Archive for the ‘Forgiveness’ Category

4 Aug

Frying Bacon

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Evil deeds, Forgiveness, God's Word, Law, Marriage, Sin.

Dear readers,
We’ve been glad for some cooler temperatures. At least, we haven’t had any of those hundred degree days. We had a couple of small rain showers toward the end of the week. In other news, progress is being made toward moving our house to Lake Ericson.
Now to our devotional thought for the week: The  sixth commandment says we are not to commit murder. The Lord Jesus said anger out of control can result in murder. The lesson is that we need to keep angry thoughts and attitudes under control. The following story may cause us to pause and reflect on our attitudes concerning those we love.
Frying Bacon: One morning recently, while still harboring a bit of anger over a perceived slight the day before, I was frying bacon for breakfast. My dear wife was beside me frying the eggs. She likes her bacon crisp, while I like mine less so. I was determined to give her crisp bacon for a change. My attitude was “I’ll show her I can do this!”
As the bacon began to get crisp, it also took on a burnt look along the edge. I said, “Is this crisp enough?” Her response was, “Why are you being so naughty?”
Well, I denied any such motive, but she was right, and later I apologized for being so childish…after all, I am much too old for that kind of immature display…
The moral of the story: Don’t hang on to those angry thoughts, words, and attitudes. If you pay attention to the teachings of scripture, those are the very things that if left unattended, can lead to more than burnt bacon. Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother (or wife, or husband) will be subject to judgement.”
Let’s ask the question of ourselves; Are there words, attitudes or actions we need to confess and ask forgiveness for? By doing so, we will restore our relationships with those we love, and with our Lord, as well.
One more thought for the married men out there: “Husbands…be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect…so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7).
Forgiven,
Pastor Jerry

21 Jul

Word Games

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Evil deeds, Faith, Forgiveness, God's Word, Salvation, Sin, Truth.

Hello friends,
I wonder if these are the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer? Do you
remember 1963? That’s when the song was popular. Things were much
simpler then.  I wonder, could those lyrics apply to our present time?

We will be taking the camper for a short trip this week. We want to
enjoy some of our home-grown scenery, without the distractions of
everyday life. Who knows? There may be a few lazy, hazy, crazy days
left out there!

For our devotional thought this week, I’m going to borrow from a
publication we have at our church. Here goes: What would you think of
a doctor who, upon discovering a tumor buried deep in your body,
responded, “take two aspirin, and you’ll be just fine”? How about a
fireman,who responded to a three-alarm fire by saying, “It will
probably burn itself out soon enough”? Or a policeman who after
arriving at the scene of a burglary, shook his head and said, “Boys
will be boys”?

In each case, the response is inappropriate to the situation. Tumors
demand surgery; fires need to be extinguished; lawbreakers must be
punished for their lawless deeds.

Ours is a day in which we have lost sight of the seriousness of sin.
Character defect, error in judgment, slip of the tongue, moment of
weakness, or mistake–call it what you will, God’s Word does not play
these word games. Any transgression of God’s law is sin (1 John 3:4),
and the payment for sin is death (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

I fear that if we continue to ignore God’s moral law and the teachings
of scripture, we will find ourselves in danger of judgment, as well.
It’s time for us to heed the words of the apostle: “Examine yourselves
to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not
realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the
test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

In the prophet Jeremiah’s day, God looked in vain for one person in
the city of Jerusalem who stood for justice and godliness (Jeremiah
5:1). If God were to look in your town, what would he find?

Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry

7 Apr

Debt (and Guilt) Free

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

Can you say spring? I believe it is finally here. Yesterday was beautiful and ended with a thunderstorm and a nice rain shower. It has been much too long since we’ve experienced anything so welcome.
In my study for last week’s sermon, the scripture caught my eye. “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:13-15).
Here is an experience of ours that might help explain this truth: During the agricultural “crash” of the mid-1980’s, the bank ordered us to disperse our cow herd. We had to sell everything and pay back what we had borrowed, which we did. The debt was canceled and a large sum of accrued interest was forgiven.As a condition of this, we could never do business with them again.
In comparison,when Christ died for our sins, he canceled the debt completely and forever; past, present and future. He nailed the canceled “note” to the cross. Our debt is paid and we are forgiven 100 percent, past, present and future. Not only that, we have a personal relationship with him forever.
In addition, the last verse gives assurance that the devil and his demons have no power over the Christian. His defeat was insured when Jesus’ work on the cross was finished, and an exclamation point was added when Jesus rose from the dead.
You might be interested in learning how your own sin debt can be canceled, allowing you not only freedom from sin, but freedom from guilt over sin you may have committed. Here is how it goes: Admit to God that you are a sinner, Believe Jesus died for your sins. Confess those sins and ask for his forgiveness (Romans 10:9-13). Then, obey his command to live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way….” (Colossians 1:10).
You will have peace with God, and the sure and the certain knowledge of spending eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Forgiven!
Pastor Jerry

17 Feb

Just As I Am

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Faith, Forgiveness, Salvation, Sin, The Good News.

Dear readers,

Last night (Sunday), we held another Valentine’s Dinner at the church. The meal was delicious, and the atmosphere warm and friendly. We were greatly entertained by Mr. Steve Swanson at the piano, sharing God’s perspective on love through music and song. Special thanks to all who decorated, and to the youth group for serving our guests. A big thank you also, to everyone who helped with cleanup. Plans are already being made for next year.

Lacking inspiration this week, I share the following: Charles Spurgeon, in a sermon given on February 17, 1861, said this: “When I stand at the foot of the cross, I do not believe in Christ because I have good feelings, but I believe in him whether I have good feelings or not.”

“The gate of Mercy is opened, and over the door it is written, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Between that word “save” and the next word “sinners,” there is no adjective. It does not say, “penitent sinners,” “awakened sinners,” “sensible sinners,” “grieving sinners,” or “alarmed sinners.” No, it only says, “sinners” and I know this, that when I come to Christ today, when I come to him, I dare not come as a conscious sinner or an awakened sinner, but I have to come still as a sinner with nothing in my hands.”

In the words of the song:

“Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come.” (Charlotte Elliot)

 

In a line from another favorite song we get this:

“Could my tears forever flow, Could my zeal no languor know,

These for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.

In my hand no price I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling.” (August Toplady)

Let us not complicate the gospel with our emotions or feelings. These are good things, but Satan can use them to give false assurance of salvation, and also to make sinners feel too bad to obey the Gospel and come to Christ.

In Christ alone is salvation. We bring nothing of value to the cross, but he values us highly. He gave his life for us.

Just thinking,

Pastor Jerry

 

 

20 Jan

Living in Sin

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Forgiveness, God's Word, Marriage, Sin, Truth.

I had the privilege of officiating at a wedding this weekend. Weddings are such fun times, and I appreciate the chance to be involved. While researching my message to the couple, I came across these statistics: In 1990, 50 out of 1000 divorced or widowed persons chose to remarry.

In 2011, that number was only 29 out of 1000.
Here are a few other numbers from the article in USA Today. Unmarried couples of all ages are moving in together. According to 2012 census data, 37 percent of those who live together have been married before. Between 1990 and 2012 the percentage of unmarried couples living together more than doubled, from 5.1% to 11.3%. A generation ago it was called “living in sin”, today it is called “cohabitation.”
The reason I bring this up is to remind us that God had a plan at creation, and he has never changed his plan. The Bible says to live together outside of the bond of marriage is sexual immorality (the old term was fornication). There is no exemption for the divorced or widowed. I must insert here, that Jesus said divorce is a sin. The Bible also teaches that confessed sin will be forgiven (1 John 1:9). Also, according to scripture,the death of a spouse frees a person to remarry (1 Corinthians 7:39). We who are older may try to blame the younger generation, but who is their example? Retired people are also involved in cohabitation.
As always, I must apply scripture to my thinking, so here ya’ go: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality…For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Hebrews 13:4).
When we deliberately disobey God’s commands and refuse to repent of our sin, we are in danger of judgment. Those are God’s words, and his word is unchanging.
In His amazing love,
Pastor Jerry

30 Sep

What’s the Big Deal?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Forgiveness, God's Word, Marriage, Sin, Truth.

I don’t know what kind of response to expect from this next commentary, but I’ll take my chances: Milrae and I went to the hair salon recently to get our hair cut, and group of young women were discussing some pastors who had refused to marry couples that were living together. At the end of the discussion, one young lady wondered aloud, “What’s the big deal?”

I couldn’t keep silent, so I said this: As a pastor, I would have to take the side of those other men, and I believe that a couple should live apart until marriage. Needless to say, the conversation came to a rather abrupt end. I would like to take this opportunity to expand on my statement.

First of all, God’s word says couples living together outside of marriage are living in sin. This is not news, and this sin is no more or less a sin than any other. As with any other sin, it is forgivable. Also, statistics have proven that living together before marriage leads to a greater possibility that the marriage will fail. Most pastors I know who choose not to bless that kind of relationship, would be glad to conduct the ceremony if the concerned parties would confess the sin, repent of it, and live apart for a time as evidence of that repentance. You see, in God’s eyes, and in his plan for marriage, it is a “big deal”, even if the culture we live in tells us it doesn’t matter.

Speaking the Truth in love,
Pastor Jerry

18 Mar

Sin In The Camp(er)

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Forgiveness, Sin, The Good News.

I don’t remember if I mentioned we bought a used camper last fall. When we got it, we knew it had some issues with water damage. Upon further examination, there was much more damage than first appeared. What we saw on the surface did not prepare us for the internal damage that had been done. I had planned to do the work myself, but we decided to take it to the camper repair place. They are doing a great job of restoring our “bargain” to usable condition.

Isn’t that just like what happens when we allow a small amount of sin such as anger, or bitterness to creep into our lives? It doesn’t seem to be a big deal on the outside, but left alone it can spread until it destroys everything on the inside.

In a spiritual sense, sin has the same effect on our lives as did the water that crept into the walls of our camper. Whether it is jealousy, envy, anger, bitterness, immorality, profanity, or any number of things I could mention, it starts out small and seemingly harmless. It then begins to spread until it takes over completely. There is no way we can get rid of it without help. The only one who can bring about restoration of the soul contaminated by sin is the Lord Jesus Christ. “Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).

If someone had taken steps to prevent the water from entering the camper walls, much damage could have been prevented. We, as Christians, also need to take preventive measures against sin creeping into our lives. Here are a few suggestions from Scripture: Flee from evil desires (2 Timothy 2:22). Resist the devil (1 Peter 5:8-9). Keep away from temptation (Galatians 6:1). Be in prayer (Mark 14:38).

And, if we find that sin has crept into our life, here is the remedy: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Faith in Christ is the remedy for removing the stain and guilt of sin in our lives. There is no other.

Because He lives,
Pastor Jerry

11 Mar

Sin’s Definition

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Evil deeds, Forgiveness, God's Word, Sin, Truth. Tagged: , .

Dear friends,
On the home scene, life remains busy. If there is a time in life when we are not busy anymore, it hasn’t appeared on my horizon. The change to daylight saving time supposedly gives us more daylight hours, and I’m going to need every minute.

I think it is clear to most people that it is not popular these days to talk about sin. Sin, as described in the Bible, is minimized, glossed over, white-washed, or ignored, but few people are willing to call it disobedience to God’s commands.

Here is a case in point: The television series “The Bible” is airing this month. I did not see all of the first installment, but I will. I did read a review of that episode. In it the reviewer stated that people watching it would get the idea that Sodom and Gomorrah were judged and destroyed for their lack of hospitality. When I read the account in the Bible, I come away with the understanding that those two cities were destroyed because of rampant sexual immorality, including the sin of homosexuality, and others. There were not even 5 people in the cities who met God’s standard of righteousness.

I believe the lesson here for us is this: If we don’t preach and teach that every word in his Book is faithful and true, we are setting ourselves up for a similar judgment at some point. Those ten commandments are not the “ten suggestions.”

Sin is sin. To call it anything else is to call God a liar (1 John 1:10). The good news is Jesus Christ died on the cross to provide forgiveness of sin, no matter what the sin. God forgives all who come to him on the basis of the shed blood of his Son. The end result of this, according to the apostle, is that the one who trusts in Christ will not continue in his or her sin. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9).

Let us call sin what it is. Follow that up with confession. Confession is agreeing with God that we are sinners. Then, ask his forgiveness, trust his Son Jesus to save you, and as Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.” And if you should sin again, which you may very well do now and then, do as we are instructed in 1 John 1:9… “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Forgiven,
Pastor Jerry

21 Jan

An Unhappy Anniversary

Posted by sandhillspastor in Evil deeds, Forgiveness, Prayer, Sanctity of Human Life, Sin.

This week (Tuesday) marks the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in America. I want to say a few words concerning the sin of abortion. I believe we must call it sin, because God created humans in his image, and to destroy human life is murder. It is murder at any stage of life. Nowhere in scripture is the murder of a human being at any stage of life condoned, especially the lives of innocents.

Much is made in the news media of the murder of young people in a school, or the slaughter of people attending a movie, but there is no outcry, no sorrow over the millions of lives terminated by abortion in the last 40 years. In the most recent report from Planned Parenthood, we find the organization performed 333,964 abortions in 2011. This amounts to 915 abortions per day. Where is the media uproar over this?

There has been much talk recently from the president and others about stricter gun laws, but I have heard nothing about the clear and present danger to the unborn in the form of abortion. I believe the issue is not one of taking guns from law-abiding citizens. Instead it is about a country, a government that breaks God’s moral law by sponsoring abortion (murder).

God is not mocked. Whether as individuals or as a nation, we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). When the Israelites were sacrificing their children to pagan gods, God judged them (Leviticus 20:2-5).. Why would we think he will not do the same when our country is in effect sacrificing our unborn children to the “god of convenience”, or to the “god of choice?”

I believe that our country will be judged for this sin, if in fact we are not being judged already. Sin has consequence, and even if America would confess her sin and repent of it, she will surely suffer some consequence of her past actions.

The Bible is God’s Word, and if God’s Word says murder is a sin, who are we to try to tell Him He is wrong? In my mind and in my understanding of the Bible, there can be no justification for abortion for any reason.

Praying for America,
Pastor Jerry

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

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