The Word of Christ of the Last Days | "God Himself, the Unique VI: God's Holiness (III)" (Excerpt 1)

Almighty God says, "Satan uses fame and gain to control man's thoughts until all they can think of is fame and gain. They struggle for fame and gain, suffer hardships for fame and gain, endure humiliation for fame and gain, sacrifice everything they have for fame and gain, and they will make any judgment or decision for fame and gain. In this way, Satan binds man with invisible shackles. These shackles are borne on people, and they have not the strength nor courage to throw them off. So people trudge ever onward in great difficulty, unknowingly bearing these shackles. For the sake of this fame and gain, mankind shuns God and betrays Him, and they become more and more wicked. In this way, therefore, one generation after another is destroyed in the fame and gain of Satan. Looking now at Satan's actions, are its sinister motives abominable? Maybe today you still cannot see through Satan's sinister motives because you think that there is no life without fame and gain. You think that, if people leave fame and gain behind, then they will no longer be able to see the way ahead, no longer be able to see their goals, their future becomes dark, dim and gloomy. But, slowly, you will all one day recognize that fame and gain are monstrous shackles that Satan uses to bind man. Until the day you come to recognize this, you will thoroughly resist Satan's control and thoroughly resist the shackles Satan brings to bind you. When the time comes for you to wish to throw off all the things Satan has instilled in you, you will then make a clean break with Satan and will also truly loathe all that Satan has brought to you. Only then will you have a real love and yearning for God" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).

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Hymn of God's Words of Eastern Lightning | "Results of God's Work in the Last Days Are Achieved Through the Word"

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

Eastern Lightning | The Hymn of God's Word "Notions and Imagination Will Never Help You Know God"

Notions and Imagination Will Never Help You Know God

I

Knowledge of God relies not upon experience nor imagination. These must never be imposed upon God. For no matter how rich human experience and fancy are, they're limited, they are not fact nor truth, being also incompatible with God's real disposition, being also inconsistent with God's real substance. God's righteous disposition is His own true substance; it's not dictated by man, nor akin to His creation. God is God after all, He is never a part of His own creation. Even if He joins in, His disposition, essence won't change, won't change.

Eastern Lightning | A Hymn of God's Word "God's Love and Essence Has Always Been Selfless"

God's Love and Essence Has Always Been Selfless

God gives His best, His best side He gives. The best things, very best things, He gives.

I
Never disclosing or showing His suffering. God, He endures, waiting in silence. Not cold or numb, not a sign of weakness. God's essence and His love are always selfless. God gives His best, His best side He gives. The best things, very best things, He gives. For all mankind, He suffers; He suffers, bearing quietly. Quietly He gives, He gives His best.

Christian Experience Articles | On the Way of Tribulation, God’s Word Encouraged Me

Eastern Lightning |  On the Way of Tribulation, God’s Word Encouraged Me

Chen Hui    Jiangsu Province

I was born in an ordinary family. My father was a soldier. Influenced and nurtured by my father from childhood, I thought in my heart that soldiers should take serving their country and obeying orders as their bounden mission and dedicate themselves selflessly to the Party and the people, and I aimed to become a soldier in the future and walk along my father’s path. However, things that happened later changed my viewpoint of pursuit and way of life little by little. In 1983, I heard Jesus’ gospel. Because of the special leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, I, who had been poisoned by atheism and Red Education since childhood, was deeply moved by the Lord Jesus’ love. From then on, I stepped onto the way of believing in God. I began to attend church services, pray, and sing hymns to praise God. Such a life made me feel very secure and peaceful in my heart. But gradually I found that a problem always puzzled me and made me feel troubled and perplexed. That is, although I knew that the Lord Jesus taught people not to commit sins, I always involuntarily lived in a condition of “committing sins in the day and confessing them at night” and couldn’t hold on to the Lord’s teachings anyway. In order to solve this problem, I went to other house churches to have meetings, hoping to find a way out. But in the end, I was disappointed. In 1999, one of my relatives preached Almighty God’s end-time gospel to me, but as I was concentrating on making money at that time, I simply had no mind to follow God and pursue the truth. Not until one year later did I formally begin to attend meetings. Through constantly reading God’s word and having meetings and fellowshipping with the brothers and sisters, I understood many truths and knew God’s eager intention to save man, and felt that the responsibility and mission God gave to every one of us were great, so I joined in preaching the gospel actively. When I saw that many people came before God and gained God’s blessings and salvation, my faith became greater.

Eastern Lightning | Almighty God's Word "Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen"

　　Almighty God says, "I am never hurried in My work. No matter how man follows Me, I do My work in accordance with each step, as in My plan. Therefore, though you may rebel against Me so much, I do not stop My work and continue to speak the word I wish. I call to My house all those I foreordained to listen to My word, then place all who obey and long for My word before My throne. Those who betray My word, those who do not obey and submit to Me, and those who openly defy Me, shall all be cast off to the side to await their final punishment. All men live in corruption and under the hand of the evil one, so not many of those who follow Me actually long for the truth. That is to say, most do not worship Me with a true heart or with the truth, but try to gain My trust through corruption, rebellion, and deceitful measures. It is for this reason I say, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” All those called are deeply corrupted and live in the same age, but those who are chosen are only that part which believes in and acknowledges the truth and that which practices the truth. These men are merely a very minor part of the whole, and from among these men I shall receive more glory."

Gospel Movie clip (5) - A Christian's Wonderful Rebuttal of the Notions of a Three-Self Pastor

he CCP invites a pastor with the Three-Self Church to try to brainwash and convert a Christian. The Christian and the pastor open up a wonderful debate in response to the notions thrown out by the Three-Self pastor. How will this Christian push back against the pastor? Why will this attempt by the CCP at brainwashing and conversion end in failure?

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Eastern Lightning | Regenerated in God’s Word

Wang Gang    Shandong Province

I was a peasant. As my family was poor, I kept working everywhere to make money, just wanting to live a better life through my own labor. However, in real life I saw that the lawful rights and interests of a rural worker like me couldn’t be guaranteed at all. My wages were often withheld for no reason. Deceived and exploited by others again and again, I couldn’t get the payment I deserved for a year’s hard work. I felt that the world was too dark! People lived by the law of the jungle like animals and contended with and fought against each other. There was simply no place for me to live. When I was extremely distressed and depressed in my heart and lost confidence in life, a friend preached Almighty God’s end-time salvation to me. From then on, I often had meetings with the brothers and sisters, and we prayed, sang, and fellowshipped about the truth together. We learned from each other and made up for each other’s deficiencies, and I felt especially happy and released. In the Church of Almighty God, I saw that there was no deception or distinction of position among the brothers and sisters. We were all simple and open and lived in harmony. In order to cast off the corrupt disposition and live out the likeness of a man and thus be saved, all of us were striving to pursue the truth, which let me taste the happiness of life and understand the value and meaning of life. Therefore, I always felt that I should preach the gospel so that more people who lived in darkness could come before God to be saved by God and see the light again. So, I joined in preaching the gospel to testify God. However, I never expected that I would be arrested by the CCP government for preaching the gospel and suffer the extremely cruel tortures and imprisonment.

Eastern Lightning | The Hymn of God's Word "God's Disposition is Lofty and Grand"

God's Disposition is Lofty and Grand

I

God's wrath is that unrighteous things are here to harass mankind, that darkness and evil have their being, as do the things that chase away the truth, and that there are things against the good. His wrath is the symbol of the end of all bad things, and even more the symbol of His holiness, the symbol of His holiness. God's delight is righteousness and light coming into the world, is the destruction of darkness and evil. His delight is bringing light to mankind, and beauty into their life. His delight is righteous; it is the symbol of all things positive, and the symbol of the auspicious, and the symbol of the auspicious.

The Testimony of a Christian | The Fragrance of Love Given Off in Adversity

Xiaokai    Jiangxi Province

I’m an ordinary country woman. Due to the feudal thought of valuing sons and belittling daughters, I, who have no son, once felt unable to lift up my head before others. In my agony, I was selected by the Lord Jesus. Two years later, I accepted Almighty God’s salvation. In Almighty God’s word, I understood many truths and got real release in my heart. However, while I was performing duty to repay God’s love, I was arrested twice by the CCP government and suffered cruel tortures from the CCP lackeys. On the verge of death, it was Almighty God’s word that led and encouraged me all the time, so that I stood testimony in satan’s affliction and thus firmly resolved to follow and love God all my life.

Eastern Lightning | Preface

The year 1991 is of great and far-reaching significance to the whole mankind who are deeply corrupted. In that year, all those who devoutly believed in the Lord and thirsted for the truth finally welcomed the appearing of the Savior Jesus. He is Almighty God who is incarnated in the end time. Almighty God’s coming countered everyone’s notions, because he didn’t descend in Israel on the white cloud or publicly appear to all nations and all peoples. Instead, he descended in China—the strong bastion of atheism in a hidden way and started the work of “judgment beginning with the family of God” in the dwelling place of the great red dragon. China is the darkest and most corrupt country in the world which resists God most severely, and it is exactly the dwelling place of the great red dragon and various evil spirits. Therefore, through uttering his voice and speaking in this place, God judges, chastises, purifies, and saves those who are deeply blinded and corrupted by the great red dragon, and gains a group of overcomers in the East of the world, who become the evidence of God’s overcoming satan. This can even more manifest God’s wisdom and almightiness. Just as Almighty God says, “As God has prophesied in many places that he will gain a group of overcomers in the land of Sinim, that is, gain the overcomers in the East of the world, without a doubt the place God stays when he is incarnated the second time is the land of Sinim, just the dwelling place of the great red dragon, where he will gain the offspring of the great red dragon so that it will be thoroughly defeated and put to shame. God will arouse these people in deep misery and thoroughly awaken them, so that they will come out of the dense fog and reject the great red dragon, wake up from their dream and know the essence of the great red dragon and turn their heart completely to God, rise up in the oppression of the forces of darkness and stand in the East of the world, and become the evidence of God’s triumphing. Only thus will God have gained glory.” (from The Word Appears in the Flesh) Because of the end-time Christ’s work and word, all God’s chosen people in China who were deeply blinded by the great red dragon under its dark rule were conquered by Almighty God’s word. They broke away from the bondage and control of the great red dragon, came before God’s throne, and accepted the watering, supply, pruning, dealing, judgment, chastisement, and all kinds of trials and refinings of Almighty God’s word. In the end, they stood testimony in all sorts of hunting and persecution from the regime of the great red dragon. Therefore, they have become the specimens and models that God makes in China through his end-time work, and they are the powerful evidence of God’s overcoming satan’s evil forces.

Eastern Lightning | The Hymn of God's Word "Christ of the Last Days Has Brought the Age of Kingdom"

Christ of the Last Days Has Brought the Age of Kingdom

I
When Jesus came into the world of man, He brought the Age of Grace, ending the Age of Law. God once more became flesh during the last days. He brought the Age of Kingdom, ending the Age of Grace. All who accept God's second incarnation shall be led into the Age of Kingdom and receive His guidance. Jesus labored among man to redeem mankind, offering Himself as sacrifice for man's sins. Yet man's corrupt disposition remains.

II
To save man from Satan's corrupt influence, it's not enough for Jesus to be sin offering. It needs God to do a greater work to rid man of his disposition tainted by Satan. All who accept God's second incarnation shall be led into the Age of Kingdom and receive His guidance. Jesus labored among man to redeem mankind, offering Himself as sacrifice for man's sins. Yet man's corrupt disposition remains.

Eastern Lightning | The Hymn of God's Word "The True Embodiment of the Creator's Authority"

Eastern Lightning | The Hymn of God's Word "The True Embodiment of the Creator's Authority"

Mankind and the universe are woven into the Creator's design. Mankind and the universe are woven into the Creator's design. Tied to His workings, they are held within His sway. The laws of science and nature reveal how He works and rules. And the struggle to survive shows His supremacy. Yes, the fates of all things; yes, the fates of all things; yes, the fates of all things show His sovereign control.

II

In life and death and everything, mankind sees the Creator's work. In life and death and everything, mankind sees the Creator's work and bears witness to His superior ways that transcend all earthly powers and laws. So no created being can violate God's rule or change what He has ordained. All things bow to His laws, showing His authority. Both now and forever more.

  from "God Himself, the Unique III" in Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh

Eastern Lightning| The Difference Between the Ministry of the Incarnate God and the Duty of Man

You must come to know the vision of God’s work and grasp the general direction of His work. This is entry in a positive way. Once you accurately master the truths of the vision, your entry will be secure; no matter how His work changes, you will remain steadfast in your heart, be clear about the vision, and you will have a goal for your entry and your pursuit. In such manner, all the experience and knowledge within you will grow deeper and become more refined. Once you have grasped the bigger picture in its entirety, you will suffer no losses in life, and you shall not be lost. If you do not come to know these steps of work, you shall suffer loss at each of them. You cannot turn around in just a few days, and you will not be able to set upon the right track in even a few weeks. Is this not setting you back? There is much of entry in a positive manner and such practices that you must master, and so too must you grasp several points on the vision of His work, such as the significance of His work of conquest, the path to being made perfect in the future, what must be achieved through experience of trials and tribulations, the significance of judgment and chastisement, the principles of the work of the Holy Spirit, and the principles of perfection and of conquest. These are all truths of the vision. The rest are the three stages of work of the Age of Law, the Age of Grace, and the Age of Kingdom, as well as future testimony. These too are truths pertaining to the vision, and are the most fundamental, as well as most crucial. At present, there is too much that you ought to enter into and practice, and it is now more layered and more detailed. If you have no knowledge of these truths, it is proof that you have not yet entered. Most of the time, man’s knowledge of the truth is too shallow; man is unable to put into practice certain basic truths and does not know how to handle even trivial matters. The reason that man is unable to practice truth is because of his disposition of rebelliousness, and because his knowledge of the work of today is too superficial and one-sided. Thus, it is no easy task for man to be made perfect. Your rebelliousness is too great, and you retain too much of your old self; you are unable to stand on the side of truth, and you are unable to practice even the most evident of truths. Such men cannot be saved and are those who have not been conquered. If your entry has neither detail nor objectives, growth will be slow in coming for you. If your entry has not the slightest bit of reality, then your pursuit will be in vain. If you are unaware of the substance of truth, you will remain unchanged. Growth in man’s life and changes in his disposition are all achieved by entering into reality and, moreover, through entering into detailed experiences. If you have many detailed experiences during your entry, and you have much actual knowledge and entry, your disposition shall quickly change. Even if at present you are not very enlightened in practice, you must at the very least be enlightened about the vision of the work. If not, you shall be unable to enter, and you will not be able to do so unless you first have knowledge of truth. Only if the Holy Spirit enlightens you in your experience will you gain a deeper understanding of the truth and enter more deeply. You must come to know the work of God.

Eastern Lightning| The Hymn of God's Word "God Becomes Flesh to Save Mankind" | The Church of Almighty God

God Becomes Flesh to Save Mankind

I

Today is the day, have you seen? It's something for God to come among man. He's come to save man, defeat Satan— the reason for His incarnation. If not for this, He wouldn't work by Himself. God has taken on flesh to battle Satan and shepherd mankind, whose flesh is corrupted and whom God wants to save. God comes twice in the flesh to defeat Satan and save mankind. Only God can battle Satan in Spirit or in flesh.

II

The angels can't fight, they have no power. And corrupt man, he stands no chance. So God puts on flesh to be man's life, to work on them and save them all, with His inherent identity, and the work He must do. God has taken on flesh to battle Satan and shepherd mankind, whose flesh is corrupted and whom God wants to save. God comes twice in the flesh to defeat Satan and save mankind. Only God can battle Satan in Spirit or in flesh.

Eastern Lightning| Only Those Who Know God and His Work Can Satisfy God

The work of God incarnate includes two parts. The first time He became flesh, people did not believe in Him or know Him, and nailed Jesus to the cross. The second time, too, people did not believe in Him, much less know Him, and once again nailed Christ to the cross. Is man not the enemy of God? If man does not know Him, how could man be the intimate of God? And how could he be qualified to bear testimony to God? Loving God, serving God, glorifying God—are these not deceitful lies? If you devote your life to these unrealistic, impractical things, do you not labor in vain? How could you be God’s intimate when you do not even know who God is? Is such pursuit not vague and abstract? Is it not deceitful? How can one be an intimate of God? What is the practical significance of being an intimate of God? Can you be an intimate of God’s Spirit? Can you see how great and exalted the Spirit is? To be the intimate of an invisible, intangible God—is that not vague and abstract? What is the practical significance of such pursuit? Is it not all deceitful lies? What you pursue is to become God’s intimate, yet in fact you are Satan’s lapdog, for you do not know God, and pursue the non-existent “God of all things,” which is invisible, intangible, and of your own conceptions. Vaguely speaking, such a “God” is Satan, and practically speaking, it is you yourself. You seek to be your own intimate yet still say you pursue to be the intimate of God—is that not blasphemy? What is the value of such pursuit? If the Spirit of God does not become flesh, then the substance of God is merely an invisible, intangible Spirit of life, formless and amorphous, of the nonmaterial kind, unapproachable and incomprehensible to man. How could man be the intimate of an incorporeal, wondrous, unfathomable Spirit such as this? Is this not a joke? Such absurd reasoning is invalid and impractical. Created man is of an inherently different kind to the Spirit of God, so how could the two of them be intimates? If the Spirit of God were not realized in the flesh, if God did not become flesh and humble Himself by becoming a creature, then created man would be both unqualified and unable to be His intimate, and apart from those godly believers who may have the chance to be God’s intimates after their souls have entered into heaven, most people would be unable to become the intimates of God’s Spirit. And if man wishes to become the intimate of God in heaven under the guidance of God incarnate, is he not an astonishingly foolish non-human? Man merely pursues “faithfulness” to an invisible God, and pays not the slightest attention to the God that can be seen, for it is so easy to pursue an invisible God—man may do so however he likes. But the pursuit of the visible God is not so easy. The man that seeks a vague God is absolutely unable to gain God, for things that are vague and abstract are all imagined by man, and incapable of being gained by man. If the God that came among you were a lofty and exalted God who was inaccessible to you, then how could you seek His will? And how could you know and understand Him? If He only did His work, and had no normal contact with man, or was possessed of no normal humanity and unapproachable to mere mortals, then, even if He did much work for you but you had no contact with Him, and were unable to see Him, how could you know Him? If it were not for this flesh possessed of normal humanity, man would have no way of knowing God; it is only because of God’s incarnation that man is qualified to be the intimate of this God in the flesh. Man becomes God’s intimate because man comes into contact with Him, because man lives together with Him and keeps His company, and so gradually comes to know Him. If it were not thus, would man’s pursuit not be in vain? That is to say, it is not all because of God’s work that man is able to be God’s intimate, but because of the reality and normality of God incarnate. It is only because God becomes flesh that man has the chance to perform his duty, and the chance to worship the true God. Is this not the most real and practical truth? Now, do you still wish to be the intimate of God in heaven? Only when God humbles Himself to a certain point, which is to say, only when God becomes flesh, can man be His intimate and confidant. God is of the Spirit: How is man qualified to be the intimate of this Spirit, who is so exalted and unfathomable? Only when the Spirit of God descends into the flesh, and becomes a creature with the same exterior as man, can man understand His will and actually be gained by Him. He speaks and works in the flesh, shares in the joys, sorrows, and tribulations of man, lives in the same world as man, protects man, and guides him, and through this He cleanses man, and allows man to gain His salvation and His blessing. Having gained these things, man truly understands God’s will, and only then can he be an intimate of God. Only this is practical. If God were invisible and intangible to man, how could man be His intimate? Is this not empty doctrine?

The Hymn of God's Word "God Treasures Those Who Can Listen to and Obey Him" | Eastern Lightning

God doesn’t care whether one is humble or great.

As long as he listens to God,

obeys what God orders and entrusts,

can cooperate with His work, with His plan and His will,

so that His will and plan can proceed without hindrance,

such action is worthy of, worthy of God’s remembrance,

and worthy of receiving, receiving His blessing.

God treasures such people, and cherishes their actions,

and their love and affection for Him.

This is God’s attitude.

Eastern Lightning| The Hymn of God's Word "God Is Incarnated Just to Defeat Satan and Save All Mankind"

God Is Incarnated Just to Defeat Satan and Save All Mankind

I

During this incarnation of God on earth,

He does His work among man.

All of this work has one purpose—

to defeat the devil Satan.

He will defeat Satan through conquering man,

also through making you complete.

When you bear resounding testimony,

this, too, will be a mark of Satan’s defeat.

God is incarnated just to defeat Satan and save all mankind.

II

In order for Satan to be defeated,

man is first conquered, then made complete.

But in substance, while defeating Satan,

God saves man from the world of pain.

No matter if this work is carried out

in China or throughout the universe,

it’s all to defeat Satan and save mankind,

so that man can enter the place of rest.

God is incarnated just to defeat Satan and save all mankind.

Eastern Lightning| When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth

　　Almighty God says, "The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit. I advise you to tread the path of belief in God with care. Do not jump to conclusions; what’s more, do not be casual and carefree in your belief in God. You should know that, at the very least, those who believe in God should be humble and reverential. Those who have heard the truth and yet turn their nose up at it are foolish and ignorant. Those who have heard the truth and yet carelessly jump to conclusions or condemn it are beset by arrogance. No one who believes in Jesus is qualified to curse or condemn others. You should all be someone who is rational and accepts the truth. Perhaps, having heard the way of truth and read the word of life, you believe that only one in 10,000 of these words are in line with your convictions and the Bible, and then you should continue to seek in that 10,000th of these words. I still advise you to be humble, to not be over-confident, and to not exalt yourself too highly. With your heart holding such meager reverence for God, you will gain greater light. If you carefully examine and repeatedly contemplate these words, you shall understand whether or not they are the truth, and whether or not they are life."

Eastern Lightning| The Hymn of God's Word "God in the Flesh Does the Work of Conquering All Mankind"

　God in the Flesh Does the Work of Conquering All Mankind

I

God’s work in the flesh is not spectacular,

nor is it shrouded in mystery.

It’s real and actual, like one and one is two;

it’s not hidden and there’s no duplicity.

All people see is authentic,

so is the truth and knowledge they attain.

When the work comes to its end,

their knowledge of Him will be renewed,

and the conceptions of those

who truly seek Him will all be gone.

This isn’t just the effect of His work on Chinese people,

but reflects His work of conquering all of man,

reflects His work of conquering all of man.