Month: December 2019

His Presence

Centuries ago, David penned the following words: “In Thy presence is fulness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).

Now, in the year 2019, these words are still relevant and as true as when they were written by divine inspiration. No matter what the circumstances of life may be today, you can always find joy in the presence of the Lord.

Some days, it seems that joy is strewn all along our pathway with sunshine and happiness at every turn. On days like that, it is easy to be content and rest in the Lord’s love and goodness.

However, there are other days when it seems that all is doom and gloom, and that the path of life is strewn with one struggle and problem after another. Those are the days that seem to never end, and if we are not careful we can lose sight of the Lord and the hand of love behind it all. Those are the days when we need to focus on HIM, to look through the fog of circumstances with the eye of faith and feel His hand in ours, and His presence walking with us every step of the way. Then, and only then, will we have that deep, real, lasting happiness He wants us to experience, “that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4).

Abide in Christ

“Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4).
“And now, little children, abide in Him” (1 John 2:28).

While reading a book recently — written by a commentator by the name of Hamilton Smith — on the first epistle of John, I was struck by the following definition:

“To abide in Christ is…

1. To see Him by faith.

2. To know Him by experience.

3. To walk under His influence.”

The results of the reality of this in our life are at least threefold:

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me” (John 15:4).

“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

“Herein is My Father glorified” (John 15:8).

Let’s ask ourselves today, How much is this really and practically true of us?

Dear Young Christian:

I was recently thinking about the desire of the bride in the first chapter of the Song of Solomon. She said to her bridegroom, “Draw me, we will run after thee” (Song of Solomon 1:4). Notice, she begins with herself (me), and then includes others (we). It shows that we have a great influence on others, and only as we follow Christ, our bridegroom, can we lead them in the right direction. The Apostle Paul, by divine inspiration, wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

What will your influence be on other believers this week? Remember, we influence and affect one another more than we think. “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Romans 14:7). When John the Baptist saw the Lord and declared Him to be the Lamb of God, the result was, “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus” (John 1:37) Let’s be careful to live in a way that brings glory and honor to the Lord Jesus, and causes others to want to follow Him as well.

 Your Christian Friend,

 Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com

Finished

“It is finished” (John 19:30).

These glorious words, uttered by the Lord Jesus on the cross, at the end of the three hours of darkness, were not words of defeat but of victory. The work of atonement was complete, and the Lord Jesus was about to lay down His life in obedience to God His Father. Earlier, He had said with absolute certainty, “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” (John 17:4).

Today, we look back to Calvary and recall to our minds and hearts a completed work. A work that cost God the giving of His Son; a work that involved the Lord Jesus bearing our sins in those hours of darkness; a work that cost Him His life and the shedding of His blood.

Now, He is risen from the dead, ascended to heaven, and living at the right hand of God. Soon, He will come to call us home to be with Himself in the Father’s House. In the meantime, we worship and praise Him for that finished work that glorified God and secured our eternal blessing. We echo the words “Thou art worthy … for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood” (Revelation 5:9).

No Speculation

Recently, my missionary friend and I were visiting in the village of Greiggs, on the island of Saint Vincent. We were handing out gospel tracts and Scripture calendars for the new year, and speaking to folks about the Lord and the way of salvation. While passing down the street, my friend met a young man, and, when he offered him some literature and spoke to him about eternal matters, his reply was, “Anything concerning life after death is only speculation.”

My friend quickly assured him, by quoting several verses from the Bible, that there was no speculation as to what happens when we leave this life. The Word of God is very specific, and we need to take heed and be ready to meet God. One of the verses quoted was, “And … it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). There is no speculation in that verse!

The young man was not convinced, nor willing to hear what the Bible has to say on the matter. How sad! I trust there are none reading this calendar page who feel this way. Read the story in Luke 16:19-31. There we are left in no doubt as to the next life. This is not speculation, this is reality and certainty. “Be ye also ready” (Matthew 24:44).

Motivation — Part 2

“O love the Lord, all ye His saints” (Psalm 31:23).

As we are obedient to His Word, we will be led by the Spirit, who produces the “fruit of the Spirit,” in our lives, and the first thing on the list is “love” (Galatians 5:22).

This love is a love that is first of all for God, and then for His people, for the lost, and even for our enemies. The Lord Jesus says, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). We further read, “If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12).

The Apostle John also asks, “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3:17). He then goes on to challenge us, by saying, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him” (1 John 3:18-19).

May the love of Christ motivate us in such a way that He is honored and glorified through us today. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Motivation — Part 1

“Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him … For the love of Christ constraineth us” (1 Corinthians 5:9, 14).

What motivates you? What drives you from one day to the next? There are many things that motivate people to be the way they are. The motivation for a Christian should be different than for the rest of the world — not because we are better, but because we are different. Because we are the Lord’s, we have a new motive! The love that caused a holy God to give His only Son as the sacrifice for our sins is what should motivate every believer. It was this love that motivated the Son to give His life for our sins.

The Lord told His disciples, “If a man love me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him” (John 14:23). We cannot manufacture this love for God or for others. It has been poured out in the heart of every true Christian by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). His love has been placed in us and that is what should motivate us.

Devotedness

“And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5).

Devotedness is a much deeper and, at the same time, a much simpler thing than many suppose. Most think that if they are earnestly engaged in the Lord’s work, and looking for His guidance and blessing that they are being devoted.

However, devotedness is much more than this. It is having Christ Himself as the delight and resource of my heart, with my mind set towards Him. The highest service we can render the Lord is to delight His heart and to be a comfort and a joy to Him. The truth is, this is a service to which few devote themselves. Occupation with Christ, with a view to becoming more intimately acquainted with His character; studying Him, that we may learn what pleases Him, is very rare indeed. Many can be found who are occupied for Christ, like Martha; few who are occupied with Him, like her sister Mary, to learn what is in His heart.

Is your first thought in every circumstance that comes up, Lord, I would like to be a joy to Thee in this very circumstance Thou hast allowed? If it is, this is true devotedness!

(Adapted from Things New And Old.)

Come and Go

“Come, follow Me” (Luke 18:22).

Come, trust in Jesus, trust His Word,

That Word can never fail;

He is the Faithful and the True,

In Him you will prevail.

Come, sing His praise, sing with your heart,

Sing of His glorious name,

(He loves to hear your happy songs),

And all His worth proclaim.

Come, serve the Lord with joyful heart,

Come, follow Him today;

He has a work for you to do,

And He will lead the way.

Go forth for Him, answer His call,

The mission fields are ripe;

It may be in your neighborhood,

Or some far distant site.

Dear Young Christian:

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” (Psalm 27:4).

This desire of David sums up what should be the desire of every true believer in Christ. David wanted to go through life with the conscious sense of the Lord’s presence with him every day of his life. He knew that he would “dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Psalm 23:6), but he didn’t want to wait until that time to enjoy the Lord’s company. No, he wanted it all during his life time. This was paramount with David — it seems to me that it was the “one thing” that he desired and sought above all else.

As you start out on another busy week, be exercised to go forth with the realization that there is One who is with you and has promised, “I will never leave thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Be aware of His presence, talk to Him as you would a friend, and listen as He speaks to you through His Word, the Bible, and the circumstances He brings your way.

 Your Christian Friend,

 Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.

Send your comments and questions to jhyland1959@gmail.com