Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category
2
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Culture, Easter, Eternal Life, Gospel, Grace, Judgment, Planning, Salvation, Truth, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
Dear friends,
Once again we have celebrated the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Once again we have been reminded that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, and whoever believes in him is not condemned (John 3:16,18).
This week, I have an appointment with my tax preparer. The deadline is near for filing taxes, in fact, it is just two weeks away. When we were on the ranch, we had to file before March 15, now it is April 15. I have always been a procrastinator when it comes to getting this done. However, procrastination must come to an end. The IRS will not overlook a late response.
One deadline looms for all people. That is the day of our physical death. It is a day when there will be no more opportunity to receive God’s gift of salvation. There will be no opportunity to make the right choice after that time. There are no second chances. If you miss the deadline for file your taxes, it is possible to get an extension. Not so when dealing with your eternal destination. We are reminded in scripture that man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. (Hebrews 9:27).
Like the IRS, God will not overlook a late response. We must make a choice while we are still living, there will be no second chance, nor will there be an extension. And since no one knows his time, it is better to choose Christ now, as we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
Jesus told of a group of ten young women waiting for a wedding celebration to begin. Five of them had prepared for the party, but the other five left to get oil for their lamps. While they were gone, the bridegroom returned, the party started, and those who were off buying lamp oil missed the celebration (Matthew 25:1-12).
Tomorrow may never come. God, in his grace gives us time and opportunity to believe in the Savior, but there will come a time it is too late. Don’t play with procrastination. Today is the day of salvation. Trust in Him today.
Pray this: Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask you to forgive me. Come into my heart and save me today. Amen
In truth and love,
Pastor Jerry
19
Mar
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Bible, Cross, Eternal Life, Faith, God, God's Word, Gospel, Judgment, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom. Leave a comment
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
26
Feb
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Culture, Evil deeds, God's Word, Gospel, Great Commission, Persecution, Repentance, Salvation, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness. Leave a comment
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
29
Jan
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Eternal Life, Eternity, Gospel, Peace, Planning, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
Update: Last week, I mentioned some surgery on my arm. The lab report came back okay. Praise God for that!
I have been sorting and printing hard copies of my past articles and commentaries. Such a trip down memory lane! One thing frustrates me, though. Some of the files are missing, and some I found are on a CD that my computer won’t open. The missing ones are from 2004, I suppose I’ll find a way to access them eventually.
I don’t know if I have mentioned it, but I enjoy listening to bluegrass music. One recent song title caught my attention, and I thought, isn’t this just the way the world is these days?
The song is, “We Don’t Know Where We’re Going, But We Sure Are Making Good Time.” I don’t even know all the words to the song, but the title says it well. People without the Lord, and without any assurance of spending eternity in heaven with him, are just going through life with no direction and no meaning. They try to add meaning to life with all kinds of things, but in the end, they are just making good time on a journey to nowhere. To quote Solomon, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
More from Solomon: Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
Then he then sums it all up at the end of chapter 12: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every good thing, whether it is good or evil.”
What is my point? “Seek first his (God’s) kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Life is not meaningless if you are living for Jesus. You will not have to wonder about your final destination. Heaven will be your final home.
Enjoy the journey,
Pastor Jerry
22
Jan
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Death and Dying, Eternal Life, Gospel, Grace, Judgment, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
Hello friends,
Finally, we have seen some warmer weather. It was followed by a really big storm. Chalk up one for the weather man.
A couple of weeks ago, I saw my dermatologist for a 6-month checkup. She thought a spot on my arm needed attention, and a biopsy showed some cancer cells. This week, I returned for surgery to remove more tissue. Now I’m wearing stitches in my arm. Hopefully this is the end of it.
Much of what we see in the news provides material for commentary. In fact, I could probably write more than one article a week, if I so desired. This week has been no different.
A week ago now, there was a false alarm in Hawaii about a missile attack. We can glean at least two important lessons from this incident.
First, we are reminded that our lives could end without warning, or at least on short notice. I’m sure we have been reminded of this many times, but how often do we actually think about the possibility? What preparations have we made for our families to continue on after we’re gone?
The second point, is that millions of people have disregarded the most important warning of all. That warning has eternal significance for all people. Jesus is going to return and judge the world. Those who know him as Savior and Lord will go with him to glory, and those who have rejected him go to eternal damnation. I know there were times in my own life, when God gave me another opportunity to trust in Jesus Christ for my salvation. In His grace, I eventually made the right choice.
I know of at least two instances recently, where individuals have been close to death, and recovered. To my knowledge, neither one has any personal relationship with the Lord, nor have they shown any inclination to place their faith in the Lord Jesus. This is sad.
Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” Scripture also reminds us that it is appointed to man, once to die, and after that the judgment. We are also told, “today is the day of salvation.” This is not a false alarm. It is truth. Tomorrow may not come. Today is the day of salvation. Do not wait.
In His love,
Pastor Jerry
8
Jan
Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, God's Word, Gospel, Great Commission, Judgment, Possessions, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized. 2 comments
Dear readers,
In recent columns, I have mentioned our unseasonably warm temperatures. That has all changed. The temps of the past few days have been frigid at best. A warm-up will be welcome.
It has always been my intention when writing these articles, to take a life experience and relate it to a passage, or theme from the Bible. My ideas have come from personal experiences, but also from television commercials, news headlines and other sources. For instance, here is a headline from late December: “Flames threaten rich California enclave; residents flee”
I bear no animosity toward those who have been successful, but there is a picture here of a biblical teaching. If their fame and fortune could save them, these folks would not have fled in the face of those wildfires. The truth is, when the flames of a forest fire come, no matter what your station in life, you flee to safety.
The Bible speaks of the fire of hell as punishment for those who reject God’s salvation. Escape from that penalty comes by placing one’s faith in the Lord Jesus. How is this for a headline? “Thousands flee the fires of hell, run to Jesus for salvation!”
Let’s start of the New Year by examining our priorities and putting the really important things first. Jesus said this, concerning possessions: “Watch out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Also, “Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
From Revelation 20:15; If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
There is good news! Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. (John 1:12). When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:2)
We have compassion for those who have lost possessions in the fires, are we as concerned for those threatened by the fires of hell? We should be.
Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry
11
Dec
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Body of Believers, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, God's Word, Grace, Obedience, Praise, Prayer, Repentance, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship. Leave a comment
Dear friends,
My good wife and I have been dealing with colds this week and to be honest, I just haven’t felt like writing. I have this article I recently came across, and would like to share it with you.
God hears and answers every prayer, but there are a precious few to which he always says, “Yes.” The prayers always answered positively are the prayers which explicitly ask God to deliver on his promises to us. God will always say Yes when we ask him to do his work through his word.
I have found at least six basic prayers God will always answer.
1. Glorify yourself through me.
The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).
2. Forgive me.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
3. Reveal more of yourself to me.
I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:33–34).
4. Give me wisdom.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him (James 1:5).
5. Strengthen me to obey you.
As you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure(Philippians 2:12–13).
6. Spread your gospel to the lost.
This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).
How do we know God will answer these six prayers? Because he says he will in the first place, and then, even more, because these prayers sum up what God has promised to do through the gospel. This is what God has said he would most surely do.
Be blessed,
Pastor Jerry
27
Nov
Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Christmas, Faith, Freedom, Giving, Gospel, Grace, Possessions, Praise, Resurrection, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
Hello friends,
It is the last week of November. The Thanksgiving leftovers are almost gone, and after being thankful for God’s blessings of the past year, we can now concentrate on celebrating the greatest gift ever given, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christmas lights are up at the Lake, and if you are in the area, it is worth driving out to see them. As the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. The past few days have been unseasonably warm, so it may be harder to think Christmas. However, there are only four weeks until Christmas, and then a brand new year. As I look back, I see many changes in the past year, and I don’t believe they were all positive. That is not to say there was nothing positive, just that those things were less noticeable.
We are reminded at this time of year, that God came to earth in human form, to set in motion His plan to redeem a sinful, fallen world. There was a quote in our church bulletin this morning that said, “It is really sad how much of our time, effort and energies are captured by the cultural busyness of Christmastime, rather than the core of the Advent story. We allow Christmas to be more about created stuff than it is about the incarnation of the Creator. We’ve turned the story on its head.”
Here is a refresher, just in case anyone might need it:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4-5).
The apostle Paul, in reminding the church at Corinth of the gospel, wrote this, “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. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Yours,
Pastor Jerry
6
Nov
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, Death and Dying, Eternal Life, Eternity, Evil deeds, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Grace, Heaven, Prayer, Salvation, The Good News, Trials, Truth, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
Dear friends,
November is under way. Don’t look now, but Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner, to be followed by another new year.
Once again, the news headlines remind us of the fragility of human life. Once again, we are reminded that we need always to be prepared to meet death. Once more, we are reminded as the Bible tells us, life is a vapor. Once more we see the urgency of making a decision to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.
A group of people told Jesus about a group of Galileans, brutally murdered by Pilate. His response may have taken them aback. His answer was, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no? But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you thing they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:1-5).
There was widespread opinion in Jesus’ day, that such things happen only as punishment for specific sins. Jesus refuted this notion but nevertheless emphasized that every person must repent or else perish spiritually for eternity. To repent, means to agree with God that you are a sinful being, accept Christ as your Savior, and allow His Holy Spirit to bring about change in your life.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary states; “Jesus’ point was that being killed or not being killed is no measure of a person’s unrighteousness or righteousness. Anyone can be killed. Only God’s grace causes anyone to live. Death is the common denominator for everyone. Only repentance can bring life as people prepare to enter the kingdom.”
Again, His message was repent of your sins and receive His salvation through faith in Him, or you, too, will perish, meaning to spend eternity in hell.
So, in light of this, each person should examine themselves to determine if they have genuinely trusted Jesus for his or her salvation. We do not know when our time on earth is done, but we can have the assurance that when this life is over, our destination is heaven and an eternal home in the presence of God our Savior, through faith in His Son.
In Him,
Pastor Jerry
23
Oct
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Body of Believers, Christian Living, Faith, Family of God, Fellowship, Giving, God's Word, Salvation, Service, Stewardship, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness. Leave a comment
The great fall weather continues. I don’t really remember seeing the colors as bright as they are this year. Every day the sunrise is more beautiful than the day before. I hesitate to post to many photos of our morning view, for fear you will be bored by them. A friend of mine wrote this week that God must be a Nebraskan, for all the beauty He has given us. Amen!
Now, on to our devotional thought for the week: As we saw last time, God calls us to salvation. That call is followed by God’s call to serve Him. Without answering the call to salvation, there can be no call to serve.
There are many ways to serve God. I suppose the first thing that comes to many people’s minds when I speak of serving the Lord, would be missionaries, or pastors. However, these are not the only ways Christians can serve the Lord. Here are several more:
Testimony… Live lives worthy of your calling (Ephesians 4:1)
Fellowship… Do not forsake meeting together. (Hebrews 10:25).
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (Romans 12:13)
Meeting the needs of people. “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you will; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it” (James 2:15-16)?
Service to the Lord shows in many ways, but the object of all service is to bring him praise and glory, along with introducing lost people to the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not called to warm the church pews for one hour a week, then go silently back into the world. Every believer is to be obedient to the Great Commission in Matthew 28. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, …and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20).
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Go into all the world. Go and tell. Your salvation is shown by your obedience to God’s commands.
His Words,
Pastor Jerry
