"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens... a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 7).

Our friends at Asia Harvest have been a consistent voice and advocate for the Church in China. During 2020, however, they felt it was a season when they could better serve God's people in China by being a little quieter than usual.  Here's why...

As the verse at the top of this page says, there is a time to be silent and a time to speak. The Apostle Paul knew the importance of discerning the seasons and following God accordingly. Paul once boldly declared: "I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 21:13), but on another occasion he was hidden inside a basket and lowered over the wall of Damascus to escape from those who wanted to kill him (see Acts 9:20-25).

In partnership with their co-workers, the Asia Harvest China Bible distribution project has continued to operate strongly. 2020 saw the print and delivery of more Chinese Bibles than any other year in nearly a decade.

However, the situation for believers in China has been extremely difficult, as Xi Jinping and the Communist Party gradually prepare for what seems like a final assault to try to rid Christianity from the country once and for all.

The Body of Christ, however, has grown to such a size under Communism that they will find it impossible to completely eradicate God's people. Instead, the authorities have been putting plans into place to corrupt the Gospel. By doing so, they hope to control the Church and ultimately render it powerless and subservient to the Communist system.

To that end, the government has openly announced plans to "reinterpret" the Bible and other religious texts, so they will have "socialist characteristics". A glimpse into what that might look like was seen recently when a government publisher altered the ending of the account of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. Their blasphemous version now has Jesus concluding his talk by saying: "I too am a sinner," instead of, "Go now and leave your life of sin."

The battle lines are drawn. Please pray for our precious brothers and sisters in China. This year, tens of thousands of house church pastors and evangelists have gone missing, especially in those provinces with a large concentration of Christians.

Most of those tens of thousands are still alive, but in preparation for the struggle ahead, they have gone into hiding. They have completely disconnected from all phones and computers, because those devices are used by the government to track their location.

Furthermore, each person in China must have an ID card. It is impossible for a person to catch a flight or train, open a bank account, get a job, or rent an apartment without using their card. Each ID card contains a computer chip which is also used to track people's movements. Many Christian leaders, before they go into hiding, have placed their cards inside a microwave oven for a few seconds, which ruins the chips and renders them useless.

Asia Harvest recently passed the milestone of 13 million Chinese Bibles printed and delivered to house churches in China.

Pray: for the Church in China, that it will continue to thrive amidst the persecution and oppression.
Pray: for the Church leaders under house arrest, imprisoned or who have disappeared.  Pray for comfort, divine wisdom and guidance for them and their families.  Pray for provision for their immediate needs.
Pray: for continued success for Asia Harvest and other ministries who print and distribute Chinese language Bibles.
Pray: in agreement, for an immediate cessation of the ill-treatment of Christians by the Chinese authorities.  Luke 6:28

More: https://asiaharvest.org/china-update-the-battle-for-chinas-one-billion-souls/