The Response to Persecution Is Worship
Our obedience and faithful following of Christ is the result of these first two realities. Chinese churches are not praying to “leave Jerusalem”; they are not praying for their suffering to be removed. They see that these things are an integral part of being united with Christ. Suffering is a part of our kingdom identity. It is how the kingdom advances. Yet, we do not seek suffering: we seek Christ.
The Church’s Heavenly Nature and Faithful Obedience in the Spirit
Chinese churches believe that, if they are being persecuted, it is the mark of their heavenly citizenship. As a Chinese brother told me only last night: their identity is not that of the persecuted church. Their identity is the church of Christ, and as such they participate in the sufferings of Christ.
Christ’s Coronation and Absolute Lordship
This Christ, who is now reigning on his throne, will come to judge and rule this world. When we take that seriously, we see that his rule and lordship is as real as any earthly kingdom. We already have a king; we don’t need an earthly king. We no longer need a Christendom on earth. Instead, it is only a matter of when that invisible but real kingdom will come to earth and heaven and earth will become one.
Merciful Heavenly Father: A Glimpse Into the Weekly Prayer Life of Early Rain Covenant Church
Lord, we need to repent before you. In many things we have not testified to your righteousness and have fallen short of your mercy. We did not pray for the people of Hong Kong, nor did we pray for the people of Xinjiang. We did not even pray for our brothers and sisters in bondage…
Prayer 2022: Encountering the King in the Psalms
We would like to invite you to encounter the king with us in the Psalms this year. Through the Psalms, we have the amazing opportunity to pray the Spirit-inspired words back to our risen king, shaping and (re)forming our hearts around the cadences and rhythms of his Word.
How to Prepare for Persecution
Prepare 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.
Five O’Clock in the Afternoon in China
I 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.
Twenty Years of China Partnership: “Always Ask Where Jesus Is, No Matter What the Situation”
CP: 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.
Prayer, Suffering, and the Church: Union with Christ is a Call to Die
Prayer is an indispensable tool that is easily neglected but often taken up when circumstances are difficult, as they are for many house church Christians…the culture of prayer that has carried over from the earliest days of the house church in China rings true. Their prayers are often ones of lament or desperation, but they are also filled with hope. When they are harassed, persecuted, beaten, arrested or mistreated by the authorities, most house church believers recognize that they have no recourse other than to take their grief and lament to the Lord and pray for his grace and strength. They have no politicians who represent them, nor do they possess political power to leverage circumstances to achieve a favorable outcome when things get bad. Prayer becomes, for them, a precious tool.
Twenty Years of China Partnership: “This Is a Movement of the Holy Spirit”
I 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.
