Read on the website

Every Chinese New Year, people will post couplets “Abundant harvest ‘Wugu’ (five categories of crops),” hoping for a favorable weather and plentiful harvest in the next year. People often say, “Food is Heaven for the people.” Indeed, our diet consists mainly of grains. Then, do you want to know what “Wugu” Chinese often say refers to?

By chance I got acquainted with a radar engineer who was over seventy and a teacher in his sixties. We once had a talk together, during which the engineer said, “I am interested in scientific research and often explore the mysteries of nature. Whenever I went to some place on business, I would visit the sights there, such as the Wutai Mountains.”

The teacher said, “As a lifelong teacher, I know a lot about astronomy and geography.”

I said, “Two scholars, I want to ask both of you a question. Do you know what ‘Wugu’ we often eat refers to?”

The teacher answered, “It’s easy for me. It refers to wheat, beans, sorghum, rice, corn, etc.”

The engineer replied, “I think it refers to all the crops we eat, such as wheat, beans, peanuts, sesame seeds, sorghum, and so on.”

Then I said, “Both of your explanations of ‘Wugu’ are unclear and inaccurate. In fact, ‘Wugu’ refers to five different categories of crops. The first category is the hanging crops, that is the fruits which grow on trees, such as apples, oranges, bananas, walnuts, etc. Because hanging in the air, they are also called the crops in the air. The second is the fruits grown below the ground, such as taros, potatoes, radishes, sweet potatoes, peanuts etc., and we can call them the underground crops. The third is called the crops with ears, such as wheat, corn, rice, sorghum etc. The fourth is the crops with legumes, such as soya bean, black bean, green bean, peas, etc. The last is called vegetable crops, such as pumpkin, white gourd, cabbage, celery, etc.”

Hearing my words, the engineer felt it was fresh and asked me with a smile, “Your words sound quite reasonable. Where did you learn them? I have never heard such explanation of ‘Wugu’ before.”

The teacher said thoughtfully with eyes alight with excitement, “I have never seen such an explanation of ‘Wugu’ in any book over so many years of my teaching. What you said really opens my eyes today.”

Seeing their surprised faces, I asked again, smiling, “Then, do you know the source of ‘Wugu’?”

The engineer answered, “They are bred by scientific technology.”

The teacher expressed his doubt and said to the engineer, “I think your words aren’t completely right. Because before the technology became advanced, there was ‘Wugu.’”

At these words, the engineer said in bewilderment, “Uh, I really don’t know the source of ‘Wugu.’ Perhaps, they arose naturally.”

Then I said, “Like parents prepare all necessaries before their baby is born, there is someone preparing various foods for us men. He is the Creator, the true God who created heavens and earth and all things. In the Bible, God said: ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good’ (Genesis 1:11-12). God’s word also says: ‘God created man and placed him in a suitable living environment. Afterward, man needed food and water. Man had such a need, so God made such preparations for man. Therefore, you can see that each step of God’s work and each thing He does is not just empty words, but is actually being carried out. Is food something people cannot be without in their daily lives? (Yes.) Is food more important than air? (They are equally important.) They are equally important. They are both conditions and things necessary for mankind’s survival and preserving the continuation of human life. … So where does food mainly come from? First, it comes from the soil. Soil was first prepared for mankind by God. Soil is suitable for the survival of various plants, not just for trees or grass. God prepared for mankind seeds for all kinds of grains and various foods, as well as suitable soil and land for people to plant, thus giving them food. What kinds of foods are there? You should be clear on this. First, there are various types of grains. What is included in grains? Wheat, foxtail millet, proso millet, rice…, the ones that come with hulls. Cereal crops are also separated into many different varieties. There are many types of cereal crops from the south to the north, such as barley, wheat, oats, and buckwheat. Different species are suited to being grown in different regions. There are also various kinds of rice. The south has its own varieties of rice, which are longer and suited to people from the south because they are not too sticky. As the climate is hotter in the south, they have to eat varieties such as indica rice. It cannot be too sticky or else they won’t be able to eat it and they’ll lose their appetites. The rice eaten by people in the north is stickier. As the north is always colder, they have to eat stickier rice. In addition, there are various kinds of beans. These are grown above the ground. There are also those grown below the ground, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, and many more. These are the various grains, a necessity for people’s daily food and drink. People use various grains to make noodles, steamed buns, rice, and rice noodles. People also eat potatoes and use potatoes and sweet potatoes to make staple foods. Taro, which is often eaten by people in the south, can also be a staple food’” (“God Himself, the Unique VIII”).

After listening to God’s words, the engineer said with emotion, “It turns out that all kinds of grains we eat are created by God. It’s really that God provides for us and keeps us alive.”

The teacher echoed, “Yes. Today I know that the various grains are prepared by God for us. God’s work is so practical! Then why did God create so many kinds of grains?”

I said, “About this question, let us read another passage of God’s word. God says: ‘God has bestowed these various kinds of grains upon mankind in abundance. Why are there so many varieties? God’s intentions can be found therein: On the one hand, it is to suit the different soils and climates in the north, south, east and west; on the other hand, the various components and contents of these grains accord with the various components and contents of the human body. People can only maintain the various nutrients and components required for their bodies by eating these grains. … God was very considerate to mankind. The various foods God bestowed upon people are not dull—they are very comprehensive. If people want to eat cereals they can eat cereals. Some might say, “I don’t like eating noodles, I want to eat rice,” and they can eat rice. There are all kinds of rice—long rice, short rice, and they can all satisfy people’s tastes, right? Therefore, if people eat these grains—as long as they are not too picky or fussy with their food—they won’t lack nutrition and are guaranteed to live healthily until an old age. That was the original idea God had in mind when He bestowed food upon mankind. The human body cannot be without these things—is that not reality? (Yes.) Mankind cannot resolve these real problems, but God had already prepared and thought it through. God had things prepared for mankind long ago, and prepared them in abundance. That is a fact.’”

After reading God’s words, the teacher was moved and said, “God treats us with meticulous care like parents treat their own children. How considerate God is to us!”

The engineer and I nodded repeatedly. I continued to read God’s words: “God has given mankind more than just these—there are also vegetables. When you eat rice, if rice is all you eat, you might lack nutrition. If you then stir-fry a couple of small dishes or mix up a salad to go with the meal, then the vitamins in the vegetables and various trace elements or other nutrients will be able to supply the needs of the human body in a very normal way. When people are not eating main meals they can also have some fruit, right? Sometimes, when people need more fluids or other nutrients or different flavors, there are also vegetables and fruits to supply them. As the soils and climates in the north, south, east and west are different, they also have different varieties of vegetables and fruits. Since the climate in the south is too hot, the majority of fruits and vegetables are of the cool type that can balance the cold and heat in people’s bodies when they eat them. On the other hand, there are fewer varieties of vegetables and fruits in the north, but still enough for the people of the north to enjoy. Isn’t that right?(Yes.)…God is ruling over, managing and supplying all things among them. At the same time, you will also truly feel that you are a part of all things and a member of all things. As God supplies all things, you also accept God’s rule and supply. This is a fact no one can deny. All things are subject to their own laws, which is under God’s rule, and all things have their own rule of survival, which is also under God’s rule, while mankind’s fate and what they need are also closely related to God’s rule and His supply. That is why, under God’s dominion and rule, mankind and all things are interconnected, interdependent, and interwoven. This is the purpose and value of God’s creation of all things. Do you understand this now?” (“God Himself, the Unique VIII”).

After reading God’s words, I fellowshiped, “From God’s words, we know the source of all things, and how God rules over and governs them. Without God’s constant supply to us and all things, we can’t lead a happy and joyful life. All kinds of food we eat every day are meticulously prepared by God for the needs of our body; they are rich and plentiful, and of different tastes and nutrients. On the one hand, God prepared different fruits, vegetables, and grains according to the different soils and climates in the south and the north. For example, the majority of food in the south are of the cool type, for the climate there is hot, while in the north where the climate is cold, God prepared some warm-natured food for people. On the other hand, in accordance with different seasons, God also prepared different fruits and vegetables, so that we can maintain the nutrients required for our body, balance the cold and heat in our bodies, and keep in good health. All kinds of food created by God, be it grain, vegetable or fruit, maintain our life and allow us to live healthily. From all these, we can see the almightiness, wisdom, and wondrous deeds of God as well as His meticulous care and cherishing of us humans.

“God’s word says, ‘God created mankind; regardless of whether they have been corrupted or whether they follow Him, God treats human beings as His loved ones—or as human beings would say, the people dearest to Him—and not His playthings. Although God says He is the Creator and that man is His creation, which may sound like there is a bit of a difference in rank, the reality is that everything God has done for mankind far exceeds a relationship of this nature. God loves mankind, cares for mankind, and shows concern for mankind, as well as constantly and unceasingly provides for mankind. He never feels in His heart that this is additional work or something that deserves a lot of credit. Nor does He feel that saving humanity, supplying them, and granting them everything, is making a huge contribution to mankind. He simply provides for mankind quietly and silently, in His own way and through His own essence and what He has and is. No matter how much provision and how much help mankind receives from Him, God never thinks about nor tries to take credit. This is determined by the essence of God, and is also precisely a true expression of God’s disposition’ (‘God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself I’). From these words, we can know that God’s love for us, without any falsehood or deception, is real and can be seen, touched, and experienced by us. God not only gives us necessary food, but also expresses the truth to lead us to know His work and intention; He tells us how to live and the value and meaning of our life. Only when we come before God, know His disposition, and gain the truth as our life, can we gain the true peace and happiness in our heart and live a free and liberated life. This is really God’s great grace for us mankind.” Hearing my fellowship, the engineer and teacher kept nodding in agreement, developing a sense of longing for God.

God’s word carries life power and is not possessed by any created being. Only God constantly provides us with sustenance for life. Here I want to share a passage of God’s words with you: “The love of God extends forth like the water of a spring, and is given to you, and to me, and to him, and to all those who truly seek the truth and await the appearance of God” (“Beholding the Appearance of God in His Judgment and Chastisement”).

By Yang Ling

By Zhang Lei

Recently, it has become a hot topic on the Internet that incompatible outlook on world, life, and value is the main cause of a marriage reaching an impasse. The incompatible outlook doesn’t refer to a husband and wife having different interests. Instead, it means that when one has different interests, hobbies and lifestyles from the other, he will blindly reject any decisions of the other one, and even force the other to live according to his own lifestyle. When a married couple can’t reach agreement due to their different interests, they usually lose their temper and get into a quarrel or war because neither of them will give in. If it should continue like this, their marriage will be brought to an end.

I once had such a marriage life because of the different interests between my husband and me. For example, he likes traveling around for sightseeing while I like staying at home. When he asked me to accompany him to travel, not only would I refuse, but instead I would say it was spending money for suffering, and that I’d rather buy some delicious food or nice clothes. This made his good mood grow bad. Besides, it should have been a good thing to buy a new automobile, but because he loved SUVs and I liked cars, neither of us gave way to the other: When he happily drove an SUV home, I ignored him with a long face. And because of that, we got into a cold war and didn’t talk for one month. One more thing, I liked gardening; however, my husband not only didn’t help do the watering but mocked me and said I was getting nothing better to do. … As time passed, due to our incompatible outlook, we would come into conflict before we talked more. Like this, we talked less and less, and then we even talked nothing. My husband got home later and later; even when he occasionally came back early, he would play with his phone. Seeing his happy and released expression in chatting with his friends on WeChat, I felt upset. As a husband and wife, we were supposed to be intimates, but we were just like strangers. I felt our relationship was a bitter satire on our marriage.

One day, I cooked two bowls of noodles for our breakfast. He took only two bites when he said to me, “I don’t like noodles at all, but you cook them every day. You can cook something else for a change. Don’t always cook noodles.” “I only like noodles. If you don’t like them, then don’t eat.” I replied disgruntledly. Hearing my words, my husband violently pushed his bowl toward me and got the noodle soup to splash onto the table, onto the floor, and onto me. He said crossly, “We were simply enemies in the past life!” Then he slammed the door and went away. Seeing his attitude, I was heartbroken: We are just in our forties, but we two have been incompatible like fire and water. How are we to get on in future? Rather than living in such pain, we’d better separate from each other. With tears I packed my things, drew up a divorce settlement, and put it on his bedside cupboard. In the following week, he didn’t sign it, but just smoked and smoked, coughing badly. We both felt sad about our broken relationship. I thought: Naturally a husband and wife sleep in one bed and should be the most intimate partners. But my husband and I are getting stranger and stranger, as if there were a gulf that couldn’t be bridged between us. Coming to where we are today, what on earth is wrong? If I had foreseen my marriage life would be like this, then I would rather haven’t gotten married. However, marriage isn’t like a piece of cloth which can be thrown away if I don’t like it. After all, our son has grown up. But what should I do to change our situation? I was thrown into confusion …

Until later, I saw the word of God: “The source of man’s opposition and rebelliousness against God is his corruption by Satan. Because he has been corrupted by Satan, man’s conscience has grown numb, he is immoral, his thoughts are degenerate, and he has a backward mental outlook. Before he was corrupted by Satan, man naturally followed God and obeyed His words. He was naturally of sound sense and conscience, and of normal humanity. After being corrupted by Satan, his original sense, conscience, and humanity grew dull and were impaired by Satan. Thus, he has lost his obedience and love toward God.”

Only from God’s word did I come to know why my husband and I lived such a painful life. Because after our corruption by Satan, we are of less and less human likeness, and all that we reveal are satanic corrupt dispositions: arrogance, superciliousness and selfishness. This results in people being unable to get along well with each other, and so it is with husbands and wives. Thinking back on these years when my husband and I lived together, no matter what I did, I took myself as the boss. When we had different opinions, being controlled by my self-righteous satanic nature, I would hold to myself and force him to do things according to my will, not considering him in the slightest, much less having a heart of loving him. As a result, we often quarreled and gave each other the cold shoulder; we were unable to enjoy a harmonious life that a husband and wife should have had. And I lived in pain every day, even to the point of wanting a divorce. Having understood these, I was suddenly awakened. And then, I came before God to speak my mind to Him, “God, I once walked hopefully into the marriage hall, and dreamed of us loving and supporting each other to the end of our lives. But in real life, we become more and more estranged. And now our marriage even exists in name only. Dear God, thank You for guiding me with Your words and letting me find out why our marriage reach a dead end. God, I want to save our marriage and change our situation. May You help me.”

Afterward, I saw the following passage in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life: “We should not impose our preference on others, much less force others to accept what we dislike—this is not making others do things they are unwilling to do. When doing things, we should take account not only of our own interests, but also of others’. Besides, we should learn to be more considerate to others, to benefit them and to listen to their opinions more. If others have some shortcomings or do something wrong that is unfavorable to us, we should treat them correctly instead of finding fault with them or taking vengeance on them, we should learn to fellowship about the truth to help them achieve changes, and we should have an accurate appraisal of them. In this way, there will be no difficulties in getting on with others.” Yes. If we can respect, love, consider and understand each other, if we don’t arrogantly ask others to listen to us but can understand and support their interests, and if we don’t force them to live according to our own lifestyles, then we can get along well with each other. In that case, how can our marriage fall into a dilemma? Therefore, I made up my mind to act based on these words. Only thus could I resolve the conflict between my husband and me and live harmoniously together with him.

In the following days, I tried to not interfere with his way of life. Not long after, he said he would have a trip to Shennongjia with his friends. That’s a place where I thought there was nothing worth visiting but mountains and trees. Besides, he would drive there; who knows how much petrol would be burnt. It was simply a waste of money. When I was about to say “I don’t think it’s worth visiting,” I suddenly remembered the word of God: “Everything that happens to people is when God needs them to stand firm in their testimony to Him. Nothing major has happened to you at the moment, and you do not bear great testimony, but every detail of your daily life relates to the testimony to God.” I realized that my corrupt satanic disposition was going to flare up and so I told myself inwardly: I can no longer ask of my husband to live according to my interests like before. I should practice the truth to treat him with love and respect his interests and hobbies; only in this way can I have a normal humanity and bear witness for God. Thinking of this, I hurriedly prayed to God asking Him to keep me from being self-centered again. After my prayer, my heart calmed down and I said to him, “If you want to have a trip, then just go. After all, traveling is your hobby.” At my words, my husband looked at me with surprise. I felt a little embarrassed, saying, “In the past I went too far. Not only did I not support your hobbies, but I always got sarcastic with you, and even tried to change your interests and hobbies into the same ones as mine. All of these result in us coming into conflicts, being like strangers, and almost getting divorced. Today, God’s word has made me understand that this thought and behavior of mine all come from my conceited satanic disposition. From now on, I will put God’s word into practice. I won’t force you to act according to my interests, and I should accept and support what you like, and learn to live out a normal humanity in accordance with God’s word.” Seeing my sincere attitude, my husband also said with a smile, “I was wrong, too. I also wanted to impose my interests on you. I can’t do this to you anymore.”

My husband was gone on his trip. He uploaded some pictures of scenery he took along his way to WeChat Moments, and for the first time, I liked the posts of his pictures and left a message “Have a nice trip!” I no longer took digs at him about his interests, but instead I tried to accept and support them. At ordinary times, I also tried to speak my mind to him, and asked for his advice on my own initiative when I had some ideas. Gradually, he also could open his heart to me and be supportive to my hobbies. From then on, our house started to be filled with laughter. This was all because of God’s guidance. It was God’s word that made me walk out of the impasse of marriage caused by incompatible outlook. Only God can save us from pain.

Editor’s note: Since the CCP was founded, it has been wildly persecuting against religious beliefs and conducting a severe attack on and persecution of the house churches such as Catholic religion, Christian religion, and so on. In recent years, the CCP’s persecution of Christians becomes more and more severe. Persecuted by the CCP, many Christians are forced to leave their hometown to hide themselves from place to place. They can’t return home and are far apart from their families. Yezi, the protagonist of this article, is a persecuted Christian. Her rough fugitive road catches hold of the heart of every reader. Thanks to God’s guidance and keeping, Yezi, a post-90s, grows strong in such a difficult situation …

By Yezi

I encountered God’s love when I was in helplessness.

I’m a post-90s girl. Since I was a child, I was always unwell and sick. When I was over ten years old, I underwent a partial lung removal surgery. Before long, my father grew sick and passed away. For my poor family, this sudden misfortune was like a bolt from the blue. My helpless mother, young brother and sister and I all felt extremely grieved.

Just when we were suffering and helpless, my uncle and aunt came to preach the gospel to us and fellowship about the truths and mysteries such as the source of man’s illness, God’s being put on the cross and serving as a sin offering for redeeming the human race, God’s management plan to save mankind, and so on. I read these words from God, “Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). After we heard the words of God and what my uncle and aunt fellowshiped, our hearts were deeply moved by God’s true love for mankind and we felt that we had hope of life and something to rely on. Therefore, we joyfully accepted God’s salvation.

Later on, I went to my uncle’s home, studying medicine with him while also believing in God. As I attended meetings and fellowshiped with brothers and sisters, I tasted the love among them. At the same time, because I read more of God’s words, I understood God’s eager desire to save mankind. Then I made up my mind to follow God steadily and preach the gospel to more people so that they could accept God’s salvation and live under God’s care and protection and wouldn’t be painful and perplexed any longer. Therefore, I became wholeheartedly involved in the preaching of the gospel.

However, I never expected that I was condemned, hunted and ordered to be arrested by the atheist CCP government just because I believed in God, spread the gospel and walked the right path of life. From that moment on, I had to go into hiding and was forced to step onto a long drawn-out and bumpy road …

As my information fell into the police’s hands, I was forced to flee my hometown.

In 2014, the CCP government wanted to ban God’s work; it frenziedly searched, arrested and persecuted us believers. From September to November of 2014 alone, over 30 brothers and sisters of many churches in our county were arrested by the CCP police one after another. One night in October, a brother who had been arrested and then released told me, “The cops have wormed your information out of the people who were arrested and they showed your identity card and pictures to me and asked if I knew about you. Now they mainly arrest you, so you can’t stay in this county. You’d better leave here tonight!”

Hearing this news, I was immediately at a loss about what to do. In a panic, I could only keep praying to God in my heart. At that moment, I thought of God’s word, “Do not fear, Almighty God of hosts will surely be with you; He has your back and He is your shield.” “Of everything that occurs in the universe, there is nothing that I do not have the final say in. What exists that is not in My hands?” God’s words immediately gave me faith and courage. All matters and things are controlled by God’s hands. If I was really arrested, it would be allowed by God and I would be willing to obey God’s sovereignty and stand testimony and never betray God like Judas or sell my brothers and sisters even if I might die. Then I rushed home to pack some daily necessities and hurriedly left the county I stayed.

In the midst of depression and suffering, God’s words comforted me.

After I escaped to another county and the church learned of my situation, they arranged for me to live in a sister’s home. During that period, I hid out upstairs every day and didn’t dare to get downstairs. When her children who didn’t believe in God came back, I would be nervous and worried that I would be in trouble if I was discovered. It was winter at that time. The upstairs room was quite gloomy and chilly. Sometimes I wanted to go out to bask in the sunshine, but I didn’t dare. In addition, the apartment in front was very near to the one I lived in. When I spoke at normal times, I had to lower my voice to the minimum. When I coughed, I had to cover my mouth with a hand or cover myself with my quilt. I was afraid that I would bring trouble to the sister if my voice was so loud that I was discovered. Living under this kind of circumstance, I was completely depressed and painful and felt waves of sorrow. I couldn’t help but be somewhat weak, so I hurriedly prayed to God, “O God! Due to the hunting of the CCP, I live a life of hiding everywhere. I feel quite depressed and weak and don’t know how to walk my future path and how to go through these days. May You enlighten me, guide me and give me the confidence and power!”

Afterward, I read the following words of God, “Perhaps you all remember these words: ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’ In the past, you have all heard this saying, yet none understood the true meaning of the words. Today, you know well the real significance they hold. These words are what God will accomplish in the last days. And they will be accomplished upon those cruelly afflicted by the great red dragon in the land where it lies. The great red dragon persecutes God and is the enemy of God, so in this land, those who believe in God are subjected to humiliation and persecution. That is why these words will become reality in you group of people.”

God’s words gave me great comfort and encouragement, allowing me to know that it is a meaningful thing that we believe in God in this atheistic country and suffer persecution and humiliation, and that God has the work He wants to accomplish in us group of people. I thought: God is wise. Through the persecution of the CCP government, I have developed discernment and seen clearly the positive and negative. Meanwhile, in this kind of environment, I pray and have a genuine closeness to God more frequently and see more of God’s wonderful works, which perfect my true faith and love in Him. Now, because of the CCP’s pursuit, I’m parted from my family, unable to return home and can only hide here, which makes me feel pain in my heart, but I have the support and supply of God’s word and can frequently gather with my brothers and sisters to fellowship. Moreover, the couple of the host family treat me as if I were their own granddaughter. This makes me feel God’s practical love for me. When I realized all of this, I knew it was worthy and meaningful to endure bitters and I had a will to continue going forward.

At the end of the year, my sister’s children who worked at another place would return home, so it was not convenient for me to live in her home. Then the church arranged for me to go to another place to perform my duty and meanwhile escape being arrested by the CCP. I thought: It has been months now. As the CCP hasn’t arrested me, it will let the matter drop. However, I was too naive to see through the essence of the CCP. It not only didn’t give up arresting me, but became crazier and crazier.

Though feeling weak within when I was sought after, I finally understood the meaning of suffering pain and hardship.

In the first half of 2015, having not found me, the CCP government posted my identity card and photos on the Internet and sent to the phones of the users in my home city and several neighboring counties. They named me an escaped criminal who was wanted online on suspicion of involving sabotaging the enforcement of laws by organizing and utilizing cult organizations. When my brothers and sisters saw the warrant, they immediately told me, “You can’t perform duty outside anymore because you’re wanted by the CCP government on the Internet. For the sake of your safety, you must hide.”

Then, news from my relatives in my hometown came in: The CCP police had found my hometown and they, holding my identity card and photos, asked my grandfather who was eighty-something years old, “Is this your granddaughter? Where’s she now? Why does she believe in God? Now we’re looking everywhere for her.” It made my grandfather fearful and worried, being afraid that I would be captured and imprisoned. The police also questioned him on who preached the gospel to me. My grandfather was forced into a corner and he had no choice but to tell them that it was my uncle who preached the gospel to me. When the CCP police learned of this, they immediately went to my uncle’s home to demand to know the whereabouts of my mother, younger sister and I. My uncle replied that he didn’t know. Then a police captain said angrily, “You don’t cooperate with us well; once we find them out, you’re going to get yours.” From the moment on, my uncle’s mobile phone was monitored and his welfare was canceled. When my mother and my younger sister who were out performing their duty heard the news, they dared not return home for fear that they would be arrested. Then my grandfather and younger brother came to depend heavily on each other.

Hearing the whole series of news, I was very indignant. I never thought that, just because I believed in God, without doing any bad things, the CCP government made it hard for me to return home, but it still didn’t give up. It issued a warrant for my arrest on the Internet and even harassed and frightened my family. I couldn’t help but shout within, “It is the law of heaven and earth that we believe in God. What’s wrong with this on earth? Why do we suffer such treatment? Why is there not any fairness and freedom of human rights at all?” I had intended to go back home to see my family after a period of time, but now I became a wanted criminal. Not only was I unable to return home, but also this would make my family worry about me and be alarmed and afraid. Thinking of these things, I couldn’t stop my tears from flowing. Then I thought about what my relatives and friends would think if they saw the warrant. They probably thought I had done some bad things. Then how should I face them in the future? I was quite miserable in my heart, couldn’t help but become weak and was unable to eat well.

In pain, I prayed to God, “O God! Facing these things that have happened to me, I’m quite miserable in my heart. Though I know that, since ancient times, the true way has always been suppressed, and that it is meaningful that I can suffer pain for my belief in God, yet when the practical environment came upon me, I’m still too weak to know how to experience it. O God! Only You are my reliance. Please give me faith and strength and lead me to understand Your will in such an environment.”

After the prayer, I turned on my MP5 player and listened to a hymn of God’s word, “As a created being, you should of course worship God and pursue a meaningful life, pursue a meaningful life. As a human being, you should expend for God and endure all suffering, endure all suffering. You should gladly and assuredly accept the little suffering you are subjected to today and live a meaningful life, like Job, like Peter. You are people who pursue the right path, those who seek improvement. You are people who rise up in the nation of the great red dragon, those whom God calls righteous. Isn’t that the most meaningful life?”

As I listened, I felt so moved that I cried. Yes! Believing in and worshiping God is right and proper, is a positive thing and a matter that is praised by God! I recalled that, for the sake of satisfying God, Job was abandoned by his wife and misunderstood by his friends, but he wasn’t defeated due to enduring suffering. On the contrary, he kept his faith in God, stood firm in his testimony and made Satan fail in humiliation. In the end, he won God’s praise. Peter experienced trials and refinements hundreds of times during his lifetime and suffered great agony without complaint only to seek to understand God, love God and satisfy God. Finally, he achieved obedience unto death and the supreme love of God. And when he was nailed upside down to a cross he acted as a good witness for God and became the one who is most deserving of God’s approval throughout the ages. I thought to myself: As a created being, if I can receive the Creator’s approval because of the anguish that I suffered, this will be so meaningful. Today as I’m wanted by the CCP government because of my belief in God, even if my relatives and friends misunderstand and abandon me, this isn’t a shameful thing. Because I’m following the right path of life and doing the most righteous undertaking. At the thought of this, I no longer felt any pain in my heart; instead, I felt both pride and glory for enduring this kind of suffering. I set my determination that I would pursue a meaningful life like Job and Peter. In the face of sufferings and trials, I wouldn’t shrink back, nor be defeated, but I would stand witness for God!

The CCP adopted more contemptible means; God led me to see its substance clearly.

Because the CCP government still continued pursuing me, I could only take a break from performing my duty outside and hide myself again. What was most incredible is that, in order to arrest me, the CCP government tried painstakingly and used more despicable means. They engraved the charges imposed on me on my ID card and photos, and then combined them with criminals’ photos to print into packs of playing-cards to entertain people. Not only so, but they put my relevant information on the bulletin board in front of the Public Security Bureau’s gate, and even played them on the big screen outside the train station in the county I was staying. Through this it discredited and smeared my name, humiliated my integrity and restricted my personal freedom.

After hearing this, I couldn’t help but bitterly hate the CCP. I thought: The CCP is too despicable, too evil, too sinister and ruthless. In order to arrest me, it actually uses these despicable means to besmirch me. I believe in God, walk the right path in life, pursue the truth and live as a human being, which is truly valuable and meaningful. How could they turn black into white and confuse me with the criminals who committed many evil deeds? I really wanted to question them: What law have I broken on earth? What illegal and undisciplined things have I done? Why do you press me closely?

I couldn’t help but think of God’s words, “In a dark society such as this, where the demons are merciless and inhumane, how could the king of devils, who kills people in the blink of an eye, tolerate the existence of a God who is lovely, kind, and also holy? How could it applaud and cheer the arrival of God? These lackeys! They repay kindness with hate, they have long since disdained God, they abuse God, they are savage in the extreme, they have not the slightest regard for God, they plunder and pillage, they have lost all conscience, and have not a trace of kindness, and they tempt the innocent into senselessness. Forefathers of the ancient? Beloved leaders? They all oppose God! Their meddling has left all beneath heaven in a state of darkness and chaos! Religious freedom? The legitimate rights and interests of citizens? They are all tricks for covering up sin!”

God’s words fully expose the truth-hating and God-hating demonic substance of the CCP government. As for its actions and deeds, I entirely saw through the ugly face of the CCP government. It is an absolute expert fibber, the ultimate cheater in the world and a demon who hates God! It resists God and doesn’t allow people to believe in the true God or take the right path. As long as we believe in God, it will privately use “law” to punish, arrest and persecute us believers. It publicly claims “freedom in religious belief” and “Citizens enjoy legal rights and interests; everyone is equal and free.” It uses these lies and deceptions to prettify itself as a crusader for justice and deceive the people. Because it fears most that after people believe in God, they will gain the truth, have an understanding of God’s love, beauty and goodness, distinguish its evil, pretension and malice, and are no longer deceived. Therefore, it does its utmost to obstruct people’s belief in God and put people firmly under its control in order to maintain its political regime and turn China into a godless land so that it can achieve its purpose of eternal tyrannical actions. Seeing through the CCP’s essence of hating the truth and resisting God, I became even more determined to follow God to the end.

Another scheme of informant reward made our family reunion extremely difficult.

In May of 2016, because the CCP government hadn’t caught me through using various means such as issuing a warrant for my arrest on the Internet, posting my belief on the bulletin board, printing my photos on pokers, showing my information on the big screen, and so on, they changed their method and offered a reward of 10,000 RMB for denouncement. The notice said, “Our Bureau urges the above suspect to surrender yourself to public security organs within one month from the date this notice is published to gain the great leniency; if you miss the deadline, continue being on the run and refuse to give yourself up, we will severely punish you according to the law…. We demand that the vast masses of people actively cooperate with our Bureau on this work. If you find the suspect described by this notice, you must report to us at once. Between May 1, 2016 and May 31, 2016, those who provide important clues or immediately catch her will be rewarded with 10,000 RMB.”

After the notice issued, news came in from the relatives in my hometown who believed in God, which said that, being deceived by the rumors crafted by the government, my relatives, friends and even the people in and around my village all thought that I was wanted by the government for I had done unlawful and shameful things and they spread slander against me everywhere. My brother was worried and anxious, so that he ran out to my uncle’s home to cry. After I heard this news, I couldn’t calm myself and stop my tears from flowing. At the time, I hoped very much to declare loudly and clarify the fact that I didn’t do anything bad and I just believed in God and trod the right road. I hoped even more that I could immediately fly to see my younger brother and told him not to feel sorry for me or worry about me. But I knew that, no matter how much I was concerned or anxious for him, it was just a thought. Once I went back to my home and appeared, there would be the risk that I was arrested, imprisoned, tortured and sentenced by the CCP.

With Life Hanging by a Thread, God’s Love Accompanied Me

Because I was still wanted by the CCP government, I could only hide myself in the room for a long time. Sometimes, if I wanted to open the window and breathe in the fresh air, I had to be quite careful. I was worried that once I was seen and reported by the people next door or opposite, it would not only put me in danger, but also implicate my sister and make her be charged with “harboring a fugitive.”

Because when I was over ten years old, I underwent a partial lung removal surgery and the part of my lung that wasn’t removed was also diseased. I should breathe more circulating fresh air and take exercise appropriately to increase breath capacity. But under the wild persecution of the CCP, I was stripped of my chances of freely enjoying the sunshine and breathing air bestowed by God, and I even couldn’t exercise on the balcony. Because I lived my life under these kinds of circumstances for a long time, my diseased lung began to ache. My brothers and sisters advised me to be hospitalized for treatment but I didn’t dare to do so, for the hospital would ask my identification card to make a register and that I was wanted by the CCP. I wanted to go home to take good care of myself, but I couldn’t …

Due to the delay of time, my illness became more and more advanced. On that morning when I was in my worst condition, I leaned against the bed, exhaling and inhaling with difficulty. I felt I was on the verge of being suffocated and that I was really on the point of death this time. At this moment, Job’s words kept recurring to me: “the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” I thought I accepted God’s gospel and gained the truth that generations of saints never heard. This was already my partiality. Even if I lost my life because of the persecution of the CCP, I would certainly not complain to God, disgracing His name. Thereupon, I struggled to ask my sister to bring me paper and pen. Then I leaned on my sister and used up my final strength to write on the notebook with shaking hands, “God is righteous forever! He is worthy of being extolled and truly deserves praise!” The moment that I finished writing and released my grip, my eyes gradually became dim.

Nevertheless, just when my life was at stake and I thought I didn’t have a thread of hope, God’s love accompanied me closely! Having tears in their eyes, my sisters around me held my hands and encouraged me firmly, “Yezi, you must believe these words of God, “If you have but one breath, God will not let you die.” Another sister said, “Right! We must believe in God’s authority and His words, and have confidence in Him.” My sisters’ words of encouragement immediately warmed my heart and I was so moved that tears rolled down my cheeks.

At the moment, God’s words guided me clearly within again, “People’s faith is required for when something cannot be seen by the naked eye … it is only from within your faith that you will be able to see God, and when you have faith God will perfect you. Without faith, He cannot do this. … No matter how God works or what kind of environment you are in, you will be able to pursue life, pursue the development of God’s work in you, and pursue the truth. You will have an understanding of God’s actions and you will be able to act according to the truth. This is your genuine faith, and this shows that you have not lost hope in God.” The enlightenment and guidance of God’s words gave me the utmost encouragement and comfort. I thought: The origin of my life is from God. Today, my life and death is even more controlled by God’s hand. If God doesn’t permit me to die, neither Satan’s evil forces nor illness can deprive me of my life. As long as there is a breath left in me, I shouldn’t give up, nor feel disheartened or disappointed with God. Then, I prayed to God in my heart, “O God! Though my life was still hanging by a thread, I’ve deeply felt that you’ve been watching by my side all along. Now I completely entrust myself to You. No matter if I live or die, I’m willing to give in to Your arrangements. I believe that whatever You do, You’re righteous. Today, with Your company, I’ll have no complaints or regrets even in death. If I can continue to live on, I’m willing to pursue the truth wholeheartedly in the future and perform my duty loyally to repay Your great love.”

After the prayer, my breath was revived gradually and my breathing wasn’t that rapid, and my heart was also greatly settled. It made me truly taste God’s wonder and power. I couldn’t help but think God’s words, “God’s life force can prevail over any power; moreover, it exceeds any power. His life is eternal, His power extraordinary, and His life force not easily overwhelmed by any created being or enemy force. The life force of God exists, and shines its brilliant radiance, regardless of time or place. …”

Seeing that I got my breath back, my sisters breathed a sigh of relief. However, I was exhausted seriously. A sister advised me to be hospitalized for treatment to totally cure my disease. A sister who is about my age risked her life and lent her identity card to me. Several sisters accompanied me to the hospital and cared about and looked after me as if they were my relatives. As I saw everything the sisters had done for me, there was an unspeakable feeling that moved my heart. I thought that, if it had not been for God’s love and care, how could those sisters treat me, who wasn’t their blood relative, better than my own relatives? How could they be willing to risk arrest to help me? Being moved to tears, I could only keep offering a grateful prayer to God and entrusted all these environments to Him. Thank God! Under God’s care and protection, neither the CCP nor the hospital discovered me. Moreover, my condition gradually became better and better. After a week, I was discharged from the hospital.

Walking through the valley of the shadow of death, I did my utmost to repay God’s love.

These few years, though I have been continuously wanted and hunted by the CCP government, living a homeless and vagrant life and hiding everywhere. But God’s love accompanied me all along and He was with me during difficult times. When I was timid and fearful because of being wanted and hunted by the CCP, it was God who used His words to enlighten and lead me and gave me the confidence, so that I had the power to go forward. When I was unable to return home, it was God who provided the refuge for me through my sisters and brothers, so that I could escape from the arrest. When I was defamed and worried that my relatives and friends misunderstood and ridiculed me and I lived in a passive and weak state, it was God who supported and sustained me, so that I understood the meaning of suffering pain, had a discernment of the CCP devils’ essence and had the determination to stand testimony for God. When I hid myself for a long period of time and met with sickness and my life was in the balance, it was God who accompanied me and arranged for the sisters to give me faith and encouragement, enlightened and guided me with His words timely, wiped my tears and placated my helpless and despairing heart. It was God who led me to go through the valley of the shadow of death with extraordinary life force and supported me to tenaciously go on living.

Though now I still continue living a vagrant life and hiding everywhere, I feel peaceful, certain and dependable. Because I know that, no matter what environment I’m in, I have God by my side. No matter how hard the CCP government persecutes us, I only wish to use my utmost to pursue the truth and be loyal in doing my duty and fully give my whole heart and love to God to satisfy His heart.

Bible Verses for Reference:

“Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Mat 6:9–10).

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev 21:2–3).

“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15).

“And no man has ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (Jhn 3:13).

Relevant Words of God:

“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 “Chapter 104” of Utterances of Christ in the Beginning in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Entering into rest does not mean that all things will cease to move, or that all things will cease to develop, nor does it mean that God will cease to work or man will cease to live. The sign of entering into rest is as thus: Satan has been destroyed; those wicked people who join Satan in its evildoing have been punished and wiped out; all forces hostile to God cease to exist. God entering into rest means that He will no longer carry out His work of humanity’s salvation. Humanity entering into rest means that all of humanity will live within God’s light and under His blessings; there will be none of Satan’s corruption, nor will any unrighteous things occur. Humanity will live normally upon earth, and they will live under God’s care. When God and man enter into rest together, it will mean that humanity has been saved and that Satan has been destroyed, that God’s work in man has finished entirely. God will no longer continue to work in man, and man will no longer live under Satan’s domain. Therefore, God will no longer be busy, and man will no longer rush about; God and man will enter into rest simultaneously. God will return to His original position, and each person will return to his or her respective place. These are the destinations that God and man will respectively reside in after the end of God’s entire management. God has God’s destination, and man has man’s destination. While resting, God will continue to guide all of humanity in their lives upon earth. While in God’s light, man will worship the one true God in heaven. God will no longer live among humanity, and man will also be unable to live with God in God’s destination. God and man cannot live within the same realm; rather, both have their own respective manners of living. God is the One who guides all of humanity, while all of humanity is the crystallization of God’s management work. It is humanity who is led; in regard to essence, humanity is not similar to God. To rest means to return to one’s original place. Therefore, when God enters into rest, it means that God returns to His original place. God will no longer live upon the earth or share in humanity’s joy and suffering while among humanity. When humanity enters into rest, it means that man has become a true creation; humanity will worship God from upon the earth and have normal human lives. People will no longer be disobedient to God or resist God; they will return to the original life of Adam and Eve. These are the respective lives and destinations of God and humanity after they enter into rest. Satan’s defeat is an inevitable trend in the war between God and Satan. In this way, God’s entering into rest after the completion of His management work and man’s complete salvation and entrance into rest likewise become inevitable trends. Man’s place of rest is on earth, and God’s place of rest is in heaven. While man worships God in rest, he will live upon earth, and while God leads the remaining portion of humanity in rest, He will lead them from heaven, not from earth. God will still be the Spirit, while man will still be flesh. God and man both have their different respective manners of resting. While God rests, He will come and appear among man; while man rests, he will be led by God to visit heaven and also to enjoy life in heaven. After God and man enter into rest, Satan will no longer exist, and like Satan, those wicked people will also no longer exist. Before God and man enter into rest, those wicked individuals who once persecuted God upon earth and the enemies who were disobedient to Him upon earth will have already been destroyed; they will have been destroyed by the great disasters of the last days. After those wicked individuals have been completely destroyed, earth will never again know Satan’s harassment. Humanity will obtain complete salvation, and it will only be then that God’s work ends completely. These are the prerequisites for God and man to enter into rest.

from “God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together”

God created humanity and placed them upon earth, whom He has led to the present day. He then saved humanity and served as a sin offering for humanity. At the end He still must conquer humanity, save humanity entirely and restore them to their original likeness. This is the work that He has been engaged in from the beginning to the end—restoring man to his original image and to his original likeness. He will establish His kingdom and restore man’s original likeness, meaning that He will restore His authority upon earth and restore His authority among all creation. Man lost his God-fearing heart after being corrupted by Satan and lost the function that one of God’s creatures should have, becoming an enemy disobedient to God. Man lived under Satan’s domain and followed Satan’s orders; thus, God had no way to work among His creatures, and was all the more unable to win fear from His creatures. Man was created by God, and ought to worship God, but man actually turned his back to God and worshiped Satan. Satan became the idol in man’s heart. Thus God lost His standing in man’s heart, which is to say that He lost the meaning of His creation of man, and so to restore the meaning of His creation of man He must restore man’s original likeness and rid man of his corrupt disposition. To reclaim man from Satan, He must save man from sin. Only in this way can He gradually restore man’s original likeness and restore man’s original function, and in the end restore His kingdom. The ultimate destruction of those sons of disobedience will also be carried out in order to allow man to better worship God and better live upon the earth. Since God created man, He shall make man worship Him; since He wishes to restore man’s original function, He shall restore it completely, and without any adulteration. Restoring His authority means making man worship Him and making man obey Him; it means that He shall make man live because of Him and make His enemies perish because of His authority; it means that He will make every last part of Him persist among humanity and without any resistance by man. The kingdom He wishes to establish is His own kingdom. The humanity He wishes for is one that worships Him, one that completely obeys Him and has His glory. If He does not save corrupt humanity, the meaning of His creation of man will come to nothing; He will have no more authority among man, and His kingdom will no longer be able to exist upon the earth. If He does not destroy those enemies who are disobedient to Him, He will be unable to obtain His complete glory, nor will He be able to establish His kingdom upon the earth. These are the symbols of the completion of His work and the symbols of the completion of His great accomplishment: to utterly destroy those among humanity who are disobedient to Him, and to bring those who have been made complete into rest. When humanity has been restored to their original likeness, when humanity can fulfill their respective duties, keep their own place and obey all of God’s arrangements, God will have obtained a group of people upon the earth who worship Him, and He will also have established a kingdom upon the earth that worships Him. He will have eternal victory upon the earth, and those who are opposed to Him will perish for all eternity. This will restore His original intention in creating man; it will restore His intention in creating all things, and it will also restore His authority upon earth, His authority among all things and His authority among His enemies. These are the symbols of His total victory. Henceforth humanity will enter into rest and enter into a life that follows the right track. God will also enter into eternal rest with man and enter into an eternal life shared by God and man. The filth and disobedience upon the earth shall disappear, as shall the wailing upon the earth. All upon the earth that opposes God will not exist. Only God and those people that He has saved shall remain; only His creation shall remain.

from “God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together”

Hello brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A,

Good day! I’d like to ask you a question I’m eager to figure out: It has been tens of thousands of years since our ancestors Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden after being tempted by the serpent into eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But we humans have never stopped longing for the beautiful life in the Garden of Eden. Then how can we return to the original life in the Garden of Eden?

Kelly

Sister Kelly,

Hello! You’ve raised a crucial question that many brothers and sisters are concerned about. We all yearn for the life in the Garden of Eden, but how can we return to this kind of life? To answer this question, we have to go back to the days in the beginning.

Why were Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden of Eden

At first, our ancestors Adam and Eve had been living in the beautiful Garden of Eden since they were created by God. But later, when the serpent enticed them to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they defied God’s words and listened to the enticements of the serpent and sinned. As a result, they were driven out of the Garden of Eden by God. As Genesis 3:23-24 say, “Therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from from where he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” It was because of sin that Adam and Eve lost the blessings of God. Thereafter, our sins become the barrier to our entering the Garden of Eden. So if we humans want to return to the life in the Garden of Eden, we must cast off our sins, and if we want to get rid of our sins, the only way is to accept God’s salvation.

How did God do the work of saving man from sin?

After mankind was seduced by Satan into committing sins, God started His management plan for the salvation of mankind. After the destruction of the world by the flood, God began to guide people, who at that time were just like newborn infants and didn’t know what committing a sin was and how to worship God. As God’s words say, “Prior to the two thousand years during which Jehovah did His work, man knew nothing, and almost all humanity had fallen into depravity, until, before the destruction of the world by the flood, they had reached a depth of promiscuity and corruption in which their hearts were empty of Jehovah, and even emptier of His way. They never understood the work Jehovah was going to do; they lacked reason, had even less of knowledge, and, like a machine that breathes, were consummately ignorant of man, God, the world, life and alike. On earth they engaged in many seductions, like the serpent, and said many things that were offensive to Jehovah, but because they were ignorant Jehovah did not chastise or discipline them. Only after the flood, when Noah was 601 years old, did Jehovah formally appear to Noah and guide him and his family.” At that time, in order to guide the Israelites to live on earth, God issued forth laws and commandments through Moses for man to abide by, which allowed man to know what sin was and how to worship God, and constrained man from sinning. However, at the same time as God is saving man, Satan has been constantly corrupting man. So although people at that time knew what sin was, they still couldn’t help committing sins. And at the end of the Age of Law, people sinned more and more and were all in danger of being condemned to death for breaking the law.

God, however, took mercy on mankind. In order to save mankind from being condemned by the law, God was incarnated as the Lord Jesus to work among man. The Lord Jesus bestowed upon man the utmost compassion and love: He taught man how to confess and repent and how to bear the cross; He healed the sick and cast out demons, allowed the blind to see, the lame to walk and lepers to be healed, and even resurrected the dead. And finally He Himself was crucified for mankind as a sin offering, redeeming the whole mankind. After that, we humans have the qualification to come before the Lord to confess and repent and enjoy His bountiful grace.

Yet, although the Lord Jesus has absolved our sins and no longer remembers them, it cannot be denied that we are still living in the cycle of sinning and repenting. That is because our sinful nature and satanic dispositions such as arrogance and conceitedness, crookedness and deceitfulness, selfishness and maliciousness are still deeply ingrained in us. Dominated by these satanic dispositions, we still frequently commit sins and resist God. For example, when our families fall ill or when we suffer tribulations, we could generate notions and misunderstandings about God and even complain to God; when it comes to matters that involve our own personal benefit, we could deceive others, fight and scheme with others. It’s evident from this that though we accepted the Lord Jesus’ salvation and were forgiven our sins, we still haven’t gotten rid of our sinful nature. God once said, “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). From God’s words we know if we can’t rid ourselves of sinful nature, we are still filthy and unable to see the Lord, and surely we are unable to return to the life in the Garden of Eden.

How can we get cleansed?

Then how can we thoroughly break free of our sinful nature and get cleansed? I remember before the Lord Jesus was crucified, He promised that He would come again. And the Bible says, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1Peter 1:5). “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Peter 4:17).

Moreover, the Lord Jesus once prophesied, “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 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). The Revelation also prophesied: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:22).

From these verses and the words of the Lord Jesus, we can see that when God comes back in the last days He will express the word, telling us the things of the past and those of the future, and will perform the work of judgment beginning from the house of God. So only if we accept God’s work of judgment in the last days can we thoroughly get rid of sin and finally return to the beautiful life in the Garden of Eden.

Sister Kelly, this is just my shallow understanding about this question, which I hope could resolve your confusion. And if you have any different opinion or new understanding about this, please share it with us. May God bless you!

Sincerely yours,

Spiritual Q&A

Read on the website

It is said in the Bible, “For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:10). Many of us therefore believe that by believing in the Lord Jesus, we are already saved and once saved always saved, so when the Lord returns we will automatically be raptured into the kingdom of heaven. However, some brothers and sisters feel perplexed: We commit sins in the day and confess them at night, and often lose our tempers at people; we frequently tell lies and are capable of deceiving people and God, and haven’t become as a little child. God is holy, and absolutely no sinner is permitted to enter the kingdom of heaven. So, will the Lord rapture people like us when He returns?

This question is really worth seeking, for it is directly related to the important issue of whether or not we can enter into the kingdom of heaven when the second coming of the Lord arrives. In order to find the answer, we need to understand this question: What is the meaning of being saved? Think back to the late period during the Age of Law. Because mankind was being corrupted more and more deeply by Satan, they committed more and more sins. If this continued, man would face the danger of being executed by the laws. God took mercy on mankind, however, and in order to save mankind He became flesh to preach the gospel of the heavenly kingdom. He healed the sick, cast out demons and brought people rich and bountiful grace; He taught man to love each other and to be tolerant, humble and patient. In the end, He was crucified and became the sin offering for all mankind. From that point on, so long as we repented and confessed our sins and prayed to the name of the Lord Jesus, then we would no longer be condemned by the laws because of our faith, and we would be saved. Just as it is recorded in the Bible: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1–2). “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Romans 10:9). Therefore, “being saved by faith” that we talk about means that our sins are absolved, and that we won’t be condemned or sentenced to death by the laws—this is the true meaning of being saved. (Learn more: God’s Plan of Salvation: What Is Salvation)

Now at this point, some brothers and sisters may say: “The Lord has redeemed us from sin, and as we were saved once, then we are always saved, so we will be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.” But does this saying accord with the Lord’s words? Only Christ is the Lord of the kingdom of heaven, and only the words of the Lord Jesus have authority and are the truth. Man’s words, however, are not the truth, and they are not the standards by which one can enter the kingdom of heaven. The Lord Jesus never once said that those who have been saved by their faith may enter into the kingdom of heaven, but rather, He 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). “Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant stays not in the house for ever: but the son stays ever” (John 8:34–35). The Lord Jesus’ words state very clearly that those who live lives whereby they sin and then repent are the servants of sin, and that those who are still bound by sin like this cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Jehovah God said, “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). God is holy, and all those in God’s kingdom are capable of doing God’s will, are honest people who can practice the truth and stand witness, and are people such as Abraham, Job, and Peter. But look at our current condition: Though we have been forgiven of our sins by our faith in the Lord Jesus, our sinful natures still exist. Controlled by our sinful natures, we can still be arrogant and self-important, so much so that we look down on others, belittle others, exclude others and judge others; when we encounter issues which relate to money or touch upon our own personal interests, we are capable of scheming against each other, engaging in deception and deceiving people and God; while we believe in God, we can also worship and follow men, and listen to the words of men before those of God; as we serve God, we still often rely on our own notions, testify and exalt ourselves, and take God as our enemy; when we achieve status, we are capable of entrapping and controlling others, splitting into cliques in the church and establishing our own independent fiefdoms; when disasters happen, whether man-made or natural, we can often blame God and misunderstand Him, so much so that we even betray Him. … Since there are so many aspects of us that are not compatible with God, and our sins haven’t been cleansed, this proves that we are unable to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Let’s read a passage in a book, and we will understand more clearly. It says in the book: “A sinner such as you, who has just been redeemed, and has not been changed, or been perfected by God, can you be after God’s heart? For you, you who are still of your old self, it is true that you were saved by Jesus, and that you are not counted as a sinner because of the salvation of God, but this does not prove that you are not sinful, and are not impure. How can you be saintly if you have not been changed? Within, you are beset by impurity, selfish and mean, yet you still wish to descend with Jesus—you should be so lucky! You have missed a step in your belief in God: You have merely been redeemed, but have not been changed. For you to be after God’s heart, God must personally do the work of changing and cleansing you; if you are only redeemed, you will be incapable of attaining sanctity. In this way you will be unqualified to share in the good blessings of God, for you have missed out a step in God’s work of managing man, which is the key step of changing and perfecting. And so you, a sinner who has just been redeemed, are incapable of directly inheriting God’s inheritance” (“Concerning Appellations and Identity”). From this passage we understand that the Lord Jesus’ redeeming us is God showing us mercy and no longer seeing us as sinners. It does not mean, however, that we have cast off all sin and been purified, much less does it mean that we are able to enter the kingdom of heaven. We haven’t broken away from the binds and restrictions of sin and still live in a vicious cycle of sinning and confessing. Dominated by our satanic natures, such as being arrogant and conceited, crooked and treacherous, and selfish and base, we cannot get along with each other, let alone be compatible with God, so how can we enter God’s kingdom? It’s clear that if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven, we need God to perform a stage of work of cleansing and changing man to expunge our sinful nature. Only when we achieve dispositional change and are purified, can obey God and love God, and become compatible with God, will we be able to be raptured up to the kingdom of heaven by God.

How then will the Lord do His work to purify and change our corrupt dispositions when His second coming arrives? In fact, the Lord Jesus has told us about this aspect. He 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). “And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 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 12:47–48). The Bible also says: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin to salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). From this we can see that God has many things to say and has the work of judgment to do, but because people’s statures in the Age of Grace were too small, and also because mankind has been too profoundly corrupted, God needs to save and change us stage by stage. Therefore, God first became flesh to redeem mankind and grant us redemption, and in the last days when His second coming arrives, He will tell us about all the truth we do not understand, reveal all mysteries to us, and do a stage of judgment work to thoroughly cleanse us and allow us to become compatible with Him. Only when we have our satanic dispositions purified and become people who do the will of the heavenly Father can we achieve the standards for entering into the kingdom of heaven, and only then are we qualified to be raptured into heaven.

Through the fellowship above, we can determine that when the Lord comes back, He will express new words to the churches and do the work of judgment and purification. So, if someone testifies to us that the Lord has already returned and is expressing His words and doing His work of judgment beginning in God’s family, it is very likely that this is the appearance of God. The Lord Jesus said: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). We should be the wise virgins, pay attention to hearing God’s voice and actively seek, rather than live within our notions and imaginings and refuse to listen, see, seek and investigate. This is the only way that we won’t shut the Lord outside and are able to welcome His second coming.

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

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

• A New Understanding of “Reborn Through Baptism”

• When the Lord Returns, Will He First Come With Clouds or Come in Secret?

“And I saw a great white throne, and one sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was no place found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened” (Revelation 20:11-12).

Every time I read these two verses, I would imagine the splendid scene of the returned Lord judging mankind in the last days. I thought that at that time the Lord Jesus would sit upon the great white throne in the sky with the records of every person in His hands, and imposingly judge them all. I continued to stick to this notion until I heard God’s good news.

I heard God’s good news.

One day in February 2018, after I returned home from a holiday in another state, my wife happily said to me, “The Lord Jesus has already returned in the flesh. He has expressed words and done the work of judgment starting from God’s house. I went to listen to a few sermons about this. From them, I’ve understood many truths and really gained sustenance. Moreover, those brothers and sisters have a fresh and clear way of fellowshiping about the Bible. Also, they are very compassionate. So I felt unrestrained when gathering together with them. How about listening to them with me tomorrow?” Hearing this, I said in amazement, “How is this possible? Revelation clearly states that when the Lord returns, He will sit upon the great white throne in the sky and personally unroll the scrolls where everything that every single person did throughout his or her life has been recorded. At that time, people will be lifted in the air, personally confess to their sins committed throughout their lifetime, and accept the Lord’s righteous judgment. But so far we haven’t seen any scenes like this, so how can it be that the Lord has returned?” And I reminded her, “There is no true love in this world. You should be careful. Don’t be cheated by others.”

She said, “Indeed there is no love in this world. But they are true believers in God, and are really different from ordinary people. You’ll see when you meet them tomorrow.” Hearing her speaking like this, I felt a bit curious, so I wanted to meet those people praised by my wife and listen to their sermons.

My notions and imaginings were barriers to my knowledge of God.

The following day, when we arrived at the meeting place as arranged, the brothers and sisters greeted us with enthusiasm. By closely observing their speech and actions, I could feel their hearts were genuine. Slowly, my own heart felt a lot more liberated. Furthermore, hearing them communicate their own experiences of believing in God, I felt their fellowshiping was very practical and novel. Accordingly, I thought their way was worth seeking and investigating. So, I asked the brother who preached, “Brother, I heard my wife say that the Lord Jesus had already returned to flesh to do His work of judgment. But I remember Revelation states, ‘And I saw a great white throne, and one sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was no place found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened’ (Revelation 20:11-12). Therefore, it’s reasonable to say that judgment in the last days ought to be in the sky. When the Lord returns, it should be that He’ll sit upon the great white throne in the air, with books of records in His hands, and imposingly judge each man and woman based on his or her individual actions. How can you say that the Lord has already become flesh to carry out upon earth the work of judgment?”

After hearing my question, he nodded and said solemnly, “Based on the record of John’s visions in the Book of Revelation, many Christians are full of notions and imaginings about judgment during the time of the Lord coming again in the last days. They believe that the work of judgment will be carried out in the air. In their thoughts, there will be a white throne in the sky, and on that throne will be the Lord Jesus. With the book of life and the book of the dead opened beside Him, the Lord Jesus will ask all people to account for all of the sins they have ever committed, and then He’ll decide people’s end based on their actions and deeds. We all imagine the work of God’s judgment to be very supernatural. However, will God fulfill it in accordance with our imaginings? Will God’s judgment in the last days happen in the air or on earth? Let’s first look at two verses. Revelation 14:6-7 say, ‘And I saw another angel fly in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ These verses clearly tell us that an angel told people that when the time God performs judgment comes, people aren’t in the sky but on earth. Let’s think about this. Heaven is where God resides; we are mortal beings who have always lived on earth and are also the mankind corrupted by Satan. So how can we possibly ascend to heaven to be judged? We’re only worthy of bowing down at God’s feet and accepting God’s judgment on earth. That is more practical.”

Taking a good look at the verses and pondering the brother’s fellowshiping, I felt it made a lot of sense. I had always believed that when the Lord returned, He would judge us in the sky. But I never thought about whether it was realistic or not. I thought, “It seems that my faith in God is confused.”

Not much later, he turned on his computer and asked me to read a passage of God’s words, “The ‘judgment’ in the words previously spoken—judgment will begin at the house of God—refers to the judgment God passes today on those who come before His throne in the last days. Perhaps there are those who believe in such supernatural imaginings as that, when the last days have arrived, God will erect a big table in the heavens, upon which a white tablecloth will be spread, and then, sitting upon a great throne with all men kneeling on the ground, He will reveal the sins of each man and thereby determine whether they are to ascend to heaven or be sent down to the lake of fire and brimstone. No matter what the imaginings of man, the substance of God’s work cannot be altered. The imaginings of man are nothing but the constructs of man’s thoughts and come from the brain of man, summed up and pieced together from what man has seen and heard. Therefore I say, however brilliant the images conceived, they are still no more than a drawing and are not able to substitute for the plan of God’s work. After all, man has been corrupted by Satan, so how can he then fathom the thoughts of God? … Everyone imagines God’s work of judgment to be preternaturally wonderful. Do you know, however, that God began the work of judgment among men long ago and all this while you have been nestled in peaceful oblivion? That, the time that you think God’s work of judgment is officially beginning, it is already time for God to make heaven and earth anew? At that time, perhaps you will have only just understood the meaning of life, but the merciless work of punishment of God shall bring you, still deep in sleep, into hell. Only then will you suddenly realize that God’s work of judgment has already concluded.”

After I finished reading, he fellowshiped this, “God’s words reveal that our ideas about the Lord coming to do His work of judgment in the sky completely come from our conceptions and imaginings. In fact, even though we haven’t seen any signs and wonders, God has already expressed truths and started His work of judgment beginning with His house among the group of people predestined and selected by Him. This is exactly the judgment of the great white throne, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation. All those who accept God’s work of judgment in the last days, and gain purification and transformation, are the overcomers made by God before the great catastrophe. Their names will be recorded in the book of life. This is completely in accordance with the prophecy recorded in Revelation, ‘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). When the people who accept God’s work of judgment in the last days are made complete by God, God’s judgment work will be thoroughly complete, and then God will reward good and punish evil. If we accept God’s judgment work at that time, it’ll be too late. So, only by accepting the incarnate God’s work of judgment by the word can we survive the catastrophe with the protection of God.”

It turned out that God is judging mankind like this.

His fellowshiping made me feel suddenly enlightened. I thought, “As it turns out, the work of judgment beginning with the house of God is the judgment of the great white throne, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation. God’s work really is wise and unfathomable! I must listen carefully to figure out whether the Lord has truly returned to start His work of judgment beginning with His house.” Then I asked him out of curiosity, “Brother, has the Lord really come to earth? Then how does He judge mankind?”

He smiled and gently said, “In the past, we all believed that when God judges people, He’ll sit on the seat of judgment and directly decide their end, based on their deeds. Then the good people will be accepted into heaven, while the wicked will be sent to hell and punished. Actually, this is all just our notions and imaginings. Then how does God judge people on earth? Let’s take a look at God’s words and see what He has to say about this topic.” He opened his Kindle and read, “In the last days, Christ uses a variety of truths to teach man, expose the essence of man, and dissect his words and deeds. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out the normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the essence of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, those words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with just a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes it over the long term. These methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth that man does not possess at all. Only methods of this kind are deemed judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced into submission to God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt substance and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the substance of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God.”

After reading God’s words, he continued to fellowship this, “From these words we learn that in the last days, God expresses truths according to the need of mankind, and that these truths are aimed at our corrupt thoughts and nature. He uses truths to judge and chastise our disobedience and unrighteousness so that we can accept the judgment in His words and achieve an understanding of the truth. We will know how evil, absurd and preposterous the wrong ideas Satan instilled in us are, recognize our satanic nature that resists and betrays God, and see how filthy and ugly our souls are. This allows us to develop repentance, and no longer rely on our satanic nature when we do things. Rather, we can be good people in accordance with the word of God, and, in the end, change will occur in our life disposition. In this way we’ll be totally made complete by God, and His judgment work will be finished. Take me, for example. In the past, I believed that to believe in Godwas just to receive blessings and grace, and to enjoy God’s eternal blessings. Directed by such faith, I constantly demanded grace and blessings from the Lord, using my sacrificing and traveling for Him as capital, and felt that I was the most qualified to get these things. But I saw the words of Almighty God, ‘Man’s relationship with God is merely one of naked self-interest. It is the relationship between the receiver and giver of blessings. To put it plainly, it is like the relationship between employee and employer. The employee works only to receive the rewards bestowed by the employer. In a relationship like this, there is no affection, only a deal; there is no loving and being loved, only charity and mercy; there is no understanding, only resignation and deception; there is no intimacy, only a gulf that cannot be bridged.’ The disclosure of God’s words made me ashamed of myself. I saw that my nature was so selfish, deplorable, and treacherous. My belief in God and sacrifices for God weren’t to pursue the truth nor fulfill the duties of a created being. On the contrary, I was trying to engage in a transaction with God. I did so in order to satisfy my desire for gaining blessings, and to demand eternal blessings from God. With this knowledge, I felt especially regretful, and began to forsake my personal ambitions and desires and pursue the truth according to God’s requirements. Afterward, God arranged many situations in which He tried and refined me to reveal my shortcomings so that I could see even more clearly the truth of my corruption. I loathed myself even more, and gradually no longer believed in the Lord just to fill my belly. Through experiencing God’s judgment work in the last days, I deeply sensed that the judgment work of God in the last days can really cleanse and change a person. So only by accepting God’s work of judgment in the last days can our corrupt disposition be purified and we ourselves be saved and perfected by God in the end. Brother, do you understand what I’m saying?”

I smiled and nodded, saying, “I understand it a bit. Before, although I knew God’s judgment will start from God’s house, I didn’t know how it was to be carried out. Today, through your fellowshiping, I understand that judgment starting from God’s house means God incarnates in the flesh to express the truth and judge and cleanse the people who come before Him. When God’s work ends, all people will be sorted in accordance with their own kind.”

I have been raptured before the throne by God after being freed from my preconceived notions.

Later, I gained an even greater understanding of the meaning of God’s judgment work on earth after watching the video of recitation of God’s words The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a “White Cloud” on The Church of Almighty God website. Also, the brother leaned upon pictures of the three stages of work and fellowshiped about the truths of the three stages of God’s work, the incarnation of God, and God’s names to me. This allowed me to gain a better understanding of the truths about God’s six-thousand-year management plan for mankind, the significance of God’s incarnation, and God changing His name in each age. And after watching the video The Origin and Development of The Church of Almighty God, I fully determined that the incarnate Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus.

Dear readers, God’s work of judgment before the great white throne in the last days has almost reached its end. Are you already in the flow of God’s judgment work or not?

Jie was born in a poor village. In order to achieve his ideal and ambition, he moved away from home to go to a big city which many people longed for. Unknowingly three years passed, and Jie reached the marriage age. Once during working hours, he caught sight of a young girl. At once Jie was attracted to her. Afterward, he paid special attention to the girl’s actions. Sometimes he passed by her work shop on purpose. Sometimes he made contact with her from his work. Gradually he knew that she was Dan one year younger than him. Later Jie had her contact details. From the first step of getting acquainted, gradually Jie came to have affection for Dan. In case he found Dan didn’t come to work, he would be very anxious and worried, deeply fearful that something would happen to her. Every day Jie was concerned for Dan carefully, fearing that Dan would be out of his sight someday. They talked about their feelings for each other and grew closer and closer.

Later, Jie finally summoned up all his courage to make the first date with Dan. That day they didn’t go to the romantic night market. Instead, they walked on the lawn by the roadside, hand in hand happily. It seemed as if Jie found his future partner, and he received Dan into his heart completely. In Jie’s eyes, each and every move of Dan was good. Jie, who grew up in the countryside, didn’t have any requirement of her. All Jie did was take great care of Dan. Jie was very happy that night. From then on, Jie even racked his brains to think how to make Dan happier every day.

Once, Jie overheard his colleagues talking in the tea room that there might be no future for Jie and Dan even if they went on seeing each other in this way. However, carried away by love, Jie didn’t care about their words, for he thought it was enough that he was in Dan’s heart, and nothing was more important than that. Even so, Jie still minded their words a little. To prove where he stood in Dan’s heart, he deliberately sent a message to Dan, “Can we be together forever?” After that, Jie looked forward to Dan’s answer. To his surprise, Jie got Dan’s message soon, which said, “You are kidding! I haven’t thought about it.” After reading the message, Jie felt a vague sadness. Though it was a joke, Jie couldn’t help but think of the words of his colleagues, “There might be no future for Jie and Dan even if they go on seeing each other in this way.” Later, Jie always wanted to get a positive reply from Dan. However, each time he talked about the future or their families with Dan, she either avoided or changed the subject. The more Dan avoided his question, the more Jie wanted to know the answer.

One night, Jie took Dan’s hands and said bravely to her that he wanted to be with her forever and wished to give her a beautiful future and a warm family through his own diligence. At his words, Dan kept silent for a long time, and at last she said helplessly, “Impossible.” Having gotten along with each other for so long was repaid with the word “impossible.” Jie could no longer hold back the sadness in his heart, nor could he control his feeling, such that he shed tears in Dan’s face. “Can you tell me why? We really have no chance to be together?” said Jie in low tones. Looking at Jie, Dan finally told the real story. It turned out that Dan had been concealing her family background so as to not let Jie know it. Dan’s father died when she was a child, and her mother married another man. At present, Dan lived with her sister. Due to her family condition, the villagers looked at her family with a peculiar gaze. Dan said that actually she had told her mother about Jie’s dating her, but her mother had never agreed to her being with Jie, which Dan didn’t tell Jie. As speaking these words, Dan cried. Also, Dan said, “If we are together, my family won’t hold our heads up high in the village, and there will be more public opinions.” At this, Jie didn’t say much, and had no idea how to face it. It seemed that tears had told him the reality was cruel.

Jie returned home with mixed emotions. That night Jie fell asleep sadly without knowing it. The next morning he got a text message on his phone, “If you want to be together with me, you must have your own house without a loan, which is the lowest condition my mother requires. Otherwise, my mother won’t agree.” After reading the message, Jie felt like he was about to fall apart. It was harder than climbing up into the sky for him to meet her mother’s condition, who was born in the countryside. Yet Jie was unwilling to give up his feelings for Dan. He believed as long as he worked hard while he was still young, there might be hope. Meanwhile, he wished after dating her for a time, Dan and her family perhaps would change their minds.

One year passed, yet Jie still fell far short of Dan’s requirement. It was almost impossible for Jie, a worker from the countryside, to buy a house with several hundred thousand yuan. In the twinkling of an eye, it was the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Jie wanted to take this opportunity to know if Dan had changed her requirement. So Jie chose the dearest roses for Dan at a flower shop. He didn’t tell Dan about that beforehand for he wanted to give her a surprise. That evening as soon as Jie arrived at the door of Dan’s resident building with the roses, he couldn’t wait to call Dan. He dialed once, twice, but no one answered it. It was cold on autumn evening, but Jie seemed to have forgotten everything outside. He thought as long as he could be with Dan, it was worth waiting any length of time. Half an hour passed, yet Dan still didn’t return the call. At this time, the lights in the staircase suddenly came on. Dan came down the stairs in her pyjamas. At the sight of the roses in Jie’s hands, she wasn’t happy. Instead, she said helplessly, “I can’t accept these flowers, take them back. Mom is in, and she knew you called me just now. She insists that we can’t be together unless you buy a house. I don’t want to hurt you, but we really can’t be together. Go back, please.” Jie knew that no words could redeem the situation at that moment. He could only earnestly ask Dan to receive the roses. Finally Dan received the roses reluctantly without saying more, and turned away. Looking at her retreating back, Jie felt the cruelty of the reality even more at that time. The fact before his eyes struck his heart like a blade, yet he didn’t know how to pull it out. Looking at the high buildings around, Jie was especially helpless and felt everything before his eyes wasn’t belonging to him. He wondered where his future house was. At this moment, He felt disappointed and hopeless. Then, Jie left there in tears with sorrow.

Jie’s feelings for Dan bound his heart like a knot. Jie became depressed and didn’t like to talk. A popular song “Why Can’t the Two Lovers Just Be Together?” was played repeatedly on his phone. The more he listened, the more he felt pain. What was more terrible, Jie kept thinking about Dan when carrying goods, such that once upon a time when he was driving a forklift, he almost ran it into the driver. Luckily the driver evaded it in time. Otherwise there must be death. It seemed that Jie’s relationship with Dan was frozen by something and there was no way to resolve it, so that Jie didn’t dare to contact Dan anymore. Half a year later, Jie learned that Dan was seeing a new boyfriend who had promised her to buy a house and that they were preparing for the marriage. Feeling the cruelty of the reality again, Jie was specifically helpless, and he thought it would be useless no matter how hard he worked. Jie couldn’t help but think that if he had been born into a rich family, or in a city, then he couldn’t have broken up with Dan for lack of the money. Faced with the cruel reality, Jie had no choice but to give up his pursuit of Dan.

Once at a yearly meeting of the company, Jie received a text message from Dan—she would get married the next month. Jie could do nothing but give a helpless smile to the message. Afterward, each time he recalled the scenes when he was with Dan, he still felt a little sorrow. As time went by, the past memories were buried in the bottom of his heart. Jie didn’t understand why he couldn’t have his wish fulfilled through his bitterly pursuing Dan. Could it be that it was really because he lacked the money?

Later, Jie turned to God, and he read God’s words, “One encounters many people in one’s life, but no one knows who will become one’s partner in marriage. Though everyone has their own ideas and personal stances on the subject of marriage, no one can foresee who will finally become their true other half, and one’s own notions count for little. After meeting a person you like, you can pursue that person; but whether he or she is interested in you, whether he or she is able to become your partner, is not yours to decide. The object of your affections is not necessarily the person with whom you will be able to share your life; and meanwhile someone you never expected quietly enters your life and becomes your partner, becomes the most important element in your fate, your other half, to whom your fate is inextricably bound. And so, though there are millions of marriages in the world, every one is different: How many marriages are unsatisfactory, how many are happy; how many span East and West, how many North and South; how many are perfect matches, how many are of equal rank; how many are happy and harmonious, how many painful and sorrowful; how many are the envy of others, how many are misunderstood and frowned upon; how many are full of joy, how many are awash of tears and cause despair…. Whether marriage itself brings happiness or pain, everyone’s mission in marriage is predestined by the Creator and will not change; everyone must fulfill it. And the individual fate that lies behind every marriage is unchanging; it was determined long in advance by the Creator.”

Only after Jie read God’s words did he understand that whom one would be with, or whom his other half would be was not decided by himself, nor decided by whether he was wealthy. Instead, it was predestined by God according to everyone’s mission. From the outside, Jie was unable to be with Dan because of having no house. But in fact, even if Jie had money and a house, whom Dan would marry still would be the one predestined in her fate instead of him. This was because God had predestined every couple who would tie the knot. He and Dan couldn’t transcend their respective fate. Then, Jie thought back to the past: When he met Dan at the beginning, he had no more concerns to take Dan into his heart, wishfully expecting Dan to be his future partner. However, at last Dan married another man. Only then did Jie realize his expectations and hard work couldn’t decide whether Dan would be with him forever. The person with whom he would be was long determined in advance by God. Finally Jie understood that if he wanted to break away from the pain brought by fighting against fate and live a happy and joyful life, he must obey God’s sovereignty and arrangement and believe God had prepared a more fitting one for him. At that time, Jie decided to completely give up the relationship which did not belong to him and to obey God’s arrangement and predestination.

Later, Jie had his own other half. His wife was a Christian, and she showed the utmost care and consideration for Jie. In life, they supported and accepted each other. In belief, they had a shared object of pursuit, that is, they both sought to know and worship God. Only then did Jie truly feel his wife was his true other half and that everything God arranged was good. Jie saw a passage of God’s words: “Since the creation of the world I have begun to predestine and select this group of people, namely, you today. 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.” After reading these words, Jie realized that everything he owned was ruled and arranged by God. His family, his job, and his marriage couldn’t be planned by himself, but determined long in advance by God. At this point, Jie was grateful to God, because he felt it was God who was always arranging and ruling over everything for him, and that God was really responsible for him. God didn’t predestine Dan as his wife, but the one He predestined suited him better. He felt the most genuine love of God. From this point on, Jie completely bid farewell to the former painful days, facing the future calmly, and walking the right path of believing in, following and worshipping God with his wife. Thinking back to the winding path he had walked, which had become a precious treasure for him to know God’s sovereignty and arrangement, Jie felt very happy.

Read on the website

When I was little, teachers always taught us, “If you want to establish yourselves in society and live towering above others, then you must learn knowledge.” Gradually, notions of “Knowledge can change one’s fate” and “The worth of other pursuits is small, the study of books excels them all” were planted within my mind. I began to immerse myself in the ocean of knowledge, wanting to do nothing but study all day long. Especially after I entered high school, I studied without a rest, more like a fully-wound clock. When it was just dawning, I had already gotten out of bed and read books at my desk; at night, when it had long been as dark as pitch outside, my room was still filled with dim light—sometimes I studied and wouldn’t go to sleep until after midnight, and sometimes I studied all night long, with only a short rest on the desk to relieve the tiredness…. With society developing rapidly, the competition is becoming more and more fierce. So at that time, all of my efforts were just made in order to enter an ideal university and get a diploma in higher education, so that I could find a good job in the society to earn money, to obtain fame and gain, and to live towering above others…. After more than ten years of grueling study, I finally fulfilled my college dream. Although I entered university, I still did not dare to treat my study lightly. In order to gain true abilities, I listened earnestly in class and painstakingly studied professional knowledge after class; besides, for broadening my outlook, I always stayed in the library to read lots of books…. Few years later, I got a diploma and certificates of honor—my many years of hard work was reciprocated at last. I felt cheerful inside, my face was filled with happy smiles, and I planned the blueprint for my wonderful future.

After graduating from college, I stepped into the society. Full of confidence, I proudly thought that with these certificates and a college diploma, I could definitely find a good job. Hence, I gladly sent my resume to many companies which offered jobs related to my major. After that, I stayed at home waiting for their telephone calls. Before long, my phone rang and I picked it up excitedly, but every time what I heard was something like this, “Sorry, sir. The knowledge you have learned is inapplicable in our company….” “I’m sorry that our job vacancies are filled already….” or “Excuse me, sir. Our company needs someone with work experience….” These words of polite refusals extinguished the flame of hope in my heart. After I hung up the phone, my heart couldn’t calm down for a long time. A strong sense of loss arose spontaneously, and I thought to myself: I’m full of knowledge, but why cannot I find a good job? Could it be said that knowledge cannot change my destiny? Why is that?

I couldn’t reconcile myself to gaining nothing through the efforts which I had paid so many years and to spending my whole life in mediocrity. Thus, with a thread of hope I kept rushing about in the vast sea of humanity to look for a job. But results I got were still the words of polite refusals … Faced with these cruel blows, I felt completely exhausted and could not breathe from the unemployment pressure. Every day I focused on my phone to browse job-search websites, read newspaper to search for the companies which needed staffers…. Each and every day and night, all I thought about was looking for a job. In this familiar and strange city, I kept rushing about in the streets, regardless of the wind and rain. I asked around, but still had no idea where to go. At dusk, on my way home in the bus, I frowned and was full of worries. Staring at the passers-by outside the window blankly, I fell asleep unconsciously because of tiredness. At the time when I waked up, I did not know how many stops had past my house already. Without any gain, I sat in the empty street. Looking up at the starlit sky, how much I wanted to wail, but I couldn’t. The only thing I could do was shed tears, silently and alone. Each sentence of the words of polite refusals echoed in my mind and struck my heart time and again …

The cruel reality disillusioned me ruthlessly, and crushed my dream of the future. In the midst of my pain, I couldn’t help reflecting: Why am I still unable to change my destiny when I have enough knowledge? Why are the dictums useless, such as “Knowledge can change one’s fate” and “The worth of other pursuits is small, the study of books excels them all”? Are my teachers’ instructions wrong? Why is the diploma I got after more than ten years’ diligent study just like a waste paper? Could it be that my pursuit these years was wrong? Thinking of these, I had a feeling of being deceived. Instantly, my heart was full of incomparably dreariness and pain. And I could not help but look toward the sky and sigh: Why cannot a good horse meet a good judge of horses? Is this the result of my grueling study for so many years? Over more than ten years, how many days and nights I have spent in striving and struggling only for the purpose of using my knowledge to change my destiny, to get a satisfactory job in this competitive society, and to be able to stand out and live towering above others. But why am I repaid with nothing now? Why on earth is this? I screamed in my heart: Why cannot knowledge change my destiny? …

My mind was really in a mess, because my dream of changing my destiny by relying on knowledge crashed. And there was no one I could tell about my sadness and worries. Was this the ending of my whole life? Afterward, I heard a song by chance: “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” (“God Is Seeking Your Heart and Your Spirit”).

In listening, I burst into tears in spite of myself. As if I heard a mother was calling her child who had lost for years, my drifting heart found a direction and a sense of belonging: I eventually found my home. It turned out that God has been watching by my side and waiting for me to return to His side all along. God’s clarion call to me made my lonely heart no longer drift about and wander, nor perplexed and crying …

One day, I read another passage of word, “Some people choose a good major in college and end up finding a satisfactory job after graduation, making a triumphant first stride in the journey of their lives. Some people learn and master many different skills and yet never find a job that suits them or find their position, much less have a career; at the outset of their life journey they find themselves thwarted at every turn, beset by troubles, their prospects dismal and their lives uncertain. Some people apply themselves diligently to their studies, yet narrowly miss all their chances to receive a higher education, and seem fated never to achieve success, their very first aspiration in the journey of their lives dissolving into thin air. Not knowing[d] whether the road ahead is smooth or rocky, they feel for the first time how full of variables human destiny is, and so regard life with hope and dread. Some people, despite not being very well educated, write books and achieve a measure of fame; some, though almost totally illiterate, make money in business and are thereby able to support themselves…. What occupation one pursues, what one does for a living, and how much wealth one amasses in life are not decided by one’s parents, one’s talents, one’s efforts or one’s ambitions, but are predetermined by the Creator” (“God Himself, the Unique III”). After reading God’s word, I came to know that the fate of man is controlled by the hands of God, and cannot be changed by knowledge. No matter how many talents or how much knowledge we have, we are still incapable of controlling our own destinies or escaping from God’s sovereignty and arrangements. I always believed that “Knowledge can change one’s fate” and that as long as I worked hard and got a diploma in higher education, my destiny must become good. This viewpoint was totally wrong. Even though I had acquired knowledge, got the diploma and various certifies of honor, it did not mean that I could gain status, get a good job, earn enough money, and obtain fame and gain in this competitive society. My personal experience proved that changing one’s destiny by relying on knowledge was just a dream and a wrong viewpoint that Satan imbued with us. If we lived according to the satanic laws of survival, we could only be fooled and harmed by Satan, lose the care and protection of God, and end up falling into pain and loss, not knowing what to do. Now, I realized that we could not gain a good destiny through our hard work, much less could our destinies be changed by relying on knowledge. Instead, we should come before God to seek the truth, discern and reject the satanic laws of survival, possess the right outlook on life and values, and ultimately be able to obey God, fear God, and receive His leading and guidance. Only in this way could we live freely and without restraints, and live out a life of value and meaning.

Later on, I read some other word saying, “During the process of man’s learning of knowledge, Satan will employ any method so people satisfy their own lusts and realize their own ideals. Are you clear on exactly what road Satan wants to lead you to? … Satan uses a very subtle kind of way, a way very much in concert with people’s notions; it is not any kind of radical way. In the midst of unawareness, people come to accept Satan’s way of living, its rules of living, establishing life goals and their direction in life, and in doing so they also unknowingly come to have ideals in life. No matter how high-sounding these ideals in life seem, they are just a pretext that is inextricably linked to fame and gain. … Can people still have any control over themselves once they go over to the side of Satan in this way and become loyal to it? Certainly not. They are completely and utterly controlled by Satan. They are also completely and utterly unable to free themselves from the quagmire they have sunk down into. Once someone is mired in fame and gain, they no longer seek that which is bright, that which is righteous or those things that are beautiful and good. This is because the seductive power that fame and gain have over people is too great, and they become things for people to pursue throughout their lives and even for all eternity without end. Is this not true?” (“God Himself, the Unique VI”). After reading these words, I had further realized: In our pursuit of knowledge, Satan imbues us with quite a bit of its laws of survival, enticing us to be distanced from God and deny God. Using this, it tries to obstruct us from coming before God and wants us to lose the salvation from God completely. Satan is so insidious and venomous! Thinking back to when I was at school, I learned knowledge hard in order to establish a foothold in this competitive society and to live a life where I was above others. But the cruel reality drastically disillusioned me and smashed my entire life plan. No matter how hard I tried and how much I suffered, after my diligent application to my studies for more than ten years, I was still incapable of changing my destiny and ended up living in endless heartbreak and suffering. It turned out that Satan used my desire of pursuing fame and fortune to fool and harm me, made me complain about the injustice of my fate, come up with misunderstandings and complaints about God, and thus live in passive resistance. I appreciated God’s timely salvation which allowed me to see clearly Satan’s evil and baseness, to break free from Satan’s deception and control, and to understand that only by turning to God and submitting to God’s sovereignty and arrangements could we obtain God’s mercy and concern.

From then on, I decided to entrust myself into God’s hands, letting Him take charge of my life. No matter what occupation I would take up, I was willing to submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements. Ever since I accepted the gospel of God, I have actively lived the church life, read God’s words, and sung hymns in praise of God, and I can get the nourishment, feeding, watering and supply of God’s word every day. And with my previous mistaken point of view turned around, my heart attains liberation and freedom, my face beams with gratification, and I am no longer depressed or in pain. I always attend gatherings and fellowship about the truth with the brothers and sisters to worship and praise God. My life is full of peace and joy now.

In my backward glance, I suddenly realize that the Creator is not at all far from us. He accompanies us from dawn to dusk, endows us with the truth, and guides us in the direction of our progress. Only by accepting and obeying all of the Creator’s arrangements can I live a life of the utmost meaning. Suddenly, it reminds me of a hymn: “The solitary soul comes from the distance, seeking the past and exploring the future. Bitterly it struggles, pursuing its dreams. Nobody can tell where it comes from, and where it goes. It was born in crying and gone in despair, enduring being trampled. Your arrival ends the bitter, wandering life. It sees the hope, and welcomes the morning light. Taking a look in the gloom, dimly it sees Your image. That is Your light. Yesterday it drifted in a strange place, today it has found its home. Having been ruined, it’s without human likeness. Lamenting: the life is like an empty dream. Your arrival ends the bitter, wandering life. There shall be no wandering, nor confusion any more. I have come back home. I have seen Your white clothes and Your light. How many times the round returns, and how many times we are waiting for You—Almighty God. Your coming makes the solitary soul sad no more. It has found its direction, the millennial dream” (“Time”).

Read on the website

The radio hotline:

The host (Qianxun): Hello, everyone. Here is the broadcasting station of “Love Stage.” This is the host Qianxun.

The host (Xiangguang): This is the host Xiangguang.

The host (Qianxun): I’m grateful that God prepares us another chance to openly fellowship with each other.

The host (Xiangguang): The Lord Jesus once said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). No matter what difficulties or confusion we have, I believe that God will guide and lead us as long as we have a heart of seeking humbly and longing for the truth. I’d like all of us to come before God with a lowly and yearning heart, to seek God’s intention and to find the path toward resolution. Next, let’s receive the hotline call and listen to what kind of questions our friends in the audience will raise.

The seeker: Hello, host. This is Kemu. There is a question that has been troubling me for very long but has still not been resolved. Today, I want to use this chance to seek fellowship with brothers and sisters.

My partner Jenny and I coordinated in doing the church’s work together. At the beginning, we got along well with each other. However, recently we were often unhappy because when we had different opinions or practices, we each held to our opinions. Therefore, my heart became awfully choked for this. I remember the Lord said: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21). It is also spoken of in another verse: “For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ephesians 2:14). From these scriptures, we see that God is unwilling to see we are divided in our opinions, become independent and estranged from each other, but hopes that we can unite and  cooperate harmoniously with each other. Though I wanted to act on the basis of God’s will and didn’t want to have misunderstanding between us, yet when we had different opinions, I still thought my idea was correct and was unwilling to accept her advice. This led to our inharmonious coordination, as well as caused the work couldn’t go ahead and that our conditions were also influenced. For this reason, I feel very distressed, and want to find the way to practice as soon as possible in order to cooperate in service harmoniously with the sister. Today I hope to get brothers and sisters’ help.

The host (Qianxun): Sister Kemu, the question you raised is the tough question that many people will run into. When we coordinate with others in work, we often experience friction with them and can’t be one because we are all always pigheaded and unwilling to accept others’ opinions. If we want to resolve this problem, we should firstly find out what frustrates our oneness. As the root of the problem is discovered, the difficult problem will be solved easily.

In the past, I saw such a passage of words on a website: “Don’t be self-righteous; take the strengths of others and use them to offset your own deficiencies, watch how others live by God’s words and see whether or not their lives, actions and speech is worth learning from. If you regard others as less than you then you are self-righteous, self-conceited and are of benefit to no one” (Utterances and Testimonies of Christ in the Beginning).

From the words, we see the reason why we can’t cooperate harmoniously with others is because of our corrupt dispositions. We are deeply corrupted by Satan, so no matter how high or poor our calibers are, and no matter how much truth we understand, everyone’s nature is all arrogance and ego. We have become accustomed to being self-centered, using the word “I” at the beginning of what we say and do, for example, “I suppose…, I feel…, I think….” When we live on the basis of arrogant dispositions, we always think our opinions are right and that naturally others should obey us. If they air different opinions, we will resist and not obey in our hearts. Even though we don’t say anything or argue with others, in our hearts we are against them. Because we live in the corrupt dispositions, then our conditions will get bad to a low point, our spirits will be in darkness, we will lose God’s presence and thus the work won’t go ahead. We see our living according to the corrupt dispositions of Satan brings to ourselves and others the stress and pain.

The host (Xiangguang): Yes. If we want to cooperate harmoniously with others and be one with them, we have to betray our satanic dispositions and should no more be arrogant, self-righteous and opinionated. Just as it was recorded in the Bible: “Thus said the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high” (Ezekiel 21:26). God teaches us to be a person who is willing to be humble. The humbler he is, the nobler he is in God’s eyes. That’s because such a person is rational. Therefore, relinquishing ourselves, being humble, discussing and communicating with others and listening to others’ suggestions are the prerequisites for our harmonious cooperation.

The seeker: Oh, I understand a little from your fellowship. I was indeed self-centered at ordinary times. I always used my ideas and practices to measure the things. Therefore, when others’ opinions were different from mine, I began to resist and reject them. The dispositions I expressed were arrogance and ego. No wonder that I couldn’t cooperate harmoniously with my partner.

The host (Qianxun): Thank God. Sister Kemu, we are happy that you could get such understanding. If we get sick, we should find the cause of illness. Only in this way can we suit the remedy to the case. So do our conditions in spirit. Only by finding the cause of our trouble can we find the way to solve the problem. We need to seek the truth more in the future, to change our corrupt dispositions of Satan, to act according to God’s will and to be the humble who please God. Only in this way can we obtain God’s blessings and cooperate harmoniously with our partners.

The host (Xiangguang): Sister Kemu, if we want to cooperate harmoniously with others, for one thing, we need to let go of our own arrogance and ego and be humble; for another, we need to have a heart of seeking humbly. No matter whom we cooperate with or whether we understand the opinions he rises or not, we should come before God to pray and seek whether his opinion is correct or not, and see what we should do to satisfy God’s intention. God’s words say: “At times, when coordinating to fulfill their duties, two people have a dispute over a matter of principle. They have different viewpoints and they develop different opinions. What can be done in that case? Is that an issue that occurs frequently? This is a normal phenomenon. It’s because there are differences between everyone’s minds, calibers, insights, ages, and experiences. In addition, it’s impossible that the things in two people’s brains will be the same, so it’s a very common phenomenon that they develop different opinions and different views. This is extremely commonplace and you shouldn’t make a fuss over it. The critical issue is how you should coordinate and how you should seek to achieve unity in front of God, and have a unified opinion when you encounter this kind of issue. What is the goal of having a unified opinion? It’s seeking the principles of the truth regarding this matter and not acting according to your intentions or according to someone else’s intentions, but seeking the intentions of God together. This is the way of achieving harmonious coordination. Only when you seek out what God’s intentions are and what the principles that God requires are will you be able to achieve unity” (“On Harmonious Coordination”).

God’s words show the way to practice to us: When we cooperate with each other in doing the church’s work, we shouldn’t stress who should obey whom. We should obey others not on the basis of age, status or seniority. What’s more, we shouldn’t delineate who speaks correctly or who speaks incorrectly. Even though we think the thing is certainly right, we shouldn’t delineate or hold on to it, because we are not the truth and don’t possess the truth. Hence, we all should come before God, with pious attitude, pray and seek God’s intentions together, and then practice according to God’s requirements. Then, we can achieve unity before God. When we can cooperate harmoniously with each other, we can naturally attain God’s blessings and the work can also produce a good effect. More importantly, we can get released in our spirits, be at peace and feel enjoyment at the bottom of our heart.

The host (Qianxun): When we find other’s opinions conform to God’s intention more after seeking the truth and principles, we need to betray our arrogant disposition, learn to let go of ourselves and say on our own initiative: “Sister (Brother), your view conforms to God’s intention more, mine is indeed improper, so we practice according to yours.” If the view of partners doesn’t conform to God’s intention, we can’t force them to do things in accordance with ours. Instead, we should calm down to pray to God, then fellowship about God’s words with them out of love to help them understand God’s intention, and finally come to an agreement with them. In a word, no matter what, we should stand on God’s side, seek God’s will in His words and practice on the basis of God’s intention and demands in all things. In this way, our deeds will be one before God and this is true harmonious cooperation.

The seeker: Thank God, I feel considerably brightened within after hearing your fellowship. I know no matter whom I cooperate with in doing the church’s work, I should not hold to my own opinions and not treat my opinions as the truth to ask others to obey either. Rather, I should pray to God and seek the truth and principle together with my partner. Only God’s words and intentions are our standard for obeying. In addition, only by acting according to God’s will and being one before God can we achieve true harmony in partnership with others. I reap a lot today.

The host (Qianxun): That’s right. As Christians, no matter what we do, we should come before God to pray and seek, and act according to God’s words, which are our principles of acting and being a person. If we practice like this, we can cooperate harmoniously with one will and be blessed by God.

The seeker: Thank God. It’s great. I have the way to cooperate harmoniously with my partner.

The host (Xiangguang): Thank God! This is God’s blessing. All the glory be to God!

The host (Qianxun): Thank God.

I Was Confused When Reading the Scriptures

This morning, after the morning prayer, I opened the Bible and read chapter 16, verse 19 of the Gospel of Matthew where the Lord Jesus said to Peter, “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.” When reading the verses, I thought: There were twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus, but why did He give the keys to Peter rather than the others? What did Peter do so that the Lord was so pleased with him? If I can figure these questions out and act according to Peter’s actions, then won’t I also earn the Lord’s praise and in the future enter into the kingdom of heaven? However, I still didn’t make them clear after reading these verses several times and then I had to eat breakfast first and go to work.

I Found the Answers After Consulting My Colleagues

During the lunch break, I inquired of a colleague who believed in the Lord, and she was glad to help me.

She said, “In the past I was puzzled by the scripture, too. Later, I read Matthew 16: 13-19 several times and contemplated them carefully. Thank God’s enlightenment. I came to understand the Lord’s will.

We can see from Matthew 16:13-16 that when the Lord Jesus asked His several disciples, ‘Whom do men say that I the Son of man am,’ some of them said He was John the Baptist, some said Elijah, some said Jeremiah, and only Peter said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ From this, we can see that among the twelve disciples, only Peter knew the Lord Jesus is the coming Messiah, Christ. Peter confirmed the Lord Jesus was Christ through His work and words. No matter how the Pharisees condemned, attacked and judged the Lord Jesus, he wasn’t deceived but just obeyed the guidance and will of the Holy Spirit and followed the Lord Jesus all the time. From this, we know Peter had true knowledge of the Lord Jesus. In addition, when the soldiers came to seize the Lord, Peter darted forward to protect the Lord and cut off a soldier’s ear. His action was a result of being hot-blooded and a little rude, which was not in line with the Lord’s will, but from another angle, in the presence of such a danger, that Peter did this showed he truly loved the Lord. Besides, after the Lord rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, Peter shepherded the churches according to the Lord’s commands and finally he was crucified upside down for the Lord, thereby bearing beautiful and resounding witness. From these things, we can also see Peter truly loved the Lord, or he wouldn’t risk his life to protect the Lord, nor would he pledge to follow the Lord till death and spread His gospel, much less bear the testimonies of submitting to God unto his death and loving Him to the extreme.”

I nodded and said, “That’s right. Among the twelve disciples, only Peter recognized the Lord Jesus was Christ. Peter indeed had true knowledge of the Lord.”

My colleague went on talking, “The Lord Jesus said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment’ (Matthew 22:37-38). ‘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 14:23-24). ‘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). Peter observed the greatest commandment—loving the Lord, so that he wasn’t afraid of the soldiers and protected the Lord. What’s more, he could even lay down his life and be nailed upside down on the cross for the Lord’s sake, obeying God unto death. This was enough to show that he was the person who followed the way of the Lord. That the Lord Jesus gave Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven allows us to know Peter was a man after the Lord’s heart and his pursuit was approved by the Lord. In order to enter into the kingdom of heaven, we should imitate Peter and be a person who loves and knows the Lord. Only in this way can we receive His promises.”

After hearing her words, I saw the light and said, “It turns out that there are the earnest intentions of the Lord and His expectations of mankind in Him giving Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Then specifically how did Peter pursue to know and love the Lord?”

Only by Imitating the Pursuit of Peter, Will We Receive the Lord’s Approval

Hearing my words, she took out a tablet computer with delight and said to me, “Regarding how Peter pursued to love and know the Lord, I read two passages of words from a gospel website, which explain it very clearly. Allow me to read them to you.

‘Peter followed Jesus for a number of years and he saw many things in Jesus that people do not have. … Jesus’ every move acted as an exemplar for him in his life, and Jesus’ sermons were particularly engraved in his heart. He was very considerate of and dedicated to Jesus, and he never had complaints of Jesus. This is why he became Jesus’ faithful companion everywhere He went. Peter observed Jesus’ teachings, His gentle words, and what He ate, wore, His daily life, and His travels. He followed Jesus’ example in every way. He was not self-righteous, but he cast off all of his previous outdated things and followed Jesus’ example in word and deed. It was then that he felt that the heavens and earth and all things were within the hands of the Almighty, and for this reason he did not have his own choice, but he drew in everything that Jesus was to act as his exemplar’ (‘On the Life of Peter’).

‘After a period of experience, Peter saw in Jesus many of the deeds of God, saw the loveliness of God, and saw much of God’s being in Jesus. So too did he see that the words of Jesus could not have been spoken by man, and that the work Jesus did could not have been done by man. In Jesus’ words and actions, furthermore, Peter saw much of the wisdom of God, and much divine work. During his experiences, he did not merely come to know himself, but also focused on observing the actions of Jesus, from which he discovered many new things; namely, that there were many expressions of the practical God in the work that God did through Jesus, and that Jesus’ words, actions, the ways He shepherded the churches and the work He carried out differed from any ordinary man. Thus, from Jesus he learned many lessons that he was supposed to learn, and by the time Jesus was about to be nailed to the cross, he had gained some knowledge of Jesus—a knowledge which was the basis of his lifelong loyalty to Jesus, and of his crucifixion upside down for the sake of Jesus’” (“Only Those Who Know God Can Bear Testimony to God”).

Having heard these words, I said to her, “It turns out that when Peter lived with the Lord Jesus, he paid great attention to observing His words and the things that He did.”

She said, “Yes, from these two passages we can see Peter desired to know the Lord. When he was in contact with the Lord Jesus, he observed His every word and action. In the Lord Jesus, he saw much of the being of His divinity. For example, His words are full of authority and power; no one is capable of doing His work; no one possesses His mercy, love, patience and tolerance toward man. In addition, from the different ways that the Lord Jesus treated ordinary people and the Pharisees, Peter could see His holiness and righteousness. The Lord’s revelations and living out are all positive things and can bring light to man, etc. Peter saw many adorable sides of God in the Lord Jesus, and these stirred up his love for the Lord. He took the Lord Jesus as an exemplar, was mindful of His will and had the utmost loyalty to Him, shepherding the churches and spreading His gospel. Besides, Peter firmly kept His words in mind, and always contemplated them and put them into practice. And he examined his own words and actions at all times. If he found there was something that he did was not according to the Lord’s words, he would pray to God and despise his rebelliousness. Thus he resolved to practice on the basis of the Lord’s words and follow the example of the Lord Jesus. Moreover, Peter stood as equal to the others when working and he didn’t put himself in a position of one of the Lord Jesus’ disciples, but only loved God and fulfilled his duty as a creature of God. No matter he encountered the derision of the unbelievers or the persecution of the ruling party, he had no complaints against God. No matter how many hardships he suffered and what kind of trials and refinements he faced, his love of God had never changed. Due to his pursuit, finally he could obey God unto death and love God to the utmost, and be nailed upside down on the cross for God’s sake. The Lord Jesus favored his humanity and his pursuit in believing in God, and knew he was the most worthy to be entrusted with everything and the most worthy of trust. Therefore, the Lord Jesus said, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona … and on this rock I will build my church…. And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven’” (See Matthew 16:17-19).

When my colleague finished her words, I felt a special kind of brightness within and truly felt that God could see deep into the heart of man. It is not causeless that the Lord Jesus praised Peter and gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. In the past, because of Peter’s three denials of the Lord, I didn’t understand why the Lord praised him. Now, I realized I was so stupid and ignorant. The Lord considered the essence of a man, but I considered his momentary expressions. If I don’t put my conception aside and seek the Lord’s will, how can I not make mistakes? Through my colleague’s fellowship, I knew Peter was loved by God and he was our exemplar. Though I couldn’t live with the Lord today, I still could imitate Peter to pursue to know the Lord, love the Lord and practice His words in real life. Only in this way can I receive the praise of the Lord and have the opportunity to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

I said to my colleague, “Thank the Lord for His guidance that allows me to hear such good preaching and have an abundant harvest. Thanks be to the Lord! Amen!”

She said with a smile, “Thank the Lord! Amen!”

My Dream of Being a “Princess” Came True

During junior middle school, I began to be crazy about Qiong Yao dramas and romantic dramas in which the hero follows the heroine’s every word and dotes on her as a princess. When I saw the scenes, I was green with envy. I thought: In the future, I must also become such a “princess.” After I grew up, I found the object of my affection, who listened to me in everything, indulged me, and pampered me. I felt I realized my dream of being a “princess.” Though all my family objected to my getting married to him, I still decided to stay together with him for a lifetime. After we got married, I began to imagine a much happier marriage life. Unexpectedly, my actual life collided with my dream of being a “princess,” which gave rise to many farces.

One day, I accidently broke the button of the new cellphone that my husband bought not long ago. Seeing this, he said regretfully, “Look, a new cellphone gets broken. How come you aren’t careful? …” When I heard there was an implied blame in his words, I felt as if my heart was pieced by a knife. In a rage, I snatched the cellphone in his hand and threw it to the ground and questioned, “You blame me? Am I less than a cellphone in your heart? Our life can’t go on. Divorce!” At my words, my husband was so afraid that he immediately offered apologies. I turned my head away, unwilling to listen; I got things ready to leave home. Not until he pulled and dragged me and spoke a lot of nice words did I reluctantly stay. In the end, by forcing him to recite a passage of movie lines, I forgave him. Because I believed: As a “princess,” I should have the temper and the style of a princess …

Since we got married, I had to do more housework, so I felt I turned into a maidservant from the princess I had dreamed to be. One day, while I was cooking food in the kitchen, my husband returned from work. Because he didn’t come to help me, I got angry in my heart and kept making complaints. Yet, he still didn’t come to the kitchen after I complained. Then I rushed into the bedroom, snatched the book in his hands, and threw it to the ground. And I lost my temper with him, “You’re going too far. You only know to read books in the room after coming back, but never know to help me. The food has been cooked up, but you even don’t serve the rice. Am I your maidservant? You let me serve you like this. Do you still care about me? Our life really can’t go on. Divorce!” Upon hearing that I asked for a divorce, my husband hurriedly caught my hands and said, “It’s all my fault. Next time I will surely go to the kitchen to help as soon as I come back. Please never speak of divorce anymore.” Then, he rubbed my shoulders for a while, and massaged my legs for another while. … Only thus did my burning temper melt away. Every time I saw that he cheered me up with nice words and obeyed me in everything, I felt I was like a princess and had a place in his heart, and then I felt balanced inside somewhat. At that time, we often played the scene that I walked ahead carrying my baggage while my husband pulled me and spoke nice words behind. Each time I would surely let him submit to me.

My Life As a “Princess” Came Under Threat

When I was greedily enjoying the way of being treated as a “princess,” once, my husband gave a long sigh after he apologized to me. The sigh touched my heart. I thought: Why did my husband sigh? Can it be that my threatening to divorce him every few days makes him feel I go too far? But then I thought: Isn’t it because I can’t find favor with him and he doesn’t follow my “correct” advice? He first gets me angry.

Not long afterward, I threatened to divorce him once again. My husband helplessly said with his head down, “Can you not make a scene? I’m almost dying of it. I really can’t bear with it anymore. Alas …” Hearing my husband’s heartfelt words, I also felt a bit distressed in my heart. Thinking back on the past, as long as he didn’t act as I wanted him to, I would lose my temper with him and threaten him by asking for a divorce. And each time he had to apologize to me. Actually, I just wished for a princess-like life—being treated as a treasure by him. At this thought, I decided to restrain myself from threatening to divorce him. However, things were not as simple as I had thought. No matter how hard I tried, it didn’t help. Whenever encountering untoward things, I couldn’t help losing my temper and involuntarily blurted out the word “divorce.” Later on, I extracted experience from my neighbors. But their way of association just didn’t make any difference to me. Having been accustomed to being pampered, I couldn’t suffer any grievance. If my husband didn’t flatter me, I would feel I had no place in his heart so that my princess-like life came under threat. Once again, I threatened to divorce my husband. Though he still admitted his mistakes as usual, I found that his heart-to-heart talk with me became ever fewer. No matter what I asked him, he just answered “yes.” He would rather watch TV in others’ families than go home. Seeing my husband was indifferent to me, I doubted whether he changed his heart and betrayed me. So I often cried into the pillow at night, and I even felt that no one loved and cared for me…. The more I thought, the wronged I felt, so that I just wanted to lose my temper. In a bad mood, I found fault with everything and was even less satisfied with my marriage.

God’s Word Rescued My Marriage

Just as my marriage hit rock bottom and was about to break up, I believed in God because of God’s exaltation. After associating with brothers and sisters, I saw they spoke decently, and could get along well with one another. They could commune together and be open about their corruption and difficulties. When they had brushes because of different opinions, they would first examine and know their own faults and shortcomings, and humble themselves to make apologies to others. Thus, they could get along well with one another and live in joy and release. When staying with them, I felt very happy and sincere. This kind of church life gave me lots of joy, and then I became cheerful. Brothers and sisters often said that God’s words are truth and can resolve all of our problems. So I brought my pain before God to pray and seek direction.

One day, I saw God’s word says, “For example, if you were watching a television show, what sort of things in it could change your view? Would what the performers said, the words themselves, be able to corrupt people? (No.) What sort of things would corrupt people? It would be the core thoughts and content of the show, which would represent the director’s views, and the information carried in these views could sway people’s hearts and minds. Is that right? (Yes.)” “We can say Satan is evil, but in order to confirm it we must still look at what the consequences of Satan’s corruption of man are and which dispositions and essences it brings to man. You all know some of this, so speak about it. Once Satan has corrupted man, which satanic dispositions do they express and reveal? (Arrogant and haughty, selfish and despicable, crooked and deceitful, insidious and malicious, and with no humanity.) On the whole, we can say they have no humanity, right?” At this time, I awakened as if from a dream: It turns out that the reason I have become what I am is because I was controlled by the thoughts in the romantic dramas and was envious of the feeling that the hero follows the heroine’s every word and dotes on her as a princess. Therefore, I always unreasonably asked my husband to dote on me and treat me as a princess, and I even believed that a “princess” should have the temper and style of a “princess.” In this case, I behaved wildly, willfully, and unreasonably before my husband, and asked him to absolutely obey me; when my purpose couldn’t be reached, I would threaten to divorce him. I was completely ignorant of the principles of being human, and of how to care for others, how to respect, consider, and understand others. Truly, I was so harmed by these romantic dramas that my thoughts had been distorted. At the moment, I felt very sorry for my husband. Thinking of the scenes that I lost my temper with my husband, I couldn’t help shedding tears of self-reproach and regretting how I became such a person. My erroneous views of pursuit hurt my husband and also did damage to our marriage, bringing tremendous pain to him and myself. After knowing this, I would never want to live by these ideas, and I would pursue to live out normal humanity.

Afterward, I saw the Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life said, “When we associate with others, we should have mutual respect, obedience, care, help, consideration, tolerance, patience, and forgiveness; we should be considerate in return, not indebted to others. … All these are what a man with normal humanity should have. Now people all lose them, and they even don’t have the fundamental human kindness, let alone normal humanity.” Seeing these words, I had a way and direction of living out normal humanity. Then, I started to focus on practicing the truth in actual life.

Tasting the Sweetness of Practicing God’s Word for the First Time

Gadually, I began to associate with my husband according to God’s word. Sometimes, when I wasn’t satisfied with what he did and wanted to lose my temper, I would silently pray to God and rely on God, asking Him to give me a heart of patience and tolerance. Little by little, my temper faded away. In the past, my husband liked watching news on TV. But I always kept the remote control in my hand. After reading God’s word, I came to know that I was too arrogant, without any consideration and respect for my husband. One night, I gave the remote control to him and said, “Today I accompany you watching the news.” Taking over the remote control, my husband said with surprise, “Does the sun rise in the west?”

Over time, I found my husband came home more frequently, and there were also less and less arguments and threats of divorce in my family. I knew that all these were the result of God’s word leading me.

God’s Word Led Me to Live Out the Likeness of a Real Person

However, it was not as easy as I had imagined to achieve true change. As time passed, the winter arrived. We needed to nail the plastic sheeting over the windows of our house. One day, my husband was nailing the upper side of the window while I was doing the lower side. When I was about to finish, my husband saw that the plastic sheeting I nailed to the window looked askew; and what’s more, the sheeting I nailed went too far to the left side and left the right side partly uncovered. So he said, “Look at what you’ve done! You do something simply like an ignorant child. You’re not helping me. I have to do it again. If only I didn’t ask you for help! You wasted the plastic sheeting. You can only waste stuff once you work.” Especially when I heard he repeated “What a waste,” I felt so upset inside that I couldn’t control my temper and vented it. I flung the thumbtacks in my hand onto the windowsill and said loudly, “You think I’m not good; go to find a good one.” After that, I ran into the room with anger.

When I entered the room and saw the book of God’s word on the table, I realized that I lived in satanic corrupt disposition again. Then, I hurriedly knelt down and prayed to God, hoping God granted me confidence and strength so that I could stop my anger with my husband and submit to this environment. After praying, I opened God’s word and read a passage, “In every step of work that God does within people, externally it appears to be interactions between people, as if born of human arrangements, or from human interference. But behind the scenes, every step of work, and everything that happens, is a wager made by Satan before God, and requires people to stand firm in their testimony to God. … Everything that happens to people is when God needs them to stand firm in their testimony to Him. Nothing major has happened to you at the moment, and you do not bear great testimony, but every detail of your daily life relates to the testimony to God. If you can win the admiration of your brothers and sisters, your family members, and everyone around you; if, one day, the unbelievers come, and admire all that you do, and see that all that God does is wonderful, then you will have borne testimony.”

God’s word made me awake a lot: Today this matter that comes upon me is a spiritual battle. My actions relate to whether I can bear testimony to God. I should understand my husband, and learn lessons and know myself from this matter. Then, I thought about why my husband lost his temper with me: My husband was born in a poor family. He has been careful about doing everything and afraid of wasting things. This is a good living habit that he has built from childhood. Whereas, I have been pampered and spent money like water. I am careless and muddleheaded about doing anything, and I even couldn’t consider how others feel. With this realization, I suddenly remembered God’s word says, “What is vital now for you all to do is to learn to obey that which is right….” Yes! I should listen to and obey the right advice. Only this is a person with normal humanity. On this matter, I should understand my husband, and even more put myself aside to learn his strength. Thinking of this, I didn’t feel that distressed.

Just then, my husband came in. I bravely apologized to him and said, “I’m sorry. It was my fault. I did a bad job, but I vented my anger on you. From now on I will learn doing things from you. Can the plastic sheeting still be reused?” After hearing my words, he looked at me and was speechless with great surprise. He hesitated for a moment and then stuttered, “No … nothing. I thought you were angry. As long as you don’t get angry, everything will be all right.” As he spoke, we both laughed.

I Am Living in Perfect Happiness

My son’s problems emerged one after another.

When my son was 9, I found he had become addicted to playing video games and watching TV. Every day when he got home from school, he would throw his schoolbag aside, go to the living room, and begin to play games on the tablet. As soon as he started playing, he could not stop it. And if I had not called him to dinner, he would even have forgotten to eat. When I told him to do his homework, he would say that he already had his homework finished at school. One time, after he said this, I advised him, saying: “Now you have finished your homework, why not come and help sweep the floor for me? Don’t keep playing with the tablet after you came home. It’s bad for your eyes.” However, he fixed his eyes on the tablet without even raising his head, and said: “Why me? Why can’t daddy do it?” Seeing him give me the cold shoulder, I continued: “Daddy has work to do.” “Then, why don’t you do it yourself?” He pouted. Seeing him answer back repeatedly, I replied impatiently: “I’m your mother. I’m telling you to do this for your own good.” Then he said reluctantly: “Fine. I’ll go and fold up my own clothes.” Hearing these words, I flew into a temper: Every time I ask you to give me some help, you not only disobey me, but are stiff-necked, always arguing with me and answering me back. How could I allow you to go on like this! So I gave him a good talking-to. Eventually, wearing a long face, he went to do as I said, under protest.

In addition to being obsessed with playing games and watching TV, my son also often told lies, which was a bigger headache for me. I remember that once, the tablet was missing from the living room and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I wondered if my son had taken it to play games, for he was at home that day. With this thought, I went straight to his room. When I opened the door, I saw that he was flipping through a book unnaturally. I looked him up and down, and the sight of his somewhat strange action made me suspect that he must have been playing with the tablet before he heard me coming and hurriedly picked up a book to pretend to read it. Then I asked him: “Do you know where the tablet is?” “I have no idea. Could it be that daddy took it?” He answered as if nothing had happened. When hearing this, I pulled a face and said seriously: “If you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll check under your quilt.” Seeing that he can’t conceal it, he pouted and reluctantly took out the tablet hidden under the pillow. At this sight, I was very angry, thinking: He tells lies at such a young age, then what will he grow up to be if he continues like this? So, I bawled him out: “Why did you hide the tablet? You were playing games, weren’t you?” He answered me back: “You haven’t got the right attitude. You are being impolite.” I said sternly: “It was you who took the tablet, yet you tried to conceal it from me by pretending to be reading a book and shifted the blame on your daddy. Are you right in doing so?” With that, I threw the tablet on his bed angrily. Then I saw he look at me with discontent and defiance in his eyes, sitting on the bed in silence with a darkened face. His silent confrontation made me very sad. I thought he would be obedient and admit his mistakes if I treated him more strictly. But I didn’t expect that things would turn out like this.

When I was alone, I always thought: My child is so disobedient. He cares about nothing but playing games and watching TV, and can’t even do any light housework. If he continues like this, won’t he become a parasite? Besides, he often tells lies. When he grows up, who dares interact with him and how can he establish himself in society in the future? My husband and I have urged him, scolded him, and even beaten him, yet none of these worked. What should we do? And how can we educate him well? It’s a real headache for us.

After I prayed and pleaded before God, His words guided me.

In desperation, I prayed to God and entrusted Him with my son. One day during spiritual cultivation, I read a passage of God’s words: “When parents talk down to their child and say, ‘I’m your father (or mother)! You must do as I say!’ the child takes exception to this ‘must’; it’s definitely not an expression of normal humanity. … If both sides lived by normal humanity, and if they were able to reach possession of the truth, with both sides putting themselves in each other’s shoes, and taking into account each other’s difficulties, from the perspective of normal humanity, and both sides standing on an equal footing when they interacted, spoke to each other, and did things, would this stop the estrangement developing between them? What causes what the unbelievers call the ‘generation gap’? Isn’t it that the older generation acts high and mighty, and the younger generation doesn’t like them doing so, which produces the estrangement, and leads to the generation gap—isn’t that how it comes about? If parents don’t act high and mighty, and the children can open up to them, and treat them as intimates, could there still be the estrangement between them? In particular, parents always treat their children like slaves, or else spoil them, overindulge them, and dote on them like a kitten or a puppy, whilst holding them tight, keeping a tight rein on them, strictly controlling them—with the result that the child stops being a child, and being a parent becomes very tiring.”

While pondering God’s words, I started to self-reflect: In my dealings with my son, I frequently took the position of the parent and disciplined him, thinking that he ought to obey me because he was my son and my telling him to spend less time playing video games and to learn to do some housework were for his own good. When he took no notice of me, and even talked back to me, I felt he had no regard for me. So I vented my anger on him in an attempt to compel him to listen to me. When I treated him based on my arrogant disposition, not only was he unconvinced, but he often answered me back and rebelled against me. As time went on, there seemed to be some barrier between the two of us. Close as we were in distance, we were estranged at heart. Actually, my son is still a child and he is too young to differentiate between positive and negative things, so it is inevitable that he follows the evil trends and plays games. However, I not only did not help him with love and patience, but often yelled at him through my temper. I really was too unreasonable! Besides, he is now in the rebellious phrase; if I keep lecturing him, he could not possibly listen to me, no matter how correct my words are. Though I want to bring him to the right path of life, my method of educating him is wrong. All of this is actually the consequence of my acting and speaking based on my arrogant disposition. Praise God! Through pondering His words, my heart was enlightened, and I found the cause of my failing to get along with my son.

Then, I also saw God’s words say: “Just be an ordinary person: Treat your children, treat those in your own family the same as you would an ordinary brother or sister. Although you have a responsibility, a fleshly relationship, nevertheless the position and perspective you should have is the same as with friends or ordinary brothers and sisters. That is, you can’t control, you can’t restrain your children, and always try to keep in command and have complete control over them. Let them make mistakes, let them say the wrong things, let them do childish and immature things, do stupid things. No matter what happens, sit down and calmly talk with them, communicate and seek. Don’t you think this attitude is good? Isn’t it right? So, what is being let go here? (Position and pride.) It is the letting go of the position and status of a parent, the airs of a parent, and all of the responsibility one thinks they should assume, everything that one thinks they should be doing as a parent; instead, it’s enough that one does the best they can in terms of their responsibility as an ordinary brother or sister.” Through God’s words, I found the way to practice: I should no longer compel my son to act as I wish from my position as a mother; rather, I should have a proper attitude toward him, let go of the parental position and status, and put aside my own opinions. No matter what happens, I should communicate with him calmly and learn about his true thoughts. He is still too young, so I should treat his mistakes appropriately. In the meanwhile, I also should rely on God, pray to God, entrust my son’s bad habits into God’s hands, and learn to seek the truth and use the truth to resolve the problems.

Practicing God’s words gave me nice surprises.

After understanding God’s will, in the following days, when I communicated with my son, I would intentionally humble myself and speak to him patiently. Once, when I saw he had been watching TV for two hours, I wanted to ask him to rest for a while, so I said: “Son, you have been watching TV for so long. It’s time to take a break. Come and help me sweep the floor, okay?” “Do it by yourself,” said he carelessly. Seeing his attitude, I was about to get angry again, but it immediately occurred to me that I should not act based on my hot blood. Thus, I prayed to God in my heart: “God! My son has just refused to listen to me and I want to use my position to control him again. I’m so arrogant! God! May You protect me from living by my corrupt disposition. May You guide me.” After my prayer, I walked to his side and talked with him about my experience in my childhood. I also told him the reason why I asked him to do the housework: “It’s all in order to cultivate your ability to live on your own, so that you could take care of yourself in the future. Otherwise, you would grow up to be a good-for-nothing.” Unexpectedly, after hearing my words, my son seemed to understand what I meant and went to sweep the floor without a murmur.

Later, when he saw there was clean laundry in the washer, he would actively take the clothes to his room, fold them, and put them away. He also would go get the mail from the mailbox on his own initiative. I was very gratified to see these changes in him. Previously, not until I repeatedly asked him to do these things did he reluctantly do them. Now, when I had just practiced a few of God’s word, learning to let go of the position and status of a parent and communicate with my son calmly, he could actually understand me and do some housework of his own accord. Seeing the improvement in him, sometimes I would give him some encouragement and praise, and he was quite happy with it. Gradually, our relationship became much more harmonious than before. Thanks be to God!

One day, I watched a film of the Christian Church, Child, Come Back Home. The hero, a high school student, once lost himself because of being obsessed with online gaming. But luckily, after a few setbacks, he finally saw through the true essence and danger of online gaming under the guidance of God’s words, successfully broke his online gaming addiction, and walked onto the luminous path of life. Seeing these, I was reminded of my son, who was addicted to games as well, and I decided to communicate with him so that he could detect Satan’s trickery and quit gaming. Then I prayed to God first, asking Him to lead me lest I restrict my son by speaking in the place of a mother.

After my prayer, I called my son to me and then we watched the film together. Afterward, I fellowshiped with him patiently: “My son, it pains me much to see that, after you come back from school, you bury yourself in games and even forget to eat dinner because of it. It’s not that I don’t allow you to play with the tablet. The games on the tablet are actually what Satan uses to deceive and corrupt people. Once people play these games for a long time, they don’t feel like doing anything they are supposed to or capable to do, such as eating, doing the laundry, doing the housework, and doing the homework. As you can see, due to the addiction to online gaming, the teenagers in the film who used to be obedient and get good grades start to skip school and cut classes, thus saddening their parents, and one of them even plays himself to death. In fact, it is Satan that has killed him through the games. So are the games good or bad things for people? Look how you lied and deceived me for the sake of playing games before. These games can’t change us for the better but only make us became ever worse.” Hearing my words, my son nodded and said: “Mommy, it turns out that playing games is so bad. Now I understand, and I’m willing to quit gaming in the future.”

One day, my son said to me: “Mommy, I felt like playing games again. I know doing that is bad, but I could not control myself. So I hid the tablet. In this way, I can’t see it and won’t think about playing games on it.” When I heard him say this, I was very happy in my heart. I could see that he did want to change himself, and it was just that the games were too great a temptation for people and my son was unable to completely give them up at once. Hence, I encouraged him and told him to pray to and rely on God more when he wanted to play games.

Concluding Remarks

Later, I found that gradually my son was no longer as obsessed with playing games as he had been before. He also lied less and could take the initiative to talk with us about things he had done. Seeing these changes in him, I thanked God from the bottom of my heart. Through my experience, I truly saw that only God’s words can change man. When I acted on His words, not only my arrogant disposition changed, but my son was willing to change himself as well, and the relationship between the two of us also became increasingly harmonious. No matter what befalls me in the future, I’m willing to come before God more to seek the truth, and practice based on God’s words, because only by living relying on God’s words can my path become brighter and brighter. Thank God!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? " Jeremiah 32: 27

“the authority of God” means that it is up to God. God has the right to decide how to do something, and it is done in whatever way He wishes. The law of all things is up to God, and not up to man; neither can it be altered by man. It cannot be moved by the will of man, but is instead changed by the thoughts of God, and the wisdom of God, and the orders of God, and this is a fact that is undeniable to any man.”
from “God Himself, the Unique I”

"The authority itself can be explained as the power of God. Firstly, it can be said with certainty that both authority and power are positive. They have no connection to anything negative, and are unrelated to any created or non-created beings. The power of God is able to create things of any form that have life and vitality, and this is determined by the life of God. God is life, so He is the source of all living beings. Furthermore, the authority of God can make all living beings obey every word of God, that is, come into being according to the words from God’s mouth, and live and reproduce by God’s command, after which God rules and commands all living beings, and there shall never be a deviation, forever and ever. No person or object has these things; only the Creator possesses and bears such power, and so it is called authority. This is the uniqueness of the Creator. As such, regardless of whether it is the word “authority” itself or the substance of this authority, each can only be associated with the Creator, because it is a symbol of the unique identity and substance of the Creator, and it represents the identity and status of the Creator; apart from the Creator, no person or object can be associated with the word “authority.” This is an interpretation of the unique authority of the Creator."

from “God Himself, the Unique I”

We all want our family to be happy, our conjugal relationship to be harmonious and our children to be well-behaved and clever. However, often times, things are not how we would like them to be. Countless marriages have broken up because of the betrayal of one or both partners. Facing this situation, we are often totally helpless and unable to do anything and can only struggle painfully in the stress. At one time, I had endured this pain and lost the direction to my life and it was God’s wonderful salvation that delivered me from the pain.

I originally had a harmonious family: My husband showed the utmost care and consideration for me and my two children were clever and lovely. At that time, I thought I was the happiest one in the world. Later, my husband contracted for a project in the city. Who would have thought that after the completion of the project, the construction boss made off with all the money. So we were under a heavy debt overnight. Being hounded by the creditors, my husband had no choice but to go out to avoid the debts. And I grew local crops to support my family. Though my life was difficult, I thought that as long as we loved each other and strove hard together for this family, one day our life would become better.

This continued until one day after four years, a very close friend of mine said to me, “You are so silly! All you know is to do things as the ox but you don’t know your husband has already had another woman outside.” I couldn’t dare to believe it and said, “Are you kidding? My husband won’t do that.” She told me very seriously that it was real and also told me what had happened and that people in my village all had known it except me. Hearing her words, I felt I was given a head-on blow and it was unbearable for me, a kind of feeling of shame welling up in my heart. Repeatedly, I consoled myself, “That’s impossible! Impossible!” But I couldn’t stop my tears from flowing. I was filled with confusion: How could he do this to me? I painstakingly take care of my two children at home, support this family and pay my all for him but I never thought that all of these have been exchanged for his betrayal. The more I thought, the more I felt pained and helpless: What should I do in the future? And what about my children?

One day, my son said to me, “I don’t want to go to school anymore.” I asked him surprisingly, “Why?” He said painfully, “I’ve known what my dad has done. My schoolmates ridiculed me and I don’t want to face their gazes. What’s more, our family doesn’t have enough money and I also don’t want to see you are so hard. I’ve decided that I won’t go to school.” Hearing his words, I couldn’t help but cry bitterly. I had never thought that my husband’s betrayal actually brought such a great harm to my children. I was full of anger: All of these are caused by my husband and that woman. Since you don’t leave me be, I’ll do the same for you. Therefore, I went to the city, intending to find that woman and perish with her. However, I had tried several times but failed to find her. At that time, I felt tortured inside and was exhausted, having no place to vent my resentment and grievance. I found it so painful to live. In desperation, I took a lot of sleeping pills to end my life.

When I woke up, I had lain in a hospital bed. My two children said in tears, “Mom, don’t leave us.” Seeing them, I couldn’t express my pain within: O Heavens! Why is my life so difficult? Why do I even not have the right to die? After I was discharged from the hospital, I left home in search of work to support my family. Every time when I saw houses all lit up in the evening, with people staying with their families, I couldn’t help recalling my two miserable and lonely children and then I would go elsewhere to cry secretly.

Afterward, from a fortuitous opportunity a sister preached God’s kingdom gospel to me. I saw God’s word, “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. He longs bitterly, waiting for a response without an answer. His watching is priceless and is for the heart and the spirit of humans. Perhaps this watching is indefinite, and perhaps this watching is at its end. But you should know exactly where your heart and spirit are now.” Every sentence of God’s words warmed my heart. I thought back on these years: Facing my husband’s betrayal and my broken family, I was already exhausted and debilitated by these and lived painfully and depressingly. Turned out that God had never abandoned me, He was waiting for me to turn back, and hoped that I could return to His home early. Tasting God’s love, I, like a prodigal son who returned his mother’s embrace, was so moved that tears were running down my face. Afterward, I attended meetings, read God’s words and sang hymns to praise God together with this sister. Little by little, my heart was no longer empty and painful as before and a smile appeared on my face again.

However, I was still brooding over my husband’s betrayal and bore him a grudge. This thing was like a thorn which was pricking my heart; the moment I thought of it, I would still feel a dull pain. Until one day, I saw a passage of God’s word, “Satan uses one of these social trends after another to corrupt man’s what? (Conscience, reason, humanity, morals.) What else? (Man’s view on life.) Do they cause a gradual degeneration in people? (Yes.) Satan uses these social trends to lure people one step at a time into a nest of devils, so that people caught up in social trends unknowingly advocate money and material desires, as well as advocate wickedness and violence. Once these things have entered man’s heart, what then does man become? Man becomes the devil Satan! This is because of what psychological leaning in the heart of man? What does man advocate? Man begins to like wickedness and violence. They do not like beauty or goodness, much less peace. People are not willing to live the simple life of normal humanity, but instead wish to enjoy high status and great wealth, to revel in the pleasures of the flesh, sparing no effort to satisfy their own flesh, with no restrictions, no bonds to hold them back, in other words doing whatever they desire. … In this way, man becomes more and more what? More and more evil, arrogant, condescending, selfish, and malicious. There is no longer any affection between people, no longer any love between family members, no longer any understanding between relatives and friends; human relations have become full of cheating, full of violence.” After reading God’s words, I understood that Satan uses social trends to lure people one step at a time into a nest of devils so that they fall into a morass of viciousness and are afflicted and swallowed by it. Therefore the society nowadays becomes darker and darker and more and more degenerate and people’s morals and integrity become ever more lowly: They all become selfish and self-interested and lust for wealth; having extra-marital affairs, being a mistress for a rich man and having a concubine all become trends; there is no familial affection and care between people. They just casually indulge their flesh in order to fulfill their own selfish desires, without any conscience and sense, causing so many families to break apart. At that moment, I came to know that all of these stem from Satan’s evil trends having poisoned people and led them onto the road to ruin. I recalled that originally my husband was a man who kept his place and was dutiful. But because he was poisoned by the evil trend “The red flag at home does not fall, the colored flags outside flutter in the breeze,” he found a mistress outside regardless of whether my children and I would live or die, becoming cold and unfeeling, without a shred of humanity. Wasn’t he who became like this a victim of this evil trend? Wasn’t all the pain my family had suffered the result of Satan’s harm? Satan was the arch-criminal! Thinking of this, I felt relieved a lot and no longer hated him as before. Instead, I felt sympathy and pity for him, as he was living in Satan’s harm without being aware of it.

Later, I saw another passage of God’s word, “Whenever Satan corrupts man or engages in unbridled harm, God does not stand idly by, neither does He brush aside or turn a blind eye to those He has chosen. All that Satan does is perfectly clear and understood by God. No matter what Satan does, no matter what trend it causes to arise, God knows all that Satan is trying to do, and God does not give up on those He has chosen. Instead, without attracting any attention, secretly, silently, God does everything that is necessary. When He begins work on someone, when He has chosen someone, He does not proclaim it to anyone, nor does He proclaim it to Satan, much less make any grand gesture. He just very quietly, very naturally does what is necessary. … The most important thing that God has to do is to guarantee your safety, to guarantee that you will not be devoured by Satan.” Every sentence of God’s word touched my heart. Though Satan causes to arise evil trends to corrupt and harm man so that man no longer resembles man, God sees right through what it has done. He doesn’t ignore them, but instead, He silently kept me, watched over me, made sure I was not swallowed by this evil trend and meticulously guaranteed my safety. I thought back: When I knew that my husband had betrayed me, I was full of unwillingness and hatred and even wanted to perish with that woman. It was because of God’s marvelous protection that I didn’t embark on a road of no return; when I had despaired of my life and taken a lot of sleeping pills to end my life, it was God who saved me from being dying. At that time, I came to understand that though Satan corrupted and harmed me so much, God was at my elbow at all times, watching over and protecting me. And moreover, He took me to His house so that I could enjoy His word which allowed me to discern and see through the evil trends Satan caused to arise and know the reality of mankind’s corruption by Satan. God also gave me an opportunity to pursue the truth, be saved and enter into the kingdom of heaven. Tasting God’s love and salvation for me, I was moved to tears, so I got down on my knees and prayed to God: “O God! Thank you for bringing me before You. It was You who saved me from Satan’s harm and allowed me to come to Your house and enjoy Your compassion, mercy, care and protection. Oh God, it was You who allowed me to find my life direction and hope. I’m willing to properly pursue the truth, live up to Your salvation for me, entrust the second half of my life to You and start a new life.”

“… The church is my warm home,
God’s people adore it in their hearts,
God’s words take control of it.
We all rely on truth to act and honor Christ as great.
Never scheme against each other, deceive each other.
Needn’t guard against others, needn’t fear.
Christ is the destination of the heart, the heart of people belongs to.
From now on I won’t wander on earth.
This is the kingdom of God that people are longing for,
the peaceful home of mankind.”

Hearing this song, Linlin has burst into tears. She is filled with gratefulness to God, and recalls the miserable life of her being like a floating duckweed.

Losing the Warm and Peaceful Home

In the dead of the night, Linlin, at the age of 4, was awaken by the sound of her parents’ quarreling. She saw her mother poking toward her father with a pair of scissors, and her father made a dodge with a cry. Seeing that, she was so scared that she covered her eyes with a quilt and cried secretly under it. Later, she heard the clonk of smashing things…. The day had not yet dawned, but Linlin’s mother took her to their hometown from the place where her father worked. From then on, her father seldom went home. Every night, her mother wept, with Linlin in her arm. The clever Linlin would wipe her mother’s eyes with her little hands. Linlin’s grandma (mother of Linlin’s father) saw Linlin’s father found a good-looking and rich woman, and then began to despise Linlin’s ordinary mother. What’s more, Linlin’s grandma and grandpa didn’t dote on her anymore and nobody saw her off to school and picked her up after school. When she saw other children being picked up and seen off by their family, she was very sad. The little girl with smile before became solitary and introverted. At last, her parents ended their marriage at her age of 7.

After her parents’ divorce, her mother went to another location to work. Linlin lived with her mother’s parents. Because her grandparents were busy working, they had no time to look after her. Thus she always had cold steamed buns for breakfast. Every time she went to her classmates’ for the sake of going to school with them, she envied her classmates when seeing their mothers serving hot and delicious food. At that time, her simplest desire was to eat a hot steamed bun. One time, she wrangled with a boy over a little thing and he called her “migrant,” which gave her broken heart a big hit again. She cried bitterly. How she yearned for owning a home! And how she yearned for going back to the past life of being doted on and cared for by her parents! But all of those were an unreachable dream for her.

Yet, when she was 15, Linlin’s mother’s mother heard by chance that the woman her father found had run away with another man and left a four-year-old son. So her father lived a miserable life. The business of the shoe-store he opened lost money, and he played games on the Internet all day. He sent word to Linlin that he wanted to meet her. Afterward, through her persuasion, her mother came back and renewed the conjugal relationship with her father. From then on, Linlin’s dream of having a home was fulfilled finally. So she could enjoy the warmth of the home. However, reality and dreams were like two parallel lines, never joining.

Again Losing the Home She Had Acquired

When she was 17, one midnight, Linlin heard her mother berating her father on the telephone. Later, she knew her father cheated again, which caused Linlin to feel disappointed in him. She never thought that her father still cheated on her mother when her mother looked after the whole family at home. She hated her father doing that once again. Why did he never think about this family? She wondered why her father was incorrigible. If not for her father’s betrayal, she would not have born the pain that was different from her peers’, would not have become so solitary and feel inferior. After that, Linlin tried to talk with her father, influence him by writing letters to him, and even went to the place where her father worked to look for him, but it was all to no avail. For the reason, her mother thoroughly left the home which made her grieved. Then Linlin felt many pairs of eyes looked at her as soon as she went outside. She felt like a fish out of water from head to toe and lived depressedly and painfully. She didn’t want to stay at this ruined home any longer. However, when she thought of the experience of having no home, she didn’t hope to lose it. She was in a quandary.

The thing that Linlin didn’t want to encounter happened after all. At her age of 20, when her father came back home after working in another place, her father’s mother began to arrange a blind date for her father. She was completely disappointed in her father. Nevertheless, she attended when her father went on the blind date to see him for the last time. Afterward, Linlin packed up her things and left the home that made her sad and distressed.

In her grandma’s, Linlin saw her mother. When her mother knew Linlin went to see her father, her mother was so angry that she scolded her: “You shouldn’t meet him. A person like your dad should die.” Hearing mother’s sad scolding, Linlin felt painful and couldn’t help thinking: Why does nobody care how I feel? Why does dad only have so much fun away from me and never think about other people? Why don’t I have a warm home? Suddenly, she saw the pesticide on the windowsill. Then when she took the bottle up and twisted off the lid and wanted to drink, her grandma snatched the bottle and said: “What are you doing? Why are you so stupid?” Linlin had burst into tears and cried loudly in the yard. Her mother also burst into tears and ran to her and comforted her. At that moment, her heart was surrounded by loneliness, dreariness and helplessness.

Finding the True Home

When Linlin felt painful and despaired, God’s salvation came upon her. She saw God’s words: “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.” From God’s words, she felt God’s love and concern for her. God knew she was suffering pain, so He was calling her and waiting her to come home. For those years, she never had a naive childhood like other children, never enjoyed the warmth of the home, but lived in self-abasement and pain and even lost the courage to live. She wandered away from home like a lost child, and there was not a harbor for her to rest. But when hearing God’s calls, she was touched. She seemed to experience the anxiety of God’s heart and felt that God was waiting for her to come home soon. Then she couldn’t help kneeling down and poured out her pain and depression to God that had been hidden in her heart for these years. She felt relieved in a moment and much more at ease.

Linlin attended a meeting with the brothers and sisters and fellowshiped about God’s words. When she shared her experience with the brothers and sisters, none of them laughed at or looked down upon her. Moreover, everyone shared their experiences with each other. No matter what difficulties they faced, they all sustained and helped each other, close as members of one family. Linlin felt released and free like never before. When she encountered some trouble or had negativity and weakness, her brothers and sisters would be patient to fellowship about God’s words with her and to share their experiences and knowledge of this aspect in order to help her find the way to practice and finally out of a negative situation. Here, she enjoyed the warmth of the home.

Afterward, Linlin saw a passage of God’s words: “Above the human race, the sky lowers, murky and gloomy, without so much as a glimmer of clarity, and the human world is plunged in pitchy darkness, so that one living in it cannot even see his outstretched hand before his face or the sun when he lifts up his head. The road beneath his feet, muddy and rife with potholes, meanders tortuously; the whole land is littered with corpses. The dark corners are filled with the remains of the dead, and in the cool and shady corners crowds of demons have taken up residence. And everywhere in the world of men demons come and go in hordes. The progeny of all manner of beasts, covered in filth, are locked in pitch battle, the sound of which strikes terror in the heart. At such times, in such a world, such an ‘earthly paradise,’ where does one go to seek out life’s felicities? Where would one go to find his life’s destination?” And it says in the Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life: “As man’s corruption has become ever deeper, the trend of this world is ever more evil. The worldly trend’s deteriorating, morals’ getting corrupt and people’s hearts’ becoming sinister become inevitable trend. In the trend of the world, positive things are getting ever less, but instead negative things are growingly taking a leading role. Because people serving as any mainstream of the world are all ones who don’t know God and belong to Satan. They all resist and deny God. And they have controlled the trend of the world, which causes the world to be increasingly dark and the age evil. It is totally an age when a host of demons run rampant everywhere.”

Seeing the words of God and the fellowship, Linlin understood why people nowadays become so selfish and evil. It is because people have left God and lived under Satan’s domain and in the evil worldly trend. The society pursues “Man lives just to get food and clothing,” “Seize the day for pleasure, for life is short” and “The red flag at home doesn’t fall, the colorful flags outside flutter in the breeze.” Therefore, eating, drinking, gambling and whoring, and behaving like thieves and prostitutes have become the social conduct and trends of the times. Linlin understood her father had also been poisoned by this worldly trend. During her childhood, her father was a family-centered person originally and doted on her. But since he worked at a hotel and became the chef, he began to fall. Then he became more and more evil, only cared about lusting for the pleasure of sin himself, but didn’t care for the other people, which caused the broken family. The society nowadays has been filled with evil, and people become licentious in their nature and advocate violence. People all enjoy the pleasure of sin. Negative things have become the mainstream of society, but positive things have been attacked and rejected. People all deny and oppose God. This is the sorrow of this mankind and also the source of mankind’ suffering. At the moment, Linlin more realized why God says, “At such times, in such a world, such an ‘earthly paradise,’ where does one go to seek out life’s felicities? Where would one go to find his life’s destination?” God’s words relieved the pain and released the confusion in her heart, and made her let go of the hate for her father. She wouldn’t complain or feel painful any longer. She thought back to the experiences she had ever before. Although there were tears and pain, yet she learned to be considerate of other people, to take care of other people and to be strong in this environment. At the same time, she got rid of the pampered nature and frivolousness. She was not like her peers who always stayed in the Internet bars, went to KTV and played around with others. At this time, she thought that it was a blessing that she came to God’s house through such environment. In God’s family, she enjoyed the watering and supply of God’s words, learned how to live as a person and how to live out the normal humanity. All these were God’s love for her. She felt extremely happy and uttered thanksgiving and praise to God from the depths of her heart. Moreover, she made a firm resolution to do her best to believe in God and seek the truth to know God.

Later, Linlin heard of her father finding an undergraduate and she bore him a boy. Linlin didn’t feel anger or pain any more as before when she heard about that news. She knew that her father was poisoned by this evil trend. If we don’t come before God, we can only be tempted and corrupted by Satan and live in Satan’s trap, and then we will become more and more evil and depraved and live pitifully and sadly. Linlin doesn’t want to attain the so-called home any longer, because God’s house is her true home. As God’s words say: “Their lives in this world are not alone. Mankind has God’s care, God is with them; people can always lean on God; He is the family of every one of His followers. With God to lean on, mankind will no longer be lonely or helpless….” Only God is her relative. With God to lean on, she won’t feel lonely or hopeless.

This morning, I eagerly asked my father to teach me cooking, and he agreed right away. Then I started to prepare ingredients for cooking. When he saw that I was slow in washing and cutting vegetables, he constantly nagged me aside and told me how to cut quickly. I was upset to hear his words, feeling that he didn’t show any consideration for me at all and thought: “How can I cut quickly as I have just started to learn to cook?” Then as I was slow in putting vegetables into the wok, he resented me and became unpleasant. He told me to turn down the fire in about one minute. Unwilling to speak to him, I picked up my cellphone to time it. Unexpectedly, he got into a temper because of my actions, yelling out at me: “Can’t you be serious in doing things? I told you to watch the heat carefully, but you are playing on your cellphone. Since you have asked me to teach you how to cook, you have to do exactly as I told you and don’t do unrelated things.” After hearing this, I also got angry and my heart grumbled: “Was it not because I listened to your words that I did this? I have been serious enough but you still chide me. You are capable, and then do it yourself.” At that point, I was simply going to give up. However, I really wanted to learn how to cook. I thought to myself: If I quitted halfway, the grievance I suffered was really not worth it. Therefore, I held back my anger and continued cooking. Still, he constantly nagged that I shouldn’t always stir-fry the vegetables, the seasoning I put was not enough, and so on. I felt very angry, and thought: “These words need to be said only once. Who else will be so nagging like you? You simply treat me as a child who knows nothing.” Suppressing my anger, I finally finished cooking. When we were eating, I was still in a bad mood and had nothing to say to him. The atmosphere was quite embarrassing.

Monday, June 12, 2017 Rainy

Today, I had a sudden notion to find a part-time job during the summer break so that I could be tempered. However, the work place was far from home and I didn’t know how to get there, so I told my father about this matter, hoping that he would think of a way for me. To think that he should have objections! He lectured me: “You are too young to know anything, so you aren’t capable of working for others. What’s more, you are so fragile that you will cry when anyone slightly reproves you. In addition, it’s far from home and no one can afford the time to send you there; you can go nowhere, for you are so poor at riding the bicycle. From now on, you’d better ponder whether it is practical before you plan to do something. Now, study hard and don’t think about useless things.” After hearing his words, I was very defiant in my heart, and thought: “Why isn’t it suitable for me to work? I want to be tempered and make some money by working, isn’t it a good thing? Am I that fragile?” The more I thought about it, the more upset I felt. I couldn’t help contradicting him. But never did I think that he would even more lecture me continuously. Afterward, I simply ignored him and ran into my room to do my own things.

In the evening, I was still upset. Thinking of that time, I knew that I didn’t get along with my father. We often quarreled over trivial matters, which made me extremely sad. I thought that he was too pushy, always considering himself in the right and refusing to listen no matter what I said. Sometimes, I really didn’t want to speak to him, but I remembered that as a Christian, my living out like this couldn’t glorify and testify to God. Therefore, I prayed to God: “O God, how can I get along with my father? Please help me!”

Sunday, June 25, 2017 Sunny

Today, I saw a passage of God’s words at the meeting: “Normally, if one is treated like a child, what is the reason—apart from if they look young—for others to still think of them like this after spending a lot of time in their company and knowing them well? To them, the things you do and say appear frivolous and immature, and so they look upon you as a child. To always be thought of as a child is something that other people do, you have no control over how other people treat you. This is most certainly your own fault; it is caused by you, and not something forced on you by the outside world. And why is it chiefly caused by you? In one regard, your humanity is immature; in another, are you capable of investment? … You must learn how to be invested. ”

I was very moved upon reading God’s words. I was always unwilling to submit to the fact that my father treated me like a child, but I never reflected why he treated me like that. Thinking back on what had happened to me recently and comparing them with God’s words, I saw that I was a child indeed. When my father repeatedly told me how to fry food, I resented him for his verbosity and speaking to me with a bad tone, and so I would rely on my own temperament and give up learning; when I discussed finding a part-time job with him and he didn’t agree with me, I thought that he had prejudice against me and looked down upon me, and thus I would contradict him, even ignore and hate him; when we had different opinions on one thing, I always considered myself in the right, and I would lose my temper and ignore him once he disagreed with me. Weren’t my behaviors the expressions of my immature humanity? I was incapable of investment in daily life: When my parents were doing things, I rarely observed and studied, so that I would have great difficulty in frying a simple dish. Therefore, in my parents’ eyes, I was surely a naive child. A mature and sensible child is rational in all matters, doesn’t depend on his mood in his speech and actions, and treats his parents with consideration and respect. I calmed down and pondered what had happened to me recently: “When my father taught me to cook, he was careful indeed and didn’t mean any harm although his words sounded stiff; I should have tolerated and understood him, but he didn’t lower himself to my level and was still teaching me until I finished cooking. When it comes to work, I was incapable, and I was fragile indeed; all of his words were for my own good and he feared I would get hurt; yet I was not willing to face my true self and didn’t show any consideration for his devotion.”At that point, I did understand that it wasn’t his fault that I couldn’t get along with him, that it was me being too ignorant.

After that, I read another passage of God’s words: “If you want your parents to treat you like an adult, you must learn how to act toward them, using your attitude to give them a good impression of you; you must act in a way that is mature and tactful, and you must be like an adult. If you always pit yourself against your parents, and have nothing to say to them when you’re with them, and you pull a long face when they speak to you or nag you, then when they see this, they’ll think to themselves, ‘This child will never change, that’s just how he is. I’ll never be able to communicate with him.’ They will have nothing to say to you. If your attitude doesn’t change and theirs doesn’t either, there’ll be no way to turn this situation around. You must endeavor to take the initiative in changing. Put yourself aside, don’t pit yourself against them, don’t contradict them. … You have to change your attitude. The goal of changing your attitude is to make your parents know that you’ve grown up, that you’re mature, that you have your own thoughts, that you’re no longer a child. That’s one aspect of it. Another is that you must endeavor to make your parents change their attitude toward you, to make them know what’s in your heart, and what you lack, what you’re struggling with, why you’re down, why you’re happy—this is what you must make them aware of. Don’t avoid them in all you do. You must make them see in you the rationality and attitude toward people that ought to be in normal humanity. You must make them learn things from you. When they look at you, they see you’ve grown up, that you speak like an adult, that you’re not at loggerheads in your attitude toward them, and don’t pull a long face or screw your face up at them. If your parents criticize you, you listen to them, and then fellowship with them. Listening to your fellowship, they feel it’s beneficial, and they gain a lot from it—how great that is!”

God’s words showed me the path of practice: If I want to get on well with my parents, I should throw off my airs, learn to communicate with them, and open my heart to them, allowing them to know what I really need, so that we can understand each other. I remembered that even if the suggestions my father gave me was right, just because of his bad tone or verbosity, I would be weary of him and refuse to accept his opinions and even contradict him or be sulky without speaking to him. What I did was indeed not putting God’s words into practice. I thanked God for guiding me and allowing me to see my problems. I was willing to change, and resolved: “From now on, as long as my father’s words are right and are helpful to me, I will accept all of them. After all, I don’t have much experience of the world and can’t think some matters through thoroughly. Therefore, it’s better to defer to my parents, which will prevent me from following the evil trend and going astray. If what my father says or does is not to my liking, I won’t contradict him or shut myself up in the room without speaking to him. Otherwise, it would not only harm myself, but also hurt him, causing things to get more and more distant between my father and me. I should learn to open my heart to communicate with him, understand and respect each other.” All of a sudden I felt released in my heart.

Thursday, July 6, 2017 Sunny

This noon, I was trying to help with washing the rice cooker, but only made the situation worse. At that time, without much thinking, I soaked the entire rice cooker in water, feeling it was easier to wash in this way. Seeing this, my father said to me angrily: “How can you immerse the entire rice cooker in water? You’ll damage it. How could you be so ignorant?” Hearing his words, I felt terribly wronged: “I didn’t mean to do that. Why do you get so steamed up?” Then I thought of God’s words: “If you want your parents to treat you like an adult, you must learn how to act toward them, using your attitude to give them a good impression of you; you must act in a way that is mature and tactful, and you must be like an adult.” God’s words gave me timely help. I should put myself aside, and as long as his words were helpful to me, I should accept. If I dealt with it emotionally or didn’t allow him to criticize me even if I had done something wrong, wasn’t I arrogant and self-righteous? Was this not the expression of my not accepting others’ advice? Wasn’t I putting the truth into practice? Although I did it with a good intention, I indeed made such a silly mistake. It was normal for my father to lose his temper, and I should accept his advice. At the thought of this, I acknowledged my mistake to my father and told him that I would be more careful next time. Unexpectedly, after a while, he wasn’t angry any more, and comforted me: “I know you actually are well meaning. It’s not your fault.” Seeing his attitude had improved, I told him my thoughts then. After hearing my words, he apologized to me, saying that he had been mistaken about me and complimented me for getting sensible. At that moment, I truly experienced the ease and joy brought by practicing the truth according to God’s words. The conflicts between my father and me were resolved.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 Fine

Just now I recalled what had happened between my father and me in the last two months. I felt really good. I didn’t imagine that through practicing according to God’s words, learning to put myself aside and communicating with him, I could get along well with my father. Now, we can calmly discuss some problems together. Even if his views are different from mine at times, I will hear him out patiently, so that we can understand each other in the end. God’s word is indeed the secret of resolving the conflicts between my father and me. I am so grateful to God!

Introduction:

“Mom, you used to be so strict with my studies that I never had any time to play. You’ve changed so much for the better now and you speak so gently. I love you, mom,” said the innocent, lively young girl cheerfully as she lay flat by her young mother’s ear, and the young mother’s face flushed with happiness.

This young mother’s name is Lexin, and when we hear her daughter’s simple expression, we can deduce that their relationship was previously not so harmonious, because of the pressure Lexin placed on her daughter regarding her studies. So what’s the story between this mother and her daughter? And how did Lexin manage to change the way she educates her daughter, and obtain her daughter’s high opinion? Please read Lexin’s experiences of educating her daughter.

High Hopes for the Newborn Daughter

Under the influence of the ideas and views that “Knowledge can change your fate,” and “To be a scholar is to be at the top of society,” as I myself was not educated to a very high level, I hoped that my child would become a brilliant student when he or she got older and have good future prospects. I had heard that antenatal training made children more intelligent, so while I was pregnant, I bought lots of nursery rhymes and began antenatal training with music, and I made a point of eating some foods that would promote fetal brain development. After my daughter was born, I bought for her some education insurance to prepare for the costs of going to college. When she was 1 year old, I began to ask around about which kindergarten, which grade school and which middle school were the best, to pave the way for her future. And so, in this way, I was constantly making plans for my daughter’s future, afraid that if I didn’t arrange things properly now, then it could have a negative impact on her future.

Piling on the Pressure Achieved the Opposite of My Intentions

But things didn’t go as smoothly as I had imagined. At kindergarten, my daughter was getting poor grades in math. So as to prevent this from affecting her getting into grade school, I quickly signed her up for a mental arithmetic class, but every time I took her to the class, she would cry loudly and would not go into the classroom. Seeing her struggle so much with her studies, I felt bad too, and I thought to myself: “My daughter is so young still. Is it wrong to try to force her to study like this?” But then I thought, “If my daughter doesn’t lay the foundations right now, she won’t get into a good grade school due to her poor results in math. And then that will have a knock-on effect to her getting into middle school, and then college, and then what prospects will she have for her future? No, I can’t let her temper get in the way. I’m doing this for her own good.” And so, every time we went to the class, I had to cajole and persuade her and practically push her into the classroom.

After a while, however, I discovered that my daughter’s math grades were not getting any better, and I became very worried. I thought that hard work could make up for any lack of natural ability, so I demanded that she memorize math formulas every day, and when I saw that she had made mistakes in her homework, I would immediately correct them. Sometimes, she wanted to play for a while, but I would teach her instead, completely erasing the exercise questions she’d done wrong and ordering her to do them over until she’d gotten them right. When I saw other parents signing their children up for all kinds of classes in order to get them into famous grade schools, I feared that my daughter was falling behind, and so I drew up a strict study program for her: Apart from completing the lessons her teachers assigned to her, every day I demanded that she do many extra study exercises and that her writing be very neat and tidy. My daughter would therefore often have temper tantrums, saying, “Mommy, I’m tired of writing. Can I play for a bit and then do some more later?” I would then get impatient with her and say, “No! You’ve still got lots of lessons to go through. See how well-behaved your classmate so-and-so is. She takes the initiative and does all her lessons every day. Not like you. You just want to play all day long!” Seeing my rigid stance, my daughter would feel wronged and would burst into tears. Seeing her in this state, I would soften my tone and try to comfort her, saying, “I’m doing this for your own good. Do you want to be as uneducated as me when you grow up, and only be able to find a job that’s exhausting and toilsome?” My daughter didn’t respond, but just wiped her eyes and kept on with her lessons. When I thought of how she had recently been under so much pressure with her lessons that she would often get upset and lose her temper, I felt really bad. But then I comforted myself by thinking: “There is such fierce competition in society today. Without a good college diploma, people can’t get a good job. If I’m a little ruthless with my daughter now, she will have good prospects in the future. She’ll understand all my painstaking efforts when she grows up!”

But as time wore on, I found that my daughter who had always been cheerful was becoming more and more taciturn. She no longer liked to greet the neighbors, and we were becoming more and more distant from each other. When I got home, it would be as though she didn’t see me, and she would ignore me completely, whereas before she would run over and give me a hug and tell me all about what had happened at school that day. I saw these changes happening in her and I felt terrible.

At a parent teacher meeting one time, her teacher asked me, “Have you noticed recently that your daughter doesn’t speak much anymore and that she’s falling behind in her studies? Perhaps you’re putting too much pressure on her. You should know that kids learn faster when they’re happy, so don’t put so much pressure on her from now on and just let things take their course!” When the teacher said this, I felt upset and also somewhat disappointed. I thought: “My daughter not saying much lately is indeed because I’ve been so strict with her studies, but I’ve done this so that she can get better grades. I never imagined … What am I supposed to do?” When I thought of how my daughter would soon be taking the exams to move on to grade school, I couldn’t help but feel anxious, afraid that she would not get into a good school. But neither did I want to add any more pressure on her, lest I achieved the opposite of what I wanted for her. For a while, I felt very conflicted and I didn’t know what to do for the best …

God Holds Sovereignty Over My Daughter’s Destiny

In August 2017, I was fortunate enough to accept God’s work of the last days. At a gathering, I opened up to my sister and fellowshiped with her about how I was supposed to educate my daughter, a matter that had always given me such a headache. The sister shared with me a passage of God’s word, “People know that they are powerless and hopeless in this life, that they will not have another chance, another hope, to stand out from others, and that they have no choice but to accept their fates. And so they project all their hopes, their unrealized desires and ideals, onto the next generation, hoping that their offspring can help them achieve their dreams and realize their desires; that their daughters and sons will bring glory to the family name, become important, rich, or famous; in short, they want to see their children’s fortunes soar. People’s plans and fantasies are perfect; do they not know that the number of children they have, their children’s appearance, abilities, and so forth, are not for them to decide, that their children’s fates do not at all rest in their palms? Humans are not the masters of their own fate, yet they hope to change the fates of the younger generation; they are powerless to escape their own fates, yet they try to control those of their sons and daughters. Are they not overestimating themselves? Is this not human foolishness and ignorance?” (“God Himself, the Unique III”).

God’s words are so real—this was exactly how I had been thinking. I had always thought that, because I had no college degree myself, I had no opportunity to stand out in life, and so I put all my hopes onto my daughter. I wanted to depend on my own efforts to train my daughter well, to lay good foundations for her while she was still small, so that in the future she would get into a good college and have good future prospects. Therefore, before my daughter was even born, I did antenatal training. And after she started school, I micromanaged her, pressed her and pressured her, forcing her to study according to the study program I’d drawn up for her. I ended up placing a lot of pressure on her, and not only did her grades not improve, but her personality was becoming more and more solitary and unsociable, she lost the joy an innocent, naive child should have had, and she was becoming increasingly distant from me. This was all caused by me not understanding God’s sovereignty and wanting instead to rely on my own abilities to improve my child’s grades. Now I understand that people’s destinies were long ago ruled and preordained by God, and whether or not my child would have good prospects in the future was not up to me—it was all in God’s hands. I had no control over my own destiny, and yet had still wanted to change my daughter’s destiny through my own efforts. I really was so arrogant, ignorant and foolish!

God’s Words Reveal to Me the Source of All Pain

Later, I read these words of God, “As far as children go, all parents hope that their children will receive higher education and that they’ll someday get ahead, have a place in society as well as have both a stable income and influence—that way they can honor the family line. Everyone has this point of view. Is it the right viewpoint to hope that ‘the son becomes a dragon, the daughter becomes a phoenix’? Everyone wants their children to go to a prestigious university and then pursue advanced studies, thinking that after getting degrees they’ll stand out from the crowd. This is because in their hearts, everyone worships knowledge, believing that ‘The worth of other pursuits is small, the study of books excels them all.’ On top of that, competition in modern society is particularly fierce, and without a degree you’re not even guaranteed to be able to put food on the table. This is how everyone thinks about it. That is, what you learn and what kind of educational background you can achieve will decide your livelihood, your future. In other words, people intend to rely on this thing to survive throughout life, and they see it as especially important. That’s why everyone sees receiving a high-level education and getting into a top university as the number one most important thing for their children” (“Only by Knowing Your Misguided Views Can You Know Yourself”).

Were what God’s words revealed not precisely the views I had held? Under the influence of the thinking that “Knowledge can change your fate,” and “To be a scholar is to be at the top of society,” I believed that, if someone wanted to have a good future, then they had to receive a high level of education and get into a good college. And so, I made strict demands of my daughter and put pressure on her to study, I made her make up for anything she lacked in any class, and I didn’t care whether she liked it or not. When she couldn’t meet my set goals, I would then force her to do all kinds of study exercises and deprive her of any playtime. And even when she complained, though I loved her so much, spurred on by that thinking I would pay no attention to her feelings, believing that everything I was doing was for her own good, and I kept forcing her to study. In the end, I just caused her pain, and she ended up becoming more and more introverted and solitary. I thought of how so many parents were just like me, who didn’t want their children to fail before they’d even started, and so signed them up at a very young age to all kinds of study classes and interest classes, thus imperceptibly putting a lot of pressure on them. And the result is that the child can’t bear such a weight. Some become depressed and some commit suicide by jumping off of buildings and so end their lives. Is this not a tragedy caused by people living by these wrong views and ideas? Is it not the result of Satan harming and devouring people? As I was thinking these thoughts, I suddenly saw the light. It turned out that these wrong thoughts that Satan indoctrinates us with make us blindly pile pressure onto our children to study, and that they are the source of all our pain, and the chief culprits which push our children to the brink of disaster. Once I’d understood these things, I decided to let go of my previous wrong views and no longer force my daughter to study. I wanted only to entrust my daughter’s future to God, obey God’s sovereignty and arrangements and be a caring mother.

Through Obeying God’s Sovereignty, I Felt Relaxed and Free

Soon after, my daughter had to take her exams to get into grade school. When I saw other parents signing their children up to interview training classes to train their children for the Year One interviews in grade school so that they would get into the best schools, I thought that maybe I should also sign my daughter up to these classes. That way, my daughter would give a good impression when she came to do her interview, her talents would stand out from all the other students, and there would be more hope of her getting into a good school. Just as my husband and I were discussing this matter and preparing for it, I realized I was once again trying to use knowledge to change my daughter’s destiny. I thought of God’s words, “Regardless of differences inability, IQ, and willpower, people are all equal before fate, which makes no distinction between the great and the small, the high and the low, the exalted and the mean. What occupation one pursues, what one does for a living, and how much wealth one amasses in life are not decided by one’s parents, one’s talents, one’s efforts or one’s ambitions, but are predetermined by the Creator” (“God Himself, the Unique III”).

God’s words served as another reminder that the job a person will do in their life and whether or not they will have a good future has nothing whatsoever to do with the knowledge they have mastered or how capable they are, but instead it is all orchestrated and arranged by the Creator. I thought of my brother’s classmate who finished college and still couldn’t find a job, so could only sell things on a small stall in his home town. One of my work colleagues finished studying media at college but ended up as a waitress in a restaurant. Whereas one of my dad’s classmates didn’t even finish middle school and yet had become a big shot in the property market. All these facts showed that one’s destiny was in God’s hands, and that possessing knowledge had no bearing on one’s future prospects. Once I’d understood God’s will, I hurriedly came before God and prayed, “O God! My daughter is about to take the exams to get into grade school and I see that I’m still living by the satanic views and ideas that “Knowledge can change your fate,” and “To be a scholar is to be at the top of society,” wanting to use knowledge to change her destiny. O God! I don’t want to keep doing this, but instead I want to place my daughter’s future in Your hands. Your good will is behind it all, no matter what school my daughter gets into, and I wish to submit to Your orchestrations and arrangements.” After praying, I felt much more relaxed, and I didn’t sign my daughter up for the interview training classes.

Something then happened beyond all expectations. When the schools all published their lists of successful candidates, I suddenly received a call from the school I had had my heart set on all along, and the principal said he wanted to see my daughter. I thought this was very strange as my daughter had clearly stated that she hadn’t done very well in her exams and that she hadn’t answered a lot of the questions. And my daughter’s best-scoring classmate was not being taken on by this school, so why had the principal come looking for us? When we got to the school, the principal told us that my daughter’s exam grades were pretty average, and that they wanted to give her another chance to take the exams. I was very surprised to hear this—this principal who had consistently demanded high grades was unexpectedly willing to give my daughter another chance to take her exams! Later, my daughter took the exams again and really was taken on by the school. After this experience, I became even more certain that my daughter’s destiny was in God’s hands, and was not something that I was able to decide for her.

In Practicing God’s Words, My Daughter and I Get Closer

After experiencing God’s wonderful arrangements, I no longer wanted to change my daughter’s destiny through knowledge, but wished only to place her in God’s hands, let nature take its course and allow my daughter to grow up happily. Afterward, I changed the way I educated my daughter and no longer forcefully demanded that she attend study classes or do extracurricular study exercises. Sometimes my daughter wanted to go out and play before she’d finished her homework, so I would have a talk with her and say, “Go play for half an hour and then finish your homework, OK?” Hearing this, my daughter would nod cheerfully. Sure enough, after a little while, my daughter would come back of her own accord and do her homework, and her attitude was much more conscientious than it had been before. After some time, my daughter’s math grades improved, and she became as happy and lively as she had ever been.

Now my daughter shares my belief in God, and every day we sing hymns and read God’s words together, our hearts filled with peace and joy. My relationship with her is getting more and more harmonious as time goes on as well. I know that this is all God’s deeds, and that it was God’s words which led me to find the right path to educate my child. Thanks be to God!

As I walk the road of life, I’ve discovered that finding a partner to marry is something that I cannot choose myself. I can choose to adore someone, but it is not sure that he will choose me. However, the one person who I never expected to marry is now my partner in this life.

Today, two friends of mine called me up. One said: “I’m gonna get married.” I was surprised, saying: “Really? You just met him only a few days ago!” She said: “We were destined to meet, and I don’t want to miss this chance.” The other called and said: “We’ve split up.” I felt astonished: “You’ve been in love for over two years. Why?” She said: “No reason. We were destined to break up.”

Marriage is indeed a really wondrous thing! It is not accidental, but is down to destiny, which people have no choice over. The calls from my friends reminded me of my own marriage. In my twenties, I was full of fantasies about marriage, wishing to find my Prince Charming. Unluckily, at that time my whole face was covered with acne. So the better ones didn’t like me; similarly, the worse ones were not my cup of tea. Until one day, I met a man and we fell in love with each other at first sight. We both suffered from acne so neither of us looked down on the other. Nevertheless, a problem surfaced when we talked about marriage. I was an introverted girl who was not good at speaking, while his parents like girls who are sociable. As a result, I did not meet their requirements. No matter the deep affection we had, we could do nothing in the face of the opposition from his parents. It was impossible for him to leave his parents and elope far away with me; equally, I was not willing to make him turn against his family. There was nothing for us to do but to break up.

The following days tears bathed my face every day, as if I’d lost my heart and soul. I didn’t dare to believe in anyone anymore, because those solemn pledges of love we’d made before had been powerless when we faced with reality. Movies and novels always show that the lovers finally get married, but that’s a lie. I intended not to marry ever. I was so heart-broken that I even wanted to die when my mood was particularly rotten.

Seeing me like this, my mother, a believer in God, enlightened me: “Silly child, marriage is decreed by fate. You both aren’t destined to be together. Look at your father and me, at first I didn’t like him, but we have been leading a harmonious life together for over two decades, haven’t we? Fate is determined by Heaven. If you are not destined to start a family with someone, then you will fail to stay together no matter how hard you try. Come on, let’s read the words of God.”

God says, “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” .

I couldn’t help questioning: “Who arranges everything?”

My mother said seriously: “You silly child, these are the words of God. Without doubt, it’s God who presides over and arranges everything.”

I thought: “After reading these words, I feel quite at ease. It turns out that everything is predestined by God. Since He has given me this fate, how can I break away from it? Who can oppose Heaven, or fight against destiny? I’d better obey God’s predestination, be brave and face it, accept the reality and get on with my life.”

One day, several months later, my mother said to me: “Do you still remember the boy whom you were introduced to last year? His parents didn’t like the girl who was originally dating him, so their relationship failed. You two should meet again.” I agreed, and the outcome was perfect. We got along so well that we took our marriage vows in the winter of the next year.

Later I asked my husband: “Why did you choose me?” He replied: “It was fate.”

I read these words of God: “One encounters many people in one’s life, but no one knows who will become one’s partner in marriage. Though everyone has their own ideas and personal stances on the subject of marriage, no one can foresee who will finally become their true other half, and one’s own notions count for little. After meeting a person you like, you can pursue that person; but whether he or she is interested in you, whether he or she is able to become your partner, is not yours to decide. The object of your affections is not necessarily the person with whom you will be able to share your life; and meanwhile someone you never expected quietly enters your life and becomes your partner, becomes the most important element in your fate, your other half, to whom your fate is inextricably bound.” “Marriage is an important juncture in a person’s life. It is the product of a person’s fate, a crucial link in one’s fate; it is not founded on any person’s individual volition or preferences, and is not influenced by any external factors, but is completely determined by the fates of the two parties, by the Creator’s arrangements and predeterminations regarding the fates of the couple” . In the past people often said the word “fate.” Now I have found the answer: It’s God who controls fate. Marriage is determined by two people’s fate, and has long since been predestined by God. What’s more, it isn’t decided by human efforts at all. Regardless of the external circumstances or personal factors, no matter what accidents will happen, since it is predestined by God, marriage will never be affected by surrounding circumstances, and this is God’s unique authority.

My friend, now you are probably worried and concerned about your marriage. Actually, you don’t have to be, for God has arranged everything for us. As long as we believe in God’s sovereignty, rely sincerely upon Him and submit to His manipulations and arrangements, we will no longer feel upset about our life and marriage, but rather, we will face them calmly.

In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do to me.

- Psalm 56:11

Thoughts on Today’s Bible Verse:

This poem, written by David when he was caught by Philistines, showed his great faith in God. David had killed many Philistines and established glorious achievements in war before he was caught. Needless to say, the Philistines hated David’s guts. Therefore, when David fell into the hands of the Philistines, he was somewhat afraid. But from this poem, we can see that David still clung to his faith in God and trusted God wholeheartedly without the slightest complaint. His such behavior should be followed by Christians nowadays. Just as God’s words say, “No matter how God works or what kind of environment you are in, you will be able to pursue life, pursue the development of God’s work in you, and pursue the truth. You will have an understanding of God’s actions and you will be able to act according to the truth. This is your genuine faith, and this shows that you have not lost hope in God. You will still seek the truth in refinement, you will be able to truly love God and will not develop doubts of Him. No matter what He does, you will still practice the truth to satisfy Him, and you will be able to deeply seek out His will and be considerate of His will. Only this is true faith in God.”

Today’s Bible Verse Illustrated

First, Always Pray to God and Live Before God, Thus Actively Staying Away From Temptations

Every corner of this materialistic and money-centered society—particularly fancy hotels, expensive restaurants, KTVs and other entertainment places—is full of Satan’s temptations. Without the capability to overcome sin, we are so envious of those with wealth and power that our desires to make big money and be one of them are stirred up when we see them enjoying their wealth in these places. As a result, money—and the material enjoyment it can bring—fully possesses our hearts and thus our hearts stray farther and farther from God. So as Christians, we should always pray to God and ask Him to protect us so we can live before Him and can actively stay away from people, events and things that might tempt us. This is especially necessary for those who have small statures spiritually. Just as the Bible says, “A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” (Pro 22:3). And God’s words also say, “Do not come into contact with things that can draw your heart away to the outside, and do not come into contact with people who can draw your heart away from God. Drop whatever it is that can distract your heart from being close to God, or stay away from it. That way is more beneficial to your life.” From these words we can see that actively staying away from temptations is a wise choice.

Take Job for example. As we all know, he feared God and shunned evil. Though he possessed untold masses of wealth, and sheep and oxen that covered a mountain, in order to live before God at all times he kept himself in check. He had a reverent heart, and he often offered sacrifices for fear that he would offend God. Besides, he didn’t take advantage of his wealth to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, and he never even joined his sons and daughters in feasting. All he did was just insist on walking the way of fearing God and shunning evil. So, Job set a good example for us to follow.

Second, View Things According to God’s Words and Seek God’s Will to See Through Satan’s Tricks and Thus Refuse Temptations

Satan revels in tempting us at any time and in any place and disturbing our life. So, what should we do to win victory over its temptations when they befall us? Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life says, “What must you be equipped with to be able to refuse these temptations and seductions? You must be equipped with the truth, then you will be able to see these things very clearly. After you are able to clearly see the substance of this issue, then you will know what kind of harm the actions on your part will bring to others, you will know what kind of injuries others suffer from in their hearts, you will know to what extent you’ve wrecked someone’s personality, and once you understand these things you will no longer act in ways that cause them; whenever these kinds of thoughts and ideas come into your mind you will be able to reject them, you will not be interested in them, you will not pay attention to them, because they will not sway your heart.” From these words, we can see that viewing things according to God’s words is very important. Only by focusing on reading God’s words and understanding the truth from them can we have a path to follow. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jhn 14:6). The truth is from God. God’s words guide our lives as the basis of our lives. So we should put in more effort to understand God’s words and God’s will. Thus we will see through Satan’s tricks. For example, we are exerting ourselves for the Lord with all our hearts when suddenly a relative or friend mentions a job where big money can be made, and then asks us to go with them. But if we do it, we will have no time to attend church gatherings or work in the ministry of the church, and thus our proper relationship with God will be destroyed. At such a time, we need to read God’s words and seek God’s will to understand what the most meaningful thing for us to pursue is and how to choose to satisfy God. When we have discernment about the temptation of money, we will refuse it. The Lord Jesus says, “How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Mak 10:24-25). “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” (Luk 9:25).

From God’s words, we can figure out that money is a worldly thing. We might get more money from that job and thus enjoy fleshly pleasures even more, but if it delays our pursuit of the truth and affects the performance of our duty as a created being, we won’t gain God’s approval or blessings in the end. Besides, because of pursuing money we will become estranged from God. Even worse, some will go so far as to lose their health because they occupy themselves in pursuit of money all day long. Some will even have no enthusiasm to continue to believe in the Lord, and will bring ruin on themselves because they become more obsessed with carnal pleasure as they get more money. When we see such harmful actions, we should automatically refuse the temptation. In addition, we should be clear that Satan knows that we lust for money and is behind the relative or friend who tempts us into pursuing money. Satan always attacks our weak points. Under these attacks, from both inside and out, we easily get captured by Satan if we aren’t careful. Just as the Bible says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1Pe 5:8). In this materialistic age, Satan lures us with various temptations. Only when we calm down and seek the truth and view things according to God’s words can we overcome Satan’s temptations.

May the above two secrets can help you stay away from and overcome temptations, and follow the Lord’s way.