Breaking Through
the Barriers of Darkness: Recognizing the Cult of Qigong for
What It Is
Chapter 9
The Dark Night is Almost Over, and the Day
is Breaking
1. The Fire of Truth
For God so loved the world that he gave his
one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him (John 3: 16-17).
Jesus said, " I have come to bring fire
on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"
Two thousand years have passed by, and this fire of truth
has been spread all over the world as the Gospel has spread.
People all over the world may know God through Jesus. Generations
of Christians have entered into Heaven, while generations
of non-believers of Jesus have been scorched by the fire of
truth. The world is always repeating this comedy and tragedy.
The themes of heaven and hell, life and death have become
the constant topic of this long historical play.
Recently, the fire of truth has started to burn in the land
of China. The irresistible force of the raging fire burns
up death and corruption. Idols and evils disappear fearfully
in the fire. Pains and tears are wiped out. Delusion and bondage
melt away like wax, for wherever the fire of truth reaches,
the enslaved are relieved, the sick are healed, opponents
of truth fall prostrate, and saved souls enter into heaven.
All people who have accepted the truth together form a strong
force, rushing joyfully through mountains and valleys, plains
and deserts, and their shouts of joy reach up to heaven. Wherever
this force of truth passes, there is life, as in the return
of green grass, rushing rivers, thick forests and as in the
turning of desolate land into a fruitful oasis, with white
doves gliding in the blue sky dotted with white clouds.
After the slumbering in darkness for five thousand years,
the Chinese at last see the morning twilight, and are receiving
the wonderful gospel. Millions upon millions of Chinese are
accepting the truth and being set free. They are like slaves
just freed who cannot believe that they can now leave their
cruel master's farm and put on good clothes and enjoy food
as good as the master's. They are also like a much cheated
and abused former prostitute who cannot believe that she is
now married to her faithful and much loving husband. They
are still like an orphan who, having been sold, now returns
to his own home and his willing and loving parents, yet is
afraid that all this is merely a fantasy.
For five thousand years Chinese of many generations have shed
tears that have formed a torrent like the Yellow River; they
are given a humiliating name--offspring of the dragon. In
the Bible it is said, "The great dragon was hurled down—that
ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the
whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels
with him." Who was it that told the Chinese they are
offspring of the dragon? Who told the Chinese that they are
sons and daughters of this evil animal? But we believed so,
and so do millions of Chinese! What an awkward lie! What naked
benightedness! "The emperor" has been in his "new
clothes" for thousands of years. Yet this lie has always
been regarded as a traditional asset by the Chinese people!
Can it be unbelievable to accept that our ancestors were made
by God?
The majestic Great Wall is considered to be a miracle. It
stretches for thousands of miles, built for the purpose of
resisting aggression by other nations. Yet they kept intruding
over the Great Wall into China, rendering the Great Wall futile
for its purpose. It became a mere comfort, a witness of a
nation's desire for peace but also of her powerless and ineffective
defense of herself. When modern transgressors sailed across
oceans and warred with China, the Great Wall ridiculed the
very childish mode of thought of this nation, a nation that
does not know what to depend on for her safety.
The culture that has given Chinese much pride for thousands
of years is a mixture of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and
other heresies of the sort, and is a swindle that has lasted
for thousands of years. The Chinese people have paid a heavy
price for this culture and are still paying the price in their
loss of peace and happiness. The modern Chinese have fallen
into a culture of terror, of communism, and henceforth blood
has become a symbol of happiness. A piece of red cloth covers
the eyes of the many people who now forsook their traditional
idols and accepted humans as their gods. Consciously or unconsciously,
people have accepted ignorance, poverty, benightedness, ugliness
and lies. They have become used to and even come to appreciate
bondage, butchery, sufferings, autocracy and lowliness. God's
anger is upon them. Death, curses and perversions of humanity
pervade the so-called "shenzhou dadi" ("God's
Huge Land"). Millions upon millions of people become
enslaved to a few. People die in their hunger of both body
and soul for hope while singing the ballad "Tomorrow
It Will Be Better."
In 1980 God lifted the iron curtain that had covered the huge
land of China. Now millions upon millions of people see the
dazzling light that flashes across the sky as the gospel of
God is spread again in China. Since 1995 the fire of the Gospel
has become a blazing force that spreads across all of China.
In the streets, in homes, in offices, in fields and factories,
the good news from God is being spread to all people. They
share together and ponder it, and smiles start to appear on
their faces. Tears run down their cheeks, for God's blessings
have come into people's lives, and joy and peace are now in
their hearts. People are proud of being Christians and congratulate
themselves for finding the meaning of life. They cannot help
but share this joy with family, friends, strangers, the sick
and the homeless. God's love waters people's hearts. Christians
serve as the light and salt of the land they live in, bringing
to others peace, respect and the goodness of life.
Why do people accept Jesus Christ so quickly? How do people
manage to give up so easily the atheistic views instilled
in them since childhood? How do people get to a higher level
and forsake their traditional and fallacious culture? The
answer is very simple. Truth sets people free and gives them
happiness, freedom and eternal life. As long as people see
the truth, truth will be spread as if it were winged. And
the speed of its spreading is not limited by any man-made
inhibitions. Because God has given humans free souls, no violence
can impinge on them. They are forever free, even though human
flesh may be suppressed.
The spreading of the gospel is a historical turning point
for the Chinese people. With the increase of the number of
Christians, God's blessings upon China increase also with
each passing day. The facts of truth are constantly proving
that only Jesus Christ is the Savior of the Chinese people
and their powerful sustenance.
Our intention is not to expect the nation of China to be strong,
but to expect those who have not accepted the Gospel to put
their faith in Christ, for, from the Christian perspective,
we are not divided into separate nations. We are all humans
on earth, having the same value in God's eye. All people who
enter into heaven are one family. By 1996 there were 2 billion
Christians throughout the world.
Life is short and evanescent like flowers and grass. Our lives
on earth will be gone in a very short while, as fleeting as
meteors hurrying through the sky. People on earth have seen
the hope and destination of humankind.
2. The Importance of the Cultural Environment
"I have told you these things, so that
in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
We have reasons to believe that the cultural
environment and the political system interplay with each other.
The political system produces its corresponding social system
and henceforth its corresponding social formation. The cultural
pattern of a country is a deciding factor as to its fate,
just as a person's belief is to this person.
Creating a truthful cultural environment is crucially important,
and it is undeniable that religious beliefs influence and
decide the features of the cultural environment.
Chinese traditional culture is the culture of the Ru Shi Tao,
a culture detested by God. Confucianism teaches the inequality
of people, regarding emperors and kings as sons of heaven.
It holds the traditional belief in ghosts and gods. Buddhism
perverts human nature and worships idols. Taoism seeks for
humans to become immortals. It is contradictory to God's way
and worships evil spirits. The Chinese have been suffering
from evil spirits' wanton destruction of them and eating the
bitter fruits of their own choice. But from these people God
hides His face, for He punishes nations and countries and
individuals that worship evil spirits and idols and lets them
see if the idols they worship can protect them.
Asia and Africa seem to be the two parts of the world that
suffer most. They are also the two spots that have the weakest
Christian faith. The worship of various idols is the most
prevalent in these two areas. This is the biggest irony. Where
have the gods that they worship gone? Why do they not bless
people who worship them?
Europe and North America are the most affluent and the strongest
areas in the world. They are also the areas where the Christian
faith is the most prevalent in the world. Their culture is
has been influenced by the Bible, and the God that they worship
has actually blessed them.
Take America as an example. We all know that in 1620 the Mayflower
brought passengers who were mostly Puritans going into exile
under persecution by the British king. They arrived on American
continent and started to build a new country with its basic
culture on the foundation of the Bible. Before them a group
of believers sent out by the British church had arrived at
the coast of what was later called Virginia and set up a wooden
cross at the seashore.
Within the short period of three hundred years, this country
which has biblical culture as her basic culture has received
abundant blessings from God and has become the strongest,
the most affluent, the most democratic and the most free country
in the world, exercising the most influence in the whole world
and becoming the place for which peoples from almost all other
countries, especially Asia and Africa countries, long day
and night. For over a decade now, innumerable Chinese have
rushed to America by fair means or foul and try to get a "green
card" by every possible means. The Chinese in America
have fully demonstrated their talents and intelligence and
betrayed at the same time the ugliness and benightedness of
humanity brought about by our traditional culture.
In American history there have been three revivals of biblical
culture. Americans call the first one "the Great Awakening."
It was started by a great father of American culture, Jonathan
Edwards, and reached all parts of America. Christian culture
was thus firmly established. After the War of Independence,
the second Christian revival awakened American citizens like
an alarm bell and further strengthened Christian culture.
American blacks were freed following the victory of the Civil
War. At the start of the twentieth century, science and technology
convinced many Americans to discard biblical culture. Darwinism
and the theories of Carl Marx and Friedrich Engles intensified
an atheistic atmosphere. The dramatic plummeting of stocks
in 1929 precipitated the economic crisis and depression that
lasted until World War II. The Korean War, the loss of the
Vietnam War, and the Cuban missile crisis all served to strike
down the self-confidence of Americans. In 1980 one million
Christians marched in protest in Washington D.C., calling
for Americans to return back to the Christian faith. Biblical
culture was once again acknowledged and occupied the leading
position. This is the third cultural awakening in American
history. Since 1980 the economy, science, politics and military
of America have all entered into a period of rapid development.
America has thus become the leading country of the world with
absolute predominance. Furthermore, the breakup of the Soviet
Union, the dramatic change in Eastern Europe, and the self
change of China all demonstrate the great power and the immeasurable
wisdom of God.
When we read the speeches of American Presidents at their
inaugurations, we find that almost all of them mention God
and quote the Bible. The first American President George Washington
knelt down on the hard, icy ground in a valley to pray to
God at the crucial point of the War for Independence. Speeches
made by President Abraham Lincoln, who led the Americans to
win the Civil War, are full of the spirit of
Christ. President George Bush's speech at his inauguration
starts with a prayer, and President Bill Clinton set apart
half of one day for attending the service at Beijing Congwenmen
Church with Chinese Christians in his busy agenda during his
trip to China in 1998. What should we learn from all these
things? Are people who believe in Jesus to be laughed at,
or do people who reject the truth show themselves to be stupid,
conceited and narrow-minded?
Modern Chinese intellectuals seek at the risk of their lives
for ways of strengthening their country and enriching their
people. They have turned especially to the social system of
the West, taking it as the fundamental means. They have seen
the science of America and regard it as the means. They have
learned about the economic system of America and take it as
the key to treasure. But they have not seen the essential
and deciding factor behind these phenomena, which is the environment
of Biblical culture. Man can make efforts but cannot decide
the result of their many efforts. Only God can enable human
beings to reach their goal. God's help and blessings can quickly
make a country strong and affluent, but the condition is such
country has to please God, and the majority of her people
must believe in Christian faith so that her cultural environment
reflects biblical truth. Only upon this foundation can a valid
social system be set up and operate with great efficiency.
Under different culture environments, the same economic system
may produce totally different effects. This is why some countries
that have a Western economic system cannot achieve good results.
Wenzhou is the most affluent area in China. It has the highest
percentage of Christians among all other areas in China. According
to some statistics, its percentage of Christians has reached
70%. South Korea has the highest percentage of Christians
in Asia, which is now up to 70%. In America the percentage
is 80%, and in Sweden, 95%. The overall percentage of Chinese
Christians is growing rapidly, being now, it is estimated,
at 6%.
The Chinese people should know that for China to be a free,
democratic, affluent and strong country, a biblical cultural
environment is indispensable. And for a biblical environment
to be set up, Christian faith must be the main belief of the
whole country. Wherever biblical culture is spread, human
rights are respected, idols are destroyed, and knowledge is
esteemed. The most famous universities of America, like Harvard,
Yale, and Princeton, were all founded by Christians. Many
orphanages, hospitals and other beneficiary organizations
of the sort in the world have been founded by Christians.
It is time now for Chinese to look at Christian faith and
biblical culture objectively and from a truthful angle.
Truth is the most effective weapon to defeat fallacies. Yet
modern intellectuals who care for the country and her people
have tried to use their materialistic views and modes of thought
which have been instilled in them to fight against the cultural
products of these materialistic views. How can such be easy?
Therefore, they have shed tears and also blood, have failed
and have become perplexed, and they may be preparing for another
failure. The wild wind blowing across the square, fire and
blood mixing together… What sorrowful scenes! Open the
eye of your soul, Chinese! Let the truth of Christ be our
thought and our way of thinking, for it is the highest truth
for human beings and the judge for all fallacies. History
has testified and is testifying right now and will continue
to testify to this truth. Truth and falsehood must collide,
but woe to the representatives of falsehood! They will watch
and be astonished and perish, for Jesus has already defeated
the world for us.
The time will come, and it has come already! The long night
of five thousand years will soon pass. The bright morning
light is shining above the land of China. Please listen. Jesus
said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
with him, and he with me." Jesus Christ has come to China.
When He knocks at the door of your soul, never miss your chance,
but open the door for Him and invite Him to come into your
heart and be your best friend, and you will be a son/daughter
of God. Amen!
3. The Season of the Harvest
"I tell you, open your eyes and look at
the fields! They are ripe for harvest" (John 4:35).
One day in April, I heard some news about an
old missionary who was seriously ill and was going to leave
the earth. She was, just like Paul, and had fought the good
fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. The only thing
that kept concerning her was that no one existed to take her
place and to continue the work of God.
I began to pray for her, recalling her voice and smiles She
had been like a mother to me and had always encouraged me.
Then I left to work in another city, and she often called
me to see how I was doing. She remembered me in her prayers
and was concerned for my health, my job, and my marriage.
In today's China groups of Westerners travel to China to spread
the Gospel. Local people are also actively involved in God's
Work. However, the number of people accepting Jesus is unexpectedly
great. A huge ripe field needs workers to harvest it. In great
hunger and excitement people jam into churches of a very limited
size. Even the aisles and the courtyard are filled with people
eager to learn the Word of God. They pray and learn with nobody
to help them. They are often entangled in mistakes that should
have been avoided. A pitifully small group of missionaries
busy themselves travelling everywhere, calling out to God
for more workers to harvest the field that they have sowed
so that the sowers can rejoice together with the harvesters.
Jesus said in Luke 10:2, "The harvest is plentiful, but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field."
During 1995 I found that churches in several different areas
were not even filled up at Sunday services and that Bibles
could be bought at any time. In the beginning of 1996 I returned
to those churches and found them filled during services with
people who arrived later than others unable to find seats.
People had to wait in line to purchase Bibles. In the middle
of 1996 churches grew rapidly and were fully filled during
services. Double queues were formed for the purchase of Bibles.
These Bibles were badly deficient, and purchasers had to pay
the money first and wait for a long time for their turn in
order to get Bibles. It was said that sometimes large numbers
of Bibles were secretly purchased by staff members of government
organizations. In 1998 I found that most churches had grown
more than twice as big as they were at the beginning of 1996.
There were more Bibles and reference books. Also, very often,
people would find that those close to them were actually Christians
too. The gospel had begun to be spread with tremendous fervor.
During this period of time, God had raised a large number
of young missionaries. They are vigorous, full of energy,
and well educated. They have good qualities and value wisdom.
They bravely spread the truth of the Gospel to people whom
they meet with in their lives and at their jobs. I know a
young missionary who used to seek very hard for truth and
who had suffered much hurt and torment before he came to know
Jesus. There was a big change in his life when God's love
and blessings came into his life and soul. He is very knowledgeable
and has strict logical thinking. Many people have turned to
Christ under his influence. He is a good brother who would
dare to die for truth. He wants to tell everybody around him
about the truth. I admiringly called him a "reaper,"
and he just laughed heartily. China needs a lot of missionaries
who are well experienced in Christ and live strong lives for
Christ.
When I preached the gospel, I shared with people simple biblical
truths and encouraged them to practice these truths through
prayer. Very often, they would come back to me and excitedly
say, "God really answered my prayers!" They started
to study the Bible, have fellowship with other Christians,
and pray a lot. They eagerly shared the Good News with others.
Miracles occurred among those who believed in God and proved
God Himself to those who accepted Jesus Christ. "In this
way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power."
China needs not only good harvesters but Bibles as well. Aide
Printing House, Nanjing, China, produced 3.5 million copies
in 1996, which were loaded unto trucks that were waiting the
moment they were turned out of the bookbindery. Usually, Bibles
are sufficiently supplied to big cities, and large numbers
of Bibles taken into China through various means ease the
situation. May God remove hindrances and let all who hunger
for His Word get copies of the Bible without great difficulties.
I believe God has made this true already. Amen!
However, we are not to disregard the danger of qigong in times
of harvest. Qigong is already beginning to ebb in the inland
and coastal areas where more and more people are learning
about its danger. But Satan has adjusted his strategies at
the same time and started to produce simpler, more effective
and miraculous gong methods. The evil spirits are relaxing
their requirements and becoming more and more the initiators,
trying their best not to inconvenience the practitioners,
and they have begun to spread qigong in remote areas and frontiers.
Some such areas started to learn about qigong in 1994. Since
1996 qigong has been well accepted and popularized in these
areas, and, beginning in 1998, it has been gradually operationally
established in such areas. One night, I got a telephone call
from a Christian who said to me, "I have a problem now.
My Dad has started to practice qigong and is enchanted by
it!" Many people came to inner areas such as Shijiazhuang
and Beijing to learn qigong. In 1999 the "Falun Gong
Event" shocked the whole world, and falun gong enchants
thousands upon thousands of people. How sad the situation
is! At the same time, the spreading of Christianity in China
and throughout the entire world has reached a grander scale.
More and more people are giving up qigong and turning to Christ.
The war between the Holy Spirit and evil spirits has been
upgraded remarkably. But we can rest assured that the truth
will definitely win and that we are more than conquerors.
It is only that people going astray will have to pay a price
that they should have escaped. The field is ripe, and harvesters
must continue the harvest joyfully.
Last May I telephoned the very ill missionary and asked about
her health. She was getting better, for which I was so very
happy. I asked her family to let her know that I had decided
to go and preach the gospel in her town and that I made the
decision out of my own willingness, not under anyone's pressure.
Later, I designed a picture on my computer, printed it out,
and put it in a frame, which I sent to her.
This is a picture of sunrise. The sunlight is breaking through
layers of clouds and brightly shatters the darkness at daybreak.
The sky is full of happy surprises, though darkness on the
earth is still resisting. A river reflecting the bright sunlight
winds its way into the distance. The words under the picture
are:
"There will be no more night …"
(Rev. 22:5).
Yes, there will be no more night in heaven.
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will
be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old
order of things has passed away.”
The old missionary's son told me that his mother was very
much comforted by my decision to go and preach in their area.
She liked my picture very much too.
Three weeks ago, I called to ask again about this critically
ill missionary. Her grandson answered the telephone. I asked
him, "Is your granny doing OK?"
"My granny passed away early last week."
I hung up the telephone, tears welling up in my eyes. She
had finally left for heaven to be with God and with Jesus
in paradise. She is forever free and living forever.
As for me, there is still a long way to go. I have no fear;
my heart is filled with peace and assurance that tomorrow
will be another splendid and exciting day.
I'm setting out, for that place, willingly and joyfully, even
if I am not to come back again.
