2019 Christian video | "Wishful Thinking" | Can We Enter the Kingdom of Heaven by Following Paul?

2019 Christian video | "Wishful Thinking" | Can We Enter the Kingdom of Heaven by Following Paul?

     Li Mingdao is a preacher at a house church. He has believed in the Lord for many years, and has always followed Paul's example, focusing on preaching, work, suffering, and paying a price. He believes that "as long as one labors and works, one can enter the kingdom of heaven, be rewarded, and gain a crown." But, at a meeting with his coworkers, Brother Zhang raises doubts about this view. Li Mingdao, not convinced, returns home, and after researching the Bible, engages in an intense debate with Brother Zhang…. Is labor and work for the Lord doing God's will? Does pursuing this way ultimately allow one to be lifted up and enter the kingdom of heaven? Watch the skit Wishful Thinking to find out.

     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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2019 Christian Skit "Can We Enter the Kingdom of Heaven If We Gain Salvation?" (English Dubbed)

2019 Christian Skit "Can We Enter the Kingdom of Heaven If We Gain Salvation?" (English Dubbed)

    Zhang Mude is a preacher at a house church, and he believes that "For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation" (Romans 10:10). He thinks that because he believes in the Lord Jesus, he is already called righteous, that he has already gained salvation, and that when the Lord returns, he will be directly raptured up into the kingdom of heaven. One day, his daughter returns home from missionary work in other regions and tells her parents wonderful news: their long-awaited Lord Jesus has returned, that He is Almighty God, and that He has begun the work of judgment beginning with God's house in the last days. Zhang Mude thinks that after so many years believing in the Lord, his sins are already forgiven, and that he has absolutely no need for God's further work of judgment and purification. Thereafter, the family of three begin an intense debate about whether gaining salvation can allow one to enter the kingdom of heaven, what kind of people can enter the kingdom of heaven, and related topics …

    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.

Pictures of the Church of Almighty God

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Gospel Movie Clip "Yearning" (4) - Is the Kingdom of Heaven in Heaven or on Earth?

Gospel Movie Clip "Yearning" (4) - Is the Kingdom of Heaven in Heaven or on Earth?

    Many people who have faith in the Lord believe that the kingdom of heaven is in heaven. Is this really the case? The Lord's Prayer says: "Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10). The Book of Revelation says, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ" (Revelation 11:15). "The holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, … the tabernacle of God is with men" (Revelation 21:2-3). So, is the kingdom of heaven in heaven or on earth?

      Recommended:"The Eastern Lightning" has testified that the Lord Jesus has already returned, expressed the truth, and made complete a group of overcomers. Does this fulfill the prophecies from the Bible?

      The brief introduction of the Church of Almighty God

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Christian Short Sketch "We Must Be Dreaming!" | Can We Enter the Kingdom of Heaven Through Hard Work

Christian Short Sketch "We Must Be Dreaming!" | Can We Enter the Kingdom of Heaven Through Hard Work

Introduction

A religious-world pastor in a sheepskin coat, a kind and honest wife, and a devoted Christian with discernment who loves the truth come together in a humorous skit that explores the question, "Can one enter the kingdom of heaven through hard work?" The ironic language and the brilliant debate between the believer and the pastor leave viewers with a lot to think about …

Read more: Is Eastern Lightning the Return of the Lord Jesus?

                    The Church of Almighty God was founded by Almighty God personally

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Lord’s Thoughts of Not Keeping the Sabbath | The Church of Almighty God

Jesus and His disciples pick some heads of grain and eat on the Sabbath

Lord’s Thoughts of Not Keeping the Sabbath

Wang hao

There are the following scriptures recorded in the Bible, “At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Behold, your disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath day” (Mat 12:1-2). Yet the Lord Jesus said, “But I say to you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day” (Mat 12:6-8). Whenever I saw these scriptures, I couldn’t help but think: The Sabbath was the holy day made by Jehovah God for the Israelites.

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One must understand that the message spread by the Lord Jesus in the Age of Grace was only the way of repentance.

way of eternal life

VII. One Must Fellowship Clearly That Only That Which Christ of the Last Days Brings Is the Way of Eternal Life

1. One must understand that the message spread by the Lord Jesus in the Age of Grace was only the way of repentance.

Bible Verse(s) for Reference:

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat 4:17).

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mat 26:28).

“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luk 24:47).

Relevant Words of God:

In the beginning, Jesus spread the gospel and preached the way of repentance, then went on to baptize man, heal sickness, and cast out demons. In the end, He redeemed mankind from sin and completed His work for the entire age.

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Jesus’ work was done in accordance with the needs of man in that age. His task was to redeem humanity, to forgive them of their sins, and so all His disposition was one of humility, patience, love, piety, forbearance, mercy, and lovingkindness. He blessed humanity richly and brought them grace in abundance, and all things for enjoyment: peace and happiness, Jesus’ tolerance and love, His mercy and lovingkindness. In those days, all that man encountered was an abundance of things to enjoy: His heart was at peace and reassured, his spirit was consoled, and he was sustained by the Savior Jesus. That he could gain these things was a consequence of the age in which he lived. In the Age of Grace man had been corrupted by Satan, and so the work of redeeming all humanity required an abundance of grace, infinite forbearance and patience, and even more, an offering adequate to atone for humanity’s sins. What people saw in the Age of Grace was merely My sin offering for humanity, Jesus. And they knew only that God could be merciful and forbearing, saw only Jesus’ mercy and lovingkindness. This was because they lived in the Age of Grace. So before they could be redeemed, they had to enjoy much grace that Jesus bestowed on them; only this was beneficial to them. This way, they could be forgiven of their sins through their enjoyment of grace, and could have the chance to be redeemed through enjoying Jesus’ forbearance and patience. Only through Jesus’ forbearance and patience were they capable of receiving forgiveness and enjoying the abundance of grace bestowed by Jesus—just as Jesus said, “I have come not to redeem the righteous but sinners, allowing their sins to be forgiven.” … The more Jesus loved mankind, forgiving them of their sins and giving them enough mercy and lovingkindness, the more mankind was capable of being saved, called the lost lambs that Jesus bought back at a great price. Satan could not meddle in this work, because Jesus treated His followers as a loving mother treats the infant in her arms. He did not grow angry at them or despise them, but was full of consolation; He never got furious among them, but forbore with their sins and turned a blind eye to their foolishness and ignorance, such that He said, “Forgive others seventy times seven times.” So His heart reformed the hearts of others, and in this way did the people receive forgiveness through His forbearance.

from “The Truth Concerning the Work in the Age of Redemption” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

At the time, Jesus only spoke to His disciples a series of sermons in the Age of Grace, such as how to practice, how to gather together, how to ask in prayer, how to treat others, and so forth. The work He carried out was that of the Age of Grace, and He expounded only on how the disciples and those who followed Him ought to practice. He did only the work of the Age of Grace and none of the last days. … The work of God in each age has clear boundaries; He does only the work of the current age and never does He carry out the next stage of work in advance. Only in this way can His representative work of each age be brought to the fore. Jesus had spoken only of the signs of the last days, of how to be patient and how to be saved, how to repent and confess, as well as how to bear the cross and endure suffering; never did He speak of what man in the last days should enter into or how to seek to satisfy God’s will.

from “How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Man received much grace, such as the peace and happiness of the flesh, the blessing of the entire family upon the faith of one, and the healing of sicknesses, and so on. The rest were the good deeds of man and their godly appearance; if man could live based on such, he was considered a good believer. Only such believers could enter heaven after death, which means that they were saved. But, in their lifetime, they did not understand at all the way of life. They merely committed sins, then made confession in a constant cycle without any path toward a changed disposition; such was the condition of man in the Age of Grace.

from “The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The work of Jesus was only for the sake of man’s redemption and the crucifixion. Thus, there was no need for Him to say more words in order to conquer any man. Much of what He taught man was drawn from the words of the Scriptures, and even if His work did not exceed the Scriptures, still He was able to accomplish the work of the crucifixion. His was not the work of the word, nor for the sake of conquering mankind, but in order to redeem mankind. He only acted as the sin offering for mankind, and did not act as the source of the word for mankind.

from “The Vision of God’s Work (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The Age of Grace preached the gospel of repentance, and provided that man believed, then he would be saved. … At the time Jesus’ work was the redemption of all mankind. The sins of all who believed in Him were forgiven; as long as you believed in Him, He would redeem you; if you believed in Him, you were no longer a sinner, you were relieved of your sins. This is what it meant to be saved, and to be justified by faith. Yet in those who believed, there remained that which was rebellious and opposed God, and which still had to be slowly removed. Salvation did not mean man had been completely gained by Jesus, but that man was no longer of sin, that he had been forgiven his sins: Provided you believed, you would never more be of sin. … Jesus did not come to perfect and gain man, but to do one stage of work: bringing forth the gospel of the kingdom of heaven and completing the work of the crucifixion—and so once Jesus was crucified, His work came to a complete end.

from “The Vision of God’s Work (2)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Read more: Where Does Eastern Lightning Come From?

                    The Church of Almighty God was founded by Almighty God personally

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Come out of the Temple and Seek the Voice of Christ

The Holy Temple

Come out of the Temple and Seek the Voice of Christ

Cui Na

One day, my classmate and I came to the outside of a Catholic cathedral unconsciously. Attracted by this beautiful building, we entered it. What met our eyes were several small buildings in blue bricks. The European-style spires were surmounted by statues, which looked so handsome. Fascinated by its imposing exterior, my classmate took pictures continuously, and said excitedly, “Look at the pictures. It seems that we are abroad.” When we went into its interior, we saw it was more gorgeous: Lines of European-style chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. The front of the church was well decorated with stained-glass windows. On the high ceiling was painted a giant mural painting. Under the painting was a stage, with many flowers and ornaments on it. On both sides of the stage were two small platforms, with a sculpture of the Lord Jesus on one platform and a Madonna on the other side; in front of them were plenty of flowers and candles. All these things dazzled me.

Looking around this gorgeous church, I suddenly thought of my aunt who was a Catholic. I remembered she proudly said to me that their church was very beautiful. She consecrated the Mass once a month, which was actually offering money. Because their priests told them that to do this was to store up treasures in heaven, and that the more treasures they stored up, the more blessings they would get. Especially, every May they would go on a pilgrimage to Madonna Mountain. On that day, over one hundred thousand people from all over the surrounding region gathered there. There were more than ten statues on the mountain. When coming in front of each of the statues, they would offer some money. At the end of that day, the money in every offering box could fill up several gunnysacks. They reckoned that acting in this way was worshiping God. After hearing her words, I thought: The various temples have been handsomely furnished to attract people to worship God, but does this prove that God works there? Later, my aunt said, “Because preachers have nothing to preach in the church, many fellow believers have gone back to the world to earn money and fewer and fewer fellow believers attend meetings. In order to attract believers, the bishops and priests founded a drummer team equipped with gorgeous costumes. This team gave performances in every church on festival days. The show was pure spectacle and really attracted many people to watch. Just then, the magnificent church appeared so impressive. …”

At the moment, a passage of God’s word in a book suddenly occurred to me: “‘But I say to you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day’ (Mat 12:6-8). What does ‘temple’ refer to here? To put it simply, ‘temple’ refers to a magnificent, tall building, and in the Age of Law, the temple was a place for priests to worship God. When the Lord Jesus said ‘in this place is one greater than the temple,’ who did ‘one’ refer to? Clearly, ‘one’ is the Lord Jesus in the flesh, because only He was greater than the temple. What did those words tell people? They told people to come out of the temple—God had already come out and was no longer working in it, so people should seek God’s footsteps outside of the temple and follow His steps in His new work. The background of the Lord Jesus saying this was that under the law, people had come to see the temple as something greater than God Himself. That is, people worshiped the temple rather than worshiping God, so the Lord Jesus warned them not to worship idols, but to worship God because He is supreme. Thus, He said: ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.’ It is evident that in the eyes of the Lord Jesus, most people under the law no longer worshiped Jehovah, but were merely going through the process of sacrificing, and the Lord Jesus determined that this process was idol worship. These idol-worshipers saw the temple as something greater, and higher than God. In their hearts there was only the temple, not God, and if they lost the temple, they lost their dwelling place. Without the temple they had nowhere to worship and could not carry out their sacrifices. … Because they used the temple as a cover, and sacrifices as a guise for cheating people and cheating God, the Lord Jesus said this to warn people. If you apply these words to the present, they are still equally valid and equally pertinent. Although people today have experienced different work of God than people in the Age of Law experienced, the essence of their nature is the same.”

At that time, the Jewish chief priests, scribes and Pharisees all occupied the temples and the synagogues. They had status and power. It seemed that the magnificence of the temple represented their grandeur. They, dressing in rich robes, performed various rituals in the temple, offered sacrifices to Jehovah God to make atonement for the people, and focused on keeping the Sabbath and all the feasts. In people’s eyes, they were men who served God in the temple. Naturally, the temple became a place to worship God. At the end of the Age of Law, the sins of the Jewish religious world grew each day. The Jewish leaders only concentrated on leading people to conduct all sorts of religious rituals, instead of concentrating on obeying God’s commandments and seeking to know God. It caused people to merely have the position of the temple and their leaders, rather than the position of God in their hearts. As a result, the entire religious world lost the work of the Holy Spirit, and the temple became a den of robbers. In addition, when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, people still followed the religious leaders and worshiped the “temple” in their hearts within the temple, but didn’t seek or investigate God’s new work. In that condition, the Lord Jesus said, “in this place is one greater than the temple.” His purpose was to teach us: In our belief in God, we should honor Christ as great, magnify God, pay attention to the work of the Holy Spirit, recognize the voice of God, and follow Him, not man. We shouldn’t be deceived by those who have positions and gifts outwardly but don’t truly believe in or worship Him in essence, for such kind of people have no place for God in their heart. Rather, they occupy high status and domineer over others under the guise of believing in and serving God. In fact, God simply does not work among these hypocrites. When the Lord Jesus came to do His work, He didn’t preach to the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees in the temple who resisted Him. On the contrary, He came out of the temple and went everywhere with His disciples to testify to the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. As for the Jewish chief priests, scribes and Pharisees in the temple, not only did they not seek God’s will, but doggedly stayed within the temple and rigidly stuck to the Bible. No matter how great the authority and power of the Lord Jesus’ words and work was, they still refused to seek and investigate. For fear that people all followed the Lord Jesus and in order to safeguard their position and job, they publicly opposed the Lord Jesus, God incarnate. On the grounds that the Lord Jesus was not the coming Messiah and that He broke the laws to heal the sick on Sabbath, they condemned and arrested Him, and in the end nailed Him to the cross. They not only offended God’s disposition but also received His punishment and curse. As a result, the nation of Israel was destroyed. This is the bitter consequence and disaster brought by their holding on “The temple is greater than God.”voice of God Yet, those who magnified God and had Him in their hearts laid stress on seeking the voice and the working trend of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, from the work and word of the Lord Jesus, they recognized His voice, and confirmed that the Lord Jesus is the appearance of Christ. Hence, they followed Him, received His commendation and blessings, and gained His great salvation.

The Lord Jesus preaches on the mountain

We have to reflect on these historical facts. If we have only temple but no God in our hearts, and treat temple as something above God, then what will be our end? In these magnificent churches, how many people are true believers in the Lord? If they only keep their external practices and religious rituals, will God like them to do this? Is this what it means to worship God? Still, many people think that they can buy the blessings of the kingdom of heaven as long as they read the scriptures repeatedly, offer more money, do much work, spend and sacrifice a lot, and so on. But few think: What kind of people can enter into the kingdom of heaven? How should we deal with the condition of committing and confessing sins every day? Without breaking away from the bondage of our sinful nature, can we enter into the kingdom of heaven? At that time, the Pharisees “served God” punctually and regularly, kept external rules and ceremonies very well, and had godly behavior outwardly. Yet, they were punished by God because of resisting God. This shows that they didn’t have a knowledge of God at all, much less understand His will. The pastors, elders, bishops and priests in today’s religious world know the Bible well, but they don’t lead believers to obey God’s words and commandments. Instead, they only attach importance to how lively the activity is, how noble their churches are and how attractive the decoration of the churches is. Although they stand in the position of serving God, they don’t lead believers to pursue knowledge of God, but explain letters and doctrines and theological theories to deceive and entrap believers, so as to let them stay within the church. Unconsciously, the Bible, churches and even the leaders’ lofty figures are in their hearts. What’s more, they don’t place importance on the Lord Jesus’ words and requirements at all, let alone practice them. Is there any difference between them and the Jewish Pharisees at that time? If we have no discernment, still follow them and remain in the desolate religion, how can we gain the approval of the Lord? Just like what the Lord Jesus said, “This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9). As believers in God, if we do not have a place for God in our hearts, or magnify God or honor Christ as great, then we cannot be approved by God, no matter how much biblical knowledge we know and how “devoutly” we worship Him in the church.

The Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Revelation prophesies, “These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (Revelation 14:4). “Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). Our belief in God is not believing in the magnificent and tall temple, or rigidly keeping the words and rules of the Bible and religious rituals, or least of all, following the pastors and elders to stay within the church where there is no work of the Holy Spirit. Instead, we should keep pace with the work of the Holy Spirit when it progresses forward. And moreover, we should seek where there is the Holy Spirit’s work and where there are God’s new utterances. Such are the ones who follow the footsteps of the Lamb. Because only Christ can express the truth and God’s voice, thus only when we live by the truth expressed by Christ can we be the ones who truly worship God, exalt Him and honor Him above all else. Only when we come out of the temple to seek the truth and utterances of Christ of the last days, can we keep up with the pace of God’s work, obtain the truth and life from Him, attain His salvation, and gain His approval and blessings.

Read more: Eastern Lightning, The origin of the Church of Almighty God

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Can We Truly Be Saved by Believing in God in the Heart and Confessing Him With the Mouth?

Can We Truly Be Saved by Believing in God in the Heart and Confessing Him With the Mouth?

Liang liang

Question: The Bible says, “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

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The Church of Almighty God | Questions and Answers About the Requirements for Entry Into the Kingdom of Heaven

Discuss the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven

Now we believe in the Lord Jesus, and suffer a lot and sacrifice all to preach His name. We are doing the heavenly Father’s will. That means we’re already holy. Our Lord will surely bring us into the kingdom of heaven!

Answer: Concerning who can enter the kingdom of heaven, the Lord Jesus said, “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) The Lord Jesus’ words tell us clearly that only those who do the will of the heavenly Father can enter the kingdom of heaven. Brothers and sisters, although people can suffer and sacrifice for spreading the name of the Lord, it’s undeniable that they still often sin. That people sin shows that they still belong to Satan, that they are filthy and corrupt, and that they can still resist and betray God. This proves no man is truly pure. If they take power, they can still oppose God and build separate kingdoms. This is proof that no one has been truly purified to become holy. How could those who resist God be qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven? People can sacrifice for the Lord, spread the gospel, build churches, and support believers. These are all their good behaviors. If their good behaviors are done for loving God, for truly working for God, and for obeying and satisfying God, without any thought of personal gain, these are truly good deeds that will be remembered and be blessed by God. 


But if their good behaviors are done for an exchange, for satisfying fleshly needs, or entering the kingdom of heaven and getting rewards, then these good behaviors are merely deceptive in nature, and are against God! Can these deceptive behaviors be claimed to be following the heavenly Father’s will? Can they be claimed to be holy? Absolutely not! Because these good behaviors are driven by their sinful nature, and are tokens of exchange for privilege. It shows that there is too much mingled in their hearts. How could such people have a heart that truly loves God and obeys God? People are driven and controlled by their sinful nature. So, when God’s work and words clash with their views, they casually judge God, deny God, and condemn God. When God puts them through trials, they misunderstand God, complain against God, and betray God. While people believe in God, they worship and follow man, and listen to man before God. When serving God, they do it arbitrarily, testify and exalt themselves, making an enemy of God…. 


They are bound and controlled by their sinful nature, and once given power, they’ll surely oppose God and build separate kingdoms. Just like the Jewish chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, they scrambled to condemn and resist Him to protect their own positions, and kept His salvation from ever being accepted into the Jewish world. Is that not building a separate kingdom in opposition to God? So for all those who labor and have good behaviors outwardly, if they haven’t dealt with their sinful nature, if their satanic disposition within is not cleansed, if they follow their own path instead of God’s word, no matter how much they suffer or how great the work they do, how can such people become followers of God’s will? Those who follow God’s will are surely those who obey God absolutely, whose hearts are in accordance with God’s heart, and who would never rebel or go against God. It is they who are qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven, and inherit God’s promises.


from the movie script of Stinging Memories

Recommendation: Eastern Lightning, Know more of the Church of Almighty God

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About the Way in Which the Lord Returns | The Church of Almighty God

Ⅱ Questions and Answers About the Way in Which the Lord Returns

Question 1: The Lord said He will come back and take us to the kingdom of heaven. However, what you’re saying is that the Lord has become flesh to do the work of judgment in the last days. It is said right in the Bible that the Lord will come upon a cloud all in glory. But you’re saying that the Lord has become flesh in secret. That sounds a lot different.

Answer: The Lord will come and take us to the kingdom of heaven. That is definite. Our Lord is faithful indeed. And so His promises will surely come true. But first we need to know the work of judgment in the last days the Lord does in His second incarnation. It relates directly to how man is raptured into the kingdom of heaven. If we study the Bible carefully, it’s easy to find that the Lord will return through incarnation, as many verses in the Bible have clearly prophesied. For example, “Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not” (Luke 12:40). “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). Many have mentioned that “the Son of man comes,” or “the Son of man descends.” When we talk about the “Son of man,” it refers to a person born to a human and with normal humanity. So the Spirit can’t be called the “Son of man.” For instance, Jehovah God is the Spirit. We can’t call Him the “Son of man.” The angels people saw are spirit entities. They can’t be called the “Son of man.” Any spiritual being that looks like a human also isn’t the “Son of man.” The Lord Jesus incarnate was called the “Son of man,” and “Christ,” because He was the incarnate flesh of God’s Spirit, becoming an ordinary and normal man who just lived among man. So then, when the Lord Jesus said “the Son of man comes,” “the Son of man descends,” He meant in the last days He would become flesh again. Especially the words “But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” better prove that the Lord would come through incarnation. If God didn’t become flesh but appeared in a spiritual body, He wouldn’t suffer as much, much less be rejected by this generation again, which is beyond doubt. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ will become flesh when He comes back and He will do the work of judgment in the last days.

People do question: Hasn’t the Lord promised to rapture us to the kingdom of heaven when He comes again? And why will He come to do the work of “judgment beginning with the house of God”? Actually, the judgment work of God is to make overcomers, that is, to take the saints. Let’s see why God does the work of judgment in the last days. There is evidence in the Bible. The Bible mentions about God’s judgment in the last days. It’s a lot, at least two hundred verses. Many verses have also prophesied the Lord will do the work of judgment in the flesh. For example, “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people” (Isaiah 2:4). “… for he comes to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity” (Psalms 98:9). “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come” (Revelation 14:7). “Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained …” (Acts 17:31). “And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man” (John 5:27). “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son …” (John 5:22). “He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). etc. All these verses mention “he shall judge among the nations” “for he comes to judge the earth” “because he is the Son of man” “has committed all judgment to the Son” “judgment must begin at the house of God,” which clearly show us that God will surely become flesh to do the work of judgment among men during the last days.

When God becomes flesh in the last days, He just judges, purifies, and saves man through expressing the words. Whoever seeks and accepts the Lord after hearing His voice at His return, is indeed a wise virgin attending the feast with the Lord. This just fulfills the prophecy of the Lord Jesus, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). The wise virgins hear the Lord’s voice and go out to meet Him. Unknowingly, they’re taken up before the throne to meet the Lord, and accept God’s judgment, purification, and perfection in the last days. Finally, their corrupt disposition will be cleansed through God’s judgment by the word and they will become overcomers who love God, obey God, and worship God, and be qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven. Obviously, if we want to receive the Lord’s promise, we must first come before Almighty God, Christ of the last days. We must accept and experience God’s judgment and chastisement in the last days and be purified and perfected by Him. Otherwise, we won’t be qualified into the kingdom of heaven. Let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s words. Almighty God says, “You only know that Jesus shall descend during the last days, but how exactly will He descend? A sinner such as you, who has just been redeemed, and has not been changed, or been perfected by God, can you be after God’s heart? For you, you who are still of your old self, it is true that you were saved by Jesus, and that you are not counted as sinners because of the salvation of God, but this does not prove that you are not sinful, and are not impure. How can you be saintly if you have not been changed? Within, you are beset by impurity, selfish and mean, yet you still wish to descend with Jesus—you should be so lucky! You have missed a step in your belief in God: You have merely been redeemed, but have not been changed. For you to be after God’s heart, God must personally do the work of changing and cleansing you; if you are only redeemed, you will be incapable of attaining sanctity. In this way you will be unqualified to share in the good blessings of God, for you have missed out a step in God’s work of managing man, which is the key step of changing and perfecting. And so you, a sinner who has just been redeemed, are incapable of directly inheriting God’s inheritance” (“Concerning Appellations and Identity” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “Christ of the last days brings life, and brings the enduring and everlasting way of truth. This truth is the path through which man shall gain life, and the only path by which man shall know God and be approved by God. If you do not seek the way of life provided by Christ of the last days, then you shall never gain the approval of Jesus, and shall never be qualified to enter the gate of the kingdom of heaven, for you are both a puppet and prisoner of history” (“Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “Those who wish to gain life without relying on the truth spoken by Christ are the most ridiculous people on earth, and those who do not accept the way of life brought by Christ are lost in fantasy. And so I say that the people who do not accept Christ of the last days shall forever be despised by God. Christ is man’s gateway to the kingdom during the last days, which none may bypass. None may be perfected by God except through Christ” (“Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Almighty God’s words have shown us the way to the kingdom of heaven. Christ of the last days is the gateway to the kingdom of heaven. If we don’t experience the work of judgment done by Christ of the last days, we won’t attain purification or perfection and will never enter the kingdom of God. This is the authority manifested by the incarnate God. It’s sufficient to prove the Lord will definitely return through incarnation to do the work of judgment in the last days, which is a fact fulfilled by God already. If one wants to be taken into the kingdom of heaven directly without experiencing God’s work in the last days, he still lives in his imagination and notion which will never come true.

Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life

Some ask, “If the Lord really comes through incarnation, then how to explain the many prophecies in the Bible that the Lord will arrive on clouds, and that every single eye shall witness Him?” The Bible prophesies in many places that the Lord will come upon a cloud with power and great glory. This is a fact. However, there are more prophecies in the Bible mentioning the Lord will come in secret. For example, “I come as a thief” (Revelation 16:15), “for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes” (Matthew 24:44), and “But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32). Apparently, the Lord’s return will be in two different ways. One way will be in secret. The other will be in public. That is, the Lord is incarnated in the last days and descends in a hidden way to do the work of judging, purifying, and saving man. When a group of overcomers are made, God’s work in secret will be finished, and the disasters will come. God will send disasters to reward the good and punish the wicked. And after the disasters, God will appear to all nations and all peoples publicly upon a white cloud. Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days, which we testify today, is the Lord’s work when He comes in secret. Because the incarnate God comes to the world as a man, looking ordinary and normal, it is secret for all humanity. No one recognizes Him as God, nor does anyone know His true identity. After the Son of man works and speaks, only those capable of recognizing His voice start to know Him. Yet those who can’t discern His voice will treat Him as just an ordinary man so as to deny and reject Him. For example, when the Lord Jesus did His work in the flesh, He was like an ordinary man outwardly. So people denied, rejected, and condemned Him. But some people, through the Lord Jesus’ work and word, recognized Him as the incarnate Christ, the appearance of God. Now is when Almighty God is working in secret to save man. He is expressing His words to judge, purify, and perfect us. During this time, people can’t see the scene of the Lord coming on clouds in public. Not until He has made a group of overcomers will His hidden work of incarnation come to an end. And then great disasters fall. The good is rewarded, and the evil is punished. He will openly appear to all nations. At that point, the prophecy of the Lord’s public descent will be fulfilled. “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). “Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him” (Revelation 1:7). When people see the Lord publicly appear to them on clouds, they should be wild with joy as we can imagine. But right here it says that all kindreds of the earth shall wail. So why is that, we wonder? That’s because when God appears to the public, His hidden work of salvation in His incarnate flesh will have been finished. Then God will reward the good and punish the wicked. And then, all those who refused to accept God’s hidden work will thoroughly lose the chance to be saved. Those who pierced Him, that is, those who resisted and condemned Christ of the last days, Almighty God, will see Almighty God whom they resisted and condemned is exactly the returned Lord Jesus. How could they not beat upon their breasts and weep unceasingly? So then, at that moment the scene “all kindreds of the earth shall wail” will appear. Let’s read some words from Almighty God.

Almighty God says, “Many people may not care what I say, but I still want to tell every so-called saint who follows Jesus that, when you see Jesus descend from the heaven upon a white cloud with your own eyes, this will be the public appearance of the Sun of righteousness. Perhaps that will be a time of great excitement for you, yet you should know that the time when you witness Jesus descend from the heaven is also the time when you go down to hell to be punished. It will herald the end of God’s management plan, and will be when God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. For the judgment of God will have ended before man sees signs, when there is only the expression of truth. Those who accept the truth and do not seek signs, and thus have been purified, shall have returned before the throne of God and entered the Creator’s embrace. Only those who persist in the belief that ‘The Jesus who does not ride upon a white cloud is a false Christ’ shall be subjected to everlasting punishment, for they only believe in the Jesus who exhibits signs, but do not acknowledge the Jesus who proclaims severe judgment and releases the true way of life. And so it can only be that Jesus deals with them when He openly returns upon a white cloud. … 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” (“When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

From Almighty God’s word we can see that God’s hidden work in His incarnate flesh in the last days is the most crucial part to perfect man. This is also an extremely rare opportunity for us to be perfected in God’s six-thousand-year management plan. All those who accept God’s hidden work and are perfected have God’s special grace and are the most blessed ones. If we don’t cherish this once in a lifetime chance, and miss God’s work of making overcomers, we will only end up mourning and sorely regretting.

from the movie script of The Mystery of Godliness

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Do You Know the Deeper Meanings of the Lord Jesus’ Resurrection?

Lord Jesus’ Resurrection

In Scripture it is written about the Lord Jesus’ resurrection: “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said to the women, Fear not you: for I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there shall you see him: see, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. … Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:1-9, 16-18). These verses record the facts of the Lord Jesus’ resurrection three days after His crucifixion. It is because He was crucified and redeemed mankind that mankind is no longer condemned by the law and freed from the bondage of the decrees and regulations. Thanks be to the Lord! His resurrection is too important to every one of our brothers and sisters in Him, for it is through His resurrection that we are made certain that He is God Himself and is the One that we should truly trust. The Bible says, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Without the Lord Jesus’ resurrection, even if we have faith in Him, we would not be saved. Without His redemption, we sinners would still be bound by the law. Just because of His resurrection, we have a hope of salvation.

The Lord Jesus’ resurrection to mankind is undoubtedly important. How could we not be excited about it? In joy and excitement, let us calm down and think about these two questions: What deeper meanings does the Lord Jesus’ resurrection have? What are the Lord’s intentions when He taught His disciples after His resurrection and appearance?

1. The Meanings of the Lord Jesus’ Resurrection

I prayed to the Lord in puzzlement. And then, when I was studying related materials, I saw these words in a spiritual book: “The scripture contains the following line describing the Lord Jesus after the resurrection: ‘then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the middle, and said, Peace be to you.’ It’s very clear that the Lord Jesus at that time was no longer a flesh, but a spiritual body. This was because He had transcended the limitations of the flesh, and when the door was closed He could still come into the midst of the people and allow them to see Him. This is the greatest difference between the Lord Jesus after the resurrection and the Lord Jesus living in the flesh before the resurrection. Even though there was no difference between the appearance of the spiritual body of that moment and the appearance of the Lord Jesus from before, Jesus in that moment had become a Jesus that felt like a stranger to the people, because He had become a spiritual body after being resurrected from the dead, and compared to His previous flesh, this spiritual body was more puzzling and confusing for people. It also created more distance between the Lord Jesus and the people, and people felt in their hearts that the Lord Jesus in that moment had become more mysterious. … the first thing that the Lord Jesus did after His resurrection was to allow everyone to see Him, to confirm that He exists, and to confirm the fact of His resurrection. In addition, it restored His relationship with the people to the relationship He had with them when He was working in the flesh, and He was the Christ they could see and touch. This way, one outcome is that the people had no doubt that the Lord Jesus had been resurrected from death after being nailed to the cross, and there was no doubt in the Lord Jesus’ work to redeem mankind. And another outcome is that the fact of the Lord Jesus appearing to people after His resurrection and allowing people to see and touch Him firmly secured mankind in the Age of Grace. From this time on, people could not return to the previous age, the Age of Law, because of the Lord Jesus’ ‘disappearance’ or ‘desertion,’ but they would continue forward, following the Lord Jesus’ teachings and the work He had done. Thus, a new phase in the work in the Age of Grace was formally opened up, and the people who had been under the law formally came out from the law from then on, and entered into a new era, with a new beginning. These are the manifold meanings of the Lord Jesus’ appearance to mankind after the resurrection.” After reading these words, I had gained some understanding. Before the Lord Jesus was resurrected, He was in the flesh. After the resurrection, He appeared to man in a spiritual body with the image of the flesh. At that time, the Lord Jesus had transcended the limitations of the flesh, and could come among His disciples and appear to them when the door was closed. Although His outward image didn’t change, He had become a spiritual body. Facing the spiritual body of the Lord Jesus, the disciples felt that it was mysterious, and there was also confusion and distance growing inside them. The Lord Jesus was clear about man’s mentality and need. So, after the resurrection, He appeared to man for forty days, and ate bread and fish and explained the scriptures to His disciples. So that man could see that He was still the same Lord Jesus, tangible with flesh and bones, and would no longer think that the resurrected Lord Jesus was a spiritual body that they couldn’t touch or approach. In addition, they could see His existence and recognize Him, with no more doubt but confirmation of His resurrection. In this way, the relationship between man and God would be restored to their relationship before the crucifixion. They would say, “The Lord has risen from dead! He is the same as before. He loves us the same way He used to. He cares about us, He doesn’t leave us, and He is still with us, still on earth.” Besides, through His resurrection and appearance to man, the Lord Jesus opened up a phase of the work in the Age of Grace, and led man to come out from the law and enter into the new age. All the followers of Him knew that He is Christ, the incarnated God, and God Himself, and their faith was thus strengthened. Later, His disciples took His resurrection as the greatest vision, and began to testify about Him, telling people the facts of His work, and to preach the gospel, which has been spread across the world today. So, the meanings of the Lord Jesus’ resurrection can be seen from above.

2. Reflections on the Lord Jesus’ Words to Thomas After His Resurrection

The Bible records, “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the middle, and said, Peace be to you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, My LORD and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:26-29). Before when I read these verses, I only knew that the Lord Jesus loved man too much and sympathized with man’s weakness. He knew Thomas’ inner doubt, so He appeared to him to dispel his doubt. But I didn’t understand more of the Lord’s intentions in doing that and speaking those words. My heart lightened immediately when I read the following words.

The words in the book say, “What the Lord Jesus said to Thomas was also very clearly telling every person: The resurrected Lord Jesus is the Lord Jesus that had initially spent thirty-three and a half years working among mankind. Although He had been nailed to the cross and experienced the valley of the shadow of death, and He had experienced resurrection, His every aspect had undergone no changes. Although He now had nail marks on His body, and although He had been resurrected and walked out from the grave, His disposition, His understanding of mankind, and His intentions toward mankind had not changed in the slightest. Also, He was telling people that He had come down off the cross, triumphed over sin, triumphed over hardships, and triumphed over death. The nail marks were just the evidence of His victory over Satan, evidence of being a sin offering to successfully redeem all of mankind. He was telling people that He had already taken on mankind’s sins and He had completed His work of redemption. When He returned to see His disciples, He told them with His appearance: ‘I’m still alive, I still exist; today I am truly standing in front of you so that you can see and touch Me. I will always be with you.’ The Lord Jesus also wanted to use the case of Thomas as a warning for future people: Although you believe in the Lord Jesus, you can neither see nor touch Him, however, you can be blessed by your true faith, and you can see the Lord Jesus through your true faith; this kind of person is blessed.” As it turned out, the Lord Jesus’ words toward Thomas contained God’s intentions. Although the Lord Jesus experienced resurrection, through His words to Thomas, man could see that He was still the Lord Jesus who used to live alongside His disciples day and night, that He is the God who observes the depths of man’s heart, that He is the almighty God, and that He knew the thought and mind of everyone. Before the Lord Jesus was nailed onto the cross, He had known that Thomas did not believe that He is Christ. After the resurrection, He still knew it. So, He specially appeared to Thomas and had him touch His nail marks, making him believe that He is Christ, the incarnated God, so as to remove his doubt about Him and let him see that He was truly resurrected. The Lord Jesus’ resurrection and appearance, this powerful evidence allowed all believers in Him to see such facts: He is the glorious God Himself, He has triumphed over death and Satan, and Christ is with great authority and might. Moreover, the Lord Jesus’ words toward Thomas sent man a message: When you believe in God, don’t be like Thomas, only believing what you can see with your own eyes. The most crucial thing for a follower of God is to have true faith in Him, which directly concerns whether he can be approved by God and enter the kingdom of heaven. People will be blessed because of their true faith in God. However, if they always measure God’s appearance and work based on what they see with their own eyes, rather than know God from His words, they will make the same mistake as Thomas. At this point, I cannot help but think of the Lord’s disciple Peter, who could recognize that the Lord is Christ, the Son of the living God. It was because during the time when he was in the company of the Lord, he saw much of what God has and is in the Lord from His word and work that he realized that the Lord is the incarnated God, Christ.

The Lord said that He would come again. Then, will we be able to know Him when He returns today, in the last days? On what basis shall we know Him? Revelation 2:7 says, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches.” Does it prophesy that the Lord will utter His words when He comes again? To welcome the Lord’s second coming, shall we be wise virgins and heed His voice? Thanks be to the Lord! May the Lord show mercy to us and open our spiritual eyes, so that we can welcome His return by the true faith! Amen!

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