FOB Spotlight: The Persecution of The Church of Almighty God in China

On February 4, 2019, the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB) held a conference in Florence, Italy to promote its most recent publication: Law and Freedom of Belief in Europe: an arduous journey. This book is an exploration of how to effectively protect the freedom of belief and religious freedoms of immigrants to Europe from across the world through legal means. This includes the situation of religious persecution in China and the issue of refugees belonging to The Church of Almighty God (CAG) who fled China due to religious persecution. Riccardo Migliori, Past President of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), introduced the book to our reporter before the conference.

Classic Words on God’s Work in the Age of Kingdom—the Last Days

41. When Jesus came into the world of man, He brought the Age of Grace and ended the Age of Law. During the last days, God once more became flesh, and when He became flesh this time, He ended the Age of Grace and brought the Age of Kingdom. All those who accept the second incarnation of God will be led into the Age of Kingdom, and be able to personally accept the guidance of God. Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering, and did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to take on the sins of man as the sin offering, but also required God to do greater work to completely rid man of his disposition, which has been corrupted by Satan. And so, after man was forgiven his sins, God has returned to flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment, and this work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.

from Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh

Two Secrets to Overcoming Temptations

First, Always Pray to God and Live Before God, Thus Actively Staying Away From Temptations

Every corner of this materialistic and money-centered society—particularly fancy hotels, expensive restaurants, KTVs and other entertainment places—is full of Satan’s temptations. Without the capability to overcome sin, we are so envious of those with wealth and power that our desires to make big money and be one of them are stirred up when we see them enjoying their wealth in these places. As a result, money—and the material enjoyment it can bring—fully possesses our hearts and thus our hearts stray farther and farther from God. So as Christians, we should always pray to God and ask Him to protect us so we can live before Him and can actively stay away from people, events and things that might tempt us. This is especially necessary for those who have small statures spiritually. Just as the Bible says, “A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” (Pro 22:3). And God’s words also say, “Do not come into contact with things that can draw your heart away to the outside, and do not come into contact with people who can draw your heart away from God. Drop whatever it is that can distract your heart from being close to God, or stay away from it. That way is more beneficial to your life.” From these words we can see that actively staying away from temptations is a wise choice.

Take Job for example. As we all know, he feared God and shunned evil. Though he possessed untold masses of wealth, and sheep and oxen that covered a mountain, in order to live before God at all times he kept himself in check. He had a reverent heart, and he often offered sacrifices for fear that he would offend God. Besides, he didn’t take advantage of his wealth to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, and he never even joined his sons and daughters in feasting. All he did was just insist on walking the way of fearing God and shunning evil. So, Job set a good example for us to follow.

Second, View Things According to God’s Words and Seek God’s Will to See Through Satan’s Tricks and Thus Refuse Temptations

Question : We follow the example of Paul and we work very hard for the Lord, spreading the gospel and bearing witness to the Lord, and shepherding the Lord’s churches, just like Paul: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Is this not following the will of God? Practicing in this way should mean that we are qualified to be raptured and to enter into the kingdom of heaven, so why must we accept God’s work of judgment and purification in the last days before we can be brought into the kingdom of heaven?

Answer:

The question you raised is critical. It involves whether we can be brought into the kingdom of heaven. Most believers of the Lord think that emulating Paul by sacrificing everything and working hard for the Lord is tantamount to following the way of the Lord and the eligibility to be brought into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord returns. This opinion has become the conception of most believers in the Lord. But is this opinion based on the Lord’s words? Is this pursuit of ours consistent with the Lord’s intention? By emulating Paul’s hard work, are we really following the way of the Lord? Do we really qualify to enter the kingdom of heaven? The Lord Jesus said, “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Mat 7:21-23). The Lord Jesus spoke very clearly that only the one who follows the will of God will enter into the kingdom of heaven. The Lord Jesus did not say that those who sacrifice everything and work hard for the Lord could enter the kingdom of heaven. Contrarily, many assiduous workers, who prophesied, cast out devils in the Lord’s name, and did many wonderful works, not only were they not praised by the Lord, they were even determined as wicked by the Lord. We can see that Paul’s words, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2Ti 4:7-8), were contradictory to the Lord Jesus’ words. They were fundamentally inconsistent with the Lord’s intention. As far as being brought into the kingdom of heaven, there is only one way which is certain. It is what the Lord Jesus has clearly said, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Mat 25:6), “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20). What it said about going to supper with the Lord referred to accepting God’s judgment work in the last days. By accepting God’s judgment and chastisement, man will understand all the truth, receive cleansing and be made perfect. These are the results of attending the feast. So we can be certain that only those who accept Almighty God’s judgment and chastisement in the last days and receive cleansing will truly enter the kingdom of heaven. Do you still have any doubt about the way to the kingdom of heaven?

One Must Bear Witness to the Aspect of Truth Concerning God’s Work of Judgment in the Last Days

The significance of God’s judgment in the last days can be seen in the results achieved by God’s work of judgment in the last days.

(1) God’s work of judgment in the last days is done to purify, save and perfect man, and to make a group of overcomers.

Bible Verses for Reference:

“Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name” (Rev 3:10-12).

“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Rev 14:4-5).

Relevant Words of God:

The work of the last days is to separate all according to their kind, to conclude the management plan of God, for the time is near and the day of God has come. God brings all who have entered His kingdom, that is, all those who have been loyal to Him to the end, into the age of God Himself. However, until the coming of the age of God Himself, the work that God shall do is not to observe the deeds of man or to inquire into the life of man, but to judge his rebellion, for God shall purify all those who come before His throne. All those who have followed the footsteps of God to this day are those who have come before the throne of God, and this being so, every single person who accepts God’s work in its final phase is the object of God’s purification. In other words, everyone who accepts God’s work in its final phase is the object of God’s judgment.

from “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Only Possessing the Reality of the Truth Means Having Gained the Truth

It is only right for people to pursue to gain the truth when believing in God, but to truly gain the truth is not so easy a matter. Some think that they have gained the truth because they can preach some messages and resolve some difficulties of the brothers and sisters. Some think that they have gained the truth because they can receive some revelation and enlightenment when reading God’s word and have gained some knowledge of the truths of a certain aspect. Some think that they have gained the truth because now they can fellowship three or four days without running out of words when having a meeting, while in the past they would have nothing to say after fellowshipping only one day. Still others think that they have gained the truth because they are very familiar with God’s word and can immediately find in the book of God’s word any words they speak about when preaching or fellowshipping. Then, do such states and manifestations prove that they have gained the truth? What are the states of having truly understood the truth and gained the truth?

Four Stages of a Change in Life Disposition

The few steps, or stages, in the process of experiencing a change in life disposition are something that everyone pursuing a change in disposition, every pursuer of salvation, must understand. The process of salvation is the process of a person being purified by entering into the truth. It is also the process of a person’s life disposition transforming from rebelling against God, resisting God, to submitting to God, and turning to God. It’s absolutely no easy matter for deeply corrupted humanity to change from people betraying God and belonging to Satan, to people submitting to God and belonging to God. In this, there is an internal process of experience that follows an objective pattern. We who are experiencing God’s work all know that salvation is the result attained by pursuing the truth. As soon as people understand the truth and grasp the truth, people’s viewpoints, their outlook on life and their values will undergo a fundamental transformation, and following this their life disposition will also inevitably undergo a fundamental change. In this way a person’s satanic nature will completely crumble and be cleansed away. It is clear that a person’s salvation and their change in life disposition are established on the basis of an understanding of the truth, and a knowledge of God. Therefore, we can define the four stages in the process of experiencing a change in disposition as understanding the truth, knowing oneself, repentance and aversion, and change and renewal. Together, we simply call these the four stages of a change in disposition. Among these four stages, understanding the truth is the first step, knowing oneself is the second step, repentance and aversion is the third step, and change and renewal is the fourth step. Every step in a person’s life experience is built on a foundation of understanding the truth. People’s life experience begins with understanding the truth, so a person’s salvation, their change in disposition, at every step is inseparable from understanding the truth. In our experience of God’s work we have all had some progress and change, we all see clearly that entering into the truth is no simple matter. Every aspect of the truth requires at least a year or two of experience before understanding and true entry into it can be reached. It takes about as much time as learning a new skill or art. Next we’ll give some examples to explain the four stage process of life experience. People’s understanding of every aspect of the truth has its process, and this process is the first step of the four stages of life experience, that is understanding the truth. God’s judgment and chastisement of corrupt humanity achieves its results via the expression of the truth. In God’s judgment and chastisement we see that the words God expresses are all the truth, that which we must enter into, and if we can enter into all the truths expressed by God, we can reach purity, reach salvation, and be perfected.

Only Being an Honest Person Is a True Human Likeness

The Principles and Baseline Standards of Being a Person

On the principles of being a person one must remember: While in church, no matter your duty or what has befallen you, you must stand on the side of truth, which is to stand on the side of God. Do not ever stand on the side of some person or some leader. Whoever’s words conform with the truth, whoever’s words mean to protect the interests of God’s house, you should stand with them, and that is to stand on the side of truth and justice. Isn’t this the principle behind being a person? If you are first and foremost a correct person who stands on the side of truth and who stands with God as an upholder of His work, then you are the type of person who brings joy to God, who shall receive His salvation and who is in accordance with God’s intentions. Your ability to put this into practice indicates that your heart is upstanding, your loving heart for God is true, and your heart upholds the truth, and so God’s blessings will be upon you, the Holy Spirit will follow you and you will be enlightened and made perfect. You will then be guided to understand and enter all truths. However, if all you do is stand on the side of people and thus in opposition to God and in opposition to truth, then you are muddleheaded and you are the devil, and a follower of Satan. You are then standing on the side of evil powers. If you want to see who in church is able to achieve salvation, you should pay attention to who are standing on the side of truth, justice. Those who stand with truth are guaranteed salvation. If you see that a person stands with power and position and always works to uphold power and influence no matter whether the leader is right or wrong, this is someone who sides with those who have power and they are following Satan. This is a very typical representative of Satan’s influence. Those who stand with the wrong group are not correct people, but those who stand with the correct group are correct people and this is a principle of being a person. If you first resolve the issue where you have stood with the wrong group and wrong people and if you are then able to stand on the side of truth and on the side of the correct people and justice, then later you will surely receive God’s salvation. Do you believe what I am saying? When I go to a church and hear people speaking, I will see where they stand, and if anyone is suppressed for upholding the truth, I will see who stands with them and I will say that such people are good ones. There is a saying in China: “One who lies with dogs will rise with fleas.” If you are always standing with Satan, can you avoid being tainted by it? Perhaps in your church you have someone who upholds truth, who sincerely expends themselves to God, who is honest and is often suppressed and who is looked down upon by others who say he is foolish. However, this person believes in God with a true heart and sincerely expends himself for God, so whoever stands with a person like this is a good person and they possess a sense of justice, they have integrity, and they are walking the right path. What situation are most people in now? They go wherever the wind blows, no matter who the leader is they stand with them with persistence. Are there many people like this? What are they doing? They are choosing to stand with power and position! You will see that there are always a few good people standing in opposition to those who stand on the side of power and position; they have honest thoughts and feelings and they speak the truth. These people are often rejected by the church and are treated with indifference. They are often the focus of jealousy and suppression by the leaders. Yet these people will be guaranteed to be liked by God and they will be saved by God. God will not save those who stand with power and position, He does not save those who are easily swayed, because these people can betray the truth and they can be disloyal and stand with those who are against the truth; they can betray and deny God. There are many people who will passionately defend the false leaders and workers and antichrists, so whose side are they on? They stand on the side of Satan and not with truth; they are devils whose faith is in vain. They are blind indeed! If you believe in God but don’t stand with truth, don’t stand with God, and don’t uphold God’s work, isn’t your faith confused? You are choosing to stand with power and position! …

What Is Genuinely Following God

Pursuing the truth can let us know God and live an authentic life. That is to say, after we understand some truths, we will have true faith in God and will be able to genuinely follow, obey and serve God. If we do not have any truths, can we genuinely follow God? We cannot. There are many people who believe in God, live a church life and attend meetings, but if they have no one to lead them, they will fall back. Some people will not read the words of God anymore, shun God, lose their faith in God and eventually fall in the darkness. If there were no good people leading, who are genuinely in pursuit of the truth, could you continue to keep the words of God? Could you stand witness? Could you still do your duty as usual? I am afraid that some people cannot. So are such people genuinely following God? These people just believe in God but do not follow God. The main reason why people believe in God but do not follow God is that they do not have the truth and they do not pursue the truth. People who do not have the truth do not have a new life and do not have God’s words as the reality of their life. Such people cannot follow God’s path, the real path of life. What are the signs of people who follow God? Firstly, they have to pursue the truth, they are eager to understand and know the words of God and to get the truth for their own lives, so they are particularly interested in communicating the truth and eating and drinking the words of God. No matter what environment they are in, they feel that they can only depend on eating and drinking the words of God and pursuing the truth to live and never leave the words of God. This kind of person is really following God. Some people often talk about their own experiences, but have no truth as the reality of their life and just understand some doctrines. Although they can make high-sounding speeches and speak about their own small experiences, when they face a trial, they collapse; when they face life constraints, they do not have faith and collapse and when they face specific difficulties, they have no belief. So are such people following God? Such people are not following God. When there is a good person leading them, they can go along for the ride and as soon as they see the benefits for them in pursuing the truth, they understand in principle, so they continue to attend meetings for this interest and hope to get real blessings, but because they do not desire the truth, when they are faced with some particular circumstances, they cannot carry on and come to a standstill. Because this kind of person hasn’t got the truth, they have no real faith in God. So how do they do their duty and communicate their experience? They also want to get the truth and to be saved, but because in their heart they are not too fond of the truth, just a little interested, when people speak they listen, they understand some of it so feel a little excited, but when they encounter some setbacks and difficulties, they have no enthusiasm. So when they do not have a good leader, they cannot follow God and cannot live a normal church life and they shun God. Do you have such a person in your midst? If there is no one to lead you and to nourish you, how many people can stay standing? How many people can continue to pursue the truth, live out the reality of God’s word, bear witness to God as before and follow God? Are you sure of yourself? Some people can talk about small experiences and small witnesses, but does this count as getting the truth? Does this count as entering into life in reality? What kind of people count as getting the truth and really having reality? The truth cannot be achieved by a little bit of plain experience. Getting the truth is not a simple matter. Tell me, how many years of experiencing God’s words is enough to truly understand them? God wants us to be honest. And how many years do we need to experience it before we truly become an honest man? Is having a little experience and witness enough? A little is not enough. People’s experience of the words of God goes from the superficial to the deep. It is not a case of having a little experience and immediately being able to completely understand the essence of the truth of God’s words. Some people face trials and outwardly, by depending on God, they seem to be victorious. Does this count as real life experience? This does not count because they do not have the truth. This is the most superficial experience. Real life experience is experience to a certain level. Only an experience where you have a real understanding of the truth, completely figure out God’s will, understand the essence of the truth, are able to live by the words of God and completely according to the words of God and act in accordance with God’s will is a real experience of entering into life. Some small experiences are experiences of keeping rules, the surface of the words and the most shallow experiences that are not related to the essence of the truth. It is like when some people who wish to be honest people are facing some issue and say, “Should I lie or tell the truth?” After praying, they say, “This time in spite of face, I will speak honestly.” In a spurt of energy they speak honestly. When they speak of experiencing bearing witness, they say, “I have now experienced it and tasted the taste of being an honest man and I am now an honest man.” Is this correct? That is being an honest man one time, the one practice of being an honest man. So do you dare promise that you can be an honest person in many situations in the future? Why can it not be guaranteed? You have not got the truth. You have not entered into the truth. Wait until one day when you do not need prayer but you always speak honestly and to speak a lie is an effort and painful, when you can be an honest person very easily and can speak honestly, only then can this be called having the reality of being an honest man. It makes so many people who come into contact with you say, “This person is an honest man; that is true.” No matter whether it is someone who believes in God or a nonbeliever, when they get along and speak with you for a while, they can discover that you are an honest person and a good person. Wait until this happens; that is then called completely entering into the reality of the truth. ... Do we have any honest people around us now? Now we have a lot of corruption that has been revealed and even though some people can become honest people later, now they have too little entry into life experience and have not yet had any major changes and must continue their pursuit for a few more years. After a few years’ pursuit, you will see those people have really changed. The more they believe, the more they have human likeness, the more they believe, the more honest and the less deceitful they become. The more they believe, the more simple and open they become, the more they believe, the wiser they become and the more they are able to get along with people. This kind of person has got the truth and has really entered into reality. Now people have not yet got the truth and you cannot see major changes in people, only a few small changes in behavior and no changes in their life disposition, so you want to find honest people, but they are not easy to find. Wait until you have been in pursuit of the truth for a few years and you will see that some people really have changed: “This person is worth associating with. This person is an honest man. This person truly believes in God. He is a follower of God.” There are some people who hope to eat their fill and are always longing for blessings. Because they do not love the truth and have lived a church life for a long time, they begin to get bored and feel that the pursuit of the truth is boring. The more they believe, the more bored they get until eventually they leave and after leaving, they become more dark and their condition becomes worse and worse. Once they return to the nonbelievers they find that the nonbelievers are so difficult to deal with and that they are so dark, and they recall their time in God’s family, but they can do nothing about that either. People who do not love the truth cannot continue on this path and cannot persevere. Now there are some people who are very dangerous, if they do not have good people to lead them, they may unwittingly dismiss themselves. Is this not the case? You unwittingly dismiss yourself and are unable to persevere despite wanting to. Although you say, “I still believe. In my heart I will always believe.” But your church life becomes less and less, you eat and drink the words of God less and less, your inner faith becomes less and less and you even unconsciously no longer pray. Have you not already retreated? What’s the point of just being stubborn and reluctant to admit your retreat? Does every church have this kind of person in it? They have pursued the truth for one or two years but no matter how they pursue, they feel bored, uninterested and feel tired and spiritless and eventually have no energy. They feel that believing in God is pursuing the truth and that it is meaningless.

Only God’s Judgment and Chastisement in the Last Days Is His Critical, Decisive Work for Saving Mankind

Bible Verses for Reference:

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come (Rev 14:7).

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God(1Pe 4:17).

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people(Isa 2:4).

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day (Jhn 12:47-48).

I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come (Jhn 16:12-13).

Relevant Words of God:

When Jesus came into the world of man, He brought the Age of Grace and ended the Age of Law. During the last days, God once more became flesh, and when He became flesh this time, He ended the Age of Grace and brought the Age of Kingdom. All those who accept the second incarnation of God will be led into the Age of Kingdom, and be able to personally accept the guidance of God. Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering, and did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to take on the sins of man as the sin offering, but also required God to do greater work to completely rid man of his disposition, which has been corrupted by Satan. And so, after man was forgiven his sins, God has returned to flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment, and this work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.

from Preface to The Word Appears in the Flesh

And so, when the final age—the age of the last days—arrives, My name shall change again. I shall not be called Jehovah, or Jesus, much less the Messiah, but shall be called the powerful Almighty God Himself, and under this name I shall bring the entire age to an end. I was once known as Jehovah. I was also called the Messiah, and people once called Me Jesus the Savior because they loved and respected Me. But today I am not the Jehovah or Jesus that people knew in times past—I am the God who has returned in the last days, the God who shall bring the age to an end. I am the God Himself that rises up at the ends of the earth, replete with My entire disposition, and full of authority, honor and glory. People have never engaged with Me, have never known Me, and have always been ignorant of My disposition. From the creation of the world until today, not one person has seen Me. This is the God who appears to man during the last days but is hidden among man. He resides among man, true and real, like the burning sun and the flaming fire, filled with power and brimming with authority. There is not a single person or thing that shall not be judged by My words, and not a single person or thing that shall not be purified through the burning of fire. Eventually, all nations shall be blessed because of My words, and also smashed to pieces because of My words. In this way, all people during the last days shall see that I am the Savior returned, I am the Almighty God that conquers all of mankind, and I was once the sin offering for man, but in the last days I also become the flames of the sun that burn all things, as well as the Sun of righteousness that reveals all things. Such is My work of the last days. I took this name and am possessed of this disposition so that all people may see that I am a righteous God, and am the burning sun, and the flaming fire. It is so that all may worship Me, the only true God, and so that they may see My true face: I am not only the God of the Israelites, and am not just the Redeemer—I am the God of all creatures throughout heavens and earth and seas.

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

The work of the last days is to speak words. Great changes can be effected in man by means of words. The changes now effected in these people upon their accepting these words are much greater than those effected in people upon their accepting the signs and wonders of the Age of Grace. For, in the Age of Grace, the demons were cast out from man with the laying on of hands and prayer, but the corrupt dispositions within man still remained. Man was healed of his sickness and forgiven his sins, but as for just how man was to be purged of the corrupt satanic dispositions within him, this work had yet to be done. Man was only saved and forgiven his sins for his faith, but the sinful nature of man was not extirpated and still remained within him. The sins of man were forgiven through the agency of the incarnate God, but this does not mean that man no longer has sin within him. The sins of man could be forgiven through the sin offering, but as for just how man can be made to sin no more, and how his sinful nature may be extirpated completely and transformed, he has no way of solving this problem. The sins of man were forgiven, and this is because of the work of God’s crucifixion, but man continued to live within the corrupt satanic disposition of old. This being so, man must be completely saved from his corrupt satanic disposition, so that his sinful nature may be completely extirpated, never to develop again, thus enabling the disposition of man to be transformed. This would require man to grasp the path of growth in life, to grasp the way of life, and to grasp the way to change his disposition. Furthermore, it would require man to act in accordance with this path, so that his disposition may gradually be changed and he may live under the shining of the light, so that all that he does may be in accord with the will of God, so that he may cast away his corrupt satanic disposition, and so that he may break free from Satan’s influence of darkness, thereby emerging fully from sin. Only then will man receive complete salvation. At the time that Jesus was doing His work, man’s knowledge of Him was still vague and unclear. Man always believed Him to be the son of David, and proclaimed Him to be a great prophet, the benevolent Lord who redeemed man’s sins. Some, on the strength of their faith, were healed just from touching the edge of His garment; the blind could see and even the dead could be restored to life. However, man was unable to discover the corrupt satanic disposition deeply rooted within himself, neither did he know how to cast it away. Man received much grace, such as the peace and happiness of the flesh, the faith of one member bringing blessing on an entire family, the healing of sickness, and so on. The rest were the good deeds of man and his godly appearance; if man could live on the basis of these, he was considered an acceptable believer. Only believers of this kind could enter heaven after death, which means that they were saved. But, in their lifetime, these people did not understand at all the way of life. All they did was to commit sins and then confess their sins in a constant cycle without making any path toward changing their disposition: Such was the condition of man in the Age of Grace. Has man received complete salvation? No! Therefore, after that stage of work was finished, there still remained the work of judgment and chastisement. This stage is to make man pure by means of the word and thereby give him a path to follow. This stage would not be fruitful or meaningful if it continued with the casting out of demons, for it would fail to extirpate man’s sinful nature, and man would come to a standstill at the forgiveness of his sins. Through the sin offering, man has been forgiven his sins, for the work of the crucifixion has already come to an end and God has prevailed over Satan. But the corrupt disposition of man still remaining within him, man can still sin and resist God, and God has not gained mankind. That is why in this stage of work God uses the word to expose the corrupt disposition of man, causing him to practice in accordance with the right path. This stage is more meaningful than the previous one, as well as more fruitful, for now it is the word that directly supplies man’s life and enables the disposition of man to be completely renewed; it is a much more thorough stage of work. Therefore, the incarnation in the last days has completed the significance of God’s incarnation and completely finished God’s plan of management for man’s salvation.

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

In the last days, Christ uses a variety of truths to teach man, expose the essence of man, and dissect his words and deeds. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out the normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the essence of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, those words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with just a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes it over the long term. These methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth that man does not possess at all. Only methods of this kind are deemed judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced into submission to God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt substance and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the substance of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God.

from “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

In the Age of Kingdom, God uses the word to usher in a new age, to change the method of His work, and to do the work for the entire age. This is the principle by which God works in the Age of Word. He became flesh to speak from different perspectives, enabling man to truly see God, who is the Word appearing in the flesh, and His wisdom and wondrousness. Such work is done in order better to achieve the goals of conquering man, perfecting man, and eliminating man. This is the true meaning of using the word to work in the Age of Word. Through the word, man comes to know the work of God, the disposition of God, the essence of man, and what man ought to enter into. Through the word, the work God wishes to do in the Age of Word is brought to fruition in its entirety. Through the word, man is revealed, eliminated, and tried. Man has seen the word, heard the word, and become aware of the existence of the word. As a result, he believes in the existence of God, in the omnipotence and wisdom of God, as well as in God’s love for man and His desire to save man. Though the word “word” is simple and ordinary, the word from the mouth of the incarnate God shakes up the entire universe; it transforms man’s heart, notions, and old disposition, and the way the whole world used to appear. Through the ages, only the God of today works in this manner, and only He speaks thus and comes to save man thus. From this time forward, man lives under the guidance of the word, shepherded and supplied by the word. All humanity has come to live in the world of the word, within the curses and the blessings of God’s word, and even more of them have come to live under the judgment and chastisement of the word. These words and this work are all for the sake of man’s salvation, for the sake of fulfilling God’s will, and for the sake of changing the original appearance of the world of old creation. God created the world with the word, leads men from all over the universe with the word, and again conquers and saves them with the word. Finally, He shall use the word to bring the entire world of old to an end. Only then is the management plan wholly complete. Throughout the Age of Kingdom, God uses the word to do His work and achieve the results of His work; He does not work wonders or perform miracles; He merely does His work through the word.

from “The Age of Kingdom Is the Age of Word” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

In His final work of concluding the age, God’s disposition is one of chastisement and judgment, in which He reveals all that is unrighteous, in order to publicly judge all peoples, and to perfect those who love Him with a sincere heart. Only a disposition such as this can bring the age to an end. The last days have already arrived. All things in creation will be classed according to their kind, and divided into different categories based on their nature. This is the moment when God reveals humanity’s outcome and their destination. If people do not undergo chastisement and judgment, then there will be no way of exposing their disobedience and unrighteousness. Only through chastisement and judgment can the outcome of all creation be revealed. Man only shows his true colors when he is chastised and judged. Evil shall be put with evil, good with good, and all humanity shall be classified according to their kind. Through chastisement and judgment, the outcome of all creation will be revealed, so that the evil may be punished and the good rewarded, and all people become subject to the dominion of God. All this work must be achieved through righteous chastisement and judgment. Because man’s corruption has reached its peak and his disobedience become exceedingly severe, only God’s righteous disposition, one that is principally compounded of chastisement and judgment and is revealed during the last days, can fully transform and complete man. Only this disposition can expose evil and thus severely punish all the unrighteous. Therefore, a disposition such as this is imbued with temporal significance, and the revelation and exhibition of His disposition is made manifest for the sake of the work of each new age. It is not that God reveals His disposition arbitrarily and without significance. Supposing that, in revealing the outcome of man during the last days, God were still to bestow upon man infinite compassion and love and continue to be loving toward him, not subjecting man to righteous judgment but rather showing him tolerance, patience, and forgiveness, and pardoning man no matter how grave his sins, without any jot of righteous judgment: then when would all of God’s management ever be brought to a close? When would a disposition such as this be able to lead people into mankind’s appropriate destination? Take, for example, a judge who is always loving, a judge with a kindly face and a gentle heart. He loves people irrespective of the crimes they may have committed, and he is loving to and forbearing with them whoever they may be. In that case, when will he ever be able to reach a just verdict? During the last days, only righteous judgment can classify man according to their kind and bring man into a new realm. In this way, the entire age is brought to an end through God’s righteous disposition of judgment and chastisement.

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

In truth, the work being done now is to have people forsake Satan, forsake their old ancestor. All judgments by the word aim to expose humanity’s corrupt disposition and to enable people to understand the essence of life. These repeated judgments all pierce people’s hearts. Every judgment directly impacts their fate and is meant to wound their hearts so that they can let go of all those things and thereby come to know life, know this filthy world, and also know God’s wisdom and almightiness and know this Satan-corrupted mankind. The more of this kind of chastisement and judgment, the more man’s heart can be wounded and the more his spirit can be awakened. Awakening the spirits of these extremely corrupted and most deeply deceived of people is the goal of this kind of judgment. Man has no spirit, that is, his spirit died long ago and he knows not that there is a heaven, knows not that there is a God, and certainly knows not that he is struggling in the abyss of death; how would he possibly be able to know that he is living in this evil hell on earth? How would he possibly be able to know that this putrid corpse of his has, through Satan’s corruption, fallen into Hades of death? How would he possibly be able to know that everything on earth has long been ruined beyond repair by mankind? And how would he possibly be able to know that the Creator has come to the earth today and is searching for a group of corrupt people whom He can save? Even after man experiences every possible refinement and judgment, his dull consciousness still barely stirs and is virtually unresponsive. Humanity is so degenerate! Although this kind of judgment is like the cruel hail that falls from the sky, it is of the greatest benefit to man. If not for judging people like this, there would be no result and it would be absolutely impossible to save people from the abyss of misery. If not for this work, it would be very difficult for people to emerge from Hades because their hearts have long ago died and their spirits long ago trampled by Satan. Saving you who have sunk to the deepest depths of degeneration requires calling out to you strenuously, judging you strenuously, and only then will that ice-cold heart of yours be awakened. Your flesh, your extravagant desires, your greed, and your lust are too deeply rooted in you. These things are so constantly controlling your hearts that you are powerless to cast off the yoke of those feudal and degenerate thoughts. You neither yearn to change your present situation, nor to escape the influence of darkness. You are simply bound by those things.

from “Only the Perfected Can Live a Meaningful Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God does the work of judgment and chastisement so that man may gain knowledge of Him, and for the sake of His testimony. Without His judgment of man’s corrupt disposition, man could not possibly know His righteous disposition, which brooks no offense, nor would he be able to turn his old knowledge of God into a new one. For the sake of His testimony, and for the sake of His management, He makes His entirety public, thus enabling man, through His public appearance, to arrive at knowledge of God, to be transformed in his disposition, and to bear resounding testimony to God. The transformation of the disposition of man is achieved through many different kinds of God’s work; without such changes in his disposition, man would be unable to bear testimony to God and to be after God’s heart. The transformation of man’s disposition signifies that man has freed himself from Satan’s bondage and from the influence of darkness, and has truly become a model and specimen of God’s work, a witness of God, and one who is after God’s heart. Today, God incarnate has come to do His work on earth, and He requires that man achieve knowledge of Him, obedience to Him, testimony to Him—to know His practical and normal work, to obey all of His words and work which do not accord with the conceptions of man, and to bear testimony to all the work He does to save man as well as all the deeds He accomplishes to conquer man. Those who bear testimony to God must have knowledge of God; only this kind of testimony is accurate and real, and only this kind of testimony can shame Satan. God uses those who have come to know Him through undergoing His judgment and chastisement, dealing and pruning, to bear testimony to Him. He uses those who have been corrupted by Satan to bear testimony to Him, and so too does He use those whose disposition has changed, and who have thus gained His blessings, to bear testimony to Him. He does not need man to praise Him in his mouth, nor does He need the praise and testimony of the ilk of Satan, who have not been saved by Him. Only those who know God are qualified to bear testimony to Him, and only those who have been transformed in their disposition are qualified to bear testimony to Him. God will not allow man intentionally to bring shame upon His name.

from “Only Those Who Know God Can Bear Testimony to God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Man will be fully made complete in the Age of Kingdom. After the work of conquest, man will be subjected to refinement and tribulation. Those who can overcome and stand testimony during this tribulation are the ones who will ultimately be made complete; they are the overcomers. During this tribulation, man is required to accept this refinement, and this refinement is the last instance of God’s work. It is the last time that man will be refined prior to the conclusion of all the work of God’s management, and all those who follow God must accept this final test, must accept this last refinement.

from “God’s Work and Man’s Practice” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Each stage of God’s work goes deeper than the last, and in each stage the requirements of man are more profound than the last, and in this way, God’s entire management gradually takes shape. It is precisely because the requirements of man are ever higher that man’s disposition comes ever closer to the standards required by God, and it is only then that the whole of mankind gradually departs from the influence of Satan until, when God’s work comes to a complete end, the whole of mankind will have been saved from the influence of Satan. When that time comes, the work of God will have reached its end, and man’s cooperation with God in order to achieve changes in his disposition will be no more, and the whole of mankind will live in the light of God, and from then on, there will be no rebelliousness or opposition to God.

from “God’s Work and Man’s Practice” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Do you understand now what is judgment and what is truth? If you have understood, then I exhort you to submit obediently to being judged, otherwise you shall never have the opportunity to be commended by God or to be brought by Him into His kingdom. Those who only accept judgment but can never be purified, that is, those who flee in the midst of the work of judgment, shall forever be detested and rejected by God. Their sins are more numerous, and more grievous, than those of the Pharisees, for they have betrayed God and are rebels against God. Such men who are not worthy even to do service shall receive more severe punishment, a punishment that is moreover everlasting. God shall not spare any traitor who once evinced loyalty with words but then betrayed Him. Men like these shall receive retribution through punishment of the spirit, soul, and body. Is this not precisely a revelation of the righteous disposition of God? Is this not God’s purpose in judging man, and revealing him? God consigns all those who perform all kinds of wicked deeds during the time of judgment to a place infested with evil spirits, letting these evil spirits destroy their fleshly bodies at will. Their bodies give off the stench of corpses, and such is their fitting retribution. God writes down in their record books each and every one of the sins of those disloyal false believers, false apostles, and false workers; then, when the time is right, He casts them amidst the unclean spirits, letting these unclean spirits defile their entire bodies at will, so that they may never be reincarnated and never again see the light. Those hypocrites who did service at one time but are unable to remain loyal to the end are numbered by God among the wicked, so that they walk in the counsel of the wicked and become part of their disorderly rabble; in the end, God shall annihilate them. God casts aside and takes no notice of those who have never been loyal to Christ or dedicated any effort, and shall annihilate them all in the change of ages. They shall no longer exist on earth, much less gain passage into the kingdom of God. Those who have never been sincere to God but are forced by circumstance into dealing with Him perfunctorily are numbered among those who do service for His people. Only a small number of such men can survive, while the majority shall perish along with those who are not qualified even to do service. Finally, God shall bring into His kingdom all those who are of the same mind as God, the people and the sons of God as well as those predestined by God to be priests. Such is the distillate obtained by God through His work. As for those who are unable to fall into any of the categories set by God, they shall be numbered among the unbelievers. And you can surely imagine what their outcome shall be. I have already said to you all that I should say; the road that you choose shall be your decision to make. What you should understand is this: The work of God never waits for any that cannot keep pace with Him, and the righteous disposition of God shows no mercy to any man.

from “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

When the nations and the peoples of the world all return before My throne, I will thereupon take all the bounty of heaven and confer it upon the human world, so that, thanks to Me, it will brim with matchless bounty. But so long as the old world continues to exist, I will hurl forth My rage upon its nations, openly promulgating My administrative decrees throughout the universe, and visit chastisement on whomever violates them:

As I turn My face to the universe to speak, all mankind hears My voice, and thereupon sees all the works I have wrought throughout the universe. Those who go contrary to My will, that is to say, who oppose Me with the deeds of man, will fall down under My chastisement. I will take the multitudinous stars in the heavens and make them anew, and thanks to Me the sun and the moon will be renewed—the skies will no longer be as they were; the myriad things on the earth will be renewed. All will become complete through My words. The many nations within the universe will be partitioned afresh and replaced by My nation, so that the nations upon the earth will disappear forever and become a nation that worships Me; all the nations of the earth will be destroyed, and will cease to exist. Of the human beings within the universe, all those belonging to the devil will be exterminated; all who worship Satan will be laid low by My burning fire—that is, except for those now within the stream, the rest will be turned to ashes. When I chastise the many peoples, those in the religious world will, in differing degrees, return to My kingdom, conquered by My works, because they will have seen the advent of the Holy One riding on a white cloud. All of humanity will follow their own kind, and will receive chastisements varying with what they have done. Those who have stood against Me will all perish; as for those whose deeds on the earth have not involved Me, they will, because of how they have acquitted themselves, continue to exist on the earth under the governance of My sons and My people. I will reveal Myself to the myriad peoples and the myriad nations, sounding forth with My own voice upon the earth to proclaim the completion of My great work for all mankind to see with their own eyes.

from “The Twenty-sixth Utterance” of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Those who are able to stand firm during God’s work of judgment and chastisement during the last days—that is, during the final work of cleansing—will be those who will enter into the final rest with God; therefore, those who enter into rest will all have broken free of Satan’s influence and been obtained by God only after having undergone His final cleansing work. These people who have been ultimately obtained by God will enter into the final rest. The essence of God’s work of chastisement and judgment is to cleanse humanity, and it is for the day of final rest. Otherwise, the whole of humanity will not be able to follow their own kind or enter into rest. This work is humanity’s only path to enter into rest.

from “God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The kingdom He wishes to establish is His own kingdom. The humanity He wishes for is one that worships Him, one that completely obeys Him and has His glory. If He does not save corrupt humanity, the meaning of His creation of man will come to nothing; He will have no more authority among man, and His kingdom will no longer be able to exist upon the earth. If He does not destroy those enemies who are disobedient to Him, He will be unable to obtain His complete glory, nor will He be able to establish His kingdom upon the earth. These are the symbols of the completion of His work and the symbols of the completion of His great accomplishment: to utterly destroy those among humanity who are disobedient to Him, and to bring those who have been made complete into rest.

from “God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

God Only Perfects the Person Who Has a Heart That Truly Loves God

Why Does God Perfect Those Who Love Him?

Why must the person that God perfects be one who loves Him? This is because man has a spirit, and there is a substantial difference between whether the spirit is that of a man or the devil. The spirit that is of man has love and he is able to love God. If a man loved God, he would obey God in all that he does and would care for God’s will. He would be able to bear with hardship and forsake everything in order to satisfy God. Such true love is very important to God. You see, when a woman chooses her partner, she would ask of the partner’s true love and a sincere heart. She would never choose the man if he did not have true love.

God Exposes Man in Order to Perfect Man

In the course of performing our duty, we are often exposed by God because of not knowing ourselves. For example, some of us are exposed in position, some in money, some in emotion, some because of performing their duty perfunctorily and deceitfully, some because of being arrogant and self-conceited and testifying themselves, some because of being crooked and crafty and practicing deceit, some because of being selfish and being poor in humanity, and some because of being cowardly and having no will. When being exposed, mostly we show passive resistance, become discouraged and disappointed, refuse, escape, and even write ourselves off as hopeless and act recklessly. This not only shows that we are not good at pursuing the truth, but also exposes our arrogant, hypocritical, and crafty nature of being unable to face up to true facts, and it even more shows that we still do not know the purpose of God’s exposing man and the ways of God’s perfecting man.

Questions and Answers on the Conditions for Entering the Kingdom of Heaven

Question 1: The Lord Jesus died on the cross for us, He forgave all our sins and redeemed us from the hands of Satan. That is to say, He did this to save us and grant us access to the kingdom of heaven. Even after this redemption, we continue to sin and we have yet to be cleansed. Nevertheless, I believe that the Lord’s forgiveness has made us righteous through our faith. As long as we sacrifice everything else to work and spend for God, as long as we are willing to endure suffering and pay the price, we’d be raptured into the kingdom of heaven. I think this is the Lord’s promise to us. However, my brothers and sisters have now questioned this belief. They say that although we labor and work for the Lord, we still sin often and then confess our sins, so we have not yet been cleansed. They have stated that the Lord is holy, so unholy people cannot meet Him. My question is: We who have sacrificed everything else and spend for the Lord, can we really be raised up into the kingdom of heaven? We really don’t know the answer to this question, so we’d like you to talk to us about it.

How Does One Pursue the Truth and Enter Into Its Reality so as to Be Made Perfect by God?

What is the key to entering the reality of the truth? Entry into the reality of the truth is not as people imagine, it is not a case of, “I’ll just practice the aspects of the truth that I can, I’ll just do that much, and nothing more.” Of chief importance is that you must be cooperative in performing your duty, that you must make every effort, and strive to make progress, so as to understand the truth and perform your duty properly; only this is the path of entry into the reality of the truth. Do not be satisfied just to follow certain rules, or abide by certain conceptions, and as a result believe that you have entered into the reality. This is wrong; this is acting according to human conceptions, and acting according to human conceptions and imaginings is not entry into the reality of the truth. What do some people believe? “Right now, I do not sin, I am basically attentive in performing my duty, I do the best I can, nor do I commit evil, or do things that oppose God, and I carry out whatever is arranged by the house of God. Do I not have the reality of the truth?” Could this be considered entry into the reality? Is living entirely according to one’s conceptions and imaginings entry into the reality of the truth? What is entry into the reality of the truth? It means that you are able to accept and accomplish God’s commission, that you can stand firm in your testimony, that you can do your duty properly, that you can bring brothers and sisters before God, that you can be someone who truly loves God, and are loyal to God when you perform your duty. Only when you have entered these truths, and put them into practice, and lived them out—only then will you have truly entered into the reality. What’s the point of abiding by conceptions? Ultimately, you will be neither rewarded, nor necessarily destroyed; but without the reality of the truth, you will not be recognized by God. No one who does not try to make progress in their pursuit of the truth, and who is satisfied with following rules and abiding by their conceptions in the belief in God, no one like this is possessed of the reality of the truth. Today, the house of God has given you a commission, a duty. Are you able to do it well? If you lack the truth, how can you resolve this? What do you do when a commission is given to you, and you feel that it is beyond you, that you lack the stature to carry it out? You should rack your brains in search of the truth, you should pray and fellowship with God in your heart day and night, you should put your heart and soul into practicing the love of God and satisfying God; in this way, you are guaranteed to receive the work of the Holy Spirit. After a period of hardship, after toiling hard for some time, you will see that the Holy Spirit has begun to work, that God is with you, that the Holy Spirit guides and upholds you, and causes your work to have an effect. Only this is true entry into the reality. If you are incapable of paying a price in your cooperation, then you will never enter the reality. For those who pursue the truth with resolution, the more difficulties they face, the more they will push onward. They do not shrink back. Only people such as this have the hope of entering into the reality of the truth. Mindfulness of God’s will is not just empty words, it is not just something you talk about and nothing more. When you encounter difficulties, you need to cooperate, search for the truth and ultimately resolve it; only this is true obedience to the work of God, and true cooperation. When people do not cooperate or pay a price, how could they still imagine that they can enter the reality of the truth? How could they still think of being trained and made complete by God? This is nothing more than fantasy. You understand when I put it like this, yes? So what about when you perform your duty? Do you give your all in performing your duty? Do you toil hard for it? If you do not give your all, if you do not work hard, then the price you pay is insufficient. You cooperate a little, but you are not loyal enough. You lack the spirit of obedience unto death. Cooperation is not just a matter of saying certain words, nor is it merely a case of simply doing what is within your power. It requires you to pay a price, and to suffer hardship. What do the unbelievers call this kind of spirit? They call it working your heart out, racking your brains. If you are capable of this, and if, on top of that, you are capable of loyalty unto death, when you do achieve loyalty unto death, that’ll be enough; you shall surely be made perfect by God. When you have accomplished the effect of obedience unto death, then after one or two years, in your heart you will enjoy the blessings and comfort of God; what’s more, you will have the sense of accomplishment in having entered into the reality of the truth, and ultimately, you will behold God’s chosen ones nodding their heads at you in satisfaction. They will be convinced, and will say, “We see the price you have paid, the hardship you have suffered, the effort you have made to carry out God’s will.” It will be clear to them. You might feel that you have carried out God’s will, but in their hearts, God’s chosen ones could be thinking, “He has not endured any great hardship. He does every kind of work, but he has not paid any great price, has not suffered much adversity.” Are you satisfied with this result? Is this victorious testimony? You should make God’s chosen ones say, “Wow, this person truly is loyal to God’s commission. We really admire him. He really has suffered much hardship. One time, he tried to solve a problem, and the first time he failed, and he didn’t fellowship the truth clearly, but afterward he returned home and prayed, and he sought this aspect of the truth, and prepared for two days; when he tried again his fellowship was effective. We were released, and we all clapped our hands in applause.” See—this is the effect of paying a price. Do you possess this aspect of reality? This is true testimony. When you have true testimony, and earn the heartfelt admiration of God’s chosen ones, is this not entry into the reality of the truth? Have you achieved this effect in your entry into the reality of the truth? This is clear to everybody in their heart. If you cause God’s chosen ones to nod their heads and say, “This person has been faithful to God’s commission, we see this, we see it clearly,” then this is great; how could you still be accused by Satan? God’s chosen ones are convinced, and God is satisfied, God is entirely satisfied with the price you have paid, with your cooperation, with the duty you have performed. What is the standard for God’s satisfaction? You have passed muster with God’s chosen ones. They approve of you, and say, “You have done all you can to guide us in entering the reality of the truth, in performing our duty properly and carrying out God’s will. You have put your heart into it.” Is this not the standard for carrying out God’s will? Only if you are capable of such loyalty and testimony in carrying out the will of God, will you truly enter the reality of the truth.

On How to Achieve Results in Reading God’s Word

When God is incarnated in the end time, he does the work of the word, and through the word, he conquers man, perfects man, and gains man. If we want to be saved and gained by God, the most fundamental thing is to read God’s word. However, now most brothers and sisters are still unable to achieve the due results in reading God’s word, so they are slow in life entering in. Although they have believed in God for several years, they have not understood much truth, even less gained the transformation of their life disposition. Then, how can we achieve results in reading God’s word?

Communicating “Loyalty to God”

God’s work is already nearing the end. To each and every person, God asks: “To Whom Are You Loyal?” This question from God stirs people’s hearts and people begin to examine themselves. Perhaps people have never been serious about themselves, but this time around, people should be serious about themselves. God defines who belongs to Him in terms of who is loyal to Him and so determines the outcome of each person. This makes sense. If you are loyal to God, you of course belong to God, and are gained by God. This kind of person will receive God’s praise. If you are loyal to God, you must have enough good deeds to serve as proof and cannot rely on mere words nor thoughts. So what does it mean to be loyal to God? Loyalty to God means that, in all matters, one chooses God. One loves God, one only worships God, and one can obey and be loyal to all that comes from God. One can reject and throw off Satan, the flesh, and varied people and things and not be restrained by them. One abandons everything in order to expend for God like this. Those that are loyal to God are so because God holds a place in their hearts. Therefore, they love God and do their duties without other things restraining them. They do not feel taxed in carrying out the truth to the point that they will remain loyal even unto death and will not betray God. Those that have other loves are never able to overcome being restrained by people, issues and things. They therefore have difficulty carrying out the truth and this is completely natural. In times of great tribulation, those that fulfill their duties have possessed some of these kinds of situations and born witness to loyalty to God. But they are still not perfect and they must continue to work hard. Those that perform their duties only in a perfunctory manner don’t demonstrate any observable loyalty and bearing witnessing is therefore absent in them and much greater efforts are needed to make this up. Testimony of loyalty to God is the testimony of the victorious and only the victorious really become perfected and are praised by God. If one seeks to be loyal to God, then one must cast off all things in order to fulfill one’s duties, including the world, including one’s family, including one’s husband or wife, children, mother and father so as to be completely loyal to God. This is the only true expression of loyalty to God. God does not use regulations to restrain people, and all that people do should be based on faith and on true love for God. If you want to be loyal to God, then you must put aside all else and do everything in order to satisfy God. I think this is completely reasonable and isn’t too great of a demand. People’s principles of practice depend upon faith and on God’s demands at different times. The final moment is not a trivial time. At this critical moment, if one can’t be loyal to God, then one will regret one’s entire life. The victorious are “they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes,” “they loved not their lives unto the death,” “they have a share in the adversity, kingdom, and patience of Christ.” This is testimony of one’s loyalty to God, the testimony of the victorious, and worthy of God’s praise. How God perfects the victorious is what He demands from people; people should understand God’s heart. The last stage of testimony is done in this way. What one practiced in the past has not met the mark.

What Truly Are the Wise Virgins?

Bible Verses for Reference:

““Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. … But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. … And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. … and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut”” (Mat 25: 1, 4, 6-7, 10).

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jhn 10:27).

How Can My Young, Brash, and Arrogant Self Get Along With My Grandmother?

                    
My name is An Qi. Before the age of six, I was living at my grandmother’s house. At the time, my grandmother was the person with whom I felt closest to. Each day when I went to the kindergarten, my grandmother decided which clothes I would wear and how I would comb my hair. I felt that my grandmother did these things the best. Gradually, I grew up and I started to disapprove of some of the things that my grandmother did. My grandmother also started to disapprove of me as well. Each time I went to her house, she would scold me. If she wasn’t nagging me on one thing, she would be nagging me about something else. I felt very upset.

Knowing the purpose of the three stages of work of God’s management of mankind

Relevant Words of God:

My entire management plan, a plan that spans six thousand years, consists of three stages, or three ages: the Age of Law in the beginning; the Age of Grace (which is also the Age of Redemption); and the Age of Kingdom in the last days. My work in these three ages differs in content according to the nature of each age, but at each stage it accords with man’s needs—or, to be more precise, it is done according to the tricks that Satan employs in the war that I wage against it. The purpose of My work is to defeat Satan, to make manifest My wisdom and omnipotence, to expose all of Satan’s tricks, and thereby to save the entire human race, which lives under its domain. It is to show My wisdom and omnipotence while at the same time revealing the unbearable hideousness of Satan. Even more, it is to teach My creations to discriminate between good and evil, to know that I am the Ruler of all things, to see clearly that Satan is humanity’s foe, the lowest of the low, the evil one, and to tell, with absolute certainty, the difference between good and evil, truth and falsehood, holiness and filth, and what is great and what is ignoble. This way, ignorant humanity will become able to bear witness to Me that it is not I who corrupt humanity, and only I—the Lord of creation—can save humanity, can bestow upon man things for their enjoyment; and they will come to know that I am the Ruler of all things and Satan is merely one of the beings that I created and that later turned against Me. My six-thousand-year management plan is divided into three stages so as to achieve the following effect: to enable My creations to become My witnesses, to comprehend My will, and to know that I am the truth.

How to understand that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life?

Bible Verses for Reference:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (Jhn 1:1-2).

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jhn 1:14).

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me” (Jhn 14:6).