Young People’s Blog

Monthly Question Page

Q. I have been taught that the church will not go through the tribulation. Can you give me some verses from the Bible to help in this regard? Who will go through the tribulation?

A. The first Scripture that comes to mind is in the last book of the Bible: “Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10). This was a promise to the believers at Philadelphia, and to us as well. Not a promise to be kept through the tribulation, but to be kept from the tribulation.

Here is another verse on the second question: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (Jeremiah 30:7). The context is clearly the tribulation, but it is not the “church’s” trouble, but “Jacob’s” trouble. This shows that the nation of Israel will be saved out of, or literally, through this awful time, while the previous verse indicated that we, the church, are saved from it altogether.

We are to be “looking for that blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), which is the rapture, not the tribulation.

Victory

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

There are so many sporting events going on in the world — regional, national and international championships are organized continually. The athletes train extremely hard and persevere with great willpower for victory! They renounce many pleasures of daily life to be fit and ready on competition day. That is the one side.

On the other side, how soon are great victories forgotten! How quickly heroes are set aside by the crowds who are always finding new ones who are quicker and stronger, in short — better — until these too are forgotten. Such is worldly, transient, short-lived glory.

Yet there is another race, we know. There is no esteem, no applause from the crowds, but something much more important: acceptance by God. This is the Christian race of faith. This exercise does not strengthen the body — it strengthens the soul, protecting against the influence of Satan and the world. “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1).

Monthly Scripture Reading

1 Peter 2

13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

Honor Him

“O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared Thy wondrous works”
(Psalm 71:17).

Many of my readers were saved when they were quite young, and what a wonderful thing that is. But how good, too, as we get older and understand more of what the Lord has done for us and who He really is, to learn to honor Him in our daily lives and with all our heart and substance. Here is a story from history that illustrates this very well:

When the Punjab came under British rule, Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. The young Maharajah, a mere boy, sent the Koh-i-noor diamond to honor her, his new Sovereign. It was placed with the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. Some years later the Maharajah, now a young man, came to England to visit the Queen. He asked to see the diamond, and it was brought out under armed guard. He took it with great reverence and carried it to the window. Then he knelt at the Queen’s feet and said, “I gave you this jewel when I was a child, too young to know what I was doing, and now in the fulness of my strength, I give it to you again with all my heart.”

Dear Young Christian:

I have recently spent several days in the desert. While I would not like to live there, yet I realize that all areas of creation have a beauty all their own given to them by the Creator. Two verses of Scripture came to mind while viewing mountains that seemed like piles of rock surrounding a giant sandbox. “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). “Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

Wherever you are today, step out of your door and look for the wonders of God’s creation. Then thank Him that you know Him as your Father and Saviour, and that He continues to give you life and the ability to enjoy what He enjoys. Mankind has marred and spoiled much of creation through sin and exploitation, but there is still beauty in every direction. How then can we doubt the hand of God in creation? The Bible clearly states, “By Him all things consist [subsist]” (Colossians 1:17).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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

The Shepherd

“Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding
the flock with his brethren” (Genesis 37:2).

“Behold, he keepeth the sheep … David”
(1 Samuel 16:11, 13).

The two most beautiful and complete types, or pictures, of the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament are Joseph and David. At every turn there is something in their life that points forward to the life and work of Christ, either past, present or future.

It is significant that in both instances they are introduced to us as shepherds. I am sure we see the parallel immediately from some verses in John’s gospel. “He that entereth in by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep … I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep … I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine” (John 10:2,11,14).

As we consider this aspect of the person and work of Christ, what comfort and joy will fill our hearts. As the Shepherd He died for us, and as our Shepherd He is caring for us as well. David could say, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

Citizenship

My passport is a very important part of my travel accessories. The first thing immigration wants to see when I arrive in another country is proof of citizenship. Some of you may have dual citizenship for one reason or another. Perhaps one of your parents is a citizen of another country other than the one you were born or live in … or you were born in another country from the one your parents are citizens of … etc … etc … 

There was a man in the Bible who had triple citizenship, the Apostle Paul. He was a Jew by birth — “of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Philippians 3:5). He also had Roman citizenship. “They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans” (Acts 16:37). He was also a citizen of heaven. “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). So he was Jewish, Roman and Heavenly.

Most of us will never have dual citizenship as far as two countries here on this earth. But it is vital that we secure heavenly citizenship. God has provided a passport to that “better country” (Hebrews 11:16), through the Lord Jesus and the work of Calvary. That is a passport and citizenship we cannot lose once we have it.

Work and Pray

“And she … served God with fastings and
prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37).

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18).

George Muller, who lived from 1805 – 1898, was a man of faith, prayer, and spiritual energy, used mightily of God. The following is a quote of his on the subject of prayer and work for the Lord:

“Here is the great secret of success … Work with all your might, but trust not in the least in your work. Pray with all your might for the blessing of God, but work at the same time with all diligence … with all patience … with all perseverance. Pray then and work … work and pray … and still again, pray and then work. And so on all the days of your life. The results will surely be abundant blessing. Whether you see fruit or little fruit, such kind of service will be blessed.”

We read of the Lord during His busy days of service on earth, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).

Jacob’s Twelve Sons — Gad

We know little of the personal history of Gad. He was the seventh son of Jacob and the first of Zilpah, Leah’s maid. We know from Genesis 46:16, that he himself had seven sons. His name means “a troop,” and Jacob in blessing him said, “A troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last” (Genesis 49:19). Part of the blessing of Moses was, “And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head” (Deuteronomy 33:20).

The tribe of Gad was one who opted not to settle in Canaan, along with Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh, see Joshua 22:1-4. Their excuse for not wanting to cross the Jordan to settle was that they thought where they were was better pasture for their cattle, but by the time the Lord came on the scene they were raising pigs, which were unclean to the Jew. Compare Numbers 32:1-5 with Mark 5:1-14. We learn from this that if we do not value our spiritual inheritance, that is, what we have in Christ, we will only regress in our souls and lose our spiritual discernment. We will become worldly Christians with little or no conscience of what is right or wrong concerning God’s truth.

Self

“Not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5)

One of the greatest hindrances to the work of the Spirit of God in the believer is self. Good self or bad self … self is still self. Self-esteem, self-worth, self-image, self-love, are at best the occupation with the wrong man, the very man whom God has set aside and condemned in the death of Christ. God is not attempting to improve man in the flesh. Instead He has introduced another Man, “the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). This is a hard lesson for us to learn: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We may well ask ourselves, “What should we do? How does this solve the problem?” First, we must realize and admit that “in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18). Then as I learn how wretched the flesh in me is, I turn away from self and turn my eye of faith toward Christ. There I find an object of supreme delight, the One in whom God finds eternal joy and satisfaction.