Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

8 Aug

On Possessions

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Change, Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, Giving, God's Word, Possessions, Praise, Stewardship, Uncategorized, Wisdom.

We have appreciated the cooler weather of the last few days. I have no personal fishing report yet, although I did see some really nice largemouth bass that two ladies had caught Friday afternoon.

I find we are still having to deal with years of collecting things we thought we had to have. In fact, due to the amount of stuff we still possess, we have purchased another piece of property here at the lake. We will now have a place to keep our “overflow”, that is the tractor and its attachments, the little pontoon boat, golf cart, etc. This does not mean we have found the answer to the problem of having these things, downsizing must continue.

I am continually reminded of scripture that warns of letting material goods take first place in our lives. Note: It’s not my wife that keeps reminding me, she has stuff, too. Could it be the Spirit of God tapping me on the shoulder, saying “enough already”?

As I talk with other people, I find we are not the only ones dealing with the abundance of things not needed. Many of us are having this struggle. What is the answer to this? God’s word has some suggestions.

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Jesus, speaking to the rich young man in Matthew 19:21). “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). In the follow-up to his story of the rich man who built more bins to hold his grain, Jesus had this advice for his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes” (Luke 12:22-23).

Here is a final thought on this subject. I read this statement a few years ago, and it comes to mind now. “Someday, all your valued possessions will fit in a small drawer in some nursing home.”

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

25 Jul

Pleasing God

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Bible, Blessings, Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized.

It’s been a hot week, but there are cooler days ahead. I was able to spend a little time fishing one day last week, but had no success. Maybe I can get serious this week…one can only hope. We would like to spend some time exploring some of our state parks before winter. Cooler weather might provide the incentive to get started.

Every now and then, the question is posed on Facebook, “Do you think our nation has forgotten God?” I don’t think it takes a lot of study to answer a resounding YES! The world at large has no concept of God as creator and sustainer of life.

We have indeed forgotten God. Romans 1, beginning at verse 18 describes the culture of today. As I read these verses, Paul is painting a picture of today’s society. Let’s look at this passage together: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-20). The rest of the chapter describes these godless people in words that are descriptive of people today.

In addition to those who deny God altogether, are people who are trying to please God by doing good works. They will not acknowledge Him for who He is, but try to gain His favor through good deeds. It is a little like trying to win the lottery by buying more tickets in the hope of improving your odds of winning, except that the odds of winning God’s favor are zero.

Hebrews 11:6… And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Acknowledging and obeying God are not only beneficial in this life, there is an eternal element. In this life, the Christian has the assurance of heaven, but also there are rewards that will last for eternity.

It’s been said before, no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Choose God, trust Christ, be saved today.

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

18 Jul

Real Peace

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Peace, Rest, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized.

Again this week, there have been incidents of violence, both in our country and in others. It seems the more pleas there are for peace, the further we get from any kind of real peace. This, I believe would be a good time to see what God has to say about what constitutes true peace.

First, we read in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, “You (God) will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:2). It starts with placing our trust in God. Trusting God will bring peace that will help us persevere (hang in there) in times of trouble. Isaiah goes on to say, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal” (verse 3).

King David wrote this: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

Jesus, in John’s gospel, said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Further in John’s gospel, as he prepared his disciples for his death, he said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” (John 16:33).

Regarding the world, and unsaved persons, the apostle Paul said, “the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:17-18).

Paul wrote this to the church at Philippi: “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” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Finally, this benediction: Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

In summary, only faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can bring genuine peace. I pray those who sow unrest would come to Him, and experience the peace that exceeds all human understanding.

Resting in Him,
Pastor Jerry

4 Jul

Free In Jesus

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, Freedom, Gospel, Praise, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized.

Independence Day! Let Freedom Ring! Patriotic greetings from our place to yours. Some of you will read this on the Fourth of July, some will read it in the newspaper later. I need deadlines to get things done, but sometimes they are inconvenient. When writing for newspapers, deadlines get moved, so I am actually writing this on July 1.

Independence and freedom can mean different things to different people. Every kid wants to be independent. Everyone wants to be their own “boss”. Freedom, to most people means being free to do as they please, all of the time. These are not exactly the true meanings of independence and freedom.

You see, both independence and freedom involve a degree of responsibility. Independence Day commemorates our country’s achieving independence and gaining freedom from English rule, but with that independence came the responsibility for the new government to care for its people.

Freedom came to the people of America at great cost, and it also carries the responsibility to be good citizens. Those responsibilities include obedience to the law, and support of our government leaders, among others.

The Bible speaks of freedom. It refers to freedom in the sense of the relationship of a free people to their leaders, as they submit to governmental and civil authority. “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men…Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:13-16).

Then, there is the concept of the Christian’s being freed from the bondage of sin. This happens when a person trusts in Jesus Christ, who died to set people free from their sins. “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” (Galatians 5:1).

What then, are the responsibilities of one who has been set free from sin? James gives this advice: “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom” (James 2:12). Paul cautions his readers to “be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

“He (God) has sent me (Jesus) to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and… to release the oppressed” (Luke 4:18).

Free in Him,
Pastor Jerry

27 Jun

Proof of Change

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Bible, Change, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Grace, Obedience, Politics, renewal, Repentance, Salvation, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness.

The month of June is almost over, and I haven’t spent any serious time fishing. Along with that, we have only had the camper out once this year, and that was mostly to see if everything worked. Maybe living beside the lake is a hindrance to both fishing and camping. Could that be it? Note: If you have ever wanted to know more about this place called Lake Ericson, check out the current edition of Nebraska Life Magazine.

It is being reported on some media sources that a certain presidential candidate has recently become a Christian. It is not my place to judge a person’s heart, but I can go to God’s word and read verses that help us to know if a person is truly a follower of Jesus Christ. We can pray these reports are true, and the Bible tells us we can know if a person is a Christian. I will share some of the evidences of true belief this week.

A new Christian is not perfect. Neither are older Christians. We all have the tendency to sin, even after being spiritually reborn. But here are things we should see in one who calls himself a follower of Jesus Christ.

The first step, confession, is found in Romans 10:9; That if you confess 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 by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Confession is to first confess to God that I am a sinner, followed by confessing that Jesus is Lord of all.

Confession is followed by repentance. This is a change of direction. To repent is to stop going away from God, and to turn toward him. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17)! The evidence of this change shows up in what is called the fruit of the Spirit. It consists of these: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). There are others, but space here is limited.

Finally, we know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands (1 John 2:3).

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

13 Jun

The Remedy

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Cross, Evil deeds, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Obedience, Salvation, Sin, Temptation, The Good News, Uncategorized.

It seems every conversation begins with a discussion of the weather. Hot and windy are two words that come to mind in describing last week. We did receive some showers of rain here Sunday evening and early Monday morning.

Virginia Creeper, aka woodbine, is a plant that grows in many places. Just across the street from our house is a large lilac bush. A woodbine plant at some point had taken root under the lilac and grew to cover the top of the lilac. The woodbine plant does not attach itself to the host plant, but uses its host as a trellis to climb. Instead of taking nutrients from the host plant, it just cuts off the sunlight, effectively killing its host.

We can see a parallel in the Bible’s definition of sin in the life of a person. Much like that vine, sin in our lives blocks out the light of God’s word, and the commands of Jesus to walk in the light of His truth. It keeps us from growing and if left unattended, it can lead to spiritual death.

Let us see what the Bible says regarding the effects of sin, and its remedy. Referring to someone giving in to the temptation to sin, James wrote this: “After desire has been conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15).

In another place we read, “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:2). Again, Jesus speaking, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).

By the way, the remedy for ridding the lilac of the invader, was to cut the woodbine plant off near the ground, and apply weed killer to the stump. The remedy for sin is the application of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, where his shed blood won the victory over sin and the devil.

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Let us then walk in the light of His salvation, separating ourselves from the darkness of sin.

In His Light,
Pastor Jerry

16 May

Who Will Go?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Change, Faith, Fellowship, God's Word, Obedience, Service, Uncategorized, Work.

Saturday evening, several church family members, old friends and some new friends gathered at the church to help me celebrate my retirement as the pastor of Sandhills Baptist Fellowship. It was a great time of fellowship and celebration. I have many fond memories of our time in that ministry. Now, we can wait to see what God has in store for us in our “retirement.” I hope to have time to write down some of those memories, and maybe someday have something in print to share with you all (or, y’all). There were good times and bad, but the good greatly out-weighed the bad.

Also, on Friday, we had visitors from our far distant past. Some friends we hadn’t seen in almost forever, were passing through and stopped for a brief visit. How good it was to see them and find out what has been happening in their lives.

As our ministry at the church here ends, I try to remain attentive to what God might have for us to do in the future. I again go back to the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah had a vision of God in His temple, and heard the voice of the Lord ask the question, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah replied without hesitation, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

I believe God has a call on everyone’s life. It starts with the call to receive His gift of salvation, and to follow Him. This is followed by a call to serve Him in some way. Many people think once a person accepts the gift of salvation, that is all that is necessary, but listen to Paul’s words to the church at Ephesus: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 4:10).

God’s call on our lives led us to Ericson. Pastor Kurt Kinney has now taken the leadership role at the church, and our ministry will change directions. As we wait for the Lord’s leading for the next chapter in our lives, I will continue writing these articles and listening for His voice. As the old song says, “When the Savior calls, I will answer. I’ll be somewhere listening for my name.”

The correct answer to the question, “Who will go?”, is this: “Send me!”

In His grip,
Pastor Jerry

9 May

The Bible Is Not Buffet

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Law, Obedience, The Good News, Uncategorized, Wisdom.

Good day,
It’s a lovely morning here on the shores of Lake Ericson. I’m reminded of an old Johnny Cash song, as we were blessed with a little more rain last evening… “Five Feet High and Rising.” We have two rain gauges about 30 feet apart. One showed 1.25”, and the other one, 2.50”. Go figure.

High school graduation was held locally this past weekend. We attended several receptions afterward, and the food selection at each one was different and delicious. People were able to select food items that appealed to them, and free to pass on others. The secret, I find, is to pace oneself, and not eat your fill at the first place. This is good advice for those attending multiple post-graduation events on the same day.

There are those folks who approach the Bible as if it were a buffet, or a supermarket. They pick and choose those parts that satisfy their appetites, and leave the rest. I have news: The Bible is not a buffet. I believe we can liken it to the spiritual equivalent of a completely balanced diet. God told his people long ago that “man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

The apostle Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, said, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

In the Psalms, we read “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8). “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119:103).

God gave Moses these instructions for the people of Israel: “Assemble the people… so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 31:12).

Going back to Paul’s instructions to Timothy, we read; “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Correctly handling the Word would include using the whole Bible, from cover to cover.

The Bible is not a buffet. Christians are not to pick and choose which parts to obey. All scripture is useful and to be used.

On His Word,
Pastor Jerry

25 Apr

More Change

Posted by sandhillspastor in Change, Faith, God, God's Word, Gospel, Rest, Service, Uncategorized.

I am able to tell you today that this past Sunday was my official last day to preach at Sandhills Baptist Fellowship. The pastor search committee of the church has found the person they believe to be God’s man for the job. I had requested some time ago that they begin the process, as I felt the Lord leading me to pursue other interests.

I will continue to write these articles, and seek other ways to be involved in ministry. But, for the immediate future, we will finish moving into our house at the lake, and finding homes for all the items we don’t have room for. Then comes some time camping and just relaxing.

I am sure that God has more for us to do. I find no solid reference in the Bible to what we in America call “retirement.” In fact, the only reference I find is to the Old Testament priests retiring at age 50, then assisting the younger priests in their work (Numbers 8:25-26).

There are other passages that indicate God intends for us to commit to the long-haul as we serve and obey Him. Neither does He at some point stop His work in the believer’s life. Here are some scriptures for us to meditate on this morning.

Philippians 1:6, “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.” The apostle Paul tells us God has work for us to do. After he tells us our salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, he says this: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Again in Philippians, Paul tells the believers there, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).

I have many great memories of these years at SBF, and we have been blessed to serve here, but we will move on, seeking and following the Lord’s leading, as we go forward. I would not change these last 15+ years for anything, but we must go forward, running with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1).

Simply His,
Pastor Jerry

11 Apr

The Winds of Spring

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Holy Spirit, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized.

More signs of spring have appeared. The ornamental trees around the lake are either blooming, or heavily budded. There is a report of the first hatch of wild goslings. Now if we could get over having freezing temperatures at night, we might believe spring is really here.

One thing that seems constant this time of year is the wind. Wind is something we really can’t see, but we can certainly see the results of its presence. The Holy Spirit of God has been described as a wind. A very strong wind can at times cause great damage, but a person controlled by the Holy Spirit, on the other hand is a force for good.

In Jesus’ conversation with a man named Nicodemus, he described the Holy Spirit this way: “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8).

To the woman at the well, Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).

A Christian under the influence of the Holy Spirit is equipped to do great good in the name of the Lord. Spiritual rebirth comes about through the work of the Holy Spirit. An illustration of the Spirit at work might look like a windmill turning by the power of the wind, pumping water for a thirsty person. These are the words of Jesus: “Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him”. By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believe in him were later to receive. (John 7:38-39).

So, the next time you have trouble keeping your hat on because of the wind, just be reminded of the Holy Spirit at work in your life, and hang on to your hat.

In His grip,
Pastor Jerry

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