Month: February 2018

The Lord’s Coming — Part 2

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words”
(1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).

Who can think or speak of the happy reunions on that morning of cloudless joy? Doubtless the person of the Lord will fix every eye, and delight every heart; still there will be the recognition of those who, though long parted from us here, have never lost their place in our hearts. And as all will perfectly bear the image of the Lord, we can never lose sight of Him. Though every one will have his own identity and his own special joy, yet all will be like the Lord, and the joy of each will be the common joy of all. But chiefest of all our joys that heavenly morning, and from which all other joys shall flow, will be to see His face, and to behold His glory. The Apostle John sums up all this blessedness by saying: “We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

What comfort this is, and what courage it gives us to press on until that moment when we finally see Him face to face!

The Lord’s Coming — Part 1

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first”
(1 Thessalonians 4:15-16).

The Lord Jesus rises up, He descends from heaven, He gives the word Himself, the voice of the archangel passes it on, and the trumpet gives a well-known sound.

This is an allusion to a Roman military practice. As well-trained troops know their commander by the sound of the trumpet, so will the army of the Lord answer instantly to His call. All the dead in Christ shall rise, and all the saved who are living shall be changed; and they shall enter the cloud, and be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air; and they shall be ever with Him. This is the first resurrection, the rapture of the saints. Before the judgments fall, the saints are all gone — gone to glory, gone to be with the Lord forever! What a thought! What an event! All caught up together, and to be conducted by Him to the Father’s house of many mansions.

Understanding

Have you ever hoped for something,

And never understood,

Why the Lord did not allowed it,

Though you thought it was for good?

Have you ever really wondered

Why He holds back certain things,

And often into circumstances,

Grief and trial brings?

Remember, all is for your good,

Though often at the time,

You do not understand His ways,

Nor yet His praises chime.

Still, in all He does, He loves us,

And the day is drawing near.

When we understand and praise Him,

For each joy, and for each tear.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13:7).

Dear Young Christian:

This week I am staying in a home where there are several young people in the family. This morning I am hearing some Monday-morning-groans and sighs as life gets going again. I suppose this is more common than I realize, as I have never been a person who has trouble getting started on Monday mornings, or any other morning of the week for that matter. However we are all unique, and we all operate at different levels of energy at different times of the day or night.

Whatever our personality or potentiality, as believers we need to keep in mind the fact that the Lord wants us to do our best in every endeavour of life, whether our home life, our school life, our personal life, or our service for Him. Here are two good verses to keep in mind as we start out on this Monday morning.

1. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23).

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

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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

The Result

“And they worshiped Him … with great joy: And were continually … praising and blessing God. Amen”
(Luke 24:52-53).

The disciples had walked with the Lord Jesus during the years of His public ministry. They had been occupied with Himself, listening to His words, observing His gracious and loving manner, seeing the miracles, and communing with Him in private. Now they had seen Him several times in resurrection, and they had just seen Him ascend back to heaven.

What was the result?

Worship

Great joy

Continual praise

Blessing God

These four things, will be evident in our lives too, in the measure in which we are occupied with the person and work of Christ. How much is it true in your life today — this first day of the week — and how much will it be true during the week to come?

The Joy of Salvation

“Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he”
(Proverbs 16:20).

The only people on earth who know lasting happiness or have an entrance into the joys of salvation are true “born again” Christians. Knowing that their sins have been forgiven and washed away by the precious blood of Christ, and that they are saved for all eternity, what could result but a flood of thanksgiving? As Peter declares, “Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

Some people believe that conversion to God puts a damper on happiness, not understanding at all what it is about. If one has never tasted the pure waters of redeeming love, how can he compare it to the polluted pleasure streams of this world? The Bible tells us to “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

Have you believed the glad tidings? Are you rejoicing in eternal life? If not, you have missed the greatest, the only true and abiding joy to be found on earth.

“Yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord” (Psalm. 144:15).

Singlemindedness

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matthew 6:22).

In the old days of slavery in the United States of America, when men and women escaped from their cruel masters, they knew that the Pole Star (also known as the North Star), would lead them north to Canada and freedom if they followed it precisely. They traveled by night for fear of being recaptured, and therefore they learned little of the geography of the country. As they hastened through the woods and forded the streams they did not stop to collect botanical specimens or stop to admire the views. As they hurried through the towns and villages, they had nothing to do with their betterment, cleanup, or municipal politics. They minded one thing, the Pole Star.

How good it is, when as believers, we have “singleness of heart” (Colossians 3:22), and single eye with a heavenly guide and goal.This will preserve us from many a pitfall and keep us from many a dangerous digression in our Christian pathway.

All About Christ

“Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me”
(John 5:39).
“He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

The Bible is all about Christ from cover to cover!

The Old Testament was the preparation for Christ.

The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), are the presenceof Christ.

The book of Acts is the preaching of Christ.

The Epistles are the people of Christ.

The Revelation is the preeminence of Christ.

Christ in every life,

On every sacred sheet:

Revealed by the Holy Ghost,

That precious Corn of Wheat.

The Bible is of HIM,

Of Jesus Christ the Lord:

All about the Heavenly Man,

The blessed, Living Word.