The Word of God Leads Me to Live Out the Likeness of Man （ 三)

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

The Word of God Leads Me to Live Out the Likeness of Man

 December 19, 2017

 In this way, almost a month passed and I had still not made the grade. I felt particularly aggrieved and that this senior was so bad for making things difficult for me and intentionally finding fault with me. Thinking of these two months’ work experience and seeing that my classmates had already qualified and only I and a rather introverted girl had not, I felt very tired and having suffered both physically and mentally! I suddenly really wanted to go home, but my home was in China and it was very unrealistic to go back. Back in the dormitory, I inadvertently saw a passage of a sermon about life entry: “Sometimes God does not say this to your face and does not come to you Himself to tell you: ‘I saw your corruptions today. I’m going to utter words of judgment to you’ and then read you a passage of God’s words. That’s not how it is. God may send or move a person, a person whose views are least like yours or who you least look up to, to prune and deal with you. Then what will you do? It is God who sends them. Tell me, do you obey them? How do you approach the Holy Spirit moving people whose views are least like yours and who you dislike the most to prune and deal with you? … This obedience is a most real issue, which is put in front of people; everyone must choose and put it into practice. You cannot evade the issue” (“How to Eat and Drink the Words of God to Achieve Good Results” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (I)). Having read this passage of fellowship I understood that God wanted me to learn a lesson about obeying God and accepting pruning and being dealt with. When encountering difficulties, I judged right or wrong from the surface and felt that my senior was directing things at me. For several times, I really wanted to find an opportunity to retaliate against her. But I believed in God and could not do anything which shames God, so I had to feel angry and depressed in my heart. Thinking about it now, I should accept this environment from God and pursue entry into the truth of obeying God. When I continued to pray to God and seek God on the lesson of obeying God, I saw it said in God’s words: “If you believe in the dominion of God, then you must believe that the things that happen every day, be they good or bad, don’t happen accidentally. It is not that someone doesn’t get on with you or opposes you on purpose; it is actually all arranged by God and He orchestrates everything. What does God orchestrate everything for? It is not to reveal your shortcomings for everyone to see or to expose you; exposing you is not the final aim. The aim is to perfect you and save you. How does God perfect you and save you? Firstly, He makes you aware of your own corrupt disposition, your own nature and essence, your own shortcomings and what you lack. Only by knowing these things and understanding them in your heart can you cast them off—this is a God-given opportunity. You must learn to seize this opportunity and know how to seize it; don’t lock horns and don’t resist. If you are always competing with the people, events, and things that God has arranged around you, if you are always trying to extricate yourself from them, always feeling dissatisfied, always harboring a disagreeable mentality and always misunderstanding, then you will find it very difficult to enter into the truth. … God works on each and every person. Regardless of what method He employs, what form it takes or what tone He uses to speak to people, there is only one final aim, and that is to save you. Before saving you, He needs to change you. But can you change without suffering anything at all? You must suffer a little” (“If You Wish to Attain the Truth, Then You Must Learn From the People, Matters, and Things Around You” in Records of Christ’s Talks). After reading God’s words, my heart did not feel so much pain. Actually, there is God’s will behind my always being dealt with by my senior. It is not a case of someone making life difficult for me, but God wishing to change me and let me see how I am lacking and flawed, able to press onward, learn how to take responsibility and live out a normal humanity. In God’s words it is said: “How is it expressed when the truth doesn’t act as a person’s life? What do they reveal and live out when satanic dispositions act as their lives? They are arrogant and conceited, selfish and contemptible, reckless, autocratic, and love to brag; they are deceitful and treacherous. They are prone to suspicion of others, and to attacking and judging others. Their appraisals of other people are never accurate; they always carry selfishness and ulterior motives. In addition, they are always negative. They’re either negative to the point that they want to find a hole in the ground to hide in, or arrogant to the point that they are on top of the world. If they’re not baring their teeth, then they’re putting on a sad face” (“A Change in Disposition Can Only Be Achieved by Pursuing Entry Into Life” in Records of Christ’s Talks). “Because the essence of God is holy, that means that only through God can you walk the bright, right road through life; only through God can you know the meaning of life, only through God can you live out a real life, possess the truth, know the truth, and only through God can you obtain life from the truth. Only God Himself can help you shun evil and deliver you from the harm and control of Satan. Besides God, no one and nothing can save you from the sea of suffering so that you suffer no longer: This is determined by the essence of God” (“God Himself, the Unique VI” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Comparing God’s words and thinking back to my behavior over the last two months, I saw that I was living in arrogant and conceited corrupt disposition because I did not have God’s words as life. From arriving at the hotel I thought that my Japanese was good and so I would pass very quickly and that the hard work and dirty work was done by people whose Japanese was not good. I had never thought of conducting myself in a steadfast manner, but wanted to take short cuts and preferred to pick easy jobs and shirk the hard ones. I did not know how to be humble and looked down upon everyone. I had never thought to bow my head and learn from others and always felt that as soon as I bowed down, I would let people look down upon me and would be inferior. As for my senior who always picked on me, I obeyed her even less. As soon as she said something to me, I would argue things out in my heart and be unwilling to see my shortcomings from her words. So I often lived in disobedience and suffering. Now I really understand a little of God’s intentions. Although this environment is very hard, all that God intends to achieve is to change my arrogant disposition and enable me to humble myself, ask when I do not understand, and become an honest, humble, rational, down-to-earth person.

After this, although I was still doing the internship, every day doing hard dirty work, being dealt with from time to time by my senior, I no longer wanted to escape and I knew this was God using this environment to change my arrogant disposition and let me live out the likeness of a real man a little bit. Every time my senior dealt with me regarding some work issues when I was unwilling to humble myself, I prayed to God: “God, my senior has started to deal with me again and I still feel some resistance in my heart, but what she says is right and I should accept it. I am not willing to be hard again and live by Satan’s arrogant and conceited disposition. I ask God to give me an obedient heart and the will to endure hardships and enable me to live out the likeness of man!” In this way, when I relied upon God and looked to God, every time I prayed it brought me peace and joy and made me feel particularly close to God and able to lay my life down and obey. Although my flesh endured a little pain, my heart was still incomparably sweet and joyful and I tasted the sweetness of practicing the word of God and depending on God. Later, when my senior scolded me again, I did not argue or resist anymore, but accepted it and carefully compared what I had done and if I had done something wrong then I did my best to correct it. After two months, I finally qualified and moreover, I was nominated for praise in a customer’s feedback. This was all because the word of Almighty God had changed me and enabled me to live out the human likeness a little.

The Word of God Leads Me to Live Out the Likeness of Man Just half a month after I was labelled as qualified, I contacted brothers and sisters from the local Church of Almighty God and started my normal church life. Looking back to the path, I saw God’s omnipotence and dominion and felt God’s good intentions. God arranged all this for me to change my arrogant disposition and let me live out the likeness of man. If I had found brothers and sisters sooner, maybe I would not have suffered so much, but without experiencing such hardship, I would not know my corruptions such as arrogance, inertia and failure to pursue excellence, nor be able to learn how to seek and depend upon God and experience God’s cleansing and salvation and would be even less able to live out the likeness of a real man. As to the girl who was the same with me at the beginning who has never qualified, because she had not come before God and did not have the guidance of the word of God, every day was very hard and depressing for her. When other people raised her problems or gave her advice, she never understood how to humbly accept and often sulked, resulting in her becoming like a hedgehog over just a few months, untouchable by anyone and not even being able to bear a joke amongst friends. Now no one dare make friends with her or speak to her. Seeing such a vivid example beside me, as a comparison, I realize even more that God’s grace of salvation is so great! If it had not been for God guiding me, I would not have changed so much in such a short three months. Thank God! All glory to Almighty God!

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Can We Welcome the Second Coming of Jesus Christ If We Only Wait for His Revelations? （一）

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

Can We Welcome the Second Coming of Jesus Christ If We Only Wait for His Revelations?  

 By Wang Qiang

In 1989, I believed in the Lord Jesus with my wife. At that time, I was in my 30s and willingly spent and sacrificed for the Lord. Our pastor and elder thought I was a promising young man, so they thought highly of me. Before long, I became a good preacher and often preached the gospel with the pastor here and there, contacting many church leaders.

As I worked with the pastor, I often heard him say, “When the Lord comes back He will give revelations to those who work hard for Him and personally reveal to pastors and elders, for they are very familiar with the Bible and always work hard for Him.” These words were deeply rooted in my heart and I thought: If one wants to welcome the Lord’s return and receive His revelations, he must be a person who works hard for Him. Only such people can be approved by the Lord and gain His revelations. For this, I worked more diligently, spending and sacrificing for the Lord, and often did charity, donate. I preached the Lord’s gospel everywhere, and built more than ten churches in less than one year. Seeing the fruit of my hard work, I felt very flattered inside, thinking: When the Lord returns, He will surely give me a revelation …

One day, on my way home after a meeting, my co-worker Brother Zhang asked me, “Brother Wang, we have been waiting for the Lord’s return for these years. Now all the prophecies of the Lord’s return have basically been fulfilled. Why hasn’t the Lord come to receive us?” Hearing these words, I said confusedly, “Indeed, we watch and pray, wait for the Lord’s revelations every day, deeply fearing to miss the opportunity to be raptured by the Lord. Yet so many years have passed, we still haven’t received the Lord’s revelations. I really don’t know when the Lord will come back and receive us.” At this time, Brother Zhang said to me seriously, “Brother Wang, all these years we have been waiting for the Lord’s revelations and considering that when the Lord returns He will surely give revelations to us. The Lord is faithful. Since He has promised that He will come back, He will not delay. Now the prophecies of the Lord’s return have been already fulfilled. So, have you ever thought that the Lord may have returned but does not give revelations to us as we have imagined?” “It’s impossible.” Upon hearing his words I interrupted him immediately, “All these years I fast, watch, and pray without any interruption. It’s impossible that the Lord won’t give a revelation to me when He comes back.”

Brother Zhang said to me sincerely, “Please calm down and listen to me, Brother Wang. The Lord’s return is a great matter; we must take it seriously. Let’s think carefully; pastors and elders tell us to wait for the Lord’s revelations, but the Lord didn’t say He would give us revelations when He came back. The Lord Jesus said, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me’ (John 10:27). ‘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’ (Revelation 3:20). ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation 2:7). These verses tell us that the Lord will speak words when He appears in the last days, and also tell us to pay attention to listening to His voice rather than receiving revelations. If the Lord would give revelations to man, then why did He say that His sheep hear His voice? Isn’t this a contradiction? Think again. When God comes, do you really think He’ll definitely give revelations to all those who have done extensive reading of the Bible and worked hard for Him? At that time, when the Lord Jesus came, He didn’t show revelations to the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees who were constant readers of the Bible and had served God their whole lives. In our conceptions, those people served God for many years, worked hard for Him, and were familiar with the Bible, so they were best qualified to receive God’s revelations. However, God didn’t give any revelations to them. On the contrary, the Lord Jesus chose those who longed for and sought the truth, such as Peter, John, Matthew, Philip, and so on. Did any one of them receive the Lord’s revelations first before they followed the Lord Jesus? No one. The fact was that all of them heard the voice of the Lord and recognized from the Lord’s words and work that He was the Messiah who had been prophesied to come and thus followed Him. From this we can see that only those who humbly seek and long for the truth can receive God’s enlightenment and see His appearance, or else man will easily become an opponent of God. Through all the ages, the believers in God are as many as the stars in the sky, but those who can receive God’s direct revelations are few in number. When the Lord Jesus was born, God just revealed to the Magi, the shepherds and Simeon, but most followers of the Lord didn’t receive God’s revelations. The Lord Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. … Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. … Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God’ (Matthew 5:3, 6, 8). As believers in the Lord, we should be wise virgins as the Lord Jesus asked, listening for God’s voice. Brother Wang, in the matter of welcoming the Lord’s return, we must seek and investigate carefully; only in this way can we hear the Lord’s voice and see His appearance. If we just blindly wait for the revelations from the Lord, but do not seek and investigate actively, then we will really become foolish virgins abandoned by Him. …”

That night, I lay awake tossing and turning, and thought to myself: What Brother Zhang said sounds reasonable. Among us believers, some came to believe in the Lord because of illness, some believe because of family misfortunes, some because of marriage setbacks, some others didn’t wholly believe until they received some grace and peace, and so on. None of us began to believe in the Lord after receiving a revelation. We accepted the Lord Jesus’ salvation because of others’ fellowship and testimony, and the accounts of the Bible. In the past, those Pharisees heard the Lord Jesus’ words and saw His deeds, but instead of seeking and investigating, they tried to find all kinds of accusations against the Lord Jesus and condemned Him, and moreover, they instigated people to resist Him. In the end, they joined forces with the Roman government to nail Him to the cross. Clearly, knowing the scriptures doesn’t represent being qualified to receive the Lord’s revelations, much less represent knowing the Lord. Jehovah God said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9). God’s wisdom is unfathomable to man. Yet I delineated that the Lord will give revelations to pastors and elders first when He returns; isn’t this too arrogant, too self-righteous, and too unreasonable? Thus, it’s too prone for me to resist God. If I keep waiting for the Lord’s revelations and don’t believe until I see Him, then things would be like what the Lord Jesus said to Thomas, “because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). If so, won’t I become the same as Thomas? Aren’t such people in trouble? The more I thought about it, the more scared I was, and I thought I must make it clear. The Lord’s return is a great matter. If I miss the opportunity to be raptured by the Lord, wouldn’t my believing have been in vain? Brother Zhang’s words were full of the enlightenment from the Holy Spirit, I must go to seek more from him …

Source The Internet 

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Testimonies of Experience of Christ’s Judgment | What Is the Nature of God’s Love?

picture of the Church of Almighty God 

41. What Is the Nature of God’s Love? 

Siqiu Suihua City, Heilongjiang Province

Whenever I see the following passage of God’s word, “If you’ve always been very loyal and loving toward Me, yet you suffer the torment of illness, the impoverishment of life, and the abandonment of your friends and relatives or endure any other misfortunes in life, then will your loyalty and love for Me still continue?” (“A Very Serious Problem: Betrayal (2)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I feel particularly unhappy—a sense of misery creeps up within me and my heart speaks its voiceless grievance: Dear God, how can You allow those that are loyal to You and love You to meet with such misfortune? As a result, I’ve had a hard time understanding the meaning of the man used by the Holy Spirit who said, “God’s last demand of man is loving and sincere.”

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A Different Kind of Love | Returning Before God Under the Guidance of the Holy Spirit’s Work (Part 1)

A Different Kind of Love | Returning Before God Under the Guidance of the Holy Spirit’s Work

Chengxin, Brazil

 The Picture of The Church of Almighty God | A Different Kind of Love

By a chance opportunity in 2011, I came to Brazil from China. When I had just arrived, my eyes were overflowing with fresh and new experiences, curiosity, and I had a beautiful feeling about the future. But after a short time, this fresh and new feeling was quickly replaced by the loneliness and pain of finding myself in a far-off foreign land. Every day I went back home all alone, ate by myself, looking at the walls around me every day without anyone even to talk to, and I felt especially lonely in my heart, often crying all alone. When I felt the most pain and helpless, the Lord Jesus brought me into a gathering by means of a friend. Through reading the word of the Lord, singing hymns, and praying in gatherings, my lonely heart received the consolation of the Lord. I learned from the Bible that heavens, earth, and all things were created by God, and man too is God’s creation. The Lord Jesus was crucified for the redemption of mankind, and it was the Lord Jesus who redeemed us from sin, and He is the only Redeemer of mankind. In the face of the Lord’s salvation, which is greater than all else, I felt deeply moved and resolved to follow the Lord for the rest of my life. Because of this I was baptized on Thanksgiving to become a Christian not just in name but in reality. Because I liked singing hymns, especially those in praise of God, after I was baptized I took the initiative to join the choir and work as part of it. Through God’s guidance and blessings, I lived in peace and happiness. Every time I went to a gathering or praised God in worship, I felt suffused with energy.

But a good situation didn’t last forever, and as I entered the ranks of the church ministry, I gradually saw that in the concern and care the brothers and sisters in the church showed to each other on the surface they were all seemingly harmonious, but that in their speech and actions they were all actually acting out of self-interest. They didn’t want to suffer any personal loss while working in the ministry of the church, and often gossiped behind others’ backs about who was doing more and who was doing less. Even the pastor was extremely snobby. He treated people based on the amounts of their donations, and when preaching always talked about donations. Every time he came to a gathering, the thing the pastor put the most emphasis on was whether or not people were giving donations and how much they had given, and he didn’t want to hear anything about the lives of the brothers and sisters. He talked about love, but didn’t show a single genuine action. When the brothers and sisters had difficulties, the pastor wouldn’t help them, but what made people even more indignant was that he would still criticize them and that he looked down on those powerless and penniless brothers and sisters…. When I saw this environment of the church, I was disappointed but also confused: How had the church changed so that it was no different than society? Slowly, I lost the love and faith I had had before, and on Sunday when I would go to the church I felt much less invigorated. I didn’t even want to sing. Every week when I went to church, I was either standing outside drinking coffee or taking a quick nap in the pews. When the sermon was over, I’d toss in my donation and head out. There was always a feeling of grief or helplessness in my heart.

One Sunday in August of 2016, I met Sister Li Min who had come from America and who was the classmate of sisters Gao Xiaoying and Liu Fang. They all believed in the Lord. We got to chatting while sitting on the lawn. We talked and talked, and came around to the topic of the church environment, and I said everything I had seen in the church. After Sister Li Min heard that, she nodded thoughtfully and said: “Nowadays, not only has your church become this way, but the whole religious world has lost the work of the Holy Spirit. They’ve fallen into darkness and desolation. The Lord Jesus once prophesied: ‘And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold’ (Mat 24:12). It’s already the period of the last days, and lawlessness is growing ever more rampant in religion. The pastors and elders don’t abide by the commandments of the Lord Jesus, they don’t carry out the way of the Lord, and they think it is not a big deal to live in sin like that. We all know that the flourishing of the church is the fruit obtained by the work of the Holy Spirit. Today, God has already done new work, and the work of the Holy Spirit has been transmitted to a group of people who accept and obey God’s new work. The pastors and elders in religion don’t lead believers in seeking and investigating God’s work in the last days, but rather resist and condemn God’s new work by disseminating all kinds of rumors and misconceptions to block people from returning to God. They meet with God’s hatred and rejection, so the entire religious world is without God’s blessing and has completely lost the work of the Holy Spirit, and has been cast aside and eliminated by the Lord. So the religion becomes more and more desolate and darkened. It is just like the time when the Lord Jesus became incarnate to perform work. The work of the Lord Jesus opened up the Age of Grace and put an end to the Age of Law. And because those people who followed the Lord Jesus accepted and obeyed the new work of God, they then gained the work of the Holy Spirit, whereas on the contrary the Holy Spirit did not work among those people who did not accept the Lord Jesus and still remained in the temple. So the temple that once was filled with glorification of God and where believers worshiped God became a place for doing business and a den of thieves. That is to say that the reason for the desolation of the church in one respect is caused by the pastors and elders not adhering to God’s commandments nor carrying out the word of God, and their commission of evil acts. In another respect it is brought about by God performing new work, and that the work of the Holy Spirit has transformed, and by people not having caught up to the footsteps of God. However, God’s will is present in the desolation of the church, and there is a truth that can be found therein. Through the desolation of the church, God compelled all those who believe in God with true hearts and who thirst for the truth to leave the religion behind, so that they can leave it to search for the work of the Holy Spirit and to catch up with the footsteps of God and to come into the presence of God to obtain God’s present work and salvation.”

Hearing what Sister Li fellowshiped, I nodded my head and said: “What you said is right. It’s certainly just as you say. I was never able to understand this problem, as the church was originally a place for worshiping God, but there is no difference anymore between the church and society at large. Furthermore, there is no new light in what the pastors preach, nor any enjoyment in listening to them, and people now live in darkness. As it turns out, it is that we have not yet caught up to God’s new work, so what must we now do to catch up to God’s new work?” Sister Li said: “The Lord Jesus has long since returned. In the last days, God is incarnated as a man to express the truth under the name of Almighty God. He has done a stage of the work of judging and purifying mankind. We have to catch up to God’s work in the last days and accept the judgment of God’s word, and then we can obtain the work of the Holy Spirit….” When I heard that the Lord Jesus had already returned to do a stage of the work of judgment, I was astonished. I thought: “Isn’t judgment to punish a person after he is convicted? God comes in the last days to judge those people who don’t believe in God, and we who believe in the Lord Jesus have already been absolved of our sins and have been graced with salvation. We don’t need to receive God’s judgment, for when the Lord comes He will directly raise us to the heavenly kingdom. How could He come to judge us?” With that thought, I had given rise to my own opinion. At that moment, Sister Liu Fang said, “Brother, I have already been investigating Almighty God’s work of the last days for a week with Sister Gao. From the word of Almighty God, we have recognized it is the voice of God. Almighty God is indeed the returned Lord Jesus. Read the word of Almighty God, and you will understand. The reason why the Lord Jesus returned to do the work of judgment is that, although we who believe in the Lord have been forgiven of our sins, we are living all along amid sin from which we cannot free ourselves. There is no way to free ourselves from the bondage and control of sin, and indeed we really do need God to express the truth to judge and purify us, and to root out our sinful nature and corrupt satanic disposition. Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days is a new and outstanding work built on the foundation of the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus. It completely purifies and saves men through the judgment of the word, and brings people to a wonderful abiding place.” After this, they patiently fellowshiped about some more truths with me. But no matter what they said, I just couldn’t accept that the Lord was returning to judge those who believed in Him. At the same time I was conflicted, I was also bewildered in my mind: Sisters Gao and Liu were very pious believers, and everyone acknowledged their belief and love for the Lord, so how could they believe that the Lord Jesus was returning to judge us who believe in Him, and that He would not raise us directly into the kingdom of heaven? Could it be that there was some mystery of the truth in this that I did not know?

As I was thinking, Sister Li Min took out a book and said earnestly to me: “Brother, the Lord Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Mat 5:3). Don’t jump to a conclusion first, OK? Let us first see if the word of Almighty God is the voice of God, and whether it can provide life for us, and whether it can purify and save us, and then we will know whether Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus. God’s sheep will listen to the voice of God, so let us read God’s word together!” I was a bit unwilling in my heart and didn’t answer her question. The three sisters were a little saddened to see my attitude. Sister Liu suddenly suggested: “First let’s pray, and then read some more from the word of God!” After she said that, the three sisters began to pray, and I had to follow along with them. Still, as I was praying, I could hardly quiet my heart. Even though I couldn’t hear what the sisters were praying about, I was moved by their living out. They treated God with such an attitude of sincerity, and searched for God’s will in everything. They hoped that I would investigate God’s work in the last days, and this also came out of God’s love for me. After the prayer, Sister Li handed me a book and said sincerely to me: “Most of the questions in this book, A Hundred Questions and Answers on Investigating the True Way, exist among people of all sects. For each question, related passages are chosen from the word of God to explain it. Go ahead and take a look.” I didn’t want to take the book, but seeing how sincere they were, I looked again at Sister Gao and Sister Liu, and how much they hoped I would investigate and seek. I thought how crucial a matter it was indeed to welcome the coming of the Lord, and that I shouldn’t treat it carelessly. At that, I accepted the book and said: “Alright, I’m willing to accept this book. Let’s stop here for today. I will read the book first, and then we’ll talk.”

After I went back home, I set the book to one side and my thoughts were all mixed up. I thought back on what Sister Li Min had fellowshiped and had a feeling that it was all clear and distinct. Every sentence she said was a fact, but what I couldn’t understand was: Why would the Lord perform a stage of the work of judgment upon His return? After contemplating it carefully, I still didn’t understand it. But as for this matter of the Lord’s second coming, since I had heard about it, I couldn’t blindly make up the rules and sit resigned to my fate. I thought it would also be a good idea to take a look at the book and grow a little in my differentiation. At that, I spent six days reading that book from cover to cover. I saw that Almighty God had made known many, many truths and mysteries that I had never heard of before. It allowed me to gain great providence, and also, when I had read the words of Almighty God, I felt that there were many things that were said in the same tone as that of the Lord Jesus. There was authority and power as if it were God’s voice speaking. So, after I finished reading the book, I wanted to understand even more what was behind the work of judgment done by Almighty God. I decided to go find Sister Gao to ask for clarification. 

 Source The Internet

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The Word of God "Knowing the Three Stages of God's Work Is the Path to Knowing God" (Part One)

The Word of God "Knowing the Three Stages of God's Work Is the Path to Knowing God" (Part One)

Introduction

Almighty God says, "The three stages of work are at the heart of God’s entire management, and in them are expressed the disposition of God and what He is. Those who do not know of the three stages of God’s work are incapable of realizing how God expresses His disposition, nor do they know the wisdom of God’s work, and they remain ignorant of the many ways in which He saves mankind, and His will for the whole of mankind. The three stages of work are the full expression of the work of saving mankind. Those who do not know the three stages of work will be ignorant of the various methods and principles of the Holy Spirit’s work; those who only rigidly stick to doctrine that remains from one stage of work are people who limit God to doctrine, and whose belief in God is vague and uncertain. Such people will never receive God’s salvation."

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God | "Knowing the Three Stages of God's Work Is the Path to Knowing God"

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There Is a Way to Resolve Arrogance

There Is a Way to Resolve Arrogance

Xiaochen Zhengzhou City, Henan Province

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God | There Is a Way to Resolve Arrogance

Arrogance is my fatal flaw. I used to frequently reveal my arrogant disposition, always thinking that I was better than other people. Especially when I amended articles or communicated about work with a partner, I was always opinionated and did not modestly listen to other opinions. My inability to cooperate harmoniously with my partners often caused problems for work. Brothers and sisters raised this issue with me many times, and I also regularly read about God exposing people’s arrogant nature. But since I still had not achieved true understanding of my own nature and essence and also could not truly hate it, whenever I encountered a suitable environment I would lose control. Afterward, I would also feel quite disgusted, but since what’s done has been done, all I could do was to keep trying to understand it. And so it happened again and again. This made me feel very embarrassed and helpless.

I once saw the following words of God when practicing spiritual devotion: “How do you resolve your nature? Firstly, you must know your nature and you must also understand both the word and the will of God. How then can you ensure, to the greatest extent, that you avoid committing wrongful acts, only doing that which conforms to the truth? If you wish to make a change, then you must deliberate on this. In terms of your flawed nature, what sorts of corruption it constitutes and which manner of acts it is capable of, what approach can then be adopted and how may it be practiced in order to control it—this is the crucial question. … Lin Zexu was quick to anger. Based on his own weakness he wrote down the following motto in his room: ‘Bridle Your Temper.’ This is man’s approach, however it truly does work. Each individual has his or her own principles to follow, so you should also set principles with respect to your own nature. These principles are necessary, not having them is out of the question. This should also be your motto for believing in God and your code of conduct” (“Resolving Nature and Practicing Truth” in Records of Christ’s Talks). God’s words gave me an immediate path I could take. I understood: To change a rebellious disposition, on the one hand you must often eat and drink words about God exposing man’s corrupt essence, and on the other you have to focus on a motto for controlling your nature so you can consciously control revelations of your nature and thus forsake yourself to practice the truth. Hence, in accordance with aspects of my corruption such as my arrogant nature, self-righteousness, and unwillingness to listen to the opinions of partners, I formulated a motto: “There’s nothing for a handful of dung can be arrogant about except for a bit of stench.” Whenever I communicated on a question with my partners, I would first use this motto to warn myself, remembering firmly that my essence is dung and that my entire body is covered in stench. I would also remember how I had caused too many problems for work because of my arrogance and ego, and that there was nothing to be arrogant about. That way, I wouldn’t maintain that I was always absolutely right, and it would also give me a sliver of a seeking heart, making me willing to humble myself and listen to the opinions of others. I sometimes still wanted to refute others’ views, but as soon as I thought of the motto, I would consciously forsake myself and practice the truth of harmonious coordination.

After a while, I surprisingly discovered that, when I humbled myself, I would receive some of the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment and illumination from my partners’ communication, and see some of the absurd aspects in my receiving of the truth. At the same time, I also discovered some of the strengths of others, and I was willing to draw on them to complement myself. I also did not think I was better than other people at everything and lowered my conceited head too. Betraying myself did not feel as painful as it did before, and I felt from the heart that humbling myself and modestly listening to the opinions of my partners was quite nice, not only benefiting the progression of my own life but also improving the results of our work through making up for each other’s deficiencies and coming together as one.

Through this experience, I tasted the sweetness of practicing the truth and saw that formulating a motto could make myself consciously control revelations of my corruption, not only reducing my transgressions but also earning more opportunities to understand the truth. At the same time, I also realized that the past revelations of my arrogant nature were too ugly and disgusting. Thank God for leading me to know these things. From now on, I will formulate corresponding mottos to the various aspects of my corruption and restrain myself so I can practice the truth. I will also often read God’s word to know the essence of my own nature so that I can truly hate myself and get rid of my corruption as soon as possible to satisfy God.

Source The Internet

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Christian Music Video | "Thanks and Praise to Almighty God" | Live in the Light of God

Christian Music Video | "Thanks and Praise to Almighty God" | Live in the Light of God

I 

 We have been brought before God. His words we eat and drink. Holy Spirit enlightens, we understand truth God speaks. Rituals of religion, we’ve cast them off, all those bonds. Unrestrained by rules, our hearts released. And we are happy as can be, living in God’s light, happy as can be, living in God’s light. Thanks and praise to Almighty God, who expresses truth to all mankind. Thanks and praise to Almighty God, we have a way to change, and our vague faith subsides. We sing praise, oh.  

II 

 We closely follow God, kingdom training we accept. God’s judgments are like a sword, disclosing thoughts that we have. Arrogance, selfishness, and falseness are not concealed. Only then I see my truth. Ashamed I fall to God, revealed. Thanks and praise (oh, thanks to God) to Almighty God, who expresses truth to all mankind. Thanks and praise to Almighty God, we’re face to face with God, and in His joy we rejoice. Thanks and praise (thanks and praise) to Almighty God. You are holy, You are righteous, oh. My desire is to practice truth (practice truth), forsake the flesh, to be reborn (be reborn), comfort Your heart. Thanks and praise to Almighty God, Your judgment has me truly saved. Thanks and praise to Almighty God, my disposition has changed. Because of You, I am blessed, oh, I’m blessed. 

 from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God | "Thanks and Praise to Almighty God"

Recommendation:  Is Eastern Lightning the Return of the Lord Jesus? The Church of Almighty God

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Eastern Lightning | A Revelation of the Holy Spirit | "God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together (Part One)"

A Revelation of the Holy Spirit | "God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together (Part One)"

Introduction
Almighty God says, "As man lacks rest, so does God. When God once again enters into rest, man will also enter into rest. The life in rest is one without war, without filth, without persisting unrighteousness. This is to say that it lacks Satan’s harassment (here “Satan” refers to hostile forces), Satan’s corruption, as well as the invasion of any force opposed to God. Everything follows its own kind and worships the Lord of creation. Heaven and earth are entirely tranquil. This is humanity’s restful life. When God enters into rest, no more unrighteousness will persist upon the earth, and there will be no more invasion of any hostile forces. Humanity will also enter a new realm; he will no longer be a humanity corrupted by Satan, but rather a humanity that has been saved after having been corrupted by Satan."

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God |  "God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together (Part One)"

Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

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Gospel Music "Follow the Holy Spirit's New Work and Gain God's Praise"

Gospel Music "Follow the Holy Spirit's New Work and Gain God's Praise"

    Wow  ... wow … wow … Following  the Holy Spirit’s work means one understands God’s will of today, acts according to God’s demands, follows the God of today, obeys His present requirements and enters by His newest utterances. Such people follow the Spirit’s work. They are in the Holy Spirit’s stream, can see God and receive God’s praise. They can know God’s disposition, of man’s conception and disobedience, and of man’s nature and substance. Furthermore, their disposition will be changed during their service to God. Only people such as this are those who are able to gain God. Only people such as this are those who have genuinely found the one true way. To possess the knowledge of God’s latest work is not easy. But if people can intentionally obey and seek the work of God, they will have the chance to see God and gain the new guidance of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, their disposition will be changed during their service to God. Only people such as this are those who are able to gain God. Only people such as this are those who have genuinely found the one true way. Those who intentionally oppose the work of God can’t receive the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment or the guidance of God. Thus whether people can receive the latest work of God depends on the grace of God and upon their pursuit, and depends on their intentions. (Wow … wow … wow … wow …)

 from The Word Appears in the Flesh

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God 

Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

Special statement: This video production was produced as a not-for-profit piece by The Church of Almighty God. This video may not be distributed for profit to any third party, and we hope that everyone will share it and distribute it openly. When you distribute it, please note the source. Without the consent of The Church of Almighty God, no organization, social group, or individual may tamper with or misrepresent the contents of this video.

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The Judgement of God Is the Grace of God | "The Most Wonderful Blessing" (A Real-Life Story)

The Judgement of God Is the Grace of God | "The Most Wonderful Blessing" (A Real-Life Story)

Introduction
      The drama The Most Wonderful Blessing is the story of a preacher in a house church. He believed that just by giving up his home and his job, and working and preaching the gospel he could gain God's blessing. After accepting Almighty God's work of the last days he continued on as usual, and as a leader in the church focused only on working hard while neglecting to put God's words into practice. He often relied on his own corrupt disposition in his affairs. God loathed this, and he lost the work of the Holy Spirit. After losing his position as a leader, for a time he was negative and resistant to God, but the judgment of God's words awoke him. He realized that God's most wonderful blessing for mankind is His judgment and chastisement.

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God | "The Most Wonderful Blessing" (A Real-Life Story)

Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

Special statement: This video production was produced as a not-for-profit piece by The Church of Almighty God. The actors that appear in this production are performing on a not-for-profit basis, and have not been paid in any way. This video may not be distributed for profit to any third party, and we hope that everyone will share it and distribute it openly. When you distribute it, please note the source. Without the consent of The Church of Almighty God, no organization, social group, or individual may tamper with or misrepresent the contents of this video.

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A Turn for the Better on the Road of Believing in God

A Turn for the Better on the Road of Believing in God 

 Zhuanbian Shanghai City

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God | A Turn for the Better on the Road of Believing in God

Although I had been following God for many years, I had made almost no progress with my entering into life, and this made me feel very anxious. Especially when I listened to a recording of a preaching about life entry, and heard the man used by the Holy Spirit talking to the brothers and sisters who were present and listening to the preaching, I felt filled with anxiety hearing him say this kind of thing, “You now believe in God and have tasted the sweetness of the pursuit of truth. You have started to enter onto the right track and are full of faith in your pursuit of salvation.” I thought, “These people have believed in God for such a short time but have already entered and are so full of faith about being saved. Yet here I am having so far believed in God and I still haven’t obtained the truth and my disposition in life has undergone no change whatsoever, never mind having entered onto the right track. To attain salvation is easier said than done!” I thought of how the above fellowshiped that the truth can resolve all of man’s corruptions, but I had never experienced this at all. I even felt that the truth could resolve other people’s corruptions but not my own, so I lost faith in my pursuit of the truth and of salvation. Although I was aware that my own condition was not right, there was no way I could escape it, so I could only cry to God for help. Afterward, His words enlightened me, causing me to see the reasons why I had believed in God for so many years yet had not progressed in life, and why my disposition had not undergone any change. God also set me on the path of practicing and entering the truth.

God’s words say: “Growth in man’s life and changes in his disposition are all achieved by entering into reality and, moreover, through entering into detailed experiences” (“The Difference Between the Ministry of the Incarnate God and the Duty of Man” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “Some people know the truth but do not put it into practice, believing that the truth is just this and nothing more. They believe it can’t solve their own will and their corruption. Isn’t this kind of person ridiculous? Aren’t they absurd? Do they not fancy themselves clever? If people act according to the truth, their corrupt disposition will be transformed; if people believe in and serve God according to their natural personality, none of them can have their disposition transformed. Some people are caught up in their own concerns all day long and fail to investigate or practice the truth that is readily available. This practice is very absurd; such people are inherent sufferers, having the blessing but not enjoying it!” (“Those Who Love the Truth Have a Way to Follow” in Records of Christ’s Talks). Only through the enlightenment of God’s words did I realize that my disposition had undergone no change despite the many years I had believed in Him, and that this was mainly because when I read God’s words I focused only on understanding the literal, theoretical meaning, and had only a thinking understanding. I was not focusing on putting the truth into practice or entering into reality, nor was I focusing on experiencing God’s words through practical experience. Thinking back on these years of my belief in God, no matter what aspect of the truth, I never sought to have a deeper understanding of it or to attain an understanding of the essence of the truth, much less did I plan to enter into detailed practice, through which I could have obtained an aspect of the truth. Instead, I thought it was enough just to have a theoretical knowledge and understanding. For example, in real life I always struggled for fame and gain, always wanted to make others listen to me, make them respect me and endorse me. After revealing these corruptions, I just thought for a while, and prayed before God, acknowledging my own corruption and knowing that it was an expression of arrogance, and nothing more. The result was that, no matter how many times I felt remorse or confessed my sins before God, my old nature had not changed and I was doomed to repeat the same old mistakes. Within the environment arranged by God, through praying and seeking I came to know that God was using this environment to deal with my corruption. After I came to this understanding, however, I just acknowledged that all of God’s trials and refinements, all of God’s dealing with me and pruning me was His salvation, was His love, that God’s heart is always good, period. The outcome was that, although I underwent some hardship, I had not undergone any change as a result. After I heard the man’s preaching, I felt that these fellowships were indeed what I needed, that they had allowed me to understand the truth that I had not previously understood. But all I did was just remember the content of the fellowships in my head and then not pay any attention to them, resulting in that little bit of understanding disappearing after a while, and me having obtained nothing at all.

Facing facts, I saw that I had not been seeking the truth at all. I had believed in God for many years but had never put any effort into practicing the truth or entering reality, to the extent that I had so far still not obtained the truth, nor had my disposition undergone any change. This was entirely the revelation of God’s righteous disposition, as God had said long ago: “You must devote effort to living out the words of God so that they may be realized in your practice. If you have only doctrinal knowledge, then your faith in God will come to naught. Only if you then also practice and live out His word can your faith be considered complete and in accord with God’s will” (“You Ought to Live for the Truth Since You Believe in God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God is righteous. God has never treated anyone unfairly, and has never wantonly given to man, much less given to man unconditionally. I do not practice the truth, have not made any effort to live out His words, with the result that today, I must reap as I have sown. At this time I couldn’t help but feel extreme remorse, regretting bitterly that, although I had experienced God’s work, I lacked my own entry, so that today I still had nothing to show for my belief and I really hadn’t lived up to God’s salvation. And yet I did not wish to continue degenerating in such a way, but instead I wished to start from scratch, to start again, to make effort in my practice and to implement God’s words on myself.

Afterward, I began to train in practicing the truth and in entering reality. I was no longer like the way I had been when I had wanted others to listen to me, respect me and endorse me, just praying and confessing to God. Instead, I came before God to seek the truth, searching for words of God to eat and drink that were related specifically to this issue and accepting the judgment and chastisement of the words of God, resolving my own corruption in this way. When I practiced and entered in such a way, God showed me a special grace that allowed me to realize that I had been vying with God for His position, making people worship me as though I was their ancestor, or worship me as though I was God. I saw that I was the devil Satan with a nature and essence completely akin to those of the great red dragon, and disgust and loathing for my own nature unknowingly arose. Afterward, I equipped myself with the truth about raising God up, about bearing witness to God, and in reality I trained for entry. Through this practice, I saw even more clearly the ugliness and loathsomeness of myself standing on high and telling people what was what. I loathed and cursed myself even more, and became willing to forsake the flesh and practice the truth in order to satisfy God. After training in this way for a while, I discovered that the expressions of my own arrogant disposition reduced a great deal.

In normal interpersonal relationships, in the past I knew I had to practice tolerance, patience, to use wisdom, have principles, and be an honest person. But in reality I never entered these five aspects. Therefore, when getting along with brothers and sisters, there often arose in me prejudice toward them due to some trivial matter or their revealing some corruption, to the extent that I had no way to get along well with them. Now, I bring my past understanding into real life to train and practice. When I take unkindly to others due to their expressions of corruption, I pray to God and seek the truth, asking how I should understand this matter that I have come across, and how I should practice and enter God’s words. Under God’s guidance, it occurred to me that everyone is now in the process of seeking change, so there will certainly be expressions of corruption, that maybe so-and-so isn’t aware of the corruption he reveals, or maybe he is dominated involuntarily by his own nature and is not acting this way toward me on purpose. It was just the same as when my usually arrogant disposition had been disgusting to others, yet I myself had remained unaware. This is all harm that is done to man by Satan. It is Satan that should be hated, and one should not form opinions about one’s brothers and sisters. When I thought like this, the resentment and grudges I had held inside me disappeared in a flash, and were replaced by hatred for Satan and sympathy and forgiveness for my brothers and sisters, even wanting to find suitable opportunities to help others. When I tried voluntarily to help other people, I found that my relationship with them became a lot friendlier and I got a taste of the happiness that comes from helping others.

When I trained to enter God’s words and practice the truth, not only did I gain some practical experience and entry in all aspects of the truth, I also saw God’s wonderful works. I felt God’s leadership and guidance and tasted the sureness, peace and joy that practicing the truth had given to my heart. I felt that there was nothing empty about life, that there was a lesson to be learned every day, that there were new views and understandings every day, that I was able to see God saving me every day, feeling that seeking the truth was so meaningful, that the truth really could save and change people!

Once I had this bit of personal experience and understanding, I felt that my own road of believing in God had taken a turn for the better, never again to feel that salvation was beyond my grasp. I believe that, so long as I work with God, continually equip myself with truth and practice and enter the truth, I will certainly reach a change in my corrupt disposition. I believe that God’s work is able to save man and God’s words are able to change man: I have this faith because I have tasted it already. From today on, I wish to seek the truth and practice the truth with my feet planted firmly on the ground. I wish for God to continue to lead me, to make me soon reach a change in my disposition, to live out the manner of a true person in order to bear witness for God, to bear witness to God’s work to save me, to bear witness to God’s power to save man, and to bear witness to God’s wonderful deeds!

Source: "A Turn for the Better on the Road of Believing in God" in Testimonies of Experience of Christ’s Judgment

Recommendation:  Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was founded by Almighty God personally

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Almighty God's Word | God's Utterance "How to Know God’s Disposition and the Result of His Work" (Part Two)

God's Utterance "How to Know God’s Disposition and the Result of His Work" (Part Two)

God's words in this video are from the book "Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh".

The content of this video:

Walk in God's Way: Fear God and Shun Evil

God Makes Use of Different Trials to Test Whether People Fear God and Shun Evil

To Not Fear God and Shun Evil Is to Oppose God

Picture of The Church of Almighty God

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The Church of Almighty God | A Hymn of God's Word "The Significance of God’s Managing Mankind"

The Significance of God’s Managing Mankind

God’s management is to gain mankind who worships and obeys Him. Though corrupted by Satan, they call it father no more, no more.

I

God’s management is to gain mankind who worships and obeys Him. Though corrupted by Satan, they call it father no more, no more; they know Satan’s ugliness, and so reject it, so reject it. They come before God, accept chastisement and judgment. They know that which is ugly, and that which is holy, holy. And they know the greatness of God, and evil of Satan.

Picture of The Church of Almighty God | The Significance of God’s Managing Mankind

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Almighty God's Word "The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age" (Excerpt, Stage Version)

Almighty God's Word "The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age" (Excerpt, Stage Version)

Almighty God says, "Since we are searching for the footprints of God, we must search for God’s will, for the words of God, for the utterances of God—for where there are the new words of God, there is the voice of God, and where there are the footsteps of God, there are the deeds of God. Where there is the expression of God, there is the appearance of God, and where there is the appearance of God, there exists the truth, the way, and the life. … If you desire to witness the appearance of God, if you wish to follow the footprints of God, then you must first transcend your own conceptions. You must not demand that God do this or that, much less should you place Him within your own confines and limit Him to your own conceptions. Instead, you should ask how you should seek the footprints of God, how you should accept the appearance of God, and how you should submit to the new work of God; that is what should be done by man. Since man is not the truth, and is not possessed of the truth, man should seek, accept, and obey."

Picture of The Church of Almighty God | The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age

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