God loves the world. Each of us is chosen by God, and we all have different experiences and stories behind our faith in God. Here are 40 stories and experiences behind people's faiths that I have heard and seen. Maybe the story behind your faith might be here.
While part 1 contains the stories of six Christians, the second episode shares other amazing stories of five believers who encountered God in their hard times.
7. She believed in God after destroying her idols.
She was a polytheist that she worshipped many different idols, such as "the great emperor" and "Fox Fairy", two Chinese mythological creatures. In one word, the idols were known as "Baojia Immortals". She had been worshipping these idols piously for many years, thinking they could protect her.
A sudden disaster caused a change in her belief. She lost her husband at an early age, and her only son worked in Shanghai after graduation. She thought it was a benefit of serving idols. But one day, her son developed a very rare disease: idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. Due to the abnormal increase of pulmonary artery pressure, it is a rare pulmonary vascular disease with a very low incidence rate (about 5.9 per 1 million people). She could not understand why her son contracted an illness with such a low incidence rate. Despite spending a lot of money, she could not save her son's life; grief-stricken, she took his ashes and returned to her hometown.
After hearing the news, her relatives went to visit her and comfort her. One of her sisters, a Christian, spoke to her: "Look at your family, so many idols, which one blessed you? Why do you still worship them when your husband and your son are gone? The idols are made of gold and silver, the work of men's hands."
With the help of her sister and the congregation, she tore down all the idols in her family and followed her sister to the church. She sang and praised with the believers and listened to the sermon. She felt that the door of her heart was opened by the Lord. Eventually, she turned to God and became a Christian.
8. Discriminated against, he came to Christ.
This brother, who suffered from polio when he was a child, lost part of his ability to work and had a hard time walking, but his IQ was not low. Because of this, he was sometimes ridiculed by individuals in school and society. Even when he went in search of jobs, he was discriminated against because of his disability. Later, he made a name for himself in a factory for the disabled. With a few hundred yuan a month, he could hardly maintain a normal life. He was very self-confident and did not want to rely on his parents to support him, but he could not find a proper job either. He craved love, attention, and someone to help him.
His neighbor's aunt was a believer. She was very concerned about him, often comforted him, and persuaded him to believe in the Lord. Later, he followed her to church.
Here, he felt the great love of the Lord Jesus Christ. The brothers and sisters did not discriminate against him, and they showed great enthusiasm and respect for him. He was influenced by the love here and soon became a believer. In addition, he joined a fellowship in the church and was very happy to fellowship with the believers every day. The pastor of the church also cared about him. Later, through the efforts of the church, he found a fixed job as a quality inspector in a factory with a monthly salary above 1000 yuan. He felt very happy in Christ and among his brothers and sisters. Taking advantage of his expertise in painting, he actively published bulletin boards for the church and participated in painting and calligraphy competitions organized by the church.
9. From an atheist to a believer
This brother was a staunch atheist raised in an atheist household and did not believe in God at all. This continued until he retired. After retirement, he had nothing to do and felt an emptiness within.
One day, he met an old colleague who was also a good friend at the park. The friend told him that because it was Sunday, he was going to church and invited him to go as well. Feeling embarrassed to refuse, he went with him to see what the God he believed in was like. That was how he went to church for the first time.
At first, he sat there with disdain, but when the praise was over, the pastor began to preach. Later, he clearly remembered that the pastor spoke about the Book of Job that day. He went from casually listening in the beginning to being absorbed in the sermon. He also wondered how Job did not change his faith in God despite going through so much hurt? Later, accompanied by his friends, he asked the pastor some questions and explanations regarding certain matters. This way, he felt that his heart was opened and he loved Christianity. The next week, he also attended meetings with his friends. After some time, he became a Christian. He believed in God and preached the gospel to the people around him.
10. She was misled by heresy and returned to the Lord.
This sister, originally a teacher, was led to the church by one of her colleagues after retirement and eventually became a believer. But out of curiosity, she liked visiting other churches.
She was once invited to follow a sister to a so-called church organized by Koreans. This church was particularly opposed to the traditional Chinese Christian faith. The main backbone of the church were returnees from Korea. Every time they met, the small gifts and lunch attracted her, and she felt that these people also read the Bible, prayed, and spoke of love. What she did not realize, however, was that this was a heretical organization, different from orthodox Christianity: its leaders were like the Messiah, like "Jesus Christ", they slandered the Chinese church, spoke only bad things about it, advocating that salvation could only be gotten in their church. Also, believers were not allowed to go to the "cathedral" and other churches and gathering places. There, they also focused on "tithing". They always asked for money and even the missionaries' clothes and mobile phones were bought by the believers. The female believers had to help the missionaries cook, wash clothes and do housework. People were cursed and even threatened if they tried to betray their church.
She ran back to her original "cathedral" and asked the priest about it, who told her it was a heretical cult. She resolutely cut off the relationship with the heretical so-called church and returned to her original church. Here, once again, she felt true faith.
11. Though someone in her workplace hurt her, she gained love in Christ.
This sister was a hardworking, conscientious and responsible employee in her workplace. She did not try to curry favor with people, she was not a talker, but a doer. Even so, she had been supplanted and attacked by some colleagues, and often experienced a "squeeze": she had no advanced rating, and her salary rise was very slow, not to mention her promotion. After working for more than ten years, she remained an ordinary staff. Some people even bullied her, saying that she was "narrow-minded" and "stupid". Sometimes when there were mistakes at the workplace, they would blame her. She was judged wrongly and had no one to appeal to.
She was very distressed, and in her distress, she got a chance to attend a church meeting. She met her childhood best friend who advised her to go to church and believe in God.
When she got to the church, she heard the hymn of the choir before the sermon, and her tears began to flow uncontrollably because she felt that in this temple, there was a kind of loving warmth rising in her heart, a kind of comfort. At that moment, there was no one trying to outwit the other, no scheming against anyone, only the voice of God.
As a result, the honest woman went to church come rain come shine. Sometimes she worked overtime during the day and attended evening meetings. She believed in the Lord, had a sense of trust and security in her heart, read the scriptures, and prayed every day.
To be continued…
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
七、拆除偶像她信主了
她是一个诸神论者：供奉的偶像比较多、比较杂，比如，什么“大帝”、什么“狐仙”，一句话，都是被称为“保家仙”的偶像。她很虔诚的拜这些偶像已经多年了，认为这些偶像能保佑她。
一场突如其来的灾难，使她改变了自己的信仰。
她早年丧夫，唯一的一个儿子毕业以后在上海工作。他认为这是拜偶像得来的善果。可是，突然有一天他的儿子得的是一种非常罕见的疾病：特发性肺动脉高压。因为不明原因的肺动脉压力的异常增高，是一种罕见的肺血管疾病，其发病率极低（约为5.9/100万人）。她无法理解这么小的发病几率就摊到儿子身上了。钱花了不少，没有挽救她的儿子生命，悲痛欲绝的她带着儿子的骨灰，回到了家乡。
闻讯赶来的亲属们过来看望她、安慰她，其中有一个姐姐是基督徒。就给她讲了这样一个道理：你看你家，那么多的偶像，哪一个保佑你了？你丈夫没了、儿子也没了，你还供奉他们干什么？那些偶像是金的、银的，是人手所造的。
于是她在姐姐和教会弟兄姊妹的帮助下，把家里的所有偶像都拆了，跟着姐姐来到了教堂，和信徒们在一起歌诗赞美，听讲道，感觉心门被主打开了。最终她归向了上帝，成为了基督徒。
八、被歧视的他信主了
这位弟兄，因为小时候得了小儿麻痹症，简称叫“儿麻”，丧失了部分的劳动能力，走路都费劲，但是他的智商并不低。因为这个，他在学校、在社会，有时候会被个别人嘲笑。即使是找工作也因为他的残疾而受到歧视，不好找。后来在残疾人工厂挂了一个名儿，一个月几百元钱，根本就维持不了正常的生活，他本人自强心很强，不愿意靠父母来养活。但是他也找不到合适的工作。他从内心渴求爱、渴求被关注、也渴望有人来帮助他。
邻居的老大妈，是信徒。对他很关心，经常安慰他，并且劝他信主。后来她就跟着老大妈来到了教会。
在这里他感觉到了主耶稣基督的大爱，弟兄姊妹们并没有歧视他，对他很热情和尊重。他被这里的爱所感化了，不久他就成为了信徒。而且在教会他参加了一个团契，每天在团契里和信徒在一起，很是开心。教会的牧师也很关心他，后来经过教会出面努力帮助他找到了一份固定的的工作，做工厂的质检员，每个月的工资达到了一千多元，他感到在基督里很幸福、在弟兄姊妹中间很喜乐。他利用自己擅长绘画的特点，还积极的为教会出板报，参与教会组织的书画比赛。
九、从无神论者到信主
这位弟兄是一个坚定的无神论者，也在一个无神论者的家庭成长起来，根本不信有上帝。这样一直持续到他退休。退休以后的他，没有了事情做，感觉精神很空虚。
有一天，他在公园里遇到了一位老同事，也是好朋友，那位朋友告诉他，因为是礼拜天，他去教堂啊，并且邀请他也去教堂。他不好意思拒绝，也跟着去了，想要看看他信的那个上帝是什么样子。就这样，他第一次来到了教堂。
开始他坐在那里，是不屑一顾的样子，可是当赞美结束后，牧师开始讲道。后来他还清楚的记得，那天牧师讲的是约伯记。他由开始时的漫不经心，到全神贯注的听讲道。他也奇怪，约伯受到那么大的打击和伤害，怎么信仰上帝的心不改变呢？事后他在朋友的陪伴下又带着疑问单独的和牧师请教了一些事情和问题。这样，他感觉自己的心门被打开，还真的喜欢上了基督教。接下来的一个礼拜，接着还和朋友来聚会，这以后经过一段过程，他就成了一个基督徒了，而且是非常坚信上帝，也把福音传给他周围的人。
十、被异端辖制的她重归主内
这位姊妹原本是一位教师，在退休后，由自己的一位同事引领到教会，最终成为了信徒。可是她，出于好奇，喜欢到其它的教会去探访究竟。
有一次她应邀跟随一位姊妹来到了一间由韩国人组织起的一个所谓的教会。这个教会是特别的反对中国传统的基督教信仰。教会的主要骨干都是从韩国回来的人。他们每次的聚会，会发给一些的小礼品，中午还有饭，这些小恩小惠吸引了她，而且感觉到这些人也在读圣经，也在祷告，也讲爱。可是她却没有想到，这是一个与正统的基督教不同的异端：其领导人就如同弥赛亚一样，犹如“耶稣基督第二”，诽谤中国的教会，把教会说得一无是处，鼓吹只有在他们的教会才会得救。而且不让信徒到“大教会”和其它的教会、聚会点，这里还重点讲“十一奉献”，总是要钱，连传道人的衣服、手机，都让信徒给买，甚至女信徒还要帮传道人做饭，洗衣服，打理家务等等。如果有人想背叛他们这个教会，就会被咒诅，甚至受到威胁。
她就跑回自己原来的“大教会”问牧师，牧师告诉她那是异端。她就毅然决然的断绝了和异端的所谓教会的关系，重新回到了自己原有的教会。在这里，她又一次感到了真正的信仰。
十一、 职场有人伤害了她，在基督里得到了爱
这位姊妹在职场，是一位埋头苦干、认真负责的员工。她不会溜须、不会拍马，也不能说会道，就知道实干。即使这样，她也受到了个别同事的排挤和打击，往往会被“挤兑”：评先进没有份、涨工资也很慢，更不要说职务的晋升了。工作了十几年，一直还是一名普通的科员。甚至有的人欺负她，说她“缺心眼儿”，是“傻子”，工作当中有的时候出现了纰漏，也都往她身上推，她也是有口难辩。
她很苦恼，苦恼当中一个偶然的聚会机会，她遇到了发小的闺蜜，劝她到教堂信主。
到了教堂以后，她听到证道前诗班赞美的歌声，眼泪止不住的流了出来。因为她感觉的到在这个圣殿里，有一种不知道从哪里来的慈爱的温暖在心里升腾，有一种安慰。此时此刻，这里没有了那种尔虞我诈、没有了勾心斗角，只有上帝的声音。
于是，这位老实人就风雨不误的到教堂，有的时候白天加班，就参加晚场聚会，她信主了，内心有了倚靠和安全感，每天也读经祷告。
（本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人，未完待续。）
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/56144
信仰背后的40个故事（二）
God loves the world. Each of us is chosen by God, and we all have different experiences and stories behind our faith in God. Here are 40 stories and experiences behind people's faiths that I have heard and seen. Maybe the story behind your faith might be here.
While part 1 contains the stories of six Christians, the second episode shares other amazing stories of five believers who encountered God in their hard times.
7. She believed in God after destroying her idols.
She was a polytheist that she worshipped many different idols, such as "the great emperor" and "Fox Fairy", two Chinese mythological creatures. In one word, the idols were known as "Baojia Immortals". She had been worshipping these idols piously for many years, thinking they could protect her.
A sudden disaster caused a change in her belief. She lost her husband at an early age, and her only son worked in Shanghai after graduation. She thought it was a benefit of serving idols. But one day, her son developed a very rare disease: idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. Due to the abnormal increase of pulmonary artery pressure, it is a rare pulmonary vascular disease with a very low incidence rate (about 5.9 per 1 million people). She could not understand why her son contracted an illness with such a low incidence rate. Despite spending a lot of money, she could not save her son's life; grief-stricken, she took his ashes and returned to her hometown.
After hearing the news, her relatives went to visit her and comfort her. One of her sisters, a Christian, spoke to her: "Look at your family, so many idols, which one blessed you? Why do you still worship them when your husband and your son are gone? The idols are made of gold and silver, the work of men's hands."
With the help of her sister and the congregation, she tore down all the idols in her family and followed her sister to the church. She sang and praised with the believers and listened to the sermon. She felt that the door of her heart was opened by the Lord. Eventually, she turned to God and became a Christian.
8. Discriminated against, he came to Christ.
This brother, who suffered from polio when he was a child, lost part of his ability to work and had a hard time walking, but his IQ was not low. Because of this, he was sometimes ridiculed by individuals in school and society. Even when he went in search of jobs, he was discriminated against because of his disability. Later, he made a name for himself in a factory for the disabled. With a few hundred yuan a month, he could hardly maintain a normal life. He was very self-confident and did not want to rely on his parents to support him, but he could not find a proper job either. He craved love, attention, and someone to help him.
His neighbor's aunt was a believer. She was very concerned about him, often comforted him, and persuaded him to believe in the Lord. Later, he followed her to church.
Here, he felt the great love of the Lord Jesus Christ. The brothers and sisters did not discriminate against him, and they showed great enthusiasm and respect for him. He was influenced by the love here and soon became a believer. In addition, he joined a fellowship in the church and was very happy to fellowship with the believers every day. The pastor of the church also cared about him. Later, through the efforts of the church, he found a fixed job as a quality inspector in a factory with a monthly salary above 1000 yuan. He felt very happy in Christ and among his brothers and sisters. Taking advantage of his expertise in painting, he actively published bulletin boards for the church and participated in painting and calligraphy competitions organized by the church.
9. From an atheist to a believer
This brother was a staunch atheist raised in an atheist household and did not believe in God at all. This continued until he retired. After retirement, he had nothing to do and felt an emptiness within.
One day, he met an old colleague who was also a good friend at the park. The friend told him that because it was Sunday, he was going to church and invited him to go as well. Feeling embarrassed to refuse, he went with him to see what the God he believed in was like. That was how he went to church for the first time.
At first, he sat there with disdain, but when the praise was over, the pastor began to preach. Later, he clearly remembered that the pastor spoke about the Book of Job that day. He went from casually listening in the beginning to being absorbed in the sermon. He also wondered how Job did not change his faith in God despite going through so much hurt? Later, accompanied by his friends, he asked the pastor some questions and explanations regarding certain matters. This way, he felt that his heart was opened and he loved Christianity. The next week, he also attended meetings with his friends. After some time, he became a Christian. He believed in God and preached the gospel to the people around him.
10. She was misled by heresy and returned to the Lord.
This sister, originally a teacher, was led to the church by one of her colleagues after retirement and eventually became a believer. But out of curiosity, she liked visiting other churches.
She was once invited to follow a sister to a so-called church organized by Koreans. This church was particularly opposed to the traditional Chinese Christian faith. The main backbone of the church were returnees from Korea. Every time they met, the small gifts and lunch attracted her, and she felt that these people also read the Bible, prayed, and spoke of love. What she did not realize, however, was that this was a heretical organization, different from orthodox Christianity: its leaders were like the Messiah, like "Jesus Christ", they slandered the Chinese church, spoke only bad things about it, advocating that salvation could only be gotten in their church. Also, believers were not allowed to go to the "cathedral" and other churches and gathering places. There, they also focused on "tithing". They always asked for money and even the missionaries' clothes and mobile phones were bought by the believers. The female believers had to help the missionaries cook, wash clothes and do housework. People were cursed and even threatened if they tried to betray their church.
She ran back to her original "cathedral" and asked the priest about it, who told her it was a heretical cult. She resolutely cut off the relationship with the heretical so-called church and returned to her original church. Here, once again, she felt true faith.
11. Though someone in her workplace hurt her, she gained love in Christ.
This sister was a hardworking, conscientious and responsible employee in her workplace. She did not try to curry favor with people, she was not a talker, but a doer. Even so, she had been supplanted and attacked by some colleagues, and often experienced a "squeeze": she had no advanced rating, and her salary rise was very slow, not to mention her promotion. After working for more than ten years, she remained an ordinary staff. Some people even bullied her, saying that she was "narrow-minded" and "stupid". Sometimes when there were mistakes at the workplace, they would blame her. She was judged wrongly and had no one to appeal to.
She was very distressed, and in her distress, she got a chance to attend a church meeting. She met her childhood best friend who advised her to go to church and believe in God.
When she got to the church, she heard the hymn of the choir before the sermon, and her tears began to flow uncontrollably because she felt that in this temple, there was a kind of loving warmth rising in her heart, a kind of comfort. At that moment, there was no one trying to outwit the other, no scheming against anyone, only the voice of God.
As a result, the honest woman went to church come rain come shine. Sometimes she worked overtime during the day and attended evening meetings. She believed in the Lord, had a sense of trust and security in her heart, read the scriptures, and prayed every day.
To be continued…
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
40 Christian Faith Stories (Part 2)
