Jim Gallagher

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 25-26 & Acts 1
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 25- Forty Lashes

Deuteronomy 25:3
“Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these, and your brother be humiliated in your sight.”

A man, condemned of certain crimes, was to be beaten as a form of punishment and humiliation. The beating was reserved for the wicked, while the righteous were exonerated. Years later, a “Kangaroo Court” met in Israel, … Read More

Deuteronomy 26- A Great Nation

Deuteronomy 26:5
“And you shall answer and say before the Lord your God: “My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.’“

The story of Abraham is the… Read More

New Testament: Acts 1- All He Began To Do

Acts 1:1
“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, . . .”

The book of Acts is a sequel to the Gospel account, written by Luke. He declares, in this opening verse, the purpose for writing the Gospel account and the book of Acts. He states that the Gospel… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 23-24 & John 21
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 23- Sharing Is Caring

Deuteronomy 23:24
“When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes at your pleasure, but you shall not put any in your container.” 

In John 12:8, Jesus said, “The poor you will have with you… Read More

Deuteronomy 24- Happy Marriage

Deuteronomy 24:5
“When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.”

Moses is reminding the people of the laws of God. These were the standards which would govern individuals and the nation. If they followed His precepts, they would be… Read More

New Testament: John 21- Follow Me 

John 21:19 
“Follow Me.”

Much has happened since Peter first met Jesus. In a few short years, it seems as though a lifetime has transpired. Peter, the fisherman, has become Peter, the apostle. The young man who used to spend his days on the Sea of Galilee… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 21-22 & John 20
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 21- The Curse

Deuteronomy 21:23
“…For he who is hanged is accursed of God.”

Galatians 3:13
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, … Read More

Deuteronomy 22- Torn Apart

Deuteronomy 22:9-11

“You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled.You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.”

To properly understan… Read More

New Testament: John 20- Jesus The Gardner

John 20:15 
“She, supposing Him to be the gardener, . . .”

Mary saw Jesus, but the circumstance she was in, and the experiences she was facing, caused her to conclude that He was a gardener. It was not until she heard His Word, that she clearly understood who He really was.… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 19-20 & John 19
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 19- City Of Refuge

Deuteronomy 19:2
“. . . you shall separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.”

Deuteronomy is a compound word meaning “Second Law”,… Read More

Deuteronomy 20- Join The Fight

Deuteronomy 20:3-4
“Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

We are not fighting the same battles that Israel fought. Paul reminds us, we do not fight against flesh and blood, but we are engaged in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12). We are not fighting for king and country, but for Christ and the furtherance of His… Read More

New Testament: John 19- Silent Success

John 19:9
“But Jesus gave him no answer.”

Jesus is facing the battle of His life. We could even say it was the battle for His life. All the political power of Israel was manipulating the power of Rome, to execute the Son of God. Yet Jesus remained silent. We know He wields the power… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 17-18 & John 18
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 17- Lessons For Leaders

Deuteronomy 17:18-19
“Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes… Read More

Deuteronomy 18- Avoiding A Shipwreck

Deuteronomy 18:9
“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.”

In the closing chapters of the… Read More

New Testament: John 18- His Cup

John 18:11 
“Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus spent hours in prayer. The portion of the prayer recorded for us had to do with a cup. The event is recorded in Mark 14:35-36,… Read More

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 15-16 & John 17
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 15- Freedom

Deuteronomy 15:16-17
“And if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.”… Read More

Deuteronomy 16- Retreats

Deuteronomy 16:16
“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.”
… Read More

New Testament: John 17- He Is Praying For You

John 17:9
“I pray for them.”

Perhaps the best title for John 17 is, “The Lord’s Prayer.” As the hour of His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion approaches, Jesus takes time to pray for His disciples. His prayer, while encompassing many things, seems to focus upon three thoughts.

First, Jesus prays for His followers that they may be one. Division within the body of Christ has been one of the most confusing things for the unbelieving… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 13-14 & John 16

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 13- Walk This Way

Deuteronomy 13:4
“You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”

John 3:16 is the most famous verse in the Bible because in twenty-five words it captures the entire message of Scripture; … Read More

Deuteronomy 14- Good Mourning

Deuteronomy 14:1
“You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead.”

Among many of the pagan cultures, it was a common practice to cut yourself as a sign of mourning for the loss of a loved one. This practice served to show others … Read More

New Testament:  John 16- Better Off

John 16:7
“It is to your advantage that I go away; . . .”

Much of what Jesus said was shocking to the ears of the disciples. He spoke with a wisdom that was otherworldly. They may have become used to the fact that Jesus was going to say things that surprised them, but I do not think… Read More

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