Spiritual Food of Life

Spiritual Food of Life

There is such a group of people in our lives. They all dip their heads concentrating on the phone in cars and on the road and even keep the phone in their hands when having meals or going to the restroom…. Such a group of people are called “phubbers.” Obviously, phone is a convenient means of communication, which appears to narrow the distance between people. But most of the time, people are prone to smile at the cold mobile phone screens yet forget to greet people around them. As time passes, they become more and more indifferent to each other and their hearts become more and more distant. Unknowingly, phone has become “the third person” between lovers, family, and friends. People turn to the internet to get what they can’t get in their real life, and are more inclined to live in such a virtual world, as if only in this way could the emptiness in their hearts be filled.

At one time, I also lived my life in that way: spending every day playing phone, reading novels, hitting the internet cafe, and playing computer games. These things were addictive like drugs, making me unable to extricate myself from this virtual world. Every time I went out of the internet cafe, excitement and pleasure games brought to me were gone, leaving me inexplicable emptiness only. Though I didn’t want to live such a life, I couldn’t break free from it, stuck in such a vicious cycle.

Later, I accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days and read these words of God, “From when man first had social sciences, the mind of man was occupied by science and knowledge. Then science and knowledge became tools for the ruling of mankind, and there was no longer sufficient room for man to worship God, and no more favorable conditions for the worship of God. The position of God sunk ever lower in the heart of man. A world in man’s heart with no place for God is dark, empty without hope. And so arose many social scientists, historians, and politicians to express theories of social science, the theory of human evolution, and other theories that contravene the truth that God created man, to fill the heart and mind of man. And in this way, those who believe that God created everything become ever fewer, and those who believe in the theory of evolution become ever greater in number. More and more people treat records of the work of God and His words during the Old Testament age as myth. In their hearts, people become indifferent to the dignity and greatness of God, to the tenet that God exists and holds dominion over all things. The survival of mankind and the fate of countries and nations are no longer important to them. Man lives in a hollow world only concerned with eating, drinking, and the pursuit of pleasure. … Few people take it upon themselves to seek out where God does His work today, and to look for how He presides over and arranges the destination of man. And in this way, human civilization unconsciously becomes ever more incapable of meeting the wishes of man, and there are even many people who feel that, living in such a world, they are less happy than people who have gone. Even people of countries that used to be highly civilized air such grievances. … Man, after all, is man. The position and life of God cannot be replaced by any man. Mankind does not just require a fair society in which everyone is well-fed and is equal and free, but the salvation of God and His provision of life to them. Only in this way can the needs, yearning to explore, and spiritual emptiness of man be resolved.” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh) From Almighty God’s words, I came to understand that the emptiness in man’s heart is actually because man’s heart has no place for God and is taken captive by Satan. They are fooled by Satan and lose their direction, and believe no more that God is the Ruler of mankind. Therefore, they all prefer to living in such a virtual world to fill the void in their heart. Although man hates this fallen life from the bottom of their heart, they have no idea how to rid themselves of the empty feeling. Because man, after all, is man; only God can be the life of man, only God is the truth, and only accepting God’s salvation and God’s supply for man is the way to remove the feeling of emptiness.

Sharing a fantastic praise dance: If I Were Not Saved by God

Disclaimer: This article on our website is original. If you wish to reproduce it, please indicate that we are the source.

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How Can Christians Gain The Eternal Blessings?

How Can Christians Gain The Eternal Blessings?

In the past, I always thought that as long as believers in God could hold fast to external good deeds, spend for the Lord zealously, and suffer and pay the price to preach and work everywhere for the Lord, they would bring joy to the Lord and gain the eternal blessings when the Lord came.

One day, I came across a story in the Bible: “Jesus entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was encumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42). When I repeatedly contemplated the exchange between the Lord Jesus and Martha, I realized that what I held to were just my conceptions and imaginations. I actually had no knowledge of what kind of people the Lord liked and approved of. From these passages of scripture, I saw: When Martha received the Lord Jesus into her house, she thought according to her notions and imaginations that she would bring joy to the Lord and obtain the blessings if she made her room clean and tidy, was dressed neatly, and busied herself enthusiastically serving the Lord. However, the Lord did not approve of what Martha did. Instead, He commended Mary who listened to His sermons quietly, saying that she had received the blessings. From this, I deeply felt that the Lord approved not of man’s passion and external good deeds, but commended those like Mary who listened to His words quietly, and focused on understanding His will and practicing according to His teachings, and that only such people could gain God’s blessings and promises in the end.

Contemplating the Lord’s words, I gradually had some understanding of God’s will to save mankind. I saw that God appeared and worked among mankind not for enjoying our warm hospitality or asking for our flatteries and outward sacrifices. Instead, He came to express the truth and wanted us to know His righteous disposition and His beauty and goodness from His words and work, and practice according to His words, so that we would revere God, obey God, love God, and become ones who were of one mind with God. Therefore, only if we focus on listening to God’s voice and practicing God’s words can we understand the truth, serve in harmony with God’s will, and ultimately be worthy to inherit God’s beautiful promises. Just as the Lord Jesus said: “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

I couldn’t help remembering when the Lord Jesus was doing His work, those who were simple and loved the truth did not cling to their notions and conceptions but focused on listening to the Lord’s words, so they finally beheld the appearance of God from the Lord’s words. They felt that the Lord’s words contained power and authority, could supply man with life, and could not be expressed by any man. Therefore, they believed that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah who was to come, and then they followed God’s footsteps and received the Lord’s blessings. For example, after Peter had listened to the Lord’s preachings for a while, he was enlightened by the Holy Spirit, recognizing that the Lord Jesus was the Son of the living God. Then he said to the Lord Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). For another example, Nathanael let go of his conceptions and imaginations and followed the Lord Jesus after hearing that the Lord Jesus had already known him when he was under the fig tree. … All these people followed God’s footsteps and beheld God’s appearance because of listening to the Lord’s words, and they finally received the great blessings of the Lord. On the other hand, those priests, scribes, and Pharisees who served Jehovah God in the temple traveled far and wide to preach gospel and suffered a lot, but they did not pay attention to listening to the Lord’s words and did not recognize the Lord. They had clearly witnessed that the words and work of the Lord Jesus shocked all of Judea and were from God, but they did not accept any truth expressed by the Lord. Moreover, they held on to the laws of the Old Testament and did their utmost to search for handles against the Lord Jesus, and condemned the Lord on the excuse that He did not observe the Sabbath and was not called the Messiah. In the end, they nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross, committing a heinous crime. This proves that if believers in God only pay attention to outward suffering and sacrifice, do not pay attention to listening to God’s words, they will possibly become ones detested and rejected and condemned by God at any time.

Now, various disasters have occurred frequently, and four blood moons have appeared. The prophecies concerning the return of the Lord have been fulfilled. How should we practice in order to welcome the second coming of the Lord and receive the eternal blessings? I remembered it was said in 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” (Revelation 14:6). “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches” (Revelation 2:29). “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). These verses show that if we want to obtain the eternal blessings, we must seek out the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches, that is, listen to the voice of the Bridegroom; and only by doing so can we be the wise virgins and behold the appearance of the Lord, and have the opportunity to be approved by the Lord.

While thinking of this, I felt brightened within. Then I thought of the words of the Lord Jesus: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:12-13). I was even more assured that the Lord would still express a lot of truth and reveal all the mysteries when He came again in the last days. So we should put aside our conceptions and imaginations, focus on listening to God’s voice like Mary, and follow the Lamb’s footsteps. Only in this way can we possibly receive the truth, the way, and the life expressed by the Lord in the last days, and thus gain the eternal blessings of the kingdom of heaven. Now, on the internet, only the Church of Almighty God is openly testifying that the Lord has returned. We can only discern whether Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus by hearing if the voice of Almighty God is truly that of God.

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The Lord Jesus Has Returned; Do You Remain Stubbornly in Religion Like the Pharisees?

The Lord Jesus Has Returned; Do You Remain Stubbornly in Religion Like the Pharisees?

On my first Christmas in America, I clicked some Christmas preaching videos of the religious groups on my computer. All that I saw seemed alike: The believers dressed in Christmas robes and sang the anthems. Then the pastor delivered a written sermon and led the prayer to the Lord for blessings, after which all the people dispersed. I heard from a friend who frequented the church that they spent more time on Christmas dinner. Later, I clicked another video from a comparatively well-known religious group in North America. The pastor was familiar to me, as he led a Chinese student movement of the last century and later escaped from China. I still remembered the time when I first watched his preaching video, which was a sermon he delivered in Taiwan over ten years ago. In it, he narrated his escape experience on Christmas Eve and the marvelous salvation of the Lord Jesus. I was truly moved by the Lord’s wonderful deeds at that time. Today, the pastor who turns grey at his temples continues the sermon centering around the testimony of God’s grace, in the newly-decorated and sumptuous church on such a grand festival packaged and prettified by the religious world. Many people who were not regular attenders drove purposely to the meeting from afar that day, earnestly listening to the preach that stood unchanged for more than a decade. It seemed they were enjoying a spiritual feast of the highest standard of that year. Naturally, I felt regrettable at the sight of such a scene. For these people remained in their own temple, enjoying the Lord’s grace habitually, with numb cry and laugh. However, have they ever thought of the questions seriously: Will the Lord really listen to our praise and prayers? Does the Holy Spirit still work in the place full of religious rituals?

At this moment, I couldn’t help but remember the Jewish Pharisees who served Jehovah God originally in the temple. They served there as the chief priests and priests from generation to generation. Like people clothed in Christmas robes, they preached the laws and commandments in classy clothes. Some even wrote the verses on the fringe of their clothes to show their piety. However, the Lord Jesus scolded these Pharisees who were pious by appearance, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like to white washed sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves” (Matthew 23:15). “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13). In the late period of the Age of Law, the hypocritical substance of the Pharisees was fully revealed. They connived at people’s selling and buying goods like oxen, sheep and doves in the temple, turning the holy place that had been used to offer sacrifices to God into a den of thieves. They prayed loudly at the crossing, deceiving man that they were the most pious to God, but they secretly embezzled the possessions of widows. They repeatedly declared that they would not take part with their ancestors in shedding the blood of the prophets, but actually had many prophets and apostles killed. … As the laws only enabled man to know sin, they could still sin against God constantly due to their corruption, with the result that they sinned more and more. If that had continued, mankind would finally be punished by death for the violation of the laws. Therefore, God was incarnated among man to do a stage of redemptive work by the name of the Lord Jesus. After some people saw and heard His word and work, they came to follow Him. However, the Pharisees feared that people would all convert to the Lord Jesus and thus they would lose their position and job. Thereupon, they deceived the Jewish people that the Lord Jesus was not the coming Messiah, for the name was different, and they even condemned Him for the violation of the laws by not keeping the Sabbath. They required the Jewish people to keep the words of the laws and not to seek the Lord’s work, and they even went so far as to incite and delude them to crucify the Lord Jesus. Even nowadays, only a few Jews believe in the Lord Jesus, which is the irrefutable evidence of the Pharisees resisting God and devouring man’s soul. Nevertheless, as to the evil substance of the Pharisees, how much could the Jewish people, the Pharisees’ followers differentiate?

In the last days, God becomes flesh again and uses the name of Almighty God to carry out a stage of work of judging and purifying man based on the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus, ending the Age of Grace and opening the Age of Kingdom. Almighty God has expressed all the truths for mankind to be saved, which can judge and purify their corrupt dispositions, make them free from sin and be saved. Nowadays, Almighty God’s work of the last days has been carried out for over two decades, and His name has already been spread to countless homes, shocking every sect and group. Those truly yearning for God’s appearance have returned before the throne of God in succession at hearing His voice. God has conquered and gained a group of overcomers in Mainland China and His kingdom gospel is being spread to all nations and all lands of the world. But the pastors and elders of the religious world still stubbornly cleave to the words of the Bible and preach the notions and fallacies such as “All beliefs beyond the Bible are the heresies,” “Whoever does not descend on a heavenly white cloud is not the return of the Lord,” “The returned Lord is to take man into the sky to meet with Him,” etc. They are the same as the Pharisees. To keep their position and job, they deceive the believers that God simply does His work according to the words of the Bible, and any work that is outside the Bible is not from God. Those who believe the heretical fallacies stay in the religious places, the sumptuous churches where the presence of the Holy Spirit is absent. They are merely satisfied with some outward pious religious rituals. Yet they do not receive the slightest supply of the living water of life from God, much less have the way to seek the truth to have their corrupt dispositions thoroughly cleansed. Even if they hold such faith in God to the end, will there be any difference between their ending and that of those Jewish people who didn’t accept the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work throughout their whole life? Do you still have no discernment on the evil substance of some pastors and elders in today’s religious world, who ignore the followers’ lives but only maintain their own status and job? God’s work of the last days will conclude with His glorification. Are you still waiting and seeing or refusing to seek and investigate it for listening to the pastors and elders? In the end, let’s enjoy a passage of warning words from Almighty God to seek and think over the question carefully: On the matter of welcoming the returned Lord in the last days, should we tightly keep to the teachings of the pastors and elders, or come out of the religion, follow God’s footsteps, and seek the way of eternal life from the latest utterance and word of God?

Almighty God says, “since we are searching for the footprints of God, we must search for God’s will, for the words of God, for the utterances of God—for where there are the new words of God, there is the voice of God, and where there are the footsteps of God, there are the deeds of God. Where there is the expression of God, there is the appearance of God, and where there is the appearance of God, there exists the truth, the way, and the life” (“The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “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…. The steps of God’s work are vast and mighty, like surging waves and rolling thunders—yet you sit and passively await destruction, sticking to your folly and doing nothing. In this way, how can you be considered someone who follows in the footsteps of the Lamb? How can you justify the God that you hold on to as a God who is always new and never old? … I suggest, then, that you stop dreaming, and look at who is working now, at who is now carrying out the work of saving man during the last days. If you do not, you shall never gain the truth, and shall never gain life” (“Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

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What Do Online Games Bring to Us?

What Do Online Games Bring to Us?

Ling Chen

Internet, the product of scientific development, has long entered numerous households. It brings great convenience to our studying, working, and living. In addition to enjoying the satisfaction internet science brings to life, more people are worried about the future of teenagers, for more and more teenagers are addicted to online games, and their minds are full of bloody, evil, and violent scenes presented in the virtual world. Sometimes I can’t help thinking: What do science and internet really bring to us?

I remember my first time to an internet cafe with my classmates when I was in middle school. Though it was the first time I had connected to the internet, I was soon deeply attracted by the cool pictures and shocking music in online games. Later, I went to internet cafe more and more often, and unconsciously my life was full of online games. Sometimes, if I didn’t go to the internet cafe for two days, I would feel as if something was lost, and I would flee from school at night and stay in internet cafe for the whole night. Even though I was physically and mentally exhausted in daytime and was listless in class, I thought it was an enjoyment to surf on the internet. Later, I found that internet was very important to modern people’s life and work, so I chose to study computer technology. However, even though I studied computer knowledge and accessed to computers for a long time every day, it couldn’t meet my inward needs. So I still often went to internet cafe and played online games through the night. Sometimes, I was puzzled: will I be living unthinkingly day by day like this? My friend comforted me, “Don’t think too much! This is called studying theories in the daytime and practicing them at night.” On hearing what they said, I, puzzled about my future, could do nothing but comfort myself that it might become better when I found a job in the future. So I continued seeking temporary satisfaction in the virtual internet world. After graduation, I successfully found a cushy and well-paid job, so classmates around me admired me, and I was satisfied also. As my work and life became stable gradually, the tedious job could no longer satisfy me, so I followed in the footsteps of my colleagues and spent more than half of my monthly wage on online games. When I went out of the internet cafe with exhaustion, physical starvation and spiritual emptiness set me thinking: what does internet bring to me? Only the temporary pleasure and satisfaction? Will my future be like this all the time? On one occasion, I acceptedAlmighty God’s work in the last days. Until then, I saw the hope of life in Almighty God’s words.

Almighty God says, “From when man first had social sciences, the mind of man was occupied by science and knowledge. Then science and knowledge became tools for the ruling of mankind, and there was no longer sufficient room for man to worship God, and no more favorable conditions for the worship of God. The position of God sunk ever lower in the heart of man. A world in man’s heart with no place for God is dark, empty without hope. And so arose many social scientists, historians, and politicians to express theories of social science, the theory of human evolution, and other theories that contravene the truth that God created man, to fill the heart and mind of man. And in this way, those who believe that God created everything become ever fewer, and those who believe in the theory of evolution become ever greater in number. More and more people treat records of the work of God and His words during the Old Testament age as myth. In their hearts, people become indifferent to the dignity and greatness of God, to the tenet that God exists and holds dominion over all things. The survival of mankind and the fate of countries and nations are no longer important to them. Man lives in a hollow world only concerned with eating, drinking, and the pursuit of pleasure. … For without the guidance of God, no matter how much rulers and sociologists wrack their brains to preserve human civilization, it is to no avail. No one can fill the emptiness in man’s heart, for no one can be the life of man, and no social theory can free man from the emptiness with which he is afflicted. Science, knowledge, freedom, democracy, leisure, comfort, these are but a temporary respite. Even with these things, man will inevitably sin and bemoan the injustices of society. These things cannot allay man’s craving and desire to explore. Because man was made by God and the senseless sacrifices and explorations of man can only lead to more distress. Man will exist in a constant state of fear, will not know how to face the future of mankind, or how to face the path that lies ahead. Man will even come to fear science and knowledge, and fear even more the feeling of emptiness within him. In this world, regardless of whether you live in a free country or one without human rights, you are utterly incapable of escaping the fate of mankind. Whether you are the ruler or the ruled, you are utterly incapable of escaping the desire to explore the fate, mysteries, and destination of mankind. Much less are you capable of escaping the bewildering sense of emptiness. Such phenomena, which are common to all of mankind, are called social phenomena by sociologists, yet no great man can come forth to solve such problems. Man, after all, is man. The position and life of God cannot be replaced by any man. Mankind does not just require a fair society in which everyone is well-fed and is equal and free, but the salvation of God and His provision of life to them. Only in this way can the needs, yearning to explore, and spiritual emptiness of man be resolved.” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh)

Almighty God’s words enlightened me: Although internet and science bring convenience to man’s life, they blind man’s heart at the same time, so that man strays from God, living in darkness and emptiness. Even though science is developed and people’s recreation is bountiful, they only bring people temporary respite. Because man is created by God, only if man lives under God’s salvation and care, can their emptiness be filled and hearts be really satisfied. Thinking back to the past, it was because I strayed from God’s care and lived in emptiness that I was addicted to online games. Today, for Almighty God’s grace, I realized what I pursued before was wrong and saw the hope of life in God’s words as well. So I determined not to go to internet cafe any longer. But sometimes I still had desires to go.

One time, I yielded to the temptation of my friends and went to internet cafe again. I arrived there only to find that the once-bustling internet cafe was closed. Later I learned that it was because a student suddenly died from playing games there. On hearing the news, I could not help thanking God in my heart. If it were not for God’s keeping, wouldn’t I also end up like that? Several days later, my colleagues invited me to internet cafe again, but I refused. At first, they said that I was a coward, afraid of death, and later they even jeered and sneered at me. In thinking of the image I portrayed among my friends being collapsed, I began to struggle in my heart. In agony, I read Almighty God’s words, “… The youth should have the truth, and should not conceal hypocrisy and unrighteousness. Rather, they should stand the ground they ought to take, and should not drift with the tide. They should have the spirit to bravely consecrate themselves and strive for justice and the truth. The youth should have the courage to not yield to the suppression of the force of darkness and to change the meaning of their own existence. …the youth should have the will to discern reason and seek the truth and justice. You should pursue all beautiful and good things and gain the reality of all positive things. You should be responsible for your own life, and should not take it lightly.” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh) In Almighty God’s words, I found the direction, and realized that a good image before others is temporary. As being immersed in the virtual internet games for satisfaction only brings temporary respite, so does the good image. Only if man lives before God, can he truly feel free and released.

Now, I have bid farewell to the degenerate life, and have a proper view about internet. I no longer place my time and hope on the virtual internet, but read God’s word, practice the truth, and seek to live a meaningful life. Thank Almighty God for His salvation! All the glory be to Almighty God!

Please watch: Musical Drama “Xiaozhen’s Story” Performs the Changes of a Life.

Disclaimer: This article on our website is original. If you wish to reproduce it, please indicate that we are the source.

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Walk Out of the Wilderness and Enter the Good Land of Canaan

Walk Out of the Wilderness and Enter the Good Land of Canaan

Jedidiah Villan    Philippines

In 1985, I was hired by an employment agency in Hong Kong. Soon after I began working, I met a lady, who introduced me to the International Christian Life Center in Hong Kong. It was the first time that I joined in the Lord’s Day meeting. That day, the pastor said to me, “If you receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior, He will help you overcome all the difficulties. Men are all sinners, so the world is full of unfairness and unrighteousness. Only the Lord Jesus is the Savior of mankind. Because the innocent Lord Jesus was crucified to take on man’s sins, as long as we believe in Him, we will be forgiven of our sins and then enjoy His care and protection. Only by believing in the Lord Jesus and obeying His teachings can we be saved. Just as the Bible recorded, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’ (John 3:3).” As I had experienced many vicissitudes of life, at that time I firmly believed that I was a sinner who needed to receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. Thus, I said, “I am willing to accept the Lord Jesus as my Savior.” Thanks be to the Lord! Just at that very moment, I felt the peace, comfort and joy that I had never had before. All my worries vanished at that instant. I felt I had found the direction of my life. Through the preaching and fellowshiping of the pastor, I tasted the Lord’s love more deeply and began to serve in the church.

As I served in the church more often, gradually, I had a strong desire in my heart that I would devote myself to the Lord’s work. Later, seeing that I was pious and zealous, my pastor encouraged me to return to Philippines to build a church and start my ministry, and he promised that he would help me fulfill this great commission. Therefore, I returned to Philippines in 1990, busying myself with preaching the gospel and building the church. In March of 1991, I formally became a pastor and started to serve the Lord in our local church. I knew my responsibilities were greater. So, I followed the path of Paul to fervently work and began to widely preach the gospel. I preached the gospel from town to town and from house to house. Every Tuesday, I would bring my microphone to the market place to share the word of the Lord Jesus. When I heard people say, “Thank the Lord for giving us these words. We are so blessed,” I felt very happy. Thank the Lord for letting people in my hometown understand His word. During the great work of the Holy Spirit, we enjoyed so much of the Lord’s grace and blessing. Our families became harmonious, the production of rice increased, and various illnesses were healed. Because of the Lord’s bountiful grace, everyone had great faith and was fervent within. At that time, when I was preaching, I spoke unceasingly and all brothers and sisters could obtain provision and benefit. When they felt weak and passive, I also knew how to sustain them and resolve their problems.

Then it was 1995. I felt more and more that I had nothing to preach. I lived in sin and was unable to extricate myself. I often lost my temper and lectured others. My heart was often full of opinions about my brothers and sisters, and my desire to love the Lord Jesus was not so strong as it was before. There were disputes and even adultery in the church. The brothers and sisters were unwilling to spend for the Lord. They all followed worldly trends and seldom attended church unless there were dinner meetings. I began to worry about such conditions of our church, so I prayed more often and led those brothers and sisters who still had a little faith to join in all kinds of prayers, such as half-day prayers, team prayers and overnight prayers. We hoped that through these prayers, the Lord could help us to revive the church, and even more, could forgive our sins and make us get rid of sins soon. However, no matter how hard we prayed, the desolate situation of our church did not change a bit. Later, in order to feed the spiritual needs of my brothers and sisters, I went to various places to attend revival meetings, but I received nothing but clichés that could not benefit them at all. Then, for the sake of reviving our church, I spent a lot of money sending the youth of our church to attend all kinds of training courses every year. In that period, I also bought many spiritual books, trying to rely on those books to improve my preaching, so that I could supply my brothers and sisters. But no matter what I did, it was of no avail. Facing the desolation of our church, I felt confused and dark and was at a loss. I felt despaired. I often wept at this and prayed to the Lord, “Oh Lord, why do You allow all these things to happen to the church? My brothers and sisters and I are unable to practice Your teachings, we live in sins, and there is no growth in our life. Now I feel it difficult to support this church. Lord, You selected me to serve You, but now why can’t I feel Your presence? Lord, I know I cannot do anything without You. I am helpless. Lord, please help me, and guide me the way I should walk.”

Until one day in July of 2016, Christopher, a pastor of Tondo Church, invited me to a sermon at his church. I had sought from many pastors and had gone to many churches, but I did not find out any solution to the desolation of our church. But this time, I still hoped I could gain something from the sermon because I knew Christopher was a pastor who truly believed in the Lord and had been seeking the path to achieving purity and entering the kingdom of heaven. In the sermon, Christopher preached on the platform, “I have believed in the Lord Jesus for many years. I often preached to the believers and subdued my body, but I could hardly keep the Lord’s way, living in sins and being unable to get rid of sins. I felt pained and distressed every day. But now I’ve found the way to purify myself. I want to read out two passages of Almighty God’s words to you:‘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 sinners 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’ (“Concerning Appellations and Identity” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). ‘Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to take on the sins of man as the sin offering, but also required God to do greater work to completely rid man of his disposition, which has been corrupted by Satan. And so, after man was forgiven his sins, God has returned to flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment, and this work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and shall gain the truth, the way, and the life’ (Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh).”

After reading God’s words, Christopher said, “These words let us understand what the Lord Jesus did was the work of redemption. His flesh was innocent, but He was crucified for redeeming mankind. However, the Lord Jesus just forgave man’s sins, not their sinful satanic natures, so they still sin in spite of themselves. Therefore, the Lord returns to flesh in the world of men, and does the work of judgement of the last days under the name of Almighty God. The work of the Lord’s second coming is aimed to solve man’s sinful nature thoroughly. When man has understood and gained the truth from God’s work of judgement, they will completely break free from their sinful natures and be saved by God. Only such people can obtain God’s blessings and inherit His promises. Now we all have seen the desolation of the churches. This is because God’s work has risen higher. In the last days, God has been incarnated and expressed the words to do the work of judgement. However, we are still holding onto the Lord Jesus’ work and have not kept up with the pace of the Holy Spirit’s work. Only when we walk out of the Age of Grace and accept God’s work of judgement in the last days can we be purified and enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Hearing what Christopher read and preached, I felt they were very new and true. I had been a pastor for more than twenty years, but I never heard such words and such good preaching. It was true that we still lived in sin and were unable to free ourselves. Though our sins had been forgiven and God no longer treated us as sinners, we had not changed and God had not gained us completely. In the last days, God comes to purify and save us through the judgement and chastisement of His word. This was reasonable and practical. At that moment, I finally understood the reason why I’d been living in sin, continually sinning and confessing, though I had read the Bible for more than thirty years was that I didn’t accept God’s work of the last days. Then, Christopher testified to many truths expressed by Almighty God to us. Sister Anna, who sit next to me, asked, “When you hear that the Lord Jesus has returned and done the work of judgement, what do you think? Can you accept it?” I said, “Yes, I can. Because God is almighty and He can do anything He wants. When He intends to do something, He will surely accomplish it. I am willing to investigate what Christopher preached because I’ve benefited from it. Now I know why we’ve been living in sin and cannot get out of it. The Lord Jesus redeemed us but there is still the root of sin within us, so we need the judgement and chastisement of God’s words to cleanse us. This is totally reasonable.”

When I got home, my heart couldn’t calm down for a long time and I felt I had learned so much. I understood that Almighty God has done a stage of work of judging and purifying man built upon the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work. At the same time, the problem of the desolation of our church, which had bothered me for many years, was solved. It turned out that these years all my efforts to revive our church were in vain because I didn’t keep up with the work of judgement and purification God has done. I should seek and investigate Almighty God’s work carefully to avoid missing the opportunity to welcome the return of the Lord.

A few days later, Christopher invited me to Manila to attend a meeting, and I was quick to agree. However, there were some misgivings inside me. I had attended many revival meetings and got many teachings before, but I could not discern which of those teachings conformed with the truth. Therefore, before going out for each meeting I would come before the Lord to pray, and this time was no exception. I prayed, “Lord Jesus Christ, I do not want to be deceived by false teachings. Please give me the truth, help and guide me no matter what meetings I am going to attend….” After the prayer, I felt God was with me because I was very grounded and peaceful inside. And these words of the Lord Jesus came across my mind, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). I knew God was guiding me. That day, I asked why God changes His name to Almighty God and why He doesn’t perform signs and wonders in this stage of work. Regarding these issues, Sister Anna read some of Almighty God’s words to me. Through those words, I understood the significance of God’s names and the reason why God saves man in the last days by using His word to judge and purify man instead of performing signs and wonders.

After dinner, I continued to read God’s words and I felt the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I was greatly joyful and my tears couldn’t help but drop down. When I woke up in the morning, I strongly felt I had been too deeply corrupted by Satan. I realized I had sinful nature, and that satanic things had occupied my life. It was the first time I had recognized there was sinful nature inside me because I was convinced before that the Lord Jesus had redeemed us from sin so we were free from sins. I had been considering how to tell my brothers and sisters this news after I went back to my church, but I was comforted this morning. I felt God was wonderful, so I no longer worried about it. I prayed to Almighty God, “Almighty God, I believe You are exactly the return of the Lord Jesus and that You have done the work of judgment and purification in China. You are almighty and You can do whatever You like. I am convinced that You come to purify us filthy and corrupt man, and I am willing to make You my life.”

After staying in Manila for two weeks, I returned to my church and brought the good news that the Lord Jesus has returned. Since then, because of the work of Almighty God, all things in our church had changed. More and more brothers and sisters began to read Almighty God’s words, and kept up with God’s work of the last days. A sister said that when she read Almighty God’s words, she no longer felt sleepy as she used to do when reading the Bible. The more she read them, the more she enjoyed it. An old believer who had been extremely passive and seldom attended meetings began to gather with us and fellowship about Almighty God’s words with full confidence. Before, I would feel tired after reading the Bible for half an hour in the morning, but after accepting Almighty God’s work in the last days, I could tirelessly read His words for more than five hours. Like my brothers and sisters, I recovered my faith, love and the will to expend for God. I knew that all these were the results of the work of the Holy Spirit.

In the days hereafter, I read many more of Almighty God’s words, such as “The Work of the Holy Spirit and the Work of Satan” “End Religious Service” “How to Serve in Harmony With God’s Will” “Only Those Who Know the Work of God Today Can Serve God” “The Age of Kingdom Is the Age of Word” “All Is Achieved by the Word of God” “Only Those Who Know God Can Bear Testimony to God” “Only Loving God Is Truly Believing in God” “Those Who Love God Will Forever Live Within His Light.” Thanks be to God. I have gained so much from Almighty God. Almighty God is the wellspring of living water of life, who provides the ever-flowing living water for everyone who comes before His throne. Thank Almighty God for bringing me to the good land of Canaan so that I’ve gained access to the watering of the truth and found the path to changes in life disposition. All the glory be to Almighty God!

Source: Find the Shepherd

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