A Chinese pastor who is currently imprisoned for his faith urged President Xi Jinping to repent of his sins in a recently delivered sermon. Wang Yi was detained by authorities earlier this month during a series of raids carried out on several well-known churches across the country.
Yi, pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, declared that if “Prseident Xi Jinping does not repent he will perish!” in a sermon dated September 9, 2018.
“When we are not being persecuted, we spread the gospel. And when persecution comes, we continue spreading the gospel,” pastor Yi preached in his stirring message. “If we are talking about a President, we declare he is a sinner,” the courageous pastor continued. “And if we are talking about a general secretary, we still declare that he is a sinner. We believe that we have the responsibility to tell Xi Jinping that he is a sinner.”
Yi then bellowed: “The government he is leading has sinned greatly against God, for it is persecution the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and if he does not repent, he will perish!”
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The long-term critic of Jinping went on to say that there is “still a way of escape for an evil man like him.”
“There is only one way out,” he noted, “and that is the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Rev. Hong Yujie, a longtime friend of Wang based in Vancouver, described Wang as “the bravest pastor in China today,” and with remarks like this, you can certainly see why. Under Jinping, China has become one of the most hostile environments on earth for followers of Jesus.
In March of this year, the Chinese president succeeded in abolishing presidential term limits, effectively setting himself up to rule the nation for life. Among the nearly 3,000 members of China’s National People’s Congress, there were just five anonymous dissenters to the motion. Along with a subservient popular support base, comments of other senior politicians would indicate that the president’s unprecedented support has begun to develop into a cult of personality.
Following the vote to ensure Jinping is not limited by constitutional terms, the parliament’s chairman, Zhang Dejiang, said: “Let us hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, thoroughly study and apply Xi Jinping Thought … and realise the Chinese Dream.”
Jinping is so dominant and secure in his political position, many have called him the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong.
Read Powerful Letter Detained Chinese Pastor Wang Yi Wrote, Anticipating Arrest
Jinping’s crackdown on religious activities has been nothing short of appalling, with thousands of arrests and innumerable churches forced to close down. But the country’s strictly enforced rules on religious observance have also extended into the homes of Christian citizens.
Last year, thousands of Chinese villagers were instructed by party officials to remove displays of Jesus, crosses, and gospel passages from their homes as part of a government attempt to “transform believers in religion into believers in the party.”
Christians in Jiangxi province were ordered to replace their Christian symbolism with large posters of President Jinping, according to the South China Morning Post.
As for the plight of Early Rain Covenant Church, shockingly is not just Pastor Yi and his wife who have fallen victim to Jinping’s campaign of persecution. Police have also “detained more than 150 members of their church over the past three weeks, including children,” the Facebook update noted.
Yi and his wife are being held on charges of “inciting to subvert state power.”
Do pray for all those who are suffering persecution and oppression as a result of their religious faith.