Train to Live on Mission – Week 35
Battle Drill #35:
Endure the Refining Process!
Proverbs 25:4-5 (NAS95)
Isn’t that what God is doing with us in the long slow obedience of progressive sanctification? We have all picked up a lot of bad habits through our years of living “under the sun” and He is refining us by teaching us how to bring all things in submission to His Son. We were enlisted to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ and that gave us our justification before God (our positional holiness), but our ability to be good soldiers doesn’t happen just because we are saved; it’s a process of growing in our personal holiness – breaking the habits of the flesh so that we can live in the freedom of the Spirit. There’s a new language to learn, and some old language to work out of our system. There’s a new way of communicating and dealing with conflict, and some old communication patterns and ways of dealing with conflict that need to be unlearned. There’s a new way of living if you are going to represent the Commander and live on mission for God. Let’s turn to the Field Manual and take the first step of a soldier’s training regimen.
Action Step #1) Know the Field Manual.
Action Step #2) Train together as one unit.
As a disciple of Christ, I am to simultaneously trust God for the completion of my life – when I will reflect Him perfectly, while I learn to walk with Him, becoming like Him each step of the way. This gives me the hope to be courageous throughout the long slow obedience in the same direction of Christlikeness. We see this dual charge in Philippians 2:12-13, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” There is a promise to be trusted – our perfection before God – and there is a praxis to embrace in every area of our lives – the reflection of His holiness in our relationships, marriage, parenting, etc. Remember, this is the will of God, His good pleasure, for your life – “to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).
Brothers and sisters, I am here to teach you that you can’t have it one way or the other; it is a both-and that must be trained into your perspective of life circumstances, and in the mindset of your training regimen as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. If you are going to become the best version of you to the glory of God, then you need to trust God and His ways for the completion of that which He calls you to embrace wholeheartedly. Stop trying to hijack the process! For example, your marriage is more about your holiness than your happiness because He called you to represent Him in and through it. Until you get this, then you will continue to chase your tail.
Let’s pull at the thread of the biblical theme of today’s battle drill then we will understand how God intends for it to be applied to our lives as good soldiers. “Dross” is the waste material (scum or impurity) that is extracted from the silver during a repetitive process of heating and melting the silver to purify it. While dross is literally the impurity of metal removed during the smelting process, it was used to symbolize personal or national impurity, specifically the spiritual contamination of God’s people, as in Ezekiel 22:18, “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver.” God wanted His people holy – set apart for His purposes and His glory!
In Proverbs 25:4-5, dross represents the wicked of the kingdom that renders the whole society impure – the wicked and unrighteous. If a king wanted his kingship to be marked by justice and righteousness, he had to remove the dross – the wicked and unrighteous who were corrupting his kingdom. We see it used this way of God’s kingdom in Psalm 119:119, “You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies.”
This repetitive process for the spiritual refinement of God’s people through discipline and difficulties became deeply imbedded into the psyche of God’s people through Israel’s history of prophecy, as in God’s promise to His people in Isaiah 1:21-26:
How the faithful city has become a harlot, she who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your drink diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves a bribe and chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, nor does the widow’s plea come before them. Therefore the Lord God of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares, “Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries and avenge Myself on My foes. I will also turn My hand against you, and will smelt away your dross as with lye and will remove all your alloy. Then I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful city.”
This is how God’s people were taught to interpret their history and their current events – through a lens of God’s providential purposes of refining them for His glory. During God’s justice, in Jeremiah 6:27-30, God made Jeremiah the prophet an assayer, a tester of metals:
“I have made you an assayer and a tester among My people, that you may know and assay their way.” All of them are stubbornly rebellious, going about as a talebearer. They are bronze and iron; they, all of them, are corrupt. The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, but the wicked are not separated. They call them rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them.
This prophetic tradition continued in Ezekiel 22:18-22, then it ultimately culminated with the foretelling of the coming of the Messiah in Malachi 3:1-3:
“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.
What is the refiner’s fire, and why does God use this imagery of the smelting process in His people’s lives? God is described as a consuming fire, but the consuming fire did not consume the burning bush when God called Moses. The friends of Daniel were tossed into the fire but were not consumed – the Fourth was with them! God is not a wildfire – He is controlled and has our best interests in mind. God is a holy fire because His fire has a purpose – to refine us into His image! Just as we see in God’s Creation, fire is an essential ingredient to life – for our warmth, for cooking, for production of materials, for the cauterization of wounds, and even for forests to thrive. So often we only think of the destructive power of fire, rather than its life-giving intent!
In the spiritual, Psalm 12:6 explains, “The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.” This sevenfold refining process of the Word speaks to its perfection, and the purpose for which God sent forth His Word – to bring His people to perfection so that they can be with Him. As Isaiah 45:23 states, “I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance” (cf. Isaiah 55:11).
This is the purpose of the smelting process – to bring all things to completion through the fire of God’s glory, the refinement of His presence upon the earth. This is the reason for Christ coming! This is the purpose of His church! This is God’s plan to enlist you, and it is His pleasure to refine you through His Word and Holy Spirit. That brings us to the third action step of a good soldier of Jesus.
Action Step #3) Seek the Commander’s approval.
Jesus is the Living Word and His coming brought God’s refiner’s fire not only to Israel, but through Israel to all the nations. Jesus fulfilled the prophetic imagery of Israel. This is the imagery of Pentecost as the glory of God fell on the early church in “tongues as of fire” (Acts 2:3). The Holy Spirit came as a refiner’s fire to purify a new priesthood through faith in Jesus Christ, one that would offer right sacrifices in righteousness as foretold in Malachi 3:3. Peter expressed this plainly in 1 Peter 2:5 and 9:
You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. … But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
This is who you are, and that is why Christ has enlisted you, but let’s not forget that the smelting process, which removes the dross from your life, is a repetitive one. This is not a “once upon a time” or “one and done” proposal. While your salvation is exactly that – you are justified by the blood of Jesus – your “usefulness to the Master” is dependent upon your willingness to participate in the refinement process that the fire of the Holy Spirit continuously is doing within you, with every thought, word, relationship, and deed. As Paul taught his protégé in 2 Timothy 2:21, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”
Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). With God’s continuous presence in your life, what are you asking the Holy Spirit to cohabitate with? What impurities are you asking God to “tabernacle with” in your life? Are you useful to the Master?
Interestingly, each time the refiner of metal repeats the refinement process he raises the heat to skim even more dross. His goal is to increase the quality and purity of the refined metal. Should it surprise you then that God does the same in our lives – He turns up the heat to increase the quality and purity of your life. Maybe you thought the hardest (hottest) work of your Christian life was at your conversion, and in the beginning years of sanctification, but I believe, from biblical and anecdotal evidence, that the work of the Spirit gets hotter the deeper it goes into your life. Issues of external holiness, what so many churches and pastors are focused on, are superficial compared with the deeply rooted issues of rebellion that fuel them. Therefore, when you experience fiery trials in your life, you can take comfort in knowing that God’s refining fire is removing the dross for your ability to reflect His glory through your effectiveness and fruitfulness in the mission! He perseveres in this work until the last breath – so that you may learn how to, and then, ultimately, surrender all to God unto death for His glory!
It is because of this understanding of God’s intent that Tevye, the beloved father from Fiddler on the Roof, prayed during suffering and hardship, “I know. I know. We are Your chosen people. But, once in a while, can’t You choose someone else?” God loves His chosen people, and He continuously increases the heat so that we may reflect Him more to allow who watch our lives – this is our mission! This leads us to the final action step of our soldier’s training regime.
Action Step #4) Live on mission.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, the mission of God in and through your life is found in your faith and in how you walk through the refiner’s fire of your life with faith. Paul expressed this purpose to His followers in 2 Corinthians 4:5-10:
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
God is at work in your life because you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. You and your life are the very presence of the refiner’s fire in the world. May God’s unquenchable fire of holiness, His refiner’s fire, remove all that is perishable from you and purify all that is imperishable. May God’s image be reflected more and more in you and through your life as you shine His piercing light in the darkness of these last days. May you start seeing every circumstance and every challenging situation as an opportunity to become more like Jesus until your very life proclaims the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Make this battle drill a reflexive, instinctive, and habitual part of your Christian life so that you can CM – Continue the Mission! Therefore, live on mission today and train the battle drill of the week for the glory of God. Let us pray.
You can listen to the message by clicking below:
You can watch the message by clicking HERE.
Extra Materials
(not preached, but still for the edification of the brethren):
Today’s battle drill helps us make sense of the smelting process of our difficulties, as described in Romans 5:1-5:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 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.
Every circumstance of your life – the good, the bad, and the ugly – now makes sense when you learn to endure God’s refining process. As Paul taught in Romans 8:26-30:
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Even the evil of this world – the wickedness and injustices – will be used by God for His glory, and in the refinement process of His people, as taught in 1 Peter 5:6-10:
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
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Seize the Moment – Day 963
Today’s Modern day hymn focus will be
Make Room
Romans 6:13 (NLT)
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
Written in 2020 by Community Music’s husband and wife team Lucas Cortazio and Evelyn Heideriqui , along with writers Josh Farro and Bekah White, created this song as a prayer for God to take His rightful place, demonstrating that it is up to us to open up and allow Him access to our hearts and lives. This song glorifies God while pleading with both believers and non-believers to lay down their lives in total surrender. It is only of our own free will that this can happen because God is a gentleman and does not force His way, but lovingly calls us to surrender to Him, making Him Lord of our lives.
And I will make room for You to do whatever you want to,
to do whatever you want to.
And I will make room for You to do whatever you want to
To do whatever You want to.
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.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
Make Room
Here is where I lay it down
Every burden, every crown
This is my surrender
This is my surrender
Here is where I lay it down
Every lie and every doubt
This is my surrender
And I will make room for You
To do whatever You want to
To do whatever You want to
And I will make room for You
To do whatever You want to
To do whatever You want to, oh
Have Your way, have Your way, Jesus, oh
We surrender all, we surrender all, Jesus
Have Your way, Jesus, have Your way, Jesus
Shake up the ground of all my tradition
Break down the walls of all my religion
Your way is better
Oh Your way is better
Shake up the ground of all my tradition
Break down the walls of all my religion
Your way is better, Jesus
Oh Your way is better
Shake up the ground of all my tradition
Break down the walls of all my religion
Your way is better, Jesus
Your way is better
Shake up the ground of all my tradition
Break down the walls of all my religion
Your way is better
Oh Your way is better
Here is where I lay it down
You are all I’m chasing now
This is my surrender
This is my surrender
Here is where I lay it down
You are all I’m chasing now
This is my surrender
This is my surrender
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Seize the Moment – Day 962
Where the Rubber Meets the Road!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, November 4.
Where does the rubber meet the road in your faith? For many churches in America, and for many people in today’s world, the rubber meets the road in their finances.
King Amaziah of Judah took a census of his fighting men in preparation for war against the Edomites. He felt that his force of 300,000 fighting men was insufficient, so he hired an additional 100,000 mercenaries from Israel. God was displeased with him, as an unnamed prophet told him in 2 Chronicles 25:7-9:
But a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim. But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has power to help and to bring down.” Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “The Lord has much more to give you than this.”
Amaziah was concerned with losing his investment of one hundred talents of silver, which is approximately 7,500 pounds. Just to put that in perspective, by today’s value of silver at $18.65 per ounce, that is over two million dollars of silver. That’s a significant amount of money! But more important than the money was the invitation for Amaziah to put his faith in God – God would not only win the battle, but He would give him a larger return on his investment of faith.
Could you walk away from a large amount of money because you felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit? Do you trust that God can meet your needs in greater ways, beyond what you can imagine?
Seize the moment and believe God for your victories and finances – “The Lord has much more to give you than this.” Trust God wherever it is the rubber meets the road in your faith.
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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Seize the Moment – Day 961
Confront Evil with Good!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, November 3.
Have you ever heard the saying, “No good deed goes unpunished”? Have you ever helped someone to only get hurt by them? Did that stop you from doing good in the future?
Joash was a baby when his aunt and her husband, Jehoiada the Chief Priest, saved him from his murderous grandmother, the evil Queen Athaliah. As the only survivor in the line of David, Joash was made king at the age of seven, and he was a good king when he listened to the council of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:1-2). After the priest died, Joash forsook God (17-18). The crescendo of his evil was the murder of Zechariah in the temple courts. He owed his life and kingship to Zechariah’s parents, but upon their deaths he not only rejected their godly influence, but he had their son stoned to death for calling him back to faithfulness. This tragic turn of events is recorded in 2 Chronicles 24:20-21
Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has also forsaken you.’” So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the Lord.
This is a heartbreaking tragedy that confronts us with the injustices of life. Bad things happen to good people, and there are times when doing the right thing leads to devasting consequences. What are God’s people to do in the face of such pain and injustice?
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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Seize the Moment – Day 960
Don’t be a Benedict Arnold!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, November 2.
The infamous story of the arrogant American Revolutionary War hero turned traitor is legendary. Benedict Arnold’s selfish act to sell the strategic military stronghold of West Point to the British in 1780 has become synonymous with treason – “Don’t be a Benedict Arnold!”
Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and widow of the former king Jehoram, made herself queen of Judah after the death of her son, Ahaziah. Her treason did not stop there as she attempted to extinguish the line of David through the murder of the royal offspring.
Athaliah blasphemed the throne of David for seven years before justice came at the hand of the Chief Priest Jehoiada, ironically the husband of Athaliah’s daughter Jehoshabeath. Joash, the rightful heir to the throne, was anointed king, then Athaliah responded in 2 Chronicles 23:12-13:
When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came into the house of the Lord to the people. She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters were beside the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, the singers with their musical instruments leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!”
The hardest form of deception to root out is self-deception. Her ironically illegitimate cry of “Treason! Treason!” was futile! But, just like with Benedict Arnold, Athaliah thought she was justified in her treasonous acts and entitled to the reward she had given herself. Her own ego-centric self-narrative drove her down a destructive path that was obvious to all but herself. She could not see the irony of her own self-deception.
Seize the moment and don’t be a Benedict Arnold! Don’t let your pride deceive or blind you to the truth (Obadiah 1:3; cf. Proverbs 16:18; Revelation 3:17). James 1:22 exhorts, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who [deceive] themselves.”
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 959
You have a Choice to Make!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, November 1.
I will never forget an interview where two sons of an alcoholic testified to each of their stations in life – “I am the way I am today because of my father.” One son was in and out of prison with a lifelong struggle with addiction, while the other son was a successful businessman living a clean life.
Arguably, Jehoshaphat’s greatest mistake as the king of Judah was to form an alliance with Israel through an arranged marriage between his eldest son Jehoram and Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Chronicles 18:1; 19:2). By doing so, he invited wickedness and destruction into his family. Ultimately, Jehoram murdered all his brothers to secure his dynasty (2 Chronicles 21:4-6).
Jehoshaphat’s grandson Ahaziah became king upon the death of his father Jehoram. He was described in 2 Chronicles 22:3-4, “He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. He did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.” Ironically, Ahaziah’s premature death was caused by making the same error as his grandfather – he allied with Israel (2 Chronicles 22:5-9).
Upon her son’s death, Athaliah attempted to murder all the “royal offspring of the house of Judah” (10-12). Providentially, the seed of David survived through a baby named Joash who was rescued by his aunt Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the wicked queen.
In this time of great betrayal and bloodshed, the son followed in the ways of his wicked mother and the daughter thwarted her evil plan. We all have choices to make in life!
Seize the moment and walk in the way of victory for your life – you are more than a conqueror in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37). It’s a choice you must each day!
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 958
Listen for the Voice of God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, October 31.
Have you ever received a letter from an old friend? Better yet, did you get to hear his voice through a phone call or see her face on a visit? That initial moment of hearing your friend’s voice is surprisingly good. It causes you to press in and listen.
I felt that way today when the prophet Elijah made a surprise appearance – I pressed in to listen! In the Old Testament, outside of 1 & 2 Kings, he only shows up here, in 2 Chronicles 21:12-15:
Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says the Lord God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you, behold, the Lord is going to [bring judgment upon you and your household].’”
As one of the top characters in the Bible, his words demand attention. Alongside of Moses, it is Elijah who stands with Jesus at His transfiguration (Matthew 17:3). Jesus called John the Baptist the “Elijah who was to come” (Matthew 11:14; cf. 17:11-12), in reference to the prophecy of Malachi 4:5-6.
In preparing the way of the Lord, John the Baptist’s message carried the heart of Elijah, “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). That has always been the overwhelming message of God’s prophets, “Return to Me!” The coming judgment of God is a gracious call to repentance and 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.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
(Pastor Ken)
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
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Train to Live on Mission – Week 34
Battle Drill #34:
Building up Heart & Mind
Pastor Jerry shared last week about learning resilience, and that it is more than just being tough and having a ‘thick skin”, learning from the example of Paul’s life and skills. Today I would like to take follow up on that thought and take us through the fundamentals that this resilience comes out of… the building up of your heart and mind.
Proverbs 24:3-5, 10-12
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;
And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increases power.
I. It starts with the heart, for the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.
It takes a heart of integrity! Look at King David! It was said of him:
Psalm 78:72
“He shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them”
His son, King Solomon wrote:
Proverbs 4:23
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”
A. Know the field manual: He Weighs the Heart
Romans 10:9-10
“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
1 Samuel 16:7
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for [a]God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Thessalonians 2:4
“but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.”
God uses the Word to measure
Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
B. Importance of Training Together: It Brings Unity
ILLUS: “Don’t Lose Heart” by Steven Curtis Chapman
It is the home of your hope and faith
2 Chronicles 30:12
“The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.”
Acts 4:32-33
“And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.”
C. Seek the Commander’s Approval: More than just good intentions
1 Tim. 1:5
“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
Heb. 10:22
“ let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Benefit: God will guard your heart
Philippians 4:7
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Proverbs 24:3-5
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increases power.
A. Know the field manual: Set your mind
ILLUS: On the line of scrimmage – no flinching
Romans 8:5
Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
1 Peter 1:13
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 26:2
“Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.”
B. Importance of Training Together: We Need Each Other!
ILLUS: Things we can’t go without: Air/3 minutes; Water/3 days; Food/3 weeks; Fellowship/3 months.
Starts having impact on our overall well-being.
Human touch inspires positive thinking & expands trust, reduces social anxiety & stress, boosts immune system & lowers blood pressure.”
In an article published in a secular psychology magazine, the writer stated:
“It’s ironic that during a highly contagious pandemic where our immune systems are being the most stressed, we are being deprived of something (human touch) that is so essential to our body’s function.” *
How the early church started
Acts 2:42
“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Philippians 2:5 (ESV)
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus”
Hebrews 10:24-25
“and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
C. Seek the Commander’s Approval: Put God first!
Proverbs 24:12
“If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?”
ILLUS: Reading or hearing the instructions.
Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Colossians 3:17,23-24
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father… Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”
How do we Live on Mission? K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Silly)
You can listen to the message here:
You can watch the message by clicking HERE.
FOOTNOTE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 956
Today’s hymn focus will be
Blessed Be Your Name
Psalm 34:1 (NASB95)
“I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
This modern-day hymn was written by Matt & Beth Redman, who also have written songs we sing like “The Heart of Worship”, “Your Grace Finds Me”, and “10,000 Reasons”. In September 2001, they were visiting in California just after 9/11 occurred. They saw the effects that it was having on people and churches and the brokenness that was being felt. As they visited churches, they heard the powerful messages of pastors expressing the pain of the nation and God’s heart for His people, but there seemed to be a lack of songs that gave people a voice in worship. They were inspired to write this hymn to give a voice to the lament, but also reflect in Whom our hope of victory is placed.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name.
We need to wake up to the fact that God is with us in every season of our lives, even those times that may seem dark and sad. When we remember that the sorrow may last for a night, but joy comes with the morning, we can trade the sadness for gladness.
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.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
Blessed Be Your Name
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Seize the Moment – Day 955
A Godly Response to Fear!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 28.
When you are afraid, what do you do? When you are anxious, to what do you turn?
I have a dear friend that walked through the valley of the shadow; it threatened to ensnare him in fear and anxiety. He was tempted to take matters into his own hands instead of trusting the Sovereign God. He was enticed to comfort himself instead of trusting the Good Shepherd. Instead of giving himself to either of those “fight or flight” responses, he embraced God’s way of victory during that dark season – he prayed and fasted. Years later, I am still in awe of his faith!
A great multitude of enemy nations arose against Judah in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat responded in verses 3-4, “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.” Though he was not a perfect king, he sought God with his whole heart. He embodied what he commanded Judah to do in verse 20, “put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established.” Yes, he felt fear, but he wasn’t paralyzed by his emotions – he responded to fear with faith! That takes courage!
What were the results of his prayer and fasting? We find out in verse 30, “So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides.” Don’t rely upon yourself or lesser things to bring peace to your mind and heart, or rest for your soul, only God can win these victories – “Do not fear or be dismayed; … the Lord is with you” (17). That is the promise of Immanuel!
Seize the moment and act with courageous faith in the face of fear – pray and fast (Matthew 17:20-21)!
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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