Archive for the ‘God’ Category

2 Jun

Make No Idols

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, God, God's Word, Law, Sin, Worship.

The temperatures have been a bit warm over the past week, and still we need rain. Some areas around us seem to be getting the good moisture, but I guess it just isn’t our turn. I have no doubt rain will come at the proper time.

News Flash! Sunday afternoon, we received .30″ of rain, and more is forecast for later in the week.
On a personal note, my bride and I will reach a milestone in our marriage this week. Saturday, June 7th, we will celebrate 50 years on our way to forever together.
Our devotional thought for the week centers on the second of the Ten Commandments: “You shall not make for yourself an idol….” (Deuteronomy 5:8-10). The idea is that we are not to re-imagine God. This happens when we try to make God fit into our idea of who He should be. We say, “my God wouldn’t do”…whatever bothers us about God’s way. Or it might be, “I couldn’t worship a God who”… does this or that thing.
God doesn’t need us to define who He is. He has revealed Himself in the Bible, and the Lord Jesus is the manifestation of the Living God. Our opinions of what God should do, or how He should act, are of little importance to Him.
God is not one-dimensional. Anytime we try to make God into someone we are comfortable with, we inevitably leave out some part of who He is. God is jealous for our worship, and when we begin to dilute His holiness, His power, His glory, His love, His righteousness, or His judgment, He is rightly offended.
In addition to arousing God’s jealousy when we fashion these false views of Him, idolatry corrupts our behavior. Much of the immoral behavior in the world today is the direct result of the failure to know and obey God and His moral law. The Bible teaches that we become what we worship. Said another way, whatever we worship, we reflect.
The only image of God we need, is the Lord Jesus Christ, who scripture describes as the very image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3). We worship God when we acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

26 May

Free to Obey

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, God, God's Word, Law, Memorial Day, Service, The Good News, Truth, Worship.

We are still in need of beneficial rains. I know there are some folks who would share if they could, because of their over-supply. I also know that God will provide in his good and perfect timing.

 

I trust you have taken time this long weekend to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great country. Did you also take time to pray for our current leaders and military personnel? Did you thank God for the privilege of living here and enjoying the many freedoms we have?

 

Our sermon this week asked the question, “Do we have too small a view of God?” I believe we do. How many of us contemplate the thought of meeting God in a personal way? What if we could get a glimpse of his majesty, his power and his holiness?

 

Let’s consider Israel’s response to the Lord’s appearance on Mount Sinai. Smoke, fire and earthquakes accompanied God’s coming to the mountain. The people were so afraid they asked Moses to intercede on their behalf. Here is their request: “Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.” (Deuteronomy 5:27).

 

The majesty of God showed in the thunder, earthquakes and lightning as He came down to the mountain. His power showed in delivering His people from Egyptian slavery. His holiness exposed the sins of Israel, and it does the same for us.

 

God is the same as He has always been. He has not changed, and he demands and deserves our obedience. This is not for salvation. Remember, the law follows salvation. Once saved, God wants us to be obedient to his commands. His law is not the ten suggestions, but the Ten Commandments. It is not there for our salvation, but as a guide to living a Christ-like life.

 

The real lesson here is this: We need to see God in all His glory, infinite in size, power, and holiness. We also need to see God in Jesus Christ humbling Himself on a cross for our salvation.

 

The redeeming work of a holy God redeemed Israel from Egyptian slavery, and led them to desire to obey Him, and it is the redeeming work of Christ on the cross that empowers us to obey God today.

 

Free in Him,

Pastor Jerry

10 Feb

What Is Love?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, God, God's Word, Salvation, The Good News.

Hello friends,
We received some snow this weekend. It wasn’t much, but it looks nice compared to the dry, brown landscape we’ve had for most of the winter. I have to say I’m ready for spring, not because our winter has been particularly bad, I’m just ready for green grass and flowers.

Valentine’s Day is this week, and it’s all about LOVE. Here at our church we observe the occasion with a catered meal and entertainment, usually on the Sunday evening nearest to February 14. It’s not exclusively for couples, singles are welcome. Our motive is just to get people out for an evening of fellowship.

I thought I’d share a bit this week on the topic of love from a Biblical perspective. The Bible from beginning to end has much to say about love. Love, as promoted by the world, is romantic love, and I see nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, I believe love as God defines it, goes far beyond romance. It is a deeper and more committed love. Let me give some examples from scripture.

A familiar passage would be 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.” John expands on this statement in his first letter: “Dear friend, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4: 7-10).

The apostle Paul, teaching on the sacrifice of Christ for payment of sin, writes: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8).

This sacrificial love is what Paul had in mind as he wrote to husbands and wives in Ephesians, chapter 4. 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, commonly called the “Love Chapter”, describes this deep, self-sacrificing love in detail. Your assignment this week will be to look up these passages and meditate on them.

Happy Valentine’s Day,
Pastor Jerry

6 Jan

We Are Not Gods

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, God, God's Word, Sin, The Good News, Truth.

My lovely wife and I were able to get away for a few days last week. We went to Lake George on New Year’s Eve, and upon arriving, found there was no water in the house. I was convinced it must be an electrical problem, because I had “fixed” all those places where the pipes had frozen in the past. Long story short, the pipes had actually frozen, showing me that all my preparations were not as secure as I had assumed. In spite of the water issue, we had a good week, and celebrated the arrival of 2014 over a steak dinner with two of our dearest “old friends.”

Inspiration for this weekly letter often comes from some really strange sources. The following is from the label on an anti-antiperspirant sitting on my bathroom shelf: “We Are All Judges Of Ourselves And My Verdict Is Champion.” Another part of the label has this bit of wisdom: “Believe In Your Smellf”*
Therein lies the problem for many people today. We judge ourselves and declare that we are okay. We might even go so far as to judge ourselves “superior”, or “wonderful”, maybe even “excellent”, or “champion.” We are filled with pride over our “self-worth.” In effect, we are setting ourselves up as gods.

What does God think of all our self-exaltation? Let’s look at some verses from His word: “You shall have no other gods before me” (#1 of the Ten Commandments). “There is no one righteous, not even one…there is no on who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). There are numerous verses where God says, “The Lord is God; besides him there is no other.”

 There has been much emphasis on concepts like “self-worth” and “self-esteem” over the years, but I wonder, wouldn’t we be much better off if we would put God in his proper place, and ultimately base our own worth on our relationship with Him? After all, he thought we were worth sending his only Son to die for us.

Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry

*[Trade Mark of Proctor & Gamble]

23 Dec

God With Us

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, God, Incarnation, The Good News, Worship.

It’s time again to reflect on the blessing of Christmas. I could  have said “blessings”, for there are many, but the Blessing of Christmas is my focus today. I  take us back to the Old Testament and the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6, concerning the promised Messiah..

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

What does this mean to us? Let’s look at these five truths: As the One with the government on His shoulders, we see Him as the one who holds the world together. “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (1 Corinthians 1:17). As Wonderful Counselor, He always gives wise counsel to those who will hear and obey Him.

As Mighty God, He can forgive sin, defeat Satan, redeem us, and restore our broken souls. As Everlasting Father, He is eternally in complete and sovereign control of His creation. He knows everything, and works everything for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

In His role as Prince of Peace, He brings real and lasting peace. Not peace as the world thinks of peace, but to those who believe in Him, He brings an inner peace that surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

In summary, the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6, as fulfilled in the birth of the Savior, is the answer to all the confusion, chaos, complexity and conflicts of life. It is the gift of the newborn infant who is also the Father of all eternity. He is an innocent child, yet He is a wise counselor and mighty king. He is God with us. Emmanuel. May He bring you peace in these troubled times.*

In His amazing love,
Pastor Jerry

*[credit to Dr. John MacArthur for some content]

2 Sep

No Higher Power

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Faith, God, God's Word, Salvation, Truth.

I’m in the office at Lake George this morning. We drove up yesterday afternoon (Sunday), and mowed the lawn before a late supper. The view is prettier knowing I can enjoy it without first mowing for several hours. Looking out the window, I don’t know how far one would have to drive for better scenery. Tomorrow it’s back to reality, but for today we’ll just enjoy this place. God is so good!

Many of the things I see and read on my computer screen leave me wondering how some people make it through life. I see comments about a “higher power”, or some reference to “positive thoughts and energy” going out on behalf of a person or a situation, and I wonder, don’t these folks know about God or Jesus?

The only higher power I know is the Highest Power. He is God, there is no other. Positive thoughts and energy might help you get out of bed in the morning, but to get you through the day and through life, you need God.

Hear the word of the Living God: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me” (Isaiah 46:9). “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22).

In the New Testament, it is Jesus Christ who is shown to be our Savior. He who was God in human flesh, coming to die for our sins so that by faith in him we would be saved. God raised him from the dead, how high a power is that?

It seems to be somehow easier to invoke the name of some mysterious “higher power”, or some sort of “positive energy, than to call on Jesus Christ, and the power of His Holy Spirit. It saddens me, to see well meaning people trying to encourage those in great sorrow and trial, with empty promises of some vague higher power.

Call on the Lord in times of trouble. There is no other. In Psalm 50:15, God says this; “Call upon me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Simply His,
Pastor Jerry

19 Aug

Still Standing

Posted by sandhillspastor in God, God's Word, Truth.

I am amused when people say they can pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe. Some even refuse to believe any part of it, nor do they even believe in the God of the Bible.The Bible is not a book of feel-good information. It is God’s eternal and unchanging word. It is not a cafeteria, which we may browse through and choose which part to believe and obey, discarding the rest.

The Bible says “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Proverbs 30:5). Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

People have tried to destroy the Bible for centuries and it is still here , and it is still true. There is an old hymn I like to sing, called “The Bible Stands.” There is a line that says “The Bible stands like a mountain towering far above the works of men; Its truth by none ever was refuted, and destroy it they never can.”

God’s word says, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of the Lord stands forever.” (1 Peter 1:25).

In 2012, for it’s final print edition, Newsweek magazine ran an article that tried to refute the authenticity of the New Testament. How interesting; it is Newsweek that is out of print, not the New Testament.

How about you? As you read this, how do you see the Bible? Is it your road map for the journey of life, or is it just a collection of stories, not relevant for our time? I would hope it is an important part of your everyday life and that you read it every day, so that you can get to know its Author personally.

Standing on His Word,
Pastor Jerry

5 Aug

The Wrath of God

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, God, The Good News, Truth.

As we get older, we find ourselves bemoaning the fact that things are just not the way they used to be. Sometimes new things are better than the old, sometimes not. In the past, I have at times been critical of what is called Contemporary Christian Music, or CCM. The reason for that criticism has been the lack of sound biblical doctrine in a fair share of that style of music, as compared to the older hymns.

This past week, it was reported that a major church denomination had elected not to include a modern hymn in its new songbook, because a line in that song was deemed offensive. The offending part of the song mentioned the “wrath of God”, and the committee decided that didn’t fit their image of a “loving God.” I’m quoting the article here: “Not wishing to portray a wrathful God, the committee requested permission from the song’s writers to change the line to speak instead of God’s love.” Permission was denied, so the song was removed.

There are those who insist the God of the New Testament is different than God in the Old Testament. They would have us believe only in the Old Testament does it speak of the wrath of God. In the New Testament, from John’s gospel to Revelation, we read of God’s wrath. We also read of God’s love.

Here is the truth of the matter: According to the Bible, sin arouses God’s wrath and demands payment. God is the righteous judge. He is also a loving and just God; in fact he loved the world enough that he sent his only Son to die that we might live. Jesus paid the penalty, God’s wrath was appeased, and all who will believe are saved. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

We sing of the wrath of God, and of the cross, and of the blood of Jesus. These do not exclude God’s love, they magnify it! And, we can sing: “In Christ alone my hope is found…On that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied…Here in the death of Christ I live!

In Truth,
Pastor Jerry

25 Feb

The Unchanging Word

Posted by sandhillspastor in Evil deeds, God, God's Word, The Good News, Truth.

In our day, as has been the case since the beginning of the church, there are those in pulpits who claim to speak for God, yet “prophesy” falsely. They come with a message that isn’t found in the Bible, claiming they have a “new word” from the Lord. Let’s remember, every word intended for us to have from Him is recorded in the Bible. There is no “new word” from the Lord. If you hear of such a person, distance yourself from him.

The scripture is explicit in its command concerning the adding to, or the subtracting from God’s Word. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). Although this passage is in Revelation, it, by association would indicate that all of the Bible is to be seen as God’s unchangeable and final word.

“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

“Every word of God is flawless…Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar” (Prov. 30:5-6).

2 Peter, chapter 2 gives more details concerning false teachers (prophets), their ways, and their destiny. You can look it up.

We must examine the teaching of anyone who claims to speak for God, and that includes your pastor. (Acts 17:11). I appreciate those who hold me accountable for the words I speak and write, although I may sometimes not show it right away….

In His Love,
Pastor Jerry

18 Feb

Worship

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, God, Worship.

Our devotional topic for the week is worship. Man was created to worship. People worship all kinds of things, but it was God’s plan for his creation to worship Him. It seems today that worship is reserved for sports figures, movie, music and television stars, our jobs, our children, our cars, (in ranch country it might be a new “truck”), or any number of other things.

God still desires to be the exclusive object of our worship, and the reality is this… we will only be satisfied in worship when our worship is totally directed toward God. The first two of the Ten Commandments establish God’s right to be the only true God, and that He alone is to be worshiped (Deuteronomy 5:7-10).

It seems to me that we have lost much sincerity in our worship of God, and I have to think it is because we have a watered down idea of who He is. Somewhere we have gotten the idea that God is just a kindly grandfather that wants us to be happy, and that worshiping him is optional. I believe if we have a right concept of who God is, and if we will comprehend His glory and His majesty, worship will naturally follow. When we read in the Bible of men who have come into the very presence of God, we see that their response was dramatic.

Isaiah said, “Woe to me! I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5). When Ezekiel was in the presence of the glory of God, he fell face-down (Ezekiel 1:28). John, writing of his experience in Revelation, and recognizing the Lord, said, “When I saw Him, I fell at his feet as though dead (Revelation 1:17). And there are others I could mention.

Oh, that we would have this view of worship when we come into our churches each week! Would we not see a dramatic difference in the way we worship and in the way we respond to the preaching and teaching of the Word?

Just Wondering,
Pastor Jerry

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