Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-October 13, 2023-

“And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven”

(Matthew 8:11).

Matthew presents Jesus as the King. He came forth from the root and offspring of David. One day, all believers, Jews and Gentiles will be gathered together in the presence of the Lord. In Matthew 8:5-13, we find the account of the healing of the centurion’s servant who was paralyzed and fully tormented. Jesus promised him, “I will come and heal him” (Matthew 8:7).

The centurion, a Roman, a Gentile, made the incredible statement in Matthew 8:8, “Lord, I am unworthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” This man showed such tremendous faith that Jesus commented to those around Him, “…Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.”

Jesus did speak a word and the servant was healed immediately. Matthew 8:13 says, “Then Jesus said, “‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.” All are saved by grace through faith. Jesus healed and helped many Gentiles in the gospels. He saved us.

Our Lord and Savior is the only One who can solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. So many have tried and failed. It stretches back thousands of years to Abraham’s day between Ismael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau. Only the Prince of Peace can bring true, lasting, and eternal peace. Romans 5:1-2 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

One day soon the Lord Jesus will come to take us home to heaven to be with Him. The events we are witnessing in recent days in Israel point to His imminent return. These are amazing and exciting times for all believers. We will all come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob in Abraham’s bosom. The Lord has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west according to Psalm 103:12.

There are believers now from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Heaven boasts the greatest diversity. All believers are called the children of Abraham, and are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. Let us thank Him now and forever. Revelation 22:20 says, “He who testifies of these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!”

Have a blessed day waiting, watching, worshiping, and working until He comes. Stay safe and healthy.

Being ready by faith with our bags packed, for the Lord Jesus is coming soon to take us all back,

Dean

-October 12, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“Continue in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”

(Colossians 4:2).

Paul encourages the Christians in Colosse to continue praying vigilantly and thankfully. The word continue is defined as, “persist in an activity or process; recommence or resume after interruption.” To continue something can be either good or bad depending whether it is something positive or negative. We should continue good things, good ways, good thoughts, and good habits; we should not continue in sin, bad habits, or behavior.

Prayer is always good and we should continue in it every day. Paul urges the believers to pray vigilantly in prayer. To be vigilant is to be alert, fervent, and persistent. Just because the answer does not come right away, some stop praying about it. God’s delays are not God’s denials. Luke 18:1 says, “Then He [Jesus] spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. He tells the story of a certain widow who came to a judge requesting justice from her adversary. The judge was called the unjust judge. He did not care for the welfare of this woman or anybody else. She kept coming back over and over, and over, wearing him down and wearing him out unto he took action on her behalf. God who never turns us down wants us to pray and keep on praying.

God not only desires that we pray vigilantly but also thankfully. It is always good to thank the Lord in advance for hearing and answering our prayers. Then after He answers, thank Him for answering our prayers. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

The hymn writer Joseph M. Scriven wrote, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

Have a blessed and prayer filled day. Stay safe and healthy.

Continuing in prayer,

Dean

-October 11, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19).

Psychologists, sociologists, and philosophers debate the question, what are man’s deepest and most important needs. Even if they came to a consensus, they would they be relatively helpless to meet them. Only God can fully meet our needs for He created us, sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins, and rose again.

I am not a psychologist, nor a sociologist, nor a philosopher; I am just a humble believer in Jesus Christ. I have no titles before my name nor did I attend a theological school. But I believe from the Bible there are three essential needs in the human heart: for love, for forgiveness, and for acceptance. Of course we have other needs, but these are the big three.

• LOVE – Love is the most important, the need to love and be loved. It is the first fruit of fruit of the Spirit. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Romans 5:8 tells us, “But demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Because God loves us, we can and should love each other.

• FORGIVENESS – Deep down everyone longs to be forgiven, even if they don’t acknowledge it. When a person is unforgiven, they feel hopeless, guilty, worthless, isolated, and lonely. Adam and Eve sinned against God, felt ashamed, and hid themselves from God. He sought them out, clothed their nakedness, provided the blood sacrifice for their sins, and clothed them in animal skins. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” If we don’t forgive others He won’t forgive us.

• ACCEPTANCE – People long to be accepted for who they are. When we came to Christ, He not only loved us and forgave us, but He accepted as we were. But He did leave us that way, but changed our lives, made us His children, and clothed us in His righteousness. Romans 15:7 says, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.” None of us a perfect, so we must accept one another, without hesitation or consternation.

Yes, only God can meet our needs, the needs of our hearts for love, forgiveness, and acceptance; and only we as believers in Christ can meet the needs of others fully, deeply, and completely. His love never fails, His forgiveness not comes us short, and His heart never ceases to accept us and embrace us.

Have a blessed day loving and being loved; forgiving and being forgiven; and accepting others and be accepted. Everything else will fall into place, by His abundant mercy and marvelous grace. Stay safe and healthy.

Letting Christ flow through us,

Dean

-October 10, 2023-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

(James 1:3-4).

The word patience can be translated endurance or perseverance; patience is a fruit of the Spirit and is thus produced by the Holy Spirit and made stronger through the trials we go through. That is why we can “count it all joy when we fall into various trials” (James 1:2).

We all need more patience. Life is not easy, but God’s grace helps us through difficult and challenging situations. Someone once said, “Faith endures trials. Trials come and go, but a strong faith will face them head on and develop endurance.” The Lord is with us in and through us in our trials. My trials will different from yours, and God uses trials for our good and for the good of others whom we share with; all for His glory.

Yesterday a had to go to the lab for a blood test and the whole facility was packed: the pharmacy, the lab, and the injection clinic as well. I waited close to an hour. Even before I went there I was thinking, “I’d better pack my patience,” and how I needed it! None of us like to wait in long lines.

In life, there are going to be delays, postponements, cancellations, changes, traffic jams, interruptions, and other unexpected and or unpleasant situations. Sometimes we have some advance warnings, but most times we don’t.

God uses people and circumstances in our lives; He wants us to trust Him, thank Him, and take every that happens to us as from the Lord. It does no good to resist or complain. Patience may be learned in books, seminars, or by sermons or Bible study, and they are all good and needed; but we learn best by experience and testing.

We are in God’s school and it is challenging. Thank God He gives us open book (the Bible) tests. Sometimes though, open book tests are the hardest because we have to know the material and where to find the answers. It reminds me of the labs classes I had in high school and college. It was hands on and gave us a chance to learn by doing and experimenting.

The Christian life has some basic subjects, but as we grow, they become more advanced and more challenging. Upper division classes go beyond the daily challenges that I mentioned. There is anger management, stress management, sorrow management, loss management, and conflict resolution. God wants us to pass and excel. Each test we take is designed to make us better Christians and more like Christ. Sometimes we may have to repeat the class if we don’t learn the lesson the first time.

We can’t have patience, endurance, or perseverance without being tested. Abraham was the father of faith and his faith was tested, especially when God asked Him to offer up his son Isaac. God spared him from doing it and provided a ram caught in the thicket. The Lord told him that he passed the test with flying colors. Genesis 22:12 says, “And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’” It amounted to Abraham’s PHD thesis in faith and patience.

Have a blessed day learning, growing, trusting, and obeying. God’s school is year round. Stay safe and healthy.

Learning patience and faith in every session, we’ve so much to learn through in every lesson,

Dean

-Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that is all things He may have the preeminence.”

(Colossians 1:18).

Someone once wrote, “If Ephesians can be labeled the epistle portraying the ‘church of Christ,’ then Colossians must surely be the ‘Christ of the church.’ Ephesians focuses on the body; Colossians on the Head.” Christ is the Head of the body, the church. No mortal or angel can claim this lofty and exalted position.

Paul emphasized the deity of Christ. In Paul’s day there were gnostics who doubted that Jesus was God, and they even infiltrated the churches. Colossians 1:12-23 is a tremendous treatise on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our Lord is the Creator, Savior, Redeemer, the firstborn, the Sustainer, the eternal God, and the Head of the church.

Paul’s main purpose is to demonstrate the preeminence of Christ in all things. This expression, “all things is used five times in verses 16-18. By Him all things were created; all things were created through Him and for Him; He is before all things; in Him all things consist; and that in all things He may have preeminence.

The word preeminent is defined as, “surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way.” It is usually reserved for presidents, prime ministers, kings, or queens. Our Lord surpasses them all. But it isn’t enough the Christ is preeminent in the church, He must be preeminent in our lives individually every day in every way.

Putting Jesus first should be our first priority as we begin each day. Whether at home or at work; whether at church or in the neighborhood or community. He affects how we live our lives. Our words, actions, and attitudes must be Christlike.

Is He preeminent in your life? Is He the Lord of your life? He accepts nothing less, He deserves nothing less. He alone is worthy of our praise, worship, and thanksgiving. The hymn writer wrote, “He is Lord, He is Lord, He is risen from the dead and He is Lord. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Have a blessed, bountiful, and beautiful day giving the Lord Jesus His rightful, preeminent place. Stay safe and healthy.

Only One can hold the preeminence in our heart,

Dean