Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-May 7, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”

(Hebrews 11:24-26).

Moses was born a Hebrew in the land of Egypt. The Egyptians maligned and mistreated the Hebrews, forcing them into slavery. Pharaoh and his people used the excuse that the Hebrews may turn against them in war and side with their enemies, in order to subjugate them. Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew male children were to be put to death. Moses’ parents hid him for three months before placing him in a little ark near the shore of the Nile River. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and took him to be her son. God had a plan for this man.

Moses lived in the palace for forty years and was raised in all ways of the Egypt, which is a type of the world. Somewhere along the line Pharaoh’s daughter must have told him of his roots. Exodus 2:11-12 says, “Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian.” He chose to identify with his true people, and though he shouldn’t have killed him, he did love his people.

Here in our text we are told, “choosing rather to suffer affliction with people of God than enjoy the passing (or temporary) pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” Moses had the faith and discernment to know that the Hebrews were God’s people and had the truth. He rejected this world with its temporary, sinful pleasures, and instead looked to God and His eternal rewards in the future in Christ.

Hebrews 11:27 gives further credence to his faith, “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. “ As believers saved by grace through faith, we must forsake this world, hate its sin, and follow Christ. When we do this, we will never be popular, in fact, we will be hated, rejected, and persecuted. Paul wrote, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). When we identify ourselves with Jesus we will be blessed beyond measure, and our future rewards will be great.

The hymn writer Rhea F. Miller wrote, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I’d rather be His than have riches untold; I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands, I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.” Can this be said of us? Do we choose to identify with Christ, stand for Him, speak of Him and for Him, and live for Him? May we put Him first in everything. I would rather be poor and have Jesus than to be fabulously wealthy without Him.

Have a blessed day living fully for the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal service,

Dean

-May 6, 2022-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.”

(Titus 2:1).

Paul wrote this personal epistle to Titus, his true son in the faith. Titus was the pastor of the church in Crete. It was a very tough work, for the Cretans in general were known by one of their own prophets as “always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). Titus had to work with these new believers to mold them in the ways of the Lord and appoint qualified elders in the church.

In every church there are people from various backgrounds. There are older men, older women, younger women, and younger men. Each has a role to play in the church. The church is like a symphony, Christ is the conductor, and all the members of the church are the players. The goal is create beautiful harmony among all.

• Older men – Older men are often known for their experience, knowledge, and wisdom. Paul tells Titus, “that the older men may be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience” (Titus 2:2). These men carry a heavy responsibility to be examples and live godly lives, serving the Lord. They have so much to contribute to the church.

Younger women – The older women are to teach and mentor the younger women to “love their husbands, love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (Titus 2:4-5). The older women are to take the younger ones under their wings and mentor them.

• Older women – The older women are known for their godliness and devotion to the Lord. They were to “be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things” (Titus 2:3-5). They were also to admonish the younger women to be godly wives, mothers and homemakers. Like the older men, they have great experience, and can help show the way to the younger women.

• Younger men – The younger men were told to “be sober minded” (Titus 2:6). Younger men tend to be excitable, enthusiastic, and be full of energy. With the right counsel and teaching they can be very useful to the Lord. We remember that Jesus called young men to be His disciples and they learned from Him and were very effective.

Where do you fit in? What has God called you to do for Him? We are all role players on His team, and we must play our parts, just like players on a basketball team. No one should care to gets the credit as long as the Lord gets all the glory. Whatever your role, whatever your part, serve the Lord faithfully with all of your heart.

Have a blessed day serving the Lord humbly and faithfully day by day. Stay safe and healthy.

Serving together for the good of all,

Dean

-May 5, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

(2 Timothy 2:21).

As believers in Christ, we all want to be useful for the Master. It doesn’t just happen, for we must prepare ourselves to serve the Lord effectively and be clean vessels that He can use. Paul mentions four things in this passage in 2 Timothy 2:19-22 which will aid us in being vessels for honor, useful for the Master: departing from evil (v.19); being sanctified (v.21); fleeing youthful lusts (v.22); and pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.

•Departing from evil – To depart from evil is separate ourselves from any evil or even questionable things. This world is against Christ and diametrically opposed to the Word of God. Paul told the Thessalonians, “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). We must separate ourselves from sin and the things of the world that would defile us, mar our testimony, or set a bad example to others.

•Being sanctified – Being sanctified is being set apart for the Lord. We need to be clean vessels. Imagine a surgeon operating on you using unsterile instruments! Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

•Fleeing youthful lusts – Youthful lusts are not only injurious to young people but to all of us as well. To lust for something is to have a strong desire for it. In the NT it is a desire for sinful things. It is usually in connection with sensual or sexual things. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”

•Pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart – To pursue is to actively strive for something. It is not enough to flee from evil, we must pursue good. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is is good both for yourselves and for all.”

May the Lord help us to be useful for the Master each day of our lives by departing from evil, being set apart for the Lord, fleeing youthful lusts, and pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Only then can we be clean vessels and useful for the Master.

Have a blessed day following Jesus and always being prepared to be used of Him. Stay safe and healthy.

In the service of the Master,

Dean

-May 4, 2022-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”

(1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Paul was content with he had, much or little. He shared his personal testimony in Philippians 4:11-12, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” He learned this lesson and shared it with other believers, including his son in the faith Timothy.

Paul reminds Timothy, that when we entered the world at birth we came in with nothing, and when exit this world, we will leave it the same way. Job expressed this sentiment in Job 1:21, “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’”

God has so richly and abundantly blessed us here in the United States that we have so much of everything. Still, even in America many are poor, and have very little of this world’s goods. Many even are hungry. The Lord promises to provide for our needs as believers, and He does. We have so much more than we need.

God wants us to be content with what we have. Paul says, “And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” These are the basics of life: food to keep us alive, and clothing to cover our bodies and keep us warm. We very well know we have so much more. The more content we are, the more thankful we are; and the more thankful we are, the more content we will be. When we are thankful and content, it also drives us to help those in need and have less than we do. Right now the whole world feels with the people of Ukraine who are suffering and has given so much to help.,

God doesn’t owe us anything, but He loves and cares for us. There is also a correlation between contentment and godliness. Paul wrote, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” The old nature always wants more and more, but the new nature has everything from God in store.” Everything we have is from God.

Have a blessed day in being content with what God has given us and thankful. Stay safe and healthy.

In His care,

Dean

-May 3, 2022-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

(John 16:33).

Jesus spent three years with disciples, teaching them, encouraging them, and setting an example before them. Today’s text is part of His Upper Room Discourse in John 13-17. John 13:1 says, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

The world at this time is under the control of Satan, the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air. The world is one of our three great enemies, along with the flesh, and the devil. We are in a spiritual battle against them until the Lord takes us home to heaven. Satan is relentless in his attacks against all believers in Christ, especially those who are living for Christ and serving Him.

Our Savior offers us His peace in the world, and oh do we need it so much! He said, “In Me you may have peace.” It is interesting that He does not say, you have peace or will have peace, but that “ you may have peace.” We must appropriate His peace. Everyone who is saved has peace with God. Paul tells us that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding comes through prayer and thanksgiving. When we walk with Jesus we have His peace in the midst of a world of chaos, confusion, and catastrophe.

In John 14:27 our Lord said, “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.” There is no peace in this world apart from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Someone said, “No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.” What great words to live by. Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross. His peace gives us assurance, confidence, and tranquility under all circumstances. We can face anyone or anything with the Lord who is with us.

The second part of our verse says, “In the world we will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” This world’s system hates us so much and is against us all the way. In John 15:18-19 Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of this world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of this world, but I chose you out of this world, therefore the world hates you.” We as believers are in this world but we are not of this world. That is why we will have tribulation. There is opposition, persecution, and resistance from this world. This world is not our home, nor is it our friend. We are just passing through on our way to heaven. We can never be comfortable in a world that hates our Savior and is against His truth, holiness, and righteousness. We are like fish out of water in this world.

James put in the strongest terms, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself a enemy of God” (James 4:4). We must not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Let us choose Christ over this world. In so doing we will have His peace and be pleasing to Him. Abraham was called the friend of God, and Jesus calls us His friends. In Him we have peace – in the world we have tribulation. We can be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world.

Have a blessed day of peace walking with Jesus and fighting the good fight of faith against this world, the flesh, and the devil. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal peace,

Dean