Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-April 27, 2022-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

(Matthew 1:21).

Yesterday, we considered what we have been saved from: sin, hell, judgment, condemnation, the wrath of God, spiritual death and the devil’s control. Today, we will ponder what we are saved to: victory over sin, the world, the flesh, and the devil; We now have eternal life, the forgiveness of our sins, and a home in heaven. We are the children of God, with God as our Heavenly Father, and Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. We have our inheritance in heaven where we will spend eternity; and so much more!

What a great joy to be saved! Saved to tell others what Jesus has done for us! When Jesus cast out the demons from the man living among the tombs in the country of the Gaderenes, it was a great miracle of healing and salvation. Luke 8:35 says, “Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.” This man begged to be with Him, but Jesus told him In Luke 8:39, “‘Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.’ And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. “

We have a story to tell how Jesus saved us and changed our lives. This speaks of our personal testimony to others of what our life was like before we were saved, how we received Christ, and what life is like for us now and for all eternity. Fanny Crosby wrote, “To God be the glory – great things He hath done! So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in.” The Lord has done great things for us! His grace gave us what we did not deserve.

Jesus was born to die for us on the cross. He came to seek and to save those who are lost. Have you received Jesus as your personal Savior? Why not today? Until the sin problem is settled, life will be unsettled, there will no hope, life, peace or joy.

Have a blessed day thanking God for changing our lives. We have been saved from so much and to so much more! Stay safe and healthy.

Rejoicing in Jesus,

Dean

-April 26, 2022-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

(Romans 5:9).

Today’s topic is the first of two parts: today is: “What We Are Saved From,” and tomorrow’s is: “What We Are Saved To.” Both are so encouraging for every believer in Christ, like a two-sided coin. Either way you flip it, brings a good result. When one recognizes where he is was in the past, he can truly appreciate what he has now in the present and future in Christ.

We are saved from the wrath of God. God must punish sin, and He laid our sins on His Beloved Son, who bore them, and He experienced the wrath of God on the cross. He suffered the death we deserved and died in our place. The Bible teaches us that we were born in sin and conceived in iniquity; we were separated from God and without God and without hope in this world; and we had no part in the covenants of promise in Israel. We were outcasts, strangers, and aliens.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-4, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Our past was downright ugly, before the Lord saved us. Our before picture certainly serves to help us appreciate what we now have now in Christ.

What we are saved from is further shown in the NT: we are saved from our sins, from the power of darkness, from spiritual death, from condemnation and judgment, from the control of the evil one, and from the wrath of God. None of us would ever want to go back to the old life. Just to be spared from all these things would we seem enough for us, but God gave us so many things over and above that He has saved us to. We were rescued, ransomed, redeemed, and reconciled.

Mercy does not give us what we deserve, and grace gives us what we do not deserve. Psalm 103:10 says, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.” We broke God’s laws and deserved His judgment and wrath. Our past is now under the precious blood of Jesus. We are now just as if we had never sinned.

We went from being children of wrath to being children of God, from sinners to saints. We will forever be known as sinners saved by grace. It makes us so happy and thankful. Tomorrow we will look at what we are saved to. I can’t wait! The hymn writer John Newton said it well, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

Have a blessed day thanking God for taking away all our vileness and sins. Stay safe and healthy.

In eternal gratitude,

Dean

-April 25, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“And not only as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.”

(2 Corinthians 8:5).

Paul in writing to the Corinthians on the subject of giving, he held up the Macedonian believers as as an example of sacrificial giving. Despite their own trials and poverty, they gave generously to help the saints in other areas that were suffering. They gave according to their ability, and beyond their ability with willingness and joy. Giving should always come from the heart.

Paul commends these dear saints for not only giving of their money, but of themselves first to the Lord and then to their leaders. The Lord always wants our hearts first, then our time, efforts, and money. When we give ourselves first, everything else will fall into place. These Macedonians excelled in giving because they first excelled in living. Paul wanted the Christians at Corinth to fulfill their promise of two years previously in giving their love gift.

One day Jesus was on the temple grounds and he saw many people putting in their offerings into the temple treasury. Many of these these were wealthy men; Among them there was a certain poor widow who put in all that she had. Our Savior was greatly impressed with her gift, more than all the others. Jesus said of her, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had” (Luke 21:3). She put in only two mites, two small Roman coins, but she gave all she had.

When we give of ourselves first to the Lord, it is the best offering we can give. For isn’t that what Jesus gave for us at the cross? He gave His life and shed His precious blood to save us from our sins. Then as we give ourselves first to Him, we will give to our leaders to support the work of the Lord. Our leaders need our prayers, support, and love. They often gets criticized, but seldom get recognized and appreciated.

May the Lord help us to be generous givers as well as dedicated “livers.” Let us hold nothing back but give ourselves fully to Christ and His service. We can never out give the Lord!

Have a blessed day giving ourselves first to the Lord and then to our leaders. We will give a blessing and also receive one. Stay safe and healthy.

In grateful service,

Dean

-April 24, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“And one of them stuck the servant of the high priest and cut of his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, ‘Permit even this.’ And He touched his ear and healed him.”

(Luke 22:50-51).

The account of the betrayal and arrest of Jesus is found in all four gospels. Only Luke, the beloved physician, however, mentions how Jesus healed the servant of the high priest of his severed ear; he even specifically says that it was his right ear. John tells that it was Peter who raised a sword and cut off the ear of Malcus mentioned by name by John. Peter was a better fisherman than swordsman!

It was definitely not Peter’s finest hour, but Jesus intervened and healed Malcus’ ear. Jesus, even in His trying hour of betrayal and arrest, showed such compassion, mercy, and kindness to an enemy. It speaks volumes of the love of Jesus. Malcus was the servant of Caiaphas, the high priest. We don’t know much about him. His name is a Roman name, meaning “king or counselor.” Thus he was likely a Roman. So many might say and rightfully so, he was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the right thing; but God had a purpose for him at the time that would glorify the Lord. He was there to arrest Jesus but Jesus showed His power and love to him.

I’m sure Malcus was grateful to Jesus and never forgot this incident the rest of his life. We don’t know if he ever got saved. Malcus is a lot like us before we got saved: enemies of Jesus. Paul wrote in Romans 5:10, “If while we were enemies were were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Think of the story that Malcus had tell to family and friends of how his ear was cut off and how Jesus healed him. We as believers in Christ have an even better story to tell of how Jesus touched our lives and saved us from our sins. This was the last miracle of Jesus before He died on the cross. on earth. Isn’t that remarkable? His first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Now this healing of Malcus was His last one. Malcus could say, “First I was struck than I was healed in a matter of seconds!”

Let us learn the lesson to love our enemies and pray for their salvation. When we turn the other cheek, return good or evil, and love our enemies, we can have a huge impact on others.

Have a blessed day showing the compassion of Jesus in every season. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-April 23, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.”

(1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

We must be strong like steel. Paul exhorts the saints to do four things: watch, which means to be on guard against the attacks of the devil; stand fast in the faith, meaning to have a strong faith like an anchor in turbulent seas; be brave, is having to courage in a fearful and dangerous world; be strong, for our strength comes from the Lord not ourselves. We are soldiers of the cross. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

We must also have a softer, gentler side, to be like velvet. Velvet is one of the softest fabrics. Paul says, “Let all that you do be done with love.” More people are won to Christ by sincere love than from fear. People want to see we care before they will listen as we share. It is quite a challenge to love everyone, treating them with kindness, respect, and gentleness. There are some people who are very hard to love. The Lord will help us to love them as He has has loved us.

Paul spent eighteen months in Corinth preaching and teaching the Word of God. He wrote two fairly lengthy epistles to the saints. Today’s text is part of his final exhortations in 1 Corinthians 16. These verses represent a microcosm of the Christian life: a combination of steel, that is strength and toughness, and velvet, that is love. It reminds me of the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless (or innocent) as doves.”

So whether we are men or women, young or old, mature believers or a new Christians; these truths will serve us well all throughout our lives. Our victory comes through Christ’s power and His love. Let’s take up the challenge to live like Jesus. These are great verses to commit to memory and to practice.

Have a blessed day being steel and velvet. Stay safe and healthy.

In His surpassing love,

Dean