Jim Gallagher

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 31-32 & 1 Thessalonians 5
Old Testament: Isaiah 31- Throw That Out

Isaiah 31:6-7
“Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.”

Isaiah prophesied of a day when a nation would come against Judah, and the Lord would defend His people. This happened at the end of the 8th Century BC when the Assyrian forces besieged Jerusalem, and were… Read More

Isaiah 32- Peace And Quiet

Isaiah 32:17
“The work of righteousness will be peace, 
And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.”

“Oh yeah, what’s in it for me?”

This seems to be a commonly asked question. Before we… Read More

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 5- Get Ready

1 Thessalonians 5:2
“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”

Years ago, when our twin sons were infants, my wife woke me in the middle of the night. Having been up with the babies, she saw someone in our… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 29-30 & 1 Thessalonians 4
Old Testament: Isaiah 30- Throne Of Grace

Isaiah 30:19
“He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you”.

At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, Israel was resisting the Lord. They decided following God restricted them from really moving forward, so they began a quest pursuing the gods of other nations. Sadly, their pursuit not only left them empty, but at odds with God. Part of the Prophet’s ministry was to remind the people of the blessings that would become theirs once they returned to the Lord. One of the greatest of these benefits… Read More

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 4- Headlines

1 Thessalonians 4:18
“Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

We are living in uncertain times. Violence rages in the Middle East, the threat of terrorism continues, even increases, despite all of our efforts to eradicate it, the rising threat of hostile nations developing nuclear capabilities, not to mention… Read More

Isaiah 29:8
“It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, And look—he eats; But he awakes, and his soul is still empty; Or as when a thirsty man dreams, And look—he drinks; But he awakes, and indeed he is faint, And his soul still craves: So the multitude of all the nations shall be, Who fight against Mount Zion.”

Imagine going to bed famished. You can barely fall asleep because the hunger pains are so great. Yet in your sleep you dream of a lavish feast with all you favorite foods; there are appetizers, main dishes and every dessert your heart can desire. In this dream you eat and eat until you cannot swallow another bite. You’re as full as you were hungry and a smile of satisfaction begins to rise upon your face only to be interrupted by the sound of the alarm clock and the sudden realization that your hunger has not been satisfied. Isaiah declares that this is the spiritual condition of those who resist God. Although their belts may need to be loosened physically they are famished spiritually and all their attempts to satisfy themselves are like dream food that can never fill the void.

Isaiah was not alone among bible writers in declaring man’s emptiness apart from God. Paul declared that we are complete in Christ, the obvious implication is that we are incomplete without Him. This caused one man to realize that every person is born with a God shaped void in their life. This void makes us hungry for something to fill the void but anything we put in the hole other than Jesus is like the dream, a void that cannot satisfy. How many wealthy, successful, popular people do we hear of still trying to find satisfaction in life. Some search for it in relationship and the gossip columns are filled with the stories of their true love romances that last as long as a vapor in the wind. Others search for it in a cause and pour their energies into something that distracts them from the emptiness within. Still others try to numb the emptiness with drugs, alcohol or prescription medication. In each case the void is still there because it can only be filled by surrendering our lives to Christ and living for that which He has created us for.

Stop trying to survive on dream food. Surrender to Christ, pick up your cross and start following Him. He has a plan for your life that will bring you joy and will outlast time.

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 27-28 & 1 Thessalonians 3
Old Testament: Isaiah 27- Slaying Dragons

Isaiah 27:1
“In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.”

The Bible often uses figurative… Read More

Isaiah 28- Objects Appear Larger

Isaiah 28:13
“But the word of the Lord was to them,
‘Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.’”

I don’t know if it is “a guy thing”, but whenever my wife arrives home from… Read More

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 3- Prosperity 

1 Thessalonians 3:3
“That no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.”

There seems to be a great deal of teaching in the church today regarding prosperity. The messages vary, but the basic idea is God wants to bless and prosper you. This prosperity is defined… Read More 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 37-38 & 2 Thessalonians 3
Old Testament: Isaiah 37- Super Strong

Isaiah 37:3
“Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.’”

As this chapter opens, Judah is a on the brink of destruction. The Assyrian army, who had conquered all of Judah’s enemies, was encamped against the city of…Read More
Isaiah 38- Setting Things In Order

Isaiah 38:1
“In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’”

When Hezekiah heard the report that his condition was terminal… Read More 

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 3- Pattern 

2 Thessalonians 3:9
“. . . not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.”

I don’t know who thought this was a good idea, but when I was in the eighth grade, all students were required to take a semester of Home Economics. The eighteen week… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 25-26 & 1 Thessalonians 2
Old Testament: Isaiah 25- Storms

Isaiah 25:4
“For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”

Many places in the world are subject to devastating storms. Within the… Read More
Isaiah 26- War And Peace

Isaiah 26:3-4
“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.”

I recently watched an episode of a “Reality Show” where two individuals … Read More

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 2- You’re Doing It Wrong

1 Thessalonians 2:13
“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

A few days ago I was working at my computer using a program that had been… Read More

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 23-24 & 1 Thessalonians 1
Old Testament: Isaiah 23- Don’t Go Back

Isaiah 23:17
“And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.”

Tyre was an ancient coastal city situated on the Mediterranean, just north of Israel. Like all people, they were answerable to God for their actions, and would soon… Read More
Isaiah 24- Priority Seating

Isaiah 24:2
“And it shall be:
As with the people, so with the priest;
As with the servant, so with his master;
As with the maid, so with her mistress;
As with the buyer, so with the seller;
As with the lender, so with the borrower;
As with the creditor, so with the debtor.”

Life is filled with distinctions… Read More
New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 1- Companions

I Thessalonians 1:1
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy . . .”

Serving Jesus is a team sport. If we are going to be effective, we must establish godly relationships with others who want to follow and serve Christ. Their lives, and commitment to Christ, will serve to propel us forward, just as ours does the same for them. In my earliest years… Read More 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 21-22 & Colossians 4
Old Testament: Isaiah 21- Good New From The Bad News

Isaiah 21:3-4
“Therefore my loins are filled with pain; pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it. My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me; the night for which I longed He turned into fear… Read More 

Isaiah 22- One Nation Under God

Isaiah 22:12-13
“And in that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth. But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’”

Isaiah lived during interesting times. The northern nation of Israel was about to fall prey to Assyrian forces, while the southern nation of Judah was facing… Read More

New Testament: Colossians 4- Get To Work

Colossians 4:17
“And say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.’”

Paul closes out his letter to the Colossians by referring to the ministries of a number of believers. Luke, Mark and… Read More 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 19-20 & Colossians 3
Old Testament: Isaiah 19- The Whole World

Isaiah 19:24-25
“In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.’”

Isaiah takes us beyond his day to the future reign of Christ. In doing so, he promises… Read More

Isaiah 20- Giving It Your All

Isaiah 20:2
“At the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, ‘Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.’ And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.”

Sometimes, the Biblical message is so important it is presented along with an unforgettable illustration. This is one of those cases. Isaiah’s… Read More

New Testament: Colossians 3- I Haven’t Been This Way

Colossians 3:1
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.”

Sin is a killer. It is guilty of taking the spiritual life from all of us. God warned Adam that if he disobeyed the command of God and partook of what was… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Isaiah 17-18 & Colossians 2
Old Testament: Isaiah 17- Syria

Isaiah 17:1
“The burden against Damascus.
‘Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,
And it will be a ruinous heap.’”

Many prophecies had both near and far fulfillment. In other words, the prophet was… Read More

Isaiah 18- Unstable

Isaiah 18:1
Proclamation Against Ethiopia
” Woe to the land shadowed with buzzing wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.”

During the 8th century B.C., Ethiopia was a powerful nation, stretching across much of North Africa. Ethiopian forces were a stronghold against the rising… Read More 
New Testament: Colossians 2-Treasure

Colossians 2:3
“. . . in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Knowledge is a word which speaks of information. We increase in our knowledge of God as we read the Word of God and walk with Him daily. However, wisdom is another thing all together. We might define it as “the proper application of knowledge,” or more simply as, “knowing what to do.” How many times have you faced decisions in life where you were not sure what to do, because you have not… Read More