Young Christians Calendar

January 2023

“The Son of Man…gave authority to His servants, and to every man his work” (Mark 13:34).

After we are saved, the Lord Jesus gives us the privilege of working for Him. When the Lord Jesus was here on earth, His disciples helped Him with the work He was doing. He is well able to do His work without us, but He likes to have us work with Him. All of us are not suited to do the same thing, and since there are different kinds of work to be done, the Lord gives each one his or her own work to do.

If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, He has a special work for you to do for Him, and He will give you the ability to do it. No one else can do it as well as you, for it is your special work. Perhaps you ask, What is my special work? If you do not know, then simply do what is obvious to you. There is usually something “right in front of us” that we can do, and do it for the Lord. If we show that we are willing to work for the Lord Jesus, He will make it clear what He wants us to do.

Monday, January 30, 2023

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“Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27).

When we talk about bearing a cross, some people think of our having a particularly hard time in our life, such as losing our job, having a long-term illness, or perhaps having a problem in our family that lasts a long time. But in the days when this verse was written, if you saw a man carrying a cross, and walking down the road surrounded by soldiers, it meant only one thing. That man was going to die! When the Romans decided to execute a man, they usually made him carry on his back the actual cross on which he would be crucified.

What then does the Lord mean when He says that we too must carry our cross, if we want to be His disciple? He means that we must give up our own will, and die to all the things that we might wish to do, in order to do what pleases the Lord. We must be willing to give up our natural plans, and be willing to do what the Lord tells us. This might seem hard, but it is a happy path, for in doing the Lord’s will, we will have an inner joy that nothing else can give.

Sunday, January 29, 2023

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“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

You will remember that the first passover was kept in Egypt, when the Israelites had to put blood on the doors of their houses, so that the Lord would not enter that night and destroy the firstborn in that house. They were to keep that passover every year, as a remembrance of their deliverance from being slaves in Egypt.

You and I have a much greater deliverance, for Christ was the true passover, and the passover kept in the Old Testament was only a picture of His death on Calvary’s cross. Now we no longer keep the passover, but the Lord Jesus has asked us to remember Him. We are not to do this only once a year, but every Lord’s day. The Lord Jesus appreciates it when we remember Him in His death, as He has asked us to do.

Saturday, January 28, 2023

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“If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).

When we first come to know the Lord Jesus as Savior, we enjoy the wonderful privilege of having salvation given to us as a free gift. We cannot pay for it, for the Lord Jesus has already paid the full price on Calvary’s cross. But we soon learn that though salvation is free, to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus is costly. That is what the Lord Jesus was reminding people about in today’s verse.

It does not mean that we actually hate our closest relatives and family. Rather it means that in our lives, the Lord Jesus must have the first place, even before our families. Sometimes people get saved when their parents and family are not saved, and in some countries in this world this means that the one who gets saved is literally sent out of the house, and not allowed to live at home anymore. I have known more than one young person to whom this happened, and it was very hard for them. But they would not give up the Lord Jesus, because He meant so much to them. We cannot be a disciple of the Lord unless we want to give Him the first place in our life.

Friday, January 27, 2023

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“I hate vain thoughts: but Thy law do I love” (Psalm 119:113).

Another good translation reads, “The double-minded have I hated: but Thy law do I love” (JND trans.).

Sometimes when we are young, and we do not know how to figure something out, our parents may say to us, “You have a head on your shoulders; use it!” This verse does not mean that we should not use our brains to figure things out. God gave us good brains, and in natural things He intends us to use them. But when the Lord tells us in His Word to do something, we should not think it over, and try to reason it out. Rather we should obey it, and this is the secret of being an overcomer. To be double-minded is to want to please the Lord, but also to want my own way. That kind of a Christian is not an overcomer. No, simple obedience to God’s Word is the way to overcome, and that is what this verse is telling us. Not only does obedience please the Lord, but it is the happy path for us too.

Thursday, January 26, 2023

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

This verse includes both young men and young women; God intends that they should be strong in their Christian faith. It does not mean that they are strong in themselves, but rather because the Word of God abides in them. How does God’s Word abide in us? It is not only by reading the Word of God, but by letting it sink down into our hearts, so that our lives are formed by it. This makes us strong as Christians, and we are able to overcome the wicked one — Satan.

Sometimes young people think that if only they could live somewhere else, or perhaps go out and serve the Lord in a foreign country, they would be able to overcome better. However, this is not true. If we cannot be overcomers at home, we cannot overcome anywhere. It is not our circumstances that make us able to overcome, but our state of soul before the Lord. The Lord may send us somewhere else to work for Him, but first we must show that we are willing to live for Him where we are now. It is often in the little things of life that our true strength as Christians shows itself.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

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“Overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Here is the positive side of yesterday’s verse. It is a good thing when we are not overcome of evil, and continue to swim against the current of this world. But this is not enough. No, we are to influence others in the right direction by telling them about the Lord Jesus. I remember hearing a story about a Christian boy in Russia about forty years ago who did this. His teacher at school, along with other students, made fun of him, and often tried to get him to say bad things about God and the Bible. One day his teacher said to him, “I want you to stand up and shake your fist in the face of God!” What an awful thing for her to say! The boy wisely replied, “Teacher, you have always told us that there is no God. Shall I shake my fist at someone who does not exist? But if there is a God, and I believe that there is, I am afraid to shake my fist at Him.” Not only was the boy not overcome of evil, but he overcame evil with good. The teacher had nothing further to say, for the Christian boy had been a good witness to her, and to the rest of his class.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

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“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Notice that there are two parts to this verse, one negative, and the other positive. Let’s talk about the negative side today. Yesterday we spoke about evil communications, and how it is easy to have our good manners corrupted by them. To be overcome is to be defeated, and sometimes in our Christian lives we can be defeated by the devil. There is a lot of evil in this world, and when we are surrounded by it at school, at work, and perhaps at other times, it is easy to give in to it. We are sometimes reminded that, as Christians, we should be like fish which swim against the current.This takes a lot of energy. The current of this world is going in the wrong direction, and we need energy from the Lord to swim against the current. But it is easy to get tired of doing this and decide simply to let the current carry us along.

We do not need to do this. The Lord will give us strength not to be overcome of evil, but to continue to swim in the right direction, against the current of this world.

Monday, January 23, 2023

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“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

A communication is something we hear — something we listen to. If we spend time in bad company, and listen to wrong things, it is very easy to fall into the same way of thinking and speaking ourselves. I knew a boy who was brought up in a Christian home, but who got into bad company at school and later at work. Soon he was using bad language, often swearing when he spoke, and even sometimes making fun of the Bible and the things concerning the Lord. Why did he do this? Deep down inside he knew it was wrong, but when he spent time with the wrong friends, he started to become like them. It sounded “cool” to swear and make fun of the Word of God, and his “good manners” that he had learned at home became corrupted.

The Lord tells us in the next verse to “awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God” (1 Corinthians 15:34). If we find ourselves being corrupted by evil communications, we need to wake up, and ask the Lord to help us to do what is right.

Sunday, January 22, 2023

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“And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself” (Colossians 1:20).

Some years after World War II, an American serviceman was traveling with some friends in Germany. When they came to the outskirts of one city, the serviceman remarked on how busy it was — people shopping, getting gas for their cars, etc. But then he went and stood quietly on a street corner and closed his eyes. He told his friend afterwards that he was remembering what it was like on that exact spot back during the war. He had been there and had seen many of his fellow servicemen killed there. The activities of peacetime were all around him, but he remembered the price that was paid for that peace.

A much greater price was paid for our peace with God, for as we see in our verse, it was the blood of the Lord Jesus, shed on Calvary’s cross, that made our peace with God. We too ought to remember the cost of our salvation, and especially on this day, the Lord’s day.

Saturday, January 21, 2023

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“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

Yesterday we spoke about addictions, and how that it is important not to be brought under the power of wrong things in our lives. But what if this has already happened? Is there no way to get rid of a bad habit? I remember a girl who used to come to our Sunday school, and she was already addicted to cigarettes. She was about fifteen years old, and she could hardly sit through Sunday school because she had such a craving for another cigarette.

Often, we cannot change or get rid of bad habits in our own strength, but if we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we can go to Him and ask Him to help us stop that bad habit. Paul knew that he could do all things, if he was depending on the Lord’s strength, and not on his own. I have known several people who were able to stop bad habits, because they accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, and then asked the Lord to take away the desire for those bad things. It is not always easy, and Satan may continue to tempt us, even as Christians, but if we look to the Lord, He will help us to overcome a bad habit.

Friday, January 20, 2023

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“All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were responsible before God to keep the law He had given. They readily agreed, but they soon found out that they could not keep it.

Now, in Christianity, we are no longer under law. Rather, we have a new life in Christ — a life that wants to please Him. The Lord wants us to let that new life show itself in our Christian walk. However, if we are not careful, we can allow bad habits in our lives that turn into an addiction, and then, as our verse says, we are “under the power” of that habit. I have known people who were under the power of smoking, alcohol, drugs, and perhaps other things. Many of these people would like to stop doing these things, but the craving for them is just too strong. Even things like sports, food, money and entertainment can become addictions, and have power over us.

The Apostle Paul was concerned that he would not be brought under the power of anything in his life. We too should be careful not to develop a habit that can become an addiction, so that we cannot stop doing it, even if we want to.

Thursday, January 19, 2023

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“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and…he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10).

Daniel was in a very difficult situation here. Some people who worked with him did not like him, and they persuaded the king to pass a law saying that, for a whole month, no one was allowed to make a request to any God or man, except to the king. Anyone who did so would be thrown into the den of lions. They knew that Daniel prayed three times a day, and they thought that that this would be a good chance to get rid of him. In those days, kings sometimes kept lions captive in a den, and they did not feed them regularly. Then, if the king was angry with someone, they might be thrown into the den. What a terrible way to die!

Daniel knew that the king had signed this law, but he had formed a good habit of praying three times a day, and he continued to pray, trusting the Lord to look after him. We all know the result. He was thrown into the den of lions, but the Lord did not allow the lions to harm him. The next morning, when Daniel was let out of the den of lions, the king commanded to throw all those people who did not like Daniel into the den. What an awful judgment on them! You may read this story in Daniel, chapter 6.

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

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“His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue…having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

As human beings, we tend to be creatures of habit. We do certain things every day, and that routine becomes a habit. But as we know, there are good habits and bad habits. To form good habits requires virtue, or moral courage, for it involves making the right choices in the things we do. An old proverb says, “Sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character: sow a character, reap a destiny.” This sequence does not always have to happen, for bad habits can be changed or replaced, but those who have studied habits tell us that on average it takes only three acts to form a habit, but it takes about twenty-seven opposite acts to change a habit, or get rid of it. Bad habits are not easy to get rid of!

Since we tend to live by our habits, it is very important to form good ones, and not bad ones. Then we will do the right thing simply because we are used to doing it, and it is part of us. Also, if we find ourselves sliding into a bad habit, it is good to stop it right away, before it becomes fixed in our life.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

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“Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15).

In our everyday lives, we are constantly compelled to make choices. We must decide what we are going to wear when we get up in the morning, what we are going to eat for breakfast, and what we are going to do with our time that day. Some of these choices are not too important. After all, does it really matter whether I have cereal or scrambled eggs for breakfast? But other choices are very important. The choice in our verse today was a challenge issued by Joshua to the children of Israel more than 3,000 years ago. Their ancestors had served idols in Ur of the Chaldees, and the Israelites themselves had worshiped idols in Egypt. Then, as soon as they came out of Egypt, they made a golden calf to worship. (They had learned how to worship the cow in Egypt.)

Now they were told to make a choice: would they serve the Lord, or continue to worship idols? You and I might never think of making a literal idol, but we may go after things in this world that can be like idols to us. They take our time, money, and strength, and rob us of what we should be doing for the Lord. How important it is to make the right choice, and serve the Lord!

Monday, January 16, 2023

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“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

We have talked about the Olympic games and learned some lessons from them. In today’s verse we see the kind of race that we run in our Christian life. As we know, there are races of different lengths in the Olympics. The shortest running race in modern day Olympics is the 100-meter dash, while the longest is a marathon of more than 26 miles, or 42.2 kilometers.

Our verse tells us to “run with patience the race that is set before us,” for the Christian life is a marathon, not simply a “dash” that is over in fewer than ten seconds (if you are a fast runner!) It is necessary to have patience, for there may be many obstacles in a marathon, and we need endurance in order to finish the race. Some who start to run a marathon do not finish, as their strength gives out, and they are compelled to quit. But if we are “looking unto Jesus,” we will find that we can run with His strength, and then we can be assured of finishing the race.

Sunday, January 15, 2023

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“My God, I cry by day, and Thou answerest not…and Thou art holy, Thou that dwellest amid the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:2-3 JND).

When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, we do not read of any audible cry to God until right at the end of the three hours of darkness. But during all that time, there was the inward cry to God as He felt the weight of our sins being placed upon Him. But God is holy, and could not answer those cries. When the Lord Jesus bore our sins, He was “made sin” for us. That means that God had to deal with Him as He would have had to deal with us as sinners. This is something that overwhelms us when we think of it. Have we thanked the Lord Jesus for all that He endured for us? Because the Lord Jesus suffered for us, we will never make a cry to God that He cannot answer.

Saturday, January 14, 2023

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“They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Those chosen to compete in the Olympics are excited. Most will come home without any medals, for there are only three winners in each event, and they will receive gold, silver or bronze medals. Some really good athletes have won more than one coveted gold medal.

Yet the Word of God calls all these medals “a corruptible crown,” for they are only for this life. The world may praise those who excel in the games, but then the individual gets older and can no longer compete. The world soon forgets about them. Sometimes even the medals get lost. I read about a man who won a gold medal in rowing back in 1935, but then a squirrel somehow stole his medal, and many years later he found it in a nest in his attic!

When we live for the Lord’s glory in this world, no one else may notice, but the Lord is keeping a careful record of all that is done for Him. In a coming day, He will give out His rewards, and they will not be merely for time. No, they will be “incorruptible,” and will last for all eternity. That reward will never get lost!

Friday, January 13, 2023

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“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

As I write this in July, 2021, the summer Olympics have just begun in Tokyo, Japan. Two girls from the small town near to where I live have qualified to represent Canada at the games, one in golf, and the other as a swimmer.

The one who is a swimmer was interviewed by a local newspaper recently. During the interview, she stated, “I always swim better when I am happy, and when other people are cheering for me.” This is understandable, for our minds do affect our bodies, and the Word of God says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

However, if our happiness depends on circumstances in this world, then it can go up and down. In our verse for today, it is the Lord’s joy in us that is being spoken about. This never changes! As Christians we do not look for the world’s approval, but we can always experience and appreciate the Lord’s joy in us. If we are living to please Him, then He is always there to “cheer us on,” even if no one else does! Then we live our Christian life in His strength, not our own. When we recognize His joy in us, then it brings joy to our hearts too. The Lord Jesus could say, “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11).

Thursday, January 12, 2023

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“After all this…Josiah…hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo” (2 Chronicles 35:20, 22).

This verse is very sad, for it shows us that even though we may have pleased the Lord for many years, yet we can be led astray by Satan, and fail to listen to what the Lord is saying to us. Josiah evidently did not like it that the king of Egypt was going to fight at Carchemish by the river Euphrates. To do this, the king of Egypt would have had to pass right through the land of Israel, and Josiah wanted to get involved. But it was not the mind of the Lord for Josiah to do so, and he would not listen to advice from Necho king of Egypt, even though it was a word from the Lord. The result was that the Lord allowed Josiah to be killed in the battle, at the age of only thirty-nine. How sad! Josiah had gotten rid of idols, had repaired the temple, and had kept a wonderful passover. Yet he died in battle because he would not listen to the word of the Lord.

This should be a lesson to all of us, for it is easy to become proud when the Lord has used us to honor Him, and then Satan can take advantage of us. Only by walking with the Lord can we be kept from doing what dishonors Him.

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

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“Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem…and there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet” (2 Chronicles 35:1, 18).

In the eighteenth year of his reign Josiah kept a passover, and it must have been a wonderful time. It was such a happy time that the Spirit of God says there was no passover like it since the days of Samuel, who lived almost 500 years before!

As Christians we no longer keep the passover. It has been replaced by the remembrance of the Lord. We read in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” Just as the children of Israel were to remember when they were delivered from death in their homes in Egypt, so the Lord wants us to remember what He did for us on Calvary’s cross. He says to each of us, “This do in remembrance of Me.”

When Josiah kept this passover, his country, Israel was not behaving well. They had failed greatly in following the Lord, but God still valued those who kept that passover, and today He values those who remember His Son in death. The church today is not in a very good state either, but the Lord Jesus appreciates those who remember Him in the way in which He has asked us.

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

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“For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images” (2 Chronicles 34:3).

Today we see Josiah in the eighth and twelfth years of his reign. This would make him sixteen and twenty years old. Between the ages of eight and sixteen we grow up quite a bit; boys become young men, and girls become young women. Sad to say, sometimes young people at this age decide not to follow the Lord, but rather turn away from Him, and follow their own wills. But Josiah continued to seek the Lord, and at twenty was ready to act for the Lord. Evidently there were many idols in the land — gods made of wood, stone, metal, etc., and Josiah started to get rid of them.

Anything in our lives that becomes more important than the Lord can be an idol, and that is why the Apostle John says to believers, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). He did not mean literal idols, but things of this world that we tend to want, and which rob us of our time and ability to do what is right before the Lord. Let us be like Josiah and get rid of them!

Monday, January 9, 2023

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“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign…and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 34:1-2).

How would you like to be king when you were only eight years old? You might think that it would be an exciting thing to be a king at that age, but I believe that Josiah realized the big responsibility that was connected with it. He probably had older men who helped him make decisions when he was young, but the Word of God records that “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,” even at a young age.

It is important to accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior when we are young, and then tobe able to use our life for the Lord. Josiah did not have a good father, and his grandfather was a very wicked king, yet young Josiah wanted to please the Lord. Probably none of us have fathers and grandfathers as wicked as Josiah did, but perhaps some who read this calendar are not growing up in Christian homes. If so, you can still come to the Lord Jesus, accept Him as your Savior, and then ask Him for help to do what is right in your Christian life. A good beginning is a wonderful thing, and often sets a pattern for our entire life.

Sunday, January 8, 2023

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

We have seen that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin, and makes us fit for the presence of God. But here we read about water that also flowed from the Lord’s side. Water in the Bible usually speaks of the Word of God. God cleanses us from our sins by the blood of Christ but does not leave us with only a sinful nature. No, by His Word and His Spirit He gives us a new life that wants to please Him. Then, we might say, we have “the whole package,” and our Christian state is complete. Our sins are forgiven, but we are also clean morally, so that we may live to please the Lord.

We first of all get the new life, and then, as we have seen earlier, we need the constant application of the water (the Word of God) to keep us clean as we go through this sinful world. So the water is applied once when we are saved, but then we need our feet washed regularly. This may sound a bit complicated, but it simply means that God washes us all over when we get saved, but then needs only to wash our feet afterwards.

Saturday, January 7, 2023

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“Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26).

I grew up on a farm, and I and my brothers often went barefoot during the summer. As you can imagine, we usually got our feet dirty, and my mother made us wash them before we came into the house. The same thing happens to us in a different way, when we walk through this world as Christians. We come in contact with sin, and we see and hear things that defile us, just like dirt on our feet. Then we need what we have in our verse for today — the “washing of water by the Word.” The Bible is like water to a believer; it washes away the dirt of sin with which we come in contact in the world around us.

The Lord Jesus not only died for us, but He wants to set us apart from this world. That is what the word “sanctify” means — to set apart. For this reason it is important to read our Bibles every day. It is good also to have your own Bible, and to read it for yourself. You may not always understand everything you read, but it will have the effect of cleansing you from the sinful things you see and hear in your Christian walk through this world day by day.

Friday, January 6, 2023

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“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).

We have spoken about the importance of baptism, and how there is power in the death and resurrection of Christ to keep us from continuing to sin after we are saved. But what if we do sin? What should we do then? Do we lose our salvation if we sin? Do we have to come to the Lord Jesus and be saved all over again?

Our verse today answers these questions for us. Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we can never be lost again, for God says, “They shall never perish” (John 10:28). We do not need to be saved again, nor do we need another application of the blood of Christ. Rather, we need to come to the Lord and confess the sin, and when we do this, we find out that the sin which we have committed has already been laid on the Lord Jesus on the cross. God can be “faithful and just” in forgiving us, not to save us again, but to restore us to a happy relationship with Him. How gracious of the Lord to make this possible! God never assumes that we will sin, but He has made a way for us to enjoy His company again, if we do sin.

Thursday, January 5, 2023

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“For ye, as many as have been baptized unto Christ, have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27 JND).

This verse indicates to us another aspect of baptism that is very important. When we are baptized, we recognize that we are now identified with the name of Christ. Sometimes people today wear a T-shirt that has a slogan or saying across the front it, and often this particular slogan represents something which the person really believes, and wants to tell the world. When we are baptized, it is just as if we wore a T-shirt with “Christ” written across it. We are really telling the world that we belong to Christ, and are happy to be identified with His name.

It is similar to an army uniform. When a recruit joins the army, the first thing the army does is to issue him a uniform. That uniform does not make him a soldier, but it identifies him as a soldier. Also, the uniform is distinct for each country, so that we not only know that this man is a soldier, but we know to which country he belongs. Since he is wearing that uniform, he is expected to behave in a right way, and not bring disgrace on his country.

So it is with us when we are baptized. We are identified with Christ, and He expects us to act in a way that honors Him.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

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“As many [of us] as have been baptized unto Jesus Christ were baptized unto His death” (Romans 6:3 JND).

When people got saved in the New Testament after hearing the gospel, one of the first things that was brought before them was the importance of being baptized. We must realize, of course, that baptism has nothing to do with our eternal salvation before God, for it is only the blood of Christ that can wash our sins away. Rather, baptism consists of going under the water and coming up again, and speaks of our turning our back on what we were before we were saved. We recognize that our old sinful self has nothing good in it toward God. But then, when we come out of the water, we recognize that we have a new life in Christ — a life that wants to please the Lord. We identify with the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, for He went into death and shed His blood for us, not merely to wash away our sins by His blood, but to deliver us from the power of sin in our Christian lives. Now that we are saved, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. God wants to see our new life in Christ acting in our daily life and doing things that please Him. Now we can consider ourselves to be “dead indeed unto sin,” but “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:11).

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

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“When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).

If you are a true Christian, you will find that there are many in this world who do not want to hear about the Lord Jesus. If you live your life for the Lord, and speak about Him, people in the world may make fun of you, or try to get you to lose your temper. I remember reading about a Christian girl who lived more than 200 years ago, and because her family was poor, she came to school with a large patch on her dress. Her name was Mary Jones, but when a rude boy at her school saw the patch on her dress, he called her “Mary Patch.” Mary could have gotten angry at this insult, but instead she answered pleasantly, “Oh, I sewed that patch on myself.” The boy looked closely at the patch, and noticing the neat stitches, remarked, “My sister is much older than you, but she can’t sew that well!” Instead of making further rude remarks, the boy complemented her on her sewing.

We cannot help what people say to us as Christians, but we can reply in a kind and gentle way, that demonstrates to others that we want to please the Lord Jesus.

Monday, January 2, 2023

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“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).

Most of us are familiar with harvest time, which in the northern hemisphere usually occurs in September and October. At that time crops like wheat, corn, soybeans, and some fruits such as apples, pears, and grapes are gathered in, before the cold weather comes and winter sets in. Farmers are careful to harvest their crops at just the right time, observing the weather, and measuring such things as the sugar content of corn or grapes, or the coloring of apples. These things are important, so that the particular crop being harvested is of a good quality, and able to be sold.

But are we taking the same care for our soul’s salvation? In Luke 12:16-21, the Lord Jesus told of a rich man who had an abundant harvest, and who even had to build bigger barns in which to store it all. Yet God calls him a fool, for he had made careful preparation for this life, yet never considered the fact that when he died, he must leave it all behind. God said to him, “This night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (verse 20). It is most important to prepare for eternity by accepting the Lord Jesus as our Savior, and then to lay up our treasure in heaven.

Sunday, January 1, 2023

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“Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness” (Psalm 65:11).

At the beginning of a new year, we can all look back and thank the Lord for His loving care to us during the past year. Yes, this world has been spoiled by sin, and we still see the effects of it all around us. One day the Lord will remove the curse from the earth, but now we still see plants dying, and animals and people suffering.

However, God in His love and grace has kept this world from the full effects of man’s sin, and we see evidence of His goodness in our lives every day. You cannot think of one good thing that you enjoyed today that did not ultimately come from God! This includes things like the good food we eat, the sense of taste to enjoy it, the warmth of the sun, and the pleasure of a hug from a relative or a good friend. All of this is God’s goodness to us. Have we thanked Him for all these things?

More important, have we accepted the most important gift that God offers us — the gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ? When God gave His Son to die for us, He gave the greatest gift He could; He could not give more. Have you accepted Him as your Savior?