July 7, 2018 – Job 28:23-26

　　God understands the way thereof, and he knows the place thereof. For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and he weighs the waters by measure.When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

– Job 28:23-26

　　Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

　　These verses tell us that Job was knowledgeable about God. Although he did not see God, through practical observation, he experienced and knew God’s actions from various phenomena in his daily life, for example: The sun, the moon and the stars all travel precisely along their own track; the rotation of seasons and the change of weather are predestined; every kind of living creature thrive and multiply within one constant rule—all this is ruled over by God not by man. Job had truly appreciated that God’s deeds are everywhere, and that God’s wisdom is wondrous and unfathomable. Thus, he was certain of God’s true existence and the fact that God is the source of man’s life, and the fact that it is God who leads all things, provides for all things and command all things. In addition, Job applied his knowledge of God’s sovereignty and authority to his real life. He believed that all he possessed had been bestowed upon him by God, and had not come off the back of his own labor. Just as God says, “Job had never seen God, the implication of which is that although he had heard of God, he did not know where God was, or what God was like, or what God was doing, which are subjective factors; objectively speaking, though he followed God, God had never appeared to him or spoken to him. Is this not a fact? Although God had not spoken to Job or given him any commands, Job had seen God’s existence, and beheld His sovereignty among all things and in legends in which Job had heard of God by the hearing of the ear, after which he began the life of fearing God and shunning evil. Such were the origins and process by which Job followed God.” We should emulate Job—to realize God’s wonderful sovereignty in all the things He created with our heart, obey all the environments arranged by Him in our daily life, and feel God’s true existence in our real experiences.

Know more: Daily Devotionals 

Christian Experience Articles | God’s Words Led Me Out of the Woods

By Xiao Rui, Sichuan Province

　　When my duty in The Church of Almighty God was preaching the gospel, while doing this I encountered religious leaders who bore false witness to frantically resist, disturb, and block people’s investigation and acceptance of God’s work in the last days. They even called the police to have them arrest those of us sharing the gospel. As a result, those we were preaching to didn’t dare come into contact with us, and those who had just accepted the gospel were subjected to disruptions and became uncertain about God’s work. Our gospel work was greatly hindered. I felt really anxious when I saw so many brothers and sisters with genuine faith who were hoodwinked and disrupted by the pastors and elders. They were unable to return before God and accept His purification and salvation of the last days. I worked hard every day to share fellowship on God’s words with them to resolve the notions they held regarding God’s work, but after doing this for a period of time, our gospel work still hadn’t taken a turn for the better. I thought: “Evangelical work is so difficult to carry out. It would be so wonderful if God just displayed some miracles and punished those who bear false witness as well as those who seriously resist Him to show to those who have been deceived. Then wouldn’t the work of the gospel advance more quickly? It wouldn’t be so difficult for us to preach the gospel.” This is how this hope came up in my heart every time I encountered difficulties. Later, I read the book of Classic Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God and during fellowship heard some testimonies on God’s signs and wonders, and I felt very glad in my heart. I hoped even more that God would do some things in the areas that I worked in so that our gospel work there could be carried out smoothly. But no matter how I hoped, I still didn’t see God perform any miracles there or do anything to punish evil people. The religious people were still fully resisting God, and the difficulties in our evangelical work were still great. I became negative, thinking: “Why doesn’t God open up a way out for us? Could it be that our faith is inadequate?”

Gospel Song "Only Those Who Accept the Truth Can Hear God's Voice" | Welcome the Lord Jesus' Return

Where there is the appearance of God,

there’s expression of the truth and the voice of God.

Only those who accept the truth

can hear God’s voice and witness His appearance.

Put away views of “impossible”!

Thoughts of impossible are likely to happen.

God’s wisdom soars higher than the heavens.

His thoughts and His work are far beyond all man’s thoughts.

The more impossible something is, the more there is truth to seek.

The more beyond man’s conception, the more it contains God’s will.

No matter where He appears, God is still God, God is still God.

And His essence will never change because of where He’s appeared.

Put your notions aside, quiet your heart, read these words.

If you yearn for the truth, God will let you know His will and words.

How Should We Treat Biblical Prophecies About the Second Coming? – Bible Study

　　By Chenyan, Shandong

　　There are a lot of prophecies of the Lord’s return in the Bible. Every Christian is familiar with them. Especially we who are anxiously expecting the Lord’s return even want to properly understand and know the prophecies of the Lord’s return, so that we can meet the returned Lord and realize the desire of entering into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, it is very important how we treat the prophecy, which will directly involve whether we can meet the returned Lord.

　　I recalled when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, the Israelites of that time had been waiting eagerly for the Messiah’s coming according to the prophecies of the Old Testament. They saw the prophecies in the Bible, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9: 6-7). “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). According to the letters of the prophecies in the Bible, and their imaginations and inferences concerning the coming of the Messiah, they defined that the Lord’s name was Messiah when He came and He would definitely be born in the imperial palace, looking majestic, imposing and extraordinary. And He would come to lead them to break away from the rule of the Roman government as the king of Israel, like David.

God’s work of judgment in the last days is the judgment of the great white throne, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation.

　God’s work of judgment in the last days is the judgment of the great white throne, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation. | Eastern Lightning

　  Bible Verses for Reference:

　“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17).

　“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:11-15).