ORLANDO CHINESE CHURCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
APRIL, 2003
May Our Soul Prosper
(3 John 2)
By the grace of God, I had the opportunities to meet many elderly brothers and sisters in different cities. Their love and faith encouraged me greatly, as I observed and considered their conduct (Heb. 13:7). As the saints move into the golden years of their lives, some shine so gloriously with their beautiful sunset that their spirituality brings joy and praises to God from many. They are like Brother Gaius in the letter of John (3 John v. 2), whose prosperous soul brought a great joy to the apostle and blessing to other Christians. Sadly to say, on the other hand, some elderly have lost the vitality of their younger days and are withering away slowly. Between these two spiritual contrasts, God gave the following warning for our spiritual journey:
- Trusting God : Jesus said, "O men of little faith, if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you? Do not be anxious then, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or with what shall we clothe ourselves?"(Matt. 6:30-31). Living in anxiety and constant worry causes a man's spiritual life to wither. If one grasps everything tightly, trying to control his own life, he will not be able to take all that pressure but to collapse. Instead, one should not fall captive to worry when facing tomorrow. If he learns to "let go and let God", and seeks first the kingdom of God and its righteousness (Matt. 6:33), he will be able to trust in God and maintain spiritual stability and happiness.
- Redeeming Time : the Bible commands us to redeem the time, or to make the most of it, (Eph. 5:16). God has given us this day, in which we ought to live and live well. Someone said that the past is history, and the future is unknown, but only the present is called "present" as a present to us. Therefore, do not regret for the lost yesterday or worry for the unknown tomorrow. Learn from the experience of the past for the living of today. Embrace every moment God has granted and live actively and positively. Then, we will be able to firmly face the future with assurance.
- Growing Deeper : Spiritual life demands a constant pursue. Whenever there is a pulse, there is set back. All true disciples of the Lord should never retire from this spiritual pursue. When we enter into the retirement age, a special blessing is that we have more time to "draw near to God and He will draw near" to us, (James 4:8). The Holy Spirit can further lead us in re-examining the past and in understanding the Word, so we be renewed day by day. When our conversation reflects that we only care about weather, food, politics or stock market, our soul must be shrinking and decaying away.
- Enlarging Our Hearts : A spiritual man with vitality will not only look up constantly and pursue things above, but also maintain an enlarged heart toward the needs of men around us. Recognizing that God has created the world in such fullness with its wonder of diversity, he will follow the Master with a spirit of celebration. Break out of his own world and give himself for the great multitude. The psalmist said, "I shall run the way of Thy commandments, for Thou will enlarge my heart" (Ps. 119:32). Try to live a meaningful life for every day we are on this great and wonderful earth.
- Denying Materialism : This is the age of materialism, which controls man's mind and life. A man with growing spirituality will constantly examine himself to deny the impact of materialism, so he will not be enslaved to all the "stuff" but will shine brightly. If the house is already full of "things" with no place to put them, one is still catching sales and good deals all the time, his heart surely will also be accumulating with "stuffs", which cause him to degenerate into a shriveled soul.
- Fleeing the Lusts : The Bible instructs us to "flee from the youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace," (2 Tim. 2:22). When we fall into the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of this world, the love of the Father is not in us, and the spiritual appetite will be shrinking as well. A spiritual man with prospering soul practices both bodily and godliness discipline, like Caleb as strong at the age of eighty-five (Josh. 14:11), and like Jacob ever brighter at his old age (Gen. 48:19).
- No Fretting, Nor Evil Words : Jesus said, "the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart" (Matt. 12:34). A godly elderly person is always kind, peaceful and joyful, especially careful in his speeches. Speak no careless word, nor any lie or filthy word. Boast not, but always speak a word good for edification for the need of others according to the moment (Eph. 4:29). A word that blesses man comes from a peaceful soul with no bitterness. Joshua and Caleb held no grudges against the ten spies but to encourage them. Moses had no bitterness toward Aaron and Miriam who spoke against him, but he prayed for them. That truly is to speak truth in love for the growing up in Christ our Head, for the building up of the body in love (Eph. 4:15-16).
We are all getting older everyday in age. No one is becoming any younger with the passing time. May the Lord have mercy upon us, so that our spiritual life will grow with our days to full maturity and vitality. "And according to your days, so shall your walk be" (Deut. 33:25).
A Gardener's Prayer After the morning devotion, I was pondering the weakness of our soul and the danger of our sin. With this thought in mind, my eyes were at the same time caught by the weeds growing in my garden, which by then looked pretty much like a totally deserted place. That was the result of our going away for a while, and continued neglecting after we returned. Suddenly, it occurred to me that the sins in our hearts are just like the weeds in the garden. Am I a gardener for my heart as well?
Ever since we developed this garden in the backyard, I have really appreciated how difficult it is to get rid of the weeds. The initial garden looked beautiful, just the way I designed it. As time passed, the weeds grew and grew, and I was surprised at their varieties. Some were the familiar kinds, and I thought the wind must have brought in their seeds. But, many varieties were never seen before, and I had no idea how they got into my garden. With a period of neglect, even the pebble path was filled with weeds. Some weeds looked pretty and lovely. However, if left unattended, they quickly took over the flower-bed. Oh the sins of my heart, aren't they just like those weeds? When alert and diligent, I clear them out. But, so silently and gradually they creep back again, trying to cover the whole scope of my heart. Some sins are so evident, while others are hidden but growing just as fast. At times I am fooled by their appearances of beauty, so undecided in weeding them out. The result of my little neglect and pity causes big troubles later on. The original lovely garden of this heart could nearly be ruined by such sins. What can we do about it?
I only pray that the mighty and holy Spirit of God come to have total dominion in my heart. Not a single tiny corner of this garden is left to myself, not turned over to His control. None of the bitter roots of sin will be hidden, that I would not ask Him to weed it out for me. Sometimes I thought I could handle it myself, or I loved the taste of sin and its temporary pleasure. By withholding it I unknowingly give the devil an opportunity or a ground to breed. As a result, the enemy comes in to establish the stronghold and begins to disturb me all over my "garden". May God grant me a repenting spirit and a trusting soul, so with the work of the Holy Spirit I will be a good gardener of my heart!
Seminary Student Update SARS is spreading quickly in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan. Unless it is necessary, please refrain from going to these countries at this time.
At CES(China Evangelical Seminary) there are quite a few Korean students. With a burden to evangelize the Chinese people, they came here to learn Chinese and to study the Bible. One Korean couple had to share the fixed portions of their meal with their two boys, one seven and one six. Every meal contained very little meat, even then the parents would pick it out and give to the boys. However, the Lord has kept the boys in His care, and they grow to be chubby and healthy.
Consider that so many of us are trying to lose weight, yet her are the faithful who offer themselves to the Lord and are willing to suffer in half starvation. May we draw upon the riches in the Lord and learn how to seek that which is everlasting.
Your brother,
Kai-tsong from Taipei