Listener Responses from China

Topics this month: Witchcraft, evangelism, false teachings, church problems, persecution

I need your opinion on witchcraft

I converted to the Christ after listening to your broadcast. I regard you as my close friends and need your opinion on witchcraft. I believed in it before and owned a mirror which can protect me supposedly. My mother has one too. After conversion, I broke mine but my mother forbids me to throw hers away. A witch once advised me to renovate the washroom. Should I change it back? I want my mother to believe in Christ. Yet she fears that there may be attacks and mishaps by demons. It's because she heard that a daughter of a new convert died accidentally. This sister left Jesus as she thought our God failed to protect her family. I want to preach the gospel to them but I don't have the weapon, i.e. the Bible. Please forward me a copy. Only through faith and God's Word, their mind can change.

(#10672 Shandong)

The evangelistic work is prospering

I first listened to your broadcast on 30 Dec 1993. Although I didn't fully understand your program, I felt an incredible joy in my heart. I recall that I spent one and half hours to get the tuning correct. Later I still found it's difficult to tune in to your station. When I was getting anxious, my cousin helped me to repair the radio. He also encouraged me to listen to your programs. I have been doing so daily since May last year and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior 3 months then. I truly believe in our living God. Our family is very poor. Thank God that he grants me joy and peace and I never feel deprived. I know that He will meet my need. I am glad that my sister recently converted to the Christ. Our relationship has improved a lot since Jesus becomes our Lord. My life has changed. I know it's God's love upon me. Please pray that my husband will soon convert to Jesus.

(#10821 Shandong)

Satan counteracts by false teachings

It's really good timing to listen to your message about guarding ourselves from heresies. As the gospel spreads widely, Satan counteracts by false teachings. Just as the Bible says, " In later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." I am really worried about these people. In the church, some believers and even pastors explain scriptures by flesh but not by the Spirit. Recently a preacher from Henan said that we should not proclaim the cross any more because Jesus Christ has come again already. He distorted God's Word and also His name. Another guy says that the Chinese translation of the Bible is wrong and even alters the Lord's Prayer. Someone else make use of individual verses to defend their bad habits, like smoking, gambling and drinking. Sadly, many believers follow their examples

(#10901 Shanxi)

I owe God a lot

I am forty years old and was brought up in a Christian family. I have been serving at church for 20 years but still find myself owe God a lot, especially in the area of faithfulness and biblical knowledge. Indeed I didn't understand the relationship between the Law and the grace until I listened to Galatians, the Voice of Friendship Seminary programs several months ago. I have also some other questions as follows:

1. Some old believers in my church turned to the Lord when they were sick. God did heal them but they lay their faith on miracles only. When they fall in illness again, they don't take medicine or see doctor. Medical treatment is regarded as faithless act in their eyes. I know a sister has been suffering from serious illness for a long time. Her parents dare not taking her to hospital for the sake of church reputation. The sister's health is getting worse but I don't know how to help her.

2. Our church has not yet registered and is facing persecution. Once, while we were worshipping God, around twenty people broke in and took away our benches, books and some belongings. I always consider Daniel's loyalty and obedience an excellent example for us. But what should we do if the above incident happens again?

(#10455 Anhui)

Lately we have set up two more meeting points. With previous ones, there are altogether six family churches in my village alone. Now I have to preach several times a week and sometimes feel drained. Across cities, church is also growing fast and connection between churches is tight. On the whole, gospel is spreading and prospering. God's truth is increasingly accepted by people. However, church dissension is noticeable here. Several preaches from another province came here recently to give us good teachings. They are God's faithful and gifted servants, with good testimony at times of persecution. We all respect them and submit to their teachings about unity. Yet not long after they left, quarrels and disagreements arise again.

The young believers in my village need spiritual nurturing. I think I can be of use in this area. But first I have to cultivate an in-depth relationship with the Lord. I need to equip myself and am grateful for your help in the past two years. Yet some leaders of my church advised me to stop communicating with you because this might lead to public security bureau's attention. In fact many coworkers-workers have been warned by their local authorities not to preach across province and attach to three-self church.

(#10510 Jiangsu)

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