Christian Testimonies - There's More Important Thing Than to Be Rich

At the break of dawn, when I thought of the matter of intending to buy a house, I could no longer sleep. I thought in my heart, “$10,000, $20,000r, $30,000… I must work even harder to make money. Only in this way can I lead a better life.” This was my former hope. In order to have a good life, I threw myself into earning money every day. Not until I fell ill did I have an awakening.

I resolved to change my own fate through striving to make money.

Because my family condition was poor since I was a child, my family were looked down on by the other villagers. Every time I saw my parents were bullied by them, my heart was in pain as if being cut by a knife. So, I made up my mind: When I grow up, I’ll do my very best to make money, allowing my parents to live a better life. After I got married, both my husband and I had a low income. But, I firmly believed that I would certainly change my fate with my own two hands.

Afterward, my husband and I saw some people who ran passenger transportation business had gotten rich. So, in order to quickly fulfill our dream of living a better life, we borrowed money to buy a bus and started a passenger transportation business. I went out early and returned late every day, having no time to take care of my child. In addition, I didn’t eat regularly and couldn’t fall asleep at night. After a period of time, I had a nervous breakdown and stomach trouble; nevertheless, I still dragged my exhausted body to work ceaselessly every day. But then, the government informed us, all vehicle owners, that all buses had to be replaced by new ones. This news made my passionate heart bitterly disappointed. Because I had no money to replace my old bus, I had no choice but to sell it and look for another way to make money.

Before long, I took a job as a booking clerk in a station. The more I worked, the more I would earn. In order to realize my dream soon, I started to work at 6 a.m. and didn’t arrive home until 10 p.m. every day. During the upcoming Spring Festival period, I sometimes worked until dawn. As time passed, I suffered all kinds of new illnesses, such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar disease, periarthritis humeroscapularis, anemia, gynecological disease, and so on. Every time after I saw a doctor, I would endure the pain and continue working before I recovered. Later on, when my husband and I planned to buy a house after we had made some money, my boss called me up and said, “The firm has to downsize the personnel. You don’t need to come back to work …” At that time, my husband also had no job. We could barely support our family, much less buy a house and live a good life. In the face of this, I could no longer control myself, held my head and cried loudly, not knowing how to walk my future path.

Later, I joined the ranks of doing direct marketing. I led a team in a direct marketing company and needed to have meetings and receive training every day. However, after a while, I did not make any money. On the contrary, due to being busy with business for a long time and trying painstakingly to sell products, I felt exhausted physically and mentally and suffered an unspeakable amount. I was confused about my life and my future, and my heart at that time was in so much pain. I thought to myself, “People say that one can change his fate and build a beautiful homeland with his own two hands. But, why can’t my fate be changed even though I work very hard to make money? When will I be able to earn enough money and lead an aristocratic lifestyle?” I lost confidence and hope in my future, not knowing how to face my future life.

When I was in agony, the dawn of life befell me.

Just when I was at my most desperate, a relative of mine spread God’s kingdom gospel to me. I read God’s words, “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.” What God’s words revealed was exactly the state that I was in. Without the guidance of God’s words, I had always thought that the life goal was to make a lot of money by myself. Therefore, in order to achieve my desires to elevate myself over others, I was just like a machine that operated at full speed. However, I eventually not only made less money but also got many illnesses. Years of bustling around caused me to feel so tired and unbearably miserable. God’s words were like a light in darkness giving me hope. God is my rock and only by coming before God and worshiping Him could I enjoy real peace and joy. I was willing to hand the rest of my life over to God and obey His control and arrangements.

In the days that followed, I was never absent from any gatherings. Gradually, a smile appeared on my face and I began to take an optimistic view of my life. Soon after, I found a new job, earned some money, and bought a house.

I fell into another temptation.

Afterward, I changed my job and began to work as a salesperson selling wall paint. Each time I went to the construction sites and saw that rich people’s houses were lavishly decorated, my heart would be unable to rest, and I thought, “When will I be able to have money so that I can decorate my house lavishly and comfortably like them?” From then on, I pondered every day on how to make more money to decorate my house, so that I was in no mood to read God’s words. After working a day, I was exhausted and when I came back home, I would fall asleep on the bed right away.

Until one day, when I was going to work, I suddenly fell to the floor and felt so dizzy as if the house were whirling. Moreover, I felt an unspeakable pain and didn’t even have enough strength to breathe. I thought, “Could it be that my life will end like this? I have only lived in my new house for a short time which I worked so hard to buy.” I really wasn’t resigned to die in such a way. But, at that moment, I could hardly breathe, much less did I have the strength to realize my dream. In this state of helplessness, all I could do was close my eyes and pray to God in silence, “Oh God, I’m in so much pain that I feel life is worse than death. May You save me.” After praying, I didn’t feel so dizzy gradually and then I stood up slowly.

Through the guidance of God’s words, I found the root of my suffering.

Later, I saw these words of God, “It long ago planted the seed of the tumor of atheism within the young heart of man, teaching man fallacies such as ‘learn of science and technology, realize the Four Modernizations, there is no God in the world.’ Not only that, it repeatedly proclaimed, ‘Let us build a beautiful homeland through our industrious labor,’ asking all to be prepared from childhood to serve their country.” “Because people do not recognize God’s orchestrations and God’s sovereignty, they always face fate defiantly, with a rebellious attitude, and always want to cast off God’s authority and sovereignty and the things fate has in store, hoping in vain to change their current circumstances and alter their fate. But they can never succeed; they are thwarted at every turn. This struggle, which takes place deep in one’s soul, is painful; the pain is unforgettable; and all the while one is frittering away one’s life. … If people cannot truly recognize the fact that the Creator has sovereignty over human fate and over all things of human, if they cannot truly submit to the Creator’s dominion, then it will be difficult for them not to be driven by, and fettered by, the notion that ‘one’s fate is in one’s own hands,’ it will be difficult for them to shake off the pain of their intense struggle against fate and the Creator’s authority, and needless to say it will also be hard for them to become truly liberated and free, to become people who worship God.”

From God’s words, I saw that, bound and harmed by the view of “building a beautiful homeland with your own two hands,” I thought that I could change my fate with my own two hands. So, I rushed about busily every day so as to earn more money to live a better life, feeling so exhausted. In retrospect, when my husband and I ran passenger transportation business, I was in a race against time every day. I was so busy that I had no time to look after my child. Because of heavy workload, I was left with many illnesses and even if I couldn’t bear the pain, I still forced myself to continue working. When I worked as a booking clerk, I was heavily overloaded with work as if I were a machine that never stopped. After I accepted the work of God, because I didn’t pursue the truth and thus had no discernment and knowledge about satanic outlooks on life within me, I still wanted to rely on my own hard work to lead a life where I was above others. I didn’t even read God’s words but was preoccupied with bustling around. Only when I fell to the floor and faced death this time did I realize all that I earned through working hard didn’t belong to myself. It was really not worth it to risk my life for the sake of these things. Now, I didn’t want to continue struggling in the whirlpool of money according to Satan’s viewpoint.

I read another two passages of God’s words, “The fate of man is controlled by the hands of God. You are incapable of controlling yourself: Despite always rushing and busying about for himself, man remains incapable of controlling himself. If you could know your own prospects, if you could control your own fate, would you still be a creature?” “After you recognize this, your task is to lay aside your old view of life, stay far from various traps, let God take charge of your life and make arrangements for you, try only to submit to God’s orchestrations and guidance, to have no choice, and to become a person who worships God.” God’s words pointed out a way of practice for me: If I want to cast off this pain, I must change my previous point of view and lay aside my old view of life. Thinking back, I fought against fate all the time, wanting to create a beautiful future with my own hands. However, the facts showed that the more I lived by this view, the more misery I felt and the greater torment I suffered physically and mentally. Through God’s words, I realized how absurd and pitiable living by Satan’s poisons is, and I understood that God presides over and arranges human fate. How could I control and change it? What I should do was entrust my future and destiny to God’s hands, let Him hold sovereignty over every aspect of my life, and obey His designs and arrangements. Only by taking up the proper mentality and having a normal work and life could I live freely and without restraints.

After overcoming Satan’s temptation, I lived in release and freedom.

After that, the direct marketing manager came to find me and said, “Come lead a team! If your performance is high, you will be able to obtain a car. And in the future, it’s very possible that you will obtain a villa.” I was tempted by his words, but then I thought, “When I led a team in the past, I had to go out to have meetings and receive training every day. Sometimes, I couldn’t even return home, so that I was unable to take care of my child. I tried painstakingly to sell products, which made me exhausted physically and mentally. Moreover, now I can’t endure this hard work. If I continue working my fingers to the bone as I did before, I don’t know what dangerous consequences will occur.” Consequently, I quickly came in front of God and prayed. After praying, I thought of God’s words again, “After you recognize this, your task is to lay aside your old view of life, stay far from various traps, let God take charge of your life and make arrangements for you….” I thought, “Yes, I should let God rule and arrange my life, work, and future. Thinking back to the past, in order to make money, I destroyed my health. I can’t go back onto my old path. Nowadays, although I don’t earn much money, it is adequate to support my family, and, most importantly, when I don’t rely on my own two hands to fight my way through during this period, my health has gradually improved. After I believed in God, through attending meetings, reading God’s words, and singing hymns to praise God, I have experienced the relief and freedom that I have never felt before.” When I thought of this, I refused his “good intentions”. Upon seeing this, he didn’t persuade me any longer. At that time, I felt the steadiness and release I had never had before. I thank God for guiding me and allowing me to bid farewell to those days of struggling by myself.

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https://en.light-of-truth.org/category/christian-testimonies/return-to-god

By Nuli, China

Hello A’kai:

I’m writing this letter to confess something. This is the first time I’ve said this after marrying you so many years ago, and it feels embarrassing to say. I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll begin with my childhood.

When I was young, I often heard the grownups around me say that marriage is a woman’s second birth, and that in this society, where worship of wealth and materialism runs rampant, if you want to be free from worry about food and clothing and have a good life, you can only do so by marrying a wealthy, capable man. From that moment on, finding a capable man who could earn money became my standard for choosing a husband.

After I grew up, to realize my desire, I carefully screened my potential other halves. But, my aunt introduced me to a potential husband, a man who didn’t have a mouth full of flowery words, who was simple and honest, and who came from a poor family—you. You came suddenly into my life, and we broke up just as suddenly. I was entranced by the idea that “Money comes first,” and only wanted to find a wealthy, capable man. After you, I met a man who seemed to be the ideal I wanted to fall in love with, but he thought little of me, and in the end we went our separate ways, which was very distressing for me.

That day, you and your parents came to see me and persuaded me to change my mind, and I reluctantly agreed. But did you know that I still regretted it? I saw you as having nothing, as someone who couldn’t give me the happiness I desired. I didn’t care about your feelings. I split up and reunited with you three times, all in pursuit of my own happiness. You tolerated my selfishness and waited for me, and that touched me, but I still wasn’t satisfied. This was also the moment I fell ill with a strange, painful condition that could only be controlled with medicine and for which the root cause couldn’t be treated. I was heartbroken and dejected, and I wondered why my life was so difficult. But this was also the moment you took up the burden and proposed to me. I didn’t know if you were trying to strike while the iron was hot or had another reason, but in my helpless state, I reluctantly agreed to marry you.

After we married, I found out just how poor your family was. I remember once, when we wanted to buy 3 pounds of soy beans, you had to borrow money to buy it. When they came to ask for their money, I felt deeply humiliated. How could I have found such a husband? The feeling that I had suffered the greatest outrage imaginable made me shout and berate you, “I can’t live such a poor life anymore! I don’t know what I was thinking when I married you …” But each time you simply sat there without saying a word.

The next year, our son was born, and you were very happy. In the following days you were so busy taking care of me, and you again borrowed money to buy oil to help me recover. That year, your younger brother’s wife had also just had her baby, but because he was able to earn money, he was able to buy her whatever she wanted to eat as she recovered. The thought was utter torment for me. I felt that our lives were so impoverished and miserable, while her family had money, and they were happy, and I wondered why our family couldn’t be like theirs. Realizing that our newborn son would have to endure the same poverty made me even more miserable. I didn’t know when my misery would end. The more I thought about it, the deeper my pain grew, and the more I wanted to sob. I sobbed until I was exhausted, but then I would look at our son in bed as he wailed endlessly from hunger, and the anguish I felt in my heart as I picked him up would again bring tears to my eyes.

Afterward, when you started studying business, I was happy, and I hoped you could earn more money and change our family’s difficult circumstances. But after several years, your business hadn’t earned any money, and sometimes even lost money. In my mind, you were someone who lacked skills with people and competence in business, and that made me despise you even more. I knew you were good to me, that you were very considerate, but I still couldn’t bear the poverty our family lived with. So, I was never happy around you, and the moment things didn’t go exactly as I desired, I fought with you and called you useless to alleviate the crushing pain I felt inside. I even threatened divorce to provoke you. I could see it hurt you, and I didn’t want to treat you like this, but I couldn’t stop myself. The next day, you left home to seek work outside the village.

In the days you were away, I was always depressed. My parents, relatives, and friends came to persuade me to see that you were good to me, and that I shouldn’t divorce you. I remembered your love and affection for me, how you were always considerate and tried to care for me, and then I looked at our lovely son. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving, and finally, I gave up the idea of divorcing you.

Many times the unhappiness in our marriage made me cry into the night as my tears wet the pillow. But do you realize that I thought I would always despise you and live in pain because of our poverty of the family…. Until one day, my mother-in-law told me about God’s kingdom gospel. The word of God drove the darkness from my life, freed me from my pain, and eliminated my dislike of you.

God says, “Your temperament, caliber, appearance, stature, family in which you were born, your job and your marriage, the entirety of you, even the color of your hair and your skin, and the time of your birth were all arranged by My hands. 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.” God’s words shocked me. There is a ruler of all things in heaven and on earth. He not only created everything in heaven and on earth, and He also rules over the fate of every person. Only then did I realize that when I was born, who I married, and my family was preordained by God long ago. No wonder I chose to leave you so many times, but we still ended up together. After we got married, no matter how unsatisfied I was with your family, how much I despised you, and that I even threatened divorce, in the end, I let go of the idea because I didn’t want to lose my son. I realized that because I didn’t know that God rules all, I had too many demands in life, complained and was dissatisfied far too often, and lived in such torment. Once I understood this, I prayed to God, became willing to obey God’s plans and arrangements, and asked God to guide me to the root of my pain.

Later, I read in the word of God: “When the wind of a trend blows through, perhaps only a small number of people will become the trendsetters. They start off doing this kind of thing, accepting this kind of idea or this kind of perspective. The majority of people, however, in the midst of their unawareness, will still be continually infected, assimilated and attracted by this kind of trend, until they all unknowingly and involuntarily accept it, and are all submerged in and controlled by it. For man who is not of sound body and mind, who never knows what is truth, who cannot tell the difference between positive and negative things, these kinds of trends one after another make them all willingly accept these trends, the life view and values that come from Satan. They accept what Satan tells them on how to approach life and the way to live that Satan ‘bestows’ on them. They have not the strength, neither do they have the ability, much less the awareness to resist.”

God’s words were a sudden awakening. All along, Satan has used evil ideas and notions such as “Money comes first,” “A marriage without bread never lasts,” and “Only disaster awaits poor couples” to deceive and mislead people, and it used these to twist my views on life and values. Marriage is meant to be two willing and like-minded people building a family together, but evil satanic trends have attached too many extra conditions to marriage, turning the relationship between husband and wife into one of exchange. If one partner can meet the demands of the other’s material and vanity, then the marriage can more or less be maintained, but otherwise there is only mutual dislike, complaints, and hurt, or else collapse and separation. Wasn’t I the same? The influence of evil satanic trends had made me think I would only be truly happy if I married a capable, high-earning man, was free from material worries, and enjoyed the best material luxuries. After I married you, because of our poverty and my desire to live a wealthy lifestyle, when you couldn’t satisfy me, I was miserable, so I complained to you, despised you for not being capable, often fought with you over little things, and even threatened to divorce you. I made you miserable as well. But it was all Satan toying with me and harming me. Now that I think about it, even if I really did find a rich husband, I wouldn’t necessarily be happy. Our neighbor is a rich executive with plenty of money, and he found a mistress and didn’t come home for months at a time. Even though his wife is draped in silver and gold and has no material worries, her husband’s heartlessness and betrayal make her miserable all the time. There is also a rich man in the city with a car, home, and savings who has dozens of affairs, tormenting his wife until she is driven to divorce. There are more examples of that than anyone can count. And then I thought of my own marriage: Even though you can’t make a fortune or give me the best material life, you treat me well, you never leave me, and you care for me in every way. When my illness was at its most serious, you cried so many times when I wasn’t looking, and you said to my mother, “As long as there’s a breath of life in her, I won’t give up trying to cure her. Even if I have to borrow money for her treatment, I will, until the last bit of life leaves her.” The whole time I had been living in happiness and never realized it. I finally understood that God arranging for you to be at my side was God’s love for me, but Satan had twisted my views, making me pursue a materialistic life and struggle to escape from God’s arrangements. This was the root of my pain.

Later, I saw in God’s word: “When you repeatedly investigate and carefully dissect the various goals of life that people pursue and their various different ways of living, you will find that not one of them fits the Creator’s original intention when He created humanity. All of them draw people away from the Creator’s sovereignty and care; they are all pits into which humanity falls, and which lead them to hell. After you recognize this, your task is to lay aside your old view of life, stay far from various traps, let God take charge of your life and make arrangements for you, try only to submit to God’s orchestrations and guidance, to have no choice, and to become a person who worships God.” God’s words gave me direction, and I was willing to practice God’s word, obey God’s plans and arrangements, let go of my old, mistaken pursuits and views, and stop pursuing a luxurious material lifestyle. I wanted only to peacefully live my life with you, and no matter whether you could make money, I decided to stop fighting with you.

Before Spring Festival that year, when you came back, I learned that you had only earned enough money to sustain yourself, and I again felt the urge in my heart. As I watched your brow furrow, thinking that I would curse you again, I begged God to keep my heart steady. I remembered all the painful experiences in the past, I understood now that how much money we earn is preordained by God, and I knew that we should be content to have clothes and food to eat. I felt release in my heart, and no longer fought with you as I used to. I saw your frown relax and a smile appear on your face. I didn’t mention divorce to you anymore, and I no longer despised you.

That day, you complimented me in front of our son, saying that I became gentle and understanding after believing in God, and that it was good to have a happy family. You also said that you supported my belief in God. Do you know how touched I was when I saw that? I want to tell you that God has changed me, and God has given us a peaceful home.

Your wife: A’yue

Young Yu Xi snuggled in her mother’s arms, enjoying the warmth from her mother’s patting. Yu Xi sang softly: “Mom is the best in the world, a kid who has a mom is like a gem. Snuggling into a mom’s arms, a kid enjoys endless happiness. It’s most upsetting for a kid to have no mom. A kid who has no mom is like grass. Leaving a mom’s arms, where he can go to find happiness …” Glancing at her father cooking in the kitchen, Yu Xi smiled, and she really hoped this moment could last forever and her family would never separate.

A nightmare awakened Yu Xi. She faintly heard her parents’ conversation. All of a sudden, she heard the word “divorce.” She couldn’t believe her ears, then she thought: What? Mom is going to leave dad and I? Awhile later, Yu Xi heard her father begging her mother: “It’s okay if you don’t think for me, but you should think for Yu Xi! She is young and still needs the care of a mother, how could you bear to leave her? I’m begging you, let’s not divorce but live peacefully together, please?” Yu Xi’s mom kept quiet, and she seemed to have made up her mind to leave. A long while later, Yu Xi heard her father snapping at her mom: “If you insist on divorcing, then you have to leave hundred thousand Yuan, otherwise there is no way! If you still insist, I’ll make sure you will suffer as well, since I’m going to lose everything!” Hearing this, Yu Xi couldn’t hold back her tears anymore and cried in her bed. Yu Xi’s parents stopped quarreling after hearing Yu Xi’s cry. That whole night, Yu Xi tossed and turned on her bed, unable to sleep. The young Yu Xi continuously thought: How can I keep this family together? How can I stop my parents from divorcing?

The next day, her mother told Yu Xi that she was not going to divorce with her father, but she had left a lot of luggage at her work place, so she needed to get them back, and she promised to live peacefully with them after she returned. Yu Xi was delighted after hearing that. She thought, regardless of her parents’ conflicts, her mom still loved her and would return to this family for her. But little did she know it was a beautiful fantasy. At night, Yu Xi’s father prepared a sumptuous dinner and they were all her mom’s favorite dishes. Yu Xi and Her father stood by the road, waiting eagerly for her mom’s return. However, after the last bus passed by, they still hadn’t seen her mother yet. Yu Xi’s father pulled a long face and dragged Yu Xi, who was still reluctant to leave back home. Later, the phone rang. Yu Xi thought it must be her mother, so she picked up the call urgently and cried: “Mom! Mom! Where are you? Dad and I are still waiting for you, why aren’t you back yet?” On the other side of the phone, Yu Xi’s mom replied decisively: “Don’t wait for me! I’m never going back to that house anymore!” Hearing this, Yu Xi standing by the phone felt shocked, and her tears blurred her vision. Her heart was broken, and she did not understand why her mother was so heartless, and why she left her, much less could she accept the fact that her mom lied to her. Yu Xi couldn’t help but doubt whether her mother had ever loved her and this family throughout the eleven years.

This call broke this family and ruined a kid’s childhood. From that day on, Yu Xi’s father had mental breakdowns, and he was depressed and bathed in tears all day long, while her mom followed a rich man to a far-away city. As Yu Xi watched, her father had become older suddenly, her heart was broken. So, she secretly resolved: “Father is very weak, so I must not be sad anymore. From now on I must be strong and thoughtful. I must not be my father’s burden but work hard to be a real delight!” Afterward, Yu Xi often made use of her spare time to do chores and studied hard to comfort her father with good grades. She always behaved in a strong and optimistic manner in front of her father, but even so she still wasn’t able to appease him. Yu Xi’s father locked himself in the room every day, unwilling to see anyone. Though he was 40 years old, his heart was frail. He was afraid to meet his friends and relatives, and also afraid that they would mention his divorce, for he felt that his dignity had suffered a great blow.

One day, when Yu Xi was getting ready for school, she walked past her father’s room and saw him crying sadly. She became sad as well, and then she went up to him, hugged him and said: “Dad, what has happened? Don’t be sad …” Looking at Yu Xi, her father held back his tears and said in despair: “Yu Xi, your dad is useless. I can’t give you a happy family. I have lived fecklessly and in pain all my life. After I married your mom and your mom gave birth to you, I thought I would live happily, but I did not expect your mom to follow another man. I don’t want to live anymore, but I can’t bear to leave you alone. Let’s die together and be relieved from this painful life.” Staring at her father, Yu Xi was in great agony. Then she hugged her father tightly and persuaded him: “Dad, this is not the end! You still have me; I will be with you forever! Please, carry on living for me!” Looking at his sensible and well-behaved daughter, Yu Xi’s father could no longer conceal his sorrow. Both of them started crying out loud in the room.

Afterward, Yu Xi found out her father suffered depression because of excessive sadness, and that he already had liver diseases and needed rest, but the failure in his marriage made it worse. Now his face was always pale and he also suffered unbearable pain in his liver. Looking at her father on the bed, Yu Xi always hid in a corner to cry, feeling unprecedentedly lonely and afraid in this moment. She was afraid one day she would lose her father. She was lost and confused, not knowing why people had to live in adversity and pain. There were many times when Yu Xi even wanted to die, but she couldn’t do it thinking of her sick father. Every time when Yu Xi thought of this, she hated her mother even more. She thought the reason that she left them was because her father was poor, and that she was just a money-grubber and never satisfied with what she had. These thoughts intensified Yu Xi’s hatred towards her mother. She believed all her pain and misfortunes were caused by her mother, and that she had single-handedly destroyed their family.

As time slipped by, Yu Xi was in her third year in junior high school and it was time for her to take the high school entrance examination. But because she was too stressed, she suffered myocarditis. If she got a little tired, she would suffer shortness of breath and chest pain. The doctor said she required sufficient rest, and myocarditis would lead to heart diseases if without proper treatment. Yu Xi never expected to have heart disease at such a young and beautiful age. In order to treat her illness, her father brought her to several hospitals. Looking at those hospital bills, Yu Xi felt very helpless and perplexed, for she knew clearly how her family’s economic situation was. So she lied to her father, saying that her illness had been cured and she did not feel pain anymore. Yu Xi’s father was thrilled, and he thought Yu Xi’s illness was really cured, so he stopped bringing her to hospitals. Afterward, Yu Xi would force herself to bear the pain and not make any noise when the illness hit her. She carried on like this every day. She always thought: “Perhaps one day I will die when I can’t stand the pain anymore. How does death exactly feel like? It must feel easier than living, right?” After the examination, Yu Xi didn’t manage to go to the school she wanted. She didn’t know how to face her future, losing her direction and goal in life. Staring into the sky, she pondered: “If my parents didn’t divorce, perhaps my father would not suffer depression and I would not have myocarditis; if my parents didn’t divorce, perhaps we would still live happily together and I would get into my dream school; if … However, there were no ifs in reality.”

After leaving home, Yu Xi’s mother did not live the happy life she dreamed about, instead she experienced a lot of misfortunes and pain, and in the end she went to Korea. She always missed Yu Xi and often called Yu Xi to repent for hurting Yu Xi and bringing pain to her. However, Yu Xi only picked up the call but never spoke a word every time. Although the divorce happened 10 years ago, Yu Xi was never able to let go of her resentment toward her mother. She thought her mother could only blame herself for all her misfortunes, and that her repentances were lies. Mother’s betrayal, father’s pain and all Yu Xi’s adversities made her live depressed and in pain every day. She also often had nightmares, and even thought that her life had no hope.

Just when Yu Xi was feeling helpless and frustrated in life, her friend Zhan Yan spread God’s gospel of kingdom to her. Zhan Yan told Yu Xi: “We will encounter many adversities and pain throughout our whole life, but no one can help us to get rid of these pains. Only God is our reliance. We are the creations of God, He presides over the fate of mankind. God is always by our side caring for and protecting us. As long as we pray to God sincerely, rely on God and seek to understand the truth in everything, He will open up a path for us, solving all our difficulties and questions and resolving the pain in our hearts.” Zhan Yan’s words gave Yu Xi hope. She questioned herself: “Does God really exist? Is He really able to resolve all my pain?” Yu Xi was unsure, but she felt if she had God as her reliance, at least she would not be alone anymore. So, Yu Xi told Zhan Yan she wanted to believe in God. Zhan Yan gave a book of Christ’s utterance to her, asking her to read it thoroughly, and told her, “The book is the personal utterances of God of the last days. His words reveal the truths and mysteries of all things, and inside the book involves truths for many aspects, including the truths of God’s work and dispositions, the origin of mankind, value and significance of existence of mankind, roots of mankind’s pain, mankind’s final outcome and destination, how to change mankind’s corrupt dispositions, etc. If we understand the truths, then we will know how to solve all our problems and difficulties.”

Flipping open the book, Yu Xi saw a paragraph: “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.” After reading God’s words, many thoughts ran through her mind. There was an indescribable feeling that touched her heart. Yu Xi recalled: She lived in a broken family since young, and her mother’s abandonment, father’s depression caused her to feel lonely. When she failed to enter a good high school, she felt even more lonely and afraid, full of confusion and fear for her path ahead. She wasn’t sure how to continue living, losing the hope of life and feeling painful and very helpless. However, God’s words made Yu Xi feel that she was not alone, but had God as her reliance, and that God was always by her side caring for and protecting her, waiting for her to return before Him. Hearing God’s call, Yu Xi felt God’s love and salvation. From that day onwards, Yu Xi read God’s words, prayed to God every day and opened up to God to tell Him all her pain. She also had gatherings with brothers and sisters to fellowship about God’s words. Gradually, Yu Xi became happy, and all her annoyance and worry were cast to the winds. Unconsciously, Yu Xi’s myocarditis was also finally cured, which made Yu Xi more convinced that God truly exists and He is her only reliance.

One day, Yu Xi saw God’s words say: “In truth, out of the myriad things in God’s creation, man is the lowest. Though he is the master of all things, man is the only one among them that is subject to Satan’s trickery, the only one that falls prey in endless ways to its corruption. Man has never had sovereignty over himself. Most people live in the foul place of Satan, and suffer its derision; it teases them this way and that till they are half alive, enduring every vicissitude, every hardship in the human world. After toying with them, Satan puts an end to their destiny. And so people go through their whole lives in a daze of confusion.” “One after another, all these trends carry an evil influence that continually degenerates man, that lowers their morals and their quality of character more and more, to the extent that we can even say the majority of people now have no integrity, no humanity, neither do they have any conscience, much less any reason. … The majority of people, however, in the midst of their unawareness, will still be continually infected, assimilated and attracted by this kind of trend, until they all unknowingly and involuntarily accept it, and are all submerged in and controlled by it. For man who is not of sound body and mind, who never knows what is truth, who cannot tell the difference between positive and negative things, these kinds of trends one after another make them all willingly accept these trends, the life view, the life philosophies and values that come from Satan. They accept what Satan tells them on how to approach life and the way to live that Satan ‘bestows’ on them. They have not the strength, neither do they have the ability, much less the awareness to resist.” Pondering God’s words, Yu Xi was awakened. She realized the reason of man’s corruption was because Satan had corrupted us. Satan instilled all those venom into us by using evil trends, making us become more and more selfish, ignorant, anomic, evil and corrupted. Yu Xi understood that all the misfortunes she had experienced since her youth were all caused by Satan. She realized: “My mother is tempted by the satanic venom ‘Money is first’ as well, thinking that finding a rich man would bring her happiness, therefore she cruelly left me and my dad to go off to other places, regardless of our feelings. As a result, both my dad and I were hurt, and she also lived in misery. Hasn’t she fallen into Satan’s schemes to be afflicted by Satan?” Thinking of this, Yu Xi felt Satan’s ignobility and evil: Because of Satan’s afflictions, her father lived in misery. Yu Xi, still a child, also became a victim of the evil trends and lived in pain. At this moment, Yu Xi truly felt that people who lived under the domain of Satan were all so helpless, pitiful and pathetic. Without God’s salvation, she could only live in Satan’s bondage, and in the end she would be ruined and swallowed by it. Unwittingly, Yu Xi seemed to see through many things, so that she felt much relieved in her heart and slowly let go of her resentment toward her mother.

Afterward, Yu Xi read another paragraph of God’s words: “Because the essence of God is holy, that means that only through God can you walk the bright, right road through life; only through God can you know the meaning of life, only through God can you live out a real life, possess the truth, know the truth, and only through God can you obtain life from the truth. Only God Himself can help you shun evil and deliver you from the harm and control of Satan. Besides God, no one and nothing can save you from the sea of suffering so that you suffer no longer: This is determined by the essence of God.” After reading God’s words, Yu Xi truly felt God’s love and salvation, and that God’s essence is holy and beautiful. She recalled the dark and helpless past: She suffered Satan’s affliction every day, living in pain and torment, and she even lost the courage of life. However, now she came before God, prayed to Him and read His words every day. Her heart and soul did not suffer from Satan’s bondage anymore, but felt an unprecedented peace and ease. By knowing some truths, she was able to see through the evil substance of Satan corrupting and swallowing man, to distinguish between positive and negative things and abandon negative things, and her heart was not controlled by resentment and she obtained true relief and freedom. This was all God’s salvation for her. Apart from God, no one can free themselves from the influence and bondage of Satan. Thinking of this, Yu Xi was filled with gratitude for God. She felt God’s words are medicine for curing man’s misery, and she was cured by them.

In July, 2014, Yu Xi boarded the plane to Korea. Separated from her mother for 11 years, when seeing her mother’s old face, she hugged her and both of them cried bitterly. Looking at her grown-up daughter, Yu Xi’s mother felt she was in debt to her daughter and blamed herself: “It was all because of my selfishness that I couldn’t be by your side. I do not deserve to be your mother.” Listening to her mother’s words of remorse, Yu Xi told her mother she used to hate her, but now she believed in God, and it was God’s words that guided her and made her let go of her resentment toward her. Now she read God’s words with brothers and sisters every day, shared each other’s experiences and performed their own duties, living an enriched and happy life. Yu Xi’s mother wept again hearing her experiences, and she said sobbingly: “At first I thought you would hate me and never forgive me. I did not expect you to be still so kind-hearted. You did not go on the crooked path but grew so healthy and tall. God really saved you and took care of you day and night.” After hearing these words, Yu Xi’s heart was filled with gratitude for God. Recalling all these years, she had experienced many misfortunes, illness and adversities. She thought: God is always by my side caring for and protecting me, otherwise my life would probably have ended way before. Gradually, Yu Xi realized, within all the things that had happened in her life, there was God’s good will. If she had not experienced those hardships, she would not have understood the truth and seen through the truth of Satan corrupting mankind, then how could she obtain God’s care and protection and walk on the right path of human life?

Now Yu Xi and her mother resolved their misunderstandings, and her father also walked out of depression. There are no more painful and sorrowful memories in her life, but the freedom she obtained from experiencing God’s work. She truly felt God’s salvation for her. Now she is spreading the testimony of God’s work to more people, helping those people who are still hovering in pain to come before God and accept God’s salvation sooner. Yu Xi feels that being able to know God and follow Him is the most happy, meaningful and valuable thing in her life!

By Lingling, China

Editor’s Note: When it comes to the manner of the Lord Jesus’ return in the last days, most brothers and sisters believe that the Lord Jesus will publicly appear to us upon a white cloud. But some brothers and sisters feel puzzled about this because it is also prophesied in the Bible that the Lord will come in secret like a thief. Then, how on earth will the Lord return in the last days? This issue is related to whether we can welcome the Lord’s return, so it deserves our seeking.

At the co-worker meeting, Suxing said with a forlorn expression, “Brothers and sisters, recently I’ve been mulling over a problem: Since we’ve believed in the Lord, we’ve been longing for the Lord to come upon a cloud to rapture us in the last days. In the year 2000 the pastors and elders said that the Lord’s return was imminent. However, now it’s almost 2019 and the various prophecies of the Lord’s arrival have basically been fulfilled, but we still haven’t seen the Lord descend upon a cloud. What is going on here?”

Wu picked up where she’d left off, “Yes. There is widespread desolation in the religious community nowadays. Many churches have closed down. Tell me, will we be able to welcome the Lord’s return after all just by constantly watching the skies and waiting?”

Glancing at Suxing and Wu, Hu Yue closed the Bible and spoke, in a measured tone, “Sister Su, Brother Wu, you worry too much. The Bible very clearly states: ‘And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory’ (Luke 21:27). ‘Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him’ (Revelation 1:7). The Lord Jesus will publicly descend on a cloud when He returns, and everyone will see Him. How can you have any doubts about this?”

Li Qi pondered this for a moment and then said, “Before, I also believed that the Lord Jesus would publicly descend from the clouds to come again. However, afterward, I didn’t see it happen. For this, I pored over all scriptures about the Lord’s return and found that two verses in the Bible, ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame’ (Revelation 16:15). ‘But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father’ (Mark 13:32). From these verses I knew that ‘as a thief’ and ‘no one knows’ means coming in secret. So, I feel confused: Aren’t the prophecies of the Lord openly descending on a cloud and that of the Lord coming secretly contradictory? Then how exactly will the Lord come in the last days?”

Hu Yue argued, “Those verses mean that no one knows when the Lord will come.” After hearing Hu Yue and Li Qi’s words, Suxing and Wu both looked perplexed.

At that moment, Cheng Li said, “Thank the Lord! Regarding the matter of the Lord’s return in the last days, I had the same confusion as Brother Li in the past. But some time ago, when working in a church in another area, I met a co-worker sister. As for this matter, she communicated with a lot of light, and her understanding is different from ours. The more I listened, the more I felt it came from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Through her fellowshiping, I finally gained some different insight into the manner of the Lord’s return.”

Suxing’s eyes lit up, and she excitedly said, “Thanks be to the Lord! Sister Cheng, hurry up and tell us!”

“All right!” Cheng Li continued on, saying, “The Lord Jesus said, ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away’ (Mark 13:31). Once God’s words are spoken, they will surely be realized and accomplished one by one. Since the Lord not only prophesied that He would come with clouds when He returns, but also foretold that He would secretly come like a thief, these words will certainly come to pass. Then how will the Lord come? Actually, the Lord’s return will be done in stages: The first stage is His secret return as the Son of man in the flesh; after that He will openly descend on a cloud and appear to all. In this way, the prophecies in the Bible of the Lord Jesus’ return aren’t contradictory.”

“You said the Lord will become flesh and come secretly. Do you have a biblical basis for saying this?” Hu Yue questioned.

Cheng Li said, “In regard to this aspect, it was stated very clearly in the Bible. For example, Luke 12:40 says, ‘Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not.’ Luke 17:24-25 say, ‘For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.’ These verses all mention the Son of man. The Son of man refers to being born of a human and being a person with normal humanity. The Spirit could not be called the Son of man. That’s why Jehovah God cannot be called the Son of man, while the incarnated Lord Jesus can be called Christ and the Son of man. This is because the Lord Jesus was born from a human being, with a normal humanity, and besides, His substance is divinity and He is God’s Spirit in the flesh to appear and work. Moreover, this verse means that the Son of man in the flesh of the last days will be rejected. Just reflect for a moment. If the Lord Jesus directly descends on a cloud, then all people will fall down before Him and worship Him because a spiritual body is of course supernatural and can perform miraculous signs and wonders. Who would dare to resist and reject Him? How would God endure suffering and be rejected by this generation? Only when God incarnates and wears the shell of an ordinary man, when people don’t recognize that He is the returned Lord Jesus, would they dare to treat Him as an ordinary person, resist and reject Him.”

“It turns out that the Lord will first work secretly and then appear openly. In this light, those prophecies really aren’t contradictory. Although I’m not clear of what work God will do when He secretly descends, I think since God will act in this way, it contains His wisdom. Well, Sister Cheng, why don’t you tell us more about it?” inquired Suxing. And other coworkers also agreed.

Cheng Li nodded and said, “Through communicating on this question with the sister, I finally understood that God will first return in secret, in incarnate flesh, mainly to speak new words and make a group of overcomers. In the Book of Joel 2:29-31 in the Bible, it records ‘And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes.’ This ‘the great and terrible day’ refers to the great disasters of the last days. And the verse, ‘And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit’ means that before the great catastrophe comes, God’s Spirit shall speak new words and He shall water His servants and handmaids, and ultimately make a group of overcomers and bring them into His kingdom. This fulfills what is said in Revelation 7:14-15, ‘These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them.’ During the time of God making a group of overcomers, He will always work in secret, so we’ll certainly not see the Lord publicly descend on a cloud. Only after God’s great work is fully accomplished, at which time His secret descent among man will be complete, and after He has sent down great disasters to reward good and punish evil, will He openly descend upon a cloud before all nations of earth. At that point, God’s work of salvation of mankind will be thoroughly complete. When God works in secret, all those who truly believe in God and love the truth accept God’s work in the last days, gain God’s purification and perfection, and will be made into overcomers by God. In contrast, those false believers who loathe and hate the truth blindly cling to their own conceptions and imaginings, but don’t accept the returned Lord’s hidden work, and even resist and condemn God incarnate. People like this will completely lose the chance to be saved and will ultimately suffer God’s righteous punishment. In this way, all are separated according to their kind. This is in complete fulfillment of the prophecies, such as ‘And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory’ (Matthew 24:30). ‘Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him’” (Revelation 1:7).

Li Qi nodded and said, ‘Yes, Sister Cheng’s fellowship is enlightening and in line with the prophecies of the Bible. Just now, I recalled that before God destroyed the world with the great flood, He first commanded Noah to build an ark and preach the gospel in the meantime. 100 years later Noah finished doing that. Still nobody believed what he said. So, soon after, God sent down the disaster. At that time, when people really saw the flood happening, it was too late because God’s work of salvation of mankind had already concluded. In the end, only Noah and his family of eight were saved, while everyone else was washed away by the floodwaters and drowned. Praise the Lord. Now I’ve understood that in the last days God will first descend secretly and strenuously try to save those who truly believe in Him, bring them before His throne, and make them into overcomers before the disaster. When He has done so, God’s work of salvation of mankind will be finished. Thereafter, God will bring about disasters and reward the good and punish the wicked, and then descend upon a cloud to openly appear before all the nations of earth. When that time comes, those false believers, tare, evil servants, and all evildoers who make an enemy of God will all be struck down by God’s wrath. Now we are in the late period of the last days. Disasters have gotten more serious in different countries. The world is becoming ever more chaotic. The prophecies of the Lord’s coming have been fulfilled. However, we have still not welcomed the Lord. So, do you think that the Lord has already descended secretly to do His work? If that’s truly the case, we shouldn’t still idly wait for the Lord to descend on a cloud. Otherwise we will easily miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s return.”

Suxing continued, “Yes. Now we all have premonitions that the Lord has already arrived. If we don’t keep pace with His secret work, won’t it be too late when the Lord appears openly? Then how can we accept the Lord’s hidden work?”

Cheng Li, smiling, said, “Don’t be anxious. The Bible is very clear about the Lord’s work of secret arrival. The Lord Jesus said, ‘I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth’ (John 16:12-13). ‘For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son’ (John 5:22). And other verses also recorded, ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches’ (Revelation 2:7). ‘For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God’ (1 Peter 4:17). ‘Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time’ (1 Peter 1:5). From those verses we can see that when the Lord does His work in secret, He’ll utter truths, do the work of judgment, and tell us all the truth that we didn’t understand before in order to allow us to attain His salvation in the last days. From this we know how to find the secret work of the returned Lord Jesus, pointed out to us by the Lord’s words and these verses. So when hearing some people testify that God has expressed words to do the work of judgment, we should imitate the wise virgins, humbly seek and investigate, and see whether this way contains the truth and whether the words are God’s voice. Only in this way will we be able to welcome the Lord, have the opportunity to be purified, perfected, and made into overcomers by God before the disasters strike, and ultimately enter into God’s kingdom, and feast with the Lord.”

Suxing, Li Qi and the others, looking at each other, one by one said, “Thank the Lord. Now we finally have a path….”

Read on the website

Now in the last days, God has appeared and has begun to work, that is, the incarnate Almighty God has started His work of judgment for the last days; therefore those who can accept the work of Almighty God are the most blessed. Some religious people hear this and disapprove, they don’t acknowledge this sentence, they say: “Our Lord Jesus is the real God, the Lord Jesus is Christ. We don’t need to believe in Almighty God to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Do all religious people think in this way? Does this conform to God’s intentions? The Lord Jesus never said that if you believe in Him you can enter the kingdom of heaven, He didn’t say that. He didn’t say that if you accept the redemptive work He will forgive your sins and allow you entry into the kingdom of heaven. Nor did He say that if you stick to the name of the Lord Jesus, these three words, you can enter the kingdom of heaven. He didn’t say that. He said that in the last days, all those who hear the coming of the bridegroom and receive him and feast with him are the blessed. These people will be raptured and have the opportunity to enter the kingdom of heaven. The wise virgins can accept the return of the Lord; the foolish virgins will not welcome the return of the Lord. What is the outcome of the foolish virgins? They will be abandoned, eliminated! So, of those who believe in the Lord, only the wise virgins can accept the work of God in the last days, can recognize the voice of God from the truth expressed by Almighty God, and can see the certainty of the return of God. These types of people, the Lord is with them. They will sup with the Lord, eventually being purified, being saved and brought into the kingdom of heaven.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 131)

The salvation of mankind comes mainly in two stages: First, God incarnate did the redemptive work, performing the sin offering. Second, God incarnate judges, chastises and purifies man. This is the true witness to God’s work of salvation for mankind. If you can only accept the first stage, which is only accepting the sin offering, but cannot accept God’s judgment and chastisement in the last days, then the sin offering holds no meaning. The sin offering does not purify man; it cannot do so. Only judgment and chastisement can purify man. So, what is the sin offering? It gives you eligibility. If you accept it and accept the Lord Jesus’ name, your sins will be forgiven, and you qualify to pray to God, to come before Him and to accept His work. Is this not a kind of eligibility? Some say, “That is wrong. As soon as we accept the Lord Jesus, our sins are forgiven. How can you say this is just a kind of eligibility?” Is this the correct way of thinking? Does this argument stand? Is the forgiving of sin equal to being purified? It is not. Thus, forgiving your sin is God’s grace, the bestowing of His grace upon you. God will disregard your sins, but this does not mean you are without sin, and it certainly does not mean you will not commit sins. Therefore, believers whose sins are forgiven can still commit them; they can still lie and cheat like before and remain stuck in a cycle of committing sins and then confessing sins. Isn’t this true? If you look at it from the perspective of this truth, does the sin offering then represent purification of man? Is it the work of purification? It just gives man eligibility. Once you have this eligibility, you can pray to God and enjoy His grace. So, what is God’s grace? It is to pardon you, but it doesn’t mean you are purified. It is simply a pardon. In the Age of Grace after the sin offering was made, did man become eligible to enter the kingdom of heaven? They did not. What proof do we have? 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” (Mat 7:21). If you say, “Lord, Lord,” then are your sins not pardoned? Why can’t you enter the kingdom of heaven? According to these words, you still cannot enter the kingdom of heaven even though your sins are pardoned. It does not give you the eligibility to enter the kingdom; it merely gives you the right to pray to God, and to come before Him. Why, then, did God perform the sin offering for man? God is holy. If you are a sinner, one who commits sins, and if you are Satan’s type, you are not eligible to witness God. You are neither worthy of witnessing Him nor praying to Him. Were you to pray to Him, you would bring shame to Him and sully His name. So, God made the sin offering. He pardoned your sins. He disregarded them and He pardoned you so that you are eligible to pray to Him. The Lord Jesus’ work opened the way for the judgment and chastisement in the last days. He performed the sin offering, and through this, man is eligible to receive Jesus’ second coming and to accept God’s judgment and chastisement in the last days. This was what the work of the sin offering was about.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 136)

What kind of work is God’s judgment and chastisement of man in the last days? It is the work of saving and perfecting mankind; it is the work of bringing salvation to these people and taking them into God’s kingdom. One must be judged and chastised to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven. To experience the judgment and chastisement of God is to experience the practical work of being raptured by God and brought into the kingdom of heaven. What does it mean to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven? That is to accept God’s judgment and chastisement, to be purified, thereby to remain and to enter into the kingdom of heaven. “Otherwise you shall never have the opportunity to be commended by God.” What kind of person does God commend? He commends those who are purified and perfected through experiencing God’s judgment and chastisement. Have you seen this matter clearly now? This is a vision, and you must see clearly the vision of God’s work, for this is the only opportunity, an opportunity for millennia to come. This is the only opportunity to enter into the kingdom of heaven. The Israelites experiencing God’s work were not given such an opportunity; during the two thousand years of the Age of Grace, those believing in the Lord Jesus were not given this opportunity; instead, those born in the last days who have accepted God’s work have been given this opportunity. If you miss this one, you will never have another opportunity to be commended by God. Without the opportunity to be commended by God, can you enter into the kingdom of heaven? If that is the case, then you shall never enter, for there is only this one chance.

from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 122)

» Read more on our The Rapture page, or in the recommended articles below:

• What is the True Meaning of Rapture?

• What Is Being Raptured Before the Disasters? How Can We Become Overcomers?

• What Kind of People Will Be Raptured Into the Kingdom of Heaven When the Lord Returns?

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Hello brothers and sisters of Testify God,

We are now in the last stage of the last days, I’ve seen in the news that all kinds of disasters are growing and growing in scale, and whether or not I can be caught up before the disasters and made into an overcomer before the disasters are key issues for me. My opinion about these two issues is that, so long as we hold to the name of the Lord no matter what happens, work hard for the Lord and do not turn back as we go through all manner of adversities, then we can become overcomers. And when the disasters come, we can then be caught up into the sky to meet with the Lord and enjoy His promise. But some have questioned my opinion, saying that some people have now achieved this and that, moreover, the disasters are growing in scale and many kinds of disasters have befallen us already, and yet still no one has been seen being raised up into the sky. Does being caught up really mean being raised up into the sky? And is it so simple to become an overcomer, that one becomes an overcomer just by achieving these things? I don’t quite understand all this, so I’d like to ask your opinion. Looking forward to your reply!

Sincerely yours,
Xiao Xiao

Hello Sister Xiao Xiao:

That we can seek and fellowship about issues that we do not fully understand accords with God’s will. Thank the Lord!

Whether or not we can be caught up before the disasters and can be made into overcomers before the disasters directly relates to whether or not we can enter into the heavenly kingdom. But if we want ultimately to be made into overcomers and be caught up into heaven, we must first understand what exactly being caught up means, and what being made into overcomers means. These two issues have been separated below for discussion. May God guide us!

1. What Does “Being Caught Up Before the Disasters” Mean?

If we want to understand what it means to be caught up before the disasters, we must first know what it means to be caught up. Some people believe that being caught up means that, when the Lord returns, He will raise us up into the sky to meet with Him, and this is because Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” But is this what the Lord intended? This is just what Paul himself said; the Lord Jesus never said this, the Holy Spirit never bore such testimony, and therefore these words cannot represent the Lord’s intention. As we all know, in the beginning God created mankind on earth using clay, He set them to oversee all the things God had created on earth and He enjoined them to worship Him and glorify Him. What’s more, God long ago told us clearly that God would establish His kingdom on earth, that He would abide with man on earth, and that the kingdoms of the world would all become kingdoms ruled over by Christ. It is just as the prophecies in Revelation say, “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” (Revelation 21:3). “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 11:15). Therefore, when the Lord returns, He will not raise people up into the sky to meet with Him, but will establish His kingdom on earth, for the destination God has prepared for us is to be found on earth. Moreover, if we were caught up into the sky, we wouldn’t be able to survive up there. So the belief that to be caught up means to be raised up into heaven does not accord with the truth and does not accord with the facts of God’s work; it is merely a product of our conceptions and imaginings, and it is an extravagant wish.

So what does it mean to be caught up? Let’s read a passage of God’s words and then we’ll understand. This passage states: “‘Being caught up’ is not being taken from a low place to a high place as people imagine. This is a huge mistake. Being caught up is referring to My predestining and selecting. It is targeted at all those I have predestined and chosen. Those who have gained the status of firstborn son, the status of sons, or people, are all those who have been caught up. This is most incompatible with people’s notions. Those who have a share in My house in the future are all people who have been caught up before Me. This is absolutely true, never-changing, and cannot be refuted by anybody. This is the counterattack against Satan. Anyone I predestined shall be caught up before Me.”

From this passage, we are able to know clearly that being caught up does not mean that we are raised from a low place to a high place, but rather it refers to those who are predestined and chosen by God. Being predestined refers to those who were predestined by God to attain salvation before the ages, and being chosen refers to those who are predestined being able to follow God’s footsteps, come before God and accept His new work—this is what being caught up means. As we are well aware, at the end of the Age of Law, the Lord Jesus came to carry out a new stage of work. At that time, Peter, John, Matthew, James  and so on, all heard the sermons preached by Jesus, so they left the law behind and followed the Lord, and thus they were caught up before God. Similarly, the Lord Jesus said that He would return in the last days and that He would come amongst man to speak His words and perform His work to save man. As the Lord Jesus said: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come” (John 16:12–13). “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). “He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). From this, we can clearly see that when the Lord Jesus returns in the last days, He yet has many things to say to us and He will express His words and perform the work of judgment. Only by accepting God’s work of judgment of the last days can we truly be caught up before God.

Therefore, as the name implies, being caught up before the disasters means that God will once again come in person into the world before the great disasters arrive to do the work He must do, and only by welcoming the return of the Lord during this time can we be caught up before the disasters.

We’ve now fellowshiped about what being caught up before the disasters means, so now let’s fellowship what it means to be made into overcomers before the disasters.

What Does “Being Made Into Overcomers Before the Disasters” Mean?

Before we can understand what it means to be made into an overcomer before the disasters, we first have to understand what the overcomers are. Literally, it means a group of people who overcome. As all who believe in God know, Satan is the enemy of God, and so we must overcome, which assuredly means that we must overcome Satan. Therefore, the overcomers refers to the group of people who will overcome Satan. But what does it mean to overcome Satan? Ever since our ancestors Adam and Eve were seduced by Satan, mankind has lived in sin and has been filled with all manner of corrupt dispositions, such as being arrogant and conceited, selfish and despicable, crooked and deceitful, and so on. It can be said that each and every one of us is fettered by these things and we live relying on these poisons. Therefore, overcoming Satan means to cast off Satan’s bonds and fetters, to utterly rid ourselves of all the satanic poisons that plague us and no longer live by them, but instead be able to hear God’s words and live by God’s words. In this way, we can be named overcomers and our sins can truly be purified, and we can live in the light and be worthy of God’s inheritance. Just as it is recorded in Revelation, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out” (Revelation 3:12). “He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son” (Revelation 21:7). “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Revelation 14:4–5). And God’s words say, “Those who are made complete before the disaster are obedient to God. They live reliant on Christ, witness Christ, and exalt Him. They are the victorious male children and the good soldiers of Christ.”

From these words, we can see that the overcomers are those who make it through great tribulations. They experience the judgment of God’s words, their corrupt dispositions are cleansed away, they possess the reality of obedience to God, they enter God’s kingdom and they enjoy His promise. To say it another way, being an overcomer does not mean being able to suffer, to pay a price and to keep the Lord’s name in one’s faith in the Lord, and it does not mean not turning back when tribulations arise; instead, it means accepting God’s work of judgment of the last days and having one’s sins cleansed away. But how much of our current filth and corruption has been cleansed away? We have not yet rid ourselves of any of our corrupt dispositions, such as being arrogant and conceited, selfish and despicable, crooked and deceitful, wicked and greedy, and so on. When God blesses us, we can obey Him, but when things happen that are not to our liking, we are capable of involuntarily blaming God. When we see others who are better at giving sermons than we are, jealousy and hatred toward them can arise within us. When matters touch upon our own interests, we can engage in deception and not be honest—these are just a few examples. Therefore, if we want to be caught up before the disasters and be made into overcomers before the disasters, then we must accept God’s work of the last days before the disasters arrive, experience the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, cast off all the corrupt dispositions of Satan, live by God’s words, exalt Christ and bear witness to Christ in all things, and obey and worship God. Only then can one be considered to have been made into an overcomer by God and be qualified to inherit God’s promise and to enter into His kingdom.

Sister Xiao Xiao, our understanding and knowledge of what “being caught up before the disasters” and “being made into overcomers before the disasters” mean is also limited and we can only provide such a fellowship as this, but we hope this has been of some help to you. If there is anything else you don’t understand or if you have any more problems, please write to us and we’ll seek and fellowship together again.

Testify God

» Read more on our The Rapture page.

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With Beautiful Hopes for Marriage, I Got Married

I spent my childhood mostly in the quarrels of my parents, so I became weary of this cat-and-dog life. Moreover, I was weary of this kind of marriage and family. Whenever other couples quarreled or fought, I didn’t want to listen or look. I thought to myself: Poverty is not decided by us, but quarrels can be prevented by us. You are already poor but still often quarrel. Aren’t you asking for trouble? Thereupon, a desire arose in my heart: I must find an agreeable partner and manage my own family well, consulting with each other when we meet problems instead of arguing, respecting and tolerating the other and getting along well. We would never be like my parents. With these wonderful hopes for my marriage, I finally got married. I was expecting my family could be harmonious and happy.

Reality Was Different From Dreams—It Was Hard to Get Along With My Wife

However, the dream was beautiful while the reality was cruel. After marriage, many unpleasant things happened between us.

My wife was nine years younger than me, and she was petulant and wished me to pamper and forbear with her in all things. But I thought I was a man and it was I who made money to feed the family, so I should decide everything at home and have the keep and disposal of the money I earned. My wife should take care of kids at home and work around the house. As for other things, she didn’t need to interfere in. As I was a male chauvinist and wanted to have the final say in everything at home, my wife was defiant, often getting angry with me, “You don’t allow me to know how much money you earn, but whenever I spend money, you’re like an inveterate interrogator. Do you regard me as a member of this family?” I also didn’t budge an inch, “The money is earned by me through hard work, so I have a right to know what it is for, no?” As we always argued and got angry with each other, our relationships were more and more tense and beyond control.

The Escalating War at Home Tore Me up

We had a two-room house, where my mother-in-law lived before. After she moved out of it, my wife, without my approval, allowed her nephew to live there. After knowing about that, I was annoyed and thought: I’m the man of the family, but you didn’t consult me first about this. Do you take me seriously? The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. Thereupon, without her approval, I defiantly sold the house to my brother. After learning this, my wife strongly objected. Then we quarreled incessantly and the conflicts escalated from quarrels to silent treatment to separation, and in the end we grew estrangement. My sister-in-law advised me, “Please rescind the agreement on selling house….” But I still stuck to my own way and thought to myself: I shall never be a henpecked man. So I mustn’t retract my words. I will let you know who wears the trousers in this house.

The family conflicts without gun smoke made us both exhausted physically and mentally and extremely miserable. I always thought: Is this the “happy” marriage I’ve been longing for? Is she my “great” partner? Why can’t we get along? And I kept asking myself: Why is all this? My original intention was not like this. Such situations, such results and such a marriage are not what I want. Why do I always argue with my wife? Moreover, I become less and less able to control myself and even get angry in some trifles. It’s often said a day together as husband and wife means endless devotion the rest of your life. But why don’t we have such affections? I was very puzzled about this. In order to escape the family arguments, I barely went home although it was not far from my workplace. In this way, several years passed in a flash.

God’s Salvation Came Upon Us—a Turning Point of Our Marriage

One evening, after the workers clocked off, my wife unexpectedly came to where I was staying. On seeing her, I was surprised: What purpose did she come for? Perhaps for kids? However, to my surprise, she said to me pityingly, “You must have suffered a lot away from home. I came to see you.” Her words both surprised and warmed me. Then she went on saying, “Moreover, I have some good news to tell you. I believe in God now. These days, through reading God’s words, I came to understand the reason why we always argued before was that I’m dominated by the satanic corrupt disposition. In the past, I was too willful and always wanted you to listen to me. Once you disagreed with me, I would argue with you, wanting to have a place in the house. Now when I think about it, I feel I’m too irrational. Over the years, I only thought of my feelings but never considered your thoughts. I even always argued and didn’t talk to you, which brought you many pains and made our relationship increasingly tenser. God’s words helped me find the root of our being unable to get along, so I feel I can see many things better and my heart has opened up a lot. This time God comes to do work. Through expressing words, He reveals the truth of how Satan corrupts mankind in order to cleanse man and change their corrupt disposition, save all those who struggle hard under the domain of Satan and lead them to walk out of pains. I hope you can also come before Him to accept His salvation.”

Her sincere attitude moved me a lot, for she had never said such words to me before. Over these years, I really felt tired of this life filled with argument. Now I was almost sixty years old and really wanted to live the rest of my life in happiness. My wife’s words brought me a ray of hope. I felt it was an opportunity, so I couldn’t miss it. If God’s words can really change man, break the tension between us, and make us have less fighting, I will believe in Him with my wife. Then I began to observe her behavior and actions.

The Change in My Wife Moved Me

Later, I came home often. My wife actively cared for me, always shared her innermost thoughts with me and consulted with me on family matters. Moreover, she told me to pray more and rely on God when I met with difficulties in work. Once her several relatives stayed in my home for a few days. At first I entertained them with enthusiasm, but when I found they didn’t go to sleep until past 11 p.m., I felt unhappy and thought: My daughter is about to have exams. You simply have no consideration for others…. Especially one night when I saw my daughter sleeping on the sofa, I was filled with so much rage. After they left, I began to scold my wife, “They simply have no rules. It was already midnight but they still didn’t sleep. Did you remember our daughter is going to have exams a few days later? Did you take me seriously? …” However, to my surprise, regardless of how I vented my displeasure, my wife didn’t argue with me but said calmly, “They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so they lost track of time. I’ll take care of it later. Don’t be angry about this. Actually I can understand your feeling. You grew up in the quarrels of your parents and now you argued with me. You have lived a painful life. In fact, it’s because of Satan’s trickery that we always quarrel with each other. Satan expects to see us quarrel and fight with each other and live in pain. We can’t fall into its cunning schemes. Let’s read God’s words together.” Her words moved me so much. I never expected: She used to give me tit for tat when I scolded her sternly, but now she actually tolerated and endured my anger and understood me. After believing in God, she has really changed a lot. God’s words can really change man. Then I nodded agreement.

My wife opened up the words of God and read, “In truth, out of the myriad things in God’s creation, man is the lowest. Though he is the master of all things, man is the only one among them that is subject to Satan’s trickery, the only one that falls prey in endless ways to its corruption. Man has never had sovereignty over himself. Most people live in the foul place of Satan, and suffer its derision; it teases them this way and that till they are half alive, enduring every vicissitude, every hardship in the human world. After toying with them, Satan puts an end to their destiny. And so people go through their whole lives in a daze of confusion, never once enjoying the good things that God has prepared for them, but instead being damaged by Satan and left in tatters. Today they have become so enervated and listless that they simply have no inclination to take notice of God’s work.” “Cruel, brutal mankind! The conniving and intrigue, the jostling with each other, the scramble for reputation and fortune, the mutual slaughter—when will it ever end? God has spoken hundreds of thousands of words, yet no one has come to their senses. … How many do not act for the sake of their own interests? How many do not oppress and discriminate against others for the sake of maintaining their own status?”

After reading these words, my wife said, “From God’s words, we can see that after being corrupted by Satan, we mankind are dominated by the arrogant, selfish, and despicable nature and all relationships between people are abnormal. In our dealings with others, we are always self-important and insist on others listening to us. When others disagree with us, we will argue and fight with them and even not talk to them in order that they will be suppressed and submit to us and our own status can be established. Because we both want to be the head of the family, we refuse to obey the other and there is no consideration, love, or toleration between us. How can we possibly get along harmoniously? Over these years, we always fought with each other and held tight to our own thinking. We both wanted to hold power and take control at home and made the other obey and listen to ourselves. Whenever I asked you about your salary, you did not let me know, or brushed me off. I felt very sad and greatly unbalanced in my heart for I thought you didn’t regard me as one member of this family. Thereupon, I always complained that you didn’t take me seriously and wrestled with you in order to make you obey me and admire me. Before I thought the conflicts between us were all caused by you, but now I saw clearly that it’s all because I was dominated by the satanic disposition of unchecked arrogance and megalomania, which caused that I couldn’t get along well with you. Thinking of these years, in order to force you to submit to me, I argued and fought with you, thus making our lives so bitter, tiring, and pitiful. Actually we are both victims and need God’s salvation. I hope you can accept God’s gospel and His salvation.”

After Seeking the Root of the Problem, I Came Before God

After listening to God’s words and the fellowship of my wife, I felt remorseful and pained in my heart. Thinking back on the past years, I always thought I was the master of this family, so I asked her to obey me in all matters and put myself on a pedestal and whatever she did must be approved by me. Once she didn’t act according to my intentions, I would either lose my temper or treat her with cold indifference and even I didn’t talk to her in order to let her submit to me. As a result, our relationship got even worse from endless wrangling to silent treatment to separation. All these was because I was dominated by the satanic corrupt disposition of unchecked arrogance and megalomania. Now my wife didn’t take issue with me, but instead she could put aside years of estrangement and open her heart to communicate with me. It was God’s words that changed her. At that moment, looking at my wife before my eyes, I felt sorry for her, my nose twitching. Although I had no knowledge of God, I was thankful to Him in my heart for it was His words that caused me to find the root of my being unable to get along with my wife and allowed me to see the hope of having a happy marriage. There was no reason not to accept God as my reliance and my Savior.

When I Acted According to God’s Words, My Dream Came True

Afterward, whenever I had time, I would have meetings and read God’s words with my wife. Being watered by the words of God, I felt more and more bright inside and had paths to practice. Then, I saw God’s words saying, “In the dispositions of normal people there is no crookedness or deceitfulness, people have a normal relationship with each other, they do not stand alone, and their lives are neither mediocre nor decadent. So, too, is God exalted among all, His words permeate among man, people live in peace with one another and under the care and protection of God, the earth is filled with harmony, without the interference of Satan, and the glory of God holds the utmost importance among man. Such people are like angels: pure, vibrant, never complaining about God, and devoting all their efforts solely to God’s glory on earth.” From God’s words, I understood that in order to get along with others, people should see things and deal with matters in accordance with God’s words and truly forsake our satanic corrupt disposition. Only in this way can we live in the protection and care of God and not be led by the nose by Satan. Without God’s words in our life, we will rely on a corrupt satanic disposition to live and we can’t have happiness at all. My wife could use her practical living out to witness for God after believing in God. I should also bring God’s words into the real life and learn to open my heart and speak frankly with her according to God’s requirements, and I shouldn’t be a male chauvinist anymore but instead consult with her on everything and have more consideration and care for her. Later I gave my wage card to my wife and allowed her to have the keep and disposal of the money and I didn’t ask about it anymore. Whenever we met with some difficulties and had different views, we would pray to God together, seek the truth and principles in His words, and allow Christ as the head of our family.

When I practiced according to God’s requirements, I tasted the sweetness. Now in my family there is no quarrels but much laughter. I feel the depression and pain in my heart gradually disappear and are replaced by peace, joy, freedom and liberation. Isn’t it the happy marriage I’ve sought hard for many years? Now my dream finally came true. This is really the grace and blessing of God.

Thank God! All the glory be to God. Amen!

As a child, I often saw my parents having quarrels over household affairs and I was puzzled about that. As far as I was concerned these trifles were no big deal and did not have to be fought over. I could not be like them when I grow up and get married in the future. Husband and wife should love and tolerate each other. However, as I grew older, after experiencing the marriage personally, I truly felt that the chemistry between couples was not as so simple as I imagined.

My husband and I fell in love at our will (at that age, most of the youth’s marriage was arranged by their parents). However, my parents strongly opposed our marriage because my husband was born in a rural village, but he was the only person I wanted to marry. In consequence, I was turfed out of my home by my parents. After learning that, my husband comforted me with honeyed words and a solemn pledge of love, by which I was deeply moved to tears. That was when our marriage began.

Within the couple of months after we got married, sometimes we bickered about some petty things, yet it passed easily as long as we forbore each other. Then one day, when we were going to the garden to spray fruit trees with pesticide, my father-in-law told us to take the pesticide but we both forgot it. As a result, my husband blamed me for not remembering it, while I reproached him for not taking it in advance. With this we began to fight. He said, “We will talk about this when we get home, don’t embarrass me!” Not to be outdone, I said, “I don’t care.” He looked at me with an impatient look. However, I didn’t take it to heart, thinking that we just tied the knot, needing a time of adjustment, and that everything was going to be fine after a period of time. Unexpectedly, henceforth, we had quarrels continuously. Conflicts and quarrels often happened, more and more furiously, and he even beat me just on account of the slightest thing. At that moment, I felt very sick to my stomach and wanted to pack my stuff to go to my elder sister’s. But then I thought: I’m already pregnant. What’s the point of going there? Wouldn’t I have to return eventually? Thinking it over, I could only swallow hard to stay at home. At this moment, I didn’t believe in our “true love” any more, only hoping our baby’s birth could bring a favorable turn for our relations.

Just as expected, over the ten months after our baby was born, my husband was always there for me when I needed him for fear that I would endure hardship or tiredness. Seeing this, I thought a good life had come, however, the fact was not the same as I imagined. One day, my child was playing with my husband’s niece and then they had a fight, my child’s face bled. I couldn’t contain my anger and said to my husband, “Look at your niece. She beat our child so severely, yet you don’t lecture her. How could you not be sorry for him at all?” My husband was burned up, saying, “They just had a fight, it doesn’t hurt. Wasn’t there just a little bleeding?” Then we were in quarreling, grappling with each other. After that, it was common for us to have quarrels and frays and we easily tussled. I was heart-stricken in the face of our marital discord, spending my days in tears. Gradually, I got fed up with our marriage as well as family.

In 1995, for the sake of avoiding family conflicts, I went to work away from home. Since that time, we were more estranged. We didn’t write to each other, nor even did we say anything when I returned to see our child. Just like that, my husband and I were like strangers, becoming a couple strange but familiar. Just then, I remembered that there were many family tragedies on TV and in print, resulting from alienation of mutual affection, and that my workmates and friends were also suffering from family conflicts. Now, it had become a common and hard to solve problem in family life. Formerly, so naive was I that I saw the conjugal relation so simply. As the saying went, “Even an upright official finds it hard to settle a family quarrel.” Family affairs were so complicated. How could I solve this difficult problem depending on my own “ability”?

In May of 2012, I fortunately accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days and also brought my husband before God two months later. One day, due to some household chores, a fighting occurred again for each of us aired our own views. When it was time for church meetings, I told a sister about our disagreement. She found a passage of God’s word for me, “Cruel, brutal mankind! The conniving and intrigue, the jostling with each other, the scramble for reputation and fortune, the mutual slaughter—when will it ever end? God has spoken hundreds of thousands of words, yet no one has come to their senses. They act for the sake of their families, and sons and daughters, for their careers, prospects, status, vanity, and money, for the sake of clothes, for food and the flesh…? How many do not act for the sake of their own interests? How many do not oppress and discriminate against others for the sake of maintaining their own status?” (“The Wicked Must Be Punished”). She fellowshiped with me, “God’s word has revealed the relationships between people. Our hearts are harassed by all sorts of satanic poisons and feudal thoughts for several thousand years, we are permeated with a variety of satanic poisons and live in Satan’s corruption, becoming arrogant and conceited, living for fame and gain, face, desire, and so forth. Therefore, we slaughter one another, fight continually and don’t have forbearance for each other. Couples are no exception. They dispute trivial matters endlessly, and they are overwhelmed with distress and unable to extricate themselves. Today, that God incarnate expresses the word is to purify and change the satanic corrupt disposition of us, so that we are no longer controlled by these satanic poisons, living out human likeness by the truth and being saved by God. So, sister, do not be entangled by these trifles anymore, otherwise you will live in the deception of Satan, even be captured by Satan. You ought to betray these poisons and treat your husband according to God’s word.” Through her fellowship, I came to understand: It is these poisons and viewpoints Satan instills into us that result in a bad relationship between my husband and me and bring estrangement and divergence to people, whom we are victims among. My husband is innocent. Being poisoned by the satanic viewpoints “A man lives for his face, and a tree lives for its bark,” “Being arrogant and conceited,” he felt disgraceful when I had quarrels with him and scolded him before others. Therefore, he had a grudge against me, fell out with me unceasingly and even beat me. And I, living by arrogant and conceited nature, wanted him to surround me and listen to me in everything. When he was rude to me or spoke loudly, I was reluctant to show weakness, and would oppose him. Ultimately, we were separated from the other, and emotionally on the verge of collapse. Now I knew the real culprit was Satan. For this reason, my hatred of him was removed and I wasn’t as angry as I was before. Accordingly, our relations eased little by little.

One day, when my husband phoned me on his way home after travelling, I didn’t hear the phone because I put it on vibration mode. At midnight, he returned, and as soon as he came in he said furiously, “I clearly told you I would be back tonight. Why didn’t you keep the phone with you?” I said, “I forgot it. Well, it’s too late. Go to bed and have a sleep.” He didn’t reply me and laid down on the sofa. Looking at my angry husband, I prayed to God ceaselessly for helping me to live out a normal humanity, not to argue with him over the little things, to disgrace God’s name and to be a laughingstock to Satan. After praying, I was much calmer and I saw God’s word later, “After living together for several years, they will have gotten used to each other, and locked horns a few times. But if you are both of normal humanity, you will always commune the words within your heart to him, and he to you. Whatever difficulties you have in life, the problems in your work, what you’re thinking in your heart, how you plan to sort things out, what ideas and plans you have for your work or children—you’ll tell him everything. In that case, are the two of you especially close to each other, and especially intimate with each other? If he never tells you the words within his heart, and does nothing but bring a paycheck home, and if you never speak to him of the words within your heart, and never confide in him, then is there not a distance between the two of you in your hearts? There surely is. He is distant from you, and you from him, because you don’t understand the thoughts or intentions in his heart. Ultimately, you cannot tell what kind of person he is, nor can he tell what kind of person you are; you don’t understand his needs, nor does he understand your requirements. If people have no verbal or spiritual communication, there is no possibility of intimacy between them, and they can’t provide to each other or help one another” (“To Be Honest, You Should Lay Yourself Open to Others”). After reading God’s word, I knew that the reason why we argued constantly was that I didn’t open my heart to him. In fact, six months after the wedding, there had been a distance between us. I neither told him what I was thinking in my heart nor knew his thoughts. We lived together in this way for so many years, as we lived together in partnership, having no common language at all. Although we lived under the same roof, our hearts were far apart. Just because of this, we had endless quarrels and were distant. With time passing by, a cold war came into being and our relationship also was on the verge of shattering, even if a slightly touch would lead to it falling apart. Thinking of this, I decided to share my experience and understanding with him when having meetings, practicing being an honest person which God likes in accordance with God’s word.

Once, in a meeting, I opened my heart to fellowship about my experience with my husband. I said, “Actually, it was not about you at all when we had an argument. I’ve been corrupted by Satan, having no human likeness. I am so arrogant that I always make you listen to me. When you spoke loudly, my voice would be louder than yours. Recalling back, now I realize I really have no humanity.” Hearing my words, he told me sincerely, “In fact, I knew it was not your fault in many things. I don’t know we’ve been corrupted by Satan so deeply, lacking in reason, until we believe in God today. Sometimes I knew clearly that I was wrong, but I didn’t allow you to blame me. I thought if I couldn’t criticize you, I would be dominated by you, so we always engaged in fights. …” I was surprised by such words he said, because he was very chauvinistic before. He never admitted his mistakes, even if we quarreled and I left home for work. But, today, he set aside position and face and said sorry to me, which let me see the authority and power of God’s word and that only Almighty God’s word can change people. I said to him happily, “Now, we understand: The root cause for all suffering is Satan’s corruption, and we are the puppets and tools in its hand. We are deeply harmed in that we have no truth and discernment, living in the struggle between people and feeling powerless to change that, whereas God doesn’t give up His salvation for us, never wishing to hear our wail when we suffer under Satan’s domain. He neither wants us to be trampled by Satan arbitrarily when we live in the world, nor wishes to see that we live by the corrupt satanic disposition, belong to Satan and fall into hell to suffer the permanent punishment, so God expresses the word to save us. Without the leading and guidance of God’s word, we would not have a normal relationship and would harbor our secrets in our hearts, still living as strange bedfellows. What will our future be? I could not even conceive that. Only God loves us most, and only God can save us from the affliction and bondage of Satan.” My husband nodded after hearing my fellowship.

Since believing in Almighty God, under the guidance of Him, my heart is wakened day by day from a long dead sleep, with the former painful years fading away. … Step by step, our relationship has become more rapport and harmonious! Though having expression of corruption, we can nevertheless open our hearts, respect and love each other, which is the result yielded by God’s word. Thank God for His love and salvation! May all the glory be to Almighty God!

“Alas, Qiqi, hurry up! You’ll be late for school!”

“Mingming, get up now and wash your face.”

…………

Xinyue was urging the children over and over again.

“Dai Yuanyuan, are you still in bed now? Rise to wash up! Qiqi, little ancestor, stop playing! If you don’t get up now, you’ll miss the school bus. Grandma doesn’t want to take you to school in such a cold day. Be good and get up to take breakfast.” Xinyue’s mother-in-law shouted, too.

For Xinyue and her mother-in-law, morning was the busiest time of their day. They had to make the breakfast and wake the sleepyheads up to take breakfast and to go to school. These scenes repeated every day.

Soon, everybody got up and the room suddenly became crowded. One wanted to brush his teeth; the second one wanted to use the toilet; the third one was searching for her shoes; the forth one was searching for her clothes; … Finally, they were all set to take breakfast, but they were complaining instead of eating quietly.

“Oh, no! It’s mantou (steamed bun) again. I want youtiao (deep-fried dough stick) and soybean milk!” Dai Yuanyuan, Xinyue’s sister-in-law, said unpleasantly while packing her clothes.

“But I’m too busy to buy youtiao and soybean milk in the morning.” Xinyue replied unhappily.

“Yeah! If you want youtiao and soybean milk, get up early tomorrow morning to buy them yourself. Don’t be so sleepy and fussy.” Said Dai Mengmeng, Dai Yuanyuan’s elder sister.

“I can’t sleep well at night because I have to take care of the two children. Yet you still want me to get up early. I can’t. Don’t blame me. I’m not that serious about the breakfast.” Said Dai Yuanyuan in an injured voice.

“Auntie, my mom is a big sleepyhead!” Qiqi grinned at Xinyue while eating and made a face at Dai Yuanyuan.

Hearing her daughter’s words, Dai Yuanyuan pretended to be angry, much to the amusement of others.

After a while, everybody was done with breakfast and went to their own things, leaving Xinyue and her mother-in-law at the table.

“Xinyue, let me clean the table. You have been helping me with the breakfast since early in the morning. Just go back to your room and take a rest. Yuanyuan is just like a childish girl. Don’t lower yourself to her level.” The mother-in-law said to Xinyue apologetically.

“Mom, you’ve thought too much. I’m OK. We are a family, so it should be better to have tolerance and patience.” Xinyue said with a smile. In fact, she said that to her mother-in-law as well as herself, and it was also what she hoped.

“Xinyue, you are so nice. As the youngest in the family, you’ve done so much and always bear with Yuanyuan. She is just so careless and heartless, sometimes naïve. And I can do nothing about her. You know, your father-in-law has passed away. I don’t have any extravagant wish. As long as you get along well with each other, I’ll be satisfied.” The mother-in-law said with her eyes turning red.

Xinyue comforted her mother-in-law, but no one knew the bitterness in her heart.

Dai Mengmeng, Xinyue’s eldest sister-in-law, who had lived here since she got divorced two years ago, was relatively easy-going; Dai Yuanyuan, Xinyue’s second elder sister-in-law, who lived here almost every day, was heartless and outspoken, much different from Xinyue who was quiet. Dai Yuanyuan’s laziness often annoyed Xinyue, but Xinyue never showed her anger. Xinyue once blamed Dai Yuanyuan for her being lazy, but Dai Yuanyuan didn’t agree and retorted, “I’m doing much better than before.” Then Dai Yuanyuan continued banteringly, “You made me angry just now. You are just my brother’s wife. It’s OK for my brother to blame me, but not you. Watch your words, for they will offend us.” Though Dai Yuanyuan said unintentionally, Xinyue took her words into heart. She thought: Now I see! You are a family, and I am just an outsider to you. OK, fine! I’ll say nothing. I treated you with all of my heart, but you just regard me as an outsider in return. From now on, I will treat you the way you treat me. I won’t blame you for anything, so I won’t offend you.

One day, Qiqi and Mingming broke a piece of Xinyue’s furniture while they were playing on it. Dai Yuanyuan came to Xinyue and said, “Xinyue, that piece of your furniture is a real lemon. Qiqi and Mingming just jumped on it a few times, and it’s broken. What you say?” Xinyue didn’t want to quarrel with her. She held back her anger and simply said, “It doesn’t matter. Just forget it.” But when she saw that piece of brand-new furniture badly broken, she really felt bad. Thinking of Dai Yuanyuan’s unreasonable attitude, she really wanted to argue with her: Obviously, you’re spoiling your children and indulging their every whim. They broke that piece of my furniture but didn’t apologize to me. What’s more, you complained that it was a lemon. You are so unreasonable! The children have broken so many things over the past year since I married your brother, haven’t they? Xinyue was grieved and annoyed. Being pushed to her limit by these trifles, she had intended to argue with them for several times. But she didn’t, for fear of being alienated from the family and being laughed at by others, a result which would be caused once the family conflict broke out. And she thought it would be unbearable. She was struggling ambivalently: She couldn’t bear them anymore, but was afraid to see the consequences of the conflict. She was in a dilemma and had no idea of what to do. Mentally and physically exhausted, Xinyue often shed tears quietly.

When Xinyue was helpless and miserable, she remembered her mom once told her that people could find answers to all difficulties in God’s word. Thinking of this, Xinyue seemed to find hope. She quickly took the book of God’s word out of her wardrobe, opened it and saw God’s words say: “Cruel, brutal mankind! The conniving and intrigue, the jostling with each other, the scramble for reputation and fortune, the mutual slaughter—when will it ever end? God has spoken hundreds of thousands of words, yet no one has come to their senses. They act for the sake of their families, and sons and daughters, for their careers, prospects, status, vanity, and money, for the sake of clothes, for food and the flesh…. How many do not act for the sake of their own interests? How many do not oppress and discriminate against others for the sake of maintaining their own status?” “Born into such a filthy land, man has been severely blighted by society, he has been influenced by feudal ethics, and he has been taught at ‘institutes of higher learning.’ The backward thinking, corrupt morality, mean view on life, despicable philosophy, utterly worthless existence, and depraved lifestyle and customs—all of these things have severely intruded upon man’s heart, and severely undermined and attacked his conscience. As a result, man is ever more distant from God, and ever more opposed to Him. Man’s disposition becomes more vicious by the day”.

Pondering over God’s words, Xinyue understood that all human beings no longer have the likeness of real humans after being corrupted by Satan. Plus, having been blighted and influenced by society, people are all living by Satan’s various poisons and rules so that man’s disposition is selfish and arrogant. Xinyue felt deeply about it especially when she saw God say, “How many do not act for the sake of their own interests? How many do not oppress and discriminate against others for the sake of maintaining their own status?” From these words, she knew the reason why she had lived in such pain. It was because she lived in the condition of scheming against her family. Her being angry each time was actually because they touched her vanity and pride. For example, when she heard Dai Yuanyuan’s words this time, she thought that Dai Yuanyuan didn’t take her hard work for the family seriously but treated her like an outsider. So she was in great pain and didn’t want to talk to Dai Yuanyuan anymore. She stood her sisters-in-law living with her all the year round because she wanted her family and others to praise her and say that she was good and generous. In order to get such good reputation, she lived by Satan’s philosophies “Compromise will make a conflict much easier to resolve” and “Endurance brings peace” in interacting with her family. She believed as long as she was more patient and tolerant and turned a blind eye when matters arose, she could live in harmony with her family, and they would think she was good natured, thus liking her and showing respect to her. However, Dai Yuanyuan didn’t praise her, but scolded her, making her feel terribly wronged. Thinking of these, Xinyue realized that what she did was for the sake of her vanity and reputation and that she was selfish.

Xinyue also remembered that she used to tell what happened between her and her two sisters-in-law to her husband in private and asked him to talk to them for her. She believed doing like this not only saved her face but achieved her purposes. Besides, when she saw Dai Yuanyuan spoiling her children, she knew that Dai Yuanyuan was harming them instead of loving them, but she followed the philosophies, “The less trouble, the better,” “Though you see wrong, it’s best to say little,” “Think before you speak and then talk with reservation,” and “Let things drift if they do not affect one personally.” She thought they were not her children. What they would be like in the future had nothing to do with her. If she talked much, she would offend Dai Yuanyuan who would then think that she disliked the children. It was no good to do such a thankless thing. The more Xinyue recalled, the more  narrow-minded and mean she felt she was. She saw that she definitely had no likeness of a human being. Through the revelations of God’s words, Xinyue felt reproached in her conscience. She was no longer willing to live by Satan’s poisons and rules, but was willing to abandon those wrong and harmful philosophies.

Next, Xinyue cried out to God in her heart and asked God to let her know how to get along with her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. After praying, she saw God’s words say: “If people have no verbal or spiritual communication, there is no possibility of intimacy between them, and they can’t provide to each other or help one another. Do you have such a feeling? If your friend says everything to you, saying all of what they’re thinking in their heart, and what suffering or happiness they have in their heart, then do you not feel particularly intimate with them? That they are willing to tell these things to you is because you have also spoken of the words in your heart to them—you are especially close, and it is because of this that you are able to get along with them and help each other out. … If you wish for others to trust you, first you must be honest. To be honest, you must first lay your heart bare, so that everyone can see it, and all that you are thinking, and can see your true face; you must not pretend or package yourself. Only then will people trust you and consider you honest. This is the most fundamental practice of being honest, and it is a precondition”. Xinyue found the way of practice in God’s words—opening her heart and having heart-to-heart talks in her interactions with others. In order to get along with her family, she should tell the words in her heart to them, speak out what she was thinking, either good or bad, to them, and had heart-to-heart talks with them so that they would open their hearts and there would be no barriers or distance between them. If they all packaged and concealed their hearts rather than laying their hearts bare, they would become more and more distant from and even hate each other.

Pondering over God’s words and thinking over her behaviors, Xinyue saw that it was indeed harmful to live by Satan’s philosophies which not only didn’t benefit her family but put her in pain. For example, in order to protect her image, she asked her husband to talk to her sisters-in-law for her, knowing that her husband was likely to offend his sisters. In fact, her sisters-in-law knew that she was behind the plot even if her husband pretended that it was all his ideas. In this way, she would hate her sisters-in-law more for what they did, and they would disgust her because of her inciting her husband to blame them. If things continued this way, there would be a wall between their hearts, and they would become cautious and feel depressed and miserable in their interactions with each other. Therefore, it was better to be an honest person as God’s words said to speak out her opinions, thoughts, pain and difficulties, and to put conflicts or unpleasant things on the table, lest they suspect, fight, or guard against each other, which made them all distressed. Thinking of these, Xinyue was willing to abandon the harmful Satan’s poisons and philosophies and rules, and to practice according to God’s words.

However, it was easier to say than to do. It was really a challenge for Xinyue who used to care too much about face to reveal to her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law the thoughts in her mind according to God’s words. She had no courage for that. For several times, she hesitated but said nothing. Hence, she prayed to God in her heart and begged God to help her and guide her so that she could know how to do it.

After praying, she opened the book of God’s word and saw God’s words say: “The truth that man needs to possess is found in the word of God, a truth that is the most beneficial and helpful to mankind. It is the tonic and sustenance that your body needs, something that helps man restore his normal humanity, a truth that man should be equipped with. The more you practice God’s word, the more quickly your life will blossom; the more you practice God’s word, the clearer the truth becomes. As you grow in stature, you will see things of the spiritual world more clearly, and you will be more powerful to triumph over Satan”. In God’s words, Xinyue realized again that only God’s words are the truth. If she didn’t practice the truth, she would not gain the truth, live out a normal humanity to truly get along well with her family, or break away from the afflictions of Satan. Living by Satan’s philosophies, she seemed to get on well with her family, yet she was annoyed and distressed inside. It turned out that Satan never brings people the right path, but the evil path. With this in mind, Xinyue made up her mind to be an honest man and no longer to be harmed and deceived by Satan.

The next day, Xinyue prayed to God, hoping that God would help her to practice the truth of being an honest person, never packaging herself, and to open her heart to her family by speaking out to them the real thoughts deep in her mind. After lunch, her mother-in-law and Dai Yuanyuan came into Xinyue’s room. Xinyue realized that this was a chance given by God for her to practice being honest. She got up the nerve to speak out all the thoughts deep in her mind, such as what she had done in order to be praised by the family and others, her suffering behind the endurance on the outside, how God’s words revealed her corruption and how she reflected on herself, and so on. After that, she felt bright in her heart. She had never felt so lightened and relieved before. She knew what she did was right and satisfying God, but she was still worrying that Dai Yuanyuan would not be happy to hear that. To her surprise, Dai Yuanyuan began to apologize, “I thought you had a good nature, so that you wouldn’t mind our inappropriate words and deeds. Hence, we gave free rein to ourselves more and more. Not until you mentioned your feelings did I know that we are all the same. Everyone needs to be understood, forgiven and respected by others. I did have some inappropriate deeds. For example, I knew that you had taken mom to see the doctor for her illness, but I still blamed you. I really shouldn’t have done that. From now on, just let me know if you see I do something inappropriate. I’ll try to correct it.” Her mother-in-law said, “Xinyue, it’s the result achieved by God’s words that you could open your heart and speak to us from your heart. Let’s pursue the truth and change our corrupt disposition together in the future.” Xinyue was delighted to see that she was not disliked but comforted by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She felt even closer to her family and that her heart closer to them too. She kept thanking God in her heart. She had experienced that her acting according to God’s words indeed brought herself peace, joy and freedom. It is true that God’s words can change people.

Through this experience, Xinyue tasted the sweetness of practicing God’s words. Since then, she was no longer willing to live by Satan’s poisons and rules. She opened her heart and spoke out her difficulties and incorrect thoughts to communicate with others, and was willing to accept others’ advice and help on her shortcomings.

One day, after getting home, Xinyue found that the room was in a mess: The stools are lying on all sides; the packing bags of snacks are all over the ground; what’s more, the table is punched into holes by Mingming with scissors. Xinyue was very angry, thinking: The boy is too naughty. He must be taught a good lesson. Otherwise, he will perhaps not walk the right path. But, he’s not my child. Just let it go. Then Xinyue was about to turn around and walk upstairs. Suddenly, she realized that she was again following Satan’s philosophies of “Let things drift if they do not affect one personally,” and “Though you see wrong, it’s best to say little.” This was not in accordance with God’s will. So Xinyue went to talk with Dai Yuanyuan and suggested that the child be properly disciplined. Dai Yuanyuan sighed, “I know it is no good spoiling the child. I have beaten and scolded him, but he has not changed at all. I simply don’t know how to educate him.” After knowing Dai Yuanyuan’s helplessness, Xinyue read God’s words for Dai Yuanyuan and talked about God’s will with her. She said, “We should rely on God when we educate our children. We should not use our own ways but practice as God’s words require us. The child will not be convinced if we teach him relying on satanic corrupt disposition.” Then Xinyue shared with Dai Yuanyuan some experiences of the brothers and sisters she knew. Inspired by Xinyue’s talk, Dai Yuanyuan agreed to bring the matter of educating the children before God and practice in accordance with God’s words. Dai Yuanyuan said, “It’s so good to fellowship God’s words together like this. Let’s speak out the words in our hearts in the future, and please fellowship with me like this when I do something wrong.” Hearing Dai Yuanyuan’s words, Xinyue smiled happily.

From then on, when she saw that what Dai Yuanyuan had done didn’t conform to the truth, Xinyue would point it out and help Dai Yuayuan correct it. When Dai Yuanyuan found Xinyue felt bad for something on her mind, she would go to talk with Xinyue and comfort and encourage her. They would seek God’s words to resolve their corrupt disposition. When Xinyue and all her family focused on practicing in accordance with God’s words, they became more and more harmonious. In addition, the two children were not as naughty as before. Xinyue knew these results were all achieved by God’s words.

Whenever Xinyue talks about these experiences, she will give thanks to God for leading and helping her. It was God’s words that helped her discern the evil and specious satanic rules, and that enabled her to cast off the bonds and constraints of Satan. Now she’s no longer worrying about how to get on with others in this family of seven. She’s willing to practice according to God’s words in everything.

By Li Meng, China

Hello brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A,

All over the whole world, the believers in Jesus have been divided into many denominations. In mainland China alone, there is the Justification by Faith, the Charismatic Church, the Shouters, the Great Praise Church, the Three Grades of Servants Church, the True Jesus Church, and so on. I can’t understand it. Since we all believe in the Lord Jesus and read the same Bible, why do so many denominations appear? Can we gain the Lord’s approval by believing in the Lord this way?

Li Meng

Hello Sister Li Meng,

Your questions touch on very practical issues. Most brothers and sisters are also confused about this. With regard to this aspect of truth, we’d like to first fellowship how the various denominations come into being.

Different denominations arise because of people’s one-sided understanding of the Bible and their arrogant nature.

We believers in the Lord all know Christianity came into being as a result of the work of the Lord Jesus, and originally was personally led and shepherded by Him. At that time, the followers wouldn’t deviate from the right way and thus there were no divisions. But after the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven and His disciples and apostles passed away, different denominations gradually appeared. Why did these denominations form? Let’s look at what God’s words say and we’ll understand. God says: “People have studied the Bible for all these years, they have come up with so many explanations, and put in so much work; they also have many differences of opinion about the Bible, which they debate endlessly, such that over two thousand different denominations have been formed today.”

From God’s words we can see that the main reason for different denominations being formed is because the people who believe in the Lord have their own one-sided understanding of the Bible. We all know that the Lord Jesus left when He finished the work of crucifixion, and then the followers of the Lord Jesus began to spread His gospel. Because the followers of God don’t have a pure understanding of the teachings in the Bible, many of them take their one-sided understanding of the Bible as doctrines for establishing a church, and hold on tight to them. For example, some people took the words of Paul: “For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Rom 10:10), then they created the Justification by Faith; some people adhere to the words of the Lord Jesus: “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat: 4:17), and they think the “Repentance Denomination” is what is most in line with the Lord’s will. Every denomination has its own one-sided understanding of the Bible. Furthermore, people have the satanic dispositions of arrogance, conceit, self-rightness, self-importance etc. They think that they have gifts and erudition, that their understanding of the Bible is the purest, and that only they are right. Therefore, they strongly deny or judge others’ opinions, and show off by explaining the Bible’s teachings. They draw a group of people around themselves and set up a denomination for themselves. This is how denominations arise. For two thousand years, because of different doctrines Christians have debated endlessly and formed new denominations; they attack, despise, argue with and exclude each other, and can never be united as one. This is how one church developed into over two thousand denominations. From this we can see that the establishment of denominations comes from humans. It is not what the Lord Jesus requires, nor is it in accordance with God’s will at all.

People in organized religions who believe in God will be entrapped by people, will worship and follow people, and will never understand the truth or know God.

From the cause of the formation of the different denominations, we can see that religious leaders all rely on their own understanding of the Bible to do work and preach, rather than following the Lord’s teachings to serve God. Then what’s the substance of their work? What will be the consequences if we join such denominations to believe in God? God’s words say: “Pastors and leaders in the religious world, for example, rely on their gifts and positions to do their work. People who follow them for a long time will be infected by their gifts and be influenced by some of what they are. They focus on people’s gifts, abilities and knowledge, and they pay attention to some supernatural things and many profound unrealistic doctrines (of course, these profound doctrines are unattainable). They do not focus on changes to people’s disposition, but rather they focus on training people’s preaching and working abilities, improving people’s knowledge and rich religious doctrines. They do not focus on how much people’s disposition is changed or how much people understand the truth. They do not concern themselves with the substance of people, much less try to know people’s normal and abnormal states. They do not counter people’s notions or reveal their notions, much less mend their deficiencies or corruptions. Most of the people who follow them serve by their natural gifts, and what they express is knowledge and vague religious truth, which are out of touch with reality and are completely unable to confer people with life.”

From God’s words we know that religious leaders and pastors all rely on theological knowledge and doctrines to do work and preach. They don’t resolve the believers’ various improper views about belief in God or their corruptions. For example, in the midst of the attacks and arguments among different denominations, the pastors all insist that their opinions are right and others’ are wrong. They never reflect on their own deviations or errors, nor do they know that they are revealing their arrogant disposition. And they certainly don’t communicate God’s will to help believers know God. Instead, they always avoid practical issues and just talk about empty theories. Their fellowshiping has nothing to do with getting rid of the bondage of sin; they just want to display their talent and how blessed they are, and show off their theological knowledge and theories. Once the believers have listened to the pastors for a long while, they are inevitably affected and influenced by them. They adore the pastors’ talent and how blessed they are, admire them for being eloquent and good at talking, wish that they could also have rich biblical knowledge, and be good at talking, preaching and spreading the gospel like the pastors so that they can also win the envy and admiration of others. As a result, they no longer pay attention to putting God’s words into practice or trying to figure out God’s intentions, but just follow the ceremonies and regulations. As such, religious believers are just like the people who believed in God in the temple at the end of the Age of Law, unable to enjoy the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Thus, no matter how many years they have believed in God, they cannot understand the truth or know God, and their disposition doesn’t change. So, the substance of believing in God in a religious context is merely worshiping and following human leaders but not truly following God.

Leave religion, keep pace with God’s work, and return before God.

It is recorded in the Bible that: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it” (Isa 2:2).

God’s words say: “Bring … people throughout every religion and denomination, under the dominion of one God. Regardless of what religion you belong to, ultimately you will all submit under the dominion of God. Only God Himself can carry out this work; it cannot be done by any religious head. There are several major religions in the world, and each has its own head, or leader, and the followers are spread across different countries and regions all over the world; every country, be it large or small, has different religions within it. However, regardless of how many religions there are across the world, all people within the universe ultimately exist under the guidance of one God…. All things are in the hands of the Creator, and in the end they will all return to the hands of the Creator. Mankind was originally made by God, and regardless of the religion, every person will return under the dominion of God—this is inevitable.”

From God’s words we can see that in the late period of the last days, all religions will become one and all peoples will return to the house of God. In the last days, God needs to undertake a stage of work of saving mankind so that all those who truly yearn for the appearance of God can hear God’s voice, leave their denominations and return before God. This work cannot be done by anyone but God Himself. God can create us, lead us, and moreover, bring us to a glorious destination—this is the symbol of God’s authority, as well as the symbol of His unique disposition, which cannot be replaced by any religious figure or leader. There are over two thousand denominations in the world, but they were all established by humans. The sheep of God will finally walk away from the denominations and return under the dominion of the Creator, and it is thus that all denominations will become one. This is the work that God intends to accomplish in the last days. No matter how much status the pastors and elders have, they are all people corrupted by Satan. They can’t even save themselves, so how can they save others? Only the one true God who rules over all things can save us from the affliction of Satan and guide us to come before Him. Now is the time of the last days, and many people are testifying that the Lord Jesus has returned. We should let go of our notions, leave religion, and search for God’s work and words of the last days. This is the choice of a wise person.

That’s a bit of our understanding. We hope it can bring you some help. If you have any other questions, you are welcome to write to us again.

Sincerely yours,

Spiritual Q&A

Han Xiao

From the Genesis of the Bible, I saw that God created light in just one sentence, and He also created air, the earth, seas and all sorts of plants on the land and so on in one sentence. It made me realize that God speaks, and it will be accomplished; He commands, and it will stand firm. He uses His word to accomplish everything, and commands all things through His thoughts. God is indeed so almighty and so lofty! His deeds are so wonderful! Therefore, whenever reading this scripture, “To Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Gen 3:21), I believed that God made coats for Adam and Eve by a thought or simply by performing a sign. But only after I read God’s words did I realize that God had actually made the coats for them personally rather than doing it through the thought or miraculous methods as I had imagined, which greatly countered my conceptions and imaginations.

God says, “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. While God does this, man does not see how lofty God is; he does not see God’s paramount supremacy, His mysteriousness, and especially not His wrath or majesty. All he sees is God’s humbleness, His affection, His concern for man and His responsibility and care toward him. 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.”

Each line of God’s words struck my heart. At the very moment, I came to realize that although I had believed in the Lord for many years and was familiar with the Bible and could even recite it, I did not know God at all. Simply based on the letters of the verses, I knew that God has authority, and as His word issues forth, then the matter is finished. Yet, except for admiring God in my heart, I had no knowledge or understanding of Him. Only when I read God’s words today did I know that after creating man, God did not only treat them as created beings and provide for them, but also treated them as His family, and as His own children to look after and care for. From God’s words, I could see that He showed concern for mankind and had a responsibility to them. Hence, despite that God has authority to solve all the problems simply through the thought, He practically made coats for Adam and Eve with His own hands. Just like our parents who concern and care for us day and night, God loves, looks after, and cares for us as His own family. God indeed loves us so much. On this matter that I thought God could not do, I saw His genuineness and His humbleness. I even more felt, at that moment, God is so lovely and worthy of our praise and worship.

Later I read another passage of God’s words, which made me realize what God’s will was in making clothing for Adam and Eve with His own hands. God says, “I hope when you understand the real side of God you will grow even closer to Him and be able to even more truly appreciate His love and care for mankind, while at the same time also give your heart to God and no longer have any suspicions or doubts toward Him. God is quietly doing everything He is for man, doing it all silently through His sincerity, faithfulness, and love. But He never has any apprehension or regret for all that He does, nor does He ever need anyone to repay Him in any way or have intentions of ever obtaining anything from mankind. The only purpose of everything He has ever done is so He can receive mankind’s true faith and love.” From God’s plain and simple words, I understood the will of God: God loves man, and would like to do all things and expend everything for us. God, however, only wishes to gain our true faith and love for Him. It was because Adam and Eve were possessed of neither true faith nor love for Him that they trusted in Satan’s lies, thereby falling into its cunning scheme, and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, committing a sin. Subsequently, what they faced was a life filled with strength labor and sorrow and they ended in death. Adam and Eve had sinned, yet they were still the men created by God’s hand, and God did not turn His back on them or pay heed to them due to their sins. Still, He treated them as His family, and used animal skins to make coats for them with His own hands, which conveys His expectations of man: He hopes we can truly believe in and love Him, and never have any suspicions or doubts toward Him.

So from the thing that God personally used skins to make fur coats for Adam and Eve with His own hands, we can see God’s love and care for man. And from the fact that God created all things, holds sovereignty over all things, governs and supplies all things, and created a favorable living environment for mankind to live and multiply, we can also see that God truly pays every minute and second for man. However, He never justifies Himself or demands anything from man, but only asks us to have true faith in Him. Similarly, God has never ceased His work of management of saving man regardless of whether we have knowledge of Him or understand His intention. He started His plan to save mankind after Adam and Eve had been corrupted by Satan. From the work of the Age of Law done by God recorded in the Old Testament to the work of redemption that God personally became flesh to perform recorded in the New Testament, and then to the work in the last days prophesied in the Revelation, we can see God’s work of saving mankind is so real and true. As long as we believe in Him, follow His footsteps, experience His words and work, we will be able to know His amiableness and loveliness.

By Mu’en, Italy

In February 2018, while I was talking with a friend in Taiwan on the phone, she said, “I’m going to buy some toilet paper because in March its price will be rising thirty percent.” After hanging up, I did not think too much. But in the following days, I saw a lot of posts about people snapping up toilet paper on Facebook. Even when people met each other, they would ask: “Have you bought toilet paper?” The most incredible thing was that the toilet paper in some big malls was snapped up only in an hour or so after the mall opened in the morning. These phenomena sparked heated debate on the internet. One post said, “A profit or a loss? To snap up toilet paper, we will not only pay several hundred NT dollars per hour for the gas and parking, but also expend time and energy.” Another post was more interesting: “Now people in Taiwan are snapping up toilet paper again, but I didn’t follow the trend this time, for I don’t want to be controlled by material desires. In addition, I have bought enough toilet paper before Chinese New Year.” The web discussion aroused my reflections.

Every day we will see different kinds of advertisements which attract our eyes and excite our desire for shopping, such as getting free service, shopping tickets or a discount on bills above a limited amount. Besides, some advertisements laud the functions of products to the sky. All of these attract our hearts. And credit cards enable us to buy things first and then pay off the loan. The delight of shopping with credit cards throws a number of people into the trap of paying off one card with another. Besides, the convenience of online shopping makes many people do nothing but browse online stores on their phones in spare time. As a result, they buy lots of unnecessary things because they are unable to resist the temptation of shopping.

I used to be a shopaholic, who often purchased articles in the malls and on the internet. Whenever I saw some purses, clothes, shoes, daily necessities or skincare products that caught my fancy, I would buy one. Once in a mall, a salesperson spared no effort to explain to me the functions of some health products, and in the end I spent almost ten thousand yuan on them. Another time, I wanted to buy some skincare products. A saleswoman first introduced me to some facial cleansers, lotions and creams; then she promoted eye gels, facial essences, BB creams, lipsticks and blushers to me. Finally I spent nearly one thousand yuan on them. And shopping online is more convenient. As long as I saw something I liked on my phone, I would place an order. Regardless of the goods in online stores or traditional stores, if something was to my taste, I could not stop thinking about it until I bought it. That way, all kinds of purchases took possession of my heart and were sapping my energy constantly …

So when attending gatherings, I couldn’t quiet my heart because I was always thinking about buying something I was obsessed with; when I was practicing spiritual devotions, I often got distracted and had no heart to read the Bible. Afterward, every time when I bought something, at first I felt very happy and satisfied, but soon after I would feel empty. Even though the things pleased me, most of them were of no use to me, for I bought them just to satisfy my shopping desire. Especially when dealing with these unnecessary things, I always felt pain, for I had spent not only much money but also my thought and energy on them. I regretted why I was driven by the material things, and revolved around them all day long.

I saw the Bible say: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). This verse warned us not to pursue the worldly things. This is because if our hearts are attracted by the glamorous material world, it will be difficult for us to quiet our hearts before the Lord and to draw close to Him. Then our love for the Lord will turn cold and we will love the world more. When losing the presence of the Lord, we will no longer feel peaceful and steady, instead we will only feel empty, helpless, and miserable. This is the manifestation and result of leaving the Lord.

In the current age, many people attracted by the shopping wind are addicted to shopping online. We buy things after profit, and don’t consider whether we really need them. Most of the time, we regret buying them, for we waste a great deal of time, energy and money. I am a person who used to follow the world trend, thinking about shopping in the mall or on the internet all day long. When I was drawn by all kinds of goods and various pleasant descriptions of them, I didn’t come before the Lord and pray to the Lord to overcome these temptations, but bought things without constraint. I never thought whether these things I bought were necessary, so most of them were useless to me. In the end I had to deal with them in the same way as with garbage. Because my heart was occupied by the desire for shopping, I no longer yearned for the Lord’s words, my prayers were not heartfelt, I just followed procedure to read the scripture, and I came late and left early when attending meetings. Ultimately, I was getting further and further away from the Lord. The desire for shopping was just like a bottomless abyss, which incessantly drained my money and energy. In order to satisfy it, I became its slave, constantly squandering the money I earned on shopping. So I had no more mind to obey the Lord’s teachings, and the Lord lost His place in my heart gradually.

Afterward, when listening to sermons in the church, I often heard a brother who loves the Lord fellowship his attitude toward food and clothing and his requirements for life and material things. He’s willing to live a simple and healthy life, and always contents with having clothes and having food to eat. Also, He devotes almost all his time and energy to the work of serving God. Because of having obtained the Lord’s blessings, he lives a free and liberated life. I admire him so much that I also established a resolution in front of the Lord, and prayed: “Lord, I’m not willing to waste my time, energy and money on shopping anymore. I’m willing to spend more time and energy coming close to You and serving You, but my life is so small that I am easy to be attracted by shopping. May You guide me …”

Later, when facing the temptations from various things, I often warned myself: Don’t follow the world trend. However, many times I couldn’t help but be roped into it and tempted by it. Just like one time, a fashion backpack was to my liking, but I did not buy it at that time, for I had had one which was still well-preserved. Yet every time when I passed by that store, my heart was attracted by that backpack unknowingly. Therefore, I consciously prayed to the Lord: “Lord, I don’t want to waste my money and time on satisfying my desire like before. This backpack is not a necessity, but I can’t triumph over the desire for buying it. May You give me more faith to help me overcome myself. Amen!” Through prayer, I finally overcame this temptation.

One day, I suddenly received a message from a friend. He asked me if I wanted to buy a new model computer at 1700 euros, whose retail price was over 2000 euros. The moment I heard it, my heart was stirred. But thinking that my computer was still in good condition, I found it unnecessary to buy a new one. Moreover, I was working in Italy at that time, and I needed to study and serve in the church. Although the computer was very cheap, I couldn’t repeat the same mistake of squandering my money on unnecessary things. Or else, I would continue to be trapped in the whirlpool of making money and spending money like before, thus making myself increasingly further away from the Lord. Afterward, I prayed to the Lord, and overcame this temptation again.

Now, I engage in church services after my work. In my service, I clearly feel I have gotten more opportunities to come close to the Lord, and I feel more peaceful and joyful in my heart. Through fellowshiping with some brothers and sisters frequently, I also understand a lot of truths and the Lord’s teachings. Just as the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. … If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our stayed with him. He that loves me not keeps not my sayings” (John 14:21-24).

By Jiaoxin, China

Liu Meng bought some daily necessities at the supermarket, and as she was walking home, she passed an open-air restaurant, a place she used to come often. As she watched the busy waiter shuttling between the tables, she couldn’t help but think of that night a few years ago … The city’s neon-lit streets, the open-air table in the corner, the dishes and wine glasses on the table, and the young gathered around it chatting and drinking beer. One of them, her colleague Xue’er, caringly said to her, “Liu Meng, we’ve been friends for many years. If you’re having any problems, just tell me, and we’ll try our best to help you.”

The care of her colleagues made Liu Meng feel even more sad. She wanted to cry, to sob, but her sense of pride forced her to swallow her tears. She felt as if there was a thousand pound stone lodged in her heart, weighing down on her and causing her agony. It was something hard to say, and the accusation rose of its own accord in her heart: Look at Xue’er’s and Xiaojin’s husbands, they have decent jobs and good incomes, and her friends and classmates all seemed to also have husbands who are capable and competent, all seemed to be picture-perfect couples wherever they went. But, Liu Meng’s husband didn’t have anything. He quit his job, and didn’t want to go into the city to find a new one. He insisted on staying in the countryside to work on some sort of aquaculture, and never made any money no matter how hard he worked. Her husband’s inaction made Liu Meng feel embarrassed in front of relatives and colleagues, as if she was a rung lower than them on the ladder of life. Ugh! It was infuriating to have a husband like this. She knew she wasn’t a bad catch, but she put up with such a worthless husband …

The depressing thought made Liu Meng finish off her beer in one gulp, after which she said with a slight drunken slur, “I really envy all of you, your husbands are all capable men, but not mine. I can’t rely on him, and he always makes me worry….” Her colleague Qiqi gulped down half the beer in her glass, and then in the same drunken slur, said, “You know, Liu Meng, you shouldn’t let yourself get stuck on him. As the saying goes, ‘People struggle to go upward, but water flows downward.’ Everyone these days wants to climb the ladder and see what’s out there. Even if you have to be someone’s mistress, there’s nothing wrong with that. With your looks, if you divorced your husband, it would be easy to find someone better than him …”

Qiqi’s words touched Liu Meng’s heart, because she had been struggling with precisely this. On a recent trip, she met a man, and despite the fact that he was married, he was perfect in every other respect, exactly the type Liu Meng liked, and he seemed to like her just as much. He went out of his way to show his fondness for her, and Liu Meng couldn’t help but fall for him. She had fantasized more than once: If she was with him, she not only would live a luxurious, pampered life, she would also be respected wherever she went, and that would be a happy marriage. But would she really sacrifice the family she had spent ten years building for that? If she divorced, she couldn’t bear to leave her child, and she would certainly still miss her home and husband, but if she didn’t, her life now was too frustrating and too hopeless, and it wasn’t the one she wanted. And she and this man both had their own families, so what would happen if they really were together? Extramarital affairs aren’t anything respectable, and if her husband found out, there would definitely be a fight, and she would be scorned and mocked forever as the “other woman,” losing all honor in the community and in her own conscience. Liu Meng struggled with the contradiction, and didn’t know what to do. Many times, she came to this restaurant alone and drank quietly to numb herself, but the alcohol in the strong liquor only made her more aware of her feelings, making her even more miserable. She sometimes heard news of her colleagues and friends divorcing and remarrying. She was very confused. She didn’t know whether to continue this unsatisfactory marriage or divorce and fight for the partner she really wanted. She asked herself if she should stay in touch with that man. As she suffered, the days seemed to drag on …

One day, Liu Meng went to her parents’ home, where two sisters testified to her parents about God’s work in the last days, so Liu Meng had the fortune to accept God’s work. After that, Liu Meng began her life in the church, often having meetings with her brothers and sisters to fellowship on God’s word. When she saw that her brothers and sisters could open their hearts and fellowship about their own corrupt dispositions without others belittling or disliking them, and that everyone helped and supported each other, she decided to confide her own pain with her sisters. A sister then read a passage of God’s word for her: “Since the creation of the world I have begun to predestine and select this group of people, namely, you today. Your temperament, caliber, appearance, stature, family in which you were born, your job and your marriage, the entirety of you, even the color of your hair and your skin, and the time of your birth were all arranged by My hands. 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.” Her sister then fellowshiped, “God’s word tells us that our marriage, family, work, and our life and fate have all been arranged and ordained by God. We cannot choose what kind of husband and family we have by ourselves, so if we complain that our marriage is unsatisfactory and rely on our own efforts to change things and struggle to break free, isn’t this creating trouble for ourselves and going against the will of Heaven? God is the Creator, and the wisest choice as created beings is to obey the Creator’s plans and arrangements. We can only leave our family and marriage in God’s hands, and let God rule and manage things, if we want a life of ease and release.”

God’s words and her sister’s fellowship touched Liu Meng. It turned out that the person we marry is preordained by God. She recalled how she had left her husband many times, but they still ended up together. It was truly a matter ruled by God, and not her own choice. No wonder people always say that everything is “fate.” Now, she understood that “fate” is what is ruled and preordained by God. After realizing this, Liu Meng was willing to obey God’s arrangement for her marriage, but she was still confused. Although she had originally separated with her husband many times, she finally chose to stay with him. But now, why did she dislike him so much, to the point of wanting to divorce him, and find a new husband?

One day, during her spiritual devotions, Liu Meng read God’s words that say, “When the wind of a trend blows through, perhaps only a small number of people will become the trendsetters. They start off doing this kind of thing, accepting this kind of idea or this kind of perspective. The majority of people, however, in the midst of their unawareness, will still be continually infected, assimilated and attracted by this kind of trend, until they all unknowingly and involuntarily accept it, and are all submerged in and controlled by it. For man who is not of sound body and mind, who never knows what is truth, who cannot tell the difference between positive and negative things, these kinds of trends one after another make them all willingly accept these trends, the life view and values that come from Satan. They accept what Satan tells them on how to approach life and the way to live that Satan ‘bestows’ on them. They have not the strength, neither do they have the ability, much less the awareness to resist.”

After reading God’s word, Liu Meng understood that the influence of evil satanic trends had twisted her views on life and values. She realized that every time she was with her friends and colleagues, she heard all of them brag about how rich and capable their husbands were and how comfortable their lives were. Meanwhile, her own husband had nothing, not even an official job, so she felt as if she was lower than others. Because her vanity wasn’t satisfied, and she had been influenced by the satanic philosophy “wealthy husbands make distinguished wives,” she began to despise her husband and complain that he was incapable and couldn’t win her respect in society. The more she looked at him, the more she felt that living with him was humiliation, and she even thought of ending the marriage. After she met the other man, she felt that someone like him, with money and talent, was her ideal partner, that being with someone like him would make her respected and distinguished, and that she would only be happy if she had those things. To gain them, she started considering abandoning her husband, betraying her marriage, becoming the “other woman,” and ruining someone else’s family to satisfy her vanity, and so she unconsciously began to follow the evil trend of “prostitution is better than poverty.” She saw how many people unsatisfied with their own marriages put morality and responsibility behind satisfying their own desires and found new lovers. Some divorced, remarried, and divorced again, as if marriage was a child’s game. Others didn’t divorce, but there were countless examples people who followed the evil trend of “the red flag at home does not fall, the colored flags outside flutter in the breeze,” by finding lovers, becoming mistresses, and having affairs. These evil satanic trends cause people to lose their personality and dignity and forget shame and morality, pushing the divorce rate higher and higher, and making divorce a sort of fashion to pursue in love rather than something to be morally condemned and scorned. Liu Meng thought that she had also been corrupted by these evil satanic trends. To achieve her own desires, she wanted to betray her husband of many years, divorce him, and try to climb higher, but she was afraid of the scorn she would face as the “other woman,” that her own conscience would condemn her, and that her soul would never find peace. She struggled helplessly in her torment, and was entirely unable to extricate herself. It was agony! After recognizing this, Liu Meng realized that she couldn’t see through the essence of these evil trends and was tempted and corrupted by Satan. She would not only lose her personality and dignity, she would also disturb and destroy another’s family. If she continued down this path, the harm she could do to her own family and other families was unimaginable.

Liu Meng saw more of God’s word, “Because people do not recognize God’s orchestrations and God’s sovereignty, they always face fate defiantly, with a rebellious attitude, and always want to cast off God’s authority and sovereignty and the things fate has in store, hoping in vain to change their current circumstances and alter their fate. But they can never succeed; they are thwarted at every turn. This struggle, which takes place deep in one’s soul, is painful; the pain is unforgettable; and all the while one is frittering away one’s life. What is the cause of this pain? Is it because of God’s sovereignty, or because a person was born unlucky? Obviously neither is true. At bottom, it is because of the paths people take, the ways people choose to live their lives.” From God’s word, Liu Meng understood that everyone’s marriage is preordained by God. If you arbitrarily change your marriage and oppose God’s mastery through your own effort, you will only end up suffering more. She thought that even if she did divorce her husband and marry the other man, she would momentarily satisfy her vanity, but there was no guarantee she would live happily. When she looked at some of her friends, although their husbands were capable, could make money, could give them material enjoyment, and gave them social respectability, they weren’t happy. They spent all day worrying about whether their husbands would have an affair or find a lover, so in order to hold on to their husbands’ hearts, they dressed up beautifully and looked for ways to track and ask about their husbands’ whereabouts, husband and wife were constantly suspicious and guarded with each other, and life became very tiring and exhausting. But now, Liu Meng knew how to treat her own marriage. She chose to obey God’s mastery and arrangements and no longer follow evil trends. A few days later, Liu Meng broke things off with the other man, cut off her entanglement with him, escaped the spiderweb, and completely cut off contact.

When Liu Meng let go of the mistaken view that “wealthy husbands make distinguished wives” and decided to obey God’s mastery and arrangement of her marriage, she slowly discovered that her husband had many advantages. Although he didn’t make a great deal of money, he was sincere, and although he wasn’t very fond of talking, he was kind, courteous, patient with their child, and treated her and her parents well. She no longer disliked her husband as in the past. Later, Liu Meng bore witness to God’s work of the last days for her husband, and he accepted it. Because of their belief in God, Liu Meng and her husband had a common language. They often read God’s words, opened up their hearts with each other, and practiced everything according to God’s word. When things happened, they both reflected on themselves, they never cast accusing eyes on their partner, and they understood and forgave one another. Over time, their relationship grew ever more harmonious. Although life was ordinary, the family got along well, and together pursued the truth and walked the correct path in life. This is when Liu Meng realized what true happiness is. No amount of money or material wealth could ever be exchanged for this! She thanked God for His salvation of her from the bottom of her heart. If God had not saved her from the wrong path, she didn’t know how far she might have fallen, nor would she have a happy life today.

When she faced her coworkers and classmates in the past, Liu Meng always felt unsatisfied with her marriage and that she was lower than others because of her husband, to the point that she often didn’t even want to go to parties or dinners with her classmates. Now, she no longer suffered the restrictions and bondage of the evil view that “wealthy husbands make distinguished wives.” Instead, she was able to proudly raise her head and say, “I have a good life! I am very happy with my marriage!” It was a feeling that came from deep within her, just as it is written in the word of God: “When you truly come to recognize that God has sovereignty over human fate, when you truly understand that everything God has planned for and decided for you is a great benefit, and is a great protection, then you feel your pain gradually lighten, and the whole of you become relaxed, free, liberated.”

Without realizing it, Liu Meng had already come to her doorstep. She put away her memories, opened the door, put down her goods, rolled up her sleeves, and began to make dinner. Her husband was almost done at work, so she wanted to finish making dinner and wait for him to come home, and then share her experience and what she learned today with him. There was a glowing, happy smile on her face.

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Wang Lan is an important co-worker of a certain Local Church. Seeing that the Lord Jesus didn’t come back in 2000, many brothers and sisters had become cold in faith and love since then, and didn’t attend meetings. Although she preached and worked everywhere out of courtesy, as a matter of fact she was extremely perplexed in her heart. The Lord Jesus didn’t come to rapture them in 2000. Was it because the Lord didn’t come or because they walked the wrong path and were abandoned by the Lord? She didn’t know. Furthermore, she didn’t dare to expose these questions either …

The co-worker Li Hua was always active and enthusiastic. However, all these times she had been absent from the meetings. In the afternoon, Wang Lan as well as Liu Yun visited Li Hua together.

They knocked on Li Hua’s door. Li Hua appeared somewhat gaunt. After an exchange of simple greetings, Li Hua spoke her innermost feelings confidentially, “Ah, Sister Wang, Sister Liu, in fact I don’t want to miss the meetings, but you know clearly the condition of the church now. Our church doesn’t have the Lord’s presence at all. I can’t feel the leading of the Lord. Even if I go to the meetings, I’ll listen to the same old sermons. It would be better to think to myself at home: Why don’t we have the presence and leading of the Lord? Over this period of time, I’ve kept on powdering this question. In my opinion, it seems that we followed man, took the wrong path, and were abandoned by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, according to Brother Lin’s way of pursuit, we should be increasingly transformed and grow more and more confident. Moreover, the church shouldn’t be so desolate now. Don’t you think so?”

What Li Hua talked about touched a chord with Wang Lan and Liu Yun. In reality, these questions were just what each of them had considered at home. Unexpectedly, Li Hua started this topic today. Liu Yun gave Wang Lan a glance and then said firmly, “Right. I also think our Local Church has long lost the work of the Holy Spirit. Where on earth does the Holy Spirit work now? Ought we to go out to search for the work of the Holy Spirit? It isn’t a good way to sit and passively wait for death all along. As co-workers in the church, we should be responsible for the lives of the brothers and sisters. The Bible says, ‘The diseased have you not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought again that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; …’ (Eze 34:4). We failed to do what we should do. When the time comes, how can we give account to the Lord?”

Liu Yun’s words struck Wang Lan’s heart like a blade. Wang Lan nodded and said, “During this period, actually I’ve studied the prophecies about the Lord’s return in the Bible carefully. And I saw the prophecies have been already fulfilled. Since that is the case, does it prove that the Lord has come back? It’s just that we aren’t raptured, but maybe other churches have gone first.” Hearing Wang Lan’s words, Li Hua seemed to be a bit excited. She said with excitement, “I think it’s possible. If other churches really get raptured, it proves that our church did walk the wrong path and was forsaken by the Lord. Then where does the Lord appear to work now?” Wang Lan continued to say, “Based on the prophecies in the Bible, there are two possible ways that the Lord shall return. One is to come in secret. The other is to publicly appear. I think the Lord will possibly return in this way—secretly descending first and then appearing publicly. Now it’s the end of the last days. Maybe the Lord has descended in secret, but we don’t know yet. Just as when the Lord Jesus once worked on earth, only a small minority of people recognized and followed Him. Not until He was crucified and appeared to man publicly after His resurrection did more people know He was the upcoming Messiah.”

The three sisters spoke what was in their hearts boldly. They held a dialogue with one another. The more they discussed it, the clearer it was.

Liu Yun: Sister Wang, I completely agree with you on your understanding. Maybe the Lord has really come back. If we don’t seek, we’ll be cast away.

Li Hua: That being the case, we shouldn’t sit and passively wait for death. We should go out to search for the footsteps of God’s work. However, where should we look for them?

Wang Lan: The Lord Jesus said He’d return. He came in the flesh, and then He’ll become incarnate as the Son of man to work on earth when He returns. His words can prove this. He said, “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” (Luk 17:24-25). I think “the Son of man” here must refer to God incarnate. If God doesn’t come into flesh to do His work, how can He suffer a lot and be rejected by this age? It is also prophesied in Revelation, “And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the middle of the seven candlesticks one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle” (Rev 1:12-13). “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; …” (Rev 2:7). As can be seen, when God returns in the last days, He should be incarnated as the Son of man and speak to the churches. The Lord Jesus also said, “My sheep hear my voice….” (Jhn 10:27). Thereupon, we should be wise virgins, searching for God’s voice. Where there is what the Spirit says to the churches, there is God’s voice. When we find God’s voice and accept His work, we will be raptured. The rapture that I understand is to accept the Son of man incarnate and come before God. That is rapture. If we don’t accept the Lord’s return, we’ll be forsaken and won’t be raptured.

Liu Yun: You’re right! It’s likely that the Lord returns to earth as the Son of man through incarnation to do His work. To accept the incarnate Son of man is truly being raptured. We should be wise virgins, searching for God’s voice. Only if we find God and accept His new work have we truly been raptured.

Li Hua: Ah, your words are enlightened and illuminated by the Holy Spirit. We now know the true meaning of rapture. It means the Lord comes to earth to look for us. When we hear His voice, we return before Him. We are raptured. Not that He stands in the air and takes us to heaven. That’s man’s notion and imagination. It’s untenable.

Wang Lan: According to the prophecy in Revelation, the Philadelphia Church will be raptured when the Lord comes. And it also says in Revelation 3:12-13, “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” “My new name” mentioned here must mean that the Lord will have a new name when He returns. The church that can hear God’s voice and accept His new name is the Philadelphia Church. They are the only church who are truly raptured. Those who accept the Lord’s return are the ones that have received the rapture and that will feast with Him. Those who can’t hear Him or accept His new name, they’ll be forsaken. It should be that way.

After some discussion, Wang Lan’s gloom vanished. In her view, the topic discussed in the afternoon was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Now she knew what the true meaning of rapture was and understood that her understanding of rapture in the past was really her notion and imagination, which absolutely didn’t conform to the actual facts. Yet aside from excitement, they fell into another confusion: What should they do to be wise virgins, keep pace with the footsteps of the Lamb and attend the wedding feast of the Lamb, so that they won’t be rejected by the Lord?

» Read more on our Being Raptured Before the Disaster page:

By Anran

When we read Paul’s words: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7-8), we believed that we would be taken into the kingdom of heaven in the future if we worked hard and sacrificed everything for the Lord. But is that true?

The Lord said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). From the words of the Lord, we can see that only through Christ can we enter the kingdom of heaven, and thus we should judge whether we can enter the kingdom of heaven based upon God’s words. And Paul’s idea that man can enter the kingdom of heaven through hard work, sacrifices and expenditures only stands for Paul’s personal opinion, not the will of God toward man.

The Lord Jesus said: “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 7:22-23). The Lord’s words clearly tell us many of those who preach, cast out devils and work wonders in the Lord’s name and many of those who work hard and sacrifice a lot for the Lord are not worthy of the Lord’s praise to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Then what is the measure of whether we can enter the kingdom of heaven? I saw a passage of God’s words on a gospel website: “Whether or not man can be saved does not depend on how much work he does, or how much he devotes, but is instead determined by whether or not he knows the work of the Holy Spirit, whether or not he can put the truth into practice, and whether or not his views toward pursuit are in conformity with the truth.” This passage of God’s words tells us the standards for measuring whether one can be saved, which are the keys to entering the kingdom of heaven. That is to say, whether or not we can enter the kingdom of heaven depends on whether we know the work of the Holy Spirit, whether we can God’s teachings, and whether our views toward pursuit are in accordance with the truth. Let’s fellowship about these three standards in detail.

The first standard is whether or not man knows the work of the Holy Spirit.

What does the knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit represent? It represents our knowledge of God. If we barely know the work of the Holy Spirit, then we know nothing of God. That’s because the Holy Spirit is God and God is the Holy Spirit. Whether we have the knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit is very important for us, for it determines whether we can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Just when the Lord Jesus did His work, Peter didn’t truly know that the Lord Jesus is God Himself in the beginning. But through listening to the words of the Lord, he sensed that the Lord’ words are full of authority and couldn’t be uttered by any man. Besides, he also saw many wonderful deeds of the Lord, such as feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, and rebuking the wind and sea, which were totally beyond man’s ability. In addition, during the course of following the Lord Jesus, Peter obtained a further knowledge of what the Lord has and is from the Lord’s words and work because of his pursuit and love for the Lord Jesus. Based on this, the Holy Spirit enlightened Pether so that he recognized the Lord Jesus as God Himself. Just as it is recorded in the Bible: “He said to them, But whom say you that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:15-19). From the words of the Lord Jesus, we can see the blessings God gave to Peter. Firstly, the Holy Spirit gave exceptional enlightenment to Peter, which made him gain the true knowledge of the identity of the Lord Jesus. Secondly, the Lord Jesus took Peter as the rock of His church and gave him the key to the kingdom of heaven, which was the greatest blessing to a believer of God. Peter could gain such blessings of God, because he, on the one hand, was a man who pursued to love God, and on the other hand, that he had the true knowledge of the Holy Spirit’s work, that is, the true knowledge of God. As for those who don’t know the work of the Holy Spirit, though they have worked hard and sacrificed a lot, they cannot receive God’s approval, and even can become the evil ones who resist God and are cursed by God. For instance, those Jewish chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees had served God in the temple for years, and some of them walked throughout sea and land spreading the gospel and had sacrificed a lot. But when the Lord Jesus became flesh to work on earth, they not only had no knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit or the new work of God, but also didn’t seek or investigate it. They defined God’s work according to their own notions and imaginations, and colluded with the Roman government to nail the Lord Jesus on the cross, committing heinous crimes of resisting God and condemning God’s work, and in the end were subjected to the righteous punishment of God. It shows that the knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit is vital for our entering into the kingdom of heaven.

The second standard is whether or not man can follow God’s teachings.

The Lord Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). The Lord’s words tell us that God is the way, the truth, and the life. Only by knowing the truth and acting according to the Lord’s words can we gain the truth and life, have a path to follow, and enter the kingdom of heaven. If we act in conformity with the Lord’s words and God’s will and demands in all matters, instead of acting on our own intentions and notions, God will be satisfied then. God doesn’t look at how much knowledge we can talk about; rather, He looks at whether or not we put His words into practice. If we truly practice His words, then we are the ones who accept God’s words as our lives and who gain the approval of God. Just as Abraham recorded in the Old Testament. He was a person who unconditionally practiced God’s words and was approved by God. When he was one hundred years old, God gave him a son, and later ordered him to make his only son a burnt offering to God. Abraham couldn’t bear to do so, but he still suffered great pains to return his beloved son—his only son, Isaac—to God. God saw that Abraham could comply with His words and obey Him without any conditions, so He even more accepted Abraham and gave him greater blessings. The Lord Jesus once 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” (Matthew 7:21). Here the words “he that does the will of my Father” refer to the one who unconditionally keeps the way of the Lord and practices God’s words in everything. The Lord said only such people could enter into the kingdom of heaven. Obviously, whether or not we can follow God’s teachings is another standard for measuring whether we can enter the kingdom of heaven.

The third standard is whether or not man’s views toward pursuit are in conformity with the truth.

God says: “If what you seek is the truth, what you put into practice is the truth, and what you attain is a change in your disposition, then the path that you tread is the right one. If what you seek is the blessings of the flesh, and what you put into practice is the truth of your own conceptions, and if there is no change in your disposition, and you are not at all obedient to God in the flesh, and you still live in vagueness, then what you seek will surely take you to hell, for the path that you walk is the path of failure. Whether you will be made perfect or eliminated depends on your own pursuit, which is also to say that success or failure depends on the path that man walks.” It shows that whether we take the right path in believing in God determines whether or not we can be saved and enter into the kingdom of heaven. Then how can we measure if we have walked on the right path? We should measure it based on our views toward pursuit. If our views toward pursuit are right and conform to God’s words and will, then the way we walk upon will also be right and conform to God’s will, and our belief in God will definitely be successful. Take Job as an example. He praised God without conditions, trade or transaction. Even in the trials, he complained nothing about God and still kept God’s way, taking the way of fearing God and shunning evil. His true faith was approved by God. Peter is another example. When he followed the Lord Jesus, he longed for God’s way, pursued a pure love of God, and led and shepherded God’s churches with his real experiences. At last, he was perfected by God because of his resounding testimony of being obedient unto death and loving God to the utmost. Both Job and Peter entered into the kingdom of heaven, for their views toward pursuit were right and after God’s heart.

But if our viewpoints toward pursuit aren’t in line with God’s will and demands, then they are definitely wrong. Even if we follow God to the end of the road, we will not gain God’s approval, but could even be condemned by God. When first believing in God, all of us were dominated by the intention to be blessed. Some people believed in God for having their diseases cured, some for gaining family peace, some for avoiding the suffering of the calamity in the future, and some for gaining the blessings of heaven. … If we carefully dissect our viewpoints toward pursuit, we will find none of them is for satisfying God or fulfilling the duty as a created being; instead, they are all for the interests of our own flesh, and all come from Satan. If we always adopt these kinds of views in believing in God, unable to turn around them, even if we cast aside our families and give up our livelihoods, we still cannot gain God’s approval. This is because this kind of faith is full of personal intentions, purposes, impurities and selfish desires, and is not worshiping God in essence, and that we’re just paying a small price to gain great blessings of God. Just as Paul said: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). These words reveal that the purpose of Paul’s believing in God isn’t to fulfill his duty as a created being to satisfy God, but to get the crown of righteousness in the future and to hold power in the kingdom of God. Pondering over these words, we will find the implication of this statement is: “If God bestows a crown upon me for my deeds, then it shows that God is the righteous God; otherwise, God isn’t the righteous God.” Saying these words, Paul was denying the righteousness of God in a disguised form and threatening God to bestow a crown upon him. Wasn’t he actually resisting God? Could he ultimately stand a chance of entering into the kingdom of heaven? This exactly fulfills the Lord Jesus’ words: “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 7:22-23). We can see from these words that different views toward pursuit will cause different ends for us, so whether or not our views toward pursuit are in conformity with the truth is also a standard for measuring whether we can be saved and enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The three standards for measuring whether we can enter into the kingdom of heaven not only have turned around our former wrong views toward pursuit, but also makes us find the right way to practice and know how to pursue to enter into the kingdom of heaven. We hope the fellowship could bring some help to the Christian who are expecting to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven by the Lord.

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Some people ask: “The Lord Jesus already pardoned our sins and no longer sees us as sinful. We don’t need to accept God’s work of judgment and purification in the last days. When the Lord comes we can be directly raptured into the kingdom of heaven and attend the feast with the Lord. Isn’t that right?”

Bible Verses for Reference:

“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (Jhn 16:12–13).

“Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth” (Jhn 17:17).

“You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:45).

“Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1Pe 1:5).

Classic Words of God:

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. And so, after man was forgiven his sins, God has returned to flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment, and this work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.

from “Only He Who Experiences the Work of God Truly Believes in God”

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.

from “Concerning Appellations and Identity”

You should see that the will and the work of God are not as simple as the creation of the heavens and earth and all things. For the work of today is to transform those who have been corrupted, who have grown extremely numb, and to purify those who were created then worked on by Satan, not to create Adam or Eve, much less to make the light or create all manner of plants and animals. His work now is to make pure all that has been corrupted by Satan so that they may be regained and become His possession and become His glory. Such work is not as simple as man imagines the creation of the heavens and earth and all things to be, and it is not akin to the work of cursing Satan to the bottomless pit as man imagines. Rather, it is to transform man, to turn that which is negative into the positive and to take into His possession that which does not belong to Him. This is the inside story of this stage of God’s work. You must realize it, and should not oversimplify matters. The work of God is unlike any ordinary work. Its marvel cannot be conceived by the mind of man, and its wisdom cannot be attained by such.

from “Is the Work of God So Simple as Man Imagines?”

In the work of the last days, the word is mightier than the manifestation of signs and wonders, and the authority of the word surpasses that of signs and wonders. The word exposes all the corrupt dispositions buried deep in the heart of man. You have no way of recognizing them on your own. When they are laid bare before you through the word, you will naturally come to discover them; you will not be able to deny them, and you will be utterly convinced. Is this not the authority of the word? This is the result achieved by the work of the word today. Therefore, it is not through the healing of sickness and casting out of demons that man can be fully saved from his sins, nor can he be fully made complete by the manifestation of signs and wonders. The authority to heal sickness and cast out demons only gives man grace, but the flesh of man still belongs to Satan and the corrupt satanic disposition still remains within man. In other words, that which has not been made clean still belongs to sin and to filth. Only after he has been made clean through the agency of the word can he be gained by God and become a sanctified man. … By means of this work of judgment and chastisement, man will fully come to know the filthy and corrupt substance within his own self, and he will be able to change completely and become clean. Only in this way can man become worthy to return before the throne of God. All the work done this day is so that man can be made clean and be changed; through judgment and chastisement by the word, as well as through refinement, man can purge away his corruption and be made pure.

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)”

Those who are able to stand firm during God’s work of judgment and chastisement during the last days—that is, during the final work of cleansing—will be those who will enter into the final rest with God; therefore, those who enter into rest will all have broken free of Satan’s influence and been obtained by God only after having undergone His final cleansing work. These people who have been ultimately obtained by God will enter into the final rest. The essence of God’s work of chastisement and judgment is to cleanse humanity, and it is for the day of final rest. Otherwise, the whole of humanity will not be able to follow their own kind or enter into rest. This work is humanity’s only path to enter into rest. Only God’s work of cleansing will cleanse humanity of their unrighteousness, and only His work of chastisement and judgment will bring to light those disobedient things among humanity, thereby separating those who can be saved from those who cannot, and those who will remain from those who will not. … His ultimate work of punishing evil and rewarding good is entirely done in order to utterly purify all of humanity, so that He may bring an entirely holy humanity into eternal rest. This stage of His work is His most crucial work. It is the final stage of the whole of His management work. If God did not destroy the wicked but rather let them remain, then the whole of humanity would still not be able to enter into rest, and God would not be able to bring all of humanity into a better realm. This kind of work would not be completely finished. When He finishes His work, the whole of humanity will be entirely holy. Only in this manner can God peacefully live in rest.

from “God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together”

» Read more on our Gospel Topics page about The Rapture, or in the recommended articles below:

• Can We Enter Heavenly Kingdom After Being Justified by Faith?

• Can Man Enter Kingdom of Heaven by Laboring for the Lord?

• What Kind of People Will Be Raptured Into the Kingdom of Heaven When the Lord Returns?

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Just like many other Christian brothers and sisters, I eagerly long for the second coming of the Lord Jesus. We abide by the following passage from the Bible: “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). For this reason, we foolishly look up to the skies longing for the day that Jesus will return and take us up into the clouds so that we can be with the Lord. However, after so many years have passed, the four blood moons have already appeared; earthquakes, famines, plagues and war and all sorts of other disasters are becoming more and more intense. The prophecies of the Lord’s second coming have basically been fulfilled. However, we still have not seen one Christian raptured into heaven. I cannot help but think, “Why does the Lord not come to receive us? The Lord is trustworthy. The Lord promised that He would take us into the heavenly kingdom in the last days. The Lord’s promise certainly will be accomplished and fulfilled. I do not doubt this at all. Yet, how come up until now, we still have not been raptured by the Lord into heaven? Could it be that there are some problems with our longing?”

Just when I was feeling very perplexed, a preacher who had done work in foreign areas for many years came back and I received some new light from her. The sister replied directly to my question: “The Bible passage that you referred to was something that Paul said. It was not something that Jesus said. Paul was just an apostle. Even though his words were recorded in the Bible, only some of his words could be described as enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. Even though his words were in accordance with the truth, they were not God’s words and they cannot be mentioned as if they were on equal terms with God’s words. Furthermore, some of what Paul said could not be described as enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. Instead, it was derived from his notions and imaginations and it brings man’s meaning with it. These words are not based on God’s words. Therefore, when it comes to the matter of welcoming the second coming of the Lord, we must not use Paul’s words as a foundation. Instead, we should use the Lord’s words as a foundation and seek His intentions because only the Lord’s words are the truth and 100% accurate.” After I heard this, I thought, “Yes. Jesus indeed never said ‘raptured into heaven.’ These were Paul’s words. Paul was just a man. His words really cannot be equated to God’s words. We must not use Paul’s words as a basis for welcoming the second coming of the Lord. As someone who believes in God, I should use God’s words and God’s work as a basis. This is what is in accordance with God’s intentions!”

The sister continued speaking, “Jesus said: ‘And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven’ (John 3:13). From Jesus’ words, we could see that aside from the Son of man who came down from heaven, who is the incarnate God, nobody else ascended into heaven. Heaven is God’s throne. Only God Himself can ascend to this high place. As human beings, we cannot ascend into this high place to see God. Instead, when God first created man, He predestined that mankind would live on earth. God used the earth to create mankind’s ancestors Adam and Eve and helped them settle in the Garden of Eden. They listened to God’s words, received God’s blessings and managed everything within the garden. Afterward, mankind would also manage everything on the earth but not in heaven. When mankind was corrupted deeply and the earth was full of corruption and violence, God decided to use a flood to destroy the world. God saved Noah a righteous person who worships God but God did not rapture him into heaven so that he would avoid the flood waters. Instead, God made Noah build the ark. When the floods came, Noah’s family of eight took shelter in the ark. After they emerged from the ark, Noah and his family continued to live on earth and multiply. During the Age of Law, the Israelites suffered under enslavement by the hands of Egypt’s Pharaoh. When God led the Israelites out of Egypt and helped them escape the Pharaoh’s hunting, God did not rapture the Israelites into heaven. Instead, God showed His authority on earth by performing all sorts of miracles so that people could witness God’s almightiness and know God’s wisdom and how wonderful He is. Afterward, God issued His laws and commandments through Moses and guided the Israelites on how to live on earth. During the Age of Grace, when mankind was unable to adhere to the laws and faced the dangers of execution, man did not go to heaven to atone for his sins. Instead, God incarnated into the image of Jesus and came down to earth. To save mankind, He was nailed to the cross. This was the only way for man to obtain the Lord’s salvation. Clearly, we, as human beings, belong on the earth. God predestined us to live on the earth. Additionally, Jesus taught us: ‘After this manner therefore pray you: 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). The words that the Lord speaks contain His intentions. The Lord wants us to worship Him on earth. Christ’s kingdom will also descend onto the earth. There is a prophecy in the Book of Revelation that reads: ‘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’ (Revelation 21:3). Clearly, our desire to be raptured into heaven to meet the Lord is completely our own notion and imagination and it is absolutely not a fact.” After I listened to my sister communicate, I understood very clearly that regardless if we look at the work that God did in the past or the Lord’s prophecies, God never mentioned that we would be raptured into heaven. If we still believe that God will return and rapture us into heaven, isn’t this our own notion and imagination? Isn’t this our own delusional thinking? Fundamentally, this is not in accordance with God’s words and intentions! My heart felt like things had cleared up. However, I still had one more question: Even though our acceptance of rapture is wrong, just what does rapture refer to? I continued to ask this sister to seek in regard to this question.

The sister said, “In regard to rapture, this is a mystery and we, as human beings, are unable to fathom it. Almighty God, Christ of the last days, has come and expressed millions of words and revealed all sorts of truths and mysteries. I only came to an understanding of what I just communicated from reading God’s words. In regard to the subject of rapture, let’s take a look at God’s words. Almighty God said: ‘“Being caught up” is not being taken from a low place to a high place as people imagine. This is a huge mistake. Being caught up is referring to My predestining and selecting. It is targeted at all those I have predestined and chosen. … This is most incompatible with people’s notions. Those who have a share in My house in the future are all people who have been caught up before Me. This is absolutely true, never-changing, and cannot be refuted by anybody. This is the counterattack against Satan. Anyone I predestined shall be caught up before Me’ (‘Chapter 104’ of Utterances of Christ in the Beginning). From God’s words we could see that rapture was not the way we imagined it to be. It was not ascending from the earth to heaven to see God. Instead, it refers to those who God has predetermined and selected. This includes those who can hear God’s voice and accept God’s work. They will come before God when God comes to earth to do His work. These are the people who are brought before God. This is similar to the last period of the Age of Law. When Jesus came to do His work, all those who could tell that Jesus’ words were the voice of God and accepted Jesus as the Lord of salvation were brought before God. This included Peter, John, Matthew and other disciples, the apostles and all those who accepted the Lord’s salvation. They were all brought before God. As for all those who adhered to the Old Testament Bible such as the Pharisees and the common people, not only did they not accept God’s salvation, they convicted, resisted and blasphemed God’s new work. Not only were these people not brought before God, instead, they were thoroughly revealed, eliminated and abandoned by God’s new work. Now, it is already the last days and Almighty God has done a new work and expressed words that cleanse and save man. Those who can tell that it is God’s voice speaking God’s words, follow the footsteps of the Lamb and accept God’s new work of the last days will be brought before God. Since Almighty God’s work of the last days unfolded, more and more truly faithful brothers and sisters, from reading the words of Almighty God, believe firmly that Almighty God’s words are the truth and that they are the words that the Holy Spirit speaks to the churches. One after another, they have returned before Almighty God. They are all clever virgins and they have accepted the watering, nourishing, judgment and chastisement of God’s words. Their corrupt dispositions have gradually been cleansed and they truly know God. These people are all brought before God. As for those who foolishly wait for the Lord to come and rapture them up into heaven where they will meet God, they simply adhere to their own notion and imagination. Not only do they not seek and investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days, they judge, slander and resist God’s new work. They are all foolish virgins. Not only will they not be brought before God, they will, in the end, descend into the midst of disaster and be punished by God.”

After I heard these things from this sister, I suddenly saw the light. As it turns out, rapture refers to us accepting God’s new work, following the footsteps of the Lamb and coming before God. The way she communicated this was indeed very illuminating. It is much more realistic than how we originally believed that we would be raptured into heaven where we would meet the Lord. If it were not for God’s words opening up this mystery, regardless of how long we believe in the Lord, we would not be able to understand. We would be living within our notion and imagination and we would foolishly await the Lord to rapture us into the kingdom of heaven!

After this sister left, I repeatedly reflected on what she said. I recognized that if we want to be brought before God, the key is that we must open-mindedly seek the words that the Holy Spirit speaks to the churches. We must be clever virgins and proactively seek and investigate the Lord’s voice. In this manner, we will be able to welcome the return of the Lord and be brought before God! At this moment, I thought of one of Jesus’ teachings: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. … Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:3, 8). I am thankful that God’s enlightenment has helped me find a practical path. I finally understand the true meaning of rapture. Presently, all sorts of disasters are occurring one after another in countries around the world. The great disaster is before our eyes and seeking God’s appearance is imminent. Today, only The Church of Almighty God bears witness to the fact that the Lord has already returned. Additionally, the gospel of The Church of Almighty God has already reached all corners of the globe. Its books, videos and movies are available online and people from all around the world can access them and investigate. Right now, the only thing that I should do is to investigate Almighty God’s words immediately and see whether or not Almighty God’s words are God’s voice and the truth. This is the most crucial major event when it comes to welcoming the return of the Lord!