24 Nov

Give Thanks

Posted by sandhillspastor in God's Word, Praise, thanksgiving.

Dear friends,

Our unseasonable weather continues, with much sunshine and mild temperatures. In family news, we have a new great-granddaughter. Alex and Breanna welcome Raela June to their little family. We thank the Lord for her, she is truly something to be thankful for.

It being the season of thanksgiving, what are you thankful for and to whom do you direct your thanks? I know this is a question that is raised at this time of the year. It is good to reflect on past blessings and give the Lord credit for what He has done.

A verse of scripture that comes to mind is 1 Chronicles 16:34; “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Also, this: Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the strings and pipe, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:1-6).

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name” (Psalm 100:4). “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind” (Psalm 107: 8).

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Along this line of thinking, the day after Thanksgiving Day is Black Friday, when people rise early to stand in long lines, hoping to get the best deals on merchandise they might not ordinarily purchase. I wonder what it would look like if people were as excited to attend church on a Sunday morning? Would there be lines forming early in the morning in hopes of getting a front row seat?

Just thinking,

Pastor Jerry

17 Nov

Trust and Obey

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, Gospel, Marriage, Obedience, Relationships, Trust.

Hello friends,

Again, we have extra nice weather for mid-November. I expect we’ll be paying for these nice days. The past few days have given us an opportunity to get a bit of work done on the house. The shingles on the little bay window overhangs were in sad shape, so over three days we were able to get three hours of work done.

In this there was a lesson in trust between two people in a long-term marriage relationship. To get the shingling done, I had to be lifted to the eave on the tractor loader. Since there were only two of us to get the job done, it fell to Milrae to operate the loader controls. I’m sure many of you have had a similar experience.

I needed to give her directions on operating the loader controls, and she is willing to help, but somewhat anxious about getting it right. If she happens to move the control lever the wrong way, I could find myself on the ground in short order. She trusts me to give right directions, and I must trust her to follow them. I can report that she handled it well; I didn’t get thrown to the ground and the repairs were done.

It reminds me of the old hymn Trust and Obey. It speaks of our need as Christians to trust and obey the Lord Jesus. Trust comes first, as we put our faith in Him to give us proper instructions as we serve Him. When we have faith, we can then obey His commands without fear or hesitation. He says do not fear, for I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Trusting and obeying, in our current culture, are words that are not often well-received. Perhaps you have trusted someone, only to find out they are not trustworthy at all. It is hard to be obedient to someone you cannot trust.

Jesus asks us to trust Him in the everyday things, and to obey His commands. In doing so we can live knowing He is in control and his commands are for our good. “In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands, And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

For Him,

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.

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

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

13 Oct

Hearing Aid

Posted by sandhillspastor in Uncategorized.

Hello friends,

Don’t you just love this October weather? It isn’t often we get to this point without a killing frost to put an end to the gardening season. I have said I enjoy fall weather, but this is exceptional.

In recent years, I have gotten to the point of needing hearing aids. I was under the impression that having them would be the solution to asking people to repeat themselves in a conversation. It seemed to create a worse problem in communicating with my lovely wife. Guess what? They are not the perfect answer. There is a spiritual application in this.

Hearing aids work well one-on-one, but in a crowd, there is just noise. I was told I would hear sounds I hadn’t heard in some time, and it is true. I hadn’t noticed, but I was missing the sounds of birds and crickets among other sounds.

It could be that way for hearing God’s voice. Scripture tells us to listen to the voice of the Lord. He does not always speak with a loud unmistakable voice, most times it is a still quiet prompting from His Holy Spirit.

If we haven’t heard from Him in a while, maybe it is time to get away from the noisy crowd (that is, the world) and tune in to Him. It won’t involve hearing aids, just getting away to a quiet place. Getting away from the noise of the world will allow us to hear His still, small voice. In the book of 1 Kings, we read of the prophet Elijah complaining to God. “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

There are many scriptures that tell of God speaking in a loud voice to His people. These were unmistakable signs of God’s presence. Today, He speaks to us through other believers but also through the quiet nudging of the Holy Spirit. A daily quiet time away from worldly distractions will allow us to hear that still small voice of God.

My hearing aids are helpful, but to have meaningful conversation with my spouse requires special attention to her voice.

Listening for His voice,

Pastor Jerry

6 Oct

On Aging

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christian Living, On Aging, Reward, Salvation.

Dear friends,
Here we are at the beginning of a new month. Another reason I like October is that I get to observe another birthday. I have reached number 81 as of today. God has blessed me with more years than I could have imagined when I was younger.

One might wonder how to become wise as our years advance. We all can remember when we were young and unwise, sometimes getting into trouble because of the lack of wisdom. Scripture has good advice on achieving wisdom. Psalm 111:10 reminds us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good understanding.” In Proverbs we read, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Proverbs 3:13).

We are encouraged to persevere in our faith as we advance in years, knowing the Lord will be with us: Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4). Moses asked this of God, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

As we age, we remember the lessons we learned in our early years. Wisdom is using those lessons in a practical way. As it says, the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, not that we are afraid of Him but we respect and acknowledge God as our creator, giving Him all the honor and glory that is due Him. When we do that, He gives us wisdom to apply what His word teaches us.

Someone once said, “I became old and wise because God protected me when I was young and stupid.” I might add this observation; we are still here because there is more God wants us to do for Him. It begins with this: “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life” ( John 6:40

I leave you with this from Solomon. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

Living for Him,
Pastor Jerry

29 Sep

Slow to Speak

Posted by sandhillspastor in Anger, Body of Believers, Calling, God's Word, Obedience, Relationships, Words.

Hello friends,
October is arriving soon. Maybe it is my age, but the seasons seem to change more frequently than in past years! It won’t be long until our first frost and things will change. We are past the normal first frost date, so be ready.

There has been much violent speech in recent months and even years from some in our world. There are many who think minds will be changed by violent arguments and acts. Perhaps they need to turn to the scriptures and pay attention to what God says about our speech. I will share some passages from the Bible that would give God’s perspective on our words and our actions.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1). A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control (Proverbs 29:11). Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9).

Speaking of love, Paul wrote, “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered” (1 Corinthians 13:5).Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who are listening (Eph 4:29). Paul again, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger” (Ephesians 4:31). Then this, “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” (Colossians 3:8).

James had this advice; My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 2:19-20). Everyone should take these words to heart: But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness (James 3:17-18).

Let us all pray for this wisdom as we engage in conversation with those who oppose us. We are called to a higher standard than those who are of the world and the Lord would have us reflect that fact in both our words and our actions.

Blessings to all,
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

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