Young Christians Calendar

December 2021

Monthly Question Page

Q. Is it possible for a believer to reach a certain spiritual level where they will not sin anymore? I hear my Christian friends talking about sin being burnt out, is that possible?

A. The simple answer to both questions is NO! As long as we are in this world, we still have the sinful flesh in us. It is true we have the very life and nature of Christ, which cannot sin. “Whosoever is born of God sinneth not.” (1 John 5:18). However, if we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that often we let the flesh have the upper hand. There is not a day, or perhaps an hour, that goes by, that we do not sin in some way or another, either in thought or deed. Here are some verses that verify this:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

Only when we reach Heaven will we be completely done with sin and sinning. “It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

Thursday, December 30, 2021

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Good Men

“Walk in the way of good men” (Proverbs 2:20).

“A lover of good men” (Titus 1:8).

The man of the world escapes evil by knowing its crookedness, the believer escapes it by knowing good, not evil. The Apostle Paul said to the Christians at Rome, “I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19). This is always the way of protection from wickedness.

An older brother once exhorted us as young people,

“What characterizes the evil man is pride, leaving the path of uprightness to walk in darkness. Such rejoice to do evil. The fear of the Lord is the full lesson of life. If we walk in the ways of good men, and follow their example, we will be preserved by the power of righteousness with blessing to follow. To learn and to follow wisdom’s teaching leads to favor with God and man”

Here is instruction to Timothy concerning this subject: “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). Do you keep company with those who desire to please the Lord and walk according to His truth? It will be a real blessing and safeguard from evil!

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

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Corrosion

I read the following statement the other day:

“Hatred and bitterness corrode the container in which it is carried.”

It reminded me of the following verses:

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31).

“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15).

Many believers have spoiled their joy in the Lord, their testimony to the unsaved, and their usefulness in the service of Christ because of hatred and bitterness. These two things are like a slow-growing cancer, which, if left unchecked, eventually eats away at all that is for the glory of God.

The remedy is found in the next verse of Ephesians 4, which states, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (verse 32). And in Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

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Wisdom

Staying in a guest room this weekend, I noticed a wooden wall plaque with the following quote from Abraham Lincoln:

“I have been driven many times upon my knees

by the overwhelming conviction

that I had nowhere else to go.”

I remembered reading this quote before and remembered that there was more to it than that. So, I looked it up on the Internet, and, sure enough, there was more. Here it is:

“My own wisdom and that of all about me

seemed insufficient for that day.”

If we all remembered the truth of this quote it would save us a lot of trouble and frustration. Here is how the Word of God puts it: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Do you lack wisdom in some situation today? Go in prayer and dependence to the one who declares, “Counsel is Mine, and sound wisdom” (Proverbs 8:14).

Monday, December 27, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:

As you look back over this past year, ask yourself these questions:

1. Was the Lord number 1 in my life?

2. Was it a year of personal spiritual growth?

3. Did I use my time wisely?

4. Did I use my resources wisely?

5. Was there fruit for God’s glory?

6. Were others blessed because of my testimony?

7. Did I live in view of eternity and the Lord’s coming?

When the Apostle Paul looked back over his Christian life, he could say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all say that concerning 2021? If not, let’s ask the Lord to help us to make 2022 the year where we can say like Caleb “I wholly followed the Lord my God” (Joshua 14:8).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sunday, December 26, 2021

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Four Sacrifices

There are four sacrifices in the beginning of Leviticus that bring before us, in type, Christ in four aspects of His person and work.

1. The burnt offering: Christ in His devotedness to God His Father, even unto death. “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor” (Ephesians 5:2).

2. The meat offering: Christ in the perfection of His sinless life of consecration to God. “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). “The Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29).

3. The peace offering: Christ as the basis of communion and fellowship with God. “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ … . We have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:3, 7).

4. The sin offering: Christ made sin for those who stood in need of it. “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Saturday, December 25, 2021

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Their Judge

Many people at this time of year will celebrate the birth of their judge. They have rejected Him as their Savior, lived for self and sin, but will pause to sing a carol or stand before a nativity scene, and maybe even attend a service where the Scriptures are read concerning His birth. However, they then go on living their lives and forgetting that, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:18-19).

I hope that none of my readers fall into this category. It will be an awful thing to stand before the Lord as judge and realize that you celebrated His birth but never accepted His offer of salvation. You will be amongst those of whom we read, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened…And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12, 15).

Friday, December 24, 2021

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Room for Him

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

The inns of Bethlehem were full, no doubt due to the taxation decree that had gone out from the Emperor, Caesar Augustus. The fact that the infant Christ was born in a stable was a testimony to the poverty of Joseph and Mary, for then as now, inconveniences can always be eliminated by money. It was symbolic, however, of the outside place as regards the world and its glory which Christ was to have from the outset. At the end of His life and ministry they cried, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).

Still today the Lord Jesus is “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3). For the most part He is outside the thoughts, plans, and platforms of the general populous of this world. The question to ask ourselves today is, “Does He have room to reside and reign in our hearts and lives?”

Thursday, December 23, 2021

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The Race

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Philippians 3:13).

Back in the late 1800’s, a man named John Nelson Darby was asked the following question:

“With what do you connect the ‘forgetting those things which are behind?’ ”

Here is his answer:

“I connect it with this: “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee” (Proverbs 4:25). If I were running in a race, I should not stop to see how I was getting on, or somebody else would soon out-distance me. There will be time enough to reckon up victories when I have reached the goal.”

To dwell on past failures will discourage us, and to dwell on past victories will fill us with pride. Often in the Bible the believer is likened to an athlete with the goal and prize before them. Paul could add, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). The goal is Heaven, and the prize is Christ.

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

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Monthly Scripture Reading
Judges 2

And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.

And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that He did for Israel.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

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Holding the Rope

“Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).

A botanist (scientist who specializes in the study of plants) was once standing on the edge of a precipice, and, looking down, he saw a very rare flower which he much wished to possess. However, it was beyond his reach. He went in search of a boy, and taking him to the edge of the precipice, he said, “If you allow me to tie this rope round your body, and put you down there to gather that flower for me, I will give you this piece of money.”

The boy hesitated a moment, and then said, “If you allow me to go home for father to hold the rope, I will go down.” On permission being granted, the boy quickly ran home, and soon returned with his father. Now, without the slightest fear, he went down, knowing that his father had a firm hold of the rope, and would never let him fall.

Can’t we, with the simple faith of this little boy, trust God our Father, knowing that if we trust ourselves to Him, He will never let us fall? He is worthy of our confidence, no matter how steep and dangerous the precipices of life’s circumstances may seem. As the inspired writer, Jude, confirms, He is “able to keep you from falling” (verse 24).

Monday, December 20, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:

In 1964, an older brother in appealing to young people wrote the following. I will quote it just as it was given:

Young Christians: I beg of you to read your Bible. Make a friend of your Bible, love your Bible, reverence it deeply, look upon it as a precious legacy to be guarded with care. Let the infidel scoff and the worldling laugh. Readers and treasurers of God’s Holy Word, don’t blush when your flippant associates discover the well-worn Testament on your desk or in your pocket.

I am passing this on to my readers 57 years later as I believe its message is still relevant and vital. The writer of Psalm 119 said, “O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day … . Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (verses 97, 165). The Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8). Let’s take these words to heart as we head out this week.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sunday, December 19, 2021

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The Lord’s Death

“He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it … Likewise also the cup” (Luke 22:19-20).

“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).

Our taking the bread (a symbol of the body of Christ) before the cup (a symbol of the blood of Christ) may be called reversing the natural order of the Old Testament sacrifices in which the blood was always dealt with first. This was because the shedding of the blood is what slew the victim.

However, in “the Lord’s death,” God’s Lamb, it was not so. He gave up his life voluntarily. He could say, “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” (John 10:17-18). After death, His blood was shed. “One of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34). The separation of the blood from the body was the proof of death. His death was miraculous and divine as was His person — God and man in one.

Saturday, December 18, 2021

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Unprepared

“Be ye therefore ready” (Luke 12:40).

Caesar Borgia (born c. 1475/76, probably Rome, Italy — died 1507, near Viana, Spain) was an Italian nobleman and politician, as well as a man of impassioned purpose. His ambition was to have wealth and power, and he achieved both. First, he became Archbishop of Valenza, then a cardinal, and afterwards Duke of Valentinois. But when death claimed him, he left his riches, position, and power, and took only his sins with him into eternity.

Realizing this, he groaned while dying: “In the course of my life, I have provided for everything except for death. Now I am dying though completely unprepared for it!”

The question may be asked, “Is Caesar Borgia the only one so foolish?” The answer is “No!” Multitudes of young and old alike are totally unprepared for eternity. They think only of the present, and provide for everything, except death, not considering the fact that they will spend eternity in hell. They fail to grasp the Lord’s question, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37).

Friday, December 17, 2021

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No Change

“Meddle not with them that are given to change” (Proverbs 24:21).

I heard someone say that we have “A changing Christ for a changing world.” But is that really true? Is it really the issue or the need? I suggest that the world wants to change the standard to accommodate their sinful lifestyle and to resist what their conscience tells them is unquestionably wrong.

What is needed is not a change ahead but a change back to the unchanging Word of God and the unchanging person that it presents. He assures us, “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6), and “The Word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8).

The only thing that is new is His mercies. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Let’s be thankful that He is untainted and unchanged by time or by the trends and downward course of an ever-changing world. He is still, and will always be, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). This truth and stability we can always count on and rejoice in!

Thursday, December 16, 2021

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Young People of Scripture
Rhoda

“And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel [young girl] came to hearken, named Rhoda” (Acts 12:13).

We don’t know much about this young believer, but what we do know is very instructive. The earlier Christians were having prayer meetings because of their concern for Peter who was in prison. “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” (Acts 12:5).

One night, Peter is miraculously released, and arrived at the house of Mary the mother of John Mark. The Lord ordered it so that Rhoda was the one who went to the door as Peter knocked and saw firsthand the power of God to answer assembly prayer. Thus, she learned that night the importance of collective prayer, and the importance of sisters in Christ being there to join in this powerful exercise.

I suspect that Rhoda rarely missed a prayer meeting after that. She had learned in a very real way the truth of Matthew 18:19. “That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in Heaven.” Let’s not forget the importance of the prayer meeting! It is the way of blessing and power.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

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The Love of God — Part 2

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

As we said yesterday, keeping yourself in the enjoyment of God’s love will have an impact on your life in several ways. These effects may even take place unconsciously. Here are some more of those effects.

5. It will keep us from sin.

“For the love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Corinthians 5:14)

6. It will cause us to walk in separation from this world.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).

7. It will cause us to be thankful and full of praise.

“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Psalm 57:7).

8. It increases our appreciation of Himself.

“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

9. It will make us look and long for the Lord’s return.

“Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21).

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

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The Love of God — Part 1

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

Keeping yourself in the enjoyment of God’s love will have an impact on your life in several ways. The following are just a few of those ways:

1. It will increase your love for the Lord.

“We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

2. It will cause us to obey His Word and will.

“We love God, and keep His commandments” (1 John 5:2).

“If ye love me, keep My commandments … . If a man love Me, he will keep My words” (John 14:15, 23).

3. It will increase your love for the lost and interest in the gospel. It will give you that same love and desire that He has for their salvation and blessing.

“The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5).

4. It will increase your love for your fellow-believer, and your desire to serve them.

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God” (1 John 5:2).

Monday, December 13, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:

In a book of short sayings, I came across this saying I thought would be good to pass along this week:

“Feed on the Word,

not the World.”

It is just one letter difference. The letter “l”. But what a difference it can make in our spiritual diet and spiritual growth! Ask yourself, “What did I feed on this past weekend, and what will I feed on this week?”

Centuries ago Job wrote, “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). The Lord Himself said, “He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me” (John 6:57).

So, it is necessary that we feed on Christ by reading the Word, and through meditation, digesting it for the good and vitality of our souls.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sunday, December 12, 2021

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Resurrection

“So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 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 20:4-7).

At the tomb early on the resurrection morning, these two disciples (Peter and John) take account of the linen clothes and the napkin “wrapped together in a place by itself,” details only given in John’s Gospel. It was evident that the body had not been taken away from the tomb, for why, in that case, should the grave clothes be left behind? Yet stronger is the witness to the mighty power of this glorious Person Who, having risen from the dead, can lay aside the grave clothes in a calm and orderly fashion.

“Resurrection” is a wonderful reality. Let’s rejoice today with the realization that “He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:6). We have an empty tomb and a living Savior!

Saturday, December 11, 2021

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Prepare

“Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12).

As life goes by, we become very busy in the course of normal events — and don’t think that it slows down any as you get older. But sometimes the unexpected intrudes into our “normal” lives, with results that could not have been foreseen. This is why it is so important to be prepared to leave this world at a moment’s notice. We need to be prepared for eternity like those tiny creatures, of which Solomon wrote, “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer” (Proverbs 30:25).

Here is one incident that proves this point:

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1983, a poodle named Cachi fell 13 stories and landed on a woman’s head. The poodle and the woman died instantly. Another woman who was standing on the edge of a crowd that had stopped in the middle of the street to watch what was happening died instantly when hit by a bus. A man who saw both events had a heart attack and died on the way to the hospital.

Where would you be if you had been one of these three persons? Heaven or Hell?

Friday, December 10, 2021

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Rest

“Rest a while” (Mark 6:31).

For many of us, Friday is the end of a work or school week and we can look forward to a day or two of relaxation or at least a change of pace.

In Mark chapter 6, we learn that after busy, active service, and the burying of John the Baptist, the disciples came to the Lord and told Him all about it. No doubt they were weary and perhaps even a little discouraged and puzzled over what had taken place. The Lord then invited them to come apart with Himself for a few moments of rest. However, it didn’t last very long, and we soon read that a great multitude had come to hear the Lord preach, and, at the end of the day, the disciples are feeding several thousand people with the loaves and fishes that the Lord multiplied.

Maybe the Lord has some little service for you to perform this weekend. It could be visiting someone who needs encouragement, helping with a gospel outreach, Sunday school, Bible study, or some little service that nobody else knows about. While you have a break from the weekly routine of life and a needed season of rest, don’t forget that there is much to do in the Lord’s service. No doubt He has a work for you to perform this weekend.

Thursday, December 9, 2021

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One Hour

“Doth not even nature itself teach you” (1 Corinthians 11:14).

Here is some more insight on my lizard friend I mentioned yesterday.

Each morning as we are sipping coffee and having breakfast, mister lizard appears on the inside of the window by the table. Almost simultaneously, another lizard of about the same size appears on the outside of the window. For one hour, they stare through the glass at each other. I assume they must communicate with each other in some lizardly way, but whatever it is, there they remain, so that you can almost set your clock by the timing of their meeting and subsequent length of their rendezvous.

As I considered this quirk of nature, I thought of the following rebuke spoken by the Lord Jesus to His weary disciples in the garden of Gethsemane: “What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:40-41). How much time each day to we spend quietly in communion with the Lord and in contemplation of His lovely person and great work?

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

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Flee

“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Earlier today, in Dickson Village, Saint Vincent, I sat at the table with my missionary friend eating a delicious soup his wife had kindly prepared for us. During the meal, I noticed an 8-inch lizard stealthily climbing the window curtain across from me. His goal was a large black fly he was planning to have for his lunch. However, as the lizard made one final move, the watchful fly flew off and was safe.

It made me think of the above verse, as well as of the Lord’s exhortation to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Like that fly, we need to be on guard as to our enemy, Satan, lurking about to discourage us and get us to sin and spoil our joy and testimony. We also need to get as far away from sin and Satan as we can. Like the fly, we need to “flee.” When there is danger, we need to quickly and directly get out … get as far away as possible. We need to flee to the Lord Jesus, the only safe refuge and help when Satan tries to tempt and harass.

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

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Talking With Jesus

“Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way?” (Luke 24:32).

Do you ever talk with Jesus,
As you move about your day,
Performing tasks and duties,
While you hurry on your way?

When you have a quiet moment,
When you have a little space,
Do you speak in sweet communion,
Do you seek your Savior’s face?

No matter what the hurry,
No matter what the care,
Do you keep an open line,
With the One who’s always there?

Do not let the world’s confusion,
And the busy life you lead,
Distract you from His presence,
And His fellowship you need.

Monday, December 6, 2021

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Dear Young Christian:

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).

The Christian life is a journey, and that means taking one step after another and living moment by moment and day by day. When the going gets tough, just keep going and let God your Father have His way with you. When you are weary, rest in Him; when you are weak, draw on His strength; and when you are discouraged, do as David did, who “encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). When the road seems uphill, remember the words of the hymn written long ago by Frederick Whitfield (1829–1904):

This name shall shed its fragrance still
Along this thorny road,
Shall sweetly smooth the rugged hill
That leads us up to God.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

Sunday, December 5, 2021

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Behold

“Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36).

Sometime in the late 1700’s, Joseph Hoskins wrote the following hymn, which I believe is a good focus for us today as we remember that mighty work done at Calvary.

Behold! behold the Lamb of God
On the cross;
For us He shed His precious blood,
On The cross.
Oh, hear the overwhelming cry:
“Eli lama sabachthani?”
Draw near and see the Savior die
On the cross.

Come, sinner, see Him lifted up
On the cross:
He drinks for you the bitter cup,
On the cross;
The rocks do rend, the mountains quake,
While Jesus doth atonement make —
While Jesus suffers for our sake,
On the cross.

Saturday, December 4, 2021

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Not Works

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

I recently read a biography of the reformer John Wesley. One day, in the north of England, he stopped to speak to a man about his need of salvation. The man was sure his good works would gain him entrance into Heaven. Wesley asked him what he would do in Heaven, which was something the man had not considered, and in return asked what others would do there. Wesley told him that they would sing, “Glory to God …” But Wesley added, “Your song will be glory to myself, for I have qualified myself for Heaven!”

The man listened to the gospel as John Wesley presented it in its simplicity. After listening awhile, the man exclaimed, “What you say is enough to drive anyone to despair.”

“Yes,” replied the preacher, “It is well for a man to despair of saving himself that he may be driven to the Lord Jesus to be saved by Him.”

Indeed, God and Christ will have all the glory and praise in that day. We will sing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory …” (Revelation 5:12).

Friday, December 3, 2021

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Send Me

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

I met Sandra at a missionary compound we were staying at in Lagos, Nigeria, several years ago. She was the resident missionary in charge, and I appreciated her genuine love for the Lord and care of the missionaries that passed through that area. It was the early 1990’s, and President Sani Abacha was in power (reputed to be the 4th most corrupt leader in history). The country was in turmoil, and unsafe for travel.

When Sandra was a young lady, she felt the Lord calling her to serve in Nigeria. When she told her mother, her mother was distressed because of the dangers of such a mission field and said, “If the Lord wants someone to go to Nigeria, He will call them and send them.”

Sandra’s reply was, “Yes mother, He will, and He has. He has called me, and I am going.”

Maybe the Lord is calling you to some work in the mission field like He called the prophet Isaiah, Sandra, and many others. Are you listening, and are you willing to answer, “Send me”?

Thursday, December 2, 2021

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Building Up

“Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints … . building up yourselves on your most holy faith” (Jude verses 3, 20).

We cannot rightly contend for the faith (the truth of God contained in the Bible), unless we are building up ourselves in our most holy faith. We are not called to build ourselves up in all the different forms which evil may assume. We shall not be able to resist error by simply having an acquaintance with error. We can only meet error as we are built up in the truth. Moreover, our faith is a “most holy faith,” so that in being built up in the faith we are not only gaining a deeper acquaintance with the truth, but we are increasingly worked upon by the truth. It has a holy, sanctifying effect upon our souls, leading to a greater separation from the evil by which we are surrounded. As the Lord prayed, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).

The power, attitude, and purpose of this is as follows: “praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude verses 20-21).

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

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The School of God

When we go through deep trials or great suffering, we need to remember that God is working in our lives for a specific purpose. He knows what He is doing, and it is all done lovingly and with our good in view.

Have you ever said, “Why did this happen to me?” Or, “Lord, why did You allow this in my life?” Trials and afflictions are never easy, but, when they accomplish God’s purposes in our lives, then there is true and lasting blessing.

Things don’t just happen in our lives. They are planned and orchestrated by His hand and with divine wisdom. The writer of Psalm 119 realized this when He wrote, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word” (verse 67). “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes” (verse 71).

God uses what seem like adverse circumstances to preserve us, protect us, and prepare us. When you read the lives of many of the great men and women of God who were used in mighty ways you often find that they had to pass through incredible hardships to make them fit and useful in His service. These are lessons not learned from a textbook, or Bible school, but in the school of God.