Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-December 12, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

(Matthew 1:21).

One of the most beautiful titles of our Lord Jesus Christ is Savior. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary the word savior is defined as, “one that saves from danger or destruction; the one who brings salvation, specifically, Savior: Jesus.” Jesus came to into this world to be our Savior: your Savior and my Savior, and the Savior of all those who believe, repent, confess their sins, and receive Him as Savior and Lord.

Martin Luther once said, “The life of Christianity consists of possessive pronouns. It is one thing to say Christ is a Saviour; it is quite another thing to say, ‘He is my Saviour and my Lord.’ The devil can say the first; the true Christian alone can say the second.” Every person born into this world is born in sin and conceived in iniquity. All of us are sinners by position and by practice. None of us can save ourselves from sin and its result of eternal death and destruction.

Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Paul also wrote in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Only Jesus saves, delivers, and rescues us. Lifeguards rescue people from drowning; Jesus the greatest lifeguard of all rescues us from sin and gives us new life. Someone who is rescued is forever grateful to his rescuer.

Someone once said, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.” I first read this on a Christmas card many years ago. It still rings true today in 2023.

Have you received Jesus as your personal Savior? Why not receive Him today by grace through faith in Him. He died for you, in your place, to save you from your sins. If you do know Jesus as Savior, rejoice that He is your personal Savior. Let us now live for Him and serve Him until He calls us home to heaven.

Have a blessed day preparing for Christmas. Stay safe and healthy.

We can’t save anyone, but we can point everyone to Jesus the Savior who can,

Dean

-December 11, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“He will great, and will be called the Son of the highest; and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

(Luke 1:33-34).

God sent the angel Gabriel on a special mission to speak to both Mary and Joseph. There are only three angels mentioned in the Bible, Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer, who fell and became the devil. Gabriel was a special angel. He was sent to Daniel, Zacharias, Mary, and Joseph. It was a great privilege, yet a great responsibility as well.

When describing something to others, we tend to either embellish the facts making them appear better than they really are or we underestimate or downplay their significance. Many stick to just the facts and eliminate the emotion altogether. It is best to adhere to the proven facts, yet not lose sight of the emotions and feelings involved. A good reporter captures the facts but also describes the emotions and repercussions for those involved.

Angels can take human form to speak to human beings on behalf of the Lord. Gabriel introduced himself to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist in Luke 1:19, “And the angel Gabriel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you these glad tidings.’”

The glad tidings, or as it can be translated good news, is amazing. What he told Mary as recorded in Scripture is nothing less than marvelous, magnificent, and miraculous: “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”(Luke 1:28); “You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:32); “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33).

Just imagine this young virgin’s amazement at all these words. It seemed way more than she could take in. She asked Gabriel, “How can these things be, since I do not know a man” (Luke 1:34)? After explaining it as best he could to a mortal, that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Highest would overshadow her, He said, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). After all that, she willingly said in Luke 1:38, “…Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be done to me according to your word…”

Now it is up to us to spread these glad tidings to friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, fellow students, or whomever we come into contact with. Our mission is so important this Christmas and every day of our lives. Not everyone will believe, not everyone will receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Only God can prepare and save a soul. The results are in His hands.

Have a blessed day and Christmas season telling the greatest story ever told, the true meaning of Christmas. Stay safe and healthy.

Jesus is the reason for the season, just as every season gives a reason that Christ is risen,

Dean

-December 10, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“… and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

(Matthew 28:20)

We all love Christmas and sometimes we wish it could last forever. It is such a wonderful time of the year. When we love Jesus, Christmas does not have to end. We take down the tree, put out away the lights and ornaments, and life returns to normal. Christmas ends, but the spirit of Christmas doesn’t have to.

Because Jesus is with us, the life of Jesus is manifested in our hearts and lives. There are three hallmarks that define the spirit of Christmas: love, giving, and peace. If we live our lives showing these qualities, life will be richer, fuller, and better. How different this world would be if we all lived by these wonderful three!

I. LOVE – The love of Christ makes all the difference in our lives. It enables to love others as He loves us, and even to love our enemies. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

II. GIVING – God has given us the gift of His Son, the gift of eternal life, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. We give gifts to one another at Christmas, and also on birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other momentous occasions. But gifts can be given just because we love someone; we can also give our time and efforts in the Lord’s service. The best giving is when we give of ourselves. Jesus told His disciples, “…Freely you have received, freely give.” (See Matthew 10:8). God loves a cheerful giver.

III. PEACE – The people of world crave peace, but it always eludes them. There are wars, conflicts, crimes, violence, and other disturbances all around us. Jesus the Prince of Peace gives us peace: peace with God and the peace of God. The angel told the shepherds in Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” And Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

There is a wonderful Christmas hymn entitled, “Good Christian Men Rejoice.” One line says, “Good Christian men rejoice with heart and soul and voice; Now ye need not fear the grave: Peace! Peace! Jesus Christ was born to save! Calls you one and calls you all to gain His everlasting hall. Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save.”

Let us rejoice in Christ’s love, His gifts, and His peace, then spread them all around – all year round. Have a blessed Lord’s Day. Stay safe and healthy.

We have good cheer when we have Christmas all through the year,

Dean

-December 9, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for the redemption in Jerusalem.”

(Luke 2:36).

Luke in his thorough and detailed way tells the story of Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, a widow who had only been married for seven years before her husband died, and was now 89. Instead of sulking, pouting, or complaining she chose to dedicate herself fully to the Lord. She did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. How do we react to loss?

She, like Simeon, were among the godly Jews who waited for the Lord’s coming in His first advent. They called it waiting for the consolation and redemption in Jerusalem. These dear saints knew the Scriptures and waited a long time for Messiah to come. Days would turn to months, months would turn to years. They were undeterred, waiting patiently for the the Lord to come.

Because she had the right attitude, and she was in the right place at the right time. She got to see the baby Jesus who was eight days old. She gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Jesus to others. She may have been old, but she was still young at heart. She served more than many others much younger than she.

I am reminded of the hymn entitled, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” It was translated from a 9th century Latin hymn. It says, “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that morns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” Anna rejoiced, Simeon rejoiced, all those who were waiting for the Messiah rejoiced.

Jesus the Light of the world shined through the darkness, dispelled the dark clouds of doubt and fear, and redeemed us to Himself. Let us not be discouraged, troubled or fearful by what is happening in the world today. Jesus is coming to take us home to heaven. His promise will be fulfilled. Let us lift up our heads for our redemption draws near.

Have a blessed day Christmas season. Stay safe and healthy.

It is always becoming to wait for His coming,

Dean

-December 8, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

John, like Mark, in writing his gospel does not give the details of the birth of Christ. He chooses rather to refer to it in the light of eternity. He describes Jesus as the eternal Word who took on human flesh, full of grace and truth.

Jesus Christ is the living Word who always existed from the beginning. He was with God and was God. The Greek word that John employs is Logos. Someone wrote, “John portrays Him in His deity as the Son of God. John’s purpose is crystal clear: to set forth Christ in His deity in order to spark believing faith in his readers.”

Christ is the living Word just as the Scriptures are the written Word. He came forth from the Father and became a human being in order to bear the sins of the whole world. He stepped out of eternity into time, becoming flesh like us, yet without sin, and died for sins and was raised for our justification.

His earthly mission began at His birth in Bethlehem: from the manger to the cross, from the cross to the tomb, and from the tomb to the throne in glory. Yes, His story is from glory to glory. He was and is full of grace and truth. John wrote, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:16-18).

Hymn writer William C. Dix wrote the beautiful words, “Why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear, for sinners here the silent Word is pleading. This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe, the son of Mary.”

Anyone who truly believes must believe that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. John later wrote in 1 John 4:2-3, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and now is already in the world.”

Let us bow before the Lord Jesus Christ: who is the Ancient of days, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace, the Alpha and Omega, and so much more. May our worship and praise rise like incense to the throne of God, where He is sitting at the right hand of God in glory.

Have a blessed day with the living Word and in the written Word. Stay safe and healthy.

Hearing the Word in clearest tone, honoring Christ and Christ alone,

Dean