Archive for the ‘Truth’ Category

26 Jan

Knowing the Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, False teachers, Truth, Wisdom.

Dear friends,

The weather has been anything but delightful. These cold days make life hard for everyone, except maybe for ice fishermen. We have not strayed far from our warm home in recent days. I have always said that if tractors or other machinery is going to fail, it will be on the coldest days.

Gremlins are sneaky. In my last article I meant to use Job as an illustration of God’s presence in trials, but it came out Jonah. Sadly, no one corrected me. This just shows that we should not take everything we hear or read for granted. Pastors make mistakes, but there are also those who will lead you astray on purpose.

Pastor’s message Sunday encouraged us to know what the Bible teaches, because there are those out there who will mislead us with false teaching. I believe the scriptures that follow are worth repeating.

From Paul’s second letter to Timothy: “For the time will come when people 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 chapter 3, Paul describes false teachers in this way; “ Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people… They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and swayed by all kinds of evil desires. Always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of truth” (2 Timothy 3:4-8).

In 1 Peter, chapter 2, we read, “But there were false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up” (vs.1-3).

How are we to know what is true about the messages we hear? The answer is to immerse yourselves in the reading and study of the Bible. God will reveal His Truth.

Stay warm,

Pastor Jerry

10 Nov

Half a Loaf?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Discipleship, God's Word, Truth.

Dear readers,

The seasons are a changing. There has been snow in our state, but not in our immediate area as I write this. We are blessed more than we realize. I remember an early October snow when we had cows twenty miles from home. We drove them home with horses and it was far from an enjoyable task. It wasn’t just a little snow, it was about 6 inches deep, heavy and wet. Enough of the reminiscing, on to the present.

I have noticed that you can now buy half a loaf of bread. Who knew that would be a thing? It seems folks these days only take what suits their current needs. It is somewhat the same with spiritual matters. The world, if it acknowledges God at all, will take what they need from His word and leave the rest. They may go for half the loaf, or maybe just a few slices depending on their needs at the moment. There is no planning ahead.

In fact, the Bible needs to be taken in its entirety for it to be of any use at all. The tendency of the world, and many who claim Christ is to use the Bible as a cafeteria, taking only what appeals to them and ignoring the rest. In truth, the word of God always has been and is still applicable to each person.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). When Jesus was tempted by the devil he said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4).

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Finally this, “And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll” (Revelation 22:19).

Application for us: It’s okay to purchase a half-loaf of Sara Lee bread if that meets your needs, but please don’t treat the Bible as a buffet from which you can pick and choose. This will have eternal consequences.

For Him,

Pastor Jerry.

20 Oct

The Lord’s Patience

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Culture, Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Judgment, Salvation, Truth.

Dear friends,

The weather seems to be moving toward the changing of the seasons. It has been much cooler in recent days. There were reports of frost in areas to our north Sunday morning.

Our local network of churches met on Sunday afternoon, and it was encouraging to hear how the Lord is working in each of those ministries. There were reports of increasing church attendance, and growth in the areas of youth groups and Bible studies. Small churches sometimes get overlooked in the grand scheme of things, but I believe they have a big part in God’s plan for getting the Good News out to the world.

In this age of anti-Christian thought, we must be reminded that the Bible is true, and that it contains the Word of God. The skeptics would have us think believing in a loving and just God is a myth. This is a lie from the devil and is designed to make us doubt.

I’m reminded of the words of Peter’s second letter. “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:3-9).

The Lord desires everyone to come to Him, accepting His salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If you have not done that, why are you waiting? He is patiently waiting for you to admit your sin, repent (turn from) it, and believe that Jesus came to save all who will believe. Do not reject His offer.

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

4 Aug

Only One God

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Attributes of God, God, Praise, Truth, Wisdom.

Dear friends,
We have been back to cooler temperatures the last few days, and we’ve had some more rain. I was summoned into our spare room a couple of days ago and asked to investigate an unknown sound. It sounded like water running, so I went out to investigate, knowing there was a hose connection there. The hose was hooked up, but the nozzle was closed. I turned the valve off, and the sound stopped. I can only assume a major leak under the house. I’ll be calling a plumber soon.

In church this morning, we sang the old hymn, “Holy, holy, holy Lord God
Almighty”. This prompted me to wonder, how many people acknowledge who God is, and what our response to Him should be. Proverb 1:7 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. To fear the Lord doesn’t mean we are afraid of Him. It means we are to have a healthy respect for Him. Respecting Him leads to obedience. The rest of the verse reads, “but fools despise wisdom and discipline”. A fool in the Bible is one who does not acknowledge God for who He is, nor does the fool desire to learn wisdom and discipline.

Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sist in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).

The hymn gives a complete description of who God is: Holy, merciful and mighty. It goes on; “Perfect in power, love and purity; merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity. Speaking of God the song says this, “Though the darkness hide thee , though the sinful human eye cannot see, only Thou art holy, there is none beside thee”.

In Isaiah we read, “For this is what the Lord says—He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—He says: “I am God and there is no other” (Isaiah 45;18).

Have you given God your respect? Have you received His salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? If so, you have the beginning of wisdom.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

5 May

GPS

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Faith, God's Word, Planning, Truth.

Dear friends,
We have goslings at the lake. These, along with fresh blooms of daffodils and tulips, are a sure sign that spring is here. Our weather the last few days is nothing less than delightful.

Another sign of spring is all the field work that is being done. As we returned from an errand late in the day, we observed a farmer in the field. Since it was after sundown, my bride asked how do they do that? My reply was, GPS. She said isn’t it interesting that people will depend on some satellite they can’t see for guidance, yet refuse to follow God? That was a profound observation.

For the Christian, there is another GPS. It is God’s Plan for Salvation, and it is called the Bible. From beginning to end, the Bible gives us guidance for life. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s plan for humanity is made plain. From the garden of Eden to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, that plan was carried out.

It is one thing to follow an unseen satellite at planting time, yet another to follow God, who has made himself known through His creation. The God who created the universe also holds that GPS satellite in its orbit.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have clearly been seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse (Romans 1:20).

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 (Colossians 1:16).

The psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” Psalm 119:105). This sounds like GPS to me, but infinitely more dependable. Many of us have stories of the man-made GPS leading us astray, not so with God’s directions.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).

Come to Jesus and let Him be your guide. He will not let you stray, nor will He lead you down a wrong path.

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

28 Apr

The Only Way

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Gospel, Salvation, Truth.

Hello friends,
Rain! We have finally seen some rain, although not a huge amount we are grateful to the Lord for His provision.

There are many in the world who, if they believe in heaven at all, think it can be obtained by doing good deeds or following some set of rules. The Bible teaches otherwise. In the very familiar John 14:6, the Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Sinners need a Savior. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” we are told (Romans 3:23). Speaking of Jesus, the apostle Peter told his audience, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). This means we have direct access to God only through the Lord Jesus. We need no one else to intercede on our behalf. There is no other one or any other way to connect with God.

If we believe that God is the God of creation, we must also believe he is the God of salvation. He has provided a way for us to enter heaven, and it is not by any good works we might do. Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

To those who are depending on works, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers.’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Again, Jesus says He is the way, not one of many ways. Proverbs reminds us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him (Lamentations 3:24).

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

24 Mar

The Real Thing

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Culture, False teachers, God's Word, Trust, Truth.

Hello friends,
March is almost gone, and I won’t be sorry to see it go. Hopefully, April will bring those proverbial showers, followed by the May flowers. We got very little snow from the last storm, but oh how the wind did blow. I know the wind must blow, but really?

This week, due to time issues I am going into the archives for our devotional thought. I think this still applies to our current situation.

I have always enjoyed a glass of grapefruit juice, but because of the different medications I take, I no longer am afforded the pleasure. I would at times buy it in place of a sugary soft drink. I believed one grapefruit juice was the same as any other, but I found out otherwise when I purchased another brand with a look-alike label. I soon discovered there was no comparison in the taste of the two. The “real stuff” was much better tasting than the bargain brand in spite of the similarity of the labels.

How do I apply this to spiritual matters? In our search for meaning in life, we try many things and seek answers in many places. If we know where to find the right answers and experience them, it is easy to spot the counterfeits and the “wannabes.” If we are grounded in God’s word, that is if we study and learn from the Bible what it says about Jesus Christ and the way to eternal life, we won’t be led astray by false teaching and popular thoughts and ideas. We need to be able to distinguish between the authentic and the look-a-likes.

In his letter to Titus, Paul gives advice that should apply to all of us. “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Tituss 1:9).

To the church at Ephesus, he wrote that we are to be mature in our faith so that, “We will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching (doctrine) and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching… then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

17 Feb

No Middle Ground

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, False teachers, Gospel, Truth.

Hello all,
You may have seen the TV commercial that proclaims, “He Gets Us”. It gives a feel-good message about serving others but leaves out the part about the need for a Savior. It is true that Jesus knows about our struggles and encourages us to minister to others as He did. But as we do, we need to explain our motivation, and that is to bring others to faith in the Lord.

“He gets us” doesn’t tell the truth of the gospel, that Jesus Christ came to die for our sins. It is fine to serve others, but more eternally significant to tell them their need for a Savior. Jesus knows us intimately and understands our struggles. He was tempted as we are, but his response to temptation was not to give in to it, but to resist it. “Then Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil… Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him” (Matthew 4:1,11).

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

In a recent message from a well-known pastor, he claimed Jesus will be found in the middle and used the crucifixion as his illustration. Jesus was crucified between two criminals, but this is not to make a point about His political leanings. Jesus wasn’t in the middle; he was totally on the side of truth.

Find a church that preaches the Word of God, not man-made ideas that twist the scriptures into something God did not intend. We cannot preach a watered down or politically correct gospel to try and increase church attendance. This is a large part of why the church has lost credibility in recent years.

What did Paul tell Timothy? “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Jesus didn’t come to find middle ground, He came to seek and to save the lost, wherever they are.

In Truth,
Pastor Jerry

3 Feb

Who is Jesus?

Posted by sandhillspastor in God's Word, jesus, Salvation, Truth.

Hello friends,
February has arrived. Each day brings us closer to spring and due to the dry weather pattern, we pray for moisture. It has been a very open winter so far, and most of us would even be glad for some snow, just not a lot of course.

As I write these articles, sometimes it seems I have nothing to share. I do find though, that if I’m paying attention God will give me something to say.

There is a passage of Scripture where the religious leaders ask Jesus, “who do you think you are?” In reality, the question is not who Jesus thinks He is, but who do you think He is? Stay with me on this one.

They asked, “Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” (John 8:53). “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds (verses 58-59).

Another time we read: The Jews gathered around him saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe… I and the Father are one”…do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father… Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp (John 10:24, 30).

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him (John 12:37). Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the One who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the One who sent me. I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should not stay in darkness” (12:44-46).

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Again, the question remains. Who do you say Jesus is? How do you answer? He is the light of the world, have you allowed His light to shine in your life?

In His light,
Pastor Jerry

27 Jan

Jesus Will Return

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, End Times, Faith, God's Word, Truth.

Hello friends,
It is time again for our weekly visit. There were several hardy souls on the lake fishing through the ice this week. I am somewhat envious of modern ice fishing; in my experience we sat on a bucket exposed to the wind. These days there are portable shelters with heaters in them. Now that is roughing it!

I had the opportunity to share a message this week. I titled it ‘Be Ready’. Perhaps a better title would have been ‘He’s Coming Back’. I will share some points of that message with you here.

Jesus said He would return at some point future. I believe that day is coming; maybe soon. Looking at the world today, it is easy to see the signs He gave that indicate the nearness of His return.

Three of the gospel writers quoted Jesus: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).

Some will deny the return of the Lord. 2 Peter 3:3-4; First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

Whether the Lord returns this week or next year matters not. What does matter is that we are prepared for that event. Jesus told a parable of ten virgins waiting for the groom to come for his bride. The virgins expected to be part of the wedding party. They all had lamps in case the groom came at night, but only five had prepared by bringing extra oil for their lamps. When the bridegroom came, those who did not have oil for their lamps were denied entrance to the wedding celebration. (Matthew 25:1-13).

Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise… He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

Are you prepared for the Lord’s return? He has promised, and His word is true.

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

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