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Young Christians Calendar

A daily meditation for young Christians

January 2022

All months

Monday, January 31, 2022

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Dear Young Christian,
Whew! A whole month of this year is gone already! It makes me think about what Job said concerning his life. “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle” (Job 7:6). David likens our life to “a shadow that passeth away” (Psalm 144:4). Ethan the Ezrahite declared, “How short my time is” (Psalm 89:47).
James says, “it is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).
This is why it is so important to make every day of our lives count for the Lord. We will someday have to give an account to Him, not for our sins, but for how well we used our time and resources for His glory and the blessing of others. “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). Whatever time we may have wasted in the past, let’s think about this verse as we head out this week: “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:2). And let’s spend our time and days wisely!
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, January 30, 2022

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The Blood
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).
“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
What a contrast we have in these two statements! On the one hand, the blood of the Old Testament sacrifices never put away sin. No, those sacrifices in the foreknowledge of God only pointed forward to the time when the Lord Jesus would shed His blood at Calvary. We are further told, “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11). Those sacrifices only covered that one sin and then they had to bring another, and another, and another…It was an endless round of blood shed from day to day and year to year.
Today we rest our salvation on the blood of Christ and rejoice in the fact that the work of redemption is complete. “This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12). We are “redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ…a Lamb without blemish” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Saturday, January 29, 2022

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Forgiveness
“In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).
Doctor Jacob Chamberlain (1835-1908) was a missionary to India for almost forty years. Among other things, he started two hospitals and helped revise the Telugu Bible.
In one of his writings he recounts the story of a man crawling many agonizing miles on his knees and elbows to bathe in the “sacred” River Ganges. Emerging from the polluted water, he still felt the heavy weight of his sin. Depressed, he told Dr. Chamberlain of his guilt, and of his fear of dying unforgiven. With delight, the missionary told him of the saving grace of God through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. The man’s heart was touched, and he rejoiced to know the burden of sin rolled away as God’s love and forgiveness filled His soul.
You may quickly see the foolishness of making a pilgrimage to some so-called “sacred” river or shrine. But have you received the forgiveness of sins through the death and blood of Christ? Can you say,
“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7)?

Friday, January 28, 2022

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Monthly Question Page
Q. Can you please explain the significance of the cup that the Lord instructed the disciples to drink of in Luke 22:17? Is it different from the cup in verse 20?
A. “And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves…Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you.”
There were two cups on the table on this occasion. The first was connected by tradition to the passover. Even though there is no record of it as instituted by Jehovah in the Old Testament, the Lord used it to figure the coming joy of the kingdom in a future day when He will reign as King of Kings.
The second cup figures His blood shed on the cross, and this He connected with the new supper called the “Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20), which He desires every believer to partake of from week to week in remembrance of His death. “After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:25).

Thursday, January 27, 2022

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His Name
“They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee” (Psalm 9:10).
Here is an interesting account that was told me recently concerning the manager of a major bank, who described how different names made him react in different ways.
Seeing one name he would say, “I don’t know this person, so I must be very careful.” At the sight of another name he would declare, “I know this individual too well so I must be doubly careful.” But with a third name he would say, “I know this man so well that I could entrust the bank to him if it were mine to give.”
If in the secular world people learn to build trust to that degree, how much more may we have it with our Lord who is always worthy of our confidence and who will never let us down. To know His name is to know HIM, and to know HIM is to trust HIM. We have the Creator of the universe as our confidant. “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8).We can trust Him without question. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

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Monthly Scripture Reading
2 Timothy 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
6 ¶ Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

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His Plans
“With Him is wisdom and strength, He hath counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13).
One of our great problems as young believers is that we often try to work things out on our own, thinking we are smarter and wiser than our Lord. We often have difficulty accepting the fact that we have limitations and we need to lean wholly on His strength. A life lived in this way is a life of frustration, not realizing that His plans are the best plans.
The Apostle Paul learned this in his experience and concluded, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). A life lived in complete dependence on the Lord, both for guidance and strength, is a life of inward peace and joy no matter what turmoil there is in the world around us. The Lord Himself walked through this world in complete harmony with God His Father, and in spite of circumstances, had perfect peace. We too can have that same peace, as He said to His disciples just before going back to heaven,
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Monday, January 24, 2022

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Dear Young Christian,
To what degree do you know the Lord? I’m not asking if you know Him as Savior (vital as that is). I am asking, are you developing a deeper relationship with Him day by day?
Eliphaz said to Job, “Acquaint now thyself with Him” (Job 22:21).
Hosea gives the key to developing a better acquaintance with Him by saying, “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3).
The Apostle Paul said, “I know whom I have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12). He also summed up the desire of his Christian life by saying, “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10).
The Lord wants our fellowship! He wants us to get to know Him better, and this can only be as we follow close to Him and enjoy His company. Walk with the Lord every day this week. Then look back and see how much your relationship has grown. You will be genuinely surprised.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, January 23, 2022

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The Good Shepherd
“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).
In dying, the Good Shepherd secured the blessing of the sheep and carried out the Father’s will. The giving of His life was His own voluntary act of devotedness. Here at last was One who had come into the sphere of death with power to lay down His life and power to take it again. No one else ever could nor ever will be able to give up their life in the same way. It was a divine act!
In devotedness to His Father He exercised this power in His service for God and man. He laid down His life in order to take it again. This was so He could not only save His sheep but provide for and serve them forever. Another has said, “His death is neither the exhaustion or extent of His love nor the limit of His work for us. He has served in the lowest depth of suffering on earth; Now He serves on the throne of glory.”
What a glorious Shepherd He is!

Saturday, January 22, 2022

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It’s Simple
If you are not saved, you may very well have a parent or loved one praying for you, or maybe even a friend or colleague at school or work. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you gave them the joy of being able to honestly tell them that you are now saved?
Salvation is such a simple act of faith, and yet how many refuse to take that step! The gospel is not complicated nor is the way of blessing hard to find. Long ago, the warden in charge of the prisoners in Philippi asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). He was given one of the simplest answers possible: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). The jailor did receive the message with the same simplicity in which it was given, and received Christ as his Savior. The Bible tells us that he “rejoiced, believing in God” (verse 34). Here is another verse that shows how simple salvation really is: “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
Don’t let something so simple keep you from spending eternity in Hell. Salvation is offered today, and by the time you turn this calendar page to tomorrow it may be too late.

Friday, January 21, 2022

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Attitude
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”
(1 Corinthians 10:31).
Here is a statement and question worth considering: “Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?”
Each one of us is 100% in charge of our attitude. If we realize that our attitude is not what it should be, we can change our thinking. Every animal in the world has no choice but to do its very best. Every beaver builds the best dam it can. Every eagle flies as high as ever it can. Every deer runs as fast as it can. Only humans can choose to build a strong home or one that will collapse in the wind. Every day we have a brand-new opportunity to live with all our hearts for the Lord.
When you appear to the world today, do they observe you doing your very best for the glory of God, with a cheerful, thankful attitude?
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him…And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:17, 23).

Thursday, January 20, 2022

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Prayer
Introduction
“Praying always” (Ephesians 6:18).
Prayer is one of the wonderful resources we have been given to help us through this world as believers. Perhaps the best definition of prayer is in 1 Timothy 4:5: “The Word of God and prayer.” Or, as another translation says, “God’s Word and freely addressing Him.”
In its simplest form, prayer can be defined as speaking to the Lord. What a tremendous thing it is to realize that we are able to come to the very throne room of the universe and speak to God and to the Lord Jesus. With reverence and respect we can talk freely with our Father and our Savior. We are encouraged, “Pour out your heart before Him” (Psalm 62:8).
In this 3rd Thursday of the month series we plan to take up various aspects of prayer. It is the powerhouse of the Christian life. The more prayer, the more power. As we trace through the Bible and the history of those who have been used mightily of the Lord, we find that they were men and women of prayer. This is because prayer is the expression of two things, dependence and confidence.

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

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Standing Fast
“Stand fast in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
There is a saying, “You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.”
This is certainly true when it comes to our spiritual life and the truth of the Word of God. If we do not “Hold fast the form of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13), we will leave ourselves open for “every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). That is why we are told,
“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:14,11).
There is much false teaching today. That is why we need to read the Bible for ourselves — study it, meditate on it, and find good, Scriptural commentaries written by those who present nothing but the truth and that which exalts the person and work of Christ. If we do this we will be “Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith” (Colossians 2:7). The Apostle Paul encouraged the early believers by writing, “Stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

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True Happiness
“Behold, we count them happy which endure”
(James 5:11).
Viktor Emil Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, as well as a Holocaust survivor. The only reason he was not murdered along with his fellow Jews was that he was appointed personal physician to several Nazi officers. After being freed from a concentration camp at the end of World War II he wrote:
“The reason so many people are unhappy and seeking help to cope with life is that they fail to understand what human existence is all about. Until we recognize that life is not just something to be enjoyed, but rather is a task that each of us is assigned, we’ll never find meaning in our lives and we’ll never be truly happy.”
The Bible talks a great deal about the meaning of life and true happiness. Life is full of ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns. The Apostle Paul found that, and wrote: “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10).
For the believer, the secret of happiness is to live for Christ, even when things are tough, realizing that He has a task for each of us to perform.

Monday, January 17, 2022

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Dear Young Christian,
Neglect is something that we all do from time to time. Sometimes in the end it is no big deal, and sometimes it can cause us a great deal of frustration and consequences. Today, here in Saint Vincent, Garvin Seymour told us how neglect cost him a significant amount of money.
He knew his vehicle license had to be renewed by the last day of August. However, he decided that putting it off until the 1st of September wouldn’t really matter. Sad to say, when he went to renew the license the next day he was told that it would cost him an extra $100 just for being one day late.
When God gives us something to do and the gift and ability to do it, we need to take heed. The young man Timothy was told, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (1 Timothy 4:14). Maybe we think we must wait until we are older to follow and serve the Lord. But He wants the best years of our life, and many an elderly believer regrets that they neglected to use their youth in His service.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, January 16, 2022

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Worship
Worship is the highest note of adoration that we can give to the Lord. It springs from a heart overflowing with an appreciation of who He is. As we see in Scripture:
• “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).
• “So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him” (Psalm 45:11).
• “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Psalm 95:6).
• “O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 96:9).
• “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).
• “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:3).
• “Worship God” (Revelation 22:9).
Will your heart be full of worship today? If you are occupied with the person of Christ it will be.

Saturday, January 15, 2022

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Good News
The gospel is God’s good news to sinful humans.
• It is the good news that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).
• It is the good news that “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).
• It is the good news that “Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
• It is the good news that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
• It is the good news that “God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 13:30).
• It is the good news that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
• It is the good news that, “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15).
What will you do with this good news?
☐Believe it.
☐Reject it.
☐ Neglect it.
☐I have already believed it and received Christ as my Savior.

Friday, January 14, 2022

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Do It
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother…first findeth his own brother Simon…And he brought him to Jesus” (John 1:40-42).
Have you been saved recently? Perhaps you have begun to serve the Lord, almost without knowing it. Like Andrew, you have sought out some brother, some friend, that you might bring to Jesus. Having found the Lord yourself, you did it without being told, just as a duckling, when hatched, instinctively waddles to the pond. If so, thank God and do not tire. Go on, and having sought to bring your friends to Jesus, enlarge your borders and still go on!
There are so many ways of serving the Lord — by personal conversations, tract distributing, visiting the sick, Sunday School work, and the public preaching of the Gospel and ministry of the Word to believers. Ask the Lord what you are to do, and, having found out, DO IT.
• Do it in obedience to the principles laid down in the Word of God.
• Do it prayerfully.
• Do it in fellowship with your fellow Christians.
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Thursday, January 13, 2022

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Our Reaction
It has been stated that life is determined more by our reactions than our actions. Much of life comes to us without any action on our part. Circumstances are brought on without our asking or acting. It is then that our reaction counts. There are two ways that we can react.
Firstly, we can react in self-pity and frustration, with a woe-is-me attitude. This will only make us depressed and despondent, like Jeremiah who said, “Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it” (Jeremiah 10:19).
On the other hand, we can accept what comes our way realizing that it is all allowed of our loving, heavenly Father, and that it comes from His good hand with a purpose of love and blessing. This will cause us to react with spiritual courage and confidence and cause us to grow in the Lord. It will cause us to react to trouble and difficulty like the Apostle Paul who said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). What will your reactions be today? Will they be for the glory of the Lord and the blessing of others?

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

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Temporary
Traveling Highway 131 north out of Grand Rapids Michigan, I noticed a billboard with the caption:
LIFE IS A TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT!
If we were to translate this into the language of Scripture it would read, “What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).
Our journey through this world is very brief in relationship to eternity. That’s why we need to make every day count for the Lord. What will really matter when we get to heaven and see the Lord? How much we made things count for our own pleasure and gain, or how much our life counted for His glory and for the blessing of others?
David said of humanity, “His days are as a shadow that passeth away” (Psalm 144:4).
Job observed, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not” (Job 14:1-2).
Life is temporary! Let’s make it worthwhile!

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

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Three Good Verses
Here is a good verse to remember at the beginning of each day:
“This is the day
which the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it”
(Psalm 118:24).
Here is a good verse to remember at the end of each day:
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for Thou, Lord,
only makest me dwell in safety”
(Psalm 4:8).
Here is a good verse to remember throughout the whole of each day:
“Evening, and morning, and at noon,
will I pray, and cry aloud:
and He shall hear my voice”
(Psalm 55:17)

Monday, January 10, 2022

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Dear Young Christian,
A friend of mine recently made the comment, “Even though I’m trying to go faster, I keep getting further behind.” It reminded me of an old Amish saying, “The faster I go the behinder I get.” Someone else recently commented, “I’m going as hard as I can, but I’m not sure where it’s getting me.”
I suppose we all feel like this from time to time. We feel a bit like the hamster in its cage, running on its wheel and not getting anywhere. Perhaps this is how the Lord’s disciples felt on the occasion when the Lord said, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31). Life can get hectic in the rat-race-society in which most of us find ourselves. But perhaps the Lord is encouraging you to slow down a little and take some time with Himself. King David was a busy man, but we read that he took time and, “sat before the Lord” (2 Samuel 7:18). We all need this example!
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, January 9, 2022

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Unsearchable
The dictionary definition of the word “unsearchable” is as follows: “Not capable of being searched or explored…not fully understood…beyond search or investigation… inscrutable.”
Here are 4 things concerning the character and ways of God that we will never be able to fully understand:
His Deeds:
“Unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number” (Job 5:8-9).
His Greatness:
“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3).
His Judgments:
“How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out” (Romans 11:33)!
His Riches:
“The unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).
We have an awesome God, and though we do not, and never will, fully enter in to who He is, yet today we can “worship Him in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

Saturday, January 8, 2022

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Freedom
On March 16th, 1985, Terry Anderson, who was the Middle East bureau chief for the Associated Press, was taken hostage by Shiite Hezbollah militants while playing tennis in Beirut, Lebanon. He was eventually released on December 4th, 1991, after 2,455 days of confinement. That month the December 16th issue of Time Magazine carried his picture on the cover with a smile of relief and freedom on his face. He was indeed free at last!
However, there is a far more serious imprisonment that shackles the human race and those who are not saved. Satan holds them in the bondage of sin. The Bible declares, “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins” (Proverbs 5:22).
The good news is that there is freedom and pardon offered by God through His Son. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Unless we avail ourselves of this offer of freedom, we will be held in the chains of sin and the confines of hell for eternity. Today life and liberty are available through the Great Emancipator, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the work He accomplished at Calvary.

Friday, January 7, 2022

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God Said It
“Thy Word is Truth” (John 17:17).
Today this quote caught my eye while thumbing through an old periodical, entitled Christian Truth:
“If I do not believe the Bible till it is sanctioned by some one or something else, I do not believe it at all; rather it is the sanction I believe.”
In other words, I don’t accept the Biblical account just because science and history prove it to be true. While true science and accurate history will never counteract the Bible but always confirm and uphold it, yet I accept it because it is the Word of God.
This is faith! Faith rests on the Word of God without question. If I believe it because someone else proved it, I do not have faith in God but in someone else. This is shaky ground at best since man’s opinions and ideas are more often than not subject to change. Growing up I often heard this quote:
God said it, I believe it, that settles it!
I trust that it settles it for all my readers.

Thursday, January 6, 2022

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Every Day
“Alway rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10).
I grew up singing the following hymn written by Philip Doddridge (1702-1751).
O happy day that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Savior and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice
And tell its raptures all abroad.
Happy day! happy day!
When Jesus washed my sins away.
He taught me how to watch and pray,
And live rejoicing every day.
Happy day! happy day!
When Jesus washed my sins away.
I hope each of my readers has had that “happy day” when you came to know Jesus as Savior and had the joy of sins forgiven and knowing that you were now saved.
If you have had that wonderful experience then the Lord wants to teach you to “watch and pray, and live rejoicing every day.” It doesn’t mean there won’t be sorrows and tears, but it does mean you can have the joy of the Lord in your heart every day of your Christian life.

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

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Fretting, Fearing, And Fainting
“Fret not” (Psalm 37:1).
“Fear not” (Isaiah 43:5).
“Faint not” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
These exhortations are very real and very practical.
To fret or worry is to not trust the Lord for what is ahead, and to question His wisdom and ability to plan our lives. It is also the result of not understanding His power and the resources that are at our disposal to meet the enemy. It may also be the result of impatience regarding the Lord’s schedule in our life. We are told, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself” (Psalm 37:7).
Fretting leads to fear. Fear of our enemy, Satan, fear of the present circumstances, and fear of the future. It is also the result of a lack of faith in the Lord and not realizing that He holds us in His hands, and is ever ready to help us. “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:13).
The end result of fretting and fearing is fainting. “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small” (Proverbs 24:10).This is because we have not relied on the Lord’s power.Our strength is small but His is limitless.

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

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His Love & Care
“He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
The sun was shining on the trees,
There was a gentle southern breeze;
Life was so sweet, my Lord was there,
I knew His gracious love and care.
Then darkness shrouded all around,
I could not see, no light was found;
Yet still my life was sweet and fair,
I knew His gracious love and care.
The road was smooth, then turned so rough,
The circumstances good, then tough:
In either case I could forbear;
I knew His gracious love and care.
And when in heaven I take my seat,
Or fall in worship at His feet,
I’ll understand, with joy declare,
I knew His gracious love and care.

Monday, January 3, 2022

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Dear Young Christian,
As I begin writing these calendar pages, I am in South Carolina making plans for a conference in France later in the year. Just before coming here, I was in western Kentucky making plans for a young people’s camp next month. I have booked several flights this week and hope to be here and there for various activities in the next few weeks. Yes, I also expect the Lord to come at any moment, and I love the promise that states, “Behold, I come quickly” (Revelation 3:11).
As this year begins to slip away, one thing is for certain — the coming of the Lord is closer than it has ever been. However, we still need to make plans and live our lives from day to day. We are exhorted, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). So as you map out your weeks and years, remember, we need to make plans, but as we do so we need to always keep in mind that those plans may be interrupted at any moment by the Lord’s coming, which will summon us safe home to the Father’s house.
Your Christian Friend,
Jim Hyland

Sunday, January 2, 2022

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In The Spirit
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10).
This statement was made by the Apostle John while in exile on the Isle of Patmos. On that particular Lord’s day, also referred to as the “first day of the week” (Acts 20:7), John was in such a state of soul that he could receive a special revelation from the Lord.
We too can have precious thoughts of the Lord’s person and work if we are in such a state. Today we do not receive new revelation like John did, but we can have fresh enjoyment from meditating on the Scriptures, which bring before us our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, in one way or another.
On this Lord’s day let’s be in such an attitude that the Spirit of God can bring before us “the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). This will produce true worship and praise. Then, like John, our hearts will burst forth,
“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6).

Saturday, January 1, 2022

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Not Saved
“We are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).
I hope, at the beginning of another year, that this statement from the Bible does not apply to any of the readers of this calendar. If it does, please consider carefully the following verses:
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
“Look unto Me, and be ye saved” (Isaiah 45:22).
“Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
“When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are” (Luke 13:25).
If you are not saved, don’t put off coming to the Lord and receiving Him as your Savior. Time is short, and eternity is a reality! You may never have opportunity to even turn another calendar page.
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