By Sun Yu, China

I became a Christian in the year 2000. South Korean pastors would share sermons with us pretty frequently. In one service, a pastor read a passage of Scripture, then told us to be tolerant and patient in all things—that it’s not by listening to sermons, but by putting them into practice that we bring glory to God. Only then can we enter the kingdom of heaven. From that time on, I began treating my family and friends with love and kindness. If anyone offended me, I’d pray to the Lord to help me forgive them. Once or twice, it wasn’t a problem. But over time, I couldn’t maintain it. Sometimes I’d lose my cool, and lecture them on some little thing. I’d feel guilty after that. Constantly sinning and confessing, I couldn’t break free from the bonds of sin. Would I then be taken into the kingdom when the Lord comes? I reached out to my pastor to ask how to resolve the problem of sin. He told me to confess and repent—pray more, read the Bible more, and be tolerant and patient. Every time he said this, without directing me toward a specific path, I was disappointed. I thought of God’s words, “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). And in Hebrews it says, “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). I felt that someone like me—always sinning and confessing, unable to practice the Lord’s words—couldn’t enter the kingdom of heaven. I was miserable every day. Later, I noticed the church was rife with jealousy and infighting. Fighting for the podium, a preacher threw an older preacher’s Bible onto the ground in a service and crowded him out. Some people were even conducting business in the church. I thought of the Lord Jesus’ words: “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13). How could a church like that have the work of the Holy Spirit? Was this not a den of thieves? I felt no way to gain sustenance from those services and my issue of sinning would never be resolved. I wanted to find a church with the Holy Spirit’s work. My elder sister took me to some other churches, but they were all in the same state. When I asked them how to escape sin, none of them could point out a path. They said the Lord Jesus has already forgiven us—we just need to pray and repent. That made me feel empty. I didn’t even want to attend services anymore. One day I had a sudden idea: Perhaps God wasn’t at work in the churches around here? When the Korean pastors had visited, they’d seemed pious—coming all the way to China to shepherd churches. They had so much faith. Was God at work in Korean churches? I’d seek a church with the work of the Holy Spirit there.

In 2007, my elder sister and I took our families to Korea. She introduced me to a church where many Chinese attended services. Church members helped Chinese people find jobs, so we could make a living. The members of that church were really loving, so I attended services there—perhaps they had the work of the Holy Spirit. During a service, the pastor said, “On my most recent trip to China, I heard God has already returned, that He appeared and is working in China, and is called Almighty God. But China is a backward country. Its people are uncultured. God is so great—how could He possibly appear and work there? Many are spreading the preaching of Eastern Lightning. Do not listen. With stature as small as yours, once involved, you’ll never get out.” When I heard him say this, I fully agreed. So many churches in China lack the work of the Holy Spirit. The government there oppresses believers, and the Chinese people worship idols. Could God appear and work in China? That would be impossible.

Soon, I found that while the pastor preached with eloquence, what he did afterward was another matter; he wasn’t practicing the Lord’s way. I was so discouraged. When I asked the pastor about how to resolve sinfulness, he said irritably, “Everyone is corrupt. Sinning is normal. Confess to the Lord, and you’ll be forgiven. Because you are willing to repent, the Lord has already forgiven your sins.” What the pastor said disgusted me. Why was he saying the exact same thing as the Chinese pastors? Sin cannot be cast off in an instant. There must be at least some change. Why bother confessing, if we don’t change anything at all? Doesn’t that make us the same as the unbelievers? Then is there any meaning in believing? Time after time I was disappointed, but I didn’t want to give up. I believed that the Lord wouldn’t cast me aside, that one day I’d find a church with the Holy Spirit’s work. I mulled over this issue a lot after that. While walking the streets, I was looking for crosses, for Christian churches, and if I heard positive things about any pastor’s sermons, I’d walk through wind, rain, snow, or sleet, clinging to a shred of hope, to listen, longing for my confusion to be resolved. I visited over 40 churches in Korea without finding a single one that had the Holy Spirit’s work. None of the pastors could resolve my problem. At a loss, I tossed and turned through sleepless nights. I called out from my heart, “Oh Lord, where on earth can You be? Have You abandoned me?” In those years, I felt a great weight on my heart—I was depressed, and in pain.

In the midst of this pain and desperation, in June 2015, my elder sister came to my house and told me happily, “I have great news! The Lord came back a long time ago. He appeared and is working in China, expressing lots of truths. The gospel has made it to Korea now.” I thought, “God is working in China? How could that be?” I said obstinately, “A pastor told us back in 2009 that there’s no way God would work in China, because China is backward and the people are uncultured. God is honorable and great—why would He work in China?” Then I just went to wash the dishes. She took out a book and said patiently, “This book, The Scroll Opened by the Lamb, contains words expressed by God in the last days. I’ll read some of it for you.”

Almighty God says, “When Jesus came into the world of man, He ushered in the Age of Grace and ended the Age of Law. During the last days, God once more became flesh, and with this incarnation He ended the Age of Grace and ushered in the Age of Kingdom. All those who are able to accept the second incarnation of God will be led into the Age of Kingdom, and will moreover become able to personally accept the guidance of God. Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering; He did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to become the sin offering and bear the sins of man, but it also required God to do even greater work to rid man completely of his satanically corrupted disposition. And so, now that man has been forgiven of his sins, God has returned to the flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment. This work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and they shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.

“If people remain stuck in the Age of Grace, then they shall never be rid of their corrupt disposition, let alone know the inherent disposition of God. If people always live in the midst of an abundance of grace, but do not have the way of life that allows them to know God or to satisfy Him, then they will never truly gain Him in their belief in Him. This type of belief is pitiful indeed. When you have finished reading this book, when you have experienced each step of the work of God incarnate in the Age of Kingdom, you will feel that desires you have had for many years have finally been realized. You will feel that only now have you truly seen God face to face; only now have you gazed upon His countenance, heard His personal utterances, appreciated the wisdom of His work, and truly sensed how real and almighty He is. You will feel that you have gained many things that people in times past had never seen nor possessed. At this time, you will clearly know what it is to believe in God, and what it is to conform to God’s will. Of course, if you cling to views of the past, and reject or deny the fact of the second incarnation of God, then you will remain empty-handed, acquiring nothing, and ultimately you will be pronounced guilty of opposing God. Those who are able to obey the truth and submit to the work of God shall be claimed under the name of the second incarnate God—the Almighty. They will be able to accept God’s personal guidance, gaining more and higher truths, as well as real life. They shall behold the vision never seen before by people of the past: ‘And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the middle of the seven candlesticks one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; And His feet like to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shines in its strength’ (Revelation 1:12–16). This vision is the expression of God’s entire disposition, and the expression of His entire disposition is also the expression of the work of God in His present incarnation” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Preface). Listening to this, I was taken aback. This revealed the mysteries of the Book of Revelation. It was so authoritative—no human could have uttered those words. I thought of the authority with which the Lord Jesus spoke when He came to work, and wondered if these really were God’s utterances. Immediately my spirit surged, and I started listening carefully. Particularly when my sister read some prophecies from Revelation, I was thinking that they weren’t something any person could interpret. Revelation tells us, “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Revelation 5:5). Only the Lamb, only God could unveil these mysteries. Was this the word of God? Was it possible He had appeared and was working in China? Could I find the answer to what had been bewildering me all these years in that book? I became very curious about this. Just then, my sister read this: “They are also the fulfillment of these words in Revelation: ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ These words represent the initial stage of the work that God began in the Age of Kingdom” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Preface). That interested me further—wasn’t this the prophecy in the Book of Revelation? Had prophecies in Revelation been fulfilled? Were these God’s words? Wanting to read it thoroughly, I asked my sister to leave it with me. I was overcome with joy when she handed the book to me. I couldn’t wait to open it. But I also had some concerns. Was this book actually in accord with the Scripture? I put both a Bible and this book on the bed side by side, comparing them. In the book, I read this passage. “Only when I pass into the new heaven and earth do I take the other part of My glory and reveal it first in the land of Canaan, causing a glimmer of light to shine forth in the whole earth, sunk in the pitchy darkness of night, that the whole earth may come to the light; that men all over the earth may come to draw strength from the power of the light, allowing My glory to increase and appear anew to every nation; and that all humanity may realize that I have long ago come to the human world and long ago brought My glory from Israel to the East; for My glory shines from the East and it was brought over from the Age of Grace to this day. But it was from Israel that I departed and from there that I arrived in the East. Only when the light of the East gradually turns white will the darkness across the earth begin to turn to light, and only then will man discover that I have long ago gone from Israel and am rising anew in the East. Having once descended into Israel and later departed from it, I cannot again be born into Israel, because My work leads all of the universe and, what is more, the lightning flashes straight from East to West. For this reason I have descended in the East and brought Canaan to the people of the East. I shall bring people from all over the earth to the land of Canaan, and so I continue to issue forth utterances in the land of Canaan to control the entire universe. At this time, there is no light in all the earth apart from Canaan, and all men are imperiled by hunger and cold. I gave My glory to Israel and then took it away, thereby bringing the Israelites to the East and all of humanity to the East. I have brought them all to the light so that they may be reunited with it, and be in association with it, and no longer have to search for it. I shall let all who are searching see the light again and see the glory I had in Israel; I shall let them see that I have long ago come down upon a white cloud into the midst of mankind, let them see the countless clouds of white and fruits in their abundant clusters, and, what is more, let them see Jehovah God of Israel. I shall let them look upon the Master of the Jews, the longed-for Messiah, and the full appearance of Me who have been persecuted by kings throughout the ages. I shall work upon the entire universe and I shall perform great work, revealing all My glory and all My deeds to man in the last days. I shall show My glorious countenance in its fullness to those who have waited many years for Me, to those who have longed for Me to come upon a white cloud, to Israel that has longed for Me to appear once again, and to all mankind who persecute Me, so that all will know that I have long ago taken away My glory and brought it to the East, and it is no longer in Judea. For the last days have already come!” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Seven Thunders Peal—Prophesying That the Gospel of the Kingdom Shall Spread Throughout the Universe). I then compared it to a prophecy in the Bible: “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). It matched up with the Lord Jesus’ words—it was totally in line with the Bible. Who aside from God could unlock these mysteries? These words drew me in—the more I read, the more I wanted to read. I felt like in this book, I’d find the answer to the confusion in my heart.

I read another passage after that. “Since we are searching for the footprints of God, it behooves us to search for God’s will, for the words of God, for His utterances—because wherever there are new words spoken by God, the voice of God is there, and wherever there are the footsteps of God, God’s deeds are there. Wherever there is the expression of God, there God appears, and wherever God appears, there the truth, the way, and the life exist. In seeking God’s footprints, you have ignored the words ‘God is the truth, the way, and the life.’ And so, many people, even when they receive the truth, do not believe that they have found God’s footprints, and still less do they acknowledge the appearance of God. What a grave mistake! The appearance of God cannot be reconciled with man’s notions, still less can God appear at the behest of man. God makes His own choices and His own plans when He does His work; moreover, He has His own objectives and His own methods. Whatever work He does, He has no need to discuss it with man or seek his advice, much less to notify each and every person of His work. This is the disposition of God, which should, moreover, be recognized by everyone. If you desire to witness the appearance of God, to follow God’s footsteps, then you must first walk away from your own notions. You must not demand that God do this or that, much less should you place Him within your own confines and limit Him to your own notions. Instead, you should demand of yourselves how you ought to seek God’s footprints, how you ought to accept God’s appearance, and how you ought to submit to the new work of God: This is what man should do. Since man is not the truth, and is not possessed of the truth, he should seek, accept, and obey” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 4: Beholding the Appearance of God in His Judgment and Chastisement). I read this passage twice in a row. I was thinking that wherever the voice of God can be found, His footsteps can also be found. That’s where God appears. Were those really God’s words? No one aside from God could say anything like that. That’s what they read in The Church of Almighty God, so maybe God was working in that church. I was thrilled, and continued reading.

Later, I came across this passage. “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” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind). But when I read this part, “Today, God has returned to the world to do His work. His first stop is the exemplar of dictatorial rulership: China,” I immediately paused, feeling disappointed. With my eyes fixed on those two sentences, I just kept thinking, “God, in China? How could that be? Maybe I shouldn’t read it—what if I go astray?” But then I thought these words seemed like the voice of God. If I didn’t look into it and the Lord really had returned, wouldn’t I miss out on my chance? I felt incredibly torn and couldn’t stop wondering: Why would God appear and work in China? I compared this to the Bible and read what the Lord Jesus said: “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). Was “the east” a reference to China? But China was so backward, and atheism had total power in the country. Could God appear and work in China? This book very clearly stated that this was so. Still I was hesitant—should I continue, or give up? Then I thought about how much I’d struggled in my search, all those years. So as long as there was a glimmer of hope, I couldn’t give up. So I decided to go to The Church of Almighty God to investigate.

The next day, I went to The Church of Almighty God. A brother was in the middle of a sermon, talking about precisely what I’d been wondering—how to be freed from sin. He was reading Almighty God’s words. “In the Age of Grace, the demons were cast out from man with the laying on of hands and prayer, but the corrupt dispositions within man still remained. Man was healed of his sickness and forgiven his sins, but as for just how man was to be purged of the corrupt satanic dispositions within him, this work had yet to be done. Man was only saved and forgiven his sins for his faith, but the sinful nature of man was not extirpated and still remained within him. The sins of man were forgiven through the agency of the incarnate God, but this did not mean that man no longer had sin within him. The sins of man could be forgiven through the sin offering, but as for just how man can be made to sin no more, and how his sinful nature may be extirpated completely and transformed, he has no way of solving this problem. The sins of man were forgiven, and this is because of the work of God’s crucifixion, but man continued to live within his corrupt satanic disposition of old. This being so, man must be completely saved from his corrupt satanic disposition, so that his sinful nature may be completely extirpated, never to develop again, thus enabling the disposition of man to be transformed. This would require man to grasp the path of growth in life, to grasp the way of life, and to grasp the way to change his disposition. Furthermore, it would require man to act in accordance with this path, so that his disposition may gradually be changed and he may live under the shining of the light, so that all that he does may be in accord with the will of God, so that he may cast away his corrupt satanic disposition, and so that he may break free from Satan’s influence of darkness, thereby emerging fully from sin. Only then will man receive complete salvation” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Mystery of the Incarnation (4)).

He fellowshiped, “We can see from Almighty God’s words that in the Age of Grace, God did only the work of redemption. The Lord Jesus spread the kingdom gospel, telling people to confess and repent. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and forgave people’s sins. He also bestowed boundless grace upon humanity. Finally, He was crucified as a sin offering for all of mankind. Ever since then, to be forgiven from sin and enjoy God’s grace and blessings, all we have to do is pray and confess. This was the Lord Jesus’ work in the Age of Grace. So, did the completion of the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption mean God’s work of salvation was done? Of course not. The work of redemption merely forgave us of our sins, but the root of our sinfulness and our sinful nature weren’t resolved. We still can’t help but sin all the time. We’re arrogant, we show off, we lie and cheat. Sometimes we feel things like jealousy and hatred. We live in a state of sinning by day and confessing by night that we can’t extricate ourselves from. It says in Hebrews 12:14, ‘Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.’ God is holy and righteous. How are we, so filthy and corrupt, worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven? Almighty God has come in the last days, expressing truths and doing the work of judgment, in order to resolve our sinful nature, to allow us to fully cast off the bonds and strictures of sin, be cleansed, and to deliver us into God’s kingdom. This fulfills the Lord Jesus’ prophecies: ‘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’ (John 16:12–13). ‘I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day’ (John 12:47–48). In the last days, Almighty God has uttered millions of words, expressing all the truths necessary to purify and fully save mankind. He judges and exposes all of our anti-God corrupt dispositions and our satanic nature, fully revealing the root of our sinfulness and resistance to God. He also points us toward the path of casting off sin, and gaining God’s salvation. The only way to see the truth of our corruption is to accept the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, then we can feel remorse, hate ourselves, and repent to God, be freed from corruption and cleansed. God’s work of judgment in the last days is our only path to be purified, saved, and enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Hearing this brother’s fellowship was so enlightening, like a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It turns out that the Lord Jesus did the work of redemption and man was forgiven of their sins through the sin offering, but the sinful nature within them still remained. Accepting God’s judgment work of the last days is the only way to resolve the issue of sin, to escape the bonds and constraints of sin, be cleansed, and be worthy to enter God’s kingdom. Only God Himself could reveal the mysteries of His management work, and only God can fully cleanse and save mankind. I felt certain that this was the work of God—I was thrilled.

The next day, a sister from The Church of Almighty God read me a passage of God’s words. “Christ of the last days uses a variety of truths to teach man, to expose the substance of man, and to dissect the words and deeds of man. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the substance of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, the words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan, and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes over the long term. All these different methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth of which man is utterly bereft. Only methods such as these can be called judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced about God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt essence and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the essence of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth). After reading this, she shared fellowship and testimony with me that gave me more clarity. In the last days, God is expressing truths and doing the work of judgment to resolve man’s sinful nature. If we don’t accept God’s judgment, but spend our whole life within religion, we won’t escape sin and be cleansed. Thanks to God’s mercy and grace, I finally found the path to being cleansed of sin. I was so excited, I just couldn’t hold my tears back. I thought back over the last eight years, of how I’d gone to countless churches, large and small, searching for the path to be rid of sin and enter the kingdom of heaven. But every time, I entered in hope, and left with disappointment. It was God’s grace that allowed me to hear His voice and see His appearance. I was incredibly blessed! I felt like a lost child finally returned to her mother after years of wandering. I felt a sense of peace and joy that defies description.

However, I still had some confusion that hadn’t been resolved. I asked this sister, “Chinese people are so uncultured and are against God. Why would God appear and work there in the last days?” She read a passage of Almighty God’s words for me. “The work of Jehovah was the creation of the world, it was the beginning; this stage of work is the end of work, and it is the conclusion. At the start, God’s work was carried out among the chosen ones of Israel, and it was the dawn of a new epoch in the most holy of all places. The last stage of work is carried out in the most impure of all countries, to judge the world and bring the age to an end. In the first stage, God’s work was done in the brightest of all places, and the last stage is carried out in the darkest of all places, and this darkness will be driven out, the light brought forth, and all the people conquered. When the people of this most impure and darkest of all places have been conquered, and the entire population has acknowledged that there is a God, who is the true God, and every person has been utterly convinced, then this fact will be used to carry out the work of conquest throughout the entire universe. This stage of work is symbolic: Once the work of this age has been finished, the work of six thousand years of management will come to a complete end. Once those in the darkest of all places have been conquered, it goes without saying that it will also be so everywhere else. As such, only the work of conquest in China carries meaningful symbolism. China embodies all forces of darkness, and the people of China represent all those who are of the flesh, of Satan, and of flesh and blood. It is the Chinese people who have been most corrupted by the great red dragon, who have the strongest opposition to God, whose humanity is most base and impure, and so they are the archetype of all corrupt humanity. This is not to say that other countries have no problems at all; the notions of man are all the same, and although the people of these countries may be of good caliber, if they do not know God, then it must be that they oppose Him. … It is in the people of China that corruption, impurity, unrighteousness, opposition, and rebelliousness are manifested most completely and revealed in all their varied forms. On the one hand, they are of poor caliber, and on the other, their lives and mindset are backward, and their habits, social environment, family of birth—all are poor and the most backward. Their status, too, is low. The work in this place is symbolic, and after this test work has been carried out in its entirety, God’s subsequent work will be much easier. If this step of work can be completed, then the subsequent work goes without saying. Once this step of work has been accomplished, great success will have been fully achieved, and the work of conquest throughout the entire universe will have come to a complete end. In fact, once the work among you has been successful, this will be equivalent to the success throughout the entire universe. This is the significance of why I have you act as a model and a specimen” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Vision of God’s Work (2)). Then she fellowshiped, “God’s words are very clear. It’s most meaningful for God to appear and work in China in the last days. God’s work now is the work of judgment and cleansing. He is expressing truths to expose man’s anti-God, satanic nature and our various corrupt dispositions. He is showing us His righteous, majestic, and wrathful disposition that brooks no offence. That’s why He had to choose those most deeply corrupted and against God to make an example out of. Working among these people is the only way to reveal every type of corruption within humanity and better show His holiness and righteousness. That is how He can achieve the best results in His judgment work. Also, China is the lair of the great red dragon. The great red dragon is the embodiment of Satan—these are the people Satan has corrupted most deeply. That’s why China is the world’s axis of evil and the Chinese are the most profoundly corrupt. They deny and resist God the most, and have the worst humanity. The Chinese are the epitome of corrupt humanity. God appearing, working, and expressing truths in China, exposing every last bit of the Chinese people’s corruption and rebelliousness can better conquer mankind. It can show more effectively the essence and truth of how deeply Satan has corrupted man. Also, by working in the filthiest, most corrupt, most anti-God country, by conquering, purifying, and transforming the most uncultured and deeply corrupt people of China, the people of other countries will be easier to save. God working this way allows all of mankind to see God’s great power and be fully convinced. This reveals God’s authority and power as well as His wisdom and almightiness.”

After that, she read more of God’s words. “Chinese people have never believed in God; they have never served Jehovah, and have never served Jesus. They just kowtow, burn incense, burn joss paper, and worship Buddha. They just worship idols—they are all rebellious to the extreme. So, the lower people’s position is, the more it shows that what God gains from you is glory all the more. … According to human notions, I would have to be born in a nice country to show that I am of high status, to show that I am of great worth, to show My honor, holiness, and greatness. If I had been born in a place that recognizes Me, in an elite family, and if I were of high position and status, then I would be treated very well. That would not benefit My work, and could such great salvation still be revealed then? All those who see Me would obey Me, and they would not be polluted with filth. I should have been born in this kind of place. That is what you believe. But think about it: Did God come to the earth for enjoyment, or for work? If I worked in that kind of easy, comfortable place, could I gain My full glory? Would I be able to conquer all of My creation? When God came to the earth, He was not of the world, and He did not become flesh in order to enjoy the world. The place where working would reveal His disposition and be most meaningful is the place where He was born. Whether it is a holy or a filthy land, and no matter where He works, He is holy. Everything in the world was created by Him, though it has all been corrupted by Satan. However, all things still belong to Him; they are all in His hands. He comes to a filthy land and works there in order to reveal His holiness; He only does this for the sake of His work, which means He endures great humiliation to do such work in order to save the people of this filthy land. This is done so as to bear witness, for the sake of all of mankind. What such work shows people is God’s righteousness, and it is better able to display God’s supremacy. His greatness and uprightness are manifested in the salvation of a group of lowly people whom others scorn. Being born in a filthy land does not at all prove that He is lowly; it simply allows all of creation to see His greatness and His true love for mankind. The more He does so, the more it reveals His pure love, His flawless love for man. God is holy and righteous. Even though He was born in a filthy land, and even though He lives with those people who are full of filthiness, just as Jesus lived with sinners in the Age of Grace, is every bit of His work not done for the sake of all mankind’s survival? Is it all not so that mankind can gain great salvation? Two thousand years ago, He lived with sinners for a number of years. That was for the sake of redemption. Today, He is living with a group of filthy, lowly people. This is for the sake of salvation. Is all His work not for the sake of you humans? If not to save mankind, why would He have lived and suffered with sinners for so many years after being born in a manger? And if not to save mankind, why would He return to the flesh a second time, born in this land where demons congregate, and live with these people who have been deeply corrupted by Satan? Is God not faithful? What part of His work has not been for mankind? What part has not been for your destiny? God is holy—this is immutable! He is unpolluted by filth, though He has come to a filthy land; all of this can only mean that God’s love for mankind is extremely selfless and the suffering and humiliation He endures is extremely great!” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Significance of Saving the Descendants of Moab).

Then she fellowshiped: “God’s words tell us that God becoming flesh in the last days, appearing and working in China carries tremendous significance. The Chinese are the people who resist and hate God the most. They’re the most lacking in caliber and humanity, but God incarnated there, going to China to work, expressing the truth with incredible tolerance and patience. God has endured tremendous humiliation to save them, the filthiest and most corrupt people. This further reveals how humble and hidden God is, and shows us His holiness and righteousness, His selfless, genuine love for mankind. On top of that, we can see that God is the Lord of creation. He has the authority to do His work in any country, among any people, but no matter what country He appears and works in, His work is for all of humanity—it’s to save the entire human race. In the last days, Almighty God has appeared and is working in China, expressing truths. He has already made a group of overcomers, and now His gospel is expanding across the globe. Almighty God’s work and words are like a great light shining from the East to the West. More and more people are hearing God’s voice, turning toward Almighty God in droves, accepting God’s cleansing and salvation. If we follow our notions and imaginings, thinking that since God’s previous two stages of work were in Israel, He is the God of the Israelites and He wouldn’t appear and work in China, then isn’t that delimiting Him? God said, ‘My name shall be great among the Gentiles’ (Malachi 1:11). Then how would that be fulfilled? In the last days, God becoming flesh and working in China, where atheism rules, completely shatters human notions. It shows us that God isn’t just the God of the Israelites, but He is also the God of the Gentiles. He is the God of all of humanity, not just of a single country or a single people. God incarnating in China, appearing and working there, is incredibly meaningful!”

I felt really embarrassed after hearing her fellowship. I didn’t understand God’s work, but just went along with the pastors in delimiting God, thinking He couldn’t possibly work in China. How arrogant and ignorant of me! Just thinking about that is scary. Thanks to God’s grace, I had the good fortune to hear His voice and accept His work of the last days. Otherwise, I’d still be delimiting God based on my own notions, condemning His appearance and work, and I’d have no hope of gaining His salvation. I’m grateful for God’s salvation from the bottom of my heart. I’ve also personally experienced what the Lord Jesus said: “And he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:8). These words are so real, and God is faithful. As long as we seek, God will lead and enlighten us. Thanks be to Almighty God!