Archive for the ‘God’s Word’ Category

3 Feb

Who is Jesus?

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

Hello friends,
February has arrived. Each day brings us closer to spring and due to the dry weather pattern, we pray for moisture. It has been a very open winter so far, and most of us would even be glad for some snow, just not a lot of course.

As I write these articles, sometimes it seems I have nothing to share. I do find though, that if I’m paying attention God will give me something to say.

There is a passage of Scripture where the religious leaders ask Jesus, “who do you think you are?” In reality, the question is not who Jesus thinks He is, but who do you think He is? Stay with me on this one.

They asked, “Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” (John 8:53). “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds (verses 58-59).

Another time we read: The Jews gathered around him saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe… I and the Father are one”…do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father… Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp (John 10:24, 30).

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him (John 12:37). Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the One who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the One who sent me. I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should not stay in darkness” (12:44-46).

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Again, the question remains. Who do you say Jesus is? How do you answer? He is the light of the world, have you allowed His light to shine in your life?

In His light,
Pastor Jerry

27 Jan

Jesus Will Return

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, End Times, Faith, God's Word, Truth.

Hello friends,
It is time again for our weekly visit. There were several hardy souls on the lake fishing through the ice this week. I am somewhat envious of modern ice fishing; in my experience we sat on a bucket exposed to the wind. These days there are portable shelters with heaters in them. Now that is roughing it!

I had the opportunity to share a message this week. I titled it ‘Be Ready’. Perhaps a better title would have been ‘He’s Coming Back’. I will share some points of that message with you here.

Jesus said He would return at some point future. I believe that day is coming; maybe soon. Looking at the world today, it is easy to see the signs He gave that indicate the nearness of His return.

Three of the gospel writers quoted Jesus: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).

Some will deny the return of the Lord. 2 Peter 3:3-4; 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.”

Whether the Lord returns this week or next year matters not. What does matter is that we are prepared for that event. Jesus told a parable of ten virgins waiting for the groom to come for his bride. The virgins expected to be part of the wedding party. They all had lamps in case the groom came at night, but only five had prepared by bringing extra oil for their lamps. When the bridegroom came, those who did not have oil for their lamps were denied entrance to the wedding celebration. (Matthew 25:1-13).

Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise… He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Are you prepared for the Lord’s return? He has promised, and His word is true.

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

20 Jan

Return to Respect

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Christian Living, God's Word, Obedience, Politics, Stewardship.

Dear readers,
January is slipping away and before we know it, we’ll be leaving winter behind. This winter hasn’t been bad compared to some I remember and that’s okay. As I write this, it is windy and there is a cold spell forecast, but hopefully it will be short-lived.

As America transitions to a new president, let us remember that the future of our nation lies not in a new political leader, but in a return to Christian values and the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us we are to respect the leaders of government, also that our first allegiance is to the Lord and to the truth of the Bible.

Psalm 2 sums it up rather well: “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” (verses 1-3). At the end of the Psalm we read: “Therefore you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 2:10-12).

In Romans 13:1, Paul wrote, “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

Peter also spoke to this issue in his first letter: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, 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. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God honor the king” (1 Peter 2:13-17). I believe it is proper to substitute the word ‘president’ in place of ‘king’ in this passage.

We need to return to showing proper respect for our leaders, and for each other.

God bless America,
Pastor Jerry

13 Jan

In all Things

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Creation, Faith, God's Word, Peace, Trials, Trust.

Hello friends,
The weather has taken a more winter-like turn. These temperatures remind us there are seasons. We don’t get to have just one kind of weather. That would get old after a while. We need to keep California in our prayers, along with the folks in Appalachia as they continue to recover from hurricane and fire disasters. There is much to be thankful for here in our little corner of the world.

As we see all the destruction from hurricanes and wildfires, earthquakes and other disasters, we wonder if God is really in control. However, we live in a fallen world. Because of sin, God’s creation is broken. To Adam, God said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field” (Genesis 3:17-18).

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not be its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pain of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:20-22).

Hear this word of God through the prophet: “I am the Lord and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and disaster; I the Lord, do all these things” (Isaiah 45:5-7).

In the middle of disaster, the Christian can be encouraged. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose… What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?… neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28, 31, 39).

In His hands,
Pastor Jerry

6 Jan

New Year Thoughts

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Peace, Prayer, Trust, Wisdom.

Dear friends,
2025 has arrived. When I was younger, the idea of seeing the date “2025” seemed to be an impossibility, but here we are! On a side note, I have been writing these devotional thoughts for over 25 years. I had no idea this would be the case, but again here we are. I must thank the Lord for giving me the inspiration to write, and to you the faithful readers of my efforts, Thank You!

Looking ahead to the year before us, and the events of the day, we are sometimes overwhelmed by life. We see things that are out of our control and wonder how we will cope. I read an article this week by Chuck Lawless in which he lists some things for us to remember.

  1. God is still in control. The world may seem chaotic, but God is still sovereign. “… present your requests to God. And the peace that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
  2. God is not worried. That is why it is a sin for me to worry: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34).
  3. God’s mercies are renewed every day. When the sun comes up it is a new day, no matter what I face. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
  4. God has never let me down in the past. He is faithful to his people. “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5).
  5. God sees the bigger picture. I only see today. We should trust Him to work out His plan: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” (Proverbs 3:5).
  6. God has given us fellow Christians, so we don’t have to face these things alone: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” (Hebrews 10:25).
  7. God is the story—not I. My responsibility is to trust Him: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:4).

Last words: God is always awake, so you can sleep at night. He’s got this!

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

2 Dec

Looking Aheadd

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, God's Word, Incarnation, The Good News.

Dear friends,
I trust your Thanksgiving was a time of gathering with family and friends. I have heard that many people spell fellowship, f-o-o-d. There was plenty of that in our family this year.

After Thanksgiving, we begin the season of Advent in the Christian calendar. These next four or five weeks are spent in anticipation of the birth of the Savior. The nation Israel looked forward to the coming of their Messiah, as had been foretold by their prophets for hundreds of years.

In Isaiah we read, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Later in Isaiah we read: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6).

Micah, some 700 years before the birth of Christ wrote, “But from you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who rules over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2).

In the last book of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi wrote the words of the Lord: “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty” (Malachi 3:1).

Four hundred years later, a baby was born in a manger in Bethlehem, who was the Messiah whom Israel had longed for. Pagan kings we call the Magi, came from the east and inquired, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed. He called all the chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written” (Matthew 2:1-5). They had the answer, but didn’t bother to go and check it out.

As we look forward to the Christmas season, let’s not miss His coming. He is the greatest gift!

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

25 Nov

Thanks to the Lord

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, God's Word, Praise, thanksgiving, Worship.

Dear friends,
We have come to the time of the year when we focus on being thankful for the blessings we have received from the Lord. This brings early deadlines for those who write for local newspapers. My normal habit is to sit down on Sunday afternoon to compose this devotional, but I need to put my brain in gear a little sooner this week.

Since Thanksgiving is this week, we should be mindful of the many ways the Lord has blessed us. We can be thankful for the things we have, the people in our lives who bless us, our food, our home; the list goes on. However, ultimately all the things we have come from God. Whether you believe in Him or not, He is the provider of all things. The traditional doxology of the church begins, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below.”

The Psalms are filled with the idea of giving thanks to the Lord. Psalm 107 begins, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name” (Psalm 100:4). Several verses in Psalm 107 read; “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men” (vs. 1, 8, 15, 21, 31).

There are references to giving thanks in the New Testament, as well. Paul encourages Christians to, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20).

More from 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. “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4).

Here are a few ways to be thankful: Every morning, thank God for a different provision he has given you. Focus on just one gift each morning.
Every night, answer this question: “What happened today that I’m most grateful for? Push yourself to see God’s goodness, even in the tough situations of life. Thank Him. And then thank Him again.

Thankful for His goodness,
Pastor Jerry

29 Jul

The Unchangeable Word

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

Hello friends,

Update on my health issues… I am slowly adjusting to the new med schedule and gaining back some of the strength lost after spending ten days in bed. I expect to be back to ‘normal’ in a few weeks. I’m thankful the Lord has allowed me to be back home in the place I love. Now, on to the devotional thought for the week.

In a world that is trying to create a “new” Jesus and twist the scriptures to say things God never intended, perhaps we need to review some important truths. There seems to be no end to the ways people try to soften the message of the gospel, or to make up their own set of rules for life. I will share some truths that cannot be denied, no matter how hard they try.

First, we are told many times in the Bible that there is only one God. “For I am the Lord, your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you (Isaiah 47:13). “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols (Isaiah 42:8).

The Word of the Lord is unchanging: The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations (Psalm 33:11). Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens (Psalm 119:89). All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal (Psalm 119:160).

Jesus is unchanging. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings (Hebrews 13:8-9a).

Finally, salvation is through faith in Christ alone. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6). For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6).

In Truth,

Pastor Jerry

24 Jun

What is Worship?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Attributes of God, God's Word, Praise, Ten Commandments, Worship.

Dear friends,

When it rains, it pours. Old sayings are sometimes current headlines. Our region has seen record rainfall in some areas, along with flooding along many of the rivers. It was only a few months ago that we were in a drought situation, not so much today.

The topic of worship came up in a recent conversation. I thought it might be a good time to consider what true worship of our Lord is and what it is not. Some would have you to believe that worship is in the music; in the old hymns and the contemporary worship music that is prevalent in many churches today. Others insist it is in the sermon, prepared and delivered by the pastor. Some see worship in the fellowship of the believers. These may all be part of our worship experience, but these are not true worship, they are only a small part.

True worship is not in the music, the message, or the fellowship. Worship is our total focus on the One to whom we owe our very existence. We give Him our total allegiance, all our praise for His glory alone! This is not just for an hour on Sunday morning. It should be on our hearts and minds from the time we rise in the morning until we retire at night, and if we wake in the night we praise and worship Him. Do we always do this? Probably not, if we are honest.

Here are a few passages of scripture that accent the qualities of God that help us to understand that He is worthy of our worship: “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” (Psalm 28:2). “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:2).

Scripture is filled with references to the Lord’s holiness and our need to understand who He really is. When we grasp this truth, we are compelled to get on our knees and worship Him as Lord and Savior.

Ephesians 3:20-21 reads, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

To Him be the glory,

Pastor Jerry

10 Jun

One Way

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Culture, False teachers, God's Word, Peace, Spiritual Warfare.

Dear readers,

This week on Friday, we celebrated our sixtieth wedding anniversary. I was privileged to perform a wedding on that day, also. The following day there was a small gathering of friends here at the lake, with cake and conversation. Sunday, we attended worship at our church and had lunch at the local café. All in all, it was a busy weekend for us and good memories were made.

I have been seeing ads from self-identified mediums and fortune tellers. It disturbs me to think these things are being promoted. The idea that these practices bring inner peace and happiness is not supported by Scripture. In fact, God prohibits such things. There is only one way to inner peace and happiness, and that is to trust in the Savior. Cards, crystals, new age rituals, horoscopes, zodiac signs are worthless and those who promote these things have been deceived by the powers of darkness. These are objects incapable of telling future events. After all, these things are inanimate, and without any knowledge of anything.

The thing that bothers me most is why some who call themselves Christians would follow such people? The Bible tells us to depend on God and on His truth as revealed in the Word. In the book of the Law, called Leviticus, we read this: “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:31).

To the prophet Micah, the Lord said, “The seers will be ashamed, and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God” (Micah 3:7).

In another place we read, “The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore, the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd” (Zechariah 10:2).

These types of people are also called false prophets in scripture. In 2 Peter 2:1 we read, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them.”

Finally, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits… because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

“Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord” (Proverbs 16:20).

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

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