Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-November 22, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

(James 3:8).

The tongue has caused more problems, ruined more relationships, hurt more feelings, and brought more regrets than anything else. It has led to arguments and even deaths.

James described the tongue as, “an unruly evil and full of deadly poison.” That’s pretty awful! We have all said things that we have later regretted and had to apologize for. Words can hurt more than any weapons of earth.

The tongue can be described as: a lying tongue, a spiteful tongue, a profane tongue, an angry tongue, a sharp tongue, a deadly tongue. This little, but powerful muscle inside our mouths has caused us big problems.

Words spoken with anger, bitterness, malice, slander, or gossip can wreck lives: our own as well as others. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Our words can either help or hinder; build up or break down; uplift or upset; be a blessing or a burden. James devotes just over half a chapter of his epistle to the tongue. We all need to hear and take heed to his message on the tongue.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:11, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” He also spelled it out in no uncertain terms, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).

By the power of the Holy Spirit we can control what we say or don’t say—in fact, sometimes being silent can avoid trouble. There are times that the tongue though can break out of its cage at the worse possible times.

Have a blessed day being careful of what we say. Stay safe and healthy.

Speak the right words, at the right time, in the right way at home or away.

Dean

-November 21, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

(Hebrews 12:28).

As believers in Christ we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken. Notice first of all, our text does not say “will receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken,” (future tense), but we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken (present tense).” We have every spiritual blessing in Christ now and will have them in the future as well.

The word unshakable is defined as, “(of a belief, feeling, or opinion strongly felt and unable to be changed.” God’s kingdom is unshakable because God is unshakable, unchangeable, and unlimited.

We as God’s people are also unshaken as we cling to the Lord and stand on His Word. Many things shake this world, but we cannot be shaken and are grounded steadfastly in Jesus.

Have a blessed day representing our King as His kingdom. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean

-November 20, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy without blemish.”

(Ephesians 5:26-27).

The past two days we have been meditating on the church as the building and the body of Christ. Today, we consider the precious truth that the church is the bride of Christ.

Christ is our heavenly Bridegroom and we as His church are His bride. In the OT, Israel is the wife of Jehovah; in the NT, the church is the bride of Christ. The reason for this is that a bride awaits her wedding day with great joy and anticipation. The wedding is a consummation of a promise and commitment made to the bridegroom.

We belong to Christ as His precious bride. But what did He ever see in us? We were sinners, defiled, lost, condemned, and bankrupt. There was no beauty or goodness in us. Christ loved us and gave Himself for us, shed His blood to wash us, and clothe us in His righteousness. Paul describes our position in Christ as “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; holy without blemish.”

Christ sees us so differently from the world, even from how we see ourselves. We are sinners, but sinners saved by grace. Brides in ancient times wore beautiful jewels and adornments. The wedding day was her special day. Even today this is true, a bride wants to look her very best for her bridegroom. This is why they say every bride is beautiful. Some are just more beautiful than others, but to the bridegroom, she is the most beautiful in the world.

The Lord Jesus is looking forward to taking us to His home in heaven that He has prepared for us. Hymn writer Anne Ross Cousin wrote, a beautiful hymn, entitled, “Immanuel’s Land.” The fourth stanza says, “The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear Bridegroom’s face; I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of grace—Not at the crown He giveth, but on His pierced hand: The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel’s land.”

Let us live as a holy bride awaiting our wedding day, which will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. We are dressed in white, which is the righteousness of the saints.

Have a blessed day, be safe and healthy.

Those who are made holy must live holy. Our Bridegroom is coming!

Dean

-November 19, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”

(Romans 12:4-5).

We discussed yesterday, the church is a building, founded on Christ, the Chief Cornerstone. All of us as believers are living stones in God’s spiritual house. Christ has built His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Today, we will consider that the church is also the body of Christ. Paul spends an entire chapter teaching on this in 1 Corinthians 12. He speaks of the spiritual gifts God gives to His people to employ in serving one another. Each one is important and needed.

Paul uses the human body to illustrate the various functions, ministries, and gifts in the body of Christ. Just as all the the members of a human body are important to the health and wellbeing of a person, so too, we need each other in the body of Christ to function spiritually at an optimal degree.

If one member suffers, we all suffer; if one member rejoices, we all rejoice. When we love Christ and love one another, it is vital that we pray for one another and build each other up in the Lord.

Christ is the Head of the body, and we are the members of His body. 1 Corinthians 12:18 says, “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” God created us as unique individuals and gave us different gifts and ministries. It is true of the whole body of Christ around the world, and well as in our local churches.

There is a beautiful hymn that we sang as young people, entitled, “They’ll Know We Are Christians.” The first verse says, “We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, we are in the Spirit we are one in the Lord, and we pray that all unity may one day we restored.” The refrain says, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, and they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” You can search it on the internet and find the entire text.

Have a blessed day as a member of the body of Christ, living for the Lord and serving Him in the body of Christ. Stay safe and healthy.

We need Christ and we need each other, to further His Kingdom every day, every hour.

Dean

-November 18, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.”

(1 Corinthians 3:9).

What makes a great building in this world? It must be strong and able to withstand earthquakes or other natural disasters; it must be beautiful; and it must be functional. If it meets these criteria, people will want to live in it or work in it.

The church is the body, the building, and the bride of Christ. Each of these metaphors is worthy of our study and consideration. Today, we look at the church as the building of Christ.

Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, which is a worldwide living structure. Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail (or be victorious) against it.” What an encouragement that is!

The church is not of man or by man, but is of God and by God. It will last for all eternity. The reason the church is so strong is because it is built on the rock, Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone. Peter was a stone but Jesus is the solid rock that our faith is based on.

The first and strongest part of any building is the foundation. Without a solid foundation the building will not stand the test of time. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:19-20, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”

The devil tries his utmost to take down this building and destroy it; he can’t do it, for it is the church of the living God. Our hope is built on Christ and it is solid. The building of Christ is a work in progress, one soul at a time. Each new person who gets saved is like adding a brick to the building.

The hymn writer Edward Mote wrote, “On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand” Let us then build our lives, our faith, our hope in Christ who never fails.

Have a blessed day working together with the Lord on the building. Stay safe and healthy.

Founded and grounded on the solid rock, we can withstand any storm without a doubt.

Dean