Pastor H. Gene Allen

~ Good Morning!

Our Bible reading, and devotion for today, comes from …

• Romans‬ ‭15:13 •

“I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.” (CEV‬‬)

The Apostle Paul says, “I pray that God, who gives you hope…”

What does Hope mean?

The Old Testament:

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew language had two meanings for hope …

1.) Yakhal: To Wait For.

2.) Qavah: A Tense Anticipation/Expectation.

Hopeful people, in the Bible, often recognized that there was no evidence that things would get better, but you chose hope anyway.

In the OT, followers of God learned that it was God’s past faithfulness that motivated hope for the future. In other words, you looked for hope, by looking backwards, trusting in nothing but God. What God had done in the past, (deliverance, miracles, signs, wonders), God could do in the future.

The New Testament:

In the New Testament, the word for hope is:

1.) Elpis: A Tense Expectation for a Living Hope.

In the New Testament, the earliest followers of Jesus, cultivated a similar habit of hope, as did those in the OT. They believed that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was God’s surprising response to their past slavery to evil, and death. They believed that Jesus’ resurrection, and the empty tomb, opened up a new door of hope, and life, for them.

The Apostle Peter said that Jesus’ death, and resurrection, opened up a living hope, that people can be reborn and become new and different kinds of humans. — “Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, He has given us new life and a hope that lives on” (1 Peter‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭CEV‬‬).

Our hope, today, is based on the risen Jesus, who has overcome death. And this hope isn’t for just humans, but is a foretaste of what God has planned for the whole universe.

Christian Hope is BOLD, waiting for humanity, and the whole universe, to be rescued, from evil and death, through Jesus.

Please understand that Biblical Hope isn’t optimism based on the odds — but it is a Hope for God to bring about our future that’s as surprising as a crucified man rising from the dead.

Christian Hope looks back to the risen Jesus in order to look forward.

Are you needing some extra hope today? Look back at all the miracles that Jesus performed — and Expect, with Great Hope, that Jesus will do some of those same things, for you.

‼️ HAVE HOPE ‼️

Have that Tense Expectation that the same things that the Lord did for the early believers, He’s going to do for you!

I’m believing with you!

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene

~ Good Morning and Happy Saturday!

Our Bible passage, and devotion, today, comes to us from …

• Numbers 6:22-27 •

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (23)“Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, (24)The Lord bless you and keep you; (25)the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; (26)the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. (27)“So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”” (ESV‬‬)

This beautiful blessing pronounced God’s favor on His people and was a prayer, that the priest’s would pray over the congregation, asking God to live among His people and meet all their needs.

The three expressions, found in verses 24, 25 and 26, correspond to the respective offices of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

✝️ Verse 24: The Office of the Father —

To “bless you and keep you.”

✝️ Verse 25: The Office of the Son — To “be gracious to you.”

✝️ Verse 26: The Office of the Holy Spirit — To “give you peace.”

✝️ Verse 27: Finally, Putting God’s name upon Israel indicated His ownership, and total responsibility, for His people. Father God said, “I will bless them.”

Father God is totally responsible for taking care of, and blessing His people. No one, nor nothing else.

Every good thing that you have today has come from the Lord. It is our Father, in Heaven, who has blessed us, and taken care of us, throughout our lives. We are on earth, alive, and breathing today, because the Lord has chosen to bless and keep us.

Come on, Somebody! — Give the Lord praise, and gratitude, for your life and all that He has blessed you with!

‼️The Lord is Worthy of Your P•R•A•I•S•E‼️

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene

~ Good Morning!

Following is our Bible verse for today. It’s found in Galatians‬ ‭6:10. For greater clarity, I have copied this verse in both the English Standard Version Translation and the New Century Version Translation.

• Galatians‬ ‭6:10 •

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (ESV‬‬)

“When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.” (NCV‬‬)

✝️ “let us Do Good to everyone…”

• Do Good!

• Serve Someone!

• Be Nice!

• Be Kind!

• Lend a Hand!

• Extend a Favor!

• Do Something for Somebody!

• Etc, Etc, Etc … ‼️

✝️ “especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

• Especially if they are Brothers and Sisters in Jesus.

• Do Good to those you are most closest to first.

• Serve those you are most loyal to first.

• Be Faithful to the Faithful‼️

How long has it been since you have stepped out of your comfort zone and really did something nice for someone? You know, when it really cost you something⁉️

✝️ “as we have opportunity…”

• When we have the Opportunity.

• When the Opportunity presents itself.

• Look for Opportunities to Serve and be a Blessing.

• Pray for Opportunities to Present Themselves‼️

When you are all about yourself, or when you close yourself off to the world around you, It is possible to go through life and never do anything good for anyone else; but this is not how Father God has saved us, or called us, to live.

We have been saved and called to be

salt in a tasteless world, to be light in a darkened world, and to be servants to a selfish world.

Why?

To proclaim Jesus, the greatest Savior, the greatest servant, the greatest giver, the greatest leader, the greatest, most kind and gracious human who gave His life to save, and serve us. When we were nasty, intolerable and unlovable, God, through Jesus, was “good” to us.

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. (7)No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. (8)But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.” — Romans‬ ‭5:6-8‬ ‭(CEV‬‬)

From this day forward, commit to be like Jesus, and “do good.”

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene

~ Good Morning and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family‼️

You know, despite the various issues that plague the world that we live in today, and the things which aren’t exactly perfect in our lives — We still have so much to be Grateful, and Thankful for.

The Psalmist David wrote, in Psalms‬ ‭9:1-2 …

“I will praise You, Lord, with all my heart and tell about the wonders You have worked. God Most High, I will rejoice; I will celebrate and sing because of You.” ‭(CEV‬)

This is what each one of us should be doing today, and everyday — that is, praising the Lord, with our whole heart, and testifying of our Lord’s greatness; telling others about what Jesus has done for us in our lives.

What if, either before you eat your Thanksgiving lunch/dinner, or afterwards, we all went around the table/room and each person shared what they were most thankful for this year, or today? I think this would give meaning to your Thanksgiving meal.

Whether you’re having a big Thanksgiving meal in a large family gathering, or you’re eating out of a can of Spaghetti-O’s all alone — You still have so much to be thankful for.

May the Lord bless you abundantly, and may He meet all your needs.

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene & Maria Allen

~ Good Morning and Happy Thanksgiving Day Eve!

I have a very appropriate Bible verse for us today. It’s found in …

• Psalms‬ ‭9:1-2 •

“I will give thanks , and praise the LORD, with all my heart; I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds. (2)I will rejoice and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” (AMP‬‬)

Everyday, but during this season, especially …

✝️ We should Give Thanks, and Praise the Lord, — with everything that is within us — for all things! No matter what we have right now, Jesus has been so good to us all.

✝️ We should, “tell aloud,” or TESTIFY, about all the Lord has done for us!

✝️ We should, “exult,” or Paise the Lord Lively, with great Joy!

✝️ We should Always be Singing Praises to the Lord. It’s the Lord who has placed a new song in our hearts.

If you’re a Christian, you should be the loudest one in the group!

We believers, should be Thanking Jesus for what HE has done for us — and — We should be Telling Others about what JESUS has done for us!

‼️ Happy Thanksgiving ‼️

‬

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene

~ Good Morning and Happy Tuesday before Thanksgiving!

Have I got a Word for You today. Proverbs 12:25 says …

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” (ESV)

‼️ Make someone Glad today. Share a “Good Word,” with them ‼️

I hope you’ll remember what I said on Sunday; “With the Lord, Your Altitude is Measured by Your Gratitude.”

The more grateful you are, the more the Lord elevates you to greater things and places.

Be Grateful this Thanksgiving season.

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene

~ Good Morning!

Today, our devotion comes to us from …

• 3 John‬ ‭1:2 •

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” ‭(ESV‬‬)

“dear friend, and I pray all goes well for you. I hope you are as strong in body, as I know you are in spirit.” (CEV‬‬)

• THE BOTTOM LINE •

From verse one, we can see that John is talking about, Giaus, his dear friend, in the ministry of reaching the lost, and helping other Christian believers along in their daily lives.

Here, in verse two, the Apostle John greets, his dear friend, and prays that he may, “prosper and be in good health even as his soul prospereth” (KJV).

The Apostle John, was very pleased with Gaius’ spiritual condition and wished that he might get along equally well on a physical level.

Verses two through six shows that Gaius was evidently an outstanding spiritual man. One commentator wrote, “The words, ‘I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you,’ are not a mere conventional expression of good wishes. The apostle was concerned for the temporal well-being of others, and not only for their spiritual welfare.”

The Apostle John must have learned this ideology, from Jesus, who’s concern for people’s physical issues is clearly shown in all four Gospels accounts.

• CONCLUSION •

This hope, and prayer, of wanting believers to be well, even as they are spiritually well, is really a biblical order for Christians today, to pray, for the physical, secular needs of their spiritual friends and fellow believers.

Let’s start praying this kind of prayer over our Christian friends, today. Of course, it will be up to them to keep their spiritual relationship, with Jesus, strong, so that they will have a blessed physical life while on this earth.

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene

• Romans‬ ‭10:17‬ ‭(ESV‬) •

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.”

‼️ I’m reading, and listening, to The Word of God, and growing closer to Him everyday ‼️

⁉️ How about you ⁉️

~ Good Morning!

Let’s make this a day of Praise for our Lord!

1. Praise the Lord for all the good things that He has blessed you with.

2. Praise the Lord for all the negative situations in your life, knowing that when we trust Jesus with them, even they will work out for your good.

3. Give the Lord Praise in All Things!

Today, our Bible passage is found in …

• Psalm‬ ‭107:1-2‬ •

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! (2)Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble…” (ESV‬)

Check your attitude today, and purpose to be a Christian who is Grateful for your Salvation and whose heart, and mouth, is filled with Praise!

💡 Today, may the Church be a Bright Light in this dark world. 💡

‼️Let Your Mouth Be Filled With PRAISE‼️

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene

~ Good Morning!

Our Bible verse, today, is found in …

• John‬ ‭15:4 •

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (ESV‬‬)

• THE BOTTOM LINE •

✝️ We must “Abide” (stay connected to Jesus, stay in relationship with Jesus) or we can’t bear fruit (produce spiritual results, win others to Jesus).

✝️ Just like a single branch that is cut off from its main vine (source of life), can’t reproduce on its own, neither can a believer produce any spiritual results, unless he, or she, is securely connected to Jesus.

• CONCLUSION •

It is so important that every believer stay in a Close, Vibrant, Relationship with Jesus.

As Believers, our main objective, our main Job in life, is to Bear Fruit, that is to, WIN THE LOST and MAKE NEW DISCIPLES for Jesus.

It’s a shame that so many Christians are unemployed.

Follower of Christ …

‼️ GET BACK TO WORK ‼️

Sincerely,

— Pastor Gene