Power and Protection in Persecution!--Part 1 CLTP 18
True-Life Stories of God's Help in Times of Persecution!
(Recommended reading for OCs and up) PLEASE NOTE: The first reading of this mag by OCs & JETTs should be done with an adult familiar with the stories.
DFO. (Christian Leadership Training Program publications are circulated free of charge on a strictly non-profit basis.)
Table of Contents:
Introduction
1
China's "Number One Enemy"
1
Discussion Questions
6
Student Strike
7
Discussion Questions
8
"Even Unto Death"
8
My God Shall Supply
9
Discussion Questions
10
Power to Withstand Persecution
10
Discussion Questions
12
Definitions
12
Introduction
The following is the first of a two-part series containing true accounts of faith, perseverance, and God's miraculous power and protection in times of persecution. Because the material contained in this series is of a serious nature, we suggest that the first reading by OCs & JETTs be done with an adult who has thoroughly familiarized himself/herself with the content and can answer any questions they may have. (After reading it once with an adult, JETTs & OCs may then re-read it on their own.) Stories such as these can affect different people in different ways, so feel free to skip over any which you feel your children would react to negatively.
The Christians in these stories went through extreme, life-threatening situations as they stood up for their faith. They experienced persecution on a scale which most of us have not yet had to suffer. In one story some were even martyred. Although these stories are quite sobering, and perhaps not suitable for all, we pray that they will inspire, encourage, strengthen and build your faith that even in the most desperate situations, the Lord is "nigh unto all those who call upon Him," and "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Psa.145:18; Eph.3:20).
Reading how the Lord helped, protected, strengthened and provided for His children during their times of crisis, encourages us that what He has done for others He can also do for us, should we find ourselves in similar situations some day!
"What He hath promised, He is able also to perform," so "be strong and of good courage ... fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God will be with thee. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the House of the Lord" (Rom.4:21; 1Chr.28:20).
China's "Number One Enemy"
As told to Brother David
Excerpts from the book God's Smuggler to China, 1983
Taking tens of thousands of Bibles across the Chinese border, Brother David has risked discovery & danger many times. Endeavouring to encourage and strengthen the underground Christian church there, Brother David has done in China what Brother Andrew and his "Open Doors" ministry have done for the formerly Communist East Bloc countries. (See Christian Digests: "Persecution: It Will Never Happen Here" [#3], "Is Life so Dear" [#4], & "The Ethics of Smuggling" [#11].) It was on one of Brother David's many trips to China that he came across the Kwang family. Following is their remarkable story of faith.
"My mother was eighteen years old when she began to preach in our little church," Daniel, Mrs. Kwang's son, told us. "She was especially gifted in evangelism, and the church started to grow very fast. But the Communist government had begun closing down churches all through China, and after she had preached for just one year, they came to our area.
"My mother did not know it then, but the authorities had planned to arrest her and her co-workers together on a certain night. When she was praying that morning, the Lord warned her that she should leave our town and visit a friend in another part of the country.
"The officers arrived that night and immediately nailed shut the doors of our church. Then they went to the homes of many of the believers and co-workers and herded them into trucks to take them to prison.
"When my mother returned, she only had to look at the church door to find out why the Lord had taken her away. When she saw it, she broke down and cried. She wanted to be with the believers, even if it meant imprisonment. But straightaway the Lord warned her again that she had to leave the area.
"My mother knew," Daniel explained, "that she could not preach openly now. So she took a job as a school teacher. But each day after classes, she would come home and weep before the Lord--telling Him she wanted to preach for Him again. The Lord always comforted her, telling her to wait on His timing."
Divine Guidance
"While she was praying one day in 1958, God told her to begin preaching anew: `I want you to stand up and preach the Gospel. You are to be a boat of refuge in the turbulent sea of China. And I will stand beside you.'
"The same morning, a number of her former co-workers began to arrive at her home. Each one gave the same reason for coming. `The Lord has spoken to me. He has told me to stand up and preach the Gospel. Now is the time.'"
For two more days, they continued to arrive; some on foot, others by boat. Each one had been prompted and led by the Lord Himself.
How could they start preaching again? Almost every suggestion seemed impossible, just too dangerous. So they threw themselves on the Lord's wisdom and asked Him to lead them. And that was the way it happened. God proceeded to lead each one of them to individuals or families ready to hear the Gospel.
"One time when my mother was in prayer," Daniel told us, "the Lord told her to go to a particular street, to visit an old lady who was on the point of death. `Preach the Gospel to her and pray for her,' the Lord said.
"My mother did as the Lord had said. She went to the specified street and house. When she arrived, she could see through the window an old lady lying on a bed. Her face was pale, her stomach swollen, and she was groaning in pain.
"After praying on the doorstep for a moment, my mother went in and began to talk to this woman. She was very touched as she listened to the Gospel, and weeping, she accepted the Lord. As my mother began to pray for her, she was immediately healed.
"Her family could hardly believe it. They were amazed to see their desperately ill grandmother well again. My mother then began to explain the way of the Lord to the rest of the household--and each one accepted Jesus Christ that same day."
There were many, many more examples like these. There was nothing unusual in the leadings she received from the Lord--all the workers were led in this same way. It was the work of the Lord Himself as He began to build His church through the conversion of families or individual people.
In time, Mrs. Kwang and the rest of her team came together for another meeting--this time to review where the Lord had led them and what their future was to be. For ten days they studied the Bible together and prayed, asking God to show them not only His plan, but how they were to carry it out. At the end of that life-changing period, they knew they had their answer.
They were to set out two by two, to the surrounding villages and towns, and even further afield to preach the Gospel. God confirmed their ministry with many signs of His power and Love. As the Chinese watched these miracles being performed, their response was one of conviction. Many were won to Christ. "Your God is both true and living," they would declare. Each miracle was an occasion to tell people about the greatness of the Lord. The believers increased in number and many new fellowship groups were set up.
Secret Meetings
Meetings were usually held at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., when, Daniel explained with a smile, "the secret police would all be sleeping."
Often their meetings happened without prior notice--being called when Mrs. Kwang or one of her co-workers was led during prayer to hold one. On arrival at the meeting place, she or the other preachers would be met by a crowd of believers waiting expectantly for their time of worship.
When asked how the group had been brought together, their reply was always the same: "The Lord Himself told us to come here for fellowship." No human method of communication had been used to gather them.
Signs and miracles often accompanied the preaching and worship at those meetings. Dumb would be brought, and leave the place speaking, blind would leave seeing, lame walking. And all the time the numbers of believers continued to grow.
Escape!
Frequently when Mrs. Kwang was holding meetings, the Lord would warn her of danger and tell her when she should bring the meeting to a halt.
On one occasion, she held a series of gatherings lasting several days, instructing her co-workers. Their pattern was to spend the morning in class, break for lunch, and then resume for the afternoon. On the final day, when Mrs. Kwang had finished preaching, she was on the point of telling her co-workers to go out for lunch before resuming for their final session in the afternoon. But at that moment, she felt the restraint1 of the Lord. She was certain He was warning them of danger and urg-ing her to complete her teaching then, instead of breaking for a meal.
Mrs. Kwang asked her co-workers to stay while she concluded her instructions to them. Then she & her co-workers left, without further delay, to catch the ferry home. Just after they had all gone, the secret police arrived in force. They stood guard at every door of the house, planning to pounce at the first sound of hymns being sung. Their vigil of waiting, however, was rewarded only by silence.
Tense with expectation, they waited. Nothing happened. Eventually one could wait no longer. "I'm going in there," he told his colleagues. He entered the house like a lion going in for the kill--only to return seconds later, a sheepish look on his face. "They're not here! Where on earth...?"
His commander cut him short, "The pier! They must be at the pier!" Together the police ran towards the river as fast as they could, but arrived just in time to see the stern2 of a ferry disappearing downstream.
"Stop!" shouted the irate3 Communist leader through cupped hands. "I order you to turn back!" The ferry captain was a Christian. He smiled quietly to himself as he kept the boat on course.
Signs and Wonders
Mrs. Kwang and her dedicated team would travel days at a time, proclaiming the Gospel from town to town.
On one of these trips, a desperately ill woman who had not much longer to live was brought to Mrs. Kwang. After the meeting, her friends asked the evangelist to pray for her, which she did. Instantly, the sick woman was healed. The news spread quickly throughout the village and everyone came out to see Mrs. Kwang and her associates and listen to the Word of God. The Lord moved among them and many accepted Him as their Saviour.
She began to give further teaching, telling them more of the Scriptures and instructing them on how to pray. She also taught the newly-converted believers Christian songs for worship. The next day, Mrs. Kwang returned home.
But the children of these people had learned the Gospel songs well, and after the meetings, a large group of them took to the streets, singing their new songs with gusto4. It was only a matter of time before the local cadres5 became aware of the music.
Arrest and Trial
The authorities were outraged, and began an intensive search for Christians in the town. As the interrogators began to extract information, they learned of the evangelist's preaching and the healing of the sick woman.
The order was given: "Find that woman and arrest her!" It didn't take much detective work to unearth Mrs. Kwang--she was now well known in the district. One day, as she was at home with her children, the soldiers struck and made the arrest.
Mrs. Kwang was taken for trial before a tribunal6 of Communist officials. Her wrists were tightly bound, and she was forced to bend down from the waist at a ninety degree angle as they questioned her. If she gave an answer that they didn't like, a guard would be instructed to kick her or hit her on the back.
Every six hours the officials would change shift and a fresh group would come in to question her. During the three-day period, she was not given any water, food or sleep.
Yet even as she was bent over double, all Mrs. Kwang could speak of was the Love of Jesus.
"I have seen God with my own eyes," she told her persecutors. She then proceeded to tell them of a period, some years earlier, when she had contracted five very serious illnesses together. Her weight had halved, and she had become desperately sick, with no hope of recovery.
"Finally I knew I was on the point of death itself. My family knew it too, and gathered round me to pray. I could breathe only with little short gasps, and I felt certain I would be dead within a few minutes.
"But just then, the Lord came to me and comforted me. He showed me a vision of the Second Coming when He will return to this Earth to take home His children. And, at the same time, He healed me completely.
"So you see," she concluded smilingly, "now I must preach the Gospel. I must tell people of the greatness of our God. And let them know that He loves them--and wants them to live forever with Him.
"He loves you too," she added. "You can find new life in Him. Are you willing to believe?"
As Mrs. Kwang finished her story, the officials at first were furious. But they could not deny that in her attitude, they were seeing the forgiveness and Love of the One of Whom she had been speaking. Slowly a few responded. Some began to weep. And soon one said that he too wanted a faith like hers. Then others followed until many in that room accepted Christ.
Thrown in Prison
"After the three days," Daniel continued, "my mother was thrown into a cell. It was terrible there. The room was tiny and it was underground so my mother was in darkness. The floor was damp and the toilet had not been cleaned in a long time. There was no bed for her to sleep on, only the floor. When they threw her in there, she finally lost consciousness.
"But the Lord is faithful. He came to her in a dream and comforted her. Then He told her to go on preaching for Him, even in that shocking place.
"My mother drew on His strength alone. She told Him she would obey. But she could not see how she could witness--it seemed impossible. Then the Lord showed her a way. She went to the prison authorities with a suggestion. `I can see that this prison is very dirty,' she said. `Would you like me to do some hard labour for you and clean it?'
"The authorities were very responsive to the idea. Soon every part of the prison was open to her. As she cleaned, she could preach to all the prisoners and they welcomed her enthusiastically. They were touched by her love for them, and recognized this as a reflection of the Love of God. As she preached of Him and the way of Salvation, hundreds gave their lives to Jesus Christ.
"And it was not only the prisoners. The guards too were touched by my mother's attitude toward them and the prison authorities. Instead of hatred and bitterness, they were meeting one whose Lord said `Love your enemies. Do good to them that hate you.' As she taught them about the Lord, many guards became Christians as well.
"But," Daniel continued, with a shake of his head, "when the Communist officials heard about it, they were furious and beat her all over again.
"Then a high officer sent my mother some blank paper and told her to write out her confession. She prayed to the Lord for guidance and began to write her statement. It was the Biblical plan of Salvation. She sent it to the official. He was furious with her for doing such a thing, but he had to read it before a large group of officers who were to pass sentence on her. When they heard what my mother had written, many of them too became Christians!"
Nevertheless, when sentence was pronounced, Mrs. Kwang, the "dissident"7, received twenty years' imprisonment.
God's Supply for the Children
"When the guards first took my mother to prison, my father was already in a labour camp for his faith," Daniel explained. "The authorities had instructed our neighbours to beat us children so that we would deny our faith in the Lord. But we didn't. After they finished beating us we went back home to sleep on the floor and cried in prayer before the Lord. My heart was very heavy. I was ten years old and I had to look after my younger brother and sister.
"At that time we had nothing at all in our house except a little bit of rice in a rice-jar. The soldiers had taken everything else. With no money, we could not buy any more rice, and nobody could come to help us because the secret police were standing guard outside to prevent them.
"We realised that if we cooked the rice that day, there would be none left for the next. The three of us threw ourselves down upon the floor and asked the Lord to perform a powerful miracle. Then in faith we began to cook the rice.
"The next day when we woke up for our breakfast, we went to the rice-jar and the Lord had answered our prayer. There was just as much rice as there had been the day before.
"And every day it was the same. The Lord did not allow the level of rice to go down. We had enough until the day my mother was released from prison, and then it ran dry."
Release!
Unexpectedly, during her morning's prayer time within the prison, Mrs. Kwang was told by the Lord that she would be released that same day. Despite her twenty-year sentence, she believed what He had said and waited expectantly for the promise to be fulfilled. By evening, she had heard nothing. She knew the prison rule that no inmates could be released after nightfall. But her confidence in the Lord remained unshaken, and sure enough, at 9:00 p.m. an official came to her cell.
"Okay, you! You can leave the prison now. Now get out of here! Get home!" The family was never told why they had broken the rule on that occasion.
The next day Mrs. Kwang began preaching again. Throughout the months that followed, hundreds of new believers joined the fellowship groups and Mrs. Kwang trained more and more co-workers to pastor them. Among them were former Red Guards and prison officers who now addressed the woman they had once persecuted as "Mama Kwang".
Mrs. Kwang was imprisoned twice more in the years that followed, and although she received much persecution, she could not be silenced. She came to be known by the Communist authorities as China's "number one enemy".
Seeing Eyes Blinded
"I would very much like to tell you a special story, Brother David," Daniel told us. "It happened during the time after my mother was released from her third imprisonment, when she had to hide away in Canton." If Mrs. Kwang had returned to her home town, she would immediately have been thrown back into prison. Thus it was most important for Daniel, now a young man, to conceal the knowledge of her whereabouts.
Night after night, however, his house would be raided by the local authorities and he would be interrogated to obtain her address.
While she was away, his mother had sent him a series of letters expounding on the symbolism of the Book of Revelation. He valued these very highly and could not bring himself to destroy them even for security's sake. One night, at 11:00 p.m., a large group of secret police arrived to make a thorough search of the house. For Daniel, it was obviously very serious. If they found the letters he had left under his pillow, they would know where his mother was staying.
With typical simplicity Daniel explained: "I had to pray to the Lord to help me. At first I was shaking, but then I prayed all the more for God to protect the letters."
The police stayed several hours, searching every part of the house and reading every piece of paper they discovered. As they hunted, they positioned two guards to stand with Daniel. One was in front, the other behind. Both were watching to see if he reacted when the police searched in any particular spot. If his eyes so much as flickered, they would know to look in that place very carefully.
When they came to pick up the pillow that was hiding the letters, he cried out silently, "Lord, in Jesus' name, please blind their eyes so they will not see them."
At that precise moment, confusion broke out. Another official nearby tripped with an armful of pillows and they fell all over the bed. By the time the first man had helped his comrade gather them up, the original pillow had been forgotten. The letters remained in their place, undetected. Finally, the secret police gave up and left the house empty-handed.
"You see," Daniel said to me, "I have witnessed the goodness of the Lord with my own eyes."
Exit from China
When we heard how the Lord had prepared the way for the family to leave China, we knew it was unquestionably a miracle.
Four weeks before they left the country the family had heard nothing about their visa applications, which had been filed some years earlier. However, one morning in prayer, Mrs. Kwang sensed the Lord telling her that they would leave the country in one month's time. She was to leave China in order to tell the World of the needs of the Chinese believers, and to tell the World to prepare for Jesus' return.
The Lord told her that for the remaining month, she was to instruct her co-workers, so that they would be equipped to go on after she had left.
She informed the other believers and they were astonished. "That's impossible!" they protested. "No one can leave the country after being imprisoned, and you have been inside three times."
But the evangelist was sure this had come from God. She spent the whole month in instruction, and on the final day commissioned each co-worker to continue the work.
The following day, a government official came to their home. "Come with me," he told the family. "You are to go to the police station. Your papers are waiting for your exit visa from the country."
While the Kwangs were filling out their forms, the local authorities suddenly realized that one parent had been in labour camp and the other in prison.
"Wait a minute! Stop right there. You have no right to leave the country," shouted a clerk behind the desk. "These papers will be ripped up immediately."
Commotion broke out, and in the confusion that followed the Kwangs were asked to leave the office. A Christian, who worked in the office, later told them that while they waited outside, angry officials suggested they call the soldiers in immediately to arrest the Kwangs.
But God's hand was to be made unmistakably plain that day. The senior officer on duty unexpectedly announced that he had been one of Mr. Kwang's interrogators in labour camp. To the group's astonishment, he spoke up on his behalf.
"I called upon this man, time and again, to deny his faith," he told the men before him, "but he would not do so. Even in the face of death itself he still would not deny his God." He gazed across at the calm figure of Mr. Kwang. "I have respect for this man," he concluded quietly.
Then, dispensing with the law of the land, he walked across to sign the family's papers, and the family was miraculously able to exit the country.
I looked at Daniel with tears in my eyes. I could find nothing to say, but inside, my heart felt ready to burst. They and their fellow Christians inside China were a living testimony to the greatness of God.
Now we can realize that God truly does use the wrath of Man to praise Him; that persecution is not destructive, but constructive; that He will, indeed, build His Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against [withstand] it.
Discussion Questions:
1) What were the good results of Mrs. Kwang waiting on the Lord's timing & following His guidance? What could have been the results had she gone ahead and continued preaching even though the Lord told her to wait?
2) The Lord wants people to believe on Him through pure faith in Him and His Word. However, He also knows that sometimes people need a sign of His power in order to help them believe. Discuss why, in this situation, it was necessary for the Lord to show His miracle-working power. Discuss some reasons why, in other situations, the Lord may not work the same way. (For example, certain people may have already heard the Gospel many times, or they might not have so much going against them, as those in this story did, or perhaps the Lord knows that "even if one were raised from the dead, they still would not believe".) Can you think of other reasons?
3) If you were being persecuted as Mrs. Kwang was, you could think that if you did exactly what your persecutors wanted you to do, they'd be pleased with you, and perhaps let up. But what were the results of Mrs. Kwang's actions? How did her persecutors respond? Discuss.
Student Strike
By Rochunga Pudaite
Excerpts from the book The Dime that Lasted Forever, 1985
"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Phil.1:29).
I am a Christian and my aim in life from the time I was a very young boy was to be able to bring the Word of God to my fellow tribesmen. From a very young age, I had been learning and studying so that one day I might be able to translate the Bible into our tribe's native tongue. (Editor's note: For more on the life of Rochunga Pudaite, see the movie "Beyond the Next Mountain".)
Allahabad University is a large, residential university in Northern India. I attended it with nearly five thousand select students from all over India. Out of the five thousand students, there were only twenty-two who professed to be Christians. And of these twenty-two probably only three of us were born-again believers in Christ.
Soon after arriving at the university, I told the other Christian students that we ought to be witnessing for our faith among the Hindus and Muslims. But they told me to keep my mouth shut.
"You are here to study. You have no reason to disturb the peace. You will get some very violent reactions," they warned. Nevertheless, I had a great desire to share my faith with my fellow students.
During the spring of 1953, the Communist faction of the student union8 organized an all-school strike. The purpose of the strike was to force the university authorities to make the annual examinations easier to pass. Allahabad had been known for the tough examinations they gave at the end of each year. During the year there was no pressure. No required assignments, not even a quiz or a test. But, as the Indian educational system dictated, at the end of the year the students had to take a final examination that would cover all the material studied over the entire year. If a student did not pass this examination, the entire year of classes would have to be repeated. So the students, tired of cramming at the last minute for that final examination, wanted to make the exam a little easier.
I did not want to cause a disturbance, however I did not believe in the strike. Joining in the strike meant I was agreeing and complying with the Communist Party of our school, which I did not care to do, since I am a Christian. So I decided I would not join with the other students. News had gone out to the leaders of the student union that I was not going to participate.
On the morning the strike was to begin, I had my breakfast and went back to my room to study. Soon I heard a knock. I opened the door to find two strong young men from the student union. In threatening tones the bigger one said, "We understand that you are not going to join the strike." I replied simply, "That's right."
They wanted to argue with me, but as far as I was concerned, there wasn't much to argue about. I held firm to my convictions, and obviously they weren't going to call off the protest on account of one small tribal student. As they left, I thought the matter was finished.
Fifteen minutes later, the two ruffians returned with three other big men. They threatened, "Join the strike, or else!" Their English was not very good, but they pronounced the "Or else!" rather forcefully.
They glanced at me, then left. I knew something was going to happen. But I wasn't afraid. Even though I am small, and have never been known to possess great physical power, I knew that whatever happened, the Lord was with me, and He would help, protect, and empower me.
After several minutes I heard a lot of commotion outside. My door was closed, but not locked. I had not bothered to lock or even latch it. I listened to the angry voices outside my door, and soon realized that they were talking about me. Before I had a chance to lock the door, a brick struck the door and flung it open. I stood behind a wall so the bricks would not hit me. Before I knew it there were lots of bricks in my room.
I waited for five or six minutes, anticipating another attack. When I was sure they were all gone, I peered around the door. They had all left. I gathered the bricks, piled them outside my room, swept the floor, and began to pray. Then I gathered my books and solemnly made my way toward the university.
Allahabad University is surrounded by four walls with four main gates, one at each point on the compass. My dormitory was west of the university, so I usually entered through the western gate. As I approached the gate, I could hear the chanting mob of striking students. There must have been at least five hundred of them blocking that entrance to the university. They were stopping all the professors' and instructors' cars from entering the university compound.
Wanting to avoid a confrontation with the mob, I slipped through a smaller, pedestrian gate that was located a hundred yards from the main gate. I was not even a hundred feet into the school compound when suddenly two men came running up behind me and grabbed me by both arms. With a very firm grip, they escorted me back to the gate and threw me onto the ground, scattering my books and papers. As I was trying to retrieve my books, a tall and muscular Punjabi9 strode over and stared down at me. He unfolded his big arms and poked his finger into my forehead, saying, "Don't you know we Communist students who organized this strike are willing to write our convictions with our blood? You shouldn't defy us!"
I pretended I didn't hear him. Again he poked me hard on the forehead and repeated his threat. Still I ignored him. The third time he repeated his threat, he poked me so hard I almost lost my balance. I looked up at him and said, "Look, if you Communists are willing to write your convictions with your blood, I am willing to do even more. I am willing to spill every bit of blood I have in me for the cause I believe in. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the Man of peace."
I kept looking right into that man's eyes. Finally he blinked and turned his head. I said, "Please give me back my books!" The fellow who had my books handed them to me. I turned around and walked back through the gate into the university compound. This time nobody followed me.
From that time on, no one ever mistreated me at Allahabad University. Every student was aware of the fact that there was one small tribal student from Northeast India who was a Christian and not ashamed of his faith. The professors treated me with new respect. Everywhere I went, they said, "He's a Christian."
The most beautiful thing happened a week later. The big Punjabi who had poked me, came to my room and said, "I want to know where you get that courage."
"It's from the God of the Bible," I told him. "You see, I am a tribal man and my forefathers were headhunters. But years ago God changed my father from being a headhunter to being a heart-hunter. This change came about when he read the story of Jesus Christ in a Bible.
"I have also experienced this change of heart that comes from knowing Jesus. Let me read you one of my favourite verses, John 3:16...." I continued witnessing to him.
The Punjabi seemed sincere and open as he asked many questions. It was plain he was seeking the Truth. After much discussion we prayed that he, too, might know Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour.
Discussion Questions:
1) Do you think it was wise of Rochunga to refuse to participate in the strike? How would it have affected his witness if he had decided to go along with it?
2) Despite the opposition, what were the victories that the Lord brought about through this situation?
3) What was the statement that convicted the Punjabi? Discuss why this made such an impression on him.
4) What would you have done if you were in Rochunga's place?
"Even unto Death"
By Gladys Aylward
Excerpts from the book Gladys Aylward, The Little Woman, 1974
It was China in the late 1940s. It had been some time since my long trek through the mountains with the 100 children. (Editor's note: For more on this story and the life of Gladys Aylward, see Hope Mag #13, and the movie: "Inn of the Sixth Happiness".) The war had ended and some friends & I had been holding a Christian campaign in a certain town. Hundreds were converted, including many university students.
For several months we continued with the Lord's blessing upon our work. It almost seemed that we had gone back to the days of the early church. Now we can see that God was strengthening us and preparing us for the unpleasant days that were to lie ahead for us all. For shortly afterwards the Red Communists took over China [in 1949].
After taking over the town, the Communists' first course of action was to gain control of the university. Because they could not control the entire town immediately, they hoped that through gaining control of the students, re-educating them and dealing with those who would not be re-educated, a strong signal would be sent to the rest of the town that the Communists were to be obeyed, respected and feared.
To each of the five hundred students was handed a long form on which was a series of questions to be answered truthfully. I managed to get ahold of one of these forms and, because I wanted to understand just what they involved, I tried to fill it in. Some of the questions were awkward, some seemingly irrelevant and utterly ridiculous, such as, "Do you know what your grandmother died of? How many children does your uncle have? How much money did your grandfather have when he died?"
Then right at the end, when one was tired and confused, came the all-important question which was the sole purpose of the form: "What position are you in? If for the government, put a circle, if against, put an X."
This was the question that determined whether or not one was to follow the new regime. If one was for the new Communist government, it would mean he was against Christianity.
Almost all of those five hundred students had started their education in Christian schools. If they had been ill, they had gone to Christian hospitals, because all that was good in health and education had come to isolated China through the missions. Also, many had been converted during the recent campaigns. Therefore marking a "O" was tantamount to rejecting their faith.
When the five hundred forms were counted, three hundred had put circles, two hundred had put an X! The Communists looked grave. They called together the three hundred who had signed agreement with those in power, and told them that there was work for them to do. They could use whatever methods they liked--except that of actually taking life--to force those two hundred into line.
For the next month the most horrible forms of teasing, petty cruelty and unpleasant irritations went on. Then the forms were handed out again. But to the utter amazement of the authorities, there were fewer circles and more X's!
How had this happened? They began to make urgent inquiries and they learned that every morning the Christian students had held prayer meetings.
In the university, the lectures began at 9:00. All the students lived at the campus, and at 8:00 a.m. they went to breakfast, but at 7:00 the Christians had gathered in groups for prayer and Bible reading in order to gain strength for the day of testing they knew lay before them.
When the non-Christians had discovered this, they had broken up the group and caused pandemonium10. So the Christians gathered at six o'clock. Again their opponents discovered them, so they rose even earlier and met at five o'clock.
So it went on, until by the end of the month some of the Christians were getting hardly any sleep.
The authorities took immediate action. "We'll stop all this congregating together. We'll put an end to all this prayer and Bible reading," they announced.
Each Christian was isolated and put under the guard of ten red-hot Communists for three months. Their every move was watched. Day and night they were talked to, jeered at, and indoctrinated.
We watched these poor isolated Christians getting paler, and more haggard. There was no way of contacting them and we trembled for them. They were young in years, & many of them only babes in the Christian faith, but all we could do was pray for them, that their faith would not fail in spite of all the fiery darts of the Wicked One.
At the end of the three months everyone was forced to appear in the market square. Under a huge squad of Communist police we saw the two hundred students marched into the square. In a witness box stood a man with a list of names. He called out the first.
A girl of seventeen stepped forward. She was refined and had been brought up in one of the lovely homes that had belonged to the wealthy of Peking (now called Beijing) before the war. She had been sent here for safety--now she stood before her accusers!
"What position are you standing in now?" bellowed the voice of the man in the box.
She walked to the little platform. She faltered a little and we thought she was going to fall. Why put this slim, frail, slip of a girl up first, we questioned. Poor child, how can she stand?
Then her voice rang out, suddenly clear and strong. "Sir, when I went for my three months' indoctrination I thought Jesus Christ was real. I thought the Bible was true. Now I know Jesus Christ is real, I know this Book is true!"
One after the other of those two hundred names were called out, and not one faltered, no one denied their faith. Every one of them was executed that day in the marketplace. Before each execution the victim was given one last chance to recant; but even those at the end, who had seen the execution of all the rest, did not flinch.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psa.116:15). Theirs perhaps was the easier way. They went straight to those mansions their Saviour had gone before to prepare for them. They had followed Him even unto death.
Discussion Questions:
1) Although this is a shocking ending, what was the alternative to these students being martyred for their faith? Would they have been happy having denied Jesus or their faith in Him?
2) What do you think gave these students the strength to stand up for Jesus? What does Jesus say about those who are not ashamed of Him and His Words?
3) We are not to seek death or martyrdom, but if it does happen, what does the Bible say about those who are martyred because they won't deny their faith? Can you think of some verses on this topic? (See Psa.23:4;116:15; 1Cor.15:54a,55,57,58; 2Tim.4:6-8; Heb.11:13, 16; Rev.14:13.)
"Look at the Martyrs!--`These all died in faith!'--That's the greatest thing that could be said of them! They died & they were killed & they were martyred!--But they never lost faith, they never lost heart. That's the final test of faith after all, isn't it?--Death! If you can die still trusting, that's the final victory, then you've really got it made! Praise God! Amen?"--Father David.
My God Shall Supply
A man in China was sent to prison for his religious beliefs. He had four children, ages four, eight, ten & twelve. His wife had to walk the streets wearing a dunce cap11. The children were treated badly because their father was a bad element." The problem was they had no livelihood12, no food. In the back of their little home was a small pond. No one had ever fished there before. The children first made a net and they caught enough fish to feed the family. The supply began to multiply. As time went on, they got enough fish, not only for their own needs, but enough to trade for the other necessities of life. Thirteen years later, the father returned from prison. There were no fish in the little pond from that day on. They were no longer needed.
Power to Withstand Persecution
By Myrna Grant
Excerpts from the book Vanya
When the aging Russian corporal, Gidenko, spoke, it was wearily: "I am sorry, Ivan Moiseyev, that you persist in your irregular Christian behaviour. It will achieve nothing for you except discomfort. However, I feel you will come to your senses with a little discipline and be cured of your delusions of Angels and a talking God. I am going to order you to stand in the street tonight until you are willing to come to me and apologize for the nonsense you have been circulating around the base about yourself and your so-called experiences with God. Since the temperature is likely to be some twenty-five degrees below zero, for your sake, I hope you quickly agree to behave sensibly. Tomorrow we shall make a plan together for your political re-education. You are dismissed."
Gidenko was irritated by the courage with which Ivan seemed to take the order. He had expected a hesitation, a reconsidering, but Ivan's face was quiet and his shoulders squared13 as he walked toward the door.
"Comrade private!"
Ivan turned. Gidenko observed he was a trifle pale. He had understood the order, then, & realized that the snow was already two feet deep in the fields.
"You will obey my instructions in summer uniform. That is all."
A brusque14 telephone call sped the light trousers, shirt, jacket, and side cap into Gidenko's hands. Gidenko was silent, handing the articles to Ivan with a grave shaking of his white head. Ivan could almost hear the laboured thoughts behind the sympathetic eyes. It was to be a bitter night.
A wind came up as the moon rose, lifting powdery snow from the corners of the building and swirling it across the wind-swept streets. It was already cold in the barracks as the soldiers undressed for the night, huddling in their bunks under the heavy blankets for warmth....
Ivan was getting tired of telling his story. The news of this new punishment had spread like wildfire through the mess hall15 at supper. The private assigned to ladling the soup at his table had heard the account from a corporal, and he distributed the news with every bowl of borscht16. Ivan had been questioned or admonished at least a dozen times as he made his way out of the hall after supper.
And his answer sounded absurd17. "Tonight, I am to report to the duty officer and stand outside in the street." He didn't blame the men for smiling. If the officials wanted to make a public example of Ivan, they were succeeding. People kept asking, "How long are you going to stay out in the cold?" "You will have to give in. You will die of the cold." "Why do you refuse to be quiet about religion?" "Why can't you not believe and be silent?" "You will be inside after five minutes."
One man raised his voice above the others, quieting them. "Ivan! Why? What is it that you believe that would make you do this?"
"I believe God wants men to know He exists, and loves Man, and came in the form of Jesus Christ, as a real Man, to this Earth. It is almost Christmas. At this time we believers celebrate the coming of Christ to Bethlehem as a baby. All over the World, believers observe this great thing that God did and give glory to God. I believe He came to die for the sin of every man who wants forgiveness. For me. For you too...."
In the distance the soft notes of a bugle could be heard. The light was immediately switched off. Hurrying, Ivan made his way to the door. From the window the brilliant moon lit the aisle between the bunks as he passed. There was silence behind him as he made his way down the stairs and to the street outside.
At first the cold was a shock slamming into his face with an impact that left his head aching and his eyes full of water. He recoiled from the icy wind that burned at his ears. He knew faces at the darkened barracks windows would be peering into the street. The moon lit the road and the snowbanks against the buildings. He stiffened against the freezing blast, glancing at his watch. It was one minute after ten o'clock.
He would have a long time to pray. He began haltingly, a slow fear rising in him that he tried to push away. How long could he stand out there? What if he became so cold he gave in? What if he froze to death? Would they let him freeze to death? He tried to concentrate on praying, but a panic constricted his chest. How long would it take to freeze? Would it be quick? What if he were almost frozen by morning, but revived? He had heard the pain of frozen limbs was terrible. What if they had to amputate18? He had to get his mind off it. He began to sing. "The joy of the Lord is your strength. The joy of the Lord is your strength."
He looked at the park in the central square, distant in the moonlight, but visible. Suddenly an angelic light seemed to linger upon it, and he heard the words, "Do not be afraid. I am with you!" The warmth of those moments seemed to settle upon him. Fervently Ivan opened his mouth and began to pray.
It was 12:30 a.m. when his attention was distracted by the crunching of steps in the snow. Bundled in their great coats, three officers slowly were making their way toward him from the barracks.
Their voices were gruff and almost blown away by the wind.
"Well, Moiseyev, have you reconsidered? Are you ready to come in? Have you had enough of standing out here?"
Even in the moonlight Ivan could see that they were looking at him with a measure of apprehension. Was it possible that he was warm?
"Thank you, comrade officers. I would like very much to come in and go to bed. But I cannot agree to remain silent about God."
"Then you're going to stand out here all night long?" Each of their faces was twinged with fear.
"I'd rather not. But I don't see how anything else is possible, and God is helping me." Ivan was rubbing his hands with his fingertips as he stood at attention. Excitement shook his voice. His hands were cold, but no colder than they had been while dressing in the barracks. He tentatively19 wiggled his toes. They moved easily, without discomfort. A feeling of astonishment grew in him. He looked at the officers in excitement. He could see that even in their coats they were cold. They were stamping their feet and slapping their hands, shifting their weight, impatient to return to their heater in the barracks.
"He will feel differently in another hour," the senior officer mumbled as they strode away.
Soon the surge of relief subsided in Ivan and a feeling of brokenness took its place. His parents had suffered in difficult situations for years. He knew of pastors who had been questioned, arrested, even sent to prison camps. Yet he was touched again and again by God's merciful power and deliverance, even though he felt he didn't deserve miracles and mysteries. He ought to be freezing. He wasn't good enough. Hot tears rimmed his eyes.
By three o'clock in the morning he was dozing on his feet. His prayers of repentance were long over. His intercessions for all the believers he knew, he had made over and over. He had sung Christmas carols. He had prayed for every officer he knew and knew of. He had cried out to God on behalf of the men in his unit. But gradually his mind seemed to be floating somewhere outside his head. As much as he tried to continue praying, it eluded20 him.
Suddenly a voice in his ear startled him fully awake. The senior officer on duty was speaking gently.
"All right, Moiseyev, you are to come inside." The moon had set and the wind died down, and in the pitch black, Ivan strained to see his face. The officer hesitated, standing still beside Ivan, the yellow light from the barracks caught in the gold-leaf insignia21 of his hat. His voice was intense. "What kind of person are you?"
"Sir?"
"What kind of person are you that the cold does not bother you?"
Ivan also spoke softly. "Oh, comrade, I am a person just like you. But I prayed to God and was warm."
The officer turned and began walking very slowly back to the barracks, touching Ivan's arm as a signal to accompany him. "Tell me about this God," he said. n
Discussion Questions:
1) What were the results of the miracle the Lord did for Ivan as he was standing in the snow? What if it had been God's Will for Ivan to go Home to Heaven that night, could that have possibly borne good fruit as well? In what ways?
2) Have you ever felt that you were not worthy of the Lord doing some special miracle in your life, but in His love and wisdom He did it anyway? The Lord often views things so differently than we do, and He works in each situation what He knows will be best for us.
3) Please discuss how these miracles apply to your life, and what lessons you've learned from these stories.
Definitions
(The meaning given is for the use of the word in the story & does not cover every meaning of the word.)
1restraint: holding back from action
2stern: rear part of a ship or boat
3irate: angry, enraged
4gusto: great enjoyment in doing something
5cadres: very committed Communists
6tribunal: a court of justice
7dissident: non-conformist, someone who differs in thought from the norm
8student union: association of various on-campus clubs & special interest groups at a school
9Punjabi: someone from Punjab, a section of northern India
10pandemonium: wild lawlessness or uproar
11dunce cap: a cone-shaped paper hat, made to wear as a sign of shame
12livelihood: a means of support
13squared: straight, level or even
14brusque: blunt, abrupt
15mess hall: a place where soldiers eat
16borscht: a Russian soup made with beets & cabbage
17absurd: contrary to all reason or common sense; ridiculous
18amputate: to cut off a diseased or injured limb of the body in order to save the rest
19tentatively: experimentally
20eluded: escaped
21insignia: badge or emblem
(Definitions condensed from the World Book, Funk & Wagnalls
Standard Dictionary & Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary.)