CHINESE CHRISTIANS ARE
PRAYING THAT PERSECUTION COMES TO THE AMERICAN CHURCH
SO IT CAN EXPERIENCE THE REVIVAL THAT IS SWEEPING CHINA
By Dan Wooding
Founder of
ASSIST Ministries
NASHVILLE, TN (ANS) -- A
Southern Baptist leader has revealed that the Chinese house church
movement is praying that American Christians might experience the kind
of persecution they have seen in China so that it would ignite a
similar revival in America.
 In a column written by James T. Draper Jr.,
president of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist
Convention for Baptist Press, Draper revealed the surprise he
experienced recently when he heard about an incident that occurred near
the end of an interview with the Southern Baptist International Mission
Board who were meeting with a prominent leader in the rapidly expanding
Chinese house church movement. (Pictured:
James T. Draper Jr.)
Draper said that a reporter asked this leader how American Christians
could pray for house churches in China.
“Stop praying for persecution in China to end, for it is through
persecution that the church has grown,” he responded.
Draper then said, “What astounding faith!” I thought when I heard the
story. However, my admiration of his faith was quickly tempered by what
he said next.”
Draper recounted that the man then stated, “We, in fact, are praying
that the American church might taste the same persecution, so revival
would come to the American church like we have seen in China.”
ON THE ROAD TO PERSECUTION BROUGHT ON BY OUR OWN ARROGANCE
Draper then said, “Once I recovered from the shock of such a profound
statement, I thought about the irony: We in America keep praying for
God to bless us –- and Christians in other nations are praying God will
allow us to experience persecution so that we’ll act like the blessing
we were made to be. I shudder at the thought that we are on the road to
persecution, brought on because of our own arrogance.
“I recently wrote a column titled, ‘Are you Chasing Donkeys?’ In it, I
said that the book of Isaiah is replete with examples of God humbling
the haughty. Arrogance followed by judgment is a recurring theme;
survey the Old Testament and confirm it for yourself. However, before
dismissing those examples as ancient history, flip to Revelation and
read Christ’s seven letters to the churches. More specifically, read
what Jesus says to the church of Sardis: ‘I know your works; you have a
reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen
what remains, which is about to die....’ (Revelation 3:1-2, HCSB).
 “I also referenced two prophetic voices –-
David Watson and John Burke –- who, speaking 25 years apart, made
indicting statements about the state of the church. Burke wrote,
‘Unless Christians leading the church in America change, and unless the
church begins living out the magnetic attractive force Jesus had on the
world, the Christian Church in America will be completely marginalized
within decades.’ His concern is rapidly becoming reality.” (Pictured: Chinese
praying couple. -- Picture from Open Doors UK website).
Draper then spoke about a cover story in the Aug. 11 edition of USA
Today which he said, confirmed his concern.
“The article’s title is ‘Religion Takes a Back Seat in Western Europe’
and details the 25 percent drop in church attendance in Western Europe
in the past 20 years. The reasons identified for the drop are ‘Europe’s
turbulent history, an increasing separation between the church and
government and the continent’s unprecedented affluence.’
“The USA Today article reports the social changes implemented in Spain
since its new Socialist prime minister took office last year. Divorce
is quicker, embryonic stem cell research is allowed, ‘gay marriage’ is
legal and religious education is becoming elective in schools. The
undersecretary at the Ministry of Justice in charge of religious and
social affairs says that ‘Spanish society has become much more open,
more tolerant, more secular.’
“Sound familiar? We in America are being bowled over by the ball of
secularism. The church doesn’t have enough muscle to support the
pillars of our culture built on the foundation of the Bible.
“Many will say, ‘Well, that’s Europe and it’s got nothing to do with
us.’ That’s arrogance and it’s got everything to do with us! What makes
us think history is going to give us an exemption? Why should we be any
different than history’s other self-destructed “superpowers” that
arrogantly turned their backs on God and relied on their affluence?”
“A SPLASH OF COLD WATER IN THE FACE OF NORTH AMERICA’S
SLEEPING CHRISTIANITY…”
Draper then said, “This article should be a splash of cold water in the
face of North America’s sleeping Christianity. This isn’t a clarion
call to political activism by the ‘religious right,’ as we are called.
It is important for us to be involved in the political process, but
politics directed by man is temporal and corruptible. The Gospel of
Jesus Christ is eternal and incorruptible. A changed America will come
not from ballots in a box or amendments to the Constitution, but from
changed hearts that guide godly lives. Research shows that the majority
of ‘unchurched’ people are not antagonistic toward the church, but have
simply never been invited by a Christian to attend church. We’ve
mobilized the church to flex our political muscle in our culture, but
when is the church going to flex its missional muscle and become Jesus
to a self-destructing culture? Put another way, when are you going to
become Jesus to your next-door neighbor?”
He concluded by saying, “Christians, we have to make a choice: Continue
on our present trajectory of self-absorbed arrogance confined to our
self-contained little worlds and reap the inevitable consequences; or
humble ourselves, ask for revival and ‘strengthen what remains’ so that
we can be the blessing we were made to be.
“They are watching. Our brothers and sisters around the world are
praying ... and waiting.”
Dan Wooding is an award
winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his
wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid
to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service
(ANS). Wooding is the co-host of the weekly radio show, "Window on the
World" and was, for ten years a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network
in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest
of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is
published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com.
danjuma1@aol.com.
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