Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-June 14, 2021-

Good morning, happy Monday, happy Flag Day-

-We Are Citizens Of Heaven-

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

Our citizenship in heaven is a great and treasured blessing. The moment we get saved we become citizens of heaven. Heaven is our home, and this earth is only our temporary residence. Our values, principles, morals, and way of living is vastly different from the world. Christians walking with the Lord will never feel comfortable in this world. We are like fish out of water.

Once we were strangers and foreigners, in fact we were enemies of God. Now we are the children of God, adopted into God’s family. We have a wonderful and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Every believer is a saint; other Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We represent our Savior in this world. We eagerly wait for His return to take us to our heavenly home. So many have gone before us and they will be among the welcoming committee in heaven.

In our sanctuary at church we have two flags: the Christian flag and the American flag. The kids in our Sunday School recite the pledge of allegiance to both. If you are not familiar with the pledge to the Christian flag, it goes like this: “I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands, one brotherhood, uniting all Christians in service and love.” There is also a related pledge to the Bible that says, “I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word. A lamp to my feet and a light to my path, its words will I hide in my heart, that I might not sin against God.”

As believers in the United States of America, we have a dual citizenship: we are citizens of heaven and citizens of America. I love our country so much and I am so thankful to be a citizen. I pray for our nation, our president, and all our elected and appointed representatives. I am sad to see the direction our country has been going and pray for revival.

It is up to us as citizens of heaven to live for Christ, serve Him, stand for Him, and speak for Him. Citizens of heaven make the best citizens of earth. May our character, conduct, and conversation point people to Jesus and glorify Him. He is the Head of the body, the church, and we are members of His body. May our lives be characterized by love, obedience, faith, trust, honesty, and integrity. People will see the difference in our lives which gives us the opportunity to share that Jesus has saved us changed our lives.

Have a blessed day living as citizens of heaven on earth and citizens of the U.S.A. We should be doubly thankful for our dual citizenship. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-June 13, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-Major Milestones In Life-

“When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: ‘For He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel.’ Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”

(Ezra 3:10-11).

Israel had been in captivity for 70 years in Babylon just as the Lord said would happen. He also promised that they would be restored to their land and the temple which had been destroyed would be rebuilt. Restoration is a wonderful thing, and all the people rejoiced and celebrated. Not everyone came back, but those who did honored and obeyed God.

We would call this a major milestone in the history of Israel. Other great milestones included God’s call and promise to Abraham, God’s deliverance of Noah and his family during the flood, God’s deliverance of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea and victory over Pharaoh and his army, the crossing of Israel through the Jordan River into the Promised Land and their possession of the land, and now their restoration to their land and the rebuilding of the temple, and the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.

There are many other milestones in Scripture, especially for the church: the Day of Pentecost, and ones yet future such as the Rapture, and Jesus’ Second Coming to earth. Each milestone is both a victory and a celebration. The greatest milestone will be going to heaven to be with the Lord.

In our modern times we have many different milestones, such as engagements, weddings, anniversaries, births, graduations, birthdays, getting a job, promotions, starting a business, and retirements. We should always thank and praise God for our milestones for the Lord makes them all possible.

Here in our text, when the builders laid the foundation of the temple, the priests stood in their apparel with their trumpets, the Levites, the sons of Asaph crashed their cymbals, and the singers sang praises to the Lord. It was a very fitting song they sang, “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” All the people shouted with a great shout!

When God does great things for us we should praise Him and give Him all the glory. Psalm 126:3 says, “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.” Our church has been closed since March of 2020 and all our services have been virtual since then. But soon the church will be reopening, and what a grand reopening that will be! I can’t wait! Now that will be a great milestone!

Let us never forget the excellence of the Blesser in the excitement of the blessing. Every thing we have, every thing we accomplish, and every good thing is from the Lord. James wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

Have a blessed day thanking and praising God for who He is and what He has done for us. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-June 12, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-All Of God’s Creation Declares His Glory-

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.”

(Psalm 19:1-2).

God is the Creator of all things, both here on earth and throughout the universe. There billions of stars, planets, galaxies, and solar systems that we know so little about. They are share one thing in common: they declare the glory of God. Whether they are in heaven, on earth, or in the vast oceans.

Genesis 1:16 says, “Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.” God created the heavens and the earth. He made the trees, plants, birds, fish, cattle, and all the creatures of the earth. There is so much beauty in the world around us, even though man has marred it by sin.

Down through the centuries God has used His creation to declare His glory to man. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so they are without excuse.”

Of all God’s creation, man is His crowning jewel. He created us in the image of God, with a spirit, soul, and body. We know Adam and Eve sinned and sin came into the world; and as a result physical and spiritual death. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. God has chosen to use us as His witnesses and servants to declare the gospel to those who are not saved. Through our lives and words, we declare the glory of God.

God patiently waits for man to receive Him as Lord and Savior. Man is the only one of His creatures that He gave a free will. Every person must make his own decision. We must confess our sins, believe that Jesus died for our sins, and receive Him as Lord and Savior. One day when we die or the Rapture comes first, we will go to live with the Lord and all the people of God in heaven. If we think earth is beautiful, we haven’t seen anything yet. Heaven will be better than earth in every way.

Let us then declare God’s glory in the way we live and share our faith with others. He put us here for a reason for a season. May we have an impact that is seen, heard, and felt by those around us.

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

In His grace,

Dean

-June 11, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

-Be Still And Know That God Is Control-

“Be still, know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

(Psalm 46:10).

Every day we wake up should be a reminder to us as believers that God is still on His throne and He is in control. It is so assuring to realize that He is working in our lives. The world is so sinful, so evil and wicked; we move at a frenetic pace, and times goes by even faster. We are still in the coronavirus pandemic, tensions are rising in our country and throughput the world. These are times of violent crime, mass shootings, cybercrime, and so much more. We need to pray and trust the Lord more and more.

This psalm was written by the sons of Korah. They were Levites who served the Lord in the tabernacle then later in the temple. It is called a song for Alamoth. It is a musical term to indicate virgins, who sing praises to God. They are female likely sopranos who sing in the choir.

The writer says, “Be still and know that I am God…” We need to slow down, rest in Jesus, and thank Him for all that He has done for us, is doing for us, and will do for us. Psalm 46:1 tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” We can run to Him and find solace, safely, and security. Twice in this psalm we read, “The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46:7, 11). Whenever God repeats something, it is very important for us to take heed to it.

God wants us to know things two things in today’s verse: He is exalted among the nations and He is exalted in the earth. He is sovereign; He is the Lord and King overall and above all. As we mentioned recently, so few are believers. We have chosen to follow Christ on the narrow road. We have bowed down to Him willingly. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Is Christ exalted to the highest place in your life? Is He the Ruler of your heart? The Lord wants to get our attention so that we can relieve our tension! Be still and know that He is God. He is our Captain, our Pilot. He will guide us through all the storms of life. Jesus calmed the sea when His disciples feared for their lives.

The anonymous hymn writer wrote, “Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. I am the the Lord that strengthens Thee. I am the Lord that strengthens thee. I am the Lord that strengthens thee.”

Let us remember today that God is in control and we just need to trust Him. He guides us and gives sufficient grace in every circumstance of life. May we be still before the Lord, listen to His voice, and give Him full control over our lives. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Be still without fear, for Jesus is always near!

Have a blessed day walking with Jesus and being still in His presence. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-June 10, 2021-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

-Bearing With And Forgiving One Another Is Obligatory-

“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

(Colossians 3:13).

Much is written in the NT about the New Man or New Nature. The moment we get saved we have a new nature. The Holy Spirit indwells us and enables us to live the life of Christ. Colossians 3:12-17 describes this life. While we do have the new nature, we still also have the old nature. The two are in constant conflict.

The way to achieve a victorious life is to obey the Lord, surrender fully to Him, and yield to His will. In order to get along with others in the church we must humble ourselves, give up our rights, and live for others. None of us are perfect, which makes it a real challenge at times. Paul tells us we must bear with one another and forgive each other.

Bearing with one another – To bear with one another is the character trait of forbearance, meaning to put up with one another. We all have sins, weaknesses, and quirks. We all make mistakes and say the wrong things at the wrong times in the wrong ways. Case in point with the disciples; they often discussed who was the greatest. The Lord Jesus was patient with them and put up with their flaws. Peter often spoke and said the wrong things. If the Lord bears with me, I should also bear with others.

Forgiving one another – God has forgiven us of all our sins. Sin is completely paid for. But when it comes to others, we find it much harder to forgive each other. We get angry, feel wronged, want our own way. When someone wrongs us, we complain against them and we seek to get back at them. We even hold grudges. The challenge for us is to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. Paul does not say we should forgive but we must forgive.

Jesus said, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against one anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26). When we confess our sins to God, He forgives us, forgets it, and restores the broken fellowship. This same thing should happen when others wrong us.

Let us remember to bear with one another patiently and in love. If the Lord puts up with me, I can put up with others. Forgiving others is not an option but an obligation. It is the only way to maintain healthy relationships with one another. Bearing and forgiving is not easy, but it possible with the Lord’s help and is so needed.

Have a blessed day getting along with our brothers and sisters in Christ, bearing with them and forgiving them. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean