Showing posts with label the Last Days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Last Days. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

God redeemed mankind in the Age of Grace, so why does He still need to do His work of judgment in the last days?

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God redeemed mankind in the Age of Grace, so why does He still need to do His work of judgment in the last days?


Bible Verses for Reference:

“You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:45).

“Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb 12:14).

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (Jhn 12:47-48).

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

I, Being Arrogant, Finally Fell Before the Throne of Almighty God

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I, Being Arrogant, Finally Fell Before the Throne of Almighty God

Peng Lin
Baoji City, Shaanxi Province

Picture of The Church of Almighty God
Since I was a little child, I had believed in Jesus with my parents. During the Great Cultural Revolution, I saw that many “great men” who believed in God were put in prison yet I was safe and sound, so I felt that God loved me so much, and that I was probably the “apple of God’s eye” and thus no one on earth dared to touch me. Therefore, I looked on myself as “God’s favored one” and became proud and supercilious. I remember that in 1978, Wang X, a leader of the Three-Self sect, and several county leaders came to Baoji City to deal with us house churches.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Christian testimonies | Almighty God’s Word Saved Me

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Almighty God’s Word Saved Me

Chen Wenge
Benxi City, Liaoning Province

Chinese Christian, The Church of Almighty God, Prayer Almighty God,
Picture of The Church of Almighty God | Almighty God’s Word Saved Me
I was once a preacher in the True Jesus Church. In October 1998, I accepted Almighty God’s gospel of the last days. When I knew that Almighty God I had resisted and slandered was the returned Savior Jesus whom I had been eagerly waiting for, I was very regretful and hated myself for being arrogant and not seeking the truth and thus becoming a Pharisee of the present age. It was Almighty God’s word that saved me and made me step onto the right track of believing in God and start a true human life.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

The Cult Conspiracy by the CCP Government – Religious Persecution

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December 7, 2017 Leave a comment By Xiang Yi
The Ministry of Public Security of the CCP government published the Circular on Certain Issues Concerning Affirming and Abolishing Cults in 2000 and 2005. The clause of “the situation of affirmed cults” shows that so far, there are 14 religious organizations labeled as cults, among which the Church of Almighty God ranks first.
Just like the house churches in Mainland China which have been suffering oppression and persecution from the atheistic CCP government, the Church of Almighty God also has been frantically condemned and persecuted by the CCP government since Almighty God, the returned Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days, appeared to work in Mainland China. From the documents about opposing the cult that the CCP has issued, we can see that in order to make China a place without God and make Chinese people live under its slavery and rule forever, the CCP confounds black and white, confuses right and wrong. It misleads all Chinese people about the definitions of good religion and cult, by which to make them believe its lies and fallacies and follow it condemning and resisting God who becomes flesh to save mankind, so that they will be unable to keep pace with God’s work and lose the last opportunity of God’s salvation.
In order to have discernment about the rumors that the CCP fabricated about God’s work of the last days and see through the schemes that Satan used to deceive people, it’s necessary for us to investigate what is a good religion and what is a cult. When it comes to differentiating between cults and good religions, it can’t be determined by the judgment of any person, party or country. God’s work is personally done by God Himself, and thus we should conduct our investigation according to the truth that God expresses. Only by seeking the truth can we tell righteousness from evilness, truth from fallacy, and right from wrong. The Lord Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Almighty God says: “What are positive things? All that directly comes from God is positive” (“Corrupt Man Cannot Represent God”). “My words are the truth, the life, the way, and a double-edged sword, which can defeat Satan” (“The Twelfth Utterance” of Utterances and Testimonies of Christ in the Beginning).
In the world today, only the incarnate Christ expresses the truth to mankind, and only following the steps of the work of Christ is the right path of life which is in line with both God’s will and people’s will. That created beings come before God and accept the truth that God expresses is exactly in line with God’s will. Through seeking and practicing the truth and then living out the reality of the truth, men’s corrupt disposition can be cleansed, and their conscience and sense are able to return to normal. People all walk on the right way of fearing God and shunning evil, confirming in the conscience that believing in God is being good and walking the right path of life and is in line with people’s will. Thus created beings believing in God and worshiping God is a positive thing in conformity with both God’s will as well as people’s will. What is in conformity with both God’s will and people’s will is certainly a good religion. Just like the first time God was incarnated, He was called the Lord Jesus Christ and did the work of redemption. If men could confess their sins and repent before God, they could be forgiven for their sins and receive God’s blessings and grace. Though the work of the Lord Jesus suffered condemnation and persecution from the Judaism and Roman government, the holy name of the Lord Jesus still has been spread all over the world by Christians for two thousand years. From this we can confirm that this is the true way and is the result achieved by the work of the Holy Spirit. In the last days, Almighty God, the returned Christ, unlocks all the mysteries of God’s six-thousand-year management plan, and expresses all the truths of thoroughly purifying and saving mankind. More and more people, after hearing God’s voice, have identified God and accepted God’s work of the last days, and walked on the right path of obeying God’s judgment and chastisement and pursuing transformation in disposition. It’s sufficient to prove that Almighty God’s work of the last days and the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption come down in one continuous line, and that Almighty God is exactly the returned Lord Jesus. Almighty God says: “but at each stage it accords with man’s needs—or rather, it varies according to the tricks that Satan employs in My war against it. The purpose of My work is to defeat Satan, to make manifest My wisdom and omnipotence, to expose all Satan’s tricks and thereby to save all of humanity, which lives under its domain. It is to show My wisdom and omnipotence while at the same time revealing the hideousness of Satan. Moreover, it is to teach My creations to discriminate between good and evil, to recognize that I am the Ruler of all things, to see clearly that Satan is humanity’s foe, the lowest of the low, the evil one, and to make the difference between good and evil, truth and falsehood, holiness and filth, greatness and baseness, as clear as day” (“The Truth Concerning the Work in the Age of Redemption”). Nowadays, Almighty God’s gospel of the last days has been spread and witnessed to all the countries in the world. Those who truly believe in God have all returned before the throne of God, and everywhere there appears the gratifying scene of all peoples streaming to the holy mountain. In the Church of Almighty God, brothers and sisters from all corners of the country, all nations and various denominations and sects get together. Under the guidance of the work of the Holy Spirit and the watering and shepherding of God’s word, they can live in harmony and love one another. In the midst of judgment and purification of God’s words, they have gradually cast away their corrupt satanic dispositions such as arrogance, deceit, selfishness, and so on, and have lived out the normal humanity. Their hearts are filled with peace and joy, and they have walked on the right path of life. Such kind of harmonious life is exactly God’s wish as well as people’s wish, and is the fruit borne of the salvation work of the true God. Thus, Almighty God is exactly the one true God who created the heavens, earth, and all things and who expresses the truth to save mankind. The Church of Almighty God is the place where God does His work, and is the symbol of the good religion and the true way.
Then, what is a cult? The Bible says, “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie” (Revelation 22:15). The man’s fellowship says, “All of the corrupt humanity’s viewpoints and theories opposed to God are generated due to the corruption of Satan. Not only is the utterly reactionary atheism the theory that Satan uses to resist against and betray God, but all those theories and viewpoints at odds with the truth come from Satan. Let’s take a look at the great red dragon, this gang of devils. They fanatically advocate atheism, use evolution as the theory basis, and do their utmost to deny the existence of God, fervently condemn God’s work, persecute and afflict those sincere believers in God. They only allow people to adore them, follow and worship them, yet forbid them to worship the Creator. Those evil devils dare to stand in God’s place and force people to worship them, attempting to dominate the world, and to rule over and control all mankind, thus making the whole world atheist so that it becomes the empire of Satan. This is the very real proof of corrupt mankind’s nature to betray God. And look at those various kinds of cults that deny the true Creator God, and worship Satan. They set up Satan and evil spirits that have long betrayed God and worship them as God, calling them the heavenly gods, and worshiping the words and work of those evil spirits as truth. Their eyes are blinded by Satan and their words are full of the confounding of black and white. They have become the tools for Satan to deceive and corrupt people. And what they spread and advocate are all the fallacies that rebel against God and betray Him. If one comes to testify of God’s incarnation, then the whole of mankind will oppose and condemn. As all mankind is heartless and ignores their consciences to speak. Such an extremely corrupt mankind doesn’t have the least bit of the truth, rather, within their hearts there exist too many various God-resisting heresies. And all the deeply corrupt mankind’s views on things are ridiculous and absurd, are hostile to the truth, and are totally reactionary fallacies that resist and attack God” (“A Fundamental Change in Viewpoint Is a Sign of Truly Understanding the Truth” in Annals of Fellowship and Work Arrangements (I)).
From the fellowship and preaching, we can see that a cult runs counter to right principles and disobeys God’s will and people’s will, and is a negative thing, while believing in God and worshiping God is a positive thing. So all those that condemn and resist God are negative things and cults; all those that trust in false gods and worship evil spirits are cults; all those that advocate heresies such as atheism and evolution are also cults. What a cult does is at odds with God’s will and runs counter to people’s will, and it can only make people oppose God and sink deeper and deeper into a cycle of corruption and carry people down the path of destruction. Consequently, a cult is the product originating from Satan.
So, is the CCP a good religion or a cult? Since the CCP came to power, it has consistently disguised itself with the ruling idea of “serving the people,” parades China under its rule as “a civilized and beautiful socialist country,” and advocates that the goal they struggled for is to lead people to realize communism. However, in fact, during its nearly 70 years of reign, the CCP takes class struggle and violent revolution as the central task; in order to safeguard its regime and rule and enslave the Chinese people forever, it always confuses black and white and stops at no evil.
If you have other understanding or new light about this article, you’re welcome to have a chat with us via the online chat window at the bottom of the website or send an email to info@findshepherd.com. We Look forward to sharing with more brothers and sisters about your enlightenment from God and growing together in Christ.
You may be interested in this article: Proofs of the CCP’s Persecution of Christians
Source The Internet 

Thursday, July 26, 2018

The Origin and Development of The Church of Almighty God

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3. The Origin and Development of The Church of Almighty God 

In the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus promised to His followers, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jhn 14:3). He also prophesied, “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Mat 24:27). In the last days, as promised and foretold by Himself, God has again become flesh and descended to the East of the world—China—to do the work of judgment, chastisement, conquest, and salvation using the word, on the foundation of the redemption work of the Lord Jesus. In this, the prophecies of the Bible that “Judgment begins with the house of God” and “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” have also been fulfilled. God’s work of the last days has ended the Age of Grace and ushered in the Age of Kingdom. As the gospel of the kingdom of Almighty God spread rapidly in Mainland China, The Church of Almighty God came into being. As proven by facts, The Church of Almighty God came into being entirely as a result of God’s work of the last days, and was not established by any man. This is because the chosen people in The Church of Almighty God pray in the name of Almighty God, obey His work, and accept all the truths expressed by Him. Thus it is evident that these chosen people believe in Christ who is incarnated in the last days, the practical God who is the Spirit realized in the flesh, instead of believing in a man. Outwardly, Almighty God is nothing more than an ordinary Son of man, but in substance He is the embodiment of God’s Spirit and is the truth, the way, and the life. His work and word are the direct expression of the Spirit of God and are the appearance of God in person. Therefore, He is the practical God who is incarnated.
In 1991, Almighty God, Christ of the last days, began to officially perform His ministry in China. Then, He expressed millions of words and began the work of judgment of the great white throne in the last days. Just as Almighty God says, “The work of judgment is God’s own work, so it should naturally be done by God Himself; it cannot be done by man in His stead. Because judgment is the conquering of the human race through the truth, it is unquestionable that God still appears as the incarnate image to do this work among men. That is to say, in the last days, Christ shall use the truth to teach men around the earth and make all truths known to them. This is God’s work of judgment” (“Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “God does the work of the word in the last days, and such words are that of the Holy Spirit, for God is the Holy Spirit and can also become flesh; therefore, the words of the Holy Spirit, as spoken of in the past, are the words of the incarnate God today. … For God to speak utterances to carry out work, He must become flesh, else His work cannot accomplish His goal” (“How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Because of the appearance and utterances of Christ of the last days, ever more people who thirst for and seek the truth have been conquered and purified by the word of Almighty God, and have seen in God’s judgment and chastisement the appearance of God and the return of the Redeemer.
The Church of Almighty God came into being because of the appearance and work of Almighty God—the returned Lord Jesus—Christ of the last days, and also under His righteous judgment and chastisement. The church is comprised of all those who truly accept Almighty God’s work of the last days and are conquered and saved by God’s word. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally, and is personally led and shepherded by Him, and it was by no means set up by any man. This is a fact acknowledged by all the chosen people in The Church of Almighty God. Whoever is used by God incarnate is predestined by God, and personally appointed and testified to by God, just as Jesus personally chose and appointed the twelve disciples. Those who are used by God only cooperate with His work, and cannot do God’s work in His stead. The church was not founded by those who are used by God, nor do God’s chosen people believe in or follow them. The churches of the Age of Grace were not set up by Paul and other apostles, but were the product of the work of the Lord Jesus and founded by the Lord Jesus Himself. Likewise, The Church of Almighty God in the last days has not been established by the man used by God, but is the product of the work of Almighty God. The man who is used by God only waters, supplies, and leads the churches, performing the duty of man. Although God’s chosen people are led, watered, and supplied by the man who is used by God, they believe in and follow none other than Almighty God, and accept and obey His words and work. This is a fact that no one can deny. Because of the appearance and work of God incarnate, many true believers of the Lord in all religious denominations and sects have finally heard the voice of God, have seen that the Lord Jesus has already come and carried out the work of judgment in the last days, and they have all confirmed that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus—and as a result, they have accepted His work of the last days. All those who are conquered by the word of Almighty God become subject to His name. Therefore, all the chosen people of The Church of Almighty God pray to Almighty God, and follow, obey and worship Him. Having experienced God’s work of judgment and chastisement, the chosen people in China have come to appreciate His righteous disposition, and have seen His majesty and wrath, and so they have been completely conquered by God’s word and have fallen down before Almighty God, and are willing to obey and accept the judgment and chastisement of God’s word. Thus, they have gained God’s salvation.
Precisely because the words expressed by Almighty God disclose the mysteries of God’s management plan to save mankind, God’s chosen people, in the disclosing of God’s words, come to understand that God has a new name in each age, and that His new name symbolizes that God is doing new work, and furthermore, that God is ending an old age and ushering in a new age. The meaning of God’s name is so great and profound! In it is contained the significance of God’s work. God uses names to change the age and represent His work of that age. In the Age of Law, He used the name of Jehovah to issue laws and commandments and lead the life of mankind on earth. In the Age of Grace, He used the name of Jesus to do the work of mankind’s redemption. With the arrival of the Age of Kingdom, He has used the name of Almighty God to carry out the work of judgment beginning with the house of God, to purify man, change man, and save man. God’s new name is not something He is arbitrarily called by man, but was taken by God Himself because of the needs of His work. The name God takes in each stage of work has its roots in the Bible, and the name that the Lord Jesus would take when He returned in the last days was long prophesied in the Book of Revelation: “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name” (Rev 3:12). “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8). “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunder, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns” (Rev 19:6). The name of Almighty God in the Age of Kingdom exactly fulfills the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. God is almighty, He created and rules over all things, and He is the First and the Last; it is most appropriate for us to call Him Almighty God. Thence, people have called the incarnate God Almighty God and have also called the incarnate Christ Practical God. And The Church of Almighty God is thus named.
When the gospel of the kingdom spread in Mainland China, God reclaimed all the work of the Spirit throughout the universe and focused it upon this group of people who accepted God’s work of the last days, and upon those who were predestined and chosen by God and sincerely sought the true way. Because the work of the Holy Spirit was transferred, all denominations and sects lost the work of the Holy Spirit and became a wasteland, leaving people with no choice but to seek the true way. This has exactly fulfilled the prophecy in the Bible, “Behold, the days come … that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah” (Amo 8:11). Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, those in various denominations and sects who pursued the truth and truly believed in God broke through the restrictions and hindrances of the antichrists and the wicked servants, and finally heard and recognized God’s voice, and more and more people returned before God’s throne. Everywhere there appeared pleasant scenes of all denominations becoming one and all nations flowing to this mountain. As those in all denominations and sects who truly believed in God returned in large numbers, most of the denominations and sects collapsed and have long since existed in name only. Who could halt the footsteps of God’s work? Who could hinder God’s chosen people from returning to God? It was as if the entire religious community had been set straight. The stream of returning was like mightily surging waves. No force could stand in the way of God’s work! Since Almighty God appeared and His work began, the CCP government has been unceasing in its persecution of The Church of Almighty God. It has been feverishly hunting Christ of the last days and those who follow God and testify of God, and cruelly persecuting God’s chosen people, attempting to abolish God’s work of the last days. It has called numerous emergency meetings to scheme how to abolish The Church of Almighty God. It has drawn up and issued many secret documents and carried out various means that are base and diabolical: putting up notices everywhere, issuing public notices, using television, radio, newspapers, the Internet, and other media to wantonly fabricate rumors, slander and frame, defaming The Church of Almighty God; forcibly indoctrinating people with evil teachings and fallacies, and carrying out brainwashing and assimilation; making use of the Three-Self Church to oversee and control, sending spies to investigate openly and inquire secretly, employing grassroots control, ordering monitoring by neighbors, and encouraging people to file reports by promising a great reward; carrying out arbitrary searches of people’s homes, ransacking their houses and confiscating their property, extorting money through fines and accumulating wealth by unfair means; making secret arrests of God’s chosen people, detaining and imprisoning them in labor camps at will, extracting confessions through torture, ravaging body and mind, and beating people to death with impunity; even employing armed police and troops to suppress The Church of Almighty God; and so on. The CCP government has inhumanly arrested and persecuted the Christians of The Church of Almighty God—God’s chosen people, causing them to suffer the unscrupulous robbery of their property and physical and spiritual torment and affliction, and even causing many deaths. The government’s actions have been appalling. As documented, at least seventy Christians have been persecuted to death up to July 2018. For example: Xie Yongjiang (male, 43-year-old), a Christian in Wugou Town of Suixi County, Anhui Province, was secretly arrested by the local police in the early hours of April 30th, 1997 and fatally abused. On May 10th, when Xie’s family saw his body at the crematorium, he was black and purple all over and stained with blood, and had suffered several fatal wounds to his head. Ye Aizhong (male, 42-year-old), a Christian of Shuyang County, Jiangsu Province, was arrested by the CCP police on March 26th, 2012 while purchasing goods for the Church. On the third day, he was beaten to death. Jiang Guizhi, a Christian in Qinghe District of Pingyu County, Henan Province (female, 46-year-old, a senior leader of The Church of Almighty God at the time), was secretly arrested and imprisoned by the CCP police on January 4th, 2013 in Xinmi City, Henan Province. The police officers set up an illegal court and used torture to extract a confession. In the early morning of February 12th, Jiang died as a result of the physical abuse inflicted by the police… Beyond that, tens of thousands of other Christians have also been arrested and imprisoned by the CCP police. Some were injected with drugs and subsequently developed schizophrenia; some were so badly maimed by torture that they were left unable to take care of themselves; some were imprisoned in labor camps, and after their release, were monitored by the CCP government and deprived of their personal freedom. According to rough statistics, in the two short years from 2011 to 2013, 380,380 of God’s chosen people were arrested and detained by the CCP government in Mainland China. Among these people, 43,640 suffered all kinds of torture while under illegal interrogation; 111,740 had various charges imposed on them and were shamelessly fined or extorted more than 243,613,000 RMB; 35,330 had their homes ransacked, and at least 1,000,000,000 RMB (including offerings to the church and personal property) was forcibly and groundlessly confiscated by the public security organs and their subordinates or pocketed by police officers. When it comes to the CCP government’s arrest and persecution of the Christians of The Church of Almighty God, these are rough statistics, and when it comes to all the Christians of The Church of Almighty God, they are just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, since Almighty God began His work, countless Christians of The Church of Almighty God have been arrested, persecuted, shadowed, or monitored by the CCP government. It used every cruel means to bloodily suppress The Church of Almighty God, turning Mainland China into a world of terror. In addition, the church was also slandered, condemned, and attacked by all denominations and sects. This instantly led to widespread rumors and a storm of every manner of slander, abuse, and curses. The whole of society and the religious community were filled with all kinds of adverse publicity. Corrupt mankind’s resistance to the true God and persecution of the true way had reached its peak.
Since mankind was corrupted by Satan, God has never stopped His management plan for saving mankind. Mankind, however, doesn’t know the truth, much less does it know God. As a result, every time God is incarnated to begin new work, He is rejected and persecuted by those in power and by religious groups. Two thousand years ago, when Jesus became flesh, He was persecuted and arrested by the Roman government and the Jewish faith, and in the end He was crucified. In the last days, since God returned to flesh in China to do the work of judgment, He has been cruelly persecuted and hunted by the CCP government, and also cursed, framed, condemned, and rejected by all denominations and sects of Christianity. It is a clear indication of man’s corruption and evil. We can imagine how hard it is for God to carry out His work in such a fortress of demons, where black clouds weigh heavily and devils wield power. Nevertheless, God is almighty, and He has supreme authority and power. No matter how rampant the forces of Satan are, no matter how they resist and launch attacks, it is all to no avail. In just about 20 years, the gospel of the kingdom of Almighty God has spread across the whole of Mainland China under severe oppression. Several hundred thousand churches have sprung up across the country and millions of people have submitted to the name of Almighty God. Almost instantaneously, all denominations and sects turned desolate, for God’s sheep have heard God’s voice, and they have already come back following the voice, fallen down before God, and been personally watered and shepherded by God. This has fulfilled the prophecy in the Bible that “all nations shall flow to it.” It is inevitable that all true believers in God will turn to Almighty God in the end, because this has long been planned and predestined by God. No one can change it! Those false believers whose faith in God is only so that they may eat their fill of the loaves, and those various enemies who commit evil, resist and condemn Almighty God have all been eliminated by God’s work. The entire religious community has been thoroughly destroyed and disintegrated by God’s work. Almighty God’s work has finally ended in glory. During this period, despite the frantic resistance and bloody suppression of the CCP government, God’s gospel of the kingdom has still spread with lightning speed. The CCP’s plot to eliminate and abolish God’s work has ended in failure. All the evil forces that resist God have been utterly destroyed and toppled amid God’s majestic and wrathful judgment. Just as Almighty God says, “All those that I love will surely live for eternity, and all those who stand against Me will surely be chastised by Me for eternity. For I am a jealous God, I will not lightly spare men for all that they have done. I will watch over the whole earth, and, appearing in the East of the world with righteousness, majesty, wrath, and chastisement, I will reveal Myself to the myriad hosts of humanity!” (“The Twenty-sixth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “My kingdom is coming into shape above the whole universe, and My throne holds sway in the hearts of trillions of people. With the angels’ assistance, My great accomplishment will soon be brought to fruition. All My sons and My people await My return with bated breath, longing for Me to reunite with them, never to be separated again. How could the multitudinous populace of My kingdom not race toward one another in joyful celebration because of My being together with them? Can this be a reunion for which no price need be paid? I am honorable in all men’s eyes, I am proclaimed in the words of all. When I return, I will conquer all enemy forces even more. The time has come! I will put My work in motion, I will reign as King among men! I am on the point of return! And I am about to depart! This is what everyone is hoping for, it is what they wish. I shall let the whole of humanity see the arrival of My day, and let them welcome the coming of My day with joy!” (“The Twenty-seventh Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh). As the gospel of the kingdom spreads, The Church of Almighty God grows ever larger, and the number of believers increases without cease. Today, it is thriving as never before. The word expressed by Almighty God—Christ of the last days—has long since spread to thousands of households, and is being accepted by more and more people. God’s word has demonstrated its supreme authority and power. This indisputable fact fully proves that “All Is Achieved by the Word of God!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jhn 1:1). In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them with the word, and led mankind with the word. In the last days, God also accomplishes everything with the word. The perfection of God’s chosen people and the realization of Christ’s kingdom will both be achieved by God’s word. As such, there is nothing exceptional about how The Church of Almighty God originated from God’s work of the word, has developed under the guidance of Almighty God’s word, and, moreover, is growing despite the brutal suppression and persecution of the CCP government and the frantic condemnation and opposition of the forces of the antichrists in religious groups. This fully demonstrates the authority and power of God’s word. It can be said that, without the appearance and work of Almighty God, there would not be The Church of Almighty God, and that without the words expressed by God, so too would The Church of Almighty God not exist. Today, He is watering and feeding His chosen people with the millions of words He expresses, and all those who have accepted His work are enjoying the shepherding of His words and experiencing His work of saving man. Almighty God says, “Throughout the universe I am doing My work, and in the East, thunderous crashes issue forth endlessly, shaking all denominations and sects. It is My voice that has led all men into the present. I shall cause all men to be conquered by My voice, to fall into this stream, and submit before Me, for I have long since reclaimed My glory from all the earth and issued it forth anew in the East. Who does not long to see My glory? Who does not anxiously await My return? Who does not thirst for My reappearance? Who does not pine for My loveliness? Who would not come to the light? Who would not look upon the richness of Canaan? Who does not long for the return of the Redeemer? Who does not adore the Great Almighty? My voice shall spread throughout the earth; I wish, facing My chosen people, to speak more words to them. Like the mighty thunders that shake the mountains and rivers, I speak My words to the whole universe and to mankind. Hence the words in My mouth have become man’s treasure, and all men cherish My words. The lightning flashes from the East all the way to the West. My words are such that man is loath to give them up and at the same time finds them unfathomable, but rejoices in them all the more. Like a newborn infant, all men are glad and joyful, celebrating My coming. By means of My voice, I shall bring all men before Me. Thenceforth, I shall formally enter into the race of men so that they will come to worship Me. With the glory that I radiate and the words in My mouth, I shall make it such that all men come before Me and see that the lightning flashes from the East and that I have also descended unto the ‘Mount of Olives’ of the East. They will see that I have already long been on earth, no longer as the Son of the Jews but as the Lightning of the East. For I have long since been resurrected, and have departed from mankind’s midst, and then reappeared with glory among men. I am He who was worshiped countless ages before now, and I am also the infant forsaken by the Israelites countless ages before now. Moreover, I am the all-glorious Almighty God of the present age! Let all come before My throne and see My glorious countenance, hear My voice, and look upon My deeds. This is the entirety of My will; it is the end and the climax of My plan, as well as the purpose of My management. Let every nation worship Me, every tongue acknowledge Me, every man repose his faith in Me, and every people be subject unto Me!” (“The Seven Thunders Peal—Prophesying That the Gospel of the Kingdom Shall Spread Throughout the Universe” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s chosen people have received the great salvation because of Almighty God’s word. God’s work in Mainland China has finally ended in glory. Now God’s chosen people are spreading His word and testifying His deeds to every country and place. God’s word will be spread throughout the whole world, and He will soon appear publicly to all nations and all peoples. The people of every country and place who long for God’s appearance would never have dreamt that the God for whom they long to publicly appear has already secretly descended to China and carried out a stage of the work of conquest and salvation.
In the last days, when the age is about to end, God is incarnated and secretly descends to the dwelling place of the great red dragon, the grand assemblage of dictatorial rulers: China, the staunch bastion of atheism. By His manifold wisdom and power, God battles against Satan and carries out the central work in His management plan—the thorough defeat of Satan and the salvation of all mankind. Yet because of the wild allegations, condemnation, fabrication, and slander of the CCP in power, many of those who are unaware of the facts actually believe the CCP’s rumors. Religious groups, in particular, continue to condemn and blaspheme the coming of God even to this day, and they completely stand on the side of the atheistic CCP government to resist God’s work. How tragic that is! These people never expect that Almighty God, the One they resist, is exactly the returned Lord Jesus. When God appears publicly, they will only weep while gnashing their teeth and beating upon their breasts. This completely fulfills the words of the Book of Revelation, “Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Rev 1:7). The judgment of the great white throne finally begins! Almighty God says, “In the kingdom, the myriad things of creation begin to revive and regain their life force. Due to changes in the state of the earth, the boundaries between one land and another also begin to shift. Formerly, I have prophesied: When land is divided from land, and land unites with land, this will be the time that I will smash up the nations into smithereens. At this time, I will renew all of creation and repartition the entire universe, thereby putting the universe in order, transforming its old state into a new one. This is My plan. These are My works. When the nations and the peoples of the world all return before My throne, I will thereupon take all the bounty of heaven and confer it upon the human world, so that, thanks to Me, it will brim with matchless bounty. But so long as the old world continues to exist, I will hurl forth My rage upon its nations, openly promulgating My administrative decrees throughout the universe, and visit chastisement on whomever violates them: As I turn My face to the universe to speak, all mankind hears My voice, and thereupon sees all the works I have wrought throughout the universe. Those who go contrary to My will, that is to say, who oppose Me with the deeds of man, will fall down under My chastisement. I will take the multitudinous stars in the heavens and make them anew, and thanks to Me the sun and the moon will be renewed—the skies will no longer be as they were; the myriad things on the earth will be renewed. All will become complete through My words. The many nations within the universe will be partitioned afresh and replaced by My nation, so that the nations upon the earth will disappear forever and become a nation that worships Me; all the nations of the earth will be destroyed, and will cease to exist. Of the human beings within the universe, all those belonging to the devil will be exterminated; all who worship Satan will be laid low by My burning fire—that is, except for those now within the stream, the rest will be turned to ashes. When I chastise the many peoples, those in the religious world will, in differing degrees, return to My kingdom, conquered by My works, because they will have seen the advent of the Holy One riding on a white cloud. All of humanity will follow their own kind, and will receive chastisements varying with what they have done. Those who have stood against Me will all perish; as for those whose deeds on the earth have not involved Me, they will, because of how they have acquitted themselves, continue to exist on the earth under the governance of My sons and My people. I will reveal Myself to the myriad peoples and the myriad nations, sounding forth with My own voice upon the earth to proclaim the completion of My great work for all mankind to see with their own eyes” (“The Twenty-sixth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh). In the history of mankind, we see how all evil forces that flagrantly oppose God and frantically resist God are destroyed by God. Four thousand years ago, as a result of their grievous sins, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were scorched by the fire and brimstone that God sent from heaven. So, too, was the Roman Empire destroyed by the disasters from God due to its resistance and condemnation of the Lord Jesus and its persecution of the Christians. In the last days, any evil force that condemns and resists God will be cursed by God and surely destroyed by Him. This is precisely the righteous disposition of God!
Almighty God says, “The kingdom is expanding in humanity’s midst, it is forming in humanity’s midst, it is standing up in humanity’s midst; there is no force that can destroy My kingdom. … You will surely, under the guidance of My light, break through the stranglehold of the forces of darkness. You will surely not, in the midst of darkness, lose the light guiding you. You will surely be the master of all creation. You will surely be an overcomer before Satan. You will surely, at the downfall of the kingdom of the great red dragon, stand up amid the myriad throngs to bear witness to My victory. You will surely be resolute and unwavering in the land of Sinim. Through the sufferings you endure, you will inherit the blessing that comes from Me, and will surely irradiate within the entire universe with My glory” (“The Nineteenth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “When the three stages of work come to an end, there will be made a group of those who bear testimony to God, a group of those who know God. These people will all know God and will be able to put the truth into practice. They will possess humanity and sense, and will all know the three stages of God’s work of salvation. This is the work that will be accomplished at the end, and these people are the crystallization of the work of 6,000 years of management, and are the most powerful testimony to the ultimate defeat of Satan. Those who can bear testimony to God will be able to receive God’s promise and blessing, and will be the group that remains at the very end, which possesses the authority of God and bears testimony to God. Perhaps those among you can all become a member of this group, or perhaps only half, or only a few—it depends on your will and your pursuit” (“Knowing the Three Stages of God’s Work Is the Path to Knowing God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s word shall be accomplished, and that which is accomplished shall last forever. The future of the kingdom is bright and splendid! Almighty God has already made a group of overcomers in Mainland China. God’s work of the last days has already been accomplished! Now, the pilot work done by God during His hidden advent in China has ended in glory, and He will soon appear publicly to all the nations and places. The chosen people of The Church of Almighty God are a group of overcomers whom God has made in China. Shouldering the holy mission, they are testifying to God’s work and proclaiming God’s holy name to all nations and places. The gospel of the kingdom of Almighty God is rapidly spreading across the world. The Word Appears in the Flesh is freely available on the Internet for all nations and places to seek out and investigate. No one dares to deny that they are the words of God, and no one dares to deny that they are the truth. More and more people who thirst for the truth and yearn for the light are seeking out and investigating Almighty God’s work of the last days. The Church of Almighty God has been established in dozens of major countries and regions all over the world as more and more people return to Almighty God. Mankind is gradually awakening amid the word of God, and has begun to accept and know the truth. God’s word will lead all mankind and accomplish everything. All the people who truly believe in God and seek the true way will surely return to God and become obedient before His throne, and the whole of mankind will know that God has come, and has appeared, and that His name will surely be great among all mankind.
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The Picture of The Church of Almighty God | Eastern Lightning

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Monday, July 23, 2018

Bible Study Topics | Second coming of Jesus | Mysteries of the Second Coming | Exploration of the “Mystery”

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 Bible Study Topics | Second coming of Jesus | Mysteries of the Second Coming |
Exploration of the “Mystery”

August 7, 2017 Leave a comment Zhao Yong
My wife and I had believed in the Lord for 18 years. One day after breakfast, I went to the yard to pull up weeds as usual, and my wife was reading a book carefully in the room. But when I was entering the room, she stopped reading and hastily hid the book. Her action aroused my curiosity: Over the eighteen years of believing in the Lord Jesus, she seldom read the Bible in the daytime but only read it in the gatherings, as we got lots of household chores to do. But why has she changed after she came back from seeing a doctor last time? Can it be that she has accepted the Eastern Lightning? For I heard that the Eastern Lightning’s book is very fascinating. But I then thought: It’s impossible. The Eastern Lightning followers told us that the Lord has come back and is called Almighty God, and that He has become flesh as a female. But the Lord Jesus was male; even if He has come back, He must still be male. How can He be female? We have believed in the Lord for over 10 years; we can discern this problem. Besides, my wife opposed the Eastern Lightning vigorously before, and she didn’t even allow the Eastern Lightning followers into our yard whenever they came to preach the gospel to us. Thus, it’s impossible for her to read their book. But what on earth is she reading that attracts her so much? Is it about belief in God? Driven by curiosity, many times I wanted to ask her what she was reading, but I bit the words back, afraid that she wouldn’t tell me the truth. After turning over the matter in my mind, I decided to pretend to be ignorant of it and watch for a chance to sneak a look at her book, and then the truth would be out.
One morning, my wife, wearing reading glasses, was absorbed in reading the book in her hands. Meanwhile, I was pulling up weeds in the front yard. Then through the window I saw a cow get into our backyard. Intending to seize the opportunity to send my wife away, I yelled at her loudly, “A cow has broken into the backyard. Hurry to drive it away! Hurry up!” But she was reluctant to put aside her book, and said, “You go. I’m busy now.” Hearing this, I had no intention to go, and went on to shout, “I’m tied up. Why don’t you go?” So she agreed grudgingly. I cast furtive glances at her, and saw her put the book into the cabinet and go to the backyard. So I hastened to the room and took out the book. I saw that the book’s name is The Scroll Opened by the Lamb. For fear that she would be back soon, I nervously flipped the pages as I cast glances at her through the window. When I saw her driving the cow up the hill, I was secretly thrilled, for I knew that she wouldn’t be back shortly. Thereupon, I flipped through the contents pages quickly: “Concerning the Practice of Prayer,” “Concerning the Bible (1),” “Concerning the Bible (2),” “Concerning the Bible (3),” “Concerning the Bible (4),” …. It turned out that the book was really about belief in God. But I didn’t dare to read it carefully and quickly put it back, in fear of being seen by my wife. After that, I returned to the front yard and went on with my work, thinking: Now I know the book is about belief in God and where it is put, and I’ll have a good read of it in her absence.
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The Picture of The Church of Almighty God
Then came my chance. One day, my wife felt the familiar ache in her lower back. So, when she was out to see a doctor, I laid aside my work and went into the room, and I took out the book to see its contents. I opened the book and happened to see this sentence, “Though many people believe in God, few understand what faith in God means,” which immediately riveted my attention. “It’s true. I have been a believer in God for more than 10 years, but I’m indeed ignorant of what faith in God means. Now that this question has been raised, there must be an answer in the book.” Then I read on, “‘Belief in God’ means believing that there is a God; this is the simplest concept of faith in God. What’s more, believing that there is a God is not the same as truly believing in God; rather, it is a kind of simple faith with strong religious overtones. True faith in God means experiencing the words and work of God based on a belief that God holds sovereignty over all things. So you shall be freed of your corrupt disposition, shall fulfill the desire of God, and shall come to know God. Only through such a journey can you be said to believe in God” (Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh). I was astonished by this passage of words. I thought: Who said these words? And who is capable of making the belief in God so plain? He even has pointed out the path of belief in God for man—man has to experience the words and work of God based on a belief that God holds sovereignty over all things, so that he can be freed of his corrupt disposition to fulfill the desire of God and come to know God. And only through such a journey can one count as having true faith in God. Comparing these words with my years of belief, I have no true belief in God at all. When I listen to the preaching, it just goes in one ear and out the other, and I can’t put it into practice after hearing it. Reflecting on these words, I saw I had a confused kind of faith. I went on to read a few more pieces of words. Deeply attracted by them, I took notes while I was reading. And in the following days, once my wife went out, I would lose no time in getting the book out and reading it. But what often happened was that she was back at precisely the moment when I came to the key part, which made me more eager to finish the book earlier.
Finally I couldn’t help asking my wife to let me read her book. Unexpectedly, she readily consented. From then on, I no longer had to read it secretly. One day, I saw these words in the book: “In this way, all people during the last days shall see that I am the Savior returned, I am the Almighty God that conquers all of mankind….” Upon seeing the words “Almighty God,” my heart sunk and I stopped reading at once. “Is it not the book of the Eastern Lightning? I have been guarding against it in this way or that way for six years, but in the end what I’m reading is exactly its book.” At that moment, I was at a loss to decide whether I should read on or not. “According to the Eastern Lightning followers, the Lord Jesus has returned and He has become flesh as a female. The Lord is evidently male, so how is it possible for Him to be female when He comes back? That just doesn’t make sense. And I cannot read it any longer no matter how good it is. If I take a wrong way, wouldn’t my over ten years of belief be in vain?” At this thought, I closed the book and put it aside. Then I walked back and forth in the yard with a heavy heart. I was in low spirits, and just couldn’t give my mind to any work I did. The words of the book I had read in those days kept recurring to my mind, “I hope that you will read it to the end, and will not put it aside easily.” “Perhaps, having heard the way of truth and read the word of life, you believe that only one in 10,000 of these words are in line with your convictions and the Bible, and then you should continue to seek in that 10,000th of these words.” These words lingered in my mind all the time, and I pondered: Merely one ten thousandth? How small the proportion is! The words I have read in these days sound reasonable, and most of them are in line with the Bible. Actually the proportion is far more than one ten thousandth. The purpose of these words is to tell people never to put the book aside easily. So, should I go on reading? If it is really the work of God but I don’t accept it, then am I not resisting God? At that time, I recalled that the Bible says, “And now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nothing; But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest haply you be found even to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39). Thinking back over the past six years, Almighty God’s kingdom gospel had been preached to us constantly. If it didn’t come from God, the Church of Almighty God could not have developed to the present day, neither would any member of the Church of Almighty God have such great faith to keep preaching the gospel to us. And if the gospel does come from God and I refuse to accept it, then I will be resisting God, and won’t be saved in the end. At that moment, I was ambivalent about it. I thought it over and over, and finally decided to read through the book to see whether it was the true way; if it was, I would continue to read it together with my wife; but if not, I would keep her from reading it. After making the decision, I hurried with my reading. While reading, I found those words were in accordance with the truth, but I also felt puzzled about some of them. Within a few days, I finished reading it. Then I said to my wife seriously, “I have finished reading. It seems to be the word of God, for no one else can speak such words. But there are still some words incomprehensible to me. You find sisters from the Church of Almighty God for me; I have some questions to ask them. Provided that they can solve my puzzles, we will accept the gospel. Otherwise, you shall not believe in the way, either, and we’ll ask them to take away the book.” My wife seemed very glad to hear that, and answered with assurance, “Okay, then it’s settled!”
The next evening, Sister Sun came to our house at our invitation. She said to me in a mild tone, “Uncle, if you have any puzzles, just feel free to communicate with me.” “You said that the Lord Jesus has come back and is female. But the Lord was obviously male; how could He be female when He returns?” I asked earnestly. She replied smilingly, “Genesis records that God created male and female in His image. Then, can you tell me whether God is male or female?” Her words stunned me, and I had no idea how to reply. At this moment, she added, “So we cannot delineate God and conclude that He is only male. Let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s words, ‘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 an infant girl, not a boy, was to be conceived by the Holy Spirit, 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. At the time of His work, Jesus was called the only Son, which indicates the male gender. Then why is the only Son not mentioned in this stage? This is because the needs of the work have necessitated a change to the gender different from that of Jesus. 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’ (‘The Two Incarnations Complete the Significance of the Incarnation’ in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s words made it clear to us: The substance of God is Spirit, and with Him there is no distinction of gender. Only when God is incarnated on earth and becomes an ordinary person due to the needs of His work, is there a distinction of gender with Him. But regardless of whether God incarnate is male or female, His divine substance doesn’t change, and both can accomplish the work God wants to do. In the first incarnation, He was male, and this time He is female, which totally breaks apart man’s conceptions. Otherwise, man will draw the conclusion that God is only male.”
Hearing Sister Sun’s fellowship, I was inexpressibly delighted, as the years of confusion in my heart was finally released. If it had not been for God’s revealing the mystery, I would have defined God as male forever, and my conception would never have been resolved. At that time, I felt remorse and said to my wife, “My dear, this is truly God’s new work. It has been preached to us for so many years, but we simply refused to accept it, just because we didn’t know God and delineated Him by our conceptions and imaginations. Fortunately God didn’t abandon us, otherwise, we would have lost God’s salvation in the last days. Since you have accepted it, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” In tears she said, “Thank God for having not left us. Before, when someone came to preach about the Lord Jesus’ return, we never listened to them, much less did we seek or investigate, so we have missed many great opportunities to be saved by God. These days I’ve been investigating this way, but I was afraid that you wouldn’t accept it, so I didn’t tell you.”
In the following two days, Sister Sun continued to fellowship with us and solved all our puzzles. Then, we both accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days formally. All the glory be to Almighty God!

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Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Can We Welcome the Second Coming of Jesus Christ If We Only Wait for His Revelations? (二)

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The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

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

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Early next morning I hurriedly went to ask Brother Zhang, “Brother Zhang, I thought about what you said yesterday for a whole night. I feel your fellowship was very reasonable. In regard to the Lord’s return, I should have a seeking heart, but not hold my own imaginations and notions. So I want to seek fellowship with you about how to welcome the Lord’s return.”
Brother Zhang lit up and said, “Thank God! Brother Wang, as long as we have a humble and seeking heart, the Lord will give mercy to and enlighten us. Just as the Lord said, ‘And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened’ (Luke 11:9–10). To be honest with you, recently I got a book, some content in which says about how to treat the Lord’s return. Those words benefit and edify me very much as if opening a window in my heart. How about I read some passages of words to you?”
“OK! It’s too good to have such a book. I also want to read it carefully.” I said happily.
He quickly opened the book and read: “The greatest book of prophecy of Isaiah in the Old Testament never mentioned that a child named Jesus would be born in the age of the New Testament, merely that a male infant would be born by the name of Emmanuel. Why did he not specify the name Jesus? Nowhere in the Old Testament does this name appear, so why then do you still believe in Jesus? Surely you did not see Jesus with your own eyes before you came to believe in Him? Or did you begin to believe upon receiving a revelation? Would God really show you such grace? And bestow upon you such a great blessing? On what basis did you believe in Jesus? … Must God tell man prior to commencing His work? Must He first receive the approval of man? Isaiah only proclaimed that a male infant would be born in a manger but never prophesied that Mary would give birth to Jesus. Why then did you believe in Jesus whom Mary gave birth to? Surely your belief is not one of uncertainty and confusion!” (“How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?”).
The appearance of God cannot be reconciled with the conceptions of man, much less can God appear at the behest of man. God makes His own choices and has His own plans when He does His work; moreover, He has His own objectives, and His own methods. It is not necessary for Him to discuss the work He does with man or to seek the advice of man, much less notify each and every person of His work. This is the disposition of God and, moreover, should be recognized by everyone. 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” (“The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age”).
Hearing these words, I was shocked very much and felt that the words of this book were very practical, with authority and power. I thought: I have read so many spiritual books these years, but never found that anyone can say such words. These words are indeed worth thinking deeply about. Think back to how I came to believe in the Lord: At the beginning, after my wife testified to me that the Lord Jesus is the Savior, I read many records of His work from the Bible and personally received some grace and blessings from the Lord; at last I truly believed that the Lord Jesus is God. I neither saw Him nor received any revelations. Yet, today, in regard to the Lord’s return, why do I have to receive a revelation first and then willingly welcome the Lord’s return? Am I not too foolish? God is the Creator. It’s not necessary for Him to give revelations to man about His work in advance, nor could He possibly perform His work according to man’s imaginations and notions. I thought that the Lord would give revelations to those religious leaders, pastors and elders when He returned; wasn’t this defining God’s work? I thought about the Pharisees in the Age of Law. They believed that the Messiah must be born in the imperial palace and called Messiah. But God didn’t perform His work according to their imaginations and notions; the Lord was born in the family of carpenter Joseph and called Jesus. Because God’s work was not in line with their conceptions and imaginations, the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees collaborated with the Roman government to crucify the Lord Jesus, committing a heinous crime, becoming main culprits of resisting God and being cursed by God. If I define the Lord’s return relying on my imaginations and notions, and blindly wait for the Lord to give revelations to me, am I not repeating the tragedy of the Pharisees? Thus, even though I have followed the Lord for many years and suffered much, am I not still the person who resists and condemns God? At that time, I couldn’t help but think of the words of the Lord, “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21–23). I finally knew the true meaning of these words.
Then Brother Zhang fellowshiped, “As created beings, we should not ask God to give us revelations, but should obey His work; this is the sense we should possess. When it comes to the Lord’s return, wise people actively seek and investigate; instead, those who blindly wait for God’s revelations will ruin the opportunity to be raptured by the Lord and lose His salvation in the last days. If we persist in waiting for revelations, isn’t this being too foolish? In these days, through reading this book I have a deep feeling, that is, God is righteous. Before God, all men are equal: He does not discriminate based upon status and seniority. As long as one longs for and seeks the truth, God enlightens him. In the past we often heard pastors and elders say that the Lord will give them revelations first when He comes back because they were most qualified to receive God’s revelations, and that if they didn’t receive revelations, it proved that the Lord didn’t come back. Now I finally understand that these are pure fallacies. God enlightens man through his practical seeking and investigation, allowing man to hear His voice and understand His words, so that man will return to Him. However, these pastors and elders think that they have done meritorious work and are familiar with the Bible to be qualified to gain God’s enlightenment; isn’t this too arrogant and conceited? The Lord Jesus said, ‘For whoever exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted’ (Luke 14:11). God is pleased with one who seeks with a humble heart. Such people can receive His enlightenment and leadership while seeking. Just like Peter, when he heard about the Lord Jesus’ preaching and work, he sought with a humble and yearning heart, and eventually he followed the Lord Jesus and gained His salvation. In regard to welcoming the Lord’s return, the Lord Jesus once told us to be wise virgins. He said, ‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Matthew 25:6). That is to say, when we hear someone witnesses that the Lord has returned, we should actively go to seek and investigate. Only in this way can we welcome the Lord’s return. This fulfills the words of the Revelation 3:20: ‘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.’ Brother Wang, do you think so?”
Brother Zhang’s words made my heart clear and also made me feel ashamed. I recalled that these years I kept the words of the pastors and elders, blindly waiting for the Lord’s revelations. I was clear that the prophecies of the Lord’s return have already been fulfilled and that the church has been desolate, without the work of the Holy Spirit; I didn’t have a humble heart to search for the Holy Spirit’s work, but still clung to my own notions and stayed in my denomination waiting for the Lord’s revelations. Am I not a foolish virgin? Thinking of this, I said to Brother Zhang, “Thank the Lord for His mercy. Now I have understood my wrong view on waiting for the return of the Lord. Brother Zhang, what you have fellowshiped fits with the truth. From now on, I’m no longer wanting to wait for the Lord’s revelations according to my own notions, but rather I should be a wise virgin, actively seeking and investigating the news of the coming of the Lord.”

Source The Internet 
  Recommended :How exactly should one discern the voice of God? How can one confirm that Almighty God is indeed the Lord Jesus returned?

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Bible Prophecy | Kingdom of God | Is Baptism the Prerequisite for Entering the Kingdom of Heaven?

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Is Baptism the Prerequisite for Entering the Kingdom of Heaven?

I Stepped Onto the Path of Believing in God 

I believed in Bodhisattva with my mother when I was very young. After marriage, my husband suffered from depression, which always threw the whole family into confusion. At that time, I thought it was no use believing in Bodhisattva or Buddha. I was in a bad mood all the time. Later, I met an old auntie persuading me to believe in the Lord Jesus. The auntie told me that the Lord Jesus is the true God who can not only create the heavens and earth and all things, but also can bring the dead back to life and transfigure the living. I was moved by her words. I expected that the Lord would be my ever-present help and my support after I believed in Him. So I had great drive to believe in God. Every weekend I went to the church to have meetings with the auntie, and I didn’t want to miss even once.
I Was Baptized Into Christ 
Several months later, the church informed the brothers and sisters who would be baptized to attend the training. Hearing “baptism,” I found it new. I felt so curious that I asked the auntie what baptism was and why we should be baptized. She answered, “Receiving baptism looks like a ritual, but it is a necessary process of following the Lord. After being baptized, we will become members of God’s family. God will help us in big or small maters, and He will care for us wherever we are. Although you have believed in the Lord now, you are still outside the house of God because you haven’t been baptized.” From her words, I knew that being baptized was very important. I thought to myself, I want to be baptized and become a member of God’s family. I don’t want to be an outsider. So I had got prepared ever since, eagerly looking forward to that day.
The day came at last. When I arrived at the meeting place early, there had been a dozen people waiting in line to be baptized. I looked around to see how to do it. Then the pastor preached and read a verse: “Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and, see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20). He also stated the significance of receiving baptism for Christians. And then the baptismal service began. Because there was no river in the city, the service seemed very simple: There was a basin of water, a towel, a pastor, and an assistant. As a sister was kneeling on the floor, the pastor stood beside her and another person carried the basin of water before him. The pastor called the sister’s name, and she replied. Then the pastor said, “I baptize you into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” While saying that, the pastor scooped up some water with his hands and sprinkled it onto the sister’s head. The assistant wiped the water off quickly. This was the process of the baptism. When the pastor baptized me, I felt unspeakably happy and excited at the thought that I was going to become a real Christian—a member of God’s family.
The little service made me understand receiving baptism is the Lord’s demand on all believers. And it shows believers identify with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. In the service, our immersion in water means that we die in sins, and our emersion out of water means that the clean and holy life comes through the Lord’s salvation. Romans says, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Since we have accepted Christ and died together with Jesus, sins will no longer have dominion over the dead, because the Lord said: “I Firmly Believed That I Who Believed and Was Baptized Would Be Saved” (Hebrews 8:12). And a verse in 2 Corinthians says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I Firmly Believed That I Who Believed and Was Baptized Would Be Saved 
I felt very happy after the baptism. From the moment that I was baptized, my life would no longer belong to sin, to evil force, or to myself; instead I would be cared for and protected by God and have His presence. For God had forgiven us and our sins. Moreover, the Lord said: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Therefore, in the following daily life, I paid more attention to practicing according to God’s words. Sometimes my husband scolded me in a bad mood. I felt painful and didn’t want to care whether he had food to eat or whether he was hungry. I made up my mind not to speak any word to him again. But the Lord taught us to forgive others seventy times seven. And the Bible says, “Be you angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath: Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27). When I thought of that, I would first spoke to my husband and still looked after him. I often helped a sister nearby who had difficulty in living. In festivals I would give some money to her to improve her family’s living condition. Usually, if any sister was in hospital, I would take some nourishment to visit and prayed for her with other sisters. No matter how busy I was, I would go to take the holy communion every month, because I firmly believed that since I had been baptized, the Lord would not remember my sin. Even though I committed sins, the precious blood of Christ would cleanse my sins repeatedly through partaking of the holy communion. I would certainly be sanctified in Christ. When the Lord Jesus comes into His kingdom, I would surely be raptured into the kingdom of heaven.
A Sister’s Words Suddenly Made Me Awaken 
I considered my baptism as the proof of my salvation. Furthermore, the Lord promised: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” So I firmly believed that I would be raptured first into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord Jesus came again to take His believers. Later, Sister Xia came to our company. Once when I chatted with her, we talked about believing in the Lord. I knew she had believed in the Lord with her mother since she was very young. Now she was a preacher. I confidently told her my thoughts. But she said, “It’s true that the Lord Jesus has forgiven our sins. But it doesn’t mean we have no sins, free from the shackles of sins to be holy.” She asked me, “The Lord Jesus has forgiven our sins. What do the sins mean?” I answered, “Resentment, murder, jealousy, and …”
Seeing that I couldn’t answer her question, Sister Xia went on, “Committing adultery, stealing, and all that go against the law, the commandments, and God’s words are sins. All behaviors that resist God, condemn Him, and judge Him are sins. Blaspheming Him is sin all the more, and is an unforgivable sin. The Lord Jesus came among man. He was crucified in the flesh to be the sin offering for us mankind. As long as we pray to the Lord, repenting and confessing our sins, we will not be condemned or put to death. That is to say, God will not consider us as sinners. And due to His forgiveness of our sins, we can pray to the Lord to enjoy His grace. This is the real meaning of the forgiveness of sins. Although our sins have been forgiven because of the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice for sins, it doesn’t mean that we will no longer commit sins to resist God. This is because our sinful nature still remains within us, and we still resist God, betray Him, and make an enemy of Him. Through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus, our sins have been forgiven, but not our corrupt dispositions. The satanic dispositions such as arrogance, selfishness, greed, and craftiness still remain within us. These corrupt dispositions are something deeper and more stubborn than sins. They are also the root of our sinning and resisting God. If these satanic corrupt dispositions are not resolved, we will often sin, even judge and condemn God relying on our conceptions and imaginations. In persecution and tribulation, we will deny God, and even betray God like Judas. We will even set up our own kingdom to oppose God when attaining status. Some will steal offerings and then they will be condemned and destroyed by God because of offending His disposition. … So it’s impossible for these people to be taken into the kingdom of heaven. For Jehovah God said: ‘You shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy’ (Leviticus 19:2). And the Lord Jesus said: ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant stays not in the house for ever: but the Son stays ever’ (John 8:34-35).”
Hearing this, I was surprised at her thorough and deep words, and I admitted what she said was the fact. The pastors in our church often judged and attacked each other for the things about the church with endless jealousy and strife. I was often overcome by transgressions living in sins too. For example, whenever my husband willfully made troubles, I hated him and brushed him off. I knew a relatively cowardly sister. She had houses in the city and she didn’t need to worry about food or clothing. So I became jealous of her and even looked down upon her…. When I reflected on myself carefully, I found that I indeed was not holy. How could I be eligible to enter the kingdom of heaven? It seems that being baptized is not the prerequisite for entering the kingdom of heaven. Only when I rid myself of sins and become holy, can I be worthy of entering the kingdom of heaven. Thus, I awakened somewhat.
After Studying Some Verses, I Saw There Would Be Judgment of the Lord in the Last Days 
From then on, I no longer considered being baptized as my capital or imagined being taken into the kingdom of heaven by the Lord. Every day, I read the Bible and prayed carefully. And I shared the testimonies with other sisters when getting together. One day, I read a verse casually, saying, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Then I thought of many verses in which judgment is mentioned. So I found some and shared them with Sister Xia. I asked her how she understood them. She said sincerely, “I used to think like you that we would be saved since we had been baptized into Christ, and then we would be taken into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord comes again. Later, I read the verse, saying, ‘So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation’ (Hebrews 9:28). After reading it, I realized the Lord Jesus hadn’t finished His work. When He appears to us for the second time, He will judge us humans. But the judgment is to work for saving us instead of condemning and destroying us….” Hearing these words, I felt astonished. I couldn’t believe it was true. But the verse tells so clearly that I had nothing to dispute. I couldn’t help crying to God in my heart, O Lord, may You reveal Your will to us. When will You come back to execute judgment? Your child is looking forward to the coming of the day….
By Cheng Hang, United States
Source The Internet 
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