"... persecuted, but not abandoned..."
Speaker: Chinese Missionary D**** X**** (via translator)
Background: the younger sister of P**** X**** who was the mentor to Brother Yun (Heavenly Man). Saved at the age of 17, she has endured persecution in the house churches in China.
Testimony: (as before, this is a cleaned up transfer of my notes)
- In the 40's and 50's the C government tried to destroy Christianity
- People were persecuted and put in prison
- The government controlled churches and checked sermons to see that they were in line with the political movement
- So then people began home churches
- In 1958, all churches were closed, but they still met together
- As a child she was sad because pastors were taken to prison
- She wanted to be a bird - "fly to heaven and praise God"
- 1966-1976 - there was a cultural revolution in C
- -> "there is no God", "church is now a museum"
- Pastors were mocked and had to wear signs on their head and clothes
- The church was cold.
- There were many tears - "The house of my God is facing tragedy." like 1st generation of Israelites
- She asked, "What can I do?" and decided,
"I will devote myself and my life for God's church."
- yet she didn't know what to do.
- Others warned her saying that a promise is important, but no one could persuade her
- Her brother was a top criminal (Christian) according to C government.
- She longed for the Living Word
- They were listening to Christian radio on Christmas
- The police caught them and tied them
- A brother told her, "If the police finds you don't say a word even if they break your leg."
- They escaped and ran away to another believer's house
- However, the police came and she and her sister were caught again and put in jail
- The jailer said, "Let's see how long you survive here."
- She realized that her father was already there. (She was still a teenager)
- She prayed, "Lord what's wrong?"
- The next morning the jailer came, took her hand and slammed it against the door, but she didn't say anything
- He got angry and beat her up until she was covered in blood
- To this day, her tooth is sensitive
- He said, "Who told you to preach this Gospel?"
- At the time, she was worrying about her family, but realized she must focus her mind on God
- Then suddenly peace came upon her ("like a baby") and she said, "I'm willing to stay here forever."
- Eventually, the police took them out of jail to another place
- Her father said, "When you hear the bang sound, we will go to heaven."
- She thought, "Then I can't preach the Gospel anymore."
- She remembered her father used to tell her to never shut out the work of the HS - if He tells you something, OBEY!
- So with that in mind, she bravely marched forward (by God's grace) even when the police chased her down.
- She didn't care.
- She was praying and singing, "HALLELUJAH!" and kept at it for a long time as her voice grew louder and louder
- Her father tried to close her mouth and stop her, but the HS rebuked him through other members.
- Later, her sister carried her and took her home
- She prayed, "God I want to preach the Gospel. I promised. But why is it so difficult every time?"
- Then suddenly, she felt a cold feeling in her heart and in her feet and knew that if this continued then she would die.
- Then she realized that if she died now, then she would have done nothing for the Gospel so she prayed,
"If it is because I am afraid of difficulties then please let me stay."
- and the feeling disappeared.
- She hid her criminal brother underground from the government
- The neighbors helped her out
- In the fields that she labored in the children were waiting for her to share the Gospel
- And she thought, "Lord it's so easy when you work."
- She went to other villages to share the Good News
- When a man rebuked her and told her to stop preaching, his mouth moved to the side of his face and he couldn't talk...
- (- _____-) <- [like this maybe? or maybe like] -> (- - __)
- Then the elders rebuked him and told him to repent, and only then they will pray for him and he will be healed.
- He was healed.
- She was persecuted more than 40 times by comm. leader. Later, he died.
- Throughout all this she realized,
"God's grace is sufficient.Jesus' resurrected life overcame sin and death and defeated Satan.We must realize this by completely denying ourselves to live in Christ.Then you will become powerful soldiers for Christ."
- She is now 63 years old and pressing on.
-------
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Be my everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment