Archive for the ‘Witness’ Category

3 Nov

The Light of the World

Posted by sandhillspastor in Discipleship, Evangelism, Gospel, Salt and Light, Salvation, Witness.

Hello all,
Another month has rolled around. With it comes the change back to Standard Time. I, for one, would prefer to have it set one way or the other and stop this twice-yearly craziness.

It seems the world is becoming a darker place at a rapid pace. I’m not referring to the length of daylight hours, but to the sense of spiritual darkness. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the light of the world. When Jesus spoke again to the people, he 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).

Isaiah, referring to the coming Messiah said, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in darkness, a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). Jesus references this prophecy in Matthew chapter 4; “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (vs 15-16).

Speaking of Jesus, John wrote, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).

In writing to the church at Thessalonica, Paul said, “But you brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the dark world, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

The good news is this: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:90).

As we share the gospel with others, we may hear these words that were spoken to me many years ago; “You pointed toward the light and I followed. I was confused and lost, and you pointed the way.” Words that warm my heart even today.

For Jesus,
Pastor Jerry

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

22 Sep

My Story

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Calling, Change, Obedience, Salvation, Witness.

Hello friends,
We are drawing nearer to the fall season. I have noticed the leaves beginning to turn from green to red and gold. I continue to enjoy this season as I have for most of my life. I have many memories of hunting seasons from years ago.

You have heard it said that everyone has a story. Some stories tell of struggles with life, and others relate successes and victories in and through those experiences. Christians are encouraged to share the stories of their lives before and after coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Each one of us has a testimony to the changes He has made in us. A witness tells what he has seen and done. There is no one who can tell us we did not experience what we have seen with our own eyes. Please permit me to share a bit of my own story.

I grew up in a family with good morals, but we only rarely attended church. Sometimes Mom would take us kids to the little country church down the road, but Dad thought he had to stay home and care for the livestock on Sunday morning,

I was nearsighted, so from early I loved to read. I read everything I could get my hands on. I read the newspaper for myself when there were stories my parent thought I was too young to understand. When there were no books, I read the Bible and the dictionary. I enjoyed the Bible stories and read about Jesus, but that is as far as I went.

As I got older and went to town for high school, I became somewhat antagonistic to Christianity. I was one of those who looked down on Christians as being weak and out of tune with life. I developed some bad habits that led to wrong decisions.

After getting married and having a family, I started attending that little church down the road “for my boys.” Little did I know God had me where He wanted me. One Sunday morning in early 1982 I gave my life to Christ and my life changed dramatically. In time, the Lord called me into pastoral ministry. He took an agnostic rancher and made him a preacher… and that is my story in short form.

I heard the voice of the Lord… And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

18 Aug

Jesus, Lord of All

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Culture, God's Word, Obedience, Salvation, Witness.

Hello friends,
We keep getting those timely rains. There hasn’t been much watering of the lawn this summer, but plenty of mowing. There are blessings all around and we don’t have to look far to see them.

Sometimes I read articles from other sources that I feel are worth sharing. One of those came to me from Pastor J.D. Greear. He tells of efforts in the past to remove certain sections of the Bible.

He writes, “If someone did this today, they would probably cut out Jesus’ teachings on the sanctity of sex and marriage. They would keep the miracles and cut out large parts of the Sermon on the mount.

Our culture says it is fine to worship Jesus—just edit Him to fit their preferences so you can still bow where you need to bow.

For followers of Jesus, that is not an option. Jesus is Lord. If He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all. People treat the Bible like a cafeteria, where you pick the food options that you like and ignore the rest.

People think you can do that with Jesus. You can accept the parts of Him you want and postpone the others until later. I once heard a college student explain that she had accepted Jesus as Savior now and planned to accept Him as Lord later.

You cannot divide Jesus! He is either Lord, or He is not. If God is the only God, and He is the only one who can save and the only revealer of mysteries, then we as Christians must make this clear to others. To not do so is not just cowardly, it is cruel.

Because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood in faithfulness to God when everyone else bowed to a false god, even though they got thrown into a fiery furnace for it an entire empire got to see the reality of the God of Israel on display.

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

The eternal future of coming generations depends on our ability to stand firm in the present.”

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

7 Oct

Excuses, Excuses

Posted by sandhillspastor in Calling, Christian Living, Evangelism, Obedience, Stewardship, Witness.

Dear friends

October has arrived, and the thought of winter coming sends a chill through these old bones. We will certainly enjoy whatever warm days remain before then. What follows is from a devotional by Pastor Greg Laurie titled “A Plethora of Excuses.”

When it comes to sharing our faith and reaching out to others with the gospel, we tend to offer a plethora of excuses as to why we cannot do it. Maybe the reason we don’t try to win people to Christ is because we really couldn’t care less.

Now, that isn’t true of every Christian. But it is true of a lot of Christians. “It’s not our problem. We are set. We’re happy. Go work out your own problems.”

That is the way many people in the church feel. We don’t want to be bothered with it. We just don’t care. We hear so much about the need for evangelism. We hear sermons on how to do it. And we engage in programs designed to mobilize the church to do it. But all this is of no consequence if we lack one simple essential: a burden and a concern for unbelievers.

One of the most important things of all is motivation. We must have the motivation to share our faith. And if we don’t have the motivation, we are not going to do anything.

So, do we really care? Do we really care about people who don’t know Christ? Do we really care if they go to Hell? Does it really matter to us?

Everywhere Jesus went during His earthly ministry, He was mobbed by people who were pushing and pulling and always wanting something from Him. They wanted healings, like the woman who had spent all her money on doctors and still was sick. So many wanted a touch from the Savior.

But Jesus saw their deepest need. He saw where they were hurting the most. He saw behind the facades, behind the defense mechanisms people put up. Jesus heard the real cry of their hearts. And He had compassion on them.

Matthew 9:36 says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (NLT).

If we are going to be used by God in any capacity, we have to develop something called compassion. We have to care.

In Truth,

Pastor Jerry

23 Sep

Fishing Stories

Posted by sandhillspastor in Calling, Christian Living, Evangelism, Witness.

Dear friends,
September is moving along. The first day of fall came around Sunday morning, so we can expect some cooler weather in the future. I continue to adjust to my new regimen and will have a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday.

I have a couple of fishing stories for you this week. The first is from a few years back. I was fishing for northern pike in our lake and one particular fish would chase my lure, but not take it in his mouth. Each time he would turn away at the last second. The water was clear, so I could see what was happening. Eventually, however, he took the bait, and I landed him. I was reminded at that point that the devil will tempt us in many ways and will keep doing so until we fall into some sin. Our response should be to refuse his temptation and flee to a safe place.

The other fishing story comes from the Bible. As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers. Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Later we are told Jesus tells those same disciples, “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” (Matthew 28:19-20).

What sort of bait do we use as fishers of men? Perhaps it is a poor analogy, but as Christ followers we are commanded to take the Good News to a lost world. The gospel message is our bait, if you will. It is a fact that few people respond to the invitation to follow Christ on the first ‘cast’. The result of accepting the gift offered by those who are fishing for men is eternal life, not some frying pan.

We are told in Scripture to flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22).

Finally, submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:7-8).

Good News,
Pastor Jerry

2 Sep

Sharing the Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Calling, Christian Living, Relationships, The Good News, Witness.

Dear readers,
It was a great weekend to celebrate Labor Day. I doubt you could have asked for better weather. The lake community was a beehive of activity, and I’m sure everyone had a good time. A Nebraska football win on Saturday only added to the fun. Shout out to our neighbor who volunteered to power wash the siding on our house and repair the back step. What a blessing you are! Thank you.

This morning in his message, Pastor John reminded us of all of the need to be sharing our faith every day and in every situation. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are called to be a witness for Him. A witness is one who tells others what they have seen and heard. We are commanded by the Savior to testify to what he has done for us. A changed life is our best testimony to His grace, by which we have been saved from our sin.

Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Ephesus, “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ” (Ephesians 5:15-21).

Jesus’ command to his disciples applies to every believer today. “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).

Finally, these words from Paul to Timothy; Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine… (2 Timothy 4:2-3).

Those times are here. May we be witnesses to the Truth!

In Christ,
Pastor Jerry

26 Aug

Circumstances

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Contentment, Eternal Life, Heaven, On Aging, Witness.

Hello all,
Welcome to second summer. The warm temperatures have returned! I suppose most of us would expect some hot days in early September. After all, it is State Fair time.

The worst part of my current health situation has been a loss of appetite. Food has no appeal and tastes nothing like I remember. My own cooking even tastes awful! If there is an up-side, it is that I have lost a few pounds. Along with that, I want to sleep a lot, and naps are a large part of my days.

In times like this, it is easy to see only the situation we are in and focus on the negative. The medicines I am taking are having their intended effect, but there are unpleasant side-effects. Keeping in mind the end result is of great importance.

Many times, in our Christian walk, we endure times that are difficult, and it is hard to keep our thoughts directed toward heaven. As someone once said when asked how they were doing answered, I’m doing okay under the circumstances. His friend said, “What are you doing? Get out from under there!”

Our joy in life does not come from our circumstances. In poverty or in wealth, our true joy should be in our relationship with the Lord. When King David was in the desert, hiding from his enemies, he wrote the following:
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:1-8).

So, in those difficult times we must not keep our eyes on our circumstances but keep looking up to Jesus. He is our peace, our hope and joy.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

5 Aug

Opportunities

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Calling, Evangelism, Relationships, Witness.

Dear friends,

It’s hard to believe August is here already. I don’t know if we are having fun or just being busy, but time flies. I am slowly adjusting to my new medicine regime. I seem to sleep a lot during the day and my night sleep suffers because of it. Even so, God is good and blesses us every day.

I have discovered that spending time in the hospital gives me many opportunities to share my faith with others. I have had many deep spiritual conversations with various nurses in the middle of the night. During my recent stay, I was able to give encouragement to a man facing surgery for brain cancer. He was moved to a different floor, and I never saw him again, but he heard about Jesus and the way of salvation.

During another hospital stay, a nurse asked me to pray for her vision to establish a ministry to the Haitian people in Florida.  She was herself Haitian. This happened in the middle of the night, and I was blessed to pray with and for her.

No matter where we are or in what situation we find ourselves, the Lord puts people in our way so that we can share the gospel message with them. I am reminded of the words of the apostle Peter in his first letter to the church: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

This is the reason for our hope: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Pray for the Lord to reveal those to whom he would have you share your testimony of the gospel message. I will leave you with this thought… If God answered all the prayers you prayed last week, how many new people would be in his kingdom?

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

8 Jan

Taking a Stand

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Culture, End Times, Faith, Persecution, Second Coming, Trials, Witness.

Dear friends,

The new year has started off with some winter-type weather. The word snow has been popping up in the forecast, and we have had more foggy days than we’ve seen for a while. As I write this, there is a winter storm warning for our area. I guess after it’s over we’ll know what we got.

The persecution of Christians is increasing around the world. As we watch the events of the day, it is apparent that we in America are not immune to this. The headlines daily speak of some group trying to silence the message of Jesus Christ as Savior. We are not to be surprised, because the Lord often warned His followers of the persecution that would come. No one wants to think of such a time, but we must be prepared.

His words: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life” (Luke 21:10-19).

From the apostle Paul: “Whatever happens conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God” (Philippians 1:27-28).

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life” (Revelation 2:7).

Stand firm,

Pastor Jerry

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