I Welcomed the Return of the Lord

I Welcomed the Return of the Lord

Qingxin, Myanmar

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

After reaching adulthood, I became the chairperson of my church’s youth association for many years, and whenever the preachers weren’t there I would lead the brothers and sisters in prayer, Bible studies, hymn-singing, and the sharing of testimonies. After getting married, I was put in charge of receiving the Sunday offerings and the tithes. At first our church had the work of the Holy Spirit: The pastor talked fluently and eloquently, and the brothers and sisters enjoyed the sermons and felt that they were edified by them. Everyone was brimming with confidence, and we attended all the church services and spread the gospel wherever we could with great enthusiasm. But eventually the pastor’s sermons became repetitive and lackluster, and could no longer provide what we needed.

Resolving Persistent Concerns | Eastern Lightning

Resolving Persistent Concerns | Eastern Lightning

Max, USA

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

I was born in the USA in 1994 and my mom and dad were both Chinese. My mother was a typical successful career woman and was very independent and capable. I loved my mom very much. When I started second grade, my parents brought me back to China so I could learn Chinese, and I also began to learn about the Lord Jesus at that time. I remember it was one day in 2004, I got out of class and went home to discover that we had a guest. My mom introduced her as a pastor who had come from America. I was really happy, because I knew that my mom had already believed in the Lord Jesus for a while.

Where Does This Voice Come From? | The Church of Almighty God

Where Does This Voice Come From? | The Church of Almighty God

Shiyin

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

I was born in a religious family, and I have many relatives who are preachers. From the time I was young, I followed my parents in believing in the Lord. After I grew up, I addressed to the Lord in prayer: If I could find a husband who believed in the Lord, I would offer myself up together with him in service to the Lord. After I got married, my husband really did believe in the Lord, and in fact became a full time devoted preacher. In order for my husband to feel at ease in his work for the sake of the Lord, and to be able to fulfill his commitment in the presence of the Lord, I actively undertook the burdens of running a household.

Almighty God Led Me Onto the Path of Obtaining Cleansing | Eastern Lightning

Almighty God Led Me Onto the Path of Obtaining Cleansing | Eastern Lightning 

Gangqiang, USA

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

In 2007, due to a lot of pressure in my life, I came to Singapore by myself to work to make a living. All year round, the climate in Singapore is very hot, so every day I would sweat profusely when I was working. It was so rough that I suffered an unspeakable amount, and on top of that it was an unfamiliar life without any relatives or friends, so I thought it to be boring and tedious. One day in August, I received a gospel leaflet on my way home from work which read: “But the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you” (1Pe 5:10).

The Awakening of a Deceived Spirit | Eastern Lightning

The Awakening of a Deceived Spirit | Eastern Lightning

Yuanzhi, Brazil

I was born in a small city in Northern China. In 2010, I followed my relatives to Brazil. In Brazil, I got acquainted with a Christian friend. He brought me to church to listen to sermons. But though I went three times, I never absorbed it. Afterward, because my job was keeping me busy, I didn’t go to church again until one day in June, 2015, when my friend brought me to church once more. This time, through what brothers and sisters shared, I had some understanding that the Lord Jesus is the Redeemer. Especially, when I first read Genesis, I understood that man was actually created by God and that God had created all things, and I felt that the Creator is truly wondrous. In school, the textbooks had taught me that man evolved from apes and monkeys and all the things in the world were formed naturally. Suddenly, I felt that, for more than twenty years, I had been deceived. Only after reading the Bible did I completely awaken. From that point on, I believed in the Lord Jesus.

The Road to Purification | Eastern Lightning

The Road to Purification | Eastern Lightning

Christopher, Philippines

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

My name is Christopher and I am a pastor from a family church in the Philippines. In 1987, I was baptized and returned to the Lord Jesus. By the Lord’s grace, in 1996 I became a pastor of the local church. At that time, apart from preaching in many places around the Philippines, I also preached in places like Hong Kong and Malaysia. Because of the work and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I felt that I had inexhaustible energy in my work for the Lord and an unceasing flow of words in my sermons. I would often go to support brothers and sisters when they were negative and weak. Sometimes members of their family who did not believe in the Lord were unfriendly toward me, yet I could be tolerant and patient and not lose faith in the Lord and I believed that the Lord could change them.  

God’s Light Led Me in the Tribulation | Eastern Lightning

God’s Light Led Me in the Tribulation | Eastern Lightning

Zhao Xin    Sichuan Province

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

From childhood, I lived in the mountain. I didn’t see much of the world or have higher expectations. After I got married and had children, both my sons were sensible and obedient and my husband was hardworking. Although our family wasn’t very well-off, we lived together harmoniously, feeling very happy and satisfied. In 1996, I suddenly had a serious illness, so I began to believe in Jesus. From then on, I often read the Bible and actively attended meetings. Unexpectedly, my illness got better gradually. Since then, I had greater faith in following Jesus.

Church life, fellowship God's words, faith in God

Out of my expectation, in 1999, because of believing in Jesus, I was arrested by the police and was detained for a whole day. Moreover, I was fined 240 yuan. The money, though little, was a small fortune for us farmers living in the poor mountainous area. To scrape together enough for the fine, I sold one Chinese acre of peanuts that I worked hard to plant.

📒The Essence of Personal Revenge | The Church of Almighty God

The Essence of Personal Revenge | The Church of Almighty God

Zhou Li    Xintai City, Shandong Province

Some time ago, we needed to plot out districts within our area, and based on our principles for the selection of leaders, there was one brother who was a relatively suitable candidate. I prepared to promote him to district leader. One day when I was chatting with this brother, he mentioned that he felt I was overbearing in my work, too intense, and that in a gathering with me there wasn’t much enjoyment…. When I heard this, I felt that I had been belittled. I felt terrible; I immediately developed a certain opinion of this brother, and no longer planned to promote him to district leader.

When I returned to my host family, I was still stewing and I could not calm down. At that time, I thought of something from “Reckless Leaders Who Do Not Carry Out Their Proper Work Must Be Dismissed” in the man’s fellowship: “How leaders treat brothers and sisters who they find disagreeable, who oppose them, who hold completely different views than them—this is a very serious issue and should be handled with caution.

📒 Don’t Find New Tricks When Serving God | The Church of Almighty God

Heyi    Zhuanghe City, Liaoning Province

I had just been promoted to take on the responsibility of church leader. But after a period of hard work, not only was the church’s evangelical work fairly lackluster, but my brothers and sisters in the evangelical team were all also living in negativity and weakness. Faced with this situation, I could no longer contain my feelings. How on earth could I work to revitalize the evangelical work? After racking my brains, I finally thought of a good solution: If I held a monthly awards ceremony for the evangelical team and selected outstanding individuals and model preachers, whoever won more souls for God would be rewarded, and whoever won fewer souls would be admonished. This would not only excite their enthusiasm, but it would lift up the negative and weak brothers and sisters. When I thought of this, I was very excited for this “clever move” of mine. I thought: “This time I’ll really amaze everyone.”

The Picture of The Church of Almighty God

I went to the evangelical team and explained my idea. Everyone was very happy and willing to cooperate. I was thrilled, and waited to see it bear fruit. But a few days later, the brothers and sisters who had not won any souls were even more negative and had opinions on my methods. They even wanted to leave the evangelical team. Confronted with all of this, I was stumped. I didn’t know what I should do.

📒 I See the Path to Knowing God | The Church of Almighty God

I See the Path to Knowing God | The Church of Almighty God

Xiaocao    Changzhi City, Shanxi Province

One day, I saw this following passage of God’s word in the piece “How Peter Came to Know Jesus”: “Over the time he followed Jesus, Peter observed and took to heart everything about His life: His actions, words, movements, and expressions. … From his time in contact with Jesus, Peter also realized that His character was different from that of an ordinary man. He always acted steadily and never with haste, never exaggerated nor underplayed a subject, and conducted His life in a way that was both normal and admirable. In conversation, Jesus was elegant and graceful, open and cheerful yet serene, and never lost His dignity in the execution of His work. Peter saw that Jesus was sometimes taciturn, yet other times talked incessantly. He was sometimes so happy that He became agile and lively like a dove, and yet sometimes so sad that He did not talk at all, as if He were a weather-beaten mother. At times He was filled with anger, like a brave soldier charging off to kill enemies, and sometimes even like a roaring lion. Sometimes He laughed; other times He prayed and wept. No matter how Jesus acted, Peter grew to have boundless love and respect for Him. Jesus’ laughter filled him up with happiness, His sorrow plunged him into grief, His anger frightened him, while His mercy, forgiveness, and strictness made him come to truly love Jesus, developing a true reverence and longing for Him. Of course, Peter only gradually came to realize all of this once he had lived alongside Jesus for a few years.” After reading this passage I thought: No wonder Peter could achieve knowledge of God! Turns out it was because during the time he lived alongside Jesus day and night, he personally witnessed Jesus’ every word and every move, and from that he discovered more of God’s adorableness. Now is also the era of when God becomes flesh to personally descend upon the world of man to work. If I could also have the fortune of being able to come into contact with God and spend time together like Peter had, then wouldn’t I also know God better? Oh! It’s a shame that now I can only read God’s word but cannot see the face of Christ. Then how would I be able to gain true knowledge of God?

📒 Realizing I’ve Been Walking the Path of the Pharisees | The Church of Almighty God

Wuxin    Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province

Something we have always discussed in previous communions is the paths walked by Peter and Paul. It is said that Peter paid attention to knowing himself and God, and was someone God approved, while Paul only paid attention to his work, reputation and status, and was someone God despised. I have always been afraid of walking Paul’s path, which is why I normally often read God’s words about Peter’s experiences to see how he came to know God. After living like this for a while, I felt I had become more obedient than before, my desire for reputation and status had dimmed, and that I had gotten to know myself a little. At this time, I believed that even though I was not completely on Peter’s path, it could be said that I had touched the edge of it, and at least it meant I was not heading down Paul’s path. However, I would be shamed by the revelations of God’s word.

One morning, when I was practicing spiritual devotions, I saw the following words of God: “Peter’s work was the performance of the duty of a creature of God. He did not work in the role of an apostle, but during the course of his pursuit of a love of God. The course of Paul’s work also contained his personal pursuit…. There were no personal experiences in his work—it was all for its own sake, and not carried out amid the pursuit of change. Everything in his work was a transaction, it contained none of the duty or submission of a creature of God. During the course of his work, there occurred no change in Paul’s old disposition. His work was merely of service to others, and was incapable of bringing about changes in his disposition. … Peter was different: He was someone who had undergone pruning, and had undergone dealing and refinement. The aim and motivation of the work of Peter were fundamentally different to those of Paul. Although Peter did not do a large amount of work, his disposition underwent many changes, and what he sought was the truth, and real change. His work was not carried out simply for the sake of the work itself” (“Success or Failure Depends on the Path That Man Walks” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

📒 Destruction in the Blink of an Eye | The Church of Almighty God

—Qingping Township in Sichuan Province disappeared twice because of its defiance of Almighty God’s gospel of the last days

Jing Wei, Sichuan Province

During the great earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008, a town vanished entirely: That was Qingping Township in the Mianzhu municipal area in Sichuan Province. Because of the government’s information blackout, this is not something that many people know about.

Qingping Township was located north-west of the hard-hit area of Hanwang Town in the Mianzhu municipal area. Before the earthquake struck, situated deep in the mountains, it was a place of clean air, clear waters and blue skies, and the mountains abounded with kiwi fruit and gingko fruit. God bestowed this abundance on the people and provided them with all they needed to live; yet the people living there did not know God, and even more they were unaware that they should be grateful to God—they had only a lust for riches. Owing to this town being situated deep in the mountains, the scenery was incredibly beautiful and the air was fresh and pleasant. In summer, there was no need to use air conditioning; it was a natural oxygen bar, and even more so it was a place for leisure and relaxation. The mountain people set up rural home stays one by one and put great effort into developing the tourism industry there. It also became a place of recreation and entertainment for all levels of government officials. Many officials desired to take up government posts in Qingping Township, and many provincial-level leaders were frequent visitors to the town. As everyone knows, wherever government officials go, they fuel the economic growth of the area’s hotels, karaoke bars, health spas, foot massage spas and hair salons. So although Qingping Township was deep in the mountains, it was by no means a backward place, and it was nevertheless a place of feasting and revelry, flashing neon lights and nightly music and singing; Communist Party officials turned this Heaven-sent place of beauty into a modern-day Sodom.

📒 During an Experience I Saw the Protection of God | The Church of Almighty God

Yongxin, Yibin City, Sichuan Province

We had never believed in God before. In 2005, uplifted by God, my husband, my father-in-law, my uncle, and I all accepted God’s work of the last days. Before long, the church arranged for me to do the duty of safekeeping the books. Later, our house was in a fire, and during this fire we received God’s miraculous protection. God truly is almighty!

One day in March of 2006, after lunch around 1 p.m., it was snowing heavily outside. My husband, daughter and I were inside, warming ourselves by the fire and shelling corn, when we suddenly heard a voice from outside loudly yelling, “Your house is on fire! Quick, come outside and put it out!” We hastily ran outside, and saw that the fire had already burned the roof of the kitchen and pigsty. Three unbelievers helped us fight the fire, and shouted, “Come and help fight the fire!” Two neighboring villages heard our shouts, and immediately 30 or 40 people came to help us fight the fire. At that time, I heard someone say, “Doesn’t this family believe in God? How could a fire befall them? Now that their house is burned, see if they still believe in God.” At this time, I didn’t care what they were saying. I saw that the fire was becoming more fierce. A strong wind drove the raging flames directly toward the main part of our house. I was so anxious in my heart, because in the house were the church’s books and our family’s grain. In this moment of desperation, I could only call continuously to God: “O God! May You look after and protect the church’s books and our grain, do not let them be burned.”

📒 Experiencing God’s Painstaking Care for Man’s Salvation in Disaster | The Church of Almighty God

Experiencing God’s Painstaking Care for Man’s Salvation in Disaster | The Church of Almighty God

Muling, Beijing

August 16, 2012

On July 21, 2012, Beijing saw the heaviest fall of rain in sixty years. In that torrential downpour I saw God’s deeds and saw how He saves man.

On that afternoon my three sisters and I had met up. Outside the rain was continuing to pour down. At 4:30 p.m. my husband, who was not a believer, came back telling us that there was so much water at the roundabout that people couldn’t ride through. Even so, at 5:00 p.m. he went off in a great hurry to his night shift. At the time I didn’t feel anything odd, and went to make dinner as usual. At 7:00 p.m. our tenant suddenly knocked on the door calling out to me, and when I went out to have a look, what I saw gave me the shock of my life: The rainwater had already filled the courtyard and was entering the east and west wings of the house, while the water on the ground continued to rise.

📒 God’s Love Is Most Real | The Church of Almighty God

God’s Love Is Most Real | The Church of Almighty God

Wenzhong, Beijing

August 11, 2012

On the night of July 21, 2012, we had a huge flood here, which seldom happens. I would like to tell everyone who thirsts for God what I actually experienced and saw then.

On the day my husband and I took care of the fodder yard for my sister. In the night heavy rain kept on pouring down, and we went to sleep very early. At 3:45 a.m. my brother-in-law called saying: “They’re going to open the reservoir! Everything is going to be flooded! We have to get up fast!” On hearing this I was shocked, and all I knew to cry out to God in my heart was the words, “Oh God! Oh God!” I only knew I had to protect the electric scooter, and the MP5 player and TF card used for listening to hymns and sermons. In great anxiety I went to the store room to push the electric scooter out, and I drove off wanting to go home to check on my books of the words of God and also as I was worried about my mother-in-law and my children. I drove up to the highway, but because I couldn’t see in the heavy rain I hit a piece of asphalt that had been washed down in the torrent, and the scooter and I rolled into the waters.

📒 In the Middle of a Disaster I Saw God’s Protection | The Church of Almighty God

In the Middle of a Disaster I Saw God’s Protection | The Church of Almighty God

Zhang Min, Beijing

August 6, 2012

On July 21, 2012, it started to rain heavily in the morning. By the afternoon when I was supposed to go to a meeting, I saw the rain was so heavy that I didn’t want to go. But it was just once a week, if I didn’t go I’d have no way to do my church work. Whatever there was going on outside, I still had to fellowship with them. When I thought of that, I hurried myself to the meeting. After four o’clock that afternoon, the brother of the meeting place ran back home, saying: “You’re still holding meeting, get yourselves home, there’s a whole lot of water coming down out there.” I went out and looked and there was a lot of water coming down, the river was swollen and running very high. I’d never seen so much water, I had no way to get home. (My place was half a li outside this village.) I was very anxious. There was nothing I could do, I had to go back to the meeting place, because the place was high up, and safer. After a while I heard a clamor of voices outside. I went out to look, and it was the adults and children of my village coming their way with ropes and poles. I rushed to ask how my house was doing, and someone told me it hadn’t been washed away, but the waters were high outside of the wall of the yard. I thought to myself: All things are in God’s hands. Even if the house is washed away, there is the good purpose of God in it.

📒 God Protected Our Family Through a Disaster | The Church of Almighty God

God Protected Our Family Through a Disaster | The Church of Almighty God

Wang Lan, Beijing

August 6, 2012

On July 21, 2012, the biggest flood in sixty years ripped through our village. The disaster fell from heaven, the floodwater mixed mud and stones and ravaged the whole village. Most of the houses were destroyed by the water and the mudslides.

After five o’clock that afternoon, the rain was coming down very heavily. There were floodwaters and big stones coming down from above our house, and the floodwaters were huge in front and behind our house. They washed away my daughter’s chicken run with thousands of chickens, they washed away the pig pens, and the pigs too. The water was about to rush over our home.

📒 Throwing off Satan’s Yoke Is Liberating | The Church of Almighty God

 Momo    Hefei City, Anhui Province

Before I believed in God, no matter what I was doing, I never wanted to fall behind. I was willing to accept any hardship as long as it meant I could rise above everyone else. After I accepted God, my attitude remained the same, because I firmly believed in the saying, “No pain, no gain,” and saw my attitude as proof of my motivation. When God revealed the truth to me, I finally realized I had been living under Satan’s yoke, living under its domain.

Not too long ago, the church made plans to send the sister I partnered with out to serve in a leadership position. Upon hearing the news, my heart sank. We both used to serve in leadership roles until we were reappointed as editors. Now my sister would be returning to a leadership position and serve God with unlimited growth potential, but I’d still be stuck at a desk, performing my duty in obscurity.

📖 Amidst Disasters I Saw God’s Righteous Disposition | The Church of Almighty God

Li Jing, Beijing

August 7, 2012

On that day, it started raining in the morning. I went to a meeting at a brother’s house, while the rain kept getting heavier and heavier. By afternoon it was pouring down as though straight from the heavens. By the time we finished our meeting, the rain had entered my brother’s courtyard, but because I was worried about my family, I struggled on home. Halfway there, some people fleeing the danger said to me, “Are you not running away, are you still going home?” When I got home, my child asked, “Did the flood not wash you away?” Only then did I know that I didn’t have God in my heart. Not long after, the husband of my neighboring sister climbed up onto the roof, and saw that houses not far from our own had been washed away. The current was getting stronger, and the sister’s husband insisted that they lead their child up to the mountain, but she wouldn’t go. We few sisters discussed it amongst ourselves, that the sister’s husband arguing like this contained God’s will; only then did we follow him to a railroad house on the mountain top to spend the night. There, we heard from those who had fled the disaster how turbulent the floodwaters were, and how people had gone in all directions; some had climbed the rooftops, some were washed away, some were stopped by trees …

📖 The Fire That Shocked the Nation in Ji County, Tianjin City | The Church of Almighty God

Chen Yao, Tianjin

The Laide building was one of Ji County’s biggest shopping centers. June 30, 2012 was a Saturday, and Laide was holding a promotion, so there were huge numbers of customers. Some time after 3:00 that afternoon, the building suddenly caught fire. The boss, afraid that in the chaos customers would take things or not pay, closed and shuttered the main entrance on level one, and drove customers to the second and third floors. What hadn’t been anticipated was that the fire grew fiercer and fiercer, eventually becoming completely uncontrollable. The electricity across the whole building went out. From the first floor to the fourth, the lifts were out of order, and the closed entrance on the first floor couldn’t be opened. Black smoke rolled through the whole building, sparks flew up into the air. Huge flames leapt from every window, the smoke covered the county, the air was choking for people several hundred meters away. At the time many of the people trapped above the third floor chose to flee by jumping from the building, and some died where they fell, a horrible sight.