135-B-2 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “It Is Very Important to Establish a Normal Relationship With God” (IV)

Let’s start this fellowship now. “It Is Very Important to Establish a Normal Relationship With God.” We have communicated this piece of God’s word three times. I’m not sure if the majority of brothers and sisters have much of a grasp or understanding of these words of God. Perhaps someone will say, “Why are we still talking about this piece of God’s word? If we believe in God, then just let us believe. Why must we establish a normal relationship with God?” These are the thoughts of some new believers. So we must continue our fellowship to make it clear. Why is it that having faith in God involves establishing a normal relationship with God? This is a subject that every believer must understand clearly in their hearts. We are all clear about how the Lord Jesus did redemption work during the Age of Grace. He was nailed on the cross and died for us. We received the Lord Jesus’ salvation, and our sins were forgiven before we started to pray to God and had a connection with God. Who opened up the road to having a connection with God? It was God who personally established this path when He became flesh during the Age of Grace. If we hadn’t had Jesus’ redemption, would we sinners have had the qualifications to pray to God? Would we be qualified to have a connection with God? Perhaps someone will ask, “Now, if we believe in God and pray to God, God will forgive our sins. We are able to offer ourselves to God and expend for God. Isn’t that all there is to this? Why is it that we still need to establish a normal relationship with God?” Would you say that there is a mystery here? There is a mystery here inside. There is truth that must be sought. You will need to figure it out, “God, what is the importance of establishing a normal relationship with You? I still do not understand. From the Age of Grace until now, we have been praying like this for 2,000 years and You did not say these things. Why do You say these things now during the last days? What kind of meaning is there to this? Where is the mystery? God, may You enlighten and illuminate me.” This is a truth-seeking prayer. After you have finished reading God’s words, you must understand God’s intentions. Why does He require us believers to establish a normal relationship with Him? There is meaning to this! The things that God does, the requirements He has of man, the things He must accomplish, all of these are the most meaningful of matters. Let’s look back at Adam and Eve. In the Garden of Eden, what was it that caused them to leave God? Someone said, “It was because of Satan’s corruption that God chased them out of the Garden of Eden.” Now, why is it that man got corrupted by Satan? What is the reason that man got corrupted by Satan? It is because man did not have an understanding of God and did not have the truth. If we have the truth and we understand God, would Satan be able to corrupt us? Why is Satan unable to corrupt Christ? It is because Christ is the truth and He cannot be corrupted. Satan’s evil teachings and fallacies can confuse mankind but they cannot confuse Christ. Isn’t this the case? What is the end result that we want to achieve through establishing a normal relationship with God? We want to achieve an understanding of the truth and of God. If we understand the truth and God, would Satan be able to corrupt us? Would we be confused by all the different kinds of evil teachings and fallacies of this wicked world? Would all the different kinds of poison of the great red dragon poison us? It cannot poison us. Why is this? It is because we understand God, we have the truth as our life. This is how we can thoroughly distance ourselves from Satan’s influence and be completely obtained by God.

Reflection for Today: Does a Church Appearing Fervent Mean That It Has the Work of the Holy Spirit?

Hello brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A,

Several months ago, I witnessed the pastors in our church vying with each other for the sake of fame and gain and jockeying for position, so much so that they even verbally attacked and disparaged each other during sermons. Their sermons were not enjoyable to listen to, and our spirits went unnourished. Furthermore, there was widespread cooling of the faith of brothers and sisters; they pursued wealth, they coveted physical pleasures and they followed worldly trends, giving all their attention to eating, drinking and having fun. Most of the time, some brothers and sisters simply did not attend gatherings, but instead only came when a disaster occurred in their lives or when there was some important holiday … Faced with this situation in our church, I left to look for a church that had the work of the Holy Spirit. I searched in many places, however, and discovered that most churches were just the same, and I began to lose hope. I recently found a church, however, which often put on shows and held events, and it even had pastors come from overseas to give sermons. The atmosphere in this church was very warm and enthusiastic, and many people attended each gathering. Looking at this church that was so ardent and at the brothers and sisters who attended gatherings so enthusiastically, I thought this must be a church that had the work of the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t long, however, before I discovered that, although the church appeared ardent, the sermons preached by the pastors were unable to provide benefits for the lives of brothers and sisters and were unable to satisfy our spirits. The singing and dancing that went on only had the effect of changing the atmosphere in the church—while it was going on, we all felt very energetic, but as soon as we sat down to listen to a pastor give a sermon, we would begin to doze off. Moreover, brothers and sisters were always trying to outdo each other with donations and prayers. Whoever donated a lot was considered to be someone who loved the Lord, and whoever prayed for a long time and said nice words in their prayers was considered to be a spiritual person…. In this kind of church, the brothers and sisters not only had no honesty or humility but, on the contrary, their vanity just got stronger and stronger and they became more and more hypocritical. They focused on expressing themselves and showing off in front of others and were exceedingly self-righteous and arrogant. Whenever they encountered an issue, they just dealt with it however they wanted, and they didn’t listen to anyone else—they were just not keeping to the Lord’s teachings at all. Faced with this kind of situation in the church, I couldn’t help but wonder: Could such a church that appears to be so fervent from the outside have the work of the Holy Spirit? This question has always perplexed me, so I’d like to ask if you could answer it for me.

Today’s Devotion: Do You Worship God in Spirit and in Truth?

                                             

By Xianxin

The Lord Jesus said, “When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23–24). The Lord requires that we worship God in spirit and in truth, for only in that way can we win His approval. But what exactly does worshiping God in spirit and in truth entail? Some brothers and sisters believe that diligently praying and reading the Bible every day is worshiping God, and some people believe that attending meetings on time and going to church every week is worshiping God, there are still others who believe that toiling, working, forsaking, and expending for the Lord is worshiping God, and so on. There are many ways to practice worship of God, but are we worshiping Him in spirit and in truth? Does God praise this kind of practice? Let’s fellowship on this together.

136-A-2 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “In Your Faith in God You Should Obey God” (I)

After listening to this passage of the word of God, what truths do you understand? What is God saying in this passage of the word of God? What truths are being expressed? What requirements do they have for people? Can you see these things clearly? In this passage God expressed the truth regarding how to truly believe in God. Or more precisely, what does it mean to believe in God? “In Your Faith in God You Should Obey God.” So, believing in God is obeying God; it is submitting to the work of God. The ultimate goal which the work of God will achieve and accomplish is to make all those who believe in God able to truly submit themselves to God. This is the significance of belief in God. This passage of the word of God communicates the truth of believing in God. In these past several fellowships we have discussed the word “It Is Very Important to Establish a Normal Relationship With God.” We have finished discussing that aspect of the truth, so now we will discuss the word “In Your Faith in God You Should Obey God.” This truth is equally important. There are many who do not know the meaning of belief in God. They have a very shallow understanding of what it means to believe in God, and think that believing in God is merely admitting that there is a God. They think that if they just participate in a few religious activities, that is believing in God. Is this viewpoint correct?

125-B-8 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “‘The Sixth Utterance’ of God’s Utterances to the Entire Universe”

You see Peter’s treatment of Christ as God, how he sought the truth and sought to know the word of the Lord Jesus; how he completely submitted to the word of the Lord Jesus, and in the end knew the Lord Jesus was the real God. Thereby he was able to truly love the Lord Jesus. On the other hand, how did Peter attend to his parents? He came to see his parents in truth as the devil Satan, as demons which stood in opposition to God. He had already seen that they were the real form of the demons, because they opposed God. Someone may say, “How were Peter’s parents in opposition to God?” How did they oppose God? Peter’s parents objected to him following the Lord Jesus, objected to Peter expending himself for the Lord Jesus, and they hoped Peter would grow into an outstanding man who would do honor to them, to the devil Satan. Peter saw clearly that his parents were devils standing against God, so he drew a clear boundary separating them. If one day the parents of a person like Peter were destroyed by God, would he complain against God? Of course he would not. He saw them as devils who opposed God, and saw accurately. When Job was faced with a trial, his wife said these words to him: “Curse God, and die!” He said, “You ignorant and stubborn woman!” Perhaps in his heart he still thought the words, “You devil!” Was she not a devil revealed? Some people show their true nature to be that of a devil, that is, Satan. What consequences may arise if one does not recognize these people? Can one draw a clear boundary line between himself and them? Can one truly betray these devils? If one cannot overcome these, then it is very easy for him to be led astray, restrained, and disturbed by devils, as well as for him to be influenced in his following of God and in fulfilling his duty and bearing witness.

139-B-2 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth” (V)

We have read this passage of God’s word for five times. Is that a lot of times? Not to us. Why not? Because this passage of God’s word is crucial. It needs to be read repeatedly, over and over. After reading it for five times, shouldn’t we have gained something? When we read God’s word, we need to strive for the biggest gain, not just content ourselves with some gain. What does it need to be done to strive for the maximum gain? Questions need to be raised for communication. If no questions were raised after reading God’s word, could that be counted as gaining something? No, it couldn’t. In that case, what are the biggest difficulties you have after reading this passage? Which parts of the truth do you not understand? How much do you know about God’s judgment and chastisement? The fundamental question is why God wants to do judgment work in the last days. Have you figured it out? Why does God want to do judgment work in the last days? In the past, many people said that the disaster was about to come. Ultimately, the disaster didn’t happen but the judgment of the last days began. God is doing the work of judgment of the last days among a group of people. What is that all about? What is God doing now? What are the dynamics of the Holy Spirit’s work? Where are God’s footsteps? What is God doing in the last days? Did you find the answers for these questions? Perhaps someone would say, “I found them! We all see them in this passage of God’s word. God has accomplished great things on earth. He has made known all the truth that needs to be expressed for the judgment of the last days. Humanity heard it. Everyone saw it. These words were posted on the Internet. Anyone who searches, seeks, and examines it can see.” Are these the great things that God has accomplished on earth?

139-A-7 Sermons and Fellowship About God’s Word “Those Incompatible With Christ Are Surely Opponents of God”

God said: “Your faith is indeed commendable, but you do not have much steadfastness.” Why do you not have much steadfastness? Because you don’t have the truth and you don’t understand God, and so you use a deceitful and limited form of expenditure for God. Therefore, your steadfastness is short-lived and you don’t have much steadfastness. Now what is the duration of this steadfastness, the persistence of this steadfastness related to? What does it have to do with the intentions of man? Also, what does it have to do with the faith of man? What does it have to do with man’s submission toward God? They are all related. It has more to do with man’s understanding of God. The steadfastness of a person is not a simple thing; it involves many aspects of the reality of truth! Here God said, “but you do not have much steadfastness,” which conceals many issues. If one’s expenditure for God is not sincere, can he have great steadfastness? Can he have enduring steadfastness? Of course not. He is not in true submission to Christ and has not attained true compatibility with Him. Can he have true devotion for Christ? Can he follow Christ to the end? Certainly not.

Seeing Through Rumors, She Welcomed Jesus’ Second Coming

By Xiaocao, United States

As the saying goes, “The wise man doesn’t listen to rumors.” The unfounded rumors are unworthy of our reply. However, when the rumors reach us, how should we treat them? Especially when investigating the true way, how should we Christians seek the truth in the face of rumors?

From a fortuitous opportunity I heard the gospel of God’s kingdom. After several meetings with the brothers and sisters, I knew the truths of the origin of mankind, the root of mankind’s degeneration, the inside truth of God’s three stages of work, the mystery and significance of the incarnation, and other respects. I also got some understanding of God’s work to save man. The more I listened to their fellowships, the more I had enjoyment in my heart. Later in a meeting, Brother Deng fellowshiped, “The Lord Jesus has returned and long ago been incarnated in China and carried out a new work, and His work of the last days has spread from the East to the West.” After hearing that, I felt so excited: God has already carried out His work on earth! I never thought that I’m so lucky to welcome the Lord. Thanks be to the Lord! No wonder their fellowships make so much sense—they have followed God’s new work. Because every meeting I could gain a lot and I felt joy when I was with the brothers and sisters from The Church of Almighty God, I became increasingly fond of attending meetings. One time, at the end of a meeting, Sister Li led us to pray to God. When I heard her speaking in her prayer, “Thank God for choosing this sister in the vast sea of humanity…,” a feeling of warmth flowed into my heart, and I couldn’t help shedding tears. We didn’t know each other, but they treated me like family and they spoke honestly, which enabled me to feel the warmth of family. Only God can lead man to live out the love. Thanks be to God! Thinking of this, I felt extremely grateful to God for His love: He had chosen me in the vast sea of humanity and allowed me to be fortunate to come before Him.

Regarding the Lord’s return, the Bible very clearly records, “But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mak 13:32). If you are saying that the Lord Jesus has already returned, how would you know?

he Answer from God’s Word:

At the break of dawn, unbeknownst to any, God came to earth and began His life in the flesh. People were unaware of this moment. Maybe they were all fast asleep, maybe many who were watchfully awake were waiting, and maybe many were praying silently to God in heaven. Yet among all these many people, not one knew that God had already arrived on earth.

English Christian Skit "Starving for Fear of Choking"

       English Christian Skit "Starving for Fear of Choking"

     In the matter of welcoming the Lord's coming, there are some in the religious world who close their door and wait alone for fear of being deceived by false Christs.

Are You a Poor or Rich Christian?

By Fang Liang

One day, my wife said, “These days I, together with our daughter, went to my younger sister’s home to listen to the sermons, in which I think there is the work of the Holy Spirit. I think what the preacher preached was really very enlightening. Especially when he was talking about which kind of people are able to welcome the return of the Lord Jesus, I had a clear knowledge of that. Hey, honey, you and our son can express your views about what kind of people will welcome the Lord first and be raptured into the kingdom of God when the Lord comes back?”

Religious Seminar in Australia: Focusing on the Current Situation of Religious Persecution in China

    On April 4, 2018, a seminar was held at the Chapel of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Canberra at 3 p.m. local time, the topic of which is Religion and the State in the People’s Republic of China.

Almighty God Is the Returned Jesus

Relevant Words of God:

 God is incarnated in the Chinese mainland, what the compatriots in Hong Kong and Taiwan call the inland. When God came from above to the earth, no one in heaven and earth knew about it, for this is the true meaning of God returning in a concealed fashion. He has been in the flesh working and living for a long time, yet no one has known about it. Even to this day, no one recognizes it.