Month: May 2014

Righteousnesses

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

Very simply put this verse tells us that the very best things we can do, before we are saved, are nothing to God but a pile of old, rotten, filthy rags.

Tomorrow, being Sunday, many people will do many things in the name of God, the Lord Jesus, and religion. But to the unsaved person, those things avail nothing but to insult a holy God. What would you think if someone came to you on your birthday or other occasion and offered you a nicely wrapped gift, only to find when opened that it contained a pile of dirty rags? You too would be insulted, offended, maybe even incensed and indignant.

But what about God? How does He feel? Especially when He has the desire and means to cleanse us and make us fit for heaven and for His service. For those who are saved there is a day coming when they will “be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness(es) of saints” (Revelation 19:8).

 

Reading Daily – Part 3

“They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).

I earnestly urge you to make Bible reading your daily habit. Let it be a fixed principle with you that you need the WORDS OF HIS MOUTH for your soul’s nourishment and health.

If you have no food you will have no strength. You will hunger, and the hungry will eat anything.

If you do not go on, applying yourself to the daily reading of your Bible, your famished soul will readily eat of the world’s dainties. But if you are nourished by the hidden manna of Revelation 2:17, you will have no taste, no heart for what the world offers.

Young Christians, if you would walk humbly and happily with your God, if you would be useful in the Lord’s vineyard, SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES daily and diligently.

John Ruskin once wrote: “Whatever merit there is in anything that I have written is simply due to the fact that when I was a child my mother daily read the Bible and daily made me learn a part of it by heart.”

Continued…

 

Reading Daily – Part 2

“I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil” (Psalm 119:162).

When it comes to reading the Bible, it is quite true that some are much more occupied and pressed with work, school, or business than others; but let us remember that it is not a question of the quantity we read; even a few verses read with earnest desire to profit by them and feed upon them, are more helpful than whole chapters gone over in a formal way. What characterizes the godly man in Psalm 1 is that he meditates upon the law of the Lord day and night, and the result is that he is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water,” he is kept fresh and fruitful even in times of trial and difficulty.

We may depend upon it, this is what we need. Not cold intellectual knowledge, but meditating daily on God’s Word, seeking the Spirit’s teaching and guidance, and practically living out what we do know. Then God will give more.

Study the Bible with prayer. Seek the Lord there, and not knowledge — that will come too; but the heart is well directed in seeking the Lord — the eye is single, and then the whole body is full of light.

Continued…

 

Reading Daily – Part 1

“Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).

There is a tendency among Christians in the present day of neglecting the reading of God’s Word. This is an important subject, and one which we need to take to heart. We can never neglect the Word of God without loss to ourselves, and no doubt it is one of the causes of the spiritual weakness which abounds on every hand. If a magazine or book — even a good book — takes the place of the Scripture, it is so far more of a hindrance than a help to the believer.

The Word of God and prayer are two things absolutely necessary if we are to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). What would have happened to the Israelite had he neglected to go out of the camp in the morning and gather manna daily? He would have been without food and therefore weak and unfit for the rigours of the wilderness journey.

Continued…

 

The Words of Jesus

“How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

We love the words of Jesus,

So good, and pure, and true;

Like cool, refreshing breezes,

They stir our hearts anew;

The gracious words of Jesus,

Fresh as the morning dew,

Their sweetness wholly pleases,

Their power, our strength renew.

We read the words of Jesus,

We marvel at their force;

And yet His words so seize us,

His love to reinforce:

The precious words of Jesus,

Will never run their course,

Spoken with soothing meekness,

Our constant, full resource.

 

Dear Young Christian:

Here is a good word for young people from the Prophet Jeremiah. “Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?” (Jeremiah 3:4). This is really a plea from the Lord Himself to His people who had turned away from following His Word and ways.

Maybe there is a young believer reading this calendar page, and you have to admit that you have not been following the Lord as you should. Perhaps you are choosing your own way instead of looking to the only true Guide, for youth and all through life as well. Don’t be discouraged or give up. Hear these words of the Lord to you, and return to the One who says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32:8).

It is wonderful to have a lifetime guide. “For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death” (Psalm 48:14).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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

Risen & Ascended

“God the Father, who raised Him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1).

All the Godhead was involved in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, but this verse specifically mentions God the Father. By raising Christ from the dead, the Father emphatically declared that the work of His Son was acceptable in every detail: sufficient, complete and victorious; never to be repeated. In fact, the resurrection of Christ was God the Father’s “Amen” to the work of Calvary.

Not only Has God raised Him from the dead, but we also read, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory…raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:17,20).

Risen and ascended! Seated in heaven! What a glorious truth! We rejoice in His accomplishment and praise God for such a risen, glorified conquering Saviour and Lord.

Nothing can be added or subtracted from His finished work. God is satisfied, and we are the satisfied beneficiaries of His death and resurrection. “Hallelujah! What a Saviour!”

 

Running From Rescue

“Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto Thee to hide me” (Psalm 143:9).

In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner intended to use the crackers as rat bait. Now the police and the owner of the Volkswagen Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car.

So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape His punishment, but what we are actually doing is eluding His rescue. To run from God is to despise His salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, and this will eventually lead to eternal ruin in the Lake of Fire. The rescue call is out, the gospel is giving warning. Are you running from God and His way of escape from judgement, or are you running to the only refuge there is?

 

We See

“But we see Jesus” (Hebrews 2:9).

Yesterday we noticed something that we do not see. But in this verse we find something, or rather someone, that we do see. JESUS! The verse goes on to tell us in what state we see Him, “crowned with glory and honor.”

In light of yesterday’s meditation, I trust there is no thought of this being the reigning time now. However, he does want that place in our hearts now. There is the line or two of a hymn I have often sung that expresses this very well: “Reign Thou within our hearts alone, And let us to Thy glory live.”

As we look up, by faith, and see the Lord Jesus given His rightful place in heaven, we should give Him that rightful place in our hearts. When I was a young person going to hymn sings, we often sang,

“Lord of my life, I crown Thee now,

Thine shall the glory be.”

May it be true in all of our lives! To see Him and own Him as our Lord is the best and happiest thing of all.

 

We See Not

“We see not yet all things put under Him” (Hebrew 2:8).

The Lord is not reigning in the world today. He is the King in rejection as the parable the Lord told indicates, “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return” (Luke 19:12). The Lord is in heaven, the “far country” and will not reign until He returns to earth in power and glory at a future time. Only then will the kingdom be established.

And so He allows the world to go on in sin and rebellion, until the day when all things will be put under Him. “And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness” (Psalm 9:8).

We need to be careful in thinking this is the reigning time now. No, we follow a rejected Christ! While we are here in this world we do not look for nor will we see better things. We don’t expect righteousness in an unrighteous world. We don’t count on equity and justice always being done. “We see not yet all things put under Him.”