Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-June 16, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Praying Specifically For God’s Answers-

“O Lord, I pray, please let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who desire to fear your name; and let your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cup bearer.”

Nehemiah, like many other Jews was taken into captivity in Babylon. He rose to a prominent position there. He was the king’s cup bearer. Pharaoh in Egypt had a chief cup bearer, who along with the chief baker, and was thrown into prison where Joseph was being confined. If someone wanted to kill the king, the cup bearer or baker could certainly do it.

There were other Jews in the OT who occupied royal positions of great responsibility during this time: Mordecai, Esther, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech, and Abed-nego. Earlier there was Joseph also. God blessed and prospered them greatly.

Nehemiah was acutely aware that many Jews had returned to Israel after the seventy year captivity was completed. In accordance with the prophesy of Jeremiah, King Cyrus of Persia issued a proclamation ordering their return to rebuild the temple and occupy the land once again. God is always faithful in keeping His promises.

Nehemiah heard from a man named Hanani and others who had come from Judah who told him of the state of affairs there. Nehemiah 1:3 says,”And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and it’s gates are burned with fire.’” This greatly distressed and burdened Nehemiah’s heart. He began to weep, pray, and fast before the Lord. He knew he had to go there to help them, but he needed King Artaxerxes’ permission. Hence his specific prayer in today’s text. He asked God to be attentive to his prayer and the prayers of all those who fear the name of the Lord; and let him proper and have mercy in the eyes of the king. We see in Nehemiah chapter 2 how the king noticed how sad he was. He explained the situation to the king and requested a leave of absence to go to Israel, help out, and then return to the king and his position in an appointed time. God answered his prayer. The king not only granted his request but sent letters to the local officials and even ordered supplies for the work.

What a great answer to prayer. He prayed humbly and specifically; and God answered and did even more than he asked for. God hears and answers our prayers. The hymn writer Joseph M. Scriven wrote, “What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

God blessed Nehemiah‘s efforts to encourage the Jews, provide great leadership, and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He and Jews were faced with great opposition, but with God’s help, finished the work in 52 days. Nehemiah 6:16 says, “And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they perceived that this work was done by our God.” Let us pray until the answer comes and until the victory is won!

Have a blessed day praying specifically and trusting God for His answers. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-June 15, 2021-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

-Take Heed To Our Ministries To Fulfill Them-

“And say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.’”

(Colossians 4:17).

Everything that Paul said, did, and wrote had a purpose for the salvation of souls and the building up of the saints in the Lord. There were times he had to rebuke and reprove, exhort and encourage. Today’s verse is such a time. He mentions Archippus specifically. He exhorts him to “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

The word exhortation is defined as, “An address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.” This is exactly what Paul did in referring to Archippus. His goal was not to shame or embarrass him, but rather to help and encourage him.

Many biblical scholars believe that Archippus was the son of Philemon, one of Paul’s dear friends. Philemon was a leader in the church in Colosse, and he and his family hosted a church in their home. Paul wrote in Philemon 1:1-2, “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.” Apphia was likely Philemon’s wife and Archippus his son.

We do not know what happened to Archippus, but something did. He may have gotten discouraged, or suffered some malady. The Bible does not tell us. One thing we know is that he needed some encouragement to fulfill his ministry that the Lord called him to. Anytime we work with people it is not going to be easy. Paul loved Archippus and wanted him to take his responsibilities more seriously. Coming from Paul this carried a great weight.

Paul also exhorted two sisters in the church in Philippi, Euodia and Syntyche, who were not getting along. Philippians 4:2-3 says, “I implore Euodia and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”

It is important for us to recognize that it is God that calls us to serve Him, equips us, and brings forth the results. He needs us to be faithful and take our ministries very seriously. As more churches reopen we will resume our ministries at church that we could not do during the pandemic. We also need to get back to attending church again. The devil will fight against us, as will the flesh and the world. We need to pray for each other.

Paul was like a spiritual coach. He knew his players and what motivated them. The NBA and NHL playoffs are going on right now, and MLB and other sports. The best coaches know which players need to be challenged and exhorted and which ones need encouragement.

May the Lord help us to take heed to our ministries and fulfill them faithfully in Jesus’ name and for His sake. All of us need to learn and grow so we can be the best we can be in the Lord’s service. Let us be committed to our spiritual commitments.

Have a blessed day serving the Lord. Time is short and there is much to do. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean

-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