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