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Young Christians Calendar

A daily meditation for young Christians

July 2021

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Saturday, July 31, 2021

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The Cure
Driving through the crowded city of Cairo, Egypt, the other day, I noticed a large sign advertising a seaside resort where condominiums and other accommodations were offered as an escape from the busyness of life in the city. In large letters the slogan proclaimed,
“I BELIEVE SALTWATER CURES EVERYTHING!”
“Everything?” Well, not quite! It may be helpful in relaxation and the treatment of some physical difficulties. But there is one thing that saltwater definitely will not cure, and that is the disease of sin. There is only one cure for that disease that affects all humanity and that is the blood of Christ. “The blood of Jesus Christ … cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
This is the one and only cure for sin. If you have not availed yourself of this cure, remember that there is no substitute. If we are to be saved from hell and saved for Heaven, it must be by the blood of Jesus. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Have you been cured from sin-sickness? If not, don’t delay to take God’s wonderful cure.

Friday, July 30, 2021

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Monthly Question Page
Q. Could you explain why the Lord is referred to as the “Word” in John 1:14? Part 2
A. The Lord in His life here in this world fully expressed who God His Father was and what was in His heart. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18). At the end of His pathway, the Lord said, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father” (John 14:9)? This was in response to Philip’s request in verse 8, “Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”
“God … Hath in these last days SPOKEN unto us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The Son of God has been the full revelation, or expression, of who and what God is. “Who being … the express image of His person” (verse 3). Every quality and attribute of God the Father has been brought into full and complete display. The Lord Jesus at the end of His life could affirm, “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” (John 17:4).

Thursday, July 29, 2021

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Listening & Speaking
God gave you two ears and one mouth for a very good reason. This is because the ability to listen is an essential life skill. When I was growing up, my mother would often rebuke me by saying, “Listen to yourself.” This was because I was going on and on about something, and as we often say, running at the mouth. A few times, mother would even quote the words of King Solomon, who said, “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in Heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
Sometimes, it is good to stop and listen to ourselves to realize how others are hearing us. If we do this, we can judge what we say before the Lord and often find that it is better not said at all. This exercise can spare us from many an embarrassment and, even more importantly, from saying things that will hurt or discourage others.
Here is a check list you can run through before you speak:
• Think about what you are about to say.
• Check your own heart as to the matter.
• Control your tongue — Guard your lips and speak kindly.
And then we can pray, like David, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

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Monthly Scripture Reading
Zechariah 12
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

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Floated
“And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 7:17-18).
At a Bible study recently, someone made this interesting and thought-provoking remark: “What flooded the world, floated the ark.”
Noah, because of his faith and obedience, was able to rise above the waters of judgment and rest in perfect peace during the storm that destroyed the world with a flood. We too can rise above the storms and difficulties of life as we find our joy and confidence in the living God and our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. The ark in which Noah and his family were safely housed is a beautiful picture of the Lord Himself, and we are reminded by the Old Testament prophet. “A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest” (Isaiah 32:2).
If you are going through some stormy circumstances, you don’t have to sink under the trial. Just keep your heart and mind focused on the Lord, the true ark of refuge, and you too can float peacefully on the sea of life.

Monday, July 26, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:
“All is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
In other words, “everything is emptiness and trouble.”
Here in North America where I live, we have more temporal things at our disposal today than a generation ago. But are we really happy? Apart from God and the enjoyment of Christ in the heart there is no real peace, joy, satisfaction, gratification, or stability in life. While we should be thankful for the many practical mercies that God gives us to get us through this world, we know that these in themselves are not what give real substance to our characters and lives.
What are we setting our hearts on? There are many empty, aching, hearts, even among Christians, because the hearts are set on something other than the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a good Scripture to keep in mind: “Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, July 25, 2021

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1 Corinthians 15:3-4
“Christ died”
Yes, what a precious truth,
Christ Jesus died for me:
He shed His blood, to cleanse my sin,
On Calvary’s cruel tree.
“He was buried”
He in the tomb was laid,
By faithful, loving hands,
And nothing there could hold my Lord,
Not even Roman bands.
“He rose again”
Triumphantly He rose,
And now He waits above,
To take me there to be with Him,
Where all is peace and love.
And I await that day,
Though filled with praises now,
With worship, thanks, and joyfulness,
Before Him gladly bow.

Saturday, July 24, 2021

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The Pit
A converted Chinese man once described his experiences in seeking deliverance from sin in this way:
“I was once in a horrible pit of sin, and for years I cried to Buddha for help; but he replied, ‘You must deaden your consciousness and imagine that you are not in the pit.’
“Then I sought the help of Confucius, and his answer was, ‘You should have followed my teaching, and then you would never have fallen into the pit.’
“At last I turned to Christ, and, with no word of rebuke, He descended into the pit, and, with His pierced hands, brought me up out of it; and we have been walking together ever since!”
Of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, we read prophetically:
“I am counted with them that go down into the pit … Thou hast laid Me in the lowest pit … . Thou hast afflicted Me with all Thy waves” (Psalm 88:4, 6-7).
As a result, we can say, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Psalm 40:2).
It is my prayer that every one reading this calendar has been delivered from the pit of sin. If not, “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

Friday, July 23, 2021

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Your Light
“Ye are the light of the world … . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16).
Before we can speak for Christ we must shine for Christ.
The story is told of a blind man who was found sitting at the corner of a street in a great city with a lantern beside him. Someone went up to him and asked what he had the lantern there for, seeing that he was blind, and the light was the same to him as the darkness. The blind man replied: “I have it so that no one may stumble over me.”
There is a lesson in this simple story, and something for us to really think about as Christians. Where people don’t read the Bible, many read you and me instead. That is what Paul meant when he said we were to be living epistles of Christ. “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). Dwight L. Moody once said, “I would not give much for all that can be done by sermons, if we do not preach Christ by our lives. If we do not commend the Gospel to people by our holy walk and conversation, we shall not win them to Christ.”

Thursday, July 22, 2021

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Complaining — Part 3 (Government)
The next time you complain about the government remember these verses:
Those who rule: “The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men” (Daniel 4:17).
Obeying their laws: “For the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well” (1 Peter 2:14).
Submitting to their authority: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God” (Romans 13:1-2).
When we speak of them: “Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities” (2 Peter 2:10).
“Likewise also these … despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities” (Jude 8).
When paying taxes: “For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues” (Romans 13:6-7).

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

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Complaining — Part 2 (The Weather)
“And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord” (Numbers 11:1).
Here are some more weather phenomena that we often complain about, especially those of us who live in northern climates.
• Wind: “He bringeth the wind out of His treasuries” (Psalm 135:7).
• Snow: “For He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth … Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?” (Job 37:6; 38:22).
• Cold or Heat: “While the earth remaineth … cold and heat” (Genesis 8:22).
• The time of year: “Summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).
Imagine the chaos and confusion if humans were in charge of the weather. But thankfully the Lord Himself controls it all and knows what is needed, and the perfect balance of each element. While it is true that He allows drought and famine, and other harsh conditions to exercise men’s souls, yet He is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Nothing is out of His control.

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

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Complaining — Part 1 (The Weather)
“That there be no complaining” (Psalm 144:14).
We tend to be complainers by nature, and there are two things that we complain most about: one is the weather, the other is the government. Yet the Bible tells us that both these things come directly from the hand of God and that we can do nothing about either one. Thankfully He is in complete control of both!
The next time you complain about the weather remember these verses:
• Rain: “The Lord … prepareth rain for the earth” (Psalm 147:7-8).
• Hail: “He gave them hail” (Psalm 105:32).
• Sleet: “He casteth forth His ice like morsels: who can stand before His cold” (Psalm 147:17)?
•Thunder & Lightning: “The Lord also thundered in the Heavens … and He shot out lightnings” (Psalm 18:13-14).
• Tornado or Hurricane: “The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm” (Nahum 1:3).
• Cloudiness: “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3).

Monday, July 19, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:
If we are honest, we may have to admit that it’s easy to give thanks for favorable things and happy circumstances, but difficult to give thanks for the painful things in life. But the Lord uses painful things as well as easier things to produce glory for Himself and blessing to us. Without complaint, and with the realization that He is doing all for our good, let us give Him thanks for the difficulties He allows. He is using them to produce in us spiritual fruit and a beautiful reflection of Christ, which the positive circumstances alone could never yield.
I am not saying that the painful things are easy or that we should become callous or indifferent to them. But we need to cultivate the habit of thanksgiving no matter what.
Here are some verses to think on as you face life this week:
“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 106:1).
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
“Giving thanks always for all things” (Ephesians 5:20).
Your Christians Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, July 18, 2021

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Where Are the Nine?
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” (Luke 17:15-17).
Ten lepers had been mercifully and miraculously cleansed by the Lord Jesus. Sad to say, only one returned to give Him thanks. I can just hear the sadness in the voice of the Lord as He asked where the other nine were.
We, too, have been cleansed, not from leprosy, but from our sins. “Ye are washed … ye are sanctified … ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Will we be like the one leper who returned to give glory to God and thanks to the Lord, or will we be like the nine who went their way and never showed their gratitude? As we consider what He has done for us in the great sacrifice of Calvary, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving” (Psalm 95:2). “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

Saturday, July 17, 2021

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Gambling
A sudden thunderstorm sent a flash flood through the streets and into the gambling casinos of Las Vegas, Nevada. As the Colorado River rose, downtown streets were closed off and buildings sandbagged, but in the casinos, it was “business as usual” to the patrons determined to carry on.
The manager of one place said, “Water was dripping on the slot machines, but the people kept pulling the handles. We finally had to ask them to move. It didn’t seem to bother them at all. You hear stories like this. It’s hard to believe until you see it. They are oblivious and couldn’t care less!”
It is a perfect picture of many people today. We are living in a time when nations are being swept by storms of revolution and change, a time when the greatest storm of all, the storm of God’s judgment, could break at any time, but still people go on, oblivious to all the warnings. They are gambling, not money, but their souls. They are risking their eternal future for temporary gain. They willingly run that risk every day, gambling that tomorrow will find them still alive with one more chance to be saved.
I hope none of my readers are gambling with their eternal souls. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Friday, July 16, 2021

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Our Example
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
In reading through the four Gospels it is striking to note the way in which every hour of the time of the Lord is filled up. There is no loitering in the days of the Lord on earth, no looking for ease, no self-seeking. He is taken up with untiring activities of service and love. When He does seek solitude it is to be alone with God His Father. At twelve years of age He could say, “I must be about My Father’s business (Luke 2:49). Later on, He confirms, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17).
We find Him by night, praying; by day in the Temple, teaching; along the road, healing; in homes, comforting; on the hillside, feeding the multitude; in the cemetery, raising the dead; with publicans and sinners, eating with them and forgiving sins. He never acted for self, He lived for the glory of God, and He lived a selfless life for the blessing of others.
What an example for us! Would that we were more like our Lord and Master!

Thursday, July 15, 2021

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Young People of Scripture
Naaman’s Servant Girl
“And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:2-3).
Naaman was a great man and had favor with the king of Syria, “but he was a leper” (2 Kings 5:1). However, God was interested in Naaman and his blessing and used a poor, seemingly insignificant, captive slave girl to convey a message of hope. As servant to Naaman’s wife, this young person bravely spoke of the prophet in Israel and with simple faith declared that there was healing for her master. It must have taken real courage to speak out the way she did.
The above verses are all we ever read of her life and testimony, but what a powerful message they convey. If your life were summed up in just a few words, what would they be? Would it be that you had boldly spoken for the Lord and that there had been great blessing as a result? Point someone to Christ today. There are many broken lives and hearts all around us. Let’s point them to the One who can heal and save and bless!

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

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Counsel and Guidance — Part 2
“Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counsellor hath taught Him?” (Isaiah 40:13).
Here are some further ways that our Great Counselor, the Lord Jesus, guides us through life:
• In judgment: “The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way” (Psalm 25:9).
• Into all truth: “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
• Continually: “The Lord shall guide thee continually” (Isaiah 58:11).
• Unto death: “For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death” (Psalm 48:14).
What a wonderful Savior and guide we have! Are you following His counsel and guidance in the days of your youth? Don’t wait until you are older. If you do, you will have much to regret later on. Follow the Lord while you are young, and you will be preserved from many things. Remember, He knows what is best, “With Him is wisdom and strength, He hath counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13). Listen, and heed His counsel at all times!

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

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Counsel and Guidance — Part 1
“His name shall be called … Counsellor” (Isaiah 9:6).
There are different ways that our Great Counselor, the Lord Jesus, guides us through life. Here are just a few:
• With His counsel: “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel” (Psalm 73:24).
• With His Eye: “I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32:8).
• With His hands: “He … guided them by the skilfulness of His hands” (Psalm 78:72).
• Like a flock: “And guided them … like a flock” (Psalm 78:52).
• On all sides: “The Lord … guided them on every side” (2 Chronicles 32:22).
• By springs of water: “For He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them” (Isaiah 49:10).
• Into peace: “To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79).

Monday, July 12, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:
I heard recently of a young person who decided to give her father a Bible for his birthday. The problem was what to write as a dedication. Undecided, she went to her father’s study and took a book from the shelf. On the title page she read, “Dedicated by the author.” And that is what she ended up writing.
When her father opened his gift and recognized the handwriting he became thoughtful. Who is the author of the Bible? Is it really God? As a result, he started to read it, and it soon became clear that the Bible was not written “by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).
Do you read your Bible? If you do, is it just because it is a historical record or great work of literature? Or is it because you know and love the author, and because it reveals His Son, your Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ? And do you realize that, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16)?
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, July 11, 2021

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His Head
“And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His HEAD” (John 19:2).
“And they smote Him on the HEAD with a reed” (Mark 15:19).
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His HEAD, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).
“Then cometh Simon Peter following Him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about His HEAD, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself” (John 20:6-7),
O Head! once full of bruises,
So full of pain and scorn,
‘Mid other sore abuses
Mocked with a crown of thorn;
O Head! e’en now surrounded
With brightest majesty,
In death once bowed and wounded
On the accursed tree.
– Bernard of Clairvaux

Saturday, July 10, 2021

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Who Are You Counting On?
Sandy was a patient in a suburban Chicago hospital with a very serious lung disease. When the nurse went into her room to administer medication, she saw that she had a Bible on her table. The nurse asked if she had read it. She stated that she had not. When asked if she knew where she would spend eternity, she said she wasn’t sure but that many people were praying for her recovery. When asked if she knew she could have eternal life and her sins forgiven by accepting Christ as Savior, she said, “Nobody ever told me that before.” Three days later, Sandy was in the intensive care unit; the last thing she said was, “I’m counting on you guys.” She shortly after had a heart attack and died.
Who are you counting on? You know that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). But is He your Savior? Or are you counting on the prayers of others or your own good works? The one and only means of eternal blessing is through Christ as your personal Savior. Instead of risking eternity in hell and counting on the prayers and efforts of others, why not come to Christ now? “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Friday, July 9, 2021

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Inspiration
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).
The believer is not called upon to define inspiration. How the Scriptures were inspired has not been revealed. It is enough to know that by them God is made known, that holy men of God testified by “the Spirit of Christ which was in them” (1 Peter 1:11), and that they minister Christ to our soul. Our Lord, too, when speaking of us to the Father said, “I have given them Thy Word” (John 17:14). After that, we read that the apostles and brethren prayed that “with all boldness they may speak Thy Word” (Acts 4:29). The result was that “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake the Word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Believers knew that ministry in old times, and also by our Lord and His apostles, was the ministry of “the Word of God,” and that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Thursday, July 8, 2021

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Suffering for Christ
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
“Unto you it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29)
Most of us don’t know much about physically suffering for Christ. However, in the measure in which we reflect Christ in our lives there will be reproach connected with it. It is not that we go out and look for opportunities to suffer, but if we are true to Him, we will have plenty of opportunities. The young man Timothy was told, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). Or as another translation puts it, “Take thy share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
The real secret to suffering for Christ is to have the heart’s affections centered in Him.
• The more I love Jesus, the closer I shall walk with Him.
• The closer I walk with Him, the more faithfully I shall imitate Him.
• The more faithfully I imitate Him, the more I shall suffer with Him.
As you can see, it all flows from love to Christ.

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

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Just for Show
“Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom” (Psalm 51:6).
I am not really into antiques, but I am told that an increasing number of old, leather-bound books are being purchased for their covers and not so much for their content. Interior designers buy them by the linear yard and use them to create atmosphere in the homes of affluent clients. Of prime importance is whether they match the room’s decor. I read of one wealthy businessman who purchased 13,000 antique books he will never read just to create a library look in his newly renovated home. These books are just for show.
Focusing on outward appearances can be a pleasing way to decorate a house, but it is a dangerous way to live. The Lord reprimanded many when He was here on earth because they did not practice what they preached. He said, “All their works they do for to be seen of men” (Matthew 23:5). Let’s be sure that we are real on the inside. When living for Jesus, our content is far more important than our cover. We are here for more than show. Remember, if the Lord controls you on the inside, you’ll be genuine on the outside. As our verse indicates, He wants “truth in the inward parts.”

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

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Jesus My Lord
Jesus, my Lord, I need Thy grace today,
Trials and problems seem to flood my way;
Give me the strength to trust Thee for each hour,
This is my one and only source of power.
I know Thy love has planned each moment here,
I need not worry, fret, complain, or fear;
All will be well, My Lord is in control,
Preserving my whole spirit, body, soul.
Jesus, my Lord, give what I need today,
Help me to cope amidst life’s busy fray;
Give me to lean on Thee…Thy mighty arm,
Wisdom I need or else I’ll come to harm.
Resting, relying, counting Thy love,
Until I hear the “shout” and soar above;
Then I shall see Thee in that glorious land,
And know how perfectly my life was planned.
“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. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Monday, July 5, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:
The question is often raised, How can we tell if we are going the right direction? In the desert or at sea the stars are a reliable guide. In more populated areas, landscapes can be a help — such as rivers, mountains, and other landmarks — as long as we have a good map or GPS.
In the absence of those things, with the stars overclouded, no map, or no reliable GPS, we need a good guide, and preferably one who has been that way before.
Thankfully, for the journey of life, we have a sure guide in the Lord Jesus. As we move along life’s road, we need to listen for His instruction. To the listening ear He says, “This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). The promise is, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6). We need to pay strict attention to His instructions. This is essential to a happy, fruitful life. I trust you will have an ear tuned to His voice this week and follow in the way He has planned for your good and blessing.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, July 4, 2021

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His Life
“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost” (Mark 15:37).
“When Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:46).
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).
He gave up His life of His own free will. This could not be said of anyone else. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, was the only person who could, by an act of His own will, separate His spirit from His body. This He did in love and obedience to God His Father. Earlier in John’s gospel we read, “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. 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 10:17-18).
Now we can say, “He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16). What a precious truth for us to consider today.

Saturday, July 3, 2021

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Decision
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14).
Decisions! Decisions! We make them every day. Some of the decisions we make have little or no long-term consequence. Still others may affect us for the rest of our lives. But there is one decision that will affect us, not just for this life, but for eternity. That all-important decision involves Christ and salvation.
Perhaps one of my readers has not yet made that decision to accept Christ as Savior. Consider this question raised by Elijah long ago: “How long halt ye between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). If this describes your indecision, I beg of you not to put it off any longer. One of my favorite hymns to give out at the end of a gospel meeting is this:
Decide for Christ today,
And God’s salvation see;
Yield soul and body, heart and will
To Him, who died for thee!
Some of the last words of Moses were, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Make that momentous decision right now!

Friday, July 2, 2021

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What Shall I Render?
“What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (Psalm 116:12).
This is a good question for every believer, young and old, to ask ourselves.
Here are some of the things that we can render to the Lord as we consider all His love, mercy, blessings, and benefits:
“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).
“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come into His courts” (Psalm 96:8).
“I will render praises unto Thee” (Psalm 56:12).
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1).
“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which He hath given thee” (Deuteronomy 16:17).
How much of ourselves, our time, energy, and resources are we giving to the Lord to use for His glory and the blessing of others?

Thursday, July 1, 2021

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Thy Voice
“Let Me hear thy voice” (Song of Solomon 2:14).
The Lord Jesus wants to hear our voice. Here are just a few of the ways that we can speak and bring joy to His heart.
In praise: “I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth” (Psalm 109:30).
In prayer: “Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth” (Psalm 54:2).
In song: “Sing unto the Lord” (Jeremiah 20:13).
In testimony: “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8).
In confession: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Will the Lord have the joy of hearing your voice today?
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