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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

A Child of God

“They shall be called the children of God”
(Matthew 5:9).

I read recently of a young girl by the name of Mary Ann Bird. She was born with a cleft palate and hare lip and received much abuse from her classmates at school. As the story goes, her teacher, Mrs. Leonard was in the habit of giving her class a yearly hearing test. The pupils would stand at a distance and the teacher would whisper sentences like, “The sky is blue. Do you have new shoes? What is your street address?” When Mary Ann took the test, her teacher, knowing the abuse she endured, very kindly whispered, “I wish you were my little girl.”

All of us were born with sinful hearts, but there is One who whispers in our ear, “I want you as my child. I love you and want to save you. I want you to spend eternity in the Father’s house.”

I trust all my readers are saved. You can become a child of God through simple faith in Christ based on the work of Calvary. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

The Bible

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Even the casual reader of the Bible will realize that it is a history book like none other. It begins with the book of Genesis, starting with the creation of the universe and the preparation of planet Earth for man. It goes on to tell of Adam’s sin and the fall of man. From there, we have the history of mankind and the biographies of individuals, for the next four thousand years. We have the origin and history of Israel. There are heroes of the faith, and men and women and young people of renown.

In the New Testament, we have the coming of Christ as foretold by God’s prophets for generations. We have His life, His death, His resurrection and His ascension. The book of Acts gives us the formation and early history of the church of God. The foundational truths are clearly outlined in the epistles. There are warnings and encouragements as well as the future unfolded.

This book we call the Bible is a truly outstanding book. It is true, living, and powerful. It changes lives and has stood the test of time. Read it each day and let it affect your life.

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Numbers in Scripture: #100

This number always denotes complete salvation. Here are some examples:

• The story of Abraham and Isaac is a beautiful picture of God the Father sending His Son to be the Savior of the world. “And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him” (Genesis 21:5).

• The parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd is not content unless His flock is complete with one hundred sheep. “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it” (Luke 15:4).

• In the parable of the sower, a full head of wheat is an hundred fold. “But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold” (Matthew 13:8).

• “Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three” (John 21:11). This figures complete salvation (100), beginning at Pentecost (50), based on Christ’s death and resurrection (3).

Behavior

Good behavior is so important! Here is what the Apostle Paul said, as to his conduct and the conduct of his fellow-believers who visited Thessalonica: “Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblamably we behaved ourselves among you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:10). There are few things that will do more to spoil your testimony to those around you than bad behavior. People watch you — your way of life, your speech, your actions and reactions — and they judge your Christianity by what they see and hear. Be careful to maintain good behavior.

When Paul wrote to the young man Timothy, he reminded him of this very thing when he said, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). This is not just conduct on special occasions, but wherever we are. Let’s seek to be like David in his youth, of whom it says, “And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14).

World Peace

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

Decades ago, in 1963, a Washington attorney by the name of Charles S. Rhyne launched an organization called World Peace Through Law.Initially, its membership included highly regarded lawyers and judges from over 100 nations. Its purpose was for the pooling of ideas on how to bring all peoples of the world under the umbrella of one law.

Obviously, it hasn’t worked! We can’t expect unity, righteousness, equality, and justice in a world that cast out the “Prince of Peace.”

No, not until He returns to take His rightful place and reign as “King of kings” will there be universal peace and unity. “Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a Man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:1-2).

What a day that will be when the proclamation of the angels at the birth of Christ will finally have its fulfilment!

Dear Young Christian:

Here is a quote I saw the other day and thought it was worth passing on:

“Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God” (Psalm 143:10).

• The willing heart will seek God’s way.

• The obedient heart will find God’s way.

• Every other heart will find an excuse.

“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath” (2 Corinthians 8:12).

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19).

We should all ask ourselves which of the above three statements describes us best. Are we truly willing to seek the will of God by reading His Word? And are we ready to obey the will of God after He has made it clear to us? Let’s not be like those who “all with one consent began to make excuse” (Luke 14:18).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

His Presence

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).

This statement is collective. Notice the word “us.” To meet with the Lord Jesus, and other believers on the first day of the week, for remembrance, worship, and praise, should be something we really anticipate and look forward to. I know in my own experience I have sometimes done it out of mere routine or some sense of duty. But it should be the joy and delight of our hearts to hear His invitation each week to meet around Himself on this special day that the Bible calls “the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10). He has promised, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

For many of us, we live in lands where there is still the opportunity to use the Lord’s day for meetings, gospel outreach, and fellowship with other believers. If you live in such an area of the world, be thankful and use it for the spiritual advantage of and for the blessing of others.

Lord Jesus Christ, it is our joy, around Thyself to meet;

We value such a privilege, and gladly take our seat.

Prepared

“Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12).

Yesterday, with my wife and some other Christian friends, we wandered through a World War I graveyard in the city of Ypres Belgium in Flanders near the border of France. On many of the headstones, there were verses of Scripture and Christian sayings. What struck me the most was the age range of most of the soldiers buried there. The majority were either late teens or early twenties. They were young men in their prime, who had given their lives for the freedom of others. There were a few stones with no name, and the simple inscription, “Known Unto God.”

We never know when life will end. Some live only a few days, others a few weeks, some a few years, and some for many years. Some are taken by sickness and natural causes, others by war and violence, and others through accidents and a natural phenomenon, such as extreme weather, lightning, etc. But one thing is certain, we must all leave this world and we must all meet God. Solomon declared, “Even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other” (Ecclesiastes 3:19). How important it is to be saved and ready, as we do not know when life on earth will end. Once that happens, it is too late to prepare for the next life.

Numbers in Scripture: #13

There is a great deal of superstition concerning Friday the 13th. The fear of the number 13 has been given a scientific name: “triskaidekaphobia,” and the fear of Friday the 13th is called “paraskevidekatriaphobia,” from the Greek words “parashevi” meaning Friday, and “dekatreis” meaning 13th. However, the Bible, on several occasions, uses the number 13 in a positive way. Here are just a couple of examples:

Regarding the sacrifices:

“And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; thirteen young bullocks” (Numbers 29:13).

The inheritance of the Children of Israel:

“All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.” (Joshua 21:19).

The connection with the future temple in Jerusalem:

“And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits” (Ezekiel 40:11).

God has a purpose in everything, even in the number 13, and we don’t have to fear Friday the 13th. It can be a real blessing and opportunity to live for, and serve, the Lord.