I remember when I was first learning to share the gospel, I ran into Brother Xu in Hubei, a member of the Great Praise Church. Before long, we started chatting about how to welcome the Lord’s coming, and he said their leader always used to say that the Lord would come on a cloud to take them into His kingdom in the year 2000. Everyone waited for that with complete faith. But year after year went by, and the Lord still hadn’t come on a cloud. Their leader didn’t know how to explain this, so he just avoided talking about the Lord’s coming. Quite a few believers were confused, saying that disasters were growing and prophecies of the Lord’s coming had all been fulfilled, so it seemed He should have returned already. They wondered why they hadn’t seen the Lord come on a cloud yet. Brother Xu said he didn’t know how to explain that to brothers and sisters, either. I fellowshiped, “This question has stumped so many people in the religious world. Lots of people’s fervor is cooling over this, and some are asking if the Lord is coming before the disasters, in the middle of them, or afterward. Some are saying that it’s all up to the Lord, and all we can do is wait. Brother Xu, has it ever occurred to you that the Lord has already returned, and there’s a reason we haven’t welcomed Him after all these years? Maybe there’s something wrong with our own idea of how He’ll appear?” I gave him an example. If an important guest is coming to the front door, but we’re waiting by the back door, we’re in different places, so we could wait a hundred years without greeting them. Then I shared some fellowship on prophecies about the Lord’s coming. I said that everyone familiar with the Bible knows that there aren’t only prophecies about the Lord coming on a cloud, but there are also some about Him coming in secret as the Son of man. Like “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). “Behold, I come as a thief” (Revelation 16:15). “For in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes” (Matthew 24:44). “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). These verses all prophesy the Lord’s second coming as the Son of man. “The Son of man” always refers to God in the flesh, so if we delimit the Lord’s coming as just being on a cloud, how would those prophecies about the Son of man be fulfilled? Then I said to him, “The Lord returns in secret first, and then openly appears. Based on the Scripture’s prophecies, God will become flesh in the last days first, expressing truths and doing the work of judgment among man. Those who hear God’s voice and accept His work of the last days will be lifted up before His throne. Through His words’ judgment and cleansing, God will complete a group of overcomers before the disaster, and after they’ve been completed by God, God incarnate’s work among man in secret will be done, and He’ll rain down disasters to reward good and punish evil. After that, He’ll openly appear on a cloud to all countries and all peoples. Those who are staring up at the sky waiting for Him to come down will miss out on God incarnate’s work of salvation, and will fall into disaster, weeping and gnashing their teeth, which will fulfill this prophecy from Revelation: ‘Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him’ (Revelation 1:7).” Brother Xu was really surprised at this point. That went entirely against all his old ideas. Then I fellowshiped, “The Lord Jesus told us a long time ago that to welcome the Lord, we mainly need to listen for God’s voice. The Lord Jesus said, ‘My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me’ (John 10:27). It says in Revelation, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me’ (Revelation 3:20). ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation Chapters 2, 3). Why does it say seven times in Revelation that we need to listen for the Holy Spirit? It’s pointing out our path: The key to welcoming the Lord is seeking the Holy Spirit’s words to the churches, making sure to listen for God’s voice. Those who hear God’s voice and welcome the Lord are the wise virgins. Those who don’t hear God’s voice are the foolish virgins who won’t welcome the Lord.” As Brother Xu listened, his eyes lit up and he kept nodding.

Then I read a passage of Almighty God’s words. Almighty God says, “I was once known as Jehovah. I was also called the Messiah, and people once called Me Jesus the Savior with love and esteem. Today, however, I am no longer the Jehovah or Jesus that people knew in times past; I am the God who has returned in the last days, the God who shall bring the age to an end. I am the God Himself that rises up from the end of the earth, replete with My entire disposition, and full of authority, honor, and glory. People have never engaged with Me, never known Me, and have always been ignorant of My disposition. From the creation of the world until today, not one person has seen Me. This is the God who appears to man in the last days but is hidden among man. He resides among man, true and real, like the burning sun and the blazing flame, filled with power and brimming with authority. There is not a single person or thing that shall not be judged by My words, and not a single person or thing that shall not be purified through the burning of fire. Eventually, all nations shall be blessed because of My words, and also smashed to pieces because of My words. In this way, all people during the last days shall see that I am the Savior returned, and that I am the Almighty God that conquers all of mankind. And all shall see that I was once the sin offering for man, but that in the last days I also become the flames of the sun that incinerate all things, as well as the Sun of righteousness that reveals all things. This is My work in the last days. I took this name and am possessed of this disposition so that all people may see that I am a righteous God, the burning sun, the blazing flame, and so that all may worship Me, the one true God, and so that they may see My true face: I am not only the God of the Israelites, and I am not just the Redeemer; I am the God of all creatures throughout the heavens and the earth and the seas” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a “White Cloud”). After that, he got excited and said, “This is so authoritative. It must have come from God. No human could say something like that!” Then he said, “Waiting for the Lord, all I’ve known to do is listen to the religious world’s clergy, but I’ve neglected to seek the Holy Spirit’s words. I’ve been incredibly foolish!” I was thrilled to see how well he was understanding it. We read lots more of Almighty God’s words after that, like “The Mystery of the Incarnation,” “Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth,” “Knowing the Three Stages of God’s Work Is the Path to Knowing God,” and “Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life.” While reading, Brother Xu said emotionally, “Almighty God has revealed all these truths and mysteries we’ve never known after years of faith. This is God’s voice, and God’s words! The Lord has returned! I’ve finally welcomed Him after all this time! I have to share this good news with other brothers and sisters right away.” So Brother Xu and I set off to share the gospel together. We’d converted over 20 people in no time. They all said how fortunate they were to welcome the Lord within their lifetime, and they wanted to gather every day.

But a couple days later I went to a gathering with Brother Yang, and the moment I walked in, something felt off. One of them ran up to us and said, “Are you guys some sort of mafia? Are you sharing the gospel, or trying to get money? If you don’t explain everything, I’m reporting you to the police!” The others were all surrounding us and some said we were stealing sheep from their church. It was the first time I’d experienced something like that and I didn’t know how to handle it. Seeing more than 20 people being so confrontational with us, I was nervous and a little afraid. I was thinking that they were determined to report us to the police, and if we got into the cops’ hands, who knows how we’d be tortured. I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could, and I was calling out to God, asking Him to guide us. Then I thought of some of God’s words: “Has it ever occurred to you how grieved and anxious God’s heart is? How can He bear to see innocent mankind, whom He created with His own hands, suffering such torment? Human beings, after all, are the victims who have been poisoned. And although man has survived to this day, who would have known that mankind has long been poisoned by the evil one? Have you forgotten that you are one of the victims? Are you not willing to strive, out of your love for God, to save these survivors? Are you not willing to devote all of your energy to repaying God, who loves mankind like His own flesh and blood?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. How Should You Attend to Your Future Mission?). This was really moving for me. I’d been just like them right after accepting the gospel, listening to all those lies from the religious world and the CCP government. I had doubts and concerns, and it took brothers and sisters risking arrest to fellowship with me over and over for me to let my guard down, until I finally understood the truth, gained discernment, and came into God’s house. God paid a great price for me, but I wanted to run at the first sign of danger, to just abandon those brothers and sisters. It was inhumane! God wanted me to bring more true believers who long for God’s appearance before Him, to accept His salvation. That was God’s urgent wish. If at that time I became a deserter, God would be so hurt and disappointed. I knew I absolutely had to stay and really fellowship with them, to do my duty. Encouraged by God’s words, I mustered up my courage and said, “Brothers and sisters, I understand how you feel. You’re afraid of going astray in your faith. We’ve been fellowshiping on God’s words every day for over two weeks. Have you seen us act like we’re part of the underworld? Think about it. After all this time, have we taken a single cent from you? We haven’t. It’s good to have caution in this. What’s key is understanding the principles of discerning the true way from false ways. Without that, and without seeking the truth, but always listening to other people, you’re bound to end up on the wrong path. We all know that when the Lord Jesus was working in the Age of Grace, the Pharisees made up all sorts of rumors about Him to keep believers from following Him. They said Jesus cast out demons with the demon king’s help, and bore false testimony that He hadn’t resurrected. The Jewish people who didn’t listen to the Lord Jesus’ truths but blindly followed their religious leaders resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus along with them, ultimately having Him nailed to the cross, and were damned and punished by God. Now the Lord Jesus has come back as Almighty God, expressing all truths required to cleanse and save mankind. You’ve heard Almighty God’s words in our gatherings, and have acknowledged that they are the truth, that they’re authoritative and powerful. They’re clearly from God. But you’re not thinking about whether Almighty God’s words are the truth and the voice of God, or whether The Church of Almighty God has the Holy Spirit’s work and the sustenance of truth, but just blindly listen to the clergy, denying and condemning Almighty God. Isn’t that nailing the Lord to the cross again?” Almighty God says, “The return of Jesus is a great salvation for those who are capable of accepting the truth, but for those who are unable to accept the truth it is a sign of condemnation. You should choose your own path, and should not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and reject the truth. You should not be an ignorant and arrogant person, but someone who obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit and longs for and seeks the truth; only in this way will you benefit. I advise you to tread the path of belief in God with care. Do not jump to conclusions; what is more, do not be casual and thoughtless in your belief in God. You should know that, at the very least, those who believe in God should be humble and reverential. Those who have heard the truth and yet turn their nose up at it are foolish and ignorant. Those who have heard the truth and yet carelessly jump to conclusions or condemn it are beset by arrogance. No one who believes in Jesus is qualified to curse or condemn others. You should all be someone with sense and who accepts the truth. Perhaps, having heard the way of truth and having read the word of life, you believe that only one in 10,000 of these words are in line with your convictions and the Bible, and then you should continue to seek in that 10,000th of these words. I still advise you to be humble, to not be over-confident, and to not exalt yourself too highly. With your heart holding such meager reverence for God, you will gain greater light. If you carefully examine and repeatedly contemplate these words, you shall understand whether or not they are the truth, and whether or not they are life. Perhaps, having only read a few sentences, some people will blindly condemn these words, saying, ‘This is nothing more than some enlightenment of the Holy Spirit,’ or, ‘This is a false Christ come to deceive people.’ Those who say such things are blinded by ignorance! You understand too little of the work and wisdom of God, and I advise you to start again from scratch! You must not blindly condemn the words expressed by God because of the appearance of false Christs during the last days, and you must not be someone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit because you fear deception. Would that not be a great pity? If, after much examination, you still believe that these words are not the truth, are not the way, and are not the expression of God, then you shall ultimately be punished, and you shall be without blessings. If you cannot accept such truth spoken so plainly and so clearly, then are you not unfit for God’s salvation? Are you not someone who is not blessed enough to return before the throne of God? Think about it! Do not be rash and impetuous, and do not treat belief in God as a game. Think for the sake of your destination, for the sake of your prospects, for the sake of your life, and do not play yourself. Can you accept these words?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. By the Time You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus, God Will Have Made Heaven and Earth Anew). They relaxed a lot after listening to God’s words and quietly left one by one.

Brother Li who was hosting us told us later that high-up leaders in their church had given them an anti-Eastern Lightning booklet that said we were an underworld group that took people’s money. That was what scared all of them. Brother Li said, “I’d never host you if what that booklet says was true, but since your fellowship is so good, I don’t want to kick you out. And where would you go in the dead of winter? There are some leftovers that you two can have, and you can stay the night in the attic room.” He was a little guarded. Brother Yang said, “Today they almost called the police on us. If their leaders come, who knows what they’ll do to us? It’s dangerous here—we should leave.” I was afraid, too, but then I thought that we couldn’t just cast these new believers aside because they were taken in by rumors. Just leaving at a time like that would be the end of them. Then I remembered a passage of God’s words. “You should know whether there is true faith and true loyalty within you, whether you have a record of suffering for God, and whether you have wholly submitted to God. If you lack these, then there remains within you disobedience, deceit, greed, and complaint. As your heart is far from honest, you have never received positive recognition from God and never lived in the light” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Three Admonitions). Thinking over this, I saw that no matter how much danger and suffering there is in preaching, disregarding personal interests and safety, paying a price, bringing people before God, helping them learn truth and accept God’s salvation is having faith in God, and that is being devout. I thought of the Lord’s apostles and disciples. They suffered plenty of oppression and hardship while sharing the gospel. Some were arrested and imprisoned, and some gave up their lives. The Bible says, “And the whole world lies in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). Sharing the gospel in such a dark, evil world is a road full of danger and hardship. Who wouldn’t suffer and pay a price while doing that? I knew I couldn’t turn tail, but I had to lean on God to perform my duty. I shared my thoughts with Brother Yang after that, and he also decided to stay and keep on. The two of us prayed to God together, asking Him to guide us, to give us wisdom and the resolve to withstand suffering and face difficulties.

That night we couldn’t sleep at all in that cold, drafty attic room, so we fellowshiped and encouraged each other. We thought of an experiential hymn, “God’s Love Has Melted My Heart.” “O God! Your love is so real, it has melted my heart. You patiently await man’s repentance, so how could I hesitate any longer? I’ve enjoyed so much of Your love, and should be even more considerate of Your will; I resolve to pursue the truth, perform my duty well, and repay Your love. I’m willing to endure trials, refinement, and hardship, stand firm in my testimony, and satisfy You. I will truly love You and live by Your words; I will forever follow and testify to You” (Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs). Singing this was incredibly moving for me, and I felt that even though we’d suffered, God really was with us, by our sides through these hardships. Compared to God’s love and the price He’s paid, our tiny bit of suffering isn’t worth mentioning. I thought of how God has incarnated twice for our salvation, suffering so much, but I was complaining about the slightest hardship when spreading the gospel. I wanted to run away and abandon those brothers and sisters. I didn’t have any conscience or reason. I felt that I owed God so much. I said a prayer, ready to give everything I had to get them back. I didn’t feel so awful when I thought about it that way.

The next morning, we were helping Brother Li chop up grass for the pigs as usual. We heard one of the church co-workers in the kitchen say to him, “I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I was thinking about those two brothers who’ve been sharing the gospel with us for a couple weeks. They don’t seem anything like what that booklet says about them. We pulled together a little money for their travel expenses, but they wouldn’t accept any of it, and they gave us the books for free. They said the living water of life is given to people freely. What they preach is wonderful, too. It’s nurturing for all of us, and we have faith now.” He went on, “When have you seen brothers and sisters so excited to participate in gatherings? This is the Holy Spirit’s work. But as for our clergy, they’re not fellowshiping anything, really, but are always asking for more offerings, and we have to serve them nice meals. These brothers set a better example than our clergy.” Then Brother Li said, “I couldn’t sleep, either. These brothers haven’t turned up their noses at very simple food and drink, and they’re ready to help with any chores. They feel like family, and not at all like the things our leaders say about them. Yesterday, influenced by the leaders, I just gave them half a bowl of leftovers and had them sleep in that shabby attic room. I don’t know how they managed it, with the weather this cold. I shouldn’t have done that.” Then he said, “I’m taking a stance. Even if the others don’t accept Almighty God, I am.” That co-worker said that after breakfast, he’d get everyone together for a gathering. We were so excited when we overheard their conversation and I silently thanked God over and over. Through more fellowship, all those brothers and sisters started gathering normally again without losing a single one. They told us excitedly that they were nearly fooled by their clergy, almost missing their chance to welcome the Lord.

When their clergy saw their lies weren’t working, they went crazy trying to keep their congregation from the true way. One day when visiting Brother Xu, just as I walked in the door, he seemed scared and said, “You guys have to leave.” I asked him what was wrong, and he said their upper leaders knew we were there sharing the gospel and were determined to get us arrested and taken to the police station, that he couldn’t protect us, so we had to leave. He told us that when we’d shared the gospel at his house, one of their church leaders had said he’d get us arrested and was already on his way, but didn’t make it because of some sort of mishap. We were nearly arrested. Honestly, I was pretty scared at the time and I thought about leaving. But then I thought that if we did leave and just gave up, that’d be letting Satan win. And in this way the gospel couldn’t be spread here. At that thought, I immediately said a prayer. Then I remembered these passages of God’s words: “Of everything that occurs in the universe, there is nothing in which I do not have the final say. Is there anything that is not in My hands?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Words to the Entire Universe, Chapter 1). “We trust that no country or power can stand in the way of what God wishes to achieve. Those who obstruct God’s work, resist the word of God and disturb and impair the plan of God shall ultimately be punished by God” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind). This gave me faith and strength. All things are in God’s hands and no force can stop His work. Whether those religious leaders came, whether we were arrested was all in God’s hands. That time they were determined to get us but turned back halfway, wasn’t that entirely God’s wondrous deed, God’s plan and arrangement? I had to get through that relying on my faith, and with wisdom, leaning on God. Only through faith could I see God’s deeds. Once I understood God’s will, I gave Brother Xu fellowship using God’s words and then he didn’t feel so afraid. He told us we should go hide out at Brother Li’s place.

One day on my way to Brother Li’s house, I ran into one of his neighbors. He rushed to stop me, saying, “Are you that fearless? Yesterday a bunch of cops came for you. Why are you coming back when they’ve barely left?” I realized they’d called the police, and wondered if they’d gotten Brother Yang. I rushed over to Brother Li’s house and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw everyone was there. They told me the police had gone door to door looking for two evangelists from out of town and searched Brother Li’s house, inside and out. Brother Yang was in the kitchen making food right then. The cops ignored him, mistaking him for a local. When I heard about Brother Yang’s close call, I thanked God over and over. We can see God’s deeds at any time, anywhere. Their religious leaders and the CCP government were in a frenzy trying to stop the gospel from spreading, but the brothers and sisters didn’t pull back. They’d seen the clergy for the hypocrites against God that they were and had more discernment. Their resolve to follow Almighty God was strengthened. God’s wisdom really is carried out based on Satan’s trickery. I personally experienced the truth in that saying.

There’s always the risk of being reported, or of being attacked by religious leaders or arrested by police. But mostly I can see God’s guidance and His wondrous deeds in the course of sharing the gospel. One time in Hunan Province, a mid-level leader in a house church, Sister Jiang, and her co-worker, Brother Chen, accepted God’s work of the last days, then shared it with the members of their church. Over 100 people joined before long. One day, a brother came to let us know that when their other church leaders found out so many had accepted God’s work of the last days, they were infuriated and were planning to drive a truck with over 20 people in it to come get the Eastern Lightning people, and said they’d get every single one. This was a really stressful thing to hear and I wanted to make sure all our people were safe, and that the new believers weren’t scared off. I immediately said a prayer to God: “Almighty God! When I faced danger in the past, I always selfishly protected myself. I’ve experienced so much of Your work and seen so many of Your deeds. I believe everything is in Your hands. I won’t turn tail and run this time, but I’ll take on my responsibility and do my duty.” We worked through the night to notify everyone who was sharing the gospel, and prepared to face that challenge by leaning on God. The next morning when I opened the door, everything was still. Heavy snow had blocked all the roads, and everything was frozen. The clergy all lived down the mountain and they couldn’t get up the mountain no matter how many people they got. We could keep sharing the gospel without any worries. I saw how miraculous God’s actions really are. Everyone was overjoyed and thanked God nonstop.

The next afternoon when seven of us were gathering at Sister Jiang’s place, her son and his girlfriend came back unexpectedly. Her place was too small for all of us, so we had to take the gathering to a nearby house. Shortly after we’d moved Sister Jiang received a call and we could hear a police officer yelling, “This is the police! Where are you? We have your house surrounded.” The police were surrounding the place we’d just been gathering in. If it hadn’t been for that last minute change, we’d all have been arrested. Someone reported that Sister Jiang had kidnapped Liu Jing. She was a new believer who was helping us spread the gospel. Sister Jiang handed the phone to Liu Jing, the police asked some questions, confirmed she wasn’t kidnapped, then hung up. When Sister Jiang asked, the police said it was another believer who’d reported it. She was really angry when she hung up and said, “Our clergy have really crossed a line! How can they call themselves believers? How could they make up lies to get us arrested?” I fellowshiped with her that 2,000 years ago when the Lord Jesus came, the Pharisees wanted to protect their status, so they made up lies about the Lord Jesus, falsely accused Him, and got Him arrested. They put Him into the Roman governor’s hands and had Him crucified. They were exposed as antichrists through God’s work. The religious pastors and elders are their modern-day equivalent. Seeing Almighty God expressing truths to save people, they’re not only refusing to hand God’s sheep over to God, but when they see so many people following Almighty God, they’re afraid of losing their positions, so they become enraged and report to the police to get brothers and sisters arrested. How are they different from the Pharisees? Aren’t they evil servants, antichrists exposed by God’s work of the last days? Because of the urgency of the situation, there wasn’t time for more fellowship. There were so many more new believers in that mountain village who didn’t have a strong foundation yet. If the church clergy disrupted them or they faced arrest, it would be hard for them to stand strong, so we started making plans to offer them support as soon as possible. We split up into teams of three, and walked from 7 that night all the way until 9 the next morning. The roads were so icy it was almost impossible to walk on them. We had straps tied around our shoes for traction, but every step was difficult. We fell countless times, and one brother injured his arm, which became badly swollen. One sister climbed partway up a hill, then slid right back down, narrowly avoiding falling off a cliff. Seeing how hard we brothers and sisters were working to offer them support, the newcomers were so moved, and said that could only be done with the Holy Spirit’s work. They felt even more certain this is the true way.

There was one car crash after another because of the icy conditions. There was a caravan of escorts for a bride that slid off the road, and quite a few went off a cliff. No one survived. The religious leaders and police didn’t dare come up the mountain, so we used that chance to share the gospel more. Before long, over 200 brothers and sisters had accepted God’s work of the last days and they gradually gained a foundation on the true way. When the ice started melting, those church clergy took a group of people to stop these brothers and sisters, but they’d all gained discernment and stopped listening to them. This made them so angry that they reported all the new believers by name to the police. The police went to their houses, threatening to arrest them and send them to jail, and telling them to report everyone else who’d accepted Almighty God, that they’d lose their jobs if they didn’t share what they knew. There was a teacher who gave up her faith because of the police’s threats, but most stayed strong with that period of support. They had the faith to get through it without retreating. This also helped them see their church clergy more clearly. Sister Jiang said, full of emotion, “I always used to really adulate our church’s upper leaders and I’d receive them with the best I had whenever they visited. But now, just because I’ve accepted Almighty God and welcomed the Lord’s return, and I don’t follow and idolize them anymore, they falsely reported me to the police for kidnapping. That’s so evil! They’re not true believers who will welcome the Lord, but a gang of antichrists who are fighting with God for status and His people. They’re modern-day Pharisees.” I read her a passage of Almighty God’s words. Almighty God says, “There are those who read the Bible in grand churches and recite it all day long, yet not one among them understands the purpose of God’s work. Not one among them is able to know God; still less can any one among them accord with God’s will. They are all worthless, vile people, each standing on high to lecture God. They willfully oppose God even as they carry His banner. Claiming faith in God, still they eat the flesh and drink the blood of man. All such people are devils that devour the soul of man, head demons that deliberately get in the way of those trying to step onto the right path, and stumbling blocks impeding those who seek God. They may appear of ‘sound constitution,’ but how are their followers to know that they are none other than antichrists who lead people to stand against God? How are their followers to know that they are living devils dedicated to the devouring of human souls?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. All People Who Do Not Know God Are People Who Oppose God). The combination of the facts and God’s words showed everyone that the religious leaders serve God in name, but in reality, they’re just greedy for the benefits of status. They keep believers firmly controlled within their grasp, not bothering to seek or investigate when they hear the Lord has returned. They’re just scared of losing their status and its benefits. They try every trick in the book to keep believers from accepting the true way, concocting lies to mislead and scare people, even reporting to the police to get people with The Church of Almighty God arrested. Aren’t they “devils that devour the soul of man” and “head demons that deliberately get in the way of those trying to step onto the right path”? If God hadn’t set things up to expose them, who would have seen their antichrist nature and essence? Even though their clergy was going crazy trying to stand in their way, they all stayed strong, and saw what sort of people they really were. That was God’s wisdom and almightiness.

Over all these years, not only have I gained wisdom and insight, but my faith has become stronger, and it’s become clearer to me how the religious world, the clergy work against God. I’ve personally experienced that God is almighty and rules over everything. No matter how crazed Satan’s evil forces may be, they’ll never stop the expansion of God’s work. Just as God says, “Today, God has returned to the world to do His work. His first stop is the exemplar of dictatorial rulership: China, the staunch bastion of atheism. God has gained a group of people by His wisdom and power. During this period, He has been hunted by China’s ruling party by every means and subjected to great suffering, with no place to rest His head, unable to find shelter. Despite this, God still continues the work He intends to do: He utters His voice and spreads the gospel. None can fathom the almightiness of God. In China, a country that regards God as an enemy, God has never ceased His work. Instead, more people have accepted His work and word, for God saves each and every member of mankind to the greatest extent possible. We trust that no country or power can stand in the way of what God wishes to achieve. Those who obstruct God’s work, resist the word of God and disturb and impair the plan of God shall ultimately be punished by God” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind). All these years on this path, I’ve truly witnessed God’s almightiness, wisdom, and wondrous deeds. I’m so grateful to God!