Archive for the ‘Assurance’ Category

29 Dec

Joy In Trials

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Happiness, Joy, Peace, Trials, Trust.

Hello friends,

We had a good family Christmas. We gathered at Ryan’s house in Neligh. The boys fed us well with steak, lobster tail, and all kinds of other goodies. There were also home-made cinnamon rolls that were to die for. Needless to say, we are in fasting mode the day after.

We are about to enter a new year! 2026 is almost here. The greeting of the week will be “Happy New Year!” We always salute the turning of the calendar to January with those words, but for some it probably will not be happy every day of the year. There will be disappointments, sicknesses, deaths in families and other kinds of personal tragedies. The optimism we have will fade away to reality and we find it hard to be happy all the time.

The Bible speaks of joy. When the angels announced the birth of the Savior, the greeting was Joy to the World! I believe joy is separate from happiness, In the middle of unhappy times, we can still be joyful. The psalmist wrote, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (Psalm 94:19). In this sense, joy is based on the writer’s relationship with God.

In another psalm we read, “The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy… Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:3, 5). Paul, in his letter to the church at Philippi wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

The Lord Jesus told His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We will not always be happy, but through our faith and trust in the Lord, we will have joy in our hearts.

 “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

Trials will come, but they are not unexpected. The good news is that the Lord is with us in those trials. Joy is knowing we have Him in our hearts in those times.

Have a blessed New Year,

Pastor Jerry

1 Dec

True Peace

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, Faith, Peace, Rest.

Hello friends,

It is December first and we have had our first snowfall of the season. I’m not a real fan of cold, but the snow makes the world look fresh and new. They say time flies when you are having fun, but having fun or not time marches on. Before you know it Christmas will be here, and we will start a new year. The new year may bring blessings or trials. No matter, if you are a child of God, you can rest assured that He is with you through it all.

With all the unrest and confusion in the world today, it is important to remember that God is still on His throne, and He is still in control. His plan for mankind and the rest of His creation continues. Nothing surprises Him because He knows all things. Those who do not know the Lord will never have real peace until they learn to trust Him in every situation.

Cast all your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken (Psalm 55:22).

 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 every situation, 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. (Philippians 4:4-7).

Remember, God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Jesus, as he prepared to go to the cross, said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

Real peace comes from placing your faith and trust in the Savior. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Again, as we face uncertain times, we can have peace through it all by trusting the Lord Jesus. As the saying goes, “No Christ, no peace. Know Christ, know peace.”

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

17 Nov

Trust and Obey

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, Gospel, Marriage, Obedience, Relationships, Trust.

Hello friends,

Again, we have extra nice weather for mid-November. I expect we’ll be paying for these nice days. The past few days have given us an opportunity to get a bit of work done on the house. The shingles on the little bay window overhangs were in sad shape, so over three days we were able to get three hours of work done.

In this there was a lesson in trust between two people in a long-term marriage relationship. To get the shingling done, I had to be lifted to the eave on the tractor loader. Since there were only two of us to get the job done, it fell to Milrae to operate the loader controls. I’m sure many of you have had a similar experience.

I needed to give her directions on operating the loader controls, and she is willing to help, but somewhat anxious about getting it right. If she happens to move the control lever the wrong way, I could find myself on the ground in short order. She trusts me to give right directions, and I must trust her to follow them. I can report that she handled it well; I didn’t get thrown to the ground and the repairs were done.

It reminds me of the old hymn Trust and Obey. It speaks of our need as Christians to trust and obey the Lord Jesus. Trust comes first, as we put our faith in Him to give us proper instructions as we serve Him. When we have faith, we can then obey His commands without fear or hesitation. He says do not fear, for I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Trusting and obeying, in our current culture, are words that are not often well-received. Perhaps you have trusted someone, only to find out they are not trustworthy at all. It is hard to be obedient to someone you cannot trust.

Jesus asks us to trust Him in the everyday things, and to obey His commands. In doing so we can live knowing He is in control and his commands are for our good. “In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands, And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

11 Aug

Victory

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Gospel, Praise, Worship.

Dear friends,
This week we are dog-sitting while Alex and family are on vacation. It is a bit of a change from our usual routine. I have discovered my ball throwing skills have deteriorated with age, while the dog’s willingness to retrieve it seems never to tire.

My devotional thought for this week comes from the realm of music. I love the old hymns and gospel songs. No matter what the subject, a song or line from a song will enter my mind. This morning it was “Victory in Jesus.”

It begins with the line, “I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how he gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me”.

I hear people say they have found Jesus. Guess what? Jesus was never lost; we are the ones who were lost. The chorus reads, “He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood.” Jesus was seeking us to save us. His purpose in coming to earth was to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).

The song writer goes on, “I heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing, how He made the lame to walk again and cause the blind to see, and then I cried , “Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,” and somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.

Victory over what, someone might ask. Victory over sin and darkness. The Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The one who believes in Jesus Christ as Savior is free from slavery to sin and has been set free from the guilt and shame brought on by his disobedience to God’s will. Our sin has separated us from God, but that relationship is restored through faith in the One who died to pay our sin debt.

The song concludes with these words, “I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory. And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea; About the angels singing, and the old redemption story, and some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.”

If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you too, will join the angels in singing praise to Him. Remember, the shepherd went searching for the lost sheep. The sheep was not seeking the shepherd.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

4 Aug

Only One God

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Attributes of God, God, Praise, Truth, Wisdom.

Dear friends,
We have been back to cooler temperatures the last few days, and we’ve had some more rain. I was summoned into our spare room a couple of days ago and asked to investigate an unknown sound. It sounded like water running, so I went out to investigate, knowing there was a hose connection there. The hose was hooked up, but the nozzle was closed. I turned the valve off, and the sound stopped. I can only assume a major leak under the house. I’ll be calling a plumber soon.

In church this morning, we sang the old hymn, “Holy, holy, holy Lord God
Almighty”. This prompted me to wonder, how many people acknowledge who God is, and what our response to Him should be. Proverb 1:7 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. To fear the Lord doesn’t mean we are afraid of Him. It means we are to have a healthy respect for Him. Respecting Him leads to obedience. The rest of the verse reads, “but fools despise wisdom and discipline”. A fool in the Bible is one who does not acknowledge God for who He is, nor does the fool desire to learn wisdom and discipline.

Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sist in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).

The hymn gives a complete description of who God is: Holy, merciful and mighty. It goes on; “Perfect in power, love and purity; merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity. Speaking of God the song says this, “Though the darkness hide thee , though the sinful human eye cannot see, only Thou art holy, there is none beside thee”.

In Isaiah we read, “For this is what the Lord says—He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—He says: “I am God and there is no other” (Isaiah 45;18).

Have you given God your respect? Have you received His salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? If so, you have the beginning of wisdom.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

30 Jun

It’s His Plan

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Faith, Miracles, Planning, Trials, Trust.

Hello all,
We continue to recover from our car wreck. The bumps and bruises are healing, and we continue to attest to God’s providence and protection in all of this. Weather-wise, in the past ten days we have recorded 6.5 inches of rain in our high-tech gauge. After what was a long, dry spell, we are grateful for abundant moisture.

In feedback from last week’s column, it was pointed out that it sounded like I was promoting the idea that God protects us from everything all the time. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. What it does say is that in this world there will be hardships, including death and dying. There is sickness and disease, pain and sorrow. Sometimes He protects us from harm, but sometimes He doesn’t. Whatever the outcome, God is never surprised and His perfect plan is being carried out.

Let me share some informative scriptures with you: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds (James 1:2). Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of glory that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12). Notice that James said when you face trials, not if you face trials.

Peter wrote this, concerning trials, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1: 6). Also, Peter said, “Dear friends do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

The words of Jesus after telling His disciples of trials to come: “I have told you all these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

In Romans 12, Paul reminds his readers to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12).

We may say, If I had done this or that, taken a different road, or chosen a different route, this would not have happened. But as I have said before and continue to say, it is all in God’s plan and through it all He is fulfilling His purpose in each life and in each experience.

Trusting Him,
Pastor Jerry

16 Jun

Waiting For Heaven

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Body of Believers, Eternal Life, Faith, Heaven, Second Coming.

Dear friends,
It’s a beautiful summer day as I write this. Looking out at the lake, with the sunlight glistening on the water, I am reminded how blessed we are to be living here. I trust you can say the same in the place the Lord has put you. The old saying is “bloom where you are planted.”

We have lived in several locations and situations in our married life, but no matter what the location, it was always home. As Christians, we know this world is not our final home, but a stop along the way in our journey to heaven.

“But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). Referring to the faithful believers in Hebrews, the Bible says this, “If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:15-16).

Speaking of heaven, the apostle Paul wrote, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 4:17-5:1).

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:3-6).

Finally, Paul’s words from Romans 8, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (verse 18).

Just passing through,
Pastor Jerry

12 May

No Worries

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Faith, Peace, Prayer, Trust.

Hello friends,
Another week has gone by with no rain. As I write this, we are experiencing another windy day with high fire danger. Concerns are being raised about whether there will be enough grass in the pastures. It is certainly a time for fervent prayer to the Lord who makes the rain fall.

In times of drought and in many other situations where we are prone to worry, or as Christians would say, “be concerned” (because worry is a sin), we would do well to remember Romans 8:32; He who did not spare His own son, but gave Him up for all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

There is nothing more God could do to prove His commitment to you. Surely if he cares enough for you to send His Son to the cross to die for you, then He will do even more than keep you fed. You can trust Him with your bills, your career, the future of your family and yes provide the needed rain.

“Fear not” is the most repeated command in the Bible, with 366 mentions. The only way those commands make sense is if God is thereby promising He will take care of the things you are worried about.

So, He says, instead of being anxious, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7)

The key words there are “with thanksgiving.” It is impossible to thank God for His answer if you’re still worried about it.

The kind of prayer Paul is talking about in Philippians 4 means laying your problems before Jesus and leaving the burden of them with Him. You cannot say thanks if you do not trust Him to answer.

The God who stands outside of eternity can manage the days of your life. He is always good, all the time, and you can leave your worries (and concerns) at His feet. [Credit to Pastor J.D. Greear].

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

Fully trusting Him,
Pastor Jerry

21 Apr

Don’t Wait

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Cross, Eternal Life, Faith, Salvation.

Dear friends,
Spring seems to be just out of reach. Daytime temperatures just don’t quite reach the level that would be comfortable for me. However, the spring flowers are enjoying the season, and it is good to see signs of new life.

We celebrated another Easter season with our church family. As I sat listening to the Resurrection message this morning, I wondered how many times does it take for the message of the Resurrection to change a mind? I know it is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict a person of their sins, but the message must be heard.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1-3).

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

Could it be that a person needs to hear the message of salvation more than one Sunday a year for the truth to sink in? In my own experience, I had been attending worship at our little country church for a few years, until one Sunday morning it all made sense.

No one is righteous by their own “good works.” The scripture says, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:21-24).

We are told the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). For a gift to be of benefit, it must be received. Have you received His gift of salvation? How long will you wait?

Just wondering,
Pastor Jerry

17 Mar

Take Heart

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, Faith, Hope, Peace, Reward, Trials, Trust.

Dear friends,
Another week of late winter weather has passed. It has been interesting to say the least. Our prayers go up for those affected by the storms of last weekend. Also, our thanks to those dedicated volunteers who battled the wildfires of last week.

Everywhere we look it seems there is unrest or chaos of some sort. Also, persecution of God’s people is on the increase. I don’t think it is any different than in the past; perhaps we are made more aware through all the media sources available today.

The Bible tells us there will be trials in this life, and I believe it to be true. Jesus said to His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).

We should not be disheartened by the troubles in life but, look to the Lord for assurance in those times. Nowhere in scripture does it tell us that life is a bowl of cherries. Peter wrote this to those suffering for their faith, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as tough something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

In Romans we read this; “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22-23).

In the Old Testament book of Jeremiah God told the prophet, ”Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land of ruler against ruler’ (Jeremiah 51:46).

Jesus said to his disciples, “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 yet to come” (Matthew 24:6).

James tells us to ‘hang in there’, so to speak: Consider it joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

In the words of Paul, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

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