Seize the Moment – Day 1275
Pray Real-Life Prayers!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 13. Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to Vinny Slover.
The psalms teach the faithful how to handle their real-life emotions. Psalm 137 captures the profound pain of Israel during Babylonian exile, starting in verses 1-4:
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
What trauma and anguish it must cause to have witnessed your nation destroyed, with cities razed to the ground by your captors, and people murdered by your tormentors? What a horrific existence to then be demanded by those same people to sit by the edge of their home rivers, providing entertainment for them with the songs of your former happiness while all those memories stream on the big screen of your mind. Let us not judge the psalmist for the rage found in today’s psalm.
By the end of today’s heartbreaking psalm, as described in verses 8-9, the psalmist’s rage has crashed against his captors, like a tsunami plummeting down upon a coastal village, “O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, how blessed will be the one who repays you with the recompense with which you have repaid us. How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock.” It is painful to read these final words, experiencing the raw pain of the exiled. My heart breaks! I am appalled! I weep for the suffering of the abused throughout the world and cry out, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13). Where are any of us to go with such real-life emotions?
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 1274
The Rhythm of Praise and Thanksgiving!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, September 12.
The greatest antidote to so many of life’s struggles is giving thanks – the spiritual discipline of counting your blessings. There is something liberating about an attitude of gratitude. Your perspective is elevated when you praise God and intentionally think about all the ways God is good. Paul commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” That’s a clear focus to live by! Psalm 136:1-4 introduces you to a twenty-six-verse template for the daily practice of counting your blessings:
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Every verse after this introduction combines a specific thanksgiving with the refrain of praise, “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” As you meditate upon today’s psalm, may you experience the powerful rhythm of praise and thanksgiving, liberating your soul from worry, and focusing your mind on the goodness of God. I encourage you to count your blessings every day by rewriting Psalm 136, letting this be your custom-made song of praise and thanksgiving to God for what He has done in your life. Most of the work is already done for you as you will keep the refrain the same, as well as the introduction verses. Prioritize time today to tell God how thankful you are for what He has done for you specifically. There is power in praising God and giving thanks!
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 136, meditating upon the everlasting love of the Lord. Focus on God and all that He has done, and He will elevate your perspective no matter what you are facing today.
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 1273
The Everlasting Name!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, September 11.
There is power in a name! People love to hear their name spoken. If you want to get someone’s attention, use their name. Yelling random names across the room may draw people’s attention to you, but it most likely won’t get the attention of the person you are trying to communicate with. If you want to be in a relationship with someone, you need to learn their name. Names matter to God, and names should matter to us! Psalm 135 emphasizes the Old Testament’s usage of the everlasting name of God. Three times, the psalmist states:
- Verse 1a, “Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord.”
- Verse 3b, “Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely.”
- Verse 13, “Your name, O Lord, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O Lord, throughout all generations.”
The name of God captures His character and personal identity, proclaiming His existence. God revealed His everlasting name to Moses at the Burning Bush, establishing a personal relationship with him (Exodus 3:14); hence, Moses became known as the “friend of God” (Exodus 33:11). While God was given many names in the Old Testament, He has revealed to us the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). In fact, the everlasting name of God was “bestowed on” Jesus for this very purpose (Philippians 2:9). Jesus took on the everlasting name of God, by which He saves us, as He prayed in John 17:11-12, “Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me.”
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 135, meditating upon Jesus Christ, “the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9-10). Cry out to God using His everlasting name, for Jesus is the way to the Father (John 14:6). There is power in the name!
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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Ed Bell’s Testimony Sept 10, 2023
Ed Bell, Husband, Father, Farmer and Speaker.
Little things make a big impact!
Deb and I were dating and thinking about getting serious. She had a former boyfriend who couldn’t take no for an answer. Deb was a nurse and had moved into an apartment. She invited me over to see it.
My life was changed forever on Sept 5, 1982.
Her boyfriend shot at the apartment and drove off. The police came and told us to stay put. I had driven the farm truck that weekend and I had a 22 rifle and took it into the apartment. Her boyfriend came back and broke all the windows out of the truck. He climbed up to her balcony.
Deb hid in the closet and dialed 911. He kicked at the sliding glass door. He had a trench knife and a large pistol. He dropped the knife as he kicked. The door latch broke and he came in. He said, “Kill me, Ed.” Ed had his rifle and knew he had the right to kill him. Ed wouldn’t kill him. He grabbed Ed’s rifle and Ed heard a “boom”.
They continued to struggle. Ed shot him in the leg and it made him angrier. Ed fell over and he shot Ed point blank while he lay on the floor. Ed tried to shoot him but the rifle jammed. He shot Ed again and hit him in the collar shattering vertebrae paralyzing him. It was a 44 special hollow point. The blood was pouring out of his body (he lost half of his blood supply) and Ed could hear it hitting the floor.
He was passing out and could hardly breath. He was sure he was going to die. He could only think of all of his dreams. He feared for his parents’ reaction. He even wondered if his science teacher was right – there is nothing after death. But he said “NO!, I believe in Jesus”. His sins passed before his eyes. “No, I believe in Jesus! I’ve got nothing but Jesus!” I remembered the song, Jesus Loves Me. The blood stopped!
He had to learn to do things all over again.
God has called Ed to till the soil and cultivate people whenever he gets the chance.
Ed took the chance to challenge us…
Romans 15:28-29
Matthew 16:24-26
Galatians 2:20
Isaiah 57:11-13
“Get planted where you are, grow, make fruit. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind – and tell the world.
It’s that simple. Do it now. Repentance isn’t you crying. It’s you changing.
You can watch the message by clicking HERE.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1271
Today’s song focus will be
Rock of Ages
Psalm 62:1-2 (NASB95)
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”
In 1740, Augustus Toplady was the pastor in Somerset England, traveling along a road near Burrington Combe when an intense storm broke out. The rugged cliffs on one side and a deep gorge on the other, forced him to dash into a cave
for shelter. The words for the hymn began to form in his mind as he thought of the shelter being found in the rock of faith and it giving protection from the storms of life.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee
We need to wake up and acknowledge the words of this hymn! It is a solid testimony of the powerful sacrifice of Christ who is not only our Savior, but He is our source of protection and encouragement.
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.
Rock of Ages
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Seize the Moment – Day 1270
The Perspective of the Stars!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, September 8.
God has a sense of humor because I’m writing today’s devotion at one in the morning. Not because of any deadline, but because I couldn’t sleep. In response to my sleeplessness, I went outside to look at the stars. The night sky brought me into a place of wonder and worship of God, so I opened my Bible to Psalm 134, which declares, “Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord, who serve by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.”
Looking at the stars never fails to recenter me on God, especially when I’m sleepless. As David expressed in Psalm 8:3-4, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” Whatever worry you may have had, it comes into perspective when you look to the stars and allow God to remind you of His sovereignty and immensity. When you can’t sleep, what do you do? Do you toss and turn, stare at the clock, and let your mind wander? Or do you focus your mind on the opportunity to pray, open the Scriptures, and worship God with the unique opportunities of the night?
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 134, meditating upon the beauty of a star-filled night sky and how it captures your attention, takes your breath away, and changes your perspective. Take time to marvel at the mysteries of God’s creation, proclaiming God’s handiwork by the way you shine His light to others in your everyday life – night and day. While you may never “serve by night in the house of the Lord,” you are called to be like those stars, which “appear as light in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15).
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 1269
The Unity of Shared Purpose!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, September 7.
There is something powerful that happens when people go on a mission trip or a pilgrimage journey together – they unite as a family (or team). When people spend focused time together, they tend to unify around their shared experiences. Psalm 133 captures the purposeful unity of those who pilgrimage together to experience communion with God:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forever.
The fulfillment of today’s psalm is one of Jesus’ purposes for coming – to birth His church and build it through people, in the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4), as He prayed to the Father in John 17:20-23:
I do not ask on behalf of these [the original disciples] alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 133, meditating upon Jesus’ prayer for the unity of His church. What is causing division in your local assembly of believers? What steps can you take today to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:13)?
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 1268
A Whole-Body Focus on God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 6.
As part of my sabbatical in 2019, I took a week-long backcountry hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was beautiful as I walked across Fontana Dam, hiked the creek trails to connect with the Appalachian Trail, then ascended to its highest point of elevation – Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet. It was with this goal in my mind that I trekked through many arduous miles over three exhilarating days – the ascent had a breathtaking goal! The same is true for the pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem and Mount Zion. They sought the pinnacle of God’s presence on Earth, the place of His habitation, and the footstool of His throne, as Psalm 132:13-16 describes:
For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. “This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread. Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
Imagine joining me on one of my multi-day backcountry hikes into the beauty of God’s creation, focusing your mind, heart, body, and soul on not only the restorative power of the journey itself, but also anticipating the breathtaking views that awaited at the destination. Now, more importantly, put yourself in the shoes of these ancient pilgrims as they sang these words of the Songs of Ascents on their long journey to Jerusalem, ascending to the Temple Mount on Zion. Consider the transformative power of such a whole-body focus on this one purpose – to experience God’s presence!
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 132, meditating upon the privilege of having the presence of God (Matthew 1:23; 18:20; 28:20). Invest time today to go for a walk with the Lord, focusing your mind, heart, body, and soul on Christ alone.
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 1267
The Consolations of the Spirit!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday,
Take a moment to contemplate Spurgeon’s insight on Psalm 131, “It is one of the shortest Psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn.”[1] While the promises of Psalm 131 will be simple to memorize, the practices of experiencing the consolations of the Spirit will take a lifetime to master. Stop everything and meditate upon today’s psalm:
O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.
Jesus promised in Matthew 18:4, “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” How are you to become like a weaned child, resting peacefully against the comforting presence of its loving mother? The consolations of the Spirit are found when you take God at His Word and trust Him the same way a weaned child has learned to trust its mother – totally and without reservation. Paul teaches us a few of these practices in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 131, meditating upon the promises of God and how you can walk in them today so that you may experience the consolations of the Spirit, as Jesus promised in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
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.
FOOTNOTE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 1266
From Out of the Depths!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, September 4. Happy Labor Day!
One of my favorite backcountry hikes was a rim-to-rim hike of the Grand Canyon. We descended the south rim, crossed the Colorado River to hike across the canyon, and then ascended the north rim. With the north rim being a thousand feet higher than the south rim, we literally climbed out of the depths of the Grand Canyon. It was an exhilarating experience!
Psalm 130:1-3 describes the pilgrim crying out to God, “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Starting from this place of quiet desperation, you can hear the psalmist ascend to the vista of God’s redemption in verses 5-8:
I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that anyone can cry out to God from the depths. To ascend to the vista of abundant redemption, you must put your hope in Christ alone. As Paul explained in Ephesians 2:5-6, “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.”
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 130, meditating upon the elevated vista of your abundant redemption – Jesus Christ raised you out of the depths of your sin and depravity so that you can soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). From what perspective are you looking at your life and circumstances?
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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