Sermon Central
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Pastor Li De Xian (Shee-An) Was Arrested 13 Times ...
Contributed by Rick George on Oct 29, 2009 (message contributor)
Pastor Li De Xian (Shee-an) was arrested 13 times in six months for "illegal preaching" to his congregation of 100. During his first arrest he was drug outside, brutally beaten, repeatedly kicked in the stomach and groin before his congregation. Upon arrival at the police station, he was beaten with a heavy club by the superintendent, then dragged into an isolation cell where he was thrown onto a concrete floor and kicked until he vomited blood. His head was then smashed against his knees as his oppressors took turns beating him on the front and back of his neck and he was finally beaten in the face with his Bible and left bleeding on the floor.
After recuperating for only a few weeks, he went back to his congregation to continue his preaching ministry, only to be arrested again and again. This happened in 1995. In 1998 it was reported that his church had grown to 500.
The last I have read about Pastor Li was from 2005 in which it was reported he was still preaching and still being arrested. During one prison term in 2000, he was forced to assemble 4000 Christmas lights per day and if he didn’t make quota by the end of his 17-hour work day, he would be whipped. After two weeks he was released with grave warnings not to preach again. With his family under constant surveillance by the authorities, he says, "I will preach [the gospel] until I die." "Christ was the first to suffer." "We just follow Him. There are many thorns, but we are just injured a little on our feet. This suffering is very little."
Pastor Li embraced the call to witness. The disciples who heard Jesus’ final words to them embraced His call to witness.
Have you embraced your call as a witness to tell people all about what Jesus has done for you?
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From Studying The Brain Scientists Have Found ...
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