*TRUMPET THAT SCARES ANYBODY THAT DOZED OFF DURING THE PREVIEWS
***WARNING!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG POST!****
anyways.. it wasn't that long ago (around 2 generations).. but it does seem like it. China is widely known for being Communist since who knows when, but there was a time where it wasn't
Enter Chiang Kai-shek, the president of China before Mao and the Communist Party overthrew him. He's an important figure in my family's history since he fled to Taiwan, along with my grandfather (mother's side) since he was his bodyguard... But one very unknown fact about Chiang Kai-shek was that he was baptized.. Now I said baptized because just because you get baptized doesn't mean your saved..
But not passing judgment or anything...I truly hoped he trusted Jesus with his heart but his wife, on the other hand, was a proclaiming Christian as proudly stated in her biography and her longtime pastor was a Baptist named Chow Lien-hwa which is the reason I'm writing this now.. During my tour at Taiwan Baptist Theological Seminary, after noticing an authentic picture of Lottie Moon along with some other Christians, I stumbled into the room dedicated to Chow Lien-hwa which my mind started clicking after I left..
What would be China's state be had Mao simply not have led a rebellion? The man's clearly evil, since Communism (while it was a good idea to the Chinese at that time because of economic issues) has killed numerous in it's name.. But what would've happened had Mao not prevailed? What would Christianity be like?
----you can stop reading here... the next several paragraphs are my opinion and rantings...----
After deducing a few steps, I confirmed that the religious state may be what Taiwan is like now... Taiwan's mindset is a little like Japan's, as in it wants the newest, most flashy thing... I've seen this with the Iphone, which just recently started releasing in Taiwan. All of a sudden, there are tons of people who have it, compared to around a year or 2 ago where people were begging someone that lives in the U.S to bring them one so they can jailbreak them and use them themselves
Anyways, this reflects the church life here as well... as the Pentacostals have seen great leaps in attendance since they are a newer denominations and their music, preaching, prayer and dancing (??!?!) are zingy, flashy and good for the eyes.. (though not mine)... Traditional churches such as the one my family goes to numbers are decreasing..Don't get me wrong, what the Pentacostals are doing is great, but I doubt it'll last for a while.. With influences like Joel Osteen (know this since his books were being advertised and his messages are also translated on TV sometimes), when they discover that being a follower of Christ will have to endure suffering, which turns any strong Christian inside out, imagine what it'll do to one that hasn't been equipped to deal with sufferings as a Christian.. Sufferings do happen, I just pray that they don't doubt as much here as they do in the U.S.
I seem to be digressing greatly... but the point is the "what if" Christianity stood firm in China? I believe presently it will be starting a downhill trend, sort of what the U.S. has been experiencing in the last several years...I already heard of youths rebelling going to church as I overhear people complaining that they won't get up in time.. Which is all according to the end time prophecies.. While atheists aren't heavy here, I believe they will start to stand when one of them starts gaining power and earthly knowledge that's good enough to stump the average Christian
Persecution hasn't started in Taiwan, and while it's been going on in China, I've also heard that they are easing up on the religious oppression a little. Don't get me wrong... you'll still be persecuted, but.. not as aggressively as it was a decade ago... but persecution against Christians are bound to happen since it's part of the end of Earth... I just wonder how the test of time will stand against Taiwan...
------you can REALLY stop reading here if you want... next couple of paragraphs are my PERSONAL opinion and ranting------
That's what's been on my thoughts lately.... not Baptist V.S. Pentacostals.. but more of what Christianity was and what it would look like in a few years... whether it's here or in the U.S.. My Christian life has nowhere been perfect or solid as well... since I went to a secular college and had my faith tossed back and forth, taking punch after punch of accusations of God not existing only to discover a calling from God to further serve Him.. I've always lived by whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger and now my faith is unwavering, able to stand through atheists moans and whines..
But don't get me wrong, I won't go looking for a religious fight against an atheist or any other religion just for the sake of it... I don't believe that you can argue anyone into being saved and I also believe that trying to start the argument or simply continuing to add fuel to the fire is just a pansey way to try to convince yourself that something is or is not true... just let love take care of it if you really want to see them saved.... Love never fails..
This holds true to any atheists I've seen around the Internet since they're the biggest cowards I know.. since they know they can't show their faces, they always proclaim that there is no God because they cannot be seen and they can always ignore any responses... Why do they do it? Because they feel the need to post to convince themselves that there is no God... but why convince yourself that something doesn't exist if it doesn't exist in the first place? I don't believe in Santa, but you don't see me posting stuff on the Internet nor do I dedicate my life in belittling little kids that do.... why? Because he doesn't exist >_>
Same goes with people arguing for the sake of Christ.. He exists, okay! cool! but is it worth arguing with a non-Christian if all your going to do is turn him or her farther from it? And what's your basis of arguing? Are you living I Peter 3:15-17? or are you just doing it to prove yourself to yourself that God exists... if it's the second, well... reexamine your life... because someone's simply not going to go "oh you're right, I want to come to Jesus now"... if someone can be talked into following Jesus they can be talked out of it.. and also, it's not worth destroying someone else witnesses just to prove to yourself that God exists... turning someone away from Christ isn't worth it either... The only time I believe it's right to step into a fight is if someone's faith is starting to weaken, then we as Christians have a job to do to encourage and strengthen it... But we shouldn't start ganging up on the opposition either... once they realize that your faith cannot be wavered, they'll leave it alone, since they can't break what's been set in place..
Anyways... that's what's been on my mind recently..
Let the Light Shine!
Till Next Time!
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