FROM THE ARCHIVES
If You Are 50 (or Approaching 50), Read This!
Timothy Tow
At one of our evangelistic meetings a decade or so ago, a middle-aged business man gloriously received Jesus as his Saviour. He was 51. He said, “When a man reaches 50 (he counted his age like Confucius) it is high time he considered the question of old age and advancing death. In my case, I have had a successful business career the last 51 years. I must now devote my time for God.” Since receiving Christ, this Christian business man has devoted a greater part of his time and money to promote God’s Kingdom. He is a wise Christian business man. He has positively answered Jesus’ famous question, “For what shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). He has grown out of his former lowly status of a slave to money to the lofty one of being its master. He now lives a life not motivated by that blind covetous urge (knowing how short life is) but with an enlightened understanding to serve the Eternal God “with whom he has to do.” He gives not only his tithes to God’s work, but is forward to help in every needy situation and the relief of human suffering. He is the opposite of the rich fool, a wise son with whom God is well pleased.
There is another middle-aged man whose wise living for Christ is exemplary. This man is also over 50. He is retired from a good-paying job. He has received a good gratuity from his firm. Wisely he has invested this money but, not like other retired men, he has been meticulous to return a part of this bounty to the Lord. He has been most forward to contribute, without being approached, to every Church Building Fund in our movement. He is willing, when told of a need, to give his share to any noble Christian cause. Even when we were in Israel, he sent a gift through us to a Christian School for Blind Arab Girls. “As it is written, he hath dispersed abroad…he hath given to the poor; his righteousness remaineth forever” (II Cor. 9:9). Amazed by his spontaneity in giving to every Gospel project, I asked how he, without a job now, could maintain this rate of giving. “Well”, he modestly replied, “I have also invested in some stocks and shares, and whatever my hands have touched have yielded dividends.” This brought to mind another verse of promised blessing from II Cor. 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” He averred, “I have seen how God has blessed the work of my hands.”
On the other hand, there are those whom God has blessed with even larger earthly blessings, much property and lands and assets worth thousands and millions, who hoard them up for themselves or their children without giving to the Lord as much as an angpow to his household servant. Some have abhorred coming to Church because they feel no comfort sitting amongst the daily wage-earners who hilariously offer to God. So they stay at home to guard their treasures, but amidst the gloom of their self-imposed seclusion.
Now the pictures of contrast painted of two types of middle-aged Christians should reflect on anyone from any age group. What are we doing with all the talents God has committed to our trust? Why have we taken no action to trade them wisely for the Lord? Perhaps, all the wisdom from God’s Word and from the examples of His filial children may be summed up in the words on a headstone in the Syston Church, Leicestershire, England: “What I gave I have. What I spent I had. What I left I lost by not giving it.” (B-P Weekly, 17 February 1973)
God Will Provide
Timothy Tow
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt 6:33)
We are to take no thought for our own life, for food or raiment; because that is God’s part, not ours. There is one thing, however, for which we are to take thought, not anxious, but very earnest thought. We are to take thought about our duty, about doing God’s will and filling our place in God’s world.
We ought to get this very clearly in our mind. Too many people worry far more about their food and raiment, lest they shall be left to want, than they do about doing well their whole duty. That is, they are more anxious about God’s part in their lives than they are about their own. They fear God may not take care of them, but they do not have any fear that they may fail in fidelity to Him. We ought to learn well that providing for our wants is God’s business, not ours. We have nothing at all to do with it. But we have everything to do with our own duty, our allotted work, the doing of God’s will. God will never do these things for us. If we do not do them, they must remain undone; if we do them with fidelity, God will care for us.
The noblest life possible in this world is simple consecration to Christ and to duty, with no anxiety about anything else. We may not always be fed luxuriously, nor be clothed in scarlet and fine linen; yet food convenient for us will always be provided, and raiment sufficient to keep us warm. But suppose we are near starving! Well, we must just go on doing our part and not worrying; in due time, somehow, God will provide. Here we have our Lord’s own promise of this. The truth is, too many of us take a great deal more thought about our support than about our duty. Then of course we forfeit the promise and may suffer. How much better the other way—ours the doing, God’s the providing. (B-P Weekly, 1 January 1972)
Judging of Others
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (Matt. 7:1).
Few faults are more common than this judging of others. It would not be so bad if we were disposed to look at people charitably; but we are not. Our eyes are far keener for flaws and blemishes than for marks of beauty. Not many of us are for ever finding new features of loveliness in others; not a few of us can find an indefinite number of faults. If we were ourselves up to the standard whereby we judge others, we should be very saintly people. If we were free from all the faults we so readily see when they appear in our neighbour, we should be well-nigh faultless.
This word of our Lord not only instructs us not to be critical of others and censorious, but it presents the strongest kind of motive against such judging. It makes the appeal to our own interest. Others will mete to us just what we mete to them. None of us like other people to be critical and censorious toward us. We wince under unjust judgments. We resent unkind fault-finding. We demand that people shall judge us fairly. We claim forbearance and charity in our derelictions in duty and for blemishes in our character. Can we expect other people to be any more lenient toward us than we are toward them?
If we would receive kindly judgment from others, we must give the same to them. If we criticize another today in a harsh manner, we need not be surprised if we hear someone’s harsh criticism of us tomorrow. But if, on the other hand, we speak kindly, appreciative, and charitable words of someone today, very likely we shall hear tomorrow some pleasant word that another has said of us. So we make very largely the music or the discord for our own hearts. We get back what we give. We gather the harvest of our own sowing. Then, even in the last judgment, we shall receive from the Judge what we have shown to others. — J.R. Miller. (B-P Weekly, 1 January 1972)
A Christian Nurse’s Routine
Mrs Elizabeth Mahadevan
The world grows better every year
Because some nurse in her little sphere
Puts on her uniform and gains and sings
And keeps on doing the same old things:
Taking the temperatures, giving the pills
To remedy mankind’s numberless ills;
Feeding the babies, answering the bells,
Being polite with a heart that rebels;
Praying to God and all the while
Showing the same old professional smile;
Blessing the newborn babies’ first breath,
Closing the eyes that are still in death,
Taking the blames for the doctors’ mistakes—
Oh dear, what a lot of patience it takes!
Going off duty, to be in church by 10 o’clock,
Tired, discouraged and ready to drop,
But alert to hear the Word of God,
For I know, I receive all my blessings from my Lord.
Update on Madam Paruvathi
Dear Pastor,
We visited Mdm Paruvathi this afternoon (13th Jan) at St Theresa’s Home for the aged (affiliated with the RCC); Elder Pillay (Berean BPC) joined us later. The Home is set in very spacious grounds, and is airy, quiet, restful. Visiting times are strictly observed.
She was sitting in a wheelchair being spoon-fed by Devi. She was alert and mentally very active, a sprightly figure indeed. She recognised us without any difficulty and invited us to sit down.
Elder Pillay questioned her on the gospel that had much earlier been presented to her. As far as anyone could tell, she was clear and sincere about saving faith being in Christ alone. I am convinced that God preserved her life for her to hear the gospel, understand it and believe.
This was the patient the specialists had written off, proclaiming that she would never be able to eat normally. Thank God—thank God again—the specialists did not get their way.
The whole-body itching (on account of dryness of the skin) appears to be intractable; otherwise, she is in a reasonably good state.
Looking around me, I saw nothing but the wrecks of what had once been lively, active human beings—still alive, after a fashion, but bereft of their humanity.
JTJ (Elder Joseph)
