Archive for April, 2019

29 Apr

The Coming King

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Body of Believers, Culture, End Times, Faith, Family of God, Gospel, Politics, Salvation, Truth, Witness.

Dear friends,
More cool weather is in store for the next few days. We have had a few days of spring-like temperatures to give us encouragement, but it seems we are to wait a little longer for the real thing. I am convinced there are warm days and nights ahead, but we must believe our patience is being perfected through this.

Sunday afternoon and evening, I, and several others attended the semi-annual meeting of our church association. We are an association of small evangelical churches from this part of Nebraska, committed to getting the gospel message into the Sandhills. It encourages me to hear what the Lord is doing through the various ministries in our several towns. Through those same churches, God is using his people to minister in places like an RV park in Arizona, and several small towns in the flooded area of northeast Nebraska.

As the 2020 political season seems to be heating up, I am reminded that many people in our country are trying to find just the right person who they think will deliver our country from whatever they see as the greatest need. My thoughts go immediately to the word of God and what he has to say about putting our faith in politicians. From the Christian perspective, the only way to have true deliverance is to put our faith in God, and in his Son.

In the end, we must understand that it is not the President, not the Governor, not the Queen of England, nor any other politician or ruler, but the King of Kings who will save us from the evil that surrounds us.

Or, as the psalmist reminds us; “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7)

At this time in our history, Psalm 2 reminds us of the one who will eventually make everything right:
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.
“Let us break their chains, they say, “and throw off their fetters.”
The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. (Psalm 2:1-4).

The King is coming! Are you ready to meet him? I pray you know Him as your Savior and Lord.

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

22 Apr

God’s Plan

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Easter, Faith, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Resurrection, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship.

Hello all,
I trust everyone had a blessed Easter Sunday. I took a trip into the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills, to fill in for a pastor who was taking a well-deserved and much needed break. Highway 20 across the northern part of our state holds many (mostly good) memories for me, and it is nice to go back now and then.

A long drive through what is called God’s Country, gives one time to reflect on God’s creative genius, but also to realize what a privilege it is to live here. I’m sure there are some who would see this as anything but an ideal situation, and I definitely would not want to live in their little corner of the world either. It is obvious that God has made something for everyone in that respect.

The observance of what we call Easter, rightly described as Resurrection Day, gives us pause to reflect on God’s eternal plan to provide payment for our sin debt. As the Bible explains, creation was in God’s own words ‘good’ and ‘very good’. Along comes Satan disguised as a serpent, to tempt Adam and Eve to disobey God’s specific instructions. As a result, all mankind was, and is born with a sin nature, and God’s perfect creation is damaged. Because God knows all things, he also knew this would happen. In his eternal wisdom, He also provided the means to pay the penalty for sin. No person could ever pay their own sin debt, much less the sins of anyone else.

In the book of Romans, it is written “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” It also states, the “wages of sin is death.” In light of this, God planned to provide a sacrifice that would satisfy His demand of payment for sin. This sacrifice would be in the person of his only Son, Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world (you and me), that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead proves God’s power over death, and fulfills his promise of eternal life to all who will believe.

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:12).

In His grace,
Pastor Jerry

15 Apr

Old Songs

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Praise, Prayer, thanksgiving, Trials, Uncategorized, Worship.

Another week, another weather roller coaster. We have gone from a balmy, sunny early week, to a howling blizzard on Thursday. I just know spring is out there somewhere! As I look out my window this morning (Friday), I see bright blue skies and the brilliant whiteness of the sun shining on a snowy landscape. As I look at the forecast for the days ahead, the predictions for moisture contain the word rain, instead of snow. Can this be the beginning of the end of winter? I pray it is so.

We continue to pray for those most affected by the flooding, and other local disasters. It is beyond anyone’s imagination what those folks are experiencing.

Lately, I have been listening to music from days gone by. Maybe it is my age, or my stage in life, but I enjoy hearing the old songs. With the help of YouTube, and satellite radio, I am able to listen to the music of my youth. These old songs with their simple lyrics, bring back sweet memories of simpler times, when life was much less complicated. I wonder if today’s music will at some future time mean as much to its hearers as the songs I remember?

Music is a gift from God, but I wonder if he really intended it to be used as it is today? As I read scripture, music has always been a part of the worship of God. From the first mention of the tabernacle of the Lord, music has been involved.

“All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps for the ministry at the house of God” (1 Chronicles 25:6). Later, at the dedication of the rebuilt wall of Jerusalem, we read, “the Levites were sought out from where they lived… to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving… “(Nehemiah 12:27).

Many of the Psalms mention music as part of worship. “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp” (Psalm 147:7). Finally, from the New Testament, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

One final thought; with the return of spring, we will again hear the singing of the birds. Praise God!

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

8 Apr

No Signal

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Humor, Obedience, Prayer, renewal, Repentance, Trials, Uncategorized.

Another week has gone by. That elusive season we call ‘spring’ keeps teasing us with little glimpses of sunshine between the clouds. I just know that someday soon, we will experience the spring season in all its floral beauty.

Have you ever had one of those times when trying to make things right, you end up with a whole other set of problems? Last month, we purchased a new sofa-sleeper for our living room. After somewhat of a struggle, and with the help of a passing neighbor, we got the beast out of the pickup and into the living room. After unpacking it, we discovered a cut in the fabric, right in plain sight. I called the store, anticipating a refund of some sort, only to be told, “we will replace it, just bring it back and pick up another one.” So… last Monday, we returned the damaged one, loaded up the replacement, brought it home and unloaded it. By now, we had a system worked out, and it was much easier. However, I said if this one had any flaws, we were going to keep quiet about it. Enough is enough!

As I sat waiting for the church service to start, I noticed two words at the bottom of the screen at the front of the church: NO SIGNAL, meaning the projector was getting no signal from the computer. Several things came to mind at that moment. The one we can take a lesson from is this; Why is it we sometimes feel we have lost our connection to God? I can see three reasons. First, when our prayer time has been replaced by the cares of the day. Second, when we have unconfessed sin in our lives. And, third, when we fail to spend some part of the day reading and studying God’s Word.

Rather than asking why is there no word from God, the question should be, what am I doing to restore the communication that has been lost. As someone said many years ago, if you feel separated from God, guess who moved? We are told in Romans 12:12, to be persistent in prayer. As for a time alone with God, Jesus tells us to pray to God in private (Matt 6:6). And it goes without saying that God speaks through His word, if we will only read it.

Blessings to all,
Pastor Jerry

1 Apr

Reality Check

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, God's Word, Prayer, Repentance, Sanctity of Human Life, Sin, Truth, Uncategorized.

The calendar tells me it is April Fool’s Day. Actually, the weather has been fooling with us for weeks now. One day this week, it was above 70 degrees. Friday we received several inches of snow. I don’t think we want to ask the question, ‘what next?’ If nothing else, it seems our patience has been well tested. How are you doing with the test?

Now that the month of March is behind us, maybe we will start seeing some real signs of spring. I am thinking grass and flowers for starters.

Have you noticed the number of Facebook posts concerned with the welfare of animals? How about those concerned with the welfare of unborn humans? Yeah, me too. I am all for taking care of animals, my whole life was spent caring for livestock, but it seems to me there is more energy given to protecting animal life, than there is to human life. Maybe if we gave as much negative press to abortion clinics as we do to puppy mills, something more would be done about them, too.

God fully intended for man to care for all of his creation, as it is recorded in Genesis. “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Genesis 1:26).

“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed… The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:8, 15).

If God gave mankind the task of caring for, and stewarding the livestock and the animal kingdom, would he not expect the same, or even greater dedication to the health and well-being of the children, from conception until adulthood? This idea being circulated among liberal minds that people are not human until they are born is nothing but insanity.

I pray to God that we will come to our senses, before God brings his judgment upon us. In Jeremiah’s time, God told him, concerning Israel’s disobedience, “Do not pray for this people…, for I will not listen to you.”

In Him,
Pastor Jerry