25 Aug

On the Tenth Commandment

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, God, Law, Salvation, Sin, Worship.

More progress was made last week on the preparations for moving the house. Monday, the footings and stem walls were poured. Tuesday the forms were removed, and now we wait for the interior footings. This week I hope to get the old house ready for its move.

The area was blessed with more rain this week. The timely rains have helped keep lawn and garden watering to a minimum. We harvested our first cantaloupe this week, and more are ripening. There are signs that the garden is nearing the end of production for this year.

Our message this week was built on the Tenth Commandment: “Do not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Deuteronomy 5:21). Covetousness isn’t a word we use much these days, but it is alive and well. The advertising people understand the idea that we all want what our neighbor has. We probably don’t get to the point of taking our neighbor’s stuff, but we want to have the latest model of smart phone, car, or computer. Maybe it is the desire to move to a better neighborhood, or buy a bigger house. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these things. It is when they become the over-riding focus of our lives that there is a problem

The truth of the matter is this. When we are dissatisfied with what God has given us, we are saying to Him, “I don’t appreciate what you have given me, I want more.”

When we covet someone else’s belongings, we are focused on our immediate circumstances and prevented from looking ahead. We need to make sure we live our lives with the proper perspective. What we experience now is temporary, and eternity is in our future.

Only the gospel can give contentment to the human heart. Everyone has the desire to search for satisfaction, and the road to satisfaction eventually leads back to God. Paul found his joy in the Lord continually. His happiness was not dependent on his circumstances. In Philippians 4:13, Paul described his ability to be content whether in good times or bad… “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Is God good enough for you? If you are in Christ, you do not need to define yourself by your possessions. You already have the greatest gift of all.

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

18 Aug

What About the Children?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Marriage, Prayer, Sin, Truth.

Dear friends,
We have new developments in moving our house. The plan is to get the concrete runners and the perimeter walls poured this week. The house mover has told me he can move the house in September. What fun! It also means I had better get busy getting the house ready for the move.
School starts in Wheeler county this week. Alex is a freshman this year, and his height has been officially measured at 6′ 3/4″. Needless to say, he has left grandpa and grandma in the dust…
I have no profound wisdom to share this week. I will just share an experience from our last visit to the grocery store. I hope what I am about to share will be food for thought.
You are probably aware of the new Coca Cola sales campaign that encourages you to share a Coke with a person named on the label. I admit to looking for my name on a bottle of Coke. So far, I’ve only found Alex’s name in our family, not that I send all my time looking at Coke bottles…
Back to the story: As we came down the soft drink aisle, there was a little girl sorting through the bottles on display. We asked if she was looking for a particular name. Her reply after some serious thinking was this: “How can I say this? I’m looking for one for Mommy’s friend, and one for Daddy’s  friend.”
This conversation made me very sad, but it is certainly a sign of the times in which we live. What is sad is the fact that we have all these children having to deal with things they shouldn’t be experiencing, because Mom and Dad are more concerned with their own “happiness”, than that of their kids.
Two verses of scripture come to mind here: 1) “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21). 2) “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
I’m not just picking on fathers, there is plenty of blame to go around. However, as head of the household, fathers should make every effort to keep the family together.
I pray this little story will cause someone to stop and consider the effect that their actions will have on their children in the days and years to come.
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Jerry

 

11 Aug

Do You Know Him?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Law, Salvation, Sin, The Good News, Truth.

Hello friends,
Here we are at the beginning of a new week. We have been blessed again with abundant rain. The gauge here at the parsonage read 2.20″ in a little over 24 hours. The temperatures have been pleasant, as well.

It appears we will be able to get our house moved to Lake Ericson in September. We don’t have an exact date, but we know the month. If all goes according to plan, the concrete work and the removal of some unwanted trees will take place this week.

In our Sunday worship over the last few weeks, we have studied  eight of the Ten Commandments, as found in Deuteronomy, chapter 5. During the course of my studying, I have been reminded of this truth: At the end of life, it will not matter how many of the Ten Commandments we’ve kept, that won’t be the question. When we stand before God, He won’t ask if we’ve been good, or if we have lived up to His law. Those things do not provide salvation. The law shows us first of all that we are sinners, and when we have confessed our sin to Him, the law shows us how to live. The thing that matters at the end, is how we responded to the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at some verses that convince me of this. Ephesians 2:4-9: “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved…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.”

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the saints in Rome, wrote, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” And in verse 30, “There is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.”

I continue to write on this topic, because I am convinced there are people reading this who do not know their eternal destiny. They do not know Jesus as their Savior. The Bible is clear. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6).

Do you know my Jesus?

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

4 Aug

Frying Bacon

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Evil deeds, Forgiveness, God's Word, Law, Marriage, Sin.

Dear readers,
We’ve been glad for some cooler temperatures. At least, we haven’t had any of those hundred degree days. We had a couple of small rain showers toward the end of the week. In other news, progress is being made toward moving our house to Lake Ericson.
Now to our devotional thought for the week: The  sixth commandment says we are not to commit murder. The Lord Jesus said anger out of control can result in murder. The lesson is that we need to keep angry thoughts and attitudes under control. The following story may cause us to pause and reflect on our attitudes concerning those we love.
Frying Bacon: One morning recently, while still harboring a bit of anger over a perceived slight the day before, I was frying bacon for breakfast. My dear wife was beside me frying the eggs. She likes her bacon crisp, while I like mine less so. I was determined to give her crisp bacon for a change. My attitude was “I’ll show her I can do this!”
As the bacon began to get crisp, it also took on a burnt look along the edge. I said, “Is this crisp enough?” Her response was, “Why are you being so naughty?”
Well, I denied any such motive, but she was right, and later I apologized for being so childish…after all, I am much too old for that kind of immature display…
The moral of the story: Don’t hang on to those angry thoughts, words, and attitudes. If you pay attention to the teachings of scripture, those are the very things that if left unattended, can lead to more than burnt bacon. Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother (or wife, or husband) will be subject to judgement.”
Let’s ask the question of ourselves; Are there words, attitudes or actions we need to confess and ask forgiveness for? By doing so, we will restore our relationships with those we love, and with our Lord, as well.
One more thought for the married men out there: “Husbands…be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect…so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7).
Forgiven,
Pastor Jerry

28 Jul

Why Wait?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Salvation, The Good News.

Hello everyone,

I ran across a statement this week that caught my attention. “The fact that we cannot ‘save ourselves’ but have to ‘be saved’ is no excuse for anyone to sit back and hope for the best. God has revealed to us the way to be saved—by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 16:16; John 3:16–17; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:8) —and that step of faith is commanded, not suggested.

I was reminded of another quote I saved several months ago. It reads: “If every person in the world had adequate food, housing, income, if all men were equal and every possible social evil and injustice were done away with, men would still need one thing: Jesus Christ! (J.W. Hyde)

If you have been a reader of these devotional thoughts for any length of time, you know I believe every person is born a sinner, separated from fellowship with God because of his or her sin, and in desperate need of a Savior.

The New Testament book of Romans says, “As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  To the church at Colossae, Paul wrote, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior” (Colossians 1:21).

Here is the good news: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Based on the verses above, for a person to think they can depend on God’s good will to get them to heaven, is just foolish thinking. Jesus paid the price, the gift is free to us. Our only responsibility it to take the gift as our possession. In the words of an old song, “Why not come to Him now?”

Simply His,

Pastor Jerry

21 Jul

Word Games

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

Hello friends,
I wonder if these are the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer? Do you
remember 1963? That’s when the song was popular. Things were much
simpler then.  I wonder, could those lyrics apply to our present time?

We will be taking the camper for a short trip this week. We want to
enjoy some of our home-grown scenery, without the distractions of
everyday life. Who knows? There may be a few lazy, hazy, crazy days
left out there!

For our devotional thought this week, I’m going to borrow from a
publication we have at our church. Here goes: What would you think of
a doctor who, upon discovering a tumor buried deep in your body,
responded, “take two aspirin, and you’ll be just fine”? How about a
fireman,who responded to a three-alarm fire by saying, “It will
probably burn itself out soon enough”? Or a policeman who after
arriving at the scene of a burglary, shook his head and said, “Boys
will be boys”?

In each case, the response is inappropriate to the situation. Tumors
demand surgery; fires need to be extinguished; lawbreakers must be
punished for their lawless deeds.

Ours is a day in which we have lost sight of the seriousness of sin.
Character defect, error in judgment, slip of the tongue, moment of
weakness, or mistake–call it what you will, God’s Word does not play
these word games. Any transgression of God’s law is sin (1 John 3:4),
and the payment for sin is death (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

I fear that if we continue to ignore God’s moral law and the teachings
of scripture, we will find ourselves in danger of judgment, as well.
It’s time for us to heed the words of the apostle: “Examine yourselves
to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not
realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the
test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

In the prophet Jeremiah’s day, God looked in vain for one person in
the city of Jerusalem who stood for justice and godliness (Jeremiah
5:1). If God were to look in your town, what would he find?

Just thinking,
Pastor Jerry

14 Jul

The Light of Truth

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, End Times, Faith, God's Word, Salvation, Second Coming, The Good News, Truth.

Hello friends,
Another week has come and gone. Our area got some beneficial rain, and
some places were on the receiving end of severe storms, including hail
damage to crops and other property.

In church news, Vacation Bible School was held this week. The number
of children available in our little town is small, but those attending
had a good time. We very much appreciated the two young ladies who
came to teach the lessons.

I am troubled by the increasing outcry from the more liberal voices in
our culture who seem bent on silencing those who would speak out on
behalf of Biblical truth and values. I have also been encouraged in
recent days by the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case.
Although one victory encourages us, the truth remains that the message
of salvation through faith in God and Jesus Christ is being shouted
down more and more.

God has clearly predicted these things in His word, as told by the
apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy. “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” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

In contrast, God’s people are told to be lights, shining the truth of
God’s word into the world. “You are the light of the world. A city on
a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it
under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to
everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before
men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm” (1 Corinthians 15:58). “Be
on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage, be strong”
(1 Corinthians 16:13). “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the
teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or letter” (2
Thessalonians 2:15).

Finally, in the words of James, “You too, be patient and stand firm,
because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:8).

Standing on the Word of God,
Pastor Jerry

7 Jul

Moving On

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Change, Christian Living, Faith, God's Word, Holy Spirit, The Good News, Truth.

The celebration of our nation’s independence is over for another year. Ericson’s parade, and the fireworks at Ericson Lake, were great this year. I have heard there may have been a record number of entries in the parade. It’s amazing what happens when people work together for a purpose.

We continue to prepare and plan for moving our house to the lake. We don’t expect any speedy progress, but it’s moving along. There will be many steps between the conception of the idea of moving the house, and having it placed on its new location. I will try to give you updates from time to time.

This reminds me of the Christian’s journey to spiritual maturity. It is a process and usually doesn’t happen overnight. However, if the desire to change is there, God will bring about that change.

The Bible tells us that when we are “born again”, there is a new spiritual birth. In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” He then explains that he is talking about spiritual rebirth (John 3:1-8).
The person who is born again is called a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Following this, as with any newborn, growth should follow.
The writer of Hebrews stresses the idea of growing spiritually in this way: Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go one to maturity…” (Hebrews 6:1). We are also told it is a process “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of god and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
Moving a house isn’t a lot like the maturing of a Christian, but there is one similarity. At the end of its journey, the house will look the same on the outside, but it will be in a new place, with a new purpose, and with a new view.
The new believer looks the same on the outside, but a transformation has taken place through the working of the Holy Spirit of God. That person has a new relationship with God, a new outlook, and a new purpose in life.
Moved by Him,
Pastor Jerry

30 Jun

True Freedom

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Christian Living, Eternal Life, Freedom, God's Word, Law, Praise, thanksgiving, The Good News, Truth, Worship.

Vacation is officially over. I have to admit, taking those three
Sundays off from my preaching duties was refreshing. However, the rest
of the time seemed a lot like a normal routine. Even so, we enjoyed
our trip out west, and the opportunity to see some things beyond our
regular circle of vision.

We intend to take some short (two or three day) sight-seeing trips
around the great state of Nebraska. Maybe we’ll even return to some of
the places we missed in my hurry to get back home. Now that we are
somewhat accustomed to traveling together in a relatively small space,
it should be easier, and even more fun!

On Friday, this week, we celebrate our country’s adoption of the
Declaration of Independence 238 years ago. On this day, we should also
thank God for allowing us to be born in a land that gives us the many
freedoms that others in the world can only wish for. Freedom also
brings responsibility. As citizens of the United States of America, we
are free to live pretty much as we want to, within the boundaries of
the law.

Christians should be thankful for their dependence on the Lord. In
giving Him control of our lives, we are provided with freedom from
sin, and the freedom to live our lives without fear for our eternal
future. It has been said that once we place our faith in Jesus for our
salvation and submit to his Lordship, we can do anything we want, as
long as it is within His will.

We are not under the law as given in the Old Testament, Christ died
to fulfill the Law. The Law, then, becomes our guide for living as His
followers. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm,
then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of
slavery” (Galatians 5:1). “Live as free men, but do not use your
freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (1 Peter
2:16).

The previous verses apply to Christian living, but it seems to me that
they should apply to citizens of the greatest country in the world,
with respect to her laws.

Let us give thanks, for our country and to our Lord, as we remain
loyal and obedient to both. This, I believe, should be how we live
every day.

Free in Christ,
Pastor Jerry

23 Jun

A Time to Rest

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, God's Word, renewal, Rest, Work, Worship.

We are home again. Last week’s trip to Colorado was an adventure of sorts. The problem is we aren’t into adventure as much as we once were. And, once more I was reminded of the difference between husbands and wives. I preach communication between partners in a marriage, but I often fail miserably at putting that message into practice. There will be a time of planning and scheduling taken before our next journey, I am sure.

In spite of some differences of opinion, we did enjoy the new camper. It is smaller and lighter than our old one, and with some adjusting of our expectations, it will serve us well.
It was great to reconnect with our friends, and to spend several days catching up. We took some less traveled roads coming home, saw some things we hadn”t seen before, and passed by some places to which we will return.
Vacations always seem to be a good idea, until we return home and realized how tired the trip has made us. Another realization was that when we go toward the mountains, the air becomes thinner. I don’t remember being bothered by this when I was younger. In fact, in high school, I wanted to live in the mountains and be a forest ranger. This time, while I was there, all I wanted to do was sleep. Could this be a sign of aging? I suspect it might be. Still, I believe the Lord wants His people to take time away from work, for the refreshing of mind and spirit.
In Ecclesiastes 3:1, we are told there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Although not specifically mentioned, one of those might be a time to work and a time for recreation. It is interesting to me that if we hyphenate the word recreation, we get re-creation. Time away allows us to be re-created, revived, rested. They all give the same idea.
After an intense period of ministry, Jesus said to His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for awhile” (Mark 6:31). And, God has commanded us to observe a weekly day of rest (Exodus 20:8-11).
Are you feeling tire and beaten down? Find time to go to a remote place and rest for awhile.
Resting in Him,
Pastor Jerry
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