8 Remove the Place for Man from Our Heart and Let It Be Occupied by God

Bai Jie Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province

At present, in many of us there exists a state of looking up to man and adoring our leaders. For example, we exert ourselves and are conscientious in performing our duties, because we do not want our leaders to worry about us, because we want our leaders to receive fewer dealings, or because we want to win honor for our leaders. No matter what we do, we do it for our leaders, for our leaders’ good. When staying with our leaders, we carefully watch their every act and move and imitate them. When we fall into a bad state or encounter a difficulty, instead of coming before God to seek the truth, we immediately think of our leaders and feel that if our leaders can come and fellowship with us, our problem will certainly be resolved; we rely on man far more than on God. And what is even worse, some brothers and sisters wish they could be with the leader X when disaster comes, for they think that he will be able to help them whenever they become passive in the disaster and thus they will certainly be able to stand the testimony. … All these manifestations show that in us there exists a state of looking up to man and adoring man.

The Storm of Divorce Quelled

By Lu Xi, Japan

In 2015, a friend of mine got me to start believing in Almighty God. After receiving Almighty God’s work of the last days, I hungrily devoured the word of God, and through it came to understand many mysteries of the truth that I had not known before, such as: God’s work of saving mankind is divided into three stages, how God carries out His work in every stage, the connection between the three stages of work, what the incarnation is, and why God must become flesh. This made me even more certain that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus returned. Since I had the guidance of God’s words, I no longer passed the time by watching TV like I had in the past, and my husband said to me: “Your faith in God has got you reading, that’s better than watching Korean soap operas every day. It really makes me happy.” Although my husband didn’t go to assemblies, he had always believed there was a God since his mother was a believer—he also supported my faith in God. Ordinarily, whenever I’d gain some sort of enlightenment from God’s word I would share it with my husband, and he also approved of having faith. Later on, my husband got curious as to why I was always mentioning “Almighty God” when it was the Lord Jesus that his mother believed in, and so he went online to find out about The Church of Almighty God. But unexpectedly, what he saw was that the Internet was rife with rumors, false testimony and blasphemy against Almighty God. He was deeply poisoned by this and started to oppose my faith in Almighty God. Since I had read the word of Almighty God and heard the fellowship and testimonies of brothers and sisters, I was already certain in my heart that Almighty God is the one true God, and I knew that those things online were just rumors and lies meant to deceive people. However, my husband was taken in by the rumors and failed to understand the reality of the situation, no matter how I tried to persuade him and give him testimony on God’s work in the last days, he wouldn’t listen.

The Storm Caused at Home by the May 28 Zhaoyuan Case

Enhui, China

I’m an ordinary country woman, and I would often be weighed down by the strenuous burdens of the household. Because of this, my temperament became quite violent, and my husband and I were always at each other’s throats day in and day out. Our lives simply couldn’t go on like that. Whenever I was suffering, I would yell, “Heavens! Please save me!” In 2013, the work of Almighty God in the last days chanced upon me. Through reading the word of God and attending gatherings with brothers and sisters, I became certain that Almighty God had been the God whom I had cried out to in my suffering, and then gladly accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days.

I Have Found a True Home

By Yang Yang, United States

When I was three years old, my father passed away. At that time, my mother had just given birth to my younger brother, and my grandma, owing to superstition, said that it was my mother and younger brother who had caused my father’s death. For lack of a better option, mom had to take my younger brother to her father’s house to live, so from the start of my earliest memories I was living together with my grandpa and grandma. Although my grandpa and grandma treated me well, I still felt lonely and really wanted to be together with my mom and little brother. I longed for the same kind of motherly love that other kids received. Really, what I was asking for wasn’t much—all I wanted was a true family, a mother who loved me dearly, who could share her true feelings with me. But even this small ask turned into an extravagant hope, as I was only able to see my mom on the weekends. Whenever I had trouble at school, mom was never there by my side either; I was like a small patch of grass by the side of the road that nobody showed any interest in. Over time, I became very self-abased, I held everything back in my heart and was unable to take the initiative to interact with others. When I was 16, some people in my village went abroad for work, and the idea tempted me. I thought to myself: My situation at home isn’t very good. If I were to go abroad, then I could earn my own living, and even give some of my earnings to my family. That way I could help my family live a little better.

Breaking Through the Fog to See the Light

                                 Faith

I am an ordinary worker. At the end of November, 2013, a coworker saw that my wife and I would always make a lot of noise about little things, that every day we were worried and distressed, so he passed on the work of Almighty God in the last days to us. From the word of Almighty God, we have learned that the heavens and earth and all things were created by God, and that man’s life is bestowed on him by God. We have also understood the truth of the mystery of the six-thousand-year management plan, the mystery of the incarnation, God’s three stages of work in saving mankind, the significance of God’s work of judgment in the last days, and other respects. My wife and I thought that happening upon God incarnate having come to save mankind during our lifetimes was a great blessing. We happily accepted God’s work in the last days, and led a church life. Under the guidance of the word of God, we both pursued the truth and to transform ourselves, and whenever something happened and we started to argue, we wouldn’t just find fault with each other like we used to, but rather we would reflect on ourselves and try to know ourselves. After that, we acted in a way that forsook the flesh in accordance with God’s demands, and our marital relations became better and better, and our hearts became peaceful and steady. We felt that believing in God was truly good. However, while we were joyous and happy to follow God, when we were enjoying the blessed life, we were faced with a violent attack coming from our families…. Just when I was losing my way, it was the word of God that guided me to see through Satan’s scheme, and to break through the fog and enter onto the radiant and correct path for life.

The Overcomers’ Testimonies“Rise Up in the Dark Oppression”

Rise Up in the Dark Oppression

Mo Zhijian Guangdong Province

I was born in a poor remote mountain village. People there burned incense and worshiped Buddha for generations. Temples were everywhere, and each household burned incense. No one believed in God. In 1995, my wife and I believed in the Lord Jesus in another place. After returning home, we began to preach the gospel. Later, the number of the believers gradually increased to over one hundred. Because more and more people believed in God, the local government was alarmed. One day in 1997, the police asked me to go to the local police station. The director of the County Public Security Bureau, the director of the County Bureau for State Security, the director of the County Administration of Religious Affairs, the chief of the local police station, and some policemen had already been waiting there. The director of the County Public Security Bureau questioned me, “Why do you believe in God? Who do you get in touch with? Where do you get the Bibles? Why don’t you go to the church to have meetings?” I answered, “The constitution stipulates explicitly that the citizens enjoy freedom of belief. Why don’t you allow us to believe in God freely?” The director of the County Administration of Religious Affairs said, “There is a scope for the freedom of religious belief. It’s just like a bird in a cage. Although its wings and feet are not bound, it can only move around in the cage.” Hearing his fallacy, I was very indignant. I said angrily, “Then the government is deceiving the common people!” Hearing my word, they knew they were in the wrong, so they had nothing to say and could only let me go home. At that time I had no knowledge of the CCP government’s substance of persecuting people in believing in God. In 1999, I accepted Almighty God’s end-time work. Only through reading God’s word and experiencing the crueler persecution of the CCP government did I see clearly that it is exactly the embodiment of satan the evil spirit and is God’s enemy. It is just as the Bible says, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world.” (Revelation 12:9)

The Overcomers’ Testimonies “The Fragrance of Love Given Off in Adversity”

Xiaokai Jiangxi Province

I’m an ordinary country woman. Due to the feudal thought of valuing sons and belittling daughters, I, who have no son, once felt unable to lift up my head before others. In my agony, I was selected by the Lord Jesus. Two years later, I accepted Almighty God’s salvation. In Almighty God’s word, I understood many truths and got real release in my heart. However, while I was performing duty to repay God’s love, I was arrested twice by the CCP government and suffered cruel tortures from the CCP lackeys. On the verge of death, it was Almighty God’s word that led and encouraged me all the time, so that I stood testimony in satan’s affliction and thus firmly resolved to follow and love God all my life.

Persecution Testimonies – My Youth in Prison

My Youth in Prison

Chenxi Hebei Province

People all say that one’s youth is the most wonderful and pure time in his life. Maybe many people’s youth is full of beautiful memories, yet even I myself had never expected that I would spend my youth in prison. Maybe you will cast a different look at me, yet I won’t regret it. Although my youth in prison is full of bitterness and tears, it is the most precious gift in my life, and I have gained a lot from that.

Analyzing and Discerning the CCP Government’s and the Religious World’s Rumors and Lies (1)

Sermon and Fellowship Excerpts for Reference:

As for all of Satan’s nonsense, remember that you should maintain an attitude of denial at all times. This is a principle. Why is that? Someone says, “You think that Satan’s words will never be consistent with the facts. Isn’t it stereotyping Satan?” It is not stereotyping; it is a conclusion derived from Satan’s nature. Satan’s words are always adulterated, they always contain its ulterior motives. When Satan speaks of them, things become distorted beyond recognition. What Satan says is just the opposite of fact. It distorts the facts and turns black into white. It creates rumors and fabricates things out of nothing; it pins nonexistent things on you. This is one scenario of how Satan speaks. Satan has told lies from the very beginning, and there are several kinds. The first kind is a lie that is an utter fabrication; it’s something that simply doesn’t exist, but is pinned on you from hearsay. Another kind of lie comes from embellishment, and once something has been embellished it’s not in line with the facts, either. There is still another kind of lie that is a distortion of fact, inversion of black and white that turns right into wrong and wrong into right. These are the three primary kinds of lies; they are very common. Satan says, “Believers in Almighty God often abduct people when they spread the gospel.” Isn’t this a distortion of fact? (It is.) Satan also says, “For those who don’t accept, believers in Almighty God will cut off their ears and noses and gouge their eyes out.” We’ve preached the gospel to so many people; what is the proportion of those who have accepted it? If all those who do not accept had their eyes gouged out, their noses and ears cut off, how many of them would have been cut off altogether? Who has ever seen even one such case? So, everything Satan says is a lie and is nonsense. Satan has also said that The Church of Almighty God was created by the man used by the Holy Spirit—isn’t that nonsense? Had it not been for the appearance and work of Almighty God, who could have created The Church of Almighty God? Do church members believe in the man used by the Holy Spirit or do they believe in God? They believe in Almighty God, not the man used by the Holy Spirit. Since the man used by the Holy Spirit is not the one they believe in, why did the Chinese Communist Party say that The Church of Almighty God was created by the man used by the Holy Spirit? Wasn’t it a bold-faced lie? The CCP also said that “Eastern Lightning” is a cult. Are they arbiters of the truth? Are they religious experts, professional appraisers? Do they understand religion? Do they have any true faith? Do they have any qualifications to determine which religions are cultish and which are orthodox? The CCP is the world’s largest cult: Satanism. Are they qualified to determine which denominations are orthodox or cultish? Who appointed the CCP as the judge and appraiser of religions? They have the nerve to pass judgment so casually—this is called utter shamelessness. Satan even said: “Almighty God is a woman in Henan.” This is nonsense. Christ was clearly born in a city in northwest China. Henan is in the central plains. Satan saying that Christ was born in Henan is a bold-faced lie! It is a rumor invented by Satan. Isn’t it sheer nonsense? (It is.) So how should people regard these rumors fabricated by the CCP? You have to look at its history. The CCP has never spoken a true word. Not only has it never spoken a true word to the Chinese people, but it has never told the truth to the world. What is the Communist Party? The Communist Party was created by Karl Marx. Where did Karl Marx come from? Karl Marx was a believer of Satanism. He claimed that he was the savior who wanted to save mankind, so he wrote the Communist Manifesto and Capitalism. He wanted to use force and violence to seize political power and then control the whole of mankind. This is the truth. Has the Communist Party said these things? Have they announced this to the world? They have never uttered any truth, not a single word. Has the Communist Party said anything about the terrible things they’ve done? What is their ultimate goal? Have they said anything about it? Not a word. Everything they say is a lie. The so-called things like “Serve the people, work for the people’s benefit,” aren’t these nothing but lies? These are all lies; not a word of it is true. Then why do you believe the words of the Communist Party? In examining the true way, examining God’s appearance and work, why do you believe the words of Satan the devil? This is a problem. When you examine the work of God, you need to examine His utterances and see if these words of God are the voice of God, if they are the truth and the work of God. Then look at whether the Holy Spirit’s work is in The Church of Almighty God. What have these people achieved after many years of faith? Do they have any knowledge of God? Have there been any changes in their life disposition? Have the toxins of Satan been cleansed? You need to examine these things. You don’t examine the words of Almighty God, don’t examine whose words God’s chosen people of The Church of Almighty God eat and drink or whose work they are experiencing—why do you go to the great red dragon and believe Satan the devil’s words? Why do you believe the words of the religious pastors and elders? What kinds of creatures are they? They are wolves disguised in sheep’s clothing; they are hypocritical antichrists; they are wicked servants; they are demons that devour human souls. Why can’t you see through into their essence? This is the greatest ignorance and foolishness of human beings.

Why does the CCP government so madly suppress and brutally persecute Almighty God and The Church of Almighty God?

Bible Verses for Reference:

“This is an evil generation” (Luke 11:29).

“The whole world lies in wickedness” (1John 5:19).

“Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:19-20).

“If the world hate you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18).

Why Did the Chinese Communist Party Manufacture the 5/28 Zhaoyuan Incident?

Ma Jinlong (Captain of the National Security Team): Tell you the truth, Han Lu. It isn’t that we don’t understand people who believe in God. There are believers of God among my friends. I know that those who believe in God are good people who do not do bad things. Then why does the Communist Party want to capture you? It is because your Church of Almighty God is developing too fast, its impacts are increasingly greater. You still keep spreading the word of Almighty God, shocking the entire religious community. Is it possible that the Communist Party does not suppress and restrict you? Do you know what the “May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Case” is about? It was the Communist Party’s signal to the whole world that it wanted to ban and destroy the Church of Almighty God. And it also shouted the slogan, “Troops won’t be withdrawn until the ban is done!” What does this demonstrate? This demonstrates that the central leadership has determined to completely ban and eliminate all the underground churches, especially your Church of Almighty God. After the public trial of the Shandong Zhaoyuan case, although many people have raised all kinds of questions about the Shandong Zhaoyuan case, saying that this case was most likely a phony case fabricated intentionally by the Communist Party to frame and smear the Church of Almighty God, nevertheless, this case was heard publicly by the court. The news media also made a follow-up report on the case. No matter how much you doubt and deny the May 28 Shandong Zhaoyuan case, it is useless. When the Communist Party can say and do so, there will certainly be many people who believe it. Although the lie and violence are not a positive thing, they are effective. Isn’t it what is all about?

Why Does the Chinese Communist Party Force Christians to Join the Three-Self Church?

Hou Xiangke (Chief of the Public Security Bureau): Han Lu, you must know that the Communist Party is an atheist party and started out from revolution. The Communist Party is most inimical to God and God’s word. The truth that you accept and the path that you walk are hated the most by the Communist Party. You are an eyesore and a thorn in the side for the Communist Party. Therefore, the Communist Party will severely repress you, punish you, and ban you! In China, you must follow the leadership of the Communist Party when you believe in God, accept the Communist Party’s United Front, join the Three-Self Church, and take the path of love for country and religion. Aside from this, there is no way out! Have you seen through these matters?

Exposing the Truth of the CCP’s Religious Policy Masked by its Constitution

Ma Jinlong (Captain of the National Security Team): Han Lu, here is a chance for you to score some points. As long as you tell us who your leaders are and where your church’s money is stashed, we will go easy on you. Naturally, if you do well, it is not out of the question that we let you go.

The Origin of Eastern Lightning’s Prosperity

The mention of Eastern Lightning perplexes many brothers and sisters in the Lord: Why is it that as the religious community as a whole becomes increasingly desolate and degenerate, as each denomination becomes increasingly guarded and conservative in condemning and banishing Eastern Lightning, not only does Eastern Lightning not become desolate or ebb, but surges like an unstoppable, billowing wave, sweeping across mainland China, and now that it has even expanded beyond China’s borders to foreign countries and regions, and is being accepted by more and more people worldwide? Faced with this fact, the religious people are thoroughly puzzled, while in fact the reason is quite simple: What the various denominations call Eastern Lightning is the returned Savior Jesus of the last days, riding down from the heavens upon a “white cloud”; it is the practical God Himself, who has returned to flesh! For this reason, despite the fact that every denomination in the world resists, attacks, or condemns God incarnate of the last days or His work, there is no person or force that can ever obstruct or suppress what He wishes to achieve. God’s authority, power, and His almightiness and wisdom are unsurpassable by any force of Satan.

God Is by My Side

By Guozi, USA

I was born into a Christian family, and when I was one year old, my mom accepted the new work of the Lord Jesus returned—Almighty God—but my grandma was strongly opposed. I remember when I was little, her most frequent words to me were: “If you don’t feel well or you can’t do your homework, just pray to the Lord Jesus. He’ll give you intelligence and wisdom; He’ll look after your safety.” My mom, though, would often tell me: “God created this world and He created mankind. He’s always by our sides. Remember to pray to Almighty God when you encounter an issue and He will care for and protect you.” These two different voices frequently rang in my ears. I once asked my mom uncertainly: “Grandma wants me to pray to the Lord Jesus and you want me to pray to Almighty God. Who should I listen to?” She said: “Actually, the Lord Jesus and Almighty God are the same God. It’s just that the names God took on and the work He’s done are different because the ages are different. The Lord Jesus did the work of the Age of Grace, and Almighty God does the work of the Age of Kingdom. He changes the way He works in every age, and He also changes His name. But no matter how His name and His work change, His essence doesn’t change. Just like today you’re wearing red to go to school and tomorrow you’ll wear blue to go to the restaurant—even though you’re wearing different clothing, going to different places, and doing different things, you’re still you. But when God’s new era arrives we have to keep up with His new work. That’s why we should pray to Almighty God now.” Even though I heard my mom’s explanation, I was still very perplexed in my heart and still had a somewhat doubtful attitude toward Almighty God’s new work.

I Have Found True Happiness

Zhang Hua, Cambodia

I was born into an ordinary farming family. Even though my family was not wealthy, my father and mother loved each other and treated me very well. Our family life was quite abundant and blessed. After I grew up, I told myself: I must find a husband that will treat me well and I must establish a blissful and happy family. This is what is most important. I do not seek riches, I only need to have a loving relationship with my husband and a peaceful family life.

Fortune and Misfortune

By Dujuan, Japan

I was born into a poor family in a Chinese rural village. Because my family was poor, I sometimes did not even know if I would have my next meal, let alone snacks and toys. And from a young age, I would wear what my older sister used to wear. Her clothes were usually too big for me. As a result, my classmates would laugh at me and they would not play with me. My childhood was very bitter. From that point on, I resolved to myself: Once I grow up, I will be somebody and make lots of money. I won’t let others look down on me again. Since my family had no money, I was forced to drop out before junior high school graduation. I went to the county town to work in a medicine factory. In order to earn more money, I would frequently work until 9 or 10 PM. However, the money I earned was little. Afterward, when I heard that my sister was able to earn in five days what I earned in a month selling vegetables, I quit my job at the medicine factory and went to sell vegetables. After a period of time, I found that I could make even more money selling fruits, so I decided to start a business selling fruits. After I married my husband, we started a restaurant business. I thought that now that I had a restaurant, I would be able to earn even more money. Once I could earn a considerable amount of income, naturally, I would win other’s admiration and regard. Other people would start looking up to me and at the same time, I would be able to live a better life. However, after managing the business for a while, I found that we couldn’t make much money running a restaurant. I started getting anxious. When would I be able to lead a life that others would admire?

That Day the Sky Was Especially Clear and Sunny

By Tian Ying, China

I used to be a believer in the Three-Self Church in China. When I first started participating in gatherings, the pastors would often say to us: “Brothers and sisters, it is recorded in the Bible that: ‘For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation’ (Rom 10:10). We’ve been justified due to our faith. Since we believe in Jesus, we have been saved. If we believed in any other, then we wouldn’t have been saved….” I held on to these words of the pastors. As a result, I ardently pursued and actively attended gatherings as I waited for the Lord to come and let me into the kingdom of heaven. Later on, as unlawful deeds kept occurring in the church, it made me feel fed up with the gatherings there. Among the pastors they were divided and partitioned, each trying to establish themselves at the top of the faction and set up independent kingdoms. The sermons from the pastors needed to obey the United Front Work Department (UFWD). The UFWD didn’t allow them to discuss the Book of Revelation out of fear that it would disturb popular sentiment, so the pastors didn’t preach it. The pastors would often preach about donation, saying that the more one donated then the more blessings they would receive from God…. So when I saw that these were the circumstances in the church I felt quite bewildered: Why did the church change into this current form? Do the pastors not believe in the Lord? Why do they not follow the Lord’s word? Why do they not have a heart of reverence for the Lord? From that point on I no longer wanted to go to gatherings at the Three-Self Church, for I felt that they did not truly believe in God, that they were false shepherds who acted in the name of believing in God in order to obtain the hard-earned money from brothers and sisters.

Breaking Through the Fog to See the Light

Faith, China

I am an ordinary worker. At the end of November, 2013, a coworker saw that my wife and I would always make a lot of noise about little things, that every day we were worried and distressed, so he passed on the work of Almighty God in the last days to us. From the word of Almighty God, we have learned that the heavens and earth and all things were created by God, and that man’s life is bestowed on him by God. We have also understood the truth of the mystery of the six-thousand-year management plan, the mystery of the incarnation, God’s three stages of work in saving mankind, the significance of God’s work of judgment in the last days, and other respects. My wife and I thought that happening upon God incarnate having come to save mankind during our lifetimes was a great blessing. We happily accepted God’s work in the last days, and led a church life. Under the guidance of the word of God, we both pursued the truth and to transform ourselves, and whenever something happened and we started to argue, we wouldn’t just find fault with each other like we used to, but rather we would reflect on ourselves and try to know ourselves. After that, we acted in a way that forsook the flesh in accordance with God’s demands, and our marital relations became better and better, and our hearts became peaceful and steady. We felt that believing in God was truly good. However, while we were joyous and happy to follow God, when we were enjoying the blessed life, we were faced with a violent attack coming from our families…. Just when I was losing my way, it was the word of God that guided me to see through Satan’s scheme, and to break through the fog and enter onto the radiant and correct path for life.

This Is How I Welcomed the Lord

Xiyue, Japan

When I was six years old my mother believed in the Lord Jesus, and she would often bring me to church gatherings. I slowly became aware of the fact that man was created by God, that if we are in trouble we should pray to God and rely on God, and that we should thank God for everything. My mother told me: “God loves people, so long as we pray to God and entrust Him with what’s on our mind and truly rely on Him, then He will solve our problems and bestow us with bountiful grace. As long as we truly believe in the Lord then He will come in the future to receive us into the kingdom of heaven!” Listening to mother’s words, my heart felt at peace and free from anxiety, I felt like I had something to rely on, and I firmly believed that one day the Lord Jesus would return to bring us into the kingdom of heaven. I looked forward to and dreamed of the arrival of this day.