Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-December 7, 2022-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are you a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’”

(John 18:37).

The conversation began when Pilate asked Jesus, “…Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus told him, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Jesus is the King of the Jews, the King of kings, and the King of glory. He died on the cross, was buried, and rose again. He ascended back to heaven and now sits at the right hand of God. One day, He will rule over all the nations.

Revelation 11:15 says, “Then the seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” We as believers acknowledge that He is not only the King, but He is our King!

• King of the Jews – When the wisemen followed the star, they came to Jerusalem. They asked the question, where is He who was born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:1-2). He was the promised Messiah that they had been waiting so long for. But when He came many rejected Him, especially the Jewish leaders who should have known better.

• King of kings – Jesus is not only the King of the Jews, He is King of kings and Lord of lords. There is no other king above Jesus. All other kings will one day bow before Him. Revelation 19:16 says of Him, “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

• King of Glory – He is the King of Glory. Psalm 24:10 tells us, “Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.” Four times in the Psalm 24 we have this phrase, “King of glory.” It is found in verses 7, 8, 9, and 10. One day will see the Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory and worship Him forever.

This Christmas let us come and adore Him as our King who was born to save us. Have a blessed day and Christmas season. Stay safe and healthy.

Bowing before our King,

Dean

-December 6, 2022-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

This verse is a very familiar one to most of us. God sent His Son to be born into this world as God manifested in the flesh. The Prophet Isaiah refers to five of His names or titles: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Today’s consideration is His title of the Prince of Peace. He came bringing peace to a warring, sinful, hateful world. When the angels announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, they said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14)! As the Prince of Peace, He gives His peace to those who believe in Him. Jesus said in John 14:27, “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.”

After Jesus died and rose again, He appeared to the disciples at their lowest and said, “Peace be with you“ (John 20:19); and “Peace to you” (John 20:21). When we get saved we have peace with God and in the midst of our circumstances we experience the peace of God which passes all understanding. The world without Christ knows very little about peace because they are looking for it in all the wrong places. One of my favorite quotes is, “Know Jesus, know peace; no Jesus, no peace.”

There is so much fear, anxiety, depression, and stress in the world today. Only Jesus, the Prince of Peace can comfort and encourage us with true peace. It is a restfulness of the soul. With wind howling and waves crashing, the little bird is at peace on the solid rock.

May the peace of God keep you. Stay safe and healthy.

Resting in the peace of the Prince of Peace,

Dean

-December 5, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send Me.’”

(Isaiah 6:8).

The curtain has been pulled back and we hear the voice of God speaking. Our Heavenly Father asks the question and our Lord Jesus Christ the Son answers to volunteer to come down from heaven to save us. He thus answers the call. There was no one else in heaven or earth who was qualified to enter the world and die in our place on the cross. He was perfect and sinless so He could die in our place.

Some versions of the Bible have Us capitalized because God is speaking within the Godhead. This is the second time in the OT where this occurs. In Genesis 1:26 we read, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” The word used for God in this passage is Elohim and is a plural word speaking of one God in three persons. The Godhead is called the Holy Trinity.

In the NT, there are several instances where our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God speaks to the Father. Jesus did this not only commune with the Father, but also so that the disciples would believe that He came from the Father and was equal to the Father. The three persons of Godhead were involved in Christ’s coming into the world and also in our salvation. The Father sent the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. Though the doctrine is hard for us to grasp, it is a wonderful truth.

Jesus answered the call and obeyed the Father’s will. The question for us is: Are we willing to answer God’s call to salvation, sanctification, and service? The prophet Ezekiel records the words of the Lord where He said, “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none” (Ezekiel 22:30). The Lord Jesus was the only One who could stand in the gap, and He did. He became the bridge that we might cross between God and man.

Paul wrote of our Savior in 1 Timothy 2:3-6, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ. Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Jesus was the perfect Mediator between a holy God and lost sinners. Through His death, He brought us near to God through His blood. A mediator brings two parties together to solve issues, problems, and difficulties.

Have a blessed day in Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-December 4, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

(Galatians 4:4-5).

God has a perfect timetable that He works under. He never does things a moment too soon or too late. He knew the time of Christ’s coming long before the foundation of the world. Genesis 49:10 says, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” In this verse, Shiloh refers to the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe. He is also called the Son of David. He will sit on the throne of David forever.

God sent forth His Son to be our Redeemer. He was the only sinless Man, the God-Man. He was also the only one who kept the law perfectly. Through salvation in Christ we have been adopted into the family of God. We are so blessed to be children and sons of God. He died in our place so that God’s righteousness could be imputed to us.

There were godly Jews who were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. They called His coming “The consolation of Israel.” They kept waiting and watching; they knew and believed in the promises of God. They recognized that the Christ would regather and restore them.

As we gather as believers in Christ, we remember and celebrate His coming into the world. The Babe of Bethlehem became the Man of Calvary, who is the Lord of all. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and He is coming again to take us to glory. We will live with Him and reign with Him forever.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day,

Dean

-December 3, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose going forth are of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

“Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife, who was with child” (Luke 2:4-5).

The promised Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem in Judah, the city of David according to the Scriptures. But Joseph and Mary were residents of Nazareth in Galilee, how would this work? It was no problem for the Lord, He literally moved heaven and earth to get them to Bethlehem. God caused Caesar Augustus to decree a census of all the world. Each person had to be registered in his own city. So off to Bethlehem Joseph and Mary went. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like rivers of water, He turns it wherever He wishes.”

When God in heaven wills that something be done on earth, He makes it happen. He uses people and circumstances to bring things to pass. He does this same thing in our lives. He directs and redirects us to fulfill His plan. When God wanted to send Israel into captivity, He used King Cyrus of Media-Persia to declare them to return to their land after 70 years and rebuild the temple, taking back all the articles Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Solomon’s temple. There is nothing that God cannot do.

When it was time for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, the city was flooded with people and there was no room for them in the Inn. God used the Innkeeper to allow Mary and Joseph to use his manger to give birth, and as they say, the rest is history. God had a plan, and He brought it about. Every detail was taken care of just perfectly.

Jesus is called the Son of David, and one day He will rule over the Jews and all the nations. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He will rule with a rod of iron. His first advent was to suffer and die on the cross to save us from our sins. His second advent will be to reign. Everything God does is perfect and in impeccable timing. This should encourage us to trust Him to lead us and guide us. He never makes mistakes nor does He ever fail.

The hymn writer Philip Brooks wrote, “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light: the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” Let us rejoice in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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

From Bethlehem’s manger came Jesus the visiting Stranger,

Dean