Author: BTP

You Are Loved

Yes indeed, you are loved by God the Father and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are seven confirmations of that love from the New Testament. They are just a few of the many times we have that great love stated and confirmed.

1. “God is Love” (1 John 4:8).

2. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).

3. “Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25).

4. “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

5. “Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1).

6. “I have loved you” (John 13:34).

7. “Greater love hath no man than this” (John 15:13).

Many may tell us today that they love us, but there is one unchanging, abiding love that outshines them all. It is that divine love that we will enjoy for all eternity.

Let us be like the bride in Song of Solomon who said, “We will remember Thy love” (Song of Solomon 1:4).

A Fateful Attitude

I recently heard of a young believer who had a tract booth he would set up at fairs and during parades and public events so that he could give out gospel tracts and other Christian literature. On one occasion, a passer-by not only refused the tract offered to him but also tried to convince the young man with philosophical arguments that God exists in the trees and flowers, and in every creature, even in each one of us. He concluded with this deduction: “Once you have realized that you too are God, you will have become very wise.”

What a fateful attitude! There is a day coming when this person, along with many others, will be awakened to the reality of judgment and have to stand before the Lord to answer for his sins, and his rejection of the gospel. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12).

Thankfully, there is still opportunity to be saved. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7).

More or Less

“That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10).

• The more we read the Bible,

         the more we learn of Christ.

• The more we learn of Christ,

         the more we love Him.

• The more we love Him,

         the less we are occupied with self.

• The less we are occupied with self,

         the happier we are.

• The happier we are,

         the more testimony there will be.

• The more testimony we are,

         the more fruit there is.

• The more fruit there is,

         the more glory we bring to Christ…

And isn’t that what really counts?

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Self

“This know also, that in the last days … men shall be lovers of their own selves” (2 Timothy 3:1-2).

• Self-esteem

• Self-help

• Self-love

• Self-occupation

• Self-expression

• Self-will

• Selfishness

• Self-indulgence

• Self-pity

These are words that are all too prominent in our vocabulary today. As the above verse indicates, “self” is one of the characteristics of the “last days” just before the Lord comes. But that does not mean that it has to characterize the believer. On one occasion, the Lord was asked, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” His answer was, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:36-37). Let’s be careful that “self” does not replace our love for Christ, our concern for the lost, and our care for our fellow believers.

Our Example

Feelings of hatred and maliciousness toward another person don’t have any place in a Christian’s life. We should all hate sin, as God does, but we should always care about other people and try to find ways to show the kindness of God to them. We are told, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

When the Lord was on earth, He showed kindness to everyone. He never held a grudge. He never had bitter feelings towards those who had wronged Him. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, he threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

The Lord has left us the perfect example, which is “the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:1). We should seek grace to be just like Him. How much does the kindness and love of God radiate from your words and deeds?

Marked

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16).

We have an expression, “That individual is a marked person.” It means that there is something about them or something they have done that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. It may be good, or it may be bad.

What marks you as a Christian? Is it the Word of God? Do others who observe your life say, “There is a person who is marked by the truth of Scripture”? I saw a quote in the flyleaf of a friend’s Bible that I thought was very appropriate in this connection. Here is what it said:

It is a small thing to mark your Bible;
It is a great thing when your Bible marks you!

It reminded me of what was said about Peter and John as they were observed by those who heard them preach in the early days of Christianity: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John … they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

We may make notes and underline certain favorite verses in our Bibles, but do those verses really affect our life and underline our daily routine?

Dear Young Christian:

Do you ever feel like nobody loves you and nobody cares? If so, here are some verses from the Bible to keep in mind.

• “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

• “I have loved you, saith the Lord” (Malachi 1:2).

• “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you” (John 15:9).

• “For the Father Himself loveth you” (John 16:27).

The next time you feel you haven’t a friend or loved one left in the world, look up to Heaven and remember that God the Father and the Lord Jesus love you with an unchanging, unalterable love. It is divine love and is consistent and pure in its intensity and outflow. It is the same love that took the Lord Jesus to Calvary to die for you, and it is a love that will never let you go. Soon we will enjoy that love fully and unhinderedly in the Father’s house.

Your Christian Friend,

 Jim Hyland

The Son

“Honor the SON” (John 5:23).

His Incarnation: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a SON is given” (Isaiah 9:6).

His Life: “For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is My beloved SON, in whom I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1:17).

His Death: “He that spared not His own SON, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

His Resurrection: “And declared to be the SON of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

His Ascension: “We have a Great High Priest, that is passed into the Heavens, Jesus the SON of God” (Hebrews 4:14).

What a glorious subject! “The SON of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Example or Savior

Nicodemus, came to the Lord one night and said, “We know that Thou art a teacher come from God” (John 3:2). He was looking to the Lord as a great teacher and example. But the Lord answered him to show that what he needed was not merely good teaching, but a new life. Twice He plainly stated. “Ye must be born again” (John 3:3, 7). The following account illustrates this need in a simple but powerful way:

After a service in Germantown, Pennsylvania, a stranger accosted the preacher and said, “I don’t like your preaching. I do not care for the cross. I think that instead of preaching the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the teacher and example.”

“Would you then be willing to follow Him if I preach Christ, the Example?” replied Dr. Stearns.

“I would. I will follow in His steps,” the stranger replied.

“Then,” said the preacher, “let us take the first step. ‘Who did no sin.’ Can you take this step?”

The stranger looked confused. “No,” he said. “I do sin, and I acknowledge it.”

“Well, then, your first need of Christ is not as an Example, but as a Savior. And this is every man’s need.”

Moment by Moment

“I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).

I am in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island this week. As always, I am staying with a brother in Christ who has had multiple sclerosis for 35 years. He is now 70 years of age, and to me he is a real example of an overcomer. During our evening conversation, he mentioned that old hymn written by Annie S. Hawks, I Need Thee Every Hour. His comment was, “I need the Lord every moment, not just every hour.” It is amazing how cheerful and happy he is in the Lord, and although he is longing for the Lord’s coming, or to be with the Lord through death, yet he takes everything moment by moment, realizing that all comes from the good hand of his God and Father. What a lesson! What an example! It caused me to pen the following lines:

Moment by moment, Lord I plead,
For mercy, grace, and help in need;
There is no moment I can be,
Without Your strength assisting me.
Strength for the day, strength for the hour,
Strength for the moment to empower.