Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-February 20, 2023- President’s Day

Good morning, happy Monday, happy President’s Day,

“I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall My people.”

(Leviticus 26:12).

Today is President’s Day, a day remember and celebrate the birthdays of two of our greatest presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. President Washington led our nation for its first eight years after gaining our independence, and helped get the new nation going; President Lincoln led our nation during the perilous Civil War between the North and South. He kept the country together and freed the slaves. Sadly, his life was cut short by an assassin’s bullet.

Both men were God-fearing men who spent time on their knees praying for God’s help and intervention. They looked to the Lord for His strength and guidance. There is the fact that the Lord was among us at the beginning, in the middle, and all the way to the end. Our nation was founded on God and His Word and has been preserved to this present moment. Though our country has walked away from God in so many ways, it is still the best country in the world. We have so many freedoms and blessings. There many saints and many churches from shore to shore.

As a church, composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can say that the Lord walks among us, collectively as well as individually. He walks with us, and we walk with Him. The Israelites in the wilderness complained against God and His leaders Moses and Aaron. It got so bad, that they actually asked the question, “Is the Lord among us or not” (Exodus 17:7)? How sad, how disappointing! God promises to be with us and to never leave us nor forsake us.

There is a Christian song written by Michael Hansen, entitled, Come Walk Among Us.” He wrote, “Come walk among us, come walk among us Jesus. You know we need You, You know that we need You Jesus. You see our hearts, You know that we’re born from dust. It’s You who made us, Lord, in You we choose to trust. Come Lord, come Lord.”

The Lord lived among us while on earth for 33 years. He is Immanuel, meaning God with us. After His death and resurrection, He commissioned His disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things. He then told them, “Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.” He is our Head, our Lord and King. He is among us. He knows our needs and provides for us and cares for us.

Have a blessed day with Him among us. Stay safe and healthy.

On the journey to heaven with the Lord among us,

Dean

-February 18, 2023-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17).

“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him’” Matthew 17:5)!

On two occasions that we have in the gospel accounts, our Heavenly Father is heard speaking to His beloved Son. The first was after John the Baptist baptized Him and the other was on the Mount of Transfiguration. In both cases, God says, This is My well beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus was and is the Son of God: perfect, sinless, innocent, and holy. He was fully God and fully man. He was the only one qualified to be our Substitute and Savior. The Father was well pleased with Him and we are pleased as well. In John 5:31-39, Jesus mentions His Fourfold witnesses: His works, John the Baptist, the Father, and the Scriptures. The Father was pleased with His life, His ministry, and His death on the cross for our sins. Because He was satisfied with His sacrifice for our sins, He raised Him from the dead.

No one living or dead, can compare to Jesus. The people were amazed by the miracles He performed. Mark 7:37 says, “And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’” This was a type of our lives before Christ: deaf to God and unable to speak to Him. Now that we are saved He is our Beloved. He is our heavenly Bridegroom and we are His Bride.

There is a beautiful hymn, entitled, “Immanuel’s Land, written by Ann Ross Cousin. One the verses says, “Oh! I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved’s mine! He brings a poor vile sinner into His house of wine! I stand upon His merit. I know no other stand, not e’en where glory dwelleth, in Immanuel’s land.” One day when we are in His presence, we will fall on our faces before Him and worship Him. We will sing His praises and thank Him for all His done for us. While we are still on this earth, let us in our limited capacity and way do the same. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

We are His beloved. Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude all refer to believers in Christ as beloved. On the Mount, God added, “Hear Him!” We want to hear His voice speaking through His Word. Have a blessed day at church. Stay safe and healthy.

Accepted in the Beloved,

Dean

-February 18, 2023-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

(John 3:30).

John the Baptist was a great man of God and prophet. He was the forerunner of Christ. He knew his ministry and performed it well. When the Jews sent priests and Levites to question him, Who are you? He responded, “I am not the Christ.” When questioned still further about himself, he responded, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.” He added, “I baptize you with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am unworthy to loose.”

John the Baptist pointed people to Jesus. He said of Jesus in John 1:29, …”Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He sensed his own unworthiness and Jesus’ worthiness. When we come to Christ, we must come humbly before Him. The Lord shows that we are sinners and need to be saved. As we grow in Christ, we sense our own vileness and sinfulness. The more we know Him, the more we to Him, and give Him our whole hearts.

As He increases, we decrease. We recognize how great He is, and how little we are. There is a beautiful hymn written by Theodore Monod that says, “O the bitter shame and sorrow, that a time could ever be; When I let the Savior’s pity plead in vain, and proudly answered: ‘All of self and none of Thee!’ Yet He found me; I beheld Him bleeding on th’ accursed tree, heard Him pray: ‘Forgive them Father!’ And my wistful heart said faintly, ‘Some of self and some of Thee!’ Day by day His tender mercy, healing, helping, full and free; Sweet and strong and, ah so patient, brought me lower, while I whispered, ‘Less of self and more of Thee!’ Higher than the highest Heaven, deeper than the deepest sea, Lord, Thy love at last has conquered; Grant me now my spirit’s longing: ‘None of self and all of Thee!’”

May each of us strive to decrease so that He would increase. Let others see Jesus only in our lives. Have a blessed day pointing others to Christ in word and deed. Stay safe and healthy.

Going lower to lift Jesus higher,

Dean

-February 17, 2023-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

(Romans 8:37).

Oh what victory we have through our Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross and His glorious resurrection. All our foes were vanquished through His precious blood. Satan was crushed, sin was defeated, death was overwhelmed, and our flesh was overcome. Hallelujah what a Savior. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Christ’s victory was overwhelming, it wasn’t even close. This year’s Super Bowl was one of the best ever and came down to the last possession with Kansas City beating Philadelphia by just a field goal, a mere three points. Jesus’ victory was a blow out, not even close. We as believers, who are on His side are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Those who were present at the cross witnessed His death and many thought He was defeated. But by His death and resurrection, we now enjoy divine protection. He is alive and seated at the right hand of God. We are victorious through Him alone.

We are not not just conquerors, but more than conquerors. Romans 8:31 says, “What then shall we say to these things, if God be for us, who can be against us?” Fear disappears when Jesus is near. We must now claim the victory daily and appropriate it to our lives! So many Christians live defeated, downtrodden, and discouraged lives. Instead, we should be living victorious, successful, and fruitful ones. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

The song writer wrote, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us so, the Christ who dwells in us is the greatest power we know. He will fight beside us, tho’ the enemy is great; who can stand against us, He’s the Captain of our fate. Then we will never fear, so let the battle rage, He has promised to be near until the end of the age. We are more than conquerors thru Him who loved us so; the Christ who dwells within us is the greatest pow’r we know.”

Let us take courage, we are more than conquerors. May we claim the victory today over all enemies, obstacles, and troubles. Have a blessed and courageous day. Stay safe and healthy.

Being victorious in Christ is glorious,

Dean

-February 16, 2023-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give 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).

The Lord Jesus gave the disciples an extended message in the upper room before His betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. It is recorded in John chapters 13-16. In chapter 17, we find His High Priestly Prayer to the Father for them, all believers, and for Himself for God to be glorified. Our Lord intercedes for us and continues to do so until we get to heaven.

The gift of peace is a precious gift, a permanent gift, a personal gift, and a perfect gift. We live in a world of sin, evil, trouble, anxiety, pain, and perplexity. The world is not getting better, it is getting far worse. The Lord warned us that this would be the case in the last days before His coming. The peace that the Lord gives us is not a change of our circumstances but a change of our hearts in the midst of our circumstances. His grace and mercy see us through circumstances.

Peace is exactly what we need. In life we receive many gifts: on our birthday, wedding, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and at some other times. Some of the best gifts are those, “just because I love you gifts,” they are the best. Those who love us most, know us best. They take great care in choosing and give us something we really need and want. They also carry sentimental value far beyond dollars and cents. The gift of peace is exactly like that.

Jesus said that, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…” His peace is so special. It is eternal, encouraging, and comforting. We all need it; at certain times we need it more than others. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”(Philippians 4:6-7). Though it surpasses all understanding, and it is experienced by those who pray and give thanks.

Our hearts do get troubled and fearful, but the Lord soothes us with His wonderful peace. Paul told us in Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” The hymn writer Edward H. Bickersteth wrote, “Peace, perfect peace with sorrows surging round? On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found. Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown? Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.”

Have a blessed and peaceful day in the midst of the chaos of this world. Stay safe and healthy.

Finding peace in Jesus through it all,

Dean