Jim Gallagher

TODAY’S DAILY READING – Jeremiah 49-50 & 2 Peter 2
Old Testament: Jeremiah 49 – Excuses Excuses

Jeremiah 49:4
“Why do you boast in the valleys, Your flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? Who trusted in her treasures, saying, ‘Who will come against me?’”

Some things never change. The sun will always rise in the East and set in the West, water will always be wet, and a person in a backslidden state will always deceive themselves, about their…Read More.

Jeremiah 50 – Pardon the Preserved

Jeremiah 50:20
“‘In those days and in that time,’ says the Lord, The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; For I will pardon those whom I preserve.’”

One of the greatest benefits of being in a relationship with God is the forgiveness of sin. God explains that although we have….Read More

New Testament: 2 Peter 2 – In the Pig Pen

2 Peter 2:22
“But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’”

A few years ago, I was in northern Ghana with a group of people from our church. Our purpose was to bring the Gospel to remote villages that had yet to be reached for Christ. Just as Paul developed a custom of going … Read More

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 47-48 & 2 Peter 1
Old Testament: Jeremiah 48 – Clean Me

Jeremiah 48:11
“Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed.”

Jeremiah is describing Read More

New Testament: 2 Peter 1 – Add to Your Faith

2 Peter 1:5-7
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”

Building a healthy relationship with…Read More

Jeremiah 47:1
“The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.”

All the way back to the time of Abraham we have been reading about the Philistines. They were a people who came from Phoenicia and occupied the southern coastal region of the land of Israel. Because of the unwillingness of the people of God to deal with them in the early years of the occupation of the Promised Land, the Philistines were a constant problem for Israel. At times Israel would push them back and at times the Philistines would conquer portions of Israel enslaving its people. Over the years they had repeated opportunities to turn from idolatry and become followers of God. Those opportunities are now coming to the end as their nation is on the brink of destruction.

Today the Philistines are nothing more than a history lesson as their destruction was complete. I think it was Winston Churchill who said “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” There is an essential lesson we need to learn from the fall of the Philistines. The mercy of God will hold back His judgment providing us with many opportunities to turn away from sin and follow Him. But time will ultimately run out for everyone and we will face the judgment of God.

If you were able to make your way to Israel you can walk upon the remains of the ancient philistine cities of Gaza and Ashkelon. These remains almost scream to us that walking according to our own ways will ultimately end in ruin. Don’t wait until it is too late! The Bible promises that today is the day of salvation. If you will turn to God He will forgive your sin and restore your relationship with Him.

Pastor Jim

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 45-46 & 1 Peter 5
Old Testament: Jeremiah 45- Self-Promotion

Jeremiah 45:4-5
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up… And do you seek great things for yourself?’”

As the nation teeters on the brink of collapse, Jeremiah is given a prophetic message for one man, Baruch. Baruch was an assistant to Jeremiah. One of his main roles was that of a scribe. He was responsible for writing down… Read More

Jeremiah 46- Armed And Dangerous

Jeremiah 46:3-4
“Order the buckler and shield,
And draw near to battle!
Harness the horses,
And mount up, you horsemen!
Stand forth with your helmets,
Polish the spears,
Put on the armor!”
As the forces of Egypt… Read More 

New Testament: 1 Peter 5- Throw It All Away

1 Peter 5:7 “. . .casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Cares, concerns, worries, and anxiety are all relatively synonymous terms. They speak of the things in life that fill us with fear, rob us of peace, overwhelm us, and stress us out. There are numerous things… Read More

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 43-44 & 1 Peter 4
Old Testament: Jeremiah 43- Self-Willed 

Jeremiah 43:4
“So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah.”

After the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar’s forces, the inhabitants of Judah began to look to Egypt as a place… Read More

Jeremiah 44- Self-Inflicted

Jeremiah 44:7
“Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel:‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves…”

God warned the people not to flee to Egypt for help. He knew the Babylonians would soon defeat Egypt and any who were In allegiance… Read More

New Testament: 1 Peter 4- The End Is Near

1 Peter 4:7-10
“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another.”… Read More

 

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 41-42 & 1 Peter 3
Old Testament: Jeremiah 41- Game Over

Jeremiah 41:15
“But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites.”

After conquering Judah and Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah governor over the people. He allowed many of the Jews to remain in the land, and gave them certain freedoms… Read More 
Jeremiah 42- Ready, Willing and…

Jeremiah 42:6
“Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God…”

A few years back I attended a men’s conference where this verse was shared during a worship session. Like most, I was encouraged by the sentiment… Read More 

New Testament: 1 Peter 3- Answers 

1 Peter 3:15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

Shortly after coming to Christ, I was driving down PCH in Southern California and found myself stuck at one of the many red lights, waiting… Read More

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 39-40 & 1 Peter 2
Old Testament: Jeremiah 39- Competition

Jeremiah 39:18
“’For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,’ says the Lord.”

This promise was first given to a man from North Africa named Ebed-Melech. He was… Read More 
Jeremiah 40- Seek Counsel

Jeremiah 40:16
“But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, ‘You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely concerning Ishmael.’”

After taking Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as governor of the province of Judah. No longer living in a free state, the people would… Read More 
New Testament: 1 Peter 2- Living Stone

1 Peter 2:5
“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”

Peter describes Christians as Living Stones. This simple phrase reveals the miraculous nature of our salvation. Individuals can no more have their sins forgiven than a stone can come to life. However… Read More 

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 37-38 & 1 Peter 1
Old Testament: Jeremiah 37- Praying Is The First Step

Jeremiah 37:3
“And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ‘Pray now to the Lord our God for us.’”

Zedekiah was an ungodly king who refused to heed the word of the Lord, and continued to lead Judah down the road of destruction. Instead… Read More
Jeremiah 38- Shhhhh! It’s A Secret

Jeremiah 38:16
“So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah…”

As the book of Jeremiah moves forward, we find the prophet having repeated discourse with King Zedekiah. The king seems somewhat erratic in his behavior. One moment, he is treating Jeremiah favorably, while the… Read More

New Testament: 1 Peter 1- The Economy
1 Peter 1:18-19
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

One day, Jesus was sitting with His disciples watching events transpire at the Temple. As they… Read More 

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 35-36 & James 5
Old Testament: Jeremiah 36- Fire Resistant

Jeremiah 36:27-28
“Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: ‘Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.’”

In the fourth year of the… Read More

New Testament: James 5- Pray About It

James 5:13
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”

As this letter comes to a close, James addresses as many scenarios as he can think of that the believers might be facing. Some are suffering, others are cheerful, sick, or struggling with sin. In each case, the solution is the same. James says PRAY. The simplest definition… Read More

Jeremiah 36:2-3
“Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Jeremiah has been called “The Weeping Prophet.” An apt title for a man whose heart was broken as he watched the city of God collapse under the weight of Babylonian oppression. But the title fails to tell the whole story of this servant of God. We might also refer to him as “The Hopeful Prophet.” With the rising tide of immorality and the masses turning away from God Jeremiah wrote a message of hope to his nation. This message was a plea for the people to turn away from sin and back to God. His plea included the promise that all who responded would experience the forgiveness of sin.

Forgiveness is a powerful thing. Anyone who has experienced it can testify to the heavy weight that was lifted from them as the offended party reached out their hand as a gesture of acceptance and the chasm that once divided them was finally mended. Biblically speaking forgiveness results in reconciliation between fallen man and a Holy and Righteous God. Our sins that once stained us are washed away and the barrier that kept us from God is forever removed. Jeremiah wrote his message down and delivered to the highest court in hopes that his leaders would hear the message, receive its promise, return to God and begin to lead the nation back to  the ways of God.

I think we can learn a lot from The Hopeful Prophet. Too often we become discouraged by the landscape before us. We see the affects of a nation filled with people who  mistreat the things of God. Instead of being discouraged we should be filled with a sanctified hope knowing that the message of the gospel has the power to bring a person into relationship with God and that God has the power to transform their life and their daily living.

I often wonder how different our days would be if we left our homes filled with hope that today we might have the opportunity to impact just one life for with the Gospel. Instead of looking at all that is wrong with the world, how about we learn to focus on the message that is able to bring about a change.

Pastor Jim