Rejoice In Our God: A Reflection on Psalm 16
Through Jesus Christ, we now have the power to face death, and the confidence to face the future. Life and death are not in opposition; suffering and joy are no longer contradictions; this world and eternity are not cut off from one another. Instead, these things have great continuity, echoing and melting into one another. Through Jesus, every difficult situation becomes another opportunity to, in faith, draw on the riches of God’s grace.
Seated with Christ in Heaven: A Reflection on Psalm 2
Today is the time the gate of grace is wide open. Today, it is still possible to wake up, repent, and be disciplined. The world has heard that Jesus is love, that Jesus laid down his life for us, that Jesus was crucified for us—but the world does not know that Jesus is king, that Jesus is Lord, and that Jesus will judge all unbelievers with righteous anger.
Why do we tremble and rejoice as we serve God? We tremble because we know we are not worthy, and that no one can come to the Father except through Christ. We rejoice because we are blessed, at at this moment we are seated with Christ in heaven.
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.
