Seize the Moment – Day 468
Every Crisis is an Opportunity!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, June 28.
Do you have a situation that is too big for you to tackle by yourself? Are you inviting the Lord to fight this battle for you?
Exodus 14 narrates Israel’s escape from Egypt after the Passover. Shortly after Israel’s departure, Pharaoh forms his army to chase after and capture his escaping slaves. Verses 10-14 describes the Hebrews response:
They became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? … But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today … The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”
In the urgency of this new crisis, the Israelites quickly forgot God’s displays of power in the ten plagues and the Passover. They fell into despair and were willing to put themselves back into slavery without a fight!
Moses called them to trust God, who would fight the battle for them! In fact, three times we hear this phrase in Exodus 14, God declares “I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army” (verses 4, 17, 18).
Where people saw only crisis and defeat, God saw victory through His people’s faith!
As we learn in 1 John 5:4, “This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Seize the moment and invite the LORD into your circumstances. Through the eyes of faith, every crisis is transformed into an opportunity for God’s glory!
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Live Like a Champion – Week 26
The Promise of Adoption!
Romans 8:14-25 (NAS95)
Adoption is the Holy Spirit’s ministry of the Father’s grace towards His lost children. Allow me to share an illustration of what grace is; I’ve shared this with you before, but it has been years since I have:
If a young man is killed through some random act of violence, and his father tracks down the guilty person and kills him, we would call that vengeance. If, however, the father calls the police and the murderer is arrested, tried, convicted, and executed, we’d call that justice. If, at the trials, the father pleads for the guilty man’s life to be spared and the judge and jury consent, we’d call that mercy. Now imagine this: in addition to pleading for the guilty one to be spared, the father appeals to the judge to release the offender into his custody and care. Miraculously gaining approval, the father takes the young man into his heart and home, adopts him, and raises him and loves him as his own son…that would be grace! (DeMoss & Grissom, Seeking Him, 86)
That is a beautiful image, but God’s grace goes one step further!
This adoption by the Father is made possible because God, our Heavenly Father, gave His only son Jesus Christ to take our death for us so that justice was satisfied through Jesus’ propitiation of God’s wrath. Jesus came so that all the sons and daughters could be bought back from the penalty of sin, for the wages of sin is death, and brought Home to God’s forever family through the shed blood of Jesus Christ!
This is a legal transaction! We move from alienation and estrangement from God to welcomed and cherished members of God’s large, forever family. Listen to John teach us this in 1 John 2:2, “[Jesus] Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the provision of the Father’s love that makes the Holy Spirit’s promise of adoption possible!
The Holy Spirit assures you of God’s grace in your life, forever. Because of the plan of the Father, the provision of the Son, and the promise of the Holy Spirit, you do not get what you deserve, but rather you receive grace upon grace through the ministry of adoption. Rather than being cast aside because of the sin that separates us from our heavenly Father, we are welcomed into a large, forever family. Adoption not only gives us a new heavenly Father, but it also gives us a large, forever family of brothers and sisters.
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
Adoption is a part of God’s plan of salvation to redeem all things back to His rightful rule, what the Bible calls the Kingdom of God, which is often taught through the imagery of a family (“familial imagery”). While we are not yet in God’s eternal Kingdom, which will be in the New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21-22), we are in the age of God’s grace when it is through the promises of the Holy Spirit that the Church, the adopted people of God who have been grafted into Israel, to declare and make known the Kingdom of God through the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in word and deed.
Until the Lord returns, this is our purpose as the children of God—the sons and daughters of the King of kings—with rights of inheritance to His presence, His power, and His promises! Amen!
Therefore, there is no reason to fear because you are no longer a slave to fear, but a son of God; you are a child of God with legal rights of inheritance to Jesus’ Victory! Paul proclaims in Galatians 4:4-7,
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
You are legally and forever adopted as a member of God’s household because of the plan of the Father, the provision of the Son, and the promise of the Holy Spirit! You are secured by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God! God lives in you—He has sealed you for the day of redemption, He has anointed you as His chosen possession, and He has given you power from the heavenlies to be His witnesses to all the wayward children of the nations.
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Seize the Moment – Day 466
Today’s Hymn Focus: This is the Day!
I chose to tell you about this hymn because it plays a foundational role in my daily walk with Jesus. While I am not gifted with Pastor Ken’s amazing singing ability, I love to worship God with joy in my heart.
That the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice, we will rejoice,
And be glad in it, and be glad in it.
This is the day that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day
That the Lord has made.
While I don’t sing this song every day, I sing this song almost every day. It is a part of my daily devotional experience, just as much as saying the Lord’s Prayer, reciting the 23rd Psalm, reading a portion of God’s Word, meditating upon a passage, and praying my prayers.
Singing a song based on God’s Word is an important daily discipline to strengthen your spiritual vitality as you learn to walk in the easy yoke of Jesus Christ.
Seize the moment and face your day with joy in your heart remembering that it is a good day because every day is a gift from God. As Paul taught us in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” That’s another foundational hymn for a different Saturday.
Have a wonderful weekend and I hope to see you at First Baptist Church Sunday morning for 9 am Sunday School and 10:30 worship service!
God bless you!
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Seize the Moment – Day 465
God Leads for God’s Purposes!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, June 25.
Who is leading your life and to what end?
Exodus 13:17-18 enunciates an essential emphasis:
Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea…
God leads the Israelites out of Egypt and through the upcoming journey that ultimately would take 40 years. Let’s be honest, Moses, like any human leader, would have been fired if it took 40 years to do what could be done in 11-days (Deuteronomy 1:2).
When we choose to follow God, it is always about the journey because the destination is already secured. God leads us so that we can learn to follow Him each step of the way! Because God’s leadership always has a higher purpose than any person’s leadership!
God’s purpose is for you “to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).
That’s why I love it when people claim Romans 8:28 amid their situations: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
While what we want that to mean is for our lives to work out the way we want, God’s purpose is to lead us closer to Him every step of the way!
Seize the moment and trust God on life’s journey! Follow Him and He will make you become the best version of you to the glory of God!
God bless your day!
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Seize the Moment – Day 464
The Blood of the Passover Lamb!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, June 24.
Exodus 12 is a critical chapter to understanding the religious and social identity of Israel as the people of God and their most important festival—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, commonly known as the Passover.
This chapter is not only important for the Jewish community, but also Christians as it lays a critical foundation to better understand our religious and social identity in Jesus Christ. Apart from understanding the Passover, it is impossible to fully understand why Jesus Christ had to die on the Cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins, the propitiation of God’s wrath!
Listen to the LORD’s words from Exodus 12:12-13 as God summarizes His great deliverance of His people through the tenth plague:
For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. The blood [of the Lamb] shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
This story and the annual celebration of it illuminates the importance of why Jesus is called the perfect Passover Lamb. As John the Baptizer said in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John the Elder further explained in 1 John 1:7, “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
These are the precious declarations of our Christian faith and are rooted in Exodus 12.
Seize the moment and know that your salvation has been won for you at a great cost—that cost was the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect Passover Lamb, the Savior of the World.
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Seize the Moment – Day 463
Throughout the Land of Egypt!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, June 23.
Exodus 11:4-7 is a very important passage in this short chapter that warns of the final and most horrific plague:
Moses said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. ‘Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. ‘But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’
There is a critical detail that is often missed in the teaching of the Passover: the tenth plague was a threat to “all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.” That means both Israelites and Egyptians were in danger equally from this plague.
This time and for all time forward, God makes a distinction between His people and other people by authorizing a specific way for them to be protected. The Israelites are no longer automatically protected, like they were in the first nine plagues, because now they must obey God’s authorized way to be safe. As we will learn in Exodus 12, it is only through the blood of the Passover Lamb that God’s people would be safe from God’s coming judgment.
The same is true today! Paul says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Seize the moment and trust God for your protection from His coming wrath—believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
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Seize the Moment – Day 462
Legacy Events!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, June 22.
What are the stories you tell the next generation? What legacy events from your life do you want talked about around the dinner table?
God adds the next generation to His motives behind His awesome display of power through the ten plagues. Not only is He rescuing the Israelites from Pharaoh, but He is also establishing a legacy event that will shape their new identity as God’s people. Listen to the LORD speak to Moses in Exodus 10:1-2,
Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.
God is directing Moses to teach His people to remember the ten plagues and how He demonstrated His absolute sovereignty and ultimate power over Pharaoh and Egypt’s pantheon of gods to rescue them from slavery and oppression. God was pointing out to them that this was not to be forgotten!
Are there moments from your life that should not be forgotten? Are there experiences with God or events and situations from your past that have shaped you into the person you are or have become defining moments for your family?
Seize the moment and reflect upon your life and the good that God has done for you. Write it down in a journal or record you telling the story in your own voice. Plan a family gathering when you can share some of these stories with the next generation. Ask God to reveal to you the legacy events of your life and how He would like you to tell the future generations about His greatness through your story.
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Seize the Moment – Day 461
Favoritism!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, June 21.
Every parent knows not to show favoritism. It causes jealousy and conflict between the kids because people tend to act out when they feel like someone is getting treated better than they are. Just remember the story of Joseph and how his father’s favoritism and special gifts brought great suffering upon him at the hands of his brothers.
There is an exception though. God, our heavenly father, makes distinctions between those who belong to Him and those who do not. While every person can call upon God to be their Father, not everyone recognizes Him as their creator, redeemer, and sustainer.
Exodus 9:4-6 overtly states how God makes distinctions between the Egyptians and the Israelites and how God’s plagues would impact them differently:
“But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.” The Lord set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died.
In order to rescue His chosen people, God made a distinction between those who are His and those who are not. Why? Because, as we see in verse 16, God’s motive is greater than one nation: “But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.”
While God was working to rescue His chosen people from the Egyptians, His ultimate purpose was that through them all the children of the world would know His name and power. God accomplished this purpose through Jesus Christ!
Seize the moment and call upon God as your heavenly Father. He loves you! Jesus made the way for you to be His favored child!
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Live Like a Champion – Week 25
The Promise of Power Through the Holy Spirit!
This Week’s Memory Verse: Acts 1:8
Who wouldn’t like some more power?
Power to get up and face the day (Show the Energizer Bunny)
Power to be able to handle stressful work situations (Show the Star Trek Kirk quote).
The world defines power (according to Merriam-Webster)
“a source or means of supplying energy; the ability to act or produce an effect; possession of control, authority or influence over others.”
The biblical word used in this specific verse is “dunamis” (doo-ni-mas), which means:
“a description of strength of mind; moral qualities of a person; an inner strength that does not come from or depend on outer things. This is how they will be able to show God to others through their lives.”
Growing up, my parents raised my two sisters and me to be able to do things on our own, to take the initiative to get things done (which took a lot of prodding at first), and to help others when needed, which they led by example. They had us in church, surrounded by people who encouraged us in our walk with Jesus, and showed us that they were to be serving others in love, as the Holy Spirit gave them the power and the strength that they needed to get it done.
I know it was God’s power through the Holy Spirit that was helping them to do this because they could not have done it on their own. They demonstrated to us that they were studying the playbook. In this day and age, we could say that we have an app for that…downloading and plugging in to the right source! But where the problem lies is that, just like a gym membership, it doesn’t work unless we use it or put it to work. The power of the Holy Spirit is not something you use in the case of an emergency. NO! We are to be allowing it to flow in and through our lives each and every day.
I trust you have been listening to Pastor Jerry’s messages the last two weeks. They are key to understanding the differences between being sealed, being anointed, and having the power of the Holy Spirit. Somehow, there has been confusion in the church and many have come to think that these are interchangeable, and that is not the case! They are all part of what He does in our lives so we can carry out God’s plan for our lives. Let’s dig into the playbook (the Bible) and see how these all can work together in our lives.
Today, we will cover
- What is the intent of the power of the Holy Spirit?
- What is the best way for the power to flow?
- ow are we to listen? and
- How He ultimately brings glory to God?
I. What is the intent of the power of the Holy Spirit?
It is literally the power of God, the ability to act effectively and influence the behavior of others or influence events. Since it comes from Him, it is infinite, unlimited and eternal, unlike any other kind of power.
As David was being anointed to be king:
“So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.”
1 Samuel 16:13
The Spirit enabled him to do wonderful things, even in the face of great hardship and persecution. While He did not permanently indwell, the Spirit worked through them and gave them power to achieve things they would not and could not on their own.
n a vision to Zechariah for Zerubbabel:
“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
Zechariah 4:6
In this message of encouragement to Zerubbabel, he was being told that his work wasn’t going to be accomplished through human strength and human power, but by the Spirit of the Lord, a divine power that is constant and consistent.
B. In the New Testament we find:
To be witnesses and share the Good News of Jesus with everyone
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
Personalize this verse… “In New Castle, and in all of Henry County and Indiana, and to the end of the earth.
The once timid disciples, who had been in hiding since Jesus’ crucifixion, were now turning the world upside down with the message of the Gospel.
Paul writes to Timothy to encourage him:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:7
Look at that order! It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to love, and to be disciplined. When we share the Gospel, we are to share it with power, but also in love and the evidence of that should be seen in our lives. It can never be a “do as I say, not as I do” message.
II. What is the best way for the power to flow in your life?
“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”
Luke 24:49
“Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:4-5
They were told to stay and wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit would come. They were not told how long they would have to wait. How many of us would have honestly stayed in place after just a couple of days? This group of followers waited over a week! Ten days after receiving the message to ‘stay put’, that is when the power fell on them.
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.”
1 Peter 5:6
I have told you before that Peter is one of my favorite disciples. He was often quick to speak or act, yet Jesus loved him dearly and kept telling him to love others as well. He was the one who had denied knowing Jesus to a servant girl yet on the Day of Pentecost, he was the one preaching to all who would listen! God provided through the Holy Spirit what Peter needed, just when he needed it!
III. How are we to listen to His voice and leading?
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”
Matthew 6:5-8
Remember, prayer is a TWO-WAY communication! You don’t just pray down through you prayer list, then say “OK, that’s it. Gotta run!” We are to wait upon the Lord, allow Him to speak to our hearts, and for Him to tell or show us what He wants us to do for the day.
And you don’t have to be real wordy with your prayers. Just talk with Him like you would a friend on the phone, but just like a friend on the phone, let Him get a word in edge wise!
“But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”
Luke 5:16
This is just one time the Bible records Jesus going off by himself to pray. He knew that in order to hear God’s voice clearly and without distractions, He had to be by Himself. So if Jesus did it, and we say we want to be like Jesus, shouldn’t we be doing the same thing?
“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” 1
Corinthians 9:27
No excuses about fasting. I know some can’t fast from food because of medical conditions. Then fast from Facebook, or television or games on our phone, iPad, or gaming system. Spend that time reading your Bible, praying and journaling. If you can only fast one meal, then take that time to go out to your car and spend that time with God. This is a great way to set a new habit or routine, as some of the other things we do are distracting us from what God is trying to say to us that He wants us to do as believers.
IV. How does He ultimately bring glory to God?
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Colossians 3:17
The Holy Spirit was moving upon Paul as he emphasized an important message. In his letters to the Corinthians and to the Colossians, he uses almost the same words. Not just some things, but everything, knowing that we are representing Jesus and giving glory and thanks to God. This can only be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Left up to us, trying to do it in our own strength and power, usually ends up a train wreck!
The Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, pointing us to the example of Jesus and helping us become more like Him. Jesus never took credit for the miracles and wonders that He did, but rather always pointed people to give praise to His Father, God. And God loved us so much, that He sent His one and only Son to live among us and give His life for us. Then when He rose again, He ascended to the right hand of the Father to intercede for us, and the Holy Spirit came to comfort and guide us….see the wonderful cycle of love!
This is how we should live our lives…in the fullness of power through the Holy Spirit. This can only be done when we stay in the Word, discipline and train our hearts and minds, listen to the voice of God as He speaks to our hearts and then work together to build His kingdom, all to His glory.
I want to pray this blessing over you as we close out this message:
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
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Seize the Moment – Day 459
Today’s hymn focus will be “There is Power in the Blood”
1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT)
This hymn was both written and composed by Lewis Edgar Jones in 1889, while he was attending a camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park, MD. He was a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, and Billy Sunday was one of his classmates.
While hymn writing was one of his passions, he spent most of his life working for the YMCA, in a variety of positions.
This hymn emphasizes the fact that we are redeemed by the blood of Christ, recognizing the sacrifice He made, giving His life to save our souls.
“There is power, power, wonder-working power, in the blood of the Lamb
There is power, power, wonder-working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb”
We need to wake up from our spiritual slumber and recognize all the power that God has given us to live our lives for Him. There is Power in the blood of Lamb (Jesus) that saves us…There is Power in the name of Jesus when we pray…and There is Power through the Holy Spirit that enables us to be His witnesses!
YOUTUBE:
There is Power in the Blood
Would you be free from your burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder-working power,
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide,
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow,
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
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