The Chinese Communist government continues to wage war on its own people. Police are systematically closing down church buildings, destroying Bibles, and imprisoning pastors and church leaders. But the true church continues to stand strong, to worship, and to grow! As someone recently wrote (sarcastically): “Persecution of Christians is (Dictator) Xi Jinping’s Plan for Chinese Church Planting”. But it’s true! Historically, when believers are scattered, they will take root in even more places and grow into an even greater harvest!
Praying with the Chinese Church
As Hebrews 13:3 instructs us, please continue praying for your persecuted brethren. Here is an example of one of their own prayers, offered on the SAME DAY that their church was forcibly closed down:
“Lord, today we worship you in police cars. We worship you in police stations. We worship you in detention centers. We worship you in prisons. And we worship you in homes. We have no other goal except to worship you alone. We ride in buses heading to police stations as though riding down the road to Zion. For you tell us, Lord, that you are looking for worshipers who worship you in spirit and in truth. May you be pleased with our worship. We have nothing to offer you but our hearts. We offer them up sincerely to you now.”
Imprisoned Pastor Still Speaks
The pastor of this particular church, Wang Yi, has now been held in a “black” prison for almost a year. Nobody knows his current condition. Listen to how he writes about the persecution in China, in an open letter he penned before his arrest…
“I must point out that persecution against the Lord’s church and against all Chinese people who believe in Jesus Christ is the most wicked and the most horrendous evil of Chinese society. This is not only a sin against Christians. It is also a sin against all non-Christians. For the government is brutally and ruthlessly threatening them and hindering them from coming to Jesus. There is no greater wickedness in the world than this.“
If we take Pastor Wang Yi at his word, then we must not stop with merely praying for the persecuted believers of China, but also for the hundreds of millions who live in ignorance of the one true God, and of His Son Jesus, whose blood alone can set them free from sin and death!
Oh, do we need to pray! But I also believe we can (and must) do more than pray…
We need to make every effort to continue sharing God’s Word with the countless unreached households in the regions of greatest need and spiritual ignorance!
Special Ops in the Middle Kingdom
For most of October, just as China was “celebrating” 70 years of Communist Party rule, I led a team of evangelists into remote western China. Although I couldn’t be with them in person, I helped them (virtually) to reach dozens of towns and villages, scattered throughout a broad, unevangelized swath of western China.
This group of ten bold (mostly) young people shared the grace and truth of Christ with thousands of homes, primarily through the written Word, prayerfully distributed door to door in unreached Chinese, Muslim, and Tibetan Buddhist villages. We are so thankful that God protected this team and that His Word went forth, even as the fires of persecution still raged nearby.
(Here are some of the pictures that the team took during their trip.)
Please continue to pray for the seeds that were planted, and “that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored”! (2 Thes. 3:1)
Reinforcements on the Way
In mid-November, I will be assisting another team of intrepid evangelists as they take the Gospel to China’s truly unreached. Pray for this experienced team to walk in boldness, wisdom, and the power of the Holy Spirit as they pray, preach, visit orphans, encourage God’s people, and distribute God’s Word far and wide throughout the heart of the Middle Kingdom.
We continue to put together teams to carry the Gospel to the least-reached corners of western China, so please contact us if you’d like information on being a part of one of these short-term teams in the Spring or Fall of 2020.
The Weapons of our Warfare
Bear the cross. Keep the faith.”
