Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-February 21, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-Jesus Was Forsaken By God Because He Died For Our Sins-

“Now about the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’”

(Matthew 27:45-46).

Much of the scene of the cross was shrouded in darkness over all the land. It was an impermeable darkness. The only other time when there was darkness in the daytime was when God brought a severe plague of darkness on the Egyptians. The Scripture says that darkness could be felt. Here the cross it was very similar but even more ominous.

The last three hours of Jesus’ crucifixion was when He bore our sins and accomplished our salvation. God laid our sins on Him, He bore them in His own body, and He became sin for us. God darkened the land while this transaction took place. All our sin, evil, wickedness, and wretchedness was transferred onto our Savior. He bore our sin debt and paid it in full. God’s wrath and judgment was heaped on our precious, sinless, holy Redeemer. He shed His blood to wash away our sin.

It is amazing after all that Christ suffered, He summoned all His strength and cried out to the Father. He quoted Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me…” The answer to this question is both simple and sublime: He was bearing our sin, and a holy God cannot look on sin. Thus God forsook Him. He died all alone on the cross in darkness. There was none to comfort Him or help Him.

Oh, what a heavy price our Savior paid to save us! Prior to the cross, the Son had wonderful and blessed communion with the Father all the time He was on earth as well as in eternity past. Now, however during His time on the cross, God turned His back on Him. He suffered something we will never have to. God promised us, “I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you.” This is found in a number of Scriptures.

Because Jesus died for us, He was forsaken that one time. As a result, we who believe in Him will be with Him in heaven forever. He will be with us and never leave or forsake us. We who deserved death, physical and spiritual, now have life abundant and eternal; we who should be chained in darkness forever, now have light in the Lord; and we who were guilty have been pardoned and forgiven. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

The hymn writer Robert C. Chapman wrote, “In His spotless soul’s distress, I have learnt my guiltiness; Oh how vile my low estate, since my ransom was so great.” This hymn is titled “Oh, My Savior Crucified,” and the tune was composed by Mozart.

Have a blessed day of worshiping and praising the Lord for His sacrifice on the cross. Remember the One who was forsaken for us will never leave us or forsake us. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-February 20, 2021-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-Keep Quiet The Faults Of Others And Don’t Gossip-

“He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.”

(Proverbs 17:9).

The relationships between believers is very important. The key overriding principle is love. It is very important to encourage one another to walk in obedience, holiness, and love before the Lord. With so many discipling and mentoring others, especially the newer believers, it important to keep their problems confidential and not share them with others.

Solomon writes, “He who covers a transgression seeks love…” This does not mean to hide sin and important issues from the leadership of the church. They need to know what is happening so they can deal effectively with it and help that person. There are persons in the church such as the pastor and his wife and or other elders who are trained to handle problems and issues among the saints. It does mean not to share it with others who do not need to know.

Not everyone is a counselor just like not everyone is a preacher or teacher. Counseling is very important in the church. In our church we are so blessed to have Adel and Sylvia as counselors with their knowledge of the Word, the skills of listening and sharing what to do, and their many years of experience. They then train others to take on this ministry. They keep everything what they hear confidential.

Solomon goes on to say, “…but he who repeats a matter separates friends.” Gossip is sharing information about others with those who are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution. It only fuels the fire and burns the house. Proverbs 16:28 says, “A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer (gossip) separates the best of friends.” The gossip speaks in a whisper. They may say, did you hear about so and so? Isn’t that terrible?

We need to pray for others. Certain personal things need to be kept confidential and just brought before the throne of grace. James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

May we both keep confidences and share with the leadership the important problems and issues but not gossip the information to others. Let the law of love, with grace and mercy prevail.

Have a blessed day in our relationships with others. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-February 19, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

-Being Fully Obedient To The Lord-

“Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.”

(Numbers 1:54).

When God gave His commandments in the wilderness to the Israelites, He spoke them through Moses and they were written down for the people to follow. Today’s verse is so encouraging because the children of Israel did according to all the Lord commanded. Sadly, their history is littered with disobedience and idolatry.

Anything less than full obedience is disobedience. In the days of Joshua the people pledged their obedience to the Lord. Joshua 24:24 says, “And the people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!’” Unfortunately, their obedience lasted such a short time. Joshua 24:31 says, “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.”

This is why we must pass down our faith and obedience to the Lord to the next generation. They will have to make their own decision to receive Christ and live for Him. We see it in our country and in the world today. The further we go in time, the further away people are from the Lord and His Word.

The Israelites later asked for a king to rule over them. God gave them King Saul. He started off so well. He was humble and obedient, but soon disobeyed God by sparing King Agag and the best of their livestock. Saul only partially obeyed which was disobedience. 1 Samuel 15:22 says, “So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.’”

May the Lord help us to be fully obedient to the Lord. It is the key to fulfillment, success, and victory in our spiritual lives. David, in contrast to Saul was fully obedient to the Lord. The hymn writer James H. Sammis wrote, “Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, or we’ll walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do, where He sends we will go, never fear only trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Have a blessed and obedient day and weekend. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-February 18, 2021-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

-Follow Me-

“And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

(Mark 1:16-18).

Jesus called His disciples with two words: “Follow Me.” Here in Mark 1:16-29, our Savior called four fishermen, two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew, James and John.” Our Lord knows the hearts and chose these men. He did have to convince them or persuade them, they were willing. What did Jesus offer them? He told them they would become fishers of men.

He did not promise them riches, though they would be rich spiritually forever in Christ; He did not promise them notoriety, though they would be known throughout the world then still to this day; He did promise them power, yet through the Holy Spirit, they would be so powerful in the gospel. All they had to do was follow Him, trusting and obeying Jesus.

The disciples did not question Him or raise any objections, He said, “Follow Me,” and they followed Him! If Jesus were to say to you today, “Follow Me.” Would you? Jesus said in John 8:12, “…I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Jesus is our Lord, Master, and King. Where He sends us we go, and He goes with us; what He tells to say, we say it by the power of the Holy Spirit; and what He shows us to do, we do it for His glory.

The hymn writer E. W. Blandly wrote, “Where He leads me I will follow, where He leads me I will follow, where He leads me I will follow, I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.” Can we say these words as our prayer today? I will follow Jesus no turning back.

Have a blessed day following Jesus. The path will not always be smooth, straight, or simple but it will be the best way. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-February 17, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Nothing Shall Separate From The Love Of Christ: We Are More Than Conquerors-

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword (Romans 8:35)?

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

We live in a very difficult, problematic world. Everyday we face huge challenges from every side. It is important to take a step back, reflect on the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, pray, and go forward in His victory. We have come so far, yet we have farther to go until we get to heaven.

There is nothing, including the Corona virus pandemic that can separate us from the love of Christ. Paul lists all that he can think of in Romans 8:35, 8:38-39. He mentions 17 different things: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, death, life, angels, principalities, powers, present things, future things, height, depth, or any other created thing. He added the last one to include anything else he or anyone may think of.

We are more the conquerors through Christ who loved and loves us. We are victorious because Christ is victorious, and we are on His side. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” John concluded, “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith” (1 John 4:4).

But what does all that mean to us living in the world in 2021? It means everything in every circumstance! We are not just conquerors, but more than conquerors through Him who loved us. He is with us always, to the end of the age. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

There is no reason to falter, fear, or frustrate ourselves. We rejoice in the Lord who has brought us through thus far. He knows what we are thinking and what we are going through. He wants us to trust Him for the victory and not depend on ourselves. Nothing and no one can separate us from His love. The hymn writer Lina Sandell Berg wrote, “Neither life nor death can ever, from the Lord His children sever, for His love and deep compassion comforts them in tribulation.” Yes, we are are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!

Have a blessed and victorious day in Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean