Ezekiel 25
Love your Neighbor!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, July 1.
Ezekiel 25 moves your attention from God’s judgment of Judah to that of their immediate neighbors, the small nation-states of Ammon (1-7), Moab (8-11), Edom (12-14), and Philistia (15-17). Each oracle of judgment follows the because-therefore pattern, whereas a prophecy cites the sin that prompted God’s judgment and then describes what God was going to do about it. An example of this pattern is concisely stated in the oracle against Ammon in verses 6-7:
Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and I will give you for spoil to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am the Lord. [emphasis added]
The basis of judgment against the surrounding nations was the Abrahamic covenant, given in Genesis 12, from which verse 3 stated, “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.” Regardless of whether those living under the Abrahamic covenant were under God’s judgment for sin themselves, the nations that cursed them were to be cursed. That’s because God had a plan for His chosen people, that through them the Messiah would offer salvation to all, near or far. Because of God’s mercy and grace through Jesus, Christians are now “Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29); therefore, behold, bless and do not curse your neighbors, regardless of whether they are near or far, so that the world may know through my love that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 12:14-21; John 13:34-35).
Seize the moment and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40).
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.
Read more...
The Call to the Great Community 10
We Pray as Jesus Taught us to Pray!
“Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer” (Romans 12:12).
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10).
APPROACH PRAYER WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE.
- Be real
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full” (Matthew 6:5).
– Don’t try to impress others (or yourself!)
– Don’t try to impress God (for He knows you already, and He loves you!)
- Be relaxed
“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).
- Be revealing
“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him”
(Matthew 6:7-8).
USE THE MODEL JESUS GAVE US
Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray, then, in this way…”
- PRAISE: I begin by expressing my love and adoration to God. Start by anchoring yourself in who He is and who you are in relationship to Him.
“Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name…” (v. 9b).
- PURPOSE: I commit myself to living a life of devotion to God’s will.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven …” (v. 10).
Pray for God’s will to be done… in me… in my family… my church… my ministry… my job… my future… my city… the nation… the world.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
- PROVISION: I ask God to provide for needs.
“Give us this day our daily bread…” (v. 11).
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)
“You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2).
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
- PARDON: I ask God to forgive my sins
“And forgive us our debts …” (v. 12a).
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24).
“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Proverbs 28:13).
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
- PEOPLE: I pray for other people.
“…as we also have forgiven our debtors” (v. 12b).
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” (Matthew 5:23-24).
“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men” (1 Timothy 2:1).
- PROTECTION: I ask for spiritual protection.
“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (v. 13a).
Believers face a spiritual battle every day! Satan wants to defeat you through temptation and fear. By praying for protection, you will have the confidence to face every situation during the day.
“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).
- PRIORITIZATION: I recommit myself and my work to God.
“For yours is the kingdom and power and the glory forever. Amen” (v. 13b).
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1).
HOW TO BEGIN A DAILY DEVOTION TIME (QUIET TIME)
The Important Factors:
“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” (Mark 1:35)
- SELECT A SPECIFIC TIME
The best time to have a quiet time is when I am at my best! Whatever time you set, be consistent!
- CHOOSE A SPECIAL PLACE
“And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him” (Luke 22:39).
- GATHER THE RESOURCES YOU’LL NEED
- A Bible – a good translation you can read and understand.
- A notebook or journal – to write down what the Lord speaks to you about, and to keep your prayer list. It is also good to keep you focused when other things come to your mind.
- Memory Cards for Scripture memorization.
- A Songbook – if you want to sing.
- Study tools that you helps you understand and apply what you are learning.
- BEGIN WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDES
- Reverence
“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).
- Expectancy
“Open my eyes, that I may behold; Wonderful things from Your law” (Psalm 119:18).
- Willingness to Obey
“If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17).
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9).
A PRAYER OF COMMITMENT
“Father, I realize that I was created to have fellowship with You. Thank you for making this privilege possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection. I know that daily fellowship with You is to be the most important thing in my life. I now want to commit myself to spending time every day with You in a set apart quiet time of Bible intake and prayer. I’m trusting in Your strength to help me be consistent and for my whole life to be in devotion to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
RESOURCES:
Read more...
Ezekiel 24
Seek Empathy – Walk a Mile First!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, June 29.
“Don’t judge me until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.” This idiom teaches us that to understand why people do what they do we must seek to empathize with them, understanding their experiences, circumstances, and challenges. Without empathy, we may take their words or behaviors out of context, presuming to understand them. In Ezekiel 24:16-18, the prophet was asked to walk a mile in God’s shoes:
“Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded.
The prophet put on display God’s extravagant love for Jerusalem in the most visceral way a person can possibly comprehend. Bringing judgment upon Israel was like losing a beloved spouse. There was a larger story unfolding for Israel, and Ezekiel’s prophetic action demonstrated the heart of God. Just like when Jesus, God’s beloved Son, died to satisfy the Father’s will – “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Seize the moment and walk a mile in other people’s shoes, discerning your invitation in their story. God is always at work, doing more than can be seen because there is a larger story unfolding in your life and for the lives of all people. How can seeking empathy allow you to show others the love of Jesus?
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 23
Flee from the Seductress!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, June 28.
From God’s perspective, idolatry is spiritual adultery, and Ezekiel 23 is a forty-nine-verse allegory of Israel’s adultery against Yahweh. God builds upon the visceral imagery of Ezekiel 16, casting Samaria, the capital city of the northern ten tribes, and Jerusalem, the capital city of the southern two tribes, as two harlots in Ezekiel 23:2-4:
Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled. Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
The allegory concludes in verse 49, “Your lewdness will be requited upon you, and you will bear the penalty of worshiping your idols; thus you will know that I am the Lord God.”
We are all susceptible to seduction, whether by the desires of our flesh, or by the powers and principalities of this world. The devil is always on the prowl, seeking his next victim to devour (1 Peter 5:8). We are commanded to be sober-minded and on the alert against such seductions, regardless of whether they arise from within or come from without. There is only one way to handle the temptations of the seductress: “Flee immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18a)! Do not dabble with it and do not hesitate to remove the temptation from your life; it seeks to seduce you with counterfeit promises and lies.
Seize the moment and flee from the seductions of the flesh, the devil, and the world. There is only one way to do this faithfully, and that is by submitting yourself to God, putting on the whole armor of God daily, and praying in the Spirit continuously (Ephesians 6:11-18; James 4:7).
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 22
Stand in the Gap
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, June 27.
Ezekiel 22 has three distinct discourses devoted to indicting Jerusalem and all of Judah for their rebellion against God. While in exile, the Hebrews were making idols, murdering one another, and committing a multitude of heinous crimes (1-12). At their time of greatest need, the people, to include their priests, prophets, and princes, turned their collective back on God, so He promised to refine them like silver and remove the dross (18-22). In verses 30-31, God described how He had made a comprehensive search for a righteous person to stand in the gap for His beloved nation, “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads.”
What does it look like to stand in the gap? In 1997, 1.4 million men gathered in Washington D.C. to call upon the name of Jesus Christ, confessing their personal and collective sins as a nation, and, in repentance, presenting themselves as one body poised for personal and national revival. I was deployed with my military unit to the Joint Readiness Training Center when this Promise Keepers event happened, but I will never forget that it was called, “Stand in the Gap.” We stand in the gap by humbling ourselves before the Lord, getting right with our God, and committing ourselves to the good works of faith, hope, and love. It begins when individuals and communities join in prayer to get right with God and one another (Romans 15:30).
Seize the moment and stand in the gap for our nation by humbling yourself, praying, and seeking God’s will for your life and community (2 Chronicles 7:14).
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 21
Every Crossroads is an Opportunity!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, June 26.
When you come to a crossroads in your life, use discernment, not divination, to decide your right next step. What’s the difference you ask? Divination is the practice of uncovering hidden knowledge by supernatural means. There are many ways to dabble in this unholy practice, some of which are described in Ezekiel 21:21-22:
For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver. Into his right hand came the divination, “Jerusalem,” to set battering rams, to open the mouth for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall.
This passage is found in the context of God using Babylon as His instrument of judgment. The sword of the Lord was about to be unsheathed upon Jerusalem, and the prophet made it clear that it would be by God’s decree, and not that of man’s divination. While we know that God can use all things to point to His will, such as the king of Babylon using divination in the passage above, there is an authorized way to gain wisdom when needing to make a hard decision (James 1:5). God has decreed the Way to be His Son Jesus Christ. Through faith in Him we receive the Holy Spirit, who guides us as we walk in the Way (John 16:7-15). Discernment is how we listen for the Holy Spirit’s direction through the authorized means of grace – the faith and practices of the church such as prayer, Bible intake, and spiritual friendship.
Seize the moment and discern God’s direction through the means of grace entrusted to you. Every crossroads is an opportunity to trust God and walk by His Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25).
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 20
Death by Meetings!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, June 25.
There are certain human realities of religious life that appear to have remained true over the millennia, such as death by committee meetings. As I began my third decade of pastoral ministry last year, I can attest that most of the time I do not like attending church meetings as they often prove to be the bane of my existence as the pastor of a local church. While meetings are necessary and can be beneficial, they often feel useless in the accomplishment of our mission and counterproductive to my mental and emotional health as a spiritual leader. Ezekiel 20:1-3 describes how this forty-nine-verse chapter was an impromptu elder’s meeting and how God responded to them calling yet another meeting:
Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you.” ’ ”
Yet again, God told the elders of Israel – repent and live! While God is infinitely patient, there does come a time where the meetings must stop, and the people simply need to be faithful to their God. What’s the purpose of your church meetings? What active steps can you take to work with your pastor and leaders to equip, encourage, and empower people in their daily Christian lives, to include delegating to them the ministry work that needs to be done to meet the diversity of needs of a group of people who are managing resources and living on mission together.
Seize the moment and transform your church meetings into spiritual encounters with God, focusing you and your congregation on obeying God to fulfill the purposes of the church of Jesus Christ.
If you would like to receive a personal phone call, please press 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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 19
As through the Fire!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, June 24.
Hardship and suffering are an unfortunate reality! Will any good fruit come through such fires in your life? The prophet concluded his message to the princes of Israel in Ezekiel 19:14b, “This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.” Whereas Jeremiah wept from the ashes of Jerusalem, Ezekiel grieved from the riverbanks of Babylonian exile, concluding his lamentation in verses 10-14a:
Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the waters; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant waters. And it had strong branches fit for scepters of rulers, and its height was raised above the clouds so that it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches. But it was plucked up in fury; it was cast down to the ground; and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branch was torn off so that it withered; the fire consumed it. And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. And fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoots and fruit, so that there is not in it a strong branch, a scepter to rule.
Fire is an interesting metaphor. It can invoke the image of annihilation, the destruction of that which is thrown into it, or that of refinement, the purging of impurities from that which passes through it. In the above lamentation, if the fire invokes destruction, then there is no longer any purpose for Israel, all hope is gone. The Messiah had not yet come through Israel, so the fire must speak to their refinement, for they are the vineyard of God from which Jesus Christ, “the true vine” came, and from whom all eternal fruit flows (John 15:1-16).
Seize the moment and allow your lamentations to be a refining fire in your life, transforming your soul to the glory of God (Romans 8:28-30).
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.
Read more...
The Call to the Great Community 9
Lesson #9:
Build the Body of Christ by using your Spiritual Gifts! (Pt 2)
(with supporting verses 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 27-31; Ephesians 4:11-12; and 1 Peter 4:9-11)
Today, we are focusing on how you can build the body of Christ by using your spiritual gifts. Last week we laid a good foundation that every Christian is called to live the life of devotion, which we call ministry (Ephesians 2:8-10; 4:11-16 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-20). We learned the 5-step process of discovering your ministry from Romans 12:1-8, which is the foundation of your daily devotional life, ensuring you’re living a life of devotion and not just checking a box. Today, we are going deeper on the spiritual gifts themselves (as described in Romans 12:6-8), but the big point we all need to remember is that God wants to build the body of Christ in and through each of our lives. God chose you on purpose because you have good works to walk in with your life! We are better together in Christ because each of us has an important SHAPE for ministry: God has given you spiritual gifts, a heart or passions for certain people or issues, abilities to meet those needs, personality to effectively work with others, and life experiences that uniquely equip you.
A spiritual gift is one aspect to how God has shaped you for ministry; it is a special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer upon being saved, to be used to minister to others and therefore build up the body of Christ. All gifts are given to help the church fulfill its purposes to the glory of God. The spiritual gifts are related to, but are distinctively different from, the fruit of the Spirit. Whereas gifts are given to equip you for your life of ministry, the fruit of the Spirit are the maturity of your personhood as a minister of the gospel. It is the Spirit of God at work in you that defines both your person as a Christian – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” – and your work as a Christian, empowered through your spiritual gifts. In Paul’s discussion about spiritual gifts, he stated in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11:
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
The Bible does not lock us into tight restrictions as to the number of spiritual gifts, or even their definitions. The four major lists of gifts are found in Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, both of which I have already read to you, and the list continues in verses 27-31:
Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.
The next passage of spiritual gifts is found in Ephesians 4:11-12, which I read to you last week; it covers the five-fold ministry of spiritual gifted leaders to equip the local congregations in their unique ministries; and finally, the last one is 1 Peter 4:9-11:
Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Here’s the bottom line about spiritual gifts and why they are important to the building of the body of Christ: spiritual gifts are the temporary to build the eternal, so don’t worship the gifts (nor those who are working more maturely in their gifts), but only worship the Gift-giver! Remember the admonition of James 1:14-17:
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
You don’t need a separate “baptism of the Spirit” or a “second movement of grace” to manifest the fruit of the Spirit or use your spiritual gifts in and through your Christian life. These are your birth rite as a Christian, so learn how to grow strong in God’s grace as a Christian disciple, as Paul exhorted his protégé in 2 Timothy 2:1-6:
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.
At conversion, you were already given everything in Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Through God’s grace, you have everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1). You are not lacking in any way, except maybe in willingness, motivation, or obedience, but that is between you and God, and that brings us back to where we began this sermon last week, with the five-step process to mature in Christ and go forth to minister in His name.
Step 1: Dedicate your life to God!
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1).
Step 2: Eliminate competing distractions!
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Step 3: Find your identity in God!
“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
Step 4: Gather with the Body of Christ as a healthy, functioning member!
“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:4-5).
Step 5: Live a life of wholehearted devotion by using your spiritual gifts to build the body of Christ to the glory of God – Live on Mission Today! CM! Live like a Champion Today! Live Strong in God’s Grace Today! This is what I’ve bene teaching you for years because this the life of discipleship, practically lived out in your life and through community!
“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:6-8).
Available Materials:
Read more...
Ezekiel 18
Examine Conventional Adages!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, June 22.
There was a proverb used in ancient Israel that was thwarted by God in both Jeremiah and Ezekiel, “The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Ezekiel 18:2 and Jeremiah 31:29). Moreso, in Jeremiah 31:30, God corrected their conventional adage, “But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge.” The original expression taught that children would pay the penalty for their parents’ sins, but the revised one taught that people experience the consequences of their own actions. This correction came when generations would be born into captivity due to the sins of those who had come before them, so God hammered it home in Ezekiel 18, concluding with an eternal truth about personal agency in verses 29-32:
“But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord God. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”
When conventional adages are not true, deviating from the Word of God, even if they had originated from the Bible, do not live by them. Examine their precepts, ensuring that the wisdom you live by has not been compromised by cultural norms, political ideologies, superstitions, or other religious doctrines.
Seize the moment and listen to what you say because your tongue is like a rudder, which can unknowingly steer your life off course (James 3:1-12).
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 17
Relief from Life under the Sun!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, June 21.
Have you ever found relief from the unrelenting heat of a scorching sun by resting in the shade of a beautiful tree? After a parable of judgment about two eagles and a vine, the prophet concludes with an oracle of restoration in Ezekiel 17:22-24:
Thus says the Lord God, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”
In exile, God was giving His people hope, reminding them of the Messianic promise of Isaiah 11:1, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” In fulfillment of this promise, in Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus quoted Ezekiel 17:23 in one of His parables, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” This invitation to find shade is available to “birds of every kind,” which means that there is hope for you and for all who are experiencing the unrelenting heat of living under the scorching sun.
Seize the moment and find relief in the shade provided through faith in the Son.
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 16
Day 1556
Give God Glory through your Giftedness!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, June 20.
Were you born with health, beauty, athleticism, or intelligence? Have you been afforded opportunities in life to develop your innate intellect and latent skills? Do you see the goodness of God at work in your life or do you take credit for what you have done with what has been entrusted to you?
God is the one who rescues us to fulfill His magnificent purpose through our giftedness. Our right response to His salvation is to dedicate all that we have to Him, seeing how He shaped us as part of His calling (Romans 12:1-8). It has always amazed me that God designed me in the womb already knowing the good works that He has prepared for me to fulfill (Ephesians 2:10). That’s a mind-blowing truth! Therefore, it is your calling, as a rescued child of God, to mature into the fullness of adulthood, fulfilling the purpose of what God has bestowed upon you from the beginning.
Seize the moment and give God glory by maximizing what He has entrusted to you!
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 15
Live with Purpose!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, June 19.
You are designed to live your life with purpose. From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus called people to live their best lives for the glory of God, which He believed could only be done when we live according to God’s creative intent and for His salvific purposes. Jesus warned about becoming like salt which has lost its saltiness (Matthew 5:13), or like a light which was hidden under a basket (Matthew 5:15). In John 15:5-6, Jesus illustrated this point by connecting Old Testament imagery about Israel being God’s vine, “I am the vine, you are the branches; … If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” Imagine that you were designed to produce choice fruit, abundant and eternal, only to find yourself withered and discarded because you stopped abiding in the One who created you for this very purpose.
The One who designed you is inviting you to return to Him, finding meaning and value in His creative intent for your life, and living with purpose every day. The danger of not heeding God’s call has always been straight forward, as Ezekiel 15:3-5 describes of a useless vine:
Can wood be taken from it to make anything, or can men take a peg from it on which to hang any vessel? If it has been put into the fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its ends and its middle part has been charred, is it then useful for anything? Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything!
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 14
Set your Heart Free!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, June 18.
God cares about your circumstances, but He cares even more about your heart. Often enough our priorities are backwards (Matthew 16:26). That’s because our hearts, by nature, are idol factories. This heart condition is one of the primary reasons why we are instructed to bring everything to the Lord in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). Even if your heart’s desire is to get God to work on your behalf, God responds to your prayer by cleansing your heart as His holy habitation. He is a jealous God and is unwilling to share your heart with any idol, even a well-intended one. The prophet emphasized this to the exiled elders of Israel in Ezekiel 14:3-6:
Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.’” Therefore say to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations.’”
God may not answer your prayers the way you think He should, but He is seeking first what’s in your best interest. Are you seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)?
Seize the moment and trust God’s unrelenting resolve to set your heart free from idols. “Pray without ceasing” so that you may be cleansed continuously (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 13
Give People Real Hope!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, June 17.
People need hope when they are suffering, but it can be difficult to discern real hope from wishful thinking during hard times. Criminals know this which is why so many scams are targeted at those who are going through hardships, such as financial woes, medical crisis, or personal grief. God used the metaphor of a whitewashed wall to make a distinction between those who give the people His truth and those who speak falsely. At a time of great danger to His people, God raised up prophets to speak hard truths, warning the people of the coming disaster and equipping them to stand firm, but false prophets countered their hard truth, weakening the people’s resolve to repent and draw near to God. In Ezekiel 13:10-14, God addressed the false prophets who were misleading the people with their wishful thinking:
“It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out. Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, ‘Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’ … And you will know that I am the Lord.”
The false prophets hurt the people with their wishful thinking because they did not motivate them to heed God’s Word, repent of their sin, and prepare for the coming storm. Give people real hope during times of suffering, biblical truths that will guide and strengthen them through their hardships, as well as lead them into eternal life.
Seize the moment and build your life upon the true and eternal teachings of Jesus Christ, who promises to be a firm foundation on which no storm will prevail (Matthew 7:24-27).
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Read more...
The Call to the Great Community 8
Discover Your Ministry! (Pt 1)
Being involved in ministry is a fulfillment of Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ministry is anytime you work unto the Lord. It is an outward expression of God’s grace at work through you. I would argue that it’s impossible to do ministry apart from Christ or for any motive other than Christ. It may be called a ministry, but it’s not! Just like we may not call it ministry when you go about your day, doing whatever it is you do unto the Lord, but it is!
Every single person, called by God and chosen to receive saving faith by grace, is called to live by the anointing of the Holy Spirit as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by 2 Corinthians 5:17-20:
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Ministry is not for an exclusive group, such as pastors and missionaries, and, if we were to define ministry as something for an “exclusive group” of people, then the simple fact that you are a Christian puts you in that exclusive group. With that said, how do you discover your ministry? That is a similar question to the philosophical one, “Why do I exist?” or “What on earth did God put me on this planet to do?” Discovering your ministry helps you find your place in the body of Christ because we are called to be members of the one body of Christ. According to Ephesians 4:11-16, the body of Christ is built up when each of us uniquely finds our ministry:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
You were chosen by God and called to be a member of the body of Christ on purpose! That purpose is to be build the body of Christ because we are the closest thing to the incarnation the world has after Jesus’ ascended to the right hand of the Father. If people are going to see Jesus, it’s through the church, the people of God who bear His image and manifest His fruit! Discovering that purpose invites you to take a 5-step process of discovering your ministry from Romans 12:1-8:
Step 1: Dedicate your life to God!
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1).
Step 2: Eliminate competing distractions!
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
These first two steps are summarized with a military image from 2 Timothy 2:4, “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” The focus of a Christian soldier is what it means to the fear the Lord, or to “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
Step 3: Find your identity in God!
“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
Step 4: Gather with the Body of Christ as a healthy, functioning member!
“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:4-5).
Step 5: Live a life of wholehearted devotion!
“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:6-8).
This is the biblical, five-step process to discover your ministry, but there is a significant issue that I must help you with if this is going to be of practical assistance to us as the Great Community of God! Jesus taught in Matthew 7:24-26:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
You must now go and do what you have learned! And not just once and done, but every day of your life. We work unto the Lord six days per week, and we dedicate one full day per week to cease from our unfinished works to rest in His finished work – to delight in God!
Discovering your life of ministry is truly about living a life of devotion to the beliefs and values you hold true in your heart; it’s about being a person of integrity. You must figure out how to align your heart and mind so that you speak and act in agreement with who you say you are in Christ. A life of devotion must include a devotional life because it is in our time with God that we hear from Him and dedicate our day to walking in the Way with Him. When done properly, your devotional life fuels your life of devotion, just like your Christian discipleship fuels our community life as the Great Community. What we do personally informs what we do corporately, and what we do together gives direction and boundary to what you do alone. This is how God designed it: for us to be totally dependent on Jesus, who is the head, and mutually dependent on one another, the unique members of His body.
Resources:
If you would like a printable PDF of the sermon notes, click HERE.
If you would like to watch this message, click HERE.
If you would like to watch the entire service, including music, click HERE.
Read more...
Ezekiel 12
The Severe Mercy of the Lord’s Delay!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, June 15.
There are so many promises of God which have not yet been fulfilled. While we wait for the Day of the Lord, we live in dark days, filled with the death and destruction. For millennia, the people of God have cried out for the Lord to make His triumphant return visible, to commence His rule with an iron rod, and to make all things new. Why must the Lord delay His return? We add our voices to the countless generations who say, “How long O Lord? How long must you tarry in keeping Your Word?”
What we don’t realize is that the Lord’s delay is not a bad thing, but a severe mercy. In 2 Peter 3:9, the reason for the Lord’s delay is the salvation of the nations, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Never forget that the Lord delays His return for the good of many, not only your friends and family, but also for those who are far off. In Ezekiel 12:22-23, the Lord addressed the prophet, admonishing the Hebrews for taking His patience for granted and mocking Him in their rebellion:
Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, “The days are long and every vision fails”? Therefore say to them, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.’ But tell them, ‘The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision.’”
Seize the moment and live faithfully as the Day draws near. Pray for the fulfillment of every promise, but until He comes, shine His light through your good works (Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:15-16).
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 11
Find Hope in the Face of Unexpected Death!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, June 14.
Have you ever experienced the shock of a sudden and unexpected death? The prophet had this experience in Ezekiel 11:13, “Now it came about as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘Alas, Lord God! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?’” Even though the prophet was already battle-hardened by the great suffering of the people at the hands of the Babylonians, he was still shocked by the unexpected death of one of their leaders. In response, Ezekiel fell on his face, bringing his anxiety and grief to God with prayers and supplications.
In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul taught the early followers of Jesus how to respond to the anxiety of their unexpected situations, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This was not a new way to handle the anxiety-producing experiences of life. We saw Ezekiel doing it, and how had God responded? The Lord guarded the prophet’s heart and mind with the promise of restoration for His people, which included the hope of the New Covenant in Ezekiel 11:19-20, “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”
Seize the moment and cry out to God when you experience an unexpected death, and He will restore unto you the hope of the resurrection (John 11:21-27).
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Read more...
Ezekiel 10
Cherubim and Whirling Wheels!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, June 13.
We are commanded to worship God alone, to never bow down to any created thing, regardless of whether it’s in the natural or spiritual realm. There are very few books in the Bible that describe the supernatural more than Ezekiel. The Cherubim, who magnify the holiness and power of God, are described in Ezekiel 10:3-5:
Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord. Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
Accompanying them are the whirling wheels, which represent the omniscience and omnipotence of God, in Ezekiel 10:9-13:
Then I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a Tarshish stone. As for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel. … Their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them. The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels.
These are awe-inspiring creatures! We learn how to respond to the supernatural from the angel of Revelation 22:9, who rebuked John when he bowed before him, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”
Seize the moment and worship God, whose omniscience sees all and omnipotence rules all.
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 9
Divine Protection!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, June 12.
God protects His children by giving them His presence. This gift marks them as belonging to Him. While not visible to the human eye, His presence is clearly seen in the spiritual realm. For this reason, the prophetic revelation of Ezekiel 9:3-4 captures my imagination:
Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case. The Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”
As the judgments of God unfolded throughout Jerusalem, starting in the temple, the only people spared were those who had been marked on their foreheads. What was this mark? Such divine protection is reminiscent of Exodus 12, when the blood of the Passover Lamb was put on the lintel and on the two doorposts of every Hebrew household. The mark declared God’s covenantal protection over their household, causing Him to pass over; hence, the name of the Jewish holiday commemorating this event – Passover. With this imagery in mind, the angelic mark was placed upon the true remnant’s foreheads. Their lives were passed over as God continued His divine plan to bless all the nations through Israel, preserving the blood line of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Climatically, in Revelation 22:4, the eternal family of God will have a visible mark, “His name will be on their foreheads.”
Seize the moment and make visible the presence of God in you – “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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 8
The Idol of Jealousy!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, June 11.
God loves you so much! In fact, He is jealous for you! After declaring how God rescued His children from Egyptian slavery, the Ten Commandments began in Exodus 20:3-5a, specifying how to have a right relationship with God, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.” These were the first and most basic commandments, and the curse they came with was unleashed upon generations of God’s people at the time of Ezekiel, as described in the prophetic revelation of Ezekiel 8:3-4:
Then I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of a man; from His loins and downward there was the appearance of fire, and from His loins and upward the appearance of brightness, like the appearance of glowing metal. He stretched out the form of a hand and caught me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy, was located. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain.
Seize the moment and offer God right worship, loving Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 22:37). God is jealous for your affections and because of His great love for you He warns, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 7
Sow to the Spirit!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, June 10.
Our actions have consequences. We know this is true, but we often ask God to unravel the moral fabric of the universe to let us off the hook, protecting us, even healing us, from the consequences of our own lifestyles and choices. We cry out for mercy, yet justice requires that we be judged according to the standard of our own actions, just as the prophet explained to Israel in Ezekiel 7:3-4, and 27:
Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the Lord! … The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with horror, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. According to their conduct I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the Lord.
God’s character is revealed by His justice. Jesus reinforced God’s standard in Matthew 7:2, “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Furthermore, Paul established this in Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Seize the moment and sow to the Spirit by loving others and forgiving them of their sins “just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). Justice was fulfilled through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross where God’s mercy and justice kissed. Got Grace?
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.
Read more...
The Call to the Great Community 7
Read more...
Ezekiel 6
Recognize God at Work!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, June 8.
As a teacher and communicator, I don’t like being misunderstood. It’s especially difficult when malicious motives are imputed upon me by others. As a pastor, my heart’s desire is to equip, encourage, and empower people in their Christian lives, but like a medical doctor, there are times when I must say difficult things to truly help a person. The longer I’m in my current ministry context in New Castle, Indiana, nearly fifteen years now, the harder it is to be misunderstood. Moreso, after thousands of years of salvific history, imagine how much worse it must be for God when He is misunderstood by His people. This is why God utilized the recognition formula – “then they/you will know that I am Yahweh” – eighty-seven times, seventy-two of which are in Ezekiel, and four of those usages are found in Ezekiel 6:7, 10, 13, and 14:
The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the Lord. … Then they will know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would inflict this disaster on them. … Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols around their altars, … So throughout all their habitations I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; thus they will know that I am the Lord.
God stated the “recognition formula” because He was intentionally acting to prove His power to His people and the surrounding nations. We find this in the exodus story (Exodus 14:18; 16:12), as well as in the times of Isaiah, such as 1 Kings 20:13 and Isaiah 49:26. No one likes to be misunderstood, and that includes God so pay attention to His work in your life.
Seize the moment and be still, knowing that He is God and He will be exalted in and through your life to the ends of the Earth (Psalm 46:10; Acts 1:7-8).
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.
Read more...
Ezekiel 5
Bear the Burden!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, June 7.
Ezekiel’s personal discomfort was not yet completed. Just as God commanded the prophet to lay tied up on his sides for 430 days, eating defiled food and drinking small amounts of water, next, in Ezekiel 5:1-4, the Lord instructed him to make another prophetic sign of Jerusalem’s impending destruction:
As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barber’s razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair. One third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take one third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and one third you shall scatter to the wind; and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. Take also a few in number from them and bind them in the edges of your robes. Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.
This was not a barber’s tool that Ezekiel was commanded to use, but a soldier’s sword. The distinction was intentionally stated in God’s command to the prophet, making it clear that the sharp sword was symbolic of the military defeat of Jerusalem. Just as Jeremiah was tasked with embodying the Babylonian Empire’s rule by wearing an oxen yoke, so Ezekiel was commanded to bear the burden of the people’s hardship at the edge of a sword. While you may not be called upon to do such symbolic acts, you are called to demonstrate the work of God by how you live your life.
Seize the moment and bear the burden of other’s hardships as a way of showing them God’s love – “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Read more...