Appreciating God’s Love From the Miraculous Efficacy of Houttuynia Cordata

By Guan Liang

In my childhood, whenever I got a feverish cold, my mother would pull up a handful of houttuynia cordata on the ridges between the fields and decoct it for me. Not long after I drank the decoction despite its pungent smell, I would feel much better. At that time, I knew nothing about houttuynia cordata except that it could be used to alleviate fever and that the fishy taste it left in my mouth would linger there for a long time. In the evening I could still taste the decoction of it which I drank in the morning. For this reason, I had little liking for it.

It was after I saw another wonderful efficacy of houttuynia cordata that I didn’t so dislike it. I remember that time my mother accidentally cut her hand while she was harvesting rice and the wound was bleeding. She picked several leaves from the houttuynia cordata, rubbed them, and pressed them onto the cut expertly. Soon the bleeding stopped and after dressing the wound, she continued with her work. Only when I saw this did I know that houttuynia cordata’s heart-shaped leaves could actually stanch bleeding and reduce swelling. And this has remained in my memory ever since.

As Prophesied in Revelation 3:12, Will Jesus Have a New Name in the Last Days?

By Chengxin

The alarm clock on my table showed that it was 11:05 pm. I had a habit whereby, every night before bed, I would read a verse of the Scriptures. Normally, I’d already have read a verse and would be asleep by this time, but on this night, I had been perplexed by a verse in the Scriptures.

It says in Revelation 3:12: “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God: and I will write on him My new name.” I’d read this verse before many times, but on this night, my eyes were held by the words “My new name,” and this had perplexed me. I pondered: Does “My new name” mean that the Lord Jesus will have a new name when He returns in the last days? It says in the Book of Hebrews, however: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). The Lord Jesus’ name cannot change. So what then do the words “My new name” mean in Revelation? Could it be that the Lord Jesus’ name will change when He returns in the last days?

“Tick tick tick,” the second hand on my alarm clock moved round the dial. It was much later and I still hadn’t figured it out. This question was not to be taken lightly, for it had a direct bearing on the important matter of my entry into the heavenly kingdom. I had to seek and understand the answer. “O Lord, please enlighten and guide me….” I prayed silently in my heart and entrusted the question over to the Lord.

As it was approaching dark the next day, I suddenly received a call from an old classmate, Wang Fang, who had been preaching the gospel in other parts of China. She said she wanted to come over for a chat. When I hung up the phone, I felt really happy, and I thought to myself: I’ll be able to seek the answer to my question from my old classmate.

In my living room, Wang Fang and I were sitting on the sofa and I told her all about the perplexities in my heart.

After listening, my old classmate said to me, “Hui Zhen, you say that God’s name cannot change, so let me ask you: What is God’s name in the Old Testament?”

Without any hesitation, I answered, “Jehovah!”

“And what is God’s name in the New Testament?” asked Wang Fang.

“Jesus!”

Smiling, Wang Fang looked at me and said, “So has God’s name not changed?”

I was stumped by Wang Fang’s question. It couldn’t be … could it? God’s name had changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and the name Jehovah had become Jesus. If that was the case, then God’s name was not eternally unchanging….

Still smiling, Wang Fang said as she looked at me, “Hui Zhen, I’ll read some passages to you, and then you’ll understand.” As she said this, she took her cell phone out from her pocket, swiped through until she’d found what she was looking for, and then read: “God originally had no name. He only took on one, or two, or many names because He had work to do and had to manage mankind” (“The Vision of God’s Work (3)”). “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.” “‘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” (“The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a ‘White Cloud’”).

Wang Fang then fellowshiped, “From these two passages, we understand that, before God had begun to perform His work to save mankind, He had no name, but was simply God, the Creator. After mankind was corrupted by Satan, God began His work to save mankind, and only then did He take a name. God only took the name Jehovah when He called on Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The Bible records, ‘And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is My name for ever, and this is My memorial to all generations’ (Exodus 3:13–15). Thereafter, God used the name Jehovah to begin the work of the Age of Law, to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea and to guide their lives in the wilderness with pillars of cloud and fire. He gave them manna and quail to eat and used Moses to proclaim His law and commandments on Mount Sinai, and He guided the Israelites of that time to learn how to live on earth and how to worship God. Those who abided by the law and the commandments received Jehovah God’s blessing, and those who violated the law and the commandments were punished. The name Jehovah was a name specific to the Age of Law, and it represented God’s disposition as being both merciful and cursing.

“At the end of the Age of Law, man was being corrupted more and more deeply by Satan. No one was able to keep the law any longer, and all were in constant danger of being sentenced to death by the law. God took mercy on man, however, and, in order to save mankind, He brought an end to the Age of Law in which He had taken Jehovah as His name, He incarnated and, with the name Jesus, He launched the work of the Age of Redemption. The Lord Jesus preached wherever He went, telling people that the heavenly kingdom was nigh and that they should repent. He also performed many miracles, healing lepers, making the lame walk, the blind see, and even making the dead live again, and so on. So long as people followed the Lord, accepted His redemption and prayed in His name, then their sins were forgiven, and they would no longer be condemned to death by the law. In the Age of Grace, God’s name changed from Jehovah to Jesus, and the disposition expressed by the Lord Jesus primarily placed loving kindness and mercy at the forefront. This allows us to see that, every time God performs a new stage of work and begins a new age, He changes His name and adopts a name that possesses epochal significance in order to represent the work He performs in that age and to express His disposition in that age.”

I nodded and said, “Oh, so God’s name changes along with His work! One name can only represent one age and one stage of God’s work. The age changes, God’s work changes, and God’s name changes along with it. Jehovah was the name specific to the Age of Law, and Jesus was the name God adopted in the Age of Grace when He was performing His work of redemption. God changed His name from Jehovah to Jesus because people at the end of the Age of Law could no longer keep the law, and it was only when God was to perform His work to redeem mankind in the Age of Grace that He changed His name. Have I understood this right, Wang Fang?”

Smiling, Wang Fang nodded her head, and said, “Yes, that’s right! You’ve got it.”

But I still felt a little perplexed, and so I said, “So what do the words ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever’ (Hebrews 13:8) in the Book of Hebrews mean? Could it not be referring to God’s name? How should I understand this verse of the Scriptures?”

Wang Fang continued smiling and spoke slowly and calmly, saying, “Let’s read a couple more passages, and then we’ll understand. ‘There are those who say that God is immutable. That is correct, but it refers to the immutability of God’s disposition and His substance. Changes in His name and work do not prove that His substance has altered; in other words, God will always be God, and this will never change. If you say that the work of God is unchanging, then would He be able to finish His six-thousand-year plan of management? You only know that God is forever unchanging, but do you know that God is always new and never old? If the work of God is unchanging, then could He have led mankind all the way to the present day? If God is immutable, then why is it that He has already done the work of two ages? … the words “God is always new and never old” refer to His work, and the words “God is immutable” to what God inherently has and is.’ ‘God’s wisdom, God’s wondrousness, God’s righteousness, and God’s majesty shall never change. His essence and what He has and is shall never change. As for His work, however, it is always progressing in a forward direction, always going deeper, for He is always new and never old. In every age God assumes a new name, in every age He does new work, and in every age He allows His creatures to see His new will and new disposition’ (‘The Vision of God’s Work (3)’).

“We can see from these two passages that the words ‘God is immutable’ are referring to the immutability of His disposition and essence, and do not mean that His name never changes. Although God performs different works and adopts different names in different ages throughout the course of His salvation of mankind, whether God is called Jehovah or Jesus, His essence does not change—God is forever God, and His righteousness and holiness never change. Therefore, the words, ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever’ (Hebrews 13:8), are referring to the immutability of God’s disposition and essence, and do not mean that God’s name never changes. The Pharisees at the time of Jesus, however, did not know that God’s name changes along with His work, and so they believed that only Jehovah was their God and that there was no Savior other than Jehovah. When God began the work of the Age of Grace, therefore, and His name became Jesus, they were unable to accept it, and they frantically condemned and resisted the Lord Jesus. They crucified Him upon the cross, committing a heinous sin, and thus they were punished by God. They didn’t understand what the immutability of God was referring to and they didn’t recognize the principles of God’s work, and so they did evil deeds and resisted God, and so they lost God’s salvation.”

When Wang Fang had finished speaking, I nodded my head and, filled with emotion, I said, “I understand so much more now, because of your fellowship. It turns out that the words ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever’ (Hebrews 13:8), mean that God’s essence is unchanging, but God’s name can change. God’s work forges ever onward, and His name changes along with His work. Ah! The Pharisees in the time of Jesus didn’t understand this point, and they delimited God within the scope of His work in the Age of Law, believing that God’s name was Jehovah and that it couldn’t change to anything else. In the end, they were unable to recognize that the Lord Jesus and Jehovah were one and the same God—what fools they were! If you hadn’t given me fellowship on this matter today, I’d still be as blind as the Pharisees and would not understand God’s work!” Just then, I remembered the words “My new name” in Revelation 3:12, and I said, “In light of what we’ve said, God will surely have a new name when He returns in the last days! So, what will God’s name be?”

Wang Fang then said excitedly, “Thank the Lord that, a few days ago, several co-workers and I were fellowshiping and seeking together, and we finally reaped results. The Bible actually already tells us what God will be called in the last days. It says in Revelation, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty’ (Revelation 1:8). ‘And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come’ (Revelation 4:8). ‘We give you thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which are, and were, and are to come; because You have taken to You Your great power, and have reigned’ (Revelation 11:17). The Almighty is also mentioned in such scriptures as Revelation 15:3, 16:7 and 16:14, and 21:22. These show that when the Lord returns in the last days, it is highly probable that He will take the name the Almighty to perform His work of saving man. Therefore, if someone preaches that the Lord Jesus has returned to perform a new work, and that His name has changed to the Almighty, then it is very likely that this will be the appearance and work of the Lord, and we must make all haste to study and seek it. Only then will we have the chance to welcome the Lord!”

After listening to her, I was thrilled, and said, “Thank the Lord! I’ve gained so much today! I often read these passages of scripture before, but I never pondered them in this way and I never understood these things. Today, I finally understand that God’s name can change and that He shall have a new name in the last days! What’s more, I’ve found the way to welcome the Lord!”

I was so happy, and my heart felt filled with sweetness and joy. Wang Fang and I then continued with our fellowship …

Mystery of Revelation: The Lord Jesus’ Name Will Change When He Returns in the Last Days

By Chengxin

The alarm clock on my table showed that it was 11:05pm. I had a habit whereby, every night before bed, I would read a verse of the Scriptures. Normally, I’d already have read a verse and would be asleep by this time, but on this night, I had been perplexed by a verse in the Scriptures.

It says in Revelation 3:12: “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God: and I will write on him My new name.” I’d read this verse before many times, but on this night, my eyes were held by the words “My new name,” and this had perplexed me. I pondered: Does “My new name” mean that the Lord Jesus will have a new name when He returns in the last days? It says in the Book of Hebrews, however: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). The Lord Jesus’ name cannot change. So what then do the words “My new name” mean in Revelation? Could it be that the Lord Jesus’ name will change when He returns in the last days?

Does Having Our Sins Forgiven Mean We Can Be Raised Up Into the Heavenly Kingdom?

By Qiao Ning

The greatest longing for those of us who believe in the Lord is to enter the heavenly kingdom, and so we often imagine how beautiful it must be there. Of course, we are also confident about our entry into heaven, for it says in the Bible: “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). We therefore believe that our sins are forgiven after we have faith in the Lord, and that we are then no longer sinful. We also believe that, when the Lord comes, we will immediately be raised up into the heavenly kingdom. Thinking of these things gets us very excited, and we long for the Lord to hurry to us. This is what I longed for before too. But later, after fellowshiping and discussing this matter with my brothers and sisters, I came to a new discovery, and here I’d like to fellowship what I gained with you all …

Where Is the Kingdom of God? The Answer Is in the Lord’s Prayer

By Jinyi, United States

Many Christians believe the kingdom of heaven is in heaven, but the Lord’s Prayer says, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). And the Book of Revelation also says, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15). So, is the kingdom of heaven in heaven or on earth? In this article, we reveal the answer for you.

Is the Kingdom of God in Heaven or on Earth?

At meetings, I often hear my pastor say, “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 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), “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God…. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass” (Revelation 21:10, 21), and similar passages from the Scripture to tell us that the Lord has gone to prepare a place for us, and that when He returns, we will all directly be raptured up to heaven to enjoy the pearls and gold of heaven, and that we should soberly await and pray often to avoid being left behind when the Lord returns …

Supermoons 2019: Three Successive Rare Supermoons

As predicted by relevant experts, two supermoons will appear successively on 19th February and 21st March 2019, being two fantastic astronomical sights that follow on from the “super blood wolf moon” which appeared on 21st January.

Related information states that the term “supermoon” refers to when the full moon moves to its closest point to the earth, its perigee, at which point the moon’s diameter is 14% larger than normal and its brightness also increases by 30%—it is the largest, roundest moon visible to the naked eye. Three supermoons will appear in succession this year, which is a rarely seen astronomical sight. In actual fact, wonderful sights such as blood moons and supermoons have been making constant appearances over recent years, for example the blood moons of 2011 and 2013, the series of four blood moons that appeared through 2014 and 2015, the super blue blood moon of 2018, which also occurred 152 years ago, and the super blood wolf moon that appeared on 21st January 2019 which perfectly combined the three astronomical sights of a supermoon, a blood moon and a wolf moon, and it was hailed as the most dazzling astronomical wonder.

Sermon：It Is Only Through Faith in Christ That We Are Able to Know God in Heaven

How to know that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life is a crucial question. The essence of Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. But how do you experience and understand the word of God in the words spoken by Christ, so that you’ll truly see Christ in your heart as the truth, the way, and the life? Now we all believe in Christ, which is to believe in the practical God. Because Christ is God incarnate, therefore Christ is the practical God. What this practical God has and is is the truth, the way, and the life. Although from the outside God incarnate is a totally ordinary human being, however the essence of His life is the truth, the way, and the life. What would you say is the difference between belief in such a practical God and believing in God in heaven? Does faith in Christ have meaning, or does believing in God in heaven have meaning? Christ has an external appearance of a flesh, a normal humanity, He does not have the authority and especial power like God in heaven and like the Spirit of God. In believing in the practical God, from the outside people have faith in a person. Externally, the practical God and God in heaven are as different as the gulf between heaven and earth. In the case of God in heaven, He is supremely omnipotent, dominating over the entire universe. With one word, He can alter everything, He can bring about enormous change in heaven and earth. However, the practical God does not have the great ability of God in heaven. Therefore, those who believe in the practical God are few, while those who believe in God in heaven are particularly numerous. Everyone looks up at the power and authority of God in heaven and they feel that the more that God cannot be seen, the more powerful He is, and the more that God like ordinary flesh and blood can be seen and felt, then He has no omnipotence at all. Man selects his belief in God according to human conceptions and imagination. In fact, in believing in God man ought not to care about how omnipotent or how great God is from the outside, but he should care about what he is able to obtain and what results he can achieve through a faith in God; this is most crucial. Today, we, this group of people, believe in the practical God and now we all know why God has come to carry out His work, what work God has come to do, what man ought to obtain from believing in God. We know that what man ought to obtain is the truth and salvation. If man wants to obtain salvation and the truth, can he obtain these through faith in a vague God in heaven? He cannot. But as it happens he can obtain these by believing in Christ because Christ is the truth, the way and the life, everything that He has is the truth, the way and the life. Apart from the truth, the way, and the life, He has nothing else, and He does nothing else. What He has, and what He is, is just that which corrupted mankind ought to obtain. Therefore, it is precisely appropriate that we believe in the practical God as this completely accords with God’s intention. Now that we have experienced the work of the practical God and we are all receiving God’s judgment and chastisement, and we are receiving God’s pruning and dealing as well as all manner of trials and refinement, what sort of knowledge do we have of Christ? All the truth that Christ delivers is exactly a direct expression of God’s Spirit, it is exactly the expression of God in heaven; it is God in heaven taking on a flesh to carry out His work among men on earth. What corrupted mankind requires is salvation, what it needs is the truth. God incarnate has brought to mankind all that it needs, and that which He has brought is God’s salvation, God’s love, and also the truth, the way, and the life. The more that we experience the work that Christ undertakes, the more we know the disposition of God in heaven, the more we know what God in heaven has, and what He is, the more we know the omnipotence and wisdom of God in heaven; what God in heaven has, and what He is, is entirely expressed through Christ. It is only through faith in Christ that it is possible to truly know what God has and is, and to truly understand the disposition of the Creator. So, our faith in Christ is entirely faith in God in heaven because He is the expression of God in heaven. It is only those who believe in Christ who can truly know God in heaven. If you do not believe in Christ, you cannot arrive at a knowledge of God in heaven. This is the meaning of knowing Christ. Christ is the practical God, and God’s essence is within Him. He has what God has and what God is, and what He brings is one stage of God’s work. What He delivers is precisely the truth, the way, and the life that corrupted mankind needs. In our experience of God’s work, we have all basically seen God’s disposition which gives primacy to righteousness, and God’s disposition which does not tolerate man’s offense; we have seen God’s holiness, we have seen His omnipotence, we have seen God’s wisdom; all of these are a true knowledge of God. When we have come to such knowledge of God, we then see that Christ really is the truth, the way, and the life. After we have experienced the judgment and chastisement of Christ, we have a true knowledge of Christ’s disposition, and an understanding that God’s disposition is righteousness, it is dignity, it is wrath. With this understanding, we then obtain a truth from Christ—God’s disposition is righteousness. If we have not experienced the work of God, and we have not experienced God’s judgment and chastisement, then we cannot understand that the disposition of God is righteousness.

God’s Words Teach Me How to Approach Middle School Dating

By Yiyi, United States

Teenagers are sentimental, especially when in love; and I was not an exception. But as a Christian, how should I approach puppy love?

One day, I got a QQ message from a boy I knew, “Are you online?” “Yes,” I replied. Soon he sent another message, “Yiyi, I … I think I’m falling in love with you.” At the sight of these words, I was so surprised and simply couldn’t believe my eyes. Goggling at them over and over, I knew I didn’t misread them. “How could it be possible? He and I are only acquaintances at school. How come he has feelings for me?” Out of curiosity, I asked, “What part of me attracts you?” “All of you,” answered he. “But I have plenty of faults.” “I don’t care. Everyone has shortcomings.” Pleased by his words, I couldn’t help thinking, “Maybe I can make friends with him first and see what he is like.” So, I started to interact with him.

During our interaction, I found that he was not only handsome, but also nice to me. He often patiently helped me with my homework; every day he showed great concern for me, always saying, “Take care of yourself and go to bed early,” or “Don’t study too hard; take a break when tired.” I felt warmth and happiness, as if I were the heroine in a soap opera, fussed over by the hero every day. Gradually I fell in love with him and often imagined how happy we would be in the future. Not long after, he asked me if I was willing to be his girlfriend. Hearing this, I was very happy, thinking, “Should I say yes? He’s so nice to me and cares about me so much; I’ll be happy with him.” But then I had a second thought, “I’m not old enough to date. If I start a relationship with him, it will certainly affect my studies, and I’ll be in no mood to attend gatherings or read God’s words. What should I do?” After a struggle, I refused him and decided to remain my friendship with him.

However, things were not as simple as I had imagined. He started to come into my life. He often actively chatted with me online. Sometimes, when I was doing my homework, he sent me a message and I would stop to chat with him, thus failing to focus on my studies. I couldn’t even settle down to read God’s words in the evening, because what he said to me always floated into my mind; gradually, instead of reading God’s words, I started chatting with him until late into the night. At that time, I often wondered, “Is he my Mr. Right? Should I start a relationship with him? If I’m with him, I’ll be very happy. What’s more, many students are in a relationship, so it’s normal that we date each other.” Thus, I agreed to be his girlfriend and indulged in puppy love. As a result, I not only was in no mood to study but also got further and further from God. Though I knew it was not good for me to experience puppy love, I couldn’t extricate myself from it and indulged in chatting with him every day; whenever I had a free moment, my mind would be occupied with him. In those days, I often came before God and prayed, “Oh God! Now I’m in no mood to study or read Your words, but indulge in his sweet words every day. I know I shouldn’t fall in love at this age, but I enjoy it, unable to extricate myself from it. What should I do? Oh God! Please help me.”

One day, he texted me, “Now we’re freshmen in high school. As the saying goes, ‘Lovers will embrace in freshmen year, will kiss in sophomore year, and in senior year …’ You know what I mean.” At the sight of his frivolous words, I felt a little disgusted and didn’t want to chat with him. Unexpectedly, he then sent another message, “If you don’t give me what I want, I’ll get it by force.” Upon seeing this, I lost my affection for him and felt very angry that he actually disrespected me. Never did I expect that behind his concern and care was his evil motive. It was then that I knew teenagers’ love is just an impulse without any sincerity and that most times their purposes are to fulfill their own selfish desires.

Later, one day, I talked with a sister about this matter. After hearing what I said, she fellowshiped with me, “Nowadays it’s a common phenomenon that teenagers are indulging in puppy love. This is caused by the evil trends of society. Satan uses various methods to deceive and corrupt us. We don’t have the truth or discernment, so we will follow the evil trends of Satan, thinking that it is normal to have a relationship at a young age. This is Satan fooling us.” Then, she sent two passages of God’s words to me: “For example, if you were watching a television show, what sort of things in it could change your view? Would what the performers said, the words themselves, be able to corrupt people? (No.) What sort of things would corrupt people? It would be the core thoughts and content of the show, which would represent the director’s views, and the information carried in these views could sway people’s hearts and minds.” “One after another, all these trends carry an evil influence that continually degenerates man, causing them to continually lose conscience, humanity and reason, and that lowers their morals and their quality of character more and more, to the extent that we can even say the majority of people now have no integrity, no humanity, neither do they have any conscience, much less any reason. … For man who is not of sound body and mind, who never knows what is truth, who cannot tell the difference between positive and negative things, these kinds of trends one after another make them all willingly accept these trends, the life view and values that come from Satan. They accept what Satan tells them on how to approach life and the way to live that Satan ‘bestows’ on them. They have not the strength, neither do they have the ability, much less the awareness to resist.”

Through God’s words and the sister’s fellowship, I came to know that it was because of the harmful evil trends of Satan that I indulged in puppy love. Satan instilled the viewpoint of “Love is above all” in me when I watched TV, which made me mistakenly think that love was sweet and beautiful. So I harbored beautiful illusions about love, and thought that it was normal for teenagers to date. When I saw the boy was handsome and considerate toward me, I couldn’t help falling in love with him. Consequently, I wasn’t in the mood to study, but was lost in his honeyed words; with my thoughts occupied by him, I couldn’t even quiet my heart when reading God’s words and thus became more and more distant from God. I’m just a teenager and haven’t reached the age of marriage, but poisoned by Satan’s evil trends, I indulged in puppy love. I lost the ambition a teenager ought to possess and lived a decadent life without a goal. And many students of my age are also deeply poisoned by the viewpoint that “Love is above all” and indulge in evil lusts. Some girls get pregnant and have abortions; some even commit suicide because their partner falls in love with others. Such tragedies are frequently occurring in school. Though parents and teachers rack their brains to educate us not to experience puppy love, their efforts are all to no avail. Now I knew this: Satan uses the evil trends to deceive and corrupt us teenagers, who are immature both physically and mentally and without correct goals in life, so that we can’t distinguish good from evil and establish wrong viewpoints of pursuit; living by these viewpoints, we become more and more degenerate and decadent. Thank God. It was His words that allowed me to have some discernment about Satan’s evil trends and see clearly that Satan was luring me onto the wrong path.

Afterward, I read another passage of God’s words: “Because the essence of God is holy, that means that only through God can you walk the bright, right road through life; only through God can you know the meaning of life, only through God can you live out a real life, possess the truth, know the truth, and only through God can you obtain life from the truth. Only God Himself can help you shun evil and deliver you from the harm and control of Satan. Besides God, no one and nothing can save you from the sea of suffering so that you suffer no longer: This is determined by the essence of God.”

Yes, only by understanding the truth could I overcome the seduction and corruption of Satan’s evil trends. In the past, because I didn’t understand the truth, I longed for the romantic love in the soap operas under the influence of the evil trends of society. Every day I couldn’t bend my mind to my studies but lived in an imaginary world of romantic love, losing the vitality and ambition that teenagers should possess. After reading God’s words, I had discernment about Satan’s evil trends, and knew what positive things are and what negative things are; I also understood that only if I pursued the truth and pursued to know God could I live a meaningful life. From now on, I should read God’s words more and pay attention to quieting my heart before God; meanwhile, I should put more efforts into my studies to learn useful knowledge.

Now, under the guidance of God’s words, the tranquil life I once had resumed. Though without sweet words or passionate love, I feel free and liberated. I regularly attend gatherings and perform my duty with my brothers and sisters, living an enriched life. I have recovered the vitality and vigor that a teenager should possess. All the glory be to the almighty and one true God. Amen!

Why Are People Addicted to Their Phones?

By Yang Yang

One day, I read a popular saying online that went something like this, “The farthest distance in the world isn’t the other side of the world, it’s sitting next to you while you play with your phone.” No matter if you’re on the subway, on the bus, in a restaurant, or on the streets … at any time of the day, you can always find a certain group of people, phubbers. They have a phone, tablet, or some other gadget in their hand as they watch videos, play games, or look at their friend feed, and their members are primarily young people.

As technology has developed, the internet has made our lives much more convenient. People can buy what they want without leaving the house, or they can contact different people without going out. But what is brought about by the convenience of the internet? Let’s take a look at the relevant reports.

Ms. Yue likes to go online. When online shopping emerged as a widespread phenomenon, she spent a lot of time shopping online, often until 1–2 in the morning, sometimes even until 6 in the morning, and when she went to work the next day, she fell asleep at her desk. After chatting software came out, she often chatted into the middle of the night, and even when she was exhausted, her hands were still not idle. Gradually her memory declined significantly, she suffered from a bad neck, and had dark circles under her eyes. Her husband was very dissatisfied with her over this, saying that she had forgotten her aims in life over a toy.

Mr. Wang’s nephew is 14 years old, and he used to be very obedient, but ever since he became obsessed with going online on his mobile phone, it is always in his hand, whether he’s eating or sleeping, the degree of myopia in his eyes has been rising, and he has become absolutely silent. To buy equipment in the game he loves, he used his dad’s credit card twice to charge 10,000 yuan. When his father discovered it, the boy stubbornly refused to admit it.

According to a psychological counseling survey conducted by Capital Normal University, 77% of people have their mobile phones turned on for more than 12 hours a day; 33.55% have them turned on 24 hours a day; 65% say “I feel some anxiety when my mobile phone isn’t next to me,” and more than 90% can’t live without their phones. The first thing phubbers do when they wake up every day is to look at their mobile phones, and they need to check their mobile phones before they go to bed. They spend their days refreshing Weibo, watching their friend feed, and playing online games.

These phubbers are completely immersed in their individual online world. They experience all the sensations the internet brings them as if no one else was there, as if all the people, matters, and things around them no longer exist. Slowly, they lose direction in their lives, and the distance between them and other people grows. They focus solely on phubbing, looking only at their mobile phones while ignoring the people around them, and erecting a thick barrier to prevent exchange between themselves and others. In the long run, although they seem to interact frequently and intensely with their friends on the internet, their relationships with people in real life become ever more narrow and closed off, and their ability to socialize withers, which becomes an obstacle to communication. For example, some children are sluggish when they arrive at school, and have nothing to say to their classmates, but when they turn on their mobile phones, their eyes brighten and their minds become sharp. They have absolutely no interest in learning or their futures, and only care about gaming. Or, some couples typically only care about their work, and only play games or chat online when they have free time. As time goes on, husband and wife no longer share a common language, and they live as strangers under the same roof. Not only that, it also leads to frequent danger. Many people hold mobile phones and tablets while walking, making major accidents due to looking at their phones a common occurrence. For example, one young girl was walking along the street and only looking at her phone, and as a result, she stepped into a hole and got her leg trapped in a well. Helpless, she had to ask the police for help, and a metal saw was required to remove the sewer cover and free her. A young mother stepped into an elevator while looking at her phone instead of her 2-year-old daughter, who fell into the elevator shaft and died. Another young woman was walking along a lake shore while playing with her phone and then fell into the lake…. We can see that phubbing is no ordinary social problem, it’s one that impacts and threatens people’s lives and work, and it’s one that shouldn’t be underestimated. But, the question we should reflect on is that even though many people have already seen, heard, and experienced the hidden dangers of being a phubber, why are they still so obsessed? Why do people choose to be a phubber without a moment of hesitation? If things keep going like this, what will be the consequences?

Just at the moment when I was overcome by this problem, I accepted the work of God. In God’s words, I finally found the answer. God says: “We only wish to talk about the ideas that social trends bring about for people, the way they cause people to conduct themselves in the world, the life goals and outlook that they bring about in people. These are very important; they can control and influence man’s state of mind. One after another, all these trends carry an evil influence that continually degenerates man, causing them to continually lose conscience, humanity and reason, and that lowers their morals and their quality of character more and more, to the extent that we can even say the majority of people now have no integrity, no humanity, neither do they have any conscience, much less any reason. So what are these trends? You cannot see these trends with the naked eye. When the wind of a trend blows through, perhaps only a small number of people will become the trendsetters. They start off doing this kind of thing, accepting this kind of idea or this kind of perspective. The majority of people, however, in the midst of their unawareness, will still be continually infected, assimilated and attracted by this kind of trend, until they all unknowingly and involuntarily accept it, and are all submerged in and controlled by it. For man who is not of sound body and mind, who never knows what is truth, who cannot tell the difference between positive and negative things, these kinds of trends one after another make them all willingly accept these trends, the life view and values that come from Satan. They accept what Satan tells them on how to approach life and the way to live that Satan ‘bestows’ on them. They have not the strength, neither do they have the ability, much less the awareness to resist.”

“Do these social trends have a big influence on people? (Yes.) So do these social trends have a deeply harmful effect on people? (Yes.) A very deeply harmful effect on people. Satan uses one of these social trends after another to corrupt man’s what? (Conscience, reason, humanity, morals.) What else? (Man’s view on life.) Do they cause a gradual degeneration in people? (Yes.) Satan uses these social trends to lure people one step at a time into a nest of devils, so that people caught up in social trends unknowingly advocate money and material desires, as well as advocate wickedness and violence. Once these things have entered man’s heart, what then does man become? Man becomes the devil Satan! This is because of what psychological leaning in the heart of man? What does man advocate? Man begins to like wickedness and violence. They do not like beauty or goodness, much less peace. People are not willing to live the simple life of normal humanity, but instead wish to enjoy high status and great wealth, to revel in the pleasures of the flesh, sparing no effort to satisfy their own flesh, with no restrictions, no bonds to hold them back, in other words doing whatever they desire. So when man has become immersed in these kinds of trends, can the knowledge that you have learned help you get free? Can the traditional culture and superstitions you know help you cast off this dire predicament? Can the traditional morals and traditional ceremony that man comprehends help them exercise restraint? Take the Three Character Classic, for example. Can it help people pull their feet out of the quicksand of[a] these trends?(No, it cannot.) In this way, man becomes more and more evil, arrogant, condescending, selfish, and malicious. There is no longer any affection between people, no longer any love between family members, no longer any understanding between relatives and friends.”

“Satan corrupts man at all times and at all places. Satan makes it impossible for man to defend against this corruption and makes man helpless to it. Satan makes you accept its thoughts, its viewpoints and the evil things that come from it in situations where you are unwitting and when you have no recognition of what’s happening to you. People fully accept these things and take no exception to them. They cherish and hold these things like a treasure, they let these things manipulate them and toy with them, and this is how Satan’s corruption of man becomes deeper and deeper.”

“‘Deception and paralysis’ is that Satan makes up some sweet-sounding statements and ideas that are in concert with people’s conceptions to make it seem as though it is taking people’s flesh into consideration or thinking about their lives and futures, when actually it is just to fool you. It then paralyzes you so that you do not know what is right and what is wrong, so that you are unwittingly tricked and thereby come under its control.” God’s words completely reveal the root cause of how phubbers came into being. This is nothing but a means and method for Satan to deceive and paralyze people! Satan’s mischief is behind the obstinacy of phubbers. Satan often uses social trends to confuse, bind, and numb people, and induce them into debauchery and degeneracy. These evil things occupy people’s minds and trap them deeply and inextricably, such as online games, which we think of as a fashion, but with which we can become obsessed to the point that we lose self-control, both old and young, men and women. Online love destroys many originally happy, stable families. Countless housewives are addicted to online shopping. They immediately fall in love with what they see and buy it, which in turn greatly stimulates people’s extravagant desires, making us unable to stop until we possess things. Our thoughts, morality, insight, and reason are seriously damaged by all these things. The Internet Age given rise to by Satan has become a trend. The whole world has been enveloped by Satan’s evil trends, and we all accept, grasp, and use these things of Satan as positive things. Once we begin following worldly trends and the evil airs of Satan, our lives are naturally impacted. These things have inundated everyone’s hearts, from unacceptance at the start to taking it for granted today, and now our hearts have completely acquiesced. Especially those born in the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s are hooked on the internet as if it was opium. These things are already firmly in control of our thoughts, and they make it impossible for us to extricate ourselves. The Satan’s deception and temptations are the real reason that phubbers are produced and spread. This kind of evil trend is unquestionably a poison by which we are slowly killing ourselves. One step at a time, it leads us to the abyss and to death.

Only God is concerned for and loves mankind, and without God’s protection and care, we can never escape being toyed with and harmed by Satan, and finally being swallowed up against our will by tide after tide of evil. Just as God’s word says, “I am mankind’s only salvation. I am mankind’s only hope and, even more, I am He on whom the existence of all mankind rests. Without Me, mankind will immediately come to a complete standstill. Without Me, mankind will suffer catastrophe and be trodden down by all manner of ghosts, even though no one takes heed of Me.” Mankind was created by God, and God gives mankind sunshine, air, food, and all the other things that mankind needs to survive. At the same time, God has been working among people, speaking to provide for people, saving people, and teaching people how to live, how to behave, how to worship God, and many other aspects of the truth in the hope that we can accept everything from God, so that we mankind can dwell and live normally on the earth, live out a true human likeness, and live out lives blessed by God. God says: “I urge the people of all nations, countries, and even industries to listen to the voice of God, to behold the work of God, to pay attention to the fate of mankind, thus making God the most holy, the most honorable, the highest, and the only object of worship among mankind, and allowing the whole of mankind to live under the blessing of God, just as the descendants of Abraham lived under the promise of Jehovah, and just as Adam and Eve, who were originally made by God, lived in the Garden of Eden.” God cares for us mankind, who He personally created, and is concerned about us mankind trampled upon by Satan. He hopes that the lost can become aware of their confusion and return, and come before Him and accept His salvation as soon as possible.

Supermoon 2019: Supermoon Reappears, What Warnings Do the Successive Rare Wonders Give to Us?

As predicted by relevant experts, two supermoons will appear successively on 19th February and 21st March 2019, being two fantastic astronomical sights that follow on from the “super blood wolf moon” which appeared on 21st January.

Related information states that the term “supermoon” refers to when the full moon moves to its closest point to the earth, its perigee, at which point the moon’s diameter is 14% larger than normal and its brightness also increases by 30%—it is the largest, roundest moon visible to the naked eye. Three supermoons will appear in succession this year, which is a rarely seen astronomical sight. In actual fact, wonderful sights such as blood moons and supermoons have been making constant appearances over recent years, for example the blood moons of 2011 and 2013, the series of four blood moons that appeared through 2014 and 2015, the super blue blood moon of 2018, which also occurred 152 years ago, and the super blood wolf moon that appeared on 21st January 2019 which perfectly combined the three astronomical sights of a supermoon, a blood moon and a wolf moon, and it was hailed as the most dazzling astronomical wonder.

Why Was Thomas’ Faith Not Approved by the Lord Jesus?

By Hongyu

It is recorded in the Bible, “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the middle, and said, Peace be to you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, My LORD and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:26–29).

Each time I saw these verses I would think: Why did the Lord Jesus not commend Thomas’ faith? Was it merely because he didn’t believe the Lord Jesus’ resurrection? If so, then didn’t Thomas have any doubts toward God before that? Or was it because the Lord Jesus hadn’t seen through his doubts before? I felt very puzzled about these questions.

Disclose the Mystery of God’s Names—Jehovah and Jesus

By Weichen

One day, Xunguang came to visit her co-worker Wang Li. After they chatted for a while, Xunguang raised a question, “In the age of the Old Testament, God’s name was Jehovah; in the age of the New Testament, God’s name was Jesus. And according to the prophecy in Revelation, ‘I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name’ (Revelation 3:12), in the last days, when the Lord comes again He will have a new name. Why does God take different names in different ages?”

Thinking for a short while, Wang Li answered with a smile: “I’ll share a bit of my personal knowledge and understanding on this question.”

Why the Pharisees Could Not Recognize the Lord Jesus Was the Messiah

By Liu Fang

Two thousand years ago, the Israelites desperately longed for the coming of the Messiah, but when the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, finally arrived, the Pharisees actually nailed Him to the cross, and as a result, the Israelites were subject to God’s punishment—the destruction of Israel. This bitter failure really calls for our reflection: How come the Pharisees who had believed in God for generations resisted God? Now it is already the last days, and the prophecies of the Lord’s return have basically been fulfilled. At this critical time of welcoming the Lord, how can we avoid following in the footsteps of the Pharisees?

As we all know, at the end of the Age of Law the Israelites, according to the prophecies in the Scripture, all longed for the Messiah to come and save them. At that time, the Pharisees, after hearing the prophecies about the coming Messiah, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6), and “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2), began to fancy what He would be like based on the literal meaning of these prophecies. In their mind, the One who was to come must be called Messiah. Since He would come to rule, He must be someone who would be born into a royal palace with a heroic bearing and commanding presence, who would grow into a great warrior like David and lead His people to drive the Romans out of Israel, rescuing them from the oppression of the Romans.

However, the fulfillments of the prophecies were not as the Pharisees had imagined. When the Lord Jesus came, He was neither called the Messiah nor born into a royal palace. Instead, He was born in a manger and grew up in a poor carpenter’s home. His external appearance was not as majestic and extraordinary as they had fancied, but was very ordinary and normal. He didn’t lead the Israelites to overthrow the rule of the Romans, but walked among the people preaching the way of repentance, and taught them to practice forgiveness and tolerance and to love others as themselves. Seeing the Lord Jesus, who was ordinary and normal, not like the Messiah they imagined, the Pharisees stubbornly held on to their own notions and imaginings, concluding that He couldn’t be the coming Messiah, and seized upon every chance to condemn and resist Him. Even though the Lord Jesus performed many miracles and expressed many truths, from which many people recognized that He was Christ, the Pharisees didn’t have the slightest intention to seek. Regardless of how profound the Lord Jesus’ preaching was or how many miracles He performed, they obstinately rejected His work and even incited the people of Israel to resist and condemn Him. Later, they went so far as to collude with the Roman government to crucify the Lord Jesus—the Messiah who had come, committing a heinous sin and offending God’s righteous disposition, and ultimately were subject to God’s punishment—the destruction of Israel.

The failure of the Pharisees is really worthy of our self-reflection. They treated the prophecies about the Messiah based on their own conceptions and imaginations, which led to them becoming the ones who bitterly longed for the arrival of the Messiah but nailed Him to the cross. We all know that the prophecies in the Bible are about the things that God will accomplish in the future, which cannot be fathomed by us humans. So how should we treat them in a way that is after God’s heart? The Bible says, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21), and “Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). These verses tell us that the prophecies are all from God, which cannot be commented on at will by us. We cannot interpret them literally, or rely on our own notions to speculate on them or determine their meaning, because they will only be fulfilled according to God’s own plan. God’s work is wondrous and full of His wisdom, which cannot be fathomed by us humans. If we define God’s work based on the literal meaning of the prophecies, we are liable to resist God and ultimately be destroyed by our own conceptions and imagination.

Compared to the Pharisees, there was a group of people who approached the prophecies of the Messiah in a different way. When seeing the Lord Jesus, who was ordinary and normal in appearance and not in accord with their fantasies about the Messiah, they didn’t hold on to their conceptions and imaginings but focused on listening to His words, and finally recognized through His words and work that He was the coming Messiah. Just like Simon Peter—he once said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Why could he say these words and recognize the Lord’s identity as Christ? This is because he found that what the Lord did was totally beyond what humans can do, that what He said contained the truth, and that He possessed the essence of God and “the words of eternal life.” The woman of Samaria is another example. When she first saw the Lord Jesus she thought He was no more than a common Jew. But when she heard Him say “For you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband” (John 4:18), she concluded that He was the coming Messiah and believed in Him, for she knew that only God observes the deepest parts of man’s heart and knows man’s innermost secrets. There were also many people who, from the Lord’s acts of healing and exorcism, His working miracles and wonders, recognized that He was from God and thus followed Him. It can be seen that it was from the Lord’s work and words that all those who believed in and followed Him recognized that He was the Messiah.

This reminds me of a passage I once read, “Since we are searching for the footprints of God, we must search for God’s will, for the words of God, for the utterances of God—for where there are the new words of God, there is the voice of God, and where there are the footsteps of God, there are the deeds of God. Where there is the expression of God, there is the appearance of God, and where there is the appearance of God, there exists the truth, the way, and the life. While seeking the footprints of God, you ignored the words that ‘God is the truth, the way, and the life.’ So when many people receive the truth, they do not believe that they have found the footprints of God and much less acknowledge the appearance of God. What a serious error that is!” These words make it more clear that in seeking the true way, we should focus on seeking God’s words and work, for as long as a way has the expression of the truth and the utterances of God, then it is the true way.

Brothers and sisters, we all know that the Lord will come again in the last days, as it has long ago been prophesied in the Bible, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20), “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:12-13). And in the Book of Revelation, there are also several mentions that “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (See Revelation 2-3). From these prophecies, we can clearly see that when the Lord returns, He will speak and utter His words. God’s sheep are able to hear God’s voice. Those who can go out to welcome God once hearing His voice will be raptured before His throne. Now it is the last days. The prophecies about the Lord’s return have basically been fulfilled and many people are openly testifying online that the Lord Jesus has returned. In treating the matter of the Lord’s coming, we should learn from the failure of the Pharisees, let go of our notions and imaginings, and be the wise virgins by seeking and listening to God’s voice. This is the only way that we can welcome the Lord’s return.

True-life testimonies of accepting God’s work of judgment in the last days, being raptured before God’s throne, and attending the feast with the Lord

Bible Verses for Reference:

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunder, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev 19:6–8).

Classic Words of God:

Today man sees that with the grace, love, and mercy of God alone, he is incapable of truly knowing himself, much less is he able to know the essence of man. Only through both the refinement and judgment of God, only during such refinement can you know your deficiencies, and know that you have nothing. Thus, man’s love of God is built upon the foundation of the refinement and judgment of God. If you only enjoy the grace of God, with a peaceful family life or material blessings, then you have not gained God, and your belief in God has failed. God has already carried out one stage of the work of grace in the flesh, and has already bestowed material blessings upon man—but man cannot be made perfect with grace, love, and mercy alone. In man’s experiences he encounters some of God’s love, and sees the love and mercy of God, yet having experienced for a period of time, he sees that God’s grace and His love and mercy are incapable of making man perfect, and incapable of revealing that which is corrupt within man, nor are they able to rid man of his corrupt disposition, or make perfect his love and faith. God’s work of grace was the work of one period, and man cannot rely on enjoying the grace of God in order to know God.

Question: Through your fellowship, we see that our thoughts about the Lord’s return and the rapture really did just come from our own conceptions. We have already seriously gone against the Lord’s words. That being said, how should we wait for the Lord’s return and the rapture now? Can you talk about this in a bit more detail?

Answer: The saints’ hopes of being raptured are mainly based on the Lord Jesus’ own words: “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” (Jhn 14:2-3). We interpret the Lord Jesus’ words based on our own conceptions and imaginations. We think that because the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven on a cloud, the place the Lord has prepared for mankind must be in heaven. Therefore, we have been waiting for the Lord Jesus to return and raise us into heaven. In addition, we particularly revere Paul’s words: “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Therefore, we started to hope that the Lord would raise us into heaven when He returns.