Archive for the ‘Eternal Life’ Category

20 Oct

The Lord’s Patience

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Culture, Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Judgment, Salvation, Truth.

Dear friends,

The weather seems to be moving toward the changing of the seasons. It has been much cooler in recent days. There were reports of frost in areas to our north Sunday morning.

Our local network of churches met on Sunday afternoon, and it was encouraging to hear how the Lord is working in each of those ministries. There were reports of increasing church attendance, and growth in the areas of youth groups and Bible studies. Small churches sometimes get overlooked in the grand scheme of things, but I believe they have a big part in God’s plan for getting the Good News out to the world.

In this age of anti-Christian thought, we must be reminded that the Bible is true, and that it contains the Word of God. The skeptics would have us think believing in a loving and just God is a myth. This is a lie from the devil and is designed to make us doubt.

I’m reminded of the words of Peter’s second letter. “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.

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. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:3-9).

The Lord desires everyone to come to Him, accepting His salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If you have not done that, why are you waiting? He is patiently waiting for you to admit your sin, repent (turn from) it, and believe that Jesus came to save all who will believe. Do not reject His offer.

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

25 Aug

Two Destinations

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Eternity, God's Word, Gospel, Heaven, Hell, Judgment, Resurrection.

Hello friends,
I am sure a lot of people are enjoying the cooler temperatures. I like it cooler, but not if I’m going to have to wear a sweater or jacket. There will be time for that. In other news, the Lord has provided us with a vehicle to replace the one we wrecked in June. It is a bit older and has high mileage, but as Milrae says, we probably won’t need it for too many years!

Our adult Sunday school finished a series of lessons that took us through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. A statement that struck me in this is; every person will ultimately spend eternity in one of two places, heaven or hell.

Some folks believe that when this life is over, it’s over. They are of the mindset this is all there is. But the Bible is clear that there is an afterlife. Everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected to face final judgment. Those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be ushered into heaven for eternal fellowship with God and with Jesus.

Those who rejected God’s offer of salvation will be condemned to eternal punishment in hell or the lake of fire, as it is called in Revelation 20:14. We are not all God’s children. The Bible clearly states that only those who have accepted God’s salvation as provided by Jesus’ finished work on the cross are His children. All are created by God but only become His children through faith in Christ. This is referred to as being born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3).

Concerning Jesus, John wrote the following, “He was in the world, and although the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:10-12).

All who have accepted Christ will live with Him forever. However, if anyone’s name is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

Is your name written in the book of life? Are you born again?

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

21 Jul

Differences

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, False teachers, Gospel, Salvation, The Good News.

Dear readers,
It is amazing how quickly we can go from being dry all winter to the place where people are complaining about the rain. Let us remember, it can get from wet to dry in a very short time.

Our devotional thought this week concerns the difference between religion and faith. There is a marked difference between the two. Religion is the number one substitute for genuine faith. Religion convinces you are worthy and then gives you a list of things to make yourself more worthy.

Religious people would rather have a religion that just teaches you to live a good life, to be a social activist, to be generous, to be a better you, to be better a dad and husband and partner, to live strong. As Christianity has gone mainstream, people have corrupted it to say just that.

That is not the gospel. The gospel is that you have no worthiness. All your righteousness is like a filthy rag. Isaiah says it best, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

We have no righteousness of our own. God created us, and we have precious worth in his sight. But sin caused us to be separated from God. We need to be saved, rescued, born again. Those words may sound backward and uneducated and even old fashioned to the world, but they are the words of eternal life.

The religious almost always reject those truths because they like to see themselves as respectable. Jesus points out that religious people will miss the party, that is, heaven, because they refuse to acknowledge that they are unworthy. That’s why they don’t take Jesus seriously.

Jesus says in Matthew 5 that only the poor in spirit will inherit heaven. The poor in spirit say, “Maybe I’ve done some good things, but even my good things were done for bad motives. My kindness was mixed with self-righteousness and selfishness. Oh, wretched man that I am! Every part of me is stained with sin.”

The poor in spirit see Jesus’ invitation for what it is; something they are desperate without.

The bottom line is this: It is not about our “religion”, it is a relationship with the Lord Jesus that saves us.

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

14 Jul

God is In the Storm

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Hope, Peace, Trials, Trust, Worship.

Hello friends,
We may see a return to a ‘normal’ life this week. It seems lately we have spent a good deal of time and energy with various appointments, but that may be ending. The weather has been summer-like, but there have been cooler temperatures the last few days. When we were in the ranching business, we looked forward to those sunny days when we could make hay.

Much of the news of recent days has concerned the flooding and loss of lives and property in Texas and other places. One wonders, where was God in all this? But rest assured He was not unaware, nor was He sleeping through it all. There is no situation that is not in His control, or that He cannot use for His purpose and His glory.

The loss of those campers and counselors is being used to bring attention to their faith in the creator God, and their witness to His goodness. There are many stories down through the years telling of people who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through times such as this.

Some scriptures that encourage us are found in the lives of Jesus’ 12 disciples. “Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a furious storm came upon the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat, but Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed, and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him” (Matthew 8:23-27).

From the Psalms we read, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed” (Psalm 571-2). Also, “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:4).

Finally, these words from Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”.

In His grip,
Pastor Jerry

7 Jul

Faith Brings Freedom

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, Freedom, Gospel.

Dear friends,
Here we are in the month of July already. It was a wonderful weekend of celebrating our independence here at the lake. There were many families present to enjoy the activities. As usual, the fireworks display was the “best ever”.

Celebrating our freedom here in the good old USA reminds me to celebrate what the Lord has done for us. We are told in the Bible that as believers, we have been set free from slavery to sin. As we receive the gift of salvation through His finished work on the cross, we are promised eternal life in the presence of God. This is truly something to celebrate; not just one weekend a year, but every hour of every day.

In Paul’s letter to the church, he says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery… You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:1,13).

Peter wrote, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16).

Jesus, speaking to the Jews, had this to say, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34-36).

Romans chapter six reminds us, “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness…When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness…but now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (verses 18, 20, 22).

Paul writes in Colossians 3, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).

That, my friends, is true freedom!

For 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

26 May

Memories

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Eternal Life, Families, Memorial Day.

Hello friends,
Since our last visit, we have been blessed with abundant rain. The rain bucket here showed over two and a half inches. God is good! In other news, we made our annual pre-Memorial Day cemetery run. The odometer in the car shows we drove 204 miles.

Memorial Day was intended to be a day to remember those who gave their lives in service to our country. It has since become a day to remember all who have gone on before us. Yesterday as we traveled and visited the graves of family members, I was reminded of many good times, and some that were not so good. Mostly though, they were the good kind of memories.

In the Bible God instructed His people to set up memorial stones to help them remember His guidance and protection through the years. An example of this is recorded in the Old Testament. After the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, twelve men were instructed to “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:5-7).

The memorial stones we see in our cemeteries are not memorials to God, but are there to remind us of our ancestors, both those who gave their lives for our country, but also as reminders of our heritage and family ties.

I have written in the past that the most important memorial Christians can leave to our descendants is that they know of our faith in the Lord Jesus, and they will know for sure that when we die, we have gone to be with Him in heaven. Stone memorials have their place, but our faith and trust in Christ is everlasting. Be bold to share that Good News with all your family and friends. Their salvation will outlast every stone monument.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

19 May

Awaiting the Day

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Creation, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Heaven.

Hello friends,
If all goes according to the forecast, we may get some rain early this week. We can only pray for it to happen. Relating to the weather, we extend our prayers and sympathy to those who lost homes and loved ones last week in the tornadoes. Nature can be violent and deadly at times. Christians understand this to be a direct result of Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden.

We live in a broken world, but God is still in control, and He has a plan to restore everything to perfection. There is coming a time when there will be no more storms or illness or anything to bring about pain or suffering or tears.

Paul tells us of this promise of God: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God,
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 who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:18-23).

In the book of Revelation, we read: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).

Looking for that day,
Pastor Jerry

28 Apr

The Only Way

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Gospel, Salvation, Truth.

Hello friends,
Rain! We have finally seen some rain, although not a huge amount we are grateful to the Lord for His provision.

There are many in the world who, if they believe in heaven at all, think it can be obtained by doing good deeds or following some set of rules. The Bible teaches otherwise. In the very familiar John 14:6, the Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Sinners need a Savior. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” we are told (Romans 3:23). Speaking of Jesus, the apostle Peter told his audience, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). This means we have direct access to God only through the Lord Jesus. We need no one else to intercede on our behalf. There is no other one or any other way to connect with God.

If we believe that God is the God of creation, we must also believe he is the God of salvation. He has provided a way for us to enter heaven, and it is not by any good works we might do. Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

To those who are depending on works, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers.’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Again, Jesus says He is the way, not one of many ways. Proverbs reminds us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him (Lamentations 3:24).

Blessings,
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

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