Young People’s Blog

The Purposes of God

Seven Aspects of God’s Eternal Purpose — Part 1

1. That the Father of glory should have children.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

2. That Christ should have a bride.

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband … And there came unto me one of the seven angels … and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Revelation 21:2,9).

3. That God’s light and love should be manifested.

“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

“God is love” (1 John 4:8).

4. That God should be glorified in Christ.

“These words spake Jesus … I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” (John 17:1, 4).

Dear Young Christian:

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me”
(Matthew 25:40).

Any service, no matter how small, or toward whom the service is performed, or no matter how unknown or insignificant the recipient may be (in the eyes of the world), the Lord makes a note of the service and will reward it in a coming day. It is wonderful to realize that the Lord forgets nothing, and everything done for Him is being recorded and will be rewarded. He has promised: “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).

With this in mind keep up the good work, and remember the further promise: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

  Your Christian Friend,

          Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.
Send your comments or questions to [email protected]

The Rod

“I am the man that hath seen affliction
by the rod of His wrath” (Lamentations 3:1).

This statement is prophetic of the Lord Jesus, when at the cross God punished His Son for our sins in those three hours of darkness. It is also figured in Moses striking the Rock, the Rock being a picture of Christ. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:5-6).

The rod of God’s judgment fell on the Lord Jesus and, as a result there is blessing and refreshment for us.

Jehovah lifted up His rod—

O Christ, it fell on Thee!

Thou wast forsaken of Thy God;

No distance now for me.

Thy blood beneath that rod has flowed:

Thy bruising healeth me.

                                         –Anne Cousins

True or False

Truth is not a matter of opinion. Either something is true or it is false. Jesus Christ is the truth. He did not say “I am a way,” but rather, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). When it comes to faith, it is not, “Just so you believe something,” but “Just so you believe Christ.” Faith in Jesus Christ, who laid down His life on the cross of Calvary and rose victoriously from the dead, is the only way to everlasting life and forgiveness of sins.

Just as everyone has turned to his own way, each of us must individually turn from our rebellion. No one can save himself, since salvation is “not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Because God is the One who saves, salvation is as certain as His promise: “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

Jesus Christ is the only way. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Beseech

The dictionary gives the definition of the word “beseech” as “to ask fervently.” Here are some things that the Lord fervently asks us to do as Christians:

“I … beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1).

“I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:2).

“I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

“I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17).

Are we ready to respond in fervent obedience?

Peace Like a River

“O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river” (Isaiah 48:18).

The peace of God is a higher thing than comfort, a deeper thing than joy, and a more solid thing than rest. While my comforts may be diminished, my joy be disturbed, and my rest be broken, my peace still flows as a river.

Interrupt the flow of a river, and it is no longer a river. You may dam up its waters, but you only make them stagnant, for their freshness and their fruitfulness depend upon the continuity of their changeless flow. A flowing river is the perfect scriptural illustration of the peace God provides: “Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river” (Isaiah 66:12).

In contrast the troubled sea fittingly illustrates the state of those who have no relationship with God, and therefore have no peace. “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:20-21).

Self

“Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:26).

Those who live for their own glory or self-esteem are stuck in an unhappy sandwich. On one side is envying one another: always thinking there are others who are better than we are or who have more than we have. On the other side is provoking one another: in other words, those we associate with are provoked to envy or covetousness.

On the other hand those who live for Christ and His approval have a far better object than living for the eye of man. Instead, they live for the eye of God. They can help the unfortunate and rejoice with the successful. We are to live for the Lord, and to serve Him, “not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God … Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:22, 24).

To live for self is miserable at best. To live for Christ is joy and peace. The Apostle Paul said, “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9).

The Word of God

The Bible is the Word of God,

It’s truth, and life, and light:

It stands unchangeable through time,

And guides the soul aright.

The Bible speaks, and we must heed,

If we would happy be,

The path is marked, the way is plain,

Each step we clearly see.

So read your Bible every day,

Wherever you may be,

The Bible is the Word of God,

It’s truth will set you free.

“I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you” (1 John 2:14).

“Every Word of God is pure” (Proverbs 30:5).

Dear Young Christian:

Here is a verse that has been a great encouragement to me many times is my day-to-day life. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).I particularly appreciate the word “present.” In other words, He is always available. We can come to Him at anytime of the day or night and find that He is ready to listen and help. You will never get a busy signal when you call on the Lord, nor will you ever get put on hold, or have your call rushed through.

Here is a little prayer that I have learned to pray a lot as I have gotten older: “Help Lord” (Psalm 12:1). From the title of the Psalm we know that this was a prayer of David. David was a man who had a great many problems and difficult decisions during his life. Although he sometimes made mistakes and got into trouble, He knew where to turn when things got rough. As you face the world this week, learn to pray from the heart this short prayer, and you will find a wonderful and sure resource in times of trouble.

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

We would love to hear from you.
Send your comments or questions to [email protected]

Worship

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

Did you have a hard time getting going this morning? Not a morning person? Up too late last night? Let’s remember today, as we spend time in worship, that the Lord deserves and wants first place in our hearts. We have boundless energy with sports and other activities and pleasures, but we don’t often show the same enthusiasm when it is a question of going to meet with the Lord and His people.

What a lovely example we have in Elkanah and his wife Hannah in 1 Samuel chapter 1. Before returning from the temple to their home in Ramah they made a point to rise early for the express purpose of worshipping the Lord.

Here is what we read about Abraham when He was told to take Isaac and go and worship. “And Abraham rose up early in the morning … And Abraham said … I and the lad will go yonder and worship” (Genesis 22:3, 5).

Maybe if we really appreciated who Christ is and what it cost Him to put away our sins, we might be more willing to rise early in the morning ready to worship.