The Heavenly Man: The remarkable true story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun

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Lots of controversy surrounds this book regarding whether many of the miracles Brother Yun talks about experiencing in this book really happened or not, since they resemble miracles found in the Bible. I went into reading this book with an open mind because I love a good biography showing God accomplishing His purpose by working through man.

Brother Yun’s childlike faith and his prompt obedience to God’s call are exemplary. It is incredible that he has remained faithful to God despite the tremendous suffering and persecutions he has gone through. Bibliography Perhaps David I. Hong, one of the reviewers of The Heavenly Man book, sums it up best when he says, "I am appalled at anyone who attempts to slander this brother and his testimony. Their accusations are pharisaical at best... or are part of another ministry that does not agree with Brother Yun's supernatural accounts. May the LORD deal with all of you ever so severely, all who testify falsely against this brother. He is a man who has tasted heaven and the very One Who created it. He is indeed a heavenly man in love with Jesus and I highly recommend this book. Please do not believe the false accusations surrounding this man. Please pray in the Spirit and test these things for yourself. He is genuine. Praise the Lord!"The problem I kept running into even when I accepted the words at face value: considering everything God does, this book sure focuses a lot on Brother Yun. Andrew of Columbus, Ohio: "From the very first chapter, I was blown away! Next to the Bible, it has been the most convicting and moving book I've ever read. I realize more how good it is to know Jesus and how sovereign He is over the world and in our lives. The book's convicted me to desire to live a more sacrificial life for God, given me more of a heart for the nations and scripture, and renewed in me my sense of need for God's Spirit and presence. I highly recommend this book." Zwartz, Barney (10 April 2004). "Going global with God". The Age. Melbourne . Retrieved 3 March 2009. Note: Many mentions of other religions and demons; “Food was the god of the criminals in that prison.”. Let's repent of all these foolish things that Satan has used to take our eyes off the work of God's kingdom, and rededicate ourselves to serve the Lord afresh once again. This is what I plan to do, and I know this is the desire of Brother Yun's heart. Out of all the huge groundswell of rumours, slander and controversy that has arisen around this simple-hearted man who loves God, one thing that most people agree on is that Brother Yun experienced a tremendous amount of persecution for his faith when he lived in China. Now that he is outside China, what an absolute tragedy it would be if certain sections of the Body of Christ took over the role that the prison guards and police used to do in China, and we become responsible for persecuting this brother with our words and our misinformed character assassinations. This appears to be exactly what is happening today to Brother Yun. Let us try to put ourselves in his position for a moment. It must be a terrible thing to have to go through.

As is the one made of dust, such are those who are also made of dust; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. follow this sequence in Scripture: The First Adam received life, the Last Adam is a life-giving Spirit. 46Physical life comes first, then spiritual - 47a firm base shaped from the earth, a final completion coming out of heaven. 48The First Man was made out of earth, and people since then are earthy; the Second Man was made out of heaven, and people now can be heavenly. 49In the same way that we've worked from our earthy origins, let's embrace our heavenly ends. New King James Version Brother Yun no longer lives in China, but he continues to face opposition", Charisma Magazine (cover story), April 2007 . Throughout all of these struggles I have watched Brother Yun closely, and have been amazed at his godly responses to all of the criticism leveled against him. Not only has he refused to get into any public debate with anyone, he has completely forgiven all of his persecutors and holds no grudges at all. a b c d e f g h Brother Yun; Paul Hattaway (2002). The Heavenly Man. Lion Hudson. ISBN 978-1854245977.Review and literary breakdown, All Readers, archived from the original on 5 September 2004 , retrieved 14 June 2004 . As the one was made of dust, so also are those of the earth; and as is the heavenly one, so also are those of heaven. Reading this book again in summer of 2015, and interacting on Goodreads. I thought this comment I posted on a detractor's review would add substance to my review: The people on earth are like the man who was made from the dust of the earth. The people in heaven are like the man who came from heaven. Brother Yun was never a major house church leader in China." This is entirely true! Yun was not one of the major national house church network leaders (known as the 'Lao Da' in China), and has never claimed to be. Nor does his book suggest that he was. Yun was an evangelist who was renowned for his God-given ability to lead many people to Christ, as his book clearly portrays. He also was involved with leading some local training centers and meetings, but was never considered one of the big leaders in China. He has been a servant to God's people, as evidenced by his efforts to bring unity between the different church leaders, and has never put himself forward as anything else.

The ironic thing is that Yun's message is really nothing new or revolutionary at all. In fact, it is as old as the Bible. His message is centered on the cross of Jesus Christ, and the victory of faith that comes to those who trust in the Lord, even in the face of great trials and persecution.Brother Yun was born into a poor family. His family’s financial situation took a turn for the worst when his father became ill with an asthmatic condition that led to lung cancer eventually. His life got worse when he became a Christian as he suffered severe trials and persecutions. In the midst of suffering for the Lord, however, he experienced miracle after miracle, which helped to strengthen his faith. How Brother Yun became a believer As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. Brother Yun is one of China’s house church leaders. Instead of focusing on the many miracles or experiences of suffering, however, Yun prefers to focus on the character and beauty of Jesus. Interspersed with his personal account are contributions from his wife, Deling, made mostly during her husband's frequent periods of imprisonment. You will remember where you were the first time you read this life story. It's a watershed book that will turn the reader to prayer and praise.” The various philosophical (Gnostic) views concerning the original man are, in spite of their differences, intimately related, being a compound of Oriental mythology, Greek philosophy, and rabbinical theology. The first to use the expression "original man," or "heavenly man," is Philo, in whose view the γενικός, or ουράντος ἄνθρωπος, "as being born in the image of God, has no participation in any corruptible or earthlike essence; whereas the earthly man is made of loose material, called a lump of clay" ("De Allegoriis Legum," I. xii.). The heavenly man, as the perfect image of the Logos, is neither man nor woman, but an incorporeal intelligence purely an idea; while the earthly man, who was created by God later, is perceptible to the senses and partakes of earthly qualities ("De Mundi Opificio," i. 46). Philo is evidently combining Midrash and philosophy, Plato and the rabbis. Setting out from the duplicate Biblical account of Adam, who was formed in the image of God (Gen. i. 27), and of the first man, whose body God formed from the earth (Gen. ii. 7), he combines with it the Platonic doctrine of ideas; taking the primordial Adam as the idea, and the created man of flesh and blood as the "image." That Philo's philosophic views are grounded on the Midrash, and not vice versa, is evident from his seemingly senseless statement that the "heavenly man," the οὐράνιος ἄνθρωπος (who is merely an idea), is "neither man nor woman." This doctrine, however, becomes quite intelligible in view of the following ancient Midrash. The remarkable contradiction between the two above-quoted passages of Genesis could not escape the attention of the Pharisees, to whom the Bible was a subject of close study. In explaining the various views concerning Eve's creation, they taught ('Er. 18 a, Gen. R. viii.) that Adam was created as a man-woman ( androgynos), explaining (Gen. i. 27) as "male and female" instead of "man and woman," and that the separation of the sexes arose from the subsequent operation upon Adam's body, as related in the Scripture. This explains Philo's statement that the original man was neither man nor woman. Midrash.

For more than thirty years, Liu Zhenying, also known as Brother Yun, has been committed to bringing the gospel of Christ to all of China. Hunted, imprisoned, beaten, tortured, and separated from his wife and children, Brother Yun shares his story of incredible pain and suffering--and of powerful miracles and great joy. Featuring eyewitness accounts of prison escapes and healings, his words focus on the character and beauty of Jesus and challenge any reports that religious persecution is not still a daily reality for millions. Includes photos and reflections from his wife, Deling. Throughout all the horrendous and painful experiences that Brother Yun went through, the word of the Lord kept coming to him, encouraging him and strengthening his faith. As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. As is the earthly man [the man of dust], so are those who are of earth; and as is the heavenly [Man], so are those who are of heaven. Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven.I should also mention that Brother Yun sometimes makes sweeping claims about what "Christians in China" experience today. It's important to note that he hasn't lived in China for more than 20-25 years now (this book is also something like 15 years old). The Chinese church has changed a lot since the time he was serving the church, just after the Cultural Revolution. If you take this book as a representative sample of what Chinese churches are like today, you will be greatly misled. In the presence of the Lord I would like to say I hold absolutely nothing against the men of God who wrote the booklet about me, and I have completely forgiven them. In fact, the booklet did not reduce the deep respect I have in my heart towards these men. I know that one day we will embrace before our Father in Heaven and any misunderstanding will be forgotten as we worship the Lamb of God together. Set in China and Burma, this book tells of the suffering and triumph of a devoted pastor imprisoned to extremis. Brother Yun was converted at the age of 16 following the miraculous healing of his father, and the witness of his mother's faith. He had never seen a Bible; they were almost non-existent, and carrying one could result in severe punishment. Desperate for the Word of God, Yun prayed and fasted for many months until he was eventually given one. How he loved, treasured and memorised it!