The Path Led by the Cross
口述/陳張敏娜, 採訪/簡海蘭
The Life Testimony of Zhang Minna
I grew up in a Christian family and was born again and saved at the age of 14. I am the third generation Christian in my family. My grandmother was devoutly devoted to the Lord, and my mother also loved the Lord very much. My father had long since gone abroad, first to Hong Kong and later to the United States. Our family has always served the Lord, often receiving persecuted pastors during the Cultural Revolution in China.
I have been a believer for 44 years. When I was first saved, I felt that the Lord was a God who was high and exalted, and I was a lowly person; He was He, and I was I, and there was not much intersection between Him and my life.
Though I did not read the Bible, I experienced God everywhere.
Starting from fifth grade, I was taught evolution, which made me doubt whether God really existed in the universe. If there was no God, then praying with my grandmother would just be superstition, right? However, at that time in China, there was no Bible available to read, so I couldn’t find answers from God’s Word. But God arranged circumstances so that I could personally experience His real presence!
I still remember at that time, there was a labor class at school requiring each student to contribute three dan (a traditional weight unit) of sand. So, a few classmates and I went to a cave entrance to dig sand. Unexpectedly, an irresistible force kept pushing me deeper and deeper into the cave. The water inside rose above my knees. I desperately wanted to retreat back to the cave entrance but had no strength. I was extremely scared and for the first time prayed from the depths of my heart to God: “Lord whom my grandmother believes in, if You really exist, please quickly save me out of this cave! Grandma said You have already defeated the devil who holds the power of death on the cross; You are the victorious King. Please save me!” At that moment, another force immediately pulled me out of the cave. Later, I learned that this was a place where many scholars, unable to endure the public struggles during the Cultural Revolution, committed suicide.
After returning home, I was disturbed by the spiritual realm. My limbs felt weak, my face pale, and even though I ate seven or eight meals a day, I was still completely exhausted and unwilling to do anything. Three times during afternoon naps, my throat felt as if it was being strangled; I heard my grandmother calling me to wake up, but I couldn’t open my eyes or speak. My grandmother invited brothers and sisters from the church to pray for me, and I was immediately set free—I even cried out loud. Since then, I no longer doubted the reality of God’s existence!
Angelic songs accompanied me, so I was not afraid of harm.
In the 1970s, when I was in high school, faith in mainland China was still persecuted. However, from a young age, I was trained to share the gospel one-on-one. At that time, there were no churches or large gatherings in China. We could only share the gospel at home with family, at school with classmates, and at work with colleagues, using our life testimony and the miracles we had experienced to lead gospel friends to Christ.
In 1976, after the Gang of Four was overthrown, the older brothers and sisters believed that the Public Security Bureau would be busy dealing with political issues and would have little time for religious gatherings. So we held a special meeting in a small mountain village with only five or six households. On the second night, we were surrounded by militia, and we heard someone shout, "Fire! Fire!" I immediately grabbed an older sister to escape, but she pulled me into a room and urged me to kneel and pray with her for the attendees who had come from other places and for the older brothers and sisters. She said that if they were caught, they would be sent to prison—those who had previously been imprisoned for five years would now face ten years, and those who had been imprisoned for ten years would now face twenty years!
ChatGPT said: After praying for over 20 minutes, we were also arrested. The amazing thing was that out of the more than 300 attendees that night, over 200 managed to escape. Most of the older and out-of-town saints safely withdrew, while those who were caught were all held in a rice mill. That night, I heard a beautiful song being sung: "What Glory! What Blessing!" I wondered, who was bold enough to sing hymns at that time?! It was only after we were released from the detention center that we learned it was angels singing that wonderful hymn!
The next morning, we were sent to detention centers in various counties. Because there were not enough handcuffs, two people shared one. However, along the way, there was no fear or worry; heavenly joy accompanied me as I bravely moved forward. This experience deeply made me realize that the courage of martyrs is a gift given by the Holy Spirit.
The Problem Student in the Eyes of the Teacher
After the Cultural Revolution, I worked part-time while studying at school, and the national college entrance exam (Gaokao) only began to be implemented in 1977. In my second year of high school, there were nine classes. Among them, one science class and one arts class were selected as key training classes. I was assigned to a science class, which had over fifty students, including eighteen girls. I shared the gospel with these girls. However, I did not have a deep knowledge of the Word of God; I only shared my personal salvation experience with them or sang a hymn. The Holy Spirit worked in their hearts, and sixteen of the girls accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) For the gospel is the power of God to save everyone who believes.
This attracted the school’s attention and control over me. They forbade me from attending the science class and often called me to the office during math, physics, and chemistry lessons to attend political classes. The teachers said I had political problems in my thinking—how could I believe in a foreign religion? We are materialists; how could we become idealists? The teachers continuously tried to sway my thoughts, but I absolutely refused to change my faith because I knew the God I believed in was the true God, the ruler of the universe, and the unique Savior of humanity! As a result, the school transferred me to Class Three, mixing students together until graduation. But I firmly believed that the path of my life was in God’s hands, and He would take full responsibility for me!
The Transformation Brought by the Cross
In November 1980, the year after I graduated from high school, I self-funded my studies and came to the United States. In 1993, I struggled for two years on the path of understanding the church. I often felt that the saints in North America were not as united or as willing to suffer as the saints I had encountered in mainland China. I felt sad and frequently asked the Lord: “Are You not one Lord, one faith, one Spirit, one God? Why is my spirit moved but not the spirits of other brothers and sisters? Where is the path of the church? What is Your will? What exactly is the prompting of the Holy Spirit? What is the feeling of conscience?” After many inquiries, I found no clear answers until I accidentally read a few sentences in Brother Watchman Nee’s book The Spiritual Man: “Christians cannot do anything that brings unrest to their conscience, because the requirement of the Holy Spirit always surpasses that of the conscience. Moreover, the Holy Spirit’s demands are according to the different levels of each person’s spiritual life, so what other brothers and sisters can do may not necessarily be what you can do.” May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts!
In early July 1995, at a spiritual renewal conference in New York, I was called by the Lord. At that time, the preacher on stage made an altar call: "Whoever is willing to be a missionary for the Lord, please come forward." It was the first time I heard the word “missionary,” and I didn’t understand what it meant at all. But the Holy Spirit kept stirring in my heart, and I could hardly sit still. Then the preacher called again, "If anyone has never heard the word ‘missionary’ before, or doesn’t understand what it means, but is now moved by the Holy Spirit, please come forward." I thought, isn’t this calling me? So I got up and walked to the front. By then, the front of the stage was already full of people. The preacher asked the congregation to sing the hymn, “The Cross, the Cross, Forever My Glory,” for those who were dedicating themselves. As they sang, tears streamed down my face, and a wave of warmth flowed through my whole body. I almost couldn’t stand. Although my eyes were closed, I saw a cross on the stage. On the cross was a crown, gently drifting from left to right. At the same time, I felt a complete transformation of my being... From that day on, my eating habits, temper, character, and outlook on life underwent a 180-degree change. As Paul said, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8) From that day forward, I understood that the cross is the path to glory.
Experiencing Paul’s Missionary Journey
In August of the same year, I joined a journey called "Paul’s Footsteps," led by Brother Chen Xizeng, following Paul’s three missionary journeys. I deeply experienced the hardships of Paul’s mission: traveling thousands of miles on foot, climbing mountains, crossing rivers, preaching the gospel, and establishing churches. These were even more difficult than the persecutions I faced preaching in mainland China. This journey strengthened my faith once again and reminded me of Paul’s words: “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)
When I stood in the now-ruined church of "Philippi," a small voice inside me said, "Back to the beginning!" At the time, I did not understand what it meant. After returning from the trip and listening to Brother Chen Xizeng explain "The Way of the Church," I realized that the path of the church at Philippi was the path pleasing to God. God wanted me to return to the way of brotherly love and learn to build the body of Christ in love.
Lessons Revealed by the Holy Spirit
There was a time when I went on a visit with two sisters. As we shared the gospel with someone, he kept arguing with us using the theories of Yiguandao (a syncretic Chinese religious movement) and even uttered blasphemous words against God. I did my best to admonish him with God’s Word, hoping he would turn from idols to the true God. However, one of the sisters I was with led me away. When we got downstairs, she said, “When someone’s heart is not yet ready to receive the gospel, there’s no need to argue. Go back and pray for him, and when the Lord’s time comes, share the gospel again. Otherwise, the name of the Lord may be dishonored.” That day, I learned a deep and valuable lesson.
There was another time when, in order to more effectively share the gospel with my father-in-law who believed in Buddhism, I bought several books on Buddhist beliefs. As I was about to read the books that had just arrived in the mail, a voice rose in my heart: “Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god… I will not take up their names on my lips.” (Psalm 16:4) Suddenly I realized—yes, my lips are meant to recount the Lord’s grace and proclaim His gospel. I only need to focus on knowing the salvation of Jesus Christ—why should I seek to understand other religions? Just as Paul said, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)
Experiencing Deeper Richness Through Publishing Books
After being called in 1995, Brother Stephen Chan (陳希曾) led me in full-time service in the church. We served together in various areas—Bible study groups, gospel classes, discipleship classes, sisters’ meetings, Sunday school, visitations, writing, and study tours. He had unique and balanced insights in interpreting Scripture, always using Scripture to interpret Scripture. His teachings brought me great help and inspiration. He was not only my first teacher in studying the Bible but also the spiritual elder who led me into truth and life. However, in 2017, he was diagnosed with colon cancer and, within just twenty-one days, went to be with the Lord, leaving behind many unfinished writing projects. By the grace of the Lord, I have taken up this burden, hoping to lead the saints into the richness of the Lord’s Word through the publication of these books.
The first book I published was On the Mountain of Spices—Song of Songs, because Song of Songs is the book I love the most and have studied the most deeply. It is also the book through which I had a very special experience with the Lord. One afternoon in September 1995, as I opened the Bible and read Song of Songs for the first time, I was immediately drawn into a face-to-face communion with the Lord. I was deeply captivated by a love that was both pure and transcendent. At the time, I couldn’t tell whether it was God’s love or the love of the Lord Jesus Christ—because it was a love unlike anything found in human romantic relationships on earth. Later, through further reading of the Scriptures, I came to understand that it was indeed the love of God, the love of the Lord Jesus. Who was I, that the Lord would have such mercy on me? “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Psalm 113:7). From that moment on, I resolved that—even if I had to crawl on my knees—I would come before the Lord to love Him and serve Him!
As I read from chapter one to chapter five, I was completely immersed in a sweet dialogue with the Lord. But when I reached chapter 5, verse 9, I froze—I didn’t know how to respond. I suddenly realized that I was someone who didn’t truly know the Lord. In the past, I had only known His works, but not His attributes. I couldn’t respond like the Shulammite woman who said, “My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand… His mouth is most sweet; yes, he is altogether lovely.” (Song of Songs 5:10–16) In that moment, my heart stirred with a deep longing—a longing to know the attributes of the Lord through His Word, to know this One who loves me and has mercy on me. So I made a firm resolution to read through the entire Bible at least once a year. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” The love in Song of Songs is a foreshadowing of Christ and the church. It speaks of both a corporate relationship with the Lord and a deeply personal one. Each of us can be the Lord’s Shulammite. Throughout the generations, the Lord has called many Shulammite women to love Him and follow Him. That’s why Song of Songs is our book—it’s a book that every believer who loves the Lord must experience in their spiritual journey.
Fragrant Hills—Song of Songs has already been published by “New York Song of Songs Press.” Brother Chen Xichen, the author, introduces the Book of Song of Songs through the lenses of history, geography, and prophecy. He explores the book’s four gardens and five poems, and—with a strict adherence to sound principles of biblical interpretation—presents its message in a way that is both profound and accessible. His teaching naturally draws readers to pray, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (Song 1:2). The next two volumes planned in Brother Chen Xichen’s exegetical series are Genesis in the Book of Beginnings and Meditations on Colossians.
Now God has entered into my life and daily living, becoming my everything. "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him." "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (1 Peter 1:8; Galatians 2:20)
On the path of spiritual growth, I pray that I may love the Lord more and more, and come to understand His heart more deeply—not serving Him according to my own will, but according to His purpose. May I lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me, and become a vessel of honor in His hand. Through serving in the church, may I learn to walk with the Lord, to labor together with Him, and to glorify and testify to His name!
There is one verse in the Bible that has deeply impacted me: "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised." (Song of Songs 8:6–7, ESV)
What a wonderful Savior! How vast are the blessings He has given me! How great the works He has accomplished in my life—Hallelujah!
Interviewee Bio： Minna Chan，Born into a devout Christian family, immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s, and was called to full-time ministry in 1995. She serves in small group Bible studies, visitation, Sunday school, and has a passion for editorial work. In 2019, she founded "Song of Songs Press," publishing Brother Chen Xizeng’s expository series. She has published On the Mount of Spices — Song of Songs and A Glimpse of Genesis, with A Glimpse of Colossians forthcoming. In daily life, she enjoys reading the Bible, praying, participating in church activities, and visiting Biblical geography sites, church historical landmarks, and museums.
Reporter Bio：Hailan Chan, loves working with words, with articles published in various newspapers and magazines; currently a regular contributor to this magazine. Each month also shares believers’ life stories in Taiwan’s China Christian Monthly, testifying to the love of Jesus Christ to inspire others. After the loss of her beloved husband, she became a single parent and has served in single-parent ministries for over ten years. She desires to use the comfort received from God to comfort those undergoing similar trials.