China
Clippings
Anthony Bollback
Retired Alliance
missionary to China,
and district superintendent
(The monthly
newsletter, June 2007,
edited
by Anthony Bollback with the latest news of events happening in China
today)
(PLEASE PASS THIS ON
TO YOUR PASTOR AND MISSION LEADER)
THE WORD OF THE LORD CANNOT BE BOUND
A century ago, the
Christian population of China was almost imperceptible. Today, the explosive growth of
the church is changing all that! With millions coming to Jesus Christ in every
strata of society, and reaching an estimated 100-125 million people even by
government standards, China is headed toward having the largest Christian population
of any country of the world. For many years, Bibles have been in great demand,
and in some rural areas, only one Bible is available for as many as
100 believers! To meet that need, Amity Press, which is the only
official printing press for Bibles in China, printed approximately 5 million
Bibles last year. Give praise to God that the government allows this
official press to function under the auspices of the registered Church (TSPM).
Nevertheless, with an estimated 1 million new believers every month, Amity
Press cannot begin to meet the pressing demand for more Bibles.
THE NEW GOAL - 10 MILLION
BIBLES ANNUALLY
The new goal at Amity
Press has been set at 10 million Bibles a year. Expansion of the printing facilities in the
state-of-the-art printing facility will soon make
that possible. For many years, the American Bible Society has
been supplying all the paper free of charge making it possible for Chinese
believers to purchase a Bible for $1.50! To meet the urgent demand of the new
goal, ABS is calling on American churches to supply one million dollars over
the next 12 months. In order to satisfy the insatiable thirst for God's
Word among students and intellectuals, a pocket-sized New Testament with Psalms
and Proverbs is in the works thus encouraging them to read God's Word wherever
they may be. Conversions among intellectuals is breaking all records and making
this group one of the fastest growing groups in all of China. Check out the ABS web site at www.americanbible.org
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUPPLY
BIBLES TO THE HOUSE CHURCHES
Many organizations have stepped
in to meet the demand. Asia Harvest
is one such group that has printed almost 1 million Bibles for
distribution to house churches who often do not have access to the official
Bibles. Each full Bible costs only $2.25 to be printed and delivered
to people thirsting for the Word. The major problem is that pastors and
workers risk their lives to print and distribute these Bibles to
needy house church people because of government restrictions and possible
imprisonment. Many pastors languish in prison today for daring to print and
distribute the Word of God. Pray for them to be kept strong in the miserable
places where they are held, and pray that in spite of the risk, that the
Word will go forth with great power and set people free. Check out their web site:
www.asiaharvest.org
Another organization
stepping in to meet the demand for research books is Cook Communications Ministries International. They have
the opportunity to officially distribute The Applied New Testament
Commentary and other books such as the Pictorial Bible for Children
in many large cities. A seminary student wrote recently and said, "I often
fear a voice telling me I will never be a good pastor. How can I overcome the
fear in my heart? Just when I was about to give up, I received a copy of The
Applied New Testament Commentary. Now I am able to study the New Testament
in depth. The most precious gift is that the
book lets me know more about God, which helps strengthen my relationship
with Him."
Ambassadors
for Christ provides
all kinds of Chinese literature such
as Bibles, research books, and commentaries to be used by those traveling into China. Contact them for price lists for your needs as you work
with scholars studying in the USA. Check out their web site: www.afcinc.org
CROSS-CULTURAL WORKERS ON THE RISE
Several years ago,
research indicated that for the first time in modern church history, the number of career missionaries
from North America was in decline. On the other hand, the numbers from the
developing world were increasing exponentially, and surpassing those from the
west. In these developing countries there has been a great spiritual awakening
that is fueling a passionate fervor that once gripped the North American
churches during the 20th century. Amazingly, in the two-thirds world (Asia, Latin America
and Africa), where persecution has purified the church, believers are
moving out in unprecedented numbers to reach the world for Christ.
The ABWE magazine states, "The patient plodding of non-western feet,
bringing the gospel from churches in the developing world, is growing from a
muted shuffle to a distant thunder." In fact, during the last three
decades, the rate of increase in the non-western world has been five times
that of the west. Researcher Larry Keyes predicts that "the bulwark
of mission leadership and resources in the years ahead will come from the
two-thirds world."
WORKERS BEGIN TO FLOW INTO
10/40 WINDOW COUNTRIES
The Chinese
Church
is spearheading the movement westward from China
through the 10/40 Window countries. Check out my web site www.ChurchInChina.com for an in depth
explanation of the 10/40 Window. Several groups have already established
extensive training programs for the tent-making workers, and some of them are
already penetrating the difficult restricted countries for the purpose of raising up a church in each of them that will bring glory to
God. There is a determination to move forward in spite of
opposition, privation, severe persecution, possible imprisonment and
even death. These valiant and highly dedicated workers say "The hostile
nations we enter may torture us and starve us, but they can do no more than we
experienced in our own country for many decades under Communism. We are not
afraid to bleed, for our bodies are merely temporary tents to be used in the
Lord's service. We are not only ready to die for the gospel. We are expecting
it." It behooves us to surround them and undergird
them with our prayers as they face the opposition of Satan.
Pray earnestly for the following:
- That they will be
strengthened with all might by the Lord Jesus Christ and His all-powerful
Word.
- That they will find suitable
employment in the lands they have entered at the call of God.
- That they will be protected
and kept and miraculously delivered by God in extremely dangerous
situations.
- That they will be used of God
to lead many to Christ and see His Kingdom established in these hostile
places.
- That new converts will stand
true in the face of death threats and persecution.
To join with a reliable Chinese group training messengers,
contact prayer@lfdusa.org for
monthly prayer requests. Support this ministry financially as it is
firmly dedicated to preparing people to reach out in this cross-cultural
manner.
PRAY FOR WESTERN TENT-MAKERS
IN LIMITED ACCESS COUNTRIES
The forgotten people of missions are the
tent-makers by the thousands living in limited access countries. Their names
are not listed anywhere. Their pictures do not appear in Mission
magazines. They cannot freely write to share the triumphs of their work, nor
can they tell us of their struggles and the opposition from unsympathetic
authorities. They are gone for several years at a time and they fade from
our memories as we are bombarded with current news of war and disasters. They
live and work in Central Asia, and countries with such
strange names as Uzbekistan,
Kyrgystan, Turkmenistan,
Azerbaijan, Tajikistan,
Bhutan, the Maldives, and
the more familiar ones like China, Turkey, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Algeria,
Morocco, and
other countries of North Africa. They are frequently
forgotten, yet they need our prayers and financial support. They live as we
stand fast in the Lord. Make a determined effort to remember to
pray for these courageous people on the frontlines of the battle for the souls
of lost people.
HAWAII BOUND THIS WEEK
My wife Evelyn and I are bound for Hawaii
this week for 17 days of visiting and ministering to our many friends at Kapahulu Bible
Church where I once served as
pastor after leaving Hong Kong. Your prayers are
important to us as we go as we want to leave the fragrance of Jesus everywhere
in the islands. We'll be back in time to send out the next edition of this
newsletter.
LOG ON TO WWW.CHURCHINCHINA.COM FOR
LATE-BREAKING CHINA NEWS
There is always something new on this informative
web site that gathers vital and pertinent news about China
to help us in our praying for this great country. Keep in mind that CHINA
CLIPPINGS and the web site are news reports from many sources that do not
necessarily represent the opinion of the editor. The reports are
about significant events and situations that help generate prayer. Please
continue to forward this report to your praying friends and help them share in
the joy of making Christ known by this means.
We recognize that
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Yours Because Jesus
Is Lord,
Anthony Bollback
1622 Calvin Circle, Kissimmee, FL 34746
E-Mail: AGBollback@cfl.rr.com
Web Site:
www.ChurchInChina.com