Archive for the ‘Ten Commandments’ Category

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

13 May

On Respect

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

Dear friends,
We are enjoying some spring-like weather for a welcome change. There were a couple of nights the plants needed covered for protection from frost, but it appears there was no damage. Much warmer temperatures are forecast, so I will say we are past the danger of frost.

The biopsy on my lip came back with a report of some cancer cells, so I am scheduled for a procedure this Thursday in Omaha. To be honest, my biggest concern is driving into Omaha, the surgery will be a piece of cake. It’s not that I can’t do the driving, it has been a long time since I’ve been there. Prayers are appreciated.

I had the privilege of preaching at a sister church this weekend. It was Mother’s Day, as you must know by now, but I didn’t preach to the moms. Someone once said on Mother’s Day, you build up the ladies, then on Father’s Day you beat up on the men. I just don’t care to go there.

This week, I will share some thoughts from my message that apply to all people. Scripture, beginning with the Ten Commandments, teaches us to give all people honor and respect. This is something sadly lacking in the culture of the day. I believe the last six of those commandments deal with our relationships with other people. Here they are, with a positive spin. Instead of ‘thou shalt not’, I want to start each commandment with the word RESPECT.

Respect your parents. Respect life. Respect the marriage vows. Respect others’ property. Respect truth. Respect the possessions of others. If everyone would put these into practice, our world would be a much better place.

If children were taught from an early age to respect their parents first of all, then by extension to respect others, we would not have the disrespect for authority that is so prevalent today. The apostle Paul, in Ephesians chapter 6, reminds fathers they are responsible for bringing up their children with training and instruction from God’s Word. Note, it is parents who are responsible for this, not the education system or the judicial system. Only when parents have failed, does this become a concern of others.

Let’s remember to show respect to all people. After all, we are all made in God’s image, and we bring him glory when we respect his created ones.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry