CHINESE police have raided an underground Protestant church and detained 15 followers who could face up to three years in a labour camp, a Hong Kong rights group and police said yesterday.

About 30 police burst into the unregistered "home church" on Saturday in Dongsheng city of Inner Mongolia and took away all 35 followers to a detention centre, the Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said.

The next day, 20 of the followers were released after paying 200 yuan (HK$183) fines, but the others, including church leaders Wang Yulan and Li Haihe, remained in police custody on charges of violating China's religious laws, the centre said.

"Wang Yulan and Li Haihe were detained and are being held in custody in the detention centre," an official at the Dongsheng detention centre told AFP.

He refused to say how many of the Christians remained in detention or whether they would be sentenced without trial to "re-education through labour" or criminally prosecuted. A police official contacted by telephone in Dongsheng also confirmed the Christians were detained for "illegal religious activity". He said some had been freed, but would not give details.

The information centre said Wang's husband was currently serving three years of "re-education through labour" for "illegal religious activities" and expected Wang to be sentenced to a similar punishment. Wang's absence will leave no one to look after their 12-year-old son.

All religious groups in China must be registered with the government, while religious activities are closely monitored. The situation has resulted in a wealth of unregistered underground or "home churches" which have blossomed during China's years of market economic reforms as belief in communism has waned.

I suppose that nothing in particular would emerge. Clearly these folks did what they felt the Lord would have them to do...and further, I am sure that they full well knew the consequences of their actions if they were discovered. And, lo, they were discovered and now they are to suffer the consequences for operating illegally in China. In accord with Romans 13:1-6 if would seem obvious that God "ordained" the government that exists in China. While that government should have been there to protect the believers but that is not the way of the communist regime in China. While God ordained (set aside) that particular government He does not necessarily approve of everything that these higher powers do to or for their citizens. Romans 13:2 states the penalty for resisting that government set up (permitted to exist) by God..."they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation (condemnation)." Now they will, perhaps, be martyred for their faith...or perhaps, just imprisoned for their faith, but nevertheless they will receive punishment for their disobedience.

1 Peter 4:12-16,19 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf......Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."

The takeover of China by Communist rulers in 1948 brought about a number of changes in that huge nation. First of all the incoming evil government murdered some 60 million Chinese who were considered dissidents and "Christians and other religions." But there was a language problem in China since there were hundreds or even thousands of different languages spoken throughout China...the new communist regime couldn't easily disseminate there pernicious messages effectively to the almost 1 billion people in China in 1948. They devised a plan and made all languages save Mandarin illegal and forbid anyone to use any other language for communication purposes. The result was that all of this vast nation began to use a common language throughout their land. What proved to be a necessity for the communist was a blessing for those who wanted to distribute gospel literature and bibles...now they only had one language to deal with. What was intended then for evil God turned into a blessing and as a result many thousands of bibles and gospel tracts were sent in and have been used mightily of God in the salvation of even more people in China than was ever possible before.

The Chinese government then unknowingly was used by God to distribute His word to a vast populace that now numbers well over 1 billion people...about 20% of the world's total population. These potential martyrs who have been retained in custody are certainly worthy of our diligent prayers for their release, and general safety while in custody. But if it be the will of God that they are held in prison for decades or even killed for their faith their deaths or incarcerations will not be in vain...God says vengeance is mine and it is.

- Preaching from the books of Revelation and Romans is banned.

- Any reference to Christ's second coming is forbidden.

- The word "only" has been removed from the third of the Four Spiritual Laws that reads: "Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin."

- All religious leaders are "government-approved."

- Christian broadcasting is not permitted.

- No Christian activities are allowed outside the official church.

- An individual may not share his/her faith; only government-approved pastors within government-approved buildings may preach the gospel.

Such proscriptions describe much of China's official, state-sanctioned church--an institution created and governed by Communist Party atheists. "The State Church, following the Communist mandate that the State--not God--is supreme, does not preach the whole gospel of redemption and lordship." "Chinese theology" removes Christ from power and makes Him a teacher of love.(Voice of the Martyrs, March 2001)

The "official" number of registered Protestant Christians is about 20 million.Eighty percent of those who call themselves Christians (approximately 75 million) belong to "illegal" house churches. Christians discovered teaching the full gospel in these house churches (outside of the State church) are subject to harassment, arrest, beatings, and imprisonment.Pastors found without State registration are jailed; their homes are destroyed.During November and December of 2000, more than 400 private homes serving as places of Christian worship were destroyed.Yet the "underground" church of Jesus Christ continues to grow.

Pray for the safety of those Christians who risk harassment and arrest in order to read and share the Word of God in its uncensored form. Pray that unregistered church leaders will continue to be bold in their ministry.Pray for those Christians who exist on a censored gospel, that they might hear of the full news and promises of the Christ who is Lord and who is coming again.And pray that those leaders within the State-sanctioned church will come to know Christ in a real way.

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