China moves against Christian groups

[b]China moves against Christian groups[/b]

BEIJING (AP) – Authorities have increased arrests on Christian groups operating outside China's sole official government church following a crackdown ordered last month, an overseas monitoring group reported today.

At least 15 leaders in the unofficial church have been detained in recent days across six provinces and regions, according to the China Aid Association, based in Midland, Texas.

They include seven church leaders arrested during a worship service in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday and six others detained for up to 10 days in the neighboring provinces and Shandong and Jiangsu. In another case, Christian businessman Zhou Heng was arrested while picking up an order of two tons of Bibles at a bus station, the association said. ...

read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/FOREIGN/108240104

Seems normal doesn't it? We live in a world where we can have the right to worship where we please. But in China and other nations they do not. It seems normal to me that they are harassed and even beaten. Yet they are a happy bunch of people, they tell their stories as if they were happy that they went thru it. Our reaction to harassment is calling the ACLU.

Yet these people were born in persecution, as were those on the day of Pentecost.

Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;Acts 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

In the early church their prayer was not to escape the persecution but rather to increase it. How?

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.