Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category

8 Sep

Moving Day

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, End Times, Faith, God's Word, Salvation.

The move has been made. Our little house on the lake is now residing at a new location, by a different body of water. Another page has been turned in our life story.

Most of last week was spent moving the house. The phone rang at 3 PM Monday, and the man at the other end said, “We’ll be there tomorrow morning to load your house.” The rest of the week is somewhat of a blur, but by mid-afternoon Thursday, the house was in its new location.

We had been assured the house would be moved in September. We didn’t know it would be the second of the month, so we weren’t entirely ready when the call came. We hurried to Lake George and finished up by disconnecting the air-conditioner and the propane tank. There were still a few loose ends inside the house and the deck had to be moved back out of the way. We are thankful for neighbors with a tractor and loader, and the rain the night before that kept them out of the hayfield for a few hours.

We had been given plenty of time to make these preparations, but hadn’t developed a sense of urgency to get it done.

In the Bible we have been warned over and over that the Lord will someday return, and if we aren’t ready when He does, it will be too late to do anything about where we will spend eternity. When he does return for us, whether tomorrow or many years from now, it will happen. There will be a time when it will be too late. No one is guaranteed their next breath, or another sunrise.

Here is what the Bible says, and what we need to take to heart: “Now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2).”You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Luke 12:40).

When we knew the moving of our house was at hand, a sense of urgency came over us. Decisions had to be made and soon. We had to take action, and we did.

The message of the gospel, that salvation comes through faith in Jesus, carries a sense of urgency. Again, to quote scripture; “Now is the day of salvation.” Will you take action now?

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

25 Aug

On the Tenth Commandment

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, God, Law, Salvation, Sin, Worship.

More progress was made last week on the preparations for moving the house. Monday, the footings and stem walls were poured. Tuesday the forms were removed, and now we wait for the interior footings. This week I hope to get the old house ready for its move.

The area was blessed with more rain this week. The timely rains have helped keep lawn and garden watering to a minimum. We harvested our first cantaloupe this week, and more are ripening. There are signs that the garden is nearing the end of production for this year.

Our message this week was built on the Tenth Commandment: “Do not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Deuteronomy 5:21). Covetousness isn’t a word we use much these days, but it is alive and well. The advertising people understand the idea that we all want what our neighbor has. We probably don’t get to the point of taking our neighbor’s stuff, but we want to have the latest model of smart phone, car, or computer. Maybe it is the desire to move to a better neighborhood, or buy a bigger house. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these things. It is when they become the over-riding focus of our lives that there is a problem

The truth of the matter is this. When we are dissatisfied with what God has given us, we are saying to Him, “I don’t appreciate what you have given me, I want more.”

When we covet someone else’s belongings, we are focused on our immediate circumstances and prevented from looking ahead. We need to make sure we live our lives with the proper perspective. What we experience now is temporary, and eternity is in our future.

Only the gospel can give contentment to the human heart. Everyone has the desire to search for satisfaction, and the road to satisfaction eventually leads back to God. Paul found his joy in the Lord continually. His happiness was not dependent on his circumstances. In Philippians 4:13, Paul described his ability to be content whether in good times or bad… “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Is God good enough for you? If you are in Christ, you do not need to define yourself by your possessions. You already have the greatest gift of all.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

11 Aug

Do You Know Him?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Law, Salvation, Sin, The Good News, Truth.

Hello friends,
Here we are at the beginning of a new week. We have been blessed again with abundant rain. The gauge here at the parsonage read 2.20″ in a little over 24 hours. The temperatures have been pleasant, as well.

It appears we will be able to get our house moved to Lake Ericson in September. We don’t have an exact date, but we know the month. If all goes according to plan, the concrete work and the removal of some unwanted trees will take place this week.

In our Sunday worship over the last few weeks, we have studied  eight of the Ten Commandments, as found in Deuteronomy, chapter 5. During the course of my studying, I have been reminded of this truth: At the end of life, it will not matter how many of the Ten Commandments we’ve kept, that won’t be the question. When we stand before God, He won’t ask if we’ve been good, or if we have lived up to His law. Those things do not provide salvation. The law shows us first of all that we are sinners, and when we have confessed our sin to Him, the law shows us how to live. The thing that matters at the end, is how we responded to the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at some verses that convince me of this. Ephesians 2:4-9: “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved…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.”

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the saints in Rome, wrote, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” And in verse 30, “There is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.”

I continue to write on this topic, because I am convinced there are people reading this who do not know their eternal destiny. They do not know Jesus as their Savior. The Bible is clear. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6).

Do you know my Jesus?

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

28 Jul

Why Wait?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Salvation, The Good News.

Hello everyone,

I ran across a statement this week that caught my attention. “The fact that we cannot ‘save ourselves’ but have to ‘be saved’ is no excuse for anyone to sit back and hope for the best. God has revealed to us the way to be saved—by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16; John 3:16–17; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:8) —and that step of faith is commanded, not suggested.

I was reminded of another quote I saved several months ago. It reads: “If every person in the world had adequate food, housing, income, if all men were equal and every possible social evil and injustice were done away with, men would still need one thing: Jesus Christ! (J.W. Hyde)

If you have been a reader of these devotional thoughts for any length of time, you know I believe every person is born a sinner, separated from fellowship with God because of his or her sin, and in desperate need of a Savior.

The New Testament book of Romans says, “As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  To the church at Colossae, Paul wrote, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior” (Colossians 1:21).

Here is the good news: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Based on the verses above, for a person to think they can depend on God’s good will to get them to heaven, is just foolish thinking. Jesus paid the price, the gift is free to us. Our only responsibility it to take the gift as our possession. In the words of an old song, “Why not come to Him now?”

Simply His,

Pastor Jerry

21 Jul

Word Games

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Evil deeds, Faith, Forgiveness, God's Word, Salvation, Sin, Truth.

Hello friends,
I wonder if these are the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer? Do you
remember 1963? That’s when the song was popular. Things were much
simpler then.  I wonder, could those lyrics apply to our present time?

We will be taking the camper for a short trip this week. We want to
enjoy some of our home-grown scenery, without the distractions of
everyday life. Who knows? There may be a few lazy, hazy, crazy days
left out there!

For our devotional thought this week, I’m going to borrow from a
publication we have at our church. Here goes: What would you think of
a doctor who, upon discovering a tumor buried deep in your body,
responded, “take two aspirin, and you’ll be just fine”? How about a
fireman,who responded to a three-alarm fire by saying, “It will
probably burn itself out soon enough”? Or a policeman who after
arriving at the scene of a burglary, shook his head and said, “Boys
will be boys”?

In each case, the response is inappropriate to the situation. Tumors
demand surgery; fires need to be extinguished; lawbreakers must be
punished for their lawless deeds.

Ours is a day in which we have lost sight of the seriousness of sin.
Character defect, error in judgment, slip of the tongue, moment of
weakness, or mistake–call it what you will, God’s Word does not play
these word games. Any transgression of God’s law is sin (1 John 3:4),
and the payment for sin is death (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

I fear that if we continue to ignore God’s moral law and the teachings
of scripture, we will find ourselves in danger of judgment, as well.
It’s time for us to heed the words of the apostle: “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).

In the prophet Jeremiah’s day, God looked in vain for one person in
the city of Jerusalem who stood for justice and godliness (Jeremiah
5:1). If God were to look in your town, what would he find?

Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry

14 Jul

The Light of Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, End Times, Faith, God's Word, Salvation, Second Coming, The Good News, Truth.

Hello friends,
Another week has come and gone. Our area got some beneficial rain, and
some places were on the receiving end of severe storms, including hail
damage to crops and other property.

In church news, Vacation Bible School was held this week. The number
of children available in our little town is small, but those attending
had a good time. We very much appreciated the two young ladies who
came to teach the lessons.

I am troubled by the increasing outcry from the more liberal voices in
our culture who seem bent on silencing those who would speak out on
behalf of Biblical truth and values. I have also been encouraged in
recent days by the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case.
Although one victory encourages us, the truth remains that the message
of salvation through faith in God and Jesus Christ is being shouted
down more and more.

God has clearly predicted these things in His word, as told by the
apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy. “For the time will come when
men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say
what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away
from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

In contrast, God’s people are told to be lights, shining the truth of
God’s word into the world. “You are the light of the world. A city on
a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it
under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to
everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before
men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm” (1 Corinthians 15:58). “Be
on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong”
(1 Corinthians 16:13). “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the
teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or letter” (2
Thessalonians 2:15).

Finally, in the words of James, “You too, be patient and stand firm,
because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:8).

Standing on the Word of God,
Pastor Jerry

12 May

Prayers, or Positive Thoughts?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Prayer, Salvation, The Good News, Truth.

I have seen and heard people make statements similar to this: “I’m sending love and positive thoughts.” If I may, I’d like to share some of my thoughts about this.

I understand the sentiment of “sending love”, which would convey the idea that the person making the statement did so out of love for the recipient. But what are “positive thoughts”, and what comfort do they bring? At other times, well-meaning people offer to pray for a situation and I wonder, do they pray to the God who answers prayer, or do they even know Him?

Let’s look at some scriptures concerning prayers that God hears.

Proverbs 15:29…”The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”

1 Peter 3:12… “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” James tells us ‘the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

The righteous person, as defined in the Bible, is one who is in right standing with God. Right standing with God is obtained only by placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Romans 1:17 reminds us, “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, “the righteous will live by faith”, also, in Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38, and others.

I believe the only prayer of an unbeliever God is obligated to answer, is the prayer of one who confesses his sin, asking God for forgiveness, and accepting Jesus as his or her Savior. My purpose in writing this devotional is to cause us to stop and consider whether or we have that relationship with God that makes our prayers truly effective.

As always, your questions or comments are welcome.

In His love,

Pastor Jerry

5 May

What’s New?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, Christian Living, End Times, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Heaven, Praise, Salvation, Second Coming, The Good News.

There are flowers, leaves on the trees, green grass and warm breezes, Can spring finally be here? I believe it is so! Now, as the Lord provides rain, things will really be looking up.
We celebrated some birthdays this past weekend. My wonderful wife and two of our dear friends were the birthday people, and we three couples got together for an evening of dining and fellowship. Our long-time Christian friends are just the best!
This time of the year always reminds me of God’s promise to someday bring renewal to the earth, in a grand and glorious way. There are so many scriptures that come to my mind in the spring. I’ll share a few, and I trust they are some of your favorites as well.
God, through the prophet Ezekiel, makes this promise to Israel regarding a time when he will gather them from among the nations: “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) Talk about a new beginning!
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
In Hebrews 10:30 we are told of a “new and living way”, made possible by the death of Christ on the cross. Though His death, burial and resurrection we are given new birth into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).
In 2 Peter 3:13, we read, “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
And, finally, some verses from Revelation, as the apostle John recorded his vision of heaven: “He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” The He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5).
All of this, and we are also given a new song to sing (Revelation 5:9). And it begins with the new birth that occurs when we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Praise His Name!
Welcoming spring,
Pastor Jerry
Note: As always, I welcome your thoughts on these weekly articles. Send them to: lakecitynews@gmail.com

14 Apr

Resurrection is Coming!

Posted by sandhillspastor in Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Praise, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Worship.

Saturday, it was 70 degrees, and a beautiful day. Sunday began with rain that changed to wet snow and high winds. The high temperature for the day was in the low 40’s, by late afternoon, it was near freezing. It must be spring in the Sandhills.

This week brings two events that mark the foundation of the Christian faith. Those two being Good Friday, and Easter. Good Friday is important because it was the day the Lord Jesus went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “He was delivered over to death for our sins…” (Romans 4:25). The apostle Paul wrote, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
Easter (I prefer Resurrection) Sunday commemorates the raising of Jesus from the dead. Peter puts it this way: “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…” (1 Peter 1:3).
Without these two, our faith would be useless, and we would have no hope for eternity. Paul sums it up in this way: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:14-17).
I’ll close with this little poem:
“Easter time is here again
and bunnies everywhere,
Don’t salute a substitute,
there is no holy hare.
So colored eggs and jelly beans,
don’t mean a bunny thing,
Cause bunnies do, what bunnies do
and have no gifts to bring
So Easter time’s the time to know,
a lie could not survive.
And here’s the proof in gospel truth;
JESUS IS ALIVE!”
[William F. Heffner]
Because He Lives,
Pastor Jerry

7 Apr

Debt (and Guilt) Free

Posted by sandhillspastor in Change, Easter, Eternal Life, Forgiveness, God's Word, Salvation, The Good News.

Can you say spring? I believe it is finally here. Yesterday was beautiful and ended with a thunderstorm and a nice rain shower. It has been much too long since we’ve experienced anything so welcome.
In my study for last week’s sermon, the scripture caught my eye. “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:13-15).
Here is an experience of ours that might help explain this truth: During the agricultural “crash” of the mid-1980’s, the bank ordered us to disperse our cow herd. We had to sell everything and pay back what we had borrowed, which we did. The debt was canceled and a large sum of accrued interest was forgiven.As a condition of this, we could never do business with them again.
In comparison,when Christ died for our sins, he canceled the debt completely and forever; past, present and future. He nailed the canceled “note” to the cross. Our debt is paid and we are forgiven 100 percent, past, present and future. Not only that, we have a personal relationship with him forever.
In addition, the last verse gives assurance that the devil and his demons have no power over the Christian. His defeat was insured when Jesus’ work on the cross was finished, and an exclamation point was added when Jesus rose from the dead.
You might be interested in learning how your own sin debt can be canceled, allowing you not only freedom from sin, but freedom from guilt over sin you may have committed. Here is how it goes: Admit to God that you are a sinner, Believe Jesus died for your sins. Confess those sins and ask for his forgiveness (Romans 10:9-13). Then, obey his command to live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way….” (Colossians 1:10).
You will have peace with God, and the sure and the certain knowledge of spending eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Forgiven!
Pastor Jerry
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