Young People’s Blog

You

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900), was an Irish writer and poet. He became one of London’s most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. There are many memorable quotes from his writings, but the other day one especially caught my attention. Here is what it said:

“Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.”

We smile at a statement like this that seems so elementary and obvious, but it got me thinking of how every child of God is an individual in His vast family, and how we each have a unique place to fill in our service for Christ. We are told, “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” (Galatians 6:4). When we try to be someone or something we are not is when we get into trouble. There is no power or blessing in pretence. God has made you, YOU! Be who you are and don’t try to be somebody else. Paul said to the Corinthians, “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called” (1 Corinthians 7:20). That’s where the blessing and fruit will result in your life.

Dear Young Christian:

“Being then made free from sin” (Romans 6:18).

I was visiting a school in Nassau Bahamas the other day, and noticed these words on a bulletin board in the hallway:

FREEDOM HAS IT’S PRICE,

IT’S NOT FREE!

I didn’t have time to stop and see what it was in connection with, or the subject matter of the board. But it made we think of the freedom and liberty that we have in Christ, and the great cost to God to bring it about. We have so much freely given to us, but at infinite cost. It cost God the giving of His Son; it cost the Lord Jesus His life and the shedding of His blood. Yes, we are free from sin, death, and hell, but let’s never forget that this freedom had its price. Let’s enjoy this liberty we have in Christ, and let’s not forget to thank God the Father and the Lord Jesus every day this week, and for the rest of our lives. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Galatians 5:1).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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

Behold

The delight of God the Father is to occupy us with His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Over and over again, and in one way or another, the person and work of that blessed One is brought before us throughout the Bible. The following are just a few examples:

David said: “Behold the beauty of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4).

Matthew records: “Behold, the Bridegroom” (Matthew 25:6).

John the Baptist said: “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36).

Nathanael declared: “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” (John 1:47)!

Pilate said: “Behold the Man” (John 19:5).

He also declared: “Behold your King” (John 19:14).

The Lord said: “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I” (Luke 24:39).

One of the elders said: “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda” (Revelation 5:5).

God says: “Behold My Servant” (Isaiah 42:1).

What fresh view of the person of Christ will you have today?

Sad

Some people seem to think that a Christian is a sad person who goes through life without much joy or pleasure and whose life is filled with many “don’ts.”“Don’t do this” or “Don’t do that” he always seems to be saying. This, however, is not true. It is a lie of Satan. A Christian can and should be full of peace and joy. Real and lasting happiness is the portion of every believer.

Sad! What is there about God’s good news calculated to make a person sad? Does it make a person sad to know that all of their sins are forgiven? Does it make one sad to know that he will spend eternity with the Lord Jesus in heaven?

In the Bible, King David said: “Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 144:15). He also wrote: In Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). Being delivered from the bondage of sin, death, and judgment, is the only way we can have peace of heart now and the hope of eternal joy. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13).

Who Is First? — Part 3

The widow of Zarephath was gathering a couple of sticks so she and her son could have their last meal and die due to a famine. Elijah, as a picture of the Lord, says to her,  “But make me thereof a little cake first” (1 Kings 17:13). As a result of her faith and obedience she and her son were provided for during the rest of the time of famine. “And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16). You can read the whole account for yourself and you will find it is a wonderful example of a person who did not say, “Me first” and was blessed because of it. (1 Kings 17:8-16).

Let’s learn, in our daily lives, to get up every morning and put Christ first. Not only will it delight our hearts, but it will delight the heart of the One who loves us and desires our blessing and happiness. Give Him the first place! Not just in some things, or in most things, but in all thngs.

Remember, the Lord says to us, “Me first,” and He has every right to do so! Are we honestly responding, “JESUS FIRST?”

Who Is First? — Part 2

“Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).

There is only one way to be a true disciple of the Lord, and that is to have a heart where there is only one object in it, CHRIST! CHRIST first, and only first! Yes, it is a question of the heart … what, or who does the heart put first? Not what or who is its primary object, but its only object.

The great question then is, what, and who are we putting first? Is it the Lord, or is it ourselves? Are we saying “yes” to Him, or are we saying “me first?” The unbeliever draws a circle around himself, put himself in the center of that circle and does everything in relationship to himself. But the believer has a new center in their life … not himself … but Christ. “That in all things HE might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

It has been aptly stated that this is not just the “ME FIRST” generation, but the “ME Only” generation. Elijah at a time of discouragement in his life said, “And, I, even I only, am left” (1 Kings 19:10).

Who Is First? — Part 1

“Me first” (Luke 9:59).

This really sums up the spirit of the age in which we live today. “ME FIRST!” We are taught that we deserve it, that we need to stand up for “NUMBER ONE!” We have our rights … and so on. Yes, this is certainly the “ME FIRST” generation!

But this is not the way it is to be for the Christian. When we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, then He is to be given the first place in our lives. Everything else is secondary. HE is to be Lord of our life. He is to be NUMBER ONE!

In the days of the Lord on earth there were those who said they would follow the Lord, but there was “me first” standing in the way. One said “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father” Another said: “I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house” (Luke 9:59, 61). It wasn’t wrong to have respect for the dead and provide a proper burial for a family member, nor was it wrong to say goodbye to those at home. But the Lord detected that there was something other than Himself that the heart was putting first, and this would never do if one was going to be a true disciple.

Jesus First

“I have set the Lord always before me” (Psalm 16:8).

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Jesus, first and foremost,

In my life each day;

Jesus, first and ever,

Uppermost alway.

Jesus, first and as Lord,

In my heart, I pray,

Jesus, first and foremost,

May my Savior stay!

The preeminent One,

First and Last is He;

Bright and precious object,

May He wholly be.

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Revelation 22:13).

Dear Young Christian:

“Whither shall I flee from Thy presence?” (Psalm139:7)

There is a lot of talk in the world about “Fair Trade.” Many products from developing countries are labeled in this way to indicate that the workers or farmers, and everyone else involved with getting it to you were compensated properly for their labor. Yet in spite of all this, life is full of tradeoffs. However there is one tradeoff we never want to make, and I saw it summed up in this way on a poster in a young persons apartment:

LIFE IS FULL OF TRADEOFFS;

BUT NEVER EXCHANGE FELLOWSHIP

WITH THE LORD FOR ANYTHING ELSE,

IT IS ALWAYS A POOR TRADEOFF!

It is something to really think about this week. There will be many pressures at school and at work, but don’t neglect those times spent with the Lord, or do anything that will hinder your fellowship with Him.

Your Christian Friend:

Jim Hyland

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

Beauty

“When we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).

“Behold the beauty of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4).

As first glance these two verse seem to contradict one another. However, when we meditate on them and take them in their proper context, we soon realize it is not so. The first one is true of the natural man who sees nothing of worth in the person of Christ. The second is the spiritual man, whose eyes have been opened, by the grace of God, to see beauty in the Lord Jesus. The Apostle John, having seen and walked with the Lord Jesus while He was here on earth, summed it up in this way: “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

There is a future day too, of which we read, “Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty” (Isaiah 33:17). What a day that will be, not only for us, but for Israel and the whole world. No longer the despised Man of lowliness and grace, but the King in His power and glory.

In the meantime, let’s be occupied with, and enjoy something of His beauties today.