Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-November 4, 2020-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-The New Covenant Is Superior To The Old Covenant-

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

(2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

There were Jews in Paul’s day who were called Judaizers who believed that in order to be saved one had to not just have faith but to also keep the law. Paul dispelled that teaching as completely wrong. One is saved by grace through faith. It is not man acting to earn God’s favor to get into heaven by his works, but alone God working to save us through the death and blood of Christ shed at cross. Christ gave His life for us so that by believing in Him and receiving Him we are saved forever.

Paul contrasts the law that came through Moses with the gospel of grace that came through the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 says, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” This is a huge contrast. The law brought regulation without the ability to keep it; whereas grace came through Christ who alone kept the law perfectly and bore our sin and guilt on the cross.

Bible Commentator Bill MacDonald wrote, “God never intended the law to be the means of giving life. Rather it was designed to bring the knowledge of sin and to convict of sin.” The law gave the commands that man could not keep in order to show man he needed a Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. The law also contained condemnation for violating it. Galatians 3:10 says, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” As Paul writes here in our text “the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.”

The gospel is the message of the new covenant of God’s mercy and grace. Mercy does not give us what we deserve, death and hell; grace gives us what we do not deserve, salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life. Oh how wonderful to be saved by grace during the age of grace! The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the law down to the last jot and tittle. He came down from heaven not to condemn us but to save us.

J.M. Davies summarized, “This ministry of the ‘letter that killeth’ is illustrated in the 3,000 killed at Sinai, at the inauguration of the Old Covenant; and the ministry of the Spirit, the life giving ministry, is illustrated in the 3,000 saved on the day of Pentecost.”

Let us rejoice today in our salvation that comes free of charge, frees us from our sin and death, and gives us the freedom to obey and serve the Lord. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

Have a blessed day living and serving by God’s grace. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-November 3, 2020-

Good morning, happy Tuesday, happy Election Day,

-Submit To The Governing Authorities Who Are Appointed By God-

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

(Romans 13:1).

While voting itself is not mentioned in the Scriptures, governing authorities are and how we are respond to them definitively is. Voting for president takes place every four years and is a right, privilege, and responsibility we as Americans have. We should never take it lightly or for granted. It is all part of our freedoms as a nation; men and women died to give us all our freedoms and to maintain them.

Here in our text we note two very important things, that no matter who the president is and other government leaders are: we should be subject to them and all authority is from God and He appoints our leaders. We can be confident therefore that will of God will be done, and we must accept it. This passage of Scripture is in the context of Romans 13:1-7.

• Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities – To be subject is to be obedient to their authority. We have laws, regulations, and rules that must be followed. We as Christians especially should maintain a strong testimony of adherence. In this way we please God. Romans 13:5 says, “Therefore you must be subject, not only for wrath (i.e. punishment if we disobey), but also for conscience’ sake (i.e. to obey and please God).

We ask ourselves is there any exceptions to this requirement? The answer is yes, just one, if the governing authorities demand we do something wrong, not preach the gospel, or gather together as a church, or not to pray, or read the Bible, then we can should disobey. Peter and apostles experienced this in early days of the church. Peter and John were arrested for preaching the gospel in Jesus’ name. Acts 4:18-20, says, “So they called and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.’” This the one and only exception.

• For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God – Thus God is behind the authorities, whether they are good or bad. In the days of Jesus and the apostles, the Romans were in power and in most all cases were very bad. They were heartless and ruthless. The Jews were the authorities in spiritual matters. Both the Romans and the Jews were against Christ.

Our government leaders today are not perfect, but they are better in many ways from those in the days of the early church and even from other leaders of other countries today. We are blessed to have a republic, with a democracy, the constitution, all the laws and freedoms we have. Freedom of religion is such a blessing as is freedom of assembly and speech.

We should thank God for our governing authorities, honor them, respect them, appreciate them, and pray for them. Paul wrote, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Will join me in praying for our nation and the election today? Since God appoints the authorities we can rest, have peace, and not stress out over it as so many in the world are doing. If our candidate wins, thank God, if not thank God also, for He knows best and His will be done. And do not stop praying for God to give our president wisdom and guidance every day. Let us remember the words of Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Have a blessed Election Day, voting and trusting God for the results. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-November 2, 2020-

Good morning, happy Monday,

-We Are Chosen And Called By Christ-

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

(1 Peter 2:9).

The blessings and benefits of being a Christian are incredible, especially when we consider where we came from. 1 Peter 2:10 tells us that we “who were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” He brought us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

Everything we have as believers in Jesus Christ is due to our association with Him. Without Him we have nothing, with Him we have everything. Today’s text describes us in wonderful terms: chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy nation, and special people.

1. Chosen generation – As believers we are chosen in Christ and by Christ. Why would He choose wretched sinners to be saved and called? It is all because of His great love for us. Jesus said in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit shall remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” By receiving Christ into our lives we make up a chosen generation of saints from Pentecost onward to the Rapture.

2. A royal priesthood – In the OT, to be a priest you had to be from the tribe of Levi and be part of the priestly family. The Lord Jesus Christ is King and He descended from the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe, and He is the Son of David. The epistle to the Hebrews proclaims Him as the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. His priesthood is eternal, and we as His followers are royal priests, believer priests. We offer sacrifices of praise to Him.

3. A holy nation – When we think of a nation we think of a country of people under one charter, joined together, for the common good. That is exactly what the Church is. We are one body, the church, Christ is the Head, and we are joined together forever by the blood of Christ. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.

4. A special people – We often overuse the term “special” in our language. It is a wonderful word and should be reserved for something truly great and extremely precious. The Lord Jesus Christ is special to us, and we are special to Him. Matthew 13:45-46 says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” The church is that pearl of great price that Jesus purchased with His own blood that He shed on the cross to save us. To Him we were worth it; though we are unworthy, we are not worthless. He considers us worthy.

Deuteronomy 7:6, speaking of Israel, God’s earthly people, which can be applied to us, says, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special treasure above all the peoples of the earth.” We should never be proud, for we are sinners saved by grace. We did not deserve it. Let us live up to the high standard of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a special people. We were chosen and called by the Lord to serve Him.

Have a blessed day as the Lord’s people today and represent Him well in this sinful world. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-November 1, 2020-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-Eyes To See What We Have In Christ-

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”

(Ephesians 1:18).

Our position in Christ is so wonderful and glorious. Today’s text is part of Paul’s first prayer for the saints in the epistle to the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:15-22). The goal for every believer is that our practice match our position more and more until the day we are fully conformed to the image of Christ.

In all Paul’s epistles, he discusses doctrine first, then duty or practical application. We can’t apply the Scriptures to our lives unless we are first familiar with and ground in the truth of the teachings of Christ and the apostles. We must grasp who were are first then how we should in the light of it.

• That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened – Paul wanted the believers to see and understand what they had in Christ. We remember the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 13:16-17, “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” The lowliest believer in Christ knows more spiritually than the greatest prophet, patriarch, or king in the OT times. How blessed we are in Christ!

• That you may know what is the hope of His calling – We have been called to salvation, service, and sanctification. We have a very high calling to represent Christ in this world, to show His love to others, and to glorify His name in every place. We are children and sons of God, ambassadors for Christ, and servants of the Most High God.

• What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints – We as believers are the richest people in the world, not in money or material things, but in our blessings in Christ. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Peter wrote that we are begotten “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”

The more we read of our glorious position, the more we are encouraged to live up to our high position. 1Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and ‘let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’”

May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened so we can see, understand, and appreciate what we have in Christ. We have a high calling and rich inheritance in our Lord and Savior. Let us walk in a manner worthy of our calling and position in Christ.

Have blessed day appreciating who we are and what we have in our Lord Jesus Christ and thus living as His children and servants. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-October 31, 2020-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

-Be On Guard Against The Devil And Resist Him-

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

(1 Peter 5:8-9).

Today is Halloween, the devil’s day. It not a harmless fun day for kids. It origins and the evil that goes on on this day is horrible. The church of Satan is very active. There are witches and warlocks. As bad as Halloween is, the other 364 days of the year are even worse because the devil and his demons are invisible, and they are behind all the evil, wickedness, sin, and corruption of this world. The devil likes it when people think of him as a red figure with pitchfork or don’t think about him at all.

Our verses today remind us that we at war with the devil. The devil is real, his demons are real, and his power is real. God has given us the whole armor of God as recorded in Ephesians 6:10-18 to fight the good fight of faith. The devil hates our Lord Jesus Christ and he hates us His people.

The devil’s two main strategies are: keep unsaved people from getting saved and to distract, disturb, and destroy believers in Jesus. His attacks are against the church. We need to be reminded how dangerous the devil is. The devil, called Satan, our adversary, our enemy, a dragon, red dragon, the evil one, the prince of the power of the air, the god of this world, Lucifer, an angel of light, the serpent, and a roaring lion.

We can’t take on the devil alone, he is way too powerful. Only Christ can defeat him and crush him beneath our feet. What we must do is be sober and vigilant against him, beware of how he works and be on guard against the thoughts he puts into our minds. We must resist him, steadfast in the faith. We must put on the whole armor of God to stand against the schemes of the devil. The Word of God is our great offensive weapon, and combined with prayer is what gives us victory. Someone said, “The devil is most dangerous with a Bible in his hand.” He knows the Scriptures and how to twist and manipulate them for his purposes. He tried it with Christ in the wilderness but failed miserably. He knows our weaknesses and when to best attack us. When the devil comes against us with some evil thoughts, we should say, “Get behind me Satan in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior and through the power of His shed blood. The devil will flee.

James 4:7 says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” In WWII, the French Resistance played a great part in waging war against the Nazis. They worked underground, behind the scenes, and were very effective. We as saints of God are resistance fighters. Our Savior defeated the devil on the cross but he still fights on, never taking a day off. He knows his time is short and he has much to do.

Let us then be on guard against the devil, resist him, and fight the good fight of faith, putting on the whole armor of God. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. The devil uses the world and the flesh against us but the Lord is much more powerful than the devil. We are guaranteed the victory.

Have a blessed and victorious day in standing strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean