Proving the Living God!
Opposed by a powerful Communist regime, Watchman Nee inspired millions of Chinese Christians. Though he was arrested in 1952 and died in prison in 1972, his 'little flock’ movement spawned thousands of house churches in China. His books have proved to be a great blessing to millions of Christians all over the world.
Shortly after his conversion, when he was just seventeen, Nee and six other enthusiastic young Christians sailed to a small island and a fishing village called Mei-hwa, in an effort to convert the entire island for Christ The young evangelists worked hard but saw no converts.
Every year on January 11, a great festival was held to honour the local god. The villagers proudly told the Christian evangelists that it had not rained on the annual festival for 286 years. When he heard this, one of Watch-man Nee’s associates, Kuo-ching Lee, impulsively challenged the villagers: “I promise you, our God, who is the true God, will make it rain on January 11.”
The crowd laughed at him. Yet they agreed to listen to these young men if it did rain on that date.
When Watchman Nee heard what Kuo-ching had done, he was bothered. In fact, he was planning to rebuke his associate but instead decided to pray about it. “Father, have we gone too far? Should we leave this village now before your name is disgraced?” Then he remembered a phrase from the Old Testament book of 2 Kings: “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” He recalled the contest that Elijah had with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, and he thought that maybe God intended to do something similar in the little village of Mei-hwa.
Instead of rebuking Kuo-ching, Watchman Nee instructed his associates to tell everyone in the village about the challenge. The God of Elijah would send rain on January 11. The entire village soon got the message; excitement spread throughout the area.
But when Watchman Nee woke up on January 11, it didn’t look good for the Christians. The sun was shining brightly in a cloudless sky. At breakfast, Watchman Nee and his companions prayed, “Father, please accept our prayer as a gentle reminder.” Before Nee had finished praying, a few drops of rain began falling on the tiled roof. Soon it was a downpour!
When the storm stopped, the area priest announced he had made a big mistake about the date. The celebration was to have taken place this year on January 14, not on January 11.
In the next three days, the seven Christians continued not only praying but also spreading the message of Christ, and within those three days, thirty villagers became Christians.
The weather on January 14 was almost a duplicate of the weather on the eleventh. Once again a huge storm struck Mei-hwa in the morning hours. In the following weeks, a church was established on the island, and the grip of the pagan religion was broken.
For Watchman Nee, Kuo-ching Lee, and the others, it was dramatic proof that the God who lived in Elijah's time is still the same today.
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Jer. 33:3
CHRIST IS VICTOR, AUGUST 2023