This Is How I Welcomed the Lord

This Is How I Welcomed the Lord

Xiyue, Japan

When I was six years old my mother believed in the Lord Jesus, and she would often bring me to church gatherings. I slowly became aware of the fact that man was created by God, that if we are in trouble we should pray to God and rely on God, and that we should thank God for everything. My mother told me: “God loves people, so long as we pray to God and entrust Him with what’s on our mind and truly rely on Him, then He will solve our problems and bestow us with bountiful grace. As long as we truly believe in the Lord then He will come in the future to receive us into the kingdom of heaven!” Listening to mother’s words, my heart felt at peace and free from anxiety, I felt like I had something to rely on, and I firmly believed that one day the Lord Jesus would return to bring us into the kingdom of heaven. I looked forward to and dreamed of the arrival of this day.

Later on, because of unforeseen events in my life, I started working at a clothing factory in my hometown before graduating from junior high school. At the factory, since I was young and had a particularly introverted personality, I didn’t dare to take the initiative to talk with people, and I would often be bullied by my coworkers. My mother would often explain to me: “We are believers in the Lord, no matter what happens to us in the world we must learn to exercise patience, we must do everything according to the word of the Lord, we cannot quarrel with others….” I took mother’s words to heart, so I told myself to show patience and tolerance in all things. Sometimes I would encounter a situation that I felt was really unfair, and there would be a lot of pain in my heart, but any time this happened, I would hum the hymn “Lord, You Are My Closest Friend,” and I would tell the Lord about the pain I was feeling. I felt that only the Lord was my closest friend, and if today I practiced my faith in the Lord and relied on Him then in the future I’d be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whenever I had these kinds of thoughts I wouldn’t feel so much pain in my heart. Thanks be to the Lord, for I have leaned on these convictions to get through these past many years.

In 2013, right when I turned 21, I left the clothing factory to find work in a big city. There was a kind of strangeness in everything in this place. Every morning I would face the throngs of people and unending flow of cars. It took a great effort just to squeeze onto a bus and rush to work, and then I would be constantly busy working up until lunch time, where I would always scarf something down and then get right back to work. I toiled like this for a month but after my daily expenses I didn’t really have any spending money left over. Facing this kind of life pressure made me feel bitter, like I had been wronged, and I couldn’t help but complain: Everyone else lives so naturally and unrestrained, why is it that I’m so worn out? When will days like this come to an end? I felt deeply that life in the big city was not at all as good as how I imagined it would be, this fast-paced life was stifling, and it gave me little time to get close to God. Every time I would get a call from home, my mother would never forget to remind me: “Sweetheart, you must be sure to pray to the Lord often…. You must remember, the Lord will soon come to receive us and bring us into the kingdom of heaven.” I kept my mother’s words in my heart, looking forward to the Lord arriving soon to receive us and bring us into the kingdom of heaven.

In 2014 I got an opportunity to go to Japan for work, and I hoped to be able to complete my three-year contract over there. As soon as I got to Japan everything around me felt so new and odd, but over time I discovered that life here was not as good as back home. At work in the factory I would often be scolded, and there was also a language barrier. Among my coworkers there was constant infighting, everyone was ambitious and aggressive, and everyone vied to show off in front of the boss. What was even more difficult for me to accept was that some of my coworkers were double-tongued, they would act one way in front of people and then another way behind their backs, so I was often being deceived and judged. Because we were spurred on in the name of self-interest, there were no feelings between us, I didn’t have true friends, it was our own interests above all else. For the sake of our own interests, friendships could be calculated and close relatives could be betrayed, everything could be set aside, and this made me feel like the world was so desolate. I really wanted to get away from them, but in reality I had no choice but to accept this way of living. As the saying goes, “survival of the fittest,” I had no choice, and after a while I learned what to say to the people I saw. In order to have good relations, I would accompany them to KTV and to bars. I saw that the people around me were all vying for their own interests and fighting for fame and fortune. They would even quarrel nonstop about the little things in life like paying utilities. Living in this kind of environment, I too didn’t want to be at a disadvantage, so I lived with no regard for others, I didn’t show tolerance or patience toward others, and I absolutely did not practice the Lord’s teachings. In this foreign land I didn’t have any close relatives, and I didn’t have any true friends, so I felt lonely, and I gradually discovered that I didn’t feel the Lord by my side through my prayers. This brought me even more sorrow, and often when I got off work I’d lock myself in my room without eating or speaking to anyone else. I’d sit on the floor, shedding tears in silence. At that time I felt that there was not a single person in this world who sincerely cared for me, my life had no significance, and I even thought about committing suicide, but I didn’t have the courage to go through with it. Every time that I felt lost in a situation I always thought about the Lord’s promise to us, that He would come receive us and bring us back to the heavenly home, and I thought that maybe this place that the Lord was preparing for us was the only true pure land, and I really wanted that day to arrive soon!

Just when I started to feel the plight of solitude and suffering, Guo, a new coworker of mine, spread the gospel of Almighty God in the last days to me. She told me that the Lord Jesus has returned, and that He is carrying out the work of judging man and cleansing man. When I heard this news my heart jumped, but I also felt like I couldn’t dare accept it to be true. It excited me that the Lord had returned, it felt like I could once again see hope in my life, but I couldn’t dare accept it to be true. Could it be true? I had always looked forward to the Lord coming, but the Lord never came. I had originally thought that I would wait my entire life without the Lord coming, but now I’ve heard all of a sudden that the Lord has returned. This astonished me, it was hard to believe. Seeing my suspicion and astonishment, Guo said to me: “God has been incarnated as the Son of man to appear on earth and carry out His work, and He is called by a new name, Almighty God.” After telling me this she handed me a copy of Classic Words of Almighty God on the Gospel of the Kingdom (Selections), and told me that the words in this book were spoken by God Himself, and that they are the truth expressed by Almighty God enabling mankind to be cleansed and attain salvation. She gave it to me to take home and read carefully. Seeing how sincere she was, I accepted the book from her. Since I do not want to miss the opportunity of welcoming the Lord’s arrival, I decided to carefully investigate the work of Almighty God in the last days.

As I read Classic Words of Almighty God on the Gospel of the Kingdom (Selections) I thought to myself: I never heard about the word of God being anywhere besides the Bible, what is being written about in this book? I opened the book with a heart that carried both impatience and curiosity, and I read this passage: “Many of those who follow God are only concerned with how to gain blessings or avoid disaster. At the mention of the work and management of God, they fall silent and lose all interest. They believe that knowing such tedious questions will not grow their lives or be of any benefit, and so although they have heard messages about the management of God, they treat them casually. And they do not see them as something precious to be accepted, much less do they receive them as part of their lives. Such people have one very simple aim in following God: to gain blessing, and they are too lazy to attend to anything that doesn’t involve this aim. For them, believing in God to gain blessings is the most legitimate of goals and the very value of their faith. They are unaffected by anything that cannot achieve this objective. Such is the case with most of those who believe in God today” (“Man Can Only Be Saved Amidst the Management of God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). When I read this passage I felt a painful heat on my face, as if I’d been slapped, and I was at a loss for what to do. I felt that the words spoken by Almighty God were very harsh, and also very blunt. These words hit the nail on the head with my intentions and viewpoints these past many years regarding my faith in God. Until now I thought that to believe in God was to receive blessings and grace, that when something was the matter we can turn to God to seek and request things from Him, and that God ought to bestow such things to man free of charge. I also thought that if I believe in God then isn’t God’s blessing something that I ought to have? I thought this over carefully, if God didn’t promise that I would go to heaven and obtain eternal life, then I certainly would not believe in Him. It was in this moment that I finally recognized that my viewpoint of faith in God was incorrect, and that it did not conform to the will of God, but I didn’t understand what the proper viewpoint of faith in God was, and at the same time I still had doubts: If Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus, then why hasn’t He raptured me into the kingdom of heaven?

Later on, when I met with brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God I looked to them for answers to these two questions. Sister Huixin fellowshiped to me: “God created mankind, He gave us the air we breathe, and He gave us life. In order to allow us to live an even better existence, He gave us everything. We are breathing air created by God, enjoying sunshine and rain given to us by God and eating meals with all kinds of fruits and vegetables given to us by God. We are creatures, it is proper and right to believe in God and worship God. It’s just like children being obedient to their parents. We should not emphasize conditions or try to make deals, nor should we demand God’s grace and blessing. No matter whether we receive blessings or misfortune we should always believe in God and worship God. This is how it was with Job, it was because of his faith that he received blessings, but it was also because of his faith that he came across trials and calamities, but he was always able to praise God, so Job’s faith attained the praise of God.” Through this sister’s fellowship I finally came to some understanding of how man was created by God, how believing in God is proper and right, how it’s just like children being obedient to their parents, how we shouldn’t emphasize conditions, and how no matter whether or not God blesses us, we should always believe in God and worship God. Thinking about these things, I said to the sister: “I’m willing to set aside my conceptions to examine Almighty God’s word and work.” Sister Guo replied: “Thanks be to God! As long as we thirst to seek in our hearts, God will enlighten and guide us, allowing us to see His appearance in the word of God. On The Church of Almighty God’s website you can read more of the word of God and there are also gospel videos and music videos….” As she was saying this she opened the Gospel of the Descent of Kingdom web page and had me look at the content on The Church of Almighty God’s website. I was pleasantly surprised: Wow! There were so many videos and movies! They even had collections of the word of God and hymn videos of God’s word, and testimony articles of brothers and sisters…. It really was abundant, a feast for the eyes. I didn’t know where to start. As I was browsing the web page, one movie—Awakening From the Dream—really caught my attention, and its content really was great. This film remains fresh in my memory to this day. The main character, holding on to her childhood dream of entering the kingdom of heaven through her faith in the Lord, followed the Lord, working for the Lord, spending and sacrificing for Him, but when the Lord returned to express the truth and carry out the work of judgment in the last days, she held on to her convictions and did not accept God’s new work, holding on to her dream of being raptured into the kingdom of heaven. Through fellowships about the truth by sisters from The Church of Almighty God, she came to understand the mystery behind being raptured into the kingdom of heaven, and recognized that she herself was a Pharisee, that she believed in the Lord but did not welcome Him or submit to Him, and that she even resisted His arrival. Through the judgment and chastisement of God’s word, she set aside her convictions and truly turned to God to repent, shedding tears of indebtedness and guilt. This film is so real! I thought about my own experience, how I also had a childhood dream of the kingdom of heaven, and how I had imagined that one day I would wear pure white robes, grow a pair of wings and be able to fly anywhere I wanted to…. For the sake of this dream there have been so many Christians who have looked forward to the day when the Lord will come to rapture them into the kingdom of heaven, but none of them realized that this was just the dream of man, and not the actual situation of God coming to rapture us into the kingdom of heaven, because to actually be raptured means to accept God’s work in the last days and come to God!

In this film there is a scene where Sister Yang says: “Let’s read some words from Almighty God, ‘At the time Jesus’ work was the redemption of all mankind. The sins of all who believed in Him were forgiven; as long as you believed in Him, He would redeem you; if you believed in Him, you were no longer a sinner, you were relieved of your sins. This is what it meant to be saved, and to be justified by faith. Yet in those who believed, there remained that which was rebellious and opposed God, and which still had to be slowly removed. Salvation did not mean man had been completely gained by Jesus, but that man was no longer of sin, that he had been forgiven his sins: Provided you believed, you would never more be of sin’ (‘The Vision of God’s Work (2)’ in The Word Appears in the Flesh). ‘Before man was redeemed, many of Satan’s poisons were already planted within him. After thousands of years of Satan’s corruption, man already has within him a nature that resists God. Therefore, when man has been redeemed, it is nothing more than redemption, where man is bought at a high price, but the poisonous nature within has not been eliminated. Man that is so defiled must undergo a change before being worthy to serve God. Through this work of judgment and chastisement, man will fully come to know the filthy and corrupt substance within him, and he will be able to completely change and become clean. Only in this way can man be worthy to return before the throne of God. … Though man has been redeemed and forgiven of his sins, it is only considered as God not remembering the transgressions of man and not treating man in accordance with man’s transgressions. However, when man lives in the flesh and he has not been set free from sin, he can only continue to sin, endlessly revealing the corrupt satanic disposition. This is the life that man leads, an endless cycle of sin and forgiveness. The majority of men sin in the day only to confess in the evening. As such, even if the sin offering is forever effective for man, it would not be able to save man from sin. Only half the work of salvation has been completed, for man still has corrupt disposition’ (‘The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)’ in The Word Appears in the Flesh). These words of God really explain it quite clearly with no doubt. They’re so easy to understand! In the Age of Grace, Lord Jesus only did redemptive work. Man’s sins were forgiven. They were justified and saved by faith. But Lord Jesus never said that man could enter His kingdom this way. That’s because Lord Jesus had forgiven man’s sins, but not mankind’s satanic nature. Arrogance and deceit, selfishness, and evil, all these corruptions still exist within us today. And these are much deeper and more stubborn than sins. If our satanic nature of opposing God and our corruption remain unresolved, we could still commit sins not of our own volition, even worse, sins than simply violating the laws of God. We ask: Why did the Pharisees condemn the Lord Jesus and stand against Him, even nail Him to the cross? This proves to us that with man’s satanic nature, they can still disobey God, sin, and betray Him.”

Through listening to this passage from the video, I came to understand that accepting the Lord Jesus’ salvation only absolves us of our sins, it does not enable us to escape from our sinful nature, and this is the reason why once we have faith in the Lord, even if we often confess our sins and repent, we still frequently commit sins. This is because God’s work in the Age of Grace only absolved man of his sins and saved man by his faith, but there is still not a path for how to escape from our sins and be cleansed, it is still necessary for God to carry out a stage of work to eliminate our sins, only then will we be able to completely escape from the binds of our sins and be cleansed and attain salvation. I thought about myself and how if I hadn’t read Almighty God’s words of judgment and chastisement and seen God reveal man’s erroneous viewpoints on faith in God, then I wouldn’t have recognized that my intention and viewpoint to believe in God just to receive blessings were mistaken, I wouldn’t have been able to see my own corruption, I wouldn’t have recognized that my way of pursuit was an expression of my selfishness and despicableness, and I would have kept on thinking that it was okay to seek grace and blessings through faith in the Lord. In addition, although I believed in the Lord, I still followed the trends of the world, I still coveted wealth and sought to eat, drink and have fun, I still scrambled for reputation and fortune and plotted against others, I was still living in sin, unable to free myself, and I only came to some sort of understanding of these corruptions through the judgment and revelations of Almighty God’s words. I feel that God’s carrying out the work of judgment and chastisement by the word in the last days is absolutely essential, and that it really can cleanse people and save people! How else could people like me who are filthy and corrupt be qualified to enter into the kingdom of heaven?

Thanks be to God! Never in my dreams did I think when I came to Japan to find work that I would actually be welcoming the return of our Savior and witnessing the appearance of God. I started to eagerly read Almighty God’s words, actively take part in church life, and gather together with brothers and sisters to fellowship about the word of God. Whenever I had time I watched gospel movies, choir videos, music videos and other videos from The Church of Almighty God. Thanks be to God for His guidance, for I am understanding more and more truths, and my spirit is enjoying peace and stability. Nowadays I am no longer living with worries nor am I in pain, and I certainly do not have suicidal thoughts. It was the word of God that strengthened my faith and allowed me to see a bright and beautiful future. I am ready to pursue the truth along with my brothers and sisters, and to seek out how to best fulfill the duties of a creature in order to repay God’s love, for only by living in this way can I have a truly meaningful life!

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Welcoming the Lord’s Return （“Pigeon” Mail—3）

“Pigeon” Mail

One day six months later, whilst I was cooking lunch, I heard my mother-in-law call my name outside my door. I answered the door and saw a slender young woman with delicate features behind my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law said: “This little sister has come to see you. She had an address but couldn’t find you, so went to the church. Hearing her say that she needed to urgently see you, I quickly brought her over.” I looked at this sister carefully and thought to myself: Why do I not appear to know her? The little sister saw me and quickly came to pull my hand and said excitedly: “So you are Sister Su. I found you after all!” I was dumbfounded by her actions and looked at her in surprise and asked: “Who are you? I don’t appear to have met you before?” The little sister excitedly said to me: “Sister, my surname is Wang. It was Brother Meng and Sister Zhao from Shandong who introduced you to me. Brother Meng and the others wrote a letter to The Church of Almighty God here and told us to think of a way to find you, no matter what. They entrusted us to preach God’s gospel of the kingdom to you because they are too busy and there really wasn’t time for them to come in person. I do not know how many people have passed on this letter, but it was passed on to us after many others. I came here to inquire many times. It wasn’t easy to find you …” Speaking up to here, the little sister sobbed and put the letter into my hands. I took the letter and saw that it said: “Sister Su believes in the Lord sincerely. Please, you have to find her and preach God’s gospel of the kingdom to her….” Reading these words warmed my heart and my tears could not stop flowing. My mother-in-law was moved and said: “It really is thanks to the Lord! This really is the love of the Lord!” Looking at the kind and sincere little sister, I thought back to the moving words in the letter and could feel the urgent intentions of the brothers and sisters to preach the gospel of the Lord’s return to me. My spiritual intuition told me that this love came from God. Because only God cherishes every soul in this way and cares about every person who truly believes in God. Therefore, I decided that this time I would seek and study the last days’ work of Almighty God. I could no longer refuse. I enthusiastically said to the little sister: “Sister, come and sit inside.” The little sister nodded happily, her eyes still shining with tears.

After eating, I called my co-worker Sister Zhang over too. My husband heard that we were going to fellowship and asked for time off work too. The little sister warmly asked: “Sister, in Brother Meng’s letter they said that they had written several letters to you, to preach God’s last days’ work to you but that you didn’t accept it. I wonder if you have any thoughts on this? Sister, if you have any difficulties, please come out with them and we will fellowship and seek together.” I said: “Since you have asked this question, I will open up and talk to you. In the past I was afraid of being taken in by false Christs that appear during the last days and so kept to ‘all those who preach of the Lord’s coming are all false’ and therefore I never studied Almighty God’s last days’ work. Later, I thought about what Brother Meng and the others said in their letter and felt it is justified. Because false Christs appear in the last days, we blindly reject the gospel of the Lord’s return. It really is a case of being put off easily by a slight risk. However, not being able to distinguish between the true Christ and false Christs really will not do when greeting the Lord’s return. You came today, so please give us fellowship on this aspect.” Sister Zhang, my husband and my mother-in-law also nodded their heads in agreement.

Then, the little sister read a passage of God’s words to us, where Almighty God said: “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 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. If man sees only His external appearance, and overlooks His substance, then that shows the ignorance and naivety of man” (Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh). After reading God’s words, the little sister said in fellowship: “We can see from the word of Almighty God that when distinguishing between the true Christ and false Christs, the most important thing is to distinguish from the essence. That is, from their work, words and disposition. The Lord Jesus once said: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ (Jhn 14:6). It is thus clear that since God becomes flesh, He can express the truth and do God’s own work, He can also express God’s own disposition and all that He has and is. Just as in the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus expressed many truths, expressed a disposition that is mainly mercy and love, and completed the work of redeeming the whole of mankind, from the Lord Jesus’ work, words and the disposition He expressed, we can be sure that Jesus Christ is the truth, the way, and the life and is God incarnate Himself. This lets us see that only the one who can express truths and do God’s last days’ judgment work is the manifestation of Christ of the last days. Now Almighty God has come and expressed all of the truths that purify and save man and has done the last days’ work of judging and chastising people. Almighty God’s words reveal the true situation, nature and essence of mankind being corrupted by Satan and tell people all aspects of the truth such as what salvation is, what changes to disposition are and what the path to changes to disposition is, as well as mankind’s future destination and what the ending will be for all kinds of people. Moreover, Almighty God has also revealed the mystery of God’s six-thousand-year management plan and the mystery of incarnation, and expressed God’s original disposition, essence, and everything that He has and is. Provided we diligently read God’s words, we will be able to see that the words spoken by Almighty God are the voice of the Holy Spirit, God’s way of judgment in the last days. Almighty God’s last days’ work has fulfilled the prophecies in the Bible, such as, ‘Judgment must begin at the house of God’ (1Pe 4:17). ‘The Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth’ (Jhn 16:13). And ‘He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day’ (Jhn 12:48). The truths that Almighty God has expressed, the work of judging, chastising and purifying people that He has done and the mainly righteous disposition that Almighty God has expressed fully confirm that Christ is the truth, the way and the life and that Almighty God is the manifestation of Christ of the last days. But false Christs do not possess the essence of God. Most of them are possessed by evil spirits or are extremely arrogant, unreasonable demons and evil spirits that can neither express truths to supply people nor do judgment work to purify people. They can only deceive those foolish, ignorant, confused people who seek bread to satisfy hunger by showing them simple signs and wonders. Therefore, it is very easy for us to distinguish between the true Christ and false Christs by this one principle: ‘Christ is the truth, the way, and the life,’ which is completely in accordance with God’s intentions.”

Listening to the sister’s fellowship, I couldn’t stop pondering: I have believed in the Lord for so many years but never heard this aspect before. Today Almighty God’s words spoke of distinguishing between the true Christ and false Christs so thoroughly, it seems as though the word of Almighty God really might be the voice of the Holy Spirit. Lord! I have always anxiously awaited Your return, but these last years I have just looked to guarding against false Christs and have hardly had any heart to seek. I have never studied You returning to do the last days’ judgment work as The Church of Almighty God has testified and I blindly resisted and condemned. Lord, did I really shut You out? Thinking of this, my heart quivered and I felt a little flustered and could no longer sit still, so I got up and went into the kitchen to pretend to pour a glass of water, trying to calm my emotions down a little. As I poured the water, I pondered: The little sister is very young, yet her fellowship of the truth is so real. The brothers and sisters of Shandong church also progressed so fast after accepting the work of Almighty God. Their acceptance of the Bible and knowledge of God’s work were much greater than mine. This way could make people understand the truth and make people have knowledge of God’s work. Is this not God’s work? Thinking of this, I felt both excited and remorseful. I recalled my circumstances when I wrote the letter to brothers and sisters in Shandong. With one stroke of the pen I taught the brothers and sisters a lesson in a frenzied tone and in my approach to the Lord’s return, not only did I not seek the truth and accept the brothers and sisters’ fellowship, but on the contrary I vigorously refuted and rejected it and considered myself the master of truth, making brothers and sisters all listen to me. I also thought that I was doing my utmost to defend the true way. I hadn’t considered that I was resisting God. So am I not a modern-day Pharisee? At this point, I felt like I had been soaked from head to foot by cold water and felt aching and weak all over. Both of my hands trembled uncontrollably and I kept replaying the scenes of me resisting God in my mind…. I could no longer control myself and wept uncontrollably. I hated myself for being too arrogant and too blind. After a while, I wiped my tears and carried the water into the room. The little sister looked at me and asked with concern: “Sister, can you accept our fellowship like this?” I sighed and reproachfully said: “After listening to Almighty God’s words and your fellowship just now, I feel that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus. I have looked forward to the Lord’s return every day but did not expect that now the Lord has returned, I would actually act out the role of the Pharisees. I have really done great evil! I resisted God …” At this time, I was crying so much I could not speak.

Later, after a period of studying the word of Almighty God, Sister Zhang, my mother-in-law, my husband and I were completely settled on Almighty God being the returned Lord Jesus. I was so unusually excited that I excitedly sent brothers and sisters in Shandong a fifth letter: “Dear brothers and sisters! Thanks be to God that through your preaching to me God’s gospel of the kingdom many times, I have now accepted Almighty God’s last days’ work and have become a member of The Church of Almighty God. Although I accepted later than you, I do not want to be left behind and I am going to rouse myself to catch up….” At this moment, my heart seemed to have flown back to Shandong with the letter to be intimately united with my brothers and sisters there. Thanks be to God for His love!

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God's Utterance "God's Work, God's Disposition, and God Himself II" (Part Four)

God's Utterance "God's Work, God's Disposition, and God Himself II" (Part Four)

Introduction
God's words in this video are from the book "Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh".
The content of this video:
The Integrity Job Held Fast Made Satan Ashamed and Disgraced and Flee in Panic
Job Treasured God's Way More Than Anything Else
Job Truly Experienced God's Care for Man in His Agony
Job's Another Manifestation of Fearing God and Shunning Evil Is Extolling God's Name in Everything
Man's Various Misunderstandings of Job
Job Cursed the Day of His Birth Because He Did Not Want God to Grieve for Him
Job Overcame Satan and Became a Real Man in God's Eyes

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Welcoming the Lord’s Return（“Pigeon” Mail—2）

“Pigeon” Mail

Two weeks later they sent me another letter, which said: “Sister Su, there is nothing wrong with the scriptures you found for us, but we must be clear about the true meaning of the Lord Jesus saying these words and not misunderstand the Lord’s intentions. The Lord Jesus clearly told us that false Christs would appear when the Lord comes in the last days and that false Christs pass themselves off using the Lord’s name and show miracles to deceive people. By saying this, the Lord is telling us to distinguish, but that’s not to say that all those who preach of the Lord’s coming are all false. If, as you say, all those who preach of the coming of the Lord are false and we must guard against them and reject them, then isn’t it very easy for us to shut out the Lord Jesus who has returned to flesh? Because the Lord said He will come again. Obviously, such views are clearly not in line with the Lord’s intentions. With regards how to distinguish between the true Christ and false Christs, we have transcribed a passage of the words of Almighty God for you and hope that you will take a good look. Almighty God said: ‘If, during the present day, there is to emerge a person who is able to display signs and wonders, and can cast out demons, and 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’ (‘Knowing God’s Work Today’ in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s work is real. Every step of His work is based on the needs of corrupt mankind, to redeem and save people. Thus, God’s work cannot be fixed and unchangeable. God’s work is often new, not old and never repeated. Just as the work that God did in the Age of Law and the Age of Grace was two steps and different work, when the last days come, God has already done one step of work of judging and cleansing people through His words based on mankind’s needs. This is a step of work of thoroughly purifying and saving people. It is newer, higher and more realistic than previous work. We can see the truths that God utters from every step of God’s work and can see the wisdom, authority and power of God’s work. But false Christs are possessed by evil spirits and do not possess the essence of God. They have no truths at all and so false Christs cannot express truths. Nor can they express God’s almightiness, wisdom and God’s disposition. It can be seen that false Christs cannot do God’s work at all. False Christs can only imitate the work that the Lord Jesus has already done, healing the sick, casting out demons and showing some ordinary miracles to pretend to be Christ in order to deceive people. Sister, we should receive the words of the Lord purely, and we cannot misinterpret the Lord’s meaning, let alone refrain from doing something for fear of a possible risk because false Christs appear in the last days and not even study the work of the Lord’s return….”

Brothers and sisters’ fellowship in the letter is well-founded, but I have absolutely no intention of seeking and trying to figure it out. I only care about whether or not they accept the scriptures I found for them and whether they have turned back to the Lord. Looking back on these two debates by letter, it did not persuade them at all. On the contrary, I let them refute me until I had completely lost face. I hurriedly prayed to the Lord and then took the Bible and all of my spiritual books and put them on the bed. I kept looking through them, wanting to find a basis for refuting them. At this time, there was no other voice in the room, just the sound of me turning the pages of the book. Without me noticing, night came and I had still not found anything. I was so tired that I sighed deeply and thought: It’s really not easy to reply to this letter. I could only pick up the pen and write: “Brothers and sisters, reading your letter made me feel that you are no longer those cute little lambs. You do not even listen to my words and insist on leaving the Lord’s way. And you even refute me so. I think that what you do will sadden the Lord. I am very sad too. May the Lord Jesus move you and may this letter enable you to turn back soon. Amen!”

Two weeks later, I received their reply again, but to my disappointment, they did not turn back because of my love and encouragement. On the contrary, they severely and categorically said: “Sister Su, you preached the Lord’s gospel to us, that is true, but we should thank the Lord for this because it was God who got us, these separated sheep, back through you. You were just a servant caring for the flock. The Lord Jesus is our true shepherd. As the Lord Jesus said: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine’ (Jhn 10:14). The Lord entrusts sheep to every person who works for the Lord. People’s responsibility is just to look after them and when the Lord returns they should return the flock to Him. Sister Su, we all know the parable of the ‘evil gardener’ which the Lord spoke of in the Bible. In order to forcibly occupy the estate, those evil gardeners hit the servants who came to collect the fruit and when the master sent his son, they killed the son to occupy the estate. When the master returns, how would he deal with these evil gardeners? We must not be evil servants. Now the Lord has already come back, we should hand the Lord’s sheep over to the Lord. This is the sense that we should have.”

This letter really surprised me. I thought to myself: How can they understand so much in an instant? It had only been two years since I had returned to Shandong to establish the church. When I left they were still in a “baby” state. I did not expect them to accept Eastern Lightning in only a few months and for their words to be so powerful, for them to find Bible chapters to refute me that were just right and for them to refute me in a way that left me speechless. At this moment I was bitterly disappointed and felt that these brothers and sisters had become obsessed with following Eastern Lightning and that they did not intend to turn back at all. I knew that I was unable to persuade them to return. I felt completely weak and feeble and reluctantly sent them a fourth letter, in which I said: “Suit yourselves. According to biblical records, since ancient times, that which stems from God must prosper and that which stems from man must be defeated. … do not write to me again either. I hope that you can keep your confidence and love in Jesus Christ.”

Since I rejected God’s last days’ work that the brothers and sisters of Shandong church preached to me, my spirit had become darker and weaker and my condition had deteriorated. Even though I often fasted and prayed and reflected on how I had sinned against the Lord, I could never grasp the Lord’s intentions and I felt like the Lord was not with me. During this period of time, pastors and elders set me up in order to vie for the dedication fund and pushed me out of the church. I was particularly miserable and didn’t know where to go. I often went to the river and sang “Lord, You Are My Closest Friend” whilst crying. I hoped that the Lord would come back soon and save me from my woes

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Welcoming the Lord’s Return（“Pigeon” Mail—1）

  “Pigeon” Mail

Su Jie, China

One day in 1999, after the meeting had ended, the pastor said to me, “Su Jie, here is a letter for you.” As soon as I saw it, I knew that it came from the church I established in Shandong. I took the letter and on the way home, I thought as I walked: This letter is so thick, could it be that they have encountered some difficulties? …

When I got home, I couldn’t wait to open the letter and saw that it said: “Sister Su, peace be with you in the Lord! I am writing to tell you some great news: The Lord Jesus our Savior whom we yearn for day and night has returned. He has already returned to the flesh in China and has done a step of work of judging and cleansing people through His words; He has ended the Age of Grace and started the Age of Kingdom…. I hope you can accept God’s new work and keep up with God’s footsteps. Whatever you do, do not miss God’s last days’ salvation.” Reading up to here, I felt surprised: They hadn’t actually encountered any difficulties but believed in Eastern Lightning! I was eager to know who wrote this letter and turned to the last page. I learned that the letter was written by Brother Meng and at the end of the letter were all the signatures of all the brothers and sisters of the church. After finishing reading the letter I was dumbfounded. I stared at it blankly for a while before I recovered and thought to myself: Eastern Lightning testifies that the Lord has returned and has stolen many good sheep and leading sheep from various denominations. I did not expect Brother Meng from Shandong church to believe in Eastern Lightning too. The brothers and sisters of this church had all been stolen by Eastern Lightning. What could be done? When I thought about this, I felt even more anxious. But it was too far to travel to Shandong and I was tied up with my work here. For the time being I could not go. Helpless, I could only cry and pray to the Lord: “Lord! These brothers and sisters have believed in You for a short time and their foundation is not yet stable. Please guard over them….”

Later, I searched through the Bible and put pen to paper to write the first letter back to them. In the letter I said: “Brothers and sisters, in Jesus Christ, I advise you to be wary. Paul said: ‘I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ to another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel to you than that you have received, let him be accursed’ (Gal 1:6-9). Brothers and sisters, I only just managed to bring you before the Lord. Why did you betray the Lord so quickly? Your stature is too small to be able to listen to other ways! You must listen to me because what I spread to you is the true way. Only the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior. You must hold on to His way forever….” Only after I finished writing and looked at the eight-page letter did I feel at ease and thought to myself: I wrote all that I should write, checked all of the scriptures that I should check and wrote all the words of advice and encouragement that I should. I believe that after they read this, they will certainly reply to me and acknowledge their mistake.

Two weeks later, I received a reply which said: “… Sister Su, we cannot not speak of all that we have seen and heard because Almighty God whom we believe in is the returned Lord Jesus. We are keeping the truth and moving forward and have not betrayed the Lord, but are following in the Lord’s footsteps. ‘I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ to another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ ’ (Gal 1:6-7). There is a background to these words that Paul spoke. We just need to study the Bible and we can know that ‘another gospel’ that Paul spoke of then referred to the Pharisees asking people to keep to Jehovah’s laws, not the people of the last days spreading the gospel of the kingdom which witnesses the Lord returning to the flesh and doing His work of judgment starting with God’s family. When Paul wrote this letter to the Galatian churches, there was no one at all who preached the gospel of God’s kingdom. Therefore, the ‘another gospel’ that Paul spoke of does not refer to the Lord returning and doing His judgment work of the last days starting with God’s family. This step of judgment work that the Lord has come again to do fulfills the prophecies of the Book of Revelation: ‘And I saw another angel fly in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come’ (Rev 14:6-7). Here ‘everlasting gospel’ refers to the gospel of the kingdom. Moreover, this last salvation was long ago revealed by the Holy Spirit to the disciples of the Lord Jesus. As Peter said: ‘For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God’ (1Pe 4:17). ‘Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time’ (1Pe 1:5). Sister Su, isn’t the return of the Lord what we believers yearn for? Now the Lord has indeed returned, we must be humble and seek. We must not be like the Pharisees in their treatment of the Lord Jesus, God’s first incarnation and blindly use knowledge of the Bible and notions and imagination to determine God’s new work, condemn and resist the Lord because of the Lord Jesus not obeying the law and crucify the Lord. The Pharisees just believed in Jehovah God, but they did not accept the incarnation of Jehovah God—the Lord Jesus’ work, and ultimately they were condemned and cursed by the Lord. Isn’t this bloody lesson worthy of our reflection? The Lord Jesus is our Savior and no one can deny it. But if we only accept the Lord Jesus yet do not accept the return of the Lord, are we not the same as the Pharisees? Have we not then become people who believe in God yet resist God? Furthermore, Sister Su, we cannot listen to what you say because you preached the Lord’s gospel to us. We believe in God. Peter and the other apostles once said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men’ (Act 5:29). We can listen to man even less regarding dealing with the coming of the Lord. We have already determined that the word of Almighty God is the voice of God. We hope that you can look into it too.”

I was very angry and very unconvinced when reading what was written in the letter and hurriedly took the Bible Guide out and flipped to the introduction to the Galatians. I looked closely and was so surprised: This really was true! The “another gospel” that Paul spoke of really referred to the Pharisees making people keep to Jehovah’s law and did not refer to the Lord’s work of judgment starting with God’s family upon His return. How had I never noticed that there was this background to this verse for so many years? No wonder they were unconvinced. But thinking about it another way, even if what I said was wrong, that cannot prove that what they preach is the return of the Lord. I read the letter again from start to finish and the more I read it, the angrier I got. I did not expect that they would dare to strike me and dare to say I was a Pharisee. I hate the Pharisees the most. How could I resist the Lord like the Pharisees? I’ve worked hard for so many years, working day and night for the believers. How could you not know? The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt and I thought: “No, how can I be refuted by these few new believers? How many times have I read the Bible? I don’t believe that I cannot win you over!”

So I put pen to paper and wrote a second letter back to them and said: “Brothers and sisters, may peace be with you in the Lord’s grace! I felt extremely upset to read the letter you sent. I’m not asking you to listen to me. You really do not understand my intention. I am afraid of you leaving the way of the Lord Jesus. Because the Lord Jesus said: ‘Then if any man shall say to you, See, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect’ (Mat 24:23-24). Paul also said: ‘Now we beseech you, brothers, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together to him, That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means’ (2Ts 2:1-3). Dear brothers and sisters, I advise you in the name of the Lord Jesus that there will be dangerous days ahead, and that you should not believe all those who preach of the Lord’s coming. We must be especially careful and bear the Lord’s words in mind, lest we take the wrong path and displease the Lord!”

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God's Utterance "God Himself, the Unique II God's Righteous Disposition" (Part One)

God's Utterance "God Himself, the Unique II God's Righteous Disposition" (Part One)

Introduction
God’s words in this video are from the book “Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh”.
The content of this video:
(I) For Stubbornly Opposing God, Man Is Destroyed by God’s Wrath
Sodom’s Corruption: Infuriating to Man, Enraging to God
Sodom Is Laid to Waste for Inciting God’s Wrath
After Sodom’s Repeated Resistance and Hostility Toward Him, God Utterly Eradicates It.

       Recommendation: As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

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Best Christian Music Video | Walk in the Love of God | "Attachment to God" (Korean Worship Song)

Best Christian Music Video | Walk in the Love of God | "Attachment to God" (Korean Worship Song)

Introduction

I
Oh Lord,
I’ve enjoyed so much of Your grace.
Why do I always feel empty inside?
Have I not gained the truth and life?

II
Reading these words can answer your questions.
“Christ of the last days brings life,
and brings the enduring and everlasting way of truth.
This truth is the path through which man shall gain life,
and the only path by which
man shall know God and be approved by God.
If you do not seek the way of life provided by
Christ of the last days,
then you shall never gain the approval of Jesus,
and shall never be qualified to enter the gate of the kingdom of heaven,
for you are both a puppet
and prisoner of history” (The Scroll Opened by the Lamb).
Almighty God, Christ of the last days, has expressed all the truths
to purify, to save mankind,
bringing man the path to eternal life.
By accepting and obeying God’s work, practicing and experiencing His words,
man can understand the truth and gain life.

III
God chose me from a vast ocean of people, miraculously arranging that I come to His side.
His kind words warmed my heart, His earnest calls woke me up from my dream.
That familiar voice, that beautiful countenance have not changed from the very beginning.
In God’s family I taste the sweetness of His love. I lean close to Him and do not want to part again.
Without God, the days were hard to bear.
I staggered along with each step full of pain.
Only with God’s hidden protection did I reach today.
And now with God’s words by me I am satisfied.

IV
With time comes great changes, the world does not stay the same. But nothing will wipe from my heart my attachment to God.
A promise of thousands of years, an unchanging oath. After many cycles of life and death I return to God’s side.
He has sown life in my heart. His words shepherd and water me, giving trials and refinements.

Through persecutions and sufferings, my life grows ever stronger. The rough roads and failures are training grounds for me.
God has never left my side. He silently sacrifices for humanity with never a word of complaint.
I will throw off my corrupt disposition and be purified. Then I can accompany God forever.
God has never left my side. He silently sacrifices for humanity with never a word of complaint.
I will throw off my corrupt disposition and be purified. Then I can accompany God forever.
from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

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UNHRC Side Event: Focusing on The Church of Almighty God & Situation of Religious Freedom in China

UNHRC Side Event: Focusing on The Church of Almighty God & Situation of Religious Freedom in China

On March 1, 2018, during the 37th session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, the Coordination of the Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP LC) organized a Side Event on the denial of religious freedom in China and the case of The Church of Almighty God. The event was introduced and coordinated by Mr. Thierry Valle, the president of CAP LC. A panel of international scholars and human rights and freedom of religion experts discussed the dramatic situation of the members of The Church of Almighty God both in China, where they are severely persecuted, and in South Korea and Europe, where their requests for asylum are often denied. During the event, attendees also watched a video with testimonies of three members of The Church of Almighty God who suffered brutal persecution at the hands of the authorities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Their stories aroused profound reflection generally.

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

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The Recital of Almighty God's Word "The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)" (Selected Two)

The Recital of Almighty God's Word "The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)" (Selected Two)

Introduction

Almighty God says, "God’s saving of man is not done directly through the means of the Spirit or as the Spirit, for His Spirit can neither be touched nor seen by man, and cannot be approached by man. If He tried to save man directly in the manner of the Spirit, man would be unable to receive His salvation. And if not for God putting on the outward form of a created man, they would be unable to receive this salvation. For man can in no way approach Him, much like how none could go near the cloud of Jehovah. Only by becoming a man of creation, that is, putting His word into the flesh He will become, can He personally work the word into all who follow Him. Only then can man hear for himself His word, see His word, and receive His word, then through this be fully saved. If God did not become flesh, no fleshly man would receive such great salvation, nor would a single man be saved. If the Spirit of God worked directly among man, man would be smitten or completely carried away captive by Satan because man is unable to associate with God. The first incarnation was to redeem man from sin through the flesh of Jesus, that is, He saved man from the cross, but the corrupt satanic disposition still remained within man. The second incarnation is no longer to serve as a sin offering but to fully save those who were redeemed from sin. This is done so that those forgiven can be delivered from their sins and be fully made clean, and attain a change in disposition, thereby breaking free of Satan’s influence of darkness and returning before the throne of God. Only in this way can man be fully sanctified."

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

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English Christian Skit "Starving for Fear of Choking"

English Christian Skit "Starving for Fear of Choking"

Introduction
In the matter of welcoming the Lord's coming, there are some in the religious world who close their door and wait alone for fear of being deceived by false Christs. They starve themselves for fear of choking, and cling to the words, "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" (Mat 24:23-24). They think anyone who preaches God's gospel of the last daysor testifies the Lord's return is false, and utterly refuse to hear, see, or come into contact with them, but they ignore how to welcome the Lord's coming. The protagonist of this skit is one such person …

This humorous skit warns us that if we misinterpret the Scriptures, understand the Lord's words incorrectly, and stubbornly abide by mistaken views, we will inevitably lose our chance to be raptured, and be forsaken by the Lord. Christians need to think about how to welcome the Lord's return, which means focusing on seeking and investigating, listening for God's voice, and not starving themselves for fear of choking.

Recommended:
Short Sketch From the Christian Church | "The Police Pay a New Year Visit" (English Dubbed)

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Christian Variety Show "The Lord Is Knocking" | Welcome the Return of the Lord (2018 Short Sketch)

Christian Variety Show "The Lord Is Knocking" | Welcome the Return of the Lord (2018 Short Sketch) | Eastern Lightning

Introduction

The skit The Lord Is Knocking explains how, in the last days, the Lord knocks at the door of our hearts with His words, and that wise virgins can hear God's voice and feast with the Lamb.

Pastor Chang Shoudao has always awaited the Lord's return, but when Brother Zhen testifies to him that the Lord has already returned, he stubbornly sticks to his own notions and imaginings, believing that the Lord will return on a cloud, and keeping the door of his heart closed to the true way. This time, however, Brother Zhen discusses passages of the Scripture relating to the Lord's return with him, and he discovers that the Bible contains prophecies that in the last days the Lord will return in secret, in incarnate flesh, to speak new words and purify man, and only afterward will appear publicly to reward good and punish evil. At the same time, he comes to understand the true meaning of the Lord knocking at our doors, and that the key to welcoming the Lord's return is being able to hear God's voice. When he finally hears the voice of God in Almighty God's word, he finally opens the door to his heart and welcomes the Lord's return.

The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus.

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God's Utterance "God's Work, God's Disposition, and God Himself I" (Part Three)

God's Utterance "God's Work, God's Disposition, and God Himself I" (Part Three)

Introduction

God's Utterance "God's Work, God's Disposition, and God Himself I" (Part Three)

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

The content of this video:

B. Noah

1. God Intends to Destroy the World With a Flood, Instructs Noah to Build an Ark

2. God’s Blessing to Noah After the Flood

Almighty God says, "In Noah’s heart and his consciousness, God’s existence was absolute and without doubt, and thus his obedience toward God was unadulterated and could stand the test. His heart was pure and open toward God. He didn’t need too much knowledge of doctrines to convince himself to follow every word of God, nor did he need a lot of facts to prove God’s existence, so that he could accept what God entrusted and be capable of doing whatever God let him do. This is the essential difference between Noah and the people of today, and is also precisely the true definition of what a perfect man is in God’s eyes. What God wants is people like Noah. He is the type of person God praises, and also precisely the kind of person God blesses. Have you received any enlightenment from this? People look at people from the outside, while what God looks at is people’s hearts and their essence."

Recommendation：The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God,It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words.

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

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Christian Skit "The Village Mayor's Limits" Who Has Made Christians Homeless (Based on True Story)

Christian Skit "The Village Mayor's Limits" Who Has Made Christians Homeless (Based on True Story)

Introduction

Christian Skit "The Village Mayor's Limits" Who Has Made Christians Homeless (Based on True Story)

The skit The Village Mayor's Limits tells the true story of a Christian husband and wife who are forced to flee because of the CCP government's persecution.

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

Christian Liu Ming'en is sentenced by the CCP to seven years in prison for believing in God. Even after he is released from jail, he remains a target of heavy CCP surveillance. The village mayor uses the five-household responsibility system, security cameras, house visits, and other methods to prevent Liu Ming'en and his wife from believing in God, but none of it has the desired effect. This time, the mayor again receives a priority communiqué from Party Central, after which he tries to think of ways to force Liu Ming'en and his wife to sign a letter promising to stop believing in God. After his trick fails, the police again come to arrest the two believers. To avoid arrest and continue following God and believing in God, Liu Ming'en and his wife are forced to flee their home.

Recommendation：The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days.

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Special Topics of the Judgment (part-1)

Someone asks: The Lord Jesus already redeemed mankind in the Age of Grace, and people’s sins that have been forgiven no longer count as sin. Why would God undertake judgment and cleansing work in the last days？

   The Bible Verses for Reference:

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

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

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

Classic Words of God:

“Though man has been redeemed and forgiven of his sins, it is only considered as God not remembering the transgressions of man and not treating man in accordance with man’s transgressions. However, when man lives in the flesh and he has not been set free from sin, he can only continue to sin, endlessly revealing the corrupt satanic disposition. This is the life that man leads, an endless cycle of sin and forgiveness. The majority of men sin in the day only to confess in the evening. As such, even if the sin offering is forever effective for man, it would not be able to save man from sin. Only half the work of salvation has been completed, for man still has corrupt disposition. … it runs deeper than sin, planted by Satan and deeply rooted within man. It is not easy for man to become aware of his sins; man is unable to recognize his own deeply rooted nature. Only through judgment by the word can such effects be achieved. Only thus can man gradually be changed from that point onward.”

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

“A sinner such as you, who has just been redeemed, and has not been changed, or been perfected by God, can you be after God’s heart? For you, you who are still of your old self, it is true that you were saved by Jesus, and that you are not counted as a sinner because of the salvation of God, but this does not prove that you are not sinful, and are not impure. How can you be saintly if you have not been changed? Within, you are beset by impurity, selfish and mean, yet you still wish to descend with Jesus—you should be so lucky! You have missed a step in your belief in God: You have merely been redeemed, but have not been changed. For you to be after God’s heart, God must personally do the work of changing and cleansing you; if you are only redeemed, you will be incapable of attaining sanctity. In this way you will be unqualified to share in the good blessings of God, for you have missed out a step in God’s work of managing man, which is the key step of changing and perfecting. And so you, a sinner who has just been redeemed, are incapable of directly inheriting God’s inheritance.”

from “Concerning Appellations and Identity” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

“The sins of man could be forgiven through the sin offering, but man has been unable to resolve the issue of just how he can no longer sin and how his sinful nature can be cast away completely and be transformed. The sins of man were forgiven because of the work of God’s crucifixion, but man continued to live in the old, corrupt satanic disposition. As such, man must be completely saved from the corrupt satanic disposition so that the sinful nature of man is completely cast away and never again develops, thus allowing the disposition of man to be changed. This requires man to understand the path of growth in life, the way of life, and the way to change his disposition. It also needs man to act in accordance with this path so that the disposition of man can gradually be changed and he can live under the shining of the light, and that he can do all things in accord with the will of God, cast away the corrupt satanic disposition, and break free from Satan’s influence of darkness, thereby emerging fully from sin. Only then will man receive complete salvation. … Therefore, after that stage was complete, there is still the work of judgment and chastisement. This stage makes man pure through the word so as to give man a path to follow. … This stage is more meaningful than the previous one and more fruitful as well, for now it is the word that directly supplies man’s life and enables the disposition of man to be completely renewed; it is a stage of work more thorough.”

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

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