July 6, 2002
Dear Mary and dear all,
Thanks very much for your concern and your prayers.
I am greatly encouraged by your letters and by your
zeal in Christ.
Mary, I remember we have become friends for at least
four years. We've been keeping on concerning in
thought one another even during the time we lose
contact.
Thinking of all your supports in prayer, I was moved
for many times. They have become my energy and my
comfort when every time I feel lonely and weak.
THE ANCIENT PATH is not very long, and I've solved
many questions about languages and others. Please wait
for a little while.
In this age, especially America, people who run this race
as you do are very rare. Many are given His gifts in
spirit, but few run along the suffering way according
to His word.
There are many barriers on this path. One of them is
just about the ancient path: how can we follow the
leading of ancient saints and prophets, imitate their
model of living and their faith? How can we put the
same faith into our practice, and gain God's heavenly
power and pureness and holiness as they did?
How important it is to imitate the ancient saints in our
today's belief along this ancient path? The Lord has
never changed. It is reasonable for us to live a life
as Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Paul, and Mary did, but
why do people think they surely will enter the kingdom
of heaven without any devotion and holiness and
sufferings for the Lord?
It is a great conflict in
modern belief and it is just the key point of the
struggle between Deity and Devil.
The narrow way just
is the ancient path. Those who imitate the ancient
saints in daily life are on the narrow way, and if
not, they are on the broad way, no matter how many
knowledge and gifts they have.
Thousands of people who enter the wide gate do not
confess that they are on the broad way. But behavior
reflects one's faith.
Noah proved his humbleness by
living a sanctified life in building up the ark;
Joseph proved his pure faith by denying the sexual
temptation (Gen 39:9); Paul lost all the worldly
perusing, love, fame and wealth and etc to cherish the
Lord (Phi 3:8); Jesus never boast himself after curing
disease (Lk 5:16). On the contrary, Balaam's greed
testified that his great words were not come from his
inner heart (Num22:18); Pharisees verified their
hypocrites by all the deeds in Mat 23.
God tells us what can we do and what can't we do in
daily life by providing us the ancient examples and
sound doctrines. Living a holy life and being
sanctified from all the sins, taking the cross to
follow Jesus, and contending the faith that once for
all entrusted to the saints (Jud3) in accordance with
God's word is just the ancient path.
From THE ANCIENT PATH, I really see a heart longing
for God's word, a strong faith following the Lord and
a rough road you run along. I thank God that His
children, wherever they are, run the same way with
him. All the surfacial differences (language, race,
living conditions, customs and so on) are not counted.
The important thing is that if we are moved by the
same Spirit, and become one in Spirit and Word.
I believe that it is the Lord who moves me to do the
translation. And in fact, I have realized that during
this work, he gives me lots of things which enlighten
me to thinking His word over and over. I believe also,
your prayers, never ending in these years, have born
the fruits, and will bear more.
I translated a preaching of one spiritual servant
of God about patience for you. It helps me much, and
also encourages many other people. I feel it is very
practical and honest in faith. (My English is very
very limited, but may Lord who moves me also moves
you.) Pray also for me one day I may go to America to
share more with you.
All my love,
Yours Silan.
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