Archive for the ‘Truth’ Category
9
Oct
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Culture, Family of God, God, God's Word, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Sin, Temptation, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom. Leave a comment
Here are some early October observations: Nebraska scenery is unbeatable. We left Valentine last Sunday afternoon, drove to Keller Park WMA, and spent 2 nights. What a great place to get away. Here at Lake Ericson, it is definitely autumn. The leaves are falling, the nights are cooler, and the view is spectacular. I can’t think of any place I would rather be. On those days the world seems to be spinning out of control, there is everything to be said for living in America’s heartland.
In a totally different thought line, as I scroll through the posts on Face Book, I am seeing a number of articles promoting the consulting of mediums, and various other superstitions. I thought it might be beneficial to see what the Bible says about such things. Exactly what does the Bible say about these?
Let’s start with this: “I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11). Our God wants first place in our lives. He is in control of the events of our lives. No angel, or any other created thing, including mediums, fortune tellers, etc., can take his place.
To Israel, he said, “Let no one be found among you… who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or cast spells, or who is a medium or spiritists or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
We are cautioned against putting angels in the place of God. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ… Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things… Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize” (Colossians 2:1-2; 18).
The apostle Paul stressed the fact that God has made himself known to man (Romans 1:20). Then this indictment; speaking of those who deny Him. “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and reptiles” (verses 22-23). Included in the list of the acts of the sinful nature are these: Idolatry and witchcraft (Galatians 5:19).
I know, many of the things mentioned seem harmless, but let us be sure we are not putting the ungodly in place of God.
Food for thought,
Pastor Jerry
18
Sep
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Culture, God's Word, Gospel, Great Commission, Obedience, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness. Leave a comment
Dear friends,
Time marches on. I was looking at the paper calendar recently, and noticed how few pages are left before the end of the year. It is hard to see those pages on a smart phone.
The leaves on the trees are beginning to get their fall colors, the sumac foliage is turning bright red, and fall wildflowers are blooming profusely. Hunting seasons are opening up. According to the calendar, Autumn begins the 22nd of September, so it is at hand.
We are to tell people everywhere the story of Jesus, his gospel, and God’s saving grace. How are we doing? How many of us are “secret service” Christians? I have heard a quote attributed to a specific person that says, “Preach the Gospel always, use words if you have to.” May I submit that above all, we must use words.
Some would say our life is our witness, but there are lot of people who live a good life, but who are going to hell because they have not acknowledged Christ as Savior and Lord.
The Bible is specific; we are saved through the hearing of the word. This is a lengthy passage, but of vital importance to the issue of salvation: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news?… Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:13-17).
Jesus did not say go into all the world, and live good lives. In his Great Commission, he told his disciples to go and make disciples; baptizing them, and teaching them to obey his commandments. In Mark 16:15, Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” How do we teach and preach? With words.
If you are saved, you have a story. Stories are for telling and for hearing. The gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ is for sharing. Share your testimony, both in words and in deeds.
Pressing on,
Pastor Jerry
11
Sep
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Peace, Praise, Rest, thanksgiving, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
We all know summer will end at some point. Wednesday morning, the temperature here was in the low 40’s. This is more than a subtle reminder; it might be seen more as a wake-up call.
The news lately has been much about fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters. What is a person to think?
First of all, God allows these things to happen. Not for judgment, as some would have us to believe, but because of Adam and Eve sinning, i.e., disobeying God, creation is broken. Therefore, these calamities happen to all people at one time or another. As we see these things happening, we should be in prayer for those affected. Next time, we might be the one ‘standing in the need of prayer’, as the old song says.
As many of you know, our little dog has been deaf since we got her, and lately she has become blind. In spite of these things, we still communicate with her, mostly by touch. Except, at mealtime, when her sense of smell plays a large part. Along with what I might call side-effects of these things, she seems to be more anxious when she doesn’t know where we are. However, when she lies beside us in a chair or on the sofa, she is relaxed and usually sleeps
The other day, I was thinking about her situation, and it occurred to me this is a bit like us and God. We don’t see him or hear him, but we sense his presence many times just by his touch. It might be the hand of a friend, or some quiet, small voice that we don’t really hear, or maybe a passage of scripture, but we know it is him. And even though we don’t physically see or hear him, we know he is there. It is called faith and trust.
In our dog, I see a picture of Christians who, when they don’t see or hear God’s presence, become agitated and uneasy. Perhaps if we could picture ourselves sheltered in his arms, or sitting beside him on the sofa, we would be more at ease in our circumstance.
Here are some comforting scriptures:
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27a).
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge” (Psalm 91:4).
Trusting Him,
Pastor Jerry
14
Aug
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Christian Living, Culture, Eternal Life, Faith, Family of God, Freedom, God's Word, Gospel, Obedience, Peace, Repentance, Rest, Truth, Uncategorized. Leave a comment
Things are beginning to return to normal around here. Last weekend was busy, with a Saturday wedding in Grand Island, and preaching in Burwell on Sunday. Most of this week has involved getting rested and recharged. The lake campgrounds are staying busy, with tankers and others who appreciate the good life here.
If you are involved at all with social media, you know about following. We follow everything; blogs, tweets, snaps, pages, and yes, people. In fact, followers are at an all-time high. People will do anything for a follow, if you have watched any YouTube videos, you know what I mean.
In the Bible, Jesus invites us to follow Him, but following Jesus is more than liking a page or a group, it is responding to a call. To His disciples and to us, he says, “come follow me” (Matthew 4:19). He said these words to some fishermen, and their response is recorded in the next verse; “At once they left their nets and followed Him.” This should be our response to his call.
The Bible tells us that we all follow someone, and the identity of the one calling us determines how we follow. Jesus said of his followers, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). In another place, He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). We are told that following Jesus will bring us salvation from sin, give us eternal life, and enable us to live holy lives.
On the contrary, those who follow false teachers and the ways of the world will reap judgment, and spend eternity in hell, separated from God. The apostle Paul, had much to say about those who refuse to follow Him. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:8).
Following someone on social media doesn’t require anything more than a mouse click or touching a screen. No commitment is needed. Following Jesus is a life-long journey that leads to peace, righteousness, and true lasting joy. Who are you following today?
Following Jesus,
Pastor Jerry
26
Jun
Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Culture, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, Freedom, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Repentance, Salvation, Sin, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship. Leave a comment
Dear friends,,
The busy 4th of July weekend is coming up. Perhaps we will have the pleasure of seeing some of you at the Lake.
Lately, I have been thinking about all the things going on in our world. It seems all the news is bad news, and people are asking what has gone wrong?
Maybe you have seen or heard this next statement: If Jesus is the answer, what it the question. The question is this: What is the problem with the world? According to God, sin is the reason for all the dysfunction in the world. It started in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and His creation was broken.
Paul reminds his readers, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” He goes on, “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10-18). This sounds like our present day and age.
Yesterday, as I sat in church before worship began, I noticed the scripture on the banner above the organ: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)! Good News! The perfect, sinless Lamb of God came to be the once for all solution to a sin-sick world.
Did you get that? He is the One who came to take away all the sin of the world. He paid the penalty for every sinner. Don’t forget, however, that only those who receive the gift God offers, are saved. Sin demands payment. No one can save himself. Only Jesus Christ is qualified to be the Savior.
Again from Romans chapter 6, verse 23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As it is written in the Book of Acts: “Salvation is found in no one else… there is no other name by which we must be saved.
Praising Him,
Pastor Jerry
22
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, Families, God's Word, Obedience, renewal, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom. Leave a comment
After I posted the word monsoon on Facebook this week, one of my friends said they heard I was stockpiling pallets of gopher wood. There is no truth to that rumor. First of all, my name is not Noah, and second, the rainbow promises God will not send another flood (sorry). We did get a fair amount of rain, though, and I’m certain at some point, we will be wanting more. One thing is sure, God will provide for our needs.
Sunday, I was privileged to preach at a church up the road. The drive to and from there was quite enjoyable. It was good to see the hills turning green, and the valleys well-watered. I am always amazed at the way God works. The scripture text for my message this week was Proverbs 4:5; “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.” When I walked into the church, I picked up the bulletin and across the top were these words: Get Wisdom, Get Understanding. How cool is that?
I may as well share some highlights of that message with you. If you were there for it in person, you may skip this part.
There seems to be a lack of common sense in our world today. The Bible word would be wisdom. I believe one reason for this is that we are looking for wisdom in the wrong place. Secular thinking considers wisdom to be one of two things. One would be that wisdom is simply the art of learning how to succeed in life. The second, is that wisdom is a philosophical study of the essence of life.
Wisdom from the Bible’s perspective involves observation and instruction, but it really begins with God and one’s faith in Him as Lord and Savior. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” There is no lack of knowledge these days, but precious little wisdom, it seems.
From Proverbs 2:6, we read, “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” And our opening text: “Get wisdom, get understanding… Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:5-7).
Finally, a New Testament reference to wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
Be wise,
Pastor Jerry
15
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Heaven, Praise, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship. Leave a comment
The 4th annual fishing derby was held at Lake Ericson on Saturday. Except for some windy conditions, it was a good day, with some nice fish being caught.
Last week, we were thinking about having limited eyesight. I want to continue that thought today, but from a different perspective. Let’s think about that moment when we see Jesus in person for the first time.
The Bible teaches me the following truths.
Believers will see Him in his beauty. “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).
Isaiah tells the believing person, “Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar” (Isaiah 33:17).
I will see Him in person. Job said this concerning God: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me” (Job 19:25-27)!
When we who believe see Him, we will be like Him.
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
Everyone will see Him
From Revelation 1:7; Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
Glory and praise will be His
Psalm 72:19… Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.
Psalm 86:9… All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your name.
Psalm 97:6… The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.
Psalm 102: 15… The nations will fear the name of the Lord; all the kings of the earth will revere Your glory.
Proclaiming Him,
Pastor Jerry
8
May
Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Change, Faith, Freedom, God's Word, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness. Leave a comment
It is sunny, windy and warm as I write this. This is a drastic turnaround from last week. The snow is gone; the flowers have mostly recovered. The new grass seedlings in our back yard have responded well to all the moisture and the cool temperatures. As of this time, it seems spring is here for real.
Due to some corrective surgery on my eyelids this week, I have a renewed appreciation for sight and good vision. Having spent two-and- a-half days being unable to see, I have a tiny hint of the challenges of not being able to see. First, there is a sudden and complete dependency on others. Someone needs to take your hand and lead you to wherever you are going. And, it is soon discovered that your sense of direction and distance are completely gone.
Try getting up in the middle of the night blind-folded, and find the bathroom on your own. Now there is an eye-opener, so to speak. I was sure I was headed to the bathroom I normally use. As I was feeling my way along the wall, my lovely wife said, “What are you doing?”
“Going to the bathroom”, I answered, somewhat offended. “Well, you are headed into my bathroom,” she said. Sure enough. It turns out I cannot even find the bathroom without sight. I am happy to report that I now have the blinders off, and I can find my own way just fine, thank you!
Spiritual blindness is something that affects many people. The result of this is a loss of direction. The person is stuck in sin, with no sense of the right direction, or even where to turn for help. We are prone to take wrong turns, end up in places we had no intention of being, and our life is just confusion, helplessness, and hopelessness.
There is a story in the Bible of a man born blind and healed by Jesus. We read about it in John 9. The religious leaders did not believe his story. They called him in and asked how he was healed. He said Jesus did it. Disbelieving, they brought him in again, and tried to get him to deny that it was Jesus. His answer was classic. “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
To that I can only add, AMEN!
Pastor Jerry
24
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Baptism, Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Obedience, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Witness, Work. 1 comment
There is no fishing report this week. I hope to remedy that situation soon. Saturday, the lake community held its annual spring cleanup day. The weather was perfect for the projects that were planned, and if you were paying attention, you could see the Lord’s blessing on the day. I want to personally thank all who were involved. It takes a lot of cooperation and effort from everyone to keep everything nice for residents and visitors.
Sunday afternoon, I took a trip to northeast Holt County for a meeting of our local church association. This is an area with a recently installed wind farm. The approximately 200 wind turbines can be seen from a great distance, and were a reminder to me again, of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian.
In the Bible, the Lord Jesus speaks of the Spirit as unseen, like the wind, but working His power in the life of a believer. That power shows up in the changed life of a person who has given his life to Christ as his Savior and Lord. Let’s see what the Bible actually says about this.
First, in relation to salvation, and eternal life. A man named Nicodemus asked about miracles Jesus had been doing. Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again!”
Nicodemus has another question. “How can a man be born again when he is old?”
Jesus continues; “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit… The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:1-8).
Jesus, as he was about to ascend into heaven, promised to send the Holy Spirit. These are His instructions to his disciples: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised… In a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:4-8).
This same Holy Spirit is given to every believer. His power is our strength, much as the wind powers those wind turbines.
Amen!
Pastor Jerry
3
Apr
Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Blessings, Change, Christian Living, Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, Family of God, God's Word, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Truth, Uncategorized, Worship. 1 comment
Dear friends
Here we are in the month of April. One fourth of 2017 is history. Now that is a sobering thought. I wonder if I used that time wisely? I’m not sure I want to know the answer.
Saturday, we traveled to Kearney to a barbershop music concert. It was maybe the most entertaining 2 hours I have spent recently. There was some good clean comedy mixed in with the music, also. This is something of a rarity these days, and it was good to experience this once again, also.
Signs of spring are becoming more and more obvious. The flower bulbs we planted last fall are pushing up leaves, and the promise of blossoms is seen in little buds among those leaves. I have found that deer like tulip and daffodil leaves, so preventive measures have been taken.
Driving down the road, we see little calves in pastures and in calving lots. It is a busy time of the year for livestock producers, as I well remember. I do have to say, I appreciate them more now, from the window as we pass by.
Spring also brings thoughts of resurrection and new life, as portrayed in the biblical account of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s remember the words of the apostle. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is the heart of the Easter message.
Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” The early Christians took those words seriously, as we read in Acts 5:42… “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
By faith in Him, we are born again spiritually, we become a new creation, with a new life and a new identity. And in this season of new beginnings, we can celebrate our own new beginning and the promise of resurrection from the dead when our Savior returns for us on a day that seems to be fast approaching.
May we never get tired of telling, or of hearing, the old, old story!
In Him,
Pastor Jerry
