Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

15 Jul

Where Is God?

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

In the dark times of trial, we cry out to God for him to intervene. We plead for His help and assurance, or even for a miracle. We may reach the point when we echo Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; “Please, take this cup from me.”

In the face of an impossible trial, we might wonder if God is there, or does he even see or care about our situation? Someone wrote the following during an extreme trial in their life: “In the pain of the situation, when I closed my eyes to pray, I envisioned an empty throne. There was no answer, only a cold silence. Years afterward, I had the thought that the throne was empty because the one who fills it had stepped down to sit beside us as we cried.”

If you are in that dark place today, may you find encouragement in the following:

When in rough waters, He is in the boat with you. (Luke 8:22-24). His is the gentle whisper in the stormy night (1 Kings 19:11-15). God is everywhere you are (Psalm 139:7). He shields you with his everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27). He will never leave you, or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He has prepared a place for us and will take us there for eternity (John 14:1-4).

Keep in mind here, that these promises are for His children; for those who believe in the name of Jesus, and confess him as Lord and Savior, will receive eternal life (Romans 10:9-10).

Child of God, he is not absent in your time of trial. He is very much in it with you, and he will bring you through. Depend on it.

Held in His everlasting arms,
Pastor Jerry

27 May

Remembering

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, Salvation, The Good News.

Today is Memorial Day here in the U.S. It is a day set aside to stop and pay our respects to those who have served in our country’s armed forces. As we pause today to remember those who have given their lives to defend our freedom, let us remember also, the One who died to free us from the bondage of sin.

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). He said these words just hours before he was to die on the cross. I believe this kind of love can also apply to love of country and of one’s fellow man, as evidenced by the willingness of many in uniform to give their lives for their country and for their comrades in arms.

Jesus took this to the extreme when he chose to die, not only for his friends, but for his enemies. In Romans we read: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Reading on, we find that when Christ died for us, we were God’s enemies (verse 10). But his death reconciled us to God. By placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we become children of God (John 1:12).

We thank God for all those who have served our country, and especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. And even more, we give thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, who died so that we might live.

Remembering,
Pastor Jerry

29 Apr

The New Man

Posted by sandhillspastor in Change, Christian Living, Faith, The Good News.

In my sermon this week, I spoke on the topic of spiritual rebirth, and pointed out that when we are born again spiritually, we become a new creation. As I studied this past week, the following illustration came to mind.

A short time back, I purchased a tablet computer for my dear wife. She’s not totally into technology, but is learning. Everything has to work about right, or she’s done. Wouldn’t you know the new tablet was defective right out of the box? The company offered to repair the old one, or send me a refurbished one as a replacement. Well, I didn’t want the old one repaired, and I didn’t want a refurbished one. What was needed was a completely new device.

When we come to the teaching in the Bible that says as believers, we are new creations, I really don’t think this means God merely restores us to our original condition, nor are we just updated. It is more like a complete rebuild. In our world of computers, it would be removing everything, including the hard drive, and installing a new operating system, using only the original case.

People are born with a sin nature. Being restored to original condition would mean nothing had changed. Even an update would only give us a newer version of the old man. We are talking about a complete reprogramming, including a new way of processing information, a new way of life, and a new hope for the future.

God says when we trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are a new creation: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22).

In summary, becoming a new creation means a transformed life. It is not possible for a genuine follower of Jesus Christ to continue in a life of sin, as if nothing happened.

By the way, we did get a new replacement for the old tablet, and it works just as its maker intended.
In His Love,
Pastor Jerry

22 Apr

Are You Ready?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, Evil deeds, Faith, Salvation.

Tragedy struck our nation again last week. From the atrocity of the bombing in Boston, to the tragic explosion in Texas, many people have questions; from why do these things happen, to does God care? And some may even be questioning God’s existence.

If anything, the events of the past week remind us of the need to be ready to meet the Lord. Rather than try to fix blame or to ask why, let us be reminded that life is fleeting and that man knows not his time. Instead of asking why the Lord would allow these things, perhaps our first thought should be, “If I was taken suddenly from this life, where would I spend eternity?

In Luke’s gospel, we find some people questioning Jesus about some folks from Galilee who had been killed by the Roman ruler Pilate. Here is the conversation: “Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:1-5).

In other words, he says our concern should not be whether there was some underlying reason for the tragedy, but to consider whether the questioners were ready, should their lives suddenly end.

I believe Jesus’ message is clear. The priority established is not to determine guilt or innocence, but to first make sure of our eternal destination. When death comes, whether through tragedy or natural causes, are we ready to face our Creator at the judgment day? That is the question.

Again, we are reminded, “Now is the day of salvation!, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” There may be no tomorrow..

Just Thinking,
Pastor Jerry

8 Apr

Faith Alone

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Salvation, The Good News.

Now and then, I will hear a person say something like this: “I believe in God. I try to be a good person, and live a moral life. I go to church, and I would hope God will let me in.”

I want to say, “You say you believe in God. You try to be a good person, you live a moral life, and you hope it’s enough to get you into heaven? Do you know that this is wasted effort? God says you cannot earn your way to heaven by being good.

Hear his word in Isaiah 64:6… “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts (good works) are like filthy rags.” We cannot claim righteousness by our good works. We are made righteous only by placing our faith in Jesus Christ and his righteousness.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”: (Romans 3:23); “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”: (Romans 6:23); “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

I feel as if I must shout it out. PLEASE UNDERSTAND! YOU CANNOT BE SAVED BY BEING GOOD, or by joining a church. Not by giving a certain amount of money, not by your abilities, or even by your good looks! God, speaking through the apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Ephesus, says this: “You are saved by faith not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Jesus’ own words are, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In Acts 4:12, Peter, speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Someone once said, “Do what you like, you will never save yourself.” It is a mystery to me why we have to make it so hard. Jesus Christ died once for all. There is no other way.

In His Truth,
Pastor Jerry

25 Mar

Seeking the Lost

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Easter, Faith, The Good News.

Spring is officially here, but someone forgot to turn up the thermostat. We just don’t seem to be able to get any warm days, but with April coming, we have hope. I saw a photo taken by one of our friends this week that reminded me of other March days when we would be out feeding and checking the cattle. It made me think of the following:

I was reading Luke 15 where Jesus was talking about the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7), and I had a flashback to my days of calving out cows. I remembered some times when I spent hours looking for a missing baby calf. Some were at night, when it was almost totally dark, some in the pouring rain, other times it would be snowing and blowing. There might have been a time or two it was doing all the above.

It was what we did, and what some of you are still doing. When a calf was missing, we searched until we found it. The missing one might have crawled through the fence into a shelter belt, and we would find it asleep under a cedar tree. Others would wander off behind a hill, and the cow would be searching with us. Once, with the help of my horse, who stopped to sniff at a snowbank, I found the missing one under the snow. It is all about seeking and saving the lost, and we celebrated when we reunited the calf with its mother.

In Ezekiel 34:16, we read these words of the Lord, “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.” It’s a picture of why Jesus came. In Luke 15:4, Jesus said “if a shepherd loses a sheep, does he not look for it until he finds it? And after he finds it he calls his neighbors to rejoice with him? He then went on to say, “in the same way there will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner.” He is describing someone who has been lost in sin, but who has turned to the Lord to be rescued from his sin. Then, in Luke 19:10, we read these words of Jesus, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
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Jesus Christ came to rescue the lost. Heaven celebrates each one who is found and brought into the safety of the Lord’s care. Not only did he come to seek and to save the lost, he paid the penalty for our sin, and was raised from the dead so that we might live.

Something to remember this Holy Week, as we contemplate the reason Jesus came, and as we look toward Resurrection Day.

Because He Lives,
Pastor Jerry

11 Feb

Stand Firm

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith, Sin.

We’re spending this Sunday afternoon waiting for the remnants of our first real winter storm of 2013 to fade. We didn’t receive a lot of snow, but we did get nearly a half-inch of rain last night, and the wind is blowing hard. Further north and west, they are dealing with some significant snow and wind. I remember those times when our days were spent feeding and caring for livestock. And, I am glad that for me, they are over.

There is increasing pressure for evangelical Christians to accept “same sex marriage”, and a host of other sinful behaviors. Our reaction cannot be to hide in a cave hoping it all goes away. We must stand firm on God’s Word. I believe his people must not compromise his truth. As we are pressed more and more to conform to the ways of the world, it seems appropriate to revisit some instructions from several of the apostles’ letters in the New Testament.

Paul, writing in Romans 12:2… “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Peter, in 1 Peter 1:14… “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (This scripture calls us to live godly lives.)

John, in 1 John 2:15..”Do not love the world or anything in the world.” Also, chapter 3, verse 7: “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.”
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them (false teachers), because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Finally, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:5).

Do not let the world mold you into something contrary to God’s plan for your life. We, who are called by His name, cannot compromise on these issues and stay true to our Lord’s calling. We must speak the truth, and do so in humility and in love.

In Truth and Love,
Pastor Jerry

28 Jan

Help for the Helpless

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith, Work.

Here is our thought for the week. Most people have heard the saying, “God helps those who help themselves.”  Almost everyone has the idea that it comes from the Bible, but it doesn’t. It is not in the Bible, and it is totally false.

I have seen no scripture that would indicate that God helps those who help themselves. As long as we’re helping ourselves, who needs God? It’s when we reach the end of our rope, and we’re dangling out in space, that we finally cry out, “God, help me!” We have nothing to offer God, and we are powerless to help ourselves. Only He can deliver us from ourselves and our sinful nature.

When I was convinced I was doing something for myself, and that God was blessing me because of my wit and wisdom, He showed me that I had nothing to offer in the way of self-sufficiency. It was then I learned what the Bible really says.

We find it in John 15:5. Jesus is speaking:”I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Here are just two more verses. “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles”. Also, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:6, 18).

Jonah, who we visited recently, called out to God from inside the big fish and was rescued.

Perhaps the apostle Paul said it best. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

Does God help those who help themselves? No! It is quite the opposite. God helps the helpless.

In His grip,
Pastor Jerry Continue reading →

7 Jan

New Day Dawning

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, The Good News.

Hello friends,
We have recovered from whatever it was that had us in its grip over Christmas. Last week Milrae and I were able to enjoy several days at the lake, as Alex was still with his dad. Along with getting a couple of little projects done, there was time for an afternoon of catching up with old friends, and a little ice fishing time. I did catch a couple of small pike, which are now in our freezer.

As I write this, it is early Monday morning, and the eastern sky is getting light. The clouds are varying shades of pink and blue, and I’m reminded again that each day is a gift from the Lord. There is a passage of scripture that comes to mind. It is in the Old Testament book of Lamentations. Now Lamentations is not often thought of as a book that gives a lot of hope, but these few verses stand out.

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:21-26).

Isn’t it great to know that because of God’s love we are not destroyed on the spot? He continually gives us another opportunity, the dawning of a new day, to get right with him. It is because of his great compassion for humanity that he sent his Son to provide the way to salvation. We deserve nothing but condemnation because of our sin, but our compassionate and loving God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish. Is this the day you begin a new life with him? Or perhaps renew your fellowship with him?

Waiting for the Son,
Pastor Jerry

31 Dec

Looking Ahead

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith, The Good News.

Dear friends,
It’s the last day of 2012! Instead of looking back, I’d like to direct your attention to some Biblical perspective on the New Year.

For a devotional thought this week, let’s remember that no matter what happened in 2012, or what the new year will bring, God is still on His throne. Let us not live in the past, because it cannot be changed. Let us have the attitude of the apostle Paul: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

For, as Peter writes in his first letter, God has “given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…and into an inheritance…kept in heaven for us…and we rejoice even in trials because we are receiving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls” (1 Peter 1:3-9).

In the words of a song from the past, “Yesterday’s gone, and tomorrow may never be mine…”, but I know this: If tomorrow never comes, what matters most is “what have I done with Jesus?

One more thought from scripture that would apply here, from Ephesians 5:15-17: “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (hint: Read John 6:40).

May you have a Blessed and Happy New Year,
Pastor Jerry

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