Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-July 15, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“And in the midst of the seven lamp stands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters.”

(Revelation 1:13-15).

What does Jesus look like? Many artists have tried their utmost to depict Him; many preachers have sought to describe Him; and many writers have sought to portray Him. No one living on earth has seen Jesus face to face. The disciples who were with saw Him. One day all of us will see Him.

John wrote in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

Imagine how awestruck John was with the vision of Christ while on the isle of Patmos. It was overwhelming! John reacted as we all will in a coming day, “And when I saw Him, I feel at His feet as a dead…” (Revelation 1:17).

It is one thing to speak to someone on the phone, or see a picture of them, or hear someone else describe them to us; but it quite another to see the person with our own eyes. We see Jesus now by the eyes of faith, but one day, we will see Him face to face in all of His glory.

Mark Altrogge wrote a beautiful hymn entitled, “I stand in Awe.” He wrote of our Lord, “You are beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words, too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard. Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom? Who can fathom the depth of Your love? You are beautiful beyond description, Majesty, enthroned above! You are beautiful beyond description, yet God crushed You for my sin, in agony and deep affliction, cut off that I might enter in. Who can grasp such tender compassion? Who can fathom this mercy so free? You are beautiful beyond description, Lamb of God who died for me! The chorus says, “I stand, I stand in awe of You! I stand, I stand in awe of You! Holy God, to Whom all praise is due, I stand in awe of You!

Oh, what a Savior we have—we will see Him and be with Him for all eternity. Let us live for Him in zeal, awesome wonder, and holy reverence. Have a blessed day with Him. Stay safe and healthy.

The hymn writer expressed it so well, “When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.”

Dean

-July 14, 2024-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

(Psalm 11:3).

Every time I read this verse, I think of our nation. This country was founded on faith in God and His holy Word. Over my lifetime I have seen an erosion in our godly foundations.

Quite a few years ago, the Bible and prayer were removed from the curriculum. It’s no wonder that so many have lost their moral compass. There are shootings, killings, crimes of every sort, corruption, scandals, and evil everywhere. The very young and the very young, our most vulnerable are abused.

Many people don’t go to church nor do they take their children to Sunday School. TV, video games, off color movies, and pornography all contribute to the problem. What was shocking before, no longer raises an eyebrow. Sin is normalized, accepted, rationalized, and even flaunted.

The only reason America is still standing is because godly Christians are praying and seeking the Lord. Our foundations have many cracks, deep fissures. It is so sad. We need revival in our land.

Just yesterday, former president Trump was shot; he could have been killed. It was so upsetting. It’s another example demonstrating that we are living in the last days. If David found the foundations of Israel being destroyed, how much more are our foundations being destroyed today?

Let us as believers set the example through prayer and the Bible. May we stand for the Lord Jesus Christ and His truth, not condoning sin or compromising with evil. We need strong, godly marriages, homeschooled kids, more prayer meetings and less entertainment in our churches.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day. Stay safe and healthy on the sure foundation of Christ.

How can you build your foundations for the Lord?

Dean

-July 13, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor cease from yielding fruit.”

(Jeremiah 17:8).

I always try to learn new things. Recently I met a gentleman who is a believer and we had great fellowship discussing the Lord and the Christian life. We were sharing about the pandemic and how during that time we missed the fellowship with the saints.

He shared with me about redwood trees and how they grow strong together. You can’t plant just one redwood, they need to be rooted near at least one other redwood tree. They send out their roots which intertwine with the other redwoods. Redwoods grow tall and strong. They live for hundreds of years.

They offer us a great lesson on the fellowship we have together and how we need other. On-line church services are good and needed at times, but they can’t give us the fellowship.

Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another , and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Let us love one another and encourage one another in the Lord. We aren’t lone wolves, we need each other. Our growth depends on it. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

As Solomon said, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).”

Dean

-July 12, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain” (Mark 9:2).

“Then one in the crowd answered and said, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and he becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not” (Mark 9:17-18).

We have all heard of the term, “mountaintop experience.” It refers to something really great that happens to us. Jesus chose three of His inner circle of disciples to see Him transfigured before them. Imagine how awesome that was! His clothes became shining, white, like snow, such as no earthly launderer can whiten them. In addition, Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke to Jesus.

God spoke to them, out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him! Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves” (Mark 9:7-8). Talk about an amazing mountaintop experience! The disciples learned the lesson that Jesus was them on the mountaintop. It isn’t about us or some emotional experience. God gives some mountaintop experiences, to be sure, great victories and successes, but we can’t stay on the mountain. We must go down to the valleys in life.

The valleys represent the realities of life: the trials, the challenges, the hardships, the pain, the sorrows, the failures, and the defeats. He is with us just as much in the valley as He is on the mountaintop. We must walk by faith through the valley of the shadow of dead. We must trust Him in the dark as we trust Him in the light.

You might be on the mountaintop today or you may be in the valley. We learn lessons in both, but I believe we learn more in the valleys. God ordains the mountaintops and He ordains the valleys.

Have a blessed day in every way. Stay safe and healthy.

Anywhere with Jesus we are safe and secure; anything with Jesus we can truly endure.

Dean

-July 11, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go with him.”

(Acts 16:1-3).

When Paul came to Derbe and Lystra, he met a young disciple by the name of Timothy. He was immediately impressed with him and his potential for the Lord and His service.

Timothy’s mother, Eunice and grandmother, Lois taught him well the ways of the Lord. For all intents and purposes, he was homeschooled way before it was popularized in recent years. He was a very impressive young man.

The phrase, “He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium,” is a strong recommendation to the Apostle Paul. Timothy was not only well taught but well grounded in his faith. Sure, he needed mentoring, and experience, but he had all the tangibles and intangibles.

Young people thrive when they have two major things: first, an opportunity to serve, and second, a humble, obedient spirit. He had the skill and the will.

Paul loved Timothy like a son. In fact, he calls him “my own son in the faith.” He also paid Timothy the highest compliment in Philippians 3:20-21, “For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.”

May each of us seek to be an example of a servant of Christ like Timothy. We all need mentors and to be mentors to others. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

God sees our heart and our potential.

Dean