Isaiah 19
A Savior and a Champion!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, January 8.
Our culture loves superheroes. At least, we love to be entertained by the concept of a hero who will fly in and rescue us. The marketplace is saturated with so many books, shows, and movies that express our inborn desire for a savior and a champion. Don’t be surprised by this insatiable hunger to be rescued, because evil is real and our need to be saved from it is valid. We most certainly need to be rescued, but not by someone wearing tights and a cape. In Isaiah 19:20-22, God promises to send “a Savior and a Champion” to Egypt:
It will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them. Thus the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. The Lord will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the Lord, and He will respond to them and will heal them.
Once again, we see the heart of the Father in this passage – the purpose of His judgments is the healing of the nations, so they will return to His rightful rule as the Sovereign. Never forget that God loves all the peoples of the planet, and not just “you and yours.” He is not ethnocentric, nor xenophobic, as John testified in 1 John 4:14, “the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”
Seize the moment and participate in God’s Great Rescue through Jesus Christ by praying for all the nations (Matthew 5:43-46; 28:18-20) and loving your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40; Galatians 5:14).
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.
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Everyday Discipleship Wk 1
Everyday Discipleship with Real People
Teaching #1: “The Journey to Christlikeness!”
Teaching #1: “The Journey to Christlikeness!”
Christian Discipleship is the intentional journey to Christlikeness!
Read Romans 8:29:
+ “predestined to become”
+ “conformed to the image of His Son”
God chose you to look like Jesus!
Look at the context. Read Romans 8:26-28:
+ “according to the will of God” (27)
+ “to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (28).
What is that purpose? “To become conformed to the image of His Son – to be God’s “image bearer” (Genesis 1:26-28).
Read Colossians 1:15.
+ “the image of the invisible God”
When we look like Jesus – Christlikeness – we do that which Christ came to do (Luke 19:10 & Matthew 28:18-20)!
17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
+ The Call = “Follow Me”
Discipleship is the life-long journey of learning and manifesting who you are as a “disciple” through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. A disciple is a person who intentionally follows the ways and teachings of Jesus Christ.
FOCUS: The call of discipleship requires you to “follow” Jesus. The promise of discipleship requires you to trust the work of the Holy Spirit to “make you become.”
Read Philippians 2:12-13.
+ “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”
+ “it is God at work in you … for His good pleasure”
Christian Discipleship is a BOTH-AND: Hard work + a lot of trusting God! This journey is a long obedience in the same direction of Christlikeness (Matthew 11:28-30)!
Read 1 Timothy 4:7b-8.
+ “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”
+ “godliness is profitable for all things”
We are to train ourselves according to godliness – the pattern of Jesus’ life (“godliness” = “Christlikeness”).
Action Items for this week:
1) Start the 90-Day New Testament Reading Challenge, reading Matthew 1-21 this week. Pick up a reading plan.
2) Start a notebook or journal about your reading plan. Bring it next week as I will teach you how to write a SOAP journal entry for either each chapter or each day.
3) Pray through this handout as you prepare to read your Bible every day. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you “become” conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
If you would like to watch this lesson on YouTube, click HERE.
If you would like to view the entire service including music, etc. click HERE.
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Hymn: I Lift My Hands
Seize the Moment – Day 1390
Today’s hymn focus will be
I Lift My Hands
Psalms 63:3-4 (NASB95)
“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.”
The song was written by Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Matt Maher, and Jesse Reeves in 2010. Rooted in biblical truths of surrender, trust and worship, this song has impacted many believers’ lives since its release. It has served as a source of comfort, inspiration, and encouragement by reminding everyone of the faithfulness of God and the power of worship in our individual lives.
I lift my hands to believe again You are my refuge, you are my strength
As I pour out my heart, these things I remember You are faithful, God, forever
We need to wake up every day with a firm resolve in our hearts that this and every day is a day that the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it, no matter what we are facing! Why? Because we are not facing it alone. He is there with us. And when we lift up our hands, our Father God is faithful to pick us up and carry us through.
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 Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
I Lift My Hands
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Isaiah 18
A Gift of Homage!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, January 5.
Do you know the history of Cush? While it has historical connections with the Egyptian Empire, it’s located in Ethiopia. The Cushites came from Cush, the son of Ham, who was one of the three sons of Noah (Genesis 10:6-8). This is an ancient people; in fact, it is one of the first places mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis 2:13, God described the Garden of Eden, which includes a reference to Cush, “The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush.” From this pre-historic geographical reference, it is not surprising that the oracle to Cush references “the rivers” three times in the seven verses of Isaiah 18, including verse 7, “At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, even from a people feared far and wide, a powerful and oppressive nation, whose land the rivers divide – to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, even Mount Zion.”
When your people dwell in the land of the Garden of Eden you are going to highlight that sacred geography whenever possible. It’s like putting a brown sign at your exit on the Interstate, explaining that there is something of interest to pull off and see here! More than that, though, verse 7 prophesied that “a gift of homage will be brought to the Lord of hosts” by the people of Ethiopia. Is it possible that a fulfillment of this was the conversion of “an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship” (Acts 8:27-40)?
Seize the moment and present yourself as a gift of homage to God – “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship”(Romans 12:1).
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.
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Isaiah 17
The Power of Vision!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, January 4.
Damascus was made famous by a Jewish religious leader named Saul, who, after his conversion to the Way of Jesus Christ, started going by the Greek version of his name. The Apostle Paul’s conversion experience is described in Acts 9:3-6:
As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”
In Isaiah 17:1-7, there is a fascinating foreshadowing found in the oracle of Damascus regarding Paul’s conversion story: “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin. … In that day man will have regard for his Maker and his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.” While their destruction was accomplished in 732 BC by the hands of Assyria (2 Kings 15:29-16:18; cf. Isaiah 7:1-9), the opening of the eyes to the Holy One of Israel would literally happen over seven hundred years later. In Acts 9:1-19, the Pharisee Saul was blinded by the vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus, but as evidenced of the power of Jesus to redeem that which was bound for destruction, his sight was restored by Ananias in the very city of Damascus where the promise of men’s eyes being opened would occur – “Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight” (18).
Seize the moment and lift up your eyes to see Jesus high and exalted! Meditate upon His promise, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” ( John 12:32).
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.
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Isaiah 16
The Power of Redemption!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, January 3.
Do you believe that your story can be transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ? God can break any generational curse and redeem your story for His good purposes. The second chapter of the oracle of Moab’s destruction continues with Isaiah 16, but in the midst of this doom and gloom, the hope of the Messiah shines through in verses 4-5:
Let the outcasts of Moab stay with you; be a hiding place to them from the destroyer. For the extortioner has come to an end, destruction has ceased, oppressors have completely disappeared from the land. A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, and a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; moreover, he will seek justice and be prompt in righteousness.
Within the judgment of Moab, we find the hope of the Messiah. This prophecy is included in the angelic message to Mary about the birth of Jesus Christ in Luke 1:32-33, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
This is the amazing grace of God’s redemptive power to transform stories through the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we learned yesterday, the Moabites’ origin story began with the scandal of Moab’s parentage of Lot and one of his daughters. After generations of being a thorn in the side of God’s people, their ancestorial line was redeemed by Boaz, the kinsman redeemer who married Ruth the Moabitess, and, together, they became great grandparents to King David, and of the lineage of Jesus (Matthew 1:5-6).
Seize the moment and believe in the power of God to break the generational curses of your family and redeem your story for His good purposes (Romans 8:28).
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.
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Isaiah 15
Your Story Matters!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, January 2.
What can you tell me about the Moabites? Why should you even care about this ancient people group? As you read Isaiah, one of the temptations is to start speed reading through his many oracles, just like you might have done with Moses’ genealogies. People matter to God, so be careful of hardening your heart to their destruction or dulling your mind to their unique stories. Isaiah 15:1-2 began two chapters of bad news for the Moabites, “The oracle concerning Moab. Surely in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined; surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined. They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, even to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; everyone’s head is bald and every beard is cut off.”
This was not the first oracle given for the destruction of the Moabites. In Numbers 21:29, Moses stated, “Woe to you, O Moab! You are ruined, O people of Chemosh!” The Moabites have been around a while, as their origin story goes all the way back to Lot, the nephew of Abraham, when he hid with his two desperate daughters in a mountain cave (Genesis 19:30-38). Moab was birthed in a scandal and grew into a people who were a thorn in Israel’s side, as can be seen from a few examples from Israel’s history:
- Balaam attempted to curse the Israelites upon the order of Balak the king of Moab (Numbers 21:21-35; 22:1-24; 25).
- Ehud, judge of Israel, defeated the Moabites who were oppressing Israel (Judges 3:12-21).
- David, king of Israel, later defeated Moab (2 Samuel 8:2).
Yet, the Moabite story ultimately points to God’s redemption because Ruth the Moabitess is in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5; Ruth 1:4).
Seize the moment and pay attention to people’s stories. Stories matter because people matter to God!
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.
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Isaiah 14
Break the Yoke of Slavery!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, January 1, 2024.
Happy New Year! As you begin the new year, I invite you to renew your commitment to Jesus so that you may walk in covenant faithfulness to God and His Word – this is where you will find rest for your soul, in the easy yoke of Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30).
In Isaiah 14:3, God promised rest to His oppressed people, “And it will be in the day when the Lord gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved.” This promise was followed by the oxen yoke imagery, described in verse 25, “to break Assyrian in my land, … Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder.’”
The yoke imagery of the Old Testament symbolizes slavery and oppression by evil. Israel often found themselves oppressed in the yoke of slavery because they did not rest in covenant faithfulness to God and His Word. In three other passages, God references the oxen yoke through the prophet Isaiah:
- The promise of the Messiah in Isaiah 9:4, “For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.”
- The promise of rescue in Isaiah 10:27, “So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.”
- The judgment of Babylon in Isaiah 47:6, “You did not show mercy to them, on the aged you made your yoke very heavy.”
Seize the moment and take on the easy yoke of Jesus! Rest can only be found in covenant faithfulness to God and His Word – “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
Happy New Year!
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Advent 2023 (Wk 5)
Back to the Future
Cyndi Johansen & Bree King share with the children.
Conclusion: Pastor Jerry shares
If you would like to watch just the lesson, click HERE.
If you would like to watch the entire service, click HERE.
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Hymn: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Seize the Moment – Day 1383
Today’s song focus will be
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Luke 2:14-15 (NASB95)
““Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He
is pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds
began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see
this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
“It came upon a midnight clear, That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold:”
We need to wake up and take the message of peace into our area of the world that needs to either hear it for the first time or be reminded of it. Remember, each of us are to be the messengers of the gospel, just like those shepherds who heard it from the angels on that night so long ago.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.
with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats
o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains,
they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o’er its Babel sounds
the blessed angels sing.
whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way
with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
and hear the angels sing!
by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.
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Isaiah 13
The Day of the Lord!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, December 29.
After celebrating God’s coming victory over the Assyrian Empire in Isaiah 12, two future empires are named in Isaiah 13. This is Isaiah’s first oracle about the Babylonian Empire, which would destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC, and bring the people of God into exile. Within his prophecy about Babylon, Isaiah named the Medes who, together with the Persians, would conquer the Babylonian Empire (17-22), and be the ones to release the Israelite exiles from their seventy years of captivity, allowing them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it. The prophecies of Isaiah are amazing, and you start to see how his book must be read as a companion work to the history books of Israel. If God can so accurately forecast the international affairs of the ancient world through the prophet Isaiah, is it a stretch for you to take Him at His Word for the day of the Lord? Isaiah described the day of the Lord in excruciating detail in Isaiah 13:6-16:
Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt. … Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it. … Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. …
Seize the moment and trust Jesus, who commands His followers in Matthew 24:42, “be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” Until that day, the Holy Spirit has empowered you, as a member of Christ’s church, to live as His witness (Acts 1:7-8).
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.
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Isaiah 12
Praise God for His Victory!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, December 28.
The victory we have is a vicarious one; it has been given to us by God through the coming of Immanuel, which translated means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). It has been won for us by the One who is our salvation. Isaiah 12:1-2 begins the victory song of Israel, “Then you will say on that day, ‘I will give thanks to You, O Lord; for although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.’”
Isaiah 12 is a climatic conclusion to a section of Isaiah’s prophetic work, which has been called, “The Book of Immanuel.” It is a hymn of praise to the God who relented from His anger to provide for His people a great victory over the Assyrian Empire, rescuing them from the death they deserved. But some people find even more in Isaiah’s beautiful song; they forecast a future fulfillment beyond Assyria, one that is still to come in the second coming of Jesus Christ. Isaiah’s song of victory concludes in verses 4-6:
And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.” Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; let this be known throughout the earth. Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
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.
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Isaiah 11
The Stem of Jesse!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, December 27.
Is there hope in the face of death and destruction? Isaiah sure thinks so, as we once again find the image of life bursting forth from that which is dead (ref. Isaiah 4:2). In Isaiah 10, we learned that the Assyrians were commissioned by God to be His axe, to chop down the diseased tree of Israel (15, 33-34). Today, in Isaiah 11:1-4, we watch life burst forth from the felled tree of Israel, as Isaiah, once again, describes the coming of the Messiah:
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
Jesus Christ is “the stem of Jesse,” as Acts 13:22-23 explains, “After He had removed [Saul], He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all My will.’ From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus.” Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:16, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”
Seize the moment and trust in Jesus as the stem of Jesse – He is our living hope! He promises in Revelation 21:5, “I am making all things new.”
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.
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Isaiah 10
The Rod of My Anger!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, December 26.
Did you know that God can use a secular song or a Hollywood movie for His purposes, even when the people have their own ideas about it? This is a difficult concept to grasp, but an important lesson to learn; it’s humbling, especially if you believe that God will only use holy people or consecrated items to fulfil His greater good. A powerful example of this is found in Isaiah 10:5-7, when God proclaimed His usage of an evil empire to bring judgment upon His chosen people:
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hands is My indignation, I send it against a godless nation and commission it against the people of My fury to capture booty and to seize plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. Yet it does not so intend, nor does it plan so in its heart, but rather it is its purpose to destroy and to cut off many nations.
God chastised His people as “a godless nation” while He named the Assyrian Empire, “the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hands is My indignation.” They were a tool in His hands to bring about His judgment against His people. This was a heartbreaking turn of events, as verse 15 explains how God used the Assyrians like a lumberjack would use an axe to fell a tree, “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.” God can use anything or anyone to do His will, so we need to listen for His truth and watch for His activity in our everyday lives.
Seize the moment and remain humble and alert to how God can use unlikely people to speak. 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:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Isaiah 9
The Dawn of a New Hope!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, December 25. Merry Christmas! Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Jesus Christ.
Christmas is a time of hope, expressed with bright lights piercing the darkness everywhere you go. In Isaiah 9:2-7, the Prince of Prophets foretold the coming of the Prince of Peace, the hope of humanity:
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. … For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
In Luke 2:8-14, seven hundred years later, hope came wrapped in swaddling clothes:
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Seize the moment and experience the dawn of a new hope – pass the peace of God to others today. Let us celebrate the arrival of the Prince of Peace. Merry Christmas!
God bless you!
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Advent 2023 (Wk 4)
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
26 “Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
27 Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
If you would like to see only the Time Machine lesson, click HERE.
If you would like to see the entire service, click HERE.
If you would like to see the evening Candlelight service, click HERE.
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Hymn: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Seize the Moment – Day 1376
Today’s song focus will be
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Isaiah 7:14 (NASB95)
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son,
and she will call His name Immanuel.”
Penned in 1744 by Charles Wesley, this hymn came about as he was inspired to write hymns that would prepare people’s hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. He wanted it to express the deep needs of humanity while also helping to renew faith in Christ’s coming. That is what makes this such a wonderful song to be part of the Advent Season celebration.
Come, thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in thee.
We need to wake up and continue to anticipate the coming of Christ. May it stir up an urgency to share your testimony of what God has done for you and how simple it is for others to have this precious gift of love, hope and joy. For only Jesus can
truly set you free!
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
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Isaiah 8
The Stone of Stumbling!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, December 22.
Is it difficult to accept that suffering and hardship can come from the hand of God to bring about His good purposes? Often, we create elaborate conspiracy theories to understand what can be explained by God’s Word: there is evil in the world, and it is often at work from within each of us. Therefore, God must work, first, within us, and second, through us, to eradicate evil and ease its effects upon creation. That is not a simple process, and one that often requires us to trust God during challenging circumstances. In Isaiah 8:11-14, God spoke to Israel to stop participating with evil and to start partnering with Him:
For thus the Lord spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary; but to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Throughout history, God’s people have had to learn that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Paul quoted Isaiah 8:14 in Romans 9:33 to emphasize how Jesus’ crucifixion was a stumbling block to the Jewish people, leading them to reject God’s love for them. Peter quoted it in 1 Peter 2:7-10, emphasizing the transformative power of faith, which causes us to become witnesses of God’s light when we walk faithfully through dark places.
Seize the moment and don’t stumble on God; instead, build your life upon the rock of Jesus (Matthew 7:24-27).
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.
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Isaiah 7
The Greatest Sign Ever Given!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, December 21.
The Christmas season is the most wonderful time of year! Interestingly, one of the most quoted prophecies of Christmas was given in a time of great despair and impending doom. In fact, the prophecy of “Immanuel” was given as a time marker of destruction – “within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people” (Isaiah 7:7-9). In Isaiah 7:14-16, after King Ahaz had been warned, he was given a sign, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. … For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.”
In a way only God can do, this prophecy had a double fulfillment – Immanuel was a sign of the coming judgment to Ephraim, the northern tribes of Israel, and for the redemption which would ultimately come through the Messiah. Every Christmas season, Christians celebrate Jesus Christ as the long-awaited Messiah of Israel who came as a baby, born of a virgin, as declared by the Gospel of Matthew 1:20-23:
Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’”
Seize the moment and embrace the wonder of Christmas; it is the most wonderful time of year because it declares the greatest sign ever given – Immanuel, God is with you!
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.
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Isaiah 6
A Personal Encounter with God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, December 20.
How can you claim to represent someone you have never met? As Christians, we are called “ambassadors for Christ,” so how can we claim such an important position if we have never met the One we say we are representing (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)? This is why Christianity emphasizes a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ; an encounter with God is a requirement to fulfill such a job title. This is deeply rooted in the prophetic tradition of Israel, starting with Abraham, exemplified in Moses, carried on by Isaiah, and passed on to the church though Jesus. Foundational to his legitimacy as a prophet of God was Isaiah’s personal encounter with God, described in Isaiah 6:1-8:
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” … Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Seize the moment and cry out to God for a personal encounter with Jesus. Once you have experienced the love of God, you will never be the same, as Jesus’ promised, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17).
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.
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Isaiah 5
The Vineyard of God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, December 19.
Jesus used agricultural imagery in his teaching because He, as a master teacher, was connecting with an agrarian audience. Jesus spoke of soil, the sowing of seeds, the reaping of harvests, an oxen yoke, and many other images of a working farm because the people intuitively understood them from their everyday lives. Moreso, in His parable of the tenants, told in Matthew 21:33-41, Jesus did more than connect to agricultural imagery, He referenced the Old Testament’s prophetic parable from Isaiah 5:1-7:
My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it and also hewed out a wine vat in it; then He expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only worthless ones. “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. … I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. ….” For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah His delightful plant.
Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies of a coming Messiah, so when He told His parable it carried the weight of God’s judgment of His vineyard. His original audience would have known this, then Jesus changed the parable’s emphasis from the destruction of Israel to a change in kingdom leadership, to those who would bring about the fruit God desired from His vineyard (Matthew 21:42-44). Jesus came as Israel’s forever King and He has given His church access to all the promises of Israel (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Seize the moment and abide in the vine of Jesus; accept His rightful rule and you will bear much fruit, but apart from Him you can do nothing (John 15:1-17).
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.
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Isaiah 4
The Branch of the Lord!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, December 18.
Have you ever lived in, or driven through, an area where the farmers burn their fields in preparation for the planting season? While it may feel like you are driving into a war zone, the reality is that the fire does not destroy the fields; instead, it prepares them by clearing the stubble from the land, killing the bacterial and fungal residues, and providing fertilizer for the crop. In the same way, God uses a refiner’s fire to prepare His people for even greater purposes. Isaiah 4:2-5 provides a prophetic snapshot of God’s glory in Israel’s judgment:
In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy – everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.
After the judgment of Jerusalem, a remnant would be preserved, and God’s glory will shine upon them and lead them. Israel is destined to be ruled by the Messiah, who is called, “the Branch of the LORD” in verse 2 (cf. Isaiah 11:1; 53:2; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; 6:12). Amazingly, from what appeared to be dead, life burst forth. This is a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Jesus Christ – beauty from the ashes (Isaiah 61:3).
Seize the moment and trust God for His greater purposes in your circumstances today!
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.
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Advent 2023 (Wk 3) The Christmas Word
To see the edited version, click HERE.
To see the original streamed version, click HERE.
To see the original program, click HERE.
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Hymn: Joy to the World
Seize the Moment – Day 1369
Today’s song focus will be
Joy to the World
Isaiah 9:6 (NASB95)
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaac Watts was one of the greatest hymn writers in church history. He originally wrote this hymn as a poem based on Psalm 98:4-9, adapting and interpreting the words to celebrate Jesus’ role as both king of His church and the whole world. The melody to which it is sung today was set to fragments composed by Watts & George Handel in England and pieced together by Lowell Mason & William Billings in America. And it is easy to remember how it starts because it is a simple scale played in descending order.
Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing! And heaven, and heaven and nature sing!
We need to wake up and share this good news of great joy! With all that is happening around us today, the world needs more joy! So share that gift with everyone you meet this holiday season…and beyond!
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 Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
Joy to the World
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Isaiah 3
Pray for Leaders!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, December 15.
We must pray for our leaders. A nation is judged according to its leadership and the decisions they make for justice and righteousness. In Isaiah 3:13-15, God denounces Israel’s leadership for acting corruptly, which led the people out of the way of Yahweh:
The Lord arises to contend, and stands to judge the people. The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people, “It is you who have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the face of the poor?” Declares the Lord God of hosts.
As you read Isaiah 3 today, you will see how the pride and haughtiness of the people followed in the ways of their leaders. Jesus defined the way of godly leaders in Matthew 20:25-28, because churches, communities, and countries rise and fall on leadership:
You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Pray for leaders to be humbled, walking in the way of Jesus, as Paul testified of his own ministry in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Seize the moment and pray for leaders at every level of influence in our culture and churches to live godly lifestyles and make wise decisions for God’s glory.
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.
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