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

VI. The Difference Between the Work of God and Man

15. Although the Holy Spirit works in many different ways and according to many principles, no matter how the work is done or on what kind of people, the substance is always different, and the work He does on different people all has principles and all can represent the substance of the object of the work. This is because the work of the Holy Spirit is quite specific in scope and quite measured. The work done in the incarnate flesh is not the same as the work conducted on people, and the work also varies depending on the different caliber of people. Work done in the incarnate flesh is not done on people, and in the incarnate flesh He does not do the same work as that done on people. In a word, no matter how He works, work on different objects is never the same, and the principles by which He works differ in accordance with the state and nature of different people. The Holy Spirit works on different people based on their inherent substance and does not make demands on them beyond their inherent substance, nor does He work on them beyond their actual caliber. So, the work of the Holy Spirit on man allows people to see the substance of the object of the work. The inherent substance of man does not change; the actual caliber of man is limited. Whether the Holy Spirit uses people or works on people, the work is always in accordance with the limitations of people’s caliber so that they may benefit from it. When the Holy Spirit works on men being used, both their gifts and actual caliber are brought into play and are not reserved. Their actual caliber is all exerted to serve the work. It can be said that He works by using the available parts of men in order to achieve the working results. By contrast, work done in the incarnate flesh is to directly express the work of the Spirit and is not mixed with the human mind and thoughts, unreachable by man’s gifts, man’s experience or man’s innate condition. …

is god greater or is the bible greater

15. No one knows the reality of the Bible: that it is nothing more than a historical record of God’s work, and a testament to the previous two stages of God’s work, and offers you no understanding of the aims of God’s work. Everyone who has read the Bible knows that it documents the two stages of God’s work during the Age of Law and the Age of Grace. The Old Testament chronicles the history of Israel and Jehovah’s work from the time of creation until the end of the Age of Law. The New Testament records Jesus’ work on earth, which is in the Four Gospels, as well as the work of Paul; are they not historical records? Bringing up the things of the past today makes them history, and no matter how true or real they might be, they are still history—and history cannot address the present. For God does not look back on history! And so, if you only understand the Bible, and understand nothing of the work God intends to do today, and if you believe in God but do not seek the work of the Holy Spirit, then you do not understand what it means to seek God. If you read the Bible in order to study the history of Israel, to research the history of God’s creation of all the heavens and earth, then you do not believe in God. But today, since you believe in God, and pursue life, since you pursue the knowledge of God, and do not pursue dead letters and doctrines, or an understanding of history, you must seek God’s will of today, and must look for the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work. If you were an archeologist you could read the Bible—but you are not, you are one of those who believe in God, and you’d best seek God’s will of today.

from “Concerning the Bible (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

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

3. Even more believe that whatever the new work of God, it must be substantiated by prophecies, and that in each stage of such work, all those who follow Him with a true heart must also be shown revelations, else that work could not be that of God. It is already no easy task for man to come to know God. Taken in addition to man’s absurd heart and his rebellious nature of self-importance and conceit, then it is all the more difficult for man to accept the new work of God. Man neither studies the new work of God with care nor accepts it with humility; rather, man adopts an attitude of contempt, waiting for the revelations and guidance of God. Is this not the behavior of a man who rebels against and opposes God? How can such men gain the approval of God?

from “How Can Man Who Has Defined God in His Conceptions Receive the Revelations of God?” in The Word Appears in the Flesh

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

1. For many years, people’s traditional means of belief (that of Christianity, one of the world’s three major religions) has been to read the Bible; departure from the Bible is not the belief in the Lord, departure from the Bible is an evil cult, and heresy, and even when people read other books, the foundation of these books must be the explanation of the Bible. Which is to say, if you say you believe in the Lord, then you must read the Bible, you must eat and drink the Bible, and outside the Bible you must not worship any book that does not involve the Bible. If you do, then you are betraying God.

How to Be Wise Virgins to Welcome Second Coming of Jesus

By Weichen

Facing the day of the Lord’s appearance, every brother and sister, who have true faith in the Lord hope that we are the wise virgins, and that we can welcome the bridegroom and have supper with the Lord. Some of us often read the Bible and pray, watching and preparing; some choose to work tirelessly, sacrificing and expending themselves; others regularly attend meetings, attentively waiting for the arrival of the Lord. … Everyone is preparing for, spending for and awaiting the Lord’s second coming in our own ways and is firmly convinced that we are the wise virgins and that, waiting this way, we can certainly welcome the return of the Lord. But is our preparing oil like this after the Lord’s heart? What are the wise virgins after all? How should the wise virgins prepare oil to welcome the Lord?

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.

Why Is the Lord Jesus Called the Redeeming Lamb?

By Wuyan

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). 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?

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.

What Was the Lord Jesus’ Thinking Behind Him Not Keeping the Sabbath?

By Wang Hao

These verses are to be found within the Bible: “At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, Behold, Your disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath day” (Matthew 12:1–2). Whenever I read these two verses, I can’t help but think: “The Sabbath was a holy day prescribed by Jehovah God for the Israelites. Everyone stopped their work on this day and went to the temple to worship Jehovah God. But when the Lord Jesus came, He worked on the Sabbath, so why didn’t He lead His disciples to keep the Sabbath? What was His thinking behind this?” These questions had always bugged me.

What Should We Do in the Face of Famine in the Church Prophesied in the Bible?

By Qiulin

A gust of autumn wind blew through, sweeping up the fallen leaves in the yard. Sitting by the window, I frowned and pondered over these verses, “Behold, the days come … that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah” (Amos 8:11), and “And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city: one piece was rained on, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered” (Amos 4:7). It can be seen from these verses that God will cause famine to befall the religious world when His followers all deviate from His way and no longer obey His words. That is to say, the desolation of the church is ordained by God, but what is God’s intention behind that? And what inspiration can we people of the last days gain? With this in mind, I came before the Lord, prayed and sought to Him. After I consulted the Bible and some spiritual books, the riddle in my heart was finally solved.

A Brief Talk About the 3 Differences Between Temptations and Trials

By Kelly, United States

It’s said in the Bible, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts He any man” (James 1:13). So, some brothers and sisters wonder the difference between temptations and trials. Below, I’d like to share a bit of my understanding of this issue.

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.

It Is Satan’s Deceitful Schemes That Prevent Me From Regularly Attending Gatherings

By Xiuhan, Thailand

Editor’s Note: Gatherings provide the best opportunity to draw close to God and obtain the truth, and yet we, as Christians, are often disrupted by the people, events and things around us, which prevent us from regularly attending gatherings and cause us to lose our normal relationship with God. These things appear to just happen by accident, but what is concealed behind them? How exactly should we deal with these people, events and things so that they do not interfere with our attendance at gatherings?

I am a Christian. In early 2017, by chance I came to know several brothers and sisters, and by reading God’s words and attending gatherings with them, I discovered that the Lord had returned already, and was expressing many truths and performing His work to judge and cleanse mankind. Normally, whenever I had the time, I would gather with my brothers and sisters and fellowship God’s words. Because I was very vain and self-regarding, I would very seldom be open with my brothers and sisters if I had a difficulty or if there was something in God’s words that I didn’t understand, as I was always afraid that they would laugh at me. The brothers and sisters then fellowshiped with me about how God loves those who are pure, open and honest, and so I began to train to be an honest person. While at gatherings, I would be open with my brothers and sisters and tell them about any difficulty I was having, and we would seek the truth to resolve it. After some time had gone by, I began to feel more and more liberated, my heart was filled with joy, and I enjoyed gathering with my brothers and sisters more and more.

God’s Disposition Is Not Merely Loving and Merciful, but Also Righteous

By Lanlan

Whenever we talk of the Lord Jesus, we all think of His abundant love for us; He personally came into the world to redeem mankind and was an innocent Man who was crucified upon the cross, and this act completely manifests His love for all mankind. The Bible says, “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78–79). Every Christian who accepts the Lord’s salvation enjoys the plentiful grace which He bestows on us and we experience the peace and joy He brings to us. Many people therefore believe that the Lord Jesus’ disposition is eternally loving and merciful.

The Appearance of God Has Ushered in a New Age

God’s six-thousand-year plan of management is coming to an end, and the gate of the kingdom has already been opened to all those who seek His appearance. Dear brothers and sisters, what are you waiting for? What is it that you seek? Are you waiting for God to appear? Are you searching for His footprints? How one yearns for the appearance of God! And how difficult it is to find God’s footprints!

After Listening With My Heart, I Have Welcomed the Lord’s Return (Audio Essay)

In 1994, I was born in the United States. My parents are both Chinese. My mother was the classic example of a successful career woman. She is able to think for herself and is very competent. I love my mother very much. When I was in Grade 2, my parents brought me back to China to study so that I would be able to learn Chinese. It was also at that time that I started to get acquainted with the Lord Jesus. I remember one day in 2004, after I got home from school, there was a guest at our house. My mother introduced her and told me that she was a pastor from the United States.

"Come to Zion With Praising"

Praise and Worship Song | "Come to Zion With Praising" | Praise the Return of Lord JesusCome to Zion with praising. God’s abode has already appeared.Come to Zion with praising.All sing praises of His holy name; it is spreading.Almighty God! Universe Ruler, Last Christ, our bright and shining Sun,risen from the universe’s most majestic Mount Zion. Almighty God!Come to Zion with praising.We are all cheering for You, we are singing and dancing.You really are our Savior and the Master of the universe.

Why is it said that God’s two incarnations complete the significance of the incarnation?

Bible Verses for Reference:

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation” (Heb 9:28).

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jhn 1:1).

Relevant Words of God:

The first incarnation was to redeem man from sin through the flesh of Jesus, that is, He saved man from the cross, but the corrupt satanic disposition still remained within man.