29 May

Remembering

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Freedom, Memorial Day, Salvation, Service.

Dear friends,

I trust you have had a time of somber reflection this past weekend, remembering those who gave their lives in service to America. Without their sacrifice, I fear we would have none of the freedoms we have today. Therefore, we must be ever vigilant to preserve those liberties because there are those who would take many of them away.

There were many families who spent the weekend enjoying the activities at Lake Ericson. It may not be the biggest lake in our area, but in our eyes, it is the best. There were games, a food trailer, and a movie after dark at the carousel. In addition, there was fishing, boating, and just relaxing around the many campfires.

As I was contemplating the sacrifices made on behalf of America, I was reminded once again of the sacrifice of our Lord, who came to give His life to free us from the bondage of sin. God’s greatest gift to mankind was to give His only Son as payment for our sin debt. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18).

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so, He condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us… (Romans 8:1-4b).

America’s military heroes died to preserve our way of life; Jesus Christ died on a cross to give us eternal life, if only we will believe.

God Bless America!

22 May

Life’s Purpose

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Calling, Christian Living, Discipleship, Gospel, Great Commission, Work.

Hello friends,

It is time once again for another visit. We have been taking advantage of the nicer weather to get outdoors as much as possible. There are those trips to town for appointments and to get groceries and other supplies, but there has been time for some yard work and the planting of the garden beds. After the rain of last week, mowing will take some of my attention for the rest of the growing season.

I do enjoy putting my thoughts in writing, and I pray they make a difference in someone’s life. I believe each person has been placed on this earth for a purpose, and God’s purpose for everyone is given in Scripture. Jesus said this concerning his reason for coming to earth, and the will of God: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, bur the will of him who sent me. This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:38-40).

Did you get that? It is God’s will that everyone be saved. The one who is saved then has been given a divine purpose in life. This does not give the indication that everyone will be saved, but that everyone who believes in Jesus will have the gift of eternal life. Other scriptures tell us that we are saved. not to sit on the sidelines and wait for him to come for us. Quite the opposite is true.

We, as Jesus was, are to be about the Father’s business, not that we can save anyone, but that we spread the good news of Jesus to all those around us. To the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

What are these good works? I believe they start with Jesus’ command in Matthew 28. His command to us is this: Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations…, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. (Verses 19-20).

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

15 May

Stormy Weather

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Heaven, Worship.

Dear friends,

There was some stormy weather in our area last Friday. As we were heading home from Kearney that day, we were behind the storm and in no danger. There were tornados in the vicinity of home, but no major damage was reported. Also, there were some nice rains through the week as evidenced by the speed at which the lawn has grown. I must face the fact that mowing season has arrived!

As we think of the storms that occur in life, we return to the pages of God’s word. As we read the Bible, we learn that this earth was created perfect. God called everything he had made very good. Then along came temptation. Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, and all of God’s good creation was broken. Here are the Lord’s words as he spoke to Adam: “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’; The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.

The apostle Paul mentions a broken creation in Romans 8: “For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now” (Romans 8:19-22).

However, eventually creation will be restored. We read these words: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband… Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new” (Revelation 21:1-5a). This is Great News!

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

8 May

Pray On

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Prayer, Reward, Trust.

Dear friends.

We have finally seen some rain! According to the “official” gauge on our deck, it totaled 1.40” of precious moisture. We did not get any hail, but some areas did. This doesn’t mean we stop praying for rain, but that we remain persistent in prayer. There is a story in the Bible about a woman who was persistent in asking for a favor.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

For some time, he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming.’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for  his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:1-8).

At the end of the parable, Jesus asked his disciples this question: Wil not God bring justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? If an unjust judge who does not fear God will rule justly in a poor woman’s favor because of her persistence based on the law, won’t a holy God give justice to his people who pray to him with perseverance based on his word? The question isn’t about God’s willingness. It is about our willingness to persevere by faith in prayer based on God’s Word. (The Tony Evans Bible Commentary).

Elsewhere in Scripture we are told to pray without ceasing. That is, to be always in an attitude of prayer. So, don’t give up praying for rain during a drought. Keep on praying for that prodigal son or daughter. Don’t stop praying for the healing of a broken relationship. Don’t cease praying for physical healing. God answers prayers, and He will answer those heartfelt prayers. Keep in mind He will answer in one of three ways: Yes, No, or Not Right Now.

Pray on,

Pastor Jerry

1 May

Who Will Go?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Body of Believers, Calling, God's Word, Gospel, Great Commission, Obedience.

Dear friends,

We are seeing more evidence of spring; trees blooming and getting new leaves, grass growing (get the mower ready), and dandelions! We did get a little rain the other night, but the wind blew it all away the next day. Let us not give up in asking the Lord to provide that much needed soaking rain. God does answer those sincere and heartfelt prayers.

We have been on the road with doctor’s appointments in recent days. Milrae is recovering from her second knee replacement, and she is glad there were only two knees to be replaced.

In church news, we are still in the process of finding a new pastor. Yours truly has been preaching three days a month, with guest speakers the other Sundays. This has been working well, but obviously is not a long-lasting solution. If you or someone you know is looking for a place to do God’s work of shepherding a small congregation, send them our way.

Our church is not alone in the search for pastoral leadership. It seems there are too few candidates for an increasing number of small congregations. From a personal perspective, I can think of few other callings that are as important as being the Lord’s representative to a body of Christian people making up a small church, whether it is in a city or in a rural setting.

I am drawn to a passage in the book of Romans. It reads as follows: “Everyone who calls on 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?’” (Romans 10:13-15).

The prophet Isaiah, in a vision, got a glimpse of heaven in which he saw the throne of God. He heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah’s answer is, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).

Who will go?

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

24 Apr

Decisions, Decisions

Posted by sandhillspastor in Change, Eternity, God's Word, Gospel, Salvation, Truth.

Dear friends, 

I promise there will be spring this year. I know it doesn’t seem to be a possibility when our overnight temperatures are setting records. As I remember, there is precedent for freezing temps in early May. One year I witnessed a beautiful stand of alfalfa suffer a hard freeze on about the tenth of May. It was a Sunday, and after church I mowed the whole forty acres down. It turned out to be a good decision because I saved that crop. Do not despair, warmer weather will come.  

Speaking of decisions, we make them every day. In some situations, it can happen moment by moment. We rise in the morning and decide what to wear, what we are going to have for breakfast, and so on. When planning a journey to a particular city, we decide what road we will take and the time of our departure. In our family there have been wrong turns resulting in what we laughingly call the ‘scenic route’ to our destination. 

We also make choices or decisions that affect our future. Some examples would be education, vocation, or even where we will put down our roots and raise our family. Some decisions are just a result of day-to-day existence, but others have much longer lasting consequences. 

From a biblical perspective, we are instructed to make right choices, or decisions. In giving the children of Israel the Law, God said through Moses, “Look, today I set before you a blessing and a curse: there will be a blessing, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you today, and a curse, if you do not obey the commands of the Lord your God and you turn aside from the path I command you today…” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). 

Joshus challenged the Israelites with these words: “Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). 

The gospel question of the New Testament is this, what will you do with Jesus? How you answer this question will determine your eternal destination. It is your decision. Will you trust in the Lord Jesus for your eternal salvation? “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). 

In Him, 

Pastor Jerry 

17 Apr

Why Does God Wait?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Culture, Evil deeds, God's Word, Judgment, Repentance, Salvation, Sin.

Dear readers, 

We rode a temperature roller coaster last week as winter just won’t give up it seems. As I reflect on seasons past, I know it is not unusual to see these extremes, but that is little consolation when we really want to see shirt sleeve weather.   

Every day we read news reports of violence on a scale unheard of. People doing damage to property and the breaking of laws are reported with increasing frequency. A friend of mine once said, “the world has gone mad.” That was a number of years ago, and his words ring truer today. The apostle Paul had much to say about this in his letter to the Christians at Rome.   

Paul wrote these words about the condition of mankind since the Fall: For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became useless, and their senseless hearts were darkened… And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them. (Romans 1:21; 28-32). 

Here is a commentary on this passage: “You can know a person, or a culture has descended into ultimate corruption when people give public and legal approval to sin. This is a catalogue of societal breakdown, filled with greed, murder and deceit. We look around at our culture and say, “How did things get so crazy?” Paul answers: as a society, you asked to be free from God. This is what you get.” [The Tony Evans Bible Commentary]. 

The remedy for this situation is simple. We, as a society and as a country need to get on our knees, confess our sins, ask for God’s forgiveness and get back to living according to His Word. 

Don’t be fooled into thinking that since he has not judged our nation, he has forgotten us. His kindness is intended to lead people to repentance. That is why he waits. 

For Him, 

Pastor Jerry 

10 Apr

Because He Lives

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Cross, Easter, Faith, Gospel, Grace, Salvation.

Dear readers, 

It was an interesting week. My old laptop went to the shop on Tuesday. It isn’t dead but is not going to live long. Short story is I purchased a replacement, brought it home and spent two days learning new things. There were moments when I considered going back to pencil and paper, the original word processor! 

As we observed Good Friday and Easter last weekend, it was a needed time of reflection on the meaning of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Every Sunday is a remembrance of His resurrection. The Easter tradition just amplifies the focus for one Sunday in the spring. For this week’s devotional thought, it seems good to review what we have in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead. 

First of all, the resurrection was part of God’s perfect plan for humanity. Because of sin, there had to be a sacrifice. For centuries, Israel had sacrificed animals that were designated by God for the atonement of the sins of the nation. These sacrifices did not remove the sins but covered them for a time. Each year the priest had to offer the sacrifices over again. 

In Jesus, we see the fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem for himself a people he would call his own. “For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:5-8. 

 “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: 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… For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless, you are still in your sins. Those then, who have fallen asleep (or died) have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 16-19). 

The resurrection proves the power of God in that he raised Jesus from the dead, so we might also live. 

Because He Lives! 

Pastor Jerry 

3 Apr

Don’t Wait!

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Bible, Easter, Eternal Life, Faith, Gospel, Grace, Resurrection, Salvation.

Dear friends, 

My faithful laptop became unresponsive late last week, so I had to resurrect one of my older ones. There will be a trip to the computer doctor early in the week. I am hoping for a complete recovery, as I do not really want to buy a new one. It is amazing how dependent we are on technology. 

The weather news has been mostly positive where we live, but our prayers are with those who have experienced the severe storms of the past week. Also, we continue to pray for families dealing with the violence that seems to be everywhere. Storms happen because the world is broken due to Adam’s sin. Also, mankind in general is under the curse of that sin. Our enemy the Devil is active in the world. 

As we head into the week leading up to Easter, or Resurrection Day, it would be fitting to turn our thoughts toward God’s plan to redeem us from the ravages of sin and the storms of life. The creation is under judgment because of disobedience to his commands. Remember, Adam and Eve had just one rule to obey and under the influence of Satan they broke that one rule. Consequently, every person who ever lived was born with a sinful nature. Only one person was ever born without sin in his heart, and that one was Jesus Christ. 

He is the one and only who can save us. He is the only one who could pay our sin debt. The Bible says the wages of sin is death. Our sin separates us from God and only Jesus can restore that bond. God wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:2-4). The one way for people to be restored to fellowship with God is through a relationship with Jesus Christ; “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time (verses 5-6).  

Jesus Christ is the answer to the problems we face. Through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we can have salvation. Many people have missed this truth. If you have breath in your body, you can be saved. After that there are no second chances. Today is the day of salvation, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. 

For Him, 

Pastor Jerry 

27 Mar

A New Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Calling, Faith, Gospel, Praise, renewal, Salvation, The Good News, Witness.

Dear friends,
The days continue to pass quickly. When next we meet it will be April, the month of spring showers. At least we can hope winter is over by then. After those showers, we will be blessed with flowers and all the other good things that follow. Did you see a bit of poetry there?

At this time of the year, I am reminded of new life. As I see the new plant growth, new baby calves along the road, and later many other signs of new beginnings, I am drawn to consider the new life we are given through faith in Jesus Christ.

It was in the spring of the year, when on a Sunday morning in May, I first trusted Him with my life. It was at the closing of a sermon on Romans chapter 10, verses 8-13. Those verses read; But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 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 (made right with God), and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Up to that point I thought I had my life pretty well ordered. As the pastor concluded his message, he invited those who had not done so to place their lives in God’s hands and confess Jesus as Savior and Lord. At that precise moment, I realized that I needed a Savior and prayed to receive his gift of salvation. That began a change in me that could only have been brought about by a Holy God. That is my testimony and I stand by it these 40 plus years later.

Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? If not, may you surrender your life to the Lord Jesus today? It is not too late.

In His unfailing love,
Pastor Jerry

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