Life – Page 11 – Jim Gallagher

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2014December 25, 2018pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Zechariah 6:12-13
“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out… And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

The Bible speaks of the riches of the grace of God. Grace is a word that refers to God’s giving nature. James 1:17 puts it this way, “Every good and perfect gift comes from the father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” Certainly, life is filled with gifts given from heaven to earth. When we gaze into the face of nature, or a new born child, we cannot help but think of the grace of God. Nevertheless, every other gift pales in comparison to the gift given on the first Christmas morning. God wrapped His Son in human flesh and gave Him to mankind to be Savior and Lord. The young child who was born in a stable, and laid in a manger, would grow to become what the apostle John called, “the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only but the sins of the whole world” (1John 2:2). As the years went by, He would move from a manger to a cross, where He would die, to pay the debt of sin and reconcile man to God. As you give and receive gifts this Christmas, it is our prayer you would receive the greatest gift ever given and put your trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.

Merry Christmas, Pastor Jim

Jealous

December 19, 2014December 17, 2016pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Nahum 1:2-3 “God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; the LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.”

Nahum gives us essential insight into the true nature of God. He declares that “God is jealous.” Jealousy is a common term in our vernacular; usually used in reference to relationships. The dictionary defines jealous as, “feelings of envy or suspicion.”

We have all felt the effects of jealousy in ourselves, seen it in others, and even read about it in the pages of our Bibles. We know that both Joseph’s brothers and Saul were plagued by jealousy, which caused them to do things harmful to themselves and others. The Hebrew word for jealous literally translates as, “becoming dark red”, and illustrates the emotions that stem from jealousy. Psychologists tell us Jealousy is birthed out of concern for self, is often coupled with possessiveness, suspicion, and commonly produces rage, and even a desire for revenge.

Without question, jealousy is a character flaw, yet we read, “God is jealous.” In order to properly understand what Nahum is saying about God, we must realize, the jealousy of God is quite different than the jealousy of man. God is jealous, not because He is selfish, but because He loves us so much, and wants what is best for us. God’s jealousy is not a character weakness, but strength. It does not cause Him to be resentful against us, but reveals His deep love and desire for our best. We read much more in Scripture regarding the Jealousy of God.

First, He is Jealous for his glory or His name.
Exodus 34:14 “. . .for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God, . . .”

As a result, He will not allow false worship, because false gods cannot save sinners. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Second, He is Jealous for His law.
Exodus 20:5 “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”

Sin is destructive to the individual committing sin and to those within his or her circle of influence. When a man commits adultery, he, his partner and his family, are all drastically and negatively effected by his actions. God must judge sin for the sake of those who are impacted. Like a doctor removing a cancerous cyst, God must deal with sin lest it continues to destroy.

Finally, God is Jealous for his people.
Zechariah 2:8 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.”

2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

God will not tolerate infidelity. We are His alone; we may not have other ‘gods’. We are to love Him first. It is because of His great love toward us that He is our best, and wants what is best for us.

Pastor Jim

An Overflowing Life

December 9, 2014January 5, 2016pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Proverbs 9:11
“For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”

Jesus promised, those who believe in Him would be the recipients of eternal life. He also promised we would have abundant life while we live.

John wrote,
“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12

We will never experience the abundant life God intends for us until we first receive Christ and begin to walk with Him. Scripture promises the love of God will flood our hearts, the peace of God will guard our minds, and the life of God will well up within us like a fountain, flowing out upon others around us. Once we receive Christ, we begin to experience the abundant grace of God flowing into our lives. Paul knew this kind of life, and it enabled him to celebrate the Lord, even in the most difficult of situations.

There are, however, many Christians who are failing to experience abundant life. They seem to be constantly downtrodden and defeated. In some cases, it may be a result of failing to choose the path of wisdom. Solomon explains that true wisdom has, as its goal, a desire to live pleasing to the Lord. When we walk that road (when all decisions are filtered through a desire to do what is right in the eyes of God), we will find “our days are multiplied and years of life are added.” Things are simply better when we follow the Lord and do it His way. So often, our will fights against the will of God. When we resist Him, we fail to see that His desires are best for us. The height of life is always reached when we surrender all to Christ, and live in obedience to His Word.

Let’s commit together to begin each day by offering ourselves to the Lord, and looking at our circumstances in the light of Scripture. Begin each day this week by dedicating yourself to Him, praying for the things you are facing, and reading His Word. End each day by examining your actions in light of the Lord and His Word. Let’s see how far He can take us down the road of abundant life.

Pastor Jim

Smoke

December 8, 2014January 5, 2016pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Hosea 13:3
“Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud and like the early dew that passes away, like chaff blown off from a threshing floor and like smoke from a chimney.”

When we are young everything seems to take forever, but the older we get, the more we realize how brief life really is. It seems as though I finally get used to writing the calendar year, and suddenlyit is time to change the last a digit. There is nothing we can do to change the brevity of life, but there is much we can do to ensure that our life has a lasting impact on others.

The Bible declares the life of the wicked is like smoke from a chimney that rises and is gone. The righteous, on the other hand, leave a lasting impact upon the world. We don’t have to invent the light bulb or discover a planet to leave an impact upon the world. Instead, we must leave a righteous standard for others to follow.

A praying grandma, bible reading father, or faithful mom who serves alongside her children at their local church, will have a long lasting impact upon the generations to come. I cannot tell you how often I hear someone tell me their uncle, brother, grandpa or dad was a pastor and it is usually in the context of them returning to the Lord, or desiring to serve Him more. I have a friend who spent years in the business world only to one day decide to follow in his Father’s footsteps and become a pastor. He now pastors a large church where many are being impacted for the kingdom of heaven.

Let’s live like our life matters, seeking to store up treasures in heaven and leaving a pattern for others to follow.

Pastor Jim

The Ant

December 6, 2014January 5, 2016pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Proverbs 6:6-8
“Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain, overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”

Solomon used the natural world as a teacher of spiritual truth. Not to the extent that his understanding of God was built on what he saw in nature, but rather that nature has a way of illustrating many Biblical truths. In Proverbs, it is common to find references to the animal kingdom as a teaching method.

The ant is a means of reminding us of the need to plan ahead. To the casual observer, they seem to have no ruler, yet they all march in line to store up for the future. Solomon suggests the reason we fail to prepare for what is ahead is laziness. Twice in the passage, the man who does not plan for his future is referred to as a sluggard. Webster defines a sluggard as an habitually lazy person, or someone who is inactive.

While it seems clear, Solomon has our financial well being in mind, this truth has its fullest application in preparing for eternity. Every person, rich or poor, man or woman, free or slave, will one day breath his last and step out of time and into eternity. Tragically, not all of us are prepared for that. Some put it off thinking they will get around to it later, only to be caught by death unaware. Others, purposely try to avoid any thought of death or eternity by filling their minds with earthly things. Whatever the case, we must “go to the ant” and learn to prepare for our ultimate fate; being face to face with the God who made us.

The way to prepare for eternity is first to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Accept the fact that you are a sinner and He is the Savior. Bow your head, your heart, and your life to Him and ask Him to forgive your sins. Second, we need to store up treasures in heaven by living for Him on earth. Take time to pray for others and tell them about your relationship with Christ. Look for ways to get involved in serving Him by ministering to others.

Go to the ant, Heaven is waiting.

Pastor Jim