Month: May 2016

Coming Messiah 

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Psalms 24:9-10
“Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”

It seems the Psalmist is exhorting the inhabitants of Jerusalem to open wide the gates for the coming Messiah. They should be living with an expectation of His coming. This expectation was based upon the promises of Scripture. The prophets foretold of a specific date in which the Messiah would enter the city riding upon a donkey, and be received with worship by the people. As the narrative of scripture continues to unfold, we find that the Messiah came as predicted, but very few of the people were ready for Him. Some were so deeply set in their ways, that when He arrived, they dismissed Him completely.

The Bible speaks of another coming of the Messiah. Jesus said He stands a the door of the heart of each and every man. To those who will open their hearts, He will enter their lives, forgive their sins, and begin to transform them from the inside out. It is by opening your heart to Christ that you become prepared for the day when He will come again.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 24

  1. How is God described in verse 1?
  2. What character traits are encouraged in verses 3-4?
  3. Consider the description of God in verses 8-10. How does that minister to you today?

Heritage 

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

1 Samuel 25:3

“… but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.”


Webster’s dictionary defines heritage as, “something possessed as a result of one’s natural situation or birth.” While many things may be passed from one generation to the next, the most valuable commodity we can leave for the generations behind us is a godly testimony. 


The character referred to in this passage is Nabal, a man who descended from one of the giants of Scripture. He came from the family line of Caleb, whose life was summed up in the phrase that “He wholly followed The Lord.” This statement was made about him because he daily walked with God and was willing to venture into service for the kingdom of God, regardless of the cost or obstacles. We know Caleb to be a man who was filled with the Spirit…

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Conviction

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

1 Samuel 24:5
“Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.”

Life is filled with obstacles. We face constant trials that make this journey difficult. Yet, it seems we can handle almost anything except a troubled heart. When we are overwhelmed from within, it makes even the lightest burdens seem too great to bear. Our hearts are often troubled by loss, disappointment, fear or anxiety. David found there was another cause for a troubled heart – sin.

Whatever liberties others might have had, David knew for certain, he was “not to touch the Lord’s anointed.” In other words, David would not be the one to take Saul’s life, no matter what. David knew God wanted his complete trust. When he sat upon Israel’s throne, it would be because God had paved the way. On this particular day, David allowed his companions to…

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Forsaken

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

Psalm 22:1

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?”

Although David wrote this Psalm as an expression of the experiences he was facing, it has a much bigger application than he ever could have conceived. It was on the cross that Jesus uttered the opening words to this great Psalm.
“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Mark 15:34

In order to speak from the cross, Jesus would have to endure unimaginable pain. He would have to straighten Himself up by pressing against the nail driven through His feet, and breathe in deeply to force any words out. When His silence was broken by these words, His followers would…

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Greater Is He

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

Psalms 21:11

“For they intended evil against You;

They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.”


The thing that makes following Christ so difficult are the enemies we face. The primary enemy of the Christian is the devil and his minions. Scripture describes the devil as a schemer who seeks to derail us from following and serving Christ. He will use the weakness of our humanity as a tool to get us to stumble into sin. When at times, it may seem as though the temptations and the obstacles  are too great to overcome, we can be greatly encouraged by this promise. 


Psalms 21:11

“For they intended evil against You;

They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.”


Satan sought to destroy Israel the moment they stepped out of Egypt, yet God intervened and their enemies were drown in the sea. Later, the same demonic…

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Strong Hands 

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

1 Samuel 23:16

“Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.”

Things seem to be going from bad to worse for David. Saul’s rage forced him to flee the palace, and live the life of a fugitive. For safety sake, he dwelt in caves to hide from the king and his spies. He and his men came out of hiding at the command of the Lord, and risked their lives to rescue the city of Keilah from Philistine invaders, only to find the citizens of Keilah had sold them out to Saul. It is easy to see why both David and his men could become discouraged by their circumstances.

It is during this dark hour that David receives a visit from his closest friend. This visit will prove to be a source of great strength for David, and a powerful…

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Great Opportunities 

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1 Samuel 22:1-2
“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.”

1 Samuel 23:3
“But David’s men said to him, ‘Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?””

Perhaps you have heard stories about the heroics of the men who aligned themselves with David. They are often referred to as his “Mighty Men.” This is a fair description for many of them since they went on to accomplish great exploits in the furtherance of the kingdom and in its defense from enemies both inside and out.

That being said, it is important to note that these men did not start out mighty. Our first introduction to them is quite discouraging. We learn their characters were somewhat questionable, and they lacked any real faith to step out and serve the Lord. It was not where they started that defined them, as much as, where they ended up. It was the fact that they stepped into battle while filled with trepidation, that made them into the mighty men God used to forge the nation.

All of us have both opportunity and obstacles in the path before us. The question is whether we will trust the sufficiency of the Lord or if we will cower behind our inabilities. If we choose to step into the obstacle in the power of the Spirit of God, we will find victory that will forge us into one of His mighty men.

Years ago, I commented to a friend about the exploits of a man that God was using in a unique and tremendous way. He seemed to always be right in the midst of grand opportunities, and trying circumstances. I said, “It is amazing how these things always seem to happen to him.” Another man, who knew him much better, replied, “They do not ‘happen to him,” but he goes and looks for them”. I thought, how strange it was that while I try to avoid difficulty, he was looking for it, stepping into it, and finding huge opportunity to point many to Christ.

Let’s let our circumstances forge us into mighty men and women, who have chosen to be involved in furthering the kingdom of Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Shepherd’s Heart

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Psalms 20:1-4
“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.”

The bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart. I am sure the meaning behind that statement is many faceted.  While I do not pretend to know all that it means, I am pretty certain that it has a lot to do with the fact that David, like God, had the heart of a shepherd. When he looked at the people of God, he did so with the eyes of a shepherd. His great desire was to see them flourish and grow in the Lord. There are very few texts that express that idea in a greater way than the one before us. Here we are invited into the prayer chamber of the king, as he stands before the throne of grace, on behalf of congregation of Israel. His prayer is a beautiful expression of love for others and should serve as a model for each of us to follow.

“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you”

Life is filled with difficult and challenging times. When a person loses someone they love, has a marriage collapse, is diagnosed with a serious illness, or a host of other trying experiences, it is our hope and prayer that they would find both answers and defense, from the God who loves them. Whatever trying experience you are undergoing, I hope you will find consolation in the presence of the Lord. I hope you will hear His gentle voice speaking to your heart, as you cling to Him for answers and for strength to face another day.

“May He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion”

The sanctuary was not a fortress or a military compound. It was a place to meet with God, offer prayer, and hear from Him. David knows that in the tragedies of life, our help and strength will come from the presence of the Lord. Friends are a blessing, family is a great source of comfort, but true, lasting, even abiding strength, will be found as we frequent the sanctuary and enjoy sweet communion with Christ.

“May He remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice.”

Sacrifices were accepted on their merit, not on the merit of the person making the offering. He or she was there, not because they were perfect, not because they had unwavering faith, or a stainless record, they were their because of sin, and the sacrifice was accepted on their behalf. Trials, which often express weakness and sin, are not designed to keep us from the Lord, but to bring the offering of confession, perhaps mingled with brokenness, and offer ourselves once again as a living sacrifice. We are accepted not because we have not sinned, but because of the spotless Lamb who was offered for us.

Perhaps there is no better way to sign off than to simply quote the final request from the king;

“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.”

Pastor Jim

Psalm 20

In this sweet psalm, David is actually praying for you.

Make a list of the things he is praying and take some time to pray those things.

 

Treasure 

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

Psalm 19:10 

“More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

We have all had the silly daydream of winning the lottery, finding a stash of money in a secret compartment in the attic, inheriting millions from an uncle we did not know we had, or inventing the next great product everyone wants to own. Why? I think the answer is simply that we would all love to have an unlimited supply of cash; not for it’s intrinsic value, but because of what we can obtain with it, and for the security that it brings. Imagine never having to worry about the bills again.

Here the Psalmist declares there is something he desires, perhaps even daydreams about, more than riches. His desire was for the Word of God. Using such sweet poetry, he declares that God’s Words…

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The Sword 

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

1 Samuel 21:9

“So the priest said, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.’

And David said, ‘There is none like it; give it to me.’”


Saul’s rage forced David to flee for his life. He left home and family in such a hurry that he took almost nothing with him. When he arrived in Nob, he immediately searched for both food and weapons. Since he arrived at the home of the priest, and not a military compound, weapons were hard to come by.  The only available sword was the one David had taken from Goliath, and it probably sat in a display case. 


I find it interesting, this is not the first time David had handled someone else’s sword. On…

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