Drink of the Living Water!

Isaiah 55

You often hear people say, “There is nothing for free in this life.” Contrast that thought with the image of a flowing stream or a cascading waterfall, both of which are sources of living water, which refresh one’s body with a single drink. God yokes this bountiful imagery of His provision with the coming Messiah in Isaiah 55:1-3a:

Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me.

Seven hundred years later, Jesus invites His disciples in John 7:37-38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” The people hear in Jesus’ words the messianic invitation of Isaiah. This was not the first time Jesus referenced the living water; in fact, the first time was his scandalous interaction to the Samaritan woman at the well. In John 4:13-14, Jesus promised her the living water (10), “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Seize the moment and be satiated through the living waters of Jesus Christ – “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Revelation 22:17; cf. 7:17; 21:6).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

The Protection of the Redeemer!

Isaiah 54

Isaiah 54 reminds me of the promise in Jeremiah 29:11, which should never be taken out of its context of verse 10, “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.’” Yes, God does have a good plan for your life, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be international turmoil, national disaster, or personal hardship along the way. In fact, God’s promise of redemption and abundance in Isaiah 54 is set in the context of after “the destroyer” has been destroyed, after the seventy years of exile have been completed, as God testified in verses 7-8, “For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you.”

The destroyer is any tool in God’s hands to bring about His righteous judgment, so, never forget, that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). No matter what you are facing, God’s promises will prevail, as declared in Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me.”

Seize the moment and put yourself under the protection of the Redeemer – there is no weapon, which has been formed against God’s people or His will, that can thwart the finished work of Jesus on the Cross.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Seize the Moment – Day 1439

Today’s worship song focus :

Every Move I Make

Psalm 139:1-3 (NASB95)     

“ O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

³ You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.”

Written by David Ruis and recorded by David Crowder Band in 1999, this energetic song of worship reflects our faith and trust in God’s plan. We are reminded that He is our guide, our protector and our source of strength because of His constant presence in our lives.

            Every move I make, I make in You, You make me move Jesus

            Every breath I take I breathe in You.

            Every step I take I take in You, You are my way Jesus

            Every breath I take I breathe in You.

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPvnZILn6EY

Every Move I Make

The Wounds of the Suffering Servant!

Isaiah 53

Churches gather on Good Friday to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, often reading the entirety of the fourth Suffering Servant Song, found in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. As it was written seven hundred years before Jesus’ crucifixion, it is considered one of the most accurate prophecies of His atoning sacrifice. The details, as recorded in Isaiah 53:4-12, are undeniable:

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. … As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

Seize the moment and meditate upon the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:33-66; Mark 15:22-47; Luke 23:33-56; John 19:16-42) – by His wounds you are healed (1 Peter 2:24).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Put on Good Shoes for the Journey!

Isaiah 52

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, February 22.

Years ago, during a long multi-day backcountry hike on the Appalachian Trail in the Smoky Mountains, the tread on my right hiking boot broke off. My hiking boots were old and high mileage, but I never would have imagined that I would lose my sole on the Appalachian Trail. When it started to rain, and the trail became very slick, like walking through a stream, I started to slip and fall, causing me to become frustrated and fatigued as I walked. I learned my lesson: put on a good pair of shoes before you start a journey!

When Paul taught Christians “how to stand firm against the schemes of the devil,” he commanded, “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11-17). This included a good pair of shoes, as described in Ephesians 6:15, “shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” Just like I had lost my sole on the Appalachian Trail, you don’t want to lose your soul during the long arduous journey of life because you are not stable on your feet. Walk securely in your knowledge of Jesus and His gospel, allowing Him to stabilize you through storms and difficulties. This image was not new to Paul; it came from Isaiah 52:7-10:

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! … The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Unite People with their Origin Story!

Isaiah 51

To unite a people around a common goal, you bring them back to their origin story. This is why people remember the founders of great movements, and the sacrifices they made to give us our origin story. For example, this is why Americans honor George Washington and celebrate the Fourth of July, to remember the great cost of our freedoms. Over time, and quicker than you would think, people become distracted, disgruntled, and disunified, so, you must find, and leverage, their origin story, in hopes of reminding them of why it is important to persevere with hard work and suffering for a shared vision of the future.

At such a time in Israel’s history, when God was rallying the remnant to give them a hope for their future, He reminded them in Isaiah 51:1-2, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; when he was but one I called him, then I blessed him and multiplied him.” In reminding the people of their origin story, He invoked His ancient promise to Abraham and Sarah, recorded in Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Seize the moment and never forget that you, too, are of the seed of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:29; cf. Romans 4) – you have been blessed to be a blessing! When you get distracted, disgruntled, or disunified from this purpose, look to the Cross of Calvary!

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

The First Disciple!

Isaiah 50

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, February 20.

A disciple is a person who intentionally follows the ways and teachings of the master. The third Suffering Servant Song, found in Isaiah 50:4-9, teaches us a very important lesson about the Messiah:

The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord God helps Me, therefore, I am not disgraced; therefore, I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. … Let him draw near to Me. Behold, the Lord God helps Me; who is he who condemns Me? ….

Before Jesus called you to be His disciple, He was the first disciple of His Father (4-5). In other words, unlike Israel (1-3), the Suffering Servant of Israel would accurately learn what God wanted Him to learn, saying and doing what had been given for Him to do. Jesus testified to this truth in John 17:4, 7-8:

I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. … Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

The Light of the Nations!

Isaiah 49

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, February 19.

The second of the four Suffering Servant Songs is found in Isaiah 49. While Israel is named God’s servant in verse 3, the song then described the Messiah of Israel as the light of the nations in verses 5-7:

And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and My God is My strength), He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, to the despised One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers, “Kings will see and arise, princes will also bow down, because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”

The Suffering Servant is “the light of the nations” (6; cf. 42:6). In Luke 2:30-32, Simeon prophesied over Jesus, when He was being dedicated in the temple, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” Jesus is “the Light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5). He came through Jacob to not only redeem Israel, but “so that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth,” as “the Savior of the World” (1 John 4:14). Jesus sends you to shine His light to the nations (Matthew 5:14-16; Matthew 28:18-20).

Seize the moment and “walk as children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8; cf. John 12:35-36).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Seize the Moment – Day 1432

Today’s worship song focus :

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Isaiah 58:11 (NASB95)     

And satisfy your desire in scorched places,

And give strength to your bones;

And you will be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”

Today’s hymn was written in 1745 by William Williams, originally in Welsh, and later translated into the song we know today. Williams was studying to be a doctor when he encountered the preaching of Howell Harris, which led to his conversion. It was then that he gave up his studies to seek his ordination in the Established Church. He used the beautiful imagery of the Old Testament book of Exodus to show God’s guidance and provision through the strife and how it continues today.

              Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land.

              I am week, but Thou art mighty, Hold me with Thy powerful hand.

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

No Peace for the Wicked!

Isaiah 48

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, February 16.

As a non-Christian youth of Generation X, of course I listened to Ozzy Osborne in the late 80s and early 90s. So, later in life, when I read Isaiah 48:22, where the Lord said, “There is no peace for the wicked” (cf. 57:21), I remembered the name of Ozzy’s 1988 album, “No rest for the wicked.” As per the album title, it included “Miracle Man,” the song which offered a scathing rebuke for the hypocrisy of the fallen televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who had been a vocal critic of the famed British music artist, but himself was currently caught up in multiple sex scandals that led to his disgrace and defrocking.

When Isaiah proclaimed, “There is no peace for the wicked,” he was declaring the need for all people’s  absolute need for God’s redemption – Babylon and Israel, Jimmy and Ozzy! We love to create us-them dichotomies, but the reality is that we all need the peace of God as promised in the following verses:

Seize the moment and share your faith by extending God’s gift of love and forgiveness. Be at peace with everyone, not through the hypocrisy of religion, but through the rest Jesus promises in His easy yoke (Romans 12:18; Matthew 11:28-30).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Beware of Real Danger!

Isaiah 47

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

Witchcraft and magic are real. The danger of dabbling with spells and sorceries is like playing with fire. You are going to get burned because the powers and principalities you are seeking to manipulate have their own agenda, and there is nothing innocent about any of it! We saw Pharoah’s magicians matching some of Moses’ miraculous signs in Exodus 7, and we watched Saul consult a medium in 1 Samuel 28. As God cast His judgment upon Babylon, He referenced their wicked use of witchcraft in Isaiah 47:9b-11:

In spite of your many sorceries, in spite of the great power of your spells. You felt secure in your wickedness and said, “No one sees me,” your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you; for you have said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” But evil will come on you which you will not know how to charm away; and disaster will fall on you for which you cannot atone; and destruction about which you do not know will come on you suddenly.

Yahweh continued, saying that such supernatural means would not save Babylon from destruction; in fact, they would become like stubble burned in the fire. The use of spiritism and magic, commonly practiced by the ancients to manipulate their gods, was specifically forbidden for the Israelites (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). The same is true for followers of Jesus; we are to turn away from all forms of evil (Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Peter 3:11; Revelation 21:8). Remove such things from your life because evil only wants “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Don’t seek wisdom or power from below, but from God (James 3:15-17).

Seize the moment and stop seeking power through forbidden means – “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Anointed for Service!

Isaiah 45

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

Did you know that God has anointed you for service? In Isaiah 44:28-45:1, God names Cyrus as His anointed one, who will not only deliver God’s people from Babylonian captivity, but will provide for them the means to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple:

It is I who says of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.” And he declares of Jerusalem, “She will be built,” and of the temple, “Your foundation will be laid.” Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed, whom I have taken by the right hand, to subdue nations before him and to loose the loins of kings; to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut.

The Hebrew word used for Cyrus is mashiach; it means “the anointed one” and reflects the biblical tradition of selecting and equipping a person for service, such as the anointing of the kings by the prophets (e.g., 1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13; 1 Kings 19:15-16). Isaiah prophesied over a hundred years before Cyrus would come into power as the king of Persia to fulfill this prophecy, conquering Babylon in 539 BC and decreeing that that Jewish exiles could return home to rebuild the house of the Lord (Ezra 1:1-2; 2 Chronicles 36:22-23). Isaiah’s prophecy speaks of Cyrus as the anointed one, chosen and equipped by God for a specific work prepared in advance for him to fulfill.

God makes it clear that He is still in the business of anointing people for works of service to Him through His Holy Spirit. He now does it when people put their faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.

Be a Witness of God’s Redemption!

Isaiah 44

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

In Acts 1:7-8, before Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, He said to His disciples, “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.” Alongside of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), this is considered the mission of the church – to be witnesses of God’s redemption, promised by the Father, provided by the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Rock and Redeemer, gave these words in fulfillment of the Word of the Lord, from Isaiah 44:3-8:

“For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants; and they will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water.” … Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; yes, let him recount it to Me in order, from the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place. Do not tremble and do not be afraid; have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.”

Seize the moment and be a witness of God’s redemption – “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:2b).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Seize the Moment – Day 1425

Today’s worship song focus :

Everlasting God

Isaiah 40:31 (NASB95)     

“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.”

Written in the summer of 2006 by Lincoln Brewster and Brenton Brown, this song was inspired by the passage in Isaiah 40 and a season of personal struggle in Brenton’s life. Carrying a powerful message of hope and encouragement, we, the worshipper, are reminded of God’s everlasting nature and His promise that He will provide the strength and renewal for us when we put our trust in Him.

You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God, You do not faint

You won’t grow weary, You’re the defender of the weak

You comfort those in need, You lift us up on wings like eagles.

We need to wake up and quit rushing through the day. Take the time to put God first and wait in His presence. Remember that resting in Him will provide you with His unwavering strength so that you are not relying on yourself and your strength alone.

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:

Everlasting God

Live Like the Redeemed!

Isaiah 43

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, February 9.

You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37-39), a chosen member of His family who has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus (Acts 20:28; Titus 2:14). Now, live like it! As the nations raged against Jerusalem, God looked upon His people and said, “You are Mine,” giving them the assurance of their redemption in Isaiah 43:1-5:

But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! … For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.”

What a promise in the middle of a big old hot mess! Israel suffered at the hands of Assyria and Babylon, only to be released from captivity by Persia. Yet, during that time, God promised to redeem the offspring of Israel from the four corners of the Earth. To this day, that is the mission of the church, as witnesses of God’s redemption (Isaiah 43:8-13; Acts 1:8), calling His people home through Jesus Christ, the One who paid the ransom (Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Seize the moment and live as one who has been redeemed, no matter your circumstances today – “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary and gathered from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south” (Psalm 107:2-3).

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Sing the New Song of the Suffering Servant!

Isaiah 42

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

The first of the four Suffering Servant Songs is found in Isaiah 42:1-9, followed by a song of praise, which begins with a command in verse 10, “Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise from the end of the earth!” This same phrase was used in Psalm 98 as a call to the God of Mission to bring His salvation to all the nations. What a triumphant conclusion to the prophecy of the Messiah, foretelling His responsibility to establish God’s justice in the Earth, as Isaiah 42 proclaims:

Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law. … I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. … Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.

Seize the moment and sing the new song of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ – “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” (Revelation 5:9).

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

The Beginning and the End!

Isaiah 41

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

From the first to the last chapter of the Revelation of John, we hear Jesus described this way, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13; cf. 1:8, 17; 2:8; 21:6). This name of God was introduced in Isaiah, as God’s answer to a rhetorical question about who had caused the uprising of the nations; Isaiah 41:2-4 was specifically referring to Cyrus king of Persia. Twice in Isaiah 41, God asks such a rhetorical question. The first time is in verse 4, “Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.’” The second time began the conclusion of today’s chapter, verses 26-29:

Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”? Surely there was no one who declared, surely there was no one who proclaimed, surely there was no one who heard your words. Formerly I said to Zion, “Behold, here they are.” And to Jerusalem, “I will give a messenger of good news.” But when I look, there is no one, and there is no counselor among them who, if I ask, can give an answer. Behold, all of them are false; their works are worthless, their molten images are wind and emptiness.

Wouldn’t you expect the answer to the second rhetorical question to parallel that of the first one? Instead, God contrasted Himself with the false gods of the nations, who are merely idols. While there is an unfortunate chapter break here, the truth is that the quote never closes, and God gives us the first of the four Suffering Servant Songs in Isaiah 42:1-9. He does provide the couplet we were waiting for, and we learn that the One who is “the beginning and the end” is the Suffering Servant of Israel.

Seize the moment and trust Jesus as “the beginning and the end!”

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Go Tell it on a Mountain!

Isaiah 40

I love the African-American spiritual, “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” It is a beautiful Christmas song that was first published by John W. Work, Jr. in 1907. While its bulletin blurb does not include a reference to the ancient prophecies of Isaiah, I believe it could have been inspired by Isaiah 40:9-11:

Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

We are to proclaim the coming of the Messiah from not only Mt. Zion, but from every mountain top in every nation (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). “Go Tell It on the Mountain” describes the shepherds who first heard the angelic proclamation of the birth of Jesus Christ, but it also commands us to declare this good news. Powerfully, in Isaiah 40:3-5, right before this evangelistic call of the coming of the Messiah, Isaiah gave the promise which was fulfilled by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2-3, who cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, ‘The voice of the one crying in the wilderness, “Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!” ’ ” Truly, John told it on a mountain, bearing the good news and lifted up the coming of the Messiah mightily, without fear of his own death.

Seize the moment and go tell it on a mountain!

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Boast in the Lord!

Isaiah 39

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

The final chapter in Isaiah’s “Book of Hezekiah,” composed of Isaiah 36-39, foreshadows the emphasis of the remaining chapters of Isaiah – the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonian Empire. Little did King Hezekiah know that he would set the stage for such a great calamity, a century prior to it occurring, through a simple act of pride – the sin of boasting. Isaiah 39:2 records his actions, “Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.”

At best, Hezekiah was naïve, but that is difficult to believe knowing his story. Most likely, Hezekiah was trying to impress a potential ally against Assyria, trusting in the military adage, “An enemy of my enemy, is a friend.” That was not true in the case of the Babylonians. After entertaining the son of the Babylonian king and showing him everything in his kingdom, Isaiah rebuked him with a word from the Lord in Isaiah 39:6, “Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left.”

Seize the moment and boast in the Lord, not in your wisdom, might, or wealth, for everything you have is from God. As Jeremiah, a prophet who lived through the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, quoted of God, “Let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things” (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Importantly, Paul quoted Jeremiah in 1 Corinthian 1:31 and 2 Corinthians 10:17.

God bless you!

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love

John 13:35 (NASB95)            

A favorite song of the late 1960’s and early 70’s, it was written by a young Catholic priest by the name of Peter Raymond Scholtes. Taken from the words that Jesus gave His disciples in John 13, Scholtes wanted to show the connection between the church and its role in the life of the world. While it had a folk style of music, he wanted to connect the faith story of the church’s young people to the disheartened landscape of the culture in America.

We need to wake up and take to heart the words of this song. It is an important part of the message of grace, hope and love that we are to share with our part of the world and beyond. That is when we will truly see our mission of transforming stories through the gospel of Jesus Christ being fulfilled.

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

If you would like to listen to this song, click HERE

They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love