Through their blows, the persecutors and the persecuted came to know one another. This is an important gain for both of us, as we continue to walk through persecution. This is what it means when we Chinese say: “Out of blows, knowledge grows!”
There will always be conflicts for people who grow up in a traditional Chinese education, because a Chinese education is an atheistic education. But I never doubted the existence of God. The existence of God was as natural to me as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. It was as natural to me as getting up in the morning.
I am a subversive patriot because, despite the progress we have made as a nation, America is not my best hope for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." My ultimate allegiance is to a King who gave up his own life, liberty, and happiness to redeem us from the tyranny of sin.
am praying that Chinese Christians who are currently experiencing suffering will follow Jesus’s example laid out in Hebrews 12:2: “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” In this life we will have troubles. But that is not the end of the story. Joy comes in the morning, and Christ has overcome this world of sin and death.
Read MoreIf the first part of this psalm depicts Good Friday, this, then, is Easter. Death has been completely defeated, and Christ’s hardships are forever a thing of the past.
Read MoreGod’s purpose is to help us know him. God accomplishes this purpose by giving us specific experiences.
Read MoreIn the midst of hardship, the enemy’s slander against David is that God is not pleased with him…This is similar to slander we encounter: God is not pleased with you; you suffer because of sin, not righteousness; you are under God’s discipline; the house church is being persecuted so heavily today because of your faults!
Read MoreJesus also experienced the things this psalmist went through. Before the world hated us, it hated Jesus. Because of his zeal for God’s house and his love for God’s people, Jesus took our reproach and went to the cross. He tasted sour wine, and gave up his life for sinners like us. When the waters came up to our necks, Jesus had already sunk to the bottom – all so he could lift us up.
Read MoreIn a time of widespread dissatisfaction, Christians have solid hope. All believers, in both good times and disastrous ones, share in this hope. When the lives and words of believers show that God exists and speaks to the real pain and anger that many are experiencing, people pay attention.
Read MoreIn faith, the psalmist called God’s people to enter God’s presence and praise the Lord. Only those who are in Christ can walk through the open “gates” and “courts” of God’s house. And God’s goodness is revealed as mercy only to those who are in Christ.
Read MoreWe do not worship out of our own ability, interest, or mood. Instead, we are under God’s care. His hand has always been a mighty hand of salvation. Worship is based on our redemptive, covenantal relationship with him.
Read MoreI come before you to offer up a prayer for the church in China. In the midst of the double hardship of persecution and isolation, protect our gatherings in your presence. Forgive us our sins: our apathy toward you, our lust for worldly benefits, our compromises with the world, even our pursuit of the values of this world…In this hour of darkness, lead your church to gather before your throne of grace.
Read MoreWhen I look in my own heart, I am terrified, finding only grounds for condemnation. But when I look up, my eyes fill with tears. My eternal peace is there, on the cross of Calvary.
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