Posted on 02/02/2020 3:55:08 PM PST by Roman_War_Criminal
JERUSALEM, Israel – The voice of a Chinese pastor living in the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak is being heard around the world and it's persuading many Christians to stand with him in prayer.
An anonymous pastor in Wuhan, China penned a letter to the global Church describing what it's like to leave your home not knowing if you'll contract this virus, and if you will live for long if you do. He is one among millions of Chinese citizens on complete lockdown in an attempt to contain the disease.
While he says China is suffering, he believes something bigger is happening, saying it is time for Christians to proclaim the gospel in a country where their faith is under fire.
(Excerpt) Read more at 1.cbn.com ...
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you: During these past days the Wuhan pneumonia (virus) has been at the center of my thoughts and life. (I am) always watching the latest news, and always thinking about how our family and the church should face this.
As for family, I have gathered masks and foodstuffs and have ventured out of doors as little as possible. When venturing out in public I have worn a mask, but as for the rest, I have placed it in the Lord's hands.
As for the church, the safety of the congregation, a faithful witness, the possibility that members could contract the illness, have all become a great area of struggle. It is readily apparent that we are facing a test of our faith.
The situation is so critical, yet (we are) trusting in the Lord's promises, that his thoughts toward us are of peace, and not evil (Jeremiah. 29:11), and that he allows for a time of testing, not to destroy us, but to establish us. Therefore, Christians are not only to suffer with the people of this city, but we have a responsibility to pray for those in this city who are fearful, and to bring to them the peace of Christ.
First, we are to seek the peace of Christ to reign in their hearts (Hebrews 3:15). Christ has already given us his peace, but his peace is not to remove us from disaster and death, but rather to have peace in the midst of disaster and death, because Christ has already overcome these things (John 14:27, 16:33). Otherwise we have not believed in the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15), and, with the world, would be terrified of pestilence, and lose hope in the face of death.
Why do only Christians have this peace? Because of sin, humans deserve the trials and tribulations that come upon them, Jehovah says: the wicked have no peace (Isaiah 48:22). We were all sinners, but Christ, because of faith, took our penalty and gave us his peace. Therefore Paul says, who can bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33). Christians may with the world face the same tribulations, but such tribulations are no longer punishment, but a new opportunity to grow nearer to the Almighty, to purify our souls, and an opportunity to proclaim the gospel.
In other words, when disaster strikes us, it is but a form of God's love. And, as Paul firmly believed, "who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger or sword? . . . in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Roman. 8:35-39).
Spoken for today, Wuhan's pestilence cannot separate us from the love of Christ; this love is in our Lord Jesus Christ. These words are so comforting for us, we have already become one body with Christ. We have a part in his sufferings, and we have a part in his glory, all of Christ's is ours, and our all is Christ's. Therefore, Christ is with us as we face the pestilence in this city; the pestilence cannot harm us. If we die in the pestilence, it is an opportunity to witness to Christ, and even more to enter into his glory.
Thus, my brothers and sisters, I encourage you to be strong in Christ's love. If we more deeply experience death in this pestilence, understanding the gospel, we may more deeply experience Christ's love, and grow ever nearer to God. Our Lord Jesus through faith experienced an incomparable suffering of death, yet God raised him from the dead, and sat him at his right hand. (Acts 2:32-36)
If in reading these truths you still have no peace, I encourage you to diligently read the above cited scripture and call on the Lord to give you insight until the peace of Christ reigns in your heart. You must know, that this is not just an observable disaster, but even more it is a spiritual struggle. You should first wage a battle for your heart, and secondarily battle for the soul of this city.
We earnestly hope that you would know that not a sparrow falls without the will of the Father (Matthew 10:29). With so many souls facing pestilence, can it be outside God's will? All that we are experiencing, is it not like Abraham facing Sodom, and Jonah facing Nineveh?
If God, because of a righteous man withheld judgment on Sodom, or because of 120,000 who didn't know their left hand from their right, withheld destruction, what of the city of Wuhan in which we live? We are clearly the righteous in this city, far more than a single righteous person there are thousands and thousands of us. Yet, may we like Lot be grieved over all those in this city (1 Peter 2:7), and like Abraham who earnestly prayed for Sodom (Genesis 18:23-33). You see, Jonah with difficulty proclaimed the gospel to Nineveh, and Nineveh repented and was saved. We are this city's Abraham and Jonah. We must pray for God's mercy upon this city, and bring peace upon this city through our prayers and testimony.
I believe this is the command of God calling those of us living in Wuhan. We are to seek peace for this city, seek peace for those who are afflicted with this illness, seek peace for the medical personnel struggling on the front lines, seek peace for every government official at every level, seek peace for all the people of Wuhan! And we can through online networks guide and comfort our friends and loved ones with the gospel, reminding them that our lives are not in our own hands, and to entrust their lives to God who is faithful and true.
The past few days I have received many inquiries from foreign pastors. They and the whole church are concerned for this city, even more for us; and confronting this epidemic, seek to serve the city with us.
Thus, I especially ask them to turn their eyes upon Jesus. And do not be concerned with my welfare, nor be agitated or fearful, but pray in the name of Jesus. Good hearted people are through their actions serving this city, especially the medical personnel who are risking their own lives. If they can take on such worldly responsibilities, how can we not more readily take on spiritual responsibilities!
If you do not feel a responsibility to pray, ask the Lord for a loving soul, an earnestly prayerful heart; if you are not crying, ask the Lord for tears. Because we surely know that only through the hope of the Lord's mercy will this city be saved.
A Wuhan Pastor January 23, 2020
End Times Ping..
Please PM me if you wish to be added/removed from the list.
Please also pray for Chinese Christians who are dealing with the heavy handed dictatorship of their government in response to this possible catastrophe.
Prayer ping
“Please also pray for Chinese Christians who are dealing with the heavy-handed dictatorship of their government in response to this possible catastrophe.”
Was it heavy-handed for President Bush to ground EVERY commercial airliner after 9-11-2001?
Strict quarantines in situations like the coronavirus are standard medical protocol. Ordering people to stay at home unless going to the hospital and only to the grocery store once every other day was the correct procedure.
Building temporary hospitals for patients is the correct thing to do.
Cutting of travel to and from the location is the correct thing to do
If this disease were infecting 10,000’s in Chicago and threatening to get out of control and had a mortality rate that would potentially kill 2 million US citizens President Trump would have done pretty much the exact same thing, assuming the governor of Illinois didn’t do it first.
The government in the PRC deserves a lot of criticism on a lot of things including their lack of transparency in reporting numbers and responding too late. Yes, in some ways it is a despotic government. The quarantines to try and stop the coronavirus spreading is not one of them.
What a beautiful testimony to God’s grace and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a far cry from the shallow, selfish prosperity gospel pablum that has infiltrated much of Christianity today.
If you’re going to make a contribution to this effort, it makes sense to make it thru the church. And let’s face it, we’re all in this together.
Numerous reports state that the Chinese ‘gubmit’ is just isolating those cities and throwing those infected into those makeshift ‘hospitals’ which I’m sure are built to code (chi-com style) and leaving them to fend for themselves.
Not saying a quarantine isn’t in line, but there are more humane ways of going about it. Chinese have never understood humane in their entire 4000 year history.
what an amazing witness. God bless this dear brother in Christ
Heck, this is a country that killed ~75 million of their own in living memory!
http://hawaii.edu/powerkills/20TH.HTM
https://preview.tinyurl.com/yx2e548c
Stopping the Hong Kong protests with a virus is a lot better than the optics of tanks at another Tianemen Square.
May our Lord bless and keep this good man and his congregation safe, in Jesus holy Name, Amen.
Wow.
At least that many.
And who knows how many millions more they’ve butchered over millennia before that?
In Jesus name Let It Be. Oh Lord in Jesus name.
Awesome.
Thank you metmom.
A powerful message and call to prayer.
I never thought of it as a pestilence until reading this.
But it is like the millions of locusts’ in Kenya.
Thank you for sharing this pastor’s message.
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us first.
Romans 8:1, 8:2
“...You should first wage a battle for your heart, and secondarily battle for the soul of this city”.
Wonderful letter from this man of God.
Prayer up
for China
for the medical workers that they would have the strength to meet the challenge and not falter or get sick.
for the Chinese leadership that they would make wise decisions and they they would become a more open society.
for all who have gotten this illness and their families.
for the gatekeepers who are scanning travelers.
for the surrounding countries
For the public transport workers
for the scientists working on cures and vaccines
for the Christians trying to spread the Gospell
and most importantly that the Chinese people would embrace Jesus.
Amen. Prayers up.
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