I’m a sailor. I learned about the Bible from abroad in the middle 90’s, and loved reading the Bible. But because of my job, I never attended meetings. That, however, made no difference to my faith in the Lord. Through reading the Bible, I was fascinated by the kingdom of heaven mentioned many times by the Lord Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, and knew by heart many verses about it. For example, “Repent you: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). “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).
The Four Basic Aspects Christians Should Enter Into to Live Out Normal Humanity
By Shicheng
As a Christian, we all know that we should live out normal humanity. When interacting with brothers and sisters, we should love each other, understand, forbear and forgive each other, and help each other. This is the Lord’s requirement for every Christian and also what we should practice. Thank the Lord for His guidance! Regarding this topic, I’ll talk about my understanding. In my opinion, there are four basic aspects that we should enter into to live out normal humanity. The first aspect is that brothers and sisters should love each other. Second, we should deal with others with wisdom. Third, we should correctly view others’ merits and shortcomings, neither overestimating nor underestimating others. Fourth, we should also possess conscience, reason, and integrity in interacting with others. If we can practice and enter into these four aspects, then we will meet the basic conditions for living out of the normal humanity Christians should possess. Now, let’s talk about the four aspects in detail.
Can All the Believers in God Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
By Zhang Min
I saw the Lord Jesus said in the Bible, “Many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23). Every time I read these verses, I would be puzzled: Since we believed inm the Lord, we’ve suffered much and paid the price in preaching the Lord’s gospel. We’ve shepherded the Lord’s flock, taken up the cross and followed the Lord, practiced humbleness, patience and tolerance. Have we not been following the Lord’s will? Is our practice of God’s word wrong? Why did the Lord say that He never knew these people and condemn them as evildoers in the end? What, after all, are the Lord’s intentions?
Is Jesus Really God? Why Did He Pray to God of Heaven?
By Zhen Xin
We all know that the Lord Jesus was incarnated and performed the redemptive work, and all who believe in the Lord affirm that the Lord Jesus is the Savior. However, the Bible records that after the Lord Jesus was baptized, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord Jesus like a dove, a voice said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This is the Holy Spirit bearing witness that the Lord Jesus is God’s beloved Son. Besides, the Lord Jesus prayed before the crucifixion, saying: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). These all prove that the Lord Jesus is clearly God’s Son. So, here is the question: Is the Lord Jesus really God or the Son of God? If He is God, then why did He pray to God of heaven?
7. I Shed Remorseful Tears Before the Almighty God
I. Having Listened to the Rumors and Believed the Lies, I Blindly Resisted God;
For “Guarding the Church” and “Defending the Way,” I Shut Out the Lord.
Wang Haijun
Shenyang City, Liaoning Province
Picture of the Church of Almighty God
I am Wang Haijun, formerly a preacher in the “Justification by Faith Church.” Like other brothers and sisters, I believed in God for the purpose of going to heaven and gaining eternal life, and I served God for the purpose of gaining the crown of righteousness. While I was earnestly expecting the Lord to return to reward me, I actually shut the door on the Lord and became one who resisted God, because I was foolish and ignorant and believed the rumors.
In the Age of Grace, God incarnate was nailed to the cross, taking upon Himself the sins of man and completing the work of redeeming mankind. In the last days, God has once again incarnated to express the truth and to thoroughly purify and save man. So why does God need to incarnate twice to do the work of the salvation of man? Almighty God says, "The first incarnation was to redeem man from sin through the flesh of Jesus, that is, He saved man from the cross, but the corrupt satanic disposition still remained within man. The second incarnation is no longer to serve as a sin offering but to fully save those who were redeemed from sin. This is done so that those forgiven can be delivered from their sins and be fully made clean, and attain a change in disposition, thereby breaking free of Satan's influence of darkness and returning before the throne of God. Only in this way can man be fully sanctified. ... The second incarnation is sufficient to get rid of the sins of man and fully purify man. Hence, the second incarnation will bring to a close all the work of God in the flesh and complete the significance of God's incarnation" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Almighty God says, "The Spirit within Jesus, the Spirit in heaven, and the Spirit of Jehovah are all one. It can be called the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the sevenfold intensified Spirit, and the all-inclusive Spirit. The Spirit of God alone can carry out much work. He is able to create the world and destroy it by flooding the earth; He can redeem all mankind, and moreover, conquer and destroy all mankind. This work is all carried out by God Himself and cannot have been done by any other of the persons of God in His stead. His Spirit can be called by the name of Jehovah and Jesus, as well as the Almighty. He is the Lord, and Christ. He can also become the Son of man. He is in the heavens and also on the earth; He is on high above the universes and among the multitude. He is the only Master of the heavens and earth!"
That God has become flesh shakes the religious world, upsets the religious order, and stirs up the souls of all who long for God's appearance. Who does not marvel at this? Who does not long to see God? God has spent years among man, but man is simply unaware of this. Today, God Himself has appeared to renew His old love with man.
One day, I saw this following passage of God’s word in the piece “How Peter Came to Know Jesus”: “Over the time he followed Jesus, Peter observed and took to heart everything about His life: His actions, words, movements, and expressions. … From his time in contact with Jesus, Peter also realized that His character was different from that of an ordinary man.
The year 1991 is of great and far-reaching significance to the whole mankind who are deeply corrupted. In that year, all those who devoutly believed in the Lord and thirsted for the truth finally welcomed the appearing of the Savior Jesus. He is Almighty God who is incarnated in the end time. Almighty God’s coming countered everyone’s notions, because he didn’t descend in Israel on the white cloud or publicly appear to all nations and all peoples.
Su Mingyue was a preacher of a house church in mainland China. For many years, she had been godly in her service to the Lord, unremittingly working and preaching for the Lord and much burdened for the church work. Based on Paul's words in the Bible, she thought that believers in the Lord have already been justified through faith and saved through grace.
The old age is gone, and the new age has come. Year after year and day after day, God has done much work. He came into the world and then in turn departed. Such a cycle has continued on through many generations. This day, God continues to do as before the work that He must, the work that He has yet to complete, for to this day He has yet to enter into rest. From the time of creation to this day, God has done much work, but did you know that the work God does this day is much more than before and the scale much greater? This is why I say that God has done a great thing among men. All of God’s work is very important, be it to man or to God, for every item of His work is related to man.
All men wish to see the true countenance of Jesus and desire to be with Him. I believe that not one of the brothers or sisters would say that he is unwilling to see or to be with Jesus. Before you have seen Jesus, that is, before you have seen the incarnate God, you will have many thoughts, for example, about Jesus’ appearance, His way of speaking, His way of life, and so on. However, when you really see Him, your thoughts will swiftly change. Why is this? Do you wish to know?
Mankind and the universe are woven into the Creator's design. Mankind and the universe are woven into the Creator's design. Tied to His workings, they are held within His sway. The laws of science and nature reveal how He works and rules. And the struggle to survive shows His supremacy. Yes, the fates of all things; yes, the fates of all things; yes, the fates of all things show His sovereign control.
People often say that "Storms gather without warning and misfortune befalls men overnight." In our present age of rapidly expanding science, modern transportation and material wealth, the disasters that are happening all around us increase each day. When we flip open the newspaper or turn on the TV, what we mainly see is: wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, fires, floods, air crashes, mining disasters, societal unrest, violent conflicts, terrorist attacks etc. All we see are natural calamities and man-made disasters. These disasters are frequently occurring and they are becoming increasingly intense. This onslaught of disaster brings with it suffering, blood, maiming and death. Misfortunes occur around us at all times, emphasizing the brevity and frailness of life. We have no way of predicting what kind of disasters we will encounter in the future. Moreover, we do not know what course of action we should take. As members of mankind, what should we do to break free from these disasters? In this program, you will find out the answer. You will find out the only way to receive God's protection so that you can survive the impending disasters.
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Do you wish to see Jesus? Do you wish to live with Jesus? Do you wish to hear the words spoken by Jesus? If so, then how will you welcome the return of Jesus? Are you fully prepared? In what manner will you welcome Jesus’ return? I think that every brother and sister who follows Jesus would like to give Jesus a good welcome.
Though many people believe in God, few understand what faith in God means, and what they must do to be after God’s heart. This is because, though people are familiar with the word “God” and phrases such as “the work of God,” they do not know God, much less do they know His work. No wonder, then, that all those who do not know God are possessed of a muddled belief.
Like hundreds of millions of other followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we abide by the laws and commandments of the Bible, enjoy the abundant grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and gather together, pray, praise, and serve in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—and all this we do under the care and protection of the Lord. We are often weak, and often strong.
God’s six-thousand-year management plan is coming to an end, and the gate of the kingdom has been opened to all those who seek the appearance of God. Dear brothers and sisters, what are you waiting for? What is it that you seek? Do you await the appearance of God? Are you searching for the footprints of God? How the appearance of God is yearned for! And how difficult it is to find God’s footprints!
