” Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right. “
– C.H. Spurgeon
Who is Christopher Dean really? That’s a tough question, but I suppose if I had to answer honestly I would say I’m just a man in love with Jesus. I haven’t always been so. I was raised in the church and was half-taught a plethora of truths. Betrayed by the church and isolated from spiritual mentoring for years, I had nowhere to land but my own understanding. I desired to do right yet I was unsure of what right really was. I had become borderline pantheistic in my own efforts to know who God was. Ironic right? I know. Ultimately, my life became a war zone reflecting all of the tension, chaos, and fallout that comes from trying to follow without seeing and love without knowing.
In this battle Jesus had sent many people into the fray for my sake. Not the least of these was my fellow soldier and Operation Red Pill co-founder Jason Spears. Jason showed me that you could be a man after God and not have to check your mind at the door. Together, we learned to appreciate how relevant the Bible is and how it answers questions from both the most modern thinker and ardent skeptic alike. But it’s not just accurate in the realm of thought either. The struggles and victories in its pages capture the human condition flawlessly and correspond so precisely to the reality we experience every day, that its mind-blowing! This utterly amazed me and caused me to want to know who Jesus really was, to learn what the bible really taught and what it really means to be a Christ follower.
Through this the Lord gave me a hunger for knowledge and an increased capacity of understanding. To this day every new discovery comes with a boost of zeal and childlike wonder at this not-so-simple carpenter born in a manger. Looking back at the foolish younger version of myself I am both saddened at the fruitless efforts of my youth and determined to spare others from the same detriment. The Bible talks of perishing for lack of knowledge. I know first hand that I could have avoided so much self destruction if provided with biblical instruction. I had to learn, the hard way, the importance of cultivating a Godly mindset. Scripture teaches us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I’ve found this to be a most critical discipline in my journey with Jesus. Everyday I am amazed at how frequently we are force-fed lies. These lies are not just designed to deceive but also to conform and mold our point of view, a point of view that often leads away from Christ and not towards him. This means that guarding our minds and surveying our thoughts is not optional but essential, and requires intentionality.
In fact, being a Christian requires not just intentionality, but discipline and consistency also. It doesn’t stop after Sunday morning service. This liberating journey is intrusive, counter-cultural, uncomfortable and yet wonderful. Make no mistake, the battle is real, and the preacher isn’t the only one telling you how to live either. Television, movies, music, even the back of your cereal box plays into a decisive effort to sway you in one direction or another. If the direction of your thoughts, and in turn your life, is not headed toward Jesus, then the only other option is misery and certain death. If in fact Jesus is the very source of life itself, then anything away from Him is death. We hope maybe through our efforts and study you might be able to glean a bit of truth that points you a little closer to the undisputed most influential being to walk this earth – Jesus Christ
– Christopher