Christian Testimony | The Truth Showed Her the Way to Get Along With Others (Part 3)

Christian Testimony | The Truth Showed Her the Way to Get Along With Others (Part 3)

September 29, 2018

Xiaomo

Soon after, as the duty became more difficult, the four people in Jiandan’s group came across a new problem. While they were checking the articles, they would often come across some issues they didn’t thoroughly understand and sometimes they would get quite worried. When they discussed the issues together, if one person suggested a solution and the other two were all of the same opinion, they would not wait for the fourth person to have their say. Jiandan felt that if the majority held the same view then it should be right, and that by doing this they could be considered to be performing their duty in accordance with principles.

The Church of Almighty God 

The Work of Spreading the Gospel Is Also the Work of Saving Man

    Almighty God says:"All people need to understand the purpose of My work on earth, that is, the final objective of My work and what level I must achieve in this work before it can be complete. If, after walking along with Me to this day, people do not understand what My work is all about, then have they not been walking with Me in vain? People who follow Me should know My will.

Christian Testimonies | A Restaurant’s Harvest

Christian Testimonies | A Restaurant’s Harvest

Cong Xin worked as a waitress in a restaurant, and she had always been a conscientious worker. But for some reason, the manager had recently started to lose his temper with her indiscriminately. Ever since she was small, Cong Xin had always wanted to excel and to do her best at everything she did, and even her stepfather very seldom spoke ill of her. But now she had to face the restaurant manager who was purposefully making things difficult for her. So many times, Cong Xin had wanted to get into a blazing row with him, but when she thought of how she was a believer in God and that she must be someone with humanity and reason, she would realize that she could no longer act however she wished, as she had done before she believed in God. Therefore, whenever the manager got angry at her, Cong Xin prayed in her heart: “O God! You permit this current situation to happen, and I pray that You keep me from getting hot-blooded, and from doing anything that brings shame to Your name or that makes me Satan’s laughingstock.” After praying, her heart would become a little calmer.

One time, after praying, Cong Xin thought of a passage of God’s words: “In the dispositions of normal people there is no crookedness or deceitfulness, people have a normal relationship with each other, they do not stand alone, and their lives are neither mediocre nor decadent. So, too, is God exalted among all, His words permeate among man, people live in peace with one another and under the care and protection of God, the earth is filled with harmony, without the interference of Satan, and the glory of God holds the utmost importance among man” (“Interpretation of the Sixteenth Utterance” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). She also thought of a passage in the brother’s fellowship that said: “Presently, everybody’s interpersonal relationships are abnormal. The main reason for this is that people have been corrupted by Satan very deeply and their integrity is extremely flawed. Men seek nothing but profit and try to benefit at other people’s expense in everything that they do. They are guided by their own individual intentions and goals in all matters. People live for themselves and for their flesh. They are absolutely not concerned at all about others and they do not even have the loving emotions that they should possess. Men fight and scheme against each other and they do so both openly and covertly. There is no way for mankind to get along with one another in a normal fashion. The conscience and rationality that man should possess has vanished from the face of the earth. There is no spirit of cooperation amongst mankind. Without a little bit of patience, people would be enemies with one another. Man’s heart is filled with evil, conflict, hostility and irreconcilable differences. It’s as if man does not have the image of human being at all. He is completely possessed by Satan and his inner heart is filled with Satan’s philosophy. All of this has been revealed by God’s words and there is absolutely nothing wrong about it. These real situations exist in everybody” (“Which Problems One Should Resolve Primarily in Reading God’s Words” in the fellowship from the above).

From God’s words and from the brother’s fellowship on entry into life, Cong Xin understood that people’s relationships with each other were abnormal, because every single person has been corrupted so much by Satan that they’ve lost normal humanity, and because they live by the satanic life philosophies such as “Everyone for himself and the devil take the hindmost,” “We will not attack unless we are attacked; if we are attacked, we certainly counterattack.” They therefore fight with each other so as to defend their own profits and maintain their appearances and vanity, they argue until their faces are flushed red over trivial things, and even fight to the death over them. Cong Xin realized that she was angry with her manager because she felt that she was doing a good job and so should receive his approval, but the manager not only never gave her his approval, but on the contrary got angry with her and caused her to lose face. For this reason, she felt that it was the manager who had been wrong first, and that she had good reason to treat him in exactly the same way he treated her. But wasn’t she living by the satanic poison of “an eye for an eye”? Thinking of this, Cong Xin understood that God was using this matter to cleanse and change her, allowing her to learn to recognize her own corrupt nature through her association with other people, as well as learn how to practice the truth and live out normal humanity, and learn to lower her conceited head and be patient when other people hurt her.

Cong Xin then thought of a passage in the brother’s fellowship that she would often hear: “If you want to have patience toward others, you first need to understand them, meaning no matter who says something that hurts you, you should know how to think and how to deal with it. You should first understand this: His words have hurt me. What he said seemed to be exposing my shortcomings and appeared to be directed at me. If his words are directed at me, what does he mean by them? Is he trying to do me harm? Does he see me as his enemy? Does he hate me? Is he exacting revenge against me? I did not offend him, so the answer to these questions cannot be yes. … When they said these words they were simply expressing what a normal person thinks, rather than directing them at any particular person…. they were certainly not consciously targeting any specific individual. First you offer understanding, then your anger can dissipate, and then you can achieve patience” (“How to Build Church Life and the Meaning of Building Church Life” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (I)).

Cong Xin then knew that if she wanted to really be patient with other people, then she must first achieve understanding. So by speaking to her co-workers, Cong Xin came to understand recent developments for the manager: It turned out that a new waitress in the restaurant had recently been taking the wrong money when people ordered dishes, and because of this the manager had been in a bad mood and was taking his anger out on Cong Xin; it wasn’t because of anything she herself had done. Cong Xin thought that if their positions were reversed and she was the manager, she would also get angry when something like this happened. But for the judgment and chastisement of God’s words which protected her, she would be just the same as the manager. When Cong Xin thought along these lines, the anger she held in her heart toward the manager was wondrously reduced. She no longer wished to reason with the manager, and she became able to contemplate God’s words normally on the one hand, and do her share of the work on the other. One evening, as she was finishing work and clocking out, Cong Xin just so happened to meet the manager. She greeted the manager politely, saying: “See you tomorrow, sir.” The manager was surprised and then, contrary to his normal behavior, replied warmly: “Take care on your way home.” That night, Cong Xin, who was normally very timid walking along streets at nighttime, completely forgot her fear, for all the way home she was recalling the last few days during which, through prayer and contemplating God’s words, she had come to know herself and had been practicing the truth. She had experienced that living by God’s words, she was indeed capable of living out a normal humanity, and her heart was filled with peace and joy.

Over the days that followed, because the restaurant was so busy, Cong Xin had to work overtime with her co-workers. Though work was busy and tiring, Cong Xin never complained. The only thing that made her unhappy was that she discovered that her co-workers would often goof off. For example, when a customer came in, her co-workers would rush over to take the customer’s order and take drinks over, whereas all the dirty work like cleaning the tables was all left for Cong Xin to do. Especially at peak times, Cong Xin would be running here, there and everywhere and would sweat buckets, and when it was time to finish work, she still had to mop the floor. Almost every day she was the last to change her clothes and clock off. As time went on, Cong Xin started to feel like she couldn’t bear it anymore. She thought about how she was getting paid the same wage as her co-workers, but that she did more work and the work was more tiring than what her co-workers did, and the more she thought about it, the more wronged and resentful she felt. Cong Xin really wished that the manager would see all this and know that she expended more effort than her co-workers. If she could even get a bit of a raise, then she wouldn’t feel so out of sorts. Cong Xin sometimes tried being lazy and sly, but when she saw one table after another waiting to be cleaned, she couldn’t help but get to work. Cong Xin felt very depressed and pained, and felt as though she was being bullied. In her pain, Cong Xin prayed to God: “O God! I feel exhausted and wronged in my association with my co-workers. We get the same wage, so I’m not willing to work any harder. What lessons should I be learning in this environment? What can I do to live out a normal humanity? I pray for You to guide me….”

One day after work, Cong Xin got home and saw a passage in the brother’s fellowship which said: “You must be real with other people. Even if you have done some practical thing for someone else, don’t say that you have, for it is better to do real deeds. Say, for example, someone else has a difficulty and you help them solve it, and afterward you say, ‘I was able to help you today to solve your difficulty. Didn’t I do it because we love each other? Didn’t I do it because I love you?’ Saying this is pointless, right? When you help someone else, you know in your heart that you’ve helped them, and that’s all you need to do—what’s the point in saying things like this? It’s best to do some real deeds! These words you say imply that by helping someone a little, you then want to gain their affection, you want them to remember you and be good to you. Is it right? Isn’t that being false and using a disguise? Isn’t that making bargains with other people? … Therefore, when you speak with others, speak honestly, and when you do things, do real deeds; don’t speak false or cloaked words. Even if we help someone, and they are kind to us or feel very grateful, we don’t demand these things from them, for we do not require anyone’s gratitude” (“How to Build Church Life and the Meaning of Building Church Life” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (I)).

After reading this passage in the brother’s fellowship, Cong Xin understood that only an honest person has a true human likeness, that honest people are real, they expend themselves honestly and sincerely when they do things, and they ask for nothing in return. Her own expressions, however, showed that if there was nothing in it for her then she may as well not get out bed, that if she expended more effort then she wanted to be paid for it, and if she couldn’t get anything in return then she wasn’t willing to expend the energy. Actually, it wasn’t that she was tired from working so hard, but that her heart was tired. She thought about it: How could I not be tired when I won’t make the slightest effort without getting paid for it? And so Cong Xin finally found the root of her pain and resentment, and she found the way to get along peacefully with her co-workers, which was to truly be an honest person, to be willing to do things, and not to require anything in return. Only in this way do people earn God’s acceptance, and their hearts become calm and free. Otherwise, no matter how much effort someone puts in to what they’re doing, it is all meaningless. From that moment on, Cong Xin was no longer mean in her dealings with her co-workers; she just quietly did as much as she could do, and no longer wished to change anyone else. Later, the shift leader in the restaurant suddenly started to actively help Cong Xin with her work, and the restaurant manager could tell that Cong Xin’s co-workers were goofing off, and so set about arranging for them to do more work, and Cong Xin would go out of her way to help them. From then on, her co-workers were reformed, and began to consciously look for work to do. In Cong Xin’s heart, there was a kind of inexpressible feeling of joy; she knew that this had been the result of her conducting herself in accordance with God’s will, and she kept thanking God in her heart.

Later, because of an emergency, Cong Xin could no longer keep working at the restaurant. According to restaurant policy, she had to give one month’s notice before she could quit, otherwise not only would she not receive that month’s pay, but she would also not get hired again in the future. But Cong Xin really didn’t have time to give a month’s notice, and she was already prepared to lose her pay when she handed her notice into the manager. Unexpectedly, the manager spoke in earnest to her, saying, “To be honest, I really hate to let you go. It’s really hard now to find someone as honest as you. I think you have a really great caliber.” Cong Xin replied: “Sir, you’re too kind. I have no caliber, and am only educated to middle school level.” The manager said, “The caliber I’m talking about is not based on your level of education, but rather it refers to your quality as a person and your mindset.” When Cong Xin heard this, she felt greatly comforted in her heart, yet she felt very clearly that this was not because of her own merits, but was entirely because she had been changed by God’s work and words.

What topped it all for Cong Xin was that, one day, after she quit her job at the restaurant, the manager called and asked her to go pick up her last month’s wages. After getting to the restaurant, the manager handed every penny of her wages over to her, and stressed again and again that she could always come back to work there whenever she wanted. Little would she have thought that the restaurant’s policy, which had never once been changed, would be broken by her! At that moment, Cong Xin once again kept thanking and praising God in her heart. She knew that this was all done by God, and that it had been God’s words that had changed her and enabled her to win the respect of other people. Cong Xin thought that if she had treated other people and handled things by relying on her corrupt disposition, then never mind the manager saying she would be welcome back there to work anytime, she would not have gotten even a penny of her last month’s wages.

After having this experience, Cong Xin truly felt that, when difficulties arose, as long as she practiced by relying on God’s words, she could then live out a normal humanity. On the surface, it may appear that one has to suffer some loss temporarily, and one may also lose some face, yet practicing the truth and satisfying God is a testimony that brings glory to God! As a created being that could practice the truth and satisfy God, not only could she win the respect of others, but most importantly the comfort she felt in her heart could not be measured nor replaced by any material gain, or any amount of reputation or vanity. It is God’s words that have today allowed Cong Xin to learn how to conduct herself as a person and learn how to associate with other people, and she sincerely feels that the joy she reaps in her heart after each time she practices the truth is the greatest and truest blessing of God!

Testimony of a Christian: How She Overcame the Temptation to Have an Affair (Part 2)

Testimony of a Christian: How She Overcame the Temptation to Have an Affair (Part 2)

By Xiyue, Henan Province

Over the next few days, although Jingru had not fallen into Satan’s temptation and she knew that she could never be with Wang Wei, her meeting with Wang Wei that evening and his sincere confession replayed in her mind over and over like a scene in a movie …

When Wang Wei called her again, Jingru’s heart was a bit shaken, and she said to herself: “The two of us cannot get together, but we can still be ordinary friends. So long as I keep my feet so that I don’t do anything that goes too far, then it’ll be fine.” She then answered the call from Wang Wei and chatted with him. As time went on, Jingru often thought about whether or not Wang Wei would call, to the point where her heart began to look forward to it. Every time he called, Jingru would comfort herself before answering the phone very naturally…. As things progressed, the calls between Wang Wei and Jingru became more frequent. But after every call, Jingru would feel uneasy and pained, and she realized that her actions were not conforming to God’s will, and that her feelings of pain and unease were precisely God reminding her and reproaching her. She then immediately went before God and prayed: “O God! I know I shouldn’t keep in touch with Wang Wei, but I can’t control my own heart. I can’t help but indulge myself and slide down toward sin. O God! I don’t want my actions in this matter to displease You. O God! Please save me!”

Afterward, Jingru saw several passages of words, and she found the way to free herself from pain. God’s words say: “All of you live in a place of sin and licentiousness; you are all licentious and sinful people. Today you not only can see God, but more importantly, you have received chastisement and judgment, received such deepest salvation, that is, received God’s greatest love. … As you do not know how to lead a life or how to live, and you live in this licentious and sinful place and are licentious and filthy devils, He does not have the heart to let you become even more depraved; neither has He the heart to see you living in the filthy place like this, being trampled by Satan at will, or the heart to let you fall into Hades. He only wants to gain this group of you and thoroughly save you” (“The Inside Truth of the Conquering Work (4)”). It says in Sermons and Fellowship: “By now, you understand how all people who are trapped by lust finally end up, right? What is the final outcome for most of these people? Do they meet with curses? Are there any good outcomes? They do not attain peace all life long! This is the confusion and trouble to which lust leads; it is unbearable suffering! Of all those people who seek a marriage partner recklessly or abnormally, are there any who have a happy outcome? There are no good final results, and they ultimately meet with curses. That is not a thing to be toyed with” (“What Kind of Person Will Be Perfected by God” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (VII)). “Think about when you see someone of the opposite sex and have some lewd thoughts, how do you deal with this problem? At the very least you must first respect marriage. If the person has a husband (or wife), then you need to respect this person’s marriage. You cannot interfere with someone’s marriage; to respect others is to respect yourself, if you do not respect others then you do not respect yourself. If you respect others then others will respect you. If in your heart you do not respect marriage then you do not have humanity. If you are able to respect marriage, if you are able to love others and respect others, then you will not do things that harm others. If you are able to refuse someone even when they throw themselves into your arms, then you are dealing with things properly. What must you be equipped with to be able to refuse these temptations and seductions? You must be equipped with the truth, then you will be able to see these things very clearly. After you are able to clearly see the substance of this issue, then you will know what kind of harm the actions on your part will bring to others, you will know what kind of injuries others suffer from in their hearts, you will know to what extent you’ve wrecked someone’s personality, and once you understand these things you will no longer act in ways that cause them; whenever these kinds of thoughts and ideas come into your mind you will be able to reject them, you will not be interested in them, you will not pay attention to them, because they will not sway your heart” (“Focusing on Solving Three Problems That Are Currently Widespread in the Church” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (VI)).

As she carefully contemplated God’s words and the words of fellowship, Jingru knew that she had fallen into an inescapable whirlpool of emotions because she had not seen through Satan’s cunning scheme or the essence, damage, and consequences of playing around with lust. Only as she reflected on this did she realize that it was Satan who was indoctrinating her with the ideas of “Love is supreme,” “The lovers finally get married,” “Don’t ask for eternity, be happy with now,” and “Love is not a sin” making her fantasize about a beautiful love and thus not be restrained by morals or her conscience, making her always think about Wang Wei, always keeping in touch with him, being entangled with him, and living in sin and coveting the pleasures of sin whilst not believing it to be wrong. Jingru thought of the many people around her who engaged in extramarital affairs, and of the many men who kept mistresses. Although they satisfied their transient lust, they ended up causing family quarrels and broken marriages, and there were even some people who were killed because of becoming enmeshed in a love triangle. Now, the “me too” online movement had exploded onto university campuses and into circles of public welfare and public information, and into the media, and there were many famous people and intellectuals who had been caught having one-night stands, who had been utterly discredited and whose names had become bywords for promiscuity. Chinese government officials in particular have both wives and mistresses, and many of them have been exploited and conspired against by their political enemies for having had extramarital affairs, resulting in them being thrown into prison as felons. Jingru saw clearly that people engaged in extramarital affairs so as to satisfy their lusts, and that it was a negative, wicked thing that could only mire people in a quagmire of sin. Just like gamblers who want to gamble again when they lose, and who in the end bring their families to financial ruin and make their family members scattered far and wide, those who play with lust play once and then want to play again, they do it once and then want to do it again, and the more they play the emptier they become, until finally they sink into fornication and sin and cannot get back out. Ultimately, they ruin their own bodies and cause endless troubles for themselves in the future, and there are even some people who lose the will to live, and choose to end their own lives. So it seemed to Jingru that playing with lust was not a good thing to do; it was something sinful that would only bring punishment and the wrath of heaven down upon those who engaged in it, and that could only lead people along the path of destruction. Jingru then understood that satanic philosophy and logic were all delusional lies, untruths that deceived people, and tools by which Satan corrupted people, and that there was no true love between people who engaged in extramarital affairs. If someone had true love, then they would have humanity, they would respect the other person and respect the institution of marriage, and they would not do anything that would hurt another person. People who engaged in extramarital affairs were actually playing with each other’s lusts and using each other. As she came to this realization, Jingru then went before God and prayed: “O God! I now realize the harmful consequences of living by Satan’s poisons. I don’t want to live in physical lust relying on these satanic poisons any longer. Staying in touch with Wang Wei is a life lived without integrity or dignity, and much less do I want to do anything that may bring shame on Your name or make me lose the testimony of a Christian. I pray that You give me a God-fearing heart, make me able to persevere with the principles of the truth and forsake my flesh, be a wise person who avoids danger when seeing it, and be someone who lives out a true human likeness to the glory of God.”

One day, on her way to church, Jingru bumped into Wang Wei. He was driving along the road and he called to her, and Jingru very much wanted to respond, but she immediately thought of God’s words and the prayer she’d spoken before God. She knew she couldn’t go on that way, so she just looked at Wang Wei sitting in his car, and said nothing. She continued on her way, riding her electric scooter, and Wang Wei began to follow along behind her, beeping his horn. In her heart, Jingru prayed silently to God and asked Him to keep her so that she could see through Satan’s cunning scheme and stand witness as a Christian. After praying, Jingru’s heart was calmed, and she gave Wang Wei no response. She just kept trying to think of how she could shake him off. It just so happened that they then came to a fork in the road, and when she saw Wang Wei’s car turning, she immediately turned in the opposite direction and sped off …

Jingru saw Wang Wei on the road many times thereafter, and she always treated him this way every time, and God opened up ways out for her: Either Wang Wei would bump into lots of people he knew, or it would be a traffic jam, and so he never had the opportunity to get close to Jingru. So that she wouldn’t have any more contact with Wang Wei, Jingru changed her mobile number, and as time went on, the two of them never mixed with each other again.

Recalling this experience, Jingru came to truly appreciate this: Now, in this world filled with myriad temptations, we will encounter all kinds of temptations and seductions from Satan every day, and because we are without the truth and cannot distinguish these things, and because we live by Satan’s poisons, we will be unable to stop ourselves from following evil trends, will become mired in sins that we are unable to escape from, and will be deceived and harmed by Satan. If we want to see through all the various temptations and cunning schemes of Satan, then there is only one path, which is to come before God, arm ourselves more with God’s words, understand more truths, learn how to tell the difference between positive and negative things, understand thoroughly all of Satan’s cunning ploys, base our outlook on God’s words when we encounter all people, matters and things, practice in accordance with God’s words, and act with principle, and only then will we not fall into the temptations of Satan. Just as God’s words say: “The truth that man needs to possess is found in the word of God, a truth that is the most beneficial and helpful to mankind. It is the tonic and sustenance that your body needs, something that helps man restore his normal humanity, a truth that man should be equipped with. The more you practice God’s word, the more quickly your life will blossom; the more you practice God’s word, the clearer the truth becomes. As you grow in stature, you will see things of the spiritual world more clearly, and you will be more powerful to triumph over Satan” (“Practice the Truth Once You Understand It”).

Jingru sighed with emotion, and thought: “Had it not been for God saving and protecting me through His words, I would long ago have degenerated into someone without a human likeness, and I would have done things devoid of integrity or dignity, like those people who have extramarital affairs, who become the lovers of married people, and who become the other woman. I would also have been burdened with the bad name of a home-wrecker, and would have lived a degraded life, suffering the condemnation of my own conscience.” From the bottom of her heart, Jingru gave thanks and praise to God! Today, her life has regained its previous tranquility, she joyfully performs her duty in the church, she accepts the judgment and purification of God’s words, and she is striding toward a life of true happiness. All glory be to God!

Daily Bible Reading: Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone

Daily Bible Reading: Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone

By He Miao

The Bible says: “And he humbled you, and suffered you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD does man live” (Deuteronomy 8:3). And when the Lord Jesus was tempted by Satan, He said: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Previously when I read these words, although I acknowledged them to be true with my mouth, I didn’t fully believe in my heart. I thought, “‘Food is heaven for the people’ and ‘Grain is the root of existence.’ Only food is the foundation for man’s existence; without the supply of food, man cannot live. If man does not work hard to earn money to buy food, he cannot survive.” So, while I believed in God and followed Him, I still held that only if my clothing and food were ensured could I believe in God without worry and perform my duty with peace of mind. I did not believe that if man has truth, he has everything; and if man gains God, he has gained the foundation for existence. Especially when I heard that the disasters would become more and more severe, I was anxious to prepare more money and food so that I would be able to survive the disasters. Thus I had a foot in two camps, holding on to money and the truth at the same time. As a result, I suffered great loss in my life in the previous years of believing in God.

Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone

That was until one day when I read God’s words which say: “But the Lord Jesus said, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,’ which means that, although man lives in a physical body, what gives him life, what allows his physical body to live and breathe, is not food, but all the words uttered by the mouth of God. On the one hand, man regards these words as truth. The words give him faith, make him feel that he can depend on God, that God is truth. On the other hand, is there a practical aspect to these words? (There is.) Why? Because the Lord Jesus has fasted for 40 days and nights and He is still standing there, still alive. Is this an illustration? The point here is that He has not eaten anything, any food for 40 days and nights. He is still alive. This is the powerful evidence behind His phrase. … This truth, this phrase—whether its content is long or short—it can let man live, give him life; it can enable man to find, within itself, truth, clarity about life’s journey, and enable him to have faith in God.” After reading this, I remembered that after the Israelites got out of Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They neither sowed nor reaped, and didn’t prepare for themselves anything to eat, yet because they truly believed in Jehovah and relied on Him, God provided them with manna every day, so that they survived. The prophet Elijah, in order to escape the pursuit of Ahab, hid himself in the valley, where there was nothing to eat. But because of his belief in the words of God and real faith in Him, God sent ravens to bring him bread and flesh. Later, he came to a widow woman, who believed the words of God told by Elijah and made a cake for Elijah with a handful of flour and a little oil in her house. At last her barrel and cruse were always full, which had sustained Elijah, her son and herself for more than three years. From these we can see that, if we have real faith and trust in God’s words and obey His words, God will care for and protect us, and bestow upon us all the necessities for our existence, including the food that sustains our lives in the flesh. Therefore, although man’s life in the flesh needs food, it is God’s words that are the provision for man’s life and its continuation, and only God’s words are the guarantee that ensures man’s survival.

Therefore, if man doesn’t have real faith in God, receives no provision of God’s words, and is not equipped with the truth, even if he stuffs his stomach to the brim, he is still little more than a corpse. Money and food cannot keep man from the disaster. Without being equipped with the truth, man cannot stand fast when he is tried. Looking back, our forefathers, Adam and Eve, didn’t obey the words of God and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which God commanded them not to eat, and as a result, death came upon them. Job practiced the way of fearing God and shunning evil according to God’s words all his life, so he ultimately stood witness in the midst of temptation and overcame Satan. Though he was stripped of all by Satan, he stood witness before Satan and didn’t lose real faith in God. Thus God’s blessings came upon him, and he got twice as much as he had before, and God called him a perfect man. For another example, Peter toiled all the night and took nothing, but after he obeyed and believed the Lord Jesus’ words, he enclosed a great multitude of fishes. All the facts prove that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. When all the words that proceed out of the mouth of God have become man’s life and living out, man has obtained the truth, as God’s words are the truth, the way, and the life, and the basis for man’s existence. God says: “God Himself is life, and the truth, and His life and truth coexist. Those who are incapable of gaining the truth shall never gain life.”

Now I have a deep realization of the word of God: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Sometimes when I haven’t read God’s words for several days, though I eat and dress well, my whole body is weak and limp and my spirit feels dark, painful, and distressed. When I distance myself from God and disobey His requirements, though the food is not lacking, I am reproached and accused inside, feel restless, or do not even want to live. On the contrary, when I pay attention to reading and practicing God’s words every day, the work of the Holy Spirit accompanies me. No matter what things I meet with, I have a way to go, and I am full of energy when performing my duty. Even when I encounter unfavorable people or matters, I can quiet my heart before God and seek His will, and am willing to forsake the flesh and satisfy God. Thus I feel enriched and enlightened and enjoyable in my heart all the day. However, when I don’t have God’s words in my heart, I want to flinch once encountering any difficulties, and am filled with negativity, resistance, and complaints, and my previous faith and love disappear completely; I am living under the influence of Satan. I really feel that without God’s words, man will lack strength and lose faith even though he is alive. I have truly experienced God’s words: “God uses the word to govern man; you feel good if you eat and drink of the word of God, and if you do not, you will have no way to follow. The word of God becomes the food of man and the force that drives him. The Bible said that ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ This is the work that God will accomplish this day. He will realize this truth in you. How is it that man in the past could go many days without reading the word of God but continue to eat and work? And why is this not the case now? … Only the word of God can supply the life of man, and only the word of God can give man light and the way of practice, particularly in the Age of Kingdom.” I have seen that man’s life is indeed not maintained by food, but supported by God’s words. God is the source of man’s life, and He will bestow upon us everything we need if we obey Him and worship Him. If man only sees the value of food but cannot see the authority and life power of God’s words, he will not receive God’s care, protection, and comfort. And he will be dry and dark in his spirit, and have a hard time taking even a single step forward, and live a life without support and without hope. I have finally had some real experience and knowledge of the word “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” From our experiences, we feel that these words are indeed the truth. God’s word is the source of our life. Every aspect of our daily life involves the practice of and relying on the word of God. For example, concerning the practice of prayer; quieting our heart before God; worshiping God in spirit and truth; practicing God’s word, loving our neighbor as ourselves, and be tolerant and patient when interacting with people; relying on the word of God and learning to heed God’s voice when waiting for the Lord’s second coming; relying on God’s word to have a path to travel in everything. We’re grateful for the author’s sharing. We have learnt a lot from it.

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Read more: One must understand that all the truth expressed by God in the last days is the way of eternal life