Hymn: Hear our Praises
Seize the Moment – Day 1292
Today’s song focus will be
Hear our Praises
Rueben Morgan wrote this song in 1999 and was featured on Hillsong’s album Shout to the Lord 2000 as a declaration song of worship. And while it is an inspirational song to proclaim God’s praises everywhere, it also serves as a prayer of the Great Commission. With our homes and communities filled with Christ’s love, and the areas of suffering and injustice bowing to Jesus, then the whole world will declare in unity the glory of God.
From the mountains to the valleys,
Hear our praises rise to you,
From the heavens to the nations,
Hear our singing fill the air.
We need to wake up to the fact that according to I Corinthians 1, we are all called to agree together, perfectly united in mind with the message of Christ and not to be divided. This can only be accomplished when we seek Him first in everything we say and do.
phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Hear Our Praises
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Psalm 149
Sing and Dance to a New Song!
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Psalm 148
The Power of Words!
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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Psalm 147
The Intimacy of God’s Immensity!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 27.
There is a serene truth in today’s psalm, which points to the scope of God’s sovereign power and intimate knowledge. Psalm 147:3-4 demonstrates the intimacy of God’s immensity, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” God’s knowledge is cosmic in scope, yet He is intimately involved with the details of His people, caring for the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). He is not distant and aloof, like a clockmaker who designed his creation, set it in motion, then moved on to other projects.
As the Creator, God knows every detail of His design, sustaining it through His intimate knowledge of its intricacies. He involves Himself not only in the lives of His children, but also with the sustaining of the creation, which He designed to provide for our well-being. God cares for the nurturing of the Earth, and the feeding of the animals, for which the psalmist praises God in verses 8-9, “Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens which cry.”
God loves His creation like a loving parent who nurses her baby, then swaddles her tightly, holding the precious little bundle in her arms before laying it down to sleep. The baby does not concern itself with where the parent goes next, or what she does; rather, the baby only knows the parent loves and cares for it because she held her tightly and lovingly when it was crying out, giving the baby all that it needs to feel secure so that it can thrive.
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 147, meditating upon the intimacy of God’s immensity. Like a loving parent, God provides everything you need to feel secure so that you can thrive.
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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Psalm 146
Trust in Jesus!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, September 26.
There is a consistent message in the Psalms that we are not to worship anything, or anyone, other than God. Nations, and the leaders of nations, are fleeting and not worthy of our praise, as emphasized in Psalm 146:3-4, “Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” To further illustrate this point, the psalmist focuses the rest of the psalm on God, and how He is worthy of our praise in verses 5-10:
How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever; Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous; the Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, but He thwarts the way of the wicked. The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!
Don’t look for anyone other than God to put your trust in, or to establish your hope for the future – Jesus is your living hope, the anchor of your soul (1 Peter 1:3; Hebrews 6:19)! He will not fail you like politicians and preachers, sports stars and entertainers, influencers, and business leaders. Every human leader must go the way of all flesh, so put your trust in the God who reigns forever.
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 146, meditating upon the God of your salvation – Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of today’s psalm, and He is worthy of your praise! Take steps today to transfer your loyalties to Jesus, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
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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Psalm 145
The Power of Praise!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, September 25.
Today’s psalm is not only the last of the acrostic poems, but it’s also the last of David’s psalms. As you would imagine of the great King David, he seizes the moment with one last opportunity to praise God with all his heart, mind, body, and soul. He sets an example for all generations of what it looks like to be a person after God’s own heart. His intent was to both glorify God and teach the next generation how to live a faithful life of worship, as he wrote in Psalm 145:4, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” David invites you to follow his example in your own daily life of praise:
- Bless God’s Name! Praise God for His character and attributes. David describes in verses 8-9, “The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works.”
- Remember what God has done in the past! Praise God for his righteous works of creation and redemption. David teaches in verse 6, “Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness.”
- Testify to what God is doing! Tell your story as a proclamation of God’s goodness to keep His promises to us today and forevermore. David proclaims in verses 11-12, “They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power; to make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.”
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 145, meditating upon the power of praise – “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever” (2). As long as the day is called today, praise God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul.
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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Grow Strong in God’s Grace – Wk 24
Learning How to be a Faithful Farmer for God’s Harvest!
The Faith of an Overcomer!
Hebrews 11:32-40 (NASB)
God is in the business of transforming stories through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to grow strong in God’s grace as active participants in the world He created. God has entrusted His creation to His people to work as His Harvest workers – “All the world’s a field, and all the disciples of Jesus Christ merely farmers!” Therefore, let’s be faithful farmers by following the four-step strategy of a hard-working farmer: 1) cultivate people with faith; 2) sow the good seed of God’s grace (the gospel) into their hearts and minds; 3) care for them as their stories are transformed into fruit-bearing plants; and 4) reap a harvest of praise as the church of Jesus Christ. This strategy must be empowered by the Holy Spirit because apart from God we cannot bear any good fruit (John 15:5). Therefore, harvest workers of God’s kingdom are called to grow strong in God’s grace. Let’s take the first step by learning from the transforming stories of the Hall of Faith, found in Hebrews 11.
STEP #1 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: CULTIVATE THE SOIL WITH FAITH
Today’s story is about Jephthah, found in Hebrews 11:32-40:
And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
Jephthah’s story is found in Judges 11-12. What is it about this story that put Jephthah in the hall of faith? Let us pray and then we will look at the next action step to answer that question.
STEP #2 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: SOW THE GOOD SEED OF GOD’S GRACE
The first thing we learn about Jephthah is that he was a valiant warrior, but also that he was the son of his father Gilead’s visit with a prostitute (Judges 11:1). In fact, when I put into my internet search engine “son of harlot,” the first thing that comes up is “Jephthah the Gileadite.” People pay lots of money to be the top result in an internet search. Not Jephthah! He gets that honor free of charge. Jephthah’s name is synonymous with being the son of a prostitute.
How did Gilead’s wife and his legitimate children treat his illegitimate son? Hebrews 11:37-38 gives us the answer in its description of those people who experienced the triumph of faith, “ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy).” Judges 11:2-3 explains “ill-treated”:
Gilead’s wife bore him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows gathered themselves about Jephthah, and they went out with him.
He was ostracized; treated like an outcast! How did Jephthah overcome such prejudice and stereotyping to become a judge of Israel? The answer to this question is part of the reason Jephthah is listed in Hebrews 11; his story is a triumph of faith, teaching us the faith of an overcomer. Circumstances beyond his control forced Jephthah to live the life of an outcast.
Have you seen people like outcasts? Have you ever been ostracized by a group? Have we as a church done this? Are we doing it currently? How much damage has our prejudice and stereotyping done to the witness of the church? How much potential has not been developed by congregations because of who someone’s parents were, or the challenges of a person’s childhood that caused them to walk a road that shaped them, inside and out? I invite you to look around you right now and see if there are potential Jephthahs being limited (or worse, being kept out) due to factors beyond their control?
I want to introduce you to my friend, Joshua. He was a member of my Thursday morning discipleship group at the New Castle Correctional Facility, where I took fifteen men through my first discipleship book, Live Like a Champion Today. Joshua was released last month, but he continues to in his discipleship with me, being a part of over forty men who have accepted the New Testament Reading Challenge, reading the New Testament in 90 days. This man is my brother in Christ, a fellow member of the Body of Christ, and God has a plan for life. I am excited that he is here today to share his transforming story of faith.
[Joshua to share testimony and special song.]
Neither Joshua, Jephthah, nor Jerry are the heroes of our own stories! There is only one hero of the faith, and His name is Jesus! If you want to have a story that demonstrates the triumph of faith, you must keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, learning how to walk with Him each day, in His easy yoke, not making promises for the future after your own victory has been won, but obeying Him today, trusting His victory for your situation! You can live with the faith of an overcomer by obeying today. Let’s take the next step to learn how to do this.
STEP #3 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: CARE FOR THE MATURING PLANT
Jephthah had the reputation as a “valiant warrior,” and when the Ammonites oppressed the Israelites, the people needed a military leader, and none could be found, so the elders of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back home and lead them to victory. Judges 11:7-11 captures his response and what happens next:
Then Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?” The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “For this reason we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight with the sons of Ammon and become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the Lord gives them up to me, will I become your head?” The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord is witness between us; surely we will do as you have said.” Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.
Interestingly, in verse 11, we see that Jephthah sealed this with a covenant by bringing all his words before the Lord as Mizpah. This was no longer a contract between men, this was a covenant with God as a witness. Jephthah was all in, and in doing so, he led Israel to victory. We must remember though, it wasn’t Jephthah alone, it was God with him, as verse 29 emphasizes, just like we saw in the Samson story, “Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon.” [Emphasis added]
Jephthah stepped into the opportunity that was presented to him. Despite his ostracism, living in Tob, an Aramean city, he responded to the invitation of God to use what he had been given by God for the good of God’s people. Unfortunately, as we learn from the rest of his story, he was not a good father (Judges 11:30-40[1]), nor a skillful diplomat (Judges 12:1-6). The one thing he could righteously offer to God, he used for His glory – he was a break-glass-only-in-the-event-of-war kind of guy. As I wrote in my Seize the Moment devotion on Judges 11:
Jephthah reminds me of Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway, Clint Eastwood’s character from Heartbreak Ridge, a grizzled old medal of honor recipient who, when finishing his last years in the Marine Corps, had to go to war one last time. His commander critiqued that people like him should be behind glass displays that say, “Break glass only in the event of war!”[2]
You may not understand why God made you the way you are, or why certain events have happened in your life, but you can bet that God has good works for you to do with your life (Ephesians 2:10). God is not interested in your promises for one day in the future; He desires obedience today! Are you willing to respond to the invitation of God, even if you have been misjudged previously, or treated unfairly because of people’s prejudices? Are you allowing your past to hold you back from being obedient to God today?
You are being invited today to trust God with every part of your story. Let’s turn to the last action step – God desires for you to reap a harvest of praise to His glory.
STEP #4 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: REAP A HARVEST OF PRAISE
Jephthah led Israel to victory – He was an overcomer! We learn at the end of his story, recorded in Judges 12:7a, “Jephthah judged Israel six years.” He fulfilled the purpose for which God created him and called him. He had the faith of an overcomer!
Are you an overcomer? Are you walking in the victory of Jesus Christ? Paul taught in Romans 8:37-39:
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The life of an overcomer is a life that reaps a harvest of praise to the glory of God. It’s not a perfect life though; it’s a life filled with grace. The grace of God, which empowers us to keep going and not bail before the blessing. Jephthah did not do it perfectly, nor will I, or you, or Joshua, or any of us. We will make mistakes and those mistakes will have real consequences, but we should not allow those to stop us from reaping a harvest of praise in our lives, and through the lives of others. Jephthah went from outcast to overcomer, and from his story we have learned how to walk in the faith of an overcomer.
Do you really think you are going to get back at the world for being unfair, or get satisfaction out of a life filled with the pursuit of vengeance. Both are waste of your energy and will not lead to a life that reaps a harvest of praise to God’s glory! Jephthah did not seek vengeance against his people; rather, he obeyed God and was filled with the Spirit to answer God’s call through them. That’s the faith of an overcomer! In Romans 12:17-21, Paul commands us to do the same:
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] I’m not going to go into in this manuscript, but Jephthah’s rash vow, described in Judges 11:30-40, is NOT why he was listed in Hebrews 11. It breaks my heart to think that has been and continues to be taught by teachers. Men like Gideon, Samson, and Jephthah, each of which are found in Hebrews 11, offer students a challenge. We must discern what it is we are to emulate as a triumph of faith, and what is just of man, excess not to be emulated.
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Hymn: What a Beautiful Name
Seize the Moment – Day 1285
Today’s song focus will be
What a Beautiful Name
Colossians 1:15 (NASB95)
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
Brooke Fraser Ligertwood had been writing songs before she was even a teenager. She came to the Lord at the age of 15 in her home country of New Zealand. She later moved to Sydney, Australia where she joined Hillsong Worship, helping to write songs like ‘Desert Song’, ‘Hosanna’, and ‘None but Jesus’. In 2015, she co-wrote “What a Beautiful Name” with Ben Fielding, which went on to receive a Grammy award. She said they wanted to create a song that brought a balance of sound theology and personal lyrics of what that means for the individual worshipper.
What a beautiful Name it is.
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King.
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this.
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
We need to wake up each morning declaring our worship to the One who gave everything for us so that we could have the abundant life that can only be found in Him.
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:
What a Beautiful Name
Verse 1
You were the Word at the beginning
One with God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation
Now revealed in You our Christ
Chorus 1
What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Verse 2
You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus You brought heaven down
My sin was great Your love was greater
What could separate us now
Chorus 2
What a wonderful Name it is
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Bridge
Death could not hold You
The veil tore before You
You silence the boast of sin and grave
The heavens are roaring
The praise of Your glory
For You are raised to life again
You have no rival
You have no equal
Now and forever God You reign
Yours is the kingdom
Yours is the glory
Yours is the Name above all names
Chorus 3
What a powerful Name it is
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is
Nothing can stand against
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Tags
What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
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Psalm 144
Relationship with God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, September 22.
Religion is man’s efforts to know God, whereas Christianity is God’s effort to be in relationship with humanity. God didn’t send His Son into the world to form a new world religion, to be one way amongst many ways for man to know God; rather, Jesus Christ came into the world to give us His relationship with the Father, as He said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
You are invited to relate to God through His Word and in prayer, to experience Him and to know Him in a personal way. David related to God in an intimate way, as described in Psalm 144:2, “My lovingkindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.” You feel David’s intimacy with God in how He talks to Him in prayer – my lovingkindness, my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, and He in whom I take refuge. David’s words emphasize to us the invitation to know God personally.
A beautiful illustration of this movement from religion to relationship is when Jesus, after His resurrection, personally approached Thomas who was struggling with doubt and fear. In John 20:27-28, Jesus invited Thomas, “‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” It was at this moment of personal intimacy that Thomas publicly confessed Jesus in front of the other disciples, “My Lord and my God!”
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 144, meditating upon the privilege of knowing God through an intimate relationship with Jesus. As David proclaimed in verse 15, “How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!”
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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Psalm 143
Victory in Jesus!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, September 21.
Most of us don’t have a person in our lives who is actively trying to destroy us. We watch movies and read books where someone is being pursued by enemies, but that isn’t our daily reality. David experienced real-life enemies and wrote about it in Psalm 143:3-4, describing his feelings, “For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart is appalled within me.”
David felt oppressed – crushed, persecuted, overwhelmed, and appalled. While we may not have a person in our lives who is trying to destroy us, we do have an enemy of our souls trying to oppress us. Jesus described our enemy as a thief, revealing to us his true motivations – “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10a). Furthermore, Peter explained, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
There is a way of victory over the enemy of your soul! Peter exhorts you to be on the alert and to resist him through your faith. Jesus promised that He is the way of victory, giving you His abundant life through your faith (John 10:10b; 1 John 5:4). In Psalm 143:8, David demonstrated the way of victory, saying “Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You; teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul.” With every sunrise, follow the wisdom of James 4:7, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” The victory is yours, so rest in the easy yoke of Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30).
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 143, meditating upon the victory of God over your adversaries! Never forget, you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37).
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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Psalm 142
Escape from Soul Prison!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 20.
When we lived in California, we went to visit Alcatraz, a notorious prison located on a small island over a mile off the shore of San Francisco. The prison’s notoriety was increased by the famous retelling of the 1962 escape attempt in Clint Eastwood’s 1979 movie, Escape from Alcatraz. The prisoners’ isolation on the island, plus the strictly enforced policies of silence and solitude, brought upon the men a profound loneliness.
Loneliness is a condition of the soul, often brought on by our circumstances. David experienced this when he felt abandoned by his companions, hiding alone in a cave from King Saul’s pursuit, as described in Psalm 142:4-7a:
Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul. I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to Your name.”
David described loneliness as his soul being in prison. This is a powerful image of loneliness; there is a strong urge within every person to break free from soul prison, just as people throughout history have sought to escape physical prisons, like Alcatraz. People will do anything to experience relief from their loneliness, but there is a way that has been made for you to be set free – Jesus has opened the cell door of your soul to God’s eternal presence.
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 142, meditating upon the promise of Jesus Christ – “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). How are you cultivating an awareness of the presence of God in your life 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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Psalm 141
The Importance of Evening Prayers!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, September 19.
“There was evening and there was morning, one day.” Did you notice the rhythm of the refrain from the six days of creation? If I expect to rise early to spend time with the Lord, of first importance to my day, then I need to make God my priority in the evening. My day doesn’t begin with how I wake up, but with how I go to bed. Psalm 141 invites you into the rhythm of offering God an evening prayer, as David said in verses 2-4:
May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.
David was comparing his prayers to the work of a priest, who was the only authorized person allowed to burn incense in worship. Therefore, around this priority of offering his evening prayers to God, David petitioned God to help him live every aspect of his life as holy unto the Lord – in his speech, the inclinations of his heart, the company he kept, and the activities he participated. The implication for us today, as a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), is that our very prayers, rightly offered to God in the name of Jesus, are burning incense unto the Lord (Revelation 8:3-4); therefore, we must live every aspect of our lives holy unto the Lord (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:5).
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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Psalm 140
Preserve Me from Violent Men!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, September 18.
There are violent people, driven by evil desires, willing to do whatever to whomever to achieve their ends. How are we to go about our daily lives with such people in the world? Above all, we can’t live in fear of them! In 2001, I was a Captain in the US Army, on orders to Fort Carson, Colorado when the terrorist attacks of 9/11 happened. I was supposed to travel home that day, but it took days before flights resumed because evil had shut down our nation. A week later, President Bush announced to Congress the War on Terrorism.
Whenever you are anxious for the future or worried about tomorrow, take your emotions as an invitation from the Holy Spirit to petition God for His peace to protect you, as Paul said, “to guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). God wants you to trust Him in every circumstance of life, whether in times of peace or war. In Psalm 140, David was opposed by violent men, and the first action step in his plan was to petition God for divine help:
- Verse 1, “Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men…”
- Verse 4, “Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men who have purposed to trip up my feet.”
In both instances, David asked God to preserve his life when violent man came up against him. He did not take matters into his own hands; rather, David turned to God for protection. Just as Paul taught in Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” In seeking to defeat evil, don’t become like it. Train yourself to respond in faith!
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 140, meditating upon Jesus’ promise to give you His peace – “Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27).
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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Missionary: Jim White
Faith (And what it takes to live in Faith)
You can watch the message by clicking HERE.
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Hymn: As The Deer
Seize the Moment – Day 1278
Today’s song focus will be
As The Deer
Psalm 42:1 (NASB95)
“As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
Written in 1981 while attending a summer session at Christ for the Nations
Institute in Dallas, TX, Marty Nystrom was on a quest to recover his joy. He had
been active in ministry while also teaching, but something was missing. His
roommate suggested that he go on a fast to help him recover his joy. So Marty
took the challenge and on the nineteenth day of his fast, he found himself sitting
at a piano, playing some chord progressions when he looked over and saw a
Bible on a music stand that was opened to Psalm 42. After reading through the
passage, he began to sing its message. The song was finished in a matter of
minutes:
As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my hearts desire and I long to worship Thee.
We need to wake up and renew our hunger and thirst for more of God. It is not
something that anyone else can do for you. Just like you can lead a horse to water,
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:
As The Deer
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Psalm 139
Search Me and Know Me!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, September 15.
The first time I had my neck adjusted by a doctor, I was a cadet at West Point. I was miserable from congestion, and upon examining me, the doctor adjusted me, bringing everything into proper alignment. I didn’t know what to expect, but I immediately felt better as a significant amount of pressure was released. God, our Mighty Physician, does the same thing for us through His Word when we come to Him in prayer. Psalm 139 is a prayer of examen, inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the truth of what God already knows about us. You can hear the call of the Spirit from beginning to end in today’s psalm, starting in verses 1-4 and ending in verses 23-24:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. … Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
I encourage you to start a daily practice of praying Psalm 139 in the evening, inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal the truths of your attitudes, relationships, and decisions, seeking to know the motives of why you did what you did throughout the day. Don’t be deceived, the hardest form of deception to root out is self-deception. Ask God to align you to His good, acceptable, and perfect will for your life today (ref. Romans 12:1-2).
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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Psalm 138
The Promise of Completion!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, September 14.
When I was young, I used to enjoy the adrenaline of a good roller coaster ride. Not anymore, now I prefer the rest found in floating down a lazy river. I’m content to sit in my innertube, letting the current take me to my destination. I see too many people who are on a roller coaster ride with God, not knowing where they stand with Him on any given day because they experience God’s love based on their performance. Honestly, they don’t look like they are enjoying a single moment of it. It doesn’t have to be that way when your relationship with God is grace-based, focused on His promises and where He is taking you in life. Psalm 138 teaches us one of my favorite promises of God – the promise of completion, found in verses 7-8:
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of Your hands.
God is going to get you to the finish line of your faith! This promise is found in Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Your relationship with God was bestowed upon you by God. It wasn’t your idea, and you didn’t initiate it! Your walk with God is not a religion you must maintain, but a relationship you get to have because He has chosen you to be part of His family. There is a world of difference between the two – religion and relationship, so choose wisely!
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 138, meditating upon the relationship God has bestowed upon you (John 15:16; 1 John 3:1). Find rest for your soul, trusting God to get you Home (John 14:1-6).
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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Psalm 137
Pray Real-Life Prayers!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 13. Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Vinny Slover.
The psalms teach the faithful how to handle their real-life emotions. Psalm 137 captures the profound pain of Israel during Babylonian exile, starting in verses 1-4:
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
What trauma and anguish it must cause to have witnessed your nation destroyed, with cities razed to the ground by your captors, and people murdered by your tormentors? What a horrific existence to then be demanded by those same people to sit by the edge of their home rivers, providing entertainment for them with the songs of your former happiness while all those memories stream on the big screen of your mind. Let us not judge the psalmist for the rage found in today’s psalm.
By the end of today’s heartbreaking psalm, as described in verses 8-9, the psalmist’s rage has crashed against his captors, like a tsunami plummeting down upon a coastal village, “O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, how blessed will be the one who repays you with the recompense with which you have repaid us. How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock.” It is painful to read these final words, experiencing the raw pain of the exiled. My heart breaks! I am appalled! I weep for the suffering of the abused throughout the world and cry out, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13). Where are any of us to go with such real-life emotions?
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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Psalm 136
The Rhythm of Praise and Thanksgiving!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, September 12.
The greatest antidote to so many of life’s struggles is giving thanks – the spiritual discipline of counting your blessings. There is something liberating about an attitude of gratitude. Your perspective is elevated when you praise God and intentionally think about all the ways God is good. Paul commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” That’s a clear focus to live by! Psalm 136:1-4 introduces you to a twenty-six-verse template for the daily practice of counting your blessings:
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Every verse after this introduction combines a specific thanksgiving with the refrain of praise, “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” As you meditate upon today’s psalm, may you experience the powerful rhythm of praise and thanksgiving, liberating your soul from worry, and focusing your mind on the goodness of God. I encourage you to count your blessings every day by rewriting Psalm 136, letting this be your custom-made song of praise and thanksgiving to God for what He has done in your life. Most of the work is already done for you as you will keep the refrain the same, as well as the introduction verses. Prioritize time today to tell God how thankful you are for what He has done for you specifically. There is power in praising God and giving thanks!
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 136, meditating upon the everlasting love of the Lord. Focus on God and all that He has done, and He will elevate your perspective no matter what you are facing 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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Psalm 135
The Everlasting Name!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, September 11.
There is power in a name! People love to hear their name spoken. If you want to get someone’s attention, use their name. Yelling random names across the room may draw people’s attention to you, but it most likely won’t get the attention of the person you are trying to communicate with. If you want to be in a relationship with someone, you need to learn their name. Names matter to God, and names should matter to us! Psalm 135 emphasizes the Old Testament’s usage of the everlasting name of God. Three times, the psalmist states:
- Verse 1a, “Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord.”
- Verse 3b, “Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.”
- Verse 13, “Your name, O Lord, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O Lord, throughout all generations.”
The name of God captures His character and personal identity, proclaiming His existence. God revealed His everlasting name to Moses at the Burning Bush, establishing a personal relationship with him (Exodus 3:14); hence, Moses became known as the “friend of God” (Exodus 33:11). While God was given many names in the Old Testament, He has revealed to us the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). In fact, the everlasting name of God was “bestowed on” Jesus for this very purpose (Philippians 2:9). Jesus took on the everlasting name of God, by which He saves us, as He prayed in John 17:11-12, “Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me.”
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 135, meditating upon Jesus Christ, “the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9-10). Cry out to God using His everlasting name, for Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:6). There is power in the name!
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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Ed Bell’s Testimony Sept 10, 2023
Ed Bell, Husband, Father, Farmer and Speaker.
Little things make a big impact!
Deb and I were dating and thinking about getting serious. She had a former boyfriend who couldn’t take no for an answer. Deb was a nurse and had moved into an apartment. She invited me over to see it.
My life was changed forever on Sept 5, 1982.
Her boyfriend shot at the apartment and drove off. The police came and told us to stay put. I had driven the farm truck that weekend and I had a 22 rifle and took it into the apartment. Her boyfriend came back and broke all the windows out of the truck. He climbed up to her balcony.
Deb hid in the closet and dialed 911. He kicked at the sliding glass door. He had a trench knife and a large pistol. He dropped the knife as he kicked. The door latch broke and he came in. He said, “Kill me, Ed.” Ed had his rifle and knew he had the right to kill him. Ed wouldn’t kill him. He grabbed Ed’s rifle and Ed heard a “boom”.
They continued to struggle. Ed shot him in the leg and it made him angrier. Ed fell over and he shot Ed point blank while he lay on the floor. Ed tried to shoot him but the rifle jammed. He shot Ed again and hit him in the collar shattering vertebrae paralyzing him. It was a 44 special hollow point. The blood was pouring out of his body (he lost half of his blood supply) and Ed could hear it hitting the floor.
He was passing out and could hardly breath. He was sure he was going to die. He could only think of all of his dreams. He feared for his parents’ reaction. He even wondered if his science teacher was right – there is nothing after death. But he said “NO!, I believe in Jesus”. His sins passed before his eyes. “No, I believe in Jesus! I’ve got nothing but Jesus!” I remembered the song, Jesus Loves Me. The blood stopped!
He had to learn to do things all over again.
God has called Ed to till the soil and cultivate people whenever he gets the chance.
Ed took the chance to challenge us…
Romans 15:28-29
Matthew 16:24-26
Galatians 2:20
Isaiah 57:11-13
“Get planted where you are, grow, make fruit. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind – and tell the world.
It’s that simple. Do it now. Repentance isn’t you crying. It’s you changing.
You can watch the message by clicking HERE.
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Hymn: Rock of Ages
Seize the Moment – Day 1271
Today’s song focus will be
Rock of Ages
Psalm 62:1-2 (NASB95)
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”
In 1740, Augustus Toplady was the pastor in Somerset England, traveling along a road near Burrington Combe when an intense storm broke out. The rugged cliffs on one side and a deep gorge on the other, forced him to dash into a cave
for shelter. The words for the hymn began to form in his mind as he thought of the shelter being found in the rock of faith and it giving protection from the storms of life.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee
We need to wake up and acknowledge the words of this hymn! It is a solid testimony of the powerful sacrifice of Christ who is not only our Savior, but He is our source of protection and encouragement.
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.
Rock of Ages
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Psalm 134
The Perspective of the Stars!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, September 8.
God has a sense of humor because I’m writing today’s devotion at one in the morning. Not because of any deadline, but because I couldn’t sleep. In response to my sleeplessness, I went outside to look at the stars. The night sky brought me into a place of wonder and worship of God, so I opened my Bible to Psalm 134, which declares, “Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord, who serve by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.”
Looking at the stars never fails to recenter me on God, especially when I’m sleepless. As David expressed in Psalm 8:3-4, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” Whatever worry you may have had, it comes into perspective when you look to the stars and allow God to remind you of His sovereignty and immensity. When you can’t sleep, what do you do? Do you toss and turn, stare at the clock, and let your mind wander? Or do you focus your mind on the opportunity to pray, open the Scriptures, and worship God with the unique opportunities of the night?
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 134, meditating upon the beauty of a star-filled night sky and how it captures your attention, takes your breath away, and changes your perspective. Take time to marvel at the mysteries of God’s creation, proclaiming God’s handiwork by the way you shine His light to others in your everyday life – night and day. While you may never “serve by night in the house of the Lord,” you are called to be like those stars, which “appear as light in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15).
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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Psalm 133
The Unity of Shared Purpose!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, September 7.
There is something powerful that happens when people go on a mission trip or a pilgrimage journey together – they unite as a family (or team). When people spend focused time together, they tend to unify around their shared experiences. Psalm 133 captures the purposeful unity of those who pilgrimage together to experience communion with God:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forever.
The fulfillment of today’s psalm is one of Jesus’ purposes for coming – to birth His church and build it through people, in the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4), as He prayed to the Father in John 17:20-23:
I do not ask on behalf of these [the original disciples] alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 133, meditating upon Jesus’ prayer for the unity of His church. What is causing division in your local assembly of believers? What steps can you take today to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:13)?
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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Psalm 132
A Whole-Body Focus on God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 6.
As part of my sabbatical in 2019, I took a week-long backcountry hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was beautiful as I walked across Fontana Dam, hiked the creek trails to connect with the Appalachian Trail, then ascended to its highest point of elevation – Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet. It was with this goal in my mind that I trekked through many arduous miles over three exhilarating days – the ascent had a breathtaking goal! The same is true for the pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem and Mount Zion. They sought the pinnacle of God’s presence on Earth, the place of His habitation, and the footstool of His throne, as Psalm 132:13-16 describes:
For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. “This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread. Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
Imagine joining me on one of my multi-day backcountry hikes into the beauty of God’s creation, focusing your mind, heart, body, and soul on not only the restorative power of the journey itself, but also anticipating the breathtaking views that awaited at the destination. Now, more importantly, put yourself in the shoes of these ancient pilgrims as they sang these words of the Songs of Ascents on their long journey to Jerusalem, ascending to the Temple Mount on Zion. Consider the transformative power of such a whole-body focus on this one purpose – to experience God’s presence!
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 132, meditating upon the privilege of having the presence of God (Matthew 1:23; 18:20; 28:20). Invest time today to go for a walk with the Lord, focusing your mind, heart, body, and soul on Christ alone.
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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