Christian Life | A Restaurant’s Harvest

Ming Zhen

Cong Xin worked as a waitress in a restaurant, and she had always been a conscientious worker. But for some reason, the manager had recently started to lose his temper with her indiscriminately. Ever since she was small, Cong Xin had always wanted to excel and to do her best at everything she did, and even her stepfather very seldom spoke ill of her. But now she had to face the restaurant manager who was purposefully making things difficult for her. So many times, Cong Xin had wanted to get into a blazing row with him, but when she thought of how she was a believer in God and that she must be someone with humanity and reason, she would realize that she could no longer act however she wished, as she had done before she believed in God. Therefore, whenever the manager got angry at her, Cong Xin prayed in her heart: “O God! You permit this current situation to happen, and I pray that You keep me from getting hot-blooded, and from doing anything that brings shame to Your name or that makes me Satan’s laughingstock.” After praying, her heart would become a little calmer.

The Practice of Seeking the Truth | Eastern Lightning

A Hymn of God's Words
The Practice of Seeking the Truth

I

In all you encounter,

know which parts of the truth

relate to what's in front of you.

If you pursue God's will

without knowing the truth,

it's fruitless and blind,

will lead to nothing.

Does your state play a part

in how you understand truth?

Do you wonder in encounters

which truth rings true?

The Real Meaning of “Rebellion Against God” | Eastern Lightning

46. The Real Meaning of “Rebellion Against God”

Zhang Jun    Shenyang City, Liaoning Province

The Real Meaning of “Rebellion Against God” | Eastern Lightning

In the past, I believed that “rebellion against God” meant betraying God, leaving the church, or walking away from one’s duty. I thought these behaviors constituted rebellion. Therefore, whenever I heard of people engaging in such behaviors, I would remind myself that I should not rebel against God as they did. Furthermore, I was cautious in all my endeavors and abided by all the tasks assigned to me by the church. I neither retreated from my duty when I was dealt with and pruned nor withdrew from the church when I was tried, regardless of the hardship. Thus, I believed that I never rebelled against God. I felt that I had already acquired some stature and was confident that I would follow God until the end and ultimately achieve salvation.

My Life Principles Left Me Damaged | Eastern Lightning

45. My Life Principles Left Me Damaged

Changkai    Benxi City, Liaoning Province

Picture of the Church of Almighty God

The common phrase “All lay loads on the willing horse” is one with which I am all too personally familiar. My husband and I were all particularly guileless people: When it came to matters that involved our own personal benefit or loss, we weren’t the type to haggle and fuss with others. Where we could be forbearing we were forbearing, where we could be accommodating we also did our best to be accommodating. As a result, we often found ourselves cheated and abused by others. It really seemed that in life, “All lay loads on the willing horse”—if you have too much kindness in your heart, if you’re too accommodating and modest in your affairs, you’re very liable to be cheated. With these thoughts in mind, I resolved to not subject myself to all this abuse and live in frustration anymore: In future matters and in dealings with others, I vow not to be too accommodating. Even after I accepted Almighty God’s work, I still applied this principle in conducting my behavior and interactions with others.