Praise Him

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Psalm 138:1|
“I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.”

David paints a picture that is familiar to all of us. He is surrounded by those who are not following Jehovah, and are feverishly pursuing other things. The false gods of the heathen nations represented the pursuits of the flesh. They had gods of sexual passion, pride, possessions, power, intellect and more. David found himself surrounded by those who rejected God, pursued the flesh, and looked down upon him as he looked up to the Lord.

Sadly, it was not just the surrounding nations who thought David a fool for committing himself to Jehovah. Idolatry was rampant within the nation of Israel. Many of the people had developed their theology based upon experience and personal desire, instead of on the revelation of God.

David goes on in this psalm to declare, “You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” Psalm 138:2

The word of God is magnified because of its value. It is His word which creates, sustains, quickens, enlightens, and comforts. However, the greatest value of the Word is what it reveals. It is through the Word of God that we see the true and living God. What we know about Him is revealed in the pages of His Word. His Word declares His love and care of His children.

When our hearts condemn us, His merciful, loving-kindness provides forgiveness and restoration. When fear grips us from within, His Word screams of His power, protection, and provision. Our fear can be replaced with an all consuming peace, because of the promises of God. When confusion clouds our thoughts and makes the way of the wicked seem appealing, it is His Word that reveals the end of the road, and the reward that awaits the faithful child of God.

You may be surrounded by those who seem to have no interest in the things of God. They may even treat you as a fool for putting your trust in Him, and mock you for living His way. Note what David goes on to say, “All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.” Psalm 138:4

Certainly, there is a day coming when, “every knee will bow . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father” Philippians 2:10-11.

But there is another day coming, even sooner. It is the day when you will see many of those around you turn, and surrender their hearts to Jesus. Some of your family members, coworkers, and friends will one day, turn to Christ because of the work He has done in you. In the midst of all the confusion, do not lose heart.

Paul declared, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9
Pastor Jim

Unraveling 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Chronicles 9:6
“However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard.”

A person, standing at a distance and looking in at Solomon’s kingdom, would be struck by the enormous wealth and prosperity. We read of merchants traveling the world and returning with treasures of gold and precious stones, as well as exotic spices and animals. We are told, the landscape was marked with elaborate building projects, fine arts, and gourmet foods. Beyond question, the nation looked to be at its apex, and was envied by the world around them. In fact, we are told that delegations, including kings and queens, would make their way to Israel just to see its highly developed society and vast wealth. All the world wanted to be like Israel. Sadly, things were not really as they appeared. Underneath the surface was a cancer that was eating away at the fabric of the nation, and in a few short years would cause its collapse.

1 Kings 11:6-7

“Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.”

The real strength of Israel was not their military, their economy, their foreign policy, or the wisdom of their leaders. The real strength was their commitment to the Lord and His Word. They were a nation founded on the principles of God’s Word, which gave them a foundation that could support their vast growth and success. When they departed from the Lord, it was only a matter of time before the nation imploded.

Today, across our nation, we are celebrating freedom. Flags, fireworks, and family cookouts remind us that we are part of the greatest nation in the world. Our freedom has resulted in vast wealth, and has made us the envy of the world. People from all over the globe dream of making their way to America to find a better life. Unfortunately, some view freedom as a license to behave without law. They believe that freedom means that no one, especially not God, has the right to tell them their behaviors are wrong. They want to celebrate being free with licentiousness. Sadly, this will ultimately lead not only to greater bondage, but will destroy the fabric that holds our nation together.

If we want true freedom, it will never be found in breaking away from the laws of God, but in living in step with the One who designed us, loves us and desires the best for us.

Pastor Jim

 

Independence 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Chronicles 10:4
“Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Solomon’s expansive building projects did not come cheaply, and had a devastating effect upon the nation of Israel. The people sat under a heavy yoke of taxation. After Solomon’s death, the people had enough. They sought relief from the tax burden the government had imposed on the nation. Young King Rehoboam, in his arrogance, believed the government knew better than the people, and rather than relief, he promised an increase in the tax burden, and workload of the people. His words drove the citizens to rebel against his leadership, and resulted in ten of the twelve “states”  separating from the union. The northern tribes formed a new nation, and this became their independence day. Having experienced a heavy yoke, they broke away in order to have freedom. Sadly, the northern tribes never experienced true freedom. Soon after the nation was formed, they set up a system of idolatry, leading the people into a bondage that was much worse than the taxation they had experienced. Their example speaks volumes to us about bondage and true freedom.

The Bible explains, man is in bondage to sin and can only be set free by trusting in the work of Christ on the cross. His sinless sacrifice is the means to setting us free from the bondage of sin, death, and hell. True freedom is found, not when we consider ourselves to be free to behave however we want, but rather, when we are set free from the power of sin, and able to live lives that bring honor and glory to God.

“He who the Son sets free is free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Pastor Jim

 

Never Ending Mercy 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Psalm 136:1
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

It has been suggested by many, this psalm was sung by the worship leaders of Israel, with the congregation serving as the choir. The Levites would sing a verse and the people would respond, “For His mercy endures forever.” Imagine thousands of travelers finally arriving in Jerusalem, for one of the great feasts, and the skilled musicians begin to play this psalm. The vocalists join in singing, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good”, and suddenly an explosion of voices, like the sound of rushing waters, burst forth, “For His mercy endures forever.”

Verse after verse the band leads, and the choir responds, ever being reminded of the mercy of God. I imagine throughout the week you would hear the people whistling, humming and singing this song. The main point of the Psalm, is to remind us of the never-failing nature of the mercy of God.

The writer takes us from creation, through the history of the nation, explaining that God’s mercy has never failed. The mercy that delivered the people from bondage, provided for them in the wilderness, and gave them victory in the battles of life, is the same mercy that is available to sustain them today.

The same is true of us. If we look back on our days, with the eyes of heaven, we will see that every step of our lives has been marked by the mercy of God. It was His mercy that we did not die in our folly, prior to meeting Christ. It was His mercy that led us to realize our need for Jesus. It was His mercy that provided the way for our sins to be forgiven, and eternal life received. It is His mercy that provides daily pardon for our struggles, failures, and even our out-right disobedience. It is His mercy that puts up with our slow growth, and continual backsliding, and it is His mercy that provides everything we need to grow in Christ, and overcome our easily besetting sins. It is His mercy that puts breath in our lungs, strength in our bodies, and provides for our every need. It is His mercy that keeps our marriages going, equips us to raise our children to follow Jesus, and enables us to impact others for Christ.

Years later, Jeremiah would write that the mercies of God are new every morning. Everyday, when you arise, the mercy of God is new again. You cannot overextend it, but you can enjoy it. Instead of spending the day complaining about the difficulties you are facing, or the people who make life hard, why not spend your day extolling God for His infinite mercy? One man wrote,

“When all else is changing within and around,

In God and His mercy no change can be found.”

Pastor Jim

 

Our Nation

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Chronicles 7:14
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

The bible clearly teaches God is just, and will one day judge each nation for its wickedness. The farther a nation strays from the ways of God, the weaker it becomes, and the closer it gets to its final hour. This was true of Israel, Judah, and the surrounding nations; and remains true today. One cannot read the pages of God’s Word and not conclude, there will come a time for judgment for those who turn their back on God. That being said, it is also true, God does not take pleasure in judgment, but delights in extending mercy. It is His desire to pardon and restore. To that end, a promise is given to Solomon which remains true today. This promise is directed at the child of God, for the purpose of forgiveness and restoration.

Notice this promise is conditional, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, . . .” The present condition of our nation is calling us, not to rise in judgment of those who are following the course of the world, but to fall on our knees in intercessory prayer. A church full of men and women who will bow before the Lord, and cry out for the salvation of souls, will have a tremendous impact upon the world, no matter how dark it has become.

We are also called to turn from our own sin and seek the Lord. I once read a book on the history of revival. The purpose was not only to remind the reader of what God did in the past, but to stir up a future work of God on earth. The author wrote, if we want to see a revival begin in our community, then spread to impact our nation, we should start by drawing a circle on the ground, kneeling within the circle, and praying for God to begin the revival there. Too many Christians are outraged by the sins around them, without giving any conscious thought to the sins within them.

God wants to forgive and restore, but He wants to do it through the lives of those who have chosen to follow Him. Will you rise to the challenge by falling on your knees? Are you willing to remove sin from your own life, and seek God to work in the lives of others? Our nation is on the edge of a cliff; it is time for the children of God to take Him seriously and seek His face.

Pastor Jim

 

How Sweet It Is

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Psalm 133:1
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

The psalmist is calling us to action. He desperately wants our attention, and calls us to look at the brethren dwelling together in unity. The unity he was speaking of was a united desire to seek after and worship Jehovah. This Psalm was one of the many songs the travelers to Jerusalem would sing as they made their way up the mountain to celebrate the feasts of the Lord. People from all over Israel congregated together with the unified purpose of devoting themselves more wholeheartedly to the Lord. The Psalmist declares, it is a good and pleasant thing, something worthy of our attention. This uniting of the brethren is good and pleasant for many reasons; not the least of which is the result it brings. David declares, it is like the anointing oil that was poured out upon the priests.

Shortly after being delivered from Egypt, God established the worship practices for the congregation of Israel. In order to ensure their spiritual development, He set up the descendants of Aaron as the priesthood. They would be responsible for much of the labor involved in making the corporate worship possible. The priests were clothed in special garments (a picture of being clothed in righteousness), then the sacrificial blood of the lamb was placed upon them for cleansing, and finally the anointing oil was poured on them. The blood serves as a type of Christ being crucified for the cleansing of our sin, and the oil a type of the Spirit of God, poured upon us, and equipping us for service. David describes the oil being poured on Aaron’s head and dripping down upon his beard and garments. It is a picture of the flowing of the Spirit upon those who have gathered together.

There is something special, something holy and divine, when we gather for corporate worship. Paul spoke of the body ministering to itself in love. As each of us are filled with the Spirit of God, and gather to seek the face of God, an atmosphere develops where the Spirit is flowing. How many times have you been met by God in the midst of worship? It is because the anointing oil is running off the beard of the worship leader. How many times have you been ministered to after service while speaking with another, and they begin to share things with you that encourage, edify and challenge you? It is because the oil is dripping from their beard. How many times have you been sitting in the service and felt as though the pastor was speaking directly to you? It almost seems as though the room has emptied and you are alone, hearing directly from God’s Word. It is because the oil is dripping from his beard. It is possible for the oil to drip from yours as well. When you gather next with the saints, don’t come simply to receive, come ready to give. As you walk into the fellowship, be praying that God will bring you face to face with someone to whom you will be able to minister. Few things are more exciting than knowing the Spirit of God has worked through you in the life of another.

Pastor Jim

 

The Cross 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Chronicles 6:29-30
“Whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways…”

Once the Temple was erected and the altar and priesthood put in place, Solomon explained the purpose of the Temple. It was designed as a means for sinful men to have relationship with a holy God. As Solomon prayed, he revealed the great benefits of the Temple. We might say, 2Chronicles 6 gives us the doctrine of the Temple. It became clear, no matter what the cause, turning to the Lord was the cure. If the people were suffering loss, pain, sorrow, sickness, or defeat, they could turn toward the Temple, pray, and find restoration with the Lord. Since the Temple provided access to God, it was the means to receiving mercy from the Lord.

The Temple no longer exists, but the mercies of God are still accessible to sinful men. Instead of looking to a building where sacrifice is offered, we now look toward the cross. It was at the cross two thousand years ago, God expressed His mercy, love and grace by sending His Son as a sacrifice for sin. The cross is now the way to access the mercy of God. Whatever suffering sin has caused in your life, the cross can cure. No matter how often or how far you have fallen, when you look to the cross and confess your sin, you will find His mercy in the form of pardon and restoration.

Whatever you are facing today, the cure is at the cross. Take time this morning to sit at the foot of the cross and call upon the mercy of God.

Pastor Jim

 

Prioritizing 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Psalm 132:4-5
“I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

This psalm is referring to a time when King David took a spiritual inventory of his life. His days of fleeing from Saul and living in caves were no more than a memory; he now dwelt within the palace. The Philistines, who had plagued the nation for so long, had been conquered, and Israel was at peace with the surrounding nations. As David began to muse over his life, he saw an area of inconsistency; while he dwelt in a palace, the ark of God still resided in a tent.

Immediately, David was filled with a desire to give God center stage in his life, and within the nation. The first step in this process, was to bring the Ark of the Covenant out of storage, and into the capital city, so all might see that God was at the center of the nation. David’s first attempt to bring the Ark back was a monstrous failure. He tried to do the things of God with the methods of man.

Later, after careful inquiry into the Word of God, David was able to safely bring the Ark to its resting place in Jerusalem. National revival broke out as a result of the King giving the Lord center stage. One day, as David was residing within the palace, he was struck by how God had blessed him; the forgotten son of Jesse, who was often ridiculed by his older brothers, was now king. As he reflected on the blessings of God, he was reminded that while the Ark resided in the city, it remained within a tent.

To David, the tent seemed a proper habitation for the Ark when the people were nomadic, but now that their borders had been secured, it was time to build a proper Temple. One that would reflect the way the nation honored their God, and would serve as a magnet to draw people to worship. This project would ultimately be completed by Solomon, after the death of David, but it was birthed in his heart, with a desire to always keep God first.

The application is simple. What place does God have in your life today? When is the last time you took spiritual inventory and sought to give more of your time, talents and treasures to the Lord? Today would be a great time to look back at all that God has done for you and elevate His place in your life.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 132

  1. In verses2-5, David is troubled that the ark did not have its place. Do you ever feel restless, wondering; what’s Gods will for your life?
  2. According to verse 9, describe the priests and the saints.
  3. In verses 11-12, what will keep the descendants of David on the throne?
  4. According to verse 17, who is the horn of David, and who is the psalmist referring to as “My Anointed”?

 

House Of God 

pjimgallagher3 Comments

2 Chronicles 4:19
“Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God…”

The primary purpose of the Temple was to serve as a place where God and man could meet, however, it also serves as an illustration of the our salvation. Each of the furnishing depicts an aspect of our relationship with God. We can walk through the courts of the Temple and be reminded of the main elements of our salvation.

Once we entered the main courtyard, we would come face to face with a massive altar designed for sacrifice. It was on this altar that a substitute would be sacrificed in place of the guilty. The altar is a picture of the cross where the Son of God died for the sins of man. Our first step into relationship with God is to come to the cross and have our sins forgiven.

Beyond the altar, and in front of the Temple, sat an enormous bronze pool held up by twelve brazen oxen. This pool was designed as a place for the priests to wash before entering the Temple. This pool is a picture of the Word of God which is designed to wash the believer, daily. The Psalmist declared that our way can be cleansed by taking heed to the Word.

Beyond the pool was the Temple. This massive structure, standing 180 feet tall, 90 feet long and 30 feet wide, was divided into two chambers. The first was called the Holy Place, and contained the table of Showbread, the lamp stands and the altar of incense. The Showbread illustrates Jesus as the bread of life, the lamp reminds us He is the light, and the altar is a picture of prayer. The second chamber was the Holy of Holies, where the ark of the covenant sat. This room could only be accessed by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. It pictures the intimacy available to the child of God, where we meet with the Lord, and experience His mercy and grace.

It would be a good idea to take a symbolic walk through the Temple this morning. Begin at the cross where you confess your sins, look into the Word and allow Him to wash you and direct you, continue on in prayer, experiencing Communion with Christ and direction for life, and end up enjoying a flowing stream of mercy and grace for the day ahead.

Pastor Jim

 

Established 

pjimgallagher1 Comment

2 Chronicles 3:17
“Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.”

In addition to building the Temple, Solomon had two large pillars erected, which he named Jachin and Boaz. Jachin means to establish and Boaz means strength. Whenever a person approached the Temple, they would see these two massive pillars. A reminder that the nation, the kingdom, the Temple, and each of our individual lives, are established and strengthened by God.

I recently had a pergola built in my yard. The first step was to clear away the weeds, the second was to establish a foundation. This is true of any building project. Rubble must be removed and a foundation must be laid. As we seek to build our lives, it is important we clear out the things that do not belong, and we build on the proper foundation. The Bible refers to many principles which are foundational to establishing a strong and healthy life.

We are told Jesus is the chief cornerstone of life (1 Peter 2:6). He should not be treated as an additive to life, but as the most important aspect. The bedrock of life is set when we trust in Christ for salvation.

Jesus went to great lengths to explain that even believers can build their lives on shaky ground. He warned of building on a sandy foundation rather than on solid rock (Luke 6:48-49). The rock He referred to was obedience to His written Word. The secret to a successful Christian life is to read and obey the Word.

Finally, Jesus told us the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all (Luke 10:27). In other words, we must give Jesus first place in our lives. One way we can do this is by starting our day with Him. Rather than running out the door to face the day in our own strength, it is a good idea to take some time to read His Word and pray before we face the challenges of the day.

Pastor Jim