“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in
him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by
the stream. It does not fear when heat comes…” Jeremiah 17:7-8a
Trees were not plentiful in Israel and most grew by sources of water like an
oasis or a stream. Jeremiah’s simile indicates a person with confidence in the
Lord is like a deep-rooted tree by the stream (see Psalm 1 also) that is
not afraid of heat.
Samuel Lamb is a well-known house church pastor in southern China in the city
of Guangzhou. He spent time in prison for his faith as a young pastor on two
occasions totalling almost twenty years. He was forced to work in a coal mine
where the work was hard and dangerous. He is convinced that God’s protection is
the only reason he survived.
Upon his release after the second imprisonment, he returned home to find out
that his dear wife had just passed away. Now in his seventies, he threw himself
fully into the ministry again opening an unregistered house church on the second
and third storey of his home while the local police utilized the ground floor
for their office. His congregation grew rapidly. He could pack in two hundred
sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the third floor where he preached and another
two hundred listening via a speaker system on the second floor. Soon he had to
have five services a week to get everyone in. Each person had to walk past the
police post to climb the stairs to his meeting.
He soon became the best-known unregistered house church pastor in China.
United States President Ronald Regan sent him a monographed pen set. Billy and
Ruth Graham visited the location with many photos taken.
Because of his refusal to register with the government Three Self Patriotic
Movement Church, the authorities were constantly irritated. Unhappy with his
boldness and the growth of his church, they harassed him repeatedly and often
threatened to return him to prison. Each time this threat occurred, Samuel Lamb
would hold up two fingers and say, “I’ve been to prison twice already. My bag is
packed and I’m ready to go again!” Intimidation would not work against him as he
had no fear and his trust was completely in the Lord. And each time the
authorities would leave to consider what other tactics they could use against
him.
Pastor Lamb continues his unofficial, growing church ministry to this day. As
an elderly pastor, he does not fear when the “heat” comes.
RESPONSE: Today I will trust completely in the Lord and rely on His wisdom
when pressures arise.
PRAYER: Pray other pastors in China will have the fearlessness and church
growth of Samuel Lamb.
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