Sins and Being Cleansed of Sins, What Does the Bible Say?

 By Xiaorui

Regarding salvation, many brothers and sisters say with confidence: “The Bible says: ‘That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation’ (Romans 10:9–10). We have received salvation at the cross of the Lord Jesus and if we only believe in our hearts and confess our sin with our mouths, we will be forgiven—we are already saved, so we have full salvation and when the Lord comes, we will definitely enter the kingdom of heaven.” Is this viewpoint of ours actually correct? Does having our sins forgiven and being saved really mean we have full salvation? We really need to communicate this issue clearly, because it is directly connected to our entering the kingdom of heaven, a great matter.

Why Did the Resurrected Jesus Christ Appear to His Disciples Many Times?

By Zheng Fu

I think all of the brothers and sisters in the Lord know that after the Lord Jesus was crucified and then resurrected from death, He appeared to His disciples many times, and that He told the disciples that although He was resurrected as an ethereal body and was able to walk through the wall, His substance has never changed: He was still the Lord who loved them. But have brothers and sisters ever thought about God’s will behind the Lord’s appearing to His disciples many times after His resurrection?

Be Wise and Prudent—Gospel Reflection on Proverbs 14:8

Proverbs 14:8

“The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.”

How to Attend the Wedding Feast of the Lamb

By Li Min

The Bible says, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Mat 25:6). “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” (Rev 3:20). “And he said to me, Write, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God” (Rev 19:9). These prophecies show us that when the Lord returns in the last days, if we are able to welcome Him, that means we are attending the marriage supper of the Lamb. We all know that when the Lord comes back, those who can attend the marriage feast of the Lamb are wise virgins who are the blessed and have hope to enter into heaven, while those foolish virgins who can’t attend the marriage feast of the Lamb will be abandoned by God. It can be seen that whether we are able to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb is critical in regard to whether we believers in God will be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

How Powerful Is the Power of Prayer? How Can We Gain It?

By Cindy, United States

First, the power of prayer is so great.

Jehovah God said, “Then shall you call on Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you” (Jeremiah 29:12). God straightforwardly told us that as long as we genuinely call out and pray to Him, He will accomplish everything we ask for. Indeed, the Bible records many stories in which situations take a turn for the better and problems are solved through the power of prayer. For example, when God gave a revelation to Noah and let him make an ark, though he had never seen what an ark looked like, through sincerely praying to God, he miraculously built a big ark under God’s guidance and enlightenment, and when the world was destroyed by flood his family of eight survived. When Joshua led the people of Israel to attack Jericho, it was through praying that they finally won the victory. It was also through praying that the people of Nineveh gained God’s mercy and weren’t destroyed by God, able to go on living. When Esther and her Israeli compatriots fasted and prayed for three days and nights, Jehovah God heard their prayers and helped them be spared a catastrophe. From all this, we can see how great the power of prayer is. When we sincerely offer up prayers to God and look up to Him with our hearts, something marvelous and unexpected will happen—the power of prayer is indeed that great and prayer is extremely important. All this gives us a message: As Christians, regardless of whether it is in our life or work or when we encounter other things, as long as we sincerely pray to God and learn to rely on God, God will surely listen to our prayers and solve the difficulties we face, thus allowing us to feel His real existence.

Hearing God’s Voice: How to Be a Wise Virgin to Welcome the Lord’s Coming

Hello brothers and sisters of Testify God,

Nowadays disasters are getting worse and worse all over the world and the situation in every country is very tense. The prophecies in the Bible of the Lord’s second coming have basically been fulfilled, yet I have still not welcomed the Lord. I’m afraid that I will be abandoned by the Lord. Therefore, I’d like to ask for your advice: What should I do to greet the Lord’s second coming?

Jingxing

Easter Bible Verses of 2019 – Jesus Christ’s Resurrection – Easter Sunday Prayer

Easter is a festival and holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Easter of 2019, let’s read these Bible verses about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with a grateful heart, commemorate the Lord Jesus’ crucifixion for us and resurrection after 3 days, understand the meaning of His resurrection and feel His love and salvation for man.

God Bestows Rich Truths—Reflection on Proverbs 4:22

Proverbs 4:22

“For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh”

I Found the Mystery of God’s Name in a Different Sort of Meeting

By Xuelan, Australia

In the late 1980’s, while I was in university, I had the fortune to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Through having meetings and reading the Bible, I learned that God’s name was Jesus, that He created heaven and earth, that He is the one true God who rules over all things, that for the sake of redeeming mankind, He was crucified, that He is our only Savior, and that we must uphold the Lord’s name at all times, because the Bible says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Moved as I was by the Holy Spirit, I yearned to read more of the Bible and attend meetings. My heart was full of peace and joy.

What Should I Do Regarding Desolation in the Church?

By Pengbo, US

Dear brothers and sisters of Christian Q&A,

Greetings! A question has been puzzling me for quite a while. I have sought the help of some pastors and elders, but even they have failed to resolve it. I am writing to share and discuss the matter with you, and hoping you can help.

I am a preacher. I used to have the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit when I read the Lord’s words, I never ran out of things to preach about, and the brothers and sisters of my church enjoyed my sermons and gained some benefit. But somewhere along the line, I no longer felt the Lord’s presence, my sermons became repeats of old topics, and I had nothing new to preach, so my brothers and sisters dozed off during our meetings. Preaching at meetings actually became something I was afraid of doing. Although I continued to preach and work, I was unable to practice the Lord’s words in my life, I didn’t have forgiveness or patience when I dealt with others, and most of my brothers and sisters became busy with business, work, and family. Their faith gradually grew cold and they were unwilling to attend the meetings anymore. When I see so few people coming to the church for the meetings, as a preacher, knowing that I can’t help my brothers and sisters in their spiritual lives makes me feel terrible and indebted to the Lord. We’ve tried to arrange meal activities, group fasting and prayer…but all to no avail. We still can’t feel the Lord’s guidance. So, I want to discuss this problem with you. Why our church has become like this? What should we do to bring the church back to its former self?

Xunguang

The Chief Priests Bribing the Soldiers to Fabricate Rumors: Matthew 28:11–15

The Report of the Guards
(Matthew 28:11–15)

11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed to the chief priests all the things that were done. 12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money to the soldiers, 13 Saying, Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. 14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. 15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Inspirational Reading: Why God Does the Work of the Last Judgement

On one particular winter, a man was lost in the mountains. He was very cold and hungry, so he sat down and took a break. Because it was in the middle of a cold winter, once he stopped walking, he would surely freeze to death. However, he didn’t know that he was very close to his home. After a while, a warm-hearted man passed by and advised him to go home quickly. Though he shivered with cold, he didn’t get up. The warm-hearted man could only give him his winter jacket and then left. Soon after, a carriage passed by. Seeing that this man was about to freeze to death, the coachman knew that the most important thing to do was to make the man move his body. So, he used his whip to beat the man and scolded him. The man was outraged by the coachman. He got up immediately and wanted to fight with the coachman. The coachman started to drive his carriage, and the man kept chasing behind. While running, the man felt that his body was becoming warmer and his mind became clearer; moreover, he saw his house was only a few steps away from him. At this moment, he realized that the driver had saved his life.

Having read this story, all of us are glad that the man was lucky enough to meet the carriage, and that the driver used a special way to save his life. In the meantime, this story tells us that no matter what we encounter in life, do not judge it only with our minds; there are some hidden messages or stories behind everything. In this story, the man was very grateful when the first warm-hearted man gave him the winter jacket, but the winter jacket could only bring temporary warmth for him; it could not save his life. He would freeze to death if he stayed there too long. However, the driver whipped the man, and in our view, the driver seems to have done something wrong, but the driver actually saved the man’s life. From this story we can understand that things that conform to our conception might not be the best; on the contrary, some ideas or ways that we are not willing to accept might be more beneficial to us. It reminds me of those brothers and sister who are still holding on to the Age of Grace. When they heard that the return of Lord Jesus, Almighty God, has come and done the work of judgment and chastisement, some of them cannot accept it, thinking that God is merciful and God always bestows man grace; it is impossible for God to do the work of judgment; if God judges man, man will be condemned and die. As a result, they refuse God’s work in the last days. Are these views correct?

A Letter to My Mother: God’s Words Lead Me to Grow up After You Left Home for Avoiding the CCP’s Arrest

By Xiaoyan

Dear mom,

How is everything going? Have you been busy lately? We haven’t seen each other for a long time. You must have gained a lot through experiencing God’s work, am I right? How I wish I could meet you and listen to your experiences. My father always comforts me, saying that you will be back soon. Nevertheless, I miss you very much.

I put your photo between the pages of my book which I took of you on the day of my High School Entrance Examination. Whenever missing you, I’ll take it out, and watch you smiling at me with your hand in a scissor gesture like a child. Mom, looking at your picture, I’ll miss you, miss your dishes, miss your hugs, and miss your chatters…. But because of the persecution and arrest of CCP, you had to leave my father and me.

Only Living by God’s Word Can Allow Us to Gain True Freedom

By Xin Ling

I remember the Italian poet Dante once said, “The human race finds itself in a better situation when it has the highest level of freedom.” It can be seen from this that people all desire freedom, and treat it as the highest pursuit in life. However, when speaking of freedom, every person has a different understanding.

Some people think: “As long as I have money, I can lead a carefree, self-indulgent, and golden life rather than looking to others all my life. And that’s freedom.” Some people think: “Once I possess status and power, I can make others revere and admire me, I can issue orders and have everyone at my beck and call, and I’ll be under no one’s control. This is true freedom.” Others think: “It is too oppressive living in the modern world full of tall concrete buildings. If I can get away from the shackles of this material world and live a rural life like Tao Yuanming, the ancient Chinese poet, then that would be true freedom.” And others think: “People living in the democracies ruled according to law all have freedom of speech and so they have freedom.” However, as Christians, what do we understand freedom to mean? Perhaps, many brothers and sisters would say: “The Lord Jesus has redeemed us from sin, and by His grace and protection, our sins have been forgiven. This is our understanding of freedom.” Nevertheless, are our interpretations of freedom what true freedom refers to?

I Found the Way to Be Free From Sin and Enter the Kingdom of God

By Aixi, Malaysia

When I was 12, I began believing in the Lord Jesus and became a Christian. After I began believing, I actively and persistently participated in Sunday worship and Bible study groups. At Bible study meetings, we often discussed 2 Timothy 4:7–8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” We thought that, as Christians, we should imitate Paul and strive to run around and do works, because the Lord would bestow crowns of righteousness upon us. Our pastor also often encouraged us by saying the kingdom of heaven is entered through effort, and as long as we make efforts to pursue and diligently do the Lord’s work, when the Lord returns, He would rapture us up to the kingdom of heaven. These teachings became the cornerstone of my belief in God, and I swore to myself that I would do all in my power to participate in church service work so that I could accrue enough “value” to satisfy God, so that when He came, I could be raptured up into the kingdom of heaven.

Why There Are Different Christian Denominations?

By Zhou Tao

My Confusion

Several years ago, I was often out on business. At all of my stops, I would seek a meeting place on weekends, off my own bat, to share the Lord’s words and pray. But after some of the meetings, the church leaders would ask me, “Brother Zhou, which denomination do you belong to? What are the doctrines of your church?” I was always taken aback and would reply, “I believe in the Lord Jesus, and I don’t belong to any denomination. We all are family in Christ.” But they would answer, “Now there are many churches, but only our church is the true one, only our church encompasses all the others.” Later, what baffled me even more was that when I returned to my hometown church my church friends asked me what doctrines I’d heard in other churches. We got into quarrels over different understandings of Bible verses, and could never reach an agreement. Our meetings often ended bitterly. Many years passed, and no matter where I went, what impressed me was the multitude of denominations and how they were all critical of each other. Seeing this, I thought of the words in the Bible, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph 4:5–6). We all believe in the Lord, read the Bible and the words of the Lord; why are there so many Christian denominations? What is the root of this? Which one is in line with the Lord’s will? Full of confusion and puzzlement, I eagerly wanted to find the answers.

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 …