#Shandong Zhaoyuan Case

[lordjesushascome]

Shocking the World: Breaking News in China—The CCP Is Suppressing and Slaughtering Christians of the Church of Almighty God Nationwide On May 28, 2014, the CCP meticulously contrived the “Murder in Zhaoyuan, Shandong Province” by using a band of psychopaths.

[love-god-forever]

Having Learned to Discern False Christs, I Welcomed the Lord

By Tongxin, Malaysia

Have you ever received counterfeit money? Many of you will answer that you have. Faced as we are with an era where counterfeit money is rampant, will you reject money because you fear receiving counterfeit bills? Of course not, because once you can discern real bills from fake, you are no longer blindly on guard. What, then of those Christians who yearn so deeply for the Lord’s return? How should they treat the matter of the appearance of false Christs? Should they be defensive and avoid things? Or should they listen attentively for God’s voice? This concerns whether or not we can receive the Lord. Once, I was on guard against being deceived by false Christs, and nearly missed my opportunity to receive the Lord.

One day in December 2017, my aunt invited me to an online meeting, saying there was light in their teachings. The meetings had allowed her to understand some truths she hadn’t previously found answers to in the Bible, and had also given her some understanding of God’s work. She also said my cousin had been taking part in these online meetings for two years. I was curious when I heard about these online meetings, so I agreed without hesitating. The first time I went online, because of a time conflict, we ended up just having a simple conversation before I left. Afterward, my aunt always said to me that this church was very different, and happily told me, “The Lord has returned!” “The Lord has returned?” The sudden news made my eyes go wide with surprise. I asked my aunt, “Really? Where is the Lord? Tell me about it.” But my aunt had only been taking part for two months, so she couldn’t explain it clearly. I had to wait until the next meeting to ask one of my sisters.

At the next online meeting, my sister tied together several prophecies related to the Lord’s return and testified to me that the Lord Jesus had already returned, and He had come incarnate to do the work of expressing the words to judge and purify mankind. She also fellowshiped with me on aspects of the truth such as the purpose of God’s management plan, how God saves people, how Satan corrupted mankind, how mankind can escape sin and attain salvation, and mankind’s final destination. I thought that God’s words have authority and power, that they are all the truth, and that they are the voice of God. My heart verified that this sermon had the work of the Holy Spirit, because no particular denomination could give sermons that were so illuminating. After that, each time a meeting was scheduled, I went straight to my aunt’s house after I closed my business for the day to hear my sister preach.

At one meeting, my sister played me a hymn video God Is the Beginning and the End. The landscapes in the video were majestic, the brothers and sisters who acted in the video sang with spirited voices, and the lyrics were a wonderful interpretation of all that God has and is. It was an entirely new experience for me, but the images looked strangely familiar to me, as if I’d seen them somewhere before. My sister then fellowshiped with me on the meaning of God’s name, and said that God uses the name Almighty God to do the work of judging and purifying mankind in the last days. When I heard the name Almighty God, that sense of familiarity was even stronger. After the meeting, I went home and opened WhatsApp to check my messages, and I discovered that Sister Chen from my church had sent me some videos from The Church of Almighty God before, along with a warning, “Don’t listen to the sermons of Eastern Lightning.” I thought, “Sister Chen has believed in the Lord for years, and she appears to be very devout, so why doesn’t she want me to hear sermons from The Church of Almighty God?” I was very confused, so I looked at the other things she sent me. It was all negative propaganda that condemned and slandered The Church of Almighty God, as well information about the “May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Incident.” I was a little afraid after I read it, because I remembered that the Bible said false Christs would appear in the last days, and I couldn’t discern them. Sister Chen had believed in the Lord for years, so she wouldn’t send me these things for no reason. My aunt had only believed in the Lord for a short time, and had only been in contact with The Church of Almighty God for two months, and I was very worried that she would believe in the wrong thing because she didn’t understand the truth. I tossed and turned as I lay in bed that night, and I was very conflicted. I prayed to the Lord to ask Him to guide me and grant me discernment.

The next day, I sent the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Incident video to my aunt, and anxiously said to her, “The Lord Jesus told us, ‘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). In the last days, many false Christs and false prophets will appear to deceive people, so be careful not to be drawn in.” My aunt ignored my warning. That evening after I got off work, my aunt came to my shop to persuade me to continue investigating, but I feared I would be deceived, so I refused. But my aunt insisted that I hear more, and called my cousin to have her fellowship with me over the phone. My cousin said, “When we read the words expressed by Almighty God, we feel that they are a strong provision of the truth, that no person could express these words. Our hearts can verify that The Church of Almighty God has the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit, so why should we give up investigating? If we have doubts, we can seek and investigate, but we can’t stop investigating.” I thought to myself, “My cousin has believed in Almighty God for two years, and nothing strange has happened to her, so I might as well hear more.”

After I went online, my sister said to me, “Sister, as we investigate God’s work, we primarily must examine whether Almighty God’s work is God’s appearance and work, and whether the words expressed by Almighty God are the truth and the voice of God, rather than examine them based on the lies and rumors of the CCP. We all know the CCP has fabricated lies and deceived people for many years, and that its name is odious both in China and abroad. The number of people in the world who can see the CCP’s essence grows every day, and no one trusts them anymore. The CCP is also an atheist party, more than any it is evil and resists God. It also operates a single-party system. It controls every agency and office, no matter how large or small, and each one must speak and act to protect the CCP’s tyranny. CCP courts have no judicial independence and CCP judges have no autonomy. They have to act according to the CCP’s instructions. The ‘May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case’ was heard by the CCP court. Could it possibly be fair and just? During the CCP’s trial of the ‘May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case,’ the suspects all clearly said in the courthouse, ‘I’ve never been involved or associated with The Church of Almighty God.’ ‘What the state cracks down on is the Almighty God of Zhao Weishan, not the “Almighty God” of ours.’ None of the suspects admitted to being members of The Church of Almighty God, so why did the CCP judges insist they were? Anyone can see that this is the CCP slandering The Church of Almighty God to attack religious faith.” My sister also sent me a video called The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case.

After I got home, I opened the video and watched it, and I was hit by a sudden realization. None of the suspects claimed to be members of The Church of Almighty God, and there were suspicious things about the murder scene, but the CCP courts never investigated the matter clearly. Instead, they framed The Church of Almighty God for the crime. It was obvious this case was fabricated by the CCP to attack and suppress The Church of Almighty God. Any thinking, reasonable person could see this was one of the CCP’s tricks. But I wanted to stop investigating God’s work of the last days because I listened to rumors. I even wanted to stop my aunt from believing in Almighty God. I was so ignorant. I felt truly grateful to God for not abandoning me, and for using my sister’s fellowship on the truth to give me discernment, because otherwise I would have lost the chance to welcome the Lord’s return.

The next day, after I went online, I couldn’t wait to ask my sister, “The scriptures say false Christs will appear in the last days to deceive people. How can I discern the true Christ from the false?”

She answered me with this fellowship, “We’re all afraid of false Christs appearing in the last days, so we focus on guarding against false Christs, but we forget to focus on how to be clever virgins, hear the voice of God, and welcome Him when the Lord appears again to work in the last days. Instead, we keep to our own notions and imaginings, and believe that any who testify the Lord’s return are false. Do you really think such people believe that the Lord Jesus will return? Aren’t they the foolish virgins the Lord Jesus talks about? The truth is that the Lord tells us false Christs will appear not because He wants us to be negative and guarded, but because He wants us to learn to discern false Christs. The truth expressed by God in the last days gives us the path to do so. First, let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s word, ‘To study such a thing is not difficult, but requires each of us to know this truth: He who is God’s incarnation shall hold the substance of God, and He who is God’s incarnation shall hold the expression of God. Since God becomes flesh, He shall bring forth the work He must do, and since God becomes flesh, He shall express what He is, and shall be able to bring the truth to man, bestow life upon man, and show man the way. Flesh that does not contain the substance of God is surely not the incarnate God; of this there is no doubt. To investigate whether it is God’s incarnate flesh, man must determine this from the disposition He expresses and the words He speaks. Which is to say, whether or not it is God’s incarnate flesh, and whether or not it is the true way, must be judged from His substance. And so, in determining[a] whether it is the flesh of God incarnate, the key is to pay attention to His substance (His work, His words, His disposition, and many more), rather than external appearance.’ God’s words clearly tell us that the incarnate flesh of God can do God’s own work. It can express the truth and give people a path to practice. The Lord Jesus, for example, to redeem mankind, came incarnate to live among the Jews to preach the gospel of kingdom, show man the way of repentance, and personally teach and shepherd His disciples. From His work, we can see that the Lord Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life. In the same way, in the last days Almighty God has expressed millions of words of truth, in which aspects of the truth such as the mystery of God’s six-thousand-year management plan, the true essence of the three stages of work, and the mystery of the incarnation are revealed for man, as well as begun the new stage of work of judging mankind beginning with the house of God, to allow mankind to completely escape the bondage of sin, attain salvation, and enter the kingdom of heaven. The essence of false Christs is that of evil spirits. They don’t possess even a bit of the truth, and much less can they express the truth. All they can do is speak lies that confuse right and wrong and absurd theories to deceive people, and even if they testify themselves as Christ, they don’t possess the essence of Christ. We can determine whether or not someone is God incarnate from God’s work, God’s words, and the disposition expressed by God, because only Christ is the truth, the way, and the life.”

After I heard my sister’s fellowship, I felt much brighter, and I said excitedly, “In the past, I didn’t know the essence of Christ, and I couldn’t discern false Christs. But now, I finally understand that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life, and that He who is the incarnate God can express God’s words and do God’s own work, because the essence of Christ is God. But false Christs don’t possess the truth, and can only speak absurd theories to deceive people. They can’t express the truth at all.” Then I said to my sister, “Can you fellowship with me more about this aspect of the truth?”

She smiled and said, “You have a heart that yearns for and seeks the truth, so you’ll definitely be able to receive God’s leadership and guidance. Let’s read another passage from God’s words, ‘If, during the present day, there is to emerge a person who is able to display signs and wonders, cast out demons, heal the sick, and perform many miracles, and if this person claims that they are Jesus who has come, then this would be the counterfeit of evil spirits, and their imitation of Jesus. Remember this! God does not repeat the same work. Jesus’ stage of work has already been completed, and God will never again undertake that stage of work. The work of God is irreconcilable with the conceptions of man; for example, the Old Testament foretold the coming of a Messiah, but it turned out that Jesus came, so it would be wrong for another Messiah to come again. … If, during the last days, God still displayed signs and wonders, and still cast out demons and healed the sick—if He did exactly the same as Jesus—then God would be repeating the same work, and the work of Jesus would have no significance or value. Thus, God carries out one stage of work in every age. Once each stage of His work has been completed, it is soon imitated by evil spirits, and after Satan begins to follow on the heels of God, God changes to a different method. Once God has completed a stage of His work, it is imitated by evil spirits. You must be clear about this.’ From God’s words we can understand that God is always new, never old, and that God does not do repeated work. Satan can only imitate some of the work God did in the past, and God can do newer, higher work. For example, when the Lord Jesus came to work, He began the Age of Grace and ended the Age of Law, He showed many of God’s signs and wonders to people, such as curing diseases and casting out demons, granted people rich blessings and grace, and finally, was crucified as an offering to redeem man’s sins, thereby completing the work of redeeming all mankind. Although we have accepted the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption and our sins have been forgiven, we are not free from the bondage of sin. If the Lord comes, and He still did things like curing diseases, casting out demons, and showing God’s signs and wonders, how could we escape the bondage of sin? On the basis of the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption, Almighty God is doing the next stage of work, that of judgment to purify mankind, to point out the path to change our life disposition, completely save mankind from Satan’s influence, and allow us to escape the bondage of sin and attain God’s salvation. Also, false Christs can’t do the work of beginning a new age or ending an old one. After the Lord Jesus’ resurrection and ascent to heaven, we have not seen any false Christs who can express the truth and give people a way to escape sin, because false Christs do not have the essence, authority, or power of God. They can only imitate some simple work done by the Lord Jesus, revealing signs and miracles to deceive people, but divine miracles that possess God’s authority and power, like the Lord Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, are things that false Christs can never imitate.”

I nodded in approval, “That’s right, God doesn’t repeat His work. Each stage of God’s work is built on the work of the last stage, and progresses step by step. People were in danger of being condemned to die by the law in the Age of Law, so to save mankind from death, the Lord Jesus personally came incarnate to do the work of redemption and bestowed rich grace upon people. When mankind accepted the Lord Jesus’ saving grace, they received God’s blessings, but we have not escaped our sinful nature. In the last days, God has come incarnate to do the work of judgment beginning with God’s house and express words of judgment that will purify us of our corrupt dispositions and allow us to escape the bondage of sin. False Christs lack the truth and cannot do work that begins or concludes an age, nor can they save us from Satan’s influence of darkness or give us God’s salvation. They can only imitate some of the miracles God did in the past.”

After that, my sister fellowshiped on many aspects of the truth. I was deeply excited after I listened to her, and was certain that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus, so I accepted God’s work of the last days. I thought of Sister Chen, who believed in the Lord for years and longed for the Lord’s return, but never investigated Almighty God’s work of the last days because of the CCP’s rumors and lies, and I wanted nothing more than to tell her this good news.

When I got home, I sent Sister Chen a message right away to tell her that the rumors she saw online were fabricated by the CCP to slander and attack The Church of Almighty God, that she shouldn’t blindly believe the CCP’s lies and rumors, and that she should also investigate God’s work in the last days. I was surprised when she not only refused to investigate, but followed by continuing to send me negative videos, say things that judged and condemned The Church of Almighty God, and said to me, “There are many false Christs in the world today, and you shouldn’t carelessly give them credence. You haven’t believed in the Lord for long enough, you lack discernment. I’ve believed in the Lord for many years. Do you really think I’m wrong?” I tried to persuade her, saying, “It’s right to be wary of false Christs, but if we are always negative and guarded against them and refuse to investigate the Lord’s appearance and work, don’t we risk losing God’s salvation? The Lord told us He would come again, which means He will return in the last days. Almighty God really is the returned Lord Jesus, and as long as you read more of Almighty God’s words, you’ll hear God’s voice.” No matter what I said, she wouldn’t listen, and instead stubbornly stuck by her notions. I was very disappointed.

One day, I read these words of God, “The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit. I advise you to tread the path of belief in God with care. Do not jump to conclusions; what’s more, do not be casual and carefree in your belief in God. You should know that, at the very least, those who believe in God should be humble and reverential. Those who have heard the truth and yet turn their nose up at it are foolish and ignorant. Those who have heard the truth and yet carelessly jump to conclusions or condemn it are beset by arrogance.” Yes, God advises us to tread the path of belief with care, we must regard God’s work with a heart that fears Him, learn to seek the truth, and not allow our arrogant disposition to carelessly judge or condemn God’s work. I thought of how Sister Chen’s behavior was the exact opposite of God’s words. There was no humbleness or desire to seek in her attitude toward God’s work in the last days. When she heard that the Lord had returned, she had absolutely no wish to seek the truth, but instead listened to her own arrogant disposition and stubbornly kept to her own notions and imaginings, to the point of judging and condemning God’s work. Isn’t this precisely the arrogance revealed in God’s word?

When I thought of the process by which I had come before God, I realized I was very fortunate. God had taken pity on me, and used my sister to patiently fellowship with me about God’s new words, to give me understanding of God’s work, and to allow me to follow God’s footsteps. I also realized that only those who humbly seek and yearn for the truth can hear the voice of God.

Footnotes:

The original text reads “as for.”

[laudeluidumnezeucelatotputer]

Cazul Zhaoyuan din 28 mai dă naștere unei crize familiale

de Enhui, China

Sunt o femeie obișnuită de la țară, iar povara grea a responsabilităților gospodărești mă apăsa atât de mult, încât abia îmi puteam trage răsuflarea. Ca urmare, am devenit foarte iute la mânie, iar soțul meu și cu mine săream la ceartă o zi da, o zi ba. Pur și simplu nu puteam continua să trăim așa. Ori de câte ori sufeream, strigam: „Cerurilor! Vă rog să mă salvați!” Și apoi, în 2013, Evanghelia lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic din zilele de pe urmă a venit la mine. Citind cuvintele lui Dumnezeu și participând la adunări cu frații și surorile, am devenit sigură că Dumnezeu Atotputernic era Cel la care strigasem în suferința mea și astfel, am acceptat cu bucurie lucrarea lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic din zilele de pe urmă.

Am citit aceste cuvinte de la Dumnezeu: „De la crearea lumii am început să predestinez și să aleg acest grup de oameni, și anume pe voi astăzi. Temperamentul, calibrul, aspectul, statura, familia în care te-ai născut, munca și căsătoria ta, totul la tine, chiar și culoarea părului și a pielii, și momentul nașterii tale, au fost rânduite de mâinile Mele. Chiar și lucrurile pe care le faci și persoanele cu care te întâlnești în fiecare zi, sunt rânduite de mâinile Mele, ca să nu mai vorbim de faptul că venirea ta azi în prezența Mea este de fapt tot rânduiala Mea. Nu te tulbura; ar trebui să rămâi calm” („Capitolul 74” din „Cuvântări ale lui Hristos la început” în Cuvântul Se arată în trup). Din aceste cuvinte ale lui Dumnezeu, mi-am dat seama, în sfârșit, că toate lucrurile sunt în mâinile lui Dumnezeu și că faptul de a avea norocul să vin înaintea tronului lui Dumnezeu, să accept mântuirea lui Dumnezeu în zilele de pe urmă și să câștig udarea și hrănirea cuvintelor Lui fusese întru totul predestinat de Dumnezeu din veșnicie. Ce fel de soț și familie aveam fusese, de asemenea, predestinat de Dumnezeu. Știam că ar trebui să accept și să mă supun celor aduse și rânduite de Dumnezeu. De atunci înainte, ori de câte ori se iveau lucruri pe care le găseam neplăcute, nu mai cârteam cum făceam înainte. Mai degrabă, aveam credința că erau rânduite de Dumnezeu și eram dispusă să mă supun, astfel încât El să mă poată călăuzi și conduce pentru a învăța să trăiesc în armonie cu familia mea. Cu timpul, am reușit să încetez să mă cert cu soțul meu. Când a văzut schimbările care avuseseră loc în mine de când credeam în Dumnezeu, și soțul meu a devenit un mare susținător al credinței mele. Când frații și surorile veneau la mine acasă pentru o adunare, el era foarte politicos și, uneori, se întreținea cu ei plin de amabilitate. Pe vremea aceea, citeam cuvântul lui Dumnezeu în fiecare zi, luam parte frecvent la adunări și împărtășeam experiențe cu alți frați și surori. Mă simțeam îmbogățită spiritual și mă bucuram de un fel de pace și bucurie pe care nu le mai avusesem niciodată. Simțeam că a crede în Dumnezeu este cu adevărat un lucru minunat.

Dar toate lucrurile bune trebuie să se încheie, iar după incidentul de la Zhaoyuan, Shandong, care a avut loc pe 28 mai 2014, în casa noastră nu au mai fost acele zile armonioase și liniștite. Acest caz a fost inițial un caz penal obișnuit, dar, trei zile mai târziu, a luat o nouă formă – guvernul Partidului Comunist Chinez l-a marcat drept un lucru comis din motive religioase. Cu acest pretext, guvernul PCC a făcut din Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic punctul său central; a folosit mass-media ca să plaseze în mod absurd dovezi false, să aducă acuzații false și să defăimeze Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic. În scurt timp, oamenii au fost copleșiți de orice fel de zvonuri posibile despre Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic. Soțul meu a văzut aceste lucruri anunțate la știri și a fost păcălit de propaganda guvernului PCC. Era ca și cum o schimbare subită s-ar fi abătut asupra lui. A început să facă tot ce putea pentru a se împotrivi credinței mele în Dumnezeu Atotputernic.

Într-o seară, soțul meu a venit acasă fumegând de furie și mi-a reproșat în gura mare: „Ce e de fapt religia asta în care crezi tu?” Eram total năucită de această atitudine ciudată a lui și am răspuns: „Cel în care cred eu este Domnul Isus întors, Dumnezeu Atotputernic, la Care noi ne refeream de obicei spunând «Cerurilor»”. El a spus: „Crezi în Dumnezeu Atotputernic! Uită-te ce spun la televizor!” Spunând asta, a dat drumul la televizor și, chiar atunci, cazul de crimă de pe 28 mai din Zhaoyuan, Shandong, era la toate știrile. Spuneau tot felul de lucruri care condamnau Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic și au continuat spunând că cei care cred în Dumnezeu Atotputernic sunt oameni care perturbă ordinea publică, iar Departamentul de Securitate Publică din Shandong era pregătit să lanseze un contraatac puternic și să-i încercuiască fără nicio îndurare. Asta m-a umplut de dreaptă indignare și i-am spus imediat soțului meu: „Nu sunt altceva decât calomnii și zvonuri. Acest criminal nu este, categoric, un credincios în Dumnezeu Atotputernic! Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic are principii în lucrarea sa evanghelică, și anume, să o împărtășească oamenilor buni, care cred în existența lui Dumnezeu și sunt buni la suflet. Nu o împărtășim niciodată oamenilor haini. Oamenii răi ca Zhang Lidong nu se conformează nici pe departe acestor principii ale Bisericii lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic pentru împărtășirea Evangheliei, așa că desigur nu pot fi credincioși în Dumnezeu Atotputernic. Încă ceva – când Zhang Lidong a cerut femeii numărul ei de telefon, iar ea a refuzat, Zhang, simțindu-se umilit, a făcut o criză de furie și a ucis-o. Noi, frații și surorile din Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic, nu încercăm niciodată să forțăm oamenii să accepte lucrarea lui Dumnezeu atunci când răspândim Evanghelia, pentru că Dumnezeu a declarat clar în «Cele zece decrete administrative care trebuie respectate de aleșii lui Dumnezeu în Epoca Împărăției» că «Rudele care nu sunt credincioase (copiii tăi, soțul sau soția ta, surorile sau părinții tăi și așa mai departe) nu ar trebui să fie forțați în biserică. Casa lui Dumnezeu nu este lipsită de membri și nu este nevoie să își constituie numărul cu oameni care nu au niciun folos. Toți aceia care nu cred cu bucurie nu trebuie să fie conduși în biserică. Acest decret este adresat tuturor oamenilor. În această chestiune ar trebui să vă verificați, să vă monitorizați și să vă reamintiți unii celorlalți, și nimeni nu poate încălca aceasta.» Când frații și surorile din Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic răspândesc Evanghelia, ei nu îi silesc pe ceilalți – acesta este un lucru pe care nimeni nu-l poate încălca. Aceste știri sunt doar calomnie, o născocire. Nu înseamnă altceva decât faptul că guvernul PCC împrăștie zvonuri și defăimează Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic.” Dar cine ar fi ghicit – după ce a auzit asta, soțul meu a deschis larg ochii și a răcnit la mine: „Nu contează dacă e adevărat sau nu. Atâta vreme cât PCC i se opune, nu poți fi implicată în asta! Nu vreau guvernul aici să percheziționeze casa. Fiul nostru nici măcar nu s-a căsătorit încă!” Văzându-l pe soțul meu înșelat de aceste zvonuri și minciuni de la televizor, scoase de nicăieri, inima mea era plină de ură: guvernul PCC nu s-ar opri de la nimic pentru a oprima și a persecuta Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic doar pentru a stârpi credința religioasă. Se folosea de cazul Zhaoyuan pentru a face înscenări și a aduce acuzații false Bisericii lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic – o tactică atât de josnică!

Niciunul dintre noi nu a reușit să doarmă bine după aceea. Soțul meu m-a îndemnat să stau ascunsă și să-mi ascund bine cartea cuvintelor lui Dumnezeu sau să o dau înapoi la biserică, în caz că poliția PCC făcea vreodată vreo razie la noi acasă. Auzindu-l că spune toate aceste lucruri, mi-am adus aminte de experiențele fraților și surorilor despre care auzisem, care fuseseră arestați, ale căror case fuseseră percheziționate și care fuseseră amendați sau încarcerați; m-am gândit și la vărul meu. El a intrat într-o dispută cu șeful secției locale de poliție pentru că nu putea suporta ca individul să umble țanțoș, hărțuind oamenii de rând, și a sfârșit cu a fi condamnat la un an de reeducare prin muncă. Toți cei din familia noastră au suferit și ei, tineri și bătrâni. PCC este un demon care nu poate fi înduplecat. Dacă aș fi arestată și încarcerată din cauza credinței mele și dacă ar fi o razie la noi acasă, ar fi asta corect față de soțul și de copilul meu? Mă suceam și mă foiam, fără să pot adormi, imaginându-mi iar și iar scenariul în care eu eram luată de poliția PCC și casa mea percheziționată, iar soțul și copilul meu implicați… Nu am putut să nu simt un val de dezolare și frică în inima mea. Am simțit cât de greu este, în China, să cred în Dumnezeu, să fiu o persoană bună și să urmez calea cea bună, și am simțit că viața mea era în pericol constant. Dar, dacă L-aș trăda pe Dumnezeu de frica persecuției guvernului PCC, conștiința mea m-ar condamna pentru tot restul vieții. Chiar dacă aș fi în derivă, trăind fără scop, aș fi, în esență, un cadavru umblător și, după ce aș muri, nu aș mai avea îndrăzneala să-L văd din nou pe Dumnezeu. Simțeam un nod în stomac și durere în inima mea; mă simțeam total neputincioasă, incredibil de negativă și slabă.

În toiul suferinței mele, mi-am amintit aceste cuvinte ale Domnului Isus: „Nu vă temeţi de cei ce omoară trupul, dar care nu pot omorî sufletul! Ci temeţi-vă mai degrabă de Cel Ce poate să distrugă şi sufletul, şi trupul, în Gheenă” (Matei 10:28). „Căci oricine vrea să-şi salveze viaţa o va pierde, dar cel ce-şi pierde viaţa pentru Mine o va găsi” (Matei 16:25). Cuvintele Domnului Isus mi-au dat credință și putere și mi-au risipit neliniștea și frica din inimă. M-am gândit: „Dumnezeu este suveran peste toate lucrurile și viețuitoarele, iar viața și familia mea sunt, de asemenea, sub controlul lui Dumnezeu. Tot ceea ce am a venit de la Dumnezeu și nu-L pot trăda în acest moment crucial.” M-am gândit apoi la faptul că bunurile familiei lui Iov fuseseră furate, iar copiii lui, luați de la el; el a rămas fără nimic, însă tot a fost capabil să-și mențină devotamentul față de Dumnezeu. El a lăudat numele sfânt al lui Iahve Dumnezeu și a mărturisit ferm pentru Dumnezeu. Și totuși, confruntându-mă cu nimic mai mult decât zvonurile și tulburările fabricate de guvernul PCC, fără a fi arestată sau a mi se percheziționa casa, eu devenisem slabă și negativă. Am văzut că statura mea era, de fapt, patetic de joasă și că nu aveam nicio iotă de credință adevărată în Dumnezeu. Acest gând mi-a umplut inima de rușine față de Dumnezeu și am luat în tăcere o hotărâre: orice-ar fi, nu trebuie să-L trădez pe Dumnezeu și-mi voi păstra credința oricât de multe suferințe sau dificultăți aș putea înfrunta!

Soțul meu a venit acasă la prânz a doua zi, a aruncat ziarul din mână chiar în fața mea și mi-a spus: „Uită-te bine! Se spune aici că oricine poate fi arestat atât timp cât este găsit că are credință în Dumnezeu Atotputernic. Închisoarea nu este un loc în care să vrei să petreci nici măcar un moment. Nu numai că oamenii sunt bătuți, dar sunt înghesuiți cu zecile pe o singură platformă de dormit. Dacă cineva merge la baie în miez de noapte, nu va avea unde să doarmă când se întoarce. Dacă ești arestată, familia noastră nu-și poate permite să te elibereze pe cauțiune, deci, dacă vei fi luată și condamnată la mai mulți ani, vei fi mai dispusă să te conformezi!” Auzind astfel de cuvinte reci de la soțul meu, am fost profund îndurerată și am urât și mai mult guvernul demonic PCC. Dacă nu ar fi fost înșelăciunea, zvonurile, asuprirea și persecuția acestuia, soțul meu m-ar susține în credința mea. N-ar avea cum să mă preseze în felul acesta. În neputința mea, tot ce puteam face era să-L implor pe Dumnezeu în inima mea: „Dumnezeule Atotputernic! Știu că guvernul PCC nu face decât să împrăștie zvonuri, calomnii, clevetiri și blasfemii împotriva Ta. Guvernul PCC nu este nimeni altul decât Satana, dușmanul Tău. Dar simt o oarecare slăbiciune în inima mea acum și-mi doresc ca Tu să mă ocrotești, să-mi acorzi înțelepciune și să-mi permiți să văd dincolo de trucurile și viclenia Satanei, astfel încât să pot sta neclintită de partea Ta și să nu fiu intimidată de forțele malefice ale guvernului PCC.” După ce m-am rugat, nu am avut niciun fel de dorință în inima mea să mă feresc de Dumnezeu, iar aceste cuvinte ale lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic mi-au venit în minte: „Când Domnul Isus l-a adus pe Lazăr înapoi din morți, scopul Său a fost de a oferi dovezi pentru oameni și pentru Satana și pentru a-i înștiința pe oameni și pe Satana că tot ceea ce are omenirea, viața și moartea oamenilor sunt hotărâte de Dumnezeu și că, deși El devenise trup, ca întotdeauna, El a rămas la comanda lumii fizice care poate fi și văzută, precum și a lumii spirituale pe care oamenii nu o pot vedea. Asta pentru a le spune oamenilor și Satanei că tot ceea ce omenirea are nu este sub stăpânirea Satanei. Asta a fost o demonstrație și o dezvăluire a autorității lui Dumnezeu și a fost și un mod prin care El să trimită un mesaj tuturor lucrurilor cum că viața și moartea omenirii sunt în mâinile lui Dumnezeu. Învierea lui Lazăr de către Domnul Isus – acest tip de abordare a fost una dintre căile prin care Creatorul a învățat și a instruit omenirea. A fost o acțiune concretă în care El Și-a folosit abilitatea și autoritatea pentru a instrui omenirea și a se îngriji de oameni. A fost o modalitate fără cuvinte prin care Creatorul a permis omenirii să vadă adevărul faptului că El este la comanda tuturor lucrurilor. A fost modalitatea prin care El să spună omenirii prin acțiuni practice că nu există mântuire decât prin El. Acest fel de mod tăcut al Lui de a instrui omenirea durează pentru totdeauna – este de neșters și a adus inimilor oamenilor un șoc și o iluminare care nu pot dispărea niciodată. Învierea lui Lazăr L-a slăvit pe Dumnezeu – aceasta are un impact profund asupra fiecăruia dintre discipolii lui Dumnezeu. Fixează ferm în fiecare persoană care înțelege profund acest eveniment, viziunea, înțelegerea faptului că doar Dumnezeu poate comanda viața și moartea omenirii” („Lucrarea lui Dumnezeu, firea lui Dumnezeu și Dumnezeu Însuși (III)” din Cuvântul Se arată în trup). Faptul că Dumnezeu i-a permis lui Lazăr să se ridice din morți m-a încurajat profund. Aveam iarăși putere în inima mea și m-am ridicat din nou nezdruncinată: Da! Dumnezeu controlează toate lucrurile din univers, iar viața și moartea oamenilor sunt în palma mâinii lui Dumnezeu. Știam că nimeni nu poate controla acest lucru și, dacă eram sau nu arestată, era, de asemenea, în mâinile lui Dumnezeu. Cuvintele lui Dumnezeu m-au protejat din nou, iar credința în Dumnezeu din inima mea a crescut din nou. Panica și frica dinăuntrul inimii mele s-au potolit, de asemenea, destul de mult.

Zvonurile guvernului PCC spulberaseră pacea și fericirea pe care o aveam cândva în gospodăria noastră. A trebuit să fiu foarte prudentă, foarte atentă când participam la adunări și îmi făceam datoria, pentru a evita alte tulburări ale vieții noastre de acasă; acest lucru era foarte apăsător pentru mine. Iar mai târziu, când tatăl meu a auzit despre incidentul de la Zhaoyuan de pe 28 mai, a început și el să-mi stea în cale. A spus: „Poți să crezi orice vrei, dar nu poți ieși să răspândești altcuiva Evanghelia sau să participi la adunări. La vârsta mea, nu voi putea face față vreunui necaz. Trebuie să ai în minte întreaga familie, tineri și bătrâni! A crede în Dumnezeu este un lucru bun, dar nu te-ai născut într-o țară cu libertate de credință. Un braț nu poate doborî un picior – PCC, „piciorul”, îi tratează pe oamenii de credință ca pe prizonieri politici. Știi toate acestea, așa că nu ne supune tipului de frică pe care o simți tu.” Presiunea din partea familiei mele și lipsa lor de înțelegere mă chinuiau cu adevărat. În acea perioadă, mă simțeam de parcă eram permanent agățată de un fir de ață, trăind cu teama că voi fi arestată de guvernul PCC și că voi aduce necazuri familiei mele dacă făceam cea mai mică greșeală. Așa că, ori de câte ori ieșeam, ascundeam cu atenție cartea mea din cuvintele lui Dumnezeu și orice avea de-a face cu credința în Dumnezeu. Când mă duceam la adunări, îmi era incredibil de teamă că voi fi raportată de cineva și că familia mea va fi implicată, așa că eram constant într-o stare de alertă ridicată și stăteam cu garda ridicată; ori de câte ori vedeam o mașină de poliție sau un ofițer, inima îmi sărea în gât. Era o suferință de nedescris și simțeam că a crede în Dumnezeu în China era la fel cu a-ți trăi viața pe muchie de cuțit. Nu puteam să nu simt și mai multă ură pentru acest partid ateu malefic: ce era greșit în a avea credință și a urma calea corectă? De ce nu pot pur și simplu să lase oamenii să creadă în Dumnezeu? De ce asupresc, arestează și persecută cu înverșunare pe oricine are credință? De ce îi urăsc atât de mult pe oamenii care cred în Dumnezeu? E așa de malefic!

Mai târziu, am ajuns în sfârșit să înțeleg adevărul chestiunii când am citit cuvintele lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic. Ele spun: „Dumnezeu lucrează, Se îngrijește de o persoană, o apreciază, iar Satana Îi urmărește fiecare pas. Pe oricine este preferat de Dumnezeu și Satana îl urmărește și se ține în urma lui. Dacă Dumnezeu dorește această persoană, Satana, pentru a-și atinge obiectivul ascuns, ar face orice-i stă în putere să-L împiedice pe Dumnezeu, folosind diferite moduri diabolice ca să ispitească, să hărțuiască și să ruineze lucrarea pe care o face Dumnezeu. Care este obiectivul lui? El nu vrea ca Dumnezeu să aibă pe nimeni; îi vrea pe toți cei pe care îi vrea Dumnezeu, ca să-i ocupe, să-i controleze, să preia controlul asupra lor pentru ca ei să i se închine și să comită fapte rele împreună cu el. Nu este acesta motivul sinistru al Satanei? […] Această problemă a făcut foarte clare chipul ascuns al Satanei și esența lui. Satana se află în război cu Dumnezeu, ținându-se scai după El. Obiectivul său este să dărâme întreaga lucrare pe care Dumnezeu vrea s-o facă, să-i ocupe, să-i controleze și să-i elimine complet pe cei pe care îi vrea Dumnezeu. Dacă nu sunt eliminați, atunci ei ajung în posesia Satanei pentru a fi folosiți de el – acesta este obiectivul său” („Dumnezeu Însuși, Unicul (IV)” din Cuvântul Se arată în trup). Prin cuvintele lui Dumnezeu, am văzut brusc lumina: privind din exterior, era guvernul PCC care îi asuprea pe cei dintre noi care sunt credincioși, dar, în culise, era o bătălie spirituală în desfășurare; era Satana care rivaliza cu Dumnezeu pentru oameni. Deoarece Satana este dușmanul de moarte al lui Dumnezeu și este demonul care-L trădează pe Dumnezeu și I se împotrivește, încă de când a corupt omenirea, acesta a vrut să preia controlul asupra ei; el nu permite ca oamenii să se închine lui Dumnezeu și ca Dumnezeu să obțină omenirea, pe care Dumnezeu a creat-o. Așadar, încă de la începutul lucrării lui Dumnezeu de a mântui omenirea și până în prezent, Satana a făcut tot posibilul să creeze tulburări și să distrugă lucrarea lui Dumnezeu. Satana folosește orice fel de mijloace josnice pentru a sta în calea întoarcerii oamenilor la Dumnezeu. Știam că atunci, pentru a-mi îngrădi credința, Satana folosea zvonuri pentru a semăna discordia în familia mea. Se folosea de sentimentele mele pentru familie și de tactici psihologice de război pentru a mă amenința, a mă ademeni, a mă intimida și ataca. Scopul său în a face toate acestea era de a mă determina să mă feresc de Dumnezeu, să-L reneg și să-L trădez, și de a încerca să mă prindă în strânsoarea lui și să mă facă sclava lui, astfel încât, în final, să fiu distrusă de Dumnezeu alături de el. Intențiile guvernului PCC sunt cu adevărat perfide; el se împotrivește cu înverșunare lui Dumnezeu și este un dușman al lui Dumnezeu. Este cu adevărat un demon care devorează sufletele oamenilor. Întocmai cum se spune în cuvintele lui Dumnezeu: „Satana își câștigă faima prin înșelarea publicului. Deseori se prezintă ca avangardă și model de dreptate. Sub pretextul de a proteja dreptatea, îi rănește pe oameni, le devorează sufletele și utilizează tot felul de mijloace pentru a amorți, înșela și incita omul. Scopul său este de a-l face pe om să aprobe și să-i urmeze comportamentul rău, de a-l face pe om să i se alăture în a se opune autorității și suveranității lui Dumnezeu. Totuși, când o persoană își dă seama de uneltirile, intrigile și caracteristicile lui rele și nu vrea să continue să fie călcat în picioare și păcălit de el sau să-i fie în continuare sclav sau să fie pedepsit și distrus împreună cu el, Satana își schimbă trăsăturile anterior sfinte și își scoate masca falsă pentru a-și dezvălui fața adevărată, reală, depravată, urâtă și sălbatică. Nu i-ar plăcea nimic mai mult decât să îi extermine pe toți cei care refuză să îl urmeze și pe cei care se opun forțelor sale malefice” („Dumnezeu Însuși, Unicul (II)” din Cuvântul Se arată în trup). Revelațiile din cuvintele lui Dumnezeu mi-au îngăduit să văd adevărata față a guvernului PCC, să văd că este cu adevărat întruchiparea Satanei și că este cel mai rău regim satanic care se împotrivește lui Dumnezeu. Se folosea de cazul Zhaoyuan din 28 mai pentru a lansa zvonuri și a face înscenări Bisericii lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic, în încercarea de a înșela oamenii și de a-i întărâta și a-i incita pe cei care nu înțeleg adevărul chestiunii, ca să stea de partea lui și să I se împotrivească lui Dumnezeu alături de el. Obiectivul guvernului PCC în măsluirea cazului Zhaoyuan și învinovățirea Bisericii lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic era să caute motive și scuze pentru arestarea și persecutarea creștinilor. Este o încercare zadarnică de a-i încercui pe toți creștinii dintr-o singură lovitură, de a-i elimina din rădăcini și de a stârpi întru totul Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic. Ei vor chiar să-și îndeplinească ambiția sălbatică de a întemeia o zonă de ateism în China. Esența guvernului PCC este cu adevărat aceea a trădării și răutății extreme!

Odată ce am recunoscut realitatea războiului spiritual și esența malefică a guvernului PCC, o altă întrebare s-a ivit în mintea mea: nu este Dumnezeu omnipotent? De ce ar permite Dumnezeu guvernului PCC să ne persecute? Incapabilă să lămuresc această confuzie din mine, am citit aceste cuvinte de la Dumnezeu Atotputernic: „Odată am spus că înțelepciunea Mea este exercitată pe baza uneltirilor Satanei. De ce am spus aceasta? Nu este acela adevărul din spatele a ceea ce spun și fac acum?” („Adevărul lăuntric al lucrării de cucerire (1)” din Cuvântul Se arată în trup). „Dumnezeu plănuiește să folosească o parte din lucrarea spiritelor malefice pentru a desăvârși o parte din om, astfel încât acești oameni să poată să-și dea seama în întregime de faptele diavolilor și să îngăduie tuturor să-și înțeleagă cu adevărat strămoșii. Numai atunci vor putea oamenii să se elibereze complet, nu numai să se lepede de posterioritatea demonilor, ba chiar cu atât mai mult de a strămoșilor lor. Aceasta este planul original al lui Dumnezeu de a-l înfrânge definitiv pe marele balaur roșu, de a face în așa fel încât toți oamenii să cunoască adevărata formă a marelui balaur roșu, smulgându-i de tot masca și văzându-i adevărata formă. Aceasta este ceea ce Dumnezeu vrea să împlinească și este țelul Lui final pe pământ pentru care a lucrat atât de mult; El năzuiește să înfăptuiască aceasta în om. Aceasta este cunoscută drept manevrarea tuturor lucrurilor pentru scopul lui Dumnezeu” („Capitolul 41” din „Interpretări ale tainelor cuvintelor lui Dumnezeu către întregul univers” în Cuvântul Se arată în trup). Am înțeles din cuvintele lui Dumnezeu că El Se folosea de opresiunea forței satanice, malefice, a guvernului PCC ca să facă un serviciu pentru desăvârșirea aleșilor Săi. Prin împotrivirea, condamnarea și scornirea de zvonuri din partea guvernului PCC pentru a întina numele Bisericii lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic și prin asuprirea și arestarea creștinilor de către acesta, Dumnezeu ne-a permis să vedem dincolo de esența satanică, demonică a guvernului PCC drept ceva care urăște adevărul și Îl urăște pe Dumnezeu. Acest lucru ne-a permis să câștigăm discernământ adevărat, să-l respingem și să nu fim niciodată păcăliți de acesta. În schimb, putem ieși din domeniul Satanei și ne putem întoarce în prezența lui Dumnezeu. Pe deasupra, Dumnezeu folosește arestările și persecuția demonilor PCC pentru a demasca oamenii pentru ceea ce sunt, pentru a-i separa în funcție de felul lor. Cei care sunt lași, care nu sunt sinceri în credința lor sau sunt niște iude, sunt demascați și eliminați prin persecuția feroce a guvernului PCC. Însă cei care cred cu adevărat în Dumnezeu, urmăresc adevărul și care Îi sunt devotați lui Dumnezeu, mărturisesc ferm pentru Dumnezeu sub persecuția nebunească a guvernului PCC și devin biruitori făcuți de Dumnezeu. Odată ce am înțeles toate acestea, neînțelegerile, plângerile și confuzia mea despre Dumnezeu au fost toate lămurite. Mai mult, am văzut cât de înțelept și de atotputernic este Dumnezeu și că înțelepciunea lui Dumnezeu este cu adevărat exercitată pe baza uneltirilor Satanei.

Am citit și aceste cuvinte ale lui Dumnezeu: „Avem încrederea că nicio țară sau putere nu poate sta în calea a ceea ce Dumnezeu dorește să împlinească. Cei care împiedică lucrarea lui Dumnezeu se opun cuvântului lui Dumnezeu, tulbură și subminează planul lui Dumnezeu vor fi, în cele din urmă, pedepsiți de Dumnezeu. Cel care sfidează lucrarea lui Dumnezeu va fi trimis în iad; orice țară care sfidează lucrarea lui Dumnezeu va fi distrusă; orice națiune care se ridică pentru a se opune lucrării lui Dumnezeu va fi ștearsă de pe fața pământului și va înceta să mai existe” („Dumnezeu conduce destinul întregii omeniri” din Cuvântul Se arată în trup). Cuvintele lui Dumnezeu mi-au arătat firea Sa dreaptă și maiestuoasă și am văzut că nicio forță nu poate depăși atotputernicia și autoritatea lui Dumnezeu. Deși guvernul PCC se împotrivește întotdeauna frenetic lui Dumnezeu și îi asuprește, îi arestează și-i persecută pe aleșii Săi, născocind tot felul de zvonuri pentru a induce în eroare oamenii și pentru a-i împiedica să se întoarcă la Dumnezeu, lucrarea lui Dumnezeu tot s-a răspândit în toată China. Mai mult, un grup de biruitori a fost făcut în China, iar Evanghelia Împărăției lui Dumnezeu se extinde în prezent pretutindeni în lume. Nimeni nu poate sta în calea lucrării lui Dumnezeu. Cei care se împotrivesc lui Dumnezeu, care obstrucționează și subminează lucrarea lui Dumnezeu, sunt sortiți să sufere pedeapsa Sa dreaptă și să fie nimiciți. Acest lucru este hotărât de firea dreaptă a lui Dumnezeu. Cuvintele lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic mi-au dat o străfulgerare bruscă de înțelegere și am fost luminată într-o clipă. Nu am putut să nu mă minunez în inima mea și să slăvesc lucrarea miraculoasă a lui Dumnezeu. Înțelepciunea lui Dumnezeu este cu adevărat mai înaltă decât cerurile; faptul că Dumnezeu folosește guvernul PCC pentru a face un serviciu este incredibil de înțelept. Mântuirea lui Dumnezeu pentru omenire este foarte practică – sunt complet convinsă și nu pot înceta să-L slăvesc! M-am rugat în tăcere lui Dumnezeu din inimă: „Dumnezeule! Nu vreau să devin pleavă pe care o arunci din treierătoare și nu vreau să fiu spulberată de vântul rău al guvernului PCC. Vreau să devin grâul pe care Tu îl recoltezi. Dumnezeule! Nu Te-am mulțumit niciodată, dar, în toiul asupririi sălbatice a guvernului PCC, sper să-mi pot arăta sinceritatea, să urmăresc sincer adevărul și să nu mă predau în fața forțelor malefice ale guvernului PCC. Sper să fiu o persoană care însetează după dreptate și tânjește după lumină, să mărturisesc ferm pentru Tine, ca Tu să poți dobândi slavă…”

Înarmată cu această cunoaștere, am devenit puternică în inima mea. Am înțeles că, atunci când mă confrunt cu neînțelegerile și piedicile membrilor familiei mele, totul este cu îngăduința lui Dumnezeu și Dumnezeu este Cel care rânduiește minuțios toate acestea pentru a-mi desăvârși credința, devotamentul și ascultarea. Nu m-am mai plâns de mediul din jurul meu și nici nu am mai fost constrânsă de mediul înconjurător. Mai degrabă, am devenit recunoscătoare lui Dumnezeu și am luat în liniște hotărârea că, indiferent de tipul de mediu pe care Dumnezeu îl rânduiește pentru mine, trebuie să mărturisesc ferm pentru El întotdeauna și să-mi fac datoria cu loialitate; categoric, nu o să-L trădez pe Dumnezeu! Mai târziu, am văzut faptele lui Dumnezeu – soțul meu nu mi se mai împotrivea și nu mai era așa de opresiv cum fusese. Dimpotrivă, mi-a spus: „Nu e că nu vreau ca tu să ai credință. Recunosc că te-ai schimbat de când ai început să crezi în Dumnezeu; doar că, mergând înainte, trebuie să fii atentă, trebuie să fii în gardă atunci când ieși să participi la adunări.” Auzindu-l că spune asta, mi-au dat lacrimile. I-am mulțumit și I-am adus slavă lui Dumnezeu în inima mea pentru faptele Sale, fiindcă am văzut că adevărul și dreptatea sunt capabile să înfrângă tot ceea ce este ��ntunecat și rău. În cele din urmă, forțele malefice ale Satanei vor fi stârpite prin lucrarea lui Dumnezeu! Deși am suferit o parte din dificultatea faptului de a fi rafinată prin această experiență, am dobândit unele cunoștințe despre lucrarea înțeleaptă a lui Dumnezeu. De asemenea, am câștigat o oarecare capacitate de a face deosebirea dintre lucrurile pozitive și cele negative – toate acestea sunt un fel de bogăție din viața mea care mi-a deșteptat hotărârea și credința de a urmări adevărul și de a aspira la lumină.

Sursa: Biserica lui Dumnezeu Atotputernic

[focusontheeasternlightning-blog]

Who Blocked Me From Welcoming the Lord’s Return on the Way to the Heavenly Kingdom

By Xinzao, South Korea

My husband and I met each other at a house church in China. After graduating from university, we came to South Korea together.

 Since the church was increasingly desolate, we no longer went there. After my daughter was born, we both hoped she would build a foundation of faith when she was a child, so we decided to attend meetings in a Presbyterian Church South Korea near my house.

I got acquainted with an aunt in the church. One day in January 2018, the aunt led Sister Lin to my home. After a brief self-introduction, Sister Lin came straight to the point and testified that the Lord Jesus has returned and done a new and outstanding work, which is the work of judgment beginning from the house of God prophesied in the Book of 1 Peter. Hearing this, I thought: “Which denomination is this? She is bearing witness that the Lord has returned and done a new work.” When I was thinking about this, Sister Lin took out a book from her handbag and gave it to me; I saw its name The Scroll Opened by the Lamb, which reminded me that it was mentioned many times in the New Testament that the Lord Jesus was the Lamb and He became the sin offering for mankind. So I was curious about what the book talked about. Sister Lin said: “The words in this book is not from people because we are unable to speak these words. It is only God in the flesh who can express these truths.” Subsequently, Sister Lin read for us a passage of the preface of it, and showed me some dance and song videos of The Church of Almighty God through her mobile phone.

After watching the videos, I felt that they were very good. However, from Sister Lin’s following fellowship, I learned that The Church of Almighty God is Eastern Lightning, and then I suddenly remembered that ten years ago my pastors warned us to guard against Eastern Lighting many times during gatherings. Thinking of this, I became alert instantly and couldn’t sit still, but then I thought: “What Sister Lin is fellowshiping is in line with the Bible and is also enlightened; why do I beware of her?” I then felt a bit confused and didn’t know what to do. At that time, Sister Lin seemed to see through my thoughts and said to me with a smile: “In treating the big matter of the Lord’s return, we should hold an attitude of seeking the truth, and should not lightly listen to others. We need to investigate whether the words of Almighty God is the truth and God’s voice. Only then will we not miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s return.” Meanwhile, my husband also persuaded me to look into the way first. I felt what they said made sense, thinking: “The Lord’s return is indeed such a big event that I can’t treat it carelessly. If Almighty God is actually the Lord’s appearance but I blindly abandon Him like this, won’t I offend the Lord?” Thinking of this, my heart calmed down a little. When Sister Lin was about to leave, she again and again invited my husband and me to investigate the local church of Almighty God. Finally, she gave us a copy of the book The Scroll Opened by the Lamb, and asked us to read it first. At that time, I thought: “That’s right. If I don’t read the book, how can I discern whether it’s the work of the Lord’s return?” So we received this book.

Afterward, my husband and I read the book whenever we had time. From Almighty God’s words, I understood many truths, such as the inside story of the Bible, the correct approach one should have to the Bible, the reason and the significance of God working in China, and other respects. The words of Almighty God are so bountiful that I understood the questions which had confused me for over ten years since I had started believing in the Lord. My husband and I were very excited, and we decided to go to the local church of Almighty God and look into God’s end-time work this weekend.

One day, My husband happened to see many negative news about The Church of Almighty God when he browsed the web. Especially, after seeing the news of the CCP government condemning The Church of Almighty God was an organization of man, and the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case, I became paralyzed right now as if a basin of cold water had been poured on my fervent heart. I thought to myself: “Why is there so much negative propaganda about The Church of Almighty God? If the fact is the same as the online words, we’d better not investigate the church.” Then I said to my husband: “This weekend we’d better not go to the local church of Almighty God. What if the words on the Internet are true? We need to be cautious.” Yet my husband shook his head and said: “How can you believe the words of the CCP government? Don’t you forget the CCP government has condemned all the house churches when we were in China? So, only after our actual investigation can we correctly decide whether the online words are rumors or facts. If we listen only to one side, we might miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s return. If so, we would regret it.” I felt his words made sense. I also thought that through reading Almighty God’s words during this period, I found that these words are all helping people to pursue the truth and walk the right path of life. But when I thought of these negative news on the Internet, I was still very scared. Finally I decided not to investigate. My husband couldn’t change my mind, so he had no choice but to invite Sister Lin to my house and ask her to fellowship with us.

The following day Sister Lin came. I told her all my misgivings caused by the negative propaganda on the Internet, and then she said: “Sister, about whether or not The Church of Almighty God is man’s organization, let’s read a passage of Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life. ‘In order to beguile and deceive the Chinese people, the CCP does it utmost to distort the truth and turn black-and-white on its head, insisting that the church of God is an organization of man, and normal church life as illegal disruptions of social order. This is the consistent rhetoric and means by which the Communist Party resists God and brutally persecutes God’s church. The Church of Almighty God is simply not an organization of man but the church of God. Each new stage of God’s work will produce a church. The Church of Almighty God came to be because of the appearance and work of God’s incarnation in the last days, and it is formed from those who accept the words and work of Almighty God in the last days. It is personally established by Almighty God, Christ of the last days, and is personally guided and shepherded by Himself. It is simply not an organization set up by a man. What comes from man is a human organization; however, what comes from God is not an organization but a church.’

“From this passage of fellowship, we can see if it is from man, it is a human organization; but if it comes from God, it is a church. The Bible also says, what comes from God shall increase, what comes from man shall decrease. Since 1991 when Almighty God formally began to do His work, the CCP government has never stopped suppressing and persecuting The Church of Almighty God. However, the gospel of God’s kingdom has still spread spectacularly. In only over 20 years, the gospel has spread not only across all of Mainland China but many other countries around the world. Now branches of The Church of Almighty God have been established in many foreign countries. This is completely the result achieved by God’s work. If it is a human organization, they would long ago have vanished under the CCP’s brutal persecution. Sister, as long as we quiet our hearts to seek, it’s easy for us to distinguish the rumors of the CCP slandering and condemning The Church of Almighty God are all deceptive lies, and are a type of CCP’s base means to block us from investigating the true way.” Later, according to my confusion of the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case, Sister Lin played for me a video, The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case. The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case. In the video, a passage of commentary said: “Before implementing crackdown and massacre each time, the CCP invariably had to concoct false accusations, and create a series of public opinions as basis to establish the so-called legal foundation. The purpose was to deceive the public and pave the way for the ensuing suppression and massacre. In order to suppress and ban The Church of Almighty God and completely ban all house churches, the CCP played the same old trick once again and concocted the May 28 Zhaoyuan case as the basis of public opinions. This is exactly the CCP’s plot and intention in engineering this case. This is apparent to any discerning person. Unsurprisingly, after the occurrence of the Zhaoyuan case, the CCP promptly launched a comprehensive, escalating and more brutal operation of repression and persecution against The Church of Almighty God.” After this, I suddenly saw the light. I realized that the CCP was the invisible hand behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan case. Through Sister’s patient fellowship, I came to discern the rumors on the Internet and the base intentions of the CCP discrediting, smearing and framing The Church of Almighty God. Therefore, I decided to continue investigating the work of Almighty God of the last days with my husband, and we made an appointment to go to the local church of Almighty God.

Through Sister Lin’s fellowship, I had some discernment about the lies made up by the CCP, but on the way to the local church of Almighty God I still couldn’t help thinking of those terrible lies, and I felt anxious in my heart. My husband saw through my thoughts, and he said to me with a smile: “You are quite suspicious. Sister Lin has already known where our house is. If she wants to kidnap us, is it necessary for her to await us to investigate their church?” Hearing my husband’s words, I thought: “That’s right. If they are the same as what the lies said, they wouldn’t have asked us to their church.”

When we approached the church, at a distance we saw Sister Lin and some other brothers and sisters waiting for us at the gate. Because we were late, they had stood outside for more than half an hour in such a cold day. My husband and I felt so sorry about this. Their friendliness and warmth made me feel not only very moved but ashamed for my misgivings about them. Before entering the church building, I saw five large characters above the gate reading The Church of Almighty God. The building of the church openly stands on the street welcoming anyone who is willing to investigate the true way. Obviously, this is a formal church, which is utterly unlike what the online words said. When entering it, I saw each of the brothers and sisters was dignified and decent, and that they all greeted us warmly. Afterward, some brothers and sisters introduced us the website of The Church of Almighty God, where there are the words of Almighty God, annals of the work arrangements of The Church of Almighty God, dance and song videos, gospel movies and life experience articles written by brothers and sisters, etc. All the contents are open to the world, for people around the world who love the truth to seek and investigate. I thought: “Apart from The Church of Almighty God, none of the denominations in the world dares to openly testify that the Lord Jesus has returned. The way that dares to face the entire mankind’s investigating can’t possibly be false.” So I began to think well of The Church of Almighty God. At lunchtime, the brothers and sisters treated us very well. Because we came here with our daughter, they took out of plenty of toys to look after her. Seeing this, I believed the way they lived was not fake. The church had nothing to do with a violent organization described by the online rumors. After I actually investigated The Church of Almighty God, my previous misgivings disappeared gradually, and then my husband and I decided to attend meetings in The Church of Almighty God.

During that period, my husband was taking his annual leave, so we entrusted my child to my mother’s care and almost every day, we went to the local church of Almighty God to attend meetings. At each meeting, what the brothers and sisters fellowshiped was the words of Almighty God, and the content of their fellowships was to help us know God and His work. They also shared with us their experiences and testimonies of how they practiced God’s words. And moreover they prayed in the name of Almighty God, which was not like the online words saying that the One who people of The Church of Almighty God believed in and worshiped was a person.

Afterward, my husband’s vacation was over, and I was also very busy. In order to enable us to have normal gatherings, some brothers and sisters went to my home to have meetings with us. Every time either two sisters or two sisters and one brother came to my home; I had never seen two people of different sexes came here. Later, in a meeting, I knew that the ten administrative decrees of the Church of Almighty God stipulates that it is absolutely prohibited for two members of the opposite sex to work together. The fourth administrative decree stipulates that: “Man has corrupt disposition and, moreover, he is possessed of emotions. As such, it is absolutely prohibited for two members of the opposite sex to work together when serving God. Any who are discovered doing so will be expelled, without exception—and no one is exempt.” Then I couldn’t help but think of the online rumors saying the people of The Church of Almighty God had unclear boundaries between men and women. They were purely a pack of nonsense.

Through our practical investigating The Church of Almighty God and contacting the brothers and sisters those days, the rumors made up by the CCP government all collapsed on themselves. I couldn’t resist feeling self-accusation for the fact that I once believed the lies and refused to investigate God’s work. Meanwhile, I felt very indignant: “The rumors on the Internet are really harmful to people! Now who knows how many people like me, because of believing the rumors, dare not to seek and investigate God’s work of the last days or to come to The Church of Almighty God.”

Through a period of investigation, my husband and I accepted the work of Almighty God of the last days. One month later, a good friend of mine, who went to church with us during our university days, came to South Korea to visit me. When meeting her, I couldn’t wait to tell her the good news that the Lord Jesus has returned. However, to my surprise, after hearing this, she immediately stood up and angrily said to us: “How can you believe in Eastern Lightning? Don’t you know now all of the leaders of every denomination are condemning Eastern Lightning?” My husband replied: “We’ve read a lot of Almighty God’s words and investigated many times, and then we confirm that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus’ return—” Not until he finished his words did my friend interrupt him and fire questions at us: “How many years have you two believed in the Lord? Do you understand the Bible? Haven’t the pastors and elders believed in the Lord longer than you have? Don’t they understand the Bible more than you do? If Eastern Lightning is the true way, why do they not accept it?” After she left, I still couldn’t understand: “My friend has believed in the Lord since she was a child, and she knows lots of knowledge of the Bible. According to logic, that the Lord Jesus has returned is a piece of good news for her, but why does she not investigate the work of God in the last days? In addition, these pastors and elders believe in the Lord, and have worked and preached for many years, but why do they also not investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days?” A succession of questions occupied my mind.

In the following days, my friend ceaselessly called me and urged me to see the pastor of the church in China, and on the phone she also said many words of the pastor condemning The Church of Almighty God. Furthermore, when the pastors and elders from the church in South Korea learned that we had believed in Almighty God, they constantly called us and asked for meeting us. They also repeatedly warned us not to read the book of Eastern Lightning, saying that the preaching of The Church of Almighty God was very profound, and that we were easily deceived because our stature was small and we didn’t understand the Bible very well. Under their continual disturbances, I then didn’t have my own mind, and thought it over and over again: “During this period, Almighty God’s words I have read indeed make me understand many truths, and I also confirm within my heart that Almighty God is really the Lord Jesus’ appearance. However, why do pastors and elders not accept but along with the CCP government condemn and resist Almighty God? Is my faith wrong?” The more I thought about it, the more troubled I felt. Without realizing it, I was a little shaken again. In the following week, I did not want to read God’s words, nor to attend meetings. I was at loose ends, just watching TV at home all day long. My husband worried about me very much when seeing me like this, so he persuaded me to seek fellowship with the brothers and sisters to resolve my issues, but I was always escaping and did not want to see them.

Later, after repeated exhortations by my husband, I decided to find the brothers and sisters to figure out my issues. After seeing them, I poured out all my confusion of these days. One brother read a passage of the Bible to me: “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dig a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to farmers, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the farmers took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did to them likewise. But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him” (Matthew 21:33-39).

He fellowshiped: “This parable of the evil farmers told by the Lord Jesus was aimed at the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees who served God in the temple in the Age of Law. At that time God entrusted them to shepherd the sheep, but when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, they condemned and resisted Him, and blocked believers from following the Lord Jesus as well. Likewise, in the last days, when God returns in the flesh to save mankind and to find His sheep, the leaders of the religious world are unwilling to give sheep back to God, and then the history of Pharisees resisting the Lord Jesus two thousand years ago is repeating itself. Although these leaders of the religious world are familiar with the Bible, they don’t have a heart that fears God at all. They’re afraid that if the believers all believe in Almighty God then no one will follow them anymore or donate money to them, so in order to protect their status and their livelihood, under the banner of being loyal to the Lord and protecting His flock they have manufactured all kinds of vicious rumors to frenziedly resist and condemn God’s work of the last days and done their best to prevent believers from investigating the true way and returning to God. What they do is the same as the treatment of the Pharisees toward the Lord Jesus. They are exactly the evil servants revealed by the work of God in the last days. Let’s have a look at how the words of Almighty God expose them. Almighty God says: ‘Those who read the Bible in grand churches recite the Bible every day, yet not one understands the purpose of God’s work. Not one is able to know God; moreover, not one is in accord with the heart of God. They are all worthless, vile men, each standing on high to teach God. Though they brandish the name of God, they willfully oppose Him. Though they label themselves believers of God, they are ones who eat the flesh and drink the blood of man. All such men are devils who devour the soul of man, head demons who purposefully disturb those who try to step onto the right path, and stumbling blocks that impede the path of those who seek God. Though they are of “robust flesh,” how are their followers to know that they are antichrists who lead man in opposition to God? How are they to know that they are living devils who specially seek souls to devour?’ The substance of the religious leaders are clearly revealed by Almighty God’s words. They are definitely not true believers of the Lord, but contemporary Pharisees who block people from investigating the true way and antichrists who lead people to resist God. We need to see through their essence lest we become subject to their confusion.”

The words of God and the fellowship of the brother made me feel enlightened a lot in my heart. I clearly saw that present-day pastors of the religious world are just like the evil farmers. The Lord entrusted them to shepherd and look after the sheep, but when the Lord Jesus has returned and wants to get back these sheep, they’re afraid that if believers all follow Almighty God then no one will listen to their preaching or donate money to them, so they try to usurp the Lord’s sheep for themselves and prevent believers from investigating the true way. All they have been doing is protect their own interests. They are really very despicable! It is I myself who am to blame. Because without discernment, I was deceived by them, and even didn’t want to contact with the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God. I was really too ignorant.

After that, the brother read a passage of Almighty God’s words: “In the nation of the great red dragon, I have carried out a stage of work unfathomable to human beings, causing them to sway in the wind, after which many quietly drift away with the blowing of the wind. Truly, this is the ‘threshing floor�� I am about to clear; it is what I yearn for and it is also My plan. For many wicked ones have crept in while I am at work, but I am in no hurry to drive them away. Rather, I shall disperse them when the time is right. Only after that shall I be the fountain of life, allowing those who truly love Me to receive from Me the fruit of the fig tree and the fragrance of the lily. In the land where Satan sojourns, the land of dust, there remains no pure gold, only sand, and so, meeting with these circumstances, I do such a stage of work. You should know that what I gain is pure, refined gold, not sand. How can the wicked remain in My house?”

He then fellowshiped: “In the last days, God becomes flesh and works in China, allowing the antichrist forces in religious circles and the CCP government to disturb and obstruct His work. It’s sure that God’s wisdom is present here. On the one hand, through their persecution, rumors and attacks, we can see through the CCP’s evil and reactionary substance of resisting God and the hypocritical and truth-hating antichrist essence of the religious leaders. On the other hand, these can also reveal different kinds of people, such as unbelievers, true believers and fake believers, sheep and goats, wheat and tares, good servants and evil servants, wise virgins and foolish virgins, and so on. The rumors can merely bind the tares, but not the wheat. That’s because all the people who belong to God will surely return before God. Those who, under the persecution of the CCP government and religious leaders, are able to see through the rumors and still have faith in following God are wise virgins, and in the end they have the hope of being made into overcomers by God, and becoming the pillars in God’s kingdom. This exactly fulfills the prophecy of the Book of Revelation: ‘Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out’” (Revelation 3:12).

After hearing his fellowship, I felt brighter and brighter inside. It turned out that the persecution of the CCP government and the disturbance of the antichrist forces in religious circles are used by God to do service for perfecting and revealing people. Therein lies God’s wisdom. I felt it very fortunate for me to obtain God’s mercy. Although I was deceived by the rumors because I had no discernment, God still arranged for some brothers and sisters to patiently fellowship the truth with me time and again. Through this, I finally could distinguish the lies made up by the CCP, and see clearly the sinister motives of the CCP government and the religious leaders using the rumors to deceive and devour people. All of this was God’s grace for me. I thanked God very much for His salvation from the bottom of my heart.

Afterward, as long as I had time I would go to The Church of Almighty God to attend meetings. Through God’s words, I come to understand more and more truths, and when encountering something that are at odds with my conceptions, I no longer guard against it or resist it like before, but take the initiative to seek fellowship with some brothers and sisters. By reading God’s words, I understand God wishes more people to accept His salvation. Now a number of brothers and sisters from the denominations have been deceived by CCP’s rumors, or confused and controlled by antichrists of the religious world, so I want to preach the gospel to them. I hope to use my personal experience to help them soon see through Satan’s tricks, break free from the bondage of the rumors, and return before Almighty God, Christ of the last days, to accept His salvation. All the glory be to God!

[comebeforegod]

Who Blocked Me From Welcoming the Lord’s Return on the Way to the Heavenly Kingdom

By Xinzao, South Korea

My husband and I met each other at a house church in China. After graduating from university, we came to South Korea together. Since the church was increasingly desolate, we no longer went there. After my daughter was born, we both hoped she would build a foundation of faith when she was a child, so we decided to attend meetings in a Presbyterian Church South Korea near my house.

I got acquainted with an aunt in the church. One day in January 2018, the aunt led Sister Lin to my home. After a brief self-introduction, Sister Lin came straight to the point and testified that the Lord Jesus has returned and done a new and outstanding work, which is the work of judgment beginning from the house of God prophesied in the Book of 1 Peter. Hearing this, I thought: “Which denomination is this? She is bearing witness that the Lord has returned and done a new work.” When I was thinking about this, Sister Lin took out a book from her handbag and gave it to me; I saw its name The Scroll Opened by the Lamb, which reminded me that it was mentioned many times in the New Testament that the Lord Jesus was the Lamb and He became the sin offering for mankind. So I was curious about what the book talked about. Sister Lin said: “The words in this book is not from people because we are unable to speak these words. It is only God in the flesh who can express these truths.” Subsequently, Sister Lin read for us a passage of the preface of it, and showed me some dance and song videos of The Church of Almighty God through her mobile phone.

After watching the videos, I felt that they were very good. However, from Sister Lin’s following fellowship, I learned that The Church of Almighty God is Eastern Lightning, and then I suddenly remembered that ten years ago my pastors warned us to guard against Eastern Lighting many times during gatherings. Thinking of this, I became alert instantly and couldn’t sit still, but then I thought: “What Sister Lin is fellowshiping is in line with the Bible and is also enlightened; why do I beware of her?” I then felt a bit confused and didn’t know what to do. At that time, Sister Lin seemed to see through my thoughts and said to me with a smile: “In treating the big matter of the Lord’s return, we should hold an attitude of seeking the truth, and should not lightly listen to others. We need to investigate whether the words of Almighty God is the truth and God’s voice. Only then will we not miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s return.” Meanwhile, my husband also persuaded me to look into the way first. I felt what they said made sense, thinking: “The Lord’s return is indeed such a big event that I can’t treat it carelessly. If Almighty God is actually the Lord’s appearance but I blindly abandon Him like this, won’t I offend the Lord?” Thinking of this, my heart calmed down a little. When Sister Lin was about to leave, she again and again invited my husband and me to investigate the local church of Almighty God. Finally, she gave us a copy of the book The Scroll Opened by the Lamb, and asked us to read it first. At that time, I thought: “That’s right. If I don’t read the book, how can I discern whether it’s the work of the Lord’s return?” So we received this book.

Afterward, my husband and I read the book whenever we had time. From Almighty God’s words, I understood many truths, such as the inside story of the Bible, the correct approach one should have to the Bible, the reason and the significance of God working in China, and other respects. The words of Almighty God are so bountiful that I understood the questions which had confused me for over ten years since I had started believing in the Lord. My husband and I were very excited, and we decided to go to the local church of Almighty God and look into God’s end-time work this weekend.

One day, My husband happened to see many negative news about The Church of Almighty God when he browsed the web. Especially, after seeing the news of the CCP government condemning The Church of Almighty God was an organization of man, and the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case, I became paralyzed right now as if a basin of cold water had been poured on my fervent heart. I thought to myself: “Why is there so much negative propaganda about The Church of Almighty God? If the fact is the same as the online words, we’d better not investigate the church.” Then I said to my husband: “This weekend we’d better not go to the local church of Almighty God. What if the words on the Internet are true? We need to be cautious.” Yet my husband shook his head and said: “How can you believe the words of the CCP government? Don’t you forget the CCP government has condemned all the house churches when we were in China? So, only after our actual investigation can we correctly decide whether the online words are rumors or facts. If we listen only to one side, we might miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s return. If so, we would regret it.” I felt his words made sense. I also thought that through reading Almighty God’s words during this period, I found that these words are all helping people to pursue the truth and walk the right path of life. But when I thought of these negative news on the Internet, I was still very scared. Finally I decided not to investigate. My husband couldn’t change my mind, so he had no choice but to invite Sister Lin to my house and ask her to fellowship with us.

The following day Sister Lin came. I told her all my misgivings caused by the negative propaganda on the Internet, and then she said: “Sister, about whether or not The Church of Almighty God is man’s organization, let’s read a passage of Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life. ‘In order to beguile and deceive the Chinese people, the CCP does it utmost to distort the truth and turn black-and-white on its head, insisting that the church of God is an organization of man, and normal church life as illegal disruptions of social order. This is the consistent rhetoric and means by which the Communist Party resists God and brutally persecutes God’s church. The Church of Almighty God is simply not an organization of man but the church of God. Each new stage of God’s work will produce a church. The Church of Almighty God came to be because of the appearance and work of God’s incarnation in the last days, and it is formed from those who accept the words and work of Almighty God in the last days. It is personally established by Almighty God, Christ of the last days, and is personally guided and shepherded by Himself. It is simply not an organization set up by a man. What comes from man is a human organization; however, what comes from God is not an organization but a church.’

“From this passage of fellowship, we can see if it is from man, it is a human organization; but if it comes from God, it is a church. The Bible also says, what comes from God shall increase, what comes from man shall decrease. Since 1991 when Almighty God formally began to do His work, the CCP government has never stopped suppressing and persecuting The Church of Almighty God. However, the gospel of God’s kingdom has still spread spectacularly. In only over 20 years, the gospel has spread not only across all of Mainland China but many other countries around the world. Now branches of The Church of Almighty God have been established in many foreign countries. This is completely the result achieved by God’s work. If it is a human organization, they would long ago have vanished under the CCP’s brutal persecution. Sister, as long as we quiet our hearts to seek, it’s easy for us to distinguish the rumors of the CCP slandering and condemning The Church of Almighty God are all deceptive lies, and are a type of CCP’s base means to block us from investigating the true way.” Later, according to my confusion of the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case, Sister Lin played for me a video, The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case. The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case. In the video, a passage of commentary said: “Before implementing crackdown and massacre each time, the CCP invariably had to concoct false accusations, and create a series of public opinions as basis to establish the so-called legal foundation. The purpose was to deceive the public and pave the way for the ensuing suppression and massacre. In order to suppress and ban The Church of Almighty God and completely ban all house churches, the CCP played the same old trick once again and concocted the May 28 Zhaoyuan case as the basis of public opinions. This is exactly the CCP’s plot and intention in engineering this case. This is apparent to any discerning person. Unsurprisingly, after the occurrence of the Zhaoyuan case, the CCP promptly launched a comprehensive, escalating and more brutal operation of repression and persecution against The Church of Almighty God.” After this, I suddenly saw the light. I realized that the CCP was the invisible hand behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan case. Through Sister’s patient fellowship, I came to discern the rumors on the Internet and the base intentions of the CCP discrediting, smearing and framing The Church of Almighty God. Therefore, I decided to continue investigating the work of Almighty God of the last days with my husband, and we made an appointment to go to the local church of Almighty God.

Through Sister Lin’s fellowship, I had some discernment about the lies made up by the CCP, but on the way to the local church of Almighty God I still couldn’t help thinking of those terrible lies, and I felt anxious in my heart. My husband saw through my thoughts, and he said to me with a smile: “You are quite suspicious. Sister Lin has already known where our house is. If she wants to kidnap us, is it necessary for her to await us to investigate their church?” Hearing my husband’s words, I thought: “That’s right. If they are the same as what the lies said, they wouldn’t have asked us to their church.”

When we approached the church, at a distance we saw Sister Lin and some other brothers and sisters waiting for us at the gate. Because we were late, they had stood outside for more than half an hour in such a cold day. My husband and I felt so sorry about this. Their friendliness and warmth made me feel not only very moved but ashamed for my misgivings about them. Before entering the church building, I saw five large characters above the gate reading The Church of Almighty God. The building of the church openly stands on the street welcoming anyone who is willing to investigate the true way. Obviously, this is a formal church, which is utterly unlike what the online words said. When entering it, I saw each of the brothers and sisters was dignified and decent, and that they all greeted us warmly. Afterward, some brothers and sisters introduced us the website of The Church of Almighty God, where there are the words of Almighty God, annals of the work arrangements of The Church of Almighty God, dance and song videos, gospel movies and life experience articles written by brothers and sisters, etc. All the contents are open to the world, for people around the world who love the truth to seek and investigate. I thought: “Apart from The Church of Almighty God, none of the denominations in the world dares to openly testify that the Lord Jesus has returned. The way that dares to face the entire mankind’s investigating can’t possibly be false.” So I began to think well of The Church of Almighty God. At lunchtime, the brothers and sisters treated us very well. Because we came here with our daughter, they took out of plenty of toys to look after her. Seeing this, I believed the way they lived was not fake. The church had nothing to do with a violent organization described by the online rumors. After I actually investigated The Church of Almighty God, my previous misgivings disappeared gradually, and then my husband and I decided to attend meetings in The Church of Almighty God.

During that period, my husband was taking his annual leave, so we entrusted my child to my mother’s care and almost every day, we went to the local church of Almighty God to attend meetings. At each meeting, what the brothers and sisters fellowshiped was the words of Almighty God, and the content of their fellowships was to help us know God and His work. They also shared with us their experiences and testimonies of how they practiced God’s words. And moreover they prayed in the name of Almighty God, which was not like the online words saying that the One who people of The Church of Almighty God believed in and worshiped was a person.

Afterward, my husband’s vacation was over, and I was also very busy. In order to enable us to have normal gatherings, some brothers and sisters went to my home to have meetings with us. Every time either two sisters or two sisters and one brother came to my home; I had never seen two people of different sexes came here. Later, in a meeting, I knew that the ten administrative decrees of the Church of Almighty God stipulates that it is absolutely prohibited for two members of the opposite sex to work together. The fourth administrative decree stipulates that: “Man has corrupt disposition and, moreover, he is possessed of emotions. As such, it is absolutely prohibited for two members of the opposite sex to work together when serving God. Any who are discovered doing so will be expelled, without exception—and no one is exempt.” Then I couldn’t help but think of the online rumors saying the people of The Church of Almighty God had unclear boundaries between men and women. They were purely a pack of nonsense.

Through our practical investigating The Church of Almighty God and contacting the brothers and sisters those days, the rumors made up by the CCP government all collapsed on themselves. I couldn’t resist feeling self-accusation for the fact that I once believed the lies and refused to investigate God’s work. Meanwhile, I felt very indignant: “The rumors on the Internet are really harmful to people! Now who knows how many people like me, because of believing the rumors, dare not to seek and investigate God’s work of the last days or to come to The Church of Almighty God.”

Through a period of investigation, my husband and I accepted the work of Almighty God of the last days. One month later, a good friend of mine, who went to church with us during our university days, came to South Korea to visit me. When meeting her, I couldn’t wait to tell her the good news that the Lord Jesus has returned. However, to my surprise, after hearing this, she immediately stood up and angrily said to us: “How can you believe in Eastern Lightning? Don’t you know now all of the leaders of every denomination are condemning Eastern Lightning?” My husband replied: “We’ve read a lot of Almighty God’s words and investigated many times, and then we confirm that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus’ return—” Not until he finished his words did my friend interrupt him and fire questions at us: “How many years have you two believed in the Lord? Do you understand the Bible? Haven’t the pastors and elders believed in the Lord longer than you have? Don’t they understand the Bible more than you do? If Eastern Lightning is the true way, why do they not accept it?” After she left, I still couldn’t understand: “My friend has believed in the Lord since she was a child, and she knows lots of knowledge of the Bible. According to logic, that the Lord Jesus has returned is a piece of good news for her, but why does she not investigate the work of God in the last days? In addition, these pastors and elders believe in the Lord, and have worked and preached for many years, but why do they also not investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days?” A succession of questions occupied my mind.

In the following days, my friend ceaselessly called me and urged me to see the pastor of the church in China, and on the phone she also said many words of the pastor condemning The Church of Almighty God. Furthermore, when the pastors and elders from the church in South Korea learned that we had believed in Almighty God, they constantly called us and asked for meeting us. They also repeatedly warned us not to read the book of Eastern Lightning, saying that the preaching of The Church of Almighty God was very profound, and that we were easily deceived because our stature was small and we didn’t understand the Bible very well. Under their continual disturbances, I then didn’t have my own mind, and thought it over and over again: “During this period, Almighty God’s words I have read indeed make me understand many truths, and I also confirm within my heart that Almighty God is really the Lord Jesus’ appearance. However, why do pastors and elders not accept but along with the CCP government condemn and resist Almighty God? Is my faith wrong?” The more I thought about it, the more troubled I felt. Without realizing it, I was a little shaken again. In the following week, I did not want to read God’s words, nor to attend meetings. I was at loose ends, just watching TV at home all day long. My husband worried about me very much when seeing me like this, so he persuaded me to seek fellowship with the brothers and sisters to resolve my issues, but I was always escaping and did not want to see them.

Later, after repeated exhortations by my husband, I decided to find the brothers and sisters to figure out my issues. After seeing them, I poured out all my confusion of these days. One brother read a passage of the Bible to me: “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dig a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to farmers, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the farmers took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did to them likewise. But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him” (Matthew 21:33-39).

He fellowshiped: “This parable of the evil farmers told by the Lord Jesus was aimed at the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees who served God in the temple in the Age of Law. At that time God entrusted them to shepherd the sheep, but when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, they condemned and resisted Him, and blocked believers from following the Lord Jesus as well. Likewise, in the last days, when God returns in the flesh to save mankind and to find His sheep, the leaders of the religious world are unwilling to give sheep back to God, and then the history of Pharisees resisting the Lord Jesus two thousand years ago is repeating itself. Although these leaders of the religious world are familiar with the Bible, they don’t have a heart that fears God at all. They’re afraid that if the believers all believe in Almighty God then no one will follow them anymore or donate money to them, so in order to protect their status and their livelihood, under the banner of being loyal to the Lord and protecting His flock they have manufactured all kinds of vicious rumors to frenziedly resist and condemn God’s work of the last days and done their best to prevent believers from investigating the true way and returning to God. What they do is the same as the treatment of the Pharisees toward the Lord Jesus. They are exactly the evil servants revealed by the work of God in the last days. Let’s have a look at how the words of Almighty God expose them. Almighty God says: ‘Those who read the Bible in grand churches recite the Bible every day, yet not one understands the purpose of God’s work. Not one is able to know God; moreover, not one is in accord with the heart of God. They are all worthless, vile men, each standing on high to teach God. Though they brandish the name of God, they willfully oppose Him. Though they label themselves believers of God, they are ones who eat the flesh and drink the blood of man. All such men are devils who devour the soul of man, head demons who purposefully disturb those who try to step onto the right path, and stumbling blocks that impede the path of those who seek God. Though they are of “robust flesh,” how are their followers to know that they are antichrists who lead man in opposition to God? How are they to know that they are living devils who specially seek souls to devour?’ The substance of the religious leaders are clearly revealed by Almighty God’s words. They are definitely not true believers of the Lord, but contemporary Pharisees who block people from investigating the true way and antichrists who lead people to resist God. We need to see through their essence lest we become subject to their confusion.”

The words of God and the fellowship of the brother made me feel enlightened a lot in my heart. I clearly saw that present-day pastors of the religious world are just like the evil farmers. The Lord entrusted them to shepherd and look after the sheep, but when the Lord Jesus has returned and wants to get back these sheep, they’re afraid that if believers all follow Almighty God then no one will listen to their preaching or donate money to them, so they try to usurp the Lord’s sheep for themselves and prevent believers from investigating the true way. All they have been doing is protect their own interests. They are really very despicable! It is I myself who am to blame. Because without discernment, I was deceived by them, and even didn’t want to contact with the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God. I was really too ignorant.

After that, the brother read a passage of Almighty God’s words: “In the nation of the great red dragon, I have carried out a stage of work unfathomable to human beings, causing them to sway in the wind, after which many quietly drift away with the blowing of the wind. Truly, this is the ‘threshing floor’ I am about to clear; it is what I yearn for and it is also My plan. For many wicked ones have crept in while I am at work, but I am in no hurry to drive them away. Rather, I shall disperse them when the time is right. Only after that shall I be the fountain of life, allowing those who truly love Me to receive from Me the fruit of the fig tree and the fragrance of the lily. In the land where Satan sojourns, the land of dust, there remains no pure gold, only sand, and so, meeting with these circumstances, I do such a stage of work. You should know that what I gain is pure, refined gold, not sand. How can the wicked remain in My house?”

He then fellowshiped: “In the last days, God becomes flesh and works in China, allowing the antichrist forces in religious circles and the CCP government to disturb and obstruct His work. It’s sure that God’s wisdom is present here. On the one hand, through their persecution, rumors and attacks, we can see through the CCP’s evil and reactionary substance of resisting God and the hypocritical and truth-hating antichrist essence of the religious leaders. On the other hand, these can also reveal different kinds of people, such as unbelievers, true believers and fake believers, sheep and goats, wheat and tares, good servants and evil servants, wise virgins and foolish virgins, and so on. The rumors can merely bind the tares, but not the wheat. That’s because all the people who belong to God will surely return before God. Those who, under the persecution of the CCP government and religious leaders, are able to see through the rumors and still have faith in following God are wise virgins, and in the end they have the hope of being made into overcomers by God, and becoming the pillars in God’s kingdom. This exactly fulfills the prophecy of the Book of Revelation: ‘Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out’” (Revelation 3:12).

After hearing his fellowship, I felt brighter and brighter inside. It turned out that the persecution of the CCP government and the disturbance of the antichrist forces in religious circles are used by God to do service for perfecting and revealing people. Therein lies God’s wisdom. I felt it very fortunate for me to obtain God’s mercy. Although I was deceived by the rumors because I had no discernment, God still arranged for some brothers and sisters to patiently fellowship the truth with me time and again. Through this, I finally could distinguish the lies made up by the CCP, and see clearly the sinister motives of the CCP government and the religious leaders using the rumors to deceive and devour people. All of this was God’s grace for me. I thanked God very much for His salvation from the bottom of my heart.

Afterward, as long as I had time I would go to The Church of Almighty God to attend meetings. Through God’s words, I come to understand more and more truths, and when encountering something that are at odds with my conceptions, I no longer guard against it or resist it like before, but take the initiative to seek fellowship with some brothers and sisters. By reading God’s words, I understand God wishes more people to accept His salvation. Now a number of brothers and sisters from the denominations have been deceived by CCP’s rumors, or confused and controlled by antichrists of the religious world, so I want to preach the gospel to them. I hope to use my personal experience to help them soon see through Satan’s tricks, break free from the bondage of the rumors, and return before Almighty God, Christ of the last days, to accept His salvation. All the glory be to God!

[fear-god-shun-evil]

We Will Find the Light After Seeing Through the Rumors

As the saying goes, “The wise man doesn’t listen to rumors.” The unfounded rumors are unworthy of our attention. However, when the rumors reach us, how should we treat them? Especially when investigating the true way, how should we Christians seek the truth in the face of rumors?

From a fortuitous opportunity I heard the gospel of God’s kingdom. After several meetings with the brothers and sisters, I knew the truths of the origin of mankind, the root of mankind’s degeneration, the inside truth of God’s three stages of work, the mystery and significance of the incarnation, and other respects. I also got some understanding of God’s work to save man. The more I listened to their fellowships, the more I had enjoyment in my heart. Later in a meeting, Brother Deng fellowshiped, “The Lord Jesus has returned and long ago been incarnated in China and carried out a new work, and His work of the last days has spread from the East to the West.” After hearing this, I felt so excited: God has already carried out His work on earth! I never thought that I’d be so lucky to welcome the Lord. Thanks be to the Lord! No wonder their fellowships make so much sense—they have followed God’s new work. Because every meeting I could gain a lot and I felt joy when I was with the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God, I became increasingly fond of attending meetings. One time, at the end of a meeting, Sister Li led us to pray to God. When I heard her say in her prayer, “Thank God for choosing this sister from the vast sea of humanity…,” a feeling of warmth flowed into my heart, and I couldn’t help shedding tears. We didn’t know each other, but they treated me like family and they spoke honestly, which enabled me to feel the warmth of a family. Only God can lead man to live out love. Thanks be to God! Thinking of this, I felt extremely grateful to God for His love: He had chosen me from the vast sea of humanity and allowed me to be fortunate enough to come before Him.

About one month later, I called my daughter and told her this good news, hoping she could believe in Almighty God together with me. Against my expectation, on hearing my words, she searched The Church of Almighty God online. The moment she saw the negative information, she told me, “Mom, you’ve picked the wrong church, so just back out. You’ll know what I mean if you look through the information on the internet.” Hearing that, I was astonished and couldn’t believe it. I thought: The brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God are all decent and graceful. At meetings, they fellowshiped about God’s word, and their fellowships were illuminating. So I told her my thoughts. Then my daughter said on the phone, “Just look at it on the internet for yourself!” After she finished her words, she sent me a website. I clicked on the link and the words of slandering and attacking Almighty God said by the religious world and the CCP government came into my sight. Especially when I saw “May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case,” I felt somewhat at a loss and thought: “What is going on here? Is my faith wrong? But the brothers and sisters are kind to me, and the church has so many wonderful dance and song videos. Aren’t these the effect of the Holy Spirit’s work? But the information on the internet seems reasonable, and it may be right. Alas, if I take the wrong path, I will lose God’s salvation.” The more I thought, the more anxious I was, fearing I took the wrong path because I couldn’t distinguish the true way from false ways. And then I decided not to go to The Church of Almighty God to attend meetings anymore.

The next day was Sunday, and my next-door neighbor asked me to go to church with her. When I thought of the bad rumors on the internet, I still felt doubt. In order to know the difference between the preaching of The Church of Almighty God and this church, I went there with her. But all that the pastor preached about was biblical theory and theological knowledge, which couldn’t resolve our practical difficulties at all. The more I listened to the sermon, the more I felt bored, and I couldn’t gain any enjoyment. Especially when hearing the pastor say at the end, “When the Lord Jesus returns…,” I felt quite bewildered, I thought: “The brothers and sisters of The Church of Almighty God witnessed that God had already appeared on earth in the flesh and worked for many years and expressed lots of words in the last days. Those words have authority and power and sound like God’s voice. The Lord is very likely to have come. Why are they still waiting for the Lord’s return? Aren’t they too backward?” During the meeting, a worker walked to the believers one by one with a bag to collect money on two different occasions. I disliked that action very much: Giving offerings should be voluntary, but their behavior seems like forcing us to do it. After the meeting, I felt that I couldn’t gain anything from going to church, so I didn’t go there any longer.

However, affected by the rumors, I didn’t have the courage to go to The Church of Almighty God to investigate the true way. When the sisters invited me to attend meetings, I declined them under the pretext of taking care of a relative’s child. However, after refusing them, I didn’t feel happy. In that half month, from time to time, I thought of the scenes of having meetings with them and their sincere faces. When such thoughts came I felt a little sad. I couldn’t help wondering to myself: Is the negative information on the internet true? If Almighty God really is the returned Lord Jesus, will I not miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord? Just when I was at a loss, Sister Li sent me a message to invite me to take a walk in the park. Having been worrying about this matter in these days, I thought I could use this opportunity to ask for her opinion. After arriving at the park, I told her my confusion. She fellowshiped with me about her experience and how she shook off the rumors after she accepted God’s work of the last days. She also told me that to investigate the true way, we should learn to listen to God’s voice because God is the truth, the way and the life. I felt her fellowship made sense, but after arriving home, I recalled the rumors again and still felt a little afraid. Two days later, the sisters came again and invited me to attend meetings. Though I had refused them many times, they still helped and sustained me patiently. Their sincerity moved me very much and I agreed to attend meetings.

In the meeting, based on my confusion, the sisters communicated with me about the truth concerning how to distinguish the true way from false ways. God’s words say, “Distinguishing between the true way and the false way requires several aspects of basic knowledge, the most fundamental of which is to tell whether or not there is the work of the Holy Spirit. For the substance of man’s belief in God is the belief in the Spirit of God, and even his belief in God incarnate is because this flesh is the embodiment of the Spirit of God, which means that such belief is still the belief in the Spirit. There are differences between the Spirit and the flesh, but because this flesh comes from the Spirit, and is the Word become flesh, thus what man believes in is still the inherent substance of God. And so, in distinguishing whether or not it is the true way, above all you must look at whether or not there is the work of the Holy Spirit, after which you must look at whether or not there is the truth in this way. This truth is the life disposition of normal humanity, which is to say, that which was required of man when God created him in the beginning, namely, all of normal humanity (including human sense, insight, wisdom, and the basic knowledge of being man). That is, you need to look at whether or not this way takes man into a life of normal humanity, whether or not the truth that is spoken of is required according to the reality of normal humanity, whether or not this truth is practical and real, and whether or not it is most timely. If there is truth, then it is able to take man into normal and real experiences; man, furthermore, becomes ever more normal, man’s human sense becomes ever more complete, man’s life in the flesh and the spiritual life become ever more orderly, and man’s emotions become ever more normal. This is the second principle. There is one other principle, which is whether or not man has an increasing knowledge of God, whether or not experiencing such work and truth can inspire a love of God in him, and bring him ever closer to God. In this can be measured whether or not it is the true way. … If it is the work of the Holy Spirit, man becomes ever more normal, and his humanity becomes ever more normal. Man has an increasing knowledge of his disposition, which has been corrupted by Satan, and of the essence of man, and he has an ever greater longing for the truth. That is to say, the life of man grows and grows, and the corrupt disposition of man becomes capable of more and more changes—all of which is the meaning of God becoming the life of man. If a way is incapable of revealing those things that are the essence of man, is incapable of changing the disposition of man, and, moreover, is incapable of bringing him before God or giving him a true understanding of God, and even causes his humanity to become ever more lowly and his sense ever more abnormal, then this way must not be the true way, and it may be the work of an evil spirit, or the old way. In short, it cannot be the present work of the Holy Spirit.”

A sister fellowshiped with me, “We can see from God’s words that the key to distinguishing between the true way and the false way is to tell whether there is the work of the Holy Spirit. As to whether there is the work of the Holy Spirit, it depends on whether we can gain the provision of life and keep gaining a new understanding of God. If these effects cannot be achieved, if we cannot make progress in our life and our practical problems cannot be resolved, there is no work of the Holy Spirit. The true way comes from the work personally done by God. Since it is the work of God Himself, there will be the expression of the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit. Nowadays, Almighty God has expressed all the truths for mankind to know God and to find salvation, disclosing each and every mystery of His management plan, like the purpose of God’s six-thousand-year management plan, the principle of God’s work, the truth of the Bible, the significance of God’s names, and so on. All these are mysteries that man can’t fathom. In Almighty God’s words, mankind’s corrupt substance and roots are both thoroughly revealed. In the judgment of God’s words, we have true knowledge of our own corruption and ugliness, like our arrogance, conceit, selfishness and baseness. Meanwhile, we have true knowledge of God’s righteous disposition, and feel reverence for God, and our life disposition has been transformed in some ways, which gradually delivers us from the fallen cycle of sin and confession. This fully proves that Almighty God’s work is the true way. Almighty God’s word is the truth, the way, and the life, full of authority and power. It can purify mankind and save them.”

The sister’s fellowship enabled me to suddenly see the light. It turns out the principle of distinguishing the true way and the false way is so simple. It’s right! After reading God’s words, listening to some hymns and watching some dance videos produced by The Church of Almighty God, I have gained some knowledge of God’s work; besides, I especially feel released and joyful. It turns out that it is manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s work.

And then, the sister continued to fellowship, “To distinguish the true way from false ways, we should tell whether the way can lead man to live out a more and more normal humanity and to have an increasing knowledge of God. When spreading the gospel in China, though the brothers and sisters face the persecution of the CCP government, under God’s leadership, they are not fearful of difficulties and dangers and continue to cooperate with God with the risk of being arrested; sometimes, they are forsaken and insulted by gospel targets while preaching the gospel, but as long as the targets truly believe in God, they will fellowship with them with love and patience. It is the guidance of God’s words that makes them have such faith, perseverance and love, which is also achieved by God’s work.”

I was touched by those words. Looking at the sisters and brothers before my eyes, I thought: “Each of them is honest, plain, and treats others sincerely, and their words are honest. Moreover, they exalt God and bear witness to God in their fellowships. They are not like what the rumors on the internet has described.” At that time, I felt I was so ignorant because I believed in all the online rumors before I investigated, and refused God’s work once and again. However, God didn’t abandon me and still took mercy on me. The sister fellowshiped with me the principle of distinguishing the true way and the false way very clearly, and so I knew how to distinguish them. Thanks be to God!

Afterward, the sister played the movies The Truth Exposed Behind the Shandong Zhaoyuan Case and Lifting the Veil: The Truth About the Evil Chinese Communist Party’s Show Trial for me. When I understood the fact that the CCP government spread rumors about The Church of Almighty God and that they cruelly torture the Christians of The Church of Almighty God, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I never imagined that they are so evil and inhumane that they would treat Christians like that. I felt unspeakably sad in my heart and couldn’t help blurting out, “If we lived in China, how could we know the things that the CCP government do? China blocks the bad news of its government so we wouldn’t be able to see the vile and evil acts that they did in private. Turns out we are cheated and deceived by the CCP government.”

Hearing my words, the sister fellowshiped with me, “As we know, China is a country which is ruled by an atheist party. Since coming to power, the Chinese Communist Party has unceasingly oppressed religious beliefs. It even calls the Bible cult literature. If we measure and define a church according to the CCP government’s words, isn’t it too ridiculous? The CCP government extremely hates the truth and God, and it is afraid that people will turn to God after hearing His voice, because if they do, no one will follow it. In order to achieve its ambition and desire of forever ruling and controlling people, it wantonly convicts and smears The Church of Almighty God, attempting to hinder the expansion of God’s gospel and ban God’s work of the last days. From this we can see the CCP is Satan the devil that is against God and resists God. We all know the true way has been persecuted since ancient times. When the Lord Jesus appeared to perform His work, He was subjected to the frenzied persecution and condemnation of the religious world and the Roman government. Now God becomes flesh again and has been doing His work among man, and yet not only do the leaders of all religious sects and denominations not seek and investigate, but, on the contrary, they wildly judge, condemn, and malign The Church of Almighty God. They even collude with the CCP to slander and attack The Church of Almighty God. It is evident that this is a wicked and dark generation and the people are enemies of God. If we investigate the true way according to whether or not the CCP government and religious world approve of it, we will be susceptible to being deceived and then lose God’s salvation and finally be eliminated by God. This fulfills the prophecy in the Bible, ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’ (Hosea 4:6).

In fact, where there is the work of God, there is Satan’s disturbance. If we can’t see through Satan’s schemes, we will be deceived and captured by it. God’s words say, ‘God works, God cares for a person, looks upon a person, and Satan dogs His every step. Whoever God favors, Satan also watches, trailing along behind. If God wants this person, Satan would do everything in its power to obstruct God, using various evil ways to tempt, harass and wreck the work God does in order to achieve its hidden objective. What is its objective? It does not want God to have anyone; it wants all those that God wants, to possess them, control them, to take charge of them so they worship it, so they commit evil acts alongside it. Is this not Satan’s sinister motive?’ God wants to save mankind, yet Satan uses the rumors on the internet to disturb and deceive us—this is a spiritual war. If we don’t pray to God or seek the truth, nor use the truth to see through Satan’s scheme and its evil substance and sinister intentions, we will be easily caught in Satan’s scheme and in the end miss the opportunity of being saved by God.”

Having listened to the sister’s fellowship, I came to a sudden realization: Those rumors on the internet originate from Satan. It attempts to deceive me using them and make me dare not to investigate Almighty God’s work, lose the opportunity to be saved and finally be devoured by it. Satan is indeed so base and evil. Thank God. Through sisters asking me to attend meetings many times and fellowshiping with me about the truth patiently, I came to have discernment of Satan’s scheme and so I could come before God again. After experiencing the disturbance of Satan, I had some knowledge of God’s work of saving mankind, and I became more certain that Almighty God is the appearance of the Lord Jesus. I made up my mind to follow Him to the end.

Later, I returned to God’s family and lived the church life. I felt very happy and released when having meetings and fellowshiping with sisters and brothers. When I began attending meetings, though I couldn’t remember the content of the fellowships due to my bad memory, not only did they not shun me but they patiently fellowshiped with me till I understood it, from which I felt God’s love for me. I became increasingly fond of attending meetings and sharing experience and God’s love with my sisters and brothers. It was because of God’s uplifting and grace that I could come before God. I was full of gratitude to God and resolved to try my best to pursue the truth and repay God’s love. Later, after I testified to the gospel of the kingdom of Almighty God to my daughter many times, she also saw through the rumors, and returned before God. Thanks be to God!

[almightygod-mybeloved-blog]

The Church of Almighty God | Movie Clip "Deadly Ignorance" (1) - Whose Words Should Be Heeded When Investigating the True Way

Many genuine believers in the Lord who long for the appearance of God have read Almighty God's words, all acknowledge that they are the truth, that they are God's voice, and are willing to seek and investigate the true way. However, some of them have doubts about God's work and want to give up their investigation of the true way because of the May 28 Zhaoyuan, Shandong case, and because they have believed the lies spread by the Chinese Communist Party atheist government and the pastors and elders of the religious world. What is the real issue here? Is the Shandong Zhaoyuan case linked to Almighty God's appearance and work? Whose words should Christians really heed when seeking and investigating the true way?

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[who-is-jesus2017-blog]

What Kind of Plot Was Behind the Chinese Communist Party’s Trial for the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case?

Suite à l’incident du 28 mai à Zhaoyuan, dans la province de Shandong, qui a choqué la Chine et le reste du monde, quand le PCC a porté l’affaire en justice, les suspects ont clairement avoué qu’ils n’étaient pas membres de l’Église de Dieu Tout-Puissant. Cependant, le PCC a persisté à déclarer qu’ils appartenaient à l’Église de Dieu Tout-Puissant.Quelles étaient leurs motivations ? Quel complot se cache derrière cette affaire ?

L’Éclair Oriental, l’Église de Dieu Tout-Puissant a été créée à cause de l’apparition et de l’œuvre de Dieu Tout-Puissant, de la seconde venue du Seigneur Jésus, le Christ des derniers jours. Elle est composée de tous ceux qui acceptent l’œuvre de Dieu Tout-Puissant dans les derniers jours et sont conquis et sauvés par Ses paroles. Elle a été entièrement fondée par Dieu Tout-Puissant en personne et est conduite par Lui comme le Berger. Ce n’est pas du tout un homme qui en est le fondateur. Christ est la vérité, le chemin et la vie. Les brebis de Dieu entendent la voix de Dieu. Aussi longtemps que tu lis les paroles de Dieu Tout-Puissant, tu verras que Dieu est apparu.

Note spéciale : Cette production vidéo a été produite comme une ressource à but non lucratif par l’Église de Dieu Tout-Puissant. Les acteurs qui apparaissent dans cette production opèrent sur une base caritative, et n’ont en aucune façon été payés. Cette vidéo ne peut être distribuée à une tierce personne pour faire un bénéfice quelconque, et nous espérons que chaque personne la partagera et la distribuera en toute transparence. Lorsque tu la distribues, prends soin d’indiquer la source. Aucune organisation, groupe social ou individu n’a le droit d’altérer ou de dénaturer les contenus de cette vidéo sans le consentement de l’Église de Dieu Tout-Puissant.

[the-eternal-gospel-2017-blog]

L'Église de Dieu Tout-Puissant | « La vérité dévoilée derrière l'affaire du 28 mai à Zhaoyuan »

L’Éclair Oriental, l’Église de Dieu Tout-Puissant a été créée à cause de l’apparition et de l’œuvre de Dieu Tout-Puissant, de la seconde venue du Seigneur Jésus, le Christ des derniers jours. Elle est composée de tous ceux qui acceptent l’œuvre de Dieu Tout-Puissant dans les derniers jours et sont conquis et sauvés par Ses paroles. Elle a été entièrement fondée par Dieu Tout-Puissant en personne et est conduite par Lui comme le Berger. Ce n’est pas du tout un homme qui en est le fondateur. Christ est la vérité, le chemin et la vie. Les brebis de Dieu entendent la voix de Dieu. Aussi longtemps que tu lis les paroles de Dieu Tout-Puissant, tu verras que Dieu est apparu.

[love-god-forever]

Who Blocked Me From Welcoming the Lord’s Return on the Way to the Heavenly Kingdom

By Xinzao, South Korea

My husband and I met each other at a house church in China. After graduating from university, we came to South Korea together. Since the church was increasingly desolate, we no longer went there. After my daughter was born, we both hoped she would build a foundation of faith when she was a child, so we decided to attend meetings in a Presbyterian Church South Korea near my house.

I got acquainted with an aunt in the church. One day in January 2018, the aunt led Sister Lin to my home. After a brief self-introduction, Sister Lin came straight to the point and testified that the Lord Jesus has returned and done a new and outstanding work, which is the work of judgment beginning from the house of God prophesied in the Book of 1 Peter. Hearing this, I thought: “Which denomination is this? She is bearing witness that the Lord has returned and done a new work.” When I was thinking about this, Sister Lin took out a book from her handbag and gave it to me; I saw its name The Scroll Opened by the Lamb, which reminded me that it was mentioned many times in the New Testament that the Lord Jesus was the Lamb and He became the sin offering for mankind. So I was curious about what the book talked about. Sister Lin said: “The words in this book is not from people because we are unable to speak these words. It is only God in the flesh who can express these truths.” Subsequently, Sister Lin read for us a passage of the preface of it, and showed me some dance and song videos of The Church of Almighty God through her mobile phone.

After watching the videos, I felt that they were very good. However, from Sister Lin’s following fellowship, I learned that The Church of Almighty God is Eastern Lightning, and then I suddenly remembered that ten years ago my pastors warned us to guard against Eastern Lighting many times during gatherings. Thinking of this, I became alert instantly and couldn’t sit still, but then I thought: “What Sister Lin is fellowshiping is in line with the Bible and is also enlightened; why do I beware of her?” I then felt a bit confused and didn’t know what to do. At that time, Sister Lin seemed to see through my thoughts and said to me with a smile: “In treating the big matter of the Lord’s return, we should hold an attitude of seeking the truth, and should not lightly listen to others. We need to investigate whether the words of Almighty God is the truth and God’s voice. Only then will we not miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s return.” Meanwhile, my husband also persuaded me to look into the way first. I felt what they said made sense, thinking: “The Lord’s return is indeed such a big event that I can’t treat it carelessly. If Almighty God is actually the Lord’s appearance but I blindly abandon Him like this, won’t I offend the Lord?” Thinking of this, my heart calmed down a little. When Sister Lin was about to leave, she again and again invited my husband and me to investigate the local church of Almighty God. Finally, she gave us a copy of the book The Scroll Opened by the Lamb, and asked us to read it first. At that time, I thought: “That’s right. If I don’t read the book, how can I discern whether it’s the work of the Lord’s return?” So we received this book.

Afterward, my husband and I read the book whenever we had time. From Almighty God’s words, I understood many truths, such as the inside story of the Bible, the correct approach one should have to the Bible, the reason and the significance of God working in China, and other respects. The words of Almighty God are so bountiful that I understood the questions which had confused me for over ten years since I had started believing in the Lord. My husband and I were very excited, and we decided to go to the local church of Almighty God and look into God’s end-time work this weekend.

One day, My husband happened to see many negative news about The Church of Almighty God when he browsed the web. Especially, after seeing the news of the CCP government condemning The Church of Almighty God was an organization of man, and the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case, I became paralyzed right now as if a basin of cold water had been poured on my fervent heart. I thought to myself: “Why is there so much negative propaganda about The Church of Almighty God? If the fact is the same as the online words, we’d better not investigate the church.” Then I said to my husband: “This weekend we’d better not go to the local church of Almighty God. What if the words on the Internet are true? We need to be cautious.” Yet my husband shook his head and said: “How can you believe the words of the CCP government? Don’t you forget the CCP government has condemned all the house churches when we were in China? So, only after our actual investigation can we correctly decide whether the online words are rumors or facts. If we listen only to one side, we might miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s return. If so, we would regret it.” I felt his words made sense. I also thought that through reading Almighty God’s words during this period, I found that these words are all helping people to pursue the truth and walk the right path of life. But when I thought of these negative news on the Internet, I was still very scared. Finally I decided not to investigate. My husband couldn’t change my mind, so he had no choice but to invite Sister Lin to my house and ask her to fellowship with us.

The following day Sister Lin came. I told her all my misgivings caused by the negative propaganda on the Internet, and then she said: “Sister, about whether or not The Church of Almighty God is man’s organization, let’s read a passage of Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life. ‘In order to beguile and deceive the Chinese people, the CCP does it utmost to distort the truth and turn black-and-white on its head, insisting that the church of God is an organization of man, and normal church life as illegal disruptions of social order. This is the consistent rhetoric and means by which the Communist Party resists God and brutally persecutes God’s church. The Church of Almighty God is simply not an organization of man but the church of God. Each new stage of God’s work will produce a church. The Church of Almighty God came to be because of the appearance and work of God’s incarnation in the last days, and it is formed from those who accept the words and work of Almighty God in the last days. It is personally established by Almighty God, Christ of the last days, and is personally guided and shepherded by Himself. It is simply not an organization set up by a man. What comes from man is a human organization; however, what comes from God is not an organization but a church.’

“From this passage of fellowship, we can see if it is from man, it is a human organization; but if it comes from God, it is a church. The Bible also says, what comes from God shall increase, what comes from man shall decrease. Since 1991 when Almighty God formally began to do His work, the CCP government has never stopped suppressing and persecuting The Church of Almighty God. However, the gospel of God’s kingdom has still spread spectacularly. In only over 20 years, the gospel has spread not only across all of Mainland China but many other countries around the world. Now branches of The Church of Almighty God have been established in many foreign countries. This is completely the result achieved by God’s work. If it is a human organization, they would long ago have vanished under the CCP’s brutal persecution. Sister, as long as we quiet our hearts to seek, it’s easy for us to distinguish the rumors of the CCP slandering and condemning The Church of Almighty God are all deceptive lies, and are a type of CCP’s base means to block us from investigating the true way.” Later, according to my confusion of the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case, Sister Lin played for me a video, The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case. The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case. In the video, a passage of commentary said: “Before implementing crackdown and massacre each time, the CCP invariably had to concoct false accusations, and create a series of public opinions as basis to establish the so-called legal foundation. The purpose was to deceive the public and pave the way for the ensuing suppression and massacre. In order to suppress and ban The Church of Almighty God and completely ban all house churches, the CCP played the same old trick once again and concocted the May 28 Zhaoyuan case as the basis of public opinions. This is exactly the CCP’s plot and intention in engineering this case. This is apparent to any discerning person. Unsurprisingly, after the occurrence of the Zhaoyuan case, the CCP promptly launched a comprehensive, escalating and more brutal operation of repression and persecution against The Church of Almighty God.” After this, I suddenly saw the light. I realized that the CCP was the invisible hand behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan case. Through Sister’s patient fellowship, I came to discern the rumors on the Internet and the base intentions of the CCP discrediting, smearing and framing The Church of Almighty God. Therefore, I decided to continue investigating the work of Almighty God of the last days with my husband, and we made an appointment to go to the local church of Almighty God.

Through Sister Lin’s fellowship, I had some discernment about the lies made up by the CCP, but on the way to the local church of Almighty God I still couldn’t help thinking of those terrible lies, and I felt anxious in my heart. My husband saw through my thoughts, and he said to me with a smile: “You are quite suspicious. Sister Lin has already known where our house is. If she wants to kidnap us, is it necessary for her to await us to investigate their church?” Hearing my husband’s words, I thought: “That’s right. If they are the same as what the lies said, they wouldn’t have asked us to their church.”

When we approached the church, at a distance we saw Sister Lin and some other brothers and sisters waiting for us at the gate. Because we were late, they had stood outside for more than half an hour in such a cold day. My husband and I felt so sorry about this. Their friendliness and warmth made me feel not only very moved but ashamed for my misgivings about them. Before entering the church building, I saw five large characters above the gate reading The Church of Almighty God. The building of the church openly stands on the street welcoming anyone who is willing to investigate the true way. Obviously, this is a formal church, which is utterly unlike what the online words said. When entering it, I saw each of the brothers and sisters was dignified and decent, and that they all greeted us warmly. Afterward, some brothers and sisters introduced us the website of The Church of Almighty God, where there are the words of Almighty God, annals of the work arrangements of The Church of Almighty God, dance and song videos, gospel movies and life experience articles written by brothers and sisters, etc. All the contents are open to the world, for people around the world who love the truth to seek and investigate. I thought: “Apart from The Church of Almighty God, none of the denominations in the world dares to openly testify that the Lord Jesus has returned. The way that dares to face the entire mankind’s investigating can’t possibly be false.” So I began to think well of The Church of Almighty God. At lunchtime, the brothers and sisters treated us very well. Because we came here with our daughter, they took out of plenty of toys to look after her. Seeing this, I believed the way they lived was not fake. The church had nothing to do with a violent organization described by the online rumors. After I actually investigated The Church of Almighty God, my previous misgivings disappeared gradually, and then my husband and I decided to attend meetings in The Church of Almighty God.

During that period, my husband was taking his annual leave, so we entrusted my child to my mother’s care and almost every day, we went to the local church of Almighty God to attend meetings. At each meeting, what the brothers and sisters fellowshiped was the words of Almighty God, and the content of their fellowships was to help us know God and His work. They also shared with us their experiences and testimonies of how they practiced God’s words. And moreover they prayed in the name of Almighty God, which was not like the online words saying that the One who people of The Church of Almighty God believed in and worshiped was a person.

Afterward, my husband’s vacation was over, and I was also very busy. In order to enable us to have normal gatherings, some brothers and sisters went to my home to have meetings with us. Every time either two sisters or two sisters and one brother came to my home; I had never seen two people of different sexes came here. Later, in a meeting, I knew that the ten administrative decrees of the Church of Almighty God stipulates that it is absolutely prohibited for two members of the opposite sex to work together. The fourth administrative decree stipulates that: “Man has corrupt disposition and, moreover, he is possessed of emotions. As such, it is absolutely prohibited for two members of the opposite sex to work together when serving God. Any who are discovered doing so will be expelled, without exception—and no one is exempt.” Then I couldn’t help but think of the online rumors saying the people of The Church of Almighty God had unclear boundaries between men and women. They were purely a pack of nonsense.

Through our practical investigating The Church of Almighty God and contacting the brothers and sisters those days, the rumors made up by the CCP government all collapsed on themselves. I couldn’t resist feeling self-accusation for the fact that I once believed the lies and refused to investigate God’s work. Meanwhile, I felt very indignant: “The rumors on the Internet are really harmful to people! Now who knows how many people like me, because of believing the rumors, dare not to seek and investigate God’s work of the last days or to come to The Church of Almighty God.”

Through a period of investigation, my husband and I accepted the work of Almighty God of the last days. One month later, a good friend of mine, who went to church with us during our university days, came to South Korea to visit me. When meeting her, I couldn’t wait to tell her the good news that the Lord Jesus has returned. However, to my surprise, after hearing this, she immediately stood up and angrily said to us: “How can you believe in Eastern Lightning? Don’t you know now all of the leaders of every denomination are condemning Eastern Lightning?” My husband replied: “We’ve read a lot of Almighty God’s words and investigated many times, and then we confirm that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus’ return—” Not until he finished his words did my friend interrupt him and fire questions at us: “How many years have you two believed in the Lord? Do you understand the Bible? Haven’t the pastors and elders believed in the Lord longer than you have? Don’t they understand the Bible more than you do? If Eastern Lightning is the true way, why do they not accept it?” After she left, I still couldn’t understand: “My friend has believed in the Lord since she was a child, and she knows lots of knowledge of the Bible. According to logic, that the Lord Jesus has returned is a piece of good news for her, but why does she not investigate the work of God in the last days? In addition, these pastors and elders believe in the Lord, and have worked and preached for many years, but why do they also not investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days?” A succession of questions occupied my mind.

In the following days, my friend ceaselessly called me and urged me to see the pastor of the church in China, and on the phone she also said many words of the pastor condemning The Church of Almighty God. Furthermore, when the pastors and elders from the church in South Korea learned that we had believed in Almighty God, they constantly called us and asked for meeting us. They also repeatedly warned us not to read the book of Eastern Lightning, saying that the preaching of The Church of Almighty God was very profound, and that we were easily deceived because our stature was small and we didn’t understand the Bible very well. Under their continual disturbances, I then didn’t have my own mind, and thought it over and over again: “During this period, Almighty God’s words I have read indeed make me understand many truths, and I also confirm within my heart that Almighty God is really the Lord Jesus’ appearance. However, why do pastors and elders not accept but along with the CCP government condemn and resist Almighty God? Is my faith wrong?” The more I thought about it, the more troubled I felt. Without realizing it, I was a little shaken again. In the following week, I did not want to read God’s words, nor to attend meetings. I was at loose ends, just watching TV at home all day long. My husband worried about me very much when seeing me like this, so he persuaded me to seek fellowship with the brothers and sisters to resolve my issues, but I was always escaping and did not want to see them.

Later, after repeated exhortations by my husband, I decided to find the brothers and sisters to figure out my issues. After seeing them, I poured out all my confusion of these days. One brother read a passage of the Bible to me: “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dig a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to farmers, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the farmers took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did to them likewise. But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him” (Matthew 21:33-39).

He fellowshiped: “This parable of the evil farmers told by the Lord Jesus was aimed at the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees who served God in the temple in the Age of Law. At that time God entrusted them to shepherd the sheep, but when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, they condemned and resisted Him, and blocked believers from following the Lord Jesus as well. Likewise, in the last days, when God returns in the flesh to save mankind and to find His sheep, the leaders of the religious world are unwilling to give sheep back to God, and then the history of Pharisees resisting the Lord Jesus two thousand years ago is repeating itself. Although these leaders of the religious world are familiar with the Bible, they don’t have a heart that fears God at all. They’re afraid that if the believers all believe in Almighty God then no one will follow them anymore or donate money to them, so in order to protect their status and their livelihood, under the banner of being loyal to the Lord and protecting His flock they have manufactured all kinds of vicious rumors to frenziedly resist and condemn God’s work of the last days and done their best to prevent believers from investigating the true way and returning to God. What they do is the same as the treatment of the Pharisees toward the Lord Jesus. They are exactly the evil servants revealed by the work of God in the last days. Let’s have a look at how the words of Almighty God expose them. Almighty God says: ‘Those who read the Bible in grand churches recite the Bible every day, yet not one understands the purpose of God’s work. Not one is able to know God; moreover, not one is in accord with the heart of God. They are all worthless, vile men, each standing on high to teach God. Though they brandish the name of God, they willfully oppose Him. Though they label themselves believers of God, they are ones who eat the flesh and drink the blood of man. All such men are devils who devour the soul of man, head demons who purposefully disturb those who try to step onto the right path, and stumbling blocks that impede the path of those who seek God. Though they are of “robust flesh,” how are their followers to know that they are antichrists who lead man in opposition to God? How are they to know that they are living devils who specially seek souls to devour?’ The substance of the religious leaders are clearly revealed by Almighty God’s words. They are definitely not true believers of the Lord, but contemporary Pharisees who block people from investigating the true way and antichrists who lead people to resist God. We need to see through their essence lest we become subject to their confusion.”

The words of God and the fellowship of the brother made me feel enlightened a lot in my heart. I clearly saw that present-day pastors of the religious world are just like the evil farmers. The Lord entrusted them to shepherd and look after the sheep, but when the Lord Jesus has returned and wants to get back these sheep, they’re afraid that if believers all follow Almighty God then no one will listen to their preaching or donate money to them, so they try to usurp the Lord’s sheep for themselves and prevent believers from investigating the true way. All they have been doing is protect their own interests. They are really very despicable! It is I myself who am to blame. Because without discernment, I was deceived by them, and even didn’t want to contact with the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God. I was really too ignorant.

After that, the brother read a passage of Almighty God’s words: “In the nation of the great red dragon, I have carried out a stage of work unfathomable to human beings, causing them to sway in the wind, after which many quietly drift away with the blowing of the wind. Truly, this is the ‘threshing floor’ I am about to clear; it is what I yearn for and it is also My plan. For many wicked ones have crept in while I am at work, but I am in no hurry to drive them away. Rather, I shall disperse them when the time is right. Only after that shall I be the fountain of life, allowing those who truly love Me to receive from Me the fruit of the fig tree and the fragrance of the lily. In the land where Satan sojourns, the land of dust, there remains no pure gold, only sand, and so, meeting with these circumstances, I do such a stage of work. You should know that what I gain is pure, refined gold, not sand. How can the wicked remain in My house?”

He then fellowshiped: “In the last days, God becomes flesh and works in China, allowing the antichrist forces in religious circles and the CCP government to disturb and obstruct His work. It’s sure that God’s wisdom is present here. On the one hand, through their persecution, rumors and attacks, we can see through the CCP’s evil and reactionary substance of resisting God and the hypocritical and truth-hating antichrist essence of the religious leaders. On the other hand, these can also reveal different kinds of people, such as unbelievers, true believers and fake believers, sheep and goats, wheat and tares, good servants and evil servants, wise virgins and foolish virgins, and so on. The rumors can merely bind the tares, but not the wheat. That’s because all the people who belong to God will surely return before God. Those who, under the persecution of the CCP government and religious leaders, are able to see through the rumors and still have faith in following God are wise virgins, and in the end they have the hope of being made into overcomers by God, and becoming the pillars in God’s kingdom. This exactly fulfills the prophecy of the Book of Revelation: ‘Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out’” (Revelation 3:12).

After hearing his fellowship, I felt brighter and brighter inside. It turned out that the persecution of the CCP government and the disturbance of the antichrist forces in religious circles are used by God to do service for perfecting and revealing people. Therein lies God’s wisdom. I felt it very fortunate for me to obtain God’s mercy. Although I was deceived by the rumors because I had no discernment, God still arranged for some brothers and sisters to patiently fellowship the truth with me time and again. Through this, I finally could distinguish the lies made up by the CCP, and see clearly the sinister motives of the CCP government and the religious leaders using the rumors to deceive and devour people. All of this was God’s grace for me. I thanked God very much for His salvation from the bottom of my heart.

Afterward, as long as I had time I would go to The Church of Almighty God to attend meetings. Through God’s words, I come to understand more and more truths, and when encountering something that are at odds with my conceptions, I no longer guard against it or resist it like before, but take the initiative to seek fellowship with some brothers and sisters. By reading God’s words, I understand God wishes more people to accept His salvation. Now a number of brothers and sisters from the denominations have been deceived by CCP’s rumors, or confused and controlled by antichrists of the religious world, so I want to preach the gospel to them. I hope to use my personal experience to help them soon see through Satan’s tricks, break free from the bondage of the rumors, and return before Almighty God, Christ of the last days, to accept His salvation. All the glory be to God!

[comebeforegod]

Seeing Through the Rumors, I Came Back Before God

By Zhao Zhen, United States

One day, I switched on my computer and saw that the CCP government was arresting Christians belonging to The Church of Almighty God, and there was a lot of negative publicity on the internet which condemned and blasphemed The Church of Almighty God.

 After seeing this, I felt nervous all of a sudden, thinking of my wife who still lived on the Chinese mainland and who was a believer in Almighty God. I immediately called her up. I knew that the CCP government persecuted believers in God, so I didn’t dare say too much over the phone about my wife’s belief for fear of bringing disaster down on her. And so I told my wife not to go running around everywhere (meaning preaching the gospel), and to stay at home. From then on, I often called her to find out how she was. She told me that everything was fine, and my worrying heart finally relaxed a little.

Before long, I happened to come across the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case on the internet. After watching the video of it, I felt somewhat stricken, and I thought to myself, “Believers in God are all upright and kind-hearted. How could they do such a thing?” I hurriedly called my wife and learned that she was safe and sound, and my worrying heart relaxed. I hinted to my wife that she should not believe in God anymore and to just live a normal life at home. Her response calmed me. But whenever I thought of the negative rumors on the internet, I would feel very worried for my wife, afraid that she would be arrested by the CCP or that something bad would happen to her. Although I called her often and she always told me that nothing out of the ordinary was happening at home, I still felt anxious.

Later, my wife and son came to the US, and when I found out that my wife was still believing in Almighty God, I became angry, and tried to dissuade her from believing anymore. I also showed her the reports of negative public opinion about The Church of Almighty God online. My wife would not read them, and she said to me, “They are all rumors fabricated by the CCP. The May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case is even more so a criminal case fabricated by the CCP to purposefully invent false charges to frame and tarnish The Church of Almighty God. All Chinese media are the mouthpiece of the CCP and they only ever take the CCP’s side. Can you really believe what they say?” I said, “The CCP government says online that there are improper relations between men and women in The Church of Almighty God. Can it all be false? Whatever the case, you’re not to believe in Almighty God anymore. From this day on, you are to cut off all contact with them.” My wife shook her head and said resolutely, “Almighty God is the Lord Jesus returned, and this is the appearance and work of the true God. I cannot give it up. Since I met brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God, I’ve seen them dress simply and elegantly, and their speech and comportment are decent and dignified. There are boundaries and principles concerning the interaction between brothers and sisters, and it’s completely different to what those rumors on the internet say. Besides, in the administrative decrees, Almighty God clearly stipulates that, ‘Man has corrupt disposition and, moreover, he is possessed of emotions. As such, it is absolutely prohibited for two members of the opposite sex to work together when serving God. Any who are discovered doing so will be expelled, without exception—and no one is exempt.’ God is holy and righteous; God most detests when people are promiscuous, and so He has drawn up strict administrative rules. If anyone violates them, then they will be expelled from the church. Brothers and sisters all adhere strictly to His administrative decrees, and no one would dare violate them. Those stories that are spread online by the CCP are fabricated rumors and slander, pure and simple. You must not blindly believe it all!” Hearing her state her case so eloquently, and with such a resolute attitude, I pointed at her and said, “Why won’t you listen to me? Whatever you say, you must not believe in God anymore!” Our argument got hotter and hotter, but I still couldn’t convince her to give up her belief in God.

In the time that followed, I ignored my wife, but she still kept patiently preaching the gospel to me and reading Almighty God’s words to me, and she showed me some of The Church of Almighty God’s videos. But by that time, my mind had been completely deceived by the rumors I’d read online—I didn’t listen to what she said, and nothing I saw in the videos sank in. Seeing my wife with such a resolute attitude and not listening to my advice at all, in a fit of anger, I left to go work in another state. I lived very painfully at that time and would get a headache whenever I thought of this issue. Neither did I feel much like working, and I even thought of divorcing my wife. Afterward, my wife got sick, so I took some time off work to take care of her at home. During that period, she preached the gospel to me many times, but my heart remained inflexible. I believed without question the rumors online and, no matter what my wife said, I refused to accept the gospel.

One day, two sisters from The Church of Almighty God came to the house. Seeing them speak so naturally and dress so plainly, I felt a little puzzled: They look as though they act decently, and they dress very simply, I thought. They’re not like it says online. The two sisters greeted me warmly and, afraid of losing face, I greeted them back as they sat down to chat. Seeing them and my wife having a meeting, I was going to leave them to it. Unexpectedly, the sisters invited me to sit and talk with them awhile, and my wife urged me to stay and listen. I would have felt embarrassed to refuse, so I reluctantly sat down.

After I’d sat down, Sister Huang patiently fellowshiped with me about the origin of all things, the degeneration of mankind and God’s salvation. As I listened to her, I came to understand many things I had not previously understood. And then, she played me the video The Days of Noah Have Come, and she said that our current age is exactly the same as the age of Noah: Mankind has been corrupted so much that they now don’t seem human at all, they advocate wealth, they engage in wicked promiscuity and they do not worship God. So as to save mankind, God has come to the world again to perform His work of judging and saving mankind, and only if we accept God’s work of the last days can we cast off our corruption, live out a true human likeness and attain the salvation of God. These words tugged at my heart, especially a hymn of God’s words that was sung at the end of the video they showed me, “Only if Mankind Worships the True God Can They Have a Good Fate”: “God created this world, He created this mankind, and moreover He was the architect of ancient Greek culture and human civilization. Only God consoles this mankind, and only God cares for this mankind night and day. Human development and progress is inseparable from the sovereignty of God, and the history and future of mankind are inextricable from the designs of God. … God alone knows the fate of a country or nation, and God alone controls the course of this mankind. If mankind wishes to have a good fate, if a country wishes to have a good fate, then man must bow down to God in worship, repent and confess before God, or else the fate and destination of man will unavoidably end in catastrophe.” These words are so authoritative and powerful, and my heart was deeply rocked. I felt that no ordinary person could say something like that. I thought: Could it be that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus? These two sisters didn’t look like bad people, and in their meeting, they only talked about belief in God and how to follow the right path in life. So what had that Shandong Zhaoyuan Case been all about? When I thought about that, I felt very uncomfortable, afraid that I would start believing in something that wasn’t true. As we went on, although I still listened to them, I harbored doubts all the way through the meeting.

Later, my wife saw that I had misgivings, and she showed me the video, The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case. She said to me, “The May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case was simply a murder case fabricated by the CCP to lay false charges against The Church of Almighty God. When you watch this video, you’ll learn the real truth.” My heart was beginning to soften at that point, and I wanted to get to the bottom of this matter.

After I’d watched the video, I suddenly saw the light. As it turned out, the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case was not perpetrated by members of The Church of Almighty God, and when the case came to trial, several of the accused gave incoherent statements, and they were clearly a bunch of psychopaths. And they said, “What the state cracks down on is the Almighty God of Zhao Weishan, not the ‘Almighty God’ of ours.” “I’ve never been involved or associated with The Church of Almighty God.” The perpetrators have emphasized that they are not members of The Church of Almighty God under attack by the CCP, yet the CCP has insisted that they are members of The Church of Almighty God. This is clearly a set up! I couldn’t stop myself from saying indignantly to my wife, “The CCP government really distorts the facts. They are so despicable and evil!”

My wife then said to me, “Also, there are principles to The Church of Almighty God’s preaching of the gospel. It can only be preached to those with a good humanity, who sincerely believe in God, who are willing to seek the true way and who can accept the truth. We do not preach to wicked or bad people. As for Zhang Lidong, The Church of Almighty God would never accept such a wicked person. They are simply not members of The Church of Almighty God.”

My wife showed me a passage from God’s word, “Kin who are not of the faith (your children, your husband or wife, your sisters or your parents, and so on) should not be forced into the church. God’s household is not short of members, and there is no need to make up its numbers with people who have no use. All those who do not believe gladly must not be led into the church. This decree is directed at all people. In this matter you should check, monitor and remind each other, and no one may violate it. Even when kin who are not of the faith do reluctantly enter the church, they must not be issued books or given a new name; such people are not of God’s household, and their entry into the church must be put a stop to by any means necessary. If trouble is brought upon the church due to the invasion of demons, then you yourself will be expelled or will have restrictions placed upon you. In short, everyone has a responsibility toward this matter, but you should also not be reckless, or use it to settle personal scores.”

My wife gave fellowship, saying, “God is faithful, holy and righteous. The people God saves all have a good humanity and love the truth, and God requires that His chosen people do not drag those who are unwilling to believe in God kicking and screaming into the church, even if they are family members or loved ones. The Church of Almighty God has never forced anyone to accept God’s gospel, much less would its members beat anyone to death for not wanting to believe in God or for not giving them their telephone number.” After listening to my wife, I began to awaken, and I felt like I had been so ignorant and foolish. It had been such an obvious attempt to frame the church and I hadn’t even been able to figure it out. I decided there and then to investigate in earnest Almighty God’s work of the last days.

When the sister had a meeting with me, she fellowshiped with me the substance of the CCP’s resistance to God and read a passage of God’s words, “Satan wins its fame through deceiving the public. It often establishes itself as a vanguard and role model of righteousness. Under the banner of safeguarding righteousness, it harms man, devours their souls, and uses all sorts of means to benumb, deceive and incite man. Its goal is to make man approve of and follow along with its evil conduct, to make man join it in opposing God’s authority and sovereignty. However, when one grows wise to its schemes, plotting and vile features and does not wish to continue to be trampled upon and fooled by it or to continue slaving away for it, or to be punished and destroyed together with it, Satan changes its previously saintly features and tears off its false mask to reveal its true evil, vicious, ugly and savage face. It would love nothing more than to exterminate all those who refuse to follow it and those who oppose its evil forces. At this point Satan can no longer assume a trustworthy, gentlemanly appearance; instead, its true ugly and devilish features under the sheep’s clothing are revealed. Once Satan’s schemes are brought to light, once its true features are exposed, it will fly into a rage and expose its barbarity; its desire to harm and devour people will only be intensified. This is because it is enraged by man’s awakening; it develops a strong vindictiveness toward man for their aspiration to yearn for freedom and light and to break free of its prison. Its rage is intended to defend its evil, and it is also a true revelation of its savage nature.”

After reading God’s words, the sister fellowshiped, “We all know that ever since the atheist CCP government came to power, they’ve been publicly denying God, condemning and blaspheming God. They have labeled Christianity as an evil cult and the Bible a cultist book; they confiscate it and burn it! Especially when it comes to those Christians, the CCP is always fanatically suppressing, capturing and persecuting them. There are countless Christians they’ve maimed or killed. Facts show that the CCP goes under the guise of the banner ‘freedom of religion,’ but behind the scenes, they wantonly coerce and arrest people who believe in God. By doing this, aren’t they cheating and deceiving the people? The CCP hates and persecutes The Church of Almighty God. It fears that the Chinese people will all believe in God and follow God, and then no one will listen to the CCP anymore or be enslaved to it anymore. In particular, the kingdom gospel of Almighty God has already spread to all nations of the world, and the CCP’s wicked deeds persecuting Christians have been exposed. The CCP fears that more people will see its true colors and reject it, and so it uses media online to publicize its own take on events, and it engages in the wholesale fabrication of false charges, it frames and tarnishes The Church of Almighty God, it uses any means to cruelly torture and persecute Christians in an attempt to outlaw God’s work and turn China into a godless zone, so that it may achieve its ambitious aim of ruling people forever. The CCP is the absolute worst God-hating and truth-hating satanic, evil force! Satan has always opposed God; it fabricates and disseminates all manner of lies in order to deceive and disturb us, to make us shun God and betray Him, so that we can be controlled and possessed by Satan. Since olden days, the true way has always been subject to persecution. We must have discernment of the CCP’s essence, and we must not be deceived by its lies and lose our chance to attain salvation!”

After hearing the sister’s fellowship, light flooded my heart, and I couldn’t help but say to the sister, “I now understand. All those rumors online are false. Satan uses the CCP government to spread rumors online and to stop us from seeking and investigating the true way. It tries to make us lose God’s grace so that we will be destroyed by God alongside it in the end. Satan is so despicable and hateful! Because I believed in the CCP’s rumors over these past few years, I’ve lived in a state of apprehension and anxiety, so much so that I almost divorced my wife. I tried to stop my wife from believing in God and did many things which resisted God, and I almost ruined my chance to attain salvation. It was Almighty God’s words which allowed me to see through the lies of Satan and be able to come before God.” Hearing me speak like this, the sisters were glad. And my wife, laughing, said to me, “Thanks be to God! Old Zhao, you’ve finally got it!” I laughed too.

Later, I met and fellowshiped with brothers and sisters whenever I had time and, as we fellowshiped during our meetings, they were always so loving and patient. Sometimes, they would give fellowship about something and I wouldn’t understand, so a sister would then fellowship it with me several more times until I understood. Brothers and sisters talked about their own experiences with each other, giving fellowship on how they received the judgment and chastisement of God’s words and how they came to understand their own corrupt dispositions. They would then fellowship about how they forsook their flesh and practiced the truth, and came to live out a true human likeness. Through living this kind of church life, I became even more sure that the brothers and sisters in The Church of Almighty God were following the right path in life. I thought back to how I had had the wool pulled over my eyes by online rumors, and so never watched in earnest the videos and movies produced by The Church of Almighty God. Now watching these videos, I felt them to be truly wonderful, and they allowed me to understand many truths. Whenever I see brothers and sisters with smiling faces that overflow with joy in music and dance videos, I feel joy in my heart, and I feel as though all my troubles instantly disappear. And then there are the videos of experiences and testimonies, which talk about how people used to live by satanic philosophies before they came to believe in God and how they didn’t have a true human likeness. They talk about their experiences and testify to how, after they came before Almighty God and under the guidance of His words, their corrupt dispositions changed. Only the work of the true God could achieve such results! Almighty God’s word is the truth and it carries authority and power. It can change our hearts and our spirits and enable us to live out a true human likeness and live our lives in the light.

Through a short period of investigation, I came to completely verify Almighty God’s work. Before, I used to blindly believe the rumors I’d read. I didn’t seek or investigate God’s work and so I condemned it, and I tried to stop my wife from believing in God. When I thought of that, I felt such remorse and sadness in my heart, and I always felt that God would not save me, being so corrupt as I was. Later, I read God’s words, “Each and every person who has accepted the conquering of words will have ample opportunity for salvation. God’s salvation of each one of these people shows them His utmost leniency, meaning that they are showed the utmost tolerance. So long as people turn back from the wrong path, so long as they can repent, then God will give them the opportunity to obtain His salvation.” God’s words were like a warm current flowing through me, and my heart was much moved. God was showing leniency and mercy to my ignorance and foolishness and was not treating me according to my transgression. He was always giving me chances to repent and, through my wife and the sisters coming to give me fellowship, God had enabled me to see through the rumors and come back before God, and to get a chance to attain salvation—God had so much love for me! It was God’s exaltation and graciousness that enabled me to accept Almighty God’s work of the last days.

Now, our whole family believes in God and, under the guidance of God’s words, we live together in increasing harmony and peace. We all pursue the truth and pursue dispositional change, and I feel that only this kind of life is a life of value and meaning. Thanks be to Almighty God!

[fear-god-shun-evil]

I Find the Way to Victory in Spiritual Warfare

By Zhuiqiu, United States

When coming before God, we will often undergo the temptation and disturbance of Satan. Faced with Satan’s temptation and disturbance, I was once distressed and weak, but after experiencing it, I gained a lot. …

In 2011, I believed in the Lord Jesus because of my illness. In the initial years I was zealous. Though I ran a shop to be taken care of by myself and lived far from the church, I still actively attended meetings on each Lord’s Day. Until later I found there was no new light in the sermons of the pastors. They either talked the same old things or testified how they worked and suffered and so I felt I couldn’t gain supply. Every time I would return from the meeting with disappointment. Therefore, I prayed and asked the Lord to prepare a better church for me.

Afterward, a sister preached Almighty God’s kingdom gospel to me. Through the sister’s fellowship, I came to understand: The reason why the church grows desolate is because the pastors and elders have deviated from the Lord’s way and disobeyed the Lord’s commandments. They never make clear how to practice and experience the Lord’s words in their preaching. And instead they often interpret biblical knowledge and exalt and testify themselves to be adored by people, leading believers to go astray from the Lord’s way. This is why they are detested by God. Another reason is that God has been incarnated to do the work of judging and purifying man in the last days. The work of the Holy Spirit has shifted onto those who have accepted the kingdom gospel of Almighty God. Yet those who haven’t kept up with God’s work will be eliminated by the work of the Holy Spirit and fall into darkness. In the several fellowships, I found what the sister talked not only conformed to the Bible but also was something I had never heard, which provided for and edified me. Then I accepted God’s new work and I could have new light and gain every day by thirstily reading God’s words. Just when I was immersed in joy of the watering and feeding of God’s words, Satan’s disturbance soon came upon me unexpectedly.

One afternoon, my son came to the shop for goods. Seeing the book of God’s words I had put on the table, he opened it and asked me in astonishment: “Mum, is this from The Church of Almighty God?” I said to him excitedly: “Yes. This book is very good. Read it in your free time.” “Mum, how come you believe in Almighty God?” With that, he took out his cellphone and found the news about May 28 Zhaoyuan Case for me to read, and then tried to dissuade me from the faith. I immediately got muddled, thinking: What to make of it? Is it really the same as what the news reports? My son continued seriously: “Mum, The news has reported this. Can it possibly be false? You should return the book to them as soon as possible and never come into contact with them. You’d better go back to the former church.” After my son left, my heart couldn’t calm down anymore. My son’s words and the sister’s kept showing up in my head. I thought: The sister’s fellowships are all in line with the Bible and they are practical. Also, God’s words have opened the mysteries of Revelation and there is nothing incorrect. But what can account for the news? Should I accept the kingdom gospel of Almighty God? What should I do to be in accordance with the Lord’s will?

A few days later, the sister came for a meeting with me. I didn’t know how to face her, nor dared to raise my head to look at her. I thought that the sister traveled a long way for meetings with me and also helped me take care of my grandson. She looked very kind and treated me gently, unlike what the rumors said. If I drove her away, I would feel guilt in my heart; if otherwise, I was afraid that I would be deceived. At the very moment when I was in a dilemma, I remembered the Lord Jesus said: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). So I thought: Now there is true or false news. Wasn’t Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident created by the Chinese Communist Party? If I don’t seek, I will never know what the truth is all about. If I miss the opportunity of welcoming the Lord because of believing the rumors, won’t I regret it all my life? I decided to ask the sister about the truth. Then I recounted to her the occurrence of the last few days and the confusion in my heart.

The sister played to me the video—Lifting the Veil: The Truth About the Evil Chinese Communist Party’s Show Trial, and then read a passage of God’s words to me: “Kin who are not of the faith (your children, your husband or wife, your sisters or your parents, and so on) should not be forced into the church. God’s household is not short of members, and there is no need to make up its numbers with people who have no use. All those who do not believe gladly must not be led into the church. This decree is directed at all people. In this matter you should check, monitor and remind each other, and no one may violate it. Even when kin who are not of the faith do reluctantly enter the church, they must not be issued books or given a new name; such people are not of God’s household, and their entry into the church must be put a stop to by any means necessary. If trouble is brought upon the church due to the invasion of demons, then you yourself will be expelled or will have restrictions placed upon you. In short, everyone has a responsibility toward this matter, but you should also not be reckless, or use it to settle personal scores.”

The sister fellowshiped: “It is clearly written in God’s words that the church has principles in preaching the gospel. Those who are not of the faith can never be forced into the church, even including our relatives. As we all clearly know, the ten administrative decrees are equivalent to the ten commandments in the Age of Law and they must be obeyed by every one of God’s chosen people. Brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God never force others to accept the gospel, and there are never cases that they beat gospel targets who are unwilling to believe in Almighty God. Yet the perpetrators in the video beat the person to death because they failed to get her phone number. This is enough to prove that the several perpetrators are not from The Church of Almighty God.” After knowing the truth, I said: “Yes. When reporters interviewed them, the several perpetrators clearly stated ‘we never had contact with The Church of Almighty God, because they are very secretive’ and ‘what the state cracks down on is the Almighty God that Zhao believes in, not the Almighty God that we believe in.’ They confess that they are not from The Church of Almighty God. This is obviously framing and defaming the Church.” However, I still had some doubts: Since they are not members of The Church of Almighty God, why has the CCP insisted that they are from the Church? Filled with confusion, I asked the sister again.

The sister read another passage of God’s words: “Satan is at war with God, trailing along behind Him. Its objective is to demolish all the work God wants to do, to possess and control those whom God wants, to completely extinguish those whom God wants. If they are not extinguished, then they come to Satan’s possession to be used by it—this is its objective.” The sister fellowshiped: “As is known to us, Satan is the enemy of God. Where there is God’s work, there is Satan’s disturbance and destruction. God has been working to save man, while Satan tries various tricks to demolish God’s work and deceive and corrupt people to be saved by God in an attempt to let people go to hell and receive punishment along with it. The CCP is exactly the evil force of Satan and it particularly hates the truth and God. Over the past years, Almighty God has expressed all the truth of purifying and saving people, the kingdom gospel has been spread across the whole mainland China within only twenty years, and millions of people have returned to Almighty God. When seeing this, the CCP fears that people all accept the true way and reject it, so it started to frenziedly suppress and persecute Christians from The Church of Almighty God. Now Almighty God’s kingdom gospel has expanded to many countries in the world, and Almighty God’s expression and the facts of God’s chosen people suffering the CCP’s persecution have been made into films and uploaded to different big foreign websites. The CCP fears that its heinous crimes of persecuting and afflicting God’s chosen people are exposed to the world. And then it used the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case to frame and make false charges against The Church of Almighty God, defame the Church, and fabricate public scandals for suppressing and banning the Church of Almighty God, attempting to destroy God’s work. This is the sinister and evil motive of the CCP.”

After hearing the sister’s words, I saw the CCP was really too shameless and despicable. Through the communication with the sister, I was freed from the doubts and misgivings in my heart, and felt how arduous and difficult God’s work was. This even more stirred up my resolution to pursue the truth and follow God. Later on, I told to my son about the truth of May 28 Zhaoyuan Case, he gave his tacit consent and no longer opposed me. Sometimes when my son came across the sister who came for meetings, he would say hello to her politely.

Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing

Unexpectedly, two weeks later, my son said to me seriously: “Lately, I went to the church and heard the priest proclaimed lots of negative information about The Church of Almighty God. He said we can’t contact people who believe in Eastern Lightning, so stop your faith.” Seeing my son had been deceived by the priest, I was afraid that he would follow the priest to resist God and so I said solemnly: “Do you believe in the priest or in God?” My son blinked for a second and said: “Of course I believe in God. But all that the priest says comes from God. The priests all graduated from seminaries and they are very familiar with the Bible. They surely know much.” I asked my son again: “Do the priests have truth? Do their words match the Bible? Do you know what the Pharisees are? Have you forgotten how the Pharisees nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross? Those Pharisees all knew the Bible and compassed land and sea spreading the laws of Jehovah God, but they defined God within their conceptions and imaginations, within the literal words of the Bible. When the Lord Jesus began to work and preach sermons and brought the gospel of kingdom, they didn’t care how profound the Lord Jesus’ preaching was or how many miracles He performed. As long as His name was not Messiah, they would resist and condemn. They didn’t have any reverence for God. In order to protect their status and livelihood, they even colluded with the Roman government to crucify the Lord Jesus. After the Lord Jesus’ resurrection, not only did they not accept, but they persecuted the disciples of the Lord Jesus. They believed in and served God in name but resisted God in substance. That’s why the Lord Jesus rebuked and condemned them, saying that they were blind guides. Son, what we believe in is God, not man. The Jewish people followed the Pharisees to resist and condemn the Lord Jesus, committing a monstrous sin and suffering the curse of God. If we don’t investigate but blindly hear the priest’s words, are we not the same as the Jewish people following the Pharisees to resist the Lord Jesus? By contrast, when Peter heard the Lord Jesus’ words, he followed Him and recognized that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah prophesied to come. If we only listen to the priest rather than contact and investigate The Church of Almighty God, how can we recognize whether Almighty God’s words are the voice of God and whether Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus? Only by contacting and investigating can we know the truth.” Hearing what I said, my son had no idea how to refute it, but he still held some refusal in his heart, and said: “Don’t believe by mistake, for many people have said that this church is not good.” I said: “People who followed the Lord Jesus at that time were few while those who followed the Pharisees to judge and condemn the Lord Jesus were many, right? If we measure according to this, don’t we condemn and reject the Lord Jesus? Now through investigation, I have confirmed that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus. You should also take a serious investigation.” My son found he couldn’t persuade me, so he went back to his room with helplessness.

Later, my son often came to my shop. The sister testified God’s kingdom gospel to him several times, but he couldn’t take in one word. He also told me: “As long as you give up believing in God, you can do whatever you like. You can close the shop and go play anywhere you please. Or you can watch TV dramas if you have nothing to do.” At his words, I felt they were both annoying and laughable. Why would he rather let me watch TV dramas than let me have meetings and read God’s words? I told my son with smile: “Believing in and worshiping God is what I like and what I most want to do. After accepting God’s kingdom gospel, I have known ever more of God’s work, have found the way of breaking away from sin, and have lived a full life. If you are truly good to me, you should support me.” Finally my son couldn’t change my mind and went away in anger.

The next day, when I was having meal in the shop, my son suddenly came in and said to me blankly: “Mum, I have a fateful thing to discuss with you.” Seeing my son’s solemn look, I wondered: In the past my son never spoke to me in this way. Is there anything serious today? My son said: “Will you choose believing in God or choose me? Just make a final choice. If you choose me, I can take you to the hospital when you’re ill and I can look after you whatever happens to you; if you choose believing in God, I will ignore you regardless of anything you encounter in the future. Mum, just think: I am your own flesh and blood. Anyway, you have to rely on me, right? If you believe in God, who will take care of you? Think about it seriously!” Hearing my son let me make a choice between God and him, I felt at once that my head buzzed, thinking: How will this happen? Is there anything wrong for me to believe in God? I just want to properly believe in and follow God, but why doesn’t my son understand me? I have this only son; if he really leave me alone, how shall I live? One side is God who loves and saves me, and the other is my only son. Facing such choice, I felt it was piercing my heart and grew weak unwittingly. In pain, I came before God and prayed: “O God! I’m very weak now, for I don’t know how to make the choice. He is my only son, yet I know I can’t give up believing in You. However, my son keeps stopping me and I don’t know what I should do. God, please lead me and let me understand Your will. …”

At a meeting, the sister saw me in a bad state and asked me with concern. Having learned my situation, she read a passage of God’s words for me: “In every step of work that God does within people, externally it appears to be interactions between people, as if born of human arrangements, or from human interference. But behind the scenes, every step of work, and everything that happens, is a wager made by Satan before God, and requires people to stand firm in their testimony to God. Take when Job was tried, for example: Behind the scenes, Satan was making a bet with God, and what happened to Job was the deeds of men, and the interference of men. Behind every step that God does in you is Satan’s wager with God—behind it all is a battle.”

The sister fellowshiped: “On this matter, outwardly it seems that your son is persecuting and hindering you from believing in God, but this actually is a spiritual battle. As Satan sees that we accept God’s kingdom gospel and come before God, it’s unwilling to admit defeat, so it uses our relatives to attack us, trying to shatter our faith so that we betray God and lose the chance of being saved by God to be devoured by Satan. And meanwhile, God uses such environment to test whether we have real faith in Him. Just like when Job was in trials, all that befell him was man’s doing. Yet behind the scenes, it’s Satan making a wager with God. Job lost a mountain of sheep and cattle, great fortune, and his pretty children, but he didn’t reject or betray God. He still followed the way of fearing God and shunning evil, kept his loyalty to God, overcame Satan by his faith, and stood testimony to glorify God. Since then, he attained God’s double blessings, and became a truly free man who worshiped God. Satan would never dare to tempt Job. Today as long as we rely on God to stand testimony, Satan will be shamed and defeated.”

At the time, I understood this was a spiritual battle, thinking: In order to make Job reject God, Satan not only took away all his possessions and children but also caused him to have painful sores all over. However, Job had never complained against God, and when he stood testimony, Satan fled in panic. At this thought, I couldn’t help feeling that Satan was too malicious and hateful. If I made compromise with my son, wouldn’t I fall into Satan’s scheme?

Then the sister continued: “We should also understand man’s fate is in God’s command, and not decided by any other person. Even if your son can look after your flesh temporarily, he can’t control your fate or resolve your spiritual emptiness and pain, much less does he decide your outcome and destination. In Matthew 6:26 the Lord Jesus said: ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?’ You see, God even feeds the animals, let alone us. God treats us like His children, and He will be responsible for our life. We should have faith in God.”

At this moment, God’s words occurred in my mind: “Faith is like a single log bridge, those who cling abjectly to life will have difficulty in crossing it.” I thought that my fate was in God’s hand, not controlled by my son. Even if my son could attend to my flesh, he could never command my fate. With God as my rear guard, I felt much assured in my heart, had faith in the way ahead, and resolved to stand testimony and shame Satan.

In the following several evenings, my son was unwilling to talk to me as he came home. And he even avoided me, blacklisted me on WeChat, and kept me from reaching him by phone. I could only pray to God and was willing to commit all this to God’s hand. In my free time, I would actively talk with my son about matters in our life. Unknowingly, I could get through to him. Sometimes when I had meetings, my son saw and no longer opposed me. As long as he had free time, he would take my grandson away from me. In this way I could have more time to gather with brothers and sisters quietly. Though my son didn’t speak anything, I could feel his estrangement with me was gradually gone.

In this spiritual battle, I was once distressed and weak because of my son’s repeated hindrances, but this experience made me profoundly feel the sinisterness and malice of Satan. At the same time I came to know the authority and power of God’s words. By relying on God’s words as my “weapon,” I had faith and strength, and defeated Satan time and again. And this simultaneously gave me a firmer resolution to follow God. All the glory be to God!

[focusontheeasternlightning-blog]

I Find the Way to Victory in Spiritual Warfare

By Zhuiqiu, United States

When coming before God, we will often undergo the temptation and disturbance of Satan. Faced with Satan’s temptation and disturbance, I was once distressed and weak, but after experiencing it, I gained a lot. …

In 2011, I believed in the Lord Jesus because of my illness. In the initial years I was zealous. Though I ran a shop to be taken care of by myself and lived far from the church, I still actively attended meetings on each Lord’s Day. Until later I found there was no new light in the sermons of the pastors. They either talked the same old things or testified how they worked and suffered and so I felt I couldn’t gain supply. Every time I would return from the meeting with disappointment. Therefore, I prayed and asked the Lord to prepare a better church for me.

Afterward, a sister preached Almighty God’s kingdom gospel to me. Through the sister’s fellowship, I came to understand: The reason why the church grows desolate is because the pastors and elders have deviated from the Lord’s way and disobeyed the Lord’s commandments. They never make clear how to practice and experience the Lord’s words in their preaching. And instead they often interpret biblical knowledge and exalt and testify themselves to be adored by people, leading believers to go astray from the Lord’s way. This is why they are detested by God. Another reason is that God has been incarnated to do the work of judging and purifying man in the last days. The work of the Holy Spirit has shifted onto those who have accepted the kingdom gospel of Almighty God. Yet those who haven’t kept up with God’s work will be eliminated by the work of the Holy Spirit and fall into darkness. In the several fellowships, I found what the sister talked not only conformed to the Bible but also was something I had never heard, which provided for and edified me. Then I accepted God’s new work and I could have new light and gain every day by thirstily reading God’s words. Just when I was immersed in joy of the watering and feeding of God’s words, Satan’s disturbance soon came upon me unexpectedly.

One afternoon, my son came to the shop for goods. Seeing the book of God’s words I had put on the table, he opened it and asked me in astonishment: “Mum, is this from The Church of Almighty God?” I said to him excitedly: “Yes. This book is very good. Read it in your free time.” “Mum, how come you believe in Almighty God?” With that, he took out his cellphone and found the news about May 28 Zhaoyuan Case for me to read, and then tried to dissuade me from the faith. I immediately got muddled, thinking: What to make of it? Is it really the same as what the news reports? My son continued seriously: “Mum, The news has reported this. Can it possibly be false? You should return the book to them as soon as possible and never come into contact with them. You’d better go back to the former church.” After my son left, my heart couldn’t calm down anymore. My son’s words and the sister’s kept showing up in my head. I thought: The sister’s fellowships are all in line with the Bible and they are practical. Also, God’s words have opened the mysteries of Revelation and there is nothing incorrect. But what can account for the news? Should I accept the kingdom gospel of Almighty God? What should I do to be in accordance with the Lord’s will?

A few days later, the sister came for a meeting with me. I didn’t know how to face her, nor dared to raise my head to look at her. I thought that the sister traveled a long way for meetings with me and also helped me take care of my grandson. She looked very kind and treated me gently, unlike what the rumors said. If I drove her away, I would feel guilt in my heart; if otherwise, I was afraid that I would be deceived. At the very moment when I was in a dilemma, I remembered the Lord Jesus said: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). So I thought: Now there is true or false news. Wasn’t Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident created by the Chinese Communist Party? If I don’t seek, I will never know what the truth is all about. If I miss the opportunity of welcoming the Lord because of believing the rumors, won’t I regret it all my life? I decided to ask the sister about the truth. Then I recounted to her the occurrence of the last few days and the confusion in my heart.

The sister played to me the video—Lifting the Veil: The Truth About the Evil Chinese Communist Party’s Show Trial, and then read a passage of God’s words to me: “Kin who are not of the faith (your children, your husband or wife, your sisters or your parents, and so on) should not be forced into the church. God’s household is not short of members, and there is no need to make up its numbers with people who have no use. All those who do not believe gladly must not be led into the church. This decree is directed at all people. In this matter you should check, monitor and remind each other, and no one may violate it. Even when kin who are not of the faith do reluctantly enter the church, they must not be issued books or given a new name; such people are not of God’s household, and their entry into the church must be put a stop to by any means necessary. If trouble is brought upon the church due to the invasion of demons, then you yourself will be expelled or will have restrictions placed upon you. In short, everyone has a responsibility toward this matter, but you should also not be reckless, or use it to settle personal scores.”

The sister fellowshiped: “It is clearly written in God’s words that the church has principles in preaching the gospel. Those who are not of the faith can never be forced into the church, even including our relatives. As we all clearly know, the ten administrative decrees are equivalent to the ten commandments in the Age of Law and they must be obeyed by every one of God’s chosen people. Brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God never force others to accept the gospel, and there are never cases that they beat gospel targets who are unwilling to believe in Almighty God. Yet the perpetrators in the video beat the person to death because they failed to get her phone number. This is enough to prove that the several perpetrators are not from The Church of Almighty God.” After knowing the truth, I said: “Yes. When reporters interviewed them, the several perpetrators clearly stated ‘we never had contact with The Church of Almighty God, because they are very secretive’ and ‘what the state cracks down on is the Almighty God that Zhao believes in, not the Almighty God that we believe in.’ They confess that they are not from The Church of Almighty God. This is obviously framing and defaming the Church.” However, I still had some doubts: Since they are not members of The Church of Almighty God, why has the CCP insisted that they are from the Church? Filled with confusion, I asked the sister again.

The sister read another passage of God’s words: “Satan is at war with God, trailing along behind Him. Its objective is to demolish all the work God wants to do, to possess and control those whom God wants, to completely extinguish those whom God wants. If they are not extinguished, then they come to Satan’s possession to be used by it—this is its objective.” The sister fellowshiped: “As is known to us, Satan is the enemy of God. Where there is God’s work, there is Satan’s disturbance and destruction. God has been working to save man, while Satan tries various tricks to demolish God’s work and deceive and corrupt people to be saved by God in an attempt to let people go to hell and receive punishment along with it. The CCP is exactly the evil force of Satan and it particularly hates the truth and God. Over the past years, Almighty God has expressed all the truth of purifying and saving people, the kingdom gospel has been spread across the whole mainland China within only twenty years, and millions of people have returned to Almighty God. When seeing this, the CCP fears that people all accept the true way and reject it, so it started to frenziedly suppress and persecute Christians from The Church of Almighty God. Now Almighty God’s kingdom gospel has expanded to many countries in the world, and Almighty God’s expression and the facts of God’s chosen people suffering the CCP’s persecution have been made into films and uploaded to different big foreign websites. The CCP fears that its heinous crimes of persecuting and afflicting God’s chosen people are exposed to the world. And then it used the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case to frame and make false charges against The Church of Almighty God, defame the Church, and fabricate public scandals for suppressing and banning the Church of Almighty God, attempting to destroy God’s work. This is the sinister and evil motive of the CCP.”

After hearing the sister’s words, I saw the CCP was really too shameless and despicable. Through the communication with the sister, I was freed from the doubts and misgivings in my heart, and felt how arduous and difficult God’s work was. This even more stirred up my resolution to pursue the truth and follow God. Later on, I told to my son about the truth of May 28 Zhaoyuan Case, he gave his tacit consent and no longer opposed me. Sometimes when my son came across the sister who came for meetings, he would say hello to her politely.

Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing

Unexpectedly, several months later, my son said to me seriously: “Lately, I went to the church and heard the priest proclaimed lots of negative information about The Church of Almighty God. He said we can’t contact people who believe in Eastern Lightning, so stop your faith.” Seeing my son had been deceived by the priest, I was afraid that he would follow the priest to resist God and so I said solemnly: “Do you believe in the priest or in God?” My son blinked for a second and said: “Of course I believe in God. But all that the priest says comes from God. The priests all graduated from seminaries and they are very familiar with the Bible. They surely know much.” I asked my son again: “Do the priests have truth? Do their words match the Bible? Do you know what the Pharisees are? Have you forgotten how the Pharisees nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross? Those Pharisees all knew the Bible and compassed land and sea spreading the laws of Jehovah God, but they defined God within their conceptions and imaginations, within the literal words of the Bible. When the Lord Jesus began to work and preach sermons and brought the gospel of kingdom, they didn’t care how profound the Lord Jesus’ preaching was or how many miracles He performed. As long as His name was not Messiah, they would resist and condemn. They didn’t have any reverence for God. In order to protect their status and livelihood, they even colluded with the Roman government to crucify the Lord Jesus. After the Lord Jesus’ resurrection, not only did they not accept, but they persecuted the disciples of the Lord Jesus. They believed in and served God in name but resisted God in substance. That’s why the Lord Jesus rebuked and condemned them, saying that they were blind guides. Son, what we believe in is God, not man. The Jewish people followed the Pharisees to resist and condemn the Lord Jesus, committing a monstrous sin and suffering the curse of God. If we don’t investigate but blindly hear the priest’s words, are we not the same as the Jewish people following the Pharisees to resist the Lord Jesus? By contrast, when Peter heard the Lord Jesus’ words, he followed Him and recognized that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah prophesied to come. If we only listen to the priest rather than contact and investigate The Church of Almighty God, how can we recognize whether Almighty God’s words are the voice of God and whether Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus? Only by contacting and investigating can we know the truth.” Hearing what I said, my son had no idea how to refute it, but he still held some refusal in his heart, and said: “Don’t believe by mistake, for many people have said that this church is not good.” I said: “People who followed the Lord Jesus at that time were few while those who followed the Pharisees to judge and condemn the Lord Jesus were many, right? If we measure according to this, don’t we condemn and reject the Lord Jesus? Now through investigation, I have confirmed that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus. You should also take a serious investigation.” My son found he couldn’t persuade me, so he went back to his room with helplessness.

Later, my son often came to my shop. The sister testified God’s kingdom gospel to him several times, but he couldn’t take in one word. He also told me: “As long as you give up believing in God, you can do whatever you like. You can close the shop and go play anywhere you please. Or you can watch TV dramas if you have nothing to do.” At his words, I felt they were both annoying and laughable. Why would he rather let me watch TV dramas than let me have meetings and read God’s words? I told my son with smile: “Believing in and worshiping God is what I like and what I most want to do. After accepting God’s kingdom gospel, I have known ever more of God’s work, have found the way of breaking away from sin, and have lived a full life. If you are truly good to me, you should support me.” Finally my son couldn’t change my mind and went away in anger.

The next day, when I was having meal in the shop, my son suddenly came in and said to me blankly: “Mum, I have a fateful thing to discuss with you.” Seeing my son’s solemn look, I wondered: In the past my son never spoke to me in this way. Is there anything serious today? My son said: “Will you choose believing in God or choose me? Just make a final choice. If you choose me, I can take you to the hospital when you’re ill and I can look after you whatever happens to you; if you choose believing in God, I will ignore you regardless of anything you encounter in the future. Mum, just think: I am your own flesh and blood. Anyway, you have to rely on me, right? If you believe in God, who will take care of you? Think about it seriously!” Hearing my son let me make a choice between God and him, I felt at once that my head buzzed, thinking: How will this happen? Is there anything wrong for me to believe in God? I just want to properly believe in and follow God, but why doesn’t my son understand me? I have this only son; if he really leave me alone, how shall I live? One side is God who loves and saves me, and the other is my only son. Facing such choice, I felt it was piercing my heart and grew weak unwittingly. In pain, I came before God and prayed: “O God! I’m very weak now, for I don’t know how to make the choice. He is my only son, yet I know I can’t give up believing in You. However, my son keeps stopping me and I don’t know what I should do. God, please lead me and let me understand Your will. …”

At a meeting, the sister saw me in a bad state and asked me with concern. Having learned my situation, she read a passage of God’s words for me: “In every step of work that God does within people, externally it appears to be interactions between people, as if born of human arrangements, or from human interference. But behind the scenes, every step of work, and everything that happens, is a wager made by Satan before God, and requires people to stand firm in their testimony to God. Take when Job was tried, for example: Behind the scenes, Satan was making a bet with God, and what happened to Job was the deeds of men, and the interference of men. Behind every step that God does in you is Satan’s wager with God—behind it all is a battle.”

The sister fellowshiped: “On this matter, outwardly it seems that your son is persecuting and hindering you from believing in God, but this actually is a spiritual battle. As Satan sees that we accept God’s kingdom gospel and come before God, it’s unwilling to admit defeat, so it uses our relatives to attack us, trying to shatter our faith so that we betray God and lose the chance of being saved by God to be devoured by Satan. And meanwhile, God uses such environment to test whether we have real faith in Him. Just like when Job was in trials, all that befell him was man’s doing. Yet behind the scenes, it’s Satan making a wager with God. Job lost a mountain of sheep and cattle, great fortune, and his pretty children, but he didn’t reject or betray God. He still followed the way of fearing God and shunning evil, kept his loyalty to God, overcame Satan by his faith, and stood testimony to glorify God. Since then, he attained God’s double blessings, and became a truly free man who worshiped God. Satan would never dare to tempt Job. Today as long as we rely on God to stand testimony, Satan will be shamed and defeated.”

At the time, I understood this was a spiritual battle, thinking: In order to make Job reject God, Satan not only took away all his possessions and children but also caused him to have painful sores all over. However, Job had never complained against God, and when he stood testimony, Satan fled in panic. At this thought, I couldn’t help feeling that Satan was too malicious and hateful. If I made compromise with my son, wouldn’t I fall into Satan’s scheme?

Then the sister continued: “We should also understand man’s fate is in God’s command, and not decided by any other person. Even if your son can look after your flesh temporarily, he can’t control your fate or resolve your spiritual emptiness and pain, much less does he decide your outcome and destination. In Matthew 6:26 the Lord Jesus said:‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?’ You see, God even feeds the animals, let alone us. God treats us like His children, and He will be responsible for our life. We should have faith in God.”

At this moment, God’s words occurred in my mind: “Faith is like a single log bridge, those who cling abjectly to life will have difficulty in crossing it.” I thought that my fate was in God’s hand, not controlled by my son. Even if my son could attend to my flesh, he could never command my fate. With God as my rear guard, I felt much assured in my heart, had faith in the way ahead, and resolved to stand testimony and shame Satan.

In the following several evenings, my son was unwilling to talk to me as he came home. And he even avoided me, blacklisted me on WeChat, and kept me from reaching him by phone. I could only pray to God and was willing to commit all this to God’s hand. In my free time, I would actively talk with my son about matters in our life. Unknowingly, I could get through to him. Sometimes when I had meetings, my son saw and no longer opposed me. As long as he had free time, he would take my grandson away from me. In this way I could have more time to gather with brothers and sisters quietly. Though my son didn’t speak anything, I could feel his estrangement with me was gradually gone.

In this spiritual battle, I was once distressed and weak because of my son’s repeated hindrances, but this experience made me profoundly feel the sinisterness and malice of Satan. At the same time I came to know the authority and power of God’s words. By relying on God’s words as my “weapon,” I had faith and strength, and defeated Satan time and again. And this simultaneously gave me a firmer resolution to follow God. All the glory be to God!

[comebeforegod]

I Find the Way to Victory in Spiritual Warfare

By Zhuiqiu, United States

When coming before God, we will often undergo the temptation and disturbance of Satan. Faced with Satan’s temptation and disturbance, I was once distressed and weak, but after experiencing it, I gained a lot. …

In 2011, I believed in the Lord Jesus because of my illness. In the initial years I was zealous. Though I ran a shop to be taken care of by myself and lived far from the church, I still actively attended meetings on each Lord’s Day. Until later I found there was no new light in the sermons of the pastors. They either talked the same old things or testified how they worked and suffered and so I felt I couldn’t gain supply. Every time I would return from the meeting with disappointment. Therefore, I prayed and asked the Lord to prepare a better church for me.

Afterward, a sister preached Almighty God’s kingdom gospel to me. Through the sister’s fellowship, I came to understand: The reason why the church grows desolate is because the pastors and elders have deviated from the Lord’s way and disobeyed the Lord’s commandments. They never make clear how to practice and experience the Lord’s words in their preaching. And instead they often interpret biblical knowledge and exalt and testify themselves to be adored by people, leading believers to go astray from the Lord’s way. This is why they are detested by God. Another reason is that God has been incarnated to do the work of judging and purifying man in the last days. The work of the Holy Spirit has shifted onto those who have accepted the kingdom gospel of Almighty God. Yet those who haven’t kept up with God’s work will be eliminated by the work of the Holy Spirit and fall into darkness. In the several fellowships, I found what the sister talked not only conformed to the Bible but also was something I had never heard, which provided for and edified me. Then I accepted God’s new work and I could have new light and gain every day by thirstily reading God’s words. Just when I was immersed in joy of the watering and feeding of God’s words, Satan’s disturbance soon came upon me unexpectedly.

One afternoon, my son came to the shop for goods. Seeing the book of God’s words I had put on the table, he opened it and asked me in astonishment: “Mum, is this from The Church of Almighty God?” I said to him excitedly: “Yes. This book is very good. Read it in your free time.” “Mum, how come you believe in Almighty God?” With that, he took out his cellphone and found the news about May 28 Zhaoyuan Case for me to read, and then tried to dissuade me from the faith. I immediately got muddled, thinking: What to make of it? Is it really the same as what the news reports? My son continued seriously: “Mum, The news has reported this. Can it possibly be false? You should return the book to them as soon as possible and never come into contact with them. You’d better go back to the former church.” After my son left, my heart couldn’t calm down anymore. My son’s words and the sister’s kept showing up in my head. I thought: The sister’s fellowships are all in line with the Bible and they are practical. Also, God’s words have opened the mysteries of Revelation and there is nothing incorrect. But what can account for the news? Should I accept the kingdom gospel of Almighty God? What should I do to be in accordance with the Lord’s will?

A few days later, the sister came for a meeting with me. I didn’t know how to face her, nor dared to raise my head to look at her. I thought that the sister traveled a long way for meetings with me and also helped me take care of my grandson. She looked very kind and treated me gently, unlike what the rumors said. If I drove her away, I would feel guilt in my heart; if otherwise, I was afraid that I would be deceived. At the very moment when I was in a dilemma, I remembered the Lord Jesus said: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). So I thought: Now there is true or false news. Wasn’t Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident created by the Chinese Communist Party? If I don’t seek, I will never know what the truth is all about. If I miss the opportunity of welcoming the Lord because of believing the rumors, won’t I regret it all my life? I decided to ask the sister about the truth. Then I recounted to her the occurrence of the last few days and the confusion in my heart.

The sister played to me the video—Lifting the Veil: The Truth About the Evil Chinese Communist Party’s Show Trial, and then read a passage of God’s words to me: “Kin who are not of the faith (your children, your husband or wife, your sisters or your parents, and so on) should not be forced into the church. God’s household is not short of members, and there is no need to make up its numbers with people who have no use. All those who do not believe gladly must not be led into the church. This decree is directed at all people. In this matter you should check, monitor and remind each other, and no one may violate it. Even when kin who are not of the faith do reluctantly enter the church, they must not be issued books or given a new name; such people are not of God’s household, and their entry into the church must be put a stop to by any means necessary. If trouble is brought upon the church due to the invasion of demons, then you yourself will be expelled or will have restrictions placed upon you. In short, everyone has a responsibility toward this matter, but you should also not be reckless, or use it to settle personal scores.”

The sister fellowshiped: “It is clearly written in God’s words that the church has principles in preaching the gospel. Those who are not of the faith can never be forced into the church, even including our relatives. As we all clearly know, the ten administrative decrees are equivalent to the ten commandments in the Age of Law and they must be obeyed by every one of God’s chosen people. Brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God never force others to accept the gospel, and there are never cases that they beat gospel targets who are unwilling to believe in Almighty God. Yet the perpetrators in the video beat the person to death because they failed to get her phone number. This is enough to prove that the several perpetrators are not from The Church of Almighty God.” After knowing the truth, I said: “Yes. When reporters interviewed them, the several perpetrators clearly stated ‘we never had contact with The Church of Almighty God, because they are very secretive’ and ‘what the state cracks down on is the Almighty God that Zhao believes in, not the Almighty God that we believe in.’ They confess that they are not from The Church of Almighty God. This is obviously framing and defaming the Church.” However, I still had some doubts: Since they are not members of The Church of Almighty God, why has the CCP insisted that they are from the Church? Filled with confusion, I asked the sister again.

The sister read another passage of God’s words: “Satan is at war with God, trailing along behind Him. Its objective is to demolish all the work God wants to do, to possess and control those whom God wants, to completely extinguish those whom God wants. If they are not extinguished, then they come to Satan’s possession to be used by it—this is its objective.” The sister fellowshiped: “As is known to us, Satan is the enemy of God. Where there is God’s work, there is Satan’s disturbance and destruction. God has been working to save man, while Satan tries various tricks to demolish God’s work and deceive and corrupt people to be saved by God in an attempt to let people go to hell and receive punishment along with it. The CCP is exactly the evil force of Satan and it particularly hates the truth and God. Over the past years, Almighty God has expressed all the truth of purifying and saving people, the kingdom gospel has been spread across the whole mainland China within only twenty years, and millions of people have returned to Almighty God. When seeing this, the CCP fears that people all accept the true way and reject it, so it started to frenziedly suppress and persecute Christians from The Church of Almighty God. Now Almighty God’s kingdom gospel has expanded to many countries in the world, and Almighty God’s expression and the facts of God’s chosen people suffering the CCP’s persecution have been made into films and uploaded to different big foreign websites. The CCP fears that its heinous crimes of persecuting and afflicting God’s chosen people are exposed to the world. And then it used the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case to frame and make false charges against The Church of Almighty God, defame the Church, and fabricate public scandals for suppressing and banning the Church of Almighty God, attempting to destroy God’s work. This is the sinister and evil motive of the CCP.”

After hearing the sister’s words, I saw the CCP was really too shameless and despicable. Through the communication with the sister, I was freed from the doubts and misgivings in my heart, and felt how arduous and difficult God’s work was. This even more stirred up my resolution to pursue the truth and follow God. Later on, I told to my son about the truth of May 28 Zhaoyuan Case, he gave his tacit consent and no longer opposed me. Sometimes when my son came across the sister who came for meetings, he would say hello to her politely.

Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing

Unexpectedly, several months later, my son said to me seriously: “Lately, I went to the church and heard the priest proclaimed lots of negative information about The Church of Almighty God. He said we can’t contact people who believe in Eastern Lightning, so stop your faith.” Seeing my son had been deceived by the priest, I was afraid that he would follow the priest to resist God and so I said solemnly: “Do you believe in the priest or in God?” My son blinked for a second and said: “Of course I believe in God. But all that the priest says comes from God. The priests all graduated from seminaries and they are very familiar with the Bible. They surely know much.” I asked my son again: “Do the priests have truth? Do their words match the Bible? Do you know what the Pharisees are? Have you forgotten how the Pharisees nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross? Those Pharisees all knew the Bible and compassed land and sea spreading the laws of Jehovah God, but they defined God within their conceptions and imaginations, within the literal words of the Bible. When the Lord Jesus began to work and preach sermons and brought the gospel of kingdom, they didn’t care how profound the Lord Jesus’ preaching was or how many miracles He performed. As long as His name was not Messiah, they would resist and condemn. They didn’t have any reverence for God. In order to protect their status and livelihood, they even colluded with the Roman government to crucify the Lord Jesus. After the Lord Jesus’ resurrection, not only did they not accept, but they persecuted the disciples of the Lord Jesus. They believed in and served God in name but resisted God in substance. That’s why the Lord Jesus rebuked and condemned them, saying that they were blind guides. Son, what we believe in is God, not man. The Jewish people followed the Pharisees to resist and condemn the Lord Jesus, committing a monstrous sin and suffering the curse of God. If we don’t investigate but blindly hear the priest’s words, are we not the same as the Jewish people following the Pharisees to resist the Lord Jesus? By contrast, when Peter heard the Lord Jesus’ words, he followed Him and recognized that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah prophesied to come. If we only listen to the priest rather than contact and investigate The Church of Almighty God, how can we recognize whether Almighty God’s words are the voice of God and whether Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus? Only by contacting and investigating can we know the truth.” Hearing what I said, my son had no idea how to refute it, but he still held some refusal in his heart, and said: “Don’t believe by mistake, for many people have said that this church is not good.” I said: “People who followed the Lord Jesus at that time were few while those who followed the Pharisees to judge and condemn the Lord Jesus were many, right? If we measure according to this, don’t we condemn and reject the Lord Jesus? Now through investigation, I have confirmed that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus. You should also take a serious investigation.” My son found he couldn’t persuade me, so he went back to his room with helplessness.

Later, my son often came to my shop. The sister testified God’s kingdom gospel to him several times, but he couldn’t take in one word. He also told me: “As long as you give up believing in God, you can do whatever you like. You can close the shop and go play anywhere you please. Or you can watch TV dramas if you have nothing to do.” At his words, I felt they were both annoying and laughable. Why would he rather let me watch TV dramas than let me have meetings and read God’s words? I told my son with smile: “Believing in and worshiping God is what I like and what I most want to do. After accepting God’s kingdom gospel, I have known ever more of God’s work, have found the way of breaking away from sin, and have lived a full life. If you are truly good to me, you should support me.” Finally my son couldn’t change my mind and went away in anger.

The next day, when I was having meal in the shop, my son suddenly came in and said to me blankly: “Mum, I have a fateful thing to discuss with you.” Seeing my son’s solemn look, I wondered: In the past my son never spoke to me in this way. Is there anything serious today? My son said: “Will you choose believing in God or choose me? Just make a final choice. If you choose me, I can take you to the hospital when you’re ill and I can look after you whatever happens to you; if you choose believing in God, I will ignore you regardless of anything you encounter in the future. Mum, just think: I am your own flesh and blood. Anyway, you have to rely on me, right? If you believe in God, who will take care of you? Think about it seriously!” Hearing my son let me make a choice between God and him, I felt at once that my head buzzed, thinking: How will this happen? Is there anything wrong for me to believe in God? I just want to properly believe in and follow God, but why doesn’t my son understand me? I have this only son; if he really leave me alone, how shall I live? One side is God who loves and saves me, and the other is my only son. Facing such choice, I felt it was piercing my heart and grew weak unwittingly. In pain, I came before God and prayed: “O God! I’m very weak now, for I don’t know how to make the choice. He is my only son, yet I know I can’t give up believing in You. However, my son keeps stopping me and I don’t know what I should do. God, please lead me and let me understand Your will. …”

At a meeting, the sister saw me in a bad state and asked me with concern. Having learned my situation, she read a passage of God’s words for me: “In every step of work that God does within people, externally it appears to be interactions between people, as if born of human arrangements, or from human interference. But behind the scenes, every step of work, and everything that happens, is a wager made by Satan before God, and requires people to stand firm in their testimony to God. Take when Job was tried, for example: Behind the scenes, Satan was making a bet with God, and what happened to Job was the deeds of men, and the interference of men. Behind every step that God does in you is Satan’s wager with God—behind it all is a battle.”

The sister fellowshiped: “On this matter, outwardly it seems that your son is persecuting and hindering you from believing in God, but this actually is a spiritual battle. As Satan sees that we accept God’s kingdom gospel and come before God, it’s unwilling to admit defeat, so it uses our relatives to attack us, trying to shatter our faith so that we betray God and lose the chance of being saved by God to be devoured by Satan. And meanwhile, God uses such environment to test whether we have real faith in Him. Just like when Job was in trials, all that befell him was man’s doing. Yet behind the scenes, it’s Satan making a wager with God. Job lost a mountain of sheep and cattle, great fortune, and his pretty children, but he didn’t reject or betray God. He still followed the way of fearing God and shunning evil, kept his loyalty to God, overcame Satan by his faith, and stood testimony to glorify God. Since then, he attained God’s double blessings, and became a truly free man who worshiped God. Satan would never dare to tempt Job. Today as long as we rely on God to stand testimony, Satan will be shamed and defeated.”

At the time, I understood this was a spiritual battle, thinking: In order to make Job reject God, Satan not only took away all his possessions and children but also caused him to have painful sores all over. However, Job had never complained against God, and when he stood testimony, Satan fled in panic. At this thought, I couldn’t help feeling that Satan was too malicious and hateful. If I made compromise with my son, wouldn’t I fall into Satan’s scheme?

Then the sister continued: “We should also understand man’s fate is in God’s command, and not decided by any other person. Even if your son can look after your flesh temporarily, he can’t control your fate or resolve your spiritual emptiness and pain, much less does he decide your outcome and destination. In Matthew 6:26 the Lord Jesus said:‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?’ You see, God even feeds the animals, let alone us. God treats us like His children, and He will be responsible for our life. We should have faith in God.”

At this moment, God’s words occurred in my mind: “Faith is like a single log bridge, those who cling abjectly to life will have difficulty in crossing it.” I thought that my fate was in God’s hand, not controlled by my son. Even if my son could attend to my flesh, he could never command my fate. With God as my rear guard, I felt much assured in my heart, had faith in the way ahead, and resolved to stand testimony and shame Satan.

In the following several evenings, my son was unwilling to talk to me as he came home. And he even avoided me, blacklisted me on WeChat, and kept me from reaching him by phone. I could only pray to God and was willing to commit all this to God’s hand. In my free time, I would actively talk with my son about matters in our life. Unknowingly, I could get through to him. Sometimes when I had meetings, my son saw and no longer opposed me. As long as he had free time, he would take my grandson away from me. In this way I could have more time to gather with brothers and sisters quietly. Though my son didn’t speak anything, I could feel his estrangement with me was gradually gone.

In this spiritual battle, I was once distressed and weak because of my son’s repeated hindrances, but this experience made me profoundly feel the sinisterness and malice of Satan. At the same time I came to know the authority and power of God’s words. By relying on God’s words as my “weapon,” I had faith and strength, and defeated Satan time and again. And this simultaneously gave me a firmer resolution to follow God. All the glory be to God!

[love-god-forever]

Having Learnt to Discern False Christs and True One, I No Longer Blindly Guarded

By Tongxin, Malaysia

Have you ever received counterfeit money? Many of you will answer that you have. Faced as we are with an era where counterfeit money is rampant, will you reject money because you fear receiving counterfeit bills? Of course not, because once you can discern real bills from fake, you are no longer blindly on guard. What, then of those Christians who yearn so deeply for the Lord’s return? How should they treat the matter of the appearance of false Christs? Should they be defensive and avoid things? Or should they listen attentively for God’s voice? This concerns whether or not we can receive the Lord. Once, I was on guard against being deceived by false Christs, and nearly missed my opportunity to receive the Lord.

One day in December 2017, my aunt invited me to an online meeting, saying there was light in their teachings. The meetings had allowed her to understand some truths she hadn’t previously found answers to in the Bible, and had also given her some understanding of God’s work. She also said my cousin had been taking part in these online meetings for two years. I was curious when I heard about these online meetings, so I agreed without hesitating. The first time I went online, because of a time conflict, we ended up just having a simple conversation before I left. Afterward, my aunt always said to me that this church was very different, and happily told me, “The Lord has returned!” “The Lord has returned?” The sudden news made my eyes go wide with surprise. I asked my aunt, “Really? Where is the Lord? Tell me about it.” But my aunt had only been taking part for two months, so she couldn’t explain it clearly. I had to wait until the next meeting to ask one of my sisters.

At the next online meeting, my sister tied together several prophecies related to the Lord’s return and testified to me that the Lord Jesus had already returned, and He had come incarnate to do the work of expressing the words to judge and purify mankind. She also fellowshiped with me on aspects of the truth such as the purpose of God’s management plan, how God saves people, how Satan corrupted mankind, how mankind can escape sin and attain salvation, and mankind’s final destination. I thought that God’s words have authority and power, that they are all the truth, and that they are the voice of God. My heart verified that this sermon had the work of the Holy Spirit, because no particular denomination could give sermons that were so illuminating. After that, each time a meeting was scheduled, I went straight to my aunt’s house after I closed my business for the day to hear my sister preach.

At one meeting, my sister played me a hymn video God Is the Beginning and the End. The landscapes in the video were majestic, the brothers and sisters who acted in the video sang with spirited voices, and the lyrics were a wonderful interpretation of all that God has and is. It was an entirely new experience for me, but the images looked strangely familiar to me, as if I’d seen them somewhere before. My sister then fellowshiped with me on the meaning of God’s name, and said that God uses the name Almighty God to do the work of judging and purifying mankind in the last days. When I heard the name Almighty God, that sense of familiarity was even stronger. After the meeting, I went home and opened WhatsApp to check my messages, and I discovered that Sister Chen from my church had sent me some videos from The Church of Almighty God before, along with a warning, “Don’t listen to the sermons of Eastern Lightning.” I thought, “Sister Chen has believed in the Lord for years, and she appears to be very devout, so why doesn’t she want me to hear sermons from The Church of Almighty God?” I was very confused, so I looked at the other things she sent me. It was all negative propaganda that condemned and slandered The Church of Almighty God, as well information about the “May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Incident.” I was a little afraid after I read it, because I remembered that the Bible said false Christs would appear in the last days, and I couldn’t discern them. Sister Chen had believed in the Lord for years, so she wouldn’t send me these things for no reason. My aunt had only believed in the Lord for a short time, and had only been in contact with The Church of Almighty God for two months, and I was very worried that she would believe in the wrong thing because she didn’t understand the truth. I tossed and turned as I lay in bed that night, and I was very conflicted. I prayed to the Lord to ask Him to guide me and grant me discernment.

The next day, I sent the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Incident video to my aunt, and anxiously said to her, “The Lord Jesus told us, ‘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). In the last days, many false Christs and false prophets will appear to deceive people, so be careful not to be drawn in.” My aunt ignored my warning. That evening after I got off work, my aunt came to my shop to persuade me to continue investigating, but I feared I would be deceived, so I refused. But my aunt insisted that I hear more, and called my cousin to have her fellowship with me over the phone. My cousin said, “When we read the words expressed by Almighty God, we feel that they are a strong provision of the truth, that no person could express these words. Our hearts can verify that The Church of Almighty God has the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit, so why should we give up investigating? If we have doubts, we can seek and investigate, but we can’t stop investigating.” I thought to myself, “My cousin has believed in Almighty God for two years, and nothing strange has happened to her, so I might as well hear more.”

After I went online, my sister said to me, “Sister, as we investigate God’s work, we primarily must examine whether Almighty God’s work is God’s appearance and work, and whether the words expressed by Almighty God are the truth and the voice of God, rather than examine them based on the lies and rumors of the CCP. We all know the CCP has fabricated lies and deceived people for many years, and that its name is odious both in China and abroad. The number of people in the world who can see the CCP’s essence grows every day, and no one trusts them anymore. The CCP is also an atheist party, more than any it is evil and resists God. It also operates a single-party system. It controls every agency and office, no matter how large or small, and each one must speak and act to protect the CCP’s tyranny. CCP courts have no judicial independence and CCP judges have no autonomy. They have to act according to the CCP’s instructions. The ‘May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case’ was heard by the CCP court. Could it possibly be fair and just? During the CCP’s trial of the ‘May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case,’ the suspects all clearly said in the courthouse, ‘I’ve never been involved or associated with The Church of Almighty God.’ ‘What the state cracks down on is the Almighty God of Zhao Weishan, not the “Almighty God” of ours.’ None of the suspects admitted to being members of The Church of Almighty God, so why did the CCP judges insist they were? Anyone can see that this is the CCP slandering The Church of Almighty God to attack religious faith.” My sister also sent me a video called The Truth Exposed Behind the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case.

After I got home, I opened the video and watched it, and I was hit by a sudden realization. None of the suspects claimed to be members of The Church of Almighty God, and there were suspicious things about the murder scene, but the CCP courts never investigated the matter clearly. Instead, they framed The Church of Almighty God for the crime. It was obvious this case was fabricated by the CCP to attack and suppress The Church of Almighty God. Any thinking, reasonable person could see this was one of the CCP’s tricks. But I wanted to stop investigating God’s work of the last days because I listened to rumors. I even wanted to stop my aunt from believing in Almighty God. I was so ignorant. I felt truly grateful to God for not abandoning me, and for using my sister’s fellowship on the truth to give me discernment, because otherwise I would have lost the chance to welcome the Lord’s return.

The next day, after I went online, I couldn’t wait to ask my sister, “The scriptures say false Christs will appear in the last days to deceive people. How can I discern the true Christ from the false?”

She answered me with this fellowship, “We’re all afraid of false Christs appearing in the last days, so we focus on guarding against false Christs, but we forget to focus on how to be clever virgins, hear the voice of God, and welcome Him when the Lord appears again to work in the last days. Instead, we keep to our own notions and imaginings, and believe that any who testify the Lord’s return are false. Do you really think such people believe that the Lord Jesus will return? Aren’t they the foolish virgins the Lord Jesus talks about? The truth is that the Lord tells us false Christs will appear not because He wants us to be negative and guarded, but because He wants us to learn to discern false Christs. The truth expressed by God in the last days gives us the path to do so. First, let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s word, ‘To study such a thing is not difficult, but requires each of us to know this truth: He who is God’s incarnation shall hold the substance of God, and He who is God’s incarnation shall hold the expression of God. Since God becomes flesh, He shall bring forth the work He must do, and since God becomes flesh, He shall express what He is, and shall be able to bring the truth to man, bestow life upon man, and show man the way. Flesh that does not contain the substance of God is surely not the incarnate God; of this there is no doubt. To investigate whether it is God’s incarnate flesh, man must determine this from the disposition He expresses and the words He speaks. Which is to say, whether or not it is God’s incarnate flesh, and whether or not it is the true way, must be judged from His substance. And so, in determining[a] whether it is the flesh of God incarnate, the key is to pay attention to His substance (His work, His words, His disposition, and many more), rather than external appearance.’ God’s words clearly tell us that the incarnate flesh of God can do God’s own work. It can express the truth and give people a path to practice. The Lord Jesus, for example, to redeem mankind, came incarnate to live among the Jews to preach the gospel of kingdom, show man the way of repentance, and personally teach and shepherd His disciples. From His work, we can see that the Lord Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life. In the same way, in the last days Almighty God has expressed millions of words of truth, in which aspects of the truth such as the mystery of God’s six-thousand-year management plan, the true essence of the three stages of work, and the mystery of the incarnation are revealed for man, as well as begun the new stage of work of judging mankind beginning with the house of God, to allow mankind to completely escape the bondage of sin, attain salvation, and enter the kingdom of heaven. The essence of false Christs is that of evil spirits. They don’t possess even a bit of the truth, and much less can they express the truth. All they can do is speak lies that confuse right and wrong and absurd theories to deceive people, and even if they testify themselves as Christ, they don’t possess the essence of Christ. We can determine whether or not someone is God incarnate from God’s work, God’s words, and the disposition expressed by God, because only Christ is the truth, the way, and the life.”

After I heard my sister’s fellowship, I felt much brighter, and I said excitedly, “In the past, I didn’t know the essence of Christ, and I couldn’t discern false Christs. But now, I finally understand that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life, and that He who is the incarnate God can express God’s words and do God’s own work, because the essence of Christ is God. But false Christs don’t possess the truth, and can only speak absurd theories to deceive people. They can’t express the truth at all.” Then I said to my sister, “Can you fellowship with me more about this aspect of the truth?”

She smiled and said, “You have a heart that yearns for and seeks the truth, so you’ll definitely be able to receive God’s leadership and guidance. Let’s read another passage from God’s words, ‘If, during the present day, there is to emerge a person who is able to display signs and wonders, cast out demons, heal the sick, and perform many miracles, and if this person claims that they are Jesus who has come, then this would be the counterfeit of evil spirits, and their imitation of Jesus. Remember this! God does not repeat the same work. Jesus’ stage of work has already been completed, and God will never again undertake that stage of work. The work of God is irreconcilable with the conceptions of man; for example, the Old Testament foretold the coming of a Messiah, but it turned out that Jesus came, so it would be wrong for another Messiah to come again. … If, during the last days, God still displayed signs and wonders, and still cast out demons and healed the sick—if He did exactly the same as Jesus—then God would be repeating the same work, and the work of Jesus would have no significance or value. Thus, God carries out one stage of work in every age. Once each stage of His work has been completed, it is soon imitated by evil spirits, and after Satan begins to follow on the heels of God, God changes to a different method. Once God has completed a stage of His work, it is imitated by evil spirits. You must be clear about this.’ From God’s words we can understand that God is always new, never old, and that God does not do repeated work. Satan can only imitate some of the work God did in the past, and God can do newer, higher work. For example, when the Lord Jesus came to work, He began the Age of Grace and ended the Age of Law, He showed many of God’s signs and wonders to people, such as curing diseases and casting out demons, granted people rich blessings and grace, and finally, was crucified as an offering to redeem man’s sins, thereby completing the work of redeeming all mankind. Although we have accepted the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption and our sins have been forgiven, we are not free from the bondage of sin. If the Lord comes, and He still did things like curing diseases, casting out demons, and showing God’s signs and wonders, how could we escape the bondage of sin? On the basis of the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption, Almighty God is doing the next stage of work, that of judgment to purify mankind, to point out the path to change our life disposition, completely save mankind from Satan’s influence, and allow us to escape the bondage of sin and attain God’s salvation. Also, false Christs can’t do the work of beginning a new age or ending an old one. After the Lord Jesus’ resurrection and ascent to heaven, we have not seen any false Christs who can express the truth and give people a way to escape sin, because false Christs do not have the essence, authority, or power of God. They can only imitate some simple work done by the Lord Jesus, revealing signs and miracles to deceive people, but divine miracles that possess God’s authority and power, like the Lord Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, are things that false Christs can never imitate.”

I nodded in approval, “That’s right, God doesn’t repeat His work. Each stage of God’s work is built on the work of the last stage, and progresses step by step. People were in danger of being condemned to die by the law in the Age of Law, so to save mankind from death, the Lord Jesus personally came incarnate to do the work of redemption and bestowed rich grace upon people. When mankind accepted the Lord Jesus’ saving grace, they received God’s blessings, but we have not escaped our sinful nature. In the last days, God has come incarnate to do the work of judgment beginning with God’s house and express words of judgment that will purify us of our corrupt dispositions and allow us to escape the bondage of sin. False Christs lack the truth and cannot do work that begins or concludes an age, nor can they save us from Satan’s influence of darkness or give us God’s salvation. They can only imitate some of the miracles God did in the past.”

After that, my sister fellowshiped on many aspects of the truth. I was deeply excited after I listened to her, and was certain that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus, so I accepted God’s work of the last days. I thought of Sister Chen, who believed in the Lord for years and longed for the Lord’s return, but never investigated Almighty God’s work of the last days because of the CCP’s rumors and lies, and I wanted nothing more than to tell her this good news.

When I got home, I sent Sister Chen a message right away to tell her that the rumors she saw online were fabricated by the CCP to slander and attack The Church of Almighty God, that she shouldn’t blindly believe the CCP’s lies and rumors, and that she should also investigate God’s work in the last days. I was surprised when she not only refused to investigate, but followed by continuing to send me negative videos, say things that judged and condemned The Church of Almighty God, and said to me, “There are many false Christs in the world today, and you shouldn’t carelessly give them credence. You haven’t believed in the Lord for long enough, you lack discernment. I’ve believed in the Lord for many years. Do you really think I’m wrong?” I tried to persuade her, saying, “It’s right to be wary of false Christs, but if we are always negative and guarded against them and refuse to investigate the Lord’s appearance and work, don’t we risk losing God’s salvation? The Lord told us He would come again, which means He will return in the last days. Almighty God really is the returned Lord Jesus, and as long as you read more of Almighty God’s words, you’ll hear God’s voice.” No matter what I said, she wouldn’t listen, and instead stubbornly stuck by her notions. I was very disappointed.

One day, I read these words of God, “The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit. I advise you to tread the path of belief in God with care. Do not jump to conclusions; what’s more, do not be casual and carefree in your belief in God. You should know that, at the very least, those who believe in God should be humble and reverential. Those who have heard the truth and yet turn their nose up at it are foolish and ignorant. Those who have heard the truth and yet carelessly jump to conclusions or condemn it are beset by arrogance.” Yes, God advises us to tread the path of belief with care, we must regard God’s work with a heart that fears Him, learn to seek the truth, and not allow our arrogant disposition to carelessly judge or condemn God’s work. I thought of how Sister Chen’s behavior was the exact opposite of God’s words. There was no humbleness or desire to seek in her attitude toward God’s work in the last days. When she heard that the Lord had returned, she had absolutely no wish to seek the truth, but instead listened to her own arrogant disposition and stubbornly kept to her own notions and imaginings, to the point of judging and condemning God’s work. Isn’t this precisely the arrogance revealed in God’s word?

When I thought of the process by which I had come before God, I realized I was very fortunate. God had taken pity on me, and used my sister to patiently fellowship with me about God’s new words, to give me understanding of God’s work, and to allow me to follow God’s footsteps. I also realized that only those who humbly seek and yearn for the truth can hear the voice of God.

[lordjesushascome]

[the Church of Almighty God][Eastern Lightning] Defaming the Church of Almighty God with the Zhaoyuan Murder Is to Create Public Opinion for Slaughter

[the Church of Almighty God][Eastern Lightning] Defaming the Church of Almighty God with the Zhaoyuan Murder Is to Create Public Opinion for Slaughter

by Liu Liang On May 28, 2014, a serious murder happened in Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province. The CCP fabricated rumors and shifted the blame onto the Church of Almighty God, and the media publicized it and created an uproar. The incident is purely a criminal murder case. But why did the CCP present it as one concerning religious belief? What inside story and ulterior motive are hidden in it? Now…