"Judge for yourselves whether it is right to obey you rather than God. I was saved by the Lord from death, and before God, I have made a covenant which I must stick to. In season and out of season I should preach the Word, and woe to me if I don’t preach," said Huang Detang (1886-1981) after he walked a hundred miles to share the gospel.
At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), all churches were closed, and there were no full-time pastors, but Mr. Huang from Xiangshan County, Ningbo, Zhejiang, still served God. Despite being warned not to go out, he went out in the dark and came home late at night. The family persuaded him not to leave home, as they would be implicated, but he answered with the opening sentence of this article.
For this reason, he was arrested and detained many times, but he didn't care. Once at a gathering, he was caught again and asked to pick up mud from the river to make a reservoir, without food ever being given to him. He also was locked up in the commune for interrogations twice and required to make a confession. He closed his eyes to fast and pray for more than ten days. The supervisor told his family to bring him back, as he was afraid that he would have to pay for the coffin if Huang died.
Every time he was beaten and kicked by the Red Guard rebels, or being punished to do volunteer work, he sang hymns with a broad smile. When he returned home, he said, "Don't be afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. But be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
When he was dying, in a faint voice, he repeatedly told his family and the believers present, "Don't be proud of victory, or lose heart in defeat. Be cautious in prosperity and be brave in adversity. Take difficulties as food, and tears as water. Serve God with all your heart and soul." After that, he passed away peacefully.
(This article was provided by Rev. Huang Weiguang in Xiangshan County, Ningbo and 93-year-old Elder Yuan in Fenghua District, Ningbo.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
“顺从你们还是顺从神，你们酌量吧！我是主从死亡中救出来的人，在神面前写过奉献契，一定要坚守此约。无论得时不得时我要传道，若不传福音我就有祸了。” 黄德堂说，这一天他跑了百里路去传福音。我们劝他不要出门，怕出事情，连累子孙。
解放后，本县因是沿海地区，所有教堂都停了聚会，已无一个专职传道人，但他还在为主奔跑
文革开始，就管制起来，不许他跑，出门要请假，客人进门要汇报。可他天黑就出门，深夜才回家。
为此多次被抓去关押，他毫不在乎。有一次在珠溪聚会，被抓去要他挑河泥做水库，饭也不给吃，在本公社有二次被关起来审查，要他交待问题，他闭目禁食祷告十多天。主管人怕他归天家，还得赔棺材，叫我们把他抬回来。
每次运动，他都要上台批斗或陪斗，被造反派拳打脚踢，罚做义务工，他都不在乎，还口里唱着赞美诗，面上笑容可掬。回家常教训我们：“杀身体不能杀灵魂的不要怕。唯有杀身体把灵魂一同丢在阴间里的才要怕他。”
他在临终时用微弱的声音，向全家和在场的信徒频频吩咐：“得胜不要骄傲，失败不要灰心。有事不可胆小，无事不可胆大(顺境要胆小，逆境要胆大)。艰难当食物，眼泪当水喝。尽心尽意跑天家。”
说完后，就平平安安地离开了人世。这七句话，是他一生事主的经验总结，也是留给我们子孙学习的功课。哈利路亚！
（本文由浙江宁波象山黄伟光牧师和宁波奉化区基督教泉口真神堂93岁袁长老提供。）
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/58742
袁长老信语（37）黄德堂先生：给那些爱他之人的
"Judge for yourselves whether it is right to obey you rather than God. I was saved by the Lord from death, and before God, I have made a covenant which I must stick to. In season and out of season I should preach the Word, and woe to me if I don’t preach," said Huang Detang (1886-1981) after he walked a hundred miles to share the gospel.
At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), all churches were closed, and there were no full-time pastors, but Mr. Huang from Xiangshan County, Ningbo, Zhejiang, still served God. Despite being warned not to go out, he went out in the dark and came home late at night. The family persuaded him not to leave home, as they would be implicated, but he answered with the opening sentence of this article.
For this reason, he was arrested and detained many times, but he didn't care. Once at a gathering, he was caught again and asked to pick up mud from the river to make a reservoir, without food ever being given to him. He also was locked up in the commune for interrogations twice and required to make a confession. He closed his eyes to fast and pray for more than ten days. The supervisor told his family to bring him back, as he was afraid that he would have to pay for the coffin if Huang died.
Every time he was beaten and kicked by the Red Guard rebels, or being punished to do volunteer work, he sang hymns with a broad smile. When he returned home, he said, "Don't be afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. But be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
When he was dying, in a faint voice, he repeatedly told his family and the believers present, "Don't be proud of victory, or lose heart in defeat. Be cautious in prosperity and be brave in adversity. Take difficulties as food, and tears as water. Serve God with all your heart and soul." After that, he passed away peacefully.
(This article was provided by Rev. Huang Weiguang in Xiangshan County, Ningbo and 93-year-old Elder Yuan in Fenghua District, Ningbo.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Huang Detang’s Testimony: Facing Persecution, Beats With Smile
