More Christians Arrested in China

Posted on Apr 18, 2011 | by Michael Foust 

BEIJING (BP)--Fulfilling a promise to hold a worship service outside despite government demands, a large Beijing unregistered church -- saying it would rather obey God than the Chinese government -- saw 47 church members arrested Sunday in a public square, one week after 160 of its members were arrested by Chinese officials.  Click here for the full story.

These bold Christians reminded me of a story from Acts Chapter 4.  After healing a lame beggar, Peter and John began openly teaching Christ has resurrected from the dead and were teaching salvation through Christ and Christ alone.  

This caused great annoyance to the Sadducees, the priests, and the temple leaders.  First of all, the Sadducees rejected the belief in resurrection or an after life.  Furthermore, these same religious leaders that arrested Peter and John for teaching about Jesus Christ were the very same ones that had been instrumental in His crucifixion.

Because they could find nothing to hold against Peter and John and they feared the crowds, who were praising God for the healing that took place and many of whom had just accepted Christ, they were afraid to harm Peter and John.  Instead they threatened them and instructed them not to speak in Jesus name again.

Peter and John's response was this: "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 

Will you speak about what you have seen and heard?  Will you be a living testimony to the power of the resurrection and the offer of grace that comes only from Jesus Christ?