Year: 2016

Supernatural Selection

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

Numbers 27:18
“And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; . . .’”

There seems to be a simple pattern to the work of God: He chooses a man, fills him with His Spirit, and surrounds him with others. While the work is done through a man, it is always accomplished by the Spirit of the Lord. When Moses’ time on earth had run its course, the mantle was passed to another man. Out of the entire congregation of Israel, we read God chose Joshua, the son of Nun. I think it is worth considering why Joshua was selected.

First, we must consider the Sovereignty of God.
1Corinthians 12:11 states:
“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

Each one of…

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Heaven

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

John 3:13 “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”

I remember as a sixteen year old asking myself, “What happens when we die?” Then just as quickly I answered, “We go to Heaven.” Then I asked, “What is Heaven?” Again I answered, “Heaven is doing whatever you like to do forever.” Then I asked “Who gets to go to Heaven?” And again I had an answer. “Those who are good.” Finally, I had to ask, “Who was good?” My answer was that I was good, and anyone who did not kill, or rape, but lived a life like mine, was also good. This answer satisfied me. If anyone had asked what would happen if I died I was convinced that I had an answer. The problem was it was completely made up. It…

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Inheritance 

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

Numbers 26:54

“To a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them.”

Israel’s inheritance in the Promised Land was determined by two factors. First, where they would live was chosen by the Lord. Second, how much land they had was determined by the size of the tribe. One of the main factors affecting the size of the tribe was how much they grew during the wilderness years. These same factors will determine what our experience of The Lord will be as well. 

Much of life is outside of our control. Like Israel having to trust God with what part of the land they would inhabit, we have to trust God through the things in life that are beyond our control. When we lose our job, come…

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Friendship

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Numbers 25:1-3
“Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.”

A dangerous and all too common cycle is exposed in these verses. Some of the men of Israel were drawn into unhealthy relationships, which led to ungodly practices. Their sin led them out from under the blessings of God and into a place where they were chastened by the Lord. Unhealthy relationships are one of the chief causes of sin throughout Israel’s history. Whenever they were drawn to the nations around them, it was not long before they were involved in the practices of those nations. After years of this cycle repeating itself, Solomon wrote,

Proverbs 12:26 “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

There is another cycle that we also see repeated in Scripture and in life. When a person chooses to surround himself with those who are committed to, and living for, the Lord, he will find that he grow more quickly and serve more faithfully. Joshua found that to be true by spending time with Moses, David was bettered by his relationship with Jonathan, Timothy developed into a mighty man of God, through the time he spent with Paul.

The relationships we choose to invest in are the ones that will forge us into the person we become. While it is true that we live in the world, and God wants to use us to bring others to himself, it is also true that many Christians have slipped away from the Lord because of the worldly friendships they have chosen to keep. If you are involved in a relationship that is pulling you away from the Lord, perhaps it is time to establish some new relationships, with those who are committed to following after and serving Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Beginning Of Miracles 

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

John 2:11 

“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

John tells us, the miracle of turning the water into wine was the first of Jesus’ miracles, and its purpose was to make His glory known. The word “glory” is used synonymously in the Bible with the word “name”, and speaks of a person’s character. When Moses longed to know God more, he asked God to “Please, show me Your glory.” (Exodus 33:18) God responded saying, “I will cause My goodness to pass before you and declare My name.” It is in that passage we learn much of the merciful and gracious character of God. Here, at this wedding feast, John tells us that we are to learn something about the character of Christ.

John also tells us, this was the first miracle Jesus accomplished. Think about it…

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Victory

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Numbers 24:17
“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.”

Unknown-1.jpegThe final prophecy from Balaam, regarding Israel, declares God will defeat all their enemies. The nations that surrounded Israel, as well as those who lived within its borders, would be brought under the mighty hand of the Lord.

As believers we should take great comfort in this. We all face constant attacks from without and within. Not only do we struggle through the difficulties of life, but we are also faced with inward temptation and trial. It is good to know that the enemy will be defeated. As we continue to walk with Christ, we will find that He carries us through the trials of life, and gives us victory over the struggles of our flesh. Even if you are struggling to keep your head above water, you can look back at the faithfulness of God and rejoice in the things from which He has already delivered you. This should give you a deeper desire to allow Him to set you free from whatever struggle you might currently be enduring.

God is faithful and will always be victorious. Pauls declare we are more than conquerors because of the work of Christ (Romans 8:37).

Pastor Jim

 

Different Point Of View 

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

Numbers 23:21
“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
And the shout of a King is among them.”

Balaam is an enigma. While he is clearly a false prophet who does great harm to the people of God, he is also responsible for some of the greatest Old Testament sermonettes. Here, he is taking a second look at the camp of Israel, attempting to find a way for Balak, king of Moab, to overthrow Israel. Instead, he learns how God sees His people.

Numbers 23:21
“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.”

If you or I were standing on Mount Pisgah, remembering the actions of Israel, we would not find it difficult to observe iniquity. We might call to memory their constant complaining about food and water, their continual…

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Distorted View

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Numbers 22:4
“So Moab said to the elders of Midian, ‘Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.’ And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.”

The Moabites were descendants of Lot and ancient ancestors like Israel. They inhabited the land east of the Jordan and south of the Dead Sea. As a result, they were not under the same curse as the Canaanites, and they occupied an area of land that was not given to Israel. In God’s economy they were to be neighbors and allies with Israel. Isn’t it sad that they had established such a distorted view of what would happen to them if they submitted to the will of God and allowed Israel to pass through their land? They believed that submission to the Lord meant their lives would be ruined.

The bible teaches that the devil is a liar and a deceiver. His goal is to steal what belongs to God and destroy those who are precious to God. One of the ways he accomplishes this is by distorting the Word of God, to make it seem as if surrender to God will ruin your life. He convinces us that the plans we have for our lives are best and God wants to rob us of those plans and give us something of lesser value. As a result, we fight against God with almost every step. When He wants us to lay something down, we fight, thinking we cannot live without it. When He wants us to pick something up, we resist, thinking it is much too difficult to do.

Sadly, the Moabites continued to resist the ways of God, fought against the people of God, and were defeated. They lost so much, simply because they had a distorted view of God.

I think it is also important for us to realize that the world around us has developed a pretty distorted view of God. Most people who have not accepted Christ have never read the Bible or sat in a Bible teaching church. Their understanding of Christ and Christianity has come from TV and movies. They have no real idea of who God is or what the Bible teaches. It is the role and responsibility of the Christian to set a good example of what it means to be a follower of Christ. As long as someone has a distorted view of Jesus, they are very unlikely to give their life to Him.

Pastor Jim

 

The Light

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

John 1:4

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Jesus was magnetic! People from all walks of life were drawn to Him. Lepers, paralytics, rich men, beggars, fishermen, and even Pharisees were drawn to Jesus; to meet Him, hear Him speak, and be touched by Him. At times, we read of massive crowds that gave up all other pursuits, and listened for hours as He spoke about the Kingdom of God. What was it that drew people to Him? John tells us that His life was like a light in the darkness.

Often, when I come home at night, my route into the house is through the garage. The problem is, the light switch is on the far end of the garage, near the kitchen door, and skateboards, bikes, shoes and other sporting equipment are scattered across the floor. In the darkness, facing these dangers…

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Look At That

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pjimgallagher's avatarJim Gallagher

Numbers 21:8
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.'”

The sins of the people put them under the curse. One by one, they watched as their loved ones fell ill and died. At some point, they realized there is no cure for the plague and they beseech Moses to seek God for the solution. As Moses cries out to the Lord, he is instructed to forge a brass serpent on a pole. Any who look upon the serpent will be healed. One only need use a little imagination to understand the joy which filled the hearts of all who would look upon the pole. Instantly, the effects of the curse were removed and they were safe. At the same time, imagine the folly of one…

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