China's Opening Door by Dennis Balcombe

God has done and is doing amazing works in China, Balcombe writes. “Amid persecution and trials, tens of millions of believers have been brought into the kingdom as Chinese Christians, and proclaimed the gospel message with miraculous works of the Holy Spirit following.” (ix) After years of repressive communist policies, they are seeing the inching open of doors once closed as the government becomes more lenient of Christianity.

Balcombe speaks from personal experience. He moved to Hong Kong in 1969 to proclaim the gospel to the Chinese people. He began traveling to mainland China on a tourist visa in 1978. His ministry began smuggling in Bibles and Christian resources. He tells stories of seeing miracles, of having men and women being called to ministry, of spiritual warfare, of himself being arrested and deported.

Today there are between 70 and 105 million Christians in China, close to nine percent of the population. This has happened because of the preaching of the full gospel. “During the 1980s and early 1990s, wherever I went in China I saw or heard testimonies of healings and other miracles. Thus I came to the conclusion that this was the primary reason tens of millions were being added to the church in China.” (121) He is critical of anti-charismatic teachers and authors, having seen the negative effects of such teaching in China.

When Balcombe was able to return to mainland China in 2003, he found changes. Many of the Three-Self Churches (government approved) were seeing revival and the gospel was being preached. The pastors are now young and are burdened with the revival of Christianity.

What an encouraging book. The stories he tells are amazing. There have been people raised from the dead, healings, revivals, conversions, and other demonstrations of God's power. Many stories come from his own personal experience. Others have been related to him.

There is still much work that needs to be done. Balcombe appeals to readers as he needs teams to visit Hong Kong to help distribute desperately needed Bibles and Christian books in China. Because of China's religious policy, there is a restriction on the freedom to print and distribute Bibles. The Bibles available in China now are far from meeting the needs of the growing number of Christians. Tens of thousands of missionaries are still needed to bring in the harvest during this time of doors opening in China.

Watch the book trailer, an encouraging report on China, here.

Dennis Balcombe moved to Hong Kong in April 1969 and within eight months launched Revival Christian Church. Despite much opposition to Christianity the church thrived, and today it have more than seven hundred members. As the founder of Revival Chinese Ministries International he is a sought-after speaker. He and his wife live in Hong Kong. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Charisma House, 244 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.