One of the most auspicious times of the year for China is the Chinese New Year celebration. This year ushers in the Year of the Rooster on February 9. Dragon dances have been staged in the streets of Chinatown in San Francisco and New York. The United States Postal Service has issued a special Chinese New Year stamp for the past twelve years, but this year they came up with a very unique and colorful sheet of postage stamps with each of the twelve animals associated with the Chinese Lunar calendar. The familiar Chinese New Year greeting of Gung Hei Fat Choy is ringing across America as millions of Chinese celebrate this New Year. This is a great occasion for Christians also, as Chinese churches around the world hold special evangelistic meetings and conferences during this traditional three-day holiday. Pray that these thousands of meetings held by our Chinese brothers and sisters will bear an abundant harvest.

 

WITHOUT YOU, THE BEST STRATEGY IS ONLY A GOOD IDEA!

 

OMS International used this statement in one of their brochures. It attracted my attention because it is such a vital truth. Without you, (that is your prayers and your gifts for God’s work), all the strategies anyone could think of are only good ideas. Each of us has a vital part in advancing God’s work, and prayer is the most important. God is doing some marvelous things in China and among Chinese people around the world while at the same time, Satan is doing his best to thwart God’s work. This spiritual battle is very real and the enemy is very powerful, but thanks be unto God, we are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

PRINTED IN THE CHINA

 

No, that isn't a typographical error! That statement actual appears on the copyright page of a Zondervan NIV Bible printed in China! Whether the Bible was authorized by Zondervan or whether it is a pirated copy of the Bible I do not know. A friend of mine owns this Bible, and when he noticed the error, he was very upset at first. He was unhappy because of the error and wondered if the rest of the Bible could be trusted. But he writes, “the more I thought about it, the more amazing I thought it was. For years, Americans have been printing and sending Bibles to China. Now the Chinese are printing and sending Bibles to America. And that’s amazing!” Better check your new Bible and see where it was printed. You might have one of these “special Bibles “printed in the China!” Another thought struck me as I read this. Speaking English is one of the most important objectives of China today. Hundreds, and maybe thousands of Americans and other English-speaking people are teaching English in high schools and universities all over the country. Let’s pray that Satan’s scheme to deprive China of Bibles will backfire as people working on these English Bibles will find Christ as their Savior and experience the life changing, transforming power of God. Never underestimate the ways of God in opening doors for people to know Him. And praise God, the power of the Word will set the captives free!

 

A CHINESE CHURCH IN SPAIN

 

They’re springing up everywhere! All across the USA and Canada, South America, many parts of Europe, and now Spain. In Madrid, the Chinese Alliance Church has had an exciting time with a short-term team that was involved in street evangelism, visitation and special services. All of this resulted in 29 first-time decisions for Christ!  Missionaries John and Lorraine Young need our prayers as they do follow-up on these people. A team from the San Jose Chinese church will be arriving shortly to help the Young’s with further outreach in establishing a strong, evangelistic church.

 

GOSPEL RADIO REACHES ALL OF CHINA

 

Still one of the best and most efficient ways of reaching China’s masses is radio. Trans World Radio (TWR) and The Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) are the two major radio organizations reaching China with the gospel. Alliance Radio in Hong Kong, like other churches in the city, prepares programs to be aired over these two stations. Both need your prayers and financial support. Alliance Radio in Hong Kong aired three new programs for the first time in the fall of 2004 over TWR. Pray that all radio facilities will function well, that listeners will be able to hear the programs without problems or fear, and that the postal service will work well for letter exchanges that are growing in number.

 

A SNEAK PREVIEW

 

Here is a brief review of EXILES OF HOPE that should be released before Easter. It is a continuation of the amazing movement of the Holy Spirit in the first book.

 

Exiles of Hope- The Story of China's Persecuted Church, VOL. 2 continues the suspenseful story of Red Runs The River. Anching and Meiling are the two Chinese young people who are determined to trust Jesus in every circumstance following the bitter takeover of their homeland by the Communists. Torn apart by war and unable to communicate with each other for years, they never lose hope of being reunited. Anching, who escaped into Hong Kong when the Nationalist army was defeated, finds himself in a refugee camp where conditions are hopeless and cruelty dominates. Although his life is threatened more than once as he challenges evil, he presses forward with urgency to share Christ with the struggling refugees. It is during this time that he meets a fine Christian woman and questions whether it is foolish to hold to his promise to Meiling. He wonders if she is even alive, but eventually puts his doubts to rest and continues to trust God to find her, even though it might take the rest of his life.

Although Meiling does not know if Anching is alive either, she, too, persists in serving God and believing that He will bring them together in His time. Confined to a prison commune far away from her family, she finds ways to share her faith and disciple new believers. Her eventual release results in more disappointment, but God transforms her circumstances into service for Him. She becomes a Bible woman, fearlessly
replacing the elderly Bible woman who has been beaten to death for her faith. It is on a rare visit to her home, that Meiling experiences the unusual privilege of listening to Scripture being beamed into China via short wave radio. One day as she is sitting in a secret padded closet so she can copy the Scripture being dictated over the radio, she realizes she is listening to the voice of her beloved Anching. He is alive! Although she daily struggles to survive, she has renewed hope that one day she will see Anching.

What seems impossible becomes an emerging dream when Meiling makes contact with Anching through a circuitous route, and he decides to do the unthinkable and return to China to find her. His determination to serve God along the way results in imprisonment and brutal beatings, but also God’s intervention and deliverance. Slowly Anching makes his way toward Meiling. Always depending on God’s provision as he serves Him in the small hamlets and villages along the way, he finds that even a dying pig becomes one of God’s props that helps him reach his goal.

 

Throughout the amazing story of Anching and Meiling – who themselves are composites of the many faithful Christians in China that endured bitter persecution – the ringing truth is the hope they place in Jesus. Again and again, this story demonstrates that with God all things are possible for those who obey and trust Him implicitly. It is a story of grace and courage, of setbacks and miraculous interventions, and it is the story of a determined man and a hopeful young woman who trust God to reunite them.

 

Please visit the web site http://www.bollback.com and read Window On China and information about my books and how to obtain them.

 

VOICE OF THE MARTYRS FORECAST

 

According to VOM, there are 200,000,000 Christians living in countries where they face the possibility of imprisonment, torture and death for their faith in Christ. In 2005 alone, it is estimated that 160,000 Christians will be martyred for their faith! It is difficult for Americans to understand the persecution of Christians around the world. It is equally difficult to understand that in China today where there are such great and wonderful things happening in the country that many thousands of believers and pastors are confined to prison.

 

Mr. Bob Fu, President of the China Aid Association reports on February 8, 2005 that Ms Liu Xianzhi, a member of the house church known as the South China Church escaped China last month and testified before the National Press Club in Washington, DC on February 7, 2005 about her experiences of torture, sexual abuse and arbitrary imprisonment by Chinese police. In 2001, she was tortured into falsely testifying that the pastor of the South China Church, Rev. Gong Shengliang, “raped” her. She has been making Christmas lights and decorations- perhaps the ones we used this past Christmas- in the Shayang labor camp in Hubei Province where much of Red Runs The River and the new book Exiles Of Hope took place! Pastor Gong is serving a life sentence while 8,903 other members of his church are also in prison camps. Senator Sam Brownback, along with others, will express their grave concern over religious persecution in China. This tragic story and many more like it form the verifiable basis for Red Runs The River and the soon to be released Exiles of Hope. It is time for all of us to remember these faithful believers in Jesus Christ in prayer and petition our government to bring these atrocities to the attention of the Chinese government.

 

A PERSONAL NEED FOR PRAYER

 

My dear wife Evelyn is in need of a physical touch from God. For the past three weeks she has suffered from stomach pains, loss of energy as well as a loss of appetite. The doctors are in the process of giving her many tests to determine the cause. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated.

 

YOU CAN HELP BY PASSING THIS ON TO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE

 

Please, take a moment to forward this report to your pastor, praying friends and mission leaders. Encourage them to pray for China. Send me the e-mail addresses of those who would be interested in receiving this report.

 

Anthony Bollback, Editor