Young People’s Blog

The Lamb

“John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

“And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36).

What a declaration, and what a glorious subject for our heart’s meditation. THE LAMB OF GOD! The theme runs throughout Scripture, from the sacrifice of Abel until the last page of the inspired Word. Forever we will be occupied with the Lord Jesus in this aspect of His work. As the following quote so preciously says:

“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain…the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb…And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:6, 8-10).

Pardon Refused

In 1830, George Wilson was sentenced to death for murder committed during a robbery. Andrew Jackson, who was at that time president of the United States of America, exercised his right and sent Wilson a full and free pardon, which he vigorously refused. The matter was then referred to the Supreme Court, and Chief Justice John Marshall gave the ruling: “A pardon depends on its acceptance by the person implicated. It is hardly to be supposed that one under sentence of death would refuse to accept it, but pardon refused is no pardon.”

George Wilson was executed!

Most, if not all, of us, can hardly imagine such a thing. Yet there are multitudes in this world everyday refusing the greatest pardon ever offered to mankind. Here it is:

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).

What have you done with God’s offer of pardon through the work of the Lord Jesus at Calvary? Have you refused it, or accepted it?

Life Is Short

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow”
(Matthew 6:34).

When I was a boy I always wished that I was older than I was. I thought if I were only 13, a teenager, I would have it made. When I reached 13, I wanted to be 16, so I could drive a car. Then it was 18, because I thought I would have more privileges. When I reached 18 my longing was to be 21, and be of age and, as I thought, free to do as I pleased and out from the yoke of my parent’s authority. Now in my sixties I feel like I’ve blinked and it’s gone. Much of it I have wasted and frittered away, and I can only echo the words of the Apostle Paul, “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Life is short! As my mother used to say, “Don’t wish your life away, live for the Lord today…one day at a time.” As an older friend and brother in Christ, I want to encourage those of you who are younger to do this. I know there are certain stages of life we think will never end, but they do, and sometimes the stage on the horizon is more challenging than the one we have just gone through. Trust the Lord, seek His will for today, and do it, and leave tomorrow and the future in His loving hands.

Well Doing — Part 2

“For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (1 Peter 3:17).

There is a certain sense in which it is easy to suffer for wrong doing. The unbeliever grits his teeth and takes his punishment. The believer, when caught, or when conscience dictates confession, acknowledges their wrong and deals with the consequences.

However, it is quite another matter to suffer for “well doing.” This takes spiritual fortitude and a close walk with the Lord. And our reaction to such suffering says a lot about our spiritual state of soul. Do we take it in the spirit of Christ, of whom we read: “Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23)?

Here is what Peter further declares on the matter:

“But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled…For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (1 Peter 3:14, 17).

So we are told, “Cease to do evil; Learn to do well” (Isaiah 1:16-17).

Well Doing — Part 1

“Ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

“Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).

There is so much that can be done for the Lord that is considered “well doing.” It isn’t always busy activity either. It can be as “well doing” as praying for someone, even before we get out of bed in the morning. Maybe a text or message with an appropriate verse of Scripture or an encouraging thought for the day. Of course, there are a host of “well doings” that could keep us busy from morning until night, and we are exhorted by our verse today to carry these out patiently and joyfully, and in so doing we will reap a reward from the Lord, who so appreciates it and tells us, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6).

In His strength we can carry on without fainting for the blessing of others and the satisfaction of our own hearts, knowing there has been, for His glory, some “well doing” on our part today.

The Lord is MY…

Last week, we wrote of the Lord being MY Rock. Here is a similar meditation.

To know the Lord is a very personal thing. It is not to know Him at a distance or in some vague or ambiguous way. No, it is intensely personal and unquestionably individual. We belong to the Lord and He belongs to us. Here are some verses that define just how true this is:

• “The Lord is MY strength and song, and He is become MY salvation: He is MY God” (Exodus 15:2).

• “The Lord is MY Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1).

• “The Lord is MY light” (Psalm 27:1).

• “The Lord is MY strength and MY shield” (Psalm 28:7).

• “But the Lord is MY defense” (Psalm 94:22).

• “The Lord is MY portion” (Lamentations 3:24).

• “The Lord is MY helper” (Hebrews 13:6).

The Lord is mine, I love Him so,
MY all for every need;
In every circumstance of life,
Sufficiency indeed!

Dear Young Christian,

“He opened to us the scriptures” (Luke 24:32).

It seems that every time I turn around I am dealing with another passphrase or password. I find it very frustrating, especially since I am dyslexic (a disease where a person tends to reverse numbers and letters). When this happens too many times, then the account or page freezes and I am left stuck with having to reboot, or rename, and reassign a new set of letters, numbers, and hashtags.

Thankfully I can open my Bible or my prayer-link to the throne of grace and not have to worry about such things. How easy our God has made it to access heaven and His open ear so that I can come every hour of every day, and every hour of every night as well.

Are you taking advantage of this wonderful resource? Will you open your Bible and let the God of the universe speak to you? Will you access the throne room of the universe in prayer today? No passphrase or password need! “Knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:9).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

No Fault

“Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this Man” (Luke 23:4).

A cold, hardhearted Pilate had to be honest and admit that the Lord had done nothing worthy of death. When the Jewish leaders called for His crucifixion, he asked, “Why, what evil hath He done?” (Mark 15:14).

Yes, there was nothing in the Lord Jesus that would warrant any of the treatment He received at His trial or His subsequent crucifixion. He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26).

However, the sinless Son of God bore all this at the hand of wicked men, and more than that, at the hand of God,  He “bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

As we consider such divine, stupendous, glorious love, we can only bow our hearts with the Apostle Paul who declared, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

Our Focus

We live in a world of unrelenting change and constant upheaval, not only in the political and world affairs arena, but also in our own lives. Sometimes our minds leap from one problem and difficulty to another. Our thoughts become tangled in anxious knots thinking that everything is doom and gloom and that there is no solution or light at the end of the tunnel. We feel like we are going to be swallowed up by circumstances and that there is nothing left but dutiful resignation as we face the gaping jaws of uncertainty.

When this happens, we need to change our focus and turn to the One who says, “I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye…are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6). And the One who says, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). He also assures us, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20). And again, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear” (Hebrews 13:5-6). This focus changes everything and gives us the courage and spiritual energy for whatever comes our way.

Fret

“Fret not” (Psalm 37:1, 7-8; Proverbs 24:19).

Here is what the dictionary states as to the word “fret.”

Fret: To be constantly or visibly worried or anxious…feel uneasy, be distressed, be upset, upset oneself, concern oneself…agonize…brood.

One of the most clever devices of our enemy Satan is to get the believer to fret. This he did with Hannah concerning her not having had children. “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret” (1 Samuel 1:6).

However, instead of letting the Devil have his way and being constantly worried and anxious, there is an antidote. It is contained in Psalm 37 as well.

“Trust in the Lord” (verse 3).

“Delight thyself also in the Lord” (verse 4).

“Commit thy way unto the Lord” (verse 5).

“Rest in the Lord” (verse 7).

“Wait on the Lord” (verse 34).

These five things will keep us from fretting and make us happy, worry-free Christians.