| The Cross – Jesus In China
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Episode 1
(Narration) In
China, the story of the “Cross” once seemed as strange and far away as the
other side of the universe. But today its message is here, right in our midst. 1900，during
the Boxer Rebellion, 188 western missionaries, and 20,000 Chinese Christians
were killed. In
the following fifty years, more western missionaries came to China. They
established 13 universities, over 6,000 elementary schools and high schools,
and more than 900 hospitals. The number of Chinese Christians grew to 700,000. The Chinese Communist Party believed this success was the result
of imperialist cultural invasion. They
expelled all western missionaries, forced Chinese missionaries to renounce their religion, and
mandated a secular education for all Chinese. Fifty more years have passed and today there are approximately 70
million Christians in China, an increase of 100 fold! (Title sequence: The Cross – Jesus In China)
Narration: In the last 20 years, China
has become a giant dragon soaring across the sky. This dragon cares for nothing
but its own achievement. The startling material growth of the nation is
mirrored only by the steep decline of morality and personal values. However, the whole country,
from its leaders to its citizens, is ignoring its hollow moral core. （Episode 1 The Spring of Life） (Subtitle: To him who is thirsty I will give to
drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. -- Revelation 21: 6) Testimony Li Mindan/Guangzhou: In
a single night at a casino in Burma, I lost twenty years of savings. I was greatly depressed when I went back to Guangzhou, my hometown. To ease my pain, my friends took me to the
nightclubs. I thought I’d found relief, but this kind of relief didn’t last
long. When I came back to reality, I
was in even deeper pain. That’s when I
sought out God. I browsed through all
the bookstores for a copy of the Bible, but I didn’t find any. One day, while having dinner with a friend,
I told him I wanted to know about the Bible and Christianity. He told me he
knew a Christian and made a phone call for me that night. The next day, I met with this Christian. He
knelt down and prayed for me to accept Jesus.
I quit smoking, drinking, marijuana, and popping Ecstasy pills. Quitting these habits was such a hard
struggle, but inside me I felt a source of strength that was helping me all the
way. My belief has greatly changed my
life. There was a time when I really
wanted to get back all the money, the cars, and the houses I’d lost. But now
I’m a changed man. I still work hard, but that’s not everything in my
life. I go walking with my wife after
dinner, and I spend time with my family. Studying the scriptures has become the
greatest joy in my life. My family has
completely changed their opinion of me. Mrs. Li: He has changed so much. He loves me and cares about me more than
ever. We’re so grateful that he has
made so many good friends at church.
Our family is truly blessed. I feel great. Zhang
Zemin / Da-Chin (While preaching
on the streets): Jesus said: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near (Matthew
4:11). Sister / Da-Chin: You
have no idea how he was before. He was
one of those so-called “gangsters”; robbing, street fighting, and doing the
worst things you can imagine. If a farm
had plump chickens, he and his gang would steal them at night. They’d break the
necks of the chickens and eat them when they got home. Zhang
Zemin / Da-Chin If
I saw a young girl I wanted, I would go straight to her mother to threaten her. Sister / Da-Chin: He
was always cursing. He never talked
without swearing or picking a fight with somebody. He could never pass a young girl without feeling her up. Sister / Da-Chin: Only God’s power could change such a
man. Shouldn’t we be thankful to
God? Zhang
Zemin / Da-Chin (While
preaching on the streets): I
believe in Jesus Christ, and today I’d like to introduce the Lord to you. Narration: People in China know very
little about Christianity. Many think of it as nothing more than a
superstitious belief, or an unwelcome import from western culture, or a social
force. In reality, the birth of Christ has only one purpose: it is to redeem
his people from sin. Today, the Gospel is cleansing and purifying all the sins
in the hearts of the Chinese people, like a clear spring of living water. Testimony Li Ru-Chin / Guangdong: I
was a big time gangster. I owned a
casino, and I was a loan shark. Later,
I became addicted to drugs and lost every penny I had. I tried to quit about
twenty times but I just couldn’t. One
day, my mother said to me, “Son, believe in Jesus.” Kind of passively, I said, “Okay, Mom. I’ll try.” She took my
hand and started praying, “Jesus, my Lord, I thank you. Now my son has agreed to follow you. I have brought him before you. Please help
me. I will give my life to you if you
save him.” I was deeply touched by her
prayer, so I said: “All right, I’d like to repent all my sins.” In about half
hour, I fell asleep. When I got up the
next morning, I felt a new strength inside me. I’d no idea where this strength
had come from. Several years have gone
by, and since that day I’ve never gambled.
I still don’t know where that strength came from. It had to have come from Christ. Li Ru-Chin / Guangdong: While
I was having dinner one day with some of the former police chiefs, I told them
I needed to pray before eating. I told
them how Christ had saved me. One of
them said, “It took that long? If you’d been saved earlier, we wouldn’t have
had all this chaos in our country. Why don’t you bring your old buddies to
Jesus? Please help them. I’ll support
you.” I said, “ Praise the Lord. Why don’t you join us?” Wang Qian
/ Xiamen: I don’t remember what we were looking up in
the Bible at the time. All I remember
was they asked me if I had any questions. I said, “I don’t know how to
love.” It was true. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t loved
when I tried so hard to love others. I
was having trouble with my boyfriend. I was heart-broken, so I started going
out with anybody who asked me. Yet, I
never felt loved. There were two
Christian girls in my dorm. They asked
me if I would accept the Lord. I agreed
to try, and they said, “Let’s learn about the love of God together.” Narration: Historically, the concept of
repentance has never been part of China’s belief system. It’s a completely
revolutionary, spiritual experience for Chinese people when they discover that
we are all sinners and we have all fallen short of God’s Glory. What a
miraculous change for a Chinese man or woman to finally admit they are sinners
and need forgiveness and baptism from God. (Chapter 1: Sin) Testimony Chef: I
used to be a drunk. After I became a Christian, I quit smoking and drinking
altogether. Sometimes when I fight with
my wife, I feel like swearing, but somehow the curses just won’t come out of my
mouth anymore. Sister: The last time we fought, I lay in bed for two days and nights without eating or drinking water. I thought to myself: I might as well try to believe in Jesus. If it works, we’ll spend the rest of our lives together. If not, I’ll either divorce him or kill myself. It has been six years since we became Christians. Now we get along pretty well. Brother: A
Christian doesn’t swear, fight, steal, or rob. You can’t live a good life
without faith in God. Narration: The
amazing thing is that no matter who you are, whether you’re a farmer, an
intellectual, you are from a broken family, or live in the underbelly of
society, you can live a new life once you come to Jesus. Testimony Ya Xi: Sometimes I felt discouraged when I prayed about him. He didn’t seem to change at all. In fact, I felt he was getting worse and worse. Zhu Yi: Paul
confessed to being a great sinner. I felt that I was, too. In The Unbearable
Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera mentioned that there are two kinds of
men. One finds the virtues of all women
in one woman, the other finds the virtues of one woman in all women.” I chose to be the latter. I fell into a deeper and deeper trap. I was
a big sinner. Not only was I destroying the life of my faithful wife, but also
I was deceiving myself, numbing my own conscience. But I still couldn’t get out
of the trap. I thought I could deal with all the affairs I was having at the
same time, but it was really exhausting. Later on I thought divorce might be a
shortcut, a better way out. I kept screaming for a divorce, but I knew I didn’t
have the guts to do it. Ya Xi: I
had to endure all kinds of verbal abuse from him, but God gave me the strength
of patience, the kind of patience I never had before I became a believer. When my husband attacked me, I just found a
quiet corner and prayed. I asked God’s help to change him. Zhu Yi: Before
she found faith in Jesus, she always assumed that I was lying, even when I
wasn’t. After she became a Christian,
she became very trusting. All I had to
tell her was I needed to go out, and she’d say “All right.” Gradually, I stopped lying to her because I
didn’t want to be unworthy of her trust. Ya Xi: After
I converted, I found peace within myself.
There’s nothing worth getting angry over. Zhu Yi: Sometimes
I purposely tried to provoke a fight. But to my surprise, instead of fighting
with me, she would go into the kitchen or the bathroom to pray. I said to myself, “This is impossible. This girl doesn’t have strength like that.” Ya Xi: When he got angry, I kept quiet. I prayed and asked the Lord to calm him down. To my surprise, I saw the flame of his anger dimming, little by little. Poof! Then it died. I heard him sigh and then come over to comfort me. Ah! How grateful I was to the Lord! This was God’s work. He was right there. Zhu Yi: When
she prayed for me she was often in tears. One day God told her, “Restrain your
eyes from tears, he will return from the land of the enemy...” (Jer 31:16) Ya Xi: April
10th, 1998. It was our
wedding anniversary. Zhu Yi: That
evening she had a church gathering. I offered to drop her off, because Beijing
was dangerous at night. I thought I’d
wait outside till the meeting was over and then I’d escort her home. But I was brought inside immediately and
seated at the very front. When we got
home, I told my wife that I’d like to pray, but didn’t know how. She took me to the bathroom, and we knelt
down. She asked me to repent, so I
did. She told me she’d never seen me
crying out loud like that before. Ya Xi: It
was the first time I saw him cry and repent.
At first, he was sobbing. Later, he started crying out loud. Zhu Yi: I
felt the sky had turned into a huge book in front of my eyes. After I repented for a sin recorded on a
particular page, that page would be turned to the next one. I remembered things
I’d long forgotten. It was miraculous!
If I hadn’t decided to follow Jesus Christ at that time, I might have ended up dead. Ya Xi: I didn’t realize what a new life we’d
received until we both accepted God. We
are so grateful to the Lord. Zhu Yi: Really.
Now we have very good communication.
She understands me, I understand her.
We have become one, as God says. God is with us. It feels so good to come close to God
together as husband and wife. I feel
that she’s not hard to talk to and she needs my love so much. And I feel that, with her as the only woman
to love in my life, I am complete. One
time I told her that I felt like we were falling in love all over again. God is full of wonder. He brought love into our home, and saved us
from the hands of Satan. Our life has
gone back to the state of Eden. There’s no deception. In the past, I hid my cell phone and beeper because I didn’t want
her to find
out about all my love affairs. But now I can leave her my cell phone and beeper if I’m not available. I
ask her to help me answer the calls and take care of my stuff. She has
become my personal secretary, and I’ve become hers, too. There are no secrets between us. We have become one, physically and
spiritually. Narration: We may never understand why
Christ’s death on the cross has such tremendous power to revive our souls and
our lives. But throughout history, this
miracle has kept on happening -- and the Chinese people in the 21st
century are no exception. Testimony Zhang Dongsheng: We didn’t talk about divorce, but we were
separated. Our marriage was in
danger. Mrs. Zhang: When
I was working in Shen-Zheng, my job made me feels very important. We were on the verge of divorce, and my
family life felt meaningless. Zhang’s daughter: I
felt that my parents were only together out of convenience. I didn’t see why we should stay together as
a family. Zhang: My
wife decided to convert only after she saw the change in. Mrs. Zhang: He
asked me to go home and see the changes. I replied, “What belief? You smoke and drink. You don’t know how to
love anyone. You’re a lazy slob, and you never help around the house.” Zhang’s daughter: I
prayed for my parents, and the year I graduated, my parents finally got back
together. Mrs. Zhang: He
has never treated me so well. Not since the day we got married. When I was
young, I wasn’t ugly. Actually, I was
quite a pretty girl. But even back
then, I wasn’t able to change him. Now
I’m old, and he’s so nice to me. Zhang’s daughter: Five
years ago we had three cars, and now we have three bicycles instead. But I’ve
no desire to go back to the life we had before. Although we only have bicycles,
our life has completely changed. Mrs. Zhang: I
was always the one who made tea for my husband. But now when I wake up from my
afternoon nap, a cup of Oo-Long tea is always there. It’s my favorite tea, and
my husband makes it especially for me.
If it weren’t for God’s power, this never would have happened. (Chorus) He is the source of love and life His work and miracles have prevailed Let’s stay close and love each another Come! Let’s praise Him
forever Glory to the Lord Testimony Orphan from Si-Chuan: I
didn’t know whether this love comes from Jesus or from somebody else, but they
really love me. It’s a fact, an
unchangeable fact. (Chapter 2: Love) Narration: This orphan had spent most
of his life wandering the streets. In 1999, he was adopted by a house-church in
Cheng Du, and later became a preacher. Testimony Si-Chuan Orphan: I
left home when I was twelve and lived on the streets for four years. During that time, I got involved in tons of
street fights. I have a lot of scars from those days. One day I was stabbed in
the back. I lost a lot of blood and had to be taken to the hospital. Narration: The church set up orphanages
to adopt these homeless children who spent most of their lives wandering
aimlessly through the streets and train stations. Testimony A teacher at an orphanage: These
children had been living on the streets when we found them. They had picked up lots of bad habits. We
loved them with the pure love only Christ can give, and we taught them God’s
word. Director of the orphanage: I
see immediate changes in mischievous children soon after they join our big
family. It’s God’s love that changes
and renews the lives of these children. (Chorus: Psalm 96:1-3) Sing to the Lord a new song; Testimony: Orphan One: I’m
from Inner Mongolia. My parents
abandoned me because I was blind. Orphan Two: After
my parents were jailed, I was home alone. So I started to wander the streets. Orphan Three: I
ran away from home because my parents beat me. Orphan Four: I
felt that my mother hated me after my father died, so I took twenty yuan and left home. Auntie Zhang found me and brought me
here. Orphan Five: My father died from an overdose of drugs. My mother ran off with somebody and
remarried. She told everybody that I
wasn’t her son. Orphan Six: My
father sold my brothers, and he wanted to sell me, too. He beat me. So I left home and picked
pockets on the trains, in the streets and just about everywhere I went. Director: He
was mute and deaf. At first, he was
always hitting the other children here.
Later on, he stopped hitting and started to help others. Director: How
old are you? Say “ Four.” (Note: the director is helping the orphan to talk,
the orphan has a speech impediment) Orphan Seven: Four. Director: Where
are you from? Director: Where
are your parents? Director: Auntie
Gao and two other sisters found him when he was just a baby. Si-Shuan Orphan: I’d
always felt inferior and had no respect for myself. But after I saw the selfless love of the teachers at the
orphanage, I learned to love others.
It’s all because of the love of Jesus. (Singing of a
blind child) To open the people’s eyes to see God We have walked through gales and storms We wish to walk all over the world To plant the seeds of love Narration: These sisters receive no
wages for their work, and they never have a vacation, They do this with no
accolades or recognition from society.
In fact, they have to do all this secretly because it is a service of
the house-
churches, which are illegal. Testimony A teacher at the orphanage: But
I know the love of God is here. When I
love others, I learn the greatness of love.
Love is devotion and sacrifice.
Love is sacred. Narration: In a world of selfishness,
these faithful followers of Christ are willing to follow the example of
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Testimony Li Min Dan: Nowadays,
what’s missing in China is love, the universal love that comes from our Lord,
Jesus. Once we accept God’s love, it
will grow in everyone’s heart, and flow out continually like a living spring. Mrs. Zhang: God’s
love has brought peace into families. If more people believe in God, peace will
spread out from family units into the whole of society. Yu Jie: Today
humanity is the main problem of Chinese society. I
think Chinese have lost the ability to love. This is very sad and dreadful. Narration: China’s intellectuals have
begun to discuss and pursue the love of Christ in their own unique way. Testimony Yu Jie: Many considered me a harsh critic of our
society. However, this is only one part
of me. There’s another part closer to my true self, such as love, pity, and
compassion. Those qualities come from
my understanding and study of the Bible and Christianity. President Bush's remarks at Tsinghua University: 95% of Americans say they believe in God, and I am
one of them. Testimony: Ren Bu Mei: When
President Bush talked about 9-11 in his speech during his visit to China, he
had tears in his eyes. The host of the
meeting and also the students who were there should have expressed concern and
compassion about the catastrophe. I’m
sad to say that no questions or remarks were made. I believe they simply didn’t feel the pain, because they don’t
have God’s love in their hearts. They can’t feel others’ pain as their own. All
they cared about was the possible armed conflict between China and Taiwan. President Bush's remarks at Tsinghua University: Freedom of religion is not something to be
feared but to be welcomed, because faith gives us a moral core and teaches us
to hold ourselves to high standards, to love and to serve others. Testimony: Wang Yong Sheng: It’s
important for an artist to spread God’s love.
Otherwise his or her artwork will have no significance despite the
apparent aesthetic value. A good artist should bring a healthy and positive
energy to his society. Narration: Wang
Yongsheng, a well-known artist in China,
once was falling deeper and deeper into a life of sin. Testimony Wang Yong Sheng: I
used to change girlfriends as often as I changed clothes. Friends and fellow artists around me were
all in similar situations. A lot of
them were successful artists but failures when it came to family. (Clips from
“China’s Confession”: This is a land without forgiveness and
unselfish love. Success is the only
measure of accomplishment. Conspiracy
is defined as wisdom, and warfare is glorified. ) (Song in the Cultural Revolution) Let’s
have a new triumph in the Cultural Revolution Beat
him down with all our might Down
with Chinese Nikita Khrushchev Crush
him hard! Crush him under our feet! Testimony Wang Yong Sheng: After
watching “China’s Confession”, I finally realized what the Chinese people
need. I also realized that my ignorance
of love was pretty normal given the circumstances I grew up in. I didn’t have too much difficulty in
becoming a Christian. After I watched
“China’s Confession”, I read some books by Liu
Xiao Feng. A missionary came to my
house and talked to me for a while. I’ve been a
Christian for only one year. I’m still
an infant really, but I pray every day.
I also pray for my friends, and look forward to meetings on Sunday. Most people in our group are artists. The
group is called “Artists’ Fellowship”.
Every week, we get together and talk with each other. I feel at home, very comfortable. It’s
really nice. Sister (hosting a gathering): Today,
the love of God has brought us here. Yang Tao: There’s
a song I can’t sing well. How can I sing it well if it doesn’t have God’s love
in it? It won’t have any power of spiritual
awakening. Yang Tao: I
used to own a bar. I got drunk every day, and I also used drugs for a
while. I was numb about
everything. Then I read in the Bible,
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Pro
4:23).” I was deeply moved. I knew that
I’d lost touch with my heart. Right about then, I met my wife in Beijing. In order to date her, I ended up in church
because that’s where she
was. Ya Ya: I
was the only Christian in my class, and I started to spread the gospel among my
classmates. Many of them also became
Christians. Our attitude towards
learning and working made a good impression on our teachers. Dancer One: I
was awarded the Best Dancer award in the national dancing contest. While I was waiting for my turn, I was
praying quietly. I might have appeared
odd to everybody else, but I didn’t care. Dancer Two: My attitude is different from before. Though
the trials and difficulties are still there, I feel joy all the time. Dancer Three: The
thought of God often brings tears to my eyes.
They aren’t tears of pain, but tears of joy and peace. Dancer Four: I think the world is cold, except for the love of
God. Ya Ya: I
feel that God is holding my hand and walking with me, even in the dark. I never
feel lost. (The dancers are saying the Lord’s prayer) …and
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Mat 6:13) Xie Yu Qing (a ballet teacher): I
played Mahjong every Friday and Saturday night. We stayed up all night playing. Sometimes
there were so many people the entire three floors of my house would be full. I lost ninety thousand yuan in six months. One day, a sister brought me to church. I’d
never felt so good before. That night I opened up and told them everything
about me. I felt as if I was talking with
my family. I wish I’d met God earlier
(sobbing….). Words are not enough to express how deeply my heart was touched. (Mrs. Yuan
Zheng singing) Today I pray for you My beloved China May my sincere prayer Bloom thousands of lilies All over the fields All over the hills This is my beloved China Tesimony: Yuan Zheng (A famous singer): Many
brothers and sisters often ask me how I became a Christian. In fact, God has been guiding me all the
time. It came naturally. I didn’t experience many ups-and-downs, or go through
much suffering. Yuan Zheng (A famous singer): I’m
in a profession where fame and wealth are the top priorities, not to mention
all kinds of dirty tricks and sins.
Thank God for choosing me, bringing me to a clean place, and allowing me
to be in contact with decent people. Of course, our thoughts are not always
clean. Even now, I’m still troubled by distracting thoughts. Lu Li Ping (a famous actress):
I’m
sometimes weak, and self-centered. I don’t follow God’s word all the time. I
have a strong personality. But I know
I‘m still a child of God. It’s not that you don’t leave Him; it’s He who
doesn’t leave you. He’s always there to help me get back on my feet when I trip
and fall. Lu Li Ping: Nothing should be new for a forty-year-old
because I have experienced so much in life. But for me, somehow everything is
always fresh. I wonder why I’m like
this, why I’m so easily moved? When I need passion in my acting, the passion
comes out fully. Before I act, I usually pray. It’s
because of God’s love that my heart is touched so easily. Sister (talking about her husband): For
more than six months, he would go to church every Sunday and argue about
whether God existed. (Chapter 3: Spirit) Testimony: Brother: I
realized faith was a move I had to make on my own. It’s like a person who hears
from others that an apple tastes good.
If he keeps on analyzing its composition without taking a bite, he or
she will never know the true taste of an apple. So I told myself, “Just believe
it!” Gao Yan De: I
went to one of the best high schools in China, Nan Kai High School in Tien
Jing. After that, I went to one of the
top universities in China, Qing Hua
University. Because of my academic
success, I was really bigheaded. I
loved to ask tough or unusual questions. It’s called reasoning, but really it’s
sophistry. One thing that greatly
influenced my decision to become a Christian was my first prayer. Before I
opened my mouth, I felt very uncomfortable.
Once I started, somehow I calmed down right away. My “questions” didn’t
bother me any more. They weren’t
resolved. But I stopped thinking about them.
I became a very happy person. My
wife and I joined the gospel meetings around the same time, and we accepted the
Lord at the same time too. Every night we study the scriptures together. We take turns reading them aloud, and then
pray together. A physics professor from Xiamen
University: Physics
is an experimental science. I felt I
had to meet God before I could believe in him.
One day, a sister told me, “Actually, you may try praying to God when
you have problems.” So I did this a few times, and God did listen. Narration: Since the May 4th
Movement of 1911, reason and science have had supreme status among Chinese
intellectuals. What kinds of questions
do Christian scholars think about? Testimony Gao Yan De: Everybody
knows one plus one equals two. It’s a self-evident truth. No mathematician would try to prove it. It’s the premise on which other mathematical
theorems are based. When I first got to know God, like many others, I constantly
tried to prove God’s existence. Now I
know what I did was meaningless. God’s existence is not something that can be
proved by human reasoning. Professor at Xiamen University: As
physicists, we try to synthesize asymmetrical molecules for medical and
scientific purposes. Our achievements
are minute compared with God’s creation.
The more one works in scientific fields, the more awe one has of the
Creator’s wisdom. Narration: Many Chinese intellectuals
are presently studying Christian philosophy and belief. However, the essence of faith is not theory,
but a way of new life. God is not found through reasoning, but in spirit and truth. Testimony Sister: Why
do we live? Do we really disappear after we die? I felt very troubled when I
thought about life and death. So I went
to worship Buddha to find an answer, but nothing ever happened. One day, I felt compelled to visit the local
church. It wasn’t Sunday. It was
Tuesday. The door was locked, but they allowed me to go inside and stay for a while.
While sitting there, somehow I felt very moved. Not knowing why, I started to cry. I sat there alone, and cried
for about an hour. Brother: A
Christian couple visited us and took us to church. During the church meeting,
my sister and I both cried uncontrollably.
Tears were streaming down our cheeks.
We didn’t know why we were so moved.
It was like suddenly we saw light.
It shone through our hearts. Narration: As a seedling craves water
and sunshine in order to thrive, so does the soul long for the pure love of
Christ in order to flourish. (Interviews outside a church at Christmas, people are waiting in line to enter the
church) Interviewer: Why
are you here to celebrate Christmas? Girl: Because
I want to receive peace. And Christmas blessings. Girl: Because
I’m waiting for Christ. I have to see
Him today. Interviewer: Are
you sure you’ll see Him when you go in? Girl: Absolutely,
as long as you believe in Him. Young lady: I
think Christianity is a religion of peace, a symbol of peace. It’s beautiful. Don’t we all long for peace?
I come here often to pray for world peace. Young man: I
wouldn’t be this good if I wasn’t Christian.
If everybody becomes Christian, our country will definitely be much
better off. Narration: The churches in Beijing are
overwhelmed with people not only on Christmas Eve, but each and every Sunday
throughout the year. Since the establishment of
the People’s Republic of China more than fifty years ago, the size of the
Christian population in Beijing has grown from the tens of thousands to
hundreds of thousands. However, the
number of chapels has diminished from sixty-six to six. Chinese people educated
under the ideology of materialism may be confused by the spiritual thirst they
are feeling. Their souls are longing
for a spiritual awakening. Testimony Chen Xiu Fan: I
felt something was missing at the bottom of my heart, even though I was working
at a preschool. In people’s eyes, it was a very good place to work. When I first worked there, Ms. Chen, one of
my co-workers, told me that my previous job at the chicken farm was actually a
better choice. It was easier to deal
with chickens than with people. After a
while, I realized I might have chosen the wrong place to work, because I really
didn’t know how to play politics. I made good money, but I felt exhausted. I told my husband that I wanted to find a
place to cry out loud. He loves to tease me. He said to me jokingly, “You must
be sorry you married me.” I told him I
didn’t know why I felt so upset. I
cried hard that night. The next day, I
went to Ms. Chen who told me about the Gospel. I started to cry as soon as I
saw her. At first she thought I had a
fight with my husband. I told her I
just felt terribly depressed. She said:
“I think it’s time for you to go to church.”
So I went to church with her.
The first gospel song I learned was, “It’s Jesus who drove away the
darkness in my heart. It’s Jesus who
drove away the cold and sadness in my heart.
From now on, I won’t ask myself bitterly why I am walking on such a
rough path….” Wow, who wrote this song? How come it was speaking right to
me? I’m not a good singer, and I go off
key all the time. But that night I sang loudly. Ms. Chen pulled the corner of
my shirt and whispered to me, “ Not so loud, or everyone will sing off key.” Liu Xiao Feng: The
core message of Christianity is personal salvation. The key point is that your attitude towards life will completely
change. You live in this world and you
might have all kinds of limitations imposed on you, but your spirit and
salvation exist beyond this world. Narration: Liu Xao Feng, a contemporary noted scholar, has persistently sought the truth of
faith. Testimony: Liu Xiaofeng: I
lectured in Zhong Shan University last month.
A student stood up at the end of my lecture and said, “You are
Christian. That makes you not
Chinese. If you were Chinese, you wouldn’t
believe in Christianity. It’s part of
the western culture.” Well, accepting
Christianity helps me solve questions of being human. And as I’ve mentioned many times, the questions of being human
are above those of being Chinese. Zhang Rong Liang: Before
the Liberation of China, it was believed that if one more Chinese became a
Christian, there’d be one fewer “real” Chinese. In other words, You were like a westerner. However, now people
believe that if one more Chinese becomes Christian, then one more Chinese is
saved. In fact, there is one more
“real” Chinese because he or she no longer smokes, gambles, uses drugs, commits
crimes, or disturbs our society. (Chapter 4: Righteousness ) Zhu Yi: Before
I became a Christian, nobody had ever talked to me about joining the Communist
party. But the third day after I became
a Christian, the party secretary
of our local
branch came to ask me to consider joining the party. I told him I was a Christian. He said, “Well, Christians aren’t
bad at all. There are several elderly
Christians working for me. They’re all
very nice people.” I thanked the Lord
in my heart. Brother from He-Bei: The
manager of the company came to talk to me one day, “I hear you believe in
God. But remember you’re a Communist
party member.” I said to him, “The
party has treated me well. But I’ve
been receiving blessings of peace and joy since I believed in Jesus. The party is good, but the Lord is better. I
have no choice but to follow him.” When
he saw nothing would change my mind, he asked me to resign from the party. For me, this was great because now I don’t
have to go to the party meetings or pay member fees. I can use all my time after work to worship our Lord with my
brothers and sisters in Christ. (Chorus)
Clap your hands Play your instruments Shout and sing The bright songs resound to the skies Each and every day Testimony Accountant: I’d
been an accountant in my company for two years. Then one day, my company decided to start two book keeping
records – one accurate for inner use
and one altered to fool the public. I struggled with myself all night, and then
I asked the Lord, “Let me keep this job to the end of this month.” But the Lord told me, “ You should stop
doing it the moment you know it’s wrong.”
When I went to work the next Monday, the first thing I did was to go
straight to my manager. I told him I couldn’t do it. My company then asked me to resign, but I didn’t because the Lord
didn’t tell me to. My company didn’t
lay me off though. They transferred me to the maintenance department. An Elderly woman: I
believe God is very powerful; otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to transform
the lives of my son and his wife. Their
life used to be like… ah, it’s hard to describe, anyway, let’s just say it was
a trashy low life. It was a life I
absolutely hated to see. Now they’ve completely changed. They have become so wonderful! How can I not
thank God? I have been to church four. My son always asks me to go with him. He loves me. Brother: In
spring, they couldn’t find anyone who wanted to plant trees for the city. They’d tried different government departments,
but nobody wanted to do it. Then there
was a Christian who gathered hundreds of brothers and sisters in no time at
all. They grabbed their shovels and
planted all the trees in a blink of an eye.
While the local government chief was making a speech to praise them, the
brothers told him, “You should thank the Lord.” So the chief thanked the Lord. Shen Xien Feng: The
managers of the Labor Camps were very happy when Christians were brought
in. They would say: Great! Now we’ve
got some prisoners who can be put in charge. Because Christians were the most
trust worthy, they were often assigned jobs such as keepers of personal
belongings, supervisors of other prisoners, or group managers, or any jobs that
required trust. The prison managers
were sometimes very sad to see the Christians leave, because they were such
good people. Lao Ging: Seven
leaders in my Labor Camp came to see me the day I was released. They held my hands and said, “ Lao Ging, we
wish you could stay for three more years.
We don’t want to see you go.” Then they told me to continue my faith
after my release. Ding-Hei: Four
of our Camp leaders became Christians. We lived together and talked a lot.
Before I was released, they told me, “If this were a better place, we would
keep you here. We really don’t want to
let you go.” Brother: The
prison managers realized that the Christians were really good people. We were
nicknamed “free prisoners” because we were put in charge of the vegetable
garden and distributed the produce to the managers. Brother Ji Tai: The
police officers went so far as to tell us that if everyone became Christian,
then they’d have nothing to do. To
spread the gospel not only saves a person’s soul, but also brings blessings to
the entire society. It changes society. (Chorus) A voice urges me: be brave and move on The Holy Spirit is guiding my way You fill my heart with joy and content Testimony: Feng Kai: I
found all of my new employees at church.
I have six hundred employees. They all attend Sunday services. So every
Sunday, there are always more than six hundred members in our four chapels. We
have prayer time every morning and evening.
We also have Bible study groups. Feng Kai’s wife: Our
Corporation, Hua-Xia-Ren Group of Shen Yang City, is
mainly in the restaurant business, but we also own some sea water fish farms,
and schools. For each business we have a choir of twenty people. We sing gospel
songs to our customers and bring blessings to their lives. They like those songs. (Canaan Hymnal #1
Bring with you your happiness ) Bring your honesty Bring your heart Enter the wonderful sanctuary Feng Kai’s wife: Each
business of ours has a prayer box for customers. They write down their problems and put them in the box. Every
week we open the box and pray for them.
Feng Kai: We
used to rely on our famous hospitality to be the main attraction of our
business. Now we rely on Jesus Christ.
Some customers didn’t know who Jesus was. After they met the Lord here,
they started to go to church. What makes
me happy is to see our customers at church.
Some other customers suggested we hire call girls and hook up Karaoke
machines at our restaurants, but I told them “No way!” I felt very proud one day when one of our
customers called home from our restaurant, and all he had to say to his wife
was, “I’m at Hua-Xia Ethnic Village,
and I‘ll be home late.” Just one simple
sentence, but I was very touched. He probably used to give a lot of excuses to
his wife. But when he called from my restaurant, no explanations needed and no
questions asked. I felt this was a
symbol of trust. Feng Kai’s wife: A
lot of us cried when we saw the news of flood on TV. Although most of us come from the northeast and have no family
ties in the south, we still felt the pain.
We got together and prayed. Our
employees donated one hundred thirty-five thousand yuan that night. Chef: The
Lord loves me and he commands us to love one another. I feel the love and warmth among people here. I no longer care how much money I make or
how hard I work. I truly enjoy working
here. (Chorus) Lord, it’s good to know you In each and every second In your loving arms Feng Kai: We
have parent meetings every year, mainly to let them see what kind of life their
children are living. After they see the changes in their children they also
want to know God. After they go back home, they start going to their local
church. We began as a small private business in 1993. It’s God’s miracle that
we’ve grown to be so huge and successful.
Everyday our restaurant is overwhelmed. Many people have asked me, “How
do you get this many people to come every day?” I said, “I believe in God.” (Chorus) Christ is our only light Hurry
and spread the gospel
Testimony: Feng Kai: I
don’t think of it like I’m running a business, it’s more like I’m in the
business of loving God. It is
inevitable that we meet problems or disputes with our customers. But the first
thing our employees do is pray. In tears, they pray before God. I also kneel before God and pray every day,
and so do my employees. Prayer of an employee: Lord,
we’d like you to use our young lives in your service. Amen. Feng Kai: I
used to ask the Lord for wealth. And
now I only ask for one thing: please use me as your tool. It will be the greatest blessing in my life. (Canaan Hymns #574 The stream of life) The stream of life The stream of joy Flow tenderly into my heart The stream of life The stream of joy Flow tenderly into my heart I want to sing a song A song from heaven The dark clouds above The sorrow in my heart They all disappear I want to sing a song A song from heaven The dark clouds above The sorrow in my heart They all disappear (End) |
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