How do I deserve to receive such favor and enjoy so much salvation? III In this life I will live only for You, Almighty God. My last breath will be offered to You, to You, be offered to You.
Her parents divorced when she was at an early age. Growing up in a broken family and depending on others for living, she felt lonely and helpless. Misfortunes coming upon her one after another, which were big blows to her heart, made her feel the cruelty and desolation of the world. She was confused and frightened about her future. She set her mind on getting into Tsinghua University and use knowledge to change her destiny. … When Almighty God’ssalvation came upon her, her life was completely changed. She found her real family, and found the most meaningful and valuable life. So, already admitted by Tsinghua University, she determinedly gave up the opportunity to attend the university, and devoted herself to the work of preaching the kingdom gospel….
Eastern Lightning | The Church of Almighty God came into being because of the work of the returned Lord Jesus—the end-time Christ, “Almighty God”—in China, and it isn't established by any person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. After reading God’s word, you will see that God has appeared.
How should the Bible be approached in the belief in God? This is a question of principle. Why are we communing this question? Because in the future you will spread the gospel and widen the work of the Age of Kingdom, and it’s not enough to merely be able to talk of God’s work today. To broaden His work, it is more important that you are able to resolve people’s old religious conceptions and old means of belief, and leave them utterly convinced—and getting to that point involves the Bible. For many years, people’s traditional means of belief (that of Christianity, one of the world’s three major religions) has been to read the Bible; departure from the Bible is not the belief in the Lord, departure from the Bible is an evil cult, and heresy, and even when people read other books, the foundation of these books must be the explanation of the Bible. Which is to say, if you say you believe in the Lord, then you must read the Bible, you must eat and drink the Bible, and outside the Bible you must not worship any book that does not involve the Bible. If you do, then you are betraying God. From the time when there was the Bible, people’s belief in the Lord has been the belief in the Bible. Instead of saying people believe in the Lord, it is better to say they believe in the Bible; rather than saying they have begun reading the Bible, it is better to say they have begun believing in the Bible; and rather than saying they have returned before the Lord, it would be better to say they have returned before the Bible. In this way, people worship the Bible as if it were God, as if it were their lifeblood and losing it would be the same as losing their life. People see the Bible as being as high as God, and there are even those who see it as higher than God. If people are without the work of the Holy Spirit, if they cannot feel God, they can carry on living—but as soon as they lose the Bible, or lose the famous chapters and sayings from the Bible, then it is as if they have lost their life. And so, as soon as people believe in the Lord they begin reading the Bible, and memorizing the Bible, and the more of the Bible they are able to memorize, the more this proves that they love the Lord and are of great faith. Those who have read the Bible and can speak of it to others are all good brothers and sisters. For all these years, people’s faith and loyalty to the Lord has been measured according to the extent of their understanding of the Bible. Most people simply don’t understand why they should believe in God, nor how to believe in God, and do nothing but search blindly for clues to decipher the chapters of the Bible. They have never pursued the direction of the work of the Holy Spirit; all along, they have done nothing but desperately study and investigate the Bible, and no one has ever found newer work of the Holy Spirit outside of the Bible, no one has ever departed from the Bible, nor have they ever dared to depart from the Bible. People have studied the Bible for all these years, they have come up with so many explanations, and put in so much work; they also have many differences of opinion about the Bible, which they debate endlessly, such that over two thousand different denominations have been formed today. They all want to find some special explanations, or more profound mysteries in the Bible, they want to explore it, and to find in it the background to Jehovah’s work in Israel, or the background to Jesus’ work in Judea, or more mysteries that no one else knows. People’s approach to the Bible is one of obsession and faith, and no one can be completely clear about the inside story or substance of the Bible. Thus, the result is that today, people still have an indescribable sense of magicalness when it comes to the Bible; even more than that, they are obsessed with it, and have faith in it. Today, everyone wants to find the prophecies of the work of the last days in the Bible, they want to discover what work God does during the last days, and what signs there are for the last days. In this way, their worship of the Bible becomes more fervent, and the closer it gets to the last days, the more credence they give to the prophecies of the Bible, particularly those about the last days. With such blind belief in the Bible, with such trust in the Bible, they have no desire to seek the work of the Holy Spirit. In people’s conceptions, they think that only the Bible can bring the work of the Holy Spirit; only in the Bible can they find the footsteps of God; only in the Bible are hidden the mysteries of God’s work; only the Bible—not other books or people—can clarify everything of God and the entirety of His work; the Bible can bring the work of heaven to earth; and the Bible can both begin and conclude the ages. With these conceptions, people have no inclination to search for the work of the Holy Spirit. So, regardless of how much of a help the Bible was to people in the past, it has become an obstacle to God’s latest work. Without the Bible, people can search for the footsteps of God elsewhere, yet today, His footsteps have been contained by the Bible, and extending His latest work has become double difficult, and an uphill struggle. This is all because of the famous chapters and sayings from the Bible, as well as the various prophecies of the Bible. The Bible has become an idol in people’s minds, it has become a puzzle in their brains, and they are simply incapable of believing that God can work exclusive of the Bible, they are incapable of believing that people can find God outside of the Bible, much less are they able to believe that God could depart from the Bible during the final work and start anew. This is unthinkable to people; they can’t believe it, and neither can they imagine it. The Bible has become a great obstacle to people’s acceptance of God’s new work, and has made it difficult to broaden this new work. Thus, if you don’t understand the inside story of the Bible, you will be unable to successfully spread the gospel, nor will you be able to bear testimony to the new work. Although, today, you do not read the Bible, you are still extremely amiable toward it, which is to say, the Bible might not be in your hands, but many of your conceptions come from it. You don’t understand the origins of the Bible or the inside story about the previous two stages of God’s work. Although you do not eat and drink the Bible, you must understand the Bible, you must achieve the correct knowledge of the Bible, and only in this way will you be able to know what God’s 6,000-year management plan is all about. You will use these things to win people over, to make them acknowledge that this stream is the true way, to make them acknowledge that the path you walk today is the path of truth, that it is guided by the Holy Spirit, and has not been opened up by any human.
and be unwilling to renounce Him any longer, disobey Him any longer,
or any longer to evade Him or put Him at a distance.
All you want is to care for Him, obey Him,
requite all that He gives you, and surrender to His dominion.
You no longer refuse to be guided,
supplied, watched over, and kept by Him,
no longer refuse what He dictates and ordains for you,
what He dictates and ordains for you.
All you want is to follow Him, walk alongside Him to His left or right, to follow Him, walk alongside Him to His left or right,
all you want is to accept Him as your one and only Lord,
all you want is to accept Him as your one and only Lord, your one and only God.
You no longer
You no longer
You no longer
You no longer
refuse to be guided, supplied, watched over, and kept by Him,
no longer refuse
no longer refuse
no longer refuse
no longer refuse
what He dictates and ordains for you, what He dictates and ordains for you.
All you want is to follow Him, walk alongside Him to His left or right, to follow Him, walk alongside Him to His left or right,
all you want is to accept Him as your one and only Lord,
all you want is to accept Him as your one and only Lord, your one and only God.
All you want is to follow Him, walk alongside Him to His left or right, to follow Him, walk alongside Him to His left or right,
all you want is to accept Him as your one and only Lord, as your one and only Lord, your one and only God,
your one and only God.
from Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh
Eastern Lightning, 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. 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. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Do you wish to see Jesus? Do you wish to live with Jesus? Do you wish to hear the words spoken by Jesus? If so, then how will you welcome the return of Jesus? Are you fully prepared? In what manner will you welcome Jesus’ return? I think that every brother and sister who follows Jesus would like to give Jesus a good welcome. But have you considered whether you will truly know Jesus when He returns? Will you truly comprehend everything that He says? Will you truly accept, unconditionally, all of the work that He does? All those who have read the Bible know of Jesus’ return, and all those who have read the Bible intently await His coming. You are all fixated upon the arrival of that moment, and your sincerity is laudable, your faith is truly enviable, but do you realize you’ve committed a grave error? In what manner will Jesus return? You believe that Jesus will return upon a white cloud, but I ask you: To what does this white cloud refer? With so many followers of Jesus awaiting His return, among which people shall He descend? If you are the first among whom Jesus descends, will others not see this as grossly unfair? I know that you are of great sincerity and loyalty toward Jesus, but have you ever met Jesus? Do you know His disposition? Have you ever lived with Him? How much do you really understand about Him? Some will say that these words put them in an awkward predicament. They will say, “I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover so many times. How could I not understand Jesus? Never mind Jesus’ disposition—I even know the color of the clothes He liked to wear. Do You not belittle me when You say I don’t understand Him?” I suggest that you do not dispute these issues; it is better to calm down and fellowship about the following questions: Firstly, do you know what is reality, and what is theory? Secondly, do you know what is conception, and what is truth? Thirdly, do you know what is imagined, and what is real?
The common problem that exists in all men is that they understand the truth but cannot put it into practice. One factor is that man is unwilling to pay the price, and the other is that man’s discernment is too inadequate; he is unable to see past many of the difficulties that exist in real life and knows not how to appropriately practice. As man has too little experience, poor caliber, and limited understanding of the truth, he is unable to resolve the difficulties he encounters in life. He can only pay lip service to his faith in God, yet is unable to bring God into his everyday life. In other words, God is God, and life is life, as if man has no relationship with God in his life. That is what all men believe. Such manner of faith in God will not allow man to be gained and perfected by Him in reality. In truth, it is not that the word of God is incomplete, but rather that the ability of man to receive His word is simply inadequate. It can be said that almost no man acts as originally required by God. Rather, their faith in God is in accordance with their own intentions, established religious notions, and customs. Few are those who undergo a transformation following the acceptance of God’s word and begin to act in accordance with His will. Rather, they persist in their mistaken beliefs. When man begins to believe in God, he does so based on the conventional rules of religion, and lives and interacts with others entirely on the basis of his own philosophy of life. Such is the case for nine out of every ten people. Very few are those who formulate another plan and turn over a new leaf after beginning to believe in God. None regard or put into practice the word of God as the truth.
Take faith in Jesus, for instance. Whether a man was a novice in the faith or had been of the faith for a very long time, all simply put to use whatever talents they had and demonstrated whatever skills they possessed. Men simply added “faith in God,” these three words, into their usual lives, yet made no changes to their disposition, and their faith in God grew not in the slightest. The pursuit of man was neither hot nor cold. He said not that he did not believe, yet neither did he give fully to God. He had never truly loved God or obeyed God. His faith in God was both genuine and feigned, and he turned a blind eye and was not earnest in practice of his faith. He continued in such a state of befuddlement from the very beginning until his time of death. What is the meaning in this? Today, you must set on the right track since you believe in the practical God. Having faith in God, you should not solely seek blessings, but seek to love God and know God. Through His enlightenment and your own pursuit, you can eat and drink His word, develop a true understanding of God, and have a true love of God that comes from your heart. In other words, your love for God is most genuine, such that none can destroy or stand in the way of your love for Him. Then you are on the right track of faith in God. It proves that you belong to God, for your heart has been taken possession of by God and you can then be possessed by nothing else. Owing to your experience, the price you paid, and the work of God, you are able to develop an unbidden love for God. Then you are freed from the influence of Satan and live in the light of God’s word. Only when you have broken free from the influence of darkness can you be deemed to have gained God. In your belief of God, you must seek this goal. This is the duty of each of you. None should be complacent with things as they are. You cannot be of two minds toward the work of God or regard it lightly. You should think of God in all respects and at all times, and do all things for His sake. And when you speak or do things, you should place the interests of the house of God first. Only this conforms to God’s will.
The greatest fault of man having faith in God is that his faith is in words only, and God exists not at all in his practical life. All men, indeed, believe in the existence of God, yet God is not a part of their everyday lives. Many prayers to God come from the mouth of man, but God has little place in his heart, and so God tries man again and again. As man is impure, God has no alternative but to try man, so that he may feel ashamed and come to know himself in the trials. Otherwise, man shall all become the children of the archangel, and become increasingly corrupt. During man’s belief in God, many personal motives and objectives are cast off as he is unceasingly cleansed by God. Otherwise, no man can be used by God, and God has no way of doing in man the work that He ought. God first cleanses man. In this process, man may come to know himself and God may change man. Only after this can God work His life into man, and only in this way can the heart of man be fully turned to God. So, believing in God is not so simple as man may say. As God sees it, if you only have knowledge but do not have His word as life; if you are limited only to your own knowledge but cannot practice the truth or live out the word of God, then this is proof still that you have no heart of love for God, and shows that your heart belongs not to God. Coming to know God by believing in Him; this is the final goal and that which man shall seek. You must devote effort to living out the words of God so that they may be realized in your practice. If you have only doctrinal knowledge, then your faith in God will come to naught. Only if you then also practice and live out His word can your faith be considered complete and in accord with God’s will. On this road, many men can speak of much knowledge, but at their time of death, their eyes brim with tears, and they hate themselves for having wasted a lifetime and lived for naught to old age. They had only understanding but never the opportunity to glorify God. They spent their entire lives fighting and journeying to and fro, yet upon their hour of death, there is regret in their hearts. Only in their dying hour do many come to their senses and realize the meaning of life. Is this then not too late? Why do you not seize the day and seek the truth that you love? Why wait until tomorrow? If in life you do not suffer for the truth or seek to gain it, could it be that you wish to feel regret in your dying hour? If so, then why believe in God? In truth, there are many matters in which man, if he devotes just the slightest effort, can put the truth into practice and thereby satisfy God. The heart of man is constantly possessed by demons and so he cannot act for the sake of God. Rather, he constantly journeys to and fro for the flesh, and profits nothing in the end. It is for these reasons that man has constant troubles and afflictions. Are these not the torments of Satan? Is this not corruption of the flesh? You should not fool God by only paying lip service. Rather, you must take tangible action. Do not fool yourself; what is the meaning in that? What can you gain by living for the sake of your flesh and toiling for fame and fortune?
Most pastors and elders of the religious world believe that the Bible represents the Lord, and that believing in the Lord is believing in the Bible, and believing in the Bible is believing in the Lord. They believe that if one departs from the Bible then he cannot be called a believer, and that one can be saved and can enter the kingdom of heaven so long as he clings to the Bible. Can the Bible really represent the Lord? What exactly is the relationship between the Bible and the Lord? The Lord Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me, that you might have life" (John 5:39-40). Almighty God says, "After all, which is greater: God or the Bible? Why must God's work be according to the Bible? Could it be that God has no right to exceed the Bible? Can God not depart from the Bible and do other work? Why did Jesus and His disciples not keep the Sabbath? ... You should know which came first, God or the Bible! Being the Lord of the Sabbath, could He not also be the Lord of the Bible?" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Eastern Lightning, 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. 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. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
I’m an ordinary person. In common life, like many people who thirsted for light, I had tried many ways to seek the true meaning of human life, so that my life could be meaningful, but in the end all that was in vain. Ever since I fortunately accepted Almighty God’s end-time work, my life had a wonderful change and began to become colorful. I understood that only God is the real supplier of man’s heart and life, and that only God’s word is the true meaning of human life. I was thankful that I had finally found the right way of human life. However, once in performing duty, I was illegally arrested by the CCP, and I suffered its inhuman tortures. Thus, I had a deeply ingrained life experience in my life journey….
