Archive for the ‘God’s Word’ Category

4 Jun

Weather Watcher

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, God's Word, Peace, Planning, Truth, Uncategorized, Work.

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

Remembering

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Freedom, God's Word, Memorial Day, renewal, Sin, Uncategorized.

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

21 May

Read the Book

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Christian Living, Culture, God's Word, Gospel, Obedience, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom.

I guess it is monsoon season again. I’m not sure how many days it has rained lately, but it has been several. Taken together, it amounts to something over three inches. Looking out my window, the scene is almost tropical. There will be no lack of grass to mow when the rain stops, and the sun comes out. An appropriate scripture would be Psalm 147:8; “He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes the grass grow on the hills.”

“I didn’t know that was in the Bible.” I have heard this statement from various people over the years, and I wonder how much time the person has actually spent reading it? In our current culture, there is an almost total lack of knowledge of scripture. I am reminded of an Old Testament passage from the book of Amos. Israel had rejected God’s words to the point they would hear his words no more. These are the words of the prophet, speaking for the Lord: “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12).

I wonder if this is could happen today, or has it already begun? More and more, it seems we are seeing what is described in Paul’s second letter to Timothy: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season… For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own desires, the will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:66).

I believe it is time to wake up, and get back in touch with God. It’s not too late, but I wonder how much longer he will allow this to continue?

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

7 May

Milestones

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Change, Faith, Families, God's Word, Planning, renewal, Uncategorized.

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning as I write this. Across the street, the carousel sits empty, showing no signs of the graduation party held last evening for our grandson Alex, as we celebrated with friends and family from near and far. Thanks to all who helped with set-up and clean-up. Those who brought food, and those who came to partake. It was a fitting end to a wonderful day. The Lord gets the credit for providing a perfect day. Our congratulations to Alex, and to all his classmates on a job well done, with best wishes for the future.

Thus ends another chapter in our lives. It wasn’t a chapter I would have written if I was writing the book, but still, I wouldn’t want it to be any different. That is the neat thing about letting God write your life story. As we look back, we understand he always has the best plan. I’ve always said if you think following God will be boring, you are mistaken. The Christian life lived in obedience to God is nothing less than an exciting adventure. Boring? Not!

Proverbs are wise sayings, not necessarily promises, but here are a few: Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3); In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps (Prov. 16:9); Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (Prov. 19:21).

There is also this promise to the those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Notice this is for those who love him, it is not a blanket promise to all people.

We will wait to see what the Lord has in store for us, but in the meantime, the camper is waiting, and we plan to spend a little time enjoying some of our state’s attractions. But, as noted, our plans are subject to God’s will and purpose. As it says in James’ little epistle, “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow… Instead you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will do live and do this or that” (James 4:13-15).

Be blessed in all you do,
Pastor Jerry

16 Apr

Blessings

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Praise, Trials, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship.

We have survived the great blizzard of ’18! We were able to keep the house in a state of semi-warmth with the camper generator and a cord run through the window to power a little electric heater. Kudos to the power company linemen, who brave the elements for the rest of us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Counting our blessings was easy this week, and today I would like to highlight some scripture passages praising God for his goodness. I have found my postings taking on somewhat of a negative view over the last few weeks, so it’s time for a brighter outlook.

The Psalms are packed with praises to God, as are the writings of some of the prophets and New Testament writers. Here are some examples:

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens (Psalm 8:1).
I will praise you, O Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High (Psalm 9:1-2).
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands (Psalm 19:1).

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praises to you, they sing praises to your name” (Psalm 66:1-4).

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself (Psalm 89:1-2).

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and redeemed his people (Luke 1:68).
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).

Let’s just praise the Lord!
Pastor Jerry

9 Apr

It’s Not Over

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Culture, Evil deeds, Faith, God's Word, Judgment, Salvation, Second Coming, The Good News, Trials, Truth, Uncategorized.

Hello all,
The cold bug stopped at our house last week. First, the wife came down with it, and I now have it. We’re hoping it runs its course soon, and we can get back to normal. We have been doing some remodeling to our camper, in anticipation of a new season. It seemed wise to make changes to this one, instead of spending more dollars to upgrade. After all, we don’t know if we’ll be doing this for much longer. Our first trip out will be on the 21st of April. It will be a short trip and a one night stay. Just the thing to see if we remembered to take everything we needed.

I think everyone who reads this is ready for some more spring-like weather. It seems we can’t get past the cold and snow this year. For example, it was a chilly 5 degrees here Saturday morning. That is almost unheard of for early April.

As I follow events in our culture, I am almost to the point of despair over the mess that is being created by those who would discard any sense of morality and any standard of decency. But, the Bible speaks plainly of a time when men will abandon all thought of a creator God, who rules the world and his creatures.

Of those who have rejected Him, God says, “For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened…
And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness… Although they know God’s just sentence–that those who practice such things deserve to die–they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them. (Romans 1:21-32).

Instead of despair, we have the assurance that he is still in control, he knows what is happening, and he has a plan to redeem his creation from the effects of sin that we see around us.

“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

By His Word,
Pastor Jerry

19 Mar

Simple Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Bible, Cross, Eternal Life, Faith, God, God's Word, Gospel, Judgment, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom.

March weather is still in transition. From sunny, warm days to rain, snow and sleet, with cooler temperatures. All this in the space of 36 hours. Ah, springtime in Nebraska!

A well-known scientist and self-proclaimed atheist died this week. I would like to make some comments concerning the conflict between the intellectual mind, and the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not to demean any person, but with the purpose of telling of the saving grace of God, as shown through Bible, and its message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

First, a bit of my back-story, if I may. When I was younger, I thought of myself as something of an intellectual. I was interested in science and higher learning. Evolutionary theory interested me, and a favorite piece of literature was Self Reliance, an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I was not really interested in God, although I knew about Him from reading my mom’s King James Bible.

Fast forward to the early eighties, when I started attending a Bible believing church. There, I found out my so-called self-reliance was really self-worship. I learned that the Bible is true, there is a God, who created the world and everything in it, and that he loved me enough to send His son to die for me. That same Bible told me that if I wanted to be saved from my sin and self-righteousness, I needed to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. Period. 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). There was nothing I could do to earn my way to heaven, only trust in Him.

At first, it seemed much too simple. Surely, there was something I could contribute. But, no! there is no other way, nor no other name by which I could be saved (Acts 4:12).

Scripture is clear. Those who deny the existence of God and who reject his Salvation, are doomed to spend eternity in hell. Everyone who believes is saved, and will spend eternity in heaven with Him. Do not rejoice, but mourn for those who have rejected God and his Salvation, for their destiny is eternal judgment.

There is a God. Have you placed your faith in Him? It is not too late.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

12 Mar

God, Our Hope

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Culture, Families, Forgiveness, God's Word, Judgment, Obedience, renewal, Repentance, Sin, Truth, Uncategorized.

Hello friends,
We spent some time last week shopping for home improvement projects. We have installed new flooring in the kitchen and dining areas of the house, with new carpet to be laid in the master bedroom this week. I am reminded once again, that as we get older we are less flexible and it takes longer to recover from the effects doing physical labor. Nonetheless, it is satisfying to see the end result.

I have observed that it is no wonder young people of the day have little knowledge of what it means to live a moral life. First, there is no real understanding of the moral teachings of the Bible. This is partly due to the fact that few have had any exposure to the Word of God. Second, there is very little in the way of personal examples of moral living in the general population.

I suppose I started down this line of thinking as I was skimming the “for sale” posts on Facebook. There was a post in which a man was selling a washing machine. It read, “Selling for my mother, because she is moving in with her fiancé, and doesn’t need it.” Really.

This is not an isolated incident. Everywhere we look, there are these kinds of relationships, many of them among even those who are senior citizens, and who grew up with a shared understanding of moral values. Some say they cohabit because of finances, or for any number of other seemingly rational reasons. But to the person with a Christian worldview, these are just not right.

There are other examples of the lack of morals in our society. We see them in politics, sports, business, even in ‘churches’. There must be a return to common sense, Bible based values, or I fear our society will self-destruct. There is an answer, it is found in God’s instructions to Israel: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Also, in the New Testament; “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

5 Mar

Following Jesus

Posted by sandhillspastor in Body of Believers, Christian Living, Discipleship, Faith, God's Word, Obedience, Service, Stewardship, Truth, Uncategorized.

Hello all,
After a few warm and windy days, it appears the lake ice will be leaving soon. Ice fishing has been very popular for several weeks, but a new season is coming quickly. We will transition to daylight saving time this weekend, so there will be a longer period of daylight at the end of the workday (unless you are an agriculture person, and nothing will really change).
I attended a session of Sandhills Christian Leadership Center on Saturday. It is a course of study for those who wish to be further involved in ministry in their local churches, and who may feel led into pastoral ministry. It is sponsored by our local Baptist Church association. This was the third of four class sessions that began last October.
One of the topics of the day was “Making Disciples”, from Pastor John Shields. I will share some of his thoughts.
Marks of a disciple, or follower of Jesus Christ:
1. Disciples develop a lifelong commitment to learn and live God’s Word. To those Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of mine…” (John 8:31).
They believe God’s Word is His clearest authority and revelation for life.
They believe God’s Word transforms those who respond in faith
2. Disciples increasingly live like servants, not owners. These are his words: “So, then, none of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:33).
The cost of really following Jesus is everything you have. Wealth and worry keep many from following Jesus.
3. Disciples have a deepening love for Jesus. We are called to love Him more than parents or other family, even more than ourselves. Luke 14:26.
This will cause relational tension with those who don’t know Him. This tension may be with family, friends, or co-workers.
These tensions can distract some from following Jesus.
4. Disciples deepen their love for other Christians. “By this all men will know you are my disciples” (John 13:35).
5. Disciples embrace Jesus’ mission as their own, and His mission was to glorify God.
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).
The bottom line? If you want to follow Jesus, you have to follow Jesus, and no one else.
In His grip,
Pastor Jerry

26 Feb

Our Message

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Culture, Evil deeds, God's Word, Gospel, Great Commission, Persecution, Repentance, Salvation, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness.

Dear friends,
First, a few words about the weather. Warmer. Not much snow. Spring is near. The realization came to me this week that Alex graduates from High School in just a couple of months. It makes me wonder where the time went.

In our current culture, and on a larger scale, the world in general is becoming more anti-Christian. There is no concept of sin, or of a holy God who will judge the world. To the modern way of thinking, there is no sin, it is just that mistakes are made.

In all the talk about the problems of our world, there is little to no talk of a sin problem, which is the root cause of many of the headline stories in the news. Where are the ones will proclaim the truth? There is a great need for the gospel to be preached in every corner of the world, starting with wherever we may find people without hope, without a future, without a reason for living. Usually, in your own family, or neighborhood you will find them.

Here is my challenge to my fellow believers: We may know people who need the Lord, but we don’t know what to say, or how to say it. Consider this; if we are really thinking about what we say, any conversation can lead to a discussion of spiritual matters. The conversation of the Christian should be with a view to lead people to examine the moral and spiritual truths of the Bible.

I believe too many Christians are trying to find a way to get along with those of other religions, or of no religion, rather than showing them the true and living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

These are our instructions: “Therefore go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season” (1 Timothy 4:2).

This is our message. Jesus died for the sins of all (John 3:16). Salvation is found in no one else (Acts 4:12). By grace through faith we are saved (Ephesians 2:8). He is God; “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8).

Finally, always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15).

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

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