With Gratitude To God’s Grace
(I) Be careful not to go astray again
As soon as we moved into the three-floored mansion in New Orleans, brother Zhang, sister Zhang and I started to have Bible Study everyday in the morning and intercession for all churches in the afternoon and in the middle of night. A neighbor Mrs. Ho a wife of a veteran who lived across the street was very concerned about our well-being. Mrs. Ho usually gave us flowers, gifts or cards on occasions of holidays. Usually I would look into English dictionary to write her a card of thanksgiving. She was especially nice to me. I also enjoyed her special treatment to me just like a mother and an older sister. Without knowing it I regarded her as my comfort. God is a jealous God. We shall have no other god except Him. God abhors those who set up idols secretly. God permitted a piece of bone grew under my right thumb. As a result of it, I could hardly write. This was all because I was relaxed and was not alert in the spirit. I did not press on forward to the goal. Therefore, I had a relapse in terms of spirit—my heart was led astray. I did not lead my neighbor to believe in the Lord or love the Lord. I made her to regard me as an idol too. It was until the Lord disciplined me, then I quickly kept myself far away from her and gave my whole heart to the Lord. That piece of bone which was under my right thumb disappeared by itself with no medical treatment.
(II) Establishment of Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers in North America
When we first arrived in New Orleans, there were only three of us. However, we continued our ministry everyday. Brother Zhang took charge of the study of two chapters from the Bible by the comparative method. I shared Psalms and the book of Revelation by the same method. Old sister Zhang was the only audience. Gradually few believers at New Orleans started to attend our Bible Study. Later some co-workers came out from China and joined us to serve the Lord.
When brother Zhang’s wife came to America, we just started to apply to the government for ratification of Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers as a non-profit gospel organization. There were so many forms. It was beyond my ability to understand them or to fill them out. But God put a burden in the heart of Pastor Lao, Hon Ben of New Orleans Chinese Baptist Church. He worked day and night to fill out all of the forms for us. He also filed all the application for us. Praise the Lord with all our hearts. Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers in North America was ratified by American government as a non-profit gospel organization in 1995. We could enjoy the benefit of tax-exemption.
It was just like that. We had no fund or a board of committee to sponsor us. One pastor in Baltimore and two brothers in Jesus became our nominal board of committee. To fill out the application form, brother Zhang was addressed as a nominal principal of Home of Grace. Old sister Zhang became a nominal vice-principal. I was regarded as a treasurer. The Holy Bible was our only text book. Hardship was our qualification as the staff. Truly it is not by might, not by power. But it is by the Spirit of God that things can be done. By the power and help of our Almighty God, we were ratified by the government very soon. This is how Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers in North America was established. Thanks be to God!
(III) EXPAND THE TERRITORY
Once the owner of the building we used informed us that she might take back that building anytime for other usage. When we heard it, we started to pray to God in heaven to prepare another place for our ministry. It seemed impossible to buy a house in the same area. Usually no one wanted to sale houses since it was the best and the most expensive residential area. But something happened amazingly. All of a sudden, there were many signs of “For Sale” posting in front of many houses. The price also dropped down. Before that one had to pay at least $ 200,000 to 300,000 US dollars for a house. Now everyone lowered their prices. It took us less than $200,000 to buy the first house for Home of Grace. It was a house with garden. We used it as a dormitory for co-workers with families and a guest house. Pretty soon, there was a cottage for sale which was very near to the building we borrowed. It had a nice yard. This cottage had a kitchen, a dining room and a living room. In addition to it, there were two bathrooms and four little bedrooms. The owner wanted to sell it as soon as possible. He was also a Christian, so he was willing to sell us that cottage by the lowest price. But we did not have enough money. We simply prayed to God about it. Suddenly, a sister from Singapore called us by the phone. We did not know her at all. She told us that she would draft a lot of money to Home of Grace. We asked her why. She said that it was for us to buy houses for our ministry. Even up to that day, Home of Grace had never sent out any prayer letter or any publication about our needs. We did not even mention a word about that cottage to brothers or sisters who called us from many places during that time. Even the churches in New Orleans usually realized it after the Lord had given us another house and provided all of the electric facilities.
Every word in the Holy Bible is true and trustworthy. It is our heavenly Father who answered our prayers. He provided everything according to our needs. This cottage was used as a dormitory for sisters who came for short term retreat.
We decided to buy the third house because the owner gave us a formal notice of moving. None of the houses we bought had big room for Bible Study. We prayed about our needs. The Lord guided us to find a two-floored house nearby. The owner built a very large hall as an attachment in the backyard. It surely met our needs for meetings. All of the co-workers were moved by the Holy Spirit and decided to buy it by faith. We were to pay the whole payment on a certain date. Some co-workers decided to put their own money together and lent it to Home of Grace to buy this house. All of the three houses were bought by cash and left no debt. We did not borrow money from other people or raise fund. But it took more than 2 years for Home of Grace to return money to her co-workers for the third house. The reason is as followed.
(IV) Exalt God as holy—follow God’s words without adding or subtracting
“If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers.” (Deut. 7: 12) I truly believe that if we follow the Lord’s commands completely, he will keep his covenant of love and bless us. He will increase the number of our people. Moreover, our Lord Jesus used scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy to defeat all kinds of temptation in the desert. Therefore, I strongly encouraged members of Home of Grace to pay attention to read the book of Deuteronomy. Every month we read through 34 chapters of this book once. And then we started it all over again and never stopped.
But it is not easy to keep God’s words. It happened that I had ignorantly offended one member of Home of Grace because of my own weakness. He became very against me. In return, I held grudge against him. I could not forgive this person. I fell into a snare of Satan. I was in the darkness because I hated people. I was disconnected with the Lord. How grateful that some members interceded with tears for me. When the Holy Spirit worked in me, I was delivered from the snare.
When we bought the first house, an unknown sister from Singapore called us. It was truly an unexpected blessing came to us. She said that their church would like to draft lots of money to us to buy houses for our ministry. However, at that time there was some grievances among our members. Since I was delivered from the snare, I could help others. I told them, “If we do not repent and seek peace with one another, God will hold back this blessing.” It turned out that there was great hindrance against this draft of money from their church. They could only draft us some individual offerings. It was until we bought the second house the big money came in without hindrance. If we do not pour out our sins, we cannot receive blessings.
But why Home of Grace could not return money to her co-workers for over two years for the third house? When I had a chance to retreat to the Lord, I sought the Lord for an answer. I prayed to God, “All the time we have been boasting of the Lord’s grace on us. Though most of us in America are old and weak and we have done only little ministry as picking up the grain, you have always met our needs. We have never lacked of anything. But why this time Home of Grace can not return $54,000 USD to her co-workers for more than two years? It looks like we are lying when we witness how you have provided us everything.” Then the Holy Spirit reminded me, “But you have refused to do what God wants you to do. You have accepted money that you should not have taken.” Indeed, whenever I read the news about “Agape” a Christian newspaper and other two Christian organizations needed financial support, I had burden to make offerings to their needs. But each time I rationalized with God, “Home of Grace still owed money to her co-workers. We often have to go abroad for your ministry. We ourselves need lots of money to support our own ministry. How can we afford to give offering to others?” As to the money that we should not have taken is about the second house. We have asked a co-worker to live in the second house as a receptionist for that dormitory. Home of Grace is supposed to pay for all of the utility. But this co-worker insisted to pay for all of the utility. Finally we allowed her to pay it all by herself. This is not right.
I went to tell another two main co-workers about this conviction. Home of Grace took out the offering that God wanted us to do. We also seriously told that sister that Home of Grace would never allow her to pay for the utility for the second house. But she said that she did not have peace because she was the one used most of the utility in that house. We told her: “You can make offering to Home of Grace if you do not have peace.” She replied, “But there is no offering box in Home of Grace!” That was how we decided to put an offering box in Home of Grace.
I called a sister who came to Bible study all the time. I asked her to help us to buy an offering box. After she did a survey she told me that it was very expensive. One offering box cost $99.90 USD. There was no ready made product. We had to place an order and waited for its shipping. After I prayed to God I went out with a sister to Salvation Army. It was a second-hand store near our place. When I walked into that store, I saw a beautiful jewelry box. It cost only about $18 USD. I bought it on that spot. I found a lock to lock it so that it became an offering box. I asked that sister to bring it to Home of Grace. After a while unexpectedly, Samuel a little boy came to Home of Grace with his mother. (He is the son of that sister who came to Bible study very often.) He brought a little wooden box. They would like to give it to Home of Grace as an offering box. But everyone told him, “You are a little bit late. Someone has given an offering box to us.” When Samuel heard it, he was about to cry. His mom comforted him that the Lord had approved his heart of giving. Now he could pray about it to see which offering box would be used by Home of Grace. It was truly an amazing thing. At first I thought Home of Grace should definitely use mine since I brought it first. But when I carefully looked at Samuel’s little wooden box, I found it was so cute. It was made of fine material. It looked more like an offering box. I changed my mind. Home of Grace should use his as the offering box and put it at the entrance. Mine was bigger than his and was decorated with colored glass. It should be placed in the meeting hall. We put a note on it and made it clear that it was an offering box especially for the developing of Home of Grace in 48 locations. We finished all of these works on Thursday. Two days later it was Saturday, we decided to open both of the offering boxes. After we prayed, we opened them. We especially asked little Samuel to count the money in front of everyone. How amazing it was! We received $56,000 USD and a little gold ring in the jewelry box. This amount of money could cover the debt to co-workers and had left over. In Samuel’s box, we received $400 USA and some coins. This was for general expenses of Home of Grace. Hallelujah! When we fully obey God’s words and do exactly as the Holy Spirit moves us to do. Miracles happened. This is just as one dials the telephone number completely as it is, then the phone is put through. If you add some number or subtract any number, you cannot dial through the phone.
Home of Grace had never put any offering box before this time. Since there were some members coming from China, Home of Grace had always paid for their monthly boarding fees $50 USD for each one. Moreover, we heard that little Samuel was a very smart child and he valued money a lot. Not long ago he had received lots of money in red envelopes for his birthday. His parents suggested him to offer some of it to God. He refused to do that. Because he thought he had to save it for the future since both of his parents were called by God to be full time ministers. They might become poor. He might need that money for his own living. But this time when he heard that Home of Grace needed an offering box, he took out all of his saving about $120 USD. He told his mom that he would give all of this money to Home of Grace to buy an offering box. When we truly obey God’s words, our Lord could move such a young child to give all he had to God. He even wrote a testimony about it. He just had his tenth birthday. In his testimony he shared that he cried when he knew that wooden box would not cost all of his savings. He also encouraged everyone to give offering timely. If you delay, God will not use your offering.
(V) ENLARGE THE PLACE OF YOUR TENT. DO NOT HOLD BACK
The burden that God gave to His servant John Song was to set up 48 homes for Christ’s workers all over the world. These homes will be used by to His servants gather together to be trained by God’s words. These homes will also be served as departure points for those who are sent out by the Holy Spirit to preach gospel in groups. This vision is based on 48 towns for the Levites in the Old Testament. It is to enable God’s servants to understand God’s will before they set out to do His ministry.. Among them are 6 cities of refuge which are for whoever kills others unintentionally. 42 towns for the Levites enable God’s servants to gather together in prayers and be sent out by the Holy Spirit for gospel preaching. In this active manner, groups after groups of God’s servants will carry out the Great Commission in time and get the Church ready for the second coming of our Lord. The city of refuge is also like the Arabia desert for Paul. He was kept in that secluded desert so as to eat God’s words. God revealed Jesus Christ in his heart. The towns for the Levites are like Antioch for Paul. When Paul and his co-workers served the Lord together there, he and Barnabas were sent out by the Holy Spirit to do God’s work. Antioch had become an out-reach center for missionary. It had also served as a retreat center for missionary to regain their strength before the Lord.
When God’s servant John Song retreated to the mountain for his illness, he continued to pray. He understood in the Spirit what God desires from His servants. Then he wrote them down, 15 footsteps of a servant of God. (It is enclosed at the end of this section.) How precious this sharing is.
Though many of our co-workers have never met God’s servant John Song, they have been moved by the same Holy Spirit. They also understand that the life of a worker is more important than any performance in the ministry. We must be careful in doing God’s work: “See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”(Ex. 25: 40)
When God’ servant John Song was recovering in Beijing, Mount Fragrance, he had started this ministry of jointing together God’s workers in Bible Study and prayers. This first city of refuge in China is later named as Hua-Bei Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers on Mount Fragrance in Beijing. In 1949 Hua-Dong Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers was established on Mount Heaven Wind in Hanzhou. God’s servant John Song had already passed away. But we a group of young people were called by God to go to Mount Heaven Wind at that time. In 1952 4 young co-workers in Beijing were sent out by the Holy Spirit to open a new Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers in South West of China. Later on the ministry of Home of Grace in all these places was forced to stop by Chinese government. But the Holy Spirit has moved more people to pray for this ministry for workers.
Sine 1995 the establishment of Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers in New Orleans, we have been busy with ministry of the forefront. Though we continue to pray for the 48 towns of the Levites day and night, we have no faith to develop this vision extensively. But when can we accomplish God’s work if we continue to postpone it? When we first got this vision we were so young and were in 20s. But now most of us are in 70s. We are losing strength everyday.
In 2000 I got my certificate of American citizenship. When the officer gave me that certificate, he said, “Now you can go to all nations of the world.” However, I always felt dizzy. My eyes became weak. I always felt uncomfortable in my stomach. I wondered whether my Heavenly Father was calling me home. I said a prayer beside my bed, “O Lord, I have nothing to worry about on earth. I desire nothing of this world. But my entrustment is in Warsaw Poland. I shouted aloud in a vision about great revival in Africa. How can I honor your name if I go back home in heaven now? Many people know that I have burden for all those places.” How amazing it is. Since that prayer, all of my symptoms of illness disappeared. In His mercy, the Lord brought me to Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Later some sisters had burden to go with me to Japan, Britain, New Zealand, Sydney of Australia and Canada. I also could go back to China and other places in America. God gave me grace to meet bodies in the Lord. We prayed and read Bible. We encouraged one another. I also obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit to do some ministry for the Lord.
In 2002 when I visited Hong Kong again, I was sick with Shingles. It was so painful that I could hardly endure it. The red spots on the skin were gone soon. But the infection of the nerve endings under my rib continues to give me unbearable pain. For the past three years, this pain has been killing me. One sister went to our Prayer Tower to pray for me. At first she asked sadly to the Lord whether He was going to take me to heavenly home. Then unexpectedly she became joyful in the Spirit. It was because she realized that the Lord would give me a big gift—Warsaw Poland. Praise the Lord. He used afflictions internally and externally to refine us so that members in Home of Grace become more in one and watchful in prayer. As a result of it, we determined to march forward with full strength to develop Home of Grace in London West Europe and Home of Grace in Warsaw East Europe. With one heart we focus on the expansion of Home of Grace outside China. We are to obey God’s command to go to the whole world and preach gospel to all nations.
(VI) FROM LONDON TO WARSAW
During my suffering of sickness, I examine my past more and deeper. I saw my thoughts, words and behaviors were full of dross including when I was persecuted, imprisoned, and restored. Many times there was wickedness in me when I did good things. When I did right, I was still sinning. I also saw myself being content and relaxed in a comfort zone. In result, I was slack in seeking God’s will. I was unfaithful to the Lord’s entrustment and His will. Afflictions surely chastened me in the Spirit. It was also a great test for me. It has been by the Lord’s mercy that I have never stopped reading Bible or interceding in the middle of night. (It usually takes me at least two hours to intercede for salvation of the whole world and all churches.) Neither have I stopped sharing Bible during day time. I still go abroad to develop God’s works. I have nothing to repay God’s kindness. I am like the poor widow who has only two small coins to live on. I give all I have to the Lord.
Therefore in the year of 2004 I went to London with sister though I was sick. We planned to stay there for 10 days. Pastor Tao, En Quan was willing to receive us in his own house in the suburb. I met him few years ago in London. But he could hardly remember my name. His ministry also stationed at his house. He also received several college students. Sister Y and I would like to rent a house in London for our ministry.
Five days had passed. No one had time to drive us around to looking for house for rent. I was in such a pain that I usually had to lie in my bed. One sister introduced us a sister Liang. She attended Cantonese worship of London Chinese Church. She had to work everyday. She hoped she could come to visit us on a Sunday if she could arrange a ride with a sister Liu. Sister Y and I read the Bible together everyday. She was full of faith by grasping of the word of the Lord in prayers. I then shout aloud Amen. Sunday finally arrived. After two of us finished praying, I was really in pain. I had to rest in my bed. Just then two of them arrived. When we prayed together, we prayed for elections of leaders of all nations. We also prayed for the revival of churches and the whole world. Two of them were very touched by the Holy Spirit and rejoiced in the Spirit. They took sister Y in the car and set out to look for houses for rent. But when sister Y came back, she was completely in despair. She told me that the rent for even a room in the basement cost 200 pounds a week. We could only pray and wait. Unexpectedly, sister Liang called us that very night. She was too joyful to speak. “The Lord has prepared a house for you Home of Grace! It only costs 300 pounds a month!” We could not help but kept on giving praise to the Lord. That house was in a very good residential area. We waited for sister Liu to drive us there. Pastor Tao advised us not to be happy too early. He said some places in London were very insecure. Anytime there could be robberies or thieves. We then went to pray when we heard that, “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it.” No matter how painful I was, I must go and see this place that God gave us. This apartment belonged to a woman named, “A Ping.” She was a fruit of gospel that bore by sister Liang in the Lord. It was used to occupy by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. After her sister-in-law married, her mother-in-law had moved to stay with them since she was old. Therefore, A Ping called sister Liang that night and told her that she would like to let this apartment to people. As soon as sister Liang heard it, she said with great joy, “This is exactly God’s preparation for Home of Grace.” She told A Ping that she should let this apartment for 300 pounds to Home of Grace. When sister Liu came to pick us up to see that apartment, she saw sister Y tried very hard to support me to get into the car. She asked in Cantonese, “Please do not scare me to death. How can you go up to the stairs?” I burst into laughter and could not stop for a long time. Sister Liu dared not start the car until I finished laughing. It was a joy from the Lord. What an apartment that God had prepared for us! There was a little front yard. We took several steps of stairs to enter the building. There were big windows in the apartment. It was so bright in the apartment and the air was very fresh. There were two bedrooms. One was for us and the other was used by the landlord as storage. (But now we can use both of the bedrooms.) There was a big living room which could be divided by curtains into three little cubbies in the night time for people to rest. In daytime we could draw the curtain and use the living room for Bible Study, interceding and worshiping. When we saw this, we gave witness of thanksgiving in one heart. God also moved a sister to give us one envelop. Inside of it was 300 pounds al in brand new bill. It was written on that envelop, “An offering to Home of Grace in London”. Our Lord had blessed us an apartment and the first month rent at the same time. The Lord also moved sister Liu to renovate this apartment. Pretty soon sister Zhang, En Chun in America went there. Some members of Home of Grace joined her and they started to read Bible and intercede day and night in London.
Once when I went to Home of Grace in London, I went to another city for a convention. One pastor from Warsaw Poland heard my testimony how I had prayed for Poland for over 50 years. He asked someone to translate to me that he was willing to receive me when I went to Poland. Therefore, after I returned to America I bought two tickets and flew to Warsaw Poland with one sister. We planned to stay there for 20 days. That pastor came to the airport and picked us up by car. That night we attended their meeting. It was the biggest church in Warsaw. Pastor KB had special burden for preaching gospel to the Jews. He put us in a guest room of that church. He with his family lived across our door. This guest room was a studio, with beds and one bathroom. There was a little refrigerator and a boiler for drinking water. There was no cooking facility. Everyday we went to his house for meals.
It was Christmas, Pastor and his family had to be out of town for a convention and after that vocation. He suggested us to cook in his house for meals. But we were unwilling to do that since they were not at home. We decided to find our own ways for meals. For six days we depended on bread, instant noodles, and canned food. We also had chances to worship with Polish bodies and shared testimony with them. In addition to it, we prayed for God’s will. God arranged two realer estates to take us around looking for houses for sale. We really liked one house which was newly built and cost about 120 thousand USD. But in fact Home of Grace in America did not even have one third of that amount of money. Then realer estate E told us that she found foreigners were not allowed to buy houses in Poland. But there was no problem for us to buy apartments. God surely opened a way from the dead end. The price for apartments in Poland was much lower than houses. But we had only 10 days left. Could we make it to buy an apartment? We set out at once with a realtor to see apartments for sale. One apartment really fit our needs. The owner was a young housewife. She was full of smile and she had a lovely daughter. The price for her apartment was about $80,000 USD. I did not bargain with her but asked her to leave all of the furniture with us. She promised me at once. However, when we were discussing the down payment, she insisted that we must pay everything at one payment. It was because she needed cash. We had no way but to look for another apartment for sale. At the end of the next day we saw one apartment. It was two-floored apartment. There was one living room with kitchen and a small bathroom on the first level. There were two bedrooms, one full bathroom and a little storage on the second level. The owners were a couple. They looked very serious and sharp. The price was also about $80,000 USD. It did not include the furniture. We went back to the guest room and prayed. Then I remembered I was very moved by Psalm 104:3 when I was in America, “…and [he] lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.” If we could buy an apartment in Poland for Home for Grace, it would be so amazed just as laying the beams of an upper room on the waters. The first we liked had no second level. There were cracks on the wall. The second one truly had a second level, upper chambers. It was newer than the first one. The more my co-worker and I prayed about the second one, the more we liked it and the more we rejoiced. We lost no time but to start all the transactions.
However, Home of Grace in America could not draft any money from the bank to us at that time. It was because sister Y who was in charge of treasure was not in America at that time. I was in Poland. Therefore, we decided to borrow $13,000 USD for one moth from one Christian couple in America. When both of us returned to America, we could return it to them immediately. This couple loved the Lord fervently and cared about members of Home of Grace. Though the wife earned very little and the husband was laid off, they insisted to offer 13 thousands USD as down payment for Home of Grace in Poland. All the glory to the Lord!
The owner and two of us went to the lawyer’s office for notary, contract and down payment. Our two realtors hired a translator of English for this meeting. It turned out this business meeting became a meeting of thanksgiving. Everyone was very happy and touched by the testimony we shared. I had been in pain all the time when I traveled back and forth in the snow for this apartment. I was so joyful when I saw the Lord’s blessing. May all of the glory to the Lord himself. He uses people lowly as dust to open up his own ministry.
The contract of this apartment was under my own name to fulfill the legal requirement of Poland realer estate. We could not move in until we paid the rest of the payment. That would be two months later in the beginning of 2005. During this period of time I set up my last will to give this apartment for the use of Home of Grace. This last will had been notarized in front of a lawyer and witnesses.
Thank God! This little Home of Grace for Christ’s Workers in Warsaw Poland has started to minister since February 5 of 2005. May righteousness, justice, kindness and honesty live in it forever and ever! May the only, forever living and almighty God find his rest in this house of God. May God be with us until his second coming. Amen!