Young People’s Blog

Feelings

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The question is not, Do you feel saved, but rather,are you saved? It is good to trust in, and feel the power and blessing of salvation, but that in itself is not sufficient.

A sea captain in the middle of the ocean may have his moments of anxiety, but he would never dream of relying on his feelings as to the course of the vessel. By the chart and compass he judges where he should be; and by the sun and stars he judges where he is. These tests may either confirm his feelings or reverse them, but it is not feelings that tell him where to go or where he’s at.

Just so, it is with salvation. Paul said to Timothy, “From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). It wasn’t a question of whether Timothy felt saved, but a question of faith in Christ Jesus, and resting on His Holy Word.

 

Happiness

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance” (Proverbs 15:13).
“He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:3).
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine”
(Proverbs 17:22).

A person who is happy on the inside has a happy face too. And who could be happier than a Christian? Just think — your sins are gone, you have a home in heaven, and you have a Saviour who cares for you every hour of every day. You also have a Father in heaven who loves you more than anyone on earth, and is interested in every detail of your life. The realization and enjoyment of these things will produce a happy heart and a joyful countenance.

Does this mean no troubles? No, of course not! But with Jesus in your heart and a deep-rooted happiness inside you, you have what it takes to overcome in the trouble. As the old song says, “Don’t worry! Be happy!” Are you truly happy? If you are then let your face show it. Smile!

 

Minor Prophets — Jonah

Jonah had a message to present to the wicked city of Nineveh. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me” (Jonah 1:2). However, Jonah was a disobedient servant who decided it would be easier to run from the Lord than to have his reputation as a prophet spoiled. This is indicated by what he said later on, when he complained to the Lord regarding the sparing of the city. “I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil” (Jonah 4:2). He knew if the people repented that the Lord might not carry out the judgment and that he would lose his credibility as a prophet.

The account of Jonah is prophetically the story of the unfaithfulness of Israel as a witness for God in the earth and His governmental dealings with them.

Jonah is also a type of the Lord Jesus in His rejection, death, and resurrection. This is confirmed by the Lord when He stated: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).

 

Count Your Blessings

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Some of our readers may be looking for full-time or part-time employment at this time of year. I thought the following statements were interesting, and while they won’t secure secular employment I think they are worth considering in regard to our spiritual life.

If you want a full-time job with benefits, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

If you want a part-time job with no guarantees, COUNT YOUR TROUBLES.

When I was a young person we used to sing a chorus that went like this:

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

 

Sunshine or Shadow

Here are a couple of questions asked to a group of Christian young people who were gathered together for a young people’s weekend:

“Do you walk in the sunshine of the Father’s presence, or the shadow of a bad conscience?”

“Do you live in the warmth of the Father’s love, or the shade of self-will?”

What would your honest answer be?

When we allow sin and self-will in our lives we lose the communion and joy of the Father’s presence, and we do not enjoy the warmth of His love. Twice the Apostle Paul reminded Timothy of the importance of maintaining a good conscience. “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5). “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (1 Timothy 1:19).

If you have allowed something to come between you and your heavenly Father, judge it today — right now! Return from the cold shadows of sin and self-will to the sunshine and warmth of the Father’s presence and love.

 

Dear Young Christian:

There is a lot of fear in the world this very day. And as another work week starts and the stock markets reopen, and trading and business begins around the world at various levels, there is a lot of speculation and trepidation as to what will happen between now and closing time on Friday.

But for the person who knows the Lord there is an inward peace that nothing outward can touch. As we see things in the world getting worse and worse, and the financial and political infrastructure hanging by a thread and ready to break, we don’t have to be overwhelmed. We can be aware without being overwhelmed. David said, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2). We are in relationship with One who is greater than all the circumstances of life, and in full control of everything that happens on planet earth. Our God and Father sees the big picture on the world stage, and is also interested in every detail of our life. He says, “Fear not” (Luke 12:32).

Your Christian Friend,

Jim Hyland

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

Altogether Lovely

“He is altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16).

This is the bride summing up her description and assessment of her bridegroom. In careful detail she has describe dhim in the preceding verses, and as a result comes to this joyous conclusion.

What is your assessment of your heavenly bridegroom, the Lord Jesus? As you think about Him today, what conclusion will you come to? Of no earthly bridegroom could it be said, “He is altogether lovely.” There will always be some character flaws or some little idiosyncracies that are not so pleasing. How many have married what they thought was the perfect man, only to find out that it was not so. But as you assess the qualities, attributes, and glories of your heavenly bridegroom, you will never find any imperfections there. You too will say, like the bride of the Old Testament, “He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend.” The Bible is full of wonderful descriptions of various aspects of the person of Christ. Take time to enjoy some of them today.

 

Life Is Short

Jacob said:

“Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been” (Genesis 47:9).

David said:

“There is but a step between me and death” (1 Samuel 20:3).

Moses said:

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

(Notice the title of the Psalm.)

Job said:

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not” (Job 14:1-2).

James said:

“For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).

The question is not how long we will live, but where will we be when we leave planet earth?

 

Unchristian — Part 2

In 1 John 3, which begins with the words, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (v. 1), John introduces a sharp contrast: Believers love righteousness, keep themselves from sin, and love one another; nonbelievers practice sin, hate others, and abide in death. These are strong words! We are either followers of Jesus Christ or of the devil. John says that love for others is what proves we are genuine children of God.

“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). And also, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). We can’t continue to practice sin and claim to be followers of Christ. Let’s always make sure our words and deeds back up our beliefs.

 

Unchristian — Part 1

“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (John 3:10).

In a book titled Unchristian, reasons are listed why some non-Christians don’t like people who profess faith in Jesus Christ. Their major complaints have to do with the way some Christians act toward unbelievers. The unbelievers in the study tended to view Christians as being hypocritical, judgmental, harsh and unloving toward people not like themselves.

I’m sure you dislike hearing their view of Christians as much as I do. Sometimes there’s more truth in their perceptions than we wish there was. Paul exhorted the believers at Philippi when he said, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).