How Can One Find Happiness? A Retired Physician’s Experience Tells You (Audio Essay)

How Can One Find Happiness? A Retired Physician’s Experience Tells You (Audio Essay)

By Tian Tian, China

At the close of every night, month, and year, careful people will sum up their experience, plan, and set goals for the results in their study and work, so that they can improve in the future. Even more careful people will sum up their experience in their own life, “How did I come pass through at every stage of my life? Does the life I lead now have any significance? Am I truly happy? What should I pursue to find real significance and gain true happiness?” I am a retired physician who previously worked in a hospital, and recently I also summed up my own experience in life. My conclusion: Whether or not a person is happy in life has nothing to do with whether he is successful and famous.

Christian Testimonies | Reflections on Being Replaced

Christian Testimonies | Reflections on Being Replaced

By Yi Ran, Shandong Province

Several days ago, our church replaced a leader. As I did not understand the principle behind the church’s revision of personnel, a conception arose within me: The sister that was replaced was very good at both receiving and fellowshiping the truth, and could be open about her own expressions of corruption. How could someone who pursued the truth so much be replaced?

The Church of Almighty God | A Guileless Person Is Not an Honest Person

The Church of Almighty God | A Guileless Person Is Not an Honest Person

By Cheng Mingjie, Shaanxi Province

I am an outgoing and forthright kind of person. I speak with people in a very straightforward manner; whatever I want to say, I say it—I’m not the type to beat around the bush. In my interactions with others I tend to be a pretty straight shooter. I’m often cheated or ridiculed for placing trust in others too easily. This is often very distressing for me. After believing in God, I read in His words that God loves those who are simple and honest. I thought to myself: God wants honest people; in the past while out in the world, my guilelessness put me at a disadvantage and made me vulnerable to the bullying by others, but now in the church I no longer need to fret over being too guileless. Since then, I felt especially comforted when I read God’s words saying that only the honest shall receive God’s salvation. I thought of myself as an honest person, and that attaining God’s salvation wouldn’t be an issue. When I saw how distressed my brothers and sisters had become as they began to recognize their deceitful nature but they were unable to change it and couldn’t be in accord with God’s will, I felt even more relieved that, being innately honest, I wouldn’t have to go through all of that. One day, however, after receiving the enlightenment of God’s words, I finally realized I wasn’t an honest person.

With the Grace of God I Found a True Home

With the Grace of God I Found a True Home

By Xiaolin, United States

I Hate Dad—He Ruined Our Family

Crash … Bang …

“Dammit, say that one more time and I’ll make you sorry! …”

The clamor of fighting broke through the peaceful silence of the night, startling my sister and I awake. We realized our parents were fighting again. Since our mom found out that our dad was seeing another woman, she smiled less, and at any mention of him her eyes filled with discontent and sorrow. From then on they never stopped fighting—I couldn’t even remember how many times they had argued. When my sister and I ran into their room crying, we just saw dad reaching out to hit mom. Crying, I dragged at dad’s arm as hard as I could, but he was too strong and I couldn’t hold him back. That night, he broke two of her ribs. She couldn’t withstand such a life of suffering any longer, so after she healed she left home and got a job in another area.

Only This Is a Truly Good Person

Only This Is a Truly Good Person

By Moran, Shandong Province

Since I was a child, I always attached a great deal of importance to how other people saw me and their assessment of me. Whenever things cropped up, I never offended anyone or argued with others so that others would have a positive impression of me. For that reason people praised me, saying I was a good person; I also believed myself to be a good person. The people around me therefore praised me as a good person, and I also believed that I was a good person. After I’d accepted God’s work in the last days, I continued in this way, carefully and scrupulously maintaining the good image that my brothers and sisters had of me. Some time ago, my leader said that my performance was like a “nice person,” and not the performance of someone who puts the truth into practice. I never took it to heart, instead feeling gratified that others saw me as a nice person.

Kids Dance Christian Song "Those Who Sincerely Love God Are All Honest People" God Loves the Honest

Kids Dance Christian Song "Those Who Sincerely Love God Are All Honest People" God Loves the Honest 

Pure and honest like a child, innocent and lively, full of youthful vitality, they are like angels that come to the world. No lies, no deceit or deception, with an open, honest heart they live with dignity. They give their hearts to God, God trusts them, and they are the honest people God loves. Those who love the truth all have honest hearts. Honest people take joy in practicing the truth, and by obeying God their hearts are at peace. They fear God, shun evil and live by God’s words. They live in God’s words and are liberated and free. They accept God’s scrutiny and live before Him.

God’s Words Have Awakened Me

God’s Words Have Awakened Me

By Miao Xiao, Shandong Province

In the past, I used to always think that God’s words “a puppet and traitor who flees from the great white throne” were referring to those who accept God’s work in the last days but who then retreat; to me, they were all people who weren’t willing to endure the pain of being judged and chastised. Therefore, whenever I saw brothers and sisters retreat for whatever reason, my heart would be filled with contempt toward them, thinking: “There goes another puppet and traitor fleeing from the great white throne who shall receive God’s punishment!” Each time this happened, I felt I was behaving properly in accepting God’s judgment and was not far from receiving God’s salvation.

Breaking Free From the Shackles

By Zhenxi, Henan Province

Ten years ago, while I was serving as a church leader, I always worked as I wished and acted recklessly due to my arrogant nature, and this led me to a serious violation of the work arrangements, I interrupted and disturbed the church’s work and aggravated God’s disposition. I was therefore replaced and sent home to do spiritual devotions and reflect on myself. After some time spent in self-reflection, I came to have some true knowledge of my arrogant nature, but because I had no knowledge of God’s work to save man and the essence of God’s faithfulness, I was constantly constrained by my past transgressions, and I thought that God would not save or perfect such a person as me. This cast a shadow on me that I could not remove. Later, the church arranged for me to take responsibility for the gospel work. When I heard this news, misgivings arose in my heart about God, and I thought: “I am so corrupted and have also offended God’s disposition, how can the church make me responsible for such important work? Is it that God wants to expose me using this duty, and then eliminate me?” But then I thought: “Since the church has made such an arrangement, it must be God giving me a chance to make up for my past transgressions. No matter what happens, I must cherish this opportunity, even if I have to become a service-doer.” From then on, I fulfilled my duty with this negative and guarded mindset. Although I appeared to be fulfilling my duties earnestly and diligently, I didn’t have the courage to seek the higher goal of being made perfect by God.

God’s Words Led Me Out of the Woods

God’s Words Led Me Out of the Woods

By Xiao Rui, Sichuan Province

When my duty in The Church of Almighty God was preaching the gospel, while doing this I encountered religious leaders who bore false witness to frantically resist, disturb, and block people’s investigation and acceptance of God’s work in the last days. They even called the police to have them arrest those of us sharing the gospel. As a result, those we were preaching to didn’t dare come into contact with us, and those who had just accepted the gospel were subjected to disruptions and became uncertain about God’s work. Our gospel work was greatly hindered. I felt really anxious when I saw so many brothers and sisters with genuine faith who were hoodwinked and disrupted by the pastors and elders. They were unable to return before God and accept His purification and salvation of the last days. I worked hard every day to share fellowship on God’s words with them to resolve the notions they held regarding God’s work, but after doing this for a period of time, our gospel work still hadn’t taken a turn for the better. I thought: “Evangelical work is so difficult to carry out. It would be so wonderful if God just displayed some miracles and punished those who bear false witness as well as those who seriously resist Him to show to those who have been deceived. Then wouldn’t the work of the gospel advance more quickly? It wouldn’t be so difficult for us to preach the gospel.” This is how this hope came up in my heart every time I encountered difficulties. Later, I read the book of Classic Examples of Punishment for Resisting Almighty God and during fellowship heard some testimonies on God’s signs and wonders, and I felt very glad in my heart. I hoped even more that God would do some things in the areas that I worked in so that our gospel work there could be carried out smoothly. But no matter how I hoped, I still didn’t see God perform any miracles there or do anything to punish evil people. The religious people were still fully resisting God, and the difficulties in our evangelical work were still great. I became negative, thinking: “Why doesn’t God open up a way out for us? Could it be that our faith is inadequate?”

The Church of Almighty God | The Importance of Coordination in Service

The Church of Almighty God | The Importance of Coordination in Service

By Mei Jie, Shandong Province

The church recently issued a work arrangement requiring church leaders at all levels to set up a partner (a co-worker to work alongside them). At the time I thought this was a good arrangement. I was of a low caliber and I really did need a partner to help me complete all types of work in the church.

Christian Love: How to Get Over a Breakup

Christian Love: How to Get Over a Breakup

By Shuyi, South Korea

Early one morning at the start of summer, a faint fragrance permeated the air and sunlight poured into every corner. Qinyi, wearing a flower-patterned chiffon dress, sat feeling happy at the subway station, waiting for the next train to come. Turning her head, Qinyi happened to see on a video screen a girl breaking up with a boy because he had been two-timing her, then the girl turning away and leaving with tears running down her cheeks. Qinyi stared fixedly at the screen. Just then, she suddenly thought of how she had been before, when she had harbored a longing for a beautiful love where she and her boyfriend would walk through life together, but in the end, she had received only scars and wounds …