Editor's note: This is part two of the Christian testimony series: the stories of two believers who remain faithful to God amid actual difficulties. (To see part one)
1. He did not compromise even if they wanted to kill him
During the Cultural Revolution, I was only in my teens, but still to this day, I have never forgotten the story of a believer.
That brother was about 30 years old that year. At that time there were few believers, and he was criticized by the rebels as one of "cow demons and snake spirits". Because he had no major mistakes before and performed well in the workplace, the rebels asked him to do two things. First, he had to admit that believing in Christianity was a crime of worshiping things foreign and fawning on foreign countries and that he was one of “cow demons and snake spirits”. Second, he had to hand over his Bible.
I still remember the scene where he was pushed on a high stage by the rebels with a sign around his neck that read "Monster and Demon XXX". Some punched and kicked him until his nose bled. Saying nothing, he was knocked to the ground and then got up, saying, "Thank God!” Like many of the onlookers, I did not understand. He was criticized and beaten, but why did he thank God?
Some rebels laughed at him from the stage, “Don't you believe in God? Can God do anything? Then ask your God to save you!” The brother repeated the same thing, "Thank God!" He just refused to admit and say that believing in God is wrong and sinful, and refused to admit that he was one of "demonized perceived enemies”.
The rebels forced him many times to hand over his Bible, but he just refused to do so. The rebels asked him, "Where have you hidden the Bible?" No matter how many times he was beaten and criticized, he still said, "Thank God!”
In the end, they couldn't do anything about him because they didn't find out anything else about him except that he believed in the Lord. Instead, they just gave him a white armband with the words "cow demons and snake spirits" written on it and told him to "reform through labor".
More than sixty years have passed. I don't know if this old brother, who is about ninety years old, is still alive. But his faith in God and his strength to not say anything that would offend God has always influenced and inspired me.
2. Involved in the writing ministry despite having a disability
I know a brother and a sister. They have something in common: they are physically disabled, but they are firm believers, and very good at writing.
Many years ago, the brother suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and was sent to the hospital. During the procedure, the doctor told his family that even if he was brought back to life, he would likely remain in a vegetative state. The best possible outcome would be if he was able to be awake despite not being able to take care of himself.
Faced with this situation, his family cried and informed the church. The pastor of the church visited him in the hospital, and other Christians prayed for him. After a period of time, after the doctor's surgery and treatment, he was miraculously awake.
After another period of treatment, he was able to waddle with the help of others. Although his hands and feet were not very flexible, his condition wasn’t to the extent where he could not take care of himself. He thanked the Lord. He listened to an audio Bible every day and prayed constantly.
Later, he walked with crutches without the help of his family. Then later he threw away the crutches and could walk slowly by himself. After the initial cure of his illness, he wrote some poems with his own pen, praising the grace of the Lord, in addition to being grateful. He didn't own a smartphone or couldn’t use a computer, relying only on a shaky hand.
The previously mentioned sister was born with polio and had difficulty walking. She usually relied on a wheelchair.
She grew up believing in God under the influence of her Christian mother. After becoming a Christian, she was very determined. Although she has little education, she is very intelligent and has writing talents. Over the years, she has written many poems, essays, and spiritual articles, which have been published on the main network media and shown in WeChat moments and QQ space, in combination with her spiritual practices and her own actual situation. She also took an active part in church activities, sharing testimonies and about what she had learned from reading the Bible with other Christians at a meeting point.
Her hometown is in a suburban county, and she has started some small businesses, including online e-commerce, to support herself and always remembers to offer things to others.
(The writer is a staff writer for the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Stephen Huang
编者按：这是《我们是神的见证》系列第二集：在真实的艰难处境下，两位信徒仍持守对神的信仰。（可阅读第一集）
一、“打死也不说”
“文化大革命”时期，笔者才十多岁，虽小，但是一位信徒的事情一直在我的脑海中，到现在也不曾忘记。
这位弟兄，当年也就是30岁左右。那时信主的人是不多的，他被造反派给作为“牛鬼蛇神”加以批斗。因为他没有什么大的历史问题，平时在单位表现也好，所以造反派们就要求他两点：第一，你承认信仰基督教是崇洋媚外，是犯罪的，你是牛鬼蛇神；第二，你要交出你的圣经在哪里。
我还记得当时的批斗场：他脖子上挂着“牛鬼蛇神XXX”的牌子，被造反派推在高高的台上。有的人又拳打脚踢，鼻子都打出血了。他什么也不说，打倒在地上，爬起来，嘴里还说：“感谢主！”我当时和许多围观的人一样不理解：你说他都挨斗了，还挨打了，他怎么还感谢主呢？
更有的造反派在台子上就耻笑他，你不是信上帝吗？上帝什么都能吗？那你就求你的上帝来保佑你吧！弟兄还是那句话：“感谢主！”他就是不承认、不说信上帝是错误的、是有罪的，不承认自己是牛鬼蛇神。
造反派多次逼着他交出圣经，但是他就是不交。造反派问他：“你把圣经藏在哪里了？”他挨了多少次打、被多少次批斗，就是不说，依旧还是：“感谢主！”
最终，造反派因为除了信主这件事以外，也没有查出他别的问题，拿他也没有办法。只好给他戴上写有“牛鬼蛇神”字样的白袖标，让他“劳动改造”。
六十多年过去了。我不知道这位大约九十岁左右的老弟兄还在不在了？但是他信主的信心、打死也不说的那种坚强一直在影响着我、激励着我。
二、身残志坚做文字事工
我认识一位弟兄、一位姊妹，他们都有一个共同的特点：身体有残疾，但是坚定不移的信主，而且是在文字事工方面，颇有自己的特长。
多年前，弟兄突然得了脑出血。被120送到医院以后，进行了抢救。期间，医生告诉家人，即使抢救过来，人也可能会成为植物人。如果头脑清醒、生活不能自理，那就是最好的结果了。
面对这种情况，家人就哭诉着通知了教会。教会的牧长到医院去探视，慰问他，弟兄姊妹们也为他恒切的祷告。过了一段时间，经过医生的抢救和治疗，他竟然神奇的清醒了。
再经过一段治疗，他居然在别人的搀扶下可以蹒跚的走路了，手脚虽然不是很灵活，但并没有出现那种生活不能自理的情况。他感谢主，每天收听圣经播放器里的内容，并且恒切祷告。
后来，他不用家人搀扶，用拐杖走路，再后来扔掉了拐杖，可以自己慢慢的行走了。他的疾病得到了初步的医治之后，除了感恩，他就用自己的笔来写一些诗歌，赞美主的恩典。他没有智能手机，也不会使用电脑，就是靠不太灵活的手写。
几年来，在主内的一些媒体上发表了他得医治的见证，发表了许多的诗歌。
另一位姊妹是先天性的小儿麻痹症，走路非常困难，一般情况下都是靠轮椅。
她在自己信主的母亲影响下，从小就信主。信主以后，她非常坚定，虽然没有多少文化，但是人很聪明，有属灵的写作能力。多年来她结合读经、听道、灵修和自己的实际情况，写了见证、写了许多的诗歌、散文和灵修文章，在主内的网络媒体上发表，在自己的微信朋友圈和QQ空间中发表。她还积极参加教会的活动，为聚会点的弟兄姊妹分享见证和读经体会。
她的家乡地处郊县，她自己针对当地的土特产，还在做一些包括网络电商的小生意，以维持自己的生活，同时不忘感恩的奉献。
我们是神的见证（二）：艰难中，两位信徒仍持守对神的信仰
Editor's note: This is part two of the Christian testimony series: the stories of two believers who remain faithful to God amid actual difficulties. (To see part one)
1. He did not compromise even if they wanted to kill him
During the Cultural Revolution, I was only in my teens, but still to this day, I have never forgotten the story of a believer.
That brother was about 30 years old that year. At that time there were few believers, and he was criticized by the rebels as one of "cow demons and snake spirits". Because he had no major mistakes before and performed well in the workplace, the rebels asked him to do two things. First, he had to admit that believing in Christianity was a crime of worshiping things foreign and fawning on foreign countries and that he was one of “cow demons and snake spirits”. Second, he had to hand over his Bible.
I still remember the scene where he was pushed on a high stage by the rebels with a sign around his neck that read "Monster and Demon XXX". Some punched and kicked him until his nose bled. Saying nothing, he was knocked to the ground and then got up, saying, "Thank God!” Like many of the onlookers, I did not understand. He was criticized and beaten, but why did he thank God?
Some rebels laughed at him from the stage, “Don't you believe in God? Can God do anything? Then ask your God to save you!” The brother repeated the same thing, "Thank God!" He just refused to admit and say that believing in God is wrong and sinful, and refused to admit that he was one of "demonized perceived enemies”.
The rebels forced him many times to hand over his Bible, but he just refused to do so. The rebels asked him, "Where have you hidden the Bible?" No matter how many times he was beaten and criticized, he still said, "Thank God!”
In the end, they couldn't do anything about him because they didn't find out anything else about him except that he believed in the Lord. Instead, they just gave him a white armband with the words "cow demons and snake spirits" written on it and told him to "reform through labor".
More than sixty years have passed. I don't know if this old brother, who is about ninety years old, is still alive. But his faith in God and his strength to not say anything that would offend God has always influenced and inspired me.
2. Involved in the writing ministry despite having a disability
I know a brother and a sister. They have something in common: they are physically disabled, but they are firm believers, and very good at writing.
Many years ago, the brother suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and was sent to the hospital. During the procedure, the doctor told his family that even if he was brought back to life, he would likely remain in a vegetative state. The best possible outcome would be if he was able to be awake despite not being able to take care of himself.
Faced with this situation, his family cried and informed the church. The pastor of the church visited him in the hospital, and other Christians prayed for him. After a period of time, after the doctor's surgery and treatment, he was miraculously awake.
After another period of treatment, he was able to waddle with the help of others. Although his hands and feet were not very flexible, his condition wasn’t to the extent where he could not take care of himself. He thanked the Lord. He listened to an audio Bible every day and prayed constantly.
Later, he walked with crutches without the help of his family. Then later he threw away the crutches and could walk slowly by himself. After the initial cure of his illness, he wrote some poems with his own pen, praising the grace of the Lord, in addition to being grateful. He didn't own a smartphone or couldn’t use a computer, relying only on a shaky hand.
The previously mentioned sister was born with polio and had difficulty walking. She usually relied on a wheelchair.
She grew up believing in God under the influence of her Christian mother. After becoming a Christian, she was very determined. Although she has little education, she is very intelligent and has writing talents. Over the years, she has written many poems, essays, and spiritual articles, which have been published on the main network media and shown in WeChat moments and QQ space, in combination with her spiritual practices and her own actual situation. She also took an active part in church activities, sharing testimonies and about what she had learned from reading the Bible with other Christians at a meeting point.
Her hometown is in a suburban county, and she has started some small businesses, including online e-commerce, to support herself and always remembers to offer things to others.
(The writer is a staff writer for the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Stephen Huang
Christian Testimony Series: Remaining Faithful Amid Difficulties
