Author: pjimgallagher

Shaky Ground

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Proverbs 28:26
“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2014/12/img_1264.jpgWhen faced with decisions, it is not uncommon to be counseled to follow your heart. Solomon suggests that doing so is a very bad idea. He calls it folly. I can think of three reasons why it is foolish to follow your heart.

First, the Bible teaches that the heart is deceitful above all other things (Jeremiah 17:9). That means our hearts can trick us into doing things that are unhealthy or even detrimental. Our hearts, like our appetites, can desire things which are harmful to us. A friend of mine was diagnosed with high cholesterol and counseled to drastically change his diet. Upon receiving the doctor’s orders, his appetite did not suddenly change. He still hungered for fatty, fried, high cholesterol foods. The heart is the same way. We can long for things that God forbids, and our hearts can lead us away from the Lord.

Second, the heart is the seat of emotion. It is the place where emotions arise; and emotions are untrustworthy. We have all had the experience where, suddenly and without warning, our emotions change. We are happy one minute then suddenly we are saddened, afraid or filled with anxiety. A person who is trusting in emotions, is like a small boat in a violent storm. It is very difficult to navigate through life with emotions as our compass.

Finally, not only are our emotions fickle, but the desires of the heart are constantly changing. Many of the things we longed for in the past are hardly worth having today. Look back at some old photos and notice the hair cut you had to have, or the outfit that you spent your hard-earned money to buy. Like changing fashions, the heart is constantly desiring something new.

Rather than trusting in the heart, we should trust the promises of God. Instead of leading us away from the Lord, they will lead to a life that is well pleasing to Him, and beneficial to the ones we love. Unlike emotions, the promises of God are like bedrock upon which to build your life. When emotions, fashion, culture, and experience suddenly change, the Word of God remains as solid ground to stand upon.

Don’t follow your heart, follow the Lord.
Pastor Jim

 

Pierced

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Zechariah 12:10
“They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2014/12/img_1263.jpgZechariah wrote over 400 years before Christ, and yet, he refers to the cross.

In John 19:36-37 we read, “For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken.’ And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced.’”

David also spoke of the cross in Psalm 22:14-18, “I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; and My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

And as Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 53:4-6 “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Encouragement and hope are the underlying themes of the prophecies of Zechariah. When the Jews returned to Jerusalem, they faced the ruins of what had once been a splendid city and glorious Temple. There was much to be sad about, but Zechariah encouraged them with visions of judgment on Israel’s enemies, and of the complete restoration of the city of Jerusalem. Yet, the most thrilling vision of all, was the prediction of a coming King – the Messiah who would bring eternal salvation and the promised eternal kingdom. The complete restoration of God’s people would occur in the redeeming and delivering work of the coming Messiah.

No matter what difficulties you are facing today, you have hope because of what Jesus has done for you. The cross not only fulfills a host of prophecies, but proves once and for all, the great love of God. Take some time to reflect upon the work of Christ on the cross. Leave your past and your sins at the cross, and follow after Jesus with each step of your life.

Pastor Jim

 

Can’t Eat Just One

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Proverbs 27:20
“Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2014/12/img_1902.jpgA few years ago, the Frito-Lay Corporation ran an ad for their potato chips with the slogan, “Bet you can’t eat just one.” The concept was simple, their chips were so good, so addicting, that once you tasted one, you would keep eating until the bag was empty. In this verse, Solomon points out, sin is like that. The word he uses for hell is Sheol, and can mean the grave. He is declaring, just as death is never satisfied, so desire for sin will never be satisfied by sinning. Often, when we are facing greater than normal temptation toward sin, we think one more look, touch or taste will satisfy the craving. What we find is, the desire comes back with greater force after it has been fed.

The children of Israel experienced this in the wilderness. Each morning they awoke to breakfast being served from heaven. This “Manna”, as it was called, was designed to satisfy their appetite during their journey through the desert. After years of the same food, they began to hunger for something else. When their craving became so great that they could no longer withstand it, they began to threaten Moses. In response, God promised to send them meat to satisfy their intense craving. Soon, a flock of quail flew into the camp and was trapped and killed by the people. With their lust for meat in full swing, they began to tear into the fowl, not waiting for it to be cooked properly, and the people became ill. With their lust for meat driving them, many died from sickness (Numbers 11). Later, this area became known as the Graves of Lust.

Feeding lust will never make the desire go away. The Bible tells us, the only hope for overcoming the desire for sin is to deny it. Paul declared, he considered himself to be crucified with Christ, and he treated sin as a dead man would (Galatians 2:20). We are exhorted to do the same. We are told, since we died with Christ, we are to treat sin as a corpse would. To do this, we must treat it as something of our past, not our present. We accomplish this is by not sowing to our sin nature, but removing ourselves as far as possible from its influence. In another place, Solomon asks, “can a man put fire on his lap and not get burned?” (Proverbs 6:27) The answer is obviously NO. In the same way, we cannot bring sin close, increase our desire for it, and not fall into it. The secret of success in the battle with the flesh, is to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.

Pastor Jim

 

Cornerstone

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Zechariah 10:4
“From him comes the cornerstone,
From him the tent peg,
From him the battle bow,
From him every ruler together”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2014/12/img_1261.jpgZechariah referred to the coming Messiah as the cornerstone. A cornerstone is the stone which forms the base of a building. It supports the weight of the adjoining walls and is the set stone necessary to plum the rest of the building. If that stone is unstable, or too weak to support the weight of the structure, the building itself will collapse. If that stone is out of square, the entire building will be crooked. Every builder understood the importance of the cornerstone. Zechariah was not the only writer to refer to the Messiah as the cornerstone. Isaiah put it this way,

Isaiah 28:16
“Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.”

The prophets are declaring Christ is the foundation stone we must build our lives upon. Other foundations are faulty and are not  able to support our lives.

Years ago, we conducted an outreach in a Boys and Girls Club in England. After the event ended, I, and a handful of others, were discussing the gospel with some of the teenagers. I made the comment to a couple of young men, that they needed to receive Christ and He needed to be the foundation upon which they built their lives. Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by an older man who declared he did not need Christ, he had recently undergone triple by-pass surgery, and his own strength and the support of his family was enough. He declared, his experience proved Christ was unnecessary for life.

Many build their lives on foundations other than Christ, and some even find these foundations are enough to support them through much of the difficulties of life. The question each one must face is, what about death? Your foundation may stand the test of time, but only Christ, as our chief cornerstone, will stand the test of eternity.

Friends, money, good health, and morality, may prove to be valid foundations for much of life, but they will not be enough come eternity. Christ alone is the cornerstone upon which eternal life is built. Have you trusted in yourself, your accomplishments, your morality, or have you trusted Christ as Savior, and given yourself over to Him as Lord?

Pastor Jim

 

Answers

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Proverbs 26:4-5 “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest  he be wise in his own eyes.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2014/12/img_1254.jpgSometimes, determining what God wants us to do can be quite difficult. We can have opposing principles, which can be found in the pages of the Word, applied to the same situation. That is the case with the advice Solomon is providing here. On the one hand, it is folly to attempt to correct a foolish man. Since his thinking is irrational, it is impossible to rationalize with him. The conversation becomes nothing more than a vain argument. On the other hand, if he is not corrected, he will continue on the same path with no hope of escape. When faced with these encounters, we are forced to make a split second decision, seeking God’s best for the situation. Many times we walk away having a much longer conversation with ourselves than we did with the other person; talking out all the things we should have said. Allow me to give just a few tips.

First off, since we do not know what encounters await us around the corner, we must prepare in advance. We will be prepared by spending time with the Lord and walking in the Spirit. I cannot express strongly enough, how often my morning devotions have prepared me for the encounters I face throughout the day. I have almost come to expect, I will have a conversation where I am able to draw from my morning reading. I have found, daily Bible reading puts me one step ahead of the situations I will face. Prayer is also a critical factor in being ahead of the game. Taking time in the morning to devote myself, my day, and my time to the Lord, will get me in the right frame of mind to be available when ministry opportunities arise. When Paul addressed the Ephesians, he wrote of “being filled with the Spirit.” Morning prayer time is the place to make that happen. As we begin the day pouring out ourselves and our needs to the Lord, we find we are filled with His love, power and Spirit.

Finally, when Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus he said, “the wind blows where it wishes, we do not know where it comes from or where it goes. Such are they who are born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) Walking in the Spirit involves making myself available to the Lord and looking for His leading in my life. A chance encounter at the market, park, or school recital may, in fact, be a ministry opportunity. Often, taking the time to listen to someone and prayerfully considering how to answer, may provide the open door we need to see a person come to faith in Christ. Walking in the Spirit involves not being driven by emotion or circumstances, but being open to and looking for ways to be used by the Lord.

Pastor Jim

 

Do The Right Thing

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Zechariah 7:3
“Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2014/12/img_1253.jpgThe people in Zechariah’s day were beginning to realize their lifestyle was unacceptable to God. They concluded, the solution to unrighteous living was to fast on certain days. Prior to implementing their new religious program, they approached the prophet for guidance. He declared what they really needed to do was obey the Word of The Lord.

Zechariah 7:7
“Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets…”

There is something about the nature of all men that when we become convicted of our sins, we want to perform religious deeds. We think we need to go to church, recite a prayer, or be involved in some other religious activity. While these activities are very important and must play a role in our lives, our greatest need is to return to the Lord and live in obedience to His written Word.

Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). He declared to the disciples that if they loved Him they keep His commands (John 14:15). The truest evidence of repentance is a change of behavior. Albeit, there are times when that is very difficult and almost impossible to do. I am reminded of a man with a deformed hand who met Jesus in a church service. Jesus asked him to do the one thing he was incapable of doing. He said “stretch forth your hand” (Luke 6:10). Rather than giving excuses, or even good reasons why he could not obey, the man simply trusted and obeyed. His obedience was met with the power of God, and his deformity was healed.

If God has revealed areas in your life that need to be corrected, don’t settle for a few religious activities. Instead, turn to Him with your whole heart and receive His power to live obediently to His word.

Pastor Jim

 

Merry Christmas

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Zechariah 6:12-13
“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out… And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

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The Bible speaks of the riches of the grace of God. Grace is a word that refers to God’s giving nature. James 1:17 puts it this way, “Every good and perfect gift comes from the father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” Certainly, life is filled with gifts given from heaven to earth. When we gaze into the face of nature, or a new born child, we cannot help but think of the grace of God. Nevertheless, every other gift pales in comparison to the gift given on the first Christmas morning. God wrapped His Son in human flesh and gave Him to mankind to be Savior and Lord. The young child who was born in a stable, and laid in a manger, would grow to become what the apostle John called, “the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only but the sins of the whole world” (1John 2:2). As the years went by, He would move from a manger to a cross, where He would die, to pay the debt of sin and reconcile man to God. As you give and receive gifts this Christmas, it is our prayer you would receive the greatest gift ever given and put your trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.

Merry Christmas, Pastor Jim

 

Using Your Influence

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Proverbs 24:11
“Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.”

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Salvation is a free gift given to man from God. Jesus Christ became a man and offered Himself as a willing sacrifice on the altar of Calvary, in order to pay mankind’s debt and wash away all sin. This salvation, while freely given, must be received. John wrote,

John 1:12
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name”

When we recognize we are sinners and Christ is the Savior, and we put our trust in His work on the cross to save us, our sins are washed, and we become the adopted children of God. This is an individual decision. It is not something we can make for another. Parents cannot receive Christ for their children or children for their parents. As much as we may desire for our spouse, siblings or neighbors to receive Christ, we cannot force them to make that decision. Coercion, manipulation, nor brute force, are the methods that will save a soul. That being said, Solomon exhorts us to do what we can to deliver those who are heading toward death and destruction.

There are many things we can do to influence the decision of another. First, we must make the decision ourselves. A very common, and unsuccessful parenting method, might be called the “do as I say, not as I do” method. Often, parents put standards on their children which they do not follow. A parent who commonly uses profanity, will chastise a child who uses it. However, that parent will find, as the child grows, they will talk much as their parent does. The same is true of relationship with Christ. Jesus explained, we are the light of the world. People are watching, and as they see a life committed to Christ, they too, will be drawn to Him.

Second, we must pray for those who have not yet decided to receive Christ. Prayer is the most powerful and least used weapon in winning others to Christ. It is through prayer we will see hearts soften, doors open, and the message of the Gospel take root. When praying for our loved ones, pray that whatever the enemy is using to blind their eyes to their need for Christ, would be removed. Pray, just as you saw your need for Christ, they would see their’s. Pray they would come to church or outreach events with you, and they would make a decision to surrender to Christ. Pray right now!

Third, we must share the truth. Paul explained that the Gospel is the power of God that will lead to salvation (Romans1:16). It is important to be loving, kind, friendly, considerate, compassionate and relatable, but if we do not share the message of the cross, people will have no idea why we are the way we are. Paul declared, he desired to know nothing among others except Christ and Him crucified (1Corinthians 2:2). In other words, it was of the highest importance to him, to explain to others the way of salvation. Sometimes, the best way to do that is over a meal or a coffee. Other times, it may be through inviting someone to church, or after church to invite them to bring their questions to the pastors. We might send them a CD of a morning message, or a link to a live feed or last weeks Bible study. Whatever door the Lord opens, be sure to take it.

While salvation is the decision of every individual, let’s be sure to do our best to influence them to decide for Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Fly Away

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Proverbs 23:4-5 “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”

IMG_1246.JPGRiches are not evil in themselves. The Bible does not teach that money is the root of all evil, but that “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1Timothy 6:10). Throughout Proverbs, Solomon listed instructions that will increase our chances of being successful. He speaks of honesty, integrity, and diligence, while warning against folly, laziness and getting involved with the wrong people.

That being said, Solomon also warns against thinking that money will solve all of our problems. He writes poetically of the inability of riches to really meet our deepest needs. He states that riches make wings and fly away. Have you ever watched a young child attempting to catch a butterfly? With each step the child takes toward the winged creature, it simply flies off to the next bush. Step after step, she thinks she almost has it, but again and again it simply flies away. Riches are like that. In one sense, they are aloof, but we think with just a little more work we will finally catch them. If memory serves me, it was Rockefeller who, when asked how much money was enough, responded, “just a little more than you have.”

There is another sense in which riches have wings. Not only are they difficult to catch, but riches will never provide what they promise. Often, we think that the solution to our problem is cash. If we had a few more dollars we could get out of debt, take that vacation we always wanted, replace the hunk-of-junk car we drive, or a host of other things. While I would agree that having is more fun, than not having, we all must realize riches have wings and cannot satisfy the real issues of life. The headlines remind us of that. We often read of wealthy actors, entertainers, athletes or business men, who have marital or substance abuse problems, are on anti-depressants or even take their lives. The reason is, riches have wings. They are unable to meet the deepest needs in the heart of man. In contrast to this Solomon writes,

Proverbs 23:18 “For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.”

The real solution to the issues of life, is a spiritual one. We need to realize, we will only be satisfied when we are in a right relationship with God. Jesus promised, all who received Him would have torrents of living water rushing through their lives (John 7:38), providing peace, joy, and love for God and others. We need to be sure, while we are in pursuit of “getting ahead,” we do not neglect to make investments in our relationship with the Lord.

As the new year approaches, resolve to accept Christ as your Savior and Lord, make daily investments in your walk with Him by reading the Word, and commit to regular attendance at a good Bible teaching church.

Pastor Jim

 

Problems And Solutions

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Zechariah 2:10
“ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord.

IMG_1244.JPGThings looked bleak for Israel. After their defeat in battle, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish people were taken as prisoners to Babylon. An entire generation arose who had never set foot in the promised land, and who ignored the voice of God, when called upon to return and rebuild. For those who did return, morale was low, as the daunting task of rebuilding a nation amidst constant opposition bore down upon them. Zachariah records the words he spoke to the people, to encourage them to continue on in the work of the Lord. One of his greatest promises is recorded here,

Zechariah 2:10
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord.”

Heaven’s solution for what ailed mankind was a visit from God himself. Years later, this promise would be fulfilled, when, in a stable outside Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. This tiny Child, whose first bed was a cleaned feeding trough, would grow to become the Savior of humanity, and change the course of human history. No man can match the influence this tiny Child has had upon the world; and his work is not yet completed. He desires to continue to impact the world, one life at a time. No matter how dark things may seem in your life, you can break out in song knowing that Jesus Christ desires to dwell within you and change your world.

Pastor Jim