Archive for the ‘Praise’ Category
4
Sep
Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Change, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Planning, Praise, renewal, Stewardship, The Good News, Trials, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
I’m beginning to see faint signs of the change of seasons. Labor Day weekend signals a change, because it takes us from the busyness of summer to the more structured time of school-days and the shorter days that signal the transition from summer to fall.
Some bemoan the fact that summer is ending, not wanting the season to end, but this would eventually become tiresome, and lead to a yearning for change. I believe that those seasonal changes are designed by the Creator to provide times of birth, growth, harvest and rest.
There are seasons in our lives, just as there are seasons evident in creation. Who wants to be forever a baby, or a toddler, or even a teen-ager? Those are all seasons of life. Time marches on, and the seasons change. The important thing, is this; are you embracing the seasons of your life? We learn different things in each season of our lives. We get to the end of one chapter, and we take what we have learned into the next. Have I mentioned seasons?
Oh, I know, sometimes we would like to return to a previous time, but this is a physical impossibility. For our own well-being, we really cannot live in the past. To be healthy, we must move on, knowing God has a plan for us. Regarding living the Christian life, Paul says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal… (Philippians 3:13-14).
One difference in the seasons of life, compared to the seasons of nature, is that in our lives, there will most likely be more than four seasons. Birth, growth, harvest and rest, will all come over and over until we reach that final rest.
Solomon, that wisest of men, summed it up with these words: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. He went on to list those activities. They include birth and death, planting and harvest, weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing, war and peace (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).
What season of life are you in? Enjoy where you are, and anticipate the future with the confidence that God is in charge.
Blessings,
Pastor Jerry
28
Aug
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Body of Believers, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, Families, Fellowship, Gospel, Praise, Uncategorized, Worship. 2 comments
The Gospel Music Jam under the carousel at Lake Ericson is history. The weather was ideal, the music was uplifting, and a good time was had by everyone. I think everyone agrees that we need to do it again. As Willie Nelson sang, “the life I love is making music with my friends.”
We are in prayer for the people of Texas this week, especially the Huston area, as they deal with epic flooding. There are areas not too far from us, where it is a bit wet, but we have never seen flooding like this, and I can’t even imagine that kind of destruction. Those of you whose hay harvest has been delayed for a time because of wet meadows, count your blessings. It could be worse.
Labor Day weekend is almost here. For most, it is the last weekend of the summer season. After living here at the lake for just a few summers, we know the really busy time is coming to a close. It is good to see all the families enjoying the lake and its activities, but the quiet season is something we look forward to, also.
Back to the gospel music we all enjoyed this weekend; someone remarked how good it was to just spend the afternoon listening to God’s gift of music, seated in the midst of His creation, and for a time forgetting the cares of the world.
Scripture is filled with references to music as worship and praise. Here are a few of them:
“Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre” (Psalm 33:2).
“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 92:1).
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music” (Psalm 98:4).
“Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp” (Psalm 147:7).
And from the New Testament: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
If you can’t sing, there are these from the English Standard Version:
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”
(Psalm 95:1)
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!” (Psalm 100:1)
Praising Him,
Pastor Jerry
7
Aug
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Body of Believers, Christian Living, Culture, Forgiveness, Gospel, Obedience, Praise, renewal, Repentance, Sin, Stewardship, Uncategorized, Wisdom, Worship. Leave a comment
The cooler temperatures of this past week have been welcomed and appreciated by most folks I know. From crops to livestock, pets to humans, there has been relief from the heat. There are many tasks we all have to do outdoors, and most are more enjoyable with moderate weather conditions.
Milrae’s little garden is doing well. We had our first tomatoes this week, and cucumbers and green beans came along earlier.
Now for a few thoughts on what I see as the proliferation of profanity in the everyday conversations of very many people. I know I have written on this topic before, but I’m going to do it again. I’m reminded of the story the new pastor who preached the same sermon several weeks in a row. When asked why, he said, “I’m going to keep preaching it until the people get it.”
When I hear “grown up” people, even those who claim to be Christian, speaking words in public that were taboo for years, I think, “They still don’t get it.”
The Bible tells us in many places to clean up our speech. I’ll give you some examples, so then we may, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test” (2 Corinthians 13:5)? “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27).
Jesus had this to say about our speech, relative to our heart attitude: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart… For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” (Colossians 3:8). “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be” (James 3:9-10).
My point in all this is to encourage one and all, to consider the words we speak, and those we post to social media, and ask, are these words beneficial to our hearers and readers?
Let’s work to keep our speech pure.
Blessings,
Pastor Jerry
31
Jul
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Obedience, Peace, Praise, thanksgiving, Trials, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
Our temperatures have cooled over the last week. This is good news to many people. It seemed as if our air conditioner ran continuously for weeks. There was beneficial rain here at the lake this week, but just a few miles from here, the hail destroyed corn and soybeans over a large area. I can remember a time at the ranch, when it hailed in late July, and our corn stalks were about 4 feet tall after the storm passed.
Life is filled with new experiences, no matter what age we are. I don’t know if it was something I needed, but I have experienced a case of the shingles virus. Everything you have heard is true. These things are miserable. The good news is that there are medicines to lessen the symptoms. I am gradually getting better, but much slower than I would like. The point I would make is this; even in these kinds of setbacks, God is involved. I have to admit, I have a tendency to ask why me; when the proper question would be, why not me? After all, what would I have that should allow me to escape the things that befall others?
It has been said (somewhere), that God is with us, both in the storm, and in fair weather. Whether the crops fail, or our health turns from bad to good, He is always there. We may wonder, and we may doubt, but in His word, He says, “Never will I ever leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
I posted a passage from the Old Testament this week, that has always reminded me to give thanks in all circumstances. I’ll share it again for those who might have missed it.
First a little background: The prophet Habakkuk was complaining to the Lord because of the violence, injustice and oppression Israel was experiencing. What God revealed to Habakkuk caused the prophet to stand in awe of God, and ask for mercy. As he understands what God is about to bring upon the land, the prophet says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.
Rejoicing,
Pastor Jerry
17
Jul
Posted by sandhillspastor in Baptism, Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Fellowship, Gospel, Obedience, Praise, Prayer, Salvation, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship. 1 comment
Dear friends,
The heat wave continues in our part of the world. Air conditioners are working full-time, and losing the battle most of the time. It would be a huge blessing to see some rain, and a cooling down of the daytime temperatures. We’ll just have to pray along those lines.
This week, I am going to just share some observations and some fun things that have happened lately. There might be something here that blesses someone in some way. It would be great if that happens.
A tradition here at Lake Ericson with many of the residents is an evening tour around the community with either a golf cart or some other small personal vehicle. Saturday evening, two young ladies from down the street rode with us. As we drove along listening to them chatter and laugh in the back of the golf cart, I thought, how much fun it would be to return to a time when we had such a carefree outlook on life. Not to start life over, but just to visit there for a short time. It is kind of sad that we get so jaded in our outlook as we age. I’m reminded of the words of Solomon: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
Summer seems to be a time of celebration. Every town, both small and large, has a celebration of some kind. How many times have you seen one of those highway department signs alerting you to a “local celebration”, so you will be aware of traffic hazards?
There was a small celebration at the boat ramp across the street from our house Sunday afternoon. A young lady who had invited Jesus into her heart just a few years ago, allowed me the privilege of baptizing her in the lake. There were just a few friends present to celebrate with her, but I know the angels in heaven were celebrating, also. When Jesus taught the parable of the lost coin, he told of the woman rejoicing with her friends when she found it. He then said, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).
Rejoicing in these,
Pastor Jerry
3
Jul
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, God's Word, Obedience, Praise, Service, Stewardship, Uncategorized, Work, Worship. 2 comments
Hello friends,
We are a couple of weeks into the official summer season. This means the days are getting shorter, but it will be awhile before we notice much difference. The Independence Day holiday is soon to be history, and we will get down to our summer routine. For some, it will be watering and mowing the lawn, or tending a garden. For others, it will be watering crops, and harvesting a hay crop.
God put us here to work and to make a living, in order to provide for our families, and in the end to bring Him glory through our stewardship of what He has given us.
It begins is Genesis 2. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:9-10).
“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24).
“Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways;
You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours” (Psalm 128:1-2).
To those who would take advantage of other’s work by stealing, Paul said, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his hands.” And more good advice from Paul: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17), and this includes our vocation, whatever it may be.
So, as you go about your daily work routine this summer, whatever it is, work as for the Lord, because after all, he is the provider of all good things, even the daily labor he has called you to do. In addition, here is a bit of advice from the apostle 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).
Blessings,
Pastor Jerry
26
Jun
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Culture, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, Freedom, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Repentance, Salvation, Sin, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
Dear friends,,
The busy 4th of July weekend is coming up. Perhaps we will have the pleasure of seeing some of you at the Lake.
Lately, I have been thinking about all the things going on in our world. It seems all the news is bad news, and people are asking what has gone wrong?
Maybe you have seen or heard this next statement: If Jesus is the answer, what it the question. The question is this: What is the problem with the world? According to God, sin is the reason for all the dysfunction in the world. It started in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and His creation was broken.
Paul reminds his readers, “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.” He goes on, “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10-18). This sounds like our present day and age.
Yesterday, as I sat in church before worship began, I noticed the scripture on the banner above the organ: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)! Good News! The perfect, sinless Lamb of God came to be the once for all solution to a sin-sick world.
Did you get that? He is the One who came to take away all the sin of the world. He paid the penalty for every sinner. Don’t forget, however, that only those who receive the gift God offers, are saved. Sin demands payment. No one can save himself. Only Jesus Christ is qualified to be the Savior.
Again from Romans chapter 6, verse 23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As it is written in the Book of Acts: “Salvation is found in no one else… there is no other name by which we must be saved.
Praising Him,
Pastor Jerry
29
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Culture, Freedom, God's Word, Memorial Day, Peace, Politics, Praise, Prayer, Service, Uncategorized. 1 comment
The Memorial Service held Sunday at Lake Ericson was well attended, and kudos go to those who helped in any way. I won’t give names, because you know who you are, and I would miss someone. The program was followed by root beer, or orange floats. Yummy!
Memorial Day is one of those holidays that for many people, has lost some of its meaning. In the beginning, it was to honor fallen soldiers. At some point, deceased family members began to be included in the tradition. These days, for lots of people, it has become just another long weekend to spend at the lake, or the campground. The time is spent drinking adult beverages, and eating barbeque, probably with little or no thought of how we acquired the freedoms we are enjoying.
Attending a service such as the one held Sunday afternoon here at the lake, reminds us once again, of the blessings we experience living in the United States of America. Regardless of your view of current politics, this is still the best country in the world, bar none!
Honoring those who have served, and are serving our country, should be a priority for everyone. After all, it is their sacrifice that secured and preserved our freedom. In addition, much of whatever peace exists in the world today, is the result of America’s military strength and presence around the globe.
To repeat scripture shared at the service this afternoon, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Many are those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and their countrymen.
Ultimately, peace will come to the earth when Christ returns as conquering King. For now, we are indebted to the peacekeepers in our military. May God bless and protect them, as they serve.
Some of you will read this after Memorial Day has passed; even so, would you say a prayer for our military personnel everywhere in the world? Thank you.
God bless America!
Pastor Jerry
15
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Heaven, Praise, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship. Leave a comment
The 4th annual fishing derby was held at Lake Ericson on Saturday. Except for some windy conditions, it was a good day, with some nice fish being caught.
Last week, we were thinking about having limited eyesight. I want to continue that thought today, but from a different perspective. Let’s think about that moment when we see Jesus in person for the first time.
The Bible teaches me the following truths.
Believers will see Him in his beauty. “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).
Isaiah tells the believing person, “Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar” (Isaiah 33:17).
I will see Him in person. Job said this concerning God: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me” (Job 19:25-27)!
When we who believe see Him, we will be like Him.
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
Everyone will see Him
From Revelation 1:7; Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
Glory and praise will be His
Psalm 72:19… Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.
Psalm 86:9… All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your name.
Psalm 97:6… The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.
Psalm 102: 15… The nations will fear the name of the Lord; all the kings of the earth will revere Your glory.
Proclaiming Him,
Pastor Jerry
8
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Change, Faith, Freedom, God's Word, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness. Leave a comment
It is sunny, windy and warm as I write this. This is a drastic turnaround from last week. The snow is gone; the flowers have mostly recovered. The new grass seedlings in our back yard have responded well to all the moisture and the cool temperatures. As of this time, it seems spring is here for real.
Due to some corrective surgery on my eyelids this week, I have a renewed appreciation for sight and good vision. Having spent two-and- a-half days being unable to see, I have a tiny hint of the challenges of not being able to see. First, there is a sudden and complete dependency on others. Someone needs to take your hand and lead you to wherever you are going. And, it is soon discovered that your sense of direction and distance are completely gone.
Try getting up in the middle of the night blind-folded, and find the bathroom on your own. Now there is an eye-opener, so to speak. I was sure I was headed to the bathroom I normally use. As I was feeling my way along the wall, my lovely wife said, “What are you doing?”
“Going to the bathroom”, I answered, somewhat offended. “Well, you are headed into my bathroom,” she said. Sure enough. It turns out I cannot even find the bathroom without sight. I am happy to report that I now have the blinders off, and I can find my own way just fine, thank you!
Spiritual blindness is something that affects many people. The result of this is a loss of direction. The person is stuck in sin, with no sense of the right direction, or even where to turn for help. We are prone to take wrong turns, end up in places we had no intention of being, and our life is just confusion, helplessness, and hopelessness.
There is a story in the Bible of a man born blind and healed by Jesus. We read about it in John 9. The religious leaders did not believe his story. They called him in and asked how he was healed. He said Jesus did it. Disbelieving, they brought him in again, and tried to get him to deny that it was Jesus. His answer was classic. “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
To that I can only add, AMEN!
Pastor Jerry
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