Month: December 2019

The End

Well, here we are at the end of another year!

It is not so much that another year has finished that amazes me, but the fact that the Lord has not come to call the believers home to Himself in the Father’s house. How gracious and longsuffering our God is to this world of lost sinners, and how loving is His desire for the blessing and salvation of souls.

However, we have full assurance from the Word of God that, “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8). I can’t tell you whether it is going to be in 2020 or not, but one thing is for sure, we are closer to the Lord’s coming than we have ever been before, and it must be soon — very soon! His certain promise is, “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).

As we set our 2019 calendars aside and begin a new year, let’s remember to be “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

In the meantime, “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee” (Numbers 6:24).

Dear Young Christian:

In the twentieth chapter of the book of the Acts, we find that the Apostle Paul was about to leave Ephesus for the last time. The following words were spoken by Paul, to some of the Ephesian Christians on the beach just before he got into a ship. “I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Although there were many tears as they realized that they would not see each other on earth again, yet with confidence he committed them to God and His Word.

I have never met most of my readers, although I have talked to you many times from these pages. Like Paul, I too commend you to God and His Word. He alone is able to keep you in the path of faith and to give you the strength to live for Him no matter what the future holds. The writer, Jude, put it this way: “Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).

 Your Christian Friend,

 Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Praise Him

“A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations” (Psalm 100:1-5).

Worship, praise, and thanksgiving all go together. We worship the Lord for who He is. We praise Him for what He has done. We thank Him for what He has given to us. So today as we meet around the Lord Jesus to remember Him in His death, let’s remember to worship Him, praise Him, and thank Him.

We can praise Him at any time, of course. But it is a special privilege to praise Him collectively as we meet in His presence. He has done so much for us, and given us so many blessings. How can we not open our mouths in worship, praise, and thanksgiving?

Your Ultimate Aim

Consider this question: Are prosperity and the enjoyment of material things your ultimate aim in life?

Now consider what the Bible says on the subject:

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).

No, fulfilment in life requires more than material things. It requires a goal and a person that satisfies the soul, and the spiritual appetite.

In Luke 12:16-21, the Lord related a parable of a man who had accumulated a great deal of wealth, but left God out of his life. He seemed satisfied for a time, “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (verse 20-21).

Only the One who made us can satisfy us, both in this life and for eternity. “For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9). Is He your Savior? Is your heart satisfied with Him?

Monthly Question Page

Q.  “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mark 3:28-29).

Who does this apply to, especially when it says, “hath never forgiveness”?

• We will quote from the Concise Bible Dictionary:

This term is commonly applied to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, in attributing the miracles wrought by Christ to the power of Satan. There may be many sins against the Holy Spirit, but it was this special one of blasphemy of which the Lord said it should not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the age to come. “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matt. 12:31-32).

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Timing

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

There is an old saying, “Timing is everything.” According to the words of Solomon, recorded by divine inspiration in the above verse, this applies to our words and speech too.Another translation says, “As apples of gold in pictures of silver, is a word spoken in season.” A right word, at the right moment, is relevant and helpful for the situation or circumstance at hand.

Solomon also reminds us that there is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7).It’s often hard to know what to say and when to say it. The Lord can help us to be discerning in this matter. If we depend on Him, He can help us to say the right words at the right time, and in the right manner with the proper attitude. When words are spoken in this way it is always for the good and blessing of others. Of the Lord, the perfect example, we read, “And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).

Monthly Scripture Reading

Luke 2

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Reaching the Heart

“Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel”
(Proverbs 27:9).

There may be some young men reading this calendar who are exercised and interested in preaching the gospel. Here are a couple of good mottos to keep in mind when presenting the Word of God, whether in a public setting or to individuals:

• What comes from the heart, goes to the heart!

• Speak from the heart, and you will speak to the heart!

We always want to aim at the conscience when trying to reach souls, yet, when the heart is affected, there is the desired result and souls are draw to the Savior.

This is also true when encouraging our fellow Christians. “Speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), should always be our motto. If your heart is drawn to the person of Christ and His Word, you will be like the bride in the Old Testament, who said to the bridegroom, “Draw me” —that’s individual. The result was, “we will run after Thee” (Song of Solomon 1:4) — that’s collective.

Dear Young Christian:

“Turn not aside from following the Lord”
(1 Samuel 12:20).

Many of my readers are no doubt on a school break right now. You have some free time to relax and think, and do some sports or something recreational that you really enjoy and have been looking forward to. But don’t ever take a break from following the Lord. No matter what we are doing, whether school, work, or relaxation, we should always seek the Lord’s mind and seek to stay close to Him in our thoughts, hearts, and deeds. If we get lax in our Christian life, even for a day, our enemy Satan is going to be right there to tempt us and lead us into something wrong or somewhere we shouldn’t be.

If you are going on vacation, don’t forget to take your Bible with you, and don’t forget to read and pray every day. It takes time and discipline, especially if you have a busy schedule with family and friends, but it will be worthwhile, and you will have a truly happy holiday.

 Your Christian Friend,

 Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Unspeakable Gift

Around this time of year, many people are occupied with gift-giving. But how wonderful it is to stop and consider the greatest gift ever given, by the greatest gift-giver ever known, to the least deserving people ever born.

That gift, of course, is God’s gift of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul when writing by divine inspiration burst out and says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). That should be the genuine response of our hearts as well, not just today, as we pause and consider the work of Calvary and remember the Lord as He has asked us to do, but every day of our lives. Every other gift that God has given us is based on that unspeakable gift. Here are the words of an old hymn I have often sung that sums it up so very well:

O gift of love unspeakable!

O gift of mercy all divine!

We once were slaves of death and hell,

But in Christ’s image we shall shine:

For every gift a song we raise,

But this demands eternal praise.

Hymn #336 LFHB