Tell the Story of God’s Amazing Grace!

Jonah 3

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, September 14.

Is God’s grace still amazing to you? Do you remember from what you have been saved? Do you believe there are parts of your story that God cannot redeem for His glory?

After Jonah’s rescue from certain death, God gave His prophet a second chance to share the good news of His mercy and grace. Jonah had to learn the hard way that God’s love is available to all people, even the Assyrians in Nineveh, whom Jonah thought were the epitome of evil and the most deserving of God’s wrath. The prophet preached the shortest, and possibly the worst, sermon ever given – “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). God converted Jonah’s reluctant obedience into the most effective sermon ever given as God saved 120,000 people that day (Jonah 3:5-9; 4:11). God relented in response to the people’s repentance, as described in Jonah 3:10 “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.”

How can God use you if you are willing to share His story through your story? People receive an opportunity to learn about the amazing grace of God from the people who have experienced it firsthand for themselves. As Paul explained in Romans 10:14-15, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” How does your life help people experience God’s amazing grace? Are you willing to proclaim “the sign of Jonah the prophet” through your life story?

Seize the moment and tell your story of God’s amazing grace – “How sweet the sound that saved a wretch; like me!”

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Meet God in the Depths!

Jonah 2

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, September 13.

When you accept the invitation of Jesus to become one of His disciples, you are making a vow to the crucified God with the hope of the promise that you will be rescued from the depths of death, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). We proclaim our hope in the resurrection of Jesus through our baptism, as Paul described in Romans 6:4-5, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Jesus spent three days in the tomb, yet you only spend a moment under the waters of baptism.

Jonah was dead, or at least he deserved to be! After all, he was tossed into the storming sea by the other sailors (Jonah 1:4-16). Instead of satisfying their pagan gods with his death, he was rescued by the God who sought to give him newness of life (Jonah 1:17). Jonah deserved death, but, instead, he experienced three nights and three days in the belly of a great fish, where he cried out to God from the depths (Jonah 2:1-9). God responded to Jonah’s prayers, directing the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land and giving him an opportunity to respond to the salvation He has bestowed upon him personally. How would Jonah respond? Through Christ, God has rescued you from certain death on purpose: to be a living witness to the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Seize the moment and meet God in the depths of your need. If you have been baptized, remember your baptismal vows. If you have not, why not? How will you respond?

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Respond to God’s Love!

Jonah 1

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, September 12.

The prophetic book of Jonah puts the scandal of grace on stage in a fantastic way. For some, the story is too far-fetched, but if Jesus took it seriously, so should we. Jonah is a historical account about a prophet who sailed the opposite direction of the Assyrian capital city of Nineveh, the place where God was calling him to preach repentance for sin, because he did not want to love his enemies and extend to them the same grace that God had given Israel (Jonah 1:1-3). Can you blame Jonah after all you have learned about the evil Assyrians? Truly, this is not an us vs. them story. Instead, it’s a call to repentance for all people. Jesus referenced Jonah in Matthew 12:28-31 to emphasize His mission:

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

What is “the sign of Jonah the prophet,” and how can a good understanding of the story of Jonah help you respond to God’s call upon your life? God didn’t give up on Jonah, and He won’t give up on you! Isn’t that the message of the cross and the empty tomb?

Seize the moment and respond to God’s love, giving to others that which God first gave you (1 John 4:19).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Love your Brother!

Obadiah 1

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 11.

Do not work for your brother’s destruction, or destruction may come upon you. That is the warning and reality of the shortest book of the Old Testament. Obadiah is a twenty-one-verse war oracle, prophesying judgment against the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother, who actively worked for the destruction of Israel at multiple times in its history. This short prophetic work regarding Edom fits in the canonical order after Amos because Amos ends with a reference to them, “That they may possess the remnant of Edom …” (Amos 9:13). Obadiah adds his prophetic voice to not only Amos, but also to Psalms 83:4-8, 137:7-9, Isaiah 34:5-8, 63:1-6, Jeremiah 49:7-22, Lamentations 4:21, and Ezekiel 25:12-14, 35:1-15. The united voice of God’s prophets calls out the descendants of Esau for betraying their brother Jacob, as described in Obadiah 10-14:

Because of violence to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and you will be cut off forever. On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem – you too were as one of them. Do not gloat over your brother’s day, the day of his misfortune. And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah in the day of their destruction; yes, do not boast in the day of their distress. Do not enter the gate of My people in the day of their disaster. Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity in the day of their disaster. And do not loot their wealth in the day of their disaster. Do not stand at the fork of the road to cut down their fugitives; and do not imprison their survivors in the day of their distress.

Seize the moment and love your brother (1 John 4:20-21). Pray for your brother then reach out to him today, passing on the peace of Christ.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Persevere in Hope!

Amos 9

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, September 10.

One of the great themes of the Bible is hope! No matter how bad it gets, there is always a deep trust in God’s promises. Throughout the prophetic literature of the Old Testament, as often as God declared the impending judgment of sin for His people, He was promising to save them. In fact, by the time of Amos, God’s judgment of Israel was unavoidable. God’s chosen people had been repeatedly warned by the prophets, to include Amos, yet, in Amos 9:11-15, the prophet concluded his prophetic work with God’s unyielding promise of a future restoration:

“In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,” declares the Lord who does this. … “I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

God wants to rescue His children! It’s His character to desire that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9), and, like a loving parent, He can’t help Himself from wanting to give them yet another chance to return to Him. This is the perseverance of God at work throughout Israel’s history that keeps them as His chosen people to this day. Let me be clear, it’s not our perseverance that marks us as God’s chosen people, but His perseverance toward us! This is what it means to be secured in God’s covenantal love; not that we love God, but that He loves us and has demonstrated that love to us in Jesus Christ (1 John 4:10).

Seize the moment and persevere in hope! Never let go of God’s promises; wait upon the Lord and you will be saved (Isaiah 40:31).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Plant Good Seed!

Amos 8

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, September 9.

What started as a seed of sin, matured into the fruit of rebellion. The prophet used the image of ripened fruit to illustrate this point in Amos 8:1-2, “Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. He said, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ And I said, ‘A basket of summer fruit.’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘The end has come for My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.’” All sin is progressive in nature, and though it may start small, it will grow, seeking to become the fruit of your life. When it matures it will reap destruction as described of Israel in Amos 8:1-9:10. Attention must be paid to the seed of sin when it is but a kernel of a thought or an inclination of your heart. This requires vigilance, like that of a hard-working farmer; therefore, give your attention to the proper care of souls by cultivating the ground, planting the good seed of God’s Word, and tending to the tender young shoots.

While the desolation of Israel is heart-wrenchingly described by numerous prophets, one of the worst pronouncements of judgment is found in Amos 8:11, “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord God, ‘When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord.’” Imagine how devastating it would be if there was no good seed to work into your soul, or, through you, into the relationships of your life. While the starvation and devastation caused by a natural famine are tragedies that we fear, imagine being cut off from the Source of all life and love.

Seize the moment and plant the good seed of God’s Word into your heart and mind, inviting the Holy Spirit to bring forth the mature fruit of love in and through your life.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Straighten up Crooked Christian!

Amos 7

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, September 7.

Are you a crooked Christian? Are your thoughts, words, or behaviors out of alignment with your faith? In Amos 7:7-8, like a master craftsman, ensuring that the house He had built was a safe place to be His home, God used a plumb line to demonstrate that His judgment of Israel’s crookedness was true according to an objective standard: “Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The Lord said to me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Behold I am about to put a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.’”

A plumb line is that objective standard; it’s a builder’s tool composed of a string with a weight at the end of it, which is hung from the top of a wall to ensure that it’s true, meaning it is perpendicular to the center gravity of the ground. In today’s passage, the plumb line represents God’s unwavering standard of righteousness and justice, demonstrating that Israel was crooked, out of alignment with God’s covenant and commandments.

All Christians are crooked and need to undergo construction. None of us can be found true according to the plumb line of the Law (Romans 3:20-23); therefore, God sent Jesus Christ to be our living, ever-present plumb line (John 1:17; Romans 5:20-21; Colossians 1:15-20). Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-15), and, by God’s grace, through your participation in prayer (Psalm 139:23-24), Bible study (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and church membership (Ephesians 4:11-16), God is constantly straightening the crooked places of your life.

Seize the moment and invite God’s work to straighten that which is crooked in you. Cooperate with the Spirit to bring about His good pleasure in your life, which is your conformity to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Pick one project today and get to work (Philippians 2:12-13).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

The Danger of Complacency!

Amos 6

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, September 6.

There is a significant difference between contentment and complacency. The Lord desires for us to be content, as Paul explained in Philippians 4:11-13, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Contentment is a state of peace because you have learned to trust God. There is a deep satisfaction that comes with feeling content but not because you have arrived at your destination; rather, because you have learned to attune to God’s presence as He walks with you along the way.

Complacency is a smug satisfaction in your own accomplishments; it’s a self-centered sense of well-being as if you have arrived. It’s a pride that invites you to sit back and stay a while, celebrating your accomplishments no matter what else is happening around you. Unlike the journey orientation of contentment, which keeps a person humble and listening to God, complacency is a destination mindset that lures a person into pride and passivity, such as we saw at the time of Israel’s judgment in Amos 6:4-7:

Those who recline on beds of ivory and sprawl on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who improvise to the sound of the harp, and like David have composed songs for themselves, who drink wine from sacrificial bowls while they anoint themselves with the finest of oils, yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore, they will now go into exile at the head of the exiles, and the sprawlers’ banqueting will pass away.

Seize the moment and attune to the presence of God in your daily life, giving thanks that He walks with you in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Treat People Fairly and Correctly!

Amos 5

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, September 5.

In his famous 1963 speech, “I Have a Dream,” the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously quoted from Amos 5:23-24, “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” He connected the judgment of Israel for corrupting justice and mocking righteousness with the urgency of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, essentially saying that the only acceptable outcome of their movement was a repentant nation where people, regardless of the color of their skin, were treated fairly (justice) and correctly (righteousness). Sixty-one years later, as a man whose father turned 18 years old the year of MLK’s speech, then soon after went to fight in the Vietnam War, I ask the question: Has America repented? Are we a nation where people are treated fairly and correctly?

Seven hundred years after Amos, and two thousand years before MLK, the Apostle Paul commanded all followers of Jesus in Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” By living this way, we don’t “grieve the Holy Spirit” (30). We make our redemption visible by being a people known for our justice and righteousness, and what we must realize about this, and it was something MLK understand, is that this is not a call for retribution or vengeance, but the call of Jesus to right living. Sadly, he was assassinated for calling America to repentance, but isn’t that the way God’s prophets have been treated throughout history?

Seize the moment and treat all people fairly and correctly! Be kind to others because it costs you nothing and gives them everything.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Prepare to Meet your Maker!

Amos 4

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 4.

Are you prepared to meet your Maker? Do you need to have a cancer diagnosis or a near-death experience to get right with God? The refrain of Amos 4 is “Yet you have not returned to Me” (6, 8, 9, 10, and 11). In every occurrence, the prophet declared one of the judgments that had befallen Israel: famine, drought, blight, plague, and conquest. According to the Mosaic Law, these were the promised results of violating the covenant (Deuteronomy 28:15-24). God was keeping His promise by punishing them for their idol worship. His people had broken fellowship with Him by coopting themselves with demons, which is why he called them “cows of Bashan.” This was not a rude reference as people would say today, but a supernatural one. Bashan was the Old Testament version of the gates of hell, seen as the gateway to the underworld of the dead. Interestingly, this imagery of demons and death was utilized in the messianic prophecy of Jesus’ crucifixion in Psalm 22:12, “Many bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.” God was not being rude or rash, He was mercifully using every possible crisis to get them ready for what really mattered – eternal judgment!

When you are facing death, there’s only one way to prepare yourself, and it was boldly stated in Amos 4:12, “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” God’s motivation in all their calamities was their wholehearted repentance because that would be the only place they could find rest for their souls. That is the good fruit of covenant faithfulness, the abundant life of being in the yoke with the One who saves. Are you ready to meet your Maker?

Seize the moment and prepare today for what we each must face tomorrow. Every crisis is an opportunity to get right with God! He’s only a prayer away.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Attune to God’s Ways!

Amos 3

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, September 3.

Does a rattle snake bite for no reason? Doesn’t it warn you of its presence by rattling its tail? Only a fool would not heed such a distinctive sound. I’ve heard it a few times when on a hike, and each time I am thankful that God has built into His creation such warnings. Yet, in today’s world, I’m concerned for those who are so distracted by their devices that they are no longer able to hear. The prophet highlighted God’s ways in Amos 3:4-8, and, in so doing, poetically warned Israel of their danger:

Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something? Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all? If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it? Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?

God has chosen to reveal Himself through His servants the prophets, giving people the opportunity to repent of their sins and walk with Him in covenant faithfulness, according to the Scriptures. When God warns us, we must take it seriously because it is God revealing to us the danger we are in by our own choices. But how can you hear from God if you are distracted? As if you are walking on the trail with ear buds in and not able to hear the rattle of the snake.

Seize the moment and attune to God’s ways. He has promised to speak to you. Are you listening?

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Find Relief from your Heavy Burdens!

Amos 2

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, September 2.

The first two chapters of Amos consist of eight oracles of judgment, with the first six aimed at neighboring nations, and the last two focused on Judah and Israel. The people of God may have thought they would escape God’s wrath, but Amos made it very clear that all people are accountable to God. The prophet explained to Israel the effects of sin in Amos 2:13-16:

“Behold, I am weighted down beneath you as a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves. Flight will perish from the swift, and the stalwart will not strengthen his power, nor the mighty man save his life. He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground, the swift of foot will not escape, nor will he who rides the horse save his life. Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked in that day,” declares the Lord.

The NIV translated the beginning of verse 13, “Now then, I will crush you, … .” While this is the end game of God’s judgment for sin, as Romans 6:23 explains, “for the wages of sin is death,” it is also the ongoing effect of living under the burden of sin. You become “weary and heavy-laden” when you have unconfessed sin in your life, like a soldier in battle who has become panic stricken, losing his speed, strength, coordination, and bravery. The ongoing effects of sin, like the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, exhaust you, making you unfruitful and ineffective in the life of God (2 Peter 1:2-9; Psalm 32). There is a way to be healed of both your sin burden and your PTSD.

Seize the moment and find relief from your heavy burdens by taking on the easy yoke of Jesus Christ,  finding rest for your soul in a relationship with God, which will strengthen your spiritual vitality and allow you to experience the abundant life (Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:10).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Open Hearts Open Ears!

Amos 1

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, August 31.

Do you need to be an ordained clergy person to hear from God? Absolutely not! From ancient times to today, God has used men and women from many different backgrounds and vocations to be His spokespersons, people who faithfully communicate His Word through their words. Pointedly, Amos 1:1-2 introduces one of the first writing prophets of Israel, a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea:

The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. He said, “The Lord roars from Zion and from Jerusalem He utters His voice; and the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn, and the summit of Carmel dries up.”

Think about your favorite farmer who is out harvesting his or her crops right now and imagine God giving that person a divine revelation for the nations while riding the tractor. That is what happened with Amos, who was a small-town sheepherder and farmer, as he explained in Amos 7:14-15, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’” Amos was not ambitious for the religious office of prophet; rather, he was given God’s Word while happily going about his everyday work life. God calls upon people who have open hearts, which open their ears to hear from Him.

Seize the moment and open your heart to hear from God. Whatever your job may be, make space to listen for God, who desires to use everyday working people to make His Word known to the nations through their lives.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

Trust the Roaring Lion!

Joel 3

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, August 30. Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Jeremy Fischer, Justin McGuire, Jackson Hibbert, and Lexi Laker.

In C. S. Lewis’ allegorical world of Narnia, Lewis portrayed Jesus as a roaring lion. This idea did not come from his own genius, though he was one; rather, it was inspired by the Word of God. The Lord roaring like a lion is the concluding image of the prophet Joel, and it is the opening image of Amos’ prophetic work (Amos 1:2). In Joel 3:15-16, the prophet describes the coming day of the Lord, “The sun and moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness. The Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.” In this passage, Joel described the tension of the people’s faith in God as their sovereign Lord. In Lewis’ 1950 classic, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, he captured this tension for us, specifically in the dialogue where the children first learned that Aslan, the King of Narnia, was a lion. When Lucy asked if Aslan was safe, Mr. Beaver told her of course not, he’s a lion, but he is good! God is good, but He is not always safe!

 This juxtaposition was expressed by Job during his suffering, “Though God slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15). When facing suffering at a personal or national level, we are invited to trust the sovereign grace of God, believing “He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). While this faith perspective doesn’t remove our suffering, nor does it guarantee that everything will work out in our situation, it hides us in the Lord, who is our refuge and stronghold (Joel 3:16; Nahum 1:7).

Seize the moment and trust the goodness of God, even when He’s roaring like a lion.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Receive the Holy Spirit!

Joel 2

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, August 29.

The threat of the ravenous locust army was upon Israel. How were the people to respond to this clear and present danger? God spoke to his people through His prophet in Joel 2:12-13, “‘Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.’ Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.”

The message was the same – “Return to Me with all your heart.” The character of God had not changed – “He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.” When the danger is real, turn to a real source of help! More than save you from your circumstances, God will give you His presence, as promised in Joel 2:28-29, “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

God’s promise was that He would give Himself to His people, and that is why Christ came. In Acts 2:16-21, the Apostle Peter quoted the entirety of Joel 2:28-32 in his first sermon after Pentecost, after the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the first disciples. In response to hearing Peter proclaim Pentecost as the fulfillment of the ancient prophet’s message, the witnesses asked, “What shall we do?”

Seize the moment and return to the unchanging God of the Bible, whose presence is your greatest protection from the clear and present danger – “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Prepare for the Day!

Joel 1

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, August 28.

The prophetic work of Joel is famous for the imagery of the locust army, which has captured the imagination of people ever since. The menacing locusts are introduced in Joel 1:4, “What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; and what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.” The locust horde brought utter devastation to the Promised Land, and then, in a masterful use of poetic metaphor, the prophet connected this agricultural disaster to an invading army as a warning of God’s wrath against Israel in Joel 1:6, “For a nation has invaded my land, mighty and without number” (cf. Joel 2:2-11). While there is very little debate about the prophetic message itself, there is speculation about when Joel gave it. The three historical settings that it seemingly fits are the time of: 1. The Assyrian Empire before the destruction of the northern ten tribes of Israel; 2. The Babylonian Empire before the exile and destruction of Solomon’s Temple; or 3. The Persian Empire during the postexilic times of Zerubbabel’s Temple.

Regardless of when Joel’s ministry happened, his warning about the coming judgment comes with the same choice regardless of the time (ancient or contemporary) or place (over there or right here). The leaders of the nation are to call for a sacred gathering, leading the people in a time of corporate repentance, in accordance with Joel 1:14-15, “Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty” (cf. Joel 2:15-17).

Seize the moment and prepare for the day of the Lord (Matthew 24-25; 2 Peter 3:3-18).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Motivated to be in Right Relationships!

Hosea 14

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday,

Are you motivated to be in right relationships? Are you committed to do the hard work necessary to get there? Those are two key questions I must ask a person, or a couple, before I can help them successfully. I’ve learned the hard way, with much sacrifice of my own time and energy over the last two decades of doing this kind of work, that there is one thing I simply cannot do and that is want the relationship for the couple more than they want it for themselves. If either individual is unmotivated or uncommitted to the relationship, then there is no way forward except to pray and fast for God to change their hearts. The key ingredients to success in a right relationship are personal motivation and a wholehearted commitment to make it work with the other person. With this knowledge in mind, the prophet concluded his work with a final invitation for wayward Israel to return to their God in Hosea 14:1-3:

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips. Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses; nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in You the orphan finds mercy.”

Seize the moment and commit yourself wholeheartedly to the God who loves you (John 3:16). He has kept His vow to you, now return to Him in repentance, motivated to be with Him and committed to do the hard work necessary to be in a right relationship. Getting right with Jesus enables you to take the next step of getting right with other people because you can’t give to another what you haven’t received first yourself.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Thankfulness on the Pathway to Recovery!

Hosea 13

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, August 26.

Imagine if you only had today what you gave thanks to God for yesterday. When you count your blessings one-by-one, what you are doing is rehearsing that which you are thankful for – you remember so that you won’t forget! People, as a species, struggle with mindfulness because we are so easily distracted. The spiritual practice of thankfulness reminds us of God’s goodness and keeps us focused on making good decisions today.

As the Israelites turned away from God, and toward the empty idol worship of their neighbors, God reminded them of His covenant faithfulness to rescue and provide for them in Hosea 13:4-6, “Yet I have been the Lord your God since the land of Egypt; and you were not to know any god except Me, for there is no savior besides Me. I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore they forgot Me.” After receiving the gift of the Promised Land, a land of rest (peace) and a land flowing with milk and honey (prosperity), they became self-sufficient and self-satisfied. They soon forgot God’s rescue and provision. Because of His mercy, when they were stuck in the rut of their own pride, God reminded them of the essential truth of creation, “there is no savior besides Me.” God was inviting the intoxicated Israelites to get honest about their self-delusions, then to take the next steps of putting their faith and hope back in Him as their savior. This is what the daily discipline of thanksgiving does, it helps you work through these first three steps of recovery – honesty, hope, and faith.

Seize the moment and give thanks to the God who can rescue you from yourself and restore you to the pathway to recovery. Start each day by thanking God for what you have, so that you may have the courage to take the right next step.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Wait for God Continually!

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Warning Signs!

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Break up your Fallow Ground!

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.