God Has Brought His Glory to the East

God gave His glory to Israel then moved it away from there,bringing the Israelites and bringing all men to the East.God has led them all to the light,so that they may be reunited and associate with light,no longer have to search, search for the light.

Who is my Lord

Liu Zhizhong is a pastor at a local house church in China. He's been a believer for over 30 years, and has constantly maintained that "The Holy Bible is inspired by God," "The Holy Bible represents God, believing in God is believing in the Bible, believing in the Bible is believing in God."

Faith in God

Yu Congguang is a gospel preacher from the Church of Almighty God. Because he was pursued by the CCP government while preaching the gospel, he fled to the mountain and got help from Zheng Xun, a co-worker of the local house church.

XiaoZhen's Story

Xiao Zhen used to be a pure, kind-hearted Christian, who always treated her friends sincerely. However, when it was to their benefit, her former friends became her enemies.

The Mystery of GodLiness

Lin Bo’en had believed in the Lord for decades and was a senior preacher. Ever since his acceptance of Almighty God, Christ of the last days, he had been confronted with the condemnation and rejection of the pastors, elders, and antichrist forces in the religious world and was eventually expelled from the religion.

Saturday, September 30, 2017

A Blade of Grass That Grows Among Thorns

A Blade of Grass That Grows Among Thorns

Yixin    Singapore
Editors’ note:
Yixin, a kind and caring beautician, came to Singapore from China. Under the Lord’s protection, she had a secure job and led a happy and steady life. Later, she heard the news about the Lord’s return. Unexpectedly, during the process of her investigation, she was paid attention to by her company and pastor. She was once afraid of a rupture with others and the loss of her job. However, God’s words led her. Depending on the guidance of God’s words, she saw clearly what came from Satan and what came from God in the hindrance and attack from her pastor and fellow believers. She understood many aspects of truths and grew gradually amid attacks and threats, ultimately solidifying her will to follow God all her life. Here is the inspiring experience she narrated.
the Church of Almighty God
A Sister of My Original Church Knew That I Was Investigating the Work of God in the Last Days
In November of 2016, I made the acquaintance of people in the Church of Almighty God on Facebook, a brother named Lin Quan, two sisters called Zhang Hua and Xiaoxiao. They fellowshiped and bore witness to me about God’s work in the last days combining with the prophecies in the Bible. Through their fellowship and testimony, I got to know that Almighty God has done a stage of work of judgment and purification with the word based upon the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus. In the last days, God intends to completely save man from the domain of Satan through judgment, allow man to break away from Satan’s influence, stopping disobeying Him and resisting Him and becoming someone truly obedient to Him. From Almighty God’s words, I also came to understand that God will separate wheat from tares, sheep from goats through judgment so that man shall be classified according to kind. Through Almighty God’s words and the testimonies of the brothers and sisters, I realized that Almighty God is exactly the coming of the Lord Jesus whom I longed for. I was willing to accept His work in the last days.
One day, Sister Zhu of my original denomination suddenly asked what I was up to recently. Then I told her my investigation on Almighty God’s work in the last days. Upon hearing the Church of Almighty God, she began to slander the Church and blaspheme Almighty God by repeating many online rumors and words of condemnation of God. She also advised me not to contact the people of the Church of Almighty God. I said, “I have engaged with those brothers and sisters for a while and felt good to communicate with them. They are different from what you said. What’s more, Almighty God’s words are very practical and easy to understand and remember. They can supply man and be the bread of life and show man the way to practice, giving me much more than the pastor’s sermons.” Seeing my determined attitude, she quit trying to persuade me but asked me whether to tell my investigation on the work of Almighty God in the last days to Sister Yun, who preached the Lord’s gospel to us. I answered, “No. There are still many things I don’t understand. I will tell everyone when I fully verify it.” She promised me not to speak to Sister Yun until I was clear about it.
My Investigation on God’s Work in the Last Days Was Given Away and I Was Attacked by My Boss
Against all expectations, five days later, my boss found me and said, “Yixin, Sister Yun asked me to pray for you. Although I don’t know how to pray, I will try my best….” Upon hearing these words, I realized that Sister Zhu had told Sister Yun my investigation on Almighty God’s work of the last days. Such behavior of hers was so immoral and full of deceit and betrayal to me, making me feel that even brothers and sisters in the Lord were untrustworthy…. As I thought of this, my boss, without asking me the ins and outs, accused me of not believing in the Lord properly and going astray in the presence of over ten people in the company. She also spoke many words resisting Almighty God and condemning the Church of Almighty God. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t know what to do, with a very awful feeling. So I prayed silently, “O Lord! Why did they say those words of resistance and condemnation without investigation? How could they put so much trust in the online rumors? O Lord! What should I do? Am I really wrong? O Lord! I wish for You to protect me. I don’t know what to do….”
Almighty God Guided Me to See Through Satan’s Plot
Later, I told Brother Lin Quan what happened to me. He sent me some God’s words, “Satan is constantly devouring the knowledge that men hold of Me in their hearts, and constantly, with teeth bared and claws unsheathed, engaged in the last throes of its death struggle. Do you wish to be captured by its deceitful stratagems at this moment? Do you wish, at the moment that the last phase of My work is completed, to cut off your own life? Surely you are not still waiting for Me to dispense My leniency one more time? Seeking to know Me is the key thing, but neither should you neglect to pay attention to actual practice. I am revealing insights to you directly in My words, in hopes that you will be able to submit to My guidance …” (“The Sixth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh). And “When God is working in the flesh, He is actually doing battle with Satan in the flesh. When He works in the flesh, He is doing His work in the spiritual realm, and makes the whole of His work in the spiritual realm real on earth” (“Corrupt Mankind Is More in Need of the Salvation of God Become Flesh” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Brother Lin told me, “God’s words make us understand that it is a spiritual battle and that Satan’s harassment has come upon you. God incarnate expresses words for man to know Him, His work and His disposition so as to save them. While Satan follows on the heels of God to disturb and disrupt God’s work, deny God’s work and Christ, and reject the truth so as to hinder man’s return to God. The Bible says, ‘And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not’ (John 1:5). ‘He came to his own, and his own received him not’ (John 1:11). When the Lord Jesus came to do His work, the leaders of Judaism, like the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees, not only rejected Him but also became Satan’s servants, making every effort to defy His work. They mainly used the means of creating rumors and giving false testimonies to oppose God. For example, they slandered and blasphemed the Lord Jesus, saying that He drove demons out by the prince of the devils. They also framed Him for perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar. What’s more, after the Lord Jesus’ resurrection, they even bribed the soldiers to give the false testimony that the body of the Lord Jesus was stolen by His disciples. It is even recorded in the books other than the Bible that the Lord Jesus was an illegitimate son. In the last days when God carries out His new work, the CCP government fabricates numerous rumors in order to establish an atheistic place in China, and many pastors and elders in the religious world give lots of false testimonies for the sake of maintaining their status and jobs. So that people might be blinded, frightened, and hindered from investigating and accepting God’s new work. Therefore, we must see clearly that the atheist CCP government is the enemy of God, that the pastors, elders and the wicked who prevent man from investigating God’s work of the last days are the Pharisees of modern times, and that the online rumors are Satan’s schemes. Only in this way can we stand at God’s side in this spiritual struggle, without being taken captive by Satan….”
Brother Lin’s fellowship allowed me to know the root cause of the rumors. None of the people who attacked me had investigated Almighty God’s work of the last days before resisting it. They got really carried away with those rumors. Wise people would draw a conclusion after investigation. However, since belief in God was a serious matter, I feared taking a wrong path and had some misgivings. After I got home from work, I prayed to the Lord in tears, “O Lord! You are the God who observes the depths of man’s heart. You once guided me when I was most in need, making me happy and joyful. O Lord! I am very bewildered right now. May You guide and lead me. O Lord! Today I won’t listen to others and follow the crowd. I am willing to act in harmony with Your will.” As I was sleeping that night, without knowing the time, I felt in a daze that something was pressing on me. I wanted to open my eyes but failed and my struggling was in vain. I shouted hurriedly, “Lord Jesus, save me!” But it was useless although I had shouted twice. I was very fearful and was at a loss what to do. Suddenly I thought of Almighty God. So I cried out “Almighty God” twice and then I woke up. I was seized by panic and it was quite a while before I recovered. I thought to myself: Why was it useful to cry out to Almighty God while calling out to the Lord Jesus was not? At that time, I remembered Brother Lin’s fellowship: Almighty God has come and continued the work of the Lord Jesus. He has ushered in a new age and concluded the old by the name of Almighty God. Because there is one name for each age, the Holy Spirit upholds His new name in the new age. Now it is the last days. Almighty God set about His work in 1991. So, God only answers our prayers when we pray in the name of Almighty God. Only then did I realize that what happened just now was not accidental, but the confirmation given by God after He heard my prayer. Thanks be to the Lord! Thus, I had confidence to face the attacks from my boss and my colleagues.
I Was Again Attacked Because I Persisted in Believing in Almighty God
When I was at work the next day, my boss again criticized me in front of all the employees, saying that I was walking the wrong path. She also spoke very harsh words to blaspheme God. I was indignant at those words and asked her, “What is evil? We all believe in God. Why do you condemn others in this way?” After saying this, I stormed away. A few minutes later, my boss came for me and blamed me for losing my temper with her. I said, “I did not mean to get mad. But you shouldn’t have said those words. We believers in God should not say the words profaning, resisting or condemning God, which is sinning against God. If you feel I will be detrimental to the company, I can choose to leave. All I want is to believe in God properly. I won’t hurt you or affect the company. You think you mean well. But I’m an adult with rational thinking. Concerning whether Almighty God is the coming of the Lord Jesus, I have sought and investigated it rather than believed it by listening to others casually.” She then asked me if I had read the statements on TV and online. I answered, “Anything negative comes from Satan. What I have seen differs from what you have seen. The Church of Almighty God has never made people do those evil things. Rather, quite the opposite, we’re asked to be good and honest people.” Then she was speechless and left.
A Hymn of God’s Word Gave Me Confidence to Fight
However, from then on, my boss has been freezing me out and even satirizing me in order for me to give up my faith in Almighty God. One day, my boss suddenly told me, “Sister Yun will talk to you when she comes back from her business trip.” At those words, I felt somewhat bad and nervous. It was Sister Yun who spread the Lord’s gospel to me. She was also a VIP client in our beauty salon. If she was offended, it would be hard for me to deal with her and my boss would be unhappy. As the day of Sister Yun coming back approached, I became more nervous and scared. One afternoon, I prayed to God in a VIP room. Just after my prayer, my boss phoned to say, “Sister Yun will come in a moment. Give a facial treatment to her.” Though reluctant, I had no excuse to wriggle out of it. I went to the staff room, listening to hymns of God’s word in order to quiet my heart before God. I listened to the 210th hymn “I Am Determined to Love God”: “ I wish for You to open the eyes of my spirit, I wish for Your Spirit to touch my heart, so that before You I am divested of all passive states, and unconstrained by any person, matter, or thing; my heart I completely lay bare before You, such that my entire being is devoted before You, and You may test me however You wish. Now, I give no thought to my prospects, nor am I bound by death. Using my heart that loves You, I wish to seek the way of life.” God’s words gave me faith. Gradually, my heart calmed down and was at ease. Yes. Whatever others say, I should seek the truth, search for the appearance and work of God and pursue to love Him without the constraint of anyone. How my boss sees or treats me and how my relationship with Sister Yun is going to be rest in God’s palm. Therefore, I got the faith to face all this.
I Triumphed in the Test by Praying to and Depending on God
A few minutes later, Sister Yun arrived. I prayed to God silently, “Almighty God! I am afraid that she will speak words that blaspheme, resist and condemn You…. May You protect and help me.” She started by only talking with me about what she reaped from her business trip to Israel. In the end, however, she asked me in a roundabout way, “In the last days, many false Christs and false prophets have appeared to deceive people….” I said, “Yes. The Lord Jesus indeed reminded us of that. But He also said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The Lord will lead us onto the right path. We should not only worry about deception from false Christs in the last days, because God has told us that His sheep listen to His voice.” However, she didn’t listen to me at all but kept telling me to be careful of false Christs that appeared in the last days to deceive people. She then spoke negative words about the Church of Almighty God. I ignored her words. Seeing me not respond to her, she no longer said anything. I thanked God for protecting me. As such, I passed this test.
God’s Words Guided Me Again and Gave Me Discernment
Later, my boss was still not pleased about me believing in Almighty God, keeping freezing me out and attacking me in front of my colleagues. During that time, brothers and sisters from the Church of Almighty God constantly fellowshiped and shared with me in order to allow me to understand God’s will. They told me: God gives people freedom of choice and He never forces them, which is His working principle. People volunteer to accept or not accept Almighty God’s work in the last days without being compelled. They also sent me a passage of God’s words, “Now what I set is the The Church of Almighty Godexercise for your life to grow, so that your spirit will be acute, your spiritual eyes will be opened and thus you will know what is from God. If it is from God, you will be capable and burdened in your service and be assured in your spirit. If it is not from Me, everything will be empty, and you will gain nothing, feel down in your spirit, lose faith, become distant from Me, and sink into mind. Now, living in the spirit, you can transcend all the worldly things. Living in the mind, you will fall into Satan’s trap and come to a dead end. Now, it is very simple. Look up to Me with your heart, and immediately you will be strong in your spirit and have ways of practice. I will lead you at your every step, and My word will be revealed to you anywhere and anytime. No matter when and where it is and how adverse the environment is, as long as your heart looks up to Me, I will surely let you see clearly, My heart will surely be revealed to you, and you will not get lost when running forward” (“The Thirteenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I gained a bit of knowledge about this passage of God’s words through their fellowship. There was always God’s permission no matter what happened to me. He created such an environment to try me and test me whether or not I had true faith in Him. Meanwhile, God wanted to open the eyes of my spirit so that I could distinguish between what came from God and what came from Satan. God also wished me to learn to rely on and look up to Him in trials because He would be with me to lead, guide, care and protect me.
With the guidance of God’s words and the help of brothers and sisters, I was even more aware of what was the right path. I ascertained that following Almighty God was keeping pace with the footsteps of the Lamb rather than taking the wrong path. Brothers and sisters in the Church of Almighty God fellowshiped about the truth and God’s will with me, and bore witness to what God has and what God is. They never forced me to believe but allowed me to choose freely. They only communicated with me on God’s will and helped me learn to discern various views. Whereas Sister Yun and my boss kept saying the words of profanity and resistance to God according to the online rumors in order to obstruct me from accepting God’s work of the last days by compulsion. When I didn’t listen to them, they just denounced and took digs at me. This made me thoroughly understand that only what was from Satan would push, attack and force man. Thanks be to God! It was obvious for me that who was from God and who was from Satan.
I Was Attacked and Threatened by the Pastor of My Original Church
I had thought things had come to an end, but something unexpected again happened. One day, I had just finished a beauty treatment for a client when my boss came to take me to the next building. I remembered she was out for a couple of hours, but I didn’t know she was actually talking with Sister Yun and the pastor of my original church in the next building. She didn’t tell me that Sister Yun was waiting for me until when we were almost to the door. I entered and saw that Pastor Liu and his wife and Sister Yun were there. I was a little nervous at that time for I had no idea what they would do. So I prayed to God silently, “Almighty God! They come to me for another talk. I ask You to protect me, help me and give me Your wisdom to respond to them.” About ten minutes later, I was no longer nervous or flustered. I thought to myself: Are they here to force me to leave Almighty God? If I don’t agree, will I lose my job? But I then called to mind that everything was in God’s hand and He would make proper arrangements. I wouldn’t leave Almighty God even if my job was lost. Pastor Liu asked me when I started believing in the Lord and spoke many things about belief in the Lord. Then he asked, “Do you know the Church of Almighty God? Are you still in touch with them? …” He also said many words that blasphemed Almighty God and vilified the Church. I said with some anger, “Why do your knowledge and opinion of the Church of Almighty God conflict with what I’ve learned through contact? We all browsed on the Internet. I saw both negative and positive information. But you started to condemn it without considering the positive or investigating. Is that proper?” Instead of answering me, Pastor Liu said, “The Church of Almighty God develops rapidly and has stolen the lambs from many churches. If you don’t listen to our admonitions and persist in believing in Almighty God, we won’t be courteous to you. We will tell all the brothers and sisters in the church that you have believed in Almighty God and they will think that you want to steal lambs if you go to the church.” He then intimidated me by saying some false testimonies. I wasn’t scared of his words but on the contrary, I asked him with confidence, “Have you seen these things with your own eyes? Are you sure that people in the Church of Almighty God did them? You blindly condemn the Church and blaspheme Almighty God by echoing others’ views without seeking or investigation. Aren’t you the same as the Pharisees who resisted the Lord Jesus?”
I Saw Through the Pastor’s Lie
I continued to ask, “It is prophesied in the Bible that the Lord will be rejected by this generation when He comes again. What does it mean? Is people’s resistance against Almighty God the same as that of the Pharisees against the Lord Jesus? What did the Lord Jesus say when the Pharisees opposed Him? He said, ‘But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in’ (Matthew 23:13). Why was it that they opposed the Lord Jesus while His disciples followed Him? The Lord Jesus once said that His sheep hear His voice and that He would separate sheep from goats. I haven’t believed in God for a long time and don’t understand the Bible. Pastor Liu, you studied theology. I think you’ll have some answers.” He was incapable of replying to my questions. He only said, “We can obtain everlasting life since we believe in the Lord and have been baptized.” I said, “What? Is it this simple to obtain everlasting life? Does everyone who was baptized in the church treat the Lord with sincerity? There are always sermons to encourage offerings in the church. But the Lord never said giving offerings is love for Him. Then what does it really mean to love the Lord? Please talk about it.” He answered, “Loving the Lord is to read the Bible more and pray more.” At that point, I thought: Although I don’t know what true love for the Lord is, his answer is purely fooling me. The Pharisees read many scriptures and offered a lot of prayers. Could it be said that they loved the Lord? If they did, why did they blaspheme and condemn the Lord and nail Him to the cross? Pastor Liu has no idea at all about what it is to love the Lord. It turns out that having biblical knowledge and theology doesn’t mean understanding the truth. When my thoughts went there, I felt that it was meaningless to argue with him. So I didn’t want to say more. But Pastor Liu still continued, “Do you know they claim that the Lord has returned through incarnation as a female to do His work?” On hearing this question, I said, “What form the Lord takes when He becomes flesh is His own business. We are just small and insignificant men. Can we define the work of God? Men are mere dust before God and cannot even compare with ants. It is not necessary for God to seek our advice about how to perform His work.” Seeing that they did not at all have a heart of seeking and investigating God’s work of the last days, I didn’t want to go on talking with them. At last, I asked, “Have you ever thought that your arrival to the company for me like this would affect my work?” I didn’t expect that Pastor Liu lied to me, “Your boss has no idea about the content of our conversation.” Upon hearing his words, I didn’t say anything but forced a smile. I prayed silently to God in my heart, “Dear God, You have allowed me to see clearly the pastor’s true face. He is full of lies. He spent the whole afternoon talking with my boss. What’s more, since my boss heard it from Sister Yun that I believe in Almighty God, she has got a sharp tongue and kept attacking me. Now the pastor actually tells me that the content of our conversation is unknown to my boss, which is really blatant deceit of me.” I didn’t want to speak to him anymore, and felt like leaving.
Sister Yun’s “Persuasion” and the Pastor’s Warning
Seeing me not want to go on with the conversation, Sister Yun said, “Yixin, you have parents and children. You should think about them.” I said, “My family are all good and safe. I have God’s blessings and guidance when I believe in Almighty God. We will get better and better.” Pastor Liu and Sister Yun suggested making a prayer for me but I refused. Then Pastor Liu warned me by saying, “If you don’t leave the Church of Almighty God, nobody of our church will admit you in the future.” I thought: How does the church look like now? It has become a den of thieves, just like the temple when the Lord Jesus came to do His work. I can’t receive any provision there. There is nothing I cannot bear to part with. I have accepted God’s work in the last days, followed the Lamb’s footsteps, come before God’s throne, being supplied by the living water of life flowing from Christ. The Church of Almighty God is my only true family.
I Saw the Fulfillment of Almighty God’s words
Thanks to God’s mercy. I have gained discernment through the disturbance from the religious force. I saw that the pastor told a pack of lies. What he lived out and what he did totally came from Satan. Besides, the believers in religion deceived each other and were unworthy of trust. The religious circle has lost the work of the Holy Spirit, been completely shrouded by darkness and dominated by Satan. In the meanwhile, I also saw that the brothers and sisters in the Church of Almighty God solve people’s problems and difficulties with God’s words, living under the guidance of God’s words. It is the truth that rules in the Church, it is the word of God that rules, it is the Holy Spirit that rules. The sun shines resplendent here. No wonder Almighty God says, “Now what I set is the exercise for your life to grow, so that your spirit will be acute, your spiritual eyes will be opened and thus you will know what is from God (“The Thirteenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). After experiencing these words from Almighty God, I’ve recognized that He is as good as His word and that His word shall be accomplished. This is absolute. Almighty God’s words are indeed the truth, and I am even more certain that the Church of Almighty God is the real church and that Almighty God is the Creator who has appeared to work. I am willing to follow Him all my life.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Question (3)

Question (3)

You say only those who obey the will of the Father in heaven receive the way of everlasting life. Since we believed in the Lord, we’ve suffered much and paid much to spread the Lord’s gospel. We’ve shepherded the Lord’s flock, taken up the cross and followed the Lord, practiced humbleness, patience, and tolerance. Are you saying we haven’t been following God’s will? We know that if we continue, we will become holy and be raptured to the kingdom of heaven. Do you mean our understanding and practice of God’s word is wrong?
Answer: Many people have the notion that if they labor, sacrifice for the Lord, or perform good deeds, they are obeying God’s will. But are these imagined notions of men after God’s heart? Do they have a basis in God’s word? Let’s see what the Lord Jesus said. The Lord Jesus said, “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
From the Lord Jesus’ words, we can see that those who prophesy, cast out devils, and do many wonderful works in His name are the ones who suffer and do works for the Lord. They serve the Lord. It’s true that they devote all their time to Him and behave very well. But why does Jesus call them those who work iniquity? How should we understand this? By man’s notions, any who suffer and do works for the Lord, and devote their time to Him, are obeying God’s will. The priests and scribes and the Pharisees in Judaism also appeared very pious. They traveled far and wide to preach the gospel. But why did the Lord Jesus condemn them and also curse them? That’s something worth reflecting on, isn’t it? We can’t determine obedience to God’s will using the notions of man. True obedience to God’s will refers to those who can obey God’s works and words, practice God’s words, follow God’s commandments, and fulfill their duties according to God’s will and requirements. You say any who suffer and do works for the Lord are obeying God’s will. Then let’s evaluate them using the Lord Jesus’ requirements. What was Jesus’ most important commandment for man? Jesus’ most important commandment for man is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) But are people doing this? Obeying God’s will means loving God with all of our heart, and soul, and mind. No matter how much work we do or how much we suffer, there shall be no impurity or ambition, just pure devotion to satisfying and obeying God, to carrying out God’s will. We should be happy to sacrifice everything for God, without demand for recompense. In the face of trials and tribulation from God, we should not complain or betray Him but put ourselves at the mercy of God’s arrangements, like Abraham, Job, and Peter. When God’s trials come, we should accept with utter obedience and without complaint, and bear good and resounding testimony for God. And this is obedience to God’s will. Given those demands, it should be obvious whether or not we are people who truly obey the heavenly Father’s will.
We see many are capable of suffering, doing work and sacrificing in the Lord’s name, but in their suffering and sacrifice, there’s personal ambition and desire. They seek to enter the kingdom of heaven. Is this not using and defrauding God? How is this practicing the truth to satisfy God? But there’s an even bigger tragedy going on. Although the religious pastors and elders often work and preach in their churches, and outwardly appear to do good acts, and yet when Almighty God does the work of judgment in the last days, to protect their own influence and their position and income, they wildly judge, condemn, profane Almighty God, and try to stop people from seeking the true way. Doesn’t this make them enemies of God? How is this any different from the crimes of the Pharisees who resisted the Lord Jesus? These facts are enough to prove that people have no knowledge of God, that people’s satanic nature remains and people haven’t gained truth as life. Even those who can suffer, labor, and sacrifice for God do so to barter with Him. They believe in God with the aim of gaining blessings for themselves. Such people are not practicing God’s words at all and do not care for God’s will. They’re not testaments of obedience and love for God. How could such people obey God’s will? And how could they be qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven and gain the way of everlasting life? Almighty God says, “I decide the destination of each man not on the basis of age, seniority, amount of suffering, or least of all, the degree of misery, but on whether they possess truth. There is no other choice but this. You must realize that all those who do not follow the will of God will be punished. This is an immutable fact.” (from “You Ought to Do Enough Good Deeds to Prepare for Your Destination” in The Word Appears in the Flesh)
God decides the destination of each man not on the basis of how much work he does or suffering he undergoes, but on the basis of whether he possesses truth, practices God’s word, and obeys God’s will. Because only those who obey God’s will can enter the kingdom of heaven and gain eternal life. This is decided by God’s righteous disposition and cannot be changed. So, we all need to reflect on the path we’ve taken to belief in God. Why, while we believe in and follow God, do we also sin and resist God? It’s caused entirely by the sinful nature hidden within man. With man’s sinful nature, it’s very difficult to truly obey and love God. Thus man’s sinful nature makes it hard to avoid trying to barter and gain blessings while he sacrifices for God. And man’s sinful nature creates complaints, betrayal and negativity in man when faced with the trials of God. So, with man’s sinful nature, how can he become someone who obeys God’s will? How can he become holy? It’s completely impossible! For man to truly obey God’s will and become holy, the problem of his sinful nature must be solved. If people don’t accept Almighty God’s work of judgment and chastisement, then they will never be approved by God. If they don’t experience God’s work of judgment in the last days, they will never receive the truth, achieve dispositional change or be after God’s heart. That is a fact that no one could ever deny.
from the movie script “From the Throne Flows the Water of Life

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Listen! Who Is Speaking?

Listen! Who Is Speaking?

Zhou Li
Being a preacher of the Three Grades of Servants Church, I felt quite helpless when seeing that fewer and fewer brothers and sisters came to the meetings. I had prayed to the Lord countless times, asking Him to strengthen the faith of the brothers and sisters, but the desolation of our church didn’t change at all, and even I myself was mired in weakness. … One day, when I was doing the housework, two co-workers of our church, Brother Wang and Brother Lin, came. Seeing them, I was happy and let them into the room. After an exchange of greetings, Brother Wang said, “Sister Zhou, how is your spiritual condition?” I gave a sigh and said, “Don’t mention it. I’m weak and have nothing to preach in the meetings. The brothers and sisters are also passive and weak, and there are only a few left in the church.” At this, they looked at each other, and Brother Lin said, “Sister Zhou, do you know why we are no longer able to preach, and why there are only a few believers left in the church?” Hearing that, I thought, “This is just what I want to know. Do they know the reason?” So I asked quickly, “Why?” Brother Wang said, “Because the Lord has come back and become flesh for the second time to speak and carry out new work. Many brothers and sisters have accepted God’s new work and have lived in the stream of the present work of the Holy Spirit, and their condition is growing better. We also should hurry up and follow God’s footsteps!” His words reminded me of what our senior co-workers had said, “If anyone preaches that God has carried out new work and expressed new words, he has departed from the Bible. Departure from the Bible is not belief in God, but is deviation from the Lord’s way, and is apostasy.” As I thought of that, I said gravely, “Haven’t our senior co-workers told us many times that departure from the Bible is not belief in God? You should have remembered it. Departure from the Bible is departure from the Lord’s way. You are so bold to preach that to me.” As I spoke, I got up. At the time, Brother Lin said, “Take it easy, Sister Zhou. We know you are a true believer of God and pursue hard, so we preach God’s new work to you. You should examine it carefully, and not miss this opportunity! …” I raised my hand before he finished his speaking, and said, “Stop! Stop! Don’t talk about it anymore. I won’t believe in whatever departs from the Bible. You gave up the Lord’s way, but I will hold it fast.” Seeing me obstinately refuse to listen, they had to leave. After that, they came a few times, but I gave them the cold shoulder.
One day, Brother Wang and Brother Lin came with two sisters. At that time, I was in the room picking over beans, and my husband was working outside the house. He let them into the room. At the sight of them, my heart skipped a beat, “You came again and also brought along two helpers.” They entered the room and greeted me. Then they began to fellowship with my husband. I was dreadfully worried, thinking, “What they preach departs from the Bible. I must keep watch over my husband lest he be tempted by them.” I wanted to drive them away, but I was afraid that my husband would get annoyed, so I had to keep silent. I didn’t take in anything they preached, while he kept nodding his head, saying, “Yes, it’s right. That’s it. That’s it. It sounds reasonable. What you are saying is great!” Seeing him so attracted by their preaching, I got furious and said sarcastically with my finger pointing at him, “Is it really right? How much have you read the Bible? How many days have you believed in God? Did you rely on God? You said ‘right, right, right’; how much have you understood?” My rude words and manner brought the room into complete silence. They looked at one another, and my husband said to me at once, “Knock it off! Let’s listen first. It is good for us. How could you know whether it is right or not without hearing it?” Knowing that I couldn’t stop him, I moved the beans back and forth angrily to make noises, thinking in a fit of pique, “Want to listen! I won’t let you hear anything. I must disturb you!” However, my act didn’t disturb my husband from hearing their fellowship at all, and instead, he talked with them happily while listening. After some time, my husband said to me joyfully, “Xiaoli, the Lord has truly come back! The words in this book are personally spoken by God. They are so wonderful! Xiaoli, go and prepare the dinner.” I cast him an angry look and said, “You cook if you like. I have no time.” Later, my husband and Brother Lin cooked the dinner. After the meal, they gave him a book, some tapes, and a hymn book, and then left. I couldn’t bear it anymore and said to my husband, “Our senior co-workers said many times that believers in God can’t depart from the Bible. Departure from the Bible is not belief in God. Have you forgotten it? You have no stand at all!” But my husband said calmly, “What they preached doesn’t depart from the Bible but goes higher on the basis of the Bible. And moreover, Almighty God’s new work they preached has fulfilled the words in the Bible. As you see, there are only a few people left in our church. You also need to investigate it quickly.” Hearing his words, I responded crossly, “What do you know? Departure from the Bible means betrayal of the Lord. You don’t hold on to the Bible, but I will keep to it.”
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From then on, my husband would read the book given by Brother Lin whenever he had time. One early morning, at about three o’clock, my husband got up and began to read the book. I, half awake, heard him reading: “… could it be that you have forgotten…? Have you really forgotten…?” (“How Peter Came to Know Jesus” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I was annoyed at his reading aloud, thinking, “You got up so early and have disturbed my sleep!” After a little while, I dimly heard: “… because before Jesus was crucified He had said to him: ‘I am not of this world, and you too are not of this world” (“How Peter Came to Know Jesus” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “It’s so strange that this book mentions the Lord Jesus! Did I mishear?” I thought. Then I clearly heard: “… have you forgotten? … have you forgotten?” (“How Peter Came to Know Jesus” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). At that moment, my heart was moved, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. I said to myself, “Who has said that? O Lord, is it You who is speaking to me? These words seem to be said to me by You. How gentle they are!” And then I thought, “I must get up quickly to cook the meal, and after breakfast I will read that book and see what it says about and whether it departs from the Bible.”
Having finished the breakfast, my husband went to read the book. I thought, “Why didn’t he ask me to read it together with him?” I stood at the door for quite a while, but he immersed himself in the book and didn’t notice me at all. I walked in the kitchen back and forth restlessly, anxious to see what was written in the book. I looked into the room, and he was still absorbed in reading the book. I really wanted to go into the room and read that book with him. But then I thought, “The brothers and sisters came to preach to me many times, but I didn’t accept it. If I ask him to let me read the book, would he reproach me? If so, how embarrassed I would be!” At the thought of that, I withdrew my head. I paced up and down the outer room. When I remembered the words my husband read aloud in the early morning, I grew more anxious, thinking, “I must go in to see what that book talks about.” So I walked to the door, but drew back again. Like a cat on hot bricks, I didn’t know what to do. At last, I steeled myself and thought, “Well, if he says something unpleasant to me, let him do it. I shouldn’t have rejected them so stubbornly or have turned a deaf ear to his advice.” I got up the courage and walked into the room, and said embarrassedly, “Shall we read it together?” He raised his head with a surprised look and said joyfully, “OK! Come! Let’s read it together.” I was much moved, as he didn’t reproach me as I had expected. My uneasiness now vanished. I was so happy and began to read the book with my husband. But what we read were not the words I overheard in the early morning. Just then my husband went out, and I hurriedly turned back the pages. I found the very words I wanted! I read these words aloud with joy: “Peter was greatly encouraged by Jesus’ words, because before Jesus was crucified He had said to him: ‘I am not of this world, and you too are not of this world.’ Later, when Peter reached a point of great pain, Jesus reminded him: ‘Peter, have you forgotten? I am not of the world, and it was only for My work that I departed earlier. You too are not of the world, have you forgotten? I have told you twice, do you not remember?’ Peter heard Him and said: ‘I have not forgotten!’ Jesus then said: ‘You once spent a happy time gathered with Me in heaven and a period of time by My side. You miss Me, and I miss you. Although the creatures are not worth mentioning in My eyes, how can I not love one who is innocent and lovable? Have you forgotten My promise? You must accept My commission on earth; you must fulfill the task that I entrusted you with. One day I will certainly lead you to be by My side” (“How Peter Came to Know Jesus” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I read them over and over again. The more I read, the more I felt they didn’t deviate from the Bible. I wondered then, “Why do my senior co-workers say whoever preaches that the Lord has come back and done new work and spoken new words has departed from the Bible and that departure from the Bible means departure from the Lord’s way?” I prayed in my heart, “O Lord, what is all this about? May You enlighten me and guide me so that I can understand Your will.”
Afterward, I read these words of Almighty God: “For many years, people’s traditional means of belief (that of Christianity, one of the world’s three major religions) has been to read the Bible; departure from the Bible is not the belief in the Lord, departure from the Bible is an evil cult, and heresy, and even when people read other books, the foundation of these books must be the explanation of the Bible. Which is to say, if you say you believe in the Lord, then you must read the Bible, you must eat and drink the Bible, and outside the Bible you must not worship any book that does not involve the Bible. If you do, then you are betraying God. From the time when there was the Bible, people’s belief in the Lord has been the belief in the Bible. Instead of saying people believe in the Lord, it is better to say they believe in the Bible; rather than saying they have begun reading the Bible, it is better to say they have begun believing in the Bible; and rather than saying they have returned before the Lord, it would be better to say they have returned before the Bible. In this way, people worship the Bible as if it were God, as if it were their lifeblood and losing it would be the same as losing their life. People see the Bible as being as high as God, and there are even those who see it as higher than God” (“Concerning the Bible (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). These words touched my heart. “Aren’t they directed at me? I have been holding to the Bible like this since I began to believe in the Lord. I see the Bible as my lifeblood. Every time after I read it, I put it on a high place beyond the reach of my children. I consider it above everything else, and even think that departure from the Bible means betrayal of the Lord. But, am I wrong?” I read on with a seeking heart, from “Concerning the Bible (1)” to “Concerning the Bible (4).” The more I read, the more I became enlightened. Almighty God’s words made me completely understand this: Actually, the Bible is nothing more than a historical record of God’s work, a testament to the previous two stages of God’s work. The Old Testament records Jehovah’s work from the time of creation until the end of the Age of Law, and the New Testament records the Lord Jesus’ work in the Age of Grace. God’s work is always new and never old, and is ceaselessly progressing onward. Today God has done a new stage of work outside the Bible—the work of the Age of Kingdom, which is the last stage of God’s work of saving man. These three stages of work are done by one God. “That’s right!” I thought, “God is so almighty, so wise; it is impossible for Him to have just done the limited work recorded in the Bible. Besides, I have personally seen from Almighty God’s words that God’s words and work in the last days do not deny the Bible, but become higher and deeper on the basis of the work of the Age of Law and the Age of Grace recorded in the Bible, and are more in line with man’s actual needs. It is just as this passage of Almighty God’s word says: ‘You must understand why, today, you are asked not to read the Bible, why there is another work that is separate from the Bible, why God does not look for newer, more detailed practice in the Bible, why there is instead mightier work outside of the Bible. This is all what you should understand. You must know the difference between the old and new work, and even though you do not read the Bible, you must be able to dissect it; if not, you will still worship the Bible, and it will be difficult for you to enter into the new work and undergo new changes. Since there is a higher way, why study that low, outdated way? Since there are newer utterances, and newer work, why live amid old historical records? The new utterances can provide for you, which proves that this is the new work; the old records can’t sate you, or satisfy your current needs, which proves that they are history, and not the work of the here and now. The highest way is the newest work, and with the new work, no matter how high the way of the past, it is still the history of people’s reflections, and no matter its value as reference, it is still the old way. Even though it is recorded in the ‘holy book,’ the old way is history; even though there is no record of it in the ‘holy book,’ the new way is of the here and now. This way can save you, and this way can change you, for this is the work of the Holy Spirit’” (“Concerning the Bible (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). At that moment, I was suddenly enlightened: Now I know why I have grown increasingly passive in spirit although I have held to the Bible all the time and why my brothers and sisters have become ever weaker and some of them have even stopped attending the meetings although they haven’t departed from the Bible under my leading; why those brothers and sisters who have accepted the kingdom gospel of Almighty God are full of faith, and no matter how I have treated them, they are not disheartened but still come to preach the gospel to me again and again. The reason is this: What I have held to is the old way and I have long lost the work of the Holy Spirit; whereas the brothers and sisters of the Church of Almighty God are guided by the new way and watered by God’s new words, thereby gaining the work of the Holy Spirit. This is how the new way and the old way differ.
At that time, I had a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness. I was happy because although I had been so disobedient and resistant to Him, God didn’t abandon me but allowed me to overhear His voice through my husband reading His words out in early morning. That was really God’s love for me. And I was sad because every time the brothers and sisters came from afar to preach the gospel to me, I ignored them, and I even spoke cold words when they fellowshiped with my husband. Thinking of God’s love and my resistance to God’s work, I couldn’t restrain my tears. I knelt down before God and prayed, “O Almighty God, I know I am wrong. I’m willing to put aside the Bible, keep up with Your new work, and listen to Your words in the new age. I will never again oppose You, nor do I want my life to be ruined by my notions and imaginations. O God, I’m resolved to cooperate with You and bring those true believers in You to Your house, so as to make up for my indebtedness to You. Thank Almighty God! May all the glory be to Almighty God!”
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