Archive for the ‘Heaven’ Category

25 Aug

Two Destinations

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Eternity, God's Word, Gospel, Heaven, Hell, Judgment, Resurrection.

Hello friends,
I am sure a lot of people are enjoying the cooler temperatures. I like it cooler, but not if I’m going to have to wear a sweater or jacket. There will be time for that. In other news, the Lord has provided us with a vehicle to replace the one we wrecked in June. It is a bit older and has high mileage, but as Milrae says, we probably won’t need it for too many years!

Our adult Sunday school finished a series of lessons that took us through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. A statement that struck me in this is; every person will ultimately spend eternity in one of two places, heaven or hell.

Some folks believe that when this life is over, it’s over. They are of the mindset this is all there is. But the Bible is clear that there is an afterlife. Everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected to face final judgment. Those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be ushered into heaven for eternal fellowship with God and with Jesus.

Those who rejected God’s offer of salvation will be condemned to eternal punishment in hell or the lake of fire, as it is called in Revelation 20:14. We are not all God’s children. The Bible clearly states that only those who have accepted God’s salvation as provided by Jesus’ finished work on the cross are His children. All are created by God but only become His children through faith in Christ. This is referred to as being born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3).

Concerning Jesus, John wrote the following, “He was in the world, and although the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:10-12).

All who have accepted Christ will live with Him forever. However, if anyone’s name is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

Is your name written in the book of life? Are you born again?

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

16 Jun

Waiting For Heaven

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Body of Believers, Eternal Life, Faith, Heaven, Second Coming.

Dear friends,
It’s a beautiful summer day as I write this. Looking out at the lake, with the sunlight glistening on the water, I am reminded how blessed we are to be living here. I trust you can say the same in the place the Lord has put you. The old saying is “bloom where you are planted.”

We have lived in several locations and situations in our married life, but no matter what the location, it was always home. As Christians, we know this world is not our final home, but a stop along the way in our journey to heaven.

“But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). Referring to the faithful believers in Hebrews, the Bible says this, “If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:15-16).

Speaking of heaven, the apostle Paul wrote, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 4:17-5:1).

“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 the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:3-6).

Finally, Paul’s words from Romans 8, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (verse 18).

Just passing through,
Pastor Jerry

19 May

Awaiting the Day

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Creation, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Heaven.

Hello friends,
If all goes according to the forecast, we may get some rain early this week. We can only pray for it to happen. Relating to the weather, we extend our prayers and sympathy to those who lost homes and loved ones last week in the tornadoes. Nature can be violent and deadly at times. Christians understand this to be a direct result of Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden.

We live in a broken world, but God is still in control, and He has a plan to restore everything to perfection. There is coming a time when there will be no more storms or illness or anything to bring about pain or suffering or tears.

Paul tells us of this promise of God: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by 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 pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:18-23).

In the book of Revelation, we read: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).

Looking for that day,
Pastor Jerry

26 Aug

Circumstances

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Contentment, Eternal Life, Heaven, On Aging, Witness.

Hello all,
Welcome to second summer. The warm temperatures have returned! I suppose most of us would expect some hot days in early September. After all, it is State Fair time.

The worst part of my current health situation has been a loss of appetite. Food has no appeal and tastes nothing like I remember. My own cooking even tastes awful! If there is an up-side, it is that I have lost a few pounds. Along with that, I want to sleep a lot, and naps are a large part of my days.

In times like this, it is easy to see only the situation we are in and focus on the negative. The medicines I am taking are having their intended effect, but there are unpleasant side-effects. Keeping in mind the end result is of great importance.

Many times, in our Christian walk, we endure times that are difficult, and it is hard to keep our thoughts directed toward heaven. As someone once said when asked how they were doing answered, I’m doing okay under the circumstances. His friend said, “What are you doing? Get out from under there!”

Our joy in life does not come from our circumstances. In poverty or in wealth, our true joy should be in our relationship with the Lord. When King David was in the desert, hiding from his enemies, he wrote the following:
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:1-8).

So, in those difficult times we must not keep our eyes on our circumstances but keep looking up to Jesus. He is our peace, our hope and joy.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

18 Sep

The Winning Team

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, End Times, Faith, Gospel, Heaven, Second Coming, Truth.

Dear friends,

Weather-wise, it was an almost perfect week. Cooler temperatures were the highlight, along with some nice rain. It doesn’t get much better in September. I continue to adjust to a new medication schedule after my recent visit to the ER and what followed. I can see improvement every day.

I’m not as rabid a football fan as I once was, but congratulations to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on their win Saturday night. It was good to be on the winning side for a change. May they continue to show up in the win column. Go Big Red!

Speaking of a winning team… as the world seems to be spinning out of control, and the devil appears to be winning the battle between good and evil, we may get discouraged. There is good news. I have read God’s Word from beginning to end and it is encouraging to find that in the end, God’s people are on the winning team.

There is a spiritual battle going on between God and the devil. The Bible tells us Satan has been defeated, but he has not stopped attacking Christians for the purpose of damaging their testimony. The apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in Ephesus: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).

Peter wrote, “Be sober minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

A final word for this week from Peter. “Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; … Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:8-13).

In His grip.

Pastor Jerry

21 Aug

Sweet Fellowship

Posted by sandhillspastor in Baptism, Blessings, Body of Believers, Faith, Family of God, Fellowship, Heaven.

Dear friends,
We are getting prepared for some very hot weather. We are very thankful the AC works. Back in the days of our youth, it wasn’t such a big deal. Summer involved a lot of outdoor time and for the most part we just kept working; especially when we were in the hayfield. I think it was partly a mental thing; we knew it was hot but we didn’t dwell on it. At home, we would stop in the middle of the afternoon for a break and sit in the shade of a haystack to get a cool drink and sometimes there would be watermelon that had been cooled in a stock tank fed by a flowing well. Watermelon has never tasted that good!

Sunday, we attended a special day in the life of a young man we know. He is just a youngster, but in recognition of his faith in the Lord Jesus, he followed the Lord’s example of water baptism. Morning worship was followed by a short drive to the river, where in the presence of many witnesses, this young man publicly proclaimed his faith in Christ, and was baptized in obedience to his Lord’s command. Congratulations, Paxton!

Following the baptism ceremony, everyone returned to the church for a delicious meal and sweet fellowship with the believers who make up that church. It was a snapshot of that day when all who believe will gather in the presence of our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We read in Revelation these words: Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
“Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!”

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteousness of the saints.)

Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God” (Revelation 19:5-9).

Will you be there? You will be if you know Jesus as your Savior.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

10 Jul

Storms of Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Heaven, renewal, The Good News.

Dear friends,

After the long 4th of July holiday weekend, it seemed like just three days later we arrived at another weekend. By all reports the long weekend was a success. A large number of residents and guests enjoyed a great fireworks display and many memories were made. During the week we received some nice rain. Early Friday morning my gauge showed an even two inches. It was very much needed, and there is room for more. On the flip side, there were damaging storms in the panhandle with hail that destroyed crops.

Nature is unpredictable, and we are told in the Bible that God’s creation is broken. We are also told that at some time future, the earth will be restored to newness, and those who believed in Jesus for salvation will get to experience this new earth. All this is of little consolation to those whose crops lie in ruin, but better times are coming. Many years ago, we were looking at a bumper corn crop, when a hailstorm near the end of July left only bare stalks. As they say, if it weren’t for next year, farmers and ranchers would give up. So, the next year, we harvested a nice crop of corn again.

To quote a passage of scripture; “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently (Romans 8:22-25).

God will have the last word, as reported by the apostle John in his revelation from Jesus: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I say the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people” (Revelation 21:1-3).

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

15 May

Stormy Weather

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Heaven, Worship.

Dear friends,

There was some stormy weather in our area last Friday. As we were heading home from Kearney that day, we were behind the storm and in no danger. There were tornados in the vicinity of home, but no major damage was reported. Also, there were some nice rains through the week as evidenced by the speed at which the lawn has grown. I must face the fact that mowing season has arrived!

As we think of the storms that occur in life, we return to the pages of God’s word. As we read the Bible, we learn that this earth was created perfect. God called everything he had made very good. Then along came temptation. Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, and all of God’s good creation was broken. Here are the Lord’s words as he spoke to Adam: “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’; The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.

The apostle Paul mentions a broken creation in Romans 8: “For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now” (Romans 8:19-22).

However, eventually creation will be restored. We read these words: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband… Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new” (Revelation 21:1-5a). This is Great News!

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

1 Nov

Seasons

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Change, Eternity, Heaven, Resurrection, Salvation, The Good News.

Dear friends,

Just one comment on the weather of recent days; Colder and windy! I have winterized the camper in anticipation of those freezing cold nights. Any thoughts of camping will have to wait for spring.

As we prepare for the changing of the seasons once more, I am prompted to reflect on the words of Solomon in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.

“There is a time for everything, and a season or every activity under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a

a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace” (Eccl. 3:1-8).

There are seasons of life for each of us, also. We see Spring in our early lives, as we are born and move through childhood. Summer is seen in our productive years, as we work and raise our families. Autumn comes as we mature and reach the age of retirement. Winter is the time when we approach the end of life.

All this reminds me of the need to be prepared for my Winter. When life on earth has ended, what then? The Bible tells us that we have a Savior, and that by placing our faith in Him, we are assured of eternal life, spent in heaven where we will be in His presence forever. Have you made the decision to follow Him with all your heart and soul?

“As God’s fellow workers, we urge you to not receive God’s grace in vain, for He says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

6 Sep

Encouraging Words

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Bible, Faith, God's Word, Heaven, The Good News.

Hello friends,
It was a beautiful weekend to end the summer season at the lake! There were activities for young and old alike, a family times enjoyed by all. It is good to see all the happy, smiling faces pass by my window. There continues to be improvements to the properties around the lake. There is an on-going effort to spruce up the area, and it is noticeable. Thank you to all who are involved in these projects. We can be proud to say we are residents of the Lake Ericson community.

I know with all the upheaval and strife, the Covid pandemic and the evil in the world, we can become stressed and anxious about the future. I believe the answer is to place our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has said we are not to worry: “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

I take comfort in the words of the apostle Paul:
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed by our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christs, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10).

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

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