Eastern Lightning | A Hymn of God's Words "Only God Incarnate Can Thoroughly Save Mankind"
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When God incarnate comes to do His work on earth, man's faulty notion of Him will forever be laid bare, because the normality and reality of God incarnate is the opposite of man's vague, mythical idea of Him. It's only through this contrast that man's old concept of God is revealed. Only God can do this work. No matter how rich man's words, they cannot articulate the normality, nor the reality of God Himself. When God becomes the flesh and works among mankind, they will see Him more clearly and know Him more practically. When God becomes the flesh and works among mankind, they can be saved from the influence of Satan. Only God incarnate can thoroughly save mankind.
A little while ago, every time I heard that the district preachers were coming to our church, I would feel a bit ill at ease. I didn’t reveal my feelings outwardly, but my heart was full of secret opposition. I thought: “It would be best if you all didn’t come. If you do come, at least don’t work in the church with me. Otherwise, I’ll be restricted and unable to commune.” Later, the situation got so bad that I actually hated their coming. Even as such, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with me and certainly didn’t try to know myself in the context of this situation.
God says, “Did you not desire greatly to see the God in heaven? Did you not desire greatly to understand the God in heaven? Did you not desire greatly to see the destination of mankind? He will tell you all these secrets that no man has been able to tell you, and He will even tell you of the truths that you do not understand. He is your gate into the kingdom, and your guide into the new age” (The Word Appears in the Flesh).
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 man discover that I have long ago gone from Israel and am rising anew in the East. Having once descended into Israel and later departed from it, I cannot again be born into Israel, because My work leads all of the universe and, what is more, the lightning flashes straight from East to West. For this reason I have descended in the East and brought Canaan to the people of the East. I wish to bring people from all over the earth to the land of Canaan, and so I continue to issue forth utterances in the land of Canaan to control the entire universe. At this time, there is no light in all the earth apart from Canaan, and all men are imperiled by hunger and cold. I gave My glory to Israel and then took it away, and afterward I brought the Israelites to the East, and all of humanity to the East. I have brought them all to the light so that they may be reunited with it, and be in association with it, and no longer have to search for it."
Almighty God says, "Jesus represented the Spirit of God, and was the Spirit of God working directly. He did the work of the new age, the work that no one had done before. He opened up a new way, He represented Jehovah, and He represented God Himself. Whereas with Peter, Paul, and David, regardless of what they were called, they only represented the identity of a creature of God, or were sent by Jesus or Jehovah. So no matter how much work they did, no matter how great the miracles they performed, they were still just creatures of God, and incapable of representing the Spirit of God. They worked in the name of God or after being sent by God; furthermore, they worked in the ages begun by Jesus or Jehovah, and the work they did was not separate. They were, after all, merely creatures of God."
Experience Testimonies of Eastern Lightning | Experiencing the Cruel Persecution, I Believe in God More Firmly
Zhao Rui Shanxi Province
My name is Zhao Rui. By God’s grace, our whole family followed the Lord Jesus in 1993. In 1996, I, sixteen years old, was attracted by the Lord Jesus’ love and began to work and preach. However, before long, I saw the bitterly disappointing scenes: The co-workers fought overtly and covertly, pushed others aside, and contended for power and interest. The Lord’s teaching of “loving one another” seemed to have long been forgotten. The church life brought no enjoyment at all. Many brothers and sisters were passive and weak and stopped attending meetings. Facing the desolate miserable condition of the church, I was distressed and helpless. On the evening of the Chinese New Year’s Eve in 1998, I fell down to the ground and wept out my grief to God, “O Lord, where are you? When will you come back? Without your leading, how shall I walk the future way?” I thanked God that he heard my prayer. In July, 1999, under God’s wonderful manipulation and arrangement, I heard the end-time gospel of Almighty God, the returned Lord Jesus. Through living the church life, I tasted the enjoyment brought by the working of the Holy Spirit. The brothers and sisters gathered together to have meetings, and the past religious life was gone. Everyone spoke freely, fellowshipping about the light from the Holy Spirit’s revelation and talking about how they experienced God’s word and how they relied on God to solve their corruptions and be purified. Moreover, the living out of the brothers and sisters was very godly and decent. If anyone had a defect or expressed a corruption, others would forbear with and forgive and help them with love. Nobody would belittle or look down upon anyone who had a difficulty, and we would fellowship about the truth to help solve it together. That was exactly the church life I had always wanted to have and the true way I had sought for years! I, who had been lost for many years, had finally come back to God again! I made a resolution to God, “I’m willing to bring before God those innocent souls that are still living in darkness, so that they can also live under the leading and blessing of the Holy Spirit’s working and receive the watering of the living water of life from God. This is my bounden duty as a created being and is the most meaningful and worthy life.” So, I joined in performing duty.
Almighty God says, "Do you wish to see Jesus? Do you wish to live with Jesus? Do you wish to hear the words spoken by Jesus? If so, then how will you welcome the return of Jesus? ...In what manner will Jesus return? You believe that Jesus will return upon a white cloud, but I ask you: To what does this white cloud refer? With so many followers of Jesus awaiting His return, among which people shall He descend?...when you see Jesus descend from the heaven upon a white cloud with your own eyes, this will be the public appearance of the Sun of righteousness. ...It will herald the end of God’s management plan, and will be when God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. For the judgment of God will have ended before man sees signs, when there is only the expression of truth" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Results of God's Work in the Last Days Are Achieved Through the Word
The results of God's work in the last days are achieved through the word, through the word. The word helps man understand mysteries and God's work throughout history. It brings man enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and knowledge of mysteries sealed for centuries. It explains the work of prophets and apostles and the rules when they carried it out. The word makes man know God's disposition, as well as his own rebelliousness and substance. Through these steps of work and all words spoken, man comes to know the work of the Spirit, and know the work of God's incarnate flesh, moreover the entirety of His disposition. Your knowledge of God's 6,000-year work was also attained through the word. Know your old notions and put them aside— was not it too attained through the word? In the previous stage Jesus displayed miracles, but it's not so in this last stage. Wasn't it through the word that you finally understood why you don't see any signs now? The words spoken in this stage surpass work done by apostles and the prophets of the past. Even for prophecies made by the prophets, such results could not have come to pass. The prophets only prophesied what would happen in the future, but not of the work God was to do at the time. They didn't speak to lead man, bestow truth, reveal mysteries, and much less did they speak, and much less did they speak to bestow life. Words spoken in this stage contain prophecy and truth, but mainly serve to bestow life upon man. Unlike the prophecies of the prophets, the words at present are a stage of work for man's life, to change his disposition.
from "The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)" in The Word Appears in the Flesh
Since it came to power in Mainland China in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party has been unceasing in its persecution of religious faith. It has frantically arrested and murdered Christians, expelled and abused missionaries operating in China, confiscated and burned countless copies of the Bible, sealed up and demolished church buildings, and tried to eradicate all house churches. A great number of Christians in house churches have been arrested and persecuted. This documentary describes the real experience of a Chinese Christian, Zhou Haijiang who was arrested by the CCP government, tortured, and died from his mistreatment because of his belief in God and performance of duty. After Zhou Haijiang's death, his family was also monitored, threatened, and terrified by the CCP. They were not only unable to get justice for the deceased, but were thrown into disarray by the CCP's persecution. This exquisitely-shot documentary attempts to recreate what really happened at the time, and provides a profound reflection of the flagrant encroachment of the religious beliefs and human rights of Chinese Christians. It is a window to understanding the true lives of Chinese Christians and Christian families, as well as a reflection—rarely seen in recent years—of the experiences and emotions of Chinese Christians who have been persecuted as a result of their faith.
Eastern Lightning | Experience Testimonies | God’s Word Led Me to Forge Testimony
I was born in a poor and backward village, and lived in poverty from childhood. After I got married, to make my littlelife become rich as soon as possible, I worked and labored like crazy. In the end, I fell sick from overwork. The previously healthy me got many illnesses. Since then, I lived in the affliction of illnesses and began to see doctors and seek remedies everywhere. I spent a lot of money, but my illnesses never got better. In the spring of 1999, two sisters preached Almighty God’s end-time work to me. Through reading Almighty God’s word, I knew that Almighty God is the returned Savior Jesus and he can save man from all the miseries. As I read more and more of God’s words, I understood sometruths, my outlook on life and my values changed somewhat, and my distressed and oppressed heart was released. Gradually, I recovered from my illnesses. I was deeply grateful to God, so I preached the gospel to testify God’s end-time work actively.
