Dean Allen's Daily Devotional

-September 18, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.”

(1 Corinthians 16:17-18).

We are all responsible to refresh others who are down and discouraged. Here in our text, Paul specifically acknowledges three men: Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus. They aren’t exactly household names. They were obscure, but their impact for the Lord was great. They made up for a lack in the church at Corinth.

These three men though are not well known in the New Testament, in fact this is the only time this trio is mentioned. Stephanas is referred in two other verses (1 Corinthians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 16:15).

The word refresh is defined as, “give new strength or energy to; reinvigorate.” It is so needed among believers today. It means to bring a new perspective and fresh encouragement to those are down or in need.

Refreshing others may be spiritual, physical, emotional, or mental. We all go through dry times. We can be refreshed by the Word of God. Paul was both a refresher and was refreshed by the saints.

Paul wrote in Romans 15:32, “that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.” Paul’s presence, his joy, and his words of encouragement brought refreshment. He was also refreshed by the saints.

The lesson for us is that anyone in Christ can bring refreshment to others, in fact it is our responsibility. This world is so sinful, corrupt, and evil. We need to lift each other up.

Have a blessed day refreshing others. Stay safe and healthy.

Gathering with the saints brings refreshment to the soul.

Dean

September 17, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

(2 Corinthians 8:9).

This verse is one of the most amazing verses in the Scriptures. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of glory, the Creator and sustainer of life, the God of the universe became poor.

Our Savior chose to be born in a manger, into a poor family. It is said that Jesus had just one cloak. When the soldiers took it from Him they gambled for it. Jesus never owned a home, had no money, but changed the world.

It was God’s grace that He would lay down His life for us on the cross. Someone once said, “He paid a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay.” He was rich and yet became poor so that we might become rich. He gave us the most valuable thing on earth: His precious blood.

It is humbling to think of how emptied Him and how He sacrificed His life for us. Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Because of what Jesus went through for us we are rich in salvation, forgiveness, eternal life, and with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Our riches are immense and eternal. We have them now and forever.

Sometimes we as children of the King live as paupers instead of sons of the Most High. We must remember that we have such a high calling and an exalted position in the kingdom of God. We should point people to Jesus and glorify Him.

Have a blessed day in Christ, following His example of humility, sacrifice, and service. Stay safe and healthy.

True riches cannot be be lost, stolen, or worn out—they last forever and ever.

Dean

-September 16, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Monday,

“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”

(Proverbs 28:13).

It all started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned against Him. Innocence was forever lost. They felt guilt for the time, but instead of turning to God, they hid themselves from God among the trees of the garden. Hence, the first ever cover up.

The first couple also sewed fig leaves and covered their nakedness. Ever since sin has caused people to hide from God and come up with own ways to of salvation. Only the the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse our hearts from sin. He died for our sins to forgive us from our sins.

Solomon wrote, “He who covers his sins will not prosper…” His father David went through this himself in his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. No believer cannot continue in unconfessed sin without God’s heavy hand coming upon him or her.

God loves us too much to let us go. He is so gracious, merciful, and forgiving toward us. We just need to confess our sin, repent, and turn back to the Lord. When we come to Him, He will restore us.

Sin takes a huge toll in the believer. We are cut off from the sweet fellowship with the Father, we lose the peace of God, and it can affect us spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We can lose everything, but never our salvation.

Look at what David went through, He said, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer” (Psalm 32:3-4). He finally said in Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

The last part of our text is the solution for us: “but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” God will always shower us with mercy and forgiveness, just as the father did in the Parable if the Prodigal Son. John wrote in 1 John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

As soon as we become aware we have sinned, let us confess it, forsake it, repent of it, and fall upon the mercy of our Heavenly Father. He will restore our fellowship, peace and fellowship. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Confession is good for the soul, and absolutely essential.

Dean

-September 15, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

(Proverbs 27:1).

Everybody plans for tomorrow, looks forward to tomorrow; some may dread what may happen tomorrow. Solomon under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes it clear: “for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

Our future is in the Lord’s hands. He alone knows all about it. We hope tomorrow will be good; we hope to avoid mishaps, mistakes, failures, cancellations, postponements, and disappointments, injuries, sicknesses, and accidents.

Because our heavenly Father knows best and loves us intensely, we should fully trust Him for tomorrow. None of us even knows he or she will be here tomorrow. Each day is a gift, it is on loan from God while we are here on earth.

Song writer Bill Gaither wrote, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone; because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.

I think if I knew what would happen tomorrow, one of two things may take place: If things were bad I would be scared to face them or if things were good I would be complacent or overconfident. God gives grace to face tomorrow at just the right time: tomorrow.

The best way to live is one day at a time. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Why ruin today with tomorrow’s troubles and burdens; there are enough today to concern ourselves with.

Have a blessed day tomorrow. Stay safe and healthy.

We don’t know about tomorrow but we know Him who does.

Dean

-September 14, 2024-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

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

(Proverbs 24:16).

Everyone falls at one time or another. The difference between the believer in Christ and the unsaved is: the Lord is with us. He cushions our falls and raises us up. The wicked fall by calamity.

Physical falls are more and more common, especially among older folks. They can be very dangerous and even life threatening. Spiritual falls are even worse than the physical ones, but God’s grace is sufficient in ou

Solomon wrote, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again…” No matter how many times we fall, even in the same day, the Lord is there to pick us up. He is so kind, loving, and patient with us.

So many times we don’t feel like we can get up. We are either powerless or we are feeling self pity. It doesn’t matter how many times we fall, what matters is how many times we get up.

Let us remember, God doesn’t want us to fall; but He knows there will times we fall, and we must get up each time and continue the race until the end. Our faith grows stronger through the tough times.

Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

Christ is our stability in an unstable world.

Dean