Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Wednesday's Voice - China

Chinese government plans to eradicate house churches
(Sources: China Aid Association, Compass Direct News)
China's government is engaged in a three-phase campaign to eradicate Protestant house churches. The government's strategy was clearly outlined in a document released last September during a training class for "Patriots in the Christian Community" run by the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
From January through June of this year, the document called for local authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of house churches nationwide and create reports on each of them. In phase two, for the following two to three years, authorities would strongly encourage unregistered churches to affiliate with the government-approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). In phase three, to be completed within 10 years, churches refusing to comply would be shut down. Officials would also ban the words "house church" and all reports on house churches from websites and other media and replace the term with "house gatherings" -- a term that would refer to group meeting in sites affiliated with the TSPM. In a recent random survey conducted by China Aid's source in several provinces, it was discovered that over 95% of house church leaders said they had already felt the impact of these investigations, while 85% said local religious affairs departments had already created a dossier for their group. "Since the beginning of 2012, we have noticed an increase in the frequency of persecution," China Aid said in its report. "In addition to the continuing persecution of Shouwang Church in Beijing, the number of similar cases has risen 20% over last year and has spread into other areas, including Christian education, publication and bookstores.
Pray that Chinese churches will not be daunted by threats and pressures from the government, but will remain faithful to Jesus (Hebrews 10:23).
Pray that believers throughout China will be bold in sharing the gospel despite the difficulties they face.
Pray that Christians in China will encourage one another in the face of persecution and that God will prevent the local authorities from attempting to stop house churches meeting.
  
The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying.
He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion.
He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray (Samuel Chadwick)
Monday, May 14, 2012

Messy Mondays - Remembering

Messy Mondays where I share what God has been showing me through the messiness of life. It is my personal belief that this walk isn't clean and crisp and straight or narrow. It's wide and twisted and mucky and messy. It's about the ups and the downs, but through it all God is there with us.

I was reminded of something that I put in the back of mind.   The thing that I remember when I hear Sam laugh; watch the kids play together or look at photos of our family - we are incomplete.  No I am not announcing that I want another baby.  I am DONE!  3 is enough for us.  We are incomplete because this week was the anniversary of the day we lost one of our children.  It is a reminder to me that I'm missing one.  One is paving the way for the others in a place I know exists.  One is rejoicing and dancing already with our true Father, while we wait here.  One is waiting for us....

I thought this week that I would share a post I wrote about my miscarriage on the 2nd anniversary of the miscarriage.  We had just rejoiced in Sam's 1st birthday and I wanted also to remember this anniversary because we should rejoice always.

also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us (Romans 5:3-5 NIV)
I have heard these words many times since becoming a Christian. Two years ago they took real meaning for me.

I mentioned in my post at Sam's Birthday that just before I became pregnant with Sam, I had a miscarriage. I found out two years ago, yesterday that the baby I thought I carried had not gone past 8 weeks.

Two years ago, my hubby and I returned from our fun family vacation. My friend, Jennifer, came over and told us she was pregnant. I was laughing my head off because we had both declared months earlier that we were both D-O-N-E! Two was enough. We both had a girl and boy. After she told us, my hubby asked if I wanted another one. I thought he was crazy, but the more I thought about it and prayed about it, the more I knew that God was leading me to have another child. In fact, someone once told me I was going to have a girl and two boys.

We got pregnant pretty soon after trying. The first part of my pregnancy was normal to my other pregnancies - constant morning sickness. However, this one felt a bit different. I started spotting almost immediately. At first I thought it was because I did too much physical activities, as we were coaching our daughters under 6 soccer team. I went to the doctors and had an ultrasound. It appeared that our dates were a little different than what the ultrasound showed. My doctor said just to take it easy, so I did. I continued to spot on and off for a few weeks.

Finally the day of my ultrasound occurred. My husband decided to stay home with the kids so I went in alone. During the ultrasound the technician was pretty quiet. I knew something was wrong when she said she would get the doctor. I prayed that God would be near to me. I was told the news no mother should have to hear. That her child had not made it. I was devastated. I called my husband and told him.

When I got home, I literally walked to our room and lost it for a few hours. I'm sure the kids were wondering what was going on? There were many questions I had, why us? Why now? What had I done? Was it my lack of faith? Was I not following Christ enough? Was this punishment? I was angry!

I remember going to bed that evening and telling God how I felt. That this was unfair. That I didn't deserve this. That my family didn't deserve this. Then He led me to the verse above. He was there with me. I didn't deserve this. But He would do great things in me through this. He would be there for all the moments I wouldn't see. He would refine me through this.

He gave my husband and I the strength to tell my daughter that she wouldn't be having a sibling. She was upset, as was expected. But she knew she would see the baby in heaven. That Jesus had our baby and was taking care of him or her for us. That we would still get our baby, just not in our time. That we would be a complete family in heaven. Is there any better Father than God, who I could trust my child to other than our family.

When I first heard Held. The words crept into my soul. There are few times when I sing along that I do not cry. It expresses everything I felt about that time and this anniversary. I may not get to see my child grow up. There will be no birthday's to celebrate. No getting excited about first steps, first tooth, first dance. But God is there holding me. If you have gone through a miscarriage and question God in it, know that He is there holding you. If you are going through any struggle and don't think you'll make it. Know that you are held by the Father that created you and that will do great things in you.



Two months is too little
They let him go
They had no sudden healing
To think that providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling
Who told us we'd be rescued
What has changed and
Why should we be saved from nightmares
We're asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it's unfair

[Chorus]
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow

[Chorus]
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

[Bridge]
If hope is born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our savior

[Chorus]
This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held
We'd be held

This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was when everything fell
We'd be held

This is what it means to be held.....

I'll be linking up today with the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood at Finding Heaven.
Thursday, May 10, 2012

Caffeinated Randomness - Reg or DeCaf?

 Photobucket

This week I'm bailing out and doing a quiz.  I hope you play along. 




You Are Regular



You are lively and energetic. You are constantly seeking the new challenges.

You are easily inspired and are always coming up with new ideas. You have a lot of enthusiasm.



You stay adaptable and flexible. You want to be agile and ready for anything.

You are a rule breaker to the extreme. You get a thrill from pushing boundaries and breaking taboos.





Come link up your regular or decaf randomness today.

My photo
Alberta, Canada
I'm a 39 year old (oh yeah I'm telling you my age) Stay at Home mom. A former Bad Girl now reformed sinner, I'm married to my Y2K guy and raising 3 great children from God. Proudly Canadian, however, missing the West Coast, I currently live in the prairies watching the farmers fields produce as I learn how God produces the fruits in me.
FacebookTwitter
Email
RSS

Mini Me

Mini Me

Middleman

Middleman

Tormentinator

Tormentinator

Friends and Neighbours

Where I travel