Month: October 2014

Ashamed

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16).

“I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12).

Today you may be called upon to make a stand, to show whose you are and to whom you belong. Are you prepared to do this? Are you prepared to say, and show by word and act, that your trust is in Jesus Christ, and that He is your Lord?

There is a cowardly streak in most of us which may cause us to be silent when we ought to speak, and hide when we should be on the front line.

When we talk about suffering and shame, let’s remember that Christ endured the one, and despised the other. Of the Apostles it is written: “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Act 5:41).

Peter wrote: “If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16).

Let’s ask for grace to never be ashamed of Jesus!

 

Dear Young Christian:

“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”
(Isaiah 40:30-31).

If you try to go on your own this week you are going to stumble and fall in the path of faith. Natural strength, even of youth, isn’t enough to meet the situations and temptations that you will face in a cold hostile world, that hates Christ, and of which Satan is the “god” and “prince.” No it takes more than natural fortitude and ability.

However, if you go forth this week in the strength of the Lord, whether soaring like an eagle, running like an athlete or just walking like the hiker, you will find a resource for every mile of the way, and you will not faint. Don’t count on yourself, count on the Lord.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Lord’s Day

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10).

“And upon the first day of the week…the disciples came together to break bread” (Acts 20:7).

Here it is, another Lord’s Day, another first day of the week! The Apostle John was “in the Spirit,” and as a result had a wonderful revelation of the person and work of Christ. He also breaks forth in praise and worship. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6).

The early believers in the Apostle Paul’s time gathered together to remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, in response to the Lord’s request, “This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

What wonderful and instructive examples these are for us today. Let’s take them to heart and “worship…in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23).

 

Destiny

People talk a lot about destiny and fate, but whether they want to recognize it or not, there are two destinies when we leave this world. For those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour the destiny is HEAVEN. There they will live eternally with the one who loved them enough to die for them on the cross of Calvary. The Lord said of His own, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3).

For those who reject or neglect God’s offer of pardon through His Son and the blood that He shed to cleanse us from sin, the destiny is HELL. What an awful place of eternal separation from God that will be! The Lord stated plainly that for those who are not saved when they leave this world, “Whither I go, ye cannot come” (John 8:21).

Salvation is being offered now. But there is no guarantee that it will be offered at a later time. When we leave this world it is too late to make a decision for Christ. At that point our final destiny is fixed forever. Which destination are you headed for?

 

Quietness

In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:17).

“Pray much and speak little! ‘Study to be quiet’ (1 Thessalonians 4:11).” So advised an older brother to some young people years ago.

He went on to say, “We can edify one another more by a holy walk than by a great multitude of words. Walk not talk is what is often most important. God dwells in peaceful souls, and the tongue must be at peace also. Behold the fruit of sacred silence! It gives time for, strength collectiveness, prayer, liberty, wisdom, the company of God and a happy state of mind.”

“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:26).

There is an old expression that says, Silence is golden. No wonder some of us are so poor.

 

The Twelve Apostles – Part 10

James – The Son of Zebedee

Sometimes referred to as James the Elder, he was the brother of John and according to Matthew 2:21, was mending his nets when the Lord called him to follow Him. As we noticed with the call of Matthew, busy collecting taxes, so this reminds us again of the scripture, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). The Lord often calls busy people, who are diligent in secular life.

James was privileged along with Peter and John to witness events that the other disciples did not, such as being with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration.

His name never appears apart from that of his brother John. They seem inseparable, which is a wonderful testimony and example for natural brothers today.

James was killed by Herod Agrippa I, about A.D. 43. “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:1-2). He was the first of the Apostles to be martyred, and though little is told us about him in the Bible, we see him as a man of real faith. “Whose faith follow” (Hebrew 13:7).

 

Unexplained

“Jesus…said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13:7).

We have been noticing the past couple of days, that often the Lord allows the unexpected in our lives. But sometimes there is the unexplained as well.

We like answers! We want to know why this and that has happened. We want the reason for the unexpected, and an explanation from the Lord. But we don’t always get everything explained or see the reason why right away, or even in this life. However, the time is coming, when in heaven, He will make it all plain. That’s why we are told, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Someday we will understand fully all His ways and purposes with us during our lifetime. It takes faith to just leave it all to His wisdom and love, even though we don’t understand it ourselves. Do we really believe that He knows best?

 

The Unexpected

As I mentioned yesterday, things don’t always work out the way we planned. The world has a saying, “expect the unexpected.” For the believer the unexpected is so often a confirmation of the Lord’s will, and often He uses circumstances beyond our control to lead us in the way of His choosing. Often it is to preserve and keep us from some danger or folly that would have otherwise been to our hurt, either spiritually or physically.

Here is a good scripture to keep in mind as life unfolds with all its many twists and turns: “Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:13-14).

The Lord has a plan for each of us. It may not always be what we had wanted or hoped, but if we give Him His way it will be the very best for us, and we will be truly happy.

 

Dear Young Christian:

Life is full of the unexpected! A few hours ago all my plans for the next two weeks have been changed.

I am writing this page on a flight from Guyana South America to Barbados, and on to Saint Vincent this evening. In a couple of days I was to fly to Grenada to spend six days visiting and doing gospel work. However that is where plans have changed.

I got a call today telling me that a very dear friend and brother in the Lord has passed away, with a request to take his funeral, which I have agreed to do. So I am in the process of changing flights and making plans to return to North America. How good it is to know the Lord and to be able to accept all these things from Him. Otherwise, how frustrated and angry we would be. I love the verse that says: “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5). You, too, will experience many unexpected and unwanted changes in life. Learn to trust and accept them from the Lord.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

The Son of God

“Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

One man at the crucifixion was convinced of who Jesus was. That was the centurion. He had witnessed the mocking, the beating, the nailing, the three hours of darkness, the last loud cry and the earthquake, and he witnesses here that he considered that Jesus was the Son of God. Whether or not he actually believed in the Lord Jesus as his own Saviour we won’t know until we get to heaven. But there is no doubt that Jesus was who He said He was. He is indeed the only Son of God. John confirmed, “We know that the Son of God is come” (1 John 5:20).

How wonderful that today we know Him as such, and that we can echo with the Apostle Paul, “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).