Young People’s Blog

Personal

The following story, related by a Christian mountaineer, illustrates the truth of the importance of a personal relationship with the Lord:

One summer I spent some time at Mount Robson, British Columbia, where I camped and lived with fellow mountaineers of the Alpine Club of Canada. On a rainy day a group of us were drinking tea in a tent, when a discussion arose about religion. A young scientist turned to me with a rather patronizing air and said, “But you don’t really believe, do you, that Jesus is the Son of God? How do you know it’s true?

I shall never forget what followed. I simply did what any other convinced man would have done: I looked him straight in the eye and said: “How do I know that Jesus is the Son of God? I know it, because I know Him personally.” For at least half a minute our eyes locked. Then he turned away. The discussion was over.

The Apostle Paul said, “I know whom I have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12). Do you enjoy a personal relationship with Him, can you say, “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Just Today

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:33-34).

“I can remember once,” says an elderly man, “when I was a boy, helping my mother to store away apples. I put my arms around ever so many of them and tried to carry them all. I managed for a step or two. Then out fell one, and another, and two or three more, until they were all rolling on the floor. Mother laughed. “‘Now Daniel,’ she said, ‘I am going to teach you a spiritual lesson.’ So she put my hands tight around one apple. ‘There,’ she said, ‘carry that, then fetch another. And remember, don’t go trying to put your arms around a year! Nor even try to carry a whole week! Say to yourself, Another day has come. Lord, help me to live it for Thee. Help me to cleanse my way and walk in Thy fear, just today.’ ”

What good advice from a godly mother!

Lost And Found

“But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple” (Luke 2:44-46).

Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus and found Him in the temple. They thought He was lost, but He was right where they left Him. If our companionship with Him is broken, it is not He who has moved, but us. We can’t lose our salvation but we can lose our fellowship with Him. Unconfessed sin, inattention to our Bible, failure to pray, and neglecting to gather with God’s people, all break fellowship. The journey back to where we have left Him begins with confession and continues with a renewed focus on the Scriptures, prayer and Christian fellowship.

In the Old Testament the bride said of her bridegroom, “I sought him, but I found him not” (Song of Solomon 3:1). However, after diligent search she says, “I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go” (3:4). This can be our happy reality too.

Be Strong

Maybe you feel very weak and insufficient for the circumstances of life that you anticipate today. Here are some verses that encourage us to “be strong,” not in our own power, but with the power of God that is provided by God for every believer.

 “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).

“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7).

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).

No matter what we face today, our God and His power are far greater. Go forth in that power and you will be victorious.

Love

Love is one of the great characteristics of Christianity. Just before the Lord Jesus left the disciples to go to the cross and then return to heaven, He said these words, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

A new commandment! The Old Testament also told its adherents to love: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18). But they couldn’t keep it. Inside the Christian, though, is the God-given capability to keep this new commandment. Yes, the new life given when you believed on Jesus can and does love. And it loves without expecting anything in return. The Lord would not ask us to do something that is not possible to do. He has given the power to put His new commandment into practice.

The Lord went on to say, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).So, our love displayed in our interactions with one another is a testimony to the world. If that is true then let’s do it!

Dear Young Christian:

As you begin another week let me share something that perhaps we have shared before, but which is good to keep in mind as we operate from day to day in a world of sin, sorrow, and distraction:

If you want to be distracted … ….LOOK AROUND!

If you want to be miserable … ….LOOK WITHIN!

If you want to be happy … …… … .LOOK UPWARD!

If you want to be satisfied … ……LOOK TO JESUS!

If you want to be encouraged … .LOOK AHEAD!

With these statements I have enjoyed two verses that stand in stark contrast to each other:

“And if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow” (Isaiah 5:30).

“They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed” (Psalm 34:5).

Where, and to whom, will you look this week?

Your Christian Friend,

JimHyland

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

The Christ

“Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16).

The Lord’s question provoked one of the most dramatic and beautiful confessions regarding His identity. He is Messiah, “the Christ”; He is God, “the Son of the living God”; and He is greater than all false human notions of the divine, “the living God”. The modern world’s pseudo-deities (fake gods) cannot compete with Him, any more than could the ancient idols of Bible times. Instead of declaring His credentials Himself, Christ gave the Apostle Peter the privilege of this great confession. Believers are afforded the same honor today, as they give witness to the crucified, risen, and glorified Savior.

Living, glorious, precious Savior,

Son of God, and coming King;

Worthy of all praise and worship,

Hallelujahs, now we bring!

Guilty

Last Saturday we had an account that illustrated the truth of the verse: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Here is another story from history to emphasize the same truth:

Frederick the Great, the Prussian king from 1740 to 1786, was once touring a Berlin prison. The prisoners fell on their knees before him to proclaim their innocence, all having this excuse and that excuse as to why they should not be incarcerated — except for one man, who remained silent. Frederick called to him, “Why are you here?” “Armed robbery, Your Majesty,” was the reply. “And are you guilty?” “Yes indeed, Your Majesty, I deserve my punishment.” Frederick then summoned the jailer and ordered him, “Release this guilty wretch at once. I will not have him kept in this prison where he will corrupt all the fine innocent people who occupy it.”

Yes, the person who admits that they are a helpless, guilty sinner is the person who obtains mercy and salvation through the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.

Monthly Question Page
(Continued from last month).

Q. How can I be sure that the Bible is the inspired Word of God?

A. The best way is by reading it! You can’t judge a book which you haven’t read. Many critics have done this to their embarrassment. Read it from cover to cover. Many who have done this in earnest have had their doubts removed. This is because the Bible is “quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12).

Although reading is the surest way to tell its authorship, its uniqueness also points to God as its author. For one thing, it has stood the test of time! In the last half of the 18th century, Voltaire, the French infidel, made the prediction that within 100 years the Bible would be completely forgotten. He died in 1778 but the Bible lives on. How many 2,000 year old books are still in print? It is still the world’s best seller, translated into almost 300 languages.

Consider also the fact that it was penned by about 40 different men over a period of about 1,600 years. Yet, there are no contradictions, but rather complete harmony. Yes, “The Word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Do you have a question? Email us at [email protected]

Choosing

A Bad Choice:

“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan … and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Genesis 13:11-13).

A Good Choice:

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:24-25).

A Better Choice:

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

The Best Choice:

“Mary … sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word … Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:39, 42).