Archive for the ‘Freedom’ Category
30
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Culture, Evil deeds, Forgiveness, Freedom, Giving, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Memorial Day, Obedience, Service, Sin, Uncategorized. 2 comments
As I write this morning, it is Memorial Day. Yesterday (Sunday), here at the lake, there was a program honoring our veterans and those who gave all for our country. It was interesting to hear some of the veterans tell their stories of service, and I was reminded again of the sacrifices made to keep our country free. At the same time, I was reading on social media of the vandalism of patriot displays and cemeteries around the country. It makes one ask, “what is wrong with people today who have no respect for these things? Actually, the answer is found in the Bible. It starts in the hearts of people. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it” (Jeremiah 17:10)?
As I look out my window, I see the lake. Its surface is completely still this morning, and reflects the trees along the edge, and the sky above. It is much like a mirror. Many years ago, somewhere I remember reading that the color of the water on a given day, is a reflection of the sky. Sunny days, it appears to be blue. On gray cloudy days, the water is seen as dark and gray. I think this relates to my opening comment concerning the behavior of people. What we see in their words and actions are a reflection of their heart.
“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
Christians are to reflect the character and actions of the Lord Jesus. We are to be a mirror image of the One whose name we bear. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…” (Romans 8:29).
“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:49). “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness…” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
It is not possible for any person to consistently exhibit right behavior without Christ in his or her heart. It is hard enough sometimes for the Christian to do so.
Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry
23
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Culture, Eternal Life, Family of God, Fellowship, Freedom, God's Word, Gospel, Marriage, Obedience, Sin, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized. 1 comment
Over the weekend, we participated in the wedding of a great young couple. I would describe it as a perfect example of marriage, as defined in the Bible. Two young people, committed first of all to their Lord, and then to each other. Congratulations to Adair and Anita Ballagh. You have set the bar high for those who are watching.
I enjoy the early part of the day; those first hours after sunrise are the best. Sunday morning, I was listening to a sermon by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. He had some good thoughts that apply to current times, maybe even more so today than when he preached.
He related that in his time, people were asking, what is the reason for the violence and all the unrest that is going on? His one-word answer to the question was this: Ungodliness! We do not have to look very far today, to see that he is right. In a godless society, immorality rises, when men exhibit godly behavior, morality returns.
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when people turn their backs on the Bible, its instruction concerning morals, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, immorality is rampant. I ask, is this not a picture of society in our day?
We are failing to see the real problem, and in doing so, we miss the remedy. People who behave badly are told to “just be good.” If that doesn’t work, some try medication, or someone suggests it is a psychological problem and they call in mental health people to find the cause.
Here is the truth: The problem is the same as it has been since the Garden of Eden. Sin! People just can’t be “good.” Do you remember what the scripture says about being good? “There is no one righteous (good), not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God…. there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).
John the Baptist introduced Jesus as “the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “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).
So then, the answer to the problem of sin in the world is Jesus Christ!
Standing on His Truth,
Pastor Jerry
7
Mar
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Forgiveness, Freedom, Possessions, Rest, Sin, The Good News, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
It’s Monday again, and time for another news update and devotional thought. I would never have believed, when I started composing these articles, that I would still be doing it. Thanks to all who have encouraged me along the way.
We are still in the moving process. I believe one never has a true understanding of how many things we accumulate until we try to move it from one place to another. I was told yesterday of a man who said everyone should put their place up for sale every ten years. The point is you may or may not sell it, but you will get it cleaned up. Wise words, I believe.
I am reminded once more of those Bible passages that speak of being unhindered in our Christian journey. The writer of Hebrews gives the illustration of an athlete running a race, leaving behind the things that slow him down and hinder his best effort. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). You get the picture.
The things that weigh us down and hinder our journey are many. Perhaps it is a load of guilt, or some sin that goes unconfessed that keeps us from being all that a Christian can be. Other burdens we may bear are jealousy, unforgiveness, anger, resentment, worry, and any number of others. Jesus encourages us to bring them to him, to come and leave them at the foot of the cross, as it were. Our problem most of the time, is that we lay our burdens down, then pick them up again when we leave. As we allow Him to remove those heavy loads we are carrying, we are able to live as free men and women. These are Jesus’ words; “You will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).
Allow me to quote the words of an old hymn:
“Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Leave it there, leave it there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there;
If you trust and never doubt,
He will surely bring you out—
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Resting in Him,
Pastor Jerry
25
Jan
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Freedom, Gospel, Heaven, Judgment, Salvation, Truth, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
The forecast for today (Monday) is for windy, with some snow showers. The good news? Sunshine is predicted for most of the rest of the week. I’ll be one of many who will be glad to see the sun again.
Our Sunday school lesson this week is the starting point for us today. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What was Jesus talking about when He was comparing the narrow to the wide?
He was speaking of a choice we each must make. Narrow road or wide road. The easy way or the hard way. It is the choice between spending eternity with Him, or spending eternity separated from Him. The narrow road means there is one way to God. In John 14:6, Jesus makes this statement: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We are seeing that the narrow way is unpopular. It is called narrow minded, but the rewards at the end of this path are heaven and eternal reward.
This contrasts the popular wide, easy road that leads to destruction, and that so many people are choosing today. It offers temporary, worldly reward and satisfaction, but in the end, it leads to condemnation and an eternity in hell.
We all make choices every day. These choices range from what shall we eat or wear, what college will I attend, or to what political candidate will I support? The most important choice we make in life, I believe, is whether or not to follow Jesus Christ. You see the answer to that question is of eternal significance, whereas all the others are simply temporary.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).
This is a topic I visit from time to time. It is because I believe it to be of utmost importance. Delay in making the decision to follow Christ may result in a person being too late. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation.
In His love,
Pastor Jerry
23
Nov
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Faith, Freedom, God's Word, Gospel, Praise, thanksgiving, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
Rain! Who would have guessed we would have received so much rain in late November? Since I had taken the rain gauges inside for the winter, I don’t have an accurate measurement. All I know, is, I am very glad we didn’t get that much precipitation in the form of snow.
As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, let me share some things I am thankful for. First of all, I am thankful for still being here to write these columns. In relation to that, I thank the Lord for bringing me though my medical crisis back in August. I believe I am almost back to normal. I am reminded in writing this that we too often take good health for granted. It only takes a moment for that to change in a big way. I am now more aware of the need to thank God for each new day; another day to be with family, another day to serve Him.
The topic of thanksgiving, I believe, should always turn our thoughts toward God, who provides for our every need. After all, He is our Provider, the Giver of every good gift. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4). Regarding our tendency to worry about the future: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
The Psalms have much to say concerning being thankful to the Lord. Here are a few verses: “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30). “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song” (Psalm 100:4). “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp” (Psalm 147:7).
Finally, the one thing for which we are eternally thankful, the gift of salvation through faith in Christ. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). “Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15)!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone,
Pastor Jerry
20
Jul
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, God, God's Word, Persecution, Prayer, The Good News, Truth. Leave a comment
We are enjoying some more time spent at our lake house. All the hard work on the house and yard is easing up, and it is nice just to sit and enjoy the view. We have a couple more camping trips in mind, but no specific dates or destinations yet. School starts in a month, and we will once more settle into a more structured routine.
Recent events in world and national affairs require we who are followers of Jesus Christ, and who believe in the Truth of God’s Word, to examine our commitment to the faith. One of those events is the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States of America concerning same sex marriage. As one commentator said, “there is no longer any fence to sit on.” We must take a stand regarding what we believe on this topic. I’m reminded of the challenge of Joshua to the children of Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.
“Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15).
The question for us is this: Will we serve and obey the Lord, or will we give allegiance to the secular philosophy of the culture around us? It is time to choose. There is no fence left to straddle.
Jesus’ apostles were commanded by the Jewish Sanhedrin not to speak or teach in His name. Their response was, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God” (Acts 4:19).
Serving Him,
Pastor Jerry
6
Jul
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Fellowship, Freedom, Gospel, Prayer, renewal, Service, The Good News, Worship. Leave a comment
Hello everyone,
Looking out my window this morning, I see rain falling. There will be no need to water the lawn and garden today.
Saturday we celebrated our nation’s independence. It was a great celebration here in Ericson, Nebraska. There was abundant sunshine, very little wind, parades in town and at the lake. Also, fireworks over the lake, and people everywhere enjoying the day.
As we celebrate America’s Independence Day, and the freedom we have, I am always drawn to the thought that Jesus Christ died on a cross to provide us with a different kind of freedom. Scripture says everyone is born with a sin nature as a result of Adam and Eve sinning in the Garden of Eden. Sin separates us from God and leaves us prisoners to our sin. The only way to escape the bonds of that sin is to place one’s faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Millions of people in the world today have allowed our enemy, the devil, to convince them that there is no escape from the prison they are in. They don’t know, or don’t care that God has provided a Savior in the person of his Son. People everywhere are searching for their ‘identity’, while at the same time seeking meaning and purpose in their lives.
I believe the Bible has the answers to these questions. The end result of the sacrifice of Jesus as payment of our sin debt, is that we can know not only who we are, but whose we are. The Scriptures tell us God created everyone in His image. He wants fellowship with us, but due to the effects of sin, that fellowship has been broken. When we put our trust in Christ as Savior, our relationship with God is restored. As a result of that restoration, we are then called His children. Our identity then, is child of God. And our purpose is to love, serve and worship Him for eternity.
“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12).
“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Romans 6:22).
How’s that for identity and purpose?
His child,
Pastor Jerry
27
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, Freedom, Gospel, Praise, Salvation, Sin, Temptation, The Good News, Truth. Leave a comment
It was a busy weekend. Much time was spent driving and sitting in meetings, and I am glad to be home. More on that later. Today I want to give you a cat story.
We have a sliding patio door leading onto our back deck. The corner of the screen has been damaged and there is a square of cloth covering the hole. Over time, our cat and dog have used it for a pet door. Last week, a stray cat came through it into the house.
We tried several times to get him out. The first time he came to the door, he could not see how he came in. I opened the screen and we brought him around again. Still, he must have thought the screen was closed. He ran to the bathroom. We chased him back to the door. He hid under a bed. Finally, he took a chance and jumped out through the wide open door. He didn’t even come back and thank us.
Temptation many times seem harmless, so we take a small step into it, and find ourselves trapped. We cannot find the way out, even when loving, caring Christians try to help us see it. They show us from the Bible that Jesus is the way to freedom, but we refuse to believe them or to see their sincerity. Finally, out of desperation we take a chance, step through that door, and are set free.
Jesus says not only am I the door, I am the only door (or gate). I am the way, the truth and the life (John 10:9; John 14:6).
I visited with a young man this week, and found that he is a pastor to prisoners and people in recovery. He shared he had come to faith in Jesus out of that kind of background. Here are his words: There were people who tried to show me the way out of that lifestyle, but I would not listen. I wish I could find some of them, tell them what happened, and thank them.
If you have experienced that freedom, thank those who showed you the way. If you are one trapped in sin, Jesus is the way out. Place your faith in Him, your sins will be forgiven, and you will be set free. The Bible tells me so. (See John 6:37).
Free in Christ,
Pastor Jerry
23
Mar
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, Freedom, God, God's Word, Holy Spirit, Praise, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Worship. Leave a comment
We are starting to see a green tinge developing in the grass. The prevailing breezes are shifting to the south, trees are budding, and spring is in the air. The only thing lacking in our area is rain. There have been numerous grass fires in recent days, and most everyone is praying for rain. If the forecast holds true, those prayers may be answered early this week.
At the lake house, I am getting very close to finishing the sun porch. Next, we will try to get some grass established before the weather gets to warm. I may seek professional help in that area, because Milrae would like to see some actual grass.
The church calendar shows Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Resurrection Day coming up very soon. The good thing is these observances have a message that is timeless. This sounds like a good topic for our devotional this week.
When we were ranching, spring was always a reminder of good things to come, and after becoming a Christian, it all held new meaning for me.
Things like the knowledge that through faith in Jesus, I was raised to new life by being born again. Given a new start. A new heart. Become a new creation. Renewed in my spirit. My broken relationship with God restored through faith in Christ and belief in His resurrection.
Follow me through these verses. In John 3:3, to Nicodemus, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” God makes a promise to his people; “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
New life. A new start. Salvation from sin and guilt. Eternity with my Lord and Savior. These are what Spring-time and the Resurrection mean to me.
In remembering the new little calves playing in the sunshine, I am also reminded of an Old Testament verse. “And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall” (Malachi 4:2).
Enjoying the Son shine,
Pastor Jerry
9
Mar
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, God's Word, Praise, Rest, thanksgiving, The Good News. Leave a comment
Here is a brief update from last week. The problem with the pickup was an injector that stuck open. It was a somewhat easy and relatively inexpensive fix. We’re thankful it wasn’t a major breakdown.
Sunday evening, we were at the lake house. I was sitting with a pen and yellow pad, looking out the window and thinking of a topic for this column. There was no wind, and the lake was as smooth as glass. It was just quiet and still, and it made me feel at peace.
Here are a few of my thoughts from this. There is much in the world that is far from peaceful and quiet, but for a short time, in that spot, there seemed to be real peace. In life most people are seeking peace of some kind. It may be that there would be peace between nations, that there would be no more war. Sometimes it is just that we would be at peace in our relationships with other people, or maybe that the battles within ourselves would cease.
Peace, as described in the Bible, begins with the knowledge of God. Isaiah, says of those without God: “The way of peace they do not know” (Isaiah 59:7). Paul quotes this verse in Romans 3, as he describes sinners (Romans 3:10-18).
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells those who have placed their trust in Jesus to be anxious about nothing, to bring their concerns and burdens to the Lord, and “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).
The peaceful scene at the lake won’t last. Storms will come and the wind will make waves upon the water. We are promised trials and tribulation in this world, but the one who is anchored in the Lord will have peace in the midst of the storm.
As children of God, we can say with confidence, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8).
I close this week with these words from 2 Thessalonians 3:16. “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”
Held in His hands,
Pastor Jerry
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