The Life and Ministry of John Sung (2012) by Lim Ka-Tong, Book Review

 The Life and Ministry of John Sung (2012) by Lim Ka-Tong

When I read Roland H. Bainton's Here I Stand on the Life of Martin Luther the Reformer, I was amazed. Luther had done many great things for God, His Word, and His people. I admired him, and he is one of my heroes of faith. But Luther was far from being a saint on earth. I learned about the German Peasant's War, the hatred of the Jews (anti-Semitism), and other dark sides contributed by Luther and his writings. Of course, Sung Shangjie (nicknamed Tian-En) or John Sung does not have the same level of dark sides as Luther, but he does have lots of weaknesses, especially in his younger years. He was hot-tempered, headstrong, impatient, and hard to be with. He was very critical of Western and even local missionaries. Because he traveled long, far, and frequently, he missed all of his children's births. Although his family never complained (he was a good son, husband, and father), early in his ministry his absence contradicted his sermon on the importance of family worship. But due to God's immeasurable grace, He used John Sung - and Martin Luther - greatly. This reminds me of Samson in Judges 13–16, a problematic and flawed character, yet his name is listed in Hebrews 11's The Hall of Faith. John Sung was indeed among "a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith" (Hebrews 12:1), encouraging and cheering us through his life and dedication to run the race God has set before us. Let us imitate John Sung just as he imitated Christ!

I've read John Sung's biographies by Leslie T. Lyall, Timothy Tow, and William E. Schubert. They are amazing! But this one by Lim Ka-Tong is a very comprehensive, well-researched, and fair account of a very important (but sadly, less known) figure of Chinese Christianity not only in China but also in Southeast Asia. Sung is variously remembered as the "Wesley of China", the "Billy Sunday of China", the "Billy Graham of China", "the Apostle of China", "the greatest evangelist China has ever known", and the "bright star in the crown of Hinghwa." A man such as John Sung, powerfully used by God, is worthy of being remembered by Christians around the world, and this book gives him such honor. I was very fascinated by the interesting details and facts that Ka-Tong found about John Sung that I had never heard of before from other authors. The first chapter on sociopolitical and theological background in early twentieth-century China helped me to understand what shaped John Sung's mind, and chapter two on his formative years helped me to see why John Sung's faith was genuine, contagious, and bold. In summary, Ka-Tong wrote: "John Sung's ministry was based on his intensive reading of the Bible and his reliance on the Holy Spirit. His conservative evangelical faith exerted great influence on the Chinese church, even to this day. This is remarkable because John Sung was not a trained theologian, his life was so brief, and he never founded any organization to carry on his ministry."

Indeed, his brief 12 years of public ministry, were divided into 5 periods - The Water Period: Re-Immersion (1927-1930), The Door Period: Openings (1931-1933), The Dove Period: Time to Soar (1934-1936), The Blood Period: War-Time Spiritual Warrior (1937-1939), and The Tomb Period: Pastoral Years (1940-1944) - have had a great impact that has endured through the years until today. For example, during the Dove Period around 1936, John Sung went to Borneo: "Sung's only visit to Sarawak brought great awakening to the cities of Sibu and Sarikei. He held 10-day meetings in each city. In Sibu alone, 1,583 confession letters were received, and 464 committed themselves to sharing the Good News weekly. He likewise saw a wonderful response in Sarikei, although he had to compete against a circus that was in town. According to a researcher who studied the church and mission in Sarawak, Sung's ministry brought on 'a time for renewal' which provided 'fresh impetus for witness and church planting.'" In this book, John Sung's life is portrayed in very colorful and realistic ways. Here we can see his humanness, his struggles with spiritual warfare (the world, the flesh, and the Devil), and his reliance on God's Word and the Holy Spirit. Here also, we can learn about the power of fellowship, friendship, partnership (Sung tends to be a soloist, but don't forget about the contribution of the Bethel Evangelistic Band to his ministry!), forgiveness, discipleship, prayer, revivals, and the blood of Jesus to change lives!

I fully recommend this book, especially for full-time workers, pastors, teachers, and evangelists in Malaysia. It's time for us to NOT ONLY look at famous Western Christian leaders like Martin Luther or John Calvin but also at Asian Christian leaders like John Sung, Andrew Gih, Watchman Nee, Wang Mingdao, Leland Wang, Chu Ki-chol, Sadhu Sundar Singh, Petrus Octavianus, Thomas Chung, etc. They are what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you" (1 Corinthians 1:26). What makes them great is not their wisdom, power, or wealth, but because God is great. Perhaps they would echo the Scripture, "If I want to boast, I will only boast about the LORD!" I think that is a fitting summary of John Sung's life. Amen.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #JohnSung #Biography #HeroesOfFaith #AsianChristianLeaders #ChinaRevivals #GodOfTheBible #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews/summaries, CLICK HERE

To read my other book reviews on/about John Sung, CLICK HERE

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Why You Should Finish A Book? #LeadersAreReaders June 2022

Last month [June 2022] I only managed to finish two books. Since the relaxation of quarantine, the works of ministry are getting momentum - and then some. Most of the time, I read for references, and not enough space for leisure reading. I hope for the months to come, I can catch up with other books that I've bought during The Hills Book Fair. Before I share why once you start a book you should finish it is a wise rule, I want to confess that I sometimes break this rule myself. Quitting a book is not a sin. This is a wise rule, not a divine law. Having said that, here are FOUR (4) REASONS why you should finish a book:

1) SURPRISES. When you stop short, you risk missing something incredible. I can’t count how many books have bored me in the beginning only to later amaze me with their insights and thrills. I experienced this when I read Dan Brown's Origin (2017) and James Garvey's The Persuaders (2016). Also, when I first read the Book of Leviticus I find it very boring and irrelevant. But after I endure to the end and studied a little more on the subject, I find that is a very enriching book of truth!

2) PLEASURE. Finishing a book is like completing a mission or a race. The sense of accomplishment and a small win will motivate you to want to read more. It's like you have done something great amid never-ending challenges in the world today. I remember when I finished reading a big volume of Martyn Lloyd-Jones's Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (1984), I felt like a champion and filled with awe by Lord Jesus's teachings and Lloyd Jones's expositions. The intellectual pleasure makes me happy and the spiritual pleasure makes me glad.

3) DISCIPLINE. Perhaps this is not a popular word nowadays. But to start a book means you want to acquire the discipline, to begin with, and it requires discipline to finish it. What I mean is this: You need the discipline to begin and you will gain discipline when you finish it. It's like reading the Bible. As Christ believers, you know you should read the Bible but most of the time you don't feel like you want to read it. So what's the solution? After asking God to give you spiritual hunger for the Word of God, the most basic way is to JUST read it. Once you discipline yourself to start to read it and do it daily, the habit will start to form and soon or later you just can't live without it for more than a week! You'll start to love it and finish it.

4) RESPECT. "Never judge a book by its cover", right? Hmmm... sometimes I do. I think we can bring that a step further in a much more practical way: Never judge a book by some bad chapters. Yuval Noah Harari, I think, has written two very important books, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011) and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (2015). I recommend both. I enjoy Harari's insights, intelligence, and train of thought. But I do not necessarily agree with some of his theories and conclusions. In fact, there are chapters and sentences that I just can't tolerate. Yet, out of respect, I need to judge his books as a whole. Never give up a book just because you disagree with some of their arguments. Trying to understand other people's opinions without compromising your values is the key. Even if you want to criticize the author, make sure you read the book to the end.

There are more that I wanted to say but the four reasons above should be enough, right? May you find a book or two or more that can make you say what Lailah Gifty Akita wrote: "I wish I could fall asleep. But with a good book in my hands, I stay awake to finish reading.” #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #FinishABook #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

#1Book1Week Monthly Reading Articles: https://legasitv.blogspot.com/search/label/%231Book1Week 

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I Remember John Sung (1976) by William E. Schubert, 2nd Book Review

I read this for the fourth time because it is so inspiring and challenging book. Dr. J. Edwin Orr writes, "John Sung was one of the most colorful characters of all time, an evangelist of striking spiritual power as well as a prophet whose eccentricities matched some of those known through the Old Testament." Perhaps the last statement is putting John Sung too highly than he really was but it's not without merit. If you read this together with the other biographies and some of his sermon samples in the appendix, you can see why John Sung should be on your list of heroes of the faith.

Too often, churches and seminaries in Asia make much of the Reformation figures - yes, they are important and should be known - like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, etc. but lack excitement when it comes to Asian heroes of the faith like John Sung, Watchman Nee, Sadhu Sundar Singh, etc. People like these men (and oh, wonderful Christian women too!) must be rediscovered and highlighted because young Christians nowadays need actual heroes beyond the MCU and DCEU fictional superheroes! What's amazing is that, if you read Christian biographies, you can see how flawed women and men like John Sung can be used by God for His glory and to extend His Kingdom on earth. Their shortcomings can make you relate to them and their passion and zeal for our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word can put us to shame, which if you let the Holy Spirit works in you, can become a source of challenge and inspiration.

In the closing remark, William E. Schubert says: "As we remember John Sung, we pray that God will produce another, perhaps even greater, evangelist in this century. God often calls His leaders from the ranks of Jesus' persecutors. When this man, or men, come on the scene, then China and the Far East will be aflame for God with the preaching of the irresistible Gospel." In the same way, may God raises such leaders in Sarawak, Malaysia, Asia... again! #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #JohnSung #HeroesOfFaith #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Read my previous book reviews about John Sung here:

1) I Remember John Sung, 1st Review
2) A Biography of John Sung (2004) by Leslie T. Lyall
3) I also like to recommend Asian Awakening: John Sung (1988) by Timothy Tow

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Beyond AD 2000: A Call to Evangelical Faithfulness (1999) by Hwa Yung, Book Review

Beyond AD 2000: A Call to Evangelical Faithfulness (1999) by Hwa Yung

This is an essay by Bishop Emeritus Dr. Hwa Yung, when he was a principle of Seminari Theologi Malaysia (STM), addressing his concern for the Malaysian Church, especially the evangelicals, to “be the ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world’, to bear witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit in word and deed, and to proclaim to all humanity that the gospel ‘is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes.’” This essay was first written in a shorter form around 1994 and expanded into a longer essay in 1999 outlines six (6) agendas for evangelicals in Malaysia as he looked ahead toward the year 2000 and beyond. Bishop’s knowledge of the history of the evangelical movement is admirable. It shows clearly in Chapter 2: Evangelical Strengths and Weaknesses before he dives into the main issues. I have to admits that the cover and the title of this essay are unattractive (dear publisher, sorry), so it takes years for me to grab it and read (now you know how important is a first impression, right?). But when I take a second look at the table of contents, I was struck by the urgency and relevancy of the agendas that Bishop was so concerned about 22 years ago. Here are the first three agendas and my comments on each:

Agenda One: The Primacy of Scripture. The first strength of the historic evangelicalism was the sola scriptura (Scripture alone) principle. “Yet,” Hwa Yung observes, “there are clear signs that evangelicals in Malaysia are losing their grip on the primacy of Scripture in their life and ministry.” I agree. I’m a bookworm. In Malaysia or Sarawak to be exact, there are very few bookstores. And sadder still is that there are very rare Christian bookstores. And if you find one or two, you’ll be amazed by the kind of books that are available. “The books that really sell are those centered on experience, rather than on the Word.” The author said that this is a reflection of the spiritual state of our own churches. I would like to add: the decline of reading habits among Malaysian Christians nowadays is a sure correlation with the decline of reading Scripture for themselves. If Scripture is not read, then, the primacy of Scripture is non-existence. Besides that, “many Christians appear to accept rather uncritically the misleading and wrong teachings that have been often meted out to them, supposedly from the Bible.” Careless interpretation of Scripture as one of the products of liberal Christianity also contributes to the problem. Hwa Yung's advice is first, we must strongly emphasize again the sola scriptura principle today; secondly, we must make every effort to master God’s Word and be mastered by it; and thirdly, teach it properly and faithful to God’s people.

Agenda Two: The Holy Spirit and Revival. “The second great strength of evangelicalism has been its recognition of the place the Holy Spirit plays in bringing new life to the individual and revival to the church.” It seems to me, as a Borneoan, the East Malaysian churches here are very into the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the yearning for revival in our land. The good side of these emphasizes is that our understanding of Christianity should not just be about knowledge but also experience. But there are dangers too such as extremism, triumphalism, and anti-intellectualism. Added with the lack of the primacy of Scripture, our churches are exposed to the heresies of the hyper-charismatic, the prosperity gospel, and false teachings in general. Thus, we need to “hold Spirit and God’s Word together in proper harmony.” I have a copy of Colin Whittaker’s Great Revivals (1984) where he reviews revivals from the days of the great awakening under Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley, right up to the thrilling move of the Holy Spirit in Communist China. One thing I noticed is that the inseparable partnership of Spirit and Word that gave birth to genuine revivals. What God has joined together, let no one separate! At the end of this chapter, Bishop encourages this reader to learn from Asian Christian leaders of the past such as Sadhu Sundar Singh, John Sung, and Petrus Octavianus. Why? Because they, in his opinion, “combined outstanding demonstrations of signs and wonders in their ministries with a strong biblical stress on the holiness of character and sacrificial living.” Not to mention, as exemplified by one of my heroes Dr. John Sung, they were also Bibline. 

Agenda Three: Evangelism And Cross-Cultural Missions. This agenda is kind of obvious. What is being an evangelical if not engage in evangelism? But don’t be surprised that many Malaysian churches today, especially the natives in my view, have neglected the mandate to proclaim the gospel (Greek, euangelion, means good news) to the world. Most of the Christian events that I’ve seen nowadays are very inward focus, rarely do I see about witnessing to the unbelievers or the challenge to the mission. We need to commit ourselves again to the Great Commission as commanded - NOT suggested - by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20. “The first is the work of evangelism within our own country,” equips Hwa Yung, “The second is the work of cross-cultural missions overseas.” One question that stuck with me that the Bishop asked is this: “Are we really serious?” You and I might see the importance of this agenda but are we really serious about doing it? Do my finance, choices, and ministry agree with it? This chapter is an easy read but hard to swallow. The author gave the example of the Nestorian Church of Persia, despite the pressures and persecution it faced, during the early part of the 8th century up to the 14th, the church was the most powerful missionary force in the whole Christian world. Reason being? “Strong evidence exists to suggest that it was the missionary spirit of the church which fed back into the life of the mother church in Persia, to constantly renew its vitality, and turned it outwards instead of inwards as it did elsewhere. In other words, because it was willing to give life to others, it was itself given new life.”

Agenda Four: Social Responsibility In God’s World; Agenda Five: Personal Holiness And Christian Character; and Agenda Six: The Heart of the Gospel - The Cross. Again, although this essay was written about 22 years ago, the agendas that Bishop Hwa Yung outlines here are still reverent and all the more urgent for today to call us to evangelical faithfulness. I’ve been blessed by the message and am grateful for the reminder. I wish he would revisit this essay and write a full book about it with new materials, updates, and exclusively aim for the Malaysian church. He did a condensed version of his earlier book, Mangoes Or Banana? The Quest for an Authentic Asian Christian Theology (1997), to Toward an Asian Theology (2020), so it is possible, right? Come on Bishop!

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #EvangelicalFaithfulness #BishopHwaYung #MalaysianChurch #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other #1Book1Week Book Reviews, CLICK HERE

To read my review of Hwa Yung’s Bribery and Corruption: Biblical Reflections and Case Studies for the Marketplace in Asia (2018), CLICK HERE

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Strength for the Storm (first published, 1988) translated by Arthur Reynolds, Book Review

Strength for the Storm (first published, 1988) translated by Arthur Reynolds

This is the subtitle of the book: "Spiritual lessons - from Wang Mingdao, John Sung and other Chinese preachers - which prepared the Church for suffering." Did you catch that? "Prepared the Church for suffering"!? Not to avoid suffering or to philosophized suffering or to think positive about suffering but to prepare, to expect, and to get ready for the imminent coming of suffering to the church. Jesus Christ reminds His followers, "In the world, you shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). Paul told Timothy the cost of following Christ, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). The glorified Christ said to the church of Smyrna, "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). It is no doubt, based on Biblical witnesses, that the true Church of God a.k.a. committed Christ-followers WILL suffer persecution in some form and to some degree or another. But I want to warn us about these two things. First, suffering for doing evil or wrong things doesn't count (read 1 Peter 2:20, 3:17). If you're an irresponsible citizen of Malaysia or teach false teachings, then, the suffering you are experiencing is deserving. And secondly, don't fall into a destructive psychological behavior martyr complex (victim complex) where you seek suffering to 'prove' your commitment. There is no room for victim mentality in the people with the mind of Christ.

"By their sturdy faith and indomitable courage the churches in China, like the church of the Thessalonians, have become a pattern for believers beyond their boundaries," writes Arthur Reynolds, who was an OMF missionary in China and Japan in the 30s to 60s. "From the time of the Boxer Rising in 1900, if not much earlier, the Christians in China have learned to live with persecution. No period of testing has proved fiercer, longer-lasting, or more widespread than that which began before mid-century, in which one upheaval followed another. More recently the situation for the Christian community has somewhat eased. But there is still a long way to go." In this dark period of China, the light of the Gospel shine slowly but surely. It all begins with the sovereignty of God and the promise of the Messiah when He said, "On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). It was He who send pioneer missionaries to China from all over the world and through their persevering and sacrificial work, God raised a unique group of Chinese Christian leaders, to whom He gave special gifts of preaching and teaching. Their ministries were to "build up the churches and prepare them to face the fiery trials ahead." The spiritual lessons covered in the book are actually translated sermons by men such as Wang Mingdao (an example of Peter's restoration), John Sung (one of my heroes of faith), Marcus Cheng, David Yang, Wilson Wang, C.K. Cheng, and Min Ruji. Of course, there were many other outstanding men and women of God in the history of Christianity in China. These are just the samples of the faithful men and their message.

What makes these men outstanding? Arthur Reynolds explains: "In my view, it is the combination of three notable features. 1) Their gifts and abilities; 2) Their character and conduct; and 3) Their readiness to endure hardship. In other words, they have exercised a powerful and influential ministry of preaching; they have lived lives of known integrity; and as the consequence of their loyalty, both to the Lord and the Faith, they have experienced hardship, loss, and persecution. They have been refined in the fire." These lessons were written with sweat and blood! I have been encouraged and challenged when I read this book. Their doctrine is Christ-centered, their content is Bible-saturated, and their style is Eastern-sound and heart-warming. My favorite chapters are Unfolding the Gospel (Chp. 1), Exalting the Lord Jesus Christ (Chp. 2), Challenging Young People (Chp. 7) & Encouraging the Downhearted and Troubled (Chp. 8). As I closed this book, I wonder, are we - Christian preachers and teachers in Malaysia, especially in Sarawak - preparing the church for suffering? Have we personally suffered for Christ? Or, are the false gospels of health and wealth, liberalism and pluralism, tolerance and cowardice blinded us from proclaiming the true Gospel of Christ that saved us? The storm is coming… are you ready? #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #1Book1Week #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #StrengthForTheStorm #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain 

Read other related book reviews too:

I Remember John Sung (1976) by William E. Schubert https://legasitv.blogspot.com/2017/10/book-review-i-remember-john-sung-1976.html

A Biography of John Sung (2004) by Leslie T. Lyall https://legasitv.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-biography-of-john-sung-2004.html 

Sit, Walk, Stand (1957) by Watchman Nee https://legasitv.blogspot.com/2018/08/book-review-sit-walk-stand-1957-by.html 

Watchman Nee, Man of Suffering (1998) by Bob Laurent https://legasitv.blogspot.com/2017/10/book-review-watchman-nee-man-of.html 

The Coming Chinese Church (2013) by Paul Golf https://legasitv.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-coming-chinese-church-2013-by-paul.html

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I Remember John Sung (13 Chapters) Series on YouTube and Podcast

This is my third book on the life of John Sung, Chinese greatest evangelist. The first one is Leslie T. Lyall’s A Biography of John Sung (2004), Timothy Tow’s The Asian Awakening (1988) and this one - William E. Schubert's I Remember John Sung (1976). I think I’ve read this one 5 times! This book is much shorter but compares to other biographies of Dr. Sung, this one is more personal because William Schubert “was Dr. Sung’s intimate friend… who knew him, prayed with him, worked with him and has shown sympathy for him in his difficulties.”

Schubert wrote this in his first paragraph: “Dr. John Sung was probably the greatest preacher of this century... in pulpit power, attested by amazing and enduring results.” Listen to this series, dare to be challenged by John Sung's life and follow the example of his faith (refers to Hebrews 13:7). May God raises more John Sungs today! Amen #ServeToLead #IRememberJohnSung

To listen to I Remember John Sung YouTube series, CLICK LINKS below:

1) Review, Foreward & Preface (https://youtu.be/m8Rv5p-PkIk)

2) Introduction by William E. Schubert (https://youtu.be/RuvxavzRs1c)

3) Face to Face with Christ (https://youtu.be/b-aBZwC5eXI)
4) Five Three-Year Periods (https://youtu.be/062KBwf62zE)

5) Revival In Answer to Prayer (https://youtu.be/8SBxzlj1ZR8)

6) The Nanchang Pentecost (https://youtu.be/xaT9zv7Xsa4)

7) All Our Preachers Born Again that Night (https://youtu.be/fRcxYWEn5EY)

8) Revival In Spite of Opposition (https://youtu.be/kPQ12sKQukM)

9) A Man of One Book (https://youtu.be/8-4M7ykIR00)

10) Close Dealing with Seekers (https://youtu.be/Ou15rZOQnIc)

11) Holy Spirit the Secret of Success (https://youtu.be/rDApRRm-nW4)

12) A Great Revival Promised (https://youtu.be/T3DvJE64Ac4)

13) Last Illness, Sorrow, Humility & Death (https://youtu.be/-pBZ70gDlIQ)

You can listen to this series through podcast too:
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Book Review: I Remember John Sung (1976) by William E. Schubert

I Remember John Sung (1976) by William E. Schubert

This is my second books on John Sung, Chinese greatest evangelist. First one is A Biography of John Sung (2004) by Leslie T. Lyall or previously known as John Sung: Flame for God in the Far East. This book is much shorter but compare to other biographies of Dr. Sung, this one is more personal because William Schubert “was Dr. Sung’s intimate friend… who knew him, prayed with him, worked with him and has shown sympathy for him in his difficulties.”

“John Sung,” writes Dr. J. Edwin Orr for a review, “was one of the most colourful characters of all time, an evangelist of striking spiritual power as well as a prophet whose eccentricities matched some of those known through the Old Testament.” Schubert wrote this in his first paragraph: “Dr. John Sung was probably the greatest preacher of this century. I have heard almost all the great preachers from 1910 until now, including R. A. Torrey, Billy Sunday, Henry Jowett, the great holiness preachers, the Methodist bishops, including Bishop Quayle, even Harry Emerson Fosdick, who set a great example of the homiletic art, though I did not agree with him, and finally Billy Graham. Yet John Sung surpassed them all in pulpit power, attested by amazing and enduring results.”

In 15 flaming years, since Dr. Sung came back from United States to his hometown China, he was on fire for the Lord blazing the Gospel throughout the nation, burning himself out for his God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Can you imagine, he preached on average 3 times a day, 2 hours each time (that 6 hours x 7 days = 42 hours per week!). He was like John the Baptist fearlessly rebuke people’s sins and thus drew countless thousands to repentance in tears. Churches were revived and Bibles sold out. Dr. Carleton Lacy of the Bible Society in China told Schubert that he “always knew where Dr. Sung was holding meetings by the increased orders for Bibles”. Schubert lists at least four secrets of Dr. Sung’s lasting success: #1 Immersed in the Word of God, #2 the Power of Daily Prayer, #3 Filled with the Holy Spirit, and #4 Trained new Converts to become Evangelists.

What amazing is that the Lord Jesus have revealed to Dr. Sung early in his ministry that his life would follow an outline of five periods (each three years) namely: “Water, Door, Dove, Blood, and Tomb.” First period, “Water” a preparatory time began in November 1927 when he was brought back to China. The second period was the “Door” period, from November 1930 to November 1933, where many doors were opened for him to begin a wider ministry in China. The third period was the “Dove” period, November 1933 to November 1936, where the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church in China. The fourth period was the “Blood” period, from November 1936 to November 1939, where wars happened and many Christians were persecuted. And lastly the fifth “Tomb” period, from November 1939 to November 1942, where many door closed and he was shut up too, hospitalized and officially no public ministry since. The Lord extended his time (like that of King Hezekiah in the Old Testament) to two/three years. Dr. Sung eventually died in 18th August 1944.

“So, as we remember John Sung,” wrote Schubert for his closing, “we pray that God will produce another, perhaps even greater, evangelist in this century. God often calls His leaders from the ranks of Jesus’ persecutors. When this man, or men, come on the scene, then China and the Far East will be aflame for God with the preaching of the irresistible Gospel.” To China and all the world, I pray, Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Book Review: A Biography of John Sung (2004) by Leslie T. Lyall

A Biography of John Sung (2004) by Leslie T. Lyall

John (‘Ju-un’ in Chinese meaning ‘God’s grace’) Sung was born in the Hinghwa district in Southeast China in 1901. During the great Hinghwa revival in 1909 – often called the ‘Hinghwa Pentecost’ – young John Sung was converted. Though only nine years old, he “was so convicted by sin that his tears of remorse soaked right through his outer coat as his head was bowed is a spirit of contrition.”

To cut the story short, John wanted to study oversea so he travelled to America. In 1923, he graduates from Ohio Wesleyan University. But he is not finished with Ph.D in chemistry, he wanted to further his study in theology, so he enrolled to Union Theological Seminary. There he became acquainted with liberal theology. The seminary was so bad that they taught that the Bible cannot be trusted, that the Creation account was a myth and that the miracles of Jesus was fanciful tales told by disillusioned disciples. As a man of science, he soon found himself doubting the very Word of God that had once empowered him. I understand that feeling… I do.  

Leslie Lyall wrote, “Not many days after this tremendous crisis, John had a strange dream. Looking into an open coffin, he saw that the corpse was himself, dressed in academic cap and gown and holding diplomas! He heard a voice say, ‘John Sung is dead – dead to the world!’ Then the corpse began to stir and awaken and angels above began to weep, until he called out, ‘Don’t weep, angels! I will remain dead to the world and to self!’” The brilliant scientist had died, the new John Sung was alive to preach the gospel! It was like a second conversion for him.

This is amazing, John Sung set all of his liberal theological textbooks on fire and began reading only the Bible. Because of his ‘strange’ behaviour, he was admitted to psychopathic ward. For more than 6 months he was confined unwillingly, but fruitfully, it has become for him his own personal theological seminary. He read through the Bible 40 times! During this time too, God “called him to the task of preaching the Gospel in China.” When he went back to China, he said to the missionaries, “China does not need the teaching of [Harry Emerson] Fosdick or [Mahatma] Gandhi. The teaching of Confucius is far better than theirs. What the Chinese need is Jesus Christ and His Cross.”

For the next few years John worked closely with the Bethel Mission but he could not be confined to one organization. I think partly because he was so fire up that people couldn’t catch up with him. And partly because he was not easy to work with. “He had a strong will and a hot temper. He was independent to the point of being sometimes stubborn. A rebel as a boy, he remained an individualist all his life. He could be abrupt and even rude,” explained late John Stott. Regardless of these weaknesses, God is pleased to prosper his ministry! He led thousands of people to Christ through preaching, teaching, training and healing ministry. My colleagues and friends also have told me personally that I’m a bit proud and stubborn (no wonder I also admire Steve Jobs), but Lord, continue to use me for your ministry! Amen.

In 1942, after 15 years of exhausting ministry, Sung retired due to ill health. He died in 1944, at the age of 42. “Never in the history of Chinese Church had someone touched so many lives in such a brief period,” said Bobby E.K. Sng. “His sacrificial and total disregard of himself is perhaps most clearly illustrated by his death,” writes Hwa Yung, “his active ministry ended only when his health finally broke... Although his ministry ended too late to save his life, his sense of God’s timing was perfect.” Three most important things in my life and ministry that I learned from the life of John Sung: #1 The Love for God’s Word, #2 The Power of the Holy Spirit and #3 The Work of Prayer.

“For a servant of God to have authority in every sentence he utters, he must first suffer for the message he is to deliver. Without great tribulation, there is no great illumination.”

“Man’s works do not even come close to the works of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit does not work, all the efforts of man will come to naught.”

“China needs Christ!”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.