2 Stories Help You Hold Onto Faith in God in Difficulties

By Xiaoxin

In our real life, when misfortunes in the family, difficulties in the work, the illnesses of the body, or various dangers and pains befall us, often times we don’t know how to face them and are always anxious and panicky, so that we neither see God’s deeds nor gain God’s guidance. This gives us food for thought: As Christians, how should we experience crises?

I thought of the story of Moses in the Bible. Moses was originally a prince, but shepherded sheep for forty years in the wilderness without anyone even to talk to. His descent from a prince in the palace to a shepherd in the wilderness and forty years’ experience in the wilderness made him achieve the knowledge of God’s almightiness and sovereignty and also his hot-bloodedness was worn away. When God commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he could obey God and accept His commission with confidence. Especially when he led the Israelites through the Red Sea, it looked like they were finished because they were caught between the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them. In that situation, what approach did Moses take? He firmly believed that God would surely lead them through His authority and power, still prayed to and relied on God with confidence, then lifted the rod and stretched it over the sea. Finally he saw God’s deeds—the Red Sea was divided and the Israelites safely passed through it.

Why Is Obedience Better Than Sacrifice? Here Is the Reason

By Shan Yi

    As the moon was shedding silvery light on the earth, I, sitting at my desk, opened the Bible and read the verses in Samuel: “And Samuel said, Has Jehovah as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from being king” (1 Samuel 15:22–23). After reading these words, I couldn’t help but wonder: What’s the true meaning of the verse “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams”? Saul was the first king of the Israelites chosen and established by God, but he was rejected by God because he kept the best of the animals for sacrifices. What lessons are we believers in God to draw from this story? After constantly praying and seeking, I understood some of God’s will.

What’s the Significance of the Lord Becoming Man’s Sin Offering?

By Wuyan, China

　　It is recorded in the Bible, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin” (Rom 8:3). “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Heb 9:12). From these verses we know that, in order to redeem us mankind from sin, the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross as mankind’s eternal sin offering. And since then, we all call Him the redeeming Lamb. But do you know the profound meaning behind this appellation?

　　To figure out this question, we should first know what sin offering means. Let’s look at Leviticus 4:27-31, “And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he does somewhat against any of the commandments of Jehovah concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; Or if his sin, which he has sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has sinned. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet smell to Jehovah; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him,” and Leviticus 16:30-31, “For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before Jehovah. It shall be a sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.”

God’s Primary Work in the Age of Law

My understanding:

God issued 10 commandments and 613 laws in the Age of Law to lead humanity to worship God and live normally. Those who listen to God’s words and keep the laws, God will bless them for generations. In the last day, may we also listen to the utterances of Christ of the last days, and catch up with the pace of God's work, so we can receive greater salvation from God. Now, I would like to share with you several passages of God's word-Primary Work in the Age of Law

During the Age of Law, the work of guiding mankind was done under the name of Jehovah, and the first stage of work was initiated on earth. At this stage, the work consisted of building the temple and the altar, and using the law to guide the people of Israel and to work in their midst. By guiding the people of Israel, He launched a base for His work on earth. From this base, He expanded His work beyond Israel, which is to say that, starting from Israel, He extended His work outward, so that later generations gradually came to know that Jehovah was God, and that it was Jehovah who created the heavens and earth and all things, and that it was Jehovah who made all creatures. He spread His work through the people of Israel outward beyond them. The land of Israel was the first holy place of Jehovah’s work on earth, and it was in the land of Israel that God first went to work on earth. That was the work of the Age of Law.

from “The Vision of God’s Work (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

The Creator’s Sincere Feelings Toward Mankind (Selection)

 

People often say that it is not an easy thing to know God. I, however, say that knowing God is not a difficult matter at all, for God frequently allows man to witness His deeds. God has never ceased His dialogue with mankind; He has never concealed Himself from man, nor has He hidden Himself. His thoughts, His ideas, His words and His deeds are all revealed to mankind. Therefore, so long as man wishes to know God, he can come to understand and know Him through all sorts of means and methods. The reason why man blindly thinks that God has intentionally avoided him, that God has intentionally hidden Himself from humanity, that God has no intention of allowing man to understand and know Him, is that he does not know who God is, nor does he wish to understand God; even more so, he is not concerned with the Creator’s thoughts, words or deeds…. Truthfully speaking, if one only uses their idle time to focus upon and understand the Creator’s words or deeds, and pay a little attention to the Creator’s thoughts and the voice of His heart, it will not be difficult for them to realize that the Creator’s thoughts, words and deeds are visible and transparent. Likewise, it will take little effort to realize that the Creator is among man at all times, that He is always in conversation with man and the entirety of creation, and that He is performing new deeds every day. His substance and disposition are expressed in His dialogue with man; His thoughts and ideas are revealed completely in His deeds; He accompanies and observes mankind at all times. He speaks quietly to mankind and all of creation with His silent words: I am above the universe, and I am amongst My creation. I am keeping watch; I am waiting; I am at your side…. His hands are warm and strong; His footsteps are light; His voice is soft and graceful; His form passes and turns, embracing all of mankind; His countenance is beautiful and gentle. He has never left, nor has He vanished. From dawn to dusk, He is mankind’s constant companion. His devoted care and special affection for humanity, as well as His true concern and love for man, were displayed bit by bit when He saved the city of Nineveh. In particular, the exchange between Jehovah God and Jonah laid barer the Creator’s pity for the mankind He Himself created. Through these words, you can obtain a deep understanding of God’s sincere feelings for humanity….

from “God Himself, the Unique III” inContin uation of The Word Appears in the Flesh

 Know more :

Which Is Greater: God, or the Bible? On the Relationship Between God and the Bible

Since God is righteous, why is it that evil people prosper in comfort while good people are bullied and oppressed and suffer hardships?

Bible Reference:

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there. Then he said, I pray you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house: For I have five brothers; that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment” (Luk 16:19-28).

The Answer from God’s Word:

Those who obtain good fortune in this life will surely suffer for all eternity, while those who suffer in this life will surely be blessed for all eternity—this I have predestined and no one may change it. No one may change My heart….

from “The Ninety-seventh Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

English Christian Movie | Do You Know the Mystery of the Name of God | "God's Name Has Changed?!"

Impression after watching:

God does nothing meaningless. Though some things don't match our conceptions, there is God's good intention. Just these things can show whether we truly listen to God's word, and whether we have true obedience of God. To be humble and willing to seek, then God will surely bless you.

Her name is Wang Hua, and she is a house church preacher in Southern China. After she began to believe in the Lord, she found in the Bible that God was called Jehovah in the Old Testament, and was called Jesus in the New Testament. Why does God have different names? Wang Hua was extremely puzzled about this. She tried to find the answer in the Bible, but failed to grasp the mystery…. But she firmly believed that there is none other name under heaven given among men, so Jesus alone is the Savior, and that so long as we held on to the name of Jesus, we would surely be raptured into the kingdom of heaven. Yet one day, Wang Hua heard some shocking news: God's name has changed! After that, her heart could no longer remain calm …

The Church of Almighty God | Posters | The Rise of the United States of America and Its Mission

The commandments and laws Jehovah God issued to the Israelites have not only had a profound impact on human law, but have also played a critical role in the establishment and formation of moral civilization and democratic institutions in human societies.

The ancient Roman Empire was founded so that Christianity might spread, it thrived with Christianity as its state religion, and it came to ruin because of its persecution of Christians. 

The Rise of the British Empire Driving the Development of Mankind

During England’s colonial expansion, advanced knowledge and thinking in areas such as Western political systems, culture, religions, education, and medicine were introduced into the colonies. The old ruling orders of the colonized countries were overturned, and the pre-existing feudal ideologies were destroyed. This laid the foundation for the colonies unknowingly embarking upon the path of constitutional democracy …

The Puritans advocated for the concepts of autonomy, equality, and democracy as well as God’s teachings. They also infused the American Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution with these things. … So not only were the Puritans the cornerstone of the establishment of the USA, but they were the pioneers that made America great. … The US has played an important role in stabilizing the global situation and balancing world order. This role is irreplaceable in safeguarding and stabilizing the global situation.

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Almighty God's Word "The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a 'White Cloud'" (Excerpt, Stage Version)

Almighty God's Word "The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a 'White Cloud'" (Excerpt, Stage Version)

Almighty God says, "If man still longs for the arrival of Jesus the Savior during the last days, and still expects Him to arrive in the image He bore in Judea, then the entire six-thousand-year management plan would stop in the Age of Redemption, and would be incapable of progressing any further. The last days, furthermore, would never arrive, and the age would never be brought to an end. … I was once known as Jehovah. I was also called the Messiah, and people once called Me Jesus the Savior because they loved and respected Me. But today I am not the Jehovah or Jesus that people knew in times past—I am the God who has returned in the last days, the God who shall bring the age to an end. I am the God Himself that rises up at the ends of the earth, replete with My entire disposition, and full of authority, honor and glory."

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God's untterance |God Is the Lord of All Creation

The Church of Almighty God | God's untterance |God Is the Lord of All Creation

　　One stage of the work of the two previous ages took place in Israel; another took place in Judea. Generally speaking, neither stage of this work left Israel; they were the stages of work carried out among the initial chosen people. Thus, in the view of the Israelites, Jehovah God is only the God of the Israelites. Because of Jesus’ work in Judea, and because of His completion of the work of the crucifixion, from the perspective of the Jews, Jesus is the Redeemer of the Jewish people. He is solely the King of the Jews, not of any other people; He is not the Lord who redeems the English, nor the Lord who redeems the Americans, but He is the Lord who redeems the Israelites, and in Israel it is the Jews that He redeems. Actually, God is the Master of all things. He is the God of all creation. He is not only the God of the Israelites, and He is not only the God of the Jews; He is the God of all creation. The previous two stages of His work took place in Israel, and in this way, some conceptions have taken shape within people. People think that Jehovah was at work in Israel and Jesus Himself carried out His work in Judea—additionally, it was through incarnation that He was at work in Judea—and whatever the case, this work did not extend beyond Israel. He was not at work with the Egyptians; He was not at work with the Indians; He was only at work with the Israelites. People thus form various conceptions; additionally, they plan out God’s work within a certain scope. They say that when God is at work, it must be carried out among the chosen people and in Israel; save for the Israelites, God has no other recipient for His work, nor does He have any other scope for His work; they are particularly strict in “disciplining” the God incarnate, not permitting Him to move beyond the scope of Israel. Are these not all human conceptions? God made all of the heavens and earth and all things, and made all of creation; how could He restrict His work to only Israel? In that case, what use would there be for Him to make the entirety of His creation? He created the whole world; He has carried out His six-thousand-year management plan not only in Israel but also with every person in the universe. Regardless of whether they live in China, the United States, the United Kingdom or Russia, every person is a descendant of Adam; they have all been made by God. Not a single person can break away from the scope of God’s creation, and not a single person can escape the label of “descendant of Adam.” They are all God’s creation, and they are all Adam’s descendants; they are also the descendants of the corrupted Adam and Eve. It is not only the Israelites who are God’s creation, but all people; nevertheless, some among creation have been cursed, and some have been blessed. There are many desirable things about the Israelites; God was initially at work with them because they were the least corrupt people. The Chinese pale in comparison to them, and cannot even hope to match them; thus, God initially worked among the people of Israel, and the second stage of His work was only carried out in Judea. As a result of this, people form many conceptions and many rules. Actually, if He were to act according to human conceptions, God would only be the God of the Israelites; in this manner He would be unable to expand His work into Gentile nations, because He would only be the God of the Israelites rather than the God of all creation. The prophecies said that Jehovah’s name would be great in the Gentile nations and that Jehovah’s name would be spread to the Gentile nations—why would they say this? If God were only the God of the Israelites, then He would only be at work in Israel. Furthermore, He would not expand this work, and He would not make this prophecy. Since He made this prophecy, He would need to expand His work into Gentile nations and into every nation and place. Since He stated this, He would thus do so. This is His plan, for He is the Lord who created the heavens and earth and all things, and the God of all creation. Regardless of whether He is at work with the Israelites or in all Judea, the work He does is the work of the entire universe and the work of all humanity. The work He does today in the nation of the great red dragon—in a Gentile nation—is still the work of all humanity. Israel can be the base for His work on earth; likewise, China can also become the base for His work among the Gentile nations. Has He not now fulfilled the prophecy that “the name of Jehovah will be great in the Gentile nations”? The first step of His work among the Gentile nations refers to this work He is doing in the nation of the great red dragon. For the God incarnate to be at work in this land and to be at work among these cursed people runs particularly contrary to human conceptions; these people are the most lowly and without any worth. These are all people whom Jehovah initially abandoned. People can be abandoned by other people, but if they are abandoned by God, these people will have no status, and they will have the lowest amount of worth. As a part of creation, being occupied by Satan or abandoned by other people are both painful things, but if a part of creation is abandoned by the Lord of creation, this signifies that his or her status is at an absolute low. The descendants of Moab were cursed, and they were born within this underdeveloped country; without a doubt, the descendants of Moab are the people with the lowest status under the influence of darkness. Because these people possessed the lowest status in the past, the work done among them is most capable of shattering human conceptions, and it is also the work most beneficial to His entire six-thousand-year management plan. For Him to work among these people is the action most capable of shattering human conceptions; with this He launches an era; with this He shatters all human conceptions; with this He ends the work of the entire Age of Grace. His initial work was carried out in Judea, within the scope of Israel; in Gentile nations He did not do any era-launching work whatsoever. The final stage of His work is not only carried out among the people of Gentile nations; even more so, it is carried out among those cursed people. This one point is the evidence most capable of humiliating Satan; thus, God “becomes” the God of all creation in the universe and becomes the Lord of all things, the object of worship for everything with life.

God's word | You Should Know How the Whole of Humanity Has Developed to the Present Day

Eastern lightning | God's word | You Should Know How the Whole of Humanity Has Developed to the Present Day

The entirety of the work over the 6,000 years has gradually changed along with the times. The shifts in this work have occurred according to the entire world’s circumstances. God’s management work has only gradually transformed according to the developmental trends of humanity as a whole; it was not already planned at the beginning of creation. Before the world was created, or right after it was created, Jehovah had not yet planned the first stage of work, that of law; the second stage of work, that of grace; or the third stage of work, that of conquering, in which He would first work among a group of people—some of the descendants of Moab, and from this He would conquer the entire universe. He did not speak these words after creating the world; He did not speak these words after Moab, let alone before Lot. All of His work was done spontaneously. This is exactly how His entire six-thousand-year management work has developed; by no means had He written out such a plan as Summary Chart for Humanity’s Development before creating the world. In God’s work, He directly expresses what He is; He does not rack His brains to formulate a plan. Of course, many prophets have spoken many prophecies, but it still cannot be said that God’s work has always been one of precise plan-making; the prophecies were made according to God’s actual work. All of His work is the most actual work. He carries out His work according to the development of the times, and He carries out His most actual work according to the changes of things. For Him, carrying out work is akin to administering medicine to an illness; He observes while doing His work; He works according to His observations. In every stage of His work, He is capable of expressing His ample wisdom and expressing His ample ability; He reveals His ample wisdom and ample authority according to the work of that particular age and allows any of those people brought back by Him during those ages to see His entire disposition. He supplies people’s needs and carries out the work He should do according to the work that must be done in each age; He supplies people’s needs according to the degree to which Satan has corrupted them. It was this way when Jehovah initially created Adam and Eve in order to allow them to manifest God upon the earth and to have God’s witnesses among the creation, but Eve sinned after being tempted by the snake; Adam did the same, and together in the garden they ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And thus, Jehovah had additional work to perform among them. He saw their nakedness and covered their bodies with clothing made from animal hides. Following this, He said unto Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for your sake … till you return to the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and to dust shall you return.” To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.” From then on He banished them from the Garden of Eden and made them live outside the garden, as modern man now does upon the earth. When God created man in the very beginning, He did not plan to let man be tempted by the snake after he had been created and then curse man and the snake. He did not actually have this kind of plan; it was simply the development of things that gave Him new work among His creation. After Jehovah carried out this work among Adam and Eve upon the earth, humanity continued to develop for several thousand years, until “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. … But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” At this time Jehovah had more new work, for the humanity He created had become too sinful after being tempted by the snake. Given these circumstances, Jehovah selected Noah’s family from among these people and spared them, and carried out His work of destroying the world with a flood. Humanity has continued to develop in this manner to this very day, becoming increasingly corrupt, and when humanity’s development reaches its peak, it will also be humanity’s end. From the very beginning to the end of the world, the inside truth of His work has always been this way. It is the same as how man will be classed according to their kind; far from each and every person being predestined to the category they belong to at the very beginning, people are gradually categorized only after undergoing a process of development. In the end, anyone who cannot be saved entirely will be returned to his or her ancestors. None of God’s work among humanity was already prepared at the creation of the world; rather, it was the development of things that allowed God to perform His work step by step more realistically and practically among humanity. This is just like how Jehovah God did not create the snake in order to tempt the woman. It was not His specific plan, nor was it something that He had intentionally predestined; one could say that this was unexpected. It was thus because of this that Jehovah expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and vowed to never again create man. But God’s wisdom is only discovered by people upon this foundation, just like the point that I mentioned earlier: “My wisdom is exercised based on Satan’s plots.” No matter how corrupt humanity grew or how the snake tempted them, Jehovah still had His wisdom; therefore, He has been engaged in new work ever since He created the world, and none of the steps of this work have ever repeated. Satan has continuously carried out plots; humanity has been continuously corrupted by Satan, and Jehovah God has also continuously carried out His wise work. He has never failed, and He has never ceased His work from the creation of the world through now. After humanity was corrupted by Satan, He continuously worked among people to defeat His enemy who corrupts humanity. This battle will continue from the beginning until the world’s end. In doing all this work, He has not only allowed humanity, who has been corrupted by Satan, to receive His great salvation, but also allowed them to see His wisdom, almightiness and authority, and in the end He will let humanity see His righteous disposition—punishing the wicked and rewarding the good. He has battled Satan to this very day and has never been defeated, for He is a wise God, and His wisdom is exercised based on Satan’s plots. And so He not only makes everything in heaven submit to His authority; He also makes everything upon earth rest below His footstool, and not last of all, He makes those evildoers who invade and harass humanity fall within His chastisement. All the results of the work are brought about because of His wisdom. He had never revealed His wisdom before the existence of humanity, for He had no enemies in heaven, upon earth, or in the entire universe, and there were no dark forces that invaded anything among nature. After the archangel betrayed Him, He created humanity upon the earth, and it was because of humanity that He formally began His millennia-long war with Satan, the archangel, a war that grows more heated with every successive stage. His almightiness and wisdom are present in each of these stages. Only at this time can everything in heaven and earth see God’s wisdom, almightiness, and particularly God’s realness. He still carries out His work in this same realistic manner today; in addition, as He carries out His work He also reveals His wisdom and almightiness; He allows you to see the inside truth of each stage of work, to see exactly how to explain God’s almightiness, and particularly exactly how to explain God’s realness.

The Relationship Between Each of the Three Stages of God’s Work.

The Church of Almighty God｜The Relationship Between Each of the Three Stages of God’s Work.

    Relevant Words of God:

　From the work of Jehovah to that of Jesus, and from the work of Jesus to that of this current stage, these three stages cover the entire breadth of God’s management, and are all the work of one Spirit. From when He created the world, God has always been managing mankind. He is the Beginning and the End, He is the First and the Last, and He is the One who begins an age and the One who brings the age to an end. The three stages of work, in different ages and different locations, are surely carried out by one Spirit. All those who separate these three stages oppose God.

from “The Vision of God’s Work (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Knowing the Purpose and Significance of Each of the Three Stages of God’s Work.

The Church of Almighty God｜Knowing the Purpose and Significance of Each of the Three Stages of God’s Work.

　(1) The aim and significance of God’s work in the Age of Law

　Relevant Words of God:

　The work that Jehovah did in the Israelites established among humanity God’s earthly place of origin, His sacred place where He was present. He confined His work to the Israelite people. At first, He did not work outside of Israel; instead, He chose a people He found suitable in order to restrict the scope of His work. Israel is the place where God created Adam and Eve, and out of the dust of that place Jehovah made man; it is the base of His work on earth. The Israelites, who are the descendants of Noah and of Adam, were the foundation of Jehovah’s work on earth.