Sabbath, June 25, 2005

To be read on Sabbath, June 25, 2005

The Special Sabbath School Offering will be gathered Sabbath, July 2, 2005

China is the third largest country with 22% of the world´s population. By the grace of God, the Reform Movement established the first church in this country at the beginning of the new millennium, May 2000.
Within a short time, there were 270 baptized members (mostly from the separated movement) and an organised union with 3 fields. The message of the angel of Revelation 18 reached China from the church in Korea.
Officially, the People´s Republic of China still considers communism to be their God, even after its fall in the Soviet Union. The Chinese once believed that communism would bring them to a heavenly paradise but it has not met their

expectations and has left a vacuum in their hearts. Many people are therefore searching for something to replace their shattered hopes and this gives us a great opportunity to preach the gospel in this country.

The Chinese government claims to permit freedom of religion but complete freedom is still prohibited. Religious activities of foreign, unregistered missions are especially repressed; therefore there are no official foreign missionaries in China. Officially registered religious organisations are infiltrated and controlled. Restricted missionary work is only possible in the provinces where members a living. Nevertheless, the light of the gospel is being preached in this country under such dangerous conditions. We claim that the Lord’s coming is near but how can we expect the Lord to return when 1.4 billion people are still in total darkness?

We are to sow the seed of the gospel in this large country too. Let us be wise and use this great opportunity to preach the message of Revelation 18 and three angel’s message in China, which has been isolated behind the iron curtain for so many years.

Those missionaries that enter China first, will have the largest land and richest fruit. Many very large churches in the world are waiting, increasing their financial resources and training people to enter China and preach the gospel as soon as China opens its door to them. But the door remains closed and so we, who have limited resources, now have the wonderful opportunity of working for the Lord. If we are prepared to labour in dangerous situations then there are many places where the gospel can be preached and many souls can be won.

Dear Brothers and Sisters around the world, listen to the Macedonian cry, which is coming from China the home of 1.4 billion people. The many Christian books so common in western countries are rare in China. The people are eager to read anything even detrimental books. Those people need a living message. Sending books is difficult instead literature could be printed, at some risk, in the country.

Although the church is not registered, it is growing and it needs a headquarters building. The recent rapid, economic growth in China means that the price of real state is soaring especially in the big cities. The time to purchase a building is now. Dear Brothers and sisters, the Chinese church needs your help. E. G. White saw in a vision that many souls were saved in China. “In heathen Africa … in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law.” –Prophets and Kings, p 189.

I sincerely hope that this prophecy will be fulfilled through your prayers and generous offerings and so hasten the coming of our Lord. – Kang Dai Chun

Far East Asia Representative