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:
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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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Seize the Moment – Day 954
A Right Response to a Harrowing Experience!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, October 27.
Have you ever had a near-death experience? It’s amazing how many testimonies I’ve heard about people whose walk with God started with a harrowing experience.
The evil king of Israel, Ahab, had been killed in a battle with his ally Jehoshaphat fighting by his side. After barely surviving his harrowing experience, the king of Judah was rebuked by the prophet Hanani for his ungodly alliance with Israel. Jehoshaphat wholeheartedly responded to the prophet’s rebuke by seeking to establish the kingdom of Yahweh in Judah (2 Chronicles 19:1-4).
Jehoshaphat led Judah with righteousness and justice by appointing judges in every city (5-7). To emphasize his commitment to the rule of God over His people, in 2 Chronicles 19:9-10, he commissioned the judges:
Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly. Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the Lord, and wrath may not come on you and your brethren.
There are four Hebrew words found in this charge, which are emphasized in Psalm 119 as four of the eight aspects of obedience to God’s Word to do righteousness and justice:
- Law. The Hebrew word torah references the entirety or collection of God’s instructions (Psalm 119:1).
- Commandment. The Hebrew word mitswah indicates specific commands to be obeyed (Psalm 119:6).
- Statutes or regulations. The Hebrew word chuqqim captures the written laws or boundaries (Psalm 119:5).
- Ordinances or justice. The Hebrew word mishpat establishes legal precedents through rulings or decisions (Psalm 119:7).
Seize the moment and do righteousness and justice (Proverbs 21:3)! You don’t have to wait for a crisis to happen in your life, seek God with your whole heart, and you will be blessed (Psalm 119:1-2).
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 953
Worship the One True God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, October 26.
We live in an age that is fascinated by strange things, especially when they are spiritual in nature. If that includes you, you are going to love today’s Bible reading.
There are a few stories in the Old Testament that give us a glimpse into the inner workings of the divine council of God. We see this in Job 1:6 when the “sons of God” were present around the throne of God and Satan presented himself before God. We spot it again in Daniel 4:17 when the angelic watchers were tasked by the Sovereign God. We find it in 2 Chronicles 18:18-21 when the prophet Micaiah pulls back the veil:
I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. The Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” And one said this while another said that. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, “I will entice him.” And the Lord said to him, “How?” He said, “I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” Then He said, “You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.”
Today’s passage allows us to see a very important distinction in the spiritual realm – there is a clearly established hierarchy with only one who is God! Psalm 89:5-7 declares this important supernatural reality:
The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord, a God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all those who are around Him? (cf. Psalm 82:1)
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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Seize the Moment – Day 952
The Importance of Teachers!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, October 25.
Teachers are important! When I first left the military to start seminary, my wife and I worked at our local church’s school. It was a joy for both of us to teach children, and we learned so much from this ministry. We learned firsthand the hard work and dedication it takes to be a good teacher. Please join us in supporting and praying for our teachers.
Jehoshaphat demonstrated the importance of teachers during his reign. He loved the Lord, removed the high places of idolatry, and empowered teachers to teach the people the Law of God, as seen in 2 Chronicles 17:7-9:
Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them; and they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.
By focusing on the teaching of the Law, Jehoshaphat was fulfilling the ideal responsibilities of a king of Israel, as God commanded in Deuteronomy 17:18-20. It is not surprising then that God secured his borders (10-11) and blessed his kingship – “So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater” (12a).
Jesus Christ fulfilled the ideal responsibilities as the King by commissioning His disciples to be teachers of the Word. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus authorized and empowered His followers with the Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.”
Seize the moment and teach others what was first taught to you – pass the life of faith on to others by teaching the Bible (2 Timothy 2:2).
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 951
Finish the Marathon of Life with Faith!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, October 24.
The life of faith is like training for a marathon – a long slow obedience in the same direction. In 2021, I was in great shape and training to complete my first marathon. I ran a few minis, including a trail mini in 2020. I was loving it, until I got hurt!
Asa’s kingship had been defined by peace and rest because He sought after the Lord, but at the end he would not seek the Lord nor respond to the Word of God. In 2 Chronicles 16:7-9, God sent Hanani the seer to Asa to call him back after a bad decision:
Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.
Instead of getting back in the race with God, he threw the prophet into jail and oppressed his people (10; cf. Proverbs 9:6-10). What happened to this great king? His life ended in misery as he refused to humble himself and repent. Don’t be like this! Remain humble before the Lord until you take your last breath and cross the finish line of your marathon – God desires to “strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Seize the moment and finish the race with faith – “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1; cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 2:2, 6:9).
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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Train to Live on Mission – Week 33
Battle Drill #33:
“Keep Getting Up! (Learning Resilience)”
Proverbs 24:16 (NAS95)
Today, we are going to walk through the four action steps of a soldier’s training routine to learn the next battle drill – “Keep Getting Up!” Today, we are going to undergo resilience training, one of the favorite teachings of the US Army Chaplaincy School. In the military, the role of the chaplain to his unit is complex and multifaceted. In addition to other duties and responsibilities, the chaplain performs or provides religious services to the diversity of soldiers in the unit as requested, and the chaplain serves on the commander’s staff as a “combat multiplier.” Some commanders only care about this last function because they have a utilitarian view of chaplains and religion – whoever and whatever can make their soldiers more effective on the battlefield is all that matters to them! This last role of a chaplain can be daunting to the uninitiated.
As a combat multiplier, the chaplain helps soldiers focus on the mission, without distraction, and give their very best, without compromise, to the job that needs to be done. This may feel clean and easy, especially when it looks like marriage conferences and stress management seminars back on base. But what happens when it starts to include doing critical incident debriefs after combat missions to mitigate the immediate effects of a traumatic experience so that the soldiers can go back out on their next mission? Or when it is the transitional work to help minimize the long-term effects of repeated traumatic experiences after being in a theatre of operations for a sustained time before redeploying home to loved ones? Battlemind training is real and helping soldiers transition out of it and come home is a critical work of a team.
Resilience training is the work of a team – the chaplain, the medical providers, and the chain of command (to include the Family Support Group at home in preparation for receiving soldiers back from deployments). Resilience training aims at teaching soldiers the skills to retain their mental health, emotional well-being, and physical capacity to be able to CM – continue the mission – regardless of what the mission has asked of them or taken from them, or their buddies. This is hard work, and the Army has recognized that spirituality, for those who practice their own, has an essential role to play in increasing a soldier’s resilience!
As a church, we must learn how to CM after we’ve been through traumatic experiences, either personally or vicariously. To put it simply, resilience is the ability to bounce back when you have no reason to be able to get back up from being knocked down (or falling) in the first place. I summarize resilience like this, “Never stop starting!” Don’t just get up, bounce forward! Resilience is the ability to learn from the worst of experiences and demanding of circumstances to get better. Imagine what the church would look like today, what your family would look like, what you would look like if you learned resiliency skills. Let’s turn to the Field Manual and take the first step of a soldier’s training routine to live on mission.
Action Step #1) Know the Field Manual.
Action Step #2) Train together as one unit.
Cindy Sheffer’s testimony
To further illustrate, we are going to turn to God’s Word and contrast two of the disciples of Jesus Christ – Peter and Judas. Both were hand-picked by Jesus, through the same discernment process of prayer. Both walked with Jesus for three years, and both forsook Jesus at the end of his life – Peter by denying Jesus three times and Judas by betraying his location to the Sanhedrin. What was the difference?
I know we can spiritualize the answer to this question and let ourselves off the hook by explaining how Peter was preordained to be the rock of the church and Judas the son of perdition. While we wouldn’t be wrong to point that out, we would be wrong to think that neither man had choices of their own to make along the way of becoming what they were. C.S. Lewis explained it this way in Mere Christianity:
Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state of the other.[1]
I believe that Peter demonstrated the best of resiliency; whereas Judas fell and did not get back up. They are an illustration of Proverbs 24:16, “For a righteous man [Peter] falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked [Judas] stumble in time of calamity.”
Allow me to emphasize my point by talking about the end of their journeys with Jesus. Judas’ story ends in Matthew 27:3-5:
Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. (cf. Acts 1.18)
I believe with my whole heart that Jesus would have forgiven Judas the same way He forgave Peter if he had been resilient. Let’s now turn to that critical moment with Peter in John 21:15-17:
So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.
His fall was foreseen, he was warned about it, and in his pride he fell anyways. But here is the difference between the two – three days! Three days after His death on the Cross, Jesus defeated death through His resurrection, which made redemption possible for anyone who came to Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. The atonement of sin was made through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary. In response to the shed blood of Jesus Christ, Judas killed himself, whereas Peter was cleansed from his unrighteousness by it, because of three days!
We each have the same choice to make! Will you train spiritual resilience by learning to trust in the healing and cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ? Will you live your life according to the promise of the resurrection – Jesus got back up! So can you – learn resiliency!
There is a better way to live than giving yourself over to bitterness over your hurts, habits, and hang ups. That brings us to the third action step of a good soldier of Jesus.
Action Step #3) Seek the Commander’s approval.
There are numerous Bible characters we can study to learn resiliency skills. From the Old Testament, Joseph and King David come to mind, as do the prophets, such as Jeremiah and Daniel. From the New Testament, we have already learned from Peter, so let’s look at four verses from Paul’s ministry that give us insight into his real-life resiliency skills, each of which we can apply to our own lives:
- In Romans 8:35-39, Paul teaches us the importance of a positive outlook that allows us to put negative events into perspective and helps us see that our hardships are temporary. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- In 2 Corinthians 4:7-11, Paul explains that our bodies are an important part of our resiliency training (they are temples of the Holy Spirit after all). The better our physical health, the better we adapt to and learn from stressful situations. This includes proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and effective exercise. It also works the other way because stress kills – better resiliency equals better health! “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. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
- In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Paul demonstrates for us an active coping mechanism to face the reality of our situations, honestly process our emotions, and effectively solve any problem to the glory of God. “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me – to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
- In Philippians 1:21-26, Paul exhorts us to attach meaning, purpose, and value to our experiences. Our faith provides a moral compass on how to respond in our situations that continues the mission and furthers the gospel, even in the face of our own deaths. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.”
As you learn to apply God’s Word in practical ways, you will cultivate a positive outlook on your life and circumstances (mind), care for your physical well-being (body), apply healthy coping mechanisms to regulate your emotions (heart), and maintain your moral, ethical, spiritual compass in the midst of your response (soul). In other words, your resiliency skills, when properly trained into your life will help you obey Jesus’ Greatest Commandments, found in Matthew 22:37-40, regardless of your circumstances:
And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
In doing so, you are assured to please your Commander by obeying Him. This leads us to the final action step of our soldier’s training regime.
Action Step #4) Live on mission.
God has given every believer the same power that gave Jesus the resiliency to live His life on mission for God, without distraction, and to face His own death for the glory of God, without compromise. Paul prayed according to these truths for his own ministry in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” As good soldiers of Jesus Christ, this is my closing prayer for you, that may you walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave, so that you may live your life on mission for God, without distraction, and face your own death for the glory of God, without compromise. Join with me in praying, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Say that out loud three times. If you believe that, and learn to live it, you will be able to get back up and CM, no matter the circumstances of your life.
Jesus was tempted. You will be, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus was misunderstood. You will be, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus was gossiped about. You will be, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus was ridiculed. You will be, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus was betrayed. You will be, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus was abandoned. You will be, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus wept and was grieved. You will, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus anguished and experienced anxiety. You will, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus experienced pain and suffering. You will, too – Get back up and CM!
Jesus died. You will, too – Glorify God with your death and CM!
Jesus was resurrected. You will be, too! Do you believe this?
You can listen to the message by clicking below:
You can watch the message by clicking HERE.
FOOTNOTE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 949
Today’s hymn focus will be
Like a Mighty Sea
John 4:14 (NASB95)
“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Growing up in the church, Tina and I remember some of the hymns by page number that were being called out during a service or because they were a family member’s favorite. Today’s hymn is such a song, as it was HYMN 215 “Like A Mighty Sea”, which was Tina’s grandpa’s requested hymn.
Written in 1900 by Henry J. Zelley, a Taylor University Graduate, and put to music by Henry Lake Gilmour, this hymn serves as a call to salvation and as a reminder of where the source of life comes from, which is the throne of God. Every parched and thirsty soul is invited to plunge beneath the waves of His never-ending love and grace.
Like a mighty sea, like a mighty sea, comes the love of Jesus
sweeping over me
The waves of glory roll, the Savior to extol, comes the love of Jesus
sweeping o’er my soul
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:
Like a Mighty Sea
To sweep from highest heaven to this poor heart of mine;
I stand upon the promise, in Jesus’ name I plead;
Oh, send the gracious current to satisfy my need.
Like a mighty sea, like a mighty sea,
Comes the love of Jesus sweeping over me;
The waves of glory roll, the shouts I can’t control;
Comes the love of Jesus sweeping o’er my soul.
That come to bring refreshing down from the throne above;
The earnest of the shower, just now to us is giv’n,
And now we wait, expecting the floods of grace from heav’n. [Refrain]
The floodtide of salvation, with pow’r to cleanse from sin;
It’s surging through my being and takes my sin away,
It keeps me shouting glory! through all the happy day. [Refrain]
A torrent of salvation in saving, cleansing pow’r:
I hear the billows surging, I see them mount and roll;
Oh, glory, hallelujah! they’re sweeping through my soul. [Refrain]
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Seize the Moment – Day 948
He is With You!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 21.
“God is with us!” That is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ – Immanuel (Matthew 1:22-23)! The fact that God comes to dwell with us is a life transforming reality that brings rest to our souls and peace to our minds when we respond to Him. As Paul said in Romans 8:31b, “If God is for us, who is against us?”
This is our faith, but sometimes we need to be reminded when we are walking through the valley of the shadow. The Spirit of God came on the prophet Azariah to remind King Asa in 2 Chronicles 15:2-7:
Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. … For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. … But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.
King Asa took courage and acted in faithfulness because of this reminder. He faithfully led his people in a great religious reform, and God brought peace to his nation, all because he believed that God was with him. The results of responding faithfully were amazing, “All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the Lord gave them rest on every side” (15).
I add my voice to the Word of the prophets and remind you today of Immanuel – “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
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