That Was Close! I Nearly Let the Lord Pass Me By (Part 2)

By Weilian, United States

Seeking Jesus’ Return: Why Would God Incarnate of the Last Days Be a Woman?

After that I reached out to Brother Zhao online and told him the source of my confusion. “The Bible says, ‘He that has the bride is the bridegroom’ (John 3:29). And ‘Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready’ (Revelation 19:7). It’s written that the ‘bridegroom’ will marry the ‘bride’, so doesn’t the ‘bridegroom’ refer to the Lord being male when He returns? However, you testify that the Lord has returned as a woman. This is something I don’t understand. Brother, can you share fellowship on this?” Brother Zhao responded, “I used to think that since the Bible says that the bride will adorn herself to welcome the bridegroom, when the Lord returns He will certainly be male and couldn’t possibly be a woman. So is this understanding of the prophecy actually accurate, or not? If it’s as we take it, when God comes He has to be a man, and only a man can be called the ‘bridegroom’ so the ‘bride’ without a doubt refers to a woman, then which of our brothers, who are male, could become a ‘bride’ and attend the wedding banquet of the Lamb? Wouldn’t they all be cast out by the ‘bridegroom’ into the darkness, weeping? God is the God of all creatures; He is the God of all men and all women, so how could He only save women and not men? That is to say, our concept that the ‘bridegroom’ should be a man comes from looking at things from a worldly viewpoint. It’s just a literal understanding of the Bible, our own notions and imaginations. It is not remotely in line with the true meaning of what was prophesied in the Bible, and it is even less in line with the truth.

That Was Close! I Nearly Let the Lord Pass Me By (Part 1)

By Weilian, United States

Not long after I finished high school, I was tricked into joining a pyramid scheme by a friend. I really wanted to get out of it, but there was just no way for me to do it. I was helpless and in pain and felt that my future was dark, devoid of light—I was totally lost. In July 2016, in the midst of my pain and helplessness a copy of the Bible made its way into my hands; I learned that God created the world and human beings. I was moved by the Lord Jesus’ redemption of mankind and silently said to God, “If you’re really such a loving, merciful God in this universe, in this world, I ask You to help me escape from my pain and lead me to a place where I can change my fate, a place full of hope.” I made this entreaty often, and amazingly, less than one month later I was on my way to the United States.

If Eastern Lightning Is the True Way, Why Is It Oppressed?

Hello, brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A,

I’ve been looking into the way of Eastern Lightning for some time now. By reading Almighty God’s words and watching The Church of Almighty God’s gospel films and videos, I’ve learned about the purpose of God’s three stages of work, the mysteries of God’s incarnations, the significance of God taking on a different name in each age, the inside story of the Bible, what a wise virgin is and what a foolish virgin is, what truly being raptured is, how God’s judgment of the last days cleanses, transforms, and perfects people, plus what people’s destinations and outcomes will be. I’ve come to understand so many truths I never did before and my faith and love for God have been restored. I’ve had a lot of spiritual enjoyment. I’ve seen that Almighty God’s words are the truth; they possess authority and might and couldn’t be uttered by a human being. They are utterances that come from the Holy Spirit. I feel that Eastern Lightning must be the true way. However, some of the pastors and elders in religious circles say that if it were the true way, why would it be so suppressed, persecuted, and condemned by the CCP? I’m not clear on this and want to do more seeking.

Yang Guang

Beholding the Appearance of God in His Judgment and Chastisement

Like the hundreds of millions of others who follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we abide by the laws and commandments of the Bible, enjoy the abundant grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and gather together, pray, praise, and serve in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—and all this we do under the care and protection of the Lord. We are often weak, and we are also often strong. We believe that all of our actions are in accordance with the teachings of the Lord. It goes without saying, then, that we also believe ourselves to be on the path of obedience to the will of the Father in heaven. We long for the return of the Lord Jesus, for His glorious descent, for the end of our life on earth, for the appearance of the kingdom, and for everything as it was foretold in the Book of Revelation: The Lord arrives, He brings disaster, He rewards the good and punishes the wicked, and He takes all those who follow Him and welcome His return up to meet Him in the air. Whenever we think of this, we cannot but be overcome with emotion and filled with gratitude that we were born in the last days and have the good fortune to witness the coming of the Lord. Though we have suffered persecution, we have got in return “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” What a blessing! All of this longing, and the grace bestowed by the Lord, render us constantly sober unto prayer, and make us more diligent in gathering together. Maybe next year, maybe tomorrow, and again, maybe within a space of time shorter than man can conceive, the Lord shall suddenly descend, appearing among a group of people who have been waiting for Him with eager solicitude. We rush to get ahead of each other, none willing to fall behind, all for the sake of being in the first group to behold the appearance of the Lord, of being among those who are raptured. We have given everything, heedless of the cost, for the coming of this day, some leaving their jobs, some abandoning their families, some renouncing marriage, and some even donating all of their savings. What selfless acts of devotion! Such sincerity and loyalty is surely beyond even the saints of ages past! As the Lord bestows grace upon whomever He pleases, and shows mercy to whomever He pleases, our acts of devotion and of expending, we believe, have long since been beheld by His eyes. So, too, have our heartfelt prayers reached His ears, and we trust that the Lord will give us recompense for our dedication. Moreover, God had been gracious toward us before He created the world, and the blessings and promises He has given to us no one can take away. We are all planning for the future, and as a matter of course have made our dedication and expending into counter chips or capital to exchange for being raptured to meet the Lord in the air. What is more, we have, without the slightest hesitation, placed ourselves on the throne of the future, to preside over all nations and all peoples, or to reign as kings. All this we take as a given, as something to be expected.

Several Principles for Leading Non-Religious New Believers

God’s salvation of people is not limited to those who are already religious or are outsiders. As long as a person is willing to accept God’s work, is able to eat and drink God’s words and seek truth, then they are a suitable target for God’s salvation. God’s will is such that all those who can accept the work of Almighty God and attain purification are those who shall attain God’s salvation. There is no seniority among believers when practicing faith in God. As long as someone seeks truth and accepts God’s judgment and chastisement—thereby achieving transformation in his or her life disposition—then they are someone perfected by God. Therefore, mankind’s conceptions, imaginings or delineations about God are all ridiculous. God is righteous; God does not treat anyone with preference. To nurture and give sustenance to non-religious believers—truly bringing them into God’s words and helping them to enter into all truths—is God’s requirement, and this is also God’s commission to the leaders and workers of God’s house. All those who have prejudice against or exclude non-religious new believers, all those who muddle through the work of nurturing and giving sustenance to non-religious new believers, are all servants of Satan and they are all interrupting and disturbing God’s work. This is entirely the revelation of mankind’s satanic nature that opposes God. This must be clearly discerned.

Principles for Establishing a Church and Managing Church Life

1. Principles for Establishing a Church

The principles for establishing a church are: So long as there is a group of people (around 20) who have truly accepted God’s work, who request to formally join the church, and who are willing to fulfill their duties, then a church can be established. If there are around 10 new believers who ask to have gatherings, a gathering group can first be set up, but a church cannot be established. If the new believers have not formally recognized and accepted the true way while they investigate it, then a church should not be established. The establishment of a church should be done in person by a church leader, a gospel preaching deacon or a nurturing deacon. Before establishing a church, it is most critical to first clearly communicate how church leaders and deacons are elected. After the new believers have all understood the principles for electing leaders and deacons, an election can then be held. After the church leader and deacons have been elected, the person responsible for establishing the church shall preside over and hold a prayer meeting during which they should formally announce the establishment of the church, announce who are to be the church leaders and deacons, and then begin to pray. Everyone shall pray before God and declare that they formally believe in Almighty God and are joining the church. They should also declare that they thoroughly accept and submit to God’s work, will seek truths to attain God’s salvation, will exalt God and bear witness for God to repay God’s love and spend their whole life for God. They may also relate their wishes, aspirations and innermost thoughts to God. After God’s chosen people have finished their prayers, the church will then have been established, and the leaders and deacons may officially begin leading the church life.

A Doctor’s Experience of Metamorphosis

Liu Jing

When I was a child, whenever my mother took me to the hospital to see a doctor and I saw all the doctors and nurses in their white gowns scurrying around, I always thought that they looked like angels in white. I was full of admiration for them, and I used to think: If I could be an angel in white too when I grow up, that would be so great! As a young adult, my school grades were exceptionally good and I was able to pass the entrance exam for medical college, and eventually my heartfelt wish came true when I was sent to a certain city hospital to begin my career as a doctor. You can’t imagine how happy I was on the first day that I put on a white gown! The professional duty of doctors is to cure illness and prevent death, and that makes the profession highly respected, lofty! I was determined to live up to the nickname, angels in white, by being a totally responsible and professional doctor committed to relieving the suffering of my patients.

Question: How does Almighty God do His work of judgment in the last days? How does He express His words to judge, cleanse and perfect man? This is the truth that we desperately need to know now. If we realize Almighty God’s work, then we can really hear God’s voice and be raised up before God’s throne. Please tell us in more detail!

Answer: Studying how Almighty God does His work of judgment in the last days is very important to our ability to obtain salvation by pursuing the truth. Almighty God works in the last days by expressing truths to judge and cleanse people. He does this solely to lift His saints into the kingdom of heaven. However, many believers in the religious community do not understand God’s will. They think the Lord will return and directly raise all of the saints into the heavenly kingdom. They don’t believe He will conduct the work of judgment and chastisement because, well, if He judged and chastised people, wouldn't He be condemning and punishing them too? Therefore, they refuse to accept God’s work of judgment in the last days; they only wait for the Lord to descend on a cloud and raise them into the heavenly kingdom. In truth, this is a complete misunderstanding of God’s will. The Lord Jesus did His work of redemption to pave the way for the work of judgment in the last days. God’s final objective is to cleanse and save humanity, allowing them to rest in the heavenly kingdom. However, God’s work of redeeming and saving man is planned; it proceeds in steps. It doesn’t all just happen at once. The Lord Jesus has completed His work of redemption and has promised to come back and receive the saints. However, no one really knows how God takes the saints in the last days. In reality, when God comes to receive His saints in the last days, He brings them to His throne first to judge them, cleanse them and perfect them into overcomers. Isn’t this how saints are raised into the kingdom of heaven? Still, this isn’t something that's easy for people to understand. Before they can go before God’s throne, they must experience judgment, chastisement and cleansing. That’s why people have formed their own conceptions about God’s work of judgment in the last days. Then tell me, is God’s chastisement and judgment really a blessing? Or is it condemnation and punishment? Many people don’t understand this. Let’s see what Almighty God says about it.

Spiritual Warfare: Two Months Spent “Imprisoned” by My Husband

By Baituo, South Korea

“My wife, you’d better keep the bank cards. It’s my fault for having blindly believed the CCP’s rumors and for trying to obstruct your belief in God, and even taking the bank cards away from you. Oh, let’s not talk about it anymore. Belief in God is a good thing. You keep on believing in God, and I won’t bother you anymore.” Hearing my husband say this, I kept offering up my thanks and praise to God in my heart. Thinking back over these past two months, if it hadn’t been for God’s guidance, I’d still be living “imprisoned” by my husband …

Finally Seeing Who Are the Pharisees Today on My Path of Welcoming the Lord

By Hanmei, Myanmar

 

The Wonderful Surprise of the Lord’s Return 

In June 2017, I got to know Sister Liu and Brother Duan, both in Germany on Facebook, and through my communication with them I saw that they were genuine and modest people. They had a very pure understanding of the scripture and the content they shared in fellowship really contained light and was very beneficial for me. After joining them for a few gatherings, I understood a number of truths I never had before. My heart was really brightened; I loved meeting with them. During one gathering, Brother Duan referenced this passage of scripture: “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). In his fellowship, he said that God would once again appear and work in the flesh in the last days, and that He had already come to the East, to China. He said that this prophecy had already been fulfilled. Hearing this, I felt a bit shocked, thinking, “The Lord Jesus has already returned?” In this state, I thought of what I had heard the pastors and elders say, that only the people of Eastern Lightning bore witness that the Lord Jesus has already returned in the flesh. They told us we couldn’t believe in this, because only the Lord Jesus is Christ. I then felt really unsettled and no longer took heed of Brother Duan’s fellowship, thinking, “The pastors and elders are all people who serve God. They understand a lot about the Bible and they should have clarity on something as important as the Lord’s coming. I’ll ask them and then see!”

I Am Unfit to See Christ

By Huanbao, Liaoning Province

Since I first began believing in Almighty God, end-time Christ, I really admired those brothers and sisters who were following along at Christ’s side, who could personally receive Christ’s shepherding and hear His utterances with their own ears. I felt that it would be wonderful if I were able to hear Christ speak myself one day, and it would be even more glorious if I could see Him with my own eyes. But lately, through listening to Christ’s fellowship, I have come to feel deeply in my heart that I am not fit to see Christ.

Giving Credence to Rumors Means Losing God’s Salvation of the Last Days

Many brothers and sisters are unable to take heed whenever they hear someone talking about Almighty God’s gospel of the last days, and don’t dare accept what is preached because they have been spooked by the sensationalized rumors fabricated within religious circles. They may hear someone say: “Those who believe in Almighty God are really something—you’ll be taken in as soon as you have contact with them. There are many true believers from every denomination who are good sheep and even bellwethers of good caliber, but they are being stolen by believers in Almighty God….” Or some have said: “The believers in Almighty God are really enthusiastic about spreading the gospel. If they convert a believer they receive a prize of 2,000 RMB, if they convert a church leader they can get 10,000 to 20,000 RMB….” And still others have said: “They don’t maintain good boundaries between men and women—they are all very promiscuous….” Some have even said: “Eastern Lightning is a criminal underworld organization. If you get involved with them, you’ll never escape. If you try, they’ll gouge out your eyes and cut off your ears, or they’ll break your legs….” and so on, and so forth. It is rumors like these that stop some brothers and sisters who are not clear on the facts from seeking and studying Almighty God’s work of the last days. Brothers and sisters who believe the rumors, have you earnestly considered or investigated whether there is any basis for these things, and if they are in line with the facts? Have you ever thought about what sort of dire consequences there will be if you blindly believe all the rumors you hear and miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s arrival? For now, we will first have a simple fellowship on these rumors so that our brothers and sisters can clearly see their substance, and have clear discernment regarding who is really spreading them, what the motivations are behind their fabrication, and what goal they want to achieve.

What’s the Origin of Eastern Lightning?

We are now in the last days, the prophecies of the Lord’s return have basically been fulfilled, and thousands upon thousands of pious believers are fervently hoping for the Lord Jesus’ return. At the same time, however, Eastern Lightning has openly given testimony that the Lord Jesus has already returned—that is, Almighty God, the incarnation of the last days—and that He has already done His work of judgment beginning with God’s house. The emergence of Eastern Lightning has shaken the whole religious world as well as all those who sincerely believe in God and thirst for the truth. Through seeking and investigating the words and work of Almighty God, many people confirm that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus, and one after another they come before Almighty God. This has thrown pastors and elders of the religious world as well as the CCP government into a panic; they collude together to suppress and outlaw Eastern Lightning, fabricating many rumors and savagely condemning and vilifying Eastern Lightning as heresy. They do all they can to obstruct and harass sincere believers who want to seek and investigate the appearance and work of Almighty God in the last days. The historical tragedy of the Jewish religious world allying itself with the Roman government to cruelly oppress the Lord Jesus is being played out again. Opinions vary as to whether or not Eastern Lightning is the return of the Lord Jesus, and whether or not it is God’s work; some people follow along with the pastors and elders of the religious world in their denial and condemnation, but there are also some who believe Eastern Lightning is related to the Lord Jesus’ prophecy in the Bible that says, “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27), and that it is connected to the coming of the Son of man in the last days. So what really is the origin of Eastern Lightning? Is it God’s work, and what kind of mysteries does it hold?

Why Does Eastern Lightning Surge Forward With Unstoppable Progress?

The Lord Jesus said, “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). Since Eastern Lightning—Almighty God, Christ of the last days—appeared in China to perform His work, His kingdom gospel has spread across the whole of mainland China in just more than ten years. Now, it has spread to many western countries and regions, and it has shaken the various denominations to their core and sent ripples throughout the entire world. However, the most perplexing question for the leaders of the religious world is: Why is it that, although the pastors and elders in the religious world have done their utmost to resist, defame and condemn Eastern Lightning, stifle their churches and even gone so far as to collude with the CCP government to arrest and persecute the Christians in The Church of Almighty God, those believers from various denominations who have good humanity and who truly believe in the Lord accept and follow Almighty God one after another? Why is it that, though faced with the frantic resistance and persecution by the two arms of Satan’s forces—the CCP government and the religious world—not only has Eastern Lightning not been broken or worn down, but on the contrary it has continued to flourish and go from strength to strength, like shoots growing after rain, and has surged inexorably and irresistibly onward?

Lifting the Veil: The Truth About the Evil Chinese Communist Party’s Show Trial

On August 21, 2014, the public trial for the May 28 Zhaoyuan Murder Case was held in Yantai, Shandong. In an article published on the Internet about the case, “Zhaoyuan Murder Case Defendants Confess in Court: I am God,” news.qq.com presented a relatively objective, thorough, and detailed report of the defendants’ confessions. But in the CCTV News 1+1 report titled “Almighty God, How Is He ‘God’?”, they passed off fraudulent information as real information, insisting that the psychotic perpetrators from the Zhaoyuan Murder Case were members of the Church of Almighty God. Using this false information, the CCP fabricated a public scandal to justify their thorough suppression of the Church of Almighty God and other underground churches, while also diverting the people’s hatred toward the Church of Almighty God and away from their crisis of faith in the CCP. These sinister motives are truly horrifying. If the CCP can hold a public trial for the homicide case committed by psychotic people，then why won’t it conduct a fair public trial for the June 4 Incident in 1989, in which thousands of innocent students were slaughtered? Over the years, the CCP has conducted all kinds of campaigns, resulting in countless deaths. Why won’t the CCP hold fair public trials? The Chinese people are all waiting for the CCP to hold fair public trials for these stacks of homicide cases, to finally give all the victims and their families an explanation. Why does the CCP refuse to uphold justice and conduct a fair public trial? There are sufficient facts to prove that the CCP had a hidden agenda in holding a public trial for the psychotic perpetrators. It had an ulterior motive! And so this article seeks to uncover the CCP’s malicious intent behind the high-profile public trial of the Zhaoyuan homicide, to clear the names of all those who have been slandered, and give the public a chance to know the true nature of the CCP.

Why Does the CCP So Frantically Suppress and Cruelly Persecute the Church of Almighty God?

On May 28, 2014, the CCP utilized a group of psychotic people to meticulously fabricate the “Shandong Zhaoyuan Murder Case,” and used every large media outlet to wantonly spread propaganda and gain influence, framing and placing the blame on the Church of Almighty God, and publicly declaring it as an “evil cult organization.” They went even as far as to shout wildly: “If the battle is not finished, the troops will not be withdrawn!” Immediately following, the CCP’s Central Leading Group on Dealing With Heretical Religions (The 610 Office) convened a video and phone conference call of the whole country on June 16 to launch the special operation of the “Hundred Days Battle” to quell the Church of Almighty God within the scope of the whole country, regarding the issue of the suppression of the Church of Almighty God as a political mission of “utmost urgency, arduous labor and great importance.” Soon after that, they labeled the Church of Almighty God as an “evil cult organization” and added it to the legal regulations, and sent down a document to every province and city, to attack the Church of Almighty God with a heavy fist. They adopted the tyrannical policies of “lock up one group, kill one group.” The central authorities also transferred tens of millions in funding to offer rewards to units and individuals of outstanding performance as well as the masses for informing on members. They mobilized the masses to inform on and expose Christians of the Church of Almighty God, and induced the populace to rise up in a “people’s war” to lay siege to the Church of Almighty God and religious churches. In August, the evil party of the CCP, with absolute audacity and complete lack of scruple, initiated large-scale mobilization of armed police and regular troops to carry out total seizure, encirclement, and annihilation of Christians of the Church of Almighty God and other household churches.

Someone said, “The Bible was inspired by God. It is absolutely not tainted by man’s will and is entirely the word of God. All the words in the Bible are multi-faceted and foreshadowing, the Bible is absolutely authoritative, there is no other book that can compare, and everyone must admit that the Bible is inerrant. Anyone who says the Bible is tainted by man’s will or contains errors is attacking and denying the Bible, and all such people shall be cursed.”

Response: Many people believe that the Bible was inspired by God, that everything recorded in the Bible is the word of God, completely untainted by man’s will and that the Bible is absolutely authoritative. They even treat the Bible the same as they treat God. They think that anyone who says the Bible is tainted by man’s will is attacking and denying the Bible, and shall be cursed. Does this view conform to the truth? Does it have any basis in God’s words? Jehovah God never gave such testimony about the Bible, and neither did the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit has never given such testimony about the Bible either. Everyone who knows the Bible knows that the Bible was not written by God Himself, but within it are the records of ancient prophets, disciples and apostles about the work God had done, as well as the personal experiences of disciples and apostles and the epistles that they wrote to the churches of that time, and there are also some prophecies about God’s final work. It is a book collected and compiled by later generations that records the historical facts of the work of God, and it was put together by people. Even though it contains details of the work and utterances of Jehovah and Jesus at the time, the Bible was not personally documented by Jehovah and Jesus, and the words were not all personally uttered by Jehovah and Jesus. So how can people say that all the words in the Bible are God’s words and are completely untainted by man’s will, and that the Bible is completely accurate and without errors? Almighty God’s words explain all of this clearly: “Today, people believe the Bible is God, and that God is the Bible. So, too, do they believe that all the words of the Bible were the only words God spoke, and that they were all said by God. Those who believe in God even think that although all of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament were written by people, they were all given by inspiration of God, and a record of the utterances of the Holy Spirit. This is the erroneous interpretation of people, and it does not completely accord with the facts. In fact, apart from the books of prophecy, most of the Old Testament is historical record. Some of the epistles of the New Testament come from people’s experiences, and some come from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit; the Pauline epistles, for example, arose from the work of a man, they were all the result of the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, and they were written for the churches, were words of exhortation and encouragement for the brothers and sisters of the churches. They were not words spoken by the Holy Spirit—Paul could not speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit, and neither was he a prophet, much less did he see visions that John beheld. His epistles were written for the churches of Ephesus, Philadelphia, Galatia, and other churches. And thus, the Pauline epistles of the New Testament are epistles that Paul wrote for the churches, and not inspirations from the Holy Spirit, nor are they the direct utterances of the Holy Spirit. … All he said that was edifying and positive to people was right, but it did not represent the utterances of the Holy Spirit, and he could not represent God. It is an egregious understanding, and a tremendous blasphemy, for people to treat the records of a man’s experiences and a man’s epistles as the words spoken by the Holy Spirit to the churches! … His identity was merely that of a working apostle, and he was merely an apostle who was sent by God; he was not a prophet, nor a foreteller. So to him, his own work and the lives of the brothers and sisters were of the utmost importance. Thus, he could not speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit. His words were not the words of the Holy Spirit, much less could they be said to be the words of God, for Paul was nothing more than a creature of God, and was certainly not the incarnation of God” (“Concerning the Bible (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Fallacy (6): It is said: “God should show people great miracles; He must heal the sick and cast out demons, and He must bestow blessings upon people. If He does not show miracles, if He doesn’t bring any benefit for mankind, then He is not the true God. If this Almighty God you believe in is the true God, why do you still get sick? Why aren’t your homes peaceful? As believers in Jesus, those of us who are sick are cured, and those who are not sick have peace at home.”

Response: There are people who deny that Almighty God is the true God and that He is the returned Lord Jesus because people who believe in Almighty God still get sick and their homes are not at peace. They believe that, if Almighty God is the true God, then He will protect those who believe in Him from getting sick or from encountering any mishap, and that their homes will be at peace. This is entirely man’s misconception and imagining, it is a biased understanding of God and in no way does it conform to God’s will. As everyone knows, Job believed in Jehovah God, but Job’s family suffered robbery, plundering of all their wealth, and the death of their children. Even Job himself suffered illness when his whole body broke out in boils. So if you say that by believing in the true God everything should be peaceful, there should be no sickness and no disasters, then what do you think of what Job experienced? Should we use Job’s experience to deny that Jehovah was the true God? Jesus is the true God, nobody can deny this. But over the course of Peter following the Lord Jesus, he underwent countless difficulties and trials, and his illnesses were never-ending. The Apostle Paul also suffered many adversities—he was flogged and stoned many times, and ran into trouble at sea many times. He also became ill. The other disciples and apostles also suffered through many difficulties. If it’s said that by believing in the true God, one should have peace and health, how can we account for these things that came upon those disciples and apostles who followed the Lord Jesus? Could we actually say that the Lord Jesus is not the true God? It is clear that human understanding is one-dimensional and biased! In reality, we cannot confirm the true God based on whether or not He performs signs and wonders, heals the sick, casts out demons, or gives people peace and material benefits. If people measure the true God solely by whether or not He performs signs and wonders or heals the sick and casts out demons, then this is wrong. Couldn’t the Pharaoh’s sorcerers also turn rods into serpents (see Exodus 7:10–12)? And isn’t it true that Simon, who had long practiced sorcery, was also able to make the people marvel at his miracles and even think that he was God (see Acts 8:9–11)? Couldn’t those witch doctors and the prince of the devils heal the sick and cast out demons? Were they all God too? Clearly, they were not. They were just able to perform some miracles, but they could not create the heavens, the earth, and all things nor create mankind, much less save mankind. Only God Himself can create the heavens, the earth, and all things and create mankind, only He can guide mankind’s life on earth. It is only God Himself who can redeem corrupt mankind from sin and from Satan’s dominion. This is something that Satan or evil spirits cannot achieve. Therefore, whether or not someone can perform miracles, heal the sick and provide some physical benefits are simply not the criteria for determining whether or not they do God’s work. To determine whether or not they do the work of God, one must primarily look at whether or not they can begin a new age and bring an old age to an end, and whether or not they can express the truth and save people from sin and from Satan’s dominion. God can create mankind and guide mankind’s life on earth, God can redeem people who have been corrupted by Satan from sin and, finally, God can thoroughly purify and change mankind who have been redeemed and lead them into His kingdom. These are all works that God has either already completed or that He will complete, and they are works that neither Satan, nor evil spirits, nor any human being could ever perform. Moreover, and most importantly, God is the Creator—He can create all things, rule all things, control all things, and He can also destroy all things. He is the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the one true God who controls everything in the universe. Even if He did no works and performed no miracles, He would still be God Himself, the unique! This is something no one can deny. Therefore, some people will see those who follow Almighty God sometimes getting sick and occasionally having unpeaceful homes, and they will conclude that Almighty God is not the true God. This is so wrong, and it is the judgment of foolish, ignorant people who know neither God nor His work.

Question 13: All of you believe in God; I believe in Marx and Lenin. My specialty is research of various religious beliefs. Through many years of research, I have discovered a problem. All religious belief holds that there is a God. Yet of all the people who believe in God, none has ever seen God. Their belief is based solely on their own feelings. I therefore have reached a conclusion about religious belief: Religious belief is purely imaginary; it is superstition, and has no basis in science. Modern society is a society in which science is highly developed. Everything must be based on science in order for there to be no mistakes. We Communist Party members believe in Marxism-Leninism. We don’t believe that there is a God. How does The Internationale go? “There has never been any Savior of the world, nor deities, nor emperors on which to depend. To create humankind's happiness, we must entirely depend on ourselves!” The Internationale clearly states “There has never been any Savior of the world.” The reason that the human race in the past believed in God and practiced superstition is mainly because human beings at that time, facing such phenomena of the natural world as the sun, moon, and stars; wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, had no way to produce a scientific explanation. Hence, fear and wonder arose in their minds about supernatural powers. Thus the earliest concepts of religion were formed. Also, when humans could not solve such difficulties as natural disasters, and disease, they hoped to attain spiritual comfort through respectfully making obeisance to God. This is how religion came into being. Obviously, this was not rational, and it was not scientific! Nowadays, the human race has advanced, and science is flourishing. In such fields as the aerospace industry, biotechnology, genetic engineering, and medicine, the human race has made considerable progress. In the past, human beings did not understand, and had no way to solve many problems. Nowadays these problems can all be explained through science, and science can be relied on to provide solutions. In this age of developed science and technology, if people still believe in God, is this not foolish and ignorant? Wouldn’t such people be left behind by this age? The only practical thing is for us to believe in science.

Answer: You say that religious belief is due to humans lagging behind in scientific knowledge, and is formed from fear and wonder in the face of supernatural powers, and that it is superstition. This argument is incorrect, and is unfounded. Religious belief and the feudal superstition of which you speak are two entirely different things. You Communists condemn and ban religious belief under the pretense of opposing feudalistic superstition. This is absurd. Of the main world religions, Judaism, Catholicism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Christianity believe in God and in the Lord Jesus. Only this is authentic religious belief. Three thousand years ago, the work of God during the Age of Law gave rise to Judaism. A long time ago, the Israelites heard the voice of God, and they knew the name of God. All along, they prayed to Jehovah God, observing all of the laws and commandments proclaimed by Jehovah. They all worshiped Jehovah God. We may therefore ascertain that Judaism came into being because of the work of God during the Age of Law. When the Age of Grace arrived, God became incarnate as the Lord Jesus, and began to work. He accomplished the atonement for the human race when He was crucified. Ever greater numbers of people professed belief in the Lord Jesus, and the church of the Lord Jesus was formed. With the passage of several hundred years, Christianity, Catholicism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church evolved. They are the largest religions in the world. All of them formed because of the Lord Jesus' work of redemption. Almighty God of the last days has expressed truth and done judgment work, and has conquered and saved people of various sects and factions. People who sincerely believe in God have heard the voice of God, and come to pledge allegiance at the throne of God. Thus The Church of Almighty God came into being. These facts suffice to show that religious belief was produced completely from God's appearance and work. God's appearance and work is verified by the life experiences of countless Christians. No force can topple or ban the church of God or God's chosen people. This is fact. Since the beginning of human history, God has been at work guiding human beings, redeeming the human race, and saving the human race. The appearance and work of God leads the entire human race to grow forward. These facts cannot be denied by anyone. You specialize in research of religious belief. You should understand these things. Why do you distort historical facts, saying that religious belief is a product of an ignorant and backward human race? Aren't these statements rather absurd?

Question 7: The CCP is a revolutionary party. What it believes in is mendacity and violence, that is, seizing power with violence! Going by the CCP’s logic, “A lie will become the truth if it’s repeated ten thousand times.” No matter how many people doubt its word, deny and disbelieve it, the CCP doesn’t care a whit, and it continues to lie and deceive just the same. As long as the immediate effects and its goals can be achieved, it doesn’t care about the costs! If people rebel against it and march in protest, it will use tanks and machine guns to solve it all. When necessary, it will use the atomic bombs and missiles to counter hostile forces. The CCP can resort to any means to maintain its rule. As soon as the Zhaoyuan case of Shandong was publicly announced, the CCP started massive deployment of armed police units to suppress and arrest Christians at all costs. Who could stop it? Who dared to resist? Even when foreigners were able to see through the CCP’s fraud, what could they do? The CCP has many ways to counter the condemnation of Western democratic forces. It uses money to settle everything. As the saying goes, “Who receives a gift sells his liberty.” Fewer and fewer countries are condemning the CCP now. Hostile forces to the CCP are afraid to sound off. No matter how you put it, the CCP is still able to uphold its rule. As long as the Communist Party holds on to power, you believers of God can never expect to be free! God’s appearance and work in China will definitely be detested and banned by the CCP. Whether the CCP can achieve the goal of establishing an atheistic domain in China or not, it will never stop arresting and suppressing you! I saw this clearly long ago. That’s why I vigorously oppose your believing in Almighty God. It is all for your sake, don’t you understand?

Answer: The CCP is so evil, yet it still thrives in the world and no one dares to block it. Could it mean that it can permanently maintain its rule? When the Lord Jesus appeared to work, the Roman regime tried its utmost to resist and condemn Him. Such robust government, wasn’t it finally destroyed by the plague cast down by God? No matter what kind of forces in the world, as long as they resist God and act against God, they will be destroyed by God without exception. We cannot advocate status and power, let alone evil power because God rules everything. Whoever resists God will inevitably perish! Although we have seen the utter wickedness of the CCP, we are not necessarily able to see its devilish nature. Why does the CCP so insanely resist and condemn God and harm God’s chosen people? The Lord Jesus said in the Bible long ago: “This is an evil generation” (Luk 11:29). “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (Jhn 3:19-20). The Bible also says, “The whole world lies in wickedness” (1Jn 5:19). Why does the CCP so madly resist and condemn The Church of Almighty God? The main reason is that the CCP is most fearful of the Chinese people’s acceptance and return to Almighty God. The CCP is most fearful of the people of all countries accepting the work of Almighty God in the last days. The CCP is most fearful of all the truths expressed by Almighty God being proclaimed and expanded in the world, and the will of God fulfilled universally on earth. This is enough to prove that the CCP is most fearful of the truth and the appearance and work of God, it is most fearful of the true light appearing to illuminate mankind in darkness, because the CCP is well aware that once the word of Almighty God is proclaimed, there will surely be many to accept the work of Almighty God in the last days. That’s why the CCP so insanely suppresses and persecutes all those who follow Almighty God. The CCP so perversely acts against Heaven, it’s the enemy of God, the truth and justice! You have been defending the CCP, standing on its side to resist God and persecute God's chosen people. It is a heinous sin that offends God’s disposition! It is destined to be punished! All those who resist and act against God are doomed to be destroyed and go to hell!

from the movie script of Red Re-Education At Home