By Mark Ellis

A pastor imprisoned in China on a contrived “divulging state secrets” charge sent a letter to his wife June 30, thanking God for his time in prison, according to a report by China Aid.

“This is a good place to rest, where I am cut off from the rest of the world and brought closer to God,” Yang Hua, a pastor at Living Stone house church in Guizhou province wrote from his jail cell.

“I can no longer hear the clamorous noise, but can better listen to the Lord’s voice.”

Living Stone is the largest house church in the area and has come under increased government pressure, with a number of its pastors and parishioners arrested. It started with 20 members in a single apartment in 2009 and grew rapidly to 400 by 2013. The church rented 7,000 square feet in an office building the next year to accommodate their growth, according to China Change.

Pastor Yang is a third-generation pastor.  Born Li Guozh, he later changed his name to Yang Hua, which in Chinese means “looking up to Jehovah.”

Government authorities took Yang into custody last December, after he tried to prevent them from seizing one of the church’s hard drives.

When his wife arrived at the prison to pick him up a few weeks later, she was horrified to witness them put a black hood over his head and whisk the pastor away in an unlicensed vehicle, according to China Aid.

Then she learned he was being formally arrested for “divulging state secrets,” a completely fabricated charge.

In an interview with his lawyers, Yang said he was mistreated when he refused to confess to the charges. Authorities stood on his toes and threatened to kill him and hurt his family, according to China Aid.

Despite these circumstances, Pastor Yang wrote in the letter to his wife, “Genuine rest has nothing to do with the

environment. No matter if the waves are quiet or the sea roars, our hearts rest in [God], just as a weaned child sleeps in its mother’s arms.”

An excerpt of Pastor Yang’s letter to his wife follows:

Dear wife: Everything’s fine!

I received your letter on June 30. I am thankful. Suddenly, I thought of a song, but I couldn’t recall all the lyrics. There’s a part that goes like this: “The path we walk has laughter and tears; this is the Lord’s grace.” You can sing it. [It’s] Sheng Xiaomei’s “Marks of Grace.”

About our friends’ concern and desire to establish a website to write articles, I don’t think they should consider it at this time. You can tell them that it’s my opinion. Thank them for being so caring and concerned. I remember a section from the Bible that even the young, strong lions are still starving.

Don’t be too thrifty. Buy some meat, chicken and fish for our sons to eat. They are currently growing; buy some suitable snacks for them. The money I have can support me until October.

I want to share what I’ve received with you. God has given me a year of rest after 23 years of hard work. Previously, when I was out of [jail], things were always coming down incessantly, because there were many different kinds of affairs [to attend to]. The Israelites worked every year for six years and rested on the seventh.

This is a good place to rest, where I am cut off from the rest of the world and brought closer to God. I can no longer hear the clamorous noise, but can better listen to the Lord’s voice. “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever” [Psalm 29:10] (“You Sit on the Throne,” a hymn). Genuine rest has nothing to do with the environment. No matter if the waves are quiet or the sea roars, our hearts rest in [God], just as a weaned child sleeps in its mother’s arms. I want to thank God for using this special method to give this special gift to our household. Let us accept and enjoy it with a thankful heart.

After this period of time, my spiritual life will be even more distinctive from the song that says, “A crowd flooded into my kingdom, but they did not want to bear the cross.” You can sing the song.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]. You must always pray. Think of when Peter called out in John 21. Three times the disciples showed their weakness and three times they answered Jesus.

The apostles were full of the Holy Spirit and witnessed for the Lord, leading people back to him. Do not live in weakness and confusion; this is Satan’s scheme. Be full of the Holy Spirit and leave spiritual predicaments. Seek [to fulfill] all of the Lord’s decrees. Remove all of the negative thoughts and voices from your life. Amen.

Listen to more of Pastor Wang’s preaching. It will help a lot. Let the words of God make you stronger. This is incomparably good; that you encourage each other with the words of God. Thank my mother and aunt for me. They are our family’s angels, always helping us. Say hello to everyone for me.

Jehovah-nissi, Emmanuel (“The Lord is my banner” and “God with us”]

Your husband, who received the favor of God with you

 

China Aid launched a campaign to free Yang Hua to confront the unjust incarceration and expose abuses he and his family have suffered. To learn more about Yang’s case, sign the petition for his release and donate to support the persecuted and their families, please visit www.freeyanghua.org.

Source: Godreports