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Grow Strong in God’s Grace – Wk 26

Learning How to be a Faithful Farmer for God’s Harvest!

A Faith that Listens and Obeys!

Hebrews 11:32-40 (NASB)

 

God is in the business of transforming stories through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to grow strong in God’s grace as active participants in the world He created. God has entrusted His creation to His people to work as His Harvest workers – “All the world’s a field, and all the disciples of Jesus Christ merely farmers!” Therefore, let’s be faithful farmers by following the four-step strategy of a hard-working farmer: 1) cultivate people with faith; 2) sow the good seed of God’s grace (the gospel) into their hearts and minds; 3) care for them as their stories are transformed into fruit-bearing plants; and 4) reap a harvest of praise as the church of Jesus Christ. This strategy must be empowered by the Holy Spirit because apart from God we cannot bear any good fruit (John 15:5). Therefore, harvest workers of God’s kingdom are called to grow strong in God’s grace. Let’s take the first step by learning from the transforming stories of the Hall of Faith, found in Hebrews 11.

 

STEP #1 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: CULTIVATE THE SOIL WITH FAITH

 

Today’s story is about Samuel, found in Hebrews 11:32-40:

 

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

 

Samuel’s story is found throughout the Old Testament. He is remembered as both a prophet and judge (1 Samuel 3:20; Acts 3:24; 13:20; Hebrews 11:32), and he was associated with Moses (Psalm 99:6; Jeremiah 15:1). He’s a powerful figure in the Bible,and we will learn how to have a faith that listens and obeys by examining the scope of his life, starting with his first direct experience with God. Let’s take the next action step and watch God’s grace at work.

 

STEP #2 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: SOW THE GOOD SEED OF GOD’S GRACE

 

Samuel’s name means, “heard by God,” and from his name alone we derive the power of His story – the importance of listening to God. His name comes from 1 Samuel 1:20, “It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked him of the Lord.’” You see, Samuel was a miracle baby, an answer to prayer after years of infertility (1 Samuel 1:1-19). The apex of his birth narrative was Hannah’s vow in verse 11, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.” Eli, the high priest, witnessed both thismoment in prayer, and the fulfillment of her vow, when she brought Samuel to the temple, saying to Eli, in 1 Samuel 1:26-28, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” Samuel’s name means “heard by God” because God heard Hannah’s prayer for a baby.

 

Samuel’s birth narrative aligns him with some of the greatest stories of the Bible, and it’s just the beginning. Samuel’s first direct encounter with God demonstrates another way we can view his name, as one who hears from God. Once again, Eli, the priest, and the man who raised him, plays an important part in Samuel’s story, as we read in 1 Samuel 3:1-4:

 

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. It happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well), and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, that the Lord called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.”

 

What a beautiful response – “Here I am.” It reminds me of Isaiah’s response to God in Isaiah 6:8, Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then I said, Here am I. Send me! What is your response when God calls you? We must have ears to hear. This is the first critical lesson we learn from Samuel – listen for God’s voice!

 

Now, for those of you who know the story well, I can’t just move to the next point. I must honestly tell you the rest of the story because Samuel, at this point in his life, couldn’t tell the difference between God’s voice and the voice of his father figure. That is not an uncommon developmental reality for any of us, but Samuel kept going to Eli when he would hear from God, then, in 1 Samuel 3:9, Eli gave these wise words of instruction to young Samuel, words he lived by the rest of his life, “And Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” ’ ” Furthermore, in 1 Samuel 3:16-20, Eli taught Samuel to not only listen for the Lord, but to be honest about what God says:

 

Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the words that He spoke to you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.” Thus Samuel grew and the Lordwas with him and let none of his words fail. All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.

 

Samuel learned to listen to God and to be honest about the message from God, no matter how hard the message. Eli instilled this into Samuel, even when Samuel had to tell Eli that he and his sons would come under God’s judgment. Samuel told his father figure that God’s wrath would fall upon him. Samuel’s developmental years uniquely prepared Samuel to be a faithful judge and prophet to Israel. Between Hannah’s obedience to dedicate him, and Eli’s instruction in the Lord, Samuel was prepared to God’s will. Let’s take the next step to learn how to do thisourselves because many of us, including me, were not blessed with such a faithful upbringing.

 

STEP #3 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: CARE FOR THE MATURING PLANT

 

I think many of us want to be like Samuel, a good listener who honestly follows the Word of the Lord, in word and deed, but we struggle with the following two things: 1) the ways of the world distorting our perceptions, and 2) people pleasing tendenciesdirecting our actions. We will now learn how to listen to God, honestly hear what He said, and obey His Word, from the story of Samuel’s anointing of David as the next king of Israel, found in 1 Samuel 16:5-13:

 

[Samuel] said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” But the Lordsaid to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

 

Samuel was sent on a mission from God, and to accomplish his purpose he had to listen to God and obey His will, not doingwhat was acceptable or understandable in his own eyes, or desirable by culture or family. Paul taught in Romans 12:1-3that to discern God’s will, we must follow in Samuel’s footstepsof faith:

 

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

 

It is a matter of maturing in the faith to not just give people your knee jerk “common sense” response to their situation or give them what they want to hear. There is still one last challenge we must learn from Samuel if we are to be the kind of people of faith who listen and obey. Let’s turn to the last action step because God desires for you to reap a harvest of praise to His glory, and you can’t do this if you are seeking the approval of man.

 

STEP #4 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: REAP A HARVEST OF PRAISE

 

Samuel died in 1 Samuel 25:1, but, oddly, his story doesn’t end there. In one of the most unique, and controversial, stories in the Old Testament, Saul visited the witch of Endor, a medium, and commissioned her to summon Samuel from the dead. Samuel’s response to Saul’s summons is epic, as recorded in 1 Samuel 28:15-20:

 

Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has departed from you and has become your adversary? “The Lord has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. “As you did not obey the Lord and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the Lord will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. Indeed the Lord will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!” Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; also there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night.

 

Samuel listened to God’s voice and obeyed Him! His position,as either judge of Israel or prophet of God, was based on how accurately he communicated God’s Word to the people, not on how he made those people feel. You can’t serve God if you are too busy serving man. In Galatians 1:6-10, Paul made it clear that you cannot be distracted by negative doomsdaying, orpositive soothsaying, but you must remain focused on proclaiming the hope of Jesus Christ:

 

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

 

You will do the most good, for the most people, when you remain focused on being a hope-bearer and not a doomsdayer! We have only one hope – Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again. Our calling as His church is to point to Him, in word and deed. We are to point to no other hope, so let’s focus on the mission of God, in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ!
 
 
 

You can watch the message by clicking HERE.

 

 


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Seize the Moment – Day 1299

Today’s song focus will be

Redeemed

 

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB95)

 

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

 

 

Fanny Crosby is well known for her hymn writing abilities, with over 9000 to her credit. This particular hymn was written in 1882 while attending a revival meeting led by her friend, Theodore Camp. She responded to the altar call, being prayed over by the elders. Previously, she had left the altar “without getting happy”, but this time was different. As the congregation sang the fifth verse from “Alas and Did My Savior Bleed”, she felt like her soul was flooded with heavenly light. She leaped to her feet, shouting “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”, as she realized that she had finally surrendered everything to God.

 

 

Redeemed, Redeemed! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Redeemed, Redeemed! His child and forever I am.

 

 

We need to wake up and realize like Fanny Crosby, who had been a Christian for long time, that to find true happiness in our Christian lives, we have to totally let go of the things of this world, and hold on to the hands of the One who redeemed us…Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior!

 
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 Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
 
If you would like to listen to this song, you can hear it played by clicking the link below:
 

Redeemed

 
1
Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am. Redeemed, redeemed,
 
Chorus:

Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
  His child, and forever, I am.

 
2

Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.

 
3

I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

 
4
I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose way I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.
 
 
 

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Seize the Moment – Day 1298

Protect the Control Center!

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 6.

 

The heart is the control center of your life. I’m not talking about your physical heart, which pumps blood throughout your body; I’m talking about your spiritual heart; the one that Jesus referenced when He described Himself as being, “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Whoever, or whatever, is in control of your heart determines what you are like, and what you think, say, and do. Solomon knows the importance of protecting the control room of your life, so he instructed his students in Proverbs 4:23-27:

 

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.

 

As a child of the 1970s, I remember the threat of the Cold War, and the movies inspired by that era of fear, which emphasized the insanity of the defense doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). A popular plot of that time was the hostile takeover of the control room of a nuclear missile silo; to initiate a catastrophic war, causing great destruction and mass chaos. Honestly, this was not an original plot; it is the ancient strategy of Satan to seize the control center of a person’s life, so that he can use that person as a vessel of evil – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10a).

 

Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 4: protect the control center of your life! Jesus desires to rule from the throne of your heart, so that, you “may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). It is from your heart that all good things flow (Luke 6:45).

 
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 1297

Love God and Walk by Faith!

Proverbs 3

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, October 5.

 

You have heard it said that we are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), but what does that look like? One of my earliest understandings of faith came from watching an Indiana Jones movie, when he took a blind step of faith onto a perfectly camouflaged bridge, to find the way across the chasm. I thought the life of faith meant I had to do the same, but Solomon taught me the truth, in Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lordand turn away from evil.

 

This promise of God, which comes with the praxis of walking by faith, is not asking you to take a blind step, like Indiana Jones had to do, but to trust in God, and in His Word, for each step you take. Through the study of His Word, God illuminates the path before you (Psalm 119:105). When you learn that God is trustworthy, and His ways are true, then the path becomes straight, as you realize you are walking with Him. The life of faith is learning to trust the God we cannot see, but who is with us, as Hebrews 11:1 explains, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Sight is when you lean on your own understanding, faith is when you acknowledge Jesus by your side. We are instructed in 1 John 2:6, the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

 

Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 3: love God and you will walk by faith! This is the life that pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6).

 
 
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 1296

Prioritize God and Find Treasure!

Proverbs 2

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, October 4.

If you were given a treasure map, which led to a fortune beyond comparison, how would you seek after it? Would you make it your full-time endeavor, or would you dilly dally around in your pursuit of the hidden treasure? Of course, you wouldn’t waste time; if there was something of greatest importance to pursue, all other endeavors would be reprioritized, so that you could you focus your time, energy, and resources on searching for the treasure. In Proverbs 2:1-5, Solomon instructs his students to do the same, but not for the riches of this world:

 

My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.

 

Jesus, the embodiment of God’s wisdom, teaches His disciples to do the same in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Furthermore, Jesus commands in verse 33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” To fear the Lord is to reprioritize everything else in your life to serve the pursuit of God and His vast riches, given to you through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You will only learn this by putting into action the wisdom God has commanded you to follow.

Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 2: prioritize God and find treasure!
 
 
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.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
 
 

 


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Seize the Moment – Day 1295

Fear God and Live Wisely!

Proverbs 1

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, October 3. Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Josh Richardson.

 

Solomon used the BLUF method of communication in the book of Proverbs. I was taught this style in the military; it stands for: Bottom Line Up Front, meaning you provide the most important information first. The aim is to make communication precise and powerful. Solomon succeeded in doing so with the opening paragraph of Proverbs, concluding the introduction of the book with the most important statement in Proverbs 1:7, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Solomon desired for people to walk in the counsel of the Lord; his father, David, had also taught from the beginning of his book of wisdom, stating the bottom line up front in Psalm 1:1-2, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

 

The heart of Proverbs can be summed up, “Fear God and Live Wisely!” Solomon concluded the opening chapter, in verses 32-33, with a double-edged promise, “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” [emphasis added] Solomon is speaking through the voice of wisdom personified, warning those who foolishly despise her will eat the fruit of their own folly; in contrast, those who wisely listen to her, and heed her voice, shall reap blessings.

 

Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 1: fear God and live wisely! Paul emphasized this principle of wisdom to us in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

 
 
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.

Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
 
 
 

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Seize the Moment – Day 1294

Praise God on your Epic Journey!

Psalm 150

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, October 2.

Today is a big day – the last day of the 150-day prayer journey, and the conclusion of the third volume of my Seize the Moment daily devotional series. Thank you for walking with me on this epic journey! It has taken me over three-and-a-half years to write a devotion on every chapter of the New Testament and Genesis through Psalms of the Old Testament. While I have experienced the fatigue of this epic journey, like any person would who has undertaken such an ambitious adventure, I continue to praise the Lord who gives me the strength to CM to the finish line of the Old Testament. I join with the psalmist who, praised the Lord with Psalm 150:

 

Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness. praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

 

I see my life as one big adventure, from answering God’s call to be a pastor at the same church for fourteen years now, to a multi-week tour of the national parks out west, or a multi-day hike on the Appalachian Trail, or even twenty-four years of marriage to my beloved wife. Life is a journey, and we are transformed by the decisions we make every step of the way, so choose wisely so that you are formed into the image of Jesus Christ along the way!

 

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 150, meditating upon the Lord of the journey. Life is an epic journey, so praise God every day, at every mile, and with every decision upon life’s journey!

 

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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Grow Strong in God’s Grace – Wk 25

Learning How to be a Faithful Farmer for God’s Harvest!

The Faith of a Person After God’s Own Heart!

Hebrews 11:32-40 (NASB)

 

God is in the business of transforming stories through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to grow strong in God’s grace as active participants in the world He ‘ created. God has entrusted His creation to His people to work as His Harvest workers – “All the world’s a field, and all the disciples of Jesus Christ merely farmers!” Therefore, let’s be faithful farmers by following the four-step strategy of a hard-working farmer: 1) cultivate people with faith; 2) sow the good seed of God’s grace (the gospel) into their hearts and minds; 3) care for them as their stories are transformed into fruit-bearing plants; and 4) reap a harvest of praise as the church of Jesus Christ. This strategy must be empowered by the Holy Spirit because apart from God we cannot bear any good fruit (John 15:5). Therefore, harvest workers of God’s kingdom are called to grow strong in God’s grace. Let’s take the first step by learning from the transforming stories of the Hall of Faith, found in Hebrews 11.

 

STEP #1 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: CULTIVATE THE SOIL WITH FAITH

 

Today’s story is about David, found in Hebrews 11:32-40:

 

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

 

David’s story is found throughout the Old Testament, and it would take the rest of the year to cover it, and even then, we would only be covering the highlights. David’s life of faith, and his transforming story, are essential to learn from. What is it about this story that put David in the hall of faith? Let us pray and then we will look at the next action step to answer that question.

 

STEP #2 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: SOW THE GOOD SEED OF GOD’S GRACE

 

David was not a perfect man, but, in Acts 13:22, Paul called him“a man after God’s own heart. He did so as part of a short history lesson of Israel, during one of his sermons from his first missionary journey, as recorded in Acts 13:21-23:

 

Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After He had removed him, 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. [emphasis added]

 

Paul attributes the key phrase here to God, that according to God, David was “a man after my heart, who will do all My will.” Paul mentioned his name’s sake, Saul the son of Kish, who was the first king of Israel. Interestingly, Saul is not listed in Hebrews 11, even though he was the chosen of God to be the first king. Even though the author of Hebrews listed multiple judges of Israel, David was the only king of Israel listed. That’s kind of scandalous if you think about it, especially when you consider the number of Judges who are listed. Hebrews 11 even goes on to say, “Samuel and the prophets,” which we will look at over the next two Sundays, but of all the kings of Israel, only David was named. Furthermore, there is a significant contrast between Saul and David, which emphasizes why David was a man after God’s own heart David was obedient to do all God’s will. In direct contrast with Saul, who was removed from office for disobeying God, as Samuel, the last judge of Israel and prophet of God, rebuked Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22-23, and verse 28:

 

Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.

 

David was chosen to replace Saul, and while he, too, didn’t do it perfectly, he obeyed the Lord’s will. It is evident from the Bible that David loved God with all his heart, mind, body, and soul. This is the Greatest Command of Jesus Christ, who taught us in Matthew 22:37-40:

 

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

 

More than anyone else in the Bible, David expresses his love for God and His Word. Just read the Psalms. David loved God and that manifested in his obedience to do God’s will, as Jesus explained would happen to His followers in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John built upon Jesus’ words in 1 John 5:1-3:

 

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

 

Let’s take the next step to learn how to mature into such loving obedience to God.

 

STEP #3 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: CARE FOR THE MATURING PLANT

 

How do we continue to live with the faith of a person after God’s own heart when we sin? When we royally mess things up and must face serious consequences? We learn from David that this requires of us to learn how to walk in a rhythm of confession and repentance. Learning obedience to God’s will is not a linear path, a once and done experience. As we learn from the Old Testament (think about the 40 years of wandering in the desert), observe every person mentioned in Hebrews 11, and confess from our own lives, the pathway of obedience is a meandering journey of learning to trust God, and that He will keep His promises. On paper, this should be a quick and easylesson to learn, but it’s not; it’s a long slow obedience in the same direction of maturing into a person after God’s own heart, who will do all God’s will.

 

David learned this in the infamous moment of his life: his affair with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband, Uriah. This story is found in 2 Samuel 11, and David’s life is forever marked by his treachery, as we see it referenced in Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1:6, Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah.” Yet, it was not for this massive abuse of power, and sin against God, that he is remembered and celebrated – David is forgiven and called, “a man after God’s own heart.” To understand this, we need to read what happens when Nathan the prophet confronted David for his sin in 2 Samuel 12:7-13 (This response is set in the context of an allegorical story Nathan told David to arouse his anger, and sense of justice, in verses 1-6.):

 

Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. ‘I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! ‘Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. ‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. ‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’ ” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.

 

If you keep reading this historical account in 2 Samuel 12, you see that David was a broken man over his sin against God, and because of the consequences of his sin against his family and nation. We see his confession and repentance most clearly in Psalm 51. To learn from David how we are to walk in a rhythm of confession and repentance, so that, we too, can become people after God’s own heart, let us know read Psalm 51 out loud, together. To do this, I am going to read from one our new pew Bibles, which are the NASB95 edition, donated to us through the estate of Jane Reese. (We will have a dedication ceremony of these new pew Bibles next week.)

 

Maturing into a person who has a heart after God’s own heart is cooperating with the work of the Holy Spirit to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ, as Paul taught in Romans 8:29a, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” This is a life-long process of maturation, and it is through this process that our lives will reap a harvest of praise to the glory of God, so let’s turn to the last action step.

 

STEP #4 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: REAP A HARVEST OF PRAISE

 

Paul taught us about his ministry in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. [emphasis added] The Greek word for “controls us,” is also translated “compels us” and has the connotation of being seized by the love of God. You can only seize the moment for God, after you have been seized by the love of Jesus Christ! (The order matters!)

 

Compelled by the love God, the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we can live a life of obedience, like Jesus, and become people after God’s own heart, which includes living in the rhythm of confession and repentance when we mess it up. The life of love will not be a perfect life, as we saw from David, and every other person listed in Hebrews 11, but it will be life that is responsive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word and God’s people. This is how we are transformed, from the inside out, so that we become like Jesus, “gentle and humble in heart,” which Jesus graciously invited you to learn from Him and find rest for your soul in His easy yoke.

 

I conclude with Jesus’ gracious invitation from Matthew11:28-30,

“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.”

In the yoke, we walk in obedience to the will of God, which is you being conformed into the image of God’s Son, the Son of David, Jesus Christ. This is the only way to have a heart after God’s own heart, like David. This only happens when you are compelled by God’s love. This is a word from the Lord to His church (Proverbs 29:18). May we be unified in this one purpose as the body of Christ (Ephesians 4), trusting that all the good fruit that will come from our branches is because we abide in the vine of Jesus Christ (John 15).  
 
 
 

You can watch the message by clicking HERE.

 


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Seize the Moment – Day 1292

Today’s song focus will be

Hear our Praises

 

Psalm 96:1-2 (NASB95)
 
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
 

Rueben Morgan wrote this song in 1999 and was featured on Hillsong’s album Shout to the Lord 2000 as a declaration song of worship. And while it is an inspirational song to proclaim God’s praises everywhere, it also serves as a prayer of the Great Commission. With our homes and communities filled with Christ’s love, and the areas of suffering and injustice bowing to Jesus, then the whole world will declare in unity the glory of God.

 

From the mountains to the valleys,
Hear our praises rise to you,
From the heavens to the nations,
Hear our singing fill the air.

 

We need to wake up to the fact that according to I Corinthians 1, we are all called to agree together, perfectly united in mind with the message of Christ and not to be divided. This can only be accomplished when we seek Him first in everything we say and do.

 
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.
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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:
 

Hear Our Praises

 
May our homes be filled with dancingMay our streets be filled with joyMay injustice bow to JesusAs the people turn to pray
 
From the mountains to the valleysHear our praises rise to You (from the heavens)From the heavens to the nationsHear our singing fill the air(Fill the air)
 
May Your light shine in the darkness (as we walk)As we walk before the crossMay Your glory fill the whole earthAs the water o’er seas
 
From the mountains to the valleysHear our praises rise to YouFrom the heavens to the nationsHear our singing fill the air (from the mountains)
 
From the mountains to the valleys (hear our praise)Hear our praises rise to YouFrom the heavens to the nationsHear our singing fill the air
 
Hallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujah (we sing)Hallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujah (we sing)Hallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujahHallelujah, hallelujah
(from the mountains)
 
From the mountains to the valleysHear our praises rise to YouFrom the heavens to the nationsHear our singing fill the air
 
From the mountains to the valleysHear our praises rise to YouFrom the heavens to the nationsHear our singing fill the air
 
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Reuben Timothy Morgan
Hear Our Praises lyrics © Hillsong Music Publishing Australia

 


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Seize the Moment – Day 1291

Sing and Dance to a New Song!

Psalm 149

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, September 29.

 

Hallelujah – Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 149:1). I asked my Sunday School class: What does it mean for you to sing a new song? One of our elders testified,saying that he has been singing a new song since he was saved by Jesus in a jail cell. One of our worship leaders followed up on his comment, quoting Paul from 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” How profoundly simple: If you are in Christ Jesus, then you are singing a new song – your very life has become a praise offering to God! As the psalmist declared in Psalm 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.

 

You are now a hopebearer and no longer a doomsdayer! You dance to the beat of a new drummer; the psalmist described thisnew song in Psalm 149:3-5, “Let them praise His name with dancing; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation. Let the godly ones exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. Your life is meant to be a joyful expression of praise, filled with faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13; cf. Galatians 5:22-23). God’s will for your new life is that you be thankful in every circumstance (1Thessalonians 5:18; cf. Philippians 2:12-16). Stay in step withthe Holy Spirit!

 

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 149, meditating upon the joy of the Lord as your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Do not be conformed to the song of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Sing and dance to the beat of the new song in your life!

 

God bless you!
 
 

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