Month: April 2019

Stillness — Part 2

“Stand still, and I will hear what
the Lord will command” (Numbers 9:8).
“Mary sat still” (Luke 11:20).

“Stand still,” my Lord, encouraged,

And yet, I hurried on,

I thought I was sufficient,

To straighten every wrong:

I thought I knew the answers,

To every circumstance;

That I could right each problem,

With just a passing glance.

“Sit still,” my Lord, entreated,

“You cannot work it out;

But leave it to My wisdom,

Trust Me without a doubt:

And mighty things will happen,

All for your blessing work,

Let confidence be waiting,

Let not suspicion lurk.”

Stillness — Part 1

“He leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:2).
“Their strength is to sit still” (Isaiah 30:7).

In a world and society of constant movement, and hustle andbustle, here are three principles that are good to keep in mind:

“Stand still” (Exodus 14:13).

“Sit still” (Ruth 3:18).

“Be still” (Psalm 46:10).

We don’t seem to know much about stillness today, and if we are going to practice these three principles it is going to take discipline. Remember, the Lord wants us to take time not only to slow down, but also to stop, and to be … STILL!

If we do not take time for stillness in the presence of the Lord Jesus each day, we are busier than God ever intended any person to be!

The reason we do not always hear the Lord speaking to us in “a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), is because we are not “Still” ourselves.

Ask yourself, “Have I taken a stillness break today?”

Dear Young Christian:

In the troubled world in which we live, we all have the subject of peace on our minds. However, when the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus, was here, they rejected Him and called for His crucifixion. They said, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). As a result, there will be no peace until the Lord Jesus returns to set up His kingdom and rule supreme. “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment” (Isaiah 32:1).

In the meantime, there is an inward peace that we can have by knowing the Lord Jesus as our Savior and living in obedience to His Word and will.

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

· “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

You can enjoy this inner peace this week, in spite of what is going on around you in a world of utter turmoil.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Focus

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight … And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead” (Acts 20:7, 9).

When meeting together with other believers for the breaking of bread and preaching of the Word of God, I am often like this young man in Troas. He found it hard to focus, and, as a result, fell fast asleep, with almost disastrous results. Let’s try today to keep our hearts and minds centered on the person and work of Christ. It is so easy to let our thoughts wander, either back to what happened last week, or ahead to what we are planning and anticipating this coming week. But, as we contemplate Him in the remembrance meeting, and we hear teaching and gospel preaching from the Scriptures, let’s go rested, alert, and with a genuine desire to learn more of the One who has said, “This do in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).

Publicans

“Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for to hear Him” (Luke 15:1).

The character of publicans back in Bible times was such that they were hated by the Jews as traitors. Their money was considered tainted and would not be accepted in the synagogue. Their oath was absolutely worthless, and they could not be witnesses in any court of law. If a man promised to do a thing for a Publican under oath, he was not bound to keep his pledge.

However, so many times we read of the publicans coming to hear the words of the Lord Jesus, and ultimately receiving a blessing. I suppose that Zacchaeus is a well-known and outstanding example. “And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich” (Luke 19:2). When we read the story of this man, we realize that nothing was going to get in his way of seeing the Lord as He passed through the city of Jericho. He had a felt need, and, as a result, it was declared, “This day is salvation come to this house” (Verse 9).

Don’t let anything stand in the way of your coming to know the Lord as your personal Savior.

Dependence

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

Living in constant dependence on the Lord is a wonderful experience. Many believers scurry and hurry about busily trying to accomplish things through their own strength and ability. By the world’s standards, some may succeed enormously and others may fail miserably. But both groups fail to enjoy the power and presence of the one who promises, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest” (Exodus 33:14).

The Apostle Paul understood very clearly that his real strength was in the Lord, and that to accomplish anything properly and for His glory he needed to rely wholly on Him. The Lord had said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness” Thus, Paul could respond “When I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Constant dependence on the Lord gives constant joy, and the ability to accept all things from His loving hand. Begin each day by asking the Lord to keep you conscious of His presence and power, and with a sense of real dependence on Himself.

Plans

As you make plans for today, remember that it is the Lord who orchestrates and plans the events of your life.

“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:13-15).

Some days, things go smoothly, and everything seems to work out according to what we had planned. On other days, your plans may be thwarted and squelched — but remember, His plan is the best. If he changes the course of your day, accept it, and realize that there was an important reason behind it. Don’t try to fight it or figure it out, just accept it, thank Him for it, and, in His own time and way (if necessary), He will make it plain. Trust His goodness, rely on His love, and follow Him! “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5).

He knows which way is best, in this I fully rest,

And trust Him for each test, assured that I am Blest.

Creation Versus Evolution

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) realized that the fossil record did not support his theories of evolution, but he had faith that subsequent finds would fill in the gaps. However, almost a century and a half has passed and the hoped-for evidence has not turned up.

In the book “Darwin’s Biological Work,” first published in 1959, again in 1970, and then in 2011, geologist and evolutionist John Challinor, admits that the fossil record only “partially supports evolution” and significantly adds, that it also supports “separate and independent creation.”

Thankfully, we do not have to rely on the theories and opinions of men when it comes to creation. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).

God has told us all that we need to know, and given abundant evidence in the creation itself, so that we can rest with certainty in the knowledge that He is the creator as well as the one who sustains the universe.Not only did He bring it all into existence, but He is also, “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrew 1:3).

Jesus’ Feet

“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

Mary sat at Jesus’ feet,

Heard His words, so true and sweet;

Martha hurried here and there,

Filled with trouble, work, and care.

Jesus spoke with gentle voice,

“Martha, Martha, make the choice;

Choose the better part today,

Sit and hear each word I say.”

There is much that could be done,

As the path of faith we run;

But we need to take the time,

Sitting at Christ’s feet sublime.

Dear Young Christian:

I had to get a new iPhone today. My old phone was old and out of date, and you might even use the word, archaic. In fact, it was so old that they had trouble transferring the data from my old phone to the new one. The real problem is that I have to learn a lot of new stuff. I am not technically inclined to begin with, and I find learning to use new gadgets rather frustrating, if not time consuming as well.

Thankfully the Word of God remains the same. As we learn our way around in the Bible it is good to know that it has stood the test of time, and as the Psalm writer declared, “For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). This is something stable and unchanging that we can really cling to. Learn to find your way around your Bible while you are young. Memorize it; utilize it; meditate on it; and then follow its instructions and commands. I don’t like to admit it, but another reason I find the new technology difficult is because I’m getting older. That’s why it is so important to learn your Bible while you are young.

 Your Christian Friend,

 Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland@primus.ca