26 Oct

Faith or Doubt?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Faith, God's Word, Trust.

Hello friends,

Weatherwise we had a pleasant week. Temperatures were a bit warm for this time of year, but I didn’t mind. I’m sure those involved with the harvest were glad for some drier days. Midterm elections take place this week and I encourage everyone to vote. It matters not your politics; this is one of the freedoms that we dare not abandon.

Now, on to this week’s devotional thought. We recently sang a song during worship that had the line, “Help my doubt and unbelief.” At that point, I wondered, how can a true believer sing about “my doubt and unbelief?” It would seem if we truly believed, there wouldn’t be any doubt or unbelief. The first disciples struggled with both of those things as they followed Jesus.

In Mark’s gospel we read of an instance when the disciples were unable to drive an evil spirit out of a young boy. Jesus said the problem was unbelief (Mark 9:19). Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” The boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief” (verses 23-24). The disciples then asked why it was that they couldn’t drive out the demon. His answer, “This kind can only come out by prayer” (verse 29).

In another place, we are told of the disciples in a storm on the sea fearing for their lives. Jesus appeared and asked Peter to come to Him on the water. Impulsive Peter stepped out of the boat, saw the waves and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Jesus caught him and said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt” (Matthew 14:28-31).

It is easy to show trust and faith in the Lord when things are going well. When the storms of life are swirling around us, doubts and fears enter our minds. I suspect even the most committed believer at some point has those feelings of doubt and even unbelief.

However, it is my experience that the longer we serve the Lord those doubts and fears and even the shadows of unbelief begin to be less common. Abraham is a great example of someone who persevered in his faith. “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised” (Romans 4:20-21).

Trusting in Him,

Pastor Jerry

19 Oct

What Is Worship?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Obedience, Witness, Worship.

Dear readers,

As of this morning the garden is history. It appears the first frost of the season has taken its toll. After all, it is the middle of October, so we are well past the normal first hard frost. There were a few tomatoes, egg plant and cucumbers harvested in anticipation of the cold snap.

In recent days I have been thinking about worship. The Bible tells us that God is to be the focus and recipient of our worship. The word worship is sometimes focused on only one aspect of the worship experience. Some see it as the preaching or the music or some other part of the Sunday service. After some study I have learned some things that might be helpful in our worship experience.

Loving God wholeheartedly (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

The Hebrew word is defined “to bow down in reverence.” In the Greek it is “to encounter God and praise Him.” Worship includes the following:

Inner Devotion:

Outward Expressions:

Praise, singing, prayer (Psalm 95:1-2).

Bowing, lifting hands, joyful noise

Obedience and service as daily worship (Romans 12:1, “I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

A Life-Oriented Posture: Worship is not only an event but a way of life—living for God’s glory in all things (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Worship in the Old Testament centered on the tabernacle and consisted of festivals, sacrifices, offerings and priestly service among others.

Worship in the New Testament shifted from temple-based worship to Christ-centered worship. Jesus teaches worship is not tied to location but to sincerity and truth. Early church worship included teaching, fellowship, breaking bread and prayer (Acts 2:42).

To sum it up, Biblical worship is whole-life devotion to God expressed through praise, prayer, obedience and service, grounded in recognizing His unmatched worth and responding with reverence.

Our worship is not a one-dimension experience. I know there are churches that have designated worship leaders, but it seems to me our worship leader is the Holy Spirit. It is His presence within us that causes us to worship God with all our heart, soul and mind.

There is a cartoon in which a man leaving church says to the pastor, “I didn’t get much out of worship today.” The pastor replies, “That’s okay, we weren’t worshiping you anyway.”

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

12 Oct

Show Respect

Posted by sandhillspastor in Uncategorized.

Dear readers,

We are having some delightful weather for the month of October. I fear these warm temperatures are going to be fond memories very soon. Change will come, as it always does.

We live in a time when respect for life and property are almost outdated. There seems to be an epidemic of hate and violence, and it is not just in other parts of the world. This is a picture of the brokenness that is the result of the first man Adam and his disobeying God’s command concerning the tree in the Garden of Eden.

There are biblical commands and instructions regarding how we are to live and how we are to treat others and their property.

Exodus 20, verse 12 says, “Honor your father and your mother.” The next verse reads, “You shall not murder. This should be self-explanatory. God’s word also tells us if someone takes the life of another that person is to be put to death, not made out to be a victim.

Paul wrote these words, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality… “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position… “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:10-18). “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

In His sermon on the mountain, Jesus got down to specifics: “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22).

The bottom line is this; show respect for others, their lives and property. If we all do that, the world would be a better place for everyone.

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

5 Oct

Security for Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Blessings, Contentment, Culture.

Hello friends,

October is here. This is one of my favorite months. First, it is the month of my birthday. Second, I have wonderful memories of hunting ducks during this month. As a youngster, my parents only had to give me shotgun shells for my birthday and I was happy.

A daily devotional caught my eye this week and I felt led to share it with you. It is from Pastor J.D. Greear and concerns the security that is available to us through our faith in God.

Jesus said that people are more valuable than the birds. They don’t store up food, yet the Lord takes care of them (Luke 12:24). In verses 27-28 He tells us if God can clothe the lilies with bright colors, we need not fret over whether He will care for us.

Pastor Greear goes on: “Both significance and security are best found in the present by being obedient to God. If you don’t feel happy or secure right now, that’s not a money problem; that’s a problem in your relationship with God.” From Luke 12:31-32, he reminds us of these verses; “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.”

“God is the watchful Shepherd, intimately aware of where we are and what we are doing; the almighty King, controlling everything according to His good purposes for our lives; and a tender Father, who delights to see us thrive.

You can be sure that if you obey Him, He will take care of you, because He proved His love when He died for you. If He provided for you when  you were His enemy, won’t He supply you abundantly now that you are His child?”

On a personal note, the Lord has provided for our family in ways that we could not explain if we were not aware of His presence with us. There are just more instances of His provision in our lives than I have room to tell.

When we experienced the agriculture crash in the mid-eighties, I know that God took us through that time. He showed me those cows weren’t mine or the bank’s, they were His. Many times He provided for our needs and taught me some valuable lessons in where to place my faith.

Glory be to God,

Pastor Jerry

28 Sep

Excess Baggage

Posted by sandhillspastor in Calling, Change, Christian Living, Culture, Possessions.

Dear friends,

It was a rainy, cool week here. It was a nice change from those days when it was so hot. Now, I see some forecasters are predicting frost just around the corner. As I begin writing this week’s devotional, it is very foggy. I know there is supposed to be a connection between fog and future snowstorms. Time will tell. Currently there is a major hurricane to our southwest that may affect our weather in the next several days.

This past weekend was the annual Junk Jaunt event. For those who haven’t heard of it, it is the biggest garage sale you have ever seen. It covers a few hundred miles with stops in many small and large towns. People drive for miles to hopefully get a bargain or two, while others are selling excess “junk” from their garages and basements hoping to make a few extra bucks. I’m reminded of scriptures that tell us to get rid of things we don’t need.

These things aren’t all possessions we can see, like things we have stored away for some imaginary time when “we might need them”, but also thoughts and attitudes that affect our relationships with the Lord and with other people.

From a worldly point of view, much of the stuff we hang on to just takes up valuable space in our garages, basements and closets. When those are full of stuff, we build storage units. Now and then I will see that someone is selling something from their garage that they forgot they had. Apparently, they hadn’t needed it for some time.

The writer of Hebrews in the New Testament reminds his fellow Christians of this: Regarding all the saints who have gone on before us he writes, “There for, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Who runs a race carrying a load of unnecessary belongings? Get rid of all the extra stuff and concentrate on the finish line!

Look to Jesus,

Pastor Jerry

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, Memories, Salvation, Trust, Truth, Witness.

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

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