China
Persecution Of Christians In Communist Red China At An All-Time High
In China, Pastor Su Tianfu slides into the back seat and tells the driver to hit it. He looks over his shoulder: “Is there anybody following us?” It is days before Christmas, but instead of working on his sermon, Su is giving his tail the slip.
Christians in China feel full force of authorities’ repression
“But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.” Mark 13:9 (KJV)
EDITOR”S NOTE: Right now, as you grumble through your day, offended that no one is wishing you a “Merry Christmas”, just remember that for Christians in China their churches are being closed by the State and their pastors taken away for interrogation and re-education. Please pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters, and do what you can to help them in any way that the Lord would enable you to do so.
GUIYANG, China — Pastor Su Tianfu slides into the back seat and tells the driver to hit it. He looks over his shoulder: “Is there anybody following us?” It is days before Christmas, but instead of working on his sermon, Su is giving his tail the slip.
The slight and soft-spoken Protestant preacher is no stranger to surveillance. Su has worked for years in China’s unregistered “house churches,” and he said he has been interrogated more times than he can count.
But even Su is surprised by what has happened in Guiyang this month: a crackdown that has led to the shuttering of the thriving Living Stone Church, the detention of a pastor on charges of “possessing state secrets” and the shadowing of dozens of churchgoers by police.
A local government directive leaked to China Aid, a Texas-based Christian group, and reviewed by The Washington Post advises local Communist Party cadres that shutting down the church is necessary to “maintain social stability”— a catchall phrase often used to justify sweeping clampdowns.
The Dec. 9 raid on the church in a relatively sleepy provincial capital is conspicuous because of the timing — about two weeks before Christmas — and because the government’s tactics were revealed.
But it also speaks to a broader pattern of religious repression that is playing out beyond China’s mountainous southwest, as the officially atheist Communist Party struggles to control the spread of religion amid a broader push to thwart dissent.
“The overall environment in the past few years has been harsh,” said Yang Fenggang, director of Purdue University’s Center on Religion and Chinese Society. “There’s a tightened control over civil society in general, including churches.”
A question of faith
Unlike in many parts of the West, Christianity is thriving in China. Because of tight restrictions on religious practices, reliable figures are hard to find, but the Chinese government generally puts the number of Protestants (a group it calls “Christians”) at 23 million and the number of Catholics at more than 5 million.
Foreign scholars estimate that there are 67 million to 100 million Christians in China — compared with 87 million Communist Party cadres. Yang estimates that China will be home to 250 million Christians by 2030. Evangelical Protestants, like Su, are the fastest-growing group.
The Communist Party has a complicated, often contradictory, view of faith: The constitution protects the right to religion, but the state is unwilling to relinquish control.
“The Chinese Communist Party is violently allergic to non-party organizing vehicles, whether they’re nonprofits, libraries or churches,” said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch.
That means you can be a Christian, a Tibetan Buddhist or a Muslim, but only on the government’s terms. Christians must limit themselves to “normal religious activity” at a state-backed church, where party dogma trumps religious doctrine and where proselytizing is forbidden. Local officials decide what “normal” means — and what is legal.
That level of discretion gives authorities wide berth to close churches, tear down crosses or arrest Christian campaigners as they see fit — a sore point between the United States and China.
This summer, Chinese authorities arrested Zhang Kai, a lawyer fighting the removal of crosses in Zhejiang province, just days before the arrival of the U.S. envoy for international religious freedom, David Saperstein, and weeks before President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States.
Christianity has a long history here. Foreign missionaries have been working in rural Guizhou province, of which Guiyang is the capital, since the 1800s, spreading the faith among ethnic minorities in villages that dot the region’s thimble-shaped peaks. The pogroms of the Cultural Revolution led to the destruction of most churches and the persecution of many Christians, but the faith survived here quietly.
China’s economic expansion has since brought many of the villagers to towns and cities, where a sense of social dislocation and a longing for community are fueling a religious awakening.
When Living Stone was founded in 2009, it had about 30 members. By the time the church closed, services drew several hundred people at a time, according to interviews with seven members.
Here, as elsewhere, unregistered “house churches” operate in a gray zone — they are thriving but illegal, always at risk and sometimes ignored. As such, it is hard to know why and when crackdowns will occur.
A turning point for Living Stone seems to have been the acquisition of a meeting place. Church members pooled their money and last year took possession of a 7,000-square-foot space on the 24th floor of an office building called the Guiyang International Center.
Authorities let them meet there, sometimes, urging them to keep the gatherings small and social, not religious. After more than a year of warnings, arrests and threats, church members were given an ultimatum: Join a state-backed church or get shut down.
On Dec. 9, officials and security personnel swarmed the property, taking Bibles and songbooks.
A colleague of Su’s, Pastor Yang Hua, was detained when he tried to block police from taking security footage and computer equipment, two witnesses said. The day he was to be released, he was detained again, this time on charges of “possessing state secrets.”
Now, at the Guiyang International Center, the elevator no longer stops at the 24th floor, and police guard the entrance to the church.
“This is the site of an illegal cult and has been banned,” one officer yelled. “We are here to stop people from joining.”
They may succeed — for now.
Local officials say Living Stone’s members can join a state-backed church, and some probably will. But many of Living Stone’s faithful would sooner relinquish Christianity altogether than join a government church.
“When it comes to our faith, we do not want to submit ourselves to a political organization. Our only leader is God in heaven,” said Zhang Tan, a church member who used to work for the local government.
Su said he would continue to worship on his own terms, even if it meant holding this year’s Christmas service at home. “Faith and love of God cannot be chained,” he said. source
China
Palestinian Terror Groups Travel To Communist China To Sign The ‘Beijing Declaration’ Creating A National Unity Government To Come Against Israel
The Beijing Declaration was signed at the closing ceremony of a reconciliation dialogue among the factions held in China’s capital from July 21-23.
In further proof that we are living in the end times prophesied in your King James Bible, this amazing thing just happened. A meeting was held in Communist China that brought together representatives of 14 Palestinian terror groups to sign something called the Beijing Declaration creating a national unity government in Palestine. There is so much end times stuff happening in this one event that we will talk about it on our Tuesday night Bible study this evening.
“The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.” Acts 4:26 (KJB)
If you’ve ever watched the movie ‘The Godfather’ and saw the scene about the meeting of the 5 crime families, then you know what’s happening here. Communist China has formed this alliance with Palestinian terror groups because all of them seek the destruction of the nation of Israel. At some point Russia will jump into the action as well. Things are moving very quickly now, Christian, as this next giant step on the end times timeline takes place.
Hamas, Fatah, Palestinian factions agree to end divisions, form unity gov’t after China talks
FROM THE JERUSALEM POST: Various Palestinian factions including rivals Hamas and Fatah agreed to end their divisions and form a national unity government during negotiations in China that ended Tuesday, according to Chinese state media.
The Beijing Declaration was signed at the closing ceremony of a reconciliation dialogue among the factions held in China’s capital from July 21-23, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Senior Hamas official Hussam Badran said the most important point of the Beijing Declaration was to form a Palestinian national unity government to manage the affairs of Palestinians. In a statement to their Telegram, Hamas claimed that the Beijing Declaration was a positive step towards achieving Palestinian national unity, thanking the host country China “with its international weight and its firm position in support of the Palestinian cause.”
The statement criticized the US, saying, “The American administration stands against any internal Palestinian national consensus and is completely biased and even partners with the occupation in its crimes against our people.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his goal is to destroy Hamas, an Iranian-backed terror group, and opposes it having any role in a post-war Gaza administration. Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz responded to the deal between the factions in a post to X, stating, “Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in China for joint control of Gaza after the war.”
“Instead of rejecting terrorism, Mahmoud Abbas embraces the murderers and rapists of Hamas, revealing his true face. In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas’s rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Israel’s security will remain solely in Israel’s hands.”
A total of 14 Palestinian factions, including the leaders of Fatah and Hamas, also met with the media, with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi present, CGTN said in a social media post.
The agreement marks a diplomatic coup for Beijing and its growing influence in the Middle East. Last year, Beijing brokered a breakthrough peace deal between longstanding regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran. Badran praised China in a statement for its significant effort to host the talks and reach such a declaration. READ MORE
Big Blow To Israel & U.S; Palestinian Factions Unite | Hamas, Fatah Sign ‘Beijing Declaration’
Hamas and Fatah have signed an agreement in Beijing to form a national unity government and govern Gaza post-war. China, hosting the talks, emphasized the importance of a ceasefire and humanitarian aid. This move strengthens China’s role as a mediator in the Middle East following its successful mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023.
Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church
- HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page
When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.
But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)
“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB
China
House Farm Bill Aims To Prevent Communist China From Purchasing More US Farmland, Much Of It Near Military Installations And Bases
The upcoming House Farm Bill will contain measures to restrict foreign entities like China from scooping up American farmland in a big win for national security
What is the point of spending billions on bombers and tanks if you allow one of your biggest enemies, Communist China for example, to purchase hundreds of thousands of acres of prime US farmland, often times within minutes from a major military base? Is there no one watching the gates in Washington DC, or is this part of the plan?
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29:2 (KJB)
Republican congresswoman Ashley Hinson is sponsoring her ‘Farm Bill’ which, if passed, would stop Communist China from buying up any more US farmland. It is mindboggling to think this is a ‘new idea’ in Washington, something that should have been passed long ago. One reason that Adolf Hitler was so effective in his conquests during WWII is that he was always scheming behind the scenes, long after others were asleep, Hitler was up and making plans for world domination. This is what China is doing right now, have we learned nothing from history? Apparently not.
How Republican Ashley Hinson’s ‘Farm Bill’ provision could stop China’s buy out of U.S. farmland – as it’s revealed communist adversary has bought 347,000 acres
FROM THE DAILY MAIL UK: Foreign entities own a total of 40 million acres of U.S. farmland and China has bought up nearly 347,000 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Now lawmakers are working to further restrict China and other adversaries from snatching up coveted land in the fiscal year 2024 ‘Farm Bill.’
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, who represents a heavy agricultural district, says it’s critical to stop China in order to protect U.S. food supply chains and bolster national security.
‘Communist China shouldn’t be allowed to buy another acre of American farmland, nor should we rely upon our top foreign adversary for key parts of our food supply chain,’ Hinson exclusively told DailyMail.com.
The Chinese land purchases near important U.S. military instillations have been a particular concern for lawmakers and government officials.
In 2022, for example, the China-based food producer, Fufeng Group, acquired 300 acres of land in Grand Forks, just 20 minutes down the road from the Grand Forks Air Force Base, where some of the nation’s most sensitive drone technology is based.
Air Force Major Jeremy Fox wrote a memo that year characterizing the move as being emblematic of Chinese efforts to install themselves close to sensitive US defense installations. He argued that the Fufeng property is located at just the right location for the company to intercept communications coming from the Air Force base.
Now, lawmakers are moving to crack down on such instances using the Farm Bill.
One of the wins Hinson says will be in the bill are reforms to the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). Those improvements would help the government more easily track foreign entities’ purchases of U.S. agricultural land. It will also now mandate minimum penalties on individuals who intentionally submit false AFIDA filings.
As highlighted by the January GAO report, previously the USDA tracked foreign agricultural land purchases using paper forms. Now, the Farm Bill includes language to create an online submission form where the USDA can better track submissions. READ MORE
House Agriculture Committee takes action on GOP farm bill draft
Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church
- HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page
When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.
But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)
“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB
China
The People’s Liberation Army Of China Mobilized Aircraft From Different Theatre Commands Taking Part In An ‘Island Encirclement Patrol’ Near Taiwan
China tracks at least 143 warplanes and 56 warships entering air defence zone in four days as part of Beijing’s ‘island encirclement patrol’ near Taiwan
Over in Communist China, the People’s Liberation Army has been conducting called an ‘island encirclement patrol’ over by Taiwan, a country that they claim sovereignty over. The citizens of Taiwan do not see themselves as belonging to China, and that subject has been and remains a topic of much discussion. At some point, it is expected that mainland China will, according to their ‘One China Principle’, make a military move against them. Things like the island encirclement patrol and cross-theatre drills speak to that.
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.” Revelation 16:12 (KJB)
China right now is a nation that is ‘still percolating’, but according to scripture they’ll likely cause quite the dust-up in the great Tribulation. Together with Russia and Iran, China fills out the ‘unholy trio’ of end times nations that are waiting in the wings, listening for the sound of a trumpet that’ scheduled to blow shortly. In the meantime, China prepares for war over Taiwan.
PLA’s latest air and sea drills near Taiwan could signal surprise attack strategy, analysts say
FROM THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: The People’s Liberation Army has mobilized aircraft from different theatre commands to take part in an “island encirclement patrol” near Taiwan, which experts said could signal a new strategy to prepare for regional military conflicts. The aircraft drills coincided with joint sea and air training conducted by the PLA’s Shandong aircraft carrier in the western Pacific Ocean since early this week. According to earlier reports it involved a total of 42 naval ships from the Eastern and Southern Theatre Commands.
A post on the Eastern Theatre Command’s WeChat account said its pilots and ground crews were taking part in long-distance, cross-theatre exercises to practice landing and taking off from unfamiliar airports.
Without saying when the drills took place, the post said the pilots had spent more than 10 hours conducting non-stop flights.
Pictures on the social media platform showed fighter jets such as the J-10, J-16 and Su-30 flying at night and during the day, while drills covered operations such as repairs, refueling, weapon replacement and emergency response.
Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Beijing-based Yuan Wang military science and technology think tank, said the fighter jets involved in the drill would also take part in Beijing’s regular ‘island encirclement patrol’ near Taiwan.
“Like the island encirclement patrol, cross-theatre drills have become routine, taking place in the Taiwan Strait and western Pacific, which is part of combat-readiness training to prepare for the outbreak of a Taiwan contingency,” Zhou said.
Zhou said mobilizing different forces from its theatre commands would put the PLA at an advantage when dealing with potential challenges from joint US-Japan forces. READ MORE
China begins three days of military patrol around Taiwan
China is staging three days of “combat readiness” patrols around Taiwan – sending military resources towards the island to practice encircling it. Beijing, which claims Taiwan is a breakway province – staged the drills after the Taiwanese president promised to continue working with the United States and other democracies following a meeting with the speaker of the House of Representatives.
Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church
- HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page
Please continue to pray for us, and for wisdom for me especially, as we continue taking steps to print the NTEB branded King James Bible for our free Bible and Bibles Behind Bars program. It is exciting and intimidating at the same time. If the Lord has prospered your financially, we ask you to donate to help us continue to send out free Bibles at this level, and even higher than we are at the moment. It takes a lot of prayer, and a lot of resources to do all this. Praise the Lord we are doing it, all of us together, labouring in the Lord’s harvest field. TO THE FIGHT!!!
When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.
But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)
“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB
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