Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-July 6, 2021-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

-The Words Of Christ Will Never Pass Away-

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

(Matthew 24:35).

Matthew 24 and 25 deal with the end of times and the coming of the Lord. Jesus prepared His people for the events so that everyone will known and be prepared. The tribulation will follow the Rapture and will primarily be focused on Israel. Jesus teaches the parable of the fig tree to illustrate when His Second Coming to earth will be. Israel is likened to a fig tree. When its leaves are tender then summer is near. When all the signs in these verses are fulfilled His coming is very near.

The words of Jesus are eternal and all will be fulfilled in God’s timing. We see all the signs around us today, both in Israel and throughout the world. The generation of Israel since restoration as a country in 1948 will not pass away until all is fulfilled. Jesus tells us only the Father knows the day of His Second Coming. He also says that everything on earth will continue as normal until He comes.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:37-39, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

The Lord’s coming will be like a thief in the night. He will come at a time when no one thinks He will. He will come suddenly. As Christians we need to be waiting, watching, and working until our Lord comes to take us to heaven. The time is short. Jesus told us in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, the flesh is weak.” God has given us His Word to instruct us, warn us, and encourage us in these last days.

Will the Lord find us faithful when He comes? 1 John 2:28 says, “And now little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” Let us stand for and on the Word of God, no matter what people may say. Christianity is becoming less popular and so few are standing for the truth.

Have a blessed day living by the Word and sharing it with others. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 5, 2021-

Good morning, happy Monday,

God Sees Our Ways And Counts Our Steps-

“Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps.”

(Job 31:4).

Presidents, CEO’s, and in fact all of us are very busy in life; yet none can compare to how busy God is. He is always working, especially on behalf of His people. Job was aware of God’s constant involvement in his life. He puts it in the form of two rhetorical questions: Does He not see my ways and count my all my steps?

In the book of Job, his friends contended that these great trials and afflictions were as a result of Job’s sin; Job sharply disagreed and maintained his innocence and righteousness. His friends were wrong, but this did not justify Job. All of us are sinners. God intervened and showed His power and glory. God told Job to pray for his friends that they would be restored. God restored what Job had lost and even more so that his end was better than his beginning.

The book of Job answered the age long question, “Why do the righteous suffer?” God uses trials to test and grow our faith, make us more dependent on Him, and keep us humble. Trials are painful but in the end yield great eternal results in our lives.

• God sees our ways – There is no where we can go to escape God’s presence or avoid being seen by Him. He not only sees everything we do but knows our thoughts, motives, desires, and attitudes. This was true of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God saw them with they both took the forbidden fruit. When God called Adam and said to him, “Where are you.” God knew where he was and what He had done. but he wanted Adam and Eve to realize where they were at and to repent.

David was fully aware of God’s presence and His ever seeing eye. He wrote in Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” We never need to be afraid of God watching us. He loves us so much. Our goal should be to always do what is right in His sight.

• God counts all our steps – Nowadays, we have so many devices that can count our daily steps. I track mine every day. God doesn’t need man’s technology, He counts our every step. He knows where we have gone and what we have done. Job 34:21 says, “For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.” God knows us so well He even knows the number of hairs on our heads and collects our tears in His bottle.

We thank God for His love and care. One of my favorite hymns is “God Will Take Care of You,” written by Civilla D. Martin. The fourth verse says, “No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean weary one upon His breast, God will take care of you.” The chorus says, “God will take of you, through every day, o’er all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you.”

God sees our ways and counts our steps. He desires the very best for us and cares for us day by day and moment by moment. He also uses angels to care for us and protect us. We can’t see them but they are always there as God messengers and ministers.

Have blessed day in every step of the journey, thanking God for His loving care. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-July 4, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day, happy Independence Day,

-We Are A Blessed And Chosen Nation-

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.”

(Psalm 33:12).

Today is our nation’s Independence Day and birthday. On July 4, 1776, our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. Then came the hardest part, winning that independence from Great Britain. The British, the strongest world power at that time were committed to squelching, squashing, and smashing our revolution. They even hired German troops, called Hessians, to help them.

The colonial army, led by George Washington, was largely comprised of farmers, businessmen, and other unprofessional soldiers. They took on the British and with God’s help and won a great victory. At the beginning though, times were tough and there more defeats than victories. General Washington was a devout believer in the Lord and spent much time on his knees in prayer.

We were blessed then and we are blessed now. The Lord has so favored us a nation and guided us and protected us down through the years. Freedom isn’t free, it cost many American lives, both men and women. Many were wounded and many gave their lives for us.

Our nation was founded on God and His Word. Our public and private schools were based on teaching the Bible as well our the other scholastic subjects. Harvard and Yale universities were theological schools, much different than they are today. Our people feared God, loved their families, established many churches, and lived in peace, liberty, and freedom.

We are not only blessed but we are chosen by God as His inheritance. God loved us and still loves America. Our national motto is, “In God We Trust.” True patriots put God first, then country. Their passion is equally strong for both. Sadly, our nation today is very divided and has drifted so far from God. We as believers in Christ should be model citizens, obeying our leaders, the laws, and the Word of God.

To be blessed is to be happy. America is not perfect but is still the greatest country on earth because of God in heaven. Psalm 144:13-15 describes our prosperity, “That our barns may be full, supplying all kinds of produce; that our sheep may bring forth thousands in our field; that our oxen maybe well laden; that there be no outcry in our streets. Happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” We are richly blessed and blessed richly in so many ways.

Let us thank God for our country and pray for her, stand beside her, defend her, and be proud to be Americans. There will be picnics, barbecues, fireworks, parades, and other celebrations today and tomorrow. May we never forget God our Blesser and Keeper. We have so much to thank God for! God bless America!

Have a blessed 4th of July! It is appropriate this year that it falls on the Lord’s Day. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

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-July 3, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-Righteousness Exalts, Sin Reproaches-

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

(Proverbs 14:34).

Our nation, America, the U.S.A., is about to celebrate its 245th birthday tomorrow. Our republic and our constitutionally formed government of the people, by the people, and for the people has survived and thrived for all this time. America is far from perfect, and we have strayed from God for many years, there is hope that she will repent and come back to the Lord.

We have so many freedoms, so many opportunities, and so many blessings to thank God for. As Christians we have the freedom to assemble, to express our views, to pray, read the Bible, among so many more. We as a country were formed and united as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Solomon, the writer of today’s verse tells us two incontrovertible truths: “righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.” In a real sense that is a microcosm of Solomon’s own life: when he honored and obeyed God, God exalted him and blessed him. He was the wisest king ever. However, when he married so many foreign women, they influenced him to worship idols and his spiritual life with God crumbled. Leaders are examples either for the good or the bad.

• Righteousness exalts a nation – Down through this past 245 years, when America has pursued righteousness, she has been greatly blessed. Of all the countries in the world, America along with Israel, has been so favored. Unfortunately, there are those in our country who have chosen a path of secularism, humanism over God and His righteousness. Oh how we need to pray for our country. Thank God for all the Christians and Bible believing churches that we still have in America. The devil is fighting non-stop to bring America down, we must lift America up, up to God and righteousness.

• Sin is a reproach to any people – This is exactly what happened to Israel and it is happening to us. The further we have gone from God, the more sin we see around us today. There is crime, corruption, exploitation of vulnerable people, injustice, violence, division, and a general disregard for our elders, leaders, and morals. Sin is destroying us from the inside out. Psalm 11:3 says, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

May the Lord help us to stand for Him, His righteousness, and His truth no matter what may happen. We need to thank God for our country and pray for our country. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is our only solution, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Revival starts with God’s people then it will spread far and wide.

Have a blessed day reflecting on America past and present, thanking God for all His blessings and living for Him and serving Him. God bless the U.S.A. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

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-July 2, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

-Pursuing Things Which Lead To Peace And Edification-

“Therefore let us pursue the things which which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. one another.”

(Romans 14:19).

Everyone likes to be around positive people who promote peace and encouragement. Some people have a natural tendency to be upbeat and encouraging, while others are tend to be pessimistic. In Christ and through the Holy Spirit we should all be encouragers and through faith promote peace and edification.

Today’s verse gives the recipe for how to get a long with one another. It won’t just happen on its own. Paul says we must pursue the things that make for peace and edification. It takes action on our part. We must be team players, working for the good of others. As fellow believers we are brothers and sisters in Christ, members of the body of Christ, and joint heirs with Christ. We will spend eternity together in heaven.

Pursuing the things which make for peace is not always easy. It really starts with praying for each other and seeking the welfare of others. The words we speak to one another are important and the way we speak them is critically important. Jesus called us to be peacemakers. Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” We who have peace with God and experience the peace of God, are then able to spread and promote peace with each other.

Peace then becomes like a ripple in river, that spreads out over the water. We need peace in our homes, our schools, our workplaces, our churches, and wherever we go. We should leave behind a blessing for Christ. Conversely, we should avoid those so called “hot button,” topics that anger and upset others, while maintaining our convictions with love and respect.

It is also important to pursue those things which lead to edification. To edify means to build up others. We have two choices in every relationship and conversation: to build someone up or tear them down. The former is constructive and the latter is destructive. Every believer should seek to be an encourager. Barnabas was a great example in the early church. Acts 4:36 says, “And Joses, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus.”

Will you choose to promote peace and encouragement today? Will you build up others and seek their good? Smiles work better than frowns, positively works better than negativity, and kindness and gentleness work better than harshness and criticism.

Have a blessed day being a blessing by pursuing peace and edification. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean