Safely Home

by Randy Alcorn

“Most house-church leaders have no theological training. They have no Christian books. They call this a ‘pocket seminary.’ It is the Word of God, with instruction on how to study and use it. Also, it tells how to preach and teach Shengjing.” Quan opened the book, and his voice became impassioned as he flipped from place to place.

So atheism is the real wishful thinking.”

“As we copy,” Quan said, “the words of Yesu are written on our hearts.”

When Yesu is everything to you, it is impossible not to speak of him. We say, ‘It is hard to keep the Sun in your pocket.’”

To come near is not yet to arrive.’’

What does it profit a man, Ben Fielding, to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or even if a man’s soul is saved, what does it profit him to gain the world and lose his eternal reward?”

“Someday,” Li Manchu said, “the next martyr will be the last.”

“Caiaphas was a high priest who plotted Yesu’s crucifixion. Sometimes those in the most significant positions of religious leadership are the greatest enemies of Christ and the church.

The Party is frightened of Christianity because it is the revolution of the heart. They cannot control it.”

So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

“Mogui hates the church. His home in heaven was taken from him and given to the church.”

“What’s Mogui? I don’t remember the word.” “Satan.” “The devil?”

If you believe peace is found in the dark religions that deny Yesu, you also have been deceived by Mogui.”

We believe in a God of providence. That is our advantage—we trust God to protect us. But if he gives us tuberculosis, then good, we will serve him with tuberculosis.”

Still, God was faithful to the Chinese in allowing his truth to be preserved in over a hundred and twenty-five characters for thousands of years. That is why when Chinese come to God today, we say they are returning to the true God our ancestors once knew.”

You have been to Tian Tang, have you not?” “The Temple of Heaven?

We believe Tian Tang may be a national symbol of Christian heritage in China, a symbol of the one true God, Zhu Yesu Jidu.”

Joseph of Arimathea was a secret follower for a time. But we do not believe secret followers should stay secret for too long.

What miracle is greater than creation itself? Yet men have invented a natural explanation for that. Why? Because they wanted to. Atheists are naturalists. Christians are supernaturalists. One who does not believe in miracles cannot be a Christian.”

I did not see demons in America like I have seen here either. Yet I know they were there. I could not see their feet, but everywhere I saw their footprints.

Never believe a man who says God no longer does miracles, Ben. But never believe a man who says God must do a miracle the way a man wants him to. God is God.”

Even a bad father can leave an inheritance. Only a good father can leave a heritage.”

We do not cease to exist at death; we relocate to another place.

“Who were the Boxers?”

The Opium Wars left China humiliated and helpless before Western imperialists.

martial arts—Chinese boxing—could ward off Western bullets.

What happened was the largest martyrdom in all history. More than thirty-two thousand Chinese and two hundred missionaries were murdered.”

Boxers often murdered children along with the adults.”

He who is forgiven much loves much.”

“Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

There are times when it’s too hard to be sober.

have it on good authority that one-third of China’s tea is produced in Laogai camps.”

“Is that a difference in kind or degree?

courageous Obadiah who rescued the prophets from Queen Jezebel, Esther

The apostles said, ‘We must obey God rather than men!’ Jesus, Peter, and Paul all went to jail. They were all executed as criminals, breakers of the law. When laws are unjust, just men must break them.

Father’s bidding draws you forward, the Son walks beside you, and the Spirit empowers you to put one foot in front of the other.”

Ask the earth dwellers a million years from now if their momentary suffering was an acceptable exchange for eternal glory.”

the dark sky pressed down on them, bleeding a gray, heavy rain.

“You are testing them both. Will they pass?” “That is not yet for you to know. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. But properly learned, the lesson forever changes the man.”

“To the wise, all that happens contains a moral.”

Nothing is what it seems to be. Even when you get what you want, it’s never what you really want. Know what I mean?”

know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!’”

I was a young fool.” “Better a young fool than an old fool,”

“Those apostles who loved the Lord to the end Willingly followed the Lord down the path of suffering. John was exiled to the lonely isle of Patmos. Stephen was crushed to death with stones by the crowd. Matthew was cut to death in Persia by the people. Mark died as his two legs were pulled apart by horses. Doctor Luke was cruelly hanged. Peter, Philip, and Simon were crucified on the cross. Bartholomew was skinned alive by the heathen. Thomas died in India as five horses pulled apart his body. The apostle James was beheaded by King Herod. Little James was cut up by a sharp saw. James the brother of the Lord was stoned to death. Judas was bound to a pillar and died by arrows. Matthias had his head cut off in Jerusalem. Paul was a martyr under Emperor Nero.”

All things came into existence through him, and without him nothing was.

God did not send his Son into the world to be judge of the world; he sent him so that the world might have salvation through him.

And this is the test by which men are judged: the light has come into the world and men have more love for the dark than for the light, because their acts are evil. The light is hated by everyone whose acts are evil and he does not come to the light for fear that his acts will be seen. But he whose life is true comes to the light. . . .”

Without having the skills to discern the truth, they can easily be drawn into groups with false teachings.

Persecution is not the worst problem we face. Heresy is. Zeal without knowledge. It is a crisis.”

As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.’”