Archive for the ‘Eternal Life’ Category

27 Jul

The Truth of the Gospel

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Salvation, Truth.

Hello all,

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (you do remember records?) the heat this weekend was almost too much. The outlook for the week ahead is a slight cooling. I doubt if a few degrees change will be all that noticeable. The garden is coming along nicely if we can keep it watered. I have been using soaker hoses this summer and they are working well. I’m anticipating some home-raised tomatoes soon.

Sunday as we gathered for worship, we learned that Pastor John was unable to be at church as planned. Our options were to go back home or enlist some volunteers to go ahead with church. One of our men took care of the announcements and the praise and prayer time. And one of the young ladies familiar with technology took care of the music. Yours truly volunteered to bring a message from the Bible. When I became a Christian, I was told to always be ready to preach, pray or die. Those words come back to me now and then.

Sometimes, when it comes time to sit down at the keyboard and compose a devotional thought, there is nothing there. So, this week I will share some of what I spoke about this morning.

It is from Romans chapters 9 and 10. Paul was writing to the Christians in Rome and sharing his burden for his people, the Jews. Paul was a Jew’s Jew, but after becoming a Christian, he was concerned with Israel’s salvation.

“But the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone” (Romans 9:31-32). The stone, or rock Paul speaks of is the Lord Jesus. He was right there in front of them, but they did not recognize Him as the Messiah they were expecting.

Scripture plainly says, “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 heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your heart that you believe and are justified” (Romans 10:9-10). You can never be good enough or do enough good deeds. You are saved by faith, not by works!

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

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 Apr

He is Alive!

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Cross, Easter, Eternal Life, Praise, Resurrection.

Dear friends,

We had a nice day to celebrate Resurrection Sunday. Sunrise service was a bit cool, but bearable. If we think about it, every Sunday is an observance of the Lord’s resurrection. We know from the Bible that God proved His power by the resurrection.

In the story of Lazarus, Mary grieving the death of her brother said, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord, she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:21-27).

After Jesus’ resurrection He appeared to His disciples and to several others, including Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jesus. He also appeared to two men who were traveling to the town of Emmaus. Some who heard the news of His appearance were skeptical, but when they saw Him alive and saw the nail prints in His hands they believed. No one alive today has seen Him but the evidence of His existence is all around us. One only has to see lives changed through the presence of His Holy Spirit to believe He is real.

Thomas, the disciple who doubted that Jesus was alive, when he saw for himself the wounds of the Lord, said “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:28-29).

Have you met Jesus? Was it through the witness of a Christian friend? Did the Scriptures reveal Him to you? Have you believed and worshiped Him, or have you doubted? Blessed are those who have not seen Him yet believe.

As the old song says:Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth thou hast for me
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free

Silently now I wait for thee
Ready, my God, thy will to see
Open my eyes, illumine me
Spirit divine!

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

19 Jan

It Will Be Worth it All

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Eternal Life, Faith, Salvation, Trials, Trust.

Dear readers,

It is time for another edition of my attempts to encourage you in your spiritual journey. I have considered putting this project to an end, but after all these years, I wonder if that is possible. The Lord has been good to give me ideas of what to write, and I don’t expect Him to stop now. If He does, I am sure He will let me know when that time comes. As I have mentioned before, this project started in 1999 as a weekly newsletter charting my journey as a new Christian. It has become something far larger than I first envisioned. This week, I will share some thoughts that have encouraged me along the way.

There was a time I understood that I couldn’t make it without Jesus. Along came a word from the Lord that changed my life forever. Let’s look at some important things to remember from the Bible.

First, we have all sinned and need a Savior. (Romans 3:23). Second, there is a way to be saved. It is found in Romans chapter ten: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ an believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (‘Romans 10:9) Verse 13 sums it up nicely: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It does not say life will be a bed of roses, only that we are saved by confessing Jesus as Lord. Difficulties still come but as the Scripture says, the righteous will live by faith.

In my experience troubles do come. From financial hardships, health issues, family tragedies and the trials of old age we must trust that the Lord is there. Along with the trials of life, He also blesses us in many ways and through it all, His plan for us is being worked out in our lives.

Jonah, as we read in the Bible, suffered great loss because God had allowed Satan to test Him. Jonah couldn’t see what brought on his trials, but he knew God was there with him. There is an old hymn that says it well.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!

Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase.

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Simply His,

Pastor Jerry

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

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