Young People’s Blog

Mortality

“It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

There is an old saying:

All men think all men mortal but themselves!

Human nature is such that we tend to think we are going to live forever, and while we attend funerals of others, perhaps think little of the fact that our turn may well come sooner than we think or expect. That is why the Bible encourages and warns us to be ready for eternity. The following parable, related by the Lord Jesus shows the importance of being ready for what comes after death.

“The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 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” (Luke 12:16-20).

Complete Dependence

It is good for us to learn to act in complete dependence on the Lord in every aspect of life. The Lord Jesus Himself said to His disciples, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Self-sufficiency can be subtle and creep into our thoughts and actions without us even realizing it.

The Lord’s desire is that we would learn to depend on Him while we are young, and if we do this it will save us a lot of frustration and heartache when we are older.

We may feel weak and unable for the situations we face, but we can always count on the Lord. The Apostle Paul said, “When I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). He further affirmed, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). It is not wrong to feel our own lack of strength and ability if it casts us in complete dependence on the Lord.

David often felt his weakness and inability, but so often in the Psalms he expresses his complete dependence on his Lord. Here is one example: “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice … I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 55:17, 23).

My Lord

“Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:11).

Here are three individuals who called Jesus “Lord” in the New Testament:

• Elizabeth, when visited by her cousin Mary.

“And whence is this to me, that the mother of MY LORD should come to me” (Luke 1:43)?

• Thomas when he saw the Lord for the first time in resurrection.

“And Thomas answered and said unto him, MY LORD and my God” (John 20:28).

• The Apostle Paul when recounting the things that he had once counted dear before he was saved.

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus MY LORD” (Philippians 3:8).

How important it is for us to own Jesus, not just as our Savior, but as Lord of our life. To recognize His authority in every aspect of what we do will bring joy, power, peace, happiness, and fruit in our Christian pathway. He wants to have first place in our lives; are we giving Him that place?

Reigning with Christ

Today, I visited the Egyptian museum in Cairo which houses an extensive collection of Egyptian artefacts covering 5,000 years — including King Tutankhamun’s treasures. This was my third visit to the museum and, as I viewed the treasures which included gold covered chariots, fine jewelry, and the statues and mummies of the Pharaohs and nobility of past illustrious kingdoms, I was suddenly struck by the fact that there was no mention of a Joseph or a Moses. Then I realized that they will be part of a far greater and enduring kingdom, when we reign with Christ during the millennium.

When Satan showed the Lord, “all the kingdoms of the world,” it was only “in a moment of time” (Luke 4:5). However, there is a time when it says of those who reign with Christ, “and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). Moses gave up the glory of Egypt to serve the Lord and lead His people out of Egypt and through the Sinai Peninsula. Centuries later, he talked with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration, (Matthew 17:1-3). In a future day, he will reign with Christ. Are we living in view of the coming kingdom? The promise to the believer is, “we shall also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12).

Through Life’s Storms

“I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest” (Psalm 55:8).

“The Lord hath His way … in the storm” (Nahum 1:3).

Though life’s storms may rage around us,
God gives peace and joy within,
When we trust and count our blessings,
Through His grace the victory win.

We can conquer — more than conquer,
Through resources He supplies,
And soon we will understand it all,
When we see Him in the skies.

There no storm will ever faze us,
There no trouble—all is rest.
There we’ll praise and worship ever,
Seeing that His way is best.

We may never know the reason,
Till that day when all is plain;
Faith and confidence give comfort,
Until we the answers gain.

Dear Young Christian:

I have lots of names and numbers in my contact list on my iPhone. These are the names or numbers of people I want to be able to get ahold of in a hurry without looking up their information elsewhere. In the airport, in my vehicle, at a hotel, someone’s home, in another country, etc.

But, there is one contact I never have to look up or press a button for. That contact is the Lord Jesus, at the throne of grace. The invitation is, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). That is all the contact information that we need to reach heaven at a moment’s notice. No doubt about it, there will be times of need this week. But there is always an open line to heaven. We don’t need an appointment, and there is no call-forwarding, call-waiting, or dropped calls. We can come any time of the day or night and find a listening ear, a sympathetic hearer, and One who is willing and able to help us no matter how great or small the circumstance.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Songs

Have you ever walked through the forest or down a country lane and listened to the different songs of the birds? Each one has been given a different note by the Creator. The sparrow, the bluebird, the meadowlark, the cardinal, and so on. Their songs are unique and special and combine in the Creator’s choir for His pleasure and ours.

Just as there are all kinds of birds with all kinds of songs, so there are all kinds of people, and to each believer God has given a song to sing. We can each say, “He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God” (Psalm 40:3). While it is true that some of us can carry a tune and sing better than others, yet the Lord wants to hear our voice. David declared, “I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord” (Psalm 27:6).

Let’s open our mouths in songs of worship, praise, and thanksgiving today. Nineteen times in the book of Psalms, we have the expression “I will sing.” Here is another example: “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Psalm 57:7). As we meditate on the person and work of Christ today, it will certainly cause us to “sing unto the Lord” (Exodus 15:1).

A Heartbeat

“There is only a heartbeat between you and eternity!”

So said the preacher last night at the gospel meeting as he sought to impress upon the audience how brief and fragile life on earth really is, and how close we may be to leaving it for the next life. Yes, many who thought they had time have found out too late the truth of the preacher’s statement.

Some years ago, I took the funeral of a friend who, to all outward appearances, was fit and healthy and who worked out at the gym a couple of times a week. One morning, he felt good, got up early, said goodbye to his wife, and went for a morning workout. A short time later he was found dead on the gym floor. A heart attack gave him no warning, and he was in eternity. Thankfully, we had every assurance from his life and testimony that he was a believer, and “absent from the body, and … present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

What about you? None of us knows how many more heartbeats we have left. David said, “There is but a step between me and death” (1 Samuel 20:3). Are you like my friend, who was ready to meet the Lord, or are you going to delay being saved until it is too late?

Monthly Question Page — Part 1

Q. How can a Christian walk through this life in a path of separation from the world and still be a testimony to those around them … friends at school, neighbors, etc.?

A. First of all, we need to realize that there is a vast difference between “isolation” and “separation.” While a Christians is to walk a path of separation from the various evils of the world, they are not to live a life of isolation from their fellow man. When the Lord Jesus was here in this world, He walked a path that was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). And yet who was more accessible than the Lord Jesus Himself? He ate with publicans and sinners, took children up in His arms, and went into different homes to heal their loved ones, eat a meal, or present the truth.

For us, there are two verses that are helpful in this connection. First: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). This is the life we live, not so much the words we speak. Light does not make any noise, it just shines! (Continued next month.)

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Tranquillizers

Recently, I saw the following quote in a book called, Facts of Life and Bits of Wisdom:

“There is no tranquillizer in the world more effective than a few kind words.”

It reminded me of the God-given wisdom of Solomon, when he wrote this statement of Scripture: “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

How many times have we caused problems, or added to a bad situation, by saying things that should not have been said? A few kind words uttered in the proper spirit and attitude can often calm someone who is upset or against us, and smooth out an otherwise bad circumstance. Often, we speak before we think. Solomon warns against that as well. “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him” (Proverbs 29:20).

Let’s learn to not be so quick to answer, and to give a “soft answer” rather than “grievous words,” which only compound a problem instead of helping it.