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John Birch - An ambassador for Christ

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Ingo Breuer
Ingo Breuer

John Birch was a Baptist missionary from Macon, Georgia who dedicated his life to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ through mission work in China. John Birch spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by perfectly blending with the Chinese people. He helped churches and won people to the Lord through his witnessing and gospel tract ministry. During World War II he served the US Army Air Force. Back then the legitimate Chinese government under Chiang Kai-shek was an ally of the US. In 1945 the Chinese communists brutally butchered John Birch to death because the communists hated Americans and Christians in particular. Now we want to ask you to pray for the persecutors. John Birch became the first casualty of the Cold War.

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THE WAR-WEARY FARMER by John M. Birch This is the “prose poem” written by John Birch in April, 1945, four months before his death, that tells about his Christian point of view, his love of God, and his ability to point out the dangers of a secularized, godless society. It is an invitation to every reader to come to God, to repent of all sin and be saved, to live a holy life, and to seek God’s will in every matter. I SHOULD like to find the existence of what my father called “Plain living and high thinking”. I WANT some fields and hills, woodlands and streams I can call my own. I want to spend my strength in making fields green, and the cattle fat, so that I may give sustenance to my loved ones, and aid to those neighbors who suffer misfortune. I do not want a life of monotonous paper-shuffling or of trafficking with money-mad trad- ers. I ONLY want enough of science to enable fruitful husbandry of the land with simple tools, a time for leisure, and the guarding of my family’s health. I do not care to be absorbed in the endless examining of force and space and matter, which I believe can only slowly lead to God. I DO not want a hectic hurrying from place to place on whizzing machines or busy streets. I do not want an elbowing through crowds of impatient strangers who have time neither to think their own thoughts nor to know real friendship. I want to live slowly, to relax with my family before a glowing fireplace, to welcome the visits of my neighbors, to worship God, to enjoy a book, to lie on a shaded grassy bank and watch the clouds sail across the blue. I WANT to love a wife who prefers rural peace to urban excitement, one who would rather climb a hilltop to watch a sunset with me than to take a taxi to any Broadway play. I want a woman who is not afraid of bearing children, and who is able to rear them with a love for home and the soil, and the fear of God. I WANT of Government only protection against the violence and injustices of evil or selfish men. I WANT to reach the sunset of life sound in body and mind, flanked by strong sons and grandsons, enjoying the friendship and respect of neighbors, surrounded by fertile fields and sleek cattle, and retaining my boyhood faith in Him who promised a life to come. WHERE CAN I find this world? Would its anachronism doom it to ridicule or loneliness? Is there yet a place for such simple ways in my own America or must I seek a vale in Turkestan where peaceful flocks still graze the quiet hills? John M. Birch An ambassador for Christ II. Corinthians 5:20 May 28, 1918 – August 25, 1945 JOHN BIRCH was a Baptist missionary in a remote province of China during World War II when, through a series of extraordinary coincidences, he helped Colonel James Doolittle and several of his downed fliers to safety. He was subsequently inducted into the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer under General Chennault, and served for slightly over three years of America’s war with Japan. His remarkable feats of personal courage and leadership helped immeasurably to bring about victory in China. Ten days following the end of the war, while on a peaceful mission for the Army, he was brutally murdered by Chinese Com- munists. This tract was distributed by: www.youtube.com/IngoBreuer
LIKE many of the noble souls associated with America's founding, John Morrison Birch was a man rooted in principles that trans- cend politics. In a "prose poem" written at age 26, John Birch gave voice to his Jeffer- son-esque longing to "live slowly, to relax with my family before a glowing fireplace ... to enjoy a good book ... to reach the sunset of my life sound in body and mind, flanked by strong sons and grandsons...." Regrettably, John Birch's tireless service to God and lib- erty denied him such irenic pleasures. At the age of seven, Birch expressed a desire to become a Christian missionary. Upon learning of the violence inflicted upon mis- sionaries by Chinese communists, the youngster selected China as his mission field. When cautioned by his pastor that "more will be killed" in China, Birch replied: "I know the big enemy is communism, but the Lord has called me. My life is in his hands, and I am not turning back." Birch's labors in China began in 1940, a time when the country was being ravaged by the Japanese military. After Pearl Harbor he dyed his hair black, adopted the garb of the local population, and continued his under- ground work behind enemy lines. While near the border of Japanese-occupied territory on the evening of April 19, 1942, Birch came upon Colonel James H. Doolittle and members of the raiding party that had just completed a dramatic bombing raid on Tokyo. With his encyclopedic knowledge of the language, customs, and geography of China, Birch was able to convey Doolittle and the crews of 12 American bombers to safety in free China. Shortly thereafter, Birch became an intelli- gence analyst as a second lieutenant with the China Air Task Force -- General Claire Chennault's legendary "Flying Tigers." Per- forming high-risk intelligence-gathering missions on the ground, Birch acted as "the eyes of the 14th Air Force," devising an early warning system that enabled U.S. air units to come to the aid of Chinese units under en- emy attack. He also organized a rescue sys- tem for pilots who were shot down by the Japanese. Chennault credited Birch with the fact that 90 percent of his downed flyers were rescued. On August 25, 1945 -- ten days after the end of WWII -- Birch (by then a captain) was part of an official military mission to Suchow that was detained by Chinese communists. Captain Birch and another man were sepa- rated from their group and shot. An autopsy later demonstrated that after Birch had been immobilized by a gunshot to the leg, his hands were tied behind his back and he was shot execution-style in the back of his head. The communists had also desecrated Birch's dead body. His face smashed with bayonets, as was that of his aide, who was left for dead. This man survived to tell the tale. So it was that John Birch died, without ever knowing that the China for which he had given his all to help save had been betrayed into Com- munist hands by his own nation's leaders. In its desire to depict the Red Chinese as innoc- uous "agrarian reformers," the U.S. govern- ment suppressed the news of the unpro- voked murder of Captain Birch. AS THE truth of John Birch’s martyr death was uncovered years later, it was said about him: “If we rediscover some of our sounder spiritual values in the example of his life, re- charge our determination from the spark of his courage, and learn essential truths about our enemy from the lesson of his murder, then his death at twenty-six ceases to be a tragedy” After reading about the life and death of John Birch, the reader might ask how we can rediscover those sounder spiritual values to- day. He is set for an example for us today that exhorts us to follow Christ. It was John Birch, who before his tragic death made a few profound prophetic statements about the time after World War II. He said: “I be- lieve that this war and the ensuing feder- ations will set the world stage, as never be- fore, for the rise of anti-Christ!” He also warned about the “lust-ridden years which will follow this war.” Is not that what we are observing today? We see how man shuts God out of his daily activities and lives a life that is dictated by market- ing strategies, political correctness, and lust. This is not what God intended for man. Only Jesus makes man free from the bondage of sin and death. God wants to live within man and reign in the hearts of man. As John Birch expressed it: “Often in these days, I feel that those barren years are my apprenticeship, God-given, and that a message is being formed, by Him, within me, that will one day burn its way out and across man’s barriers, into the souls of many men. I know that God is pre- paring me (has prepared, in some re- spects) to stand privation, pain, isolation, fatigue, and physical danger. to what end? That I trust Him to show me in His own time.” Dear reader, do you have Jesus Christ in your heart and is He using you for His own glory? You can make peace with God right now. Come before the Lord Jesus Christ and give Him your life. Repent of all your sin, and tell Him you want Him in your life. Give your life into His hands. God’s will is recorded in His Word, the Holy Bi- ble, and you should nourish yourself in the word of God, so you can step on God’s side and receive His wisdom on the many as- pects of life. Do not forget that God loves you, and can cleanse you from your sin. Jesus revealed this love when he came and took your sin upon himself and died on the cross. What was he punished for? He lived a life without sin. But he took upon himself the punishment for your sin. You can read that in the Bible in Isaiah, chapter 53. Read also 2. Peter 2:24,25: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” Have you already returned to Jesus Christ, that good Shepherd? Do not hesitate or put off God’s call. His grace is there to save you. You need to claim it by faith. Here is another scripture that tells you about what Jesus has done for you and is doing now. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fash- ion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God has also highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Je- sus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus has promised eternal life for those who come and bow before him. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God is faithful and keeps His promise. When you have begun your new life with Jesus, He places in you a desire to unite with other believers. You need to ask for God’s lead- ership in finding a church that is true to His word. Jesus Christ is building His church even today. The true church con- sists of baptized believers; a called out as- sembly of redeemed people (Ephesians 5:21-33) that is local and independent. “We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (2. Cor 5:20) Read about the life and death of John Birch, the American patriot and Christian missionary. What essential truth can we learn from the sacrificial life and tragic death of John Birch?

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John Birch - An ambassador for Christ

  • 1. THE WAR-WEARY FARMER by John M. Birch This is the “prose poem” written by John Birch in April, 1945, four months before his death, that tells about his Christian point of view, his love of God, and his ability to point out the dangers of a secularized, godless society. It is an invitation to every reader to come to God, to repent of all sin and be saved, to live a holy life, and to seek God’s will in every matter. I SHOULD like to find the existence of what my father called “Plain living and high thinking”. I WANT some fields and hills, woodlands and streams I can call my own. I want to spend my strength in making fields green, and the cattle fat, so that I may give sustenance to my loved ones, and aid to those neighbors who suffer misfortune. I do not want a life of monotonous paper-shuffling or of trafficking with money-mad trad- ers. I ONLY want enough of science to enable fruitful husbandry of the land with simple tools, a time for leisure, and the guarding of my family’s health. I do not care to be absorbed in the endless examining of force and space and matter, which I believe can only slowly lead to God. I DO not want a hectic hurrying from place to place on whizzing machines or busy streets. I do not want an elbowing through crowds of impatient strangers who have time neither to think their own thoughts nor to know real friendship. I want to live slowly, to relax with my family before a glowing fireplace, to welcome the visits of my neighbors, to worship God, to enjoy a book, to lie on a shaded grassy bank and watch the clouds sail across the blue. I WANT to love a wife who prefers rural peace to urban excitement, one who would rather climb a hilltop to watch a sunset with me than to take a taxi to any Broadway play. I want a woman who is not afraid of bearing children, and who is able to rear them with a love for home and the soil, and the fear of God. I WANT of Government only protection against the violence and injustices of evil or selfish men. I WANT to reach the sunset of life sound in body and mind, flanked by strong sons and grandsons, enjoying the friendship and respect of neighbors, surrounded by fertile fields and sleek cattle, and retaining my boyhood faith in Him who promised a life to come. WHERE CAN I find this world? Would its anachronism doom it to ridicule or loneliness? Is there yet a place for such simple ways in my own America or must I seek a vale in Turkestan where peaceful flocks still graze the quiet hills? John M. Birch An ambassador for Christ II. Corinthians 5:20 May 28, 1918 – August 25, 1945 JOHN BIRCH was a Baptist missionary in a remote province of China during World War II when, through a series of extraordinary coincidences, he helped Colonel James Doolittle and several of his downed fliers to safety. He was subsequently inducted into the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer under General Chennault, and served for slightly over three years of America’s war with Japan. His remarkable feats of personal courage and leadership helped immeasurably to bring about victory in China. Ten days following the end of the war, while on a peaceful mission for the Army, he was brutally murdered by Chinese Com- munists. This tract was distributed by: www.youtube.com/IngoBreuer
  • 2. LIKE many of the noble souls associated with America's founding, John Morrison Birch was a man rooted in principles that trans- cend politics. In a "prose poem" written at age 26, John Birch gave voice to his Jeffer- son-esque longing to "live slowly, to relax with my family before a glowing fireplace ... to enjoy a good book ... to reach the sunset of my life sound in body and mind, flanked by strong sons and grandsons...." Regrettably, John Birch's tireless service to God and lib- erty denied him such irenic pleasures. At the age of seven, Birch expressed a desire to become a Christian missionary. Upon learning of the violence inflicted upon mis- sionaries by Chinese communists, the youngster selected China as his mission field. When cautioned by his pastor that "more will be killed" in China, Birch replied: "I know the big enemy is communism, but the Lord has called me. My life is in his hands, and I am not turning back." Birch's labors in China began in 1940, a time when the country was being ravaged by the Japanese military. After Pearl Harbor he dyed his hair black, adopted the garb of the local population, and continued his under- ground work behind enemy lines. While near the border of Japanese-occupied territory on the evening of April 19, 1942, Birch came upon Colonel James H. Doolittle and members of the raiding party that had just completed a dramatic bombing raid on Tokyo. With his encyclopedic knowledge of the language, customs, and geography of China, Birch was able to convey Doolittle and the crews of 12 American bombers to safety in free China. Shortly thereafter, Birch became an intelli- gence analyst as a second lieutenant with the China Air Task Force -- General Claire Chennault's legendary "Flying Tigers." Per- forming high-risk intelligence-gathering missions on the ground, Birch acted as "the eyes of the 14th Air Force," devising an early warning system that enabled U.S. air units to come to the aid of Chinese units under en- emy attack. He also organized a rescue sys- tem for pilots who were shot down by the Japanese. Chennault credited Birch with the fact that 90 percent of his downed flyers were rescued. On August 25, 1945 -- ten days after the end of WWII -- Birch (by then a captain) was part of an official military mission to Suchow that was detained by Chinese communists. Captain Birch and another man were sepa- rated from their group and shot. An autopsy later demonstrated that after Birch had been immobilized by a gunshot to the leg, his hands were tied behind his back and he was shot execution-style in the back of his head. The communists had also desecrated Birch's dead body. His face smashed with bayonets, as was that of his aide, who was left for dead. This man survived to tell the tale. So it was that John Birch died, without ever knowing that the China for which he had given his all to help save had been betrayed into Com- munist hands by his own nation's leaders. In its desire to depict the Red Chinese as innoc- uous "agrarian reformers," the U.S. govern- ment suppressed the news of the unpro- voked murder of Captain Birch. AS THE truth of John Birch’s martyr death was uncovered years later, it was said about him: “If we rediscover some of our sounder spiritual values in the example of his life, re- charge our determination from the spark of his courage, and learn essential truths about our enemy from the lesson of his murder, then his death at twenty-six ceases to be a tragedy” After reading about the life and death of John Birch, the reader might ask how we can rediscover those sounder spiritual values to- day. He is set for an example for us today that exhorts us to follow Christ. It was John Birch, who before his tragic death made a few profound prophetic statements about the time after World War II. He said: “I be- lieve that this war and the ensuing feder- ations will set the world stage, as never be- fore, for the rise of anti-Christ!” He also warned about the “lust-ridden years which will follow this war.” Is not that what we are observing today? We see how man shuts God out of his daily activities and lives a life that is dictated by market- ing strategies, political correctness, and lust. This is not what God intended for man. Only Jesus makes man free from the bondage of sin and death. God wants to live within man and reign in the hearts of man. As John Birch expressed it: “Often in these days, I feel that those barren years are my apprenticeship, God-given, and that a message is being formed, by Him, within me, that will one day burn its way out and across man’s barriers, into the souls of many men. I know that God is pre- paring me (has prepared, in some re- spects) to stand privation, pain, isolation, fatigue, and physical danger. to what end? That I trust Him to show me in His own time.” Dear reader, do you have Jesus Christ in your heart and is He using you for His own glory? You can make peace with God right now. Come before the Lord Jesus Christ and give Him your life. Repent of all your sin, and tell Him you want Him in your life. Give your life into His hands. God’s will is recorded in His Word, the Holy Bi- ble, and you should nourish yourself in the word of God, so you can step on God’s side and receive His wisdom on the many as- pects of life. Do not forget that God loves you, and can cleanse you from your sin. Jesus revealed this love when he came and took your sin upon himself and died on the cross. What was he punished for? He lived a life without sin. But he took upon himself the punishment for your sin. You can read that in the Bible in Isaiah, chapter 53. Read also 2. Peter 2:24,25: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” Have you already returned to Jesus Christ, that good Shepherd? Do not hesitate or put off God’s call. His grace is there to save you. You need to claim it by faith. Here is another scripture that tells you about what Jesus has done for you and is doing now. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fash- ion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God has also highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Je- sus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus has promised eternal life for those who come and bow before him. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God is faithful and keeps His promise. When you have begun your new life with Jesus, He places in you a desire to unite with other believers. You need to ask for God’s lead- ership in finding a church that is true to His word. Jesus Christ is building His church even today. The true church con- sists of baptized believers; a called out as- sembly of redeemed people (Ephesians 5:21-33) that is local and independent. “We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (2. Cor 5:20) Read about the life and death of John Birch, the American patriot and Christian missionary. What essential truth can we learn from the sacrificial life and tragic death of John Birch?