“I learned to see God”

Young Girl
Mainland China
During the Red Guard Era, 1966 – 1969

A Chinese girl refused to betray the secrets of the underground church, even though she had been tortured again and again. She was asked how she could bear so much suffering.

“I was not hard,” she replied. “I had been taught by my pastor that the real torture lasts very little. For one minute of torture, there are ten minutes of glancing at the enraged faces and the implements of pain. I decided to keep my eyes closed the whole time. I did not see the stick before it hit me or afterward. The suffering was much reduced.

“I relied on the promise of Jesus: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ I purified my heart of the fear of men, and I learned to see God. When the Communists became aware of my defense, they stuck my eyelids open with tape, but it was too late. My vision had already taken on a new aspect, and I had seen God as so many had seen Him before.”

Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. – Paul the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Excerpted from Jesus Freaks, a best-selling collection of worldwide testimonies targeting teens with the life-changing message of the Persecuted Church. You can order a copy of the book from our online catalogue or by contacting our office.