Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-July 14, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Obedience And Love Go Together-

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

(John 15:10).

Love for the Lord and obedience to Him go together as a hand and glove. When we keep His commandments we abide in His love, and conversely when we love Him, we will obey Him. It is based on our relationship to Christ and on His relationship to the Father.

John 14:23 says, “Jesus answered and said to Him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’” We love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself for us on the cross. Love is the ultimate motive for obedience, and obedience is the ultimate expression of our love for the Lord Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Obedience without love is duty, love without obedience is unthankfulness; but love with obedience is delightful devotion. We can never love Him enough nor can we obey Him as He deserves. Jesus, God’s Son loves the Father and obeys Him fully, doing His will. God never forces us to obey Him, but His great love for us compels us to comply to whatever He asks.

It is not hard to obey the Lord who loves us so much. He is our loving Lord and Savior. We may obey our parents to stay out of trouble; we may obey our bosses to keep our jobs; we may obey the law to stay out of jail; but we obey our Lord because of our love for Him and ourdesire to please Him.

Let us show our obedience because we love Him, and may we show our love by our obedience to Him. The closer we draw to the Lord, the more we love Him; and the more we love Him, the more we will obey Him. Jesus is the best example of love and obedience: He loved the Father and did His will fully.

Have a blessed day abiding in Christ’s love and obeying His will. There is nothing better than that. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 13, 2021-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

-Where Are The Godly And Faithful Today?

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.”

(Psalm 12:1).

David made this observation thousands of years ago. He saw fewer and fewer godly and faithful people in his days. If it was true way back then, just think how true it is today! Things have gotten so much worse down through the years. David loved the Lord and trusted fully in Him and we need to do the same today.

Statistics show fewer people are attending church, especially among younger people. And even among all Christians today, there are fewer and fewer living lives of godliness and faithfulness. How many are spending quality time with the Lord in prayer and in the Lord? How many are strongly practicing their faith as a way of life? How many churches are still preaching the gospel and teaching the pure Word of God?

Oh, how it must have saddened David and should sadden us today as well! Even more so, how it must sadden the Lord! The Lord wants us live godly lives and to be faithful to Him no matter what others may think or do. We have the choice and we must decide to follow Jesus, no turning back.

The hymn, “I have Decided to Follow Jesus,” is so encouraging and challenging. The words are from an unknown author, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. The world behind me, the cross before me, no turning back. Tho’ none go with me I still will follow, no turning back. Will you decide now to follow Jesus? No turning back?”

God’s people, down through the centuries, whether in the OT or in the NT, have always been a remnant, a minority. They have always stood their ground and lived for the Lord. We certainly need to take our stand in these dark days in which we are living!

The Bible has been taken out of our schools and so has prayer. If anyone wishes to mention Jesus Christ in a speech, they are discredited and condemned. If the Founding Fathers of our nation could see what has happened, they would be saddened and shocked. It should drive us to our knees in prayer for our beloved country. Proverbs 20:6 says, “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?”

Have a blessed day setting the example of godliness and faithfulness despite the conditions around us. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 12, 2021-

Good morning, happy Monday,

-The Value And Priority Of The Word –

“But He answered him and said, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

(Matthew 4:4).

We have all read many books in our lives, good books, including commentaries, devotionals, and other outstanding Christian books. As good as they are, they can cannot compare to the Bible. God’s Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Scriptures are our source of knowledge, understanding, wisdom, encouragement, guidance, truth, and love. There are commandments to obey, principles to live by, and promises to claim. We must read it and practice it in our daily lives. We should always delight in it, for God speaks to our hearts through it.

In today’s text, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This event took place right after His baptism and before He began His earthly ministry. He fasted for 40 days and forty nights. He was weak in a physical sense but strong in a spiritual sense. Notice the three key words, “He was hungry.” God designed our bodies to eat food for our nutrition. We all know how a lack of food affects us. We get distracted, irritable, impatient, and just plain cranky.

The devil tempted Jesus three times, and each time our Savior answered him from the Word of God. The lesson we learn from this is that in order to defeat the devil we must use the Word. Of the all parts our spiritual armor that we put on, the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is our only offensive weapon. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and narrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” It cuts deep in conviction, as well as providing instruction and guidance. The devil never stood a chance. In the analogy of baseball, the devil threw his three best pitches: a fastball, slider, and a curve; Jesus hit each for a home run.

Man does not live by bread alone, that is the earthly things of life. They only afford temporal pleasure and benefit. God’s Word on the other hand, proceeds out of His mouth and provides eternal benefits. Jesus said to the people in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

How well do you know your Bible? How skillful are you at sharing it with others? How adept are you at quoting and also knowing where to find things in it? Paul told Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Let us then spend much time in prayer and in the Word. May we skillful to use it in our lives and to share it with others. We need to tell the devil to get behind us in the name of Jesus and the power of His shed blood. When we stand on the Word, the devil won’t have a leg to stand on. James wrote, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Have a blessed day in the Word using it wisely and skillfully, powerfully and humbly. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 11, 2021-Our First in-person services at church in 16 months.

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-Peace Through The Blood Of His Cross-

“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

(Colossians 1:19-20).

We are so blessed to be saved from our sins, forgiven, cleansed, born again, redeemed, made holy, justified, reconciled, and having peace with God. Our Lord Jesus Christ died in our place and through His death we have life abundant and eternal.

Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace who made peace through through the blood of His cross. Through His sacrificial and substitutionary death, we have peace with God and experience the peace of God. God freely gives us peace, and through His peace we have peace with each other and are now peacemakers in this world.

The world longs for peace but will never have it apart from Christ. There can be no peace until one’s sins are forgiven. I really like a bumper sticker I saw, “No Jesus, no peace, know Jesus, know peace.” That says it all!

Just think of what Jesus did for us on the cross to secure that peace: He gave His life for us, bore our sins in His own body, shed His precious blood, and died the death we deserved. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:13-14, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both into one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.”

There is nothing better, richer, or sweeter than peace; it is our greatest gift and possession. The hymn writer Edward H. Bickersteth wrote, “Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin? The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.” Let us thank God for the peace we have in Him and from Him. Nothing and no one can disturb it, diminish it, or remove it. Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day reflecting on His peace and enjoying it no matter what circumstances we face today. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 10, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-Peaceful And Purposeful Sleep Leads To A Productive And Prosperous Life-

“I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me” (Psalm 3:5).

God created us with a purpose and for a purpose. Our bodies need food to eat, water to drink, and sleep to sustain us. So many do not eat healthy, drink enough water, or get enough quality sleep.

Overall, America is sleep deprived. We think of sleep as a waste of time and try to get by on as little as possible. This has led to less productivity, more health problems, and more traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths.

David, the writer of both psalms three and four, learned the blessing and value of sleep. Only the Lord can give one the best sleep. When we are in peace, trusting in the the Lord, and not worrying about tomorrow, we can sleep. The problem is we tend to worry about what has not even happened yet.

Older people tend to have a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep. It is a good habit to pray before sleeping, thanking the Lord for what He helped us to do during that day and committing ourselves for the tasks ahead for the next day.

When we fall asleep and wake up in the morning, we find ourselves rested, refreshed, and rejuvenated. David said, “…I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.” When we get up we should praise and thank God for giving us another day to live for Him and serve Him.

God knew how beneficial sleep is to the spirit, soul, and body. He wants us to be healthy and have strength to carry on each day. We charge our smart phones, tablets, and smart watches; should be not charge our bodies as well? Paul admonished us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Sleep is precious and is a gift from God. We need it so much. We can sleep confidently and peacefully knowing that God never slumbers or sleeps. He watches over us at all times. Psalm 121:3-4 tells us, “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber or sleep.”

May the Lord help us to take sleep seriously and value it highly. It adds to our health and quality of life. It is for good and we should thus give it a higher priority.

Have a blessed day of living and a great night of sleeping. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean