What Is the Nature of God’s Love?

41. What Is the Nature of God’s Love?

Siqiu    Suihua City, Heilongjiang Province

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Whenever I see the following passage of God’s word, “If you’ve always been very loyal and loving toward Me, yet you suffer the torment of illness, the constraints of life, and the abandonment of your friends and relatives or endure any other misfortunes in life, then will your loyalty and love for Me still continue?” (“A Very Serious Problem: Betrayal (2)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I feel particularly unhappy—a sense of misery creeps up within me and my heart speaks its voiceless grievance: Dear God, how iblcan You allow those that are loyal to You and love You to meet with such misfortune? As a result, I’ve had a hard time understanding the meaning of the man used by the Holy Spirit who said, “God’s last demand of man is loving and sincere.”

A Hymn of God's Words God's Glory Rests on All Creations

A Hymn of God's Words
God's Glory Rests on All Creations

I
Today is not like before,
as God smiles from His throne.
His people, whom He's conquered,
bow and worship Him.
His people of today
are not those before.
Is God's work not for the present
and His glory?
Doubling His effort,
God's work is made plain
for a brighter tomorrow,
when His glory rests on man
whom He's created.

Walking Down the Bright Path of Life | Eastern lightning

Walking Down the Bright Path of Life

Xie Li, America

I used to be someone who would chase after the trends of the world, I wanted to abandon myself to a life of pleasure, and I just cared about the pleasures of the flesh. I would often go with my friends to KTV all night long, I would go for joyrides in the middle of the night, I would go fishing out on the ocean, and travel all around in search of fine foods. I’d see others around me, and they too were all striving to eat well, wear nice things, and enjoy good things. I felt that these were the things that a man must work for in his life, that this is why you must work hard to earn money, that this is the goal in life that everyone should have. Only with these things would life not be in vain. In order to obtain these things, I didn’t care what distance I had to travel, so I crossed the ocean to come to America, and after struggling for several years, I opened my own business. I had my own car and my own house. I was living the blessed life that I had dreamed about. Every day I would eat, drink and pursue pleasures until I was full and my heart was content. I thought that it was only by living in this way that life had any meaning, and that is until I received the work of Almighty God in the last days. Only after experiencing the judgment and chastisement of God did I become aware of what a truly significant life is, and then I set out walking down the bright path of life.

There Is Great Happiness in Honesty | Eastern Lightning

40. There Is Great Happiness in Honesty

Gan’en    Hefei City, Anhui Province

In my life, I’ve always gone by the phrase, “One shouldn’t have the heart to harm others, but must be vigilant so as not to be harmed” in social interaction. I never grant my trust to others lightly. I’ve always felt that in situations where you don’t know someone’s true intentions, you shouldn’t show your hand too soon. Thus, it’s enough to keep a peaceful attitude—in this way you protect yourself and will be thought of by your peers as a “good person.”

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A Hymn of God's Words Fulfilling One's Duty Is the Mission of Each Creature

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A Hymn of God's Words
Fulfilling One's Duty
Is the Mission of Each Creature

I

Man's duty has nothing to do

with him

being blessed or being cursed.

His duty is what he should fulfill

without payment or conditions.

"Blessed" means to enjoy goodness

after man's judged and made perfect.

"Cursed" means he who fails

to change his disposition

will suffer from punishment.

Man should fulfill his duty.

He should do what he can do,

whether he is blessed,

whether he's cursed.

This makes him a pursuer,

this makes him a pursuer of God.

This makes him a pursuer of God.

Using God’s Word as a Mirror | Eastern Lightning

39. Using God’s Word as a Mirror

Wu Xia    Linyi City, Shandong Province

After accepting this work and eating and drinking the word of God, it became obvious to me that it is very important that I understand myself. Consequently, while eating and drinking the word of God, I made sure to cross-check myself against the word by which God exposes man. In most cases, I was able to recognize my deficiencies and inadequacies. I felt that I would really come to understand myself. Yet, it was only through a revelation from God that I was able to see that I did not truly understand myself according to God’s word.

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The Secret Held Deep Within My Heart | Eastern Lightning

38. The Secret Held Deep Within My Heart

Wuzhi    Linyi City, Shandong Province

In the spring of 2006, I was stripped of my position as leader and sent back to where I had come from because I was considered too much of a “yes-man.” When I first got back, I plunged into a crucible of torment and agony. I never thought that after years of leadership things would go downhill on account of being a “yes-man.” This was the end for me, I thought, everyone familiar with me would know of my failure and I would be held up as a bad example in the church. How could I face others after all this? The more I thought, the more negative I became, until I finally lost the faith to continue seeking the truth. However, when I thought of all the sacrifices and expenditures I had made in these past few years, I couldn’t bring myself to quit. If I completely write myself off and accept failure, won’t all my efforts be for naught? Won’t people then think even less of me? I can’t let that happen! I’ve got to stand up for myself and not let others look down their noses at me. Now, no matter how hard I must try, how many wrongs I suffer, I’ve got to buck up—I can’t quit halfway! As long as I remember the lessons of failure and focus on seeking the truth, maybe one day I can become a leader again. With these thoughts in mind, all the negativity and sadness faded and I felt a renewed energy in my pursuit.

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