Why are the “Eastern Lightning” opposed and condemned by the religious world?

God has become flesh twice to personally carry out His work on earth to save man, yet each time He meets with strong resistance and condemnation and frenzied persecution from the religious leaders. The facts are shocking and puzzling: Why is God treated this way whenever He carries out a new stage of work? Why are the most frenzied and rampant resisters of God the leaders who know the Bible well and who have served the Lord for years? Why do they, the most faithful and obedient ones to God in their own eyes, always carry out misdeeds and go contrary to God, unable to be compatible with Him? Could it be that God’s work is an error? Could it be that what God does is unsatisfactory? Absolutely not! The main reason all denominations and sects act out a role of resisting God and become God’s enemies is this: On the one hand, they have no truth and have no knowledge of the work of the Holy Spirit or knowledge of God, and they always use their limited theological theories and knowledge as well as their conceptions and imaginations to restrict God’s work that is always new and never old. On the other hand, men are so deeply corrupted by Satan that they are all arrogant and haughty by nature, are unsubmissive to the truth, and particularly value position. These two aspects together have led to the tragedy of the true way being rejected and condemned again and again in human history.

The Domestic War Caused by the Rumor Storm

When I was nine, my mother took me to believe in the Lord Jesus because of my illness. Before long, I was cured. At the age of twelve, I was baptized into the Lord. When eighteen, I began to study the Bible and perform a variety of services in the church. Later, I had the honor of becoming a preacher. As the Lord granted me abundant grace and blessings, I was deeply moved and decided to follow Him for my whole life. However, during the service, I saw that my co-workers vied against each other, excluded and belittled each other, had jealousy and strife, and even fabricated accusations to frame others. I felt very puzzled. In one church I served, two pastors competed against each other for position and resulted in the separation of the church. So, I left that church sadly. Later, I went to another church, where the pastor was against two chairmen and they undermined and disagreed with each other. Feeling helpless, I chose to leave again. Then, as I was envied and framed by others in another church and underwent all sufferings, I could do nothing but go away … I saw that the churches everywhere were filled with man’s will and with the flesh, and were in complete darkness, without the work of the Holy Spirit at all. I didn’t know where to go.

My situation lasted until December of 2016 when I knew Sister Zhang Hua and Sister Liu Yue on Facebook. They read Almighty God’s words to me, fellowshiped and testified about God’s work in the last days with me patiently many times, and talked about God’s will for me. Then, I knew that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus and then I accepted His work in the last days happily. Afterward, I felt the work of the Holy Spirit. While reading Almighty God’s words, I constantly received new light and new insight and understood the truth more and more. As a result, my original faith and love recovered. Through my engagement with the brothers and sisters in the Church of Almighty God, I found that among them there were no fleshly interactions, no jealousy and strife, no jostling, but help and spiritual sustenance. And they united in God’s words and testified about God’s work in the last days with one heart and one mind. I saw that it’s a true church and I was even more certain that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus.

Crying Out to God in Distress

One evening in early August of 2016, my husband and I had just finished supper, when suddenly the lightning flashed and the thunder crashed outside, and then it started to rain cats and dogs. I went out of the door and saw that the street was soon flooded. And, because of the violent rain, the accumulated water began to flow swiftly toward our house. Frightened, I hastened back into the room and shouted to my husband, “Hurry up! The water is about to enter the room!” My husband got startled and said, “Just now the forecaster said there would be no rain. The National Weather Bureau didn’t forecast accurately.” As he said that, he hastily brought a board and propped it against the door. I rushed into the inner room and took some quilts and shoved them under the door. When we stood up, we saw there was a flash of lightning outside the windows. It rained ever harder. The rain was violently beating against the windows, and the accumulated water outside our door was rising higher and higher. I was extremely fearful: Once the water flows into the room, our books of God’s words and all the possessions we have accumulated all our life will be swamped or be washed away. In a panic, I didn’t know what to do. At that moment, my husband said loudly, “Don’t panic! Pray to God quickly!” Reminded by him, I came to my senses. “Right! I’m a believer in Almighty God, and Almighty God is our strong tower!” Then we knelt down at once, and I prayed desperately, “O Almighty God, now there is a flood outside, and the water is coming into our house soon. If the house is flooded, our books of Your words and possessions will be damaged. O God! May You care for and protect our house….” My husband also prayed, “O Almighty God! In the face of such heavy rain, as human beings, we are too small to do anything. May You care for us and protect us from the big flood….”

Miraculously, God revealed to us His wondrous deed right after our prayer. We saw that although the rain was still pouring down with lightning and thunder flashing through the sky, the whirling flood outside our door suddenly changed its direction and flowed away. I hurried to the back door and found that only a small amount of water of the torrent had come in through the cracks between the door and its frames, which had just wetted the floor near the door. So my anxious heart began to calm down, and meanwhile I was very excited and unceasingly gave thanks and praises to God for keeping us from the violent attack of the heavy rain with His great power. I remembered the words of Almighty God: “The disaster is brought down by Me and of course orchestrated by Me. If you cannot work for good in My presence, then you will not escape suffering the disaster” (“You Ought to Do Enough Good Deeds to Prepare for Your Destination” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). The astonishing scene that had just occurred allowed my husband and me to experience the authority and power of the words of Almighty God. The flood had surrounded our house, but when we earnestly prayed to Almighty God and relied on Him, it didn’t rush in but instead turned off and flowed away. This might sound inconceivable, but it was indeed a fact that we had seen with our own eyes. God was so almighty and so wondrous! Thinking of how panic-stricken I had been moments ago, I really felt ashamed: At ordinary times I always said that all things are in God’s hands and that they are arranged and ruled by the Creator, but when the flood came, I got into a panic, forgetting to rely on and look up to God. Thanks to God’s arrangement for my husband to remind me in time, I prayed to God and cried out to Him for care and protection, so that I saw His deed right after the prayer. From this, I saw that God has been showing concern for people and secretly caring for and protecting those who are willing to believe in and rely on Him. Through this dangerous situation, I learned how to rely on God and had firmer faith in Him in the disaster.

How Will Prophecies About the Return of Jesus in the Bible Come True?

Each genuine follower of the Lord Jesus is expecting Him to come back soon so that his wish for years could be realized. And he can receive the Lord’s promise and enjoy His blessings. Especially in the end-time, our heart of longing for the Lord’s return becomes more eager. It is written in Acts 1:11, “this same Jesus … shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” And it says in John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” Therefore, the brothers and sisters firmly believe that the Lord Jesus will come again. Then, in what manner will the Lord Jesus come? Will He really come on a cloud as we imagine? Will the prophecies be fulfilled in the same way as we think? In what manner should we welcome His return? This is a question that each of us who follow the Lord Jesus must consider seriously. If we are careless, we’ll probably lose His salvation.

Referring to “prophecy,” we should first know this clearly: Prophecies are what will occur in the future. Before they come true, none of us knows what they really mean. In prophecies, there are God’s wonderfulness and wisdom as well as mysteries. Man can neither fathom nor understand how they will come true. Why can’t man fathom it? Because God’s thoughts shall always be higher than man’s thoughts. The gulf between heaven and earth is like that between the thoughts of God and man. Just as it is written in Romans 11:33-34, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counselor?” And it says in 2 Corinthians 3:6, “…for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” So, the fulfillment of prophecies is not as simple as we imagine, much less will it occur according to the words of the Bible. Why do we say so? Let’s look back to how the prophecies about the Messiah’s coming were fulfilled. Then, we shall see that prophecies don’t come true according to the letters of the scriptures or man’s imagination. The Israelites at that time all expected the Messiah to come earlier. Especially in the later period of the Age of Law, their heart of longing was even more eager. However, when the Messiah did come, they did not recognize Him but resisted and forsook Him. Why was it so? It was clearly written in the Bible, “…a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son….” (Isaiah 7:14) But in their eyes, Marry had a husband. How could the prophecy that “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son” be fulfilled on her? Although the Lord Jesus was actually born by virgin Marry, how many people believed this fact? Obviously, what people saw was discordant with the fact.

The Overcomers’ Testimonies “In the Devil’s Dark Prison, I Was Accompanied by God’s Love”

I’m a Christian in the Church of Almighty God. I’ve followed Almighty God for more than ten years. In the years of my following God, what is the most unforgettable is the great tribulation of my being arrested by the vicious police of the CCP ten years ago. In that tribulation, I was greatly afflicted and trampled by the devils and my life was at stake and death was imminent many times, but Almighty God led and kept me with his mighty hand, so that I was brought back to life and got safely out of danger…. It made me truly taste the supernaturalness and greatness of God’s life power and gain the precious wealth of life God bestowed to me.

It was January 23, 2004 (Lunar January 2). A sister in the church badly needed help because of difficulty in life, so I must go and visit her. As the journey was long, I had to get up early or I couldn’t make a round trip. When it was just dawning, I went out. The pedestrians on the road were very few and there were only cleaners sweeping the garbage on the street. I was anxious, but no taxi could be seen in the street. So I walked to a stop at the roadside waiting for one. Seeing a car coming from afar, I went up and stopped it. Unexpectedly, it was a car from the Environmental Protection Bureau. The men in the car asked me what I stopped the car for. I said, “Sorry, I made a mistake.” They said, “We suspect you are one posting up illegal ads.” I asked, “Did you see that? Where’re the illegal ads I posted up?” Without allowing me to explain, the three of them rushed forward and forcibly searched my handbag. They took out everything including a copy of an article of fellowship and preaching, a notebook, a purse with cash in it, a mobile phone, a pager out of service, and so on, looking for the illegal ads. Then, they took the article of fellowship and preaching and the notebook and looked through them carefully. Seeing no illegal ads in my handbag, they held the article of fellowship and preaching and said to me, “You aren’t one posting up illegal ads, but you’re a believer in Almighty God.” Then, they phoned the National Security Team specially taking charge of religion. After a short time, four men from the National Security Team came. Seeing the things in my handbag, they immediately knew that I was a believer in Almighty God. Before I could explain, they stuffed me into the car and then locked the doors, for fear that I might jump off the car to escape.

After we got to the Public Security Bureau, the policemen took me into a room. One of them fiddled with the pager and the mobile phone searched out, wanting to get a clue from them. When he turned on the phone, it showed a low battery and then the battery went dead. He couldn’t turn it on anyway. So, he held the phone in hand anxiously. I also felt much puzzled: The phone has just been fully charged this morning; how come the battery is dead now? Suddenly, I realized that God was manipulating everything miraculously to stop the policeman from getting information about other brothers and sisters. At the same time, I understood God’s words, “…anything, living or dead, will move, change, renew, and disappear according to God’s thoughts. This is the way God rules over all things.” (from “God Is the Source of Man’s Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh) I had some true knowledge about God’s ruling over and manipulating everything and had more faith in the following cooperation. Then, pointing at the things in my handbag, a vicious policeman asked me harshly, “Judging from your things, you’re not an ordinary believer. You must be a leader, a senior leader, for a junior leader doesn’t have a pager or a cell phone. Am I right?” I answered, “I don’t understand what you are saying.” He roared, “You’re pretending not to understand!” And he ordered me to speak while squatting. Seeing that I didn’t confess to what they said, they gathered around and punched and kicked me to hell. I was beaten black and blue, aching unbearably all over, and then collapsed on the floor. I was very indignant and very much wanted to reason and argue with them, “What law have I broken? Why do you beat me like this?” But then I thought that I had no way to reason with them, because the CCP government was simply unreasonable. I was at a loss, but I was unwilling to endure such cruel beating. Just when I was confused, I suddenly had a thought, “Since the CCP vicious policemen don’t listen to reason or allow me to speak sensible words, it’s unnecessary for me to speak anything to them. I’d better keep silent. Thus, they can’t do anything to me.” Thinking of that, I no longer responded to their questions.

What Kind of Book Is the Bible?

The Bible is famous for its classic and authority. It has played an important role in the process of human civilization. In history, the Bible has benefited many great men. It also has a profound influence on mankind’s science, education, literature, law, economy, and so on. There are many words of wisdom about human life in the Bible, which tells what the meaningful life is like and shows people the direction of life. The Bible records the work God has done, which covers the Bible with a mysterious veil. Countless Christians are attracted to study the Bible hard, hoping to know the Holy One through this book. As a result, people all regard the Bible as “God.” Many people can’t help but ask, “Can the Bible be equivalent to God? What kind of book is the Bible on earth?”

Almighty God says, “The Bible is a historical record of God’s work in Israel, including many of the words of the ancient prophets and some of the words that Jehovah spoke when He performed His work. So everyone sees it as a ‘holy’ book (because God is great and holy). Of course, this arises from man’s reverence for Jehovah and his adoration of God. Man calls the Bible a holy book, simply because he, a created being, is filled with reverence and adoration for the Creator, and some even call it a ‘heavenly book.’ In truth, the Bible is only a record written by man, was not named by Jehovah Himself or produced under His direction; that is to say, the Bible’s author is not ‘God,’ but ‘man.’ It is called the ‘Holy’ Bible, which is only a respectful title man gives to it. Jesus and Jehovah did not confer with each other and then decide to call it that; the idea came just from man. For it was not written by Jehovah, much less by Jesus, but rather by many prophets of old, apostles, and foretellers, whose writings were assembled by later generations into a book that was ancient and was seen as very holy, and as containing many unfathomable and profound mysteries to be unraveled by generations to come. So people came to further regard the Bible as a ‘heavenly book,’ and with the Four Gospels and the Revelation of the New Testament added in, people began to see it, to an even greater degree, as a book different from any other. Thus no one dared dissect this ‘heavenly book’ because it was too ‘holy.’” “Although the Bible is a history book written by human beings, it records the principles by which many of the ancient saints and prophets served God, as well as the apostles’ experiences of serving Him in more recent times, which are real seeing and knowledge that can serve as a reference for people seeking the true way in the present age. So, one can find many ways of life in the Bible that cannot be found in other books. Because they are all the ways of life given to generations of prophets and apostles through their experience of the Holy Spirit’s work, and because much of this language is of great value to people and gives them necessary sustenance, it is a book that everyone is eager to read. And because there are so many secrets hidden in the Bible, people regard it differently than they do any other writing by great spiritual men. By recording the experiences and knowledge of those who served Jehovah and Jesus in the old and new ages, the Bible has given much inspiration, illumination, and many ways of practice to later generations. The reason that the Bible surpasses the writings of other great spiritual men is that their writings all draw their material from the Bible, and their experiences all stem from the Bible and are directed toward interpreting it. So even though people could draw sustenance from the books of any great spiritual man, they still worship the Bible, for they regard it as ever so lofty and profound. Some books of the Bible, like the letters of Peter and Paul, carry the word of life and can be a source of help and sustenance. But nevertheless they are out of date; they are writings of a past age. No matter how good they are, they are applicable only to one period of time, and will not last forever. For God’s work is always moving forward, it is not frozen in time at the age of Paul and Peter, will not remain forever fixed at the Age of Grace in which Jesus was crucified. So, these books are applicable only to the Age of Grace, not to the final Age of Kingdom; they were able to provide sustenance only to believers in the Age of Grace, and cannot do the same for the saints of the Age of Kingdom. No matter how good these books may be, they are obsolete now. It is the same with Jehovah’s creation of the world and His work in Israel; no matter how good the work was, there would come a time when it was no longer applicable, when it became a thing of the past. It is also the same with God’s work; no matter how good it is, it will eventually come to an end, and cannot remain frozen forever at His creation or His crucifixion. No matter how persuasive His crucifixion was, no matter how effective it was at defeating Satan, work is work, and the times are the times; the work must progress past its foundation, and times must change. For just as surely as the world was created, it will come to an end—this is inevitable. So taken in the context of today, the ‘word of life’ contained in the New Testament, the Four Gospels and the Letters of the Apostles, is just a history book, a stack of yellowed pages. How can a stack of yellowed pages lead mankind into a new era? No matter how able they were to give life, no matter how able they were to bring mankind before the cross, are they not still a thing of the past? Are they not worthless today, then? So I say to you, you must no longer put blind faith in yellowed pages—they are too ‘old,’ they cannot lead you into the new work, they will only be an encumbrance to you. Not only will they not bring you into the new work, into the new entering, but they will lead you back into the old religious temple. For you who believe in God, is this not a step backward?” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh)

After reading God’s word, I know that the Bible is a history book written by human beings, which records the two stages of work God did. The Old Testament describes Jehovah’s work in the Age of Law, while the New Testament describes Jesus’ work in the Age of Grace. Through the Bible, man can know God’s work, and draw sustenance from God’s deeds, God’s word, and former apostles’ and prophets’ experiences of serving God. This is the reason why the Bible can influence many social fields. However, no matter how holy the Bible is, it can provide sustenance only to people at that time, and cannot provide life for people of present day. So, when God carries out a new work, only if man keeps pace with God’s newest work can they receive the new sustenance of God. Now, the entire religious world is in the situation of committing sins in the day and confessing them in the evening, and the Bible can no longer give people what they need in life. And it is necessary for man to lay aside the Bible and accept the truth expressed by Almighty God in the last days, which is recorded in the book “The Word Appears in the Flesh.” The book is filled with the word of life Almighty God expresses to judge and purify people according to what they need in the last days, and is the only path by which people shall be saved and know God. Just as Almighty God says, “Christ of the last days brings life, and brings the enduring and everlasting way of truth. This truth is the path through which man shall gain life, and the only path by which man shall know God and be approved by God.” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh) If man can’t treat the Bible properly, stop blindly worshipping the Bible, or accept the word of truth uttered from Almighty God’s mouth, he will miss the opportunity to be perfected by God. Would that not be a great pity?

Source: http://www.findshepherd.com/the-bible.html

Seek and You Shall Find

I was born into an ordinary peasant family. I believed in the Lord Jesus because of illness at the age of 49. As I read in the Bible that the Lord could make the dumb speak and the paralytic walk, I often prayed to Him and asked Him to heal my illness. Unknowingly, my heart disease was healed, and I was getting stronger by the day. I thought, “So many people have spent a lot of money on their heart disease but to no avail. Mine is healed thanks to the power of the Lord. I must follow Him firmly.” At that time, I had a great faith. Unable to afford the carfares, I, together with several sisters, got up early and walked to meeting places, and I was never absent regardless of wind or rain. When I had time, I also went out to preach the gospel to repay the Lord’s love for me.

Several years passed in a flash. Then, gradually I found that every time we came to the meetings, Brother Shi, the preacher of our church, always gave us messages on Genesis. He preached repeatedly on what God made on the first day, on the second day … on the sixth day. In the afternoon, the elder would teach us to recite the Bible verses. He also asked us to recite some verses at home. He said that only by doing so could we remember the words of the Lord and have eternal life. After returning home, I recited the verses every day. Sometimes for fear of failing to recite them in the next meeting, I even wrote them on my hands to have a look at them at times of forgetting. However, I still failed to recite them when the elder asked me to do so in the meetings. The other brothers and sisters were the same with me. As time went on, we believers began to feel bored and said it was useless and very tiring to recite the Bible verses. Everyone complained. Once, in a meeting, Brother Shi walked onto the pulpit, and he started to preach on Genesis again. My heart sank at what he preached, and I thought, “Why can’t he preach something new? Every time I gain nothing after a whole day of meeting. I have left a pile of work undone at home and sometimes cannot cook in time for my husband. All I wish is to understand and gain something here, but I don’t gain anything.” As I thought of this, I really couldn’t bear it anymore. So I nerved myself to walk up to the pulpit and asked Brother Shi if he could preach something deeper. He said with his head down, “Auntie, to be honest, I can preach nothing more than this; otherwise, would I not have given a deeper preaching?” I felt so bad to hear his words, but I could do nothing other than go back to my seat. Thus, the meeting attendance gradually dropped off. Whenever I looked at the empty gathering place, I felt so awful. I came before the Lord and prayed tearfully, “O Lord! Why is the church like this now? Why have we completely lost our former enthusiasm? I don’t know where the brothers and sisters have gone. Besides, the preacher is unable to deliver good sermons. Have You forsaken us? O Lord! Where are You? Please guide me!” After the prayer, I suddenly remembered the hymn “Many Crowd the Savior’s Kingdom.” I thought, “Have those brothers and sisters who are absent from the meetings all entered the kingdom?” This thought made me somewhat anxious. So I began to ask where those brothers and sisters had gone, but nobody could give me the answer.

One day during a meeting, a young sister came to the gathering place, breathless, and she told the elder that her two elder sisters had accepted the “Eastern Lightning.” The elder was anxious at hearing it, and he said, “What? They have stolen all our good sheep. We must go to drag your sisters back!” With that he took Deacon Sun on his motorcycle and left. At the time of the next meeting, I came to the gathering place early. As I approached the gate, I saw both the elder and Deacon Sun sitting inside the gate with a book in their hands and reading it with interest. When I saw The Scroll Opened by the Lamb on the cover of the book held by Deacon Sun, I thought, “This book must have been taken from the two sisters who investigated the ‘Eastern Lightning.’ What is written in it?” Then I suddenly remembered what Revelation 5:1 said, “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” “Can this book be the one spoken of in Revelation? Doesn’t the Lamb refer to God? Only the Lamb is worthy to open the book. So, doesn’t this prove that the Lord has come back?” I thought. Then, I heard the elder say, “This book is so good. No wonder those who have read it are unwilling to come out of the ‘Eastern Lightning.’ Did you remember that those two sisters cried when we took the books away from them? No wonder they cried; no man is capable of speaking the words in this book. They are truly the words of God!” Deacon Sun said with a smile, “I have yet to finish it, but it is indeed a good book.” When I heard what they said, my heart leaped with excitement. “Has God really come? Will they lend this book to me?” As I thought of this, I heard the elder whisper to Deacon Sun, “We should hide these books. Don’t let the brothers and sisters see them. If they know this book is so good, they will all go to the Church of Almighty God. Won’t our church be finished then?” With that, they both closed the book and went into their rooms. At those words, my joyful heart sank in an instant, and I thought, “All is over. They will certainly not lend the book to me. Where can I get the book?” Then I thought, “After reading this book, they both said it was good and firmly believed that the words in it are the words of God, but they actually would not let the brothers and sisters know that. They even deceive us by saying that outside our church there are too many people preaching false ways, and forbid us to go out to seek the truth. Are they not hindering us from accepting the true way? Why are their hearts so malicious? Won’t I be ruined by them if I continue to stay here? No, I have to go out quickly to look for a copy of this book.” I came before the Lord and prayed to Him, “O Lord, I know You have come back, but I have no idea where You are now. My heart is longing desperately to receive life and Your provision, but the elder and the deacon of the church are so malicious that they won’t let us see that book. O Lord, Where can I find a copy of it? May You guide me.”

I went with an eager heart to a church by bus which I had previously known of, expecting to find the book there. I walked toward a sister and sat down beside her and asked, “Sister, have you ever seen a book named The Scroll Opened by the Lamb?” She took a look at me and said, “No, I haven’t. We all read the Bible.” I was very disappointed at her words. After I came back home, I thought, “This small place does not have the book. I will go to a big city to look for it.” Having made some inquiries, I learned that there was a big church in some city, so I went there by train. After getting off the train, I found the church through difficulty. There were more than one thousand people there. The scene was very impressive. Hurriedly, I squeezed myself on to a seat in the middle of a row, hoping to hear of the book there. However, I saw all the brothers and sisters take out a Bible from their bags. And also I didn’t hear the pastor preach anything new. So I left sadly. I got home, exhausted, and I knelt down and prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, how I long to find You! O Lord, where are You?” After the prayer, the words in Matthew 7:13-14 came into my mind: “Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it.” Therefore, I went to a house church called The Sanctified. In the meeting, many believers looked at me with a strange eye, guarding against me as if I were a bad person. At the time, I was very sad, and my tears of grievance began to pour down my face. When I listened to the message, I found it was the same as that in our church, which was also on some Bible verses. I felt especially disappointed then, thinking, “I have been to several churches but have not found the book.” Helplessly, I returned to my former denomination with my bag. However, I never forgot the book The Scroll Opened by the Lamb. I often prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, now I am thirsty and hungry. I only heard that You have returned. I have looked for You for over a month, but I haven’t found You. O Lord, where are You? …”

Over two months later, I dropped in on my sister-in-law. Hardly had I entered her house and sat down when a woman and three men came. To judge from their dress, they were quite decent and upright. My sister-in-law had a word with them in the outside room, and then she let them in. I hastened to invite them to be seated, and they nodded at me politely. Judging by their manners, they seemed to be believers in the Lord. So I asked, “I guess you are also believers in the Lord, right? What denomination are you from?” A man said, “Yes. We are from the Church of Almighty God.” When I heard the Church of Almighty God, I was so pleased, thinking, “Isn’t it the Church of Almighty God our elder and deacon spoke of?” The brother noticed my expression, and he continued, “The Lord Jesus has returned to flesh and done a new work. He works and speaks under the name of Almighty God, and He has expressed millions of words and disclosed all mysteries.” With that, he took a book out of his bag and gave it to me. I took it from him and found it was just the book The Scroll Opened by the Lamb that I had been earnestly looking for. I was so excited as to hold it to my chest and grin from ear to ear. I said to the brothers and sisters with emotion, “I have nearly broken my neck looking for this book. I have known for some time that the Lord has come back. The elder of our church already got a copy of this book. But he didn’t let the brothers and sisters read it for fear that they would all go to the Church of Almighty God once they read. So I had to search for it everywhere. Today I have finally found it! I am really grateful to the Lord!” At that moment, tears blurred my eyes, and all the brothers and sisters there were very delighted too. With tears in their eyes, they said, “Amen! God is faithful, for the Lord Jesus said, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you’ (Matthew 7:7).” Then, they testified to me the work of Almighty God—the returned Lord Jesus—in the last days. A young brother read me a passage of God’s word: “The work done at present has pushed forward the work of the Age of Grace; that is, the work in the entire six-thousand-year management plan has moved forward. Though the Age of Grace has ended, the work of God has progressed further. Why do I say time and again that this stage of work builds upon the Age of Grace and the Age of Law? This means that the work of this day is a continuation of the work done in the Age of Grace and an uplifting of that done in the Age of Law. The three stages are closely interconnected and linked one to the next. Why do I also say that this stage of work builds on that done by Jesus? If this stage did not build on the work done by Jesus, then in this stage the crucifixion, the work of redemption done previously, would still need to be carried out. This would be meaningless. Therefore, it is not that the work has completely finished, but that the age has moved forward, and the work has become even higher than before. It could be said that this stage of work is built on the foundation of the Age of Law and the rock of the work of Jesus. The work is built stage by stage, and this stage is not a new beginning. Only the combination of the three stages of work can be deemed the six-thousand-year management plan” (“The Two Incarnations Complete the Significance of the Incarnation” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). After the young brother finished reading these words, he fellowshiped, “Auntie, the three stages of God’s work are complementary and none of them is dispensable. They are imbued with God’s kind and thoughtful intentions….” He fellowshiped with me about the three stages of God’s work from beginning to end, including the work done by God and the names of God in the Age of Law, the Age of Grace, and the Age of Kingdom, and the significance of each stage of God’s work. His extremely clear fellowship was like a breath of fresh air to me. I thought, “What the elder of our church talks of is obsolete, which cannot supply our life at all, but what this young brother has fellowshiped is something new. It is so good and I have really received supply from him.” So I asked with a smile, “Brother, how many years have you believed in Almighty God? Why do you know so many things?” He replied sincerely, “I have just believed in Almighty God for two years, and I know all these from His words. If you read His words, you will know them too.” Then, they fellowshiped about many truths with me, allowing me to have more understanding of the three stages of God’s work, especially His work in the Age of Kingdom.

Back home, I began to read the words of Almighty God voraciously. Almighty God says: “The first part of this book is the words of the Spirit to the churches. These words represent the transition from the end of the Age of Grace to the beginning of the Age of Kingdom, and are the Spirit’s public testimony of the Son of man to the churches. They are also fulfillment of the words in Revelation that ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches.’ This is the work that God began in the Age of Kingdom. The second part of this book is the words personally spoken by the Son of man after He officially revealed Himself. It includes a rich content of several types of utterances and words such as prophecy, the revelation of mysteries, and the way of life. There are predictions for the future of the kingdom, revelations of the mysteries of God’s management plan, dissections of the nature of man, exhortations and warnings, severe judgments, heartfelt words of consolation, talk of life, talk of entry, and so on. In short, what God has, what He is, and the disposition of God are all expressed in His work and words. Of course, when God becomes flesh this time, His work is to express His disposition, primarily through chastisement and judgment. Using this as the foundation, He brings more truth to man, shows more ways of practice, and so achieves His objective of conquering man and saving man from his corrupt disposition. This is what lies behind the work of God in the Age of Kingdom. Do you wish to enter the new age? Do you wish to rid yourself of corrupt disposition? Do you wish to obtain higher truth? Do you wish to see the true face of the Son of man? Do you wish to live a life that is worthwhile? Do you wish to be made perfect by God? Then, how will you welcome the return of Jesus?” (Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh). After reading these words, I couldn’t help but utter praises from my heart: “The words in this book are truly the utterances of God Himself—this is absolutely right! Only God Himself is capable of expressing all these truths. God’s words are so tender that I feel as if I saw God’s face when reading them.” I was thankful to have found this book, and I read it every day and could hardly bear to tear myself away from it. In twenty one days, I read it through twice. Every word of God has touched my heart, nourished my spirit and quenched the thirst in it, and God’s words have also led me to keep up with His work of the last days. May all the glory be to Almighty God!

Source: https://www.findshepherd.com/seek-and-you-shall-find.html

Judgment Is Not Condemnation

In 2015, I was sent to work in another city by my unit. At that time, because of being stuck at work, I could not go to church every Sunday. After getting married, my husband was an unbeliever and I just arrived in a new environment, so I lost the life of fellowship. Afterward, my parents passed away and I also remained sick without improvement. I then unconsciously lost confidence in the Lord, prayed less than I used to and often lived in weakness. Even though I was busy all the time, I felt particularly empty.

In April of 2016, I had flatulence and it got more and more severe that I even put on my clothes with great difficulties. One of my fellow believers recommended Doctor Zheng to treat me. During the treatment, apart from prescribing medicines for me, Doctor Zheng told me that God is an almighty doctor and is man’s refuge and that I should rely on God and have faith in the trial given by Him. From our casual conversations, I thought he understood the Bible rather well. So I spoke to him that we were unable to feel God’s blessing and presence during meetings, fewer and fewer believers came to attend meetings, my spirit was particularly weak, and I was the target of the pastor’s cultivation before, but I didn’t even have the confidence to have meetings. Doctor Zheng told me that the situation in his former church was the same: The communications were dull and dry during meetings and believers couldn’t feel the presence of the Lord in prayer. But later, he found the place where there was the work of the Holy Spirit, and kept up with God’s footsteps, and thereby saw the light again in darkness. Brother Zheng said with delight, “The Lord Jesus has come back. He has already expressed words and done the work of judgment beginning with the house of God.” Upon hearing this, I was shocked and said, “The Lord has come back? How could it be possible? I have read the Bible for more than twenty years. We Christians are all waiting for the Lord to collect us to heavenly home upon a white cloud. The Bible says clearly, ‘…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven’ (Act 1:11). Now we haven’t seen the signs of the Lord’s coming riding upon a white cloud. How could the Lord possibly have come back? Brother, have you gone the wrong way?”

The Hymn of Life Experience “The Happiness in the Good Land of Canaan” | The Church of Almighty God

The Happiness in the Good Land of Canaan

I’ve returned to God’s family, excited and happy.
My hands hold my beloved, my heart belongs to Him.
Though I’ve passed through the Vale of Tears, I’ve seen God’s loveliness.
My love for God grows day by day, God is the source of my joy.
Bewitched by the beauty of God, my heart is attached to Him.
I can never love God enough, songs of praise well up in my heart.
Bewitched by the beauty of God, my heart is attached to Him.
I can never love God enough, songs of praise well up in my heart.

I
In this blessed land of Canaan, all is fresh, all is new,
brimming with the vital force of life.
Living water flows from practical God, makes me provisioned with life.
I can enjoy blessings from heaven, no more to seek, to search, to yearn.
I am arrived in Canaan’s blessed land, beyond compare is my joy!
My love for God brings me endless strength.
Sounds of praise soar up into the sky, telling Him my love within.
How beautiful my beloved is! His beauty captures my heart.
Fragrance of my beloved makes me feel hard to leave Him.

II
The stars are smiling at me in the sky, the sun is nodding to me from above.
With sunshine, with rain and dew, fruit of life grows firm and ripe.
God’s words, abundant and rich, bring sweet feast to us.
God’s ample and full provision makes us satisfied.
Canaan’s land, the world of God’s words; His love brings us unending joy.
Canaan’s land, the world of God’s words; His love brings us unending joy.
Fragrance of fruits fills the air.
If you live here for a few days, you will love it more than anything.
Never will you want to leave.

III
The silver moon radiates her light. Good and happy, it is my life.
The beloved One in my heart, Your loveliness is beyond all words.
My heart’s in sweet love with You, I just can’t help but leap for joy.
You are always in my heart, I will be with You all my life.
My heart longs for You all the time; loving You delights my heart every day.
O the beloved in my heart! I’ve given all my love to You.
My heart longs for You all the time; loving You delights my heart every day.
O the beloved in my heart! I’ve given all my love to You.

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

Eastern Lightning | The Church of Almighty God came into being because of the work of the returned Lord Jesus—Almighty God, Christ of the last days in China, and it isn’t established by any person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. After reading God’s word, you will see that God has appeared.

Sing and Dance Joyfully to Praise God | “All Nations and All Peoples Praise Almighty God” (MV)

All Nations and All Peoples Praise Almighty God

God was incarnated as Almighty God, expressing the truth to judge and purify man.
Now God has gained victory over the forces of Satan, God has conquered and gained a group of people.
Praise God, almighty and wise, He has defeated Satan.
Praise God, His righteous disposition has been completely revealed.
All come to praise Almighty God, the lovely and practical God.
We praise God, humble and hidden, He is so lovely!
Praise You, Almighty God (praise God)! All come to praise You (praise You)!
Praise You, Almighty God! All come to praise You!

All countries and all lands praise Almighty God,
all nations and all peoples praise Almighty God (praise God).
Sing and dance joyfully to praise Almighty God.
The waves of the sea praise Almighty God (praise God).
Birds in the air praise Almighty God. The universe and expanse praises Almighty God.
All things created by God praise Almighty God.
Praise You, Almighty God! All come to praise You!
All nations and all peoples praise You!
Praise You, Almighty God! (Praise You, Almighty God!)
All come to praise You! (All come to praise You!)
All nations and all peoples praise You!
Praise You (praise You)! Praise Almighty God!

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

Eastern Lightning | The Church of Almighty God came into being because of the work of the returned Lord Jesus—the end-time Christ, “Almighty God”—in China, and it isn’t established by any person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. After reading God’s word, you will see that God has appeared.

Deliverance From the Desperate Straits

In the early 1980s, I was in my 30s and worked in a construction company. As I was young, strong, and honest and had a perfect mastery of building technology, I believed that I would surely be able to accomplish something in the company and live a life better than others’ as long as I was conscientious in my work. I worked in this company for several years, but I was puzzled that although my behavior was faultless and my technical level was unquestionable, my efforts were not approved, for my grade on the pay scale had always been Grade III, which was far from Grade VI, the top of the pay scale of the company for the staff. Seeing my junior workmates inferior to me in technical level were all promoted on the pay scale, I felt so confused. Later, a workmate who was on good terms with me gave me advice with a smile, “The most important thing for you to do in this company is to have a close relationship with the manager. At least you should show regard for him at every festival and at New Year.” When I knew this, I felt very annoyed, for I disliked those bootlickers and detested those who didn’t labor but could be promoted on the pay scale by fair means or foul. But in order to establish myself in the company, I had to adapt to this hidden rule. At New Year, I showed my “regard” for the manager of our company, and he immediately promoted me to foreman.

After I became a foreman, I took the responsibility of the job more seriously. I exercised a close supervision over and gave strict instruction in the building of the projects and the construction quality, and cared for the safety of the team members all the time. My behavior and technical instruction won the approval of all the team members. So I thought that the company would approve of me and put me in an important position because of my endeavors. However, the reality countered my conception, for the reappointment of a person as foreman in the company was determined by the value of the gift that he sent to the manager. So, as I had experienced such a rule of survival last time, I complied with it again in order to continue to survive in the company. I gained a profound understanding of the real meaning of the phrase “survival of the fittest in natural selection.”