Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-October 3, 2024-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

(Ephesians 4:22-24).

The believer has two natures: the sin nature, also called the old nature, the old man, or the flesh; he also has the new nature, or new man. There is a constant battle between the two. This spiritual battle will last until we go to be with the Lord.

Paul tells us to put off the old nature; the question is how do we do it. We must crucify the flesh, deny ourselves, and as soon as we realize that we have sinned, confess it, repent of it, and forsake it.

The flesh rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times, sometimes in the middle of worship. We can’t give the devil, the world, or the flesh even an inch—they will take a mile. They will drag us down into sin.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away with all malice.” Not only must we put away the old, and put on the new.

We must embrace the new. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” The Spirit filled life is the Christ centered and directed life.

May we all put off the old nature, put on the new nature, and put away our fleshly ways. There is victory in Jesus. Stay safe and healthy.

“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

Dean

-October 2, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“To me, whom am less than the least of all saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

(Ephesians 3:8).

Paul had no allusions of grandeur. He humbled himself before the Lord, calling himself “less than the least of all saints.” His whole desire was to preach Christ and to serve Him. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Paul found such unsearchable riches in Christ that He gave up everything to follow Him and preach the glorious gospel of Christ. He exclaimed in Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.”

The word unsearchable is defined as, “unable to be clearly understood; inscrutable; not capable of being searched or explored.” There are riches in Christ that we can know only through the Holy Spirit. There are also some things we won’t fully understand until we get to heaven. We often feel like little children playing on the beach, not knowing the power and depth of the ocean below.

Let us rejoice and give thanks for who the Lord is and what He has done for us. We may scratch the surface, but what wondrous treasures we find in Christ! In Colossians 2:3, Paul says of our Savior, “In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Have a blessed walking with the Lord through the day Word of God and prayer. Stay safe and healthy.

Searching for the unsearchable; finding treasures that are incompressible.

Dean

-October 1, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

(Hebrews 10:36).

Sometimes we get tired, we lack energy, we don’t think we can continue on for the Lord; we must persevere and build endurance for the race. Life is like a marathon, not a spirit. We must keep on keeping on.

No one is born with endurance, it is something that must be built up over time. We may have natural talent, but endurance comes through hard work and rigorous training. You have to begin slowly in speed and distance before you can walk, jog, or run.

I know some Christians who begin with a big bang but slowly fizzle out. Trials build our faith and endurance. Our main goal should be to do the will of God daily. We build our spiritual muscles through prayer and the Word. God often sends small trials to new believers and gradually increases them over time as we mature to make us stronger and stronger.

Our finish line is when we get to heaven; our prize is the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Finishing strong is so important for the promise comes after we have done the will of God.

All of us need endurance, I know I sure do. I am so thankful for God’s grace each day. Have a blessed day running the race that is set before you. Stay safe and healthy.

Endurance is needed by day and by night, for the finish line is approaching, it’s already in sight.

Dean

-September 30, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”

(Jeremiah 32:27).

There are promises throughout Scripture, promises we can and must claim. Today’s text is a promise from God that is personal for each one of us. This one is a direct quote from the Lord Himself.

The obvious answer to God’s question, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” — is No! We know it theologically and intellectually, but do we know it practically? What does it mean to us in real life? Or as our dear brother J. Vernon McGee used to say, “where the rubber meets the road.”

Sometimes things seem impossible to us; there seems to be no way out, no solution. It is at these times we need to remember that there is nothing too hard for the Lord. Many men and women in the Bible found the Lord to work wonders in their lives. He often comes through for us at the perfect time, in the perfect way.

Jesus said, “…With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). I have a little plaque on my desk with this verse as a reminder. When I was working at a my jobs in the corporate world, I always had it on my desk. I still have it because I still need it!

When the Virgin Mary questioned the angel how she could give birth being a virgin, the angel replied, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). I don’t know what you are going through right now, but these words definitely uplift and encourage, strengthen and help us.

Let us remember who God is and what He can do. He is omnipotent, unchangeable, and limitless. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

There is nothing to much for God to handle, so why do we worry?

Dean

-September 29, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Paul had a tremendous love for all the saints. He always thought of them and prayed for them. He urges us to follow his example of love.

It sounds simple enough, “Bear one another’s burdens…” In actuality it is extremely hard. After all we all have our own issues, problems, and burdens. The flesh thinks of oneself above anyone else; the Spirit teaches us to think of others first and help them.

Jesus taught us to live for others, bearing their burdens in His name. A burden is defined as, “a load, a typically heavy one; something that is carried.” We should bear and share the load of others.

Burdens come in many forms in various weights. Burdens or loads may be spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, social, financial or material. With these burdens come stress, pain, and hardship.

There are different things we can do to bear another’s burdens. Prayer is always needed, but we shouldn’t stop there. We need to lend a hand to help, give others money as needed, be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen to. We can give a hug or speak a comforting word.

John pointedly wrote, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17-18).

In bearing the burdens of others we fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is the law of love. Job’s three friends started off with the intention of bearing Job’s burdens, but soon blamed him, accusing him of sin. Instead of bearing his burdens they added to his burdens, which only made things worse.

Have a blessed day as burden bearers. Stay safe and healthy.

When you bear someone’s burden, you show Christ’s love in action.

Dean