The Church of Almighty God——You Must Know the Truths of God’s Work of the Last Days (5)

"The work that God will do in the present age, as well as the turning points of His work can all be found within His word. If you do not read His word, you will understand nothing. Through your own eating and drinking of His word, fellowshiping with brothers and sisters, and your actual experiences, your knowledge of the word of God will become comprehensive. Only thus can you truly live it out in reality" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).

How Must You Believe in God in Order to Be Saved and Made Perfect?

Relevant Words of God:

Though many people believe in God, few understand what faith in God means, and what they must do to be after God’s heart. This is because, though people are familiar with the word “God” and phrases such as “the work of God,” they do not know God, much less do they know His work. No wonder, then, that all those who do not know God are possessed of a muddled belief. People do not take belief in God

The Church of Almighty God——You Must Know the Truths About the Three Stages of God’s Work (5)

Why Is It Said That Knowing the Three Stages of God’s Work Is the Path to Knowing God?

God’s management of mankind. 

(Selected Passage of God’s Word)

Knowing the Three Stages of God’s Work Is the Path to Knowing God

The work of managing mankind is divided into three stages, which means that the work of saving mankind is divided into three stages. These three stages do not include the work of creating the world, but are rather the three stages of the work of the Age of Law, the Age of Grace, and the Age of Kingdom. The work of creating the world was the work of producing the whole of mankind.It was not the work of saving mankind, and bears no relation to the work of saving mankind, for when the world

3 One Cannot Step Onto Peter’s Path Only by Willing to Take It

Yang Jing Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province

After Almighty God revealed to men the outcomes of Peter and Paul, a lot of people thought in their heart: I must take the way of Peter and never take the way of Paul. And they believed that as long as they were willing in their heart to take the way of Peter they could step onto it. Therefore, many of them took the good aspect of what they did as the sign of their having stepped onto the way of Peter. For example, some people thought that their having followed Almighty God and gained some knowledge of themselves meant they had stepped onto the way of Peter. Some thought that their having practiced some truths meant they had stepped onto the way of Peter. Some thought that their having some good behavior outwardly and often calling upon God in imitation of Peter’s prayers meant they had stepped onto the way of Peter. Others thought that their reading God’s word every day and being able to speak a little knowledge of it and know themselves in light of it meant they had stepped onto the way of Peter. Still others thought that, because they shed tears whenever God’s love was talked about, they had had love for God and had stepped onto the way of Peter. Furthermore, there were those who thought that as long as they ate and drank God’s word diligently at home without working or running around outside, they were walking the way of Peter. Up to today, however, no real manifestations of Peter’s pursuing the truth and life can be seen in us. What we live out is still our oldness and our naturalness. Then, how can we say that we are walking the way of Peter? Actually, truly stepping onto the way of Peter is not as simple and easy as we have imagined and thought.

Eastern Lightning | Why is it only through experiencing and obeying the work of God incarnate that one can know God?

I. One Must Bear Witness to the Aspect of Truth Concerning God’s Incarnation

10. Why is it only through experiencing and obeying the work of God incarnate that one can know God?

Picture of the Church of Almighty God

Bible Verses for Reference:

“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. If you had known me, you should have known my Father also: and from now on you know him, and have seen him” (Jhn 14:6-7).

“I am in the Father, and the Father in me …” (Jhn 14:10).

“I and my Father are one” (Jhn 10:30).

Relevant Words of God:

When God had not become flesh, people did not understand much of what He said because it came out of complete divinity. The perspective and context of what He said was invisible and unreachable to mankind; it was expressed from a spiritual realm that people could not see. For people who lived in the flesh, they could not pass through the spiritual realm.

I See the Path to Knowing God | Eastern Lightning

I See the Path to Knowing God

Xiaocao Changzhi City, Shanxi Province

    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?

Read Almighty God's word

      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

5 We Should Truly Accept the Chastisement and Judgment of God’s word

Danchun Luoyang City, Henan Province

We all know that what God does in the end time is the work of chastising and judging by the word, and that only if one truly accepts the chastisement and judgment of God’s word can he gain the transformation of his disposition and be saved by God. Then, what does it mean to truly accept the chastisement and judgment of God’s word? Some people think: Now I have no notions about God’s word. Whatever God’s word says is right, and I have no opinions about it; whatever God says I acknowledge. This means that I have accepted the chastisement and judgment of God’s word. Some think: Now I can know in God’s word that I am arrogant, crafty, and devoid of conscience and sense, and that I have been too deeply corrupted by satan. This means that I have accepted the chastisement and judgment of God’s word. Still some think: I can know in God’s word what kind of people God likes, what kind of people God hates, what kind of people God perfects, and what kind of people God eliminates. This means that I have accepted the chastisement and judgment of God’s word. Actually, these are only our own imagined standards and are not in accordance with the truth.

Eastern Lightning | Only He Who Experiences the Work of God Truly Believes in God

Only He Who Experiences the Work of God Truly Believes in God

Picture of the Church of Almighty God

Though many people believe in God, few understand what faith in God means, and what they must do to be after God’s heart. This is because, though people are familiar with the word “God” and phrases such as “the work of God,” they do not know God, much less do they know His work. No wonder, then, that all those who do not know God are possessed of a muddled belief. People do not take belief in God seriously because believing in God is too unfamiliar, too strange for them. In this way, they fall short of the demands of God.

2 Why We Should Pay Attention to Knowing Ourselves

Gan’en Luoyang City, Henan Province

In the course of our believing in God, many of us brothers and sisters pay attention only to working and performing duties, and very few of us pay attention to knowing ourselves. Many times when we fellowship in a meeting about the topic concerning knowing ourselves, some brothers and sisters have questions and resistance in their heart: Since we believe in God, we just believe in God. If I am assigned to do hosting, I will do hosting; if I am assigned to preach the gospel, I will preach the gospel. I will do whatever I am assigned to do and practice in whatever way I am required to practice. I submit to the arrangements of God’s family and also perform my duty. Isn’t it good enough if I do not make mistakes in performing my duty? Why always fellowship about knowing ourselves? What is knowing myself to do with my believing in God? Can I do well in believing in God if I know myself? Even some leaders also think: The work arrangements have stated the principles of all aspects of the work very clearly. Isn’t it good enough if we do not work against the work arrangements but carry out the work according to the requirements in them without changing them? Why must we know ourselves?

7 On How to Achieve Results in Reading God’s Word

Lu Ming Nanyang City, Henan Province

When God is incarnated in the end time, he does the work of the word, and through the word, he conquers man, perfects man, and gains man. If we want to be saved and gained by God, the most fundamental thing is to read God’s word. However, now most brothers and sisters are still unable to achieve the due results in reading God’s word, so they are slow in life entering in. Although they have believed in God for several years, they have not understood much truth, even less gained the transformation of their life disposition. Then, how can we achieve results in reading God’s word?

4 It Is Most Crucial to Pursue the Truth While Believing in God

Kang Rong Anqing City, Anhui Province

Now, brothers and sisters generally have such states: Those who lead the church only care to go around the church without being idle; those who preach the gospel only pay attention to gaining people; those who do general affairs only busy themselves with doing them properly; those who do hosting only think of hosting the brothers and sisters properly; those who cannot perform duties just keep attending meetings regularly without leaving God’s family. In short, those who perform duties only desire to get things done, and those who cannot perform duties are content merely with attending meetings; none pays attention to eating and drinking God’s word, to pursuing the truth, and to their personal life entering in. People all think in their notions that pursuing the truth is not important, and that as long as they perform their duty properly and do not leave God’s family, they can be saved and left.

Eastern Lightning | God’s work of judgment in the last days is done to purify, save and perfect man, and to make a group of overcomers.

The significance of God’s judgment in the last days can be seen in the results achieved by God’s work of judgment in the last days.

Picture of the Church of Almighty God

(1) God’s work of judgment in the last days is done to purify, save and perfect man, and to make a group of overcomers.

Bible Verses for Reference:

“Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name” (Rev 3:10-12).

“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Rev 14:4-5).

Eastern Lightning | God’s work of judgment in the last days is done to purify, save and perfect man, and to make a group of overcomers.

III. One Must Bear Witness to the Aspect of Truth Concerning God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days

4. The significance of God’s judgment in the last days can be seen in the results achieved by God’s work of judgment in the last days.

Picture of the Church of Almighty God

(1) God’s work of judgment in the last days is done to purify, save and perfect man, and to make a group of overcomers.

Bible Verses for Reference:

“Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name” (Rev 3:10-12).

6 We Should Know the Significance of God’s Raising Up the Man Used by the Holy Spirit

He Yi Zhuanghe City, Liaoning Province

In “Ten Administrative Decrees God’s Chosen People Must Keep” it is stipulated: “In the work or the church affairs, apart from obeying God, you should take orders from the man used by the Holy Spirit in everything and should not disobey any of them but should obey them absolutely. Do not analyze whether they are right or wrong. Whether they are right or wrong has nothing to do with you. You should just obey them absolutely.” However, many people do not understand why God requires us to absolutely obey the man used by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, some of them do not value at all the work of the man used by the Holy Spirit, always thinking that the man used by the Holy Spirit is after all a man and not God, so the work he does is not likely in complete accordance with God’s will and is not necessarily one hundred percent reliable and correct. With such a thought, some are simply unwilling to read the fellowships and preachings of the man used by the Holy Spirit, thinking that they would rather read more of God’s word than “The Fellowship of the Man” if they have time. Others, even though they read “The Fellowship of the Man,” simply skim over it, making no attempt to understand the truth or God’s will from it. And still others only know that no matter whether the word of God fits their notions, they should accept and obey it and should not pass judgment on it recklessly. But as to the fellowship of the man used by the Holy Spirit, if they find in it anything that does not fit their notions, they cannot accept it, and they dare to judge and criticize it at will, saying, “How could the man used by the Holy Spirit speak like this? How could he use some popular sayings, such as, ‘to see whether it is a horse or mule, just let it have a race,’ ‘Pig fights against a demon—can do nothing,’ and so on?” And when any work arrangement does not fit their notions, they have doubts for fear that it may be from man’s will. For example, on the stipulations about expelling and purging people, many of them had this thought: “God’s will is to save man to the utmost. Could these stipulations about expelling people be in accordance with God’s will?” Also when the work arrangement required that people be classified into different groups for meetings, they again had a thought: “If this is carried out, won’t those who do not pursue fall? Isn’t it devoid of love? Could this be God’s will? Isn’t it likely to be a method thought up by the man used by the Holy Spirit?” We have such attitudes toward and opinions about the work of the man used by the Holy Spirit mainly because of three reasons: the first is that we do not understand the substance of the work of the man used by the Holy Spirit, the second is that we do not understand why God raises up the man used by the Holy Spirit, and the third is that we do not know the nature and the consequences of not accepting the work of the man used by the Holy Spirit.

God’s Words Led Me Out of the Woods

God’s Words Led Me Out of the Woods

By Xiao Rui, Sichuan Province

When my duty in The Church of Almighty God was preaching the gospel, while doing this I encountered religious leaders who bore false witness to frantically resist, disturb, and block people’s investigation and acceptance of God’s work in the last days. They even called the police to have them arrest those of us sharing the gospel. As a result, those we were preaching to didn’t dare come into contact with us, and those who had just accepted the gospel were subjected to disruptions and became uncertain about God’s work. Our gospel work was greatly hindered. I felt really anxious when I saw so many brothers and sisters with genuine faith who were hoodwinked and disrupted by the pastors and elders. They were unable to return before God and accept His purification and salvation of the last days. I worked hard every day to share fellowship on God’s words with them to resolve the notions they held regarding God’s work, but after doing this for a period of time, our gospel work still hadn’t taken a turn for the better. I thought: “Evangelical work is so difficult to carry out. It would be so wonderful if God just displayed some miracles and punished those who bear false witness as well as those who seriously resist Him to show to those who have been deceived. Then wouldn’t the work of the gospel advance more quickly? It wouldn’t be so difficult for us to preach the gospel.” This is how this hope came up in my heart every time I encountered difficulties. Later, I read the book of Classic Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God and during fellowship heard some testimonies on God’s signs and wonders, and I felt very glad in my heart.

The Word of God Guides Me Through the Snares

The Word of God Guides Me Through the Snares

By Tian’na, Hong Kong

The Word of God Guides Me Through the Snares

As I go through the passage of God’s words, “Do You Know? God Has Done a Great Thing Among Men,” I cannot help but recall my experience two years ago of breaking free from the binds of rumors and returning before God.

How can you pursue the truth so that you are not taken in by lies? What are the principles of practice? (2)

Sermon and Fellowship Excerpts for Reference:

Some people listen to so many of God’s words, yet when they listen to one sentence of the great red dragon’s negative propaganda, they start to be suspicious all of a sudden. It is as if God’s words are not true and the work that God does is false. Do these kinds of people have faith in God? This is not faith. The faith of Abraham and Job was genuine faith. They harbored no notions no matter what God said. What were the most important words that Peter spoke in his testimony? “Even if God were playing with humans like they were toys, how would humans be able to complain? What right would they have?” Did these words spoken by him show genuine faith? (Yes.) Some people say, “I will always obey, no matter what God does. The lies spread by the great red dragon amount to nothing! Even if all the things that the entire religious world and the great red dragon say were true, I would still believe in Almighty God.” Does this show a genuine faith? Only this shows a genuine faith. Why do you believe in this manner? Because you can see that God is real, you can see that the things that God says are true, and you can see God is doing the work of perfecting man. This is why, no matter what the great red dragon says, even if what it says were true, God would still be God, and God will forever be God! Someone says, “Now, is it the case that no matter what God does, He is still God?” Correct. This is how it is. Let’s say you have two children. With one word, God causes your two children to die. Is He still God? Would you still believe? If God lets your entire family perish in an earthquake, would you still believe? (Yes.) Why would you still believe? Because this does not affect God’s essence and the reality that God is still God. God is God. No matter how many things God does that are at odds with man’s notions and no matter how many destructive things He visits upon mankind, He is still God. Isn’t this a genuine knowledge of God? (Yes.) No matter how many good things Satan does, it is still Satan, right? Someone says, “Then how do you tell the positive from the negative?” What are positive things and what are negative things? What is correct, and what is wrong? What is true and what is false? How do we differentiate these things? Everything God says is the truth and is positive, because God is the truth. All the things that Satan says and does are evil, wicked and fallacious. They are all negative things. It is fine if you define these things in this way. No matter how many things Satan does that people think are good, it is still Satan. No matter how many things God does that destroy and punish mankind, He is still God. It is an objective fact. For example, regardless of how your father beats and scolds you, he is still your father. If he treats you well, he is your father. If he does not treat you well, he is still your father. No matter how he treats you, he is your father. Why do I say this? It is a fact that he is your father. If it is an established fact that he is your father, then nothing that he does can cause this fact to be untrue. This is the correct way to see things. Someone says, “Of the things that God does, there are some matters in which I do not see how it could be the truth, nor do I see how they could be beneficial to mankind.” In this case, you must seek the truth, listen to fellowship and sermons, and read and ponder more of God’s word. As for the key aspects which cannot be clearly explained by man, pray to God about them and perhaps the Holy Spirit will enlighten you, and then you will be able to understand a bit more. One day, you will know that whatever comes from God and everything that God does or says is the truth, and all of it is positive. Is this a good way to experience God’s work? (Yes.) If you always try to delimit God, you will never be able to know God. Once you learn how to obey God, you will be able to know God. This is the secret to obtaining the truth!

Almighty God's word -- Do You Know? God Has Done a Great Thing Among Men

The old age is gone, and the new age has come. Year after year and day after day, God has done much work. He came into the world and then in turn departed. Such a cycle has continued on through many generations. This day, God continues to do as before the work that He must, the work that He has yet to complete, for to this day He has yet to enter into rest. From the time of creation to this day, God has done much work, but did you know that the work God does this day is much more than before and the scale much greater? This is why I say that God has done a great thing among men. All of God’s work is very important, be it to man or to God, for every item of His work is related to man.

Eastern Lightning | How does God incarnating to do the work of judgment bring to an end mankind’s belief in the vague God and the dark age of Satan’s dominion?

I. One Must Bear Witness to the Aspect of Truth Concerning God’s Incarnation

9. How does God incarnating to do the work of judgment bring to an end mankind’s belief in the vague God and the dark age of Satan’s dominion?

Bible Verse(s) for Reference:

“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).

Almighty God's Word—The Way to Know God

The Creator’s Sincere Feelings Toward Mankind

God's wish on Nineveh's children

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. God has never ceased His dialogue with mankind; He has never concealed Himself from man, nor has He hidden Himself. His thoughts, His ideas, His words and His deeds are all revealed to mankind. Therefore, so long as man wishes to know God, he can come to understand and know Him through all sorts of means and methods. The reason why man blindly thinks that God has intentionally avoided

Breaking Through Satan’s Tight Encirclement

Zhao Gang, China

It was bitterly cold this past November in Northeast China, none of the snow that fell to the ground melted away, and many people who walked outside were so cold that they stuffed their hands into their armpits and walked along cautiously, bodies bent over. The other day in the early morning the winds were blowing from the northwest, when I, my brother-in-law and his wife and about a dozen brothers and sisters were sitting in my home on the warm kang (a heatable brick bed). Everyone had a copy of the Bible beside them and in their hands everyone was holding a copy of the book Judgment Begins With the House of God. Two sisters from The Church of Almighty God were fellowshiping on the truth concerning God’s three stages of work. The two sisters were drawing pictures of the three stages of work as they fellowshiped: “God’s work for the salvation of mankind can be divided into three stages, from the Age of Law to the Age of Grace and then to the Age of Kingdom. Each stage of work is newer and more improved and also more profound than the previous stage. The work done in the last days is the final stage of work, in which God expresses words to judge and cleanse man….” We nodded our heads as we listened, and our minds felt especially clear: Who would’ve thought that God’s management plan for the salvation of mankind would have so many mysteries! Besides God Himself, who else could speak of the mysteries of these three stages of God’s work so clearly? This truly is the work of God! We fellowshiped into the evening of the following day, and our whole group expressed a willingness to seek out and look into Almighty God’s work of the last days.