Archive for the ‘The Good News’ Category

15 Oct

Winds of Change

Posted by sandhillspastor in Change, Christian Living, Eternal Life, The Good News.

I have noticed a change in the air. Our winds have taken a northerly direction in the last few weeks. It is something that happens this time of the year. Along with the winds come other changes. The leaves turn from green to yellow and orange, some are even bright red. It is a signal of a larger change, one that is moving us from summer, through fall, and into winter.

Those who miss the changing of the season will be mighty uncomfortable when those winter winds come with their freezing temperatures, along with snow and ice.

The seasons of our lives change, also. This is not a new subject, but one we might need to consider again.

I believe, whether we want it or not, change comes into our lives regularly. Many times, we are forced to change because of circumstances. Occasionally, the Lord sends change our way to mold us into the person he wants us to be. I have found in my own life, that the best way to deal with change is to think of it in terms of a book that is being written. As one chapter closes, another opens for us.

The Bible deals very much with the subject of change. Abraham was called by God to pack up and move all his belongings to a place he had never heard of, much less visited. Daniel and his friends were taken into captivity. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, and spent time in prison for a something he did not do.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, the writer tells us there is a time for everything, and most of it involves change.

And, the person who sincerely accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior will undergo real change. The Bible says if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). Talk about change!

Finally, at the last day, we will all be changed ( 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). John tells us that we who believe will all be like Jesus. (1 John 3:2).

Change is inevitable. Don’t miss it. Let us be sure we are making and accepting those changes with eternity in view.

One more thing–God does not change, nor does his Word.

Changed because of Him,
Pastor Jerry

8 Oct

Visiting Hours in Heaven?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, Heaven, The Good News.

Dear friends,
I experienced another birthday anniversary last week. There was no major celebration, but Alex took me to the cafe for breakfast, and my beautiful wife prepared a tasty lunch. Then, of course, there were a few cards in the mail, along with many Facebook greetings from friends. All in all, it was a good day.

Some time ago, I saw a comment that said something like this: It’s too bad there aren’t visiting hours in heaven. This brings several images to my mind, but really, how could this possibly be true? It is a nice sentiment, but “it ain’t gonna’ happen”. I know there are times we would like to visit those who have gone on before us, but let’s face it, there can be no such thing.

First, the only way anyone gets to heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ own words, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Second, for anyone to enter heaven, they have to die. In the words of the old song, “I’ll never get out of this world alive.” The Bible says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that to face judgment. The judgment determines a person’s eternal destination. For the believer, that destination is heaven. For the unbeliever, the one who rejects God’s salvation, the destination is hell.

Thirdly, even if there were visiting hours in heaven, who would want to come back to this old fallen, sin sick world? You would want to stay there, because that is where Jesus is.

Last, but not least, if our reason to visit heaven is to see our loved ones, we are wanting to go there for the wrong reason. God gave us memories for a purpose. It’s because there are no visiting hours in heaven. Those memories are how we visit our loved ones.

When we enter heaven’s gates, it is forever.

Waiting to see Jesus,
Pastor Jerry

24 Sep

Connected?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, The Good News.

Hello friends,

Cooler weather is here at last. We have had our first frost, and I’m sure the folks with allergies will be more comfortable. Our biggest need is for some significant rainfall, but at this point, I think we’d even settle for a wet snowfall.

Alex is getting along well with his crutches, but is frustrated occasionally by his inability to get where he’s going quickly. We will check in with the doctor on Friday to get his stitches out and further instructions on his rehab.

In other news, we have become owners of a fifth wheel camper trailer. What remains is, will we ever take the time to use it for its intended purpose?

A few week ago, as I sat waiting for someone in Walmart, I noticed a fair number of people walking around with their smart-phones and other electronic devices in their hands. I wondered, is it so important to stay connected that you are reduced to having only one hand with which to get your work done, while the other is checking your messages?

I admit to behaving like this sometimes, but not at the extreme level. No yet, anyway. The question arises, “How often do we check the Bible for a message from the Lord?” Some of you will answer, “I have the Bible app installed in my device.” Next question: Are you seen checking that “app” as often as you check email or instant messaging? Most of the “important” messages we receive by way of social media are in reality not so important that we need to be “connected” in all our waking and sleeping hours. The messages I would like us to be focused on are those contained in God’s word. Now, there is communication that matters for eternity!

Consider these verses: “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97). “My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises”) Psalm 119:148.

The most important message ever received from God is John 3:16… “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.” Continuing with the idea of messaging, we read this: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17.)

With whom are you connected most?

Connected through His Word,
Pastor Jerry

6 Aug

Pedigrees

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, The Good News.

Since last we visited, there has been some rain. Some folks got larger amounts than others, but it is all appreciated. I’m writing this morning from Lake George. I came yesterday after the worship service at Rose. We put up a new rain gauge awhile back, and I was interested to see how much it had rained here. Big disappointment! The wind had blown it down, so no record of any rain.

I occasionally read through some of the posts on the popular Facebook “buy, sell, trade” groups. Often, I am amused by what people put on those pages. In a recent discussion over dog registration papers, someone commented, “Papers are very important, they are proof of pure blood.”
Pedigrees are important to dog people, horse breeders and cattlemen. The Jews of Jesus’ time were concerned with pedigrees, too. It was very important to them that they could prove they were descendants of Abraham. They believed this would be their ticket to heaven.

The apostle Paul at one time placed much stock in his Jewish pedigree, along with his education, and position as a dedicated follower of the Hebrew God. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, while he was seeking to imprison Christians, his views changed. These are his words from Philippians 3:4b-9.

“If anyone thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ…I consider them rubbish…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that is which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

A lot of people today are placing great stock in their “religious pedigree”, whether it is their denominational connection, family tradition, church membership, the level of their giving, or serving in the community. These are all fruitless endeavors if we are depending on them to gain favor with God.

Here is the bottom line: Our relationship with God is not based on our bloodline, it is based solely on the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Period.

What have you done with Jesus. do you claim him as your only Savior? Is your concept of salvation based on His blood or on your “bloodline”?

Simply His,
Pastor Jerry

23 Jul

Refreshing News

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith, The Good News.

Hello friends,
Another week begins hot and dry. A wildfire rages in an area of our state that we consider home. Although we do not have property in the immediate area, those folks are our neighbors. We continue to pray for God’s intervention in that situation.

Elsewhere, there was an attack on innocent movie-goers in Aurora, Colorado. I’m sure there are very few, if any, who have not heard of that evil act. Often, it seems chaos is all around us, and everything is out of control.

Sometimes our souls seem to reflect those same conditions. We may feel we are either in a period of extended drought, or in the middle of a chaotic situation that is out of control. When that happens, we are reminded that the Lord invites us to experience “springs of living water”, and the peace that passes all human understanding.

I’m not going to try to explain the “whys” of all the things we’ve experienced in recent days. There are a lot of other more qualified people doing that already. What I will do is direct you to some scriptures that have helped me in times past.

From the Psalms first of all: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2). “This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:6-7).

These are the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 11:30. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

From Philippians 4:6-7…”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.”

Finally, from Revelation 7:17 concerning those who come out of the great tribulation: “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

In His tender care,
Pastor Jerry

30 Apr

The Last Shall Be First

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, The Good News.

Dear friends
I’m starting on a somber note this week. Some who read this are personally acquainted with my mom. Others have read of her in this newsletter down through the years. Mom passed away Saturday, about six weeks short of her 91st birthday. We are glad she is with the Lord, but we will also miss her here.
We received a high school graduation card last week. At the top was inscribed the class motto, and I quote: “If you’re not first, you’re last!”
Now, I know that every class tries to come up with a meaningful motto that no one else has ever used, but I wondered how this one ever got approval from a class sponsor. One of the first things I thought of was, the Bible says “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30; 20:16). To his disciples, Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
Obviously these statements from the Lord contradict the class motto. The idea of being first comes from the value system of the world that says getting to the top of the heap is what is matters most. Jesus indicates here and elsewhere that in His view, our status is measured in completely different terms.
As I spent time with Mom during her last hours on this earth, I was acutely aware that at the end, our position in the world means absolutely nothing. At that point the only thing that matters is our relationship with Jesus Christ. All the “stuff” we strive for is meaningless when we stand at eternity’s threshold. At the end of our lives, the only question left to answer is “what did you do with Jesus?”
I know the choice Mom made. What about you? What will you do with Jesus?

Held in His everlasting love,
Pastor Jerry

2 Apr

What Did Jesus Do?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, The Good News.

Dear friends,
Another week has gone by. It’s April already, and from all appearances we have moved directly into early summer. I think we might want to start praying for a few April showers before too long.
Yesterday, a worship service was held at the Rose Church. It’s been awhile since the church met there, and we pray this is the first of many such gatherings and ministry in that part of our world. Although just 13 folks were present, you knew the Lord was in that place. The next worship service will be held there on May 6, at 4 pm. Mark your calendars now.
Now, on to some thoughts concerning this week leading up to the Easter celebration. I have a t-shirt that has the slogan WWJD on the back. It means, What Would Jesus Do?” It is a fine saying, and helps us to live out Jesus teachings. However, I think we need to answer another question first.
The more important question for this week is, “WDJD?” What Did Jesus Do? This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. I have compiled a list that answers this important question.
For claiming to be God, Jesus was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. This was part of God’s plan to redeem humanity from the bondage of sin. Jesus then went willingly to Calvary, where he died on a cross for my sins and yours. You already know John 3:16…For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…
He was buried in a borrowed tomb. Three days later, He rose from the dead to prove he has power over death. Speaking of Jesus, Paul says he was “declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead…” (Romans 1:4).
Because of what he did, and because I have placed my faith in Him, I have eternal life. Again, John 3:16…”That whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Through faith in Him, I am a child of God with all the rights and privileges and responsibilities of an adopted son. Read John 1:12. “to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God.”
We are adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will..(Ephesians 1:5).
Finally, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).
That is what Jesus did!
After we act upon the truth of what Jesus did, we then can answer the question, What Would Jesus Do?

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

27 Feb

Leaving the Past Behind

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, The Good News. Tagged: .

Hello everyone,
When I first started this project, I was trying to get it out on Wednesday, but over time it has moved to Monday. I now have to make sure it is out before Monday noon in order to meet the newspaper column deadline. I wonder, does this mean procrastination must end at some point?
It was a good week. The weather was fair, our extra piano found a new home, Alex and I went to a Pheasants Forever banquet, and Sunday worship was very well attended.
Sometimes I notice things that get in my thoughts and won’t go away. When that happens, I feel the Lord may be prompting me to address the issue. One that has been bugging me this week is people who seem to continually live in the past. Sometimes it is yearning for the “good old days.” Others don’t seem to be able to get past a family tragedy, or some other kind of personal issue. We do mourn, and grief is a natural part of who we are, but I believe at some point a person must move on.
Living in the past–what does the Bible say? The apostle Paul said this: “This one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the prize…” (Philippians 3:13). I don’t believe Paul is saying we shouldn’t remember the past, but that we don’t live there, and we don’t let the past keep us from going forward with our lives. God has called us to a future.
In Jeremiah 29:11 God’s message to his people is this: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” This does not mean we will be spared pain, suffering or hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion.
Finally, for the Christian who is experiencing grief, Paul indicates that we do not grieve as those who do not know Jesus Christ. He says, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep (die), or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The rest of that passage (verses 14-17) offers words of great encouragement for those who know and love the Lord.
The past is behind us, and even with trials and struggles yet to come, we have a glorious hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Let these words encourage you today.

In His Love,
Pastor Jerry

20 Feb

Life Saver

Posted by sandhillspastor in The Good News.

I started this earlier in the week, but in fact, it is Monday morning as I finish writing this. Since last we talked, our hay from last summer has been sold and shipped. We thank the Lord for this answer to prayer.
Alex spent the weekend with his dad, and Milrae and I spent part of Saturday in Grand Island doing some shopping. Sunday evening I attended the Rose Church annual pancake supper, while Milrae went to Neligh to bring Alex home.
We are getting some rain this morning. It may turn to snow later, but I would be happy if it stays in liquid form.
At our Friday Bible study, one of the ladies was sharing her Lifesaver candies with everyone, and as she gave me one, I thought, “Isn’t it good to know the true Life Saver?”
What a blessing it is, to know the One who came to save the world from the bondage of sin and hopelessness. In him there is not only freedom from sin and guilt today, but a life of eternal joy and blessing after our time one earth has ended.
I just want to share some scripture this week. I pray one or more of these will bless you in some way, or maybe even cause you to consider whether or not you have received his gift of salvation.
Matt 1:21-The angel speaking to Joseph, the husband of Mary: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Hear Jesus’ own words in Luke 19: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Then there are these: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21). “…There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Finally, “He saved us, not by righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5).
Do you know my Jesus? Can you say he is your true Life Saver?

Simply His,
Pastor Jerry

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