13 Jan

In all Things

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Creation, Faith, God's Word, Peace, Trials, Trust.

Hello friends,
The weather has taken a more winter-like turn. These temperatures remind us there are seasons. We don’t get to have just one kind of weather. That would get old after a while. We need to keep California in our prayers, along with the folks in Appalachia as they continue to recover from hurricane and fire disasters. There is much to be thankful for here in our little corner of the world.

As we see all the destruction from hurricanes and wildfires, earthquakes and other disasters, we wonder if God is really in control. However, we live in a fallen world. Because of sin, God’s creation is broken. To Adam, God said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field” (Genesis 3:17-18).

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not be its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pain of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:20-22).

Hear this word of God through the prophet: “I am the Lord and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and disaster; I the Lord, do all these things” (Isaiah 45:5-7).

In the middle of disaster, the Christian can be encouraged. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose… What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?… neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28, 31, 39).

In His hands,
Pastor Jerry

6 Jan

New Year Thoughts

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Peace, Prayer, Trust, Wisdom.

Dear friends,
2025 has arrived. When I was younger, the idea of seeing the date “2025” seemed to be an impossibility, but here we are! On a side note, I have been writing these devotional thoughts for over 25 years. I had no idea this would be the case, but again here we are. I must thank the Lord for giving me the inspiration to write, and to you the faithful readers of my efforts, Thank You!

Looking ahead to the year before us, and the events of the day, we are sometimes overwhelmed by life. We see things that are out of our control and wonder how we will cope. I read an article this week by Chuck Lawless in which he lists some things for us to remember.

  1. God is still in control. The world may seem chaotic, but God is still sovereign. “… present your requests to God. And the peace that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
  2. God is not worried. That is why it is a sin for me to worry: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34).
  3. God’s mercies are renewed every day. When the sun comes up it is a new day, no matter what I face. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
  4. God has never let me down in the past. He is faithful to his people. “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5).
  5. God sees the bigger picture. I only see today. We should trust Him to work out His plan: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” (Proverbs 3:5).
  6. God has given us fellow Christians, so we don’t have to face these things alone: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” (Hebrews 10:25).
  7. God is the story—not I. My responsibility is to trust Him: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:4).

Last words: God is always awake, so you can sleep at night. He’s got this!

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

30 Dec

Finding Hope

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

Dear friends,
I trust you had a blessed Christmas season, although our weather seems to be anything but winter-like. I am not having issues with these temperatures at the end of December, in fact I can wait a few more weeks before we have winter weather. It will then be much closer to spring.
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As we enter a new year, it seems appropriate to write an article in the topic of hope. Much of the world today lives without hope. The Bible tells us there is hope of a future when there will be peace over the whole world. Many people view the idea of hope as something they wish for, but the Biblical idea of hope is of the sure knowledge that a promise is true, yet unseen. Hope can be defined as “The expectation of future fulfillment of God’s promises, as foretold by prophets, often involving themes of restoration and redemption.” In the New Testament, when we read that hope is something set before us, it always refers to Christ’s coming for His saints.

The apostle Paul spoke to hope in this way: “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has” (Romans 8:24)?

The angels who announced the birth of Jesus Christ proclaimed a time when there would be peace on earth. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:13-14).

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 (1 Peter 1:3) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible joy…” (verses 8-9).

I pray also that the eye of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints / believers (Ephesians 1:18). There is hope, but it only comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have a happy and hope filled New Year!
Pastor Jerry

23 Dec

His Story

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, Faith, Gospel.

Hello friends,
We have entered the early copy season. It’s interesting when holidays come in the middle of the week and my schedule gets upset. I’m a creature of habit it seems. It will be Christmas when some of you read this and I hope you are blessed by it.

The Christmas season is the time of year most people are made aware of the first coming of the Lord Jesus. They may not give much thought to His appearance the rest of the year, but it is impossible to ignore Him with all the nativity displays and Christmas greetings everywhere.

The people of Bethlehem, if they were aware of His birth certainly did not think it of much importance. I suppose they were more concerned with all the people in town due to the census that was being taken. Mary and Joseph obviously knew He had arrived. The angel had given them the news of his impending birth some nine months before.

Those shepherds got the news in a dramatic fashion with a bright light in the sky and an angel announcing, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

To accent the announcement, “Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors.” Those shepherds couldn’t wait another minute to hurry to Bethlehem and see for themselves. (Luke 2:8-16).

Scripture tells us after the shepherds had seen the newborn Messiah, they told everyone they met what they had heard and seen. (Luke 2:17-18).

Where are you in this story? Have you experienced the Lord Jesus in your life? Have you heard the story of His birth and the reason He came, but have dismissed it as a fairy tale? It is not too late to place your faith in Him and the salvation he brought to earth. For God so loved the world, he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

16 Dec

Christmas Memories

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Christmas, Giving.

Dear friends,
Winter-like weather has returned. Not with snow, but with cooler temperatures. I’m glad for a warm house these days, because I really can’t cope with the cold anymore.

As our thoughts turn to Christmas Day, a bit of reflection is in order. Rather than focusing on what we might get in the way of gifts, let us consider the Greatest Gift of all. I have received many wonderful gifts from family and friends over the years, but some stand out more than others.

There was the Red Ryder BB gun when I was a youngster. I took it out hunting and came across a mouse. No, I didn’t shoot it. I beat it with the gun stock and broke my new gun. A memorable experience and a lesson learned. An earlier memory is of a Christmas when “Santa” brought a puppy in a burlap bag and dumped it out on the floor of our living room. How exciting that was!

After I became a believer in Jesus Christ and we were going through some hard times, there was no money for Christmas gifts for our boys. I had mentioned our predicament to our pastor and he and his wife gave us money out of their savings so we could have a good Christmas for our two boys. I will never forget that gift, given in the truest picture of Christian love for others. I have had opportunities to pass that gift on to others in the name of Jesus.

In John’s gospel, we read the following: 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 (John 3:16-17).

Paul wrote to the church in Rome: “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2)

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:10, 13). “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)!

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

9 Dec

The Giving Season

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Blessings, Christmas, Culture, Faith, Giving, Obedience.

Hello friends,
Hasn’t the weather been nice for December, so far? I was able to work in our uninsulated garage in my shirt sleeves Saturday afternoon. I suppose it will cool down, but as yet there is no snow in the forecast.

As we enter the Christmas season, I have been thinking on the topic of giving. After all, ‘tis the season for gift giving. Christmas shopping has become a big deal. People go to great lengths to find that perfect Christmas gift for that special person. For some it is a year-long project and for others, a mad dash early in the morning on what is called “Black Friday.”

What about our giving to others throughout the rest of the year? Scripture encourages, even commands us to give to the Lord with grateful and cheerful hearts. We are also told to give to others as God blessed us. It may be a financial gift, or a gift of serving others, Whatever resources we have, God would have us share those blessings with those who are needy.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all times having all you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever” (2 Corinthians 9:6-9).
Paul goes on to say, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (verse 11).

Paul is not talking about a “name it and claim it” strategy. He is talking about God taking care of us when we honor him with our giving generously, even when it scares us.

If we can move past that fear, we’ll get to see why God enriches us—not to bring more bling into our lives, but to “multiply our seed for sowing.” He multiplies our resources not to increase our standard of living but to increase our capacity for giving.

Some food for thought in this giving season. Praying for increased blessings to all.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

2 Dec

Looking Aheadd

Posted by sandhillspastor in Advent, Christmas, God's Word, Incarnation, The Good News.

Dear friends,
I trust your Thanksgiving was a time of gathering with family and friends. I have heard that many people spell fellowship, f-o-o-d. There was plenty of that in our family this year.

After Thanksgiving, we begin the season of Advent in the Christian calendar. These next four or five weeks are spent in anticipation of the birth of the Savior. The nation Israel looked forward to the coming of their Messiah, as had been foretold by their prophets for hundreds of years.

In Isaiah we read, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Later in Isaiah we read: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6).

Micah, some 700 years before the birth of Christ wrote, “But from you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who rules over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2).

In the last book of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi wrote the words of the Lord: “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty” (Malachi 3:1).

Four hundred years later, a baby was born in a manger in Bethlehem, who was the Messiah whom Israel had longed for. Pagan kings we call the Magi, came from the east and inquired, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed. He called all the chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written” (Matthew 2:1-5). They had the answer, but didn’t bother to go and check it out.

As we look forward to the Christmas season, let’s not miss His coming. He is the greatest gift!

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

25 Nov

Thanks to the Lord

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

Dear friends,
We have come to the time of the year when we focus on being thankful for the blessings we have received from the Lord. This brings early deadlines for those who write for local newspapers. My normal habit is to sit down on Sunday afternoon to compose this devotional, but I need to put my brain in gear a little sooner this week.

Since Thanksgiving is this week, we should be mindful of the many ways the Lord has blessed us. We can be thankful for the things we have, the people in our lives who bless us, our food, our home; the list goes on. However, ultimately all the things we have come from God. Whether you believe in Him or not, He is the provider of all things. The traditional doxology of the church begins, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below.”

The Psalms are filled with the idea of giving thanks to the Lord. Psalm 107 begins, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name” (Psalm 100:4). Several verses in Psalm 107 read; “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men” (vs. 1, 8, 15, 21, 31).

There are references to giving thanks in the New Testament, as well. Paul encourages Christians to, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20).

More from Paul: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4).

Here are a few ways to be thankful: Every morning, thank God for a different provision he has given you. Focus on just one gift each morning.
Every night, answer this question: “What happened today that I’m most grateful for? Push yourself to see God’s goodness, even in the tough situations of life. Thank Him. And then thank Him again.

Thankful for His goodness,
Pastor Jerry

18 Nov

What is a Disciple?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Discipleship, Evangelism, Fellowship, Obedience, The Good News.

Dear readers,
How about this weather for mid-November? From the forecast we can expect a change soon. This week will be a bit less busy than last, with only one doctor’s appointment compared to three last week.

Christians are expected to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Pastor J.D. Greear has some thoughts on this subject.

“A disciple is a:
Worshiper. A disciple seeks to know, love, and obey God above all else. It has been said, “Worship is not part of the Christian life; it is the Christian life.” Everything starts with this.
Family member. A disciple is not just a believer. They are a belonger. The church is not just an event you should attend but a community and family you belong to.
Servant. A disciple is one who has taken on Jesus’ posture of service to the world, who uses any power, position, or privilege they have to serve others.
Steward. A disciple manages God’s gifts for God’s purposes. Your money and time and talents were given to you not for your own purposes but to serve God’s kingdom.
Witness. A disciple recognizes that it is their responsibility to make disciples for Jesus. Matthew 4:19 says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (ESV). That means when you accepted the call to follow Jesus, you accepted the call to bring people to Jesus.

Are you a disciple maker? Are you intentionally bringing someone else along as a disciple? In the New Testament, the verb “make disciples” applies to helping someone with the initial act of conversion as well as helping them grow spiritually the rest of their life. You are supposed to be involved in every stage of that.

You may think you don’t know much about the Bible and that you’re not super talented, but it doesn’t matter. Jesus doesn’t care as much about your natural ability as he does your availability to be used by the Holy Spirit. You may still be growing, or you may even be a brand-new Christian. Every disciple of Jesus can be a disciple maker. Every Christian is born to spiritually reproduce. Today can be the beginning of a whole new disciple-making lifestyle, where you intentionally walk with other Christians through every stage of spiritual growth and help them become a disciple making disciple.

That is the kind of life that has an impact on eternity.”

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

11 Nov

Respect Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Children, Creation, Judgment, Sanctity of Human Life, Truth.

Hello friends,
It was an interesting week at our house. Tuesday, along with millions of other Americans voted for our favorite candidates in the general election. I trust everyone who reads this got out to exercise their right to vote. Wednesday, I took our car to the shop and found it would cost prohibitive to have it repaired. The shop recommended we just drive it until it won’t go anymore. Additionally, I had lost a hearing aid a couple of weeks ago and found it would cost almost as much to replace it as to get new ones.

The election is past, as stated earlier, but the work is not done. There are issues that have not been decided. Some of them deal with the right to life for all people from conception until death. The culture of death will not be satisfied until abortion and euthanasia are legal at all ages and stages of life. God’s people must step up and make their voices heard and proclaim God’s word in defending every life.

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). 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).

You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13).
And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will 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 3-5).

Psalm 139:13-16; For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well… All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

The U, S. Constitution guarantees the right to life for all. Period.

For the helpless ones,
Pastor Jerry

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