The blog contains daily devotions and notes from the weekly messages.  We encourage you to review the notes during the sermon or through the week!  Most of the posts will have an audio and/or video link at the end of the notes.  From time to time the pastors will share other insights and devotions here.
 
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Seize the Moment – Day 1210

The Opportunity of Today!

Psalm 90

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, July 10.

Coming into pastoral ministry in my late twenties, I have spent my thirties and forties experiencing the profound truth of Psalm 90: Life is a gift, invest it wisely! I have officiated over three hundred funerals in that time-frame, walking with loved ones through their death and dying process, then speaking over their lives. My perspective on life is different than it was twenty years ago, because persistent exposure to grief changes a person. As I prepare to enter my fifties, I am sobered by the reality that every single day is an opportunity to glorify God.

 

Today’s psalm gives each of us the right mindset to embrace the gift of life. In Psalm 90, one of the greatest men of the Bible, “Moses, the man of God,” (title) contrasts the stability and eternity of God with the frailty and brevity of the human life. He teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the right perspective to embrace each day and not waste the opportunity found in it, as stated in Psalm 90:10-12:

 

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

 

Every day is God’s gift of grace! Like every person who has received the precious gift of life, you must choose wisely how you are going to invest the time you have left. Learn wisdom and glorify God with it!

 

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 90, meditating upon the opportunity of today – “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17).
 
 

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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Grow Strong in God’s Grace (Wk 18)

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

The Faith that Humbles You!

Hebrews 11:23-29 (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 Moses, found in Hebrews 11:23-29:

 

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

 

This is the Word of God; let us pray: God, we invite you to cultivate the soil of our hearts with faith to receive the good seed of Your Word! May Your grace work in us and through us so that our stories point to Your story and reap a harvest of praise to the glory of God.

 

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

 

The first forty years of Moses’ life are that of legends – Moses’ foundational years! This part of Moses’ story, highlighted in Hebrews 11:23-27, is told in Exodus 2:1-15:

 

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.” When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

 

The seed of faith was put into Moses, but in his first forty years, a time of privilege and prestige for Moses, he did not know how to wield the power of his position to do good – to protect his people, the Israelites (the Hebrews), so in his haste to do so, he killed an Egyptian man and fled from the wrath of his adoptive father, a man who had ordered his death once before in Exodus 1:15-22.

 

God’s grace was given to the people of Israel in the man of Moses, but Moses’ foundational years did not prepare him properly to be a man God could use for His purposes. He fled Egypt, according to our passage in Hebrew 11:23-27, because God had to take him to a place where He could care for Moses and bring him to maturity. It was in the next forty years of his life that the faith of Moses was formed so that he was a man God could use for His glory.

 

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

 

The second forty years of Moses’ life were the most important – Moses’ formative years! This part of his story is not mentioned in Hebrews 11, it is found between Hebrews 11:27 & 28. This period begins in Exodus 2:16-22, where Moses is taken in by Jethro the priest of Midian, who takes him in to his household; Moses marries Zipporah, one of his daughters, starts his family (they have two sons), and he serves Jethro as a shepherd. In exile, Moses goes from being an exalted prince of Egypt to a humbled shepherd, an occupation despised by the Egyptians. This forty-year period is summarized in Exodus 3:1, “Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro,” but by the end of these formative years something is about to happen, as indicated in the verses in Exodus 2:23-25:

 

Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.

 

Moses was put into exile at the age of 40, having escaped the wrath of his adopted father, the king of Egypt, until the day of his Pharaoh’s death, around the time Moses would have been 80. There is an appointed time for everything, and we must remember a very important lesson as the people of faith: God is always doing more than we can see or imagine! God is doing a larger work in the nations and through His people. You are a part of that, but you are not the center of it – God is the main character of our story; it’s His story that is being told through our stories! We must be formed into the kind of people He can use.

 

God’s people were in Egypt for 400 years, but it was in these 40 years of Moses’ exile that God set the conditions for the Exodus. It was during his years as Jethro’s shepherd that Moses became a humbled man, broken and contrite, the kind of person God could use. You see, Jethro the priest of Midian, turned his countenance toward Moses, which means he took him in as a his own, protected him, and gave him a new family. A family of security, hard work, and commitment to the community. At just the right time, when both the conditions were set and Moses was formed into a man God could use and trust, God called Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-4:18) to enter the third phase of his life – the formidable years!  

 

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

 

The final forty years of Moses’ life tell the most famous story ever told – Moses’ formidable years! This part of Moses’ story was highlighted in Hebrews 11:28-29, and it began after his burning bush experience with God and didn’t conclude until his death forty years later, after accomplishing all that God had set for him to do – to rescue and deliver His chosen people from slavery, defeating the most powerful military in the world and leading them to the Promised Land.

 

Interestingly, all three periods of Moses’ life, each of which were forty years long, ended with a reference to Moses’ relationship with the father-figure who defined each of these three distinct seasons of his life:

 

  1. Pharoah defined Moses’ foundational years. Exodus 2:15 ended that phase, stating, “When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.”
  2. Jethro defined Moses’ formative years. Exodus 4:18 ended that phase, stating, “Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, ‘Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.’ And Jethro said to Moses, ‘Go in peace.’”
  3. God defined Moses’ formidable years. Deuteronomy 34:10-12 summarized this phase after his death, stating, “Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.”

 

We remember Moses because of his epic birth story, the kind of backstory that we give our heroes. We remember Moses because of his supernatural call narrative, the kind of experience we give those who are called to do formidable tasks for God. We remember Moses because of the Exodus, his victory over the Egyptian military machine, and all of his awesome deeds as a leader of a newly formed nation that was constantly grumbling and rebelling against him and their God.

 

We don’t remember Moses for being a faithful shepherd, husband, and father, but I believe the forty years he was defined by these relationships and responsibilities that he was shaped into the man of God who did everything else we do talk about. The forty years that didn’t make it into Hebrews 11 are the years that forged the character of Moses from being a pampered prince to being a formidable prophet! Often, the most important parts of our stories are found in the in-between times (the liminal space), for Moses that was the forty years as a shepherd serving his father-in-law. Forty years is a long stretch of time in a person’s life, especially when it comes in what is supposed to be your most productive years of life, but this is where Moses was forged into a humble man that God could use, knowing that Moses would not take the credit for it or hijack it for his own purposes. Moses wasn’t ready to reap a harvest of praise with his life until God nurtured him through his forty years of exile. This was an essential experience for Moses; otherwise, how would Moses have known why God caused His people to wander in the desert for their own forty years of formation to enter the formidable season of conquest under Joshua’s leadership.

 

Oftentimes, God forges our character through the circumstances of our lives, just as we learned from the story of Joseph. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds, forged in the crucible of life circumstances before we are able to reap a harvest of praise to God! As Jesus said in John 12:24-26:

 

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

 

I conclude with this thought about Moses and Jesus: both are described as humble! Numbers 12:3 is a parenthetic statement about Moses, “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” Moses had a faith that humbled him, so that he would be the formidable man of God who stood against the most powerful man in the world and led his people to freedom after four hundred years under Egyptian rule. Jesus described Himself in Matthew 11:29 as “gentle and humble in heart.” Jesus was the second Moses, who stood against all the forces of evil, defeated sin and death, and leads His people to freedom!

 

We become humble by trusting God to work in the liminal spaces of our lives – in our desert wanderings, in our exiles, in our sufferings. My question is: Are you allowing God to do this kind of work in your life? Have you learned to be submissive to your Heavenly Father’s will, or are you still listening to another’s voice to compel you? Both Moses and Jesus ended their lives glorifying God because their greatest priority was pleasing God and not themselves or others.
 
 

You can watch the video by clicking HERE.

 
 

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Seize the Moment – Day 1208

Today’s hymn focus will be

Since Jesus Came into My Heart

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB95)    

 

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

 

Rufus H McDaniel began writing hymns in the 1880’s, stating that he felt like God had something for him to do to help brighten the experience of struggling souls. He wanted his hymns to bring blessing and glory to God in the name of his dear Son, whose he was and whom He served. He wrote this song in 1914 after the tragic loss of his son. He sent the song to Charles H Gabriel, who composed the melody that we know today.

 

Since Jesus came into my heart,

since Jesus came into my heart

Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll

Since Jesus came into my heart

 

We need to wake up and remember that no matter what we have faced, or are facing, or will be facing in the near future, we need to sing God’s praises! He brought about change in our lives; He has given us direction; and He will be coming back to take us all home to live with Him for eternity. That should bring you joy!

 

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:

Since Jesus Came into My Heart | Hymnary.org

 
 
 

Since Jesus Came into My Heart

 
1
What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart!
I have light in my soul for which long I have sought,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
 
Refrain:
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.
 
2
I have ceased from my wand’ring and going astray,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And my sins which were many are all washed away,
Since Jesus came into my heart! [Refrain]
 
3
I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure,
Since Jesus came into my heart! [Refrain]
 
4
There’s a light in the valley of death now for me,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And the gates of the City beyond I can see,
Since Jesus came into my heart! [Refrain]
 
5
I shall go there to dwell in that city, I know,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And I’m happy, so happy, as onward I go,
Since Jesus came into my heart! [Refrain]
 
 

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Seize the Moment – Day 1207

The Stability of Covenant Relationships!

Psalm 89

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, July 7.

 

As a pastor, I have the awesome responsibility and sacred privilege to prepare couples for marriage and to officiate their wedding ceremonies. In doing so, I teach and recite the traditional marriage vows multiple times a year – “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my sacred vow.” Biblical marriage is a covenant relationship, meaning the promise is made with God to one another. It is a firm foundation on which to build one’s life,  giving you clarity and conviction for everything else you desire to do.

 

Psalm 89 is a word of instruction about the covenant relationship God has promised to His chosen people. It gives clarity to the psalmist through the highs and lows of life, an unwavering conviction by which to live and make decisions. It is important to note that Ethan the Ezrahite established the firm foundation for this fifty-two-verse psalm in the first four verses:

 

I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever; to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; in the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.” “I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever and build up your throne to all generations.” Selah.

 

The stability of all covenant relationships is found in God’s lovingkindess and faithfulness; it’s God’s idea to build our lives on Him – He is a firm foundation! Until you understand the character of God, that He is the immovable rock of covenant loyalty and unwavering faithfulness, your theology will be muddied by the shifting sands of human frailties and lukewarm sentimentalities.

 

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 89, meditating upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:24-27). Walk in the stability of your covenant relationships 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 1206

Pure Faith!

Psalm 88

 

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

 

Have you ever felt completely cut off from God without any sense of His presence? Psalm 88 is one of the saddest songs in the Psalter. Praying through this psalm when you are depressed will help you focus your despair on God instead of on yourself, just as the psalmist did in verse 1, “O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before you.” His faith was intact, even as the rest of the psalm captured his experience of the dark night of the soul, which is when a despairing believer feels that God has abandoned him, taking away from Him the consolations of His presence.

 

Have you ever experienced the dark night of the soul? It is when you can’t feel God’s presence and are suffering in your soul, seemingly walking through tribulations alone, crying out to God to give you His peace and joy. It is more than mental or physical suffering; it is soul suffering – the deep longing for an encounter with God. It is a necessary pathway to developing a mature faith, one that is not dependent on the feedback loops of your feelings and senses. The dark night of the soul is God’s refiner’s fire to build within you a pure faith – a belief in God that transcends the limitations of the temporary body and its sensual feedback. Such faith must be forged into our lives, as Paul testified in Romans 5:3-5:

 

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (cf. James 1:2-4; Hebrews 5:8).

 

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 88, meditating upon Jesus’ promise of the Comforter’s sustaining presence in your life (John 14:26-27).
 

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 1205

Springs of Joy!

Psalm 87

 

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

 

I was recently working with a man who felt empty. He is blessed with a job that he faithfully works six days a week. He is blessed with a wife and many children, whom he loyally loves and supports. Obviously, his emptiness isn’t for lack of meaningful relationships, purposeful responsibilities, or recreational opportunities; it’s because he has become disconnected from God as the source of vitality. In tears, he confessed his struggles; he’s on the verge of burnout. Together, we took a major step to avoiding it!

 

No matter how successful or busy you get in life, if you are going to persevere through life with the vitality of joy, you must remain connected to the Source. Psalm 87:7 concludes with a song of tribute to God with this profound truth, “Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say, ‘All my springs of joy are in you.’” The psalmist is referencing Mt. Zion, like he did in Psalm 46:4, but it’s not an earthly fountain he is referring to as the source of life and joy; it’s God’s presence! The prophet made this clear in Isaiah 12:2-3, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation” (cf. Ezekiel 47:1-12; Revelation 22:1-2).

 

The way to avoid burnout is by connecting with the Source of life and joy! Through a relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit flows into your life straight from the throne of God; He is the inexhaustible river of life and joy!

 

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 87, meditating upon the fount of every blessing – “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38).

 

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 1204

The Transformation of Your Story!

Psalm 86

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, July 4. Happy Independence Day! Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to the United States of America.

 

Do you want to see your story transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ? In Mark 1:17, Jesus invited His first disciples, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Though He used the same word of invitation in the original Greek, Matthew 11:28-30 is translated differently, “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.” Both invitations of Jesus reference the Jewish apprenticeship concept of hālakh, which is the Hebrew word used in today’s psalm, as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 86:11-12, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever.” [emphases added]

 

In today’s psalm, as well as in Jesus’ invitations, the purpose is the same, when we walk with God, we learn how to become like Him; therefore, we unite to His purposes. Jesus used the imagery of being yoked with Him – our hearts learn to revere God above all (the fear of the Lord), so that we reflect Him as image bearers, representing Him as we walk in the way. The motive of Jesus’ invitation is apprenticeship – having our heart motives, mental attitudes, and soul volitions transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ, who showed us the heart of God!

 

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 86, meditating upon the transformation of your story to the glory of God as you learn how to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 20:37).

 

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 1203

Where Righteousness and Peace Kiss!

Psalm 85

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, July 3.

 

The psalmist began Psalm 85 by reminding himself of how God had rescued Israel from captivity (1-3). He looked backwards because he needed God to do it again; Israel needed to fully trust God for their salvation (4-8). With faith and hope, the psalmist believed God for His coming victory (9-13), describing God’s coming salvation in verses 9-10,
 
“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
 
This passage looked to the coming Messiah, as it was Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross where the perfect justice of God and His unfailing covenantal love kissed. James Montgomery Boice explained of verse 10:

 

When we speak of mercy and truth as well as righteousness and peace being reconciled in God because of the work of Jesus Christ, we imply that somehow they are in conflict. But the qualities in God are never in conflict, and the psalm is certainly not speaking of a conflict. On the contrary, love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace are always at home in God, and it is from this divine harmony that all other harmonies come. We have peace only when we rest in him.[1]

 

You can trust that the same God who sent His only begotten Son to save you from your sins will show up in your circumstances today. Whatever you are going through, don’t let doubt or fear cause you to become double-minded about God’s salvation. James 4:8 invites you, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Rest in God by trusting Jesus and His atoning sacrifice where righteousness and peace kiss in your life.  

 

Seize the moment and pray Psalm 85, meditating upon the perfection of God’s salvation on the Cross of Calvary.

 

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] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 42–106: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 700.


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Grow Strong in God’s Grace (Wk 17)

The Fullness of the Blessings of the Gospel

 
“So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain.  I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” 
 
CSB (“fullness of the blessings of the Gospel of Christ. KJV ) That phrase “fullness of the blessings of the Gospel” caught my eye and that is what our focus is today.

 

I want to encourage us today to live in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.  As you move through your day, just like Paul here, as he was going from one place to the other, he was living in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. 

I want to encourage you to be still and know that He is God.  When we receive the Gospel, we receive a life changing power within us.  That power begins to change us from the inside out.  We sing songs of praise, and we sing of the blessings God gives us.  Please know when we leave this place God allows us to live in the fullness of His blessings.  We don’t need to leave the blessings here.  We live in those blessings out there!

But out there, we get so caught up in the things of this world, politics, inflation, high prices, wars, civil unrest, LGBTQ++ issues in schools and at work, unrest with neighbors, friends, family the list goes on and on with all the things that distract us from the blessings of Christ.

The Gospel is God’s agent, it is His power.  Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”   The Gospel is that which contains the purpose for your life.  It is filled with His blessing.  Just like Jesus came full of grace and truth, the Gospel comes with that, and it comes with the abundant grace of God.  In the Gospel we have everything we need.

In John 10:10 Jesus says, “I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”  My encouragement for us today is to focus on all we have in the Gospel. Let’s live in His abundance!  Let’s live in the blessings He freely and generously gives us!

Now the blessings I am talking about here come from the inside out.  These blessings come from believing and trusting in Jesus. 

When you do, you can know you’re a child of God, bought with a price, living in His grace and mercy.  The blessings I want to focus our attention on are found IN HIM, in a personal relationship with Jesus.  These blessings are not found anywhere else.  But the good news here is if you have that personal relationship with Jesus, you have all these blessings already.  You can walk in them with confidence because of what Jesus has already done!  Trust Him!

So let me ask a few questions to help you clarify your true understanding of what you have inside you (IF you know Jesus to be the payment for your sin) or what you CAN have today if you decide to trust Jesus as your payment today.

How do you see yourself?  Prov 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”  Do you see yourself as a person who has it all together?  Someone who has no need of God because you can handle anything life throws at you. 

Do you see yourself as a person who is so dirty and worthless that not even God can save you out of the pit, you’re in?

Both views are dead wrong!

How do you see God?  Vengeful?  Full of wrath?  Angry?  Ready to throw lightning bolts at you every time you do something wrong?  That too is wrong! 
 

God loves you as you are

 

Rom 8:38, 39: 1 Jn 4:9; 2 Thes 3:5.  Jesus is your sacrifice your complete payment

How do you evaluate your circumstances?  Are your circumstances all bigger than you?  Do you feel like there’s no way out?  Does it feel like the circumstances are bigger than God?

If we have those attitudes, we will not see the blessings that are staring us in the face because the blessing begins on the inside.  The blessing is released from the inside.  We get distracted and our faith waivers.  The fulness of the blessing of the Gospel starts and ends with faith.

Jerry has been using the example of a farmer in his sermon series.  Here is the seed of the Gospel being planted and it is planted only by faith.

 

The Gospel is a seed within us.

The incorruptible seed of God’s Word comes into us when we get born again.  That incorruptible seed carries all the fullness of the blessings of God. 

(To be incorruptible means not subject to death or decay it is eternal.)

The fullness in the Gospel of God carries all the life of God; it carries all the blessings of God; it carries all the promises of God.  Everything God wants for you came in a seed.  That seed is wanting to be released, but if we don’t live from that, if we don’t live from our spiritually renewed nature, if we live from our emotions and allow our own selfishness to rule, then we will miss out on the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel of God.  We miss out because we stop walking in faith and start looking at all the things around us for answers.

What I am encouraging you to do today is to allow this revelation, that we live in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel, to take over in your heart.  I want to encourage you to truly realize the goodness of God and the fulness of His blessing. Realize your true new nature in Christ.  When you do, you will begin to think differently, you will speak differently, and you will act differently.  The blessing that is within you will come out in how you live your life.

People think if they are performing the good deeds that Jesus did or if we are fulfilling the ten commandments then all is well. What this message is about is to inform you and remind you that your behavior changes BECAUSE you have a relationship that changes you from the inside out. The attitude of your heart becomes loving toward others. The behavior comes out from within because you are now a new creature. Your attitude changes because you live in the blessings of the fullness of the Gospel.
 

So, what is the Gospel?  Michael Rydelnik, the Professor of Jewish Studies at Moody, defines the Gospel in 25 words.  He says,

“The wrong things we do separate us from God. Messiah Jesus died, taking our punishment, and rose again proving He is God.  Trust in Him.”

 

It is the good news of God’s love for you. Rom 8:38, 39; 1 Jn 4:9; 2 Thes 3:5

It is the good news of Christ’s redeeming sacrifice for you. Mk 10:45; Heb 10:12

It is the good news of the promise of the Spirit.  You have the very Spirit of God living inside you!  That Spirit is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.  Rom 5:5; 8:9; 8:11; 2 Tim 1:14; 1 Cor 6:19;

It is the good news that you are reconciled to God. 2 Cor 5:18-20; Col 1:20, 22; Rom 5:10, 11

It is the good news that you are seated with God in heavenly places.  You sit with Christ because Jesus took our place on the cross, thus we are in Him.  Eph 2:6; Rev 20:4

It is the good news of an abundant life full of strength, not your strength but His strength in you. Eph 1:19, 3:16, 6:10; Col 1:11

It is the good news of the Gospel of peace.  You can be involved in all kinds of turmoil around you but walk in the peace that passes understanding. Prov 3:5, 6; Mark 9:50; Rom 12:18; 2 Cor 13:11; 1 Thes 5:13

It is the Gospel of joy – the joy of the Lord is your strength.  Walking in joy is where blessings begin. Ex 15:2; Psalm 21:1, 118:14,

It is the Gospel of walking in faith. Seeing the unseen and knowing that God is good enough to supply what you need.  Heb 11:1

It is the Gospel of righteousness.  There is nothing more powerful than understanding your right standing with God.  Understand you are made righteous!  You don’t have to feel guilty; you don’t have to walk in condemnation, you don’t need to feel unworthy.  Jesus has made you free from guilt, free from condemnation.  You are worthy when you are in Him.  That is the Gospel!   Rom 5:19; Gal 3:11

God wants you to realize these things are all part of the Gospel.  Understand these things deep within your spirit, not just intellectually.  Allow the blessings of the fullness of the Gospel into your life and let it change you from the inside out.

It is a Gospel of vision, a Gospel of purpose, a Gospel of freedom from fear.  No one needs to be living in fear.  No one needs to worry.  They are contrary to faith and anti-Gospel.  Living in the fullness of the Gospel gives no place to worry, fear, anxiety, depression or oh my what am I going to do?

Hear me on this.  I am not saying that circumstances are good in the world.  They are not good; they will never be good.  We live in a fallen world.  All I’m saying is
 

You don’t need to live in a fallen state!

You have the ability in Christ to live in peace, live in the joy of the Lord.  You have the fullness of the Gospel within you and that Gospel will impact your circumstances.  It may not change what goes on in Washington, but it will change you personally.  It will change what goes on in your house, within your sphere of influence.  If you walk around with this blessing on the inside, it can’t help touching the circumstances and the people around you. 

 

Let’s look at what David said in

Psalm 103:2, “Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all His benefits.”

 It does not say benefit.  It says all His benefits.  It is plural.  It looks like there are more than two.  David doesn’t say both His benefits, he says all His benefits.   It goes on to talk about forgiveness of sin and healing.  David is looking ahead to what we are experiencing. 

Let’s look at what Paul had to say in

Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Later in the chapter he says we are accepted in Christ.  The Gospel has blessed us with everything.  You get to experience all this the through the grace of God…

Here is a great definition of grace –

Definition of Grace: God’s abundant provision for every need you have, spirit, soul, and body.  

There is nothing lacking.  Nothing was left off of the cross.  Everything that Adam’s sin unleashed, has been restored and then some through the blessing of the Gospel.

So, Paul says we have been blessed with every blessing in heavenly places.  By faith you receive the blessings of God.  They are where moth and rust cannot corrupt.  Those blessings are yours now.

What does Peter say?  Look at

 1 Peter 3:9, “Knowing that you were called to this that you may inherit a blessing.” 

If you were to find out that a rich Uncle, who had you in his will you would be excited about that.  You would be anticipating that inheritance.  You have something far greater than a rich Uncle!  You have an inheritance, a blessing, Peter says.

Do you need peace?  Does anyone have circumstances that are complicated?  Do you want peace that passes understanding?  Do you want joy unspeakable, full of glory?  Do you want the wisdom of God and to know what to do? 

All of that is your inheritance!  That is the blessing of the Gospel that came to you in seed form and is basically waiting on you to accept that fact and to walk by faith in the fullness of the Gospel.  This will change your life and the lives of those around you.  This is powerful!  It begins when we choose to believe it.  When you choose to believe that God is for you and not against you.  Believe that He will bless you and He will multiply you.  Believe God is giving to you pressed down and running over.

Yes, Lord I believe that.  This faith changes the way you think!  When you trust in Jesus it will change the way you speak.  Choose to believe God’s Word at face value. 

The Gospel is about a transformed life.  You became a new creation through the incorruptible seed of the Gospel.  You became something that never existed before.  You were spiritually separated from God, and you have been plugged back into God.  You are one spirit with Him.  You have a new life, a new creation life.

The Gospel is about having a renewed mind.  Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you can prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God Rom 12:2.  The Gospel will transform your mind when you meditate on the Word instead of worldly things.
 

The Gospel is about being free from guilt and condemnation.

Please realize you do not need to live under a cloud of guilt!  You have been released.  You are free.  You have victory.  Let go of feeling unworthy.  That is not living in the blessing of the Gospel.  Jesus died on the cross to set you free from guilt and condemnation. “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…”  Live in the joy of the Lord and in the presence of God in your life.

The Gospel is about loving as we have been loved.

 Realize God loves you and lives in you and that fact will help you and allow you to forgive that person who wronged you.  How many times have you wronged God?   Jesus came to die for you anyway.  Let His love flow through you into others.  The blessing of the Gospel is you understanding you can now forgive because you have the power of God living inside you.
 

The Gospel is about abounding in grace for every good work.

There are situations around you that God has placed you in and given you the grace to bring healing, to bring solutions, to bring wisdom, to bring help in time of need for the people around you, depending on what the circumstances may be, there is grace for that.  Please realize God has placed you there and given you the grace needed for such a time as this.  Be bold and get involved.  Allow the blessing of the fullness of the Gospel to flow through you!  You have the gifts that others desperately need.  You are the only answer, in some cases, to people’s trauma or need.  That is the power of the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel in you.  Realize that power, agree with it, allow God to bless others through you and your giftedness.  Let the blessing out.

 

The Gospel is about joy and peace.

Others will notice when you are walking in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel because they can see you responding to situations with grace and peace and having joy from within that is not touched by the circumstances around you.  That doesn’t mean you are always laughing but you are not overwhelmed by negative things around you.  You have the joy of the Lord and can minister from His strength in you.

Are you beginning to realize the power of this Gospel? Romans says it is the power of God.

 

The Gospel is about ceasing from your own works to earn salvation.

You can just give up trying to earn right standing with God.  You cannot do anything to make God love you more and you cannot do anything that will cause God to love you less.  That was all dealt with on the cross.  You cannot earn anything from God.  You can do something.  You can believe and receive what He has already done and what He has already given.

2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God are in Him, yes and amen to the glory of God through us.” 

All the promises of God reveal God’s heart for His people.  All the promises in Him are yes and amen to the glory of God through us.  Through us!  Believe God is that good and He wants to bless your life.  You get to bless others!  God’s grace and His blessings are yes.  We cannot keep this good news to ourselves!  We get to tell His story!

If your life needs a major overhaul God is the one who wants to do it!   God is the one who has grace for it to happen.  God is the one who gave all these promises to begin with so we would have a place to go and a resource, so say, “Father, show me… “   Where will you find the promise?  Not on TV.  Only in the Word of God.  That is where you will find your inheritance.

If I told you I hid a pot of gold in your back yard, would you invest in a shovel?  Would you invest some time digging around to find it?  You have a treasure in the Word of God.  He tells us about all the promises.  That is your inheritance that is the blessing of the fullness of the Gospel that is available to you.  How much is it worth to you?  Go after it!

Eph 3:20, “To Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.” 

There it is again – in us.  God wants to do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or think.

So, the blessing of the Gospel is even bigger than we can comprehend, more than we can understand with our finite minds.  But it is according to the power that works in us, so what is the power that works in you and me?  Well in the scope of all the things we could talk about, it is, first of all, you agree that God wants you to have these blessings.  God is good and He wants to bless His children!

But you say, I have too many things that have gone wrong in my life, too many hardships.  It is hard for me to believe God has given me all these blessings, I can accept some of them but in my experience God does not or has not supplied.

Here is what I want to encourage you to do.  Stop judging the Gospel through the lens of your experience.  Look at and judge your experience through the lens of the Gospel. Stop allowing the experience to be your god.  If you or someone you know is saying that didn’t work for me or that didn’t work for Aunt Mable and that IF it didn’t work for this person, nothing works.  Well, if that’s the case then God’s a liar and we may as well pack up and go home. 

But God is not a liar!!  His Word is true.  I encourage you to look at your experience through the lens of the blessings of the Gospel, knowing the Word of God is true.  I encourage you to stop exalting your experience above what the Word says.  Look at your experience through the magnifying glass of the Word.

Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare is own Son, but delivered Him up for us all how shall He not with him also freely give us all things.” 

All things.  If God gave you Jesus, why in the world would He withhold anything else?  Why would He withhold any of His blessings?  His victory?  He has given you His name, His blood, His Spirit.  He has given you His covenant, He has given you His promises, His armor, His authority.  He has given you the sword of the Word, the keys of the Kingdom.  He has given us the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel.  When we accept Jesus as Savior and when we are born again, we get the whole package!  Just think about that… If God gives us Jesus, why in the world would He withhold anything else?

The reality is God is not withholding anything.  What’s happening is we are choosing to be fearful.  Choosing to worry, choosing to doubt, choosing to feed our flesh with garbage.  Choosing to do all those things means you are not choosing God and it is for that reason the blessings are being withheld.  

Blessings come through faith and trust that Jesus is Who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.  This is faith in the Gospel.   I encourage you to get back to believing that you are the righteousness of Christ.  He will reward you as you diligently seek Him.

James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” 

What that means is God does not change.  God is not fickle.  He doesn’t make up one set of rules for some and another set for someone else.  There is no shadow of turning – there is no variation in God.  Every good gift, every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation. 

God is good.  Taste and see that the Lord is good.  All this power, all this blessing of the Gospel comes from the inside.  Please understand that God is good, God is for you, God’s mercies are new every morning.  God has given you His promises, His name, His Spirit, His covenant His Word and on and on.  God has given all of this because He wants you to be blessed.  He delights in your blessing.  As a parent and a grandparent I delight in seeing my children and grandchildren blessed.  I don’t want to see them suffering. God is a much better parent than I am!  He wants to see me blessed.  He wants to see you blessed. 

All this begins with our heart becoming convinced.  First thing you must be convinced in is that Jesus is the Son of God and that His death was for you personally, His resurrection is your resurrection and His life is your life.  Choose to believe that from your heart. Confess it with your mouth – Jesus is Lord.

Choose to believe His joy is your strength

Choose to believe you am accepted in Christ

Choose to believe all things are possible because you believe

Choose to believe you hear His voice

Choose to believe that His favor surrounds you as a shield (Psalm 5:12)

Choose to believe you are blessed in your going out and in your coming in

Choose to believe God – without faith it is impossible to please God

Choose to believe you live with Him in heavenly places

One more passage 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness. And the work of faith with power that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him according to the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Let me summarize with the farmer concept Pastor Jerry has been using.

 

  1. A good farmer cultivates the soil of faith: Blessings of the fulness of the Gospel come from the inside out. You must believe by faith.  You are bought with a price living in His grace and mercy.  You have all these blessings because of what Jesus has already done!     Trust Him!

 

  1. A good farmer sows the seed of the Gospel: The Gospel is a seed within us.  The incorruptible seed of God’s Word comes into us when we get born again.  That incorruptible seed carries all the fullness of the blessings of God.

 

 

  1. A good farmer cares for their plants: Realize your true new nature in Christ. When you do, you will begin to think differently, you will speak differently, and you will act differently.  The blessing that is within you will come out.  

 

  1. A good farmer reaps a harvest – the harvest of the fullness of the Gospel comes when we realize we get to live in God’s grace and His grace is what motivates us to share in His life.

 

When you come to trust that Jesus’ death is to pay your debt and that Jesus’ resurrection proves He is God, you fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness.  Of His goodness…  In other words His goodness has been poured into us by the blessing of the Gospel we have believed.  Now believe in the fullness of the blessing that we can accomplish His good pleasure.  His goodness wants to get out, His goodness wants to be released, His goodness wants to touch not only your life but the lives of those around you.  That’s the power that is available to you and in you!

Please hear me in what I say next.  Are you listening?  The world is trying to tell you that you are good in yourself.  That is not what I am saying!  We are fallen creatures, no one is righteous because of the good things they do.  What I am saying is we live in His goodness.  There is no one good but God.  When we trust that Jesus paid the price for sin, we receive His goodness and righteousness in us.

When you accepted Jesus as Savior, you may have not realized everything that took place. As a boy I certainly didn’t.   Now you know. Now you know what has been deposited in you.  This is exciting!

 

We get to live in all the fullness of the Gospel!

We get to be a blessing in this world.  Go live in fullness!  Proclaim it freely to those around you.  The world is in desperate need of the message of the fullness of the Gospel! 

If you have never publicly proclaimed your faith is Jesus, today is the day.  Come receive the blessings of the fullness of the Gospel for yourself!

Receive the blessings of the fullness of the Gospel today.  Remember The wrong things we do separate us from God. Messiah Jesus died, taking our punishment, and rose again proving He is God.  Trust in Him.”

The alter is open.  You may want to come and give praise to God for what He has already done.  You may want to come and publicly proclaim Jesus as Lord for the first time.  Whatever your need you come as the Lord leads.
 
 

You can watch this message by clicking HERE.

 
 

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Seize the Moment – Day 1201

Today’s hymn focus will be “Sing to the King”

 

Psalm 96:1-2 (NASB95)              

 

Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth.  

Sing to the Lord, all the bless His name;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.”

 

This hymn was originally written in the early 1900’s by Charles Sylvester Horne,  the youngest child of Charles and Harriet. He grew up to become a renowned preacher and author, writing hymns that are still sung today.

 

This is where Billy Foote comes in. He began leading worship after graduating from East Texas Baptist University in 1990. Sadly, he was stricken with hyper-dysphonia, a condition that affected his vocal cords, around 2000, his wife Cindy took over the lead vocals as he continued to write worship songs. He took this classic hymn and gave it a modern style.

 

Sing to the King Who is coming to reign,

Glory to Jesus the Lamb that was slain

Life and salvation His empire shall bring,

And joy to the nations when Jesus is King

 

We need to wake up and lift up our voices every day in worship of the One that gave His everything so that we might have life and have it to the fullest. Billy may have lost his ability to sing, but he gave the church songs that remind us why we are to sing!

 

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:

 

Sing to the King

 
1
Sing we the King who is coming to reign,
Glory to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain,
Life and salvation his empire shall bring
Joy to the nations when Jesus is King.
Refrain:
Come let us sing: Praise to our King,
Jesus our King, Jesus our King;
This is our song, who to Jesus belong:
Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.
 
2
All men shall dwell in his marvellous light,
Races long severed his love shall unite,
Justice and truth from his sceptre shall spring,
Wrong shall be ended when Jesus is King.
 
3
All shall be well in his Kingdom of peace,
Freedom shall flourish and wisdom increase,
Foe shall be friend when his triumph we sing,
Sword shall be sickle when Jesus is King.
 
4
Souls shall be saved from the burden of sin,
Doubt shall not darken his witness within,
Hell hath no terrors, and death hath no sting;
Love is victorious when Jesus is King.
 
5
Kingdom of Christ, for thy coming we pray,
Hasten, O Father, the dawn of the day
When this new song thy creation shall sing,
Satan is vanquished and Jesus is King.
 
 
 

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