8 Apr

Faith Alone

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Salvation, The Good News.

Now and then, I will hear a person say something like this: “I believe in God. I try to be a good person, and live a moral life. I go to church, and I would hope God will let me in.”

I want to say, “You say you believe in God. You try to be a good person, you live a moral life, and you hope it’s enough to get you into heaven? Do you know that this is wasted effort? God says you cannot earn your way to heaven by being good.

Hear his word in Isaiah 64:6… “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts (good works) are like filthy rags.” We cannot claim righteousness by our good works. We are made righteous only by placing our faith in Jesus Christ and his righteousness.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”: (Romans 3:23); “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”: (Romans 6:23); “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

I feel as if I must shout it out. PLEASE UNDERSTAND! YOU CANNOT BE SAVED BY BEING GOOD, or by joining a church. Not by giving a certain amount of money, not by your abilities, or even by your good looks! God, speaking through the apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Ephesus, says this: “You are saved by faith not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Jesus’ own words are, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In Acts 4:12, Peter, speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Someone once said, “Do what you like, you will never save yourself.” It is a mystery to me why we have to make it so hard. Jesus Christ died once for all. There is no other way.

In His Truth,
Pastor Jerry

1 Apr

Redefining Sin?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Uncategorized.

It is hard sometimes to decide on a topic for the newsletter, but with so much of what I would describe as total ignorance of Biblical truth, there is plenty of material. Last week, I received via email a link to an article in the Tuscaloosa Alabama News. In the article, the author interviewed several people as to whether they viewed homosexuality as a sin. One person answered this way: “I think the Bible is pretty clear that traditionally homosexuality has been a sin, but I think there are other things in the Bible that have traditionally been declared a sin that God’s people have determined are no longer sinful.”

 
What I would like to know, is when did “God’s people” acquire the right to overrule God in defining what is sin and what is not? And, what does God think about that?

Let’s look in His book and see how he would answer that question: “The word of the Lord is right and true” (Psalm 33:4), “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31).

Today is April Fool’s Day. The Bible calls those who reject God fools. Intelligent, and presumed wise men, have rejected the word of God as irrelevant to our time. Jeremiah 8:9 says, “The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and  trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?”
 
Jesus died for all our sins. If we confess our sins, he will forgive. Everything the Bible calls sin can be forgiven, except the sin of rejecting his offer of salvation. There are consequences to rejecting the word of God, and they are eternal. Please don’t be so arrogant as to proclaim that we humans can decide what is sin and what is not.

In Truth,
Pastor Jerry

25 Mar

Seeking the Lost

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Easter, Faith, The Good News.

Spring is officially here, but someone forgot to turn up the thermostat. We just don’t seem to be able to get any warm days, but with April coming, we have hope. I saw a photo taken by one of our friends this week that reminded me of other March days when we would be out feeding and checking the cattle. It made me think of the following:

I was reading Luke 15 where Jesus was talking about the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7), and I had a flashback to my days of calving out cows. I remembered some times when I spent hours looking for a missing baby calf. Some were at night, when it was almost totally dark, some in the pouring rain, other times it would be snowing and blowing. There might have been a time or two it was doing all the above.

It was what we did, and what some of you are still doing. When a calf was missing, we searched until we found it. The missing one might have crawled through the fence into a shelter belt, and we would find it asleep under a cedar tree. Others would wander off behind a hill, and the cow would be searching with us. Once, with the help of my horse, who stopped to sniff at a snowbank, I found the missing one under the snow. It is all about seeking and saving the lost, and we celebrated when we reunited the calf with its mother.

In Ezekiel 34:16, we read these words of the Lord, “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.” It’s a picture of why Jesus came. In Luke 15:4, Jesus said “if a shepherd loses a sheep, does he not look for it until he finds it? And after he finds it he calls his neighbors to rejoice with him? He then went on to say, “in the same way there will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner.” He is describing someone who has been lost in sin, but who has turned to the Lord to be rescued from his sin. Then, in Luke 19:10, we read these words of Jesus, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
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Jesus Christ came to rescue the lost. Heaven celebrates each one who is found and brought into the safety of the Lord’s care. Not only did he come to seek and to save the lost, he paid the penalty for our sin, and was raised from the dead so that we might live.

Something to remember this Holy Week, as we contemplate the reason Jesus came, and as we look toward Resurrection Day.

Because He Lives,
Pastor Jerry

18 Mar

Sin In The Camp(er)

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Forgiveness, Sin, The Good News.

I don’t remember if I mentioned we bought a used camper last fall. When we got it, we knew it had some issues with water damage. Upon further examination, there was much more damage than first appeared. What we saw on the surface did not prepare us for the internal damage that had been done. I had planned to do the work myself, but we decided to take it to the camper repair place. They are doing a great job of restoring our “bargain” to usable condition.

Isn’t that just like what happens when we allow a small amount of sin such as anger, or bitterness to creep into our lives? It doesn’t seem to be a big deal on the outside, but left alone it can spread until it destroys everything on the inside.

In a spiritual sense, sin has the same effect on our lives as did the water that crept into the walls of our camper. Whether it is jealousy, envy, anger, bitterness, immorality, profanity, or any number of things I could mention, it starts out small and seemingly harmless. It then begins to spread until it takes over completely. There is no way we can get rid of it without help. The only one who can bring about restoration of the soul contaminated by sin is the Lord Jesus Christ. “Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).

If someone had taken steps to prevent the water from entering the camper walls, much damage could have been prevented. We, as Christians, also need to take preventive measures against sin creeping into our lives. Here are a few suggestions from Scripture: Flee from evil desires (2 Timothy 2:22). Resist the devil (1 Peter 5:8-9). Keep away from temptation (Galatians 6:1). Be in prayer (Mark 14:38).

And, if we find that sin has crept into our life, here is the remedy: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Faith in Christ is the remedy for removing the stain and guilt of sin in our lives. There is no other.

Because He lives,
Pastor Jerry

11 Mar

Sin’s Definition

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

Dear friends,
On the home scene, life remains busy. If there is a time in life when we are not busy anymore, it hasn’t appeared on my horizon. The change to daylight saving time supposedly gives us more daylight hours, and I’m going to need every minute.

I think it is clear to most people that it is not popular these days to talk about sin. Sin, as described in the Bible, is minimized, glossed over, white-washed, or ignored, but few people are willing to call it disobedience to God’s commands.

Here is a case in point: The television series “The Bible” is airing this month. I did not see all of the first installment, but I will. I did read a review of that episode. In it the reviewer stated that people watching it would get the idea that Sodom and Gomorrah were judged and destroyed for their lack of hospitality. When I read the account in the Bible, I come away with the understanding that those two cities were destroyed because of rampant sexual immorality, including the sin of homosexuality, and others. There were not even 5 people in the cities who met God’s standard of righteousness.

I believe the lesson here for us is this: If we don’t preach and teach that every word in his Book is faithful and true, we are setting ourselves up for a similar judgment at some point. Those ten commandments are not the “ten suggestions.”

Sin is sin. To call it anything else is to call God a liar (1 John 1:10). The good news is Jesus Christ died on the cross to provide forgiveness of sin, no matter what the sin. God forgives all who come to him on the basis of the shed blood of his Son. The end result of this, according to the apostle, is that the one who trusts in Christ will not continue in his or her sin. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9).

Let us call sin what it is. Follow that up with confession. Confession is agreeing with God that we are sinners. Then, ask his forgiveness, trust his Son Jesus to save you, and as Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.” And if you should sin again, which you may very well do now and then, do as we are instructed in 1 John 1:9… “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Forgiven,
Pastor Jerry

4 Mar

How To Know God

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, God's Word, Truth.

Hello friends
Well, here we are at the beginning of a new week and a new month. Reflecting on the past week, I wonder if it was really productive, or just busy?

Could I be allowed to wonder if our spiritual life sometimes is the same way? How many people actually have a daily Bible reading and study time, and of those who do, how many rush through, just to be able to check off another thing they have done? Do we ever think how different our lives would be if we would set aside time for some serious, in-depth study of God’s Word?

I’m sure this sounds like a topic I’ve written about in the past, but when we consider the problem of Bible illiteracy in the world today, I believe it is worthy of our attention.

In any relationship, how do we get to know the other person? The answer is, we spend time with them. If you are “in a relationship”, as many will post on their facebook page, do you not want to spend every minute of every day with that person? Of course, you do. How else do you get to know them in a personal, intimate way? It is the same in our relationship with God. If we want to know Him in the personal, intimate way that He desires, it is imperative that we spend as much time together with Him as possible.

How then, do we get to know God like that? The first thing we need is a Bible. It should be one of the more modern, easily readable versions that are available today. Most of us just don’t “get” the King James language of the older versions. Then set aside a period of time each day for the reading and study of your Bible. Keep a notepad and pencil handy for taking notes. Write down questions you may have, or things that catch your attention. You may want to take these things to your pastor for further clarification.

Also, spend time in prayer. This is nothing more than conversation with God. He has spoken to us through his Word, the Bible. We speak to Him by way of prayer. As you study and pray, God will become more personal to you, and he will reveal himself and his ways. Then, you will no longer be biblically illiterate

There is a new television series dealing with Bible stories. As you watch it, take notes, then go to the Bible and see if it measures up. Whether it is a preacher, Sunday School teacher, or a television miniseries, we need to compare what we see and hear with God’s written word. His Word is Truth, and it stands the test of time, every time.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

25 Feb

The Unchanging Word

Posted by sandhillspastor in Evil deeds, God, God's Word, The Good News, Truth.

In our day, as has been the case since the beginning of the church, there are those in pulpits who claim to speak for God, yet “prophesy” falsely. They come with a message that isn’t found in the Bible, claiming they have a “new word” from the Lord. Let’s remember, every word intended for us to have from Him is recorded in the Bible. There is no “new word” from the Lord. If you hear of such a person, distance yourself from him.

The scripture is explicit in its command concerning the adding to, or the subtracting from God’s Word. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). Although this passage is in Revelation, it, by association would indicate that all of the Bible is to be seen as God’s unchangeable and final word.

“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

“Every word of God is flawless…Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar” (Prov. 30:5-6).

2 Peter, chapter 2 gives more details concerning false teachers (prophets), their ways, and their destiny. You can look it up.

We must examine the teaching of anyone who claims to speak for God, and that includes your pastor. (Acts 17:11). I appreciate those who hold me accountable for the words I speak and write, although I may sometimes not show it right away….

In His Love,
Pastor Jerry

18 Feb

Worship

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, God, Worship.

Our devotional topic for the week is worship. Man was created to worship. People worship all kinds of things, but it was God’s plan for his creation to worship Him. It seems today that worship is reserved for sports figures, movie, music and television stars, our jobs, our children, our cars, (in ranch country it might be a new “truck”), or any number of other things.

God still desires to be the exclusive object of our worship, and the reality is this… we will only be satisfied in worship when our worship is totally directed toward God. The first two of the Ten Commandments establish God’s right to be the only true God, and that He alone is to be worshiped (Deuteronomy 5:7-10).

It seems to me that we have lost much sincerity in our worship of God, and I have to think it is because we have a watered down idea of who He is. Somewhere we have gotten the idea that God is just a kindly grandfather that wants us to be happy, and that worshiping him is optional. I believe if we have a right concept of who God is, and if we will comprehend His glory and His majesty, worship will naturally follow. When we read in the Bible of men who have come into the very presence of God, we see that their response was dramatic.

Isaiah said, “Woe to me! I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5). When Ezekiel was in the presence of the glory of God, he fell face-down (Ezekiel 1:28). John, writing of his experience in Revelation, and recognizing the Lord, said, “When I saw Him, I fell at his feet as though dead (Revelation 1:17). And there are others I could mention.

Oh, that we would have this view of worship when we come into our churches each week! Would we not see a dramatic difference in the way we worship and in the way we respond to the preaching and teaching of the Word?

Just Wondering,
Pastor Jerry

11 Feb

Stand Firm

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Faith, Sin.

We’re spending this Sunday afternoon waiting for the remnants of our first real winter storm of 2013 to fade. We didn’t receive a lot of snow, but we did get nearly a half-inch of rain last night, and the wind is blowing hard. Further north and west, they are dealing with some significant snow and wind. I remember those times when our days were spent feeding and caring for livestock. And, I am glad that for me, they are over.

There is increasing pressure for evangelical Christians to accept “same sex marriage”, and a host of other sinful behaviors. Our reaction cannot be to hide in a cave hoping it all goes away. We must stand firm on God’s Word. I believe his people must not compromise his truth. As we are pressed more and more to conform to the ways of the world, it seems appropriate to revisit some instructions from several of the apostles’ letters in the New Testament.

Paul, writing in Romans 12:2… “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Peter, in 1 Peter 1:14… “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (This scripture calls us to live godly lives.)

John, in 1 John 2:15..”Do not love the world or anything in the world.” Also, chapter 3, verse 7: “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.”
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them (false teachers), because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Finally, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:5).

Do not let the world mold you into something contrary to God’s plan for your life. We, who are called by His name, cannot compromise on these issues and stay true to our Lord’s calling. We must speak the truth, and do so in humility and in love.

In Truth and Love,
Pastor Jerry

4 Feb

On Baptism

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Eternal Life, The Good News.

It is time again for a devotional thought for the week. These are meant to encourage you, or to teach the truths of the Bible. They may even be controversial, but my prayer is that the reader will gain a new understanding of God’s plan, and apply it to his or her life.

I recently received a response to an article in which a question arose concerning the relationship of Christian baptism to a person’s salvation. I want to briefly share what I believe the Bible teaches.

In every New Testament reference to baptism following Jesus’ return to heaven, it is shown as something a person does as a testimony to their faith in Christ. It is symbolic of a person dying to sin and being raised to new life in Christ. Being placed under the water, or being sprinkled, whatever the case may be, indicates being buried. Then, coming up out of the water identifies that person with Christ’s resurrection and a new life.

Salvation comes first, then baptism. Therefore, I believe baptism is for the person who has reached the age of complete understanding of the concept that he or she is a sinner in need of a Savior, and is able to make that choice on their own.

In Acts 2:38, following Peter’s sermon the people asked “what shall we do?” Peter responded, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you…” And in verse 41, “Those who accepted his message were baptized.” Then, in Acts 8:12-13, we find “when they believed, they were baptized.”

It follows then, that the infant or toddler, or the person with reduced mental ability is not going to be condemned because they passed into the next life without experiencing baptism. I believe those are welcomed immediately it the arms of Jesus.

On the other hand, a person with the capacity for full understanding of sin and its consequences, will be held responsible for their acceptance or rejection of Christ’s offer of forgiveness of sin. Whether or not they have been baptize has no bearing on their salvation. This I believe.

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

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