OCM Vol25 Page44 The Story of Happiness In My Family

Perhaps because we live abroad and fear loneliness, we like family gatherings a lot, particularly those in our home. Every weekend, the little living room is flooded with people. They sing hymns and read the Bible. The gatherings are open to all kinds of people, with or without invitation. Our kids also get used to them. Therefore, we have got a lot of happy and interesting stories in our family.

Where do these presents come from?

Gifts are typically cheap here in America. What we've received, however, often are very expensive. Our living room often became very crowded and everybody had to sit on the floor in rows. Air conditioning and fans did not help. So we chose to open all the doors and windows and out went our hymns and worship. Then the apartment landlord came. He didn't come to protest, but he came with the good intention to invite us to move into a larger apartment. He asked us to move from the one-bedroom apartment into a two-bedroom apartment with no rent increase. The two-bedroom apartment was the best unit among ten others. The landlord was also a Christian and he said the Holy Spirit had prompted him to do this. In a different incident, somebody gave us a car. It was an old and noisy car all right, but it never let you down. So every weekend, my wife and I would both reach out and carry a bunch of people to our home for Bible study.

As we were moving into the two-bedroom apartment, I said to my wife: "This new apartment really is a gift from God. The Lord must truly like us to entertain more people, and the next year should be our year of entertainment." Without surprise, on the first day we moved we had a couple of friends coming to visit us. The husband was from Taipei and the wife from Beijing. They were friends of our friends. They helped us move too. Then three days later we received our first letter in our new apartment. The letter contained a check of one thousand dollars. The letter said: "You have moved into a great home and you started to entertain visitors on the very first day. We were among the first visitors and we really appreciate it. We are sending you one thousand dollarsбK because we know that the Lord has sent you and you understand God's will. You know we also listen to the Lord and do what the Lord wishes us to do. The dollar amount was decided by the Holy Spirit. So please accept our gift and continue to work hard for the Lord."

How wonderful! The Lord prepared to us not only those who needed to be saved, but also a new apartment, a car and money. How wonderful! The Lord knew our needs and He delivered help in time.

He has three guns

One morning I received a phone call. I couldn't quite remember his name but I remembered he came to our home one evening with a few others. I didn't know why but I was so eager to see him that I even forgot to put down the receiver. He came and told me that he had three guns. The police were chasing him and gangs were pursuing him. He didn't know where to go. He made a dozen phone calls from a pay phone and I was the only one who answered. He told me that he was once a police officer in China and he was also an elected worker model. He had been awarded for his courage and had been labeled as a hero by newspapers and radio stations. Here in America, he had a slogan on the wall across his bed: "The bad guy among the good guys and the good guy among the bad guys." He was a courageous man. I bet he wouldn't yield to you even if you put a gun at his head. But that day he kneeled down and wept loud. He confessed he was a sinner and Jesus Christ was his savior. I was deeply moved and I wept with him. I said to him: "Once you walk out of here, you may be caught again. But you know the criminal that was crucified with Jesus also died in the end. That criminal, however, had a peace of mind because he believed he could go to the paradise together with Jesus. Would you like this kind of peace?" He said he did. Today he is still a happy man and he also invites his friends to church!

In the evening of a Father's Day, I received another phone call. The caller was a visiting scholar from the Chinese Science Institute. He was once sued for financial matters and had to go to jail only to be released again for proved innocence. A few days earlier we ran into each other and I had prayed for his health. He called me to say goodbye as he was heading back to China. I was deeply moved. I told him that I would like to come to see him and would like to tell him something. That night he knelt down and, weeping, he opened his heart toward Him who created him and loved himбK

One day during one of our family gatherings came a well-known TV show host who once had thousands of fans in China. He heard the words of Jesus and wept. Another time, a Muslim came with his friends and he answered the call and believed. A few days later he struggled again and blamed his friends for bringing him to our home. We all laughed. No human beings had such power to make a man kneel down and confess his own sins and accept Jesus as his personal savior. Later on the Muslim came again and he truly believed.

Indeed, wonders often came to us as long as we entertain visitors in the name of Jesus and we praise and worship in the name of Jesus.

From cave dwelling to the Most Holy Place

We received a letter from an old revolutionary who had followed Mao Ze-dong. He wrote:

"Xiao Gang, I feel very happy for you! The Spirit of the Lord is in me and we are like family members even though we have never met. I know you believe in the Lord. Have you been baptized? беThose who believe and are baptized shall be saved'. You should be baptized and then be resurrected with the Lord.

Why am I so interested in you? Because you were once one of the Red Guards and now you repent and belong to the Lord. And the Holy Spirit even guides you to study in the seminary. All this is truly a miracle. God has transformed your heart. He has removed your stubborn heart; He has purified you and has shielded you from all sins.

I am an old retired pastor. Because of the Lord's grace, I will still love Him and serve Him till I breathe my last and go to see Him with joy. Amen! Xiao Gang, do you know? When I was a college student in Peking's Normal University, I loved our country and joined the underground Communist Party. We led a series of students movement. We often had meetings with well-known revolutionary figures. After I graduated I went to Yanan and I often sat at the same row with Mao. Later in the Central region I was arrested and was sentenced to death. God delivered me from death. An Australian missionary led me to church where I heard that Jesus was my savior. At the right time God sent me to study in Shanghai's Chinese Seminary. Since spring of 1947 up till now, I have loyally spread the Gospel and obeyed the Holy Spirit. I am waiting for the second coming of Jesus when Messiah will be King and there will be true justice, true peace and true love.

Oh, Xiao Gang! How wonderful that you and your wife walk the heavenly path together, that you are willing to believe Jesus and take the challenge for Him. Grass will wither and flowers will fall. But the Word of the Lord will remain forever. I will remember to pray for you and for your kids. May the Spirit of the Lord be with you forever! May the Word of the Lord never leave your mouths, nor the mouths of your children and children of your children. Amen."

Every time I read this letter I feel moved. The old revolutionary is now writing a book titled From Cave Dwelling to the Most Holy Place. Indeed, from the cave dwelling in Yanan representing China's revolution to the Most Holy Place that represents God's dwelling, this is the only way out for an old revolutionary and his children. It is also the only way out for a Red Guard and his children. China will surely become the kingdom of God.

*****

Abridged from page 44-45, October 1997 issue of Overseas Campus Magazine.

The author came from Shanghai. He now studies in a Los Angeles Seminary with his wife. He also leads the Chinese Fellowship at home.