21 Sep

Are We Too Late?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Culture, End Times, Eternal Life, Evil deeds, God's Word, Obedience, Ten Commandments.

Hello friends,

The garden is nearing the end of production, and the temperatures are indicating fall weather ahead. We have enough tomatoes in the freezer to guarantee veggie soup for many winter days. Cooler days are welcome, but I am not looking forward to the cold of winter. It seems I am less tolerant of that environment than in earlier days.

If one watches or listens to much that passes for news these days, it would be easy to become discouraged. I have to remind myself there is only so much I can do to change the world. It is important to remember as a Christian that the Lord always knows what is going on. He is not asleep, nor is He uncaring. The world He created is broken and He has a plan for its healing. In the meantime, we must remember to be obedient to His commands. The culture is trying to pull us away from truth and into a world of sin.

God gave only ten commandments to Moses on the stone tablets. However, as we look at them, we see every one being broken and trampled on. Commandment number one is “You shall have no other gods before me.” We have made many things into gods or idols that take us away from God. I could make a long list, but here are a few contemporary idols: Money, various toys, fame, and the self, to name a few.

We are told to remember to set aside a day for worship of the Lord, but there seem to be few who take that commandment seriously. One only needs to look at all the events that are scheduled for Sunday.

“Honor your father and mother.” Increasingly we see young people with little respect for any adult, much less Mom and Dad. There is little regard for others in any aspect of life.

“You shall not murder.” Every day, we read about murders somewhere. There seems to be total disregard for human life. From conception to old age, lives are taken for no reason. Every excuse for doing so is unjustified.

I could go on, but you get the point. Unless we return to God and begin to give Him our obedience and worship, things will not improve. On a positive note, in the end our God will set everything in order.

Keep looking up!

Pastor Jerry

14 Sep

Remembering

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Heaven, Truth, Salvation, Witness, Trust, Memories.

Dear Friends,

September is half over already. The good news is the temperatures are beginning to moderate. I’m all for warm days, but there are limits even for me.

On Friday we observed Patriot Day. It was the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. I clearly remember what I was doing that morning, as I’m sure many of you do. We all have points of time that we cannot or will not ever forget. I well remember the day JFK was assassinated. I was working the window at McDonald’s in Ogden, Utah and one of my co-workers’ mother came to the window crying and saying, “the president has been shot!” There are others that I will not take the time to share.

On a positive note, I also remember what I was doing when I met my future wife, although not the exact day. Next to that is my memory of the day I trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Standing in a pew in a little country church on a Sunday morning, I responded to His invitation to follow Him. The year was 1982 in early spring, and I can attest that my lifestyle began a slow transformation over the next few years. No, it wasn’t an immediate bright light moment, but I knew I was going to let Him take control of my life.

I am convinced that the most important event in our lives we can share as a memorial and historical fact is to share our Christian testimony. It may not be an important event in the eyes of the world, but it is of eternal significance.

“Suppose one if you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” … “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents: (Luke 15:3-7,10).

In His grip,

Pastor Jerry

7 Sep

Do Not Worry

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, End Times, Gospel, Salvation, Second Coming.

Dear readers,

September has arrived with some very warm temperatures. This is not unusual, as this month can contain a variety of weather conditions. This weekend was the final busy weekend here at the lake. There were activities for all ages enjoyed by all. Things will be much slower now until next spring when the summer season begins.

Labor Day is one of those events that calls for early copy for the newspapers, and I am challenged to put my mind in gear a little sooner than normal. So here goes…

There are crazy things going on in our country and around the world. I am drawn to the scriptures that tell us of things concerning the end times of which Jesus spoke. He told us despite these signs, we are not to be alarmed. It is easy for us to be anxious about things we don’t understand, but He is in control and we need to trust Him.

His disciples asked at one point, “Tell us when this will happen, and what will be the sign of your coming at the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:3-8).

It does no good to speculate on the timing of His return. Many individuals over the years have predicted His second coming, but they have all been wrong. Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthews 24:36).

The Lord wants everyone to accept His salvation, but some day He will keep His promise and return. We are told, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

31 Aug

Fish Tales

Posted by sandhillspastor in Discipleship, Evangelism, God's Word, Witness.

Dear friends,

This past Saturday the Lake Ericson annual fishing derby was held. There were a fair number of participants and the weather was favorable. This is a catch and release derby. A photo of the fish lying next to a yardstick was evidence of the angler’s catch and the fish was released back into the lake.

This brought to my mind the story of Jesus calling His disciples. He said He would make them fishers of men. “Come follow me, Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). This would not be catch-and-release. They were not out to catch the biggest fish. There would be no one too small or too large. No one too young or too old. They were to spread the Gospel, to tell everyone about Jesus Christ, the Savior.

Regardless of size or age, all who respond to the Gospel are keepers and Jesus keeps them forever. “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish” (Matthew 13:47).

When caught by the Savior, none are released. No photo or measuring device is required. The proof is in obedience to His word, and He will not throw any back for any reason. These are His words: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

As His disciples, we are to present the gospel in the context of a fishing lure or a net, and we show those who respond that Jesus accepts them only on the basis of faith, not on worthiness, as no one is worthy. Jesus provides our worth.

“As the Scripture says, “anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:11-13).

Gone fishin’,

Pastor Jerry

24 Aug

Stormy Weather

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, Peace, Rest, Trials.

Hello all,

Rain! We have had abundant rain in recent days. This has been accompanied at times with very strong winds and hail in some areas. I drove from Ord to Burwell in one of those storms. As I drove into the torrential rain and wind, I was wondering if I had made the right choice. It is interesting to think that last spring we wondered if it would ever rain, but God’s timing is always perfect.

As I ponder the storms we go through in this life, I am reminded that God has promised peace in those times. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we should have no fear of storms, knowing that He will bring us through to the other side. We are not promised there will be no storms, only that He is faithful to be with us as we experience them.

No matter what the situation, whether a financial trial, an illness or just a thunderstorm, the Lord is present. We need to trust Him with the outcome, believing that He is in control of the situation, even if we cannot see past the wind and the rain, so to speak.

When David was being pursued by Saul, he fled into a cave. His prayer was “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take my refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed” (Psalm 57: 1). We know David was protected in that situation. David also wrote these words in Psalm 23. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (verse 4).

From Isaiah; “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

In Philippians 4:4-7 we read, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Resting in Him,

Pastor Jerry

17 Aug

Know the Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Faith, False teachers, God's Word, Spiritual Warfare, Truth.

Hello friends,

It has been an interesting week weatherwise. Since I last reported there have been some beneficial rains. No large amounts, but enough to stop the lawn watering for a while. The garden was spared from any major damage due to the hail last week. I fear we will be overrun with tomatoes soon, as they are loaded with green ones. Bacon and tomato sandwiches may be regular fare in the coming days.


It is my custom to write these missives Sunday afternoon, but I was distracted by other things, so here I sit at the keyboard past my bedtime.

As I read and observe what is taking place in churches around the country, I am seeing much discussion centering on “churches” that are spreading false teaching, and many well-meaning people are being taken in by those who are promoting these things. Scripture reminds us that these things have been going on since the beginning of the Church. We are also encouraged to be discerning in what we believe and to point out heretical teaching. If we are to be informed about these things, the very first action to take is to read the Bible for ourselves and not just take some person’s word for what it says.

The apostle Peter had much to say concerning those who misrepresent the Word of God. “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute” (2 Peter 2:1-2).

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he also warns of these false teachers: “These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing” (1 Timothy 6:3-4).

Again, the words of Peter, “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:17).

For Truth,

Pastor Jerry

10 Aug

On Aging

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Christian Living, On Aging, Wisdom.

Hello friends,

It seems we were on the road more last week than we were at home. Who knew retirement would be so busy? The garden is beginning to give us those long-awaited home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers and even an eggplant. We had rain on Saturday morning, just over half an inch. The downside of that was the accompanying hail. Most of the garden will recover and we are thankful for that.

The county fairs are wrapping up, and schools will soon be starting. The state fair is just around the corner, and one wonders where the summer went!

Seasons change in the lives of people, just as they change on the calendar. Our lives have been characterized as Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and I can’t argue with that reasoning. The Bible speaks to the topic of aging, perhaps Solomon’s writings in Ecclesiastes say it best.

To the young he wrote, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them.” Solomon goes on to describe the process of aging as different functions of the body begin to deteriorate. Ecclesiastes 12:1-7. Solomon’s final words sum it all up this way: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Verse 13).

The Christian, no matter their season of life, can depend on God to be faithful to His word. In Isaiah 46:4, God told His people Israel, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will rescue you.”

Only God knows how many years he has ordained for each of us. “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be’ (Psalm 139:16).

I don’t know what season I am in, but I’m pretty sure spring and summer are behind me. This I know, if He gives me more days, I will continue to sing His praises. As the psalmist wrote, “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles (Psalm 34:6).

In His grip,

Pastor Jerry

3 Aug

New Heaven and Earth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Creation, Eternal Life, Gospel, Heaven.

Dear friends,

Finally, we are seeing some moderation in the daytime temperatures. Along the way, I recorded a little over an inch of rain. This delayed watering the garden and lawn for a few days. These are exciting days for the Lake Ericson community. Some properties are getting new construction projects and others are being remodeled and/or updated. Weekends see lots of youngsters practicing newly learned driving skills with the family golf cart or atv. Kayaking is another popular pastime.

Every day there is more unsettling news from our country and around the world. Every day, I remember that in and through all that’s going on, God is still on His throne, and nothing is taking Him by surprise. His Word tells us of these trials and we are not overwhelmed by what we see and hear.

In Genesis, we find that with Adam’s disobedience sin entered the world and God’s perfect creation was broken. God promised a Savior, but He also said mankind would experience hard times until at some point in the future He would return and set up a new kingdom with a new heavens and a new earth. In doing so, He would restore his perfect plan.

All the way through the Bible, there are prophecies pointing to the coming of the Lord Jesus, first as His coming as a baby and His earthly ministry Then, His death, burial and resurrection as the means of paying the sin debt of all who would believe.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

It is important to remember that God loved the whole world, but only those who trust Christ as Savior will receive eternal life. There is promised to believers a new heaven and earth.

“But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. (Revelation 21:1).

It is a promise, and God doesn’t break His promises. When the world seems out of control, those who believe have nothing to fear. He is still on His throne.

All for Him,

Pastor Jerry

27 Jul

The Truth of the Gospel

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Salvation, Truth.

Hello all,

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (you do remember records?) the heat this weekend was almost too much. The outlook for the week ahead is a slight cooling. I doubt if a few degrees change will be all that noticeable. The garden is coming along nicely if we can keep it watered. I have been using soaker hoses this summer and they are working well. I’m anticipating some home-raised tomatoes soon.

Sunday as we gathered for worship, we learned that Pastor John was unable to be at church as planned. Our options were to go back home or enlist some volunteers to go ahead with church. One of our men took care of the announcements and the praise and prayer time. And one of the young ladies familiar with technology took care of the music. Yours truly volunteered to bring a message from the Bible. When I became a Christian, I was told to always be ready to preach, pray or die. Those words come back to me now and then.

Sometimes, when it comes time to sit down at the keyboard and compose a devotional thought, there is nothing there. So, this week I will share some of what I spoke about this morning.

It is from Romans chapters 9 and 10. Paul was writing to the Christians in Rome and sharing his burden for his people, the Jews. Paul was a Jew’s Jew, but after becoming a Christian, he was concerned with Israel’s salvation.

“But the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone” (Romans 9:31-32). The stone, or rock Paul speaks of is the Lord Jesus. He was right there in front of them, but they did not recognize Him as the Messiah they were expecting.

Scripture plainly says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your heart that you believe and are justified” (Romans 10:9-10). You can never be good enough or do enough good deeds. You are saved by faith, not by works!

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

20 Jul

He Will Return

Posted by sandhillspastor in End Times, Eternity, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Salvation.

Hello friends,

The weather this past week has been sunny and hot! As predicted, it was a good week to stay close to the AC and thank the Lord for it. I’m old enough to remember the days before air conditioning, and I would never want to go back there.

Some days, it seems there is no good news. With all the political rhetoric, unrest, conflict in the world, earthquakes and other disasters one wonders what next? However, as the old saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. This was written by Solomon centuries ago. Ecclesiastes 1:9 reads, “What has been done will be again; there is nothing new under the sun.” My late mother-in-law insisted that some of the things we are seeing today weren’t done in her day. Perhaps they weren’t front page news, but as Solomon said, “there is nothing new.”

The Bible tells us these things will be increasing as time goes on, and at some point, it will all come to an end with the return of the Lord Jesus. That time has not come, and only God knows when that will be, but it will happen, we have His word on it.

The apostle Peter wrote in his second epistle, “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation’. But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly… The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:3-9).

Many years ago, I heard a man say, “Someday the Lord will come back and straighten out this mess,” That day is closer than ever. If you do not know Him, now is the time to seek Him and accept His salvation. He will return, count on it.

In Truth,

Pastor Jerry

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