Chief Hu, the Eastern Lightning people,
they're in this apartment!
Let's keep moving.
Yes.
Move!
Get in!
Hey, is that Sister Feng and Sister Tang? (Yes.)
Pastor Qiao is there too?
What's going on?
Let's turn back. (Yes.)
Mom, you're home?
You're home?
Keep listening. (All right.)
Qingxin, are you okay?
I saw Sister Feng, she was being arrested by the police!
What? Sister Feng?
She was arrested? What's going on?
I hear she received people from Eastern Lightning,
Pastor Qiao found out.
He brought the police to arrest them.
The Eastern Lightning, they left already and weren't arrested,
but the police did arrest Sister Feng.
I never thought that Pastor Qiao could do something this horrible.
Anyway, Eastern Lightning people are believers of God.
Isn't Pastor Qiao's action a betrayal of the Lord and of friends?
This is being a Judas,
the Lord will curse them for this.
As I see it, he'll do whatever it takes to stifle Eastern Lightning.
Right.
I don't understand,
all they do is testify that the Lord Jesus has returned
that He spoke words doing judgment work of the last days.
Why does Pastor Qiao hate them so much?
He worked with the Chinese government to arrest them!
There is something very wrong here!
In recent years, many good and head sheep
were stolen by the people of Eastern Lightning.
We must resist Eastern Lightning.
To protect the flock,
the church has printed more propaganda opposed to Eastern Lightning.
Please read them carefully.
These words incriminate Eastern Lightning.
There's no basis in fact; it's groundless.
Is this not spreading rumors?
It is.
In spreading rumors that incriminate Eastern Lightning,
the pastors and elders clearly violate God's commandments.
It appears that we cannot completely believe what the pastors and elders say!
How can Pastor Qiao be so evil?
He turned believers over to the government!
What is he doing!
Isn't this conspiring with Satan?
It is!
These days I have been pondering,
the church is desolate, without the work of the Holy Spirit,
the brothers and sisters are weak and negative.
True.
The pastors and elders do not lead us to seek the Lord's will in His word.
They ignore the Holy Spirit's work.
They've even made resistance of Eastern Lightning the central work of the church.
So I feel this is a serious violation of the Bible.
The Bible says nothing that condemns Eastern Lightning.
In doing this,
they're deviating from the Bible and committing outrages.
Right!
It's too much!
As I see it,
we can't keep blindly obeying one-sided statements of the pastors.
We should investigate Eastern Lightning, (That's right.)
and become clear about the truth of the matter,
and find out if Eastern Lightning is the Lord becoming manifest.
So what do you all think about this?
We should have investigated Eastern Lightning long ago.
These past years, more and more people are believing in Eastern Lightning,
and most of them are good sheep of many different sects and denominations.
They're all people who understand the Bible well.
It is no simple matter for these people to accept Eastern Lightning.
If Eastern Lightning didn't have the Holy Spirit's work
or the Holy Spirit's utterances,
there would be not so many people who understand the Bible accepting it!
There's certainly a mystery in this.
The pastors say that they've been deceived by heretics.
This is wrong.
If anyone were deceived, it would have been those fools who have no discernment.
It is impossible that good sheep of many denominations were misled! (Right.)
As I see it, the fact that so many good sheep of various denominations
have believed in Eastern Lightning
is sufficient proof that Eastern Lightning contains the Holy Spirit's work in it!
What you are saying is right.
Now, the religious world is missing the work of the Holy Spirit,
and the confidence and love of most people who believe in the Lord has gone cold.
Churches everywhere are desolate.
Why is the only sect that's flourishing Eastern Lightning?
Even under persecution by the Chinese Communist government,
they spread the gospel with unbounded confidence.
This could only be achieved through the work of the Holy Spirit!
That's right.
Take the brothers and sisters of our church who accepted Eastern Lightning.
Since they've accepted Eastern Lightning,
they have all changed and are more confident,
they're willing to risk their lives to spread the gospel.
Who could achieve this without the Holy Spirit's work?
I think it's very possible that Eastern Lightning comes from God.
Yes.
We should pursue it and investigate it,
and hear if the words spoken by Almighty God really are the voice of God.
This way we can be wise virgins and welcome the Lord's return!
Qingxin, what is it?
It's nothing; let's go.
Hello?
People from Eastern Lightning have gone to Sister Li's house.
What? They are stealing sheep again?
This is outrageous!
Keep close watch. We'll be there soon.
Should we first report this to the police?
Go easy.
Let's get to Sister Li's house first to see what's up,
to avoid what happened last time,
when the Eastern Lightning people were not caught
and our church's brothers and sisters were arrested.
As usual, you have thought it through best.
Let's go! (Yes.)
Sister Dong, Sister Yang,
hearing you fellowship Almighty God's words and witness for His last days' work,
I have received great edification and have gained great rewards!
Thank God! Thanks be to God!
I now understand truths that I failed to understand for years,
many points of confusion in my faith have been resolved. (Thank the Lord.)
My heart is more enlightened.
I feel that my belief in God has a clearer path! (Thank the Lord.)
Thank the Lord.
We must thank Almighty God!
Yes. Thanks be to God.
Brothers and sisters, this is God's divine favor to us!
Right. Thank the Lord! Yes. Certainly.
You've received great results from hearing us commune Almighty God's words.
What does this illustrate?
This shows that the words of Almighty God are the words of the Holy Spirit;
they are God's voice!
Does everyone agree?
Yes!
The Lord Jesus left many words unspoken during the Age of Grace,
people back then couldn't receive them, due to their small spiritual stature.
Hence the Lord Jesus promised to return during the last days,
to guide people to understand how to get into all truth.
Just as the Lord Jesus said,
Nowadays, the Lord Jesus has returned as Almighty God in the flesh. (Yes!)
Almighty God has expressed all truth to fully save people,
revealing God's management plan.
These truths are the water of life that nourishes us.
Indeed.
Yeah, it's exactly true.
Read Almighty God's words often,
and we will understand truth, and our lives will be nourished.
That's right. Yeah.
Brothers and sisters, let us read some more of Almighty God's words!
Great!
Let's turn to page 1454.
Brothers and sisters, let's read another passage. (Yes!)
Who's there?
Qingxin, it's me, Wen Ping.
Pastor Qiao, Elder Zou.
Pastor Qiao, have a seat and we'll discuss whatever you want. (Yeah.)
As I see it,
Sister Li, this is a strange matter.
Everyone has been welcoming the Lord's return,
waiting for the Lord to descend on a cloud,
so we can be lifted into the air to meet the Lord.
I never imagined how Eastern Lightning could have come about
and testify that the Lord has returned.
We have not seen the Lord descend on a cloud, however,
and we have not seen the believers raptured up.
Instead, many of the church's sheep have been stolen away by Eastern Lightning.
Could it be that these people were raptured?
I can't believe this!
It's wrong no matter who steals sheep away from our church.
We must protect the church.
Could it be that only they are a church,
and we are not a church?
Brothers and sisters,
our faith in the Lord is based on the Bible.
Can this be wrong?
Why don't you obey me?
You even receive people from Eastern Lightning,
and lead the brothers and sisters in hearing sermons of Eastern Lightning.
So you're not afraid of taking the wrong path?
Pastor Qiao, Elder Zou, have a seat and discuss this.
Yeah, please sit down.
Yes, Pastor Qiao, have a seat and we'll talk about it.
Pastor Qiao, it is clear that you are concerned about us
and fear that we will be deceived.
I can understand this.
However, the Bible has never forbidden us to receive strangers,
and the Lord Jesus has never forbidden us to receive Eastern Lightning people.
Even less did He forbid hearing the Eastern Lightning's preaching. (Right.)
The Lord Jesus even prophesied
that lightning would come out of the east and shine to the west. (Amen!)
Does our study of Eastern Lightning not conform to the Bible,
and conform to the Lord's word?
Why must you restrict us?
If you don't allow investigation of the lightning from the east,
could it be because people from Eastern Lightning have stolen good sheep?
Well, if the Lord came to steal treasures,
would you be able to prevent that? (Absolutely not.)
Why don't you seek what the Lord's will is
about Eastern Lightning stealing sheep?
Why don't you earnestly seek and investigate?
Does what you are doing conform to the Bible?
If Eastern Lightning is the true way, and is the Lord becoming manifest,
wouldn't you be afraid that you were resisting the Lord?
I can't get it.
Pastor Qiao, whether or not Eastern Lightning is truly the return of the Lord,
you can only be sure if you do thorough investigation!
Right.
If you blindly condemn without investigating or seeking,
it would be too easy to condemn the true way and resist God.
When you wildly condemn Eastern Lightning,
don't you fear resisting God?
Have you no reverence for God at all?
Your words and deeds are unprincipled,
and are too dangerous!
Indeed.
We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and you believe in Almighty God.
We are different in our ways. How can you lecture me?
You really have a lot of nerve, to dare to brazenly steal our sheep.
Who allowed you to preach on our turf?
Your words, do they conform with the word of the Lord?
Believers are the Lord's sheep and do not belong to one person or another.
Yes!
How can you say that a sheep belongs to you?
How could Pastor Qiao say we're his sheep? That's wrong.
In the last days, the Lord returns for His sheep.
If you were truly loyal to the Lord,
responsible for the brothers' and sisters' lives,
and heard talk of the Lord's return,
then you should lead the brothers and sisters in seeking out the Lord's voice,
and in welcoming His return.
Only this would be the way of a loyal and far-sighted servant. (Yes. That's right.)
And what do you do?
Why do you always prevent the brothers and sisters from seeking the true way?
How do I see your actions and words?
Aren't they like those hypocritical Pharisees who resisted the Lord Jesus and His teachings?
Do you know what you are doing?
I think you should do some soul-searching in the Lord's presence about your actions.
I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ on the basis of the Bible.
This cannot be wrong!
I think it's you that needs soul-searching.
Your belief in Almighty God, is it based in the Bible?
Here you are lecturing me.
What qualifies you to lecture me?
You dare lecture Pastor Qiao?
If you disregard the pastor's words, you will certainly go astray.
Stop talking nonsense.
Regardless, you can't preach here without the consent of the pastor and elder.
Leave now! If you don't go, we'll call the police.
Stop right there!
Leave now, or I'm calling the police!
Where has your humility, patience, and love gone?
Would the Lord be pleased with your actions?
Why chase them away? Are you not believers?
Sisters, we can't go on like this.
Let me escort you out!
The Bible says we should entertain strangers with love.
Does your chasing them away tally with the Bible?
If you accept their preaching, we'll expel you.
How could you act like this?
We do this for your own good.
That's no good for us.
It's too much!
How could they be like that? (They went too far.)
Sister Li,
you should understand why we resisted the Eastern Lightning people,
why we chased them away.
The Eastern Lightning's preaching is profound.
Many people hear their preaching and become believers in Almighty God,
betraying the Lord.
You have little understanding of the Bible,
small spiritual stature, and no discernment.
As such, it is easy to be deceived.
In acting this way, we are protecting you.
Why don't you understand our intent?
Pastor Qiao,
why chase away the Eastern Lightning people?
Could it be because they give a good preaching
that you fear that we will all be deceived?
The Lord in whom we believe is Christ, is the true God.
We have a basis in the Bible.
Why be afraid of being deceived by others? (Right.)
The truth of the Bible is on our side.
No matter the person, if his preaching is profound,
can it be higher than the Bible's truth? (No.)
The preaching of Eastern Lightning is higher than the truth of the Bible.
What does this show?
It shows God has become manifest and is working!
Exactly.
Because only the Lord becoming manifest can be higher than biblical truth.
Only Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. (Amen!)
Otherwise, would there be anyone
who could give a preaching higher than the truth of the Bible? (Right.)
It is this matter that should be pondered and pursued.
Yes, this is worth careful pondering.
Yes, in fact, I have things that I've wanted to say a long time ago.
These years,
there is no new light or new enlightenment in the sermons you preach,
going on and on about dead biblical knowledge and empty theory.
The brothers and sisters were tired of listening long ago.
They are fed up, and not getting any nourishment for life.
Everywhere, people are negative and weak,
and have lost the Lord's presence.
It's not that you're unclear, as pastors and elders.
If you truly showed consideration for the Lord's will,
why would you not show concern for the lives of your brothers and sisters?
Yeah, why?
Do you know how much the brothers and sisters suffer
and how helpless they are when they have no nourishment for life
and live in darkness? (Yeah, do you?)
At this key time of welcoming the Lord's coming,
why don't you lead the brothers and sisters to seek the footprints of God's work?
Right, why don't you lead us?
All you know how to do is seal off the church, and to resist Eastern Lightning.
Is that showing consideration for the Lord's will?
Ultimately, what's your intent?
I really don't understand you.
Sister Song, how could you say that?
Isn't my action for your own good? (It is.)
Just because Eastern Lightning's preaching is profound,
doesn't mean it represents the Lord,
and even less the Lord's manifestation.
Could it be that you have forgotten the prophecy of the Lord Jesus?
Nowadays false Christs are everywhere, deceiving people.
We therefore must be very cautious of Eastern Lightning,
lest we be deceived!
These past few days,
I have seen who you are and what you do very clearly.
Tell us the truth.
Do you really fear that we'll be deceived?
Is that why you're blocking us from pursuing the true way?
Is it really so simple?
We believe in the Lord Jesus;
we are the Lord's sheep.
If we have His protection,
why should we fear being deceived? (Right.)
The Lord Jesus once said,
This illustrates that
none of the Lord's sheep can be plucked from His hand
by man or by the powers of Satan.
That's right!
Because the Lord is with us,
why should we fear deception by false Christs and false prophets?
Could it be that you don't believe in His omnipotence?
In obstructing us from pursuing the true way,
are you acting for the Lord?
Do you dare say
that the Lord would be pleased with your actions?
As I see it, your attitude toward Eastern Lightning
is faulty because not only do you not pursue and investigate it,
you also blindly condemn it.
This end time is the most dangerous,
we must be accountable to the Lord for our actions.
I dare say Eastern Lightning clearly reveals people;
perhaps only in this matter does it become clear
whether we are ultimately lifted up in the rapture or discarded.
I urge you be careful of your actions and rely on your resources!
Sister Li, you cannot speak this way.
In our belief in the Lord,
how can we not believe in His omnipotence?
Right.
There is a reason for us not letting you hear the preaching of Eastern Lightning.
Think about it,
if Eastern Lightning really were the return of the Lord,
wouldn't we pastors and elders know this?
They'll definitely know it.
Would there be any need for others to bear witness to you?
You also have heard,
in recent years, many good sheep of various sects and denominations
have heard the preaching of Eastern Lightning.
They believed in Almighty God, and betrayed the Lord.
As servants and stewards of the Lord,
how can we not guard against and resist Eastern Lightning?
That's right.
If all believers followed Eastern Lightning, betraying the Lord,
how could we be accountable to the Lord when He comes?
Anyway, the Lord has entrusted His flock to us.
So we are responsible for protecting you,
and are responsible for your lives. (Right.)
Could it be that we are wrong in acting this way?
Pastor Qiao is right.
Sister Li, come read the Bible.
Paul said,
Amen!
Therefore,
in our belief in the Lord, we should uphold His name and way,
We cannot follow any other gospel.
But what do you do?
You don't adhere to the Bible and don't uphold the name of the Lord,
rather, you believe in the Eastern Lightning's preaching.
You have abandoned the Lord and become believers in another gospel.
This is betraying the Lord, and is apostasy.
If you don't admit guilt and repent,
you will all be cursed!
Elder Zou,
you have quoted the words of Paul of the Bible.
In the Age of Grace, the words of Paul were correct,
but the Lord Jesus, speaking about welcoming His return, said:
Amen!
And
Amen!
The Lord Jesus says to wait vigilantly.
Doesn't His prophecy ask us to listen for God's voice
and welcome His return?
If we investigate the words of Almighty God,
and can hear the voice of God,
and see God's appearance,
isn't that something God would praise?
How can you say this is apostasy?
Yeah!
I do not approve of your formulation.
Though I can't say for certain
that Eastern Lightning is the manifestation of His return,
I can be certain that Eastern Lightning comes from God.
All words uttered by Almighty God are truth.
That's right.
It's as if the Holy Spirit is speaking to all churches. (Amen!)
We therefore urge you to pursue and investigate Eastern Lightning,
so that in this matter you don't sin and offend the Lord,
and won't be cursed.
Mother, I am home.
Hello, aunts and uncles!
You're home. (School's out?)
That's right.
Pastor Qiao, Elder Zou.
My daughter is home. I have to cook supper.
Okay.
Sister Li, all of you must confess your sins to the Lord.
You must not depart from the Lord's way and follow another gospel.
This is a crucial time.
We're leaving.
Sister Li and the others only investigated Eastern Lightning for a few days.
They speak with such force.
It seems that they've read a lot of Almighty God's words!
They were so clear about the prophecy of the coming of the Lord.
Eastern Lighting's preaching surely is profound!
If all the brothers and sisters hear Eastern Lightning's preaching,
who will still listen to our sermons?
Won't we as pastors and elders be hung out to dry?
We'll be left alone with no followers!
You are right about that,
I've also been thinking.
Sister Li takes responsibility, and loves the brothers and sisters,
the brothers and sisters admire her.
If she believes in Eastern Lightning, then will one convert ten,
and ten convert one hundred,
until we lose all of our followers?
The church would collapse!
As I see it, we must block Sister Li no matter what happens.
She mustn't further investigate Eastern Lightning.
We already released an array of publications to guard against Eastern Lightning,
we're doing all we can to resist Eastern Lighting on biblical foundation.
We've put in the effort,
but have not seen any obvious result!
It looks like we will need a special plan to deal with Sister Li.
Oh! I remember now that it was Sister Jiang
who inspired Sister Li's faith,
and her preaching is because of Sister Jiang.
She considered Sister Jiang a spiritual mentor.
Perhaps we can ask Sister Jiang to do some persuading.
Right! How did I not think of Sister Jiang?
Sister Jiang has always served the Lord.
The believers hold her in high esteem.
Sister Li has always respected her.
Sister Li will surely listen to what she says.
Qingxin,
you and I have served the Lord together for more than ten years!
Fifteen years.
It's gone by quickly! (Yeah.)
The time has passed so quickly for both of us.
Qingxin, we are sisters in the Lord,
you know, all this time, I've treated you like my own daughter.
We have served the Lord together these past years,
working through wind and rain.
Persecution by the government,
ridicule and slander by worldly people,
we have gotten through all that, relying on the Lord.
Looking back on it now, it's not been easy!
Thank the Lord!
When I had difficulties,
or felt weak in my faith in the Lord these past years,
you have always supported and helped me,
and you prayed for me.
This all is the Lord's love.
Thanks be to the Lord!
Qingxin,
I have heard Pastor Qiao say that you are investigating Eastern Lightning.
Is this true?
It is true.
Qingxin, the CCP government and pastors and elders all condemn Eastern Lightning.
All this is enough to prove that Eastern Lightning is not the true way.
I would have never thought that you would investigate Eastern Lightning.
How could you not tell me about serious matter as this?
You are an intelligent person.
How could you not see through this matter?
Most of the pastors and elders of religious circles condemn Eastern Lightning.
Can you say that these pastors and elders are wrong?
After learning last night that you were investigating Eastern Lightning,
I did not sleep at all.
I prayed for you through the night,
asking the Lord to open your eyes, help you know right from wrong,
and confess to the Lord and repent.
Qingxin, if not for this,
why would I hurry over here this early?
I can't bear to watch you go astray like this.
Are you okay?
Sister Jiang,
I know you hope to stop me from pursuing Eastern Lighting,
so I don't go astray.
I understand how you feel.
Yet during these past years,
the Eastern Lightning bearing witness to the Lord's return,
we have never investigated it.
We've simply followed the pastors' and elders' judgment of Eastern Lightning.
These days, I haven't been settled in my heart.
I have a feeling,
could Eastern Lightning have the work of the Holy Spirit?
Why else could so many people accept it?
If Eastern Lightning does have the Holy Spirit's words,
and we accept it, wouldn't we have a path to follow?
That is why I'm investigating Eastern Lightning.
Recently, I listened to witnesses of The Church of Almighty God,
and I read a lot of words spoken by Almighty God,
and I discovered that Almighty God's words really are truth.
These words solved many difficulties that I've had in my faith in the Lord,
and exposed and refuted many misconceptions of my faith,
making me sincerely convinced.
I dare to affirm that no person would ever be able to say these words.
Only the utterances of the Holy Spirit would have such an effect.
Now I am certain that Almighty God's words are the voice of God,
Almighty God must be the return of the Lord Jesus.
Sister Jiang, please read the words of Almighty God.
I believe that after reading those words,
you will see it as truth.
Sister Jiang, Sister Zhao,
we can't go on blindly believing the words of the pastors and elders.
We can't go on being restricted by them.
Otherwise, we could miss the chance to be raptured when the Lord comes.
Qingxin, I'm shocked that you're deeply trapped;
you've been profoundly deceived.
If you say that Eastern Lightning is born of God's work,
may I ask you,
did the Lord Jesus say that when He returned,
He would change His name to Almighty God?
None of this is said in the Bible.
The Bible clearly states:
So, based on this point,
there is no need to investigate Eastern Lightning,
and we don't need to read the words of Almighty God.
We have the words of the Bible, and that is enough.
When the Lord comes,
I guarantee that we will be brought up to the kingdom of heaven.
Could it be that you doubt the promise of the Lord Jesus?
Sister Jiang—(What do you say?)
Sister Jiang understands the Bible.
Our studies must be based on the Bible,
otherwise, we'll go astray.
Yes.
Sister Jiang,
I see you think we must rely on the name Lord Jesus for salvation.
But it was said in reference to the Age of Grace.
Is God's name still Jesus when God works in the Age of Kingdom?
God never said that His name would always be Jesus.
During the Old Testament Age of Law,
God's name was Jehovah.
But during the Age of Grace, God's name was Jesus.
This proves that the name of God can change.
It says in Revelation on the Lord's return
that He would have a new name.
So, in the last days, He will have a new name.
If the Lord returns again as Jesus,
how could the prophecy of Revelation come true?
Do you agree?
You know the Bible well.
Please read this prophecy in Revelation again.
Qingxin, I am not against your study of the true way.
To tell the truth,
I have not studied the prophecy in this part of Revelation,
and I don't understand it.
But you who have read the Bible for so many years should know
that on the cross the Lord Jesus clearly said,
This illustrates that God's work of salvation was complete.
The Lord's return is to lift believers into the kingdom of heaven;
He could not possibly do any new work. (Amen!)
Yet Eastern Lightning testifies that the Lord Jesus has returned,
and is doing the last days' judgment work,
this is enough to prove that Eastern Lightning is not the true way.
Qingxin, how could you become so muddled?
No matter how profound the preaching of Eastern Lightning is,
we cannot listen to it, we cannot believe in it!
Now confess your sins to the Lord. Ask for His forgiveness.
Sister Jiang, when He said "It is finished" on the cross,
I still don't know, even now,
what He was referring to.
I can, however, affirm that the words of Almighty God are truth,
and that The Church of Almighty God has the work of the Holy Spirit in it.
Now is the key time in which the Lord should be welcomed.
In studying the true way,
we must look out for the work of the Holy Spirit,
and seek what the Holy Spirit is saying to all churches.
Only in this way are we able to hear God's voice,
and welcome the Lord's coming!
Lord, I feel weak inside now.
I pray that You give me conviction and strength,
and free me from bondage of feelings and flesh,
that I might follow the footprints of Your work …
The pastor and elder are always interfering with our meetings.
It's so great that we have this place.
Yes, and Pastor Qiao and Elder Zou will certainly never find us. (Right.)
Hey, Sister Dong, Sister Yang.
Qingxin.
You have come just in time today.
Please commune some things with us. (Yeah, please.)
Okay.
Since we began studying the last days' work of Almighty God,
the pastor and elder have been disturbing us and restricting us.
Yes.
This is most hateful:
They circulate rumors and fallacies to deceive us,
cutting us off from the true way. (Yes.)
How can pastors and elders act this way?
Right!
Recently we have read a lot of Almighty God's words,
and have understood some truths,
and have some discernment toward the fallacies that the pastor and elder spread.
Indeed.
Though our grasp of the words of Almighty God
is actually quite shallow,
we still need you to commune it with us.
Yes. (Okay.)
Thanks be to God.
Feel free to ask us questions if you're uncertain. (Right.)
So let us seek the truth in the words of Almighty God. (Very good!)
Have a seat, everyone.
Okay.
We need to listen carefully.
Sister Dong, let me start by asking a question.
Please.
In the Bible, Paul pronounces:
Based on these words, the pastor says our belief in Almighty God
departs from the Lord Jesus,
departs from the Lord Jesus' salvation,
and we believe in a new gospel.
This is apostasy, and a betrayal of God.
In saying this, the pastor and elder have confused us.
We feel that these words are not right,
but they are quoting the Bible, using the words of Paul.
We aren't able to see where the error could be.
Would you please discuss this issue with all of us?
Yes, please discuss it with us.
Sister Tian, this is a very important question.
Many people struggle with this.
Many people have read the Bible, but don't seek the truth.
They generalize without discernment, applying words carelessly.
Thus people may easily be deceived and misled!
If the pastor and elder quote the Bible out of context,
those who seek the true way may be confounded.
Right!
Indeed.
In fact, Paul said this to indicate that there was only one gospel in the Age of Grace,
namely, the gospel of the Lord Jesus' redemption work.
In the last days when the Lord Jesus returns,
it is the coming of God's kingdom,
which is the descent of heavenly kingdom.
This is the gospel of the Age of Kingdom.
The gospel of the Age of Kingdom and of the Age of Grace
are different work for very different ages.
So in explaining the Bible,
it's necessary to grasp the principle
that much of the content of the Bible is bound by ages.
What does "bound by ages" mean?
I've never heard that before.
As Jehovah God said, during the Age of Law:
These words mean that during the Age of Law
the name Jehovah would absolutely not change.
In the Age of Grace, the record of the Bible is
This means that during the Age of Grace the name Jesus would not change.
In the Age of Kingdom, God's name changed again;
it became Almighty God.
Herein the prophecy of Revelation comes true:
Amen!
Yes, the prophecy in Revelation states it clearly.
He will have a new name in the last days! (Right.)
Yes, God really has had a different name during each age! (That's right.)
It's clear that much of the Bible is set against the background of the age.
Therefore, Paul said,
The meaning of these words is
during the Age of Grace,
salvation could be gained only through belief in the Lord Jesus
and accepting His work of redemption.
That's right. Certainly. Yes.
But at the time when Paul said these words,
he did not say that when the Lord returned,
it would be wrong to spread the gospel of the kingdom.
Right. True.
Even less did he say that those who testified His return
would be spreading another gospel.
That's true.
Could Paul know that the Lord's return would change the age?
He could not know.
Paul was only a man; he was not the Lord.
How could he know?
True.
Right! Paul was just an apostle who spread the gospel.
He was not a prophet.
How could Paul know God would bring the gospel of the descent of the kingdom
when He returned in the last days?
Therefore, pastors of religious circles
use Paul's words spoken to the church during the Age of Grace
to condemn the work of Almighty God,
isn't this absurd and fallacious?
Right.
Isn't this quoting out of context and distorting the Bible?
Yes! Agreed.
This time I understand it.
Paul's words were spoken with reference to the Age of Grace.
Yes.
The pastor and the elder don't understand the Bible.
They interpret the Bible based on their own ideas.
The pastor and elder use Paul's words
to impede our acceptance of Almighty God's gospel.
How evil this is!
Isn't this blocking us from the kingdom of heaven?
It is.
We certainly can't believe the words that the pastor and elder say.
Right.
Sisters, I have a question I would like to explore.
The pastor and elder frequently say
that the Lord Jesus saying "It is finished,"
proves that the work of saving mankind was finished,
by believing in Him and confessing our sins,
we are forgiven of sin,
and the Lord would no longer see us as sinners.
We are justified by faith alone.
The Lord will receive us into the kingdom of heaven when He returns,
but he could not do further work of saving mankind.
I feel that this understanding by the pastor and elder is unacceptable.
Right.
And yet, what was the Lord Jesus ultimately referring to
when He said "It is finished" on the cross?
Right.
Why does God need to come back in the last days to express truth
and do the work of judging man?
We are still rather unclear about these questions.
Please discuss them some more with us.
Yeah, please.
I don't understand this issue either.
Please discuss it with us!
Yes, let's discuss it in more detail.
Okay.
Brothers and sisters,
when the Lord Jesus said "It is finished,"
what was He referring to?
Did He mean that the work of redemption was finished,
or did He mean that God's work of fully saving mankind was finished?
Could the people of the time really know His meaning?
It can be said that no one knew.
That's right, it really is this way.
Nobody dares to say what is being referred to in this statement.
Yes, the Lord Jesus only said: "It is finished."
He didn't say God's work of saving mankind was finished.
Humans can never truly understand what the Lord Jesus referred to
when He said, "It is finished."
Why would anyone explain these words according to their own ideas?
Why dare arbitrarily to interpret the phrase "It is finished"?
This is randomly putting one's own ideas upon the words of the Lord Jesus.
Sister Yang is correct.
We can't interpret the Lord's words arbitrarily.
You're right.
Consider this, everyone,
if the Lord Jesus saying "It is finished,"
indicates that God's work of saving mankind is complete,
then why did the Lord prophesy saying,
"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:
for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will show you things to come"?
Also, as recorded in the Gospel of John, Chapter 12, Verses 47-48,
Amen!
The words of the Lord Jesus tell us clearly
that the Lord will return to express truth and to do judgment work.
There's also the Bible prophecy:
Brothers and sisters, according to what the pastor and the elder say,
if the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus completed all of the work of saving the human race,
then how would the prophecy,
"However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth,"
then how would these words come true?
Wouldn't His prophecy that He would return to utter truth
and do judgment work fall through?
That's right. That's correct.
Therefore,
what the pastor and elder say doesn't match with the Lord Jesus' words
and doesn't match with God's work.
Right.
We should all know that the Lord Jesus did the work of redeeming the human race.
All we must do is accept the Lord Jesus,
repent before Him, and our sins will be pardoned.
Then we are qualified to pray to the Lord,
and can enjoy the grace that the Lord bestows.
Regardless of the sin, we won't be condemned by law.
This is the outcome of the Lord Jesus' work of redemption.
This is the meaning of the phrase "salvation by faith."
Oh, so this is the meaning of "salvation by faith."
From the outcome achieved by the work of the Lord Jesus,
we see even greater proof
that the Lord Jesus' work was solely that of redemption.
By no means was it the work of judging,
and purifying the people of the last days.
Can you understand this explanation?
Yes, we understand.
Thanks be to God!
Brothers and sisters,
though our belief in the Lord Jesus pardons our sins,
and we don't commit obvious sins, and behave quite well,
we have not thoroughly separated ourselves from sin,
and been thoroughly saved, have we?
No. Of course not.
Do we still frequently tell lies and commit sins?
Yes!
Do we still act greedily?
Do we still envy others and hate others?
Yes.
Are our hearts full of arrogance and trickery?
Do we still mimic worldly trends, cling to wealth, and crave glory?
Yes, we do.
Some people, when persecuted by the CCP government,
even blame God.
They even provide written statements in which they deny God and betray God.
Especially concerning the judgment work of Almighty God during the last days,
people judge and condemn God's work based on their own notions.
Is this not the truth?
That's right.
In our belief in the Lord, we gain only pardon of sins.
But within us remains Satan's nature and Satan's disposition.
Yes!
This is the source of our resistance of God.
If our sinful nature is not resolved,
then we will resist God, betray God, and consider God an enemy.
Yes.
Is such a person qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven?
No.
God's word says:
Amen!
The Book of Hebrews in the Bible also says:
Yes.
If we frequently sin we're far away from purity,
we would not be allowed into the kingdom of heaven!
Right.
Brothers and sisters,
it should be clear by now that when the Lord Jesus said
"It is finished," He meant only that God's work of redemption was complete.
He was not saying
that all of the work of saving the human race was complete.
Almighty God incarnate of the last days came to express all truth,
to do the work of judgment starting from God's house,
to make people pure and fully save them,
to resolve the foundational problem of sin inside people,
to allow people to attain purity,
to achieve full salvation and enter God's kingdom. (Amen!)
Thanks be to God!
Brothers and sisters,
let us read more of Almighty God's words,
so we can all understand.
Great!
Brothers and sisters, let us now turn to page 1312.
Yes.
Excuse me, may I read, please? (Yes.)
Amen!
Thanks be to God!
Brothers and sisters,
let's read another two passages of Almighty God's words. (OK.)
Amen.
Amen! Thanks be to God!
Almighty God's words have been read.
How do you all feel?
Would you say that you feel enlightened? (Yes.)
Almighty God's words are so practical.
Yeah! I feel so clear now!
Praise God. That's great!
The words of Almighty God tell us clearly
God's judgment in the last days and its purpose.
This allows us to be certain
that God's judgement in the last days will purify and save man completely.
When the Lord Jesus redeemed man,
He paved the way for God's judgment in the last days.
Almighty God works His judgment and purifies man based on the Lord Jesus' redemption,
completely saving man and bringing them into God's kingdom.
Amen! It is.
Great!
Wouldn't you say this is very practical?
Yes. Yeah, it is! It is very practical!
If we ignore God's judgment in the last days
and acknowledge only the work of the Lord Jesus,
how can we say we deserve to enter God's kingdom?
So, forgiveness alone doesn't represent purity.
That is correct.
Forgiveness does not signify submission to God.
Yes.
Now everyone understands the necessity of God's judgment in the last days.
We see belief in God requires us to understand the work of God.
Yes.
Yet many believe that salvation will arrive through faith alone.
They believe that simply believing in the Lord absolves them of their sins
and solves their problems.
They believe that the merciful Lord will pardon all sins that they commit,
that when He comes, they will raise into the kingdom of heaven.
They therefore reject the last days' judgment from Almighty God.
What does this mean?
Does this person understand God's work?
Do they understand His disposition?
No, they don't.
Would you say that God would allow a follower of Satan,
one who rebels and resists Him to enter into His kingdom?
He would not.
This He would not allow.
What would happen if God allowed someone like this into His kingdom?
Here's an example.
If the Israelites who believed in Jehovah God were brought into God's kingdom,
what do you think would happen?
They did not accept God incarnate, the Lord Jesus,
and in fact condemned the Lord Jesus,
they even nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross.
Those Satan-types who resist God,
if they were to enter into the kingdom of God,
would they continue to resist God?
Yes. They would.
Would they revolt against Him?
Would they attempt to usurp the Lord's power?
They would. Definitely.
Why did the Lord Jesus not go to the synagogue to preach?
It is because the chief priests, scribes,
and Pharisees of the Jewish faith were so evil.
They were capable of anything.
That is true.
We all know
that after the Lord Jesus was caught by them,
He was beaten, taunted, and spat upon.
He was even turned over to the Roman government to be crucified.
Yes.
The Lord Jesus already knew their evil essence,
so He did not go to the synagogue. (Correct.)
In the last days He has returned.
Why does He not go to the churches to preach?
It is because the leaders in the churches are all so evil.
Were the incarnate Almighty God to go into the churches,
they would surely call the police.
Exactly.
They would surely hand Almighty God over to the CCP.
Is this not the truth?
It is. Yes. It's true.
Now, do we dare go into churches and testify to Almighty God?
No.
If you bore witness for Almighty God,
they would ridicule you,
and even, they would call the police.
We see that the churches today are the same as the synagogues were then.
They are all places that resist and condemn God.
Is this the way it is?
It is.
This shows exactly how corrupt the human race is.
They detest truth and reject it.
They have sided with Satan, rejected and opposed the arrival of God.
If God had not been incarnated during the last days to judge and purify man,
the human race would be destroyed by God because they've resisted.
Do you say this is true?
Yes. It is.
Now, all of you understand, don't you?
Yes, thanks be to God!
Sister Dong, after hearing your speech I understand:
What the Lord Jesus actually did was simply the work of redemption,
and that this work of redemption was to atone for man's sin.
In believing in the Lord, we have our sins pardoned,
are qualified to pray, and enjoy God's grace.
This redemption is not the same as judgment and purification.
So we are caught in a cycle of sinning and then confessing.
God ignores our transgressions.
As long as we confess our sins to God, and are willing to repent, we receive His blessing.
Before, we did not understand the significance of the Lord Jesus' redemption.
We had thought that the Lord Jesus had fully saved the human race.
With sins pardoned, everything would be good.
How foolish and ignorant we were, not knowing God's work at all.
Yes.
Almighty God of the last days has come to judge and purify man.
Only this work can truly save man.
The sinful nature that resides within people
can only be cleansed through judgment and chastisement.
Yes.
And now, I understand God's work of saving the human race.
Praise God. (Amen!)
That's great!
Amen.
The meeting today has been great.
I feel enlightened!
Thank God.
Now we understand why God expresses the truth and performs judgment in the last days.
If we believe only in Him,
and do not accept God's judgment and purification,
we may have faith our entire life
and still fail to cast aside our sin.
We would be caught in the cycle of sin and confession,
never truly finding freedom.
Yes.
And then, we would be abandoned by the Lord,
to calamity and punishment.
But now, God assumed human form in order to save mankind,
to utter the truth, to judge and purify.
We have heard the voice of God,
and been brought in front of Him to be judged and purified by Almighty God.
Such is the kindness of God.
God's love for us is great.
Amen. Thanks be to God.
Thanks be to Almighty God.
I hereby officially accept Almighty God as my true Lord, my God. (Amen!)
Thank God.
I pledge to God:
I accept and submit to the judgment and chastisement of His words. (Amen.)
I'll pursue truth,
I'll attain purification,
and I'll always carry out God's will,
to attain God's praise and blessing. (Amen!)
Thank Almighty God! (Thanks be to Almighty God!)
I accept too.
I accept too!
Thanks be to God.
Thanks be to God. Thank God.
Brothers and sisters, let us offer a prayer to God together!
OK!
Elder Zou, Pastor Qiao, you must be tired.
There are chairs over there. Let's have a seat.
Pastor Qiao, is there something on your mind?
Why do you seem so worried?
Lately, I've watched some videos by The Church of Almighty God.
I was quite surprised.
I would not have guessed
that Eastern Lightning has actually produced a wide variety of gospel movies and videos,
all openly proclaiming witness for the words of Almighty God to the whole world.
They produce deep and thought-provoking discussion,
and forcefully refute our viewpoints and arguments against the Eastern Lightning.
The words of Almighty God really are powerful!
Also, the rumors that we had spread about Eastern Lightning, the false witnesses,
they have exposed them all to the public.
Watching those videos scared me.
If the Lord's return is Almighty God,
we will be condemned by the Lord, we'll be punished.
And now that all our words to condemn Almighty God are exposed,
what will happen to us?
What will happen to us all?
It's hard to say.
How can I not be worried?
The momentum of Eastern Lightning's development
is similar to when the Lord Jesus' gospel was spread.
No force could stop it!
The Eastern Lightning could soon spread across the entire world!
There's a serious famine in all religious circles.
Followers gain no nourishment.
The small amount of biblical knowledge and theology that we have
has been repeated so many times that no one is listening.
The Holy Spirit is no longer at work in the churches.
We don't feel that the Lord is with us;
it's as if He has abandoned us.
It would seem that we will soon lose all our followers.
We cannot allow our church to be destroyed overnight.
These thoughts, I have to sit down.
Here's how I feel.
It seems that Almighty God is the Lord's return,
or it's just not possible for Eastern Lightning to have grown so quickly.
How are their preachings so inspirational?
Almighty God's words have authority and inspire so much.
Those that are the followers are learning profound truths from Almighty God,
allowing them to make so many good videos.
If Almighty God really is the Lord's return,
then the days for people like us are over.
Pastor Qiao, Elder Zou, I am worried.
If Almighty God really is the Lord's return, and we resist and condemn Him,
are we not just like the hypocritical Pharisees who opposed God?
I don't even want to imagine the consequences.
Don't worry,
the religious world opposes Eastern Lightning.
We are not alone in this.
Many famous pastors and leaders resist, they cannot all be wrong.
You're right.
Even if it's wrong, it doesn't only affect us.
It affects all the others.
Also the Lord is merciful and loving.
Though our resistance may be wrong, the Lord will forgive us.
The Lord would not abandon the whole religious world!
Besides, our opposition to Eastern Lightning is protecting the church.
We are protecting our livelihood.
They're the ones stealing our sheep.
We are not to blame.
Were the Lord Jesus to steal, we would submit.
Eastern Lightning on the other hand we don't.
This proves our loyalty.
You are right.
We all depend on the gospel to live.
If all the sheep are stolen,
would anyone donate to the church? (Right.)
We would be unemployed.
Those churches that Li Qingxin leads,
their donations are the most.
The church's income relies on them.
No matter what, we cannot allow belief in Eastern Lightning.
Brothers and sisters,
you have all believed in the Lord for many years.
You should know that the Holy Bible is Christianity's canon,
and that all Christians' belief is based on the Bible.
All God's words and work are in the Bible.
Aside from the Bible, nothing records God's words and work.
Belief in the Lord must therefore be based on the Bible.
If it departs, it is heresy!
How can he say that?
For millennia, believers have upheld the Bible.
No one has dared to go beyond its scope.
Yet Eastern Lightning claims that the Lord Jesus is back,
that He has expressed truths and judges man in the last days.
This has already departed from the Bible.
Therefore, most pastors and elders of religious circles
all condemn Eastern Lightning as heresy.
How can that be wrong?
You must right this error.
I urge you to drop Eastern Lightning,
confess to the Lord and beg for forgiveness.
All that Almighty God says is truth!
Pastor Qiao is condemning God's work of the last days!
Pastor Qiao is correct;
the Bible is the foundation of our faith.
We must not depart from the Bible at any time during our faith in the Lord.
When you all get together,
you don't even read the Bible.
You only discuss the words of Almighty God.
To you, it's as if The Word Appears in the Flesh
is even more important than the words in the Bible.
In discarding the Bible you are discarding the Lord's way.
This is betraying the Lord!
Right! Are you not clear about this point?
We accept the Lord's return. How is this a betrayal?
Pastor Qiao, Elder Zou,
you say that belief must be based on the Bible.
This statement is problematic. (Yeah.)
From where does it come?
Is it in the Bible?
Was it said by God?
The Bible's sections were not produced
until after God's work several hundred years after. (Yes.)
So when there was no Scripture,
where did people base their faith?
In fact, it was based on the words of God and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Correct.
You are wrong in saying that belief in the Lord must be based on the Bible.
Without word of God or the Holy Spirit, we would have no way to believe.
Though we might believe, we would be on the wrong path.
If a person believes, can he have God's approval if he has no work of the Holy Spirit?
He can't.
You say, God's words are only in the Bible.
Straying from the Bible is heresy.
You see, this is incorrect.
It is only the opinion of pastors and elders.
Why do you want to force us to accept it?
How could you?
Why do you force us?
Do you dare to say that all of God's words and all of His work are recorded in the Bible?
Do you have a biblical basis for this?
The Bible does not say it,
but all religious pastors and elders agree with us.
We aren't wrong with this.
You dare claim that what you say cannot be wrong?
Yes, do you dare claim certainty?
You can't say for certain. Yeah, do you?
In the Age of Law,
some prophets had books not included in the Bible.
Many of the words and actions by the Lord Jesus
during the Age of Grace were not recorded in the Bible.
Is this not a fact?
Yes. It is true.
When you pastors speak, why do you not base it on fact?
Don't you often discuss the Bible?
You should know the Lord Jesus' words:
The Revelation also says,
Amen!
The Lord Jesus clearly said:
He would return to speak again.
Yet you claim God's words are found only in the Bible and divergence is heresy.
Isn't this denying the prophecy of the Lord Jesus,
and condemning the words and work of the second coming of the Lord?
Do you dare say that words spoken upon the Lord's return
are not the words of God if not recorded in the Bible?
How do the words and work of the Lord's second coming appear in the Bible ahead of time?
It is completely nonsensical.
In the past we had no discernment,
and blindly believed the devilish things that you said.
This caused us not to seek and investigate when we heard of people preaching
that the Lord Jesus had returned and was speaking again. (Yes.)
Who knows how many people missed the chance to be lifted up upon His return.
We almost missed the chance.
You have caused us all so much harm.
Very true.
In the past, we would only listen to pastors and not know it even when we were deceived.
We weren't discerning at all.
Now, we read many words of Almighty God.
We have found that all words of Almighty God are truth and are God's voice.
It is the Holy Spirit speaking to churches.
The volume, The Word Appears in the Flesh,
is the Bible of the Age of Kingdom. (Amen.)
What I don't understand
is why you always condemn Eastern Lightning.
Why do you use these fallacies to deceive us and block us from accepting Almighty God?
Why do you hate the last days work of Almighty God?
Could it in fact be because Almighty God speaks the truth?
Or maybe our lives have been nourished by the words of Almighty God,
you are envious?
You too can read the words of Almighty God
and nourish yourselves from the living water. (Yes.)
Why don't you accept the truth?
Why always stop us from receiving truth and submitting to God's work?
Is the reason you want us to join you in resisting God's last days work,
so that we will all be punished in hell together?
Will that make you happy?
Your hearts have become so evil.
So vicious. Yes, so evil.
I never saw you like this before.
Ever since we accepted Almighty God,
we can see the kind of people you really are. (Yes.)
Elder Zou, just now you said that in our faith in Almighty God,
we don't even read the Bible together,
that we only read the words of Almighty God,
and that this diverges from the Lord's way.
Right.
So now here is a question.
What is it?
When the Lord Jesus came to do the work of redemption,
the disciples of Lord Jesus gathered to fellowship His words
and carried out His words.
The laws of the Old Testament were not observed.
They did not read it at gatherings.
Would you say
that what they did then was resisting God? (No.)
Of course not.
Right, of course not.
They were submitting to God's work,
and followed the footprints of the Lamb.
But to the Pharisees, it did not look like that.
They believed that when the Lord Jesus' disciples gathered to fellowship His words,
it deviated and departed from God's way and betrayed Him,
so they drove them from the synagogue.
Well, is this not fact?
Yes. That's right.
Lord Jesus describes very clearly
how the Scripture should be approached:
Amen.
The Lord long ago said in Scripture there is no eternal life,
that the Scripture was witness for God.
That was a record of God's work in the Age of Law and in the Age of Grace.
Right.
If one only observes the Bible,
and does not accept the actual words of Christ and the Holy Spirit's work,
one cannot gain life.
That's right.
Now God in the last days becomes flesh.
Almighty God expresses truth to purify and save the human race,
to do the work of judgment starting with God's house.
Words of Almighty God are the way of life everlasting
that God has given to man. (Amen!)
If you don't pursue and investigate the work of Almighty God,
and only condemn it based on previous conceptions,
and conclude that in fellowshiping Almighty God's words
we depart and deviate from the Lord's way,
what is the difference between this
and the Pharisees condemning the words and work of the Lord Jesus?
None at all.
Yes, there is no difference. They are exactly like they were.
I'm surprised that
only days after accepting Almighty God,
you speak these words, even condemn us.
We came in kindness to save you;
if you're ungrateful, then forget it.
You even call us Pharisees.
You disappoint me.
I serve the Lord,
I bear responsibility for your lives, no matter what.
I cannot watch you take the wrong path.
I must warn you,
Eastern Lightning testifies that Almighty God is Christ incarnate.
This is wrong.
The Bible says:
We believe there is only one Christ;
we believe in the Lord Jesus.
Only the Lord Jesus is Christ incarnate, God's Son.
The Almighty God you believe in is a person.
You have been deceived.
How can he say that?
Abandon Eastern Lightning.
There is still time to repent.
What you say is true.
The Lord Jesus redeemed us all and only He is Christ.
What we are waiting for is the arrival of Lord Jesus.
The Bible did not say that the second coming of the Lord would be Almighty God.
Eastern Lightning testifies that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus.
How is this possible?
Pastors and elders of religious circles all believe
that the one you believe in is a person.
Do you think they're all wrong?
Yes,
if Almighty God were the return of Lord Jesus,
then wouldn't pastors and elders accept Him?
The pastor and elder, they both serve the Lord.
They know the Bible,
and are more discerning than us.
To practice our belief, we should listen to the pastor and elder to avoid deceit.
He is wrong.
In our faith we should listen to the word of the Lord.
Can the pastor and elder speak for Him? (No, they can't.)
Pastor Qiao, Elder Zou,
you say our faith in Almighty God is belief in a person,
and we have been deceived.
So then, is there a biblical basis for this?
On what do you base these claims?
When I hear you say this, I feel ashamed for you.
You have believed for many years and often preach the Bible.
Aren't you familiar with how the Pharisees judged and condemned the Lord Jesus at that time?
Did they not say the Lord Jesus was an ordinary man?
They definitely said to the people who believed in Him,
"You believe in a man; you have been deceived."
Hearing you say these same words today,
you are like the Pharisees,
not acknowledging the incarnation of God.
You certainly would not have recognized the Lord Jesus.
Had you lived during the time of the Lord Jesus,
you certainly would have condemned and resisted Him,
along with the Pharisees. (Yes.)
Would you say that my claims are aligned with the facts?
Yes. It's so true.
Our belief in Almighty God is based on the Lord Jesus' prophecy
and the truth Almighty God has expressed.
Amen!
The appearance and work of Almighty God proves true these prophecies, (Yes.)
and this proves that Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus,
and is Christ of the last days.
This is a fact that nobody can deny.
Amen. Yes.
Pastor Qiao, Elder Zou,
if you condemn both the words and work of Almighty God,
do you not fear that you are resisting God?
The Pharisees at the time had served Jehovah God for generations,
but when the Lord Jesus came to redeem man,
they did not recognize the Lord Jesus as the Christ incarnate.
They even judged: "Is this not the Nazarene?
Is this not the carpenter's son?"
Yes.
They did not accept the truth that the Lord Jesus expressed,
they even resisted and condemned Him,
they crucified the Lord Jesus.
God punished them and cursed them as a result.
Surely you are all clear about this fact!
Yes, you certainly know it.
I urge you all to read the words of Almighty God,
to hear if it is the voice of God, if it is truth.
In this way, you will find out if Almighty God is a person or is God.
Yeah.
Don't stubbornly walk the Pharisees' path of resisting God
to avoid God's punishment and curses.
Right, don't do as the Pharisees did!
Don't go on resisting God to avoid meeting God's punishment!
Enough, enough, don't go on.
Why do you always connect us with the Pharisees?
The Pharisees did not know the Lord Jesus,
and they crucified Him.
They should be cursed and punished.
We are not like the Pharisees;
we are people who serve the Lord.
Our resistance of Eastern Lightning is for the purpose of protecting the flock.
You really don't understand us.
The Lord knows our hearts.
Let's go.
May the Lord have mercy on you.
They're very stubborn.
The pastor and elder were patient with you,
all for the sake of saving you.
This is God's love.
You are ungrateful!
We communicated the truth so clearly, how do they not understand?
I can't believe it.
Fang Yu, someone is looking for you!
Oh.
Sister Fang.
Oh, it's you pastor.
Sister Fang, listen for a moment.
You are new to belief
and can't tell what's wrong or right.
It's easy for you to be deceived by false doctrine.
I have served the Lord for nearly 40 years
and have a deeper understanding than you.
If you don't receive guidance and support from us pastors and elders in your faith,
how will you learn what is right and wrong?
Do you understand the Bible?
If you don't listen to the pastor and elder,
can you enter the kingdom of heaven?
As the Lord's stewards and servants,
we are responsible for the lives of those like you.
Am I right?
Now, let me see The Word Appears in the Flesh,
and I will have a look.
I will check it for you.
Pastor Qiao, you say that belief in the Lord requires the pastor and elder.
This isn't in the Bible.
The Lord Jesus never said these words,
and He never said that pastors and elders would be the ones
to lead believers into the kingdom of heaven.
I have read Almighty God's words,
and I firmly believe they are the voice of God.
In taking my copy of The Word Appears in the Flesh,
what is your real intent?
As I see it, you simply don't want me to read it,
and you say you will inspect it, who are you kidding?
You haven't heard the voice of the returned Lord Jesus,
and you stand guard for me?
This fulfills a prophecy of the Lord Jesus:
I clearly see the true appearance of you pastors who hate truth and resist God.
Almighty God has expressed truth, but you are blind to it.
You blatantly resist Almighty God.
What makes you qualified to stand guard on our behalf?
It is truly shameless!
Why do you control and restrict us?
I have other things to do.
Sister Fang, listen to the pastor, Sister Fang …
Sister Tian, listen for a moment.
Don't believe in Eastern Lightning.
There is time for you to repent.
If you continue belief in Eastern Lightning,
the church will expel you,
all the people in the church will forsake you.
Then it will be too late for you to repent.
It will result in you going to hell.
Consider the consequences.
Listen to what the elder says.
Elder Zou, what I don't understand
is that you often say you are the Lord's servant and steward,
but why do you always restrict us from discovering the true way?
The Lord Jesus has now returned.
He expresses truth and judges people.
Why don't you lead us to investigate the true way?
Why do you stop us?
Recall when the Lord Jesus appeared and worked.
How did the Pharisees resist and condemn the Lord Jesus?
How did they persecute and capture the Lord Jesus' disciples?
The Bible records this very clearly.
Now I have accepted Almighty God,
and you forsake me, expel me.
I think you are the contemporary Pharisees, evil servants, that's the truth.
Sister Guo, I'm warning you,
the government is always persecuting house churches,
Eastern Lightning in particular is severely persecuted.
If you believe in Eastern Lightning,
you will be arrested, (Yeah.)
and you will suffer cruel torture.
Worst case, you might lose your life. (Correct.)
You must not follow Eastern Lightning.
Don't we just want peace in our belief?
Peace is a blessing!
Speaking the way you do as pastors and elders
makes me wonder whether you even believe in God.
The CCP is atheist, they hate believers most.
Here in China, believers are persecuted.
Revelation says "the fearful, and unbelieving" cannot enter God's kingdom.
Is it possible you haven't read those words?
It appears to me that you fear Satan and not God!
I'm aware you help the government arrest believers in Almighty God.
You hand over believers to the government police for torture.
How can you say that your conscience is at rest?
Like Judas, you betray the brothers and sisters.
Aren't you afraid of God's punishment?
Wait, Sister Guo. Let us speak.
Leave me alone.
You two are unbelievers, cowards.
What gives you the right to stop us from accepting the true way?
Stay out of my life!
Conditions have been bad lately. We must be careful.
Brother Qin, are the arrangements with the guards in place?
They're ready.
This time they are stationed at the entrance to the village.
Mm, well done. (Good, let's enter.)
Sister Dong, Sister Yang.
Sister Li, how are you doing? (Yeah.)
Recently,
the pastor and elder have been bothering us about our acceptance of Almighty God, (Yes.)
trying to teach us the Bible.
Though we refuted and rejected them,
they do not let up. (Yes.)
This is citizen harassment. (Yes.)
This is disturbance.
The pastors and elders are so senseless.
Before, when we acted weak,
they didn't even seem to care at all.
Mm. True.
But now, when we accept Almighty God,
they become angry.
They try both the carrot and the stick,
endlessly pestering us.
We don't get a break. (Yes.)
It is hateful.
It seems that they won't rest
until they have dragged us into hell along with them.
You are right.
We won't let them.
I don't get it.
The pastor and elder serve the Lord,
and they know the Bible.
They should be able to see that all words expressed by Almighty God are the truth.
Why is it that they do not seek the truth?
Yeah, why not?
Why don't they investigate the last days work of Almighty God,
instead, they condemn and resist Almighty God?
Unbelievable.
The pastor and elder try to stop us from accepting Almighty God.
We are having difficulty understanding this. (Yes.)
We really need to understand.
Please discuss this with us.
Yes, I don't understand these problems.
We must discuss them. (Yes. We need to discuss this.)
Brothers and sisters, let us sit and talk. (Great.)
Good idea.
Brothers and sisters,
can't the pastors be worried about your acceptance of Almighty God?
In the eyes of the pastor and elder,
you are their sheep.
You have been stolen,
this hurts the pastor and elder very deeply.
That's why they do whatever they can do to get you back.
Recall when the Lord Jesus did His work.
Chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees of the Jewish religion
all slandered and condemned the Lord Jesus relentlessly;
they even went so far as to crucify Him. (That's right.)
There were certainly many of the Jewish faith that wanted to accept the Lord Jesus.
But why did they not accept the Lord Jesus Christ?
And why did they choose not to follow Him?
Why is that?
I think that the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees
must have often threatened the Jewish believers
and did all that they could do to stop them turning to Him.
Yes.
There was a person called Nicodemus.
He only could see the Lord Jesus at night.
This is not unlike this situation.
These stories have been recorded very clearly in the Bible.
However, very few in religious circles
know the root of why the Pharisees resisted the Lord.
Even less was there anyone able to discern the pastors and elders
based on the words the Lord spoke to condemn Pharisees.
Isn't this the truth? (Yes. It is.)
Yes. Yes it is.
Almighty God has arrived,
and has exposed the essence of the resistance of the religious pastors and elders.
Let's watch a video of a reading of Almighty God's words. (Okay.)
Brothers and sisters,
let's read a few more passages of Almighty God's words.
Yes.
Sister Dong, may I read?
You may.
So true. It's true.
Brothers and sisters, let's read another passage. (Yes.)
Sister Yang, let me read. (Sure.)
Right, in everything we do, we obey the pastor and elder.
We are only worshiping man.
What Almighty God says is true.
Now that we have read the words,
is everyone clearer about the Pharisee's condemnation of the Lord,
how the pastors and elders resist and condemn God's last days work,
and the source of why they resist Almighty God?
Yes, we understand.
In the Age of Grace,
the Lord Jesus cursed the Pharisees,
and exposed the Pharisees as the hypocrites that they were.
Almighty God of the last days has arrived,
and has revealed the behavior and essence of religious pastors' and elders' resistance of God.
In God's two incarnations,
why does He expose the essence
of the religious leaders' hypocrisy and resistance of God?
Yes, why is that?
This is because that although they claim to serve God,
they don't practice God's words,
they disregard His commandments.
They have no reality of the truth,
and they definitely don't submit themselves to God;
they only observe a handful of doctrines and religious rites.
Very true.
They use their own silver tongues and gifts
to explain the Bible and theology,
only so they can look good and show off,
so they are respected.
That's right. It's true.
This gives them power over believers
who will consult them and obey them in every matter.
Even when seeking the true way,
they must get approval from the pastor and elder.
Whatever the situation,
rather than emphasizing prayer or truth,
they always ask the pastor and elder.
Yes. That's true.
They do whatever the pastor and elder tell them to.
They never discern if the pastor and elder's words agree with the Bible or with the truth.
Even when God incarnate appeared to work and express the truth,
they had no power to make their own decisions
about if they should listen to God's voice.
They needed the pastors to make that decision for them.
Giving their own lives and final destination to the pastors and elders.
What is this problem?
Do they believe in the pastors and elders,
or the Lord Jesus?
It really makes me wonder.
The pastors and the elders have never brought the people before God,
they have controlled them in their own power.
Many of God's chosen people don't have discernment,
they've been deceived by this hypocritical appearance
of the religious Pharisees, pastors, and elders.
We don't understand truth and have not a whit of discernment.
If God had not come to express truth
and expose their essence of resisting God,
no one would see that they are antichrists
who hate truth and vie with God over God's chosen people!
That's right.
In this way, God's chosen people have no way to escape their deception,
have no way to accept God's work,
and turn toward God to achieve salvation, (Yes, it's true.)
and are ultimately ruined by these evil servants and antichrists.
Yes. It is dangerous! Yes, it is!
Almighty God has exposed the root of the resistance
of the religious Pharisees, pastors, and elders toward God,
and torn away their masks and disguises as hypocrites,
allowing believers in God to see the truth of their resistance of God while serving Him.
Is this not God saving us
from the restraint of the religious Pharisees and from Satan's influence?
Yes, thank God!
If God didn't work in this way,
would believers in God be able to voluntarily return to God's presence?
They would not. Certainly not!
If God had not exposed the truth and the facts of the Pharisees resisting God,
would believers in God be able to discern the Pharisees?
They certainly would not!
If God hadn't exposed the truth of pastors and elders resisting God in the last days,
would believers be able to escape their restraint and entrapment?
They would not.
Certainly, they would not.
Therefore, God working this way is His compassion for us,
and His salvation of us!
Thank God!
Brothers and sisters, in religious houses of worship,
most people revere the pastors and elders.
They believe that the pastors and elders understand the Bible.
They are loving to the brothers and sisters,
and explain the Bible to people, working tirelessly.
How can they be hypocritical Pharisees and antichrists?
That's true. Yes.
In fact,
whether or not the pastors and elders are antichrists
cannot be told only from how they treat others superficially,
or how much they work or suffer for the Lord.
Most crucial is to see how they treat the appearance and work of God,
and how they treat the incarnate Christ and the truth that Christ expresses.
Only in this way can their true color be clearly seen.
It is similar to the chief priests and scribes, and Pharisees long ago.
They all explained scriptures;
it was even embroidered on their clothes.
From outside, they were devout,
but when the Lord Jesus appeared to work,
how did they treat the Lord Jesus?
I know this, when the Pharisees saw the Lord Jesus cast out demons,
exhibiting the authority of God,
they accused Him of using the demon king to do this
and blasphemed the Holy Spirit. (That's right.)
That's right.
Also,
the high priest asked Lord Jesus if He was Christ.
When He said "I am,"
they used this as an excuse to accuse Him.
They turned Him over to the Roman government.
They would rather release a robber to crucify the Lord Jesus.
Everyone is correct.
The chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees
all know that the Lord Jesus spoke with authority and power,
but they did not seek the truth and did not accept it.
They stubbornly stuck to the scriptural laws,
using scripture to condemn the work of God.
They didn't care about the truth or the miracles of the Lord Jesus.
If He was not called Messiah,
they madly condemned and resisted Him, (Yes.)
dead set on nailing the Lord Jesus to the cross.
These facts are enough to prove
that the true nature of the Pharisees were that
they were truth-hating, God-hating antichrist devils.
That's right. That's true.
That's right.
In the last days, the Lord Jesus has returned
as Almighty God to express truth, judge, and purify people.
The good sheep from various denominations hear Almighty God's word,
recognize it as the voice of God, and turn to Him.
Amen. Thanks be to God.
Pastors and elders all know that the words spoken by Almighty God are all truth,
have authority and power,
but they do not seek the truth at all.
They interpret the Bible falsely and out of context,
claiming that any departure from the Bible is heresy,
and that any Lord Jesus who does not descend on a cloud is a fake.
They also claim that it is heresy for any message to preach the coming of God incarnate.
They madly spread rumors and fallacies
that condemn, slander, and blaspheme Almighty God.
They obstruct people from pursuing and investigating God's last-days work,
causing God's chosen people to abandon God's arrival.
The pastors and elders know that they are God's sheep,
yet they do not return them to God.
Instead, they called God's sheep their own sheep,
intending to control and dominate God's chosen people forever.
Is this not the behavior of antichrists?
Don't pastors and elders of religious circles act this way?
They do. Really do.
What's even more hateful
is when they discover someone is going to a church to bear witness to Almighty God,
they beat him, humiliate him, and even call the police.
They hand over the witnesses of Almighty God to the satanic CCP regime,
and attempt to use the CCP to ban God's last-days work, (It's true.)
to fulfill their wicked goal of being forever in control of religion in China.
That's right!
This completely reveals their satanic nature of hating truth and hating God.
How true! Yes.
What do you say,
are these pastors antichrist demons who vie with God for God's chosen people? (They are!)
Yes! Now I see clearly.
The pastors and elders are just like the Pharisees were.
That's true, all they really do
is discuss biblical knowledge,
without showing how to experience the Lord's word.
That's right. Because they obstruct people from seeking the true way,
they oppose God.
True. That's right.
What they are doing to us, it's not good for us,
and it doesn't help us into the heavenly kingdom.
It's for their status and livelihood.
Yes, you're right.
They try to deceive us, control us, ensnare us.
This obstructs God from His chosen people. (Yes.)
Using these words, we would be right to call them the antichrists.
That's true. Yes.
Thank God.
Today's discussion has been great.
I understand so much better.
So in the past,
we always revered the pastor and elder.
We did.
At times, we even treated them as if they were our own parents;
however they acted, we would trust in them.
Going so far as to believe that submitting to them was the same as submitting to the Lord.
Only now do we know that we were so ignorant.
Yes.
If Almighty God hadn't expressed truth
and judged man in the last days,
exposing and revealing the truth-detesting, truth-hating nature of the pastors and elders,
we would have never known what a hypocrite was
and what an antichrist was. (Right!)
We would have been stuck in their control and deception, and entrapment.
We would have not heard the voice of God or have been brought before His throne.
Thank God. Amen.
We thank Almighty God for salvation.
Thank God. Amen.
Amen.
Thank God.
At first it confused me how the pastors and elders who seemed so pious,
when someone came to the church bearing God's witness,
how they became ferocious and violent as if crazy. (Yes.)
And even they'd call the police doing every manner of evil. (Yes.)
They would detest anybody that testified to Almighty God.
It's unbelievable. (Yes.)
But now I understand.
Their opposition and condemnation of Almighty God,
their persecution of His witness,
has nothing to do with their personal feelings of ill will. (True.)
On one hand, it is because the pastors and elders detest the truth.
They deny and hate God incarnate.
Mm, yes.
On the other hand, it is to trap and control us,
and to protect their own status.
Right. How could they.
They believe that whoever witnesses God being incarnated
will steal their followers and seize their rice bowl.
Yes.
So they use all their resources to condemn and slander Almighty God, (Yes.)
and stop people turning to Him. (Yes.)
They really are evil. (Yes, so evil.)
They won't enter God's kingdom, and they stop us too.
They go to hell for resisting, and they take us with them.
They are living ghosts who devour our souls!
Yeah. Right. You're right about that.
We must forsake them all and curse them.
God will approve of this. (Yes! Amen!)
We need to forsake and curse them!
Thank God for He is calling us to escape the evil city of Babylon. (Amen!)
He is delivering us from the religious community,
to accept the true way and come home,
and be brought before His throne. (Amen!)
This is God's love!
Thanks be to Almighty God!
So long!
Let's go out.
Let's leave now. (Let me see you out.)
Today was really good.
Sister Yan, Sister Lin. (Sister Guo, hurry up.)
What a great meeting.
Sister Li, Sister Song.
Why are you here? I didn't invite you; leave now.
We have come again and again to save you,
but you won't listen.
To be honest, I don't want to do this.
Then stop. You think you will save us?
You can't even save yourselves,
how would you save us?
You can't speak like this.
You are my sheep, and now you are lost.
This is my duty.
That's it.
Excuse me? Who are your sheep?
We are the Lord's sheep.
You are shameless a hypocrite. (You are.)
I am the Lord's servant, and His steward.
The Lord entrusted the flock to me,
and I must be responsible for your lives.
You are responsible for our lives?
The Lord has returned and has spoken.
Why don't you let us investigate the true way?
Why don't you allow us to listen to the voice of God?
Do you think that's responsible?
Your action is blocking us from accepting the true way,
and from entering the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you say, this is for your own good.
We are awaiting the Lord's arrival on the clouds.
Can I abandon and ignore you? (Exactly.)
I guarantee that if you follow me, you will get into the kingdom of heaven.
What do you say?
What Pastor Qiao says is right.
Sister Li,
having heard the Eastern Lightning preaching,
you have forgotten the pastor.
In accepting Eastern Lightning, you are being selfish.
You have abandoned the pastor and the elder.
To whom do you think they will preach?
What will they do?
Why are you not concerned with how they are taking this?
You repeatedly come to bother us.
What are you trying to accomplish?
Do you think that we don't know?
You fear that we will follow Almighty God,
leaving no one to make donations to keep you afloat.
Your status and livelihood are in danger, am I wrong?
Too bad that you can't hide your true colors from us.
You are no more than wicked servants and antichrists
who have finally been exposed. (That's right.)
If we followed you, we would all end up in hell.
Only God is the source of human life;
only God can nourish human life.
Only by accepting the truth of Almighty God of the last days
can one enter the kingdom of heaven.
Amen.
I now officially tell you, only God is love.
Amen.
You pastors and elders are hypocrites and have no love.
Only Almighty God can save us. (Amen.)
Only Almighty God can bring us to the kingdom.
Only Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. (Amen.)
We will follow Almighty God. (Yes.)
Now, stay out of our business!
If you bother us again, we will curse you.
Right, we don't need you coming here and bothering us.
Right, mind your own business.
But, but …
You are not welcome here anymore.
Please leave right now. We do not welcome you!
Thank God.
We are finally free of their control.