Month: April 2017

Gates of Nehemiah — The Valley Gate

“The valley gate repaired Hanun” (Nehemiah 3:13)

This gate suggests to us the thought of humility. Of the Lord as the perfect example we read, “He humbled Himself” (Philippians 2:5, 8) We also have several exhortations regarding humbling ourselves. Here are four of them:

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4).

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

How watchful we need to be from day to day, in our service for Christ, that pride doesn’t become the motive for what we do. “What doth the Lord require of thee, but … to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8) We have nothing to boast in apart from what we are by the grace of God.

Hebrews — Part 2

As we proceed through the book of Hebrews we continue to see the Lord Jesus seated at the right hand of God. Yesterday we mentioned two of the four times, and here are the other two occasions:

Thirdly, He is seated having offered Himself as the supreme sacrifice for sin. “But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12).

Fourthly, He is seated as the object for faith. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

These and many other Scriptures indicate the need of having the person and work of Christ before us as our constant occupation and object. This is especially true in these “last days” when there is more and more to discourage and weary the saints. How gracious of our God to anticipate these “perilous times” and to give us a full resource for the path of faith.

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Hebrews — Part 1

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9).

The book of Hebrews opens up to us the heavens so that we can look up by faith and be occupied with the one that God would always occupy His people with — His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The above quote is perhaps a key verse to the book. Indeed, God has seated Him at His own right hand as brought before us four times in this epistle.

Firstly, He is seated as the one who has taken care of the question of sin. “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

Secondly, He is seated as our Great High Priest, interceding for us. “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

Dear Young Christian:

Here is a quote from the well known evangelist, Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892):

“When going through affliction we are brave through the grace of God when we are faithful to His service. Then we believe that there is nothing in this world worth living for. When we think of the world to come, we gladly deny ourselves. But when the good times come, how difficult it is to think of the world to come. It is then that we sink in dishonourable lust and sin.”

Yes, whether in good time or bad times, we need to have the reality of what is ahead before our hearts. “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18). The preacher, John Wesley (1703-1791), when asked why he had given up so many earthly comforts to serve the Lord, replied, “There is another world.” Let’s not forget this truth as we start out on another week of planning and activity. It will keep everything we do in the proper perspective.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you. Send your comments or questions to jhyland@primus.ca

True Worship

It is not possible for us to bring the Father true worship or to have fellowship with Him, if we are not filled with a profound impression of the preciousness of the person and sacrifice of Christ. Our heart must be filled with Him! Christ is the foundation of our blessed relationship with God. How can we enter the presence of God in spirit, without an enjoyment of the One who secured this place for us?

If the Lord is not constantly before our souls in all His preciousness, and if His loving-kindness fails to rejoice and refresh our hearts, then our worship will be a mere formality. We may be able to recount a whole list of truths fluently in our prayers, but that is of little value to God. He Himself finds His delight only in Christ and seeks souls who share His delight, so far as we are capable of doing so. That is worship! Singing hymns too, if we have lost sight of Christ, is at best pleasant to the ear, but not the expression of true worship. The Lord Jesus said, while sitting on the well at Sychar: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him” (John 4:23).

Cover-up

Two men met in the elevator of a big hotel, in which dogs were not allowed. One of the men was wearing hunting clothes.

“It looks like you are going hunting,” the other said.

“Oh yes,” replied the first proudly.

“Haven’t you got a dog?” was the next question.

“I have, and between you and me I have him here in the hotel. I won’t tell you what trick I used to get him in, but nobody has noticed yet. Do you hunt as well?”

“Oh no!” answered the other, “I am the hotel owner.” In embarrassment and shame the hunter lowered his eyes. He had given himself away.

Isn’t this precisely how many people act towards God? They ignore His Word and imagine that He doesn’t notice. Or assert that He doesn’t exist. But God is very much alive and the Bible declares, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Thankfully the work of Christ is able to take care of every sin we have ever committed. He says: “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17).

Some Short Sayings

The God who holds the universe is the God who holds our hand. “Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: Thou hast holden me by my right hand” (Psalm 73:23).

If the love of God is flowing into me, the love of God will be flowing out of me. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5).

Fear will leave us when we remember that Jesus is with us. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee” (Isaiah 41:10).

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous” (Psalm 1:6).

Be careful with your words, once they are said, they can be only forgiven, not forgotten. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Too Big To Serve

“By love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

When I was a young man an older brother gave me some good advice. He said, “If you love your fellow-believers, learn to serve them.” However, the problem is that sometimes we may think certain tasks are beneath us. The following story from history is a good illustration of how we need to learn that no service for Christ is too lowly, and that the Lord Himself said: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10).

During the American War of Independence, also known as the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), some soldiers were laboring to raise a great log of wood from a roadway. Someone came along, and seeing a soldier standing by asked why he was not helping his fellow comrades. Drawing himself up, he answered: “Don’t you know that I am the Corporal?” He felt he was too big to serve. Too high to stoop to such a menial task.

The visitor, said: “If you won’t help, I will.”

The job was soon finished, and the Corporal asked: “And who are you?”

“I am General George Washington,” was the reply.

Quiet Time — Part 2

Every section of God’s Word has something to say to us. That makes every passage important. When should you have your quiet time? It’s important to read the Bible as often as possible, but it’s helpful to have a specific time each day when you shut everyone out except God. For many, that specific time is early in the morning. The mind is less cluttered then and the day is less complicated. Besides, God deserves us at our best, and the best part of the day is usually the first part. David said, “O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee” (Psalm 63:1). Perhaps for your quiet time you will find another time of day suits your life-style better. That’s fine. But make sure you establish a time and stick to it.

What should you do when you have your quiet time? Here is a sample list

Start with prayer, asking the Lord to prepare your heart.

Read a specific portion of Scripture. Orderly, consistent reading of the Bible is helpful.

Meditate. Think about what you have read.

Make notes.

Compare other Scriptures that come to mind.

Quiet Time — Part 1

“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

When we get saved we need to grow in our new faith in Christ. To do this, it is important to establish a quiet time. By “quiet time” I mean getting alone with God and His Word. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we sometimes find it easy to live our lives with little or no regard for the God who saved us — or for His Word. The Bible is the revelation of God’s mind to you. It’s what He wants you to know and do. Not only did God give His Son — the Living Word — to save you, He gave His Book — the Written Word — to guide you. Many people own a Bible, but they never read it. For many people, it’s an out-of-date book, good for their grandparents but not for them. Someone has said that if everyone blew the dust from their unused Bibles simultaneously, we’d all be killed in the dust storm. To be sure, some sections of the Bible are difficult to understand, and some are not as exciting as others. Once John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, said something like this: “I have sometimes seen more in a line of the Bible than I could understand; and yet at other times the whole Bible has been to me as dry as a stick.”