The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church....
Posted on 02/03/2015 4:21:41 PM PST by SoFloFreeper
Christianity is booming in China, propelling it toward becoming the world's largest Christian nation. But as religion grows, it spurs a government crackdown.
There’s nothing secret about Chongyi Church, one of the largest in China. Its lighted steeple and giant cross penetrate the night sky... Chinese or not, you are welcome seven days a week...
For China, it is a stunning feeling. Most of the society exists behind closed doors and is tough, driven, material, hierarchical...
Yet Chongyi looks and feels like any evangelical megachurch in Seattle or San Jose. There are big screens, speakers blaring upbeat music, coffee bars. The choir is a huge swaying wash of white and red robes. Chongyi seats 5,000 people and holds multiple services on Sunday.
....in the past year authorities have attacked and even destroyed official Protestant churches, as well as unofficial ones. Many Evangelicals feel they are now on the front lines of an invisible battle over faith in the world’s most populous nation, and facing a campaign by the party-state to delegitimize them. Underneath it all is a question: Will China become a new fount of Christianity in the world, or the site of a growing clash between the party and the pulpit?
“There’s an enormous struggle across China brought by the rise of worshipers that seem to really believe,” says Terence Halliday, a director of the Center for Law and Globalization in Chicago who has worked in China. “Christianity now makes up the largest single civil society grouping in China. The party sees that.”
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church....
There will be people until the last trump condemning worship and churches on the basis of style. This gets kind of old and everyone really knows this is beside the point.
What’s the substance. What is the music about? What do the sermons say?
I knew a missionary that went over to China. He was teaching English, and the missionary work was “on the side” and was not approved by the government. When I wrote to him by e-mail, he said I had to be careful what I wrote to him.
This has been going on since the Jesuits first arrived.
Chinese convert in mass numbers, the government freaks out and smashes the Church for being a threat, and the survivors go on to rebuild.
Maybe one day they’ll recognize the futility.
If they are like many of the mega churches in the US, they are part of the emergent, seeker-sensitive churches that emphasize entertainment, self-help and pop psychology over Scripture. And Jesus well tell them “I never knew you.”
The Holy Spirit can work in a variety of ways.
I remember some accusing the people at Pentecost of being drunk....
The churches that are doing the best in China are the ones filled with disciples of Christ, not the ones that are merely filled.
Why are they “doing the best”? Because only those who follow Christ are heirs of the promises. It doesn’t get any better than that.
This happens in the nation of India, too...I know of people in that nation in the same situation.
I don’t think you fully appreciate the danger Christ followers face in some places in China.
The book I recommend at the top of the thread is very enlightening in that respect.
At the very least, let me ask that you pray for these people who are exhibiting bravery in worshiping Jesus in the face of a blatantly anti-Christian government. I can tell you they aren’t Joel Osteen followers....many of them are facing prison, persecution or worse.
May we have as much grace to face down the dangers these people face for following Jesus if/when that time comes.
Yes, some mocked. And even after they were proven wrong by Peter’s sermon, some still rejected the truth, preferring to continue on with their own ideas rather than follow Christ as taught by the apostles.
That’s a problem that hasn’t gone away yet.
Big time. And even when some looked at a description of a worship they didn’t understand or prefer, they still insist their mode of worship is the only one God accepts.
Pride indeed.
You’re right in what you say ... these are NOT Joel Osteen followers ... LOL ...
That’s very true.
The worship God accepts is the worship He has commanded, not just any ol’ thing anybody wants to offer Him. Nadab and Abihu found that out the hard way. So did King Saul, when Samuel told him that God desires obedience, not sacrifice.
People might leave these “worship concerts” (etc.) feeling “pumped up with the Spirit”, but the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with it - and WON’T have anything to do with them, because they are not of Christ.
What God requires is submission to His Son, the King - filling our worship not with our ideas, but with His.
absolutely, God desires a humble heart and repentant spirit for true worship.
Pride and a haughty attitude, one that looks upon penitent sinners who might be loud and beat their breasts do not go home justified.
Pride.
Really? I happen to attend an amazing church that has one of those “worship concerts” as a “choir”. I have an amazing Pastor who reads from the Bible and gives awesome Sermons backing it up in the Bible. We do outreach to the Prison, we feed, clothe the poor, we have a motorcycle group that goes out to the hard-core “bikers” to win souls. We have weekly bible lessons (something I NEVER had at the “traditional” church I attended for many years. I will take that church any day over the “traditional” supposedly bring you to the Holy spirit ones you speak about.
The last “traditional” church I attended the Priest gave a 2 minute sermon, closed his bible and preceded to tell his lambs about him joining AMWAY and how we all should get on board with him. YEAH- that was a real bring me to Jesus and Holy Spirit moment. NOT.
Instead of rejoicing that the Gospel is spreading like wildfire in a communist country you worry about trivial matters.
Get a life.
True, so true. They throw people in work-camps for having un-authorized church meetings. They patrol homes and you are only allowed so many people in your “church home” meeting.
I learned about “Voice of the Martyrs” few years ago. They provide pages of Bibles, Bibles, translated versions for the target country for those who hunger for the word of the Lord. Sometimes all a volunteer does is give one page out of the Bible. Risking their lives to do so. They also help the wives, children of those who have been imprisoned, providing money, food, care of their loved ones.
We in America have no clue and also forget how easy it is for us to attend a church without fear of our life or those of our families.
My thoughts exactly, standing with you on this one.
The regime must be destroyed.
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