Bible Truth Publishers
EmailRSS
Blogs

Daily blogs from Bible Truth Publishers

Young Christians Calendar

A daily meditation for young Christians

August 2017

All months

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Lost And Found
“But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple” (Luke 2:44-46).
Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus and found Him in the temple. They thought He was lost, but He was right where they left Him. If our companionship with Him is broken, it is not He who has moved, but us. We can’t lose our salvation but we can lose our fellowship with Him. Unconfessed sin, inattention to our Bible, failure to pray, and neglecting to gather with God’s people, all break fellowship. The journey back to where we have left Him begins with confession and continues with a renewed focus on the Scriptures, prayer and Christian fellowship.
In the Old Testament the bride said of her bridegroom, “I sought him, but I found him not” (Song of Solomon 3:1). However, after diligent search she says, “I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go” (3:4). This can be our happy reality too.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Be Strong
Maybe you feel very weak and insufficient for the circumstances of life that you anticipate today. Here are some verses that encourage us to “be strong,” not in our own power, but with the power of God that is provided by God for every believer.
 “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).
“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7).
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).
“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).
No matter what we face today, our God and His power are far greater. Go forth in that power and you will be victorious.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Love
Love is one of the great characteristics of Christianity. Just before the Lord Jesus left the disciples to go to the cross and then return to heaven, He said these words, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).
A new commandment! The Old Testament also told its adherents to love: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18). But they couldn’t keep it. Inside the Christian, though, is the God-given capability to keep this new commandment. Yes, the new life given when you believed on Jesus can and does love. And it loves without expecting anything in return. The Lord would not ask us to do something that is not possible to do. He has given the power to put His new commandment into practice.
The Lord went on to say, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).So, our love displayed in our interactions with one another is a testimony to the world. If that is true then let’s do it!

Monday, August 28, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Dear Young Christian:
As you begin another week let me share something that perhaps we have shared before, but which is good to keep in mind as we operate from day to day in a world of sin, sorrow, and distraction:
If you want to be distracted … ….LOOK AROUND!
If you want to be miserable … ….LOOK WITHIN!
If you want to be happy … …… … .LOOK UPWARD!
If you want to be satisfied … ……LOOK TO JESUS!
If you want to be encouraged … .LOOK AHEAD!
With these statements I have enjoyed two verses that stand in stark contrast to each other:
“And if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow” (Isaiah 5:30).
“They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed” (Psalm 34:5).
Where, and to whom, will you look this week?
Your Christian Friend,
JimHyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Copy linkPrint
The Christ
“Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16).
The Lord’s question provoked one of the most dramatic and beautiful confessions regarding His identity. He is Messiah, “the Christ”; He is God, “the Son of the living God”; and He is greater than all false human notions of the divine, “the living God”. The modern world’s pseudo-deities (fake gods) cannot compete with Him, any more than could the ancient idols of Bible times. Instead of declaring His credentials Himself, Christ gave the Apostle Peter the privilege of this great confession. Believers are afforded the same honor today, as they give witness to the crucified, risen, and glorified Savior.
Living, glorious, precious Savior,
Son of God, and coming King;
Worthy of all praise and worship,
Hallelujahs, now we bring!

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Guilty
Last Saturday we had an account that illustrated the truth of the verse: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Here is another story from history to emphasize the same truth:
Frederick the Great, the Prussian king from 1740 to 1786, was once touring a Berlin prison. The prisoners fell on their knees before him to proclaim their innocence, all having this excuse and that excuse as to why they should not be incarcerated — except for one man, who remained silent. Frederick called to him, “Why are you here?” “Armed robbery, Your Majesty,” was the reply. “And are you guilty?” “Yes indeed, Your Majesty, I deserve my punishment.” Frederick then summoned the jailer and ordered him, “Release this guilty wretch at once. I will not have him kept in this prison where he will corrupt all the fine innocent people who occupy it.”
Yes, the person who admits that they are a helpless, guilty sinner is the person who obtains mercy and salvation through the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Monthly Question Page
(Continued from last month).
Q. How can I be sure that the Bible is the inspired Word of God?
A. The best way is by reading it! You can’t judge a book which you haven’t read. Many critics have done this to their embarrassment. Read it from cover to cover. Many who have done this in earnest have had their doubts removed. This is because the Bible is “quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12).
Although reading is the surest way to tell its authorship, its uniqueness also points to God as its author. For one thing, it has stood the test of time! In the last half of the 18 century, Voltaire, the French infidel, made the prediction that within 100 years the Bible would be completely forgotten. He died in 1778 but the Bible lives on. How many 2,000 year old books are still in print? It is still the world’s best seller, translated into almost 300 languages.
Consider also the fact that it was penned by about 40 different men over a period of about 1,600 years. Yet, there are no contradictions, but rather complete harmony. Yes, “The Word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8).
Do you have a question? Email us at jhyland@primus.ca

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Choosing
A Bad Choice:
“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan … and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Genesis 13:11-13).
A Good Choice:
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:24-25).
A Better Choice:
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
The Best Choice:
“Mary … sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word … Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:39, 42).

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Monthly Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 14
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Copy linkPrint
The Wilted Vine
A missionary tells the following story:
In our garden in North Africa, for years we had a prosperous vine, which produced an abundance of fruit. Then one year it failed; there were no grapes. The next year it wilted and the third year found it dead. We then decided to put in a new vine, but when digging a hole for this purpose we struck a layer of boards. Removing them we found a pit some fifteen feet deep. Then we know why the vine had died. Its roots and feeders had found their way into this pit, and being unable to reach its bottom or throw themselves across to the other side to grip the soil there, were hanging in a tangled mass in the vacuum created in the pit.
Many Christians are wilting and dying spiritually because they have pushed their feeders into the empty pit of this world where there is nothing to feed the divine life, instead of feeding on the living Word of God. Let’s be like the man in the first Psalm, who finds his delight in the “Law of the Lord” (Psalm 1:2).It says of him, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

Monday, August 21, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Dear Young Christian:
As you start another week of the daily grind of life, remember, you are entering a vast mission field, where there are lost souls who need to hear the gospel and saved souls who need encouragement. This mission field is not in some far off country or corner of the world, but right outside your own door and in your own area.
Timothy was told, “Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5).We all have a work and ministry to do for the Lord. We may not all be evangelists in the true sense of the word, but we can evangelize. Preaching isn’t always from a pulpit or lectern. It may be by the life we live, a word to an individual, an act of Christian kindness, and so on. In this way we can all “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Romans 10:15). Will you have beautiful feet this week?
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Copy linkPrint
He Is Precious
“Unto you therefore which believe He is precious” (1 Peter 2:7).
How precious is the person and work of Christ to you? He means everything to God. We read: “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious … Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded” (1 Peter 2:4, 6). This is God’s estimation of His beloved Son, in spite of what man thinks of Him. We also read of God’s value of the blood of His Son, Scripture calling it “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19).
As we consider the preciousness of Christ to the heart of God His Father, it will increase and deepen our value and sense of His worth, and worthiness. This will also produce praise and worship in our hearts, like Mary who took, “an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His head” (Mark 14:3).

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Copy linkPrint
A Wicked Wretch Released
A foreign prince, travelling through France, visited the arsenal of Toulon, where the galleys were kept. The commandant said he was welcome to set free any prisoner he chose. Wishing to make the best use of this privilege he spoke to many, inquiring why they were condemned. Injustice, false accusation, oppression, were the only causes they gave. They had all been ill-treated and were innocent.
At last he came to one who answered: “My lord, I have no reason to complain, I have been a very wicked, desperate wretch. I have often deserved to be broken alive on the wheel. I account it a great mercy I am here.”
The prince said, “You wicked wretch! It is a pity you should be among so many honest men; by your own confession you are bad enough to corrupt them all; but you shall not stay with them another day.” Then turning to the officer, he said, “This is the man, sir, I wish to release.”
All the prisoners were guilty, but only one owned and confessed it, and he was set free. So our gracious God deals with us sinners. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

Friday, August 18, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Laziness
 “I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man” (Proverbs 24:30-34).
God never encourages laziness or indolence in any aspect of our Christian life. Laziness and self-indulgence are the deadly poisons of all good. Fields overgrown with thorns and thistles, and fences broken down and in disrepair are evidences of physical laziness; but far worse than even that is spiritual laziness. We must be diligent and consistent in studying the Word of God and in our personal prayer life, in order to hear His voice, and to know His desires and will for us. Let us study, let us pray, let us seek His counsel, that our spiritual field may flourish and be a testimony to those around us, and a joy to the Lord.

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Gates of Nehemiah — The Horse Gate
“From above the horse gate repaired the priests,
every one over against his house” (Nehemiah 3:28).
This gate would suggest the thought of Christian warfare and the defence of the truth. Solomon tells us: “The horse is prepared against the day of battle” (Proverbs 21:31).The Christian does not have a physical warfare like God’s people, the Israelites, did in the Old Testament. We read, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). Nonetheless we have a very real warfare. It is a spiritual warfare, as the verse goes on to explain: “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The enemy, Satan, is busy to discourage the believer and to undermine the truth of Scripture. This is especially true in these closing moments of the day of grace. That’s why Jude said, “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” (verse 3).
Keeping the Horse Gate repaired is standing firm for the Lord and for the truth in a day of spiritual battle.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Copy linkPrint
The Trinity
“The name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).
I suppose if we could understand God and the Trinity He wouldn’t be God. He is infinite and we are finite — mere mortals. The following account illustrates this fact very well.
It is said of Augustine (334-430 AD), that he was once walking along the seashore, while he was greatly perplexed about the doctrine of the trinity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in wisdom, power, and glory, yet three in one. As he meditated, he observed a little boy with a sea shell running to the water, filling his shell and then pouring it into a hole which he had made in the sand.
“What are you doing, my boy?” asked Augustine.
“Oh!” replied the boy, “I am trying to put the ocean in this hole.”
Augustine had learned his lesson, and as he passed on, he said, “That is what I am trying to do; I see it now. Standing on the shores of time I am trying to get into this finite mind things which are infinite.”

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Copy linkPrint
A Tripartite Being
When Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers he had a special burden and prayer for them. “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).
Man is a tripartite being, spirit, soul, and body. The body is the physical part of us, the structure in which the spirit and soul dwell. When they leave, the body is dead according to Scripture. “The body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26).
The spirit enables a person to have fellowship with God. The soul enables him to interact with his environment, and is the seat of his feelings and emotions. We are perfectly designed by the grace of God, for the complete enjoyment of God’s creation, of one another, and of Himself. No one can deny this marvellous design. So if there is a design, how can anyone deny that there is a Designer? The Bible plainly declares: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

Monday, August 14, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Dear Young Christian:
“Good morning.” We often hear these words, especially when we get to school or work, meet our friends during the morning, or stop to buy a cup of coffee along the way. It is a greeting of politeness that perhaps we think very little about.
But God our Father wants us to not only have a good morning, but a good day as well. We read of God’s people in the days of Esther, that they “had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day” (Esther 8:17). There had been much to cause sorrow and anxiety, but God had intervened on behalf of His people, and they rejoiced and had a “good day.”
We too can have a “good day” as we recognise God’s hand in the circumstances and ordering of our life. Let’s focus on His goodness this week, realizing that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Walk with the Lord, and you will have a good day, and a good week too.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Copy linkPrint
His Name
“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4).
If we notice the beginning of this chapter it is, “The words of Agur the son of Jakeh.” He raises a very interesting question as to the name of God’s Son, to which he himself never got the answer. Later Isaiah gives us some further revelation. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel … . And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6). Then in Matthew the angel says to Joseph, “Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Today, we do not have to wonder what His name is. We know Him as the Lord Jesus Christ. His name and person have been fully revealed in His coming into the world as a man and giving Himself for us on the cross. What a name! What a Savior!

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Copy linkPrint
God’s Free Gift
Most people are looking for all they can get in this world. They will accept the pleasures, riches, honors, or anything which will add to their enjoyment here. But when it comes to accepting true riches from God, pleasures for evermore, and a place with Christ in glory, they are not so ready or willing. Salvation, forgiveness of sins, eternal life and an everlasting inheritance in glory are freely offered by God to every needy sinner. We either accept these gifts or we reject them and spend eternity in hell. The same God who created us in the beginning also has something much better for us in the end. All that is required is our acceptance.
Yet how few there are who are willing to receive these priceless blessings! How freely God, in His Word, offers His gifts to every believing sinner! “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). No matter what your past life has been, if you will just bow to God in true repentance, and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, then this blessing and many more will be God’s free gift to you.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Don’t Try
The following incident illustrates in a simple yet beautiful way the fact that we do not have to try to be a Christian, it is all the work of grace in us and for us:
A visitor to the nursing home asked an elderly, bed-ridden woman who said she was trying to be a Christian: “Are you trying to be Mrs. Whyte?
“No,” was the reply, “I am Mrs. Whyte.”
“How long have you been Mrs. Whyte?” the visitor questioned.
“Ever since this ring was placed on my hand.”
“That is how it is with me. I do not try to be a Christian. I have been one ever since I put out my empty hand and received Christ as my Savior.”
The Word of God declares: “But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:4-5).
We also read: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Keep On — Part 3
Though some folks become tired before doing anything, the usual order is well doing before weariness. Weariness does not mean physical weakness, but has the idea of losing courage, fainting, relaxing one’s strength, or perhaps even becoming despondent in the task. Weariness may be caused by lack of results as one teaches week after week without apparent impact; by monotony; by lack of cooperation from those we labour with.
How easily the Apostle Paul could have become discouraged in his long, arduous travels and persecutions; beaten, shipwrecked, weak, ill, rejected by his brethren, and facing martyrdom constantly. Yet he knew the secret of an unwearied life. He also knew that in the end eternity would yield the fruit and results of his work for the Lord. He could say: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
In light of these meditations let’s, Keep on Keeping on! It is, and will be worth it all!

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Keeping On — Part 2
“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6).
A dying soldier asked a hospital chaplain to send a message to his Sunday school teacher. “Tell her I die a Christian and that I never forgot her teaching.”
A few weeks later, after the teacher received the message, the chaplain received this reply:
“May God have mercy on me! Only last month I resigned my Sunday school class for I felt that my teaching had done no good through the years. I am going back at once and will try again in Christ’s name to be steadfast to the end.”
We should learn the lesson from the farmer. He plants … waits … waits, and waits some more. And though discouragements abound, the reaping finally comes.
Just as the farmer is supported by the hope of a sure harvest, so every Christian worker should sow, weep, pray, and work in every hope of reaping fruit in God’s appointed time.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Keeping On — Part 1
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men”
(Galatians 6:9-10).
This text suggests three ideas:
Well doing
Weariness
Waiting for the harvest
A man gave out gospel tracts for years on a certain street corner. Because there seemed to be no results from his labour, he eventually gave it up. Returning to the same corner about two years later he saw another man giving out tracts on the same spot. Striking up a conversation he learned that the man had become a Christian through a tract given out there just two years previous. He added, “Many a time I’ve come back here to find the man and thank him, but he never came back. So I decided he must have died and gone to his reward. That’s why I’ve taken his place.
Yes, it is easy to become discouraged and give up. Someone has well said, “We not only need to have initiative, but we also need finish-iative.”

Monday, August 7, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Dear Young Christian:
I recently noticed a short article in an old periodical for young people, but still with a relevant message for today. I will pass it along at the beginning of this week for your encouragement:
Don’t be a coward. If you show the devil a bold front he will flee from you. The unconverted friends you fear are much more afraid of you than you are of them. Tell them boldly that you are Christ’s, and they will frighten you no more. It is astonishing how timid unconverted people are in the presence of a downright, hearty, earnest Christian. If we, in dependence, pray, “O my God, I trust in Thee: let me not be ashamed”(Psalm 25:2), He will enable us boldly to say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16).
Maybe this article will give us courage this week to stand up and be counted with those who are on the Lord’s side.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Worship
“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).
It is an absolutely certain fact that every human being ever born will, some day, bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. Some will be forced to bow, before they are sent to a lost eternity, because of their rejection of God’s offer of salvation through the One they are forced to bow to.
Thank God, there are many who will, and do, gladly bow in true adoration and worship because He is their Lord and Savior. What a wonderful thing it is to be able to bow in worship to Jesus, the Lord of life and glory, today and thank Him for dying on Calvary’s cross.
Worship is what the Godhead desires most from redeemed hearts. The Lord said to the woman at Sychar’s well, “The hour cometh, and now is, when 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).
You can receive this calendar as a free daily email:
bibletruthpublishers.com/yp

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Copy linkPrint
From Idols
“Ye turned to God from idols to serve
the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9).
In Myanmar there are shrines to Buddha inside every household. It is the most religious Buddhist country in the world with 89% of its population practising Buddhism. Choe was one of many devout Buddhists in Myanmar. Three times a day, she knelt in front of the large Buddha shrine in her living room and prayed. As she knelt, she often found her eyes wandering to the clay statue. She would notice faint signs of cracking appearing in its crevices. At those moments, Choe often found herself doubting if the crumbling statue could really free her soul. One day, in an attempt to rid herself of her doubting thoughts, Choe turned on the radio. A Christian was sharing the Gospel in her language. As Choe heard about the Almighty God, the cracking statue in her living room began to look weaker and weaker. The Christian asked anyone who wanted to accept Christ to pray with him. Choe fell to her knees, not in front of a deteriorating statue, but in front of an invisible and much mightier True God. Tears slid down her cheeks as she prayed for God to save her soul.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Persistence — Part 2
The Christian is not promised that it is going to be easy to follow the Lord and live for His glory here in this world. No, in fact, just the contrary. The Lord Jesus said these words to His disciples before leaving them to go to the cross: “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33).
But the Lord Jesus has also provided everything needed so that we can press on and persist in the walk of faith, even in these dark, difficult times, referred to as the “last days” (2 Timothy 3:1). It is never in our own strength, but in His, and His alone we go on. “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).
Consider this question: “Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?” (1 Corinthians 9:7) No one! But we have the “Lord of Hosts,” who goes before, and the battle is indeed His! Remember, it may seem easier to give up in the face of conflict, but this is never of God. Keep on … it is well worthwhile!
Persist, persist, ye Christian, The Lord is on Thy side,
It is His strength that keeps thee, In Him we can abide:

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Persistence — Part 1
Persistence is a word we hear all through life. Our parents encourage us to be persistent when things don’t seem to go right and we want to throw up our hands and give up trying. Our teachers tell us to persist when it came to learning and studying. “Nothing comes easy,” they say. Employers like employees that will persevere in their business and seek to overcome obstacles as they present themselves. But what about our Christian life? Here are some things that the Holy Scriptures admonish us to persist in:
“Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
“Stand fast in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1).
“Hold fast” (Revelation 2:25).
“Watch and pray” (Matthew 26:41).
“Run with patience (endurance)” (Hebrews 12:1).
“Earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude 3).
“Press toward the mark” (Philippians 3:14).
“Endure hardness” (2 Timothy 2:3).
“Strive lawfully” (2 Timothy 2:5).

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Copy linkPrint
The Tongue
“The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body … .the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:6, 8).
The hand and the foot can become instruments for carrying out the will of the flesh; but no member of the body so readily expresses our will, exposes our weakness and reveals the true state of our heart as the tongue. It is easily inflamed by malice in the heart, and inflames others, doing endless mischief by one idle or malicious word. James describes it as a fire which not only kindles trouble but keeps the trouble going. It is capable of instigating every form of unrighteousness, thus becoming a world of iniquity. By its evil suggestions it can lead to every member of the body being defiled and stir into activity the whole course of fallen nature. The tongue is untameable by nature. Every kind of creature has been tamed by mankind, but no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Not only does it defile the body, but it can poison the mind. How easy it is by a thoughtless or an unkind word to poison the mind of one believer against another!

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Copy linkPrint
Too Hurried
“But one thing is needful” (Luke 10:42).
I hurried through a prayer today,
And read a verse or two;
I thought I’d done my duty,
And it would see me through.
All day I struggled, nothing worked,
No matter what I’d do;
I knew it was because I had,
My Lord, neglected You.
I had no power to confess,
Thy name to those I met;
I had no joy, I was ashamed,
And worry made me fret.
Lord, teach me then to start my day,
In company with Thee;
To find the time to read and pray…
A healthy Christian be.
← September 2017July 2017 →