Archive for the ‘Ten Commandments’ Category

27 Oct

Who’s Number One?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Discipleship, Faith, God's Word, Obedience, Ten Commandments, Witness.

Dear friends,

This past Saturday we helped our great-grandson celebrate his second birthday. Being only two Maverick probably didn’t understand all the attention, but he enjoyed every minute, especially all the gifts that he acquired. He enjoyed being the center of attention. A lot of adults today enjoy being the center of attention, as well.

In this day of “me first” or “look out for number one”, I fear that many Christians have fallen into the same trap. The gospel message is not about me but taking up our cross and following Jesus. It is supposed to be Jesus first, not me first.

J.C. Rylie said this: “It costs something to be a true Christian. Let that never be forgotten. To be a mere nominal Christian and go to church, is cheap and easy work. But to hear Christ’s voice, believe in Christ, confess Christ requires much self-denial.”

The Bible says follow Christ. It is not about ‘me’ and it’s never easy but it’s necessary.

Dr. George Barna says, “We are reproducing church attenders, but we are not reproducing disciples of Christ.”

John, in his testimony about Jesus, said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). Jesus himself had this to say concerning His followers, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

Again, Jesus: Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am my servant will be” (John 12:36a).

In giving the Great Commission, Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Notice He said make disciples. He did not say go to church on Sunday and feel good about yourself the rest of the week. Making disciples requires a commitment to sharing the Gospel and teaching others to be obedient to Christ’s calling on their lives. It is sometimes difficult, but it is what our Savior wants from us. We are to draw attention to Jesus Christ in the way we live our lives. In doing so the focus is directed to Him, not to us.

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

24 Jun

What is Worship?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Attributes of God, God's Word, Praise, Ten Commandments, Worship.

Dear friends,

When it rains, it pours. Old sayings are sometimes current headlines. Our region has seen record rainfall in some areas, along with flooding along many of the rivers. It was only a few months ago that we were in a drought situation, not so much today.

The topic of worship came up in a recent conversation. I thought it might be a good time to consider what true worship of our Lord is and what it is not. Some would have you to believe that worship is in the music; in the old hymns and the contemporary worship music that is prevalent in many churches today. Others insist it is in the sermon, prepared and delivered by the pastor. Some see worship in the fellowship of the believers. These may all be part of our worship experience, but these are not true worship, they are only a small part.

True worship is not in the music, the message, or the fellowship. Worship is our total focus on the One to whom we owe our very existence. We give Him our total allegiance, all our praise for His glory alone! This is not just for an hour on Sunday morning. It should be on our hearts and minds from the time we rise in the morning until we retire at night, and if we wake in the night we praise and worship Him. Do we always do this? Probably not, if we are honest.

Here are a few passages of scripture that accent the qualities of God that help us to understand that He is worthy of our worship: “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” (Psalm 28:2). “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:2).

Scripture is filled with references to the Lord’s holiness and our need to understand who He really is. When we grasp this truth, we are compelled to get on our knees and worship Him as Lord and Savior.

Ephesians 3:20-21 reads, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

To Him be the glory,

Pastor Jerry

6 Nov

Defending Human Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Evil deeds, Sanctity of Human Life, Ten Commandments.

Dear readers,

Fall weather has returned after our snow of last week. The snow was a reminder that I need to make some preparations for winter. It is easy to put off those things when the days are warm, but a wake-up call will come.

Milrae returned home on Wednesday last week. Little great-grandson Maverick seems to be doing well, as are his parents and sister. Grandma did her part, but was glad to return home, and I was glad to have her back. Cooking and cleaning were beginning to lose their appeal, and I fear things were beginning to go downhill.

As I sifted through various news articles this past week, I saw that it is a sad commentary on the state of humanity when the lives of stray cats and dogs are more important to some folks than the lives of human beings. The people who object to the hunting of animals for food are in many instances the ones who advocate for abortion on demand. The terrorists in the Middle East have no regard for humans at any stage of life. What kind of mind must it be that condones the slaughter of infants and the elderly?

The Creator of the universe will judge all of this at some point but we cannot sit and be silent until he does so. Christians and all civilized people must not be silent in the face of these atrocities.

Return with me to the book of Genesis. After God created the earth, the sun, moon, and stars, he created the animals, wildlife of all kinds. Then we read these words: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.

After Adam and Eve sinned and were sent out of the garden, they were still responsible for stewardship of the creation. It would be a harder task now that sin had entered the picture (Genesis 1:24-3:19).

Later in Genesis, we read God’s words, “if someone murders a fellow human, I will require that person’s life” (Genesis 9:5).

God’s judgment is sure to come.

In His Truth,

Pastor Jerry

23 Jan

God Knows

Posted by sandhillspastor in Evil deeds, False teachers, God's Word, Judgment, Sanctity of Human Life, Ten Commandments.

Dear readers,
Well the big snow has come. The storm Is gone, but the snow will be with us for a while. It has been a good long time since we have dealt with this much snow. I am glad machinery has improved over the years, but even with that a snowfall of that depth leaves us with the realization that we are pretty puny in light of the power of storms.

Today we see people dismissing the Word of God as mere superstition, or a manmade list of rules, even denying that God exists. If they acknowledge Him at all, they say the Bible is irrelevant and does not apply in our time. It seems they are just laughing at God and He is doing nothing to defend Himself.

Those who promote the taking of human life as “health care” are ignoring God’s command against committing murder. Others insist that marriage can be anything other than a life-long covenant between a man and woman. They are basically thumbing their noses at God. Although it appears they are evading judgment, God says there is a final judgment coming which no one can avoid.

The psalm writer Asaph had an enlightening moment, and he wrote these words:
“For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore, pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves in violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth…
They say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”

“When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their destiny.
Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!”

He closes with these words: “Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge” (Psalm 73:3-19, 27-28).

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

8 Aug

The Better Way

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Obedience, Ten Commandments, Trust.

Dear friends,
We have received almost .30” of rain early Sunday morning. The forecast is for the possibility of more, but we are thankful for what we have. After a warm week, we are having a couple of cooler days. This, too, is a blessing.

It saddens me to see that some Christians are following those who claim to predict the future. I do not believe this is what the Lord would want for His people. In His word, he warns against these practices.

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable practices of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God… The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so” The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to Him… I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command Him. (Deuteronomy 18:9-15).

God’s people are to depend upon Him for their every need, and rely on His promises to care for them in every situation. There are those who would say “but that was Old Testament teaching.” True, but much of God’s law remains in effect in the New Testament. The Ten Commandments have not been revoked; they are for all time. What is called God’s moral law is also just as true as when it was given.

To be involved in occult practices is to be unfaithful to the Lord. We are encouraged to listen to God’s prophets instead. The ultimate prophet of God is Jesus Christ—the One who spoke God’s words and who provides deliverance for His people. He is the better way; “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8).

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

25 Jul

Warning Signs

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, God's Word, Obedience, Ten Commandments, Wisdom.

Dear friends,
According to the weather man, we will see a whole week of cooler temperatures. This is something we have all been waiting for. We went to O’Neill Saturday afternoon for a yard party, and the temperature on our vehicle display showed 102 degrees at one point. Much too hot for this old guy!

Over the last several months there had been an issue with our pickup tires losing air where the tire bead contacts the rim. There is a handy warning message on the dash display that shows the message “Low tire pressure”, when the pressure falls below a certain level. When this message would appear, I got in the habit of making a few short trips before I would take the time to inflate the tires to the proper level. After all, it was such a slow leak there was no hurry.

In time, we got to the point where those tires needed replacing, so we purchased a new set. Saturday, when I got the pickup out of the garage, there was the dreaded low tire pressure warning. My thought was I don’t have time for this, it will wait until tomorrow. Even so, I took time to look at the tires and to my surprise, one was very flat! There was a screw head protruding from the tire. Ignoring that warning would have resulted in having to buy another tire.

The Bible contains warning messages. It is not good to ignore them; in fact, ignoring the warnings God has given us in His Word will have eternal consequences.
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:2).
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise, but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15).
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will (Hebrews 2:1-4).
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Hebrews 12:15).

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

11 Jul

Whose Health?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Culture, Evil deeds, God's Word, Sanctity of Human Life, Ten Commandments, Truth.

Hello friends,
It was a busy Independence Day weekend here at the lake. There were lots of people, and the fireworks display didn’t disappoint. The several fund-raising events were well attended and much needed dollars were donated toward lake projects. A big thank you to all who volunteered or helped out in any way.

As mentioned in last week’s article, the new camper window arrived mid-week and has been installed. If I ever need to do this again, I have gained valuable experience on the subject. it was done with a minimum of personal injury and no ER visits were necessary.

After some very hot days, the mowing has slowed down a bit, however there have been a few timely rains so I expect the grass to keep growing. The garden is doing well, we have had cucumbers and it is just a matter of time until we are overrun with tomatoes; this is a good thing. I had hoped for the gardening bug to start fading away, but there are plans for a larger garden space for next year.

Abortion is being called health care by its supporters; what about the health of the unborn baby? Let’s talk about that. There is so much misinformation being tossed around on this subject, we must be able to present the truth. The Bible indicates the unborn is as much a person as one who is born and grows to maturity. There is no thought that this is not true.

In God’s law as given to Moses, we read this. “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (Exodus 21:22-25).

While unintentional life-taking was not usually a capital offense, here it clearly was. Also, the unborn child is viewed in this passage as just as much a human being as its mother; the abortion of a fetus was considered murder. (Bible Knowledge Commentary on Exodus 21:22-25).

These verses are basic to the pro-life position on abortion for they indicate that the aborting of a fetus was equivalent to the murdering of the child. (Warren Wiersbe’s Commentary).

For the unborn,
Pastor Jerry

27 Jun

Defend Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, God's Word, Praise, Prayer, Sanctity of Human Life, Ten Commandments, Truth, Wisdom, Witness.

Dear readers,
We are starting this week camping out in South Dakota. We are at Alex’s place for a visit, and will probably head back home Tuesday. As always, plans are subject to change at any moment. We are glad for some moderate temperatures, but could definitely use some nice rain.

The big news of the week by any measure, was the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. This is something that concerned Christians have prayed for and worked at for almost fifty years. Much has been said in recent days about the subject, so I will not argue the point in this article, except to point to Scripture.

The Bible places a high value on all human life, including that of the unborn. Bible teaching declares that life is a sacred, God given gift; “Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). The gift includes the life of children; “Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, offspring, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth” (Psalm 127:3-4).

God condemns those who take human life; “Do not murder” (Exodus 20:13), “The Lord says; I will not relent for punishing the Amorites for three crimes, even four, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory” (Amos 1:13).

The development of unborn life is controlled by God; “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well” (Psalm 139:13-14).

In closing, we Christians will need to continue the effort to preserve life, not only in the unborn, but at all stages of life. “Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the power of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4).
“This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness… Don’t exploit or brutalize the resident alien, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place” (Jeremiah 22:3).

Lastly, pray for America, and pray for many to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

In truth,
Pastor Jerry

19 Apr

Choose to Love

Posted by sandhillspastor in Change, Christian Living, Evil deeds, God's Word, Sanctity of Human Life, Ten Commandments, Truth.

Dear friends,

Another April week has begun. There were showers this week that according to the old saying, should result in May flowers. But if the weather forecast is correct, those flowers may be delayed. My mom used to say, “spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is?” The answer this year may be “They were Frozen!”

On Saturday, the lake community volunteers came together for the annual spring cleanup day. The efforts of all who participated were very much appreciated. One result of their labor is that the lake is now full. If you missed out on the fun and want to contribute, there are still some projects to do. Contact any board member for information.

It seems the news this past week has all been about people killing other people. We are tempted to ask, what is going on with people? I don’t have any wisdom on my own, but I do know from the Bible that it starts with what has become total disregard for the value of human life. All people are made in God’s image, according to His word. The Bible uses those exact words; “So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female” (Genesis 1:27).

Later, when God gave the Ten Commandments, he said simply, “Do not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:21).

Paul reminds us of these commands in Romans 13; “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:9-10).

It begins with understanding that all are created in the image of God, therefore every life has value. No one is to take the life of another human being, the exception being capital punishment, but that is not relevant to this conversation.

One other point is this; in addition to disregard for life, there is little or no respect for the property of others. Read the other commands listed above. This is where we must begin. Love one another.

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

13 Jan

Stewardship 101

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Calling, Christian Living, Creation, Culture, Families, Repentance, Sanctity of Human Life, Stewardship, Ten Commandments, Truth.

Hello friends,
Our warm spell has ended for a time. We are now back to daytime high temps below the freezing point. I guess our ‘January thaw’ is over. On a positive note, it has been warm enough to melt much of our snow, although many drifts remain.

As I was reading some news headlines this week, I noticed a plea for volunteers to knit or crochet ‘nests’ for animals affected by the wildfires in Australia. Another headline referred to the need to remove all restrictions to the abortion of human babies. Does anyone see a problem here?

God created man to care for all of His creation. I take this to mean the earth and all creatures, including other humans, no matter their age or stage of development. It is a sad commentary on the brokenness of this world, when animal life takes precedence over the lives of human beings.

This is not a political issue, it is an issue of morality, and the sanctity of human life as the Creator intended. I am as much an animal lover as anyone, but in God’s creation plan, humans are stewards of the earth, its resources and all life. It should be obvious to anyone with even a minimal reading of God’s Word, that humans are responsible first of all, for human beings, and all other forms of life are subject to that stewardship. To place any other creature in a place over a human being is totally in opposition to our stewardship responsibility as God planned it, and as He outlined it in His Word.

“So God created them in his own image, in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it’” (Genesis 1:27-28). “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him” (Psalm 127:3).

The sixth commandment; “Do not murder”, specifically prohibits murder, that is, any unauthorized killing of an individual. Abortion is also prohibited by this commandment, as the Bible clearly states that an unborn baby is a person.

The third Sunday of January is Right to Life Sunday. Join me in praying our country will turn back to God and respect all of His creation, especially those made in His image, at all stages of life.

Simply His,
Pastor Jerry

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