Year: 2015

Let Us Worship

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Psalm 95:6
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”

Paul declared, all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable. Every page of God’s Word has a purpose in the life of the believer. However, there are certain passages that have greater meaning to each of us, because of the impact they have had upon our lives. This is a particularly important text to me.

Years ago, when I was a relatively new Christian, I was invited to a weekend retreat with about 200 other teenagers. We all congregated at a retreat center in the San Bernardino Mountains, for times of worship, and the Word. I had been a Christian for about two years, but had never been to anything like that before. In fact, I had only been to church a handful of times. The first night, after a hearty meal of camp food, we gathered for Bible study. I remember being so blessed by hearing the Word of God taught. At the end of the study, we set aside some time to worship, and wait upon the Lord. Again, this was a brand new experience for me. It was during this time of worship, I heard this verse for the first time. It had been put to music, and we were singing it. As I sang, I felt compelled to put the verse into action. I quietly slipped out of my chair and onto the floor, where I knelt, lifting my hands to the Lord. I recall a desire welling up within me, like nothing I had ever experienced before. I guess you could call it a hunger, not for more tator-tots, but for more of the Lord. It was there, on the floor of the sanctuary, I prayed, “Jesus, I want more of You, I want all of You.” At that moment, something happened to me. I was filled with a sense of being cleansed from failure, and filled with a love for God, like I had never known before. I arose from that time of worship changed. I was hungry for more of Jesus. I began to read my Bible daily, I looked for opportunities to serve Christ, and even found myself longing to be around other believers.

Theologically, I had no idea what had happened. All I knew was that I had encountered the Lord that night, and my life was being changed. Later, as I read my Bible, I came to understand what happened to me was the fulfillment of a promise Jesus gave to His followers. He said that He would, “Baptize us with the Holy Spirit” He also promised that when that happened, we would be filled with a new source of power, to be a witness of Him to the world around us (Acts 1:8).

When I dropped to my knees that night and cried out for more of Him, He filled me with His Spirit, and transformed my life. Without me even knowing the promise of God, He was working in my life. I know that I am special to the Lord, but I know that you are as well. The promise of the Holy Spirit is not exclusive to a certain class of Christian. Joel promised that God would pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh.

If you desire to see God work in a new, deeper way in your life, why not drop to your knees right now, lift up your hands, and cry out for more of Jesus. What are you waiting for? This Psalm also carries a warning, “Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion…” In other Words, if God is speaking to you, respond immediately, whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing.

Pastor Jim

 

Pay Attention 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Kings 21:1-2
“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.”

Manasseh, king of Judah, will go down in history as the king who caused the fall of the nation. It was not his foreign policy, his economic plan, or his tax code, that killed the nation. Instead, it was his view of God and his stance regarding sin that would weaken the nation, and lead to its collapse. Later we read,

2 Kings 23:26 “Nevertheless the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.”

The sins of Manasseh include rebuilding high places, building altars to false gods, practicing soothsaying, and even sacrificing his children on altars to false gods. But the real driving force behind his sin was that he “paid no attention” to the word of God.

Our sins and their consequences may look entirely different than those of this ancient king, but the ultimate cause is always the same. When we ignore the Word and ways of God, and do life our own way, we will find ourselves living for things that will destroy us, and negatively impact the generations that follow us. For our sake, and the sake of those who will follow, we should carefully examine the Word of a God, and live according to the ways of God.

Pastor Jim

 

Need More Time? 

pjimgallagher2 Comments

2 Kings 20:6
“And I will add to your days fifteen years”

Imagine what this promise meant for Hezekiah. First, he was ill, so it meant he would be healed. Second, it meant he would have more time. Third, it meant a clock started that night, giving him an expiration date. Fifteen years from this promise, Hezekiah would breath his last. This promise has often made me wonder, “What I would do with fifteen more years?” How would you react, if suddenly you were given an expiration date? Let’s take a look at what Hezekiah did.

First, Hezekiah entertained delegates from Babylon. These men were impressed with him because he accomplished what no other nation had; he was victorious in battle against Assyria. We previously read how God sent angelic beings to do battle on behalf of Judah, defeating Assyria. Hezekiah, however, seemed to take credit for what the Lord had done. This is a danger for anyone who is involved in the service of the Lord. We must be careful to give glory to the Lord, not to take it unto ourselves. This behavior set the stage for further failure.

2 Chronicles 32:25 “But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.”

Second, taking the glory for the Lord’s accomplishment led Hezekiah to become lifted up with pride. Pride is a dangerous sin. It was the motivation behind the devil’s first sin, it is listed in the seven things God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19), and James tells us, God resists those who are proud (James 4:6). Pride causes us to lose sight of our dependence on God, and consequently, think we can handle things on our own. It is sad to think the final years of this godly king we’re spent apart from the presence of the Lord.

Finally, Hezekiah had a son in the final years of his life. This young man, Manasseh by name, was heir to the throne of Judah. Instead of being raised around the things of the Lord, with a dad who was dependent upon the Lord, he grew up with a dad who was drifting from the Lord. Manasseh became the most ungodly ruler Judah ever had. Now it is true, Manasseh was responsible for his own decisions, but it is also true that Hezekiah did little to influence him in the right direction.

None of us are certain how much, or how little time we have left, but all of us can determine how those days will be spent. We can resolve to live for the glory of the Lord, set an example for those who are watching us, and those who will carry the mantle once we are gone.

Pastor Jim

 

Against The Odds 

pjimgallagher2 Comments

2 Kings 18:33
“Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?”

Assyria was on a campaign to conquer the world. Their armies were sent out to defeat any nation that showed the least resistance. Judah had watched as their neighbors Israel and Syria were defeated, and the people taken away as slaves. Now, with the Assyrian army at their doorstep, it seemed as though Judah would be the next to fall. Delegates, representing the king of Assyria, came to Jerusalem and openly threatened the people, in order to destroy what little confidence they might have had in the Lord. These delegates reminded the people that no other nation had been able to resist the Assyrian conquest, and Judah would be no different. It was here, they made their biggest mistake. They thought Israel’s God was no different than the manmade gods of other nations.

2 Kings 18:33 “Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?”

We often make the same mistake. We have tried, time and time again, to overcome some great obstacle in our lives, only to find we are unable to defeat the enemy. It might be a secret sin, our marriage, a prodigal child, a substance addiction, or a vast array of other things. After our best attempts have left us wanting, someone tells us to trust the Lord. We may feel as though we lack the strength to try again. We must realize, our God is like no other, and just as Judah was delivered from Assyria, God can deliver us.

Hezekiah and the leaders sought the Lord and obeyed His Word. They found that against all odds, the Lord brought deliverance.

Pastor Jim

 

It Cannot Be Moved 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Psalm 93:1
“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.”

It seems to me, if one thing is certain in life, it is that things are constantly moving. We live on a moving planet. At the equator, the Earth is spinning at 1000 miles per hour, moving at 67,000 miles per hour around the Sun, and our entire Galaxy is moving at about 185 miles per second. Since this motion is constant, we cannot feel its effects. However, there is other movement that we do notice. The United States Geological Survey website lists dozens of earthquakes that have happened around the world in the past seven days. Earthquakes happen because the earth’s surface is like a thin crust. This crust is made up of many pieces, like a puzzle, and the pieces keep moving around and bumping into each other. This causes the surface of the earth to move like waves rippling in a pond. Also, about 70% of the earth’s surface is water. That means almost three-quarters of the earth is too unstable to stand upon. As far as I know, Jesus and Peter are the only two people to successfully stand on the surface of the water, and that did not last too long for Pete.

If you have ever spent an extended period of time on the ocean, you know how unstable it is. After living on a boat for a few days, even solid ground feels like it is moving. With that said, I do not think that the earth’s surface, of land or water, is the most unstable thing we experience. While the earth may shake daily, it usually happens pretty far from us; and while the sea may be turbulent we can avoid it. However, we cannot avoid the turmoil caused by the flood of emotions that seem to come against us suddenly. One dictionary defines emotions as “strong feeling accompanied with physiological changes like increased heartbeat and respiration and often overt manifestations of crying and shaking.”

We all know emotions can overtake us suddenly, putting us within their grip, and even crippling us. I was recently at a funeral for a close friend. The moment I began to speak, emotion gripped me and all that I had prepared to say was stifled. I could not get a word to pass my lips. No doubt the Psalmist was not immune to these experiences, yet he declares, “Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.” Because God is seated upon His throne above the earth with all it’s confusion, He is able to give us stability in the midst of an ever-changing world. When we are in emotion’s grip, filled with fear, anxiety, pain or sorrow, we can have our feet land on the solid ground and sure foundation of the our reigning King.

“In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” Psalms 94:19

The Psalmist goes on to declare the way we will find stability. “Your testimonies are very sure; holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever” (Psalms 93:5). It is the unchangeable truth of God that will give stability in life. While the storms rage, the Word of God will give you a sure footing and a quiet resting place. It is not the fluctuating faith that you place in the Scriptures, but the surety of His promises that are an immovable rock, even the floods cannot destroy.

Make His promises your hiding place, and you will discover that even a moving world cannot be shaken.

Pastor Jim

 

Falling 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Psalm 91:7
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.”

The Psalmist is speaking of the benefits derived from living in an intimate, abiding relationship with God. Jesus also spoke on the same subject when He refered to Himself as the vine and us as the branches. He made it clear, the only way to bear fruit in our life was by remaining in a close and personal relationship with Him. This verse expresses one of the most important benefits of abiding.

“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.”

Sadly, we have all seen Christians fall by the wayside. People who, at one time, were walking with the Lord, but have fallen back into the life from which they were delivered. We see this happen to new believers and old, we even see it happen to those who at one time or another, were serving the Lord. One of the saddest experiences for me, is to look around a room filled with people, and know those who are missing, because they have fallen. How was it that sin was able to get its grip on them, tear them away from Christ, and leave them wounded on the sidelines? The answer is quite simple; they stopped abiding. The same thing will happen to you and me if we cease to abide in the secret place of the Most High.

The word ‘abide’ means ‘to stay or to live’. The person who is abiding in Christ, is the person who is daily remaining connected to the Lord. There are some simple, practical ways we can do that. First, we must make time to spend with the Lord, in His Word and prayer. All those who succeed in following and serving Christ, have learned to develop a daily time with the Lord, in His Word. Second, it is not about the number of verses you read or memorize (although both of those are important), it is about putting into practice the things you read. Abiding is directly related to obedience to the Word. Third, we were never meant to live out the Christian life alone. If we want to make it to the end of our race, we need to get involved in Christian fellowship; more than sitting next to someone once a week in church. The strongest bonds you can form with others, are the bonds developed while serving Jesus together.

The Christian life is a battlefield where we see our comrades falling around us on a regular basis. We need to recognize the battle is intense and the secret to success is abiding in the secret place of the Most High. Will you take time to sit at His feet today?

Pastor Jim

 

It’s A Secret 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Kings 17:9
“Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.”

Webster’s dictionary defines secret as, “kept from view or hidden.”mIt goes on to speak of something as “being covert or stealth,” implying that great pains are taken to avoid detection.

During the time that led to the fall of Israel, the people were involved in secret sins. They knew the things they were doing were wrong, hence they were hidden, but they continued in them none the less. Sadly, the more they practiced these sins, the harder their hearts became, until they eventually built places of worship, and brought their secret transgressions into public view. Soon, what had once been recognized as sinful behavior, and practiced only in secret, was now being done for all to see. The countryside was littered with high places, boasting of the sinful practices of the people.

As the story unfolds, we find the nation of Israel will soon fall. Weakened within by unwavering immorality, the nation could not survive the rising threat of Assyria. We are reminded of the words of Solomon, who wrote,

Proverbs 14:34
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

We should all be deeply concerned by the once secret sins that are now practiced openly and publicly, all around us. Things that were once done in the dark, and recognized by all as immoral and sinful, are now heralded as normal, acceptable, and even “Christian.” Our deep concern should lead us to combat these evils, but we must remember, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God (2 Corinthians 10:4). The best way to combat the rising tide of wickedness is to examine our own hearts, and see if we are allowing any secret sins to remain in our lives. When we will do business with the Lord, and allow Him to transform us, we will become that light in the world that draws others out of darkness and into Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Still Here 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Kings 15:4
“…the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.”

Over the years I have discovered something about myself, I am better at projects than I am at maintenance. My yard is a classic example. We worked hard to irrigate, lay sod, and plant trees, and our yard looked good for a little while. As time went on however, we discovered that neglect undid much of our labors, and before long, things looked rather unkept. It seems like Azariah had a similar problem; while he desired to live pleasing to the Lord and made great strides, he still neglected certain areas that needed his attention. One area in particular, was the “high places”, where altars were built to false gods. These shrines were destructive to the nation because they served as an open door to lead the people away from the true and living God. The only way to properly deal with the high places was to aggressively attack the problem. Azariah needed to mount an offensive and destroy the altars.

I wonder, if we were to honestly and carefully examine our lives, what “high places” might we find? What questionable attitudes or behaviors are you still clinging to? Perhaps it is time to do what King Azariah failed to do, remove those things from your life, before they become the reason for your fall.

Pastor Jim

 

Secret Weapon 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Kings 14:25
“He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher.”

The Northern tribes of Israel reached the zenith of their strength under king Jeroboam II. Here we are given insight into the secret behind their success:

“. . . according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah. . .”

Most of us are familiar with the story of Jonah. He was the reluctant prophet who went through great difficulty because of his refusal to obey God. When he finally surrendered to the Lord, he delivered God’s message, and the inhabitants of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, were saved.

When we put the pieces together, we find the nation of Israel was experiencing peace and growth because the Word of God had impacted the Assyrians, who were their mortal enemies. The true force that had the greatest impact upon the nation was not their military, but preaching of the Word of God.

There is little doubt today, in anyone’s mind, that the nations of the world are facing great difficulty. Economic crisis is the norm in many western countries, the rising threat of civil unrest runs rampant in the Middle East, the fear of terrorist activity is the plight of all nations. What we fail to see, the greatest weapon in any battle is the Word of God. What our nation needs, more than anything else, are individuals who will commit themselves to Christ, and live according to the teaching of His Word. Individuals who will share the love of Christ with their neighbors and friends.

Don’t hold back. Take time today to pray for opportunity to let someone know about the hope of heaven found in relationship with Jesus.

Pastor Jim
 

 

Time Management 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Psalm 90:10
“The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years.”

When we are young we think we will live forever; death, even aging, is for other people. As we age, we still cannot imagine a world of which we are not a part. Yet, the Psalmist is making clear, we have been designed by God with a shelf life. In other words, one day we will expire. The bodies that we live in will no longer be able to sustain life, and we will move on to an eternal habitation. James put it like this, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away ” (James 4:14). The word ‘vapor’ is defined as, “diffused matter floating in the air impairing its transparency.” In other words, a vapor is only slightly more than nothing. It speaks of the fact that life on earth is transitory, not permanent. This does not mean that life is meaningless.

God actually places the highest value upon human life. We know He formed us in the womb as the highest expression of His creation. We are told we are made in the image of God, and after the fall we were redeemed by the blood of God. That being said, it is possible to live a meaningless life. The Bible speaks, on more than one occasion, of “worthless men.” Calling them worthless does not mean that God did not value them highly, but rather, they were wasting life, instead of living it. When they timed out and their lives came to an end, they had nothing eternal to show for it. When James refers to life as a vapor, he is reminding us that life is temporary.

No matter what your diet or exercise program consists of, death is certain. It has been proven that the death rate among human beings is 100%. One hundred years from now none of us will be alive. Now I am not saying this to depress you, but to prepare you. You see, while life is temporary it is also preparatory. What we do now prepares us for where and how we will spend eternity. We might benefit from thinking of life as the preliminary round. When asked the meaning of life, Rick Warren put it like this, “In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever and God wants us to be in heaven with Him. We may spend 60-100 years here but we will spend trillions in heaven. This is the warm up act”

We are prepared for death when we have received Christ and are surrendered to, and serving Him. As a result, the Psalmist encourages us, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).”  Since we have limited time, seventy or perhaps eighty years, we are encouraged to number them. We need to understand, there is a limited number and we must spend them wisely.

Let’s do it. * 70 x 365 = 25,550 * , now multiply your age x 365 *, subtract that number from 25, 550 * I have 8,760 days left * I am 65% done. Another way of looking at it is, if my life were a book, I am two-thirds done. The plot has been set, the main characters developed, and the final act is being set up. The question we must ask ourselves is, “What are we writing on today’s page? What, from today, will last for eternity?” If we have prepared for eternity by receiving Christ, we further prepare by living each day in light of eternity.

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Proverbs 27:1

Pastor Jim