Imprisoned pastor: 'This is a good place to rest'

A Christian pastor who has been jailed in China on trumped-up charges of divulging state secrets has written to his wife that he’s grateful for the time out of his regular duties, so that he can get some rest and listen to God’s word.
The stunning perspective was documented by officials with China Aid, which works to expose religious persecution and human rights abuse in China, on Thursday.

It also supports Chinese Christians and their families when they have experienced persecution by the Chinese government.

As such, it has contact with many Chinese Christians throughout the still-repressive nation, and obtains information about the status of persecution directly from those involved. ...

Why should the officials with China Aid find it a "stunning perspective"?

Oh, yes...we have been trained in the church in America to think that when "our rights" are violated, it is unfair.

I think Art Katz really helped me grasp 'Reality" than any other teacher. I love his account of going to the hospital with a shattered knee cap and refusing pain drugs because "the pain is not that important", but being told that he HAD to have pain killers. He said, "No, I can take this pain." It was then he realized that this was the warfare we encounter from Satan in this world. To be coddled and shielded from realities and thus get angry with God when pain and sorrow come.
In this worldly philosophy, pain and suffering is something to be eliminated and rescued from rather than analyzed and accepted.

Many 'prayer meetings" I have been a part of focus only on the elimination of pain and sorrow in people's lives. Many we pray for have gotten to a place of sorrow and pain because of sin and turning away from God.

This does not keep me from praying for healing but I pray more for deliverance from the bondage of sin and wrong motivations and repentance. And the Holy Spirit will lead us to pray differently in each situation.

I know I'm speaking simplistically, but many Christians are now standing behind candidate Donald Trump who says he is going to alleviate all our problems, our suffering and the attacks that really need to be addressed through repentance and prayer.

Well, sorry, I got a bit off topic there Greg, but this is really on my heart lately and I do know that believers who truly know God understand these realities.
May the Lord give us his strength and wisdom to endure and persevere to the end.

In His Care,
Sister Leslie