Acts 24
An Invitation to Intimacy with God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, August 4.
Does it ever feel like life is going off course?
As we turn to the final chapters of the book of Acts, we find Paul making his way to Rome, just as God promised, but in the least likely of ways—as a prisoner!
In Acts 24:27 we see just how long Paul stayed in Caesarea alone, “When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.” That’s over two years in a prison cell…waiting! Ruler by ruler would examine Paul, and like with Jesus, the rulers find nothing wrong or at fault with him. But in the name of politics and self-preservation, Paul would be kept in prison and on the slow winding path to Rome.
Where was God? Where was His promise?
The great people of God have always been formed in their faith and character through seasons of waiting and wandering: Abraham and the patriarchs, Joseph, Moses, King David… The list of faithful people forged in the fires of life’s circumstances is long and all encompassing!
This is the way of God and this is the way of maturing in faith and character. What appears to be a long, slow, drawn-out, twisted journey from our perspective, is really a straight line to the heart of God.
God is not focused on efficiency; rather, God’s aim is on intimacy!
So what are you to do right now as COVID-19, national politics, community unrest, and international instability is wearing everyone thin and causing people to act out of fear and anxiety?
TRUST GOD! God is calling you to press into your relationship with Him. How will you see the events of this season of your life as an invitation to intimacy with God?
Seize the moment and grow closer to Jesus today. He is inviting you personally!
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Acts 23
Choose Your Loyalties Wisely!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, August 3.
Our loyalties determine what we think about and how we conduct ourselves. What loyalties are influencing you?
This very personal question jumped out of the story in Acts 23 when Paul was on trial in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court. Listen to Acts 23:6-10, “Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, ‘We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?’ And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.”
Paul knew the true loyalties of the religious elites and exposed them for who they were—political parties more interested in defending their positions of power; rather then, humble followers of God who seek to knowing Him first and foremost and discern His will for those who trusted them to lead them spiritually through Word and prayer.
Paul remained free of all this and was at peace because of it!
I choose to repent of any divided loyalties and return wholeheartedly to my first love, Jesus Christ! Who or what are you choosing to focus your life?
Seize the moment and check your loyalties. In Christ, you will have peace and rest.
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Responding to the Priorities of Jesus (Week 2)
The Priority of Following Jesus!
Key Verses: Matthew 4:18-20
One of our big 7 words is “Follow”. These 7 big words are what our church considers priorities of Jesus and essential marks of the people of God. We talk about these all the time because it is not enough to know them, but to live them. I have heard it said that I should never preach a new message until we are obeying the last one I preached; that it’s our hunger for novelty that keeps us immature in our thinking and living.
Biblically, we don’t know something until we are living it as a habitual lifestyle. For example: you don’t know the Lord’s prayer until you pray the Lord’s prayer. And you aren’t praying it until you are living it.
- Our culture teaches you that it is enough to know the form of the words, Jesus teaches that it is enough when you are formed by the words.
- Our culture teaches you to master the words, Jesus teaches that you must be mastered by His Word.
Do you see the difference?
In this gap is what one theologian called “The Great Omission” of our Great Commission. We are not calling people to follow Jesus; to becoming people who live in habitual lifestyles of following Jesus—being His apprentices, His learners. He explained it this way, using athletic imagery like the Apostle Paul did:
We know [that young people] won’t succeed [in becoming like a professional baseball player] if all they do is try to be like him in the game—no matter how gifted they may be in their own way. And we all understand why. The star performer himself didn’t achieve his excellence by trying to behave a certain way only during the game. Instead, he chose an overall life of preparation of mind and body pouring all his energies into that total preparation, to provide a foundation in the body’s automatic responses and strength for his conscious efforts during the game. … And what is true of specific activities is, of course, also true of life as a whole. … A baseball player who expects to excel in the game without adequate exercise in his body is no more ridiculous than the Christian who hopes to be able to act in the manner of Christ when put to the test without the appropriate exercise in godly living. As is obvious from the record of his own life, Jesus understood this fact well and lived accordingly. … To live as Christ lived is to live as he did all his life.[1]
This gets to the heart of what it means to follow Jesus, so let’s now listen to Matthew 4:18-20:
Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
Later, in a different setting to a larger Jewish audience whom Jesus had just renounced for this unfaithfulness to God’s ways, Jesus invited to follow Him in Matthew 11:28-30:
“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.”
In both these Scriptures, the Koine Greek word (the original language of the New Testament) translated “follow” in Matthew 4:19 (cf. Mark 1:17) and “come” in Matthew 11:28 is δεῦτε. We see these words as very different, but they are actually the same word. In fact, we have distorted understandings of the word “follow” due to the dominance of social media understandings of what it means to “follow” someone.
Let’s explore some of these connections to get a larger understanding of why this is Jesus’ priority: What is Jesus actually inviting us to do when He invites us to “Follow” or “Come” to Him.
When you become Jesus’ friend by following Him, that doesn’t mean that you can disregard Him on any given day or disobey Him on any given issue. Just because you can stop following anyone you want, anytime you want, doesn’t mean that you can have that same attitude with Jesus Christ. Jesus’ word choice doesn’t allow it!
Let’s start in Mark 10:14-15 Jesus utilized this phrase as an invitation to the kingdom of God:
Permit the children to come to Me [italics added]; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all. (cf. Matthew 19:14 & Luke 18:16)
From Luke 6:46-48, Jesus admonished His disciples,
Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me [italics added] and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
In Luke 14:26-27, Jesus commanded potential disciples to carry their own crosses:
If anyone comes to Me [italics added], and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me [italics added] so that you may have life.”
“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me [italics added] will not hunger, and he who believes in Me [italics added] will never thirst.”
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me [italics added] and drink. He who believes in Me [italics added], as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
This parallelism is like a neon sign of Jesus’ intent on what it means to truly come to Him—to enter His life with God through faith in Him. And faith in Him is manifest in a life of learning from Him how to be like Him.
To truly get the heart of this, we need to dive deeper into the mindset of Jesus and His Old Covenant audience.
This Greek word δεῦτε is a translation of the important Hebrew word הלך (hālakh). Listen to meaning behind this rich Old Testament word; hālakh “has a common metaphorical sense that pertains to one’s manner of living. To walk (hālak) in a certain lifestyle or custom is to habitually practice [italics added] it.”[2]
So many rich examples are found throughout the Old Testament, but I’m only going to share three.
First, it is used twice in the covenantal passage of Isaiah 2:1-5:
The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths’ [italics added]. For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war. Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord [italics added].
Second, it is used in Psalm 81:11-16
“But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! [Italics added] I would quickly subdue their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries. Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of punishment would be forever. But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Last, it is used in the famous exhortation of God in Micah 6:6-8,
With what shall I come to the Lord And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? [italics added]
Are you noticing a trend in the rich usage of the word hālakh? And don’t be deceived, Jesus brought all of those covenantal promises (the blessings and the curses) with Him when he used the Greek word δεῦτε, which we hear in the now overly familiar command of “follow Me” and “Come to Me”, which we have further neutered as a social media word to sometimes pay attention to, sometimes agree or disagree with, sometimes share…
We’ve got to understand the gravity of what it means to “follow” Jesus! Based on Jesus’ word choice, there is a clear foreshadowing that He was asking something of those who “come” to Him; essentially, this invitation is not a one-time action, but an ongoing journey of following Jesus through the “habitual practice” of His way of life. For example, He got up early to pray… He quoted Scripture to fight against temptation…
Jesus’ invitation has profound implications. Through a word choice that was unmistakable to His original Jewish audience, but easily missed by today’s audience, Jesus directly aligned His call to discipleship (“Follow Me”) with what it means to be saved, to find one’s life, while also directly connecting Himself to the ancient promises of God’s redeemed rule over all nations and the Messiah’s eternal reign over all of God’s creation.
Jesus’ call to discipleship was, and is, an invitation to enter into a relationship with God by joining Him in His relationship with the Father. Jesus declared Himself to be more than Moses; He is wisdom and Torah incarnate!
“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
I conclude with a connection between the OT and NT: God speaks through His prophet in Jeremiah 6:13-21,
“For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely. They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the Lord. Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; [italics added] And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ [italics added] “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ “Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them. “Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also. “For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.” Therefore, thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and friend will perish.”
All the promises of God are yours in Jesus Christ. All the blessings and all the curses of the Old Covenant…
I read this to you because it was played out again in Jesus’ day; Listen to Jesus in Matthew 11:20-28:
Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 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.”
It’s being played out again today! Following Jesus is so much more than following someone on FB. It is the only way to find your life, to be saved, and to experience the promises of God in this life and for eternal life.
Honestly friends, you don’t have to teach a young athlete or actor or singer who wants to be like their favorite star, how to take on their mannerisms and lifestyle, their beliefs and attitudes, and their activities (on and off the stage/field). You don’t have to teach that to anyone. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 3-5.
[2] Joshua Hebert, “Travel,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
(Due to personnel being on vacation, there may be a week or 2 delay)
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Hymn: It Is Well With My Soul
It Is Well With My Soul
Psalm 31:14 “But I trust in you, O Lord. I say you are my God.”
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.”
“When sorrows like sea billows roll…It is well with my soul!”
It is well, with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul
Ask yourself if you can truly say “it is well with my soul” no matter what the circumstances are you may find yourself sounded by today? Seize the moment and find that peace.
YOUTUBE:
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https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/(341)
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Acts 22
Love all the Peoples!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, July 31.
When does nationalism go too far?
According to the dictionary, nationalism is, “patriotic feelings, principles, and efforts; an extreme form of this, especially marked by a feeling of superiority over other countries.”
This extreme form of nationalism says, “we are better than you.” When this extreme form of nationalism is merged with religion you neither have a healthy form of patriotism nor a humble practice of religion; rather, you have an ideology propelled with rocket fuel.
It is this kind of ideology that caused the Jewish people in Acts 22:22 to cry out about Paul, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” That’s crazy talk!
They wanted to kill Paul because he was bringing the fulfilled hope of Judaism to non-Jewish people (the Gentiles). Even though their own Jewish Scriptures say that the Jews would be a blessing to all people on earth, a light to the Gentiles, their ideology caused them to violently oppose the work of God. They wanted God to raise up a nationalistic kingdom on earth, not a spiritual one that welcomes all nations, tribes, and people groups!
The same thing is happening today in American Christianity! The nation you are born into is where God birthed you in real time and in real history. Yes, we are to be good citizens and pray for our leaders (that is healthy patriotism). But, we must not allow our nationalism to become compromised as an extreme form of prejudice against those that God has called us to bring the love of Jesus Christ.
Are you willing to be used by God to reach all peoples; to the ends of the earth?
Seize the moment and invite God to search your heart for any feelings of prejudice or superiority that would limit who you are willing to love as your neighbor.
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COVID-19 Update
A short leadership update:
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN OUTDATED BLOG PAGE.
IT IS LEFT FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY.
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Acts 21
Pray for Resolve!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, July 30.
A short leadership update: the Governor of Indiana has extended us in Stage 4.5 until the end of August, the same timeline as the requirement to wear face masks. FBC continues to be in our modified Stage 4 with doors open at 9 am for an adult SS class from 9:15-10 am, as well as our normal public gathering at 10:30 am with even more space being created for you by streaming the service into the Youth Chapel. We ask that you please read through the guidelines provided by our local and state health partners and follow them, regarding both social distancing and face masks. Thank you for helping us create a safe place for all people. If you are not able to do this, for whatever reason, please know that we respect your personal decisions and continue to make the service available online.
Here’s today’s devotion from Acts 21:
After having received an admonition to not return to Jerusalem (4), Paul receives a dramatic and direct prophetic message in Acts 21:10-14, “A prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ’ When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, ‘Let the will of the Lord be done.’”
So what is going on in this story? Agabus’ prophetic sign and message is recorded in the book of Acts as accurate, from God. The problem is not in verse 11 (the giving of the prophetic word and sign), but in verse 12: the friends and travel companions of Paul put their desire for his well-being and safety above God’s will for his life. They misapplied the reason God gave it to Paul and to them.
God gave this prophetic word to Paul to focus his mind and heart on doing God’s will; to call Paul deeper in counting the cost of his mission; to strengthen his resolve.
Seize the moment and ask God to give you the resolve to do His will. Pray that we all would have the resolve to follow Jesus faithfully in these difficult days.
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:
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Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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Acts 20
Constrained by the Spirit!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, July 29.
How do you determine the next steps of your life?
Listen to Paul discern his next steps in Acts 20:22-23, “And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”
The Lord revealed to Paul that in every city ahead of him imprisonment and suffering await him. How could Paul have used this information?
He could have said, “Thanks for giving me the heads up God, for protecting me by warning me ahead of time.” But not Paul!
There is a key phrase that we need to focus on to understand Paul’s decision, otherwise we may attribute it to some kind of bravado or human motive. Paul said, “I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit.”
To be “constrained by the Spirit” is when you know intellectually that you have freedom to choose to do something or not, but you are overwhelmingly convinced and unwaveringly determined that this is what God would have you do!
The only way to know the work of the Holy Spirit is by investing time into your relationship with God through lots of time with Jesus—learning the way and voice of your Good Shepherd.
An essential way to know the difference between your own stubbornness or bravado and being constrained by the Spirit is that what God has you to do will always align with His Word, His Character, and His revealed to use the body of Christ to bring glory to Himself through the exaltation of Jesus Christ.
Seize the moment and ask God to be a part of your decision-making process. Then spend time with Him so that you can discern the difference between His voice and all other voices.
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Acts 19
Walk in Jesus’ Authority!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, July 28.
Do you walk in the authority of Jesus Christ?
Listen to Acts 19:13-16, “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Did you hear this quote: “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
Who are you? This is not a question of notoriety or familiarity, like you’re not famous or important enough for me to recognize you. Rather, this is a statement of authority!
These exorcists were not authorized agents to wield the Name that is above all names, the name by which all knees must bow. They were famous, but not authorized! These seven sons of Sceva remind us that the popularity on earth does not determine your spiritual authority in Heaven, which can only come from being in His Name through a personal relationship with Jesus.
Don’t be discouraged by the evil that is at work in the world. It will not win the day! That’s God’s promise! Rather, be encouraged that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life and you have authority from God to shine His light that will pierce the darkness.
Seize the moment during these dark days. Remain humble of heart, confess Christ with your lips, put on the full armor of God and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Walk in His authority!
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Acts 18
Bloom Where You are Planted!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, July 27.
Are you blooming where you have been planted?
Listen to Acts 18:1-4, “After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.”
Because of a government edict, this mature ministry couple (Priscilla & Aquila) were forced to go to Corinth. How did this mature ministry couple respond to their heart break?
We see, in verse 18 that Paul took Priscilla & Aquila with him after his 18 months in Corinth. Then in verse 19, Paul left them in Ephesus. Why? Was this salt in their open wound?
No! Paul entrusted to them the mentorship of a gifted new brother, Apollos. According to Acts 18:24-28, Apollos had a huge hole in the gospel he proclaimed—he only knew about the baptism of John.
So, what is a mature ministry couple to do? Are they to feel sorry for themselves because they are not in Rome anymore or because they feel abandoned by Paul who left them in a strange place? NO, self-pity would have shelved them for sure!
They bloomed where they were planted and started working with Apollos (Acts 18:26).
Did God effectively use Priscilla and Aquila? Yes! This couple was handpicked by God to mentor the Billy Graham of their day, leading to a dynamic growth of the gospel through Apollos (Acts 19; 1 Corinthians 3:6).
Seize the moment and trust God enough to bloom where you have been planted!
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Responding to the Priorities of Jesus (Week 1)
“First Things First”
Key Verses: Luke 2:41-52
LUKE 2:41-52:
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”[a] 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
This did not just ‘happen’ and he had all the wisdom of God in his heart and mind. Jesus had made it a priority to be about His Father’s business! Luke writes in verse 40 “There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom beyond his years, and God placed his special favor upon him.” So, he had been preparing for this time in the temple. He was keeping God first in all that he was doing.
I can hear it now…”Great, Ken! How in the world am I going to be able to be like Jesus? I mean, come on! He was perfect! There is no way I can live up to that!”
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”
We have to press on and press into Jesus, learning from him and his life, and then applying those things to our lives. He is our example, so let’s follow it!
I. Time Alone With God: Matthew 6:33
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.”
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
“If a man wants to be used by God, he cannot spend all of his time with people.” – A. W. Tozer
“ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Again, this is not something that we can do on our own. It is only by us spending time with Him that we can be purified. Our time together as a church is important, but our alone time with God is even more important. It is in those times that He feeds and nourishes our souls, helping us to grow stronger in Him each and every day!
II. Being Laser Focused and Carrying Out God’s Plan
“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.
Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.
They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.
You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.
Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!
Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.
As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!
I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!”
“I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations.”(*NIV says “set my heart on your laws”)
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
They were given a choice. We have the same. It may not be serving another little g god, but it might be a choice to serve ourselves with our wants and desires, or some other loud voice in the world that catches our attention.
It is still our choice!
Jesus had a choice! His focus was on what God wanted Him to do. He knew what that was by spending time with alone with Him, and then staying laser focused, knowing all along that it would ultimately mean His death on the cross. But it was not just the end. It would bring about a new beginning for all who accepted Him as their Lord and Savior! And He knew the message must be carried out afterwards. That is why He trained up the disciples.
III. Intentional Training
“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:
Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip,
Bartholomew,Matthew ,Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
He spent the night in prayer before calling together all his followers/disciples to call apart those who would become His apostles, which means ‘sent forth’ or ‘commissioned for a particular errand”.
He then spent the next three years investing in these men. He discipled these men by telling them what He wanted them to do; showing them what He wanted them to do; sending them out in groups to do what He had told them to do and then coming back to report what had happened; then, after His death and resurrection, sending them out into all the world. And gave them the Holy Spirit to empower them.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
So what are we to do? Be like Jesus! He spent time alone with God, He was laser focused on doing what God wanted Him to do, and He intentionally trained others to do the same. He did not come in and find the most popular or influential people to carry out His plan. God had Him chose a ragamuffin group of people that most would have written off, and He trained them into a mighty group that was used by God to change the world!
Philippians 4:8-9
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
You can listen to the message here:
This Message Video can be viewed HERE.
Footnotes:
- Luke 2:49 Or be about my Father’s business
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Hymn: Jesus Loves Me
Jesus Loves Me
Ephesians 3:19 states: “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great that you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness and power that comes from God.”
The Love of Christ, a simple truth that still boggles the mind and is beyond total understanding, has been and continues to be the theme of many a hymn and song in churches today. One fine example would be the hymn “Jesus Loves Me”, based on not a scripture, but a secular novel “Say and Seal“, written by Anna Warner in 1860. Hymn writer William Bradbury read the words of the book’s character John Linden, a Sunday School teacher who sang over one of his students who was dying with cancer. It inspired him to compose a childlike musical score, adding the simple chorus himself. It soon became the best-known children’s hymn on earth, being used by missionaries as one of the first songs being taught to new converts. Numerous stories were told of the universal appeal the song has in every culture.
Think of the richness of theology in these simple verses…
Verse 1: The importance of discovering this truth by reading God’s Word and knowing it is for all people
Verse 2 & 3: Salvation only comes from Jesus’ death, shedding his blood for our sins, and since He died for us, we should live for Him
Verse 4: He promised to never leave us and is preparing a heavenly home for us.
Jesus loves me! How do I know? “The Bible tells me so.” Take some time to sing this hymn. Seize the moment, and take hold of these simple promises for your life today.
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/c/51
YOUTUBE:
Jesus Loves Me
Music By: Wm. B. Bradbury,Copyright Unknown
Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me! He who died,
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me! loves me still,
When I’m very weak and ill;
From His shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me! He will stay,
Close beside me all the way;
He’s prepared a home for me,
And some day His face I’ll see.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
If you would like to read the words to this hymn or hear the melody played, click on this link:
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/c/51
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Acts 17
Noble like a Berean!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, July 24.
Have you heard someone say, “be noble like a Berean” and you wonder to yourself, what in world that does that even mean?
Acts 17:10-11 explains what it means “to be noble like a Berean”: “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
Berea is a town in Macedonia and the people are called Bereans. As the Jewish people of Berea listened to Paul’s teaching, the Bible says they “received the word with all eagerness” (11), which means they listened with an honest and sincere heart to understand Paul’s teaching. Next, the Bereans did not just accept or deny what he said, but they, “examin[ed] the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (11).
To be “noble like a Berean” requires two things of us:
- You need good listening or reading skills so you can actually understand what the person is trying to communicate. Be respectful enough to hear them out and work through the material. Don’t jump to conclusions and don’t take things out of context. This requires love and humility, only possible when you are walking in the Spirit.
- For you to have a good working knowledge of God’s Word. This means that you will take the time to study your Bible, examine the Scriptures, and be able to apply the plumb line (standard) of God’s Word to what you have read or listened to. This requires Bible time, not internet search time.
Seize the moment and start good life habits today by spending time with God every day in the Word and prayer. This is the only way to become gentle and humble like Jesus and discerning and wise with the Word.
YOUTUBE:
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Acts 16
Your Faith Legacy is People!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, July 23.
To whom are you passing on your faith? Who is your faith legacy?
In Acts 16:1-5, Paul welcomes Timothy to the mission team and “the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily” (vs 5).
Chapter 16 continues in verses 6-15, Paul was invited in a vision by “a man of Macedonia” and in the first city of Philippi Lydia and her household are saved, and she opens her home to the church.
Then, in verses 26-34, Paul and Silas are put in jail and shortly afterward an earthquake, the despondent Philippi jailer and his family are saved.
The jailer asked Paul in verse 30, “What must I do to be saved?”
In accordance with the Jerusalem Council’s decision in Acts 15, Paul replies simply in verse 31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Paul is in unchartered territory. He has been asked to build churches where there has never been a church. Paul was able to travel through a large area bringing people to Christ, finding homes for the gatherings to occur (such as Lydia’s), and appointing elders to oversee the continuing work of God in his absence (ref. Acts 14:23).
The key was that Paul knew that he had to pass on his faith in Jesus Christ and empower other people to lead the ministries and carry it on in his absence. Paul knew that at the heart of the Christian faith was passing on to other reliable people what had been given to Him (2 Timothy 2:2).
It’s time for you to name names… In whom are you investing? Who will carry on your ministry?
Seize the moment and realize that the days are short. Who will carry on the faith because of your spiritual friendship? Who is your faith legacy?
YOUTUBE:
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Acts 15
Easy Yoke vs. Heavy Yokes!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, July 22.
A biblical agricultural image for salvation is being in the yoke of God’s covenant love.
Listen to Acts 15:8-11, “And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
The earliest church council rejected circumcision, dietary laws, and Levitical Law adherence for a person to be saved and to be a part of the earliest church. So, what did they say saved a person?
Was it any kind of action a person must take? Was it baptism? Was it speaking in tongues? Was it a sacramental act of the church? No, in fact they refuted such ideas by saying, “why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples.” The yoke they were specifically referencing the Levitical Law observance, and the principle applies to any form of religious legalism or self-righteous spirituality.
We have been saved by God’s grace—the easy yoke of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-30)!
Listen to Paul in Galatians 5:1, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Seize the moment and get in the only yoke that brings rest to your soul. You will know because the burden of His yoke is light, whereas, the burden of any other yoke is heavy!
YOUTUBE:
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Acts 14
The Antidote to Poisoned Minds!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, July 21.
Why is there is so much anger and strife in our world?
Listen to Acts 14:2, “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.”
This verse stopped me in my tracks. The Greek word translated “poisoned” carries malicious intent as to harm or embitter someone. This group sought to turn all the other people against the gospel of Jesus; to assassinate the character and discredit the believers. But the evil that animates such motivations won’t stop at discredit; it must win and will destroy anything that opposes it.
Sound familiar? Not much has changed because the same evil is at work in us today as has been for thousands of years. No amount of technological progress changes the real issue!
Paul explains this so clearly in Romans 8:6-7, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.”
This is the real issue hidden behind all human issues—it is this hostility that our flesh (ego, self-willed efforts) has against God’s rightful claim on our lives. We belong to Him, but until we give over the deed of ownership we will fight Him and everyone else who doesn’t accept my right to rule my own empire.
The gospel is that Jesus came “to put to death the enmity [hostility]” (Ephesians 2:13-16) and to bring us under God’s sovereign rule where we find peace and rest.
Seize the moment and choose to give God all rights of ownership. God’s Spirit in you is the only antidote to the poison that brings hostility between us all.
YOUTUBE:
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Acts 13
Using Your Time!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, July 20.
Time is marching on! What are you doing with the time you have or are you just doing your time?
Acts 13:36 describes of King David, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers.”
My time and your time on the earth is limited by God’s design. We have been blessed with the gift of boundaries in this life! Why? So that we will embrace the time we have and grow up into our purposes. Friends, let me be painfully honest with you: you do not grow up just because you do your time! Biblical maturity is about how you embrace your time to learn and grow in knowledge, wisdom, and stature with God and people (Luke 2:52). Maturity and time are linked together by how you use your time to fulfill the purpose of God in your own generation.
What has God called you to accomplish in your lifetime and in your generation? How are you using your time?
God is calling you to remember that He has a purpose for your life in Jesus Christ. So don’t just do your time, make the most of every day!
We each must embrace the reality that a day is coming when we will be laid to rest. As Hebrews 9:27 promises, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
When the time comes, will you be like David and be found to have served the purposes of God in your generation?
You only get one chance… use your time for God’s glory!
Seize the moment and redeem the time you have been given; every breath you have is a gift! Every minute is an opportunity to grow closer to God.
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Responding to the Promises of Jesus (Week 7)
2020: A Year of Celebration!
The Promises of God’s Mission!
Key Verses: Genesis 12:1-3 & Matthew 28:18-20)
I. First, Personalize the promise!
Realize that God is the One who calls people to respond to Him.
Listen to the Old Testament foundations:
TO ADAM & EVE AT CREATION: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen 1:26-28).
TO NOAH AFTER JUDGMENT: And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it” (Gen 9:1-7).
TO ABRAHAM: Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:1-3).
TO MOSES BEFORE HE GETS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel (Ex 19:5-6).
TO A NEW GENERATION ABOUT TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND: And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised (Deuteronomy 26:18-19).
This mission of God is a life of grace! Grace is a call and response; an invitation to participate. The promises of God are not given to people who deserve them, but rather to people God has chosen to make His own.
The same is true for you as well. If you belong to Christ, then you the promise of mission is yours. Listen to Peter in Acts 2:38-39,
Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.
“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” The promise is: “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).
II. Second, Practice the Promise!
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Jesus didn’t have a separate part of His life which was outreach or evangelism or mission. His life was mission and it didn’t matter where He was or who He was with. Mission isn’t something you do; it is a lifestyle you live.
Don’t deform it into a church program or a special committee membership. The church is the mission committee of Heaven—may it be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We are all a part of it and it can’t be hired out to paid professionals, elected off to church officers, or abdicated through financial guilt offerings.
This is God’s promise of mission: We are God’s plan to bless the nations! But, we are easily overwhelmed by all this—the task seems to so big. But Jesus’ promise of mission is not a burden to bear heavily. Rather, it is a lifestyle that flows out of who you are in Christ. Listen to Peter from 1 Peter 2:9-12,
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
The only way you can fail is to stop practicing. Practice, practice, practice. Never stop starting over…
III. Third, GO with grace!
The authority comes only through your relationship with Jesus Christ. Listen to Matthew 28:16-20,
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
The power comes only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Listen to Acts 1:7-8,
It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.
This mission of God is a life of grace—forgiveness and love. It should flow out of you like fruit upon a branch. It is a life of abiding in the Vine and then through grace bearing the fruit of what God is doing in the world. It is a life that puts flesh on Jesus’ prayer, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”
You can listen to the message here:
This Message Video can be viewed HERE.
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Hymn: Take My Life and Let it Be
Take My Life and Let it Be
Hymnist Frances Havergal had served the Lord for years, but felt that something was missing in her Christian walk. After receiving a book that stressed the importance of making Christ the King of every part of her life, she made a fresh commitment to Christ. On December 2, 1873, Advent Sunday, she said she saw “the blessedness of true consecration as a flash of electric light, and what you see you can never un-see. There must be true surrender before there can be full blessedness.” She soon wrote the great consecration hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be”. But the verses of that hymn came in waves, as she found herself in different seasons of her life, each one with a new challenge that came from God’s Word during her devotion time.
“Take my voice and let me sing” challenged her to move from being a featured vocalist with the Philharmonic, to only using her voice in ministry for the Lord.
“Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold” moved her to donate a great deal of jewelry to the Church Missionary Society, keeping only a brooch for daily wear in honor of her parents and a locket that had a picture of her niece, Evelyn, that had passed away. She said she had never packed up a box with such pleasure.
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/445
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Acts 12
Return Your Attention to the Voice of God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, July 17.
To whose voices are you listening?
Acts 12:21-24 contrasts a man’s voice with God’s voice, “On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a man!’ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. But the word of God increased and multiplied.”
The people were listening to their political leader, King Herod, as if he was a savior and a god, rather than looking to God himself for their hope and salvation. Two thousand years later, the same thing is happening in America today, where so many people are putting their hope in politicians and celebrity voices rather than in God. We are looking to our cultural elite to save us, when there is only one name on earth that can save—the Name of Jesus Christ!
There are a lot of voices speaking today. So many in fact that it sounds like a cacophony of dissonant blowhards. It is my hope that these daily devotions are reminding you listen to the Spirit-empowered Word of God, alive and active in the world today, calling you to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Are you being more influenced by the voices of people or the voice of God?
I am inviting you to start reading your Bible again, to start praying again, to start attending your local church again. We need an active relationship with God in our daily and weekly rhythms of life! Today is the day…
Seize the moment and return your heart focus to God and listen for His voice. I am praying for you…
YOUTUBE:
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Acts 11
The Pairing of Faith and God’s Indwelling!
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Acts 10
Prayer & Alms Giving are Eternal Investments!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, July 15.
Do you know that God sees you being generous when you help someone with your time, talents, or treasures?
Listen to Acts 10:3-4, “About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, ‘Cornelius.’ And he stared at him in terror and said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ And he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.’”
What did God see and remember about the Roman centurion Cornelius?
- Prayers. Prayers are a form of worship to God, a way of invoking God’s power and presence in your life and the life of others. Prayers are a very intimate part of who you are. God hears what is coming from your heart, the center of who you are. The Bible teaches us that our prayers are kept before God continuously, like incense before His throne. They are eternal.
If you want to hit the bullseye with your life, learn to pray! What does your heart say to God in your prayer life?
- Alms. Alms are when you give something of value to the needy, poor, or destitute. What you give can either be your time and services, or food and finances; regardless it is when you go out of your way to help someone for no benefit to yourself. The Bible teaches us that God rewards a person for what is done in secret; in other words, what is done to truly help others without any benefit or recognition to the giver.
Alms giving is often the way God answers our prayers. Who can you bless today?
Seize the moment and invest in eternity. What does God see and remember about 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.
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Acts 9
You are a Chosen Instrument!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, July 14.
Are stories important?
Acts 9 contains the most popular conversion story in the New Testament; verses 1-31 is the story of Saul’s conversion and the early days of His new life in Christ. Saul’s name is changed to Paul, and many today refer to him as the Apostle Paul or Saint Paul. Paul was God’s “chosen instrument” to establish Christianity beyond the borders of Israel; from a Jewish nationalistic religion to a relationship with God available to all in the world through the chosen One of God, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.
Paul was used by God. Acts 9:15-16 testifies of God’s call on his life, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Have you heard the expression, “Saved to serve”? When you are saved, you are saved to serve the Lord’s purposes—you, too, are a “chosen instrument” of God’s.
Can God use you? Ephesians 2:8-10 testifies about each person who comes to Jesus in faith, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Your story will be different than Paul’s, but none-the-less-important, your story is what God will use to point people to Jesus Christ.
Is your story important? Yes, God has a greater purpose than you can see for your story! All of your story is important. You never know how your life experiences will intersect with another person’s life experiences.
Seize the moment and share your story with other people. Call someone today because you have been blessed to be a blessing!
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.
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Acts 8
God Uses All Things for His Glory!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, July 13.
Can God use evil for good?
Acts 8 starts with Saul, the Pharisee who oversaw Stephen’s murder, ravaging the Christians in Jerusalem. We read in Acts 8:1-3, “And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.”
What good could come from a development like this?
My favorite Old Testament story is the story of the patriarch Joseph, found in Genesis 37-50. The story concludes in Genesis 50:19-20, with Joseph talking to his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
I love this story and the many stories in the Old Testament that proclaim the same thread of truth—God uses real people with real faith in real history to bring about His great plans. God is sovereign. God is faithful and true! God can use anyone for plans that are far greater than any of us can understand in the moment. The key is for you to live with a faith perspective as you go about your day.
Do you trust God to work it all out even if you don’t understand what is going on? That trust must become your way of life.
The good that came from Acts 8 was a great expansion of the church out of Jerusalem. It was a time of great growth, and it happened quickly.
Seize the moment and be patient as God is working all things together for His glory! Don’t panic! God is with us… Pray!
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Responding to the Promises of Jesus (Week 6)
2020: A Year of Celebration!
The Promises of God’s Faithfulness!
Key Verses: Lamentations 3:19-27
July 12, 2020 ~ FBC’s 110th Anniversary of Gospel Ministry
Have you ever done something that is contrary to your character or values? To err is human…
Thank God that He, unlike us, does not err in His faithfulness! Today, we discuss one of my favorite promises of God—the promise of God’s faithfulness or in the Hebrew, His חֶסֶד (ḥě·sěḏ)—God’s covenant faithfulness or as translated in Lamentations 3:22, “The Lord’s lovingkindness”. Interestingly, God’s activity of faithfulness flows out of this center of who God is—His perfection. Therefore, God is truthful to His covenant promises. God is faithful in every dealing of justice and mercy. It is impossible for God to not act in accordance with His character. For God to not be faithful to all of His promises is for God to cease being who He is. Unlike us flawed human beings, it is impossible for God to act contrary to His character.
We could spend the next 30 minutes looking at evidence for this truth about God, but let’s instead focus on how we should respond to this truth of who God is and how God acts in history.
Let’s look at Lamentations 3:19-27 to launch our teaching on how we are to respond to the promise of God’s faithfulness. Please remember that as you hear these words that they were written by the prophet Jeremiah as a member of a small remnant of Jewish people left behind after the destruction of Jerusalem and the final wave of forced deportations of the Jewish people into Babylon. Jeremiah calls out to God,
Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses [חֶסֶד (ḥě·sěḏ)] indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness [אֱמוּנָה (ʾěmû·nā(h))]. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth.”
This passage teaches us how we are to respond to God’s covenant faithfulness:
- We are to hope in Him!
Psalm 130:7 connects hope with God’s hesed, “O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption.”
Psalm 46:10 teaches us to not put our hope in our own efforts: “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
We have more reason to hope than we do to despair. It’s a choice: Hope in Him! Next…
- We are to wait for God!
Isaiah 40:31 proclaims, “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Go and run ahead of God in your anxiety and fear and see what happens. You will only exhaust yourself and be unfruitful in your efforts. Wait on the Lord and He will multiply the works of your hands…
Psalm 131:1-3 intertwines all these concepts, “O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.”
This is a key application for my personal well-being and mental health: I have composed and quieted my soul because I do not involve myself in great matters, things too difficult for me. This is the great malady of our technology age—pride in the abundance of information that has caused many of us to involve ourselves in matters that are too difficult for us when all God asks us to do is love the person in front of us as if that person was Jesus Himself. We need to heed the word of God in Psalm 131 and let go of our 21st century pride that we know everything and our opinions are so important. It is literally ripping us apart, inside and out!
Psalm 33:11-22 continues to move us toward a deeper understanding of how we should respond to God’s covenant faithfulness:
The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; from His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works. The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a false hope for victory; nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, to deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You.
Because the biblical mindset of waiting on the Lord is not passive, Jeremiah forms a couplet: “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.”
- We are to seek
“Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.” For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,” declares the Lord. For thus says the Lord, “When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
The key to the promises of God is to respond to them faithfully! There are many promises in the Bible—promises for blessings (life) and promises for curses (death). God is faithful to all of His promises.
In Deuteronomy 4:29-31, Moses said to the Israelites who would live in such a way as to invoke the curses of God upon themselves: “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”
As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”
This brings us to the last point for today. Jeremiah calls God’s people to bear God’s yoke from our youth. In other words, to be trained from a young age how to walk in covenant faithfulness in our everyday lives.
- We are to take His yoke!
Let’s turn to Matthew 11:20-28 to listen to this reality in Jesus’ ministry to the Jewish people:
Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 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.”
Jesus was denouncing the Jewish people for their break of covenant with God—for their apostasy. He called judgment down on them which is what we all deserve. Jesus explained this to us in John 3:16-22,
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
The yoke imagery with Jesus is the same as it was with Jeremiah. You are at a crossroads of judgement—either way God will be faithful to His promise to bless you or curse you based on your choice. Choose this day whom you will serve! God is faithful; that is not in question. The question is: Are you faithful to God?
These are the promises of Jesus! Here is how we are to respond: HOPE—WAIT—SEEK—YOKE!
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