Question: You say only those who obey the will of God receive the way of everlasting life. After we started believing in the Lord, we suffered and paid a price to spread the Lord’s gospel. We’ve shepherded the Lord’s flock, taken up the cross and followed the Lord, practiced humbleness, patience, and tolerance. Are you saying we haven’t been following God’s will? We know if we continue, we will become holy, and be raptured to the kingdom of heaven. Is this way of understanding and practice wrong?
Answer: You have the notion that if you labor, sacrifice, or do good deeds, you are obeying God’s will. But are these imagined notions of yours after God’s heart? Do they have a basis in God’s word? Let’s see what the Lord Jesus said: 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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Mat 7: 21-23). From the Lord Jesus’ words we can see that those who prophesy, cast out devils, and do many wonderful works in His name are the ones who suffer and do works for the Lord. They serve God, devote all their time to Him, and have many good behaviors. But, why does the Lord Jesus call them those who work iniquity? How should we understand this? By your notions, any who suffer and do work for the Lord and spend and sacrifice for Him are obeying God’s will. The chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees in Judaism also appeared to be very pious. They traveled far and wide to preach the gospel. So why did the Lord Jesus condemn and curse them? That’s something worth reflecting on, isn’t it? We can’t determine obedience to God’s will using the notions of man. True obedience to God’s will refers to people who can obey God’s work and words, practice God’s words, follow God’s commandments, and fulfill their duties according to God’s will and requirements. You say any who suffer and do work for the Lord are obeying God’s will. Then let’s evaluate them using the Lord Jesus’ requirements. What was the Lord Jesus’ most important requirement for man? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mat 22:37-39). But are we doing this? Obeying God’s will means loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind. No matter how much work we do, or how much we suffer, there must be no personal ambition or impurity, we must be devoted purely to obeying and satisfying God, to carrying out God’s will. We must be happy to sacrifice everything for God, without demand for recompense. In the face of trials and tribulation from God, we must not complain or betray Him, and put ourselves at the mercy of God’s arrangements. Like Abraham, Job, and Peter, when God’s trials come, we must accept with utter obedience and without complaint or question, and bear good and resounding testimony for God. This is obedience to God’s will. Given those demands, it should be obvious whether or not we are people who truly obey the heavenly Father’s will.
We see many capable of suffering, doing work, and sacrifice after believing in the Lord, but in their suffering and sacrifice we find personal desire and ambition. They seek rewards, and to enter the kingdom of heaven. Isn’t this using and defrauding God? How is this practicing the truth to satisfy God? But there’s an even bigger tragedy going on. Even though the pastors and elders of the religious world often work and preach in their churches, and appear to do good acts from the outside, yet when Almighty God does the work of judgment in the last days, to protect their own position, influence, and income they wildly judge, condemn, and profane Almighty God, and try to stop the believers from investigating the true way. Don’t they make themselves enemies of God in doing this? How is this any different from the crimes of the Pharisees who resisted the Lord Jesus? These facts are enough to prove that people have no knowledge of God, that people’s satanic nature remains, and that people have not received the truth as life. Even those who can suffer, labor, and sacrifice for God do so to barter with God. They believe in God with the aim of gaining blessings for themselves. Such people are not practicing God’s words at all, and do not care for God’s will, much less are they testaments of obedience and love for God. How could such people be obeying God’s will? And how could they be qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven and gain everlasting life? Let’s read a passage from Almighty God: “I decide the destination of each person not on the basis of age, seniority, amount of suffering, and least of all, the degree to which they invite pity, but according to whether they possess the truth. There is no other choice but this. You must realize that all those who do not follow the will of God will be punished. This is an immutable fact” (“Prepare Sufficient Good Deeds for Your Destination” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God decides the destination of each man not on the basis of how much work he does or suffering he undergoes, but on the basis of whether he possesses truth, practices God’s word, and obeys God’s will, because only those who obey God’s will are qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven and gain everlasting life. This is decided by God’s righteous disposition, and cannot be changed. So, we all need to reflect on the path we’ve taken to belief in God. Why, while we believe in and follow God, do we also sin and resist God? It’s caused entirely by the sinful nature hidden within us. With our sinful nature, it’s very difficult to truly obey and love God. Our sinful nature makes it hard to avoid trying to barter and gain blessings while we sacrifice for God. Our sinful nature creates complaints, negativity, and betrayal in us when faced with God’s trials. So, with our sinful nature, we can’t possibly become someone who obeys God’s will, and can’t become holy. It’s completely impossible! For us to truly obey God’s will and become holy, the problem of our sinful nature must be solved. Given that, if we don’t accept Almighty God’s work of judgment and chastisement in the last days, we will never be approved by God. If we don’t experience God’s work of judgment in the last days, we will never receive the truth, achieve change in our life disposition, or be after God’s heart. That’s a fact no one can deny.
from the movie script of From the Throne Flows the Water of Life
The Word of God | “The Two Incarnations Complete the Significance of the Incarnation”
Almighty God says, “From the creation of the world down to the present, the Spirit of God has set this great work in motion, and has moreover done different work in different ages and in different nations. The people of each age see a different disposition of His, which is naturally revealed through the different work that He does. He is God, filled with mercy and lovingkindness; He is the sin offering for man and man’s shepherd; but He is also man’s judgment, chastisement, and curse. He could lead man to live on earth for two thousand years, and He could also redeem the corrupted mankind from sin. Today, He is also able to conquer mankind, who do not know Him, and prostrate them under His dominion, so that all submit to Him fully. In the end, He will burn away all that is unclean and unrighteous within men throughout the universe, to show them that He is not only a merciful and loving God, not only a God of wisdom and wonders, not only a holy God, but, even more, a God who judges man.”
God's Word | "Peter's Experience—His Knowledge of Chastisement and Judgment"
Almighty God says, "In chastisement, Peter could pray like this, “God! My flesh is disobedient, and you chastise me and judge me. I take your chastisement and judgment as a joy. Even if you do not want me, I can see your holy and righteous disposition from your judgment. You judge me so that others can see your righteous disposition in your judgment, and thus I will be content. As long as your disposition can be expressed so that your righteous disposition can be seen by all created beings, and I can have a purer heart of loving you and live up to the image of a righteous man through your judgment, such judgment of yours is good, for this is your good purpose."
While coming down to the nation of the great red dragon, God turns to face the universe and it starts shaking. Is there any place that doesn't face His judgment? Or live in the scourge that He unleashes? Everywhere He goes He scatters seeds of disaster, but through it gives salvation and shows His love. God wishes to make more people know Him, see Him and then revere Him. They've not seen Him for so long, but now He's so real.
II
While coming down to the nation of the great red dragon, God turns to face the universe and it starts shaking. Is there any place that doesn't face His judgment? Or live in the scourge that He unleashes? Everywhere He goes He scatters seeds of disaster, but through it gives salvation and shows His love. God wishes to make more people know Him, see Him and then revere Him. They've not seen Him for so long, but now He's so real.
When it comes to God’s name, some brothers and sisters say that God’s name is Jehovah, for it is written in the Bible: “Jehovah … is My name for ever, and this is My memorial to all generations” (Exodus 3:15), and some say that God is called Jesus, because the Bible records: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Some, however, have recently seen a verse from the Book of Revelation, chapter 1, verse 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,” from which it can be seen that God will name Himself the Almighty. This confounds many people: Why does God’s name change? Why does God take these names? What’s the significance of God taking them? Actually, if we want to understand this aspect of the truth, we first have to know how God’s names are derived. In this way, the questions will be easily resolved.
“The Happiness in the Good Land of Canaan” is a cheerful experience hymn, expressive of the excitement and joy of all those who have accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days. God’s chosen people have returned to God’s family, enjoyed Almighty God’s words, and received His provision in their life, which seems that they are living in the good land of Canaan. They enjoy the happy time of reuniting with God and have a sincere devotion and love for Him, unwilling to leave Him any more. Here, they are singing and dancing to express their boundless gratitude and praise for God!
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
- Proverbs 1:32
Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
It can be seen from this verse that God doesn’t hope we judge people by appearance. But in reality, when we deal with people, we tend to judge and treat people by their appearance. If one is good-looking with charm, influence and power, we will look up to him. If he is plain-looking and comes from a deprived background, we will look down upon him. Obviously, treating people in this way has deviated from the instructions of the Bible and contradicted the will of the Lord. Then How does God treat man? God’s words say: “I often say that God looks within people’s hearts, and people look at people’s exteriors. Because God looks within people’s hearts, He understands their substance, whereas people define other people’s substance based on their exterior.” “What does God look at in a person? God looks at a person’s heart. All of a person’s behavior is controlled by his heart. If your heart is honest, then you have good humanity and can gradually understand truth, and when you understand a certain amount of truth you can satisfy God’s requirements and be considerate of God’s intention.”
My Doubt: Does Working Hard for the Lord Mean Loving Him?
One day in October, when Brother Yang and I went to the Yang village to spread the gospel, we passed by a paddy field and saw villagers harvesting paddy under the hot sun. I couldn’t help but stop and think: The paddy at home should be harvested as well, is my wife able to do it alone? At this moment, Brother Yang seemed to read my mind and said: “Brother Wen, your family’s paddy should also be able to be harvested, right? It’s so rare to see people like you who are able to abandon their families to spread the gospel for so many years!”
It is clear to those who truly experience the work of God, that obtaining salvation and perfection through faith in God is entirely dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit. If you do not have the Holy Spirit’s work when it comes to your faith in God, then everything is just idle chit-chat. If you are not able to obtain the work of the Holy Spirit, then you are destined to be a target for elimination. Only those who obtain the Holy Spirit’s work can understand the truth and enter God’s word. In the end, they will obtain salvation and be perfected by God. Thus, understanding the Holy Spirit’s work is crucial when it comes to obtaining salvation through our faith in God. It is clear to us that in the entire religious world, there are untold numbers of people who have been confused by the work of evil spirits. They treat the work of evil spirits as if it were the work of the Holy Spirit. In the end, they are eliminated because they are possessed by demons. This is tragic. If you want to receive the Holy Spirit’s work, you must recognize the Holy Spirit’s work. If you are unable to recognize the Holy Spirit’s work, you would not know whether or not you have the Holy Spirit’s work and you would not know if you are able to obtain it. If this is the case, your faith in God will be in a chaotic and confused state. It could be said that you have a silly and confused faith. This is why knowing the Holy Spirit’s work is crucial. There are a few important aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work that must be understood. First, we must read some of God’s word, “The work of the Holy Spirit is a form of proactive guidance and positive enlightenment. It does not allow people to be passive. It brings them solace, gives them faith and resolve and it enables them to pursue being made perfect by God.” These couple of sentences are very important. They talk about one aspect of the principles of the Holy Spirit’s work. There are also the results that can be achieved through the Holy Spirit’s work, “When the Holy Spirit works, people are able to actively enter. They are not passive and they are not forced. Instead, they are proactive. When the Holy Spirit works, people are glad and willing to obey. They are happy to humble themselves and even though they are pained and fragile inside, they have the resolve to cooperate. They suffer gladly, they are able to obey and they are untainted by human will, the ideologies of man and they are certainly untainted by human desires and motivations.” How do you feel when you read these two quotes? Do you have an understanding based on experience? One quote speaks about the results that can achieved by the Holy Spirit’s work. The other talks about the principles of the Holy Spirit’s work. What are the principles of the Holy Spirit’s work? The most important principle is that it guides people to enter with a positive frame of mind. It gives people positive enlightenment and it does not allow people to become negative. It comforts people’s hearts so that they have faith and they have resolve. It enables them to seek the goal of being perfected by God. This is one aspect of the principles of the Holy Spirit’s work. It helps people start to enter proactively. It guides and enlightens in a proper manner. We all have had this experience. When we read God’s word and communicate the truth based on our prayers to God, we have a kind of feeling afterward. What kind of feeling is this? We feel that we have more faith in God and that we are more willing to seek the truth, pay the price and suffer. We are willing to seek salvation and perfection by God. How are these positive things produced? These are produced from the Holy Spirit’s work. Without the Holy Spirit’s work, we would not achieve these results. When we do not pray to God and when we are not close to God, inside our hearts, we do not have these feelings. We do not have these positive things. We lack an internal drive. We see that the majority of the time, a lot of new believers are numb in response. They do not have any proper desires. When you ask them, “Do you love the truth?” they do not respond. They feel that it is okay either way. They do not have any desires. Why is this? They do not have the Holy Spirit’s work. This is why, regardless if someone has a genuine faith or a false faith, without the Holy Spirit’s work, they seem numb as if they are a dead person. Presently, we can see that many people who believe in God are particularly devoted. Their hearts are particularly passionate. They are willing to seek the truth. As long as you show them clearly the way of faith and communicate the truth clearly to them, they will be full of energy and willing to pay any price. Where does this kind of faith and devotion come from? From the Holy Spirit’s work. From this point, we can see that if you want genuine faith in your belief in God, if you want to seek the truth and achieve God’s salvation, you must receive the Holy Spirit’s work. What signs indicate that someone does not have the Holy Spirit’s work? Those who do not have the Holy Spirit’s work do not have any energy when it comes to seeking the truth. They have no true faith in God and they are not willing to suffer for God. They are always seeking ease and comfort. They are satisfied with a mediocre faith. A muddled faith is okay for them. This kind of person does not have the Holy Spirit’s work. Within the church, we can see that there are some people who do not have the Holy Spirit’s work. They do not seek the truth. They are not thirsty. They do not have any desire for the truth, the way and the life. They also do not want to pay the price. They think that this is something that will cause them to suffer a loss. They are even more unwilling to suffer. There are some people who can see into them, “It seems that these people do not have the Holy Spirit’s work. Even if they have believed for one or two years, you do not see any progress. They are not able to enter into the truth, nor is there any change in their life disposition.” These are signs that someone does not have the Holy Spirit’s work. That is why if you want to achieve salvation and be perfected by God, you must obtain the Holy Spirit’s work. Right now, the majority of people have the following experience. They say, “Why is it that sometimes, when you believe in God, you do not have any internal energy at all? During the times when you do not have any energy, it seems that you are not able to enter at all. You are not able to enter any aspect of the truth. When you eat and drink God’s word, you do not have any enlightenment. During this period, there is no progress at all. Afterward, unknowingly you will have energy and passion again. Unknowingly you will be able to pay the price and make an effort in seeking the truth, eating and drinking God’s word and communicating the truth. What is going on here?” Presently, some people understand this situation in the following manner, “Oh, this is a period of time where I have the Holy Spirit’s work. These are the results that are achieved through the Holy Spirit’s work.” When you have the Holy Spirit’s work, you will have resolve. No matter what kind of difficulties you encounter, you will not be afraid and you will not retreat. No matter what the cost, you are perfectly happy to pay it without regret. These are the results that can be achieved when you have the Holy Spirit’s work. You can see that there are many people who have cast aside their homes and their businesses. They are being hunted down by the great red dragon. Though they have a home, it is difficult to go back. They do not have a place to rest. However, they do not complain. They are willing to suffer for God. They seek salvation and they want to be perfected. These are the results of the Holy Spirit’s work. If someone does not have the Holy Spirit’s work, then they will not have this kind of devotion. They would have been paralyzed a long time ago. We can also notice that there are some people who complain when they have to fulfill some duties or go through some suffering. They complain that God does not bless them. They complain that God is unfair toward them. They even judge God and have their own notions about God. What is this all about? When someone does not have the Holy Spirit’s work, their corrupt nature and their corrupt disposition inside are exposed outward. When they have to make an effort or pay a bit of a price, they complain afterward. They form their own notions. That is, when someone does not have the Holy Spirit’s work, the corrupt aspect of themselves arises and is exposed. With the Holy Spirit’s work, positive things, things involved in normal humanity, such as conscience, sense and resolution will be activated. That is why, when it comes to your faith in God, if you are unable to obtain the Holy Spirit’s work, then all you are able to do is disobey, resist and rebel against God. Those who have the Holy Spirit’s work are able to seek the truth. They are able to make an effort for God, suffer for God and pay the price for God. They do not have any complaints in their hearts. Those who have the Holy Spirit’s work, the more they believe, the more they feel God is worthy of love. The more they believe in God, the more they know God. The more they believe, the more they feel that God is the truth, that God is righteous, that God is awesome and that God is the best. That is why the people who have the work of the Holy Spirit have more and more of an understanding of God. They are perfected by God more and more. This is especially the case during the period when you are seeking to enter into life. Those who have the work of the Holy Spirit are able to understand and distinguish their own corruption and satanic disposition. Regardless of the situation in which their corruption was revealed, they are able to understand and discern. Even if their ideas and thoughts are incorrect, or they are in an abnormal spiritual state, they can feel and see this. This is a situation that can occur when one has the work of the Holy Spirit. There are many people whose hearts want to seek a change in their disposition. They seek to live out God’s word and put the truth into practice. However, even though they themselves have done many things that resist and disobey God, they do not feel it. They still think that they have not committed any transgressions. They still think that their actions are in accordance with God’s intentions. What kind of situation is this? This is what happens when someone does not have the Holy Spirit’s work. They are not able to distinguish their own conducts and deeds at all. They do not have a clear picture of what their own condition is like. Even though they are clear about and acknowledge their own corruption, they do not think it is very serious. They are not afraid. They are not worried that they would be eliminated because they are like this. This kind of circumstance is abnormal. This is a circumstance where someone does not have the work of the Holy Spirit. When someone has the work of the Holy Spirit, they are able to discern their own condition very clearly. Their self-analysis is very clear. Regardless of what situation they encounter, they are able to take that situation and compare it to God’s word. They are able to analyze the essence of the situation and thus, they understand their own inherent nature. After a period of time of seeking, they have a genuine understanding of their own corrupt essence. This is a result that can be achieved through the Holy Spirit’s work. There are many people that try but are unable to understand themselves. When other people deal with and prune them, they seem to acknowledge it, but they do not have a clear understanding. You ask them, “Do you understand the essence of your own nature?” They reply, “The essence of my nature is Satan’s nature.” Notice how this kind of person provides a formulaic answer, which is theoretical reasoning. When you continue, “How can you say that the essence of your nature is a satanic nature?” they do not answer you clearly. You ask them again, “Do you have any corruption to expose?” They acknowledge that they do. But when you ask them what kind of corruption they have exposed, they do not tell you clearly. “During this time, how is your circumstance?” “My circumstance? It’s not very good.” “Why is it not good?” They do not tell you clearly. This is an example of someone who does not have the obvious work of the Holy Spirit. They are unable to understand even themselves and they are unable to discern their own true circumstance. They do not know whether or not their internal circumstance is abnormal or not. They are unable to articulate it clearly. Look, the people who do not have the work of the Holy Spirit are dark inside. Internally, they are very dark. They do not know themselves. There is no difference between them and dead people. When I communicate the truth with these types of people, there is not even a bit of a happy expression on their face. How do you not have a reaction? Why are you unable to simply open up and talk about your circumstance? How are you so numb? This is someone whose internal circumstance is abnormal. They do not have the work of the Holy Spirit. From these matters, we can see that there is an issue and it relates to entering into life. Regardless if it is related to the aspect of understanding yourself or knowing your own true circumstance, both of these require the illumination and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. In the end, when it comes to understanding God, putting the truth into practice and serving God, all of these things rely on the Holy Spirit’s work. If you do not have the Holy Spirit’s work, truly, you will not be able to move a single step in regard to entering into life. You will not be able to achieve any results. That is why the Holy Spirit’s work is extremely crucial!
Having learned of how Job went through the trials, most of you will likely want to know more details about Job himself, particularly with regard to the secret by which he gained God’s praise. So today, let us talk about Job!
In Job’s Daily Life We See His Perfection, Uprightness, Fear of God, and Shunning of Evil
If we are to discuss Job, then we must start with the assessment of him uttered from God’s own mouth: “there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil.”
Let us first learn about Job’s perfection and uprightness.
What is your understanding of the words “perfect” and “upright”? Do you believe that Job was without reproach, and honorable? This, of course, would be a literal interpretation and understanding of “perfect” and “upright.” Integral to a true understanding of Job is real life—words, books, and theory alone won’t provide any answers. We’ll start by looking at Job’s home life, at what his normal conduct was like during his life. This will tell us about his principles and objectives in life, as well as about his personality and pursuit. Now, let us read the final words of Job 1:3: “this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.” What these words are saying is that Job’s status and standing were very high, and though we are not told whether he was the greatest of all men of the east because of his abundant assets, or because he was perfect and upright, and feared God and shunned evil, overall, we know that Job’s status and standing were much prized. As recorded in the Bible, people’s first impressions of Job were that Job was perfect, that he feared God and shunned evil, and that he was possessed of great wealth and venerable status. For a normal person living in such an environment and under such conditions, Job’s diet, quality of life, and the various aspects of his personal life would be the focus of most people’s attention; thus we must continue reading the scriptures: “And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” (Job 1:4-5). This passage tells us two things: The first is that Job’s sons and daughters regularly feasted, eating and drinking; the second is that Job frequently offered burnt sacrifices because he often worried for them, fearful that they were sinning, that in their hearts they had cursed God. In this are described the lives of two different types of people. The first, Job’s sons and daughters, often feasted because of their affluence, they lived extravagantly, they wined and dined to their heart’s content, enjoying the high quality of life brought by material wealth. Living such a life, it was inevitable that they would often sin and offend God—yet they did not sanctify themselves or offer burnt offerings as a result. You see, then, that God had no place in their hearts, that they gave no thought to God’s graces, nor feared offending God, much less did they fear renouncing God in their hearts. Of course, our focus is not on Job’s children, but on what Job did when faced with such things; this is the other matter described in the passage, and which involves Job’s daily life and the substance of his humanity. When the Bible describes the feasting of Job’s sons and daughters, there is no mention of Job; it is said only that his sons and daughters often ate and drank together. In other words, he did not hold feasts, nor did he join his sons and daughters in eating to extravagance. Though affluent, and possessed of many assets and servants, Job’s life was not a luxurious one. He was not beguiled by his superlative living environment, and he did not gorge himself on the enjoyments of the flesh or forget to offer burnt offerings because of his wealth, much less did it cause him to gradually shun God in his heart. Evidently, then, Job was disciplined in his lifestyle, and was not greedy or hedonistic, nor did he fixate upon quality of life, as a result of God’s blessings to him. Instead, he was humble and modest, and cautious and careful before God, he often gave thought to God’s graces and blessings, and was continually fearful of God. In his daily life, Job often rose early to offer burnt offerings for his sons and daughters. In other words, not only did Job himself fear God, but he also hoped that his children would likewise fear God and not sin against God. Job’s material wealth held no place within his heart, nor did it replace the position held by God; whether for the sake of himself or his children, Job’s daily actions were all connected to fearing God and shunning evil. His fear of Jehovah God did not stop at his mouth, but was put into action, and reflected in each and every part of his daily life. This actual conduct by Job shows us that he was honest, and was possessed of a substance that loved justice and things that were positive. That Job often sent and sanctified his sons and daughters means he did not sanction or approve of his children’s behavior; instead, in his heart he was fed up with their behavior, and condemned them. He had concluded that the behavior of his sons and daughters was not pleasing to Jehovah God, and thus he often called on them to go before Jehovah God and confess their sins. Job’s actions show us another side of his humanity: one in which he never walked with those who often sinned and offended God, but instead shunned and avoided them. Even though these people were his sons and daughters, he did not forsake his own principles because they were his own kin, nor did he indulge their sins because of his own sentiments. Rather, he urged them to confess and gain Jehovah God’s forbearance, and he warned them not to forsake God for the sake of their own greedy enjoyment. The principles of how Job treated others are inseparable from the principles of his fear of God and shunning of evil. He loved that which was accepted by God, and loathed that which repulsed God, and he loved those who feared God in their hearts, and loathed those who committed evil or sinned against God. Such love and loathing was demonstrated in his everyday life, and was the very uprightness of Job seen by God’s eyes. Naturally, this is also the expression and living out of Job’s true humanity in his relations with others in his daily life that we must learn about.
God’s kingdom has come on earth; God’s person is full and rich. Who can stand still and not rejoice? Who can stand still and not dance? Oh Zion, raise your banner of victory to celebrate for God. Sing your song of victory to spread His holy name over the world. Countless people praise God with joy, countless voices exalt His name. Look at His awesome deeds; now His kingdom on earth has come.
All things on earth, make yourselves clean; come and make offerings to God. Stars, return to your nest in the sky, show God’s might in the heavens above. On earth voices rise up and sing, pouring out infinite love and boundless reverence to God. He attently listens to them. Countless people praise God with joy, countless voices exalt His name. Look at His awesome deeds; now His kingdom on earth has come.
On that day all things are revived, God in person comes to the earth. Flowers burst out in joyful bloom, birds sing and all things rejoice. See the kingdom of Satan fall as the salute of God’s kingdom sounds, trampled down, never to rise again, drowned beneath the anthem of praise. Countless people praise God with joy (with joy), countless voices exalt His name (His name). Look at His awesome deeds; now His kingdom on earth has come.
Everyone says the prime of our youth is the most splendid and purest time of life. Perhaps for many, those years are full of beautiful memories, but what I never would have expected was that I spent the prime of my own youth in prison. You might look at me strangely for this, but I do not regret it. Even though that time behind bars was full of bitterness and tears, it was the most precious gift of my life, and I gained a great deal from it.
I was born into a happy family, and since childhood have worshiped Jesus along with my mom. When I was fifteen, my family and I, convinced that Almighty God is Jesus come again, gladly accepted His work of the last days.
One day in April of 2002, when I was seventeen, a sister and I were at a place fulfilling our duties. At 1:00 in the morning, we were soundly asleep at our host’s house when we were suddenly awakened by some loud, urgent bangs on the door. We heard someone outside yelling, “Open the door! Open the door!” No sooner had the sister who hosted us opened it than a few police officers abruptly pushed inside and said, aggressively, “We’re from the Public Security Bureau.” Hearing these three words, “Public Security Bureau,” made me immediately nervous. Were they here to arrest us for our belief in God? I had heard about some brothers and sisters being arrested and persecuted over their faith; could it be that this was now happening to me? Just then my heart began to beat wildly, thu-thump, thu-thump, and in my panic, I did not know what to do. I therefore hurriedly prayed to God: “God, I implore You to be with me. Give me faith and courage. No matter what happens, I will always be willing to stand testimony for You. I also beseech You to give me Your wisdom and grant me with the words I should speak, so that I will not betray You nor sell out my brothers and sisters.” After praying, my heart gradually calmed down. I saw those four or five evil cops rifling through the room like bandits, searching through the bedding, each cabinet, box, and even what was under the bed until finally they came up with some books of God’s utterances as well as CDs of hymns. The leader said to me in a deadpan voice, “Your possession of these things is evidence that you believe in God. Come with us and you can make a statement.” Shocked, I said, “If there is something to say, I can just say it here; I don’t want to go with you.” He immediately put on a smile and replied, “Don’t be afraid; let’s just take a little trip to make a statement. I’ll bring you back here very soon.” Taking him at his word, I went with them and got into the police car.
The work of the last days is to separate all according to their kind, to conclude the management plan of God, for the time is near and the day of God has come. God brings all who have entered His kingdom, that is, all those who have been loyal to Him to the end, into the age of God Himself. However, until the coming of the age of God Himself, the work that God shall do is not to observe the deeds of man or to inquire into the life of man, but to judge his rebellion, for God shall purify all those who come before His throne. All those who have followed the footsteps of God to this day are those who have come before the throne of God, and this being so, every single person who accepts God’s work in its final phase is the object of God’s purification. In other words, everyone who accepts God’s work in its final phase is the object of God’s judgment.
from “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
The entire management of God is divided into three stages, and in each stage, fitting requirements are made of man. Furthermore, as the ages pass and progress, God’s requirements of all mankind become ever higher. Thus, step-by-step, this work of God’s management reaches its climax, until man beholds the fact of the “appearance of the Word in the flesh,” and in this way the requirements of man become even higher, and requirements of man to bear testimony become even higher. … In the past, man was required to comply with the law and the commandments, and was required to be patient and humble. Today, man is required to obey all of God’s arrangements and possess a supreme love of God, and is ultimately required to still love God amid the tribulation. These three stages are requirements that God makes of man, step-by-step, throughout His entire management. Each stage of God’s work goes deeper than the last, and in each stage the requirements of man are more profound than the last, and in this way, God’s entire management gradually takes shape. It is precisely because the requirements of man are ever higher that man’s disposition comes ever closer to the standards required by God, and it is only then that the whole of mankind gradually departs from the influence of Satan until, when God’s work comes to a complete end, the whole of mankind will have been saved from the influence of Satan.
from “God’s Work and Man’s Practice” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
