Why Did the Jews Yearn for the Coming of the Messiah yet Oppose Him When He Truly Came?

By Xia Wei

As we all know, the Jews were God’s chosen people, Israel was the birthplace of God’s work, the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would lead the lives of the Israelites, and thus the Jews had eagerly yearned for the coming of the Messiah. But why was it that when the Messiah—the Lord Jesus—truly came to work, they didn’t accept Him, yet opposed Him and even crucified Him? This is what we will talk about today. May the Lord guide us.

The first reason was that the Jews relied on their imaginings and notions to understand the prophecies and delimit God’s work.

It is recorded in chapter 9, verses 6–7 in the Book of Isaiah, “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 Jehovah of hosts will perform this.”

He must be born in a palace

The Jews’ imaginations ran wild based on this prophecy. They believed that since the Messiah would come to power, He must be born in a palace, He must be majestic, with a kingly bearing, and He would lead them to overturn the Roman regime. However, when the Lord Jesus was born, not only was He not born in a royal palace, but actually was born in a manger. 

Not only did He not behave in a kingly way as they imagined, but appeared to be a very common and ordinary man. Not only did He not lead them to overturn the Roman regime, but actually taught them to be forgiving and tolerant, to love their enemies, and to forgive others seventy times seven times. The image and the work of the Lord Jesus completely overturned the Jews’ imaginings of the Messiah in their minds. In addition, in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 7, verse 14, it says: “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” In light of this prophecy, the Jews believed that the virgin who would give birth to the Messiah must be an unmarried woman. So when they saw that Mary had a husband, they thought, “How could it be possible that ‘a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son’ is fulfilled on Mary?” Accordingly, they concluded that the Lord Jesus couldn’t possibly be the prophesied Messiah based on their own conceptions and imaginings. This was why they refused to accept the Lord Jesus’ words and work, and why they ultimately crucified Him, committing the most heinous of sins.

The second reason was that, the Jews looked up to the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees—outwardly, they believed in God, but in substance, they followed man.

The Pharisees, chief priests, and scribes were all the leaders of the religious world that held authority, prestige and position; they appeared pious, were well-versed in the Bible, were very familiar with the law, and served God in the temple for generations. Because the Jews worshiped power and status, they thought that, since the chief priests, scribes and the Pharisees had believed in God for a long time and had read the Bible for many years, they must be able to recognize the Messiah when He came, and thereby following them would not be wrong. Thus when the blind and ignorant Pharisees relied on their own imagination and conceptions to deny that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah and even to condemn and blaspheme the Lord Jesus, the Jews followed them in doing the same. Just as when the Pharisees said that the Lord Jesus cast out devils through Beelzebub, chief of the devils, the Jews thought that their condemnations couldn’t possibly be wrong, and thus followed them to condemn Him. 

Lord Jesus

Even when the chief priests yelled out to nail the Lord Jesus to the cross, the Jews still blindly played along with them, as recorded in John 19:6–7, “When the chief priests therefore and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate said to them, Take you Him, and crucify Him: for I find no fault in Him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” The Jews did not apply their discernment to what the chief priests said. When the chief priests said that Jesus should be crucified, the Jews chimed in and used the law to convict Him, following the chief priests in resisting God. And they even made the vow that the sin would be on them and their descendants, with the result that their offspring fled to countries around the world and many of them were killed.

God said: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). “But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). The Jews didn’t understand the truth, nor did they seek the truth or examine whether the Lord Jesus’ work was from God or whether His words were beneficial to people, and they just blindly followed and worshiped the Pharisees and the chief priests, such that they nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross. As a result, they met with God’s curses and punishment.

The Warning to Us

What warning does the failure of the Jews give us? We all know that we are already in the last days, that the prophecies of the Lord’s return have all been fulfilled, and that it is time for the Lord to return. According to the prophecies in the Book of Revelation, God will have a lot of work to do in the last days, such as opening the scroll and seven seals, expressing the words the Holy Spirit speaks to all churches, making a group of overcomers, and so on. But only a few words about these works are mentioned in the Book of Revelation and how God will accomplish these works is not recorded in detail. Under these circumstances, when the work of God’s return in the last days seems at odds with our notions and imaginings, we must not compare the literal meaning of the prophecies in the Bible with what God does, or rely on our conceptions and imaginings to delimit His work, or refuse to seek and study the returned Lord’s work, and even less can we blindly obey man or follow man, like the Jewish people. But instead, we should be wise virgins who long for and seek the truth, examine God’s new work in the last days and see whether it really is from God. Only in this way will we have the chance to welcome the Lord and gain His salvation in the last days.

The Lord Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7–8). I believe that when the Lord Jesus returns to perform His work in the last days, as long as we seek the truth and focus on hearing His voice, we will attain His salvation. Amen!

Source The Internet 

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Christian Testimonies - A Different Kind of

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꧁ Christian Testimonies - A Different Kind of Love꧂

Feb 25, 201882

By Chengxin, Brazil

By a chance opportunity in 2011, I came to Brazil from China. When I had just arrived, my eyes were overflowing with fresh and new experiences, curiosity, and I had a beautiful feeling about the future. But after a short time, this fresh and new feeling was quickly replaced by the loneliness and pain of finding myself in a far-off foreign land. Every day I went back home all alone, ate by myself, looking at the walls around me every day without anyone even to talk to, and I felt especially lonely in my heart, often crying all alone. When I felt the most pain and helpless, the Lord Jesus brought me into a gathering by means of a friend. Through reading the word of the Lord, singing hymns, and praying in gatherings, my lonely heart received the consolation of the Lord. I learned from the Bible that the heavens and earth and all things were created by God, and man too is God’s creation. The Lord Jesus was crucified for the redemption of mankind, and it was the Lord Jesus who redeemed us from sin, and He is the only Redeemer of mankind. In the face of the Lord’s salvation, which is greater than all else, I felt deeply moved and resolved to follow the Lord for the rest of my life. Because of this I was baptized on Thanksgiving to become a Christian not just in name but in reality. Because I liked singing songs, especially those in praise of God, after I was baptized I took the initiative to join the choir and work as part of it. Through God’s guidance and blessings, I lived in peace and happiness. Every time I went to a gathering or praised God in worship, I felt suffused with energy.

But a good situation didn’t last forever, and as I entered the ranks of the church ministry, I gradually saw that in the concern and care the brothers and sisters in the church showed to each other on the surface they were all seemingly harmonious, but that in their speech and actions they were all actually acting out of self-interest. They didn’t want to suffer any personal loss while working in the ministry of the church, and often gossiped behind others’ backs about who was doing more and who was doing less. Even the pastor was extremely snobby. He treated people based on the amounts of their donations, and when preaching always talked about donations. Every time he came to a gathering, the thing the pastor put the most emphasis on was whether or not people were giving donations and how much they had given, and he didn’t want to hear anything about the lives of the brothers and sisters. He talked about love, but didn’t show a single genuine action. When the brothers and sisters had difficulties, the pastor wouldn’t help them, but what made people even more indignant was that he would still criticize them and that he looked down on those powerless and penniless brothers and sisters…. When I saw this environment of the church, I was disappointed but also confused: How had the church changed so that it was no different than society? Slowly, I lost the love and faith I had had before, and on Sunday when I would go to the church I felt much less invigorated. I didn’t even want to sing. Every week when I went to church, I was either standing outside drinking coffee or taking a quick nap in the pews. When the sermon was over, I’d toss in my donation and head out. There was always a feeling of grief or helplessness in my heart.

One Sunday in August of 2016, I met Sister Li Min in a park who had come from America and who was the classmate of sisters Gao Xiaoying and Liu Fang. They all believed in the Lord. We got to chatting while sitting on the lawn. We talked and talked, and came around to the topic of the church environment, and I said everything I had seen in the church. After Sister Li Min heard that, she nodded thoughtfully and said: “Nowadays, not only has your church become this way, but the whole religious world has lost the work of the Holy Spirit. They’ve fallen into darkness and desolation. The Lord Jesus once prophesied: ‘And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold’ (Matthew 24:12). It’s already the period of the last days, and lawlessness is growing ever more rampant in religion. The pastors and elders don’t abide by the commandments of the Lord Jesus, they don’t carry out the way of the Lord, and they think it is not a big deal to live in sin like that. We all know that the flourishing of the church is the fruit obtained by the work of the Holy Spirit. Today, God has already done new work, and the work of the Holy Spirit has been transmitted to a group of people who accept and obey God’s new work. The pastors and elders in religion don’t lead believers in seeking and investigating God’s work in the last days, but rather resist and condemn God’s new work by disseminating all kinds of rumors and misconceptions to block people from returning to God. They meet with God’s hatred and rejection, so the entire religious world is without God’s blessing and has completely lost the work of the Holy Spirit, and has been cast aside and eliminated by the Lord. So the religion becomes more and more desolate and darkened. It is just like the time when the Lord Jesus became incarnate to perform work. The work of the Lord Jesus opened up the Age of Grace and put an end to the Age of Law. And because those people who followed the Lord Jesus accepted and obeyed the new work of God, they then gained the work of the Holy Spirit, whereas on the contrary the Holy Spirit did not work among those people who did not accept the Lord Jesus and still remained in the temple. So the temple that once was filled with glorification of God and where believers worshiped God became a place for doing business and a den of thieves. That is to say that the reason for the desolation of the church in one respect is caused by the pastors and elders not adhering to God’s commandments nor carrying out the word of God, and their commission of evil acts. In another respect it is because God has performed new work, and that the work of the Holy Spirit has shifted, and people have not caught up to the footsteps of God. However, God’s will is present in the desolation of the church, and there is a truth that can be found therein. Through the desolation of the church, God compelled all those who believe in God with true hearts and who thirst for the truth to leave the religion behind, so that they can leave it to search for the work of the Holy Spirit and to catch up with the footsteps of God and to come into the presence of God to obtain God’s present work and salvation.”

Pictures of the Church of Almighty God

Hearing what Sister Li fellowshiped, I nodded my head and said: “What you said is right. It’s certainly just as you say. I was never able to understand this problem, as the church was originally a place for worshiping God, but there is no difference anymore between the church and society at large. Furthermore, there is no new light in what the pastors preach, nor any enjoyment in listening to them, and people now live in darkness. As it turns out, it is that we have not yet caught up to God’s new work, so what must we now do to catch up to God’s new work?” Sister Li said: “The Lord Jesus has long since returned. In the last days, God is incarnated as a man to express the truth under the name of Almighty God. He has done a stage of the work of judging and purifying mankind. We have to catch up to God’s work in the last days and accept the judgment of God’s word, and then we can obtain the work of the Holy Spirit….” When I heard that the Lord Jesus had already returned to do a stage of the work of judgment, I was astonished. I thought: “Isn’t judgment to punish a person after he is convicted? God comes in the last days to judge those people who don’t believe in God, and we who believe in the Lord Jesus have already been absolved of our sins and have been graced with salvation. We don’t need to receive God’s judgment, for when the Lord comes He will directly raise us to the heavenly kingdom. How could He come to judge us?” With that thought, I had given rise to my own opinion. At that moment, Sister Liu Fang said, “Brother, I have already been investigating Almighty God’s work of the last days for a week with Sister Gao. From the word of Almighty God, we have recognized it is the voice of God. Almighty God is indeed the returned Lord Jesus. Read the word of Almighty God, and you will understand. The reason why the Lord Jesus returned to do the work of judgment is that, although we who believe in the Lord have been forgiven of our sins, we are living all along amid sin from which we cannot free ourselves. There is no way to free ourselves from the bondage and control of sin, and indeed we really do need God to express the truth to judge and purify us, and to root out our sinful nature and corrupt satanic disposition. Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days is a new and outstanding work built on the foundation of the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus. It completely purifies and saves men through the judgment of the word, and brings people to a wonderful destination.” After this, they patiently fellowshiped about some more truths with me. But no matter what they said, I just couldn’t accept that the Lord was returning to judge those who believed in Him. At the same time I was conflicted, I was also bewildered in my mind: Sisters Gao and Liu were very pious believers, and everyone acknowledged their belief and love for the Lord, so how could they believe that the Lord Jesus was returning to judge us who believe in Him, and that He would not raise us directly into the kingdom of heaven? Could it be that there was some mystery of the truth in this that I did not know?

Pictures of the Church of Almighty God

I was thinking, Sister Li Min took out a book and said earnestly to me: “Brother, the Lord Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:3). Don’t jump to a conclusion first, OK? Let us first see if the word of Almighty God is the voice of God, and whether it can provide life for us, and whether it can purify and save us, and then we will know whether Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus. God’s sheep will listen to the voice of God, so let us read God’s word together!” I was a bit unwilling in my heart and didn’t answer her question. The three sisters were a little saddened to see my attitude. Sister Liu suddenly suggested: “First let’s pray, and then read some more from the word of God!” After she said that, the three sisters began to pray, and I had to follow along with them. Still, as I was praying, I could hardly quiet my heart. Even though I couldn’t hear what the sisters were praying about, I was moved by their living out. They treated God with such an attitude of sincerity, and searched for God’s will in everything. They hoped that I would investigate God’s work in the last days, and this also came out of God’s love for me. After the prayer, Sister Li handed me a book and said sincerely to me: “Most of the questions in this book, A Hundred Questions and Answers on Investigating the True Way, exist among people of all denominations. For each question, related passages are chosen from the word of God to explain it. Go ahead and take a look.” I didn’t want to take the book, but seeing how sincere they were, I looked again at Sister Gao and Sister Liu, and how much they hoped I would investigate and seek. I thought how crucial a matter it was indeed to welcome the coming of the Lord, and that I shouldn’t treat it carelessly. At that, I accepted the book and said: “Alright, I’m willing to accept this book. Let’s stop here for today. I will read the book first, and then we’ll talk.”

After I went back home, I set the book to one side and my thoughts were all mixed up. I thought back on what Sister Li Min had fellowshiped and had a feeling that it was all clear and distinct. Every sentence she said was a fact, but what I couldn’t understand was: Why would the Lord perform a stage of the work of judgment upon His return? After contemplating it carefully, I still didn’t understand it. But as for this matter of the Lord’s second coming, since I had heard about it, I couldn’t blindly make up the rules and sit resigned to my fate. I thought it would also be a good idea to take a look at the book and grow a little in my differentiation. At that, I spent six days reading that book from cover to cover. I saw that Almighty God had made known many, many truths and mysteries that I had never heard of before. It allowed me to gain great provision, and also, when I had read the words of Almighty God, I felt that there were many things that were said in the same tone as that of the Lord Jesus. There was authority and power as if it was God’s voice speaking. So, after I finished reading the book, I wanted to understand even more what was behind the work of judgment done by Almighty God. I decided to go find Sister Gao to ask for clarification.

from The Church of Almighty God

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Christian Testimonies-A Christian’s Wonderful Rebuttal of the Notions of a Three-Self Pastor

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Christian Testimonies-A Christian’s Wonderful Rebuttal of the Notions of a Three-Self Pastor

Feb 25, 201841

Pastor Feng (A Three-Self pastor): Sister Jiang, your reception of the correct path in believing in God is very good. It is consistent with the word of the Lord Jesus. I totally agree without dissent. But just now, you witness that the Lord Jesus has returned, that is, the incarnate Almighty God. This is what I don’t understand. You also know that over the years, the Communist Party has been frantically convicting, suppressing, and arresting you. Most pastors and elders of the religious community have also condemned Eastern Lightning. If Almighty God is indeed the Lord Jesus who has returned, the CCP’s condemnation and opposition are inevitable, but why did the resistance and condemnation of the religious community occur? If it is really the Lord who has returned, He should have first appeared to the religious pastors and elders, so these pastors and elders would be the first to be raptured. But this is not the case now. Not only is the CCP frantically suppressing and arresting Eastern Lightning, even most pastors and elders of the religious community are resisting and condemning. What is the problem here? Can you explain it to me?

Jiang Xinyi (A Christian): Pastor Feng, you question God’s appearance and work in the last days because of many pastors and elders of the religious community’s resistance and condemnation of Almighty God. This is normal. Recalling when the Lord Jesus appeared to work, not only did the Roman dictatorship resist and convict Him, Judaism even more frantically condemned and resisted the Lord Jesus. Does it mean that the Lord Jesus was not the appearance of God? Are you sure that whatever is condemned by the pastors and elders of the religious community is not the true way? Going by your point of view that whatever is resisted and condemned by the religious community is not God’s appearance and work, may I ask if the Lord Jesus was God’s appearance? Were the word and work of the Lord Jesus the appearance and work of God? Since the leaders of Judaism had resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus so much, what is the basis of your belief in the Lord Jesus? Pastor Feng, you are familiar with the Bible. May I ask why did the Lord Jesus curse the Pharisees? Whom did the Pharisees represent? Did the Pharisees represent the religious leaders? The Book of Revelation predicted the destruction of the religious community. What did it mean? It indicates that the religious leaders are resistant to God. They all deny and resist Christ and act against God. Don’t you admit that this is the fact? Why is the religious community so deserted and devoid of the Holy Spirit’s work? This is enough to show that God hates and curses the religious community. God wants the chosen people who really belong to Him to come out of religion, to come out to God from the city of Babylon. This is the intention of God. If you do not believe it, take a look at the prophecy of Revelation, see how the Lord Jesus cursed the Pharisees, then you will understand everything.

Pictures of the Church of Almighty God

 Pastor Feng: It is true that the Lord Jesus cursed the Pharisees. It is also true that the demise of religious Babylon was predicted in Revelation. I know all these. However, Sister Jiang, you witness that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus who has returned to perform judgment work by expressing the truth in the last days. Is there any biblical basis for it? Those who believe in the Lord know that the Lord Jesus’ return is His resurrected spiritual body descending with the clouds for all eyes to see. To date, we haven’t seen the Lord Jesus descend with the clouds. So I’m certain that the Lord has not yet returned. Sister Jiang, I do not understand. Why do you witness that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus who has returned? How can you be sure that God will be incarnated as the Son of man to appear and work in the last days? Can you tell me?      

 Jiang Xinyi: Pastor Feng, you often teach the Bible to others, you should understand the Bible more than me. But my belief in Almighty God was established upon study and examination. I have read many words of Almighty God and found that all His words are truth that has unveiled all the mysteries of the Bible. I am sure that the expression of Almighty God is the voice of God. My acceptance of Almighty God is based on the prophecies of the Lord Jesus: “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” (Luke 17:24-25). “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” This clearly indicates that in the last days, the Lord will return as the Son of man in the flesh, and still speak to man. When man hears the voice of God, he will have greeted the Lord. The appearance and work of Almighty God fulfills the prophecies of the Lord Jesus. The word of the Lord is very clear that He will return as the Son of man in the last days. Since He said it is the Son of man, it refers to a man of human birth with normal humanity, which means the incarnation of God. If it were the spiritual body of the resurrected Lord Jesus, it could not be called the Son of man because the spiritual body of the resurrected Lord Jesus can fade in and out and penetrate walls. It is not subject to the constraints of space and geography. It is not human flesh with normal humanity. Pastor Feng, am I right in what I say? It is because the Lord has returned in the flesh as the Son of man, just as the Lord Jesus in the past, whose appearance is that of an ordinary, normal person, people resist, condemn and reject Him because they don’t realize that He is God. If the Lord were to return in a spiritual body with the clouds, that would certainly be a magnificent sign to behold. People would all prostrate on sight. How would the Lord “suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation”? Wouldn’t the prophecy of the Lord Jesus have fallen short? So the Lord’s return as the Son of man in the flesh in the last days is certain. How would you receive it, Pastor Feng?

Pastor Feng: Your reception is justified and also in line with the Bible. As for equating the ability to express the truth with the appearance and work of God, I cannot accept it. If one has the revelation of God, isn’t he able to express the truth too? The prophets are able to express God’s word, does it make them God’s appearance? Sister Jiang, you have to be careful when accepting God’s appearance and work because it is said in the Bible: “said in the Bible: “Then if any man shall say to you, See, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:23-24). The word of the Lord is very clear that in the last days, there are false Christs and false prophets who deceive people. So we cannot easily believe anyone who witnesses the Lord’s return in the flesh. Don’t you agree? Can you guarantee that you have not been deceived? 

Jiang Xinyi: Pastor Feng, listening to your words, you are wary of being deceived so you dare not easily accept the word and work of God in the last days. Many people also advised me to be cautious when I was studying the true way. They let me read the scripture you just quoted. But this passage only tells us to take caution and avoid being deceived. It does not refute the Lord’s return in the last days as the Son of man in the flesh. Nor does it prove that Christ will not appear to work in the last days because the Lord Jesus clearly stated, “I come quickly.” If we interpreted this passage as Christ will not appear to work in the last days, and only the false Christs and false prophets will be deceiving people, it would be a big mistake. Pastor Feng, you should also know in the years before and after God appeared to work in the flesh in the last days, false Christs and false prophets have appeared to deceive people in every nation. Under these circumstances, how can we determine that it is God’s appearance and work? How do we distinguish the false Christs? The words of the Lord Jesus are very clear: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truthsince we are searching for the footprints of God, we must search for God’s will, for the words of God, for the utterances of God—for where there are the new words of God, there is the voice of God, and where there are the footsteps of God, there are the deeds of God. Where there is the expression of God, there is the appearance of God, and where there is the appearance of God, there exists the truth, the way, and the life” (The Word Appears in the Flesh). It was when I saw all the words expressed by Almighty God are the truth and the voice of God that I accepted Almighty God. Had it not been for God, who could have expressed so many truths? That was enough to prove that it was the appearance of God in the flesh to man because corrupt mankind does not have the truth. Even the ancient saints, and those saved by God were incapable of expressing the truth. It is impossible for believers of God to express the truth no matter how hard they study the Bible. The evil spirit Satan can perform miracles and wonders, but it cannot express the truth. Although a prophet can speak the words of God, he is only conveying the words of God. The words he conveys are very limited. Without God’s instructions, his function will cease. He himself has no truth. Nor can he perform God’s work. He can only do his duty as a man. Therefore, it must be certain in seeking the Lord’s appearance and work that only Christ is the truth, the way and the life. Only He who can express the truth is the appearance of God at work. Without being able to express the truth, however great the miracles and wonders he performs, he is not the appearance of God. I have pondered over these things for a long time. I finally determined that since Almighty God can express so many truths, He is certainly the appearance of God. Pastor Feng, is there anything wrong with how I accepted it?

Pastor Feng: Sister Jiang, listening to what you said, I see that you are really a thoughtful and assertive person. Now I believe that you’re not foolishly deceived into believing in Almighty God. You haven’t believed in the Lord for long, but you understand the Bible so thoroughly. I admire you for it! It seems that the truth can indeed be found in the word expressed by Almighty God. When I have a chance, I really need to read The Word Appears in the Flesh and carefully study the work of Almighty God in the last days.

from the movie script of The Exchange: Account of an Interrogation

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The Church of Almighty God - 2019 Christian Video "Have You Truly Repented?"

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     The Lord Jesus said, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). Once, Zhang Ming'en was a preacher at a house church. He believed in the Lord for many years, and for all that time, he preached, worked, suffered, and expended for the Lord. After he accepted God's work of the last days, he was able to accept and submit to any duty arranged for him by the church, and he believed that through these good deeds, he had achieved genuine repentance and change. But, in a church election, Zhang Ming'en watched as other brothers and sisters were chosen as church leaders and deacons, while he was given the duty of hosting meetings. Although outwardly he appeared to accept and submit, he was very unhappy with it. When his wife exposes the fact that he hasn't sincerely repented and changed, Zhang Ming'en is deeply confused: If behavioral change can't be called genuine repentance and change, then just what is genuine repentance and change? Watch the skit Have You Truly Repented? to find out the answers.

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God's Utterance "God's Work, God's Disposition, and God Himself III" (Part One)

 God's Utterance "God's Work, God's Disposition, and God Himself III" (Part One)

Almighty God says: "God sees this instance of management of mankind, of saving humans, as more important than anything else. He does these things not only with His mind, nor is it only with His words, and He particularly does not do it casually—He does all of these things with a plan, with a goal, with standards, and with His will. It is clear that this work to save mankind holds great significance for both God and man. No matter how difficult the work is, no matter how great the obstacles are, no matter how weak humans are, or how deep mankind’s rebelliousness is, none of this is difficult for God. God makes Himself busy, expending His effort and managing the work He Himself wants to carry out. He is also arranging everything, and ruling all the people and the work He wants to complete—none of this has been done before. It is the first time God has used these methods and paid a great price for this major project of managing and saving mankind. While God is carrying out this work, little by little He is expressing to humans without reservation His hard work, what He has and is, His wisdom and almightiness, and every aspect of His disposition. He unreservedly reveals all of this to mankind bit by bit, revealing and expressing these things as He has never done before."

 Recommended:  The Eastern Lightning website is testimony that the Lord Jesus has returned in the flesh and appeared in China, that He is Almighty God, Christ of the last days, has expressed truths to do the work of judgment beginning with the house of God, and brings true light down upon mankind.

Pictures of the Church of Almighty God

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Christian Testimonies-A Debate Between a Christian and a CCP Official: What Really Is a Cult?

Christian Testimonies-A Debate Between a Christian and a CCP Official: What Really Is a Cult?

Apr 4, 2018242

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Zheng Yi: A Chinese Christian. During his work in America, he investigated The Church of Almighty God online and accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days. Three years later, he returned to China, and passed on the gospel of the kingdom of Almighty God to his sister, Zheng Rui.

Zheng Weiguo: Zheng Yi’s father, the minister of the United Front Work Department in a city of China. He practiced red re-education of his children at home, strongly opposed them believing in Almighty God and tried to stop it.

Script

Zheng Weiguo: Yi, Rui, it seems that you still don’t understand the state’s policy. If you merely know the provision for freedom of belief in the constitution, does it mean that you understand the Communist Party? I have been working at the United Front for so many years. I have already seen it clearly. What the CCP hates most is the appearance of God and His work. The government has long condemned Christianity as a cult, and the Bible as a cultist book, of which countless copies have been burned. The CCP government is determined to completely ban all home churches. When you believed in Jesus in the past, I was opposed to it. And now you have believed in Almighty God, I absolutely will not allow it! Do you know what Almighty God is about? They witness that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus appearing to work, the appearance of Christ the Savior in the last days who even has expressed the book The Word Appears in the Flesh with more than a million words. If it spreads out, the consequence is unimaginable! The Communist Party and Christ the Savior are mortal enemies. Can the CCP not stop at nothing to suppress and arrest those Christians? Do you know? The CCP has long designated those who believe in Eastern Lightning as the state’s most wanted criminal. Whoever they seize will be severely punished without mercy. No one can even pay for their release through the back door. This is not a joke! To be honest with you, in order to completely eradicate The Church of Almighty God these years, the Central Government has issued numerous secret documents, and repeatedly suppressed and cracked down on Eastern Lightning. We have also been holding meetings all day studying on how to suppress and ban Eastern Lightning. As for Eastern Lightning, the attitude of the central leadership is very clear, that is, “Troops won’t be withdrawn until the ban is done.” Therefore, I absolutely forbid you to believe in Almighty God. Did you hear that?

Zheng Yi: Dad, since you know that Eastern Lightning witnesses for the Lord Jesus’ return and God’s appearance and work in the last days to preach and witness for all the truth expressed by the Savior for the salvation of mankind, then surely you know how terrible it is for the CCP government to suppress, arrest and convict Eastern Lightning like that. It is a monstrous sin to resist God and act perversely against Heaven. After studying it, I learned that Eastern Lightning has completely fulfilled the prophecy of the Lord Jesus: “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). What Eastern Lightning witnesses is the appearance and work of the Son of man. Dad, Mom, you haven’t read the word expressed by Almighty God, so you don’t understand what Eastern Lightning is about. If you want to understand Eastern Lightning, you have to read the word of Almighty God to see if it is the truth, the utterance of God’s Spirit speaking to mankind, and God’s appearance and work in the last days. It is most important to study these. Now the CCP government has launched an overwhelming people’s war against Eastern Lightning. Eastern Lightning is only the Church of Christ in the last days. It is neither a country nor a race. Is it necessary for the CCP government to wage this people’s war against Eastern Lightning? The CCP even proclaimed, “Troops won’t be withdrawn until the ban is done.” This CCP’s hostility to God is bound to be cursed and punished by God!

Zheng Rui (A Christian): Dad, my brother is right. Recalling God’s appearance and work in history, all those people, races or nations that resisted God were cursed and destroyed by God. For instance, three thousand years ago, the Pharaoh of Egypt was killed because he was punished for resisting God. After the Lord Jesus appeared to work, the Roman Empire was destroyed by God’s great plague for resisting Him and brutally persecuting His chosen people. The CCP will surely be destroyed by the catastrophe cast down by God for resisting Christ in the last days. Father, you have studied religion for many years, you certainly are aware of these things, right? How do you feel about the CCP’s resistance of Almighty God?

Zheng Weiguo: Actually, we have seen it from early on that Eastern Lightning is not an ordinary religion. They have witnessed the Lord Jesus’ return, that is, Christ the Savior in the last days has arrived in the world in person to save mankind. If the government allows The Church of Almighty God to continue to preach the gospel and testify for God, it won’t take too many years for countless people to accept Almighty God. You know that the CCP is an atheist party that is antagonistic to theism. The war between the CCP and those who believe in God is a war in the ideological realm. It is a mortal struggle. How could the CCP allow God’s appearance and work? How could it allow the church’s existence? So the CCP government adopted the policy to suppress and ban religious beliefs by eliminating and banning all religions in order to build an atheist domain within China. This is the only way the CCP can perpetuate its rule in China! So, since it took power, the CCP has always suppressed and banned religious beliefs. During this period, so many Christians have been arrested and imprisoned, so many Christian families have been shattered. Some Christians even died in prison. We know this is true. Why are there more and more people believing in God? The main reason is The Word Appears in the Flesh has been spreading so fast. A lot of people from various factions accepted Almighty God because they had read The Word Appears in the Flesh. The power of this book is awesome! It is now spreading and expanding in the world. This has become a headache for the central leadership. The central leaders won’t have a good night’s sleep until The Church of Almighty God is banned. Yi, Rui, you have to understand this, if the CCP has the audacity to designate orthodox religions such as Christianity and Catholicism as cults, how can it be lenient to Eastern Lightning? In recent years, the Central Government has also designated Eastern Lightning as a cult and the target for focused attack and banning. When you believe in Eastern Lightning, aren’t you ramming your chests against the muzzles? Are you being smart or stupid?

Mu Xinping (Zheng Weiguo’s wife): Yi, Rui, I heard your dad say this long ago. Now that the CCP is doing its utmost to suppress and ban The Church of Almighty God, and also mobilizing the media to generate massive public opinions in an all-out effort to condemn The Church of Almighty God. Even some Three-Self churches have been banned and other churches demolished. It appears that the CCP is determined to eradicate all religious beliefs! I also heard your dad say that many believers of The Church of Almighty God had been arrested. The CCP intends to send the believers of The Church of Almighty God to their death. If you believe in Almighty God, you will be arrested sooner or later. It will not only ruin your future, it may even endanger your lives! Yi, Rui, in this matter you have to listen to your dad. You cannot believe in Almighty God!

from The Church of Almighty God

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"Red Re-Education at Home" (7) - The CCP Slanders The Church of Almighty God as a "Human Organization": What's Their Motive?

"Red Re-Education at Home" (7) - The CCP Slanders The Church of Almighty God as a "Human Organization": What's Their Motive?

Everyone who believes in the Lord knows that without the appearance and work of the Lord Jesus, there wouldn't be any believers or followers of the Lord. Even more, Christianity never would have come into being—no matter how gifted the apostles were, they could not have created the church. Likewise, The Church of Almighty God came into being entirely because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, Christ of the last days. It is because Almighty God expressed many truths and people turned back toward God after hearing His voice that the church was formed. But the Chinese Communist government slanders The Church of Almighty God, saying it is just a human organization. What kind of sinister motive do they have?

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The Word of God | "The Substance of Christ Is Obedience to the Will of the Heavenly Father"

The Word of God | "The Substance of Christ Is Obedience to the Will of the Heavenly Father"

    Almighty God says, "The incarnate God is called Christ, and Christ is the flesh donned by the Spirit of God. This flesh is unlike any man that is of the flesh. This difference is because Christ is not of flesh and blood but is the incarnation of the Spirit. He has both a normal humanity and a complete divinity. His divinity is not possessed by any man. His normal humanity sustains all His normal activities in the flesh, while His divinity carries out the work of God Himself. Be it His humanity or divinity, both submit to the will of the heavenly Father. The substance of Christ is the Spirit, that is, the divinity. Therefore, His substance is that of God Himself; this substance will not interrupt His own work, and He could not possibly do anything that destroys His own work, nor would He ever utter any words that go against His own will."

    Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

    Special statement: This video production was produced as a not-for-profit piece by The Church of Almighty God. This video may not be distributed for profit to any third party, and we hope that everyone will share it and distribute it openly. When you distribute it, please note the source. Without the consent of The Church of Almighty God, no organization, social group, or individual may tamper with or misrepresent the contents of this video.

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The Church of Almighty God—Contemporary Worship Songs—Eastern Light Variety Show S2018E01

The Church of Almighty God—Contemporary Worship Songs—Eastern Light Variety Show S2018E01

    Each week The Church of Almighty God brings you song and dance performed in a range of artistic styles, to help spread the good news of kingdom salvation to people living in the end time and the word of Almighty God the returned Lord Jesus.

    Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

    Special statement: This video production was produced as a not-for-profit piece by The Church of Almighty God. The actors that appear in this production are performing on a not-for-profit basis, and have not been paid in any way. This video may not be distributed for profit to any third party, and we hope that everyone will share it and distribute it openly. When you distribute it, please note the source. Without the consent of The Church of Almighty God, no organization, social group, or individual may tamper with or misrepresent the contents of this video.

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God's Utterance "God Himself, the Unique (V) God's Holiness (II)" (Part Two)

God's Utterance "God Himself, the Unique (V) God's Holiness (II)" (Part Two)

Almighty God says, "You will not see God hold similar views on things that people have, and moreover you will not see Him use men’s viewpoints, their knowledge, their science or their philosophy or man’s imagination to handle things. Instead, everything God does and everything He reveals is connected to truth. That is, every word He has said and every action He has taken concerns the truth. This truth is not some baseless fantasy; this truth and these words are expressed by God due to God’s substance and His life. Because these words and the substance of everything God has done are truth, we can say that God’s substance is holy. In other words, everything God says and does brings vitality and light to people; it allows people to see positive things and the reality of those positive things and it points humanity toward the road of light so that they may walk the right path. These things are determined because of God’s substance and they are determined due to the substance of His holiness."

      Recommended: 
    Why would Almighty God want to express truth during the last days, doing the work of judging and purifying people?
    The Eastern Lightning is the manifestation of the Lord and His work.

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Almighty God's Word—Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen

Almighty God's Word—Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen

    I have sought many on earth to be My followers. Among all these followers, there are those who serve as priests, those who lead, those who form the sons, those who constitute the people, and those who do service. I divide them into these different categories based on the loyalty they show to Me. When all men have been classified according to their kind, that is, when the nature of each kind of man has been revealed, then I shall number each man among their rightful kind and put each kind into their fitting place so that I may realize My aim of salvation for mankind. In turn, I call groups of those I wish to save to return to My house, then I allow all of these people to accept My work in the last days. At the same time, I classify man according to kind, then reward or punish each one on the basis of his deeds. Such are the steps that comprise My work.

Now I live on earth, and live among men. All men are experiencing My work and watching My utterances, and along with this I bestow all the truths upon each of My followers so that they may receive life from Me and thus obtain a path that they can tread. For I am God, Giver of life. During the many years of My work, man has received much and given up much, yet I still say that man does not truly believe in Me. This is because man merely acknowledges that I am God with their lips while disagreeing with the truth I speak and, even less, practicing the truth that I require of them. That is to say, man acknowledges only the existence of God, but not that of the truth; man acknowledges only the existence of God, but not that of the life; man only acknowledges God’s name, but not His substance. Owing to his zeal, man has become abhorrent to Me. For man just uses words pleasing to the ear to deceive Me, and none worship Me with a true heart. Your speech holds the temptation of the serpent; further, it is haughty in the extreme, a veritable proclamation by the archangel. What is more, your deeds are tattered and torn to a disgraceful degree; your immoderate desires and covetous intentions are offensive to the ear. You have all become moths in My house, objects to be discarded with loathing. For none of you are lovers of the truth, but rather men who are desirous of blessings, of ascending to heaven, and of seeing the magnificent vision of Christ wielding His power on earth. But have you ever thought how someone like you, so deeply corrupted, and who knows not at all what God is, could be worthy to follow God? How could you ascend to heaven? How could you be worthy to see the magnificence, which is without precedent in its splendor? Your mouths are filled with words of deceit and filth, of betrayal and arrogance. Never have you spoken words of sincerity to Me, no holy words, no words of submitting to Me upon experiencing My word. What, in the end, is your faith like? Your hearts are filled with desires and wealth, your minds with material things. Daily, you calculate how to get something from Me, how much wealth and how many material things you have gained from Me. Daily, you await ever more blessings to come down upon you so that you may enjoy, even more and even better, the things that may be enjoyed. That which is in your thoughts at each and every moment is not Me, nor the truth that comes from Me, but rather your husband (wife), sons, daughters, or what you eat and wear, and how your enjoyment can become even more and even better. Even when you stuff your stomach to the brim, are you not little more than a corpse? Even when you adorn your outward form splendidly, are you not still a walking corpse that has no life? You toil for the sake of your stomach until your hair is dappled with gray, yet none of you sacrifice a single hair for My work. You are constantly on the go, taxing your body and racking your brain, for the sake of your flesh, and for your sons and daughters, yet not one of you shows any worry or concern for My will. What is it that you still hope to gain from Me?

    In doing My work, I am never hurried. Whatever way in which man follows Me, I do My work in accordance with each step, in accordance with My plan. Therefore, though you may rebel against Me so much, I still do not stop My work, and still continue to speak the words I wish to speak. I call to My house all those I have predestined in order to make them into an audience for My word, and then place all who obey and long for My word before My throne. Those who turn their backs upon My word, those who fail to obey and submit to Me, and those who openly defy Me, shall all be cast to one side to await their final punishment. All men live in the midst of 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 rather try to obtain My trust through corruption, rebellion, and deceitful measures. It is for this reason that I say: Many are called, but few are chosen. All those called are deeply corrupted and they all live in the same age, but those who are chosen are only that group who believe in and acknowledge the truth, and who practice the truth. These men are merely a very small part of the whole, and from among these men I shall receive more glory. Measured against these words, do you know if you are among the chosen? What will your end be like?

    I have already said that those who follow Me are many but those who love Me with a true heart are few. Perhaps some might say, “Would I have paid such a great price if I did not love You? Would I have followed to this point if I did not love You?” Assuredly, you have many reasons, and your love, assuredly, is very great, but what is the essence of your love for Me? “Love,” as it is called, refers to an emotion that is pure and without blemish, where you use your heart to love, to feel, and to be thoughtful. In love there are no conditions, no barriers, and no distance. In love there is no suspicion, no deceit, and no cunning. In love there is no distance and nothing impure. If you love, then you will not deceive, complain, betray, rebel, exact, or seek to gain something or to gain a certain amount. If you love, then you will gladly sacrifice and endure hardship, and you will become compatible with Me. You will give up your all for Me, give up your family, your future, your youth, and your marriage. Otherwise your love would not be love at all, but rather deceit and betrayal! What kind of love is yours? Is it a true love? Or false? How much have you given up? How much have you offered up? How much love have I received from you? Do you know? Your hearts are filled with evil, betrayal, and deceit, and that being so, how many impurities are there in your love? You think that you have already given up enough for Me; you think that your love for Me is already enough. But then why do your words and actions always carry with them rebellion and deceit? You follow Me, yet you do not acknowledge My word. Is this considered love? You follow Me, yet then cast Me aside. Is this considered love? You follow Me, yet you are mistrustful of Me. Is this considered love? You follow Me, yet you cannot accept My existence. Is this considered love? You follow Me, yet you do not treat Me as befits who I am and make things difficult for Me at every turn. Is this considered love? You follow Me, yet you try to fool Me and deceive Me in every matter. Is this considered love? You serve Me, yet you do not fear Me. Is this considered love? You oppose Me in all respects and all things. Is this all considered love? You have sacrificed much, it is true, yet you have never practiced what I require of you. Can this be considered love? Careful reckoning shows that there is not the slightest hint of love for Me within you. After so many years of work and all the many words I have supplied, how much have you actually gained? Does this not merit a careful look back? I admonish you: Those I call to Me are not the ones who have never been corrupted; rather, those I choose are the ones who truly love Me. Therefore, you ought to be vigilant with your words and deeds, and examine your intentions and thoughts so that they do not cross the line. In this time of the last days, do your utmost to offer up your love before Me, lest My wrath never depart from you!

from The Church of Almighty God —Many Are Called, but Few Are Chosen

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