Experiencing the Suffering of Persecution, I Know More Clearly What to Love or Hate

Gao Jun    Hebei Province

My name is Gao Jun. I’m 52 years old. I’ve followed Almighty God for fourteen years. Before I believed in God, I did business in the world and was often busy giving dinners or sending gifts and socializing. Every day I went in and out of places of entertainment such as the KTVs and the gambling houses…. My wife quarreled with me constantly because of that, and finally she was so angry that she would divorce me and left home. However, I had sunk in the mire and was unable to extricate myself at that time. I tried hard to maintain my family but couldn’t make it, feeling it very miserable and tiring to live. In June, 1999, Almighty God’s salvation came upon us. Through the fellowship of the brothers and sisters and the revelation of God’s word, my wife got to know the root of the world’s darkness and mankind’s corruption, and then she showed understanding for my situation and fellowshipped with me with an open heart. Led by God’s word, I saw that I indulged in the sinful dye vat and was loathed and hated by God, and even more saw that I completely had no human likeness in my doings. I felt regretful and guilty, so I made a resolution to start a new life before God. From then on, my wife and I prayed and read God’s word every day, and we often had meetings and fellowshipped with the brothers and sisters together. The conflict between us and our distress disappeared unconsciously. Our life was full of peace and joy. I deeply knew that it was Almighty God who saved our family from the verge of breaking and brought us a new life. In gratitude, I made a resolution inwardly: I’ll consecrate my whole being to repay God’s grace. From then on, I began to perform duty and preach the gospel actively, so that more people could receive the salvation brought by God in the end time. However, the CCP government didn’t allow people to worship God and walk the right way….

57. There Is Great Happiness in Being Honest

By Gan’en, Anhui Province

Since I was small, my parents have always taught me that, “One shouldn’t have the heart to harm others, but must be vigilant so as not to be harmed.” What’s more, I’ve myself seen many people get cheated, and some have even been cheated to financial ruin, so I felt even more that this phrase my parents taught me was very fitting with modern society. Unknowingly, I began to base my conduct and my association with others on this life axiom, and I never granted my trust to others lightly. I’ve always felt that in situations where you don’t know someone’s true intentions, you should always watch out no matter who you’re dealing with and you shouldn’t show your hand too soon, otherwise you’ll open yourself up to being fooled and suffering a loss. Thus, it’s enough to have no heart to harm others—in this way you will protect yourself, and will win the praise of the people around you.

56. I’ve Had a Taste of God’s Salvation

By Cheng Hao, Hunan Province

The duty that my wife and I fulfill in the church is to preach God’s gospel of the last days. Just not long ago, my wife was promoted to gospel group director, while I, as a result of my own arrogance and wanton behavior, disrupting and interfering with the gospel work, was sent home to reflect on myself. Given that my wife and I began fulfilling our duties at the same time, seeing her promoted while I was dismissed from my duties was a hard pill to swallow. Tears came to my eyes as I thought: “God is classifying people according to their kind and, since I’ve been dismissed and sent home, I’m certainly being exposed and eliminated by God. Oh! Who would have thought that after all these years, my life as a believer would end in such utter failure? All I can do now is wait for my punishment.” Then I headed home with a heavy heart. From then on I became mired in my sense of defeat and my heart was full of misunderstanding and blame for God. I sank entirely into a darkness I could not extricate myself from.

52. The True Reason for Ineffective Work

By Xinyi, Shaanxi Province

Some time ago, when I went to the church for gatherings I would often hear leaders and co-workers say that some brothers and sisters, after attending fellowship with me, became negative, weak, and lacked motivation to continue in their seeking. Others felt it too challenging to believe in God and misunderstood God. Some said that their condition was fine before they met with me, but after they saw me, they felt tremendously pressured and uncomfortable. … Hearing this, my heart sank, and I felt terribly wronged—every time I came to have fellowship with them I would stay for a number of days, and, in order to resolve their problems, I would comb through all sorts of chapters and cite countless passages of the word of God, talking until my mouth was dry, and all the while thinking that my efforts were yielding good results. I never imagined that things would turn out like this. Why had this happened? I held this question in my thoughts as I prayed to God, “Oh God, I am surely at fault for the outcome of performing my duty, but I don’t know where I went wrong. I ask for Your guidance, so that I may become more aware of my faults.”

49. A True Partnership

By Fang Li, Henan Province

Not long ago, Brother Liu and I were both elected to be church leaders. When we did church work, we could discuss anything. Sometimes I even asked him to point out my shortcomings, and we never argued about anything that cropped up, so I thought we had achieved a harmonious partnership. But in the light of the facts and compared with the truth of God’s word, I discovered that a true harmonious partnership was not what I had thought.

How Can One Find Happiness? A Retired Physician’s Experience Tells You

By Tian Tian

At the close of every night, month, and year, careful people will sum up their experience, plan, and set goals for the results in their study and work, so that they can improve in the future. Even more careful people will sum up their experience in their own life, “How did I come pass through at every stage of my life? Does the life I lead now have any significance? Am I truly happy? What should I pursue to find real significance and gain true happiness?” I am a retired physician who previously worked in a hospital, and recently I also summed up my own experience in life. My conclusion: Whether or not a person is happy in life has nothing to do with whether he is successful and famous.

My Adoration for the Respect Earned by Fame and Success

One spring, years ago, I went out for a picnic with Doctor Wang from my hospital. Along the way, the local villagers recognized him at a glance. They affectionately shouted “Dr. Wang” as we passed. During our picnic, they were more enthusiastic, and when they saw we lacked certain tools, they voluntarily gave us use of their own. In those days, material conditions were not ideal, and milk was in very short supply, but when people from the milk factory learned that Dr. Wang had come, they rushed out to bring us milk. When I saw the enthusiasm with which the villagers welcomed Dr. Wang, I couldn’t help but be amazed: These villagers really liked Dr. Wang! Wherever he went, he was respected, to the point that people came to help him on the news that he was there for a picnic. But what about me? I was just a clinician, languishing in obscurity, who could do nothing but ride on Dr. Wang’s coattails. It made me sigh. But then, in my disappointment, I looked at Dr. Wang’s silver hair and thought: Am I not still young? If I study medicine and work hard, one day, sooner or later, I would be just as successful and famous as Dr. Wang, and gain the same level of respect and support from others! This is true happiness!

Fighting With All My Strength for My Goals

After that, I ceaselessly studied medical theories from every discipline. In addition to my work, I also participated in various skill tests and supplementary classes. To gain opportunities for more practical experience and improve my medical skills more quickly, whether at work or not, I never missed a chance to practice at the operating table. At work, sometimes my stomach would hurt, but I forced myself to bear it and work hard. Sometimes I worked 24 continuous hours in a day, and my head felt heavy and faint, but I bore the discomfort. Sometimes, when I knew there was an elective surgery the next day, I forced myself to work overtime. No matter how late I would get home or how tired I would be, I repeatedly reviewed the techniques required by the surgery to ensure that I made no errors the next day. When I finally dragged my exhausted body home, I laid my heavy head down on the pillow, and all I wanted to do was sleep, but when I closed my eyes, every detail of the operations began to surface in my mind. I remembered a colleague who had lost his qualification to conduct surgeries because he made a mistake at work, so I was especially worried that I would make a mistake, which would end my career as a surgeon. I lived under the bondage of stress, fatigue, and worry. They kept me awake for far too long, and my body and mind were tired and exhausted …

I yearned to put aside all my anxieties, stress, and exhaustion and take a rest, even just for a day, but when I remembered the idea that “Those who work hardest go furthest,” and that only people who succeed and become famous ever find true happiness, I picked myself up and kept going, and constantly told myself: Work hard! You’ll only be satisfied if you do your best! Otherwise you’ll never make others look up to you and admire you.

Delight at the First Taste of Success and Steps Toward Higher Goals

After seven years of hard work, I finally reached the level of physician! At that moment, the most common sentiment in my mind was that all my efforts were worthwhile! After I was promoted, my salary and status went up as well, and it even cost more to register an appointment with me than with a general doctor. When I saw the fruit of my efforts, words were insufficient for the happiness I felt, and all the pressure and exhaustion I felt in the past seemed to vanish.

As I walked along busy streets, other people recognized me. Some patients reminded me that I had seen them, saying, “In such and such a month, I went to your hospital to be treated for my illness, and it didn’t cost me much, thank you!” Some people, accompanied by a patient, said, “I’ve heard you’re a very skilled doctor, and I finally find you….” Their admiration and praise delighted me, as if I was tasting honey in my heart. I felt my self-image immediately ballooned, and I experienced what it means to have a sense of accomplishment. But after that happiness passed, I realized that if I could become an attending physician, there would be even more people who sought me out, and my colleagues and patients would admire me more. So, I secretly cheered myself on in my heart: Keep going, with just a little more work, you’ll be an attending physician, you’ll have an even better reputation, you’ll receive even more admiration and compliments, and then you’ll have true happiness.

Reaching a Higher Place in Life—Sweet or Bitter?

After that, to achieve the breakthrough in my medical skills necessary to become an attending physician, I ignored my husband’s complaints that I didn’t have enough time for my family and applied for a very rare opportunity to go to a municipal medical office for further study. I relished the chance. During my training, I suddenly found myself pregnant. I was both excited and frustrated, excited because I was about to become a mother, but frustrated because it had been difficult to earn this chance at sabbatical, and if I gave it up, I might never become an attending physician…. I went back and forth, hesitating, and was very distressed. Finally, for my future, I decided to keep working and studying. I never imagined that overwork would cause my pregnancy to be aborted! After surgery to repair my uterus, I lay in bed thinking about not the child I had lost or how to adjust my body, but I was afraid that if I didn’t finish my studies and graduate, all the effort I had made would be in vain …

After another seven years of hard work, I finally achieved my dream and became an attending physician, which came with further praise and admiration from my patients. Some patients came to visit with gifts of all kinds of local products, some gave gifts and shopping cards to show their gratitude, and others saw me eating at restaurants and secretly paid my bill …

Faced with my hard-won success, I was very happy, but although fame and success brought me respect and admiration from others, it also gave me immense pressure and made me physically and mentally exhausted. After I gained the title of attending physician, I even more felt like I was spending every day walking on the knife’s edge. I had to be especially cautious and careful, because I was always afraid that a medical accident would ruin me. Because of the pressure on my body and mind for so a long time, and because work was so stressful, I only weighed a little over 40 kilograms. I simultaneously suffered from stomach pain, cholecystitis, and other conditions, making it so that I couldn’t eat at all. During the day, I was dizzy, and my body was weak. My feet were as heavy as lead, and at night, even with sleeping pills, I couldn’t sleep. When I suffered insomnia, I often turned on the light and leaned against the headboard as I repeatedly asked myself: I thought having high status and being looked up to by people would make me happy and make my life feel significant, and I have sacrificed so much for so many years, and now I have money, status, and many people who look up to and admire me, but what a normal person ought to have is the ability to eat dinner and go to sleep, things which have become luxuries for me. Why, now that I have everything I wanted, do I feel no happiness at all, but instead feel especially anxious and miserable? After spending a lifetime working so hard, is my reward to be endless illness, pain, and sadness? Why is my life so hard? How should a person live to have a meaningful and valuable life? What is true happiness?

Sickness Must Be Cured at the Root, Just Like the Pain in Life

Just as I was physically and mentally exhausted, nearly tormented to death by my illnesses, and at a loss regarding how to live, I accepted God’s work of the last days. Through engaging in fellowship with my brothers and sisters and reading God’s words, I came to understand some of the truth, and my anxiety was eased a bit. I no longer felt so worried all the time. One day, I read in the piece of God’s word “God Himself, the Unique VI”: “People think that once they have fame and gain, they can then capitalize on them to enjoy high status and great wealth, and to enjoy life. Once they have fame and gain, they can then capitalize on them in their pleasure-seeking and unscrupulous enjoyment of the flesh. People willingly, albeit unknowingly, take their bodies, minds, all that they have, their futures and their destinies and hand them all over to Satan in order to attain the fame and gain they desire. People actually do this without ever a moment’s hesitation, ever ignorant of the need to recover it all. Can people still have any control over themselves once they take refuge in Satan and become loyal to it in this way? Certainly not. They are completely and utterly controlled by Satan. They have also completely and utterly sunk down into a quagmire and are unable to free themselves.” “So Satan uses fame and gain to control man’s thoughts until all they can think of is fame and gain. They struggle for fame and gain, suffer hardships for fame and gain, endure humiliation for fame and gain, sacrifice everything they have for fame and gain, and they will make any judgment or decision for fame and gain. In this way, Satan binds man with invisible shackles. These shackles are borne on people, and they have not the strength nor courage to throw them off. So people trudge ever onward in great difficulty, unknowingly bearing these shackles.”

God’s word says very clearly that my life was so tiring and miserable because I single-mindedly pursued fame, fortune, and status. I realized that thanks to my education and the influence of famous and accomplished people, I had taken such ideas and notions as “Men should always strive to be better than their contemporaries,” “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies,” “One should strive to stand head and shoulders above others,” and “People struggle to go upward, but water flows downward” as goals to be pursued, and I believed that only through success, fame, and making others look up to and admire me could I live a valuable life and achieve true happiness. Especially when I saw how the successful and accomplished people around me were admired and looked up to wherever they went, I even more so believed that pursuing fame and fortune was a correct goal a person should pursue. Because of that, I had ceaselessly studied medical theories and knowledge, taken all kinds of medical training classes, investigated and done surgeries, and worked day and night at the cost of disregarding my own health and my family’s feelings. Although I had become an attending physician and gained my patients’ and colleagues’ admiration, I had sacrificed time with my family, lost my unborn child, made myself sick in many ways, and couldn’t even eat or sleep normally. Thinking of these things, I couldn’t help but sob in torment, because chasing after fame and fortune had made my life miserable, even pitiable. Only then did I realize that fame and fortune had become satanic shackles for me and that they were means and methods Satan uses to corrupt people. Satan made me single-mindedly pursue fame, fortune, and status, expend all of my energy, and utterly exhaust myself, which allowed it to control me, harm me, and make me live in inescapable torment. Satan is truly loathsome!

At the same time, I also thanked God from the bottom of my heart for saving me. When I had no path forward, God chose me and made me come before Him, enlightened and guided me to understanding of the truth, helped me find the root of my pain, and allowed me to see clearly how Satan uses fame and fortune to control and harm people. As I weighed these thoughts, the strength to escape the shackles of fame and fortune began to rise in my heart, so I turned to God and prayed to ask for God’s guidance as I let go of these mistaken views on life and values, and stopped living by satanic thoughts and notions. After that, I spent more of my time away from work to worship God and read God’s word, to attend gatherings and fellowship about God’s words with my brothers and sisters, to sing hymns and praise God, and to openly fellowship with my brothers and sisters about the difficulties I encounter in life and seek answers in God’s word. There were no distinctions in status between my brothers and sisters, they treat everyone as equals, everyone helped and supported one another, and whenever corruption was exposed, we fellowshiped openly about it, practiced being honest people according to God’s requirements, lived out normal humanity, and everyone got along harmoniously. In this environment, I felt an incredible release in my heart, as if living this way felt very secure and joyous. It was a happiness I had never experienced in years of pursuing fame and fortune. After that, I invested even more energy in reading God’s word and living church life. Without realizing it, my sleep improved, and my stomach pain and cholecystitis have also become better. I am very grateful to God.

After the Turbulence of Pursuing Fame and Fortune, Finding Peace Through Understanding God’s Word

Later, my colleagues actively sought promotions, some whose skill levels were below mine, and some who I had mentored became associate professors. Seeing this, my heart was somewhat lost. If my body hadn’t failed me, given my excellent medical skills, I would at least be an associate professor. Thinking about this, I again had the idea to fight for my career again, but when I thought of the suffering it would require to win a promotion, I knew that this was Satan’s trick. It wanted to use my desire to again ensnare me in the whirlpool of pursuing fame and fortune, and as a result I was repeatedly harmed and tormented. I remembered the words of God, “They realize that money cannot buy life, that fame cannot erase death, that neither money nor fame can lengthen a person’s life by a single minute, a single second” (“God Himself, the Unique III”). It’s true. Although fame and fortune bring us temporary happiness and enjoyment, they can’t help us escape our emptiness and torment, nor can they save our lives. Think of those famous entrepreneurs with their massive fortunes and high status, but who all the same get cancer at a young age because of years of overwork. Their status and wealth couldn’t save their lives. Many singers and actors are worshiped and admired, and have countless fans, but although they have fame and success and look brilliant on stage, they can’t escape their feelings of emptiness and torment. Some suffer depression, some take drugs, and some even kill themselves. And so on. The facts prove that fame and fortune can’t bring people happiness. The glory always dissipates into a fog, and in the end only brings people emptiness and pain. For all these years, thanks to the fact that I didn’t see Satan’s schemes behind fame and fortune, I pursued them single-mindedly, brought spiritual pressure and misery on myself, and mistreated and tormented my body. If I repeated the same mistakes and worked as hard as I once did, I might gain a higher position as a doctor, but I would lose my health and my life. What would be the significance of that?

God’s word says, “As someone who is normal, and who pursues the love of God, entry into the kingdom to become one of the people of God is your true future, and a life that is of the utmost value and significance. No one is more blessed than you—and why do I say this? Because those who do not believe in God live for the flesh, and they live for Satan, but today you live for God, and live to do the will of God. That is why I say your lives are of the utmost significance” (“Know the Newest Work of God and Follow the Footsteps of God”). From God’s word, I understood that no matter how high our status and prestige, and no matter how many people praise or admire us, these things are temporary, and disappear in the blink of an eye. And afterward, there is still emptiness. They are meaningless. We are created beings, and if we pursue the truth, obey God, live by God’s word, perform our duties well, do God’s will, and gain God’s approval, this is the highest honor we can attain in life. It is also what I knew I should choose to pursue. Just like Noah, Abraham, Job, and Peter in the Bible, they didn’t pursue wealth, fame, or fortune, they didn’t pursue worldly success or having others look up to and admire them, but instead focused on practicing God’s word, doing God’s will in all things, fearing God and shunning evil, and pursued obedience to God, satisfying God, and loving God, and in the end they delighted God, lived the most meaningful lives, and found true happiness. Once I understood this, I gained a proper objective to pursue and was no longer affected by the promotion of my colleagues, nor did I plan to go strive for promotion again. Afterward, I spent my free time reading God’s word, attending meetings and fellowshiping with my brothers and sisters about God’s word, focused on doing things according to God’s requirements, and strove to fulfil my duties. Doing these things gave me stability and joy.

The Release and Ease Gained From Rejecting the Temptations of Fame and Fortune

One day, I received a call from the director of another hospital. He said, “Now you are retired, so we’re planning a banquet for you to celebrate, and we’d also like to discuss future cooperation with you. We’d like you to register your attending physician license at our hospital to attract your former patients, you could also work for us, or you could become a shareholder. It’s up to you.” Hearing his words, I understood clearly that even though the hospital director only said the hospital wanted to use my license, I would still have to go there when problems with treatment occurred. I couldn’t help but think that I had been fighting for fame and fortune for most of my life, thinking that I would be truly happy once others looked up to and admired me, but what had I gained from it? Only pain and sadness! Now, I have finally escaped this pain, and I don’t need to tire myself out day and night. After believing in God, I tasted happiness and release that I had never experienced before, spiritually I enjoyed the feeling of genuine happiness, and I was resolved to hold firmly to this happiness. Following God was the most meaningful path, and I could no longer allow myself to follow Satan. I thought of God’s words that say, “Every day that you live through now is crucial and very important to your destination and your fate, so you must cherish all that you possess and every minute that passes. You must make the most of your time to give yourselves the greatest gains, so that you will not have lived this life in vain” (“To Whom Are You Loyal?”). That I have been fortunate enough to accept God’s work is God’s exaltation and grace for me, especially considering the fact that God’s work is nearing its close, but I understand too little of the truth and need to strive with all my strength to pursue, so I must cherish every minute and second, pursue the truth in the limited time I have, and gain God’s approval! Now that I understood God’s will, I more clearly knew how I should answer the hospital director. So, I refused him, “I have high blood pressure, so there’s no need to go through the trouble of a banquet. I appreciate the thought. And with regard to future cooperation, my health isn’t as good as it was, and I’d like to rest, so I don’t think there’s anything we can discuss.” In the moment I hung up the phone, I felt an incomparable release in my heart. After that, other hospitals reached out to me regarding cooperation through doctors and my relatives, but I rejected them. Today, my life every day is reading God’s word and doing my duties, and I feel very secure and satisfied. Thanks be to God!

When I think back on my journey, I deeply realize that being truly happy and living a meaningful life is not decided by whether you have success, fame, status, or wealth. It is decided by whether we believe in and worship God, whether we follow God’s will, and whether we can gain God’s approval. If we don’t come before God and read God’s word, if we don’t accept the truth, we can only be bound and constrained by absurd satanic notions, and living this way is nothing but torment. Even if we have money, life is empty. When we can worship the Creator and enjoy the guidance and watering of God’s word, our hearts will be bright, secure, calm, and joyous, and this is true happiness!

I Now Know What the Meaning of Life Is

By Jinqu, South Korea

“God chose me from a vast ocean of people, miraculously arranging that I come to His side. His kind words warmed my heart, His earnest calls woke me up from my dream. That familiar voice, that beautiful countenance have not changed from the very beginning. In God’s family I taste the sweetness of His love. I lean close to Him and do not want to part again. Without God, the days were hard to bear. I staggered along with each step full of pain. Only with God’s hidden protection did I reach today. And now with God’s words by me I am satisfied” (“Attachment to God” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). Whenever I hear this beautiful and melodic hymn, I am filled with gratitude to God. It was God who saved me from the abyss of money and caused me to no longer work so desperately hard, and I said farewell to the days of selling my life for money …

My Struggle: Exhausted Mentally and Physically

Because I came from a poor family, I was ridiculed and belittled by friends and relatives when I was small, and so I secretly made a resolution: After I grew up, I would make a lot of money, be top dog in life and make those people sit up and take notice of me. After I grew up, in order to look for ways to make money, I often paid for dinners, and I made many friends who knew how to make money. One time, my friends drank too much and fought with some other people. When I tried to stop the fight, my eye was injured and, as a result, I was admitted to the hospital. At that point, however, my friends all gave me a wide berth. This made me very disappointed. Because the treatment cost a lot of money, my family became heavily in debt, and this put a lot of pressure on me. Therefore, I often couldn’t fall asleep at night, and sometimes I would get up in the dead of the night and go to the riverside to cry. The cruelty of reality made me feel even more that, within this money-obsessed society, the amount of money someone had was the standard by which their social status was measured. So, I made up my mind once again: I will certainly make lots of money and change my lowly position in life.

Later, I heard that if I went abroad to work I would make a lot of money, but the risks were great. In that moment, all I could think about was making money, and so I decided to go abroad. One time, when I was signing a contract with a foreign fishing company, I saw a clause in the contract stipulating that, if one lost his life while he was fishing, the company would pay 50,000 yuan in compensation. As I read this clause, my heart sank. I thought: “I’m only 29 years old. If I don’t make it back, who will look after my wife and child?” But then I thought: “If I don’t go abroad to work, when will I clear my debts and live the life that I want? I’m going to take the risk! If I really don’t make it back, I will leave 50,000 yuan to my wife and child and then it will be worth it.” Therefore, after setting my house in order, I went abroad.

One day in December of 2000, I went to Argentina and Uruguay to fish on a fishing vessel. We sailed on seas that were so rough, it felt as if we could be swallowed up by the waves at any moment. I felt very stressed and I dared not slack off even a bit. At that time, a fellow crewman’s foot got entangled in a fishing net and, simultaneously, a wave immediately rose up and engulfed him. In an instant, he disappeared from right in front of me. Seeing this, I was totally stunned and was so fearful that I broke out in a cold sweat. I thought to myself: “This really is selling my life for money. I’m really worried that such an accident could happen to me someday. But I have no other choice. No matter how dangerous, I have to do the work. Only when I have money will I be able to stand up for myself and win others’ admiration and praise.” And so, I ended up feeling that I was fortunate to have this opportunity. I bit the bullet, did this job for four years and ended up earning a great deal of money. On the day I returned home safely, I was extremely excited and felt that I could finally hold my head up high. After returning, I first refurbished my house inside and out, and then I bought a variety of household appliances. My relatives, neighbors, and former friends all looked at me in a new light and complimented me, and they would even come to my house and offer help without being asked. I was proud of myself and felt even more so that having money was indeed a good thing and that money was everything. However, I was still not content and I wanted to earn still more money.

In March 2008, I worked in a rubber factory in South Korea on my uncle’s recommendation. The odor of rubber was very heavy and quite harmful to my health, but I didn’t care at all so long as I made more money. Sometimes I would put in twenty four hours’ work a day, and even if my nose started bleeding, I was still unwilling to stop working. Seeing this, my aunt said to me: “My nephew, you shouldn’t work so hard. Your health is more important. You cannot make money if you do not have your health.” What she said was right, and I did want to take a rest from my work. But if I took a day off, I would earn a lot less money. So I dismissed the idea of taking a rest, and I thought: “I should make money while I’m still young and strong. When I return home, things will be even better and my family will have a better life than all the other villagers.”

In 2011, my wife and child joined me in South Korea. I then quit my job in the rubber factory and started to work in a factory that made excavator shells together with my wife. The factory paid good and stable wages and there was lots of work. My wife and I worked from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. every day. In addition, we worked overtime and we did not even rest on weekends. After working for a month, we received over 7,000,000 won. Looking down at the money in my hands, I was very happy and felt it had all been worth it, no matter how arduous or tiring the job was. At that time, my blood sugar level was low and, as a result, I was unable to feel angry, tired, or even hungry. However, since I was so focused on making money, I paid no attention to my health. When I was working, I took some candies with me. The moment I felt the symptoms of hypoglycemia, I ate candies to relieve them.

In March of 2014, my health deteriorated. The entire right side of my body was constantly bathed in sweat. After my wife looked up related information on the Internet, she said that this symptom was the precursor to cerebral thrombosis and urged me to have an examination at the hospital. I did not pay much attention to this. I didn’t consider it to be something that would get in the way of me doing my job, and it took money to go to the hospital for treatment. One morning when I got up, I suddenly felt my legs were a little numb. My wife advised me not to work but to go to the hospital for treatment. But I thought to myself: “It is Sunday and I will be paid double wages if I work today.” So, I didn’t listen to her advice and went to work as usual. Who would have known that while I was working that day, my hands and feet would feel more and more numb. Only then did I panic, and I hurriedly asked the director for leave to go to hospital. After I rushed to the hospital, I could not feel anything in my legs and feet. A doctor told me to sit in a wheelchair, but at that time I couldn’t move to it without help. After giving me a CT scan, the doctor said: “The result shows there is a blockage in your artery and a loss of 20% of the cells in the entire right side of your body. If we don’t treat your disease right away, you will have to be in a wheelchair and will probably lose the ability to speak and write in the future.” His words hit me like thunder from a clear sky, and I instantly felt my body go limp …

During the period of my hospitalization, I lay in my bed and looked around the ward and saw the other patients there who were suffering, and I suddenly felt very miserable. I kept asking myself: “I’m still young and only 44 years old. How did I end up in this situation? I’ve spent half my life working incredibly hard, thinking that if I made money then other people would admire me and praise me, and that my life would just get happier and happier. I never expected to end up with half my body paralyzed and only able to lie in bed. Could it be that I’ll spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair? How can I go on?” The more I thought about it, the more awful I felt. I really regretted ruining my body just for the sake of money and so I could stand out from the crowd. What was more disappointing was that, during the period of my hospitalization, my aunt and cousin, who also worked in South Korea, came to visit me but then hurried away after saying a few comforting words and leaving a little money. And even my eldest sister, who was the family member I felt closest to, said she couldn’t look after me on the pretext of being busy with work. I couldn’t help but sigh at my relatives’ indifference and I thought: “It’s sad that money can make people so ruthless that they would not even care about their own family members!”

Several days later, my health began to gradually improve. The doctor told me that I could leave the hospital and recuperate at home and that I couldn’t do any heavy work. While I was recuperating at home, I felt as though I’d lost my life’s purpose all at once and I didn’t know what to do with myself every day. During that time, I asked myself over and over: “I have money, anyone who knows me looks at me in a new light and my wife and child are by my side. So why do I feel empty, with no longer any purpose in life? What on earth do people live for? Could it be that making money is my only purpose in life? Could it be that I will spend the rest of my life like this, muddling along without any aim whatsoever?” I had countless questions in my heart, but no one could give me the answers. After some time, my condition improved a little. I felt so bored at home that I dragged my body, which was still recovering, to work.

God’s Love: The Hard Times Were Over and the Good Times Were Just Beginning

In October 2016, my second eldest sister brought a sister from her church named Yang to my home, and they bore witness to Almighty God's work of the last days for my wife and me. Through their fellowship, I understood that God is the Ruler of all things and He created everything, that our fates are all in His hands and that, ever since God created mankind, He has been leading and supplying us and also watching over and protecting us all along. But there was something I still didn’t understand: God dictates and controls our fates, looking after and protecting us, and we ought to be happy and joyful—so why do we still suffer illness and pain? Where does this suffering come from? Therefore, I spoke to them about my confusion. Sister Yang showed me this passage from God’s words: “Where did the pain of birth, death, illness and old age present throughout the life of man come from? Because of what did people first have these things? Man didn’t have these things when they were first created, did they? So where did these things come from? The pain of the flesh, the troubles and emptiness of the flesh and the extreme wretchedness of the world came after man was corrupted by Satan. After Satan’s corruption, man became more and more degenerate, the illnesses of man were deepened, and their suffering became more and more severe. Man felt more and more the emptiness, the tragedy and the inability to go on living of the world, and they felt less and less hope for the world. So this suffering was brought on man by Satan, and it only came after man had been corrupted by Satan and man’s flesh became degenerate” (“The Meaning of God’s Experiencing the Pain of the World” in Records of Christ’s Talks).

The sister then gave fellowship, saying: “In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and set them in the Garden of Eden. They listened to God’s words, obeyed and worshiped God and, under God’s care and protection, they lived a carefree and happy life, without illness, anxiety or distress. Later, they listened to Satan’s words and betrayed God when they were enticed and corrupted by Satan. From then on, mankind lost God’s care, protection and blessing, and they began to live under Satan’s influence. Thereupon, Satan began to corrupt and harm man and all kinds of illnesses and pain beset man. Several thousand years later, Satan is using such things as school education, parental indoctrination, the influence of celebrities and great people, and all manner of evil trends to forcibly instill into us such ideas and views as ‘One’s destiny is in his own hand,’ ‘Stand out from the crowd and tower over others,’ ‘I am my own Lord throughout heaven and earth,’ ‘Everyone for himself and the devil take the hindmost,’ and ‘Man will do anything to get rich.’ We live by these ideas and views, and we all deny the existence of God and the sovereignty of God. Our dispositions are becoming increasingly arrogant and conceited, selfish and contemptible, crooked and crafty, and wicked and greedy. In order to obtain money, reputation, status and enjoyment, and to achieve our own ends, we cheat each other and fight with each other, we shamelessly flatter each other, act as yes-men, scheme against each other and deceive each other, so much so that we even employ despicable means…. In this way, we live focused on gains and losses, guarded and calculating, and we feel physically and mentally exhausted and in unbearable pain. And so there follows all manner of illnesses, pain and feelings of emptiness within our spirits. Over time, we slowly come to feel like we have no direction or purpose in life, we don’t know what the meaning or the value of human life is, and some people begin to indulge their flesh and focus on eating, drinking and having fun. In their pursuit of stimulation, they take drugs, but after a moment of enjoyment, they feel empty again, and some people even choose to take their own lives to put an end to their pain…. This is the consequence of Satan corrupting man so that we deny God and shun God.”

After listening to the sister’s fellowship, I finally understood that the reason why we had illnesses and pain was because we had been corrupted by Satan. If we listened to God’s words and obeyed God like Adam and Eve had done at first, we would live happily under God’s care and protection. God’s words resolved my years of perplexity and I was so grateful to God for choosing me. Afterward, my wife and I gladly accepted the work of Almighty God.

Later, my wife and I joined in the church life and we often read God’s words together. The more I read God’s words, the more light filled my heart, and I came to understand a little about various mysteries of the truth, such as God’s six thousand-year management plan to save mankind, how Satan corrupts mankind, the final end and destination for mankind and what man should pursue in life. Being watered and supplied by God’s words, I came to understand that God created mankind in the hope that we would come before Him and heed His words, and entrust into His hands our futures and our destinies, and submit to His sovereignty and arrangements. Furthermore, the words God expresses in the last days expose all of Satan’s cunning schemes, and by understanding the truth, we are able to see clearly what is wrong with satanic ideas and views. Only in this way can we stop depending on these ideas to live, we can thoroughly free ourselves from the control and bonds of Satan, and we can live liberated and free before God. Gradually over time, as I attended more gatherings, I came to understand some truths, and those feelings of emptiness and vexation in my heart unknowingly disappeared. In the deeps of my heart, I felt an inexpressible joy, and I knew that this was God’s blessing.

In a meeting, I read God’s words: “‘Money makes the world go round’ is the philosophy of Satan and it prevails among the whole of mankind, among every human society. You could say that it is a trend because it has been instilled into the heart of every single person and is now affixed in their heart. People went from not accepting this saying to growing used to it so that when they came into contact with real life, they gradually gave tacit approval to it, acknowledged its existence and finally, they gave it their own seal of approval. Isn’t this process that of Satan corrupting man? … Don’t you feel that you couldn’t survive in this world without any money, that even one day would just be impossible? (Yes.) People’s status is based on how much money they have as is their respectability. The backs of the poor are bent in shame, while the rich enjoy their high status. They stand tall and proud, speaking loudly and living arrogantly. What does this saying and trend bring to people? Don’t many people see getting money as being worth any cost? Don’t many people sacrifice their dignity and integrity in the pursuit of more money? Don’t many more people lose the opportunity to perform their duty and follow God for the sake of money? Isn’t this a loss for people? (Yes.) Isn’t Satan sinister to use this method and this saying to corrupt man to such a degree? Isn’t this a malicious trick? As you progress from objecting to this popular saying to finally accepting it as truth, your heart falls completely under Satan’s grasp, and therefore you unwittingly come to live by it” (“God Himself, the Unique V” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Looking at myself in the light of God’s words, I finally understood that the reason I lived in such pain was because I was being toyed with and harmed by Satan. I had been living by such life axioms as “Money is first,” “Money makes the world go round,” “Man will do anything to get rich,” which had been instilled in me by Satan, believing that by having money I could stand tall and proud and be an upright person, and that I would be held in high esteem by others and live life as top dog. And so, in order to make more money, I had done any job, no matter how dangerous or exhausting. I had ignored my own health and had even worked all night long doing overtime, like some kind of machine, needlessly risking my life to make money. It could be said that I was selling my life for money. And what had the result been? I got money and I got the admiration and praise of others, but my body was ruined. Only when illness befell me did I see that money, reputation and status did nothing to alleviate my pain, much less did they enable me to live a full, happy and joyful life. On the contrary, they made me live in a state of emptiness and confusion, not knowing what to pursue in life or what the meaning of life was; I was like a walking corpse, in agitation and pain every single day. I saw that the path I had so far been following in life had been so grievous and painful, and that it had all been the result of having been corrupted and harmed by Satan. If it hadn’t been for the salvation of God, I’d still be living getting harmed and ravaged by Satan, rushing about and living for the sake of money, being a slave to money and to status, ruining my body at the cost of my own life and being cruelly hurt by Satan until the day I died. “Now,” I thought, “I finally know that money, fame and fortune are ways in which Satan corrupts and harms man, and within these things are hidden Satan’s cunning schemes and its malicious intent to corrupt and devour man.” Just then, I came to have some discernment of the ways in which Satan harms and corrupts man, and I became willing to submit to God’s sovereignty, and wished no longer to continue my desperate pursuit for money, fame and fortune.

Transformation: Living a New Life

From then on, I no longer put all of my thought into making money; rather, whenever I had the time, I would read God’s words, attend gatherings and fellowship about the word of God with my brothers and sisters. However, I was terribly tired from work in the daytime, so I always felt sleepy when I attended gatherings and read God’s words. This made me feel somewhat anxious. Especially when hearing my brothers and sisters in the gatherings sharing the results they had reaped while performing their duties, I felt anxious and envious. I felt that the way I was believing in God was not good enough and would delay my life growth. Once, when I was practicing spiritual devotion, I saw these words of God: “Time waits for no man! You will only gain from the belief in God if you approach it as the greatest thing in your life, more important than food, clothes, or anything else!” (“God Himself, the Unique X” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). After I’d read God’s words, I understood that belief in God is not just about verbally acknowledging that there is a God and attending gatherings. Rather it is to focus on making effort to contemplate God’s word, to pursue the truth, to perform one’s duty in the church, to practice and experience God’s word more, to seek to know God as well as oneself, to have more and more understanding of God’s word and to understand God’s will and requirements for man. Only someone who does this is someone who believes in God and follows God. I thought about how I hadn’t believed in God for long, and that I was busy with my job, and that I didn’t have much time to attend gatherings or read God’s words, and so I had even fewer chances to experience God’s work. If I didn’t pursue the truth more vigorously, how on earth would I be able to understand more truths and attain God’s salvation? “This won’t do,” I thought. “I have to pursue the truth diligently and make more time to arm myself with the truth, and to practice and experience God’s word.”

Later on, I discussed the problem with my wife. I planned to find a cushy job so that I could have plenty of spare time. I never imagined for a second that when I told my director that I wanted to quit my job, he would not agree to it. He said, “So long as you don’t leave, I will do my utmost to satisfy whatever requirements you have.” I replied: “I do not want to work overtime and I want to be able to rest on the weekends.” I had never imagined that he would agree to these terms so readily. From then on, I had more time to attend gatherings and read the word of God. One day, I saw these words of God: “When one has no God, when one cannot see Him, when one cannot clearly recognize God’s sovereignty, every day is meaningless, worthless, miserable. Wherever one is, whatever one’s job is, one’s means of living and the pursuit of one’s goals bring one nothing but endless heartbreak and irrelievable suffering, such that one cannot bear to look back. Only when one accepts the Creator’s sovereignty, submits to His orchestrations and arrangements, and seeks true human life, will one gradually break free from all heartbreak and suffering, shake off all the emptiness of life” (“God Himself, the Unique III” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

As I contemplated God’s words, I couldn’t help but think of all those years I’d spent selling my life for money. Because I hadn’t known God’s sovereignty and had lived by the life axioms of Satan, I had blindly pursued money, reputation and status, and had felt so grieved and pained, and had not found any happiness whatsoever. I also came to truly appreciate that wealth is a material thing outside of ourselves and that, when illness comes calling, no matter how much money we have, it cannot save our lives, nor can it alleviate even the slightest bit of pain. Satan uses money, fame and fortune to seduce us, to clasp onto our greedy hearts, to make us unable to submit to God’s sovereignty and stubbornly oppose God and shun God’s care and protection, and we are controlled, harmed and trampled on by Satan. Now, I no longer wish to fight against my destiny, nor do I wish to continue selling my life for money any longer—that is not a true life. Only by submitting to God’s sovereignty and arrangements, living to satisfy God and performing the duty of a created being to bear witness to God can we truly rid ourselves of our empty, painful lives, and live out a life of value and meaning!

In order to repay God’s love, my wife and I joined the ranks of people spreading the gospel. Nowadays, I spread the gospel and bear witness to God together with my brothers and sisters every day. I live a very enriched life, and I feel very peaceful and joyful in my heart. My whole spirit has taken on a completely new outlook. All of those who know me say that I am looking younger, and I know that this is God’s blessing for me. Thank God for His salvation that has enabled me to genuinely break away from the bondage and harm of Satan and lead a happy life.

God’s Blessings: I May Not Be Rich, but I’m Very Fortunate

By Bong, Philippines

I Want to Become Wealthy

“Principal, please give my child a chance and let him take the examination!” My mother’s eyes implored the principal as she spoke in a slightly trembling voice.

47. The True Face of a So-called Good Person

By Kemu, Henan Province

In my own mind, I’ve always thought of myself as possessing good humanity. I’ve thought this because my neighbors often complimented me in front of my parents for being sensible and showing concern for our family, saying I was the apple of my parents’ eyes. After getting married, my in-laws praised me in front of the neighbors for being kind and filial to them. In my work unit, my leader praised me for being honest and competent. And since accepting God’s work of the last days, I’ve been obedient with whatever the church asks me to do. I never contradict the leader even if I’m rebuked for not doing a good job, and I often help brothers and sisters who are in need. As such, I believe myself to be a reasonable, compassionate, and kindhearted person with humanity. I’ve never thought of myself in terms of the words in which God reveals that man lacks humanity or has poor humanity. When having fellowship on God’s words with brothers and sisters, even though I know I need to be aware of my own nature, and that only by really knowing myself and clearly seeing the truth, the ugly face of my corruption by Satan can I truly develop hatred for myself. Only then can I pursue the truth, put God’s words into practice and experience them, and then gradually achieve a change in disposition and be saved by God. But I still maintain my own views. I feel it’s true that I’ve been corrupted by Satan, but even if I’m not someone with the best humanity, I’m also not the worst; my humanity is still a bit better than others’ by comparison. In other words, regardless of what God’s word says or what brothers and sisters say, I am not willing to disassociate myself from the idea of being a person of good humanity.

How to Have a Personal Christian Devotion?

By Li Cheng

I Believed That Spiritual Devotion Consisted of Persistently Reading the Bible, Saying Prayers and Singing Hymns

I remember the first time I went to church and listened to the pastor give a sermon and, afterward, I came to have some knowledge of the Lord Jesus’ salvation and I expressed my desire to believe in the Lord on the spot. As I was leaving, the pastor reminded me that, “To live as a Christian, one must practice spiritual devotion.” I asked the pastor, “What is spiritual devotion? How do we practice it?” The pastor then told me, “Spiritual devotion is reading the Bible, saying prayers and singing hymns of praise every day. When we pray, we must pray for our families, pray for the weak brothers and sisters in our church, and pray for the servants of God. We must persist with reading the Bible and singing hymns every day as well, and we must keep doing it without interruption. As long as you practice spiritual devotion diligently every day, then your spirituality will continue to develop and you will draw closer and closer to the Lord, and then God will be gladdened.”

Daily Bible Study: Is All Scripture Given by Inspiration of God?

Dear brothers and sisters, may you find peace in the Lord! Thanks be to the grace of God that we have been brought together today, and the question we will be fellowshiping is: Is all Scripture given by inspiration of God?

Is All Scripture Given by Inspiration of God?

When we talk about this issue, there are perhaps some brothers and sisters who will say, “Do you really need to ask this question? In 2 Timothy 3:16, it tells us clearly that ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God.’ It is therefore clear that the Bible contains only the words of God, so what more could one wish to know?” Brothers and sisters, we conclude that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and that the Bible contains only the words of God only on the basis of this one statement from Paul, but is there a foundation in God’s words for this view? Did the Lord Jesus ever say such a thing? Did the Holy Spirit ever say such a thing? If there is no foundation in God’s words for this view, what will the consequences be if we continue to cling to it? The Lord Jesus said, “He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathers not with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:30). As believers in God, we should always speak and act on the basis of God’s words and the facts of His works. If our views are at odds with God’s words and the facts of His works to the point where they run contrary to them, then in God’s eyes we become people who are opposed to Him, and we will certainly not earn His praise. Understanding the question, “Is all Scripture given by inspiration of God?” is therefore crucial to each and every one of us.