Archive for the ‘Gospel’ Category

1 May

Who Will Go?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Body of Believers, Calling, God's Word, Gospel, Great Commission, Obedience.

Dear friends,

We are seeing more evidence of spring; trees blooming and getting new leaves, grass growing (get the mower ready), and dandelions! We did get a little rain the other night, but the wind blew it all away the next day. Let us not give up in asking the Lord to provide that much needed soaking rain. God does answer those sincere and heartfelt prayers.

We have been on the road with doctor’s appointments in recent days. Milrae is recovering from her second knee replacement, and she is glad there were only two knees to be replaced.

In church news, we are still in the process of finding a new pastor. Yours truly has been preaching three days a month, with guest speakers the other Sundays. This has been working well, but obviously is not a long-lasting solution. If you or someone you know is looking for a place to do God’s work of shepherding a small congregation, send them our way.

Our church is not alone in the search for pastoral leadership. It seems there are too few candidates for an increasing number of small congregations. From a personal perspective, I can think of few other callings that are as important as being the Lord’s representative to a body of Christian people making up a small church, whether it is in a city or in a rural setting.

I am drawn to a passage in the book of Romans. It reads as follows: “Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news?’” (Romans 10:13-15).

The prophet Isaiah, in a vision, got a glimpse of heaven in which he saw the throne of God. He heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah’s answer is, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).

Who will go?

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

24 Apr

Decisions, Decisions

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

Dear friends, 

I promise there will be spring this year. I know it doesn’t seem to be a possibility when our overnight temperatures are setting records. As I remember, there is precedent for freezing temps in early May. One year I witnessed a beautiful stand of alfalfa suffer a hard freeze on about the tenth of May. It was a Sunday, and after church I mowed the whole forty acres down. It turned out to be a good decision because I saved that crop. Do not despair, warmer weather will come.  

Speaking of decisions, we make them every day. In some situations, it can happen moment by moment. We rise in the morning and decide what to wear, what we are going to have for breakfast, and so on. When planning a journey to a particular city, we decide what road we will take and the time of our departure. In our family there have been wrong turns resulting in what we laughingly call the ‘scenic route’ to our destination. 

We also make choices or decisions that affect our future. Some examples would be education, vocation, or even where we will put down our roots and raise our family. Some decisions are just a result of day-to-day existence, but others have much longer lasting consequences. 

From a biblical perspective, we are instructed to make right choices, or decisions. In giving the children of Israel the Law, God said through Moses, “Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse: there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you today, and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the Lord your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today…” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). 

Joshus challenged the Israelites with these words: “Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). 

The gospel question of the New Testament is this, what will you do with Jesus? How you answer this question will determine your eternal destination. It is your decision. Will you trust in the Lord Jesus for your eternal salvation? “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). 

In Him, 

Pastor Jerry 

10 Apr

Because He Lives

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Cross, Easter, Faith, Gospel, Grace, Salvation.

Dear readers, 

It was an interesting week. My old laptop went to the shop on Tuesday. It isn’t dead but is not going to live long. Short story is I purchased a replacement, brought it home and spent two days learning new things. There were moments when I considered going back to pencil and paper, the original word processor! 

As we observed Good Friday and Easter last weekend, it was a needed time of reflection on the meaning of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Every Sunday is a remembrance of His resurrection. The Easter tradition just amplifies the focus for one Sunday in the spring. For this week’s devotional thought, it seems good to review what we have in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead. 

First of all, the resurrection was part of God’s perfect plan for humanity. Because of sin, there had to be a sacrifice. For centuries, Israel had sacrificed animals that were designated by God for the atonement of the sins of the nation. These sacrifices did not remove the sins but covered them for a time. Each year the priest had to offer the sacrifices over again. 

In Jesus, we see the fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem for himself a people he would call his own. “For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:5-8. 

 “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures… For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins. Those then, who have fallen asleep (or died) have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 16-19). 

The resurrection proves the power of God in that he raised Jesus from the dead, so we might also live. 

Because He Lives! 

Pastor Jerry 

3 Apr

Don’t Wait!

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Grace, Resurrection, Salvation.

Dear friends, 

My faithful laptop became unresponsive late last week, so I had to resurrect one of my older ones. There will be a trip to the computer doctor early in the week. I am hoping for a complete recovery, as I do not really want to buy a new one. It is amazing how dependent we are on technology. 

The weather news has been mostly positive where we live, but our prayers are with those who have experienced the severe storms of the past week. Also, we continue to pray for families dealing with the violence that seems to be everywhere. Storms happen because the world is broken due to Adam’s sin. Also, mankind in general is under the curse of that sin. Our enemy the Devil is active in the world. 

As we head into the week leading up to Easter, or Resurrection Day, it would be fitting to turn our thoughts toward God’s plan to redeem us from the ravages of sin and the storms of life. The creation is under judgment because of disobedience to his commands. Remember, Adam and Eve had just one rule to obey and under the influence of Satan they broke that one rule. Consequently, every person who ever lived was born with a sinful nature. Only one person was ever born without sin in his heart, and that one was Jesus Christ. 

He is the one and only who can save us. He is the only one who could pay our sin debt. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. Our sin separates us from God and only Jesus can restore that bond. God wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:2-4). The one way for people to be restored to fellowship with God is through a relationship with Jesus Christ; “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time (verses 5-6).  

Jesus Christ is the answer to the problems we face. Through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we can have salvation. Many people have missed this truth. If you have breath in your body, you can be saved. After that there are no second chances. Today is the day of salvation, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. 

For Him, 

Pastor Jerry 

27 Mar

A New Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Calling, Faith, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Witness.

Dear friends,
The days continue to pass quickly. When next we meet it will be April, the month of spring showers. At least we can hope winter is over by then. After those showers, we will be blessed with flowers and all the other good things that follow. Did you see a bit of poetry there?

At this time of the year, I am reminded of new life. As I see the new plant growth, new baby calves along the road, and later many other signs of new beginnings, I am drawn to consider the new life we are given through faith in Jesus Christ.

It was in the spring of the year, when on a Sunday morning in May, I first trusted Him with my life. It was at the closing of a sermon on Romans chapter 10, verses 8-13. Those verses read; But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified (made right with God), and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Up to that point I thought I had my life pretty well ordered. As the pastor concluded his message, he invited those who had not done so to place their lives in God’s hands and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord. At that precise moment, I realized that I needed a Savior and prayed to receive his gift of salvation. That began a change in me that could only have been brought about by a Holy God. That is my testimony and I stand by it these 40 plus years later.

Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? If not, may you surrender your life to the Lord Jesus today? It is not too late.

In His unfailing love,
Pastor Jerry

20 Feb

Revival

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Grace, Hope, renewal, Repentance.

Dear friends,
It has been quiet here beside the lake. The warmer weather has slowed the ice fishing somewhat, and the snow continues to melt. The weather guessers are talking snow mid-week; we will wait to see if that is correct. In home news, we have adopted two cats. They came from a home with school age kids, but they seem to be adjusting.

Here is an article that caught my attention a couple of weeks back:
It was a stunning spiritual awakening. An entire city of about one million people turned to God. They even turned from their sin of violence, which they were known for. God spared Nineveh and sent a nationwide revival. Amazingly, they turned to God after they heard this simple message from Jonah: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” (Jonah 3:4 NLT).

The very fact that Jonah gave them a warning was somewhat hopeful. For instance, when God judged Sodom and Gomorrah, He didn’t send a warning. There was no prophet walking through their streets. Judgment came suddenly.

But in Nineveh’s case, Jonah warned them. And the Bible tells us that “the people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow” (verse 5 NLT).

This reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God. These people were exceptionally wicked, yet God saved them.

Do you know someone who is a sinner with a capital S? You can’t imagine, in your wildest dreams, that they ever would come to faith in Christ. God can save that person. Remember, Saul of Tarsus was converted. He hunted down, tortured, and killed Christians. Yet God took hold of him. So, start praying for that unbeliever by name.

I think sometimes we prepare for failure, not success. A young preacher once complained to Charles Spurgeon that whenever he preached, no one came to Christ.

“Do you expect people to come to Christ every time you preach?” Spurgeon asked.

“Well, of course not.”

“That is your problem,” Spurgeon told him.

Missionary William Carey said, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” That’s what we need to do. Could God send another spiritual awakening to America? I believe that He could. I believe that He can. And I pray that He will. [Pastor Greg Laurie].

Keep praying,
Pastor Jerry

6 Feb

Peace Amid Chaos

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Hope, Peace, Trust.

Dear friends.

Warmer weather is finally here. If you are not happy with this, we need to talk! I noticed the annual frenzy over Ground Hog day. I don’t believe the shadow of a woodchuck has anything to do with the weather in six weeks. Truth is, spring comes when it comes. In any case, we will be ready when it gets here.

The news seems to get stranger every day. People are doing things to other humans that are outright insanity. There are ideas floating around that have us asking, whatever happened to common sense, morality, and decency? Then there was the Chinese balloon that floated over North America last week. People are concerned about where the world is headed, and how are we to respond to these things?

I do know from the study of God’s word that there will be times of uncertainty and unrest in the world. Jesus spoke of things that will precede his return. He warned of storms, earthquakes and the like. I am not going to say we are close to his returning, because no one knows the answer to that except God the Father. Suffice it to say Jesus said he would return at some point, and the world has been moving in that direction for over two thousand years.

“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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 against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:3-9).

The Bible is clear, if we are to have peace in the midst of all that we are seeing and experiencing, we would be wise to place our faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can give you peace in a chaotic world. Trust in him today, and know true peace.

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

9 Jan

Carry On

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, Gospel, Hope, Politics, Truth.

Dear readers,
January has been interesting in the weather department. So far, we’ve had rain, sleet, snow, lightning and thunder, all in the same night! We had no issues with power outages here, but some were off for a short time. The volunteers here at the lake were out cleaning off the streets early after the storm, and did a great job. Thanks for your effort, guys.

As we prepare for this year of 2023, I’m prompted to go to God’s Word for some encouragement. Sometimes, the thought of what lies ahead is a bit scary…especially in our current situation and culture. A favorite Bible passage of mine is Psalm 62:1-8.

Psalm 62:1–8… My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
They fully intend to topple him
from his lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse. Selah
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.

These are encouraging words in uncertain times, and they have helped me many times in the past. A lot of attention has been focused on congress in recent days, and we pray our leaders will get back to the task of governing. Romans 13:1-. We are to pray for our government officials, that they would come to Jesus, and that they would govern justly. God has placed those in government because he wants them there, but make no mistake, government is not the answer to the mess we are in. God is the only one who can heal our land.

There will come a time when Jesus will set up His kingdom on earth and the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9 will be fulfilled. “For to us a child is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.” Until then, we carry on.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

12 Dec

A Savior was Born

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Assurance, Christmas, Eternal Life, Gospel, Salvation, Worship.

Dear friends,

We finally received a bit of moisture. It was not much, but much more than we have had recently. As we continue to observe that first Christmas, I’ve been reflecting on different parts of the story.

As I thought about the Christmas story this week, I remembered those crisp clear nights out checking cows when stars were shining in a black sky. There was total silence, except for cow sounds. I then remembered the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds. Suddenly, the sky was full of angels praising God. What a mind blowing experience that must have been!

Terrified might have been a bit of an understatement, but the angel assured them it was all good. They went and saw the baby, and began to tell everyone about the experience.

In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

                Glory to God in the highest heaven,

                and peace on earth to people he favors.

When the angels had left them and returned to heaven…, the shepherds hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:8-20).

Many years ago, the message of salvation through faith in Jesus came to me; not in the stillness of a dark night, but in the preaching of the gospel from our pastor at the time. Like those shepherds of old, this news changed my life. Do you know the Savior? Have you understood the message of the angel? Do you tell others what He has done for you?

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

5 Dec

Good News

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Hope.

Dear friends,

Our weather is seasonal for the most part, and we received two to three inches of snow. It didn’t stick around too long, but we are thankful for the moisture it provided. We certainly won’t complain if we get some more, even if it comes as snow. It seems everyone is gearing up for the Christmas season. The Lake Ericson Trail of Lights event was held Friday and Saturday evenings. The wind held the attendance down on Friday, but there were many who braved the elements and many more attended Saturday.

As we celebrate this season, it is always good to review what happened at Christmas, and why. Old Testament prophets wrote and spoke of a coming Messiah. In Isaiah 7:14, 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 Emmanuel.”

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shouldersAnd he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. From the prophet Micah we read, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, thought you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will rule over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4-5).

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).

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).

The simple truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is this: We are all born sinners, separated from God. The way to restore our relationship with God the Father is to confess our sin and by faith confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. See Romans 10:9-10.

In Truth,

Pastor Jerry

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