Month: April 2019

Truth

“Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).

The Bible is the only book that faithfully tells us what we are. “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). This shows it to be divine, for it is only God who searches the heart. It also truly reveals God, so that when the Word is received, it brings our souls into the consciousness of God having to do with us and we having to do with Him. There are a great variety of aspects in which the Son who came forth from the Father to save sinners is presented: His personal glory, moral perfection, finished work, walk, words, ways, life, death, resurrection, ascension, glorification, present offices, and future judgments and reign. These leading truths of Scripture also give it a divine character. Don’t try to argue against the Word of God; don’t question it, or ignore it. Accept it as the unquestionable truth — about yourself, and your true condition as a sinner. Then receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

Disappointments

No doubt every young person reading this calendar has already realized that there are many disappointments in life. Things don’t always work out the way we thought they would or think they should. Often, we realize that what we wanted was just a passing fancy and that it would not have been good for us anyway. But sometimes those disappointments really hurt and we wonder how we are going to get through them. Those are the times when we need to go into the presence of the Lord and ask Him to teach us the lesson He has in thwarting our plans and purposes. Not only that, but it is good to seek, and to heed, the godly counsel of others. Here is what Solomon had to say on the matter: “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established” (Proverbs 15:22).

Remember, the Lord has a purpose of blessing for us in everything He allows in our lives. When we realize this, and learn to submit to His plans, then we are going to have a happy, less frustrated, attitude. Of this matter, Solomon further wrote: “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established” (Proverbs 16:3).

Numbers in Scripture: #4

The number 4 is God’s universal number. There were 4 rivers flowing out of the Garden of Eden. “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads” (Genesis 2:10). In his vision, Ezekiel saw 4 living creatures. “Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures” (Ezekiel 1:5). John also saw a similar vision. “Round about the throne, were four beasts” (Revelation 4:6). There are 4 gospels. (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Peter saw in a vision a sheet let down by its 4 corners. He, “saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth” (Acts 10:11). Here are three other sets of four. “I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth” (Revelation 1:7).

There is universal blessing for those who believe, and universal judgment in a coming day for those who reject.

Presence & Protection

“I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest” (Genesis 28:15).

What a tremendous promise this is! In this promise, we have two things: the Lord’s presence and the Lord’s protection. This promise was made to Jacob, but we can claim it for ourselves too. There are many verses that confirm the fact that He loves us too much to ever leave us or let us go. He said to Joshua, “I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5). One of the writers of the Psalms records, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). We read in the New Testament: “He hath said, 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). Be conscious of His presence and protection as you go about your duties today. Even when life is difficult we have His promise, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2).

Worth Doing

“What’s worth doing, is worth doing well.”

I often heard these words from my mother when I was growing up. Solomon expressed it this way: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). In the New Testament, Paul worded it like this: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).

Whether it is our school work, our employment, our personal and spiritual well-being, or our service for Christ, God wants us to do it well, without grumbling or complaining, and “as to the Lord.”

Here are some further Scriptures to encourage us on this subject:

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings” (Philippians 2:14).

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

Dear Young Christian:

“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”
(Romans 11:36; 12:1).

 Many Christians put the emphasis of their lives on service for God, to the exclusion of worshiping Him. Others swing to the other extreme, and so stress the importance of worship, that service for the Lord is viewed as being of little or no consequence. We must beware of lopsidedness, or of seeking to push one truth of Scripture to an extreme the Bible does not warrant. We must seek to maintain the truth of God in its proper perspective and correct balance. The words of our Lord Jesus Christ give the proper order of precedence. In His reply to Satan’s temptation, He said: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10).

 Your Christian Friend,

 Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Worship Jesus?

We know that we should worship God the Father. But may we also address our worship directly to the Son? Yes, we may! The Father Himself has desired that, “All men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father” (John 5:23).

For further verification of this, we are given a view of heaven in Revelation 5, where both the Father and the Son are joint objects of worship. “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Revelation 5:11-13). The Lamb who was slain shares the worship due only to God, because He is God — God the Son.

One Heart

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Jim Walton was translating the New Testament for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Colombia. But he was having trouble with the word peace.

During this time, Fernando, the village chief, was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him three days to travel by walking. But there was a mix-up, and the chief missed the plane. Fernando was livid; he went to Jim and launched into an angry tirade. Fortunately, Walton had taped the chief’s diatribe. When he later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, “I don’t have one heart.” Jim asked other villagers what having “one heart” meant, and he found that it was like saying, “There is nothing between you and the other person.” That, Walton realized, was just what he needed to translate the word peace.

To have peace with God means that there is nothing—no sin, no guilt, no condemnation—that separates us. And that peace with God is possible only through Christ.

Do you have “one heart” with God?

Choices and Results

While visiting and preaching the gospel in a secondary school in Georgetown Guyana, I noticed a poster on the wall with the following motto:

You cannot make WRONG choices,

and get RIGHT results!

It reminded me of the words of David, when he wrote, “What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose” (Psalm 25:12). David recognized the importance of making choices in the fear of the Lord, and according to the Lord’s will. He knew that the Lord’s choices were the very best!

How important it is for all of us to make the right choices in the light of the instructions of the Word of God. The prophet, Jeremiah said, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). How can we think that we can make our own choices and have it turn out for the best? Let’s take heed to the exhortation of Paul when he said: “Prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). His choices are always the RIGHT choices.

Stillness — Part 3

“Stand in awe … and be still. Selah” (Psalm 4:4).

“Peace, be still” (Matthew 4:39).

“Be still,” my Lord, reminded,

But this I found so hard,

My faith seemed oh-so-feeble,

My nerves seemed oh-so-jarred:

I felt I must be doing,

Yet all was in His hand,

All for my good unfolding,

The way my Lord had planned.

So, finally I listened,

For what else could I do?

I only made things tangled,

This truth I clearly knew.

But resting on His promise,

Submitting to His will,

Brought peace and understanding,

My troubled heart was “still.”