Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-February 15, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the Lord.”

(Leviticus 19:37).

God gave Israel many commandments, statutes, judgments, ordinances, and precepts to follow. He just asked them to be obedient in all things. It was for their good and His glory.

The word all is used twice in today’s verse. To be obedient to the Lord, we must do all that the Lord desires and requires. Partial obedience is really disobedience. To perform them is to be doers of the word, not hearers only.

There are two hymns that use the word all frequently: “All For Jesus,” and “I Surrender All.” In fact, in the hymn book we use at church there are 15 hymns where “all” is the beginning word in the hymn title.

Mary D. Jones wrote, “All for Jesus, all for Jesus! All my being’s ransomed powers: All my thoughts and words and doings, all my days and all my hours.” Judson W. Van de Venter penned, “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.”

The word all is both challenging and encouraging to our hearts. It is a tiny word with huge implications. There were many in Scripture that obeyed all, but a few that did not. Let us be those who do all always.

Have good day by doing God’s will in God’s way. Stay safe and healthy.

If we do all His will, we will please Him still,

Dean

-February 14, 2024-

Good morning, beloved, happy Wednesday, happy Valentine’s Day,

“[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

(1 Corinthians 13:7-8a).

Love is amazing and God’s love is the greatest, highest, and most wonderful of all. Today is the day love is honored, celebrated, extolled, and shared around the world. Though it is especially for married couples, it is also a blessing for us all.

1 Corinthians 13 is rightfully called “The Love Chapter” in the Bible. Love is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote the most beautiful treatise on love. He penned, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself; is not puffed up; does not behave rudely; does not seek its own; is not provoked; thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

In the Greek there are three words for love, agape, which is God’s love, the sacrificial, giving, caring, unselfish love; phileo, which is love for one’s fellow men, especially our family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ; and eros, which the physical, romantic love between married couples. Valentine’s Day is mostly centered on this third type of love.

Saint Valentine’s was an early third century believer in Christ who was martyred for his faith by the Romans. Tradition has it that he was imprisoned awaiting execution and he sent a heart to a young girl whom he had healed. I have heard that he sent little hearts to the saints who were praying for him that he loved them.

Love is not just for lovers, it is for everyone—not just on February 14, but every day of our lives. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

May God help us to love others as He as loved us. There will be chocolate, cards, flowers, and other beautiful gifts. Let us never forget that God is the source of love, and without Him we wouldn’t know how to love.

Though I don’t know you all personally, I love you as my brothers and sisters in Christ. We may never meet on earth, we will in heaven. Have a blessed Valentine’s Day showing and sharing God’s love. Stay safe and healthy.

A day without love is like day without sunshine; a day with love radiates light, warmth, and energy,

Dean

-February 13, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

(Matthew 5:10).

Today’s beatitude is a very challenging one: enduring persecution. Jesus was persecuted, the apostles were persecuted, many early Christians were persecuted, down through the church’s history many have been persecuted, and still today we are persecuted in one form or another.

The persecuted are blessed to suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” The word “will” means it is a sure thing.

If we are reprimanded for doing wrong, that is not persecution. We are getting what we deserve; but doing good and suffering for it is persecution for righteousness’ sake. Standing for Christ, reading and speaking from the Bible, sharing our faith, mentioning the name of Jesus or even attending church services can lead to being persecuted. In quite a few countries today, Christians are imprisoned and killed for their faith.

Jesus also said in Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Peter and John were arrested and beaten by the Jews for their witness and preaching in the name of Jesus, they didn’t stop and considered it a blessing to suffer for Christ. Acts 5:41 says, “So they departed from the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” All the disciples of Jesus were martyred. Paul severely persecuted, imprisoned, and beheaded.

Polycarp, an early Christian was threatened by death by fire unless he declared “Caesar is Lord” and add a pinch of incense to his statue. He said, “How can I blaspheme my King who saved me.” He chose to die rather than deny Jesus.

For us in America, there is no physical persecution, but there is much spiritual, mental and emotional persecution. Whenever we are persecuted it means we are doing something right in God’s sight. Our Lord stands with us and for us as we stand with Him and for Him.

Have a blessed day standing for and speaking of Jesus, no matter the cost. Stay safe and healthy.

It is better to die and to deny; following Christ will never be popular, but it will always be right,

Dean

-February 12, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday, Happy Lincoln’s Birthday,

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”

(Matthew 5:9).

The Bible is full of references to peace, especially peace with God and the peace of God. Today’s verse is the only mention of being a peacemaker. That being said it is a vital function of the child of God, the citizen of heaven to actively work for peace.

The definition of a peacemaker is, “a person who brings about peace, especially by reconciling adversaries.” Jesus was the ultimate Peacemaker. 1 Timothy 2:15 says, “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” As perfect God and perfect man, He died for our sins to bring us to God as children of God.

Once we were enemies of God, now through faith in Christ we are His friends. Paul told the Romans, “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 5:10).

Our mission is the ministry of reconciliation as ambassadors for Christ. It says in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” Thus, reconciliation, mediation, and peacemaking all go together.

As we go out into the world, let us carry the message of God’s love, salvation, and forgiveness. In order to be peacemakers, we must have peace, proclaim and promote it; to speak it and to live it. Jesus promised, “for they shall be called the sons of God.” We don’t become sons of God by peacemaking, rather by grace through faith. Then we can be peacemakers.

It is not an easy task to be a peacemaker. Often both sides in a conflict will turn against you. How we need the love, wisdom, mercy, and grace of Christ to be good peacemakers and peacekeepers. Police officers are rightly called peace officers. They must keep the peace.

Have a blessed day being a peacemaker wherever you go, with whomever you meet, pointing people to Christ. Stay safe and healthy.

Sharpening our people skills to bring them closer to God,

Dean

-February 11, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

(Matthew 5:8).

Only God can make us pure. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. His blood has washed away all our sins. Positionally, we are holy, pure in His eyes; we must then live holy lives practically. God promises His blessing to those with a pure heart: to see God.

The word pure is defined as, “not mixed or adulterated with any substance or material.” Nothing in this world is 100% pure. Some products, like hand sanitizers and soaps claim, “99.9% pure.”

God wants us to have pure hearts, clean hearts. David asks the question in Psalm 15:2, “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill?” He answers his own query, “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:1-2) He gives additional characteristics in the rest of Psalm 15.

Psalm 24:3-4 says, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.” God sees our hearts as well as our actions, hears our thoughts as well as our words.

The expression “pure heart,” is found four times in the Scriptures. May our hearts be pure in all we do and say. We aren’t perfect, we will mess up. The important thing is that God gave us pure heart to live a pure life in Jesus Christ. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Clean hearts and minds lead to clean words and deeds,

Dean