3 Paths to Welcoming the Lord Jesus’ Return

By Yanjin

    Being able to welcome the second coming of the Lord Jesus is the greatest wish of those who truly believe in the Lord. So how can we welcome the Lord Jesus? What follows is fellowship on the three main paths so that we may welcome the Lord’s return together.

1. Don’t Rely on Notions and Imaginings, Have a God-fearing Heart

    In the Bible, it is recorded, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, said Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9). God’s words say, “We should all know that people, who are of the flesh, have all been corrupted by Satan. It is their nature to oppose God, and they are not on a parity with God, much less can they offer counsel for the work of God. How God guides man is the work of God Himself. Man should submit, and should not hold such and such a view, for man is but dust” (“Only He Who Experiences the Work of God Truly Believes in God”). God is the Lord of creation, and His work and words reveal His authority, power, wondrousness, and wisdom. Whether or not God’s deeds are in line with our notions and whether we can understand them, as He is the Creator, we should all seek, accept, and submit with a God-fearing heart. This is the kind of reason that we as humans should possess. If we are arrogant, relying on our own notions and imaginings to delimit God’s work, if we always hold on to many of our own ideas regarding the Lord’s return, demanding that God do this or that, we will be prone to doing things that oppose God. Just like when the Lord Jesus came to work—the Pharisees entirely lacked hearts of reverence for God, so they didn’t engage in seeking regarding His work. They well knew that the words the Lord Jesus uttered possessed authority and power, but they still haughtily took their own notions and imaginings as the truth, believing that when God came His name would be Messiah, and He would be born into an aristocratic line to be the King of the Jews. But when God came, His name was Jesus and He was born into an average family. He didn’t act as their king, either, so the Pharisees passed judgment, thinking that the Lord Jesus wasn’t the Messiah and He wasn’t God. And based on what they imagined, the Pharisees believed that when the Messiah came, He would first enlighten them and reveal Himself to them, and that He would work from within the temple. They didn’t think He would be working and preaching among such lowly people as harlots, publicans, and fishermen; they believed He would continue guiding them to keep the laws of the Old Testament. But in the Lord Jesus’ work, He came out from the temple and frequently sat down to break bread with sinners. He preached and worked among the common people, He worked on the Sabbath, He allowed His disciples to pluck and eat grain on the Sabbath day, and He required that His followers keep to the teachings of the new age, and so on. But the Pharisees arrogantly, stubbornly clung to their own notions and imaginings, resisting, condemning, judging, and blaspheming the Lord Jesus with all their might. Ultimately, they colluded with the Roman government to crucify Him; this seriously offended God’s disposition and they suffered God’s righteous punishment. The failure of the Pharisees clearly shows us that relying on our own notions and imaginings in our approach to God’s words and work makes us likely to resist God and offend His disposition. This leads to being rejected and punished by God. So, in welcoming the coming of the Lord, we absolutely cannot delimit or judge God’s coming based on our own notions and imaginings. Instead, we must let go of those things, maintain a heart of reverence for God, and seek the truth with an open mind based on the Lord’s words. This is the only way we’ll be able to welcome the return of the Lord. Just as the Lord Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. … Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:3, 6).

Why Does God Let Us Experience Trials and Refinement?

By Li Tong

    Many Christians feel confused: God is love and He is almighty, so why does He allow us to suffer? Could it be that He has abandoned us? This question always used to puzzle me, but lately, through prayer and seeking, I’ve gained a bit of enlightenment and light. This has resolved my misunderstandings of God, and I’ve come to understand that suffering is not God casting us aside, but instead is very carefully arranged by God in order to purify and save us. These trials and refinement are God’s greatest grace for us!

The Parable of the Lost Sheep Contains Profound Meaning

By Xiaoqing

    Editor’s Note: I trust everyone’s familiar with the parable of the lost sheep in the Bible. The Lord Jesus used this parable to very vividly tell us about God’s love for mankind and to allow us to feel how sincere God’s desire to save mankind is. But does everyone know what God’s will behind this parable is? At a Bible study there were a few brothers and sisters who finally understood this through fellowship—let’s take a look together.

    With a Bible in his hands, the preacher Liu Qing said, “Brothers and sisters, let’s read the parable of the lost sheep.” They all nodded and began to read. “How think you? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seeks that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:12–14).

Twenty Years Later, I Forgave My Mother Who Abandoned Me

By Kemu, South Korean

    In the darkness of the night, I scramble down a seemingly endless lane, looking every which way, but unable to find my way home and wracked with anxiety. All of a sudden, my mother appears in the distance walking toward me and I’m overtaken with a sense of elation. Just as I’m about to call out “Mom,” she disappears. I cry out for my mother in a loud voice, but she doesn’t respond to my calls and I become enveloped in darkness and fear …

    I awoke suddenly and sat up in bed, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. It was all just a dream! All the noise had startled my wife into wakefulness. She wiped the cold sweat from my brow and softly said, “Did you have another nightmare? After all these years, why don’t you stop torturing yourself? It’s too tiring and painful. After all, you can’t hate your mother for your whole life, right?” I thought to myself, “Of course I want to let go of my resentment, but I just can’t do it!”

2 Stories Help You Hold Onto Faith in God in Difficulties

By Xiaoxin

In our real life, when misfortunes in the family, difficulties in the work, the illnesses of the body, or various dangers and pains befall us, often times we don’t know how to face them and are always anxious and panicky, so that we neither see God’s deeds nor gain God’s guidance. This gives us food for thought: As Christians, how should we experience crises?

I thought of the story of Moses in the Bible. Moses was originally a prince, but shepherded sheep for forty years in the wilderness without anyone even to talk to. His descent from a prince in the palace to a shepherd in the wilderness and forty years’ experience in the wilderness made him achieve the knowledge of God’s almightiness and sovereignty and also his hot-bloodedness was worn away. When God commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he could obey God and accept His commission with confidence. Especially when he led the Israelites through the Red Sea, it looked like they were finished because they were caught between the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them. In that situation, what approach did Moses take? He firmly believed that God would surely lead them through His authority and power, still prayed to and relied on God with confidence, then lifted the rod and stretched it over the sea. Finally he saw God’s deeds—the Red Sea was divided and the Israelites safely passed through it.

Why Are the Names of God Different in Every Age?

By Qingxin

    It is recorded in the Old Testament, “I, even I, am Jehovah; and beside Me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:11). “Jehovah … is My name for ever, and this is My memorial to all generations” (Exodus 3:15). It clearly states in the Scriptures that the name of Jehovah is for ever, and yet it says in the New Testament that God’s name changed to Jesus, as it says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). Why does God’s name change? What is the mystery behind this?

How to Get Rid of the Bondage of Sin

By Chengxin

Dear Lingyun:

    Hello! In your letter you asked: “We are familiar with the Bible and work hard to practice the Lord’s word, but why are we still unable to break away from the bondage of sin?”

    I want to share a bit of my understanding of this issue. We all know that, at the end of the Age of Law, man had been corrupted by Satan deeper and deeper and they no longer upheld the law. They lived in the midst of sin every day, facing the danger of being lawfully executed because their offerings were not adequate to atone for their sins. God couldn’t bear to see mankind become depraved and die under the law, so He was incarnated in the image of the Lord Jesus and was crucified for man as the sin offering and thereby He bore the sins of all mankind forever. From then on, people were delivered from the bondage of the law and were no longer executed for not being able to keep the law. Because of the Lord Jesus’ atonement, as long as we confess and repent to the Lord Jesus, our sins will be forgiven. But our corrupt disposition is deeply rooted and our sinful nature hasn’t been taken away, so we still live in a sin-and-confess state. Just as Almighty God’s words say: “The sins of man were forgiven through the agency of the incarnate God, but this does not mean that man no longer has sin within him. … Within man still exist filth, opposition, and rebelliousness; man has only returned to God through His redemption, but he has not the slightest knowledge of God and still resists and rebels against Him. Before man was redeemed, many of Satan’s poisons had already been planted within him and, after thousands of years of being corrupted by Satan, he has within him an established nature that resists God. Therefore, when man has been redeemed, it is nothing more than a case of redemption in which man is bought at a high price, but the poisonous nature within him has not been eliminated. Man that is so defiled must undergo a change before becoming worthy to serve God.”

Why God allowed Bad Things to Happen

By Albee, Philippines

Description: Not long after he accepted God’s work, Albee encountered a series of unfavorable things, and he felt very distressed and developed complaints about God. Later through William’s fellowship, he came to understand God’s will and emerged from his pain.

Exhausted and depressed after a busy day, Albee alone climbed up a mountain at dusk. Sitting in silence, he recalled the series of unfortunate things he encountered recently and felt very sad, tears uncontrollably streaming down his face. In weakness, he had a strong desire to pour out his depression to William, a good brother of his in the church, so he took out his cellphone and edited a message to William.

What Does the Resurrection of the Dead in the Bible Mean?

By Xiangwang

    At 3:00 p.m., in a boat in the middle of a river, Jiang Xun was chatting with his aunt who had returned to China to preach.

    During their conversation, Jiang Xun discovered that his aunt now saw more clearly the things regarding faith and had very unique insight into them. So, Jiang Xun said enviously, “Auntie, after you came back from America this time, much of what you have talked about is what I’ve never heard. You must have gained a lot in America. I’d like to ask you a question. The Bible says, ‘Thus said the Lord Jehovah to these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live: And I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am Jehovah’ (Ezekiel 37:5–6). ‘In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised’ (1 Corinthians 15:52). ‘For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first’ (1 Thessalonians 4:16). These verses say clearly that when the Lord comes back, He will show great miracles so that the dead will be resurrected instantly, emerging from their tombs like Lazarus did. At that time, we’ll see the martyrs to the Lord. However, not long ago, my old classmate told me that the resurrection of the dead is not, as I imagine, the dead being brought back to life and coming out from their tombs. Instead, it refers to those whose spirits are dead after Satan’s corruption coming alive. I don’t quite understand what he told me. Could it be that my view is wrong? Auntie, can you discuss your opinion?”

I Can Get Along With My Daughter Who Lives From Paycheck to Paycheck

By Song Ling

Children’s Excessive Consumption Brought Their Mothers Annoyance

One Sunday, I was chatting with several mothers in Lan Bei Park.

Aunt Liu said helplessly, “Yesterday my child spent a few hundred yuan on four dresses. Today she is going to eat at a restaurant with her friends. She doesn’t feel any regrets for spending money, as if it were got without pains. No matter what I say, she won’t listen, and when I talk too much, she will get peeved off. Alas, I really cannot control her.”

“My daughter is the same. She spends money like it’s water. When she sees clothes that she likes, she will buy them, and her wardrobe gets stuffed full of clothes. I’m frugal and even unwilling to buy a dress or shoes, while she spends three or four hundred yuan on a dress. What’s worse, she can’t bear any criticism of this, and even blames me for nagging her that she doesn’t speak to me—she is too immature. This really fills me with anger and helplessness.”

Shocking! The Second Coming of Jesus Christ Is Actually in China

By Chen Hui

The breeze of spring gently blew. Zhong Hui sat at her desk holding the Bible, deep in thought: “Nowadays disasters are growing ever worse, the world is in a state of constant upheaval and turmoil with wars on the rise, and the four blood moons have already appeared—many of the prophecies about the Lord’s return have been fulfilled. It seems that the Lord’s day is upon us. Yet not only haven’t I received the Lord, but my spirit is becoming ever darker and the church is growing more and more desolate.” Thinking of this, she became even more anxious, so she prayed earnestly to the Lord …

Will the Lord Jesus Come Back in the Flesh?

By Weiwei, United States

    Editor’s note: When working in a foreign country, Weiwei bumps into someone from home whom she hasn’t seen for years, and she learns the news of the Lord’s return. When she hears that the Lord has already returned in the flesh, her pre-conceived notions are shaken to the core. After seeking and investigating, however, she comes to understand the significance of God becoming flesh.

Can Those Who Are Saved by Faith Enter God’s Kingdom?

By Saverio, Italy

    Some Christians believe that as long as they accept the Lord Jesus’ salvation of the cross, verbally acknowledge the Lord and believe in Him in their hearts, then they are saved and will be able to enter the heavenly kingdom. There is also a biblical basis for this belief, which is: “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9–10). They therefore believe even more strongly that those who are saved by faith can enter into the heavenly kingdom. But there are some Christians who remain confused, and they think that, seeing as we are capable of becoming hot-headed and losing our tempers at people every day, so much so that we are not even able to show our family members tolerance and patience, and we are capable of telling lies to deceive others in our everyday lives, can people such as this who live in sin enter into the kingdom of God? Let’s fellowship about this topic today.

Christian Marriage Advice on How to Choose a Spouse

Hello brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A,

   I’m old enough now to look for a partner in life, plus my unbeliever family members are pushing me to find a boyfriend. But I don’t know what kind of partner I should look for in order to be happy. When it comes to looking for a spouse, my unbelieving friends all want to choose those who are “tall, rich and handsome” or “fair-skinned, rich and beautiful,” but I see there is no real affection between them, and instead they cause each other a lot of harm. I’d like to understand how, as a Christian, we should approach love and marriage.

Sincerely yours,

Bai Xue

What Is the Meaning of “a Great Sound of a Trumpet” in the Bible?

By Xiaochen

    In the recent several gatherings，how to welcome the Lord’s return had been a hot topic. The Lord Jesus said, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30–31). Everyone at the meeting had a different understanding of “a great sound of a trumpet” in this verse, and they started a heated discussion.

Is Working Hard Equivalent to Obeying God?

By Jinyan

    Li Xin is a co-worker in a church. Over the years of her belief in the Lord, she has always enthusiastically expended and worked for the Lord and has suffered and paid a price for Him. No matter what the church needed her to do, she would actively do it; even when faced with the danger of being arrested and persecuted by the CCP, she still persisted in spreading the gospel. She firmly believed that her forsaking and expending for the Lord was obeying God, that the Lord would definitely take delight in her, and that she would surely have a place in the kingdom of heaven in the future.

    One day, she went to support some weak brothers and sisters with Sister Lin. On their way back, they bumped into Sister Dong, and then the three of them began to chat while sitting on an out-of-the-way lawn.

How to Educate Children: I Find a Good Way

By Cuiping, Malaysia

    “Mommy, I hate you, I hate you! I don’t want you as my mommy anymore!”

    My daughter’s cries stabbed into my heart, and I couldn’t get her resentful glare out of my head. I just didn’t understand it. I’d done my best to teach her and this was what I was getting in return! How exactly was I supposed to be educating her? I felt so anxious and confused about it, and everything I’d done to educate my daughter over the previous two years replayed in my mind …

How to Keep Jealousy From Destroying a Friendship

By Xinling

Editor’s Note: Ling Ran is a designer at an advertising agency. When her old friend outperformed her at work and gradually began to receive the approval and regard of co-workers, she was seized by a feeling of jealousy that coiled round her heart and devoured her happiness like a venomous snake. This jealousy left her in a state of agony out of which she was powerless to escape. So, how did Ling Ran free herself of jealousy and reestablish her old friendship by relying on God?

Competing With a Friend, A Miserable Existence

    Ling Ran and Zhang Ke are Christians and good friends who could talk about anything with each other. Recently, the two were both hired by the same advertising agency to work as designers. Ling Ran was delighted to hear that she would be working with one of her good friends. In the beginning, Zhang Ke and Ling Ran were always helping and encouraging each other, so despite neither of them being familiar with the work, they didn’t feel particularly pressured.

A Special Fellowship Allows Him to Know How to Approach Unfavorable Things

By Albee, Philippines

Editor’s Note:

    We often feel distressed when encountering unfavorable things. The fellowship in this article will help you understand how to approach them and escape the pain.

    Exhausted and depressed after a busy day, Albee alone climbed up a mountain at dusk. Sitting in silence, he recalled the series of unfortunate things he encountered recently and felt very sad, tears uncontrollably streaming down his face. In weakness, he had a strong desire to pour out his depression to William, a good brother of his in the church, so he took out his cellphone and edited a message to William.

How to Approach Bible Prophecies in Accord With God’s Will

By Song Tao

    When it comes to Bible prophecies, the majority of us Christians all want to understand their implied meaning. In particular, we want even more to have a clear knowledge and understanding of the prophecies regarding the Lord’s return because it concerns whether or not we will be able to welcome the Lord’s coming. Then how should we deal with Bible prophecies in accordance with God’s will? After a period of seeking, I finally understand how to correctly approach Bible prophecies.