13 May

Making Plans

Posted by sandhillspastor in Humor, On Aging, Planning, Wisdom, Work.

Dear readers,

The summer season is upon us. The traffic level is increasing here at the lake, and it is good to see people enjoying the lake life. We have been working in the yard on the warmer days and even I am okay with that. We will be planting our little garden soon. It takes both of us to get one person’s work done; I guess that’s part of aging.

High school and college graduations have been the topic of discussion lately. High school graduates are looking forward to college or perhaps finding a job. College grads are looking to the beginning of a career in their chosen field. Both are stages of life and part of a journey. Grandson Alex graduated Friday from Mitchell Tech, concluding another chapter in his life.

The plans he had made earlier in life didn’t turn out as expected, but this is just a reminder that our plans don’t always go as expected. God has something to say about this in His word.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps (Proverbs 16:9) Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21). It is important to include God in our plans. As we do that, He will guide us in the way he wants us to go. It may not be the easy way, but in the end, we will see the outcome He has planned for us.

In the book of James, we read the following: Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:13-15).

As a youngster, Alex was interested in engineering and robotics. He graduated from welding school, but his health was affected by the welding environment. He went back to school and graduated with an associate degree in Automation Engineering Technology, also a degree in Automation Controls/SCADA. Go figure.

It has been said if you want to make God laugh, just tell him your plans!

In Christ,

Pastor Jerry

6 May

No Other Name

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

Dear friends,

It did rain last week, so the lawn grass is growing like crazy. Twice-a-week mowing is barely enough to keep it looking nice. I do so appreciate the person who perfected the riding mower.

There are a multitude of ideas that promote the idea that there are many ways to get to heaven. The old saying is there is a God shaped hole in everyone and nothing else can fill it. Every leader of every religious group in the world died and went to the grave. Only Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, proving that he was who he said he was and proving the power of God who raised him.

The power of God was made known through the healing of the blind, the lame and other miracles of Jesus. This same power is the one that accomplished our salvation through Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus didn’t get out of the grave because of a subjective preference about life but because of God’s power over death. That is what is needed for the soul’s salvation: not a subjective feeling of religiosity but the objective power of new life.

Salvation is not about a new philosophy or feelings of comfort. It is about being dead in sin, chained to our depravity, unable to break our addictions to our flesh, unable to walk in righteousness. And so, God did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves.

Jesus paid our sin debt by living the life we should have lived and dying the death we were supposed to die so that we could be declared righteous because of what Jesus has done. He raised himself from the dead so that the Holy Spirit could live in us and infuse us with the power of new life.

There is only one question that separates the gospel from every other religious message in the world: Who can save us?

If we can save ourselves, then there can be multiple ways to God. You choose a path, do your very best, and try to be a good person in the religious way you have chosen.

But if God is the only one who can save us, then salvation is only found in the place where he has provided it. “For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

In Truth,

Pastor Jerry

29 Apr

Beware of False Doctrine

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

Dear friends,

We were spared from the rough weather on Friday. We did get an inch and a half of beneficial rain. We keep the victims of the tornadoes in our prayers and give thanks for safety in the storms.

The Bible warns of false teachers in the last days. We are seeing more evidence of this. Almost every day, we read of someone bending the truth of God’s word to fit into his or her personal agenda. Paul warned his readers: “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

In 2 Peter 2, we read: There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them. They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep. Verses 1-3.

Paul warns against false teaching in 2 Timothy 4:3-4: For the time will come when men 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.

So, how do we combat the false teachers who lead people away from the truth? Paul gives this advice to Timothy: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 2 Timothy 2:15-16.

To be able to recognize false teachers and their false gospel, we must immerse ourselves in God’s Word. Read the Bible. Find a good Bible study group. Attend a Bible believing, Bible preaching church. Check out what the pastor or Bible study leader tells you. Be like the folks at Berea. In Acts 17:11, we read concerning the church there; “For they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

For Truth,

Pastor Jerry

22 Apr

Unmistakable Evidence

Posted by sandhillspastor in Creation, Faith, God's Word, Praise, Worship.

Hello friends,

We enjoyed the time with great-granddaughter Maria, but it is apparent that we are not accustomed to that level of energy and activity. Now, back to our relaxed way of living until our next visit. We received a little rain this week. I did not empty the rain bucket after the first rain and wouldn’t you know it, a frosty night broke the gauge, so we don’t have an accurate report. The gauge has been replaced, so we’re good to go the next time. In other news, the mowing season has begun.

It is that time when we begin to see signs of spring that give us pleasure. This week, we spotted at least three pairs of geese with their broods of goslings. The flowers that escaped the frost lend a bit of color to the landscape and the ornamental trees are in bloom. God’s creation never ceases to amaze me. It takes me to the book of Psalms, and all those references to His wonderful world. Let’s look at a few this week.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat (Psalm 19:1-6).

Praise the Lord.

Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.

Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forever more.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? (Psalm 113:1-6).

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:6).

Creation announces the presence of the Creator. Don’t miss it.

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

15 Apr

Questions for God?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Salvation.

Dear friends,

After a few pleasant days, we are forecast to see some lower temps and possibly some rain. There is some talk of stormy weather, but we will pray that doesn’t happen. My lady got her driver’s license renewed last week, so we are both good for a few more years. Sunday, we enjoyed worship and sweet fellowship with our church family. Also, we have the pleasure of having a little girl visiting our house this week.

I have heard people say, “When I get to Heaven, I’m going to ask God this or that question.” My response is, when you get there, you will be so in awe of Him that those questions will be forgotten. Pastor Greg Laurie had some thoughts on the topic in a recent article I would like to share with you.

He writes, “I think that one second after they get to Heaven, they won’t care about those questions anymore. They will see God for who He is, and everything else will come into its proper focus.

The apostle Paul wrote, all that I see now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Pastor Greg goes on: The most important thing to me about Heaven is that Jesus will be there… To me, heaven is about Jesus. And wherever Jesus is, that is where I want to be. Heaven will be greater than anything we have ever imagined, and the good news is that it will last forever. This is a promise to believers.

Those who don’t know Jesus ought to be afraid. I hope you know that you are going to heaven. It is not the worst thing to die. Rather, the worst thing is to die without Jesus.

It amazes me how people will go to great lengths to make sure they have things like car insurance, health insurance, homeowner’s insurance, and life insurance. But they won’t give a passing thought to their eternal assurance. The most important thing of all is what will happen to us beyond the grave. But if we wait to decide, it will be too late.

On the other hand, if you have put your trust in Christ, then you don’t have to be afraid. Your life is in God’s hands.” (Pastor Greg’s Daily Devo; April 4, 2024).

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

8 Apr

Knowing God’s Word

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Stewardship, Truth.

Hello friends,

Rain! We’ve been needing some rain and Saturday rain came. It was accompanied by some fierce winds, but with no apparent damage here at the lake. The gauge here at the cabin on the corner showed .70 inch. At this time of year, we usually need rain. As the old saying goes; “April showers…” Before you know it, we’ll be mowing the lawn again.

As I spend time in the company of Christians, the more I understand that many lack knowledge of what the Scriptures say. I would expect those who don’t know anything about the Bible or its message to be ignorant of what it says. I’m not involved with many social media platforms, but the things I read show a surprising level of illiteracy when it comes to God’s Word.

God’s Word is quite specific regarding the need for the Christian to be well-schooled in its message and purpose. Many years ago, I was challenged to read the Bible from beginning to end in a year. The result was that I did so several years in a row. I highly recommend it as a worthy endeavor. Now to those scriptures that relate to the subject.

First, it shows us the way to live: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Paul challenged Timothy to, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (1 Timothy 2:15). “All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (3:16-17).

The writer of Proverbs stresses the benefits of knowing God’s Word, which brings wisdom; “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity (Proverbs 3:1-2).

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).

In closing, don’t depend solely on the preacher’s words, but get into the habit of reading the Bible for yourself. It will bring a greater knowledge of God’s Word.

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

1 Apr

He has Risen Indeed

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Resurrection, The Good News, Truth.

Hello friends,

I trust you had a great celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday. Our day started with a sunrise service at Lake Ericson, then breakfast at our church. We finished with worship at the regular time. All in all, it was a blessed time of celebration.

We are reminded at this season of Easter that God provided the way to restore our relationship with Him through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, we are all sinners in need of a Savior.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

Lest we get the idea that we can work our way to heaven, the scripture tells us this: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given its proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

Jesus said this: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well” (John 14:6-7). To the Jews who questioned His claim of divinity, He said, “I and the Father are one.” (John 1:30). His answer enraged them to the point that they were ready to stone him, but His time had not come.

Some other scriptures that point to Him as the only way to heaven are these: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

This is our message for today. He is risen, He is risen indeed. Hallelujah!

To God be the glory,

Pastor Jerry

25 Mar

The Resurrection

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Cross, Easter, God's Word, Gospel, Hope, Resurrection.

As I begin this article, the weather forecast is for winter-like conditions for the next few days. I suppose we knew those nice days were only teasers. Although the calendar tells us that spring is here, we know from experience there can still be snow and cold. On a personal note, I will get new lenses for my glasses this week. I expect changes for the better after the cataract surgery. I will report on the success of that procedure in a future column.

Next Sunday is Easter Sunday. I would rather refer to it as Resurrection Day. Christians celebrate this as remembering that Jesus Christ, after being in the tomb for three days, came back from the dead to be with His disciples for a time. During this time, He met with those eleven disciples who remained after Judas met his end. Jesus assured those men that He was very much alive and would leave them to take up residence in heaven, and that they would see Him again. This is the message of the resurrection, and the hope of all who believe.

The hope spoken of is the sure knowledge that we who believe Christ died and was raised from the dead will go to heaven when we die. The writer of Hebrews says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19).

Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Because of 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 is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

In these difficult times, be encouraged by these words of Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3).

This is real hope; that we who believe have a home in heaven, Period!

Praise Him,

Pastor Jerry

18 Mar

A Better Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Christian Living, Faith, Peace.

Hello friends,

It is time again for another devotional thought from God’s Word. There is no lack of topics, it is just hard to decide which one to address. The weather is always a current event, but since we don’t control it there is not much we can do about it. Politics is an ever-present discussion point, or in some cases just another argument which no one wins.

Daily, we see proof of what happens when people turn their backs on God and expect life to get better. Little do they know that the answer to a better life is faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Starting with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, people have disobeyed the commands of God and tried to live without Him. This leads not to an improved life, but to unnecessary hardships and a meaningless existence.

What we really need, I believe, is a return to Christian and Biblical values in every aspect of life. No human endeavor will solve the problems we face, only renewed faith in our Creator will bring the solutions we seek.

“But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31).

Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you (1 Samuell 12:24).

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” Zechariah 1:3).

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Return to me,” declares the Lord Almighty, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:7).

Jesus’ words: “So do not worry, saying, ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:33).

God said to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is His name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:2-3).

In Truth,

Pastor Jerry

11 Mar

For the Innocent

Posted by sandhillspastor in Children, Culture, Evil deeds, Judgment, Sanctity of Human Life, Truth.

We have been shut in at home for the last week with a nasty cold, or some other virus. We are on the mend now but wondered a few times if we would survive. Weatherwise, it has been a mixed bag as is common in the month of March. We were spared the heavy snow that fell to our south and west.

I did not listen to what was called the State of the Union address last Thursday. From what I did hear and have read I am both saddened and angered at the total disregard for the unborn shown by our ‘President’, as he told of his support for the culture of death. The so-called right to abortion, or reproductive health, or whatever name is given to it does not exist. It flies in the face of not only common sense, but totally opposite God’s good purpose as written in His Word. I will let the Bible speak:

Exodus 20:13; You shall not murder.

When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your sons in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. (Ezekiel 20:31).

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).

And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man (Genesis 9:5-6).

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them (Psalm 127:3-5).

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this”, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done (Proverbs 34:11-12)?

When will people wake up to the horrible wrong that has been done in the name of women’s rights? Who is speaking up for the baby’s right to life?

In defense of the helpless,

Pastor Jerry

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