Young Christians Calendar

June 2024

“His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14).

Many years ago now, when I was still a teenager, I well remember standing beside the casket containing the body of a young man who had been killed in a car accident. The undertakers had done their best to cover the wounds on his face, but they were very evident. That young man was a Christian, and so was his family. His father approached and repeated to me our verse for today, reminding me that the Lord Jesus had suffered abuse to His face more than any man. I never forgot it.

We know that it was not our Lord’s sufferings at the hands of man that put away our sins. No, that punishment happened during the three hours of darkness, when this world was not allowed to look on. But His sufferings from the hands of man show us how much He loves us. What will it mean to us some day to look upon that blessed face!

Saturday, June 29, 2024

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“Yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

Have you ever grabbed a pen when someone was giving you their cell number or address and, for lack of paper, written it on your hand? I never have, but I’ve seen plenty of people do it! And there it is, staring at you continually until you transfer the information to a better place, and wash if off.

But here in our verse, the Lord is telling us that our names are graven on His palms. You cannot help but notice something on your palm, and the Lord doesn’t wash it off the next day as we would. It is there permanently! He is telling us that we are continually in His thoughts. His love and grace are always there for us. We will never ever be forgotten.

Our names, from the palms of His hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart they remain
In marks of indelible grace.

Augustus Toplady

Friday, June 28, 2024

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“Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness” (2 Peter 3:17).

God has told us various things in His Word so that we will understand what is going on in the world today, and also so that we may be warned about some of the traps that Satan wants us to fall into. Here He warns us that we may be led away with the “error of the wicked.” What kind of trap is Peter referring to?

I believe he is referring to what he said back in verse 4 of this same chapter, where he says that scoffers will begin to say about the Lord, “Where is the promise of His coming?” People who do not believe on the Lord Jesus and who do not believe that He will come back again will begin to make fun of those who do believe on Him. If we listen to them, those of us who are true Christians can become discouraged when the Lord does not come, and perhaps lose our confidence in God. Then we fall from our steadfastness, which simply means that we no longer go on steadily to please the Lord in this world. We tend to fall down to the level of this world.

It is important to retain our faith in God and His purposes, for God will never fail to carry out what He has promised us. He has always done what He said He would do, and He always will.

Thursday, June 27, 2024

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“Then I [the Lord Jesus] was by Him [God the Father]…rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and My delights were with the sons of men” (Proverbs 8:30-31).

Yesterday we were speaking about the universe, and how God created it to display His power and glory. Men can look at the stars and other heavenly bodies, and recognize the glory and power of God.

However, although God created those stars, many of them much larger than the earth on which we live, yet His delights were not with those beautiful stars. Nor were God’s delights with the parts of this earth that are not able to be inhabited. For example, we may see a very imposing mountain made of solid rock, and jutting up into the sky, and with some snow at the top. It is beautiful to look at, but we would not build a house up there and live on it. It does not say that God takes delight in that mountain, even though He created it to display His power.

However, God does take delight in the parts of this world where men can live, for God wants a relationship with His creature man. He created us in His own image, and loves each one of us. He is interested in us as individuals!

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

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“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork…there is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1,3).

As I write this in June, 2022, I am out here about 40 minutes by car north of the town of Jackson, Wyoming, USA. Wyoming is not heavily populated, and Jackson is not a big city. Because of this, on a clear night out here you can see the stars very clearly—much more clearly than if you are close to a big city. It is very impressive to see the Milky Way shining so brightly, with its many stars spread across the sky.

We might wonder why those stars are there, and why God created them. Here is one good reason in our verse today. Those stars are not fit for humans to live on them, but they display the glory of God. When the natural man sees those stars, even if he does not have a Bible, and does not know anything else about God, he is responsible before God. God has shown His power and glory through the creation of the universe, in order that men may realize His power. Even if a man does not have access to the Word of God, He can know something about God, and recognize His responsibility to Him.

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

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“By faith Abraham…looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:8,10).

Abraham grew up and lived in a city called Ur of the Chaldees, which was quite a modern city for those days. Yet today it is in ruins. We have some rather large and impressive cities in the world today, with tall buildings that are also impressive. Yet authorities tell us that if all the people were taken off this world, but everything else was allowed to go on, after 10,000 years you could not tell that man had ever been on this earth. Everything that man had made would have disappeared.

Abraham and his family were not looking for a permanent home down here, but rather a city with real foundations—a city that would not decay with time. Abraham never even owned land down here, except for a burial plot.

You and I should also look for something that is permanent—a heavenly home, which is eternal. Yes, we need shelter of some kind in this world, but whether we live in a nice home or a poor home, it is all temporary. Our real home is up there with Christ.

Monday, June 24, 2024

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“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house” (Hebrews 11:7).

When Noah lived on the earth, he had never seen rain fall. The earth was watered differently in those days; it says that “there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground” (Genesis 2:6). Up to the time that Noah lived, no one on the earth had seen rain. But God told Noah that He was going to send a flood on the earth, and Noah believed God, even though he had never seen anything like that before. Then Noah obeyed the Lord, and built an ark, as the Lord told him to do, so that he and his family could be saved when the flood came.

As always, God’s Word was true, and those who did not listen perished in the flood. It is much the same today, when the gospel is preached. Many do not believe it, and will perish in a lost eternity. But those who believe that judgment is coming on this world will come to Christ, and be saved from that awful judgment.

Sunday, June 23, 2024

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“The assembly of God, which He hath purchased with the blood of His own” (Acts 20:28 JND).

God the Father loves the assembly, even though there was nothing in us to draw out that love. He loved us so much that He bought us with the blood of His Son. Can you and I think of any higher price to pay for something than that? God was willing to give up His beloved Son in order to buy you and me, and to make us part of His assembly—His church. What a privilege it is to belong to that assembly, and to have been chosen to be there!

It is a privilege to come together on Lord’s Day, and to remember how much the Lord Jesus suffered in order to bring us back to God, and to make us part of the church.

Saturday, June 22, 2024

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“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And…they believed Philip…and…they were baptized…Then Simon himself believed also: and…he was baptized” (Acts 8:5,12-13).

Here we find another example of a man who believed with his head, but not in his heart. He was a man who used sorcery, which means that he impressed people with Satan’s power. But when he saw the power of the Holy Spirit exhibited by Philip, he realized that this was a greater power than he had. People were healed of their diseases, and were filled with the Holy Spirit by the laying on of Philip’s hands.

But then Simon offered money to the apostles, asking them to give him the power to lay his hands on people and have them receive the Holy Spirit. This showed clearly that he was not really saved, and Peter addresses him very faithfully, pointing out that Simon was in the “bond of iniquity.” This simply means that he was not saved, but still in his sins. We do not know whether he eventually got saved or not, for we do not hear of him again. We hope that he did repent and come to the Lord Jesus.

Friday, June 21, 2024

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“Now when He [the Lord Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them” (John 2:23-24).

At first glance, we may feel that it was a good thing for some to believe on the Lord Jesus, when they saw the miracles which He did. But then we read that the Lord Jesus did not commit Himself unto them. Why was this?

It was because it is possible for us to believe with our heads, yet not with our hearts. These people were impressed with the Lord’s miracles, for they saw divine power in those miracles. However, they did not realize that they were sinners and needed a Savior. They did not really recognize the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. Many thought that He was only a great prophet.

In the same way there are people today who know about the Lord Jesus, and who believe that He came into this world to save us. Yet they have never really come to Him and accepted Him as their Savior. Many people celebrate Christmas and sing Christmas carols, yet do not really know the Lord Jesus. How important it is to come to Him, not only because of His power to perform miracles, but because He is ready to save us!

Thursday, June 20, 2024

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“Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12).

This verse was spoken by the prophet Samuel, more than 3,000 years ago. He was reminding the children of Israel how the Lord had looked after them in the past, and would continue to look after them. It is the same for us today; He has looked after us in the past, and will continue to lead and guide us all the way home.

I am going to tell you all something personal now. I thought of this verse today because it is our wedding anniversary. As I write this in 2022, it is 52 years since we were married. We can truly say, in the same words Samuel used, “Hitherto (up until now) hath the Lord helped us.” We can also trust Him for whatever amount of time is left to us in this world.

Most of you who read this calendar are probably not even married yet, although some of our readers may be a bit older, and already have had some wedding anniversaries. But wherever we are in our lives in this world, we can look back and be thankful to the Lord for His help. We can count on that same help for as long as He leaves us here in this world.

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

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“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Three days ago we mentioned that in the New Testament we learn that God is light and that God is love. We also said that while these things were known to some extent in the Old Testament, yet they were not known in the same way as they are made known in the New Testament. In our verse for today we see that the Old Testament was characterized by law, where God was testing man, to see if there was any good in him naturally. God knew, of course, that there was no good in sinful man, but His testing proved it to man.

Then God sent His Son into the world, and grace and truth came by Him. Grace is the undeserved goodness of God to us, and we all like that. It is always nice to get something good that we do not deserve. But truth also came by Jesus Christ, and man did not like the truth. Man did not want to hear that he was not only a sinner, but a helpless sinner. He did not want to hear that he could not save himself, but must come to God, and accept His offer of mercy. But grace and truth cannot be separated; they go together.

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

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“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

It is true that many did not believe on the Lord Jesus when He came into this world, but we can be thankful that some believed. God had worked in their hearts, and they recognized the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. When they believed on Him, as we see in our verse today, a wonderful thing happened. He gave them the power to become the sons of God! This is something that was never given in the Old Testament, even to those who believed, and were faithful to the Lord. But now God is not only showing mercy to us, but He wants to make us part of His family.

Those who now believe on the Lord Jesus have new life in Him, and are given the wonderful privilege of being sons of God. Perhaps you already know this, but do we think about what it means? In this world it is nice to be born into a good family, and some people in this world are born as a baby into wealthy families, but no one in this world is ever born into the family of God. No, God must adopt us into His family, and He gladly does so, in spite of the fact that we are sinners. He washes away our sins with the blood of Christ, and then makes us part of His family.

Monday, June 17, 2024

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“Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26).

What the Lord Jesus says in this verse will really happen after every true Christian has been called home to be with the Lord. But it seems that in the last few years the Lord has been allowing some events that are giving this world a taste of what will happen in the future. As I write this in 2022, the Covid pandemic is slowing down, but now the war in the Ukraine is creating big problems of a different kind. The prices of everything are going up, and the future is very uncertain. Many people are very afraid, and wonder where it is all going to end. Maybe you have met some people in your life who are afraid, as they see the condition of things in this world.

You and I, who know the Word of God, know where it will end, for God has told us. We should be serious about our life, and be diligent in telling others about the Lord. But there is no reason to be afraid, for the Lord is in full control of all that is happening. He knows just how to arrange things in this world to accomplish His plans.

Sunday, June 16, 2024

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“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men…that was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” John 1:4,9).

When the Lord Jesus came into this world, the world was in darkness. Yes, the sun was shining, for our verses today are not talking about natural darkness, but rather moral darkness. God had spoken through prophets and others in the Old Testament, but man was still in moral darkness. Then the Lord Jesus came, and His perfect life was a light that lightened every man. We would probably understand verse 9 better if we read it this way—“that was the true Light that, coming into the world, lighteneth every man.” Even if man did not want the Lord Jesus, and did not believe on Him, yet His presence in this world was a light, and men are now more responsible. Through the Lord Jesus, God has shone a light into this world, and has shown not only the truth that God is light, but also that God is love. These truths were given in the Old Testament, but not in the same way. Now God has shown His character through the Lord Jesus, and men are responsible if they refuse the light.

Saturday, June 15, 2024

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“The chief priests and the scribes came upon Him [the Lord Jesus]…and spake unto Him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? Or who gave Thee this authority?” (Luke 20:1-2).

The Lord Jesus had just finished cleansing the temple, and driving out the money-changers, with them who bought and sold things. Then the Jewish leaders dared to ask Him who gave Him authority to do this. Normally it is not wrong to ask someone about their authority to do something, but for several years the Lord Jesus had been doing miracles, and proving who He was. Yet the people did not believe on Him, and disputed His authority over the temple. Eventually they found a way to crucify Him, thinking they had gotten rid of Him.

It is much the same today in this world. All the proof of the truth of the Bible, and all the evidence of God’s love for lost sinners, does not persuade man to come to Christ. Only a work of God in the soul can bring men to repent, but by the Holy Spirit the Lord does work in hearts, to draw souls to Him.

Friday, June 14, 2024

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“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

We have a bird feeding station outside our kitchen window, and love to watch the various birds come and go. There is also a bird bath there, where the robins and a few other birds who do not eat the seeds we put out, come just to refresh themselves on a hot day.

Yesterday I was sitting on our deck which is around the corner from the bird activity. But the deck has a glass panel instead of railings, and what goes on around the corner is reflected in the glass, even though it is not always sparkling clean! Suddenly I saw a flash of the most beautiful red as a bird settled on the bird bath. I couldn’t see it clearly, because the glass panel on the deck was dirty, but I could see just enough to know it was beautiful. Quietly I approached the corner and saw a bird called a scarlet tanager in all its beauty. I had never seen one before.

It reminded me of today’s verse. We look forward to seeing the Lord Jesus face to face, and we can enjoy and be happy in those thoughts. But what glory we will see when the darkened glass is removed, and we see His glory without any hindrance. Any day now!

Thursday, June 13, 2024

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“As He [the Lord Jesus] went out of Jericho…blind Bartimaeus…sat by the highway side begging…And he came…to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto Him, Lord, that I might receive my sight” (Mark 10:46,50-51).

We might wonder why the Lord Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” Surely the Lord Jesus knew very well that when a blind man called out loudly to Him, he wanted the Lord to give him his sight. That is true, for the Lord Jesus knew that this blind man was calling to Him so that he might be able to see. In the same way, the Lord Jesus knows what we want even before we pray to Him. Why then did the Lord ask this question?

It was because the Lord wanted to hear from his own mouth what he wanted. He wants to hear our voices too, in the same way that parents want to hear the voices of their children asking for things they want. The Lord Jesus is the same today. He wants to hear our voices in prayer, even though He knows ahead of time what we need. The Lord Jesus Himself had said, “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him” (Matthew 6:8).

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

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“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

We saw yesterday that the bad boy, John, felt that the Pharisee’s prayer just would not do for him. Then the Sunday school teacher read the prayer of the publican, and asked, “How about that prayer, John? Is that one better?” John was a tough boy, and today we would say that he was “street smart.” He was used to fighting, putting up with hardships, and not showing his emotions. But the Lord was working in his heart, and when he heard the prayer of the publican, he started to cry. “Yes,” he said, “that is the kind of prayer I need.” I am glad to tell you that John got saved that day, because he came to the Lord Jesus simply as a sinner—a bad boy.

The Pharisee did not realize that his heart was bad too, and that he needed a Savior just as much as the publican. If we have been brought up in a Christian home, we may have been kept from doing some of the bad things that others do, but our hearts are just as bad, and we need a Savior too.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

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“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are” (Luke 18:10-11).

About 100 years ago a particularly bad boy in a Sunday school in a city in Canada suddenly came to his teacher afterward and asked, “Are there any prayers in the Bible?” The teacher immediately said, “Yes, there are,” and proceeded to tell him about this prayer of the Pharisee. If you read Luke 18:11-12, you will see that the Pharisee told the Lord all the bad things that he did not do, and all the good things he did. The Pharisee was quite satisfied that he was a good man, and better than most other men.

The Sunday school teacher read the prayer out loud, and then asked the boy whether this prayer would do for him. But the boy, whose name was John, after hearing how the Pharisee prayed, immediately said, “No, that prayer won’t work for me! Everyone knows that I am a bad boy; I can’t tell the Lord that I am a good boy.” We will see tomorrow the other prayer that comes right after the one the Pharisee prayed.

Monday, June 10, 2024

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“The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).

As Christians, we should always act in a right way before the Lord, and this means acting in a right way before our fellow man as well. We have a new life in Christ that wants to do what is right, and to honor the Lord in the way we live. If we are righteous in the way we conduct ourselves, we will find that we live in the presence of God, and that we are free to pray to the Lord at any time. We will also have the sense in our souls that He hears us, and is ready to answer our prayers.

On the other hand, if we live in a careless and sinful way, and deliberately allow things in our lives that are dishonoring to the Lord, then we will find that we cannot really pray. If we try to do so, the words somehow will not come, and we will sense in our souls that there is a hindrance—a barrier, between us and the Lord. The Holy Spirit within us is grieved, and we will not be happy in the Lord’s presence until we confess our sin, and get right with the Lord.

Sunday, June 9, 2024

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“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

In the Old Testament, when the people of Israel were numbered, each one was to give half a shekel of money for the service of the tabernacle. It seems that somehow this part of the law had been corrupted by tradition, to try and say that redemption could be bought with money. Peter calls this “vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.” It was very clear, even in the Old Testament, that only the shedding of blood could accomplish redemption. The Lord said to Moses, “It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:11).

For all of us, it is the blood of Christ that puts our sins away. More than 100 years ago, an elderly Christian man lay dying. One of his sons asked him, “Father, do you have any doubt about where you are going?” He gave a good answer—“I have no doubt about the value of the blood of Christ.” That is what we can rest upon before a holy God.

Saturday, June 8, 2024

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“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

A steward is someone who is given responsibility for things that do not belong to him; rather he is entrusted with them by the owner, to use them properly, as the owner wishes. We saw yesterday that we are stewards of our money, but today we see that we are also stewards of our spiritual riches. What is the difference?

When you give away money to someone else, you have less of it yourself. But when you share your spiritual riches, you do not lose them; they are still yours. In fact, when you share spiritual riches, you enjoy them even more. In this way we are still stewards of them, but the Lord says (as we had in yesterday’s verses) that the spiritual riches are really our own, because even when we share them, we never lose them. We will not have money in heaven, but the spiritual riches will be ours for all eternity.

Again, our use of money and other natural things is an indication of how we will use spiritual riches. The Lord does not give spiritual riches to those who show clearly that they will not use them properly.

Friday, June 7, 2024

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“If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? If ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:11-12).

In this particular passage of Scripture, the Lord Jesus is speaking of how we handle money. He calls it the “unrighteous mammon,” for the love of money can be a root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). The things in this world, such as money and other material things, are not really ours. They are given to us by the Lord to use for Him. We can either waste them on ourselves, or we can use them for the Lord, and thus lay up treasure in heaven. But how we use the things in this world is often an indication of how we would use spiritual riches.

The Lord wants to give us that which is really our own—spiritual riches. But if we do not use natural things for the Lord, is He going to give us spiritual riches? No, for we have clearly shown that we are not mature enough spiritually to handle them correctly. We will say more about this tomorrow. If we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, then we should want to use whatever we have for Him.

Thursday, June 6, 2024

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“What king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31).

Yesterday we spoke about building in the Christian life, and here the Lord refers to warfare. This is not referring to war with military weapons, but rather to spiritual warfare. Satan and his evil angels (demons) are always trying to destroy the work of the Lord, and our enjoyment of Christ.

Satan is the king with twenty thousand men, and we are like the king with ten thousand. How can we win the battle? Perhaps, as verse 32 in our chapter says, we should try and arrange for peace. But then Satan will dictate the terms of the peace treaty, and will want us to give up some of the truth of God’s Word.

As we saw yesterday, there is only one way for us to win, and that is with the Lord’s help. He can help us win the battle, for He is stronger than Satan. Also, He can help us finish building the tower. If we really wish to follow the Lord Jesus, He can make it possible for us to do so!

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

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“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” (Luke 14:28).

When He was here on earth, many people followed the Lord Jesus because He fed them, and also healed them of their diseases. But He also reminded them that while salvation was free, there was a cost involved in being a disciple. Just as a man who was going to build a tower had first to count the cost, to make sure he had enough to finish it, so you and I need to count the cost of following the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus knew He was going to be rejected, and from that time on His followers would also be rejected and persecuted in this world. Sadly, many dear Christians have started out well in the Christian life, only to find that they were not willing to pay the price of being followers of the Lord. Then, when they turned away and went into the world, the world mocked them, just as they mocked the man who did not finish his tower.

Let us be honest and upright in following the Christ, and realize that only with His strength can we be faithful to Him in a world that has rejected Him.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

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“And death and hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged each according to their works: and death and hades were cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:13-14 JND).

Here is another very serious verse, for it tells us about the judgment of those who die without Christ. Two days ago we saw that the rich man in Luke 16 was in torments, even though his soul was separated from his body. Here we see that in the final judgment, death gives up the body, and hades gives up the soul. They are then reunited to one another, and the individual stands before the Lord Jesus to be judged. No believer will be there—only unbelievers. The books are opened, including the book of life. This makes it clear to those unbelievers that all their sins are recorded, and that their names are not in the book of life. God’s judgment is totally just.

Then there is that awful judgment—“cast into the lake of fire.” Scripture calls this the “second death.” Even though those unbelievers will live forever in hell, yet their existence is not spoken of as life, but rather as the second death.” The warning is clear, and God has given it to us, in order that souls may come to Christ before it is too late.

Monday, June 3, 2024

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“And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus…and it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:20,22).

Here in today’s verses we have the opposite of our verses two days ago. Lazarus was a poor beggar, yet he knew the Lord. When he died, the angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom. This does not mean that rich men go into a lost eternity, while poor beggars are taken to heaven. No, it simply means that often those who are poor find it easier to come to Christ than those who are rich. The poor beggar Lazarus evidently had faith, and trusted the Lord, while the rich man ignored the Lord.

For a Jew, to be with Abraham after leaving this world was the best thing he could think of. For you and me, who know the Lord Jesus as Savior, we know that when we leave this world, it is to be with Christ. Where He is will be home for us! But here God uses language that a Jew could understand; later, after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the whole truth of the gospel came out, and vital truth about what happens after death was made perfectly clear.

Sunday, June 2, 2024

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“And 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).

Long before this world was made, there was consultation within the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—as to who would come down into this world and settle the whole matter of sin. There was only One who was suited to go, and that was our Lord Jesus Christ. He must become a man to come down into this world, and His immediate reply is, “Here am I; send Me.” What a blessed answer to the cry, “Who will go for us?”

Sometimes you and I may volunteer to do something, but we do not realize how difficult it is going to be. Then, when we find how hard it is, perhaps we wish we had not been so quick to volunteer. However, the Lord Jesus knew exactly what this world was like, and He knew that He would be rejected by His own people. He also knew that He must be crucified and die, and then rise again the third day. Yet His love motivated Him to say, “Here am I; send Me.” What love was His! The Lord Jesus will never be disappointed in what He has done on the cross, for God’s glory and for our blessing.

Saturday, June 1, 2024

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“The rich man also died, and was buried. And in hades lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:22-23 JND).

The verses for today are some of the most solemn verses in the Bible, for the Lord Jesus is telling us for the first time exactly what happens to an unbeliever after death. Here was a man who had lived without God, and who had enjoyed life in this world as a rich man. But after he died, he was in torments, for he did not know the Lord. This was spoken particularly to the Pharisees, who were covetous and loved to be rich.

The word hades does not refer to a place, as often portrayed in Greek mythology, but is rather the condition of a soul without a body. Yet the rich man could feel, and could speak. He was being tormented, and yet knew that Lazarus, who had known the Lord, was there in the best place a Jew could think of—with Abraham.

It is an awful thing to go out of this world without Christ, and to be in a place of torment forever. I hope that everyone who reads this calendar knows the Lord Jesus as Savior.