17 Aug

Life Flight Thoughts

Posted by sandhillspastor in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

Hello all,
We all know life takes unexpected turns. At this time last week I found myself In the ICU at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. After a week of reflection, and I don’t think this will be the end of it, I have some new perspectives. And I feel the need to share some of those. For a little background, I had some symptoms that concerned me, we called the ambulance, and I was taken to the Ord Hospital. From there, I got a direct flight on a helicopter to Kearney, and was sent straight to the operating room. The doctor determined at that time, I didn’t need immediate surgery, and admitted me.

My condition is called an “aortic dissection”, which means there is a separation between the walls of the aorta. It is a serious condition, and can be fatal. The good news is it can be treated with medication. For once, I noticed something about myself that wasn’t quite right and acted upon it.

During the short flight (23 minutes) to Kearney, I had time for some conversation with God. Was I concerned? Yes, but in the midst of that was a peace. I told the Lord if this is going to be the end of my earthly journey, I was okay with it. I was ready to go to glory if that was his will. This, I believe is what Paul speaks of in Philippians 4. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present you requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7). I experienced that peace there on that Life Flight helicopter in the darkness last Sunday night.

I pray each one who reads this already knows the peace that faith in Jesus Christ gives. I believe He took me to the edge, to show me I need not fear the unknown when I know Him as my Savior and Lord.

If you are unsure of your salvation, if you cannot confidently call heaven your home, I pray you will trust Jesus today. Because, as I was so clearly shown in the events of last Sunday, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. If you have questions email me at lakecitynews@gmail.com.

Blessings to all,
Pastor Jerry

3 Aug

Repentance: The Missing Ingredient

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, Christian Living, Evil deeds, Forgiveness, God's Word, Repentance, Sin. Tagged: , , .

As I read and observe comments made on social media and other sources, it occurs to me that in the conversation there are a couple of words that are missing. As people debate the issues of the day, the underlying theme seems to be that everyone wants things their own way. We excuse sinful behavior by calling it many other things, but the word sin never makes it to the top.
Another missing ingredient, if you will, is the idea of the need for repentance. My Bible Dictionary defines repentance as: “Change of mind; also can refer to regret or remorse accompanying a realization that wrong has been done…”
In the biblical sense, repentance refers to a deep seated and thorough turning from self to God. Much of what is presented from pulpits today is far removed from any idea of a change of life, or repentance from sin. It comes down to “believe and be saved, continue in your sinful lifestyle because Jesus loves you and wants you to be happy.” This is far from the truth.
John the Baptist began his ministry with these words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus said, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news”, and, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). He said to some who were questioning Him, “Unless you repent, you will all perish” (Luke 13:3).
There are enough New Testament references to repentance that it should be clear it is of great importance. In response to God’s call on one’s life, there must be repentance, that is, to turn from a life of sin and self-rule to a life ruled by God and lived in His righteousness. In other words, the call to repent means we must abandon sinful lifestyles and express sorrow for our sins.
Christians and churches are not exempt. We must be constantly involved in self-examination, allowing the Holy Spirit to point out areas where change is needed. To continue living in sin, with no thought of changing (repenting) can only lead to judgment.
In Him,
Pastor Jerry

27 Jul

Listen Closely

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, God's Word, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Obedience. Tagged: , , , .

In our Sunday school discussion yesterday, the point was made that people need to listen to the Lord Jesus. When Jesus walked this earth, He told people to listen to His voice. Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand” (Matthew 15:10). At the transfiguration, the disciples present heard the voice of God saying, “This is my Son whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5).

In our day, we can read the words of Jesus in the Bible, but as Jesus was preparing to return the Father, he taught his disciples to listen to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. These are Jesus’ words: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you” (John 16:13-14).

Then, in Revelation, as Jesus speaks to John concerning the seven churches, we read these words. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). Seven times in 2 chapters, he repeats this command, and when anything in scripture is repeated that many times, we need to pay attention.

Believers in John’s day had to deal with background noise from the culture around them that demanded careful listening to know what the Spirit was teaching. It is the same for Christians today. We must listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying, because the background noise can drown out His voice.

Few are those today, who actually listen to the words and commands of Jesus. Even fewer are those who obey Him.

Again, the words of Jesus: “If you love Me, you will obey what I command…Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me” (John 14:15, 21).

Simply His,
Pastor Jerry

20 Jul

Decision Time

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Faith, Freedom, God, God's Word, Persecution, Prayer, The Good News, Truth.

We are enjoying some more time spent at our lake house. All the hard work on the house and yard is easing up, and it is nice just to sit and enjoy the view. We have a couple more camping trips in mind, but no specific dates or destinations yet. School starts in a month, and we will once more settle into a more structured routine.

Recent events in world and national affairs require we who are followers of Jesus Christ, and who believe in the Truth of God’s Word, to examine our commitment to the faith. One of those events is the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States of America concerning same sex marriage. As one commentator said, “there is no longer any fence to sit on.” We must take a stand regarding what we believe on this topic. I’m reminded of the challenge of Joshua to the children of Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.

“Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15).

The question for us is this: Will we serve and obey the Lord, or will we give allegiance to the secular philosophy of the culture around us? It is time to choose. There is no fence left to straddle.

Jesus’ apostles were commanded by the Jewish Sanhedrin not to speak or teach in His name. Their response was, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God” (Acts 4:19).

Serving Him,
Pastor Jerry

13 Jul

On Contentment

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Giving, God's Word, Praise, Service, thanksgiving.

After a hot weekend, it has cooled off a bit this morning. With the humidity being a little lower, maybe it will be somewhat more bearable. As usual, we need the warmth for the growing crops, and for the hay to cure. The problem is, everybody wants it perfect for their own pet project.

We could take a lesson from the apostle Paul, who said he had learned to be content in every circumstance. There is a lesson in this for all of us. Let’s look. Paul was thanking the church at Philippi for supporting him in some way. He wrote, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Paul gave similar instructions to Timothy, speaking to the issue of contentment in this way: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Paul goes further a few verses later in words that could probably apply to everyone in America:

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and be willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

The writer of Hebrews has similar advice: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

All our “things” are on loan from God. Let’s be content with what we have.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

6 Jul

Let Freedom Ring

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Fellowship, Freedom, Gospel, Prayer, renewal, Service, The Good News, Worship.

Hello everyone,
Looking out my window this morning, I see rain falling. There will be no need to water the lawn and garden today.

Saturday we celebrated our nation’s independence. It was a great celebration here in Ericson, Nebraska. There was abundant sunshine, very little wind, parades in town and at the lake. Also, fireworks over the lake, and people everywhere enjoying the day.

As we celebrate America’s Independence Day, and the freedom we have, I am always drawn to the thought that Jesus Christ died on a cross to provide us with a different kind of freedom. Scripture says everyone is born with a sin nature as a result of Adam and Eve sinning in the Garden of Eden. Sin separates us from God and leaves us prisoners to our sin. The only way to escape the bonds of that sin is to place one’s faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Millions of people in the world today have allowed our enemy, the devil, to convince them that there is no escape from the prison they are in. They don’t know, or don’t care that God has provided a Savior in the person of his Son. People everywhere are searching for their ‘identity’, while at the same time seeking meaning and purpose in their lives.

I believe the Bible has the answers to these questions. The end result of the sacrifice of Jesus as payment of our sin debt, is that we can know not only who we are, but whose we are. The Scriptures tell us God created everyone in His image. He wants fellowship with us, but due to the effects of sin, that fellowship has been broken. When we put our trust in Christ as Savior, our relationship with God is restored. As a result of that restoration, we are then called His children. Our identity then, is child of God. And our purpose is to love, serve and worship Him for eternity.

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12).

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Romans 6:22).

How’s that for identity and purpose?

His child,
Pastor Jerry

29 Jun

History Lessons

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, Family of God, God's Word, Gospel, Prayer, Truth.

Hello all,
We’re staying home this week. It’s not that we don’t like camping, there are things at home that need done. And, after three Sundays of vacation, I am ready to return to ‘work’.

The first of the week, we were camped at Ponca State Park. Some of Nebraska’s early history centers on that area of the Missouri River. As I tried to remember how much of that history I could remember, I realized I was closer to that history in grade school than I am now. I was reminded that in the early days, this was wild, uncharted territory. Now it is just one of many vacation spots along the river, with paved camper pads and electric hookups. The only hardship now is the lack of Wi-Fi and cell service. Now, that is really roughing it!

As I contemplate history, I wonder how many of us remember times in our own lives when history was being made? I can name a few times personally. This past week, history was made in our country, the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Here are a few of my thoughts regarding that event. There has been a decision handed down by the highest court in America that I believe is wrong. That said, I, along with many others, believe that there is a Higher Authority who will someday have the final say in this matter. In the meantime, we who bow to that Higher Authority have a responsibility to represent Him in society and in the current culture. We must do so with the voice of reason, and present His case in a non-confrontational manner, and in a spirit of peace and love. It will not be popular to do so, but we, too, will someday stand in judgment, giving an account for our response to these things. In matters eternal, it is the Word of God that matters, and it is the authority of His word upon which we must stand.

I return once more to the words of the old hymn:
“The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.”

There will be more on this topic in weeks to come. In the meantime, keep looking up.

In His eternal love,
Pastor Jerry

22 Jun

Second Chances

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Blessings, Christian Living, Eternal Life, God, God's Word, Gospel, Praise, Salvation, The Good News.

Earlier this month, we went on an overnight trip to Fremont to see a concert by Nebraska Ambassadors of Music. It was a great performance by a group of very dedicated young musicians.

On our trip home, I had a lesson about second chances. Assuming I knew the way back home, even though we were going a different way, I left the gps on my phone turned off. Twice I missed turns that would have put me on the right road, and in both cases I was given a second chance to get it right. The first time, I turned left, when I should have turned right. A mile down the road, there was a farmer’s driveway that afforded an opportunity to turn around.

The second time, it was a matter of failing to see an approaching intersection in time to get slowed to turn. Since it was on a 4-lane highway, I figured we would have to continue for miles before we could correct my mistake. Just past the missed turn was a drive that crossed over the median to the other side. You guessed it. I missed it also. However, to my surprise, a short way up the road was another connection to the other side of the road. It was as if the highway engineer had some foreknowledge that someone would need another second chance to get on the right road.

In matters of eternal significance, we have a God of second chances. He sometimes gives many opportunities to get on the right road. We must not, however, become complacent and assume that he will always give us another chance. The Bible tells us that if we come to the end of our life, and refuse to accept His salvation, there are no more ‘second’ chances. The scripture says “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For he (God) says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

The old gospel hymn asks, “Why do you wait dear brother? Why not come to Him now?” Why not indeed? Now is the day of salvation, there may not be another.

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

8 Jun

Campground Meditations

Posted by sandhillspastor in Blessings, Christian Living, Faith, Fellowship, Gospel, Heaven, renewal, Rest, Worship.

Work is nearing completion on the addition to the house. Our attention will turn now to finishing the landscaping and some interior projects. I hope this means we will begin to really enjoy our surroundings and spend time getting to know our neighbors better.

Today I want to share some thoughts from time spent in a secluded campsite. As I sat enjoying the quiet early morning, it came to me than only in the country, with a setting of grass, trees, and water do we get back to the pure, uncontaminated world that the Creator desired. It doesn’t matter if the water is a stream, a lake, or the ocean. There is a little plaque on our wall at the lake house that says, “Heaven is a little closer by the water”, and I think it is true.

Almost any other place we visit shows more of sins corrupting influence on nature and mankind. This is part of why it seems right to just get away. In doing this, we perhaps sense the nearness of God in a much more real, dare I say intimate way. To come apart, as it were, from the distractions of being in the city, at the office, or even in a crowd of people anywhere. I believe a certain amount of intentional solitude is good for body and soul, much more than most people realize.

Jesus often went away by himself to pray, as we see in the following verses. “After he had dismissed them (the crowd of people), he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23). “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). I wonder if those lonely places might have been by a stream or mountain lake.

Then this: When many people were coming and going, Jesus said to his disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. (Mark 6:31-32).

The advice He gave his disciples is perhaps even more important to us today, in this high speed, high pressure environment. “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” May you find that quiet place this week.

Resting in Him,
Pastor Jerry

1 Jun

On Horoscopes, etc.

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Evil deeds, Faith, God's Word, Sin, Temptation.

This morning, we are camped somewhere in north central Nebraska, in a quiet, out of the way place. It is a beautiful spot, and we may very well return to it. We plan to explore other scenic places in our state this summer, Lord willing.

I am puzzled by the fact that many Christians follow horoscopes and other types of ‘fortune telling’. I believe God never intended for His people to place their faith in the moon and stars, tea leaves, fortune cookies and the like.

I bring this up, not to criticize or judge, but to give a reminder that God desires our complete allegiance. To put any part of our trust in anyone or anything other than God, is an affront to God and His sovereignty. Actually, the Lord has said much about this subject in the Old Testament and it is mentioned in the New Testament as something not approved by God.

“Do not practice divination or sorcery” (Leviticus 19:26). “Let no one be found among you…who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft” (Deuteronomy 18:19). Of Manasseh, king of Judah, the Bible records this: “He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking Him to anger” (2 Kings 21:6).

In the New Testament, Simon, a sorcerer was rebuked by Peter for attempting to buy the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:9-24). Paul and Silas encountered a slave girl at Philippi who had a demonic power of foretelling the future (Acts 16:16-26). Paul commanded the demon to leave her, which led to their imprisonment. Witchcraft is among the things condemned as acts of the sinful nature (Galatians 5:20).

These things are not harmless pastimes, they are anything but harmless, and they are not neutral. Anything that does not come from God, has its root in His enemy Satan. The Bible consistently condemns the practice of divination. It rarely views these practices as fakes. They are condemned, not because they are not supernatural, but because the source is often demonic and those who practice them are trying to circumvent God to find guidance for the future. Christians should heed the biblical injunction against astrology, fortune telling and mediums.

In Truth,
Pastor Jerry

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