|
It is our tradition to begin every Monday with an excerpt from the wonderful devotional book Extreme Devotion, because we think encouraging you in your faith is very important. Please remember to pray always for your suffering brothers and sisters who are suffering for Jesus.
Zhang Rongliang is the leader of one of China’s largest house-church groups, which has an estimated ten million Chinese believers attending services each week. In 1998, Zhang and other house-church leaders—representing fifteen million underground believers—signed a document entitled the “House Church Confession of Faith” that publicly called on the Com-munist government to stop harassing unregistered house churches.
A few months after making the document public, Zhang and other signers were arrested and imprisoned. Zhang was later released providing that he “behave” himself for the next seven years. Zhang now travels to minister to his various flocks. Since he is not “behaving” as the government would like, Zhang never sleeps in the same bed more than a few nights in a row.
When Paul wrote in Romans 13 that we are to submit to our governments, he of all people must have known the risks. Yet, although the Romans persecuted him, it was through an appeal to their law that he took the gospel to Rome itself. His request to be tried as a Roman citizen enabled him to advance the gospel to Rome, though it would be his last journey.
Like Paul, Zhang took an extreme risk when he made his formal request. The consequences of his personal risk, however, have enabled many to know Christ.
Like Paul, church leaders in China know that God ordains governments. But they also know that God will not overlook an evil authority’s injustices. Tradition holds that the Romans actually beheaded Paul. Similarly, the believers in China suffer great injustices under their current government regime for the sake of Christ. If risking their lives to bring justice to China is necessary, then pastors such as these are willing to die. How strong is our desire to see justice done? How much do we value the right to freely preach God’s Word? Pray for believers in China today who inspire us to seek God’s justice for their oppressors. Ask God to show you ways you can support their work to advance God’s kingdom.
|
