Georgia Update

previously sent out a Georgia Conflict Guide here http://brianleesblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/georgia-conflict-guide.html and I wanted to send this article because it shows some of the pictures of what is going on in that region so that we don't end up like Matthew 25's sleeping bridesmaids.

Georgia 'overrun' by Russian troops as full-scale ground invasion begins
By Daily Mail Reporter (pictures at this link)

Georgian officials tonight claimed the country had been 'overrun' by Russian troops after a full-scale ground invasion.Amid reports that Moscow forces had taken the town of Gori - and were marching on the capital Tsblisi - Georgian soldiers appeared to be in full retreat.Troops were apparently in complete chaos as a full-scale rout pushed them back through the countryside.Meanwhile, the civilian crisis intensified with thousands of refugees fleeing the seemingly unstoppable advance of the Russian army.


An unidentified Georgian woman cries after finding out that her child was killed in a neighbouring village, in the town of GoriAround 9,000 soldiers and 350 tanks had been massing at a base in the border region of Abkhazia throughout the day.But the huge force has now moved into Georgia proper, demolishing hopes of a rapid solution to an increasingly bitter conflict.The invasion comes as Gordon Brown urges Russia to call a ceasefire.The Prime Minister warned Russia there was 'no justification' for its military action in Georgia.

Residents of Gori wait to receive humanitarian aid from local authorities as Russia called today for Georgian forces to surrender in the separatist enclave of Abkhazia Mr Brown issued a strongly-worded statement after Georgia backed an EU peace plan for the breakaway province of South Ossetia amid continued fighting.'There is no justification for continued Russian military action in Georgia, which threatens the stability of the entire region and risks a humanitarian catastrophe,' he said.'There is an immediate and pressing need to end the fighting and disengage all military forces in South Ossetia. 'The Georgian government has offered a ceasefire, which I urge the Russians to reciprocate without delay.'Meanwhile, intense shelling continued in the breakaway region of South Ossetia where hostilities broke out last Friday.There were also conflicting reports that Russian troops had overrun the city of Gori while Georgian forces were concentrating on holding Mtskheta, 15 miles from the capital.
On the move: Russian troops wind along a road near the border between North and South Ossetia amid fears of a ground invasion

Retaliation: Russian forces secure the area in the Khurcha settlement in breakaway region of AbkhaziaEarlier in the day, Russian premier Vladimir Putin raised the stakes over the conflict by lashing out at the U.S. as the fighting continued to escalate in the region.
The Russian prime minister rejected calls from Georgia for a ceasefire and declared that his country would pursue its mission to its 'logical conclusion'.
A day after a face-to-face meeting with President George W. Bush in Beijing who expressed 'grave concern', Mr Putin accused the U.S. of siding with Georgia by ferrying Georgian troops from Iraq to the battle zone.
'It is a shame that some of our partners are not helping us but, essentially, are hindering us,' said Mr Putin. 'The very scale of this cynicism is astonishing.'
Russian Defence ministry spokeswoman Nana Intskerveli confirmed tanks had seized a Georgian military base in the western town of Senaki.
The statement indicated Russian troops had entered the region from a second rebel province of Abkhazia, where troops have been massing since the weekend.


There are concerns a new front away from South Ossetia could open up around Abkhazi, which would represent a major escalation in the conflict.
Thousands of troops, dozens of tanks and Hurricane multiple rocket launchers were seen pouring along roads to the south of Russia.
Russian warplanes also launched new attacks inside Georgia today, one on the outskirts of the capital and another on the Black Sea port of Poti. Officials in the breakaway region today claimed Georgian troops had also resumed shelling there after its calls for a ceasefire were ignored by Russia.
President Bush warned Mr Putin of his 'grave concern' about the 'disproportionate' military intervention at a face-to-face meeting in Beijing yesterday.His Vice-President Dick Cheney also personally called the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili over the weekend to reassure him his country has U.S backing.
Warning: U.S. President George W. Bush with Vladimir Putin in Beijing. Putin today lashed out in return, accusing the U.S. of helping GeorgiaAmid fears Moscow intends to seize the whole country to gain control of its crucial oil pipelines, Mr Cheney declared Russian military action 'must not go unanswered'.In a statement, he added: 'Its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States, as well as the broader international community.'Russia appeared to be totally defying the U.S. warning today, with Georgia claiming up to 50 Russian jets were roaming its skies ready to strike.Mr Putin and Russian President, Dimitry Medvedev, attended a summit with senior generals at the Kremlin today for a council of war.President Medvedev announced later that its military operations in South Ossetia were 'nearing conclusion'.'A major part of operations to force the Georgian side, the Georgian authorities, into peace in South Ossetia has been completed.'

Loss: Family and friends of an Ossetian killed in the fighting in Tskhinvali weep at his funeral today

Safety: The first group of 95 Poles evacuated from Georgia arriving in Warsaw todayRussia was also reported to have sent more paratroopers into Abkhazia where it now has more than 9,000 soldiers as well as tanks and armoured vehicles.Georgia claimed Gen. Sergei Chaban, who is in charge of Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia, had warned their forces must disarm or face Russian troops there as well as in South Ossetia where the conflict began on Friday.A ground invasion launched from Abkhazia would be a drastic step, and almost impossible for Georgia to counter with most of its troops still near South Ossetia.It was also alleged dozens of Russian bombers were attacking targets inside Georgian territory, including around Tbilisi.
Bloodied: A woman lies injured in the ruins of an apartment block in Gori
Basic: The wounded stay in a hospital shelter in the South Ossetian capitalRussian officials said the air raids were targeting supply lines and military facilities and were not directed at civilians but one in Gori on Saturday killed more than 20 and wounded scores of others.Meanwhile NATO also joined the condemnation today, accusing Russia of using excessive force and violating Georgia's territory by taking the military action beyond South Ossetia.Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was 'seriously concerned about the disproportionate use of force by the Russians and the lack of respect for the territorial integrity of Georgia,' a spokesman said.'The military operations that we saw on Saturday and since then, including air and missile attacks, have no relation to and go well beyond the CIS peacekeeping operation.'But diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire were continuing with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner leading a delegation from the European Union asking for a 'controlled withdrawal of troops'.In further developments, Russia accused Georgia of killing three of its troops in the shelling on the South Ossetian capatal Tskhinvali and claimed another two of its planes had been shot down.


Support: U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (left) phoned Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili in person to offer America's backing to the regionA separate Council of Europe delegation lead by Sweden's foreign minister was also on its way to the Georgian capital for talks. Georgia claimed yesterday to have pulled out its troops from South Ossetia and was calling for a ceasefire.The demand was rejected by the Kremlin, which said it did not believe the Georgian forces had actually retreated.The region is an international flashpoint, given its vital position in terms of oil supplies which run from the Caspian Sea to Europe through the small country.It is feared the Kremlin could be using the conflict to disrupt fuel supplies, which would make the West even more dependent on Russian oil.The U.S. has refused to indicate what it may do if the fighting continues and Russia refuses to back down.
Anguish: A man cradles the body of a relative in the street after Russian planes bomb homes in Gori, killing five people
Two women attempt to sleep after taking refuge in the hospital shelterState-controlled Russian television claim more than 2,000 people have been killed in South Ossetia and thousands made homeless.And a Georgian government source said yesterday that 130 civilians and military personnel had been killed and 1,165 wounded, many because of Russian bombing.The smaller country's withdrawal from South Ossetia left Russian troops in control. Many towns were deserted with reports of 40,000 fleeing across the war zone.Some 50 ambulances were ferrying wounded Georgian troops from South Ossetia to hospitals in neighbouring cities, all of which were already overcrowded.
Enlarge Russian television showed Tskhinvali's main hospital in ruins and most of the more than 230 patients crammed into the basement.A few bare lightbulbs provided scant illumination and the report said the hospital had no ready supply of water.Some patients sat listlessly on beds jammed into a tiny, dim area with unfinished walls.
Fierce fighting: An injured soldier in the village of Dzhava

South Ossetians stay in a school shelter in the South Ossetian capital of TshinvaliRussia's Defence Ministry also claimed yesterday to have sunk a Georgian missile boat that was trying to attack its navy in the Black Sea.South Ossetia, which unlike Georgia proper, is loyal to Russia - provided the catalyst for the dispute.Pro-Moscow rebels provoked Georgia's president into ordering his troops into South Ossetia last week.Mr Putin's government then retaliated with a counter-offensive to seize back the disputed region.However, the escalation of violence has led to concerns that Russia could try to annex the entire country.'They want the whole of Georgia,' claimed President Saakashvili. 'The Russians need control over energy routes from central Asia and the Caspian Sea.'In addition, they want to get rid of us, they want regime change. Every democratic movement in this neighbouring region must be got rid of.'
Despair: A woman holding her baby cries at her damaged home in Gori Russian planes yesterday bombed the main civilian airport in the capital Tbilisi, which is used by British Airways and other Western airlines.A government official said the Russian air strike appeared to have been aimed at the nearby military airport and an aviation construction plant.'It turns out they hit both military and civilian airports,' the spokesman added.The attack came hours before the arrival of the French foreign minister on a peace mission. 'We don't want the conflict to spread in a region which is extremely volatile and dangerous,' Mr Kouchner told reporters.
Outnumbered: Georgian troops ride on a pick-up truckDespite the attempts of the international community to calm the crisis, Mr Putin was bullish last night, blaming Georgia for creating a 'humanitarian catastrophe'.He appeared on TV listening to two young women from an Ossetian village who claimed that Georgian soldiers herded 50 people into a house and burned them alive.One of them said: 'My friend was a witness of a Georgian tank driving over an elderly woman with two kids.'Putin replied: 'They are completely mad. It's genocide.' He later claimed that Georgia had lost the right to rule the region, implying the Russians were set for a long and probably permanent occupation of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.It is clear that Moscow is intent on severely hampering Georgia's military capability, which has been built up with Western help.Crucial strategic sites in the port of Poti, the city of Gori - staging post to South Ossetia - and around Tbilisi have been taken out by the Russian air force.Worst-hit was the capital of the separatist region, Tskhinvali, but death and devastation was wreaked across the region, as well as in cities in Georgia.
Walking wounded: An injured woman stands next to her bombarded home
Fleeing: Mother and son stare at the carnage as they are evacuatedWestern concerns about Moscow's desire to control the region's oil supply were yesterday gathering strength.While Georgia does not produce oil itself, U.S. and European energy firms have counted on the pro-Western country - sandwiched between Russia and Iran - to host a pipeline for oil and gas exports from Azerbaijan.The head of Azerbaijan's state oil company warned that exports had already been halted via the Georgian ports of Batumi and Kulevi due to the fighting.The announcement came shortly after Russian warplanes staged a raid near the 1,109-mile BTC pipeline, the world's second longest.BP, a partner in this project, was seeking information on the reports.Some analysts believe Russia provoked Georgia's attack on South Ossetia, knowing that the smaller country could not win the resulting conflict.Others say that Moscow was simply drawing a red line around areas with pro-Russian populations which it would not allow to be controlled by pro-Western states.The regions of Ossetia and Abkhazia are culturally and linguistically distinct from Georgia, and broke away from it during brief wars in the early 1990s.
CLAIM AND COUNTERCLAIM: COUNTRIES DEATH TOLLS
RUSSIA
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Sunday that more than 2,000 people, mostly Russian citizens, had died in the conflict zone.
On Saturday Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vyacheslav Kovalenko said at least 2,000 civilians had died in Tskhinvali alone as a result of fighting between Russian and Georgian forces, according to Interfax news agency. He said 13 Russian peacekeepers were killed and up to 70 injured in the fighting.
Sergei Sobyanin, the Russian government chief of staff, said 30,000 South Ossetian refugees had fled to Russia since early on Friday.
GEORGIA
Kakha Lomaia, the National Security Council secretary, said on Sunday that 40 civilians had been killed and more than 200 wounded but gave no details.
A source in the Georgian government told Reuters on Saturday 129 Georgian civilians and military were killed and 748 wounded.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said Russian aerial bombing had killed around 30 Georgian soldiers.SOUTH OSSETIA
South Ossetia's President Eduard Kokoity on Friday said about 1,400 people had died in Tskinvali.



ThreatsWatch has a set of excellent links.

If a vote on Russia's status is scheduled, we might see the promise of a ceasefire kept and a pull back of Russian troops. Pretending that Russia did not just mug Georgia will produce more muggings in the near future.




Georgian Humanitarian Relief

WorldVision is at work in Georgia assisting the huge number of refugees from the Russian aggression. Please consider helping our ally through this very effective relief organizati

Georgia: A Conflict Guide

I wanted to send you this article to explain what is happening in Georgia, Asia. Of course this is a "war and a rumor of a war" and this is also a something we should be watching to see what happens from it.

P.S. It might be interesting to reread our book below. http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/RV/finallyarrives.htm

Will Russia Get Away With It?
By WILLIAM KRISTOL

In August 1924, the small nation of Georgia, occupied by Soviet Russia since 1921, rose up against Soviet rule. On Sept. 16, 1924, The Times of London reported on an appeal by the president of the Georgian Republic to the League of Nations. While “sympathetic reference to his country’s efforts was made” in the Assembly, the Times said, “it is realized that the League is incapable of rendering material aid, and that the moral influence which may be a powerful force with civilized countries is unlikely to make any impression upon Soviet Russia.”

“Unlikely” was an understatement. Georgians did not enjoy freedom again until 1991.Today, the Vladimir Putins and Hu Jintaos and Mahmoud Ahmadinejads of the world — to say nothing of their junior counterparts in places like Sudan, Zimbabwe, Burma and North Korea — are no more likely than were Soviet leaders in 1924 to be swayed by “moral influence.” Dictators aren’t moved by the claims of justice unarmed; aggressors aren’t intimidated by diplomacy absent the credible threat of force; fanatics aren’t deterred by the disapproval of men of moderation or refinement.The good news is that today we don’t face threats of the magnitude of Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union. Each of those regimes combined ruthless internal control, a willingness to engage in external aggression, and fervent adherence to an extreme ideology. Today these elements don’t coexist in one place. Russia is aggressive, China despotic and Iran messianic — but none is as dangerous as the 20th-century totalitarian states.The further good news is that 2008 has been, in one respect, an auspicious year for freedom and democracy. In Iraq, we and our Iraqi allies are on the verge of a strategic victory over the jihadists in what they have called the central front of their struggle. This joint victory has the potential to weaken the jihadist impulse throughout the Middle East.On the other hand, the ability of Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas to get away with murder (literally), and above all the ability of Iran to pursue its nuclear ambitions effectively unchecked, are setbacks for hopes of peace and progress.And there is no evidence that China’s hosting of the Olympics has led to moderation of its authoritarianism. Meanwhile, Russia has sent troops and tanks across an international border, and now seems to be widening its war against Georgia more than its original — and in any case illegitimate — casus belli would justify.Will the United States put real pressure on Russia to stop? In a news analysis on Sunday, the New York Times reporter Helene Cooper accurately captured what I gather is the prevailing view in our State Department: “While America considers Georgia its strongest ally in the bloc of former Soviet countries, Washington needs Russia too much on big issues like Iran to risk it all to defend Georgia.”But Georgia, a nation of about 4.6 million, has had the third-largest military presence — about 2,000 troops — fighting along with U.S. soldiers and marines in Iraq. For this reason alone, we owe Georgia a serious effort to defend its sovereignty. Surely we cannot simply stand by as an autocratic aggressor gobbles up part of — and perhaps destabilizes all of — a friendly democratic nation that we were sponsoring for NATO membership a few months ago.For that matter, consider the implications of our turning away from Georgia for other aspiring pro-Western governments in the neighborhood, like Ukraine’s. Shouldn’t we therefore now insist that normal relations with Russia are impossible as long as the aggression continues, strongly reiterate our commitment to the territorial integrity of Georgia and Ukraine, and offer emergency military aid to Georgia?Incidentally, has Russia really been helping much on Iran? It has gone along with — while delaying — three United Nations Security Council resolutions that have imposed mild sanctions on Iran. But it has also supplied material for Iran’s nuclear program, and is now selling Iran antiaircraft systems to protect military and nuclear installations. It’s striking that dictatorial and aggressive and fanatical regimes — whatever their differences — seem happy to work together to weaken the influence of the United States and its democratic allies. So Russia helps Iran. Iran and North Korea help Syria. Russia and China block Security Council sanctions against Zimbabwe. China props up the regimes in Burma and North Korea.The United States, of course, is not without resources and allies to deal with these problems and threats. But at times we seem oddly timid and uncertain. When the “civilized world” expostulated with Russia about Georgia in 1924, the Soviet regime was still weak. In Germany, Hitler was in jail. Only 16 years later, Britain stood virtually alone against a Nazi-Soviet axis. Is it not true today, as it was in the 1920s and ’30s, that delay and irresolution on the part of the democracies simply invite future threats and graver dangers?


War In Georgia: The Oil Angle
News reports indicate that Russia may have tried to bomb the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which runs through Georgia. If so, the bombs missed, and flow of oil through the pipeline was not interrupted. The BTC pipeline runs from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey; note Russia to the north and Iran to the south:The BTC pipeline runs through Georgia, well south of South Ossetia:The pipeline, in which British Petroleum is the lead partner, can carry up to one million barrels of oil per day. It is of considerable strategic significance, as it is the only means by which countries in the region like Azerbaijan can get their oil into the international market without relying on Russia. The Daily Mail writes:
It is crucial to the world’s volatile energy market and the only oil and gas route that bypasses Russia’s stranglehold on energy exports from the region.In 2002, when the pipeline was being planned, the BBC reported:
BTC is said to be an effective alternative to Russia's pipeline network. ... [O]il experts believe political considerations played a major role in the choice of the route. American officials prefer a route that would weaken Russia's stranglehold on regional pipeline network and leave Iran on the sidelines. Local governments want less dependency on big regional powers, too."This pipeline is of strategic importance not only to Azerbaijan, but to the other new independent states as well", says Ilham Shaban, oil analyst in Baku. "This is a reliable way to the world markets. Take Turkmenistan with its huge resources of natural gas and no access to the world markets. As a result, The Turkmens have to sell their gas 2.5 times cheaper than the world price."Turkmenistan could join a gas pipeline which is likely to be built alongside BTC to the Turkish town of Erzurum.That natural gas pipeline has now been built immediately adjacent to the BTC oil pipeline and is called the South Caucasus Pipeline. It has a capacity of 16 billion cubic meters per year. Plans are now being laid to connect Turkmenistan's vast natural gas reserves to the SCP:
Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are central to the EU’s plans to reduce its energy reliance on Russia which supplies a quarter of Europe’s needs. ... Both the Azeri and Turkmen leaders said they wanted to improve relations and diversify their export routes — a natural move, analysts said. The vast majority of Turkmenistan’s gas currently travels north to Europe through Russia’s network of pipes.Because the BTC pipeline gives the USSR's former breakaway republics a way to deliver their petroleum to the world market without relying on Russia, Russia "steadfastly opposed" its construction, recognizing that "the new conduit stands to severely weaken Russia’s grip on regional energy exports." For these reasons, it would be of enormous strategic benefit to Russia if it could reassert dominance over Georgia, or merely have an opportunity to demonstrate to Turkmenistan and Azerbaijain that any means of getting their petroleum products to market independent of Russia may be unreliable. These issues are a key subtext to Russia's conflict with Georgia and Georgia's desire to join NATO, and otherwise seek protection from the West.One can only imagine the astonishment and glee with which Russia's leaders are observing Nancy Pelosi's nearly hysterical determination to prevent the United States from developing its own oil resources, and the fecklessness of Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama in the face of their aggression against an American ally.UPDATE: This report appears to confirm that Russia has targeted the pipeline:
Deep craters pockmark the landscape south of the Georgian capital Tblisi in a Y-shaped pattern straddling the British-operated pipeline. The attack left two deep holes less than 100 yards either side of a pressure vent on the pipeline. Shrapnel of highly engineered munitions litters the area. There was no visible damage to the pipeline. ...Local police recorded 51 strikes. "I have no doubt they wanted to target the pipeline, there is nothing else here," said Giorgi Abrahamisvili, a policeman who witnessed the attack.To comment on this post, go here.

"Russia has applied unprecedented military power . . . and it is of such amplitude that it would have scared much bigger states," Alexander Lomaia, secretary of Georgia's National Security Council, said in an interview. "This war has changed the whole system of values of pro-Western, liberal-minded people. I don't want to be a bad prophet, but why would Russia stop here? There are other countries where Russia thinks it has a claim to territory."

Azazel

I wanted to send you this article which talks about a novel which is based on the demon mentioned in Leviticus 16 that we make note of during the Day of Atonement. An interesting point is that the people who are most immediately affected by the novel's errors are willing to discuss them rather than burn copies and threaten authors. I hope you find this interesting.

Egypt: Muslim scholar writes novel defaming Copts, ChristianityCopts, however, did not mimic their Muslim counterparts' reactions when "offended" (or just in general) --- including rioting, attacking Copts, churches, monks, and abducting young Coptic girls, forcing them to convert."Muslim scholar's novel angers Coptic Church," by Ramadan al Sherbini for Gulf News, August 10:
Cairo: Since published last month, Azazel, a novel by professor of Islamic philosophy Yousuf Zidan has been panned by Coptic clerics as unfair and offensive to Christianity.
"Zaidan's book seeks to persuade readers that the Azazel story is true and was found in ancient scrolls written in Syrianic and Aramiyan languages," Bishop Abdul Massih Bassiut, a theology scholar, told Gulf News. Azazel refers to the chief of goat-demons to whom most primitive Semitic tribes offered sacrifices. The controversial novel is set in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria in the fourth century when the city experienced a turbulent era of shifting from polytheism to Christianity."The author tries to Islamise Christian beliefs and takes the side of heretics," added Bishop Bassiut.He has disclosed that two Church lawyers are examining the book at the request of Pope Shenouda III, the top Coptic cleric, before deciding on the next move. "We will not demand the book be banned or take the author to court. But there will be a rebuttal of the fallacies mentioned in the book," added Bassiut.In other words, Copts will not riot and destroy, but simply, through logic, address the book's fallacies, showing where it errs. Would that only Muslims did the same thing! Whenever someone points out those "problematic" verses or hadiths, instead of retaliating with rage and violence --- not to mention accusations of "Islamophobia" --- if only Islam's ulema would simply respond and show how we infidels are "misunderstanding" what their texts plainly declare.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/022163.php#comments

Chinese Sabbath Keepers

http://www.ucg.org/
http://www.2008olympics.com/


I wanted to let you know about a group of Chinese Sabbath Keepers that almost numbered 50 million people in the 1800's! This might have been the numerically largest group of Sabbath Keeping Christians in history. Anyway, if you want to get the book about them from the library or the bookstore, the link is here http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/62321030&referer=brief_results and the group was called the Ti-Ping. This book was refered to me in an article about Chinese Sabbath Keepers by Herman Hoeh, who was a minister in the Worldwide Church of God in the 1990's. I do hope you find this interesting.

The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers . . .
Here is disclosed one of the most ASTOUNDING episodes of history. It is like reliving the experiences of the judges and prophets of old! (COGwriter electronic version--all rights reserved)
by Herman L. Hoeh
London, EnglandFOR SEVEN years I have wanted to write this little-known inspiring drama of human experience. Until now I have never been able to uncover all the records which I knew must exist.
Thanks to the British Museum Library and sellers of rare oriental books in London, I am able to give you these facts from the records.
The Mystery Begins
This dramatic account commences with the year 1813. It begins in a small village some little distance from the important city of Canton, China. Here the chief character in the drama, Hung-sui-tshuen, was born. For ease of pronunciation, I shall call him Hung.
Hung came from a royal family. His father and mother, as well as many other relatives, had previously fled to South China as a result of the Manchu invasion.
By the time Hung was 16 he had become proficient in the usual course of Chinese education. At 18 years of age he was appointed schoolmaster of his native village by unanimous acclamation of the townspeople.
Five years later he was given a set of books. Translated into English, the title of these books was “Good Words for Exhorting the Age.” At the time, the books appeared of little value to Hung.
The next year, 1837, Hung lost an advancement in his scholastic rank because his Manchu superiors were jealous of his ability and fearful of his ancestral background. This loss so upset him that he became quite ill.
The Manchus, remember, were Mongolian warlords who seized China-now they are the Communist overlords who rule China.
During the period of recuperation, Hung had an extraordinary vision. A record of the vision is preserved in Theodore Hamberg’s booklet, “The Visions of Hung-sui-tshuen.” Hamberg was a missionary of the Basle Evangelical Society to China (a Swiss institution).
In the vision Hung was seemingly transported to the presence of a great Sovereign Ruler. There he was confronted by an old woman-women at that time were regarded lower than animals- who said to him, “Thou dirty man, why hast thou kept company with yonder people and defiled thyself? I must now wash thee clean.” He was then, in vision, taken to a river and washed in the water. After this he was conducted into a large building where his heart and other inward parts were removed and replaced by new ones! Then he was given a sword, a seal, and fruit to eat which he found sweet to his palate.
Upon awakening, he was astounded at the vision, but could not determine its meaning. When Hung fully regained his health, he began to reform his conduct as best he knew.
Hung-sui-tshuen continued as a village schoolmaster for several years more, giving the vision no further thought. Then, one day, his cousin Le searched through Hung’s bookcase and noted the unusual contents of the volumes “Good Words for Exhorting the Age.” In themwere a number of whole chapters of the Bible, according to the translation of a Dr. Morison; many sermon-essays on varied Bible texts; and other statements founded on Scripture.
Le told his cousin Hung what he had found. Hung then began to look through the books which had lain untouched on the bookshelves for seven long years. He was amazed to find that in the quoted chapters from the Bible there was a partial explanation of the vision he hadreceived six years before.
Discovering the Bible
In those parts of the Scripture which he possessed, Hung found the Heavenly Father described-the great Sovereign Ruler revealed in his vision years before. Then he read of Jesus, the “elder brother of many brethren.” In our versions it Is rendered: “the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29 ) . He learned that Jesus was sent as Saviour and as messenger. He read that one needs to repent and be baptized to obtain the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 38 ) . From these verses he understood the meaning of being washed in water and of having his heart and inward parts renewed.
Hung and his cousin Le then baptized one another. They prayed to God, promised not to worship evil spirits, and cast away their idols. Hung, being a literary man, composed poetic verses to explain his conversion to his friends:
"When our transgressions high as heavens riseHow well to trust in Jesus’ full atonement;We follow not the demons, we obey the holy precepts,Worshipping alone one God.”
After destroying his idols in the little school in which he taught, Hung and his few friends were forced to flee into the interior of China. He preached what little he knew as he journeyed into the south-central provinces of China. Once again he became a school teacher (between1845 and 1546).
Visits a Missionary
At the close of 1846 Hung journeyed to Canton after hearing that a Christian missionary from the West resided there. He studied there under Mr. Roberts, the missionary, for almost a month, and read new portions of the Bible. Young missionaries from abroad, also studyingunder Mr. Roberts, were jealous of Hung’s talents and earnestness. They brought about his removal! Hung left the city somewhat saddened.
Returning to south-central China, Hung found that the number of villagers who listened to him and were baptized soon numbered almost 2000. They had to form congregations among themselves, and became known as “the congregations of the worshippers of God.” For short,they were dubbed "God- worshippers."
Continuous study of the Bib!e convinced Hung that his people should not smoke tobacco or opium-which the British were selling to the Chinese-that they should refrain from intoxicating drinks except under special circumstances, and that the Sabbath should beobserved on the seventh day. The missionaries were quite displeased about the fact that “the Sabbath is observed not upon the same day as in Europe, theirs being the Saturday of our reckoning.”
Hung further noticed that Jesus didn‘t rise: on Sunday morning, but “three days after his death ’!
In reading the Old Testament books of Moses-the books of the prophets were not available to him in Chinese-Hung was convinced that God had given His people a calendar. The only different calendar of which Hung knew was the Roman calendar brought to China by theJesuits. Since the Jesuit Catholics claimed to be Christians, and used the Bible, he thought they also must have the God-givencalendar. He adopted It. Consequently, he could not understand the annual festivals of God, which are based upon the Sacred Calendar.
Think, for a moment, of the earnestness of these Gentile folk who lacked large portions of God’s revelations. How thankful we ought to be to have the entire Word of God whenever we need to use it. And remember, most of those whom Hung baptized could not even read Chinese! They had to be taught orally each Sabbath-and that mainly from the Old Testament.
The Marriage Ceremony
The number of new converts steadily grew. Marriage ceremonies had to be performed. Hung examined the Bible and found the answer! Here is a description of their ceremony:
“When the bridal party are all met together, they proceed to the church . . . and after many prayers and a severe examination of the bride and bridegroom’s theological tenets, THE MINISTER JOINS THEIR RIGHTS HANDS TOGETHER, and when each have acceptedthe other, pronounces a concluding benediction. . . . Divorce is not only not permitted, but actually unknown or thought of.” (From Lin-Le’s book, Ti-Ping Tien-Kwoh, page 317).
How exactly like the marriage ceremonies God has ordained in His Church today!
Does not this demonstrate the guidance of God?
Beside these changes, the Chinese converts of Hung ceased to practice the binding of women’s feet, began to lay aside the custom of polygamy, ceased to deal in the slave trade, and became obedient to the laws of God as revealed to Israel through Moses.
In order to be converted, they taught as follows:
“They”-the converts--“must kneel down in God’s presence, and ask Him to forgive their sins.” Following baptism, the form of which Hung did not understand perfectly. “they must continue daily to supplicate Divine favour, and the Holy Spirit’s assistance to renew their hearts, saying grace at every meal, keeping holy the Sabbath day, and OBEYING ALL GOD’S COMMANDMENTS, especially avoiding idolatry. They may then be accounted the children of God. . . .” (From Lin-Le s book, page 315.)
The Next Great Step
To begin with, Hung and his converts were not fully acquainted with the instructions found in the New Testament. They had to be guided mainly by Moses’ instruction found in thc law. But notice what they did:
When the prosperity and learning of the God-worshippers was noised about the countryside, many in distress sought the protection of these Sabbathkeepers. Whole families of afflicted and destitute came to them, as well as outlaws who fled from the power of the oppressiveManchu dynasty. Once again Hung looked into the Bible. He saw the example of David. “And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him (David) ; and he became a captain over them” (I Sam. 22:2).
Hung therefore became a captain over his fellow Chinese He instructed them according to Moses’ law and punished offenders accordingly. These Chinese malcontents, like those of David, were not converts, but merely willing to do as Hung instructed because they disliked the Manchu overlords.
Next, Hung remembered the sword that he had seen in the vision. He read in the Bible of “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon” (Judges 7:14, 20). He felt responsible for his people as did the judges in Israel of old.
Here is what Dr. Bridgeman wrote of the next turn of events: “Their government is a theocracy, the development apparently of what is believed by them to be a new dispensation. As in the case of the Israelites under Moses, they regard themselves as directed by one whohas been raised up by the Almighty to be the executor of His will on earth.” (Page 211 of Lin-Le’s work.)
By 1851 the malcontents had increased by tens of thousands. They proclaimed Hung-sui-tshuen the ruler of a new dynasty administering a heavenly or Celestial Kingdom. Hung tried to follow the pattern of David and Solomon, mentioned in I Chron. 29:29: “Then Solomonsat upon the throne of the Eternal, as king instead of David his father, and prospered.”
The new dynasty was entitled the“Tai-ping,” meaning the kingdom of“our Sovereign,” the One who created heaven and earth.
The malcontents, to protect their domain, were at first conscripted for defense. Then Hung read in the law what Moses said: “When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies” the enemies of the Tai-pings already persecuted them for religious and politicalreasons-“the officers shall speak unto the people, saying: What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house . . . What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house” (Deut. 20: 1, 5 , 8 ) . Hung therefore made army service a voluntary matter!
The soldiers were instructed to pay the country people for whatever food and clothing they required on their journeys. Vast areas of China were freed from the Manchu oppressors. By 1860 the movement gained such power that it attracted international recognition. Several thousands became faithful converts and upwards of 50,000,000 Chinese were living in prosperity and at peace under the Tai-ping administration of God’s laws.
The Hand of the Jesuits
In abolishing the idols of the country, the Tai-pings naturally destroyed the images of Mary and the saints, as well as those of the Buddhists. The ire of the Jesuits was aroused. They persuaded the French forces in China to support the ruling Manchu dynasty with whom they had previously been quarrelling.
Next, the British and American missionaries- who had obtained barely 1500 converts through years of work-were jealous of the fact that so many people were turning to the truth without their missionary activity. The missionaries began a deliberate campaign to malign the Tai-ping. They accused them of rejecting the Bible, of denying Jesus Christ, of wanton slaughter of innocent victims. The true reports of honest missionaries were squelched! British commercial agents, interested in selling opium to the Chinese, became fearful of the loss of revenue.
REMEMBER THIS WAS THE ERA OF THE OPIUM WARS-when foreigners, particularly the British, were seeking to dominate China by forcing them to buy opium.
The British and other foreign elements forced the Manchus to sign treaties legalizing the opium trade. This placed the armies of the Tai-pings in a serious predicament. The British assured the Chinese revolutionists that they would remain neutral and only protect British property from destruction. In reality the British sent arms to the Manchus, and the Manchus imported arms in ships flying the American flag!
During all this time the converts of Hung were publishing the Bible as best they could. Time and again they implored their Christian White Brethren across the sea to send them missionaries to instruct them better. Most missionaries refused to go.
What a condemnation of our people- Israel-the people chosen for a job we have refused to perform! When our people could have brought the truth, they refused to do so. And when we did send missionaries, they brought nothing but a Babel of confusion to the Gentiles.
A Plea Refused
The Tai-ping also sought to trade with the British. They sent an army to Shanghai to open negotiations with their professing Christian white brethren. Said the leader of the Tai-ping regiments to the British, American, Portuguese and other foreigners in Shanghai: “I came to Shanghai to make a treaty in order to see us connected together by trade and commerce; I did not come for the purpose of fighting with you. Had I at once commenced to attack the city and kill the people, that would have been the same as the members of one family fightingamong themselves.” (Page 283 of Lin-Le’s work.)
Remember that these Chinese did not know the kind of Christianity professed by the Western World!
The extract, which I have just quoted from a longer letter, was sent to the foreign authorities in Shanghai for the following reason: When the Tai-ping, who assumed the British were neutral, came to Shanghai, they were fired upon by the British. According to a correspondentof the North China Herald,“They [the Chinese Tai-pings] waved [he hand, begged our officers not to fire, and stood there motionless, wishing to open communications and explain their object! ’’
Retreating for safety, the Tai-pings encountered a missionary, Mr. Milne. In order not to have him injured in any battle, they sent guards with him to the city of Shanghai. After delivering Mr. Milne safely to his white brethren, the guards were shot down by British soldiersupon the city well!
A Great Mistake
Hung could not understand the action of the Christian nations from across the sea. In sorrow he withdrew from all contact with foreigners, bur continued to study the Bible with the faithful.
He permitted his commanders to disperse their armies throughout the walled cities of his domain. The Manchus had been badly defeated and no attack was expected. This-plus a miscalculation of the British and French intentions-proved disastrous.
Although the official government statements from abroad implied that England would remain neutral, the actual deeds perpetrated against the Chinese demonstrated the opposite. The British marshalled the Manchus against the Tai-pings and gradually brought about their retreat and downfall. This short article cannot contain all the information which competent historians have amassed. But, as Gladstone, the British Prime Minister, once said, this action will go down as one of the blackest marks in history against Britain.
As a result of foreign intrigue, the Manchu army and religious persecution, these Chinese Sabbathkeepers, including Hung, perished for their faith. Long after the death of those faithful Chinese to whom God revealed a measure of His truth, the malcontents who had associated with them arose again in rebellion against the Manchus. They called themselves “The Righteous Fists of Harmony”-or “Boxers.” Their rebellion- the Boxer rebellion-was aimed at the foreigners and especially missionaries. But the Sabbath and God’s lawshad long been forgotten by them.
WHY Communism Engulfs China Today
We are reaping the reward of our sins in China today! To the carnal Chinese the European nations seemed unprincipled liars, devoid of every virtue recognized by men! From that time on the spread of the Word of God among the Chinese met with little success. No wonder Communism has engulfed the country.
When thinking of the fate of those Sabbathkeeping Chinese and their ignorant comrades who sought their protection, I am reminded of Paul’s exhortation in Hebrews: “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, andof Jephthae, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness . . . waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens. . . . And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds andimprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. . . . (Of whom the world was NOT WORTHY)” (Hebrews 11 : 32-38.)
How unworthy the world is may be understood by the deliberate falsity of recorded history in describing the Tai-Ping Rebellion.
Missionaries and politicians alike have accused them of committing acts of which only the enemies of the Tai-pings were guilty. The Tai-pings were maligned just as David and his followers were.
Thanks to the cooperation of British booksellers and librarians I am able to give you these true facts now.

The most important summary of this drama of human experience-the book which is the basis for this little-known record-was written by a white man who used a Chinese name, Lin-Le. The work is entitled “Ti Ping Tien Kwoh, the History of the Ti Ping Revolution.” It was published in 1866 in London.
Here is a lesson we must never forget!
How we ought to appreciate what we know of God’s Word! And to realize that this drama was occurring in far-off China when God’s people in America were splitting up as the dying branches of the Sardis Church Era!
Our own people-Israelites, God’s chosen-refused to restore the truth they received. Our great denominations followed the path of the opium-peddling businessmen. But the Chinese, for 200 years in bondage to the Manchus, looked to the Word of God as best they knew.“Their laws were framed and already constituted when the New Testament”- in its fulness-“came into their hands.” (From page 152.)
Perhaps we can now realize the FULL WEIGHT of our responsibility in carrying out the gospel‘of the Kingdom of God to all nations. God has chosen us-His faithful few in an Israel filled with sin -to carry the LIGHT through radio, television and the printing press to thosewho abide in darkness.
Hoeh Herman L. The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers. Good News Magazine, December 1955, pp.5-7.

Questions for Candidates

If you have been watching the news about the U.S. Presidential Election, you might find the article below interesting. Of course the coming King of the Kingdom of God will do more for us than any candidate, which puts Him above politics, and if you haven't reread it recently, now is a good time to reread Jesus Christ: The Real Story http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/JC/

15 Questions Rick Warren Should Ask Obama and McCain
Gregg JacksonThursday, August 07, 2008
Pastor Rick Warren, author of the “Purpose Driven Life,” will be hosting a “Compassion Forum” August 16th at Saddleback Church in California in which he will be asking questions to both presidential candidates Senators Obama and McCain. According to a recent NY Times article, Mr. Warren was quoted as saying:“Since I’m their friend, I’m not going to give them any gotcha questions,” Mr. Warren said, adding that a typical query would be, “What’s the most difficult decision you’ve had to make, and how did you make it?”Setting aside for the moment the fact that we as Christians have a solemn obligation to speak prophetically to the world about Christ and His Word even if what we say makes our “friends” uncomfortable, as a Christian, interested in knowing specifically where the candidates stand on issues in relation to their Christian faith, not only do I want to know what the most difficult decisions they’ve had to make are, but how their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His Word actually informed and influenced those decisions. The “Compassion Forum” will focus on global poverty, HIV, and the environment, which are all issues that should be of concern to all Christians. But I hope that Mr. Warren will also pose questions regarding the great social and cultural issues of our time including abortion, embryonic stem cell research, same-sex “marriage,” and the mainstreaming of homosexuality. People can watch turn on any of the mainstream networks for non-threatening softball questions for the candidates. Mr. Warren should use his forum as an opportunity to ask the difficult and challenging questions not often heard in a presidential campaign. This may be his last opportunity before it becomes a “hate crime” to do so.Here are some questions I suggest Mr. Warren asks candidates Obama and McCain:
1. For both candidates: What is truth? Who is truth? And Is that truth transcendent and applicable at all times to everyone regardless of their impulses, behavioral preferences, desires, wants, nationality, ethnicity, religious dogma, gender, race, etc?
2. Sen. Obama, you have said you are personally pro-life but in favor of abortion rights up to and even including after delivery in some cases. Why are you pro-life personally if an abortion doesn't actually kill a baby in her mother's womb? Also, do you think Jesus would be in favor of abortion? Why or why not?
3. Sen. McCain, you claim to be personally pro-life as well. Why? And if you believe that abortion always ends the life of the developing baby in her mother's womb, why would it be ok for individual states to legalize killing babies? Don't our nation's founding documents the Declaration of Independence ("life, liberty, pursuit of happiness") and Constitution (5th and 14th Amendments) guarantee the right to life that no individual state can violate?
4. Sen. Obama, Do you believe that homosexual behavior, as God says in His Word, is unnatural, deviant, and self-destructive? As a follow-up, some have said that we shouldn't worry about homosexuality because Jesus never said anything about it specifically. Well, in case you're planning on going down the same Scriptural-ignorant road, Jesus never spoke about crack cocaine, racism, and suicide, either. So are those things okay? And the Gospel of John says that in the beginning was the Word, that the Word became flesh, and that the Word was Jesus Himself. So, since "all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable" the entire Bible is about Jesus, and that's the same Jesus that affirmed marriage as one man and one woman in the Gospels as well. Therefore, as a Christian how do you find yourself on the opposite end of an issue from Jesus?
5. Sen. McCain, You said of same-sex marriage: "I think that gay marriage should be allowed if there's a ceremony kind of thing, if you wanna call it that, I don't have any problem with that." Do you stand by that statement, as you have also stated that you personally oppose same-sex "marriage?" You don't offer a section on your website dedicated to this issue, which continues to make national headlines. And it's also making headlines in your own state. Recently, Dr. James Dobson expressed regret that you weren't more public in your support for a marriage initiative in your state, and since you support individual states' rights to defend the institution of marriage, do you agree with Dr. Dobson that you haven't been forthright enough on this issue?6. Sen. McCain, The California Supreme Court here in California recently postulated that limiting marriage between one man and one woman was unconstitutional. Shortly thereafter you appeared on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" and didn't respond to Ellen's comment that she could "now legally get married." You have said that issues such as abortion and marriage should be decided via the voters of the individual states. Since the voters in California already voted to define marriage in 2000 (by 61%) as the legal union of one man and one woman, and since that voter approved statute has not changed and can't unless revoked by the people themselves, why did you not remind Ellen that "gay marriage" isn't legal in California because the courts' declaratory opinion, containing no court order, hasn't changed the current marriage statute which does not include any provision for members of the same sex to marry?
7. Sen. Obama, Jesus repeatedly says in the Bible that He is the only source and giver of eternal life. (John 5:21-25, John 6:40, John 14:6, john 17:3, John 6:22, Acts 4:12, Acts 10:42-43, 1 Tim 2;5-6, 1 John 5:11-12, Rev 7:9-12). Yet as a Christian you have stated that there are many sources of truth and eternal life and that even non-Christians go to heaven. How do you reconcile your view that there are many ways to achieve eternal life in Heaven with what Jesus said (i.e. that He is the only way)?
8. Sen. McCain, during an interview with Charles Gibson on "Good Morning America," President Bush was asked: "Do Christians and non-Christians and Muslims go to heaven in your mind?" Bush replied, "Yes, they do. We have different routes of getting there..." Do you agree with President Bush? Do Christians and non-Christians and Muslims go to heaven in your mind? What is the source of your opinion on this matter?
9. Sen. Obama, you support federal sexual orientation non-discrimination laws and if elected would sign the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Under that law, religious organizations and churches would have to hire cross dressers and transvestites, for example, or face criminal fines and prosecution. Why should a church like ours that believes, based on what the Scriptures say, that homosexuality is a perversion of God's natural law, be forced by the government to hire practicing homosexuals or face criminal charges?
10. Question for both: Can we ever expect God's divine protection and blessings in this country if we continue to kill 4,000 babies per day?
11. Question for both: What specific Bible verses are most encouraging to you that sustain you in times of personal crisis?
12. Question for both: 2 Timothy 3:16 states that “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Do you agree that every word of the Bible is the inerrant, authoritative, infallible word of God? If not, how do you determine what is God breathed and what isn’t?
13. Question for both: What has your personal salvation meant to you in your life? Who is Jesus in your life?
14. Question for both: How much will reading God's word and daily prayer influence what you do in the Oval Office if elected?
15. Questions for both: What is the message of the Gospel?
www.townhall.com

Down 11% !!

Illegal Immigrants Down 11 PercentMatt PurpleThursday, July 31, 2008When senators tried to pass a “comprehensive immigration bill” last June that would have established a guest worker program for illegal immigrants, many conservatives decried the legislation as amnesty and demanded that the border be secured first.
According to a new study, their outrage may have paid off.
A compilation of data by the Center for Immigration Studies released Wednesday found that since the immigration bill failed to pass the Senate last June, the number of estimated illegal immigrants in the country has declined from about 12.5 million to about 11.2 million, an 11 percent reduction.
This decline began in August 2007, less than two months after the legislation was voted down, and followed a sudden spike in the number of illegal immigrants in the country, which had started in March 2007.
The study measured only Hispanic immigrants ages 18-40 with a high school degree or less of education. Two-thirds of illegal immigrants fit this profile, according to the CIS.
Meanwhile, the population of legal immigrants experienced no decline and has actually grown steadily since June 2007.
“This is the first actual data that demonstrates that something is, in fact, happening here,” said Mark Krikorian, executive director at the CIS.
The study found that the change resulted primarily from illegal immigrants leaving the country to return to Mexico.
Steve Camarada, the director of research at CIS, said that the two most likely factors responsible for this out-migration were increased border enforcement and the lagging economy. But immigrant unemployment rates remained steady until December 2007, long after the exodus of illegal immigrants had begun.
In the past, waves of immigrants leaving the country had always followed spikes in immigrant unemployment, according to Camarada.
Therefore, the recent migration could only be attributed to stepped-up border enforcement, he said.
The CIS compiled its data from the United States Census Bureau, the Pew Foundation, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Rep. Tom Feeny (R-Fla.) credited this trend to the failure of last year’s immigration bill to become law.
“The lesson here is: illegal immigrants aren’t stupid. If you attempt to pass legislation to give them amnesty, they will take advantage of what you’re giving them,” he said.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R- Ala.), a vigorous opponent of legalization for aliens, agreed.
“I think the numbers that are shown here show that the illegal immigrants that come to this country are highly mobile. They can come and they can go,” he said.

China & Christians 2008 Olympics

I wanted to send this article to show how things are in China for anyone that calls him or herself a Christian. China does still call itself a Communist country, and Karl Marx did say that "all religion is the opium of the people." Anyway, I thought you might find this interesting. If you want more background on events in China this year, click here http://brianleesblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/china-olympics-and-visas.html.


Prayer support is crucial to those who suffer for their faith in Jesus. Please use these alerts to prompt your own prayers, and to facilitate prayer in your church and other Christian meetings. Please also send it on to other Christians. This information can also be reproduced in church magazines and news bulletins, provided the source is acknowledged. SPECIAL 31-DAY PRAYER FOCUS ON CHINAThe world is training its gaze on Beijing, waiting for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games this Friday. Away from the cameras, China’s unregistered church is bracing itself for yet more persecution – as the government ratchets up its crackdown on so-called ‘illegal religious activities’. In this special edition of 7x7, Release International (RI) invites you to join with Christians worldwide in a month-long strategic prayer campaign focused on China. For the next month, we will be interceding for policy reform and Christian revival in this vast communist nation, standing with the persecuted church and asking God to extend His kingdom there. We offer here a prayer a day for 31 days – you choose when to begin your own prayer campaign.Day 1The Sichuan earthquake in May caused the death of some 69,195 people. Despite the scale of the tragedy, the Chinese government refused to allow house churches to send donations to the relief effort: some house church members were even arrested for trying to help in the quake zone. Please pray that the Chinese government will change its hostile attitude towards these Christians and let them engage in charity work.Day 2The Chinese authorities appear to be waging a concerted campaign of persecution against the ethnic minority Uyghur Christians of Xinjiang province, north-west China. Most Uyghurs are Muslim. Several Christians have been arrested on suspicion of separatist sympathies or leaking state secrets recently, including Alimjan Yimit. In May a judge sent Alimjan’s case back to the Public Security Bureau due to insufficient evidence – but Alimjan remains in detention. Pray for Alimjan’s swift release.Day 3On 2 July, 2008, house church leader and Christian rights activist Hua Huiqi was evicted from his rented home in Beijing. Officials broke into the apartment with a hammer and threw the family, including Hua’s 90-year-old father, into the street with their furniture. Hua’s brother suffered serious injury to his eye when officers beat him. The government is rumoured to want to detain Hua during the Olympic Games: he was jailed for six months last year. Pray for a new home for Hua’s family and for their safety.Day 4Shuang Shuying, the elderly mother of Beijing house church leader Hua Huiqi, is serving two years in jail – apparently because the authorities want to force Hua to give up his human rights and church work. She was accused of ‘damaging government property’ when she protested over being arrested with her son last year. Her health is frail: pray that God will uphold and strengthen her and make her a powerful witness for Christ in jail.• RI continues to campaign for Shuang Shuying’s release. To join our campaign, view our one-minute video alert at: www.releaseinternational.org/current (scroll down to view). Pass it on to friends too.Day 5In January 2008, Beijing bookstore owner and house church leader Shi Weihan was arrested on suspicion of printing illegal Christian materials. He has been illegally held in a detention centre in Beijing for nearly five months without formal charge or trial. Shi’s family members have not been allowed to visit him or send him the medication he needs for severe diabetes. Pray for Shi’s release. Ask God to keep him in good health and to comfort his family.Day 6Thank God for the powerful witness of a house church in Beijing whose members’ homes were raided recently by officials. Despite their ill-treatment, Christians pronounced a blessing over officials and shook their hands after the raid. Pray that this powerful Christian witness will touch the hearts of these officers and open their eyes to their own brutality.Day 7In June 2008, senior house church leader Zhang Mingxuan was detained for several hours – to prevent him from meeting with an EU official in Beijing. Officials closed down his orphanage early this year; Zhang’s family have been forced to move home more than ten times since Christmas. The government reportedly wants to move the family out of Beijing. Pray for strength and courage for Pastor Zhang, his family and four orphans living with them. Ask God to provide them with a permanent home.Day 8In the last year Chinese police have detained some 600 Christians and sentenced 38 of them to more than a year in prison. Please pray that the Lord will grant His strength, His comfort and His wisdom to those in prison for their faith. Pray that they will remain faithful and be salt and light to their fellow prisoners. Day 9In May, the government held a conference on ‘administering Christian gatherings’ in Beijing. Recently, many house churches have had Sunday services interrupted by local policemen, and some landlords have been forced to stop renting out their property to Christians for worship meetings. Please pray that house churches in Beijing will find new places to worship. Pray that their leaders’ hearts will be on fire for God, despite regular harassment.Day 10Government leaders from across the globe are attending the Beijing Olympics. Please pray that these senior politicians will urge the Chinese government to improve its religious rights record, particularly in its dealings with the unregistered house church movement.Day 11Liu Huiwen from Gansu province is serving 18 months in jail for handing out Christian leaflets at a Muslim wedding in April 2007 and so ‘insulting ethnic minorities’. He is said to be suffering bullying and abuse in a prison full of Muslims. Pray for Liu and his family: his wife Miao Hui Lian has been under police surveillance since she complained about Liu’s ill-treatment.Day 12Despite the authorities’ determination to keep a tight rein on house churches in Beijing, the Olympic Village will have a prayer centre for athletes. Please pray that Christian athletes will be bold in sharing their testimonies and the gospel with their fellow Chinese athletes and others involved in the Games.Day 13Even a year ago, there were rumours that government agents had infiltrated every house church in Beijing to keep watch on their activities and, presumably, root out pastors considered to be ‘troublemakers’. This news must have bred distrust between house church members, with suspicion focused especially on newcomers. Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would help unite His family in churches which have been under intense pressure for months.Day 14Many poorly built school buildings collapsed during the Sichuan earthquake in May, killing many pupils. Due to China’s one-child policy, many parents lost their only child in the tragedy. Some held silent protests outside courtrooms, calling for justice, but were beaten by police or even arrested. Ask the Lord to use His people to bring comfort, friendship and hope to the bereaved.Day 15Many Christians in Beijing are volunteering to help in the smooth running of the Olympics, because they have a heart to share the gospel through their service. Please pray that God will give them courage and wisdom to share their faith. Day 16Daniel Ng and his wife are Australian citizens who own a large company in China. Since August 2007, they have been barred from leaving the country and their assets have been frozen. Their firm was shut down by the authorities amid allegations of illegal religious activities – based on the fact that the company has a Christian ethos. Please pray for God’s protection for Daniel and his wife. Pray too that the Lord will raise up more Christian business leaders to bring His light into the business community. Day 17In May 2008, a prominent house church leader from the Uyghur community, Luo Yuanqi, was detained in Xinjiang province on charges of ‘inciting separatism’. He has been badly abused in custody. Pray for physical and spiritual healing for Luo and ask God to bless his ministry.Day 18It is illegal in China to share the gospel with people under the age of 18. Many churches do not have an active Sunday School programme and some do not recognise the importance of children’s ministry. On 28 February, 2008, 11 children in Xinjiang were detained for a day when they were caught attending a children’s Bible study. Pray that more churches will catch the vision for teaching children to grow up following Christ.Day 19Many churches had property and land confiscated by the communist regime in the 1950s – and many congregations are still pressing for this property to be returned. The Chinese authorities have resisted this. In Fanzhi, Shanxi, a pastor and several other Christians were injured recently when they remonstrated with builders redeveloping land which had belonged to them before the government seized it. Pray for justice to be done for these churches’ sake.Day 20The Chinese administration under President Hu Jintao has the stated aim of creating a ‘harmonious society’. Please pray that Hu Jintao and his ministers will be more open-minded about Christians and recognise the contribution they already make to social harmony by being good citizens. Day 21Chinese constitutional law grants citizens the right of religious freedom, yet many house church members do not know how to summon this right in defending themselves against allegations of ‘illegal’ religious activity. Christian lawyers are starting to educate Christians about their constitutional rights and have helped bring several successful lawsuits as a result. Ask God to protect these Christian lawyers and their families as they undertake this high-risk work.Day 22China has been fiercely criticised over its harsh repatriation policy for North Korean refugees found in its territories. North Koreans repatriated from China – about 4,000 a year – are reported to face brutal treatment as defectors, even execution. Pray that China will recognise the brutality of the Pyongyang regime and scrap its repatriation policy.• RI has just launched a new campaign urging China to end its policy of repatriating North Korean refugees. Join us by gathering signatures on a petition which can be downloaded at: www.releaseinternational.org/current Day 23Missionaries to China have done much to build her church and spread the gospel. The Beijing Olympics will bring more than 500,000 foreigners into China. Pray that among these visitors will be some who are called to work with the church in China and extend God’s kingdom in the nation.Day 24Against a backdrop of persecution and suffering, misunderstanding and lack of communication have sometimes conspired to cause rifts between different Chinese house church movements. Please pray for unity between these movements. Pray that church leaders will work together to spread the gospel.Day 25Pastor Zhang Zhongxin was sentenced to two years at a labour camp in Shandong province recently for belonging to an ‘evil cult’. He had a varied ministry, which ranged from training to preaching, over a wide geographical area. Pray that Pastor Zhang will be able to continue his ministry during his detention.Day 26College students who turn to Christ on campus face worldly pressures once they step out into the workplace – particularly during China’s economic downturn this year. There is an urgent need for church workers to disciple these new Christians and keep in touch with them as they leave campus. Pray that God will raise up good and faithful servants to minister to these young people.Day 27Some house church leaders are misinterpreting the Bible and leaving their families behind to serve the Lord. They want to respond to China’s urgent need for Christian ministers – but they may pay a heavy personal price: family breakdown. Pray that church leaders in China will find the right balance between family priorities and spreading the good news.Day 28Cai Zhuohua, a house church pastor from Beijing, was jailed between 2004 and 2007 for distributing Bibles for free in poor areas where people could not access Bibles or could not afford them. The Chinese government recently held an exhibition in the US to try to prove that China not only has sufficient Bibles but is a major exporter of them. Pray that God will provide sufficient Bibles to meet the needs of believers in China.Day 29Jiang Zongxiu, 34, was beaten to death in 2004 for carrying Scriptures: she left behind an eight-year-old son. Her family is still waiting for justice: Jiang’s body has not been returned to her family and her attackers have not been punished. Pray that Jiang’s family will be comforted by the love of Christ and will see justice done. Day 30Despite its recent economic downturn, China is the world’s fastest-growing economy – a position which carries considerable political clout. Pray that, while much of the international community courts this emerging superpower, nations of influence will continue to put pressure on Beijing to clean up its human rights record in the future.Day 31The Beijing Olympics have inspired churches and believers all over the world to pray for China. Pray that this prayer campaign will gather momentum and that the Lord will bring revival to the nation of China. Source: China Aid Association. RI’S NEWS WEBCAST:Have you seen RI’s ground-breaking online news bulletin World Update on the Persecuted Church? This regular bulletin brings you face-to-face with the overcoming church with stories, video and pictures. It’s an indispensable resource for church services or prayer and home groups – and is now going out on three TV channels: Genesis and Revelation on Sky, and the Omega Channel in South Africa. It’s also available on our website: www.releaseinternational.org/pages/downloads/world-update-webcast.phpPERSECUTED CHRISTIANS NEED YOU!Release International (RI) wants to recruit volunteers from around the UK and Ireland to represent the needs of persecuted Christians to their churches. Could you be a Church Rep? Your core role would be to receive and disseminate information, and encourage prayerful support for RI’s ministry within your church. How you develop the role depends on the amount of time you have to give. Church Reps are a vital part of the RI team. Please consider prayerfully if you can join us – and pray that many others will take on this role too. To find out more, ring Gene on 01689 823491.
Through our international network of missions, Release International serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families; supplying Christian literature and Bibles; and working for justice.
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