Archive for the ‘Advent’ Category

22 Dec

His Great Gift

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Incarnation, The Good News, Worship.

Dear friends,

It doesn’t appear that we will have a White Christmas this year. I was glad we didn’t have any snow last Thursday. The way the wind blew we would still be digging out. I remember Christmases past when we had those conditions and they aren’t fun.

As I sit here in front of the keyboard, the question arises, “what do I write about this week?” It is Christmas week, so I suppose something seasonal would be appropriate. The words of the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke will be read in homes and churches leading up the celebration of the birth of Christ. It is a story that never grows old. Children are drawn to the baby in the manger, while those who are older are reminded that the baby would grow to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

To some, however, it is just another holiday off from work. For others, it is all commercial hype, and fancy light displays. And let us not forget Santa Claus with his reindeer and toy laden sleigh. It certainly is the season of giving, but the Gift of God in the person of Jesus Christ is the supreme example of an underserved gift.

As the scripture says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.

Enter the Lord Jesus. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1John 2:2). There is no way that mere humans can ever be able to atone for their sins, because no one is sinless.  “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19). That word repent means to stop sinning and turn to the Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 reminds us, “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.”

You see, Jesus is much more than an infant in a stable. He is the Savior of the World. Glory to God for His great good Gift!

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Jerry

15 Dec

From the Cradle to the Cross

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Culture, Gospel, Incarnation.

Dear readers,

Winter weather appears to have come to stay. We did get a small amount of snow over the weekend, but not enough to create problems. As of this writing, it is cold, but warmer temps are forecast for this week. The big event on most the minds of many is the Christmas holiday just around the corner.

In this Christmas season, I encourage you to look beyond the manger in Bethlehem to the cross of Calvary. The birth of the Savior is worthy of celebration, but the reason for His coming is a greater cause for celebration. When He came, it was into a world tainted by sin. His purpose in coming was to pay the sin-debt of every person ever born. This is the gift of God to those who would understand they were sinners and had nothing to offer that would pay that debt. As is often quoted, “We owed a debt we could not pay, and He paid a debt He did not owe.”

The penalty for our sin was paid at Calvary, when Jesus died on that cross. The proof of that payment was shown in His resurrection. The story began in a manger and ended on a cross. Because of that fact, our salvation is sure. Our responsibility is not to work our way to heaven, but to accept the gift of salvation that Christ has provided to us.

I’m reminded of the chorus of an old song:

“From the manger to the cross, the rugged cross of Calvary
The road that Jesus walked for you and me all alone
By the world forsaken still He shed His blood for me
From the manger to the cross the rugged cross of Calvary.”

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 (John 3:16).

The baby in the manger grew to be the Man who opened the way for us to have eternal life. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

As we celebrate Christmas, let us also give God glory for being our Lord and Savior.

Because He lives,

Pastor Jerry

8 Dec

Why Christmas?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Faith, Salvation, The Good News.

Dear friends,

It has been a cool week weather-wise. This is okay, sometimes we have lots of snow by now. As we enter the second week of December, our thoughts turn to the celebration of our Lord’s birth. Christmas reminds us once again of God’s love for us.

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 (John 3:16). 0ld Testament prophecy had predicted the birth of a Savior centuries before.

Isaiah wrote, “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6).

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5).

Most of Bethlehem did not know who He was. When Jesus was born, there was no big celebration. The only people who knew He had come were shepherds watching their sheep. John tells us, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was his own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:10-12d.

In the world today, millions do not know who Jesus is. If they know of Him, He is a good man or a great teacher. To them He is not God, nor is He the One who can save them from their sins. When they read or hear that God so loved the world He gave His only Son, they leave out the part about believing in Him. They think we are all God’s children, but they are wrong. Only those who place their faith in Christ are called children of God.

Romans 10:12 tells us we are saved by calling on the Lord. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Here is something to think about this Christmas season. Do you know who Jesus is? Is He your Savior?

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

27 Jan

Jesus Will Return

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, End Times, Faith, God's Word, Truth.

Hello friends,
It is time again for our weekly visit. There were several hardy souls on the lake fishing through the ice this week. I am somewhat envious of modern ice fishing; in my experience we sat on a bucket exposed to the wind. These days there are portable shelters with heaters in them. Now that is roughing it!

I had the opportunity to share a message this week. I titled it ‘Be Ready’. Perhaps a better title would have been ‘He’s Coming Back’. I will share some points of that message with you here.

Jesus said He would return at some point future. I believe that day is coming; maybe soon. Looking at the world today, it is easy to see the signs He gave that indicate the nearness of His return.

Three of the gospel writers quoted Jesus: “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 up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).

Some will deny the return of the Lord. 2 Peter 3:3-4; First of 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 fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

Whether the Lord returns this week or next year matters not. What does matter is that we are prepared for that event. Jesus told a parable of ten virgins waiting for the groom to come for his bride. The virgins expected to be part of the wedding party. They all had lamps in case the groom came at night, but only five had prepared by bringing extra oil for their lamps. When the bridegroom came, those who did not have oil for their lamps were denied entrance to the wedding celebration. (Matthew 25:1-13).

Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise… He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Are you prepared for the Lord’s return? He has promised, and His word is true.

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

23 Dec

His Story

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Faith, Gospel.

Hello friends,
We have entered the early copy season. It’s interesting when holidays come in the middle of the week and my schedule gets upset. I’m a creature of habit it seems. It will be Christmas when some of you read this and I hope you are blessed by it.

The Christmas season is the time of year most people are made aware of the first coming of the Lord Jesus. They may not give much thought to His appearance the rest of the year, but it is impossible to ignore Him with all the nativity displays and Christmas greetings everywhere.

The people of Bethlehem, if they were aware of His birth certainly did not think it of much importance. I suppose they were more concerned with all the people in town due to the census that was being taken. Mary and Joseph obviously knew He had arrived. The angel had given them the news of his impending birth some nine months before.

Those shepherds got the news in a dramatic fashion with a bright light in the sky and an angel announcing, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

To accent the announcement, “Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors.” Those shepherds couldn’t wait another minute to hurry to Bethlehem and see for themselves. (Luke 2:8-16).

Scripture tells us after the shepherds had seen the newborn Messiah, they told everyone they met what they had heard and seen. (Luke 2:17-18).

Where are you in this story? Have you experienced the Lord Jesus in your life? Have you heard the story of His birth and the reason He came, but have dismissed it as a fairy tale? It is not too late to place your faith in Him and the salvation he brought to earth. For God so loved the world, he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

9 Dec

The Giving Season

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Blessings, Christmas, Culture, Faith, Giving, Obedience.

Hello friends,
Hasn’t the weather been nice for December, so far? I was able to work in our uninsulated garage in my shirt sleeves Saturday afternoon. I suppose it will cool down, but as yet there is no snow in the forecast.

As we enter the Christmas season, I have been thinking on the topic of giving. After all, ‘tis the season for gift giving. Christmas shopping has become a big deal. People go to great lengths to find that perfect Christmas gift for that special person. For some it is a year-long project and for others, a mad dash early in the morning on what is called “Black Friday.”

What about our giving to others throughout the rest of the year? Scripture encourages, even commands us to give to the Lord with grateful and cheerful hearts. We are also told to give to others as God blessed us. It may be a financial gift, or a gift of serving others, Whatever resources we have, God would have us share those blessings with those who are needy.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all times having all you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever” (2 Corinthians 9:6-9).
Paul goes on to say, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (verse 11).

Paul is not talking about a “name it and claim it” strategy. He is talking about God taking care of us when we honor him with our giving generously, even when it scares us.

If we can move past that fear, we’ll get to see why God enriches us—not to bring more bling into our lives, but to “multiply our seed for sowing.” He multiplies our resources not to increase our standard of living but to increase our capacity for giving.

Some food for thought in this giving season. Praying for increased blessings to all.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

2 Dec

Looking Aheadd

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, God's Word, Incarnation, The Good News.

Dear friends,
I trust your Thanksgiving was a time of gathering with family and friends. I have heard that many people spell fellowship, f-o-o-d. There was plenty of that in our family this year.

After Thanksgiving, we begin the season of Advent in the Christian calendar. These next four or five weeks are spent in anticipation of the birth of the Savior. The nation Israel looked forward to the coming of their Messiah, as had been foretold by their prophets for hundreds of years.

In Isaiah we read, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Later in Isaiah we read: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6).

Micah, some 700 years before the birth of Christ wrote, “But from you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who rules over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2).

In the last book of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi wrote the words of the Lord: “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty” (Malachi 3:1).

Four hundred years later, a baby was born in a manger in Bethlehem, who was the Messiah whom Israel had longed for. Pagan kings we call the Magi, came from the east and inquired, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed. He called all the chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written” (Matthew 2:1-5). They had the answer, but didn’t bother to go and check it out.

As we look forward to the Christmas season, let’s not miss His coming. He is the greatest gift!

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

11 Dec

Giving and Receiving

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Blessings, Christmas, Giving, Gospel, Salvation.

Dear friends,

            Fair weather was the word of the week. It is always a good feeling to have moderate temperatures in December. Many times there is deep snow and cold this time of year. My point is this; let’s enjoy mild weather while we can, and count every nice day as being one day closer to spring!

            Christmas is a time of giving. People everywhere are shopping for that perfect gift for family and friends. Well, except for the ones who are organized and have had their shopping done for months already. Christmas is also a time for receiving. Every gift given needs a recipient, and the transaction is not complete until the one receiving has accepted or taken the gift.

            Many years ago, our family had fallen on hard times. There were no funds to purchase Christmas gifts for our kids. I had shared this information with a friend in a conversation and a few days before Christmas, I got a phone call from him asking us to their house as they had something to tell us.

            We went to their place and after some small talk, he told us he and his wife had decided to give us a cash gift so that we could get some Christmas gifts for our boys. He handed me a check saying he and his wife had a little savings account and they were giving to us out of their savings. I have never forgotten that evening. We were in tears over their kindness and generosity.

            The gift was given, but only by receiving the gift would the blessing be complete. I could have said that’s nice, but only by reaching out and taking that check would we benefit from their generosity.

            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.” In John 1:12 we read, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

            Did you get that? The gift was given, but only by receiving, or taking it will it be of any use to us. The gift from our friends was a picture of the message of Christmas. Salvation comes as a gift from God, but we must accept that gift.

In His love,

Pastor Jerry

4 Dec

Herald Angels

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Body of Believers, Christmas, Praise, Worship.

Dear readers,
The snow of last week has disappeared and moderate temperatures are forecast for the immediate future. I doubt there are any complaints over this news. The Lake Ericson Trail of Lights for this season was a success. Our family appreciates all the volunteers and their donated time and talent to bring this about. The weather conditions were near perfect both nights.

As the media coverage and fan support for Nebraska volleyball grows, one wonders what would happen if people got excited about Jesus in the same way? Think about it. Churches would be full; Christians would spill out into the streets proclaiming the name of Jesus. There would be an increase in sales of tee shirts and other advertising merchandise. The Good News would be the top story of the day every day.
Church service times would look like sports schedules complete with times and places those events would take place. All the focus would be on Jesus as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). Every word from every mouth would be praise for the Lord. Think about that! In fact, this sounds a lot like heaven as described in the book of Revelation.

Here is a part of that description from chapter 19: The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!”
Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
Praise our God, all you his servants,
you who fear him, both small and great!’
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:4-7).

In this Advent season, let us proclaim the Good News of Jesus every day and in every way. Christmas is His season; the beginning of God’s plan to redeem the world from the debt of sin. Praise Him, Praise Him!
In the words of the old Christmas carol,
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn king!”
He is the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, and the Greatest of all time! Praise Him, praise Him indeed!

For His glory,
Pastor Jerry

27 Nov

Watching

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Assurance, Christmas, Gospel, Hope, Second Coming.

Dear friends,

Thanksgiving has come and gone. We hope to be able to say the same about the leftover turkey. Having cooked a turkey a few weeks back, our Thanksgiving meal was liver and onions. It was a quiet affair, with just the two of us. And I doubt anyone else would have enjoyed it as much.

Snow happened this week. The weather man guessed we would get less than an inch, but it turned out to be more like 2 to 3 inches here. We will now need to get the rest of the Christmas lights up and plugged in.

It is the advent season, when Christians focus on the first coming of the Lord Jesus. While there are differing opinions over the exact time of year He was born, there is no doubt in His followers’ minds that He was born in Bethlehem, just as the scripture says.

In today’s world, there is renewed interest in His second return, or second advent. Jesus plainly told His disciples to expect His return at some time in the future. As we read the New Testament, it seems they anticipated He would come back in their lifetime. He did not, however, give them a specific time for His return. He told them some things to look for and warned them not to get caught up in false prophecies.

These are His words: 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… As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:4-39).

Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him (Matthew 24:42-44).

“He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority” (Acts 1:7).

He will return. Are you ready?

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

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