Archive for the ‘Christian Living’ Category

13 Jul

A Note From God

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Discipleship, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word.

Dear readers,

Our days can be described in one word. Hot! The forecast for the next week and beyond is for hot and dry conditions. This will be great for making hay and growing corn. As for me, I will spend most of my time in the presence of air conditioning.

Have you ever wished God would drop down a sticky note letting you know His plan for your life? Or maybe you would like to see it written in a fluffy cloud? Those plans and instructions on how to achieve them are already available for everyone. They can be found in His written word, the Bible.

The first thing He wants you to know is this: “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.” (The words of Jesus in John 6:40).

Believing in Jesus is the first step. The second is understanding and confessing that you are a sinner. Third, you must repent or turn from sinful ways. You will not do this on your own, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“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. For it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved… For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

Jesus promised his disciples they would not be alone. He said this as He prepared to return to heaven, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with your forever—the Spirit of truth”…But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:15-17a; 26).

Obedience to His commands is the proof of our salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

6 Jul

America’s Future

Posted by sandhillspastor in Calling, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, Milestones, Witness.

Hello friends,

Well, the 4th of July celebrations are over. Here at Lake Ericson the weekend featured food, families, fellowship and fireworks. The fireworks display was one to be remembered, and I must not forget to mention the golf cart parade. There were some very creative entries for that.

It is remarkable that our country has been in existence for 250 years. There were those who said it couldn’t last, but here we are. As I see some of the things that are going on in America today, I wonder if we can continue as a nation. One thing I do know, if we stray much further from the Biblical principles upon which our country was created, how can the Lord continue to bless us?

There is a passage of scripture that was intended for Israel in the time of Solomon that I believe we can apply to our current situation. It reads, “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14),

There are many voices out there promoting anti-Christian ideas and belittling the faith that we have been entrusted with. There are those who deny God’s existence and that we are here by some chance happening thousands of years ago. The apostle Paul addressed this in his second letter to Timothy.

He wrote concerning the last days: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Timothy 2:2-5). All those things are taking the place of the one True God.

Many years ago, the question was asked, “Why is there no mention of the United States in prophecy?” The answer: “The United States will cease to exist.” This sounds harsh but considering the influx of false religions and ungodliness in our country today, it seems this is a distinct possibility.

“I felt compelled to write and encourage you to contend for the faith that was once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 3).

Keep the faith and preach Jesus.

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

15 Jun

The Race

Posted by sandhillspastor in Calling, Christian Living, Eternity, Faith, Obedience, Salvation.

Dear friends,

We had rain this weekend. I measured 3.27 inches here at our place. The 5k fun run was held Saturday morning after a one-hour rain delay. The streets were a bit muddy, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the participants. Reports were that 75 runners were entered. Good times.

Did you know that Christians are called to enter a race? It is true, when a person trusts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior, that person is not called to sit on the sidelines and cheer others as they run by. We are called to do the work that God has planned for us.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The apostle Paul wrote of the race God had called him to run. In the book of Acts he wrote to the church, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24). To Timothy he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Paul’s goal was always to run a good race, and he encouraged his readers to do the same: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24). I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10).

Above all, we as believers are tasked with proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the salvation He has provided. Let us not grow weary in that to which we are called.

In Christ,

Pastor Jerry

8 Jun

Keeping Our Vows

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Love, Marriage, Relationships.

Hello friends,

We are enjoying some summer-like weather. There have been storms around, but nothing severe in our area. There have been heavy rains, but many parts of our state are still suffering a critical shortage of moisture. Prayers are in order every day.

Our great-granddaughter celebrated her January birthday on Saturday. It is nicer outdoors in June. I told her she was six and a half, but she let me know she is six! On the topic of special days, my wonderful wife and I celebrated our 62nd anniversary on the seventh.

In our throw-away culture it is becoming rare for marriages to last for any length of time. It is a sad fact, but true, God intended for a man and woman to be joined together until death, but it seems these days those vows taken mean little in the long run. I’m sure we didn’t know what would follow as we shared those vows many years ago, but we persevered through our blessings and trials. We agreed to stay together through feast and famine, difficulties and blessings. Through arguments and agreements. There were hard times and fun times, and we didn’t bail on our promises to each other. In jest, we have sometimes said we stayed together because no one else would have us, but with God’s help here we are.

Here’s a reminder from God’s word concerning marriage: He created Adam and all other living creatures, but among them there was found no suitable helper for him. So, God created a woman to be his helper. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:18-24). Notice she is to be his helper, not a doormat or servant.

My wife and I repaired many fences, fed cattle, made hay and all other kinds of ranch work She was a dependable helper, and sometimes even a constructive critic, when needed, but it was always done in love.

Those vows we shared were also vows to God that we would be true to Him and to each other. Concerning vows, the scriptures say, “This is what the Lord commands: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but do everything he said” (Numbers 30:2).

In His grip,

Pastor Jerry

18 May

Live Holy Lives

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, End Times, Faith, Planning, Second Coming.

Hello everyone,

Sunday is here again and it’s time for another devotional thought. Locally, we received a mere 27 hundredths of rain last night, but there is a possibility of more today. Hopefully the rough stuff stays away, and we just get beneficial moisture. Not much is happening locally. Volunteers have been busy here at the lake, getting ready for summer activities. If you’ve never been to Lake Ericson in summer, check us out at lakeericson.com.

All the things happening in the world remind me Jesus told His disciples to be aware of things that would precede his return for his church. They had asked Him what would be the sign of His coming.

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 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 against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:4-8).

He went on to say, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:30).

The apostle Peter writes in his second letter, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief… and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming… But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth… So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him” (2 Peter 3:11-14).

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

27 Apr

He Is Our Peace

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

Hello all,

Rain! We have finally received some rain. Every drop is appreciated and we are hopeful the well has been primed and we are entering a period of beneficial rains. At last check we have just over an inch here at the lake and there is more forecast over the next few days. Now that the garden beds have been prepared, we can use a few warmer nights to warm up the soil. The garden person is getting impatient.

There is much discussion on the topic of peace these days. Areas of concern include the middle east, Iran, Israel, Ukraine. In our country there are conflicts between the political parties and even between communities and our neighbors on occasion.

The Bible mentions many conflicts and many promises of peace between various tribes, nations, and individuals. It seems peace treaties were only made to be broken. In the book of Judges, we read that Israel would get a new leader and the land would have peace for a period of time, only to get involved in another conflict. They would cry out to the Lord for a new judge, and the cycle would continue.

Isaiah prophesied that there would be One who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of His government and peace, there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

To His disciples, Jesus said, “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). Further, He says, “I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

True peace comes only by placing our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “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 minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).

The promise is there. Trust in Christ and God’s peace will fill your hearts. “No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace!”

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

20 Apr

Look to the Lord

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, God's Word, Obedience, Trust, Truth.

Hello friends,

We had what we hope is the last frost last weekend. Maybe we can start to plan for flowers and other springtime blessings. I did have to mow the backyard last week. I’m not sure it didn’t grow all winter, as tall as it was.

In past articles I have mentioned the fact that Christians are in a spiritual battle as we live out the commands of the Savior. Pastor J.D. Greear in a recent article tells us that to fight spiritual warfare we need to be grounded in the gospel.

He writes, “Even Christians sometimes don’t want to acknowledge that Satan and demons are real, but Jesus most definitely believed in them. He (Jesus) gave his followers instructions on how to engage with them, though the instructions may not be quite what you would expect them to be.

“Jesus consistently directs people away from preoccupation with the demonic. He never tells us to go out demon hunting or approach the world like an exorcist. 

There’s really only one passage in which the Bible outlines for us what spiritual warfare is like. In Ephesians 6, Paul lists out the weapons of our warfare. They include the helmet of salvation, which means let the gospel shield our thinking; the shield of faith, which is when you believe God’s promises; the belt of truth, or the good news; and feet covered with a readiness to preach the Word of God.

All of those things can be summarized by faith in the gospel. Cover yourself with the gospel. Saturate yourself in the gospel. When you are grounded in the gospel, Satan can’t touch you. 

Paul gives three model prayers in Ephesians (1:15-23, 3:14-21, 6:18-19), and in none of them is he binding or casting out demons.

In 1 Corinthians 1, when Paul is addressing the division in the Corinthian church (which he said in Romans 16 could be demonic), he never tells them to rebuke the spirit of division. He tells them to be united in their minds and charitable to each other. 

If you want to fight the demonic in your life, don’t focus on the demons at all—just let Jesus be large in your life.”

Pastor John reminded us Sunday morning that to stay strong in our faith, we need to spend time in God’s Word daily. This is how we defeat the devil.

Stay strong,

Pastor Jerry

23 Feb

Defend the Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Evangelism, False teachers, God's Word, Truth, Witness.

Dear friends,

This week we’ll go straight to the devotional thought.

In today’s world there is much anti-Christian talk, and very much false teaching from so-called progressive Christian leaders. It seems everywhere you turn, someone is preaching and teaching their own interpretation of what the Bible says.

If you are a committed believer, you must know what you believe and believe what you know. Heresy is disguised as a new “word from God”, when the scriptures speak God’s complete and true word. The Bible is not subject to some so-called prophet’s opinion of scripture.

It has been reported that larger numbers of people are attending church services. This may be true, but discipling those who come to faith is of great importance, otherwise we have church attenders, but who are not true believers. Again, know what you believe and believe what you know.

There are warnings in the Bible regarding those who spread false gospels.

1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

2 Peter 2:1-3 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.”

We are told today that the sins described in the Bible do not apply to the progressive line of thinking. Those who subscribe to every level of depravity find those who hold to the authority of God’s word as old-fashioned and out of step with the culture. From the LGBTQ revolution, same sex marriage, abortion and all other sins against the Creator, nothing is sacred anymore.

“Every word that [Jesus] spoke was historically true. Every word that He spoke was scientifically true. Every word that He spoke was ethically true. There were no loopholes in the moral conceptions and statements of Jesus Christ. His ethical vision was wholly correct, correct in the age in which He lived and correct in every age that has followed it.” (Billy Graham).

The time has come for Christians to speak out on these issues. We cannot remain silent, hoping they will go away. We must stand firmly on what He has revealed to us.

In Truth,

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

10 Nov

Half a Loaf?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Discipleship, God's Word, Truth.

Dear readers,

The seasons are a changing. There has been snow in our state, but not in our immediate area as I write this. We are blessed more than we realize. I remember an early October snow when we had cows twenty miles from home. We drove them home with horses and it was far from an enjoyable task. It wasn’t just a little snow, it was about 6 inches deep, heavy and wet. Enough of the reminiscing, on to the present.

I have noticed that you can now buy half a loaf of bread. Who knew that would be a thing? It seems folks these days only take what suits their current needs. It is somewhat the same with spiritual matters. The world, if it acknowledges God at all, will take what they need from His word and leave the rest. They may go for half the loaf, or maybe just a few slices depending on their needs at the moment. There is no planning ahead.

In fact, the Bible needs to be taken in its entirety for it to be of any use at all. The tendency of the world, and many who claim Christ is to use the Bible as a cafeteria, taking only what appeals to them and ignoring the rest. In truth, the word of God always has been and is still applicable to each person.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). When Jesus was tempted by the devil he said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4).

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Finally this, “And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll” (Revelation 22:19).

Application for us: It’s okay to purchase a half-loaf of Sara Lee bread if that meets your needs, but please don’t treat the Bible as a buffet from which you can pick and choose. This will have eternal consequences.

For Him,

Pastor Jerry.

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