• Bro. Runhuan Liu •
Remembering Dear Brother Runhuan Liu
Brother Qitian Lin & Sister Yulan Lin Chen
In the Church in Guishan
Two days ago, I got the information that our beloved Brother Runhuan Liu had rested in the Lord’s bosom. Concerning this elder who had ever rendered us much support and supply, an infinite memorial of him rose up from within my heart. I remembered that when I was still a junior college student, I was self-conscious to step in the church in Banqiao to attend the Lord’s table meeting for the first time. During the meeting, the Spirit of God had been inspiring me that within my heart there was a thought arose constantly, that was, “I want to believe, I want to get baptized, and I want to be as happy as them.” Therefore, I stood up to speak some words. After the meeting, I told Brother Tingrui Xu, who had led me to salvation that there was no need for me to read any book, and I was willing to believe and be baptized. On the second day, the church immediately arranged to baptize me. It was Brother Liu who baptized me. It happened in 1972. After getting baptized, I stayed in Banqiao for two years, during which I learned some basic spiritual lessons.
In 1980, I met Brother Liu again. I asked him why he baptized me without giving me a talk concerning the baptism in that year（At that time I had known that previously those who were to get baptized should pass through the talk concerning the baptism, and number of those who were to be baptized should accumulate to a certain point, then there would be one baptism）. Brother Liu answered: “In the meeting I saw you come in with a long face, following that, you face kept brighter and brighter, and eventually you stood up to speak; then I knew you have got saved. So why there was still the need to talk with you about the baptism?” This was our Brother Liu, who was not limited by rituals and ordinances but regarded the reality in the spirit. How I thank him and Brother Tingrui Xu. Hadn’t they baptized me in time, I might have been delaying in baptism until today. (Because on the second day I would have a winter vacation to go home. If I asked my mother whether I could get baptized or not after returning home, her answer would be absolutely no.)
That I met Brother Liu once again happened after I have been saved for about ten years. At that time my wife and me answered the call of the ministry to migrate to villages and towns for propagation. We went to Guishan for propagation. According to Brother Liu’s description, after travelling to the villages and towns where there were migrations for propagation, he felt that the spiritual condition in Guishan was the weakest. Probably based on the principle of the less honorable being clothed with more abundant honor, therefore Brother Liu rendered us a great deal of perfecting and help. He was just like a master worker teaching his apprentices, accompanying us, these young working saints. At that time we all were over twenty or thirty, knowing nothing. Therefore we did not know what being afraid was either. What we depended on was a heart that loved the Lord. Brother Liu said that we were like a flock of newborn calves, being not afraid of tigers, just moving on! On! On! At that time Brother Liu was living in Bade meeting hall, and every Lord’s Day afternoon there would be trainings for the establishing of the deacons’ office. Brother Liu perfected us how to touch the spirit of the meeting to select hymns to praise the Lord or to worship the Father. He transmitted into us all that he had absorbed and acquired from Brother Lee’s trainings and conferences that he had attended in the early years. Especially during a period of time, Brother Liu was living in Guishan meeting hall; he poured out what he had learned in the Lord and before the minisry for many years. He often accompanied us to fellowship late in the night. Sometimes he would live in our home. In the early morning on the second day, before we got up, he had been to the meeting hall to keep the morning watch. Therefore we always felt put to shame and did our best to take him as our pattern. Although by now we are still not up to standard, it cannot be reasonably denied that if today we could be used a little by the Lord, it mainly resulted from Brother Liu’s labor on us.
In 1983 I wanted to drop my job to attend the training for one year. However, there were still many practical problems to be considered. At that time as a mother of two babies, I could not make that descision quickly. Therefore I came to Brother Liu for fellowship. I told him all my doubts. After listening to me patiently, Brother Liu said to me: “All your doubts may not definitely take place. Do not think too much. All the spiritual things are spontaneous. You just go on positively in the church life. The Lord will spontaneously manifest everything.” At that time although I could not understand the meaning of his word, I still exercised to advanced positively according to Brother Liu’s word. During a prayer meeting, within me there was a very clear feeling that I should quit my job. Then I dropped my job, received a four-year training, and served full time for another seven years. Eventually, not only did all my doubts not happen, but even I enjoyed the Lord’s grace and mercy immensely. During that period of time, I also experienced some turmoils in the Lord’s recovery, but every time it was Brother Liu who pushed us toward the ministry that we might be more steady and have more faith to follow the ministry.
Brother Liu had been diagnosed with diabetes for many years. The doctor said that he was the patient cooperating with the doctor most. Much of the time his blood glucose control was good. However, for a while his blood glucose became higher, therefore he had to eat the food after being scaled. Brother Liu just strictly followed the doctor’s instructions to cook by himself for himself to eat. At that time, we all were young and worked, inconsiderate of serving Brother Liu. In this way Brother Liu served himself until he left Guishan in 1985. Every time I remembered his serving of us without any complaint or regret, I felt deeply owed to him. Later, because of the lesion of his diabetes, he could not walk with his feet indeed and had to return to his home in Banqiao. Brother Liu truly exhausted himself for the service of the church. His service, living, and work for many years in the Lord were beyond our testifying and utterance. I think until eternity we will still speak the work of Lord’s grace. Dear Brother Liu, rest in the Lord! Hope that on that day we may meet you joyfully before the Lord.