I just heard Pastor Kong Hee from City Harvest Church, Sigapore talking about Meekness last night. (Speaking of Pastor Kong Hee, I wonder how many here can look past his dyed hair and celebrity wife to listen to the message he is sharing. I also wonder if I am permitted to step up to the pulpit if my hair is blond instead of black.) He said meekness (among other things) means to pray for those to are not nice to you. This is exemplified by Pastor Zhang. He also said meekness doesn't mean no power or weak.
He listed what meekness mean and another thing he pointed out is to SERVE those who are making life hell (not his exact words, my own paraphrase) for you. By this definition, I am not a meek person. At least not now.
The news article: (be sure to read the letter after the article. This is a man who faced tremendous persecution and yet lose not his faith and hope in God and his love for fellow men.)
House church leader sends open letter to Chinese president persecution
China Aid Association (CAA) has learned that several orphan children and their caretakers were forced to spend the night in a hotel room after having been evicted from their orphanage by local police officials on Christmas day.
The orphanage's caretakers, Ming Xuan Zhang along with his two sons, had prepared to celebrate Christmas with the children, but were in no way prepared to deal with the situation that unfolded that morning.
After presenting an eviction notice, officials then proceeded to beat the caretakers and the children until they were forced onto the street.
The Director of Security order of the Village of Sanhe, along with other government officials from the Religious Bureau and United Work Front Department, had threatened the landlord to stop renting land to Zhang and the children or face imprisonment.
Left with little choice, the landlord was forced to evict Zhang after five years of occupancy. The children slept in a hotel room as Zhang searched for space to rent for the orphanage.
Unfortunately, Government officials did not limit the Christmas Day eviction to a single affair. On three separate occasions, landlords were scared into not to renting space to Zhang and the orphans by threats of criminal charges and prison time.
Government officials continue to persecute Ming Xuan Zhang for his leadership role in the Chinese House Church. Affectionately known as "Bike", Ming Xuan Zhang has experienced severe persecution and has been imprisoned 12 times by Government officials, who are trying to isolate him from the Chinese house church alliance.
In 2006, US President George W Bush requested a meeting with Ming Zhang during his visit to China, but was denied by Communist Party officials. Zhang and his son were kidnapped at a train station after CPC officials discovered he had been invited to meet the President.
Zhang has written a second open letter to President Hu Jintao, in hopes of receiving relief from persecution. No response has been issued.
In his letter, he writes, "President Hu, the Land belongs to the Nation, but the district tells us arrogantly that it is his.
"They intimidate the populace, which brings great crimes to the Party, our Nation and the People, and destroys the great blueprint of building a peaceful society."
CAA said, "Government officials continue to hinder Zhang from renting space for his orphanage by threatening landlords who offer to lease to him. Zhang and the children continue to remain homeless as they search for permanent living space.
"We implore the international community and those involved to take action against the crimes committed against Ming Zhang and his orphanage.
"The eviction and closure of an orphanage on Christmas day, due to the religious persecution of its caretaker is behaviour that can not be tolerated of any Government or nation."The Letter in English:
Pastor Zhang MingXuan’s Second Open Letter to President Hu Jintao
Posted Jan 10 2008Second Letter to President Hu Jintao
Dear Respected President,
Merry Christmas! Today is Christmas Day. It is on this day that Jesus, the savior of the world, was born, which brings peace to China and around the world. Moreover, today is a momentous and joyous day all the world over. However, driven to desperation, I wrote you a second letter. Although I am not sure whether you can read it, I am sure that you will not be ferocious with me, an uneducated hairdresser. I would like to speak to you about the truth of the harmonious society that you have consistently advocated. Some corrupt political officials, who are always deceiving their superiors and subordinates, bring disgrace to you and our Party. I am determined to sacrifice my life for Jesus and our peaceful nation, even though I may be imprisoned or sentenced to death, if only for the hope that China will be really harmonious, strong, prosperous, free in religion, and full of love.
My orphanage was forced to move out of its building on Christmas Day. I am shocked as to how people would be able to drive these orphans out of their school and force them to be homeless. I have been preaching the Gospel and have done well for more than ten years in Beijing, but as of now I have become an opponent to the Party and our State. The police office, the Religion Bureau and the United Front Work Department in Sanhe City, have disregarded what they have heard at the conference of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the 18th of December. Instead they have struck the Chinese Home Church Alliance and have begun persecuting Christians even worse than before. What’s more, you have been emphasizing that our Party give fundamental consideration to the people’s interests, and unite the religious believers at large in hopes of achieving a better society. We are always trying our best to fulfill these goals. Why are they always treating me as an enemy?
Is it not natural for Christians to celebrate Christmas Day? It is a normal religious activity, which should be protected by the Constitution. Unfortunately, on Christmas day many tragedies have taken place in the homeland: five Christians were arrested in Shangqiu city Henan province; three were arrested in Yichun city Helongjiang province; orphans were forced to leave school and leave their home in Sanhe City, Hubei Province. What’s worse, the landlord was called and threatened not to let us spend Christmas Day in the home, by the Director of Security Order in the village. The plain-clothes police, head of police office, District of Dongba Town, Chaoyang Area, Beijing. The officials stated that if we spent Christmas Day in our church, they would confiscate the land contract. “The land is mine, and the house is yours; I will seize your contract, and dismantle your house; you will be put to prison by the Religious Bureau and police office and United Front Work Department”, the district pretentiously said to the landlord. The landlord dared not to disobey their orders, and we had to spend Christmas Day in a hotel on the 23rd of December. President Hu, the Land belongs to the Nation, but the district tells us arrogantly that it is his. They intimidate the populace, which brings great crimes to the Party, our Nation and the People, and destroys the great blueprint of building a peaceful society. Unexpectedly, these orphans and students were driven out of the yard (20 rooms), which was rented for five years by Chinese Home Church Alliance in Beixiangkou, Yanjiao Town, Sanhe City, Hebei Province. These homeless orphans were driven out by the town government officials, police office, Religious Bureau and United Front Work Department in Sanhe City with their ulterior schemes. The school (main in English and computer) was attacked by them on the 14th of October, and I was taken to be questioned by the chief of Religious Bureau in Langfang City, but he found me blameless. My phone was inspected and my personal freedom was kept under close custody during the opening of the Seventeenth National People’s Congress. A foreign teacher and some students were driven out by threatening students and orphans with their tricks on the 28th of October. The head of the village threatened to cut off the supply of electricity if we did not move out on the 18th of November. They cut off our electricity on the December 5; we had to buy a power generator, because the electrical engineer refused to help us. We had never gone against the electric energy consumption and paid our electric bill on time every month. Why would they cut off the electricity without permission? I called to the electric power supply bureau in Sanhe City for the reason many times on the 9th, 10th and 12th of December. I have heard nothing from them to this day. I brought a lawsuit against the electric power supply bureau of Sanhe City on December 17. The court in Sanhe City did not handle the case, instead, they asked me to look for the help of the municipal government, and I went to meet the minister of the United Front Work Department and the director of the Religious Bureau, but they both did not care. “It is none of our business”, they both replied. Around five o’clock in the afternoon, the landlord forced us to move. Liu Mingyi, the landlord, was threatened that his house would be demolished and he would become homeless, if I did not move in three days. These orphans were forced to give up school on December 20th. Children have rights to receive compulsory education, ensured definitely in article 2, 4 and 57 of “the Compulsory Education”. These orphans were driven out for the reason that they had no fostering certificate and residence permit. These children cried to go to school. The five orphans are respectively only seven years old, eight years old, eleven years old, twelve years old, fourteen years old. They have no capacity to live and they now have had to suffer and starve on the pavement. Perhaps they will endanger the society one day, which is not good for building the well-off society. The law becomes these officials’ means to persecute the common people. These officials are not the executors of the laws, but the bane of our nation and people. Is it not the peaceful society that we try our best to construct? “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans: 13/1). Therefore, we Christians stand on the right side of the law. However, it is written that on the Bible, “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong” (Romans: 13/3). What these local officials do is in diametric opposition.
President Hu, I, Zhang Ming-xuan used to be a hairdresser, instead, today I have become God’s son, the disciple of Jesus, a pastor. I have been always obeying the word of God, submitting myself to the authority according to the teachings of the Bible. The Bible tells us to love the world like loving yourself, how can I show no emotion to these orphans. I was arrested more than twelve times by the police office and the Religious Bureau, but I was found not guilty and released. They strike the Chinese Home Church Alliance with all means, which would awaken more people of good sense, which also makes me believe in love and conscience. I believe China will become a nation of laws and a developed and religiously free country under your leadership.
I will pray for you!
Jesus Christ bless you!
Peace to you!
God bless China and all Chinese authorities!
President of Chinese Home Church Alliance
Pastor Zhang Ming-xuan
A quarter to eight on the 25th, October, 2007
01/10/08
中国基督教家庭教会联合会会长张明选牧师给胡锦涛主席发表第二封公&#
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中国基督教家庭教会联合会会长张明选牧师给胡锦涛主席发表第二封公开信
2008年1月10日
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对华援助协会授权发布中国基督教家庭教会联合会会长张明选牧师给胡锦涛主席发表的第二封公开信,全文附后.
公开信里, 张明选牧师列数自发表第一封公开信后尤其圣诞节当日孤儿院被迫搬家,5位孤儿被逐出学校被严酷打压的事实.直到最近全家人被停水停电被迫在半夜迁居3次,现在几乎到了无家可归的地步.
公开信最后说,”公安、宗教局等共抓我12次之多，未定我的罪，公安用各种方法打击家庭教会联合会，却只能让更多有良知的人觉醒，这更让我相信爱和良心。 但我相信，您所领导的好政策能使中国成为一个真正的法治国家，一个真正富强、宗教自由的发达国家，我一定会为您祷告，愿耶稣基督祝福您，赐给您一个强健的 身体，平安!”
对华援助协会呼吁中国政府停止宗教逼迫,建立真正的公平正义社会.
中国基督教家庭教会联合会(Chinese
House Church Alliance)会长张明选牧师给胡锦涛主席
的第二封信
尊敬的胡主席：
您好！祝您圣诞快乐！
胡主席，今天是圣诞节，是全人类的救主——耶稣降生并给中国和世界带来平安的日子，在这个本该普天同庆的喜庆日子里，我被逼无奈给您写第二封信，虽然不知 道您能否看到或听到，但我也知道您不会因我这个没有多少知识的剃头匠给您写第二封信就发怒。胡主席，您要问一下您所任用的官员们，我用真心诚实的话，来向 您说出您所一贯提倡的和谐社会的真实情况，有一小群民族败类和鱼肉人民欺上瞒下的贪官们，正给党和您脸上抹黑。我带着下监坐牢和死的决心，只要中国能真正 和谐、富强和壮大，宗教能真正自由，爱能在中国通行，我愿意为耶稣、为国家和谐付出生命的代价。
胡锦涛主席，今天是圣诞节，可我的孤儿院却不得不搬家了，我不明白，怎能在这个快乐的节日里使一群无辜的孤儿被赶出学校，又千方百计地逼我们的家庭教会的 孤儿院搬家？我十年来在北京传福音、做好事、行善事，到头来却成为党和国家的敌人。在您领导下的中国政府内，公安局、宗教局、统战部等部门为打击基督教家 庭教会，他们根本不听您在12月18日中共中央政治局集体学习会议上说的话，变本加厉的逼迫基督徒。您在会议上一再说，要坚持以人为本，最大限度地把信教 群众团结起来，让我们都聚集到建设小康社会的共同目标上来，我们不就是在做这些事情吗？ 他们为什么对待我像对待敌人一样？
对基督徒来说，还有什么比圣诞节举行庆祝活动更理所当然的事情？这是正常的宗教活动，应当受到宪法的保护，然而神州大地正在上演的悲剧却是：河南商丘被抓 五人、黑龙江宜春市被抓三人、河北三河市逼孤儿院搬家失学、北京朝阳区东坝乡的乡长、派出所所长、片警、大队治安主任，把租房给我所在的东坝教会的房东叫 去，威吓不许我们信徒过圣诞节，如要过圣诞节，就把合同给收掉。乡长狂妄的说：“土地是我的，房子是你的，你若再让聚会我就收你的合同，扒你的房子，礼拜 天宗教局、公安局和统战部都来抓人。”房东不敢违抗，12月23号我们教会只好在一个酒店里过圣诞节。胡主席，土地是国家所有，而一个小乡长却口出狂言说 是他的，他们威吓百姓，为保他们能多当几年官，鱼肉百姓，给党、国家和人民带来了罪恶，破坏了您的和谐社会的伟大构想。更想不到的是，圣诞节大喜的日子 里，在河北省三河市燕郊镇北巷口村，我们家庭教会联合会租房东的一座院子20间房子，租期五年，住着我们收养的无家可归的孩子们，竟被三河统战部、宗教 局、公安局和镇政府用不可告人的诡计，迫害学生和孤儿们。早在今年10月14号，三河统战部、宗教局、公安局和镇政府冲击学校（学英语和电脑）的聚会，把 我带到三河与他们（廊坊宗教局局长）对话，但他们找不到我的错误。十七大会议期间，他们监视我的人身自由，监听我的手机通话，10月28号，他们又动用了 比上次更多的公安人员，威吓学生和孤儿，赶走英语外教，并用各种不可告人的手法把学生逼走；11月18号村干部又去人威吓孤儿们，说三天不搬走就停水、停 电、截断出入的路；12月5日，他们真把孤儿院的电停了，我们找电工，电工不给见面，无奈只好买了一台发电机。我们每月按时缴电费，从没违法用电，他们却 私自停电，这是什么道理？我于12月9日、10日、12日多次给三河电业局打电话追问停电原因，他们把电话号码记走后再无音信，12月17日我们起诉三河 市供电局，三河法院不受理，叫我找供电局找市政府，我就找到了三河统战部部长，宗教局长，他们讲政策法律，叫我去找电工查，不是他们的事，可到下午五点钟 他们又逼房东刘明义来叫我三天搬家，如果不搬家，就要把房子拆掉，房东说我若不搬走，他就要家破人亡；他们到20日又逼迫学校通知孤儿们不准上学（《中国 义务教育法》第二、四、五十七条等都明确保证儿童接受义务教育的权利），学校只好以要抚养证明和户口为由，把孤儿们赶出学校，孤儿们哭喊着要上学，他们有 7岁、8岁、11岁、12岁和14岁各一个，都还是未成年的孩子。今天是圣诞节，这群孤儿被学校撵回家来，孤儿们马上就要流浪街头，他们没有生存能力就无 法生存，也可能危害社会，这有悖于您向全国提倡的小康社会的和谐。国家的法律在掌权者手中成了迫害百姓的工具，做官的视法律于不顾，反过来祸害国家百姓， 难道这就是我们要创建的和谐社会吗？圣经上说，在上有权柄的，人人当顺服他（罗马书13：1），所以我们基督徒都诚心诚意的遵守国家法律，但圣经上也说， 做官的原不是叫行善的惧怕，乃是叫作恶的惧怕（罗马书13：3），这些地方上做官的为了自己得利，却偏偏做些让恶人得逞让善良的百姓惧怕的事。
胡主席，我张明选本是一个剃头匠，今天成为上帝的儿子、耶稣的门徒和教会的牧师，为此我一直都是遵上帝的话而行的，也按照圣经上的教导顺服掌权者，圣经要 我们爱人如己，看着那些孤儿，我怎么能无动于衷？公安、宗教局等共抓我12次之多，未定我的罪，公安用各种方法打击家庭教会联合会，却只能让更多有良知的 人觉醒，这更让我相信爱和良心。但我相信，您所领导的好政策能使中国成为一个真正的法治国家，一个真正富强、宗教自由的发达国家，我一定会为您祷告，愿耶 稣基督祝福您，赐给您一个强健的身体，平安！
愿上帝祝福中国和所有的执政者！
中国家庭教会联合会会长 张明选牧师
2007年12月25日19时45分
对华援助协会版权所有©2008年1
月10日发布
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