Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-June 25, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.”

(Job 1:1).

There is a vast difference between character and conduct; character is who we are, conduct is what we do. The two should go together in one’s life.

We tend to evaluate another’s conduct, because it is easier to evaluate. We look at performance, success, wealth, possessions, status, and ability. While these things are important, the character is what most important to God, and should be to us as well. The sports teams are using character more in more in their evaluations on who to select for their teams.

It is much easier to change our conduct than it is our character. When we yield to the Lord and seek Him, He will work on our character. Job had a godly character which resulted in a godly lifestyle. He was consistent day in and day out.

There were four essential elements to Job’s character: he was blameless, upright, fearing God, and shunning evil. As a result his behavior was good. Like us, he wasn’t perfect, but he was a man of faith known for patience. Nothing and no one moved him.

1. Blameless – To be blameless is not to be sinless. What it means to live in such a way that pleases God. To do so he repented, confessed his sin, and forsook it. He didn’t sweep anything under the carpet. He harbored no grudges or ill will toward others.

2. Upright – To be upright is to have high standards, God’s standards. He was honest, sincere, and transparent as a man, husband, father, and businessman. He practiced what he preached and was an example to young and old alike. His conscience was clear. He was at peace.

3. Feared God – To fear God is to reverence and respect God. He lived by the Word of God. Bible scholars tell us he lived in the days of the patriarchs Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. Think of it, before the Law was given. He was obedient to God and walked with God daily.

4. Shunned Evil – To shun evil is hate it, stay away from it, and be on guard against it. It can be literally translated, “turning away from evil.” Oh how this is needed today! We live in an evil world under the control of Satan, the evil one, the prince of the power of the air. It drives us to our knees to pray for our country and our world for people to be saved.

It’s not easy to be a man like Job. We all fall short, but through Christ we are growing to be more like Him. Let us strive to be blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. God wants us to be people of integrity in good times and bad.

Have blessed day walking with God no matter what may come. Stay safe and healthy. The real me is what only what God can see.

Good conduct stems from good character, and good character comes which from and through Christ.

Dean

-June 24, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.”

(Acts 6:3).

The early church was growing by leaps and bounds. Souls were being saved, and as a result there were many needs that had to be addressed. It started with a complaint by some over the daily distribution of food for their widows. The Hellenists, Greek speaking Jews, said that their widows were being neglected.

The twelve took decisive action. They summoned the multitude of disciples and came up with a godly solution to this problem. The twelve were stretched so thin that they couldn’t handle waiting on tables any longer and serving food to those in need. They needed others to help them. Hence, a new group was formed which were called deacons. Deacons are servants who handle the physical workings and needs of the church.

Seven men were chosen; each one was spiritually qualified. Notice what their credentials had to be: they had to be men of good reputation and full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. As we read further passages in the NT, the qualifications of deacons were nearly identical with elders, the difference being in their ministry. Elders are responsible for the shepherding and the spiritual needs of the congregation.

• Of Good Reputation – They had to be men who were mature, knowledgeable, and well respected in the church for their example. 1 Timothy 3:8-13 gives a complete description of deacons. The standard for deacons was very high and not to be taken lightly.

• Full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom – To be filled with the Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit, to be godly, spiritually minded believers. They had to put the Lord first in their lives and manage their households wisely. They had to not just know the Word but know how to apply it to their daily lives and obey the Lord in all things.

Deacons were servants, and every believer should serve the Lord. These qualities are something all of us should strive to achieve: to be genuine, sincere, godly servants, filled with the Holy Spirit and power. It is so important to be examples before others.

The apostles recognized an issue, discussed it, prayed over it, and took action. It is the same way we should handle issues and problems in our lives and in our families. They took input and reached a consensus and it resulted in a good change.

Have a blessed day in making good decisions based on God’s word and will. Stay safe and healthy.

Good changes are for the best, for us and for the rest.

Dean

-June 23, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh.”

(Hebrews 10:19-20).

The blood of Christ is cleansing, forgiving, guilt ridding, powerful, and eternal. By it our sins were forgiven and washed away. The blood of Christ opened the way for us to enter the very presence of God.

We now have boldness, or as it can be translated, confidence, to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus. Under the Old Covenant, only the high priest could enter the Holiest (the holy of Holies), and only once a year after offering a sacrifice for his own sins, then for the sins of the people. This took place on the day of atonement.

Through Jesus’ blood the way is opened to every sinner who repents and receives Christ. It is a new and living way through the death of Christ on the cross. His one eternal sacrifice did something no animal sacrifice could do. They had to keep repeating the same sacrifices over and over; sin was covered, but Jesus’ blood paid our sin debt in full.

1 Peter 1:2 says, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace be multiplied.” The blood of Christ unites us to Christ and to one another. We are washed in the blood of the Lamb. Thus, we are blood brothers.

As sinners saved by grace, we still have the old nature and we still sin. John wrote, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Tomorrow morning we will gather to break bread, and take the cup, a symbol of His shed blood, and remember what He did for us at Calvary.

Have a blessed Lord’s day worshipping our Savior. Stay safe and healthy.

As the hymn writer wrote, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Dean

-June 22, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich” (Proverbs 21:17).

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

There two kinds of pleasure that are mentioned in the Scriptures; earthly pleasures and heavenly pleasures. The former stir the flesh to sin and last only temporarily; the latter stir the spirit and last forever.

Earth pleasure leads only to sorrow and poverty. Those who seek it will never have true joy, happiness, or fulfillment. People who chase pleasure can never find it.

King Solomon in his later years sought after pleasure in this world apart from God, only to conclude that it was vanity of vanities. He wrote in Ecclesiastes 2:10, “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor.”

On the other hand, godly pleasure is found only in Christ. There is fullness of joy in the presence of the Lord. In the 1982 Academy Award winning film, “Chariots of Fire,” sprinter Eric Liddell, a devout believer in Christ, competed in the 1924 Olympics. Because of his strong beliefs and convictions, he refused to run on Sunday. He was the clear favorite in the 100 meter dash. A teammate on the British team gave him his spot in the 400 meters. That was a long race for sprinter. He not only won, but set an Olympic record.

Eric always looked upward as he came toward the finish line and said, “I run for His pleasure.” May the Lord help us to live for the Lord’s pleasure and find our fulfillment and satisfaction in Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

What pleasure are you seeking: The heavenly kind or the earthly kind?

Dean

-June 21, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!”

(Nehemiah 13:14).

Nehemiah was a cup bearer for a king who became the builder of walls and men in God’s kingdom. God put a burden on his heart, and sent him on a mission to accomplish. It did it with all his heart and finished it in God’s strength.

He became governor over Judah; He was one of the best leaders in the Bible, along with Joseph, and Daniel. He never complained, compromised, or cowered in spite of great opposition. He led the building project and worked side by side with the people to build the wall around Jerusalem in a mere 52 days.

Three times in Nehemiah 13, he says to the Lord, “Remember me, O my God… (Nehemiah 13:14; 13:22; and 13:31). What made him make this request to the Lord? We don’t know for sure, the Scripture doesn’t say. We do know that it is not something we need to be concerned about, for God will never forget us or what we have done or are doing for His glory.

Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” God sees, God hears, and God rewards.

I have a sign on my refrigerator and one in my office at church that says, “I am called to serve Jesus— A mission of mercy and a labor of love.” I had it made special from a company that does these things. I call it “my calling.”

Let us remember that God does not forget anything we do in His name. Have a blessed day serving our Savior. Stay safe and healthy.

May we be be tireless workers and builders for God’s kingdom.

Dean