Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

24 Dec

2012 Christmas

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

It’s that Christmas time of year again. I’m thankful for the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you each week. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Savior, may each one of us be aware of the purpose for his coming.

I have wondered all week what I might write in regard to the school shootings on the 14th. One wonders how we could celebrate Christmas in the wake of an event like this. Every one of us, I’m sure, had feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, anger, disbelief, among others. I came across an article written by Ravi Zacharias, a well-known Christian apologist, who had some very insightful comments. I would just like to share a few sentences with you.

After pointing out some things wrong with our society, he comes to the point of his article. It is that sin (disobedience to God) is the root cause of all our problems.

I quote: “The Bible only speaks of one remedy for this: the transformation of the heart by making Christ the center. Those who mock the simplicity of the remedy have made evil more complex and unexplainable. Every heart has the potential for murder. Every heart needs a redeemer. That is the message of Christmas. The world took that child and crucified Him. But by his triumph over death He brings life to our dead souls and begins the transformation within. Unto us a child is born and He shall save us from our sins.”

My prayer this Christmas season is that everyone who reads this will look to Jesus, and receive the free gift of salvation he offers. Your life will be changed, and you will never, ever regret making that decision. If the gift is already yours, praise the Lord! Live each day for Him, to the praise and glory of God the Father. Amen!

Christmas blessings to all,
Pastor Jerry

17 Dec

Some Thoughts on This Week

Posted by sandhillspastor in Evil deeds, Faith, Forgiveness, Sin, The Good News.

We have had some praiseworthy events this week. Alex has permission from the doctor to start leaving the crutches behind. It appears his surgery is having the desired effect. My knee is healing, although I now know there is a problem with some arthritis. And, probably the most encouraging event of the past week has been the rain we received here Friday night into Saturday morning. I suspect there has been a lot of happy dancing out there.

The annual Wheeler County Community Choir concert was held Sunday afternoon in two locations. It is a blessing to hear talented volunteers sing the songs of the season, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Still another violent tragedy has happened in our country. What happened at that school in Connecticut is beyond our comprehension. Most people have an opinion of why these things happen, but I believe the only source for the answer is God’s word. If we don’t understand these things from a Biblical perspective, we basically are left with no hope, and no answers. I also believe that we will never have all the answers, because God doesn’t give them all to us. However, he does give us enough to carry us through.

It is unimaginable to us that these things happen, but at this season of the year I believe it is of the greatest importance for us to remember that Jesus Christ came to earth to be the specific remedy for sin in the world. It is sin, after all that is at the root of this horrible act. I don’t pretend to know why God did not prevent this from happening. There are so many things in life for which we have no answer. I do know that God tells us his thoughts and his ways are not the same as ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9). In that same chapter of Isaiah, there is an invitation to come to God, to call on him for the forgiveness our of sin, and to receive his salvation.

At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, I must say I believe that unless and until all people acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, events similar to last Friday can and will occasionally happen. Until that time, God is still sovereign, He is still on His throne, and He is still in control of times and events. Praise His Name forever!

Leaning on the everlasting arms,
Pastor Jerry

12 Nov

Moving Forward

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

There was a taste of winter this week. The wind blew in some cold air, resulting in some light snow, but none of it lasted for long. Maybe it was just to remind us of things that need to be done before winter comes to stay.

On a personal note, I will be having surgery to repair some torn cartilage in my left knee. I’m not sure what caused it, but I’ve been told it’s a curse resulting from my lack of compassion for others suffering knee pain . 🙂

The election is over, the world did not end, the sun came up, and we go forward. Christians are given the command to be about the Lord’s business until he returns. I recently read this: “Our hope is not in the donkey, nor in the elephant. Our hope is in the Lamb of God!”

Our tendency at a time like this, is to want to sit down by the side of the road with our head in our hands, and give up. This is not what the Lord would have us to do. Though it seems the whole world is going directly away from God and the Bible, we Christians have been given the responsibility of proclaiming His truth to those who do not know Him.

The early Christians, beginning with Jesus’ disciples, proclaimed his gospel to the world in which they lived. They did so in the face of ridicule, persecution and even death. We are called to do the same.

Here are just a few verses that apply: Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus is speaking. “Therefore to and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them….and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Acts 4:12…Peter preaching to the people and speaking of Jesus; “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Following this statement from Peter, he and John are brought before the authorities and commanded to stop preaching. Their answer? “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (4:20).

Finally, Peter writes in his first letter these words of instruction to believers: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15).

Judging from the results of this last election, there are probably millions of people who don’t know, or who misapply God’s word. It is high time for His people to proclaim the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And to do it boldly, but with love and compassion, gentleness and respect.

Proclaiming Him,
Pastor Jerry

5 Nov

Powerless

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith. Tagged: .

It is good to live in the middle of America. We’ve had a nice week in regard to the weather. We are still in need of some rain, but feel blessed that we haven’t had the wind and other nasty things that have occurred in other parts of the country. We need to pray for our northeast coast residents, as they recover from the storm.

A headline caught my attention this week. After all, that’s what headlines are supposed to do. It was just one word: “POWERLESS.” We are reminded when a storm like “Sandy” comes along, that puny humans are just that. Powerless.

When the storm comes, we are powerless to do anything except ride it out. We are powerless to control the wind and the water, and when the power lines blow down, we are literally powerless, having become so accustomed to having electric power at our fingertips.

In a similar fashion, in our own strength, we have no power over sin, we have no power to save ourselves from sin’s penalty, and we have no power to work our way to heaven. In spite of our human wit and wisdom we can do nothing but throw ourselves on God’s mercy. It is only by the grace of God and his power that we can overcome sin and it is only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross, that we are saved from the penalty of sin.

Very few of the people in the path of Hurricane Sandy thought they could withstand her fury in their own strength. Those who had that idea most certainly realized their weakness when the storm struck.

In Jeremiah 27:5, God says, “With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it…” And who controls the weather? “He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses” (Psalm 135:7).

Yet, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). The Lord told the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In other words, our weakness only magnifies God’s power. We are reminded in Ephesians 6:10 to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

Finally, this benediction from Jude: “To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forever more! Amen.

If you are in situation you are powerless to change, call on the Lord. He cares, and he will give you strength to make it through the storm.

In His strength,
Pastor Jerry

29 Oct

Whose Prayers are Answered?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Faith, Prayer. Tagged: .

We have had our first snow of the season. There were only 3 or 4 inches, but it was wet and melted away fairly quickly. Thank you, Lord! Much more moisture is needed to return the land to normal. Please keep praying for rain.

Several days this week were spent cleaning out excess “stuff” from the ranch buildings. With the projected closing date nearing, we hope to be able to bring that part of our lives to a conclusion and move on. As mentioned in a previous column, change isn’t always easy, but change will come. It is up to us to make the best of it.

As I ask you to pray for rain, and as I believe we need also to pray for our country in this election year, there is a thought that I must share. We must understand that only God can answer prayer, and also, that he only answers the prayers of his children.

I realize I may be getting into controversial territory with this, but I believe the Bible confirms it.

In the Old Testament we read this: “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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Notice the requirements for God’s hearing their prayers: humility, confession of sin, repentance and seeking Him. Other conditions for answered prayer include obedience to God’s word, faith in the Lord and obedience to his word, among others.

There was a point in Israel’s history when they became so far removed from God, that he would not hear prayers on their behalf. (Jeremiah 7:16).

In John’s gospel, there is the story of a man whose blindness was healed by Jesus. To the Pharisees who disbelieved his story, the man said, “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will” (John 9:31).

So, when we offer to pray for someone, or for a certain situation, we need to understand that God answers the prayers of his people. I’m not sure he answers the prayers of others, except the prayers of the one who prays to receive Jesus as his or her Savior.

God hears and answers the prayers of his children. Are you one of his?

Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry

22 Oct

The Body of Christ

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith.

My trip to Kansas last week was nice. I was privileged to hear some great preaching and teaching, along with some very good singing. I came home encouraged and excited to hear what the Lord is doing in our two-state convention. The only down side was that I was a bit lame from what appears to have been touch of gout in my left foot.

With the pain in the toe experience, I was once again reminded of the passage of Scripture in which the apostle Paul describes God’s family as a body. Each of the parts is dependent on the others, and expanding on that thought, when any part hurts, the whole body is affected.

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though its parts are many, they form one body…. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many…If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:12, 14-26).

At the local church level, we feel the pain or share in the joy each member experiences in their daily lives.

We are also members of a larger body, which is God’s global church, made up of believers everywhere in this world. So, when we hear of Christians being persecuted for their faith in other parts of the world, it should cause us to feel their pain.

Likewise, when we hear of other Christians being blessed by God, we should rejoice with them, instead of being envious of their blessing. This week, when I heard testimonies of lives being changed in far places because of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I rejoiced with those who were seeing these things first-hand. So, also, news of Christians being killed for their faith, brings feelings of sorrow and pain.

A Christian is not an end unto himself. We are all a part of the body of Jesus Christ. I know of no place in the Bible that says we are called to God’s Secret Service, and I read of no Lone Ranger Christians. We may not all be in high-visibility positions, but we are all parts of the same body.

Ephesians 4:15-16 says, “Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Are you part of His body?

Simply His,
Pastor Jerry

8 Oct

Visiting Hours in Heaven?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, Heaven, The Good News.

Dear friends,
I experienced another birthday anniversary last week. There was no major celebration, but Alex took me to the cafe for breakfast, and my beautiful wife prepared a tasty lunch. Then, of course, there were a few cards in the mail, along with many Facebook greetings from friends. All in all, it was a good day.

Some time ago, I saw a comment that said something like this: It’s too bad there aren’t visiting hours in heaven. This brings several images to my mind, but really, how could this possibly be true? It is a nice sentiment, but “it ain’t gonna’ happen”. I know there are times we would like to visit those who have gone on before us, but let’s face it, there can be no such thing.

First, the only way anyone gets to heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ own words, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Second, for anyone to enter heaven, they have to die. In the words of the old song, “I’ll never get out of this world alive.” The Bible says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that to face judgment. The judgment determines a person’s eternal destination. For the believer, that destination is heaven. For the unbeliever, the one who rejects God’s salvation, the destination is hell.

Thirdly, even if there were visiting hours in heaven, who would want to come back to this old fallen, sin sick world? You would want to stay there, because that is where Jesus is.

Last, but not least, if our reason to visit heaven is to see our loved ones, we are wanting to go there for the wrong reason. God gave us memories for a purpose. It’s because there are no visiting hours in heaven. Those memories are how we visit our loved ones.

When we enter heaven’s gates, it is forever.

Waiting to see Jesus,
Pastor Jerry

24 Sep

Connected?

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

Hello friends,

Cooler weather is here at last. We have had our first frost, and I’m sure the folks with allergies will be more comfortable. Our biggest need is for some significant rainfall, but at this point, I think we’d even settle for a wet snowfall.

Alex is getting along well with his crutches, but is frustrated occasionally by his inability to get where he’s going quickly. We will check in with the doctor on Friday to get his stitches out and further instructions on his rehab.

In other news, we have become owners of a fifth wheel camper trailer. What remains is, will we ever take the time to use it for its intended purpose?

A few week ago, as I sat waiting for someone in Walmart, I noticed a fair number of people walking around with their smart-phones and other electronic devices in their hands. I wondered, is it so important to stay connected that you are reduced to having only one hand with which to get your work done, while the other is checking your messages?

I admit to behaving like this sometimes, but not at the extreme level. No yet, anyway. The question arises, “How often do we check the Bible for a message from the Lord?” Some of you will answer, “I have the Bible app installed in my device.” Next question: Are you seen checking that “app” as often as you check email or instant messaging? Most of the “important” messages we receive by way of social media are in reality not so important that we need to be “connected” in all our waking and sleeping hours. The messages I would like us to be focused on are those contained in God’s word. Now, there is communication that matters for eternity!

Consider these verses: “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97). “My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises”) Psalm 119:148.

The most important message ever received from God is John 3:16… “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.” Continuing with the idea of messaging, we read this: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17.)

With whom are you connected most?

Connected through His Word,
Pastor Jerry

23 Jul

Refreshing News

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

Hello friends,
Another week begins hot and dry. A wildfire rages in an area of our state that we consider home. Although we do not have property in the immediate area, those folks are our neighbors. We continue to pray for God’s intervention in that situation.

Elsewhere, there was an attack on innocent movie-goers in Aurora, Colorado. I’m sure there are very few, if any, who have not heard of that evil act. Often, it seems chaos is all around us, and everything is out of control.

Sometimes our souls seem to reflect those same conditions. We may feel we are either in a period of extended drought, or in the middle of a chaotic situation that is out of control. When that happens, we are reminded that the Lord invites us to experience “springs of living water”, and the peace that passes all human understanding.

I’m not going to try to explain the “whys” of all the things we’ve experienced in recent days. There are a lot of other more qualified people doing that already. What I will do is direct you to some scriptures that have helped me in times past.

From the Psalms first of all: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2). “This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:6-7).

These are the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 11:30. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

From Philippians 4:6-7…”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 passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.”

Finally, from Revelation 7:17 concerning those who come out of the great tribulation: “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

In His tender care,
Pastor Jerry

9 Jul

A Lesson From the Hayfield

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith.

Does anyone remember the song “Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer”? It made it to #6 on the Billboard chart in 1963. If there ever were days like those, I think they are behind us. This year, it is more like “the crazy, busy, endless days of summer. I know it doesn’t rhyme well, but it’s the best I can do.

After another hot week, there is a hint of cooler weather for a few days, but no mention of any rain. Prayers for relief from the heat, and for rain are very much in order.

We celebrated the Fourth of July in Ericson, watching the parade and spending the rest of the day with two of our long-time friends from “home”. As I get older, air conditioning appeals more to me than sitting outdoors on a hot summer day.

Since it is haying season in our part of the world, I’d like to share an observation from the hayfield that I made a few years back. When mowing the hay, the person operating the mowing machine tries to mow cleanly. He or she wants to do a neat, clean job so that when the neighbors drive by they will see only a cleanly mowed field, not patches of standing grass. When the job is done, it may appear that all the grass was cut off evenly, but when the rake comes along the next day, what has been hidden will be revealed. Every mistake the mower made will be exposed for all to see.

There are millions of people who are trying to live clean lives, to do good and not make mistakes. They believe that if they do all these things well, God will surely let them into heaven. The problem with this thinking is that at the judgment day, all the exterior things will be taken away, and all the sins and mistakes will be revealed. It will be plainly seen that no one is that good.

Entrance to heaven is based solely on a right relationship with God the Father, and the only way to that kind of relationship is by placing our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11-12a reads, “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light.”

It is of utmost importance that we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, anything less will not stand the test at the judgment.

Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry

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