Founder of China Aid Speaks at Calvin

By: Steve Huston

Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid.org and author of the book God’s Double Agent, spoke at Calvin University this past Friday (1/17/2020) as part of their January Series. This email will deal with Mr. Fu’s presentation; but if anyone would like to know more about this amazing man of God click here.

This was an extremely informative and interesting presentation and I would encourage others to go hear Bob Fu speak should the opportunity arise. In order to keep this email brief, I will forgo much of his presentation which covers the same information that we have shared with our readers in past email alerts and Frontline newsletters.

Let me start with some simple facts that Brother Fu presented:

There have been over 7,000 people arrested in Hong Kong, the youngest being 12 years old and the eldest being 82 years old.

Emperor Xi’s major wars are 1) A war against the cross and the church and 2) A war against the religious education of children. These are both wars against faith. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has made it illegal for those who are under the age of eighteen to even enter a church, and no religious teaching or symbols are allowed in schools.

Children are encouraged to spy on and report their parents’ illegal religious activities. They can receive as much as $10,000 for doing so.

The police are in charge of the offering box at the church.

If anyone is found reading (or owning) Pilgrim’s Progress, Calvin’s Institutes, or other such theological works, they can be imprisoned for four to thirteen years.

China is in the midst of their second wave of rounding up human rights lawyers. One well-known lawyer who has been missing for a long time is a man by the name of Gao. He had been abducted and released; he is now missing AGAIN since August 13, 2017. To learn more of his horrendous story click here. (Warning: this is not for children and there is “bleeped” out profanity.) My church and I had been praying for him for several years.  It was good to hear Mr. Fu speak of him and encourage others to pray for him as well.

When communism took over, in China, there were 1 million Christians; today there are 116 million Christians. It’s projected that by 2030 there will be 224 million Christians in China, becoming the largest Christian nation in the world. Although the very idea of persecution sets our teeth on edge, there is blessing that can come from it. According to the Bible persecution, not peace, is the norm.

Let me close out this email as Bob Fu closed out his presentation, with two major points.

First, as Christians, what should we do regarding Christian persecution and human rights violations in China?

One thing every Christian can do is pray. Pray for the bolstering of people’s faith. Second, write letters to the prisoners. Isolation is the worst; they tell you that they can make you disappear and no one will know. We need to remember that this is spiritual warfare and letters are a great encouragement. There are some groups (VOM) that make it easy to send letters to these prisoners in their own language. “You don’t remember the words of your enemies so much as the silence of your friends.” Third, hold elected officials accountable. Remind them that their constituents stand strongly against human rights violations and for religious liberty. Finally, write letters to businesses that work with China. Mr. Fu states that pressure from them may do more good than a political voice would.

In answering the question “What lessons can the American church learn from China?” Brother Fu simply answered, “The Lordship of Christ.”

As I heard his answer I wondered, by and large, what does the American Christian know of the Lordship of Christ? Could most even define it, let alone live it out? As if the speaker had heard my thoughts he shared this story:

There were a group of Chinese Christian businessmen talking with a group of American Christian businessmen. As they were discussing the ways in which they did business, the Chinese businessmen explained that they evangelized with their businesses and in their speech and in their dealings. It was about sharing the gospel with those who needed it. To this the American businessmen exclaimed, “You can do that? We can’t or we would be sued by the ACLU!” To which the Chinese businessmen replied, “SO WHAT!”

Dear reader, does this grab your attention? Does it do anything to you at all? These Chinese businessmen truly understood that the Lordship of Christ means to LIFT HIM UP EVERYWHERE! We must be concerned with the command of our Lord more than the criticism of men or the consequences that befall us.

I left this presentation saddened by the persecution that my brothers and sisters in China are suffering. I left sadder yet that most of the American church doesn’t seem to get it; to claim the Lordship of Christ is far different than living it. Still, Paul does tell us to count it a privilege in Philippians 1:29; “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.”

Providentially, that night we read as a family from Singing in the Fire by Faith Cook about another Chinese man who suffered immense persecution. His name was Wang Ming-Dao. Read his words thoughtfully.

“There are so many stones in the brook that you cannot count them. Yet in every ten you cannot find more than one or two that are useable. There was no room in David’s pouch for stones which had not been polished smooth. The process of attrition was essential. In the same way those believers who have not yet experienced trials and afflictions, and who have not yet been disciplined by God, are still not ready for his use. What I am anxious to know is whether I myself am qualified to be a ‘smooth stone’ in the hand of my God.”

I was left wondering again, am I qualified to be a “smooth stone” in the hand of my God?” Time will tell. May I willingly suffer attrition and the abrasion of polishing so that I will be ready, and that God would be glorified and that Christ would be magnified whether in my life or by my death. (Phil. 1:20)

---

To support our efforts, please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412

American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

 

---