Testimonies of Returning to God | The Tranquility of Victory and the Calm of Defeat —Obeying God Is Best | Eastern Lightning

The Tranquility of Victory and the Calm of Defeat —Obeying God Is Best

Ma Na, USA

Picture of the Church of Almighty God 

During a person’s life, facing success and failure is unavoidable. There are many people who are happy when they have success, and who are frustrated and pained when they face failure. There are even many people who stake all their efforts in wanting to reach a point at which all their hopes are fulfilled, but things are often not how people would like them to be. Because of this, many people think that this life is not as they want it to be. Previously, I also always relied on my own ability in the work I did, and all that I got from that was the pain of failure. But afterward, through experiencing some things, my perspective had a bit of a transformation: Tranquility in success, and calmness in failure—obeying the sovereignty and arrangements of God is the best, and one can also be liberated and free in life that way.

Testimonies of Returning to God | From Almighty God’s Word, I Have Found My Life Direction | Eastern Lightning

From Almighty God’s Word, I Have Found My Life Direction

Novo, Philippines

My name is Novo, I am a Filipino. Since I was little, I believed in God with my mother. I went to church with my brothers and sisters to listen to sermons. Even though I had believed in the Lord for many years, I felt that I was like an unbeliever. Within my heart, I would think about how to earn more money and live a better life all day long. Furthermore, I would frequently go out and drink with friends. Once I had extra money, I would go out and gamble. Even though I knew that what I was doing was bad and I would frequently pray to God saying that I would change these bad habits of mine, I basically never put it into practice. In this way, I became increasingly degenerated. I did not pray sincerely to God. Each week, I would only pray a few simple prayers in a perfunctory way. Sometimes, I felt very desperate because I knew that when the Lord returned, He would judge everybody’s actions. He would then decide whether each person would go to heaven or go to hell. I felt that I was a degenerate and that God would not forgive me. Afterward, I married and had kids. All I thought about was my wife and my children. When it came to my faith, I pushed it to the back of my mind. In order to provide a better future for my children and to achieve my desires to become rich, I decided to leave the country to find work. As a result, I came to Taiwan. Even after I found work, I still had not changed my past lifestyle. During my leisure time, I would still go out to drink and sing with my colleagues. I was living the life of an unbeliever.

Testimonies of Returning to God | Where Does This Voice Come From? | Eastern Lightning

Where Does This Voice Come From?

Shiyin

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. Although it was a little bit difficult and tiring, my heart was filled with joy and peace no matter how much suffering I endured because I had the Lord as my support.

Testimonies of Returning to God | Competing in This Way, I Benefit Tremendously! | Eastern Lightning

Competing in This Way, I Benefit Tremendously!

Ma Xin

Note: Since the writer’s husband was not engaged in honest work, she believed in God in order to gain blessings. Not long after she started believing in God, first, her daughter became sick and then afterward, her husband was faced with dismissal by his boss and started suffering a condition in his legs. Through God’s words, the author recognized that her perspective of believing in God in order to gain blessings was not in accordance with God’s intentions. In this way, Satan had captured the author by attacking this weak and fatal point. Satan harmed, deceived and coerced the author into doubting, denying and betraying God. Once the author understood God’s intentions and saw through Satan’s schemes, she let go of her own perspective of gaining blessings twice in the midst of Satan’s temptations. She was willing to obey God’s orchestrations and arrangements and saw God’s miraculous achievements and salvation.

Testimonies of Returning to God | Fleeing From the “Tiger’s Den”(Part 2) | Eastern Lightning

Fleeing From the “Tiger’s Den” (Part 2)

Xiaoyou

I never expected that after just two days of peace, I would encounter Satan’s disturbance and coercion once again. One night, my mother, a few of my uncles and aunties as well as my third grandaunt came over in order to obstruct me from believing in Almighty God. When I saw this situation, I became extremely angry. I thought, “What have I done? I just believe in true God; is this a mistake? Why are they going on and on about this?” At this time, my third grandaunt peculiarly said, “Nier, let’s go! Let’s go home to see your grandma.” When I heard my third grandaunt say this, I was surprised, “They are here to take me to my mother’s place. They want to lock me up with my grandma, who is clinically insane! How can they be my relatives? How can they be so heartless!” At this moment, my mother grabbed a rope and rushed toward me. She kneeled on the floor and tied my feet together. I became very anxious. I pushed at her hands at the same time as I yelled, “What are you doing? Why do you tie me up?” Upon seeing this, two of my uncles walked over and one of them pressed down on my shoulder so that I would not resist. At that moment, I was sitting on the sofa and I was unable to stand up. Seeing them like this, I urgently cried out to God in my heart, “God! They are trying to trap me. If they succeed, I will be unable to believe in You and I will not be able to go back to the church. God! Grant me faith and strength and give a way out for me!” After I finished praying, my body felt especially energetic. I struggled at the same time that I shouted, “What are you trying to do? Let me go! …” When they saw how ferociously I was resisting, they released me. I felt very thankful to God. I truly experienced how as long as you genuinely rely on God, you will see God’s deeds and you will also feel, in a very realistic manner, God at your side protecting and watching over you at all times. I thought, “In this environment, I must offer my true heart to God and I must thoroughly humiliate Satan.” So I staunchly said to them, “When it comes to other matters, I will listen to you. However, when it comes to believing in God I will only listen to God! I already believe firmly that Almighty God is the return of the Lord. Regardless of how you compel me, I will not be swayed!” Once I became resolved to follow God, I witnessed God’s actions again. One of my aunts said, “Do not tie her up. It is useless to tie her up. I can see that she believes firmly.” As a result, they dejectedly left. After they left, I instantly became limp and I felt that I was exhausted physically and mentally. I did not have an ounce of strength left. I lay down on my bed and drifted into sleep. The next morning, when I thought about what happened the night before, my emotions were still quite heavy. When I recalled the manner in which my relatives were treating me, I could not help but think, “Alas! My mother and my relatives have been deceived by the rumors spread by the priests and the church leaders. They continuously try to coerce me. When is all this going to end?” Then I thought back to the circumstances when I was together with my brothers and sisters. We together pursued the truth, fulfilled duties and helped each other out. There was nobody bullying me around and I did not need to keep my guard up. I was very free and liberated. Each day was abundant and peaceful. On the other hand, presently, when I am confined in my home, I do not have any freedom whatsoever and each day I feel like I am on edge. I do not know when my relatives or the people from the former church will come. On good days, they lightly reprimand me. On bad days, they threaten and menace me. I am overwhelmed by pain and misery within. I really want to go back to the church and attend gatherings, sing hymns and praise God with my brothers and sisters …

Testimonies of Returning to God | Fleeing From the “Tiger’s Den” (Part 1) | Eastern Lightning

Fleeing From the “Tiger’s Den” (Part 1)

Xiaoyou

My name is Xiaoyou and this year, I am 26 years old. Originally, I was a Catholic. When I was little, I went with my mother to church for Mass, chanting scriptures, confessing and receiving communion. My mother was very zealous in her faith. She would often donate food and clothing as well as money to the church. The church leaders and nuns particularly liked my mother. When they saw her, they would greet her with smiles and show great concern for her. They would also frequently call my mother on the phone to ask her to participate in all kinds of church activities and to help out with various tasks. I would also proactively participate in the classes that the nuns taught. My church friends and I would chant scriptures together. At that time, I felt the joy and the peace that comes along with being with God. I was very happy every day. However, as time passed on, the faith of my church friends became colder and colder. My spirit also became weak and I was unable to adhere to the teachings of God. I would frequently commit sins and confess. After I got married, I went with my husband to other parts of the country for work.

Testimonies of Returning to God | Breaking Through Satan’s Tight Encirclement (Part 2) | Eastern Lightning

Breaking Through Satan’s Tight Encirclement (Part 2)

Zhao Gang

My wife told the sisters what Brother Guan had said to us when he came to our house, and Sister Zhang asked me how I felt about this whole thing. So I told the sisters about the weakness that I was feeling and about the knowledge that I had just come across. Sister Zhang smiled, saying: “Thanks be to God! This is such a pure understanding, this is God’s guidance!” My wife asked, confused, “Since we haven’t made any missteps, why is Brother Guan saying those things? He is a major leader who has believed in the Lord for many years!” I looked at my wife and said: “Hey, he just wants us to come back to our former church!” Sister Zhang smiled, saying: “Right now all that we are looking at is their outward appearance, but we haven’t looked into the substance of their nature! The Lord Jesus once said: “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13). “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like to white washed sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). If you look at someone from their outward appearance, then the Pharisees were very loyal in their service to God. In people’s minds the Pharisees were devout servants to God, and they were the most trustworthy of religious leaders. However, when the Lord Jesus came to carry out His work, the God-resisting nature of the Pharisees was revealed. It was these Pharisees who frantically resisted and condemned the work of the Lord Jesus. They fabricated all kinds of rumors and bore false witness to deceive the common people: They said that the Lord Jesus was deceiving all under heaven, that He cast out demons through Beelzebub, the prince of the demons. And once the Lord Jesus was resurrected three days after being nailed to the cross, they bribed soldiers to spread rumors about the Lord Jesus’ body being stolen away by His disciples. The Pharisees fabricated all kinds of lies and used all the tricks at their disposal to block people from seeking out and inspecting the true way. Their goal was to suppress the work of God so that they could forever hold dominion over God’s chosen people. Although they appeared devout on the outside, in essence they hated the truth and were antichrists who stood as enemies to God. It’s just like what the Lord Jesus said when He exposed and condemned them: “You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33). So now think about it. Are these religious leaders of today any different from the Pharisees?” As I took this in, the sisters found a passage of Almighty God’s word for me to read: “Those who read the Bible in grand churches recite the Bible every day, yet not one understands the purpose of God’s work. Not one is able to know God; moreover, not one is in accord with the heart of God. They are all worthless, vile men, each standing on high to teach God. Though they brandish the name of God, they willfully oppose Him. Though they label themselves believers of God, they are ones who eat the flesh and drink the blood of man. All such men are devils who devour the soul of man, demons who purposefully disturb those who try to step onto the right path, and stumbling blocks that impede the path of those who seek God. Though they are of ‘robust flesh,’ how are their followers to know that they are antichrists who lead man in opposition to God? How are they to know that they are living devils who specially seek souls to devour?” (“All Who Do Not Know God Are Those Who Oppose God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). The sisters gave me a detailed fellowship according to these words of God, dissecting all the actions of religious leaders along with the substance of their nature, until finally I came to realize that by persistently disturbing and obstructing us from believing in Almighty God and even threatening and menacing us, the leaders were not in order to protect us, rather, they did this so that they could hold dominion over God’s chosen people, so that we could treat them as if they were God, worshiping and enshrining them. So actually, they are just like the Pharisees. They all are antichrists who hate the truth and resist God. God has come to save us, but they think up every possible method to stop us from accepting God’s work and to stop us from reading God’s words. Isn’t this the same as them pulling us down into hell? They truly are so malicious! If it weren’t for Almighty God’s words revealing the substance of how these people resist God and fight with God over man, then I would have nearly fallen for their tricks, ruining my own chance of receiving salvation. At this time my wife said in astonishment: “As it turns out they were here to do harm to us! Humph! These people really won’t finish until they drag us down into hell! I will no longer believe what they say.”

As we took this in Sister Mu read us another passage of God’s word: “In every step of work that God does within people, externally it appears to be interactions between people, as if born of human arrangements, or from human interference. But behind the scenes, every step of work, and everything that happens, is a wager made by Satan before God, and requires people to stand firm in their testimony to God. Take when Job was tried, for example: Behind the scenes, Satan was making a bet with God, and what happened to Job was the deeds of men, and the interference of men. Behind every step that God does in you is Satan’s wager with God—behind it all is a battle” (“Only Loving God Is Truly Believing in God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Then Sister Zhang started fellowshiping: “Through God’s words we can see that whatever happens to us, although from the outside it may appear to be done by man, in reality it is Satan behind the scenes making a wager with God. It’s just like when Job was tempted by Satan. His wife asked him to abandon Jehovah, but he could see through Satan’s trickery. He relied on his faith in God to stand testimony for Him, and Job reprimanded his wife for being an ignorant and stubborn woman. Job’s experiences inform us that for everyone that God wants to save, Satan will always frantically tempt and disturb them and pull out all the tricks at its disposal to attack them so that they will forsake God and betray God, ultimately losing their opportunity to attain salvation. Since Satan wants to forever control us, and devour man, it is unwilling to allow man to attain God’s salvation!” Sister Mu also fellowshiped: “It’s true. Satan has time and again used leaders to attack us and threaten us, with the goal of making us deny God and betray God, and abandon the true way. This is the trickery of Satan. We must be able to clearly see this fight that is going on in the spiritual world!” After listening to the fellowship of these two sisters, I mulled things over for a while, and then said: “So Satan is making a wager with God, and it is through the things that leaders say that Satan attacks our weak points, and it wants us to abandon the true way and leave God because of our cowardliness! This Satan truly is treacherous!” Then my wife also said: “This Satan is so repulsive! If we didn’t listen to God’s words and your fellowship, then how could we have known about Satan’s schemes?” I said with delight: “Now that I understand these things, we need to rely on God to break through Satan’s tight encirclement, stand witness for God, and shame Satan by our practical actions!” Sister Zhang then happily said: “Brother, sister, from now on let’s come together and fellowship about the word of God. Only in this way can we equip ourselves with more of the truth so that we can someday soon be certain about God’s work in the last days. When we lay down a foundation in the true way, Satan will not dare to disturb us!” I said: “Okay! If you are able to come fellowship with us often that would be even better.” Sister Mu smiled, saying: “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Early in the morning a few days later I got out of bed and looked out the window to see that there had been a big snowfall, and I started subconsciously rubbing my hands. Then, I put on a wool cap and cotton gloves and went into the courtyard to sweep the snow. When I finished I went back inside. I opened the top of the stove and stoke up the fire while my wife was tidying up the house. At this time my wife’s older brother and his wife came in, and as soon as my sister-in-law came in she said in an anxious voice: “Leader Wang and Mr. Guan came here and told you so many things. How could you not listen to them? They specifically asked us to come here today to try to persuade you once again. Do not believe Eastern Lightning. It is our leaders who take responsibility for our lives!” After hearing her say this, I firmly stated: “If they truly take responsibility for our lives, then they ought to lead us in an investigation of Almighty God’s work in the last days, and welcome the Lord’s return!” My wife then said bluntly: “What have they done for us that’s good? They fear that if we all believe in Almighty God then there will be no one left to listen to them.” My sister-in-law became somewhat irritated upon hearing this and said: “How can you both say such things? They haven’t asked you to do anything else. Don’t they just want you to return to the church? Listen to me. Based on the relationship between our two families how can I ruin you?” My wife’s brother continued: “Think about how I’ve treated you over the years. Do you know how much we’ve paid for you? Do you really have the heart to separate yourselves from us? Do you not feel guilty?” After hearing the two of them say these things I felt very upset, and I thought to myself: They really have helped us a lot, and now they see that we are insisting on following Almighty God. Surely they feel deeply hurt, but what can be done? It’s impossible to ask me to abandon the true way and to betray God, for I know that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus. But if I insist on believing in God, then what will they think of me? Will they say that I am an ungrateful person? At this moment I felt upset and swayed in my heart. I prayed to God in silence, asking Him to give me a way out. Suddenly, I thought about these words of God: “You should know that everything that happens to you is a great trial and the time when God needs you to bear testimony” (“Only Loving God Is Truly Believing in God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Then I thought back on the words of fellowship that Sister Zhang and Sister Mu gave me a few days before: Everything that happens to you touches upon the fight that is being waged in the spiritual world, that Satan is making a wager with God. Today my wife’s brother and my sister-in-law tried to use our kinship to urge us to betray God and return to their religion, but this is one of Satan’s tricks. If I were to betray God in order to protect my interpersonal feelings then that would truly be ungrateful and unconscientious. If I don’t want to let my brother-in-law down then I should share with him God’s gospel of the last days so that he too will have an opportunity to receive salvation. This is the only way to show the compassion that I ought to possess. As I thought about this my mind felt clear, and I said: “Brother, sister-in-law, I know that you two have been good to me, and it’s because of this that I need to tell you that Almighty God really is the return of the Lord Jesus. Only by following Almighty God’s work in the last days will we be able to attain God’s salvation! Otherwise, our faith in the Lord all these years will have been in vain, and we will obtain nothing! Here, let me read to you a passage of God’s word, and after hearing it you will know whether or not these words were expressed by the returned Lord Jesus.” I picked up the book of the word of God and was just about to start reading from it when my sister-in-law stood up and said unhappily: “We came here today to try to persuade you, but instead of changing your minds, you even try to spread this gospel to us, but we will not listen to you.” After saying this she grabbed her husband and walked out in anger.

Picture of the Church of Almighty God

I followed them out into the courtyard until I got to the entryway, but I saw that they had already walked far off. Feeling helpless, I stood there shaking my head. It was at this time that I saw that the weather had cleared up, and that a warm light was shining upon a pine tree outside of the courtyard. The snow that had accumulated on the pine tree started to melt, as if at that very moment the tree had just gone through a baptism. In contrast to the snow-covered ground, the straight and tall tree appeared especially verdant. I felt very happy, as if I were the same as the pine tree and had also experienced the baptism of wind and snow, growing from the nourishment of the sunshine. I knew that it was God’s words that had led me to break through the tight encirclement and stand witness for Him. Thanks be to God! All glory be to Almighty God!

Testimonies of Returning to God | Breaking Through Satan’s Tight Encirclement (Part 1) | Eastern Lightning

Breaking Through Satan’s Tight Encirclement (Part 1)

Zhao Gang

It was bitterly cold this past November in Northeast China, none of the snow that fell to the ground melted away, and many people who walked outside were so cold that they stuffed their hands into their armpits and walked along cautiously, bodies bent over. The other day in the early morning the winds were blowing from the northwest, when I, my brother-in-law and his wife and about a dozen brothers and sisters were sitting in my home on the warm kang (a heatable brick bed). Everyone had a copy of the Bible beside them and in their hands everyone was holding a copy of the book Judgment Begins With the House of God. Two sisters from The Church of Almighty God were fellowshiping on the truth concerning God’s three stages of work. The two sisters were drawing pictures of the three stages of work as they fellowshiped: “God’s work for the salvation of mankind can be divided into three stages, from the Age of Law to the Age of Grace and then to the Age of Kingdom. Each stage of work is newer and more improved and also more profound than the previous stage. The work done in the last days is the final stage of work, in which God expresses words to judge and cleanse man….” We nodded our heads as we listened, and our minds felt especially clear: Who would’ve thought that God’s management plan for the salvation of mankind would have so many mysteries! Besides God Himself, who else could speak of the mysteries of these three stages of God’s work so clearly? This truly is the work of God! We fellowshiped into the evening of the following day, and our whole group expressed a willingness to seek out and look into Almighty God’s work of the last days.

Picture of the Church of Almighty God 

Loving God and Living For God | Best Christian Music Video | "Our Life Is Not in Vain" (A Cappella) | Eastern Lightning

Loving God and Living For God | Best Christian Music Video | "Our Life Is Not in Vain" (A Cappella)

Introduction

Today we meet with God, experience His work.

We’ve known God in flesh, practical and real.

We’ve seen His work, awesome and wondrous.

Each day of our life is not in vain.

We affirm Christ as the truth and life.

Grasping and embracing this mystery.

Our feet are on the brightest path to life.

No longer searching, all is clear to us.

God, we’ll love You always without regret.

We’ve found the truth, eternal life we will gain.

Our life is not in vain, it’s not in vain.

Our life is not in vain. Our life is not in vain.

Life of loving God, meaningful, not empty.

Fulfill our duty to witness for Him.

We gain God’s praise, receive His salvation.

Do not live in vain; our life, rich and full.

God, we’ll love You always without regret.

We’ve found the truth, eternal life we will gain.

Our life is not in vain, it’s not in vain.

Our life is not in vain. Our life is not in vain.

Who could be more blessed than we are?

Could fortune ever smile so rich and vast?

For God has given much more to us than anything He gave in ages past.

We must live for God, who raised you and me up.

We should return all the love poured out on us.

God, we’ll love You always without regret.

We’ve found the truth, eternal life we will gain.

Our life is not in vain, it’s not in vain.

Our life is not in vain. Our life is not in vain.

Our life is not in vain.

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

Recommended ：Eastern Lightning, the Church of Almighty God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, True way

Testimonies of Returning to God | I Welcomed the Return of the Lord | Eastern Lightning

After Listening with My Heart, I Have Welcomed the Lord’s Return

Max, United States

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. I was very happy because that was when I found out that my mother had believed in the Lord Jesus for some time. Before, she did not believe. Every Chinese New Year, she would burn incense and worship Buddha. However, after my mother started to believe in the Lord Jesus, I no longer had to smell the whiff of burnt Joss paper and incense. That day, the American pastor told me a story about the Lord Jesus. Soon after, I was brought to the bathroom and before I could react, “plop,” the pastor had dunked my head into the bathtub and after a moment, pulled my head out. All I heard was my mother and the pastor telling me, “Welcome to the embrace of the Lord Jesus. We are all lost sheep.” In this way, I started a new life journey before I knew it. However, because the Lord was with me, my heart was very happy. Afterward, each Sunday, I would go to church to worship and listen to the pastor talk about Bible stories and read from the scriptures. I was very happy all along. My heart was steadfast and I felt that believing in the Lord Jesus was truly a good thing.

Christian Music Video | Live in the Light | "The Prayer of God’s People" | Eastern Lightning

Testimonies of Returning to God | I Welcomed the Return of the Lord | Eastern Lightning

I Welcomed the Return of the Lord

Qingxin, Myanmar

My parents are both Christians and from an early age I started going with them to church to attend services. At the age of 12 I attended a grand Christian camp in Myanmar, and while I was there a pastor told me: “The only way to avoid death and enter the kingdom of heaven is to be baptized.” And so in order to enter the kingdom of heaven I decided to get baptized while I was at the camp. From that time on, I became a genuine Christian.

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. The confidence of brothers and sisters thus began to wane, and they became more interested in money and pleasures of the flesh. Congregation numbers began to fall, until it got to the point where the pastor had to make calls every Saturday just to try and get everyone to attend. Even when the brothers and sisters did show up they sang the hymns listlessly and without devotion, dozed off during the sermons, and started talking about business as soon as the services ended. The services had become all form and no substance. And I was very troubled by this. I thought to myself: “How does our church turn into such a barren pasture?” But then I remembered how, over the previous 30 years, I had often heard different pastors saying the same thing: “We believe in the Lord Jesus, so our sins have all been forgiven.” “We gain salvation by the grace of God because of our faith.” “The Lord Jesus has already completed His work of redemption once, so we believers in the Lord are already saved and will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Because of this, “I’m already saved, I will enter the kingdom of heaven” became the basic tenet of my faith in God. No matter how bleak the church was, or how weak and passive the believers were, I would always tell myself: “I must keep the way of the Lord. As long as I don’t leave the Lord, then He won’t abandon me. When the Lord returns, He will take me into the kingdom of heaven.” Although I kept on warning myself in this way, I still wasn’t able to keep on the Lord’s path: I would sin by day and confess sins by night, but whenever I prayed, I couldn’t feel the Lord by my side. My spirit felt dark and empty, and I felt I was getting farther and farther away from the Lord, as if He had abandoned me. This caused me great suffering, but I was unable to find the source of the problem …

Testimonies of Returning to God | That Day the Sky Was Especially Clear and Sunny (Part 3) | Eastern Lightning

That Day the Sky Was Especially Clear and Sunny (Part 3)

Tian Ying

After returning home, I kept thinking over the fellowship made by the sister, and I thought to myself: That little sister today was so loving, she really was nothing like what the pastor said she was. Also, what she was saying really was true, it’s all in the Bible. It really was ill-founded of me before when I believed that “to be saved once is to be saved forever.” I thought back on all the years I have believed in God and realized that I was constantly living in circumstances where I would commit sins and then plead guilty for them, but all along I couldn’t solve this, and I personally went through a lot of suffering. This really is not the way to attain God’s praise. It seems that if I want to attain salvation and enter into the kingdom of heaven, then I really do have to receive all the work carried out in the Lord Jesus’ return that judges and cleanses man. So then, what really is Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days? How does Almighty God’s work of judgment cleanse and change man? … As I was thinking these things over I was flipping through the Bible until I saw a passage where the Lord Jesus says: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (Jhn 16:12-13). I also saw the Bible say: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches” (Rev 2:29). When I read this it felt like I had finally awoken from a dream: As it turns out the Lord Jesus had long ago prophesied that in the last days God would express more of the truth and carry out a new stage of work. Wouldn’t this be Almighty God coming to carry out the work of judging and cleansing man? Alas! If the pastor didn’t come in and disturb me today I would have been able to listen more carefully about the way of Almighty God. Before I had always listened to the words of pastors and elders, but I had never had the heart to seek out Almighty God’s work in the last days, I just listened to whatever it was the pastors and elders talked about. It wasn’t until today that I recognized that this was the biggest mistake I had made in my faith in the Lord! Those of us who believe in the Lord must actively seek out God’s footsteps, only in this way will we be conforming to God’s will. Today I saw that the pastor’s actions simply do not conform to God’s will. I can no longer just blindly listen to what they have to say, I must seek out and investigate the way of Almighty God.