Jim Gallagher

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezekiel 15-16 & Revelation 2
Old Testament: Ezekiel 15- I Heard It Through The Grape Vine

Ezekiel 15:2
“Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?”

Recently, my wife and I went shopping for wood flooring. We were actually quite surprised by the number of choices available to us. We found cherry, oak, pine, bamboo and a plethora of other woods from which to choose. Upon reflection, however, I did not notice any grapevine flooring. As I recall, …Read More

Ezekiel 16- It’s Everlasting
Ezekiel 16:6
“Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.”

Ezekiel has gone to great lengths to explain the judgment Judah is under, because they had forsaken God and… Read More

New Testament: Revelation 2- First Love
Revelation 2:4-5
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”

In a very poetic fashion,…Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezekiel 13-14 & Revelation 1
Old Testament: Ezekiel 13- Words

Ezekiel 13:2
“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘ Hear the word of the Lord!’”

The world never has a shortage of people who claim to have the answer to spiritual questions. It seems almost everyone has an opinion regarding the…Read More

Ezekiel 14- He Wants Your Heart
Ezekiel 14:5
“. . . that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.”

The people in Ezekiel’s day were facing the same struggles we face today, they were… Read More

New Testament: Revelation 1- The Key
Revelation 1:18
“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

The final book of the Bible is aptly called Revelation, for it is a compilation of things that were revealed to John while banished to the Island of Patmos. In… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezekiel 11-12 & Jude
Old Testament: Ezekiel 11- Little Sanctuary

Ezekiel 11:16
“Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”‘”

The children of Israel… Read More

Ezekiel 12- Rebellious
Ezekiel 12:2
“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.”

Rebellion is an interesting thing. Most people, who are in rebellion, don’t see themselves as rebels, but  have justification for their behavior. Children do it with … Read More

New Testament: Jude- True Grace

Jude 4
“For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jude warns of those who turn grace into lewdness. The word lewd is somewhat outdated, but refers to something vulgar or obscene, especially that which is sexually immoral. Jude is referring to those who think the grace of… Read More

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezekiel 9-10 & 3 John
Old Testament: Ezekiel 9- Saved

Ezekiel 9:3-4
“Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who… Read More

Ezekiel 10- Departing
Ezekiel 10:18
“Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.”

The day Solomon’s Temple was built was one of the most glorious days in the history of Israel. It marked the completion of many of the promises God … Read More

New Testament: 3 John- Greatest Joy

3 John 4
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

There are many things that fill us with joy. Some of them are quite simple, like seeing a rainbow, or when our team wins. Others are much deeper, like our wedding day, or the birth of a child. John lived a long life and, no doubt, had his share of experiences that produced joy, making his statement here all the more valuable. He states, of all the things that have brought a smile to his face, nothing can compare to knowing his children are walking with the… Read More

 

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezekiel 7-8 & 2 John
Old Testament: Ezekiel 7- Time’s Up

Ezekiel 7:2
“And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel:
‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.”

Ezekiel is declaring to Judah a message that everyone will one day hear. That message proclaimed the end of the road had been reached, and they must now give an account to the Lord for the lives they lived. For them, this day was a sorrowful one. All of the investments they had made were earthly and unable to provide deliverance from divine judgment. Like Belshazzar, they had been weighed in the balances and found wanting (Daniel 5:27).… Read More

 

Ezekiel 8- Secrets

Ezekiel 8:8-9
“Then He said to me,’Son of man, dig into the wall’; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door. And He said to me, ‘Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.’”

Some of the imagery… Read More

New Testament: 2 John- Love And Obey

2 John 1:6
“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”

Scripture teaches, the most important of all graces is love. Jesus said it was … Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezekiel 5-6 & 1 John 5
Old Testament: Ezekiel 6-  Achilles’ Heel

Ezekiel 6:11
“Thus says the Lord God: ‘Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, “Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”‘”

When I read of the fall of Judah I am…Read More

New Testament- 1 John 5- Pray

1 John 5:16
“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.” … Read More

Ezekiel 5:1-3
“And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair. You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after them. You shall also take a small number of them and bind them in the edge of your garment.”

Ezekiel’s message to Judah was not a new one. For years the prophets had been warning the people of the coming devastation upon Jerusalem if they did not turn back to God. The unique aspect of Ezekiel’s message was the way in which he declared it. In addition to traditional preaching, he used powerful visual aids. On this occasion he sharpened a sword, used it as a razor and shaved his head. Instead of sweeping up the hair and tossing it in with the rubbish, he divided it into three piles. Each of the piles were then used as props to help illustrate what would happen to the inhabitants of Jerusalem if they refused to surrender first to God and second to the Babylonian forces. The first pile of hair was burned while Ezekiel beat upon the second pile with his sword. These actions illustrated the fact that 2/3 of Jerusalem’s inhabitants would be killed in  battle against the Babylonia forces. Ezekiel then took the third and final pile and threw it up into the air allowing the wind to take it away. This pile was used to illustrate that those who do not die in battle will be taken captive and spread throughout the Babylonian empire where they will live as prisoners of war.

It is important to notice that while Ezekiel in no way changed the message he received from God he did alter the way it was delivered. It was so important to the prophet that the people understood what he was saying that he brought props into the pulpit but it was also important to Ezekiel that the message never change. There is great value in spending time reflecting upon creative ways to share the gospel with others or to instruct them in the ways of God. Those who minister to children will see huge returns when they wrap the messages of the Bible in packages that grab the attention of the children.

If you have attempted to share Christ with a colleague, family member or acquaintance only to find that the message seemed to fall on deaf ears perhaps it is time not to alter the message but to prayerfully consider if there is a better way to package the message so they are intrigued. It is pretty rare for a person to come to Christ the first time they hear the gospel. It is often a process. Sometimes that process can be aided by taking the time lovingly consider a more effective way to share with the.

Pastor Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezekiel 3-4 and 1 John 4
Old Testament: Ezekiel 3 – Watchman

Ezekiel 3:17
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me”

A watchman bore the responsibility of keeping an eye on the horizon, in ..Read More

Ezekiel 4- Visual Learner

Ezekiel 4:1
“You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem.”

Some people are visual learners. They seem to have a difficult time processing information audibly, but the moment they can see it, things become perfectly clear. Most of the pre-exilic prophets relayed the same message… Read More

New Testament: 1 John 4- Love

1 John 4:10-11
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Love seems to be the most common… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Ezekiel 1-2 & 1 John 3
Old Testament: Ezekiel 1 – Attention-Getters

Ezekiel 1:28
“Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.”
…Read More

Ezekiel 2 – Rebel without a Cause

Ezekiel 2:8
“But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

Ezekiel played a pivotal role in the history of Israel. His ministry took place during the seventy years of captivity. It was, no doubt, largely responsible for motivating the generation that…Read More

New Testament: 1 John 3 – The Rules

1 John 3:23
“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”

Jesus simplified all of the commandments into two: love God and love others. John, in like manner, states the requirements of God are both simple and straight forward. He writes, God is commanding…Read More

Lamentations 4:2
“The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter!”

God places an infinite price tag upon mankind. This is evidenced in the price He paid to redeem us. Peter wrote that we were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold but with the precious (we might even say priceless) blood of Christ. At one time gold was the standard by which a country determined its worth, but it was never the standard the child of God should use. Our worth is not determined by our gifts, abilities, accomplishments or even how we are viewed by others. Instead our worth is determined by the price tag God places upon us and the fact that He was willing to send His own Son to pay our ransom.

That being said not every believer sees his or her true worth. In Jeremiah’s day the believer is described as being valued as gold and treated like clay. The same thing happens today. Jesus declared that His followers were the light and salt of the world. These are valuable commodities, yet Jesus also warned that his followers would be rejected, scorned, hated, persecuted, accused falsely and even killed. He said that times would arise when those who come against the believer will think they are doing God a favor. The true value of the church will be disregarded and those who matter so much to the health, blessing and success of society will be treated as though they were worthless.

But, we know it is not just the world the devalues the believer, it is often the believer themselves. Instead of seeing ourselves as precious, even priceless we treat ourselves as though we aren’t worth much. A friend of mine tells a story from his childhood where he and a group of friends wanted to play baseball.  They had gloves, bats and a place to play but were in need of a ball. He knew there was a ball displayed on a shelf in his home so he went and got it. What he did not realize is that it was signed by the the entire 1946 World Series winning cardinals. Something of great value was treated as though it had very little worth. Every time we give in to temptation we are devaluing ourselves. We are taking something that God designed for a higher purpose and treating it as though it is common.

Even in their lowest state, scattered among the remains of the rubble that was once the glorious city of Jerusalem, Israel was still precious in the eyes of God. The same is true of each of us. Don’t make the mistake of finding your worth in what you do or how others might treat you. If you have received Christ then you are a child of God and as such you are worth everything to God. After all He gave the life of His only Son to purchase you.

Pastor Jim