Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-August 24, 2023-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.”

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Our bodies are very important to the Lord. Our Lord Jesus Christ died for us, and bought us with His own blood. Thus we no longer belong to ourselves but to Him. We have three parts: spirit, soul, and body. When we think of it, the body is the way we express our holiness before the Lord. Everything we have belongs to the Lord. We are stewards or managers of what He has given us.

Immorality was a significant problem in the early days of the church, and it is still a big issue in our world today. Sadly, it also affects believers in the church. This sin has ruined many lives and destroyed homes, families, and churches. Paul listed fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, and sodomites, as well as covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners. None of these will inherit the kingdom of God.

But Paul says, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). We are washed in the precious blood of Christ and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Hence, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The devil would like nothing better than to drag us into this sin and destroy our testimony for Christ. This is why Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” All other sacrifices are dead sacrifices, but our bodies are living sacrifices we present to Him.

Let us make the commitment to our Lord and Savior, to our families, to our church, to our ministry, and to ourselves to live holy lives, pleasing to Him. 1 Peter 1:14-16 says, “As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” We have the power to be victorious.

Have a blessed, holy day in the body. Stay safe and healthy.

Guarding our temple from without and within,

Dean

-August 23, 2023-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

(2 Corinthians 5:1).

There is a great contrast between a tent and a building. A tent is defined as, “a portable shelter made of cloth, supported by one or more poles and stretched tight by cords or loops attached to pegs driven into the ground.” A building, on the other hand, is, “a structure with roof and walls, such as a house, school, or factory.” A tent is a temporary dwelling place, whereas a house is a permanent one. Given a choice, everyone would choose a house over a tent.

Paul uses his knowledge of tent making to illustrate our earthly bodies which are subject to disease, decay, and destruction. We suffer pain. These bodies, like tents, are temporary. One day we will be clothed with new spiritual bodies in which we will live with the Lord in heaven forever. Peter also spoke of this same subject in 2 Peter 1:13-14, “Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.”

All of us will one day put off this tent either at death or at the Rapture whichever comes first. How relieved we will be! 1 Corinthians 15:43-44 says of our body, “It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” Paul adds in 1 Corinthians 15:53, “For this corruptible must put on in incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

When Jesus rose from the dead He had a new body. He could pass through walls and disappear and reappear. He said in Luke 24:39, “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” He ate broiled fish and honeycomb with His disciples.

Our outward man is perishing but our inward man is is being renewed day by day. These tents will one day be taken down and folded up; our soul and spirit will take residence in a new body, in a new place. Let us rejoice that the best is yet to come. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,

Dean

-August 22, 2023-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the way and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

(Jeremiah 16:16).

Progress is seen all over the world in new technologies, new medical breakthroughs and procedures, and new ways to doing things. We are thankful for them, but as much as we progress in many ways we are actually digressing spiritually. The foundations of our families are being is eroded, and things are getting worse every day.

As believers, we need to be right with God, choose to obey the Lord, do His will, and serve Him. There were so few in Jeremiah’s day who sought the Lord. God used the prophets to warn the people of impending disaster because of their evil and idolatrous ways.

What are the old paths and the good way? It is following the Lord and walking with Him. The old ways are the best ways, and the good path is the best path. It is rejecting sin, the flesh, our own wills. God’s ways are always the best ways. Isaiah wrote, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Many years ago, Katherine Hankey wrote a hymn entitled, “I Love to Tell the Story.” The fourth verse says, ‘I love to tell the story—For those who know it best it seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest; And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song, ‘twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.”

For those who seek the Lord there is rest for the soul. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

May the Lord help us to choose the old path and the good way. It is a straight and narrow path, it is the right path, it is God’s path. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Getting back to the old path and the good path where there are new blessings,

Dean

-August 21, 2023-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

(1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

We all like surprises, good surprises. We especially appreciate surprise birthday parties, surprise gifts, and surprise announcements, such as raises, promotions, births, and other things that make the heart sing. But we don’t like bad surprises.

Today’s verses show that God has some great surprises awaiting us in heaven. When Paul was taken up to the third heaven, he saw and heard things no living person in earth ever could see or hear. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 says, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows—how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which is not lawful for a man to utter.”

Paul was that man. He was not permitted to share experiences with anyone. There are things that we do know from the Scriptures that absolutely thrill the heart: we will see Jesus face to face in all His glory; we will see myriads of angels and gloried saints: we will see pearly gates and streets of gold; we will see the Tree of Life and eat of its fruits; and we will see a pure river of life clear as crystal. In fact, there is going to be more, much more, more than we can imagine or dream of. These things merely whet our appetite for heaven our eternal abide!

None of us know all that awaits us, but we know enough to make us want to go there now! With each passing day, we are another day closer to glory. Let us look forward with glad anticipation to all the surprises He will have for us. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,

Dean

-August 20, 2023-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.”

(Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31).

Four times the psalmist repeats the same encouraging words. It is as if he is expressing a desire that everyone in the world would join him in thanking the Lord for His goodness and wonderful works to the children of men.

We need to thank the Lord for His goodness. David expressed the importance of God’s goodness in Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” God’s goodness and mercy lubricate us through all the friction of this world.

It is also essential to remember and thank the Lord for His wonderful works. He has done so many things for us. As soon as we begin thanking the Lord, we run out of time, not of blessings. The hymn writer wrote, “Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul, thank You, Lord, for making me whole; Thank You, Lord, for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free.”

May we be blessed by every repetition in the Bible. Psalm 136 contains the most repetitions, each of the 26 verses say, “for His mercy endures forever.” Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Thanking the Lord for His goodness and wonderful works,

Dean