Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-October 9, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

(Hebrews 10:12-14).

The writer of Hebrews, very familiar with the OT Scriptures and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, refers to Jesus as, “this Man.” Jesus is both the Son of Man and the Son of God. The Father sent Him to die on the cross for the sins of the world. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” By believing we have life eternal.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, died once, and sanctified us forever. Under the Law, the high priest offered repeated sacrifices for sin. Hebrews 10:11 says, “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” All those sacrifices pointed forward to the cross, where Jesus would make atonement for our souls. His blood cleansed us from every sin: past, present, and future. His one sacrifice has brought us forgiveness and eternal life. We as believers have immediate and full access to God through Christ.

Paul wrote in Romans 5:15, “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died [in Adam] much more the grace of God and the gift by grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.” Christ is the last Adam. Oh how thankful we should be not only on the Lord’s Day but every day.

When God sees us now, He sees us in and through Christ as perfect in His sight, with no spot or wrinkle. There is no wrath, judgment, or condemnation for us. We are justified, sanctified, and glorified.

Have a blessed day Lord’s Day in praise, worship, and thanksgiving for our salvation. Stay safe and healthy.

Saved forever by His one sacrifice,

Dean

-October 8, 2022-

Good morning happy Saturday,

“Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom.”

(1 Kings 10:8).

The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon is found in 1 Kings 10:1-13 and again in 2 Chronicles 9:1-12. She and her large delegation traveled a long distance to see and hear Solomon. She was so amazed it says, “there was no more spirit in her.” She opened her heart and asked him many questions and he answered them all. She then made the astute declaration to King Solomon, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard” (1 Kings 10:7).

No wonder she said, “Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom.” God gave him his great wisdom and blessed him so tremendously. Yet there was and is One greater than Solomon, our Lord Jesus Christ. If Solomon’s men and servants were happy in his presence and hearing his wisdom, how much more are we who know Him as Lord and Savior and spend time with Him in His Word and prayer, and have the blessed privilege of living for Him and serving Him.

There is an expression in the world many people use and even have it on bumper stickers or magnets, “Happiness is … It may be golfing, swimming, surfing, running, or a host of other things.” Those things are fine and good, but they are only temporal things. Our happiness in the Lord is eternal. We are so blessed! And this just the beginning, for we will be with Him in heaven forever! Someone once said, “Happiness is where the heart is.” When we have Christ as Lord of our lives and He is our center and focus, we are truly happy. Money and material things will never bring happiness or fulfillment.

The song writer wrote, “Happiness is to know the Savior, living a life within His favor. Having a change in my behavior, happiness is the Lord! Happiness is a new creation, Jesus and me in close relation, having a part in His salvation. Happiness is the Lord! Real joy is mine, no matter where the teardrops start, I’ve found the secret, it’s Jesus in my heart! Happiness is to be forgiven, living the life that’s worth the living, taking a trip that leads to heaven. Happiness is the Lord, happiness is the Lord, happiness is the Lord!”

Let us be happy in Jesus all our days and in all our ways! Have a blessed day living for Him and serving Him with joy. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal joy,

Dean

-October 7, 2022-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”

(Isaiah 26:4).

God is an everlasting God with everlasting strength. No one and nothing has the power that God has; no one can stand against Him. One of His attributes is omnipotence, meaning He is all powerful. There are numerous references in the Scriptures to the power of God, but the phrase “everlasting strength” is only used once, here in our text.

In 2 Chronicles 20:6, King Jehoshaphat when confronted by a huge multitude from Ammon, Moab, and those from Mount Seir, said, “O Lord God of our Fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You.” God gave Jehoshaphat of king of Judah and his army a great victory. The people of Judah prayed, praised God, and sang. God caused the enemy armies to attack each other and destroy one another. The people of Judah did not have to lift a finger.

Do you think your situation is impossible? Do you see no way out? Are you overwhelmed by your circumstances? Trust in the Lord who has the everlasting strength. We just need to believe and rely on Him. The song writer Oscar G. Ellison wrote, “Got any rivers you think are impossible? Got any mountains, you cannot tunnel through? God specializes in things thought impossible and He can do what no power can do.”

Let us then trust in God who has everlasting strength to work through our weaknesses in marvelous, magnificent, and mighty ways. Stay safe and healthy.

In His everlasting strength,

Dean

-October 6, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 3:13-14).

Yesterday we mediated on the subject of what we should remember; today we will look at what we should forget. In fact, it is the only thing in the Scriptures we are told to forget: the past. When we think of the past, there are negative things and positive things; Paul tells us that he forgets the past and reaches forward to the things which are ahead. Living in the past is never good. We shouldn’t rest on our laurels, that means what we have achieved or stew over our failures and mistakes.

We need to follow Paul’s example and pursue the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ. We don’t have time to let the past interfere in our lives and service for the Lord. We need to focus on today not yesterday or tomorrow. God has forgiven us of all our sins, they are under the blood. Paul had been a zealous Pharisee who persecuted the followers of Christ. I am sure that he regretted that very much. Instead of brooding over it, He moved past the past to serve the Lord. He also didn’t dwell over his successes in Judaism either. His Christian life began at his conversion and he moved on, not looking back.

What Paul did was live each day one day at a time, and became the greatest apostle, preacher, teacher, and missionary. The past didn’t hinder him but he didn’t let it. When the past knocks or rings our doorbell, don’t answer it! The old expression says, “Don’t open a can of worms.” Doing so doesn’t profit us but brings complications and difficulties. Don’t open that can of worms of the past.

Paul considered his past gains as losses, even as rubbish that he may be may gain Christ. He spent his life knowing the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. This is why he could tell Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). It doesn’t mean anything if we don’t finish strongly. So many start well but fizzle out. Like Paul we should move forward, press on, not looking back. Tom Brady, the star quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and formerly the quarterback of the New England Patriots, won seven Super Bowls, but he also lost three. He put all of those wins and losses behind him in winning his first championship with the Bucs two years ago.

May we put the past behind us and embrace the present and put our hope in the Lord. Have a blessed day living for and serving the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

Pressing on for the prize of the upward call of God,

Dean

-October 5, 2022-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

(Deuteronomy 8:2).

When things are going well, we tend to forget the Lord and think that the blessings we have are as result of what we have done; when trials come we draw closer to the Lord, but we also get so focused on our pain that we forget how He has taken care of us in the past. In both scenarios we must remember the Lord, thank Him, and trust Him.

God had done great things for the Israelites by delivering them from Egypt, leading them through the wilderness for forty years, providing for all their needs, and bringing them into the Promised Land. Still, they grumbled and complained; they wanted to go back to Egypt. God caused all the men would left Egypt to die in the wilderness because of their unbelief and disobedience. Only Joshua and Caleb and all the young ones born in the wilderness were allowed to enter Canaan.

God provided manna for them to eat daily. He also brought quail so they could eat meat. He brought water for them out of the rock. He made sure their sandals and their clothes did not wear out. He took care of them and blessed them. All God asked of them was to obey Him and trust in Him. We as believers today need the same reminder to remember. God saved us from our sins, gave us eternal life, a home in heaven, and so much more. We need to remember Him and all He has done for us in the past and what He has promised for the future.

God has led us and fed us. He has been with us in the good times and bad times. He has never left us nor forsaken us. He has been patient with us and cared for us. He has met all our needs. When we look back on His provision, it gives us greater vision for the future. The Lord tests us also to know what is in our hearts. Do we love Him because of who He is or just for what He has given us? Will we obey Him always?

Remembering is our part. We must remember His promises, and claim them and apply them to our lives. The angel reminded the women who came to the tomb of Jesus, “He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:6-7). In the following verse it says, “And they remembered His words.” We should follow their example. God keeps all His promises.

We are also told to remember others and help and support them. Hebrews 13:3 and 7 says, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Remember those who rule you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”

Let us then remember the Lord, His many blessings and promises, our fellow saints in need, and our spiritual leaders. Have a blessed day remembering. Stay safe and healthy.

Focusing on the Lord Jesus,

Dean