Archive for the ‘Eternal Life’ Category

25 Jan

CHOICES

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Freedom, Gospel, Heaven, Judgment, Salvation, Truth, Uncategorized.

The forecast for today (Monday) is for windy, with some snow showers. The good news? Sunshine is predicted for most of the rest of the week. I’ll be one of many who will be glad to see the sun again.
Our Sunday school lesson this week is the starting point for us today. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What was Jesus talking about when He was comparing the narrow to the wide?
He was speaking of a choice we each must make. Narrow road or wide road. The easy way or the hard way. It is the choice between spending eternity with Him, or spending eternity separated from Him. The narrow road means there is one way to God. In John 14:6, Jesus makes this statement: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We are seeing that the narrow way is unpopular. It is called narrow minded, but the rewards at the end of this path are heaven and eternal reward.
This contrasts the popular wide, easy road that leads to destruction, and that so many people are choosing today. It offers temporary, worldly reward and satisfaction, but in the end, it leads to condemnation and an eternity in hell.
We all make choices every day. These choices range from what shall we eat or wear, what college will I attend, or to what political candidate will I support? The most important choice we make in life, I believe, is whether or not to follow Jesus Christ. You see the answer to that question is of eternal significance, whereas all the others are simply temporary.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).
This is a topic I visit from time to time. It is because I believe it to be of utmost importance. Delay in making the decision to follow Christ may result in a person being too late. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation.
In His love,
Pastor Jerry

18 Jan

Who’s In Charge?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, Judgment, Politics, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized.

January is just over half gone. A national champion football team has been crowned, and now football fans are focused on the Super Bowl. The political races have taken on a new urgency, as we begin the count-down to the November election. Who knew there would be this much excitement this month?

Regarding the presidential race, I have mostly been observing the candidates as they jockey for position and try to convince the voters to support them. I will definitely make up my mind which one will get my vote before November rolls around.

One thing is sure; no one politician is going to solve all the problems of this country. Why? Because our problems, although politically driven in many cases, are the result of a spiritual deficit in this country. There are large numbers of people who see no reason to seek God, or to follow His commands. Many who claim to be Christians refuse to live according to God’s Word. Others seek to rewrite scripture to make it support their favorite sin, calling it a lifestyle, or claiming that God really didn’t mean what he said.

From Old Testament times, into the days when Jesus was on the earth, and continuing today, God has said that he will judge disobedience. I believe it is true for those who reject His gift of salvation, as well as those who claim to be His people and yet keep on living exactly like the rest of the world. If we continue down the path we are on as a nation, I see nothing but judgment in our future.

My reason for bringing this up is not to judge, but to give a warning. It is not too late to turn things around. God promises judgment on those who are disobedient, but in His grace and mercy, He offers salvation and the promise of eternal life to those who come to Him, confessing their sins, and asking His forgiveness.

Choose who you will vote for this November, but first choose to follow Jesus Christ. He is the answer. “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17).

In His amazing love,
Pastor Jerry

30 Nov

Christmas is Coming

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Eternal Life, God's Word, Gospel, Judgment, Second Coming, The Good News.

Thanksgiving is past, and now we look forward to the Christmas season. As we anticipate the first coming of the Lord Jesus as an infant in a stable, we can also rest assured that He will return again. However, when He returns to earth the next time, it will not be as a helpless baby, but as scripture tells us, He will come as a conquering King.

In the Bible, He is also described as a sacrificial Lamb. “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain” (Revelation 5:12). In addition, He is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5), and King of kings (Rev 17:14).

As we celebrate the Christmas season, let us not just focus on the Baby in the manger, but as world events seem to spin out of control, let’s remember His promise to come again and set things right. He will come again, and He will bring judgment on the world. Those who have placed their faith in His finished work on the cross will go to spend eternity with Him in heaven, while all others are condemned to eternity in hell.

It is okay to celebrate Christmas. I enjoy the season as much as the next person, but His first appearance was just the beginning of the story. He grew to manhood, was hung on a cross as payment for our sins, was buried, rose from the dead, and today is seated at the right hand of God the Father. In God’s perfect timing, He will return to earth as victorious King, and we will see what John saw in Revelation 5:13…Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

The Christmas season calls us to make a decision. To accept the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord, or reject this Gift that God given to us. What will your answer be?

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

16 Nov

God’s Judgment

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, God's Word, Judgment, Sin.

We arrived home from our Colorado trip just ahead of the nasty weather. It was good to be home when the wind and rain/snow arrived. It was good to see friends and family again, but home is always a welcome sight.

Last evening (Sunday), our church held its annual pancake and sausage supper. It is our gift to the community in which we reside. It was well attended and everyone enjoyed the food and fellowship.

One topic which seems to surface from time to time, is, why did God allow all those people in the Old Testament to be killed? I will attempt to give an answer from God’s own word.

All through the Old Testament, we see God commanding his people Israel to destroy the pagan nations. At times, though, he brings pagan nations against Israel as the means of executing judgment on them. We might ask what is up with this. If we study these situations, God gives the answer.

In Ezekiel, as God pronounced judgment on Israel, the prophet asked the question, “Oh, Lord God! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel when you pour out your wrath on Jerusalem?” God’s answer… “The iniquity (or sin) of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great… I will not show pity or spare them.”

God also used Babylon to punish Israel for her sin, but Babylon went beyond what God had planned, and as a result, God brought judgment and punishment against that nation. Every time God punished nations, including his chosen people, it was for their disobedience and rejection of Him.

In the New Testament, we are warned of the consequences of turning our backs on God, and failing to acknowledge Him as Holy God, creator of everything. When we reject God, it is called sin. Romans 3:23 tells us, “all have sinned and come fall short of the glory of God.” Further, Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…”

In the book of Revelation, we see a time of final judgment, when God once and for all brings judgment on the world for all its sin. He then brings those who have been obedient to his call to salvation into the new heaven and earth, where they will spend eternity with God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

9 Nov

Going Home

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, Heaven, Salt and Light, The Good News, Truth.

I’m writing this morning from Livermore, Colorado. We have had a good visit with friends, and later today, we will visit my brother and sister-in-law further down the road. We hope to return to Ericson Tuesday or Wednesday. That will depend on the weather, and it sounds as if Tuesday might be the day to head back home.

Thinking of going home, early this morning I was remembering a time several years ago when a cow of ours somehow got across the fence, and into an adjoining pasture. I didn’t know she was gone until the next morning when she was standing on the wrong side of the fence, wanting to get back into her home territory.

Knowing a little about bovine behavior, I figured she wasn’t welcome in the other group of cows, and she decided home wasn’t too bad. (I’m not too sure cows make too many conscious decisions, but who knows?)

Scripture reminds us Christians that we are aliens and strangers in a foreign land. One version of the Bible calls us strangers and temporary residents. We are in this world, but our true home is heaven. Many times, we don’t feel welcome in our world, and long for our heavenly home. The difference between us and a stray cow is that we are placed in this world by the Lord, and he expects us to remain here and influence our world on his behalf until he calls us home.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, told of his desire to go to be with the Lord. He wrote, “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Philippians 1:23-24). His desire was to be in heaven, but he also knew the Lord wanted him to stay in this world until his work for the Lord was completed.

At times the world around us seems to be moving further away from any notion of a sovereign God, and we, like Paul, sometimes desire to be at home with the Lord, but again, he has left us here to be salt and light to a dark world. And, when our work here is done, rest assured, he will take us to that home he has promised us.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

26 Oct

Preparations

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, Eternity, Salvation. Tagged: , .

This month has certainly flown by. It seems as winter approaches, we move slower. Maybe it is because we are seeing the things we didn’t get done over the summer looming larger as we think of colder weather ahead. I have winterized the camper, and closed the ventilation windows in the crawl space of the lake house in preparation for winter.

Speaking of things that get put off to a later date, how about making preparations for where we will spend eternity? I read recently of a man whose wife had prayed for his salvation for many years. Finally, at the age of 93, he placed his faith in Christ.

The question I would ask is this. What if he hadn’t had 93 years? The Bible says those who reject Jesus as Savior spend eternity apart from God in a place of torment and anguish. Not everyone has 93 years. In fact, not one of us is guaranteed tomorrow. God’s word says “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). In another place it says “just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” (Hebrews 9:27-28). In Hebrews 4:7, it says, “Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later He spoke through David as was said before “Today, If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”, indicating that if He is calling you to be saved, you need to respond now. Do not wait. It is the most important decision you will ever make.

In spite of what many so-called “religions” try to make you believe, there is only one way to heaven. That way is through faith in Jesus Christ. I quote again John 14:6, the words of Jesus: “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”

You may be able to put off winterizing your home or RV. The worst that can happen is frozen pipes and a mess, but when your eternal destination is on the line, please don’t delay. Remember, scripture says man is destined to die once and after that the judgment. There are no second chances. Now is the day of salvation.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

12 Oct

Blessed Assurance

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

Hello friends,
It’s time for another of our weekly chats. I realize these are somewhat one-sided, but you are welcome to respond at any time. I hope you have been enjoying the nice weather. It is quite a bit cooler this morning than yesterday, but 95 degrees in October is a bit too much.

In Sunday’s message, we discussed two topics that are closely related. They are the ‘assurance of salvation, and the ‘perseverance of the saints.’ There are those who believe a Christian can lose his or her salvation. Scripture teaches once saved, always saved, and the follow-up of that, is God will see to it that the saved person will persevere to the end.

On assurance of salvation, we have these passages of scripture: “For 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” (John 3:16). “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:5-6). “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

On the perseverance of the saints. Paul writes to the believers at Philippi, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Believers persevere to the end, not by their own effort, but because God has promised to preserve the saints, that is, those who believe on the Lord Jesus.

If a person appears to have lost their salvation, the Bible teaches they were never saved. They either were never really saved, or they had a false assurance based on false doctrine. Concerning those who appeared to have lost their salvation, the apostle John said this: “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19).

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves…” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Saved forever,
Pastor Jerry

13 Jul

On Contentment

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Giving, God's Word, Praise, Service, thanksgiving.

After a hot weekend, it has cooled off a bit this morning. With the humidity being a little lower, maybe it will be somewhat more bearable. As usual, we need the warmth for the growing crops, and for the hay to cure. The problem is, everybody wants it perfect for their own pet project.

We could take a lesson from the apostle Paul, who said he had learned to be content in every circumstance. There is a lesson in this for all of us. Let’s look. Paul was thanking the church at Philippi for supporting him in some way. He wrote, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Paul gave similar instructions to Timothy, speaking to the issue of contentment in this way: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Paul goes further a few verses later in words that could probably apply to everyone in America:

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and be willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

The writer of Hebrews has similar advice: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

All our “things” are on loan from God. Let’s be content with what we have.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

6 Jul

Let Freedom Ring

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Fellowship, Freedom, Gospel, Prayer, renewal, Service, The Good News, Worship.

Hello everyone,
Looking out my window this morning, I see rain falling. There will be no need to water the lawn and garden today.

Saturday we celebrated our nation’s independence. It was a great celebration here in Ericson, Nebraska. There was abundant sunshine, very little wind, parades in town and at the lake. Also, fireworks over the lake, and people everywhere enjoying the day.

As we celebrate America’s Independence Day, and the freedom we have, I am always drawn to the thought that Jesus Christ died on a cross to provide us with a different kind of freedom. Scripture says everyone is born with a sin nature as a result of Adam and Eve sinning in the Garden of Eden. Sin separates us from God and leaves us prisoners to our sin. The only way to escape the bonds of that sin is to place one’s faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Millions of people in the world today have allowed our enemy, the devil, to convince them that there is no escape from the prison they are in. They don’t know, or don’t care that God has provided a Savior in the person of his Son. People everywhere are searching for their ‘identity’, while at the same time seeking meaning and purpose in their lives.

I believe the Bible has the answers to these questions. The end result of the sacrifice of Jesus as payment of our sin debt, is that we can know not only who we are, but whose we are. The Scriptures tell us God created everyone in His image. He wants fellowship with us, but due to the effects of sin, that fellowship has been broken. When we put our trust in Christ as Savior, our relationship with God is restored. As a result of that restoration, we are then called His children. Our identity then, is child of God. And our purpose is to love, serve and worship Him for eternity.

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12).

“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” (Romans 6:22).

How’s that for identity and purpose?

His child,
Pastor Jerry

29 Jun

History Lessons

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, Family of God, God's Word, Gospel, Prayer, Truth.

Hello all,
We’re staying home this week. It’s not that we don’t like camping, there are things at home that need done. And, after three Sundays of vacation, I am ready to return to ‘work’.

The first of the week, we were camped at Ponca State Park. Some of Nebraska’s early history centers on that area of the Missouri River. As I tried to remember how much of that history I could remember, I realized I was closer to that history in grade school than I am now. I was reminded that in the early days, this was wild, uncharted territory. Now it is just one of many vacation spots along the river, with paved camper pads and electric hookups. The only hardship now is the lack of Wi-Fi and cell service. Now, that is really roughing it!

As I contemplate history, I wonder how many of us remember times in our own lives when history was being made? I can name a few times personally. This past week, history was made in our country, the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Here are a few of my thoughts regarding that event. There has been a decision handed down by the highest court in America that I believe is wrong. That said, I, along with many others, believe that there is a Higher Authority who will someday have the final say in this matter. In the meantime, we who bow to that Higher Authority have a responsibility to represent Him in society and in the current culture. We must do so with the voice of reason, and present His case in a non-confrontational manner, and in a spirit of peace and love. It will not be popular to do so, but we, too, will someday stand in judgment, giving an account for our response to these things. In matters eternal, it is the Word of God that matters, and it is the authority of His word upon which we must stand.

I return once more to the words of the old hymn:
“The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.”

There will be more on this topic in weeks to come. In the meantime, keep looking up.

In His eternal love,
Pastor Jerry

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