Eastern Lightning | Judgment Has Begun in God’s Family

Eastern Lightning | Judgment Has Begun in God’s Family

I am a Christian. When I first started believing in God, I frequently heard sermons where people said, “The Lord Jesus is our Redeemer. He was nailed to the cross for our sins. Jesus is merciful and loving. As long as we frequently come before the Lord and confess our sins through prayer, our sins will be forgiven and when the Lord returns, we will be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Afterward, I noticed, when I read the Bible, many parts where the word “judgment” is mentioned. For example: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). “Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained” (Act 17:31). At the time, I did not understand what judgment meant. So, I went to ask the preacher. The preacher told me, “When the Lord returns, He will do the work of judgment to determine man’s sins. Since Jesus is the sacrifice for our atonement, our sins will be forgiven and we will not be convicted. Furthermore, those who spend and toil for the Lord will receive crowns in accordance with their contributions. There will be large and small crowns….” I did not quite understand what the preacher told me. I felt that this “crown” idea was very similar to the idea that seniority must be given priority in the secular world. My heart could not accept it.

2019 Christian Dance "Praise for New Life in the Kingdom" God's People Worship and Praise God

2019 Christian Dance "Praise for New Life in the Kingdom" God's People Worship and Praise God 

We’ve heard God’s voice and returned to His house. In gatherings we eat and drink God’s words, we’re attending the banquet. We bid farewell to our sorrows and entanglements, we’re leading a new life. God’s words are with us every day, we so bask in them. Opening our hearts in fellowship on the truth, our hearts are so brightened. We contemplate, ponder God’s words, the Holy Spirit enlightens us. We are rid of our barriers and prejudices, we live within God’s love. We understand the truth and are freed, our hearts are sweet as honey. We love each other, there’s no distance between us. We understand God’s heart, we’re no longer negative. Living within God’s words, we see His loveliness. We’ve taken the path of light in life, this is all God’s guidance. We sing aloud our praises for God, we dance and we dance.

Christian Movie "The People of the Heavenly Kingdom" | Only the Honest Can Enter the Kingdom of God

Christian Movie "The People of the Heavenly Kingdom" | Only the Honest Can Enter the Kingdom of God

The Lord Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). The Lord Jesus told us that only honest people can enter the kingdom of heaven; only honest people can be people of the kingdom. This movie tells the story of the Christian Cheng Nuo's experience of God's work and the course of her pursuit to become an honest person in life.

Eastern Lightning | God's Utterance "God's Work, God's Disposition, and God Himself I" (Part Four)

Eastern Lightning | God's words in this video are from The Word Appears in the Flesh.

The content of this video:

3. God Makes the Rainbow as a Symbol of His Covenant With Man

Almighty God says, "Even though God made a covenant with mankind using the rainbow, He never told anyone why He did this, why He established this covenant, meaning He never told anybody His real thoughts. This is because there is no one who can comprehend the depth of the love God has for the mankind He created with His own hands, and there is also no one who can appreciate just how much pain His heart suffered when He destroyed humanity. Therefore, even if He tells people how He feels, they cannot undertake this trust. Despite being in pain, He still goes on with the next step of His work. God always gives His best side and the best things to mankind while quietly bearing all the suffering Himself. God never openly discloses these sufferings. Instead, He endures them and waits in silence. God’s endurance is not cold, numb, or helpless, nor is it a sign of weakness. It is that God’s love and essence has always been selfless. This is a natural revelation of His essence and disposition, and a genuine embodiment of God’s identity as the true Creator."

Eastern Lightning | An Arrogant Believer’s Process of Transformation

Eastern Lightning | An Arrogant Believer’s Process of Transformation

By Zhang Yitao, Henan Province

“God, Your judgment is so real, full of righteousness and holiness. Your revelations about the truth of mankind’s corruption have left me thoroughly exposed. I think of how I expended myself and busied myself solely to gain Your blessing. I imitated Paul, toiling and working, so that I could stand out from the crowd. Your words of judgment made me see how selfish and contemptible I was. I fall to the ground feeling ashamed and abashed, too unworthy to look upon Your face. So many times I have looked back at the path I have walked. It was You who watched over me and protected me, leading me each step of the way up to now. I see how much it costs You to save me, it’s all Your love. O God! By experiencing Your judgment, I have tasted Your true love. It is Your judgment that allows me to know myself and truly repent. I am so corrupt that I really need You to judge and cleanse me. Without Your judgment, I would only flounder in darkness. It is Your words which have led me onto life’s path of light. I feel that loving You and living for You is the most meaningful pursuit. So many times I have looked back at the path I have walked. Your judgment and chastisement are Your blessings and true love. I will understand the truth and achieve a purer love for You. I’m willing no matter how much I suffer” (“God Has Given Me So Much Love” in Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). Every time I sing this hymn, I think of God’s salvation for me through all these years, and I am full of gratitude for Him. It was God’s judgment and chastisement that changed me. It made me—an arrogant, ambitious, rebellious son—appear a bit more like a human being. I sincerely give thanks for God’s salvation of me!

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.

Eastern Lightning | Catholic Beliefs: The Lord Really Has Returned

Eastern Lightning | Catholic Beliefs: The Lord Really Has Returned

By Renshi, USA

My whole family believes in God. I attended mass with my mom from the time I was a little girl and God bestowed so much grace on us—we were full of gratitude toward Him and we were also longing for the Lord’s return. But I never imagined that when the Lord really did return to work and save us, I wouldn’t recognize His work but would instead rely on my arrogant nature and cling to my old notions, nearly missing out on the Lord’s salvation. Every time I think of this I feel self-reproach but I also rejoice. The Lord Jesus had mercy on me and through my brothers’ and sisters’ patient fellowship on the Lord’s new words I have gained an understanding of His new work, thus becoming able to follow His footsteps. I am grateful for the Lord’s salvation for me that allowed me to catch the very last train for the Age of Kingdom. Now all sorts of scenes of me accepting the Lord are playing in my head….