How Should We Welcome the Return of the Lord Jesus?

Nowadays, all the believers in the Lord are expecting the Lord Jesus’ second coming to bring man into the kingdom of heaven. Especially when people reading the scripture Acts 1:11, “Which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.”, they think that the Lord left on a white cloud, so he will surely return on a white cloud. Thus most people just wait for the return of the Lord Jesus passively. But over more than two thousand years have passed, man still hasn’t seen the Savior coming with clouds. In recent years, whenever I see the disaster is greater and greater and the church becomes more and more desolate, I couldn’t help looking up to heaven and crying out to the Lord, “O Lord! Nowadays various signs of the last days have already been fulfilled, but why have we still not seen your return?” With the passage of time, I began to doubt: Is it truly after God’s heart that we wait for God’s coming so passively? Then how shall we welcome the return of the Lord?

It is recorded in the Bible when the disciples asked the Lord Jesus how to welcome His return, the Lord taught them to be the wise virgin and come out to meet Him when hearing the voice of the bridegroom. I remember during the time that Peter spent with Jesus, he saw the Lord Jesus is full of authority and power in His words and actions. Therefore, under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he finally recognized that the Lord Jesus is Christ. It was the same with Nathanael, John, Matthew, and so on; they also knew the Lord Jesus was the coming Messiah from His words and works, and then followed Him and thus received the salvation of the Lord. Those facts enlightened me that man must have a heart of thirsting for and seeking God, and only from God’s words and works can we know the return of the Lord.

Later, I investigated the end-time work of Almighty God—the returned Lord Jesus. I read Almighty God’s words, “Since Jesus departed, the disciples who followed Him, and all of the saints who were saved thanks to His name, have been desperately pining for Him and awaiting Him. All those who were saved by the grace of Jesus Christ during the Age of Grace have been longing for that joyful day during the last days, when Jesus the Savior arrives on a white cloud and appears to all men. Of course, this is also the collective wish of all those who accept the name of Jesus the Savior today. Throughout the universe, all those who know of the salvation of Jesus the Savior have been ‘desperately yearning for’ the sudden arrival of Jesus Christ, to ‘fulfill’ the words of Jesus when on earth: ‘I shall arrive just as I departed.’ Man believes that, following the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven upon a white cloud, and took His place at the Most High’s right hand. Similarly, man conceives that Jesus shall descend, again upon a white cloud (this cloud refers to the cloud that Jesus rode upon when He returned to heaven),among the mankind who has desperately yearned for Him for thousands of years, and that He shall bear the image and clothes of the Jews. After appearing to man, He shall bestow food upon them, and cause living water to gush forth for them, and shall live among man, full of grace and love, living and real. And so on. Yet Jesus the Savior did not do this; He did the opposite of what man conceived. He did not arrive among those who had yearned for His return, and did not appear to all men while riding upon the ‘white cloud.’ He has already arrived, but man does not know Him, and remains ignorant of His arrival. Man is only aimlessly awaiting Him, unaware that He has already descended upon a white cloud (the cloud which is His Spirit, His words, and His entire disposition and all that He is), and is now among a group of overcomers that He will make during the last days.” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh) From Almighty God’s words I understood that the Lord has already returned “upon a white cloud.” He doesn’t forget us, but instead quietly works among man and utters His words to save man. And I also knew that the “white cloud” doesn’t refer to the white cloud in the eyes of man, but refers to His Spirit, His words, and His entire disposition. It is because people don’t understand the substance of “white cloud” that they just pay empty tribute to the literal meaning of the scriptures. From that we see the thoughts of God are always higher than those of man. What we understand is just from our imagination, and is far from the fact God is to fulfill in His work.

And later I read Almighty God’s words, “The way of life is not something that can be possessed by just anyone, nor is it easily obtainable by all. That is because life can only come from God, which is to say, only God Himself possesses the substance of life, there is no way of life without God Himself, and so only God is the source of life, and the ever-flowing wellspring of living water of life.” “God Himself is life, and the truth, and His life and truth coexist. Those who are incapable of gaining the truth shall never gain life. Without the guidance, support, and provision of the truth, you shall only gain letters, doctrines, and, moreover, death.” “Christ of the last days brings life, and brings the enduring and everlasting way of truth. This truth is the path through which man shall gain life, and the only path by which man shall know God and be approved by God. If you do not seek the way of life provided by Christ of the last days, then you shall never gain the approval of Jesus, and shall never be qualified to enter the gate of the kingdom of heaven….” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh) Almighty God’s words tell us: God is the source of all life and the embodiment of the truth. Man shall not gain life if he is incapable of gaining the truth. This reminded me of the verse in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” After investigating carefully, I became certain that the source of Almighty God and the Lord Jesus is the same. Almighty God is actually the returned Lord Jesus!

Today facing the news God has returned, many Christians still hold onto the letters of the Bible, and they just blindly and passively wait for the Lord Jesus coming on a white cloud, but not actively seek the voice of the Lord or investigate God’s new utterances and words. Then how can they welcome the return of the Lord? And won’t they become the foolish virgin forsaken by the Lord? As a man who truly yearns for God’s return, what should he do to welcome the second coming of the Lord? The words of Almighty God also give us the answer. Almighty God says, “… since we are searching for the footprints of God, we must search for God’s will, for the words of God, for the utterances of God—for where there are the new words of God, there is the voice of God, and where there are the footsteps of God, there are the deeds of God. Where there is the expression of God, there is the appearance of God, and where there is the appearance of God, there exists the truth, the way, and the life. … If you desire to witness the appearance of God, if you wish to follow the footprints of God, then you must first transcend your own conceptions. You must not demand that God do this or that, much less should you place Him within your own confines and limit Him to your own conceptions. Instead, you should ask how you should seek the footprints of God, how you should accept the appearance of God, and how you should submit to the new work of God; that is what should be done by man. Since man is not the truth, and is not possessed of the truth, man should seek, accept, and obey.” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh)

                                                              source from: Rainbow Covenant

Have You Paid Attention to the Church of Almighty God?

The Church of Almighty God has gradually been the focus of the advanced minds in today’s society. Many people fix their eyes on its development trend and they can’t help marveling and feeling amazed: Why can this Church, persecuted cruelly by the CCP government, develop so rapidly under a great deal of opposition? Why can the Church of Almighty God have their own choir and filmmaking group while setting up churches around the world in such a short time? Why can these unprofessional Christians actually make so many wonderful films that convey positive energy?

All those who have seen the websites and films of the Church of Almighty God know that their films are testifying Christ of the last days—Almighty God. These films, based on God’s chosen people’s personal experiences of the end-time work and word of Almighty God, reflect the deep-seated things of mankind and the key problems that need to be solved urgently. These films create the precious positive energy to the world, and they are adequate to awaken all those who have conscience throughout the world.

As for the chosen people of the Church of Almighty God, the name they pray in is Almighty God, what they accept is the truth expressed by Almighty God, what they obey is the work of Almighty God, and what they practice is the word of Almighty God. So, the One they believe in is Almighty God—the Christ incarnated in the last days. Outwardly, Almighty God is an ordinary person. But in substance He is the embodiment of God’s Spirit. He possesses full divinity. His word is the direct expression of God’s Spirit and is the truth, the way, and the life. Almighty God is the incarnate practical God. All those who submit under the name of Almighty God are conquered because they have seen the appearance of Almighty God and accepted Almighty God’s judgment and chastisement in the end time. Then, they start performing their duty to repay God’s love, spreading Almighty God’s word and witnessing His work by means of films and choir performances. The Holy Spirit thereby works greatly. Thus, Almighty God’s end-time work has been worldwidely testified, and God has gained many people who sincerely love Him from different counties and places. God’s work has been accomplished! Just as Almighty God says, “Throughout the universe I am doing My work, and in the East, thunderous crashes issue forth endlessly, shaking all denominations and sects. It is My voice that has brought all men to the present. I let My voice be that which subdues man; they all fall into this stream and all submit before Me, for I have long ago reclaimed My glory from all the earth and issued it forth anew in the East. Who does not long to see My glory? Who does not anxiously await My return? Who does not thirst for My reappearance? Who does not long for My loveliness? Who would not come to the light? Who would not see the richness of Canaan? Who does not long for the return of the ‘Redeemer’? Who does not adore the Great Almighty? My voice must spread throughout all the earth; I wish to speak more to My chosen people. The words I utter shake the mountains and rivers like mighty thunders; I speak to all the universe and to mankind. Hence My words become man’s treasure, and all men cherish them. The lightning flashes from the East even to the West. My words are such that man loathes to give them up and finds them unfathomable, but moreover, man rejoices in them. Like a newborn infant, all men are glad and joyful, celebrating My coming. Because of My voice, I shall bring all men before Me. Thenceforth, I shall formally enter among men so that they come to worship Me. The glory I give forth and My words make it such that all men come before Me and see that the lightning flashes from the East, and that I have also descended unto the ‘Mount of Olives’ of the East. They will see that I have already long been on earth, no longer the ‘Son of the Jews’ but the Lightning of the East. For I have long since been resurrected, gone away from among men, then reappeared among men with glory. I am He who was worshiped before the ages, and the ‘infant’ forsaken by the Israelites before the ages. Moreover, I am the all-glorious Almighty God of the present age! Let all come before My throne to see My glorious countenance, hear My voice, and watch My deeds. This is the entirety of My will; it is the end and climax of My plan, as well as the purpose of My management. Let every nation worship Me, every tongue acknowledge Me, every man trust Me, and every people be subject unto Me!” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh)

                                                         source from: Find the Shepherd

I Was Conquered by Almighty God’s Word During My Resisting Him

Li Jun

Shuangyashan City, Heilongjiang Province

I was formerly a key co-worker of the Justification by Faith Church, and I lived in Shuangyashan City. In 1992, I turned to the Lord Jesus because of my wife’s long-term illness. Not long afterward, my wife gradually grew better, and a year later she recovered. To repay the Lord’s love, my wife and I pursued hard, and we never lagged behind in attending meetings and preaching the gospel. Later, I was assigned by our church to work in other places and support the churches there all year round. At that time, I was full of enthusiasm and felt that believing in the Lord was the most meaningful thing and at no time would I leave the Lord.

In 1998, without knowing why, the brothers and sisters in the churches were not eager to attend meetings anymore. Some returned to the world to make money; some were plagued by their family and turned away from the Lord. I also felt depressed in spirit, and neither my love nor faith could compare with before. However, as a preacher, I couldn’t show my weakness before the brothers and sisters, so I had to force myself to grin and bear it.

Right at that time, Sister Zhang, a co-worker in Jiamusi area, told us, “Now there appears a sect called ‘Eastern Lightning.’ They are very dangerous. As long as you get in touch with them, you will be deceived. These people are extremely brutal. If you refuse to accept their way, they will gouge out your eyes, cut off your nose, and then throw you in the wilderness. They are preaching another gospel by a different name from Jesus. It is purely a false christ….” At this, I began to hate “Eastern Lightning” from the depth of my heart. I cursed the people of “Eastern Lightning” every day in my prayers, asking the Lord to punish them and wipe them out quickly lest the brothers and sisters who believed in Jesus be deceived. Because of the matter of resisting “Eastern Lightning,” I, a person who had been weak for a long time, seemed to be suddenly injected with stimulants and began to be busy again. I thought to myself, “It’s time for me to be faithful to the Lord. This time I’ll definitely give an excellent account of myself.” So, I preached that “Eastern Lightning” was a heresy and an evil spirit on and off the platform and also closed the churches everywhere to outsiders. Whenever I heard that there were people of “Eastern Lightning” somewhere, I would run there at all costs and drive them away. Besides, I often tailed them like a plainclothesman.

In October 1999, a brother of our church accepted “Eastern Lightning.” After I knew that, I immediately brought along a co-worker to dissuade him. Unexpectedly, he not only didn’t repent but also advised me to investigate with a humble heart. I was so angry that I cursed “Eastern Lightning” and that brother with the co-worker right on the spot. Immediately after that, I notified all the churches of that brother’s name and expelled him from the church.

On April 15, 2001, I went to work in the church of Shuangyashan Power Plant with several co-workers. Seeing that there were two strangers there, I suspected that they were of “Eastern Lightning.” So I drove them out at once. I questioned the co-worker in that church angrily, “Do you know them? If they are of ‘Eastern Lightning’ and the brothers and sisters are deceived by them, how do you give account to the Lord Jesus? From now on, don’t receive anyone you don’t know, whoever he is!” After saying that, I went to chase them with several co-workers without even attending the meeting. Yet we failed after running a long distance. Then, I warned the brothers and sisters in that church again and again, telling them to guard strictly against “Eastern Lightning.”

In August, those two strangers went to the home of a co-worker of Qixing Mine church to preach the end-time gospel but were driven out by that co-worker. After I learned it, I immediately informed the brothers and sisters in all the churches, “Whenever you come across the people of ‘Eastern Lightning’ who come to preach the way or give you the book, beat them out. Call the police to arrest them if they don’t leave.” During that period of time, we only preached about how to guard against “Eastern Lightning” in meetings, and I also repeatedly emphasized on the platform that the one we believed in was Jesus and there was no other name by which we could be saved. To stop the brothers and sisters from getting in touch with the people of “Eastern Lightning,” we compiled a booklet called Track the Wolf’s Trace and distributed it to every church. I felt that only by doing so could I be regarded as faithful to the Lord. I thought to myself, “Now, the brothers and sisters won’t be deceived.” But not long afterward, I heard that Sister Si, the most devout believer in God in the church, had accepted “Eastern Lightning.” I was extremely surprised. “This sister pursues exceptionally well at usual times, how come she has been deceived?” I couldn’t help feeling sorry and sad for her. Because of that, I even more hated “Eastern Lightning.” I thought to myself, “Even if the people all over the world believe in ‘Eastern Lightning,’ I will not believe in it.”

In January 2002, during a meeting, I stepped onto the platform and was about to give a sermon I had prepared on “1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Churches Being Caught Up.” I took a glance at the crowd and suddenly saw that Sister Si was also among the people who were listening to the message. I got a slight shock and immediately changed the sermon to “Galatians 3:1-10 You Foolish Galatians” to warn the brothers and sisters. After the meeting, I put up my hand and cursed “Eastern Lightning” and asked all the brothers and sisters to curse it too. Seeing that only Sister Si didn’t do so, I asked all the brothers and sisters to curse her. At that time, a co-worker rushed to her, grabbed her collar, and dragged her out fiercely. Afterward, I informed all the churches about Sister Si and also expelled her from the church.

One day in mid-March, while I was reading the Bible at home, I suddenly heard someone knock at the door. I opened the door, took a look, and froze. They were Sister Si and an unfamiliar old sister. I felt very surprised and became alert at the same time. Sister Si said, “Brother Li, we want to have a fellowship with you.” I thought to myself, “How much of the Bible do you know that you even dare to fellowship with me?” But then I thought, “These people of ‘Eastern Lightning’ are utterly detestable. They have deceived so many people. Just let me see how they deceive people.” So, I invited them into the room with a crafty and haughty heart. I looked that old sister up and down but didn’t find anything special in her. She appeared sober and natural and began to talk with ease and fluency, “The Lord once prophesied in the Bible that he would come the second time. Now the Lord has already come and has done a new work. …” She fellowshipped a lot, but I just listened perfunctorily and didn’t take her words seriously at all. When she fellowshipped that this time God had opened the little scroll mentioned in Revelation, I suddenly thought of a way to deal with “Eastern Lightning.” I thought to myself, “I must deceive them out of this book to find out why it can deceive so many people, so that I can expose the inside story of ‘Eastern Lightning’ and stop them deceiving people again.” So, I pretended to be seeking and asked, “Do you have the little scroll? Can I have a look?” … After I got the book, I felt very pleased with myself and thought, “This time, I must bring the whole thing to light and reveal the inside story and true colors of yours. I’ll see how you can deceive people in the future.”

After they left, I threw the book to the ground, stepped on it with my feet, put up my hands, and cursed the book and the preachers of “Eastern Lightning” in the name of Jesus. After that, I asked my wife to step on the book and curse them one more time. I felt very pleased and was completely at ease after doing that. Then, I picked up the book and opened it to read. “Your faithfulness is on your lips, your knowledge is in your thinking and notions, and your labor is for the blessings of heaven. So what can your faith be like? Now faced with these words of truth, you still take a disregarding attitude. You do not know what God is or what Christ is….” When I read those words, I was extremely angry. I thought to myself, “You say I don’t know what Christ is, aren’t you looking down on me?” I slapped the book to the ground, picked it up, and threw it to the ground again. I did that three times, but it still didn’t slake my hatred. So I picked up the book again and threw it against the wall with all my might. I threw it many times until the edge of the book was damaged. At that time, my heart was completely filled with hatred. When my wife saw me like that, she advised me, “Since the book made you so mad, why don’t you just give it back?” I immediately said, “No way! I swear I won’t give up until I check it out!” Then, I told myself to calm down and picked up the book to read again. During the process of reading, sometimes my heart beat fast with anger, sometimes I was gripped, and sometimes I was seized with fear and trembling…. I vaguely sensed that the words in this book were not what a human being could say. However, I was still unwilling to admit that they were God’s words. So, I continued reading and folded the pages where I had questions. But the more I read it, the fewer questions I had. When I read these words, which say, “God’s incarnation has shaken every sect and circle, ‘disturbed’ the original order of all religious circles, and shaken the heart of every one who thirsts after God’s appearing. Who does not adore him? Who does not look forward to seeing God? God has been to the world personally for many years, but people have never discovered. Today, God Godself has appeared and made his identity known to people; how could this not make their heart joyful? God once shared sorrows and joys with people. Now he reunites with mankind, and talks about the old days with them. Since God left Judea, there had been no news about him, and all people expected to meet with him again. Little did they expect that they could meet him again and reunite with him today. How could they not think back to yesterday? Two thousand years ago, Simon Barjona, a son of the Jews, saw the Savior Jesus and dined with him at the same table. He followed Jesus for years and had a deeper and deeper friendship with Jesus, and he loved Jesus deep in his heart and loved the Lord Jesus deeply.” I somewhat woke up. I thought, “Has the Lord Jesus come back?” I continued reading. The book says, “You should choose your way. Do not do things of blaspheming the Holy Spirit and rejecting the truth. Do not be ignorant and arrogant people, but be ones who obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit and thirst for and seek the truth. Only this will be good for you. I advise that you should cautiously walk the path of believing in God. Do not make judgments rashly, much less believe in God casually and carelessly. You ought to know that a believer in God should at least have a meek heart and a God-fearing heart. Those who hear the truth but turn up their noses at it are all foolish and ignorant people. Those who hear the truth but casually make judgments about it or condemn it are all arrogant people. As a believer in Jesus, no one has the right to curse or condemn others. You all should be ones who have sense and accept the truth. Maybe after you hear the way of truth and read the words of life, you think that only one ten thousandth of these words agree with your thought or with the Bible. Then you should continue to seek in this one ten thousandth of the words. Again I advise you to be a meek person. Do not be too self-confident, and do not be too self-important. In what little fear of God you have, you will receive greater light. Investigate carefully and ponder repeatedly, and you will understand whether these words are the truth and the life.” At these words, I became somewhat afraid. “Could it be that the ‘Eastern Lightning’ I have been resisting is the true God?” I dared not go on thinking, so I continued reading. It says, “In each age and in each stage of work, my name has representative meaning and is not without a basis. That is, each name represents one age. ‘Jehovah’ represents the Age of the Law and is a respectful address by which the Israelites called the God they worshiped. ‘Jesus’ represents the Age of the Grace and is the name of the God of all those who were redeemed in the Age of the Grace. If in the end time people still expect that the Savior Jesus would descend and descend still in the image that he had in Judea, then the entire six-thousand-year management plan would stop at the Age of the Redemption and could not advance any further, and the end time would never come and the age would never end. This is because ‘Jesus the Savior’ is only the One who redeemed mankind and saved mankind, and I took the name ‘Jesus’ only for the sake of all the sinners in the Age of the Grace, not for the purpose of ending the whole mankind. Although Jehovah, Jesus, and Messiah all represent my Spirit, these several names only represent the different ages in my management plan and do not represent my all. The names by which people on earth call me cannot thoroughly express all my disposition and being, and it is only that they call me by different addresses in different ages. So when the final age, that is, the last age, comes, my name will still change. I will not be called Jehovah or Jesus, much less Messiah, but the powerful Almighty God Godself, with which name I will end the entire age. I was once called Jehovah and was also once called Messiah by people, and people also once called me the Savior Jesus out of love and esteem for me. Today, I am no longer Jehovah or Jesus whom people knew before but the God who has returned in the end time and who will end the age and the God Godself who arises in the ends of the earth, laden with all my disposition and full of authority, honor, and glory. People have never contacted me nor known me or known about my disposition. From the creation of the world until now, no one has ever seen me. This is the God who appears to people in the end time and yet is hidden among them, living among them true and real, like a burning sun and like a flaming fire, full of power and full of authority. No man and no thing will not be judged in my word. Under the burning of fire, no man and no thing will not be purified. In the end, all nations will be blessed because of my word and will also be crushed because of my word, so that all people in the end time will see that I am the Return of the Savior and I am the Almighty God who conquers all mankind, and that all people will see that I was once man’s sin offering, but in the end time I become the fire of the burning sun that burns all things and the sun of righteousness that reveals all things. This is my work in the end time.” When I read these words, without knowing why, tears streamed down my face and my heart was brightened all at once. I clearly knew that the “Eastern Lightning” whom I had been resisting and cursing was precisely the Lord Jesus whom I had been expecting day and night. By then I was extremely remorseful. I beat my head continuously with my fists, hating myself for being so foolish and blind that I believed in God yet did not know God. I drew conclusions about God according to my little knowledge of the Bible and the imagination in my mind, believing that God’s name would never change. I had done too many monstrous things and had become a wicked servant resisting God. At that time, I held the book of God’s word, falling down before God, and burst into tears, “O God! According to my actions and deeds, it won’t be unfair for me to be torn to shreds, because I am a person guilty of the most heinous sin. I once blasphemed you and resisted you, I once cursed the brothers and sisters who preached the end-time gospel, and I once stepped on the book and cursed your word arrogantly. I am simply not human and do not deserve to be called a human. I really deserve to die ten thousand times. O God! You didn’t strike me down according to my transgressions. This is your extremely great patience and mercy. I can do nothing but offer the rest of my life before you and let you use me at will as an ox or a horse.”

Dear brothers and sisters, the above are my true experiences and also the most unforgettable things in my life. I sincerely advise the brothers and sisters in the Lord: Never believe the rumors and the words in the booklet blindly. Do not draw any conclusion about God’s work according to your imaginations. Drop yourself and humble yourself to seek and investigate! Almighty God is indeed the last Christ, and the word he expresses is the truth, the way, and the life, through which we can gain eternal life. As long as we have a heart that fears and seeks God, we will recognize that Almighty God is precisely the returned Savior Jesus we have been earnestly expecting for many years, and will recognize the trumpet call of the truth and receive the salvation of Almighty God.

                                          source from: The Church of  Almighty God

The Conversion of a Son of Disobedience

Li Baosen

Tieling City, Liaoning Province

In the fall of 1996, I accepted the Lord Jesus in the True Jesus Church. Later, I became a preacher, responsible for shepherding over thirty churches in my parish.

At a co-worker meeting in 1999, Elder Li from Shenyang said to us, “In recent years, there has arisen a sect called ‘Eastern Lightning.’ They preach that the Lord has been incarnated the second time, even as a female. They grow so rapidly in number that nothing can stand in their way. Whoever believes in Jesus is a target hunted by them. They belong to an underworld organization. In order to convert a believer in the Lord, they either seduce him with beauty and buy him off with money or threaten him with violence. If he refuses to obey them, they will break his arms or legs, or cut off his nose or ears. Many elders, deacons, and believers of our denomination have been taken captive by them. Now they have come to Changtu area, so you must take stringent precautions and keep a good watch over the flock lest any brother or sister be taken captive by them. …” I did not doubt about his words at all. From then on, whichever church I went to, I wantonly spread the elder’s words and even made up the rumor: “This gang of people of ‘Eastern Lightning’ are promiscuous, extremely filthy.” In order to better prevent the brothers and sisters from being converted to “Eastern Lightning,” I personally taught them in detail how to guard against and resist it.

One day, Brother Li, who had been out of touch with me for many years, came to my home unexpectedly. I little thought that he came to preach God’s end-time gospel to me. When he showed me a book of God’s word, I blasphemed angrily, saying, “Take it away! It’s the devil’s word. I won’t read it.” Seeing me so implacable, he could not but put away the book of God’s word. Before he left, he advised me very sincerely, “Do not say blasphemous words anymore!” However, I did not take his advice seriously.

Once, on the way home from Jilin Province, our elder and I heard that a sister in Diaobingshan Church who was specially cultivated by us had accepted “Eastern Lightning.” This news made my blood boil. As soon as I got home, I went to question that sister, but I only met her younger sister. I knew she had also accepted Almighty God, so I took this opportunity to try to “save” her. However, no matter how I persuaded her, she was not swayed at all; on the contrary, she asked me in return, “You said that the Lord would come this day or that day, but in the end it was not fulfilled. Now the Lord has really come; why don’t you believe it?” I argued irrationally, “Although what we said has not been fulfilled, the female Christ you believe in is even more false and is a downright deceiver. …” I kept on blaspheming and slandering Almighty God in a rude and arrogant manner, giving her no more chance to speak. She, with an imploring look, indicated to me anxiously to stop saying such things, yet I simply paid no attention to it. Instead, I ordered her husband (a believer in our denomination who had not accepted Almighty God) to keep a strict watch on her, and frightened him with these words: “If you do not keep an eye on her, one day she will run away with someone else and become his wife.” Afterward, I went to the church and gave the brothers and sisters strict orders that they must make a clean break with them and never contact them again, so as not to be “deceived” by them. At the same time, I expelled from our church a brother whom we suspected of having accepted “Eastern Lightning.” In those days, I, as if possessed, did my utmost to resist “Eastern Lightning” and pledged to fight to the death in defending our True Jesus Church.

In November 1999, several brothers and sisters in a church in Kaiyuan area accepted Almighty God. On learning of that, I hurried to “rescue” them with several teachers. When we arrived there, I found that all of them were the believers who pursued the Lord very hard at ordinary times. I felt very puzzled why such good brothers and sisters could believe in “Eastern Lightning.” In order to win them back, we racked our brains, spoke many blasphemous words against Almighty God, and frightened them with such words as “if you believe in ‘Eastern Lightning,’ your family will be ruined.” However, none of them returned though we had exercised all our skills. During this time, a sister asked me a question: “How do you understand the biblical prophecy concerning Christ’s second coming in Luke 17:25: ‘But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.’?” To tell the truth, I had taught the Bible for years, but I had never paid attention to this verse. Nervous but stubborn, I prevaricated and answered irrelevantly, “The True Jesus Church is the last living Jesus….” Then, she asked me several more verses concerning the Lord’s second coming. I felt surprised inwardly, for the questions she raised seemed very simple but I found it hard to answer them. So, I had no choice but to talk some rambling stuff to fob her off. I did feel that my answers were self-contradictory, but I, at my wit’s end, was still unwilling to seek.

At the end of 2001, a brother in Shuangjingzi Church phoned and asked me to hurry to his home and discuss how to deal with the sisters who would preach Almighty God to him. Hanging up the phone, I took the material slandering Almighty God and went there in great haste. After I arrived, we had a thorough discussion and made this decision: We will listen to their fellowship first, and then try to get something on them to humiliate them. The next morning, there came three sisters. Unperturbed, I observed their words and gestures carefully, intending to see how they would seduce us with their beauty, buy us off with money, or threaten us with violence. However, all the morning I neither caught them out in their fellowship nor saw them do anything like those in the rumors, but I only found them sober and decent, friendly and polite. That made me very disappointed. After lunch, in order to find another opportunity to achieve my ulterior ends, I gave them my address and telephone number, pretending to be willing to have a fellowship with them again. Two days later, they came to my home and fellowshipped a lot with me, but I still did not get anything on them. I only increasingly felt that they were better than us and superior to us in every respect, totally different from those in the rumors. Later, they called and invited me over for another fellowship. Having got nothing on them twice, I lost my patience. So, I dropped my mask and showed my true colors by refusing their invitation and speaking many blasphemous words at will. But after this event, I began to doubt the words such as “Those of ‘Eastern Lightning’ seduce people with beauty and buy them off with money….” Later, when I heard that there were two teachers in Xifeng who had been beaten up due to their refusal to accept “Eastern Lightning,” I really hoped to meet them and find out the truth about their being beaten up.

In the spring of 2002, all the teachers in our denomination were to attend a parish meeting in Shenyang City. At Sujiatun Station, I happened to meet those two teachers from Xifeng. So, I hastily asked them, “I heard that you were beaten up and tortured in Qingyuan County by those who preach ‘Eastern Lightning.’ How did they use violence on you? And how did they tempt you with money and beauty?” However, they said nothing about their being beaten up, tortured, or tempted, but only talked about how those from “Eastern Lightning” fellowshipped with them and read God’s word to them, how they tried hard to urge them to stay and advised them to make an investigation, and so on. Their answer puzzled me greatly. “Where does the word ‘they have been beaten up’ come from?” Then Elder Li, beside them, said, “In order to win people, those of ‘Lightning’ show great hospitality to them, buying fruits and cooking good meals for them.” His remark reminded me of what he had said before, and I realized his words were inconsistent. So I could not help but raise more doubts. “The two teachers before my eyes have dealt with those of ‘Eastern Lightning’ many times and not accepted their way so far, but not a hair of their heads is injured. Isn’t this rather inexplicable?” In the face of this fact, I felt the word was too untrustworthy that “if you refuse to accept ‘Eastern Lightning,’ they will break your legs, or cut off your nose or ears.” Although I had such knowledge, I, foolish and stiff-necked, still stuck to my former belief and continued resisting “Eastern Lightning” instead of seeking it.

Though we tried every means to resist “Eastern Lightning,” I found that more and more brothers and sisters left our churches and joined “Eastern Lightning” and that in Kaiyuan area, there were even several churches in which all the believers accepted Almighty God. Then look at the situation of our churches: Less and less people attended the meetings. As for those who came to the meetings, they either slept or chatted, or talked about how to resist and guard against “Eastern Lightning” to kill time, and left as the meetings broke up. The teachers raised jealousy and strife among themselves, and some even played mahjong, smoked, or drank. What puzzled me more was that adultery even occurred in our churches. Among the brothers and sisters, some suffered relapses and new illnesses, some met sudden death, and some encountered natural calamities or man-made misfortunes. Such cases were very common and nothing new…. Seeing that the churches of “Eastern Lightning” were on the upgrade and became more and more prosperous, whereas our churches were on the decline and turned more and more desolate, we got very worried, not knowing what to do. So, after we teachers and elders gathered together and discussed how to deal with the situation of the churches, we decided to take such methods as holding Pentecostal meetings, praise meetings, and Bible study meetings and running training courses to strengthen the faith of the believers and revive the churches, thus resisting “Eastern Lightning.” However, each time after we held such a meeting, our churches were not revived, but on the contrary, became even more desolate. For nearly a year, from January to the late fall of 2003, we co-workers and teachers had seldom contacted each other, nor had ever a co-worker meeting been held in our parish. Seeing our extremely desolate churches and my own weak and feeble state, I really felt that I had been at the end of my tether. I could not help but lament, “O Lord! Have I come to a dead end on the path of my belief in you? What should I do?”

Just when I was in the depths of despair, God’s salvation came to me once again.

One day in September 2003, a co-worker in Guanshan, Changtu County, called and invited me to his home the next afternoon. And he said that eight teachers and Elder Li from Shenyang would be there too. After we met, we started a special discussion on the issues such as “why the Lord has not come as we preached,” “how we can be saved,” and so on. It continued until past nine at night, but nothing came of it. Eventually, Elder Li announced, “From now on, let’s go our separate ways.” Just then the phone rang. It was Brother Han from Inner Mongolia. Knowing that we were having a meeting, he said he would come to see us. The next day, Brother Han arrived. During our fellowship, he raised many practical questions, which left us at a loss for words. From Brother Han’s fellowship, I concluded that he must have accepted “Eastern Lightning.” That made me unable to calm down, and I thought, “Brother Han is a wise man with insight and discernment, and he is unlikely to easily change his belief. If he can accept Almighty God, it shows that ‘Eastern Lightning’ is really worth investigating.”

That afternoon, as we left there, Brother Han invited me to his place for a fellowship when I had time; I readily consented. After I got home, I told my wife about it, and she was a little worried that I might run into danger if I went there. Considering again and again the many practical matters that I had experienced during this period of time, I thought that this trip would not be dangerous. So, I told my wife all the things I had heard and seen during this period, such as the desolation of the churches, the elder having bound the brothers and sisters with his inconsistent rumors and lies for a long time, the real living out of humanity of the believers in Almighty God whom I had contacted, Brother Han having accept “Eastern Lightning.” Finally, I said, “If we don’t seek or investigate it, it will be too late for us to regret by the time we find that ‘Eastern Lightning’ is really the true way.” At my words, my wife was reassured and agreed to my going to seek and investigate it.

When I arrived at Brother Han’s place, the brothers and sisters there received me hospitably. Then we had a fellowship from seven in the evening to midnight in which Brother Han explained to me in detail the relations between Jehovah in the Age of the Law, Jesus in the Age of the Grace, and Almighty God in the Age of the Kingdom, the purpose and significance of God’s work in different periods, the principle of God’s working in an ever-new and never-old way and his work’s changing continuously, and so on. After I heard his fellowship, my misgivings cleared up. I came to understand the principle of God’s working and the meaning of “keeping up with the Lamb’s footsteps” and know that the reason for the desolation of our churches was because God had already made a new start and done a new work, but we failed to keep up with the pace of the Holy Spirit’s working and lost the working of Holy Spirit as a result of sticking to the old work. In light of my being unable to accept “God’s being incarnated as a female this time,” the brother read me two passages of God’s word: “Every stage of work God does has practical significance. At that time when Jesus came, he was a male; this time when God comes, he is a female. From this you can see that God’s creating both man and woman can be for his work and that with God there is no distinction of gender. When his Spirit comes, he can put on any flesh as he likes, and this flesh can represent him. Whether this flesh is male or female, he can represent God as long as he is God’s incarnated flesh. … God has been incarnated twice. Needless to say, his incarnation in the end time is the last one, and he has come to manifest all his deeds. If in this stage God were not incarnated to personally work for people to see, then in their notions they would forever believe that God is only male and not female.” “People always believe that God is male and that God always loathes women and will not save women. If that were the case, wouldn’t all women who were created by Jehovah and who have also been corrupted never have the opportunity to be saved? Then wouldn’t it have been meaningless for Jehovah to create the woman, Eve? Wouldn’t women perish eternally?” Pondering over these words, I deeply felt that the work of God was so wise. God’s being incarnated as a female this time has not only corrected people’s erroneous knowledge of God, but removed their notion that God must be a “male,” so that they have gained a correct knowledge of God: God is Spirit and with God there is no gender difference. And they have also understood that every stage of God’s work has its practical significance, so the created man should not draw any conclusion about God’s work.

The next morning, we read and fellowshipped about many pieces of God’s word such as “The Mystery of Incarnation (1),” “The Mystery of Incarnation (2),” “The Mystery of Incarnation (3),” “The Mystery of Incarnation (4),” “How Could Those Who Circumscribe God Within Their ‘Notions’ Receive God’s ‘Revelation’?” and so on. From those words of God, I knew many things that I had never known before, and I had a deeper understanding of the purpose and significance of God’s incarnation, so that I knew that God is incarnated to open a new age and end the old age and to bring man the truth, the way, and the life, and that if God did not do this work, man would have no bright way to go on. Then, I came to realize my poverty, pitifulness, blindness, and ignorance. The words of God were clear and comprehensive, which made me fully certain that Almighty God was the returned Jesus, the last Christ, the true God. When I accepted God’s new work with full conviction, the brothers and sisters gladly offered prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God for my coming before Almighty God. Their impressive prayers shocked my heart, and I enjoyed the sweetness I had never tasted in the spirit. Facing the simple, kind, and upright brothers and sisters, I felt those slanderous rumors stored up in my heart had already dissolved and disappeared without a trace. I expressed my heartfelt feelings to God: “O God! On the path of my belief in you, I have not come to a dead end, but I am advancing toward a higher and more beautiful state.”

In the afternoon, I got home and told my wife excitedly, “Almighty God is the true God! The returned Jesus!” Then, I called the co-workers in our churches together and related my personal experiences to them in detail. They all showed willingness to make an investigation. After some time, over 50 brothers and sisters in the churches I directly shepherded all returned before Almighty God. However, when I preached God’s gospel to the co-workers in other churches, some jeered and sneered at me, others called the police to arrest me. After that, they joined hands to close the churches to me, allowing no believers to receive me. In the past I was a “good brother” in their hearts, but now I became an “enemy” in their eyes and an object of their attack. Confronted with the brothers and sisters’ rejection, I remembered my yesterdays, the shameful history of my resisting and slandering Almighty God, and my evil deeds of echoing what others said, spreading false information, and fabricating rumors and lies against God. I felt extremely guilty and ashamed. “I hate myself for being so disobedient and arrogant. I never investigated or sought God’s new work with a humble heart but frenziedly condemned and resisted the incarnated Almighty God, thus committing monstrous sins. Little did I know that the one I had offended was the ruler of the heavens and the earth and all things, and that the one I had offended was God Godself who begot me, nurtured me, and provided me with everything. Not until today have I seen that I am really worse than a beast, and that the sins I have committed are too numerous to record. And I realize that I am a most foolish and ignorant person and a Pharisee of the new age who has nailed God onto the cross. If God had not given me another opportunity to be saved, I still could not know that I had been committing sins, and even less could I stop my evil deeds of condemning, resisting, and blaspheming Almighty God. Thank God for his salvation! Thank God for his tolerance and forgiveness! I am willing to offer up my everything to God and dedicate my whole being to the spreading of God’s kingdom gospel.”

Brothers and sisters of all sects and denominations, seek! Investigate! As long as we have a little desire to seek, Almighty God will open our spiritual eyes so that we will see the mysteries that we have never seen and receive the truths that we have never heard. Brothers and sisters, Almighty God is precisely the Savior Jesus who has returned in the end time. God has come to the world and done a new work. He has held a great feast for us and prepared a beautiful heaven and earth for us. Before the door of his salvation is closed, Almighty God welcomes your coming all the time!

                                              source from: The Church of  Almighty God

“Eastern Lightning” Is the Return of the Lord Jesus

We all know that the Lord Jesus had promised His disciples before He left: Surely I come quickly. Over thousands of years, countless Christians have held on to the promise of the Lord and expected His return all their life. They felt pity that they did not meet the return of the Lord Jesus before death. Many people are puzzled: The prophecy of the return of the Lord Jesus has already been fulfilled, but why is it that we haven’t seen the appearance of the Lord yet? In fact, the Lord Jesus has already returned to flesh as the Son of man and done the work in secret among people for many years. Christ of the last days—Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus!

When the disciples asked about the signs of His return on the Mount of Olives, the Lord Jesus prophesied from His own mouth, “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Mat 24:27) And He also prophesied, “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.” (Luke 17:24-25) Both of these scriptures mention “the Son of man,” who is born of man and has the normal humanity. The Spirit cannot be called as “the Son of man,” and only God incarnate can be called so. This is sufficient to prove that when the Lord returns in the last days, He will still become flesh. The prophecy says “But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.” So the Son of man will suffer many things and be rejected; it also refers to God’s return to flesh. If God returned as the Spirit, would He suffer so much and be rejected by men?

During about 20 years, the Church of Almighty God has been testifying that Eastern Lightning is Christ of the last days, Almighty God who becomes flesh, and the return of the Lord Jesus, and that millions of words of truth Almighty God expresses is the light to save man. However, the elders and pastors of the whole religious world not only didn’t seek or investigate it, but instead frenziedly judged, condemned, resisted, and blasphemed “Eastern Lightning.” They even colluded with the atheistic CCP government to deceive common people and instigate them to oppose and resist “Eastern Lightning.” Even so, they still failed to stop the steps of God’s work. The clever virgins, who believe in God sincerely and can recognize the voice of God, return before Almighty God’s throne from all sects and denominations one after another. The scene of joy “All peoples will surely stream to this mountain” has appeared. Under Almighty God’s personal leading, God’s chosen people have broken through the suppression of the forces of darkness, and they keep practicing the truth and never lose the testimony. Almighty God has already made a group of overcomers in Mainland China. Today, the gospel of Almighty God has spread from China, the East, to all other countries in the world, without dramatic effect. These ironclad facts are the complete fulfillments of the prophecies concerning the return of the Lord. Like what Jesus suffered in His first incarnation, Almighty God, Eastern Lightning and Christ of the last days, also suffers the rejection from the world today. But He has still accomplished the work what He wants to do, not restricted by anything.

Almighty God says, “Only when the light of the East gradually turns white will the darkness across the earth begin to turn to light, and only then will men find that I have long ago gone from Israel and am rising anew in the East. I cannot still be ‘born’ in Israel after I have ‘descended’ to Israel and then left from Israel, for My work leads all of the universe and the lightning flashes from the East to the West. This is the reason I have descended in the East and brought Canaan to the people of the East. … I gave My glory to Israel then moved it away from there, bringing the Israelites to the East, and bringing all men to the East. I have led them all to the ‘light’ so that they may be reunited and have association with it, and no longer have to search for it. I will let all who are in search see the light again and see the glory I had in Israel; I will let them see that I have long ago come down upon a white cloud among men, and see the countless clouds of white and clusters of fruit, and moreover, Jehovah God of Israel. I will let them see the ‘Master’ of the Jews, the longed-for Messiah, and the full appearance of Me who have been persecuted by kings throughout the ages. I will do the work of the entire universe and perform great works, revealing all My glory and all My deeds to man in the last days. I shall show My full countenance of glory to those who have awaited Me for many years, to those who have longed for Me to come upon a white cloud, to Israel that has longed for Me to once again appear, and to all mankind who persecute Me, so that all will know that I have long ago taken away My glory and brought it to the East. It is not in Judea, for the last days have already come!” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh) All these facts fully prove that “Eastern Lightning” is the return of the Lord Jesus in the last days and God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.

                                                                               source from: Rainbow Covenant