Seize the Moment – Day 487
Today’s hymn focus will be “He Touched Me”
Matthew 8:2-3 (NLT)
“Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.”
This wonderful hymn was written and composed by a local favorite from Alexandria, Indiana, Bill Gaither. A humble man of God, he once said, “I’m not much of a singer and not that great a composer, but I know how to get good people together.”
He had spent the evening playing the piano for Doug Oldham, who was singing at a revival service in Huntington, Indiana led by his father, Dr. Dale Oldham in 1963. On the trip back to Anderson, they spoke of the powerful presence of the Spirit during the service. Dr. Oldham told Bill, “…you should write a song that says, ‘He touched me, oh He touched me.’”
Bill worked through the night to complete the song and revised it after playing it for Gloria the next day. Doug Oldham recorded it in 1964.
He touched me, o He touched me. And o, the joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole.
We need to wake up and long for a fresh touch of the Master’s hand on our lives, and like the songs says, “I will never cease to praise Him!
YOUTUBE:
He Touched Me
‘Neath a load of guilt and shame
Then the hand of Jesus touched me
And now I am no longer the same
And oh, the joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole
Since He’s cleansed and made me whole
I will never cease to praise Him (to praise Him)
I’ll shout it while eternity rolls
He touched me
And oh, the joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole
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Seize the Moment – Day 486
The Disciples: John & James part 2
Acts 12:1-2 (NLT)
“About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword.”
If you remember, Jesus told the disciples that it would not be easy to be known as one of His followers. In fact, Jesus told them in Matthew 10 that they would be hated because of His name (Mt. 10:22). They had been witnesses to how much the Roman leaders hated even John the Baptist when he was put to death. But they stayed faithful after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and receiving the power of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, which was about 30 AD.
During the time of persecution, the disciples were scattered and traveled proclaiming the message of the gospel. Even in the face of possible death, they did not back down. In 44 AD, Herod Agrippa I had James arrested and beheaded, making him the first of the apostles to be martyred.
John, the beloved, lived a long life, writing the Gospel of John, I, II, & III John, and Revelations. But he did not live an easy life. At one time, they tried to boil him in oil, but he miraculously survived. So they sent him to live in exile on the Isle of Patmos. He was later released and returned to live out his days in Ephesus.
We need to wake up and realize that the early church fathers lived through so much so that we would hear the message of grace and deliverance by serving God with all that they had, even giving their very lives. We should be willing to do the same!
YOUTUBE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 485
The Disciples: John & James (Pt 1)
Matthew 4:21 (NLT)
“A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.”
Here are some fun facts. John and Andrew were disciples of John the Baptist. The brothers John and James were in a fishing business with their father, Zebedee, and with the brothers Andrew and Simon (aka Peter).
Their mother, Salome, was a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus. So, this would have made them first cousins. Trying to use her influence as his aunt, she asked Jesus to secure a place for both of her boys within His top leadership, which did not go well with the other disciples.
James and John also had the nickname of “Sons of Thunder”, given to them by Jesus. One time during their ministry with Jesus, they offered to “call down fire from heaven and destroy them” (Luke 9:54) when a Samaritan village denied them a place to stay. They also both had a strong passion and enthusiasm for sharing the message of Christ. So it’s easy to understand both explanations.
Peter, James and John became part of the inner circle, more closely involved with Jesus, as compared to the other disciples. This was not because of the family connection, but rather because of the potential Jesus saw in them.
It’s time to wake up and realize that Jesus sees the potential in all of us and wants to help us be all that we can be for the kingdom of God. He will never force us, but is asking us to come follow Him, and He will make it happen.
YOUTUBE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 484
The Disciples: Andrew & Peter (Pt 2)
Matthew 16:24 (NLT)
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Wrapping up the stories of Andrew and Peter, these two brothers had not just made a quick decision to leave their fishing business and follow Jesus. They had both already spent time with Him, listening to His teachings and even witnessing some of his early miracles. They were excited to receive the call.
After Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, and being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they began going into all the world with the message of the gospel.
Andrew took the message to the land of the man-eaters, which is modern day Soviet Union, preaching in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey and in Greece where he was martyred by crucifixion.
We know that according to Matthew 8:14, Peter was married. We also know that both he and his wife were arrested in Rome. According to Lockyer’s All the Women of the Bible, his wife was martyred first, and he comforted her with the words “Remember the Lord”. When they came for Peter, they led him to be crucified, but he requested to be crucified upside down, for he felt unworthy to die in the same way as Jesus.
We are fortunate here in America, as we have the freedom to live our lives as disciples and not worry about persecution. But we need to wake up and realize that we have brothers and sisters around the world that are still faced with the threat of death unless they deny Jesus. Would you be able to say, “I have decided to follow Jesus…no turning back?”
YOUTUBE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 483
The Disciples: Andrew & Peter (Pt 1)
John 1:40-41 (NLT)
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).
The first two that were called were Andrew and Simon Peter. Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist, when he heard John declare “Look! There is the Lamb of God.”
Andrew is an example of being an evangelist, taking the good news of meeting Jesus, the Messiah and immediately sharing that news with his brother. When they came to Jesus, He saw the potential in Simon and said his new name would be Peter. These two brothers were fishermen by trade, but Jesus took what they knew and used that illustration to call them to follow Him and HE would make them fishers of people.
Peter probably represents who each one of us is as a Christian, both believer and doubter, faithful and unfaithful. But Peter became one of the twelve that was closest to Jesus, and Jesus invested in him, challenging him to love and care for “the sheep and lambs of the Good Shepherd,” even after he had denied knowing Jesus. But Jesus demonstrated love and forgiveness to Peter, so that he could do the same to others.
You and I are challenged to do that as well…to love people into the kingdom of God. We need to wake up and make sure that we are pointing people to Jesus in all that we do, so that God will be glorified through our lives.
YOUTUBE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 482
The Disciples: What is a Disciple?
Luke 6:12-13 (NLT)
“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles.”
So what is the biblical definition of a disciple? The term was used to name all those who became followers of Christ and those to come. Applied to Jesus, a disciple is someone who learns from him to live like him — someone who, because of God’s awakening grace, conforms his or her words and ways to the words and ways of Jesus. A disciple of Jesus is a worshiper, a servant, and a witness.
Over the next two weeks, we are going to do a Cliff Notes study of the original called out twelve, better known as the apostles, giving you a little insight into their lives and some thoughts into why Jesus chose these men. And it is important to remember that this was in no way a random “eenie, meenie, minie, moe” selection. He chose them out of the group of His disciples that had been following Him since His ministry began. They were to learn from the Master/Rabbi/Teacher, and then share what they learned with others, which is what we are to do as well. Were these guys perfect? No way! Did they make mistakes along the way? You bet they did. But they put their trust and faith in Jesus and fully followed Him by giving Him their all.
Wake up tomorrow morning and ask Jesus first thing, “What have you got planned for me to do today?” And keep your spiritual ears open to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He guides your steps.
YOUTUBE:
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Live Like a Champion – Week 28
The Promise of Glory!
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Do you know where the word “glory” came from? Listen to how the original audience would have heard it:
The Hebrew word for “glory” originally meant “weighty, heavy, or important.” From there it moved to the idea of an influential, rich, or prominent person. In ancient cultures the wealthy and the powerful were marked by the finery of their dress and jewels. Hence a person’s glory meant the ostentatious signs of wealth and power. Glory also suggested beauty, since fine clothes and jewels were items of beauty. The concept was then extended to God.
Jesus brought the weight of God’s immensity to the people! Hebrews 1:3a teaches us, “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”
Understanding the word “glory” helps us apply this promise in a very practical way to our everyday lives. I bet you never knew that that the promised hope of your future glorification would be so relevant to your lifetoday. The hope of glory is the ballast of your life so that you can sail true through the storms of life!Without the weight of glory, the rough waters and high winds will sink you in their despair and turmoil.
God’s promise of glory puts everything in perspective because God’s glory outweighs all else! That is exactly why in Philippians 1:19-21 Paul can say weighty, perspective-altering truths while he was in prison:
I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Paul had an earnest expectation of hope! God’s glory provided ballast to His mind, heart, and soul! His faith prioritized his emotional response to his circumstances, his mental health through the situation, and his priorities of decision making for his lifestyle. That is what the promise of glory gives us—it calms our hearts, orders our minds, and directs our paths.
You weigh your options based on their urgency and their importance. There is a competition for our attention and whatever weighs the most wins! This happens at a level we are not even aware of and we have lots of ways of explaining it: it is heavy, it grabbed me, it caught my attention, it’s got a hold of me, etc.
For example, if there are bills pressing you, making money weighs the most and decisions reflect that priority. If you are in pain or have a pressing medical diagnosis, seeing the doctor and medical treatmentsweigh the most and all else that was important are put in the back seat. If there is a broken relationship, a heavy heart weighs you down and shades your perceptions of everything else.
What weighs us down shapes our perceptions of life and determines our decision making!
Important things, left unattended will eventually become urgent, but if we can prioritize them by the weight of their actual importance before their urgency starts weighing us down emotionally, then potentially we can save ourselves a lot of pain, anxiety, and heart ache. Here is a quick list of everyday examples:
• You don’t take the time to get your oil changed (though it’s important) until the tow truck is taking you to the mechanic after your engine seizes up on I-70 (now it’s urgent). A $50 bill becomes $1000!
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The promise of glory minimizes the emotional hijacking of the urgent, the mental kidnapping of anxiety-producing circumstances, and the physical straight jacket of your stress response to bad news. It allows you to put everything in right perspective to God’s overarching reality—your salvation is signed, sealed, and delivered. You are justified, sanctified, and glorified. Rest! Believe! Trust!
The promise of glory is how you can be a peaceful presence and a loving person in the midst of the raging storms around our world, nation, and community.
The promise of glory is not only the promise of being raised up to Heaven in perfect union with God, but it is the promise of being intimately yoked with the One who walks with you every day to that destination. I can only live that way and think that way because I know my destination is secure and that death is not the reality of my eternity. Therefore, fear, anxiety, and insecurity will not outweigh God’s promise of glory!
I have been raised up because I am in Christ and I have my eyes fixed on His glory—past, present, and future. May God’s glory be your motivation and help you discern your decisions each and every day. May your emotional well-being and mental health be stabilized by the weight of glory in these turbulent times.
You can listen to the message here:
You can watch this message by clicking HERE.
FOOTNOTE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 480
Today’s hymn focus will be “Fairest Lord Jesus”
YOUTUBE:
Fairest Lord Jesus
ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish,
Thee will I honor,
thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.
fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer
who makes the woeful heart to sing.
fairer still the moonlight,
and all the twinkling starry host:
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
than all the angels heaven can boast.
Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
praise, adoration,
now and forevermore be thine.
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Seize the Moment – Day 479
Sacred Time!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, July 9.
What is your most precious commodity?
You have heard it said that the way you spell love is T.I.M.E. Time is the most precious gift you can give to someone because it is something that we cannot produce. We all have a finite amount of time and how we spend it shapes our lives and proclaims our belief system.
Time is sacred and God built this deeply into the covenant code. Listen to Exodus 23:10-12,
You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.
God declared time as “holy” by sanctifying the seventh day in Genesis 2:3. He built His covenant code upon this truth. In Exodus 23, God was reminding His people of this foundational truth of their faith. He commanded it as the fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 and then instituted it in the covenant code.
God designed us to only find our rest in Him so He established a holy rhythm of life. God even built this into the collecting of the manna in Exodus 16:22-30, so that they would not have to work on the seventh day, but learn to trust Him and rest in His provision. God is sufficient!
Seize the moment and sanctify time by investing it in your worship of God. How you work and rest proclaims your faith in God!
YOUTUBE:
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Seize the Moment – Day 478
From Exclusion to Embrace!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, July 8.
What motivates you to be kind and accepting of other people?
The Israelites were commanded by God to have empathy with strangers! They were to share the feelings of exclusion because they, too, were once strangers. God is commanding them to never forget their humble beginnings in a tangible way.
This motivation is carried over into the New Testament. Listen to 1 Peter 2:9-10 define the identity of every new covenant believer:
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; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Seize the moment and remember from what you were saved so that you may have the empathy to move from excluding the stranger to embracing them as a fellow citizen.
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