Job Is a Righteous Man, but Why Did Job Curse the Day of His Own Birth?

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In the past, every time when I read the verses in the Book of Job, “After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spoke, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine on it” (Job 3:1-4), I quite admired Job, because even when he lost his property, children, and got sore boils all over his body, he still stood firm in his testimony for God. He did not complain about God, but could still praise the holy name of God. His faith is something worthy of emulation. However, I did not understand why Job cursed the day of his own birth. Since Job feared God and shunned evil, and was called righteous by God, he must have known that everything we mankind possess comes from God, and that our birth is also arranged and ordained by God. So we ought to thank God for the day of our birth and bestowing us life. Then why did Job, a rational person, curse the day of his own birth? Was he not satisfied with God’s arrangement? Was he complaining about God? Or were there other reasons?

Many brothers and sisters in the Lord are also confused by Job’s cursing the day of his birth. So what exactly was going through Job’s mind when he did that? I thought only Job himself and the God that examines the deepest parts of mankind’s heart could know.

However, later, I accepted the kingdom gospel of Almighty God. By reading Almighty God’s words that explained Job’s thoughts when he was tried, I understood the reason Job cursed the day of his own birth.

Almighty God says, “When Satan stretched forth its hand to afflict the bones of Job, Job fell into its clutches, without the means to escape or the strength to resist. His body and soul suffered enormous pain, and this pain made him deeply aware of the insignificance, frailty, and powerlessness of man living in the flesh. At the same time, he also gained a profound appreciation and understanding of why God is of a mind to care for and look after mankind. In Satan’s clutches, Job realized that man, who is of flesh and blood, is actually so powerless and weak. When he fell to his knees and prayed to God, he felt as if God was covering His face and hiding, for God had completely placed him in the hands of Satan. At the same time, God also wept for him, and, moreover, was aggrieved for him; God was pained by his pain, and hurt by his hurt…. Job felt God’s pain, as well as how unbearable it was for God…. Job did not want to bring any more grief upon God, nor did he want God to weep for him, much less did he want to see God pained by him. At this moment, Job wanted only to divest himself of his flesh, to no longer endure the pain brought upon him by this flesh, for this would stop God being tormented by his pain—yet he could not, and he had to tolerate not only the pain of the flesh, but also the torment of not wishing to make God anxious. These two pains—one from the flesh, and one from the spirit—brought heart-rending, gut-wrenching pain upon Job, and made him feel how the limitations of man who is of flesh and blood can make one feel frustrated and helpless. Under these circumstances, his yearning for God grew fiercer, and his loathing of Satan became more intense. At this time, Job would have preferred to have never been born into the world of man, would rather that he did not exist, than see God cry tears or feel pain for his sake. He began to deeply loathe his flesh, to be sick and tired of himself, of the day of his birth, and even of all that which was connected to him. He did not wish there to be any more mention of his day of birth or anything to do with it, and so he opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth: ‘Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine on it’ (Job 3:3–4). Job’s words bear his loathing for himself, ‘Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived,’ as well as the blame he felt toward himself and his sense of indebtedness for having caused pain to God, ‘Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine on it.’ These two passages are the ultimate expression of how Job felt then, and fully demonstrate his perfection and uprightness to all. At the same time, just as Job had wished, his faith and obedience to God, as well as his fear of God, were truly elevated. Of course, this elevation is precisely the effect that God had expected” (“God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself II” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

From God’s words, I understood that in Job’s view, if a person can’t satisfy God and comfort His heart, then he is unfit to be called a human being, much less be alive. When Job was harmed by Satan and tried, God’s heart ached. Job felt that God was worried about him and that God’s heart ached because of him, so he cursed the day of his own birth, wishing he had not been born, and so God would not have to feel pain for his sake. This is the reason why Job cursed the day of his own birth.

God observes every one of His believers’ behavior and thoughts. God sees very clearly who truly loves Him, who is faithful to Him, and who seeks the truth. He is thoroughly familiar with mankind. If we know that God examines the deepest parts of man’s heart, we will not doubt Job for cursing the day of his birth after he was already called righteous by God, or have conceptions and misunderstandings about his behavior, or analyze his testimony based on our imaginations. Our imaginations are delusions and out of thin air, and usually, we only focus on others’ outward behavior, but God sees their heart. Only God knew Job’s thoughts and ideas, and why he cursed the day of his own birth. Therefore, after having an understanding of how God works on us, in the future when things that are not in line with our notions befall us, we will not arbitrarily judge or measure God’s work. Instead, we will be able to seek the truth and God’s will, and experience God’s work with a heart that fears God and obeys God.

From: Grow in Christ

How can we establish a close relationship with God? Here is the way. Click here to join our online meeting group.

» Extended Reading:

• Bible Verse of the Day

• Top 10 Bible Verses About Birthday – Rejoice and Inspire

• 15 Bible Verses About Faith to Increase Our Faith in Hard Times

Do You Understand the Mystery of God’s Appearance?

~ angela1116 ~ Leave a comment

Many believers in the Lord believe that the Lord will return in glory, descending on a cloud and appearing to all peoples, so they are always gazing at the clouds in the sky, waiting for the Lord to come down on a cloud, and to be raptured up into the heavens and meet with Him. Is this belief in line with the truth? How should one understand God’s appearance and work? What kind of mysteries does the appearance of God contain?

From: Grow in Christ

Disasters occur frequently. The alarm bell of the last days has already sounded. How can we welcome the Lord? Click here to discuss with us.

» Extended Reading:

• The True Meaning of “Jesus Coming on the Clouds” in Revelation 1:7

• Can “We Shall Meet the Lord in the Air” Be Accomplished?

• Signs of Christ’s Return Have Appeared: The Lord Has Returned

How Can Christians Attain Salvation and Enter Into God’s Kingdom?

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By Cindy, United states

I believe that all followers of God want to attain salvation and enter into God’s kingdom so that they may enjoy the blessings of the heavenly kingdom. But how can we actually do that? There are probably quite a few brothers and sisters who would respond, “The Lord Jesus Himself redeemed us on the cross, absolving us of all of our sins, so in His eyes we are no longer sinners. As long as we follow the Lord Jesus, keep reading the Bible, praying, going to church, and diligently doing the Lord’s work, when He returns we’ll be completely saved and we’ll enter God’s kingdom.”

Just like everyone else, I used to think that too, but I recently encountered a brother who was spreading the gospel that the Lord has already returned. I explored this issue of getting into the kingdom with him and then realized that most Christians’ understanding of this isn’t in line with the truth. What we live out has not yet reached the standard for being fully saved. Now I’d like to share some fellowship on a bit of my own understanding. Even though we have accepted the Lord Jesus’ redemption and our sins have been absolved, that doesn’t mean we’ve been fully saved or that we’re qualified to enter into the kingdom of God. That’s because the root of our sin is still there, and we are often stuck living within our corrupt dispositions. For example, we may give some things up or expend a bit, we may help bring some people before God, and then we feel that we’ve really worked hard and have achieved something great, that we are very devoted to God. We think that this should be our ticket to get into the kingdom of heaven. However, when we see that obtaining these blessings doesn’t seem like it’s in the foreseeable future we feel downcast and disappointed, or we may even feel that there’s no point in following God. We lose our motivation to expend ourselves for Him. From this, it’s clear that our efforts for God are just transactional; we are not genuinely devoted to Him. We see unbelievers eating nice food and wearing nice clothing, driving a fancy car and living in a big house, while we don’t have much time to go out and earn money because we’re busy working for the church, so our material pleasures don’t measure up to theirs. We feel envious, we feel jealous, and sometimes we’re weakened and fall into passivity. This shows us that our perspectives on things and values in life still haven’t changed, that the things we actually love aren’t the truth or life, but are fame, gain, status, and fleshly pleasures. We harbor these corrupt dispositions within us—they are all contrary to the truth, and they are incompatible with what the Lord requires. How could we possibly be fully saved this way? God said, “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45), “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). God’s words show us that God is holy, and those who have not been purified absolutely cannot enter His kingdom. This is determined by God’s righteous disposition. How could people like us who are constantly sinning be qualified to enter into God’s kingdom? If we want to be fully saved and get into His kingdom, we must cast off our corrupt dispositions, be cleansed, achieve obedience to God, and love Him. This is the only way for us to really be saved and be able to enter His kingdom.

At this point in our fellowship, I think everyone can acknowledge that the root of our sinfulness is still deeply entrenched, and that we haven’t achieved purification. So then how can we rid ourselves of our corrupt dispositions and attain full salvation so we can enter the kingdom of God? Actually, the Lord Jesus gave us some prophecies long ago, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come” (John 16:12–13). “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” (John 12:47–48). It’s clear from these prophecies that the Lord Jesus is going to return and do another step of work—the work of judgment. He’s also going to express all the truths that we don’t understand. As long as we accept God’s work of judgment in the last days, put the truth into practice, are cleansed of our corrupt dispositions, and live out a true human likeness, ultimately we can be fully saved and raptured into the kingdom of heaven. This is because the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption wasn’t the end-time work of ridding us of sin, but was paving the way for His work in the last days. The work of redemption just absolved us of our sins, but our sinful nature remains within us. This is why the Lord needs to do a step of the work of judgment. Just as it says in God’s words, “Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering; He did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to become the sin offering and bear the sins of man, but it also required God to do even greater work to rid man completely of his satanically corrupted disposition. And so, now that man has been forgiven of his sins, God has returned to the flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment. This work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and they shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.”

So then how can God’s work of judgment in the last days achieve the transformation and purification of human beings? Let’s take a look at a passage of God’s words, and then we’ll understand. God says, “Christ of the last days uses a variety of truths to teach man, to expose the substance of man, and to dissect the words and deeds of man. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the substance of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, the words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan, and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes over the long term. All these different methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth of which man is utterly bereft. Only methods such as these can be called judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced about God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt essence and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the essence of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God.”

God’s words tell us that in the last days, He has expressed many aspects of the truth, judging and exposing our satanic natures and essences, plus the truth of our corruption as human beings who resist God. He exposes and dissects the root of our sinfulness, revealing to us God’s righteous, holy, and inviolable disposition. Through the judgment of God’s words, we can see how deeply we’ve been corrupted by Satan: We’re arrogant, selfish, despicable, crooked, and deceitful. We do not love the truth, and though we believe in God we do not honor Him as great. We’re unable to truly submit to Him or love Him, and when we encounter trials we complain to Him or even deny and betray Him. We don’t live out a true human likeness. Once we see all these things we start to despise ourselves and truly repent to God. We become willing to accept God’s judgment and chastisement; we pursue the truth and a change in disposition in accordance with God’s words. Then we can gradually cast off the binds and the strictures of our satanic, corrupt natures, thoroughly forsake Satan, and turn toward God. This is how we can resolve our internal sinful nature from its very root. In addition, through God’s judgment and chastisement we come to know God’s righteous disposition and holy essence; we understand God’s earnest, kind intentions in saving us, and His genuine love, and we develop a heart of reverence for God. We become willing to obey God’s orchestrations and arrangements. As our understanding of God gradually deepens, the truth starts to take hold within our hearts and God’s words become the very foundation of our survival, our guide in all things. Then we begin to live relying on God’s words. This is how we can live out a human likeness, fully cast off the binds and strictures of our satanic, corrupt natures, be cleansed, and attain full salvation.

That brother I met also shared his own personal experience with me. He used to believe that since he had been a believer for years, he had given things up, expended himself, and worked hard for the Lord, that he was already a person who loved and submitted to God. But by undergoing God’s judgment and chastisement he finally realized that although on the outside it appeared that he was able to make sacrifices and work really hard for the Lord, when he did more than his coworkers did he’d elevate himself, show off, keep count of all of the sheep he brought into the flock, of all the work he did. He saw that what he had contributed was in fact just an effort to cheat God and conduct a transaction with Him. He wanted to exchange his paltry contribution for God’s great blessings, so that he could be rewarded and get into the kingdom of heaven. That was not true submission to God, and it particularly wasn’t true love for God. Through the judgment and the revelations of God’s words, this brother finally saw that he was not someone who loves and obeys God, and that he was always living within his satanic disposition. He wasn’t remotely living out a human likeness. And through God’s judgment, chastisement, trials, and refinement, he also came to recognize God’s almightiness and omniscience, and that God scrutinizes the bottoms of people’s hearts; he really felt that God’s righteous disposition will tolerate no offense from mankind, and so he developed a heart of reverence for and submission to God. He lost no time prostrating himself and truly repenting to God. Gradually, he experienced a bit of change in his life disposition. All of this was the fruit of undergoing God’s judgment and chastisement.

At this point in our fellowship I trust that everyone has gained some clarity on how we can be fully saved to enter into God’s kingdom. If we only accept the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption, we still won’t achieve dispositional change. We must also accept God’s work of judgment in the last days, undergo the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, and accept the truth as our lives. Then we can achieve transformation in our corrupt dispositions, come to be obedient to God and love Him, and be compatible with Him. This is being thoroughly saved to gain entrance into God’s kingdom.

From: Grow in Christ

The Lord has come back. Want to know how to welcome Him and be raptured before the disasters? Click here to discuss with us.

» Extended Reading:

• The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand: How To Repent

If All We Do Is Guard Against False Christs, We’ll Miss the Lord’s Return

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By Sun Nan

We all know that it is now near the end of the last days. The prophecies in the Bible have basically been fulfilled. It is time for the Lord to return, and the Lord must have returned. So, we must find a church that has the work of the Holy Spirit and follow God’s footsteps. Some people, however, dare not go out seeking and investigating, thinking that there would be false Christs in the last days. For the Lord Jesus said: “And then if any man shall say to you, See, here is Christ; or, see, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect” (Mark 13:21–22). Many of us believers expound the prophesies according to our notions and imagination, thinking that all news preaching the Lord has returned is false. As long as we don’t listen or read, we’ll not be deceived. But, is this really after the Lord’s will? If we always keep to such notions, being passive and guarding against all the news, will we ignore someone who says that the Lord has returned and miss the opportunity of being raptured into the kingdom of heaven?

Continue reading “If All We Do Is Guard Against False Christs, We’ll Miss the Lord’s Return” →

Worry and Anxiety Bible Verses

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Worry and Anxiety Bible Verses

We all want to live a happy life. However, while walking the path of pursuing happiness, we often feel worried and anxious because of encountering adversity. Actually, the more worried and anxious we feel, the more we need to pray to God and rely on God. Only by relying on the strength given by the Lord can we overcome worry and anxiety and become confident again. God’s power is extraordinary and He can help us get rid of worry and anxiety and live in joy. So, the secret to ever more rejoicing is to rely on God and look to God.

When faced with worry and anxiety, many people have sought solutions from God’s word. There are a large number of stories and quotes in the Bible reminding and encouraging us to trust in God’s love and power so as to find peace. We only need to humble ourselves before God, cast all our anxiety and worry upon God. The following 15 verses will guide you to get rid of anxiety. So, just bring your pain before God and you’ll find comfort.

Continue reading “Worry and Anxiety Bible Verses” →

In the Last Days, Is It Easy for God to Save People by Appearing as the Spirit, or as the Incarnate Son of Man?

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The words of God say, “God’s saving of man is not done directly using the method of the Spirit and the identity of the Spirit, for His Spirit can neither be touched nor seen by man, neither can man draw near. If He tried to save man directly using the perspective of the Spirit, man would be unable to receive His salvation. If God did not put on the outward form of a created man, there would be no way for man to receive this salvation. For man has no way of approaching Him, much as no one was able to go near the cloud of Jehovah. Only by becoming a created human being, that is, only by putting His word into the body of flesh that He is about to become, can He personally work the word into all who follow Him. Only then can man personally see and hear His word, and moreover enter into possession of His word, and by this means come to be fully saved. If God did not become flesh, no one of flesh and blood would be able to receive such great salvation, nor would a single person be saved. If the Spirit of God worked directly in the midst of mankind, all humanity would be struck down, or else, with no way of coming into touch with God, they would be completely carried away captive by Satan.”

Continue reading “In the Last Days, Is It Easy for God to Save People by Appearing as the Spirit, or as the Incarnate Son of Man?” →

Can One Who Receives Salvation by Faith Enter God’s Kingdom

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Some Christians think that as long as they accept the salvation of the Lord Jesus’ crucifixion, acknowledge Him with their mouths and believe in Him in their hearts, then they are already saved and can enter the kingdom of heaven. Plus, there’s a Biblical basis for it, “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Based on the verses, they believe even more that one can enter the heavenly kingdom just by being saved through faith. However, some are very confused: “We often get hot-blooded and lose our temper, and aren’t tolerant or patient even with our families. And we still tell lies to deceive others in our daily lives, not yet having become as little children. Can we who live in sin like this enter God’s kingdom?” Next, let’s fellowship about this topic.

Continue reading “Can One Who Receives Salvation by Faith Enter God’s Kingdom” →

Knowing the Differences Between God’s Work and Man’s Work Through the Lord Jesus’ Words and Deeds

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Now, just how can we distinguish between God’s work and man’s work? Today, as people who experience the work of God in the last days, we can distinguish between God’s work and man’s work because we understand a bit of the truth. First of all, we can see that the work of God has opened up a new age. Mankind has never experienced this kind of work in history before. Also, there is no way that corrupt humanity could perform this work. The things that God says are things that corrupt humanity can never say. In fact, they are things that the corrupt human race has never known or understood. For example, during the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” At that time, there was nobody who could discern this sentence. Only God was able to say this. Since there is no way that mankind could imagine something like the kingdom of heaven, it was something that fell completely outside our scope of knowledge. Mankind did not even know what kind of kingdom the kingdom of heaven would be. I am afraid that even now, there are many believers who still do not know what the kingdom of heaven is. Furthermore, they do not know under what circumstances the kingdom of heaven will come. Can man say something like “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”? There is no way that man can say this because man’s knowledge is very limited. At the time of John the Baptist, John was the first to say, “Repent you: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This was due to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. God enlightened him. When the Lord Jesus came and said “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” the Lord Jesus explained clearly the topic of the kingdom of heaven. Why was the Lord Jesus able to explain this clearly? It was because He was God incarnate. Before the Lord Jesus, nobody could explain the kingdom of heaven clearly. After the Lord Jesus, nobody can explain it clearly either. This indicates that everything that the Lord Jesus said, including all the prophecies that He spoke of, is a direct expression of God’s Spirit. Only the Spirit of God knows about the kingdom of heaven. Only the Spirit of God can know about the affairs of God. That is why when the Lord Jesus came, He talked about a lot of things that were unknown to mankind. He revealed many mysteries and spoke of many prophecies. Not one member of the corrupt human race could say any of the things that the Lord Jesus said. The chief priests during those times could not say it. Moses could not say it. Only the Lord Jesus was able to talk about those things.

Lord Jesus taught His disciples
Continue reading “Knowing the Differences Between God’s Work and Man’s Work Through the Lord Jesus’ Words and Deeds” →

Pastors’ Discussion: How to “Watch And Wait” for Jesus’ Return?

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Brothers and sisters, now it is the end of the last days. Every Christian is expecting to meet Jesus’ return and to be raptured to enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, everyone is watching and waiting for the Lord’s return. Then how should we watch and wait to welcome Jesus’ return? Xiaojing understands what watching and waiting actually refers to after communicating with her pastor relatives and she feels quite comfortable …

By Xiaojing

Today is my uncle’s birthday. I rode my bike to his home early in the morning. Although the weather was hot, I was excited. I haven’t seen my uncle for quite a long time because of my busy work in the church. I heard that my elder cousin came back home. He was so busy going around and preaching all day that we hardly saw each other. I must take the chance to ask him for advice. He is the pastor trained by my uncle. I will surely benefit a lot from the communication with them. Thinking of this, I could not help smiling. I arrived at my uncle’s unconsciously.

As I walked into the yard, I saw my uncle and elder cousin chatting under the tree. They were happy to see me. My elder cousin asked me to take a seat. I asked my uncle about his health. Then looking at the old tree, I said with emotion, “Uncle, we used to sit under the tree and listen to the Bible stories and the testimonies of the spiritual seniors told by you. At that time, you always had so much to talk about. Inspired by your sincere words and earnest wishes, we were full of enthusiasm and confidence, eagerly expecting to spend ourselves and work for the Lord soon. Without realizing it, over twenty years have passed. How time flies!”

My elder cousin said, “Yes, it is.”

My uncle said cheerfully, “In a twinkling, you’ve grown up. I’m so delighted to see you working for the Lord and shepherding the church. Um, Xiaojing, what are you preaching recently?”

I quickly answered, “Watch and wait; the Lord is coming soon.”

Uncle nodded and said, “Yep, watching and waiting is so important. The gospel of the Lord Jesus has been spread to the ends of the earth. The various signs show that the day of the Lord’s return has come. We should watch and wait, and the Lord will come back and bring us to the heavenly home at any time. It seems that we truly should watch, pray, and wait for the Lord in welcoming the Lord’s return during our lifetimes. I’m old. How I wish I could welcome the appearance of the Lord!”

I said, “It’s a pity that many people know the Lord is coming soon, but they don’t watch and get ready for His return.”

Then, my elder cousin thoughtfully said, “We should truly watch and waiting for the Lord’s return. I’ve been thinking recently that how we should wait to meet the Lord’s mind. And what does watching refer to?”

Without thinking, I said, “I think that watching mainly refers to praying and reading the Bible often, working for the Lord diligently, and doing everything in moderation. Just as the Bible says: ‘And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming’ (1John 2:28). Therefore, as Christians, we should be sober every day as the verse says. Then we will have confidence before Him at His coming. We keep on watching and praying in shifts around the clock in our church, and we’ve also set up a watchtower so that we will not be abandoned when He returns.”

Uncle nodded his head with satisfaction, saying, “Well done, but it’s not that complete.”

My elder cousin said, “Dad, tell us about it!”

I looked at my uncle expectantly.

He said with a smile, “OK. Watching and waiting mainly refers to holding on to the Lord’s name and keeping His way. It’s because difficult times will come in the last days, people will love the world more than the Lord, and all kinds of heresies will appear. The Lord Jesus said: ‘Then if any man shall say to you, See, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect’ (Matthew 24:23-24). It tells us that the Lord asks us to watch. Most important is that we must safeguard ourselves against heresies before the Lord comes back with clouds to take us. If anyone tells you that the Lord has returned, don’t listen to them or believe what they say. We must hold on to the Lord’s name and keep His way. It not, how could we be raptured into the kingdom of heaven?”

I listened and nodded in agreement.

My elder cousin thought for a while and said, “Dad, I have some different views on this.”

Uncle was a bit surprised and said, “Oh? Let’s hear it.”

My elder cousin said, “False Christs will indeed appear in the last days, but it will be also the time that the Lord returns. If we don’t listen to or believe any news of the return of the Lord, what shall we do when the Lord really comes back? Will we not miss the chance of being raptured? So, I think in the verses the Lord is reminding us to learn to discern the false Christs, and not to be deceived by them. And we should not be blindly defensive but should have discernment and hear if it is God’s voice when someone preaches the second coming of the Lord. The Lord Jesus said: ‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Matthew 25:6). In the late period of the last days, we should be the wise virgins who pay attention to the voice of the Lord. When there is a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom comes,’ in other words, when someone preaches the news of the return of the Lord, we should seek and investigate to see if it is the utterance of the Holy Spirit or if it comes from God. Only in this way, can we hear the Lord’s voice, welcome His return, and be taken up before Him.”
My uncle was silent and looked a little unhappy.

At this point, my younger cousin who was helping in the kitchen heard our talk. She came to us and said, “Dad, a few days ago, Sister Cai’s elder sister brought a preacher of the Eastern Lightning to her home. The preacher testified that the Lord has returned, expressed many truths, and done the work of judgment in the last days. Her reasonable fellowship and some of God’s newest utterances the preacher read made us feel so good. However, Sister Cai drove them away because you once told her that all who preach that the Lord has returned do not speak the truth and must not be received. We thought it was not proper for her to do so. How should we, in your opinion, treat them properly when we see them preaching the return of the Lord?”

My uncle immediately turned his countenance from cloudy to bright, saying, “Thank the Lord! I think what Sister Cai did is absolutely right. It’s quite normal. The Lord Jesus who does not come upon a cloud is a false Christ, a deceiver. Therefore, no matter who preaches the Lord’s return, we must drive him away. Does it not agree with the Bible? Can it be wrong?”

At this, my younger cousin felt wrong but she couldn’t tell clearly, so she looked at her elder brother expectantly.

My elder cousin calmly answered, “Dad, for so many years, we have been expecting the Lord to come back soon and take us to the heavenly home. The people of the Eastern Lightning are preaching that the Lord has returned. He has done the work of judgment beginning with the house of God and has expressed all truths that purify and save man. We ought to be the wise virgins who seek and investigate with modesty. We should first listen to them and see if what they say are according to the Lord’s words. It’s not proper to drive them away without discernment, is it?”

Uncle said confidently, “It’s quite normal. The Bible clearly says: ‘They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory’ (Matthew 24:30). It can be seen that the Lord will come in the clouds. We haven’t seen this happen. How could it be that the Lord has returned?”

My elder cousin said, “Dad, the return of the Lord is a big thing! Isn’t it an arbitrary conclusion based on a single verse? The Jewish Pharisees at that time were longing for the coming of the Messiah. They were familiar with the scriptures that prophesied the coming of the Messiah. However, when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, because He conflicted with their conceptions, they not only did not acknowledge Him as Christ, the Messiah, but even crucified Him. Hence, they became the arch-criminal resisting God, and were punished and cursed by God. Dad, we should learn a lesson from the Pharisees. We must be cautious about waiting for the Lord’s return! If we resist or blaspheme God, we will be the modern Pharisees. The consequences will be unimaginable! We have never personally known whether the Eastern Lightning is the work of God and the return of the Lord or not. We should ask its people to tell us something about it if we meet them again. It is not late to draw a conclusion after we have a thorough investigation. What do you think?”

My younger cousin nodded repeatedly, but my uncle was displeased and gave them a dirty look.

To lighten the atmosphere, I hurriedly said, “Brother, what you said is reasonable and matches the Lord’s teaching, but the Bible does prophesy that the Lord will come with clouds. How do you explain it?”

My elder cousin patiently said, “During these days, I’ve studied many verses about the Lord’s return. I find the verses prophesying the return of the Lord can be generally divided into two groups: One prophesies the Lord will descend in public upon a cloud; the other prophesies He will descend in secret like a thief. For example: ‘I will come on you as a thief’ (Revelation 3:3), and ‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Matthew 25:6). In the verses we can see that there are two ways of the Lord’s coming: One is that He’ll come as a thief and no one knows it; the other is that He’ll descend upon a cloud and everyone will see Him. My personal understanding is that the Lord will probably descend in a hidden way to do the work first, and after He finishes the work, He’ll openly appear to all men. It is the same with the Lord Jesus’ work. God became flesh as the Son of man and did the work of redeeming mankind through the crucifixion, and then He ascended to heaven after resurrecting and openly appearing to man for forty days. It is a truth that everybody knows.”
My uncle retorted at once, “It’s wrong to say so. ‘As a thief’ and ‘at midnight’ mean that no one knows the time when the Lord comes back, but don’t mean that He will descend in secret.”

My elder cousin said sincerely, “Dad, My understanding of this is as follows: In many parts of the Bible it is prophesied that the return of the Lord will be the coming of the Son of man. For example: ‘For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation’ (Luke 17:24-25). The Son of man refers to the incarnation of God. The Lord Jesus has clearly told us that in the day of the Son of man, He must first suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. If the Lord, as we imagine, openly appears to all men when coming again upon clouds, He will not need to suffer, let alone be rejected. So, I think when the Lord returns, He will probably first become flesh and descend in a hidden way. This is just as when the Lord Jesus came to do the work. No one recognized Him as the coming Messiah. People thought He was an ordinary man, rejected Him, and condemned Him. So, I think ‘as a thief’ and ‘at midnight’ refer to not only the unknown time when the Lord comes, but also the hidden way in which the Lord returns as the Son of man. What’s more, I think all the verses prophesying the return of the Son of man refer to the hidden way in which the Lord will descend. Because when God incarnates as the Son of man, man doesn’t recognize Him even if they meet Him. It is just like the Lord Jesus coming to do the work. This is the way in which the Lord descended secretly and did the work. So, it is probably that the Lord will first work as the Son of man when He comes again, and then He will openly appear to all men.”

I was pondering his words, thinking, “That’s right. His words are reasonable. Why didn’t I ever realize it? It should be the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit!”

My younger cousin said, “Brother, your communication really has enlightenment! I read these verses many times; how come I didn’t realize it? It seems that I really have to think more carefully about it!”

Then my uncle whispered, “Isn’t the Son of man the Lord Jesus? Hasn’t the Lord Jesus finished suffering? How can it be the return of the Son of man? It’s impossible! It’s definitely impossible!”

I couldn’t help sighing, “According to this verse, if the Lord really descends in a hidden way as the Son of man, it is hard for us to recognize Him!”

My elder cousin said, “Yep, if the return of the Lord is the coming of the Son of man, He will also be resisted, condemned, and rejected by the religious community, like the Lord Jesus who did the work. Then, we should be more careful when we watch and wait. If someone says that the Lord has returned, and especially the way that the returned Lord preaches is condemned and rejected by the religious community, we should even more seek and investigate it.”

My younger cousin sighed, “It seems that the return of the Lord is not as simple as we have thought. If the Lord really descends in a hidden way as the Son of man when coming again, then how should we keep watch so that we can welcome His return?”

My elder cousin said thoughtfully, “I don’t quite understand it, either. However, it has been mentioned in Revelation many times: ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ I think we shouldn’t ignore all that is about the return of the Lord, especially the testimony about the words and work of the Lord when He comes again. We should even more carefully investigate, pray, and seek to discern whether it is the voice of the Lord or not. Once we make sure that it is the return of the Lord, we should accept it immediately. As the Revelation says: ‘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). That’s what watching and waiting actually refers to. It will be the Lord Jesus’ public appearance when He returns with clouds. At that time, all men will see Him; will they need to watch and wait? Therefore, during the time when the Son of man does His work, we should pay attention to seeking the appearance and work of the Lord, and hearing His voice. In this way we will not miss the return of the Lord. What do you think?”

My uncle’s forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and he said to himself, “How could I have ignored this verse? The Lord stands at the door and knocks? ‘And knocks?’ Does He knock upon a white cloud? How could He knock upon a white cloud? I haven’t worked it out yet.”

My younger cousin said worriedly, “Dad, what my brother said makes sense. I’m a little worried now. We casually condemned the Eastern Lightning without investigation and drove its people away. If the Eastern Lightning really is the return of the Lord, didn’t we resist the Lord in doing that? Haven’t we become the modern Pharisees?”
My elder cousin agreed, “Yes, that’s right! In the future, we must carefully investigate when we meet the people of the Eastern Lightning testifying to the return of the Lord. We can’t blindly reject and condemn them anymore. Because the Lord Jesus said: ‘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’ (Matthew 24:27). Eastern Lightning itself relates to the prophecy of the return of the Lord. It is most likely the Lord’s appearance and work in the last days!”
My uncle said no more.

My elder cousin’s words reminded me of something, and I said involuntarily, “Oh! No wonder many leading sheep and good sheep in churches have accepted the Eastern Lightening. It seems that the Eastern Lightening is most likely the appearance and work of the returned Lord. We have to seek and investigate soon….”

My cousins nodded their heads.

I heard the cicadas chirping one after another. It was noisy but I felt quite comfortable, thinking it was really worthwhile to come today.

“Time for lunch!” My elder cousin’s wife called. At this, we all went to have the meal happily. We talked cheerfully during the lunch, having a good time …

From: Grow in Christ

The Lord has come back. Want to know how to welcome Him and be raptured before the disasters? Click here to discuss with us.

New Gospel Movie “Break the Shackles and Run”: Attend the Feast of the Kingdom of Heaven

~ angela1116 ~ Leave a comment

Li Zhongming was an elder of a church in Seoul, South Korea. For more than twenty years, he served the Lord fervently and concentrated on studying the Bible. Taught by the words and deeds of his religious leaders, he thought that believing in the Lord amounts to faith in the Bible and faith in the Bible is exactly the same as believing in the Lord. He believed that as long as he clung to the Bible, he could be raptured into the kingdom of heaven. These conceptions, like shackles, tightly restrained him from believing in and following God. Consequently, Li Zhongming never thought to investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days….

By chance, he watched hymn videos on the website of the Church of Almighty God. Their stirring lyrics and beautiful melodies touched him deeply, inspiring him to look into Almighty God’s work of the last days. After a series of debates about the truth, he understood the inside story of the Bible from Almighty God’s word, and saw clearly the true fact that religious Pharisees oppose and condemn God’s appearance and work under the banner of exalting the Bible. At last, he struggled free from the controls and restraints of the religious Pharisees and kept pace with God’s footprints….

From: Grow in Christ

The Lord has come back. Want to know how to welcome Him and be raptured before the disasters? Click here to discuss with us.

» Extended Reading:

• Where Is the Kingdom of God? In Heaven or On Earth?

• Question 7 | About Requirements for Entry Into the Kingdom of Heaven

• Gospel Movie “Yearning” Clip (4): Is the Kingdom of Heaven in Heaven or on Earth?