God’s Word Leads Step by Step to Victory

Yili, USA

I was born in a Chinese Christian family, and my grandmother always used to take me to the church for gatherings and to sing hymns in praise of God when I was young…. After I grew up I obtained some grace of the Lord and experienced some of the Lord’s deeds, and I felt even more that the Lord is trustworthy. The Lord’s love for people is the truest, and the Lord’s word has authority and power and can give people hope. Whenever I would sing hymns, pray to the Lord, and read the word of the Lord, I would feel especially steady and tranquil in my heart. I came to the USA in 2007, and was baptized at church in October of 2010, when I began my service. At that time, my heart was impassioned. Because my house was far away from the church, I had to get up at 5:00 to take the subway there. But I felt a sweetness in my heart and that as long as I could satisfy God then suffering these hardships would be worth it. I took part in everything in the church, big or small, and I gained a lot of enlightenment from reading the Bible. But after a few years, without knowing why, when I listened to pastors I would doze off. I didn’t get any clear enlightenment from reading the Bible, and my spirit often sank down into weakness. When the pastor preached, I thought it was the same old cliches, without any new light. Every time I was at a gathering, as soon as it was over, the brothers and sisters would start chatting about things that had nothing to do with believing in the Lord. Some would be selling insurance, some would act as matchmakers, and still others talked about where they were going to go on vacation…. Seeing all this, I couldn’t help but be reminded of what was recorded in the Bible about how at the end of the Age of Law, when Jesus came to carry out His work, the Jews were doing business in the temple selling oxen and sheep and doves. When Jesus saw this, he overturned the moneychangers’ tables and the stools of those selling doves. He reprimanded them for having turned a temple for worshiping God into a den of thieves. Seeing the churches of today having become just like the temple was at that time was something that especially caused me to feel pain and helplessness in my heart. I was also perplexed and couldn’t understand how the church could have changed like this. For this reason, I would often come into the presence of God and lament bitterly, “Oh Lord! Where are You? The churches are already no longer churches, and most people just say they believe in You, but their hearts are actually very far from You. All that they do does not receive Your praise. Lord! Where are You? When will You come to receive us? …”

Listen! Who Is This Who Speaks?

Zhou Li, China

As a church preacher, the greatest affliction is no more than spiritual dryness and having nothing to preach. I felt helpless seeing fewer and fewer brothers and sisters coming to meetings and I came before the Lord many times to pray earnestly and ask the Lord to strengthen brothers and sisters’ faith. But the desolation of the church had not improved at all and even I lived in weakness and negativity …

I was working in the house one day when Brother Wang and Brother Lin suddenly appeared. I happily let them in. After exchanging pleasantries, Brother Wang said, “Sister Zhou, how is your spiritual condition at present?” I sighed and said, “Don’t mention it. I am weak in spirit now and having nothing to speak of in my sermons! Brothers and sisters are all negative and weak too. There is hardly anyone in the church.” Brother Lin asked, “Sister Zhou, do you know why you have nothing to speak about in sermons and there is hardly anyone in the church?” As soon as he had spoken, I thought: This is exactly what I want to know. Could they really know why? I hurriedly asked, “Why?” Brother Wang said, “Because the Lord has already returned. God is incarnated again and has uttered words and done new work. Many brothers and sisters have already accepted God’s work in the Age of Kingdom and live in the Holy Spirit’s current work stream. Their conditions are getting better and better. Those who have not kept pace with God’s new work have lost the Holy Spirit’s work and thus do not have words to preach and are negative and weak. We must make haste to keep up with God’s footsteps!” Hearing this, I suddenly remembered the words of my senior co-worker: “If someone says that God has come to do new work and that He has uttered new words, that is deviating from the Bible and deviating from the Bible is not believing in the Lord; it is apostasy.” Thinking of this, I very seriously said: “Do senior co-workers not often tell us that to deviate from the Bible is to not believe in the Lord? You should all know this that deviating from the Bible is deviating from the Lord’s way. You are too bold daring to pass this on to me.” I angrily stood up as I said this. Brother Lin said, “Sister Zhou, don’t get worked up. We know that you sincerely believe in God and are usually very much in pursuit and that is why we are telling you about God’s new work. We have believed in the Lord for so many years. Have we not always looked forward to the Lord’s return? Now the Lord has returned and done the judgment work of the last days. This is great news. We must seek and investigate diligently and not miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord!” Without waiting for Brother Lin to finish, I put up my hand and stopped him loudly, “Stop, stop, stop! Don’t say it. I will not believe in that which deviates from the Bible. You do not abide by the Lord’s way, but I must.” They saw that I really was not listening and so had no choice but to leave. Later, they came back a few more times, but I never acknowledged them.

Later on, Brother Wang and Brother Lin came to my house with two sisters to preach the gospel to me. That day, I was picking beans inside my house and my husband was outside working and saw them coming and let them into the house. As soon as I saw them, my heart thudded: Why had they come back again and brought two reinforcements with them? The four of them came into the house and said hello to me and then communed with my husband. I felt even more anxious and thought to myself: “What they are preaching deviates from the Bible so I have to watch my husband and not let him hear it!” I wanted to drive them away but I was worried that my husband would not be happy. There was nothing I could do but not make a sound, although I didn’t listen to a word they said. But my husband listened and nodded his head and could not help himself saying: “Yeah! That’s right! Yes! That’s how it is. You speak well!” Seeing my husband so won over, I suddenly felt furious and poked my husband and snapped: “What is right? How much have you read the Bible? How long have you believed in God? Have you prayed to the Lord? You say, ‘Right, right, right,’ but how much do you understand?” With me making such a racket, the room suddenly fell silent and they looked at each other. My husband hastily said to me: “Don’t shout. Listen first. It’s good for us. If you do not listen how can you know whether it’s right or wrong?” Seeing that I couldn’t stop him from listening to them, I angrily pushed the beans back and forth with both hands, deliberately making loud noises, and thought, “Want to listen? I won’t let you hear anything. It’s best if I disturb you!” But my doing so did not stop my husband from listening to their fellowship. On the contrary, he talked and laughed with the four of them and their fellowship was most harmonious. After a while, my husband said to me happily: “Oh, Li! The Lord has really returned. The words of this book are the personal utterances of God! It’s so great! Li, you go and cook.” I gave him a look and did not respond. Later, Brother Lin left some tapes, a book of hymn and a copy of The Word Appears in the Flesh with my husband and then left. I honestly couldn’t help myself from saying to my husband, “How many times have senior co-workers told us that to believe in God we cannot deviate from the Bible and that deviating from the Bible is not believing in God. Have you forgotten? Why do you not have any standards?” My husband said without hesitation: “What they are saying is not deviating from the Bible, but elevating the Bible. Moreover, God’s new work that they are spreading fulfills the word of the Lord and the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. After listening to their fellowship, I understand and am enlightened about many of the things in the Bible that I did not understand before. The gospel of Almighty God that they testify is the true way. Open your eyes and look. There are only a few people left in our church. The church has become desolate. Yet you still do not give up on the words of senior co-workers. Isn’t this too foolish? Make haste in looking into this.” Hearing these words, I angrily said, “What do you know? To deviate from the Bible is to betray the Lord. If you do not abide by the Bible, I will!”

After this, every day as soon as my husband had time, he read the book that Brother Lin had left, The Word Appears in the Flesh. One day, my husband got up before dawn to read that book. In a daze I heard my husband reading: “Could it be that you have forgotten…? Have you really forgotten…?” (“How Peter Came to Know Jesus” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Hearing him reading out loud, I felt a little angry and thought: so early in the morning and not letting people sleep! After a while, I faintly heard: “Because before Jesus was crucified He had said to him: ‘I am not of this world, and you too are not of this world.’” Strange! Why is the Lord Jesus mentioned in this book? Could I have heard wrong? Then I clearly heard: “Could it be that you have forgotten…? Have you really forgotten…?” When I heard this, I felt a little stirred and could no longer sleep. I said to myself: Who said these words? God! Are You asking me? These words are just like You are talking to me. They are so gentle! I have to quickly get up and make breakfast. After breakfast I will see what is said in that book after all, whether or not it actually deviates from the Bible and whether or not these are the words of God.

After breakfast, my husband went to read the book again. I thought to myself: Why did he not ask me to read it with him? I stood at the door for a long time, but my husband kept his head buried in the book and did not notice me. So I walked around in the kitchen. I felt very worried. I really wanted to read what was written in the book. So I poked my head in the room and saw that my husband still had his head buried in the book. I wanted to go and read it too, but when I thought of the many times the brothers and sisters had come to preach to me and how I had always refused, I wondered what my husband would rebuke me if I took the initiative to go and read it. If he rebuked me, how could I show my face? Thinking of this, I retreated. As I paced back and forth in the living room, I remembered the words my husband had read out loud in the morning and felt even more anxious. I thought: This won’t do. I have to go in and see what that book is all about. But I backed away again when I got to the door. Like a cat on hot bricks, I didn’t know what to do. Finally I made my mind up: Oh! He spoke, so speak! Who told me to speak so absolutely and not listen to my husband’s advice? So I summoned up the courage to walk into the room and plucked up the courage to awkwardly say: “May I read it together with you?” He glanced up at me and looked very surprised, then delightedly said, “Come, come! Let’s read together.” At this moment, I was extremely moved. My husband hadn’t rebuked me as I had imagined! My anxious heart finally settled and I happily read the book with my husband. However, the words I read in the book were not what I had heard in the early hours of the morning! Just at this moment, my husband left. I hurriedly flicked through the pages of the book and at once I saw it and happily read it out loud: “Peter was greatly encouraged by Jesus’ words, because before Jesus was crucified He had said to him: ‘I am not of this world, and you too are not of this world.’ Later, when Peter reached a point of great pain, Jesus reminded him: ‘Peter, have you forgotten? I am not of the world, and it was only for My work that I departed earlier. You too are not of the world, have you forgotten? I have told you twice, do you not remember?’ Peter heard Him and said: ‘I have not forgotten!’ Jesus then said: ‘You once spent a happy time gathered with Me in heaven and a period of time by My side. You miss Me, and I miss you. Although the creatures are not worth mentioning in My eyes, how can I not love one who is innocent and lovable? Have you forgotten My promise? You must accept My commission on earth; you must fulfill the task that I entrusted you with. One day I will certainly lead you to be by My side’” (“How Peter Came to Know Jesus” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). I read it several times and the more I read it the more I felt that these words did not deviate from the Bible! They were just clearer and more transparent than the Bible. But my senior co-workers said, “Whoever spreads the message of God coming to do new work and God uttering new words is deviating from the Bible and deviation from the Bible is deviation from the way of the Lord.” This does not adhere to the truth. I prayed in my heart: “God! Why is this? May You enlighten and guide me, so that I can understand Your intention …”

Later I saw that the words of Almighty God said: “For many years, people’s traditional means of belief (that of Christianity, one of the world’s three major religions) has been to read the Bible; departure from the Bible is not the belief in the Lord, departure from the Bible is an evil cult, and heresy, and even when people read other books, the foundation of these books must be the explanation of the Bible. Which is to say, if you say you believe in the Lord, then you must read the Bible, you must eat and drink the Bible, and outside the Bible you must not worship any book that does not involve the Bible. If you do, then you are betraying God. From the time when there was the Bible, people’s belief in the Lord has been the belief in the Bible. Instead of saying people believe in the Lord, it is better to say they believe in the Bible; rather than saying they have begun reading the Bible, it is better to say they have begun believing in the Bible; and rather than saying they have returned before the Lord, it would be better to say they have returned before the Bible. In this way, people worship the Bible as if it were God, as if it were their lifeblood and losing it would be the same as losing their life. People see the Bible as being as high as God, and there are even those who see it as higher than God” (“Concerning the Bible (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s words really touched my heart. Was this not actually speaking of me? Thinking back to when I started believing in the Lord, this was how I upheld my belief. I treated the Bible as my lifeblood. I had to put it up high after every time I read it, for fear of the children touching it. I upheld the Bible above all else and even thought that deviating from the Bible was a betrayal of the Lord. Was I wrong in doing so? With a seeking heart, I continued reading, from “Concerning the Bible (1)” up to “Concerning the Bible (4).” The more I read, the more enlightened I felt. The words of Almighty God made me fully understand. It turns out the Bible was just a historical record of God’s work and a testimony of the first two steps of God’s work. Just as the Old Testament records the work done by Jehovah God from the creation of the world to the end of the Age of Law, the New Testament records the work of the Lord Jesus in the Age of Grace. God’s work is always new, not old and always moves forward. Now God has done new work outside of the Bible—the work of the Age of Kingdom. This stage of work is the last stage of work of God’s salvation for mankind. From the Age of Law, to the Age of Grace and then to the Age of Kingdom in the last days, the three stages are all done by one God. It opened my eyes and was a feast for the eyes to read the words of Almighty God! Yes, God is so omnipotent and wise, how could He only do the limited work recorded in the Bible? And from the words of Almighty God, I truly saw that God’s last days’ words and work did not repudiate the Bible. Instead, they elevated and deepened the work of the Age of Law and the Age of Grace as recorded in the Bible. What is done is more in line with people’s present need. One passage of God’s words says: “You must understand why, today, you are asked not to read the Bible, why there is another work that is separate from the Bible, why God does not look for newer, more detailed practice in the Bible, why there is instead mightier work outside of the Bible. This is all what you should understand. You must know the difference between the old and new work, and even though you do not read the Bible, you must be able to dissect it; if not, you will still worship the Bible, and it will be difficult for you to enter into the new work and undergo new changes. Since there is a higher way, why study that low, outdated way? Since there are newer utterances, and newer work, why live amid old historical records? The new utterances can provide for you, which proves that this is the new work; the old records can’t sate you, or satisfy your current needs, which proves that they are history, and not the work of the here and now. The highest way is the newest work, and with the new work, no matter how high the way of the past, it is still the history of people’s reflections, and no matter its value as reference, it is still the old way. Even though it is recorded in the ‘holy book,’ the old way is history; even though there is no record of it in the ‘holy book,’ the new way is of the here and now. This way can save you, and this way can change you, for this is the work of the Holy Spirit” (“Concerning the Bible (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). At this moment, I suddenly realized: Why I had always upheld the Bible yet my spiritual situation had become increasingly negative and I had even run out of things to preach; why brothers and sisters were also getting weaker and did not even attend meetings, yet those brothers and sisters who had accepted the gospel of the kingdom of Almighty God were full of faith and no matter how I treated them, they were never negative or discouraged and still repeatedly came to preach the gospel to me. The reason why is that what I upheld was God’s past work. It was the old way. It had long since lost the work of the Holy Spirit. Yet the brothers and sisters of The Church of Almighty God had accepted the leadership of God’s new work and had received the supply of God’s present words and obtained the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the difference between the new way and the old way! This is the reason why the religious world is declining and The Church of Almighty God is becoming more and more prosperous! Lord, now I finally understand that You have really come back and You have given us a new way, a new supply of life. I thank You!

At this time, my emotions were torn between happiness and feeling bad. I was happy that God had not abandoned me, despite me being so rebellious and disobedient and that He had used this special way of my husband reading out God’s words to make me hear God’s voice. This really was God’s love for me and His salvation to me! I felt bad because I had looked forward to the Lord’s return for many years but I had not thought that I would reject the Lord when He returned and knocked on my door. Those brothers and sisters repeatedly came all the way to spread the gospel to me, yet I did not acknowledge them. They communed with my husband and yet I mocked them and deliberately disturbed them…. Thinking of this, my heart felt pained and tears could not stop flowing from my eyes. I knelt before God and prayed to Him: “Almighty God! I was wrong. For so many years I have always upheld the Bible and thought that deviating from the Bible was not believing in God. I treated the Bible as God and rejected Your new work again and again and rejected Your coming. I was so blind! Now I am willing to put aside the Bible, follow Your new work, listen to Your words of the new age. I will never be hostile to You again and I am not willing to let my entire life go to wrack and ruin over my notions and imagination. God! I am willing to resolve myself to cooperate with You and to bring those in the church who truly believe in You back to Your home to make up what I owe You. Thank You God! May all glory be attributed to Almighty God!”

A Different Kind of Love

Chengxin, Brazil

By a chance opportunity in 2011, I came to Brazil from China. When I had just arrived, my eyes were overflowing with fresh and new experiences, curiosity, and I had a beautiful feeling about the future. But after a short time, this fresh and new feeling was quickly replaced by the loneliness and pain of finding myself in a far-off foreign land. Every day I went back home all alone, ate by myself, looking at the walls around me every day without anyone even to talk to, and I felt especially lonely in my heart, often crying all alone. When I felt the most pain and helpless, the Lord Jesus brought me into a gathering by means of a friend. Through reading the word of the Lord, singing hymns, and praying in gatherings, my lonely heart received the consolation of the Lord. I learned from the Bible that heavens, earth, and all things were created by God, and man too is God’s creation. The Lord Jesus was crucified for the redemption of mankind, and it was the Lord Jesus who redeemed us from sin, and He is the only Redeemer of mankind. In the face of the Lord’s salvation, which is greater than all else, I felt deeply moved and resolved to follow the Lord for the rest of my life. Because of this I was baptized on Thanksgiving to become a Christian not just in name but in reality. Because I liked singing hymns, especially those in praise of God, after I was baptized I took the initiative to join the choir and work as part of it. Through God’s guidance and blessings, I lived in peace and happiness. Every time I went to a gathering or praised God in worship, I felt suffused with energy.

Sermons and Fellowship: What’s Wise About the Wise Virgins Who Welcome the Lord?

“During the Age of Grace, Jesus talked about the wise virgins. What is this mystery all about? What does the term wise virgin mean? The main point is that she recognizes God’s voice. When she hears it, she thinks, ‘Why do I think that the things this Son of man is saying are God’s words? Why does it seem like He has God’s voice? These are things that man cannot say. This is God’s voice. So I must believe in Him. He is Christ. This is God incarnate.’ Look, this is why she is wise. Now, why are foolish virgins foolish? It is because they think, ‘Isn’t this just a man? Isn’t this Jesus of Nazareth? Isn’t this just a normal person? How can he be God? We will not believe in him. We believe in the God in heaven.’ You see, they do not understand spiritual matters, right? These people believe that they themselves are correct and that they are in the right. The result was that God takes the wise in their own craftiness. Aren’t you wise? Aren’t you someone who does not believe in man? Today, God has become incarnate. He has become man. If you do not believe, you will be destroyed, and you will perish. If you think that you are clever and wise, you will have fooled yourself.”

from “Only Those Who Meet the Standard in the Fulfillment of Their Duties Will Be Saved and Perfected” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Ⅸ)

What is the nature of the issue of believing the rumors of the CCP government and the religious world?

Relevant Words of God:

Those who do not understand the truth always follow others: If people say that this is the work of the Holy Spirit, then you, too, say it is the work of the Holy Spirit; if people say it is the work of an evil spirit, then you, too, become doubtful, or also say it is the work of an evil spirit. You always parrot the words of others, and are incapable of distinguishing anything by yourself, nor are you able to think for yourself. This is someone without a position, who is unable to differentiate—such a person is a worthless wretch! Such people always repeat the words of others: Today it is said that this is the work of the Holy Spirit, but chances are one day someone will say it isn’t the work of the Holy Spirit, and nothing but the deeds of man—yet you can’t see through this, and when you witness it said by others, you say the same thing. It is actually the work of the Holy Spirit, but you say it is the work of man; have you not become one of those who blaspheme against the work of the Holy Spirit? In this, have you not opposed God because you cannot differentiate? Who knows, maybe one day some nitwit will appear who says that “this is the work of an evil spirit,” and when you hear these words you’ll be at a loss, and once again bound up by the words of others. Every time someone stirs up disturbance you’re incapable of standing by your position, and this is all because you do not possess the truth.

from “Only Those Who Know God and His Work Can Satisfy God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Why the Lord Jesus Gave the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter

Yang Qing

Baffled From Reading the Bible

When I got up early in the morning, I made a prayer, then opened up the Bible to Matthew 16:19, where the Lord Jesus says to Peter: “And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Reading this passage of scripture, I became confused, thinking: “Peter didn’t do any great work nor were the epistles he wrote very famous. On top of that, when the Lord Jesus was arrested and stood trial, Peter denied Him three times. Why didn’t the Lord give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to other disciples, but only to Peter?” I searched and searched through the Scriptures, but nothing resolved my confusion. I had no choice but to go off to work.

Consulting a Colleague and Finding the Answer

During my lunch break I was still mulling over my question from that morning: “God is righteous and certainly wouldn’t do anything in error, but why did the Lord Jesus give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter? What kind of mystery is within this?” I consulted with a colleague who had believed in the Lord for many years so that I could gain clarity on this.

My colleague smiled and said: “The Lord gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter because the Lord chose him. So why was Peter favored by the Lord?” Seeing my bewildered look, he went on to ask: “Do you remember how Peter responded when the Lord Jesus asked the disciples who He was?”

I said, “And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

My colleague nodded his head and continued on: “That’s right. Out of the Lord Jesus’ twelve disciples, only Peter received the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and recognized that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah who was prophesied to come, that He was Christ. When the Lord Jesus said that He was the bread of life and that people need only eat His flesh and drink His blood to gain eternal life, quite a few people developed notions and gave up on following the Lord. Only Peter said: ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God’ (John 6:68–69). From these two events we can see that Peter had a true understanding of the Lord Jesus from His work and words, that he was entirely certain that the Lord Jesus was Christ and the way to eternal life. So no matter how the Pharisees judged, condemned, and attacked the Lord Jesus, he never became confused, and whether or not others abandoned the Lord Jesus, he was never constrained and continued to maintain his devotion, following the Lord until the end. And after the Lord was resurrected and ascended into heaven, Peter shepherded the churches in accordance with the Lord’s command. He spread the gospel of the Lord and was ultimately crucified upside down for His sake, bearing a resounding, beautiful witness. We can see from all of this that Peter had a true understanding of the Lord and he possessed a genuine heart of love for Him. Otherwise, he would not have been able to give his entire life to following the Lord and spreading His gospel, and he especially would not have been able to bear the witness of the ultimate love for God and obedience to the point of death.”

I nodded and said: “You’re right. Out of the twelve disciples only Peter recognized that the Lord Jesus was Christ, and only Peter was crucified upside down for Him. I can see from these things that Peter had aspects that merited the Lord’s acceptance and approval.”

The Fruits of Obeying God

Xie Cheng

A few days ago, my leader Sister Cheng told me that the church had a new work that required some manpower, and asked me whether I’d be willing to do it. Hearing my leader say this, I was beside myself with joy, and I thought: “For three months now, I’ve been reflecting on how I was replaced because my striving for fame and gain in my duties interrupted and disturbed the church’s work. Now, at last, I can perform my duty again! If my brothers and sisters knew this, they’d definitely pay special regard to me, and would think that I’ve made progress by experiencing this failure.” I agreed to do it there and then. After my leader had gone, every day I looked forward to receiving notice of my new duty, but the days went by and no notice arrived. What did arrive was a stack of paper documents, and my leader asked me to type them up. Holding this stack of paper documents, my heart was full of questions: “What’s the meaning of this? Wasn’t it agreed that I’d be doing a new duty? How then can I be asked to type up all these paper documents? What am I, a typist? What on earth’s going on? If I’m not going to be doing the new duty, then surely my leader has to tell me why!” My mind was in a whirl, and I was unwilling to accept the reality of the situation. Faced with this pile of documents, I thought: “Typing isn’t a real duty. Anyone can do this work. Aren’t I a little overqualified to stay at home just typing up all these documents? If I’m not able to do any important duty, my brothers and sisters will surely say that, after being replaced, I still don’t have any true knowledge of myself and have not truly reflected on myself. What’s more, if I’m staying at home typing all day, then no matter how much I do or how well I do it, no one will know about it and I won’t have a chance to shine. I’ll forever be just a nobody, without any possibility of being promoted or put to some important use.” I was filled with misgivings, but I couldn’t refuse; all I could do was accept the duty.

Christian Movie | Chronicles of Religious Persecution in China "A Youth of Bloody Tears"

Must watch Christian Movie | Chronicles of Religious Persecution in China “A Youth of Bloody Tears” 

Since it came to power in mainland China in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party has been relentless in its persecution of religious faith. It has frantically arrested and murdered Christians, expelled and abused missionaries operating in China, confiscated and destroyed countless copies of the Bible, sealed up and demolished church buildings, and vainly attempted to eradicate all house churches. This documentary tells the true story of the persecution suffered at the hands of the CCP by the family of Chinese Christian Lin Haochen. 

Realizing I’ve Been Walking the Path of the Pharisees

Wuxin Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province

Something we have always discussed in previous gatherings and communions is the paths walked by Peter and Paul. It is said that Peter focused on knowing himself and God, and his pursuit was approved by God, while Paul only focused on his work, reputation and status, he set foot upon the path of the antichrists of the Pharisees, and he was someone God despised. I have always been afraid of walking Paul’s path, which is why I normally often read God’s words, as well as sermons and fellowship on entering into life, that concern Peter’s experiences, in order to see how he sought to know God. Then I consciously imitate Peter in my practice and entering. After living like this for a while, I felt I had become more obedient than before, my desire for reputation and status had dimmed, and that I had gotten to know myself a little. I believed that even though I was not completely on Peter’s path, it could be said that I had come pretty close to following it, and at least it meant I was not heading down Paul’s path. However, I would be shamed by the revelations of God’s word.

From Suffering Is Emitted the Fragrance of Love

Xiaokai, Jiangxi Province

I’m an ordinary country woman and, because of the feudalistic idea of only valuing male children, I was unable to raise my head in front of others for shame at having borne no son. Just when I was suffering the most, I was chosen by the Lord Jesus and, two years later, I accepted the salvation of Almighty God. Moreover, I understood much truth from within the words of Almighty God and my heart obtained true release. However, while I was performing my duty to repay God’s love, I was twice arrested by the CCP government and I suffered brutal torture and torment at the hands of the CCP’s pawns. Just when I was on the verge of death, the words of Almighty God guided me and inspired me and caused me to stand witness in the midst of Satan’s cruel harm, thereby strengthening my determination to follow God and love God for all my life.

I was born in the countryside and, after I married, I gave birth to three daughters, one after another. Because the feudalistic idea of valuing only male children is so strong in rural areas, my family and the people of the village all looked down on me, and moreover, my sisters-in-law bullied and ridiculed me. I felt so pained and oppressed inside; I felt depressed all day long. In 1998, I began to believe in Jesus and, although my distressed mind became more optimistic within the Lord Jesus’ love, the knots in my heart could still not be undone. Two years later, I accepted Almighty God’s salvation of the last days and, when I read these words of God, they were like medicine that cured a chronic sickness: “Since the creation of the world I have begun to predestine and select this group of people, namely, you today. Your temperament, caliber, appearance, stature, family in which you were born, your job and your marriage, the entirety of you, even the color of your hair and your skin, and the time of your birth were all arranged by My hands” (“The Seventy-fourth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). These words of God made me understand that all things and events are in God’s hands, that my destiny was arranged by God long ago and that my having had three daughters was also predestined by God, and to God this was for the best. I was therefore no longer under the ties and bonds of feudalistic ideas, and my heart obtained the greatest release. From that day on, I actively lived the church life, I hungered to read the words of God, enjoyed the life provided by the words of Almighty God, and I gradually came to understand much truth, such as how Satan corrupts man, how God saves man and what the value and significance of man’s life is. Having understood these things, my heart felt peaceful and filled with light, always with a joy I could not express in words, and more and more I came to firmly believe that Almighty God is the one true God that saved me from the sea of misery, and I became resolved to follow Almighty God and live out a real life. After a short while, God raised me up to be a leader in the church. While I was performing my duty, however, I was twice arrested by the CCP government and subjected to ruthless persecution …

Don’t Find New Tricks When Serving God

Heyi Zhuanghe City, Liaoning Province

I had just been promoted to take on the responsibility of church leader. But after a period of hard work, not only was the church’s evangelical work fairly lackluster, but my brothers and sisters in the evangelical team were all also living in negativity and weakness. Faced with this situation, I could no longer contain my feelings. How on earth could I work to revitalize the evangelical work? After racking my brains, I finally thought of a good solution: If I held a monthly awards ceremony for the evangelical team and selected outstanding individuals and model preachers, whoever won more souls for God would be rewarded, and whoever won fewer souls would be admonished. This would not only excite their enthusiasm, but it would lift up the negative and weak brothers and sisters. When I thought of this, I was very excited for this “clever move” of mine. I thought: “This time I’ll really amaze everyone.”

Enlightenment From a Story of Solomon—Two Flower Baskets

During my free time, I read a story about Solomon from the internet. A king from a neighboring country gave, as a present, two uncommon and rare flower baskets to Solomon. The flowers of one of the flower baskets were real and the flowers of the other basket were fake. However, the flowers of both baskets looked extremely similar. There was almost no way to distinguish the real flowers from the fake flowers just by looking at their appearance. The state official from the neighboring country that delivered the flower baskets had heard of Solomon’s wisdom. So, he asked Solomon to distinguish between the real flowers and the fake flowers. Solomon sent some people to bring the two flower baskets to his garden. Nobody understood what Solomon’s intentions were. Solomon asked everyone to gather at the garden and there they understood why he brought the two baskets into the garden. The real flowers had attracted many bees to them while the fake flowers did not have any.

While this is a very simple story, it contains a lot of spiritual meaning. The flowers that had life in them gave off a fragrance and they secreted nectar. That is why they attracted the bees. The flowers in the other basket were dead. Even though, externally, they looked the same, they did not give off a fragrance nor did they have any honey with which to attract bees.

After reading this story of how Solomon was able to discern the real flowers from the fake flowers, I could not help but think: Presently, there are many Christians devoutly waiting for the return of the Lord Jesus. However, at the same time, they are afraid of being deceived and as a result, they reject the gospel of Jesus’ return. Because in the Bible, Jesus said: “Then if any man shall say to you, See, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Mat 24:23-24). That is why, presently, there are many Christians in the religious world who, even though they have heard someone bear witness to God and tell them that the Lord has returned, do not seek, investigate and discern. Instead, they blindly judge, convict and resist. They maintain that “All those who bear witness to the return of the Lord are false.” Can they welcome the return of the Lord if they have this kind of notion and imagination? If we carefully ponder the Lord’s teachings, we will find that the Lord has actually taught us how to discern fake Christs so that we will not reject the gospel of God’s return solely on the manifestation of fake Christs in the last days. If we allow our fear of being deceived by fake Christs to prevent us from focusing on listening to God’s voice and discerning God’s voice, how can we welcome the Lord’s return? Think back to when Jesus just arrived to do His work. The Pharisees, chief priests and scribes serving Jehovah God in the temple adhered to their own notions and imaginations and the Old Testament Bible. They did not seek or investigate Jesus’ work. Instead, they nailed Jesus to the cross and committed a very serious sin. In the very end, they received God’s punishment and curse. However, Peter, Nathanael, the Samaritan woman and others, after listening to Jesus’ words, recognized that Jesus was the coming Messiah. As a result, they followed the Lord. It is prophesied many times in Revelation, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” In the Book of Romans, chapter 10, verse 17, it says: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Therefore, when we hear someone spreading the gospel of Jesus’ return, we should first seek and investigate. From our seeking and investigation, we should then discern whether the Lord has returned or not. In this way, we will not miss the opportunity to meet the Lord again.

The Lord Jesus Himself prophesied that God would incarnate in the last days and appear as the Son of man to do work.

Bible Verses for Reference:

“Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not” (Luk 12:40).

“For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” (Luk 17:24-25).

“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).

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame” (Rev 16:15).

“And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the middle of the seven candlesticks one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength” (Rev 1:12-16).

Relevant Words of God:

Jesus said that He would arrive as He had departed, but do you know the true meaning of His words? Can it be that He told this group of you? All you know is that He will arrive as He left, riding on a cloud, but do you know exactly how God Himself does His work? If you were truly able to see, then how are the words that Jesus spoke to be explained? He said, “When the Son of man comes in the last days, He Himself will not know, the angels will not know, the messengers in heaven will not know, and all humanity will not know. Only the Father will know, that is, only the Spirit shall know.” If you were capable of knowing and seeing, then wouldn’t these words be pointless? Even the Son of man Himself does not know, yet you are able to see and know? If you had seen with your own eyes, wouldn’t these words have been spoken in vain? And what did Jesus say at the time? “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. … Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes.” When that day comes, the Son of man Himself will not know it. The Son of man refers to the incarnate flesh of God, a normal and ordinary person. Even this person does not Himself know, so how could you know?

from “The Vision of God’s Work (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

There are those who say that God Himself said that He would arrive on a cloud. It is true that God said so Himself, but don’t you know that no man can fathom the mysteries of God? Don’t you know that no man can explain the words of God? Are you certain, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you were enlightened and illuminated by the Holy Spirit? Surely it was not that the Holy Spirit showed you in such a direct manner? Was it the Holy Spirit who instructed, or did your own conceptions lead you to think so? You said, “This was said by God Himself.” But we cannot use our own conceptions and minds to measure the words of God. As for the words spoken by Isaiah, can you with absolute certainty explain his words? Do you dare to explain his words? Since you do not dare to explain the words of Isaiah, why do you dare to explain the words of Jesus? Who is more exalted, Jesus or Isaiah? Since the answer is Jesus, why do you explain the words spoken by Jesus? Would God tell you of His work in advance? Not a single creature can know, not even the messengers in heaven, nor the Son of man, so how could you know?

from “The Vision of God’s Work (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” … There are many absurd men who believe that the words of the Holy Spirit ought to come down from the heavens to the ears of man. Any who thinks this way does not know the work of God. In truth, the utterances spoken by the Holy Spirit are those spoken by God become flesh. The Holy Spirit cannot speak directly to man, and Jehovah did not speak directly to the people, even in the Age of Law. Would it not be far less likely that He would do so in this age today? For God to speak utterances to carry out work, He must become flesh, else His work cannot accomplish His goal. Those who deny God become flesh are those who do not know the Spirit or the principles by which God works.

from “How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

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

from “The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a ‘White Cloud’” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God is silent, and has never appeared to us, yet His work has never stopped. He looks upon all lands, and commands all things, and beholds all the words and deeds of man. His management is conducted in steps and according to His plan. It proceeds silently, without dramatic effect, yet His footsteps advance ever closer to mankind, and His judgment seat is deployed in the universe at the speed of lightning, immediately followed by the descent of His throne among us. What a majestic scene that is, what a stately and solemn tableau. Like a dove, and like a roaring lion, the Spirit arrives among us all. He is wise, He is righteous and majestic, He quietly arrives among us possessed of authority and filled with love and compassion. No one is aware of His arrival, no one welcomes His arrival, and, moreover, no one knows all that He will do. Man’s life remains unchanged; his heart is no different, and the days go by as usual. God lives among us like an ordinary person, as a most insignificant follower and an ordinary believer. He has His own pursuits, His own goals, and, moreover, He has divinity not possessed by ordinary men. No one has noticed the existence of His divinity, and no one has perceived the difference between His substance and that of man. We live together with Him, unconstrained and unafraid, for we see Him as nothing more than an insignificant believer.

from “Beholding the Appearance of God in His Judgment and Chastisement” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God is incarnated in the Chinese mainland, what the compatriots in Hong Kong and Taiwan call the inland. When God came from above to the earth, no one in heaven and earth knew about it, for this is the true meaning of God returning in a concealed fashion. He has been in the flesh working and living for a long time, yet no one has known about it. Even to this day, no one recognizes it. Perhaps this will remain an eternal riddle. God’s coming into flesh this time is not something anyone is able to be aware of. No matter how large-scale and powerful the Spirit’s work, God always stays composed, never giving Himself away. One can say that it is as if this stage of His work is taking place in the heavenly realm. Even though it is perfectly obvious to everyone, no one recognizes it. When God finishes this stage of His work, everyone will awake from their long dream and reverse their past attitude.[1] … At the break of dawn, unbeknownst to any, God came to earth and began His life in the flesh. People were unaware of this moment. Maybe they were all fast asleep, maybe many who were watchfully awake were waiting, and maybe many were praying silently to God in heaven. Yet among all these many people, not one knew that God had already arrived on earth. God worked like this so as to more smoothly carry out His work and achieve better results, and it was also to avoid more temptations. As man’s spring slumber breaks, God’s work will have long been finished and He shall depart, bringing to a close His life of roaming and sojourning on earth.

from “Work and Entry (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The appearance of God has already arisen in all churches. It is the Spirit that speaks, He is a raging fire, He carries majesty and He is judging; He is the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs are white like wool, and His eyes are as a flame of fire; and His feet like to fine brass, as if they burn in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. He has in His right hand seven stars, a two-edged sword is within His mouth and His countenance is as the sun shining in its strength!

from “The Fifteenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

People who do not accept the truth, yet blindly await the arrival of Jesus upon white clouds, will surely blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, and they are the race that shall be destroyed. You merely wish for the grace of Jesus, and merely want to enjoy the blissful realm of heaven, yet you have never obeyed the words spoken by Jesus, and have never received the truth expressed by Jesus when He returns to flesh. What will you hold up in exchange for the fact of Jesus’ return upon a white cloud? Is it the sincerity in which you repeatedly commit sins, and then confess them, over and over? What will you offer in sacrifice to Jesus who returns upon a white cloud? Is it the years of work with which you exalt yourselves? What will you hold up to make the returned Jesus trust you? Is it that arrogant nature of yours, which does not obey any truth?

from “When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

I tell you, those who believe in God because of the signs are surely the category that shall suffer destruction. Those who are incapable of accepting the words of Jesus who has returned to flesh are surely the progeny of hell, the descendants of the archangel, the category that shall be subjected to everlasting destruction. Many people may not care what I say, but I still want to tell every so-called saint who follows Jesus that, when you see Jesus descend from the heaven upon a white cloud with your own eyes, this will be the public appearance of the Sun of righteousness. Perhaps that will be a time of great excitement for you, yet you should know that the time when you witness Jesus descend from the heaven is also the time when you go down to hell to be punished. It will herald the end of God’s management plan, and will be when God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. For the judgment of God will have ended before man sees signs, when there is only the expression of truth. Those who accept the truth and do not seek signs, and thus have been purified, shall have returned before the throne of God and entered the Creator’s embrace. Only those who persist in the belief that “The Jesus who does not ride upon a white cloud is a false Christ” shall be subjected to everlasting punishment, for they only believe in the Jesus who exhibits signs, but do not acknowledge the Jesus who proclaims severe judgment and releases the true way of life. And so it can only be that Jesus deals with them when He openly returns upon a white cloud. They are too stubborn, too confident in themselves, too arrogant. How could such degenerates be rewarded by Jesus? The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit.

from “When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

It is My hope that the brothers and sisters who seek the appearance of God will not repeat the tragedy of history. You must not become the Pharisees of modern times and nail God to the cross again. You should carefully consider how to welcome the return of God, and should have a clear mind of how to be someone who submits to the truth. This is the responsibility of everyone who is waiting for Jesus to return with the clouds. We should rub our spiritual eyes, and not fall prey to the words full of flights of fancy. We should think about the practical work of God, and should take a look at the real side of God. Do not get carried away or lose yourselves in daydreams, always looking forward to the day that the Lord Jesus suddenly descends among you on a cloud to take you who have never known Him or seen Him, and do not know how to do His will. It is better to think upon practical matters!

from Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh

Footnotes:

1. “Reverse their past attitude” refers to how people’s conceptions and views about God change once they know God.

Destruction in the Blink of an Eye

—Qingping Township in Sichuan Province disappeared twice because of its defiance of Almighty God’s gospel of the last days

Jing Wei, Sichuan Province

During the great earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008, a town vanished entirely: That was Qingping Township in the Mianzhu municipal area in Sichuan Province. Because of the government’s information blackout, this is not something that many people know about.

Qingping Township was located north-west of the hard-hit area of Hanwang Town in the Mianzhu municipal area. Before the earthquake struck, situated deep in the mountains, it was a place of clean air, clear waters and blue skies, and the mountains abounded with kiwi fruit and gingko fruit. God bestowed this abundance on the people and provided them with all they needed to live; yet the people living there did not know God, and even more they were unaware that they should be grateful to God—they had only a lust for riches. Owing to this town being situated deep in the mountains, the scenery was incredibly beautiful and the air was fresh and pleasant. In summer, there was no need to use air conditioning; it was a natural oxygen bar, and even more so it was a place for leisure and relaxation. The mountain people set up rural home stays one by one and put great effort into developing the tourism industry there. It also became a place of recreation and entertainment for all levels of government officials. Many officials desired to take up government posts in Qingping Township, and many provincial-level leaders were frequent visitors to the town. As everyone knows, wherever government officials go, they fuel the economic growth of the area’s hotels, karaoke bars, health spas, foot massage spas and hair salons. So although Qingping Township was deep in the mountains, it was by no means a backward place, and it was nevertheless a place of feasting and revelry, flashing neon lights and nightly music and singing; Communist Party officials turned this Heaven-sent place of beauty into a modern-day Sodom.

Ever since Almighty God launched His work of the last days in mainland China, brothers and sisters of the church traveled many times to this mountain town to spread the gospel. But the people there lived affluently and had no worries about food or clothing. They thought they didn’t need God, so every time the brothers and sisters came they refused to accept the gospel, and even scolded the brothers and sisters, saying: “Right now, life is so good and the Party’s policies are so good. You have nothing better to do, saying these things, but we don’t believe what you say. We only believe in money!” The brothers and sisters each time had to walk such a long way to spread the gospel to these people, but every time they had doors slammed in their faces. The brothers and sisters told them that this was the gospel of God of the last days, and that it was their one and only chance to be saved, but they closed their ears; the brothers and sisters told them that all those who did not believe in Almighty God would not have God’s protection when the disasters came, but they ignored that. The people of Qingping Township rejected the words of Almighty God and rejected the salvation of Almighty God—there was not one person in that town who believed in Almighty God!

I Have Finally Seen the Way of Being a True Person

Xiaoli Henan Province

Since I was small, my desire for reputation was always very strong, and when I interacted with people I paid particular attention to my own image, my status in other people’s eyes, and their assessment of me. So I always allowed other people to have any convenience, any benefits, and I just buried difficulties or grievances in my heart. I didn’t express those things to anyone, and when other people experienced difficulties I would always think of ways to help them. So in my parents’ eyes, I was a good girl; I was a real delight. In my neighbors’ and friends’ eyes, I was warm and generous. After getting married, I also got along very well with my husband’s family. When my sister-in-law and brother-in-law found partners and got married, I was running around like crazy. I contributed both money and effort, and I shared the burden with my parents-in-law. Before long I had become the good daughter-in-law and the good big sister. In reality, at that time I was exhausted every day and I was worn out to my very core because I was always tiptoeing around to maintain my relationships with other people and taking care of everyone else’s feelings; I would monitor their expressions and then speak accordingly. I was afraid of hurting someone else and leaving them with a bad impression, and damaging my own reputation. After gaining these “good names,” in my heart I felt proud, and that the price I had paid was worth it. I felt that I was very successful as a human being. I frequently thought to myself: If someday I encounter any difficulties, my friends, family, and neighbors will definitely extend a helping hand to me and help me out of my troubles. But just as I was basking in my “accomplishments” as a human being, a disaster came out of nowhere—it completely destroyed my fantasy and changed my views.

How does one actually confirm that Almighty God is the returned Jesus?

The Answer from God’s Word:

First, He is able to open up a new age; second, He is able to supply the life of man and show man the way to follow. This is sufficient to establish that He is God Himself. At the very least, the work He does can fully represent the Spirit of God, and from such work it can be seen that the Spirit of God is within Him. As the work done by the incarnate God was mainly to usher in a new age, lead new work, and open up new circumstances, these few conditions alone are sufficient to establish that He is God Himself.

from “The Difference Between the Ministry of the Incarnate God and the Duty of Man” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

To study such a thing is not difficult, but requires each of us to know this truth: He who is God’s incarnation shall hold the substance of God, and He who is God’s incarnation shall hold the expression of God. Since God becomes flesh, He shall bring forth the work He must do, and since God becomes flesh, He shall express what He is, and shall be able to bring the truth to man, bestow life upon man, and show man the way. Flesh that does not contain the substance of God is surely not the incarnate God; of this there is no doubt. To investigate whether it is God’s incarnate flesh, man must determine this from the disposition He expresses and the words He speaks. Which is to say, whether or not it is God’s incarnate flesh, and whether or not it is the true way, must be judged from His substance. And so, in determining[a] whether it is the flesh of God incarnate, the key is to pay attention to His substance (His work, His words, His disposition, and many more), rather than external appearance. If man sees only His external appearance, and overlooks His substance, then that shows the ignorance and naivety of man. External appearance does not determine substance; what’s more, the work of God has never conformed with the conceptions of man. Did not the outward appearance of Jesus conflict with the conceptions of man? Were not His appearance and dress unable to provide any clues as to His true identity? Was not the reason why the earliest Pharisees opposed Jesus because they merely looked at His external appearance, and did not take to heart the words that He spoke? It is My hope that the brothers and sisters who seek the appearance of God will not repeat the tragedy of history. You must not become the Pharisees of modern times and nail God to the cross again. You should carefully consider how to welcome the return of God, and should have a clear mind of how to be someone who submits to the truth. This is the responsibility of everyone who is waiting for Jesus to return with the clouds.

from Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh