Seize the Moment – Day 350
Overcomers!
Do you ever get discouraged by your circumstances?
No matter what you are going through, you can rest in the Lord and walk in His promises. You are an overcomer!
Listen to Jesus’ promises in His messages to the Seven Churches of Revelation, today focusing on the last three churches in chapter 3:
- To Sardis, Jesus says in verse 5, “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
- To Philadelphia, Jesus says in verse 12, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”
- To Laodicea, Jesus says in verse 21, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
Do you trust that Jesus is who He says He is and can do what He says He’ll do? Then, don’t bail before the blessing!
Seize the moment and get to know Him and to learn for yourself that He is trustworthy and true.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NAS95), “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
It is important to review all the memory verses. Remember, we are not memorizing words to pass a test, we are creating habits of grace to live a victorious life by hiding God’s Word in our hearts and meditating upon them day and night. God bless you as you walk with Him in the way!
God Bless you!
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Seize the Moment – Day 349
Unveiling Jesus Christ!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, March 1.
Listen to how Jesus is described to the first four of the seven churches of Revelation:
- To Ephesus in 2:1, Jesus is “the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands.”
- To Smyrna in 2:8, Jesus is “the first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life.”
- To Pergamum in 2:12, Jesus is, “the One who has the sharp two-edged sword.”
- To Thyatira in 2:18, Jesus is, “the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze.”
Don’t skip to the later chapters of Revelation and miss out on the Revelation we receive about Jesus Christ in the first three chapters.
God has not hidden Himself from humanity, but rather He unveiled Himself to us through Jesus Christ. We found Jesus in the Gospel accounts, the early church history book of Acts, the 13 letters of Paul, and in every book of the New Testament.
Do you know Jesus? He has made Himself known; He desires for you to know Him personally.
Seize the moment and know Jesus. He is still revealing Himself to people today. Read your Bible, memorize God’s Word, and pray without ceasing.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NAS95), “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
It is important to review the first three memory verses as well. I keep my memory cards clipped to my prayer journal and have them typed into my Evernote workflow app so that I can review all of them throughout the day. Remember, we are not memorizing words to pass a test, we are creating habits of grace to live a victorious life by hiding God’s Word in our hearts and meditating upon them day and night. This is the way!
God Bless you!
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Live Like a Champion – Week 9
The Promise of Grace!
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (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.
Never forget, the victory is ours in Christ Jesus and we are invited to play like a championship team, today. 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 Grace!” and the memory verse for this promise is 2 Corinthians 12:9a,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
STEP #1: Know God’s playbook—the Bible—by learning the promises of God. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, the Bible passage from which our memory verse is found. It is important to keep it in context.
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! [Paul is referencing verses 1-6 after describing and defending his ministry in chapters 10-11] Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. [Paul then continues to describe the authenticity of Christian ministry—the charis of God, not the charisma of man!]
Grace is the essential power source of the Christian life. Grace is the “divine power” referenced in the foundational scripture of this entire sermon series, listen again to 2 Peter 1:2-4,
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Just as we learned that covenant is the framework of the promises, so grace is the power of all the promises.
STEP #2: It is not enough to know this truth about God’s grace, we must experience it for ourselves and train it into our deepest places. If we don’t learn grace, we will simply live out of our own natural strengths and not out of our weakness. Listen again to 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 and its counter-cultural reality.
From What’s So Amazing About Grace, Philip Yancey famously wrote, “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”
This is God’s perfect love expressed to us through grace. Listen to Paul in 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.”
This teaches us that our status before a holy God is not dependent on our works, but because of God’s perfect love made visible to us in Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary and extended to us by grace through faith.
We see grace clearly in key elements of Paul’s gospel presentation in his letter to the Romans:
Romans 3:23-24,
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Do you see how God expresses His grace to us in these passages?
We move this from our head into our hearts when we learn to receive this free gift of God’s love and stop working for God’s approval. Get off the performance treadmill because there is nothing you can do to make God love you more and there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. It’s all grace!
STEP #3: Grace is not just a reality that we must move from our head to our hearts, it’s the play we are to play in both the private and public arenas of our lives. How would the Coach [Coach = God!] have us run the play of grace in our everyday lives?
Grace is often pigeonholed by Philip Yancey’s above definition, because as helpful as it is, it is not complete. Grace is more than a statement of our status before God (our positional holiness), grace is the means by which we live out and make visible our salvation (our personal holiness). Grace is the presence of God in us (through the indwelling Holy Spirit!) to walk in the good works of our salvation. Reference back to Ephesians 2:8-10 and highlight how verse 10 manifests through the same grace that saves in verse 8.
“to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.”
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (cf. Philippians 2:12-13).
Grace is the promise of God that determines both your position before Him and your power to live out your faith and make Him known. There are no Christians and there is no Christian life or witness without grace!
STEP #4: It is God’s grace that makes us members of His body, the family of God, the Church. Grace is how we experience God in union with Christ and how express God’s life to the world through our ministry!
I conclude with Paul’s teaching for the church about the promise of grace from Ephesians 3:14-19:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
May you now receive and walk in the grace of God so freely lavished upon you for the glory of God. Amen.
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Seize the Moment – Day 347
Grace Greater Than All Our Sin
“ And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
The daughter of a Presbyterian minister born in 1849, Julia Harriette Johnston grew up to be faithful to the ministries of the church, serving as teacher, Sunday school superintendent, writing Sunday school lessons and several books for David C Cook Publishing. She was also prolific as a writer of 500 hymn texts, most known for “Grace Greater than Our Sin” with Daniel B. Towner composing the tune.
Grace is a key concept in our Christian faith. If it weren’t for grace, then none of us would qualify for heaven. She wanted to make sure that we knew that God’s grace would cover each and every sin.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
Wake up and hold on to this promise of God! It is more than enough, for He will supply the power that we need in our times of weakness, for it is greater than ALL our sin!
YOUTUBE:
Grace Greater Than Our Sin
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured–
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater– yes, grace untold–
Points to the Refuge, the mighty Cross. [Refrain]
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
All who are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive? [Refrain]
https://hymnary.org/text/marvelous_grace_of_our_loving_lord
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Seize the Moment – Day 346
Introduction to the Revelation of John!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, February 26. Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Topanga Cole, Ella Oakes, and Tesla Sullivan.
Are you walking in the promises of God?
The Revelation of John is a message from God to give His people a persevering faith and an overwhelming hope. As we face difficulties in this life we must stand in the victory of God, which is on the promises of God!
God has revealed to us in Revelation 1:7-8, “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
We are invited to stand with the Victorious One as we share in His Victory—this is the work of the Alpha and the Omega, who is the beginning and the end. It is done! This is the key to our victory!
Based on this, Jesus commands our fear away in verses 17b-18, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
Fear has once and for all been swallowed by the eternal life of God! This is the love of God!
Seize the moment and walk in faith, hope, and love. This is the promise of Revelation—the promised fulfillment of God’s covenant with humanity!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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Seize the Moment – Day 345
Pray the Prayers of the Bible!
The ending of the short letter of Jude is one of the most beautiful benedictions in all the Scriptures. The Bible is filled with prayers of blessing!
Listen to Jude 24-25, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Allow me to pray three more prayers from the New Testament:
- “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Romans 15:33).
- “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).
- “Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:4-6).
Seize the moment and pray the prayers of the Bible! You will be blessed! And you have been blessed to be a blessing!
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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Seize the Momvent – Day 344
Be Holy and Healthy in Every Respect!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, February 24. Please join us for the in-person or online Prayer Awakening mid-week prayer service tonight at 6:15 pm—it is a time of worship, prayer, and Scripture reading.
3 John is another short, but powerful little book of the Bible. Listen to John’s opening thoughts in verses 2-4, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
John is speaking of his spiritual children—those the Lord brought to Himself through John. Just as any loving father, John cares for the growth and development of these children into adulthood.
John cares about their holiness and their wholeness:
1) John celebrates their holiness unto the Lord—they not only testify to the truth, which means they believe right things about God and the gospel of Jesus Christ, but they also walk in the truth, which means they are living a holy lifestyle unto the Lord. We cannot simply say that we love God and His Word, we must obey God and do what Jesus commands.
2) John cares about their wholeness. He wants them to be healthy people as they walk with Jesus. John cares that we are healthy in all respects—emotionally and relationally, physically and socially, so that we prosper and not just in our souls.
Seize the moment and be holy and whole—it is for this reason that God has saved you and sent you into the world to shine His light and love.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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Seize the Moment – Day 343
Chosen Children!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, February 23.
I want to emphasize to you the heart of John’s short letter, called 2 John, from one congregation to another, from one part of the family to another.
Listen to John at the beginning of the letter in verses 4-6,
I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.
Now listen to how he finishes the letter in verses 12-13, “Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. The children of your chosen sister greet you.”
John’s letter is a masterpiece that teaches us how we should relate to one another as members of the one church of Jesus Christ—we should see one another as fellow children of God.
His letter also emphasizes the heartbeat of Christianity—the love of God which is the commandment of Jesus Christ which we are to walk in and in doing so, find joy in God and one another. What a beautiful life God has chosen us for!
Seize the moment and walk in love today so that your joy may be made full.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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Seize the Moment – Day 342
The Unforced Rhythms of God’s Grace!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, February 22.
Do you feel overcome by the world situation and burdened to do something about it?
Listen to 1 John 5:3-4, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”
Our faith in Jesus Christ is the victory because Jesus has already overcome the world. Never forget that our victory is vicarious—it is what Christ has done, not what we must do! We prevent ourselves from becoming overwhelmed and burdened by it all by remembering it’s not us who can do anything, but Jesus who does it in and through us!
We are to share in His work and partner with His power and presence in the world. This is why Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 is so important, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Seize the moment and let all your work be done in partnership with Jesus in the unforced rhythms of grace.
Let’s recite this week’s memory verse from Genesis 9:12-13 (ESV), “God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.’”
God Bless you!
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Live Like a Champion – (Week 8)
“The Promise of a Covenant”
INTRODUCTION:
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- Covenants make two into one. When two parties make a covenant in the Bible, they are joined together and identified with each other. At every covenant’s core, there is a change in relationship.
- Covenants involve promises. A practical agreement like not harming one another or protecting one another, or not to obliterate a weaker people group.
- Covenants involve families and bloodlines. In the Bible, two parties may make a covenant that is intended to last for generations. The following generations are automatically included in the covenant, and they share in the duties and benefits.
- Covenants are spiritually charged. They call God as witness. Covenants are taken seriously, and for good reason: two people are joining together based on little more than their words. They trust a divine being to hold them accountable.
- Covenants are not easily broken. The people making covenants often slaughter animals to demonstrate what should happen to the one who breaks the covenant. To break a covenant is a serious thing, it’s a bond that God Himself holds people to.
1) If we are to know the playbook, we have to read it and follow the instructions for ourselves.
*The Bible… “What is this?” (The Bible) “What are you supposed to do with it?” (Read it!)
O.T…“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8
N.T…“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
2) If we are to train to be in shape, we have to set up reminders.
- I am a list maker!
- I use my phone to set up reminders of upcoming meetings and events.
O.T…“Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.” Proverbs 6:21-22 (This echoes Deuteronomy 6:7; 11:19)
N.T… “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17
3) Listen to the Coach, because communication is key!
O.T… “You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.” Deuteronomy 5:32-33
N.T… “And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38
4) If we are to work as a team, we need to show everyone Who’s team we are playing on!
Children’s song: “When we all work together”
O.T… “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
N.T… “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16
O.T… “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14
N.T…“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15
Benediction:
Paul writes in Romans 15:5-6: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
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