On the Road

The first Christian martyr in China in the New Year! On January 5, Ailun Li from Early Rain Covenant Church was ten weeks pregnant when she lost her baby from a miscarriage after suffering severe physical and mental harassment at the hands of Chinese officials. Her husband, Xiaoguang Zhu, is one of the church leaders under criminal detention. She named her baby Abel. 

 

I was touched to tears by the news. As Luther enviously asked why the Lord selected a Dutch brother in Holland as the first martyr after the Reformation of 1517 instead of a German, I was wondering why the Lord has chosen an unborn as the first Chinese martyr in 2019?

 

My close friend pastor Eric Foley from VOM Korea replied to my question with this: “Perhaps God wants to find out how asleep the world is?”

 

Martin Luther found that the true church is a church of martyrs. A true church will follow Him wherever He goes, especially into suffering and martyrdom. 

 

Do we in the free world still recognize little Abel and her parents belong to the same ONE Body of Christ as written repeatedly in the Scriptures?

 

In China, they’re closing churches, jailing pastors – and even rewriting scripture. The CCP is intensifying religious persecution as Christianity’s popularity grows.  To try to divide and separate this one body is the essential purpose of the Devil. 

 

After burying her little Abel, Ailun wrote a poem called “On the Road” in which she expressed that Abel was accepted and taken to Heaven by our Heavenly Father and every follower of Christ are on the road to visit him one day. 

 

Again, I hope that Luther’s reminder five hundred years ago can still be a timeless admonition: “We should not fear harsh treatment, but prosperity and good days we should fear. They may harm us more than fear and persecution.” 

 

Your humble coworker,

Bob Fu

 

P.S. Because of your support, aid has already been sent to the Chinese persecuted like Abel’s parents.