Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-April 23, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.”

(Luke 18:23).

The rich young ruler came to Jesus seeking eternal life. He had so much in this world’s goods, yet was so poor in God’s. He asked the question, “…What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus tested him by saying keep the commandments, and names several of them.

He responded, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” Jesus was trying to show him no one can keep the law perfectly. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus point His finger on this man’s issue: he was trusting in his riches. It was like a weight he carried around his neck.

Riches have kept many people from Christ down through the centuries. In Luke 18:22 Jesus told him, “one thing you still lack, sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.” Jesus was not saying there is anything we can do or give to be saved, but there are certain sins that keep us from salvation.

This young man’s countenance fell and became very sorrowful for he was rich and unwilling to give it up. Jesus said in Matthew 5:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God or mammon (money).”

One of the soils that the seed of the of the gospel fell among the thorns, and the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful (See Matthew 13:22).

As believers we must be on guard against anything that would keep us from walking closely with Christ. It may be about making money and hoarding for ourselves or any other hindrance that we cling to.

Have a blessed day laying up treasure in heaven not on this earth. Stay safe and healthy.

The root of all evil is the love of money and it has shipwrecked many a soul.

Dean

-April 22, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

(Proverbs 3:9-10).

Today’s verses are so encouraging and challenging to our hearts. When we honor God, He honors is; we can never out give the Lord. He is so generous with us so that when we receive from Him, we can give to help others and further the work of the Lord.

Solomon tells us to honor God with our possessions and firstfruits of all our increase. Giving money is very important, but it not the only thing we should give. What do you have to give? It may be possessions, time, effort, help, encouragement, love, and most of all our hearts.

God promises when we give that He will bless us abundantly. Our barns will be filled with plenty and our vats will overflow with new wine. Malachi 3:10 tells us, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough room to receive it.’”

What great promise! You can count on it! But we don’t honor God and give because of what we will get or receive; we give honor Him because we love Him.

You don’t have to be a preacher or singer or writer, or have any public ministry. All of us can honor God with what we have. You may have little or you may have much, but God loves a cheerful giver.

Have a blessed God honoring God with the best you have to give. Stay safe and healthy.

Honoring God is putting Him and His interests first.

Dean

-April 21, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”

(Luke 24:45).

Imagine the disciples, also called apostles, spent about three years with the Lord Jesus. They heard His teaching, witnessed His miracles, saw Him die on the cross, and testified of His resurrection. Our Savior appeared to them and taught and encouraged them for forty days before ascending to heaven. He could gone straight to heaven but spent a little more time with them.

Of all the gospel writers, only Luke devoted so much to this time period. We pull back the curtain and see a glimpse of what our Lord taught His followers in Luke 24:44-49. He gave a review of how He fulfilled everything written of Him in the law and the prophets. What a great Bible study!

So often during Jesus’ earthly ministry, the disciples didn’t always understand what He was saying. Now in these forty days, Christ opened their hearts and minds that they might comprehend the Scriptures. It all came together for the eleven disciples who would turn the world upside down.

The best analogy that I can think of is a college education. The student completes his or her undergraduate studies and receives a diploma. Some then go on to postgraduate studies for Masters and Doctoral degrees. The courses are more advanced and help students to focus just on their particular field of study. Some professions require postgraduate degrees such as doctors and lawyers.

We have some much to learn from God’s Word. It takes years of prayer and Bible study. The Holy Spirit is our teacher. Jesus is found in all the OT. Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

St. Augustine once said, “The OT is the NT concealed. The NT is the OT revealed.” Thus we must understand the OT in the light of the NT and comprehend the NT in the light of the OT. Jesus fulfilled the law completely and ushered in the New Covenant of love and grace, with salvation by grace through faith.

Have blessed spending time with Jesus, in His Word and prayer. Stay safe and healthy.

The whole counsel of God is given to us, the people of God, in the Word of God.

Dean

-April 20, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day, Happy Resurrection Day!

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

(Matthew 28:6).

The account of the resurrection of Christ is found in all four gospels. The resurrection, along with the virgin birth of Christ are the two greatest miracles in the Bible, yes, in history of the world.

Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, we live and have a future with Him in heaven. The women who followed Jesus came early Sunday morning to anoint His body for burial, only to find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. The angel at the tomb announced the great news that Jesus rose from the dead and would meet His disciples in Galilee.

The resurrection is a well established and confirmed fact attested to by eye witness accounts of so many, as many five hundred as Paul states. It must have been so exciting, encouraging, and energizing for all the believers in that day just as it is to us today.

There is a great hymn written by Alfred H. Ackley, entitled, “He Lives!” You can almost feel the excitement in his words. The first verse says, “I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today; I know that He is living, whatever men may say; I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, and just the time I need Him He’s always near.”

While it is important to believe the facts of Christ’s resurrection, nothing can compare to our personal experience and relationship with Him. He lives in our hearts.

Let us rejoice that Christ is alive and seated at the right hand of God. He still bears the wounds in His hands, feet, and side. Have a blessed Easter. Stay safe and healthy.

Because His lives we live; and we can face whatever comes in life.

Dean

-April 19, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Holy Saturday,

“Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”

(Luke 23:56).

Today is the day we focus on the tomb. To the average person they saw the death of Christ as an end, a defeat, and a disappointment.

Though Jesus had told His disciples on three occasions that the Son of Man would be killed and rise from the dead, they didn’t look for the resurrection. Luke 18:32-33 says, “For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit on. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” It could not be in more clear.

Joseph of Arimathea went Pilate to body to ask for Jesus’ body to give Him a decent burial. Pilate first verified with the Roman Centurion that Jesus was really dead. The centurion who had likely presided over many crucifixions and carefully examined Jesus at the cross and certified that He was dead.

Nicodemus joined his friend and colleague Joseph from the Jewish Sanhedrin. They carefully and skillfully took out the nails and removed the crown of thorns. They washed His body and laid Him in Joseph’s new garden tomb located near Golgotha. They rolled a huge, heavy stone over the tomb. The Jews also went to Pilate to get his permission to set a guard over the tomb. Interestingly, they remembered that Jesus said He would rise again and were afraid the disciples would take away His body and claim He rose from the dead.

There was no way for anyone take the body with such a heavy guard and stone over the tomb. The women who were the last ones at the didn’t expect Him to arise for they prepared spices and fragrant oil to anoint His body; Joseph and Nicodemus didn’t either, nor did any of His disciples.

But this of course was not the end of the story of Jesus, for He would rise from the dead to give us a living hope. Hollywood couldn’t write such a story. It wasn’t just “based on a true story,” it was a true story with as many as five hundred eyewitness of this true story.

Have a blessed day awaiting Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day. We know the rest of the story. Stay safe and healthy.

God certified that He was pleased with Jesus’ sacrifice by raising Him from the dead.

Dean