Author: BTP

Psalm 23 — Part 11

 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6).

Several years ago, my wife and I drove through Wales. It is a country of rolling green hills dotted with quaint farms full of flocks of sheep. As we came over a hill, we were suddenly brought to a dead stop due to a large flock crossing the road. Out front, we could see the shepherd leading his sheep to fresh pasture. As the last of the sheep came into view, we noticed two sheep dogs hard at work keeping the stragglers and those that wanted to go their own way from taking off in the wrong direction. I said to my wife, “That’s Goodness and Mercy.”

Yes, we have the goodness of God to enjoy and rest in. “The goodness of God endureth continually” (Psalm 52:1). And we also have His mercy to carry us through every situation: “His mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 118:1). With the Great Shepherd leading us, and His goodness and mercy to follow and protect us, we can indeed follow on as His sheep no matter how steep or difficult the path of faith, and no matter how much the enemy seeks to discourage us and lead us astray.

Our God

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

This is a marvelous thought to begin and end each day.

The first part of the verse uses words of power and protection. “The eternal God,” is power. “Thy refuge” is protection.

The second part of the verses uses words of consistency and compassion. “Everlasting” is consistency. “Arms” would speak of compassion.

Yes, we are guarded from above, around, and underneath. Such truth should encourage us to trust in our God at all times, in all circumstances. This is our God, and we can have full confidence in His wisdom, power, love, and purpose. We can echo the language of the prophet, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).

His power far exceeds our thought,
His love will never fail,
This God is ours and we are His,
Why should we fear or quail.

Unto the End

“Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1).

Having loved … He loved them unto the end.Not simply to the end of His journey down here in this world, but He would continue to love them throughout their experiences in spite of the fact that He was going away and returning to heaven.

Just so it is with us. His love is ever the same. He says,“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). In the New Testament, the question is raised,“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ” (Romans 8:35). The answer is clear, “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Enjoy that love today!

Dear Young Christian:

The work of the Lord usually has small beginnings.

I have recently been reading of different pioneer missionaries such as Hudson Taylor to China, Ida Scudder to India, John Williams to the South Sea Islands, Mary Slessor to Calabar, West Africa, and so on. I have read these and many other accounts over the years, but the one thing that impressed me this time was how insignificant the work seemed at first. And yet those individuals pressed on by faith in spite of much opposition and many setbacks. As the work grew so did their faith, and, by the end of each one’s life, much had been accomplished to the glory of God.

Has the Lord given you something to do in His service? Remember, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). The work of the Lord has small beginnings, and, in the measure in which we are diligent and faithful, we will be given more, and the work will grow and flourish.This week, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

The Same Lord

“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

I am writing this page on Sunday, the 5^th of November, 2017. During the remembrance meeting this morning in Dickson Village Saint Vincent, there was a small earthquake. As the meeting room shook gently for a few seconds, it made me think of the above verse concerning the early believers gathered together in the early days of Christianity. In those days, there was great power with many signs and wonders to confirm the Word of the Lord and His mighty work and presence.

While we are not in the days of early Christianity, and we do not experience such outward shaking and other signs in the same way, yet it is wonderful to know that we have the same Lord, and the privilege of being in His presence for the breaking of bread, prayer, and ministry of the Word of God. Matthew 18:20 still stands: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Will you be gathered with such today, around the person of Christ? He is the Same!

The Assizes — Part 2

“And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them” (Revelation 20:11).

Last Saturday, we learned that the Assizes was a court that formerly sat at intervals in each county of England and Wales to administer the civil and criminal law. Here is another account from the archives of that judiciary, as told by one who was there on that occasion.

A youth in the county of Durham stood up and pleaded guilty. The sentence was passed and the jailer led the way down the steps to the cell. It seemed that he had no one to plead his cause. As he turned to descend the steps he looked around the balcony, where a woman, rising to her feet and wiping the tears from her eyes, gave a look of love, but was speechless. Who was it, I wondered? It was his mother. It was, however, beyond her power to say a word.

How sad to think that there will be young people at the Great White Throne of judgment who will be sentenced to hell for eternity, and whose parents, having been saved, will not be able to plead their case. I hope no reader of these pages will suffer that fate.

Friday the Thirteenth

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Friday the thirteenth is considered by many as a day of bad luck, and a day to be extra careful and wary of adverse happenings. You can look up the origin of this superstition and find pages of information on the subject, and a diversity of thought as to why both “Friday” and the number “thirteen” are thought to be unlucky.

But, as believers, we don’t have to be worried about such things. We understand that every day is in the Lord’s hand and that He guides and orders our circumstances according to what He sees is best. We have the assurance that every day is a blessing and that we belong to “Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11).

Although today is another Friday the thirteenth, it should be a day of rejoicing in the Lord, trusting in His love and goodness, and a day when we can serve Him and others. Don’t be afraid to go forth in the confidence that He is in full control of whatever happens, and that “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28).

Not My Will

Today, I picked up an old periodical dated August 1971, and, among other things, was struck by one of the paragraphs I read. I will quote it here for your consideration as I believe it has a message relevant to all of us whether young or old.

“Why are so many of God’s children not enjoying full peace and liberty in their souls? It is simply because they are following the will of their fallen nature in many details of their lives. In fact in many details of their daily life they have not even stopped to consider what God’s will is about it. So as a consequence they are not in conscious fellowship with God, walking by the Spirit in every detail of their daily life in obedience to His revealed will.”

How true this is! Although our sins are forgiven, and we are on our way to heaven, there is never the day-to-day experience of joy and peace unless we have the same submissive spirit of the Lord Jesus, who said, “Not My will, but Thine” (Luke 22:42). Then let us “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Armistice Day

Armistice: noun; An agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce, ceasefire, peace, suspension of hostilities.

Armistice Day is commemorated every year on November 11th to mark the armistice signed in Compiegne, France between the Allies of World War I and Germany. It took effect at 11:00 am—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The date was declared a national holiday in many allied nations, and it coincides with Remembrance Day and Veterans Day.

Today, around the world, young and old will pause to remember those who have given their lives and made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of humanity and for the freedom of nations and peoples.

But let’s pause and think about the Lord Jesus who paid the ultimate price at Calvary to set us free from the power of sin and Satan. He took the punishment for our sins, gave His life, and shed His blood. “Seek the Lord, and … . Remember His marvelous works that He hath done” (Psalm 105:4-5).

Bitter or Better

“Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better” (Ecclesiastes 7:3).

Trouble will make us either bitter or better. Notice how very little is needed to change these two words—just the letter “I”. It is the “I” that changes the whole matter. When the “I” keeps out of the question, out of the difficulty, and Christ is brought in, life will be better; but when the “I” is introduced and gets mixed up into the trouble, life will become bitter, and we will become hard. Too many times this “I” gets in the way and the poor hurt ego gets a slap, and off it runs screaming for attention. The poor little ego sits and weeps tears of self-pity until his eyes are so red and inflamed that he can’t see things as they are or should be.

On the other hand, trouble, if correctly used, will bring great peace and deep surrender. What are you seeking in your trouble today? Is it deliverance or development? Take the positive attitude and use your trouble as one of the most wonderful instruments God ever placed into your hands for the working out of the character of Christ to be formed and duplicated in you. And remember, troubles will make you either bitter or better!