Do You Know How Important God’s Law and His 10 Commandments Are to Mankind?

I trust that every one of us who believes in the Lord will be familiar with the Ten Commandments and the Law. But are we aware of how important the Ten Commandments and the Law are to mankind, and what profound significance they have for us? Today, let’s investigate and fellowship this topic together.

God’s words say: “When God began the official work of His management plan, He set down many regulations that were to be followed by man. These regulations were in order to allow man to lead the normal life of man on earth, a normal life of man that is inseparable from God and His guidance. God first told man how to make altars, how to set up the altars. After that, He told man how to make offerings, and established how man was to live—what he was to pay attention to in life, what he was to abide by, what he should and should not do. What God set out for man was all-embracing, and with these customs, regulations, and principles He standardized people’s behavior, guided their lives, guided their initiation to the laws of God, guided them to come before the altar of God, guided them in having a life among all the things God had made for man that was possessed of order, regularity, and moderation. God first used these simple regulations and principles to set limits for man, so that on earth man would have a normal life of worshiping God, would have the normal life of man; such is the specific content of the beginning of His six-thousand-year management plan. The regulations and rules cover a very broad content, they are the specifics of God’s guidance of mankind during the Age of Law, they had to be accepted and honored by the people who came before the Age of Law, they are a record of the work done by God during the Age of Law, and they are real proof of God’s leadership and guidance of all mankind” (“God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself II”).

Reflection for Today: Does a Church Appearing Fervent Mean That It Has the Work of the Holy Spirit?

Hello brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A,

Several months ago, I witnessed the pastors in our church vying with each other for the sake of fame and gain and jockeying for position, so much so that they even verbally attacked and disparaged each other during sermons. Their sermons were not enjoyable to listen to, and our spirits went unnourished. Furthermore, there was widespread cooling of the faith of brothers and sisters; they pursued wealth, they coveted physical pleasures and they followed worldly trends, giving all their attention to eating, drinking and having fun. Most of the time, some brothers and sisters simply did not attend gatherings, but instead only came when a disaster occurred in their lives or when there was some important holiday … Faced with this situation in our church, I left to look for a church that had the work of the Holy Spirit. I searched in many places, however, and discovered that most churches were just the same, and I began to lose hope. I recently found a church, however, which often put on shows and held events, and it even had pastors come from overseas to give sermons. The atmosphere in this church was very warm and enthusiastic, and many people attended each gathering. Looking at this church that was so ardent and at the brothers and sisters who attended gatherings so enthusiastically, I thought this must be a church that had the work of the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t long, however, before I discovered that, although the church appeared ardent, the sermons preached by the pastors were unable to provide benefits for the lives of brothers and sisters and were unable to satisfy our spirits. The singing and dancing that went on only had the effect of changing the atmosphere in the church—while it was going on, we all felt very energetic, but as soon as we sat down to listen to a pastor give a sermon, we would begin to doze off. Moreover, brothers and sisters were always trying to outdo each other with donations and prayers. Whoever donated a lot was considered to be someone who loved the Lord, and whoever prayed for a long time and said nice words in their prayers was considered to be a spiritual person…. In this kind of church, the brothers and sisters not only had no honesty or humility but, on the contrary, their vanity just got stronger and stronger and they became more and more hypocritical. They focused on expressing themselves and showing off in front of others and were exceedingly self-righteous and arrogant. Whenever they encountered an issue, they just dealt with it however they wanted, and they didn’t listen to anyone else—they were just not keeping to the Lord’s teachings at all. Faced with this kind of situation in the church, I couldn’t help but wonder: Could such a church that appears to be so fervent from the outside have the work of the Holy Spirit? This question has always perplexed me, so I’d like to ask if you could answer it for me.

Wenxi

We Can Only Enter the Kingdom of Heaven by Doing God’s Will (Part Two)

After Sister Li listened, she smiled and said, “Thanks be to God, you’ve asked a critical question! Whether we can become people who do the Father’s will is directly related to our own endings and destination, and fellowship on this question is very necessary! In the last days, the returned Lord Jesus, who is Almighty God, has already revealed the truth and mysteries surrounding this question to us. First, let’s read several passages of Almighty God’s word!” After she spoke, Sister Li opened a book of God’s word and began to read, “A sinner such as you, who has just been redeemed, and has not been changed, or been perfected by God, can you be after God’s heart? For you, you who are still of your old self, it is true that you were saved by Jesus, and that you are not counted as a sinner because of the salvation of God, but this does not prove that you are not sinful, and are not impure. How can you be saintly if you have not been changed? Within, you are beset by impurity, selfish and mean, yet you still wish to descend with Jesus—you should be so lucky! You have missed a step in your belief in God: You have merely been redeemed, but have not been changed. For you to be after God’s heart, God must personally do the work of changing and cleansing you; if you are only redeemed, you will be incapable of attaining sanctity. In this way you will be unqualified to share in the good blessings of God, for you have missed out a step in God’s work of managing man, which is the key step of changing and perfecting. And so you, a sinner who has just been redeemed, are incapable of directly inheriting God’s inheritance” (“Concerning Appellations and Identity” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

We Can Only Enter the Kingdom of Heaven by Doing God’s Will (Part One)

Editor’s Note: Many people believe that merely by forsaking, expending, laboring, and working for the Lord, we are doing the Father’s will, but the Lord Jesus said, “Not every one that said to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21–23). Why did the Lord Jesus say those who work and preach in His name are workers of iniquity? Isn’t forsaking, expending, laboring, and working for the Lord doing the Father’s will? Just what does it mean to do the Father’s will? Sister Xinshou’s experience gives us an answer. Read on to learn more …

In 2012, my husband and I came to the United States to find work. In a happy accident, I went into a church to hear the sermon, and when I heard the pastor preach that the Lord Jesus was crucified to redeem our sins, I was shocked. Especially when I heard the hymns in praise of the Lord, the Lord Jesus’s selfless love moved me to tears. The Lord’s love was like a lamp burning in a dark night that lit up my entire life. I began to participate in all kinds of church activities. Later, I was chosen for hosting duties at the church, and I enthusiastically preached the gospel for the Lord. I believed that as long as I passionately expended for the Lord, I was the Lord’s loyal servant, that He would take delight in me, and that He would grant me blessings.

Daily Bible Reading: Is All the Word of God Really in the Bible?

“Siyu, in chapters 3 and 22 of Revelation, the Lord Jesus prophesies many times, “I come quickly.” We have been longing for the Lord Jesus to return for so many years, and now He has returned to speak His words and perform a new stage of work …”

Siyu stood at the window, frowning, with the words of her neighbor Sister Zhou echoing over and over in her ears. But she thought of what the pastors and elders often preach: “God’s words and works are all recorded in the Bible and there are none outside the Bible. If we want to await the Lord’s coming, we have to stick to the Bible.” Siyu thought to herself, “The Lord will definitely return in the last days. But if all of God’s words and works are in the Bible, how can the Lord possibly speak any more words or perform any new works when He returns in the last days?” Thinking this, Siyu felt very confused. She turned and walked back to the table, and she then prayed to God, seeking the answers. Siyu then opened the Bible and, just at that moment, she was drawn to chapter 2, verse 7 of Revelation. She read in a soft voice: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” “What the Spirit says to the churches?” she thought. “He that has an ear, let him hear? Revelation is a book of prophecy concerning the Lord’s return, so could it be that when the Lord returns in the last days, He really will speak more words? But the pastors and elders say that the Lord’s words and works are all in the Bible. What exactly is the truth of the matter?” Siyu pondered this for a long time, but still she couldn’t quite understand it.

The Significance of God’s Name: If God’s Name Is Jehovah, Why Then Is He Called Jesus?

Jehovah God tells us clearly in the Old Testament: “I, even I, am Jehovah; and beside me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11). “Jehovah … is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations” (Exodus 3:15). And yet it says in the New Testament: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). It says in the Old Testament that only Jehovah is God’s name and thus it shall be forever. In the New Testament, however, it says that one can only be saved by the name Jesus. Since God’s name Jehovah in the Age of Law was to be His name forever, why then was God called Jesus in the Age of Grace? How are we to understand the word “for ever” as mentioned here in the Bible? What truths and mysteries are hidden behind God’s names? Let’s fellowship about this now.

Do You Know About the Mysteries in the Lord’s Prayer?

Many brothers and sisters are very familiar with the Lord’s Prayer, and we recite it every time we pray: “Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10). But even though we often recite the Lord’s Prayer, we rarely contemplate the true meaning of the Lord’s Prayer. Which aspects of the truth does the Lord Jesus tell us about through the Lord’s Prayer, what is the Lord’s will, and what mysteries are contained within the Lord’s Prayer? Let’s discuss these things today.

A Major Discovery: The Place Prepared for Us by the Lord Is Not in Heaven

Since believing in God, we have always thought the place the Lord prepared for us was in heaven. We have been waiting to be lifted up when the Lord returns, to eat and drink the fruit and water of life granted by God, and eternally enjoy the Lord’s blessings in His presence. But is what we think in accordance with the Lord’s will? Is the place the Lord has prepared for us truly in heaven? Let’s look at what it says in the Lord’s Prayer. Matthew 6:10 says, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” The Lord Jesus tells us clearly that the kingdom of God is on earth, not in heaven, and that God’s will shall be done on earth, just as it is done in heaven. Revelation also prophesies in several places that the kingdom of God is on earth, not in heaven. For example, Revelation 11:15 says, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 21:2–3 also says, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” These prophecies say, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ,” “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,” and that “The tabernacle of God is with men.” All of these things indicate that the kingdom of God will be realized on the earth, and that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of Christ. That is to say, when the Lord Jesus returns, He will establish His kingdom on earth. At that time, God will still lead people in living on the earth and worshiping God, all people will live by God’s word, God’s words will become the instructions by which things are done and the foundation of existence, all on earth will worship the one true God in heaven and respect Him as above all and greater than all, and thereby the kingdom of God will be made upon the earth. If we believe the kingdom of God is in heaven according to our notions, and that we will be lifted up to heaven by God, then aren’t these prophecies just empty words?

God’s Will Shall Be Done on Earth, and Mankind’s Destination Is on Earth

What Is Redemption

The mention of “Jesus’ Redemption” always fills us with gratitude to the Lord. Two thousand years ago, to redeem us from the hands of Satan, the Lord Jesus was crucified and sacrificed for the sins of humanity, thereby forgiving all our sins. When we sin, as long as we repent and confess our sins to the Lord, our sins are forgiven, and we enjoy peace and joy. But recently, some brothers and sisters have been confused: Although our sins are forgiven by the Lord, we have never been able to escape the bondage of sin, we often lie and deceive, we are stuck in the cycle of sinning and confessing, and we cannot keep the Lord’s teachings. The Bible clearly tells us, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26). We know clearly that we can sin involuntarily despite knowing our actions go against God’s will, and that if we merely repent without changing, the sacrifice for our sins is useless. Like this, can we truly be directly raptured into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord comes? But there are also some brothers and sisters who believe that although we often sin, the Lord has forgiven our sins and does not see us as sinners, and when the Lord returns, we will be raptured into the kingdom of heaven! So, will we be raptured into the kingdom of heaven? Let’s explore the issue together.

Brothers and sisters, first of all we must know that it is true that the Lord Jesus has forgiven our sins, but did the Lord Jesus say, “If people are forgiven, they can enter the kingdom of heaven?” Has the Holy Spirit testified this? If not, then this view is not in line with the truth, nor in the mind of God, but springs from the imagination of the human mind. The Bible tells us that Jehovah said, “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). The Lord Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant stays not in the house for ever: but the Son stays ever” (John 8:34–35). God is holy and righteous, and God does not allow polluted and corrupt people to exist in His kingdom, so God requires that we escape sin and become pure. Only by being purified can we enter the kingdom of heaven. How could people such as us who constantly sin and resist God enter the kingdom of heaven?

What Salvation Is and How It’s Gained From God

Being saved by God isn’t the same as being rescued. It’s not aid given to the poor by the rich, it’s not a doctor saving the life of a patient, and it’s not the loving help of a kind person or a charitable organization. God’s salvation is prepared for the sake of saving mankind and it is overflowing with God’s great love and mercy for humanity. Gaining it means that we are able to accept God’s salvation, obey His current words and work, put God’s words into practice, comply with God’s way, as well as do things and conduct ourselves in accordance with His requirements. This is the only way we can gain God’s salvation.

Throughout each of our lives God will give us many opportunities to gain His salvation, but in order to get it we must first acknowledge and accept it. Otherwise, we will miss the chance just like the foolish virgins did, and we will regret it for eternity. There are some who may say: “If the chance is gone, it’s gone. It doesn’t matter.” But is that true? We must first understand this fact: Missing out on God’s salvation isn’t like missing out on a tasty meal or like missing a bus, nor is it like missing a chance at getting higher education or a new job. Rather, it is like a person trapped in a burning building missing a firefighter’s rescue; it is like someone who is drowning failing to catch a piece of driftwood. It’s clear that whether we are able to accept and gain salvation from God is directly related to the incredibly important issues of whether we can gain God’s approval, and be saved and enter into the kingdom of heaven. Missing out on God’s salvation is a regrettable, pitiable thing; knowing and gaining God’s salvation is incredibly important for all of us! Since it is so important, let’s now come to understand God’s salvation from His work and seek out how we can gain it!

What Is the Meaning of Christmas, and Are You Truly Worshiping the Lord Jesus?

The Origins of Christmas

Every year, as Christmas approaches, shops on the street arrange a dazzling display of Christmas presents, with Santa Claus and Christmas trees, and so on. Festooned in trees and on buildings there are many-colored lights, and whole cities are decorated with lanterns and colored hangings, and everywhere there is joy and excitement. To Christianity, Christmas is a very special holiday, and several months before Christmas, many churches will begin to busy themselves preparing everything necessary for the Christmas holiday. On Christmas Day, the churches are filled, and brothers and sisters get involved in the celebrations, eating Christmas dinner, putting on performances and worshiping the Lord Jesus, and so on. Everyone’s face is flushed with happiness. However, when we get together in joyous gatherings to celebrate the Lord Jesus’ birth, do we understand the meaning of Christmas? Perhaps brothers and sisters will say, “The Lord Jesus was nailed upon the cross to redeem all mankind, and so as to remember and celebrate the Lord Jesus’ birth, Christians established Christmas. Though the specific day on which the Lord Jesus was born is not recorded in the Bible, Christmas gradually became a universal holiday in the wake of the expansion of Jesus Christ’s gospel.” We may have known this, but do we know God’s love and His will for us that was actually hidden behind the birth of the Lord Jesus? And how should we approach Christmas in a way that is after the Lord’s heart?

3 Methods on How to Pray So That God Will Listen

Brothers and sisters:

Peace to you in the Lord! Praying is an important way for us Christians to establish a normal relationship with God. This is especially the case during the morning and at night. That is why learning how to pray is extremely important. However, many brothers and sisters feel perplexed: Every single day, we pray both in the morning and at night; we also pray before we eat and after we finish eating as well as when we have gatherings; furthermore, each time we pray, we say a lot to the Lord and pray for a long time. However, we always feel as if God is not there; it feels as if we are just talking to ourselves when we pray, and our spirit does not feel peace or joy. Why does God not listen to our prayers? How should we pray so that we can receive God’s praise?

Actually, there are a few reasons why God may not listen to our prayers. I will share my personal understanding of this with everybody.

First, do we pray to God with a sincere heart?

The Lord Jesus said: “When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him” (John 4:23). God’s words have shown us how we should pray to worship God in accordance with His intentions. What God focuses on the most is whether we have a sincere heart when we are before Him and whether we speak sincere and true words to Him. As long as we have a reverent heart toward God and have a sincere heart when we pray to God, God would find our prayers acceptable. However, when we pray to God, we often are unable to quiet ourselves before God and use a true heart to pray to God. Our lips move but our heart is thinking about family or work and filled with anxious thoughts. Sometimes, our lips move but our hearts do not move. We do not have an honest attitude, and we are simply going through the motions and going over old ground, doing it perfunctorily. We even frequently say some dignified, pompous and empty words, words that merely sound good or some diluted words to deceive God. For example, we love our parents more than we love the Lord or we love our career more than we love the Lord, yet when we pray, we say, “O Lord, I love You! I am willing to relinquish everything and expend for You with all my heart!” When our families encounter some unhappy incidents, our hearts become negative and we complain to the Lord. Yet, when we pray, we give thanks to the Lord and say words of praise to the Lord…. Basically, in prayers, if one is not sincere and only goes through the motions, using some big and empty words, false words or if one disguises oneself before God and only says some pleasant-sounding words, he is deceiving God. God will not listen to prayers that are not sincere.

Second, do we pray to God with rationality?

Unveiled: The True Meaning of “It Is Finished” Spoken by the Lord Jesus on the Cross

Many brothers and sisters believe that what Jesus meant by saying “It is finished” when He was on the cross was that God’s work to save mankind was completed. But was this really the case? What exactly did He mean by saying “It is finished”? The following article will uncover the true meaning of the words “It is finished” that the Lord Jesus spoke upon the cross. Please read on …

At seven o’clock in the morning, Wang Xue was hurrying to her daughter Hui Min’s house. Half an hour before, Pastor Zhang had come to Wang Xue’s house to tell her that her daughter and son-in-law had accepted Eastern Lightning. This came as a great surprise to Wang Xue, and she thought to herself: “The members of Eastern Lightning testify that the Lord Jesus has returned and that He is expressing His words and performing a stage of work to judge and purify man. And yet the Lord Jesus clearly said ‘It is finished’ when He was upon the cross, and this shows that God’s work to save mankind has already finished. How can the Lord possibly return to do a new stage of work? My daughter and her husband are quite familiar with the Bible, and they pursue the truth quite diligently; they are thoughtful and insightful people, so they won’t have made this decision blindly. How could they have accepted Eastern Lightning? What’s going on here?” Wang Xue was extremely baffled and she wanted to understand the reasons behind this as soon as she could, and so she hurriedly set off for Hui Min’s house.

Is There Any Biblical Basis for the Statement “Once Saved, Always Saved”?

The sun sank into the west, and the last light of the sinking sun spread across the world as I walked back home after a meeting, thinking of what the pastor had said: “Once saved, then we are always saved, for the Bible says, ‘That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation’ (Romans 10:9-10). As we believe in the Lord Jesus, as long as we believe in our hearts and acknowledge Him with our mouths, then we are saved, and if we are saved once then we are always saved. As long as we keep working and expending ourselves for the Lord and endure till the very end, then when the Lord returns, we will immediately be raptured up into the kingdom of heaven!” I gave an Amen to the pastor’s words: “Yes! The Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross so that we could be redeemed, so as long as we call upon the Lord’s name, confess our sins and repent to the Lord, then our sins will be absolved and we will be saved by His grace—once saved, always saved, and afterward we will surely be raptured up into the kingdom of heaven.” Over the years of my belief in the Lord, I had always firmly believed that this view was correct, and never once doubted it.

Who Lets Him Walk Easily Out of the Wilderness Into Canaan

One evening, I was very happy I saw Brother Liu log onto Skype. I remembered that Brother Liu had believed in the Lord for many years and that in the past he was always doing service work in the church. But in the past few years the church had grown increasingly desolate and the faith of the brothers and sisters had chilled. He was passive and feeble, just busying himself with his engineering projects, and concerned only with his physical self. He had not come to church for a long time. It was something rare to come across him that day, so we quickly started chatting …

Without realizing it we got to talking about our own recent spiritual condition. I was going to tell him just like I used to about how my spirit was withered and dark, but something Brother Liu shared with me took me by surprise. He had a unique explanation for why the church had grown desolate, and what he said had lots of light. I hadn’t heard anything like it before. I was so impressed to see how much he had gleaned in such a short amount of time!