Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

2 Nov

Who Is in Charge?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Politics, Trust.

Hello friends,

I stayed up for the end of the Husker football game and should have gone to the office instead. In other news, we had very nice weather for October. Unfortunately, it appears I may have to mow the lawn one more time. In a few days, we will know the results of the election. No matter the result, we must not lose sight of the fact that the Lord is in full control of current events, as He has been since the beginning of time.

These days, I find myself drawn to some familiar passages of scripture that deal with the world and the events of today. Today’s problems are nothing new, they have existed since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. The world is broken and waits for God to make it new again. The Psalms give us encouragement.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous, but the way of  the wicked will perish (Psalm 1:1- 6).

Then we read this: Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, and throw off their fetters.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, My holy hill” (Psalm 2:1-6).

In Psalm 5 we read, “Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them” (verses 10-11).

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

26 Oct

Faith or Doubt?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Faith, God's Word, Trust.

Hello friends,

Weatherwise we had a pleasant week. Temperatures were a bit warm for this time of year, but I didn’t mind. I’m sure those involved with the harvest were glad for some drier days. Midterm elections take place this week and I encourage everyone to vote. It matters not your politics; this is one of the freedoms that we dare not abandon.

Now, on to this week’s devotional thought. We recently sang a song during worship that had the line, “Help my doubt and unbelief.” At that point, I wondered, how can a true believer sing about “my doubt and unbelief?” It would seem if we truly believed, there wouldn’t be any doubt or unbelief. The first disciples struggled with both of those things as they followed Jesus.

In Mark’s gospel we read of an instance when the disciples were unable to drive an evil spirit out of a young boy. Jesus said the problem was unbelief (Mark 9:19). Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” The boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief” (verses 23-24). The disciples then asked why it was that they couldn’t drive out the demon. His answer, “This kind can only come out by prayer” (verse 29).

In another place, we are told of the disciples in a storm on the sea fearing for their lives. Jesus appeared and asked Peter to come to Him on the water. Impulsive Peter stepped out of the boat, saw the waves and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Jesus caught him and said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt” (Matthew 14:28-31).

It is easy to show trust and faith in the Lord when things are going well. When the storms of life are swirling around us, doubts and fears enter our minds. I suspect even the most committed believer at some point has those feelings of doubt and even unbelief.

However, it is my experience that the longer we serve the Lord those doubts and fears and even the shadows of unbelief begin to be less common. Abraham is a great example of someone who persevered in his faith. “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised” (Romans 4:20-21).

Trusting in Him,

Pastor Jerry

24 Aug

Stormy Weather

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, Peace, Rest, Trials.

Hello all,

Rain! We have had abundant rain in recent days. This has been accompanied at times with very strong winds and hail in some areas. I drove from Ord to Burwell in one of those storms. As I drove into the torrential rain and wind, I was wondering if I had made the right choice. It is interesting to think that last spring we wondered if it would ever rain, but God’s timing is always perfect.

As I ponder the storms we go through in this life, I am reminded that God has promised peace in those times. As believers in the Lord Jesus, we should have no fear of storms, knowing that He will bring us through to the other side. We are not promised there will be no storms, only that He is faithful to be with us as we experience them.

No matter what the situation, whether a financial trial, an illness or just a thunderstorm, the Lord is present. We need to trust Him with the outcome, believing that He is in control of the situation, even if we cannot see past the wind and the rain, so to speak.

When David was being pursued by Saul, he fled into a cave. His prayer was “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take my refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed” (Psalm 57: 1). We know David was protected in that situation. David also wrote these words in 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” (verse 4).

From Isaiah; “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

In Philippians 4:4-7 we read, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Resting in Him,

Pastor Jerry

17 Aug

Know the Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Faith, False teachers, God's Word, Spiritual Warfare, Truth.

Hello friends,

It has been an interesting week weatherwise. Since I last reported there have been some beneficial rains. No large amounts, but enough to stop the lawn watering for a while. The garden was spared from any major damage due to the hail last week. I fear we will be overrun with tomatoes soon, as they are loaded with green ones. Bacon and tomato sandwiches may be regular fare in the coming days.


It is my custom to write these missives Sunday afternoon, but I was distracted by other things, so here I sit at the keyboard past my bedtime.

As I read and observe what is taking place in churches around the country, I am seeing much discussion centering on “churches” that are spreading false teaching, and many well-meaning people are being taken in by those who are promoting these things. Scripture reminds us that these things have been going on since the beginning of the Church. We are also encouraged to be discerning in what we believe and to point out heretical teaching. If we are to be informed about these things, the very first action to take is to read the Bible for ourselves and not just take some person’s word for what it says.

The apostle Peter had much to say concerning those who misrepresent the Word of God. “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute” (2 Peter 2:1-2).

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he also warns of these false teachers: “These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing” (1 Timothy 6:3-4).

Again, the words of Peter, “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:17).

For Truth,

Pastor Jerry

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

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

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 Jul

America’s Future

Posted by sandhillspastor in Calling, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, Milestones, Witness.

Hello friends,

Well, the 4th of July celebrations are over. Here at Lake Ericson the weekend featured food, families, fellowship and fireworks. The fireworks display was one to be remembered, and I must not forget to mention the golf cart parade. There were some very creative entries for that.

It is remarkable that our country has been in existence for 250 years. There were those who said it couldn’t last, but here we are. As I see some of the things that are going on in America today, I wonder if we can continue as a nation. One thing I do know, if we stray much further from the Biblical principles upon which our country was created, how can the Lord continue to bless us?

There is a passage of scripture that was intended for Israel in the time of Solomon that I believe we can apply to our current situation. It reads, “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14),

There are many voices out there promoting anti-Christian ideas and belittling the faith that we have been entrusted with. There are those who deny God’s existence and that we are here by some chance happening thousands of years ago. The apostle Paul addressed this in his second letter to Timothy.

He wrote concerning the last days: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Timothy 2:2-5). All those things are taking the place of the one True God.

Many years ago, the question was asked, “Why is there no mention of the United States in prophecy?” The answer: “The United States will cease to exist.” This sounds harsh but considering the influx of false religions and ungodliness in our country today, it seems this is a distinct possibility.

“I felt compelled to write and encourage you to contend for the faith that was once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 3).

Keep the faith and preach Jesus.

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

22 Jun

Power Interrupted

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Faith, God's Word, Humor, Trials, Trust.

Hello friends,

We were blessed with more rain Saturday night. My rain bucket registered almost three inches. There is a low spot on our property that catches the big rains. We have been just letting it soak away, but this time we brought out the sump pump I purchased when the crawl space under the house flooded a few years back. It appears this is going to be the answer to the excess water problem.

Along with the rain, when I woke up and looked for the clock, the red numbers weren’t there. The power had gone off around 4:30 AM and we were powerless, so to speak. Milrae has a CPAP machine while sleeping, and she woke up due to a lack of air. After some time waiting for the electricity to come back on, I decided to fire up the standby generator. This proved to be another adventure because we had stored it in the front of the garage behind some other things. I got it to the front door of the garage feeling pretty good about the situation, but wouldn’t you know, the battery on the generator was dead. I have a portable battery supply, but it didn’t work for some reason. After using jumper cables from the car battery, it started and as you might guess, soon the power came back on.

This reminds me of a truth that applies to the Christian life. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

It is impossible to live the Christian life if we don’t remain connected to our source of strength. That strength comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit who comes into our heart at the moment of salvation. When we are unplugged from the power source, we are unable to live the life we are called to live.

When our electric lines are broken, we walk in darkness until that power is restored. It is the same with our connection to Almighty God. Without it, we are walking in darkness, but as we connect to Him the light returns.

The psalmist wrote: “You are my strength; I watch for you; you God are my fortress” (Psalm 59:9).

In His grip,

Pastor Jerry

15 Jun

The Race

Posted by sandhillspastor in Calling, Christian Living, Eternity, Faith, Obedience, Salvation.

Dear friends,

We had rain this weekend. I measured 3.27 inches here at our place. The 5k fun run was held Saturday morning after a one-hour rain delay. The streets were a bit muddy, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the participants. Reports were that 75 runners were entered. Good times.

Did you know that Christians are called to enter a race? It is true, when a person trusts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior, that person is not called to sit on the sidelines and cheer others as they run by. We are called to do the work that God has planned for us.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is 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).

The apostle Paul wrote of the race God had called him to run. In the book of Acts he wrote to the church, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24). To Timothy he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Paul’s goal was always to run a good race, and he encouraged his readers to do the same: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24). I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10).

Above all, we as believers are tasked with proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the salvation He has provided. Let us not grow weary in that to which we are called.

In Christ,

Pastor Jerry

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