Young Christians Calendar

April 2021

Monthly Question Page

Q. Can you give me some verses or thoughts from the Bible that would show that gambling is wrong? Some of my Christian friends tell me it is harmless and not to make a big deal out of it.

A.The first verse that comes to mind is King Solomon’s warning. “He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him” (Proverbs 28:22). I have known those who have won the lottery or large sums of money through gambling and have not been able to handle it. In the end, they become worse off than before, often through squandering or mismanagement.

Here is another verse: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Timothy 6:9). Gambling often brings us into association with that which is sinful and defiling, and that which can spoil our Christian testimony. This can happen too when a person suddenly comes into a great deal of money. The Bible teaches us that we are to earn a living by working and to “provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17). God never encourages laziness in any aspect of life.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

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Know Him

“That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10).

This was the Apostle Paul’s whole desire and purpose. Everything else he counted as worthless. Earlier in the chapter he said, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (verse 8). Someone has well stated that the believer is strong or weak depending on how closely they have cultivated the knowledge of God in a growing personal experience and relationship.

How true this is! Remember, our enemy Satan wants to keep us busy with every kind of activity and distraction so that we do not develop that kind of relationship. In the midst of Job’s trial, his friend Eliphaz the Temanite said, “Acquaint now thyself with Him” (Job 22:21).

How acquainted are you with the Lord? I’m not asking how much you know about Him, but how much you know Him. To really know a person you must walk in their company. To develop a meaningful relationship with the Lord takes daily prayer, meditation, and walking in the conscious enjoyment of His presence. He promised, “I am with you alway” (Matthew 28:20).

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

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Monthly Scripture Reading
Haggai 1

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.

Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,

Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

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Doers

Yesterday we mentioned the importance of practical Christianity and living out what we say and believe. Here are several verses from the Word of God that bear out what we have said:

“Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

“Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

“Doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6).

In the Old Testament we have the example of Ezra the priest and scribe:

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7:10).

In the New Testament we have the perfect example of the Lord Jesus:

“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach” (Acts 1:1).

This is what gives power and validity to our testimony as believers.

Monday, April 26, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:

Last night several of us were sitting around the fireplace in a chateau in southern France enjoying a late evening Bible reading. We discussed many things from the Word of God, but the thing that sticks with me today was the statement, “We need to live out what we give out.”

It is so easy to say things and instruct others as to how they should live the Christian life, but it is quite another thing to live it out in a practical way and teach by example in our own lives. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he instructed him, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). In other words, Timothy was not only to teach the Word of God by word, but by actions as well.

How much of an example will your life be this week? Others are watching us. “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Romans 14:7). We can say many things that are all true and Scriptural. However, the question remains, are we living out what we are giving out?

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sunday, April 25, 2021

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His Love

• How good it is for our hearts to consider the love of God on this “First day of the week.” (Acts 20:7), “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).

“The God of love … shall be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11).

• It is also good to be occupied with the love of the Lord Jesus.

“We will be glad and rejoice in Thee, we will remember Thy love” (Song of Solomon 1:4).

“Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25).

“The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

• This will increase and deepen our love and the response of our hearts.

“Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God” (Joshua 23:11).

“Keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude verse 21).

Saturday, April 24, 2021

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The Blood of Jesus

I recently read of a prison chaplain who, while sitting by the bedside of a dying criminal, repeated over and over again the well-known verse, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). He recited it until the convict, drinking in the life-giving message, died in peace, with the assurance of sins forgiven. As the chaplain left the prison hospital and entered the noisy, busy street, he heard above the bustle of activity a newsboy announcing the death of the king of England, at whose bedside the queen had sat reading the promises of Scripture and its forgiveness. The message that gave hope and peace to a dying criminal was the same message that met the need of the dying king.

This message, too, can indeed meet the need of every soul, no matter what their station in society — rich or poor — and everything in between. And no matter what their record of sin may be, the blood of Jesus is sufficient to remove forever every stain. It can meet your need as well. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Friday, April 23, 2021

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Weary — Part 4

“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

There is much to do for the Lord, but sad to say, sometimes a lack of diligence and energy on our part. Perhaps sometimes we feel that we are doing it all and that others need to step up and help or do something for us for a change. Maybe we don’t see any appreciation on the part of those we are serving, or we don’t feel like there is any fruit as a result of our “well doing.” The book of Galatians gives us further instruction and encouragement: “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, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).

As we conclude this series, I would point out one more verse: “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary” (Isaiah 50:4). If you see fellow believers who has become spiritually weary and faint, seek to help and encourage them by speaking of Christ and sharing those things from the Word of God that will give courage to the weary spirit and the fainting heart.

Thursday, April 22, 2021

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Weary — Part 3

“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall” (Isaiah 40:30).

At face value and out of context this is not a very encouraging verse, is it? We learn from this that the natural strength even of youth is not enough to meet the situations of life. I am finding more and more that there are many young people who are saying, “I can’t do it!” “I give up!” However, there is power to live the Christian life even in these “perilous times” (2 Timothy 3:1). You say, “How can I then have power and spiritual fortitude to live for the Lord?” The answer is in what follows: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). The eagle soars above the problem, the runner keeps going even when there are obstacles to overcome, and the walker consistently presses on, no matter how steep or difficult the pathway may be. The Lord can help us to do that. The promise is, “Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25). Shoes speak of our walk for the Lord, iron speaks of strength, and brass speaks of endurance.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

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Weary — Part 2

“Looking unto Jesus … For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:3).

Are you weary? Maybe not physically, but spiritually? The remedy (at least in part), is in the first three verses of Hebrews 12. Sometimes we are weary because of things we are allowing in our lives that hinder us from running the Christian race. Sometimes it is because we are not focused on the Lord Jesus, who has lived here in this world, completed the path of faith in perfection, and is now seated “at the right hand of the throne of God” (verse 2). To “consider Him” is not just a casual glance now and then. It is to have real focus on Christ as our object. It is to see “no man, save Jesus only” (Matthew 17:8).

When we have Christ as our object, then we can follow the exhortation that we have later in Hebrews 12, “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (verse 12). So, instead of giving up and saying that life is too hard, let’s refocus on the true object for faith … Christ! Then, and only then, can we “run with patience the race that is set before us” (verse 1).

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

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Weary — Part 1

“My soul is weary of my life” (Job 10:1).

Do you ever feel like Job felt when he said these words? Job was going through some real trials. As far as he could discern there was no point in living any longer. He was weary of it all. However, when the story of God’s dealings with Job was over, there was far more blessing and benefit for him than if those trials had never happened. The fact of the matter is that “the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10).

We too go through trials and tests in God’s dealings with us. There is training and discipline, as well as the work of the enemy, Satan. There is physical and mental weariness as we try to survive in the society in which we find ourselves. And yet we can be happy, fruitful Christians through it all. When Job’s life is summed up in the New Testament we read, “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11). Whatever God allows in our lives, He provides the strength and grace and everything that is needed to live for Him. We can all say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

Monday, April 19, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:

This week we are going to have a series on the subject of “weariness.” As you start out today you may be feeling physically weary. Perhaps you didn’t get enough rest over the weekend. Maybe you stayed out late with your friends and didn’t get enough sleep, or you were busy studying, or involved in some outreach and work for the Lord. Jesus Himself knew what it was to experience physical weariness. “Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well” (John 4:6). There was another time when we read, “And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow” (Mark 4:38).

However, the weariness we are going to consider is not physical tiredness but spiritual fatigue. The enemy, Satan, is making great efforts to wear down those who are seeking to follow the Lord and be a testimony in this morally dark and sinful world. If we are not careful, we can get spiritually weary, but we have one who says, “I have satiated [fully satisfied] the weary soul” (Jeremiah 31:25).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sunday, April 18, 2021

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Worship

“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33).

“And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him” (Matthew 28:17).

“And they worshipped Him” (Luke 24:52).

This is what the Son of God desires from His own …WORSHIP! Worship comes from a heart overflowing with an appreciation of the person and work of Christ. On several occasions we read of the disciples worshipping the Lord as they were with Him and occupied with His glories and attributes. There also were many others during the life of the Lord on earth who came and worshipped as well.

On this first day of the week, let’s ask ourselves this question: “How much does the person and work of Christ mean to us? Is there true worship in our hearts? As we meet with other believers will there be a response that is real and genuine?”

That is what will delight His heart. “So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him” (Psalm 45:11).

Saturday, April 17, 2021

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The First Time

“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter … . Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them” (Acts 17:32, 34).

People get saved at all ages. I was saved as a young boy. I have known those who have been saved in their teens. I met a young woman who was recently saved in a gospel meeting in her early twenties. I have known those who were middle-aged, and a few who were older as well, and even some who were saved at the end of their lives or on their death beds.

But the question remains, “When is the best time to be saved?” Usually the answer given is “NOW!” While this is certainly correct, I heard an even better answer from a young person who was asked this question as she left an evangelical service one evening. Her answer was, “The best time to be saved is the first time you hear the gospel.”

How many times have you heard the gospel? What is your response? Are you saved? Don’t be like those who heard the truth from the Apostle Paul and mocked or neglected. Be like those that believed!

Friday, April 16, 2021

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One to Another

Here are some things that should characterize us as Christians in our relationships “one to another.”

“They that feared the Lord spake often one to another” (Malachi 3:16).

“Have love one to another” (John 13:35).

“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another” (Romans 12:10).

“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (Ephesians 4:32).

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another” (James 5:16).

“Use hospitality one to another without grudging” (1 Peter 4:9).

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another” (1 Peter 4:10).

“Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility” (1 Peter 5:5).

Here is something that should never characterize us as Christians in our relationships “one to another.”

“Lie not one to another” (Colossians 3:9).

Remember, our interactions “one to another” have more effect either for good or bad than we realize.

Thursday, April 15, 2021

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Young People of Scripture
Samuel

“Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod … . And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men … . And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel … knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:18, 26; 3:19-20).

Samuel is an outstanding example of a man of faith and courage in the Old Testament. However, it is important to keep in mind that it began when he was a young boy. In 1 Samuel chapter 2 we read of the call of the Lord and Samuel’s open ear and obedient attitude. He also had a willingness to serve in the temple under the direction of Eli the priest. As a result, he was raised up to be a great prophet and judge and a tremendous blessing to God’s people all through his life.

If we are going to be used of the Lord, it starts with the little things. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). It also starts with a willingness to listen to and obey God’s Word. We don’t have to wait until we are older to “minister before the Lord.” Let’s learn to serve Him in the days of our youth.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

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Protection — Part 2

“In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in Thy righteousness. Bow down Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be Thou my strong Rock, for an house of defense to save me” (Psalm 31:1-2).

As we said yesterday, David at this point in his life was in a very vulnerable position. His heart was broken. His enemies were chasing him, and his friends had let him down. But he was not defenseless. He knew that God is the best possible source for safety, and that a right relationship with Him is the best defense strategy. That is where he found his security and protection.

Just as a child finds confidence in calling out for his older and stronger brother when threatened by a bully, David called on the name of the Lord. Because he was living in fellowship with Him, he hid himself in the security of the One who had helped him many times before, and who loved him with an unfailing love.

Are we as quick to seek that same security? God can be trusted! He was a sure hiding place for David, and He is also the One we should cling to for our protection. Remember, safety is not found in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

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Protection — Part 1

“For Thou art my Rock and my Fortress” (Psalm 31:3).

Protection comes in many forms. A rabbit dives for his hole, a deer runs for the dense cover of the forest, a toddler clings to his father’s pant leg or hides behind his mother’s skirt, and a soldier digs in under cover of supportive artillery. According to Proverbs 30:26, “The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.” But what does a Christian do? And where does he hide when surrounded by danger?

David knew where to turn. When he wrote Psalm 31 things were not going very well for him. When you read the psalm, you realize that he was tired, weak, and hurting. His mind was distressed and his thoughts in a turmoil. He says, “I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief … For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed … . I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel” (verse 9-10, 12). Yet he could still say, “But I trusted in Thee, O Lord” (verse 14). This is where we too find true protection.

Monday, April 12, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:

It is a cold, dull, rainy day here in southern France, and I would love to go back to bed with a warm comforter and just relax after a busy weekend of Bible conference and visiting. But there are brothers and sisters in Christ that are going to arrive at any moment, and a day of being together for some activities and meals is planned. So when I finish writing this calendar page I need to get on with life and make sure our guests are taken care of, and, most of all, that there is a time of encouragement and sharing of the precious things of Christ. The verse that is before me is “But encouraging one another” (Hebrew 10:25, J.N.D. Translation).

Yes, we all need encouragement in these difficult times when there is so much to discourage. And we can, and should, all be encouragers. It is so easy to talk about those things that do not edify and encourage, but how good to be like David, who, “encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6). Then and only then can we encourage others. See how much of an encourager you can be this week.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sunday, April 11, 2021

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Eat and Drink

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Do you know what it is to EAT and DRINK of the Lord’s supper? I have often wished that the words eat and drink were printed in capital letters in our Bibles. Many will say, I can remember the Lord in my heart, and while that is true, we need to realize that there is something physical that He has asked us to do to give expression to what is in our hearts.

What would I think if you were invited to my home for a meal, sat down at my table, but refused to eat of the supper provided? I would be very disappointed! Yet often there are those who are truly saved who come to the breaking of bread meeting and yet never eat and drink of the Lord’s supper. What a disappointment this must be to the One who died for us and who has invited us, and requested, “Take, eat … . After the same manner also He took the cup … this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).

Will you EAT and DRINK of that supper today?

Saturday, April 10, 2021

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Pardon

“Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity?” (Micah 7:18).

“And why dost Thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity?” (Job 7:21).

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).

The Prince of Wales once sought a prisoner worthy of pardoning, He passed up all those who stoutly justified themselves, but chose an aged man who broke down and frankly confessed his guilt and shame and that he deserved his imprisonment. What an apt example of the pardoning Savior who said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

Yes, the Lord is ready, willing, and more than able to give full pardon to those who confess that they are sinners and receive Him as Savior. There is not one thing that we can do to rid ourselves of one sin. But there is abundant pardon to the one who admits his sin!

Friday, April 9, 2021

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Faith Not Failure

“Now the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38).

“These all, having obtained a good report through faith” (Hebrews 11:39).

Recently, at a Bible conference in Bergerac, France we considered Hebrews chapter 11. In that chapter we have a tremendous list of men and women and young people from the Old Testament, who triumphed by faith against all kinds of problems, temptations, and the efforts of Satan to get them to give up and spoil their testimony for the Lord. It was so good to dwell on their faith and not their failures. When you read their stories in the Old Testament you realize that they did have failures. But in reading Hebrews 11 you also realize that in spite of it, the Lord used them in wonderful ways, and that, no matter what the failure and discouragement may have been, there was restoration and usefulness and a reward for their faith and faithfulness.

Just so it is with the Lord’s dealings with any one of us. If there has been failure and unfaithfulness in your life, judge it, and continue on in the pathway of faith. Don’t dwell on the negative, but rather on the faithfulness of your Lord, and rejoice in all that He is doing for you in your life.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

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Call on the Lord

Someone made a comment the other day that I have thought a lot about. Here is what they said:

“When some basic need is lacking — time, energy, money or resources — consider yourself blessed.”

Yes, often those times of extremity are times when we find ourselves most dependent on the Lord and most apt to call on Him for help. When we have no other resource, we look to Him and Him alone. I am often surprised at the way the Lord comes in and provides in remarkable ways in those times. And yet I ought not to be, as He has promised over and over in the Bible to provide what is needed, and just at the right time, too. Here are some statements from the Word of God to confirm this:

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).

“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him” (Psalm 91:15).

“Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you” (Jeremiah 29:12).

Have you called on the Lord today?

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

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Young Men

“I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14).

This page today is especially for young men, although it certainly applies to young women as well.

How do you measure up, young brother? Are you strong? (Maybe you are strong physically, but how about spiritually?) Does God’s Living Word abide in you? Have you overcome Satan? This is a tremendous challenge, and yet one that is possible to take up and triumph in because of the resources we have in Christ.

Solomon said, “The glory of young men is their strength” (Proverbs 20:29). Again, it is not so much physical strength that counts in our spiritual life. (Not that physical strength isn’t important as well). It is to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). This is what matters first and foremost, and this is what will give us power to overcome and to live for the Lord’s glory in a sinful world where everything is against God, Christ, and His followers.

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

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Our Lord Jesus Christ

“We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:11).

Loving, perfect, sinless Savior,

Oversees my case;

Ready always to forgive me,

Daily grace.

Just and righteous,

Ever loyal,

Sweetest friend to me;

Understanding, patient, powerful,

Sovereign He.

Caring for me every moment,

Holding me each day;

Resting in His arms,

Interceding for me,

Safely,

Trust His way.

Monday, April 5, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:

This morning I woke up in Fenton, Missouri, and looked out the window on a grey, dull, rainy day. However, feeling a little blue and down-hearted, my attention was soon drawn to a robin on the front lawn of the home I was staying in. There he was, head held high and singing his heart out. It made me think of the verse, “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come” (Song of Solomon 2:12). But more than this, it was a rebuke from the Lord and caused me to jot down the following lines:

I will sing in spite of rain,
In spite of life’s grey mists,
In spite of all the problems that appear upon my list.
For Jesus is my sunshine,
And naught my joy can dim,
When Jesus fills my vision and my delight’s in Him.

Remember, not every day is bright and sunny and not every day is easy. But it is all ordered from the good hand of our God who certainly knows what is best for us.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sunday, April 4, 2021

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Cruelty Brings Love

“One of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34).

For one last time an unbeliever was allowed to touch the Lord Jesus. From that moment onward He would say to His own, “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39). And to Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side.” (John 20:27). But no man without faith was allowed to touch Him again. The final act of man’s hatred was for the Roman soldier to plunge his spear into the side of the Lord. It was too late to kill the Lord of life. He had already laid down His own life willingly. But that act of hatred immediately brought out the blood and water. It is that blood that makes an atonement for sin. That blood “cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). What cruelty, what a price was paid, but what great love superseded it all! We are now redeemed, forgiven, justified, sanctified, brought near, and made fit for Heaven through that blood.

Saturday, April 3, 2021

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Saved by a Fly

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

“But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear” (Zechariah 7:11).

The story is told of a hardened unbeliever who went one day to see — but not to hear — the evangelist George Whitefield (1714-1770) when he preached outdoors to a great crowd.

When he arrived at the place and sized things up, he decided to climb a tree in order to have a good vantage point. Settling himself on one of the branches and putting his fingers in both ears, he began to watch the mighty preacher. Then a persistent fly lit on his nose. He shook his head, but the pesky fly wouldn’t move.

Just as he removed his hand from an ear to flick the fly away, Whitefield quoted the verse, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15). Then he spoke of the willful refusal of many to hear the voice of the Spirit of God striving with them. The unbelieving man was so impressed by what had happened that he not only opened his ears to the gospel, but also his heart.

Friday, April 2, 2021

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What Is Faith?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

“Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).

Faith is something which people exercise in a hundred ways every day of their lives. Whenever you sit down on a chair, climb a ladder, or fly in a plane, it is an act of faith. You trust the chair, the rungs of the ladder, and the pilot of the plane. Faith is as simple as hanging your coat or hat on a hook. You trust the hook and depend on it to hold your coat or hat. The faith of which the Bible speaks is just as simple as that. Christ is its object, and to have faith in Him is to rely on Him or count on Him for that which your soul needs. The same thing is expressed in other ways in Scripture: “look,” “come,” “take,” “receive” — all these mean very much the same as “trust” or “believe.” You may feel your faith is small, but the great point is not how much faith you have, but does it rest on the right object? If so, though it may be small, yet it is faith of the right kind. “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6).

Thursday, April 1, 2021

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Any Occasion

“Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God” (Daniel 6:4-5).

One hundred and twenty princes and three presidents (of which Daniel was first), ruled over the kingdom of Darius. They were undoubtedly some of the most gifted men in the world — outstanding, brilliant intellectuals and administratively able to make momentous decisions and carry them through.

Above all these stood Daniel, God’s man. Jealousy on the part of his colleagues spurred them to plot against him. The whole group, all 122 of them, set as their task to find fault with him. After sifting through his life with utmost scrutiny, all they could find fault with was his faithful prayer life and obedience to his God. If our lives were scrutinized, would this be all that our accusers would find? Would unbelievers that we know have to admit that the only thing they have against us is that we are Christian and faithful to our beliefs? That would be quite a testimony wouldn’t it?