China December 2014
Our son TR and I recently returned from a very gratifying trip to Shanghai. We give God all the praise and glory for the favor given us by all we met there.
We went as guests of the International Church of Shanghai. The pastor is Daniel Ho. Coming from Singapore, Daniel is a good man, theologically sound and totally devoted to God and His Word. This is a church open to passport holders, such mainly being business people from all over the world, especially Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Shanghai. A few Brits and Americans also attend. I spoke four times on the Saturday December13th to about 300 who came to the seminars. I spoke on The Gospel, Total Forgiveness, Totally Forgiving Ourselves and Totally Forgiving God (not that He is culpable of anything but we must set Him free for what He allows which we do not understand). These seminars were simultaneously translated into Chinese. The CDs and videos will spread far and wide. I preached twice on the Sunday to 800 people, mostly on Total Forgiveness and the Gospel. The response was truly wonderful – both in the number of those who stood to profess faith in Christ and hundreds who came forward to demonstrate total forgiveness. The need to show total forgiveness is everywhere in the world!
As I understand it, there are basically three categories of Christians in China. First, the Three-Self Church (self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating). We were not involved with this movement on this particular visit. Second, the Home Church or House Church Movement. Third, the international churches, like the one we visited in Shanghai. This is the group that opened the door for me to speak in China.
The trilogy of Total Forgiveness (as described in the sermons above) has been translated into Chinese by the Green Olive press in Beijing and is available all over China. More books are coming down the road. It is amazing that God has opened this door. The books have sold widely and quickly. Please pray that the publisher and translator will have wisdom on which books to do next and that the numbers who read these will be in hundreds of thousands not merely tens of thousands!
I do not profess to being highly cognizant of the situation in China. I can only give my impressions. Having visited the Soviet Union years ago – preaching to registered churches there, what we saw in China indicates a greater opportunity and openness than we saw in Russia. Never once did we feel “followed” or “watched”. I was totally surprised by hearing Christmas carols (O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night and virtually all Christian carols) in our hotel and in shopping centers – what you might not hear in American stores!
We have been invited back for December 2015, and we could come much sooner if only my diary would allow it. I think too of the first part of 1 Corinthians 16:9, for a great door has been opened to us.
I would not be surprised to see true Revival – greater than they have seen so far – break out in China at any moment. Christianity is growing there in any case at an amazing rate. One must walk in the door that is opened, and I am humbled that God has opened a door to me.
Please pray for China – and all Christians there, including those in the Three-Self churches.
RT