Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category

1 Feb

New Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Bible, Change, Eternal Life, Faith, Family of God, God's Word, Gospel, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized.

As I sit enjoying the scenery here at the lake, I see a lot of brown vegetation across the way, trees without leaves and a frozen lake surface. Yet, in all of this, I know that there is life waiting just under the surface; waiting for the warmup that is to come. When that happens, the grass will change from brown to green, leaves will reappear, flowers will bloom, and new life will appear everywhere.
Sometimes we look around at people, and see only discouragement and despair. It seems that for many people life is like a winter scene, where everything looks brown and lifeless. As Christians, we should look beneath the surface and realize that there is hope for a new beginning in every soul.
Jesus came to give meaning to life. His coming brought hope to the hopeless, healing to the spiritually wounded, and mending for the broken-hearted. Spring is on the way for those who place their faith in Him. He invites those who are burdened down with life’s cares to let Him carry the load. As he says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).
To those who despair, who have no hope because they have no knowledge of Jesus Christ, Peter has these encouraging words: “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 Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Jesus said to Mary, the sister of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25).
We who are God’s people, must introduce those who have no hope to the One who can give them new life, eternal life; the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Him,
Pastor Jerry

25 Jan

CHOICES

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Freedom, Gospel, Heaven, Judgment, Salvation, Truth, Uncategorized.

The forecast for today (Monday) is for windy, with some snow showers. The good news? Sunshine is predicted for most of the rest of the week. I’ll be one of many who will be glad to see the sun again.
Our Sunday school lesson this week is the starting point for us today. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What was Jesus talking about when He was comparing the narrow to the wide?
He was speaking of a choice we each must make. Narrow road or wide road. The easy way or the hard way. It is the choice between spending eternity with Him, or spending eternity separated from Him. The narrow road means there is one way to God. In John 14:6, Jesus makes this statement: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We are seeing that the narrow way is unpopular. It is called narrow minded, but the rewards at the end of this path are heaven and eternal reward.
This contrasts the popular wide, easy road that leads to destruction, and that so many people are choosing today. It offers temporary, worldly reward and satisfaction, but in the end, it leads to condemnation and an eternity in hell.
We all make choices every day. These choices range from what shall we eat or wear, what college will I attend, or to what political candidate will I support? The most important choice we make in life, I believe, is whether or not to follow Jesus Christ. You see the answer to that question is of eternal significance, whereas all the others are simply temporary.
“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 3:36).
This is a topic I visit from time to time. It is because I believe it to be of utmost importance. Delay in making the decision to follow Christ may result in a person being too late. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation.
In His love,
Pastor Jerry

18 Jan

Who’s In Charge?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, Judgment, Politics, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Uncategorized.

January is just over half gone. A national champion football team has been crowned, and now football fans are focused on the Super Bowl. The political races have taken on a new urgency, as we begin the count-down to the November election. Who knew there would be this much excitement this month?

Regarding the presidential race, I have mostly been observing the candidates as they jockey for position and try to convince the voters to support them. I will definitely make up my mind which one will get my vote before November rolls around.

One thing is sure; no one politician is going to solve all the problems of this country. Why? Because our problems, although politically driven in many cases, are the result of a spiritual deficit in this country. There are large numbers of people who see no reason to seek God, or to follow His commands. Many who claim to be Christians refuse to live according to God’s Word. Others seek to rewrite scripture to make it support their favorite sin, calling it a lifestyle, or claiming that God really didn’t mean what he said.

From Old Testament times, into the days when Jesus was on the earth, and continuing today, God has said that he will judge disobedience. I believe it is true for those who reject His gift of salvation, as well as those who claim to be His people and yet keep on living exactly like the rest of the world. If we continue down the path we are on as a nation, I see nothing but judgment in our future.

My reason for bringing this up is not to judge, but to give a warning. It is not too late to turn things around. God promises judgment on those who are disobedient, but in His grace and mercy, He offers salvation and the promise of eternal life to those who come to Him, confessing their sins, and asking His forgiveness.

Choose who you will vote for this November, but first choose to follow Jesus Christ. He is the answer. “For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17).

In His amazing love,
Pastor Jerry

26 Oct

Preparations

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, Eternity, Salvation. Tagged: , .

This month has certainly flown by. It seems as winter approaches, we move slower. Maybe it is because we are seeing the things we didn’t get done over the summer looming larger as we think of colder weather ahead. I have winterized the camper, and closed the ventilation windows in the crawl space of the lake house in preparation for winter.

Speaking of things that get put off to a later date, how about making preparations for where we will spend eternity? I read recently of a man whose wife had prayed for his salvation for many years. Finally, at the age of 93, he placed his faith in Christ.

The question I would ask is this. What if he hadn’t had 93 years? The Bible says those who reject Jesus as Savior spend eternity apart from God in a place of torment and anguish. Not everyone has 93 years. In fact, not one of us is guaranteed tomorrow. God’s word says “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). In another place it says “just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” (Hebrews 9:27-28). In Hebrews 4:7, it says, “Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later He spoke through David as was said before “Today, If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”, indicating that if He is calling you to be saved, you need to respond now. Do not wait. It is the most important decision you will ever make.

In spite of what many so-called “religions” try to make you believe, there is only one way to heaven. That way is through faith in Jesus Christ. I quote again John 14:6, the words of Jesus: “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”

You may be able to put off winterizing your home or RV. The worst that can happen is frozen pipes and a mess, but when your eternal destination is on the line, please don’t delay. Remember, scripture says man is destined to die once and after that the judgment. There are no second chances. Now is the day of salvation.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

12 Oct

Blessed Assurance

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Eternal Life, God's Word, Gospel, Salvation, Truth.

Hello friends,
It’s time for another of our weekly chats. I realize these are somewhat one-sided, but you are welcome to respond at any time. I hope you have been enjoying the nice weather. It is quite a bit cooler this morning than yesterday, but 95 degrees in October is a bit too much.

In Sunday’s message, we discussed two topics that are closely related. They are the ‘assurance of salvation, and the ‘perseverance of the saints.’ There are those who believe a Christian can lose his or her salvation. Scripture teaches once saved, always saved, and the follow-up of that, is God will see to it that the saved person will persevere to the end.

On assurance of salvation, we have these passages of scripture: “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). “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:5-6). “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

On the perseverance of the saints. Paul writes to the believers at Philippi, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Believers persevere to the end, not by their own effort, but because God has promised to preserve the saints, that is, those who believe on the Lord Jesus.

If a person appears to have lost their salvation, the Bible teaches they were never saved. They either were never really saved, or they had a false assurance based on false doctrine. Concerning those who appeared to have lost their salvation, the apostle John said this: “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19).

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves…” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Saved forever,
Pastor Jerry

22 Jun

Second Chances

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, God, God's Word, Gospel, Praise, Salvation, The Good News.

Earlier this month, we went on an overnight trip to Fremont to see a concert by Nebraska Ambassadors of Music. It was a great performance by a group of very dedicated young musicians.

On our trip home, I had a lesson about second chances. Assuming I knew the way back home, even though we were going a different way, I left the gps on my phone turned off. Twice I missed turns that would have put me on the right road, and in both cases I was given a second chance to get it right. The first time, I turned left, when I should have turned right. A mile down the road, there was a farmer’s driveway that afforded an opportunity to turn around.

The second time, it was a matter of failing to see an approaching intersection in time to get slowed to turn. Since it was on a 4-lane highway, I figured we would have to continue for miles before we could correct my mistake. Just past the missed turn was a drive that crossed over the median to the other side. You guessed it. I missed it also. However, to my surprise, a short way up the road was another connection to the other side of the road. It was as if the highway engineer had some foreknowledge that someone would need another second chance to get on the right road.

In matters of eternal significance, we have a God of second chances. He sometimes gives many opportunities to get on the right road. We must not, however, become complacent and assume that he will always give us another chance. The Bible tells us that if we come to the end of our life, and refuse to accept His salvation, there are no more ‘second’ chances. The scripture says “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For he (God) 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.”

The old gospel hymn asks, “Why do you wait dear brother? Why not come to Him now?” Why not indeed? Now is the day of salvation, there may not be another.

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

11 May

On Staying Close

Posted by sandhillspastor in Body of Believers, Christian Living, End Times, Family of God, Fellowship, Persecution, Salvation, Temptation.

It is 38 degrees here this morning, with a forecast low tonight of 31. I fear the global warming theory will be a hard sell in this area. Last week, I reported that we had sown the grass seed. After the rain this week, I see mowing in my future.

The local Canada goose population is on the increase. Goslings of varying sizes are making their appearance on the lake. I noticed one family with 4 little ones, three of them stayed pretty close to the parents, but one always seemed to be lagging behind. Lately, that goose family has only three young ones. I suspect the little straggler became lunch for some predator.

There is a lesson here for God’s people.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 3:8). Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as the you see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

Remember Paul’s words to the Ephesian elders, as he prepared to leave them: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that when I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! (Acts 20:28-31).

Finally, from Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one…be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:11-18).

In an age when Christianity is being challenged and attacked, I believe it is more important than ever that we remain in close fellowship, encouraging each other in our faith. As the old saying goes, there is strength in numbers. The enemy’s strategy is to divide and conquer. We must stay in close fellowship with our God and with each other.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

27 Apr

A Cat Story

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, Freedom, Gospel, Praise, Salvation, Sin, Temptation, The Good News, Truth.

It was a busy weekend. Much time was spent driving and sitting in meetings, and I am glad to be home. More on that later. Today I want to give you a cat story.

We have a sliding patio door leading onto our back deck. The corner of the screen has been damaged and there is a square of cloth covering the hole. Over time, our cat and dog have used it for a pet door. Last week, a stray cat came through it into the house.

We tried several times to get him out. The first time he came to the door, he could not see how he came in. I opened the screen and we brought him around again. Still, he must have thought the screen was closed. He ran to the bathroom. We chased him back to the door. He hid under a bed. Finally, he took a chance and jumped out through the wide open door. He didn’t even come back and thank us.

Temptation many times seem harmless, so we take a small step into it, and find ourselves trapped. We cannot find the way out, even when loving, caring Christians try to help us see it. They show us from the Bible that Jesus is the way to freedom, but we refuse to believe them or to see their sincerity. Finally, out of desperation we take a chance, step through that door, and are set free.

Jesus says not only am I the door, I am the only door (or gate). I am the way, the truth and the life (John 10:9; John 14:6).

I visited with a young man this week, and found that he is a pastor to prisoners and people in recovery. He shared he had come to faith in Jesus out of that kind of background. Here are his words: There were people who tried to show me the way out of that lifestyle, but I would not listen. I wish I could find some of them, tell them what happened, and thank them.

If you have experienced that freedom, thank those who showed you the way. If you are one trapped in sin, Jesus is the way out. Place your faith in Him, your sins will be forgiven, and you will be set free. The Bible tells me so. (See John 6:37).

Free in Christ,
Pastor Jerry

23 Mar

Springtime Meditations

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, Freedom, God, God's Word, Holy Spirit, Praise, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Worship.

We are starting to see a green tinge developing in the grass. The prevailing breezes are shifting to the south, trees are budding, and spring is in the air. The only thing lacking in our area is rain. There have been numerous grass fires in recent days, and most everyone is praying for rain. If the forecast holds true, those prayers may be answered early this week.

At the lake house, I am getting very close to finishing the sun porch. Next, we will try to get some grass established before the weather gets to warm. I may seek professional help in that area, because Milrae would like to see some actual grass.

The church calendar shows Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Resurrection Day coming up very soon. The good thing is these observances have a message that is timeless. This sounds like a good topic for our devotional this week.

When we were ranching, spring was always a reminder of good things to come, and after becoming a Christian, it all held new meaning for me.

Things like the knowledge that through faith in Jesus, I was raised to new life by being born again. Given a new start. A new heart. Become a new creation. Renewed in my spirit. My broken relationship with God restored through faith in Christ and belief in His resurrection.

Follow me through these verses. In John 3:3, to Nicodemus, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” God makes a promise to his people; “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

New life. A new start. Salvation from sin and guilt. Eternity with my Lord and Savior. These are what Spring-time and the Resurrection mean to me.

In remembering the new little calves playing in the sunshine, I am also reminded of an Old Testament verse. “And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall” (Malachi 4:2).

Enjoying the Son shine,
Pastor Jerry

16 Feb

On Being Ready

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, End Times, Faith, Gospel, Persecution, Salvation, Second Coming, The Good News, Truth.

Hello all,
Sunday evening we held our 9th annual Valentine supper. I think it is safe to say everyone in attendance was glad they came. Thanks to those who decorated, took reservations, and helped out in any other way. Special thanks to the catering crew for a great meal, and to Pastor Don for his special brand of music and cowboy poetry.

In news from the lake house, the sun porch continues on its way to completion. We had hoped to get some siding on, but the colder temperatures have slowed those plans. Maybe I can get the kitchen remodel finished up instead.

As we see events in the world unfolding, I am once again reminded of the Bible’s teaching concerning the times and events preceding the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the 24th chapter of Matthew’s gospel, we read the words of Jesus. He is speaking to his disciples: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. These are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me” (Matthew 24:7-9). He goes on to say, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (verse 36).

What should be our response to this teaching? He follows with these words: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him” (verses 42-44).

How are we to be ready? By confessing our sin, asking His forgiveness, and turning from our sinful ways. I do not write these things to frighten you. My prayer is that all who read these weekly articles would answer the Lord’s invitation to receive His gift of salvation. It is by and through making Him our Lord and Savior that we are able to face tomorrow, and the challenges it may bring.

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

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