It being the last Sunday of April, I just can't help but feel that time flies like an arrow. I also feel that we shouldn't just vainly let time pass by. Last week, we started to recognize our goal and purpose as followers of Christ. Please read Mt.28:19,20.

Let us review this: We are to go out into the World and let others know about Christ and make them one of our family members. Here is another thing we are to do: We are to teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded us to do.

1 Pe.2:1,2. ..Like newborn babies.. we are to want spiritual milk badly, which brings us to full growth. We start as a baby, making progress in the path towards adulthood.

He.5:11-6:1. We are not to remain as little children. Considering our age, we should be able to teach by now. Real babies are cute, giving us, adults, mild and happy feelings. But, baby adults (those who have already grown up but still act as if they are babies) are no good to us at all.

Col.1:28. In learning the words of God we gradually grow up. We are to grow up as well as give teaching to newborn Christians. Only in learning the Word can we expect to have our own spiritual growth. This is what Jesus hopes churches will do. Only in following in this principle can we hope to come closer and closer to our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus left His path for us to follow.

Those letters to Timothy are among the last letters that Paul wrote in jail. Being anxious about the work Timothy was supposed to being doing, he wrote those letters.

I Timothy 4:7-12. How grown we are spiritually, or spiritually mature we are, can be seen by our actions, or the way we lead our lives. Even though we might have an enormous amount of biblical knowledge, it is not always possible for us to be grown up enough to be called so. In this passage, "young" did not mean a specific physical age, one of the apostles called himself young even though he was 30 years old. "Young" means a shorter period of time since reaching a stage of spiritual growth. Through the language we choose to use, we can tell our level of growth. That doesn't mean, of course, that we are to use polite words all of the time, but we are to be tactful enough to choose the right words for the situation we find ourselves in. When I had a gathering in a fisherman's village one time, some of the fishermen said that the way I spoke was too polite for them. They simply could not accept and follow them. I was shocked. In that way, I tried to show my respect to them, but they didn't feel my respect at all. I was too polite! I was wrong. I failed to choose the correct words that would bring us into a closer understanding. We must do our best to find and learn these words: Casual words, and expressions for young people; Soft words for hurting people; etc.

Another thing we are to have is love and faith. Love and faith encourages people! Remember how the faith of that woman mentioned in the Bible has surprised Jesus, Himself! Through that faith, seemingly without Jesus' direct knowledge, Jesus healed her of her long blood illness.

Well, also in purity, we are to grow up. Now let us think of our country, Japan. I believe that our country is the one of "Disciple-ship". There are (or were) various kinds of jobs that needed disciples in Japan. (Disciples [apprentices] are those who succeed, or follow after, in that job or position). Masters sometimes taught them, but most of the time the young had to carefully watch and practice, trying to imitate what they saw. Our country has a long history of watching and imitating, of following after the paths that our masters have left.

People in this day and age are living in a time where everything is changing very quickly. We tend to lose our patience in this speedy world. But, in learning and growing up we must be patient. It takes time. It take such a long time for us to become like Jesus. People, who haven't known Jesus, know and feel and see Jesus through our examples, if we are truly following after Him. Well, it's a big job, and we are still on the way, but certainly our path leads to Jesus. And we are being sent out! Especially, we are being sent to our families, who haven't accepted Jesus into their lives, and become witnesses of what God can do in them.

Translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
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