I Am Following in the Footsteps of the Lamb

Shen Ai, Singapore

When I was 18 years old my mother got ill, and so she started believing in the Lord Jesus. At the time, I knew the Lord Jesus’ name but didn’t understand anything about faith in the Lord. It was quite a coincidence that I later went to work for a company where most of the employees were Christians. Through interacting with them, I saw how they treated people with love and patience, and I came to believe that Christians were a pretty good bunch of people. During that period, there was a colleague who often told me the story about how the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross in order to redeem mankind. I gradually developed an interest in faith in the Lord, and started going with my colleagues to their church to worship. The first time I entered the church and heard hymns praising God being sung I was unexpectedly moved to tears by the Lord’s love. I prayed to the Lord like this: “Oh, Lord Jesus! Thank You for picking me out of the vast ocean of humanity to become one of Your daughters. I wish to follow You forever….” During that period, whenever I met some difficulties in my daily life, or was mocked by my friends and relatives because of my faith in the Lord, as long as I came in front of the Lord and prayed, my spirit would find immense release. I felt that the Lord Jesus was my only reliance in life and that I would never leave the Lord’s side. At that time my favorite hymn was: “Rock, rock, Jesus Christ! Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven, only You are the savior. You are the mediator, You are the son of God, You are the lamb. You are the way and the truth, You are the life, You are the light, You are the rock, the fortress, the city of refuge and the shield. We belong to You; we will never be shaken from generation to generation.” And this is how I relied on the Lord’s great power and motivation gained from the guidance of the Lord’s words to get through all the difficulties and troubles of life.

But then, for some unknown reason, I started to slowly feel that I wasn’t enjoying the meetings anymore. The pastor’s sermons were always the same old stuff, without any new light in them, and I felt that I wasn’t gaining anything. My spirit began to wither, and became weaker and weaker. Because of this, I often prayed to the Lord like this: “Lord, in my heart there is no desire to go to the church meetings. When I do go I just go through the motions and don’t gain sustenance for my spiritual life. Lord, I feel helpless. I’m wandering around at a loss about what to do. Please lead me out of this.” But no matter how I prayed and begged I could never feel the Lord’s presence. The darkness and pain grew in my heart and my confidence became weaker by the day. Then, in 2014, my husband had an accident while driving under the influence of alcohol. We ended up paying 2 years of medical bills and compensation, which left us with debts of over 100,000 yuan. It was this debt pressure that forced my husband and I to relocate to Singapore to work and make more money.

In April 2016 we arrived in Singapore. The stress and difficulties of everyday life here turned out to be far greater than I’d expected. I started working over 10 hours every day, which left me physically exhausted. But even worse were the scoldings I got from my co-workers and boss in the store. This physical and psychological stress was a source of enormous suffering for me, and I cried every day after work. I felt very alone, without anyone to understand my situation or show some concern for me. Living like this was so painful that in my heart I even started to complain about the Lord. It was an environment that I could face no longer, and I just wanted to return to China as soon as possible. But it’s often the case that just when people are at their wit’s end God appears. So just when the suffering was at its worst, and I was feeling the most helpless, one of my co-workers who lived with me, sister Wang, saw that I had a Bible on my bedside table and so told me that she too was a Christian. I was delighted to find out that sister Wang was also a believer in the Lord, and from that day on we often got together to fellowship topics about faith in God. Sister Wang encouraged me to pray to God often in everything and to keep my faith in Him. Because I hadn’t been in Singapore very long, I still wasn’t at all used to the food. So every day after work sister Wang used to cook dinner according to my tastes. I was very moved by this, and I knew that this kind of love came from God, so I was very grateful to God for arranging for someone to be there to support me when I was feeling totally lonely and helpless. Some time after, I was introduced by sister Wang to 2 other sisters. The first time I got together with them I couldn’t hold back the feeling of grievance in my heart, and the tears were soon rolling down my face. The sisters comforted me and talked about God’s intentions with me. One of them said: “You’ve managed to get out of China with no problem so that can only mean that God has permitted it and that He intends something wonderful for you here. We just don’t know what it is yet.” The sister also leaned upon the story of Job from the Bible in her fellowship with me: “Job lost all of his immense wealth and all of his sons and daughters. He even had boils all over his body, but during that time of his greatest trials and suffering he never once complained about God. He just submitted to God’s plan for him and praised God’s name. When Job stood firm and bore witness for God during his trials he saw God’s blessings. From the trials of Job we can see that many of the things that befall us all have God’s intentions behind them. So no matter what kind of situation or environment we encounter we must not complain to God. Instead, we should first submit and seek God’s intentions….” While listening to the sister’s fellowship my heart gradually became tranquil. Yes, Job was able to submit to God even during the tremendous trials and suffering that he underwent. He didn’t complain and was even able to praise God’s name, which was such a wonderful testimony! And my difficulties were trifling compared to Job’s, so if he could still submit to God then I shouldn’t complain again and make God sad. The sister’s fellowship gave me the confidence and courage to once more face my problems, and in my heart I felt considerable release. At the same time, I felt that the sisters’ fellowship was full of brightness: They had used the story of Job to illuminate my current difficulties in life and shown me a practical way forward. This was something that I’d never previously recognized when reading the Bible. The meeting was very fruitful for me, and after it I could feel my spirit growing brighter by the day and work was no longer so troublesome. After that, I often met with the sisters, and every meeting with them was very rewarding.

One time when we were together we read this passage of God’s words: “God created these two people and treated them as His companions. As their only family, God looked after their living and also took care of their basic necessities. Here, God appears as a parent of Adam and Eve. … The attitude and way in which God treated Adam and Eve is akin to how human parents show concern for their own children. It’s also like how human parents love, look after, and care for their own sons and daughters—real, visible, and tangible. Instead of putting Himself in a high and mighty position, God personally used skins to make clothing for man. It doesn’t matter whether this fur coat was used to cover their modesty or to shield them from the cold. In short, this clothing used to cover man’s body was personally made by God with His own hands. Rather than creating it simply through the thought or miraculous methods as people imagine, God had legitimately done something man thinks God could not and should not do. This may be a simple thing some might not even think as worthy of mentioning, but it also allows all those who follow God but were previously full of vague ideas about Him to gain an insight into His genuineness and loveliness, and to see His faithful and humble nature” (“God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself I” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I was very surprised to read these words, as the ideas seemed strange to me. I’d been reading the Bible for so many years, but the significance of God personally clothing Adam and Eve in animal skins had never occurred to me. I certainly never realized that behind God’s performance of this action there was so much of God’s intention. It was like a light had been turned on in my heart, and it was unveiling the mysteries in the Bible for me. What God had said was expressed so well that it warmed my heart and allowed me to see how intimate God’s relationship with mankind was. God was like mankind’s parents, full of care, concern, and affection. God gave us the best things, which proves His immense love for us humans! It felt like my relationship with God had instantly become much closer.

After that, I read another passage of God’s words: “Since the creation of the world I have begun to predestine and select this group of people, namely, you today. … Even the things you do and the people you meet every single day are arranged by My hands, not to mention the fact that bringing you into My presence today is actually My arrangement. Do not throw yourself into disorder; you should proceed calmly” (“The Seventy-fourth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). This passage explains that whatever we do or whoever we see every day of our lives is all organized by God. Reading this opened up my mind tremendously. So, the reason I’d gone overseas, and the reason I’d met the sisters and gotten their support, were because God was controlling everything! Since God had led me every step of the way so far then it made sense to believe that God had also prepared the way forward for me. Thinking like this increased my trust in God. I felt that God was at my side watching over me, and I no longer felt hesitant or helpless. I was willing to hand over the management of everything to God, and believed that He would lead me through any and all difficulties. During those days, even though work was still as tiring as ever I felt great joy in my heart. I looked forward immensely to my meetings with the sisters because I could always gain sustenance from them and learn something new, which was completely different from what I’d gotten from going to my previous church.

But a few days later when I was watching a gospel movie with sister Wang I suddenly saw the words “Eastern Lightning” come up on the screen. I became a bit agitated because I remembered that in China the pastors had often talked about Eastern Lightning in their sermons. They said things like: “People who believe in Eastern Lightning aren’t calling on the name of the Lord Jesus in their prayers. Instead, they’re praying to Almighty God.” The pastors also warned us not to have any contact with the Eastern Lightning followers so that we wouldn’t be confused and stolen away by them. They said that if we abandoned the name of the Lord and betrayed the Lord Jesus we would be…. Thinking of all this made me alarmed, and I quickly broke off the conversation with sister Wang. For a period of time after that I started to avoid sister Wang at work, but I still often thought about the care that she had shown for me. I thought about the nice times I’d had meetings with them and how their fellowship was fresh and enlightening and totally in accord with the Lord’s words. They were also decent and upstanding in their behavior, and I particularly gained a lot from the passages of God’s words that they gave me to read, which I found to be very practical and which included many truths that I’d never heard before. After reading those words, I felt that my relationship with God was growing closer and that I was coming out of the negativity, weakness, and spiritual darkness that had engulfed me. I had finally gotten some confidence and hope in my life. This was the confirmation of the work of the Holy Spirit! This was also proof that sister Wang and the others had a faith that was right, and was probably actually the one true way! But the one thing I couldn’t get past in my mind was why when they prayed they used the name of Almighty God and not the name of the Lord Jesus. I felt very bemused by this and didn’t know what to do. So I said this prayer to God: “God, You have arranged for me to become acquainted with a few sisters and have let me learn that they belong to Eastern Lightning and use the name of Almighty God in their prayers. Now I don’t know which way to choose or whether or not Eastern Lightning really is Your return. God, if Eastern Lightning really is the work of Your appearance I beg You to enlighten and guide me so that I can follow in Your footsteps.” After praying, my heart felt more grounded and I was able to discuss with sister Wang the doubts that I’d been having. Sister Wang said: “These issues that you’ve raised are exactly the same ones I had when I first started investigating God’s work of the last days. It was only after I read the words of Almighty God that I was able to understand these issues. Why don’t we fellowship about God’s words now?” After hearing sister Wang say this, I agreed to start investigating God’s work of the last days.

That evening 2 more sisters came over (Xiaoya and Lianxin) and they both bore witness to God’s work of the last days for me. After listening to their fellowship, I asked them: “We used to use the name of the Lord Jesus in prayer and call on His name to heal sickness and cast out devils. Why has God’s name changed to Almighty God?” Sister Xiaoya replied: “Actually regarding Almighty God’s name, there are several prophecies about it in the Bible, in the Book of Revelation. For example, chapter 1 verse 8 says: ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’ Chapter 11 verse 17 says: ‘Saying, We give you thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which are, and were, and are to come; because you have taken to you your great power, and have reigned.’ And chapter 19 verse 6 says: ‘And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunder, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.’ From this we can see that during the last days God is using the name Almighty God to begin the work of judgment. This is something that God has planned for long ago.” After listening to the sister’s explanation, it all suddenly became clear to me: The name “the Almighty” is in the Bible! And the Almighty must mean Almighty God!

Then sister Lianxin played a hymn video of God’s words: “In each and every age, in each stage of His work, God’s name has carried weight. God’s name hasn’t rung empty. His every name reflects an age. Jehovah, Jesus, and the Messiah all represent the Spirit of God. Yet these names just represent the ages in God’s management, but not His entirety. The names people on earth call God can’t express His entire disposition, can’t express all that He is. They are just God’s names in different ages. And so, when the final age—the age of the last days—arrives, God’s name will change once more. He won’t be called Jehovah nor Jesus, much less the Messiah. He will be called the powerful and almighty God. And with this name He will end the age. God was once known as Jehovah. He was also called the Messiah. And out of love and respect, people used to call Him Jesus the Savior. Today God is not Jehovah nor Jesus, whom people knew in the past. He is the God who’s returned in the last days, the God who will end this age. Replete with His entire disposition, full of authority, honor and glory, He is the God, the God Himself, He is the God Himself who rises up at the ends of the earth. He is the God who rises at the ends of the earth. … The reason God took on this name, on this name and disposition is to make man see that He is a righteous God, that He is a righteous God. He is the sun, the blazing sun. He is the flame, the searing flame. So all of mankind will worship Him, the one true God. And they, they will see His true face: He is not only the Redeemer. He is not only the God of the Israelites. But He is the God of all creations on earth and in the heavens or seas” (“The Significance of God’s Name” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). After watching the video the sisters fellowshiped a lot more with me, such as truths regarding why God changes names and the significance of God’s name for each age. This is when I finally understood: God is called by a different name during each age, and each name has a meaning that is representative of God’s disposition and the work that He needs to do during that age. But each name that is chosen is only representative of part of God’s disposition during that age, not His whole disposition. For example, the name Jehovah represented God’s work during the Age of Law and also represented God’s imprecatory yet merciful disposition. The name the Lord Jesus represented God’s work during the Age of Grace, and the disposition represented was compassionate and merciful. During the last days God has changed His name again, and is using the name Almighty God to do the work of judgment of the last days. The entire age is being brought to an end through God’s disposition of justice, majesty, and wrath. God’s disposition becomes gradually revealed to mankind as His work develops and God doesn’t wish for mankind to restrict Him to any one stage of His work. God especially doesn’t wish for mankind to use any one name to draw up boundaries for what God has and is. God uses different names to differentiate between different ages and do the work necessary for each age so that people can recognize all of God’s disposition and all that He has and is. This is God’s wisdom and omnipotence. When the day finally comes when God’s work is finished there will be no need to call God by any name. God is the Creator of all things, God is God, and God’s authority and greatness cannot be encompassed within any one name. I feel that Almighty God’s words are full of authority and that only God is able to speak in this way and uncover the mystery of His name. And only God is able to say: “I am the God of all creatures throughout heavens and earth and seas.” I now believe that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus and that the words of Almighty God are God’s utterances, are the voice of God.

This was the moment when I realized why my spirit never gained the sustenance it needed at those church meetings and why using the name of the Lord Jesus in prayer couldn’t gain the leadership of the Lord: It was because the work done under the name of Jesus has already finished. God is now doing new work and so has a new name, and so anyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus in prayer will not get the work of the Holy Spirit. This was like an epiphany for me. I now understood why sister Wang and the other 2 sisters gave such fresh and lively fellowship, why they understood so much about faith in God, and why they had such strong confidence and strength: It was all because they had accepted God’s new work, gained God’s new words, and were following in the footsteps of the Lamb. By contrast, all those people who don’t accept God’s work of the last days and don’t read the words currently being expressed by God will never follow in the footsteps of the Lamb but will live their lives in darkness without a path to follow. Only God is the sustenance for human life, and if mankind moves away from God’s leadership we will wither and die. I couldn’t help but silently give praise and thanks to God. I thanked Almighty God for leading me in welcoming the return of the Lord, making me become certain about Almighty God’s work of the last days, and allowing me to follow in the footsteps of the Lamb and gain nurturing and sustenance from God’s words. All glory be to Almighty God! Amen!

Almighty God Led Me Onto the Path of Obtaining Cleansing

Gangqiang, USA

                                                                                                              

In 2007, due to a lot of pressure in my life, I came to Singapore by myself to work to make a living. All year round, the climate in Singapore is very hot, so every day I would sweat profusely when I was working. It was so rough that I suffered an unspeakable amount, and on top of that it was an unfamiliar life without any relatives or friends, so I thought it to be boring and tedious. One day in August, I received a gospel leaflet on my way home from work which read: “But the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you” (1Pe 5:10). Seeing these words gave me a warm feeling in my heart. Then a brother brought me to the church, and the brothers and sisters welcomed me cordially and served me delicious food. I had worked the better part of a year since leaving home, and the warmth of family and delicious home cooked food was something that I hadn’t enjoyed in such a long time. Since I was lonely and drifting aimlessly, hot tears immediately welled up in my eyes, and in that moment I had the feeling that I was back home. From then, the church was a place I need to go every Sunday.

I was baptized in December, and formally entered the path of believing in the Lord and of confessing and repenting for my sins. Once, in church, I heard the preacher reading from the chapter 18, verses 21-22 of Matthew: “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus said to him, I say not to you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” After I heard this, I thought to myself: “How can the forgiveness and patience of the Lord Jesus be so great? His forgiveness for people is seventy times seven. If people were really able to achieve this, then there would be love and warmth among people!” I was very moved in my heart, and determined that I would go act in accordance with the Lord’s teachings.

In the three years since I began to believe in the Lord, I was pretty enthusiastic in going to meetings and listening to sermons. Later, my boss put me in charge of managing a construction site, so I put all my energy into my work and gradually stopped attending meetings. Afterward, at the introduction of a friend, I met a boss Mr. Li, and working together with him established a construction company. I was very happy, and made up my mind to put forth a big effort. At that time, I had gotten totally sucked into the vortex of money, and stopped going to church. To make the project succeed for people to praise my abilities, I had no love or patience for my workers and was often berating them, and even often brought the team leader to tears with my abuse. The workers all looked at me timidly, and would even run away to try to avoid me. Even people who had once been my good friends turned cold toward me and didn’t want to share the words in their heart with me anymore. It was so hard for my heart to take this treatment! The Lord Jesus taught that our forgiveness toward others should be seventy times seven. I didn’t even forgive once, so how could I even seem at all like a Christian? I knew what I did was wrong, and wanted to have a transformation in my heart, but all along I suffered from being directionless. When I was depressed, all I could do was pray to the Lord and say everything that was on my mind, and only then could I feel some sense of relief.

In August of 2015, we suspended business operations because the company was not doing well, and I returned home. At that time, I felt very depressed, and would get drunk and play cards all day. When my wife told me I should stop drinking, I would horribly abuse her by saying: “It’s my money, I earned it, and I’ll spend it however I want….” I cursed her so horribly, and my daughter didn’t dare to say anything, but just stood nervously on one side watching. My wife could do nothing to me but sit to the side and cry. After every time I hurt my own family like this, I regretted it but I just had no way to stop myself. In those days I had already completely lost the decency of a Christian, and my behavior and actions were just like those of an unbeliever.

When I was helpless and suffering, I went back to the church again. In that period, I constantly prayed to the Lord Jesus: “Lord! I did many things that I didn’t want to do, and said many hurtful things to people. Every time I committed this sin, I regretted it. I especially hated myself, but I could never control it. I prayed and confessed my sins in the evening, but during the day I repeated the same sins, and so I’ve ended up today as someone nobody wants to have anything to do with. Everyone has drifted away from me. Oh, Lord! I beg You to save me. What should I do to finally be free of sins?”

On New Year’s day of 2016, I set foot on American soil, having come to make a living in New York. Not long after that, I went in to church to take part in a spiritual study course, and it was there that I met Sister Qing Lian. One day, Sister Qing Lian gave me a phone call to say there was some good news she wanted to tell me. I said, “What’s the good news?” She said, “A missionary has come here. Do you want to go hear him speak?” I said, “Great! Where is it?” She then arranged a time for me to go to her house.

On the day we had arranged, I went to Sister Qing Lian’s house, and Sister Zhao was there as well. I saw them using a television to play a segment of a speech: “And so I say that man’s sense has lost its original function, and that man’s conscience, too, has lost its original function.… Man’s disposition should be changed starting from the knowledge of his substance and through changes in his thinking, nature, and mental outlook—through fundamental changes. Only in this way will true changes be achieved in the disposition of man. Man’s corrupt disposition stems from his being poisoned and trampled upon by Satan, from the egregious harm that Satan has inflicted upon his thinking, morality, insight, and sense. It is precisely because these fundamental things of man have been corrupted by Satan, and are utterly unlike how God originally created them, that man opposes God and does not understand the truth. Thus, changes in man’s disposition should begin with changes in his thinking, insight and sense that will change his knowledge of God and his knowledge of the truth” (“To Have an Unchanged Disposition Is to Be in Enmity to God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I was very moved upon hearing these words. “Isn’t it me they are talking about? I always looked down on others, trying to teach them this or curse them for that, without any morality or reason, and have lost the decorum of the saints.” These words all pierced me to the core of my being. I had never before read words such as these, nor had I heard any preacher speak like that. All along, I was distressed because of often committing sins, but had never been able to break out of being controlled by sin. These words showed me the path to leaving sin behind, and it was very strange to me: These words were spoken so well, but who could have written them?

Sister Zhao told me that this was the word of God and that the Lord Jesus had already returned in the flesh, doing the work of judging and cleansing people through His word in the last days. When I heard this news, I could barely believe my ears. Who among the believers in the Lord does not expect for Him to return? Now I was unexpectedly hearing the news about the Lord’s return, and I was at a complete loss: Had the Lord truly returned? I had to get the sisters to quickly fellowship to me about this. Sister Zhao said, “The Lord Jesus has truly returned, and He is Almighty God incarnate. He has expressed the truth about purifying and saving people, and has started to do the work of judgment beginning with the house of God. His goal is to completely save us from the domain of Satan and have us be obtained by God. In the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus only completed the work of redemption, redeemed us from sin, and absolved our sins so that we would not be convicted under the law, but He did not eliminate our sinful nature. We are all able to learn from experience that although the Lord absolved our sins, we still suffer the chains of our sinful nature. We often sin and offend the Lord, and there is no way we can break free from the control of sin. In the past, we didn’t know why this was, and it was only by reading the word of Almighty God that we came to know it. After we were corrupted by Satan, we had already become full of the corrupt disposition of Satan, such as being arrogant, conceited, crooked, treacherous, selfish, contemptible, greedy, malicious, and so on. Controlled by these corrupt dispositions, people fight and scheme with each other and compete for wealth and fame, and are unable to live in harmony; they also commit sins often and resist God. In order to completely rescue people from sin, one still needs God to come and do the work of eliminating man’s sinful nature, and only then will we be able to be cleansed, saved, and obtained by God. After reading some sections of the word of Almighty God, we will understand.” Sister Zhao opened up the book of the word of God and began to read: “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).

“Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering, and did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. 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” (Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“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” (“The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Sister Zhao fellowshiped in this way: After we have read these words of God, we are clear about it, right? Though we have believed in the Lord for many years, we are unable to break free of the bondage of sin. The reason is that in the Age of Grace God only did the work of redemption, but not the work of eliminating sin. So no matter how much we confess our sins and repent, and overcome our own selves, or fast and pray, we will not be able to attain a condition of not sinning. That means if we want to break free of the bondage of our sinful nature, only experiencing the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption is still not enough. We need to accept the work of judgment done by the returned Lord Jesus because only God’s work of judgment in the last days can expose the origin of the sins people commit and show people the path of breaking free of their sinful nature and of gaining purity.  When we act in accordance with what God is saying today, the corrupt disposition within us will gradually be cleansed, and we will break free of the bondage of sin, and only then can we obtain true release and freedom. So the “atonement for sin” in the Age of Grace and God’s “eliminating sin” in the last days are two different kinds of work. “Atonement for sin” was just the Lord Jesus standing in for man’s sins, and exempting people from the punishment they should have suffered for the sins they committed. But it does not mean that people are without sin, nor that people will no longer commit sin and will be completely cleansed. Rather, “eliminating sin” means removing the source of people committing sins, causing them no longer to sin and to attain a transformation in their life disposition, and being completely cleansed. So, only by accepting the work of judgment of God in the last days can we receive salvation, be brought into the kingdom of God, and obtain God’s promise and blessing.

Hearing the word of God and what the sisters fellowshiped, I felt that it corresponded very closely with the truth and was very realistic. Thinking back on all those years when I was arrogant and uninhibited, the people in my work unit being afraid of me and keeping their distance from me, my wife and daughter at home also being afraid of me, nobody wanting to be friends with me. I am even unable to find anyone to speak intimately with, and I felt a deep sense of pain and that I was a failure as a person. I also hated myself but had no way to change. We indeed need the Lord Jesus to return and do the work of salvation and cleansing. Hearing today about the Lord Jesus returning to express the truth and do the work of cleansing and transforming people, I really was fortunate! That day, when I was leaving for home, the sister gave me a copy of the book of God’s word “God’s Sheep Hear the Voice of God” and said that at first she had lived in sin and had been unable to extricate herself from it just like me. Later, after she read the words in this book, she finally found the way to practice. I happily took the book and determined to have good faith in Almighty God!

Ever since I accepted the work of Almighty God in the last days, I read much of the word of God, and gradually understood something about the three stages of God’s work, the mystery of the incarnation, the meaning of God’ names, the inside story of the Bible, and other aspects, and I also had better faith in God. When I had just begun, I was cut to my heart and pained when I read the words about God judging people’s satanic nature. I still had some notions inside me, and thought that God spoke too sternly. Later, I read in the word of God: “In the last days, Christ uses a variety of truths to teach man, reveal the essence of man, and dissect his words and deeds. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out the normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and disposition of God, and so on. These words are all focused on the essence of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, those words that reveal how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan and an enemy force against God. When God does the work of judgment, He does not simply make clear the nature of man with just a few words, but carries out revelation, dealing, and pruning over the long term. Such manner of revelation, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words but with the truth that man does not possess at all. Only such manner of work is deemed judgment; only through such judgment can man be persuaded, be thoroughly convinced into submission to God, and gain true knowledge of God” (“Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I understood from the word of God that God’s work of judgment in the last days uses the truth that man does not possess at all to show people’s rebelliousness and corruption and to analyze people’s speech and behavior. Only through God’s long-term exposing, dealing and pruning can they be able to know their corrupt disposition and essential nature little by little, and to see clearly their own corrupt, ugly manners, and reach a state of hating themselves and then transforming themselves. If God did not work in this way, I would not know my own corrupt disposition, so how could I break free of my sinful nature and obtain cleansing? The more I read the word of God, the more I felt that God’s work of judgment was very good! The word of God can indeed cleanse, transform, and save people.

Once, in a meeting, when I was sharing my own experiences where I always would say phrases like “I think,” and “here’s what I think,” a brother pointed out that this habit in my speech was an indication of arrogance. If anyone else had exposed me like this before, I would have argued with and quickly refuted him. But at the time, I chose to be silent without arguing and justifying myself, because I thought of the words of “Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life”: “If you always say ‘I think’ when it comes to any subject you encounter, well, it is best that you let go of your opinions. I urge you to let go of your opinions and seek the truth. Examine the words of God. Your ‘opinion’ is not the truth! … You are too arrogant and self-righteous!  In the face of the truth, you cannot even let go of and deny your own conceptions and illusions. You do not want to obey God in the slightest! Of those that truly seek the truth and truly have a heart that reveres God, who still says ‘I think’? This saying has already been eliminated. This is the revealing of the satanic disposition.” So I felt that what the brother had just said was right, and I had no grounds on which to refute him. What man thinks is true can’t substitute for the truth. Whatever man thinks comes from Satan. If someone always uses the word “I” at the beginning of what they say, this is a state of not having God in one’s heart, and is a mark of not revering God. How arrogant was it of me to always talk like that!

Later, I also read a passage in the book “Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life” that said: “People become arrogant after they’ve owned some assets. If someone is of good caliber and has a certain level of capability, he will think, ‘I’m better than other people.’ In so doing they reveal their arrogant disposition, and they have no regard for anyone else. This is normal, because they are skilled and capable. If they truly knew themselves, they would think they weren’t even worth a penny. What would they have to be arrogant about then? He thinks it’s not worth being arrogant about, and had no assets to be arrogant about, then he wouldn’t become arrogant. Isn’t this the case? There are some people who think themselves better than anyone else, and that they can understand any matter clearly, so what is bound to happen one day? When they suffer a big setback, and are humiliated in failure, will they still be able to be arrogant? They’ll feel like they can’t raise their head, don’t dare to see anyone. So when those people with arrogant and conceited disposition experience failure or are humiliated several times, or are dealt with and pruned in a big way several times, their arrogant disposition will naturally be resolved. All people come around like this. By experiencing God’s judgment and chastisement, by being pruned and dealt with, by being disciplined by the Holy Spirit, and by suffering some failures and setbacks, people will become much more honest. Their arrogance will become less and less, and they won’t be as self-righteous. Even if they understand something thoroughly, they will still seek the truth about it, seek other people’s ideas, to take precautions against the possibility of making a mistake. This is all the result reached through God’s judgment and chastisement. So no matter how arrogant and self-righteous you are, don’t be afraid, and don’t worry. As long as you experience God’s judgment and chastisement, and accept more of pruning and dealing, especially the discipline of the Holy Spirit, gradually you’ll start to change. No one can help you with this, so you have to rely on praying to God, and seeking the truth, and gaining the work of the Holy Spirit, because once the Holy Spirit works upon you all your problems will be resolved.” This passage was fellowshiped quite penetratingly, and really got the job done! I realized that previously on the job site, or at home, I was always in a high position lecturing others, and this was all because of the control by the arrogant nature of Satan. Thinking myself to have ability, to be able to make money, I showed off my seniority, and looked down on everyone besides myself, and thought that no one was as good as me, and always put myself on a pedestal. After accepting God’s work in the last days, I read many words with respect to God judging and revealing people’s arrogant nature, and also through what brothers and sisters fellowshiped at gatherings I began to have a shallow understanding of my own arrogant nature. I saw that I was not in fact better than anyone else, and that my ability and wealth were all bestowed by God, so I had nothing to boast about. At the same time, I also found the way to transform my arrogant nature in the word of God, which is accepting being dealt with and pruned by brothers and sisters even more, comparing myself to the word of God and reflecting on myself more, gaining true knowledge of myself and hatred for myself, and no longer relying on satanic disposition in what I do but acting according to God’s word. Through the course of having experienced being pruned and dealt with like this many times, and what I came to know through self-reflection, my arrogant nature began to gradually gain some transformations.

Along with reading more of the word of God, and constantly living the life of the church, I came to feel more and more how fortunate I was that I could accept God’s work in the last days. In the Church of Almighty God, all the brothers and sisters are very passionate, treat each other with sincerity. They are all pure and simple, and fellowship their own experiences to each other, and even if their corrupt dispositions are revealed, they are able to reflect on and know themselves on the basis of the word of God. I have seen that the word of Almighty God is genuinely able to cleanse and transform people. God expressed the word Himself to lead us to break free of sin and attain salvation, so we are truly blessed! Thinking of how many people there still are who believe in God sincerely and are anxiously waiting for the Lord Jesus to return, and yearning to break free of the chains of sin and to obtain cleansing, I made a resolution in praying to God: I am willing to spread the gospel of the kingdom to even more people, and to get them to be like me, to follow the footsteps of God, and to obtain God’s salvation of the last days.

Christian Crosstalk "Village Lockdown" | A Christian Adventure In Preaching Gospel (English Dubbed)

The Church of Almighty God|Christian Crosstalk "Village Lockdown" | A Christian Adventure In Preaching Gospel (English Dubbed)|Eastern Lightning

The crosstalk Village Lockdown tells the harrowing tale of Christian Yang Ming being tracked by the CCP government's eyes and nearly being arrested while sharing the gospel with her aunt. 

Best Christian Music "The One Who Holds Sovereignty Over Everything" (English Musical Documentary)

Throughout the vast universe, all celestial bodies move precisely within their own orbits. Under the heavens, mountains, rivers, and lakes all have their boundaries,

I Have Found a True Home

Yangyang, USA

When I was three years old my father passed away. At that time my mother had just given birth to my younger brother, and my grandmother, owing to superstition, said that it was my mother and younger brother that caused my father’s death. For lack of a better option mother had to take my younger brother to her father’s house to live, so from the start of my earliest memories I was living together with my grandpa and grandma. Although my grandpa and grandma treated me well I still felt lonely and really wanted to be together with my mom and little brother. I hoped for the same kind of motherly love that other kids received. Really, what I was asking for wasn’t much, all I wanted was a true family, a mother who loved me dearly, who I could share my true feelings with. But even this small ask turned into an extravagant hope. I was only able to see my mother on the weekends. Whenever I got into trouble at school mom was never there by side either, I was like a small patch of grass by the side of the road, nobody showed any interest in me. Over time I became very self-abased, I held everything back in my heart and didn’t take initiative to interact with others. When I was sixteen there were some people in my village who were going abroad for work, and the idea tempted me. I thought to myself: My family conditions aren’t very good, if I were to go abroad then I could earn my own living, and even give some of my earnings to my family. That way I could help my family live a little better.

In August 2000, I came to the United States to make it alone. While there I’d wake up early in the morning and work all day late into the night, and there was no one by my side whom I could share my thoughts with. I forced myself to hold it together on the outside, but on the inside I felt especially lonely and desolate. Whenever I felt this way I would really miss my family, and I would yearn even stronger to be able to have a happy family.

When I was 21 I got to know my husband while working at a restaurant. He was dependable and devoted to his parents, so I had a favorable impression of him. One time, I sprained my foot while not being careful, and to my surprise he quit his job to take care of me, which made me feel very touched. I slowly started to depend on him. In April 2008 we got married. I felt like I had found someone with whom I could entrust my life to, and finally it felt like I had a family to call my own. I felt very happy in my heart, what I had hoped for for so many years had finally come true. After getting married my husband’s sister and I partnered up to start a building materials company, but since I was the only one in our family who knew English, the entire company was basically supported by me. On the one hand I was looking after everyone in my family, and on the other hand I was managing the company. Through several years of struggle I not only was able to help my husband pay back his previous debts, I was also able to collect some savings for my family. Originally I had thought that my investment would win me the respect of my husband’s family, but the reality was a slap in the face to me. Once the business started having some success we planned to have a child, but I couldn’t get pregnant. Because of this I took a lot of medicine and visited lots of doctors, but I didn’t see a single ray of hope. My husband was the eldest son in his family, and his parents and other relatives lost hope in me since we didn’t give them a grandchild. Facing this kind of pressure my husband’s attitude toward me also changed dramatically from before. Afterward, everyone in my husband’s family changed their attitudes toward me. My husband’s older sister would often say things to exclude me, and would even distort the facts to say bad things about me in front of my husband. I felt I had been wronged, so I told my husband how I was feeling. He not only didn’t understand me, he even started yelling at me while I was explaining myself, which made me feel even more hurt and wronged. Later on, we went to the hospital for another checkup, and finally found out that it was actually a problem with my husband’s body. But this was no longer important, because after several years of fighting our relationship had become a mess. Starting from the beginning of 2012 my husband would often go back to China to visit doctors and carry out business, only coming back home once every six months. Every time he came back he was just to get money, telling me that the company he was running back in China needed funding to cover its costs, but he was completely indifferent toward me. In this way we were barely ever together for over three years, and our relationship drifted further apart.

In September 2015 we finally ended up getting a divorce. What hurt me the most was that when we were dividing up our property my husband went so far as to entrust a lawyer to make me sign a contract saying that if the court did not approve our divorce then within a week I would have to give him the entire portion of earnings I had made. Another lawyer had me think it over carefully, if I signed this contract it would be very detrimental to me, and he said that he could help me write an agreement that would win me alimony. Seeing my husband be so cold and ruthless made me feel very disillusioned. From first falling in love to getting married, for nearly a decade I gave everything to my husband and this family, to which no amount of money or possessions could compare. But now, because my husband couldn’t have a child, he and his family placed all blame on me, and turned heartless toward me, without the slightest consideration for my feelings. What I got in return for what I put in was a lot of pain and a broken heart. I felt exhausted. I didn’t want anything to do with this family, I just wanted to leave this home as soon as possible and get far away from these people who hurt me so deeply. So, without the slightest hesitation I signed my name.

After my divorce I felt very helpless. I didn’t know whom I could believe in, and I didn’t know whom I could go to and share my feelings with. Every time that I thought about my own failed marriage it made me feel so depressed and sorrowful. I reexamined my current self. In order to have a child I took so much medicine with hormones that I gained half again the weight of my original size. I was so afraid that others would see me now in these dire straits, in this difficult situation that I was in. On the surface I feigned being strong, but in my heart I felt extremely weak. I really did long for the day that I would be able to live a life where my spirit could be set free. It was from this point in time that I started having the desire to believe in God.

Not long after this, I ran into Carmen one day while at the mall shopping for clothes. She was very enthusiastic in helping me, and we exchanged phone numbers. Afterward I saw a message she posted on WeChat, and I discovered that she was a Christian. Carmen would often share with me God’s love for man, and I felt very moved in my heart. I gradually discovered that I—originally someone who was closed off—was willing to open my heart and interact with other people. As Carmen and I got to know each other I opened up to her about the suffering that I had felt in my heart these past many years. Carmen really understood my suffering, and she shared with me a similar experience that she had gone through. I felt that I had met someone who truly cared for me, and it warmed my heart. One day Carmen invited me to another sister’s home where I met Brother Kevin and several other sisters from The Church of Almighty God. While being with them I felt that they were quite different from the people I had met in the past. Whenever I was with other people, even if they were my relatives or friends, it felt like I wasn’t truly understood when I opened up my heart to them. On the contrary, I would worry that I would be ridiculed by them, so I wasn’t willing to share my feelings with anyone. However, while with Carmen and these others I felt very at ease, for they were all able to understand my suffering, and they even shared with me their own experiences. It truly was difficult to imagine how sincerely I could open up my heart and talk with everyone here the first time I met them, how we all shared our experiences with one another. I felt like these brothers and sisters treated me like a relative more than my family did, which was something I had never experienced before while living in this world over the past several decades, and it made me feel very touched inside.

Later, we all got together to watch the musical Xiaozhen’s Story from The Church of Almighty God, which I thought was so touching. The story in the movie was so true: As a child, the heroine in the film played with her friends innocently and without impurity, but once they grew up and came across needing to fend for themselves, everyone’s heart began to gradually change. They started to scheme against each other, even becoming enemies and fighting with one another. There was no affection or friendship. I couldn’t help but think of all those years my husband and I struggled. Because we couldn’t have a child there was a fracture in our relationship, ending when we split up our property and my husband actually started calculating against me. It made me think about how terrible people really are, whenever it’s their own interests at stake all feelings become unworthy of mention. Fortunately, the heroine in the film eventually finds God, and returns to God’s home, where God becomes the only thing she can rely on, and she is no longer lonely, nor does she go on feeling indecisive and helpless. I felt quite moved after seeing this, holding back tears in my eyes. I thought to myself: “When Xiaozhen returned to God she took off the mask worn for survival and truly lived in the presence of God, receiving His salvation, and being able to live a liberated and free life. So, Almighty God surely will also save me, allowing me to live as happily as Xiaozhen.” Then I heard the words of Almighty God: “Mankind, who left the supply of life from the Almighty, does not know why they exist, and yet fears death. There is no support, no help, but mankind is still reluctant to close their eyes, braving it all, drags out an ignoble existence in this world in bodies without the consciousness of souls. You live like such, with no hope; he exists like such, with no aim. There is only the Holy One in the legend who will come to save those who moan in suffering and long desperately for His arrival. This belief cannot be realized so far in the people who are unconscious. However, the people still yearn for it so. The Almighty has mercy on these people who suffer deeply. At the same time, He is fed up with these people who have no consciousness, because He has to wait too long for the answer from humans. He desires to seek, seek your heart and your spirit. He wants to bring you food and water and to awaken you, so you are no longer thirsty, no longer hungry. When you are weary and when you begin to feel the desolation of this world, do not be perplexed, do not cry. Almighty God, the Watcher, will embrace your arrival any time. He is watching by your side, waiting for you to turn back. He is waiting for the day your memory suddenly recovers: becoming conscious of the fact that you came from God, somehow and somewhere once lost, falling unconscious on the roadside, and then, unknowingly having a father. You further realize that the Almighty has been watching there, awaiting your return all along” (“The Sighing of the Almighty” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Upon hearing these words it was as if my mother was calling out for me, and it seemed like I had returned to my mother’s side, where I felt an incomparable warmth in my heart. As it turns out, God has always been by my side watching over me, waiting for my return. I was no longer alone. God knows my plight and my needs. In my greatest time of need, when my spirit ached the most, He, through brothers and sisters spreading the gospel to me, brought me back into the house of God, where I received God’s salvation and enjoyed the love God has for me. In that moment I felt like a lost child who had finally found home, who had found their family, and I really felt truly blessed!

After this, I started participating in church life, and through reading the word of Almighty God I felt that I had found something I could truly rely on, that there was goal and direction in my life. However, since I understood little about the truth, every time I thought about my failed marriage I would still feel pain in my heart. I hated the way that my husband’s family had treated me, and every time I thought about it I would start to feel my heart sink into despair. So, in order to seek the truth and find answers, I prayed to God about my troubles, and I opened up to the brothers and sisters and told them about my problems as well. One time, Brother Kevin shared with me this passage from the word of Almighty God: “Man walked through the ages with God, yet man knows not that God rules the fate of all things and living beings or how God orchestrates and directs all things. … None actively seek out the footsteps or appearance of God, and none wish to exist in the care and keeping of God. Rather, they are willing to rely on the corrosion of Satan and the evil one in order to adapt to this world and to the rules of life the wicked mankind follows. At this point, the heart and spirit of man are sacrificed to Satan and become its sustenance. Moreover, the human heart and spirit become a place in which Satan can reside and a fitting playground for it. In this way, man unknowingly loses his understanding of the principles of being human…. God loses the man of His original creation, and man loses the root of his beginning. This is the sorrow of this mankind” (“God Is the Source of Man’s Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Brother Kevin fellowshiped on this, telling me: “The reason that our lives are so full of pain is because we fail to see through the fact that mankind is corrupted by Satan. In fact, mankind has been corrupted by Satan for thousands of years. For a long time now we have been used to everything Satan instills in us. Mankind relies on Satan’s rules of survival to live, making us self-seeking, selfish, contemptible and without conscience. Your former husband’s family was able to treat you in the way they did because they too were controlled by such feudal thoughts as ‘Carry on one’s ancestral line,’ ‘There are three ways to be unfilial, having no sons is the worst,’ and ‘Bring up children so as to be looked after in old age’ that had been instilled in them by Satan, and when your husband was dividing up your property he didn’t consider at all your many years of being together as husband and wife, this too was him being affected and controlled by such rules of survival as ‘Money is first’ and ‘Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost,’ which turned him selfish and unfeeling. Because of Satan’s corruption people simply cannot get along with each other, and there is no happiness in our lives. All the suffering that we experience is caused by Satan’s afflictions. All of our families are afflicted by Satan as well, the entire human race is under Satan’s domain, and without the freedom to act independently we are harmed by Satan. So, without God’s guidance, people relying on the philosophies and laws of Satan to live have lives that are without true blessings and happiness. In our lives what we need the most is not material wealth or the love of our families, but rather God’s salvation. What we need is to be supplied with the word of God. God alone can lead us to break away from Satan’s corruption and affliction, and restore our conscience and reason, enabling us to live like true people and obtain freedom and liberation.” After listening to Brother Kevin’s fellowship I suddenly realized: As it turns out it wasn’t just me who lived in suffering, but rather the entire human race had been fooled by Satan and corrupted by Satan, all were struggling with pain. So long as man comes before God and accepts God’s salvation, then they can break away from the affliction of Satan, and walk away from this suffering. This is the only way to obtain happiness and freedom. Once I understood this my mind felt so clear, and I was able to let go of so much. Thanks be to God’s salvation!

Once I understood the root cause for why man lives in pain I realized that the resentment I held toward my former husband’s family was all the result of Satan’s afflictions, and this made me even willing to try and forgive them and stop holding a grudge against them. When I started putting the word of God into practice I felt a lot more joy in my heart. One day in August 2016 I ran into my former husband on the street. We greeted each other and I felt clearly in my heart that I no longer resented him, because I knew that he had been living with Satan’s afflictions, that he had been fooled and tormented by Satan. If I have the opportunity I will spread the gospel of God in the last days to him, so that he too can come before God and receive the Creator’s salvation. In that moment I felt that God truly is so lovable, and that God’s word is the truth. So long as we come before God and receive His salvation, then we can free ourselves from the binds of Satan and obtain freedom and liberation, and live happy and blessed lives.

Every time that I watch the dance and song video The Happiness in the Good Land of Canaan I feel so happy. I feel like they are singing about what I feel in my heart: “I’ve returned to God’s family, excited and happy. My hands hold my beloved, my heart belongs to Him. Though I’ve passed through the Vale of Tears, I’ve seen God’s loveliness. My love for God grows day by day, God is the source of my joy. Bewitched by the beauty of God, my heart is attached to Him. I can never love God enough, songs of praise well up in my heart. In this blessed land of Canaan, all is fresh, all is new…. Canaan’s land, the world of God’s words; His love brings us unending joy. Fragrance of fruits fills the air. If you live here for a few days, you will love it more than anything. Never will you want to leave.” When I think back on the road I’ve been down, regardless of what I experienced on the way God has always been by my side watching over me, and in the end He took me back into His home. Now every day I enjoy being watered and provided for by the word of Almighty God. The pain I felt inside has gone away, and I have found direction in my life. I have obtained true freedom and happiness. Thanks be to God for saving me, I will strive to pursue the truth and fulfill my duty as a creation as best I can to repay God’s love. All the glory be to Almighty God!

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