Many brothers and sisters in the Lord are waiting for the return of Lord Jesus. The prophecies in Revelation one after another all fulfill. Thus we expecting returned God more urgently. Returned Savior of the last days- Almighty God has loosed the seven seals, opened the book, and bring the salvation, let’s reunite with the Lord in today.
One day, I came across a story. This story mainly told about a mouse that came out of its hole and found that people had intentionally placed a piece of meat in a mousetrap in order to lure it in. The mouse knew that if it touched that piece of meat, then it would be killed by the trap, so it initially thought to refuse the lure, and that it would absolutely not touch that piece of meat. But when the smell of the meat reached its nose, it just couldn’t overcome the temptation, and against its own will it crept closer and closer to the trap. In the end, it couldn’t resist the enticement, and so when it went to eat the piece of meat, it was killed by the trap.
How do we feel after reading this short story? Don’t we laugh at the stupidity of the mouse, while at the same time feel sorry for it being so greedy? And maybe we will also think that if the mouse’s willpower had been just that little bit stronger, then it wouldn’t have been lured in and killed! But who ever thought that mice lose their lives because they can’t overcome the traps laid by people? That is, because the mouse doesn’t possess the strength to conquer temptation, how could it then escape its fatal doom?
One day, I read a fable. There was once a farmer who hoped that his wheat would not be affected by any terrible weather while it was growing, but would grow tall and strong in light winds and sunshine. But when his wish was realized and the time came to collect the harvest, the wheat held no grain. As it happens, if wheat is not baptized through all kinds of hard weather as it grows, it will not bear a rich harvest.
The growing of the wheat made me think of our own lives and how we also need to be tempered by wind and rain, otherwise we end up like flowers growing in a greenhouse, and we become very fragile, we fall at the first blow, and are unable to adapt to all manner of harsh environments and cruel realities. The Bible says, “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them” (Proverbs 1:32). When our environment is comfortable and easy, all we do is enjoy our flesh and we are simply unable to sincerely rely on God, look to God or draw close to Him. Our life entry can also stagnate, and when failures and setbacks befall us, we can very easily become negative and weak, we can lose our faith in God and, in serious cases, we can even deny and betray God. Therefore, if someone wants to grow in life, then they must undergo some setbacks, failures and tribulations. When we experience many hardships, we learn how to sincerely rely on God and look to God, we establish a normal relationship with God, and little by little we become composed and steady, and our will, our stamina, and our ability to judge things and handle problems all grow apace. We also become increasingly mature and we grow in life with each passing day. Therefore, we only grow by experiencing hardships and tribulations.
I happened to stumble on a story from history while on my phone one day—it was really inspiring for me, so I wanted to share it with others. The story goes like this: Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military commanders in history. He became very ill on his return journey from his victorious military campaign, and just as he was about to die, he shared his three last wishes with his generals. First, he wanted his physicians to carry his coffin back, and he wanted the road to the cemetery where his coffin was to be taken to be strewn with gold, silver, and precious stones. Lastly, he wanted both of his hands to be placed so they were outside of the coffin. Alexander explained that by doing so, he wished to impart three lessons upon the living. First, no matter how great a physician’s skill, they cannot save people’s lives; they cannot determine a person’s life and death. Second, it isn’t worth it to spend an entire life in the pursuit of wealth; it’s a waste of precious time. And finally, each one of us comes into this world empty-handed, and we will leave empty-handed. We can’t take a single thing with us.
Alexander the Great passed with great regrets, and while on his deathbed he used his own personal experiences to warn others: Devoting a lifetime to accumulating wealth is useless, as no matter how rich you are, it can’t buy a life back, and it certainly can’t extend your life by a single second. Sadly, he didn’t have this revelation until he was on the brink of death. Something that the Lord Jesus said popped into my head: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). It really is true. As for we humans, life is greater than all else, and if we lose our lives, no matter how much money we have, it may as well be a heap of rubbish. It is of absolutely no use. Even though Alexander the Great used his own personal experiences to share this lesson with those after him so that they wouldn’t make the same mistakes he did, unfortunately, this has not brought about an awakening for people. Most are still going down the wrong path that Alexander did in their pursuits—they’re busy from dawn till dark every day, rushing to and fro, working hard, and some even employ all sorts of other tactics just for the sake of earning more money and enjoying a high-class lifestyle. I then couldn’t help but think of my own father …
One day I saw a lively discussion online; people were saying that four blood moons appearing at night in the Western hemisphere is a warning of the end times, and that major earthquakes are becoming more frequent across the entire globe. I thought to myself, “The four blood moons have already happened, celestial phenomena have appeared, disasters are occurring frequently all over the world, terrorist incidents are increasing, wars are constantly breaking out…. All the signs show that the prophecies of the Lord’s return have basically been fulfilled, so why haven’t I seen Him coming down on a cloud to meet us? Is it that the Lord hasn’t returned yet or that He has returned, but I haven’t seen Him? How can I welcome His return?” This confusion wound itself around my heart leaving me baffled. Trying to get some clarity on this issue, I started praying and praying to the Lord, asking for Him to enlighten and guide me so that I’ll be able to welcome His return and not be cast out by Him.
Peace to you in the Lord! I’m so happy you’ve written. You’ve mentioned in your letter that the day of the Lord’s coming is near, and that you are intentionally reading Scripture and praying more, and doing more work for the Lord so that you can be one of the wise virgins who is vigilantly awaiting the Lord’s coming. However, these things have not sharpened your spiritual acuity or increased your faith or love for the Lord. You’re confused about whether you can be counted as a wise virgin by seeking this way and would like to know what sort of practice you should have to be able to welcome the Lord. Sister Mu Zhen, this question you’ve raised is critical for whether or not we can welcome the Lord. All of us want to be wise virgins who can welcome His return and attend the banquet of the kingdom of heaven with Him—no one wants to be a foolish virgin and be cast aside by the Lord, but what kind of practice is actually being a wise virgin? I’d like to share my personal understanding of this issue—I hope it’ll be helpful for you.
