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HOUSE CHURCH LEADER NEAR DEATH
September 30, 2007

(JD) I met Zhang Rongliang in 1997. He was the first leader I handed funds too, in support of the families whose husband’s were in prison. He needs emergency prayer for his health according to Voice of the Martyrs report below. The Lord may want to take him home for his eternal reward but until then let’s pray for him a true HERO OF THE FAITH.
On September 24, The Voice of the Martyrs received reports that Pastor Zhang Rongliang’s health is seriously failing and he may be near death. According to contacts in China, “Pastor Zhang must be carried from place to place by two men supporting him. He does not walk well on his own. He openly questions whether he can finish this sentence. If he is not released, there is a good chance that he will die in prison.” Pastor Zhang suffers from severe diabetes and high blood pressure.

Pastor Zhang has four years remaining of a seven-and-a-half year sentence. He had previously spent 12 years in prison where he suffered severe torture, including electric shock.

Pray for Pastor Zhang’s healing and for his release from prison. Pray that the Holy Spirit will encourage him and that his testimony will draw non-believers into the knowledge of Christ (Matthew 10:19-20).

FROM PCC CHINA TRIP REPORT 1997 ~

For security reasons, our first meeting was with only three of the seven leaders. We met with them for about 1 hour and they left and the other four came and spent an hour with us as well. Then the first three came back into the room and all seven were together. The seven works as a team to meet the needs of the body as best they can. I asked the older man (pastor Zhang), the leader of the seven, how many Christians was he serving in the network under him. He calmly said 10 million. It is hard for me to explain the humility I felt at that moment. Was I in the presence of one like the Apostle Paul? The words of Jesus came to mind “greater things than these will you do.” He said, that they accepted suffering as part of their destiny. Never have so many church leaders been put into jail.

<>We were informed that on May 19th at midnight two of the eight leaders that had been previously arrested were removed to a secret location and they feared for their life. Unlike the Free Church, they know the value of suffering and its contribution to their walk with the Lord. I listened intently as they shared and I knew I was witnessing one of the highlights of my life. Prayer is the most important thing we can do for them, they said. Pray that the corruption in the government be exposed. They never asked us to pray that the persecution stop. I met THE CHURCH, the one we read about in the New Testament. I sensed the Lord was smiling at me as he observed my joy and humility. Tears were never far away. <>

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The persecution of Christians is the worst in 20 years. The Chinese government is trying to give the world the impression that Christians are like the cults of Japan and Waco. They fear the Christians because they now vastly outnumber the members of the communist party. Sister “A” who was in her 30′s had been in prison for 8 years because of her faith. She is homeless because there is a warrant out for her arrest. She teaches and evangelizes from house church to house church as the Lord leads, and she hasn’t been home in years. The badge of honor for the saints in China is not how intellectual you are, how well you speak, or how many degrees you have after your name. But how many years you were in prison, how much have you suffered for the Lord, or how many churches have you started. The church is growing 20,000 a day in China. You won’t see any big tent meetings or stadiums filled, just Christians sharing with their friends and neighbors. <>

I shared with them a few things the Lord spoke to me. In the last days I saw two churches emerging. The persecuted church and the Free Church. The persecuted church was the stronger and by its prayers it was driving the Free Church into action. The Free Church is to pray for them daily, speak up for them, and support them with offerings. Remember how Darius changed the law to protect the Hebrews after Daniel survived the lion’s den. Pray that the Chinese government realizes that Christians are good and that they are China’s best people. The Lord can impress the communist government to rethink their treatment of Christians and give them freedom to worship as they please. All of us are to lift the level of awareness of our government, neighbors and our churches. It used to be that the persecuted church was far away and that God would take care of them. The Free Church is now being called upon by God to meet their needs like Paul did for the church in Jerusalem. I believe, we are witnessing in China the greatest revival the world has ever seen.

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PCC ~ PO BOX 1485 ~ CASHIERS NC ~ 28717
info@persecutedchurch.com

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