The Love of God’s Salvation for Mankind | Eastern Lightning

Danyi    Sichuan Province

There is a feeling of guilt that wells up in my heart every time I see these words of God: “The biggest problem with man is that he thinks of nothing but his fate and prospects, that he idolizes them. Man pursues God for the sake of his fate and prospects; he does not worship God because of his love for Him. And so, in the conquest of man, man’s selfishness, greed and the things that most obstruct his worship of God must all be eliminated. In doing so, the effects of man’s conquest will be achieved. As a result, in the earliest conquest of man it is necessary to first purge the wild ambitions and most grievous weaknesses of man, and, through this, to reveal man’s love of God, and change his knowledge of human life, his view of God, and the meaning of his existence. In this way, man’s love of God is cleansed, which is to say, man’s heart is conquered” (“Restoring the Normal Life of Man and Taking Him to a Wonderful Destination” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). It has only been through time and time again of God’s judgment and chastisement that I have finally come to my senses and recognized that what God requires is mankind’s single-minded, pure love, and that it is right and proper for all creations to seek to love God and fulfill their duty. I also recognized that when people are no longer constrained by their future destiny and are able to live for God, the work of conquest on them will bear fruit. However, when I was working as a leader, I wasn’t putting my effort into pursuing the truth; I was always ruled by thoughts of my future destiny. Because of this, I would often undergo refinement to the point that I became negative, and this was not only a loss within my own life, but it also damaged my work in the house of God. However, God didn’t deal with me based on my transgressions. He gave me many opportunities to repent. There was the judgment and chastisement as well as the bitter refinements from God’s words, the sustenance, comfort, support, and shepherding from His words, the Holy Spirit leading me, enlightening me, and illuminating the path for me time and time again—only through these things was I able to step by step break free from Satan’s snare, not lose my way, and embark on the proper path in life. When I reflect on God’s salvation of me, the past is very vivid.

I was born in the countryside. I had three sisters, and because my father was subject to the traditional idea of perpetuating the family line, he preferred to be fined for having more children than the law allowed rather than not have a son. Because the issue of preferring boys over girls is very serious in the countryside, any household that doesn’t have a son is considered to have their family line cut off. This was the thing that saddened my father the most, and my parents argued about it frequently. There were threats of divorce several times and my father was often breaking things. I was always hoping for the day that my parents wouldn’t fight anymore. I remember one time when my cousin yelled at me “Your family line is broken!” because of some petty issue. I didn’t say anything when I heard those heart-rending words. From that time on, Satan’s poisons of “Who says girls aren’t as good as boys,” “One should bring honor to his ancestors,” and “getting ahead” gained a deep hold in the depths of my soul. I developed a secret ambition: I’m the eldest daughter in the family, and I’ll strive to gain recognition for my parents. One day I’ll show that even though my parents don’t have a son, having a daughter is even better.

I was a diligent student in primary school and participated enthusiastically in all sorts of school activities. I was frequently praised by my teachers and I also won some awards. In my class I was an art committee member, a study committee member, a team captain, and a Communist Youth League member. Once I got to middle school I was the Chinese language class representative and I won awards in every year’s sports meet. In our county, they made a video for every Teachers’ Day and the school organized a program of performances. My teacher particularly requested that I participate in a leading role. At that time my teacher thought highly of me, and my classmates were envious. When my father saw that I was on television he grinned from ear to ear and was very proud of me. When I saw his happy smile, I felt thrilled that I could win this recognition for him.

In late 1999, our entire family accepted new work from God, and because I was dominated by thoughts of being blessed, I began a life of leaving home to fulfill my duty. In order to obtain the leader’s approval as well as the support of my brothers and sisters, I did my best to endure hardships in fulfilling my duty, and I would do everything I could to carry out any work that was required by the house of God or arranged by the leader. At the time, I was one of the top people among my co-workers in the work of the gospel, and every project of mine was bearing fruit. Although my understanding of the truth was superficial, when my brothers and sisters had issues at home, problems in their work, or difficulties with their life entry, I would always look for God’s words and fellowship with them. My brothers and sisters got along well with me and the leader thought highly of me. I gradually began to feel that I was a rare talent in the house of God.

In early 2006, I was promoted to be regional leader, and when I saw that the fruit from the area I was responsible for was a bit better than in other regions, I thought to myself: Even though I haven’t performed this type of duty, I implement every project more quickly than others and the outcomes of my work are also better. The leader also wants to train me; if my parents knew that I could perform this duty I don’t know how happy they would be. Particularly when I went to my hometown to work, there was always a feeling of returning home in glory, and I hoped that I would see more brothers and sisters who knew me so that they could know that the duties I was performing were at that level. I was living in a condition of being self-congratulatory, and even my speaking manner had changed. I had begun to focus on my image in other people’s eyes. By then, I was no longer focused on putting my effort into the word of God and I no longer sought to enter into life. Instead, I focused on the leader’s view and assessment of me, and whether the people I worked for supported me. Over time, I was no longer able to resolve issues in the church or deviations or omissions in the work of those I worked for. When meeting with my co-workers I could no longer share any fellowship with them. This was very painful for me, and I felt like the walking dead, living in darkness. In the end, not only was I not promoted, but I was replaced. At the time I was very hurt, and I thought to myself: If my parents and the brothers and sisters who know me knew that I’ve been replaced, what would they think of me? I won’t be able to gain family prestige or get ahead. It looks like I’m done, and I have no future to speak of. I was full of despair and unwilling to read the word of God, to pray, and I was even less willing to see or have contact with my brothers and sisters. The weakness and negativity in my heart had reached a certain point. Later, I saw these words from God: “In your seeking, you have too many individual notions, hopes, and futures. The current work is in order to deal with your desire for status and your extravagant desires. The hopes, the desire for[a] status, and the notions are all classic representations of satanic disposition. The reason that these things exist in people’s hearts is entirely because Satan’s poison is always corroding people’s thoughts, and people are always unable to shake off these temptations from Satan. They are living in the midst of sin yet do not believe it to be sin, and they still believe: ‘We believe in God, so He must bestow blessings on us and arrange everything for us appropriately. We believe in God, so we must be superior to others, and we must have more status and more of a future than anyone else. Since we believe in God, He must give us limitless blessings. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called believing in God’” (“Why Aren’t You Willing to Be a Foil?” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Every sentence of these words of revelation by God gripped my heart. That I was replaced was God’s righteous disposition coming upon me, and it was to deal with the concern for status in my heart. Since I was a little girl, Satan’s poisons of “Who says girls aren’t as good as boys,” “One should bring honor to his ancestors,” and “getting ahead” had been continually corrupting my thoughts to the point that my views on belief in God had become unbearably ugly. Subject to domination by these types of thoughts, I had worked extremely hard in fulfilling my duty, I had run around busily for years, but in fact I had wanted to use God to achieve my own goals of getting ahead and gaining family prestige. I was so contemptible! So ugly! Through the facts and the judgment of His words, God exposed that my internal perspectives on pursuit were precisely the same as Satan. I was on a path of failure, and without God’s timely judgment and chastisement, I would have continued to hold on to this type of pursuit and in the end, I could only have fallen to my ruin and come to the same end as Paul.

I thought that there should be some changes after I gained this understanding, but there was another revelation in 2008 that forced me to see that a change in disposition wasn’t as simple as I had thought. I couldn’t change just from having a small understanding of my views of pursuit after undergoing some refinement. Only through long-term judgment and chastisement is change possible. At that time I was assigned to perform the duty of watering for God in another area. When a meeting with the sister who was in charge of the work was over, I began to measure in my heart who among us was good at fellowship, and what my rank was. I paid particular attention to the opinions and attitudes toward me of the sister in charge of the work. When I saw that she was paying attention to another sister, I felt really thrown off balance. When she had me go water the church leaders and deacons, I thought it was simply a waste of my abilities and felt that she didn’t know how to manage people. I could at least water district leaders and workers. For this reason I became pessimistic and disappointed and lost my will for pursuit. I was living in a condition of negativity. Even though I had come up against walls several times, I hadn’t thought anything of it. Later on God’s righteous disposition came upon me and I had a recurrence of appendicitis, but I still didn’t turn my rigid heart around. That was, until one time when I put a bottle of medicine for treating foot dryness and cracking behind the nightstand at my host family’s home. The seven-year-old girl there thought it was something good and drank it secretly, and afterward she was on the ground, clutching her stomach in pain and crying. At the time I was so scared I didn’t know what to do. My sister in the host family quickly took the child to the community health clinic to save her, and the doctor said: “The child’s stomach is so thin, but you didn’t take her to the Children’s Hospital. You want to just wait for her to die?” My legs felt like dead, and when I thought of what the doctor had said, I became deeply uneasy. I didn’t even know how I had walked back to my host family from the clinic. I thought to myself: If the child really does die, her parents will certainly look into what happened…. The more I thought about it the more scared I became. I wanted to cry but no tears came. The time passed one second and one minute at a time. I could not calm myself—I was really suffering. I flipped through God’s words and saw the following: “I believe that it is best for us to find the simplest way to satisfy Him, that is, to obey all of His arrangements, and if you can truly achieve this you will be perfected. Isn’t this an easy, joyful thing? … In God’s work today, He doesn’t become angry easily, but if people want to disrupt His plan He can change His countenance in an instant and turn it from bright to cloudy. So, I advise you to settle down and respect God’s designs, allow Him to make you complete. This is the only way to be a smart person” (“The Path … (7)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). From God’s words I saw that God’s disposition does not tolerate people’s offenses; I realized that my actions had brought God’s disgust and aroused His anger. In order to show me the path, He had let me know how I should engage in pursuit. When I was ill and in pain, I did not do any introspection. God once again used the incident of the little girl eating the medicine to chastise me, to make me suffer, to make me able to put these things aside, pursue the truth, and obey God’s arrangements. God couldn’t bear to allow me to continue to be fooled by Satan, to struggle so hard and rush around for reputation and status. This type of chastisement, judgment, and purification of me was His last resort, to get me to see the deep pit of status I was trapped in. Several experiences of chastisement had not awakened my heart; I still couldn’t extricate myself from the control and affliction of the satanic nature in me. In retrospect, when I first came to do the work, I had airs of being outstanding, and I believed at first that I would be promoted for an important purpose; I had not imagined that I would be demoted to complete grassroots-level work. People who I thought were no match for me were watering brothers and sisters at leadership levels for districts, and some of them were even promoted while my own prospects looked bleak. I thought: Going back home would be better than fulfilling my duty here. So, when I met with the church leaders, I started just going through the motions. I did not take any responsibilities for their lives, and I shouldered no true burden for the various issues within the church, not to mention considering the will of God. At that time, when I was faced with God’s words which were so full of compassion and love, I felt deeply indebted to Him. God’s thoughts are for the lives of mankind, and He offers up everything for humanity; this is to fully rescue mankind from Satan’s domain. But I was unwilling to offer up anything in my work for God. The root of the problem was that I was always bound and ruled by Satan’s poison. I was just like a naive child who had no understanding of her parents’ good intentions; I had lost too many opportunities to be made perfect by God. Only having an awakening once things had gotten to that point—wasn’t it too late? I fell to the ground, full of remorse and self-reproach: “Oh God! The judgment and chastisement that has come upon me today is all Your righteousness. I am willing to obey. If there is still a chance, I am willing to change myself, to no longer rush about for the sake of my future fate. I am willing to just be a small creation in Your hand, to fulfill my watering duty as well as I can, and comfort Your heart.” After I was done praying, my heart was calmed. I was willing to give myself entirely to God, and even more willing to give that little girl entirely to God. Before long, I heard the sound of that sister in my host family opening the door, and the little girl shouted: “Auntie, will you hold me?” She then quietly said to me: “Auntie, you absolutely have to keep this a secret; you can’t tell my grandmother that I drank your water!” At that moment my heart was finally released, seeing that God had maneuvered who-knows-how-many people, events, and objects in order to save me, this “stone.” I felt that I was utterly unworthy. From then on, my intentions were no longer for my future fate. I just kept my feet on the ground and did my best to fulfill my watering duty to comfort God’s heart. I was no longer merely going through the motions, and when I discovered that there were deviations or omissions in the duties of my brothers and sisters, I just patiently communicated with them, helped, and supported them. Through my fellowship with my brothers and sisters I gained some truth, and at the same time learned some lessons from them. At that time I no longer believed that my abilities were going to waste. I understood God’s good intentions, and that fulfilling this duty was what was needed in my life. It was God designing an environment according to my deficiencies, to make up for them. I give thanks to God! From then on, I was able to fulfill my duty with peace of mind. I hadn’t imagined that before too long, the leader spoke to me and asked me to water leaders and workers for the districts in two regions. I then saw God’s righteous disposition, that He examines the depths of man’s heart and is in charge of everything. What God likes is a down-to-earth person who fulfills their duty. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to perform my duty. When meeting with the district leaders I discovered some issues and worked on them diligently. I also recorded the issues discovered in each meeting, what widespread problems there were, how I was resolving them, and which problems I had not resolved. After a period of time I felt that fulfilling my duty this way was very realistic. My heart was at ease and peaceful, and I was no longer under the rule of the poison of “getting ahead.” I felt like I was equipped with and understood some of the truth in various aspects, that I could enter in with my brothers and sisters, that I was a low-profile person. I understood that fulfilling my duty as a creation is an unalterable principle, and that I should be just like a soldier, obeying commands as my sacred duty, not considering or planning for myself, but in everything making the interests of the house of God important. This is what a creation should do.

In late February 2012, I was transferred to another province to fulfill my duty. At that time my heart was very calm, and I wasn’t gloating as I had in the past. When I had just gone to begin the position it happened to be the time that the household of God was cleaning out the church. The above said in the work arrangement: “The work of cleaning out five types of people in the church must be completed before the 2012 Labor Day holiday. Because the work of cleaning is to pave the way to expand the work of the gospel of the kingdom, it absolutely must not impact the work of the gospel” (“God Is Completely Glorified Only by Thoroughly Cleaning Out the Church and Ensuring the Smooth Expansion of the Gospel of the Kingdom” in Annals of Fellowship and Work Arrangements II). Some leaders and workers urgently needed to be replaced; every aspect of work was almost at a standstill. Because of God’s protection, I wasn’t consumed by difficulties at that time. While I was adjusting the leaders and workers, I was organizing the proper people to collect the materials of those who had to be dismissed and expelled. However, come late March, I saw that there was still not one notification to clear out a person issued. I really underwent refinement in my heart. I was full of reasons and excuses; I thought to myself that I was just practicing at performing this duty, that I was not clear on the truth, and I could no longer continue my work of guiding this effort. Just as I was receiving refinement, the sister in charge of the work called me to deal with me. I was very upset at the time and wasn’t willing to accept it. I felt wronged in my heart. I thought: I’ve just arrived here, you know very well what my work is like. I’ve been doing everything I can to cooperate, and you don’t comfort me, but instead deal with me. Just like this, I was living in the midst of refinement and the word “replaced” was haunting me. Even though I was doing the work, I had lost my confidence, and I was constantly thinking: This time I’ll probably be replaced because it says in the work arrangement that leaders who can’t do the work of dismissing and expelling five types of people must be replaced. Later, I thought of a hymn of God’s word that I used to sing frequently: “The greater God’s refinement, the more people’s hearts are able to love God. The torment in their hearts is of benefit to their lives, they are more able to be at peace before God, their relationship with God is closer, and they are better able to see God’s supreme love and His supreme salvation. Peter experienced refinement hundreds of times, and Job underwent several trials. If you wish to be made perfect by God, you too must undergo refinement hundreds of times; only if you have to go through this process, and have to rely upon this step, are you able to satisfy God’s will, and be made perfect by God. Refinement is the best means by which God makes people perfect; only refinement and bitter trials can bring out the true love for God in people’s hearts. Without hardship, people lack the true love for God; if they are not tested within, and are not truly subjected to refinement, then their hearts will always be floating in the outside world. Having been refined to a certain point, you will see your own weaknesses and difficulties, you will see how much you are lacking and that you are unable to overcome the many problems you encounter, you will see how great is your disobedience, and you will be able to truly know yourselves. Only if you have to go through this process, and have to rely upon this step, are you able to satisfy God’s will, and be made perfect by God” (“Refinement Is the Best Means by Which God Makes People Perfect” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). Through the guidance of God’s words, I recognized that refinement is God’s best way of perfecting people, and if my sister hadn’t dealt with me, my heart would still be drifting about. Because my laziness and servility were too strong, it was only through this type of environment that I could be proactive and come out from my reasons and excuses. Only through this type of refinement could I clearly see that I was nothing and that I had too many faults, but it also exposed that I was still subject to the rule of thoughts of my future fate. In spite of the fact that I had had several experiences of chastisement over these few years, I was no longer willing to pursue any type of worthless reputation or status, and I had become much more honest on the outside, in the depths of my soul Satan’s poison was still present. I thought back to the conditions when I had just come here: They reflected to me that the previous leader hadn’t done practical work, but had just spoken doctrine, not performing the work of clearing out the church. I thought to myself: I can’t be someone who just speaks doctrine but doesn’t do practical work. I have to do my job well, and completely clear out these five types of people before Labor Day so that those I’m working for will see that I’m better than the previous leader, so that the person in charge will recognize me. It turned out that I was running around and working hard to achieve that desire. God is so righteous—He has deep knowledge of the filth in my heart. I was not working to stand by God’s side, or to maintain the interests of the household of God or protect my brothers and sisters, but I was scheming to establish myself. The antichrists are disrupting and destroying the work of the house of God, but I was unable to expel these demons from the house of God and comfort His heart. I truly deserve to die! In the midst of suffering and self-recrimination, I fell onto the floor: “Oh God! That I could fulfill this duty is the greatest exaltation from You, but I was ungrateful and didn’t care about Your will. I really am despicable. Today, I have tasted Your righteous disposition, and although my corruptions are still numerous, I am willing to accept You making me perfect. I am willing to be purified within this environment, and I am willing to do my utmost to work with You, and even more willing to stand united with my brothers and sisters to get rid of all antichrist demons.” After praying, I saw a passage of God’s words: “People believe in God with the purpose of seeking to obtain blessings in the future. All people have this intent and hope. Corruption within human nature must be resolved through trials, however. In whichever aspects you do not pass, it is in these aspects that you must be refined—this is God’s arrangement. God creates an environment for you, forcing you to be refined there to know your own corruption. Ultimately you reach a point where you would rather die and give up your schemes and desires, and submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangement.

So if people do not have several years of refinement, if they don’t have a certain amount of suffering, they will not be able to avoid the bondage of corruption of the flesh in their thought and in their hearts. In whichever aspects you are still subject to Satan’s bondage, in whichever aspects you still have your own desires, your own demands—it is in these aspects that you should suffer. Only in suffering can lessons be learned, which means being able to gain truth, and understand God’s intention. In fact, many truths are understood within experience of painful trials. Nobody says that God’s intention is known, that His almightiness and wisdom are understood, that God’s righteous disposition is appreciated in an environment of ease or in favorable circumstances. That would be impossible!” (“How to Satisfy God in the Midst of Trials” in Records of Christ’s Talks). From God’s words, I recognized that my concerns with my future fate had become the most lethal thing in my nature. Because I could disrupt the work of the house of God for it, and could still be ruled by it, God once again created an environment to refine me. From this, I saw that the trials and refinements were all God’s arrangement, and if I had not been dealt with and refined over these few years, if I had not experienced these miserable environments, the views in my soul and mind on things of the flesh would not have changed. After several rounds of being dealt with and refined, my pursuits finally underwent a transformation. I was no longer willing to believe in God for the purpose of blessings or to conduct transactions with God, to put so much importance on reputation and status or my future fate. I also became much clearer on God’s will in saving mankind.

Since then, when fulfilling my duty, no matter if I am replaced or my duties are adjusted, I am much calmer in my heart and I am no longer as concerned as before about what I could gain or lose. I just feel that it is one more responsibility and duty. No matter what duty is arranged for me, I am willing to just obey the will of God and do whatever I am capable of. The duties that I fulfill are all ordained by God, and I am willing to keep my feet on the ground and pursue the truth, make up for my past transgressions and debts, follow Peter’s example in living out a practical love of God. Just like the words of God in this hymn: “Oh God! We have spent time apart, and time together in company. I have done nothing for You, yet You love me more than all else. I have repeatedly rebelled against You and repeatedly grieved You. How can I forget such things? The work You have done in me and what You have entrusted me with I always bear in mind, I never forget. With the work You have done in me I have tried my best. You know what I can do, and You further know what role I can play. I will dedicate everything I have to You. Although Satan fooled me so much and I have repeatedly rebelled against You, I believe You do not remember me for those transgressions, that You do not treat me based on them. I wish to dedicate my entire life to You. I ask for nothing, and neither do I have other hopes or plans; I only wish to act according to Your intention and to do Your will. I will drink from Your bitter cup. I am willing to devote my heart and body and all my true love to You, place them before You, be completely obedient toward You, and be absolutely considerate to Your will. Not for the flesh, not for family, but for Your work” (“The Prayers of Peter” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs).

Now, I have believed in God for over 14 years. Because of God’s grace I have always fulfilled my duty in the household of God. There have been many ups and downs; there has been laughter, there have been tears of sorrow, there has been the happiness from understanding God’s will and feelings of guilt from indebtedness to God. Even more, there has been the joy and peace from putting the truth into practice. I really have gained so much. I have experienced the goodness of God’s judgment and chastisement—it is very real! Without His judgment and chastisement I would never have undergone the changes that I have. In my days from now on, I am willing to accept more of God’s judgments and chastisements, to accept more of the bitter trials God sets up for me so that I can be purified, be saved and made perfect by God out of His judgments and chastisements. Through this I can live out a meaningful life with value!

Introduction：

EasternLightning, 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 brief introduction of the Church of Almighty God

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Du Fan    Jiangsu Province

Recently, a church was holding a vote to select a new leader, but the presiding leader went against the principles of the church, using her own way to carry out the vote. When some other brothers and sisters voiced their opinions, not only did she not acknowledge them, but insisted on upholding her own way. The church was subsequently thrown into confusion by the leader’s actions.

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? | Eastern Lightning

      Bible Verses 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” (Isa 2:2-5).

4. How do the three stages of God’s work gradually deepen for people to be saved and perfected? | Eastern Lightning

 three stages of  God’s work

 Relevant Words of God:

 The entire management of God is divided into three stages, and in each stage, fitting requirements are made of man. Furthermore, as the ages pass and progress, God’s requirements of all mankind become ever higher. Thus, step-by-step, this work of God’s management reaches its climax, until man beholds the fact of the “appearance of the Word in the flesh,” and in this way the requirements of man become even higher, and requirements of man to bear testimony become even higher. … In the past, man was required to comply with the law and the commandments, and was required to be patient and humble. Today, man is required to obey all of God’s arrangements and possess a supreme love of God, and is ultimately required to still love God amid the tribulation. These three stages are requirements that God makes of man, step-by-step, throughout His entire management. Each stage of God’s work goes deeper than the last, and in each stage the requirements of man are more profound than the last, and in this way, God’s entire management gradually takes shape. It is precisely because the requirements of man are ever higher that man’s disposition comes ever closer to the standards required by God, and it is only then that the whole of mankind gradually departs from the influence of Satan until, when God’s work comes to a complete end, the whole of mankind will have been saved from the influence of Satan.

from “God’s Work and Man’s Practice” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

 The work of God’s management began at the creation of the world, and man is at the core of this work. God’s creation of all things, it can be said, is for the sake of man. Because the work of His management stretches over thousands of years, and is not carried out in the space of mere minutes or seconds, or a blink of an eye, or over one or two years, He had to create more things necessary for the survival of man, such as the sun, moon, all sorts of living creatures, and food and a living environment for mankind. This was the start of God’s management.
 After that, God handed mankind over to Satan, man lived under the domain of Satan, and this gradually led to God’s work of the first age: the story of the Age of Law…. During several thousand years of the Age of Law, mankind became accustomed to the guidance of the Age of Law, and they began to take it lightly, and gradually left the care of God. And so, at the same time as sticking to the law, they also worshiped idols and committed evil acts. They were without the protection of Jehovah, and merely lived their lives before the altar in the temple. In fact, the work of God had left them long ago, and even though the Israelites still stuck to the law, and spoke the name of Jehovah, and even proudly believed that only they were the people of Jehovah and were the chosen ones of Jehovah, the glory of God quietly abandoned them …
 …………
 As has always been the case, after the work of Jehovah in the Age of Law, God began His new work of the second stage: assuming the flesh, being incarnated as man for ten, twenty years, and speaking and doing His work among believers. Yet without exception, no one knew, and only a small number of people acknowledged that He was God become flesh after the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross and resurrected. … As soon as the second stage of God’s work was completed—after the crucifixion—God’s work of recovering man from sin (which is to say, recovering man from the hands of Satan) was accomplished. And so, from that moment onward, mankind had only to accept the Lord Jesus as the Savior for his sins to be forgiven. Nominally speaking, the sins of man were no longer a barrier to his achieving salvation and coming before God and were no longer the leverage by which Satan accused man. That is because God Himself had done real work, had become in the likeness and foretaste of sinful flesh, and God Himself was the sin offering. In this way, man descended from the cross, being redeemed and saved thanks to the flesh of God, the likeness of this sinful flesh. And so, after being taken captive by Satan, man came one step closer to accepting salvation before God. Of course, this stage of work was the management of God that was one step on from the Age of Law, and of a deeper level than the Age of Law.
 …………
 And then came the Age of Kingdom, which is a more practical stage of work and yet is also the hardest for man to accept. That is because the closer that man comes to God, the nearer God’s rod approaches man, and the more clearly God’s face appears before man. Following the redemption of mankind, man officially returns to the family of God. Man thought that now was the time for enjoyment, yet he is subjected to a full-frontal assault by God the likes of which has not been foreseen by anyone. As it turns out, this is a baptism that the people of God have to “enjoy.” Under such treatment, people have no choice but to stop and think to themselves, I am the lamb, lost for many years, that God spent so much to buy back, so why does God treat me like this? Is it God’s way of laughing at me, and revealing me? … After years have passed, man has become weather-beaten, having experienced the hardship of refinement and chastisement. Although man has lost the “glory” and “romance” of times past, he has unconsciously come to understand the truth of being a man, and has come to appreciate God’s years of devotion to saving mankind. Man slowly begins to loathe his own barbarousness. He begins to hate how feral he is, and all the misunderstandings toward God, and the unreasonable demands he has made of Him. Time cannot be reversed; past events become the regretful memories of man, and the words and love of God become the driving force in man’s new life. Man’s wounds heal day by day, his strength returns, and he stands up and looks upon the face of the Almighty … only to discover that He has always been at my side, and that His smile and His beautiful countenance are still so stirring. His heart still holds concern for the mankind He created, and His hands are still as warm and powerful as they were at the beginning. It is as if man returned to the Garden of Eden, yet this time man no longer listens to the enticements of the serpent, no longer turns away from the face of Jehovah. Man kneels before God, looks up at God’s smiling face, and offers his most precious sacrifice—Oh! My Lord, my God!

from “Man Can Only Be Saved Amidst the Management of God” 

in The Word Appears in the Flesh

 The work done by Jesus was merely a stage higher than the Old Testament; it was used to begin an age, and to lead that age. Why did He say, “I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill”? Yet in His work there was much which differed from the laws practiced and the commandments followed by the Israelites of the Old Testament, for He did not come to obey the law, but to fulfill it. The process of fulfilling it included many actual things: His work was more practical and real, and, furthermore, it was alive, and not the blind adherence to doctrine. Did the Israelites not keep the Sabbath? When Jesus came He did not observe the Sabbath, for He said that the Son of man was the Lord of the Sabbath, and when the Lord of the Sabbath arrived, He would do as He wished. He had come to fulfill the laws of the Old Testament and to change the laws. All that is done today is based upon the present, yet it still rests upon the foundation of the work of Jehovah in the Age of Law, and does not transgress this scope. To watch your tongue, and not commit adultery, for example—are these not the laws of the Old Testament? Today, what is required of you is not only limited to the Ten Commandments, but are commandments and laws that are higher than those of before, yet this does not mean that what came before has been abolished, for each stage of God’s work is carried out upon the foundation of the stage that came before. That which Jehovah introduced to Israel, such as giving sacrifice, honoring your father and mother, not worshiping idols, not assaulting others, not cursing others, not committing adultery, not smoking, not drinking, not eating the dead, and not drinking blood, is it not the foundation for your practice even today? It is upon the foundation of the past that the work has been carried out up until today. Though the laws of the past are no longer mentioned, and new requirements have been made of you, these laws have not been abolished, and instead, they have been uplifted. To say that they have been abolished means that the previous age is outdated, yet there are some commandments that you must always honor. The commandments of the past have already been put into practice, have already become the being of man, and there is no need to reiterate commandments to not smoke, not drink, and so on. Upon this foundation, new commandments are laid down according to your needs today, according to your stature, and according to the work of today. Decreeing commandments for the new age does not mean abolishing the commandments of the old age, but lifting them higher upon this foundation, to make the actions of man more complete, and more in line with reality. If, today, you were only required to follow the commandments and abide by the laws of the Old Testament, in the same way as the Israelites, and if, even, you were required to memorize the laws laid down by Jehovah, there would be no possibility that you could change. If you were only to abide by those few limited commandments or memorize innumerable laws, your old nature would remain deeply embedded, and there would be no way to uproot it. Thus you would become increasingly depraved, and not one of you would become obedient. Which is to say that a few simple commandments or countless laws are incapable of helping you know the deeds of Jehovah. You are not the same as the Israelites: By following the laws and memorizing the commandments they were able to witness the deeds of Jehovah, and give their devotion to Him alone, but you are unable to achieve this, and a few commandments of the Old Testament age are not only incapable of making you give over your heart, or of protecting you, but will instead make you lax, and will lower you to Hades. For My work is the work of conquest, and is aimed at your disobedience and old nature. The kind words of Jehovah and Jesus fall far short of the severe words of judgment today. Without such severe words, it would be impossible to conquer you “experts,” who have been disobedient for thousands of years. The laws of the Old Testament lost their power on you long ago, and the judgment of today is far more formidable than the old laws. Most suitable for you is judgment, and not the trifling restrictions of laws, for you are not the mankind of the very beginning, but a mankind that has been corrupt for thousands of years. What man must achieve now is according to the real state of man today, according to the caliber and actual stature of present-day man, and it does not require that you follow doctrine. This is so that changes may be achieved in your old nature, and in order that you may cast aside your conceptions.

from “The Vision of God’s Work (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

 Though the path that man walks today is also the path of the cross and one of suffering, what the man of today practices, eats, drinks and enjoys are greatly different from that of man under the law and in the Age of Grace. What is asked of man this day is unlike that in the past and even more unlike that asked of man in the Age of Law. And what was asked of man under the law when work was done in Israel? They were asked for no more than to keep the Sabbath and the laws of Jehovah. None were to work on the Sabbath or transgress the laws of Jehovah. But it is not so now. On the Sabbath, man works, gathers and prays as usual, and no restrictions are imposed. Those in the Age of Grace had to be baptized; not only that, they were asked to fast, break bread, drink wine, cover their heads and wash their feet. Now, these rules have been abolished and greater demands are made of man, for the work of God continuously deepens and the entry of man reaches ever higher. In the past, Jesus laid His hands upon man and prayed, but now that everything has been said, what is the use of the laying on of hands? Words alone can achieve results. When He laid His hands upon man in the past, it was to bless and heal man. This was how the Holy Spirit worked at that time, but it is not so now. Now, the Holy Spirit uses words in His work to achieve results. He has made His words clear to you, and you should just put them into practice. His words are His will and show the work He will do. Through His words, you can understand His will and that which He asks you to attain. You just put His words into practice directly without the need for the laying on of hands. Some may say, “Lay Your hands upon me! Lay Your hands upon me so that I may receive Your blessing and partake of You.” These are all previous outdated practices that are now prohibited, for the age has changed. The Holy Spirit works in accordance with the age, not just at will or according to set rules. The age has changed, and a new age must bring with it new work. This is true of every stage of work, and so His work is never repeated. In the Age of Grace, Jesus did much of that work, such as healing sickness, casting out demons, laying His hands upon man to pray for man, and blessing man. However, to continue to do so would serve no purpose in the present day. The Holy Spirit worked in that way at the time, for it was the Age of Grace, and man was shown enough grace for enjoyment. Man did not have to pay any price and could receive grace as long as he had faith. All were treated very graciously. Now, the age has changed, and the work of God has progressed further; through His chastisement and judgment, the rebelliousness of man and the unclean things within man will be cast away. As it was the stage of redemption, God had to do such work, showing man enough grace for man to enjoy, so that man could be redeemed from sin, and through grace be forgiven their sins. This stage is done to reveal the iniquities within man through chastisement, judgment, the smiting of words, as well as the discipline and revelation of words, so that they may afterward be saved. This is work more in-depth than redemption. In the Age of Grace, man enjoyed enough grace and has already experienced this grace, and so it is no longer to be enjoyed by man. Such work is now out-of-date and is no longer to be done. Now, man is saved through judgment by the word. After man is judged, chastised and refined, his disposition is thereby changed. Is this not because of the words I have spoken? Each stage of work is done in line with the progress of all mankind and with the age. All work has its significance; it is done for the final salvation, for mankind to have a good destination in the future, and for man to be divided according to their kind in the end.

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

 During the Age of Law, Jehovah led Moses out of Egypt with His words, and spoke some words to the Israelites; at that time, part of the deeds of God were made plain, but because the caliber of man was limited and nothing could make his knowledge complete, God continued to speak and work. In the Age of Grace, man once more saw part of the deeds of God. Jesus was able to show signs and wonders, to heal and cast out demons, and be crucified, three days after which He was resurrected and appeared in the flesh before man. Of God, man knew no more than this. Man knows as much as is shown to him by God, and if God were to show nothing more to man, then such would be the extent of man’s delimitation of God. Thus, God continues to work, so that man’s knowledge of Him may become deeper, and so that he may gradually come to know the substance of God. God uses His words to make man perfect. Your corrupt disposition is disclosed by the words of God, and your religious conceptions are replaced by the reality of God. God incarnate of the last days has chiefly come to fulfill the words that “the Word becomes flesh, the Word comes into the flesh, and the Word appears in the flesh,” and if you do not have a thorough knowledge of this, then you will still be unable to stand fast; during the last days, God primarily intends to accomplish a stage of work in which the Word appears in the flesh, and this is one part of God’s management plan. Thus, your knowledge must be clear; regardless of how God works, God does not allow man to delimit Him. If God did not do this work during the last days, then man’s knowledge of Him could go no further. You would only know that God can be crucified and can destroy Sodom, and that Jesus can be raised from the dead and appear to Peter…. But you would never say that God’s words can accomplish all, and can conquer man. Only through experiencing God’s words can you speak of such knowledge, and the more of God’s work that you experience, the more thorough your knowledge of Him will become. Only then will you cease to delimit God within your own conceptions.

from “Knowing God’s Work Today” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

 In the work of the last days, the word is mightier than the manifestation of signs and wonders, and the authority of the word surpasses that of signs and wonders. The word reveals all the corrupt dispositions in the heart of man. You are unable to recognize them on your own. When they are revealed to you through the word, you will naturally come to the realization; you will not be able to deny them, and you will be utterly convinced. Is this not the authority of the word? This is the result achieved by the present work of the word. Therefore, man cannot be fully saved from his sins by the healing of sickness and casting out of demons and cannot be fully made complete by the manifestation of signs and wonders. The authority to heal and cast out demons only gives man grace, but the flesh of man still belongs to Satan and the corrupt satanic disposition still remains within man. In other words, that which has not been made clean still belongs to sin and filth. Only after man has been made clean through words can he be gained by God and become sanctified. If no more is done than casting out the demons within man and redeeming him, that is only seizing him from the hands of Satan and returning him to God. However, he has not been made clean or changed by God, and he remains corrupt. Within man still exists filth, opposition and rebelliousness; man has only returned to God through redemption, but man has no knowledge of Him and still resists and betrays God. Before man was redeemed, many of Satan’s poisons were already planted within him. After thousands of years of Satan’s corruption, man already has within him a nature that resists God. Therefore, when man has been redeemed, it is nothing more than redemption, where man is bought at a high price, but the poisonous nature within has not been eliminated. Man that is so defiled must undergo a change before being worthy to serve God. Through this work of judgment and chastisement, man will fully come to know the filthy and corrupt substance within him, and he will be able to completely change and become clean. Only in this way can man be worthy to return before the throne of God. All the work done this day is so that man can be made clean and be changed; through judgment and chastisement by the word, as well as refinement, man can cast away his corruption and be made pure. Rather than deeming this stage of work to be that of salvation, it would be more apt to say it is the work of purification. In truth, this stage is that of conquest as well as the second stage of salvation. Man is gained by God through judgment and chastisement by the word; through the use of the word to refine, judge and disclose, all of the impurities, notions, motives, and individual hopes within man’s heart are completely revealed. Though man has been redeemed and forgiven of his sins, it is only considered as God not remembering the transgressions of man and not treating man in accordance with man’s transgressions. However, when man lives in the flesh and he has not been set free from sin, he can only continue to sin, endlessly revealing the corrupt satanic disposition. This is the life that man leads, an endless cycle of sin and forgiveness. The majority of men sin in the day only to confess in the evening. As such, even if the sin offering is forever effective for man, it would not be able to save man from sin. Only half the work of salvation has been completed, for man still has corrupt disposition. For instance, when people knew that they were descended from Moab, they issued words of complaint, no longer sought life, and became utterly passive. Does this not show that they are still unable to fully submit under the dominion of God? Is this not precisely the corrupt satanic disposition? When you were not being subjected to chastisement, your hands were raised higher than all others, even that of Jesus. And you cried out in a loud voice: Be a beloved son of God! Be an intimate of God! We would rather die than submit to Satan! Revolt against the old Satan! Revolt against the great red dragon! Let the great red dragon completely fall from power! Let God make us complete! Your cries were louder than all others. But then came the times of chastisement and, once again, was the corrupt disposition of people revealed. Then, their cries ceased, and they no longer had resolution. This is the corruption of man; it runs deeper than sin, planted by Satan and deeply rooted within man. It is not easy for man to become aware of his sins; man is unable to recognize his own deeply rooted nature. Only through judgment by the word can such effects be achieved. Only thus can man gradually be changed from that point onward. Man shouted thus in the past because man had no understanding of his original corrupt disposition. Such are the impurities within man. Throughout such a long period of judgment and chastisement, man lived in an atmosphere of tension. Was this not all achieved through the word? Did you not also cry out with a very loud voice prior to the trial of service-doers? Enter the kingdom! All those who accept this name shall enter into the kingdom! All shall partake of God! When the trial of service-doers came, you no longer cried. At first, all cried out, “God! Wherever You place me, I shall submit to being steered by You.” Upon reading the words of God, “Who will be My Paul?” man said, “I am willing!” Then he saw the words, “And what of the faith of Job?” So he said, “I am willing to take the faith of Job. God, please test me!” When the trial of service-doers came, he collapsed at once and almost could not stand up again. After that, the impurities in man’s heart gradually diminished. Was this not achieved through the word? So, what you have experienced in the present are results achieved through the word, even greater than that achieved through Jesus’ working of signs and wonders. The glory of God and authority of God Himself that you see are not merely seen through the crucifixion, healing of sickness and casting out of demons, but more so through His judgment by the word. This shows you that not only the working of signs, healing of sickness and casting out of demons are the authority and power of God, but judgment by the word is better able to represent the authority of God and to reveal His almightiness.

from “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. The inner meaning of man’s conquest is the return of the embodiment of Satan, man who has been corrupted by Satan, to the Creator following his conquest, through which he will forsake Satan and completely return to God. In this way, man will have been completely saved. And so, the work of conquest is the last work in the battle against Satan, and the final stage in God’s management for the sake of Satan’s defeat. Without this work, the full salvation of man would ultimately be impossible, the utter defeat of Satan would also be impossible, and mankind would never be able to enter the wonderful destination, or get free from Satan’s influence. Consequently, the work of salvation of man cannot be concluded before the battle with Satan is concluded, for the core of the work of God’s management is for the sake of mankind’s salvation. Earliest mankind was in the hands of God, but because of Satan’s temptation and corruption, man was bound up by Satan and fell in the hands of the evil one. Thus, Satan became the object to be defeated in the work of God’s management. Because Satan took possession of man, and because man is the stock of all God’s management, if man is to be saved, then he must be snatched back from the hands of Satan, which is to say that man must be taken back after having been held captive by Satan. Satan is defeated through changes in man’s old disposition that restore his original sense, and in this way, man, who has been taken captive, can be snatched back from the hands of Satan. If man is freed from the influence and bondage of Satan, Satan will be shamed, man will ultimately be taken back, and Satan will be defeated. And because man has been freed from the dark influence of Satan, man will become the spoils of all of this battle, and Satan will become the object that will be punished once this battle has finished, after which the entire work of mankind’s salvation will have been completed.

from “Restoring the Normal Life of Man and Taking Him to a Wonderful Destination” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

 Introduction：
 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.

Recommend:
Know more of the Church of Almighty God

Gospel Movie | Know the Judgment in the Last Days "Song of Victory" | Eastern Lightning

The judgment work of Almighty God in the last days has reverberated throughout every sect and group. Following the spreading of the kingdom gospel, Almighty God's words are accepted and spread by more and more people, true believers in God who thirst for Him to appear have been returning one by one before God's throne.

Gospel Movie clip "Song of Victory" (1) - How Will the Lord Appear and Perform His Work When He Returns? | Eastern Lightning

The omen of great disaster during the last days–four blood moons have occurred and the stars in the sky have taken on a strange appearance; great disaster draws near, and many of those with faith in the Lord have had a feeling of His second coming or that He has already arrived. When all are so anxiously awaiting the second coming of the Lord, perhaps we have thought about the following questions: How will the Lord appear to man when He returns in the last days? What work will the Lord do when He comes again? How exactly will the prophecy of the great white throne judgment from the Book of Revelation be fulfilled? This short video will reveal the answers to you!

      Intrduction:

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.

Recommended:  
    The origin of the Church of Almighty God

Christian Movie | Explore the Bible | "Ironclad Proofs—Exploration of the 'Trinity'" | Eastern Lightning

He was a leader of a house church in China. For many years, he had been exploring the mystery of the “Triune God”: What’s the relationship between the three Spirits, the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit? What’s the difference of them? The Bible says that there is only one Spirit. If there is only one Spirit, why is it said that there are three? If there are three Spirits, how can they be one? One day, the words expressed by God who reappeared finally unlocked the mystery of the “Triune God,” which had puzzled him many years and puzzled the religious world for two thousand years…. 

Introduction:

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.

Recommended: 

The origin of the Church of Almighty God

VI. One Must Fellowship Clearly the Aspect of Truth Concerning the Difference Between Being Saved in the Age of Grace and Salvation in the Age of Kingdom

1. What is being saved? What is salvation?

Bible Verse(s) for Reference:

“He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mat 26:28).

“Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Mat 7:21).

"The City Will be Overthrown" (2) - Why Has Woe Befallen the Hypocritical Pharisees? | Eastern Lightning

It is recorded in the Bible that the Lord Jesus condemned the Pharisees with the seven woes. Nowadays, the path walked by the pastors and elders of the religious world is that of the Pharisees and they similarly suffer God's detestation and rejection. So why did the Lord Jesus condemn and curse the Pharisees? It was primarily because they had a hypocritical essence that defied God, because they only paid attention to performing religious rituals and keeping rules, they only explained the rules and doctrines in the Bible and did not put God's words into practice or follow God's commandments whatsoever, and they even discarded God's commandments. Everything they did completely ran counter to God's will and requirements. This was the hypocritical essence of the Pharisees and it was the primary reason for the Lord Jesus hating and cursing them.

What Is True Faith in God? | Eastern Lightning

Yu Congguang preaches the gospel for the Church of Almighty God. While preaching the gospel, he was pursued by the Chinese Communist government. He fled to the mountains, where he received help from Zheng Xun, a co-worker of the local house church. When they first met each other, they felt like they had already known each other for a long time. Zheng Xun took Yu Congguang to the thatched shack where he and his co-workers gathered. There, a debate unfolded among Zheng Xun and his co-workers over whether or not a believer in God should obey those in power. Yu Congguang gave fellowship in light of this issue and dispelled their confusion. Yu Congguang's fellowship was extremely helpful to them, and they all began to seek out and study Almighty God's work of the last days.

Concerning the Bible (1) | Eastern Lightning

How should the Bible be approached in the belief in God? This is a question of principle. Why are we communing this question? Because in the future you will spread the gospel and widen the work of the Age of Kingdom, and it’s not enough to merely be able to talk of God’s work today. To broaden His work, it is more important that you are able to resolve people’s old religious conceptions and old means of belief, and leave them utterly convinced—and getting to that point involves the Bible. For many years, people’s traditional means of belief (that of Christianity, one of the world’s three major religions) has been to read the Bible; departure from the Bible is not the belief in the Lord, departure from the Bible is an evil cult, and heresy, and even when people read other books, the foundation of these books must be the explanation of the Bible. Which is to say, if you say you believe in the Lord, then you must read the Bible, you must eat and drink the Bible, and outside the Bible you must not worship any book that does not involve the Bible. If you do, then you are betraying God. From the time when there was the Bible, people’s belief in the Lord has been the belief in the Bible. Instead of saying people believe in the Lord, it is better to say they believe in the Bible; rather than saying they have begun reading the Bible, it is better to say they have begun believing in the Bible; and rather than saying they have returned before the Lord, it would be better to say they have returned before the Bible. In this way, people worship the Bible as if it were God, as if it were their lifeblood and losing it would be the same as losing their life. People see the Bible as being as high as God, and there are even those who see it as higher than God. If people are without the work of the Holy Spirit, if they cannot feel God, they can carry on living—but as soon as they lose the Bible, or lose the famous chapters and sayings from the Bible, then it is as if they have lost their life. And so, as soon as people believe in the Lord they begin reading the Bible, and memorizing the Bible, and the more of the Bible they are able to memorize, the more this proves that they love the Lord and are of great faith. Those who have read the Bible and can speak of it to others are all good brothers and sisters. For all these years, people’s faith and loyalty to the Lord has been measured according to the extent of their understanding of the Bible. Most people simply don’t understand why they should believe in God, nor how to believe in God, and do nothing but search blindly for clues to decipher the chapters of the Bible. They have never pursued the direction of the work of the Holy Spirit; all along, they have done nothing but desperately study and investigate the Bible, and no one has ever found newer work of the Holy Spirit outside of the Bible, no one has ever departed from the Bible, nor have they ever dared to depart from the Bible. People have studied the Bible for all these years, they have come up with so many explanations, and put in so much work; they also have many differences of opinion about the Bible, which they debate endlessly, such that over two thousand different denominations have been formed today. They all want to find some special explanations, or more profound mysteries in the Bible, they want to explore it, and to find in it the background to Jehovah’s work in Israel, or the background to Jesus’ work in Judea, or more mysteries that no one else knows. People’s approach to the Bible is one of obsession and faith, and no one can be completely clear about the inside story or substance of the Bible. Thus, the result is that today, people still have an indescribable sense of magicalness when it comes to the Bible; even more than that, they are obsessed with it, and have faith in it. Today, everyone wants to find the prophecies of the work of the last days in the Bible, they want to discover what work God does during the last days, and what signs there are for the last days. In this way, their worship of the Bible becomes more fervent, and the closer it gets to the last days, the more credence they give to the prophecies of the Bible, particularly those about the last days. With such blind belief in the Bible, with such trust in the Bible, they have no desire to seek the work of the Holy Spirit. In people’s conceptions, they think that only the Bible can bring the work of the Holy Spirit; only in the Bible can they find the footsteps of God; only in the Bible are hidden the mysteries of God’s work; only the Bible—not other books or people—can clarify everything of God and the entirety of His work; the Bible can bring the work of heaven to earth; and the Bible can both begin and conclude the ages. With these conceptions, people have no inclination to search for the work of the Holy Spirit. So, regardless of how much of a help the Bible was to people in the past, it has become an obstacle to God’s latest work. Without the Bible, people can search for the footsteps of God elsewhere, yet today, His footsteps have been contained by the Bible, and extending His latest work has become double difficult, and an uphill struggle. This is all because of the famous chapters and sayings from the Bible, as well as the various prophecies of the Bible. The Bible has become an idol in people’s minds, it has become a puzzle in their brains, and they are simply incapable of believing that God can work exclusive of the Bible, they are incapable of believing that people can find God outside of the Bible, much less are they able to believe that God could depart from the Bible during the final work and start anew. This is unthinkable to people; they can’t believe it, and neither can they imagine it. The Bible has become a great obstacle to people’s acceptance of God’s new work, and has made it difficult to broaden this new work. Thus, if you don’t understand the inside story of the Bible, you will be unable to successfully spread the gospel, nor will you be able to bear testimony to the new work. Although, today, you do not read the Bible, you are still extremely amiable toward it, which is to say, the Bible might not be in your hands, but many of your conceptions come from it. You don’t understand the origins of the Bible or the inside story about the previous two stages of God’s work. Although you do not eat and drink the Bible, you must understand the Bible, you must achieve the correct knowledge of the Bible, and only in this way will you be able to know what God’s 6,000-year management plan is all about. You will use these things to win people over, to make them acknowledge that this stream is the true way, to make them acknowledge that the path you walk today is the path of truth, that it is guided by the Holy Spirit, and has not been opened up by any human.