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This is an interesting
question, and after thinking about it, we have come to realize our call is to
do with nothing less than the evangelization of all remaining unreached
peoples.
According to the Bible, the
Blood of Jesus has “purchased men for God from every
tribe and language and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9.With
more than five thousand unreached people groups left in the Back to Jerusalem
vision, that means when the Lord helps us to achieve our goals, what would
have been accomplished is nothing less than the fulfillment of the Great
Commission.
Many people want to know
when the end of the world will come. Some people talk about wars and natural
disasters, others about global catastrophes. Many say you should watch what
happens in Israel, because Israel holds the key.
We think it would be better
to pay attention to the words of Jesus, because he was asked the very same
question by disciples, “What will be the sign of your
coming and the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3
Jesus didn’t shirk the
question, but first he mentioned a number of things that would happen before
His Second Coming and the end of the age. He spoke about the deception of
false prophets, of rumors of wars, of earthquakes and persecution of
believers. “Such things must happen, but the end is
still to come.” Matthew 24:6
What, then, was the final
sign that would take place in the world before Jesus’ return? He clearly told
his disciples, “And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be
preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come.” Matthew 24:14. The Greek word translated “nations” in
this verse does not mean political countries, but means ethnic groups. The
plan of God is to give a clear witness about His Son to every representation
of mankind, and once that happens the end will come.
Therefore, how will we know
when we have achieved our goals? We will know because Jesus will have returned
and the end would have come!
Until Jesus returns in all
His glory and with his holy angels we plan to keep preaching the Good News to
every person who has yet to hear it.
We knew from the beginning that there will be a high price to pay for this Back to Jerusalem mission. I’m
not just talking about money! I’m talking about the many Christians who will
be martyred and suffer as this vision unfolds. Many will go on one-way
tickets, realizing they will never return to China to see their loved ones
again.
We also realize Back to
Jerusalem will cost a lot of money, but even though our churches are so poor,
we have already collected tens of thousands of dollars to support our
missionaries. Like the Macedonian church, many Chinese believers have given
literally all they own,“Out of the most severe trial,
their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their
ability.” 2 Corinthians 8:2-3
We are often asked how we
are going to finance the Back to Jerusalem movement. The answer is simply, we
aren’t! But we believe God will, and He has been so far. We don’t know where
the finances will come from for all of these workers to be sent out and
sustained while on the mission field, but we can tell you that we look to the
hand of God for His provision and not to the hand of man. If someone wants to
give to this vision, we are far more interested in seeing if their hearts are
connected to us than we are interested in their gift.
Actually we are not
concerned about where the finances will come from for Back to Jerusalem. It is
the Lord’s responsibility to provide and not ours. For decades we have seen
Him miraculously provide for the work in China, in thousands of ways that
would fill many books if we ever wrote them down.
When we serve God it’s
important to concentrate on the Lord and our obedience to His leading. When we
do this we won’t be concerned and burdened in any way for we know the
resources are always there to do what God tells a Christian to do. The problem
comes when people are trying to do things He never told them to do!
The Chinese Church was
greatly influenced by Western missionaries in the past like Hudson Taylor, who
taught us, “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” He
didn’t only teach these words, he proved them true by his life. We saw and
learned.
When we obey the Lord’s
leading the resources are always there, even in our most extreme
circumstances. Elijah was isolated in the desert, with no food, but it was God
who led him there…. “Then the word of the Lord came to
Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the
Jordan.’” 1 Kings 17:2. When the Lord tells us to do
something He always provides…. “So he [Elijah] did what
the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and
stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread
and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.” 1 Kings 17:6
Soon after this experience,
however, Elijah was intimidated by the threats of Jezebel and fled into the
desert. The Lord didn’t tell him to go there, but the Bible records,
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life…a day’s journey
into the desert.” 1 Kings 19:3-4. Elijah was depressed and complained
to the Lord, “I have had enough, Lord…. Take my life; I
am no better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19:4. Even though God had
never told Elijah to flee, He graciously provided for him anyway by sending an
angel with freshly baked bread and a jar of water!
God will surely provide for
all the needs of the Back to Jerusalem movement if we remain faithful to Him
and obedient to His leading. The details of just how that comes about we will
leave in the hands of the Lord. If He calls every rural Christian family in
China to dedicate a chicken and its eggs to help fund the Back to Jerusalem
workers, then that would be millions of eggs each month! If God chooses to
provide through overseas believers with a heart for the vision, then that is
up to Him.
In the West many Christians
have an abundance of material possessions, yet they live in a backslidden
state. They have silver and gold, but they don’t rise up and walk in Jesus’
Name. In China few of us have any possessions to hold us down, so there’s
nothing preventing us from moving out for the Lord. The ministry of the
Chinese Church is like Peter at the Beautiful Gate. When he saw the crippled
beggar he said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what
I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” Acts 3:6.
We can’t afford any big programs or fancy Gospel presentations. All we have to give people is Jesus.
In a similar way, we pray
God might use the Chinese Church to help the Western Church rise up and walk
in the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s almost impossible for the church in
China to go to sleep in its present situation. There’s always something to
keep us on the run, and it’s very difficult to sleep while you’re running.
We have seen thousands of
times that even though an evangelist or missionary may be poor and uneducated
according to the standards of the world, this is no deterrent at all. All that
matters is if the hand of God is on that person or not.
“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at
peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7.We have also seen how the gifts
of God on a Christian’s life can open remarkable doors and opportunities that
result in God being glorified and His Kingdom expanded.
“A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the
great.” Proverbs 18:16
We don’t know how the Lord
will provide for Back to Jerusalem, but we are determined that our eyes will
be focused on the hand of God and not on the hand of man.
We believe this vision is
very precious to the Lord, and He will not allow people to participate in it
who are not willing to walk in humility and dependence on heaven for their
daily bread. “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who
depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.”
Jeremiah 17:5
We have a deep realization
that the whole Back to Jerusalem movement was given by God, can only be
accomplished by the power of God, and will be funded the way God wants it to
be.
Please understand that the
Back to Jerusalem vision is not only for the Chinese Church! It may sound like
that as you read this book because we have been talking about the specific
history, vision and strategies that God has given the churches of China to
fill one particular aspect of this plan. But the vision of taking the Gospel
Back to Jerusalem and fulfilling the Great Commission was given by Jesus two
thousand years ago to Christians of all generations, from all nations. The
invitation is open to all people who have been born again by the Spirit of God
and burdened for the salvation of mankind.
We know there are many
thousands of wonderful, loving Christians from all kinds of countries who are
already reaching out to the lost Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu nations, and we
pray for them every day and thank God for their ministries!
The Back to Jerusalem vision
that the Lord has given the believers in China is just one part of fulfilling
the Great Commission so that Jesus will come again for His bride. The
Scripture offers encouragement to all people irrespective of nationality of
background. Jesus said, “I say to you that many will
come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 8:11
Not only is salvation
offered to all people of all races and ethnic divisions, but the command of
Jesus for His disciples to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth is given
to all Christians. Some Christians have somehow thought that “missions” is
“the West to the Rest.” But nowhere in the Bible does it say that
missionaries have to be white! They don’t need to come from a wealthy country,
nor do they need to have graduated from a Bible school or seminary. A
missionary only needs to be someone who loves the Lord Jesus and has a passion
to reach the lost world for him. That is the only qualification for missionary
service. The same command of Jesus in Mark 16:15, “Go
into all the world and preach the good news to all creation”is,
we hope, not only written in the English and Chinese Bibles, but in every
language in the world that the Word of God has been translated into.
Therefore, Christians in Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, etc. all have
the same command from Jesus, irrespective of their social, political, racial,
or economic circumstances, to take the Good News to the ends of the earth. All
Christians who read God’s command will one day be held accountable for what
they did about it.
We need to be careful not to
think Back to Jerusalem belongs only to the Chinese Church. We Chinese
believe we have a specific role that the Lord wants us to do, but Back to
Jerusalem truly belongs to the worldwide Church. We will never achieve it
unless we all pray and work together.
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Please pray the fire and
zeal to preach the Gospel will be ever present in the lives of Chinese
Christians.
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Pray the believers’ lives
would reflect the character and integrity of our Lord.
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Pray the Church would know
God’s heart and His will so that we would be willing to obey the calling to
take the Gospel back to Jerusalem and usher in the Second Coming of Christ.
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Please pray those who are
called by the Name of Jesus would have true unity in the faith. Pray God would
break down man-made walls between us so we can fulfill this great vision God
has given us.
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Pray believers everywhere in
the world will work and pray together to fulfill the Great Commission.
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