Month: January 2015

Joy

“For Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm” (Isaiah 25:4).

I do not understand a Christian who is not full of joy, but instead going about with his head bowed down. In all the trials of earth, Christians should be like the robin in a storm. Many Christians are like the hen in a storm, and we all know what a hen in a storm is like. She is overwhelmed by it. We are not to be like a duck, indifferent to the storm; or like the hen alarmed and upset by it; but like the robin, who feels it keenly, but sings his sweet song anyway.

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). Not just in sunshine, but in shadows and storms as well. Not just when things are going well, but no matter what our lot in life. We cannot always rejoice in the circumstance, but we can always rejoice in the Lord.

Let’s be like the prophet who, surrounded with failure and difficulty, said, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18).

 

Further and Longer

“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26).

“Sin always takes us further than we want to go,
and keeps us longer than we want to stay.”

That’s why we are told, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:14-15).

We think we know how far we can go, but time and time again we have examples of people in Scripture who started down a path that they no doubt thought they could get off or stop before they went too far: Jacob, Solomon, Peter, and others. But we are no match for sin and Satan. Solomon, himself wrote, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26). Don’t go down the paths of sin, you will find yourself in more trouble and grief than you bargained for, and there will be sad consequences and bitter reaping.

 

Dear Young Christian:

I listened to the news this morning. I like to keep up on what is going on in the world. Was there any good news? Well, not really. Another suicide bombing somewhere in the Middle East; a serious accident on the highway with no survivors; fraud charges in high places; government corruption; and on and on it went.

If I weren’t a believer, and if I didn’t have the good news of the Bible to read and to encourage me every day, I would certainly be distraught and discouraged.

Solomon talked about the refreshment of good news. He said, “As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (Proverbs 25:25). Thankfully there is still good newsfrom a far country. God has sent us a letter, the Bible, full of good news and encouragement. Even in these difficult times in which we find ourselves, there is still good news. Make sure you read some of this good news every day this week. It may be the only good news you hear.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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

Worship

“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him” (Matthews 28:16-17).

Have you seen Jesus? Have you been occupied with Him over the past week? What’s your response? If you have entered into a deeper appreciation of who He is because of occupation with Himself, it will be worship. As we meet around Him today at the breaking of bread, our hearts should bow in humble adoration and worship to think that God’s Son would die so that we wouldn’t have to.

Let’s worship Him today in spirit and in truth. The Lord said to the woman at the well, “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4: 23-24).

When we get to heaven, one of our main occupations will be worship. “The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him” (Revelation 4:10). However, He wants that worship from us now!

 

Obedience

Disobedience is what ushered in man’s history of sin. Adam, placed in the Garden of Eden reached out and took what was forbidden by God. So Paul records, “By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).

However the verse doesn’t end there, it goes on to say, “So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” The Lord Jesus came into this world in obedience to His Father, and accomplished the work of Calvary to His eternal satisfaction and glory. In the words of the Lord Himself, He said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (John 6:38).

Now the way of blessing is open to all sinners, who are willing to admit that they are such, and come in obedience to the gospel of the grace of God. For those who do not obey the gospel, the Bible tells us that the Lord will come, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:8). Have you obeyed?

 

No Sin

We want to make sure that we hold on very tightly to the truth of the sinless humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a threefold, divine testimony to the fact that the Lord, not only never sinned, but could not sin:

Paul: “Who knew no sin” (1 Corinthians 5:21).

Peter: “Whodid no sin” (1 Peter 2:22).

John: “In Him was no sin” (1 John 3:5).

Don’t let anyone try to tell you that the Lord could have sinned. It is blasphemy, and a direct attack of Satan to undermine the precious truth of His deity and sinless humanity. The Lord Himself said, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me” (John 14:30).

Sometimes we hear it said that the Lord could have sinned, although He did not sin. This is also blasphemy and to be discarded as fundamental error. Again we read that He is, “Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). We have a sinless Saviour, and if not, we have no Saviour at all.

 

Minor Prophets — Hosea

“Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days”
(Hosea 3:5).

The name Hosea means, “liberation” or “deliverance.” He has a message for both Israel and Judah. The message is concerning the abandonment and restoration of both Judah and Israel because of their unfaithfulness to Jehovah. Israel at this present time is without a king, a sacrifice, or a priest. However, when they return in true repentance the Lord will graciously take them up again, give them these three things, and though they are accused of adultery because of turning their heart’s affection to idols and worshiping false gods, yet He will own them as His own once again. “Then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now” (Hosea 2:7).

In the meantime Hosea appeals to the conscience of the people as to the corruption and sin that had been allowed. He ends with the reminder, “The ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them” (Hosea 14:9). This is a good word for us as well. Are we walking in the ways of the Lord?

 

Rejoice Today

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

Today? Rejoice TODAY? But things aren’t going well! It’s the middle of the week, things aren’t working out the way I planned. School is rough, work is pressured…on and on it goes. And I am supposed to rejoice?

Yes, we can and certainly should rejoice today. If you know the Lord as your Saviour you have everything to be thankful for! Don’t forget what He has done for you in the past, and remember what He is doing for you now, as well as all that is ahead and waiting for you in heaven.

Remember too, this day may end with us all being called safe home to the Father’s house of joy and uninterrupted happiness. Then it will be the best and happiest day of our lives. The Lord Jesus has promised, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). That promise may be fulfilled before we go to bed tonight. Learn to say, PERHAPS TODAY! This will help us to “rejoice and be glad in it.”

 

Carefulness

“He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18).

Be careful, young believer! You can’t live your life carelessly and do what you want, and assume that the Lord will protect you from “getting caught.” No! You need to keep yourself. Watch what you do, where you go, who you hang around with. When you prayerfully keep yourself, then the Lord will protect you from Satan’s attacks.

Here are three ways we can keep ourselves:

1. Paul told a young man named Timothy, “Keep thyself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22).

2. John tells warns us, “Little children keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). (An idol being anything that comes between us and the Lord.)

3. The writer Jude exhorts us, “Keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21).

Of course in the end it is only the Lord that can keep us, as Peter says, “Who are kept by the power of God” (1 Peter 1:5). However, we do have a responsibility as well.

 

Dear Young Christian:

I remember some years ago moving my mother from a large, four bedroom house, with a full basement, to a two bedroom apartment. Many possessions and things had to be sold or discarded, and I realized the truth of 1 Timothy 6:7, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can take nothing out.” Thankfully, we have a home called the Father’s House, where we will never have to worry about moving again, and where all is provided for our eternal happiness. To leave it all behind and make an instantaneous move to heaven will be joy indeed.

In the meantime our Lord has said, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). We are to use our time wisely and for those things that really count for eternal blessing. Many of us have often seen the motto:

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

What will you be occupied with this week?

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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