9.13.2012 YUN VI - SUFFERING

there are many ways the Lord may lead a christian during his or her life, but i'm convinced that the path of every believer will sooner or later include suffering. the Lord gives us these trials to keep us humble and dependent on Him for our sustenance.
the bible says in I peter 4.1
therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.
i believe when suffering and pain increases, sinning decreases.
i've certainly not yet reached the point of being 'done with sin'.
i still complain to the Lord when i suffer.

how we mature as a christian largely depends on the attitude we have when we're faced with suffering.
some try to avoid it or imagine it doesn't exist, but that will only make the situation worse.
others try to endure it grimly, hoping for relief.  this is better, but falls short of the full victory God wants to give each of His children.

THE LORD WANTS US TO EMBRACE SUFFERING AS A FRIEND.
we need a deep realization that when we're persecuted for Jesus' sake it is an act of God's blessing to us. this might sound impossible, but it is attainable with God's help. that is why Jesus said,
blessed are you when people
insult you,
persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you  because of Me.
rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. matthew 5.11-2

we can grow to such a place in Christ where we laugh and rejoice when people slander us, because we know we are not of this world, but our security is in heaven. the more we are persecuted for His sake, the more reward we will receive in heaven.

when people malign you, rejoice and be glad.
when they curse you, bless them in return.
WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH A PAINFUL EXPERIENCE, EMBRACE IT AND YOU WILL BE FREE!
when you learn these lessons, there is nothing left that the world can do to you.

God is my witness that through all the tortures and beatings i've received i have never hated my persecutors. never. i saw them as God's instruments of blessing and His chosen vessels to purify me and make me more like Jesus.

sometimes western visitors come to china and ask the house church leaders what seminary they attended. we reply, jokingly yet with underlying seriousness, that we have been trained in the Holy Spirit  Personal Devotion Bible School (prison) for many years.

sometimes our western friends don't understand what we mean because they then ask,
what materials do you use in this bible school?
we reply,
our only materials are the foot chains that bind us and the leather whips that bruise us.

in this prison seminary we have learned many valuable lessons about the Lord that we could never have learned from a book. we've come to know God in a deeper way. we know His goodness and His loving faithfulness to us.

christians who are in prison for the sake of the Lord are not the ones who are suffering. when people hear my testimony they often say,
you must have had a terrible time when you were in prison.
i respond,
what are you talking about? i was with Jesus and had overwhelming joy and peace in His intimate presence.

the people who really suffer are those who never experience God's presence. the way to have God's presence is by walking through hardship and suffering-the way of the cross. you may not be beaten or imprisoned for your faith, but i am convinced each christian will still have a cross to bear in his or her life. in the west it may be ridicule, slander, or rejection. when you're faced with such trials, the key is not to run from them or fight them, but to embrace them as friends. when you do this you'll not fail to experience God's presence and help.

...i'm often asked about the rights of pastors in china.
a pastor (note: christian, every human being) has no rights,
except the rights of a slave.
they're either slaves to sin, or slaves of Christ.
our 'rights' are in the hands of Jesus.
we must fall on our knees in complete dependence on Him.

...the world can do nothing to a christian who has no fear of man.