Young People’s Blog

How Much? — Part 3

“Buy the truth, and sell it not” (Proverbs 23:23).

“Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).

WHAT WILL IT COST YOU TO FOLLOW CHRIST?

Yes, whatever the price of faithfulness and obedience may be, it is certainly worth it! When we think of the great cost of our salvation and what the Lord Jesus Christ paid to have us for Himself, what is some little reproach or thing we give up or sacrifice to be faithful to Him? It is nothing, really! It’s just part of a temporal and transient world that is “reserved unto fire” (2 Peter 3:7). Any little thing we cling to here or harbor in our hearts —  what will it add up to in comparison to His “Well done” (Matthew 25:21)?

When we see the lovely face of the Lord Jesus Christ in that day of glory we will only wonder that we were not willing to give up more, yes, all to follow Him. Once again, the Apostle Paul stated, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

 

How Much? — Part 2

The Apostle Paul said, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things” (Philippians 3:8). What if it cost you this much to follow the Lord?

Paul was one who had everything the world could offer at that time. He was born a free citizen of Rome, was highly educated, and was in line for a high position in his own nation, but he counted it all “loss”! Going as a prisoner to Rome, he could say, “Bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:23-24).

Did he ever regret his decision to follow the Lord as a young man? Not for one moment! He said at the end of his life, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

 

How Much? — Part 1

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it” (Luke 14:28).

One of the things we ask about almost anything we buy is, “How much is it?” or, “What did it cost?”

Well, what does it cost you to be a Christian? If a high-caste Hindu decides to follow Christ, he can no longer live in his Hindu home. It has cost him his home! What would it cost you to decide for Christ?

When an Orthodox Jew “converts” to Christianity, he becomes dead to his family. Would it cost you yourfamily to be a Christian?

In China today, you cannot hold a good job and also be a follower of Christ. Would it cost you your job to follow the Lord?

In Russia for many years, an open confession of Christ was likely to be followed by a one-way ticket to a labor camp. Would it cost you your freedom to confess Him?

There are places in the world, even today, where it can cost a person their life to be known as a Christian. Would it cost you your life?

 

Following

“Jesus said unto him, Follow Me” (Matthew 8:22).

By grace I’ll follow Jesus,

Though great may be the cost!

He saved my soul — redeemed me –

When I was doomed and lost;

And though the world despise Him,

And though reproach I feel,

I’ll follow Him, my Shepherd,

Although the cost be real.

Yes, though hard or easy;

Yes, Lord, all the day;

Yes, by grace I‘ll follow;

Yes, Lord, trust, obey!

Yes, Lord, through the sunshine;

Yes, through darkest night;

Yes, when all goes smoothly;

Yes, through faith’s good fight.

Yes, when young, Lord Jesus;

Yes, as I grow old;

Yes, until in heaven,

I, Thy face behold.

 

Dear Young Christian:

“Giving thanks always” (Ephesians 5:20).

The story is told of a soldier in the American Third Army during World War II, who was sent to a rest camp after a long period of active service. When he returned to his outfit, he wrote a letter to General George Smith Patton and thanked him for the splendid care he had received. General Patton wrote back, and told him that for 35 years he had tried to give all the comfort and convenience he could to his men under those kinds of circumstances, and added that this was the first letter of thanks he had ever received in all his years in the army.

Have you, young Christian, stopped today and thanked the Lord for His many blessings, mercies, and benefits — not the least of which is salvation? Are you cultivating the habit of thanksgiving in your daily life? Start the week in this way, continue throughout the days ahead and finish up the week “abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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

Worship

“And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:19).

In this Old Testament account both husband and wife were present and worshipping the Lord in the proper way and in the proper place … at the house of the Lord. Hannah had spent the previous day praying in great distress to the Lord. She found peace after her prayer and the next day was found worshipping.

Our worship on another first day of the week will be greatly affected by what we did yesterday and last week. We will be either occupied with the things that we did yesterday and last week, so that our worship will be hindered, or our occupation with the Lord yesterday and last week will heighten and enhance our worship of Him today.

This is what He wants — for us to be totally occupied with Himself. There is nothing He desires more than worship as was expressed by the Lord Jesus Himself at Sychar’s well, when He said, “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).

 

The Blood

During a bloody war, a cruel commander decided to murder everyone in a certain small village. Shortly after the massacre began, a fugitive observed that after the soldiers killed each one in the house, they smeared blood on the door to indicate death inside. Quickly, the fugitive sneaked to the house where his friends were awaiting certain death. At once the idea came to them — kill their goat and smear its blood on their door!

The task was barely completed when the soldiers approached that street. After slaughtering the residents of the neighboring houses, they came to the door smeared with goat’s blood. But they made no attempt to enter thinking that the deadly work had been already done. Although everyone else around them was murdered those behind the blood-marked door were saved!

If you had lived in that war zone would you have hesitated to hide behind that door with the blood on it? Death and judgment are coming for all of us, yet many refuse to escape through the blood of Jesus. God says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). Have you had the blood applied to your heart?

 

Fear

“Men’s hearts failing them for fear” (Luke 21:26).

Even as believers fear can grip our lives in such a paralyzing fashion that we find ourselves unable to perform the most basic tasks. It can hold us captive like a cowering prisoner, forcing out all the joy and excitement from life.

This is why we need the example of David’s life in the Old Testament. It is true that David was sometimes afraid and discouraged, but, at those times he always, eventually, returned to what he had in the Lord, and found that which calmed and removed his fear. He could write, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).

How can we be afraid when our strength comes from the Almighty God? He will never abandon us in our time of need! What fear has taken over your life today? Turn it over to the Lord and see how powerful He really is. Remember, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Let’s learn, like David, to trust Him in everything.

 

Prison Epistles

The Apostle Paul spent much time in prison because of his testimony for the Lord. While in prison in Rome he wrote 5 epistles. The following are very brief statements that are helpful outlines of the theme of each one:

Colossians — The positive side of the gospel: union with Christ in glory.

Ephesians — The church: the body
united to Christ its head.

Philippians — Personal devotedness.

Philemon — Practical righteousness through grace.

2 Timothy — Personal faithfulness in “the last days” (2 Timothy 3:1).

Paul always accepted his imprisonment from the Lord. Five times he referred to himself as the “prisoner of the Lord,” or some similar expression. (Ephesians 3:1 and 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:8; Philemon 1,9). He could say, “In prisons more frequent” (2 Corinthians 11:23). What a blessing he was to others, and used of God in a mighty way because he accepted his circumstances from the Lord and used them in His service. What a good lesson this is for all of us!

 

Ability — Part 2

“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability” (Matthew 25:14-15).

Alfred Tennyson, born August 5, 1809, was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria’s reign. To this day he remains one of the most popular British poets. His grandfather gave him 10 shillings for writing a eulogy about his grandmother. Handing it to the lad, the old man said, “There, that is the first money you ever earned by your poetry, and take my word for it, it will be the last.”

This story made me think of the Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy when he said, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). The Lord equips us for the tasks and services He has for us to perform, and while we want to be open to the counsel and advice of older believers who have godly wisdom and experience, yet we serve one Master, the Lord Jesus, and we take our direction and instruction from Him.