21st Century Persecution

Dr. Dave Crandall, AiG’s Worldwide director, sent me this very emotional report after returning from a ministry tour of Asia, including Communist China (this blog item has been edited for security reasons).

Today brings to an end one of the most spiritually and emotionally draining ministries of my entire life and ministry. I traveled to five countries, crossed 32 time zones, crossed the international dateline twice, preached 16 times, and had multiple meetings in the various countries—all of this, along with being taken into the underground churches in two Chinese cities.

I was taken to a gang-controlled area to join a house church that meets there because the police will not patrol in that area. We went under the cover of darkness and walked through really scary alleys until we found the believers huddled together in a little back room. None of them had ever seen an American face to face, and they were glad to share their testimonies. Several had been jailed for their faith. I preached a two-hour message and three people were saved.

A Bible conference, where I was the main speaker, drew house church pastors and leaders from as far away as a 10-hour bus trip one way. We arrived early in the morning at a very large factory. The factory was closed. . . . After hiding our car, we climbed three stories up in the factory and found a room decorated for these meetings. Already dozens of people had arrived and were waiting for the Conference. After 12 long hours of meetings, prayer, and testimony, darkness had come and they could take me outside.

The next day of the Conference was much the same, except it lasted 13 hours. The Chinese believers never left the building for security reasons, thus they had all slept on the cement floors. Two more were saved, and we actually found a big tub and had a baptismal service.

After flying to another major city, a house church wanted me to preach to them. However, security in their area was very tight, so they elected to come see me. In my small hotel room on a side street, 32 people one by one came to my room. Five hours later, it was done, and they walked quietly one by one out into the Chinese night.

I wept often as these persecuted believers told horrible stories of persecution, arrest, years in jail and death of friends and family members at the hands of brutal leaders.

Many people had actually heard of Answers In Genesis and were aware of the Ken Ham DVD series that was translated into Chinese. At one lively meeting they talked about the possible massive distribution of Ken’s seminar.

Dr. Crandall stands in the famous Forbidden City of Beijing.

An underground church meets in secret.

A church holds a baptism service—in a makeshift baptismal—that took place behind a building and out of the public eye.

Pray for the persecuted church in China.

Find out more about our international division here.

Devotion

The love of Christ constrains us

(2Co 5:14-15) For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

The single motivation or impelling drive to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and live for Him is our love for Him who died for us.

Ken