Rev. Liu Dongkun, former senior pastor of Australian Clayton Chinese Christian Church, passed away at the age of 98 in his home in Melbourne, Australia, on March 5, 2018, according to Fuyin.tv.
Fifty years ago, Rev. Liu enjoyed equal popularity with Kou Shiyuan, the founder of the Home of Christ in Taiwan. Before converting, Rev. Liu was an official. Despite several Christians trying to preach to him, he refused Christianity, a foreign religion in his eyes. But after a nightmare he accepted the Lord Jesus.
Suffering from severe pneumonia, he had to stay in an isolation ward until death. One day he suddenly felt dizzy as if darkness came over the whole world. It seemed that he fell into a whirlpool and kept falling. It was at that moment that he thought of Jesus and screamed, "Jesus, save me; Jesus, save me." After his cry, the descent was stopped then he started ascending and kept rising.
He woke up covered with sweat. The experience, which turned out not to be accidental, changed his life. He believed that Jesus was real.
In an interview conducted some years ago, Rev. Liu said that he had morning devotions, studied the Bible in the afternoon, and memorized Bible verses with other Christians in the seven-year life in the hospital.
After he was released from the hospital, he became a preacher. In recent years he taught in theological seminaries in the US and Canada and hosted retreats all over the world.
The pastor suggested that new Christians should be rooted in the Bible before studying in seminaries. "Without searching the Bible, a Christian can't know God."
He also warned young Christians to use exegetical commentaries with caution. "Resources are no benefit to us and an easier method. Only when you study by yourself can you be rooted in the Bible. There are many commentaries, but it's inappropriate to skip the Bible and just read commentaries. The only standard from God is the Bible. The biblical foundation is important. All the commentaries must be corrected by the Bible. People who read many references before reading the Bible are prone to form preconceived notions. One can distinguish between right and wrong in commentaries after studying the Bible enough."
- Translated by Karen Luo
