Archive for the ‘God’s Word’ Category

8 Oct

The Lord is God

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, God, God's Word, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship.

On a personal note, I celebrated another birthday last week. I find those milestones pass much quieter than when we were younger. I am grateful to God for His goodness and grace in allowing me another year.

We have had more crazy Nebraska weather. I know it is purely a reminder that we are in that changing of the seasons, but we have had several extremes this past week. It was pretty cool for a couple of days, then we had a day that the temperature made it almost to ninety, followed by a rainy day that only made it to the mid-forties! Oh, and don’t forget the wind. And now some food for thought.

I have noticed the tendency to fail to capitalize the word God, when folks post prayer requests or praise items on social media. I wonder, is this a sign of our secular or post-Christian era, that people don’t have a concept of the only true God, or have we just become lazy in our use of spelling and grammar? Another possibility is that we are just not reading the Bible, and have no instruction in who He is. There is actually a serious lack of Bible literacy today. Here is an observation from a man who is heavily invested in ministering to high-school students: “Never before have we encountered so many high schoolers who have never read the Bible, and much worse, who simply do not even own a Bible.”

New age philosophy and secular thinking promotes the idea of many ‘gods’, or that we are all equal to God in some way. In those media posts, one wonders what god the writer is calling on, or giving thanks to? The first of the Ten Commandments reads this way: You shall have no other gods before (besides) .Me. (Exodus 20:3). God is deserving of our worship. There is no other. I believe He will get His deserved respect from everyone in du time.

From Romans 14:10-12… “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As sure as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; and every tongue will confess to God.’
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Simply put, “Fear God and keep His commandments…” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Trusting Him,
Pastor Jerry

1 Oct

Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, God's Word, Obedience, Spiritual Warfare, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness.

With the passage of the recent cold front, the humming birds have flown south and I suspect some humans might also be considering migrating south. Personally, I enjoy the different seasons, so I will be here when the snow flies and later, when the grass grows in the spring.

There is one thing seems to be at the top of the news these days. That one thing is “Truth!” Who is telling the truth? Where do you find what is true? Can the truth even be known?

What is truth? It is the question asked by Pilate, as he was interrogating Jesus. One commentary says this: “Ironically, the man charged with determining the truth in the matter glibly dismissed the relevance of truth in the presence of the One who is truth incarnate.” Another says, it is significant that Pilate suddenly turned away from the One who is the Truth, without waiting for answer.

This is exactly the way it is today. Those who claim to know what is true will not consider the source of Truth. They turn away when faced with the truths revealed in the Bible. So close, and yet they deny there is truth that can be trusted.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life…” (John 14:6).
Jesus, praying for His disciples, asked the Father to “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17).

Jesus uttered the phrase: “I tell you the truth”, 30 times in Matthew’s gospel, 13 in Mark, 9 in Luke, and 25 times in John.

Paul speaks of “the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness – a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me…” (Titus 1:1-3).

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). These gifts include the truth, which does not change.

Truth can be known. Truth exists in the written word of God. The Bible is the standard by which all truth claims are to be measured. Truth is not different for one individual over another.

In Truth,
Pastor Jerry

24 Sep

Serious Worship

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Body of Believers, Christian Living, God's Word, Praise, Uncategorized, Worship.

The weather is cooler as I write this on Friday, and the wind has switched to a northerly direction. We were visited by three humming birds this week. It is fascinating to watch them as they jockey for positions at the feeder. I am amazed that such a little bird can find our meager offering of sugar water in this big world. What a testimony to God’s design for His creation!

If you spent much time in church in an earlier age, you were most certainly admonished by your parents to be quiet. This is not the trend we see today. As church buildings became more multi-purpose in design, there was a movement away from the idea of preparing for worship as you entered the building. Maybe it was due to the lack of those traditional fixtures, such as pictures of biblical events and other items that set a place of worship apart.

I would not say today’s more informal worship gatherings are wrong, nor are they even unbiblical. If one spends any time researching worship in the Old Testament, you would find references to shouting, singing, dancing, and musical instruments, along with reading and proclaiming the Word of the Lord. In the New Testament, we also see explicit and implicit references to celebration in worship.

True worship, I believe, demands that we are to have a sense of awe as we stand in the presence of Holy God, but there is room for joy and laughter, along with the fellowship of like-minded brothers and sisters in the Lord.

As a pastor said last week as he prepared to deliver his message, “We have had a little fun and some light-hearted conversation, but it is time to be serious and listen to what God has to say through the preaching of His Word.”

I am a ‘fan’ of traditional worship, with its hymns and other traditions, but I am not going to say it is the only way. I have seen the younger generations worship, and I am convinced they are as committed to giving glory to God as any of us ‘older’ people. You see, it is all about the heart and our relationship with God and his Son Jesus Christ. If your heart is right, and the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ is preached, worship is what God intended.

To His glory,
Pastor Jerry

10 Sep

Staying on the Path

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Obedience, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom.

Our weather has turned noticeably cooler this week. I suppose it is a sign of a change in the seasons, but it doesn’t seem that long since the last one. While on the topic of weather, we have only watered our lawn once this summer, and it rained the next day.

So I’ve been told, some of the newer vehicles contain a guidance system to warn if you drift to one side or the other of the travel lane. My brother tells me his RV will even correct course on its own to a point. Even as I write this on my computer, auto-correct keeps me reminded of misspelled words and improper grammar. Technology continues to amaze me.

God gives His people a guidance system; it’s called His Word; most know it as the Bible. That Word, in conjunction with His Holy Spirit, will keep you on the path he has set out for you. In a world that seems to have lost its moral compass, there is a way to find true north, so to speak. I’ll share just a few passages to illustrate.

God’s word lights the way for us, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). It gives us wisdom for living; “I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free” (Psalm 119:32). “Listen my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path” (Proverbs 23:19).

God’s word also tells us those things He calls sin, and helps us overcome sin in our lives: “Direct my footsteps according to Your word; let no sin rule over me” (Psalm 119:133).

Finally, let’s not forget God’s instructions to Joshua, as His people prepared to enter the promised land.
“Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it” (Joshua 1:7-8).

GPS is great for keeping your vehicle on the road you want to travel, but GPL (God’s Plan for Life) will keep you on the path he has set before you.

Happy trails,
Pastor Jerry

3 Sep

Little Towns on Back Roads

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Body of Believers, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Great Commission, Salt and Light, Truth, Uncategorized.

Happy Labor Day. It was just four years ago that we moved our house to Lake Ericson. How time flies, it seems like yesterday.

Last Monday, we drove home from our weekend in Hershey, Nebraska. We traveled down Highway 30, instead of the Interstate. It was kind of a relaxing drive compared to good old I-80. As I mentioned last week, we had a great time meeting new friends and sharing the music and message. On our return trip, we drove through some towns that don’t get much traffic anymore, but people are living there who need to hear about Jesus.

According to the signs, and the billboards, every one of those little towns has one or more churches. I know that some of those churches are proclaiming God’s word as it is written, but I am also convinced that some are preaching a gospel that is not related to the saving gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Sadly, the gospel being preached in many places, both large and small, has very little to do with salvation from sin and its penalty. It seems I keep returning to this topic much more than I would prefer, but I know I will be held responsible to God for failing to proclaim His truth. James had this to say to those who would teach. “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1).

I return to the letter written by Jude, to believers in one or more churches. He writes this: Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 3-4).

Look around. Read that last sentence from Jude again. How many ‘churches’ do you know, whose leaders are leading in that direction? There are still godly men and women who are standing firm on the Word of God. Follow them, not the wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Contending for the faith,
Pastor Jerry

27 Aug

Culture War?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Bible, Blessings, Body of Believers, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Spiritual Warfare, Uncategorized.

We were in Hershey, Nebraska this weekend for a Cowboy Church service. I had the pleasure of being asked to share some musical numbers and to preach. It was something I hadn’t planned, but it was definitely in God’s plan. It was a great time, and we met some really neat Christians that we can now call our friends. Our God is so good! And, a BIG thank you to Pastor Kevin and the people of Hershey Baptist Church!

The secular culture is on the attack, as they try to eliminate any reference or reminder that there is a God. It is interesting to note they are bent on attacking something, or someone they don’t believe exists!

Spiritual warfare is a fact. The divisiveness and battles we see in our culture are nothing more than war between the forces of good and evil. One only has to spend a short time watching television, listening to the news, or checking social media, (Facebook, Twitter, and others) to see this happening.

Some will say this is nothing new, and they would be right. The truth is, the intensity of the battle appears to be on the increase.

“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ … But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness” (2 Peter 3:3-9).

What are we to do as Christians? “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms… And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Trusting in Him,
Pastor Jerry

23 Jul

The Race

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, God's Word, Reward, Uncategorized, Wisdom.

We were missed by the storms of the past week. We did receive some beneficial rains, so the lawn and garden continue to prosper without much attention. One thing I have found with the garden being in a feed bunk-like raised bed, is that they need watered more than when planted in the ground. This is especially noticeable with the cucumbers.

Saturday was the third annual Trail Mix Fun Run here at the lake. Personally, I have no desire to run anywhere, for any reason. I know it is my age and condition, (or lack of condition) that causes me not to want to participate. As a youngster, I enjoyed running and envisioned being a distance runner at one point. One season of cross-country as a freshman in high school brought reality into the picture. I was not really ever going to be a runner.

As I watched the runners prepare for the fun run here, I was reminded of the apostle Paul’s instructions to his fellow Christians. He likened the Christian life to a foot race. He was evidently familiar with the athletic contests of his day.

The writer of Hebrews also had instructions to runners concerning preparations for the race. These are his words, … “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Runners, whether in a race, or running just for fun, remove any bulky or flowing garments and put on shoes and clothing suited for speed and ease of movement; also those on a journey through the Christian life rid themselves of anything that would prevent them from running a good race.

No committed runner enters a race planning to run only part of the race. Whatever else happens, they intend to finish. They focus on finishing, even if they don’t expect to finish in the top five or even ten. Paul exhorted his readers to run is such a way as to get the prize, but his goal was to finish well. He said, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me… “(Acts 20:24). “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

16 Jul

God at Work

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Discipleship, Eternal Life, Families, God's Word, Great Commission, Miracles, Salvation, Uncategorized.

I don’t have any real ‘news’ this week. It is about the same from day to day. Sometimes it rains, sometimes not. It’s windy some days, and calm at other times. Hot, but never cold; after all it is summer.

As I travel around to other churches, I have opportunity to see and hear what the Lord is doing in other places. This week, I heard about a 6-year-old little boy, who through his attending Sunday School and church, learned enough about Jesus to convince his dad to come to church. The dad, I understand, has placed his faith in Christ, and a broken marriage may be healed, all because of that little boy’s testimony. This little boy is unashamed and unafraid to tell everyone he meets about Jesus. Oh, that more Christian adults had this kind of testimony!

God is still in the business of saving souls, and he uses many ways, and works through all kinds of people. I believe one of the greatest miracles is when God, by His Holy Spirit, moves a person to trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.

I have shared the following passages of scripture many times, but they are worth repeating. They are from Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. After highlighting God’s righteousness and His just judgment of sin, Paul points to the fact that all people are sinners in need of a Savior.

“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one… Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:10-12, 20-24).

Also, this: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

To His Glory,
Pastor Jerry

25 Jun

Random Thoughts and Quotes

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

It is once again time for our weekly visit. After being home for a week, we are contemplating another camping adventure. I don’t suppose we’ll go any great distance from home, since any trip that takes much over an hour seems to turn into an unforgettable experience. Maybe it is our age?

We were blessed with more rain in the past week. This is good for the flowers and lawn, and my wife’s little garden is doing great. We have been almost overrun with green onions, and beans and cucumbers are showing signs of a bumper crop. The tomatoes are blooming, and I suspect there will soon be BLT sandwiches, although we usually forego the lettuce and have just B&T sandwiches.

I will share some thoughts this week that I have had filed away for later use. Some are observations I have made; others will be from outside sources. My hope is that we will seriously consider some of the questions raised, and seek answers in God’s word.

Here we go: If I feel like doing something God does not approve, does that mean he made a mistake? His truth is not based on my feelings or preferences. To those who feel they want to be something other than the way he created them, God does not make mistakes!

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and morning—the sixth day (Genesis 1:31).

Seen on Facebook: Worship is not a twenty-minute period during a church service, it is a lifestyle!

“Millions of Americans see no need to reject Christianity. They simply have no experience of it. (Dr. Albert Mohler).

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Think about this: We cannot earn our salvation, but we should be able to prove it.

Are we placing limits on God’s power if we insist He needed more than 6 literal 24 hour days to complete creation?

One more thought: “It is a sad contentment to be content without Jesus” (Pastor Mark Dever).

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Jerry

11 Jun

On Anger

Posted by sandhillspastor in Anger, Bible, Christian Living, Freedom, God's Word, Peace, Sin, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom.

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

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