Jim Gallagher

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 11-12 & John 15
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 11- What Did You See?

Deuteronomy 11:7
“. . . but your eyes have seen every great act of the Lord which He did.”

There is no question, the children of Israel made mistakes. Their years in the wilderness were marked by complaining, doubt, fear and outright disobedience. Yet, things could have been worse. They… Read More

Deuteronomy 12- Right In His Own Eyes

Deuteronomy 12:8
“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—”

Ignoring the Word of God, and doing whatever we determine to be right, has always been a problem for… Read More

New Testament: John 15- Fruit-Filled Life

John 15:8
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

God desires that we live fruit-filled lives. When we do, He is glorified and we are blessed. A fruit-filled life is marked by the … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 9-10 & John 14
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 9- Game Day

Deuteronomy 9:1
“Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven”

Imagine being on a team that has lost… Read More

Deuteronomy 10- Timeless

Deuteronomy 10:1-2
“At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain and make yourself an ark of wood. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark.’

Every generation likes to think of themselves as more advanced than the one… Read More

NewTestament: John 14-Promises

John 14:1
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

We live in troublesome times. Many face the fear of cancer or some other illness. The economy has shattered the comforts we once… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 7-8 & John 13
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 7- Winning Daily Battles

Deuteronomy 7:17-18
“If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them? ’— you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt . . .”

… Read More

Deuteronomy 8- Testophobia

Deuteronomy 8:2
“And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”… Read More

New Testament: John 13- Foot Washing

John 13:10
“He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean;…”

Living in Israel at the time of Christ, it was impossible to walk the streets of Jerusalem without getting dirty. Open-toed sandals in a desert climate made for dirty streets and dirty feet. One solution was the custom of foot washing. Whenever a guest entered a home, the host was responsible for ensuring that the feet of the guest were washed. When Jesus gathered with the disciples for the Passover meal, he … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 5-6 & John 12
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 5- 10 Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:22
“. . . and He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.”

The commandments of God were given to the people of God so they had a standard by which to govern themselves. These laws were given the highest place of honor in the nation. They were placed within the Ark of the Covenant, in the Holiest place within the Tabernacle. Years later, … Read More
Deuteronomy 6- Teach Them Diligently

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie… Read More

New Testament: John 12- Spiritual Accounting

John 12:11
“On account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.”

The word “account” means “by reason of”. It means, Lazarus was the reason many put their trust in Christ. His life and his … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 3-4 & John 11
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 3- Attack

Deuteronomy 3:2
“And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’”

Moses and the congregation … Read more

Deuteronomy 4- This Is Wisdom

Deuteronomy 4:6
“Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”… Read More

New Testament: John 11- Difficulties With People

John 11:3
“Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

One of the great struggles of life is how to reconcile a loving God with the difficulties of life. Every day, all over the world, people are confronted with tragedies. Difficulties hit like a storm and wreak havoc on their lives. It is not until we find ourself facing one of these trying times, that we are undone by it. It is at that point, we begin to ask, “How … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 1-2 & John 10
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 1- Walking In Circles

Deuteronomy 1:2
“It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.”

Deuteronomy begins with a recap of Israel’s history, from Mount Sinai, to the border of the Promised Land. Moses begins by… Read More

Deuteronomy 2- Victory In Battles

Deuteronomy 2:37
“Only you did not go near the land of the people of Ammon—anywhere along the River Jabbok, or to the cities of the mountains, or wherever the Lord our God had forbidden us.”

Israel’s journey through the wilderness serves as a vivid illustration of the believers walk with… Read More

New Testament: John 10-His Word, Our Lives

John 10:21
“Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’”

Those struggling to determine if Jesus is truly the Son of God and Savior of man, are… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Numbers 35-36 & John 9
Old Testament: Numbers 35- Refuge

Numbers 35:12
“They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.”

God established a system in Israel which ensured the safety of a person who had accidentally caused the death of another. Instead of allowing vigilantes to run rampant, Moses was instructed to have six cities built where a person could flee, find protection, and await his day in court… Read More

Numbers 36- Looking To The Future

Numbers 36:7
“So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.”

The children of Gilead, from… Read More

New Testament: John 9- I was Blind…

John 9:25
“One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

John 9 records an event that changed a man’s life forever. That event was an encounter with the Son of God. John tells his readers that Jesus sought out a man who had lived his whole life in darkness, and with the power of God, removed his blindness and provided him with sight. We would expect the rest of this chapter to be filled with… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Numbers 33-34 & John 8
Old Testament: Numbers 33- Abundant Life

Numbers 33:52
“. . . then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places; . . .”

God described the land He was… Read More

Numbers 34- Innumerable Promises

Numbers 34:2
“Command the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance—the land of Canaan to its … Read More

New Testament: John 8- Set Free

John 8:34
“ Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

James explains the process of sin,

James 1:14-16
“But each one is tempted when he… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Numbers 31-32 & John 7
Old Testament: Numbers 31- God Is Just

Numbers 31:1-2
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.’”

Webster defines vengeance as, “the act of doing something to hurt… Read More

Numbers 32- That’s Far Enough

Numbers 32:5
“Therefore they said, ‘If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.’”

The request of Reuben and Gad to remain on the East side of the Jordan, outside the land of promise, was as shocking to Moses as it is to us. When he first heard it, Moses was reminded of the events almost forty years earlier, when the ten spies refused to enter the land, and discouraged the hearts of the people. After… Read More

New Testament: John 7- Popular Opinion

John 7:13
“However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.”

2000 years have passed and this still remains a problem; we withhold the message of Christ out of fear. What are we afraid of? It seems to me… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Numbers 29-30 & John 6
Old Testament: Numbers 29- Once For All

Numbers 29:13
“You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord…”

Moses goes into great detail to explain the sacrifices that were to be offered to the Lord. Every morning, and again, every evening, a spotless lamb was offered, with a grain and drink offering. On the Sabbath, new moon, and for each of the seven feast, additional… Read More

Numbers 30- To Be Honest

Numbers 30:2
“If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

A vow is a form of a promise. The person taking the  … Read More

New Testament: John 6- Storms

John 6:20
“It is I; do not be afraid.”

Galilee was known for sudden and unpredictable storms. The wind increases rapidly, causing the Sea of … Read More