6. Exactly how should one approach and use the Bible in a way that conforms to God’s will? What is the Bible’s original value?

6. Exactly how should one approach and use the Bible in a way that conforms to God’s will? What is the Bible’s original value?

Relevant Words of God:

Today, I am dissecting the Bible in this way and it does not mean that I hate it, or deny its value for reference. I am explaining the inherent value and origins of the Bible to you to stop you being kept in the dark. For people have so many views about the Bible, and most of them are wrong; reading the Bible in this way not only prevents them from gaining what they ought to, but, more important, it hinders the work I intend to do. It is a tremendous nuisance for the work of the future, and offers only drawbacks, not advantages. Thus, what I am teaching you is simply the substance and inside story of the Bible.

The Holy Spirit Works in a Principled Way | Eastern Lightning

Reading God's Words  The church of Almighty God

Qin Shuting    Linyi City, Shandong Province

For some time, although I had not ceased to eat and drink the words of God, I never felt the light. I had prayed to God for this but, afterward, I had still not been enlightened. So I thought, “I have eaten and drunk what I should have and God is not enlightening me. There is nothing I can do, and I do not have the faculty to receive God’s words. There is a time for God to enlighten each man, so there is no use in trying to rush it.” Afterward, I kept the rules and ate and drank the words of God without anxiety, “patiently” awaiting God’s enlightenment.

Until one day, I read these words of God: “Only if your heart is at peace before God will your pursuit of the truth and of changes in your disposition bear fruit. Because you come burdened before God and you always feel that you are lacking too much, that there are many truths that you need to know, much reality that you need to experience, and that you should give every care to God’s will—these things are always on your mind, and it is as if they are pressing down on you so hard that you can’t breathe, and thus you feel heavy of heart (but not in a negative state). Only people such as this are qualified to accept the enlightenment of God’s words and be moved by the Spirit of God. It is because of their burden, because they are heavy of heart, and, it can be said, because of the price they have paid and the torment they have suffered before God that they receive His enlightenment and illumination, for God does not give anyone special treatment. He is always fair in His treatment of people, but He is also not arbitrary in His provision to people, and does not give to them unconditionally. This is one aspect of His righteous disposition” (“Establishing a Proper Relationship With God Is Very Important” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). In pondering these words of God, I understood: God is a righteous God. He is never arbitrary in His provision to man, and does not give to man unconditionally. For people to receive God’s enlightenment and illumination, they must quiet their hearts before God and have a heart that yearns for and seeks God’s words. They must bear the burden for their own lives and search for their own shortcomings within the words of God. Bearing their burden, they must purposefully eat and drink the words of God to give every care to His will and go ever deeper into the truth. Only by practically paying such a price to work with God can one obtain the enlightenment of God. In retrospect, I was carrying no burden nor keeping any yearning heart at all to eat and drink the words of God. Every time I picked up the book of the word of God, I would flick through and see that I had read this passage and read that passage, thinking that I had a rough idea about every passage. Then I would find any old one, give it a cursory read, and then I was done. When I ate and drank the words of God, it was only enough for me to understand the literal meaning of the words, focusing only on keeping a few rules and practices. I certainly didn’t see much of the truth that I needed to enter into, nor was I satisfying God’s heart. I was bearing no burden for my own life at all, nor was I worried about having not equipped myself with enough truth; I was merely handling my eating and drinking of God’s words with indifference. With such a cavalier attitude to the words of God, how would I have obtained His enlightenment and illumination? I was not really working with God, and was using “There is a time for God to enlighten each man” as an excuse to wait blindly for God’s enlightenment. I really was being so ignorant! Only now do I recognize that, although there is a time for God to enlighten each man, this much is true, there is a principle behind the Holy Spirit’s work on man. Man himself must have a yearning, seeking heart to be able to positively and actively work with God. Only then can the Holy Spirit work on man and enlighten and illuminate man’s understanding of God’s will, causing them to understand the truth in His words.

Oh God! I give thanks for Your timely enlightenment that allowed me to recognize the deviation in my own experience. Now I wish to turn back to positively and actively work with You, to keep a yearning, seeking heart, to bear my burden to eat and drink Your words, to pursue further enlightenment obtained through Your words, to make myself penetrate deeper into the truth, and for my life to grow ever greater.

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.

Recommendation:

The origin of the Church of Almighty God

VIII. One Must Fellowship Clearly the Aspect of Truth Concerning the Difference Between the Work of God and the Work of Man

2. What is the difference between the work of those used by God and the work of religious leaders?

Bible Verse(s) for Reference:

“And he said, Hear now my words: … My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house” (Numbers 12:6-7).

“Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat, and you clothe you with the wool, you kill them that are fed: but you feed not the flock. The diseased have you not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought again that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have you ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill: yes, my flock was scattered on all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them” (Ezekiel 34:2-6).

XVII. One Must Fellowship Clearly How to Discern Between the Reality of the Truth and Bible Knowledge and Doctrine

THE-BIBLE-AND-GOD | EASTERN LIGHTNING

1. What is the truth? What is Bible knowledge and doctrine?

Bible Verse(s) for Reference:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, … full of grace and truth” (Jhn 1:1, 14).

“I am the way, the truth, and the life …” (Jhn 14:6).

“Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth” (Jhn 17:17).

“He answered and said to them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. However, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do. And he said to them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. … Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such like things do you” (Mak 7:6-9, 13).

Relevant Words of God:

God is the truth, the way, and the life.

from “The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

… the truth put into human language is man’s aphorism; humanity will never experience it fully, and humanity should live in reliance on it. A piece of truth can let all of humanity survive for thousands of years, and truth is the life of God Himself, representing His own disposition, representing His own substance, representing everything within Him.

from “Do You Know What Truth Really Is?” in Records of Christ’s Talks

The Riches of Life | Eastern Lightning

Wang Jun   
Shandong Province

The Riches of Life | Eastern Lightning

Over the years since accepting the work of Almighty God in the last days, my wife and I have undergone this together under the oppression of the great red dragon. During this time, although I have had weaknesses, pain, and tears, I feel that I have gained a great deal from experiencing this oppression. These bitter experiences have not only made me clearly see the reactionary, evil nature and the ugly countenance of the great red dragon, but I have also recognized my own corrupt essence. It has also allowed me to experience God’s almightiness and wisdom. I have truly experienced and recognized the actual significance of God utilizing the great red dragon as a foil, from which my confidence in following God has become firmer and firmer.

Judgment Is Light | Eastern Lightning

Judgment Is Light

Zhao Xia    Shandong Province

My name is Zhao Xia. I was born to an ordinary family. Due to the influence of dictums like “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies,” and “As a tree lives for its bark, a man lives for his face,” reputation and face became particularly important to me.

The Riches of Life | Eastern Lightning

picture of church life 

Wang Jun    Shandong Province

Over the years since accepting the work of Almighty God in the last days, my wife and I have undergone this together under the oppression of the great red dragon. During this time, although I have had weaknesses, pain, and tears, I feel that I have gained a great deal from experiencing this oppression. These bitter experiences have not only made me clearly see the reactionary, evil nature and the ugly countenance of the great red dragon, but I have also recognized my own corrupt essence. It has also allowed me to experience God’s almightiness and wisdom. I have truly experienced and recognized the actual significance of God utilizing the great red dragon as a foil, from which my confidence in following God has become firmer and firmer.