Archive for the ‘Freedom’ Category
2
Jul
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Freedom, Gospel, Peace, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
The 2018 fireworks display at Lake Ericson was held Saturday evening, and ended in a rain storm. The early date was necessary due to availability of qualified persons. There were a lot of families who enjoyed the weekend at the lake, even though it wasn’t a holiday. Independence Day falls on Wednesday this year, but we should be able to celebrate this country’s independence every day. There are those who criticize her, and want to make harmful changes to our constitution, but America is still the greatest nation on earth, bar none.
Perhaps our greatest responsibility as citizens of this country, is to first of all, thank God for his blessings through the years, followed by prayers for the future of the United States of America. After all, if not for His guidance and protection in the past, this nation might never have been created.
There is another freedom for which we owe God our allegiance. He sent His Son to die for our sins, and in response to his offer of salvation, we are set free from the bondage of sin. True freedom in the spiritual sense means not only are we free from the penalty of sin, we are set free from the guilt that results from disobeying Him.
In him (Jesus) and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 1:12). Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).
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). You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).
Finally, in these verses, we find instructions on how to live as citizens in a country, under God’s direction: Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king (president), as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right… 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).
Happy Independence Day,
Pastor Jerry
11
Jun
Posted by sandhillspastor in Anger, Bible, Christian Living, Freedom, God's Word, Peace, Sin, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom. Leave a comment
This past Thursday, we celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary. There was a time, based on family history, when I didn’t think I would live 54 years, now we’ve been married that long! In other news, our community was blessed with another 1.30 inches of rain Wednesday night, into Thursday morning. Some lawns will wait awhile before being mowed again. It is easy to see that school is out and summer is upon us, as many individuals and families are coming to the lake. I’m sure it will be this way until after Labor Day, and it is great to see people enjoying Lake Ericson.
If you ever feel the need to be really frustrated, may I recommend trying to change a lawn mower tire. I mean, take the old one off the rim and put a new tire on. I will never understand why tire manufacturers wrap them up with the sidewalls touching, so that there is no way to get them to inflate! It just seems wrong to put an inner tube in a tubeless tire, but that is what I’m going to do.
After that little rant, I need to pause and reflect on God’s teaching about anger. Let’s take a look at some scripture that will do just that.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him… Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil (Psalm 37:7-8).
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).
In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent (Psalm 4:4).
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control (Proverbs 29:11).
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9).
Now some New Testament verses dealing with the topic of anger: In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are angry (Ephesians 4:26). Paul goes on: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice (Ephesians 4:31).
Finally, “for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:20). Good words from God’s Word.
In Him,
Pastor Jerry
4
Jun
Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, God's Word, Peace, Planning, Truth, Uncategorized, Work. Leave a comment
Here we are in the sixth month of 2018, already. Can you believe the year is almost half over? The Lord has provided more rain this week, meaning we will have lawns to mow later. There were some weather advisories up for a time Friday evening, prompting the placing of some hail screen over Mama’s tomato plants and cucumbers, and some potted posies were put indoors. I have heard reports, or at least rumors of some severe weather in the area, but none here. The plants are safe, at least for the time being.
While thinking about weather related subjects, I’m reminded of that period in time, when I was starting out running the ranch on my own. In haying season, I was forever trying to outguess the weather. Was it going to rain, or would it be dry for a few days, so we could mow and bale the hay? What did the forecast say? Could I depend on those meteorologists to know what would happen? It seemed I was always on the fence about what to do.
This was about the time I started paying more attention to the Lord, and what he had to say about living life. Once, during my Bible reading time, I came across a few verses that changed my whole outlook on this matter of weather, and it affected what I was doing. Let me share those words with you.
“Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (Ecclesiastes 11:4-6).
What a wakeup call! Instead of worrying about the weather, I was to plant the seed, mow the hay, put the bulls with the cows on schedule, and trust God with the results. Suddenly, I was free from worrying about things over which I had no control.
I will leave you with this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
Blessings,
Pastor Jerry
28
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Freedom, God's Word, Memorial Day, renewal, Sin, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
I’m writing this in the middle of Memorial Weekend. One item prominently displayed everywhere, is the American flag. As we reflect on the meaning of this holiday, it is appropriate for us to fly the flag. It is by the sacrifice of many Americans, that we continue to have the freedoms we experience every day.
I hope you who are reading this were among those who honored the holiday by attending a Memorial service, where the focus was on the sacrifice made by some on behalf of us all. I know that many took the time to reflect on the meaning of the holiday, but many more spent the weekend in activities that had nothing to do with it. As pastor said yesterday, “Regardless of your opinion of war, thank God for those who have served, and those who are serving to protect freedom.”
On another, yet perhaps related theme, there was a bit of drama at our house this week. Well, maybe not drama, but a good illustration of the result of ignoring signs of impending problems. For a rather long time, I have been hearing our water pump running, even when no water was being used. Being a bit of a procrastinator, I kept putting off searching for the problem. Early last week, I took a quick glance through the crawlspace door, and saw a small lake under the house.
Suddenly, the issue wasn’t that there might be a problem. The problem was real. To shorten the story, there was a leak in the line going to our yard hydrant. After disconnecting the offending pipe, and using a sump pump to remove about six inches of water from the crawl space, we are waiting to the ground to dry out a bit. After that, there will be action taken to prevent this from happening again.
Whether forgetting the reason for a national holiday, failing to deal with personal sin, or even putting off repairing a leaky pipe, there will be a day when action needs to be taken. We can only pray it is not too late to repair the damage.
Let us return to the values of yesterday, and follow God’s plan for mankind as revealed in his Word. It is not too late. If we will confess those sins, nationally and personally, he will restore us to fellowship with himself.
Thinking again,
Pastor Jerry
26
Mar
Posted by sandhillspastor in Body of Believers, Change, Christian Living, Culture, Fellowship, Freedom, Gospel, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
It is time once again for news and views from our house. As always, the weather is a common conversation topic. It’s interesting to note, temperatures that seem rather chilly in the fall seem almost balmy these days. Anything over fifty degrees sends me outdoors in my shirtsleeves.
I have had discussions concerning the tendency these days for people to dress casual for about every event or activity. What used to be jacket and tie at the very least, is now athletic shoes, denim jeans and tee-shirts. Many times these discussions come around to what to wear to church.
Along that line of thought, there was a post on Facebook this week resisting the trend to casual. The sign at the church door read: “It’s all about love. PLEASE, no food or drink, no cell phones, lots of love allowed.”
Here are my thoughts on the clothing issue. As far as God is concerned, it is not so much about our appearance as it is about the condition of our heart. I don’t believe this is an excuse to dress shoddily, or be uncaring about our appearance as we gather to worship. Christ doesn’t require us to clean up our act before he accepts us. He does expect to see change in us, as a result of making Him Lord of our lives.
As for the food and drink issue, here is the comment that accompanied the sign at the church door: “Why are some churches so fearful of food, drinks and cell phones? I’ve never seen a food or drink or a cell phone walk into a sanctuary by themselves. Generally speaking, there is a person attached. And churches need people more than clean carpet or quiet sanctuaries.”
Of course, we should welcome all to enter our church buildings, regardless of dress, food or drink, or whatever. But we are to love them enough to point them to the Savior, praying that the Gospel will touch their hearts, and bring them to salvation.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10). Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry
27
Nov
Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Christmas, Faith, Freedom, Giving, Gospel, Grace, Possessions, Praise, Resurrection, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
Hello friends,
It is the last week of November. The Thanksgiving leftovers are almost gone, and after being thankful for God’s blessings of the past year, we can now concentrate on celebrating the greatest gift ever given, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christmas lights are up at the Lake, and if you are in the area, it is worth driving out to see them. As the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. The past few days have been unseasonably warm, so it may be harder to think Christmas. However, there are only four weeks until Christmas, and then a brand new year. As I look back, I see many changes in the past year, and I don’t believe they were all positive. That is not to say there was nothing positive, just that those things were less noticeable.
We are reminded at this time of year, that God came to earth in human form, to set in motion His plan to redeem a sinful, fallen world. There was a quote in our church bulletin this morning that said, “It is really sad how much of our time, effort and energies are captured by the cultural busyness of Christmastime, rather than the core of the Advent story. We allow Christmas to be more about created stuff than it is about the incarnation of the Creator. We’ve turned the story on its head.”
Here is a refresher, just in case anyone might need it:
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 (John 3:16).
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4-5).
The apostle Paul, in reminding the church at Corinth of the gospel, wrote this, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Yours,
Pastor Jerry
20
Nov
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Families, Freedom, God's Word, Grace, Praise, Prayer, thanksgiving, The Good News, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
Dear friends,
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
What is the Thanksgiving holiday? It has always been about giving thanks to God, our Creator and Provider, for all things good. These would include crops harvested, good health, a roof over our heads, a warm bed to sleep in, food on the table, family, country, and especially thanks for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
Most people understand saying please and thank you, as a matter of being polite to one another. And, most people thank other people for kindnesses shown, for gifts at birthdays and Christmas, and at other times, as well. But when it comes to a thanksgiving holiday, who do those who do not believe in the God of the Bible thank for all their blessings? Think about that.
Who indeed, can we thank for the very breath we breath, if not a Creator? What sense could it make to thank some pool of primordial soup, as some see the beginning of life? The Bible says “In the beginning, God”, that is good enough for me, and I will praise Him to the end of time and beyond.
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:1-5).
Jesus said it: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
The chorus to an old hymn comes to mind at this time of year:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
May you have many blessings to count this Thanksgiving Day,
Praising Him,
Pastor Jerry
21
Aug
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, Christian Living, Culture, Evil deeds, Freedom, Persecution, Politics, Stewardship, Trials, Uncategorized, Witness. Leave a comment
Dear Readers,
The cool weather continues for us. Along with it came some beneficial rains, for which we are very thankful. My bout with shingles is winding down. For this I am thankful also. Next time someone mentions getting a preventive inoculation, I will be first in line! I will be posting this early Monday morning, so any comments I might have concerning the solar eclipse will wait until next week.
I’ve been thinking about those who seem bent on removing anything that would remind Americans of their national identity and inheritance. There are several lines of conversation, or commentary that come from this behavior.
One truth from the lessons of history is that if a people wanted to conquer a civilization, they would remove all the landmarks and other reminders of their history and culture. In our day, we have seen ISIS destroying Christian landmarks, and in our country currently, there is a movement to remove reminders of our past.
When the children of Israel were entering the Promised Land, when the priests, who were carrying the ark of the covenant, stepped into the Jordan river, the water stopped flowing, so that they could cross on dry ground. After reaching the other side, they were instructed to set up stones as a memorial. Joshua told the people that they were setting up the stones as a permanent memorial, so that when their children asked the question, “What are these stones”, they could answer with a lesson from Israel’s history.
These are the words of the Lord, given through Joshua to the people: “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cutoff before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:6-7).
Sadly, after Joshua passed from the scene, Israel forgot her past, and began to be influenced by her pagan neighbors. The result of this was that God judged Israel and sent her into exile for seventy years. I fear America may be on a similar path. We who care about the rich history of our country need to pray fervently that God would intervene and put her back on the straight way.
Praying for America,
Pastor Jerry
14
Aug
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Christian Living, Culture, Eternal Life, Faith, Family of God, Freedom, God's Word, Gospel, Obedience, Peace, Repentance, Rest, Truth, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
Things are beginning to return to normal around here. Last weekend was busy, with a Saturday wedding in Grand Island, and preaching in Burwell on Sunday. Most of this week has involved getting rested and recharged. The lake campgrounds are staying busy, with tankers and others who appreciate the good life here.
If you are involved at all with social media, you know about following. We follow everything; blogs, tweets, snaps, pages, and yes, people. In fact, followers are at an all-time high. People will do anything for a follow, if you have watched any YouTube videos, you know what I mean.
In the Bible, Jesus invites us to follow Him, but following Jesus is more than liking a page or a group, it is responding to a call. To His disciples and to us, he says, “come follow me” (Matthew 4:19). He said these words to some fishermen, and their response is recorded in the next verse; “At once they left their nets and followed Him.” This should be our response to his call.
The Bible tells us that we all follow someone, and the identity of the one calling us determines how we follow. Jesus said of his followers, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). In another place, He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). We are told that following Jesus will bring us salvation from sin, give us eternal life, and enable us to live holy lives.
On the contrary, those who follow false teachers and the ways of the world will reap judgment, and spend eternity in hell, separated from God. The apostle Paul, had much to say about those who refuse to follow Him. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:8).
Following someone on social media doesn’t require anything more than a mouse click or touching a screen. No commitment is needed. Following Jesus is a life-long journey that leads to peace, righteousness, and true lasting joy. Who are you following today?
Following Jesus,
Pastor Jerry
3
Jul
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, God's Word, Obedience, Praise, Service, Stewardship, Uncategorized, Work, Worship. 2 comments
Hello friends,
We are a couple of weeks into the official summer season. This means the days are getting shorter, but it will be awhile before we notice much difference. The Independence Day holiday is soon to be history, and we will get down to our summer routine. For some, it will be watering and mowing the lawn, or tending a garden. For others, it will be watering crops, and harvesting a hay crop.
God put us here to work and to make a living, in order to provide for our families, and in the end to bring Him glory through our stewardship of what He has given us.
It begins is Genesis 2. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:9-10).
“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24).
“Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways;
You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours” (Psalm 128:1-2).
To those who would take advantage of other’s work by stealing, Paul said, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his hands.” And more good advice from Paul: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17), and this includes our vocation, whatever it may be.
So, as you go about your daily work routine this summer, whatever it is, work as for the Lord, because after all, he is the provider of all good things, even the daily labor he has called you to do. In addition, here is a bit of advice from the apostle Paul: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Blessings,
Pastor Jerry
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