Archive for the ‘Easter’ Category
18
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Easter, Eternal Life, Family of God, Resurrection, Salvation, The Good News. Leave a comment
Dear readers,
Here is a sure sign of spring at Lake Ericson…kids with golf carts. This is not a bad thing, as it is good to see families enjoying the lake. Also, there were campers here this weekend. This reminds me to remind those who are contemplating camping at the lake, there are no campfires allowed until further notice. This is due to the extreme drought conditions in the area.
We, along with millions of other Christians, celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus on Sunday. Because of our belief and faith in his finished work on the cross, we look forward with great anticipation to that day we will meet him face-to-face. As the old hymn says, “What a day that will be!”
It is a story I never get tired of hearing or telling. The idea that God would provide His Son as the sinless sacrifice for the whole world is impossible to grasp by our little minds. Yet, we are told in his word, that this is exactly what has taken place.
The following verses speak to this fact: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God, though our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:6-11).
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 4:6).
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:12-13).
In His unending love,
Pastor Jerry
11
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Cross, Easter, Gospel, Resurrection, Salvation, The Good News. Leave a comment
Hello friends,
After the winds of last week, we will not complain about a mild 25 mph breeze. We continue in prayer for those affected by the wildfire that destroyed so much in the south-central part of the state. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to dedicate some extra time to pray for rain. The lack of beneficial moisture is at a critical stage. We have some spring flowers starting to bloom, so I guess it’s time to start watering.
This week following Palm Sunday is when we begin to contemplate the events leading up to Easter, or to Resurrection Sunday, as I prefer to call it. It began with betrayal by one of his disciples, followed by the illegal trial orchestrated by the religious leaders who hated him, then the horrible mistreatment of him by the Roman soldiers, culminating in his death on a cross and burial in a borrowed tomb. We can never get our minds around what he went through as he suffered for us. He had asked the heavenly Father to spare him, yet yielded himself to God’s will. We could never pay our own sin debt, so he willingly took it upon himself.
Then came Sunday morning. The women who had followed him came to the tomb to prepare his body for burial, but found the tomb open, and the body of Jesus nowhere to be found. An angel sitting by the open tomb said, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said.
Jesus is alive! So, we celebrate on Resurrection Sunday. Friday was good, in spite of the horror of the crucifixion. Good, in that from this we have forgiveness of our sins, and the promise of eternal life for those who believe.
Peter, in his sermon to the Jews on Pentecost said this, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:36-38).
Have you trusted him for your Savior?
Because He Lives,
Pastor Jerry
13
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Body of Believers, Easter, Faith, Family of God, Fellowship, God's Word, Gospel, Peace, Salvation, Truth, Worship. Leave a comment
Hello friends,
The weather is in the news again. We reached 70+ degrees one day last week, then were greeted with snow and wind on Easter Sunday. Spring is out there somewhere, I am sure. The other big news item remains the Covid-19 virus. Lord willing, we will get past this pandemic and begin a return to life as we would want it to be.
On one of those nice days last week, I decided it was a good day to wash the windows on our sun porch. While gathering a bucket and some tools from the garage, I tripped and experienced one of those slow motion falls. You know what I mean; you know you are going down, but have a little time to plan your landing. After it was over, I had only a scuff mark and bruise above my left knee, and a little laceration on one finger. I was truly thanking the Lord it wasn’t worse. After the windows were clean, it all seemed worthwhile.
On Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. For most of us, it was an Easter unlike any we had ever seen. In our church, we met through Zoom. It was a small group of people, but we were able to read and study the pertinent Bible passages, and listen to the preaching of our pastor. We saw each other’s faces, but missing was the personal interaction, the handshakes, and hugs.
In and through all this, here is the important thing to remember; in the midst of all the insecurity and all the unknowns of the day, Jesus Christ is Lord! He has a handle on all the things that are going on in the world. He has defeated death, sin, and the devil and he proved it on the day He rose from the tomb.
Read the following passages with me: When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15). For more, read the whole chapter.
In Him,
Pastor Jerry
22
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Easter, Faith, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Resurrection, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
Hello all,
I trust everyone had a blessed Easter Sunday. I took a trip into the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills, to fill in for a pastor who was taking a well-deserved and much needed break. Highway 20 across the northern part of our state holds many (mostly good) memories for me, and it is nice to go back now and then.
A long drive through what is called God’s Country, gives one time to reflect on God’s creative genius, but also to realize what a privilege it is to live here. I’m sure there are some who would see this as anything but an ideal situation, and I definitely would not want to live in their little corner of the world either. It is obvious that God has made something for everyone in that respect.
The observance of what we call Easter, rightly described as Resurrection Day, gives us pause to reflect on God’s eternal plan to provide payment for our sin debt. As the Bible explains, creation was in God’s own words ‘good’ and ‘very good’. Along comes Satan disguised as a serpent, to tempt Adam and Eve to disobey God’s specific instructions. As a result, all mankind was, and is born with a sin nature, and God’s perfect creation is damaged. Because God knows all things, he also knew this would happen. In his eternal wisdom, He also provided the means to pay the penalty for sin. No person could ever pay their own sin debt, much less the sins of anyone else.
In the book of Romans, it is written “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” It also states, the “wages of sin is death.” In light of this, God planned to provide a sacrifice that would satisfy His demand of payment for sin. This sacrifice would be in the person of his only Son, Jesus Christ.
“For God so loved the world (you and me), that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead proves God’s power over death, and fulfills his promise of eternal life to all who will believe.
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:12).
In His grace,
Pastor Jerry
2
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Culture, Easter, Eternal Life, Gospel, Grace, Judgment, Planning, Salvation, Truth, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
Dear friends,
Once again we have celebrated the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Once again we have been reminded that 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, and whoever believes in him is not condemned (John 3:16,18).
This week, I have an appointment with my tax preparer. The deadline is near for filing taxes, in fact, it is just two weeks away. When we were on the ranch, we had to file before March 15, now it is April 15. I have always been a procrastinator when it comes to getting this done. However, procrastination must come to an end. The IRS will not overlook a late response.
One deadline looms for all people. That is the day of our physical death. It is a day when there will be no more opportunity to receive God’s gift of salvation. There will be no opportunity to make the right choice after that time. There are no second chances. If you miss the deadline for file your taxes, it is possible to get an extension. Not so when dealing with your eternal destination. We are reminded in scripture that man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. (Hebrews 9:27).
Like the IRS, God will not overlook a late response. We must make a choice while we are still living, there will be no second chance, nor will there be an extension. And since no one knows his time, it is better to choose Christ now, as we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
Jesus told of a group of ten young women waiting for a wedding celebration to begin. Five of them had prepared for the party, but the other five left to get oil for their lamps. While they were gone, the bridegroom returned, the party started, and those who were off buying lamp oil missed the celebration (Matthew 25:1-12).
Tomorrow may never come. God, in his grace gives us time and opportunity to believe in the Savior, but there will come a time it is too late. Don’t play with procrastination. Today is the day of salvation. Trust in Him today.
Pray this: Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask you to forgive me. Come into my heart and save me today. Amen
In truth and love,
Pastor Jerry
17
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Bible, Blessings, Cross, Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, Fellowship, Freedom, Gospel, Grace, Obedience, Prayer, Repentance, Resurrection, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized, Worship. 1 comment
For those who have been asking about fishing reports, I finally have something to report. I have been seeing fishermen on the lake recently, so I decided it was time for me to get serious. Thursday afternoon, I spent a couple of hours fishing from the lake shore. Having had no success, I was about to give it up as wasted effort, and decided to make just ‘one more cast.’ As soon as my lure hit the water, I thought I must have gotten snagged on a tree limb. As I reeled in the line it felt like dragging dead weight. About ten feet from shore, the “log” started trying to escape. It turned out to be a 31 inch, 7 ½ pound northern pike. After some deliberation, I put it back in the lake. Now you know there is at least one nice fish in Ericson Lake.
Sunday, we celebrated the Resurrection of our Lord. It was a great time of fellowship and worship, and I trust your Easter was the same. I really believe, that many times we fail to adequately understand the significance of this most important event in Christian history.
Have you ever considered, of all the religions in the world, Christianity is the only one with a living Savior? Every other religion’s founder is dead, and his followers can name the place he is buried. God raised Jesus from the dead, and He resides in heaven today.
In dying, Jesus paid the penalty for all the sins of all people. Yours and mine. Past, present and future. In doing so, He gave us the opportunity to spend all eternity with Him. Salvation from sin and its penalty, is available to all who believe this, and who by faith will accept the gift offered.
“For God so loved the world, He sent his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:16-17).
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21).
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
He Lives! Praise be to God for His indescribable gift!
In Him,
Pastor Jerry
10
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Obedience, Persecution, Praise, Trials, Uncategorized, Witness. 4 comments
Sunday, I had the pleasure of preaching at two small rural churches. I was helping out a fellow pastor, who recently had surgery. The churches are about a 40-minute drive from each other. It is good to see small congregations in out-of-the-way places contending for the faith (Jude 3).
This week, as we contemplate the events leading up to the death, burial, resurrection of our Lord, here are some thoughts related to our time.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great numbers of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3).
In our day, it seems anytime Christians speak or act in a way that reflects Jesus Christ, they are criticized by many. Such as, when the Vice President of the U.S. makes a commitment to never be alone with any woman other than his wife, and is verbally attacked by the liberal media. Anyone who points out that God calls sexual immorality sin, is labeled intolerant, or judgmental. If anyone holds to biblical values and morality, they are shouted down or persecuted in some way. If we say Jesus is the only way to a relationship with God, we are called narrow minded and intolerant.
These are the words of Jesus. “All men will hate you because of me” (Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13). “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets” (Luke 6:23).
There is good news! Godless men may accuse and abuse us, but victory is ours through the power of God, who raised Jesus from the dead! Recall the words of Peter and John, when commanded not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus: “Judge for yourself whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
Truth,
Pastor Jerry
3
Apr
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. 1 comment
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
14
Mar
Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Cross, Easter, Eternal Life, Gospel, Praise, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
As we draw near to Good Friday and Easter, I believe it would be good to take some time and reflect on the Cross. The following is excerpted from an article by a favorite writer of mine. The article is entitled “An Ordinary Cross.”
“The cross,” someone once said, “has become so ordinary that we hardly see it anymore.” The thought struck me as I walked through a shop with items to buy stashed in every crevice: frog shaped garden statues, multi-colored curios, inventive décor made from soda cans, beach glass, and refurbished car parts. Occasionally surfacing through blanketed floors and ornamented walls were cross shaped or cross-adorned objects, so ordinary in a shop so out-of-the-ordinary, they were almost hard to notice at all.
“The cross has become so ordinary that we hardly see it anymore. The thought altered the remainder of my browsing. How can this be true? How can an image once shameful enough to bow the proudest heads become ordinary? Could the gallows ever become innocuous? Would the death sentence of someone near us ever fail to get our attention, much less blend in beside earthenware and figurines?
“Perhaps it is true that the cross has become so ordinary we hardly see it anymore. But if the cross has become merely a symbol of Christianity, an emblem of one religion in a sea of others, it is still a symbol that stands apart from the others. Even as an image among many, it remains conspicuously on its own.
“For those who will not look carefully, the cross can be seen as foolish or not seen at all. It can be stripped of meaning or emptied of beauty, hope, and depth. But it cannot be emptied of Christ. The message of the cross may be nothing to some, but to those who will stand in its shame and offense, scandal and power, it is everything.”
The cross is more than decor; it is the symbol of the price paid for our salvation.
Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry
6
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Christian Living, Easter, Faith, Gospel, Praise, Rest, The Good News. Leave a comment
You may have noticed there was no article from me last week. I had one of those springtime colds that left me no desire to do anything, except to survive. I am much better now, thank you.
I’ll give you a brief recap of the missing week: It started Monday with a trip on to Grand Island to get some things for the lake house. On my way home from Grand Island with the little trailer behind the van, I stopped for gas and realized I had lost the trailer. To say I was surprised, would be an understatement. On examination, I discovered the receiver hitch pin was missing, as was the hitch and trailer.
It was a little like the Bible story of the woman who had ten coins and lost one. She went to great lengths to find the lost one. I have several trailers, and I was not one bit concerned about the ones left at home, but was very interested in finding the lost one. I did find the trailer and its cargo sitting upright and in great condition, parked in the edge of a cornfield beside the highway. This was cause for celebration and praise to the Lord for keeping it safe and out of the way of others on the road.
Tuesday, there was a visit to the tax man. The blessing of that was, in spite of a fairly large amount of tax due the IRS, it could have been much worse.
In the middle of the week, came the beginning of the aforementioned cold or flu, whatever it was. I even stayed home from church that Sunday and let someone else preach in my place.
Last week was spent regaining my strength and motivation, and it ended yesterday celebrating the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus with many of our church family. I also had the privilege of conducting a baby dedication service just prior to the Easter message.
It was a couple of weeks of blessing and trial, with the several blessings making the trials seem less important. Looking back, I see that the happenings of the last 14 days allowed me to pause and see what matters most. It begins with my faith in the Risen Lord, and knowing that He is in charge of every situation, good or bad.
In His grip,
Pastor Jerry
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