“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. And many people shall go and say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come you, and let us walk in the light of the LORD” (Isaiah 2:2-5).
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (Jhn 1:1-2).
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jhn 1:14).
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me” (Jhn 14:6).
“… the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life” (Jhn 6:63).
Relevant Words of God:
The truth comes from the world of man, yet the truth among man is passed on by Christ. It originates from Christ, that is, from God Himself, and is unattainable by man.
from “Success or Failure Depends on the Path That Man Walks” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).
Relevant Words of God:
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.
Ten years ago, driven by my arrogant nature, I was never able to completely obey the church’s arrangements. I would obey if it suited me, but if it didn’t I would choose whether or not to obey. This resulted in seriously violating work arrangements during the fulfilling of my duty. I did my own thing and offended God’s disposition, and was subsequently sent home. After several years of self-reflection, I had more or less some knowledge of my own nature, but regarding the aspect of the truth that is God’s essence I still did not have much knowledge. Later, the church gave me another chance, but when I was in charge of gospel work, I began to have suspicions about God: I’m so corrupted and had also offended God’s disposition. Why would God use me? Is He taking advantage of me? Will I be eliminated after being taken advantage of? Ah! Since the church gave me a chance I am going to cherish it, even if I have to become a service-doer. From then on, I fulfilled my duty carrying such a mentality, but without seeking a higher goal—being made perfect by God.
Once, when I was practicing spiritual devotion, I saw these words of God: “Today, you cannot only be content with how you are conquered, but must also consider the path that you will walk in the future. You must have aspirations and the courage to be made perfect, and should not always think yourself incapable. Does the truth have favorites? Can the truth deliberately oppose people? If you pursue the truth, can it overwhelm you? If you stand firm for justice, will it knock you down? If it is truly your aspiration to pursue life, can life elude you? If you are without the truth, that is not because the truth does not acknowledge you, but because you stay away from the truth; if you cannot stand fast for justice, that is not because there is something wrong with justice, but because you believe it is out of line with the facts; if you have not gained life after pursuing it for many years, that is not because life has no conscience toward you, but because you have no conscience toward life, and have driven away life…. If you do not pursue, then it can only be said that you are worthless trash, and have no courage in your life, and do not have the spirit to resist the forces of darkness. You are too weak! You are unable to escape the forces of Satan that lay siege to you, and are only willing to lead this kind of safe and secure life and die in ignorance. What you should achieve is your pursuit of being conquered; this is your bounden duty. If you are content to be conquered, then you drive out the existence of the light” (“The Experiences of Peter: His Knowledge of Chastisement and Judgment” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). After eating and drinking this passage of God’s word, I was very moved inside. I saw that God’s intention is to allow all people to seek being perfected and fit for use by God. I then made up my mind: I am going to put away my own apprehensions and no longer be negative and passive. I will believe in God’s words and strive to be perfected by God. But gradually, because I still did not know the essence of God’s faithfulness, I began to not believe in God’s words again, always thinking that these words were aimed at someone else, and could merely provide a bit of comfort and encouragement for someone like me. I kept remembering how I once offended God’s disposition, that my nature is so corrupted, that I sometimes even revealed my corrupt disposition while fulfilling my duty, that I could never be perfected no matter how much I pursued, and thinking I should be content with just being a service-doer. Just like that, I unwittingly started living in passiveness again. The above later communicated many times on the aspect of the truth about knowing God’s essence, but I was still not very illuminated. Until one day, when I was eating and drinking God’s word, I saw the following words of God: “The essence of God is faithful—He does what He says and whatever He does is achieved. He is faithful …” (“The Second Aspect of Significance of the Incarnation” in Records of Christ’s Talks). At this moment, it seemed something suddenly clicked inside me, as though a mist that had spread over my heart instantly dissipated. Years of misunderstandings and apprehensions suddenly vanished. I then again remembered that passage of God’s word I used to eat and drink: “If it is truly your aspiration to pursue life, can life elude you? If you are without the truth, that is not because the truth does not acknowledge you, but because you stay away from the truth; if you cannot stand fast for justice, that is not because there is something wrong with justice, but because you believe it is out of line with the facts; if you have not gained life after pursuing it for many years, that is not because life has no conscience toward you, but because you have no conscience toward life, and have driven away life …” (“The Experiences of Peter: His Knowledge of Chastisement and Judgment” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). In this moment, I felt the transmission of awe-inspiring righteousness and boundless love from between the lines of God’s words, making Him appear so noble and great, while at the same time making me see my own lowliness, narrowness, and decadence. God is faithful. This is undoubtable and unquestionable. God has a faithful essence, He is trustworthy, and He is trying to save man to the greatest extent possible. As long as man pursues the truth and dispositional change in accordance with God’s requirements, God shall make man complete, because what God says He shall do, and what He does shall be done! Rather, I suspected that God was like man and would discard me once I ceased to be useful. I did not treat God’s word as the truth at all, and moreover did not genuinely and positively believe in God. Instead, I lived in the imagination and suspicions in my mind, lacking courage before the truth and cowardly yielding to dark influences, unable to stand up for justice. It was then that I truly appreciated that pursuing knowledge of God’s essence is too important. If I had already paid attention to pursuing knowledge of God’s disposition and essence before, I wouldn’t have spent so many years living in apprehension, delaying the progression of my own life.
Thank You, Almighty God! It is You who cared for me and enlightened and guided me to get rid of the shackles that had controlled me for so many years, allowing me to walk out of the haze. In the past, I did not know You and often lived in misunderstanding, unable to trust Your word and treated it as merely for comforting and encouraging people. I did not treat Your word as the truth and life, and moreover did not treat You as God. But You did not treat me in accordance with my transgressions. You tolerated me, were patient toward me, and gave me the opportunity to repent. You enlightened and shined Your light on me, so that I would have a bit of knowledge of Your faithful and righteous essence. This is precisely an exemplification of Your love for man. Oh God! From now on I will put in an enormous effort into the truth regarding knowing You, live up to what You expect of me, pursue knowledge of Your essence, and seek dispositional change soon so I can be perfected by You!
After knowing these things, a kind of stunning power surged within my heart. I am no longer passive in the face of difficulties, and my many years of misunderstandings, suspicions, and apprehensions have all disappeared. I am now living entirely in an active situation, seeking to be perfected by God.
The Salvation of the Soul | Musical Drama "Chinese Gospel Choir 9th Performance"
Introduction Songs of Choir: 1.The Sorrow of Corrupt Mankind 2.Man’s True Condition of Being Corrupted by Satan 3.The Practical God Saves Men in Obscurity 1.The Sorrow of Corrupt Mankind Man walked through the ages with God, yet man knows not that God rules the fate of all things and living beings or how God orchestrates and directs all things. This is something that has eluded man since time immemorial to the present day. As for the reason why, it is not because the ways of God are too elusive, or because the plan of God has yet to be realized, but because the heart and spirit of man are too distant from God. Therefore, even as man follows God, he unknowingly remains in the service of Satan.
In His hands, God holds the seven stars. He bears the seven Spirits, He has seven eyes, unlocks the seven seals and opens up the scroll. He wields the seven plagues and holds the seven bowls. The myriad of creatures He has fashioned and all the things He's brought to completion render praise and glory unto Him and raise His throne on high. Almighty God, glorious and true! You are everything! All is complete with You. Almighty God, glorious and true! You have accomplished everything. All is complete with You. All is bright, all is set free, all is strong, all is at liberty. All is bright, all is set free, all is strong, all is at liberty. Almighty God, glorious and true! Nothing is hidden; all secrets are open to You. Almighty God, glorious and true! Nothing is hidden; all secrets are open to You.
II
He rolls out seven thunders; long since He's sounded seven trumpets. Bountiful, all-living, from everlasting to everlasting. All sing the deepest praises to You. Oh Almighty God, You have judged Your enemies. You show Your wrath, You show Your majesty. You've shown Your glory, nothing can compare, and Your glory will endure forever more. Almighty God, glorious and true! All people should awaken and sing with jubilation, give all their praise with all their might to You, the glorious true God. You are almighty, all true. All is bright, all is set free, all is strong, all is at liberty. All is bright, all is set free, all is strong, all is at liberty. Almighty God, glorious and true! Nothing is hidden; all secrets are open to You. Almighty God, glorious and true! Nothing is hidden; all secrets are open to You.
III
Almighty God, all-powerful, all-achieving, utterly the true God! Almighty God, all-powerful, all-achieving, utterly the true God! Almighty God, all-powerful, all-achieving, utterly the true God! Almighty God, all-powerful, all-achieving, utterly the true God! All is bright, all is set free, all is strong, all is at liberty. All is bright, all is set free, all is strong, all is at liberty. Almighty God, glorious and true! Nothing is hidden; all secrets are open to You. Almighty God, glorious and true! Nothing is hidden; all secrets are open to You. All is bright, all is set free, all is strong, all is at liberty. All is bright, all is set free, all is strong, all is at liberty. Almighty God, glorious and true! Nothing is hidden; all secrets are open to You. Almighty God, glorious and true! Nothing is hidden; all secrets are open to You.
from Utterances and Testimonies of Christ in the Beginning
Praise the Return of Lord Jesus | Choral Singing "Chinese Gospel Choir 10th Performance"
Almighty God, Christ of the last days, has quietly descended among man brimming with righteousness and majesty, love and compassion. He brings the Age of Grace to an end and ushers in the Age of Kingdom, and expresses new words and does the work of judgment beginning with the house of God. Though no one welcomes God’s coming, He still humbly hides Himself in the flesh, works in many ways, and speaks in various perspectives to supply the needs of man’s life. Gradually, people’s hearts are conquered by these words possessed of authority, and they recognize Almighty God is exactly the return of the Lord Jesus. All of them have great excitement, and follow the footsteps of God and return before the throne of God in succession. It can be seen that where there is the expression of God in the new age, there is the appearance of God; where there are the new words of God, there are the footsteps of God. It is not difficult to search for the footsteps of God!
One day, I suddenly heard that my father was expelled from the church. I was totally stunned at the time and couldn’t figure it out. In my heart, my father was the world’s greatest person.
Praise God Filled With Authority and Power | Rock Music "Chinese Gospel Choir 11th Performance"
The Lord Jesus has descended on a white cloud among us with His judgment, His righteousness, and His original disposition, revealing to mankind the true God who bestows His mercy abundantly and casts out His anger fiercely. All the time, He forgives man with His mercy and warns man with His anger. His mercy, lovingkindness, majesty, and wrath inspire man’s sincere reverence. Because of His holiness and righteousness, man sees the hope, sees the appearance of light and righteousness, and sees the scene that the Redeemer has already returned on a white cloud. Only God can see through the evil and corruption of the world, only God can console this mankind who is moaning, and only God can save man from the boundless sea of misery! With God, everything has been predestined. God’s people will listen to God’s voice. Under God’s righteous judgment, all those who truly love God will return to God’s throne.
When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth
Almighty God says, "Do you wish to know the root of why the Pharisees opposed Jesus? Do you wish to know the substance of the Pharisees? They were full of fantasies about the Messiah. What’s more, they believed only that the Messiah would come, yet did not seek the truth of life. And so, even today they still await the Messiah, for they have no knowledge of the way of life, and do not know what the way of truth is. How, say you, could such foolish, stubborn and ignorant people gain God’s blessing? How could they behold the Messiah? They opposed Jesus because they did not know the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work, because they did not know the way of truth spoken by Jesus, and, furthermore, because they did not understand the Messiah. And since they had never seen the Messiah, and had never been in the company of the Messiah, they made the mistake of paying empty tribute to the name of the Messiah while opposing the substance of the Messiah by any means. These Pharisees in substance were stubborn, arrogant, and did not obey the truth. The principle of their belief in God is: No matter how profound Your preaching, no matter how high Your authority, You are not Christ unless You are called the Messiah. Are these views not preposterous and ridiculous? I ask you again: Is it not extremely easy for you to commit the mistakes of the earliest Pharisees, given that you have not the slightest understanding of Jesus? Are you able to discern the way of truth? Can you truly guarantee that you will not oppose Christ? Are you able to follow the work of the Holy Spirit? If you do not know whether you will oppose Christ, then I say that you are already living on the brink of death. Those who did not know the Messiah were all capable of opposing Jesus, of rejecting Jesus, of slandering Him. People who do not understand Jesus are all capable of denying Him, and reviling Him. Moreover, they are capable of seeing the return of Jesus as the deceit of Satan, and more people shall condemn Jesus returning to flesh. Does not all of this make you afraid? What you face shall be blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the ruination of the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches, and the spurning of all that is expressed by Jesus. What can you gain from Jesus if you are so befuddled? How can you understand the work of Jesus when He returns to flesh on a white cloud, if you obstinately refuse to realize your errors? I tell you this: People who do not accept the truth, yet blindly await the arrival of Jesus upon white clouds, will surely blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, and they are the race that shall be destroyed. You merely wish for the grace of Jesus, and merely want to enjoy the blissful realm of heaven, yet you have never obeyed the words spoken by Jesus, and have never received the truth expressed by Jesus when He returns to flesh. What will you hold up in exchange for the fact of Jesus’ return upon a white cloud? Is it the sincerity in which you repeatedly commit sins, and then confess them, over and over? What will you offer in sacrifice to Jesus who returns upon a white cloud? Is it the years of work with which you exalt yourselves? What will you hold up to make the returned Jesus trust you? Is it that arrogant nature of yours, which does not obey any truth?" From “When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh 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.
Recommendation: About the Church of Almighty God
I. One Must Bear Witness to the Aspect of Truth Concerning God’s Incarnation
6. Why is it said that corrupt mankind is more in need of the salvation of God become flesh?
Picture of the Church of Almighty God
Corrupt Mankind Is More in Need of the Salvation of God Become Flesh
God became flesh because the object of His work is not the spirit of Satan, or any incorporeal thing, but man, who is of the flesh and has been corrupted by Satan. It is precisely because the flesh of man has been corrupted that God has made fleshly man the object of His work; moreover, because man is the object of corruption, He has made man the only object of His work throughout all the stages of His salvation work. Man is a mortal being, is of flesh and blood, and God is the only One who can save man. In this way, God must become a flesh that possesses the same attributes as man in order to do His work, so that His work might achieve better effects. God must become flesh to do His work precisely because man is of the flesh, and incapable of overcoming sin or divesting himself of the flesh. Though the substance and identity of God incarnate differ greatly from the substance and identity of man, yet His appearance is identical to that of man, He has the appearance of a normal person, and leads the life of a normal person, and those who see Him can discern no difference to a normal person. This normal appearance and normal humanity are sufficient for Him to do His divine work in normal humanity.
"The Substance of Christ Is Obedience to the Will of the Heavenly Father" (Excerpt)
Almighty God says, "The incarnate God is called Christ, and Christ is the flesh donned by the Spirit of God. This flesh is unlike any man that is of the flesh. This difference is because Christ is not of flesh and blood but is the incarnation of the Spirit. He has both a normal humanity and a complete divinity. His divinity is not possessed by any man. His normal humanity sustains all His normal activities in the flesh, while His divinity carries out the work of God Himself. Be it His humanity or divinity, both submit to the will of the heavenly Father. The substance of Christ is the Spirit, that is, the divinity. Therefore, His substance is that of God Himself; this substance will not interrupt His own work, and He could not possibly do anything that destroys His own work, nor would He ever utter any words that go against His own will. Therefore, the incarnate God would absolutely never do any work that interrupts His own management. This is what all man should understand. The essence of the work of the Holy Spirit is to save man and is for the sake of God’s own management. Similarly, the work of Christ is to save man and is for the sake of God’s will. Given that God becomes flesh, He realizes His substance within His flesh, such that His flesh is sufficient to undertake His work. Therefore, all the work of God’s Spirit is replaced by the work of Christ during the time of incarnation, and at the core of all work throughout the time of incarnation is the work of Christ. It cannot be commingled with work from any other age. And since God becomes flesh, He works in the identity of His flesh; since He comes in the flesh, He then finishes in the flesh the work that He ought to do. Be it the Spirit of God or be it Christ, both are God Himself, and He does the work that He ought to do and performs the ministry that He ought to perform."
Eastern Lightning, The Church of AlmightyGodwas 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.
Recommendation: Know more of the Church of Almighty God
God's Utterance "God Himself, the Unique (II) God's Righteous Disposition" (Excerpt)
Almighty God says, "People often say that it is not an easy thing to know God. I, however, say that knowing God is not a difficult matter at all, for God frequently allows man to witness His deeds.
The Work of Judgment in the Last Days Is to End the Age
I The last days is but a name of an age, like the Ages of Law and Grace, not the last years or months, and differs a lot from those two ages. The last days' work isn't done in Israel, but it's carried out among the Gentiles. It is the conquest of all nations before God's throne. And God's glory will fill the whole cosmos. It will be proclaimed to all nations, and through all generations. Every creature will see the glory God has gained on earth.
II
The last days are a time of conquest, not the guidance of all people's life. But instead it is the conclusion of mankind's undying and endless suffering. The last days are not like the long years when God worked in Judea and Israel for several thousand years until His second incarnation, but rather brief. The people of the last days encounter the Redeemer coming back in the flesh, and receive God's personal working and words in those brief last days just before the end. The last days, final end of an era, the completion of God's 6000-year-plan. The last days, the end of man's journey, end of man's journey of suffering. But not all can enter a new age. Human life won't continue the same. For it is of no significance to God's great plans. For if mankind persisted, they'd be devoured by the devil, and their souls lost in Satan's hands. III The last days, the time is up. God will not continue longer; He won't delay. The last days, Satan's defeat. God will take back all His glory. He won't delay. God's work lasts but for six thousand years. Satan's control over all mankind shall persist no further than these six millennia. Every soul belonging to God will escape the sea of suffering, and God's entire work on earth will end. Never more will God become flesh on earth. Never more His Spirit work on earth. He will remake mankind, a holy mankind, into His faithful dwelling place on earth. The last days, final end of an era, the completion of God's 6000-year-plan. The last days, the end of man's journey, end of man's journey of suffering. But not all can enter a new age. Human life won't continue the same. For it is of no significance to God's great plans. For if mankind persisted, they'd be devoured by the devil, and their souls lost in Satan's hands. The last days, final end of an era, the completion of God's 6000-year-plan. The last days, the end of man's journey, end of man's journey of suffering. The last days. The last days. The last days.
from The Word Appears in the Flesh
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.
Recommendation: About the Church of Almighty God
Christ of the Last Days Has Brought the Age of Kingdom
I
When Jesus came into the world of man, He brought the Age of Grace, ending the Age of Law. God once more became flesh during the last days. He brought the Age of Kingdom, ending the Age of Grace. All who accept God's second incarnation shall be led into the Age of Kingdom and receive His guidance. Jesus labored among man to redeem mankind, offering Himself as sacrifice for man's sins. Yet man's corrupt disposition remains.
II
To save man from Satan's corrupt influence, it's not enough for Jesus to be sin offering. It needs God to do a greater work to rid man of his disposition tainted by Satan. All who accept God's second incarnation shall be led into the Age of Kingdom and receive His guidance. Jesus labored among man to redeem mankind, offering Himself as sacrifice for man's sins. Yet man's corrupt disposition remains.
III
After forgiving man for his sins, God returned to flesh to lead man to a new age, an age of chastisement and judgment, lifting man into a higher realm. All who accept God's second incarnation shall be led into the Age of Kingdom and receive His guidance. Jesus labored among man to redeem mankind, offering Himself as sacrifice for man's sins. Yet man's corrupt disposition remains. IV All who submit to His dominion shall reap higher truth and greater blessings. Oh they shall live in the light! And gain the way, the truth, and the life! All who accept God's second incarnation shall be led into the Age of Kingdom and receive His guidance. Jesus labored among man to redeem mankind, offering Himself as sacrifice for man's sins. Yet man's corrupt disposition remains. from Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh 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.
Recommendation: The brief introduction of the Church of Almighty Go The Church of Almighty God
Understanding God’s Will in the Midst of Difficulties
Xiao Rui Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province
When I was preaching the gospel I encountered sectarian leaders who bore false witness to resist and disrupt, and called the police. This led to those I was preaching to not daring to come into contact with us, and those who had just accepted the gospel being unable to be confident in God’s work. When I worked very hard but the results were poor, I thought: Evangelical work is so difficult to carry out. It would be so wonderful if God just showed some miracles and punished those who bear false witness as well as those who seriously resist God to show to those who have been deceived. Then wouldn’t the work of the gospel be carried out more quickly? It wouldn’t be so difficult for us to preach the gospel….
After following God over these years, I felt I had endured some suffering and paid a certain price, so I gradually started living off my past gains and flaunting my seniority. I thought: I’ve left home for so many years and my family hasn’t heard from me in a long time. Under these circumstances, the church will surely look after me.
Some time ago, we needed to plot out districts within our area, and based on our principles for the selection of leaders, there was one brother who was a relatively suitable candidate.
I had just been promoted to take on the responsibility of church leader. But after a period of hard work, not only was the church’s evangelical work fairly lackluster, but my brothers and sisters in the evangelical team were all also living in negativity and weakness. Faced with this situation, I could no longer contain my feelings. How on earth could I work to revitalize the evangelical work?
“I indeed baptize you with water to repentance. but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Mat 3:11).
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. He always acted steadily and never with haste, never exaggerated nor underplayed a subject, and conducted His life in a way that was both normal and admirable. In conversation, Jesus was elegant and graceful, open and cheerful yet serene, and never lost His dignity in the execution of His work. Peter saw that Jesus was sometimes taciturn, yet other times talked incessantly. He was sometimes so happy that He became agile and lively like a dove, and yet sometimes so sad that He did not talk at all, as if He were a weather-beaten mother. At times He was filled with anger, like a brave soldier charging off to kill enemies, and sometimes even like a roaring lion. Sometimes He laughed; other times He prayed and wept. No matter how Jesus acted, Peter grew to have boundless love and respect for Him. Jesus’ laughter filled him up with happiness, His sorrow plunged him into grief, His anger frightened him, while His mercy, forgiveness, and strictness made him come to truly love Jesus, developing a true reverence and longing for Him. Of course, Peter only gradually came to realize all of this once he had lived alongside Jesus for a few years.” After reading this passage I thought: No wonder Peter could achieve knowledge of God! Turns out it was because during the time he lived alongside Jesus day and night, he personally witnessed Jesus’ every word and every move, and from that he discovered more of God’s adorableness. Now is also the era of when God becomes flesh to personally descend upon the world of man to work. If I could also have the fortune of being able to come into contact with God and spend time together like Peter had, then wouldn’t I also know God better? Oh! It’s a shame that now I can only read God’s word but cannot see the face of Christ. Then how would I be able to gain true knowledge of God?
Just when I was sad and disappointed over this and losing my confidence in God, His words enlightened me: “Knowing God must be done through reading God’s word and understanding God’s word. Some people say: ‘I haven’t seen God incarnate, so how can I know God?’ God’s word is actually an expression of God’s disposition. From God’s word you can see God’s love for mankind, His salvation of mankind, and the way He saves them … because God’s word is expressed by God as opposed to God using man to write it out. It is personally expressed by God. It is God Himself expressing His own words and His inner voice. … expressing His disposition, His will, His thoughts, His love for mankind, His salvation of mankind, and His expectations of mankind. Among God’s words.… Sometimes God speaks from a gentle and compassionate perspective, and people see God’s love for mankind; sometimes He speaks from a strict perspective, and people see God’s unoffendable disposition. Man is deplorably filthy and is not worthy of seeing God’s face, and is not worthy of coming before God. People’s coming before God now is purely out of God’s grace. God’s wisdom can be seen from the way God works and the meaning of His work. Even if people don’t come into contact with God, they will still be able to see these things in God’s word” (“Knowledge of the Incarnation” in Records of Christ’s Talks). God’s words made me suddenly see the light. Yes! God in the flesh of the last days has already used His word to express all His disposition to man, allowing man to see through God’s word His great power, His supremacy, His humility and hiddenness, and His adorableness, and moreover understand His joys and sorrows, and know all He has and is. This is sufficient to show that reading God’s word and experiencing God’s word is the only path to knowing God. If I move away from God’s word, then so what even if I see God in the flesh? Didn’t the Pharisees also see Jesus back then? So why did they nail Jesus to the cross? Wasn’t it because they didn’t listen to Jesus’ words, they were arrogant and stubbornly held on to their own conceptions and imaginations, and resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus based on that little bit of the scriptures they understood? On the other hand, Peter was able to know Jesus because he could let go of his own conceptions and imaginations, listen closely to the words of Lord Jesus, and was good at carefully contemplating every word and sentence uttered by Jesus. Through Lord Jesus’ utterances and work he got to know God’s disposition and all He has and is, ultimately gaining true knowledge of God. Doesn’t this ironclad fact sufficiently explain that man can only know God through His word? Moreover, given that the main work of God in the flesh of the last days is the work of the word, doesn’t this benefit me in getting to know God?
The more I thought back to my logical reasoning the more I felt my own wretchedness, foolishness, and childishness. Every day I held God’s word in my hands, ate and drank God’s word, read God’s word, and experienced God’s word, but I did not love God’s word dearly, thinking that I could only know God by seeing the face of Christ. I really was living a blessed life without appreciating it! Oh God! Thank You for revealing and turning around my wrong way of knowing and making me see the path to knowing God. From now on, I will long to read Your word, contemplate Your word, seek to understand Your joys and sorrows through Your word, and through discovering more of Your adorableness get to know You even deeper. Recommendation: About the Church of Almighty God Eastern Lightning
Back to God | Recital and Singing "Chinese Gospel Choir 12th Performance"
God created this world and created mankind. He cares for mankind night and day. At the beginning, man, innocent and carefree, lived happily under God’s care. Corrupted by Satan, man stayed further and further away from God, forgot God’s instructions, forsook God’s way, and abandoned himself to hideous depravity. He lost the blessings and promises of God and fell under the wrath of God….
I
The seven thunders roll, shaking up the world, rending through the sky, changing heaven and earth. Piercing is the sound. Where can man run and hide? Heaven and earth are changed by thunder and lightning. Man lies dying. A fierce storm rolls in across the universe, fast as thunderbolt; heavy rain pours in. Each corner of the earth is bathed in this storm and nothing impure remains, oh, oh. The whole world is washed and nothing unclean stands. Who can hide from the stormy rain? Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. When destruction comes, all enemies will fall, defeated helpless into the raging torrent. They're swiftly taken to their deserved end, defeated hopeless, rushed away to their death.
II
The seven thunders roll. God's purposes are clear. Evil will be punished with gusts of weeping. Some wake from their dreams, ponder their wicked schemes, only to hurry back to the foot of God's throne. They don't hesitate, hurry to God's throne. They do not indulge in their deceit and crime, but repent just in time. God is righteous and God is loving and God is merciful, oh, oh, God is trustworthy, He's God of majesty. Someday the earth will see, oh, oh, God is a burning fire. God is a burning fire. He will show no mercy, when judgment is in His path. From His royal throne God gazes down, searching deeply into hearts and minds, saving all those who seek after Him, sincerely seek after Him. Whoever loves God above other things, knows God's heart with understanding, follows Him all the way to the end, God will save him eternally.
III
The seven thunders roll all throughout the earth. Man gets salvation and comes to God's throne. They seek to survive in the light of life, come worship and bow down to God Almighty! The seven thunders roll, lightning flashes down, proclaiming to one and all judgment has begun. He who speaks not his heart, who's doubtful and careless, and refuses God's will, judgment surely awaits them, awaits them! God is righteous and God is loving and God is merciful, oh, oh, God is trustworthy, He's God of majesty. Someday the earth will see, oh, oh, God is a burning fire. God is a burning fire. He will show no mercy, when judgment is in His path. Let the whole universe know the truth, Almighty God is the only God worth bowing to. Who can fight against God or oppose Him? There is none who can judge or revile Him. Every heart and tongue will be allegiant. Every nation will surrender before God. Today and tomorrow and eternally, they will bow down to God forever! They will bow down to God forever! They will bow down, they will bow down, they will bow down to God forever!
from "The Thirty-fifth Utterance" of Utterances and Testimonies of Christ in the Beginning in The Word Appears in the Flesh
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.
Recommendation: The brief introduction of the Church of Almighty God
Realizing I’ve Been Walking the Path of the Pharisees
Wuxin Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province
Something we have always discussed in previous communions is the paths walked by Peter and Paul. It is said that Peter paid attention to knowing himself and God, and was someone God approved, while Paul only paid attention to his work, reputation and status, and was someone God despised.
"I Will Love God to Eternity" (Official Music Video)
I O God! Your words have led me back to You. I accept training in Your kingdom day and night. So many trials and pains, so many tribulations. Many times I shed tears and felt heart-stricken, and many times have fallen into the trap of Satan. But You have never departed from me. You led me through many hardships, You kept me through many dangers. Now I know that You have loved me.
