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Young Christians Calendar

A daily meditation for young Christians

May 2014

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

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Ransomed
In March of 1987, eight-year-old Marco Fiora was kidnapped at gunpoint. For seventeen months he was held in a mountain hideout in Italy, his captors demanding a two-million-dollar ransom. When police got close to where he was held, his captors placed him on a trail with the order: “Walk!”
The national news media carried coverage of the boy’s recovery, and many rejoiced. However, the mother’s joy was dampened when her returned son looked at her without any emotion in his eyes and asked, “Why didn’t you pay the ransom? You don’t want me back, do you?”
The kidnappers had told the boy that his parents didn’t love him because they were not willing to pay the ransom. The ransom sum demanded was beyond what his parents were able to pay, but the kidnappers had repeated their lie to the boy so many times that he believed them.
The question, “Why didn’t you pay the ransom?” can never be asked of God, for He paid the supreme ransom for our sakes. We cannot doubt His love, because of the cost of that ransom. “Redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Friday, May 30, 2014

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Question Page
Q. What does the Bible say about dreams and the significance that they have in our lives?
A. In the Old Testament we find that God often spoke in dreams. Some examples are, Jacob (Genesis 28), Joseph (Genesis 37), and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2). God spoke in various ways through these dreams since the written word, the Bible, had not been completed yet. Even in the New Testament God used dreams and visions. Pilate’s wife said to her husband, concerning the Lord Jesus, “Have thou nothing to do with that just Man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him” (Matthew 27:19). The Lord also spoke in a vision to Peter. “While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee” (Acts 10:19).
While it is true God can, and still does, speak through dreams, it is less likely today. God speaks in many ways: dreams, circumstances, weather, natural disasters, other humans, etc. I have heard cases of God using dreams in recent time, but generally He speaks through His Word the Bible. This book is the complete revealed mind of God.
Do you have a question? Email us at jhyland@primus.ca

Thursday, May 29, 2014

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Answered Prayer
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).
The young mother called out to the missionary, “Come quick! My baby’s dying!” Gale Fields was in Irian Jaya helping her husband Phil translate the Bible into Orya, a tribal language. They also provided medical help whenever possible. Gale looked at the malaria-stricken child and realized she didn’t have the right medicine to help the infant.
“I’m sorry,” she told the mother, “I don’t have any medicine for babies this small.” Gale paused, then said, “I could pray though.”
“Yes, anything to help my baby,” answered the mother.
Gale prayed for the baby and then went home feeling helpless. After a little while, she again heard the mother cry out, “Gale, come quickly and see my baby!”
Expecting the worst, Gale went to the baby’s side. This time though she noticed improvement. The dangerous fever was gone. Later, Gale would say, “No wonder the Orya Christians learned to pray. They know God answers.”

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

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Monthly Scripture Reading
John 19
And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
But they cried out, Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
Then delivered He Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
And He bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
Where they crucified Him, and two other with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

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The Divine Ability
“He is able” (Hebrews 7:25).
It was with a lamentable voice that king Darius called into the den of lions, “Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” (Daniel 6:20). The voice of Daniel was a complete answer. “My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt” (Daniel 6:21-22).
We might do well by seeking out in the Scripture the references to what God is able to do. It will encourage us. It is worth more than a passing thought that God never said, “I will,” only to say later, “I can’t.” What He has promised He is able also to perform.
While we may find in men a willingness to help, we also discover so often that their willingness is greater than their ability. The lions may roar, and the Christians tremble, but it remains blessedly true that our God is able, as Daniel declared, to “shut the lions’ mouths.”

Monday, May 26, 2014

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Dear Young Christian:
The gospel is free, and thank God it is so. “Without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). However, we must buy the truth. “Buy the truth, and sell it not” (Proverbs 23:23). If we are going to really lay hold of the truth and walk in obedience to it, there is going to be a cost, a price to pay. Some pay a greater price than others, but there is always a price. It may be simply reproach from family or friends, or it may involve imprisonment, torture, or even the ultimate price, death.
We never value something as much as when we buy it for ourselves. That’s why the Lord allows many tests of faith in our Christian life, so that we have to buy the truth for ourselves, and value it more and more. Let’s not sell out when the tests come. The price of selling out is not worth the loss that results. Loss of testimony, peace of mind, rest of soul, joy of heart, and many other hidden costs, that we don’t realize until it is too late. “Hold fast” (Revelation 2:25).
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, May 25, 2014

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Never Forget
“And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped”
(Exodus 12:26-27).
God did not want His people, the children of Israel, to forget this miraculous deliverance from the bondage of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and so the Passover memorial was instituted. It was to be observed and kept from year to year.
The Lord’s Supper is the same for us. Rather than once a year, we find that the early Christians broke bread once a week. “Upon the first day of the week…the disciples came together to break bread” (Acts 20:7). We were not there at Calvary but we must never forget it. “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Saturday, May 24, 2014

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The Queen’s Birthday
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn”
(Luke 2:7).
The 24th of May is celebrated as the Queen’s birthday in the British Commonwealth, which includes Canada where I live. It is a statutory holiday by law. It was actually Queen Victoria’s birthday, and when I was a child we used to chant a little rhyme that went like this:
The 2nd of May is the Queen’s Birthday,
If you don’t give us a holiday we’ll all run away.
Queen Victoria died in 1901, but she is still honored on her special day 113 years later.
But what about the Lord Jesus? Sad to say there is still room for Him in the hearts of men and women in this Christ-rejecting world. I trust there are none of our readers like that. God’s desire is “that all men should honor the Son” (John 5:23). Do you know Him as Saviour
and Lord?

Friday, May 23, 2014

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A Channel
“Hezekiah…made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city” (2 Kings 20:20).
When we order a milkshake or glass of soda in a restaurant, there is always a straw provided to convey the refreshment from the cup to our mouth. The straw is simply a channel through which the good, sweet liquid flows, just like the conduit or aqueduct that Hezekiah built in the days when he was king of Israel. That conduit brought water into the city for the good and refreshment of the people of God. It was not the refreshment itself, but just the channel that delivered it.
This is what a Christian is to be. A channel of blessing through which the love of God, the sweetness of Christ, and the truth of the Living Word flow out to others. It is a wonderful privilege, and also a great responsibility that has been given to us. Are we ready to be used as a channel of blessing today? In order for a straw to be useful it must be clean and empty to begin with. It we keep ourselves morally clean and empty of self, God can use us in this way.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

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Sacrifice
“Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:2).
“We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).
The ultimate sacrifice is to give oneself in love and service, even if it means death. Several years ago I read an account that touched my heart. The story went something like this:
A young man in a college town in the United States was stirred by hearing of great need on the foreign mission field. He was determined to offer his life in service to the Lord, but before doing so he wrote to his mother telling her of the burning desire of his heart and asking for her blessing and consent. By and by the answering letter came, blotted with his mother’s tears. She gave her consent, rejoicing that her son had such noble and godly desires, and at the end of the letter wrote these words: “I never knew until now how much it cost God to give His Son.”

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

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More Advice
“Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11).
Here is some further advice from the same older brother we mentioned on May 13:
Read, mark, learn and inwardly digest your Bible with much fervent prayer. Do not be discouraged if you do not seem to get much at the time. You will get sufficient for your need, and you will always find you have sufficient to give to others if you have the heart to do it. “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth” (Proverbs 11:24). So the more you give, the more you will get to give, and the greater will be your joy in giving.
Pray a lot! All men and women of God are men and women of prayer. They live in the Spirit of prayer, and find their delight in stealing away when occasion offers to talk with God. Prayer is the expression of the Christian’s dependence on God. It is human weakness clinging to Almighty strength, linked up with eternal and tender love. Lean hard on Him.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

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Private Prayer
Treat God as your Father. Exercise unbounded confidence in Him. Don’t think anything too trivial or beneath His notice. “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Don’t neglect your private prayer. The moment you find yourself becoming lax in that, you may be sure there is something wrong. Pull yourself up at once and examine yourself, and see that the hindrance is removed, or a fall will be the result. Don’t live before others, but live before God.
Look for answers to prayer, and turn back and give thanks. Don’t forget to be grateful. Let these things become a constant habit of soul with you, and your happiness is assured. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18).

Monday, May 19, 2014

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Dear Young Christian:
Here are some scriptures that should be the response of our hearts in light of yesterday’s meditation:
“Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
“Love the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments” (Deuteronomy 30:16).
“I love the Lord” (Psalm 116:1).
In Christianity we have been given the ability and capacity to love the Lord. The more we are occupied with His love, the more we will love Him. We won’t be able to help ourselves. Don’t be discouraged with your lack of love or dullness of affection for Him. Rather be occupied with His unchanging, divine love for you, and you will unconsciously love Him more without even realizing it.
Start the week with a fresh sense of His love. And remember, “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, May 18, 2014

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What Love!
“I have loved you, saith the Lord” (Malachi 1:2).
“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).
“Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us” (Ephesians 5:2).
What love! Will we ever get to the bottom of it? No, it is “the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19).
As we meditate on His wonderful love today, it will open up our hearts to love Him more in return. It will also cause us to praise and thank Him more, and to echo the words of the Apostle John, when he wrote, “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 5:5-6).
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ” (Romans 8:5). No one…nothing! Let His love fill your heart and put a song on your lips today.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

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The Power of Love
“The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost” (Romans 5:5).
Here is a story of how the love of Christ can change lives:
Japanese Commander Mitsuo Fuchida led the deadly attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He hated the Americans.
Jake DeShazer, from Salem Oregon, hated the Japanese, and was chosen to be part of the Doolittle Raid, a reprisal attack on Japan on April 18, 1942. His plane went down, he was captured, and spent 40 months as a prisoner of war. Most of that time was in solitary confinement. He survived beatings, torture, and a starvation diet. However, he also got saved through the reading of a Bible that became available while a prisoner.
After Word War II ended he was released, and later returned to Japan to preach the gospel to the people he now loved. Mitsuo Fuchida, through the reading of a pamphlet about the salvation of DeShazer, his experience as a POW and his return to Japan as a missionary, got saved as well. They became brothers in Christ, and often preached together from the same platform.

Friday, May 16, 2014

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Why
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea…These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:10-11).
Here is an interesting question to ponder, whether we are young or old…Why is it that we can read a three hundred page novel with ease, but we find it hard sometimes to schedule time each day to read a chapter from the Bible?
I suppose there are many reasons why we find it difficult to make Bible reading a part of our daily routine, and perhaps there are different issues for different people. Overall I believe the main reason it is so difficult is, that the forces of Satan are at work to keep us from the Living Word. The Devil doesn’t want us to feed on the food of heaven. He knows if we do we will grow in the Lord and lose our appetite for the worldly and fleshly things of the world. He knows too that we will be a testimony to those around us, and desire to share Christ with others. Don’t neglect your Bible!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

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The Twelve Apostles – Part 5
Andrew
Andrew is one of the apostles we know very little about. The brother of Simon Peter, and a fisherman by trade, he was originally a disciple of John the Baptist, and heard John declare, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36)! As a result we read further of him, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus” (John 1:40-42). I take him to be more of a personal, behind-the-scenes worker than his brother Peter, who took a more prominent place. This is indicated when we read: “There were certain Greeks…that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus” (John 12:20-22). Tradition says that he later labored in Scythia, Greece, and Asia Minor, and that he was martyred at Patras in Achaia, on a cross the shape of an X.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

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Read It
Last week we took up the importance of reading our Bibles. Here is some more on the subject…
One great reason for the failure of so many Christians is they do not read their Bible. They seem to have no appetite for it. A chapter, morning and evening, seems to be all they think needful. If they treated their bodies to such scant nourishment, they would soon be in a state of collapse. The great thing is to cultivate an appetite for the Word of God. Read it a lot, and mingle your reading with lots of prayer for light and help, and for grace to make it good to your soul.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).
Carry a pocket edition or portion constantly with you. Don’t be ashamed to be seen reading it. Let it be your counsel. Wisdom is there, Light is there — EVERYTHING you need is there. It is the voice of God in the power of the Holy Spirit, to guide you each day.

Monday, May 12, 2014

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Dear Young Christian:
Yesterday we noticed that the Lord Jesus gave Himself for us, body, soul and spirit. As a result we have been brought into eternal blessing, and this should motivate us to give ourselves to Him in the same way.
The Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Christians at Thessalonica was, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This is a good prayer for all of us. To be preserved in the three parts of our being means that we can give ourselves wholly and without hindrance to the one who gave Himself wholly for us.
The Lord, in death, gave His life in sacrifice for us, and we are, in life, to give ourselves as a sacrifice to Him. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, May 11, 2014

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What He Gave
“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).
“He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).
“Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:46).
What did the Lord Jesus give on our behalf? The Lord Jesus gave Himself for us in nothing less than His body, His soul and His spirit. He suffered as no one else has ever suffered, in all three aspects of His being, all at once, and for all time.
The realization of this should, and will, fill our hearts with praise and worship for Him today.
Worship Him for who He is,
Praise Him for the work;
Thank Him for the blessing given,
Through that finished work.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

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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).

Friday, May 9, 2014

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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…

Thursday, May 8, 2014

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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…

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

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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…

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

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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.

Monday, May 5, 2014

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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

Sunday, May 4, 2014

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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!”

Saturday, May 3, 2014

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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?

Friday, May 2, 2014

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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.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

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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.”
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