It Is God Who Saved Me From My Girlfriend’s Trick

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By Dashan

Because his father was in poor health, to relieve the burden of his family, Xiangyang quit school of his own accord and went to learn the skills of cooking western dishes and of making pastries from his cousin. Two years later, he became an outstanding Western cuisine chef. Xiangyang went to Hangzhou to work in a hotel at the introduction of his classmate. After a few months, on the Internet, he got acquainted with Xiaoqian, a beautiful and sweet-natured girl. They fell in love at the first sight, at the right age, and Xiangyang was completely delighted with her. He loved her with all his soul. Whatever she felt like eating or wearing, he had never been mean with money. They were attached to each other. One day, she called him and said, “Xiangyang, you simply resign from your job and come to work with me, lest we miss each other.” The naive Xiangyang fell for it and immediately gave up his job, going to Xiaoqian.

The next day, she took him to a place where there were lecturers and audiences, with a total of a few dozen people. They taught how to become rich, and everyone was absorbed in listening to the lecture. After one morning’s lecture, Xiangyang considered that what they said about making a fortune was as simple as a pie in the sky. Xiaoqian told him that as long as he invested 5,000 yuan as a share, he would earn 20,000 yuan per year. Though Xiangyang felt some doubt, on thinking that his love-stricken girlfriend was sweet and kind-hearted, he pondered: How could she cheat me? He denied his idea at once, and acquiesced in his girlfriend’s proposal, thinking to himself that it was quick and easy to earn money in that way. At that time, Xiaoqian found his heart was stirred and continued trying to persuade him, “There are four persons in your family, uncle, aunt, brother and you. You simply buy four shares and thus you can gain 80,000 yuan for one year.” Hearing what she said, he felt quite cheerful and thought: I can’t earn much even if I take pains to work for one year. It was irresistible to gain 80,000 yuan for one year. If I do like this for one year, I will be able to buy a car and drive home with my girlfriend. How honorable and wonderful it is before my parents, relatives and friends! Thinking of this, Xiangyang responded quickly, but he hesitated soon. When Xiaoqian saw he was floundering, she asked, “Xiangyang, what’s wrong?” He replied with a sigh, “It won’t work. I don’t have much money.” Seeing that, she said, “You could ask your parents for money. Besides, you are doing the proper business. How could uncle and aunt not support you?” He said with sadness, “It’s not that my parents don’t support me, but that all the money was spent in building the new house not long ago.” Seeing that he was baffled, she had an idea and said with secret thought, “How about this, you could tell uncle and aunt that you’ve changed your job and broke the machine in your factory. So your boss insists on your recompensing for it, and you are detained by your boss. They are sure to be anxious. Then you ask them to borrow some money and remit it to you in haste. If you earn money, you can remit the money to them. How about this?” He, embarrassed, said, “I can’t. I cannot lie to my parents.” Xiaoqian said urgently, “Xiangyang, why are you so literal-minded? This is a white lie. When you make money, you can return them doubly. I suppose that at that time they won’t blame on you but praise you for your ability. I’m concerning with our future! If you miss such an excellent chance … You need to turn it over in your mind.” Seeing the beloved girlfriend help him with sincerity, Xiangyang accepted her advice joyfully. Considering his father’s poor health, he gave his mother a call.

Zhang Jing, Xiangyang’s mother, was very anxious after receiving the call, but because she is a believer in God, she knew that there is God’s permission in everything and that she couldn’t complain that her son was confronted with such matter. It was reasonable to compensate. She prayed in front of God about her son’s matter, and asked God to help her out. After prayer, she was much calmer within and began to raise money everywhere. Unexpectedly, when she scraped together 20,000 yuan and hurried to go to the bank to remit the money to Xiangyang, the power went off in the bank and she had to go back home. When she came back, the brothers and sisters, hearing of this matter, came to communicate with her and told her: “Now there are many people involved in pyramid scheme. Your son needs so much money one time, and is he cheated? You could pray to and relay on God more in it, and God will reveal the fact. There is God’s good intention in the cutoff of power in the bank. Don’t send money to Xiangyang blindly. It’s better to seek first.” Hearing the fellowship, Zhang Jing realized that she should take the big deal seriously. So she kept praying inside and sought God’s will.

Seeing Xiangyang’s parents still didn’t send money, and for fear that they saw through her scheme, Xiaoqian urged Xiangyang to phone home at intervals of five minutes. Faced with such situation, Xiangyang’s mother recollected the fellowship of the brothers and sisters and seemed to understand something. She prayed to God earnestly about how to deal with it. Then under the guidance of God, Zhang Jing suddenly thought of her brother Luming who engaged in diplomacy, and informed him of this. As soon as he received the call, Luming returned from Zhengzhou City. After hearing the detail, Luming judged: “Xiangyang must be deceived by those who are involved in pyramid scheme. Luckily, the money hasn’t been transferred yet.” Zhang Jing knew that it was God who protected her in secret and made a way out for her. That night, Luming drove his sister and brother-in-law to Hangzhou City. Luming let his sister stabilize Xiangyang and tell him that the money would be sent soon, and meanwhile, he had his local friend cooperate with them. Using sending money as bait, they asked Xiangyang and Xiaoqian to come out. Then they went through a lot of trouble and finally saved Xiangyang out.

After returning home, recalling what had happened in that period, Xiangyang seemed to have a nightmare. He was bitterly painful and very puzzled about why his beloved girlfriend deceived him. He felt he was so foolish. Seeing that he was depressed all day, Xiangyang’s mother decided to spread the gospel to him and allowed him to know from God’s words the source of suffering and to get to know God’s salvation. Hence, she communed God’s words with him, “One after another, all these trends carry an evil influence that continually degenerates man, that lowers their morals and their quality of character more and more, to the extent that we can even say the majority of people now have no integrity, no humanity, neither do they have any conscience, much less any reason. So what are these trends? You cannot see these trends with the naked eye. When the wind of a trend blows through, perhaps only a small number of people will become the trendsetters. They start off doing this kind of thing, accepting this kind of idea or this kind of perspective. The majority of people, however, in the midst of their unawareness, will still be continually infected, assimilated and attracted by this kind of trend, until they all unknowingly and involuntarily accept it, and are all submerged in and controlled by it. For man who is not of sound body and mind, who never knows what is truth, who cannot tell the difference between positive and negative things, these kinds of trends one after another make them all willingly accept these trends, the life view, the life philosophies and values that come from Satan. They accept what Satan tells them on how to approach life and the way to live that Satan “bestows” on them. They have not the strength, neither do they have the ability, much less the awareness to resist” (“God Himself, the Unique VI”). After reading God’s words, Zhang Jing said blandly to her son, “Xiangyang, from God’s words, we can see the people nowadays live in the world controlled by Satan and are attracted by trends, one after another, started by Satan. On the surface, the economic is advanced. The ways to make money emerge in endlessly. People’s heart is attracted by them and they all want to gain a lot of money without working hard and want to take possession of others’ money. In order to attain this goal, they take advantage of and cheat one another, having lost the normal humanity and rationality; for money, the ties of kinship are forgotten. How can there be true love between people? Think about it, how can there be such good things like a pie in the sky? Satan hoodwinks and harms us human taking advantage of our greed, and we can only be deceived by this evil trend without truth. I thought you were honest and good, but I never believed you could cheat me because of being allured by money and interest. Son, if not for God’s protection, we would have already been cheated of our money, so we should give thanks to God. From now on, we should make money dutifully. Don’t take unfair advantage. Penny wise, pound foolish.” Xiangyang said, “I’m very much to blame. I was totally blinded by Xiaoqian’s sweetness and affection. I only thought of making a big money and then of feeling proud and elated, so that I was dazzled by money and fame. Mum, sorry, I was wrong.” His mother said, “Child, you’re not entirely to blame. We should hate that the society is so evil and dark. At that time you didn’t come before God and didn’t have truth, how could you discern good from evil, beauty from ugliness? If not for God’s obstruction by the cutoff of power in the bank, the fellowship, help and reminding of the brothers and sisters, I may have been cheated by you. So it’s God who loves people most. God’s words reveal, ‘First let’s talk about what happens if God doesn’t save you; that is, if you don’t believe in God, where will you be? You will be entirely under Satan’s domain, you will be caught up in evil trends and you will be in the midst of corrupt mankind. Being in the midst of corrupt mankind is the same as being inside what? Where will you be? (In a nest of devils.) In a nest of devils, inside a dye vat, right? So if someone doesn’t believe in God, what will their final end be? (They will go down into hell.)’ (“Man is the Greatest Beneficiary of God’s Management Plan”). Think about it, now for money, people may use any means, scheme against, plot against and cheat one another. It was foolish of you to believe that what Xiaoqian did was to help you, love you. Son, let’s devote ourselves to belief in God. If we don’t believe in God, we can only be teased by Satan and be in Satan’s evil trends, more and more deeply, to the point of being harmed and swallowed up by Satan.” Through God’s words and mother’s fellowship, Xiangyang understood: After being corrupted by Satan, for their own interests, people use one another, without true affection and love. I was so foolish. Without the protection of God whom my mother believes in, the consequences would be unimaginable. The world of sensual pleasures externally attracts people, but it is like a hell on earth if we live in it. There are so many kinds of traps that it’s impossible for us to guard against. And we’ll be taken in as soon as we are not careful. Thinking of this, Xiangyang nodded slowly.

After that, Zhang Jing often fellowshiped God’s words with Xiangyang. Under the leading of God’s words, he gradually walked out of the miseries and lived the church life. Together with the brothers and sisters in the church, he saw the Church of Almighty God is entirely different from the world: When they reveal corrupt dispositions, the brothers and sisters all know themselves respectively. They are simple and open and guide one another to the face to help enter into God’s words. Without intrigue between the brothers and sisters, they are close to each other, like a family and share everything together. A few months later, Xiangyang knew more and more truths, and took the initiative to fulfill his duty in the church.

One day, sitting by the table, holding tightly to a book of God’s words, Xiangyang was thankful inwardly that in such an evil age, he could come before God and be shepherded and watered by God’s words. He was overcome with emotion. He saw God’s words say, “In this vast world with so many people, God has predestined and chosen you from among all of humanity; you were born in this era, in the country of the great red dragon, and He allows you to be able to perform the duty you are performing now. You have been favored by God and have been chosen by Him. Is this not a blessing? This is a blessing—God favors you and allows you to spend for God and perform your duty in God’s family. … This opportunity is given to you by God, is it not? (It is.) Is not God’s giving you this opportunity and allowing you to live in this way, to spend for Him, something that gives righteous confidence? (It is.) … You should treasure this opportunity and feel pride, and honor (“A Person Can Live Life With Dignity Only by Submitting to and Revering God”). Reading these words, Xiangyang couldn’t help having the depths of gratitude to God and gave thanks to God for His salvation of him. He felt he was too blessed that in such a dark and evil era, he could be chosen, saved by God, and wouldn’t be devoured by Satan.

In years of experience, Xiangyang has tasted deeply that only the Church of Almighty God is a piece of pure land. The brothers and sisters don’t guard against each other, they are intimately connected, and don’t keep anything from each other. Xiangyang is incomparably contented and happy. Living in the world of God’s words, he has found the true path of life—the main mission of a creation is to perform his duty and satisfy God. He makes a resolution secretly: In the following days, I will try my utmost to do my duty and repay God’s love.

From: Grow in Christ

God’s Salvation Can Be Seen After Humbly Seeking

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By Shunfu, Japan

In 2002 my aunt shared with me the Lord Jesus’ gospel. After knowing that the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross for the sake of redeeming mankind, I was very moved and felt that the Lord’s love for us was so great, so I, with my aunt, prayed to the Lord to make a resolution to follow and rely on Him all our life. Afterward, I often read the Bible, prayed, sang hymns and spoke to the Lord from my heart, which made me feel very peaceful within as if I had entered a world without clamor.

In 2008 I came to a Japanese church to attend meetings. Meanwhile, I helped the pastor and the preacher build a Chinese church in Nagoya and I also became a co-worker of that church. At that time, the pastor was the authority of the whole church, and everyone venerated him very much. However, I admired the preacher more because she had much understanding of the Bible, enthusiastically spent for the Lord all the time and was very spiritual. A year later, because of my work I was transferred to another city. Not long after, I heard that the pastor had misappropriated the church funds. At this, the pastor of the headquarters decided to expel him from the church.I was extremely disappointed in my heart after knowing this, because I had never thought that the pastor would do such things. At last, I chose to leave this heartrending church.

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The Word of the Holy Spirit “God’’s Utterances to the Entire Universe: The Sixteenth Utterance”

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There is so much that I wish to say to man, so many things that I must tell him. But man’s abilities of acceptance are too lacking: He is incapable of fully grasping My words according to that which I provide, and only understands one aspect but remains ignorant of the other. Yet I do not put man to death because of his powerlessness, nor am I aggrieved by his weakness. I merely do My work, and speak as I have always done, even though man does not understand My will; when the day comes, people will know Me in the depths of their hearts, and will remember Me in their thoughts. When I depart from this earth will exactly be when I ascend to the throne in man’s heart, which is to say, it will be when all men know Me. So, too, will it be when the sons and people of God rule over the earth. Those who know Me will assuredly become the pillars of My kingdom, and none but they will be qualified to rule and wield power in My kingdom. All those who know Me are possessed of My being, and able to live out Me among all men. I care not to what extent man knows Me: No one can hinder My work in any way, and man can offer Me no assistance and do nothing for Me. Man can only follow My guidance in My light, and seek My will in this light. Today, people have become qualified, and believe they can strut about in front of Me, and laugh and joke with Me without the slightest inhibition, and address Me as an equal. Still man does not know Me, still he believes that in essence we are about the same, that we are both of flesh and blood, and both dwell in the human world. His reverence for Me is too meager; he reveres Me when he is before Me, but is incapable of serving Me before the Spirit. It is as if, for man, the Spirit does not exist at all. As a result, no man has ever known the Spirit, and all people see only the flesh and blood of My incarnation, and do not behold the Spirit of God. Can My will really be accomplished in such a way? People are experts at deceiving Me; they seem to have been specially trained by Satan in order to fool Me. Yet I am untroubled by Satan. I will still use My wisdom to conquer the whole of mankind and to defeat the corrupter of all mankind, in order that My kingdom may be established on earth.

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Letting Go of My Notions, I Welcome the Lord’s Rreturn

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By Zheng Yan

After believing in the Lord Jesus, because I was very zealous in my pursuit, I became a co-worker. At one time, a senior preacher came to gather with us and said, “Brothers and sisters, Now the Eastern Lightning followers are testifying that the Lord Jesus has returned. They don’t read the Bible. Is this right? Believing in God is believing in the Bible, and departing from the Bible is not believing in God….” Afterward, he told us how to guard against Eastern Lightning. After hearing what he said, I thought: “Right! Aren’t we believing in the Bible during all the years of our belief in God? Is departing from the Bible still believing in God?” However, I wondered: Though the preacher always tells us to guard against Eastern Lightning and not to get in contact with them, why have so many of the “good sheep” still been stolen away by them? Sister Wang, who managed the churches of the three northeastern provinces of China, accepted Eastern Lightning, and so did Sister Lan, who took charge of the work of the churches of a province. They both are proficient in the Bible. Don’t they know that belief in God is belief in the Bible? They have so much knowledge of the Bible, how come they blindly believe in Eastern Lightning? I couldn’t understand, and this had become a riddle in my heart.

Later, Sister Li and Sister Zhang, upper-level leaders, also accepted the work of Almighty God in the last days. One day, they brought Brother Zheng from Eastern Lightning to gather with us. Because he was brought by Sister Li and Sister Zhang, we sat there listening to his sermons quietly. Brother Zheng communicated from Genesis to Revelation for a whole morning. I listened with great interest and took notes carefully. I thought: Since I believed in God, I have never heard such a clear sermon. I have gained a lot from this meeting. Each of us was very moved. Finally, Brother Zheng told us, “The Lord Jesus has already returned in the name of Almighty God. He has opened the little scroll in Revelation.” Saying this, he gave each of us a book. We were very excited and didn’t know he was from Eastern Lightning.

After they left, I went back home. Sitting on the bed, I looked at the little scroll on the desk. I thought to myself: Why do they read the little scroll but no longer read the Bible? At that moment, I suddenly realized: Could what Brother Zheng spread be the way of Eastern Lightning? The senior preacher said that the Eastern Lightning followers no longer read the Bible. But Brother Zheng told us that the scroll recorded in Revelation 5 has been opened, which is mentioned in the prophecy of the Bible and doesn’t depart from the Bible. However, the words of the senior preacher resounded in my ears. I was a bit sacred, and was unable to calm down. I rose from the bed in a clamor, walked out of the bedroom and stood on the balcony. Seeing the busy crowd downstairs, I lost myself in a deep thought: What should I do? Who on earth is right? What Brother Zheng said doesn’t depart from the Bible. But they read the little scroll, and say that it is God’s new work. If it truly is God’s new work, I must follow! Yet the senior preacher said that we should read the Bible when believing in God, and that departing from the Bible is not believing in God. If my belief is wrong, I won’t enter into the kingdom of heaven, and will be more pitiful than worldly people and receive even more severe chastisement. Alas! O Lord! What should I do? I paced back and forth between the room and balcony, not knowing how to choose the path ahead. I had no choice but to come before the Lord and pray to Him in tears, “O Lord, now your child is hesitating at the crossroads, not knowing which way to walk on. O Lord, please guide me the direction ahead. If what Brother Zheng said is right, please guide me. If not, please stop him. O Lord, please help me! …” Kneeling there, I felt so confused. I had been tormented for a time.

One day, Brother Zheng came to gather with us again. Seeing that I looked worried, he asked me concernedly, “Little brother, how do you think about God’s new work?” I said, “Brother, our preacher told us that believing in God means believing in the Bible, and that departing from the Bible isn’t believing in God. Now you don’t read the Bible, but just read the little scroll. What is the reason? I can’t figure it out.” Brother Zheng said patiently, “Brother, the question you raised is quite good. Not only do you have this thought, but many religious people also do, thinking that believing in God, people must read the Bible, and that departing from the Bible is not believing in God. Let’s look back to the time of Noah and Abraham, there was no Bible. Can we say that they didn’t believe in God? There was also no Bible when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. Can we say that his faith was not in God? God is God, and the Bible is the Bible. The Bible can’t represent God. The Lord Jesus said that the Bible is a testimony for God. The Bible only recorded some work God had done, but it can’t represent God. So the Bible can’t replace God’s work and words in the last days at all. Especially, the scroll prophesied in the Book of Revelation was written by John after he received the revelations around 90 A.D., and it even more can’t replace God to save mankind. However, we have placed the Bible and God in the same position, and even see it higher than God. Don’t we replace God with the Bible? It seriously resists and blasphemes God! On this point, let’s take a look at the words of Almighty God. Almighty God says: ‘From the time when there was the Bible, people’s belief in the Lord has been the belief in the Bible. Instead of saying people believe in the Lord, it is better to say they believe in the Bible; rather than saying they have begun reading the Bible, it is better to say they have begun believing in the Bible; and rather than saying they have returned before the Lord, it would be better to say they have returned before the Bible. In this way, people worship the Bible as if it were God, as if it were their lifeblood and losing it would be the same as losing their life. People see the Bible as being as high as God, and there are even those who see it as higher than God. If people are without the work of the Holy Spirit, if they cannot feel God, they can carry on living—but as soon as they lose the Bible, or lose the famous chapters and sayings from the Bible, then it is as if they have lost their life’ (‘Concerning the Bible (1)’). From God’s words, we can see that the saying that “Believing in the Lord is believing in the Bible, and departing from the Bible is not believing in God” is completely wrong. This is only from our notions and imaginations. Actually, the Bible is only a historical record of the first two stages of God’s work, the previous work done by God. That is, the Bible is the testimony of God’s work. Nowadays, God’s work has progressed forward. If we continue holding on to the Bible and standing still, even if we have the Bible memorized from back to front, we will not be the ones who truly believe in God, and moreover, we will never gain the work of the Holy Spirit, nor be saved to enter into the kingdom of heaven. So if we want to be saved by God, we must follow His present work, gain the guidance of the work of the Holy Spirit, and grasp the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work. Only in this way can we follow the footsteps of God, and win His praise.” At this point, I thought: “Right, there was no Bible when God created the heavens and earth and all things; there was also no Bible when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. After experiencing God’s work, Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Didn’t they believe in God? But the Bible clearly states, “And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Since I believed in God, I have started to read the Bible. How can I believe in and know God without the Bible? So, I said, “Without the Bible, how can we know the work God has done? Does anyone not base his faith on the Bible? Isn’t my belief in the Bible right?” Brother Zheng continued to say, “In fact, after God finished His work in each age, the old prophets wrote down God’s work, which was compiled by later generations into a book. That is the Bible that we read today. Almighty God also communicated with us about the truth of this aspect. Almighty God says, ‘If you wish to see the work of the Age of Law, and to see how the Israelites followed the way of Jehovah, then you must read the Old Testament; if you wish to understand the work of the Age of Grace, then you must read the New Testament. But how do you see the work of the last days? You must accept the leadership of the God of today, and enter into the work of today, for this is the new work, and no one has previously recorded it in the Bible. Today, God has become flesh and selected other chosen ones in China. God works in these people, He continues on from His work on earth, continues on from the work of the Age of Grace. The work of today is a path that man has never walked, and a way that no one has ever seen. It is work that has never been done before—it is God’s latest work on earth. … As such, if you wish to walk the new path of today, then you must depart from the Bible, you must go beyond the books of prophecy or history in the Bible. Only then will you be able to walk the new path properly, and only then will you be able to enter into the new realm and the new work’ (‘Concerning the Bible (1)’). We all know that in the Age of Law, if man read the Old Testament, no one condemns him; however, in the Age of Grace, man should read the New Testament, because the Lord’s demands were recorded in the New Testament. If he still holds on to the Old Testament, the Lord Jesus will condemn him and won’t commemorate him. Today God has come and done a new stage of work. According to what people need in the last days, He has expressed new words, the Bible of the new age. If we don’t follow but remain seeing the New and Old Testaments, then we will not be approved by God or be saved to enter into the kingdom of heaven, because we are cast behind by God’s new work. Just as the Bible says, ‘In that he said, A new covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away’” (Hebrews 8:13).

After hearing what Brother Zheng fellowshiped, I thought: Right! I treat the Bible as God. It reaches the point that when God has come to do new work, I still hold on to the Bible. My faith is just in the Bible, but not in God at all. The Bible is a record of the work that God has done, and it has become history. If I still continue holding on to it, then eventually won’t I cause myself to be ruined? I have believed in the Lord for so many years; not only will my hope for entering into the kingdom of heaven come to nothing, but I also will be punished in the future. So, I should walk out of the Bible and enter into the stream of God’s new work. Although I had this thought in my heart, I still couldn’t control my mind. The words of the senior preacher resounded in my ears again: “The Bible contains the full truth. Departing from the Bible is not believing in God. Whoever believes in God must believe in the Bible….” At that time, my heart grew very chaotic, and I didn’t know what I should do. Then Sister Zhang read my mind and said to me, “Brother, it is not all smooth sailing for us to accept God’s new work, and we will experience many struggles. For example, the Lord Jesus said: ‘No man puts a piece of new cloth to an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved’ (Matthew 9:16-17). Now if we want to follow God’s new work, we have to let go of our old notions and old thoughts….”

Brother Zheng went on fellowshiping, “God’s work is always progressing forward, no one can fathom it. Let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s words and see what He has to say about this. Almighty God says: ‘The work of God continues to advance, and though the purpose of His work remains unchanging, the means by which He works are constantly changing, and thereby so are those who follow God. The more work of God, the more thoroughly man comes to know God, and the disposition of man changes accordingly along with His work. However, it is because the work of God is ever-changing that those who do not know the work of the Holy Spirit and those absurd men who do not know the truth become opponents of God. Not ever does the work of God conform to the conceptions of man, for His work is always new and never old. Not ever does He repeat work of old but rather forges ahead with work never before done. As God does not repeat His work and man invariably judges the work of God today based on His work of the past, it is exceedingly difficult for God to carry out each stage of work of the new age. Man presents far too many hindrances! The thinking of man is too hidebound! No man knows the work of God, yet they all define such work’” (“How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?”). This section of Almighty God’s words pointed out my thought immediately. I had been treasuring the old thing—the Bible. When God came to do new work, I used my own imaginations and conceptions to define His work. No wonder the Bible says, “But the scripture has concluded all under sin” (Galatians 3:22). During these years, all along, I had been treasuring the famous chapters and sayings from the Bible. Every day I wrote five chapters on a note and must recite them. In my eyes, they were as important as my life. It was at that time that I thought of the words in Revelation: “Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). Before, I didn’t understand this verse. Through God’s words and the fellowship of the brother, I understood that those people who follow God’s new work are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. The work of God continues to advance, and He does not repeat His work so that we can gain a newer and completer understanding of Him. I thought: Today I am a person who believes in God and follows the footsteps of Him. Wherever the footprints of God are, I will follow. Only in this way can I receive His approval. It is precisely as Revelation says: “These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Revelation 14:4). If I can’t follow the footsteps of the Lamb, I will lag behind His work, and then raise lamentation and gnash my teeth in darkness.

Then, Brother Zheng continued to read Almighty God’s words: “Even if you have found out much irrefutable proof within the Bible, it cannot bring you fully before Me. You are one who lives within the confines of the Bible, and not before Me; the Bible cannot help you know Me, nor can it deepen your love for Me” (“How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?”). “They pay no heed to My existence or actions, but instead devote extreme and special attention to each and every word of Scripture, and many of them even believe that I should not do anything I wish to do unless it is foretold by Scripture. They attach too much importance to Scripture. It can be said that they see words and expressions as too important, to the extent that they use verses from the Bible to measure every word I say, and to condemn Me. What they seek is not the way of compatibility with Me, or the way of compatibility with the truth, but the way of compatibility with the words of the Bible, and they believe that anything that does not conform to the Bible is, without exception, not My work. Are such people not the dutiful descendants of the Pharisees?” (“You Should Seek the Way of Compatibility with Christ”). After reading, he said, “Through God’s words we can see that today we believers in God should walk out of the words of the Bible, be a wise person, and accept the words expressed by Christ of the last days. Only thus are we the people who can gain the truth, walk onto the bright and right path, and truly enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Every word of God nettled my heart like a sword. It gave me the chills. In the past, I had missed many opportunities. I didn’t read, hear or contact Almighty God’s work in the last days and closed my heart. I really ruined myself. I thought: God has done a new work. If I don’t follow it, won’t my years of belief in God be like drawing water with a sieve—a futile effort? Like the foolish virgins, I will weep and gnash my teeth outside the door. At that time, I thought that the Pharisees used the words of the Bible to condemn God. They didn’t seek His will, and all they cared about was verses and words. In the end, they used the words of the Bible to nail Jesus to the cross, and were cursed and punished by God. If I don’t absorb the lessons of the Pharisees, my fate will be the same as that of them.

Thank Almighty God’s words for conquering me, so I can walk out of the Bible, and am willing to let go of my notions and follow God’s new work. At that time, my depressed heart was set free immediately. I was able to treat the Bible correctly in my heart: I can understand God’s previous work through it. However, to know God’s new work, I must read the scroll opened by the Lamb. Thank Almighty God’s grace and mercy, and I am also thankful that Almighty God didn’t abandon me. I was so excited that tears welled up in my eyes. From then on, I could hardly tear myself away from Almighty God’s words, and let go of the old almanac—the Bible completely in my heart. All the glory be to Almighty God! Amen!

From: Grow in Christ

Leave the Desolate “Temple” and Go Home

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By Shunfu, the United States

My aunt is a Catholic. When I was eight or nine years old, together with my family, I believed in Catholicism with my aunt. At that time, I particularly liked to hear my aunt talk about the miracles performed by the Lord Jesus, such as: feeding five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish, making the blind see, walking on the sea, and so on. Through my aunt’s interpretation, I knew that this one true God is the Lord Jesus: He not only rules over all things in the universe, but also dominates and arranges the fate of all mankind. And I knew that after our ancestors Adam and Eve, because of not keeping God’s words, were enticed by the devil and ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, then mankind began to sin. After being corrupted by Satan, mankind became more and more degenerate, lived under Satan’s influence, and suffered its affliction. God didn’t want to see us being abused by Satan, so He personally became flesh on earth and took on humanity’s sin through crucifixion. God’s love is so great. I was moved by the great love of God, and determined to be a person who likes what God likes and hates what God hates.

At the age of thirteen, before being baptized, a nun explained to me what the ten commandments are, what the seven deadly sins are, what the big and small sins are, what can be done and what can’t, what the purgatory is, what hell is, how many persons the one God contains, why we believe in God, and other aspects of knowledge, but she talked little about the Bible. However, I still believed in God devoutly: I went to church for Mass on Sundays, said daily Morning and Evening Prayers, and said rosary after rosary every day, observed abstinence and fasting, did not eat meat on Fridays, worshiped the way of the Cross (reading scriptures and worshiping Jesus on bended knees), and did things to suffer and discipline my own body. In addition, I often went to other churches for Mass together with some pious church friends, especially when the grand Mass to worship the Holy Sacrament took place, such as Ash Wednesday, Easter, and Christmas Day. Meanwhile, I also offered my Mass and said rosary to the departed souls (my relatives and my benefactors) in purgatory, hoping that they could have their sins mitigated by rosary and could earlier ascend into the Celestial Regions. I believed that as long as I kept doing so, I could please God and could go to heaven in the future.

After many years, my whole family immigrated to America. I still went to church services, recited scriptures, and said prayers and confessed to priest every day. Near my house, there was a foreign Catholic church, in which there were two Masses every morning: first and second Mass. And I went to attend at least one Mass every day no matter the weather. As a result, I rarely went to the former overseas Chinese church, except for the annual confession in celebration of Christmas Day.

On a Sunday in December, 2014, when I went to my original church, I saw that there were some joss-sticks, which were used for offering sacrifices to ancestors, in an incense burner, and some paintings and lanterns hanging on the walls; the church looked like a theater. I was very puzzled: “Why do these things appear in the church?” After finishing Mass and confession, I went home and felt very frustrated and heavy-hearted. One Sunday in December, 2015, I went to the church for confession again. I hadn’t been there for a year, and when I got there I felt the church had a sense of creepiness. I didn’t know why the church gave me such a feeling. I looked around, and saw many seats in the hall were vacant; people there were mostly the old; the kids were running about and making loud uproars with no one stopping them, and some people were even on their phones. The church seemed to be their place of amusement. In the past, when we went into the church, we dressed up properly and were forbidden from making noise, because it was a holy place—the home of God. I couldn’t understand why the church became this way. On that day, the priest happened to give baptism and he actually asked the baptized for red envelopes (a fee). I was astonished: “Should a priest do that? Unbelievable!” If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. I was astounded and sorrowful, because I had admired priests very much all along. I thought they were the nearest to God: If we Catholics sinned, we must confess to the priests, who then directly passed our confession to God. But why did the priest become so greedy? Could such priests still serve God selflessly and listen to our confession? Could such a church still be the home of God? At that moment, I felt cold within and somehow shed tears. I also prayed in my heart: “O God, why has the church become like this? Even what the priest did goes against Your will; what on earth is the reason for all this?”

Since then, every time I went to church to receive holy communion and pray, I felt a strange emptiness in my heart, and felt the same way in the foreign church. I felt there was something missing from my heart, but I just couldn’t figure it out. I was depressed and weak, and this feeling became increasingly stronger. In the past, when I prayed, especially when I received holy communion after I confessed, I could always quiet myself before God, and could feel God was hearing my prayer, so I was very secure and peaceful in my heart. But now, when I prayed to God, I felt He was far away from me and that my spirit was dry. I felt afraid—afraid that I might have been forsaken by the Lord Jesus. I kept crying to God in my heart when I was in agony, but I didn’t know what to do. …

My life didn’t change until one day in 2017, I met a sister in a supermarket as I came from Sunday worship services in the foreign church. We had a congenial conversation, so we exchanged our telephone numbers. Several days later, the sister phoned, inviting me to attend their small group Bible study, and I agreed. When I arrived at the meeting place, I didn’t think I would discriminate against Christianity, but I still had a few fluctuations in my heart and appeared uneasy when thinking of the nun’s words: “Believe in Catholicism only; don’t believe in other religions no matter what they are.” Then, I silently prayed: “O God, I’m a little uncomfortable to have a meeting together with Christian friends. Please calm my heart. Though we belong to different denominations, we believe in the same God.” I secretly perked myself up: Take things as they come. Just try to listen to them. And then, I put aside my defense and opened my heart to chat with brothers and sisters. Later on, I told them my own state and confusion, as well as the condition of the church. After hearing what I said, a brother said: “Sister, now there are more and more unlawful deeds happening in all denominations, and the churches also become desolate. Do you want to know the root of why the churches become desolate?” “Yes!” I nodded and said. The brother said: “Nowadays, the entire religious world is in spiritual desolation, having no work of the Holy Spirit. This exactly fulfills the prophecy of the Lord Jesus: ‘And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold. But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come’ (Matthew 24:12–14). This is a common phenomenon when God returns. Let’s look back on the desolation of the temple at the end of the Age of Law. The temple was full of Jehovah’s glory in the beginning; those who served God in the temple were all reverent and respectful; no one dared to act as they please, or otherwise they would be burnt to death by the heavenly fire which came descending from the top of the temple. But later, the priests offered lame sacrifices, and the people exchanged money and sold oxen, sheep, and doves in the temple; why weren’t they disciplined or punished by God? In the end, the temple became a den of thieves. How did this happen?” This was the very question that had puzzled me. The brother looked around at others and then turned to me: “The main reason was because the Jewish leaders didn’t observe the law of God and didn’t have a heart of fearing God. They only kept the tradition of man and ignored the commandments of God; they completely strayed from the way of God and lost the work of the Holy Spirit. Another aspect was that God came into flesh to do the work of redeeming mankind in the Age of Grace. God’s work had changed, and He was doing a new stage of work outside the temple. Once God started a new work, the Holy Spirit didn’t uphold the old work and didn’t work in the temple anymore, but instead He upheld the Lord Jesus’ work. At the time, those who followed the Lord Jesus all enjoyed joy, peace, and rich grace that were brought by the work of the Holy Spirit; they gained the watering and supply of the living water of life of the Lord Jesus, and also had a new way of practice. By contrast, those Jewish priests, Pharisees, and Jewish people who kept the laws and rejected the Lord Jesus were eliminated by God’s work, and fell into dark desolation.” I had never heard such a good fellowship, so I listened carefully and was afraid of missing something.

The brother continued: “Today’s churches have become as desolate as the holy temple of that age, this proves that the Lord Jesus has left the churches of the Age of Grace and is doing His new work—judgment and chastisement by His words. If we want to gain the watering and shepherding of the Holy Spirit, we must seek and find God’s words. Just as the Bible says, ‘I also have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon: and the piece whereupon I rained not, withered. And two and three cities went to one city to drink water, and were not filled: yet you returned not to me, saith the Lord’ (Amos 4:7–8). The phrase ‘one piece was rained on’ in these words refers to the churches which accept and submit to God’s judgment work of the last days. Because they have accepted the present words of God, they enjoy the supply and watering of the living water of life from the throne. And ‘the piece whereupon it rained not withered’ indicates that the religious world can’t gain the supply of living water of life, falling into desolation. It is because the pastors, leaders, and priests of the religious world don’t practice the Lord’s words, nor observe the commandments of the Lord, and because they reject, resist, and condemn God’s work of the last days, that the religious world is forsaken and cursed by God and completely loses the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the true reason behind the desolation of today’s churches. Besides, the Lord Jesus has left the churches and gathering places of the Age of Grace, and has opened up a new age and is doing a new stage of work. If we neither seek nor investigate, we will be cast aside by the work of Holy Spirit.” The brother turned on his computer and said: “Let’s read a passage of God’s words: ‘God will certainly never start again elsewhere. God will accomplish this fact: He will make all people throughout the universe come before Him and worship the God on earth, and His work in other places will cease, and people will be forced to seek the true way. It will be like Joseph: Everyone came to him for food, and bowed down to him, for he had things to eat. In order to avoid famine, people will be forced to seek the true way. The entire religious community will suffer severe famine, and only the God of today is the wellspring of living water, possessed of the ever-flowing wellspring provided for the enjoyment of man, and people will come and depend on Him.’ From God’s words, we can see that the Age of Grace has passed and that the Age of Kingdom has come. God has taken back all the work of the Spirit throughout the entire universe and bestowed it upon those who follow His new work. So, only by keeping up with God’s footsteps, can we gain the watering of God’s words of life and be sated in spirit. If we can’t keep pace with God’s work, we will lose the Holy Spirit’s work and lose God’s care and protection, then we will all become weak. In reality, there is God’s good intention behind the desolation of churches; God wants to force us to look for the church with the work of the Holy Spirit, and to seek the true way. Otherwise, we will fall into darkness and lose God’s salvation.” Hearing the brother’s fellowship, I was deeply touched. I thought: “It is true that we Catholics are weary in spirit. We can’t get supply from Mass and all live in our flesh. Even if we sin , there is no reprimand or discipline in our spirit. Moreover, lawless acts are increasing in churches. From these phenomena, it can be seen that the churches no longer have God’s guidance and presence.”

The brother said: “In the last days, God has become flesh again to do the work of judgment by the word, and has expressed all the truth to purify and save mankind, so as to make a group of overcomers before the disaster, that is, the first fruits. This fulfills the prophecy in Revelation: ‘These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb’ (Revelation 14:4). When this group of overcomers are made, God will begin to send down great disasters to punish the evil and reward the good. By then, all those who didn’t accept God’s judgment work of the last days but resist and condemn it will fall into disasters and receive refinement and punishment. Therefore, if we want to gain the work of the Holy Spirit, we must keep pace with the footsteps of the Lamb, and only by doing so can we gain the promise and blessings of God.” I was shocked at the news: “Has God come to work again? Have the overcomers been made?”

Next, the brother also fellowshiped about what true faith in God is, what the incarnation is, what the differences between God’s work and man’s work are, and some other aspects of truth. From only a few days of fellowship, I gained much more than what I did in over 20-odd years of my faith in the Lord. I felt that the brother’s fellowship contained the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. However, I still had some doubts: “Is Almighty God really the returned Lord Jesus? If He isn’t, what if I go to hell? If Almighty God is really the appearance of God but I don’t accept Him, then won’t I be the foolish virgin who missed the opportunity of being raptured?” With countless question marks circling my mind, I didn’t know what to do. A battle raged within me, and I was in agony, so I prayed to God: “O God, please have mercy on me, and forgive me. I really don’t know whether Almighty God is Your second coming, may You help me, and lead me to the right direction. Amen.” After my prayer, I turned on my computer and searched “Gospel of the Descent of the Kingdom.” Then I saw the sections including books of God’s words, movies, MVs, articles of life experiences and testimonies, and everything I needed. And then, I clicked on a book titled Selections of the Records of the Three Stages of God’s Work. After reading it, I felt so bright in my heart: “It turns out that the plan of God’s managing mankind has three stages, and every stage of work is done according to God’s management plan and the need of us corrupt mankind, and is a new and improved work upon the foundation of the last stage. In the Age of Law, God issued the law through Moses to lead the people to live on earth, teach man to learn to worship God and magnify God, and meanwhile, let man know Jehovah is God, who can curse man, burn man, and have mercy on man. At the end of the Age of Law, because man became more and more corrupt, God personally became flesh as the Lord Jesus to redeem mankind through crucifixion. As long as we received the Lord’s salvation and prayed in the name of the Lord Jesus, our sins would be forgiven. In the Age of Grace, God showed man that He is the God who has love, mercy, tolerance, and forgiveness. It can be seen that the work of the Age of Grace is based on the foundation of the Age of Law. Though our sins have been forgiven after believing in the Lord, we still live in the painful cycle of sinning and confessing and are unable to escape. In the Age of Kingdom in the last days, God comes into flesh once again to express words to do a stage of judgment and chastisement work—uprooting our sinful nature, so that we can completely get rid of the bondage of sin to be purified and gained by God. God’s three stages of work are complementary and deepen step by step, and they are done by one God.” Thanks be to God. Soon, I confirmed Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus.

In the following days, I avidly read God’s words. One day, I saw God’s words say, “The Almighty has mercy on these people who have suffered deeply; at the same time, He is fed up with these people who lack consciousness, as He has had to wait too long for an answer from humanity. He wishes to seek, to seek your heart and your spirit, to bring you water and food and to awaken you, that you may no longer be thirsty and hungry. When you are weary and when you begin to feel something of the bleak desolation of this world, do not be lost, do not cry. Almighty God, the Watcher, will embrace your arrival at any time. He is keeping watch by your side, waiting for you to turn back around. He is waiting for the day you suddenly recover your memory: when you realize that you came from God, that, at some unknown time you lost your direction, at some unknown time you lost consciousness on the road, and at some unknown time acquired a ‘father’; when you realize, furthermore, that the Almighty has always been keeping watch, waiting there a very, very long time for your return. He has been watching with desperate longing, waiting for a response without an answer. His standing watch is beyond any price, and it is for the sake of the human heart and the human spirit. Perhaps this standing watch is indefinite, and perhaps it is at an end. But you should know exactly where your heart and your spirit are right now.” While reading God’s words, tears ran down my face. God has always expected and waited for me, a lost sheep, to come back to His side. Thinking back to the days without the supply of God’s words, I was thirsty and hungry in spirit, as if a small lost sheep in the desert couldn’t find water and the direction of home. It is God who found me back and provides me with His word of life, makes me strong and have strength in spirit. This is God’s mercy and salvation for me.

Returning to God’s family, I felt so amiable and warm as if a lost child returned home. Through having meetings with brothers and sisters and reading God’s words, I regained the joy of being with God. Later on, seeing many people still lived in darkness and couldn’t gain the watering and shepherding of the living water of life, I actively joined in preaching the gospel. Thank God. My mother, my sister, and my husband all accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days. Now, they all attend meetings and fellowship God’s words together with brothers and sisters, and we live in the guidance and leading of God’s words. Our life is abundant and joyful every day. Thanks be to God. All the glory be to Almighty God!

Place God Prepared for Man Is on Earth

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By Chen Wei

My name is Chen Wei and I am sixty-five years old. After my marriage, my wife and I became believers in the Lord Jesus. At that time, the preacher said to us, “When the seven bowls pour out seven plagues in the last days as prophesied in Revelation, we believers, who have accepted the salvation of the Lord Jesus, will be brought into the air by the Lord Jesus descending with clouds and enjoy the feast with Him for seven years, and avoid the disasters on earth. After the seven-year great disasters end, we will be taken up into the kingdom of heaven and enjoy the rich and happy life in heaven forever. So we should listen to the Lord’s words, act according to the requirements in the Bible, and prepare more oil when waiting for the Lord’s return. Just like the Lord Jesus told us: ‘I go to prepare a place for you. 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’ (John 14:2-3). According to the biblical prophecies, the Lord will receive us before 2000.” After hearing the preacher’s words, my wife and I abandoned the pursuit of wealth and reputation and turned to zealously pursue the Lord’s words and spend for Him. At that time, my family was so poor that it was an extravagant wish for us to have a warm blanket in winter. However, at the thought that we would have a nice life when the Lord came to rapture us into the kingdom of heaven, I felt it was worthwhile enduring some hardships. At that time, I recited scriptures every day, busying myself in spreading the gospel and building churches. Owing to my years of enthusiastic pursuit, I became an elder in charge of a district of the Praise Church and shepherded hundreds of believers. Whenever I preached about the heavenly vision described in Revelation on the lectern, I was excited and happy. After hearing my preach, the brothers and sisters were also utterly thrilled, itching for the Lord to arrive on a cloud to take us into the kingdom of heaven the next day.

Continue reading “Place God Prepared for Man Is on Earth” →

English Christian Movie “The Gospel Messenger” | The Love of God Is With Me on the Way of the Cross

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Introduction:

Christian Chen Yixin has believed in the Lord for many years, and has been fortunate enough to welcome the Lord Jesus’ return in the last days—Almighty God! She came to understand God’s urgent will to save mankind from Almighty God’s words as well as the mission and responsibility a created being should undertake, so she began sharing the gospel and bearing witness to God’s work in the last days. While doing this she travels to many cities and provinces and suffers suppression and rejection from religious circles over and over as well as pursuit and persecution by the CCP government. She endures a lot of suffering. However, under the guidance of God’s words, she remains on her mission, unafraid of danger, courageously going forward …

From: Grow in Christ

Christian Video “The Revelation of an Antichrist”: Beware of the Pharisees in the Last Days

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Lai En is the pastor of a house church who believes that “anyone who isn’t the Lord Jesus descending upon a cloud is a false Christ, and any message that preaches the Lord has returned incarnate is also false.” When he learns that his nephew Li Chenguang is testifying in his church that the Lord Jesus has returned and expressed the truth to do the work of judgment beginning with God’s house, and that many people have investigated and accepted these teachings, he becomes furious and frustrated, and immediately assigns one of his workers to seal off the church. But just at that moment, he hears that Li Chenguang has gone to preach to his daughter Xinming. He strives to obstruct and prevent his daughter from investigating the true way, which sets the stage for an intense debate. What will the final result be? Watch the skit The Revelation of an Antichrist to find out.

From: Grow in Christ

There are many prophecies of the second coming of Jesus, including prophecies of His coming secretly and coming openly. How exactly will the Lord Jesus return? Read now to find the answer.

Christian Crosstalk “We Have Welcomed the Lord”

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For two thousand years, the greatest hope of the Lord’s faithful has always been to welcome His return and be raptured into the kingdom of heaven. What, then, is the most important practice with regard to welcoming the Lord? The Lord Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27), “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). What do these verses have to do with our welcoming of the Lord? What can we do to enable ourselves to welcome the Lord? The crosstalk We Have Welcomed the Lord provides the answers to these questions through the story of two believers from the religious world who welcomed the Lord …

From: Grow in Christ

There are many prophecies of the second coming of Jesus, including prophecies of His coming secretly and coming openly. How exactly will the Lord Jesus return? Read now to find the answer.

Whose Voice Is So Powerful?

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By Shiyin

I was born in a religious family, and I have many relatives who are preachers. From the time I was young, I followed my parents in believing in the Lord. After I grew up, I addressed to the Lord in prayer: If I could find a husband who believed in the Lord, I would offer myself up together with him in service to the Lord. After I got married, my husband really did believe in the Lord, and in fact became a full time devoted preacher. In order for my husband to feel at ease in his work for the sake of the Lord, and to be able to fulfill his commitment in the presence of the Lord, I actively undertook the burdens of running a household. Although it was a little bit difficult and tiring, my heart was filled with joy and peace no matter how much suffering I endured because I had the Lord as my support.

After 1997, I discovered that my husband no longer had much light he used to have in his preaching. When I got him to do some housework, he would always make excuses about being busy with his preaching work, and would often become enraged with me because of a few little things. I was resentful of my husband’s behavior and was no longer as perfectly happy to do the housework as I had been before. The difficult burdens of household life and the darkness of my spirit caused me to live in agony, but there was no one who I could turn to tell what I was feeling. All I could do was come into the presence of God and pray in the dead of night when everyone was asleep, and ask the Lord to give me more faith and strength. At the same time, I yearned for the Lord to return quickly.

One day in April of 2000, when I was arranging the clothes, I found my husband’s bag. I noticed that it was bulging, so I pulled open the zipper out of curiosity and saw that there were a Bible and a book of hymn inside. There was also a new book which was bound in an outer cover. I thought to myself: “How have I never seen this book before? It has to be some kind of reference book, or a book containing the experiences of some spiritual person. I have to read it, because it might be of some help to me.” Led along by my curiosity, I saw a title which read, “Those Who Are to Be Made Perfect Must Undergo Refinement.” “What a fresh and uncommon title!” I thought, “Judging by the title, refinement is not a bad thing! I am now in a state of refinement that is beyond my abilities, so I have to read carefully how he experiences refinement and thus I can find the way from within that.” At that, I began to read: “It used to be that people would all make their resolutions in front of God and say: ‘No matter who doesn’t love God, I must love Him.’ But now, you are faced with refinement. It is not in line with your notions, so you lose faith in God. Is this genuine love? You have read many times about the deeds of Job—have you forgotten about them? … When you face sufferings you must be able to not consider the flesh and not complain against God. When God hides Himself from you, you must be able to have the faith to follow Him, to maintain your previous love without allowing it to falter or disappear. No matter what God does, you must submit to His design, and be more willing to curse your own flesh than to complain against Him. When you are faced with trials you must satisfy God in spite of any reluctance to part with something you love, or bitter weeping. Only this can be called true love and faith. No matter what your actual stature is, you must first possess the will to suffer hardship as well as true faith, and you must have the will to forsake the flesh. You should be willing to personally endure hardships and suffer losses to your personal interests in order to satisfy God’s will. You must also have a heart of regretting yourself, that you weren’t able to satisfy God in the past, and be able to regret yourself now. Not a single one of these can be lacking and God will perfect you through these things. If you lack these conditions, you cannot be perfected” (“Those Who Are to Be Made Perfect Must Undergo Refinement”). I was reading and crying at the same time, as the words were saying exactly my circumstances. Before I had resolved to dedicate myself and my husband to the Lord, and that I would be completely content to do so no matter how painful or exhausting it was. Now, however, because of difficulties at home and my husband’s lack of consideration, I always felt that I have been especially wronged, living in a state of undergoing refinement, and losing the faith and love I had once had. I was unable to maintain the resolution I had made in the presence of God, and would often cry alone in secret. I thought about how Job was able to stand witness to God in the midst of such a great and arduous trial, and not lose faith in God, and had even said, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). How could I have forgotten that? I then felt deeply regretful about all that I had done in the presence of God: Others would rather suffer hardships and lose out on their interests and yet still want to satisfy God. I had believed in the Lord for so many years, but had lost faith in the Lord. I complained to the Lord while enduring refinement, and where did I express any love for the Lord at all? With this in mind, I secretly made the inward determination, that I could no longer be as I had been before, that I should support my husband in the work he was doing for the Lord, and that it was right for me to suffer a bit of hardship.

When I was thinking like this, all of a sudden I felt much better emotionally. I felt these words were very well spoken, and were able to get to the heart of my actual circumstances. I felt they were able to point out the way to me and cause faith and strength to unconsciously arise within me. I thought to myself: “Who was it who said these words? How was his knowledge so lofty? I have read some books written by well-known spiritual people, and although those books have been of benefit to some people, they were not written in as clear and elucidating a way as this book, nor one which possessed truth. Really, who was it who spoke these words?” I was drawn by this book to continue reading on, and the more I read the more I felt that these words were spoken so well. Each and every line spoke directly to my inmost heart. From these words I understood that no matter how great one’s suffering is, he must follow God to the very end. In the face of suffering, one must willingly submit to God. If one becomes weak in the face of trial, he should have faith, and rely on God to stand firm. The more I read, the more I felt illuminated in my heart and the more I had a way to put into practice. It was right then that my husband came home, and I asked him right away, “Where did you get this book?” My husband smiled and said, “I borrowed it from somebody, and I have to give it back to him soon.” I really wanted to keep reading the book, and I said, “I also want to read this book.” My husband said, smiling, “Then pray! God may make it so.”

One day, when I was cooking, I was listening off and on to some hymn my husband had playing, “Who is not adoring? Who doesn’t long to see God? … God once shared joys and sorrows with man, and today He has been reunited with mankind, and shares tales of times gone by with him. After He walked out of Judea, people could find no trace of Him. They yearn to once more meet with God, little knowing that today they have again met with Him, and been reunited with Him. How could this not stir thoughts of yesterday? Two thousand years ago today, Simon Bar-Jonah, the descendant of the Jews, beheld Jesus the Savior, he ate at the same table as Him, and after following Him for many years felt a deeper affection for Him: He loved Him to the bottom of his heart, he loved the Lord Jesus profoundly. How about us today? Today God has been reunited with mankind, and shares tales of times gone by with him” (“Two Thousand Years of Longing” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). The lyrics of this hymn gave voice to my own thoughts and evoked my feeling of longing for the return of the Lord. I wept as I listened, and thought to myself: “Ever since I first believed in the Lord, I have thought of the Lord Jesus every day, and hoped that He might return more quickly so that I could share tales of times gone by with Him. These lyrics were so genuine and moving, and even more were able to express people’s longing for the Lord.” I then put down what I was working on and listened with full attention, hearing another hymn called “Seek Only a Heart That Loves God.” “I ask for nothing in my life but that my thoughts of love for God and my heart’s desire be accepted by God.” I thought, “Who wrote this hymn? How can his resolution be so great? This hymn is greatly motivating for me, and how pure is the heart that loves God as it says in the line, ‘ask for nothing in my life but that my thoughts of love for God!’” Before, when I believed in the Lord, I did not know to love the Lord, and just want to enjoy the grace, peace, and joy of the Lord. Today, this hymn greatly opened my worldview, and I saw the people who believe in God must love God, and they must not seek anything for themselves and only this kind of love can be pure. This hymn is well expressed. I then secretly resolved in my heart that I too wanted to pursue this goal, and that I would love the Lord no matter who didn’t love Him.

After reading the words in that book, as well as hearing those hymns, I then went to act in accord with those words. When my husband went out to work again and had no time to help with the housework, my heart wasn’t as distressed as it had been before. If the brothers and sisters had any flaws or mistakes in what they said, I could also forgive them for it, because I wanted to make God content. I wanted only to seek a heart that loves God like the hymn had sung about.

In the blink of an eye, the time for planting the fields had come. One evening, my husband was tidying up and said to me, “Tomorrow, I will head out to work in a church in another area.” I said immediately, “Will you be able to come back after a few days?” He said, “I don’t know. I’ll try my best to come back earlier, so you don’t have to worry about the housework.” When I heard what he said, my face darkened, and I thought, “You say don’t worry about it, but how can I not worry? You’re going off without any idea of when you’ll be back, and the fields in other people’s houses have already been sown. Our field has not yet even been plowed, and if the seeds are planted late, in fall there won’t be a good harvest. When that time comes, what will we do? If only my husband would finish sowing his field and then go off to assist the brothers and sisters!” In the evening of that same day, I lay in my bed unable to sleep wracked by great turmoil in my heart: The last time my husband traveled for more than half a month before coming back, but then it hadn’t been the season for farm work. Now, the crucial time for farm work has arrived, and if he is gone for another half a month, what will I do? I might just have to get him to go find his co-worker to do the work and be done with it. But I thought about it again: “That won’t do, as the brothers and sisters are waiting for him to go assist them. If he doesn’t go, won’t that be an offense against the Lord?” In the state of being refined, I came into the presence of God and prayed: “Lord! It isn’t that I am unwilling for my husband to go and assist the brothers and sisters, just that it’s the right time when our household should be working the fields. In my heart, I am enduring quite an intense refining indeed, and I don’t know what to do. Lord! I ask for Your help, to safeguard my heart and not let me be disturbed by these things.” After I prayed, these words occurred very clearly to me in my mind: “No matter what your actual stature is, you must first possess the will to suffer hardship as well as true faith, and you must have the will to forsake the flesh. You should be willing to personally endure hardships and suffer losses to your personal interests in order to satisfy God’s will” (“Those Who Are to Be Made Perfect Must Undergo Refinement”). These words instantly took hold of my heart, and brought a clarifying light to it: That’s right! If someone wants to satisfy the Lord, he must have the resolution to endure hardship and should rather suffer physically and endure losses in his interests in order to satisfy the will of God! These words gave me faith, and I thought: If the fields are planted a bit late, then so be it! However much we harvest is up to God, and the most important thing is my husband working for the Lord’s sake. With this in mind, I felt light and liberated in my heart, and before I knew it I had fallen asleep. On the morning of the next day, I said to my husband: “Be at ease and go work in the service of the Lord! Whenever you come back, it doesn’t matter. I submit to God’s arrangement.” When I thought about what I was doing was satisfying the Lord, I felt joy and steadiness in my heart.

My husband came back after a few days, and I found that he seemed to have changed into another person. He helped me with the housework, and said to me: “You’re working too hard! These last few years have been difficult enough for you, doing everything both inside and outside of the house. I’m aware of this. Before, I would often go out to work, not helping share the burdens of housework with you. In the future, I will do more when I have time.” Hearing his words, I was very moved because my husband had never spoken like this before. I thought to myself: “Ever since my husband read that book, there has been a big transformation in him. Not only does he preach with great light, but his attitude toward me is different than it had been before. Reading the Bible hadn’t resulted in any such changes in him in the past, but after reading that book he had transformed so much in such a short time. It seems the words in this book really have the power to change people!” At the same time I sensed that the words in this book had been of great benefit to me. After reading it, I had faith and strength, and when I acted in accord with the words in that book, the dissatisfaction I felt with my husband went away. After my husband read this book, his attitude toward me also changed, and he understood how to be considerate of me and take care of me. All these changes made me even more think that the words in this book were really powerful and authoritative! But really, who was it who had written the words in this book? I had never found the answer to this.

One day, two months later, my husband said he wanted to take me with him to attend a gathering. I had a feeling that this gathering would be something very special, otherwise my husband wouldn’t take me with him to listen to it. I was filled with anticipation in my heart, and looked forward to seeing that book again. The following day, my husband and I, together with two sisters, were sitting happily in a vehicle on the way to a sister’s house. There were many brothers and sisters taking part in that gathering, among them a sister in her thirties who integrated the Bible and fellowshiped about many truths about God’s work in the last days to us. When I was listening to what the sister fellowshiped about, I felt a special kind of brightness in my heart, and I came to thoroughly understand many passages of the Bible and about God returning to do the work of judgment that I hadn’t understood before. I thought to myself, “How can she fellowship about this so well, and communicate the Bible so clearly? How does she have so much understanding?” Then, the sister, her face filled with a smile, said loudly to us, “I’ll tell brothers and sisters an excellent piece of information that will excite people’s hearts. The Lord Jesus for whom we have long yearned has returned incarnate among us to do His new work, to express the word and open up all the mysteries, to lay bare the three stages of God’s work and His six-thousand-year management plan, as well as the incarnation of God and the mysteries of the Bible. Today, the content of what I fellowship about all comes from the words that have been expressed by God.” The brothers and sisters and I who were sitting heard this great news, and finally understood why the sister had understood so much. It turns out it had all been told to her by the voice of the Lord who had returned. Now we too heard the voice of the Lord, and we all happily embraced each other, shed tears of excitement, and the whole place began to quiver with enthusiasm. I was so happy that I felt like jumping for joy, and thought: All along I have been hoping for the Lord Jesus to return a bit earlier. Two thousand years have passed, but now the Lord really has returned! While I am alive, I am able to welcome the Lord Jesus’s return, and for that I am truly blessed!

Soon, when the time came for us to disperse, the sisters gave each of us a book called Judgment Begins With the House of God. Holding onto the book of the word of God, I suddenly thought of that book from before. Could it be that it is this book? When I got back home, I impatiently asked my husband, “The book that I saw that day—is it the same word of God that the sister mentioned today?” My husband smiled and said, “It is.” At that time, it was like I was waking up from a dream. That voice comes from God after all, is the voice of the incarnation of the returned Lord Jesus, and is the voice of God! No wonder these words could be so moving to me, give me faith and strength, change my corrupt disposition, and take me out of suffering. Then, I blamed my husband, saying, “You have received the new work of God; why did you conceal it from me?” My husband said, “At the time I really wanted to tell you, but most of the people in your family are preachers in the church, and I was afraid that you might not understand when I explained it. I was afraid that your relatives would find out about it, and once they came out to disturb and hinder you, not only would this cause you to lose your opportunity to receive salvation, but also it would have made me become an evil person!” Hearing what my husband said, my misunderstanding of my husband vanished, and I was all the more thankful to God for saving me. I resolved to read this book well.

Through reading the word of Almighty God, my parched spirit obtained nourishment and sustenance…. I never thought that I would be able to hear the word of the returned Lord with my own ears, to be raised up into the presence of God, to meet face-to-face with God, and I felt especially grateful to God for His love and salvation. After over 10 days, my husband and I together with the sisters who spread the gospel got together, and took the brothers and sisters of our church who had true faith in the Lord over to meet Almighty God. All honor and glory be unto God!