Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-November 12, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.”

(Job 42:2).

It is wonderful to know that God’s sovereign purposes will be done in our lives. He has a plan for us that will carry us into the future and into eternity in heaven. No one and nothing can thwart His purposes. He alone knows the future and what He needs to do in our lives. He looks at the big picture and takes the long range view.

God can do everything. He isn’t limited by time, space, or matter. He makes the impossible possible. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” There are distinct seasons in our lives, just as there four seasons in the year. Spring is like the freshness and youth of our lives. Summer is like the maturing process, we gain experience but still have a great deal of strength; Fall or Autumn is a time of harvesting. Our lives shed the old leaves and produce new ones; and finally comes Winter. It represents our older years. We have gained great wisdom but our strength is lessened. We think, speak, and act more slowly.

God can teach us and use us in whatever season of life we are in. He is patient with us and works out His purposes on our behalf. Isaiah 14:24 says, “The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed, so it shall stand.’” In some sports like football, baseball, basketball, and tennis, a coach in team sports or a player in tennis may challenge the call. The referee or head umpire will either uphold the call or overturn it. With God His calls precise and perfect and can’t be questioned or challenged.

All we as believers must do is trust God and say, “Your will be done, Lord.” Case closed. God’s ways and His thoughts are higher and better than our’s. It isn’t even close! When we get to heaven He will show us why things happened to us and at the times they occurred. Our Heavenly Father knows best. When the money is needed, He will provide; when the spouse is needed, He will bring it to pass; when the job or promotion is needed, He will send it; when it is time to retire, He will show the time is ripe.

Have a blessed day trusting in the Lord to work out His purposes in our lives. Stay safe and healthy.

In His will,

Dean

-November 11, 2022-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“Then the king said to his servants, ‘Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?’”

(2 Samuel 3:38).

Abner served as Saul’s Chief Commander for many years. He was very well respected by all those in Israel and Judah. He was a very skilled and loyal military man. After Saul’s death, he made Saul’s son Ishbosheth king over Israel, while David reigned over Judah. He got angry with Ishbosheth for criticizing him for taking one Saul’s concubines named Rizpah. He then switched sides and supported David to be king over all Israel.

Joab was the Chief General over David’s army. He was a very cruel, calculating man who killed several good men, including Abner, David never wanted Abner to be killed, but because Abner had killed Joab’s brother in battle, Joab took revenge on him. David calls Abner, “a prince and a great man.” All who have served our country are true heroes and deserve the highest honors. To me, all our veterans are great men and women.

There are three ways we can honor those who served our nation in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and our newest branch, Space Force: We should pray for them, we should appreciate them, and we should support them with our funds, help, and other provisions.

We should of course support all our troops, active and retired. But on this special day we single out Veterans. They did so much for us and we need to do more for them. Veterans Day always falls on the eleventh day of November each year. The first celebration using the term Veterans Day took place in Birmingham, Alabama in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized “National Veterans Day,” which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. It was held on November 11, then designated Armistice Day, the day World War I ended. President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill sponsored by Representative Ed Rees of Kansas and passed by Congress on June 1, 1954, changing the name to Veterans Day, a federal holiday.

• Pray for our veterans – Every American, young or old should pray for our veterans still living, and remember those who have died. Many veterans are buried at the National Cemetery At Arlington in Washington D.C. There also many veterans cemeteries throughout the country. Normally a small American flag is placed on their graves. We as Christians should pray for them all the time, not just once a year.

• Appreciate our veterans – We can do this by personally thanking the veterans we know or come into contact with. They deserve it. They fought and served to preserve and protect our freedom. It is also good to attend veterans parades or other memorial events.

• Support our veterans with our funds, help, and other provisions – Sadly, so many veterans suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), are homeless, or addicted to alcohol or drugs. Many veterans, in large numbers, even take commit suicide. They need our help and our donations in so many ways. There are several organizations that support our veterans, but much more can be done. They need the best medical, dental, and vision care our country can give them.

Let us then take time today to pray for and honor our veterans. May we never forget their sacrifice and service for our country. Have a blessed Veterans Day. Stay safe and healthy.

In support of our veterans, young and old,

Dean

-November 10, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.”

(Titus 3:7).

Sometimes we feel we are one person in a world of billions. Even among Christians we think our lives are somehow small and insignificant. There are two men mentioned in our text: Zenas and Apollos. The latter is well known and the former is unknown to most all believers. Interestingly, Zenas is mentioned first, then Apollos. They teamed together to serve the Lord. They had an important journey to go on that required the utmost haste. Paul wanted to ensure their needs were met fully.

Zenas was a Christian lawyer, likely in civil law. He may also have been familiar with Jewish law. We don’t know much him, since this is the only time his name appears in the Bible. But there’s his name in the record of Scripture. We will see him in heaven. God knows him, and used him in the ministry in the early church.

We learn three important lessons for our lives: First, our lives are important to the Lord no matter how small or obscure we think our lives or ministry to be. Second, we must work in haste since the Lord is coming soon and our lives on earth are so brief in the light of eternity. Third, God wants us to lack nothing for our service for Him.

• Our lives and ministries for the Lord are very important to the Lord – This should humble us but also encourage us. God knows and sees everything. He records what we do for Him, nothing will be overlooked or forgotten. To be a servant of the King is no mean task or position in the kingdom of God and it requires our fullest attention and effort.

• We must work in haste – There is no time to waste. When something is to be done for the Lord, we need to do it now, without delay. God’s work should always be our priority. So often we procrastinate. Procrastination is putting off something until another time. Sometimes we don’t ever get around to it. Years ago I read a story about “Round Tuits.” There is actually a round wooden tuit. It has the words, “This is a Round Tuit. Guard it with your life. Tuits are hard to come by, especially the round ones. It will help you become a much more successful person. For years you’ve heard people say, ‘I’ll do this when I get a round tuit.’ Now that you have one you can accomplish all those things you put aside until you got this “Round Tuit” You can actually purchase them on line.

• God will ensure that we lack nothing – The Lord takes care of His servants. Paul told the Philippians, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory” (Philippians 4:19). God uses His people to provide for His servants. He promises to meet all our needs. We as believers all share in that responsibility in helping those who are ministering for Him, especially full-time workers.

May we should never consider ourselves or our ministries to be unimportant. Let us work in haste, for there is much to do for Him. And God will always provide. Have a blessed day. And don’t forget your Round Tuit. Stay safe and healthy.

Being about the Master’s Service,

Dean

-November 9, 2022-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool.”

(Proverbs 17:10).

Two of the purposes and uses of the Word of God is to reprove and correct. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” God’s goal in reproving or rebuking us is always restoration not punishment. He does use punishment at times to awaken us and get our attention. There are consequences to our words and actions.

The word rebuke is defined as, “Express sharp disapproval or criticism of someone because of their behavior or actions.” The less strong word is reproof, which means, “An expression of blame or disapproval.” The difference between reproof and rebuke are a matter of degrees. Whether we are reproved or rebuked, we need to accept it and change our behavior. God uses both to correct us and restore us. Oftentimes, God uses others to rebuke us for our good. It is part of the chastisement or discipline process.

Being rebuked is needed at times in our lives to straighten us up. It is never easy or pleasant, but it is profitable for our spiritual lives. How we react to it is what is most important. When we react incorrectly in the flesh, we tend to get angry, fight against it, blame others, try to justify ourselves, or quit and give up. These show our reaction is in our flesh. Instead we must react in the Spirit, showing repentance, humility, and acceptance. The goal as I said is always restoration. This makes the rebuke effective. It shows our wisdom and maturity when we handle it correctly.

Proverbs 15:31-32 says, “The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise. He who destains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.” We all make mistakes, we fail, and we sin. Rebuke is thus very important in our growth and restoration. Paul rebuked Peter for his hypocrisy in not eating with Gentile believers when the Jewish believers were present but doing so only when they were not.

Thank God for godly spouses, elders, and friends, and even bosses that rebuke us when it is needed. It means they care enough for us to do what is best for us, even when it is hard for them and for us. Love must always prevail. We don’t need people to flatter us, but to help us. We need to hear God’s voice and take it from His hand. Hebrews 12:11 says, “Now no chastening (or discipline) seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Have a blessed day even in being reproved or rebuked and thank God for it and learn from it. Stay safe and healthy.

In humbling our ourselves before God,

Dean

-November 8, 2022 -Election Day-

Good morning happy Tuesday,

“So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading the Isaiah the prophet” (Acts 8:27-28).

“Then Phillip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’” (Acts 8:37).

Yesterday we considered Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian eunuch who served the king of Judah and how he saved the life of the prophet Jeremiah. Today we have the story of another prominent Ethiopian in the Bible, who is forever known as the Ethiopian Eunuch. He was quite an educated man who had great authority. He was under Queen Candace of the Ethiopians, and was in charge of all her treasury. He had a very responsible and high position in the government.

This man was also a very religious who come to Jerusalem to worship. Ethiopia had its own religion but he sought the true and living God, and he was in his chariot on his way back home when God brought him and Phillip together at the same time and place. This encounter we call a “Divine Appointment.” He was reading from the prophesy of Isaiah chapter 53. Philip approached him and asked him if he understood what he was reading. He wasn’t too proud to admit that he needed help proud to understand the meaning. Phillip preached Jesus to him. His heart was softened and he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

As they approached water, the eunuch asked Phillip if he could be baptized. Phillip told him, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” Before a person is baptized he or she must be saved, born from above. Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It shows the outward symbol of the inward reality. When we get saved we identify ourselves with Christ. When we have baptisms at our church, we have a Bible study on baptism for the whole church. This helps those who will be baptized, as well as those in the congregation to remember the truth of baptism. It is a full immersion into the water and then raising up from the water.

There was no doubt the Ethiopian Eunuch got saved that day. He said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” It was a great declaration of his faith. Phillip stopped the chariot and the eunuch was baptized right then and there. His life was changed and he went home rejoicing. He then took the gospel with him back to Ethiopia.

God used Philip, one of the deacons mentioned in the Book of Acts, to win this dear soul to Christ. Just think Phillip led him to Christ which was a great privilege. Someone said, “We can only take two things heaven: our knowledge of the Word and the souls we have won to Christ on earth.” What a great thing it was.

May the Lord help us to share our faith and win souls to Christ who are ready to receive Jesus. Have a blessed day along the road of life, so that we can be a blessing to others. Stay safe and healthy.

Sharing the message of the gospel with those who need Him,

Dean