Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-April 6, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

(Luke 10:16).

How people treat us is how they treat our Savior. If someone hears us, they will hear Jesus, but if they reject us, they are not just rejecting us, they are rejecting Him. If they reject Jesus, they are rejecting the Father also.

Jesus sent out the seventy disciples two by two to represent Him in this world and to go where He would go to. They were so excited that even the demons were subject to them.

Jesus told them not to rejoice that the demons were subject to them, but rather that their names are written in heaven (See Luke 10:20). There is a good lesson for us in this passage that we shouldn’t expect to be treated better than our Lord, but as our Lord.

We should be happy that we are saved and we can share the good news with others. We are all ambassadors for Christ in this world of darkness, sin, and corruption.

Paul wrote in Philippians 2:15, “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

Have a blessed standing for Jesus and speaking for Him no matter how others may react and reject us. Stay safe and healthy.

Our responsibly is to preach and share, God will bring the results.

Dean

-April 5, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.’”

(Luke 9:57).

Salvation is free, simply by the grace of God. We all know the familiar verses in Ephesians 2:8,9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Though salvation is free to us, following Christ is costly. Every person that Jesus called, He urged to “Follow Me.” Our lives are no longer our own and we must surrender all to the Lord, giving Him all, and having no will of our own.

The unknown person who followed Jesus as He made His final journey to Jerusalem where He would be crucified and rise again, said, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

Jesus makes it clear just what is involved when we call Him Lord and decide to follow Him fully. Jesus challenged this person’s decision to follow Him. Our Savior said, “…Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Jesus had already proclaimed the ground rules in Luke 9:37, “…If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” But what does this mean in a practical way? We must follow Him whatever His will leads us. Following Christ involves times of pain, sorrow, loss, persecution, failure, or disappointment.

The life of a disciple is one of sacrifice, surrender, and sure dependence on Jesus. There is a beautiful hymn written by William K. Brehm that says, “What will it cost me to follow the Lord? What is the price of a life that’s restored? If I am willing to walk in His way, what is the price I must pay? Ev-‘rything! Ev-‘rything! All that I own, Ev-‘rything! Ev-‘rything! All that I am, Ev-‘rything! Ev-‘rything! All that I love, that is the price I must pay, that is the price I will pay.”

Are we willing to give up everything to follow Jesus? It is a costly price on a daily basis. Have a blessed day following Jesus wherever He leads us. Stay safe and healthy.

The cross cost Jesus everything to save us; taking up our cross daily, costs us everything to follow Him.

Dean

-April 4, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.”

(Proverbs 24:16).

It’s not whether we fall, it’s how we get up. We are living in a broken and sinful world. We trip over many things, but the Lord is always there to break our fall so that our fall will not break us.

Peter failed when He denied Jesus three times; Jonah failed when he fled from the Lord’s presence and was swallowed by a whale; John Mark failed when he left Barnabas and Paul and returned to Jerusalem, leaving the work.

We can all fail or fall. The Lord is so patient with us. He doesn’t write off like a bad debt. He uses our failures and falls to draw us closer to Himself after we confess it and repent. It’s not about how many times we fall or fails, but how many times we get up and move forward.

Our Savior never stops loving us or lifting us up when fail and strengthening us when we fail. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

It is one thing to fall, it is another thing get back up; it is one thing to fail, it it another to get back on track and move forward.

Dean

-April 3, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.”

(Proverbs 24:2).

I am really enjoying my mini vacation in the Monterey Peninsula in California. I hadn’t been down this way for many years—it is beautiful, just as I remembered it. There are three wonderful places here: Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur.

I thought the view of the Monterey Bay from Cannery Row was wonderful, but the scenes along Highway 1 from Carmel to Big Sur topped it. The weather was perfect to see the nighty breakers crashing onto the shoreline. I stopped and took a few pictures.

The ocean is so powerful, with its mighty waves, yet so soothing as well. The psalmist wrote, “For He (i.e. God) founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.” God’s creation is awesome.

Psalm 65:7 says, “You who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.” When Jesus got into a boat with His disciples He told them to launch out and cross to the other side of the lake. Then He fell asleep, only to be awakened by His fearful disciples who were buffed by a severe, life-threatening storm. The winds and waves were so severe that their little boat began to fill with water. Jesus calmed the sea and the hearts of His disciples.

They had Jesus’ instructions to sail to the other side, but when the storm hit, they panicked and their faith was diminished. We are no different. We have God’s amazing promises, yet we fear, and expect the worst. Where was their faith? Where is our faith? Only Christ can calm the storms of our lives when we turn them over to Him. He is our Captain. He will navigate us through stormy seas and blustery winds.

Jesus is our Creator and our Savior. He is with us, and we know that the seas and the winds are under His authority. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

As the hymn writer wrote, “He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey; He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.”

Dean

-April 2, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.”

(Luke 8:2-3).

It is wonderful to see sisters in Christ serving the Lord and supporting the work of the Lord. I know in our church, we have so many dedicated, faithful, and loving women. Statistically, there are more women than men in most of our local churches.

Luke singles out three women in particular in our text: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna. He does also say, …and many others.” All of the women contributed financially. They gave of their substance, which can be translated, “possessions.” They set a tremendous example to all the followers of Christ.

Mary Magdalene – She was so thankful to Jesus for saving her and casting out seven demons. She was very loyal and loved Jesus very much. It is said of her that she was the last one at the cross and the first one at the tomb.

Joanna – She is known as the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, who had a high position. She had become a believer in Christ. I would imagine she had some pretty interesting conversations with husband about Jesus. There are women and men alike who have unbelieving spouses. It can make things very challenging.

Susanna – She is the least known of the three. In fact, we know nothing about she was a committed follower of Christ. Sometimes in Scripture, those who are the most obscure end up doing great things for Christ.

May we follow their example of supporting the work of the Lord, not only with our money and material possessions, but with our time and effort.

Have a blessed day supporting the Lord and His people. Stay safe healthy.

We can’t support the Lord and His people enough.

Dean