Sunday Message
by Herb Dean
3/30/08

Dear friends,

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord. Today I would like to share a few thoughts on spiritual warfare. These thoughts will be different from most you’ve heard. I pray that this will be an encouragement to you and that you will prayerfully consider these words.

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Col. 2:15

The event described above was the greatest single act of spiritual warfare and apart from this all attempts to overcome the enemy are vain. The event ,of course, was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. How was it that this act spoiled the principalities and powers and crushed the very head of satan? I’ll attempt to answer that question, but first let me share what my idea of spiritual warfare was. I would pray loud, energetic prayers rebuking this spirit and that demon, pulling down this principality and power and that principality and power. It was often invigorating, but there was very little change. I also got beat up a few times. Over the years the Lord began to show me that there were spheres of authority and that the only way to displace principalities and powers was corporate repentance. It is repentance that prepares the way of the kingdom.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8b

The Bible clearly states that the purpose of Jesus was to destroy the works of the devil. The word destroy in the Greek is the word “luo” which means to loose what is bound. Jesus came to release us from the bondage of sin, the bondage of sin in which the enemy had us bound. What was His message?

From that day Jesus began to preach and say, ” Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 4:17

Jesus preached and demonstrated the kingdom of God (the rule, reign, and dominion of God). As He demonstrated kingdom authority people were healed and delivered from the oppression of the devil. Many expected Him to establish His earthly kingdom and there would be peace and prosperity, but Jesus clearly stated that the kingdom didn’t come with signs to be observed and that His kingdom was not of this world. The kingdom was in the Spirit and He (the Holy Spirit) could not come to be in them and upon them unless Jesus went away. They couldn’t understand why He must go away. His talking about His dying fell on deaf ears or in the case of Peter was adversely reacted to. He had taught and modeled the way we were to live and now His time was at hand. There had to be a deathblow to sin and satan. The justice of God had to be satisfied. This could only be accomplished by the perfect Lamb of God.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor. 5:21

Jesus became sin for us that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer be enslaved to sin. Luo (loosed)
Satan the epitome of pride, selfishness, anger, and hatred had his works made a spectacle of in the ultimate act of selflessness, humility, compassion, and love.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:8-10

It was love that put Jesus on the cross. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Agape, The God kind of love, the selfless, humble, compassionate love overcomes the selfish hateful antithesis of love. Love is the greatest weapon of spiritual warfare.

There was another great factor in this greatest act of spiritual warfare and that was obedience. The father of rebellion and lies had his works made a public spectacle by the ultimate act of obedience.

He (Jesus) humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Phil. 2:9

I was reading in Proverbs 28 one day and the Lord quickened some things in my spirit. In verse 2 it says, Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes. The thought hit me that in the spiritual the sins of the people gives principalities legal right to invade. It is the repentance of the people and the acknowledgement of what Jesus has done that displaces these powers. Then in verse 4 He showed me something else. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked. I know we are not under law, but look at the principle. Those who disobey the word of the Lord are bringing praise to satan’s hordes. The second part of the verse says, But such as keep the law contend with them. Those who walk in obedience to the word of the Lord do battle with the enemy. Obedience is spiritual warfare.

Are there times when we bind and loose or take authority over enemies? Yes. Within the sphere of authority we have been given we should be casting out demons and pulling down strongholds in obedience to Him. We never see in scripture Jesus or Paul rebuking principalities and powers, but we do see them declaring the kingdom (the rule, reign, and dominion of God), casting out demons, healing the sick, raising the dead and so must we. When a demon is cast out, a sick person healed, or a lost person saved the kingdom has come in your midst.

Remember this: Hope will sustain you, faith will make you an overcomer, but love will make you more than a conqueror.

And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor. 13:13

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Be blessed today my friends.

In His love,

Herb Dean

Easter Message
by Herb Dean
3/23/08

Dear friends,

I pray you are being blessed of the Lord. We are entering some difficult times. The dollar’s value is dropping causing prices to rise. Gas is racing toward four dollars a gallon. The threat of terrorism looms like a dark cloud, as we near an election that seems to be increasingly pivotal in the future of our nation. We could look at circumstances and become depressed. Take heart; God is not in heaven worrying or wringing His hands. He has not abdicated His throne. The glad tidings of the kingdom is that our God reigns and where He reigns there is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The psalmist says that when the foundations be destroyed the Lord is still in His holy temple. It is a time when we need to press into Him, wait upon Him, and hear His voice. Yes, it is a time of crisis, but to those who know His voice it is a time of great opportunity. Today, I would like to share a few thoughts about intimacy with God.

Several years ago, I was preaching from Luke 6 and as I was preaching I saw there were several groups of people represented there. The Lord put in my spirit that there are levels of intimacy. As I pondered this idea I thought of some passages in the old testament. In Exodus the people would see Moses go out to the Tent of Meeting. They would see the cloud come down and they would worship from afar, but Joshua would go with him. When Moses left the tent Joshua remained. Is it any wonder that God chose him to replace Moses when Moses died. So many choose to worship from afar, but hearing is a matter of proximity. God does not usually speak in a shout, but a still small voice. He wants us to draw near. James says if we draw near to God, He’ll draw near to us. I believe that within Israel we see a shadow of the levels of intimacy.

Israel (Those who have become sons of Abraham by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ).
Within Israel there was Judah and within Judah there was Jerusalem, the Holy city and within Jerusalem there was Mount Zion. On Mount Zion there was built David’s tabernacle and in David’s tabernacle there was no veil. The Ark of the Covenant which represented the presence and glory of God, could be accessed by those who were not high priests. It pointed to the tearing of the veil of the temple when Jesus died. It may very well have been that David wrote Psalms 91 in the shadow of the Ark of the Covenant. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalms 91:1

Now how does this relate to what the Lord showed in Luke 6?

First there was the crowd. Within that crowd there were some believers. They believed Jesus was the Messiah. Among those believers were some who had committed their lives to follow Christ and walk in obedience to His word. They were disciples. Within that group of disciples there were the twelve whom Jesus had chosen, eleven who were apostles. Within that group of apostles there were three that got very close to Jesus. These three, Peter, James, and John went with Him when He healed Jairus’ daughter. They were with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. They went deeper into the garden the night of His arrest. Even within that group there was the one who on the night of the Last Supper had his head on Jesus’ chest. John called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t love the others; it was the fact that John knew he was loved and was so secure in that love that he could lay his head on Jesus’ chest. He was so close he could hear the very heartbeat of Jesus.

Friends, we are living in a time when we must hear the heartbeat of our Father. Hearing is a matter of proximity and I believe God speaks softly so we will have to get closer to hear. We must hear the voice of the Father. If we are hearing Him, crisis becomes opportunity, but before it comes as opportunity, it comes as a summons, our Father’s desire for us to draw near to Him. Oh, that we might all be able to say with John, “I am the disciple whom Jesus loved”, or with David, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” The Father is calling to us, “Come.”

Friends, I pray the Lord will prosper you even as He prospered Isaac and provoked his enemies to jealousy, that you might live a life for which the only explanation is God. Be blessed.

In His love,

Herb Dean

11 - Stephen Douglas.

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Today’s Message
by Herb Dean
3/09/08

Hello,

Do you know that as a born again spirit-filled believer you are known in the spirit realm? The demons know those who walk in authority. The seven sons of Sceva were attempting to exercise authority in a name that they did not have authority to use because they were not in covenant with Him. They were operating in the flesh. Our battle is not with flesh and blood and cannot be waged in the flesh.

“Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” Acts 19:16

As I was sharing that, the Lord dropped in my spirit, “If you minister in the flesh your flesh will be exposed.” Theirs was both spiritually and in the natural. We have been given the Helper, the one along side, to empower us for a battle that cannot be won in the flesh. To walk clothed in the Spirit is spiritual warfare.

Just a thought from my sermon a couple of weeks ago. I love it when God does that while I’m preaching. A word from the Lord is always more effective than the best, most inspired sermon. Be blessed today and remember you are known in the spirit realm, but best of all you know Jesus.

In His love,

Herb Dean