Revelation 15
A Magnificent Vista of God’s Judgment!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, March 18.
Have you ever stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon or on the top of Clingmans Dome and found yourself awestruck by the scene set before you?
Revelation 15 shows us a vista of God’s mighty judgments. Listen to the praise and worship of the angelic watchers as they witness the majesty of God who sits upon the throne in verses 3-4,
And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
The angels’ response to God’s judgment of sin is praise and adoration. What is your response?
God loves you and wants only the best for you! Do you believe this about God and His judgment?
God knows that sin is not good for you, even when you think that what you are doing is best for you. It is our limited understanding of God that causes us to rebel against God’s best for our lives.
This is why we must make it our greatest ambition to know God. In knowing God, we will find ourselves in the loving embrace of a good father who desires to put His name on us and shine His glory through us.
Seize the moment and worship God in truth and spirit! Fear not for the Lord is with you and desires good for you and for all of His creation.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
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Revelation 14
Legacy of Good Works!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, March 17. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today is day #365 of these daily calls! I pray that we have helped you stay in the Word of God and remain yoked to Jesus through the Covid-19 pandemic.
What is your life’s legacy?
Revelation 14:12-13 calls us to persevere in good works:
Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”
This is the first time the Holy Spirit explicitly speaks in the Revelation of John and it is to those who are in union with Jesus, or as I like to say, are in the yoke of Jesus. There is a blessing for them; the second of the seven beatitudes of Revelation, reminiscent of Jesus’ beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount: they will leave a legacy of faith.
In the easy yoke of Jesus Christ you will fulfill the purpose of your life by producing the good works God has prepared for you to do in your life. Ephesians 2:10 teaches us God’s promise of good works!
Seize the moment and focus on your union with Jesus. The good works that are done while in the easy yoke of Jesus are promised to follow after you!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
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Revelation 13
Persevere in Your Faith!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, March 16.
Have you ever felt like you “lost sight of the forest for the trees”?
I remember flying in a military helicopter over the mountains of Dahlonega, Georgia during the second phase of the US Army Ranger School. As a 1997 graduate of this prestigious training, I spent a lot of time out in those mountains, but they were never so beautiful as when up in the helicopter flying over them instead of trudging through them. I was so exhausted by my circumstances and so focused on the task at hand that I could not see the beauty that surrounded me—I lost sight of the forest for the trees!
I am returning to the Dahlonega area in 2021, 24 years later, to hike the section of the Appalachian Trail that starts at Springer Mountain and meanders through those same ridge lines around Dahlonega. Though the terrain will not have changed, I guarantee my perspective will be different! I’m excited to see to the Forest!
Revelation 13 is an overwhelming chapter, describing the two beasts, the anti-Christ and his prophet, but verse 10 gives us an important perspective: “Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”
But for this one small clause in the middle verse of this daunting chapter. John is saying to us, the readers of Revelation, “don’t lose the forest for the trees.” Perspective changes everything—God has a bigger plan than what we can see so don’t let the details of today or the fears of tomorrow distract you from your faith.
Seize the moment and persevere in your faith! Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
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Revelation 12
Jesus’ Reign is with a Rod of Iron!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, March 15.
What does it mean when someone rules with a rod of iron?
Revelation 12:5 describes the rule of Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God, “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.”
It is also used in Revelation 2:26-27; 19:15, and in Psalm 2:9.
Contemporary dictionaries define it like this, “to control or govern very strictly or harshly.” The connotations are negative, tyrannical even, but the Bible is using it in a positive way.
To rule with a “rod of iron” means that Jesus’ reign will be an “unyieldingly just reign.”[1] His rule over people will show no favoritism. He will not deviate from justice to allow any perversion or distortion of what is right and true. He will rule according the standards established by God for His creation.
That is not tyranny. That is not harsh. That is love!
The intent of this image for the future is to invoke hope in the people of God. The goal is to inspire faithfulness until that day. Though we currently live in a world where justice is not always just and government is not always for the people, we can anticipate what is to come. We can live today with great expectation of all things being made right and true.
Seize the moment and face the injustices of today with faith, hope, and love because what God has promised for tomorrow is right and true.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
YOUTUBE:
[1] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), Re 12:5.
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Live Like a Champion – Week 11
The Promise of Calling!
Ephesians 4:1-7 (NAS95)
In this sermon series, we are learning how to live like a champion by learning how to live according to the victory of the promises of God. Our guiding image for this series is being a member of an NFL team who wins the Superbowl. We live like champions so that others will come to know the One who gave us His Victory—Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again!
The play of the week is the “Promise of Calling!” The memory verse for this promise is Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
The foundational truth for this promise of God is that we are each called by God. This sounds simple, but it addresses a huge misunderstanding in the traditional church that must be addressed—the calling of God is not limited to being a pastor or missionary. The calling of God is for every single believer in Jesus, because the calling of God is about the health and functionality of the entire Body of Christ.
In fact, spiritual leaders in the church are commanded to equip you to fulfill your calling. Listen to this truth taught in Ephesians 4:11-16, from the same chapter as today’s promise:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
The truth of God’s Word is that the body of Christ will not mature until every single member of the body is walking in maturity—“in a manner worthy of the calling.” My call as a pastor and fellow elder in this church is not to have power over you, but to empower you in your calling—to live a mature life as a member of the Body of Christ! For you to be living the life of faith, hope, and love.
[So please call on me to help you; this is a relational process that I walk with you in the way, not a program to be managed or service to be lead! I desire to meet with you and help you find out where you are in your walk with Jesus and then help you, with the Holy Spirit as our guide, in taking next steps in this maturation process. This is the way! My call is to help you mature in your walk in the Way of Jesus.]
You have been chosen by God and called to be a member of the Body of Christ so that we, as one mature body, walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which each of us have been called!
Paul said in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
Every believer is chosen and called to be a part of God’s victorious team—God’s family! This is a team sport that requires each of us to train ourselves according to the promise and then be a healthy, cooperative, functional member of God’s family. Why? So that the world may know that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior!
There are so many illustrations that come to mind from sports, family, politics, in fact, every arena of life experience. We all know how one person can change the functionality of an entire workplace or family or sports team—for good or bad. Just like if your toenail gets infected—it may be “just a toe” in your mind, but in functionality the whole body suffers and limps and loses its well-being. What if you have “just” one nerve misfiring? Is it just one nerve, really? No, it either hurts badly or a part of your body keep misfiring!
You are called to be a part of something bigger than you—the Body of Christ, but it is dependent on you being a healthy, functional member. The key is that every member of the Body has to submit to the headship of Jesus Christ! What does a team look like when every member is doing their own thing? What would it look like if you were walking down the street with each limb of your body doing its own thing?
Listen to Paul’s thoughts from Ephesians 4:1-3, so that we can learn about our calling as fellow members of Christ’s body: “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
The calling of God is first and foremost about your spiritual formation! Paul teaches us in Romans 8:28-30,
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. [What’s His purpose that we are called according to?] For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
God’s will for each of our lives is that we reflect Him—that we walk in a manner worthy of that calling—to be “conformed to the Image of His Son.” This is your first calling and every other call is secondary to this first calling! Your first calling is God’s preeminent purpose for your life: to walk with Him in a manner worthy of His calling—to walk in the way of Jesus Christ! Everything else flows from this center!
As John explains this in 1 John 2:5b-6, “By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
Let’s look at three practical applications of our walk with Jesus from Ephesians 4:1-3:
Surprise, surprise, Jesus described Himself this way first, as being “gentle and humble in heart” in Matthew 11:29 and that, in fact, is the yoke we are to take on ourselves—Christian discipleship is the spiritual formation of our lives and character, so that we walk in a manner worthy of our calling.
Paul explains in Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus is our example: we are to have the same attitude, but not necessarily take all the same actions: You do not need to die on a cross in order to be gentle and humble, but you do need to put aside our own selfish pride and vain ambition in order to serve others. Some examples of that are the following:
- At home by doing the dishes, being a team player, listening well, thinking of others first.
- In the store by letting someone go before you in line or helping a person get a high or low item off the shelf. Being considerate and thoughtful of the employees and other shoppers.
- At work or in school by helping someone with their assignment or project instead of just letting them fail in order to give yourself a better chance for promotion. Be an encourager, not a gossip!
I combined these two because the tolerance that is being spoken of here is the ability to endure or bear something—patience under the weight of stress and anxiety. The application to this is simply stated, but difficult to live: show love by being patient with people, including yourself. Some things only happen through prayer and fasting! Get in the easy yoke of Jesus, learn to be gentle and humble in heart, and patiently love people so that you yourself will not be tempted to sin or fall away. Pray and fast through it!
As Paul said in Galatians 6:1-2, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” And we learn from Jesus that the law of Christ is to love one another as Christ first loved us (John 13:34).
We have heard the call to diligence from the beginning of this sermon series (2 Peter 1). Every member of a Superbowl-winning NFL team is called to not only work hard as individuals, but also as a team—it’s both-and, individual training and team cooperation in order to live the Victory. This requires long-term diligence!
We have to know the playbook (the Bible), train ourselves with all diligence (a wholehearted commitment to our Christian discipleship), listen to our Coach (Jesus is Head so pray and fast!), and work as one team (a healthy member of Jesus’ body submits to His headship and mutually submits to one another!).
You are called to be a part of something bigger than you! Are you all in? Are you committed and submitted?
I ask you again: What does a team look like when every member is doing their own thing? What would it look like if you were walking down the street with every limb of your body doing its own thing?
With those images in mind, listen again to Ephesians 4:1-7 so that your memory verse will have the persevering power to help you live the promise of God’s calling:
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
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Hymn: I Know Whom I Have Believed
Today’s Hymn Focus: I Know Whom I Have Believed
YOUTUBE:
I Know Whom I Have Believed
I know not why God’s wondrous grace
to me he hath made known,
nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
redeemed me for his own.
But I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I’ve committed
unto him against that day.
I know not how this saving faith
to me he did impart,
nor how believing in his word
wrought peace within my heart.
I know not how the Spirit moves,
convincing us of sin,
revealing Jesus through the word,
creating faith in him.
I know not when my Lord may come,
at night or noonday fair,
nor if I walk the vale with him,
or meet him in the air.
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Revelation 11
Witnesses to a Dark World!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, March 12.
What happens when you turn on a bright light in a dark room? It’s shocking!
As the end nears and the coming of Christ approaches, God will press upon His people to be the witnesses who shine brightly in the darkening days. Just as God does not leave the world without witnesses today, so God will not leave the world without witness in the great tribulations that are to come.
Listen to Revelation 11:3-4, “‘And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.’ These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.”
Just like the two heavenly witnesses, you too have been granted great authority as God’s witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. God has enlightened you through the gift of faith and He has empowered you with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God has called you to bear great spiritual fruit so that all may see His transforming power in and through you.
You are an ambassador of Jesus Christ. You were saved to shine His light to all who are caught in the darkness of these last days. Don’t be surprised when people are shocked by you and your faith! That’s what light does in dark places.
Seize the moment and shine!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Romans 12:3 (NAS95), “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
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Revelation 10
Embrace the Mystery!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, March 11.
When I read Revelation 10 and John is writing down how God is revealing hidden things to us verse after verse, I am taking it all in. Just as in a good mystery, God doesn’t allow us to see everything up front.
Listen to Revelation 10:4, “When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.’”
How do you handle that? In the midst of God pulling back the veil through John and giving us the book of Revelation, God essentially tells us, “Not this! Now is not the time for you to know everything.”
Are you OK with the fact that there are some things you are not allowed to know, yet?
Personally, I love it! I embrace the reality of the mystery of God. I love that He knows and I don’t. It keeps me fully submitted, fully anticipating, and fully engaged.
Fully submitted is the life of FAITH!
Fully anticipating is the life of HOPE!
Fully engaged is the life of LOVE!
Faith-Hope-Love are the three theological virtues. The reality of mystery leads me to stay humble and live my life in reflection to who God is and what God is doing. And that is the life that God wants me to live.
How are you embracing the mysteries of God?
Seize the moment and live the life of faith, hope, and love.
I encourage you to continue to review all of your memory verses. Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Romans 12:3 (NAS95), “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
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Revelation 9
God Meets People at the Bottom of any Pit!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, March 10.
When I read the judgments of God found in the Revelation of John, my heart breaks for people. Not in a prideful, I’m ‘better than you’ kind of way, but sincerely and in empathy, my heart breaks because I know what it is like to resist God and to keep putting my trust in myself to go where I want to go. I get it. I’ve been there and I’ve done that.
Revelation 9 is a stirring chapter. After the woes of God are released upon the earth and 1/3 of the earth’s population is killed, people are still unwilling to repent and turn to God. Listen to Revelation 9:20-21,
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
What does it take to get people’s attention so that they will turn to God?
How low do you have to go? How low does our culture have to get?
Remember, God specializes in meeting people right where they are! God meets people at the bottom of any pit! If you find yourself feeling like you or a loved one is hitting bottom, there is hope—His name is Jesus! Turn to Him today and He’ll lift you up!
Seize the moment and put your trust in God today.
I encourage you to continue to review all of your memory verses. Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Romans 12:3 (NAS95), “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
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Revelation 8
Eternal Prayers!
Is there anything you can invest your time in today that is guaranteed to last forever?
Listen to Revelation 8:1-4,
When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.
In Heaven, the prayers of God’s people go up before God. This same truth is also referenced in Revelation 5:8, where we see the “prayers of the saints” in “golden bowls full of incense.”
Your prayers, lifted up to God, last forever! Take time today to invest yourself, your time, and your energy in eternity.
As you read the rest of Revelation 8, you will be confronted with how so many other things we invest ourselves in just won’t matter at the end of the age. So much of what we get caught up in will be long gone when our prayers lifted up to God will still be like incense to God in the throne room of Heaven.
Seize the moment and praise God today. Share with God what is on your heart, submit yourself to His purposes for your life, ask Him to lead you and then listen for His guidance, and may the God of all love and grace guide your steps through His Word and Spirit.
I encourage you to continue to review all of your memory verses. Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Romans 12:3 (NAS95), “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
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Revelation 7
Seize the Moment – Day 356
The Call of Evangelism in a “Glocal” World!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, March 8.
Does your faith have borders? Do you restrict the love of God? Who is your neighbor?
Listen to a glimpse of God’s Heavenly Kingdom from Revelation 7:9-10,
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
The Kingdom of God goes beyond borders!
What borders need to come down in your mind, heart, and lifestyle so that you are not limiting the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Here are just a few of the common borders that people have:
- National Citizenship
- Political Ideology
- Socioeconomic Status
- Education Level
- Religion
- Language
- Gender
- Marital Status
- Age
- Racial Identity
- Ethnic Background
- Music Preferences
- Generational Preferences
- Theological Orientation
- Denominational Affiliation
- Attire
- Technology Access, Use & Preference
Seize the moment as a citizen of Heaven and cross the borders so that you can reach the very people God is calling out to with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the call of evangelism and as the world comes closer though technology, the global mission field is now local—it is “glocal”!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Romans 12:3 (NAS95), “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
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Live Like a Champion – Week 10
“The Promise of Faith!”
Romans 12:3 (NAS95)
In this sermon series, we are learning how to live like a champion by learning how to live according to the victory of the promises of God. Our guiding image for this series is being a member of an NFL team who wins the Superbowl. Never forget, the victory is ours in Christ Jesus and we are invited to play like a championship team, today. We live like champions so that others will come to know the One who gave us His Victory—Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again!
The play of the week is the “Promise of Faith!” Let’s walk through the 4 steps of living like a champion by learning how to live according to the Victory of the promises of God.
STEP #1: Know God’s playbook! The memory verse for this promise is Romans 12:3, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
Step #1 Faith is a gift!
Hebrews 11:1-3 defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11 illustrates faith in people’s lives through stories of real people in real history with real faith. Mark it now and read it later.
Historically, the church has defined faith as, “an aptitude (not a one-off, but a gift by which to live)… In faith is God, ‘communicating Himself to the soul’” (Iain Matthews, The Impact of God, 103-4).
Faith is not only God’s gift of communicating Himself to humanity, but it is also His gift of our aptitude to grasp and interact with Him and His invitations to us, thus allowing for a relationship, now and eternally. Remember, relationships require the ability to communicate with one another—faith makes this possible.
The good seed of faith has been sown into the field of your soul! What are you supposed to do with your allotment of seed? Cultivate it into your “heart, soul, and mind” so that you love God with all of who you are and are becoming; hence, obeying Jesus’ Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).
STEP #2: Faith is a gift that must be grown.
A friend commented to me about this process of cultivating the soil,
Cultivating the soil “looks like” having sound judgment. We cannot take for granted the gift of faith, assuming it will grow simply because we made a profession of faith. That would be “thinking more highly” than we ought of ourselves. In using sound judgment, we create an environment full of people, habits, and disciplines that becomes our “trellis.” We weed out (pun intended) that which does not strengthen the trellis.
We develop faith habits by building a trellis for our allotment of seeds to grow on! Because we don’t want our faith to be hidden in the field, but to mature and bear fruit, we build a trellis which is a framework by which a fruit tree or vine is supported so that it bears much fruit.
From John 15:5, Jesus promised us about our Christian life, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Faith is a gift of God intended to be grown through relationship with Jesus so that we can bear much fruit!
The trellis is the image of the ancient church practice of having a “rule of life”—not “rules for life”, but a “rule” or as the ancients would have heard that word: a trellis of life. The trellis support a loving relationship that already exists; it flows from love. Just like the rhythms of love in friendship or marriage or parenting.
Here are two practical applications of the trellis that I am building in my life. Each of these is what is called a keystone habit, which means it is a habit that shapes/holds together all other habits:
- Fasting from media when I first get up and before I go to bed! More simply, this is the trellis of “scripture before phone.” This means that when I first wake up I pick up an old fashioned paper Bible and read it before I turn on my phone or look at any other version of media. At night, this means that my phone and all other versions of media are off at least thirty minutes to an hour before I go to bed. My goal is to sleep from 10-6, which means I am free of technology & media from approximately 9/9:30 PM to 7 AM. I don’t do this perfectly, but because I have been working on this, my sleep patterns are healthy and I wake up rested and ready for the day, wanting to spend time with Jesus first. This shapes my day!
- Protect a sabbath day! First off, let me say that this is not selfish, this is obedience to God’s creative design and redemptive work. Obeying the sabbath as God’s creative design for humanity and as part of God’s redemptive strategy means intentionally planning for one day a week to cease striving and know that He is God. For many of us this includes prioritizing gathering with your church family, eating a meal with others, resting in grace, trusting God’s provision by stopping, and delighting in God. I take my personal sabbath day Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. I go for a long run or take a long hike, I enjoy a big late breakfast afterwards, I leisurely play with my kids, spend time with my wife, enjoy some quality time with Jesus, and have fun resting and delighting in the Lord of the Sabbath. I not only look forward to this day, but I also bring the refreshment from it to Sunday services. This shapes my week!
The truth of step #2 is that faith is a gift that must be grown. The reason for doing this is step #3.
STEP #3: Faith is a gift that must be grown for the purpose of loving your neighbor.
Remember, that earlier in the sermon I referenced the Greatest Commandment, but listen to all of Jesus’ words from Matthew 22:37-39 because it’s really the Greatest Commandments: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jim Elliot, modern martyr of the faith, said it this way, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Just as in Jim Elliot’s life where his very blood became the necessary seed in the ground by which an entire lost people group would come to know the gospel of Jesus Christ, so our gifts of faith are to love people with the love of God and provide for them the means of receiving faith themselves!
To learn more about the Jim Elliot story, you can watch the 2005 movie End of the Spear or you can watch the 2013 Voice of the Martyrs Torchlighters video on RightNow Media called “The Jim Elliot Story”. FBC provides this vast library of Christian resources to you for free. Talk to Pastor Ken if you need help.
Jesus taught us this about faith in His parable from Matthew 13:31-32, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
How can your faith bring refreshment to others, just as the mustard seed became a tree so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches?
Here are three practical applications in real and relevant situations that you may face in your daily life:
- Friendship: Your trellis provides boundaries for you to have the emotional health and mental energy to be a good listener to your friend. Imagine making space for a daily conversation with a loved one or a weekly meal with a friend where you have both the time and energy to help them.
- Focus: Your trellis builds structure to your life so that you have the focus to say “no” to things that will distract you from what is most important. Without the trellis you may try to do everything and in doing so, do nothing. Without focus, we never arrive at where we need to go. We are caught in the tyranny of the urgent without a trellis to frame our growth in loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
- Freedom: Faith brings freedom from anything that binds us! Specifically and relevant to many, your trellis teaches you how to put your smart phone or computer in its place—those are helpful tools, but tyrannical masters. This frees up your time and energy. It helps you to be proactive with people and to know who you are in a world that is trying to define you so they can then market to you and keep you in slavery to consumerism and materialism, and blind to your true identity as a beloved Imager Bearer.
Take a step of faith and return to the sound wisdom of Romans 12:3, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment [sober, sincere, lens of humility], as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
You cannot think soberly about yourself when you are intoxicated by everything that is clamoring for your attention (time and money) and, ultimately, your identity. To return to a right view of God, yourself, and others you need to remember that faith is a gift that must be cultivated, so that love of God may grow and bear the fruit of love of neighbor.
STEP #4: Faith is witnessed through our fellowship!
Paul teaches from Romans 12:4-5, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
As the seed grows, it sends out roots! Our roots are intertwined so that we are better together! You are not a single tree, facing the world and all of its problems alone. You are part of something much bigger, from which God is growing us to bear the fruit of the tree of life, so that many may come and find rest in Jesus.
How will the watching world know we are growing in our faith? Jesus taught us this important truth of why we gather as the people of God in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This is the good fruit of our faith—this is the promise of God!
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Hymn: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Today’s Hymn Focus: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Brothers John & Charles Wesley upon graduation from Oxford, set sail to America, the new world, to try and minister to the colonists and to evangelize the Indians. However, they quickly became disillusioned and returned to England. On the trip, they were impressed by a group of devout Moravians, sensing their spiritual depth and vitality. In May of 1738 at Aldersgate Hall, John & Charles had a spiritual heart-warming experience, and their ministry displayed a new dimension of spiritual power.
On the one-year anniversary of his conversion experience, Charles wrote the eighteen stanza hymn “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”, inspired by a remark from his friend Peter Bohler… “the Lord has done so much for my life. Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Christ Jesus with every one of them!” Let this hymn be the desire of your heart as we sing:
O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace!
We need to wake up and remember that if we are breathing, we are to worship God. If we don’t praise Him, then the rocks will cry out and worship Him and the trees of the fields will clap their hands. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a rock and a tree doing my job!
YOUTUBE:
O for a thousand tongues to sing
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace.
My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad,
The honors of Thy name.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.
His love my heart has captive made,
His captive would I be,
For He was bound, and scourged and died,
My captive soul to free.
He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.
So now Thy blessed Name I love,
Thy will would e’er be mine.
Had I a thousand hearts to give,
My Lord, they all were Thine!
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Revelation 6
God’s Patience Leads to Repentance!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, March 5.
What do the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Scroll’s Seven Seals of Justice have to do with your life today? That is a good question as we look at Revelation 6.
The answer to today’s opening question is two big words: Patience and Repentance.
The first big word describes God: God is patient!
Listen to Revelation 6:10-11 as the martyrs of the faith cry out to God in a loud voice,
“How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
The Bible explains God’s patience in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
There is our second big word: God’s patience leads us to repentance!
The purpose of Revelation is not to put on display God’s destructive power, but rather God’s saving power—it’s not about wrath, it’s about love! God is patiently calling people back to a relationship with Him!
Seize the moment and respond to God’s saving power today by trusting Jesus with your past successes and failures, your present hopes and dreams, and your future questions and unknowns.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NAS95), “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
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Revelation 5
The Witnesses of Jesus’ Worthiness!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday March 4.
How many witnesses are needed to determine if a matter is true?
Revelation 5 is a powerful witness to the worthiness of Jesus Christ. I pulled out of this one chapter, three quotes that attest to who Jesus Christ is and how worthy He is of our worship.
First, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders sang a new song, saying in verses 9-10, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
Second, the angels, numbering beyond count (“myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands”) said with a loud voice in verse 12, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
Third, we hear the final testimony in verse 13, “And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’”
Jesus is worthy to be worshipped! That is beyond a reasonable doubt.
How are you responding to these eye-witness testimonials?
Seize the moment and worship Jesus. Trust Him as your Lord and Savior. He is worthy!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NAS95), “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
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Revelation 4
The Fear of the Lord!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, March 3. You are invited to join us tonight from 6:15-7, in person or online, for our mid-week prayer service, which is intended to be an island of serenity in your week.
The fear of the Lord is the reverence and awe of God that happens when we see God for who He is and not for who we make Him out to be.
When is the last time you received a fresh revelation of God?
Revelation 4 moves me to a place of reverence and awe of God. Listen to verses 2-3, 5a,
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.
As the description continues it continues to invite us deeper. From verses 8-9, the scene unfolds around the throne with “four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’”
What an exalted view of God as He sits on His throne with the four living beings in continual worship and twenty-four elders casting their crowns in absolute surrender to God because of who He is and what He has done. They proclaim in verse 11, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Amen!
Seize the moment and worship Jesus Christ alone with your life. Only He is worthy!
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Revelation 3
Overcomers!
Do you ever get discouraged by your circumstances?
No matter what you are going through, you can rest in the Lord and walk in His promises. You are an overcomer!
Listen to Jesus’ promises in His messages to the Seven Churches of Revelation, today focusing on the last three churches in chapter 3:
- To Sardis, Jesus says in verse 5, “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
- To Philadelphia, Jesus says in verse 12, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”
- To Laodicea, Jesus says in verse 21, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
Do you trust that Jesus is who He says He is and can do what He says He’ll do? Then, don’t bail before the blessing!
Seize the moment and get to know Him and to learn for yourself that He is trustworthy and true.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NAS95), “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
It is important to review all the memory verses. Remember, we are not memorizing words to pass a test, we are creating habits of grace to live a victorious life by hiding God’s Word in our hearts and meditating upon them day and night. God bless you as you walk with Him in the way!
God Bless you!
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Revelation 2
Unveiling Jesus Christ!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, March 1.
Listen to how Jesus is described to the first four of the seven churches of Revelation:
- To Ephesus in 2:1, Jesus is “the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands.”
- To Smyrna in 2:8, Jesus is “the first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life.”
- To Pergamum in 2:12, Jesus is, “the One who has the sharp two-edged sword.”
- To Thyatira in 2:18, Jesus is, “the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze.”
Don’t skip to the later chapters of Revelation and miss out on the Revelation we receive about Jesus Christ in the first three chapters.
God has not hidden Himself from humanity, but rather He unveiled Himself to us through Jesus Christ. We found Jesus in the Gospel accounts, the early church history book of Acts, the 13 letters of Paul, and in every book of the New Testament.
Do you know Jesus? He has made Himself known; He desires for you to know Him personally.
Seize the moment and know Jesus. He is still revealing Himself to people today. Read your Bible, memorize God’s Word, and pray without ceasing.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NAS95), “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
It is important to review the first three memory verses as well. I keep my memory cards clipped to my prayer journal and have them typed into my Evernote workflow app so that I can review all of them throughout the day. Remember, we are not memorizing words to pass a test, we are creating habits of grace to live a victorious life by hiding God’s Word in our hearts and meditating upon them day and night. This is the way!
God Bless you!
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Live Like a Champion – Week 9
The Promise of Grace!
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NAS95)
In this sermon series, we are learning how to live like a champion by learning how to live according to the victory of the promises of God. Our guiding image for this series is being a member of an NFL team who wins the Superbowl.
Never forget, the victory is ours in Christ Jesus and we are invited to play like a championship team, today. We live like champions so that others will come to know the One who gave us His Victory—Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again!
The play of the week is the “Promise of Grace!” and the memory verse for this promise is 2 Corinthians 12:9a,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
STEP #1: Know God’s playbook—the Bible—by learning the promises of God. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, the Bible passage from which our memory verse is found. It is important to keep it in context.
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! [Paul is referencing verses 1-6 after describing and defending his ministry in chapters 10-11] Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. [Paul then continues to describe the authenticity of Christian ministry—the charis of God, not the charisma of man!]
Grace is the essential power source of the Christian life. Grace is the “divine power” referenced in the foundational scripture of this entire sermon series, listen again to 2 Peter 1:2-4,
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Just as we learned that covenant is the framework of the promises, so grace is the power of all the promises.
STEP #2: It is not enough to know this truth about God’s grace, we must experience it for ourselves and train it into our deepest places. If we don’t learn grace, we will simply live out of our own natural strengths and not out of our weakness. Listen again to 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 and its counter-cultural reality.
From What’s So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey famously wrote, “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”
This is God’s perfect love expressed to us through grace. Listen to Paul in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
This teaches us that our status before a holy God is not dependent on our works, but because of God’s perfect love made visible to us in Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary and extended to us by grace through faith.
We see grace clearly in key elements of Paul’s gospel presentation in his letter to the Romans:
Romans 3:23-24,
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Do you see how God expresses His grace to us in these passages?
We move this from our head into our hearts when we learn to receive this free gift of God’s love and stop working for God’s approval. Get off the performance treadmill because there is nothing you can do to make God love you more and there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. It’s all grace!
STEP #3: Grace is not just a reality that we must move from our head to our hearts, it’s the play we are to play in both the private and public arenas of our lives. How would the Coach [Coach = God!] have us run the play of grace in our everyday lives?
Grace is often pigeonholed by Philip Yancey’s above definition, because as helpful as it is, it is not complete. Grace is more than a statement of our status before God (our positional holiness), grace is the means by which we live out and make visible our salvation (our personal holiness). Grace is the presence of God in us (through the indwelling Holy Spirit!) to walk in the good works of our salvation. Reference back to Ephesians 2:8-10 and highlight how verse 10 manifests through the same grace that saves in verse 8.
“to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.”
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (cf. Philippians 2:12-13).
Grace is the promise of God that determines both your position before Him and your power to live out your faith and make Him known. There are no Christians and there is no Christian life or witness without grace!
STEP #4: It is God’s grace that makes us members of His body, the family of God, the Church. Grace is how we experience God in union with Christ and how express God’s life to the world through our ministry!
I conclude with Paul’s teaching for the church about the promise of grace from Ephesians 3:14-19:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
May you now receive and walk in the grace of God so freely lavished upon you for the glory of God. Amen.
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Hymn: Grace Greater Than All Our Sin
Hymn: Grace Greater Than All Our Sin
“ And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
The daughter of a Presbyterian minister born in 1849, Julia Harriette Johnston grew up to be faithful to the ministries of the church, serving as teacher, Sunday school superintendent, writing Sunday school lessons and several books for David C Cook Publishing. She was also prolific as a writer of 500 hymn texts, most known for “Grace Greater than Our Sin” with Daniel B. Towner composing the tune.
Grace is a key concept in our Christian faith. If it weren’t for grace, then none of us would qualify for heaven. She wanted to make sure that we knew that God’s grace would cover each and every sin.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
Wake up and hold on to this promise of God! It is more than enough, for He will supply the power that we need in our times of weakness, for it is greater than ALL our sin!
YOUTUBE:
Grace Greater Than Our Sin
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured–
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater– yes, grace untold–
Points to the Refuge, the mighty Cross. [Refrain]
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
All who are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive? [Refrain]
https://hymnary.org/text/marvelous_grace_of_our_loving_lord
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Revelation 1
Introduction to the Revelation of John!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, February 26. Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Topanga Cole, Ella Oakes, and Tesla Sullivan.
Are you walking in the promises of God?
The Revelation of John is a message from God to give His people a persevering faith and an overwhelming hope. As we face difficulties in this life we must stand in the victory of God, which is on the promises of God!
God has revealed to us in Revelation 1:7-8, “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
We are invited to stand with the Victorious One as we share in His Victory—this is the work of the Alpha and the Omega, who is the beginning and the end. It is done! This is the key to our victory!
Based on this, Jesus commands our fear away in verses 17b-18, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
Fear has once and for all been swallowed by the eternal life of God! This is the love of God!
Seize the moment and walk in faith, hope, and love. This is the promise of Revelation—the promised fulfillment of God’s covenant with humanity!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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Jude
Pray the Prayers of the Bible!
The ending of the short letter of Jude is one of the most beautiful benedictions in all the Scriptures. The Bible is filled with prayers of blessing!
Listen to Jude 24-25, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Allow me to pray three more prayers from the New Testament:
- “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Romans 15:33).
- “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).
- “Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:4-6).
Seize the moment and pray the prayers of the Bible! You will be blessed! And you have been blessed to be a blessing!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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3 John
Be Holy and Healthy in Every Respect!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, February 24. Please join us for the in-person or online Prayer Awakening mid-week prayer service tonight at 6:15 pm—it is a time of worship, prayer, and Scripture reading.
3 John is another short, but powerful little book of the Bible. Listen to John’s opening thoughts in verses 2-4, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
John is speaking of his spiritual children—those the Lord brought to Himself through John. Just as any loving father, John cares for the growth and development of these children into adulthood.
John cares about their holiness and their wholeness:
1) John celebrates their holiness unto the Lord—they not only testify to the truth, which means they believe right things about God and the gospel of Jesus Christ, but they also walk in the truth, which means they are living a holy lifestyle unto the Lord. We cannot simply say that we love God and His Word, we must obey God and do what Jesus commands.
2) John cares about their wholeness. He wants them to be healthy people as they walk with Jesus. John cares that we are healthy in all respects—emotionally and relationally, physically and socially, so that we prosper and not just in our souls.
Seize the moment and be holy and whole—it is for this reason that God has saved you and sent you into the world to shine His light and love.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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2 John
Chosen Children!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, February 23.
I want to emphasize to you the heart of John’s short letter, called 2 John, from one congregation to another, from one part of the family to another.
Listen to John at the beginning of the letter in verses 4-6,
I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.
Now listen to how he finishes the letter in verses 12-13, “Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. The children of your chosen sister greet you.”
John’s letter is a masterpiece that teaches us how we should relate to one another as members of the one church of Jesus Christ—we should see one another as fellow children of God.
His letter also emphasizes the heartbeat of Christianity—the love of God which is the commandment of Jesus Christ which we are to walk in and in doing so, find joy in God and one another. What a beautiful life God has chosen us for!
Seize the moment and walk in love today so that your joy may be made full.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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1 John 5
The Unforced Rhythms of God’s Grace!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, February 22.
Do you feel overcome by the world situation and burdened to do something about it?
Listen to 1 John 5:3-4, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Our faith in Jesus Christ is the victory because Jesus has already overcome the world. Never forget that our victory is vicarious—it is what Christ has done, not what we must do! We prevent ourselves from becoming overwhelmed and burdened by it all by remembering it’s not us who can do anything, but Jesus who does it in and through us!
We are to share in His work and partner with His power and presence in the world. This is why Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 is so important, “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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Seize the moment and let all your work be done in partnership with Jesus in the unforced rhythms of grace.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
YOUTUBE:
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