{"id":40456,"date":"2022-01-18T13:55:41","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T04:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=40456"},"modified":"2022-01-18T15:44:21","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T06:44:21","slug":"vomk-report-187","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/01\/18\/vomk-report-187\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINESE STREET EVANGELIST CALMS CHRISTIANS IN FACE OF NEW INTERNET RESTRICTIONS"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”40442″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”In China, new restrictions on religious Internet content are set to go into effect on March 1. Observers are noting that the restrictions are already having a chilling effect on Chinese Christians\u2019 online activity. But one Chinese street evangelist is taking his bold message online and encouraging Chinese Christians to stay calm and keep on posting. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]Evangelist Chen\u00a0<\/span>Wensheng<\/span>, who was detained more than six times in 2021 for\u00a0<\/span>his street\u00a0<\/span>preaching in\u00a0<\/span>Hengyang<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Hunan<\/span>, took to social media earlier this month with a post entitled, \u201c<\/span>How Should Christians Respond to the Measures for the Administration of Internet Information Services\u201d<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”40438″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cIn his post he rebuked Chinese Christians for already changing their chat names and online IDs and shortening or dropping words like \u2018<\/span>Jesus\u2019,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>God\u2019, and \u2018amen\u2019 from their online posts,\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0even dropping out of online Christian groups completely,\u201d says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Hyun Sook Foley. \u201c<\/span>He shared scriptures to encourage the believers to be bold, and he\u00a0<\/span>gave them a strong challenge to bring their light to the darkest place they can find, which includes the Chinese Internet.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley said that Evangelist Chen\u2019s online message was more than fiery street preaching, however.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvangelist Chen\u00a0said Chinese Christians need to have a basic understanding of law,\u201d said Representative Foley. \u201cHe\u00a0noted that the new regulations\u00a0were technically \u2018measures\u2019 and did not yet have the force of law, nor had they\u00a0yet been enforced to persecute Christians.\u00a0He sees the new measures as a \u2018win-win\u2019 situation for Christians: If they continue to\u00a0preach about Jesus\u00a0online, any efforts to stop them can be declared illegal because the measures are unconstitutional. But if they are persecuted, then they can joyfully testify about Jesus to their persecutors.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, this is the\u00a0strategy Evangelist Chen uses in his own street ministry.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn\u00a0December 27, the community and local police, State Security officers, United Front Work Department, other government department officials, and the newly appointed district party committee secretary went to Chen\u00a0Wensheng\u2019s\u00a0home to speak with him\u00a0about his street preaching,\u201d said Representative Foley. \u201cEvangelist\u00a0Chen saw it as a great opportunity to preach the gospel to them.\u00a0This is what he did in each of his many prior detainments, so his advice to Chinese Christians comes from his own experience of joyfully testifying to the authorities in response to their efforts to stop him.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”40446″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Chinese street evangelist Chen Wensheng ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”40450″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Chinese street evangelist Chen and his 84-year-old mother on the streets of Hengyang preaching the Gospel” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley<\/span>\u00a0said\u00a0<\/span>the scriptures Evangelist Chen shared in his recent online message to Chinese Christians included 2 Timothy 1:7 (<\/span>\u201cFor the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline<\/span>\u201d), Hebrews 10:35 (\u201c<\/span>So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded\u201d<\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span>Ephesians 6:10 (<\/span>\u201cFinally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power<\/span>\u201d).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cEvangelist Chen says, \u2018<\/span>The darkest place is where light is most needed<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The place with the worst persecutions is the place where the gospel is most needed<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The place\u00a0<\/span>with the least justice is where God\u2019s righteous judgment is needed the most!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Do you dare to come to such a place? Dare to come to preach the gospel?<\/span>\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Bible, the Lord raised up judges each time his people faced trouble<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>Evangelist Chen\u00a0<\/span>Wensheng<\/span>\u00a0seems to be the unlikely \u2018judge\u2019 that the Lord is raising up to\u00a0<\/span>calm Chinese Christians in the face of these sweeping new Internet restrictions.<\/span>\u00a0Years ago he was a drug addict. When he heard the gospel, he became a new creature in Christ and began preaching the gospel<\/span>\u00a0on the streets<\/span>. He is a member of a small church, and yet\u00a0<\/span>because he has been faithful\u00a0<\/span>through his ma<\/span>ny detentions in Hengyang<\/span>, the Lord is giving him more responsibility,\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>calm and challeng<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0Christians<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>across China\u00a0<\/span>in this crucial\u00a0<\/span>hour<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in donating to Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s work in partnership with the house church Christians of China can\u00a0visit\u00a0<\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/donation<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or give via electronic transfer to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Account Holder: (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please note \u201cChina\u201d on the transfer<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”40453″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Chinese street evangelist Chen Wensheng and a family of Christians at church ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”40442″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”In China, new restrictions on religious Internet content are set to go into effect on March 1. Observers are noting that the restrictions are already having a …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":40443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}