Month: October 2015

One

“One man” (John 11:50).

It must be God’s man. No other man could die for sin. No other human could make atonement. It took a sinless victim to put away sin. “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“One offering” (Hebrews 10:4).

That offering was Himself. “Christ…offered himself without spot to God” (Hebrews 9:14). Nothing else would do, He must lay down His life as “an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:2).

“One sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:12).

That’s all it took, “one sacrifice,” nothing more, nothing less! God’s Son laid on the altar of Calvary. “Once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

“One Mediator” (1 Timothy 2:5).

No one else could pay such a ransom for sin, it must be God Himself in the person of “the man Christ Jesus.”

 

Riches From Idols:

“Ye turned to God from idols to serve
the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

Ancient history tells us of a great conqueror who invaded a country in the Far East. One day he entered a temple where stood an idol so beautiful that none of his followers were willing to destroy it. “Then,” said he, “I will smash it myself.” He lifted his battle-axe, and with a mighty blow smashed the idol into a thousand pieces. From its interior a rich store of golden coins, thousands of them, poured like a stream at his feet.

For those who, like the Thessalonians, turn to God and Christ, there is not only salvation from a lost eternity in hell, but there is a rich store of spiritual blessings in waiting as well. They are the “unsearchable riches of the Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). The Lord Jesus has secured those riches for us, and Scripture declares, “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Are you rich in Christ?

 

Another Vessel

“He made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it” (Jeremiah 18:4).
“And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver” (Malachi 3:3).

One day, when the celebrated chemist, Michael Faraday, was absent from his laboratory, a workman accidentally knocked a silver cup into a large container of acid. He was greatly perplexed and distressed as the cup disappeared; it was an utter mystery to him as to where the cup had gone. When Faraday returned and heard about it, he threw some chemicals into the jar and the silver reappeared. He recovered it and sent it to a silversmith, where it was recast into another beautiful cup.

Sometimes the Lord does something similar in our lives. He allows circumstances to melt us down so that He can form us into something beautiful for His glory. Are we willing to let Him do that in our lives? It isn’t always pleasant, it is like the acid, it burns, it hurts, perhaps there are tears, but in the end the result will be that the Lord will, “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer” (Proverbs 25:4).

 

Speak Up

Speak Up! Report Hazards!

So said the poster in a high risk area of a student workshop I was visiting. It got me thinking about our responsibility as believers to speak up when it comes to warning those around us as to the awfulness of leaving this world without Christ.

When it comes to eternity, hell is not just a hazard, but a dreadful reality. What are we doing to speak the gospel and warn souls as to what is ahead? John the Baptist on one occasion said, “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7).

When the Lord Jesus was here on earth He was constantly warning those within hearing of His voice. For example, He said, “I tell you…except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). And near the end of His ministry He announced: “Now is the judgment of this world” (John 12:31).

Not only do we have the warning, but we have the remedy as well; the work of Calvary. Let’s speak up today!

 

Prayer

“Pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified” (1 Thessalonians 3:1).

While God our Father is sovereign, and very gracious, and blesses in spite of our failure, yet the following is a good rule-of-thumb to keep in mind whenever you take up any work for the Lord, or really in any aspect of your day-to-day life and routine:

No prayer……………… no blessing.

A little prayer……. a little blessing.

Much prayer……… much blessing.

I remember years ago as my wife and I were visiting on the island of Bermuda, we had a very busy schedule. As we were driven from one appointment to another to speak in prisons, schools, and other institutions, the sister who kindly drove us from place to place kept reminding us, “Remember, the more prayer the more blessing.

It is interesting in that regard to go through the book of the Acts and notice that the chapters and incidents where prayer is mentioned are the chapters and incidents where there was always much blessing as a result of the work.

 

In Youth

“Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God: Thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness” (Psalm 143:10).

Lord, use my youthful vigor,
And energy today,
To please Thee, and to serve Thee,
In all I do and say!
Lord, use my youthful talents,
To glorify Thy name,
Instead of worldly boasting,
Or earth’s applause and fame.

Lord, consecrate me fully,
And take all that is mine;
I know what Thou hast given
Is not my own, but Thine!
Lord, use me in the best years,
Don’t let me waste them now;
Teach me to do Thy will, Lord.
In youth, my will to bow.

 

Dear Young Christian:

The advertising slogan of a major furniture and appliance store in a country where I was traveling, read:

“LIVE LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW!”

Now, granted this was just a catchy slogan to get people to shop and accept the company’s credit terms of not having to pay interest for several months, but it really sums up the spirit of the age we live in. The unbeliever says, “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32).

However, this is not how a Christian is to live. We are to live in view of the time when we will be required to give an account of everything that has been entrusted to us: our time, our energy, our intellect, and our material possessions. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:19). What kind of account will you have to give for this week’s activities?

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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

His Desire

“And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. And He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:14-15).

It was the desire of the Lord Jesus to have His own gathered around Himself in the upper room for one last time before He went to the cross. The Lord knew that this would be the very spot where, after they ate the passover supper, He would institute the Lord’s supper. How it must have delighted His heart when His disciples responded and gave Him the joy of being in their midst!

It is still the desire of the Lord Jesus to have His own around Himself, to remember Him in the breaking of bread. Will you give Him the desire of His heart today? Every time we absent ourselves from the Lord’s presence without just cause or reason, we rob Him of the joy and desire of His heart. Of course we lose in our souls too, but it is Christ who is even more affected, being robbed of the delight He finds in our company collectively. Will you give Him His portion today?

 

Indifferent

“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4).

People just don’t care anymore! When I was growing up people still had some concern about eternity and going to heaven. They may have had a very mistaken idea about how to get there — keeping the ten commandments, good works, giving to charity, attending church regularly, etc., but at least there was some concept of life beyond life on earth.

But today people seem completely indifferent to it all. They are like Solomon in the above verse who simply viewed things from the perspective of earth and time. What they don’t realize is, that they are rushing headlong to a lost eternity, and that they will wake up some day with the knowledge that it’s too late and that there is no hope.

When the rich man spoke from the confines of hell he was no longer indifferent. “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment” (Luke 16:27-28). There are earnest souls in hell, but it is too late!

 

Word and Deed

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him” (Colossians 3:17).
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossian 3:23).
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

All that which is not suitable for Christ’s presence is evil! Are the above verses too high a standard for us? Not if we really and truly value Christ in our hearts! If we love Him, what pleases Him pleases us.

Let’s be done with the negative question. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS OR THAT?”

Let’s get something positive before our hearts instead, such as, “WHAT IS THERE FOR CHRIST IN IT?” Before you speak or act, ask yourself, “Is it a word I can speak, in the name of the Lord Jesus, or a deed I can do for Him and His glory?” If you cannot say wholeheartedly, “Yes,” stay clear of it.