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Young Christians Calendar

A daily meditation for young Christians

October 2016

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Monday, October 31, 2016

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Dear Young Christian:
I am writing to you this morning from the desert. I am in Yucca Valley, California, visiting a brother in Christ for a couple of days. As I sit at the desk in my room and look out at the early morning dawn, I am reminded of what the Lord said to the disciples after they told Him of the death of John the Baptist. “He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). How gracious of the Lord to draw the disciples aside for a few moments of personal fellowship and refreshment with Himself. They were no doubt burdened and perplexed with what had just happened to John, and the Lord knew that they needed some time alone in His presence.
Maybe you are starting the week with a troubled heart. Perhaps you dread to face what you anticipate will happen. Take time to slip away and be alone with the Lord, even if just for a few minutes at a time. Maybe on your lunch or coffee break or between classes. And don’t forget to spend some time with the Lord at the beginning of each day.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, October 30, 2016

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He Gave His Life
“Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost” (Matthew 27:50).
This loud cry came as the Lord dismissed His spirit at the end of the three hours of darkness when He had finished the work of bearing “our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). In another gospel we read the very words He spoke at that time, saying, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
This was not the weak whisper of a dying man succumbing to death, but a strong cry of victory. Never think that the death of the Lord Jesus was the result of physical decline caused by the sufferings of the cross, severe as these were. The Lord Jesus was not overcome by death, because death had no claim upon Him. He had already said, “No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father” (John 10:18). We also read, “He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). What a Saviour! What love!

Saturday, October 29, 2016

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Live To Be 100
Magazine publisher, J.I. Rodale, a zealous advocate of health foods, claimed at the age of 72 that he would live to be 100. The same week his prediction appeared in The New York Times, he was being interviewed for a televison program, claiming that his bones were as strong as ever. Moments after making his boast, he died of a heart attack.
The reasonable person knows that there are no guarantees when it comes to life. Long ago Job declared, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not” (Job 14:1-2). Centuries later, James wrote, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow 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 4:13-15). This is why it is so important to be saved and ready for eternity. When we leave this world it is too late to prepare for the next world. Do you have ETERNAL LIFE?

Friday, October 28, 2016

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Monthly Question Page
Q. What does it mean, “redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16)? How do we do this?
A. To “redeem the time” is literally to “buy up every opportunity.” That is, we are to use every opportunity for Christ and to serve Him. The exhortation is given in view of the fact that time is short and often, sad to say, there is a shortness of spiritual energy on our part. In the previous verse we are warned to “awake” from a state of spiritual sleep and laziness and to walk circumspectly and wisely.
There is no shortage of opportunities to serve the Lord every day. When we get up in the morning, it is not so much a question of asking the Lord for opportunities, but praying that we would be in a watchful state of soul and in the path of obedience, so that we would avail ourselves of the opportunities and open doors as they present themselves. So often we squander our time and opportunities rather than buying — or “redeeming” — them.
There are only a few more moments of service for Christ left. Are we using our time wisely? We will have to give an account of our allotted time when we get to heaven. What excuse will we be able to give the Lord then?

Thursday, October 27, 2016

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Settled
“Continue in the faith grounded and settled” (Colossians 1:23)
I live in Canada. The name comes from the Iroquois Indian word “kanata,” which means “settlement.” The early pioneers were glad to arrive on the shores of a new land and be able to settle into what they hoped would be a better life and a better country than what they had left behind.
As believers in Christ it is good for us to be “settled” as well. Not “settled” down in this world, but “settled” in our souls as to our salvation, our eternal security and all that is ours in Christ. “The faith” referred to in the above verse is not the individual faith of believers, but the truth of God as revealed in the Word of God. It is what Jude refers to when he writes, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for THE FAITH which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
An unsettled believer is an unhappy believer, with no rest of soul or peace of mind. The more you prayerfully read your Bible, the more “settled” you will become.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

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Monthly Scripture Reading
1 John 2
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.
6 He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

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Look Up
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2)
The story is told of a preacher visiting an old feudal castle in England, so old that one of its towers dated back to the days of King John (1167-1216). When the preacher went down to breakfast, he found the young owner of the castle with his family and servants, assembled for morning prayer conducted by the head of the family.
As the visitor lifted his eyes, he noticed overhead a massive beam that spanned the grand old hall and bore in old English script the following inscription:
That house shall be preserved
And never shall decay,
Where the Almighty God,
Is worshipped day by day.
A.D. 1558
For hundreds of years the people of that old castle turned their faces toward God at the beginning of each day. How about you? Do you look up each morning and find your strength and joy in the only true source of blessing?

Monday, October 24, 2016

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Dear Young Christian:
I read an article the other day about a Chicago physician who had to abandon the use of dogs in an ulcer research program. The dogs refused to get tense or worry, which are prominently listed as two of the main causes of ulcers. The doctor concluded that if you inflict an ulcer upon a dog by artificial methods, he will sit down and placidly cure himself by refusing to be bothered about anything.
This rather amused me and also made me think. By nature I tend to be a worrier. I have often thought about the words of David when he said, “Fret not thyself” (Psalm 37:7). What will we worry about this week? Or will we calmly, confidently be able to commit things to the Lord knowing that He is in control and working everything for our good? Here is a good verse to take with us as another week of activity begins: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself” (Matthew 6:34)
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, October 23, 2016

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His Glory
“We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should
taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9).
When Queen Victoria had just ascended the throne of England she went to hear “The Messiah” rendered. She was instructed beforehand that as royalty she must not rise when the others stood at the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus. When that magnificent chorus was sung … “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth,” she sat with great difficulty. However, when they came to the part where the singers with a shout proclaim Him King of Kings, suddenly, in spite of royal protocol, the young queen rose to her feet and stood with bowed head. Any earthly glory and acclaim she might have as sovereign of the realm only paled into insignificance in the presence of the Lord of glory.
May our hearts be truly filled with worship today as we consider the glories of the person of Christ, who loved us enough to die for us so that we can share in His glory in a future day.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

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No Atheists
“Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
Amid the loud applause of a crowded audience, an infidel lecturer was laboring to prove the folly of believing in a living God.
When an opportunity was given for discussion, a man stepped forward, and narrated how, from a river bank, he had once witnessed a boat driven down the current towards a dangerous rapid. In it was a man struggling to make the shore. All his efforts failing, frantically he cast away the oar, and cried to God to have mercy upon him. Marvelously he was rescued from the brink of death in the nick of time.
Imagine the confusion of the infidel when the the speaker pointed at him. Amid breathless silence, the speaker said, “And that was the man who is now before you, attempting to prove that there is neither God nor eternity; neither judgment to come nor the need of salvation.” The pretended infidel withdrew, while in solemn silence the audience dispersed.
People may brush the Bible away as fairy tales, but when eternity is staring them in the face, it is often a very different story. Remember there are no atheists in the next life.

Friday, October 21, 2016

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At His Feet
“And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart
into a desert place, and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).
The disciples were not losing or wasting time when they sat at the feet of their Master and held quiet conversation with Him under the olives of Bethany or by the shores of the sea of Galilee. These were their school hours, their feeding times. These were the times when they could listen, learn, ask questions and share what was on their mind and in their hearts, while learning what His mind was and what His heart was towards them. These were, no doubt, very precious and memorable times with the Lord Jesus.
The healthiest Christian, the one who is fitted for godly living and godly labors, is the one who spends much time with Christ, and feeds on Him the most. Here lies the benefit of Bible reading and secret prayer. The very act of sitting quietly at His table of love has its significance for eternal blessing. Let’s be like the bride in the Old Testament, who said, “I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song of Solomon 2:3).

Thursday, October 20, 2016

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Jacob’s Twelve Sons — Naphtali
The fifth son of Jacob, and the second of Bilhah. Naphtali and his four sons entered Egypt with Jacob and nothing further is told us of his personal history. Jacob, in blessing his sons said of him, “Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words” (Genesis 49:21). This had, at least part of its fulfillment in Mary Magdalene, who was sent with the message from a risen Christ: “Go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God” (John 20:17). Full of those goodly words, “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her” (John 20:18). (Magdala, where Mary was from, was a city within the borders of the inheritance of Naphtali). She was in indeed “a hind [deer] let loose,” with a tremendous announcement.
We too have been given a wonderful message for the blessing and encouragement of others. It is the message of a risen, ascended Christ. It is the message that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

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Having Not Seen
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, The Holy War, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and other works, had a blind daughter who was his constant companion, of whom he was very fond. She never saw his face; she was incapable of reading his pages; she could only dimly recognize his genius. She did not know him visibly, intellectually, technically, logically or critically, but if anyone in the world ever knew John Bunyan, it was his little blind daughter. She knew him deeply, intimately and truly as no biographer, historian or critic knew him.
You and I have never seen the Lord Jesus with the physical eye. Yet we can, by faith, know Him in a personal and intimate way, through His Word and walking in close fellowship with Him every day. The Apostle Paul’s desire in life is summed up in the statement made in writing to the Christians at Philippi — “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10).

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

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Peace
As I sit at my bedroom window in the home I am visiting, and look out over the lake, I am moved by the serenity of the scene and the beauty of God’s creation. The surface of the water is like glass; the leaves are moving ever so slightly with a gentle morning breeze, a faint mist is rising from the lake, and the sounds of nature seem all in harmony with one another. How peaceful it all seems as my lungs fill again and again with the wholesome and refreshing air.
And yet I know that all is not at peace in the world today. “Wars and rumours of wars” (Matthew 24:6) abound on every hand, and the violence and corruption that is reported in the news every hour is a stark reminder that we are living in a world of sin and strife. It’s not getting any better either.
No, not until the Lord Jesus comes to reign in righteousness, power and glory, will things improve on this planet. In reminds me of the scripture, “But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2). What a marvelous sunrise that will be! “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1).

Monday, October 17, 2016

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Dear Young Christian:
Last week a Christian friend and I were in St. Tropez, a beautiful resort town on the Mediterranean Sea in that part of France known as the French Riviera. The harbor was full of sail boats and yachts, for the 26th annual sailing regatta and international racing competition. As we strolled along the waterfront and watched the boats, along with hundreds of other spectators, I commented that it seemed that the vessels would surely run into each other, there were so many of them. From my perspective, it looked like absolute chaos. However, a little later we climbed a nearby hill, and from above, looked down on what was perfect order.
It made me think of the way we often view life and circumstances here in this world. From our perspective it sometimes seems that things are out of control. But from God’s heavenly point of view it is quite different. How good to know that there is One who has complete charge of everything, and who desires that we “trust in Him at all times” (Psalm 62:8). Let’s learn to trust Him more!
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, October 16, 2016

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Worship
“Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2).
Centuries ago some wise men from an eastern country saw a very unique star in the sky. They must have studied and puzzled over it for some time and then figured out that this star meant that the King of the Jews had been born. They went to Israel to find Him, which they did after diligent search and inquiry. When they finally came into His presence they fell down and worshipped the One for whom they had travelled so far. “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).
We can worship that same One today. Not as a young child here in this world, like the wise men of long ago. We worship Him as our God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We worship Him as a glorified, exalted Man in heaven. We worship Him because He died to save us.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

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Sinned
“I have sinned” (Luke 15:18,21).
These words were spoken by the young man we often refer to as the Prodigal Son. He first spoke them in his heart while in the pigpen feeding the pigs and trying to satisfy his own hunger with the pig food. He then spoke them to his father, as he returned home to meet his father running to greet him and welcome him back. To be back in the father’s presence and the father’s house, it was necessary that the son come to the realization that he was a sinner. There could be no kiss, no robe or ring, no shoes or fatted calf, no music and dancing, and no communion and fellowship with the Father, until there was true repentance.
So it is with every person who receives God’s salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and the work of Calvary. There must be the realization that we are helpless, guilty sinners, deserving nothing but judgment and hell. The way of blessing is through “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Then, and only then, can grace meet us in our need, and bring us into the joy of all that God the Father has provided for us.

Friday, October 14, 2016

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Prayer Answered — Part 2
“Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).
As we walked on toward the parking garage, we decided to cross the busy street at a crosswalk, and continue on down the hill. Just after crossing the street, my friend looked down, and a moment later I saw him stoop and pick something up. To my amazement it was a parking ticket. I said to my friend, “It can’t be ours.” But it was ours! As we stood there amazed, we looked around, and realized that an hour or more before we had stopped at that very spot to take a picture with his phone, and that it was then that the parking ticket had fallen to the ground. In the meantime hundreds of people has passed by, and the Lord had kept the ticket safe, allowing us to return to that very place, look down and find the lost item.
We went on our way marveling at the ways of the Lord, with thankful hearts that He had answered our prayer … not as quickly as we would have liked, but in His time and way, and to teach us valuable lessons, such as learning to trust and “wait on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). We were also glad that we did not have to pay for a full day’s parking.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

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Prayer Answered — Part 1
“Call unto Me, and I will answer thee” Jeremiah 33:3
Yesterday I was in Monaco, that tiny kingdom on the Mediterranean Sea, tucked between France and Italy in the area known as the French Riviera. My Christian friend and I had driven over early that morning from Frejus, France where I was staying, and parked in an underground parking garage so that we could walk around the country and see the sights. I remembered when he took the parking ticket from the kiosk that he put it in the case of his smart phone, and I was a little concerned as he pulled his phone out to use it from time to time during the day.
Returning to the car later that afternoon, my worst fear was confirmed: the parking ticket was gone! My friend remembered taking a picture with his phone a few minutes before, and while I waited and prayed, he retraced his steps, only to return with a disappointed look and the news that he hadn’t found the tag. We concluded that it was carelessness on our part, and, to some degree at least, submitted in our hearts that this was a lesson in the school of God and that we would have to pay for a whole day of parking which would amount to about €30, or around $40, US currency.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

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Bible Algebra
Pr=D+C=PS+PP
P r ayer is the expression of D ependance and C onfidence. When I pray I am really telling the Lord that I am not able for the situation — that is dependance! But I am also expressing my trust, and owning that He is able — that is confidence! So, we read, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).
When we take everything to the Lord in prayer with the proper attitude and unwavering trust, then there will be Perfect S ubmission and the result will be Perfect Peace. So, we further read, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
Prayer is certainly a very, very important part of the equation that makes up our spiritual life. It is really the powerhouse of the believer’s day-to-day walk with the Lord. The more prayer, the more power, and the more power, the more fruit and blessing there will be.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

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Read the Bible
“The Scripture which he read” (Acts 8:32).
I recently saw a picture of an open Bible and the question asked, “Did you read me today?” Underneath the question were the words “yes” and “no” and a box to check beside one or the other.
What answer would you have to honestly give to such a question? Suppose this was posted on your pillow every night as you turned back the sheets — embroidered on your pillow case perhaps — and you had to answer it truthfully before God? What would you say — what could you say? Would it make a difference? Why does it seem so hard to find time for even just a few verses of God’s living Word?
I suppose one reason is that our enemy, Satan, does not want us to be spiritually fed and encouraged. But don’t let him rob you of the nourishment and refreshment you need for your soul every day. You will never be sorry for letting something else go, and taking time to read your Bible. Let’s be like the believers at Berea. “They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Monday, October 10, 2016

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Lord of All
“He is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36).
Is this true in your life? Is Jesus Christ really “Lord of all?” Sometimes there are certainly things in our lives that we want to keep for ourselves, and certain corners of our hearts where we don’t want the Lord to intrude. By this I mean that we want to own Him as Lord in some areas and aspects of our life — maybe even most — but not in everything. When I was a young person I used to hear it said, “If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.” The Lord wants our whole hearts, and devoted obedience to Himself.
When growing up we often sang a well known hymn by Jennie Evelyn Hussey. The first verse went like this:
Lord of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.
What a good prayer this is as we start another week of school, work and the daily grind of life.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, October 9, 2016

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Worthy
“Who is worthy?” (Revelation 5:2).
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory
and honor and power” (Revelation 4:11).
“Thou art worthy … for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor,
and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).
Yes, the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God, is indeed the worthy one! Worthy of our worship, worthy of our adoration, worthy of every note of praise that our hearts can give Him.
Worthy Lord Jesus Christ our Lord,
Of every note our hearts afford:
Worthy of worship, worthy Thou,
Of all that we can give Thee now!
And in that day of glory bright,
We’ll own Thy worthiness aright.

Saturday, October 8, 2016

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Save Me
A book in my library describes a marshal in Napoleon’s army who was completely devoted to the emperor. One day the marshal was mortally wounded in battle, and as he lay dying called for Napoleon, who soon came. The officer thought that the emperor could save his life, but Napoleon just shook his head and turned away. The book describes the tragic scene:
“As the dying man felt the cold, merciless hand of death drawing him irresistibly behind the curtain of the unseen world he was still heard to shriek out, ‘Save me, Napoleon! Save me!’”
In that hour of death, that soldier discovered that even the great Napoleon could not rescue him.
Similarly, when a person seeks deliverance from spiritual death, he finds that no human has power to save … no minister of the gospel, no priest on earth, not even those who are great prayer warriors. Only Jesus can save a soul! “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Friday, October 7, 2016

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Thy Country — Part 2
“What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew” (Jonah 1:8-9).
Jonah was exceedingly more than just “an Hebrew,” true as that was in itself. He was one of the people of God. He belonged to Israel. His occupation was that He was “Jonah … the prophet” (2 Kings 14:25).* That is, he was God’s messenger. Sad to say, he was in such a bad state of soul that when the mariners in the ship put these questions to him, he seemed to forget for the moment who he really was, and that he had a commission from God.
What testimony are we going to give to the world today? What will we say if someone, in so many words, says to us, “What is thy country?” The believers at Philippi were reminded through the writing of the Apostle Paul, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
*Jonah was one of only three writing prophets in Israel, the other two being Hosea and Amos. All the rest were from Judah.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

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Thy Country — Part 1
“What is thy country?” (Jonah 1:8).
This is a very interesting question, and one of greater significance than perhaps we think. If someone were to ask me this question at a customs or immigration desk I would truthfully answer, “I am a Canadian.” Some of my readers would answer, “American,” while others would give a variety of nations from around the world, and, I would add, this would be the wise way to answer in such cases. To government officials we need to give straightforward, honest answers. Jonah, when asked, affirmed, “I am an Hebrew” (Jonah 1:9). This was certainly true.
But I am far more than just a Canadian. And you too, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, are far more than just the nationality indicated on your birth certificate or passport. Whatever flag or government we live under we have one thing in common; we are citizens of heaven. Here is how the Apostle Paul explained it when writing to the believers in the city of Ephesus: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

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A Biting Tongue
“For he that will love life, and see good days, let
him refrain his tongue from evil” (1 Peter 3:10).
My mother used to tell me to bite my tongue. She did not mean this in a literal sense of course. Maybe the following statement sums it up in a rather pointed way: “It is better to bite your tongue than to have a biting tongue.”
Here are some Scriptures that back this up:
“Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? He that backbiteth not with his tongue” (Psalm 15:1,3).
“But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Galatians 5:15).
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (James 1:26).
“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law” (James 4:11).
Let’s be like David, who said, “And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:28).

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

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Young People
“O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth”
(Psalm 71:17).
Young man, young lady…walk with God,
His power will see you through,
Though life at times is oh so tough,
Your strength He will renew.
Young convert, you who’ve just been saved,
Learn now to walk with God!
All is provided through His love,
His grace, His staff, His rod…
Young man, young lady…talk with God,
He is your loving Father;
Through all the ups and downs of life,
With all its trials and bother.
Young person, you who love the Lord,
Remember He is true!
He loves to hear your voice each day,
And help you make it through.

Monday, October 3, 2016

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Dear Young Christian:
“The Lord never stereotypes His responses.”
Someone made this comment to me last week and at first it rather surprised me. But when I thought about it, I realized there was a lot of truth to it. He always responds according to His perfect knowledge of the individual who asked the question, and according to their level of understanding, spiritual exercise and discernment.
Perhaps you will be asked some questions by those who know you and see your testimony for the Lord this week. The Bible tells us, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). The Lord can give wisdom to say the right thing at the right time, if we look to Him in every situation. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Don’t stereotype your answers, look to the Lord in each individual situation.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, October 2, 2016

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Lord’s Day
The secular calendar calls it Sunday. It is the day that Christians often refer to as the Lord’s Day, in keeping with the Scripture where the Apostle John says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10). It is also referred to as “the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7).
Today, by the grace of God, we once again have the unspeakable privilege of remembering the Lord in the way that He asked His own to do in the upper room just before He went to the cross. “And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20). Will you remember Him in this way?
Before long we are not going to need the breaking of bread to remind us of the sufferings of Christ and the cost of our salvation. Soon we are going to be called away to be with Him forever in the Father’s house. Then we will be forever occupied with “a Lamb as it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6).

Saturday, October 1, 2016

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The Key
“I am the door: by Me if any man enter
in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9).
I was passing along the street the other morning, when I came upon a Christian neighbor trying hard to open his shop door with much effort and no success. I offered to help him, and on inserting the key he was using, I soon found that it was the wrong one. “Are you sure that this is the right key?” I asked.
He hesitated a moment and then put his hand into his pocket and took out several keys, one of which he picked out, and holding it up, said, “How foolish to be trying to open the door with the wrong key.”
Inserting the right key into the lock and giving a gentle turn, the door opened at once and he stepped inside, remarking with a laugh, “It’s an old habit of mine to work with wrong keys. I did it when I was seeking salvation by works and prayers and religion. But when I applied the key of FAITH, the door was opened and I walked in to enter into a joyful possession of God’s free salvation.”
“For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).
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