Archive for the ‘End Times’ Category

21 Sep

Are We Too Late?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Culture, End Times, Eternal Life, Evil deeds, God's Word, Obedience, Ten Commandments.

Hello friends,

The garden is nearing the end of production, and the temperatures are indicating fall weather ahead. We have enough tomatoes in the freezer to guarantee veggie soup for many winter days. Cooler days are welcome, but I am not looking forward to the cold of winter. It seems I am less tolerant of that environment than in earlier days.

If one watches or listens to much that passes for news these days, it would be easy to become discouraged. I have to remind myself there is only so much I can do to change the world. It is important to remember as a Christian that the Lord always knows what is going on. He is not asleep, nor is He uncaring. The world He created is broken and He has a plan for its healing. In the meantime, we must remember to be obedient to His commands. The culture is trying to pull us away from truth and into a world of sin.

God gave only ten commandments to Moses on the stone tablets. However, as we look at them, we see every one being broken and trampled on. Commandment number one is “You shall have no other gods before me.” We have made many things into gods or idols that take us away from God. I could make a long list, but here are a few contemporary idols: Money, various toys, fame, and the self, to name a few.

We are told to remember to set aside a day for worship of the Lord, but there seem to be few who take that commandment seriously. One only needs to look at all the events that are scheduled for Sunday.

“Honor your father and mother.” Increasingly we see young people with little respect for any adult, much less Mom and Dad. There is little regard for others in any aspect of life.

“You shall not murder.” Every day, we read about murders somewhere. There seems to be total disregard for human life. From conception to old age, lives are taken for no reason. Every excuse for doing so is unjustified.

I could go on, but you get the point. Unless we return to God and begin to give Him our obedience and worship, things will not improve. On a positive note, in the end our God will set everything in order.

Keep looking up!

Pastor Jerry

7 Sep

Do Not Worry

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, End Times, Gospel, Salvation, Second Coming.

Dear readers,

September has arrived with some very warm temperatures. This is not unusual, as this month can contain a variety of weather conditions. This weekend was the final busy weekend here at the lake. There were activities for all ages enjoyed by all. Things will be much slower now until next spring when the summer season begins.

Labor Day is one of those events that calls for early copy for the newspapers, and I am challenged to put my mind in gear a little sooner than normal. So here goes…

There are crazy things going on in our country and around the world. I am drawn to the scriptures that tell us of things concerning the end times of which Jesus spoke. He told us despite these signs, we are not to be alarmed. It is easy for us to be anxious about things we don’t understand, but He is in control and we need to trust Him.

His disciples asked at one point, “Tell us when this will happen, and what will be the sign of your coming at the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, 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 24:3-8).

It does no good to speculate on the timing of His return. Many individuals over the years have predicted His second coming, but they have all been wrong. Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthews 24:36).

The Lord wants everyone to accept His salvation, but some day He will keep His promise and return. We are told, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

20 Jul

He Will Return

Posted by sandhillspastor in End Times, Eternity, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Salvation.

Hello friends,

The weather this past week has been sunny and hot! As predicted, it was a good week to stay close to the AC and thank the Lord for it. I’m old enough to remember the days before air conditioning, and I would never want to go back there.

Some days, it seems there is no good news. With all the political rhetoric, unrest, conflict in the world, earthquakes and other disasters one wonders what next? However, as the old saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. This was written by Solomon centuries ago. Ecclesiastes 1:9 reads, “What has been done will be again; there is nothing new under the sun.” My late mother-in-law insisted that some of the things we are seeing today weren’t done in her day. Perhaps they weren’t front page news, but as Solomon said, “there is nothing new.”

The Bible tells us these things will be increasing as time goes on, and at some point, it will all come to an end with the return of the Lord Jesus. That time has not come, and only God knows when that will be, but it will happen, we have His word on it.

The apostle Peter wrote in his second epistle, “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation’. But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly… The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:3-9).

Many years ago, I heard a man say, “Someday the Lord will come back and straighten out this mess,” That day is closer than ever. If you do not know Him, now is the time to seek Him and accept His salvation. He will return, count on it.

In Truth,

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 Jan

Jesus Will Return

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, End Times, Faith, God's Word, Truth.

Hello friends,
It is time again for our weekly visit. There were several hardy souls on the lake fishing through the ice this week. I am somewhat envious of modern ice fishing; in my experience we sat on a bucket exposed to the wind. These days there are portable shelters with heaters in them. Now that is roughing it!

I had the opportunity to share a message this week. I titled it ‘Be Ready’. Perhaps a better title would have been ‘He’s Coming Back’. I will share some points of that message with you here.

Jesus said He would return at some point future. I believe that day is coming; maybe soon. Looking at the world today, it is easy to see the signs He gave that indicate the nearness of His return.

Three of the gospel writers quoted Jesus: “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 up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).

Some will deny the return of the Lord. 2 Peter 3:3-4; First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

Whether the Lord returns this week or next year matters not. What does matter is that we are prepared for that event. Jesus told a parable of ten virgins waiting for the groom to come for his bride. The virgins expected to be part of the wedding party. They all had lamps in case the groom came at night, but only five had prepared by bringing extra oil for their lamps. When the bridegroom came, those who did not have oil for their lamps were denied entrance to the wedding celebration. (Matthew 25:1-13).

Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise… He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Are you prepared for the Lord’s return? He has promised, and His word is true.

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

8 Jan

Taking a Stand

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Culture, End Times, Faith, Persecution, Second Coming, Trials, Witness.

Dear friends,

The new year has started off with some winter-type weather. The word snow has been popping up in the forecast, and we have had more foggy days than we’ve seen for a while. As I write this, there is a winter storm warning for our area. I guess after it’s over we’ll know what we got.

The persecution of Christians is increasing around the world. As we watch the events of the day, it is apparent that we in America are not immune to this. The headlines daily speak of some group trying to silence the message of Jesus Christ as Savior. We are not to be surprised, because the Lord often warned His followers of the persecution that would come. No one wants to think of such a time, but we must be prepared.

His words: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life” (Luke 21:10-19).

From the apostle Paul: “Whatever happens conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God” (Philippians 1:27-28).

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life” (Revelation 2:7).

Stand firm,

Pastor Jerry

23 Oct

God is Still on His Throne

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, End Times, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Peace, The Good News, Trials.

Dear readers,

Our weather has been a bit average this week. Just three words dry, mild, and sunny would cover it well. We are still waiting for the arrival of the new great-grandson; perhaps there will be something to report next week.

The cold bug found me early in the week, and I do not wear it well. I’m somewhat of a wimp when it comes to sneezing, coughing and all that goes with it. The thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that it only lasts for about a week. I was once told by my doctor that a cold lasts for a week if you treat it, and seven days if you don’t. So here we are.

The world news doesn’t get better. Every day there is new evidence of a world that seems to be spiraling down to destruction. Are we living in the end times as described in the Bible? The only answer I have, is that scripture tells us that the earth will be destroyed at a point that only God knows. We cannot know when the end will come, only that it will. Jesus told his disciples, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it you are not alarmed. Such things must happen , but the end is yet 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 24:6-7).

The apostle Peter wrote this to the believers: 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 Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith a 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).

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33.)

Whatever is causing you to be apprehensive about the future, remember this; God is still in control of every circumstance.

In His grip,

Pastor Jerry

18 Sep

The Winning Team

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, End Times, Faith, Gospel, Heaven, Second Coming, Truth.

Dear friends,

Weather-wise, it was an almost perfect week. Cooler temperatures were the highlight, along with some nice rain. It doesn’t get much better in September. I continue to adjust to a new medication schedule after my recent visit to the ER and what followed. I can see improvement every day.

I’m not as rabid a football fan as I once was, but congratulations to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on their win Saturday night. It was good to be on the winning side for a change. May they continue to show up in the win column. Go Big Red!

Speaking of a winning team… as the world seems to be spinning out of control, and the devil appears to be winning the battle between good and evil, we may get discouraged. There is good news. I have read God’s Word from beginning to end and it is encouraging to find that in the end, God’s people are on the winning team.

There is a spiritual battle going on between God and the devil. The Bible tells us Satan has been defeated, but he has not stopped attacking Christians for the purpose of damaging their testimony. The apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in Ephesus: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).

Peter wrote, “Be sober minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

A final word for this week from Peter. “Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; … Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:8-13).

In His grip.

Pastor Jerry

6 Jun

Keep Watch

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

Dear readers,
In news not reported last week, we had a couple of things happen we weren’t expecting. First, our house air conditioner gave up the ghost. We were able to get a new one installed before the weather warmed up too much. It’s been a really long time since we slept with windows open and fans running. The other event was that our house/outdoor cat Miss Meow met her end. Apparently, she was too slow crossing the street. As an alley cat, she adopted us a couple of years ago, but never did get too comfortable with domestic life.

We went back to our old neighborhood Sunday. I was asked to provide pulpit supply at the church for the day. It is good to visit there occasionally, but where we are now is home. We do enjoy reconnecting with old friends now and then, just to catch up on events in their lives. It encourages me to know that we and all our Christian brothers and sisters will be together someday in heaven. As the song says, “What A Day That Will Be!”

As we observe the trajectory of the culture, I can’t help wondering if that day could be nearer than we
might imagine. I am reminded of the words of Scripture as recorded in Matthew’s gospel account; “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into” (Matthew 24:36-43).

Watching,
Pastor Jerry

28 Feb

Ready or Not?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, End Times, Eternal Life, Faith, Salvation, Second Coming.

Dear friends,
I believe my battle with Covid is over. With each new day, I see improvement. The recent cold snap has encouraged us to stay indoors and be thankful for a warm place to stay.

As our world gets crazier every day, it is important to remember that our God is not sleeping, nor is he surprised by the things that are happening. Scripture reminds us again and again of unsettled times that will come, even reminding us that these are indications of the eventual return of Jesus Christ.

We read these words in Scripture: As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ 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.”

He goes on to say, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man… “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come… So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:3-8; 36-44).

As we see the events of the day unfolding, let’s not focus on whether the Lord returns soon, but that we are ready when he does. Today is the day of salvation. It is not too late.

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

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