Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible (4)

Question 4: You say the words in the book The Word Appears in the Flesh are God’s new word! But the Revelation clearly states: “For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book” (Rev 22:18). Don’t you add to the Bible?

　　Answer: “shall not add to the word, nor take away from it” as stated in the scriptures. You think we are adding to the Bible. Then let’s explore this problem. Brothers and sisters, John said “if any man shall add to these things,” but did not say “if any man shall add to the Bible.” Additionally, when John said these words the New Testament did not exist. The New Testament was formed around 300 AD. The Book of Revelation was only formed later than AD 90; it was a record of John’s visions on the Island of Patmos. Clearly, this book as stated by John refers to the text of prophecies known as the Book of Revelation, not the entire Bible. Therefore, “shall not add to these things” does not mean that there won’t be new work and words of God in the future. Back then, what John saw was only a vision and was not the reality of God’s work of the last days. Almighty God’s work and word of the last days are not additions to the prophecies of the Book of Revelation, but the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. Let’s take a look at two passages from the Bible. Revelation 2:17 states: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna…” This part of the scriptures mention: “what the Spirit says to the churches” and “the hidden manna.” These are actually referring to the words expressed by Almighty God of the last days! There's also Revelation 5:1-5. Let's read it: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said to me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” we all thought the book was referring to the Bible, but this part of the scriptures mention that this book has not been looked upon by anyone. This shows that this book is not a reference to the Bible. The scriptures mention: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals” (Rev 5:1). This shows that the content of this book was not recorded in the Book of Revelation. This verse tells us that only Christ of the last days is worthy of opening up this book and loosing the seven seals.

"Faith in God" (3) - What Do God's Work and Appearance Bring to the Religious Community?

Each time God becomes flesh and appears to do His work, Satan's evil forces savagely defy and condemn the true way. In this way, war arises within the spiritual world which divides and exposes the religious world. The Lord Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). When the Lord Jesus appeared and worked in the Age of Grace, Judaism split into many factions. Now with the appearance and work of Almighty God in the last days, the religious world is subjected to a great exposing; the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats, the wise virgins and the foolish virgins, and the good servants and bad servants—all are exposed, each to their own kind. God's wisdom and wonders truly are unfathomable!

Watch more:

Christian Praise and Worship Song "Thanks and Praise to Almighty God" 

July 6, 2018 – Ephesians 5:17 – Seek the Lord’s Will

　　Why be you not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

– Ephesians 5:17

　　Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

　　From this verse we know that only the wise can understand the will of the Lord, because when things befall the wise, they won’t treat them according to their conceptions and imaginations, but seek the will of the Lord at all times, understand the will of the Lord, and do things according to the Lord’s will. This is the man that God approves. But in reality, we easily follow our own desires to treat the people, things, and objects we personally encounter, and are influenced by them. Thus, we neglect to quiet before the Lord and seek His will. As a result, we did not understand the Lord’s will and have done many unwise things, and fell into Satan’s cunning scheme, becoming the unwise. So we should learn to be wise, to seek the will of the Lord in everything. Only by grasping the Lord’s will and demands, and practicing according to His will can we have a God-loving heart and be approved by God. Just as God’s words say: “Loving God requires seeking God’s will in all things, and that you probe deep within when anything happens to you, trying to grasp God’s will, and trying to see what God’s will is in this matter, what He wishes you to achieve, and how you should be mindful of His will.”

More attention: Daily Devotionals　 

God’s Grace Frees Her From Her Painful Marriage (Part 2)

By A’jiao, Hong Kong

God’s Words Resolve Her Bewilderment and Her Heart Is Eased

     One time, in a meeting, Jiao told her brothers and sisters all about her pain and bewilderment, and one of the sisters read to her several passages of God’s words: “Born into such a filthy land, man has been severely blighted by society, he has been influenced by feudal ethics, and he has been taught at ‘institutes of higher learning.’ The backward thinking, corrupt morality, mean view on life, despicable philosophy, utterly worthless existence, and depraved lifestyle and customs—all of these things have severely intruded upon man’s heart, and severely undermined and attacked his conscience. As a result, man is ever more distant from God, and ever more opposed to Him” (“To Have an Unchanged Disposition Is to Be in Enmity to God”). “One after another, all these trends carry an evil influence that continually degenerates man, causing them to continually lose conscience, humanity and reason, and that lowers their morals and their quality of character more and more, to the extent that we can even say the majority of people now have no integrity, no humanity, neither do they have any conscience, much less any reason. So what are these trends? You cannot see these trends with the naked eye. When the wind of a trend blows through, perhaps only a small number of people will become the trendsetters. They start off doing this kind of thing, accepting this kind of idea or this kind of perspective. The majority of people, however, in the midst of their unawareness, will still be continually infected, assimilated and attracted by this kind of trend, until they all unknowingly and involuntarily accept it, and are all submerged in and controlled by it. For man who is not of sound body and mind, who never knows what is truth, who cannot tell the difference between positive and negative things, these kinds of trends one after another make them all willingly accept these trends, the life view and values that come from Satan. They accept what Satan tells them on how to approach life and the way to live that Satan ‘bestows’ on them. They have not the strength, neither do they have the ability, much less the awareness to resist” (“God Himself, the Unique VI”).

     The sister then gave fellowship, saying: “God’s words reveal how Satan corrupts man as well as the truth of our corruption by Satan. In today’s society, the breakup of marriages caused by extra-marital affairs and having someone on the side is a common occurrence, and this is directly related to us being deeply corrupted by Satan. Satan uses all manner of heresies and fallacies to deceive, seduce and corrupt man, such as ‘Seize the day for pleasure, for life is short,’ ‘The red flag at home does not fall, the colored flags outside flutter in the breeze,’ ‘Men go bad when they get money, and women get money when they go bad,’ and so on. Satan arouses these evil thoughts and views to corrode our spirits, and this results in our thinking becoming warped so that we regard the evil trends such as ‘extra-marital affairs,’ ‘having a mistress’ and ‘keeping another woman’ as positive things to pursue. Having a woman on the side has become a symbol that the man is capable and high-powered, and a woman having many paramours has become a reflection of how lovely she is. We as mankind live under the influence of these evil trends, and we become increasingly wicked, promiscuous and corrupt, and our consciences become ever more numb. Even though we do things that fly in the face of ethics and morality, we feel no shame at all. More and more people are becoming assimilated by Satan’s evil trends, and are becoming sacrifices to these trends…. In this way, many families are broken up, many people choose to commit suicide as they cannot bear their partner’s betrayal, and there are also many people who kill their partners because their love turns to hatred. Are these not the bitter fruits of following Satan’s evil trends? Were it not for God expressing the truth and exposing Satan’s cunning scheme to corrupt mankind, no one would be able to see and understand these things. We would just be living under Satan’s power, allowing it to harm us. We really do need God’s salvation, and we really need to understand the truth!”

Gospel Movie Clip "Faith in God" (1) - Is Obedience to Those in Power Truly the Same as Obedience to God?

Christian Film Clip "Faith in God" (1) - Is Obedience to Those in Power Truly the Same as Obedience to God?

In the Bible, Paul said, "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation" (Romans 13:1-2). How should we believers treat those in power? Is obedience to those in power truly the same as obedience to God?

Recommend more:

If the Eastern Lightning is the true way, why has the CCP government consistently engaged in frantic oppression, arrests, and persecution against the Eastern Lightning? 

How to Keep Temper When Hurt by Others

By Titie, United States

　　In our life, we always feel we lose face on account of others’ words or looks. And sometimes, we develop prejudices against them for this reason, with our hot blood flaring up, even resulting in a conflict between them. In the face of such a circumstance, as a Christian, how should we treat it in accordance with God’s heart? As regards to this, I’ve found out a path to practice and I want to share it with you.

　　After I arrived in America, I began engaging in nursing in an old couple’s home. There, the following scene was an everyday occurrence …

Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible (2)

Question 2: The truths in the Bible are already complete. Having the Bible is enough for our belief in God. We don’t need any new words!

　　Answer: The content recorded by the Bible is limited. The Old Testament only recorded the work of Jehovah God, while the New Testament only recorded the work of the Lord Jesus. But regarding God’s work of the last days, the Bible only contains prophecies. The precise details are not recorded in the Bible. This is because the work of God in the last days is judgment work, it is new work outside of the Bible. God is the Expressor of truth, and moreover the Ruler of all things in the universe. His richness is inexhaustible and always in supply. He cannot be fathomed by any created being. Therefore, the content of the Bible cannot completely explain all of God’s deeds. Let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s word! Almighty God says, “The things that are recorded in the Bible are limited; they cannot represent the work of God in its entirety. The Four Gospels have fewer than one hundred chapters altogether, in which are written a finite number of happenings, such as Jesus cursing the fig tree, Peter’s three denials of the Lord, Jesus appearing to the disciples following His crucifixion and resurrection, teaching about fasting, teaching about prayer, teaching about divorce, the birth and genealogy of Jesus, Jesus’ appointment of the disciples, and so forth. However, man values them as treasures, even verifying the work of today against them. They even believe that all the work Jesus did in His life amounted only to so much, as if God were only capable of doing this much and nothing further. Is this not absurd?” (“The Mystery of the Incarnation (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “No one knows the reality of the Bible: that it is nothing more than a historical record of God’s work, and a testament to the previous two stages of God’s work, and offers you no understanding of the aims of God’s work. Everyone who has read the Bible knows that it documents the two stages of God’s work during the Age of Law and the Age of Grace. The Old Testament chronicles the history of Israel and Jehovah’s work from the time of creation until the end of the Age of Law. The New Testament records Jesus’ work on earth, which is in the Four Gospels, as well as the work of Paul; are they not historical records? Bringing up the things of the past today makes them history, and no matter how true or real they might be, they are still history—and history cannot address the present. For God does not look back on history! And so, if you only understand the Bible, and understand nothing of the work God intends to do today, and if you believe in God but do not seek the work of the Holy Spirit, then you do not understand what it means to seek God. If you read the Bible in order to study the history of Israel, to research the history of God’s creation of all the heavens and earth, then you do not believe in God. But today, since you believe in God, and pursue life, since you pursue the knowledge of God, and do not pursue dead letters and doctrines, or an understanding of history, you must seek God’s will of today, and must look for the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work. If you were an archeologist you could read the Bible—but you are not, you are one of those who believe in God, and you’d best seek God’s will of today” (“Concerning the Bible (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

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?”