Diary of a Christian: Learning the Lesson of Obedience
Friday, January 5, 2018 Sunny
Today was a day I’ll never forget. The person in charge told me that urgently needed a sister to perform hosting duties and asked if I’d be willing. When I heard this, my heart was in turmoil and I couldn’t calm myself down. I never thought I would be asked to perform this duty, and the discontent I felt inside came straight out: “How can you arrange for me to do hosting duties? Elderly brothers and sisters are suited to do that kind of duty. Though my caliber may be lacking, it’s not so poor that I’m only fit to do hosting duties! I’ve been a leader for years and wherever I go, brothers and sisters host me and revolve around me, and yet now I’m actually expected to host others in turn? Don’t you know anything about how to use people?
Picture of The Church of Almighty God | Experiencing God’s Special Love
Jiayi Fuyang City, Anhui Province
My nature is especially arrogant; no matter what I’m doing, I always use ingenuity and originality to show my brilliance and therefore frequently violate work arrangements to do things my own way. I am especially arrogant with regard to choosing people for a certain position. I believe that I have unique talent and insight that help me always select the right person. Because of this, when I chose someone, I wouldn’t earnestly probe to understand all the circumstances of the person I wanted to select. I also wouldn’t carefully weigh out the people I want to choose according to the relative principles. The result of this was that I ended up choosing some sly and crafty people who only spoke of letters and doctrines to take upon themselves important responsibilities in the church. This created a big loss for the work as well as for the life of my brothers and sisters. Finally, due to my lack of substantive work in the service of God, I was rejected by God. I lost the work of the Holy Spirit and was removed from service.
Picture of The Church of Almighty God | Jealousy, the Spiritual Chronic Illness
He Jiejing Hezhou City, Guangxi Province
A sister and I were paired up to revise articles together. As we were meeting, I realized that it didn’t matter whether it was singing, dancing, understanding God’s word, or fellowshiping about the truth, she was better than me in all these things. The brothers and sisters of the host family all liked her and would seek her out to fellowship with her. Because of this, my heart was quite unsettled and I felt like I was being given the cold shoulder—even to the point of thinking that as long as she was there, there was no place for me. In my heart, I began to feel fed up with her and I didn’t want to work with her in fulfilling our duties anymore. I hoped that she would leave so that the brothers and sisters would like me and think highly of me.
Not too long ago, after listening to some sermons, I started to understand that only those who practice the truth can obtain the truth and ultimately become ones who possess the truth and humanity thus attaining God’s approval. From then on, I made a conscious effort to forsake my flesh and practice the truth in my daily life. Some time later, I happily discovered that I could practice some truths. For example, in the past, after I revealed corruption, I was afraid to show my dark side to others. Now I was consciously open with my brothers and sisters, dissecting my corrupt disposition. Before, when I was pruned and dealt with, I would always make excuses and shirk responsibility. Now I made a conscious effort to deny myself instead of trying to justify my bad behavior. In the past, when I experienced friction with the brothers and sisters that I was partnered with, I was narrow-minded, petty and prone to sulking. Now when I encountered those situations I would forsake my flesh and consciously exercise tolerance and patience with others. Every time I thought of my “results” in practicing the truth, I would feel extremely happy. I thought that my ability to practice some truths meant that I was a genuine practitioner of the truth. And so, in this way I unknowingly came to live in a state of complacency and self-admiration.
Picture of The Church of Almighty God | Whatever God Says Is the Very Judgment of Man
I used to think that God judged and chastised man only when revealing man’s inherent corruption or conveying harsh words determining someone’s final destination, but those gentler words were not words of judgment and chastisement. It was only much later that an experience led me to realize that even God’s gentle words are also His judgment and chastisement. I realized then that every word God utters is His judgment of man.
Picture of The Church of Almighty God | It’s Not Easy Being an Honest Person
By Zixin, Hubei Province
After accepting Almighty God’s end-time work, through reading God’s words and listening to sermons, I came to understand the importance of pursuing being an honest person in one’s belief, and that only by becoming an honest person can someone gain God’s salvation. Thus I began practicing to be an honest person in real life. After a period of time, I found that I gained some entry into this. For example: While praying or conversing with someone, I would be able to speak the truth and from the heart; I could also take fulfilling my duty seriously, and when I revealed corruption I could open myself up to other people. Because of this, I thought being an honest person was quite easy to practice, and not at all as difficult as it was made out to be by God’s words: “Many would rather be condemned to hell than speak and act honestly” (“Three Admonitions” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). It was not until later that I was able to appreciate through several experiences that it really is not easy for us, corrupt human beings, to be honest people. God’s words really are absolutely true and completely unexaggerated.
Picture of The Church of Almighty God | The True Reason for Ineffective Work
Some time ago, when I went to the church for gatherings I would often hear leaders and co-workers say that some brothers and sisters, after attending fellowship with me, became negative, weak, and lacked motivation to continue in their seeking. Others felt it too challenging to believe in God and misunderstood God. Some said that their condition was fine before they met with me, but after they saw me, they felt tremendously pressured and uncomfortable. … Hearing this, my heart sank, and I felt terribly wronged—every time I came to have fellowship with them I would stay for a number of days, and, in order to resolve their problems, I would comb through all sorts of chapters and cite countless passages of the word of God, talking until my mouth was dry, and all the while thinking that my efforts were yielding good results. I never imagined that things would turn out like this. Why had this happened? I held this question in my thoughts as I prayed to God, “Oh God, I am surely at fault for the outcome of performing my duty, but I don’t know where I went wrong. I ask for Your guidance, so that I may become more aware of my faults.”
Picture of The Church of Almighty God | Throwing off Satan’s Yoke Is Liberating
Momo Hefei City, Anhui Province
Before I believed in God, no matter what I was doing, I never wanted to fall behind. I was willing to accept any hardship as long as it meant I could rise above everyone else. After I accepted God, my attitude remained the same, because I firmly believed in the saying, “No pain, no gain,” and saw my attitude as proof of my motivation. When God revealed the truth to me, I finally realized I had been living under Satan’s yoke, living under its domain.
The musical, Xiaozhen's Story, raked in nine awards, including those for best director, best feature film, best musical score, and so on, at the Christian Film Festival in Virginia, United States. Since its release in 2015, this musical, with the unfolding of life's transformation as its theme, has received multiple awards one after another in countries such as Russia, India, America, and so on. This is the 7th time since its first screening that this movie has won film festival awards.
This musical centers on the metamorphosis of the life of the Christian Xiaozhen. A true story, it tells of how people are enticed by money and fame into forfeiting their humanity, growing distant from God, losing their direction and goals in life, and heading toward the terror and helplessness of falling from grace. Through twists and turns, the fates of the characters are very moving and invocative, and by way of one climax after another, the plot triggers the audience into wondering such things as: Just what is happiness? What is the value and meaning of life? Who can save people from their lives of suffering, and bring them happiness and light? The lyrics used in the screenplay come from utterances spoken to all humanity by the Creator. They express God's concern, hopes, and care for humans, pointing out the way to all those who are profoundly suffering and have been led astray, and bringing them the gospel and hope!
Mr. Richard, the film festival organizer said, "I thought Xiaozhen's Story was a great message not only for Christians but it could be for everybody. Everybody eventually, after they chase the things of the world, will realize that those things don't fill their heart, and what really fills their heart is Jesus. And so I thought that it was a great story, and lots of Christians should watch it. Because they will all relate to Xiaozhen and her journey. It was definitely an award-winning film and that's why it was recognized with so many awards."
"The Light of Truth" journalist Han Xi reports from Newport News in Virginia
Recommendation: If Eastern Lightning is the true way, then what is the basis of your confirmation? We believe in the Lord Jesus because He redeemed us, but what do you use to verify that Eastern Lightning is the true way?
