The Church of Almighty God | The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a “White Cloud”

The Church of Almighty God | The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a “White Cloud”

The Church of Almighty God | Personal devotionals

For several thousand years, man has longed to be able to witness the arrival of the Savior. Man has longed to behold Jesus the Savior on a white cloud as He descends, in person, among those who have pined and yearned for Him for thousands of years. Man has longed for the Savior to return and be reunited with the people, that is, for Jesus the Savior to come back to the people from whom He has been apart for thousands of years. And man hopes that He will once again carry out the work of redemption that He did among the Jews, will be compassionate and loving toward man, will forgive the sins of man, bear the sins of man, and even bear all of man’s transgressions and deliver man from sin. They long for Jesus the Savior to be the same as before—a Savior who is lovable, amiable and venerable, who is never wrathful toward man, and who never reproaches man. This Savior forgives and bears all of man’s sins, and even dies upon the cross for man once more. Since Jesus departed, the disciples who followed Him, and all of the saints who were saved thanks to His name, have been desperately pining for Him and awaiting Him. All those who were saved by the grace of Jesus Christ during the Age of Grace have been longing for that joyful day during the last days, when Jesus the Savior arrives on a white cloud and appears among man. Of course, this is also the collective wish of all those who accept the name of Jesus the Savior today. Throughout the universe, all those who know of the salvation of Jesus the Savior have been desperately yearning for the sudden arrival of Jesus Christ, to fulfill the words of Jesus when on earth: “I shall arrive just as I departed.” Man believes that, following the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven upon a white cloud, and took His place at the Most High’s right hand. Similarly, man conceives that Jesus shall descend, again upon a white cloud (this cloud refers to the cloud that Jesus rode upon when He returned to heaven), among those who have desperately yearned for Him for thousands of years, and that He shall bear the image and clothes of the Jews. After appearing to man, He shall bestow food upon them, and cause living water to gush forth for them, and shall live among man, full of grace and love, living and real. And so on. Yet Jesus the Savior did not do this; He did the opposite of what man conceived. He did not arrive among those who had yearned for His return, and did not appear to all men while riding upon the white cloud. He has already arrived, but man does not know Him, and remains ignorant of His arrival. Man is only aimlessly awaiting Him, unaware that He has already descended upon a white cloud (the cloud which is His Spirit, His words, and His entire disposition and all that He is), and is now among a group of overcomers that He will make during the last days. Man does not know this: Although the holy Savior Jesus is full of affection and love toward man, how could He work in “temples” inhabited by filth and impure spirits? Though man has been awaiting His arrival, how could He appear to those who eat the flesh of the unrighteous, drink the blood of the unrighteous, wear the clothes of the unrighteous, who believe in Him but do not know Him, and who constantly extort Him? Man knows only that Jesus the Savior is full of love and compassion, and is the sin offering filled with redemption. But man has no idea that He is also God Himself, who is brimming with righteousness, majesty, wrath, and judgment, and possessed of authority and full of dignity. And so even though man eagerly yearns for and craves the return of the Redeemer, and even Heaven is moved by the prayers of man, Jesus the Savior does not appear to those who believe in Him but do not know Him.

“Jehovah” is the name that I took during My work in Israel, and it means the God of the Israelites (God’s chosen people) who can take pity on man, curse man, and guide the life of man. It means the God who possesses great power and is full of wisdom. “Jesus” is Emmanuel, and it means the sin offering that is full of love, full of compassion, and redeems man. He did the work of the Age of Grace, and represents the Age of Grace, and can only represent one part of the management plan. That is to say, only Jehovah is the God of the chosen people of Israel, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the God of all the people of Israel. And so in the current age, all the Israelites apart from the tribe of Judah worship Jehovah. They make sacrifices to Him on the altar, and serve Him wearing priests’ robes in the temple. What they hope for is the reappearance of Jehovah. Only Jesus is the Redeemer of mankind. He is the sin offering that redeemed mankind from sin. Which is to say, the name of Jesus came from the Age of Grace, and existed because of the work of redemption in the Age of Grace. The name of Jesus existed to allow the people of the Age of Grace to be reborn and saved, and is a particular name for the redemption of the whole of mankind. And so the name Jesus represents the work of redemption, and denotes the Age of Grace. The name Jehovah is a particular name for the people of Israel who lived under the law. In each age and each stage of work, My name is not baseless, but holds representative significance: Each name represents one age. “Jehovah” represents the Age of Law, and is the honorific for the God worshiped by the people of Israel. “Jesus” represents the Age of Grace, and is the name of the God of all those who were redeemed during the Age of Grace. If man still longs for the arrival of Jesus the Savior during the last days, and still expects Him to arrive in the image He bore in Judea, then the entire six-thousand-year management plan would stop in the Age of Redemption, and would be incapable of progressing any further. The last days, furthermore, would never arrive, and the age would never be brought to an end. That is because Jesus the Savior is only for the redemption and salvation of mankind. I took the name of Jesus for the sake of all the sinners in the Age of Grace, and it is not the name by which I shall bring the whole of mankind to an end. Although Jehovah, Jesus, and the Messiah all represent My Spirit, these names only denote the different ages in My management plan, and do not represent Me in My entirety. The names by which people on earth call Me cannot articulate My entire disposition and all that I am. They are merely different names by which I am called during different ages. And so, when the final age—the age of the last days—arrives, My name shall change again. I shall not be called Jehovah, or Jesus, much less the Messiah, but shall be called the powerful Almighty God Himself, and under this name I shall bring the entire age to an end. I was once known as Jehovah. I was also called the Messiah, and people once called Me Jesus the Savior because they loved and respected Me. But today I am not the Jehovah or Jesus that people knew in times past—I am the God who has returned in the last days, the God who shall bring the age to an end. I am the God Himself that rises up at the ends of the earth, replete with My entire disposition, and full of authority, honor and glory. People have never engaged with Me, have never known Me, and have always been ignorant of My disposition. From the creation of the world until today, not one person has seen Me. This is the God who appears to man during the last days but is hidden among man. He resides among man, true and real, like the burning sun and the flaming fire, filled with power and brimming with authority. There is not a single person or thing that shall not be judged by My words, and not a single person or thing that shall not be purified through the burning of fire. Eventually, all nations shall be blessed because of My words, and also smashed to pieces because of My words. In this way, all people during the last days shall see that I am the Savior returned, I am the Almighty God that conquers all of mankind, and I was once the sin offering for man, but in the last days I also become the flames of the sun that burn all things, as well as the Sun of righteousness that reveals all things. Such is My work of the last days. I took this name and am possessed of this disposition so that all people may see that I am a righteous God, and am the burning sun, and the flaming fire. It is so that all may worship Me, the only true God, and so that they may see My true face: I am not only the God of the Israelites, and am not just the Redeemer—I am the God of all creatures throughout heavens and earth and seas.

When the Savior arrives during the last days, if He were still called Jesus, and were once again born in Judea, and did His work in Judea, then this would prove that I only created the people of Israel and only redeemed the people of Israel, and that I have nothing to do with the Gentiles. Would this not contradict My words that “I am the Lord who created the heavens and earth and all things”? I left Judea and do My work among the Gentiles because I am not merely the God of the people of Israel, but the God of all creatures. I appear among the Gentiles during the last days because I am not only Jehovah, the God of the people of Israel, but, moreover, because I am the Creator of all My chosen ones among the Gentiles. I not only created Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon, but also created all the Gentile nations beyond Israel. And because of this, I am the Lord of all creatures. I merely used Israel as the starting point for My work, employed Judea and Galilee as the strongholds of My work of redemption, and use the Gentile nations as the base from which I will bring the entire age to an end. I did two stages of work in Israel (the two stages of the work of the Age of Law and the Age of Grace), and I have been carrying out two further stages of work (the Age of Grace and the Age of Kingdom) throughout the lands beyond Israel. Among the Gentile nations I will do the work of conquering, and so conclude the age. If man always calls Me Jesus Christ, but does not know that I have begun a new age during the last days and have embarked upon new work, and if man always obsessively awaits the arrival of Jesus the Savior, then I shall call people such as this the ones who do not believe in Me. They are people who do not know Me, and their belief in Me is a sham. Could such people witness the arrival of Jesus the Savior from heaven? What they await is not My arrival, but the arrival of the King of the Jews. They do not yearn for My annihilation of this impure old world, but instead long for the second coming of Jesus, whereupon they will be redeemed; they look forward to Jesus once more redeeming all of mankind from this defiled and unrighteous land. How can such people become those who complete My work during the last days? The desires of man are incapable of achieving My wishes or accomplishing My work, for man merely admires or cherishes the work that I have done before, and has no idea that I am the God Himself who is always new and never old. Man only knows that I am Jehovah, and Jesus, and has no inkling that I am the Last, the One who shall bring mankind to an end. All that man yearns for and knows is of his own conception, and is merely that which he can see with his own eyes. It is not in line with the work I do, but in disharmony with it. If My work were conducted according to the ideas of man, then when would it end? When would mankind enter rest? And how would I be able to enter the seventh day, the Sabbath? I work according to My plan, according to My aim, and not according to the intention of man.

The Church of Almighty God | Best Christian Movie | "Yearning" (English Dubbed)

The Church of Almighty God | Best Christian Movie | "Yearning" (English Dubbed)

The Church of Almighty God | Yearning

Introduction

Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus promised His followers: "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2-3). Because of this, generations of believers have continued to obsessively hope and pray for the fulfillment of the Lord's promise, and hope and pray that they are raptured into the heavens to meet the Lord and enter into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord comes.

This also describes this film's protagonist, Chen Xiangguang. He is an enthusiastic seeker, spreads the gospel, and bears witness to the Lord in order to welcome the Lord's coming. In spite of being dismissed from his position in a school and failing to gain understanding from his family members, he never gives up the hope in his heart. One day while in a gathering, Chen Xiangguang is arrested and thrown in jail by the Chinese Communist government. Under God's wondrous rule and arrangements, he encounters Zhao Zhiming, a Christian from The Church of Almighty God. Zhao Zhiming gives him testimony on God's appearance and work in the last days, resolving his years of notions and imagination in hoping and praying for the Lord's return. After getting out of prison, Chen Xiangguang leads his brothers and sisters to look into Almighty God's work in the last days. Everyone finally comes to understand what it is to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven, whether the kingdom is really on earth or in heaven, and how people should welcome the Lord's return ...

Special statement: This video production was produced as a not-for-profit piece by the Church of Almighty God. The actors that appear in this production are performing on a not-for-profit basis, and have not been paid in any way. This video may not be distributed for profit to any third party, and we hope that everyone will share it and distribute it openly. When you distribute it, please note the source. Without the consent of the Church of Almighty God, no organization, social group, or individual may tamper with or misrepresent the contents of this video.

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Christian Music Video 2018 | Welcome the Return of the Lord Jesus | "Two Thousand Years of Longing"https://youtu.be/7lgv4QwNW10

Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming ofthe 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.

The Church of Almighty God | God Has Come to China | Worship Song "Christ's Kingdom Is Realized Among Men"

The Church of Almighty God | God Has Come to China | Worship Song "Christ's Kingdom Is Realized Among Men" 

The Church of Almighty God | Worship Song "Christ's Kingdom Is Realized Among Men" 

I Almighty God incarnate appears in the last days in the East, just like a righteous sun arising; mankind has seen the true light appear. The righteous and majestic, loving and merciful God humbly hides among men, issuing truth, speaking and working. Almighty God is face-to-face with us. The God you thirsted for, the God I waited for, today appears to us practically. We sought the truth, we yearned for righteousness; truth and righteousness have come among men. You love God, I love God; mankind is so full of renewed hope. Peoples obey, nations worship the practical God incarnate.

II Almighty God expresses the truth and brings judgment, revealing God’s righteous disposition. By the judgment, chastisement and trials of words, He conquers and perfects a group of overcomers. God’s words, wrathful and majestic, judge and cleanse mankind’s unrighteousness, completely destroying the age of darkness. Truth and righteousness rule on earth. The world all cheers, all people rejoice; God’s tabernacle arrives among men. The universe stirs and nations worship, God’s will is carried out on earth. The world all cheers, all people rejoice; God’s tabernacle arrives among men. The universe stirs and nations worship, God’s will is carried out on earth. Christ’s kingdom is realized among men.

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

 

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.

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The Church of Almighty God | With God, I’m No Longer Empty and Helpless

The Church of Almighty God | With God, I’m No Longer Empty and Helpless

The Church of Almighty God | A sister is reading Almighty God's Words

I Degenerated as My Heart Strayed From God

I was told in the Sunday school when I was a child that God is the Creator and that all things come from Him. However, with my age increasing, I learned from knowledge that the world was materialistic and that all things came into being on the basis of evolution. In the beginning, I wondered why my school’s teaching was different from what the teacher said in the Sunday school, and which was actually right. But, gradually, as I learned more and more knowledge, I was assimilated by materialism in the textbooks. I started to depend on the knowledge I’d grasped to solve all kinds of difficulties I met in my life and study. Whenever the difficulty was resolved, a sense of admiration for knowledge crept up in my heart. Gradually, knowledge became the standard by which I judged whether one had wisdom or not, and I even hoped to change my fate relying on knowledge. From then onward, I forgot to pray to God and rely on God in everything; instead, I depended on myself to deal with everything and looked up information when there was an issue. The image of God became more and more blurred in my heart. As such, I chose to follow the trend—pursuing knowledge and worshiping it.

Higher Levels of Education Do Not Equal a Happy Life

In 2000, I realized my dream and was admitted into a top university in China. I thought I had embarked on a happy life since then, but things didn’t turn out the way I had imagined.

I remember when I was about to graduate from the university, I began to hesitate whether I should apply to domestic or foreign graduate schools. Once on the road, I met an alumna by accident, whom I had not seen for long. Having known she was then a real estate sales clerk, I was very astonished and said to her: “How come you work as a sales clerk? You did so well in your major. Isn’t it a pity that you gave it up?” She said coolly: “Don’t make a fuss. The school is an ivory tower. After you graduate and come out of it, you’ll know little of what you’ve learned in college can be put into practice. So, I changed my profession. Do you still remember XX? Her family sold their house to afford the money for her study abroad. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a job for which she was trained after returning home. On top of that, she is proud and arrogant, so she failed to attain a high post and is unwilling to take a low one. As a returnee, she now stays at home all day unemployed and lives off her parents.” Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but feel melancholic in my heart: The two alumnae were both high-achieving students in our school. Now, however, one has altered her profession, and the other has been at home unemployed after returning from study overseas. Why can’t they control their own fates with high academic achievements? At that moment, I was a little doubtful about the words of “Knowledge can change one’s fate.” I wondered whether the knowledge I’d learned could really bring me a guarantee for my future.

Continuing My Education in the U.S. and Resisting the True Way

In 2004, I graduated as expected, and meanwhile obtained an opportunity of further study in the U.S. with a full scholarship. At that time, I, who had suspected the words of “Knowledge can change one’s fate,” seemed to see the dawn. Back then, America had been hit hard by the 911 terrorist attack and launched a clampdown on all types of visas. I didn’t know if I could be granted the visa successfully. I submitted my visa application with an attitude of trying. Beyond my expectation, it was approved smoothly. When I first arrived in America, I spent most of my time in studying, for I thought only knowledge could provide a solid foundation for me to gain a foothold in this country. In the following days, to receive a doctorate became one of my main objectives in my life.

In 2007, my mother accepted the work of Almighty God, the returned Lord Jesus. Then she preached the gospel to me, saying: “The Lord Jesus has returned to flesh and done a stage of new work….” Years of higher education made it hard for me to listen patiently to the opinion of one who was much less educated than me. Owing to my chasing and admiring knowledge, in the days that followed, when my mother preached the gospel to me again, I maintained an attitude of refusal. In this way, I shut out God’s work during the last days several times.
Overcome with Loneliness While Climbing the Peak

In 2013, I fulfilled my wish of obtaining a Ph.D. However, during half the year when I was preparing for the doctoral qualifying examination, I was tormented with unspeakable suffering, and my mental nervousness and stress went beyond description. Almost all the books in the library related to the subject of my dissertation had been borrowed and looked through by me. Because I had no time to cook, I ate instant noodles every day. I slept only on the ground, for I was afraid to oversleep due to the comfort of sleeping on the bed. I kept reading every day like the walking dead. Sometimes when I suddenly thought of a question I couldn’t answer, I’d feel quite alarmed and not sleep until I found out the answer, fearing deeply to miss anything that might appear in the exam paper. One morning, I looked into the mirror, and noticed my face was sallow and bloodless and that my eyes were unfocused. I couldn’t help but be struck with sadness. My best years had been buried in knowledge, and in the end I was left looking like this. I indeed felt distressed and tired. However, I’d gotten all the way to this point; if I gave up, all my previous efforts would come to naught. In helplessness, I had no option but to bite the bullet and continue on … In the eyes of other people, probably I was successful, for I not only came to America but succeeded academically. All of this seemed to be so perfect. But I often felt empty and lonely inside. I didn’t know where my next stop would be and what on earth I should pursue.

The Hard Time After Bearing My Child

In the same year, I got married to my husband. It was not long before I became pregnant. Because my husband worshiped knowledge as I did, he had borrowed varieties of books and disks from the library ever since, which explained the advantages of breast-feeding from different angles and how a new mother could produce milk more quickly and better. I thought we were in full preparation for our child’s arrival.

But then, something unexpected happened: I had no milk after my child was born. In desperation, my husband and I asked for help from the lactation counseling in the hospital, where I was advised to use the breast pump machine to produce milk every three hours day and night, with twenty minutes at a time. Then, I did what the doctor told me. My milk, however, became less and less, and it disappeared completely half a month later. I knew from the books that it was a normal process, and that if I persisted in using the machine, my milk would increase. So I could only continue to do it. Each time I put up with the pain of the caesarean and sat up in bed to do as directed in the middle of the night, there was always a feeling of inexpressible bitterness spreading in me. Why did I still have no milk after following the doctor’s instructions with care? Was scientific knowledge not worthy of trust? Later, I tried every means, food and medicine in the books without exception that were beneficial to producing milk. However, I just had one disappointment after another. Meanwhile, the relationship between my husband and I was frozen. He complained about me a lot. There was nothing left within me but helplessness and extreme grievance.

Seeing my distress, my mother held my hand and said: “You’ve always considered that knowledge can solve any problems. You think you can control everything with your little knowledge, which is totally unrealistic. If man has no idea of knowing God and is unwilling to submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements, he will be the only one who suffers in the end.” Hearing her words, I thought of how I had strictly followed the instructions in the books since I got pregnant but to no avail. At that time, I truly realized knowledge could not decide everything. Having gone through this thing, I somewhat had a change of heart. I was determined to be humble and investigate Almighty God’s words sincerely.

Returning Before God and Seeing the Dawn

After a period of investigation, I was sure that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus’ return in 2016. God has become flesh and done a stage of work of judgment and chastisement during the last days. There has been no work of the Holy Spirit in the churches of the Age of Grace long ago. From then on, I returned to the house of Almighty God, actively took part in the meetings and read God’s words. I saw God’s word: “You may put it simply that a field of knowledge is nothing more than knowledge. That is a field of knowledge that is learned on the basis of atheism and lack of understanding that God created all things. When people study this type of knowledge, they do not see God as having dominion over all things, they do not see God as being in charge of or managing all things. Instead, all they do is endlessly research, explore, and seek out scientific answers in that area of knowledge. However, if people do not believe in God and instead only pursue research, they will never find the true answers, right? Knowledge only gives you a livelihood, it only provides a job, it only provides income so that you don’t go hungry, but it will never help you know God, it will never help you believe in Him, obey Him, and knowledge will never keep you far from evil. The more you study knowledge, the more you will desire to rebel against God, to research God, to tempt God, and to go against God” (“God Himself, the Unique V” in Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh). “From when man first had social sciences, the mind of man was occupied by science and knowledge. Then science and knowledge became tools for the ruling of mankind, and there was no longer sufficient room for man to worship God, and no more favorable conditions for the worship of God. The position of God sunk ever lower in the heart of man” (“God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Pondering what was exposed in God’s words and reflecting back on the road I had taken, I truly felt that knowledge may give man a livelihood or a good job, but it can never solve the emptiness in man’s heart or determine his fate. Rather, it only makes man arrogant, stray from God and disobey God. Thinking back to those times of my mother preaching the gospel to me, it was precisely because I was highly educated while she was uncultured that I was reluctant to bow my head and listen to her views, and thus rejected God’s new work time after time. Yet it proved that Almighty God, in whom my mother believed, is indeed the Lord Jesus’ second coming, the one true God. As for feeding my child, since I became pregnant I had depended on scientific knowledge. When I didn’t have milk for breast-feeding, I still tried to seek a way out from those doctors well versed in medical knowledge. Nevertheless, knowledge didn’t solve my problem in the end despite me suffering a lot. And then, looking back to all these years, though I had received my Ph.D., which could be said to be an achievement in the field of knowledge, I often felt empty and couldn’t find the direction of life as my heart rebelled against and was far away from God. It can be seen from this that knowledge can become a tool for Satan to corrupt man and tempt man into pushing God away if man cannot regard knowledge correctly. Just like many scientists in the world. They have profound knowledge but they eventually die in emptiness because they don’t believe in God.

Through reading God’s words, I had a correct understanding and orientation of knowledge. I didn’t worship knowledge blindly any more but viewed all things by God’s words. Because I read God’s words every day, I understood more and more truths and my relationship with God became more and more normal. In my daily life, I learned to rely on God and on longer depended on knowledge. Under the guidance of God, I felt very assured and also saw God’s deeds. Once, I was cooking lunch in the kitchen while my son was playing in the backyard alone. Suddenly, the west German shepherd of my neighbor ran out of his house into our backyard, barking fiercely toward my son, who was playing by himself attentively. I rushed out and swept him into my arms, only to find he was already frozen with fright. It was not until I took him into the house that he came to his senses. Then he cried loudly. In the following three days, my son was spiritless all day and cried frequently. He wouldn’t like to be put on the ground and was exceedingly afraid of going out. Seeing my son cry all day with tears on his face, I felt painful and tormented inside. Just when I was at a loss, I thought of the word of Almighty God: “You should know that all things in the environment around you are there by My permission, I arrange it all. See clearly and satisfy My heart in the environment I have given to you” (“The Twenty-sixth Utterance” of Utterances and Testimonies of Christ in the Beginning in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Then I came to God and prayed: “Oh Almighty God! In the past, I believed only scientific knowledge could save man. If my son was frightened before, I would immediately refer to the relevant materials about his condition on the net or take him to see a doctor. But now I am sure all is in Your hand. I’m willing to give my son into Your hand and let You arrange it for me. If he is indeed sick and needs treatment, then I’ll take him to see a doctor.” After the prayer, my heart slowly became calm. When he cried again, I picked up my mobile phone and played the MV of the Church of Almighty God, God Has Brought His Glory to the East. A miracle happened. My son stopped crying and started to listen to the hymn absorbedly. Seeing my son slowly improved, I gasped in admiration in my heart: “Oh Almighty God! You are truly the God who dominates all things! A crying child can be made quiet before You in a second.” Later, as long as my son began to cry, I’d play the hymns of God’s word to him. No matter how hard he cried, he would gradually stop his tears while listening to the hymns. From this, I saw God’s wondrous deeds. The authority and power of God’s word could not be replaced by any doctor steeped in scientific knowledge. Seeing my son getting better, I was full of reverence and gratitude to God, and had a hope inside: When my son is old enough to understand things, I’ll bring him before God, and guide him to treat knowledge properly. I cannot let him blindly worship knowledge and be harmed severely by it, and finally become a person who resists God.

Now, it has been over a year since I accepted the work of Almighty God. I deeply feel only God can save man and that only God’s word is the beacon for man. Just as God’s word says: “Whether the words spoken by God are, in outward appearance, plain or abstruse, they are all truths indispensable to man as he enters into life; they are the fount of living waters that enables him to survive in both spirit and flesh. They provide what man needs to stay alive; the dogma and creed for conducting his daily life; the path, goal, and direction through which he must pass in order to receive salvation; every truth that he should possess as a created being before God; and every truth about how man obeys and worships God. They are the guarantee that ensures man’s survival, they are man’s daily bread, and they are also the sturdy support that enables man to be strong and stand up. They are rich in the reality of the truth of normal humanity as it is lived out by created mankind, rich in the truth by which mankind breaks free from corruption and eludes Satan’s snares, rich in the tireless teaching, exhortation, encouragement, and solace that the Creator gives to created humanity. They are the beacon that guides and enlightens men to understand all that is positive, the guarantee which ensures that men will live out and come into possession of all that is righteous and good, the criterion by which people, events, and objects are all measured, and also the navigation marker that leads men toward salvation and the path of light” (Preface to Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh).

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The Church of Almighty God | The Spiritual Journey of Seeking the Source of Living Water

The Church of Almighty God | The Spiritual Journey of Seeking the Source of Living Water

Lynn    Philippines

The Church of Almighty God | Reading Almighty God's Words

I was born and raised in a clan steeped in the Catholic tradition. My siblings and I were educated in Catholic institutions. The priests, nuns, and my mother taught us to say the rosary and pray to the statues of the saints and of the Blessed Mother. There was another practice in the Catholic Church: making repetitious prayers with our fingers in the “holy” water or our hands on the statues. The priests said that we would be purified by doing so. However, as I advanced into my teenage years, I stopped believing that touching those so-called purifying objects would cause our sins to be forgiven or our illnesses to be healed. And I began to doubt that keeping those religious rites could make us approved by God and gain blessings from God. There were always some questions in my mind: Where on earth is God? Why do we always need to deal with the priests and contact God through touching statues? In the Catholic Church, I did not have a direct contact with God or feel His presence, so there was emptiness in my heart. Although I believed in God, I felt my belief didn’t make any sense because the church was full of dogmas and rules which were made by men and I could not receive any life provision. Afterward, I quit observing those religious dogmas and regulations and no longer went to the church to attend Mass and other religious services. 

When I grew up, I worked as a teacher for five years in a remote Indo-Chinese refugee camp where many of my students were Buddhists. They invited me to a temple but I did not convert, because I knew that only the Lord Jesus is the true God. Though the Buddhist scriptures seemed appealing and reasonable to me as they taught people to be merciful and showed them how to practice, I didn’t think they were the truth. I wanted to find a church which truly belonged to God, so that I could gain the truth from Him.

In 1994, my friend invited me to their church (a Catholic charismatic renewal group that emphasized gifts of speaking in tongues, healing sickness, casting out demons and so on). There was Mass every day. She asked me to attend at least one prayer meeting and one Bible study a week. There, I learned to pray to God in a personal way. I felt that it seemed to be the spiritual church I had been looking for. However, I later discovered that some people in the church were like the Pharisees. At that time, as my family broke up, my older daughter and I experienced discrimination by them. They said that people with such a background like ours were not welcome in their church. My daughter was very young then, but she had to suffer all this as well. I felt confused again and started to wander and no longer got involved with that religious group.

After that episode, another friend of mine who was a born-again Christian invited me to their Sunday worship. That group focused on preaching biblical theology. They treated the Bible as a precious treasure which could tell them everything. She also took me to attend various church services. I saw that their faith was on the basis of the Bible and I also learned something from their preaching. I no longer prayed to Mary, saints, or martyrs. However, the pastors differed greatly in their interpretations of the Bible. Originally, I had intended to worship God and gain the truth in that group. But I was not sure whose interpretation was in line with the truth and I didn’t get any supply at all there. Moreover, they set down some regulations. For example, a wife should consider her husband as the head and must obey him. My friend was a widow and was planning to marry again, but a pastor advised her against it. He said that it violated the Bible. Though I was comfortably off, I felt thirsty and dark in the spirit. I always prayed to God and tried to discover the reason. I didn’t know the direction of my life and felt like a spiritual drifter.

Until 2015, my younger daughter told me that the Lord has returned and that God has been incarnated as a female and expressed the truth to do the work of judgment in the last days in China. She asked me what I thought about it. I became interested in it. I thought that God is almighty and wise, that no one can fathom His wonder, and that He can do His work in many ways incomprehensible to man. For example, the Lord Jesus Christ was born in the most unexpected place—a manger. So I had no doubt that God is incarnated as a female to do His work. My daughter also told me that the Old Testament and the New Testament are the historical records of God’s work in the Age of Law and the Age of Grace. Now God does the work of judgment in the last days, the third stage of work in God’s entire management plan, based upon the redemptive work in the Age of Grace. Those words sounded very novel and aroused my curiosity. Seeing I was interested in what she fellowshiped and showed no opposition to it, my daughter tried to persuade me to fellowship with a sister in the Unites States. However, I was unwilling to deal with foreign churches at that point, so I refused her request and did not investigate God’s work in the last days.

Fast-forward to February of 2016, and my daughter printed fifteen pieces of God’s word for me to read. She opened The Word Appears in the Flesh and turned to the Preface. I saw some of God’s words, “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. In other words, if people do not know God, do not know His work, then they are not fit for God’s use, much less can they fulfill the desire of God. ‘Belief in God’ means believing that there is a God; this is the simplest concept of faith in God. What’s more, believing that there is a God is not the same as truly believing in God; rather, it is a kind of simple faith with strong religious overtones. True faith in God means experiencing the words and work of God based on a belief that God holds sovereignty over all things. So you shall be freed of your corrupt disposition, shall fulfill the desire of God, and shall come to know God. Only through such a journey can you be said to believe in God” (Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh).

After reading those words, I felt very shocked in my heart. In all the sects I had ever gone to, they all claimed that they were believers in God, but none of them was serious about what belief in God meant, much less able to explain it clearly. The Catholic Church treated holding to the dogmas and rites as belief in God, such as chanting various scriptures, attending Mass and confessing to the priests. The Christians treated reading and explaining the Bible, attending meetings, praying, and working for the Lord as belief in God. Some sects considered belief in God as the following: speaking in tongues, healing sickness, casting out demons, pursuing miracles, and so on. Buddhism regarded worshiping clay statues as belief in God. However, Almighty God uses only one sentence to fully articulate the meaning of belief in God. Though I was unable to completely understand the inner meaning of this sentence, I felt that this definition of belief in God could not be spoken by any man but by God. It is God’s voice and is the truth. At that moment, I thought: I finally found the God who can bestow upon me the truth and supply me with His word. Nonetheless, I didn’t understand what God’s management plan was.

In March 2016, because of the designs of God, I had my first fellowship with Sister Jane and Brother Martin. Sister Jane fellowshiped about God’s six-thousand-year management plan with me. She said, “Thanks be to God! Today we come together to seek the truth, which pleases God most. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Almighty God’s words can solve all our confusions.” I said, “Now I’d like to know what God’s management plan is.” Sister Jane first read Almighty God’s words, “All of God’s disposition has been revealed throughout the six-thousand-year management plan. It is not revealed only in the Age of Grace, only in the Age of Law, or even less so, only in this period of the last days. The work done in the last days represents judgment, wrath and chastisement. The work done in the last days cannot replace the work of the Age of Law or that of the Age of Grace. However, the three stages interconnect into one entity and are all the work done by one God. Naturally, the execution of this work is divided into separate ages. The work done in the last days brings everything to a close; that done in the Age of Law is of commencement; and that done in the Age of Grace is of redemption” (“The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

“In the work of man’s salvation, three stages have been carried out, which is to say that the battle with Satan has been split into three stages prior to the complete defeat of Satan. Yet the inner truth of the entire work of the battle with Satan is that its effects are achieved through bestowing grace upon man, and becoming a sin offering of man, forgiving the sins of man, conquering man, and making man perfect. As a matter of fact, the battle with Satan is not the taking up of arms against Satan, but the salvation of man, the working of the life of man, and the changing of man’s disposition so that he may bear testimony to God. This is how Satan is defeated. Satan is defeated through changing the corrupt disposition of man. When Satan has been defeated, that is, when man has been completely saved, then the ashamed Satan will be completely bound, and in this way, man will have been completely saved. And so, the substance of man’s salvation is the battle with Satan, and the war with Satan is primarily reflected in the salvation of man. The stage of the last days, in which man is to be conquered, is the last stage in the battle with Satan, and also the work of man’s complete salvation from the domain of Satan” (“Restoring the Normal Life of Man and Taking Him to a Wonderful Destination” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Then she fellowshiped, “God’s words have made it clear that the three stages of God’s work are God’s management plan of saving mankind. In the beginning, mankind didn’t have knowledge of the Creator, how the heavens, the earth and all things were formed, or how to worship God. God decreed the laws and commandments under the name of Jehovah and used them to lead and restrict man so that they could learn how to serve and worship Him. If man committed sins, they could sacrifice the offerings required by God to redeem their sins. Those who violated the commandments would be put to death while those who obeyed the laws would receive God’s blessings. At the same time, people came to know they were sinners. In this way, people could see God’s disposition was curse, burning and mercy. In the late phase of the Age of Law, people could no longer keep the laws and all lived in the curse and condemnation of the laws. So, God became flesh as the Son of man and was nailed to the cross for mankind’s sins under the name of the Lord Jesus, and completed the work of redeeming mankind. As long as man came before the Lord Jesus to confess and repent, He would forgive their sins and no longer regard them as sinners. Then people were qualified to pray to Him and receive His grace and blessings. From it, people could see God’s lovingkindness, compassion and tolerance. Though the Lord Jesus has forgiven man’s sins, He didn’t forgive man’s sinful nature. So, people are still arrogant, self-right, self-important, self-conceited, selfish, greedy and evil and are controlled and bound by their satanic natures, unable to extricate themselves. In the last days, God becomes flesh as the Son of man again and does the work of judgment with His word under the name of Almighty God to purify man and save man thoroughly from sin. As long as people accept and obey the work of judgment God does in the last days, they can know the truth that they have been corrupted by Satan, know God’s majestic, wrathful, righteous and holy disposition, understand and gain the truth, and live by the truth. And finally they will get rid of satanic dispositions like arrogance, self-conceit, crookedness, craftiness, selfishness and contemptibleness, no longer be deceived, tempted or used by Satan, overcome the influence of Satan and obey God truly, and thus be thoroughly saved by God. This is the result achieved by God’s six-thousand-year management plan. Each of the three stages of God’s work is indispensable and goes higher and deeper than the last. In the end, man will be saved completely from Satan’s domain.”

Almighty God’s words and the sister’s fellowship surprised me a lot. It turned out that God has such a specific plan of saving mankind. The three stages of God’s work in the Age of Law, the Age of Grace and the Age of Kingdom are not independent but are linked one to the next. They are done by one God, who takes different names in different ages. I also saw that God’s work is very practical, that Almighty God is not the vague God in man’s imagination but God incarnate, who carries out His work among man practically as an ordinary person. The work God does now is to judge and chastise man, so that Satan will be defeated finally and man will be perfected by God. I realized that God hopes man can grow in life amidst His management plan and that He cares about the human beings He created.

In the following days, we often had meetings online, read Almighty God’s words and fellowshiped about the truth. I understood more and more truths, such as the truth about God’s incarnation, how God judges and purifies man in the last days, and the differences between God’s work and man’s work. I’ve seen that there are no regulations or rites in the Church of Almighty God. Everything is based on reality. We fellowship about the truth according to our corrupt dispositions, and equip ourselves with the truth according to what we lack. No matter what we do, we regard the truth as principles. The Church of Almighty God is completely ruled by the truth and God’s word, and is the church I had been yearning for. Now through reading Almighty God’s words every day, sharing our experiences and knowledge, and trying our best to practice what God asks us to do, I have a feeling of fulfillment in my spirit. In the Age of Grace, though I had been calling to God, I could only hold to the religious rites in the church and could not be supplied in my spirit. Since I joined the Church of Almighty God, I’ve felt even more that Almighty God is a practical God, who lives among us and provides us with everything necessary to our life.

Thinking back upon the past, to seek the truth and look for a church with God’s presence, I went to many churches in different denominations. However, they observed regulations and rites, worshiped idols, or equipped themselves with biblical knowledge and theology. I could not feel God’s presence at all and didn’t gain the truth, which made me feel more and more discouraged and disappointed about faith in God. Today, I finally found the source of the truth—Almighty God, and returned to God’s family. From now on, I will no longer wander around. Instead, I will quiet my heart before Almighty God, read His word seriously and equip myself with more truths, so that I can grow in life quickly and perform my duty well as a created being to satisfy Him.

The Church of Almighty God | Exploration of the “Mystery”

The Church of Almighty God | Exploration of the “Mystery”

The Church of Almighty God | Exploration of the "Mystery"

My wife and I had believed in the Lord for 18 years. One day after breakfast, I went to the yard to pull up weeds as usual, and my wife was reading a book carefully in the room. Butwhen I was entering the room, she stopped reading and hastily hid the book. Her action aroused my curiosity: Over the eighteen years of believing in the Lord Jesus, she seldom read the Bible in the daytime but only read it in the gatherings, as we got lots of household chores to do. But why has she changed after she came back from seeing a doctor last time? Can it be that she has accepted the Eastern Lightning? For I heard that the Eastern Lightning’s book is very fascinating. But I then thought: It’s impossible. The Eastern Lightning followers told us that the Lord has come back and is called Almighty God, and that He has become flesh as a female. But the Lord Jesus was male; even if He has come back, He must still be male. How can He be female? We have believed in the Lord for over 10 years; we can discern this problem. Besides, my wife opposed the Eastern Lightning vigorously before, and she didn’t even allow the Eastern Lightning followers into our yard whenever they came to preach the gospel to us. Thus, it’s impossible for her to read their book. But what on earth is she reading that attracts her so much? Is it about belief in God? Driven by curiosity, many times I wanted to ask her what she was reading, but I bit the words back, afraid that she wouldn’t tell me the truth. After turning over the matter in my mind, I decided to pretend to be ignorant of it and watch for a chance to sneak a look at her book,and then the truth would be out.

One morning, my wife, wearing reading glasses, was absorbed in reading the book in her hands. Meanwhile, I was pulling up weeds in the front yard. Then through the window I saw a cow get into our backyard. Intending to seize the opportunity to send my wife away, I yelled at her loudly, “A cow has broken into the backyard. Hurry to drive it away! Hurry up!” But she was reluctant to put aside her book, and said, “You go. I’m busy now.” Hearing this, I had no intention to go, and went on to shout, “I’m tied up. Why don’t you go?” So she agreed grudgingly. I cast furtive glances at her, and saw her put the book into the cabinet and go to the backyard. So I hastened to the room and took out the book. I saw that the book’s name is The Scroll Opened by the Lamb. For fear that she would be back soon, I nervously flipped the pages as I cast glances at her through the window. When I saw her driving the cow up the hill, I was secretly thrilled, for I knew that she wouldn’t be back shortly. Thereupon, I flipped through the contents pages quickly: “Concerning the Practice of Prayer,” “Concerning the Bible (1),” “Concerning the Bible (2),” “Concerning the Bible (3),” “Concerning the Bible (4),” …. It turned out that the book was really about belief in God. But I didn’t dare to read it carefully and quickly put it back, in fear of being seen by my wife. After that, I returned to the front yard and went on with my work, thinking: Now I know the book is about belief in God and where it is put, and I’ll have a good read of it in her absence.

Then came my chance. One day, my wife felt the familiar ache in her lower back. So, when she was out to see a doctor, I laid aside my work and went into the room, and I took out the book to see its contents. I opened the book and happened to see this sentence, “Though many people believe in God, few understand what faith in God means,” which immediately riveted my attention. “It’s true. I have been a believer in God for more than 10 years, but I’m indeed ignorant of what faith in God means. Now that this question has been raised, there must be an answer in the book.” Then I read on, “‘Belief in God’ means believing that there is a God; this is the simplest concept of faith in God. What’s more, believing that there is a God is not the same as truly believing in God; rather, it is a kind of simple faith with strong religious overtones. True faith in God means experiencing the words and work of God based on a belief that God holds sovereignty over all things. So you shall be freed of your corrupt disposition, shall fulfill the desire of God, and shall come to know God. Only through such a journey can you be said to believe in God” (Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh). I was astonished by this passage of words. I thought: Who said these words? And who is capable of making the belief in God so plain? He even has pointed out the path of belief in God for man—man has to experience the words and work of God based on a belief that God holds sovereignty over all things, so that he can be freed of his corrupt disposition to fulfill the desire of God and come to know God. And only through such a journey can one count as having true faith in God. Comparing these words with my years of belief, I have no true belief in God at all. When I listen to the preaching, it just goes in one ear and out the other, and I can’t put it into practice after hearing it. Reflecting on these words, I saw I had a confused kind of faith. I went on to read a few more pieces of words. Deeply attracted by them, I took notes while I was reading. And in the following days, once my wife went out, I would lose no time in getting the book out and reading it. But what often happened was that she was back at precisely the moment when I came to the key part, which made me more eager to finish the book earlier.

Finally I couldn’t help asking my wife to let me read her book. Unexpectedly, she readily consented. From then on, I no longer had to read it secretly. One day, I saw these words in the book: “In this way, all people during the last days shall see that I am the Savior returned, I am the Almighty God that conquers all of mankind….” Upon seeing the words “Almighty God,” my heart sunk and I stopped reading at once. “Is it not the book of the Eastern Lightning? I have been guarding against it in this way or that way for six years, but in the end what I’m reading is exactly its book.” At that moment, I was at a loss to decide whether I should read on or not. “According to the Eastern Lightning followers, the Lord Jesus has returned and He has become flesh as a female. The Lord is evidently male, so how is it possible for Him to be female when He comes back? That just doesn’t make sense. And I cannot read it any longer no matter how good it is. If I take a wrong way, wouldn’t my over ten years of belief be in vain?” At this thought, I closed the book and put it aside. Then I walked back and forth in the yard with a heavy heart. I was in low spirits, and just couldn’t give my mind to any work I did. The words of the book I had read in those days kept recurring to my mind, “I hope that you will read it to the end, and will not put it aside easily.” “Perhaps, having heard the way of truth and read the word of life, you believe that only one in 10,000 of these words are in line with your convictions and the Bible, and then you should continue to seek in that 10,000th of these words.” These words lingered in my mind all the time, and I pondered: Merely one ten thousandth? How small the proportion is! The words I have read in these days sound reasonable, and most of them are in line with the Bible. Actually the proportion is far more than one ten thousandth. The purpose of these words is to tell people never to put the book aside easily. So, should I go on reading? If it is really the work of God but I don’t accept it, then am I not resisting God? At that time, I recalled that the Bible says, “And now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nothing; But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest haply you be found even to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39). Thinking back over the past six years, Almighty God’s kingdom gospel had been preached to us constantly. If it didn’t come from God, the Church of Almighty God could not have developed to the present day, neither would any member of the Church of Almighty God have such great faith to keep preaching the gospel to us. And if the gospel does come from God and I refuse to accept it, then I will be resisting God, and won’t be saved in the end. At that moment, I was ambivalent about it. I thought it over and over, and finally decided to read through the book to see whether it was the true way; if it was, I would continue to read it together with my wife; but if not, I would keep her from reading it. After making the decision, I hurried with my reading. While reading, I found those words were in accordance with the truth, but I also felt puzzled about some of them. Within a few days, I finished reading it. Then I said to my wife seriously, “I have finished reading. It seems to be the word of God, for no one else can speak such words. But there are still some words incomprehensible to me. You find sisters from the Church of Almighty God for me; I have some questions to ask them. Provided that they can solve my puzzles, we will accept the gospel. Otherwise, you shall not believe in the way, either, and we’ll ask them to take away the book.” My wife seemed very glad to hear that, and answered with assurance, “Okay, then it’s settled!”

The next evening, Sister Sun came to our house at our invitation. She said to me in a mild tone, “Uncle, if you have any puzzles, just feel free to communicate with me.” “You said that the Lord Jesus has come back and is female. But the Lord was obviously male; how could He be female when He returns?” I asked earnestly. She replied smilingly, “Genesis records that God created male and female in His image. Then, can you tell me whether God is male or female?” Her words stunned me, and I had no idea how to reply. At this moment, she added, “So we cannot delineate God and conclude that He is only male. Let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s words, ‘Each stage of work done by God has a real significance. When Jesus arrived, He was male, and this time He is female. From this, you can see that God created both male and female for His work and with Him there is no distinction of gender. When His Spirit arrives, He can take on any flesh at will and the flesh represents Him. Be it male or female, both represent God as long as it is His incarnate flesh. If Jesus arrived and appeared as a female, in other words, if an infant girl, not a boy, was to be conceived by the Holy Spirit, that stage of work would have been completed all the same. If so, this stage of work would have to be completed instead by a male and the work would then be completed all the same. The work done in both stages is significant; no work is repeated or conflicts with each other. At the time of His work, Jesus was called the only Son, which indicates the male gender. Then why is the only Son not mentioned in this stage? This is because the needs of the work have necessitated a change to the gender different from that of Jesus. With God there is no distinction of gender. His work is done as He wishes and is not subject to any restrictions, particularly free, but every stage has a real significance. God became flesh twice, and it goes without saying that His incarnation in the last days is the last time. He has come to reveal all His deeds. If in this stage He did not become flesh to personally do work for man to witness, man would forever hold on to the notion that God is only male, not female’ (‘The Two Incarnations Complete the Significance of the Incarnation’ in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s words made it clear to us: The substance of God is Spirit, and with Him there is no distinction of gender. Only when God is incarnated on earth and becomes an ordinary person due to the needs of His work, is there a distinction of gender with Him. But regardless of whether God incarnate is male or female, His divine substance doesn’t change, and both can accomplish the work God wants to do. In the first incarnation, He was male, and this time He is female, which totally breaks apart man’s conceptions. Otherwise, man will draw the conclusion that God is only male.”

Hearing Sister Sun’s fellowship, I was inexpressibly delighted, as the years of confusion in my heart was finally released. If it had not been for God’s revealing the mystery, I would have defined God as male forever, and my conception would never have been resolved. At that time, I felt remorse and said to my wife, “My dear, this is truly God’s new work. It has been preached to us for so many years, but we simply refused to accept it, just because we didn’t know God and delineated Him by our conceptions and imaginations. Fortunately God didn’t abandon us, otherwise, we would have lost God’s salvation in the last days. Since you have accepted it, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” In tears she said, “Thank God for having not left us. Before, when someone came to preach about the Lord Jesus’ return, we never listened to them, much less did we seek or investigate, so we have missed many great opportunities to be saved by God. These days I’ve been investigating this way, but I was afraid that you wouldn’t accept it, so I didn’t tell you.”

In the following two days, Sister Sun continued to fellowship with us and solved all our puzzles. Then, we both accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days formally. All the glory be to Almighty God!