Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-January 29, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Today’s verse is found in the context of the conversation Jesus had with the woman at the well, also called the Samaritan woman. Jesus asked her for a drink of water, but turned the discussion to spiritual water that quenches the soul, and springs up into everlasting life.

At the tail end of his conversation with her, He spoke of true worship: where it should be and how it should be. Worship is both private and public; silent or vocal.

• Where We Worship – Jesus addressed the age long controversy between the Jews and Samaritans on where to worship. The Jews believed it was Jerusalem, the Samaritans felt it was the mountain of Samaria. Jesus demonstrated it wasn’t the place as much as the heart of the worshipper.

We can and should worship the Lord at church, at home, or wherever we are, as long as we are right with God through faith in Jesus. Some have mistakenly taken this to mean that we don’t need to go to church, which is so wrong. Just look at Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

• How we are to worship – Jesus simply states, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” To worship God in spirit means that in our spirit we worship God through the Holy Spirit. We need to give our whole heart to Him in worship.

We must also worship God in truth, following the Scriptures. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Worship should always be reverent, holy, Christ-centered, and joyful. Worship is all never about us, but about Him: His person and His work. Worship is focusing on His worth, His works, His power and His glory.

There is a beautiful hymn written by Inglis Fleming entitled, “We Worship Thee.” The last stanza and chorus says, “Exalted to the Father’s throne, with glory and with honor crowned, all at Thy glorious name shall bow, as Lord of all by each be owned. We worship Thee, all glorious Lord, forever be Thy name adored! We worship Thee, all glorious Lord, forever be Thy name adored!”

Let us worship the Lord today in spirit and truth, giving Him all the honor and glory due to His name. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Worship Him with hearts full of wonder and gratitude.

Dean

-January 28, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Love for God and for our neighbor is the most important. When a scribe asked Jesus, which is the greatest commandment, He responded, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these” (Matthew 12:30-31).

Jesus taught it and Paul spoke of how love fulfills the whole law. John in writing of loving one another said in 1 John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

May the Lord help us to love everyone: our brothers and sisters in Christ, our families, our friends, our neighbors, yes, even our enemies. Loving the unlovable is the most difficult thing to do, but shows the love of Christ to the highest degree.

Have a blessed day loving God and others. Stay safe and healthy.

The law of love comes from God above.

Dean

-January 27, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

(1 John 5:14-15).

John tells us that our prayers reach beyond the ceiling, beyond the skies, and reach the throne of grace. Twice in today’s text John uses the word know. It speaks of the confidence we have in the Lord.

Every petition we make should be according to God’s will. God knows what is best for us, so we can trust our wise, loving Heavenly Father to do the right thing at the right time, in the right way.

There are so many verses that teach us that God hears and answers prayer. We must be sure there is no unconfessed sin in our lives, that we pray in the name of Jesus, and we pray in faith. God not only answers us, but He delights to answer our prayers.

Jesus told us to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus said in John 14:13-14, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

Let us then pray with confidence knowing that He hears and answers our prayers. We should pray and keep on praying. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

As good soldiers of Christ, let us stay in communication with headquarters.

Dean

-January 26, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”

(Matthew 16:15-16).

Jesus had spent a lot of time with His disciples, teaching and training them. Now it was time to test them. He first asked a general question: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am” (Matthew 16:13). They all answered. Some said John the Baptist, some Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the prophets. They basically just reiterated public opinion. But then Jesus asked them personally, “But who do you say that I, the Son of Man am?” Jesus put them on the spot.

Peter had a propensity of speaking up. He was like the press secretary of the group. His answer was such a blessing. He declared and confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He nailed it, he crushed it, he hit a home run. He aced the exam.

Jesus blessed him and told him that no man revealed this to him, but the Father in heaven did. Martha was the other person in the gospels that declared the same thing in John 11:27, “…Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

A true believer in Christ will always declare and confess who Jesus is. John wrote in 1 John 4:2-3a, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God…”

What do you think of Christ? Who is He to you? Is He your Lord and Savior? May each of confess Christ as Lord of our lives and live for Him and serve Him. Have a blessed Lord’s Day. Stay safe and healthy.

Christ has drawn a line in the sand—be for Him fully and completely.

Dean

-January 25, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.”

(Colossians 3:12).

These qualities exemplify the character and conduct of Christ. How different life on earth would be if everyone was saved and displayed godly conduct toward one another.

The challenge for us as the people of God is to put them on daily. The Holy Spirit will produce these qualities in us so that others will see Jesus in us and come to Him for salvation.

Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering are needed toward all people, especially to those are mean and hard to get along with. It is easy to be kind, patient, and loving to those who love us; but what about those who hate us and wrong?

Jesus treated all people with love. Even so, He had opposition from the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the chief priests, and the scribes. Our Savior wasn’t argumentative or vindictive, but spoke the truth in love.

Christians in the NT weren’t self-seeking but Christ seeking. They bore persecution for the sake and cause of Christ. They turned the other cheek and in fact, turned the world upside down. Paul wrote in Romans 13:14, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.”

Have blessed Saturday putting on Christ and following His example. Stay safe and healthy.

What we wear is important when you put on Christ.

Dean