China is a land of paradoxes. The country with one fourth of the world’s population lurches forward at times with heartening progress, while at other times there are jarring, jolting stops.  Since China figures prominently in the end time prophecy of Scripture, it should be high on your list for prayer. Some amazing things are happening every day with thousands coming to the knowledge of Christ as their Savior, and at the same time, some jarring persecution persists. It is not confined to China, however, but to all of the countries where Chinese missionaries are planning to invade for the sake of preaching the gospel.

REPORTS FROM “BACK TO JERUSALEM” COUNTRIES

EMNet reports that Chinese missionaries are beginning to move down into Pakistan. A missionary from a neighboring country entered China with a South Korean brother where they visited several churches. They were able to share the needs of Pakistan, and in one location, they found a Pakistani believer teaching Chinese students how to speak Urdu, the language of Pakistan, in preparation for their departure to that country.

An overseas Chinese visited China recently and met an amazing group of people. Years ago, more than 100 families committed themselves to reach other Chinese communities with the gospel.  They moved enmass to a rural area in another province and established themselves as farmers and small businessmen. Today, this highly committed group has representative families in 16 provinces where they have already established hundreds of house churches. Their vision keeps them moving on out to unreached areas, but they face harassment from the government..

Muslim-background believers (MBBs) are seeking refuge in Open Door Mission safe houses. Last year, 140 sought refuge because of the intense persecution they were suffering.  Hundreds more came for food, medical help and emergency funds, but all were rejoicing that they were privileged to suffer for Jesus.  As Chinese believers move on out westward toward Jerusalem, more and more incidents like this will be reported because most of the 60 lands in the 10/40 Window are Muslim-controlled.  Family members count it a privilege to restore their honor by killing their own family members who profess Christ.  The amazing thing is that this has not dampened the movement of Muslims to Christ in these lands.

A Baptist pastor in Turkmenistan was sentenced to three years of hard labor for establishing a house of prayer and organizing Baptists of the area in unregistered churches. Chinese workers are moving in this direction also and may soon face similar punishment.

Prayer for the 10/40 nations must take priority as Christian workers move westward and experience persecution and suffering. Some will even die. Pray that they will be sustained under extremely difficult circumstances

HONG KONG IS A BASE FOR OUTREACH

Both Chinese and westerners use Hong Kong as their base to reach into China. Many Chinese teams as well as western workers enter China for the purpose of encouraging and mentoring both registered and house church pastors and workers. They find open doors everywhere, and weary pastors who struggle to supply dozens and dozens of preaching points where the people need to be grounded in the Word.  Sometimes they help them establish community service projects such as a medical clinic, a leprosarium, or raise funds for new church buildings, or provide books for a student libraries. Pray that these workers as well as several Bible Training Centers in Asia, will be used of God to train many new workers for the westward push toward Jerusalem.

Lift up these dedicated workers who fearlessly go forth in the name of Jesus to make Christ known.

THE 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING IS A HUGE CHALLENGE

Many Christian groups are gearing up for the Olympics in Beijing beginning August 8, 2008. They see it as the greatest opportunity of these early years of the 21st Century to reach millions of people. The challenge is to get people trained and equipped for this ministry.  The Chinese church also sees it as a tremendous opportunity to cooperate with overseas groups in a great evangelistic outreach to people from around the world. The Communist government is also challenged to control the increasing activities of overseas groups as well as house churches as the Christian population explodes. It is now recognized by the government and Chinese groups that the number of Christians has reached 130 million people- a phenomenal number after the decades of persecution and restrictions. Recently, the government expelled 100 western Christians from the land for inappropriate activities mainly in connection with house church groups. It has been predicted that many house church leaders will be arrested and held until after the games to prevent demonstrations that might spoil the country’s image. The stakes for the government are very high, and unprecedented measures may be employed to control the situation. The recent spate of recalls of food and toys produced in China is not only distressful to overseas people but to China also. In an attempt to curb illegal activities by officials who are easily bribed, the Director of Agriculture was executed for accepting bribes that permitted companies to cut corners and send out inferior products.

Become part of the band of praying people who are committed to pray for China’s Christians as they prepare for the Olympics and possibly suffer persecution.

THE DARK SIDE OF POPULATION CONTROL 

Chuck Colson, in one of his Breakpoint communications,  reports that according to China’s Academy of Social Sciences, the country "suffers from the world's most severe brain drain." Only one third of overseas students return to China for employment. One of the reasons is China’s one child policy as millions of men are destined to spend their lives alone.

·         According to China's State Population and Family Planning Commission, "by 2020 some 30 million Chinese men will not be able to find wives." If these thirty million men were a country, they would be one of the forty most-populous countries in the world.

·       The government has only itself to blame. The looming imbalance between men and women of marriageable age is the completely foreseeable result of China's "one-child" policy. Limited to one child in "a country where daughters are unwanted," many Chinese families, especially in rural areas, make sure -- even by infanticide -- that the one child born is a boy. As a result, in parts of China, there are 130 males for every 100 females.  This demographic imbalance has created a new market: kidnapping young girls from other parts of Asia, not for the sex trade, but to provide wives.

·        It has also created the world's fastest aging population. China's population is stabilizing, but, thanks to the "one-child" policy, it is replacing working-age adults with those over sixty. The result: a demographic "Titanic gunning for the iceberg.”

For Christians, all of these events  should call us to urgent prayer for this nation that has so much potential  for good, but also  many potentially dangerous  aspects for the country and the rest of the world.

CHINESE IN ALGERIA TURNING TO CHRIST

A recent report from Algeria states that the large Chinese work force imported for two year terms of work, are turning to Christ in increasing numbers much as they did while working in Israel a few years ago. Recently, 300 men were baptized, and are presently being grounded in intensive Bible study in preparation for their return to China at the end of their two year stint. God works in mysterious ways to reach hungry hearts.

Join in praying for the Christian leaders who brave the difficulties of living in a Muslim land to reach these laborers.

PRAY FOR THE OLYMPICS IN BEIJING 2008

 

Assist News reports that one year before China will host the Olympics in Beijing, China Aid (CAA) President, Rev. Bob Fu issued a proposal to Chinese Christians and supporters worldwide to pray for the success of the event.

The Chinese House Church Alliance in Beijing, and churches from the hometown of the US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in Texas, held special intercessory prayer meetings in Midland, Texas and Beijing, China at the same time.

"Knowing there will be the unavoidable persecution of Chinese House Church leaders, they felt led to call for intercessory prayers as continual mass media prayer networks for the Olympic event are formed throughout the country..

Click here  to view a short video showing one of the Chinese House Church Alliance prayer meetings for the Olympics 2008,

Click here  to view a short video showing church leaders from President Bush's Hometown praying for the Olympics 2008 in Beijing.

If you travel to China, send the editor a report and see it posted on http://www.ChurchInChina.com