Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-October 16, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

(Matthew 10:39).

In part one of our study, we considered that we should love Jesus more than anyone or anything else. As much as we love father, mother, sister, or brother it cannot compare to our love for Christ. The love of Christ enables us to love others as ourselves.

Today, we will look at our walk with Christ. Jesus said, “and he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” There are three questions we should ask ourselves: what is our cross? How do we take it? And how do we follow Christ daily?

• What is our cross? – The cross is a symbol of death. It represents our death to sin and this world. It also demonstrates our willingness to suffer for Christ, enduring whatever He allows in our lives, for He has a purpose for everything. Our cross may be spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, social, material, or financial. Our cross is tailored specifically for each of us.

• How do we take it? – No one can take your cross for you, you must take it and bear yourself. We must make the decision daily to take it up. It involves surrender, submission, and sacrifice for the cause of Christ. We need to stand for the Lord Jesus. He bore the cross for us, can we not bear our cross for Him? Jesus said in Luke 9:62, “No one having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

• How do we follow Christ? – Jesus called His disciples with two short simple words: “Follow Me.” He didn’t call them to follow just a religion but a personal relationship with Himself. Following Christ means forsaking all to live for Him and serve Him. Yesterday I drove up this pottery shop that has many statues outdoors. It is very close to the church. I was struck by seeing a huge statue of Buddha in front. Buddha is dead and his bones are in the ground, but Jesus Christ rose from the dead and lives forever. We follow and serve a living Savior!

Let us make the choice today to take up our cross and follow Jesus. It will not be easy, but it is the best way of life both for now and eternity. We will then be worthy disciples. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Our cross is heavy but our burden is light, when following Jesus by day and by night.

Dean

-October 15, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”

(1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

Paul was the best spiritual father. He loved the saints, sacrificed for them, taught them, prayed for them, and cared for their souls as a nursing mother. Though he was a father figure, he used a mother as a model for his ministry.

He mentions two qualities needed by every pastor, elder, and believer in Christ: gentleness and affection. We all like our doctors to have a good bedside manner, so too, we desire in our spiritual leaders to do the same.

Gentleness is one of the fruit of the Spirit. We all need a gentle spirit, and to speak words in grace and mercy. It is not to say there aren’t times when firmness and seriousness are appropriate, yet we can still be gentle. The Lord Jesus was strong, yet gentle and humble.

Affection is also a noble and special character trait. It makes difficult situations smoother. In the movie Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews sang the song, “Just a Spoon Full of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down.” It is true in giving medicines to children. Growing up, they gave us the polio and other vaccines in sugar cubes.

It is often said, “They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” May the Lord help us to demonstrate the gentleness and affection of Christ. It can melt the hardest heart and smooth the roughest situation.

Have a blessed day living Christ and pouring yourself for others. Stay safe and healthy.

Godly character leads to godly words and behavior.

Dean

-October 14, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son of daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

(Matthew 10:37).

As disciples of Christ we must put Him first in everything, especially in our relationships with our earthly families. In the preceding verses, Jesus said, “Do not think I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36).

Jesus drew a line in the sand. Each person in every family must choose to accept Him or reject Him. Often families are divided; believers in Christ must stand for Him even when it is not popular especially among our earthly relatives.

First we must remember we are never worthy of salvation, but we must be worthy of Christ in our walk with Him. Being worthy of Christ means pleasing Him in every way, especially among our families. Often we endure more persecution from unsaved family members than from other people in the world.

This was true even in Jesus’ family. In the beginning even his earthly half-brothers did not believe in Him. John 7:5 clearly says, “Even His brothers did not believe in Him.” Later James and Jude both believed, served the Lord faithfully, and wrote an epistle in NT. Only Christ can transform lives.

We must be careful not to allow any earthly relationship to supersede or interfere with our relationship to Christ. We should love our families, pray for them, and be a witness and testimony to them.

Bill MacDonald commented, “No ties of nature can be allowed to deflect a disciple from utter allegiance to the Lord. The Savior must take precedence over father, mother, son or daughter. One of the costs of discipleship is to experience tension, strife, and alienation from one’s own family. This hostility is often more bitter than is encountered in other areas of life.”

Have a blessed day loving the Lord with all your heart and putting Him first before family or anyone else. Stay safe and healthy.

We love our families and long to see them saved, but we must love Jesus more than anyone or anything.

Dean

-October 13, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”

(Colossians 4:12).

We don’t know that much about Epaphras, but what we do know, he was a great blessing to Paul and all the saints. His bio is found in Colossians 4:12-13 and Philemon 1:23.

He was a bondservant, prayer warrior, zealous Christian, and fellow prisoner with Paul. He was from Colosse, making him a home town hero.

Paul gave him a great recommendation. It is always good to receive a good recommendation from a well respected person. What better person to give a recommendation than the Apostle Paul?

When you go for a job interview it is good to have some positive recommendations from previous supervisors or managers. If you want to dine out, it is nice to have a recommendation from someone who has eaten there before. But even more importantly, is to receive a good recommendation from a pastor or elder.

I recently gave a recommendation of the character of one of our young brothers attending law school with one year to go. He gave my name and I was glad to give a well deserved great recommendation on his character. It is good that a law school considers a person’s character as well as their knowledge and skills.

I remember teaming up with him in our Scripture Memory Class. He was just a teenager, but I asked him to be my partner. It encouraged him a lot, and we made a great team.

May the Lord help us to follow the example of Epaphras in serving and praying. Paul said of him in Colossians 4:13, “For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea, and those in Heirapolis.” He got around.

Let us ask ourselves if we asked someone for a recommendation, what would they say? Have a bless day honoring the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

A good reputation leads to a good recommendation; and a good recommendation leads to good results.

Dean

-October 12, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.’”

(Isaiah 44:6).

There are many so called gods, but there is only one true God. We find this distinction throughout Scripture. There is one Creator, Savior, and Redeemer.

Today’s verse describes the Lord as Lord, King of Israel, Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, the First and the Last. When we read and study the Word we find many other names and titles of our great God. Each one is beautiful and significant to His person and work.

There are many verses, like today’s verse, that portray God speaking in the first person. God calls Himself “the First and the Last.” When you consider what that involves, it is amazing! It means that He is the Beginning and the End, and of course everything in between.

There is nothing He does not know, nothing He cannot do; He sits on the throne of heaven as Ruler of all. He is in control, and will one day finish His plan for the ages. As believers, we must submit to His will and authority.

John, when He saw his vision of Christ while in the island of Patmos, heard the voice of Christ saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last…” (Revelation 1:11).

We have the blessed privilege of being saved, and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. We are His children, His servants, His friends. One day we will see our Lord face to face.

There is a wonderful hymn, entitled, “Face to Face,” written by Carrie E. Brock. She wrote in the first two stanzas, “Face to Face with Christ my Savior, Face to Face—what will it be—When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me? Only faintly now I see Him, with the darkened veil between, but a blessed day is coming, when His glory shall be seen.”

Let us fall before Him today and worship Him for who He is, what He has done for us, and for the glory we will experience in His presence for all eternity. He is our all in all.

Have a blessed day living for and serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Stay safe and healthy.

The only true God is our Lord and King, the Master of everything.

Dean