Righteousness

His Cup

pjimgallagher1 Comment

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,
“He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said,  ‘ Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’” 

Earlier that evening Jesus had taken a cup and distributed it to His disciples, explaining that it was the Blood of the new covenant.

“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,  ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’” Matthew 26:27-28

It is clear, the cup that Jesus referred to was the cross, and the impending judgment He would face as He bore the sins of humanity. That cup, that judgment, was so great that it caused Him to sweat blood as He faced the reality of it in the garden. The judgment would include all the weight, penalty, and guilt of sin; as well as being forsaken by the Father, as He became sin for us.

Because Jesus tasted that cup bearing our sin, Paul declares,

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Righteousness is the standard for entrance into Heaven. The level of righteousness required is God’s perfection. What a wonderful truth, that He bore our sin so that we might be made righteous.

For any who reject the provision made possible because Jesus drank the cup of Calvary, Revelation declares,

“. . . he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation…” Revelation 14:10

Jesus tasted the cup of wrath so we would never have to. If you have not believed and received Christ, why not do that right now. Pray, “Jesus, thank you for taking my sin and providing me with Your righteousness. I receive You as my Savior and Lord”

If you have questions contact us at http://www.ccvb.net

Pastor Jim

 

Dress For Success

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Exodus 39:1
“Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

IMG_1472In order for the Old Testament priest to serve the Lord, he must be clothed in the proper attire. Moses referred to his clothing as the garments of ministry. These garments included an ephod, breastplate, robe, tunic and a turban. It was clear that those who were to do the work of the Lord, must be clothed in the garments of the Lord. Things have not changed. Just as the Old Testament priest must be clothed in the garments of ministry, so the New Testament saint must don the proper attire if he/she is going to serve Christ. Our garments include at least four things.

Matthew 22:12-13
“‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”

First, we must be robed in the righteousness of Christ. Jesus told a story of people who were invited to a great feast. Each guest was given a new garment upon arrival. Later the master of the feast noticed a man who was not dressed in these new garments, and because he was improperly clothed, he was removed from the feast. All who come to Christ have their sins forgiven, and are robed in His righteousness. Any who attempt to come to God another way, will find that they lack the righteousness required for access to heaven.

Ephesians 4:22-24
“. . . that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Second, Paul explained that like a worn out garment, we should take off the conduct we practiced before coming to Christ. Like the grave clothes Lazarus wore, these behaviors are no longer fitting now that we have been born anew in Christ.

Luke 24:49
“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Third, after the Resurrection, the disciples were commissioned to take the Gospel message to every person throughout the entire world. Before they left they must, however, be endued or clothed with the power of God. This happens when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Both John the Baptist and Jesus referred to this as being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and in the book of Acts we read of the disciples continually being filled with the Spirit. If we are going to be properly clothed for the service of the Lord we need a daily outpouring of the Spirit of God on our lives. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is given to all who ask.

Ephesians 6:11
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

And finally, the armor of God refers to a number of essentials that each and every believer must be clothed in to withstand the spiritual attack of the enemy. These garments include righteousness, Gospel preaching, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer. A properly clothed Christian is one who makes these things a part of his daily life.

Pastor Jim

 

Following The crowd

pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Exodus 23:2
“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil…”

IMG_1436The Law of God was given as a standard to show the people their need for a Savior, and as a pattern to ensure that the people lived righteous lives. Here we find a principle that would protect Israel from becoming like the surrounding pagan nations. God is declaring that popular opinion is not what determines right from wrong. Almost every child has heard his parents say, “Would you jump off a cliff if your friends were doing it?” We attempt to instill within our children the principle that just because the crowd is behaving a certain way, it does not make it right. Sociologist refer to “mob mentality.” They say it is possible for individuals to lose the ability to think for themselves, and begin to follow whatever the crowd is doing. Living in a democratic state can make this even more complicated. God declares to Israel that popular vote is not the standard of righteousness. If all the people vote to erect a golden calf to represent God, that does not make God a gold cow. His righteous standard will never be changed simply by getting a crowd to reject it.

We live in a time, perhaps like no other, where the Word of God is challenged. The very foundational principles of righteousness are being questioned, ridiculed, and legislated away. We need to keep in mind that righteousness is not a floating standard that can be voted upon. No matter what society tells us, God has a standard of right and wrong, and we must not follow a crowd to do evil.

Pastor Jim

 

A Snare To Us

pjimgallagher1 Comment

Exodus 10:7
“Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, ‘How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?’”

IMG_1399Pharaoh thought the problem with his nation was the believers, and as a result, he attempted to suppress or destroy them at all costs. What he failed to see was, it was his attack upon God, His word, and His people, that actually destroyed his nation. What was once a powerful empire, and the delight of the nations, was being weakened by rebellion against the ways of God. Egypt is not an anomaly. The same is true of any nation that seeks to remove the influence of God.

Proverbs 14:34
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

I cannot help but see the parallels in the modern world. Almost every day we see immorality heralded as a form of free expression, or even as a civil right, while at the same time, righteousness is looked upon almost as if it were a disease. Those who suggest that certain behaviors or lifestyles are sinful, are considered to be intolerant, and looked upon almost as a virus that must be destroyed. It is not that the world does not like religion, but like Pharaoh who suggested they worship without any personal cost, the world calls out for moderation. If you are willing to be a Christian without letting it affect your behavior, your family, or your political and social viewpoints, then by all means, be a Christian. But those who dare to trust in, stand upon, and live by the Word of God, will not be tolerated and must be stopped.

How sad that the very thing Pharaoh thought would save his nation, is the very thing that destroyed it.

Pastor Jim

 

Don’t Wait

pjimgallagher2 Comments

Genesis 43:10
“For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”

2015/01/img_1361.jpgWe have no way of knowing how long Simeon remained incarcerated in Egypt, while his brothers attempted to convince Jacob to send them back. The assumption is, quite some time passed, since it would have been foolish to make the lengthy and dangerous journey to Egypt and not purchase enough food to last a long time. However long it may have been, time ran out when the food ran out. Jacob’s hand was forced, as they looked at the reality of facing another season without rain and without food. The words of Judah to his father are quite revealing, “If we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.” Had the difficult decision been made earlier, the trip would have been a memory, and the family would already be reunited. Instead, all the work remained in front of them. I wonder if this statement could be made regarding our spiritual condition? It seems there are works in each of us, God has been desiring to do, but we have been fighting against them. We see the task as too big, and don’t think we will ever be able to accomplish it. Procrastination will never make a decision, or a task easier. Waiting will only make things more difficult. If you have been neglecting to put off sin, or put on righteousness, keep in mind, had you done it when God first asked, the work would be finished, and you would be already be tasting the sweet fruit of victory. Don’t wait another minute to get busy with that to which God has called you.

Pastor Jim

 

Obedience

pjimgallagher3 Comments

Genesis 7:5
“And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2015/01/img_1292.jpg
Obedience is critical to any relationship with the Lord. If we are going to grow in Christ, experience the promises of God, and effectively witness to others about relationship with Jesus, we must learn obedience. Samuel told Saul that to obey is better than to sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22), and Jesus declared, if we love Him we will do what He says (John 14:15). Noah is a great example of what an obedient life looks like. There are three things that stand out to me about his obedience.

First, Noah did what he was asked to do. When the divine command was uttered, Noah got busy. We do not read of him questioning God about the meaning of rain, or a flood, nor does he argue with God about the difficulty of the task. Instead, Noah got busy and built a boat.

Second, Noah did what he was asked to do, and much more. He was instructed to build an ark, fill it with his family members, and all the beasts of the earth. Noah did as he was told, but did not stop there. Peter informs us, Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2Peter 2:5). As he prepared the ark, he also preached to the people. He warned them of the coming judgment, and of the way of escape. True obedience will never cause us to do the minimum. Instead, a heart that wants to please the Lord, will do all things heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) .

Finally, Noah relied upon the Spirit of God. God’s commands were impossible for Noah to accomplish in his own strength. Gathering together all of the animals, including the birds of the air, was a task way too big for any man. If you do not think so, take a quick break, run outside and try to catch a bird. The only way he could obey, was to rely upon the Lord. Instead of looking at the impossible, he understood there is nothing to hard for God (Jeremiah 32:17). Too often, we only see the impossibility of a task and fail to see the power of God. It is no more difficult for God to help you quit smoking, overcome addiction, share Christ with a relative, or serve in a Sunday school class, than it was for Him to get the animals to line up and march. In fact, it seems the animals always do what God asks, and it is only man who is often too foolish to obey.

Don’t get caught up with why you can’t, get caught up in Him who can.

Pastor Jim

 

Mercy And Compassion

pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Proverbs 11:17
“The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.”

Mercy is often defined as not getting what we deserve. While that is true, the word carries a greater meaning. It also means to show compassion and kindness to those who are in need or distressed. We see it evidenced in the life of Jesus. When He heard the leper calling out for Him, we read Jesus was moved with compassion, reached out His hand, touched the man, and cleansed him. Mercy stirred the heart of Jesus to touch the untouchable, and restore what leprosy had destroyed (Mark 1:40-41). When He felt a tug on His garment, He turned to see a woman who had been struggling with an illness for 12 years, without any hope of healing. Mercy stirred Him to heal her sickness, and reward her great faith (Luke 8:43). When He arrived on the scene of Lazarus’ funeral, and heard the wailing of his family and friends, mercy stirred the heart of Jesus, to weep with those who wept, and to intervene by raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-17). Over and over, page after page, person after person, we see Jesus expressing His mercy, in compassion and kindness, to those in need. Nowhere, is this seen more clearly than in the cross. Our need was much greater than that of a woman with a blood disease, a man with leprosy, or even a family with a dead brother. Our need was caused by sin, and the only cure was the death of God. Jesus saw our condition, and bore the weight of all our sin, as He hung on Calvary’s cross. Mercy was extended as His blood was shed.

Mercy is something we are to receive and to spread. Solomon stated, it is the merciful man who does good for his own soul. Jesus said we are blessed when we are merciful. Just as Jesus looked for, and aided those in need, we should be looking for ways to express the mercy of God to others. Mercy is expressed in forgiveness. When we choose to forgive someone who has wronged us, and treat them as though they had never acted that way, we are expressing mercy. When we choose to be kind to someone, not because they have been kind to us, or in hopes of being rewarded, we are expressing mercy. When we go out of our way to show the love of Christ to others, whether it be in word or action, we are expressing mercy. This mercy will benefit the receiver and the giver alike. Those who receive mercy are learning something of the nature of God, and those giving it, are doing good to their own soul.

Pastor Jim

IMG_1197.JPG

A Fork In The Road

pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Proverbs 8:2 “She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet.”

Have you ever been following someone’s directions to a place you have never been, and encountered an unexpected fork in the road? When that happens, we are forced to stop, study the map again, ask for help, and make a decision as to which way to go. Solomon tells us, that in life, when we encounter the unexpected fork in the road, wisdom is there to meet us, and provide direction for our lives. While wisdom is always available to us, there are times when it may be more difficult to know the right path to take. Solomon gives a description of wisdom so we will be able to recognize it the next time we are in need.

Proverbs 8:7 “For my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.”

God’s wisdom will always lead us away from wickedness and sin. Late,r Solomon defines the fear of the Lord as hating evil (Proverbs 8:13). Any direction that leads you closer to sin, or away from fellowship with God, is not the way of wisdom. If you are trying to decide whether to go out with the guy from work, look at his life. Has he been showing evidence that he wants to walk with, serve and please God? If you are trying to decide about a move. Is there a healthy church nearby where you will be able to continue to grow in Christ and raise your family around the things of the Lord? The way of wisdom always leads us toward the Lord.

Proverbs 8:12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.

Wisdom does not travel alone, she has a partner named Prudence. Prudence is defined as the ability to govern oneself, especially as it related to being circumspect in times of peril. We are able to recognize the way of wisdom when we realize that God’s way will always lead us to denying the flesh, and to personal growth in Christ. We were all taught about adrenaline and the body’s “fight or flight” reaction to danger. It is natural for all of us to want to avoid danger or difficulty; to choose the easy road over the difficult one. There are times, however, when God wants us to take the more challenging road, because He desires to do a work within us. That work will always involve the cutting away of the flesh. While that may be difficult, the end of that road, is our becoming the persons God created us to be, in Christ.

Proverbs 8:20 “I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice”

Righteousness, like holiness, is a word we sometimes struggle to define. I recently saw a sign that referred to a location as a holy site, and stated “no smoking, bare feet or loud talking.” Apparently, their definition of holy was to be quiet, not smoke and have covered toes. Biblical righteousness is best defined as becoming more like Jesus, and the path of wisdom always leads us to Christ.

Proverbs 8:23 “I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.”

Solomon takes us back to the very beginning, when all things were created, and reminds us that wisdom was there. We learn  true godly wisdom does not change when culture does. The things that will lead us toward or away from God, do not change like the tide. Cultural mores may be different now than they were back in the “good old days”, but the wisdom of God has not changed. Regardless of what Hollywood says, or what new laws are passed in Washington, the wisdom of God will never change. Sin will always be sin, and righteousness will always be righteousness.  Wisdom and prudence lead us to knowledge and discretion.

Let’s be sure, as we face a fork in the road, that we are looking for signs that point to heaven’s wisdom.

Pastor Jim

IMG_1187.JPG

Sow What?

pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Hosea 10:12
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.”

Hosea wrote of the spiritual condition of Israel, which at the time, was quite dark. Sin had led them away from the Lord and from the blessed life He had determined for them. Instead of experiencing the bounty God intended, they were on the brink of total ruin. Hosea writes to make clear their present state, as well as, to provide the antidote. No matter how bad things may have become, Hosea provides the way back to the Lord.

“Sow for yourself righteousness and reap in mercy”

Sowing is a farming term which refers to the planting of seeds. There are a few basic and unchanging principles that determine the law of sowing and reaping.

First, we will always reap what we sow. If you continue to sow sin or compromise in search of self-fulfilling pleasures, you will only reap heartache, and distance from the Lord. If however, you begin to sow righteousness, by applying the ways of God to your life, you will reap mercy. One translation reads “you will reap in love.”

Second, we reap after we sow. Farming is not a job for the impatient. A farmer knows great effort must be applied to the task, if they are ever going to receive a return on their labors. Too often, people will respond to exhortations like those Hosea gives, by claiming they already tried that. “I tried loving my wife, I tried reading my bible, I tried going to church, I tried… And it did not work”. I wonder, how long have you tried? Did you give as much time to sowing seeds of righteousness as you did to sowing to the desires of your flesh? If you will sow in righteousness, you will reap in mercy, but it will take time.

Finally, we reap much more than we sow. A small bag of seeds will produce bushels of produce. While sowing in righteousness may seem like a lot of work, the benefits far out way the cost. Taking the time to invest in your relationship with Christ will return both earthly and eternal rewards. When Peter spoke of all he had given up to follow Christ, Jesus replied,

Mark 10:29-30
“Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Pastor Jim

IMG_1184.JPG

Watch Your Step

pjimgallagherLeave a comment

Hosea 8:11
“Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin,
They have become for him altars for sinning.”

Growing up, one of my favorite TV shows was Sherlock Holmes. As most of us know, he was a detective from London who used his keen skill of observation to solve crimes. Often, when he would uncover a clue, he would declare, “It’s elementary my dear Watson.” Which was an underhanded way of stating that what he discovered was obvious to anyone who would take the time to look. Hosea makes a statement that Holmes would find elementary, he declares that if a person builds an altar for sin, he will find it leads him into sin.

As obvious as this principle seems, we sometimes lose sight of its simplicity. Often, when we fall spiritually, we look around puzzled as to how that could have happened. If however, we took the time to look back, we would find our fall was inevitable, because of the steps we were taking. We must always remember that if we make a way to sin, we will end up sinning.

The secret to success is to remove the things that make sinning easy. We need to do those things that make sinning more difficult and doing what is right easier. That is what the building blocks of Christian living provide. The Word, prayer, fellowship, worship, and service are designed to help us grow in Christ and make sinning more difficult. We only have so much time, if that time is spent building ourselves up in Christ, we will in turn have less time to be drawn after the things that lead to sin.

Perhaps it would help to ask yourself, what things you can take out of your daily life that will make it more difficult to sin?

Pastor Jim

IMG_1182.JPG