Jim Gallagher

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Nehemiah 9-10 & Romans 16
Old Testament: Nehemiah 9- Needs Met

Nehemiah 9:20
“You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.”

Nehemiah is reflecting back upon how God faithfully met the needs of His people as they struggled through their wilderness journey. He speaks regarding … Read More
Nehemiah 10- Neglect

Nehemiah 10:39
“For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering… and we will not neglect the house of our God.”

Much of our life is experience oriented. We save, plan, and prepare for a trip; making sure we get lots of photos, so we can … Read More

New Testament: Romans 16- Honor

Romans 16:3b
“. . . my fellow workers in Christ Jesus”

Years ago, I received a letter; I had been selected to be awarded for my accomplishments as a teacher. Upon reading the first paragraph, I was honored and somewhat… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Nehemiah 7-8 & Romans 15
Old Testament: Nehemiah 7- Build Your House

Nehemiah 7:4
“Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt.”

By this time, in the Nehemiah’s story, much has been accomplished. He has experienced the call of God that took him from a highly coveted position in the kings… Read More  

Nehemiah 8- Celebration

Nehemiah 8:10
“Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’”

Chapter 8 brings us to the climax of the book of Nehemiah. After the grueling task of building the walls was completed, the people gathered together to celebrate the… Read More 

New Testament: Romans 15- One Mind

Romans 15:5-6
“Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This chapter contains many… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Nehemiah 5-6 & Romans 14
Old Testament: Nehemiah 5- A Terrible Thing To Waste

Nehemiah 5:7
“After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said…”

Nehemiah serves as an example of godly… Read More
Nehemiah 6- All Inventions Are Not Created Equal

Nehemiah 6:8
“Then I sent to him, saying, ‘No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.’”

The enemies of Judah seem to be constantly thinking of new ways to attack Nehemiah and… Read More

New Testament: Romans 14- No Man Is An Island

Romans 14:7
“For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.”

A Christian by the name of John Donne (1572-1631), is credited for the saying, “No man is an island.” He wrote it in a devotional message speaking of how our lives effect one another. Paul is writing about the same idea, because we are part of the body of Christ, our lives effect one another. The decision I make to follow the Lord will have an impact upon those around… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Nehemiah 3-4 & Romans 13
Old Testament: Nehemiah 3- Can’t Spell Team Without Me

Nehemiah 3:1
“Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel.”

In the midst of conflict, hostility and opposition, the remnant of Israel, under the leadership of Nehemiah, set out … Read More
Nehemiah 4- Fellowship

Nehemiah 4:19-20
“Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, ‘The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.’”

Nehemiah and the inhabitants of  facing the challenge… Read More

New Testament: Romans 13- Time To Wake Up

Romans 13:11
“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

I can remember times, as a child, when I had to wake up very early for an event I was looking forward to. I would set my alarm, and a backup, then wake up… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Nehemiah 1-2 & Romans 12
Old Testament: Nehemiah 1- Dark Days

Nehemiah 1:4
“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

Nehemiah received word concerning conditions in Jerusalem. No doubt, he hoped … Read More
Nehemiah 2- Be Prepared

Nehemiah 2:8
“…And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.”

The walls around the city of Jerusalem lay in rubble, and the people who returned to rebuild the Temple had become discouraged by the enormous task, and the constant attack of their enemies.

If we were writing this story, I wonder who we would choose to be the hero? I wonder where… Read More

Romans 12- The Will Of God

Romans 12
Over the years, I have found most of us are trying to determine God’s will for our lives. We have come to understand, His ways are better than our ways and if we desire abundant life, we want to be in the center of His will. Most of us have heard the story of Jonah, Over the years, I have found most of us… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezra 9-10 & Romans 11
Old Testament: Ezra 9- Drowning

Ezra 9:6
“And I said: ‘O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.’”

After some initial reforms, the remnant, who had returned to Jerusalem from… Read More
Ezra 10- Where Revival Begins

Ezra 10:7
“And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem”

Imagine a scene where the leaders of the nation call its citizens to gather at the capital with the purpose of repenting from evil and seeking the… Read More

Romans 11- Listen

Romans 11:4
“What does the divine response say to him?”

Paul is referring to one of the most difficult times in the life of the prophet Elijah. He lived during a time when the nation of Israel had turned from the Lord and had become steeped in idolatry. As the people stood in the valley… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezra 7-8 & Romans 10
Old Testament: Ezra 7- Adjectives

Ezra 7:11
“Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord...”

Webster’s dictionary defines an adjective as, “a modifier of a noun to denote the quality of the thing named… or to specify a thing as distinct from… Read More
Ezra 8- Desperation

Ezra 8:23
“So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.”

Ezra and his company were traveling hundreds of miles without a military escort and carrying the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold, silver and bronze. Had word… Read More

Romans 10- Deep Desire

Romans 10:1
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”

We use the word heart to refer to the seat of our deepest desires. It is not uncommon to hear someone say, “I love you with all my heart.” The same was true in Paul’s day. He declares, with this expression, one of the things that kept him going in… Read More 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezra 5-6 & Romans 9
Old Testament: Ezra 5- Back To Work

Ezra 5:2
“So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.”

Not long after returning to Jerusalem, the people became greatly discouraged in the work of the Lord. Things were moving slowly, and they were facing a great deal of opposition from… Read More

Romans 9- Sorrow

Romans 9:2-3
“That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”

We have all had experiences that have saddened us. Sometimes the word… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezra 3-4 & Romans 8
Old Testament: Ezra 3- The Verdict

Ezra 3:2
“Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.”

Central to returning to the Lord, was the Altar. With it, sacrifices could be offered… Read More
Ezra 4- Guilty As Charged

Ezra 4:15
“That search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition within the city in former times, for which cause this city was destroyed.”
… Read More

Romans 8- It’s All Good

Romans 8:28-29
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

The bible is filled with great and precious promises. Of… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezra 1-2  & Romans 7
Old Testament: Ezra 1- Is That Possible?

Ezra 1:3
“Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.”

There are times when the promises of God seem unlikely, and other times when they seem impossible. The scene in which Ezra is set is one of those, “it looks impossible”, kind of times. Judah had been defeated, the city of Jerusalem destroyed, and the people scattered throughout Babylonia. To complicate matters, the Babylonians… Read More

Ezra 2- Incoming Call

Ezra 2:1
“Now these are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his own city.”

Ezra tells the story of the children… Read More

Romans 7- Life In Christ

Romans 7:4 “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”

Much of what the Bible says is revolutionary. There are statements, not just shocking to us, but to every generation that ever lived. Jesus… Read More