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.
All of us at China Partnership are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jay Kyle. Jay was the co-founder of China Partnership and a great friend to many the world over. Throughout his life, Jay exhibited a heart for the people of China and a love for the gospel.
Read MorePrepare the children in advance.
Don't just say comforting words, but tell the children the truth: why we are persecuted, how to face the scene of persecution [i.e. how to respond if the authorities come and mistreat their parents or other adults in front of them], and how to fully rely on the Lord in the absence of their parents. Even if both parents are arrested and they are sent to an orphanage, help them to believe that the Lord's arrangement is always good. Pray often. Pray for your parents, pray for yourself, and ask the Lord to keep watching over you.
Read MoreWhen we got married, my wife and I had a Christian ceremony. My parents attended our wedding and many of their Communist colleagues also attended. They were all shocked when they saw our marriage covenant. They had never seen such a solemn covenant formed between two people… Although they recognize that we have struggles, they also understand we have a different kind of hope. Although we argue, we are ultimately bound together and inseparable. They feel a lot of reassurance. Nowadays, they even praise us in front of other people and tell them that a Christian marriage is truly different. I think our marriage has had a positive influence on them.
Read MoreAs Chinese Christians, God has called us to take up the cross and suffer the injustice of these fabricated charges in order to renew China in Christ. We are called to suffer in this way in order to renew this drought-stricken land of Shanxi Province, the region where we grow and live. We suffer in this way in order to renew the knowledge of God in the hearts of those in power, including those who make these arrests. We suffer in this way in order to renew their knowledge of God’s kingdom, of eternal life in Jesus Christ, and of the people in this kingdom who belong to God.
Read MoreTo my surprise I have discovered that the Boxer Rebellion is present in China today, and that it has evolved to be more and more sophisticated. The seeds cast by missionaries of the gospel of sacrificial love have taken only shallow root in the hard soil of Shanxi Province—both in the traditional past and the modern present…During the pandemic in 2020, our local church in Shanxi seized the moment to commemorate missionaries who served in our province. We did this lest we forget our foundation, and miss the redoubling move of the Holy Spirit. In the midst of scarcity and powerlessness, the brothers and sisters of this land were thirsting for revival. Sure enough, our century-spanning spiritual fellowship with those missionaries healed many wounds at once.
Read MoreI made a pact with my wife that, if I were to be arrested and imprisoned, we would still go before the Lord together in prayer each day at 5 p.m. Once I entered the detention center, I realized this was an excellent agreement…of all the preparations I made for my imprisonment, this is the one that helped me the most.
Read MoreAt the end of 2013, my 13-year-old went through a period of struggle as his growth stagnated. A joyful and active child, as we sent our son to school, he gradually became silent and reticent. This was our sorrow to bear and our child’s suffering to endure. Behind it all, a hidden horror lurked…Then, we realized: we could try home education. This was a new way God had showed us, a way out: “Let us preserve our child’s faith, character, life, and his motivation to study.”…Perhaps our story is what led to Brother Zhu Shuhao’s arrest today. Not only did he understand, approve, and support us, but he also convinced his wife to start homeschooling their own children.
Read MoreCP: If you could speak to yourself five years from now, what advice would you give your future self? What is one thing you would tell yourself to hold onto and remember?
Wu Xiaocheng: Always ask where Jesus is, no matter what the situation is. Where there is the gospel, there is the glory of God. I especially ask from God that he will allow me to keep my heart focused on him. This is one thing I especially want to hold on to and remember.
Read MoreI identify myself as the fruit of this gospel movement. The first time I joined the basic training in a tiny, dark apartment in Shanghai, it was intense and overwhelming, but I still remember one thing: the speaker distinguished the difference between the gospel, and the fruit of the gospel. For me, coming from a legalistic church, that training opened the door of Narnia. Later, I became fully involved in this gospel movement…I have been renewed in my personal life, my marriage, my parenting, through seminary, and also in ministry by this same gospel I preach week after week. I expect this change will keep on going. This is a movement of the Holy Spirit.
Read MoreI realized that my friend had become a prisoner of the Lord in prison, but I am always a prisoner of the Lord: one who is, for the time being, out of prison. It is by God’s will that we are where we are, but we are all his bondservant.
We do not seek suffering to gain Christ; we seek to gain Christ, even though there is suffering. If we walk toward the cross, it is only because our Lord is there. We do not avoid the cross by shrinking away from our call. We always go toward our Lord and his calling. We follow Christ to the cross. No reserve; no retreat; no regrets.
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