China Gripped by Spiritual Revival as 'Hundreds of Millions Turn to Religion and Faith' - CBN News

China Gripped by Spiritual Revival as 'Hundreds of Millions Turn to Religion and Faith'

CBN News 04-25-2017

Forty-one years after China's Cultural Revolution snuffed out all forms of religious expression, hundreds of millions of Chinese people are flocking to religions like Christianity.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ian Johnson believes what's transpiring in China is nothing short of "one of the world's great spiritual revivals" and says the world better take note because the impact of this "spiritual transformation" could have significant global implications.  

"People {in China} are looking for new moral guideposts, some sort of moral compass to organize society," said Johnson, author of The Souls of China: The Return of Religion after Mao. "So they are turning to religion as a source of values to help reorganize society."

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Johnson spent six years researching the "values and faiths of today's China." He says the fastest-growing drivers of this "religious revolution" are unregistered churches or so-called "house" or "underground" churches.

"These groups have become surprisingly well-organized, meeting very openly and often counting hundreds of congregants," Johnson wrote in an article for The Atlantic. "They've helped the number of Protestants soar from about one million when the communists took power to at least 60 million today."

Over the past 15 years, CBN News has also documented this unprecedented revival.

From the countryside to the big cities, we've highlighted how a new generation of believers is changing the face of Chinese Christianity.

"Any casual visitor to the country can tell you that the number of churches, mosques, and temples has soared in recent years, and that many of them are full," Johnson wrote. "While problems abound, the space for religious expression has grown rapidly, and Chinese believers eagerly grab it as they search for new ideas and values to underpin a society that long ago discarded traditional morality."

Church leaders that CBN News spoke with say prayer has played a key role in sparking the Christian revival.

For example, in one corner of northeast China, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, thousands of Christians have been meeting for an unprecedented prayer movement.

What started as a small gathering several years ago has turned into a nationwide prayer initiative uniting hundreds of Chinese churches.

In some cases, this revival is even touching China's state-controlled churches known as Three-Self Church.

"Now there's big revivals happening in the Three-Self Churches," Dr. Zhao Xiao told CBN News from his offices on the outskirts of China's capital city.

Zhao is one of China's foremost experts on Christianity. A former Communist Party member and atheist, Zhao converted after reading the Bible.

"If you go to Haidian Church, you'll find yourself in a more than 100-meter line trying to get inside and worship. In Shenzhen, there are usually an average of 500 people being baptized each Sunday!" he shared.

Decades ago, the Chinese government had a law that said that young men and women below the age of 18 could not attend Three-Self Churches. Zhao says those rules have been loosened in recent years.

"There's an increasing proportion of them in churches now -- more young male believers, professionals, mainstream celebrities, especially in the big cities, that are attending the church unlike the past when it was mainly the elderly who attended."

While the government remains deeply suspicious of China's religious revival, Johnson says it hasn't stopped people from exploring matters of faith.

"Hundreds of millions of Chinese are consumed with doubt about their society and turning to religion and faith for answers that they do not find in the radically secular world constructed around them," Johnson writes in his book.

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The Womb of Awakening: The Birth of the Mysteries of God by Ian Johnson

The Womb of Awakening: 

The Birth of the Mysteries of God 

by Ian Johnson

Identity Network

New life is always hidden in its conception, but the fruit of conception results in the birth of and revelation of the mysteries of God.

Mysteries only remain mysterious while they are hidden, but when the ways of God come into the light, the Sons of God know His ways. In an age where many are saying the Church is irrelevant, God is bringing new life to the fruit of her womb.

If we look for a revival (a fresh release of an old move) all we get is the revival of an old move. But if we seek revelation of the pattern of heaven, we get the birth of the mysteries of heaven on earth.

We are in the third day of the Church and it's worth noting here that the revelation of the fruit of Eve's womb didn't appear until her third child was born. The fruit of Gods salvation didn't come from Able or Cain but from her third son Seth. So the third day of the Church is going to reveal the fullness of the salvation offered by God to mankind.

The Hidden is Revealed

Romans 8:22 says that the Worlds groan for the revelation of the SONS as in childbirth. That which has been a mystery in the darkness of the womb is about to be revealed in the birth of SONS.

When that which is hidden is revealed, it becomes the engine to transition, from mystery to revelation. The revelation of SONS and fruit is the glory of the third day church. Currently we live in the fruit of the Reformation of 1517, but that was just a pregnancy, not a birth

The Church for a long while now has been pregnant with promise, we have seen stirrings in the womb and even known that the womb contains wonderful new life. But we haven't been able to describe the awakening because its image has been hidden in the darkness of the womb. Psalm 139 so beautifully paints a picture of God knitting us together in our mother's womb. This is true for us as individuals but it's also true of the mysterious womb called the Church.

The picture of childbirth is the picture I want to portray in this article, before birth the awakening clung to its mother through the mystery of blood in the womb, (the Womb called the Church) but when the awakening is presented at birth; the revelation of the SON is there for all to see and the one who carried the awakening has a role change. She now has to train up a child in the way he should go. Her role is no longer to steward the mystery but to help the mystery to become a fully grown SON. Hence it says in the book of Ephesians that the role of the Pastor, teacher, evangelist, Prophet and Apostle is to present fully grown, mature, functioning SONS. 

The role of the five-fold is not to rule but to bring them forth as mature SONS of the Kingdom. The role of ruling belongs to the SONS. So the five-fold gifts are only there to train the SONS to rule as SONS. This is the great birth and the great awakening taking place right now in the womb called the Church.

The Role of the Church

The SONS become the mystery revealed, it's taking a while for the Church to understand her role, but she will because God has chosen the Church to be the Womb of awakening in the earth - the place where SONS reveal the Kingdom of God. So that we proclaim with the saints in heaven, The Kingdoms of the earth, have become the Kingdoms of our God and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.

In the same way Mary carried the Messiah in her womb until it was time for Him to be presented, so the Church has carried the SONS, remember that Jesus was the firstborn among many SONS. When Mary released Jesus into the world she lived in every range of emotion possible to a human - joy, sadness, sorrow, fulfillment, etc., the whole range. It's the same for the Church, as she learns to let the fruit of her womb go into all the world and become Jesus to the nations.

There is a great awakening upon us and this article is a call to SONS to come forth, out of the reformation of 1517 and into Sonship and dominion. Placed before us is an open door; into the realms of heaven and heaven on earth. A place that will bring great honor  to Jesus. A place that will bring delight and shouts of joy from those who have gone before, from the Church in heaven who are waiting to see their reward revealed in a generation of SONS. This is your day and your hour to bring forth the reward for the suffering of our Messiah Jesus.

Ian Johnson

ianjohn@xtra.co.nz

www.hisamazinggloryministries.org

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The Apostle Who Went Further Than Them All by Ian Johnson - by Ian Johnson (Identity Network)

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Thomas the Apostle is one of my gospel heroes. He thrust his arm into eternity when he was asked to do so by Jesus, "put your hand in my side." I had one of the biggest encounters of my life when I came into contact with Thomas, at the entry point of the gospel in India. 

It was here I experienced apostolic fire and gospel power unlike anything else I had ever seen. This was in 2005, having just returned from 6 weeks in India and seeing firsthand the impact that Thomas had and is still having on that land I wanted to find out who Thomas was from a biblical point of view and discover some of his motivations.  What drove this man so far from Jerusalem? 

It seems fairly clear from historical evidence that Thomas was in India from 58AD until he was martyred in 72AD. The Church in Southern India was founded by Him, and He was buried in modern day Chennai at the Church of St Thomas on Marina beach. 

So what was it that drove Thomas to leave all He knew and travel a vast distance and even die for the cause? He is often labeled doubting Thomas, but the evidence in India would suggest He doesn't deserve this label. 

I had the privilege to go to 5 of the seven churches he established in Kerala, I claimed the mount where he received his instructions to go to the other side of India, I visited his final resting place and I went up a little mount in Chennai to the place where he was murdered for the cause of Christ. It is a very high hill where he used to go and pray, He also lived in a cave nearby. From a strategic point of view there would be no better position to pray from, as you can see the entire region. 

So what was the deal with the Apostle Thomas? I've gleaned as much as I can from the 3 times He is mentioned as speaking in scripture.

 

Was He Thomas the Doubter or Thomas the Doer? 

It seems to me He wasn't a doubter but he was; willing to risk his life. Willing to ask the hard questions and willing to accept the truth 

1.    Thomas was Willing to Risk His Life (John 11:1-16)  

        

The first time that we see the nature of Thomas mentioned is found in the passage about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead -

John 11:1-16 - A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, the one you love is very sick." But when Jesus heard about it he said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this." 

Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days and did not go to them. Finally after two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go to Judea again." But his disciples objected. "Teacher," they said, "only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill you. Are you going there again?" 

Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light." Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up." 

The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, that means he is getting better!" They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was having a good night's rest, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. Then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, because this will give you another opportunity to believe in me. Come, let's go see him." Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too - and die with Jesus." 

The disciples have a good point here. They tell Jesus that isn't such a great idea going to Jerusalem, You know there are people out there who are trying to kill you. Jesus insists that they still go. 

Verses 11 and 12 are a bit humorous if you ask me.  Jesus trying to be kind says that Lazarus is sleeping and the disciples respond with don't wake him up. Then Jesus has to say, ok he is not sleeping he is dead.  Verse 16 is what we're going to key in on. 

Thomas said, "Let's go too - and die with Jesus."  Thomas, the one who we always refer to as doubting Thomas, makes the bold statement "I am willing to follow with you, Jesus, even if it means death." Thomas was willing to put it all on the line. In his mind there was a strong chance that he would be killed if he went to Judea. 

Thomas was willing to risk death to follow Jesus.  Do you have the same boldness to follow Jesus? 

In India I was challenged with similar feelings - my ministry companion did not want to go into an area controlled by the communist Laxelights who had been kidnapping and killing people for their cause. Yes it was dangerous.  Yes we could have been caught and killed. But I was confronted with this one thing...Will I obey Christ even if it means death or will I play it safe? We went in and we were protected.  

The fruit was an amazing outpouring of power and grace and many where saved, delivered, healed and set free. Thomas confronts us with this question - Are we willing to obey even unto death? He did...and we should to. 

2.    Thomas was willing to ask the questions that we all were wondering about, but too afraid to ask. 

John 14:1-6 "Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 

And you know where I am going and how to get there." "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We haven't any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." 

Jesus just gets done giving the disciples some comfort. Let us be honest, if this was the first time you heard about all this you would be confused too. I can see the disciples sitting around and shaking their heads and pretending they understand what Jesus was talking about.  I get that look from time and time when I am preaching, I say I don't think you understand what I am saying but people smile and nod anyways. 

Thomas raises his hand and says Lord I don't get it. I am confused. Help me understand, what a bold question. 

Notice Jesus did not rebuke Thomas, Jesus did not make fun of him for his honest question Jesus used a different way and expanded on some things to answer the questions that Thomas and the rest of the disciples had in their mind. I am sure they were saying thank you Thomas for asking that question 

What can We Learn from this? 

You know one of the biggest misconceptions that we have been taught is, that questions are wrong. Honest questions are not sin. To want a better understanding of a situation is not a sin. There are some things that we do not understand at first. So be willing to ask the questions, be willing to examine things, figure out what exactly is going on.

What are you trying to tell me Lord? 

When I was in Goa India, I felt I was somehow missing the mark as far as reaching people for Jesus. I had witnessed to people on a one on one basis but had been unable to break through, I said "Lord I don't understand who you sent me here to speak to."  

He just said, "Take the bus to Bangalore." When it was time to leave we booked a bus trip to end all bus trips...13 hours on a bus with no suspension, The answer to whom we had been sent to became clear. Both my companion and myself where given seats next to people whom God had hand-picked for us to speak to. 

The result was fruit! Imagine if I had not questioned the Lord about the wisdom of the trip, and him saying there is someone you must speak to. I could have taken matters into my own hands it would have been easy to cancel the bus and take the train or even fly, but the Lord wanted me on that bus.

Thomas was willing to ask the hard questions of Jesus and we need to be able to do the same. 

3.    Thomas was willing to accept the truth (John 20:24-29). 

I am sure that you all remember the famous story of doubting Thomas, that we read in the beginning of this passage. 

Thomas gets a bad rap here; we have to understand what had been leading up to this point. 

First thing that the disciples know is; Mary came and said "Jesus appeared to her." None of the disciples believed her; if they had they would have not been in the room gathered together hiding in fear. 

Now when they were together and Jesus appeared to them, Thomas was not there.  Where was Thomas? The Bible does not say. Thomas did not want to blindly accept what his fellow disciples said. He wanted to make sure that everything was correct. So the Lord showed up again and showed him 

Thomas makes one of the most overlooked Messianic statements in the Bible - "My Lord and my God." 

This statement is amazing. For a Jew to make that statement is incredible. To call a human associate "My Lord and My God" could be considered blasphemy and punishable by death, He saw something in the side of Jesus that turned him around. 

Thomas was Willing - What can We Gain from this Story? 

First of all understand that doubt is not sin It is not sin to doubt. If it were Jesus would have said why you are sinning against me, he did not say that. We all wrestle with doubt from time to time. 

Notice something here, Thomas never doubted Jesus, he doubted his fellow disciples, Once Jesus showed him, Thomas believed, then declared his belief, in the most powerful messianic statement in the NT. 

Unbelief and doubt are not the same Unbelief is deliberate denial, disobedience, rebellion, resistance, and is always condemned. Doubt is the sincere question, but unbelief is an unwillingness to hear the answer. 

To doubt the resurrection would not be that uncommon, dead people had rarely got up and become alive again. Thomas had just lost his friend Jesus (so he thought) with dashed hope; it is hard to make faith fit in with the painful realities of life; this occurs when: a loved one dies, our children are in trouble, we lose our job - just life really.  What is funny is we often doubt that miracles can happen at times like this, but our desire for them is even stronger. 

The writer of the Psalms sometimes expresses much anger and sings about doubts and disappointments. However, they always seem to realize in the end that God is God, God cares for them, and God listens to them. 

In Kakanada I was faced with a woman who was totally insane. She had been a university graduate who had been indwelt by demonic forces to the point where she was going about saying she was an angel of light and talking with the voice of a man, trying to kill them with a machete.  I have to admit when I was confronted with her issues, I doubted for a moment that there was hope! 

But then the Lord came through. As I prayed the demons threw the woman to the ground. I commanded them in the name of Jesus to come out, and one by one they came out, the last going with terrible scream. At which point the woman returned to her right mind. She was set free and restored to her family. I saw her again the next day and the transformation was amazing. 

Imagine if I had of succumbed to doubt. But I was able to look to Jesus for the answers just as Thomas did. This is all Jesus wants from us, to look to Him. 

I hope I have made a good case to stop calling Thomas, "Doubting Thomas."  Thomas was not so much doubting Thomas as he was "willing Thomas." 

He was willing to risk his life and follow Jesus.  In the end He gave his life for Jesus, further away from Jerusalem than any of the others. 

He was willing to ask some really hard questions. Those questions caused him to trust so much He went to the other side of the world for Jesus. 

He was willing to accept the truth. In the end He was so committed to the truth that he planted many churches in Kerala & Tamil Nadu in India, and established an apostolic stronghold there still operating today. 

So be like Thomas.  Ask the hard questions of Jesus.  Be willing to follow Jesus even unto death. Be willing to accept the truth when confronted with it.  Thomas is my apostolic hero, a giant among the Sons of Christ. 

Ian Johnson

ianjohn@xtra.co.nz

www.hisamazinggloryministries.org

 

 

 

 

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Moving on from Jabez by Ian Johnson

Moving on from Jabez 

by Ian Johnson

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A few years ago people were praying the prayer of Jabez made popular by Bruce Wilkinson's book "The Prayer of Jabez" based on 1 Chronicles 4:10

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.

It works because God desires to "Bless you" "Expand your Territory" "have an intimate relationship with you" and "keep you free from evil."

There are a number of folk who have prayed this prayer for a number of years who are now wondering what has happened to the initial outpouring of blessings, or the receipt of things, they received as a result of asking for blessings..

Questions arise in their heart like has God now abandoned me? The answer is of course not, He is taking us into His ultimate blessing and expansion of our territory. Into the realm of Glory, into the full revelation of the love of the father for His Children. The natural outcome of a prayer asking for blessings is that God will take us into His rest..

God's Multi-dimensional Love

Programs and religion don't transform. Only a revelation of the multi-dimensional love of God as expressed in Jesus truly brings transformation in our world and in our surroundings. This is a season when we will get beyond our earthly requests and desires, to a place that starts to shake us free of one dimensional mindsets and remove things that are in the way of a radical revelation of the love of God. It's time to change your seasonal clothes.

How many times have you had a breakthrough and then reverted back to the way things were? We worry about receiving the approval of man rather than expanding beyond our current limits. But expand we must, into the freedom of rest in the Father. Freedom from religious mindsets and heavy yokes of dead works.

God's word is clear. Isaiah 54:2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

Religion hates it when anyone is set free. Present things are being challenged by the eternal Father. "Let them stretch forth the curtains of His habitations" Make room for the heart of the Father and enter His rest, be seated in heavenly places with Jesus our savior.

You can't qualify for further expansion, because the love of God has already qualified you as a Son or Daughter. The expansion of territory opens our eyes to the love of God, and the love of God reveals blessing untold. The love of God Transforms and draws us into His breast, to a place where the heartbeat of God is heard, so that our heartbeat and Gods heartbeat, beat as one.

Eph 3:17-18 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

Expand Your Thinking

Many know about the love of God from an intellectual point of view; but few experience it because we get stuck in the limitation of our mind. We have set ideas of how our world works and where we fit into the scheme of things, however today is the time to expand our thinking. To move our tent into the glory cloud to the place of infinite provision, a place of supernatural food and supernatural drink that satisfies our hunger and quenches our thirst.

The biggest weapon the enemy of our souls has is to make us think that we have somehow failed God. Our adversary the Devil knows that if he can keep us pre-occupied doing "things", even if these "Things" appear to be Godly. He will prevent us from entering the chambers of glory, into the Fathers love, where we fall in love with Jesus.

Even if we don't mean it to be, much of modern Christianity is based on us "Doing Stuff". These are called dead works. The Lord is calling us out of the "Stuff" and into intimacy with Him! When Jesus died on the cross, He won for us everything that we will ever need. Satan's plan is to make us believe we are missing the mark! and then become pre-occupied trying to find the mark, and never enter a place of intimacy and rest with the Lord!

When Satan, tempted the woman in the garden, (Gen 3:6) it wasn't with great theological issues or points of doctrinal difference that he spoke to her about. Rather it was an appeal to her senses. He said; "Look! Doesn't that fruit look good! And the taste! Surely a loving God wouldn't keep something this good from you! You must have misunderstood his instructions!"

He used that strategy then and he uses it today! Satan says, "If you work hard for God and do everything with Excellence he will accept you" it's an appeal to your emotions and your senses and sounds good, but it keeps you from entering the rest found in the Glory cloud.

We need to expand our territory by abandoning ourselves to the purpose of God, and enter the rest Jesus has won for us.

Gal 2:20-21 I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Hebrews 4:8-10 This new place of rest was not the land of Canaan, where Joshua led them. If it had been, God would not have spoken later about another day of rest. So there is a special rest, still waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God's rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world

Romans 4:4-5 When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.

It's All About Faith

If you believe your evil works can disqualify you from God's blessing, then you must believe that your good works qualify you!  However nothing can qualify you! Jesus has made the way for you, not one bit of your work will stand on the day of judgment. It's not about works it's about faith in what Jesus has done for us!

I know this is hard to swallow in our "He that works hard gets a lot" world But asking for blessings will bring you to this place of rest. Don't fight the blessings, but abandon yourself to His blessings and dwell in His love.

Many are afraid to enter this place of rest because they somehow think that if they don't do some "works" God will consume them. You must learn to trust the fathers love and compassion for his sons and daughters.

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; Lamentations 3:22.

Overwhelm us Lord in your love, a heart overwhelmed is transformed, a transformed heart loves, Love overwhelms our surroundings, Transformation continues, Our territory is expanded and Blessings flow

Ian Johnson

ianjohn@xtra.co.nz

www.hisamazinggloryministries.org

 

 

  

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