Growing Experience, the Wonderful Ordination of the Creator

Looking back on my growth experience, I truly see the ordination of God though it is full of variables. From my childhood, my mother asked me to learn the violoncello, hoping I could join a band when I grew up. Since then, I had been always pursuing on that path. When I graduated from the junior high school, I received a call from a conservatory of music which asked me to attend their interview. However, I missed it because I overslept. As a result, I went astray from the path my mother set for me.

Classic Words of Almighty God on the Gospel of the Kingdom (Selections)

VI. The Difference Between the Work of God and Man

5. What man says is what they have experienced. It is what they have seen, what their minds can reach and what their senses can feel. That is what they can fellowship. The words spoken by God’s incarnate flesh are the direct expression of the Spirit and express the work that has been done by the Spirit. The flesh has not experienced or seen it, but still expresses His being because the substance of the flesh is the Spirit, and He expresses the work of the Spirit. Even though the flesh is unable to reach it, it is the work already done by the Spirit. After incarnation, through the expression of the flesh, He enables people to know God’s being and allows people to see God’s disposition and the work that He has done. The work of man enables people to be more clear about what they should enter into and what they should understand; it involves leading people toward understanding and experiencing the truth. Man’s work is to sustain people; God’s work is to open up new paths and open up new eras for humanity, and to reveal to people that which is not known by mortals, enabling them to know His disposition. God’s work is to lead all of humanity.

from “God’s Work and Man’s Work” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

Incapable of Getting Rid of Sin, How Can We Be Called Righteous?

By Bai Xue

Some Christians think that they are no longer sinners, but are justified by believing in the Lord Jesus, and that they will be taken into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord returns. It is written in the Bible, “Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26). So they consider that, with Jesus Christ acting as their sin offering, as long as they repent to the Lord, their sins can be forgiven, and thus they can be justified through the redemption of Jesus. However, whether or not we have ever thought: It is true that our sins have been forgiven through our faith in the Lord Jesus, but does this mean that we are righteous men and are no longer of sin?

True Blessings of God After Car Accident

After believing in the Lord, I was always keenly pursuing, actively attended meetings and frequently spread the gospel. Later, I began to serve the brothers and sisters. At that time, I had endless strength. However, over ten years passing by, my neighboring houses were decorated well, while my house was not decorated for lack of money. I thought: If I can earn some more money, I will live as well as others.

Will the Lord First Give Revelation to Believers Who Work Hard When He Arrives

By Ningchen

Bob’s family all believe in the Lord Jesus. His son Bill went to China to study two years ago, and there was only Bob and his wife left at home. One afternoon in June, it was dull and rainy and Bob was reclining on a sofa in the quiet living room, a Bible on the end table near him. He closed his eyes to mere slits and opened his mouth slightly, and his glasses slipped down his nose; he had grey hair at the temples and his face was covered in lines and wrinkles. Because of his illness, he looked pale and much older.

A Christian’s Perception: Secret to Living a Happy Life Lies in Obeying God’s Rule

Liang Xin

The cafe resounded with a piece of sweet classical music. In a compartment Ming’en was having a little gathering with three long-lost classmates. Looking at her well-dressed and imposing classmates, Ming’en admired them so much. She used to pursue to be successful and to live a rich and happy life like them, but her dreams were all shattered, so she was sad about her bad fate

I No Longer Worry About My Son’s Doing Homework

By Zhang Heng

I Made Plans for My Son

My son is 12 this year and he is in Grade 5. In the past, regardless of whether on holiday or at the two-day weekend, both the specific time when he did his homework and the amount of his homework each time were organized by me. He was very obedient and every time he could finish on time as planned. So, over time, I thought my plans were quite reasonable and that only by listening to me could he finish his homework on time.

The Relationship Between God’s Names and His Work of Salvation

By Xia Lin

The Old Testament records, “I, even I, am Jehovah; and beside Me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11). “Jehovah … is My name for ever, and this is My memorial to all generations” (Exodus 3:15). The New Testament also states, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). “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). Seeing all this, some brothers and sisters can’t help but feel confused: It was mentioned in the Old Testament that the name of Jehovah God would never change, but why did Jehovah become Jesus? And why does God’s name change?

Don’t Let Suspicion Ruin Your Marriage

By Yiyi

Feeling Anxious on the Bus

One afternoon in July, the sun, like a big furnace, was baking the earth. Yiyi was waiting for a bus. Although under her parasol, she could still feel the dazzling sunlight streamed through the parasol and shone on her. This made her mood even more irritable.

How Should Christians Get Along With Others to Conform to the Lord’s Will?

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By Wang Zihan

For many people, dealing with people is the biggest problem. In real life, we will encounter many people; some are in line with our will, but some don’t conform to our will. As Christians, how should we treat people around us? What kind of the Lord’s requirements should we practice to conform to His will? … I found the answers to these questions in a book of truth and, moreover, when acting according to what the book says, my own relationship problem was really resolved. Therefore, I want to share some understanding based on my experiences with everyone.

Why Was the Lord Jesus’ Work Met With So Much Hindrance?

By Xinying

The autumn wind blew the yellow withered leaves of the trees off. They drifted in the air with the wind; then, some fell into the flower beds on the roadsides and others fell on the road. The scattered leaves could be seen everywhere, which naturally gave a feeling of desolation. After walking out of the church with her brothers and sisters, Xinying walked alone on her way home with a heavy heart. The leaves under her feet rustled continually, but she had no desire to care about this. With her head drooping and her brows knitted, she thought of what the elder said while she was walking. These words “Let Him be crucified” echoed in her mind. She could not help sighing and said to herself: “Lord, You came to the world to preach and do Your work to save mankind, giving man all Your compassion, bestowing upon man plentiful and abundant grace, healing man’s illness and driving out the devils within them and raising the dead. You displayed so many miracles and all these things showed God’s authority and power. But the Jewish leaders and people did not welcome Your coming; instead, they condemned and resisted You, which caused many barriers to Your work, and nailed You to the cross. Why is this so?”

Difference Between Following God and Following Man

All devout Christians yearn for the return of the Lord and entering the wonderful kingdom of heaven prepared by Him. Yet very few of them have reflected on whether God approves of their belief in Him, nor have they rethought what kind of belief is following God and what kind of belief is following men. Today, let’s fellowship some key truths determining the success or failure of our belief in God and discuss what genuinely following God is.

A Christian’s Inspirational Story: How to Completely Free Oneself From Gaming Addiction Is No Longer a Difficult Question

By Yangying, United States

The First Time I See an Online Game, I’m Filled With Curiosity

While studying at vocational school, I chose to major in computer science. I hadn’t been at the school long when I heard from a classmate that many people were playing online games, and how fun and interesting they were, and that those who couldn’t play them were behind the times. Hearing my classmate say this, my interest in playing these games was even more piqued, and so, with a mind filled with curiosity, my career with playing games began.

A Restaurant’s Harvest

Ming Zhen

Cong Xin worked as a waitress in a restaurant, and she had always been a conscientious worker. But for some reason, the manager had recently started to lose his temper with her indiscriminately. Ever since she was small, Cong Xin had always wanted to excel and to do her best at everything she did, and even her stepfather very seldom spoke ill of her. But now she had to face the restaurant manager who was purposefully making things difficult for her. So many times, Cong Xin had wanted to get into a blazing row with him, but when she thought of how she was a believer in God and that she must be someone with humanity and reason, she would realize that she could no longer act however she wished, as she had done before she believed in God. Therefore, whenever the manager got angry at her, Cong Xin prayed in her heart: “O God! You permit this current situation to happen, and I pray that You keep me from getting hot-blooded, and from doing anything that brings shame to Your name or that makes me Satan’s laughingstock.” After praying, her heart would become a little calmer.

I Have Come to Know How to Distinguish Between the True Christ and False Christs

Chuanyang, United States

In 2010, the winter in the United States made me feel very cold. In addition to the bitter cold from the combination of wind and snow, what was even more serious was that my heart had been invaded and attacked by a “cold wave.” For those of us in the interior decorating business, winter is the hardest time of the year, because once winter starts there is very little work. We even face losing our jobs. This year was my first year in the United States, I was fresh off the boat, and I felt that everything was unfamiliar to me. Renting an apartment, finding a job, nothing was easy, and my days were full of hardships. It got to the point to where I was borrowing money to rent an apartment. Being faced with this kind of predicament put me in a bout of sadness, and I felt like the days were really hard to bear. At night I faced the ice-cold wall, with so much pain in me that all I wanted to do was cry. One day, as I walked around listlessly in my state of sadness someone who was spreading the gospel of the Lord Jesus handed out a card to me, and said: “The Lord Jesus loves you, brother, come to our church and listen to the Lord’s gospel!” I thought to myself: I guess there’s nothing I have to do right now, so there’s no harm in me going to listen to this, I might as well, it’s something to do. So like that, I stepped into the church. I heard the pastor read aloud the Lord Jesus saying: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jhn 3:16). When I heard this sentence I felt deeply moved by the Lord’s love. I cannot clearly explain the kind of feeling it was, but I could feel that the Lord’s love was real, and that it surpassed the love of the entire secular world. My grief-laden heart felt greatly consoled. As a result, I decided to dedicate myself to putting trust in the Lord Jesus. Afterward I started enthusiastically participating in meetings every Sunday, and because of my enthusiastic pursuit I quickly became a co-worker in the church.

Never Again Will I Delimit God to the Bible (Part 1)

By Ding Feng, China

Over the past few years, I have always toiled and busied myself in order to “protect the Bible and guard the flock,” yet I never expected that my wife, my mother and my father-in-law would be stolen away by Eastern Lightning, one after another. My wife also preached the way of Eastern Lightning to me, but I refused to accept it. In order to prove my loyalty to the Lord and, more importantly, to safeguard the Bible’s absolute authority, I took a devout oath before my brothers and sisters, saying, “God’s words and work are all recorded in the Bible and the Bible contains the whole truth. There are no words or work of God outside the Bible, and we must not betray the Bible no matter what!” In this way, I remained clinging to my own convictions, and I did not study the way of Eastern Lightning.

God Led Me Out of the Pain of a Failed Marriage After My Wife’s Affair (Audio Essay)

Zhuiqiu, Taiwan

Outside the window, the sun was slowly rising and the brilliant sunshine flooded the earth. Everything was so bright. Birds hopped from branch to branch, happily chirping away—their songs were particularly pleasing to the ear. I heard a hymn “God’s Love Brings Us Close Together.” I was really moved. It’s true—only with God there is love, only with love there is family. When I was in the most pain and despair it was God who led me out of my suffering over the failure of my marriage and brought me hope; He also brought me a new pursuit. I really give thanks to God’s salvation! At that moment I stood up and walked over to the window and so many past events floated up before my eyes …

Why Fasting and Prayer Cannot Resolve the Issue of Desolation in the Church

By Zheng Xin

Editor’s note: Lin Ke, a Christian, desperate to resolve the issue of desolation in the church, has fasted and prayed countless times. However, in the end, there is still no resolution to this issue. Only after seeking does she understand that this problem can only be resolved through praying in accordance with God’s will and by putting God’s words into practice. These results cannot be attained through fasting and prayer alone.

I’ve Found the Path to Gain the Holy Spirit’s Work and Recover Believers’ Faith

By Pengbo, US

Brothers and Sisters of Grow in Christ:

Greetings! A question has been puzzling me for quite a while. I have sought the help of some pastors and elders, but even they have failed to resolve it. I am writing to share and discuss the matter with you, and hoping you can help.

I am a preacher. I used to have the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit when I read the Lord’s words, I never ran out of things to preach about, and the brothers and sisters of my churchenjoyed my sermons and gained some benefit. But somewhere along the line, I no longer felt the Lord’s presence, my sermons became repeats of old topics, and I had nothing new to preach, so my brothers and sisters dozed off during our meetings. Preaching at meetings actually became something I was afraid of doing. Although I continued to preach and work, I was unable to practice the Lord’s words in my life, I didn’t have forgiveness or patience when I dealt with others, and most of my brothers and sisters became busy with business, work, and family. Their faith gradually grew cold and they were unwilling to attend the meetings anymore. When I see so few people coming to the church for the meetings, as a preacher, knowing that I can’t help my brothers and sisters in their spiritual lives makes me feel terrible and indebted to the Lord. We’ve tried to arrange meal activities, group fasting and prayer…but all to no avail. We still can’t feel the Lord’s guidance. So, I want to discuss this problem with you. Why our church has become like this? What should we do to bring the church back to its former self?

Xunguang

What Is Real Rapture? I Finally Get the Answer

By Xile, Japan

Fantasies of Being Raptured Into the Air to Meet With God

In 2014, a sister preached the Lord Jesus’ gospel to me. After I started believing in God, I enthusiastically went to meetings, and at one my pastor said, “The Lord Jesus said, ‘I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also’ (John 14:2–3). And Paul also said, ‘Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord’ (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The Lord has prepared a place for us, and when the Lord returns, we will directly be raptured into the air to meet the Lord, after which we will be with the Lord forever. The kingdom of heaven’s walls are made of jasper, the streets are paved with gold, and there are all the jewels, agate, and jade we could want. There is no pain or torment there, no tears or misery, and there are endless blessings to enjoy….” When I heard the enthusiasm in my pastor’s sermon, I thought it would be wonderful if one day I could also be raptured up to heaven by God.