Seize the Moment – Day 1385
Break the Yoke of Slavery!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, January 1, 2024.
Happy New Year! As you begin the new year, I invite you to renew your commitment to Jesus so that you may walk in covenant faithfulness to God and His Word – this is where you will find rest for your soul, in the easy yoke of Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30).
In Isaiah 14:3, God promised rest to His oppressed people, “And it will be in the day when the Lord gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved.” This promise was followed by the oxen yoke imagery, described in verse 25, “to break Assyrian in my land, … Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder.’”
The yoke imagery of the Old Testament symbolizes slavery and oppression by evil. Israel often found themselves oppressed in the yoke of slavery because they did not rest in covenant faithfulness to God and His Word. In three other passages, God references the oxen yoke through the prophet Isaiah:
- The promise of the Messiah in Isaiah 9:4, “For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.”
- The promise of rescue in Isaiah 10:27, “So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.”
- The judgment of Babylon in Isaiah 47:6, “You did not show mercy to them, on the aged you made your yoke very heavy.”
Seize the moment and take on the easy yoke of Jesus! Rest can only be found in covenant faithfulness to God and His Word – “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
Happy New Year!
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Advent 2023 (Wk 5)
Back to the Future
Cyndi Johansen & Bree King share with the children.
Conclusion: Pastor Jerry shares
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If you would like to watch the entire service, click HERE.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1383
Today’s song focus will be
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Luke 2:14-15 (NASB95)
““Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He
is pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds
began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see
this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
“It came upon a midnight clear, That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold:”
We need to wake up and take the message of peace into our area of the world that needs to either hear it for the first time or be reminded of it. Remember, each of us are to be the messengers of the gospel, just like those shepherds who heard it from the angels on that night so long ago.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.
with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats
o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains,
they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o’er its Babel sounds
the blessed angels sing.
whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way
with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
and hear the angels sing!
by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1382
The Day of the Lord!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, December 29.
After celebrating God’s coming victory over the Assyrian Empire in Isaiah 12, two future empires are named in Isaiah 13. This is Isaiah’s first oracle about the Babylonian Empire, which would destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC, and bring the people of God into exile. Within his prophecy about Babylon, Isaiah named the Medes who, together with the Persians, would conquer the Babylonian Empire (17-22), and be the ones to release the Israelite exiles from their seventy years of captivity, allowing them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it. The prophecies of Isaiah are amazing, and you start to see how his book must be read as a companion work to the history books of Israel. If God can so accurately forecast the international affairs of the ancient world through the prophet Isaiah, is it a stretch for you to take Him at His Word for the day of the Lord? Isaiah described the day of the Lord in excruciating detail in Isaiah 13:6-16:
Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt. … Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it. … Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. …
Seize the moment and trust Jesus, who commands His followers in Matthew 24:42, “be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” Until that day, the Holy Spirit has empowered you, as a member of Christ’s church, to live as His witness (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.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1381
Praise God for His Victory!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, December 28.
The victory we have is a vicarious one; it has been given to us by God through the coming of Immanuel, which translated means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). It has been won for us by the One who is our salvation. Isaiah 12:1-2 begins the victory song of Israel, “Then you will say on that day, ‘I will give thanks to You, O Lord; for although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.’”
Isaiah 12 is a climatic conclusion to a section of Isaiah’s prophetic work, which has been called, “The Book of Immanuel.” It is a hymn of praise to the God who relented from His anger to provide for His people a great victory over the Assyrian Empire, rescuing them from the death they deserved. But some people find even more in Isaiah’s beautiful song; they forecast a future fulfillment beyond Assyria, one that is still to come in the second coming of Jesus Christ. Isaiah’s song of victory concludes in verses 4-6:
And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.” Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things; let this be known throughout the earth. Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
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.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1380
The Stem of Jesse!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, December 27.
Is there hope in the face of death and destruction? Isaiah sure thinks so, as we once again find the image of life bursting forth from that which is dead (ref. Isaiah 4:2). In Isaiah 10, we learned that the Assyrians were commissioned by God to be His axe, to chop down the diseased tree of Israel (15, 33-34). Today, in Isaiah 11:1-4, we watch life burst forth from the felled tree of Israel, as Isaiah, once again, describes the coming of the Messiah:
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
Jesus Christ is “the stem of Jesse,” as Acts 13:22-23 explains, “After He had removed [Saul], He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all My will.’ From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus.” Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:16, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”
Seize the moment and trust in Jesus as the stem of Jesse – He is our living hope! He promises in Revelation 21:5, “I am making all things new.”
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.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1379
The Rod of My Anger!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, December 26.
Did you know that God can use a secular song or a Hollywood movie for His purposes, even when the people have their own ideas about it? This is a difficult concept to grasp, but an important lesson to learn; it’s humbling, especially if you believe that God will only use holy people or consecrated items to fulfil His greater good. A powerful example of this is found in Isaiah 10:5-7, when God proclaimed His usage of an evil empire to bring judgment upon His chosen people:
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hands is My indignation, I send it against a godless nation and commission it against the people of My fury to capture booty and to seize plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. Yet it does not so intend, nor does it plan so in its heart, but rather it is its purpose to destroy and to cut off many nations.
God chastised His people as “a godless nation” while He named the Assyrian Empire, “the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hands is My indignation.” They were a tool in His hands to bring about His judgment against His people. This was a heartbreaking turn of events, as verse 15 explains how God used the Assyrians like a lumberjack would use an axe to fell a tree, “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.” God can use anything or anyone to do His will, so we need to listen for His truth and watch for His activity in our everyday lives.
Seize the moment and remain humble and alert to how God can use unlikely people to speak. Are you listening?
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.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1378
The Dawn of a New Hope!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, December 25. Merry Christmas! Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Jesus Christ.
Christmas is a time of hope, expressed with bright lights piercing the darkness everywhere you go. In Isaiah 9:2-7, the Prince of Prophets foretold the coming of the Prince of Peace, the hope of humanity:
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. … For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
In Luke 2:8-14, seven hundred years later, hope came wrapped in swaddling clothes:
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Seize the moment and experience the dawn of a new hope – pass the peace of God to others today. Let us celebrate the arrival of the Prince of Peace. Merry Christmas!
God bless you!
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Advent 2023 (Wk 4)
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
26 “Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
27 Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
If you would like to see only the Time Machine lesson, click HERE.
If you would like to see the entire service, click HERE.
If you would like to see the evening Candlelight service, click HERE.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1376
Today’s song focus will be
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Isaiah 7:14 (NASB95)
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son,
and she will call His name Immanuel.”
Penned in 1744 by Charles Wesley, this hymn came about as he was inspired to write hymns that would prepare people’s hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. He wanted it to express the deep needs of humanity while also helping to renew faith in Christ’s coming. That is what makes this such a wonderful song to be part of the Advent Season celebration.
Come, thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in thee.
We need to wake up and continue to anticipate the coming of Christ. May it stir up an urgency to share your testimony of what God has done for you and how simple it is for others to have this precious gift of love, hope and joy. For only Jesus can
truly set you free!
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
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