Returning to Life From the Brink of Death

By Yang Mei, China

In 2007 I suddenly fell ill with chronic renal failure. On being told the news, my Christian mother and sister-in-law, and some Catholic friends all came to visit me to preach the gospel to me. They all told me that I only had to go to God and my illness would be cured. But I didn’t believe in God at all. I thought that illness could only be cured through scientific medical treatment, and that any disease that couldn’t be cured by science was incurable. After all, was there any power on earth greater than the power of science? Faith in God was just a form of psychological crutch, and I was an upstanding state school teacher, a person who was educated and cultured, so there was no way I’d start believing in God. So I turned them down and started looking around for medical treatment. Within a few years I’d been to virtually every large hospital in my home county and throughout the province, but my condition didn’t improve. In fact, it was getting worse, but I stubbornly clung to my own way of looking at the situation and insisted that science could change anything and that curing illness was just a question of finding the right process.

Back From the Brink

By Zhao Guangming

At the beginning of the 1980s, I was in my 30s and was working for an architectural design company. I considered myself to be young and fit, treated people with loyalty and respect, and did my work responsibly. My architect skills were also top-notch, and I was sure that I was going places in the company and that once my career really took off I would be living like a prince. This was my goal and so I stayed with the company and worked hard for many years. But despite my impeccable caliber, in both character and professional skills, my efforts never seemed to be recognized by the company, which is something I never understood. The top salary grade in our company was grade 6, but my salary never got above grade 3. I watched a number of colleagues, who had neither my skills nor my time served in the company, get pay raises, but it never happened to me. I was puzzled and resentful about why they got raises and I didn’t. Finally, one of the colleagues who I got along with quite well gave me a tip: “In this company, the most important thing is to butter up the manager by giving him gifts at Chinese New Year and other festivals.” On hearing this, I finally understood the real reason why I had been overlooked by the company, and the injustice of it made me furious. But although I hated those ass kissers in the company, and had even less time for the colleagues who did little work but still got ahead by using underhand methods, I needed to firm up my standing and so I had to adapt to these unwritten rules. So the next time Chinese New Year came along I “expressed my heartfelt good wishes” to the manager and was immediately promoted to team leader.

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 Come to Know How to Distinguish Between the True Christ and False Christs

Chuanyang, United States

In 2010, the winter in the United States made me feel very cold. In addition to the bitter cold from the combination of wind and snow, what was even more serious was that my heart had been invaded and attacked by a “cold wave.” For those of us in the interior decorating business, winter is the hardest time of the year, because once winter starts there is very little work. We even face losing our jobs. This year was my first year in the United States, I was fresh off the boat, and I felt that everything was unfamiliar to me. Renting an apartment, finding a job, nothing was easy, and my days were full of hardships. It got to the point to where I was borrowing money to rent an apartment. Being faced with this kind of predicament put me in a bout of sadness, and I felt like the days were really hard to bear. At night I faced the ice-cold wall, with so much pain in me that all I wanted to do was cry. One day, as I walked around listlessly in my state of sadness someone who was spreading the gospel of the Lord Jesus handed out a card to me, and said: “The Lord Jesus loves you, brother, come to our church and listen to the Lord’s gospel!” I thought to myself: I guess there’s nothing I have to do right now, so there’s no harm in me going to listen to this, I might as well, it’s something to do. So like that, I stepped into the church. I heard the pastor read aloud the Lord Jesus saying: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jhn 3:16). When I heard this sentence I felt deeply moved by the Lord’s love. I cannot clearly explain the kind of feeling it was, but I could feel that the Lord’s love was real, and that it surpassed the love of the entire secular world. My grief-laden heart felt greatly consoled. As a result, I decided to dedicate myself to putting trust in the Lord Jesus. Afterward I started enthusiastically participating in meetings every Sunday, and because of my enthusiastic pursuit I quickly became a co-worker in the church.

Saved in a Different Way

By Huang Lin, China

I used to be an ordinary believer in the Pentecostal Church, and ever since I started believing in the Lord I never once missed a meeting. In particular, it was now the time of the last days and the prophecies in the Bible about the Lord’s return had basically been fulfilled. The Lord would soon return, and so I attended meetings even more enthusiastically, eagerly looking forward to His return, lest I miss my chance to meet with the Lord.

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.

After Listening With My Heart, I Have Welcomed the Lord’s Return (Audio Essay)

Max, United States

In 1994, I was born in the United States. My parents are both Chinese. My mother was the classic example of a successful career woman. She is able to think for herself and is very competent. I love my mother very much. When I was in Grade 2, my parents brought me back to China to study so that I would be able to learn Chinese. It was also at that time that I started to get acquainted with the Lord Jesus. I remember one day in 2004, after I got home from school, there was a guest at our house. My mother introduced her and told me that she was a pastor from the United States. I was very happy because that was when I found out that my mother had believed in the Lord Jesus for some time. Before, she did not believe. Every Chinese New Year, she would burn incense and worship Buddha. However, after my mother started to believe in the Lord Jesus, I no longer had to smell the whiff of burnt Joss paper and incense. That day, the American pastor told me a story about the Lord Jesus. Soon after, I was brought to the bathroom and before I could react, “plop,” the pastor had dunked my head into the bathtub and after a moment, pulled my head out. All I heard was my mother and the pastor telling me, “Welcome to the embrace of the Lord Jesus. We are all lost sheep.” In this way, I started a new life journey before I knew it. However, because the Lord was with me, my heart was very happy. Afterward, each Sunday, I would go to church to worship and listen to the pastor talk about Bible stories and read from the scriptures. I was very happy all along. My heart was steadfast and I felt that believing in the Lord Jesus was truly a good thing.

I Found the True Light – second coming of Jesus

I was born in a Catholic family. Since I was little, I attended Mass at church with my grandparents. Due to the influence of my environment and my belief in God, I learned to chant many different scriptures and practice various rituals.

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 “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.

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 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.

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.

If I Were Not Saved by God

Lingwu, Japan

“If I were not saved by God, I would still be drifting in this world, struggling hard and painfully in sin; every day gets bleak and hopeless. If I were not saved by God, I’d still be crushed below the devil’s feet, snared in sin and its enjoyments, ignorant of what my life would be. If I were not saved by God, I’d be without my blessings here today, much less know why we should live on or the meaning of our lives. If I were not saved by God, I’d still be confused about my faith, still in empty space passing the days, unaware in whom to put my faith. I have finally understood God’s loving hand holds mine as we go. I would never go and lose my way ’cause I’m on this brilliant course to stay” (“If I Were Not Saved by God” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). Whenever I hear this hymn of experience, I am always deeply moved. If it weren’t for God saving me, as described in the hymn, I might still be wandering aimlessly in the world, tiring myself out chasing after money, even to the point that I would long since have lost my life and died abroad in a foreign land …

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.

The Light Is Warm When Passing Through the Tunnel

Wang Yuping, China

Just like all the other brothers and sisters who thirst for the return of the Lord Jesus, I too continuously long for our Lord eagerly to return to receive us into the kingdom of heaven soon so that we can enjoy its blessings. One day in November of 2006 I finally heard the news of the Lord’s return. Through reading the words expressed by Almighty God and through the fellowshiping about and bearing witness to God’s work in the last days from my brothers and sisters, I finally recognized that Almighty God incarnate is the returned Lord Jesus. Thereupon, I willingly accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days.

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.

Competing in This Way, I Benefit Tremendously

By Ma Xin, China

Since my husband was not engaged in honest work, frequently drank alcohol and showed no concern for family matters, I would often sink into bitterness and pain. At a time when I did not have the strength to struggle on, a relative delivered Almighty God’s kingdom gospel to me. Through reading God’s word, I understood: God expresses the truth and does the judgment work of the last days in order to save the human race from the hands of Satan. He instructs man to understand, obey and return to Him so that he can receive His protection and care. As a result, I gladly accepted the work of Almighty God of the last days and quickly started my church life. However, right as I found something I could depend my life upon and felt a sense of joy and cheer, Satan’s temptations pounced on me like a wild beast rushed after its prey and a spiritual war erupted …