Archive for the ‘Advent’ Category

19 Dec

Real Peace

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Best Life, Blessings, Christmas, Salvation.

Dear friends,

We are settling in for a spell of cold weather. Last week was cold and windy here, but with very little snow. Further to the west and north, it was a much different story. Sunday night was the first of what we hope will be an annual event at our church. Called Soup and Song, there were several pots of delicious soup and trays of cookies and bars. This was followed by readings, special music, and the singing of Christmas carols. We look forward to seeing you there next year.

As 2022 winds down, and we approach a new year, I pray we not forget the message of Christmas. The future is uncertain, but we can enter it with confidence if we remember that God sent His Son to provide salvation for all who would believe in Him. The angels announced His coming, saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (ESV).

When we trust God’s promise of peace on earth, we aren’t speaking of the absence of war, but real peace within ourselves. This is because we know whatever happens in our future, we can be sure God has a plan. Please understand this peace comes only to those who know the Lord Jesus as Savior. Those with whom He is pleased are those who are His children. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Scripture tells us this, “He (Jesus) came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-12).

This Christmas season, may we see beyond the shopping, the bright lights and all the other activity. May we focus on the Reason for the season; Jesus, God with us, come to save the world from sin. Have you accepted His Gift? In the words of the apostle Paul, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Have a Blessed Christmas,

Pastor Jerry

12 Dec

A Savior was Born

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Assurance, Christmas, Eternal Life, Gospel, Salvation, Worship.

Dear friends,

We finally received a bit of moisture. It was not much, but much more than we have had recently. As we continue to observe that first Christmas, I’ve been reflecting on different parts of the story.

As I thought about the Christmas story this week, I remembered those crisp clear nights out checking cows when stars were shining in a black sky. There was total silence, except for cow sounds. I then remembered the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds. Suddenly, the sky was full of angels praising God. What a mind blowing experience that must have been!

Terrified might have been a bit of an understatement, but the angel assured them it was all good. They went and saw the baby, and began to tell everyone about the experience.

In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “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 the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

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.

When the angels had left them and returned to heaven…, the shepherds hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:8-20).

Many years ago, the message of salvation through faith in Jesus came to me; not in the stillness of a dark night, but in the preaching of the gospel from our pastor at the time. Like those shepherds of old, this news changed my life. Do you know the Savior? Have you understood the message of the angel? Do you tell others what He has done for you?

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

5 Dec

Good News

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Hope.

Dear friends,

Our weather is seasonal for the most part, and we received two to three inches of snow. It didn’t stick around too long, but we are thankful for the moisture it provided. We certainly won’t complain if we get some more, even if it comes as snow. It seems everyone is gearing up for the Christmas season. The Lake Ericson Trail of Lights event was held Friday and Saturday evenings. The wind held the attendance down on Friday, but there were many who braved the elements and many more attended Saturday.

As we celebrate this season, it is always good to review what happened at Christmas, and why. Old Testament prophets wrote and spoke of a coming Messiah. In Isaiah 7:14, 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 Emmanuel.”

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shouldersAnd he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. From the prophet Micah we read, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, thought you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will rule over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4-5).

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).

The simple truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is this: We are all born sinners, separated from God. The way to restore our relationship with God the Father is to confess our sin and by faith confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. See Romans 10:9-10.

In Truth,

Pastor Jerry

28 Nov

Songs of the Season

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Blessings, Christmas, Praise, Worship.

Hello friends,
We got a break from the cold weather this week. This gave holiday travelers something else to be thankful for. Part of my week was taken up with installing a garage door opener. It was something of a challenge, due to some sketchy instructions and my inability to read between the lines of said instructions. After an email to customer service, and some good guess work, we can now open the door without getting out of the vehicle.

The radio stations have begun playing Christmas music, and oh how we need to hear the message of Christmas today! As we remember the coming of Jesus to earth, the season of advent, we are reminded anew of the promises of God regarding a Savior.

When I speak of Christmas music, I’m not thinking of Frosty, Rudolph, or Baby It’s Cold Outside. I am instead thinking of Hark the Herald Angels, O, Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night; songs with the real message of Christmas. Songs of hope and of the One who came to die for us, in order that we might be saved from the penalty of sin. This is Christmas.

How could we ever tire of hearing and singing of the advent of our Savior? How could we tire of the message of salvation through faith in His finished work on the cross? Read with me a part of the Christmas story.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:18-21).

Finally, in John 3:17 we read this: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

Simply His,
Pastor Jerry

20 Dec

God With Us

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Gospel, Incarnation, Praise, Salvation, Worship.

Dear readers,
There was some interesting weather last week, with much property damage, yet as far as I know there were no lives lost. For this we thank God. Not related to the storms, but needing prayer are those families who have lost loved ones in the last few days. Our prayers are for God’s comfort and healing in each of those situations.

Another Christmas celebration is upon us. This week I will share the following from a booklet titled, “God’s Gift of Christmas” by Dr. John MacArthur.

“God chose the name Jesus for His Son because its basic meaning defined the fundamental purpose for the Son’s coming to earth. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, or Jeshua, each of which means “Jehovah will save.” The baby Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and gave birth to in the plan of God would grow up to testify to the Father’s salvation and would Himself be that salvation. By His own sacrificial death on the cross and triumphant resurrection from the grave He would save His own—all those who are drawn from sin to repentance and who receive faith to embrace His atoning work.

He would also be called Immanuel, which means, literally, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). It is a promise of incarnate deity, a promise that God himself would appear as a human infant. Immanuel, God with us.” This baby who was to be born would be God Himself in human form.

If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into just three words, these words would be “God with us.” At Christmas we tend to focus on the infancy of Christ, but the greater truth of the holiday is his deity. He is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!

Immanuel, infinitely rich became poor. He assumed our nature, entered our sin polluted world, took our guilt on Himself although He was sinless, bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). All of that is wrapped up in “God with us.”

The immeasurable gift of Christmas is this. Christ, God’s own Son gave up all His wealth and privilege to live as God with us, that He might save His people from their sins, and that through His poverty they might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Merrie Christmas!
Pastor Jerry

6 Dec

Why Christmas?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, God's Word, Gospel, Incarnation, Salvation.

Dear friends,

As we contemplate the coming of Jesus to the manger in Bethlehem, I want to share a devotional from Pastor Greg Laurie.

“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.”
—Galatians 4:4–5

We are on the verge of celebrating Christmas, and we’ll talk a lot about the Baby born in the manger and the beauty of the Incarnation. But the purpose of the Incarnation was so there would be the death of Jesus and, ultimately, the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus came to Earth to die for the sins of the world. Yet His disciples didn’t get that because it was lost in translation. Their hope and belief was that He would establish an earthly kingdom then and there. Their hope and belief was that He would drive out the Romans who were occupying the land.

After Jesus fed the five thousand, His most popular miracle at the time, the people wanted to make Jesus king by force so that He would bring Rome’s occupation to an end. They didn’t understand that it wasn’t the reason He had come to this earth.

It was always God’s plan for Christ to die. Revelation 13:8 calls Him “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (NKJV). What does that mean? It means that before there was a planet called Earth and a garden called Eden, before there was a couple known as Adam and Eve who ate of the forbidden fruit, God knew that humanity would blow it.

Adam and Eve’s sin didn’t come as a surprise or shock to God. He knew it would happen. So He already had a plan. His Son would come to this earth and be born in a manger, live a perfect life, and die on the cross for the sins of the world.

Of course, one day Jesus Christ will come back and establish His kingdom. One day He will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. But before Christ would wear a crown, He would first have to die on a cross and then rise from the dead.”

As Christmas approaches, let us not forget the Reason we celebrate.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

29 Nov

Celebrate Christmas

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Blessings, Christmas, Gospel, Hope, Incarnation, Praise, The Good News, Worship.

Dear friends,
Christmas lights and other reminders of the season have appeared almost overnight. Christmas themed music has begun to be played on the radio, and much advertising is directed toward Christmas shopping. In all this, I pray we don’t lose sight of the real Reason for the season. In the world we live in, we need Jesus as much as we have ever needed Him, if not more.

If we believe the Bible, and understand that we live in a sin-stained world, our priority should be to put Jesus first. The prophet wrote, “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. (Isaiah 7:14).

This one to be called Immanuel would be born in Bethlehem as prophesied in Malachi. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Micah 5:2.

The angel Gabriel announced to Mary and Joseph that the son to be born would be the Messiah, the promised Savior. To Joseph he said, “She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”) Matthew 1:21. To Mary, his message was,
“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:31-32).

Paul wrote, “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Jesus came to be the sacrifice that would pay the sin debt of the whole world, that whoever believes in Him would have eternal life. In Romans 6:23 it is written, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

At this time of the year, and in this Christmas season, we celebrate the birth of the Savior. It is an old, old story, but one of which we should never tire, or take for granted.

Thank God for Christmas!
Pastor Jerry

14 Dec

Christmas Hope

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Assurance, Christmas, Contentment, God's Word, Politics, Salvation.

Hello all,
Our Christmas decorations are up, and now we can enjoy them. The lake community has taken on a festive look with all the lights on display and you are welcome to drive through the community and take a look. The lack of snow doesn’t give that “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” look, but in checking the forecast, this might change.

In the aftermath of the election, there is much discussion over what the future looks like. There are many opinions, but very few solid facts. The one thing that comes to me is this; if anyone is depending on politicians to save the world, they are placing their faith in the wrong thing. Don’t waste your time and energy on this one. Government will not save you, neither will a president, governor or king. Politics is not the savior of anyone. Only Jesus Christ can save. The Bible clearly states that the world is broken because of sin, and He is the only remedy.

In the Psalms we read, “Some trust in chariots and horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

At Christmas time, the old carols remind us of the reason He came, and they give us joy and a hope for the future.
Joy to the world, the Lord has come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing….

One of my favorites is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Written in a dark time, it speaks of future hope. I’ll begin at verse three;
And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then ringing, singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day—a voice, a chime, a chant sublime of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Do not despair. God is still on His throne. He is not sleeping. He is fulfilling his plan and purpose. Jesus said, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17).

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

7 Dec

Look for the Light

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

Dear friends,
We have had mostly nice weather for the past week, and it looks to be more of the same in the near future. We managed to get some Christmas decorations up over the weekend, but there are still totes that aren’t empty. We don’t seem to have the stamina to put them all up in one day as we have done in the past!

We will stay on the subject of Christmas this week. I sometimes think we are too quick to forget Christmas. Instead of taking the time to acknowledge the great gift of God in sending His son to bear the sin debt of the whole world, we want to get those gifts unwrapped and move on.

When Christ was born in Bethlehem, very few people were aware of his coming. The innkeeper had no room to put them up, so his family ended up in a livestock shelter, which was probably a cave. As we read the story, it appears the only ones who showed up to worship the newborn were lowly shepherds. The religious leaders certainly weren’t interested enough to seek him, and Herod showed little interest, except to view the news as a threat to his political position. The prophet Micah, foresaw the Messiah as being born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). The religious leaders knew of this prophecy, yet didn’t take the time to check it out.

As we think of that first Christmas, we might wonder, is it any different today? People are so busy with the little details of their lives, that they have no time for Jesus, and they really aren’t interested in finding out about Him.

The prophet Isaiah wrote of Jesus’ appearance among men in this way; “The people walking in the darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in darkness.” (Isaiah 9:2). In the New Testament, John wrote this of Jesus; “In Him was life, and that light was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it… He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:4-11).

Jesus said; “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Have you seen the Light? What is your response?

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

30 Nov

Christmas is Coming

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Eternal Life, Incarnation, Salvation, The Good News.

Hello friends,
After a week of very nice November weather, it seems we are going to cool off for a time. The seasons are still in transition, I guess. I trust you had a pleasant Thanksgiving observance in spite of the Covid19 virus. Some of the Christmas lights here at the lake have been put up, and more will appear. You are invited to drive through the lake community and enjoy the efforts of the residents. So far, there has only been light conversation regarding our own display, but I suspect action will be taken in the near future.

On the subject of Christmas, we are in the Advent season as noted in the church calendar. In fact, we are only three Sundays away from Christmas. It is not too early to begin thinking about the holiday, what it means, and how we are to respond to it. We all know the Christmas story from the gospels, but I like to go to the Old Testament and read the prophecies concerning the birth of the Savior. A favorite passage is from Isaiah.

“For to us a child is born, 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.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

In the New Testament, we read Jesus’ words, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:38-40).

Perhaps you have heard the Christmas story many times, but have never made the decision to place your trust in Jesus for your salvation. I pray you do so before any more time passes. It is not too late.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

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