Pursue Prosperity of the Soul!

God bless you!

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Break the Cycle of Devastation!

God bless you!

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Repent without Regret!

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Hālakh with the Lord

Hosea 6

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, August 17. Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Mason Tomboni.

In His compassion and mercy, God unrelentingly calls Israel to return to Him, so that they may be healed and redeemed back to their birthright. With destruction imminent at the hands of Assyria, “the rod of [God’s] anger” (Isaiah 10:5), the prophet called the people back to covenant faithfulness, inviting them to hālakh with the Lord in Hosea 6:1, “Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.” [emphasis added] To hālakh with the Lord is to answer the call to discipleship – to become like Him and to take on His ways. This happens by being with Him, as Paul expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

To hālakh with God is to be redeemed back to what He intended from the beginning, to be His image bearers, stewards of His creation (Genesis 1:26-27). Israel was being called back to their birthright, but they had to be reminded of God’s relational design for them, so God told them in Hosea 6:6-7, “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; there they have dealt treacherously against Me.” From the first human, Adam, God has desired intimacy with His creation, a personal relationship that would transform humanity into the image of the Creator. This is why Christ came – to redeem us back as God’s image bearers through a relationship that changes us from the inside-out!

Seize the moment and hālakh with the Lord. Jesus invites you, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). [emphasis added]

God bless you!

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Ask God for Help!

Hosea 5

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

Have you ever been stuck between a rock and a hard place? What are you to do, and to whom are you to turn, when you find yourself in a seemingly impossible situation? With the Assyrian Empire as the dominate regional power, Israel found itself in such a desperate situation. The nation was divided between the northern ten tribes (Ephraim) and the southern two tribes (Judah), and the hopes of them working together, even for an expedient military alliance, were nonexistent. Worse than their unwillingness to unite, was their stubborn refusal to turn to God for divine aid, forsaking the God who promised to protect them, selling themselves into the false security of foreign powers and playing the harlot with their gods (Hosea 5:3-4).

In the historical context of the Syro-Ephramite War with Tiglath-pileser III (745-727 BC), the leaders of Israel no longer followed God’s law, but the foreign policies of man, which dictated that they pay a hefty financial tribute to Assyria as a vassal state (2 Kings 15:19-20; Isaiah 7:1-9). The Lord declared His judgment for their apostasy in Hosea 5:11-13:

Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to follow man’s command. Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim and like rottenness to the house of Judah. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb. But he is unable to heal you, or to cure you of your wound.

When stuck between a rock and a hard place, Israel rejected God. They sought their own solution, trusting in man. Like rot in a tree, their rejection of God sealed their judgment, as God gave them over to those in whom they had misplaced their hope.

Seize the moment and ask God for help when you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Put your hope in God, trusting Him to make a way!

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Gain the Knowledge of God!

Hosea 4

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, August 15.

The prophetic work of Hosea transitions from the symbolic enactment of God’s covenant relationship with Israel through Hosea’s scandalous marriage to Gomer (chapters 1-3), to a collection of prophecies that articulate the message behind Hosea’s actions (chapters 4-14). Hosea 4:1-6 begins this second section with the legal language of a court case between God and Israel:

Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes … My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. [emphasis added]

The prophet employs the familiar “because-therefore” language of a legal indictment, accusing Israel of a general lack of faithfulness, kindness, and knowledge of God, which led to the specific violations of breaking the Ten Commandments: swearing (3^rd), deception (9^th), murder (6^th), stealing (8^th), and adultery (7^th). In verses 11-12, he went on to describe their harlotry against God, to include idolatry, adding the 1^st and 2^nd  commandments to their violations. The consequences of their flagrant law violations have already been bloodshed and languishing, the opposite of what God intended for His people in the Promised Land – the land of rest, flowing with milk and honey. God made a legal case against Israel (Ephraim) for His coming judgment, describing them as a “stubborn heifer” that refused to be shepherded like a gentle lamb (Hosea 4:16).

Seize the moment and gain the knowledge of God – “If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:4-5).

God bless you!

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Find your Worth in your Redemption!

Hosea 3

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

We know the value of something by how much someone is willing to pay for it. In Hosea 3:1-2, the prophet responded to the Lord’s command, “‘Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.’ So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley.” Hosea was commanded to redeem Gomer, buying her out of slavery and restoring her as his wife. Because of Gomer’s unfaithful and licentious lifestyle, she found herself indebted and enslaved. Her redemption price was steep, as Hosea had to pay the full compensation price for a lost slave, which was thirty shekels of silver (Exodus 21:32). Hosea paid with what cash he had on hand, covering the rest with goods in-kind.

Thirty shekels of silver should ring some bells for you; it was the amount the Pharisees paid Judas to betray Jesus to them (Matthew 26:15). For thirty shekels of silver, Jesus was betrayed into the hands of sinners, but what was the price of redeeming you back from your unfaithful and licentious lifestyle? By the mercy of God, through Jesus’ shed blood, we are redeemed from our sins! Paul explained in Ephesians 1:7-8a, “In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.” You, like Gomer, have been bought at a price; redeemed out of slavery and restored into a relationship with God. Therefore, heed Hosea’s instructions to Gomer in Hosea 3:3, “You shall stay with me.” Abide with Jesus, the One who redeemed you at such an extravagant price.

Seize the moment and find your worth in what God was willing to pay for your freedom.

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Restoration Brings Blessings!

Hosea 2

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

It is God’s character which brings about the restoration of the covenant. His character was showcased in Hosea 2:19-20, “I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.” There are five divine attributes listed in this betrothal promise: 1. Righteousness, 2. Justice, 3. Lovingkindness, 4. Compassion, and 5. Faithfulness. These attributes are how God relates to His creation (Exodus 34:6; Psalms 33:5; 86:15; 89:14; and Jeremiah 9:24). God gives Himself in accordance with the integrity of His character, restoring people back to His covenant and bestowing blessing upon the rightful heirs of His covenant. This Great Reversal was witnessed as a play on words with the names of the three children of Hosea and Gomer in Hosea 2:21-23:

“It will come about in that day that I will respond,” declares the Lord. “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth, and the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine and to the oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion [Lo-ruhamah], and I will say to those who were not My people [Lo-ammi], ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’”

God pledged Himself to Israel, the wayward bride, so that His children could know Him personally. Intimacy comes through repentance, and repentance is only possible because God consistently manifests His divine attributes in relationship with His people.

Seize the moment and respond to the character of God – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Restoration with God brings blessings to relationships!

God bless you!

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Your Personal Life Matters!

Hosea 1

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

Hosea’s personal life took on prophetic meaning during the dark days of Isaiah the prophet and the Assyrian Empire’s destruction of the northern ten tribes of Israel. In the Bible, idolatry is compared to adultery, so Hosea’s entire life became the message of God’s faithfulness to His unfaithful bride, Israel. God commanded His prophet in Hosea 1:2-3, “When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.’ So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.”

Expanding the prophetic imagery, their three children took on symbolic names, capturing the message of God’s judgment against Israel’s flagrant harlotry:

While God was naming the children of Hosea to forecast His judgment of Israel, He was simultaneously prophesying the coming of Immanuel in Isaiah 8-9. God would bring His salvation to all humanity through the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ. This was the historical context to the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, and Amos, and it’s the historical backdrop of the naming of Jesus as the Immanuel, “God with us.”

Seize the moment and proclaim the faithfulness of God in your personal life. Even when current events are dark, your life is intended to shine the coming of Immanuel (Matthew 5:14-16).

God bless you!

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Persevere to the End!

Daniel 12

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

The call to Christian discipleship comes with the promise of fulfillment (Philippians 1:6). Jesus promised in Mark 1:17, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” The Spirit will work in you as you learn how to live for Jesus (Philippians 2:12-13). God is at work in His creation to bring it to completion, and we are invited to walk side-by-side with Him, abiding in Him, trusting Him for His promises, persevering to the end. We find this language in Daniel 12:13, as the final promise of Daniel’s prophetic work was given to him personally, “But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”

While the timeline of Daniel is difficult to comprehend, and there are different interpretations based on whether you believe there is a historical or eschatological fulfillment to the number of days given in the apocalyptic prophecies, the overarching promise is that the elect of God can persevere through the dark days ahead with hope. Daniel was given a hard message to share, but he was given this final command, “But as for you, go your way to the end.” In the same way, Peter was given a hard message to bear, but Jesus told him at the end, “What is that to you? You follow Me!” (John 21:22). You aren’t to get distracted by what must come at the end, or by the timeline of the fulfillment. Instead, you are invited to follow Jesus, and He will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30).

Seize the moment and remain faithful to God, trusting Jesus and His promises, such as John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Persevere to the end!

God bless you!

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Trust the Bible!

God bless you!

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The Second Named Angel

Daniel 10

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, August 8.

Do you remember the names of the two angels who are named in the Bible? They are Gabriel and Michael; both of which are named in the apocalyptic section of Daniel. We have already met Gabriel in Daniel 8, and today we meet Michael, first introduced by name in Daniel 10:12-13:

Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.”

The angel speaking is unnamed, though some interpreters believe it to be Gabriel revisiting Daniel after Cyrus, the king of Persia, had sent out the edict of Ezra 1:1-4, which released the Hebrew captives to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy of seventy years as previously discussed in Daniel 9). Daniel, who may have been retired from active civil service at this time (Daniel 1:21), possibly being too old to travel, remained in Babylon, interceding on behalf of his people as they began the return to Jerusalem. The enemy opposed the return to Jerusalem, and Michael, the angelic prince of Israel (Daniel 10:21), was called upon to clear the way for God’s elect to prevail, just as he will do again according to Revelation 12:7.

Seize the moment and persevere in prayer because there are forces at work greater than you can see – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

God bless you!

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Rooted in History!

Daniel 9

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

The prophetic books are rooted in the history of Israel. The prophet Daniel, who was serving in the royal court of Darius the Mede, was reading the prophetic work of Jeremiah, which was written in Jerusalem, when he found the prophecy that God’s people would be released from exile after seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10-14). Daniel 9:3-19 records the prophet’s plea to God after discovering the prophecy of Jeremiah:

So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. … O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Daniel responded to this prophecy by praying according to God’s promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14, “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” God responded to Daniel’s humble plea, sending the angel Gabriel to encourage him personally in Daniel 9:23, “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.”

Seize the moment and pray according to God’s Word, and God will respond to you. He doesn’t need to send an angel to you because He has already given you the Comforter, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

God bless you!

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The First Named Angel

Daniel 8

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

Do you know the names of the two angels who are named in the Bible? They are Gabriel and Michael; both of which are named in the apocalyptic section of Daniel. Gabriel was first introduced by name in Daniel 8:15-17:

When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.”

While Gabriel continued to play a key role in Daniel’s ministry, he was also chosen to be God’s messenger to uniquely speak to Joseph and Mary in Luke 1:19 and 26-27, respectively:

The angel answered and said to [Joseph], “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”… Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

It may be easier to understand the pronouncements of Jesus’ miraculous birth then it is to comprehend Daniel’s prophecies of the end times, but both were authorized communications by God, through Gabriel, to foretell the way forward in the depths of dark times, giving God’s people hope during great suffering.

Seize the moment and walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), because “[God’s] word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

God bless you!

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Rest in God’s Ultimate Revelation!

Daniel 7

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

Daniel’s book transitions in genre, from historical accounts to apocalyptic visions, but you don’t need to let confusion or frustration rule over your heart and mind as you seek to understand them. The same God who gave Daniel the interpretations of Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams, will reveal to you a right understanding of His visions. The following verses, from Daniel 7, establish the main point of what God wants to reveal to His faithful people throughout time:

Seize the moment and rest in the ultimate revelation of Daniel’s apocalyptic visions: God is sovereign, and nothing can thwart His victory! Earthly empires may have their day, but the Kingdom of Heaven is everlasting!

God bless you!

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The Great Community’s Mission!

¹⁶ But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. ¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ ^a]Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you ^b]always, even to the end of the age.”

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Accountable to the King of Kings!

Daniel 6

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

Daniel proved his worth to Darius the Mede, distinguishing himself from the ambitious bureaucrats and scheming sycophants. They all hated Daniel because the king favored him, but they couldn’t find any character flaws to blackmail, evidence of corruption to indict, or negligence to exploit. They sought a way to destroy him through his faithful devotion to his God, so they used the king’s pride against him by getting him to unknowingly sign Daniel’s death sentence. He authorized a statute that for thirty days anyone who makes a petition to any god or man other than himself would be cast into the lion’s den (Daniel 6:6-9). Though Daniel was a faithful civil servant and loyal to his king, he disobeyed the decree because he was accountable to the King of kings (Daniel 6:10).

As God has done before, and as He will do again, God was faithful to His loyal servant. So much so that through Daniel, Darius wrote a decree exalting “the God of Daniel” throughout his kingdom (Daniel 6:25-27). Daniel’s brave stand against bureaucratic bullying was not by returning evil for evil, or scheming for scheming, but rather steadfast faithfulness to his God. Daniel was a person of integrity who did excellent work. May God be glorified when we, as Christians, know when to take a stand against bureaucratic bullying. In the same way that God closed the mouths of lions to preserve Daniel’s life, He will protect us from the schemes of the roaring lion, who seeks his next victim to devour (1 Peter 5:8). There is a time to disobey civil authority, but before you do so, you must establish an unwavering testimony like Daniel’s. Then your good works will shine like a light in the world (Philippians 2:15-16; Matthew 5:14-16).

Seize the moment and remember that you are accountable to the King of kings for your work and conduct (Colossians 3:23-24).

God bless you!

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Learn from your Parents!

Daniel 5

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

What valuable lessons did you learn from your parents? If you don’t learn from their mistakes, the handwriting is on the wall that you are bound to repeat them. An example of this truth is found with the last king of the Babylonian empire, Belshazzar, who was one of the sons of Nebuchadnezzar. The events of Daniel 5 happened nearly thirty years after Nebuchadnezzar’s death, when the kingdom was being stripped away from their family and rule was being handed over to a new nation under Darius the Mede (30-31). The handwriting was literally on the wall for Belshazzar because he had not learned from his father’s mistakes. Daniel had been forgotten about by everyone except the Queen Mother. After telling her son about him, he called upon Daniel to interpret the mysterious supernatural words, so, in Daniel 5:22-23, the prophet gave Belshazzar a history lesson about his father, then spoke these words of judgment:

Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.

The king promoted Daniel back into a high position of influence, which moved the story along in preparation for the next empire to rule, but Belshazzar died that night because he had not learned from his father’s history.

God bless you!

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Trust God’s Intervention!

Daniel 4

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, August 1.

Have you ever needed to be rescued from yourself? That is what God did for King Nebuchadnezzar at the height of his pride. God warned him of His impending intervention through a dream, which was interpreted for him in Daniel 4:16-17:

Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let a beast’s mind be given to him, and let seven periods of time pass over him. This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers and the decision is a command of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men.

This was the verdict of the King of kings, the sovereign in authority over all rulers. It was a dream about the cutting down of his life, which had become like a magnificent tree. Because of his pride, the king was going to have his mind stripped from him for a season of time, cast out to live amidst the animals, humbled below the lowliest of men. This wasn’t cruel and unusual punishment for the sake of novelty. God designed a discipline for Nebuchadnezzar which was unique to him, purposed to bring him to a sincere repentance for his pride and arrogance.

When a person is high on himself, the only discipline that will get his attention is to hit him where it hurts the most, in the central place of his identity. God’s intervention worked for King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, as evidenced by his final proclamation in Daniel 4:37, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

Seize the moment and humble yourself before God, trusting that His interventions are for your good.

God bless you!

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Faithful through the Fire!

Daniel 3

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

King Nebuchadnezzar built a statue of a golden image, declaring his dominance and enforcing his rule over the Babylonian kingdom. All were commanded to worship the monument or face his wrath through the fire (Daniel 3:1-7). Although Daniel is notably absent from this story, his three friends, Shadrach, Meshech, and Abed-nego, were brought forward because they refused to worship, and after the king threatened them with certain death, they said to him in Daniel 3:17-18, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Daniel’s absence emphasizes that the prophet is never the hero of the story; it’s always God! In this case, God showed up at the most dramatic moment, as the Fourth in the blazing furnace to rescue His three faithful witnesses and to elevate His glory above the idol (19-30). As the king confessed in verse 29, “there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” This points to Jesus Christ, who, in John 11, could have rescued his friend Lazarus prior to his death, but instead arrived on the scene when he was already in the burial cave, saying to him, “Lazarus, come forth” (43), then to the crowd, “Unbind him, and let him go” (44). Just like with the obviously divine rescue of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abed-nego from certain death, this led to an even greater worship of the one true God.

Seize the moment and be faithful through the fire! It is through difficult times of testing that our faith is the most visible and our witness is the brightest.

God bless you!

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From the Frying Pan into the Fire!

Daniel 2

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, July 30.

Daniel and his friends were in grave danger as the four Jewish exiles went from the frying pan into the fire! Even though they may have escaped the refugee camps to live in the palace, now they were going to die by “harsh decree” of an “indignant and very furious” king (Daniel 2:1-13). But God! When Daniel inquired of the captain of the bodyguard “with discretion and discernment,” he was brought straight to the king to petition him for time to beseech God about his forgotten dream (14-18). Daniel was miraculously granted permission to do so, even though the edict of death had already been made. He must have acquired courtly favor through his daily life in front of the royal household. This is the backdrop for the sensational moment of Daniel 2:26-30:

The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.”

God revealed the king’s dream to Daniel in his sleep the night prior, and he was able to successful relay it and its interpretation to the king (31-45). King Nebuchadnezzar glorified God and paid homage to Daniel, promoting him to “ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men” (46-49). This story is intentionally reminiscent of when Joseph was elevated after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream in Genesis 41, establishing the parallel between the exodus from Egypt and the return from Babylonian exile.  

Seize the moment and prepare for the sensational moments by how you use your gifts and abilities in the everyday mundane of life. The quality of your character is being forged by how you live 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:

Make up your Mind!

Daniel 1

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

How are you responding to your circumstances? So often I have witnessed people make their situations worse by how they responded to what’s happening. When under stress, people take matters into their own hands, seeking control over their situation rather than taking the time to wait upon the Lord, entrusting the right next step to God.

The prophet Daniel is a wonderful example to all believers of how we should respond to our stressful circumstances. He was an exceptional young man, so much so that he was handpicked from the Hebrew exiles, alongside of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, to go through three years of intensive training to become a part of King Nebuchadnezzar’s royal court in Babylon (Daniel 1:1-7). This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would rescue them from the refugee camps and put them inside the palace, but when they were asked to compromise themselves in their training, we watch the prophet in Daniel 1:8-9 respond faithfully to His God, “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials.” God was faithful to Daniel as the prophet made the decision not to compromise himself in the face of temptation (Daniel 1:11-21).

Seize the moment and make up your mind not to be conformed to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that God can grant you favor and show you His will for your life, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:1). This is how you can live the victorious life of Jesus Christ, by choosing to be faithful to God in how you respond to 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.