Only Putting the Truth Into Practice Is Having Reality

Being able to blatantly explain God’s words does not mean that you are in possession of reality—things are not as simple as you may have imagined. Whether you are in possession of reality or not is not based on what you say, rather, it is based on what you live out. When God’s words become your life and your natural expression, only this counts as reality, and only this counts as you possessing understanding and real stature. You must be able to withstand examination for a long period of time, and you must be able to live out the likeness that is required of you by God; it must not be mere posturing, but it must flow naturally out of you. Only then will you truly have reality, and only then will you have gained life. Let Me use the example of the trial of service-doers that everyone is familiar with. Anyone can talk about the loftiest theories regarding the service-doers; you all have a decent level of understanding regarding this matter, and each of you is more proficient at talking about this subject matter than the previous one, as if this were a competition.

Eastern Lightning | Focus More on Reality

Every person has the possibility of being perfected by God, so everyone should understand what sort of service to God would be best in line with His intentions. Most people do not know what it means to believe in God, nor do they understand why they should believe in Him. That is to say, most have no comprehension of God’s work or the purpose of His management plan. These days, a majority of people still think believing in God is about going to heaven and having their souls saved, and have no idea what believing in God means, specifically; moreover, they do not have any understanding whatsoever of the most important work in God’s management plan. For various reasons of their own, people simply do not take any interest in God’s work, and give no thought to His intentions or to His management plan. As an individual in this stream, each person should know what the purpose of God’s entire management plan is, the things that He has already made into reality, why He has chosen this group of people, what is the purpose and meaning in His choosing them, and what He wants to achieve in this group. In the nation of the great red dragon, God has been able to raise such a group of inconspicuous people, and He has continued to work until now, trying and perfecting them in all sorts of ways, speaking countless words, performing much work, and dispatching so many serving objects.

How Is Your Relationship With God?

In believing in God, you must at least resolve the issue of having a normal relationship with God. Without a normal relationship with God, then the significance in believing in God is lost. Establishing a normal relationship with God is entirely attained through quieting your heart in God’s presence. A normal relationship with God means being able to not doubt or deny any of God’s work and submit to it, and furthermore it means having the right intentions in the presence of God, not thinking of yourself, always having the interests of God’s family as the most important thing no matter what you are doing, accepting God’s observation, and submitting to God’s arrangements. You are able to quiet your heart in God’s presence whenever you do anything; even if you do not understand God’s will, you must still fulfill your duties and responsibilities to the best of your ability. It is not too late to wait for God’s will to be revealed to you and then put this into practice. When your relationship with God has become normal, then you will also have a normal relationship with people.

A Person Who Attains Salvation Is One Who Is Willing to Practice the Truth

Very early on, the necessity of having a proper church life was mentioned in the sermons. So why is it that the life of the church has not yet improved, and is still just the same old thing? Why is there not a completely new and different way of life? Could it be proper for a person of the nineties to live like an emperor of a bygone era? Although the food and drink may be delicacies rarely tasted in previous ages, there have been no major turnarounds in conditions in the church. It has been like putting old wine in a new bottle. What then is the use of God saying so much? The churches in most places have not changed at all. I have seen it with My eyes and it is clear in My heart; even though I have not experienced the life of the church for Myself, I know the conditions of church gatherings like the back of My hand. They have not made much progress. It goes back to that saying—it’s like putting old wine in a new bottle. Nothing has changed, not in the least bit! When someone is shepherding them they burn like fire, but when no one is there to support them, they are like a block of ice. Not many can talk of practical things, and very rarely can anyone take the helm. Although the sermons are lofty, seldom has anyone had any entry. Few people cherish the word of God. They become tearful when they take up God’s word and become cheerful when they set it aside; they turn gloomy and morose when they depart from it. Speaking frankly, you simply do not cherish the word of God, and you never see the words from His own mouth today as a treasure.

Practice the Truth Once You Understand It

God’s work and word are meant to bring about a change in your disposition; His goal isn’t merely to make you understand or recognize it and have that be the end of it. As one with the ability to receive, you should have no difficulty in understanding the word of God, as most of God’s word is written in human language that is only too easy to understand. For instance, you can know what God wants you to understand and practice; this is something that a normal person who has the faculty of understanding should be able to do. What God says now is especially clear and transparent, and God points out many things that people have not considered and the various conditions of man. His words are all-embracing, as clear as the light of a full moon. So now, people understand many issues; what they lack is putting His word into practice. People must experience all aspects of truth in detail, and explore and seek it out in greater detail, not simply wait to take in what’s readily given to them; otherwise they become little more than freeloaders.

Concerning God’s Use of Man

No one is capable of living independently except for those who are given special direction and guidance by the Holy Spirit, for they require the ministry and shepherding of those who are used by God. Thus, in each age God raises up different people who rush and busy about shepherding the churches for the sake of His work. Which is to say, God’s work must be done through those whom He looks favorably upon and approves of; the Holy Spirit must use the part within them that is worthy of use in order to work, and they are made fit for use by God through being made perfect by the Holy Spirit. Because man’s ability to understand is too lacking, he must be shepherded by those who are used by God; it was the same with God’s use of Moses, in whom He found much that was suitable for use at the time, and which He used to do God’s work during that stage. In this stage, God uses a man whilst also taking advantage of the part of him that can be used by the Holy Spirit in order to work, and the Holy Spirit both directs him and simultaneously makes perfect the remaining, unusable part.

Regarding a Normal Spiritual Life

A believer must have a normal spiritual life—this is the foundation for experiencing God’s words and entering into reality. Currently, can all of the prayers, the getting close to God, the singing, praising, meditation, and the trying to figure out God’s words that you practice meet the standards of a normal spiritual life? None of you are very clear on this. A normal spiritual life is not limited to prayer, song, church life, eating and drinking the words of God, and other such practices, but it means to live a spiritual life that is fresh and lively. It’s not about the method, but the result. Most people think that in order to have a normal spiritual life one must pray, sing, eat and drink the words of God, or try to figure out the words of God.

How to Serve in Harmony With God’s Will

Today, we will primarily be communing how people should serve God in their belief in God, what conditions should be fulfilled and which truths should be understood by those who serve God, and what deviations there are in your service. You should understand all of this. These issues touch upon how you believe in God, how you walk onto the path of guidance by the Holy Spirit, and how you submit to God’s orchestrations in all things, and they will allow you to know every step of God’s work in you. When you reach that point, you will appreciate what faith in God is, how to properly believe in God, and what you should do to act in harmony with God’s will. This will make you completely and utterly obedient to God’s work, and you will have no complaints, you will not judge, or analyze, much less research. Furthermore, you will all be capable of obedience to God unto death, allowing God to steer you and slaughter you like a sheep, so that you can all become the Peters of the 1990s, and can love God to the utmost even upon the cross, without the slightest complaint. Only then will you be able to live as Peters of the 1990s.

Promises to Those Who Have Been Perfected

What is the path through which God perfects man? Which aspects are included? Are you willing to be perfected by God? Are you willing to accept the judgment and chastisement of God? What do you know of these questions? If you cannot speak of such knowledge, then this shows that you still know not of God’s work and have not been enlightened at all by the Holy Spirit. Such kind of man cannot be perfected. They can only receive a small amount of grace to enjoy briefly and it cannot be maintained in the long term. If one merely enjoys God’s grace, he cannot be perfected by God. Some may be satisfied with the peace and enjoyment of the flesh, a life of ease without adversity or misfortune, living in peace with their family without fights or quarrels. They may even believe this to be the blessing of God, but in truth, it is merely the grace of God. You cannot be satisfied merely with enjoying the grace of God. This kind of thinking is too vulgar. Even if you read the word of God daily, pray every day, and your spirit feels particular enjoyment and peace, yet in the end you cannot speak of any knowledge of God and His work or have no experience with such, and no matter how much of God’s word you have eaten and drunk, if you merely feel peace and enjoyment in your spirit and that the word of God is sweet beyond compare, as if you cannot enjoy it enough, but you have no real experience with and no reality of the word of God, then what can you receive from such manner of faith in God? If you cannot live out the essence of God’s word, your eating and drinking of God’s words and prayers are entirely concerned with religion. Then such kind of man cannot be perfected and cannot be gained by God. All those gained by God are those who pursue the truth. What God gains is not man’s flesh nor his possessions, but the part within him that belongs to God. Therefore, God perfects not the flesh of man but his heart, so that the heart of man may be gained by God. In other words, the essence of saying that God perfects man is that God perfects the heart of man so that it may turn to God and love Him.

Establishing a Proper Relationship With God Is Very Important

People believe in God, love God, and satisfy God by touching the Spirit of God with their heart, thereby obtaining His satisfaction; when engaging with God’s words with their heart, they are therefore moved by the Spirit of God. If you wish to achieve a proper spiritual life and establish a proper relationship with God, you must first give your heart to Him, and quiet your heart before Him. Only after you have poured your whole heart into God can you gradually develop a proper spiritual life. If people do not give their heart to God in their belief in Him, if their heart is not in Him and they do not treat His burden as their own, then everything they do is cheating God, and it is all the behavior of religious people—this cannot receive God’s praise.

Eastern Lightning | On the Steps of God’s Work

From the outside, it seems that the steps of God’s work in this current stage have already been finished, and that mankind has already experienced the judgment, chastisement, smiting, and refinement of His words, and that they have undergone the steps such as the trial of service-doers, the refinement of the times of chastisement, the trial of death, the trial of the foils, and the times of[a] loving God. Although people have undergone great suffering in each step they still have not understood God’s will. Just like the trial of service-doers, what people gained from that, what they understood from it, and what result God wanted to achieve through that—people still remain unclear about these issues.

Italian Friends Moved by Persecuted Christians’ Strong Faith

Italian Friends Moved by Persecuted Christians’ Strong Faith

On February 2, 2019, Christians from The Church of Almighty God (CAG) in Italy held a get-together in Milan, inviting over 20 local friends. The CAG hosts played a short film on Almighty God’s appearance and work for their guests and gave song and dance performances witnessing and praising God. After the event some Italian guests expressed their hope that the Church would hold similar events every holiday for more opportunities to share in faith. They also hoped to read more of Almighty God’s words and better understand Almighty God’s work in the last days.

Western Scholars Gather in Seoul for The Church of Almighty God’s Premiering Photo Exhibit

October 24, 2018, The Church of Almighty God held its first photo exhibition in Seoul, South Korea with the theme of “The Origin and Development of The Church of Almighty God,” drawing eleven experts and scholars from seven countries including the USA, Canada, England, France, and Italy to attend and explore the exhibit. Massimo Introvigne, who is an Italian sociologist and the founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), France’s Bernadette Rigal-Cellard, professor of North American Studies at the University of Bordeaux Montaigne, Canadian sociologist and author Susan Jean Palmer, and others raised questions on Almighty God’s work of the last days, and several Christians who accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days in its early period provided detailed answers to each one of them. They also shared their feelings and understandings from undergoing Almighty God’s work and words with the guests.

Brilliant Variety Shows of The Church of Almighty God—True Presentations of Christians’ Experiences

Brilliant Variety Shows of The Church of Almighty God—True Presentations of Christians’ Experiences

In March 2018, The Church of Almighty God’s website and YouTube channel rolled out a special series called “Church Life—Variety Show Series,” that includes short sketches, crosstalk, scene plays, songs and dance performances etc., and in which Christians present their understanding, attainment, and all kinds of testimonies of their experiences of God’s work in the last days using various different art forms. In this program, we interview the actors as well as Christian viewers of the shows and, through sharing their experiences, the audience can understand how Christians in The Church of Almighty God experience God’s work of the last days, and can also follow closely the salvation of the last days brought by the return of the Lord Jesus—Almighty God. 

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

Eastern Lightning | 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.

Keeping a straight face, the principal said, “No, the school has rules. A child can only take the examination when the exam fee has been paid!”

Eastern Lightning | I Have Only Just Begun Walking the Right Path of Life

Eastern Lightning | I Have Only Just Begun Walking the Right Path of Life

By Shi Han, Hebei Province

I was born to a poor peasant family. I have been sensible since childhood, in that I never fought with other kids and I obeyed my parents, which made me a good girl in the eyes of adults. People around us were all very envious of my parents, saying that they were lucky to have such a good daughter. And just like this, I grew up listening to compliments from the people around me. When I was in the elementary school, my academic record was especially good, and I always achieved first place in exams. One time, I received full marks in an essay contest held by my town, winning honor for my school. The headmaster not only awarded me a prize and certificate, but also complimented me in front of the entire school and called upon the students to learn from me. I suddenly became the “celebrity” of the school, and my classmates even nicknamed me “ever-victorious general.” The compliments from my teachers, the envy of my classmates, and the doting of my parents gave me a sense of superiority in my heart, and I really enjoyed the feeling of being admired by everyone. Accordingly, I firmly believed that the greatest joy in life was the admiration of others, and that the feeling of happiness came from the praise of others. I secretly told myself: No matter how difficult and exhausting it is, I must become someone with fame and status, and never be looked down upon by others. From then on, dictums such as “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies” and “Men should always strive to be better than their contemporaries” became my life mottos.

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

Lord Jesus

Bible Verses for Reference:

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

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

I Prostrated Myself Before Almighty God to Confess My Sin

Wu Xun

Nanyang City, Henan Province

I was formerly a co-worker in the “Praise Church.” After turning to the Lord Jesus in 1988, I pursued zealously. Whenever something happened in the church, I would run in front. Gradually I won a good reputation of being an “Old Faithful.” However, I, an “Old Faithful,” became a thorough antichrist when God’s salvation of the last days came upon me. Whenever I think of that, I feel extremely ashamed and remorseful…

Almighty God’s Love Is So Real

Chen Yunfeng

Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province

In 1990, my wife and I found grace in the sight of the Lord and returned to Him. We both pursued hard, and a year later, I was selected as a co-worker in the Family Church of the Truth. Starting from April 2001, there were people preaching God’s work of the last days to me. In more than two years, those who preached the new work preached to me numerous times. But I rejected them all, for I had long heard from the leaders above that they believed in a “heresy,” a “cult,” and were a group of gangsters. I hated them to the bones, and resolutely refused to accept their way no matter what they said. And I went to the meeting places with other brothers to distribute adverse materials. We wantonly spread that the “Eastern Lightning” was a “cult,” a “heresy,” and a mafia, and they would gouge out people’s eyes or cut off their ears if they didn’t accept their way, and if they wanted to back out after accepting it, they would break their legs. We frightened the brothers and sisters by many alarmist words. As a result, they were so scared that none dared to accept Almighty God’s new work. Moreover, when I heard that anyone in the church had accepted the way, I would go with other brothers to denounce them, and if they didn’t turn back, we would expel them.

Repeating What the Leaders Say Harms Others and Ourselves

Dong Qingmei Jining City, Shandong Province

I was formerly a leader in charge of twenty-one churches in the “Hua Xuehe sect.” Before I accepted the true way, because I believed in my leader’s words, I resisted Almighty God’s work very fiercely and regarded the brothers and sisters who believed in Almighty God as enemies. Thinking of my past doings of resisting Almighty God, I’m bitterly remorseful!

At the end of 1998, when the gospel of Almighty God’s work of the last days was preached to our city, our upper leader immediately came to seal off the churches, and he told us, “The ‘Eastern Lightning’ is a heresy, a cult. Their preaching is very high. Whoever has contact with them will be deceived at once. Moreover, they don’t read the Bible anymore. They are not believers in God at all… None of you should receive them lest you be deceived.” After hearing these words, I believed them to be true, and I thought to myself, “They believe in God but don’t read the Bible; are they believers in God? They’re surely deceivers!” So I rushed about the churches, conveying the leader’s words as if they were a royal edict… As a result, many brothers and sisters shut the door as soon as they saw the preachers of God’s gospel of the last days, avoiding them like a plague, not daring to have contact with them.