Archive for the ‘Best Life’ Category

5 Jun

Chasing the Wind

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Culture, Eternity, God's Word, Obedience, Peace, Planning, Possessions, Stewardship, thanksgiving, Uncategorized, Wisdom, Work.

Dear readers,
I’m writing from a different location this week. We are in Grand Island for a couple of follow-up doctor’s appointments. Nothing serious, just keeping up with previous procedures. Now and then, we are able to combine these, and find it a good reason to bring the camper and hang out for a couple of days. Note: Window shopping may be a part of this experience.

The following statement comes as a result of our pastor’s sermon this week. It is interesting to observe people, and the things they do to entertain themselves and otherwise occupy their time. For some, it seems that work is their sole purpose and goal in life. Others work a steady job, but find time for recreation and other outside interests. I see people whose energy and resources are investing in owning and maintaining a home.

As I view these things, I wonder how many people actually do what they do with a biblical viewpoint? What would they say is important from that world-view, and what legacy would they want to leave for their children and grandchildren?

A wise man named Solomon, who lived many years ago, had some thoughts on this topic. He wrote them down in an Old Testament book called Ecclesiastes. Solomon had it all, possessions, riches, wisdom. There was nothing he did not have, nor was there any pleasure in life that he did not experience. Then he wrote these words.

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and go, but the earth remains forever. The sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning to its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-7). Then he writes this: “I have seen all things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (verse 14).

Jesus gives us the proper perspective in this statement: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

29 May

Memorial Day

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Culture, Freedom, God's Word, Memorial Day, Peace, Politics, Praise, Prayer, Service, Uncategorized.

The Memorial Service held Sunday at Lake Ericson was well attended, and kudos go to those who helped in any way. I won’t give names, because you know who you are, and I would miss someone. The program was followed by root beer, or orange floats. Yummy!

Memorial Day is one of those holidays that for many people, has lost some of its meaning. In the beginning, it was to honor fallen soldiers. At some point, deceased family members began to be included in the tradition. These days, for lots of people, it has become just another long weekend to spend at the lake, or the campground. The time is spent drinking adult beverages, and eating barbeque, probably with little or no thought of how we acquired the freedoms we are enjoying.

Attending a service such as the one held Sunday afternoon here at the lake, reminds us once again, of the blessings we experience living in the United States of America. Regardless of your view of current politics, this is still the best country in the world, bar none!

Honoring those who have served, and are serving our country, should be a priority for everyone. After all, it is their sacrifice that secured and preserved our freedom. In addition, much of whatever peace exists in the world today, is the result of America’s military strength and presence around the globe.

To repeat scripture shared at the service this afternoon, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Many are those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and their countrymen.

Ultimately, peace will come to the earth when Christ returns as conquering King. For now, we are indebted to the peacekeepers in our military. May God bless and protect them, as they serve.

Some of you will read this after Memorial Day has passed; even so, would you say a prayer for our military personnel everywhere in the world? Thank you.

God bless America!
Pastor Jerry

15 May

Seeing Him

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Heaven, Praise, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship.

The 4th annual fishing derby was held at Lake Ericson on Saturday. Except for some windy conditions, it was a good day, with some nice fish being caught.

Last week, we were thinking about having limited eyesight. I want to continue that thought today, but from a different perspective. Let’s think about that moment when we see Jesus in person for the first time.

The Bible teaches me the following truths.

Believers will see Him in his beauty. “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).
Isaiah tells the believing person, “Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar” (Isaiah 33:17).

I will see Him in person. Job said this concerning God: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me” (Job 19:25-27)!

When we who believe see Him, we will be like Him.
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

Everyone will see Him
From Revelation 1:7; Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

Glory and praise will be His
Psalm 72:19… Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.
Psalm 86:9… All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your name.
Psalm 97:6… The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.
Psalm 102: 15… The nations will fear the name of the Lord; all the kings of the earth will revere Your glory.

Proclaiming Him,
Pastor Jerry

3 Apr

Spring Things

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Change, Christian Living, Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, Family of God, God's Word, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship.

Dear friends
Here we are in the month of April. One fourth of 2017 is history. Now that is a sobering thought. I wonder if I used that time wisely? I’m not sure I want to know the answer.

Saturday, we traveled to Kearney to a barbershop music concert. It was maybe the most entertaining 2 hours I have spent recently. There was some good clean comedy mixed in with the music, also. This is something of a rarity these days, and it was good to experience this once again, also.

Signs of spring are becoming more and more obvious. The flower bulbs we planted last fall are pushing up leaves, and the promise of blossoms is seen in little buds among those leaves. I have found that deer like tulip and daffodil leaves, so preventive measures have been taken.

Driving down the road, we see little calves in pastures and in calving lots. It is a busy time of the year for livestock producers, as I well remember. I do have to say, I appreciate them more now, from the window as we pass by.

Spring also brings thoughts of resurrection and new life, as portrayed in the biblical account of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s remember the words of the apostle. “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” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is the heart of the Easter message.

Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” The early Christians took those words seriously, as we read in Acts 5:42… “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

By faith in Him, we are born again spiritually, we become a new creation, with a new life and a new identity. And in this season of new beginnings, we can celebrate our own new beginning and the promise of resurrection from the dead when our Savior returns for us on a day that seems to be fast approaching.

May we never get tired of telling, or of hearing, the old, old story!

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

20 Mar

Be Wise

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Culture, God's Word, Obedience, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom, Witness.

The calendar tells us the spring season is here. The last few days would tell us that, also. Time will prove the truth of this evidence. I suspect there may be some more weather that will remind us of winter for a while.

As I observe the behavior of people these days, it seems that common courtesy and truth have been thrown out the window and there is an attitude that anything goes, as far as the treatment of others. Where has decent behavior gone?

It is no wonder we as a people have lost our moral compass. Hardly anyone reads the Bible, much less studies it. People speak lies, say all kinds of nasty things about other human beings, and disregard God’s Word concerning wisdom and how to attain it. The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful” (Proverbs 12:23).

I believe much of this happens, first of all, because there is a wide-spread lack of belief in God. Secondly, those who have some idea of God, have little or no respect for him or for his Word. Why should this matter? Let’s look at some Bible passages that speak to this issue. A verse that caught my attention this week is Proverbs 12:15… “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”

So how do we become wise, according to Scripture?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10).
“The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom” (Proverbs 15:33).
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Proverbs 3:13).
“Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands” (Psalm 112:1). “Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1).

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).

Be wise, not foolish. Get to know God and his commandments. Allow him to guide your thoughts and your speech. Speak truth, not lies. You will be blessed.

In His Truth,
Pastor Jerry

6 Mar

Be Still and Know

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Praise, renewal, Uncategorized, Worship.

It’s sunny, but cool as we start the month of March. I do suppose this would be called a lamb-like start to the month. This is a month that is known for weather extremes. As we were living the ranch life, Mid-March was when spring calving began. What a time to expose newborn calves to every nasty kind of weather known to man and animal. From rain and snow, then windy and warm, and all the frozen ground from winter becomes mud and muck. I wonder how many miles I carried little calves through nearly knee deep mud on the way to the barn? Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about.

On a nicer note, Saturday morning was still and quiet. It was so still, I could hear the water rushing down the spillway at the dam, from our front yard. It reminded me that God calls us to be still and know that he is God. There is nothing like the stillness of the early morning to hear his sweet voice. We hear it not only in the rushing water, but in the songs of the birds and the call of the wild geese flying overhead.

The Psalms remind us of our need to hear God’s still, small voice, and the fact that the creation speaks of his glory. But, I wonder if we really make the effort to listen for and to Him?
“The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. (Psalm 97:6).
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands… Their voice goes out into all the earth.” (Psalm 19:1-4).

I know not everyone who reads this is an early riser, but I would encourage you to get up early occasionally, and experience the peace and quiet of a morning outdoors.

I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to Him,
as I rejoice in the Lord. (Psalm 104:33-34)

Remember, what we call nature didn’t happen by chance. There is a Creator—to Him be glory and honor and praise forever and ever. AMEN!

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

27 Feb

Seeing the Details

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, God, Praise, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom, Worship.

I have taken up an old hobby—photography. When I was younger, I had wanted a nice camera. I had a desire to take the kind of photos you see in magazines; pictures of nature, wildlife and scenery. Eventually I was able to purchase a nice SLR camera, and spent time (and money) photographing those things. In time, other things got in my way, and my picture taking stopped. Recently, I have acquired a digital camera, and actually have the time to renew this interest There is something about viewing life through the lens of a camera that makes me more aware of God’s creation, and causes me to want to share those views with others.

Bible study is a little like photography. We can look at the Bible and get an overview of it, but only when we examine it through careful study can we see the little nuggets we might otherwise miss. The following passage may say it best regarding study of the scriptures. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does” James 1:22-25.

As a photo preserves the details of the moment for closer examination, so careful study of God’s word shows us details we miss when we first read it. Very many people today have little or no knowledge of the Bible. We have become biblically illiterate, and the sad thing is, Bibles are more available than ever before. Let’s commit to the reading and study of God’s inspired Word, and let it begin to change our lives as it was intended. And, as you see those details of scripture, share them with others, so that they may receive a blessing, also.

Sharing the details,
Pastor Jerry

23 Jan

A Life Changed

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Change, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Praise, Prayer, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized, Witness.

The first month of 2017 is almost over. I suppose it’s my age, but I’m already thinking of summer and spending time at some of our state parks. Maybe we’ll just hook up to the camper and have a summer adventure. Who knows, maybe I’ll find some new things to write about.

The inauguration of a new president was in the news this week. Whatever your thoughts might be on this, we know the country is headed in a new direction. I pray it is also a good direction. As I think about this, I’ll share a story about a man whose life took a new direction.

It is a true story. There was a young man, a rancher, who was living his life pretty much day to day. He had very little thought of where he was headed in life. He had taken over his family ranch upon the death of his father a few years before, and was more or less feeling his way along. Like a lot of self-sufficient rancher types, he had virtually no thought of spiritual matters, and he saw no need for Jesus.

This young man had a wife and two young sons. Eventually, at the suggestion of his mother, he started taking his family to the little country church down the road. He was doing this for his boys, because he thought it would be good for them. Then a funny thing happened.

After a time, he realized his own need for a Savior, and the necessity of turning his life over to Jesus Christ. After years of thinking he was in control of his life, it was clear he could do nothing without God’s help. In time, this man was led into ministry, eventually becoming the pastor of another little country church, which he served for over 15 years.

What was it that caused him to turn his life around? It was the preaching of God’s word in that little country church, specifically the following passages. First the words of Jesus: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Then from the apostle Paul; “If you confess you’re your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved… Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10: 9-13).

Now you know my story,
Pastor Jerry

16 Jan

Music in Worship

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Praise, Service, Uncategorized, Worship.

Dear friends,
Here is a lighter thought for the week. I like music. More specifically, I like good music. I prefer the old songs, although there is occasionally some good new music. However, to me, it seems no matter what the genre, the old music is much more comforting than the newer stuff. Maybe it is just a sentimentality issue from my perspective.

I took a trip into the past recently, via satellite radio, to listen to some of the songs that were popular when I was young. What I heard were songs reminiscent of what passes for music in many circles today. Apparently, songs with indistinguishable lyrics and non-melodic tunes, have been around longer than I thought. I found that some of the old-time stuff wasn’t all that good, musically speaking. I can understand my parents’ reaction to some of the ‘music’ I was listening to in the late 50’s and early 60’s.

God gave us music, I believe, and through it we have the blessing of using that music to worship Him. Scripture encourages us to use music in our worship, and because our worship is to bring God praise and glory, we would be wise to give our best. I’m not going to start a discussion of worship styles, or music preferences, but to draw attention to the praise aspect our music. Let’s look at some affirming scriptures.

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy (Psalm 33:1—3).

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music (Psalm 57:7).

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands (Psalm 92:1-4).

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).

And, remember, even if you can’t sing, you can still have a song in your heart.

Musically yours,
Pastor Jerry

9 Jan

Purity of Speech

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Christian Living, God's Word, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Obedience, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom, Witness.

Dear readers,
Christmas is over, a new year is before us, and we can look ahead to 2017. My prayer is that 2017 will be a good year for all who read this. My other prayer is that you who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior, will choose to do so soon. Also, that we who believe, would more than ever live the life to which He has called us. What follows relates to this thought.

I am somewhat of a Facebook junky. I enjoy seeing photos and inspirational posts, and even some of the news items. It puzzles me, though, when I see profane posts shared by those who call themselves Christians. In the ‘old’ days, we would excuse our profanity by saying “pardon my French”, but it wasn’t French. Now, we apologize in advance by saying something like, “this is a good message, but beware of an occasional “f” bomb.”

My question is this. If, as a Christian, you have to apologize for language in something you post on Facebook, why post it?

What does the Bible say about our speech? I’m glad you asked. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” (James 3:9-10).

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children… but among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:1-4).

If I may paraphrase Philippians 4:8; “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–post, share, and tweet such things.”

Here is another thought: If you must repost or share those things that contain those words, why not take the time to edit out the inappropriate content? I think you will find the information is the same without the profanity, if it isn’t, it probably isn’t worth putting out there in the first place. “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart” (Jesus, in Matthew 15:18).

Think about it,
Pastor Jerry

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