Seize the Moment – Day 372
Hallelujah!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, March 24.
Have you ever heard someone shout out “Hallelujah” and wondered what it meant?
Hallelujah is a Hebrew word transliterated into the Greek of the New Testament and then used by people all around the world, regardless of their native language.
The word Hallelujah is found four times in Revelation 19 (verses 1, 3, 4 & 6). Ready to be surprised? These are the only four usages of this word in the New Testament. I found that hard to believe because it feels like a more common word, so I did a careful word study and found it to be true.
What does Hallelujah mean? In the Hebrew, it literally means Praise Jah (a shortening of Yahweh)! When we use it, we are saying, “Praise God!”
In Revelation 19, this word of praise is coming from the great multitude, the twenty-four elders, and the four living creatures. It is used to not only praise God for who He is (verses 1, 4 & 6), but also for what He has done (verses 1 & 3), and what He will do (verse 6).
How are we to use the word Hallelujah in our lives today?
First, when we want to praise God for who He is and lift up His name! When you meditate upon who God is, you will not be able to do anything, but praise Him.
Second, we use Hallelujah to praise God for His mighty works. The heavenly parties did this when they praised God for what He had done: His righteous and just judgment on Babylon (Revelation 19:1-6). They also praised God for what He would do: the marriage of the Lamb with the Bride, which is biblical imagery at the completion of all things (eschatos) that would forever and perfectly unite Jesus and His Church (Revelation 19:6ff).
Seize the moment and cry out Hallelujah with your life. May your words and actions praise the Sovereign God for who He is and all that He does to bring His glory from Heaven to earth.
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Seize the Moment – Day 371
In a Single Hour!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, March 23.
Where is your hope and security?
For many it is in things that can be taken from them in a single hour. Three times in Revelation 18 (verses 10, 17, and 19), we are warned not to put our hope and security in what can be taken away from us so easily:
- “Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come”
- “Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!”
- ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’
It strikes me that much of human accomplishment that takes years, even generations, to build, can be destroyed or taken away in a single hour. This is true for not only our lives, but it is true for our communities and nations.
Where is your hope and security?
Thanks be to God for sending His one and only son, Jesus Christ, the Indescribable Gift, who has made a way for people to give their lives to something that cannot be taken away in a single hour!
So, don’t just invest for your children’s education or your upcoming retirement, but Seize the moment and invest your time and resources into a kingdom that is not of this world, one that cannot be take away in a single hour. You will never be disappointed when you give generously to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will reap what you sow.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
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Seize the Moment – Day 370
The Victory of the Lamb of God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, March 22.
Will good ever prevail over evil?
This question is at the heart of every great epic story! This question is answered by the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
In Revelation 17 we see the forces of evil aligned against God, but we have this assurance found in verse 14, “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings! That is who He is and because He is preeminent over all things, there is nothing in this life or the next that can defeat Him or separate you from His love. As Paul said in Romans 8:37-39,
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is the promise of your security! The Victory of Jesus Christ, won once and for all on the Cross of Calvary has defeated the forces of evil and has removed the sting of death and forever has loosened the grip of sin.
I started by asking the question: Will good ever prevail over evil? The answer is: “It is finished!”
Seize the moment and walk in the Victory that has been won for you and is guaranteed by the sovereign grace of the Lamb of God.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
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Live Like a Champion – Week 12
The Promise of Good Works!
Ephesians 2:10 (NAS95)
In this sermon series, we are learning how to live like a champion by learning how to live according to the victory of the promises of God. Our guiding image for this series is being a member of an NFL team who wins the Superbowl. We live like champions so that others will come to know the One who gave us His Victory—Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again!
The play of the week is the “Promise of Good Works!” The memory verse for this promise is Ephesians 2:10,
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Listen to the promise as part of Paul’s gospel presentation from Ephesians 2:1-10,
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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.
“nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”
You were saved by grace alone and the good news is that God’s grace never stands alone—grace always produces the results of God’s intention! You were saved by God’s good work so that you would live out your life of good works for His glory! As James said in James 2:14-16,
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
What will be your life’s legacy? One of the most powerful testimonies about the promise of our good works is found in Revelation 14:12-13, which calls us to persevere in good works:
Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”
Amazingly, this is the first time the Holy Spirit explicitly speaks in the Revelation of John and it is to those who are in union with Jesus, or as I like to say, are in the yoke of Jesus. There is a blessing for them; the second of the seven beatitudes of Revelation, reminiscent of Jesus’ beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount.
The promise of God is that upon death we will not only rest from our work, but that our good works will follow us. The key to the promise is ensuring that our efforts are in alignment with God’s grace. Paul speaks clearly about this in 1 Corinthians 3:8-15,
Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
In the easy yoke of Jesus Christ you will fulfill the purpose of your life by producing the good works God has prepared for you to do in your life. God’s word from 1 Corinthians 3:8-15 teaches us the importance of ensuring that our efforts are in alignment with God’s calling. That is what the yoke does—keeps us aligned!
Never forget that grace is not opposed to effort, but to earning. It is not your salvation which is at stake, that is secure in the promise of God’s love. It’s your experience of rest in this life! You are called to the family of God to represent the Father through your good works, so now walk in them and don’t waste another ounce of energy by doing it alone for nothing done alone will last (John 15:5). I join with Paul from Galatians 6:9 and pray for you, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
We see this so clearly demonstrated in Joseph’s life—he was abandoned and betrayed, falsely accused, thrown in prison, and forgotten about, but he never let go of the promise and he never stopped doing good works because of His relationship with God. No matter the circumstances Joseph stayed in the yoke!
The key to the promise of good works is not to focus on the work itself, but to focus on your union with Jesus—your relationship with the Father through the Son. The good works that are done while in the easy yoke of Jesus are promised to follow after you because these are the works done in agreement with God and by His power. This is the very reason Jesus came and died on the Cross—for relationship! Jesus didn’t die for workhorses, but for those who would “partake [partner with Him] in His divine nature” (2 Peter 1:2-4).
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Seize the Moment – Day 368
Today’s hymn focus will be “My Jesus I Love Thee”
Today’s hymn was not written by a mature Christian who was reflecting on their life, but rather by a 16 year old teenager named William Randolph Featherstone. While history is unclear on his life growing up, his conversion must have been a life-changing event that would impact millions in many lands. It is believed he sent the poem to a family member in Los Angeles, who then shared it with a family member in London, where it was published in a hymnal in 1864.
Years later in Boston, Pastor A.J. Gordon came across the song when compiling a hymnal for his Baptist congregation, but he changed the musical setting.
A young actress was saved at his church and was moved by the message of the song, so much so, that she told her director that she could not continue to work in show business. He convinced her to at least finish out the run of the show, and she reluctantly agreed. On the night of the final performance, immediately following the play, she stepped forward and sang these words as the applause faded:
And she left the stage never to return.
We need to wake up and have the same determination that no matter what, we will always proclaim our love for Jesus and live our lives to reflect that love!
YOUTUBE:
for thee all the follies of sin I resign;
my gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
and purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,
and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
I’ll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
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Seize the Moment – Day 367
God is the True and Righteous Judge!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, March 19.
Are you quick to judge others?
Listen to the angel’s proclamation in the midst of God pouring out His wrath upon the earth. From Revelation 16:5–7,
And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Don’t be too quick to dish out what you think another person deserves, because Jesus is the only righteous Judge. Jesus warns us of this 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.”
Take a deep breath and remember this before you judge another person. It’s like a boomerang!
God has good reasons for His judgements. They are not only justice, but they are mercy. Listen to God’s yearning for those who are facing His judgment in Revelation 16:9, “Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.”
God does not desire for any to perish, but wants all to repent, to come to a saving faith in Him (2 Peter 3:9). He is sovereign. He is good. He is just. His judgments are always righteous and true.
Seize the moment and learn to read all of God’s Word through the lens of who God is and not through the lens of your own anger with others or your angst with the world situation.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
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Seize the Moment – Day 366
A Magnificent Vista of God’s Judgment!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, March 18.
Have you ever stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon or on the top of Clingmans Dome and found yourself awestruck by the scene set before you?
Revelation 15 shows us a vista of God’s mighty judgments. Listen to the praise and worship of the angelic watchers as they witness the majesty of God who sits upon the throne in verses 3-4,
And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
The angels’ response to God’s judgment of sin is praise and adoration. What is your response?
God loves you and wants only the best for you! Do you believe this about God and His judgment?
God knows that sin is not good for you, even when you think that what you are doing is best for you. It is our limited understanding of God that causes us to rebel against God’s best for our lives.
This is why we must make it our greatest ambition to know God. In knowing God, we will find ourselves in the loving embrace of a good father who desires to put His name on us and shine His glory through us.
Seize the moment and worship God in truth and spirit! Fear not for the Lord is with you and desires good for you and for all of His creation.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
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Seize the Moment – Day 365
Legacy of Good Works!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, March 17. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today is day #365 of these daily calls! I pray that we have helped you stay in the Word of God and remain yoked to Jesus through the Covid-19 pandemic.
What is your life’s legacy?
Revelation 14:12-13 calls us to persevere in good works:
Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”
This is the first time the Holy Spirit explicitly speaks in the Revelation of John and it is to those who are in union with Jesus, or as I like to say, are in the yoke of Jesus. There is a blessing for them; the second of the seven beatitudes of Revelation, reminiscent of Jesus’ beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount: they will leave a legacy of faith.
In the easy yoke of Jesus Christ you will fulfill the purpose of your life by producing the good works God has prepared for you to do in your life. Ephesians 2:10 teaches us God’s promise of good works!
Seize the moment and focus on your union with Jesus. The good works that are done while in the easy yoke of Jesus are promised to follow after you!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
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Seize the Moment – Day 364
Persevere in Your Faith!
Revelation 13
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, March 16.
Have you ever felt like you “lost sight of the forest for the trees”?
I remember flying in a military helicopter over the mountains of Dahlonega, Georgia during the second phase of the US Army Ranger School. As a 1997 graduate of this prestigious training, I spent a lot of time out in those mountains, but they were never so beautiful as when up in the helicopter flying over them instead of trudging through them. I was so exhausted by my circumstances and so focused on the task at hand that I could not see the beauty that surrounded me—I lost sight of the forest for the trees!
I am returning to the Dahlonega area in 2021, 24 years later, to hike the section of the Appalachian Trail that starts at Springer Mountain and meanders through those same ridge lines around Dahlonega. Though the terrain will not have changed, I guarantee my perspective will be different! I’m excited to see to the Forest!
Revelation 13 is an overwhelming chapter, describing the two beasts, the anti-Christ and his prophet, but verse 10 gives us an important perspective: “Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”
But for this one small clause in the middle verse of this daunting chapter. John is saying to us, the readers of Revelation, “don’t lose the forest for the trees.” Perspective changes everything—God has a bigger plan than what we can see so don’t let the details of today or the fears of tomorrow distract you from your faith.
Seize the moment and persevere in your faith! Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
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Seize the Moment – Day 363
Jesus’ Reign is with a Rod of Iron!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, March 15.
What does it mean when someone rules with a rod of iron?
Revelation 12:5 describes the rule of Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God, “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.”
It is also used in Revelation 2:26-27; 19:15, and in Psalm 2:9.
Contemporary dictionaries define it like this, “to control or govern very strictly or harshly.” The connotations are negative, tyrannical even, but the Bible is using it in a positive way.
To rule with a “rod of iron” means that Jesus’ reign will be an “unyieldingly just reign.”[1] His rule over people will show no favoritism. He will not deviate from justice to allow any perversion or distortion of what is right and true. He will rule according the standards established by God for His creation.
That is not tyranny. That is not harsh. That is love!
The intent of this image for the future is to invoke hope in the people of God. The goal is to inspire faithfulness until that day. Though we currently live in a world where justice is not always just and government is not always for the people, we can anticipate what is to come. We can live today with great expectation of all things being made right and true.
Seize the moment and face the injustices of today with faith, hope, and love because what God has promised for tomorrow is right and true.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Ephesians 4:1, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
YOUTUBE:
[1] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), Re 12:5.
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