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BACK TO JERUSALEM? A CHINESE VISION FOR MISSION
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관리자
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2008-06-10 13:53:21, 조회 : 3,134 |
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BACK TO JERUSALEM? A CHINESE VISION FOR MISSION
글쓴이 : 인보라 조회 : 167
BACK TO JERUSALEM? A CHINESE VISION FOR MISSION
PART I : Revival and Mission in History
by Tony Lambert
I believe the time is coming soon when we will be able to reach out beyond Chinain in frontiers. The Chinese church must be ready to reach the world for Christ when that time comes. God has blessed China greatly. Many have come to know the Savior. Now God wants to use China as a blessing to the world! May God help us to press on to Jerusalem! On to Jerusalem!
These words were spoken recently by an elderly house-church leader to leaders gathered from many provinces for Bible training. Those who are galvanised by the "Back to Jerusalem" vision state that in God's providence the gospel largely was taken West from Jerusalem to Rome, then to Britain and to the United States. Much later, Western missionaries brought the gospel back East to China. But now in the last days before Christ뭩 return it is the duty of the Chinese church to take the gospel "Back to Jerusalem," evangelizing Northwest China and the needy Muslim peoples of Central Asia along the way.
According to many reports, major house-church networks across China are moving into action. Most house-churches are now deeply burdened to reach out to the national minorities. Some churches have already sent out couples to set up homes among them to share the love of Christ with them. We already see fruit among poor mountain folk who are despised by society at large.(Compass Direct).
Another leader reported: 밯e have trained hundreds of families to relocate into the frontiers and minority regions of China. They will migrate to the remotest areas and re-start their life from scratch. Some will start a small business, some will teach in schools. The idea is to plant these families as gospel seeds in China뭩 unreached regions particularly among the non-Han peoples. We want to eventually send out 20,000 migrant missionaries.?(Asian Report) In 2000, this group reportedly sent out 150 families and already one of the teams has planted 60 new churches.
There have been some reports overseas that house churches are preparing to send out "100,000 missionaries overseas." Such figures seem exaggerated, and probably should not be taken too seriously. According to one source they reflect the eager vision of some house-church leaders to send a large number of missionaries overseas rather than a carefully thought-out strategy. In view of the huge needs of China's unevangelized millions to hear the gospel, the emphasis must surely still be on the training and equipping of large numbers of evangelists to reach out to the hundreds of millions of Han without Christ as well as most of the hundreds of groups of tribal national minority peoples numbering 100 million, most of whom have never heard the gospel. Who can doubt that China itself with 1.3 billion people remains the largest field ?as well as the most fruitful ?for gospel labors today and in the near future? If 100,000 well-trained evangelists were to leave China over the next few years this would be a serious drain, and probably weaken the churches which are already under attack from cults and false teaching through lack of godly pastors and teachers.
There is no doubt that many house churches have been thrilled by the vision of "taking the gospel back to Jerusalem" via Central Asia and have begun serious training. They will need to study the languages, culture and religion of the very diverse Muslim peoples of Central Asia. This will entail much prayer and financial support. The task is gigantic when one remembers that Western missionary endeavours in this area over the last two centuries or so have been painfully slow and the results (with some notable exceptions) have not been great in terms of numbers turning to Christ.
It would be a great pity, however, if this vision were to be obscured by hype, exaggerated statistics and sensationalism. Cautious Christians overseas (and, indeed, within China) may be tempted already to dismiss it as one more dubious method of fund-raising from gullible believers. Certainly there are great dangers where there is sensational publicity and little accountability for funds sent into China through largely clandestine channels. One house-church leader reportedly told his American listeners (before 9/11) that as the Muslims hate Westerners but get on well with the Chinese, American Christians should hand over their money so Chinese evangelists can do the job of evangelisation for them! Such blatant appeals for money are deeply disturbing; they betray the godly heritage of China뭩 spiritual leaders who, in stark contrast, gave up all for Christ under persecution, and for whom monetary incentives meant nothing compared to the treasure of the gospel.
Nevertheless, there are spiritual and historical reasons for taking the "Back to Jerusalem" vision seriously. It is a fact of history that whenever God has poured out His Spirit in revival power this has ALWAYS resulted in missionary outreach. The prime example, of course, is Pentecost. Transformed, the apostles (aided by a bout of persecution which scattered them abroad) went out from Jerusalem to Samaria and ultimately the "uttermost parts of the earth." Within their lifetime, the church had been firmly established at Rome and according to tradition, in Britain to the West and India to the East.
The Reformation and subsequent Puritan movement was a time of immense spiritual awakening when multitudes rediscovered the power of God뭩 Word. Much of the energy of the Reformers was taken up with fighting for the very survival of the Lutheran and Reformed churches against Papal hostility. Nevertheless, attempts were made by the French Huguenots to plant the gospel in Brazil and the Dutch Reformed church preached the gospel to the inhabitants of Taiwan, Ceylon and some of the Spice Islands (in modern Indonesia).
John Eliot (1604-1690) had much more success among the Native Americans of New England. Many people forget that the seal of the first Puritan colonists in Massachusetts in 1628 portrayed a Native American with the words "Come over and help us." New England preacher Thomas Shepard addressed an appeal to the British Parliament in 1648 entitled "The Clear Sunshine of the Gospel Breaking Forth Upon the Indians in New England" in which he wrote: 밫he utmost ends of the earth are designed and promised to be in time the possession of Christ. The kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and His Christ when he shall have dominion from sea to sea and they that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. If some beginnings be so full of joy, what will it be when God shall perform his whole work when the whole earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Is.11:9-10) and east and west shall sing together the song of the Lamb?(1)
The Puritan movement with its solid biblical foundations and optimistic faith in the triumphs of the gospel before the second coming of Christ saw the first successful missionary outreach by English-speaking Protestants.
At the dawn of the 18th century, Pietism rekindled the zeal of many in the German Lutheran church which had fallen into a cold rationalism. Spener and Francke made Halle a center of missionary outreach. The first missionaries were sent out to India in 1705. The Halle awakening deeply touched the young Count Zinzendorf who studied under Spener for six years. He "resolved with a friend to do all in our power for the conversion of the heathen." In 1722 Zinzendorf gave shelter on his lands at Herrnhut to Moravian Christians of the ancient Church of the Brethren who had fled Catholic persecution in Austria. Thus began the extraordinary Moravian revival and missionary movement.
The Moravian Christians lived in close community in Herrnhut. They rediscovered the joy of trusting in Christ alone for salvation and their spirituality was centered on the cross and sufferings of Christ. It is said they started a prayer meeting which lasted a hundred years. Never numerous, they sent out missionaries to Labrador, Greenland, the West Indies and Tibet. In their desire to reach people for Christ two of their young missionaries became slaves themselves to reach the slaves in the West Indian plantations.
In 1738 a disillusioned John Wesley returned from Georgia to England. 밒 went to America to convert the Indians; but oh, who shall convert me??he lamented after trying to earn his salvation through a strict program of good works. On the boat, he met Moravian missionaries who sang joyfully during a dangerous storm, not fearing death as they were assured of their salvation by faith in Christ alone. Going to Herrnhut Wesley heard the same message from Zinzendorf himself. Back in London, after hearing a message on Romans, Wesley뭩 heart was "strangely warmed" and he came into full assurance of salvation.
In England, John Wesley with his brother Charles and George Whitefield preached the gospel of grace tirelessly, traveling thousands of miles on horseback. The Methodist revival slowly transformed the nation and issued in vigorous missionary outreach. In 1784 Dr Thomas Coke was one of the first Wesleyan missionaries to America. In 1813, at the age of 63, Coke challenged the Methodist Conference to face "the grand duty of preaching the gospel of the grace of God to the perishing millions of the East." He set off himself for India, dying before reaching Bombay and was buried at sea. His companions, three missionaries for Ceylon [Sri Lanka], two for India and one for Java laid the foundations of Wesleyan missions in Asia.
A little earlier the evangelical awakening in Britain had touched the Baptists. In 1793 William Carey the humble shoemaker set sail for India to preach the gospel. He believed that "prayer and pains through faith in Jesus Christ will do anything." When he died in 1834, he had planted 26 churches in India and translated the Script-xures or parts of them into 34 languages. In 1795 the London Missionary Society was formed, followed in 1799 by the Church Missionary Society. Between 1793 and 1834 no less than 13 British missionary societies came into being. The great century of missionary expansion had begun ?but without the spiritual awakenings sparked by the Moravians and the Methodists it is very doubtful whether it would have happened at all.
In 1904 God poured out His Spirit in Wales in remarkable converting power. The awakening eventually touched many parts of the globe, resulting in revivals and spiritual awakenings in many missionary fields including India and China. (2)
In Korea we have the example of a church growing rapidly after experiencing much persecution and suffering from both the Japanese occupation and the communist invasion in the early fifties. That church also experienced revival. Over the last 20 years or so the South Korean church has become one of the major missionary sending nations in the world. South Korean missionaries and tentmakers are active in many countries, including China.
They and their eager supporters overseas ?need to take the long-term view. The lesson from history is clear ?spiritual awakening resulting in missionary outreach does not take place overnight. Rather it is a process ?often painful- that may take years, even decades.
In a second part, we will look in more detail at the historic origins within the Chinese church, dating back over fifty years, of the "Back to Jerusalem" vision.
NOTES
1. See Iain Murray, The Puritan Hope, Banner of Truth, 1971. I have taken many of the subsequent examples of spiritual awakening from this excellent book. It provides a solid, Biblical basis for optimism in missionary outreach, and shows that true revival and subsequent missionary outreach have been based on thoroughly Biblical and Reformation theology.
2. See J. Edwin Orr's series of books on revivals including Evangelical Awakenings in Eastern Asia, Bethany Press,1975.
Origins of a missionary vision (Part II)
In 1949, soon after the Second World War, Phyllis Thompson, a missionary stationed in Chongqing (Chungking) with the China Inland Mission, wrote:
The thing that has impressed me most has been the strange, unaccountable urge of a number of different Chinese groups of Christians to press forward in faith, taking the gospel towards the west. I know of at least five different groups, quite unconnected with each other, who have left their homes in east China and gone forth, leaving practically everything behind them, to the west. Some are in Sikang [now western Sichuan], some in Kansu, some right away in the great northwestern province of Sinkiang [now Xinjiang] or Chinese Turkestan. It seems like a movement of the Spirit which is irresistible. The striking thing is that they are disconnected, and in most cases seem to know nothing about each other. Yet all are convinced that the Lord is sending them to the western borders to preach the gospel, and they are going with a strong sense of urgency of the shortness of the time, and the imminence of the Lord's return.
Here is precious testimony of an eyewitness to the extraordinary events that began in the 1940s in China's totally indigenous missionary movement with a burden to preach the gospel through northwest China and then 밄ack to Jerusalem.?Now more than fifty years later, people and organizations both within China and overseas are making great claims for fulfilling this same mission on an even grander scale. So it is important to examine the spiritual and historic roots of the 밄ack to Jerusalem?movement. Who were these men and women? What was their vision and motivation? Was it biblical? If so, to what extent was it fulfilled then? And, most importantly, how far are leaders and organizations who use the same slogan today the legitimate spiritual successors of those early pioneers? It is to give some answers to these vital questions we now turn in this and future issues of China Insight.
The Mass Exodus to the West
The Japanese invasion of China from the mid-1930s caused immense suffering and turmoil. The Nationalist government took refuge in the far western city of Chungking (now Chongqing). The city, safe behind the Yangtze gorges from the Japanese infantry, but not safe from periodic heavy bombing, became the temporary capital of 밊ree China.?A mass exodus of government and universities to West China followed the fall of the great cities of the east such as Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing to the Japanese. Many Christians and Christian mission organizations were caught up in this human tragedy and also moved West to minister the gospel to the suffering millions. However, perhaps the only positive indirect benefit of this exodus was the opening up and beginnings of development of West China as government administrators and academics saw first hand for the first time its poverty and backwardness. It was in the midst of war and human deprivation on a massive scale that a few Chinese Christians caught a vision to preach Christ to China's hitherto neglected border regions and then beyond.
Mark Ma and the NorthWest Bible Institute
The Japanese invasion was indirectly responsible for the formation of the Northwest Bible Institute. In 1941 Rev. and Mrs. James Hudson Taylor (grandson of the founder of the CIM) had to flee the Japanese invasion of Henan and move west into Shaanxi. In spite of the continual danger of enemy bombing, they had a vision to establish a new Bible school in this province where war had driven them. The CIM offered the use of mission property in the city of Fengxiang (also then known as Paoki) and a start was made with eight students who came for a three-month Bible course. The new Bible institute was jointly sponsored by the CIM and the Free Methodist Mission and had a board of 15 trustees, of whom two-thirds were Chinese. Rev. James Taylor became the principal and later Pastor Mark Ma became the vice-principal.
Mark Ma was born in Henan and educated in Kaifeng. The only son of Christian parents and a scholar at the Free Methodist Mission school, he nevertheless was opposed to the gospel. He became a teacher, and it was not until 1937 that he was converted when the death of his little son brought him in sorrow and repentance to God. He then left his secular job and accompanied Rev. Taylor to Shaanxi where he was on the staff of the new Bible institute from its commencement.
Pastor Ma wrote: In the evening of November 25, 1942, while in prayer, the Lord said to me: 멦he door to Sinkiang [Xinjiang] is already opened. Enter and preach the gospel.?When this voice reached me I was trembling and fearful and most unwilling to obey, because I did not recall a single time in the past when I had prayed for Sinkiang; moreover it was a place to which I had no desire to go. Therefore I merely privately prayed about this matter not even telling my wife.
After exactly five months of prayer, on Easter morning the 25th of April 1943 when two fellow workers and I were praying together on the bank of the Wei River, I told them of my call to Sinkiang and one of the fellow workers said that ten years before she had received a similar call. I thanked God that He had already prepared a co-worker. When I returned to the school I learned that on that same Easter Sunday at the sunrise service eight students had also been burdened for Sinkiang. It was with joy that I gathered all together and we planned a regular prayer meeting. On the evening of May 4th we held our first prayer meeting and there were actually 23 present, including members of the faculty and students. On May 11th we received the first offering amounting to $50.?/FONT>
It is significant to note that the movement was birthed in fervent prayer and had the whole-hearted support and encouragement of the CIM whose missionaries were already working to some extent in the western minority areas.
The Vision and Naming of the Band
Mark Ma wrote: Gradually the question arose as to what our group should be called, if in the future God should send forth workers from our midst, since the volunteers were from several denominations. Some suggested calling it, 멦he North Western Evangelistic Band? others 멦he Sinkiang Evangelistic Band? At last we decided to wait and pray longer about the name. On the morning of May 23rd [1943] as I fasted and prayed about the name of the Band the Lord revealed the verse of Script-xure to my heart: 멦his gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.?(Matthew 24:14)
He said Lord what does this mean?
It is this. I not only want you (the Chinese church) to assume responsibility for taking the gospel to Sinkiang but I want you to bring to completion the commission to preach the gospel to all the world.
He asked at Lord, has not the gospel already been preached to all the world?
The Lord said, Alince the beginning at Pentecost the pathway of the gospel has spread, for the greater part, in a westward direction: from Jerusalem to Antioch to all Europe; from Europe to America and then the East; from the Southeast of China to the Northwest; until today from Kansu on westward it can be said there is no firmly established church. You may go westward from Kansu, preaching the gospel all the way back to Jerusalem, causing the light of the gospel to complete the circle around this dark world.
He said, Lord, who are we that we can carry a great responsibility?
The Lord said, I want to manifest my power through those who of themselves have no power.
He said, that section of territory is under the power of Islam and the Mohammedans are the hardest of all peoples to reach with the gospel.
The Lord said, the most rebellious people are the Israelites, the hardest field of labor is my own people the Jews.?At the same time the Lord brought to my mind the words found in Ezekiel chapter two which tells of the rebelliousness of Israel. The Lord continued speaking, even you Chinese, yourself included, are hard enough but you have been conquered by the gospel.
He said, Lord, if it is not that their hearts are especially hard, why is it that missionaries from Europe and America have established so many churches in China but are still unable to open the door to Western Asia?
The Lord said, it is not that their hearts are especially hard, but that I have kept for the Chinese church a portion of inheritance, otherwise, when I return will you not be too poor.
When I heard the Lord say that he had kept for us a portion of inheritance, my heart overflowed with thanksgiving and my mouth uttered many hallelujahs! I stopped arguing with the Lord. Then finally the Lord revealed Numbers 33:53 to my heart: 멇nd ye shall take possession of the land and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it.?At the same time the Lord made me realize that if we did not go quickly to possess the land, then the people there would certainly be reached with the gospel from other places, and we would lose all glory in the millennium. Therefore my hope is that our Chinese church will with determination and courage hold fast this great responsibility and, depending upon our all victorious Savior, complete this mighty task, and taking possession of our glorious inheritance, take the gospel back to Jerusalem. There we shall stand on the top of Mount Zion and welcome our Lord Jesus Christ descending in the clouds with great glory! Oh, how he longs to pitch the heavenly tabernacle among men and dwell with those he loves! Listen to what he has said, 멮ea, I come quickly.
In the evening of May 23rd I reported the above revelation to our prayer group. The name 밣ien Ch뭫an Fu Yin Tian[Bian Chuan Fuyin Tuan] (literal translation he Preach-Everywhere Gospel Band) was accepted by the whole group and I was elected as treasurer to receive funds.
We may note, therefore, the Back to Jerusalem Evangelistic Band was the name given by Western missionaries. It accurately reflects the vision of the Band but was not the actual name in the original Chinese which was less specific.
At the same meeting Pastor Ma said he believed the Lord was calling them not only to the outlying provinces of China but beyond to Tibet, Afghanistan, Iran, Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Palestine. Soon after, the Chinese constitution of the Band was drawn up. It was an inter-denominational but not an anti-denominational group of workers accepting the whole Bible as God's revelation. Its aim is to join members of the Lord's body in fellowship to concentrate strength and will on the preaching of the gospel in order to be ready for the Lord뭩 return.
The sphere of work was to be two-fold:
First, pioneer work as follows:
1. In the seven provinces on the borders of China: Sinkiang, Mongolia, Tibet, Sikang, Tsinghai [Qinghai], Ninghsia [Ningxia];
2. In the seven countries on the borders of Asia: Afghanistan, Iran, Arabia, etc.
3. Any other needy places.
Secondly, to establish new churches in evangelized areas as well as to shepherd and revive existing churches.
Although thoroughly indigenous, the Band was strongly influenced by the CIM in its ethos. Its theology was strongly pre-millennial (which was the common theology among conservative Western missionaries at the time) and its vision for evangelism was stimulated by a fervent expectation to fulfill the great commission before Christ's return. Moreover, it was, in the tradition of the CIM, a Faith mission as it stated quite clearly in its constitution that he look to the Lord alone for all financial supplies.
The Band was now established and poised to send out its first workers.
Sources
Back to Jerusalem. U.K. prayer pamphlet. Undated but probably 1947-48.
The Chinese Back-to-Jerusalem Evangelistic Band. 1947 U.S. pamphlet.
Prayer Letter of Miss Phyllis Thompson, March 3, 1949, Chongqing.
Back to Jerusalem: Uncle Simon
In the 1940s God gave a burden to evangelize "Back to Jerusalem" to several very different individuals. One of these was Simon Zhao, often known as "Uncle Simon."
Uncle Simon was born on June 1, 1918 in Shenyang, then called Mukden, in Liaoning province in northeast China. His original Chinese name was Zhao Haizhen. When he was young, his father was away from home for long periods on business. Left alone, his mother suffered constant harassment from local officials. Seeing the injustice of society, Zhao burned with indignation and when he grew up began to write articles for newspapers and radio stations to help mold public opinion.
But soon after, he became a Christian and was excited by reading the Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. He came to see that everything in the world was transient, like "dew on the grass." After his conversion he wanted a life of total commitment to Christ. He placed his life on the altar and changed his name to Simon.
At this time he attended the Dongguan American Presbyterian church in Shenyang. (Today this is one of the largest TSPM churches in China with 20,000 members.) He joined a prayer group which met in the church tower regularly. There he learned the four steps necessary for a life committed to Christ: 1) Salvation 2) God's call 3) Commitment 4) Being sent out.
He knew the first three in his own experience, but was still unsure where God would send him.
One day when it was his turn to pray in the tower, he was still wrestling with this question, so he brought a large map with him. It had been snowing hard so he opened the door of the prayer-tower with some difficulty. Alone in the vast silence, he laid out the map and prayed.
He was drawn to Xinjiang with its strange-sounding place-names. Was this the place the Lord had for him? The more he prayed, the more Xinjiang imprinted itself in his mind. But Xinjiang was far away, plagued with many political, religious and racial problems, so he could not help feeling afraid. But had he not placed himself on the altar? Had not Christ given up his life for him? He ceased to resist any longer.
China was torn apart by the civil war between Nationalists and Communists. Everywhere there were refugees. Uncle Simon had already prepared himself for suffering, even prison, so did not complain about the hardships of the journey. Eventually they reached Hami on the eastern edge of Xinjiang and joined members of the North West Evangelization Band who had arrived there a year or two previously.
He married Wen Muling, a fourth generation descendent of a Qing dynasty first-rank imperial councilor. They both went to study at the Taidong Seminary in Nanjing. There they met two women from Jinan who shared their vision to preach the gospel in Xinjiang. Zhao was very moved and determined to go there. In 1949 he, his wife and the two sisters set sail up the Yangtze from Nanjing. They were seen off personally by Rev. Yang Shaotang, one of China's leading preachers. This raises the fascinating question as to how much Rev. Yang may have had a burden for the evangelization of the far Northwest and "Back to Jerusalem."
China was torn apart by the civil war between Nationalists and Communists. Everywhere there were refugees. Uncle Simon had already prepared himself for suffering, even prison, so did not complain about the hardships of the journey. Eventually they reached Hami on the eastern edge of Xinjiang and joined members of the North West Evangelization Band who had arrived there a year or two previously.
Eager to plant the gospel on virgin soil, Zhao headed south with five fellow workers to Hetian, a remote oasis town in the far south of Xinjiang, in the winter of 1950. But two weeks after they arrived the Public Security Bureau ordered them to leave. So they were forced to move even further west to Kashgar, where in September 1949 the Band had set up a preaching station at Shule and where there were quite a few Han Chinese. (In those days the vast majority of the population of Xinjiang were Uygurs or other mainly Muslim minorities.)
They arrived in January 1950 to a chaotic situation. The gospel compound had been taken over by armed soldiers who claimed there had been a 밹ounter-revolutionary incident.?Uncle Simon did not know what to make of it. But within a few days he was arrested and placed in prison. He had with him only a pocket Bible, a notebook and a pen, but even these were confiscated. Not until his release thirty years later in 1981 did he see a Bible again.
Uncle Simon thought his arrest must be a mistake and that he would soon be released. But later, when let out of his cell briefly, he saw two of his co-workers had also been arrested and only then realized his situation was grave. Two years later he found out that members of the Band back at Hami had also been arrested. Clearly the arrests concerned the whole Band, not just him personally.
In 1954 he and the other members arrested in Kashgar were transported to Urumqi where he met those arrested in Hami in 1952. The Public Security, People뭩 Procuratorate and People뭩 Court set up a special committee of investigation. Uncle Simon knew that as he and his co-workers were innocent the whole matter would soon be solved. But he was wrong.
Not only was he not speedily released, but it was 36 years before he was able to meet up with those members of the Band who had survived prison. Some had died in prison or labor camps. For years he was separated from family and friends, and through the endless suffering he often called on the Lord's mercy in his utter loneliness.
Day after day, year after year Simon toiled in the reform-through-labor camp, tilling the land and repairing dikes. He carried endless baskets of earth, dug up by hand, on shoulder poles for miles on foot. Often he was so exhausted his legs gave way and he could only crawl on the ground with his load. His body deteriorated, but his mind became sharper. He had not forgotten his commission and so secretly told the other prisoners about Christ.
In 1956 he was sent to the Urumqi Exhibition Hall and told to paint pictures for the Public Security to help educate the prisoners. He painted many pictures but they were never hung up and he wondered why. One of his pictures depicted Christ on the cross at Calvary. This was considered sufficient proof of his thoroughly "counter-revolutionary" nature. He was beaten up with fists and wooden benches and collapsed in a dead faint. When he regained consciousness his head was still bleeding. He had no idea where he was, but was conscious throughout that the Lord was with him.
From that day on, Zhao stood convicted of being the leader of a counter-revolutionary organization and was brutally beaten daily. They produced a name-list and demanded he give clarification. But as it was sheer fabrication, how could he reply? He was locked up for a further two years. Once he was dragged out for further interrogation. The accusers took turns to rest but he was forced to stand upright for seven days and seven nights, with only two hours off each day to eat or relieve himself. Whenever he faltered he was beaten. He remembered that 뱈an cannot live by bread alone,?so he straightened his back, preferring to die standing before his accusers rather than to admit guilt.
He was interrogated again in mid-winter. The courtyard was frozen and the interrogators chain-smoked, making the atmosphere stuffy. Beating became routine. During one such session the time dragged on and the accusers all dozed off. Suddenly one of them woke up, saw Uncle Simon still standing motionless and became infuriated. He stripped Simon of his clothing and pushed him into the icy courtyard. The interrogators all wore padded jackets and thought they would have some fun at his expense. But it was so cold they all beat a hasty retreat, leaving Simon half-naked in the open, unable to move. But Simon knew that God was not only with him in that courtyard, but was inside him. He felt a fire glowing within; he survived!
Through all these experiences he advanced in understanding the deep sense of Calvary and of Christ's sufferings on the cross. Such understanding is vastly different from mere book knowledge.
All this time in prison and labor camp he was totally cut off from the outside world. He kept praying for his wife but had no idea where she was. But in 1973 he got some bad news. In 1959 their compound at Shule had again been raided and his wife arrested. The next day people were allowed to bring her food and clothing but not thereafter. No one ever saw her alive again. In 1960 the police summoned an elderly Christian to sign to identify her corpse. She only signed her name and did not go into the mortuary. Many years later Uncle Simon let his tears flow as he recounted his wife's death. Before their departure for Xinjiang, he and his wife had dedicated their lives to the Lord and expressed their willingness to suffer. But who could imagine the reality of that "bitter cup"?
In 1981 Simon was finally released. But he was utterly alone and could find no other Christians. He wrote the following hymn:
How many years of wailing wind and weeping rain?
How many times of storm and hurricane?
The temples of God disappear in wind and rain,
Fresh blood of Abraham does the altar stain.
O vine of God, where are you? Oh, cedar of God where are you? Where?
Jerusalem in my dreams, Jerusalem in my tears,
I long for you in the altar fires,
I seek you in the cross, its nail-hole scars.
How far is it out of the valley of tears,
How far is it to return to our home in heaven? How far? How far?
It was not until 1986 that Simon met up with other Christians after searching diligently. In 1988 he returned to Kashgar and Shule and found fellowship with Christians there. The Lord told him, like his namesake Simon Peter, "when you have returned, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:32) For the last fifteen years of his life he did just that. He encouraged Christians to be united in the Lord and to pray fervently. True surrender will lead to preaching the gospel. To do that well, Christians must love the Lord fervently and be of one heart and soul. He know that the quality of church workers is vital, for without good leaders the church can be lead astray. Through his teaching, Christians in Xinjiang have been enabled to resist cults. In his own experience he knew that suffering always heralds the revival of the church. The Bible teaches that death precedes life. If Jesus had not died on the cross there would be no resurrection and no salvation for mankind.
In his last years Uncle Simon traveled to Henan to pass on the vision of 밄ack to Jerusalem?to the new generation of house-church leaders. In 1995 one of these was speaking at a house-church meeting and sang a song he had learned from an old book about the Back to Jerusalem Movement. He noticed an old man at the back of the meeting weeping. The old brother crowned with white hair and white beard slowly walked to the front of the room and said: 밒 am Simon Zhao, a servant of the Lord. Forty-eight years ago my co-workers and I wrote the words you just sang. All of them were martyred for the name of Jesus. Every evening for 30 years in labor camp I faced towards the west in the direction of Jerusalem, and cried out to the Lord, 멟h God, I뭠l never be able to reach Jerusalem on foot. Our vision has perished. Heavenly Father, I pray you will raise up a new generation of Chinese Christians who are willing to lay down their lives to take the gospel all the way back to where it started in Jerusalem.뮅 The young house-church leader responded: 밫he vision God gave you has not died! We will carry on the vision!?/P>
Simon Zhao passed away peacefully in Henan on December 3, 2001. He was aged 83. His vision of "Back to Jerusalem" lives on among a younger generation.
Sources
Bridge Magazine, October-November 1988. This was published in both English and Chinese editions. As the Chinese edition had significant information not translated in the English version, I have re-translated much of the Chinese edition for the basis of my report as the original interview with Simon Zhao would have been in Chinese.
The Heavenly Man, Paul Hattaway with Brother Yun, Monarch, 2003. pp 284-288.
David Yang and the 멛inggongtuan
by Tony Lambert
In 1973 Leslie Lyall published his book Three of China's Mighty Men. Watchman Nee is a household name among many Christians; Wang Mingdao is also widely known. But the 뱈an of humility?(as Lyall calls him), David Yang?
In fact, David Yang played the crucial role in setting up the 밫eam of Christian Workers?or 밪piritual Work Team?(Linggongtuan) in north China in 1934. He worked independently, but had friendly relations with the China Inland Mission. As we shall see, God raised him up as part of a greater movement whose vision was for evangelism, whose fruits have carried on down to the present day.
David Yang, like Wang Mingdao, was born in the terrible year of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 when thousands of Chinese Christians and missionaries were cruelly slaughtered. He was born in the ancient city of Quwo in Shanxi, the son of a Christian farmer. In Quwo, in that same year, Mr. and Mrs. Kay of the CIM and their daughter were martyred by the Boxers. The boy was raised in a Christian home with rich Christian associations; not so far away had labored Pastor Hsi (Xi Shengmo) whose refuges for opium addicts were legendary. David attended Christian primary school and the CIM Middle School at Hongdong. Showing unusual promise, in 1923 he was accepted at the best evangelical seminary in north China, the Presbyterian Seminary at Tengxian in Shandong.
It was a time of revival but also of confusion. Marie Monsen from Norway had a wide renewal ministry as did Jonathan Goforth. The Bethel Bands, based in Shanghai, were also preaching their message of revival. But there were also extremes뾲he 밫rue Jesus Church?and the 밪piritual Gifts Movement?(lingenhui) sometimes overemphasized strange phenomena and experiences at the expense of a sound knowledge of the Bible and holiness. David came to a full knowledge of salvation at the annual Christian workers?retreat at Guling on July 7, 1924. He relates: 밫hanks to my gracious Lord Jesus early that morning He found this lost sheep. The blood of the cross flowed into my heart and the burden of sin fell away. For the very first time I enjoyed a true relationship with Jesus Christ and from that day until now the Lord has continued to do His marvelous work in my life.
After graduating in 1925 David turned down the offers of well-paid pastorates. God showed him clearly he should serve in the poor rural areas of Shanxi, especially the thirteen counties around Quwo his native place, where he was made the pastor.
In 1926-28 China was rocked by political turmoil and the Anti-Christian Movement which forced most missionaries to withdraw to the coast. In its wake, the CIM realised the church must be fully Chineze and began to implement the biblical policy of self-government, self-support and self-propagation. In 1931 David Yang became the principal of the Hongdong High School. But he saw that something more was needed for the churches. While marooned in a wayside inn because of bad weather, he was given a clear vision by God of a team of fellow workers living a communal life of faith. Half the year they would devote to Bible study and the nature of Christian ministry; the other half they would go out in small teams to minister to the churches and evangelize. During the early summer of 1934 a cluster of simple buildings was built of mud-brick. In September the first 20 men and women began their studies. Their prior aim, however, was to seek 뱎ower from on high.?Thus the 밚inggongtuan?or Spiritual Work Team was born.
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David Yang gives a detailed account of the Team in a rare pamphlet, published in March 1937, with an introduction by Arthur Reynolds of the CIM. As this 20-page booklet is almost impossible to obtain nowadays, but of vital importance in giving a first-hand account of the Linggongtuan, I plan to give major extracts in this and future issues of China Insight.
What is the Team of Christian Workers?
That is a question constantly being asked in Shansi [Shanxi]. It should be noted that this Team is no product of the 밪heng Ling Huei?(Spiritual Work Team), the 밚ing En Hui?(Spiritual Gifts Society ?a Pentecostal group), or the 밣u Tao Hui?(Evangelistic Society). Nor should it be seen as a religious educational institution such as a theological seminary or Bible school. Nor yet is it a church receiving converts. But it is a small working Team composed of a number of Christian brothers and (or) sisters, called and appointed of God to some particular field, being responsible to Him alone and not to man. Apart from adhering to the whole Script-xure of Truth and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit we have no formal creed, denomination or fixed organization. We are dependent on no individual or church, and there is no institution or higher authority such as a committee or board of trustees by which we are controlled.
Formation: Origin and Growth
1. A pattern for work of this nature is to be found in the Script-xures.
Several years ago many questions relating to the church kept revolving in my mind. Since the Lord had called me to preach the Word, what type of preacher was I to become? All the world-famous evangelists such as Moody, Wesley, Spurgeon and John Knox possessed qualities which strongly attracted me. But He later directed me to the Bible examples of preachers and I then felt very strongly that herein lay the regulations which the Lord of the Church had ordained for His servants: that even those servants of God like Wesley and Hudson Taylor were themselves but acting in obedience to the commands of God.
If it be true that there are man-made devices in the church today, can it be that the heart of God is satisfied with the organization of workers thus formed? In the New Testament the Lord has laid down a perfect set of regulations for His church, relating to belief, organization, work and the worker, leaving nothing unprovided. And did not the Lord command Moses saying: 밚ook that thou make them (the vessels) after their pattern which was showed thee in the mount? (Ex. 25:40)
In my study of the New Testament I noted carefully the working methods of Paul. Throughout his ministry he had companions in the Lord like Timothy, one in heart and belief and constantly shared his labors. (Acts 13:2, 13; 15:40; 16:1-3; 18:1-4)
Our Lord Jesus also chose twelve men to work with Him and when sending them out appointed them two by two. (Mark 3:14; 6:7.)
2. We learn from church history that on each occasion of spiritual awakening God has used a small team as His instruments of revival, such as under Wesley, or the Moravians.
3. In view of the present state of the church in China we ought to tread this path of following the Lord, looking only to Him.
The current talk of the church becoming independent is daily rising higher and higher. The foreign mission boards are allowing the churches which they have directed to become, sooner or later, self-supporting and self-governing. For us Chinese Christians this is a matter which duty admits of no excuse. But if the church is to tread this road who should be in the vanguard? Does not the responsibility lie with us, the Lord뭩 servants? For it is the workers who must lead the church!
These thoughts have been continually with me but it was in 1927 that they really took possession of me. As a result of the incident at Shanghai all CIM missionaries were evacuated to the coast. A large number of churches which had relied only on foreign missionaries were filled with apprehension. When the missionaries returned to their former stations the CIM changed its policy and encouraged the churches to take over responsibility themselves. Quite a few churches however found themselves either unable to produce men or to undertake their support. The number of evangelists was gradually reduced until there were only 5 or 6 in the churches of the 13 counties where I worked. While I continued working myself, grieved at what I saw, I could only beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers. Over a period of two or three years the desire of my heart gradually resolved into one cry: 밚ord! Give me companions!?Although I was utterly weak and certainly could not be compared with servants of God like Wesley or Hudson Taylor, yet their God was my God. The Lord who answered their prayer was my Lord too! God was able to give them fellow-workers and everything else of which they stood in need. Could he not do the same for me? I had not yet spoken of this to others. At length constrained and guided by the Lord Himself I clearly perceived His will and followed Him.
Shortly after Christmas 1933 a few of us met in Kuwo [Quwo] for a small prayer meeting. There were but four or five present, like-minded brothers and sisters, Chinese and foreign. We discussed quite freely the state of affairs in the church and our future ministry as individuals. The Team of Christian Workers had its birth in that prayer meeting. It was truly wonderful. We were drawn together in a fellowship of the spirit. A foreign sister had had impressions similar to mine much earlier, though she had not voiced her feelings. When we left we covenanted to pray further with one heart about this matter, asking the Lord to give clear revelation of His will. During the month that followed my mind was alternately settled and unsettled. I felt that the burden of the work would be too heavy. We were without any source of income and where could we find workers? That was but an attitude of self-trust and altogether destitute of faith. At length there came a day when I truly desired to go forward but could see no road. When I would fain have given up and yet could not, I could only commit everything afresh to God. Even the question of understanding whether or not it was the will of God was handed over to Him as I knelt in His presence and laid hold on His promises뾒salm 32:8; 37:5. I prayed to the Lord: 밚ord, I have been pondering this question up till now, and still I cannot understand. I ask that Thou wilt make me to understand it for without being clear about it I dare not go forward.?Praise the Lord! He then gave me peaceful sleep. About midnight I was awakened and when fully conscious the Lord clearly directed me, giving Matthew 6:33 as the treasure from which every need would be met. Hallelujah! In the morning my heart was filled with peace beyond thought and I hastened to tell my companions whereupon with one heart and mind we set forward. Praise the Lord! In looking back we want to say with sincerity: Thanks be to God for His grace unspeakable.
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It is of deep significance that the 밚inggongtuan?was born from earnest waiting upon God in the same way that the China Inland Mission and the Back to Jerusalem Evangelistic Band had also been. In a future issue of China Insight we will publish David Yang뭩 report on 밫he Work of the Team.?/P>
David Yang and the 밚inggongtuan?(Part 2)
by Tony Lambert
We continue with David Yang뭩 descript-xion of the 밯ork of the Team?from his rare booklet published in 1937.
1. It is the object of the Team working in the place of God뭩 appointment to make the Gospel available to all, to the end that sinners may repent and turn to Christ. (Acts 26:18-20)
2. The Team exists to serve the Church of God and, with the Truth as revealed in Script-xure, to edify believers by leading conferences and conducting Bible classes or classes for illiterates. In addition, it is hoped as far as possible to influence the church to the end that in creed and organisation, it may accord with the Word of God. (Eph.4:11-16)
3. It is also a function of the Team to train those who have devoted their lives to the service of God, giving them opportunity for study in order that they may become well acquainted with the Bible and gain experience in Christian work. (Acts 16:1-3; 18:24-26)
4. Neither the place nor the type of work is fixed, but rather are they both adapted to the needs of the church as the Holy Spirit guides. Moreover there is no encroachment on the spheres in which other servants of God are working. (Acts 16:6. Gal 2:9-10)
5. Wherever the Team works it is in cooperation with the servants of God in that particular place. It does not form cliques. Opposition is only shown towards conduct and creeds which are contrary to the Truth of the Bible. (I Cor.1:12-13; Jude 3)
We desire that the whole of our work should be 멲ccording to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us?(2 Cor.10:13) neither working nor boasting 멳eyond our measure? and asking the Lord to help us to do only that which is His will.
I feel that at present there is a type of young man or woman who outwardly are keen and ambitious but who eventually relapse into a state of impatience and superficiality, not fulfilling their office and therefore are not well-pleasing to God. Their activities are many but do they really possess the value of 멺old, silver and precious stones?
Our Lord in Matthew 7:21-23 speaking of those who shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven says that it is not the many who pray, preach, cast out devils and heal the sick but 멖e that doeth the will of my Father in heaven?that shall enter in.
We do not say that all must engage in the various kinds of work referred to above only that the Lord has laid it on the heart of our brothers and sisters to assume these responsibilities. May He help us to be satisfied in doing the 멺ood works which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.?(Eph. 2:10) We pray the Lord will deliver us from the flesh, from self-exaltation, and from imitation of others, but grant that we may take His yoke in all humility and meekness and wholly do His will.
I have already explained that the Team of Christian Workers is not a church gathering converts. But there is the possibility of our being led to establish one in a place where no church exists. If so, we would certainly not cause the children of God to adopt our name or that of any sect. We are children of God뾉od뭩 church. This I emphasise because I was once asked whether the people to whom we ministered were called the 멛ing Gong Hui?(Society or church of the Team of Christian Workers).
Membership of the Team
Any one who wishes to join us in the work should pay attention to the following requirements:
1. A clear experience of conversion. (John 3:3; Luke 22:32)
2. A definite call. (Gal. 1:15; Acts 13:2) To witness for the Lord is the responsibility of every Christian, but to give one뭩 life to preaching requires a special call from God and this is not given to every believer. Moreover, preaching is not a means of earning one뭩 living.
3. Clear guidance from God to join the Team. (Jer.1:7; 1 Kings 17:3-7)
Why do you not go to Theological Seminary or Bible School for training? Why not work in your own church? What evidence have you of God뭩 leading? Prospective members should communicate with us by letter giving detailed particulars.
4. Willingness to live by faith. (Mat. 6:31-33; Phil.4:19)
No member is responsible for the individual financial affairs of the others. It is true 몋he labourer is worthy of his hire? but under the special circumstances of the early church Paul said:봚e have not used this power꿯est we should hinder the Gospel.?(I Cor.9:12) Beloved fellow-workers! Are you waiting for someone to give you wages before you preach the Gospel?
5. Many are able to work alone but are unable to work with others. Ours is a collective life and we work as a group. Thus all who join us must be willing to receive the admonition of fellow-workers, to be submissive to one another, to share each other뭩 joys and sorrows and to love one another in obedience to God뭩 command (John 15:12); to be sincere and straightforward in all dealings with the brethren; and to serve the Lord with patience and diligence.
6. Willingness to live a frugal life. (Luke 9:57-58; I Cor. 7:29-31)
7. A desire to know and follow the Truth.
There are many who pray most earnestly in search of power but disregard the Word of God and gradually become mystics, being unconsciously deceived by Satan
(2 Thess.2:10-11)
8. A seeking after the filling of the Holy Spirit and the enduement with power for service. (Acts 6:5, 1:8; Eph.5:18)
Without the fulness of the Spirit it is impossible to live a life of victory. Without power it is impossible to do the work of God. Therefore although we do not stipulate that all who join the Team must first have had an experience of being filled with the Spirit, we do desire that those who work with us should seek this equipment. For without a deep heart hunger and intense desire for this gift of God, surely it is impossible to be one whom He can greatly use.
Present Conditions
During the past 2 or 3 years [c.1935-37] God has blessed this little band in a remarkable way. Not only is this true regarding his provision of our temporal needs but in that it has been His responsibility to discipline and train us. However, we cannot but be ashamed for there has been too little progress and we have come short of the glory of God.
OUR SITE: We have a compound near the Tong Puh Railway at Howma in the county of Kuwo. [Now Houma City near Quwo County, both in Linfen Municipality, southern Shanxi Province.] Communication presents no difficulties and we are near both mountains and water. We are not disturbed by the noise which characterises city life and so the spot is most suitable for the nurture of one뭩 spiritual life. The area of the compound is 15 mu (2.27 acres). The buildings comprise over 30 units (jian) and we are preparing to add more living quarters and a conference hall. The cost of purchasing the land and erecting the building was met by the children of God as they were constrained by Him.
TEAM MEMBERS: The number of members during the past 2 or 3 years has fluctuated around 20. At the moment there are 23 men and women from Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, Suiyuan and Shanxi. Some have been with us for 3 years, some for 2 and a number for only 1. There are others who have now left us to work in other places.
LIFE: We live as one family with no distinctions as normally exist between teacher and student or between pastor and church member. (Rev 1:9) Our daily life is corporate and for the same periods we all go out into the work. We rely on God claiming His promises for our support. The cost of living of the whole Team for food and travelling expenses is met from a common fund. As regards the necessities of each individual the Team takes no responsibility, neither do we take it for one another. Every one looks to the Lord who appointed him.
Previously none of us had followed this path but praise the Lord! from the first day until now He has not allowed us to go into debt nor to solicit contributions. Not one day has passed without the provision of our 멶aily bread?and on no occasion have we lacked anything required for travelling. To meet all our needs there has been neither more nor less than we required. Hallelujah! Jehovah-jireh! Our God is able to keep account of His children's expenditure.
Since there was a foreign lady among us some were of the opinion she had solicited contributions from abroad. I am able to testify on her behalf that such is by no means the case. She did not write a single letter to appeal for support and certainly none were written afterwards. Our God is able to speak. Hallelujah!
WORK: Our present work is mainly to preach the Gospel to outsiders and instruct Christians so that they may understand the Bible. Also, there are one or two places where we have taken on temporary responsibility for investigating the conditions and shepherding the flock. Originally our sphere of labour lay within the 13 counties which comprise the south district of the China Inland Mission field in Shanxi. Now, however, there are workers outside that area at Linchin in the southwest, Lucheng and Hukwan in the east and Puhsian in the west. Our period of work corresponds with the slack season for farming amounting to five or six months each year. When the farmers are busy all the Team members withdraw from the field and take the opportunity to study such subjects as the Bible, theology, church history and evangelistic methods, thus acquiring such general knowledge as is needed by preachers. Attention is also given to progress in the spiritual life. Apart from myself there are three or four brothers and sisters able to take responsibility for Bible teaching and for directing the work, besides making frequent journeys elsewhere for conference and revival ministry.
THE FUTURE: Our future is unknown to us but known to our Father-God. According to the light He has thus far given we hope apart from doing the work which lies immediately before us, to meet the need of church leaders and any believers who desire to press on spiritually, by opening in the Team compound a place for prolonged terms of Bible study and prayer, thus ministering to the spiritual needs of those who attend and helping them to understand the Bible. The new buildings being built are for this purpose. During last winter as a first attempt classes were held for a month and God truly blessed us. Inquiries have been received recently from Shaanxi and Henan. Relying on the Lord뭩 guidance and the prayers of His people we trust this part of the work may soon be operative. We also beseech the Lord that He will thrust forth labourers to reap His harvest everywhere in China뾫ot necessarily that they should imitate us, but rather that His children in obedience to their Father뭩 will would rise up and serve Him. (Mat.9:37-38; John 4:34-35)
Beloved reader! Having heard the call of God may you answer, 멖ere am I, send me.?With the assured presence of God and a field of work before us we need to neither doubt nor delay. 멇rise! Let us go hence!?(Is. 6:8, 52:12. John 14:31) Remember the Lord뭩 word: 멇ll power is given unto Me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
He which testifieth these things says, turely I come quickly.?Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
The Team of Christian Workers, Howma, Kuwo, Shanxi, China,
March 1937
POSTSCRIPT-x: In 1949 Pastor Yang Shaotang went to the dockside at Nanjing to see off Simon Zhao and two other Christian sisters as they began their long journey to Xinjiang to fulfill the Lord뭩 call to preach the gospel 밄ack to Jerusalem.? His zeal for the gospel, for a truly independent Chinese church and for evangelism and mission were used of God in support of the Back to Jerusalem movement. Much of this history is still hidden; if readers possess further information which may illuminate God뭩 working over the past half-century, please contact the present author.
Back to Jerusalem: The Testimony of Mecca Zhao
by Tony Lambert
We continue our series on the origins of the Back to Jerusalem Movement with the testimony of Mecca Zhao who was a member of the Back to Jerusalem Band in the 1940s.
I was born in Linhsien [Linxian], Henan. During my father뭩 lifetime we had to flee to Shanxi province because of famine. In the midst of our poverty the whole family turned to Jesus. After this our living conditions gradually improved.
At the age of three my mother died and I was left in my oldest sister's care. At ten my father died and I was dependent solely on my second oldest brother. As a child I fell in line with the older members of my family in believing in the Lord but when I grew up I did not believe there was a God. Now when I think of my rebellious attitude it grieves me to think how I must have wounded the heart of God. Thank God He did not deal with me according to my perverse ways but rather drew me with loving kindness. He saved me. He changed me. He called me and made me into a new creature in Christ Jesus. He adopted me as a son and made me into an instrument fit for His use.
On July 7, 1937, the day on which the war [Sino-Japanese] broke out, my second brother died. My education was only half complete. The way before me was dark. I found myself in dire straits. There was nothing to do but give up my studies and join the army. Young and without experience I began an unsettled life in the world. Everywhere I turned I seemed to be up against a blank wall and I almost died. Before long I had to return home because I was ill. The local church was opening a short-term Bible school and I was compelled by my oldest brother to attend. Truly God had kept His hand upon me even though I was not aware of it.
During the meetings there were many people who testified to the reality of God but I considered it only superstition: I did not approve and certainly did not believe. Three weeks of the month뭩 meetings had already passed and I still had not changed, neither did I care to read the Bible and still less to pray. One day at noon, in a despondent mood, I picked up the Bible and aimlessly opened it up to the verse, 멗 will teach thee the way wherein thou shalt go? (Psalm 32:8) The words came to me with force gripping and piercing my heart. The question, 멌an it be that there is really a God??came to my mind. I reasoned thus: 멗f there is no God, how could such a pleasing, appropriate, beautiful voice be heard by one who was in the valley of darkness with no way out??I immediately said aloud: 뭀 God, are you real? Then what else am I waiting for? My hope is in Thee! Since you have given me this promise I pray Thee show me the way wherein I should go! And I believe that I have received this for which I have prayed.
One night, after the evening worship, when all the others had retired, I resolved to pray all night, asking God to show me the way. Although I did not know how to pray I returned to the church and fell on my knees. Immediately I broke out in perspiration although it was in the dead of winter and the ground was covered with snow. I prayed for a long time, the words just flowing out. After a short silence there appeared before my eyes a strip of white paper on which was written the word ?st1:City>Mecca? I knew this was a new name God had given me which embraced His plan for my whole life.
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선교운동소개
제4세계선교 