"Escape from the Devil's Den" A short Film on the Experience of Persecution

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O God, where do I turn?
Show me the way.
God, please guide me.
I was expecting Sister Liu at 9 to discuss matters of church.
It's almost 10. Where is she?
She's usually on time.
And she always keeps her word.
I hope she's okay.
It's like the CCP has gone mad arresting us believers.
I hope nothing's happened to her.
Well, it's hard to say.
The CCP has installed surveillance cameras everywhere.
They're on every community gate, intersection, and telephone pole.
We're putting our lives on the line by believing in God.
They could arrest us at any time.
I know.
We must continue to fulfill our duties. We must have faith.
We must continue to pray and not allow our hearts to stray from God.
Sister Liu must be here!
I'll check.
Coming!
Don't move!
Don't try anything funny! Get down!
What's the matter? (Get down!)
What law have we broken?
What are you doing?
Stand still!
Stay where you are!
Didn't expect to see us, eh?
I've been watching you for a while.
I know that you believe in Almighty God!
You have no grounds to arrest us.
No grounds?
Believing in Almighty God is illegal! Cuff them!
This is my house! You have no right to be here.
Huh?
Your house? Ha!
You're in the CCP's country. This is our territory! Got it?
You can't stop us. We'll look where we want.
You don't have a voice here. You're useless.
Keep searching. Be thorough!
Search! Look through everything!
Look carefully!
Not bad!
Any news?
Did you find anything?
Not yet.
Look again. (Yes, sir!)
Boss, we found 6,000 yuan.
Ah … good.
You can't take that! It's my money.
This money isn't yours. It was embezzled. It's ours now.
Don't you get it?
Huh? Keep searching!
This grotesque scene
reminded me of a passage from Fellowship and Preaching About Life Entry.
This is proof that there are no human rights,
no rule of law, under the control of the CCP.
They claim they are the law.
They defy every law of divine morality, taking what they want,
doing as they please, occupying the property of Chinese citizens at will.
They're demons, beasts!
What can you say now? We've found everything.
Behave yourself!
Stand still!
Hurry up!
God, I know that what happened today holds Your will.
But I am small in stature and I am afraid.
Protect my heart. Do not let me stray from You.
Strengthen my faith and give me courage
so that no matter how they make me suffer, I will never give in to Satan.
Give me the strength to stand firm and bear witness to humiliate Satan.
Tell us the facts of your faith in Almighty God!
Where do you meet? Who is your leader?
How many of you are there?
Speak!
Are you deaf?
Tell me!
Speak!
Come on!
Nothing to say?
Don't think if you don't talk then we won't know the truth.
We've known about your activities for a long time now.
We're giving you an opportunity. You should be grateful.
Out with it!
Talk!
The constitution gives me the right to freedom of religion and of speech.
So I have the right to refuse to answer your questions.
My, my, you think you know the law?
Listen here, I am the law!
Not willing to talk, eh?
Wrong choice! How dare you?
Huh? Talk!
Out with it!
One chance for the truth. There're consequences for silence.
Where did these phones come from? Talk!
Speak up!
You've got three phones, most unusual. You must be a leader of the church.
I know you know something. Tell me!
Fess up!
Talk!
Dammit! They hung up!
God, thank You for this wondrous deed.
You are protecting me, protecting us.
God, no matter what happens, (Speak up!)
I will never betray You like Judas did.
I must stand firm, bear witness and humiliate Satan!
Who was that? What did they want?
Who is your church leader?
Where are your meetings?
Where do you keep the offerings?
Speak up!
We believe in God and live according to His requirements.
We're not doing anything wrong, and we've broken no laws.
There's nothing more to say.
Nothing to say?
You haven't broken any laws? My ass you haven't broken any laws!
Believing in God is against the law! You want to take on the CCP?
The government will crush you!
The Chinese constitution gives citizens the right to freedom of religion.
As law enforcement agents,
why do you interfere with our right to religious freedom?
Why do you insist on arresting believers?
You know the law but break it anyway.
Freedom of religion? Don't be a fool!
If everyone believes in God, no one will remain loyal to the CCP.
Then how will CCP maintain in power?
You utter the word "freedom" before the CCP! You have a death wish!
Let me tell you something.
"Freedom of religion" is a phrase to fool foreigners!
CCP is the law in China!
If the CCP says there is no God, then there is no God.
The CCP is the only thing to believe in!
You can have my freedom
but you cannot have my faith!
I only listen to God's word.
No one can force me to give up my belief.
Don't you get it?
You believers only listen to God's word and fail to obey the party,
so the CCP must punish you.
Don't be stupid. This is our time!
All of China belongs to the CCP!
The CCP forbids belief in God. Give it up!
If you believe in God,
it's your life on the line!
I'm free to believe in God!
Almighty God is the one true God!
I will never stop believing.
Looks like we've got a real stubborn one here!
Come! Tell her, what does the Central Committee say about this?
Listen closely. The Central Committee has given orders.
We have free rein to do as we please, even if it means beating you to death.
You'd better wise up and start cooperating.
If you don't, there will be consequences!
I knew that by following God
this day would come sooner or later.
Do as you wish.
If you think I'll rebel against God,
betray the church and my brothers and sisters,
think again.
Now that you've arrested me,
my life is already forfeit.
Dammit!
For you, dying will not be so easy!
Down! Squat down!
Let's see how long you'll last!
This interrogation with these thugs
has made the perverse and ungodly essence of the CCP all too clear.
They only allow people to worship them and treat them as God,
and they don't allow people to believe in the true God and follow His way.
The CCP government is pure evil and extremely reactionary.
It makes me think of a passage of Almighty God's word.
Yes! The CCP wildly opposes God, and vies with God for God's chosen people.
They clearly reveal themselves as demons.
Only devils fear that people worship and follow God,
and only Satan itself hates the truth this much, despising God's work,
and pursuing Christ wherever He goes,
wildly suppressing and persecuting His followers,
destroying His work and trying to abolish it on earth
in order to achieve total domination of humanity.
I realized then that the CCP is truly the embodiment of Satan
and a hostile force to God.
I knew there could be no reasoning with devils,
so no matter how ferociously they interrogated me,
I refused to say another word.
I kept calling out to God in my heart.
They kept up their tactics until midnight.
Seeing that they weren't getting anywhere,
they left one policeman to watch me while the rest went home to sleep.
I was cuffed to that iron chair all night long
and while I was completely exhausted, I couldn't sleep.
I kept worrying:
If these thugs don't get the answers they want from me,
they'll never let me go.
And who knows what torment tomorrow will bring?
How much longer will they keep me cuffed to this chair?
In a moment of grace, God's word came to me.
Of course. With God at my side, I have nothing to fear.
God, did I not just witness Your almightiness and sovereignty?
As long as I truly rely upon You, I know I will see more of Your deeds.
These thoughts deeply reassured me
and gave me the strength to face the next interrogation.
If you tell us everything you know, you can go home.
"Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost."
If you keep silent and take the fall for your church,
besides a few rounds of torture, what do you gain?
Believe me, we're looking out for you.
You have so much ahead of you. Why believe in God?
There's no God in this world. If you must believe, believe in the CCP.
Right now, the government is focused on arresting believers in Almighty God.
If you continue to follow Almighty God, and you're sentenced to years in jail,
your life will be ruined, you see?
Have some tea.
Think about it, if you're imprisoned,
who's going to look after your family, your parents, your children?
Even your children's schooling will be affected.
Think carefully about these consequences.
So if you don't care about yourself, you should think about your family.
You know, there might be another way.
Tell us the location of the church offerings
along with the other details we seek,
renounce your belief in God in writing,
and well, you can walk away.
It's a good deal. Think about it.
Is this not Satan's evil plot?
I mustn't be fooled by the devil!
O God, Your well-timed words enlighten me,
allowing me to see through Satan's evil plot.
The devil vainly hoped to use my daughter to persuade me to betray You.
How despicable!
Man's life comes from God.
Man's belief in and worship of God is perfectly justified,
yet the evil CCP doesn't worship God
and doesn't allow others to worship God either.
They strip the believers of their basic rights to work, to study,
and ultimately to survive.
The CCP truly is perverse! They're Satan going against heaven!
O God, I place my family in Your hands.
No matter what happens to me, I will follow You to the very end!
I can see you're ungrateful!
Even if you say nothing, we have the evidence we need.
We've had you people figured out for a long time.
Give me the photos. I want to show her.
Take a good look at these images.
What are the names of these people?
What is their role in the church?
Is he the church leader? Where is he?
I don't know them.
So you want it the hard way?
Come and cuff her!
You're stubborn, I see. I'll make you talk.
As of this moment, you will not sleep.
When you're completely exhausted and delirious,
then you'll talk like a good girl.
God, these despicable thugs are shameless!
They're intent on using sinister tactics to torture me.
God, I'm not that strong.
I'm worried I'll betray You,
but I have faith that all things are within Your control,
especially the minds of men.
I surrender to You and pray that You will protect me.
In the days that followed,
eight cops in two shifts took turns interrogating and torturing me.
I was not allowed to sleep for a single moment, day or night.
If I started to nod off, one of the brutes would yell into my ear,
and dip their hands in cold water before slapping me in the face,
or they'd beat my head and jaw with their clubs.
Their sudden attacks left me shuddering in fear.
I was constantly afraid and was utterly exhausted, mentally and physically.
The torture left me traumatized.
Even now, if there is the smallest noise at night,
my heart leaps from my chest, and I can't fall back asleep.
They tortured me for seven days and seven nights.
I don't know how many times I was beaten. I lost track.
Every time I was beaten into wakefulness,
I would immediately pray to God and ask for His protection,
so that I wouldn't be used by the thugs.
Eventually, I was overcome with dizziness and nausea,
and began vomiting uncontrollably.
My body was failing. I knew I couldn't hold on much longer.
Seeing my pain,
they couldn't help but ridicule me.
Not feeling well, huh? Maybe there's a bun in the oven?
Oh, congratulations!
Congratulations! …
You're pregnant! She's pregnant!
O God, I finally know the face of inhumane savagery.
The CCP delights in torture.
They are murderous devils!
Oh, you are pregnant!
Speak now! Out with it!
We can do this for days.
Talk or not?
Tell us!
Speak or not?
What's that? You want more?
You're tired, huh?
Tell us everything, and you can sleep!
We can make—
Dammit! Enough! Wake up! I'm speaking to you!
I can end you right here, and no one will ever know! Fess up!
You really are a stubborn one!
You're digging your own grave!
Why are you so stubborn?
Tell us what we want and go.
Why torture yourself?
Think of something!
I've got nothing.
Why bother?
There's got to be a way.
Keep at her. I'm going to sit down for a minute.
Just tell us already! I'm tired of looking at you!
We've barely eaten, hardly slept.
We're exhausted!
If you don't collapse, if this keeps up, I may just pass out.
Useless.
Dammit!
She won't break anytime soon.
She's a real handful, this one.
We're all about to pass out,
and she's still wide awake.
I don't get it. We've tried everything.
What do we do with her? It'll never end!
I observed these police thugs in their pathetic state
and praised God in my heart.
This grace was His deed.
God is truly so wondrous and almighty!
Savage Satan will eventually fall under God's might!
Just as is said in God's word,
His words are so practical.
Despite the CCP's savagery and plots of persecution
aimed at Almighty God's believers,
God uses His great might to protect us,
enlightens us to understand His words, allows us to attain true faith in Him.
He guides us to see through Satan's plots
and transcend the bondage of Satan's dark influence,
and to stand firm and bear witness for Him,
thoroughly humiliating and defeating Satan.
God's work truly is wise and significant.
I realized then that this was all part of God's plan.
He had allowed these demons' persecution,
so I could come to know His almightiness, wisdom,
and wondrous deeds in a practical way,
and to have an even more real and true faith than ever before.
There's no point anymore. She's not going to confess.
We'll try once more today.
If she doesn't confess, we'll take turns keeping her up.
Captain Zhu said in another two days,
the higher-ups will send over some interrogation specialists.
They'll know what to do.
I'm at the end of my rope. Let's go! Drinks on me!
Undo her cuffs.
Move!
She's here.
Don't make it obvious.
Kick her again.
Who is Wu Jianhua? A church leader?
Where do you keep the money?
Tell us everything you know about the church, or we'll beat you to death.
Speak up earlier!
You're not the first to resist. Almost no one makes it out of here.
I know how to deal with your kind.
Get the stun gun.
God, my flesh is weak.
I pray to You for faith and strength, so I do not succumb to this torture.
Help me to stand strong and bear witness to You.
I hear they couldn't get a word out of you.
No matter, you'll speak for me soon enough.
Chief! …
Let's go. You two come with me. Cuff her! (Yes, ma'am.)
You're getting off easy today.
You won't be so lucky tomorrow.
I thanked God for once again miraculously protecting me.
I had surely witnessed His almightiness and sovereignty,
and I knew that all things truly are within His control.
I praised God from deep within my heart, and my faith in Him swelled.
O God, I can't go on much longer. I'm on the verge of collapse.
If these thugs keep up this torture, I don't know if I'll be able to take it.
God, please care for me, protect me.
Get up!
Don't interrogate her. You're not going to get anything out of her.
Just don't let her escape. Then that's good enough.
Damn! We always get stuck with these drudge jobs!
I know with certainty that God has heard my prayers
and is protecting me with His great might.
Now, I truly see that even though I lay in the devil's den,
God is still with me every moment, surely resolving this crisis.
An inexpressible gratitude for Him fills my heart.
She's all yours. (Alright.)
Escape.
I haven't rested for nearly two weeks. I'm profoundly weak.
My case, high priority. Security has to be tight.
How can I possibly escape?
I thought of God's words,
This is my only chance.
Freedom or failure lies in God's hands.
God, please lead me.
If I can escape from here today, I vow to requite Your love eternally.
Even if I'm caught and returned to their torment,
there too is Your good intention.
I'm willing to surrender to Your will. Please give me courage and faith.
Going somewhere?
Good morning! Just a little walk.
Who is it? So early!
Yes?
What? Fools! You're all fools!
You let her run away?
Get on this right away, track her down!
If you don't find her, don't bother coming back!
O God, where do I turn? Please protect me.
Show me the way.
God, please guide me.
Oh, Xiao Zhang!
When I escaped, I kept running and had nowhere to go.
Then, I remembered your house was around here.
Thanks be to God!
He opened the way for your escape through His love.
You're right!
If there's anything you need, you let me know.
I'm a wanted person. Do you mind me staying here?
Of course you can.
We'll find a safe place for you sooner or later.
Sister, listen to me.
You haven't slept for days now, you must allow yourself to rest.
Thank you.
She has to be here. Search everywhere!
You three over there, the rest of you that way. Go on!
Please God, they're still hunting for me.
They won't rest until I'm tortured to death.
God, please help me. I don't know what to do in this situation.
I surrender to Your will. Please guide me every step of the way.
O God, Your words give me faith.
No matter how fiendish and ferocious these police may be,
they will not catch me without Your consent.
I give myself to You fully. My life is in Your hands.
Where are your neighbors?
Have you seen a woman in her thirties, wandering around here?
Look at this photo. Know her?
What is she wanted for?
She's wanted by the state for believing in Almighty God.
We're offering a cash reward, and we'll punish those harboring a criminal.
I haven't seen her. (Me neither.)
Come, we'll keep looking.
If you see anything, call us.
Do you believe that?
These corrupt officials are left free.
The believers have done nothing illegal,
yet these CCP goons are out in force to arrest them. (Right!)
They're shameless crooks.
You're right. The CCP are the real criminal masterminds! (Yeah!)
Well, I know these believers are good people.
We can't go against our consciences and report them. That's not the right thing.
You're right.
The CCP truly is evil.
To make China an atheist nation and to control men forever,
they stop at nothing to destroy God's work,
wildly arresting and persecuting His chosen people.
They love nothing more than rounding up all the believers
and killing them in one fell swoop.
The CCP are monstrous, reactionary devils.
They're despicable!
You're safe.
What's going on out there?
Sister, they have police everywhere.
I can't believe they mobilized so much manpower to catch you.
Can we think of a plan to get you out of here?
Anyone home? I said anyone home?
They've been here several times.
They won't rest until I'm in custody once more.
We must have faith. God will show the way.
No matter what Satan does, it is still in God's hands.
If God allows you to escape, you will escape.
If there's no way out, then we must accept this and not blame God. (Mm.)
Come on. (Okay.)
Aunty …
Sweet child, put this on.
Your journey is long.
There may be troubles up ahead!
I'm so—
Take this money. It might help you in a pinch.
You'll need to use it while you're on the run.
I'm afraid this might not be enough.
Take it all.
I can't take this. What will be left for you?
Take it, you have to. We're all one family.
This is my duty before God, my service.
Whatever comes, you must continue to rely on Him.
We brothers and sisters will be praying for you!
Aunty …
There's nothing more to say. You need to eat something to keep your strength.
You need to eat this.
It's time to gather your strength,
so you'll have the energy to escape from these devils.
God, I feel nothing but warmth and love from You.
If I escape with my life, I absolutely must repay You for this profound love.
And if I die, it will be without regret
for I've experienced Your love and protection.
I've already received too much from You.
What do you see?
They're gone. If I'm going to escape, now's the time.
What if they're monitoring the main gate?
Come now, you'll leave through the window.
The window?
How will I get down? We're on the third floor.
Have faith. Be careful!
I'll be praying for you.
Stay strong and keep on living by God's word.
Go!
Did you find her?
No, not yet.
Didn't you say someone had seen her running this way?
I can't be sure.
Damn it, where'd she go?
What? Did she just grow wings and fly away?
Weird. Could it really be the work of her God?
Quit the bullshit! Keep looking! (Yes, sir!)
We'll chase her to the ends of the earth if we have to.
And when we find her, we'll kill her!
God, where should I go?
I can't stay with my family and put them in danger.
And I definitely can't stay with my brothers and sisters
because I'll be putting them and my church in danger.
In this, have I not fallen for the devil's plot?
Where can I find sanctuary in this world?
God, I put myself in Your hands and ask that You guide me down the right path.
No matter what happens, my only wish is to follow Your arrangements.
I just happened to find this when I was shopping at the mall. I love it. Zhang Hui, have a look.
Isn't this so pretty? (Yeah, so pretty!)
Yeah, really suits me.
We'll take some cloth to make one as well. (It was on sale too.)
Great! Okay! Very pretty!
Trendy, right? (Yeah, really nice!)
Where are you going on vacation this time?
Japan? Japan is so beautiful. You'll love it!
Oh! (You will.)
I'm miserably lonely here, God.
I miss my brothers and sisters dearly.
I miss their laughter and the joy we felt together
when we read Your words and sang hymns to praise You.
Those were happy days!
God, please return me to the church
to commune the truth with my brothers and sisters and serve You with them.
Just then, God's words illuminated me,
God, I understand Your intention now.
This situation is to perfect my faith and my love for You,
so that no matter what life brings me,
I may always pursue the truth and strive to be a real person.
While the CCP hunts me and makes it impossible for me to go home
or to read Your word, and participate in church life,
they have no control over my heart.
I can still ponder Your words deep within
and practice Your words in everyday life
to satisfy You through my actual living out.
I believe that one day You will guide me to Your home.
Zhang Hui, (Yes?)
there's someone here to see you. (OK.)
Sister!
Sister, we've finally found you.
We've been looking for you all this time.
I'm finally home. (Thanks be to God!)
Thanks be to God!
Through this experience, I have truly seen God's almightiness
and wondrous deeds in His sovereignty over all things.
It was Almighty God
that allowed me to see through the dastardly plot of the devil
and prevail through countless bouts of torment.
God guided me step by step in escaping the devil's den.
I fully trust that no matter where I go,
God is always watching over and protecting me.
Almighty God's love has penetrated to the deepest depths of my heart,
and I will never forget.
I will live for God for the rest of my life.
I'll seek to love Him and satisfy His intentions until my very last breath,
fulfilling my duty as a created being and returning God's grace.