ORLANDO CHINESE CHURCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
JANUARY, 2002
Peace In My Heart
Brother Ip's Testimony
My former job as a news broadcaster was to talk about world news. I thought I knew a lot and therefore had a high opinion of myself. However, as I became older, I began to see the futility and deceptiveness in what world has to offer. Whenever people said that they could give you peace, they were lying to you since they did not have it themselves. The WTC was the nerve center of world's commerce and the Pentagon was the symbol of military power. Yet on 9/11 both were shaken and went up in smoke. Only a believer in God does not need to fear. Jesus tells us: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Therefore, our cancer or our loss of job will not take away the peace we have in Christ. As long as we have the life of Christ in us, no difficulty will overcome us.
Rom. 5:1 tells us: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We were sinners because of our sins, but Christ took away our sins and set us free so that we can have peace with God. Even though we live in an environment that does not offer us peace, but in Christ we have peace. This peace is not an outward one nor is it one that the world can give. The peace in the Bible is a deep inward peace. I did not understand this and for a long time I did not have peace. I was young when I got married and had children early. Life was tough and I was under a lot of stress. I was poor and was dissatisfied with what I had to offer for my wife and children. I thought money would bring peace and therefore worked hard to make more. Later on I entered into a TV broadcasting profession that paid very well and was making four to five times of my old salary. I was thrilled thinking that I would earn enough money to have peace. It was not long before I found out that money did not buy peace. On the contrary, the more money I had the less peace I had. As I have more I became worried of losing what I had worked very hard for. That made me suspicious about people and I was constantly looking out to see if people were trying to steal, rob, or deceive me. I became very demanding of others and my relationship with others deteriorated. I did not even get along with my wife and my children. The thing that I went after so hard turned out to be not genuine and deceiving. I grew increasingly unhappy. My world started to fall apart. Yet I did not know why until I found out that I had cancer. Because of my illness I retreated to the mountain to be alone. As I faced with the prospect of death I eventually turned to God. His word became the source of my peace: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)
Jesus spoke these words just before He was crucified on the cross. In comforting His disciples, He proclaimed those words to mankind. At that time Jesus had neither wealth nor power, nor could He seemingly save Himself from the upcoming cruel punishment. Yet He spoke these words of promise to His disciples. The money and power of this world will tell you they can give you peace. In actuality, what the world promises you is just a lie. My money and my power did not bring peace and on the contrary my wife and children hated me. In John 16:33 our Lord says: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." The peace Jesus has promised is a peace that we can have in Him. If we are not in Him, we cannot receive such peace. The Lord said that in this world there is trouble, but He has already overcome the world. The power of the world cannot overpower Him and the trouble of the world cannot defeat Him. Jesus is The Son of God incarnated. His death and resurrection have destroyed the power of death and opened up a new and living way for those who believed in His name. When we abide in Him, He will abide in us. His resurrected life in us will give us peace even when we are faced with adversary conditions.
When I discovered my stomach cancer, I became despair and began reading the Bible. I had read the Bible before with very little understanding. Now when I was about to die, every sentence spoke directly to my heart. I prayed to the Lord in tears realizing how much He loved me. Now I realized that He died on the cross for me. In the past, I thought I loved my wife and children and wanted to look after them. On that day I realized that my love was for myself. I acted like a king at home and expected my family to submit to me. I got very angry and upset when they challenged my authority. I was indeed very self-centered. But thank to a loving God who has forgiven me and died for me. He had covered me with His love and my whole being was so shaken up by this love that I made this prayer on the mountain: "Oh Lord! I offer myself to you for the remaining days of my life! If you allow me to live I will go down the mountain to proclaim your love." Even though this was a selfish prayer, the Lord had graciously listened to me. That year was 1987. I asked: "Oh Lord! Give me 10 more years to live." Praise the Lord, we are about to enter into Year 2002. God's grace has surpassed my expectation again and again. I now live each day as a gift from God and experience His love more and more in my life. God's word gives us power to live. If you have faith in Him, you will experience His power in your life. As you trust Him each day, you will experience miracle each day. Some Christians do not experience God's power in their lives because they do not really put their faith in God. They live for themselves and not for the Lord and they do not live by God's word.
2Cor. 1:20 talks about the blessing of God's promises: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." The Bible has many blessed promises. However, we often feel those promises are not for us. We do not ask and therefore do not receive. After my prayer on the mountain, I did not know how long I would live. However, I had a deep peace within me which I would never forget. Having realized that God had blessed me with all the heavenly blessings, I became a more lovable person. I began to have a real understanding of love and peace. When I had a lot of money, I did not find peace. But now I looked like a person who was about to die, yet in the inside I had an indescribable joy. This joy has been with me this past 15 years and I begin to understand Jesus' words: "Peace I leave with you…not give as the world gives…." I can hear my wife's voice and my children's laughter again. I am willing to sit to listen to them. I also learn to go into my room to pray on my knees for my family and myself.
It is wonderful! When you hold on to God's promises and His word, you experience the transformation. You experience more and more peace. Regardless of your living conditions, the peace within will never diminish. "The peace I give to you." The peace He gives is Himself. He has given us His life and He lives in us. Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not have peace with God, we will not have peace even if we can gain the whole world. Fear lurks in the depth of our heart, yet we are unaware of the real reason of our lack of peace. The Bible tells us that we all will die and there is judgment after death. Man was created by God and we know deep inside that we cannot escape God's judgment. Do not believe in the lie that there is nothing after death. We all have fear deep inside because we do not have a right relationship with God. The true reason that we do not have peace is because we have turned away from God. It is futile to find peace in the world, the only true peace is peace with God.
The Bible tells us the salvation of Jesus Christ: Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself and came into the world in the form of a man. He died on the cross to take on the punishment of our sins. He died in our place so that we may receive the forgiveness of sins and have peace with God. When we receive this salvation by faith, we will begin to enjoy this peace. Perhaps some of you are going through trials in your lives, but faith in God will enable you to overcome all your troubles.
When I had money, I felt everyone was mean to me. Now that I have changed, my whole world has changed. My heart is like a bird in the air---free and liberated. All my troubles and despairs are under my foot. The Lord says: "I have overcome the world." This victorious life is within us. If you believe Him, He will give you His peace. If you put your faith in Him, you will also overcome the world as He has overcome the world.
In this unstable and troubled world, only Jesus can be your answer to everything. Would you give Him your heart, "Believe and be saved"? This is the Lord's promise. No matter how bad things are with you, you will see His miracles in your life if you have faith in Him. I know what I am saying. This is how I live now from day to day. God not only loves me; He loves you also. May you also receive this peace by placing your faith in Him.