Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-September 19, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

(Mark 9:19).

While Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, and speaking with Moses and Elijah, a father had brought his son to the other nine disciples to heal him. The boy suffered from demon possession, which caused much self destructive behavior, throwing him into the water and fire. The disciples tried to help but were unable to cast out the evil spirit.

The Lord Jesus was upset with the lack of faith of the people of the day. The word faithless can be translated as unbelieving. On another occasion, Jesus in fact wept over Jerusalem for the same reason. The answer was and still is today the same: “Bring him to Me.” Jesus is the source of all healing, hope, and help. No one else can solve our problems, meet our needs, answer our questions, and heal our diseases. When we pray, we are bringing a person to Jesus; when we witness to someone we are bringing that person to Jesus; and when we invite someone to church, we are bringing them to Jesus.

Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus, Phillip brought Nathanael to Jesus, and there were four men who carried their crippled friend to Jesus. Upon arriving at the house where Jesus was speaking, they found it packed, so much so they couldn’t get in. Rather than giving up, they removed tiles from the roof and with ropes lowered him down right to where Jesus was. Jesus commended their faith.

Jesus welcomed anyone and everyone to come to Him. Someone brought each of us to Jesus, and we are thankful. It usually takes several occasions before a person gets saved. That is where sharing and praying go together. Bring them to Jesus. He has the power to save. The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, shows the need of Christ, and brings them regeneration, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Our job is to bring them, but only God can save them.

Jesus performed a huge miracle in healing the boy. The disciples asked Him privately why they couldn’t heal him. Jesus replied, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). God has chosen to use us to bring others to Christ. We can and should do our part. Perhaps today you can bring someone to Jesus. Each person must choose to receive Christ. We should never force anyone to believe. God has given each one a free will.

Have a blessed day bringing others to Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

Drawing others to Jesus in love,

Dean

-September 18, 2020-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“They immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Mark 1:18).

“Then Jesus said, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me’” (Matthew 16:24).

Jesus called His disciples one by one, and they followed Him. All the disciples, except for Judas, died a martyr’s death. Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John; they immediately, and with no hesitation, left their nets, that is their fishing business and followed and served Him. He called Levi, who was called Matthew and he left his position as a tax collector at the tax station, and he followed. All the others did likewise.

The disciples were all in, as were the the prophets of old, and many of the kings of Judah. The question is: are we all in? It is like coming to a swimming pool. You can’t swim unless you are all in. I fear that today there are many who are just putting their toes in, not jumping in and swimming in the deep end. It is easy to go to church on Sundays, then go back to living for self the other six days.

Jesus wants our whole hearts, our total commitment seven days a week. The hymn writer wrote, “All for Jesus, all for Jesus! All my being’s ransomed powers; All my thoughts and words and doings, all my days and all my hours. Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus, I’ve lost sight of all beside, so enrapt my spirit’s vision, looking at the crucified.” Are you all in for Jesus?

Peter asked the Lord Jesus about what they who sacrificed all to follow Him would receive. He answered them, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). These men when filled with the Holy Spirit turned the world upside down. Fully committed Christians are definitely in the minority today. We must choose to follow Jesus, no turning back! We must be all in!

Have a blessed Lord’s Day and may we all be all in, in all ways, and at all times. Stay safe and healthy.

Being all in for Jesus,

Dean

-September 17, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

(Psalm 118:24).

Each day is a blessing and gift from the Lord. No two days are alike and once we live today we can never get it back. We should be thankful for each precious day that the Lord has given us and rejoice in it. God is so loving, generous, and good to us. If God made the day and gave us the day, we should trust Him for everything that comes our way today.

There three things we as God’s people can count on from the Lord daily: the supply of grace, the meeting of our needs, and the provision of our food. Of course, there are many other things He has given to every person: the sun to shine, air to breathe, wind, rain, and snow for our world. We often describe our day as good or bad, depending on our circumstances. Instead, our day should be defined by what God is doing in our lives and the many blessings we have from Him.

• Grace – God gives us the sufficient grace for each day, but He gives it on the day, not a moment sooner. When Paul prayed three times that his thorn in the flesh be taken away from him, God’s answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Let us rejoice in His daily grace.

• Needs – God promises to meet our needs, not our wants. We all have needs, many needs, and God has the resources to meet each one. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” He supplies and gives to us according to His riches in glory, not out of it. Normally, when we give we have less as a result; when God gives He still has the same left in His endless reserves.

• Food – This of course covers not only food, but clothing, and shelter. Our heavenly Father loves us and gives us so abundantly. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Just as the Lord provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness six days a week, and double the day before the Sabbath, God provides for us daily as well.

Thus, day is a blessed day, given by the Lord. As the psalmist says, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The hymn writer Carolina Sandell wrote, “Day by day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what He deems best—Lovingly, it’s part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest.” God provides grace, meets our needs, and gives us our food.

Have a blessed day rejoicing in it and being thankful for it. Stay safe and healthy.

In eternal gratefulness,

Dean

-September 16, 2022-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.”

(Psalm 107:29-30).

What a great promise and encouragement to our hearts! Only the Lord can calm the storms in our lives, giving us gladness and quietness. He guides us to our desired haven. Our God is the Master of the Sea, of the storm, and of the saints.

This psalm was written hundreds of years before Christ calmed the Sea of Galilee, saving His disciples, and getting them right to where they were going. He fulfilled this Scripture so perfectly. There is no storm He cannot calm. In fact, there is nothing too difficult for Him.

Jesus is with us in and through the storms. He is our Captain. His goal for us is that we reach our destination safely. In Acts, there was a place mentioned that was called Fair Havens. Paul and the others on the ship passed by it on their voyage to Rome. Acts 27:8 says, “Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.” They should have stayed there for the winter. Paul warned them of impending disaster and loss, but the owner of the ship and helmsman prevailed and Paul’s advice was ignored. They ended up in a huge storm, but they made it to land by God’s grace, ending up on an island named Malta. The crew struggled in their own strength but the Lord came through for them for Paul’s sake for he had to stand before Caesar.

Let us trust the Lord through the storms of life. Our storms may be spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, material, or financial. He will guide us through them and take us safely all the way to heaven.

Have a blessed day in the ship with Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

In the Master’s plan and purpose,

Dean

-September 15, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Therefore ‘come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

(2 Corinthians 6:17-18).

The principle of separation from the world began with Israelites in the OT, and continues with believers in Christ in the NT. Separation means to live in the world but not to be of the world. It is directly linked to sanctification, which is to be set apart for the Lord. Both sanctification and separation have to do with our personal holiness.

God wants us to be separated but not isolated. To do this we must not have marriages or close friendships with those who aren’t saved. This includes our kids. We don’t realize how their language, behavior, values, morals, and lifestyle can rub off on us. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’”

God wants us to share the gospel with the unsaved, but on our turf, not theirs. We cannot go where they go or do what they do. It is good to invite them to our homes and to church. We aren’t better than anyone who is unsaved, but we are those who have been saved by grace through faith. We are different and we follow the Lord and live by His Word. 1 Corinthians 6:14 tells us, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”

Peter wrote, “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” (1 Peter 1:15-16). We are a holy people who have the Holy Spirit to teach us the holy Bible. In 1 Corinthians 7:1, Paul said, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

People in the world want to see genuine Christians, who practice what they preach, and whose lives are different than their own. May the Lord help us to take a stand for Christ without compromise, and show the love of Christ in all we say and do.

Have a blessed day being separate from the world and set apart for the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

Walking with the Lord and in His steps,

Dean