What is the truth? What is Bible knowledge and doctrine?

What is the truth? What is Bible knowledge and doctrine?

　Bible Verses for Reference:

　“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, … full of grace and truth” (Jhn 1:1, 14).

　“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jhn 14:6).

　“Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth” (Jhn 17:17).

　“He answered and said to them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. However, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do. And he said to them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. … Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such like things do you” (Mak 7:6-9, 13).

　Relevant Words of God:

　God is the truth, the way, and the life.

from “The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The Church of Almighty God- What exactly is someone who follows God’s will? And what is true testimony of faith in God?

The Church of Almighty God- What exactly is someone who follows God’s will? And what is true testimony of faith in God?

　　Bible Verses for Reference:

　　“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:20-21).

　　“And he said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get you into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of. … And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (Gen 22:2, 10).

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

Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” (V)

Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” (V)

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　　“Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth

　　“The work of the last days is to separate all according to their kind, to conclude the management plan of God, for the time is near and the day of God has come. God brings all who have entered His kingdom, that is, all those who have been loyal to Him to the end, into the age of God Himself. However, before the coming of the age of God Himself, the work that God desires to do is not to observe the deeds of man or to inquire about the lives of man, but to judge his rebellion, for God shall purify all those who come before His throne. All those who have followed the footsteps of God to this day are those who have come before the throne of God, hence all who accept the last of God’s work are those to be purified by God. In other words, all those who accept the last of God’s work are those who will be judged by God.

Almighty God’s Words-Only Those Who Know God Can Bear Testimony to God

Almighty God’s Words-Only Those Who Know God Can Bear Testimony to God

　　It is Heaven’s law and earth’s principle to believe in God and know God, and today—during an age when God incarnate personally does His work—is a particularly good time to know God. Satisfying God is achieved upon the foundation of understanding God’s will, and to understand God’s will, it is necessary to know God. This knowledge of God is the vision that a believer must have; it is the basis of man’s belief in God. If man does not have this knowledge, then his belief in God is vague, and lies in empty theory. Though it is the resolution of people like this to follow God, they obtain nothing. All those who obtain nothing in this stream are the ones who will be eliminated, and they are the people who are merely doing the bare minimum. Whichever step of God’s work you experience, you should be accompanied by a mighty vision. Without such a vision, it would be difficult for you to accept each step of new work, for man is incapable of imagining the new work of God, it is beyond man’s conception. And so without a shepherd to tend to man, without a shepherd to fellowship about the visions, man is incapable of accepting this new work. If man cannot receive the visions, then he cannot receive the new work of God, and if man cannot obey God’s new work, then man is incapable of understanding God’s will, and so his knowledge of God amounts to nothing. Before man carries out the words of God, he must know the words of God, that is, understand God’s will; only in this way can God’s words be carried out accurately and according to God’s heart. This must be possessed by everyone who seeks the truth, and is the process that must be experienced by everyone who tries to know God. The process of knowing the words of God is the process of knowing God, and also the process of knowing the work of God. And so, knowing the visions not only refers to knowing the humanity of God incarnate, but also includes knowing the words and work of God. From the words of God people come to understand God’s will, and from the work of God they come to know God’s disposition and what God is. Belief in God is the first step to knowing God. The process of advancing from the initial belief in God to the most profound belief in God is the process of knowing God, and the process of experiencing the work of God. If you only believe in God for the sake of believing in God, and do not believe in God in order to know God, then there is no reality to your belief, and it cannot become pure—of this there is no doubt. If, during the process by which he experiences God, man gradually comes to know God, then his disposition will gradually change, and his belief will become increasingly true. In this way, when man achieves success in belief in God, he will completely gain God. God went to such great lengths to become flesh for the second time and personally do His work so that man would be able to know Him, and would be able to see Him. Knowing God[a] is the final effect to be achieved at the end of God’s work; it is God’s final requirement of mankind. He does this for the sake of His final testimony, and so that man may finally and completely turn to Him. Man can only love God by knowing God, and to love God he must know God. No matter how he seeks, or what he seeks to gain, he must be able to achieve the knowledge of God. Only in this way can man satisfy God’s heart. Only by knowing God can man truly believe in God, and only by knowing God can he truly revere and obey God. Those who do not know God shall never truly obey and revere God. Knowing God includes knowing God’s disposition, understanding God’s will, and knowing what God is. Yet whichever aspect of knowing God it is, each requires man to pay a price, and requires the will to obey, without which no one would be able to follow to the end. The work of God is too incompatible with the conceptions of man, God’s disposition and what God is are too difficult for man to know, and all that God says and does is too incomprehensible to man; if man wishes to follow God, but is unwilling to obey God, then man will gain nothing. From the creation of the world until today, God has done much work that is incomprehensible to man and which man has found hard to accept, and God has said much that makes the conceptions of man difficult to heal. Yet He has never ceased His work because man has too many difficulties; He has carried on working and speaking, and even though great numbers of “warriors” have fallen by the wayside, He is still doing His work, and continues to choose group after group of people who are willing to obey His new work. He does not pity those fallen “heroes,” but instead treasures those who accept His new work and words. But to what end does He work in this way, step-by-step? Why is He always eliminating and choosing people? Why does He always employ such method? The aim of His work is for man to know Him, and thus be gained by Him. The principle of His work is to work on those who are able to obey the work He does today, and not to work on those who obey His past work, but oppose His work of today. This is the very reason why He has eliminated so many people.

People Who Can Be Absolutely Obedient Toward God’s Practicality Are Those Who Truly Love God

Utterances of Almighty God | People Who Can Be Absolutely Obedient Toward God’s Practicality Are Those Who Truly Love God

　　Having knowledge of practicality and being able to clearly see God’s work—all of this is seen in His words. It is only in God’s words that you can gain enlightenment, so you should equip yourself with His words more. Share your understanding from God’s words in fellowship, and through your fellowship others can gain enlightenment and it can lead people onto the path—this path is practical. Before God sets up an environment for you, every single one of you must first equip yourselves with His words. This is something that everyone should do—it is an urgent priority. The first thing to do is to be able to eat and drink His words. For the things that you are unable to do, seek out a path of practice from His words, and look in His words for any issues you don’t understand or any difficulties you have. Make God’s words your supply, allow them to help you resolve practical difficulties and practical problems, and allow His words to become your help in life—this requires you to put effort into it. Results must be achieved from eating and drinking the word of God. You must be able to quiet your heart in front of Him, and to practice in accordance with His words when you encounter issues. When you have not encountered any issues, just eat and drink. Sometimes you can pray and think of God’s love, have fellowship on your understanding of His words, and have fellowship on the enlightenment and illumination you experience inside and the reaction you have when reading them, and you can lead people onto the path—this is practical. The goal of doing this is to allow God’s words to become your practical supply.

Eastern Lightning | My Life Principles Left Me Damaged

Eastern Lightning |  My Life Principles Left Me Damaged

Changkai    Benxi City, Liaoning Province

The common phrase “All lay loads on the willing horse” is one with which I am all too personally familiar. My husband and I were all particularly guileless people: When it came to matters that involved our own personal benefit or loss, we weren’t the type to haggle and fuss with others. Where we could be forbearing we were forbearing, where we could be accommodating we also did our best to be accommodating. As a result, we often found ourselves cheated and abused by others. It really seemed that in life, “All lay loads on the willing horse”—if you have too much kindness in your heart, if you’re too accommodating and modest in your affairs, you’re very liable to be cheated. With these thoughts in mind, I resolved to not subject myself to all this abuse and live in frustration anymore: In future matters and in dealings with others, I vow not to be too accommodating. Even after I accepted Almighty God’s work, I still applied this principle in conducting my behavior and interactions with others.

Eastern Lightning-Books| Chapter 2. God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself I

Eastern Lightning-Books| Chapter 2. God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself I

　　First of all, there are Adam and Eve, the ancestors of mankind, and if we want to talk about some characters, then we first need to start with these two. Who comes second? (Noah.) Noah, the second ancestor of mankind. You see that, right? And third? (Abraham.) You all know the story of Abraham, don’t you? (Yes.) Maybe some know about it and maybe some others aren’t quite sure, having only heard about it before. And the fourth character? Who was involved in the destruction of Sodom? (Lot.) But Lot isn’t mentioned here. Who is mentioned? (Abraham.) Abraham, that’s right. There is another point: It mainly mentions that which was spoken by Jehovah God. Have you seen this? (Yes.) Look closely. Who is the fifth character? (Job.) Does God mention the story of Job much during this stage of His work? (Yes.) So do you care much about this story? (Yes.) While you care about it, have you read in detail the story of Job in the Bible? What did Job say and what things did he do? Has anyone here read the Book of Job? (Yes.) What’s the most number of times any of you have read it? Do you read it often? (I read it once or twice during the Age of Grace.) And you didn’t read it again after that, right? (No.) That’s such a shame! Let Me tell you: Job is mentioned a lot during this stage of work, and yet all these times he is mentioned have not attracted your attention. This proves one fact that you have no interest in being good people or in being people who fear God and shun evil. This is because you simply don’t care about the story of Job mentioned by God, nor do you read it. You just know the general outline of it, you get the people around you to explain it and then your involvement ends there. What exactly do you pay attention to then? You even don’t care about or try to understand such an important character mentioned by God, so tell Me, what attitude do you have toward God’s words? Isn’t this a sad thing? It proves that most of you are impractical people who do not seek the truth. If you seek the truth, then as soon as God mentions this person and as soon as He brings up this kind of story—something you can reach and touch—then you would straight away go and read it and understand it, read it over and over, and then think of a way you can follow Job’s example, sparing no effort to achieve whatever you can. But you here today surprise Me by saying that most of you haven’t read it before, and this is a serious problem.

Eastern Lightning | Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “It Is Very Important to Establish a Proper Relationship With God” (II)

Eastern Lightning | Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “It Is Very Important to Establish a Proper Relationship With God” (II)

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　　Let’s start our meeting. Let’s first read a passage of God’s word, “It Is Very Important to Establish a Proper Relationship With God.”

　　“People believe in God, love God, and satisfy God by touching the Spirit of God with their heart, thereby obtaining the satisfaction of God; and 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 God, and quiet your heart before God. Only after you have poured your whole heart into God can you gradually have a proper spiritual life. If, in their belief in God, people do not give their heart to God, if their heart is not in God, and they do not treat God’s burden as their own, then everything they do is cheating God, and is the actions of religious people, unable to receive God’s praise. God cannot get anything from this kind of person; this kind of person can only serve as a foil to God’s work, like a decoration in the house of God, filling the seats and taking up space, and is a good-for-nothing—God does not use this kind of person. In such a person, not only is there no opportunity for the work of the Holy Spirit, much less is there any value of perfection; this type of person is the real “walking dead”—they have no components that can be used by the Holy Spirit—they have all been appropriated by Satan, corrupted to the extreme by Satan, who are the object of God’s elimination. Currently the Holy Spirit is not only using people by putting their virtues into play, but also perfecting and changing their shortcomings. If your heart can be poured into God, and keep quiet before God, then you will have the chance, the qualifications, to be used by the Holy Spirit, to receive the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit, and you will even more so have the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to make up for your shortcomings. When you give your heart to God, you can enter more deeply on the positive side, and be on a higher plane of understanding; on the negative side, you will have more understanding of your own faults and shortcomings, you will be more eager to seek to satisfy God’s will, and in a non-passive state, you will actively enter, and this will mean that you are a correct person. On the premise that your heart is calm before God, the key of whether or not you receive praise from the Holy Spirit, whether or not you please God, is whether you can actively enter. When the Holy Spirit enlightens a person, uses a person, it never makes him negative, and always makes him positive and eager to progress. Even though he has weaknesses, he is able to not live according to them, he is able to refrain from delaying his life growth, and he is able to continue to seek to satisfy God’s will. This is a standard which sufficiently proves that a person has obtained the presence of the Holy Spirit. If a person is always negative, and even after being enlightened to know himself, is still negative and passive, unable to stand up and act in concert with God, then this type of person just receives the grace of God, but the Holy Spirit is not with him. When a person is negative, this means that his heart has not turned to God, his spirit has not been touched by God’s Spirit, and this should be recognized by all.

Eastern Lightning | Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “God Perfects Those After His Heart”

Eastern Lightning | Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “God Perfects Those After His Heart”

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Let’s first read the first half of the passage of God’s word, “God Perfects Those After His Heart.”

　　“The group of people God wants to gain now are those who strive to cooperate with God, who can obey His work, and who believe the words God speaks are true, who can put God’s requirements into practice. They are those who have true understanding in their hearts. It is they who can be perfected, and they who will inevitably walk the path of perfection. Those without a clear understanding of God’s work, those who do not eat and drink of God’s word, those who pay no attention to God’s word, and those without any love for God in their hearts—people like this cannot be perfected. Those who doubt the incarnate God, those who remain uncertain about Him, those who are never serious about God’s word, and those who always deceive God, these people resist God and are of Satan—there is no way to perfect such people.

　　If you wish to be perfected, you must first be favored by God, because God perfects those He favors, who are those after His heart. If you wish to be after God’s heart, your heart must be obedient to God in all His work, you must strive to pursue the truth, and you must accept God’s observation in all things. Has all you do undergone God’s observation? Is your intent correct? If your intent is correct, God will approve of you; if your intent is wrong, this proves that what your heart loves is not God, it is the flesh and Satan. Therefore you must accept God’s observation in all things through prayer. When you pray, although My person is not there, the Holy Spirit is with you, and when you pray to this person, you also pray to the Spirit of God. Why do you believe in this flesh? Because He has the Spirit of God. Would you trust in this person without the Spirit of God? When you believe in this person, you believe in the Spirit of God. When you fear this person, you fear the Spirit of God. Faith in God’s Spirit is faith in this person, faith in this person is also faith in the Spirit of God. When you pray, you feel the Spirit of God with you, God is before you, therefore you pray to God’s Spirit. Today, most people are too afraid to bring their actions before God, and while you may deceive God’s flesh, you cannot deceive God’s Spirit. All that cannot withstand God’s observation is not in accord with truth and should be cast aside, or you sin against God. So, no matter whether it’s when you pray, when you speak and fellowship with your brothers and sisters, or when you perform your duty and do your business, you must lay your heart before God. When you fulfill your function, God is with you, and so long as your intent is correct and is for the work of God’s house, God will accept all you do, so you should earnestly devote yourself to fulfilling your function. When you pray, if you have love for God in your heart, and if you seek God’s care, protection, and observation, if these are your intent, your prayers will be effective. As you pray at meetings, so should you open your heart and pray to God, tell God what is in your heart, and without speaking falsehoods, then your prayers will be effective. If you earnestly love God in your heart, then make an oath to God: “God, who is in the heavens and earth and all things, I swear to You: May Your Spirit examine all I do and protect and care for me at all times. It makes it possible for all I do to stand in Your presence. Should my heart ever cease to love You or betray You, give me Your severest chastisement and curse. Pardon me in neither this world nor the next!” Do you dare make such an oath? If you do not, this proves you are cowardly, and that you still love yourself. Do you have this resolve? If this is truly your resolve, you must make this oath. If you have the resolve to make such an oath, God will satisfy your resolve. When you swear to God, God listens. God determines whether you are sinful or righteous by your prayer and your practice. This now is the process of perfecting you, and if you truly have faith in God’s perfection of you, you will bring all you do before God and accept God’s observation, and if you do something outrageous or betray God, God will “perfect” you according to your oath, and then no matter what happens to you, be it perdition or chastisement, it is your own problem. You made the oath, so you should carry it out. If you make an oath, but don’t carry it out, you will perish. When you make the oath, God will perfect you according to your oath. Some are afraid after they pray, and say, “Oh no, my chance at debauchery is gone, my chance to do wicked things is gone, my chance to indulge my worldly greed is gone!” These people still love the world and sin, and they are certain to perish.

Eastern Lightning-Books-Chapter 2. God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself I(part1)

Eastern Lightning-Books-Chapter 2. God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself I (part1)

What topic will we fellowship today? We will fellowship a very important topic, a topic that we have fellowshiped ever since God began His work. It is a topic that is very important to every single person, and is also an issue that everyone must come into contact with, and will come into contact with, during the course of their belief in God. It is a very important issue and it is both unavoidable and inseparable from man. Speaking of importance, what is the most important thing to every single believer? Some will say that the most important thing is understanding God’s will; some will say that the most important thing is eating and drinking more of the words of God; some will say that the most important thing is to know yourselves; some will say that the most important thing is to know how to be saved by God, how to follow God and how to be able to satisfy God’s will. But we will set these topics aside for today. What will we talk about? The topic we will talk about concerns God. Isn’t this a topic of paramount importance to everyone? (Yes.) What things does a topic about God involve? Of course, this topic is assuredly inseparable from God’s disposition, God’s essence and God’s work, so today let’s talk about “God’s Work, God’s Disposition and God Himself.”

Eastern Lightning | Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “The Truly Obedient Shall Surely Be Gained by God”

Eastern Lightning | Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “The Truly Obedient Shall Surely Be Gained by God”

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Let’s read a piece of God’s word “The Truly Obedient Shall Surely Be Gained by God”:

“The work of the Holy Spirit changes from day to day, rising higher with each step; the revelation of tomorrow becomes even higher than today’s, step by step climbing ever higher. Such is the work by which God perfects man. If man cannot keep pace, then he may be forsaken at any time. If man does not have an obedient heart, then he cannot follow to the end. The old age has passed; now is a new age. And in a new age, new work must be done. Particularly in the final age where man will be perfected, God will perform new work ever more quickly. Therefore, without obedience in his heart, man will find it difficult to follow the footsteps of God. God abides not by the rules, nor does He treat any stage of His work as unchanging. Rather, the work done by God is ever newer and ever higher. His work becomes more and more practical with each step, more and more in line with the actual needs of man. Only after man experiences this kind of work can he attain the final transformation of his disposition. Man’s knowledge of life grows ever higher, therefore the work of God likewise becomes ever higher. Only in this way can man reach perfection and be fit for God’s use. On one hand, God works this way to counter and reverse the notions of man, while on the other, to lead man into a higher and more realistic state, into the highest realm of belief in God, so that in the end, the will of God is done. All those of a disobedient nature and with a heart of resistance shall be forsaken in this fast and powerful work; only those who have an obedient heart and are willing to be humbled will progress to the end of the road. In such work, all of you should learn how to submit and to put aside your notions. Every step should be taken with caution. If you are careless, you will surely become one of those loathed and rejected by the Holy Spirit and one who disrupts the work of God. Prior to undergoing this stage of work, man’s rules and laws of old were so innumerable that they got carried away, and as a result, they became conceited and forgot their place. These are all obstacles in the way of man accepting the new work of God and are hostile to man coming to know God. It is dangerous for man to have neither obedience in his heart nor a yearning for the truth. If you obey only the work and words that are simple, and are unable to accept any of a deeper intensity, then you are one who keeps to old ways and cannot keep pace with the work of the Holy Spirit. The work done by God differs across periods of time. If you show great obedience in one phase, yet in the next phase show less or none at all, then God shall desert you. If you keep pace with God as He ascends this step, then you must continue to keep pace when He ascends the next. Only such men are obedient to the Holy Spirit. Since you believe in God, you must remain constant in your obedience. You cannot simply obey when you please and disobey when you do not. Such manner of obedience is not approved by God. If you cannot keep pace with the new work I fellowship and continue to hold on to the former sayings, then how can there be growth in your life? In God’s work, He supplies you through His word. When you obey and accept His word, then the Holy Spirit shall surely work in you. The Holy Spirit works exactly in the way I speak. Do as I have said, and the Holy Spirit will promptly work in you. I release a new light for you to see and bring you into the present light. When you walk into this light, the Holy Spirit will immediately work in you. Some may be recalcitrant and say, ‘I simply will not do as you say.’ Then I tell you that now this is the end of the road. You have withered away and have no more life. Therefore, in experiencing the transformation of your disposition, it is most crucial to keep pace with the present light. The Holy Spirit not only works in certain men who are used by God, but even more in the church. He could be working in anyone. He may work in you now, and after you have experienced it, He may work in someone else next. Follow closely; the more you follow the present light, the more your life can grow. Follow those whom the Holy Spirit works in, whatever kind of man he may be. Take in his experiences through your own, and you will receive even higher things. In so doing you will see growth more quickly. This is the path of perfection for man and a way through which life grows. The path to perfection is reached through your obedience to the work of the Holy Spirit. You do not know through what kind of person God will work to perfect you, nor through what person, occurrence, or thing He will bring you profit and enable you to gain some insight. If you are able to walk onto this right track, this shows that there is great hope for you to be perfected by God. If you are unable to do so, this shows that your future is bleakness and one of darkness. When you walk upon the right track, you will be given revelation in all things. No matter what the Holy Spirit may reveal to others, if you continue on in your experience on the basis of their knowledge, then it shall become your life, and you shall be able to supply others because of this experience. Those who supply others by parroting words are those without experience; you must learn to find, through the enlightenment and illumination of others, a way of practice before speaking of your own actual experience and knowledge. This will be of greater benefit to your own life. You should experience in this way, obeying all that comes from God. You should seek the mind of God in all things and learn lessons in all things, creating growth in your life. Such practice affords the fastest growth.

Eastern Lightning | The Most Blessed Are Those Who Accept and Obey God’s Word

Eastern Lightning | The Most Blessed Are Those Who Accept and Obey God’s Word

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First of all, congratulations to all the brothers and sisters from all nations who have accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days. May God bless you. For today’s meeting, we must first communicate one thing. Do you know why we must believe in Almighty God, instead of believing in the name of “Lord Jesus”? Do you know what the mystery is? The name of Almighty God is the new name of the Lord in the prophecy of the Bible. Where is this new name written? It is written in the Book of Isaiah, in Revelation, and the following is from the letter that the Lord has written to the Church at Philadelphia, from Chapter Three of Revelation: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things said he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens; I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches” (Revelation 3:7-13). Here, three names have been mentioned, “I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, and I will write on him my new name.” The Lord Jesus shall have a new name when He comes again, and this is the proof. Chapter 62 of the Book of Isaiah also mentioned that the Lord “shalt be called by a new name.” This “Church at Philadelphia” refers to the church that is raptured. Most people from the Church of Almighty God have turned to God from the various denominations and sects, and what is the saying in sects after they have turned to God? “The Eastern Lightning has stolen the lambs, they stole all the good lambs from all denominations and sects.” Therefore, they have much hatred for the Eastern Lightning. Is this saying of theirs correct? They think that those are their lambs, but the fact is that God’s lambs have heard the voice of God. Isn’t that correct? Also, what did the Lord say to those to be raptured in the Church at Philadelphia? Here it is said: “I know your works: … you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name.” This is the most precious thing of the Church at Philadelphia, “have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name,” this is the proof of being raptured, and the condition for being raptured.

Eastern Lightning | How to Know God’s Disposition and the Result of His Work （part3）

Eastern Lightning | How to Know God’s Disposition and the Result of His Work（part3）

And then there is a type of person who is the most tragic, a type that I most don’t wish to talk about. What type of person is this? I say they are tragic not because God punishes them or because God makes harsh demands of them and they come to a tragic end. That’s not it. It’s because they bring tragedy upon themselves, just as the saying says: “They dig their own graves.” They don’t walk the right path and they reveal their own ends prematurely. Their lives are now very tragic. God views them with the utmost detestation and, in human terms, I say that they are the most tragic of all. What type of person? There are some people who are very enthusiastic when they first begin to follow God’s work; they pay a great price and they have a good outlook on the prospects of God’s work, or they are filled with imagination about their own futures, feeling that God can make man complete and bring them into a good destination, and they are filled with faith for God. In short, no matter how they believe at the beginning or what kind of views they have, during God’s work they flee. What do I mean by “flee”? I mean that, without letting anyone know, without saying a word, they just up and leave without so much as a goodbye. What are these people? Although they may say they believe in God, they believe for a bit and then they’re gone; some run off into the world, some go off to run a business, some go off to live their lives, some go off to make it rich and some find a husband or wife and then leave. Of this type of person, there are some who now want to return, saying that they have drifted in the world for many years and suffered much, and they feel that they are unable to leave God, that the world is too painful, and they want to return—return to God’s family seeking comfort, seeking warmth. They want to return to God’s family and continue to believe in God in order to obtain a good destination and be saved. They want this because they believe that God’s great love is boundless and immeasurable, as is God’s great grace, higher than heaven and deeper than earth. Whatever the case, they believe that God should show patience and tolerance toward their past. They say over and over that they want to return to do their duty, and some people even donate something or another to the church, in this way wishing to once again return to God’s family. Tell Me, how in your view should God determine these people’s ends? (I used to think that God would still admit this kind of person, but after listening to the fellowship just now I think that maybe God won’t admit them again.) You’re saying “maybe,” right? Anyone else? (It’s out of the question.) Speak your reasons. (This kind of person comes before God only so that they may become immortal, not because they have a genuine and true desire to believe in God. They know that God’s work has reached the final stage, they want to return just so they can be blessed.) You’re saying they are not sincere or true, therefore God cannot admit them, right? (Yes.) (My understanding is that these people are opportunists and that they don’t truly believe in God.) They don’t believe in God and they are opportunists. Well said! Everyone hates an opportunist. They sail in whichever direction the wind blows, so of course they are hated. (We also need to look at their essences, and not just look at the external circumstances of whether or not they return to ascertain whether they are opportunists or not. It’s better to look at their essences.) So tell Me, should this kind of person be admitted? (In God’s words it is written that God detests those who betray Him.) That God detests them is His way of thinking, that is, God’s thought is this kind of attitude. But does He admit this kind of person? Can He still show tolerance? God’s essence toward man is love! It’s mercy! (I’m not sure. Maybe He can be tolerant. I mean, God absolutely hates those who betray Him, but it does indeed say in God’s words which kinds of people He can admit, and if they truly believe in God then they may still have a chance.) Mm. Does any other brother or sister have a view? (God won’t admit them again, because His work is now about to be concluded, and the time has come to determine people’s ends. If they return now then their state of mind will be that of an opportunist, and they do not genuinely want to seek the truth. It is only because they see the disasters coming, or because of some other factor in the outside world, that they want to come back. If they really had a heart that seeks the truth, then they wouldn’t have fled halfway through the journey when trials befell them.) Mm. (God won’t admit them. In fact, God has given them chances, and yet their attitude to God has always been to brush Him aside. Regardless of their intentions, whether they really feel remorse or what, God’s work will soon be concluded and He won’t admit them any longer, for He has already given them many chances. God gives people trials at different times, at different periods, and in different places and then He watches their attitudes every time. Their attitudes have already shown that they wanted to leave God, so God won’t admit them now when they want to come back again.) (God’s attitude toward this kind of person should be to not admit them.) “He should not admit them.” You’re certain about this, aren’t you? (Yes.) (I agree that God won’t admit this kind of person, because they can return to the world after seeing the true way and after having experienced God’s work for so long. Although God’s essence is merciful and loving, it depends on the type of person it is directed at. If they embrace this kind of state of mind and they come before God looking for comfort and sustenance, they are simply not people who truly believe in God, and God’s mercy toward this kind of person only goes so far.) So God’s mercy ends there, is that what you’re saying? (No. I just mean that He is not merciful to this kind of person.) God’s essence is merciful, so why doesn’t He show a little mercy to this kind of person? Wouldn’t they have another chance if God showed them a little mercy? People often used to say: God wants everyone to be saved and wants no one to perish. If one sheep out of 100 should go missing, He will abandon the 99 in order to look for that one missing sheep. Now as for these people, if they can truly believe in God then, for the sake of their belief, should God admit them, give them an opportunity and give them a second chance? This question is actually not hard to answer. It’s very simple! If you truly understood God, if you had a true knowledge of Him, then you would say only a few words and it would be very simple. You would not need to explain it over-much or engage in too much conjecture, right? You’re on the right track with what you’ve said, but you’re still some way off with God’s attitude.