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

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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. Like the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; like the man of heaven, 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. Any vision or dream we receive needs to be carefully weighed against the Scriptures, as nothing from God will ever contradict his Word." (P. 117)

I first read this soon after becoming a Christian in college and was very moved at the time. Having done mission work in China for over ten years now, I decided to revisit it, and my opinion of Brother Yun is even higher now. What I say next I want to say carefully: there is nothing wrong with Yun's book; but there is also something not quite right about it. The cadre of strange emotions that traipsed through his story with me nagged again and again, raising small flags here and there, that something didn't add up. Brother Yun no longer lives in China, but he continues to face opposition", Charisma Magazine (cover story), April 2007 . 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!" Reflecting on both the miracles and the `everybody' language, a new thought occurred to me: Yun's book closely resembles the book of Acts. And not just `closely resembles', but appears to be written as a copy of the book of Acts. Yun is saved, set apart for a mission like Paul, is miraculously transported like Philip, is part of healings and radical community like the early church, escapes from the authorities like Paul, escapes from prison like Peter--Yun is even met at the door by a girl who forgets to open it for him after his escape! Through this all my inner eye began to narrow more and more as I scrutinized Yun's book. Why does this book so closely parallel the story of Acts? Again, I must ask, is it possible for God to do these things? Certainly! But does this all add up?The many thousands of people around the world who have spent time with Brother Yun have found him to be a good man, humble, loving, and always eager to bless and build up others in Christ. Those who have attended a meeting where he has spoken have made up their own minds whether this man is someone who loves Jesus Christ, or a deceptive con man out for personal gain. Brother Yun was 16 when he became a Christian. Soon after, he started hungering for the Word of God. However, his family did not have a Bible. He began asking his mother who Jesus was. In response, his mother would tell him that Jesus was the Son of God and that He had recorded all His teachings in the Bible. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 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

Released in early 2002, the book is co-written and translated by Paul Hattaway and published by Monarch Publications. Like the man made of dust, so are those who are made of dust; like the heavenly man, so are those who are heavenly. I don't expect to write anything else on this matter, as I feel I have pretty much said all that needs to be said. People are free to either accept it or not. Such as is the earthly, such also are the earthly: and such as is the heavenly, such also are they that are heavenly.The book Living Water was released in 2008 and, as with his previous book, The Heavenly Man, it is also co-written and translated by Paul Hattaway. It is published by Zondervan Publications. [10]

Brother Yun became a believer at the age of 16. Soon after he became a Christian, God called him to be His witness in the west and south. As he was obedient to the calling, he eventually became a witness of Christ not just in the western and southern parts of China, but throughout China and in the nations beyond China as well. As Christians we are not to live by any vision or dream, nor should we seek after them. We must only live by the Word of God and seek the face of Jesus." (P. 116)Those that tend to dismiss Brother Yun in the West are often from the conservative, reformed crowd because we are naturally uncomfortable with the miraculous. Moreover, Brother Yun has spoken in some charismatic churches that some would label heretical. But it's important to listen to the man himself and not just consider the places in which he speaks. In his book, he repeatedly issues warnings that charismatics often fall into. For example: In recent years soldiers fighting in Iraq have used a new expression to describe the very worst kind of way to die or be injured in battle. They explain that if they were killed or wounded by an enemy bullet they would consider it a great honor, but the worst insult they could experience is to be wounded by 'friendly fire'. It is a terrible feeling to be shot by fellow soldiers whom you thought were on the same side!