that was just a way of life in those days and no one knew any different. All the houses were built with a lot of large windows with screens for ventilation. The windows were for letting the air in and the screens were to keep the bugs out.

I remember after a long hard day of work on the farm I would come in and eat supper and go to bed. There was nothing quite like being all sprawled out on my bed at night, waiting for a breeze to come in through my open window.

As I look back at my situation of working hard all day in the heat and waiting for a little breeze to come in through the window at night...it was really not a burden...it was only perceived as a burden. The point is, regardless if one’s burden is real or perceived; the Lord wants to make our load lighter in weight as well as lighter in illumination.

Father,

Thank you for the revelation of this scripture as well as Your desire to comfort each of us regardless of the severity of our need. Help us Lord to be to others as You have always been to us. Our desire is to make the yoke of others lighter both in weight and in illumination of Your great love.

Amen

My Longest Golf Shot

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:02:00 +0000

(Philippians 4:13 KJV) I can do all things through Christ which

strengtheneth me.

Our text has to be one of the strongest statements one can possibly make. The thought of one being able to do all things through Christ certainly leaves no room for doubting or feeling incapable. Any doubt that may occur is strictly self-promoted, which leaves Christ’s ability in us completely out of the equation.

Those who have a measure of understanding of our text and practice it daily seem to live a much happier and healthier life. Those who do not have an understanding of our text and do not practice it daily seem to always be in need and live a less healthy and happy life.

I suppose it is the “all things” in our text that occasionally boggles my mind when I think of all the possibilities I have in Christ. However, I must admit I do tend to wrestle with this issue at times, wondering if selfishness is ever a driving force behind such freedom.

The reason I say that is because one time when I was in Colorado I drove to the top of a well known mountain and did something completely unplanned. As soon as I got to the top of the mountain, I parked my car, opened the trunk and grabbed a golf club and ball…I set the ball on a tee and hit it as hard as I could. Because of the thin air…as far as I know the golf ball could still be going.

Even though I have played golf for years, I have never been able to hit the ball long. However, when I hit the ball that day it seemed to go so far that it just faded out of sight without me seeing where it hit the ground. When I finished hitting the ball that day I proudly put my golf club back in the trunk of my car and drove back down the mountain. I wonder if this was one of those selfish things in the “all things” that had nothing to do with God, but had everything to do with me?

I have thought about that golf shot many times over the years and have come to a conclusion. The reason the golf shot was so successful was because I was high enough to take some of the natural pull of gravity out of the equation.

The spiritual lesson is...if we want to make the best of our walk with the Lord then we also need to get higher in Him. This will eliminate much of the gravity of the world and we will reach our top potential. I believe this is the “all things” spoken of in our text.

Father,

It is our desire to not only reach the mountain top, but also to walk in that place where the gravity of the world does not draw us. Help us Lord to be an “all things” person.

Amen

Locked in a Season

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:43:00 +0000

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 KJV) For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; ...

Because life is made up of consecutive seasons, most folks have at least a surface understanding of what this scripture means. A season is a short period of time in one’s life that will eventually end and become only a memory. It is not uncommon for one to look back on a special season of their life and wish they could relive it. Then there are other folks who would not want to go back and relive a minute of any of their past seasons.

Each season is important because it has the necessary lessons to prepare us for the challenges of our upcoming season. Because some lessons are harder to learn than others, it is always a blessing if the season is short so we can learn that lesson and move on.

When we are locked into a season and cannot move, it means that our mental growth is stunted in some way.

Sometimes it is easy to tell when a person is locked in a past season. When an older woman still wears her hair the same way she did in her glory days in school, it is because she cannot grow out of that season. When an older man still dresses the same way he did when he was in his glory days in school, it is because he is also incapable of growing out of that season.

What I seem to notice more than anything else these days is when a parent refuses to allow their children to grow out of their baby season. It is natural for every loving parent to remember each detail of the first years of their babies. However, when a parent refuses to leave the baby season and move on, then they could possibly rob that child of the nurturing that is needed for its further development.

Over the years I have observed several parents who did not seem capable of turning loose of their child’s baby season, even when the child was grown. This type of behavior seems to be more prevalent with mothers than with fathers. However, I have also seen fathers with the same behavior.

I knew a father who would hold his grown child in his lap at night and rock him back and forth as if he was a baby. Neither the father nor the son seemed to be embarrassed, even though the son was almost as big as the father.

The fact is, our past seasons must die and take their place as a treasure in our memory bank so we can embrace the upcoming season. Holding a grown son may have brought some sort of pleasure to this father, but it does nothing for building the maturity that is needed as the son moves on in life.

I suppose my own experience would be the opposite of the story I just told since I do not recall ever being held or affirmed. Neither of these extreme are preferred. However, I believe my experience prepared me more for the challenges of life for which I am eternally thankful.

Father,

Help us to embrace the times and seasons with great expectation so that each will produce its own benefits. Our desire is to mature and gain wisdom with each day in each season. Lord, help us not to get stuck in a time period because we feel that we will lose something by moving on.

Amen

Honor/Respect

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:11:00 +0000

(Pro 29:23 ASV) A man's pride shall bring him low; But he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honor.

I have honored a lot of people over the years; however I am not sure that I actually thought about why. It seemed to be the right thing to do at the time...so I did it. I do believe it is more important for one to honor others because it is the right thing to do, rather than needing to have a good reason for doing it.

As I began to wonder why I honor people, I suppose the reasons fell into one of the following three categories;

Perhaps we honor someone because of their position; such as president, mayor, or doctor. Another reason for honoring someone could be because of their good character. Yet another reason for giving honor may be because of a person’s age.

It is obvious that the above people should be given honor, but what about the quiet hard working person that is rarely noticed? Even if one is not an important city official, or their character is not obvious, or they are not aged and have silver hair—should they be overlooked? Should we honor a person because it is the right thing to do or should they have to earn it in some special way?

According to the “b” part of our text...perhaps that person should receive the highest honor of all. As a matter of fact, maybe we should reevaluate our entire honor system and broaden it to start off with those in the “b” part of our text.

You might find the following story a bit hard to relate to with a subject as important as honor, but because it paints a picture to me personally, I will use it.

A few years ago I went deer hunting at my brother-in-law’s ranch. I got up early in the morning and had only walked about a hundred yards from the ranch house when I spotted an antlerless buck, so I shot him. Within minutes I saw a spike buck (a buck with only one horn sticking up on either side of his head), so I shot him. I immediately looked down over a cleft and at the bottom stood a beautiful eight point buck so I shot him.

I walked back to the ranch house, got in the jeep and drove around and picked up all three deer. When I got back to the ranch house I laid them out on the ground side by side.

While looking at the three deer on the ground, I began thinking about our text. It was obvious to me who deserved the greatest honor of the three deer…the beautiful eight point buck. The spike and the antlerless buck did not deserve any honor at all…they were only meat.

Perhaps that is the way an ordinary hard working man feels when he is seen by others in the way that I looked at the spike and antlerless buck…nothing more than just meat.

In the eyes of many, the hard working sheep herder, Moses, had done nothing worthy of honor. However, because of the way that God saw Moses, he would go down in history as an example to all humble men who draw no attention to themselves. That being the case, then maybe there is a slight difference between those who deserve our respect and those who deserve our honor.

Father,

We desire to respect and show honor to those deserving of it. Help us to especially recognize the hard working Moses type, who does nothing to draw attention to themselves, but deserve both our honor and respect none the less.

Amen

Imagined Truth

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:03:00 +0000

I am amazed how things are not always as they appear. Even though the servant of Elisha had great natural vision, he seemed to be lacking in spiritual vision. Elisha on the other hand had great spiritual vision and therefore he was not moved by the negative things that are often seen through natural eyes.

The army that the servant saw with his natural eyes was no doubt real and apparently he thought it had the ability to capture them. As a result of what he saw with his natural eyes…fear gripped his heart and seemed to paralyze him from any hope of escaping. Consequently, he was already captured because he surrendered in his heart to the enemy, without even putting up a fight.

As a result of Elisha’s spiritual vision he saw this whole thing differently. Therefore he prayed a simple prayer for his servant...that his eyes would be opened, “Lord open his eyes that he may see.” Once the servant’s spiritual eyes were opened, he saw clearly that the spiritual army of God surrounding them was greater than the natural army he feared.

The question is…are things always as they appear to be? I do not think so.

I was once invited by a friend to go frog gigging one night in East Texas. His land had an old marshy pond on it that was filled with large frogs. I was unfamiliar with this large marshy pond, but I was excited to go on this little adventure. Plus I enjoyed eating frog legs.

As soon as we arrived on his farm that night we grabbed our frog gigging poles, adjusted our head lights on our heads, got in the boat and off we went around the pond. We were having the time of our lives spotting frogs with our head lights and gigging them.

A frog gig is a long pole with a clamping device on one end so one could reach out and clamp the frog and bring him back into the boat. When a frog has the light in his eyes he cannot see you, so he is easily gigged. One could tell how big the frog was by how far apart his eyes were. The eyes of the frogs we were after were about two inches apart.

After about an hour of frog gigging, we rounded a corner of the marsh and I spotlighted a pair of eyes that were about ten inches apart. I thought, My goodness. What in the world is that? Is it a monster from the black lagoon, is it Bigfoot, is it the frog god that has come to avenge this boat load of innocent frogs or maybe it is the Loch Ness Monster right here in East Texas.

As we slowly eased up a little closer, we saw that our monster was only a horse standing in the middle of the pond.

The point is...things are not always as they appear to be. In both cases; that of my friend and me, as well as that of the servant of Elisha—what we thought we saw was incomplete and therefore our brains registered “imagined truth” rather than “real truth.”

Father,

Help us to always see through faith-filled eyes with pure sight like Elisha did. Help us Lord to mature from always seeing through the natural eyes like the servant did. We don’t want a mixture of partial truth and imagination.

Amen

She Knew My Voice

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:20:00 +0000

(1Samuel 26:17 KJV) And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

Even though Saul intended to kill David, his anger seemed to diminish when he actually heard David’s voice. There is something about one’s voice that can either provoke another to anger or disarm them. As a result of David speaking to Saul with love and respect, Saul’s anger lost the fuel it needed to keep it burning.

When hearing someone’s voice, a picture begins to form in the listener’s mind; a picture of the history of the one speaking, as well as what they are presently wanting. This picture is formed subconsciously by the brain.

Without realizing it, one’s mind associates sounds and pictures together. For example, a mother may hear the cry of her child and sense what her child needs, even though the child may be in another room with many other children.

When my wife was pregnant with my youngest daughter and the baby would start kicking I would lay my hands on my wife’s stomach and speak to the baby. I would say, “Now, now...let’s be still,” or “Let’s be at peace.” As a result, my unborn daughter learned my voice and she would stop kicking.

When our baby was born, after the nurse wrapped her in a little blanket she was screaming at the top of her voice. I said to the nurse, “Let me have her.” As soon as I took my daughter and said to her, “Now, now...let’s be at peace,” she immediately stopped crying because she recognized my voice.

Even when we were in church and our baby daughter would start crying—as soon as she heard my voice she would stop crying. The sound of my voice seemed to have a supernatural calming effect on her, even to this day. Through the years my daughter has not only remained extremely sensitive to my voice, but she is also extremely sensitive to the Lord’s voice as well.

There is a communication in one’s voice that goes beyond the actual sound of it. David seemed to communicate to Saul on two levels. His words spoke something to Saul’s reasoning ability, but the sound of David’s voice also communicated something to Saul’s spirit.

We see this duality of communication all the time without realizing what is actually going on. There is an old saying, “I heard what you said, but that is not what you meant.” In this case, what one did not say is louder than what they did say.

Father,

Our desire is to walk and communicate with You in such a way that our outward (or vocal) communication matches our inward communication. We want to immediately recognize Your voice in order that we may communicate to others by the same pure spirit.

Amen

Run to Win

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:04:00 +0000

(1Corinthians 9:24 KJV) Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

In my early Christian life I did not understand the true meaning of this verse.

I was apparently confused because I was under the impression that a

Christian was supposed to defer to his fellow man in all things. After all,

Matthew 5:41in the ASV says, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go

one mile, go with him two.” I did everything I could to fulfill this verse

according to my understanding.

I thought for one not to be generous in this regard was revealing of his selfish

heart and soulish nature and I did not want to be like that. On the other hand,

I thought that by deferring to one’s fellow man in all things, this was a sure

sign of holiness…and I did want to be like that!

Looking back, I am not sure where I got such a ridiculous understanding of these very freeing scriptures…probably out of my own imagination.

There is nothing wrong with deferring to one’s fellow man, as long as it is kept in the context of the Scripture. In my case I was aiming for holiness, but I was hitting self-righteousness.

Everyone should try to be righteous in character but it helps to understand what that really means.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”In other words, if you do not intend to win the race, then you should never enter the race.

I am still somewhat embarrassed by the story that I am about to tell, but perhaps by telling it someone else may be set free.

When I was a young teenager I was on the tract team of our little country school. I loved to run as most country boys do, and I was reasonably fast.

One day the coach loaded all of the track team boys into our old raggedy worn out yellow school bus and headed for a track meet at a nearby school. Soon after we arrived, my team was on the field ready to win the relay race with the fastest country boys around. My role was to pass the baton off to the boy who would bring it in and win the race.

We started the race and when I got the baton I was running ahead of my opponent but I looked back to see where he was and saw that he was struggling to run. Without even thinking my compassion got the best of me and I instinctively slowed down and moved over so he could pass. By the time I realized what I had done it was too late and we lost the race.

As a result of being distracted for one split second by getting my eyes off the goal I caused my entire team to suffer defeat. Compassion is certainly an admirable quality but in my case the prize was not worth the price. My team had to pay the full price for my misplaced compassion.

I learned a lesson that day that has served me well for all the years. I learned that every decision one makes either has a direct or indirect effect on others. No one is an island unto themselves.

Father,

Help us to enter and win the races that count in this life. We desire to defer to our fellow man, but not at the cost of others having to pay our price. We want to be balanced in our thinking and generosity.

Amen

Rodeo Clown

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:37:00 +0000

(1John 3:16 KJV) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down

his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Every time I read this scripture something happens on the inside of me that I cannot explain. Perhaps it is because it is impossible for the natural mind to understand this kind of love. For example, we may know that the Lord loves us but we do not understand why.

It is more natural for us to associate being loved as a response to something good we did, rather than getting it for free. Our conscience is appeased when we feel that we earned it and therefore we have a right to it. We simply do not know how to act concerning the love in our text.

I have come to the conclusion that there are different levels of love and there may be little or no association between each of them. There is a neighborly kind of love, but you may not want your neighbor to borrow your car. There is a sibling kind of love, but there could be a little jealously or competitiveness between you that could alter things. Then there is the instinctive protective kind of love that is in our text.

This kind of love is impossible to explain because it is instinctive. However, not everything that is instinctive is love, but that which is, is a mystery.

I got up yesterday morning and put on my hat, boots and jeans and headed out to our annual livestock and rodeo show. This show was billed as the biggest bull riding contest ever, with a purse of $100,000 for the winner. As a matter of fact it was billed as “Extreme Bull Riding.”

Bull riders are usually young men of smaller stature, but with more courage per square inch than those in most any other sport. I sat there all afternoon and watched these young men being thrown all over the place like rag dolls as they tried to stay on their bull for eight l-o-n-g seconds.

After a while I began noticing one particular clown that was incredible. An angry bull had just thrown its rider off and it wheeled around to charge the rider on the ground...who was only about three feet away. This one particular clown instinctively dove on top of the fallen bull rider in order to protect him from this angry sixteen hundred pound charging bull. At the same time another clown was in the face of the bull—which distracted the bull to focus on him. All of this took place in less than a second because it was all instinctive.

I sat there the rest of the afternoon and watched this particular clown repeat this same act of bravery on multiple occasions. I came to the conclusion that it takes a lot more courage to be this kind of a clown than it does to be the bull rider. It would be impossible for this clown to do what he did if it were not for his instinctiveness.

While watching the clown I began to understand our text a little deeper and the God level of love that is instinctive as communicated to us in our text.

Father,

Increase our God instincts and make us more like You in word, thought and deed. Help up not to yield to our natural instincts of selfishness and self-preservation, but to yield only to the deeper instincts of Your character.

Amen

Dump People

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:48:00 +0000

(James 2:1-4 ASV) My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus

Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come into

your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there

come in also a poor man in vile clothing; and ye have regard to him that

weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye

say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool; Do

ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil

thoughts?

I have noticed over the years that mankind seems to have a natural inclination

to categorize people and treat each group differently. If one appears to be

less educated, have less money or have less influence or even dresses poorly

they are somehow considered to be less of a person.

By stretching my imagination I suppose I can understand how a worldly

minded thinker can rationalize such a judgmental appraisal of others. After all,

the basis for such thinking is selfishness, which always causes one to look

for an opportunity to climb the ladder higher than the other person—in order

to appear to be more important. We see the pattern for such behavior in the

Bible when Lucifer as an archangel wanted to exalt himself to be equal

with God.

Even though mankind has been practicing this sin from the beginning of time,

I am appalled that it has infiltrated the church in the depth that it has. There

are thousands of people who feel ostracized by the church because they are

poor or do not measure up in a way that they feel comfortable in attending

church.

Most church leaders and parishioners have an idea as to how one should

look and act if they are to attend their services. If an attendee falls short

of those principles, they could be asked to leave the church or they could

even be shunned to the point of embarrassment...which would result in

them leaving the church.

I was in Romania last week meeting with some other pastors when one

of them told me her story. Fifteen years ago the Holy Spirit moved on this

little grandmother and told her to leave her home in California, her

friends, her family and all security and go to the mission field of Romania

and live by faith. After much weeping and waiting before the Lord, she

did as Abraham and left all to follow the calling of the Lord.

Upon arriving she did as all faithful people do…she started attending a

progressive church while seeking God as to why He brought her there.

While driving back and forth to church she noticed a large dump sight

where families lived, and how much of their provision came from other

people’s trash. Her heart was moved with compassion, so she tried to

go in, but was forbidden because she would be putting herself in danger.

She convinced those forbidding her to go in, that all she wanted to do was

to bring in food for the families. She was finally allowed to enter the dump

area in the daylight, but was forbidden to go in after dark.

She would buy food and take it in to the “dump people” while telling

them about Jesus. As they came to accept Christ as their Savior, she

would take them to her progressive church so they could sit under the

Word of God. However, it was not long before she was told not to bring

those people back to their church any more, and if she was going to work

with this type of people, then she needed to start her own church. As a result

of that rejection, she now understood why the Lord had sent her to Romania.

She was faithful in her new ministry of feeding the people and meeting

all the other needs she could. One day she bought a box of new Bibles

and handed them out, but they gave them back to her because no one

could read. As a result of that she started a school to teach the people how

to read.

For the last fifteen years this grandmother has successfully raised up from

man’s dump many sons and daughters and placed them into the spiritual

riches of the kingdom of heaven.

As Joseph was rejected and sold into slavery by his brothers, each uncomfortable experience for him proved to take him a step closer to his destiny. Even though this grandmother experienced the injustice that was shown in our text, it propelled her into her ministry.

Father,

Lord help us to see your plan and purpose in what appears to be the unjust treatment of others. You knew the beginning from the end when you called my little grandmother friend to leave her friends, her family, and all the comforts of life to go and minister to the “dump people” in Romania. Help us Lord.

Amen

Fleas in the Barn

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:56:00 +0000

(Luke 10:19 KJV) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

This scripture has been so encouraging to me over the years because it

reminds me that I have the power to face any difficult situation. Jesus made this promise a reality for us when He was resurrected from the dead. The thought of having such power and authority also reminds me that we are no longer natural beings with a spiritual body. When we accepted Christ as Savior we become a spiritual being with a natural body. That means we can operate in the same power and authority that Jesus operated in.

The principle in our text is that our natural enemies are nothing more

than something under our feet...when we walk in the anointing as Jesus did.

As one can see in the following story it is easy to identify those who

are standing on this promise of God—according to our text—and those who

are not.

Many years ago it was a common practice for men who lived in rural areas (particularly in southern states) to go out into the woods and pray on special occasions, such as when their church was holding a revival. Sometimes the woods were full of men walking around, praying for God to send the fire of revival and save the souls of their loved ones.

It has been many years since this particular experience and I do not remember the specifics of the occasion, but I got together to pray with two of my neighbors from adjacent farms. Their names were T.A and Harold. T.A lived between Harold and I, so we decided to go to his house and pray in his barn, rather than going out in the woods, which was customary for us.

T.A and I were apparently standing on the promise of our text where it said,

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Harold on the other hand was apparently not standing on the promise of our text and therefore the fleas in T.A’s barn were eating him alive. The fleas never bothered T.A and me.

I guess the point of this story is to never pray in another man’s barn unless you have the power to tread on his fleas.

The fact is, life is full of “fleas” (things that will attack our flesh, mind, will and emotions), and that is why the Lord has given us the power and authority over such things. In my seventy seven years of life I have never seen a time when more people were being attacked by the fleas of life (sickness and disease) than they are right now. The purpose of our text is to encourage us that God has already made a way for us through these attacks.

Father,

Thank You for making a way for us to get through life before we even knew we needed a way. As the disciples said, “...we believe but help our unbelief...” as we learn to fully walk in Your power Lord.

Amen

The Enemy Lying in Wait

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:19:00 +0000

(Acts 23:16 KJV) And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

While looking back over the years, I have come to the conclusion that life is a series of snares that have been set to entrap believers. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, Satan has been setting traps to capture the mind, will and emotions of mankind. One of the ways that Satan effectively does this is by invading one’s emotions and killing one’s dreams. Killing one’s dreams is even more effective than killing their body.

Regardless of Satan’s tactics he is always lying in wait to strike and kill us…or at least something about us to render us helpless.

I am reminded about the time my wife and I were riding down a dirt road on our ranch, and I noticed something large lying across the road ahead of us. At first I thought it was a post, but when I drove closer we saw that it was a very large rattlesnake.

As we drove closer it crawled across the road, under a fence, and into an armadillo hole. This turned out to be the largest rattlesnake I had ever seen. I jumped out of the truck and grabbed an ax to kill it. The snake was so big that when it coiled up in the armadillo hole it completely filled it.

I took my ax and moved over to one side of the hole so I could chop down on the snake without having it strike at me. However, when I would chop down from the side, the snake seemed to understand the difference between the ax that would eventually kill it and my hand on the ax. Therefore it would try to run up the handle of the ax to get to my hand. I finally killed the snake...which happened to be five and a half feet long.

I am aware that snakes have instinct and not intelligence, but as I looked into the eyes of this particular snake it seemed to have a lot more than instinct.

That day I became even more aware that the snake in the Garden of Eden (Satan) is still lying in wait to strike at each of us. His intention is to steal, kill and destroy us, which is what we must do to him and his works. Even though Jesus defeated Satan (the snake) at the cross, in order for us to walk in that victory we still must defeat him daily regardless of what hole he may crawl into.

The second lesson I learned was that the snake’s eyes were not fixed on the ax that would destroy it, but on my hand that was holding the ax. It would wait until my hand was extended the closest to him with the ax, and then he would try to run up the ax handle to bite me. In other words he knew he was defeated (like Satan knows), but he wanted to bite and poison me in the process.

As Paul’s nephew was alert in our text to the dangers that awaited Paul, we too must be alert to the dangers that await us and our loved ones. This is one reason why we preach the Word of God to warn folks of the wrath to come.

Father,

Help us to be as aware of the enemy (the snakes) that lays in wait to destroy us as Paul’s nephew was aware of his enemy. Thank You Lord for giving us life and that more abundantly, as we choose to walk in that abundant life by being alert to the traps that Satan has set to destroy us.

Amen

Fire in the Belly

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:43:00 +0000

(1Corinthians 1:27 KJV) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world

to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to

confound the things which are mighty;

Sometimes it appears that God chooses the least qualified people to represent Him in the kingdom. Man on the other hand seems to choose the most qualified people to represent him and the church.

Man prefers to choose from the bright, the confident, those who are from a good family and those who present themselves well in public. As a result, most prospective ministers feel that it is necessary to spend as much time as possible attending Bible School or seminary...because they feel it is the primary ingredient for preparing them for the ministry.

However, as important as this training is, it is secondary to the fire of God that resonates in one’s belly as a result of being forgiven for one’s sins. When one repents of his sins and experiences forgiveness from God, then there is a driving force that causes him to shout his experience from the housetops. This is the purest form of ministry, and as a result it has caused more souls to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ than all the other training, schooling and preparation put together.

My intention is not to minimize the importance of Bible Schools and seminary, but quite the contrary. I believe we should be perpetual learners, because there is no premium on ignorance. That is why Paul said that we should study to show ourselves approved. My intent is to simply put things in the right perspective.

Unless one first has the fire of God burning in his belly he really does not have the “presence” that would cause others to come to Christ...regardless of his education and preparation.

When one looks at the qualifications of those listed below it does give hope and encouragement to the rest of us.

For example, God chose Abraham which was a heathen Iraqi—to ultimately be the father of promise. He chose Moses, a man who confessed his inability to talk—to lead several million of His people. He chose Gideon (a man who referred to himself as the least of the least), to take only three hundred men who lapped like a dog—to win a miracle battle. God also chose Elijah (the Tisbite who had no personal confidence), to become a major prophet and who remains an example for us today. God chose John the Baptist who was as rough as they come—to prepare the way for Jesus.

The likelihood of any of these men being qualified enough to speak in most pulpits today is zero, yet they were generals in the past. The point is...I wonder if God chose these men because He knew they would depend on Him entirely. As a result it would cause a fire in their belly that was needed to accomplish His mission.

The older I become the more I realize that God has chosen a lot more people like me who were extremely shy and timid regarding ministry. That does not mean that we should not study to show ourselves approved as Paul said. It only means that God chose someone like us to represent Him and our only contribution was the fire in our belly and a thankful heart.

I was so shy that when I was asked to stand up and give Sunday school announcements to a few junior boys and girls, I had to sit down and hold my head between my legs because I was passing out. As a matter of fact I was so timid that the only thing I could remember when talking to someone was what God had done for me and about the raging fire that He had put in my belly. As a result of the raging fire in me, people would get under conviction and sometimes start crying while in my presence.

I think maybe this is what Paul meant in our text when he said, “But God hath

chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath

chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are

mighty.”

I do not believe that Paul was excluding anyone when he made this statement. Quite the contrary, I believe the point that Paul was making was that God can use everyone regardless of their human qualifications.

Father,

I thank You that You do not exclude the shy, the timid, the insecure, the rejected, the uneducated, the women or the poor from Your ministry. Lord You do not see what we are, You see the dynamo we can be when we have the raging fire of Your Holy Spirit in our bellies. Thank You Father for not leaving any of us out.

Amen

Divine Appointments

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:03:00 +0000

(Luke 1:13 KJV) “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy

prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt

call his name John.”

Even though I have spent a lifetime experiencing the Lord answering my prayers, I am still overwhelmed by this miracle. The thought of praying for someone to be healed or asking God to meet my needs—which He does—is phenomenal. Even though I do not understand exactly how this works in the natural, I know for sure that it does work and so I shall continue praying.

In the case of our text we see that a man’s prayer has been heard and that his barren wife will become pregnant. As a result of his continual prayer, the Lord not only heard him, but also sent an angel to deliver the message that his prayer had been answered. Wow!

Our text has four points. The first point is that Zacharias and Elisabeth are going to have a baby. The second point is that the baby’s name shall be called John. The third point is that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. The forth point is do not fear.

As powerful as the four points are I want to particularly focus on the third point. It is amazing to me how one can talk to someone who they cannot see and still get a response from them. This was the case with Zacharias…he prayed and an angel showed up with the answer. The only condition was that Zacharias believes that his prayer was answered and that he not doubt.

I believe this is the same condition that the Lord requires of each of us...that is, to believe and not doubt.

One morning while I was praying and asking the Lord who He wanted me to pray for, He gave me an address in a part of town I was not familiar with. He told me to go to that address because someone was praying for help. I drove to that part of town, found the address and went and knocked on the front door. A lady came to the front door and asked if she could help me. I told her that I had just been praying and the Lord spoke to me and told me to come to this address because someone was praying for help.

I asked if she had been praying for help and she said yes. She was very shocked that God would answer her so fast. She invited me into her home and told me why she had been praying for help. After I prayed for her and encouraged her that God had already answered her prayer I left and never went back.

I believe God has as many messengers with the answers to prayers as there are prayers being prayed. The messengers that God sends may be an angel such as in our text or it may be a country boy from East Texas like me. It does not matter who brings the answers as long as the answers come.

I also think at some time or another most Christians have been used as a messenger sent from the Lord to someone else who needs help. Does God answer prayers…oh yeah…all the time?

Father,

Send all your children as messengers for divine appointments to those in need. I thank You Lord for your faithfulness in answering our prayers and encouraging us through the Holy Spirit, or an angel or another brother or sister.

Amen

Angelic Protection

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:38:00 +0000

(Psalm 91:11 KJV) For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

The study of angels has to be one of the most intriguing of all studies. As a matter of fact, if one wants to draw a crowd, all they have to do is start teaching on angels and the people will come. I think most folks believe there are angels...even though some may doubt a little because they have never actually seen an angel. I also believe that people have seen angels but do not realize it because they do not recognize them as angels they pass them by.

Angels are a part of the spirit realm. The spirit realm is actually more real than the natural realm because it is eternal, whereas the natural realm is not. Angels also operate on a much higher frequency than humans do and that is why they have to slow down their frequency to be seen.

It is possible for angels to materialize when necessary when needed. This was the case in the situation with Gideon. “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour” (Judges 6:12 KJV)

This angel was sent to Gideon for encouragement and protection...just as they are sent to us today for the same reason. Even though Gideon was called by God to fight this battle, he did not have a lot of personal confidence. The Lord knew this when He called Gideon and that is why He sent the angel to encourage him.

I find great comfort in our text where it says, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” When God sends an angel for this kind of assignment that does not necessarily mean that the angel has to materialize so we can see him every time. The fact is angels do not have to materialize at all in order to get the job done.

I am sure there are times in everyone’s life when they feel as if someone was telling them not to do something…or perhaps they feel someone is telling them to do something. Sometimes they may even feel that they should not travel a certain familiar way. All of these could be warnings from an angel and not just one’s own feelings.

Women seem to be more sensitive than men when it comes to such feelings even though they may think it is just their intuition. The fact is it could well be an angel speaking into their spirit.

“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14 KJV) Even though I have had many experiences with angels over the years, I feel I should share the following story as my example for this Meditation.

Many years ago as a young minister, I was pastor of a small church in Southeast Texas. One Sunday after the morning service I put my three small children in our station wagon to head home. I noticed all four of my tires were almost flat. I had just enough air in the tires to drive across the street to the service station and put air back in them. I recall having a strange feeling that this was no accident and that the Lord had something to do with it. I was not sure why I felt that way until a few minutes later.

I was only delayed about five minutes before I headed home. My home was about 45 minutes from the church and I always enjoyed driving back and forth to church on a small black top road through those beautiful East Texas piney woods. About five minutes from the service station where I had filled my tires with air, there was a train crossing—with no lights or bars for stopping cars in case a train was coming.

As I approached the train crossing I saw that a train had just hit a car about five minutes before I got there. A man was laying on the ground and his car was totally demolished. I jumped out of my car and ran to the man who was dying on the ground and started praying for him, but I was too late…he died.

As I looked back at my little children in the car, I was overwhelmed by the full knowledge of why I felt that the Lord had something to do with my almost flat tires back at the church. I grabbed my children and held them close as I thanked the Lord for sending an angel when I needed it and did not know it. From that day until this I have never doubted that an angel of the Lord was sent to protect me and my children. Also, I have never told this story until now because it was so intimately personal to me.

Are angels real? More than you know!

Father,

You said in our text, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Help all of us Lord to believe and walk in this scripture and especially in the “all thy ways” part.

Amen

"I Do Not Care!"

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:58:00 +0000

(Luke_10:35 KJV) And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

This has to be one of the most heart-warming stories in the Bible. Every time I read it I examine myself to see how I measure up to this ordinary caring man. Just about the time I think I am doing pretty well, I do something that makes me wonder.

In the natural it does not make sense for one to bear such a cost for something he had nothing to do with. However, this kind man was not only willing to pay the bill for the stranger’s immediate care, but he was also willing to set up a line of credit for his future care. His desire was to pay the full price even before he knew what the full price would be.

I am sure many would think, “Why is he doing this? What does he hope to get out of this?” It is amazing how in the natural we seem to always think in terms of ulterior motives. In this case there were none…he just cared!

This kind of love and care has to come from the supernatural realm and not the natural realm. I kinda understand how one can love this much if there is a relationship, however, how can one love this much when there is not a relationship?

Over the years I have actually heard two pastors stand and face their congregation and say, “I don’t care what you think, I just don’t care.” I must admit I was as shocked and stunned as their congregations. I cannot imagine any loving parent sitting at the dinner table and making such a statement to their children.

As a matter of fact I cannot even imagine how such a thought can even enter one’s mind, much less come out of one’s mouth. What a contrast between these two pastors who are supposed to love and care for their sheep and the kind man in our text who did not even know the one he was helping.

Even if the pastors did not mean for their words to be as harsh as they sounded, that still does not change anything. The devil has the right to bind one to their words because he does not consider what you meant to say, but will use what you actually said. This of course brings a couple of scriptures to mind which can be sobering as well.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue:...” (Proverbs 18:21KJV)

“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34 KJV)

I am not sure that it is possible to be a true pastor and not care. I am not implying that the two men do not have a call of God on their lives. I am suggesting that perhaps their call is not that of pastoring a congregation.

If the stranger in our text is an example of how one should love and care for one who has been beaten up, is bloody, and undesirable, then perhaps all of us should check out our motives for ministry as well.

Father,

Help us to mature past our childish outbursts in times of personal frustration. Help us to understand that there is a penalty for such loose words which can and will be held against us. Lord, help us to be caring like the man in our text.

Amen

Givers & Takers

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

(Luke 17:17 KJV) And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine?

Being grateful should be the natural response for anyone after having received a blessing. However, that is not always the case because many walk away and never say a word when they receive a gift. One may ask, “If you truly give something away then why do you have to be thanked for it…isn’t the joy of giving thanks enough?”

In the case of our text I do not believe the point that Jesus was trying to make was necessarily that He be thanked. I believe He was simply showing us what an ungrateful heart really looks like.

The fact is, ungratefulness is rooted in selfishness and selfishness is rooted in self preservation and self preservation is rooted in mistrust and mistrust is rooted in jealousy. In other words…I want what you have because I deserve it more than you do. All of this can be summed up in the word “ungrateful.”

It seems as though folks in this present generation are less grateful

than folks were in my generation. Perhaps some of that could be caused

by overindulgent parents.

In our text, Jesus had just healed ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Him. This is a clear picture (at least to me) of the two categories that people seem to fall into, “givers and takers.”

Being a “taker” does not necessarily mean that one is a bad person…they are just self centered. A taker expects you to give them your time, but rarely do they want to give you their time.

My wife is the most generous person I know. She is always ready to sacrifice her time and money at any hour of the day or night. She is a classic giver. I remember at one point in time she had a friend who was a classic taker. A classic taker can spot a classic giver across the room...just like a lion can spot its prey. As a result, my wife became a life support for this lady, praying for her night and day, as well as giving her groceries.

There was a time when this lady was wealthy, and she is probably wealthy again. However, when she got back on her feet she dropped the friendship with my wife and went on to bigger and better things...as typical takers do. A typical taker is always one who is climbing up the ladder.

My wife’s friend was like the “healed leapers” who took from Jesus, but did not go back and thank Him for their healing. Being a taker is a character flaw that the person does not want to be healed of—because it is their way of controlling another person. They may even be born again, but they miss out on the character of Jesus.

The statement I am about to make is certainly not an absolute for all of the poor or the rich, because I personally know many exceptions to this statement. However, it does seem that the wealthy expect favor and the poor believe they deserve favor, which means it is hard for one to gain ground with takers such as these.

Maybe all of us have more of a takers spirit in us than we realize. Do we

show our un-thankfulness much like the nine leapers?

Father,

It is far to easy for us to see the wrong in the nine leapers and criticize them.

Help us Lord not to make the same mistake and cause others to criticize us.

Perhaps there are times that all of us are guilty of walking away and not

showing a grateful heart for Your presence in a church service or having a

prayer answered after having cried out to You.

Amen

Simple Pleasures

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:13:00 +0000

(Ecclesiastes 3:13) And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it isthe gift of God.

Many folks seem to differ in their interpretation of this scripture. Their opinions may range from believing that life is only for their pleasure, to believing that enjoying life is worldly. I will leave this up to the counselors to figure out how we come up with these options. All I know is that the older I get the more I believe the Lord desires for His children to enjoy life just as parents desire their children to enjoy their lives.

For one to enjoy himself by eating and drinking may be interpreted by some as thinking that God is suggesting gluttony and drunkenness. However, that is not the case at all. To eat is not always gluttony and to drink is not always drunkenness. This scripture is simply saying that it is gift from God to be able to enjoy the natural things in life. Some folks think that for them to really enjoy themselves it should cost a lot of money, when in fact many of the most memorable pleasures are free. These pleasures may be found in visiting a friend, playing a game, walking through a mall or just simply driving and dreaming. Pleasure does not have to be expensive... it can be something very simple.

I remember occasions in our little town when a local country band (made up of some of our high school kids) would set up behind our general store and play country music. They would sell soap for the store by demonstrating how much lather it would make. I remember standing there as a young teenager, watching them and dreaming of one day singing country music and selling soap.

At other times a traveling man with a small tent would come to our little town and show black and white cowboy movies for a quarter. We would sit on uncomfortable little benches and watch the movie. The film was reel to reel and seemed to break about every five minutes. The man would repair the film by taping it back together so we could finish watching this exciting movie.

When the movie was over, folks would silently walk out into the dark and go home. Some may have to walk two or three miles down a dirt road to get back home, but that was okay after such great entertainment. I remember walking home dreaming of either being the star cowboy in the movie or the owner of the traveling movie business.

The fact is, poor people have poor ways, but I never thought that any of those simple pleasures were inferior because they did not cost much. As a matter of fact, I look back at those times with fondness and thank God I experienced them. Seldom do I look back at an expensive vacation to Europe, or a cruise or any of the other things I have done...with the same warmth as I do the soap selling country band or the traveling movie man.

The fact is, God wants us to enjoy our journey in this life and that is what our text is all about.

Father,

I thank You that You are not a hard taskmaster who wants us to live cold, drab, cheerless lives. Your desire is for your children to be happy and to enjoy the blessings that You have given to us through the fruit of our labor. Thank You Father.

Amen

Get Out Of the Boat

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:16:00 +0000

(Matthew 14:27-29 KJV) But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

When Jesus said to his disciples, “Be not afraid,” what He was saying to them was “Do not dwell in the natural realm.” Fear is never found in the spiritual realm, but fear is always found in the natural realm. The disciples had just enjoyed a spiritual outpouring of the Lord before getting into the boat and now they have already moved back into natural thinking. When Jesus came to them walking on the water He was still moving in the spiritual realm. The fact is, the natural realm is always shocked by what goes on in the spiritual realm. That is why Jesus said, “Be not afraid.”

The reason this scripture is so exciting to me is because I can imagine myself, like Peter, asking Jesus the same question under the same circumstances. “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.”

The reason I love Peter so much is because he was willing to risk failing in order to possibly win. I am sure he was criticized by the other disciples for making such a request of Jesus, because the “no risk-takers/ boat dwellers” will always criticize forward thinking risk-takers.

I like to think that the reason Jesus chose Peter as a disciple was because Jesus counted Peter’s risk-taking as a virtue that would be needed among His other disciples.

My entire life has been one of taking risks and walking on the edge. However, there was a time...back when my youngest daughter was only two years old...that I began to take a few less risks because of my love for her. I am by nature a very protective type person, particularly when it came to my little daughter.

One Sunday after church, my wife, my little daughter and I were sitting in a restaurant having lunch with a friend. All of a sudden my two year old daughter jumped up in her chair and shouted, “Matthew 14:29, Matthew 14:29.” My wife and I looked at each other in shock, but we could not remember what that scripture actually said. We immediately grabbed our Bible and saw that it had to do with Peter getting out of the boat. We knew the Lord had just spoken to us and we even felt a little rebuke for even considering being safe boat dwellers.

The prophetic word that the Lord gave us through our baby that day set the course for the rest of our lives and we never looked back. From that day to this we have never considered being conservative boat dwellers again. In fact if God does not firm the water under our feet each day—we sink.

I am sure there are many today who are wrestling with the whole idea of getting out of the boat. I would never try to minimize the faith it takes to trust God for each daily step. However, this kind of faith does not come from man, it can only come from God. This is the God kind of faith that He gives to those who are desperate enough to get out of the boat and go to Jesus, even if they might sink.

Father,

Help all of us to be desperate enough for You that we would risk our own flesh sinking. Lord, help our focus to be on You and not on those who may be criticizing our feeble efforts to come to You. Lord help us to keep in mind that both the boat dwellers and non-boat dwellers belong to You as did all the disciples.

Amen

Remembering The Past

noreply@blogger.com (John Dean) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:10:00 +0000

(Exodus 13:3 ASV) And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Jehovah brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.

Remembering the past seems to fall into one of three categories. The first category has to do with those whose present is an extension of their past and they enjoy both. These folks are probably the happiest of all the categories because they realize their past (as difficult as some of their pasts may have been), was a character builder for the person they are today.

The second category has to do with those who do not want to remember their past at all (good or bad), but want to move on into what they believe to be a new season. However, when one wants to forget their entire past they are also prone to forget how God delivered them. Therefore they tend not to fully enjoy their present blessings because they always want to move on.

The third category is those who are stuck in the past and they can be easily identified by their hair style or the way they dress. This is particularly true with women who have the same hair style they did when they were young or at their most popular age. Without realizing it, they are trying to recapture their glory days even though they have become much older. There is nothing more distasteful than an old woman trying to look like a young girl, or an old man trying to look like a teenage boy. What may have been joy and freedom at that time in their life has now become bondage. It is fine for one to look back and enjoy their past experiences as long as they are moving forward into their future.

There are many experiences in my own memory bank that I cherish, but I would never want to go back and repeat any of them. Such was the case in the following story which could have been a modern day version of what Moses was talking about.

And Moses said unto the people, “Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage...” (Exodus 13:3 ASV).

In the late 1930s and early 1940s many farm families still did some things much like the pioneers had done 50 or 60 years earlier when they were moving westward in wagon trains. One of those things—many of the women in the country still washed their clothes in a big iron wash pot over an open fire. My mother was one of those women.

My job on wash day was to pump water out of the well and fill the wash pot. I would then gather wood and build a fire under the pot in order to make the water boil. When the water was boiling, my mother would put our clothes in the pot with lye soap and stir them with a long stick until she felt they were clean. She would then put the clothes in pans of cold water and we would rinse the lye soap out and hang them on the clothes line to dry in the sun.

To some folks, the thought of washing one’s clothes in a wash pot or reading by an oil lamp or growing one’s own food may seem exciting and adventurous. However, that was not the case at all, because the moment we learned there was a better way the “glamor” of the past quickly vanished. There is nothing quite as sweet as the taste of a better way.

To get the full meaning of what Moses was trying to say, one has to highlight these three important words of our text…remember, bondage and deliverance.

“And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Jehovah brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten” (Exodus 13:3 ASV).

It is very important to remember where you came from as long as you do not try to relive it. If one is not careful, yesterday’s life could be today’s bondage. The idea is to remember, rejoice and then move on.

Father,

I thank You for using our past experiences as building blocks for our character. I also thank You Lord for showing us that there is a better way.

Amen