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TLG Podcast: Episode 3 Show Notes

First Main Segment:

Early Rain Pastor Wang Yi Sentenced to 9 Years

Some of you have probably heard this by now, but on December 30th, Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church was sentenced to nine years imprisonment and stripped of his political rights for three years.  If you have been following this story at all, you know that nearly a hundred people were arrested this past month (per an article on disrn.com).  Also, according to another article.  The accusation that they were arrested on was “inciting subversion of state power” is purportedly a common charge which the Communist Party in China hand out when they feel threatened by Chinese Christians according to China Aid.

This quote from the good pastor Wang Yi sums the attitude that Christians should have:

“I hope God uses me, by means of first losing my personal freedom, to tell those who have deprived me of my personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and that there is a freedom that they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ.” - Wang Yi.

Personal freedom is something we put a lot of emphasis on in the US, and it is obviously very crucial to the “American Way.”  But this story is a very good reminder of how we should be facing our current situation right now.  China is a very different country than America, which is very clear, but the mission for us is the same in both.  Christian in the United States should be seeking to use the freedoms that they have enjoyed in combat for the Kingdom.

If there is one a takeaway from this story for us, it is that we need to be doing something more.

Second Main Segment: White Settlement Shooter Stopped by Churchgoer

In our second segment today, I would like to address the shooting in West Freeway Church of Christ White Settlement, Texas.  Apparently, the shooter was reported to enter the building around the time of communion and open fire.  There are varying reports on whether or not he killed one or two congregants, but the amazing thing is is the fact that the church had a security team that was prepared for a moment like this, and they took him out in six seconds.  Thank the Lord!

  I understand that there will probably be more debates eschewing from yet another shooting and that one of the common threads is that the Police should only have guns, but the national average response time for police to a 911 call is 10 minutes per American Police Beat, the damage could have been much worse.  Also, per the Homeland of National Security, “the average duration of an active shooter incident at a school is 12.5 minutes. In contrast, the average response time for law enforcement is 18 minutes.”  I think that we should be very thankful that this church had a security team that was enabled by the laws in this country, to defend themselves and the congregants.

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