The Story Behind this Picture

Asia Harvest sent a newsletter this week with this photo and gave the following interesting story behind it:

"Do you notice anything different about the above photo? It was taken earlier this year, and shows a group of Christians from the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China. The photo shows faithful believers meeting in a public park after their services were shut down and their leaders taken away. Starting last December, more than 100 members of this fellowship have been arrested, with many being tortured in prison.

"If you look closely, you will see that many have packed bags next to them as they worship the Lord. They brought their clothes and personal items to the open-air meeting in case they were arrested and taken to prison. Across China right now thousands of churches are going through similar intense hardships."

Dear Jesus, grant us the grace to be as eager to meet with others and worship You as these in China who are forbidden the privilege.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (Rev. 12:10-11).

Go here to read more of what is happening in China.