Why Christians Spread the Gospel?

Why Christians Spread the Gospel?

Hanxiao

Many people have found such phenomena: Most of the true believers in the Lord, after believing in God, will spread the gospel, do their work and establish churches everywhere with the utmost confidence; there are even some who never get married in their entire lives so as to spread the gospel; some believers who have families even give up their enjoyments of family, conjugal affection and the attention of their children for spreading of the gospel…. Some people think these behaviors incomprehensible and don’t know why they believe in God so fervently. Believing in God at home doesn’t disrupt them making money or supporting their family, and they can also enjoy family happiness with their loved ones and moreover can enter heaven after death. Isn’t it a perfect choice? Contrarily, when spreading the gospel everywhere, they often face ridicule and slander, and even will suffer the arrest and persecution of the atheistic CCP, drifting around and unable to return to their home. Then what power impels them to run on the way of spreading the gospel?

Eastern Lightning | Gospel Questions & Answers

In recent years, the various sects and denominations in the religious world have become more and more bleak, people have lost their original faith and love and have become more and more negative and weak. We also perceive the withering of the spirit and we feel that we have nothing to preach and that we have all lost the work of the Holy Spirit. Please tell us, why is the entire religious world so bleak? Does God really hate it and has it been discarded by God? How should we understand God’s cursing of the religious world in the Book of Revelation?

Eastern Lightning | Gospel Questions & Answers

Answer:

Now, the whole of the world of religion is a widespread desolation, devoid of the work of the Holy Spirit, and many people’s faith and love have cooled—this has already become an accepted fact. What exactly is the primary cause of the desolation in the world of religion is a question that all of us must thoroughly understand. First let us look back a moment at why the temple became desolate in the latter days of the Age of Law, and we will then be able to understand thoroughly the cause of the religious world’s desolation in the last days.

The Hymn of Life Experience O God, I Miss You Every Day

The Hymn of Life Experience 

O God, I Miss You Every Day 

 I feel, when I lose God, like a floating duckweed. God, without You being with me, life becomes empty. I disobeyed You, lost the Holy Spirit, and fell into darkness. Enduring Your discipline and punishment, my heart loves You even more. I miss You, I miss You, in my heart I'm telling You. I only wish to practice truth to satisfy You, I can't resist You anymore. Ah! My heart is loving You, until I call You back to me with love. Until I call You back to me with love. 

Bible Secrets Revealed: Are There Any Errors in the Bible?

Bible Secrets Revealed: Are There Any Errors in the Bible?

Xiaojing

Facts about Bible you must know

I began to read the Bible since I believed in the Lord. From the Bible, I knew a lot of work that God had done before, such as Jehovah God’s creating the heavens and earth and all things, destroying the world with a flood, and burning Sodom, the Lord Jesus’ healing the sick and casting out the demons, feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish, and so on. Through reading the Bible, I was convinced that the Lord Jesus is the one true God who created the heavens and earth and all things. Since then, the Bible became the basis of my belief in God. I believed that all the words in the Bible were the words of God, that the Bible was a heavenly book, a holy book, and was sacred, containing no inaccuracies or errors, and that the writings of any great men could not compare with it.

A Hymn of God's Words The Seven Thunders Roll

A Hymn of God's Words The Seven Thunders Roll

I 

The seven thunders roll, shaking up the world, rending through the sky, changing heaven and earth. Piercing is the sound. Where can man run and hide? Heaven and earth are changed by thunder and lightning. Man lies dying. A fierce storm rolls in across the universe, fast as thunderbolt; heavy rain pours in. Each corner of the earth is bathed in this storm and nothing impure remains, oh … The whole world is washed and nothing unclean stands. Who can hide from the stormy rain? Oh … oh … 

How does one actually confirm that Almighty God is the returned Jesus?

How does one actually confirm that Almighty God is the returned Jesus?

The Answer from God’s Word:

First, He is able to open up a new age; second, He is able to supply the life of man and show man the way to follow. This is sufficient to establish that He is God Himself. At the very least, the work He does can fully represent the Spirit of God, and from such work it can be seen that the Spirit of God is within Him. As the work done by the incarnate God was mainly to usher in a new age, lead new work, and open up new circumstances, these few conditions alone are sufficient to establish that He is God Himself.

Can One Enter the Kingdom of Heaven by Working Hard for the Lord?

Can One Enter the Kingdom of Heaven by Working Hard for the Lord?

Every brother and sister in the Lord has a desire: to enter the kingdom of heaven, which is also the Lord Jesus’ promise to us. Then, how can we enter the kingdom of heaven? The Lord Jesus said to us, “There is no man that has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundred times now in this time … and in the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).

Why Did the Lord Jesus Pray to God of Heaven Since He Is God?

Why Did the Lord Jesus Pray to God of Heaven Since He Is God?

Why Did the Lord Jesus Pray to God of Heaven Since He Is God?

by Zhen Xin

We all know that the Lord Jesus was incarnated and performed the redemptive work, and all who believe in the Lord affirm that the Lord Jesus is the Savior. However, the Bible records that after the Lord Jesus was baptized, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spiritdescended upon the Lord Jesus like a dove, a voice said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This is the Holy Spirit bearing witness that the Lord Jesus is God’s beloved Son. Besides, the Lord Jesus prayed before the crucifixion, saying: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). These all prove that the Lord Jesus is clearly God’s Son. So, here is the question: Is the Lord Jesus really God or the Son of God? If He is God, then why did He pray to God of heaven?

God's Love

Hymn

God's Love

I

 In this ocean of people, who knows God becomes flesh in the last days? He walks in churches, speaking, doing His work, silently expressing the truth. He's humble and hidden. He does endure great humiliations. O God, You become flesh, suffer many hardships all for mankind's salvation. Why does man deny, reject You? O God, the truth You express is what man needs. The judgment and chastisement of Your words are love and blessings for man. The judgment and trials of God's words transform, save us, allow us to live like humans. God is worthy of man's love and eternal praise. Thanks for Your love, thanks for Your love, thanks for Your love, O God. 

Finding the Way Back After Getting Lost

Finding the Way Back After Getting Lost

Xieli, USA

Finding the Way Back After Getting Lost

I’d always wanted a happy life with a high standard of living, so I came to the U.S.A. to work as hard as I could. After a few years of hard work and suffering, I was able to gradually get the things I wanted: my own company, my own car, my own house, etc. I was finally living the “happy” life that I’d dreamed of. During this period, I made friends with a few guys and enjoyed eating meals, drinking and having fun with them during our leisure time. We all got on pretty well together, and I thought I’d met a good bunch of guys.

Enlightenment From a Story of Solomon—Two Flower Baskets

Enlightenment From a Story of Solomon—Two Flower Baskets

Xu Fan

Enlightenment From a Story of Solomon—Two Flower Baskets

During my free time, I read a story about Solomon from the internet. A king from a neighboring country gave, as a present, two uncommon and rare flower baskets to Solomon. The flowers of one of the flower baskets were real and the flowers of the other basket were fake. However, the flowers of both baskets looked extremely similar. There was almost no way to distinguish the real flowers from the fake flowers just by looking at their appearance. The state official from the neighboring country that delivered the flower baskets had heard of Solomon’s wisdom. So, he asked Solomon to distinguish between the real flowers and the fake flowers. Solomon sent some people to bring the two flower baskets to his garden. Nobody understood what Solomon’s intentions were. Solomon asked everyone to gather at the garden and there they understood why he brought the two baskets into the garden. The real flowers had attracted many bees to them while the fake flowers did not have any.

Humanity’s Only Path to Enter Into Rest

Christian English Song 

"Humanity’s Only Path to Enter Into Rest" 

 I

Those who stand firm during God’s final cleansing by chastisement and judgment will enter into the final rest. Those who have broken free from Satan’s influence will be obtained by God and enter the final rest. The essence of judgment and chastisement is to cleanse man for his final rest. Without this work, people won’t be able to follow their own kind. It’s the only way to enter rest. 

Eastern Lightning | Gospel Questions & Answers

You testify that Almighty God is God incarnate who is currently doing His work of judgment in the last days. But the religious pastors and elders say that the work of Almighty God is actually the work of man, and also many people who don’t believe in the Lord Jesus say that Christianity is a belief in a man. We still cannot discern what exactly is the difference between the work of God and the work of man, so please fellowship this for us.

Eastern Lightning | Gospel Questions & Answers

Answer:

The work of God and the work of man are certainly different. If we investigate carefully we will all be able to see it. For instance, if we look at the utterances and work of the Lord Jesus and then take a look at the utterances and work of the apostles, we can say that the difference is too obvious. Every word uttered by the Lord Jesus is the truth and carries authority, and can reveal many mysteries. These are all things mankind can never do. That is why there are so many people who follow the Lord Jesus. However, the apostles can only spread the gospel, bear witness to God, and supply the church. The results are all very limited.

Eastern Lightning | Gospel Questions & Answers

God’s work in the Age of Grace lasted 2,000 years, and how long will it take for God’s work of the last days to usher out the old age and establish a new heaven and earth?

The Answer from God’s Word:

Although now is already the last days, know that the “last days” is but a name for an age: Just like the Age of Law and the Age of Grace, it refers to an age, and it indicates an entire age, rather than the final few years or months. Yet the last days are quite unlike the Age of Grace and the Age of Law. The work of the last days is not carried out in Israel, but among the Gentiles; it is the conquest before My throne of people from all nations and tribes outside of Israel, so that My glory throughout the universe can fill the entire cosmos.

Christian Sketch "Police Plots"

  

Christian Sketch "Police Plots"

How Much Do You Know About the CCP's Persecution of Christians In order to eliminate religious beliefs, the atheist CCP government frequently adopts measures for surveilling Christians such as conducting stakeouts and tailing them in an attempt to make a clean sweep of them. The sketch Police Plots is about the collusion of evil CCP officers in disguise and an auxiliary officer, a donkey in a lion’s skin, who set up a stakeout to arrest Christians gathering at the home of Zhao Yuzhi. 

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.

Eastern Lightning | Gospel Questions & Answers

It is clearly written in the Bible that the Lord Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and all those who believe in the Lord also believe that the Lord Jesus is Christ and that He is the Son of God. And yet you testify that the incarnate Christ is the manifestation of God, that He is God Himself. Will you please tell us whether the incarnate Christ is really the Son of God, or God Himself?

Eastern Lightning | Gospel Questions & Answers

Answer:

Is the incarnate Christ God Himself or God’s Son? This is really a problem most believers in the Lorddo not understand. When the incarnate Lord Jesus came to do the work of redemption of mankind, God became the Son of man, appearing and doing work among men. He not only opened the Age of Grace, but also initiated a new age in which God came personally into the human world to live alongside man. With great adoration, the men who followed Him called the Lord Jesus as Christ, the Son of God. At that time, the Holy Spirit also bore witness to the fact that the Lord Jesus is the beloved Son of God, and the Lord Jesus called God of heaven Father.

The Holy Kingdom Has Appeared

The Holy Kingdom Has Appeared 

I 

The just Sun shines over all the lands, restores all living things. God's people gather with joy, to praise His great achievements. All lands they dance, sing, cheer. All things with breath come to praise, praise to the victory and the coming of God's day. The entire universe is new and cheering loud for God and for His holy day.

I Am Following in the Footsteps of the Lamb

I Am Following in the Footsteps of the Lamb

Shen Ai, Singapore

I Am Following in the Footsteps of the Lamb

When I was 18 years old my mother got ill, and so she started believing in the Lord Jesus. At the time, I knew the Lord Jesus’ name but didn’t understand anything about faith in the Lord. It was quite a coincidence that I later went to work for a company where most of the employees were Christians. Through interacting with them, I saw how they treated people with love and patience, and I came to believe that Christians were a pretty good bunch of people. During that period, there was a colleague who often told me the story about how the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross in order to redeem mankind.

Christian Movie Traile "The Exchange: Account of an Interrogation"

Introduction 

Keep the Faith

Christian Movie Traile "The Exchange: Account of an Interrogation" 

Jiang Xinyi and other Christians were arrested by the CCP government; they brutally torture the Christians in order to seize the church's funds and arrest more church leaders. Then, to force them to renounce their faith, they launch one brainwashing offensive after another, but with the guidance of God's words, they are able to overcome the torture and all of Satan's trickery. They rely on the truth to engage in a fierce battle with the CCP government …

Eastern Lightning | Fleeing From the “Tiger’s Den” (Part 1) Audio Article

Gospel Video Clip "Yearning" (1) - So This Is How the Lord Returns 

Introduction 

Many believers in the Lord have read the following biblical prophecy: "They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30). They believe that when the Lord returns, He will certainly descend on a cloud, but there are other prophecies in the Bible that say: "Behold, I come as a thief" (Revelation 16:15). "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him" (Matthew 25:6). It is clear that there are prophecies that the Lord will come in secret in addition to the prophecy that He will openly come down on a cloud. So what is the truth about His return?

The Church of Almighty God | What is following God?

What is following God?

Relevant Words of God:

Of principal importance in following God is that everything should be according to the words of God today: Whether you are pursuing entry into life or the fulfillment of God’s will, everything should be centered around the words of God today. If what you commune and pursue are not centered around the words of God today, then you are a stranger to the words of God, and totally bereft of the work of the Holy Spirit.

Eastern Lightning | "The One Who Holds Sovereignty Over Everything"

Praise and Worship Music 

"The One Who Holds Sovereignty Over Everything"

 (Christian Musical Documentary) 

 Throughout the vast universe, all celestial bodies move precisely within their own orbits. Under the heavens, mountains, rivers, and lakes all have their boundaries, and all creatures live and reproduce throughout the four seasons in accordance with the laws of life…. This is all so exquisitely designed—is there a Mighty One ruling and arranging all this? Since coming into this world crying we have begun playing different roles in life. We move from birth to old age to illness to death, we go between joy and sorrow…. 

Eastern Lightning | Christ's Kingdom Is a Warm Home

Best Christian Music Video

 So Happy to Live in the Love of God 

 "Christ's Kingdom Is a Warm Home" 

 I

 Christ’s kingdom is my warm home, it belongs to all of God’s people. Christ walks and speaks in the church and lives together with God’s people. The judgment and chastisement of God’s words is here, as is work of the Holy Spirit. God’s words water, supply and guide us, and our lives grow. This is the kingdom ruled by Christ, it is a fair and just world. 

Is Bible Entirely the Word of God? | Eastern Lightning

Is Bible Entirely the Word of God?

Is Bible Entirely the Word of God?

Brothers and Sisters of Loving Stage:

The Bible is Christianity’s canon, the foundation of our faith. Since we believed in the Lord, each of us has had a Bible. We read the Bible frequently and cherish it as a treasure. What’s more, we even more take the words of the Bible as the highest standard in our life and work hard to follow. Paul said: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). This even more makes us think that all scripture is inspired by God. Some people say that in the Bible there are the words of Satan and the ass talking to Balaam. Obviously, they are not the words of God. May I ask, are the words in the Bible not all God’s words? What do you think about this question?

Dear Aiguang:

Your question is very good. Recently, many brothers and sisters also ask us about this question. Let’s seek it together.

Many brothers and sisters all believe these words said by Paul. Yet first we should know Paul’s words are just man’s words but cannot represent God’s words. There are sixty-six books in the entire Bible, but no one verse records that God said that all scripture is inspired by God or that the words in the Bible are all the words of God. Since God didn’t say that, then does Paul’s statement conform with God’s word? Are there words of the Holy Spirit as proof? If this statement by Paul is corroborated by the words of the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit, then we should accept and obey that. This is completely in line with the Lord’s intentions. No matter who he is, as long as his words are not supported by the words of the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit, we cannot accept them blindly. We men are only men, are created beings. So, our words cannot represent the Creator’s will. The Lord Jesus we believe in is the Lord of heaven. Only by practicing according to God’s words can we be approved by God.

We all know very clearly that Paul used to resist God and oppose the Lord Jesus. It’s a commonly acknowledged fact that he was the ringleader of the opposition against the Lord Jesus’ work. Even though the Lord Jesus chose Paul as an apostle to spread the gospel, Paul is still a created being. Therefore, his words are undoubtedly the words of a man. The Lord Jesus is God, whereas all of the Lord Jesus’ apostles and disciples are men. They cannot be compared to the Lord Jesus Himself. So, when it comes to the words of man, we cannot accept and obey them blindly. We should seek whether they are in line with God’s will, which is crucial for us to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

What Is the Background of Paul Saying the Words “All Scripture Is Given by Inspiration of God”?

Since people think that all scripture is inspired by God and that all the words in the Bible are the words of God according to 2 Timothy 3:16, let’s first investigate the background of Paul saying these words. As we all know, the words “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” were said by Paul when he wrote letters to Timothy. When he wrote letters, there only existed the Old Testament. The New Testament was just dozens of letters kept in the churches and hadn’t been compiled into a book. Not until after 300 A.D. did the New Testament come into being. That is to say, the New Testament existed two hundred years later after Paul wrote letters. It can be seen that the background of Paul’s words are referring to the Old Testament.

However, from Moses writing Genesis to the Lord Jesus coming to work, it was at least 1,000 years. Paul did not know any of the authors of the Old Testament at all. How could he know that the Old Testament was inspired by God? He couldn’t know that unless the authors of the Old Testament personally told him or the Old Testament clearly said: “The Bible is inspired by God.” But those authors didn’t tell him that and the Old Testament also doesn’t record that the Bible was inspired by God. So what Paul said has no factual basis.

Moreover, if we say that the Bible is entirely given by the inspiration of God and what is written in the Bible are all the words of God, then what about the words spoken by the serpent when it tempted Eve, the words spoken by Satan when it accused Job, the words the ass said to Balaamand the words of the band of Korah? Can we take them as God’s words? Brothers and sisters in the Lord all know: Satan is the archangel who betrayed God and is God’s enemy; the ass is an animal; while the band of Korah are the ones who resisted Moses and were directly destroyed by God. If we insist on claiming that their words are God’s words, then we are blaspheming God. This is a serious problem in substance! Thus, it can be seen that the words “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” said by Paul are his own imagination and are not in line with the truth.

Which Words in the Bible Are God’s Words?

In fact, all words spoken by God are clearly marked in the Bible. The words that Jehovah God enlightened the prophets are always marked with “thus said the LORD of hosts,” “thus said the LORD,” etc. For example, Ezekiel 34:11: “For thus said the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out,” and Isaiah 1:2-3: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel does not know, my people does not consider.” These show that the prophets were conveying God’s words and were echoing the words personally said by God. The words of the Lord Jesus are marked with “Jesus said to them,” “Jesus answered and said to them” and “Jesus said”; or the scriptures told us straightforwardly that these are the words that the Lord Jesus spoke, such as Matthew 4:19: “And he said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” Matthew 5:1-4: “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came to him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted,” and Matthew 18:22: “Jesus said to him, I say not to you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” The words of God in Revelation are also clearly marked with “said the Lord,” “And he that sat on the throne said,” and so on. For example, Revelation 1:8: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty,” and Revelation 21:5: “And he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

From these scriptures we can see that in the Bible only the words of Jehovah God, the words that Jehovah spoke to the prophets, the words said by the Lord Jesus Himself and the words God revealed to John are God’s words; apart from these words, other words are some historical facts or man’s personal experiences and knowledge recorded by more than forty authors. Although most of their personal experiences and knowledge came by enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, they cannot be equated to God’s words. Just as in the Old Testament, what most of the scriptures document are some historical facts that God did work in the Age of Law; besides, there are a few words of Satan, the words of the ass, and so on. In the New Testament, apart from God’s words quoted by various authors, the remaining words are all man’s knowledge, insights and understandings, such as the letters of Peter, Paul and Timothy. Their letters only represented man’s work and their own experiences and knowledge. They wrote their understanding to assist, help and encourage brothers and sisters in the churches, which was completely out of the burden for the Lord’s commission. Furthermore, they never said their words were God’s words and at the beginning of their letters they clearly marked their own name.” This is fact.

What Is the Difference Between God’s Words and Man’s Words?

God is the Creator and only God’s words are the truth, the way, and the life; we humans are created beings. There is substantial difference between the Creator and the creation. They cannot be placed on the same level and cannot be confused with each other. The work and word of God cannot be done by any corrupted man in God’s stead. In the course of us humans experiencing God’s work, no matter how great our experiences, understandings and enlightenment from the Holy Spirit benefit other people, they cannot be treated as God’s word but can only be used as a reference. Just like Paul, Peter and Matthew at that time, they were all used by God but they were not the incarnate God. Although their letters are beneficial and constructive for brothers and sisters in the churches, they cannot be said to be the words of the Holy Spirit. This is undoubtable! The words of God are the expression of God’s disposition and all that He has and is. They are the reality of positive things and can be man’s life. Words spoken by man that conform with the truth all come from man’s experience and understanding of God’s word and the truth, and all represent the stature of man at the time. The words that conform with the truth can only provide people with a bit of help and benefit. They cannot be man’s life. Even with the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit, they are still man’s words, and cannot be compared with God’s word at all.

Through the fellowship above, I believe that we all know that the Bible is not inspired by God and that the Bible is not entirely the word of God. When we take man’s words as the words of God, it is the same as treating man as God. This is betraying the truth and blaspheming God. Thus no matter how much suffering we have gone through, God won’t acknowledge this kind of faith of us. The Lord Jesus clearly told us, “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). So, if we, believers in the Lord, want to be approved by the Lord, we should correctly treat the Bible and cannot worship it blindly. When we read it, we also need to differentiate between God’s words and man’s words in it clearly. No matter what things come upon us, we should seek and practice according to God’s words, and man’s words can only be used as a reference. If man’s words are in accord with the truth, then we accept them; if not, we refuse them. Only by practicing faith in this way can we act in accordance with the intention of God.

I hope the answer above could be helpful to you.

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

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

Miaoxiao

Do You Know the Deeper Meanings of the 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.

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

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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From the Internet

Eastern Lightning | In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Do You Know What God’s Hidden Intention Is?

In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Do You Know What God’s Hidden Intention Is?

Chengxin

In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Do You Know What God’s Hidden Intention Is?

One evening, as I sat at my desk after praying to God, I read the parable told by Jesus in Matthew 20:1-16, where the kingdom of heaven is likened to a landowner hiring workers for his vineyard, and it didn’t matter whether they went first thing in the morning or if it was in the noon or the afternoon that they went into the vineyard, their wages were all the same. When the workers who came first learned of this, they grumbled against the landowner, but the landowner replied by saying: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” (Mat 20:15-16).

The Church of Almighty God | To Be an Honest Person Is Truly Great!

To Be an Honest Person Is Truly Great!

Wu Ming, China

To Be an Honest Person Is Truly Great! 

One day in 2004 a friend said to me: “Every day you get up early and are busy all day cutting cloth, you exhaust yourself, yet you still don’t make money. Today’s society relies on the tongue to make money, like the popular saying goes: ‘It is better to have a slick tongue than to have strong arms and legs.’ You know that I’m now engaging in the direct sales business selling makeup products, not only does it make me beautiful, I also don’t need to exert too much effort each day, I just need to speak a few words with my customers and sell my products in order to make a lot of money. Why don’t you change jobs and come sell makeup products with me?”

What does it mean to truly pray? | The Church of Almighty God

What does it mean to truly pray?

What does it mean to truly pray?

Relevant Words of God:

What does it mean to truly pray? It means speaking the words within your heart to God, and communing with God having grasped His will and based upon His words; it means feeling particularly close to God, feeling that He is in front of you, and that you have something to say to Him; and it means being especially radiant within your heart, and feeling that God is especially lovely. You will feel especially inspired, and after hearing your words your brothers and sisters will feel gratified, they will feel that the words you speak are the words within their hearts, the words they wish to say, and that what you say represents what they want to say.

Judgment Has Begun in God’s Family | Eastern Lightning

Judgment Has Begun in God’s Family

Aishen, America

Judgment Has Begun in God’s Family

I am a Christian. When I first started believing in God, I frequently heard sermons where people said, “The Lord Jesus is our Redeemer. He was nailed to the cross for our sins. Jesus is merciful and loving. As long as we frequently come before the Lord and confess our sins through prayer, our sins will be forgiven and when the Lord returns, we will be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Afterward, I noticed, when I read the Bible, many parts where the word “judgment” is mentioned. For example: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17).

What is engaging in religious ceremony? | The Church of Almighty God

What is engaging in religious ceremony?

What is engaging in religious ceremony?

Relevant Words of God:

A normal spiritual life is not limited to prayer, song, church life, eating and drinking the words of God, and other such practices, but it means to live a spiritual life that is fresh and lively. It’s not about the method, but the result. Most people think that in order to have a normal spiritual life one must pray, sing, eat and drink the words of God, or try to figure out the words of God. No matter whether there is any result, or whether there is a true understanding, these people just focus on going through the motions on the outside, and do not focus on the result—they are people living within the rituals of religion, and are not people living within the church, and even less are they people of the kingdom.

What is meant by “leave everything behind and follow God”? | The Church of Almighty God

What is meant by “leave everything behind and follow God”?

What is meant by “leave everything behind and follow God”?

Relevant Words of God:

You can devote your heart and body and all of your genuine love to God, place them before Him, be completely obedient toward Him, and be absolutely considerate to His will. Not for the flesh, not for family, and not for your personal desires, but for the interests of God’s household. In everything you can take God’s word as the principle, as the foundation. That way, your intentions and your perspectives will all be in the right place, and you will be someone who gains God’s praise before Him.

from “People Who Can Be Absolutely Obedient Toward God’s Practicality Are Those Who Truly Love God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

You believe in God and follow God, and so in your heart you must love God. You must cast aside your corrupt disposition, must seek to fulfill God’s desire, and must perform the duty of a creature of God. Since you believe in and follow God, you should offer everything to Him, and should not make personal choices or demands, and you should achieve the fulfillment of God’s desire. Since you were created, you should obey the Lord that created you, for you are inherently without dominion over yourself, and have no ability to control your destiny. Since you are a person that believes in God, you should seek holiness and change. Since you are a creature of God, you should adhere to your duty, and keep your place, and must not overstep your duty. This is not to constrain you, or to suppress you through doctrine, but is the path through which you can perform your duty, and can be achieved—and should be achieved—by all those who do righteousness.

from “Success or Failure Depends on the Path That Man Walks” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

9. Your thoughts ought to be of the work of the church. You should put aside the prospects of your own flesh, be decisive about family matters, wholeheartedly devote yourself to the work of God, and put God’s work first and your own life second. This is the decency of a saint.

from “The Ten Administrative Decrees That Must Be Obeyed by God’s Chosen People in the Age of Kingdom” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

You must suffer hardship for the truth, you must give yourself to the truth, you must endure humiliation for the truth, and to gain more of the truth you must undergo more suffering. This is what you should do. You must not throw away the truth for the sake of a peaceful family life, and you must not lose your life’s dignity and integrity for the sake of momentary enjoyment. You should pursue all that is beautiful and good, and should pursue a path in life that is more meaningful. If you lead such a vulgar life, and do not pursue any objectives, do you not waste your life? What can you gain from such a life? You should forsake all enjoyments of the flesh for the sake of one truth, and should not throw away all truths for the sake of a little enjoyment. People like this have no integrity or dignity; there is no meaning to their existence!

from “The Experiences of Peter: His Knowledge of Chastisement and Judgment” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The Man’s Fellowship:

God has the following requirement on all people who believe in Him: follow God with complete abandon. From the Age of Grace to the Age of Kingdom, there have been so many people who abandoned everything to follow God. Only these people are worthy of the name saints, who are the people of God during the Age of Kingdom. What does it mean to abandon everything and follow God? It is to present your whole heart, to give your entire being to God, and to fully immerse yourself in God’s work and spend yourself for God. This is the true meaning of abandoning everything to follow God. There are people who believe that only those who have no family and who have no concerns can abandon everything, and that people who have a family, who are married, have parents, a wife, and children cannot abandon everything and follow God. This way of thinking is incorrect. First, people must know that God’s demands on people are fair and reasonable. He has not requested that all people who have families, have parents, have a wife and children forsake their families. Rather He requests that people give of their hearts, and offer themselves up. They should perform their duty to the fullest, not being controlled by any person, event, or thing. This is tantamount to abandoning everything and following God. God does not try to make people do things they are not willing to do. It is enough for a person to exert all his effort to satisfy God. It is only natural that one must cast aside that which should be cast aside. If, for now, one cannot abandon something, it is necessary only not to be controlled by that thing. If the heart is still restricted and one cannot fully perform his duty, this does not qualify as abandoning everything. Within this abandoning everything there is the question of loyalty to God. If you truly are a person who is loyal to God, your heart will be able to not be restricted by your family, wife (or husband), or children. Many brothers and sisters have family involvement, but their hearts are not restricted by their families, and they perform their duty very well. Though they go away occasionally to care for their families, basically they do not delay performance of their duty. Can you say that they do not abandon everything and follow God? Truly it is a difficulty to have a family, and no one can deny this. However, if the heart is able to be loyal to God, they will be able to shake off all entanglements of family. Though the flesh undergoes some hardship, one receives great blessings from God for the advancement of their life. And what do those people who cling to enjoyment of the flesh get? Ultimately they get nothing. And how does one deal with hardship of the flesh? It can be said that any amount of hardship that his flesh endures is a good thing. As long as God can be satisfied, then his spirit can be joyful. The greatest pain of all would be to offend God because of clinging to pleasures of the flesh. All people who abandon everything and give to God will receive gratification because they have fully performed their human duty and satisfied God. Moreover, they will attain God’s commendation, because God blesses in a great way all people who sincerely expend themselves for Him. Those who cling to enjoyments of the family and flesh and cannot abandon everything and follow God are all people who are loyal to the devil Satan, who will certainly not be saved by God, and even less will have God’s blessing.

from The Fellowship From the Above

Dedicating one’s entire being to expend for God should be based on one’s own choice. Some people dedicate themselves to spread the gospel, others serve in churches. Some people dedicate their entire being to expend for God full time. Others can only expend themselves for God part of the time. This all depends on the choices people are willing to make; God’s family does not force people to do things. If you are suited to do a job for God’s house, then God’s family will call on you; whether or not you are willing to answer the call is up to you. If there is someone willing to devote themselves, they must heed the arrangements of God’s family. God’s family can arrange work for a person according to his strengths. If that person does a good job, then he may be kept on. If a person is not up to the task, then God’s family can give them another job to do. God’s family arranges work for each person according to their background and strengths. God’s family will not assign tasks to the incompetent. People must learn to obey and submit to God’s orchestration.

from “The Principles for Establishing a Church and the Management of Church Life” in Selected Annals of the Work Arrangements of The Church of Almighty God