Young People’s Blog

Weariness

“My soul is weary of my life…But they that wait upon the Lord…shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”
(Job 10:1; Isaiah 40:31).

I felt so tired and weak today,
And then I heard my Savior say,
“My grace has all sufficient power,
For every step, for every hour;
Lean hard on me, I’m with you here,
Do not give up, I am your cheer.”

I drew upon that grace and strength,
And found sufficiency at length:
And so the hours passed quickly by,
Together with my Lord and I;
I leaned on Him, He was so near,
And through it all became more dear.

So if you feel frail and weak,
Rest in the Lord, His comfort seek:
You may be weary of the way,
But don’t forget to watch and pray.

Dear Young Christian,

Tomorrow is the first day of March. Here in Canada where I live, I think of March as a kind of in between month, a month of optimism. Winter is far from over, but there is hope, as spring is starting to come into view. The cold shows a few signs of relenting, and the piles of snow begin to melt ever so slowly. We begin to look for signs of spring, as we talk and plan for warmer days ahead.

As we see things get worse in this world, and as we realize that it is ripe for the judgment of God, we can also look ahead and know that for the believer the best is still ahead. Soon we will leave this cold, heartless world that has no love for the Lord Jesus and exchange it for the warmth and comfort of the Father’s house. Things are not going to get better down here, only worse. But we are encouraged, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). As each day in March brings us closer to spring and warmer weather, so each day of life brings us closer to the Lord’s coming. What a wonderful hope!

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

In Remembrance

Luke 22:19

“This do…”
Jesus has asked us, this to do,
To break the bread, and eat it too;
To bless the cup, and drink— each one,
Who knows the Savior, God’s own Son.

“In Remembrance…”
And in so doing we recall,
While sitting in His banquet hall,
His love, His work at Calvary,
How there He died upon the tree.

“Of Me.”
And more than this, His person too— 
Our theme of worship— fills our view;
We think upon Himself, the Man
Who carried out this wondrous plan;
Jesus our Lord, who paid the price,
The Lamb of God, the sacrifice.

Will you respond this happy day,
In this profound yet simple way?

Stampeded

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were in Liebenscheid, Germany. One afternoon while out for a walk, we came upon a large flock of sheep being led down the hillside to the village below. Sheep are generally docile, and we had no problem passing by, even though there must have been several hundred of the wooly animals. However, I was reminded of another story I had read sometime earlier.

A farmer’s wife, 67-year-old Betty Stobbs, was killed when she was stampeded by the family’s flock of sheep. As she arrived on her ATV with a bale of hay, the ravenous sheep charged her and knocked her off her ATV and over a 100-foot cliff. Amazingly, she survived the fall. Unfortunately, her bike tumbled in after her, landing on top of her, and crushed her to death.

Life is uncertain at best. None of us plans to die today. But even while quietly performing our daily tasks, we can be ushered into eternity without a moment’s notice. Job said, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not” (Job 14:1-2). That is why it is important to be saved NOW!

Monthly Question Page

Q. Can you explain the significance of the “new name” in the letter to Pergamos?

A. “To him that overcometh will I give…a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it” (Revelation 2:17).

Names in the Bible are not used simply to distinguish one person from another, but to set forth the individual character of a person as well as their relationship and worth to another. Often, when a person was brought into special relationship with the Lord, they had a name change. For example, Abram was changed to Abraham (Genesis 17:5), Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:28), Simon to Peter (Mark 3:16).

In the context of our verse, “a new name” signifies very individual relationship and communion. It is only enjoyed between the One who gives it and the one who receives it. It is a special promise to the overcomer who refuses to settle down in this world and take any other name than that of the Lord Jesus who Himself was “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3). This is secret communion between the believer and the Lord and is for our present enjoyment while we wait that time when we will enjoy it fully and unhinderedly in the Father’s house.

False Teaching

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Timothy 3:1).

It is an exceedingly sorrowful fact that in these “last days” everything is being called in question. Even the most important and vital truths of Christianity are being attacked, and, as a result, the minds of many true believers — old and young — are being shaken. Many who truly love our Lord Jesus Christ, who truly desire to do His will and to hold nothing but the truth, are in perplexity at the present time because of theories that are being circulated around them.

For this reason, we need, perhaps more than ever, to have the truth of God’s Word firmly established in our minds and hearts. The third chapter of Second Timothy begins with what characterizes the days in which we find ourselves, but the end of the chapter gives us the safeguard against false teaching. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Read that Word, meditate on it, let it speak to your heart and conscience, and you will be preserved from the false doctrines that are afoot today.

Monthly Scripture Reading

Proverbs 21

1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will.

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.

3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.

8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

Idols

“Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 11:18).

This verse follows a warning about turning aside from the Lord to serve other gods. “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them” (verse 16).

Most of us see the foolishness of bowing down and praying to idols, “the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell” (Deuteronomy 4:28). But there are many other kinds of idols that can take the place of the Lord in our hearts. For example, money, a friend, our car, getting an education, our job, and so on. There is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, as long as they don’t take our affections away from the Lord and trusting and following Him.

A preventative “medicine” to stop this is to fill our hearts  with God’s Word. How much do we value the Scriptures? They are worth making a part of our daily routine…part of our regular diet.

Dear Young Christian

A brother in Christ made this statement to me while I was staying in his home:

“If I was as faithful to the Lord as my dog is to me, what a difference it would make in my Christian life.”

It made me think of Caleb in the Old Testament. His name means “Dog,” and it is recorded in the Word of God that he “wholly followed the Lord” (Deuteronomy 1:36).

Often, names in the Bible have real significance, and this one I used to wonder about. That is because a dog usually does not have a very good connotation in Scripture. But in considering what was said to me concerning the faithfulness of the brother’s dog, it made me realize that there are two things that characterize these creatures:

Faithfulness to one master.

A good follower.

This is what our Master, the Lord Jesus wants from each of His own. Are you a faithful follower of Him?

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

The Trinity

Hebrews 9:14

“CHRIST…”

“Who through the ETERNAL SPIRIT…”

“Offered Himself without spot to GOD.”

The living God is a triune God. (Elohim) — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As such, everything He does is in Trinity. From Creation to the end of time, God has and will continue to operate this way.

So it was at Calvary — God the Father planned it all; His Son accomplished it to God’s glory and eternal satisfaction; it was all done in the power and witness of the Holy Spirt.

Nothing more is needed! The work of atonement is completed and redemption is accomplished and offered on the basis of the blood of Christ.

“We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all….This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God….For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:10,12,14).