How I Fell Down Before Almighty God | Ironclad Proofs of God’s Words Conquering Denominations’ and Sects’ Leaders

 How I Fell Down Before Almighty God

Wang Yu’e

Yantai City, Shandong Province

My name is Wang Yu’e. I live in Yantai City, Shandong Province. Speaking of how I disobeyed and resisted Almighty God at one time, I shed remorseful tears. I believed in God but did not know God and looked up to men and listened to men, so for years I resisted God’s work of the last days and blasphemed Almighty God, seriously offending God’s disposition and committing a heinous sin. Yet, God’s love is wide and long and high and deep. God did not treat me according to my sin but moved me with His selfless love, so that I was fortunate to come before God and live under the illumination of God’s words, know God’s righteous disposition, and step onto the right way of human life gradually.

Since 1998, there had been people accepting the work of Almighty God in our church, and the believers in our church had become fewer and fewer. Moreover, there arose intrigues, jealousy and strife, and factions among the brothers and sisters. I didn’t know what to do then, so I asked my leader in tears what was the matter. I thought to myself, “Could it be that I am unworthy to be a church leader?” The leader said, “The Bible tells us clearly that in the last days some people will apostatize, and there will appear antichrists and deceivers… The ‘Eastern Lightning’ is a heresy, a cult. You should remember: Never listen to or have contact with anyone who preaches the three stages of work or the female Christ, much less read their books. Be sure not to be deceived by them. We should keep the Lord’s way. It’s enough for us to just read the Bible and listen to Hong Kong Gospel Radio Station.”

In the days that followed, there were really many brothers and sisters coming to preach God’s salvation of the last days to me. I not only didn’t accept it, but instead I hated their guts. Once, two elderly sisters came to preach God’s gospel of the last days to me. I said to them, “You apostates are so conscienceless. You have left the Lord, and you even come to deceive me. You are all the brood of vipers. Don’t defile my house. Get out!” While saying this, I tried desperately to push them out of the door. One of them was pushed over by me. Her head was hurt and bled. Seeing this, I even said gloatingly, “Serve you right. This is God’s punishment for you!” After driving them away, I prayed to the Lord, “O Lord! Please curse them, stop their steps, seal their mouths, and bind the devil, Satan…” Another time, a distant aunt of my husband, over eighty years old, came to me and said, “I come to tell you a piece of good news. Now, God has done a new work in China, the work that the word accomplishes everything…” I was annoyed at these words, thinking, “You even come out preaching at such an old age. You have really joined in a cult. Don’t think that I will accept it because you are over eighty. Even if a 100-year-old person comes to preach, I will not accept it.” The next day, I drove her away in spite of a light rain.

Just like that, my heart became more and more hardened and more and more disobedient. And I even tore up the book of God’s word the sisters brought to me and burned it. One summer day in 2001, it was raining hard. I thought that no one would come that day. Unexpectedly, two out-town sisters came again. I was very angry and said, “Even in such weather you come and disturb my rest!” As I talked, the two sisters began to fellowship with me in the rain. Before they finished their words, I said exasperatedly, “Go or not? If you don’t go, I will dial 110! My foundation has been well established. You’ll get nothing from me! Except the Bible, I don’t want to read anything or listen to anything! I drive you in the name of Jesus. Go away. Don’t talk rubbish!” After they went away, I found a book named The Expression of the Christ in the cabinet. I took up the book of God’s word and tore and burned it like a maniac. While doing so, I kept swearing, “You devils and Satans even dare to misuse the name of the Lord Jesus. I burn you all in the name of the Lord!”

God’s disposition indeed does not tolerate man’s offense! Because of my disobedience and resistance, my family suffered God’s punishment. In April, 2002, my husband’s stomach swelled for no reason. The doctor diagnosed that he had cirrhotic ascites. Soon, it turned into liver cancer. We spent nearly 20,000 yuan during the time when he was hospitalized, but he passed away ten days after he returned home. Three days after his death, my eldest son forced his wife to worship idols. His wife didn’t listen to him, so he beat her up. As a result, she went to her mother’s home. No matter who went to persuade her, she refused to come back. My youngest son also forced his wife to lay offerings, and as his wife refused to do so, he burst into a storm of abuse. My sons kept burning paper money and my house was filled with evil smoke. This made me sick and hard to breathe. I was full of anger, hatred, and grief, and sobbed my heart out. Every time when the day for burning the seventh-day paper money came (from the day of a person’s death, his family has to lay offerings and burn paper money every seven days, until the forty-ninth day), my house was in chaos. In those days, I really lived in agony. Though I fasted and prayed earnestly all day, I still couldn’t see any hope. I completely lost the peace and joy of being with God.

October 2, 2002 was the most unforgettable day in my life. On that day, I, a stubborn and disobedient person, was conquered by God’s word and finally fell down before God.

On that day, I went to a sister’s home with my younger sister. There I met with two sisters who preached God’s work of the last days (I didn’t know about that at that time). After I talked about some of my difficulties, the two sisters began to fellowship with me, “God’s work has advanced, so the churches that do not keep up with the pace of God’s work become desolate, and some brothers and sisters go back to the world…” Hearing this, I was certain that they were the “Eastern Lightning” followers. “I mustn’t listen to them.” I thought to myself. So I gave my sister a hint that we should stop listening, but my sister insisted on listening. She asked one sister, “Since the Lord Jesus is the Son of God, why is the Christ you preach a female?” The sister took out the book of God’s word and read these words to us: “Each stage of work done by God has a real significance. When Jesus arrived, He was male, and this time He is female. From this, you can see that God created both male and female for His work and with Him there is no distinction of gender. When His Spirit arrives, He can take on any flesh at will and the flesh represents Him. Be it male or female, both represent God as long as it is His incarnate flesh. If Jesus arrived and appeared as a female, in other words, if the conception by the Holy Spirit was to an infant girl and not a boy, that stage of work would have been completed all the same. If so, this stage of work would have to be completed instead by a male and the work would then be completed all the same. The work done in both stages is significant; no work is repeated or conflicts with each other. … With God there is no distinction of gender. His work is done as He wishes and is not subject to any restrictions, particularly free, but every stage has a real significance. God became flesh twice, and it goes without saying that His incarnation in the last days is the last time. He has come to reveal all His deeds. If in this stage He did not become flesh to personally do work for man to witness, man would forever hold on to the notion that God is only male, not female.” God’s words explained the question very clearly, but I was still afraid to be deceived. So I secretly sang the song of beating down the devil, Satan. But after I sang two or three words of the song, I couldn’t go on. And then I began to pray to bind the devil, Satan. But I didn’t know what to pray after I said only two or three words. At that point, my sister asked, “Does the Bible mention the three stages of work?” The sister said, “Yes.” As she said that, she opened 2 Corinthians 1:10 and read it: “Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us….” And she continued, “This verse was written in the Age of Grace. And so ‘who … does deliver’ refers to the salvation of the Lord Jesus, ‘who delivered …’ refers to the work of the Age of Law that Jehovah God did, and ‘he will yet deliver us’ refers to the work of judgment and chastisement God does in the last days. From this, we can see that God’s management work of saving mankind is divided into three stages: the work of the Age of Law in the Old Testament, the work of the Age of Grace in the New Testament, and the work of the Age of Kingdom in the last days. And again, Isaiah 43:11-12 says, ‘I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you….’ In these verses, ‘I have declared’ means that God had spoken to His people through prophets. That is, it signifies the work of the Spirit, the work God did in the Age of Law. ‘I have saved’ means that God, in order to save mankind, was incarnated to be the likeness of sinful flesh and was nailed onto the cross. That is, it refers to the redemptive work the Lord Jesus did in the Age of Grace. ‘I have showed’ means that Almighty God expounds all the truths to people with words in the last days. ‘Declared, saved, and showed’ signify three different stages of work done by one God. These verses show us that God’s work of saving mankind consists of three stages.” Hearing this, I suddenly felt that the sister’s fellowship was very reasonable, and I thought to myself, “I have read these verses before, but why didn’t I know that they typify God’s three stages of work?” At that point, my sister asked, “Is it that God has already begun the work in Revelation? Has the Lamb opened the little scroll and revealed the mystery?” The sister answered with a smile, “Yes, God’s sheep hear God’s voice. Today, God has done a new work, and by expressing words He has unlocked all the mysteries of His six-thousand-year management plan to His believers. As long as you read God’s word, you will know everything. If you don’t read the word God has expressed today, how can you know whether it is true or false? God’s word says: ‘You must not blindly condemn the words expressed by God because of the appearance of false Christs during the last days, and must not be someone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit because you fear deception. Would that not be a great pity?’ Aunty, let’s be humble and seek whether it is the true way and investigate whether it is the truth. Don’t hold to our notions, thus hindering the Holy Spirit from working on us!”

After hearing the sister’s fellowship, I also wanted to put forward my doubts. So, I asked her, “How do you know that the Lord has descended? Doesn’t the Bible say that He will come in the same way as He went? The Lord left on a white cloud, so He will surely come back on a white cloud. Have you seen the Lord descending on a white cloud?” The sister replied, “Yes, the Lord Jesus went on a white cloud, so He will still come on the white cloud. But do you know what the ‘white cloud’ refers to? The Bible also tells us that the letter kills and the spirit gives life. It is written in Luke 17:24-25, ‘For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.’ From these two verses, we may consider this: If the Son of man came on the white cloud in the sky as we imagine, who would not know Him? How could He be rejected by this generation? Only when God’s coming is very discordant with man’s notions, like the Lord Jesus’ first incarnation, people will reject Him. Aunty, concerning what the white cloud refers to, let’s have a look how God explains it. God’s word says: ‘Man believes that, following the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven upon a white cloud, and took His place at the Most High’s right hand. Similarly, man conceives that Jesus shall descend, again upon a white cloud (this cloud refers to the cloud that Jesus rode upon when He returned to heaven), among those who have desperately yearned for Him for thousands of years, and that He shall bear the image and clothes of the Jews. After appearing to man, He shall bestow food upon them, and cause living water to gush forth for them, and shall live among man, full of grace and love, living and real. And so on. Yet Jesus the Savior did not do this; He did the opposite of what man conceived. He did not arrive among those who had yearned for His return, and did not appear to all men while riding upon the white cloud. He has already arrived, but man does not know Him, and remains ignorant of His arrival. Man is only aimlessly awaiting Him, unaware that He has already descended upon a white cloud (the cloud which is His Spirit, His words, and His entire disposition and all that He is), and is now among a group of overcomers that He will make during the last days. Man does not know this: although the Holy Savior Jesus is full of affection and love towards man, how could He work in “temples” inhabited by filth and impure spirits?’” “Ah yes! Is it really that God has come to earth and done a new work? If God did not unlock the mysteries of the Bible, how could they know so much? Who can unlock this mystery except God Himself?” Hearing God’s words, I was completely convinced. And I also realized that I had been sticking to the letters of the Bible and had never sought God in the matter of the Savior’s return. I felt very ashamed of this. Nevertheless, I still didn’t understand one thing, that is, why doesn’t God do His work openly since He has come? So, I asked the sister this question. The sister answered, “God’s word says this: ‘To work in the nation of the great red dragon, the most backward of places, is no easy task. If this work was to be made known, then it would be impossible to continue. This stage of work simply cannot progress in this place. How could they tolerate it if such work were carried out openly? Would this not bring even greater risk? If this work were not concealed, and rather continued as in the time of Jesus when He spectacularly healed the sick and cast out demons, then would it not have long ago been “seized” by the devils? … And if so, how then could My work continue to be carried out? The reason that signs and wonders are not manifested openly is for the sake of concealment. So My work can neither be seen, known or discovered by unbelievers. If this stage of work were to be done in the same manner as that of Jesus in the Age of Grace, it could not be so steady. So, the work to be concealed in this way is of benefit to you and to all work. When God’s work on earth comes to an end, that is, when this work in secret concludes, this stage of work will blow wide open. All will know that there are a group of overcomers in China; all will know that God become flesh is in China and that His work has come to an end. Only then will it dawn on man: Why is it that China has yet to show decline or collapse? It turns out that God is personally carrying out His work in China and has perfected a group of people into overcomers.’” Hearing God’s words, I deeply felt that God loves us so much. He does the work in a hidden way all for our sake. Moreover, since God chooses to work in a hidden way, there is surely His wisdom in it. What are we men? How dare we tell God how to do things! Ay! I’m really indebted to God. I condemned the brothers and sisters and abused them as the devils and Satans. I really confounded black and white! I acted as an accomplice of Satan, but I thought that I was faithful to the Lord. God sent the brothers and sisters to save me time after time. But I didn’t know to thank them but hated their guts. What I did has stabbed God to the heart. Fortunately, Almighty God’s word has enlightened me, a foolish person, so that my numb and obtuse spirit is revived. With remorseful tears, I said to the sisters in shame, “I have resisted the true God and condemned the brothers and sisters. Now I see. The God you preach is the Savior Jesus, the true God!” And then I prayed to God, “O God! I’m so blind and so foolish. I have done all the wicked deeds. It’s all because I’m so arrogant and have no seeking heart that today I’ve become one who resists You. O God! Can You forgive me once more? Will You still want me? …” The sister held my sister’s hands and mine and said, “Aunty! God loves man. He desires all men to be saved and not one to perish. God says: ‘In saving every person, God will pardon him to the maximum extent, that is, show him the greatest tolerance. As long as he can turn back from his wrong way and as long as he can repent, God will give him the opportunity to receive salvation.’ Aunty, God loves you so much. As long as you come to understand, God will be happy. God’s love for man is boundless and infinite, not as narrow as man’s…” My sister and I were so excited that we could hardly say a word. We just hugged the sister tightly, and a thousand words could not even express my feelings at that time… I felt that I was full of strength and in a good spirit. And the two sisters looked pleasant to me, and I couldn’t even bear to part with them. I knew that it was God’s love that united our hearts together. All the glory be to Almighty God!

After I was certain about God’s work, the trouble in my family died away. This showed me that everything is in the orchestration of Almighty God, and Almighty God is the only true God! At that point, I understood that because I disobeyed and resisted God, God raised up environments to smite and discipline me, hoping that I could realize that and turn back from my evil way. However, I, being numb and obtuse, not only did not wake up but blasphemed God instead. I really deserve God’s severer punishment! I’m really unworthy to live before God! All I can do is to spend the rest of my life in cooperating with God to bring before Almighty God the brothers and sisters like me who believe the rumors and resist the true God, so that they can enjoy the salvation of the last days early.

In order to repay God’s love, I joined the gospel preaching. Once, I went to preach the gospel to a sister. Just after I knocked twice on the door, the sister opened the door and swore, “You devils and Satans, go away! You are simply like beggars running around all day. Be off!” With this, she shut the door with a “bang.” I said to her through the door, “Sister! In the past, I was like you; I was also afraid to take the wrong way and always listened to the leaders. Today, after I accept Almighty God, I understand God’s intention to save man. If it were not for God’s love…” As I was saying this, the door was opened suddenly. With a stick in her hands, the sister said to me fiercely, “Go or not? If not, I will dial 110…” Ay! Seeing her, I saw the me yesterday. How remorseful I was! Only then did I realize how hard God’s work on earth is! And I also understood this: The reason why the brothers and sisters who preach the gospel don’t lose faith even when cursed and beaten is that they have understood God’s eager intention to save man and God’s work has produced the result so that they all live out the likeness a normal man should have. Those who don’t keep up with the pace of God’s work and who lose the work of the Holy Spirit all live in satanic disposition without sense and humanity. They eat the food God gives to them, but do the evil deeds of disobeying and resisting God, yet they are ignorant about it; they live in the fooling of Satan but think that they are defending the true way. Ay! They are really foolish, blind, and too pitiful!

Dear brothers and sisters, wake up quickly! Don’t be bound and fooled by others. Once an opportunity is missed, it will never come back to you. God says: “The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit.” Every word of God is the truth and the fact, without any falsehood. Don’t persist in the wrong way, and don’t be like what I was, nearly falling into God’s eternal punishment. Now, recalling all these, I feel very frightened indeed. If it were not for God’s love and tolerance, I would have already died somewhere! I hope that brothers and sisters can take it as a warning and wake up soon after reading my testimony!

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I Have Received Almighty God’s Great Salvation | Ironclad Proofs of God’s Words Conquering Denominations’ and Sects’ Leaders

I Have Received Almighty God’s Great Salvation

Zhi Yong

Chengde City, Hebei Province

I was formerly a senior co-worker of the Three Grades of Servants Church. In 1995, I gave up my study and left home and stepped onto the way of serving the Lord. In the Three Grades of Servants Church, there was a requirement for every co-worker: Since you have left home, you must not go back or write to or call your family. At that time, there was only one thought in my mind: The severer the requirements are and the more sufferings one has to endure, the more it proves that it is the true way. Only the Three Grades of Servants Church is the true way, and the others are false ones. If one leaves the Three Grades of Servants Church, he cannot be saved. So, I was resolved to serve God all my life and follow the “servant” appointed by God to the end.

Since 1996, the servant and the leaders of all levels had often said in meetings, “Now, the ‘Eastern Lightning’ followers are very rampant, and they kill people and set fire and do all kinds of evil deeds. We should protect the brothers and sisters from being deceived. Tell them not to receive any stranger.” So, I went to the churches and said to the brothers and sisters, “Never have contact with the followers of the ‘Eastern Lightning.’ They do all kinds of evil deeds. If you refuse to accept their way, they will kill you. That spirit is powerful! Once you talk with them, you will be controlled by them. They are ‘that man of sin’ and ‘the son of perdition’ mentioned in the Bible who takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God. They are following a false Christ and are deceivers. The Lord Jesus was crucified and bled His precious blood for us, and we should have conscience and hold to His name. As the saying goes, a dutiful son often comes from a poor family, and a loyal official is revealed at the time of national crisis. Now is just the time. We must hold fast to the true way and wait for rapture. The Three Grades of Servants Church is appointed by God, and one cannot be saved if he leaves the Three Grades of Servants Church.” As these words were from the servant, I believed them without any doubt and hated the “Eastern Lightning” followers bitterly. In every prayer I asked the Lord to cut off the “Eastern Lightning” followers lest more people be deceived by them. Once, a sister from the city of Xingtai told me that someone gave her a book, which was named The Trumpet of the Truth, and she dared not read it, and she asked me what she should do with it. I said, “Didn’t you hear what the servant said? The book is poisonous. Burn it right away.” And I also told her, “You should firmly believe in Jesus and the servant. Even if your parents join in the ‘Eastern Lightning,’ you should break off with them. From now on, any co-worker who has been transferred to another place shouldn’t be received unless he is accompanied by a local co-worker.” Just like that, I, ignorant of the facts, sealed off the church and resisted God together with the servant. In 1998, the servant and many leaders were arrested and put into prison, and the church was in chaos. But that didn’t slow down my pace of resisting the work of Almighty God. Seeing the chaotic state of the church, I made a resolution then: I’ll be a “dutiful son” at the time of family poverty and a “loyal official” at the time of national crisis, and even if I might die, I will be loyal to the servant to the end.

At the end of 1999, many co-workers of the church in my hometown led the brothers and sisters and accepted the work of Almighty God. The leader above sent me back home to investigate the situation and make a convert of those who had followed Almighty God. Unexpectedly, the salvation of Almighty God came upon me through this opportunity.

It had been four years since I saw my parents last. So, when they saw me back, they were very happy and kept saying that God answered their prayers. Then they brought home a sister to fellowship with me about God’s three stages of work. Only at that time did I know that my parents had actually accepted Almighty God. My anger quickly took over me at that time, and I said to my mother, “How come you are so conscienceless? The servant is in prison now, and the church is at the time of crisis. But you betrayed the servant and joined in the ‘Eastern Lightning.’ Have you forgotten the resolution you made before the servant at that time?” Then, no matter what they said, I turned a deaf ear to it and just prayed silently in my heart, “O Lord, may You bind them, so that I won’t be deceived by them. I will be a ‘dutiful son’ at the time of family poverty and a ‘loyal official’ at the time of national crisis…” Seeing that I didn’t make any response, the sister was so anxious that she knelt down and prayed alone, “O Almighty God, the sister acts this way because she doesn’t understand Your intention of saving man. May You enlighten her. O Almighty God, You know that I’m too ignorant to explain clearly the three stages of work You have done. I’m unwilling to hinder the sister from accepting the true way because of my ignorance…” Hearing her tearful prayer, I was moved very much, feeling that her prayer was very real and sincere. By comparison, my prayer was just like saying the line, very dull. But thinking of the “earnest instruction” the servant gave us in the meetings, I was hardened inwardly again, “All this is your mask. Even if you wail out of life, you deserve it. Want to cheat me? No way!” My mother also begged me in tears to make the decision after hearing first. Yet that didn’t touch my hardened heart in the slightest. I pointed at my mother and said fiercely, “Don’t pretend; quit playacting. Li XX, you are a traitor. If you say any more, I will break off my relationship with you. You go your way, and I’ll go mine. You can just forget that I have been your daughter. Otherwise, I will keep guard at the door with a knife and kill any of them who come.” I actually said such words to my mother at that time. I had simply lost humanity and had no sense at all. After that, I boarded in the church and began a crazier resistance. At that time, the “Eastern Lightning” was like a plague in my mind and must be exterminated. So, every day I went to “persuade” the brothers and sisters who had accepted Almighty God and attempted to drag them back to the presence of the servant. But all my effort ended in failure. Facing the situation, I felt at a loss, “O Lord, they were never so zealous when they followed the servant, but now they have such great strength in following Almighty God. What is it all about? …” In May 1999, the leader above me came to preach Almighty God’s work to me. It didn’t occur to me that my leader had also actually accepted Almighty God. I was so angry that I went to the home of one of my classmates and refused to see anyone. After a period of time, I quieted my heart and began to think about what had happened and asked God to enlighten and guide me because I didn’t know how to walk the future way. Later, the leader who had accepted Almighty God called me and told me that she wanted to see me. I agreed as I thought that we were best friends in the Three Grades of Servants Church and I would just go and listen first. On July 14, I met her and several sisters who had accepted Almighty God. It was the first time that I fellowshipped with them openly without any resistance. After I stayed with them for several days, I found that they were not at all as frightening or malicious as the servant said. Instead, I found something precious from their speeches and manners. That was the “love” between the brothers and sisters which I had not tasted in the Three Grades of Servants Church. In my years of service, I saw that the co-workers were united apparently but separate at heart, intriguing against one another, having jealousy and strife, and scrambling for power and position, and when you rested for a few days because of illness, others even said that you were indulging in ease and comfort, not to mention to get some comfort from others when you were in sorrow. So, in my heart, I was already numb to the “love” between the brothers and sisters, and I didn’t know what the mutual love was, much less trust in anyone. I always presented myself as stern to conceal my inner loneliness and emptiness. However, in contact with them, when I watched their behavior and listened to their open-hearted fellowship, there was a stir in my heart, “Don’t people say that anyone who doesn’t accept the ‘Eastern Lightning’ will be killed by them? Why do they always fellowship with me friendly without any anger no matter how I treat them or what unpleasant words I say or what a long face I pull? It’s said that the followers of the ‘Eastern Lightning’ are devils, but why do they have so much love? Are they making a pretense? It’s impossible. One can pretend to have anything but love, because only God is love and only God has love. Could it be that what people say is a rumor?” Gradually, the hostility for them in my heart was lessened, and I began to listen to their fellowship.

The sister said, “In seeking the truth, we cannot obtain results through arguing and disputing but should seek calmly and peaceably. In Revelation 3:20, the Lord said: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ This means that when the Lord comes, He will stand at the door and knock. If we close the door tight, won’t we shut the Lord out? Then how can we receive the truth from God? Now there are over two thousand denominations in the world, and each of them says that what they hold to is the true way and only the people of their denomination can be saved in the future. And they do not have contact with each other and don’t receive those from other denominations. Do you think that we can see the returned Jesus by doing so?” Ah yes, why haven’t I considered those before? I somewhat began to regret having said the word “never receive any stranger” to the brothers and sisters at the beginning. When the sister said that God had done a new work again, I refuted, “God will not do any new work, and He never said so.” The sister continued, “In Isaiah 40:12-15, it says, ‘Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor has taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he takes up the isles as a very little thing.’ What do you think man is before God? Just as Almighty God says: ‘“God” and “man” cannot be spoken of as equals. His substance and His work are most unfathomable and incomprehensible to man. If God does not personally do His work and speak His words in the world of man, then man would never be able to understand the will of God, and even those who have devoted their entire life to God would be incapable of gaining His approval. Without God’s work, no matter how good man’s doing, it will count for nothing, for the thoughts of God shall always be higher than the thoughts of man, and the wisdom of God is unfathomable to man. And so I say that those who have “seen through” God and His work are ineffectual, they are all arrogant and ignorant. Man should not define the work of God; moreover, man cannot define the work of God. In the eyes of God, man is smaller than an ant, so how can man fathom God’s work? Those who are constantly saying, “God does not work in this or that way” or “God is like this or that”—are they not all arrogant? We should all know that people, who are of the flesh, have all been corrupted by Satan. It is their nature to oppose God, and they are not on a parity with God, much less can they offer counsel for the work of God. How God guides man is the work of God Himself. Man should submit, and should not hold such and such a view, for man is but dust. Since we try to seek God, we should not superimpose our ideas on the work of God for God’s consideration, least of all should we employ our corrupt disposition to deliberately try to oppose the work of God. Would that not make us antichrists? How could such people say that they believe in God? Since we believe that there is a God, and since we wish to satisfy Him and to see Him, we should seek the way of truth, and should look for a way to be compatible with God. We should not stand in stiff-necked opposition to God; what good could come of such actions?’ (from “Preface” to The Word Appears in the Flesh) Why will the scribes and Pharisees suffer seven woes in the end though believing in God, as is recorded in the Bible? Wasn’t it by their imagination that they nailed the Lord onto the cross with the Old Testament? Wasn’t that the result of their circumscribing God’s work willfully? One should wait to see how the prophecy is fulfilled, but should not interpret it willfully. The scribes and Pharisees nailed the Lord onto the cross according to their understanding of the prophecy while disregarding the facts. Will we repeat the mistake of the Pharisees today? Aren’t we afraid? Don’t hold to the letters. We should see whether the way preached is beneficial to us and whether it is our need.” Reading the word of Almighty God, I felt that every word was directed at me and was very convincing. Little by little, I was attracted by the word of Almighty God.

Then she told me the process of the woman of Samaria knowing Jesus. It was written in John 4:6-30, “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus said to her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away to the city to buy meat.) Then said the woman of Samaria to him, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that said to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water. The woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from where then have you that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come here to draw. Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband, and come here. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have well said, I have no husband: For you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband: in that said you truly. The woman said to him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and you say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman said to him, I know that Messias comes, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I that speak to you am he. And on this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seek you? or, Why talk you with her? The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and said to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came to him.” The sister said, “Why did the woman of Samaria go to draw water at noon? And why was it that she met Jesus at that time? Because it was the hottest time and also the time when she would meet fewest people. She didn’t want to meet people because she knew that she was not good and felt ashamed in the heart. She knew herself but had no way to be transformed. The Lord said He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The sick needed the patient, so the Lord appeared to her. This means that the more one knows his own deficiencies and has a thirsting and seeking heart, the more he will receive God’s work and see God’s appearing. Jesus’ talking with the woman of Samaria was most discordant with people’s notions at that time, because the historic background of that time was that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. When Jesus asked the woman of Samaria, she didn’t turn away because He was a Jew, whom she didn’t know. Rather, she answered Jesus very politely and also opened her heart and told Jesus what she thought. Through talking with Jesus, she had an increasingly deeper knowledge of Jesus. This can be seen from the addresses, ‘Sir,’ ‘prophet,’ and ‘Christ,’ by which she called Jesus. At first, seeing Jesus’ appearance, she called Him Sir. When Jesus said that He had the living water, as she didn’t want to come so far to draw water, she then asked Jesus to give her the living water. According to her understanding, the living water Jesus spoke of was the water for drinking. But no matter what intent she had, as she was willing to seek, God bestowed to her on the condition that she had to call her husband here. What Jesus asked was just her privacy, yet in order to get the living water, she was very honest and didn’t conceal herself, and said, ‘I have no husband.’ While saying this, she felt surprised at how this Jewish man could be so clear about her privacy. Then she knew Jesus as ‘prophet’ from as ‘Sir.’ At this point, she no longer sought the temporary fleshly satisfaction but began to seek the way of life. She asked Jesus about the subject that the Jews and the Samaritans argued at that time and wanted to know which was right. But Jesus said, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father, and the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, but the salvation is of the Jews. After hearing what Jesus said, the woman was certain that Jesus was the coming ‘Christ,’ because she knew that when God came, He would open a new way and bring new practices and all that people needed. When the woman gained the new way, she left her water pot, that is, the old things she held fast to, and went to testify Jesus. The woman of Samaria came to know God through God’s words and work, not by imagination. This was her way of knowing God. Today, we should not believe the rumors blindly but should discern from His work and word whether He is the incarnate Christ.” Hearing this, I was struck dumb with surprise. I had read these verses so many times but found nothing special, but that day, after they were explained by the sister, they were so fresh and clear. Only then did I know the true meaning of these scriptures. And a sudden start came to my heart: Ah, hasn’t what they preach unlocked the mysteries in the Bible? Could it be that the way is the true way? So, I decided to continue to listen.

Then the sister asked me, “What do you think God is?” Hearing this simple and profound question, I didn’t know how to answer it, but outwardly I tried to conceal myself, pulling a long face and ignoring her question. The sister was not impatient but said to me with a smile, “I was also a preacher in the past. Every day I held the Bible and talked boastfully on the platform, thinking that I was very rich. But one day when I saw the explanation of the question in the word of Almighty God, I suddenly woke up and realized that I had believed in God foolishly for years.” We turned to the piece of God’s word “When It Comes to ‘God,’ What Is Your Understanding,” in which Almighty God says: “People have believed in God for a long time, yet most of them have no understanding of this word ‘God.’ They merely follow along in a muddle. They have no clue as to why exactly man should believe in God or what God is exactly. If people know only to believe in and follow God, but not what God is, nor do they understand God, then is this not the biggest joke in the world? Even though people have witnessed many heavenly mysteries by now and have heard of much profound ‘knowledge’ that man had never grasped before, they are in the dark on many of the most elementary, as-yet uncontemplated truths. Some people might say, ‘We have believed in God for many years. How could we not know what God is? Does this not belittle us?’ But in reality, although everyone is following Me today, no one has any understanding of all this current work. They let go of even the plainest and easiest of questions, let alone this most complex question of ‘God.’ You should know that those questions that you brush aside and are unable to discover are the ones you most should understand, for you know only to follow the crowd, paying no attention and giving no care to what you should be equipping yourself with. Do you truly know why you should have faith in God? Do you really know what ‘God’ is? Do you truly know what ‘man’ is? As a ‘man who has faith in God,’ if you fail to understand these things, do you not lose the dignity of a believer of God? My work today is this: to have people understand their essence, understand all that I do, and know the true face of God—this is the closing act of My management plan, the last stage of My work. … Among men, I was the Spirit that they could not see, the Spirit that they could never come into contact with. Because of My three stages of work on earth (creation of the world, redemption, and destruction), I appear in their midst at different times (never publicly) to do My work among men. The first time I came among men was during the Age of Redemption. Of course I came among the Jewish family; therefore the first to see ‘God’ coming to earth were the Jewish people. The reason I did this work personally was because I wanted to use My incarnate flesh as a sin offering in My redemption work. So the first to see Me were the Jews of the Age of Grace. That was the first time I worked in the flesh. In the Age of Kingdom, My work is to conquer and perfect, so I again do shepherding work in the flesh. This is My second time working in the flesh. In the last two stages of work, what people come into contact with is no longer the invisible, untouchable Spirit, but a person who is the Spirit actualized as flesh. Thus in the eyes of man, I again become a person with none of the look and feel of God. Moreover, the God that people see is not only male, but also female, which is most astounding and puzzling to them. Time and time again, My extraordinary work shatters old beliefs held for many, many years. People are stunned! The so-called ‘God’ is not only the Holy Spirit, that Spirit, the sevenfold intensified Spirit, the all-encompassing Spirit, but also a person, an ordinary person, an exceptionally common person. God is not only male, but also female. They are similar in that They are both born to humans, and dissimilar in that one is conceived by the Holy Spirit and the other is born to a human but derived directly from the Spirit. They are similar in that both incarnate fleshes of God carry out God the Father’s work, and dissimilar in that one does the work of redemption and the other does the work of conquering. Both represent God the Father, but one is the Lord of redemption filled with loving kindness and mercy, and the other is the God of righteousness filled with wrath and judgment. One is the supreme Commander to launch the redemption work, and the other is the righteous God to accomplish the work of conquering. One is the Beginning, the other the End. One is sinless flesh, the other is flesh that completes the redemption, continues the work, and is never of sin. Both are the same Spirit, but They dwell in different fleshes and are born in different places. And They are separated by several thousand years. Yet all Their work is mutually complementary, never conflictual, and can be spoken of in the same breath. Both are people, but one is a baby boy and the other is an infant girl. For all these many years, what people have seen is not only the Spirit and not only a man, a male, but also many things that do not jibe with human notions, and thus they are never able to fully fathom Me. They keep half believing and half doubting Me, as if I do exist and yet am also an illusory dream. That is why to this day, people still do not know what God is. Can you really sum Me up in one simple sentence? Do you truly dare to say ‘Jesus is none other than God, and God is none other than Jesus’? Are you really so bold as to say ‘God is none other than the Spirit, and the Spirit is none other than God’? Are you comfortable saying ‘God is just a person clothed in flesh’? Do you truly have the courage to assert ‘The image of Jesus is simply the great image of God?’ Are you able to thoroughly explain God’s disposition and image on the strength of your gift for words? Do you really dare to say ‘God created male only, not female, after His own image’? If you say this, then no female would be among My selected and much less would females be a kind within humankind. Now do you truly know what God is? Is God a human? Is God a Spirit? Is God really a male? Can only Jesus complete the work I want to do? If you choose only one of the above to sum up My essence, then you would be an exceedingly ignorant faithful believer. If I work as incarnate flesh once and only once, might you define Me? Can you really take one glance and see through Me? Can you really sum Me up completely thanks just to what you have been exposed to during your lifetime? And if in My two incarnations I do similar work, how would you perceive Me? Might you leave Me forever nailed to the cross? Can God be as simple as you say?” After reading this passage of God’s word, I was enlightened in the heart, thinking, “God is really so unfathomable. The word is so clear and with authority and is absolutely the word God speaks.” At this point, there was not any resistance in my heart, and my doubts within were all cleared away. I believed that this was the true way and made a resolution inwardly: I will testify God’s new work to those who are still in darkness and repay God with my love.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is my experience, the experience of a person who resisted and blasphemed God yet has received the great salvation of Almighty God. God is innocent, and in order to save mankind, He has been incarnated twice and has suffered all man’s rejections and slanders. Recalling that I disturbed God’s work everywhere and hindered many brothers and sisters from coming before Almighty God, I am remorseful for my resistance and hate myself for being blind and ignorant, and I even more thank Almighty God for not treating me according to my resistance but giving me a great salvation. I sincerely advise every brother and sister not to resist Almighty God anymore. The rumors of slandering Almighty God that spread in all denominations and sects are things fabricated by those who harbor evil intentions. The hearsay is something untrue, and you have to go to investigate and experience to find out the facts. Almighty God has brought the truth, the way, and the life, and the work of judgment has begun with the family of God and is drawing to an end. Just take this opportunity and come before the throne of Almighty God to enjoy God’s judgment! Only Almighty God can make your long-cherished wish in believing in God come true. Brothers and sisters, repent and keep up with the pace of God’s newest work!

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It Is Almighty God Who Saved Me | Ironclad Proofs of God’s Words Conquering Denominations’ and Sects’ Leaders

It Is Almighty God Who Saved Me

Li Tianhong

Lingbao City, Henan Province

I believe that every brother and sister in the Lord is expecting the Lord’s coming and is expecting the Lord to take us to heaven and into the glorious and beautiful home soon. Like you all, I also expected that all along. I remember that as early as March 1999, I had heard that there were a group of people of “the Eastern Lightning” preaching that the Lord had already returned, yet our leader said that that band of people were wrong and were cultists and antichrists…. He did not allow us to contact them lest we be deceived. So I, as an instructor of the Praise Church, actively cooperated with the leader and spread his words wherever I went. Moreover, I kept myself on full alert, always afraid that the brothers and sisters would be deceived by them.

One day in July 1999, several people of our village came to preach God’s end-time gospel to me. They told me that the Lord had already returned to do the work of judgment and chastisement and of unifying all denominations into one. As soon as I heard it, I shouted at them, “I won’t listen! Our leader has said that God hasn’t returned yet! Besides, you’re almost illiterate, yet you even come to preach to me? I teach the Bible every day. Don’t I know more than you? If God had come back, he would surely let me know first. Is it necessary for you to tell me? Go away now! I won’t listen!” As I said that, I drove them out. That night, I went to the church and told the brothers and sisters about how I had driven away those who preached the end-time gospel. I also told them to keep a strict guard and never let people of “the Eastern Lightning” take a “sheep” away from us!

In October of the same year, my leader assigned me to make rounds among the churches in a certain region. Once, I met several strangers in a host home. They said, “Do you know? God has returned and done a new work….” Before they had finished their words, I retorted immediately, “You are of ‘the Eastern Lightning.’ You are preachers of a false way. It’s a deceitful trick!” Then I said to the host family, “We can’t listen to them. Drive them away!” Later, I announced in the church seriously, “From now on, without my permission, no one is allowed to contact people of ‘the Eastern Lightning.’ Whoever disobeys will be expelled!” So, I made those rules wherever I went so as to seal the churches.

In May 2000, six or seven people of a church accepted “the Eastern Lightning.” After I learned it, I immediately went to disturb them with a co-worker. I said to them, “That band of people of ‘the Lightning’ use various means and tricks to deceive people. You have been fooled! You are small in stature and know little about the Bible, so you don’t have discernment. But as long as you confess your wrong and try hard to do good deeds to atone for your sins, you can come back. Never ever contact them again….” Then, the co-worker who came with me added, “People of ‘the Lightning’ are extremely brutal. It’s said that once you accept, they will take you out and force you to do this and that. If you don’t obey, they will gouge out your eyes, cut off your ears, break your legs, or use a knife to force you to commit adultery. …” At these words, they turned pale with fear and all stated that they would never contact people of “the Lightning” again. To further insure that the brothers and sisters would not contact “the Eastern Lightning,” I spent all my time bustling about among the churches everywhere, so much so as to neglect my meals and sleep. Sometimes, I even prayed all night long to curse people of “the Lightning.” Besides, every time I made rounds among the churches, I would tell with embellishment the rumors I had heard about “the Lightning” to the brothers and sisters so that they would stay away from “the Eastern Lightning.”

Because of the “price” I had paid, my leader thought more highly of me. But somehow the churches’ condition got worse and worse. The co-workers formed factions, had jealousy and strife, and scrambled for power and profit among themselves. The lectern became an emplacement, and the Bible became a weapon to attack each other. Whoever occupied the lectern had the opportunity to attack others, and even prayer became a way to dig at or fight against each other. In the churches the previous vigor had been completely lost, and even more, the love among the brothers and sisters had disappeared. The attendance at the meetings kept on dropping, and a meeting which had sixty or seventy people had now only four or five left. What puzzled me more was: There was a brother Fu in our church. He was only 42 years old and had been zealous in expending himself for the Lord all the year round. Now instead of receiving peace, he got cardia cancer. A good many people fasted and prayed for him, but it did not help. The brothers and sisters felt very puzzled, and I was also downhearted, not knowing why all these happened. However, I still forced myself to go on. On the one hand, I was afraid of being deceived; on the other hand, I was afraid of losing the position of “instructor.” I thought to myself, “It’s really not easy for me to get the position of instructor. I must ‘cherish’ it!” So, in order to preserve my position, I ingratiated myself with my leader and did the work of resisting God over and over again to gain his trust and favor.

One day in early June of 2001, I went to Yima City of my native province. There I gave a message about discernment to the brothers and sisters. Unexpectedly, a relative of the host family came. Through the introductions, I knew that he was also a believer in Jesus. So, we began to fellowship together. During the fellowship, I found that the light the brother had received was much higher than mine and that he had unique views on the Bible. I admired him from the bottom of my heart, but, as an instructor, how could I bow my head before him? Later, when we spoke of Paul, the brother said, “Paul is one we imitate. He suffered many hardships and ran around much for the Lord. His thirteen letters are very beneficial to the brothers’ and sisters’ experience of life. However, in his letters, there are also some things which are not after the Lord’s heart. For example, ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness….’ (2 Timothy 4:7-8). These words revealed his intent and purpose in working for the Lord. The efforts he expended were to make a deal with God. Such a viewpoint of pursuit and such knowledge are not after God’s heart….” Before he had finished his words, I retorted immediately, “How dare you belittle Paul? If it had not been for Paul’s preaching, how could we have our today? Paul is one for us to imitate and is a model for us to follow in preaching the gospel. If people believe in Jesus not to gain anything, is there any meaning in such belief? Who will ever believe?” Then I pointed my finger at him and said, “You dare condemn Paul. Aren’t you arrogant? Paul suffered so many hardships and received so many lashes for the Lord! Have you suffered any? Paul could say those words boldly, can you?” I got so emotional that even my complexion changed, and I glowered at him, as if in a quarrel. But that brother did not get angry at all. He said gently, “Sister, don’t be angry. Let’s take our time talking about it. Here! Have a glass of water.” I did not even give him a look, but he did not mind at all. He continued, “Even though Paul suffered a lot for the Lord, as a created being he should…” I interrupted him again, “As the instructor of the Praise Church in Lingbao City, I know much more than you. I read The Bible for Intensive Study, The Bible With Commentaries, and Jia Yuming’s Essentials every day. Is there anything that I don’t know? Just drop it!” “Yes, what I know is very limited, but I’m willing to discuss this subject with brothers and sisters,” he said, still gently. At that time, I thought, “I treat him in such a way, yet he doesn’t get angry at all. Instead, he is so gentle, humble, sober, and natural. He is a preacher; am I not a preacher as well? But I get so impatient as to forget myself when encountering things. Why is that? …” “Sister, why are you silent? What are you thinking?” asked the brother. I hesitated a moment and then said, “Nothing, you may go on.” Afterward, through the brother’s dissection of the viewpoint of Paul’s pursuit, I understood a truth: It is only right and proper for a created being to worship God. He should not harbor his own intent and purpose, and even less should he use his suffering as the capital for receiving blessings to make a deal with God. That was what I had never heard before. I felt his fellowship was so good and so high.

Following that, the brother fellowshipped with me about many more verses of the Bible, and I felt that everything he said was very good and clear. However, when speaking of God’s work, he said, “The Old Testament records the work of the Age of the Law: God led people in the form of the Spirit and was called Jehovah. He worked in Israel, issuing the laws to make people conscious of sin. The disposition he expressed was righteousness, burning, and curse. The New Testament records the work of the Age of the Grace: God was incarnated to be man’s sin offering and was called Jesus. He worked in Judea, and the disposition he expressed was love, mercy, forbearance, and patience. Revelation prophesied that God would do a work of judgment and purification in the end time, that is, the work of the Age of the Kingdom. Since the age has changed and the work has become different, his disposition and name as well as the place he works in, and so on have changed accordingly. The disposition he expresses is no longer love and mercy but righteousness, majesty, and judgment. God is no longer called Jesus but the Almighty as prophesied in Revelation….” Hearing that, I could no longer hold myself back. “Our senior leader Qiao says that now there are a band of people preaching Almighty God. The one they believe in is a false christ and a deceiver. He also says that if we refuse to accept their way after listening to it, they will gouge out our eyes, cut off our ears, break our legs, or force us to commit sexual immorality. I think you are with them, aren’t you? I won’t be taken in by you….” As I said that, I got up to go. “Sister, from these days of contact, do you think I’m like what your leader says? Why do we not respect the fact but trust only one side?” “Right!” I thought to myself, “Through these days of contact with the brother, I have seen that he is very humble and gentle, and there is nothing in him like what our leader says. But I shouldn’t disobey my leader’s words. He can’t cheat me, and he can’t be wrong. Besides, what if my leader finds out that I have contacted them? Won’t I lose the position of instructor? Then won’t my years of pursuit be all in vain? I must go!” As I thought of this, I said to them firmly, “I have been out so long. I have to go back….”

The brothers and sisters saw me out reluctantly. All the way I kept thinking, “When I get back, I’ll tell my leaders in detail about how I debated with the people of ‘the Lightning’ and how I fought for the truth. They are bound to give me some credit.” When I got back to Lingbao, it was already past 8 o’clock at night. Immediately after I got off the train, I saw Brother Zhao and Brother Guo of my church. I greeted them joyfully, but they ignored me. Just when I felt puzzled, I saw my leader, Brother Li, who was not far away. He was staring at me and looked extremely displeased and fierce. As I saw this, my heart pounded as if I had done something to be ashamed of. A three-wheeler took us to a host home, and not long after we entered the room, they began to question me, “What did you do in Yima?” “How did you preach? Could it take such a long time?” “Did you actually preach? You didn’t commit sins, did you?” “Did they beat you? Did they force you to do anything? Have you contacted them? You have accepted, haven’t you?” “Never mind, all you have to do is to admit your mistake and speak out the inside story….” They bombarded me with questions, so that I lost my bearings. Their questioning in such a way hurt my self-respect terribly, and I felt as if my heart would break. “How come these people all become like this? …” That night, I could not fall into sleep. I wept and thought, feeling extremely wronged.

After a few days, I still could not get the better of it. The expressions shown that night by the leaders I looked up to and admired all along, and their questioning tones and cold words kept appearing in my mind and ringing in my ears. I felt wave after wave of grief piercing my heart, extremely distressed. At that time, I thought, “This time they will expel me. What will they say about me? What will the brothers and sisters think of me? …” In despair, I constantly reflected on the scenes in Yima. Not only was the way that the brother preached higher than ours, but he also behaved calmly and naturally, spoke gently, and was easy to approach. He was very pious during the fellowship and always treated others sincerely. Our leaders, however, were all full of arrogance and appeared superior and domineering. Even more, our co-workers had no love for one another but all supplanted each other and scrambled for fame and gain. Thinking of that, I did not feel like seeing them anymore, disgusted with their words and deeds. Those whom they called the people of “the Lightning,” however, constantly appeared in my mind. Their living out roused my admiration and respect. I remembered that at the time when I lost my temper and accused them of being wrong, evil, and false, that brother remained amiable, still treated me sincerely, and fellowshipped with me in a patient and painstaking way. I was simply filled with admiration for their magnanimity and love. I really could not figure out what kind of power was driving them to live out completely differently from us. Then I thought, “At that time, I didn’t accept their way after listening to their fellowship. Didn’t they still treat me sincerely? And isn’t it that my nose and eyes are intact and not a single hair of my head has lost? Doesn’t this even more prove that those words our leader says are purely lies?” Thinking of that, I could not help shuddering. I felt that it was not the people of “the Lightning” who were to be dreaded, but the leaders whom I looked up to and admired! They had the audacity to give false testimonies. It was really unbelievable! So, I decided to go to the people of “the Lightning” alone for a good talk without letting anyone know.

On June 19, I set out on my journey to Yima again. On the train, I felt it was so slow, and I wished I could fly to that unforgettable place instantly. At that time, I really felt that when the mind was bent on returning, it was like a flying arrow. After I got off the train, I headed straight to that host home. When I walked in the door, the brothers and sisters were all taken by surprise. They were stunned for quite a while and then said excitedly, “You are back. How surprising! Great! Great!” “Thank God! It’s God’s moving that causes me to come back here,” I also said excitedly, holding the sister’s hands tightly. … The next day, the brother fellowshipped with me again in detail about God’s three stages of works and God’s eager intention to save man. He also read me several passages of God’s word: “He has already descended, but people do not recognize him, nor do they know it, and they are just waiting for him aimlessly. Little do they know that he has already descended on the white cloud (the white cloud refers to his Spirit, his word, and all his disposition and being) among a group of overcomers he will make in the end time! How could people know: Although the holy Savior Jesus is full of lovingkindness and full of love for man, how could he work in the ‘temples’ that are full of filthiness and inhabited by swarms of unclean spirits? Although people are all waiting for his descent, how could he appear to those who eat the flesh of the unrighteous, drink the blood of the unrighteous, and wear the clothes of the unrighteous, and who believe in him but do not know him and yet keep extorting from him? People only know that the Savior Jesus is full of lovingkindness and full of mercy and that he is the sin offering full of redemption, but they do not know that he is God Godself who is laden with righteousness, majesty, wrath, and judgment and who is with authority and full of dignity. So, even though people all eagerly expect and thirst for the return of the Redeemer and their prayers have even moved ‘Heaven,’ the Savior Jesus does not appear to them who believe in him but do not know him.” “If people always call me Jesus Christ and yet do not know that I have opened a new age again and carried out a newer work in the end time but keep waiting for the descent of the Savior Jesus infatuatedly, I call all such people ones who do not believe in me, ones who do not know me, and ones who pretend to believe in me.” “Maybe many people do not pay attention to what I am saying. But I still want to tell every so-called saint who follows Jesus: When you see with your own physical eyes Jesus descending from heaven on a white cloud, it will already be the time the Sun of righteousness appears publicly. At that time, you may be beside yourself with excitement. But have you ever known this: When you see Jesus descending from heaven, it will be the very time you go to hell to receive punishment. That will already be the time God’s management plan is declared concluded and the time God rewards the good and punishes the evil. This is because God’s judgment has ended at the time when people have not seen miraculous signs but only the truth is expressed.” Hearing that, I felt much clear and regretted my past deeds very much. So, I came before God and prayed to God, “O Lord! Almighty God! Thank you for saving me so that I can have the honor of hearing your voice and seeing your work. In the past, because I was blind and ignorant and didn’t know you and blindly listened to my leaders’ words without seeking or investigating, I was deceived by the lies. Moreover, I slandered and blasphemed your work, and spread the rumors and sealed the churches everywhere. This has blinded many brothers’ and sisters’ eyes and closed many brothers’ and sisters’ hearts, so that they are now still unwilling to accept your end-time salvation and thus live in darkness. O God! I am indeed sinful and evil to the uttermost. Please give me an opportunity to repent. I’m willing to expose my evil deeds to the light so that those innocent brothers and sisters who are still being deceived by the rumors can see the truth of the matter and return to your family. O Almighty God! It is because of your moving and your revealing that I, a foolish, ignorant, numb, and obtuse person, begin to wake up. Now, I’m convinced that you are the One whom I have been expecting. I resolve to follow you and expend myself for you in all my life so as to repay your grace of salvation and repay your great love!”

Dear brothers and sisters, this is my personal experience. I wonder if it can give you some warnings. Now, are you still being deceived by rumors? Are you also looking up to your leaders? If so, then I advise you to drop the place for any man in your heart right now, for only the One who rules over everything can save us! May brothers and sisters see through satan’s schemes and not be deceived by lies or restrained by evil leaders anymore. Step forward boldly and take the initiative to seek. I believe God will surely make a way out for you and bestow to you abundantly! Amen!

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Only the Word of Almighty God Can Save Me | Ironclad Proofs of God’s Words Conquering Denominations’ and Sects’ Leaders

 Only the Word of Almighty God Can Save Me

Shi Lianjun

Huai’an City, Jiangsu Province

I joined the Joseph Church in 1997. In 1999, I was appointed as the district leader of the church in Shuyang County. At that time, the kingdom gospel of Almighty God had spread to our county. I remember that one day in August of that year, someone in our church told me that a person who preached the gospel of the last days was in the home of a believer in Huji Township. After I heard it, I immediately called in four young brothers, and we impersonated the local village cadres and headed swiftly toward the house of that believer on our motorcycles. When we were about 200 meters away from his house, we switched off the engines, and walked up to the house quietly. Peeking through a crack in the door, I saw a stranger in the room reading something aloud from a book in his hands. Furious, I kicked the door open with violence. At the sight of my sudden action, the man hastily put the book into his pocket. I lunged forward, and tore his pocket and snatched the book from him, which I found was a copy of The Truth That One Must Be Equipped With. I leafed through a few pages and flung it onto the desk, and then I grabbed him by the coat front with my left hand, and poking his forehead with my right hand, I asked him with a ferocious tone, “Where did you get this book? Where do you come from?” As I said this, I gave him a violent push that sent him reeling against the door. Before he realized what had happened, I grabbed the book on the desk and tore it in half fiercely. Then I ripped several pages from it and tore them to pieces, and after balling them up, I threw it at his face while blaspheming loudly, “This is purely from the devil, Satan, from an evil spirit, a deceiver!” When he saw I had torn his book, he immediately fell on his knees to pick up the torn book and the balled-up pieces of paper with his hands, and said in tears, “O God, how hard is Your work on earth!” Seeing him so grieved, I was not moved at all, and instead I shouted with glaring eyes, “Get out quickly! If you come again, I’ll send you to the police station!” In this way, I drove him out.

Later, many people came to testify about Almighty God’s work of the last days to me; but for fear of being deceived, I always drove them out before they could speak. Sometimes when they came, I was at home, but I had locked the door from the outside, or I gave them a cold shoulder by pretending to have work to do somewhere. I cannot remember how many times I had done such things.

Although I was so malicious, disobedient, and resistant, Almighty God’s great love did not leave me. On the afternoon of February 13, 2002 (the second day of the Chinese New Year), it was raining outside. Two sisters, pushing their bicycles with the wheels covered with mud and gravel, trudged into my house. When I saw it was the same two persons who had visited my house a few days before, my anger rose. I hurried to push them outward and slammed the door before they were completely out. “Ow!” I heard a cry. The fingers of a sister were shut in the door. But I shouted abuse at her: “You deserve it! Cheek!” Then I went in to watch TV.

The rain continued, but two sisters still stood outside. About half an hour later, my wife noticed that there was blood-stained rainwater flowing down the threshold of our house into the yard. Looking through the crack in the door, she saw one sister was wrapping up her injured fingers with tissues, and there were many blood-stained tissues on the ground. So my wife opened the door and let them in without my permission. At that time, I sat on a chair, legs crossed and back toward them, watching TV, with a teacup in one hand and some sunflower seeds in the other. I cast a sidelong glance at them and saw their rain-drenched hair clinging to their foreheads, their clothes dripping water, and their cotton-padded shoes saturated with muddy water. But I did not speak to them nor ask them to sit down. However, they greeted me warmly. I just took my time sipping tea and eating sunflower seeds. One hour passed, and one episode of the serial was over. Only then did I take a look at them. I thought, “Are people like you qualified to talk about belief in God with me, a dignified district leader of the Joseph Church? I have read through the Bible over a hundred times and deliberated over every word and every sentence in it, and I know which chapter and verse any sentence is in. I have preached countless sermons, sustained countless people, and trained countless workers. I usually only ‘feed’ those senior leaders and knowledgeable preachers, and the junior workers of the house of Joseph can hardly have a chance to meet me.” At this thought, I said to them with arrogance, “Ask your ‘leader’ to come and discuss the Bible with me. I’ll surely defeat him!” Hearing my words, they smiled, and one of them said to me, “Brother, it is true we don’t know much about the Bible. Please give us some instruction.” At this, I said proudly, “Genesis 28:14 says that all peoples on earth will be blessed through Jacob and his offspring. Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, and in Genesis 49:25-26, Jacob blessed Joseph, saying, ‘Even by the God of your father, who shall help you; and by the Almighty, who shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brothers.’ You see, we, the house of Joseph, were blessed with so many blessings, and we are Jacob’s offspring, so all peoples on earth will be blessed through our Joseph Church. Besides, Genesis 37:9 says that Joseph saw in the dream that the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. These verses are enough to prove that we people of the house of Joseph are the most blessed, and that all denominations will be ruled by our Joseph Church in the future, and the head of our Joseph Church will lead us to judge all peoples on earth! The Ephraimites of our Joseph Church will reign for hundreds of thousands of years!” After I finished these words, the sister smiled again and said, “Brother, since you know the Bible very well, you surely won’t forget what Psalms 78:67 says: ‘Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim.’ Doesn’t this verse plainly say that God had already rejected Joseph? In fact, the Scripture only records the work God did before. It’s true that Joseph was blessed, but have you ever thought that it was not God Himself but his father Jacob who blessed him? Jacob was only a created being in God’s hand. He could not represent God, nor could his blessing of Joseph fully represent God’s will. Brother, you should also know that Genesis 50:22-26 says that Joseph did not come out of Egypt in the end, but died in Egypt, a land cursed by God. Finally, it was through Moses that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and into the good land of Canaan, the very land blessed by God. But Joseph did not enter into it, much less enjoy it. Brother, why do you still cling tightly to ‘Joseph’?” At her fellowship, I found nothing to answer, for what she said was fully scriptural and all true. However, I was unable to lay aside my vanity and face, and so I turned the pages of the yellowed Bible in my hand and said loudly, “Acts 4:12 says that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus, and Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being. These verses plainly say that Jesus is God, but why do you preach Almighty God today?” The other sister answered me calmly, “Brother, please look at Revelation 1:8, 4:8, 15:3… These verses say that the Lord God is the Almighty who is, and who was, and who is to come. From these prophecies, we can see that the entire work of managing mankind from the creation of the world to the conclusion of the age in the end is done by Almighty God Himself. Let’s also look at Genesis 17:1, 28:3, 35:11… These verses all say that God’s name is Almighty God, for His substance is almighty. Just now you mentioned that Jacob blessed Joseph; wasn’t it also done in the name of the Almighty? Isaiah 10:21 says, ‘The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.’” And then she fellowshipped with me about the three stages of God’s work: The name “Jehovah” represents the Age of Law, the name “Jesus” represents the Age of Grace, and “Almighty God” represents the final Age of Kingdom. God takes different names in different ages, and each name has its meaning.

After hearing this, I asked another question: “In John 5:39 the Lord said: ‘and [the Scriptures] are they which testify of me.’ Why then have you forsaken the Bible today?” The sister answered me with a smile, “Brother, we believe in God to gain life, and not to keep obstinately to the Bible. Before and after the sentence you just mentioned, there are other words which you have ignored. Jesus said: ‘Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me, that you might have life.’ Just consider this: The Lord clearly said here that we human beings ‘think’ that in the Scriptures we have eternal life. It is true that the Scriptures are God’s testimony, but if we want to receive life, we must go to God, must follow God’s footsteps. Furthermore, Revelation 2:17 prophesies, ‘… To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.’ The hidden manna mentioned here refers to the words in the little scroll prophesied in Revelation, which are the utterances of God Himself in the Age of Kingdom. Brother, please think about this: Of Jesus’ disciples at that time, who had seen or got the white stone? Who had eaten the hidden manna? They will only be given to people when the Lord comes the second time. Just as the Lord said in John 16:12-13: ‘I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: … and he will show you things to come.’” The two sisters’ fellowship left me at a loss what to say or do. But I really could not put aside my pride, so I said shamelessly, “The Lord Jesus was able to raise the dead at that time. Now there’s a brother in our church who has terminal esophageal cancer. You can go to preach the gospel of the last days to him. If he gets healed, I will acknowledge that the way you preach is the true way and the one you believe in is the true God.” One sister said to me, “Brother, as a believer in Jesus, why don’t you obey the word of the Lord? In Matthew16:4, the Lord said to those who tested Him: ‘A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.’” I was dumb again. And then they read me these words of Almighty God: “Do you believe in signs and wonders, or do you believe in God Himself? Jesus did not display signs and wonders when He was derided by others; was He not God? Do you believe in signs and wonders, or do you believe in the substance of God? Man’s views about belief in God are wrong! Jehovah spoke many words during the Age of Law, but even today some of them have yet to be fulfilled. Can you say that Jehovah was not God?

Today, it should be clear to all of you that, in the last days, it is principally the fact of ‘the Word becomes flesh’ that is accomplished by God. Through His actual work on earth, He causes man to know Him, and to engage with Him, and to see His actual deeds. He causes man to clearly see that He is able to display signs and wonders and there are also times when He is unable to do so, and this is dependent on the age. From this you can see that God is not incapable of displaying signs and wonders, but instead changes His working according to His work, and according to the age. In the current stage of work, He does not show signs and wonders; that He showed some signs and wonders in the age of Jesus was because His work in that age was different. God does not do that work today, and some people believe Him incapable of displaying signs and wonders, or else they think that if He does not display signs and wonders, then He is not God. Is that not a fallacy? God is able to display signs and wonders, but the work of this age is different, and so He does not do such work. Because this is a different age, and because this is a different stage of God’s work, the deeds made plain by God are also different. Man’s belief in God is not the belief in signs and wonders, nor the belief in miracles, but the belief in His real work during the new age.” At these words, I woke up somewhat, and came to realize that my former viewpoint of believing in God was wrong. I thought, “I have only sought signs and wonders but not sought God’s will, and I have believed that whether a way is the true way should be judged by whether its followers’ prayers can be fulfilled and whether they can heal the sick and drive out demons. I have determined the true way and false ways based on this without knowing that God’s work is always progressing forward.” But as my heart was too hardened, I still had my back to them. Then they turned on their recorder and played the tape of God’s word for me: “Religious heads are merely the leaders of a particular religion, and cannot represent God, or the One who created the heavens and earth and all things. Religious heads can lead all those within the entire religion, but cannot command all creatures beneath the heavens—this is a universally acknowledged fact. Religious heads are mere leaders, and cannot stand equal to God (the Creator). All things are in the hands of the Creator, and in the end they will all return to the hands of the Creator. Mankind was originally made by God, and regardless of the religion, every person will return under the dominion of God—this is inevitable. Only God is the Most High among all things, and the highest ruler among all creatures must also return under His dominion. No matter how high the status of man, he cannot take man to a suitable destination, and no one is able to class all things according to kind. Jehovah Himself created mankind and classed each according to kind, and when the end time arrives He will still do His own work Himself, classing all things according to kind—and this cannot be done by any apart from God.” When I heard this, I suddenly saw the light. “Yes, aren’t Jacob, Joseph, and the head of our Joseph Church all men, the creatures of God? Since they are creatures, they cannot be called God, much less represent God, nor can they speak in the place of God. A religious head can only lead all those within his own denomination but cannot command the people in all the other denominations. Thus, how can the people of all the other denominations turn to our Joseph Church? Only the Creator is able to do the work of unifying all denominations into one.”

Then I heard the following words: “Although Jehovah, Jesus, and the Messiah all represent My Spirit, these names only denote the different ages in My management plan, and do not represent Me in My entirety. The names by which people on earth call Me cannot articulate My entire disposition and all that I am. They are merely different names by which I am called during different ages. And so, when the final age—the age of the last days—arrives, My name shall change again. I shall not be called Jehovah, or Jesus, much less the Messiah, but shall be called the powerful Almighty God Himself, and under this name I shall bring the entire age to an end.” My heart was shocked by these words, and I thought, “Why do these words carry authority, power, and majesty? Apart from God, who else dared to speak in such a position?” Then I truly realized that all my doings were exactly the same as the Pharisees’ sinful deeds of resisting Jesus in the Old Testament age. “Have I not become a Pharisee of the new age? I have only believed in God’s name, but not His substance, and I have even regarded God’s new work in the last days as the deception of an evil spirit. Haven’t I committed the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit?” At that moment, I felt as if awakening from a dream. I dared not be heart-hardened anymore. So I hastily put down my crossed legs, and turned and looked at the sisters, who had stood for several hours. When I gave my chair to them and invited them to sit down, they wept…

Thank God for His great salvation for me. It was God’s word that conquered me, so that I gave up my five years of vague belief in the Joseph Church, and turned to Almighty God—Christ of the last days, and began to walk upon the right track of believing in God and pursuing to know God. Afterward, I read these words of God: “… those who believe in God because of the signs are surely the category that shall suffer destruction. Those who are incapable of accepting the words of Jesus who has returned to flesh are surely the progeny of hell, the descendants of the archangel, the category that shall be subjected to everlasting destruction.” “Those who only care about the words of the Bible, but who are unconcerned about the truth or seeking My footsteps—they are against Me, for they limit Me according to the Bible, and constrain Me within the Bible, and so are blasphemous in the extreme towards Me. How could such people come before Me? They pay no heed to My deeds, or My will, or the truth, but instead obsess over words, words that kill. How could such people be compatible with Me?” These words of God made me tremble with fear, and moreover, made me regret my past deeds: “I not only resisted God, but also hurt so many brothers and sisters who preached the gospel of the last days and hindered so many brothers and sisters from turning to Almighty God. I was really guilty of the most heinous sin! I believed in God and longed for Him, but I didn’t know Him and even opposed Him, the returned true God. I hate myself for turning away my ears from the truth and refusing God’s salvation so many times. The brothers and sisters came time and again with smiling faces, but I always threw them out with a horrible face. I was really inhuman! No matter how high the message they preached, I always closed my ears to it, and I blasphemed that it was of an evil spirit coming to deceive people. I even thought that only I was God’s intimate and that only the God I believed in was the true God, while the God others believed in was a false god. Little did I know that what I did was opposed to the new work of Almighty God, and I was an antichrist. It is too late for me to regret…” Thinking of this, I prayed, “O Almighty God! Thank You for giving me another opportunity to be saved. It is Your word that has woken me up and enabled me to receive Your great salvation. According to what I have done, I should have been cursed by You. However, You remembered no transgressions of mine and still melt me with a tender motherly love and enlightened me with Your words, so that I could accept Your work of the last days, the work of purifying people with the word. O God! How great Your love is! You have expended too much care and thought on me, and I will not let You down. I will do all I can in these last days to cooperate with You and bring to You those who truly believe in You but are still groping in darkness, so that they will understand Your intention and stop resisting You, and so that Your heart will be consoled.”

Here I sincerely advise the brothers and sisters in the House of Joseph and all the other denominations and sects who have not turned to Almighty God: Never follow in my footsteps! Wake up and quickly turn to Almighty God! For Almighty God is precisely the returned Jesus! There is not much time left for Him to select people in a hidden way. I hope that the brothers and sisters will not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Otherwise, when God appears publicly, it will be too late for you to do anything. Just as Almighty God says: “… when you see Jesus descend from the heaven upon a white cloud with your own eyes, this will be the public appearance of the Sun of righteousness. Perhaps that will be a time of great excitement for you, yet you should know that the time when you witness Jesus descend from the heaven is also the time when you go down to hell to be punished. It will herald the end of God’s management plan, and will be when God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. For the judgment of God will have ended before man sees signs, when there is only the expression of truth.”

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