Zhen Xia
Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province
Eastern Lightning |129 Almighty God Saved My Family
One day in July 2001, the True Jesus Church summoned the leaders and deacons in various places to an urgent meeting. The elder said at the meeting, “Now there appears a ‘Kingdom Sect.’ They go everywhere to deceive people with a so-called ‘little scroll,’ preaching that God has started a new work of the last days.
You must be careful. Once you are carried away by them, they will beat you badly. We must take good care of the flock, lest the ‘wolves’ enter the ‘sheep pen’ to steal the ‘sheep.’ Only the True Jesus Church is the spiritual church, and only the believers in our church can be saved. The truth is in the Bible, and anything that goes beyond the Bible is a ‘heresy,’ a ‘cult.’ You mustn’t listen nor believe it.” Hearing these words, I thought, “I must be loyal to God’s commission and watch over the flock carefully to ensure that none is lost.” After getting back, I immediately gathered the brothers and sisters for a meeting. I conveyed the elder’s words to them and read them 1 John 4: 1. And I told them to receive no strangers and supervise each other in it.” Although I warned the brothers and sisters against the “Kingdom Sect,” I myself didn’t feel secure too, fearing that this “misfortune” might come to me. Wherever I went to preach, I first inquired if anyone had come to preach the “Kingdom Sect,” and then I gave some warnings. Only in this way did I set my mind at rest. Later, I resisted Almighty God’s work more severely.
One day in October, two sisters came to my home. They said to me joyfully, “God has been incarnated again and done a new work in China…” At these words, I knew they were preachers of the “Kingdom Sect,” and I thought to myself, “Well, I always told the brothers and sisters to guard against you, but I didn’t expect that today you should come to me.” Before they finished speaking, I interrupted them aggressively, “God has come? Where is He? Take me to have a look. You’ve believed in God only for a few days and dare to preach to me. Would I not know it if God has come? Do I need you to tell me? Go away! Go! Go! …” So saying, I pushed them out of the door. After they left, I was afraid that they might go to other brothers and sisters’ houses, so I rushed to the home of a sister who had a firm foundation. On entering the door, I asked, “Did two preachers of the ‘Kingdom Sect’ come to your house?” She said, “No.” My anxious heart was then put at ease. Then we went together to tell every other brother and sister not to receive the two preachers.
In January 2002, another two sisters came to my home and showed me a book, saying, “This is the book of God’s word. You’ll understand everything after you read it.” “You believe in yours, and I believe in mine,” I snarled at them, “I won’t believe what you say. Don’t try to deceive me.” They were not irritated but said to me, “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.” Hearing these words, I became black in my face and said, “You even put a curse on me! Not a bit of love in you. I’ll by no means accept it. Even if I’m put into hell or the lake of fire by God, I’m willing to.” In a huff, I thrust the book into her hands and drove them out of the door. I resisted Almighty God blindly like this, but I thought I was a faithful servant of God. Little did I know that I was hoarding evils of my own.
Soon afterward, my husband suddenly suffered from diarrhea. I prayed for him, but it had no effect. So I had to take him to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed that he had rectal cancer. At these words, I could hardly move, as if being struck by thunder. He took a great deal of medicine, but didn’t get any better. So I called the brothers and sisters together to pray to God with one accord, and his illness was still not cured.
One day in March, it was snowing hard. A young sister came to my home again. I couldn’t remember how many times she had come. I saw her pants were wet, but she didn’t seem to feel the cold. I thought to myself, “What kind of God do they believe in? How could they have such a great zeal? They don’t even stop running around in such cold weather…” Realizing that I was looking at her, she smiled and said, “Auntie, shall we have a good talk today?” I said perfunctorily, “OK. Tell me, what kind of God do you believe in? Why has my family had no peace since your God was preached to us last year? Your uncle’s diarrhea can’t be cured. I’m worried sick about it. I have believed in God for seventeen years and lived a peaceful life. But why is it so now?” “This is God’s salvation,” she said. “God wants you to know Him and come to Him through the discipline and chastening. The Bible says, those who are disciplined are God’s sons. This is God’s love for you.” Then she fellowshipped about the parables of the sower and of the reaper, as well as Revelation 2: 17: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.” And she added, “Only those who accept the God’s second incarnation will be able to know God and understand these mysteries. Those who don’t keep up with God’s footsteps will never be able to understand them, and they have nothing to do with God.” At that time, my husband, who heard what the sister said, began to roar at her angrily, “I’m bored to death. Why do you always come to upset me? You’ve got a nerve. Go away! We won’t listen to your nonsense.” I said to my husband, “I can’t find anything wrong in what she said but feel some freshness. Let her continue. I want to see what mysteries a young girl can speak about.” So she went on, “God’s six-thousand-year management plan consists of three stages, and they are done by the same God…” I felt that what she said was consistent with the Bible. At that moment, I suddenly remembered the elder’s words and was scared, thinking, “How can I lose the ground as a leader? I have believed in God for more than ten years; how can I be deceived by the few words of a young girl? No, I mustn’t go astray, or I will regret forever.” So I sent her away with an excuse. After she left, my husband gave me a warning, “You mustn’t receive or associate with them. Even if we are wrong, we will be wrong to the end.”
Afterward, the sister came to preach God’s new work to me many more times. She also helped me with the work, and even washed my grandson’s diapers, not minding dirt. Frankly speaking, I was almost touched by her, but I doubted her sincerity, so I was still cautious of her.
One day in April when I came back, I noticed a book lying by the door, which was titled “The Hidden Work of God.” I said to myself, “The sister’s fellowship sounded quite good, but what is their way really like? I may read their book first. If it is not right, I’ll refuse it. I don’t believe that I, weighing over 50kg, can be dragged away by her.” With this thought, I began to read the book secretly. When I read a piece of God’s word, which requires people to put aside their religious notions, imaginations, and position, I thought, “I can give up notions and imaginations, but it is hard to set aside my position. I am well-known in the church, and it’s impossible for me to drop the position.” I cast the book aside angrily.
As my husband’s illness didn’t answer to medical treatment that cost us much money, my whole family were upset, and I was also at a loss. “I have believed in God for so many years, but today my husband…” In helplessness, I remembered the sister’s words that God wanted to save us and bring us to Him through my husband’s illness. Is it really true? So I picked up the book again, and I read this passage of God’s words in “Preface”: “After the work of Jehovah, Jesus became flesh to do His work amongst man. His work was not carried out in isolation, but built upon the work of Jehovah. It was work for a new age after God had concluded the Age of Law. Similarly, after the work of Jesus ended, God still continued His work for the next age, because the entire management of God is always progressing forward. When the old age passes, it will be replaced by a new age, and once the old work has been completed, a new work will continue the management of God. … Each new stage of God’s work always brings a new beginning and a new age. So too are there corresponding changes in the disposition of God, in His way of working, in the location of His work, and in His name. No wonder, then, that it is difficult for man to accept the work of God in the new age. … Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to take on the sins of man as the sin offering, but also required God to do greater work to completely rid man of his disposition, which has been corrupted by Satan. And so, after man was forgiven his sins, God returned to flesh to lead man into the new age, and began the work of chastisement and judgment, which brought man to 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 shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.” These words made me realize my error suddenly: I believed what the elder said and regarded the “little scroll” as a deceitful book, but now I know for certain that this is God’s word. I am completely convinced. None other than God can speak these words of mystery. They are so good. From these words, I can not only understand God’s work, but also see the wisdom and wonderfulness of God’s work. The more I read, the more I was clear, and the more I became thirsty for it. Seeing this, my husband pulled a long face and said, “Do you really want me to die? You are even reading the book of the ‘heresy.’ Return it right away.” But I was so deeply attracted by the words in the book that no one could stopped me. Later, the sister came to fellowship with me, which strengthened my faith in this stage of work.
In order to bring my husband to Almighty God earlier, I fellowshipped with him about God’s new work, but he was too pigheaded to listen and said, “You’ve been obsessed by the ‘Kingdom Sect.’ You are completely incorrigible. Don’t talk about it with me.” I exhorted, “You should think it over. The brothers and sisters came to our home numerous times in the daytime or in the evening despite wind and snow. For what did they do so? Consider their living out. Are they like those who beat and revile others as the rumors say? Every time they came, they helped us with the work, and never stayed to have a meal. And what’s more, we didn’t see any wounds on them. You are too pigheaded. See, how ill you are, but you still so stiff-necked!” Hearing my words, he was silent. I seized the occasion to ask him to read God’s word, and he took the book with suspicion…
After reading the book of God’s word for some time, he gained some understanding of this stage of work. Later, a brother brought some tapes for him and fellowshipped with him in detail about his puzzle. Under God’s guidance and enlightenment, he at last woke up and said with excitement, “This way is not a ‘heresy,’ or a ‘cult,’ but God’s new work.” I sang him a hymn of God’s word: “Never have a heart of complaining; otherwise God won’t bestow grace. Illness is the coming of God’s love; there must be God’s good purpose, God’s good purpose behind it. Although your flesh suffers a little, you must not accept Satan’s thoughts. Praise God in illness and enjoy God in praises, in praises.” We were completely bathed in Almighty God’s love…
On the second day, his illness took a turn for better. On the fourth day, he was completely recovered. He said with deep feeling, “This is really God’s love for me. If God didn’t save me through the illness, I, such a blind and foolish man, would never come to God. And I would regret all my life for my rebellion and resistance to God. I really thank Almighty God for His uplifting and grace.”
Today, my whole family have trodden on a new path and lived a new life. God’s love is encouraging us, and our life is full of praise. At the meetings, we eat and drink God’s word and fellowship about it, enjoying God’s abundance. I can’t help singing the hymn to praise God: “O Practical God, You have put all Your effort to gain us. But our great rebellion and corruption has broken Your heart. Walking until today, I come to know that I have really received Your great salvation…”
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