Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-December 2, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout and waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

(Luke 2:25-26).

God has always been faithful to fulfill all His promises; no matter how longer it takes. This was certainly the case with today’s Bible character Simeon. God promised him that he wouldn’t die before he had seen the Messiah. He was one of those who waited for the consolation (or coming) of the Lord.

He was no longer a young man; He is old and the promise was so long ago. Still, his faith was strong and vibrant. He likely shared with family and friends the promise God made to him. There may have been those who told him it might not happen in his lifetime, but he would have none of that. He knew that the Messiah was coming very soon.

He came into the temple at precisely the time that Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus entered in for Jesus to be circumcised and for them to make the customary sacrifice. He immediately took Jesus into his arms and blessed God. His eyes saw the salvation of the Lord. His words were prophetic of our Savior’s life, ministry, and death on the cross. Mary marveled at the things he told. Her about her eight day old Son.

(In progress)

-December 1, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

(1 Timothy 6:12).

All believers in Christ are soldiers of Christ and for Christ. Our fight is not against people in this world, but against Satan and his demons who are behind the scenes fighting against the Lord, His work, and His church. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

As soldiers of Christ we in a constant battle from the moment we get saved until the Lord takes us home to heaven. Like in any war, there are casualties, prisoners of war, and those wounded or killed by friendly fire. All believers are on the same side, the side of Christ, and we should fight the enemy not ourselves.

To effectively fight the good fight, we must put on the whole armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the gospel sandals. We are to take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Before we put on the armor, we put on humility, and pray in the Spirit. All the armor is defensive except the sword of the Spirit.

Paul in discussing the spiritual war we are in, said, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

We fight by letting the Lord Jesus fight for us. We have the promise of His victory. No weapon formed against us shall prosper; the battle is not ours but the Lord’s. We must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We have to rely on His strength, our Commander, Jesus Christ our Lord. The keys to victory are prayer and the Word of God. Paul, at the end of his life, wrote in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Let us fight on, assured of the victory. Have a blessed day in the army of the Lord of Hosts. Stay safe and healthy.

Submitting to God and resisting the devil, will lead us to victory on every level,

Dean

-November 30, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

(Isaiah 7:14).

The name Immanuel is a very fitting for our Lord Jesus Christ. He came down from heaven to dwell with us. Immanuel means “God with us.” He came in deity and clothed Himself in humanity. Matthew 1:23 says, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”

Our King was born in a lowly manger, and grew up to be the homeless stranger. He died for our sins to save us from our sins; He rose for our justification. How different this world would be if He had not been born. He is now with us in all we do. It is so encouraging, comforting, and uplifting to us. We don’t walk alone.

During Christmas we look forward to gathering with family and friends. We want them to be with us. If they can’t make it, we get disappointed and sad. Jesus never disappoints, He never fails. He calls us His children. He loves us and cares for us.

Have a blessed day with Jesus. Stay safe and healthy,

When the King is near, we not fear,

Dean

-November 29, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“The rich and the poor have this in common, the Lord is the Maker of them all.”

(Proverbs 22:2).

Each human being is created and designed by God. We are all unique, no two people are alike; everyone has a unique DNA. We differ in our skin color, hair color, eye color, height, weight, size of the ears and nose, and other physical characteristics. All of us have different talents, traits, abilities, and skills just as God gave them to us.

As believers God has made us just how He wants us to be. Paul recognized this when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” We have an expression that rings true, “Be happy in your own skin.”

My mentor and Bible teacher, Bill MacDonald, wrote, “One of the self-inflicted agonies of life is trying to be someone you were never intended to be. Everyone is a unique creation of God. As someone said, ‘When He made us, He threw away the pattern.’ He never intended for us to change it.”

Yes, we should be ourselves and not try to be someone else. It is good, however to follow the godly examples around us, while still maintaining our own personality. This is what the body of Christ is all about. Preachers, singers, teachers, and others have their own style, mannerisms, and ways of presenting their messages or lessons.

Since God made us the way we are, we should be content, happy, and thankful. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to improve, lose weight, or get in shape and stay in shape, or eat healthy. God wants us to use what He has given us to serve Him and to be a blessing to others. Spiritual growth in the Christian life is extremely important.

Have a blessed day being yourself, sharing your thoughts and experiences with others, and using your gifts, skills, talents, and abilities to help and encourage others. Stay safe and healthy.

Let me remind, you are one of a kind,

Dean

-November 28, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

(2 Corinthians 9:7).

Friday was Black Friday, Saturday was Small Business Saturday, yesterday was Cyber Monday, and today is Giving Tuesday. There are so many good causes one can give to, but the greatest one is to our local church. Our tithing is so very important to keep the ministry going, preaching the gospel, teaching the Word, building up the saints, and supporting our missionaries.

If we do give to para church organizations it should be in addition to our regular giving and we must be sure that the organization is reparable and is providing as much as possible to the cause. We can’t afford to give to them all, so we must choose the best ones.

God loves a cheerful giver. Giving starts in the heart before it comes from the pocketbook. It should never be grudgingly or under compulsion. It must be willingly and generously. It should always be quietly and secretly, without boasting. Jesus said, “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:3-4).

Giving is so rewarding to the person who gives and to the one who receives. Paul said in Acts 20:35, “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is better to give than to receive.’”

May the Lord help us to give today and always to support the work of the Lord, from the heart willingly, joyfully, obediently, and sacrificially. Have a blessed day in giving first of ourselves then of our time, our talents, and our treasures. Stay and healthy.

Someone once said, “Do your giving while your living so your knowing where it’s going,”

Dean