The Ordeal in the Devil’s Den Made Me Taste God’s Love More Deeply

Fenyong    Shanxi Province

From my childhood, I lived under my parents’ best care, but in my heart I often felt lonely without reliance, and there was always an unexplainable distress binding me, which I couldn’t get free from. I often asked myself, “Why does man live? How on earth should man live?” But I never got the answer. In 1999, I fortunately accepted Almighty God’s end-time work. From then on, under the feeding and supplying of God’s word, my lonely heart received comfort and I always had a feeling of returning home, feeling very peaceful and secure. Only then did I know what happiness is. Later, I read God’s words, “The world in mankind’s heart where there is no God’s position is dark, hopeless, and empty. … God’s place and God’s life cannot be replaced by any man. What mankind needs is not only a just society where they have enough to fill their stomach and everyone is equal and free. What they need is God’s salvation and God’s life supply for them.” (from “God Is Sovereign over the Destiny of All Mankind” in The Word Appears in the Flesh) Then, I knew that what a living man needs is not eating well, dressing well, or enjoying well, but is God’s salvation and God’s supply to man’s life. Only thus can the emptiness in man’s heart be solved. I finally got the answer to the question I had been puzzled about for a long time: God is feeding every living being among all things. Man should live by relying on God and also live for God, and such a life is meaningful, because man’s life originates from God and God is the only redemption to man, the only hope for man, and even more the reliance for the existence of man. As I read more and more of God’s word, I understood some truths gradually. Later, I performed duty in the church and often had meetings and fellowshipped with the brothers and sisters. I lived fully every day. However, a sudden arrest by the police broke my tranquil life, pushing me into the devil’s den….

God’s Word Created Miracles of Life

Yang Li    Jiangxi Province

When I was a child, my mother died. I shouldered the family burden at a young age. After getting married, I was even more loaded down with the burden of life. Having fully tasted the hardship and misery of life, I gradually became depressed and silent and fiddled my life away day by day. In 2002, when the brothers and sisters preached Almighty God’s end-time work to me, I accepted it readily and also brought my husband and children before Almighty God. From then on, the brothers and sisters often came to my home to have meetings. We fellowshipped about God’s word and sang hymns and danced to praise God together. I felt great enjoyment in my heart and no longer felt distressed or worried. My children said that I was getting younger and younger and more and more cheerful. My family often read God’s word together. From God’s word, we understood many truths and also knew that God’s eager intention is to save man. To repay God’s love and bring those who had been afflicted by satan like me before God earlier to be saved, I went out to preach the gospel. Unexpectedly, I suffered the CCP government’s cruel persecution because of that….

Question 15: National leaders have labeled Christianity and Catholicism as cults, and labeled the Holy Bible as a cult book. These are generally acknowledged facts. As to why central government has labeled Christian house churches, and in particular The Church of Almighty God as cults, as my understanding and research inform me, I consider it to be like this: All who testify that God created all things, who testify that God is the Creator, that God created mankind, who testify that God rules over everything, and testify that God is the Lord of the universe, and controls the universe, and would have the human race revere only God, submit to God, and worship God, all these are cults. All who testify that God is righteous, holy, and great, who bear witness to God's love and salvation of the human race, who condemn Satan as the devil who corrupts the human race, and as an evil force that rules the world, especially who directly attack and condemn the Communist Party, all these are cults. All who testify that the Lord Jesus has returned, who bear witness for Christ incarnate, and talk of the words and work of an ordinary human as if it were the appearance and work of the Savior, and also publicize and testify that all of the words expressed by Christ are truth, calling upon the human race to accept God, to turn toward God, and to submit to God, and who do not yield to the Communist Party, all these are cults. All who testify that the words of God are truth, and higher than everything, who testify that the Holy Bible is God's word and that The Word Appears in the Flesh is truth, and do their utmost to eliminate and condemn Marxism-Leninism and the ideology and theory of the Communist Party, all these are cults. All who teach about and bear witness for Christ of the last days, who preach that God has returned, making all of the human race accept God's salvation, and who call upon people to abandon everything and follow God as the only way to get into the kingdom of heaven, all these are cults. This is my understanding of the central government's labeling all Christian house churches, in particular The Church of Almighty God, as cults. Do all of you know what a cult is by now? In China, the Communist Party is in control. The Communist Party is a Marxist-Leninist, atheist political party that opposes all theism. The Communist Party declares guilty as cults all religious groups that believe in God. This demonstrates the absolute authority of the Communist Party. Only the Communist Party is great, glorious, and correct. Anything that goes against or is hostile toward Marxism-Leninism is wrong; it is something that the Communist Party wants to ban. In China, it is necessary to esteem Marxism-Leninism and the Communist Party as great. Could it be that there is something wrong with this? You of The Church of Almighty God openly spread that Jesus has returned, and is none other than Christ of the last days, Almighty God. You also testify that Almighty God expresses truth to purify people, to save people, and that the kingdom of heaven has already arrived on earth. This has resulted in shaking up and dividing religious circles, leading to millions of people turning toward Almighty God. This has caused a giant sensation in China, and has brought severe confusion and unrest to society. In so doing, aren't you disturbing public order? The central government therefore declares The Church of Almighty God guilty of being a cult, and implements severe attack and suppression. You are all deceived and have gone astray. The government hopes that you waste no time in repenting, distancing yourselves from The Church of Almighty God, and joining the Three-Self Church. In this way, the government will no longer hold you criminally responsible.

Answer: You have explained very clearly the basis of the Communist Party labeling something cults. I feel, however, that the condemnation by the Communist Party is fallacious, and is absurd. Ultimately what is righteous, and what is evil, must be based on whether it tallies with truth, and whether or not the words of God can be a determining basis. First of all, we should all know, that only the one true God who created all things is the truth. God is the Most High, and is One whom the human race should worship. There are sayings, “There is a spirit watching right above your head,” “Humans act, and Heaven watches,” “The will of Heaven cannot be violated,” “Justice is in the heart of man,” “Good begets good, evil begets evil,” “No prayer can save offense of Heaven,” etc. All of these sayings prove that God is the Ruler of all things and He observes everything. God is truth, and all positive things come from God. Legal norms and moral standards in human society all come from the work of God, and from the words of God. Ever since creation, God has been expressing truth, guiding humans, redeeming humans, and saving humans. God is therefore man’s great Redeemer. Human beings’ belief in God, submission to God, worship of God, and following the way of God, all these are positive things, are the correct path of human life, and meet with God's blessing. On the other hand, all negative things, all evil things come from Satan. All those things that deny God, resist God, or are hostile to God, only these are evil things. So, what is a cult, ultimately? It can be said that all that is inimical to God, all that is in opposition to all of the truths that God has expressed, all that denies God, resists God, or condemns the work of God, and leads people to darkness, causing people to be far away from God, resist God, and become ever more wicked as they fall into evil, leading God to express wrath, and send down disaster, this kind of organization, this kind of evil power is what a cult is. Ever since the Chinese Communist Party came to power, it has spread atheism and the theory of evolution to deceive and corrupt the Chinese people, and has caused the Chinese people to go on a path of denying God, resisting God, and betraying God, thus offending the disposition of God, meeting the curses of God. In resisting God, the Chinese Communist Party has brought about endless calamity. The people are sunk into an abyss of suffering, are in unbearable pain, and flee abroad one after another. During so many years of power, the Chinese Communist Party has hated God exceedingly, and has opposed God, and has done lots and lots of evil, too numerous to record. The Chinese Communist Party is therefore the only real cult! In declaring Christian churches guilty of being cults, the Chinese Communist Party is totally confusing truth with falsehood, and distorting facts.

An Arrogant Believer’s Process of Transformation

Zhang Yitao Henan Province

“God, Your work is so practical, so full of righteousness and holiness. You have been patiently working for so long, all for us. In the past, I believed in God but I didn’t have a human manner. I disobeyed You and hurt Your heart without knowing. I am full of shame and regret and am indebted to You. Only now do I realize this. … Without Your harsh judgment, I wouldn’t have today, and facing Your genuine love I am grateful and indebted to You. It was Your work that saved me and caused my disposition to change. Without sorrow and pain, my heart is full of happiness” (“Oh God, the Love You Have Given Me Is Too Great” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). Every time I sing this song, I think of God’s salvation for me through all these years, and I am full of gratitude for Him. It was God’s judgment and chastisement that changed me. It made me—an arrogant, ambitious, rebellious son—appear a bit more like a human being. I sincerely give thanks for God’s salvation of me!

A Youth Spent Without Regret

Xiaowen, Chongqing

“Love is a pure emotion, pure without a blemish. Use your heart, use your heart to love and feel and care. Love doesn’t set conditions or barriers or distance. Use your heart, use your heart to love and feel and care. If you love you don’t deceive, grumble, turn your back, look to get something in return” (“Pure Love Without Blemish” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). This hymn of God’s word once helped me get through the pain of a long and drawn-out life in prison that lasted 7 years and 4 months. Even though the CCP government deprived me of the most beautiful years of my youth, I have obtained the most precious and real truth from Almighty God and therefore have no complaints or regrets.

The Life Force That Can Never Be Extinguished

Dong Mei, Henan Province

I am an ordinary person. I lived in a run-of-the-mill life. Like many who yearn for the light, I tried lots of ways to search for the true meaning of human existence, attempting to give my life more significance. In the end, all my efforts were in vain. But after I was fortunate enough to accept Almighty God’s work of the last days, miraculous changes occurred in my life. It brought more color to my life, and I came to understand that only God is the true Provider of people’s spirits and lives, and only God’s words are the true meaning of human life. I was glad that I had finally found the right way of life. However, whilst performing my duty I was once illegally arrested and brutally tortured by the CCP government. From this, my life’s journey gained an experience that I’ll never forget …

God’s Love Was With Me in the Devil’s Dark Prison

Yang Yi, Jiangsu Province

I am a Christian of the Church of Almighty God. I have been a follower of Almighty God for over ten years. During this time, one thing I’ll never forget is the awful tribulation when I was arrested by the CCP police a decade ago. Back then, despite my being tortured and trampled on by evil demons, and coming close to death several times, Almighty God used His mighty hand to guide and protect me, to bring me back to life, and take me back to safety…. Through this, I truly experienced the transcendence and greatness of the power of God’s life, and gained the precious wealth of life conferred upon me by God.