The People of the Heavenly Kingdom

The Suffering Is More Beneficial for Us Than an Easy Life

By Liu Xuena, China

In our real life, almost every one of us enjoys comfort and fears about experiencing suffering. If these two living environments were displayed in front of us for us to make a choice, few people would choose the latter, because we all enjoy life of comfort. However, is what we choose more beneficial for us?

How I Resolved My Spiritual Emptiness

By Si Ming, South Korea

In the early morning, I sat at my small desk by the window, quietly watching the dance and song video The Happiness in the Good Land of Canaan. My heart soared with the melody and I smiled unconsciously. I truly felt the peace and sureness of coming before God.

I Fall Into Sin and Live in Emptiness and Pain

I came to South Korea a few years ago in order to make more money. After a period of hard work, I gradually began to live a more prosperous life, but in my heart I often felt empty and hollow. My friends would often invite me out to eat and drink alcohol, and to go to karaoke bars and the like to sing and dance. Often, we would get home late at night. At that time, popular sayings amongst us were “Seize the day for pleasure, for life is short,” “Get drunk today and worry about things tomorrow,” and “Take advantage of being young to eat, drink and be merry and enjoy our lives, as when we get old, we won’t be able to enjoy anything.” These sayings struck a chord with me and I thought that this must be how we should live our lives. Afterward, every time my friends got together and went out, they always asked me to go with them. It just so happened that I didn’t have anything to do after work and was bored anyway, so I always went with them. When we went somewhere to eat, we would eat and drink like a band of brothers, talking and laughing, and feeling very happy. After eating and drinking, we would go to karaoke bars and other places to sing and dance. After our feasting and revelry, I felt that being with such a big group of friends, talking, laughing, being together with them and having such great fun, was really great. Sometimes, they didn’t want to go out, but I did. In that kind of situation, any tiredness I felt from work, all my frustrations in life and anything I wasn’t happy about disappeared in an instant. Gradually, I came to believe that it was stupid not to eat, drink and be merry in life, and that this kind of life was the only one that brought joy and that lifted me above the drudgery. After work, I drank without inhibition almost every day, but afterward, in my free time, my heart would still feel empty and desolate. I couldn’t help but wonder: Why do people live? How can I fill the void in my spirit?

Reflection on Proverbs 15:29

The LORD is far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

– Proverbs 15:29

Reflection:

God’s substance is holy. He loathes those that do evil, and likes those that do justice. So He hears the prayer of the righteous. It is recorded in the Bible that Job prayed for his three friends, which had shown God’s will. “And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends: for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has. Therefore take to you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job” (Job 42:7-9). Because Job stood witness for God in trials, God loved him and listened to his prayer, and promised him according to what he asked for.

God says, “Even though God called Job His servant, in God’s eyes this servant was beloved, and was bestowed with the authority to pray for others and forgive them their mistakes. This servant was able to talk directly to God and come directly before God, his status was higher and more honorable than those of others.” God’s words make us clearly understand that His attitude toward those who are loved by Him. If one can obey God’s way, fear God and shun evil, he will be cherished by God. If one does evil things and resists God without repentance, God not only will hate him, but will punish him. This is God’s attitude toward different people.

Recommended:Exactly what work will Jesus do when He returns?

Three Key Elements Help You Gain God’s Approval in Trials

By Song Yan

Faced with trials and refinement, many brothers and sisters in the Lord would get bewildered, not knowing how to experience them to be after God’s heart. Thanks to God’s leadership, I’ve grasped some principles on this aspect through studying the Bible and fellowshiping with my brothers and sisters in the church. Now I’d like to share them with you, which I hope can help the brothers and sisters who are undergoing trials.

A 70-Year Old Nearly Becomes a Vegetable but Miraculously Recovers by Relying on God

By Sun Hong

I am a Christian, and I am 70 years old. I once became paralyzed because of an illness, and nearly became braindead. During that period, I gave up any hope of surviving, but at a critical juncture, God’s words gave me faith and allowed me to miraculously regain my life. If God hadn’t saved me, I would have left this world a long time ago.

Will People Saved by Faith Be Able to Enter the Kingdom of God?

By Saverio, Italy

Some Christians think that as long as they accept the salvation of the Lord Jesus’ crucifixion, acknowledge Him with their mouths and believe in Him in their hearts, then they are already saved and can enter the kingdom of heaven. Plus, there’s a Biblical basis for it, “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Based on the verses, they believe even more that one can enter the heavenly kingdom just by being saved through faith. However, some are very confused: “We often get hot-blooded and lose our temper, and aren’t tolerant or patient even with our families. And we still tell lies to deceive others in our daily lives, not yet having become as little children. Can we who live in sin like this enter God’s kingdom?” Next, let’s fellowship about this topic.

Grasping the 4 Key Elements, You Will Serve God’s Will

As servants of the Lord, we all want to satisfy Him, but most of the time we have no path to practice and have no idea how to serve the Lord’s will to become a confidant of Him. This article “Grasping the Four Key Elements, You Will Serve God’s Will” will show us the way.

Firstly, we must possess a God-loving heart, be able to be considerate toward the Lord’s will, be of one mind with the Lord in all things, and work hard to be the Lord’s intimate.

The Lord Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). These words are the commandment that the Lord Jesus requests us to observe, and it is even more His requirement for each who serves Him. The Lord asks us to have a heart that loves Him and to do our utmostto pursue being His intimate. Take Peter for example; he gave up all worldly things to follow the Lord and receive His commission, never considering or planning for his own future; he was of one mind with the Lord, and sought to satisfy His will in all things. After the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead, He appeared to Peter, just as it is recorded in the Bible, “He said to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, love you me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my sheep.He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, love you me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Love you me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep” (John 21:16-17). Peter was loyal to the Lord from beginning to end. Thus, the Lord Jesus hoped that he could be one who loved Him, and entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of shepherding the flock. After that, Peter always had the Lord Jesus’ words in his heart, and willingly spent his lifetime energies pursuing a true love of God. He was considerate of the Lord’s will and focused on satisfying Him in all things, and persisted in shepherding the Lord’s flock even in persecution and tribulation. In the end, Peter was crucified upside down for the Lord, obeying God unto death and loving God to the utmost. So Peter was exactly a person who was of one accord with the Lord as well as the confidant of Him. If we want to be qualified to serve the Lord, we must take Peter as our exemplar, pursuing knowing and loving the Lord, and being considerate of His intentions in all matters; besides, in performing service, we should sacrifice ourselves for the Lord’s work, for honoring Him and bearing witness to Him, and satisfy His will wholeheartedly without considering or planning for personal interests or seeking what’s good for ourselves. Then our service can be in harmony with the Lord’s will.

Secondly, we must seek the truth in all things and be able to grasp the Lord’s will, cooperate closely in the work of the Holy Spirit, and keep pace with the Holy Spirit’s work.

Seeking the truth and grasping the Lord’s will in all things is not only what the Lord wants of every believer, but even more what every servant of God must enter into and practice. However, when preaching and working or encountering some problems and difficulties, most of the time, we do things in our own way, without the slightest intention of seeking God’s will. Sometimes even if we seek the truth, we just go through the process and can’t achieve any results. For example, when seeing our brothers and sisters growing cold in their faith and love, some pursuing the trend of the world, enjoying fleshly comforts, and some even abandoning the Lord and betraying Him, we just focus on outward actions, taking all types of measures to support them and exhort them, and think that it’s enough as long as we have done what we are supposed to do. However, we pay no attention to seeking and grasping the Lord’s will, and never consider what the source of these problems is, and what we should do to revive the church and put God at easeand satisfy Him. If we never try to figure out and seek out the Lord’s will, then we will only stray farther and farther from God, feel dark and dry in spirit, be unable to touch the Lord’s presence and guidance, and have no path to walk.

However, if we always focus on grasping the Lord’s will, then we will easily receive the enlightenment and guidance from the Holy Spirit, gradually be able to see through the problems and difficulties occurring in the church, and be clear about how to perform the work of serving the Lord properly, what principles should be grasped in our service, and how to fulfil our duty properly and satisfy God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our might. In this way, our human ideas will be lessened in performing our duty, and we will no longer rely on our own notions and imaginations, ability, or inner quality to act; our relationship with God will become normal, and the duty we perform will be in line with God’s will. For example, when facing the problem of the church’s desolation as well as many believers becoming passive and weak and pursing the world, we, as servants of God, should do more to seek the Lord’s will and requirements. If we find the root cause of the desolation in the church, then we will know how to help our brothers and sisters recover their faith in the Lord. We know that now is the end of the last days. It is a common phenomenonthat the churches now grow more and more desolate, and that the believers become passive and weak and pursue the world. This shows that the Holy Spirit does not work in the religious circles anymore, just as God’s words said, “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). To resolve the church’s growing desolation, we need to look for churches that have the Holy Spirit’s work, seek the trend and movement of the Holy Spirit’s work, and seek new enlightenment and illuminations. As long as we drop our notions and imaginations, and always have a heart of reverence and a heart of longing for and seeking the truth, the Lord will surely lead and guide us to understand His will, and enable us to receive the provision of the living water. If we serve God with a heart that seeks the truth, then we will receive God’s illuminations and blessings, and all we lack will be made up for and perfected by God.

Thirdly, in our service, we must practice God’s words and use God’s words to resolve problems in order to exalt God and bear witness for God, and to bring the brothers and sisters before Him.

Bringing people before God is the requirement of God for those who serve Him. If we want to bring people before God, we need to guide and support them according to God’s words and requirements. It is necessary that we ourselves first have some experiences and knowledge of God’s words, and gain some understanding of the Lord’s will and requirements. We need to learn to reflect on God’s words to know our own deficiencies and inadequaciesin all things and environments set up by God, and then find the correct path to practice in God’s words; through experiencing and practicing God’s words, we will obtain some practical and true knowledge of God, and our relationship with the Lord will become more and more proper. This way, we can see through the essence of the problems and difficulties we encounter, and then we can help our brothers and sisters understand God’s will and find the path to practice through our own practical experiences as well as God’s enlightenment and guidance. For instance, when we see that the brothers and sisters have disagreements and can’t get along well with each other in doing service, if we are unable to see clearly the essence of this problem and do not seek God’s words to resolve it, then we will rely on our own ideas to remind and exhort them, or blame and teach them according to the Bible, asking them not to do that in the future. Such actions can only make them obsessed withright and wrong, and are completely unable to bring them before God. However, if we practice using the truth to resolve the problem, guiding our brothers and sisters to pray to God more, rely on God more, and experience God’s work together, then they will know: We all have corrupt dispositions, and being dominated and controlled by them, we have no normal relationships with others, which is the fooling and corruption of Satan; God sets up the environment in order to cleanse and change our corrupt dispositions; if we can know and hate our own corrupt nature of Satan, forsake our flesh, let go of ourselves, and consciously pay attention to practicing the truth and satisfying God, then we will be able to get along with others, and learn some lessons in the people, events, things and environment God sets up for us rather than be obsessed with right and wrong. Hence, the most important thing for us in doing service is to lead our brothers and sisters to learn to know God and understand God’s will and requirements, and make them understand what kind of person God loves and what kind of person He detests, and have a genuine knowledge of God’s disposition and what God is, so that they can practice God’s word, obey God and worship God. This is bringing people before God, and is also exalting God and bearing witness to Him.

However, if we preach sermons just in order to show off and exalt ourselves, and focus on establishing our image, but are unable to use the truth to resolve the problems, if we fail to lead people to practice the Lord’s words and follow the Lord’s way, if we don’t exalt and witness God so as to bring people before Him and let them look up to and depend on Him, then our service is actually resisting the Lord, and the path we walk is the path walked by antichrists. Think back to those Pharisees recorded in the Bible. They observed human traditions in their preaching and working, but abandoned God’s commandments and deviated from God’s way. Besides, they often interpreted the letters and doctrines in the Bible to witness and exalt themselves, with the result that people all listened to and followed them, and strayed from God and betrayed God. The Lord Jesus said, “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not you called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all you are brothers. And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven” (Matthew 23:5-9). It can be seen that the Lord Jesus requires that we only believe in and worship the unique God Himself. Therefore, we must reject the service of the Pharisees and always exalt God and witness Him, bringing our brothers and sisters before Him. Only such kind of service is the service that conforms to God’s intentions.

Fourthly, we should be always able to be quiet before God, to examine and know ourselves, and promptly correct any transgression or mistake we discover to ensure that God’s will is carried out without obstruction.

As servants of the Lord, we must live in God’s presence at all times. Through God’s enlightenment and guidance, we should see through the truth that we are corrupted by Satan, see how poor and miserable not having the truth, and see clearly our deficiencies and inadequacies and have self-knowledge. As we have not yet been perfected, we are unable to fulfill our dutycompetently,and it is very normal that deviations and transgressions may occur in our service. When we discover our own deviations and transgressions, we should come before God promptly to dissect and reflect on ourselves according to God’s words with a reverent and seeking heart; meanwhile, we should set aside our face, vanity, and status to communicate purely and openly with the brothers and sisters around us, accepting the real facts, and accepting their criticisms and supervision to avoid repeating past transgressions. Only by doing so can we make sure that God’s will can be carried out in us.

For example, we all have arrogant nature, enjoy standing high among people, and always talk boastfully to show ourselves off in our working and preaching to make them look up to and worship us. As a result, our brothers and sisters only know to listen to man and follow man in whatever they encounter, and there’s no place for God in their heart. Such a church has long lost the leadership of God, so all the work in the church is a mess and achieves no results, and we ourselves also oftenhit the wall and suffer failure. At this time, we should quiet ourselves before God promptly, reflecting on our thoughts and ideas, and words and behaviors to know ourselves, and accept the judgment and chastisement as well as the exposure and dealing from God’s words. From that we can see clearly: We use the opportunity of serving God to exalt and witness ourselves, and pursue satisfying our own desires for fame and status, and we have brought people before ourselves; what we do is to compete with God for people, and to control and possess God’s chosen people, and we have walked onto the antichrist’s path which is hated and loathed by God; if we have no repentance, we will offend God’s disposition and be punished by Him. After knowing the seriousness of the issue, we should immediately repent and confess to God, practice forsaking our flesh, consciously exalt and testify to God in our working and preaching, and do service dutifully and conduct ourselves conscientiously. Besides, we should pay attention to establishing a proper relationship with God, and keep God’s will and commission in mind all the time, only living for God in this lifetime to ensure that His will is carried out without hindrance. If we have a sincere repentance like this, the Lord will gradually lead us to walk onto the correct path of service.

A Marriage Testimony: My First Letter to My Husband After My Marriage

A’yue  China

Hello A’kai:

I’m writing this letter to confess something. This is the first time I’ve said this after marrying you so many years ago, and it feels embarrassing to say. I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll begin with my childhood.

When I was young, I often heard the grownups around me say that marriage is a woman’s second birth, and that in this society, where worship of wealth and materialism runs rampant, if you want to be free from worry about food and clothing and have a good life, you can only do so by marrying a wealthy, capable man. From that moment on, finding a capable man who could earn money became my standard for choosing a husband.

After I grew up, to realize my desire, I carefully screened my potential other halves. But, my aunt introduced me to a potential husband, a man who didn’t have a mouth full of flowery words, who was simple and honest, and who came from a poor family—you. You came suddenly into my life, and we broke up just as suddenly. I was entranced by the idea that “Money comes first,” and only wanted to find a wealthy, capable man. After you, I met a man who seemed to be the ideal I wanted to fall in love with, but he thought little of me, and in the end we went our separate ways, which was very distressing for me.

That day, you and your parents came to see me and persuaded me to change my mind, and I reluctantly agreed. But did you know that I still regretted it? I saw you as having nothing, as someone who couldn’t give me the happiness I desired. I didn’t care about your feelings. I split up and reunited with you three times, all in pursuit of my own happiness. You tolerated my selfishness and waited for me, and that touched me, but I still wasn’t satisfied. This was also the moment I fell ill with a strange, painful condition that could only be controlled with medicine and for which the root cause couldn’t be treated. I was heartbroken and dejected, and I wondered why my life was so difficult. But this was also the moment you took up the burden and proposed to me. I didn’t know if you were trying to strike while the iron was hot or had another reason, but in my helpless state, I reluctantly agreed to marry you.

Christian Life: Change Education Methods and Be a Caring Mom

By Lexin, Hong Kong

Introduction:

“Mom, you used to be so strict with my studies that I never had any time to play. You’ve changed so much for the better now and you speak so gently. I love you, mom,” said the innocent, lively young girl cheerfully as she lay flat by her young mother’s ear, and the young mother’s face flushed with happiness.

This young mother’s name is Lexin, and when we hear her daughter’s simple expression, we can deduce that their relationship was previously not so harmonious, because of the pressure Lexin placed on her daughter regarding her studies. So what’s the story between this mother and her daughter? And how did Lexin manage to change the way she educates her daughter, and obtain her daughter’s high opinion? Please read Lexin’s experiences of educating her daughter.

It Is Said in the Bible that the Lord Will Come Upon a Cloud With Glory. But You’re Saying that the Lord Has Become Flesh in Secret. Why Are They Different?

Question 1: The Lord said He will come back and take us to the kingdom of heaven. However, what you’re saying is that the Lord has become flesh to do the work of judgment in the last days. It is said right in the Bible that the Lord will come upon a cloud all in glory. But you’re saying that the Lord has become flesh in secret. That sounds a lot different.

Answer: The Lord will come and take us to the kingdom of heaven. That is definite. Our Lord is faithful indeed. And so His promises will surely come true. But first we need to know the work of judgment in the last days the Lord does in His second incarnation. It relates directly to how man is raptured into the kingdom of heaven. If we study the Bible carefully, it’s easy to find that the Lord will return through incarnation, as many verses in the Bible have clearly prophesied. For example, “Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not” (Luke 12:40). “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” (Luke 17:24-25). Many have mentioned that “the Son of man comes,” or “the Son of man descends.” When we talk about the “Son of man,” it refers to a person born to a human and with normal humanity. So the Spirit can’t be called the “Son of man.” For instance, Jehovah God is the Spirit. We can’t call Him the “Son of man.” The angels people saw are spirit entities. They can’t be called the “Son of man.” Any spiritual being that looks like a human also isn’t the “Son of man.” The Lord Jesusincarnate was called the “Son of man,” and “Christ,” because He was the incarnate flesh of God’s Spirit, becoming an ordinary and normal man who just lived among man. So then, when the Lord Jesus said“the Son of man comes,” “the Son of man descends,” He meant in the last days He would become flesh again. Especially the words “But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation” better prove that the Lord would come through incarnation. If God didn’t become flesh but appeared in a spiritual body, He wouldn’t suffer as much, much less be rejected by this generation again, which is beyond doubt. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ will become flesh when He comes back and He will do the work of judgment in the last days.

what Specific Acts are Increasing lawlessness?

Answer: More lawlessness means mostly that religious leaders, pastors, and elders go against God’s will, and go their own way. They don’t obey God’s commandments, misinterpret the Bibleto shackle, control, and deceive people, drowning them in biblical theology, taking them further away from God, turning churches into places of religious ritual, and they treat their responsibilities and duties as access to status and job, which leads to many hypocritical acts that resist God in the church. Many people have exposed their unbelieving viewpoints. They pursue worldly pleasures, depart from the way of the Lord, and even treat God’s words as mere myth. They do not believe at all that the Lord Jesus will come again to speak and do work. Especially religious leaders without any fear of God in their hearts, and all kinds of evil men and unbelievers who do not love the truth are exposed, openly committing evil acts, denying God’s work of the last days, and rejecting the truth. Those religious pastors and elders primarily preach biblical knowledge and theology. They strive to protect their own status, influence and income, but they refuse to follow the Lord’s way or spread the Lord’s word. They don’t exalt or testify the Lord at all. Instead, they preach things that betray the truth in God’s word, using traditions to deceive and control people, stubbornly taking the Pharisees’ path of resistance to God. Many religious pastors and elders also pursue worldly pleasures. They seek fashion, lust for money, and struggle for position. They are purely men of the world, purely unbelievers. Infuriating is that these religious leaders, pastors and elders wildly condemn God’s work in the last days to deceive and control the believers. They even collude with the CCP, standing with Satan against God, striving to create their own kingdoms, and re-crucifying God, for which God hates and curses them. These lawless acts are facts apparent to us all. They are nothing less than a betrayal from the religious world. Because of the increase in lawless acts, the faith and love of many believers has gone cold, and they are negative and weak. Because these religious leaders have chosen their own path and no longer follow God’s way, the work of the Holy Spirit has been withdrawn and the religious venues have been abandoned. The Holy Spirit’s work has moved to those who accept Almighty God’s work of the last days. These things reveal that God’s righteous disposition is intolerant of offense by man.

Why are so many churches hungry and desolate?

Questions and Answers About the Church Desolation: For years, we feel an emptiness in our church. We’ve lost the faith and love we had at the start, and become weaker and negative. The preachers sometimes feel lost and don’t know what to talk about. We feel we’ve lost the work of the Holy Spirit. We’ve looked everywhere for a church with the Holy Spirit’s work, but every church we see is as desolate as our own. Why are so many churches hungry and desolate?

Answer: The question you’ve asked is an important one. We all know that we live in the late period of the last days. The Lord Jesus once prophesied, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). Lawlessness in the world of religion is growing. Religious leaders don’t abide by the commandments. They abide by men’s traditions. They only preach biblical knowledge to show off and testify themselves. They don’t testify or exalt God at all. They’ve completely departed from the Lord’s way, which is why God rejects and eliminates them. This is mainly why the religious world has lost the work of the Holy Spirit. But also, it’s because the Lord Jesus has returned to flesh, and begun the work of “judgment beginning with the house of God.” When Christ of the last days—Almighty God expresses the truth of saving man to purify all who accept God’s work of the last days, the work of the Holy Spirit will turn to God’s work of the last days. Those who accept Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days will receive the work of the Holy Spirit, and receive the living water of life that quenches their thirst. God will make those who return before His throne overcomers, and bring them into accordance with His will. While those who remain in religion and refuse to accept God’s work of the last days will be left in dark desolation. This proves a prophecy in the Bible, “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. So two or three cities wandered to one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have you not returned to me, said the LORD” (Amos 4:7-8). Here, “one piece was rained on” refers to churches who accept and obey God’s work of judgment in the last days. They have accepted the present words of God, and so enjoyed provision of the living water of life that flows from the throne. “… and the piece whereupon it rained not withered” refers to the religious pastors and elders who refuse to practice the Lord’s words and disobey His commandments, and reject, resist, and condemn Almighty God’s work of the last days, which leads the religious world to be rejected and cursed by God, to lose completely the work of the Holy Spirit and access to the living water of life, and become trapped in desolation. Just like at the end of the Age of Law, when the temple, once so full of Jehovah’s glory, became desolate, the Jewish people didn’t hold to religious laws. They made improper sacrifices, and the temple became a place of trade, a den of thieves. Why did this happen? Primarily because the Jewish religious leaders didn’t abide by Jehovah’s laws and didn’t fear God in their hearts. They abided by men’s traditions, but rejected God’s commandments. They departed completely from the way of God and so lost the work of the Holy Spirit. And another reason was that God had been incarnated to do the work of redeeming mankind in the Age of Grace. God’s work had changed. All those who accepted the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work received the work of the Holy Spirit, and had a new way to practice, but those who rejected and resisted the work of the Lord Jesus were eliminated by God’s work and fell into dark desolation. If you want to receive the work of the Holy Spirit and gain provision of the living water of life, the most important thing you have to do is seek and investigate Almighty God’swork of the last days. That will solve the darkness in your spirits and the desolation in your church at the root of the problem. Don’t you think so?

The Fruits of Obeying God

Xie Cheng

A few days ago, my leader Sister Cheng told me that the church had a new work that required some manpower, and asked me whether I’d be willing to do it. Hearing my leader say this, I was beside myself with joy, and I thought: “For three months now, I’ve been reflecting on how I was replaced because my striving for fame and gain in my duties interrupted and disturbed the church’s work. Now, at last, I can perform my duty again! If my brothers and sisters knew this, they’d definitely pay special regard to me, and would think that I’ve made progress by experiencing this failure.” I agreed to do it there and then. After my leader had gone, every day I looked forward to receiving notice of my new duty, but the days went by and no notice arrived. What did arrive was a stack of paper documents, and my leader asked me to type them up. Holding this stack of paper documents, my heart was full of questions: “What’s the meaning of this? Wasn’t it agreed that I’d be doing a new duty? How then can I be asked to type up all these paper documents? What am I, a typist? What on earth’s going on? If I’m not going to be doing the new duty, then surely my leader has to tell me why!” My mind was in a whirl, and I was unwilling to accept the reality of the situation. Faced with this pile of documents, I thought: “Typing isn’t a real duty. Anyone can do this work. Aren’t I a little overqualified to stay at home just typing up all these documents? If I’m not able to do any important duty, my brothers and sisters will surely say that, after being replaced, I still don’t have any true knowledge of myself and have not truly reflected on myself. What’s more, if I’m staying at home typing all day, then no matter how much I do or how well I do it, no one will know about it and I won’t have a chance to shine. I’ll forever be just a nobody, without any possibility of being promoted or put to some important use.” I was filled with misgivings, but I couldn’t refuse; all I could do was accept the duty.

How Can One Find Happiness? A Retired Physician’s Experience Tells You

By Tian Tian, China

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.