Be A Blessing
Be A Blessing
Romans 12:4-16; 1 Peter 3:8-11
A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Jerry spoke about Gideon and his need for a sign from God. I have to admit, my mind immediately chased a rabbit and went to “What if God used church signs to speak to us?” Let’s look at a few…
“Try these four-letter words: LOVE PRAY HOPE”
“If you don’t study the Bible, you won’t get the answer!”
“This too shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it’s gonna pass.”
“Our church is like fudge – sweet with a few nuts.”
“Forgive your enemies – it messes with their heads.”
“Kind words can be short and sweet, but their echoes are truly endless.”
All too often, we forget that our words carry a lot more weight than we give them credit. When we think of being a blessing, we tend to only think about tangible ways like giving someone money or meeting a need. But what about the blessing that all of us can give with our words? Not something just to pacify them, but to truly speak life over them and into their lives.
We are to be the Body of Christ, which means we have to all work together. That is why we all have been given different gifts. This makes it possible for us to be that Body.
ILLUS: Fold thumb over on both hands. Pick up Bible and turn to Romans 12
Thumbs have been given a bad rap. Have you ever heard “I’m all thumbs”? In the movie “Spy Kids” the Thumbkins were the bumbling henchman. We NEED our thumbs! They are the ones that help us to get a grip on things. “Okay, Ken, but I don’t feel like I am an important part of the body….I feel like I am the appendix.” Well, at first people thought it was a part that was no longer useful to the body, but now they are finding that it provides “good” bacteria for the intestines to help with digestion and our immune system. * So, while we could live without it, it serves a purpose. This is why every part of the body is important.
*https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-does-the-appendix-do-5270731
READ: Romans 12:4-16
Paul wrote these words to the people of Galatia and to us to remind us that we are to use our gifts selflessly, never for selfish gains, but in order to honor God and to see His blessings poured out on the whole body!
Peter has some similar words to say as he wrote to the people of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (which is now modern day Turkey)
READ: 1 Peter 3:8-11
What does that have to do with being a blessing? EVERYTHING!
We are all to be working together to build the kingdom of God for His glory and honor, not just for our own benefit. The late Rev. Dr. Jack Hyles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond, IN once stated: “The greatest blessing in the whole world is being a blessing.” He was known for building one of the nations largest bus ministries that then led to opening schools and training resources to help minister to the needs of the church and community. God used his giftings and those of the people in the church to make a difference for both current and eternal needs.
So today we are going to give you scriptural answers to the following questions:
- Who is to be a blessing?
- When are we to be a blessing?
- How are we to be a blessing?
- Why are we to be a blessing?
Let us pray….
I. Who is to be a blessing?
1 Peter 3:8:
“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”
- Be of one mind (the body)
- Sympathize with each other
- Love each other as family
- Be tenderhearted with each other
- Keep a humble attitude toward each other.
II. When are we to be a blessing?
“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
- Rejoice always
- Be patient
- Keep praying
- Be ready to help
- Eager to practice hospitality
- Encourage each other
- Build each other up
ILLUS: George Mraz and weightlifting training.
III. How are we to be a blessing?
“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
- God has given each of us different gifts:
- Prophesy, speak the words God has given you.
- Serving, then serve others well
- Encouragement, then be encouraging
- Giving, then give generously
“When God blesses you financially, don’t raise your standard of living. Raise your standard of giving.” (Matt Batterson)
- Leadership, then take it seriously
- Showing kindness, then do it gladly
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.”
- Can’t fake it till you make it!
- Not just for married couples.
- Really love and be genuine.
- Keep in mind what is good.
- Enjoy recognizing that love by honoring each other.
IV. Why are we to be a blessing?
- 1 Peter 3:9:
“Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.”
- Don’t do what sinful nature leads you to do, but rather allow the Spirit to lead you to pay back with a blessing.
- Do what God has called you to do…and you will be blessed.
- Think about it this way…God did not add another day to your life because you needed it. He did it because someone out there needs you!
- When we serve others in love, we are showing our love for God in what we do and say.
Conclusion:
Today, I have given you the scriptural evidence that proves 1) Who is to be a blessing; 2) When we are to be a blessing; 3) How we are to be a blessing; and 4) Why we are to be a blessing. Imagine what our world would be like if we, as Christians, put this into practice as a “norm” for our lives. Peter quoted the Psalmist David in 1 Peter 3:10-11 (repeats Psalm 34:12-14) to give encouragement as to why we should live this way.
“For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”
So take this as your next challenge to help change the atmosphere of this world in which we live. Live on purpose to be a blessing.
Closing Blessing Prayer: EPHESIANS 1:16b-19a
“I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.”
You can watch the message by clicking HERE.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1257
Today’s song focus will be
Raise a Hallelujah
James 1:2-4 (NASB95)
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its
perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
While facing both their two year old son, Jaxon, and their four year old daughter, Addie, battling an E coli infection, Bethel Music’s CEO Joel and Janie Taylor were at a point where they were totally drained, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
But they said they could feel the prayers from around the world for their family. Their friends, Jonathan David and Melissa Helser, were interceding in prayer when God gave them this song. They shared it with the Taylor family and they made it
Their anthem, seeing both their children improve and receive their healing.
I’m gonna sing, in the middle of the storm Louder and louder,
you’re gonna hear my praises roar, Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!
We need to wake up and realize that worship is a powerful weapon against the forces of the enemy. We need to raise up our voices in praise over doubt, fear and unbelief and see God bring the victory.
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, click on this link:
Raise a Hallelujah
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Seize the Moment – Day 1256
The Prayer of What-Ifs!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, August 25.
Have you ever found yourself stuck in the rut of asking, “What-if?” Life is full of what-ifs, but we need not be paralyzed by the indecisiveness that can come from not knowing what will happen or how other people will react. The Bible uses if-statements in a different way – to pointedly declare God’s sufficiency! A classic example of this is found in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who is against us?” Psalm 124:1-5 is a psalm of corporate thanksgiving that begins with the proclamations of their faith:
“Had [If] it not been the Lord who was on our side,” Let Israel now say, “Had [If] it not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the waters would have engulfed us, the stream would have swept over our soul; then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.”
Most translations begin the first two verses with “if” instead of “had,” emphasizing the abruptness of the poetry and hinting to the conclusion in verse 8, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” In other words, if the God who created all things is for us, who can stand against us?
Here’s the good news – God is for you! You don’t have to what-if God’s desire to rescue you from your sin and make you His own. Peter, a man who personally learned of God’s grace, stated in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 124, meditating upon the favor of God – He is for you! Trust God in all your ways today (Proverbs 3:5-6).
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 1255
Keep Your Chin Up!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, August 24.
When one of my athletes is discouraged, I will often say, “keep your chin up!” While this is a common idiom that means to be encouraged and remain hopeful during a difficult circumstance, it is also a coaching cue to help the athlete’s posture. There is a physical reality to keeping your chin up, but there is also a spiritual one: Your body follows your head, just like your life follows your heart!
Psalm 123 teaches us to keep our chins up. The psalmist is discouraged (3-4), but in verses 1-2, he coaches himself, “To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us.” God alone is our hope in times of discouragement!
Just like your physical posture is affected by keeping your chin up, so is the state of your heart. By uplifting the perspective of your heart, focusing on God and not your circumstances, you are filled with hope, confidence, and expectation. Hebrews 12:2-3 teaches you to keep your chin up so that you may live the victorious life of Jesus Christ:
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 123, meditating upon the posture of your heart when you are going through difficult circumstances. Keep your chin up and not only will you walk taller, but also you will persevere with God! Don’t Quit! CM![1]
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 1254
Pray for God’s Chosen People!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, August 23.
Today’s psalm is a call to prayer. Psalm 122:6 commands, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” While the church may be God’s focus during this time of Pentecost – the pouring out of the Spirit upon the church for the proclamation of the gospel, it is important to realize that once the church is raptured, God’s focus will be on fulfilling His covenant with Israel. We must not forsake our sacred responsibility to pray for the peace of Jerusalem; it’s impossible for God to lie, and He will not break His covenant promises with Israel.
Psalm 122:6-9 calls us to pray for Jerusalem, and I invite you to do so with your whole heart, but not just for Jerusalem, pray for the church throughout the world:
“May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
We are to pray for the fulness of God’s will to be completed in His time and according to His plan. Paul made it clear in Romans 11:17-24 that the church has been grafted into the people of God. God is not done with Israel, who has only temporarily lost the privilege of heralding the good news of God, but God’s desire is that “all Israel will be saved” (11:25-28). Never look down upon God’s chosen people, for while there has been a partial hardening of their hearts, God’s plan will come about in His time (11:25-36).
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 122, meditating on the promises of God for all His people – “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33).
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 1253
The Lord is My Keeper!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, August 22.
There are times when God is described in human terms. This is called anthropomorphism; it’s a very common literary device in the Bible. In Psalm 121, the Hebrew word shamar is used six times to describe God’s activity as a military guard or night watchman. In verses 7-8, it is used three times, “The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.” [emphasis added] Scholars explain this robust Hebrew word, translated three different ways in the above passage:
The Hebrew verb shamar means “to keep,” but it is also translated in overlapping and similar ways: to care for, be careful, obey, guard, watch, or observe. Shamar is used by the Lord when He commands Adam to “take care of” the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15) or Eleazar “to guard” the ark of the Lord (1 Sam. 7:1).[1]
In the same way that God watches over us, we are to keep Him as the priority of our lives. God’s people have been charged with keeping the commandments of God (Exodus 19:5; 20:6; Leviticus 18:5). In the New Covenant, we are to “keep” ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21) and “be on guard” for ourselves and all the flock of God (Acts 20:28). We are to train into our own lives of faith the same diligence a soldier applies to his mission of protecting people.
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 121, meditating on your enlistment as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, who does not “entangle himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). How are you training yourself to live on mission today? What distractions do you need to guard against so you can live a Christ-centered life?
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:
[1] Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 102.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1252
A Prayer to Come Home!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, August 21.
Is your home a place of rest where you and others can find peace? Today, we start a fifteen-day journey through the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134), which are pilgrimage psalms used when people would travel to Jerusalem for one of the prescribed Jewish feasts – Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Whereas people would ascend to Jerusalem because of its higher elevation, this term has a spiritual meaning because of what Mount Zion represents to the people of God. It was here that God established His temple where people would pilgrimage to find peace with Him through the atonement of their sins.
For the ancient pilgrim, to be away from Jerusalem was to be away from the presence of God. Just as Jerusalem was the center of Jewish life, the temple was the home of God’s presence on earth. The psalmist writes of his desire to come home to this place of peace in Psalm 120:5-7, “Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech [northwest of Canaan in modern Turkey], for I dwell among the tents of Kedar [southeast of Canaan in northern Arabia]! Too long has my soul had its dwelling with those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.”
Home should be a place of peace. How do you make your home a haven from life’s tribulations? By inviting the Prince of Peace to bring His peace into your heart so that He may dwell wherever you may be. 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” (cf. John 16:33).
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 120, meditating upon the presence of God in your life through your relationship with Jesus Christ. May the Prince of Peace make His home in your heart.
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 22)
Learning How to be a Faithful Farmer for God’s Harvest!
A Faith that Invites Partnership!
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 Barak, 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.
Barak’s story is found in Judges 4-5. What is it about this story that put Barak 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
Barak was a general and not the judge of Israel; Deborah was the judge, and she summoned Barak to the place she ruled over Israel. Listen to how Barak is introduced and his first recorded exchange with Deborah in Judges 4:6-10:
Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’ ” Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” She said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up with him; Deborah also went up with him.
This story has been used in many controversial ways over the years, but the emphasis of the story is simple – the Judge of Israel, Deborah a prophetess, commanded her general to go into battle based on the word of the Lord given to her. Barak wanted the prophetess of God to be with him as he led the army. This possibly could have been to ensure that the one receiving the word of the Lord was there to give timely words (as she does!), and maybe even to ensure that she was not giving a false prophecy. Because while you may or may not remember that the penalty for giving a false word was death, according to Deuteronomy 18:20, the reality of leading a military operation with bad intel is also death. In this case, if she was giving a false word, it would mean the death of Barak and his army. I don’t see any evidence that Barak was abdicating his responsibilities to Deborah. The text makes it clear that he still did everything that was expected of him as the general, Deborah just traveled with them. Her going showed her confidence in God and that she had received a word from Him. In my book, gold stars to both of them!
The fact that Deborah was a woman leading Israel has caused some stir in how this story has been used, but let’s not use this story for our own agendas, let’s just tell it as it is – Barak wanted his leader to go with him, especially since she was a prophetess. Interestingly, for people who have not yet read the rest of this story, it is commonly misunderstood that Deborah was saying that she would get the honor instead of Barak, but that is not what she was saying at all. Since she has been shown by God what would happen, she let Barak know that he would not get the honor. I don’t think this was a struggle between a man and a woman for power or authority. This was a general pulling together all his resources to ensure the victory, and what I find most appealing about Barak was that he cared more about the well-being of his army and its victory in battle, than about who got the honor.
Barak was a man of God who submitted to the authority over him, cared about the people entrusted to him, and didn’t care who receive the credit for accomplishing the mission. Imagine what God would do through His people if none of us cared about who got the credit, as long as God received all the glory! Let’s take the next step to learn how we can become this type of people!
STEP #3 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: CARE FOR THE MATURING PLANT
Through Barak’s partnership with Deborah, God won the victory, and Israel experienced forty years of rest. But, as the continuation of the story teaches us, it was neither Barak, nor Deborah, who received the honor for this great victory, but, rather, the woman Jael. They each had a part to play, and we see this clearly in Judges 4:
- Deborah the prophetess gave them God’s timing in verse 14a, “Deborah said to Barak, ‘Arise! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the Lord has gone out before you.’”
- Barak faithfully and courageously, like Joshua before him, led his army to victory against the Canaanite army in Judges 4:14b-16, “So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left.”
- Jael’s killed Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with her brutal victory recorded in Judges 4:17-22. I’m not going to read it because it’s horrific, but if you want to read how she does it, open your Bible. Nevertheless, this is a woman you don’t want to mess with!
I’m not sure if you caught some of the nuances of this story, but the summary statement says it all, from Judges 4:23-24, “So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. The hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan.” To mature into a fruit-bearing plant that reaps a harvest of praise to the glory of God, you must learn that it is God who gives the victory and it is God who brings together His people to do what must be done – whether we see this through the lens of military language, athletic imagery, farming, or family, God has established us as one body for His glory! Let’s now turn to the last action step so that our lives will reap a harvest of praise to the glory of God.
STEP #4 OF THE FARMER’S STRATEGY: REAP A HARVEST OF PRAISE
God intends for us to work together as many members of one body. This is emphasized by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4:11-16; and in Roman 12:4-8. The latter passage captures some of the heart of Barak and Deborah’s partnership:
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
I read Judges 4-5 as a faith story, describing a man and woman of God learning how to work together within God’s call to serve Israel with their gifts and talents. As they grew in the faith that invites partnership, they sang a beautiful duet together. Do you have a favorite duet? Maybe when Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond came together to sing, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” or Faith Hill and Tony Bennett when they sang, “The Way You Look Tonight.” There is something magical about a beautiful duet – when it is done properly the gifts of both complement one another and they are better together.[1]
The story of Deborah and Barak is told twice – Judges 4 tells the story in prose and Judges 5 shares it as poetry, in the form of a duet. Judges 5:1-3 introduces, then begins, their beautiful song, “Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, ‘That the leaders led in Israel, that the people volunteered, bless the LORD! Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! I – to the LORD, I will sing, I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.’” [emphasis added] This is a rare discovery, because the next closest thing to a duet in the Bible was the Song of Miriam (Exodus 15:20-21), which immediately followed the Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-19). Even more than Moses and Miriam, who songs are recorded separately, Deborah and Barak sang, as one, of their victory, and they gave God all the glory! Just as foretold, the song gave honor to a woman for the victory, as Judges 5:24 declared of the heroine, “Most blessed of women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; most blessed is she of women in the tent.” Not Deborah or Barak! But, as you listen to their song, they are giving honor to many; they not only honor the champion, but the many from the tribes who fought, whether volunteer or commander.
That leads us to the closing point of today’s teaching on the transforming story of Barak’s faith. When we live by faith, realizing that we are in this together, then it doesn’t matter who gets the credit or is honored, but that God gets all the glory! As the church of Jesus Christ, we are the body of Christ, and we must bring all that we have together to fulfill the mission and bring glory to God. Paul taught this in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27:
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.
You can watch the message by clicking HERE.
FOOTNOTE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 1250
Today’s song focus will be
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
John 3:16-17 (NASB95)
““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did
not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might
be saved through Him.”
Today’s song was written by Christian Worship Leader Stuart Townsend in an effort bring our focus on our Lord more than ourselves. He desired to help believers to put Christ as the center of our worship, no matter the situation. Many times, our
emotions try to be the center when, if we put Christ as the center, we will never be disappointed.
How deep the Father’s love for us, How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.
We need to wake up and focus our worship on the One Who did so much for us. Our worship should never be self-seeking or self-serving, making it all about how we feel or what we need. Our worship should be focused on the One who deserves our highest praise…our wonderful, omnipotent God. Then our emotions will be a by-product of that focus.
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, click on this link:
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.
Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1249
Live a Life of Devotion!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, August 18.
Are you living a life of devotion? In the longest chapter of the Bible, Psalm 119, the psalmist proclaims the majesty of God’s Word. He does so in a masterful alphabetic acrostic poem that blesses every person who commits to reading and meditating upon it. Moreso, the psalmist illuminates the way to live a life of devotion, according to the majesty of God’s Word. He calls the reader to action as one Bible teacher commented:
In Psalm 119 the psalmist used many verbs to speak of his response to God’s Word: walk according to, keep, obey, follow, trust in, seek out, delight in, meditate on, consider, rejoice in, see, understand, hope in, teach, speak of, remember, not forget, not forsake, not depart from, not stray from, not turn from, believe in, consider, long for, love, stand in awe of, tremble at, sing of, and choose.[1]
His action-oriented proclamation of the majesty of God’s Word is clearly explained in verses 33-35, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.” Uncompromisingly, the psalmist invites you to an all-consuming passion for God and His Word, as he testified from his own experience in verse 164, “Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous ordinances.” What an anointed way to live your life! For 176 verses, the psalmist teaches you to love God’s Word and to live according to His “precious and magnificent promises” (2 Peter 1:3-11).
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 119, meditating upon the majesty of God’s Word and how you are called to respond to it by living a life of devotion! How are you applying all diligence to your life of devotion 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.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] Donald K. Campbell, “Foreword,” in Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth, ed. Craig Bubeck Sr. (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1991), 280.
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