ASK DEAN ABOUT THE GLORY, THE PROPHETIC...ETC.

   A. Hi Tom,

I like how you said that the Lord has impressed upon you to learn what these 444 day cycles mean. That is a critical point. While other people may give you ideas, and while some of the words you receive may seem right, you should always be careful to take anything you get to the Lord yourself. Our relationship with Him is the most important thing. It is our foundation and nothing should ever get in the way of coming directly to Him.

God will often speak to us in dreams, symbols and signs. He does this in part to get our attention, to see if we our listening to Him, but He also does it because it is often the only way to get us to pursue Him and dig into what He desires to tell us. If God had not used these 444 cycles with you, you wouldn't have been asking questions or searching as much as you are. And while He may continue to speak this way to us over much of our lives, it is important to realize that He desires to speak more clearly and plainly to us -- if we will only spend the time and passion developing our relationship with Him.

That said, I got a definite sense that these 444 day cycles represent freedom for you. They mark the end and death to an old season, and life and resurrection to a new season. And isn't this exactly what rang true in your own heart? Like you said about Nehemiah in 444 BC -- the cycle pictured there is the "closing out the old and bringing Christ into the mix having His life now in it".

There is an interesting cycle repeated after 444 BC. Four more cycles after that (4 * 444) brings us to 1776, the date of our independence, the date that we were set free. There is another 444 day cycle in American history, and that's the number of days the hostages were held in Iran. They were set free on January 20th, 1981 -- the same day of the year that your last cycle began on.

Your first cycle was marked by an event setting you free. The next three cycles all end on Passover, which marks the event that set the slaves free and marks resurrection to new life. Everything is end to the old, and start of the new. Death and life.

But notice how the first cycle dealt with your ex-wife, the second your father's side, the third with your mother's side. It looks like God is doing a complete healing here. And that would suggest that the fourth -- and last (four sets of 444) -- cycle will deal with *you*.

Now, while it's possible to dig deeper into all the other possible meanings here, I would counsel caution. The most basic message, the most important message will always be the simplest one. In this case, He desires to restore life to you and set you free. That's pretty simple. And while it can be tempting to try to find many other messages here – and there may well be many others -- consider how amazing that basic message is for you. Spend time exploring what that means for you. Spend time asking Him how you can be completely set free. Spend time getting to know what His life is really like.

In other words, take the basic message God is giving you and run with it. Let it really sink in. Let it change you. Let it draw you closer to God than ever before.

I pray God will open your eyes to what being set free and given new life with Him truly means.

God bless,
Dean

http://RealClearTruth.com

Q

Hi Dean, would like to ask you what the symbolism or prophetic meaning of a funeral is. I had a dream where I attended 2 funerals with my boyfriend and his family. Thank you Amber

 A

Hi Amber,

 

The reason God sometimes speaks to us in dreams is because He desires to catch our attention and see if we will seek Him. Because dreams are not clear, we are forced to unravel them. We can attempt to do that through our own wisdom, or we can do that by seeking Him and asking Him to show us things. The key here is that we are in a relationship with God and He wants to reveal things to us -- if we will lean close to Him and listen to what He has to say.

 

God wants us to seek wisdom, but He doesn't want us to seek answers apart from Him. He wants our hearts always focused on Him intent on learning from Him.

 

So how about taking some quite time to seek God about your dream? Start by getting close to Him, just being with Him. Ask Him to show you whatever He wants. He knows what is on your heart, but He also knows what are the more important things you need to focus on. The more we demand particular answers from Him, the less we are being open to having Him instruct us.

 

In the end, God has often already put the answer to your dream in your heart. You know inside, but things make it hard to accept or see. God really doesn't have to say much to you when you open up and are honest with Him and yourself. You already know. Your dream is simply helping these things to come out.

 

But remember that God does not bring fears or confusion. He brings encouragement and hope. He wants to lead you into better things, things that are good and will bring you real joy. That is why it is safe to lean close to Him and listen for what He has to say. He is rich in mercy and grace -- not in judgment.

 

Look up and I think you'll see His gentle smile for you.

 

Dean 

Q

From Rubie Martain Detroit Mi

 

I recently I got a word at the Chicago Encounter from a Prophet. The word was you are "An Intercessor and Watchmen". This is the second time I got this word that I was a Watchmen. I understand what my role as an Intercessor is to a certain degree but a Watchmen isn't clear to me. Can you please give me an explanation?

A Thanks so much for your question. For an answer, first consider these verses:

Ezekiel 3:16 Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:"

The Hebrew word for "watchman" in this verse means "to look out, to keep watch, to observe or watch closely". A watchman was one who stood on the wall of the city watching out for any enemy that dared come near the city. If the watchman saw an enemy approaching, his duty was to blow the trumpet and sound a warning so that the inhabitants of the city would be able to prepare themselves and not be destroyed.

In Ezekiel's case, God appointed him a watchman in the sense that God had a message for Israel that they were in danger because of their sins. God wanted someone to blow the warning that God Himself had seen their wickedness and would allow the sword to come to them.

In other words, a watchman is not only someone who sees the approach of the enemy and warns the people, but one who can speak a warning from God. Typically, the watchman role is tied to the intercessor role simply because the intercessors need to know how to intercede effectively. The watchman then is the one who sees the schemes of the enemy and instructs the intercessors on how to combat the enemy in the spirit realm through prayer.

But don't let me limit what God may have for you. Seek God about this. Study His word. Ask God what He is saying to you. Ask Him what He wants you to watch out for. Ask Him how to be a good watchman and how you are to sound the trumpet in your particular circumstances.

And even when you think you've figured out what God desires of you, keep going back to learn more from Him and allow Him to correct and guide you. More than anything, we are in a relationship with Him and that is something that is very personal. He wants to show you things personally, and lead you to see things that He has uniquely gifted you to see.

Those who are appointed watchman are appointed because they can be trusted to stand watch. They are not only chosen because they can see (or discern), but because they can be trusted to keep watch even when they are tired and wish somebody else would do the job. They also have a great responsibility, because so many depend on being warned in time. For me, this means you need to take your role in seeing things seriously. Don't assume somebody else will know what to intercede for or how to pray. Take your role seriously and ask God for His guidance when you intercede so that you will gain the eyes He wants you to have.

And remember, exercise your gifts in all love, for that's the heart of our Father. When one blows a trumpet of warning it can be easy to also take on a judgmental heart, while the heart of the Father is rich in mercy and grace and His warnings are issued to spare us from harm and destruction, not to bring it.

I hope that helps.

God bless you,

Dean

http://RealClearTruth.com

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Q.Hey Dean,

A few months back, the Lord spoke a Single word to me and He said, "Apostolic" Since then the Lord has given me dreams and a huge prophesy was spoken over my life about ministry and then some. I was searching CPV for any articles/teaching on the Apostolic ministry and found none. Any recommendations? 

I am still trying to decipher what the Lord is trying to speak to me. Any input or a Fresh word from the Lord would be helpful!

Thank You,

In His Service,

Jacinta Pena

 A.

 Hi Jacinta,

Apostle comes from the Greek word “apostolos” and simply means “a delegate, a messenger, one sent forth with orders”.  You could think of an apostle as someone that God gives a blueprint to, and then that person leads others in building and carrying out that blueprint. I have heard that the original meaning of the Greek word comes from a fleet of ships. The lead ship is the apostle ship, but all the ships that follow are part of the apostolic formation (or team).

Thus, in a practical sense, an apostle is simply one who leads a group of ships (i.e., home groups / churches / networks) in a given direction.

But it is also much more than this, because to lead the way God desires you to lead is not something that comes natural. The world is full of fathers who have families and children that they “lead”, but how many do it in the way that God desires them to? Even when we have the best of intentions, it often takes years to gain the wisdom needed to be a good father, and the same applies to becoming a “good” apostle.

Worse, the church currently doesn’t have many good role models to follow. Just as worldly fathers can abuse their authority, so too can “apostles”. The very word “apostle” conveys such a great sense of authority that it is taking a very long time for the church to learn the wisdom needed to do it right.

In my view, we are only starting to understand what it means to be an apostle. Very few have the revelation, wisdom or understanding to explain it well. I have seen very little on the topic that discusses it well. And while I’ve seen several that could qualify as holding an apostolic office, I’ve only heard one that explains it with the wisdom I think is needed, and that is Bill Johnson.

I searched and found this article (here) on the apostolic by Bill Johnson. Even though it is quite short, it is full of much wisdom. I would study this carefully and pray through it asking God to show you what He is saying at each point and how it would apply to you.

There is a reason God spoke the word “apostolic” to you. In part, it was to get you to look at a bigger picture of what God desires for you, but it is also to show you that there is much responsibility, learning and wisdom that you need to gain. Apostolic isn’t given to move you into a larger ministry, it’s given because larger ministry requires you to move into that role.

In other words, you need to start thinking on an apostolic level because that’s needed for where God desires to take you.

I pray that God will give you the wisdom you need to understand what apostolic really means and how to move into it.

God bless,
Dean
http://RealClearTruth.com

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        Hi Pastor Theresa,
Got a question for you:
How do you minister to someone who is already wealthy--and their natural needs are already met? For example, if you educated yourself, made effective decisions and wealth came to you because of this. Then you visit a church where the people were basically praising God hoping to receive "basic necessities"...like a car, house, money--wealth, etc...how can we minister to that wealthy person who basically doesn't understand why all the jumping and leaping for wealth is happening. Their mindset is to work the principles...what does that wealthy person do in a service like that? How do they get ministered to...so that they recognize that they need God too. In short: How do you convince a rich man that he needs God?

Hi Rubie,

Pastor Theresa forwarded your question to me and I try to give you an answer.

You raise a number of good questions. As Jesus said in three of the gospels, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God". A commentary I looked at said this was a common expression used by the Jews "to declare any thing that was rare or difficult". And why? Well because the rich man can rely and trust in himself. He isn't compelled to rely or trust in God.

It’s common sense. People call out for help when they need help.

Of course, we need a lot more help than we realize, but it can be hard to convince someone they need help, especially someone who is a self-made man. A self-made man may not only have wealth (in money), but he likely has a wealth of knowledge and understanding that got him those riches. I’ve also found that scientific or intelligent people have a difficult time entering into the kingdom of God. They’ve constructed a view of how the world works and it’s hard for them to fit God’s supernatural into that conception – even if they want to!

But here’s something to consider. Just because you have monetary success, knowledge and understanding, that doesn’t mean that you have illumination or wisdom, or relationship.

The illumination that comes from God lets you see things that others can’t. Daniel 2:22 says, “He reveleth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him”. Light is key here. The closer you come to God seeking Him in truth, the more light that will dwell in you. Remember that Daniel was made master of all the educated, smart and wise people in a secular kingdom. He was put in that position because he could see things others couldn’t.

But Daniel didn’t stop with light that let him see things others couldn’t. Once he saw something that others didn’t, he would ponder it and contemplate and pray on it until God gave him a fully understanding of what he was seeing. It is not enough to see something; you must also understand what it is, or what it means. Once again, the closer you come to God, the more He is able to help you understand.

But Daniel didn’t even stop with understanding. He took it one step further, and sought God for wisdom in the matter. Wisdom in this sense means to know what to do, to be able to make shrewd judgments. Just because you’ve seen something or understood it, doesn’t mean you’ll know what to do about it. Here again, the closer you come to God, the more he will guide you and give you the wisdom you need.

I haven’t made these things up either. Daniel 5:11 says that Daniel was found to have “the Spirit of the Holy God” in him, and that he was a man of “light, understanding and wisdom”. You can see a study I’ve done on this here.

But let’s not stop here, for Daniel had one other thing. He had relationship with God. Think about that for a moment. How many businessmen would love to meet and be mentored by the top CEO’s or businessmen in the country? Well, God just happens to know a little more than they do.

But it’s even better, because God not only is willing to develop a relationship with us -- teaching us, mentoring us and guiding us -- He is also a really wonderful and loving Father. He wants to be with us. He wants to show us what is possible with Him. He wants us to be like Him! We’re His kids after all!

Now the truth is that the man you are talking about may not fit in well to some churches. The people may simply not talk the same language he talks and they may be seeking God for different needs. But that just means that he needs to find Christians that talk like he does. I recently met a pastor who used to be a commodities trader in New York. He said many of the traders never felt comfortable in regular churches, so he made a church that was for them. He has a website here.

God bless and I pray the rich man you’re talking about senses the heart and passion of God for him.

Dean Cooper

Tucson, Azusa

She told me that the plate and pins were easy to feel, and she could very easily tell that they were really gone. She even said a tiny hole in one of her bones was no longer there, and she also had regained all the flexibility in her ankle that she had lost, which she plainly demonstrated for me.

I think that's pretty cool!

I also spoke to a Cuban doctor who now lives in Miami (he is the one I wrote about in my last conference report). He told me that he has seen hundreds and hundreds of healings and salvations in his doctor's office. Even still, he said it is hard with his scientific training to believe it sometimes. He prayed for one patient who had tumors (or something -- I don't remember precisely what he said it was) all over his head and face and nothing happened that day, but when the man came back they were all gone. The doctor said where are they, and the man looked at him dumbfounded saying, don't you remember you prayed for me?! Well yes, of course the doctor said, but these things don't simply disappear! Even one who regularly sees and believes in miracles can find it hard to believe what science says is impossible.

In another case, he told me of one of his patients who had a daughter in Brazil who had breast cancer that had metastasized and was given only three months to live. She had already gone out and bought her casket and made all the funeral arrangements. But the doctor called her on the phone and told her not to believe she was going to die, that God would heal her. He prayed for her over the phone and God did heal her! What I liked the most was listening to the doctor as he smiled broadly and said, "God canceled her funeral"!!

That's cool

A.

Hi Dean:

I am writing because I am trying to find an answer to something. Do you think we (Christians) will be here for any of the Tribulation? I have listened to what different people have to say, and I believe that these people have godly character and integrity... Why do they come up with different answers? I was reading in Revelations and it sounds like we could be here for part of it.. If we are then we would want to be prepared... If we are not, then maybe it is being read wrong... Could you shed some light please? Thank you for your time. Tracy K. Roberts, C.O.H.

Hi Tracy,

 

Those are great questions, and ones I've wondered about too. Unfortunately, the widely varying views on this subject have brought a lot of division to the church, and that's something that should give us pause before we declare that we understand this area well. Consider the disciples who lived with Jesus. He instructed them on a daily basis and specifically told them about His coming death and resurrection, and yet they couldn't understand what his words meant until the events actually happened. Some revelations of God remain largely opaque to us until we see the revelation unfold before us.

 

Think about it. The disciples couldn't see what Jesus was telling them because their mindsets were so ingrained with a certain image of what the coming of the Messiah meant. This was so bad that Peter went so far as to rebuke Jesus! As you know, Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." (Mat 16:23, NKJV)

 

The word in the Greek for "mindful" there is "phroneo" which means that Peter was not of the same mind as God, or not in harmony with Him. Instead, because Peter's mindset did not allow for the Messiah dying, his mind came in harmony with the thoughts and wisdom of men.

 

Just because we have fellowship with Christ, just because we sit at His feet and learn from Him, just because we have committed our very lives to Him and His cause, does not mean that we will always be in harmony with Him -- especially when it comes to how God will play out His drama on Earth.

 

The Greek word for "offense" in that verse is "skandalom" and means a trap, a snare, a stumbling block, or any person by which one is drawn into error. In other words, Satan attempted to use Peter's misconceptions to trip Jesus up and pull Him into error. Peter had no idea how much damage his way of thinking would cause if it were followed. Peter had the best of intentions and yet he was not only wrong, his error had the potential to bring great harm.

 

If this teaches us anything it's that we truly need to get in harmony with God's thinking on this, and frankly I don't see that the church understands end-time events near well enough to be able to do that. What we can do is to keep following Jesus and learning to be obedient to Him. The better we can follow His voice now, the more likely we will be able to follow Him when it becomes critical to do so (whether that's the tribulation period or not).

 

While I can't say exactly what will happen during the Great Tribulation, I do know that we live in a world of tribulation and as the end of times approaches there seems to be an acceleration of many things -- both things of God and things of Satan. This will lead to some confusion, because on the one hand, some things will get better, and on the other hand, some things will get worse. To me, it's like the battle for mankind is coming to a head and both sides will have victories and both sides will have defeats.

 

One of the most tragic things would be for Christians to sit this battle out assuming that everything is preordained and that we have no effect on what happens. Satan didn't seem to think Jesus' life was preordained and he tried to change events repeatedly. Likewise, Satan tries to mess up each of our lives and cause us to fail in the assignment God has given us. My point is that regardless of how end-time events actually play out, we need to individually carry out the the assignment God has given us, as those assignments may be crucial for our region (or area of influence) and what God is doing.

 

So what is our assignment? Well, first we should be faithful wherever God has put us, not just in the church, but also with our families and at work. He who is faithful in the little things will be given more. Second, we need to recognize when God is pouring favor on our lives and take advantage of what He has given us. The world is looking for solutions and answers to their problems and we are to be a light in their darkness (not just in matters of salvation). We need to step up to the challenge as Joseph and Daniel did when they were given the opportunity, and seek God for His wisdom and understanding to be able to do so.

 

One person can have a HUGE impact on their nation, changing the destiny of that nation and the role it will play in end-time events. I heard of a woman who purposely took a job as a secretary to the Minister of Interior of her nation (a Central-American country), so she could have an influence on this man. She was able to convince him that a Christian ministry might be able to help out with corruption in one of their prisons, and desperate for a solution, the Minister of Interior decided to try it. This Christian ministry rose to the challenge and in a year turned that prison completely around. Upon seeing this, the Minister of Interior asked the Christians if they could take on ALL the prisons in their nation, and seeing the favor God was giving them they not only said yes they would handle all the prisons, but they asked if there were any other areas where they could help. Why yes, said the Minister of Interior, as a matter of fact they were also having corruption issues in the military!

 

So, because of one simple Christian lady, a nation is currently being transformed.

 

Many great men of the Bible lived in terribly "anti-Christ" empires of their days, and yet God used them to do great things. Who will be the Josephs and Daniels of our day when we need them the most? Who will remain in harmony with God's thoughts even when events don't make sense from what we thought they would turn out like? Who will refuse to become a stumbling block to the purposes of God by not demanding that things work out the way we think they should?

 

Who will have the insight, understanding and wisdom that Daniel had to not only see the hidden mysteries of God, but to also understand what they mean and be able to make prudent judgments about what must be done?

 

Let's not be too quick to get answers to perhaps the deepest mysteries of the ages, but instead let's seek to live a life like Daniel and Joseph and learn how to be used by Him no matter where He puts us -- whether in a prison or on the king's palace. We don't need answers to every question, but we do need to know how to answer the crucial questions put to us each day.

 

Here's an exercise to try. Try reading through the Bible and consider what happens when God pours out His wrath. Does He warn His people and protect them or does He leave them to fend for themselves? Second, when an "anti-Christ" type empire is ruling, look at who God uses. Does He use the people hiding in caves or does He use those who stand up for Him no matter the cost? Moreover, how do those people handle the challenges they face?

 

While I appreciate efforts to make sense of scriptures and what they reveal about end-time events, consider how such teachings are helping you to live your life. If a teaching is helping you to live more like the great heroes of the Bible, then even if the teaching is not entirely accurate at least it has a valuable aspect to it. On the other hand, if a teaching is entirely accurate and yet fails to help you live the way Christ wants us to, then we need to reconsider its true value.

 

I pray that helps you.

 

God bless,

Dean

 What about error?

Sept 14 07

A question was raised that asks how are we to deal with fellow believers who are in error? Isn't it the case that their error will taint (like leaven) their whole person? How can we be in unity when there is disagreement and division? Doesn't the scripture that says "do not let them in your house" mean do not let them in your house? 

 

Well...

It's so easy to disagree and it's so easy to be offended, that I much prefer to see how I can encourage and help instead. Sometimes, when disagreements are great, it can be hard. But think of it this way... How many doses of encouragement does it take before a single dose of correction can be received? How much more will you listen to someone who you know desires the best for you over the one who spends all their time trying to convince you you're wrong?

 

Yes, error can taint us. When we don't understand a truth of God, it will effect our whole person. The more an error strikes at the core of our faith, the greater the distortion will be in other areas of our lives. This can lead to real harm not only in the person's life but in the lives of others around them. Even still, God loves them and often sees things differently than we do.

 

We should be open and honest, but even more, we should be loving -- which includes bearing all things, believing all thing, hoping all things and enduring all things (1 Cor 13:7).

 

The Greek word for "bearing" is "stego" and has to do with covering, as in protecting or concealing the errors and faults of others.

 

The Greek word for "believing" is "pisteuo" and has to do with entrusting someone and putting confidence in them.

 

The Greek word for "hoping" is "elpizo" and has to do with trusting and relying on someone, to put your hope in them.

 

The Greek word for "enduring" is "hypomeno" and has to do with remaining with someone, tarrying with them and not fleeing or leaving them.

 

The Bible says we can understand all mysteries and have all knowledge  (verse 2) , but if we don't have love, we are nothing. What is more important then? Convincing people of the truth as you understand it or loving them as described above, and in that love, sharing your heart with them? 

 

Regarding the verse about not letting them in your house, look at how this verse (and context) is translated in the Holman Christian Standard bible:

2 John 1:7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves so that you don't lose what we have worked for, but you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who does not remain in the teaching about Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son.

10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and don't say, "Welcome," to him; 11 for the one who says, "Welcome," to him shares in his evil works. 

This all has to do with remaining in the "teaching about Christ", and specifically that those who would come to teach in your house confess that Christ came in the flesh. This is talking about essential doctrines. We cannot receive a person into our house to teach us who does not hold to the essential doctrines of Jesus. If we honor a person in that way, we are contributing to helping them spread false teachings about Jesus. That is what John is talking about and it is that simple.

 

The key phrase is "remain in the teaching about Christ". Does a person who comes to your house to teach remain or not remain in the teaching the Apostles gave concerning Christ? Does he depart from the instructions about Christ (that John gave), or does he abide in them?

 

If he doesn't, then don't let him in your house and honor him by doing so.

 

I hope that helps.

 

Dean

ChicagoProphets@aol.com