CHRISTMAS—A TIME TO REMEMBER

 

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year! It is a time to remember. We can all be grateful that Christmas has made a comeback this year in our stores and on our TVs. The outcry of customers and the ensuing boycott of stores and companies that substituted “holiday” for Christmas in an attempt to be politically correct convinced them that Christmas was important after all. For them the bottom line is always dollars! But for Christians, Christmas is important for a much more important reason than dollars. It is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and a time to remember the coming of God’s Son into the world to be our Savior. No doubt last year’s attempt to eliminate Christmas from public use aroused Americans all over the country and caused them to rethink the meaning of Christmas.

 

The concerted effort to downplay Christmas brought back vivid memories of my first days in China in December 1946 as we walked the streets of Shanghai looking in vain for any sign of Christmas. There was nothing but one small soiled and tattered Santa Claus in a bookshop window. I clearly remember the sense of sadness that filled my heart as it dawned on me that for a major city of the world and its millions of people, Christ was almost totally unknown. I remember standing amidst the jostling crowds and recommitting myself to do everything I could to make Christ known to as many Chinese as possible.

 

Some years later while we served in the North Point Alliance Church in Hong Kong, the pastor, Rev. Philip Teng, challenged each person at the candlelight Christmas service to light a candle and walk out into Hong Kong’s busy street and let the light shine for Jesus. It wasn't easy to keep the light burning as we walked along the street, and if the light was blown out, we quickly lit up again from another believer’s candle. I will never forget as we walked along intent on keeping our light burning, the thrilling joy of meeting Christians from another church nearby carrying their candles through the street. As we greeted each other with “Merry Christmas! Shine for Jesus!” we knew that no matter how dark the night, no matter how much persecution any would be called on to suffer for Jesus, nothing could put out the light!

 

China has passed through the darkest of nights, and even though thousands upon thousands of believers have suffered persecution and martyrdom during the Cultural Revolution, as some still do today, the Church continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. Thanks be to God, all the forces of Satan and hell cannot overcome it.

 

THINGS TO PRAY ABOUT THIS CHRISTMAS FOR CHINA

·        Pray for the persecuted Christians who languish in miserable prisons and work long, painful hours in slave factories that produce Christmas decorations and other products we all use.

·        Pray for pastors and leaders of house churches who have been falsely accused of all sorts of political crimes, serving long prison terms for printing and distributing Bibles, or refusing to register their churches, or preaching in unauthorized churches or areas. Remember Pastor Zhang Rongliang sentenced to seven years in prison, a leader of a very large house church network.

·        Pray for Christian workers from many lands who serve in China as teachers, as business people in foreign-owned factories, as coaches to Chinese pastors and elders, as consultants for hospitals or HIV/AIDS patients centers, and other creative ways of living and serving in China. Their names are not well known in our churches for security reasons. Thus we tend to forget them, but they are on the front lines of witnessing for Christ and letting their lights shine in the darkness.

·        Pray for the Back To Jerusalem workers who have already entered lands within the 10/40 Window that they will be protected in these dangerous situations, that they can find adequate employment to survive, that they will be sustained and encouraged by the Holy Spirit in the midst of discouraging circumstances or persecution.

·        Pray for Bible Training Centers in China and in other nearby surrounding countries that are committed to training Chinese workers for cross-cultural work in the 10/40 Window, and that all financial and physical needs will be met.

·        Pray for the printing and distribution of the Bible by the government authorized Amity Press that prints over 2.5 million Bibles a year.

·        Pray for carriers who bring Bibles into China by various means and pastors and workers who print Bibles under dangerous conditions and in secret locations for use in rural areas among people who otherwise would have no access to God’s Word.

·        Pray for Chinese student ministries that are flourishing on many campuses in China and the USA.

·        Pray for new Chinese converts on USA campuses who are returning to important government positions in China that they will continue strong in their faith in Christ and impact their country for Christ. China Outreach Ministries works on more than 50 campuses and is experiencing great results.

·        Pray by name for workers you know of who live in China, and do not forget them this Christmas. Send them Christmas greetings and assure them of your prayers. 

 

WUHAN TO HAVE EE CLINIC IN JANUARY

 

In the church where we once served and which now reaches thousands of people, the Church in Wuhan will hold an Evangelistic Explosion Clinic in January with one of the top trainers in the USA. Please pray as there is so much potential in this church which also sponsors the Bible Seminary with more than 150 students. It is the seminary that was started as the result of the former pastor of the church, and my associate in the work of the gospel, who spent 20 years in a stony quarry because he refused to recant his faith in Jesus Christ. There are other Clinics to be held in China this year. Your prayers and support are urgently needed.

 

NATIONS IN THE 10/40 WINDOW

 

Open Door Mission reports severe persecution in several Central Asian countries where cross-cultural missionaries are being deployed by the house churches of China.

 

INDIA: Pastors Kao Singh and Ray Singh were recently badly beaten up by Hindu fundamentalists while conducting a small prayer meeting in a believer’s home.

 

AZERBIJAN: Police raided a Christian youth camp arresting many young people who were beaten and tortured. They were stripped and beaten and kept without food for two days.

 

KRYGYSTAN: Last year on December 29^th, Sakinbay Usmanov was beaten to death. Pray for his family who grieve at this time of the year, yet rejoice that Jesus is Victor.

 

Bhutan: The Bible has been completely translated and is being printed now. The problem is that it is strictly prohibited in the country. No doubt there will be much opposition and persecution as it begins to appear in the land. Heavy fines and imprisonment have been meted out to those who share the gospel.

 

THREE PASTORS SECRETLY EXECUTED

 

China Aid Association reports that three Protestant pastors were secretly executed earlier this month. Their families were not notified in advance. They were accused of participating in the death of several people associated with Eastern Lighting, a well-known cult that teaches that a woman named Zheng is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Although the three pastors belonged to a sect known as the Three Grades Servants which is considered heretical by conservative and evangelical house church leaders, still they opposed the sentence on the grounds that the charges were not proven to be true, and is the same method the government could use to falsely accuse house them. The charges were vehemently denied and lawyers argued that there is no evidence at all to prove that the men were directly involved or took part in organizing and abetting the murders. These secret executions have a chilling effect on all leaders, but even so they declare their determination to stand true to Jesus and the Bible. 

 

ADVENTURES ON THE STAR OF SUEZ

 

This is the true story of the Bollback evacuation from China told through the eyes of their two oldest children. It is a challenging story of faith and trust in God even in the midst of danger and war. The story encourages children to follow Jesus no matter what may happen or no matter how much it costs. It will strengthen the faith of all who read it.  This story is available in e-book form by logging on to www.bollback.com and clicking on the picture of the book. Add this to your collection of children’s books that tell stories with a purpose.

 

BOOKS TO CHILDREN OF PRISONERS

 

Not long ago while praying, the Lord laid it on my heart to contact a friend who volunteers in the Osceola County women's prison to find out if there was any way to send one of my Jack and Jenny Mystery books to children of mother's in prisons. The chaplain immediately responded and circulated a form to the mothers that resulted in 26 of them turning in the names of 41 of their children between the ages of 8-12! Will you pray that as the books are received that God will use them to open these young hearts to Jesus? The mothers have received a Christmas letter letting them know their children have received their books. Since I set aside $1.00 from the sale of every book for MK Schools and now prisoner's children, all of you who have purchased any of my books recently have had a part in reaching these precious children and their mothers with a loving gospel witness. Thanks to all who made this possible, and for all of your prayers for this ministry of reaching children with stories that are turning young lives to God.