Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible: Since Paul stated that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” it is not wrong, because he was an apostle of God. God was telling mankind through Paul that scriptures were all inspired by God and are all the word of God. Do you dare deny this?

    Answer: This issue is highly representative. Next, let us communicate on whether these epistles written by Paul and other apostles were really inspired by God and whether they can represent the word of God. That way we will know how to treat these epistles of the apostles. Before we continue communicating, allow us to first read two passages of Almighty God’s word! Almighty God says, “And thus, the Pauline epistles of the New Testament are epistles that Paul wrote for the churches, and not inspirations from the Holy Spirit, nor are they the direct utterances of the Holy Spirit. They are merely words of exhortation, comfort, and encouragement that he wrote for the churches during the course of his work. So, too, are they a record of much of Paul’s work at the time. They were written for all of the brothers and sisters in the Lord, and were in order to make the brothers and sisters of all of the churches at the time follow his advice and abide by all of the ways of the Lord Jesus. By no means did Paul say that, be they the churches of that time or of the future, all must eat and drink the things of him, nor did he say that his words all came from God. According to the circumstances of the church at that time, he simply communed with the brothers and sisters, and exhorted them, and inspired belief in them; and he simply preached or reminded people and exhorted them. His words were based upon his own burden, and he supported the people through these words. … All he said that was edifying and positive to people was right, but it did not represent the utterances of the Holy Spirit, and he could not represent God. It is an egregious understanding, and a tremendous blasphemy, for people to treat the records of a man’s experiences and a man’s epistles as the words spoken by the Holy Spirit to the churches! … His identity was merely that of a working apostle, and he was merely an apostle who was sent by God; he was not a prophet, nor a foreteller. So to him, his own work and the lives of the brothers and sisters were of the utmost importance. Thus, he could not speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit. His words were not the words of the Holy Spirit, much less could they be said to be the words of God, for Paul was nothing more than a creature of God, and was certainly not the incarnation of God. … If people see the epistles or words like Paul’s as the utterances of the Holy Spirit, and worship them as God, then it can only be said that they are too indiscriminating. To speak more harshly, isn’t this nothing but blasphemy? How could a man talk on behalf of God? And how could people bow down before the records of his epistles and of the words he spoke as if they were a holy book, or a heavenly book? Could the words of God be casually uttered by a man? How could a man talk on behalf of God? And so, what say you—could the epistles that he wrote for the churches not be tainted with his own ideas? How could they not be tainted with human ideas? He wrote epistles for the churches based on his personal experiences and the extent of his own life. For instance, Paul wrote an epistle to the Galatian churches which contained a certain opinion, and Peter wrote another, which had another view. Which of them came from the Holy Spirit? No one can say for sure. Thus, it can only be said that they both bore a burden for the churches, yet their letters represent their stature, they represent their provision and support for the brothers and sisters, and their burden toward the churches, and they only represent human work; they were not entirely of the Holy Spirit. If you say that his epistles are the words of the Holy Spirit, then you are absurd, and you are committing blasphemy! The Pauline epistles and the other epistles of the New Testament are equivalent to the memoirs of the more recent spiritual figures. They are on a par with the books of Watchman Nee or the experiences of Lawrence, and so on. It’s simply that the books of recent spiritual figures are not compiled into the New Testament, yet the substance of these people is the same: They were people who were used by the Holy Spirit during a certain period, and they could not directly represent God.” (“Concerning the Bible (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

The Word of God | "Knowing the Three Stages of God's Work Is the Path to Knowing God" (Part Two)

Almighty God says, "The three stages of work are at the heart of God’s entire management, and in them are expressed the disposition of God and what He is. Those who do not know of the three stages of God’s work are incapable of realizing how God expresses His disposition, nor do they know the wisdom of God’s work, and they remain ignorant of the many ways in which He saves mankind, and His will for the whole of mankind. The three stages of work are the full expression of the work of saving mankind. Those who do not know the three stages of work will be ignorant of the various methods and principles of the Holy Spirit’s work; those who only rigidly stick to doctrine that remains from one stage of work are people who limit God to doctrine, and whose belief in God is vague and uncertain. Such people will never receive God’s salvation."

More Information:

4 Principles on How to Get Closer to God

Christian Gospel Song | "Obey the Work of the Spirit to Follow to the End"

Christian Gospel Song | "Obey the Work of the Spirit to Follow to the End"

The Holy Spirit’s work changes day to day,

higher step by step with greater revelations.

This is how God works to perfect mankind.

If man cannot keep up, he may be left behind.

Without a heart willing to obey,

he cannot follow through to the end.

Those who disobey by nature, oppose by will,

they will be left behind, as God’s work rushes on.

Only those who obey, gladly humble themselves

can progress to the end, to the end of the road.

Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible (5)

Question 5: Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God….” This shows that everything in the Bible is the word of God. But there are actually people who say that not everything in the Bible is the word of God. Isn’t this denying the Bible and deceiving people?

Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible (4)

Question 4: You say the words in the book The Word Appears in the Flesh are God’s new word! But the Revelation clearly states: “For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book” (Rev 22:18). Don’t you add to the Bible?

    Answer: “shall not add to the word, nor take away from it” as stated in the scriptures. You think we are adding to the Bible. Then let’s explore this problem. Brothers and sisters, John said “if any man shall add to these things,” but did not say “if any man shall add to the Bible.” Additionally, when John said these words the New Testament did not exist. The New Testament was formed around 300 AD. The Book of Revelation was only formed later than AD 90; it was a record of John’s visions on the Island of Patmos. Clearly, this book as stated by John refers to the text of prophecies known as the Book of Revelation, not the entire Bible. Therefore, “shall not add to these things” does not mean that there won’t be new work and words of God in the future. Back then, what John saw was only a vision and was not the reality of God's work of the last days. Almighty God’s work and word of the last days are not additions to the prophecies of the Book of Revelation, but the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. Let’s take a look at two passages from the Bible. Revelation 2:17 states: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna…” This part of the scriptures mention: “what the Spirit says to the churches” and “the hidden manna.” These are actually referring to the words expressed by Almighty God of the last days! There's also Revelation 5:1-5. Let's read it: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said to me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” we all thought the book was referring to the Bible, but this part of the scriptures mention that this book has not been looked upon by anyone. This shows that this book is not a reference to the Bible. The scriptures mention: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals” (Rev 5:1). This shows that the content of this book was not recorded in the Book of Revelation. This verse tells us that only Christ of the last days is worthy of opening up this book and loosing the seven seals.

4 Points to Keep a Normal Relationship With God

By Jin Qiu

　　Brothers and Sisters of Our Daily Devotionals:

　　I’m a Christian. Since I believed in the Lord, I have been enjoying the Lord’s grace and blessings, but recently I couldn’t feel the Lord’s presence. I didn’t feel enlightened when reading the Bible nor moved through prayer. When encountering things, I couldn’t act according to the Lord’s words. Losing my former faith and love, I felt confused and worried. What should I do to resolve my problem?

　　Sincerely yours,

　　Zhao Xun

　　Brother Zhao Xun:

　　I understand how you feel. I had the same problem as you in the past. Later, through reading some spiritual books, I gained some light and enlightenment and understood some things. Your situation is the consequence of your losing the work of the Holy Spirit. If you want to recover the work of the Holy Spirit, you must establish a proper relationship with God. There are four ways for you to achieve that.

Heart Voice of a Preacher: I Have Found the Way to Get Rid of Sin

By Chuandao, South Korea 

The church became desolate and my faith grew cold.

　　When I was in high school, I suddenly got tuberculosis. Tortured by the disease, I was miserable and helpless, and felt so close to death. In 1980, I started to believe in the Lord in a church near my home. Through reading the Bible, I came to know that it was God who created the heavens and earth and all things. Afterward, I persisted in attending meetings in the church and reading the Bible.
 

     Later, I attended the theology classes held by the church. To my surprise, not long after that, the lung disease that had tortured me for years healed without treatment. I gave true thanks and praise to the Lord from the bottom of my heart. After that, my faith of expending for the Lord became greater, and I wrote a lot of testimony articles about how I was saved and called upon by the Lord. In 1994, I quit my job, and donated all my retirement pay and savings to the church. After a year of training, I formally became a preacher. Since then, I had been energetically preaching, working, and sustaining the church. Such situation lasted for four years.

Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible (2)

Question 2: The truths in the Bible are already complete. Having the Bible is enough for our belief in God. We don’t need any new words!

       Answer: The content recorded by the Bible is limited. The Old Testament only recorded the work of Jehovah God, while the New Testament only recorded the work of the Lord Jesus. But regarding God’s work of the last days, the Bible only contains prophecies. The precise details are not recorded in the Bible. This is because the work of God in the last days is judgment work, it is new work outside of the Bible. God is the Expressor of truth, and moreover the Ruler of all things in the universe. His richness is inexhaustible and always in supply. He cannot be fathomed by any created being. Therefore, the content of the Bible cannot completely explain all of God’s deeds. Let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s word! Almighty God says, “All that is recorded within the Bible is limited and unable to represent all the work of God. The Four Gospels have fewer than one hundred chapters altogether in which are written a finite number of happenings, such as Jesus cursing the fig tree, Peter’s three denials of the Lord, Jesus appearing to the disciples following His crucifixion and resurrection, teaching about fasting, teaching about prayer, teaching about divorce, the birth and genealogy of Jesus, Jesus’ appointment of the disciples, and so forth. These are but a few writings, yet man values them as treasures, even verifying the work of today against them. They even believe that Jesus only did so much in the time after His birth. It is as if they believe God can only do this much, that there can be no further work. Is this not ludicrous?” (“The Mystery of the Incarnation (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “No one knows the reality of the Bible: that it is nothing more than a historical record of God’s work, and a testament to the previous two stages of God’s work, and offers you no understanding of the aims of God’s work. Everyone who has read the Bible knows that it documents the two stages of God’s work during the Age of Law and the Age of Grace. The Old Testament chronicles the history of Israel and Jehovah’s work from the time of creation until the end of the Age of Law. The New Testament records Jesus’ work on earth, which is in the Four Gospels, as well as the work of Paul; are they not historical records? Bringing up the things of the past today makes them history, and no matter how true or real they might be, they are still history—and history cannot address the present. For God does not look back on history! And so, if you only understand the Bible, and understand nothing of the work God intends to do today, and if you believe in God but do not seek the work of the Holy Spirit, then you do not understand what it means to seek God. If you read the Bible in order to study the history of Israel, to research the history of God’s creation of all the heavens and earth, then you do not believe in God. But today, since you believe in God, and pursue life, since you pursue the knowledge of God, and do not pursue dead letters and doctrines, or an understanding of history, you must seek God’s will of today, and must look for the direction of the Holy Spirit’s work. If you were an archeologist you could read the Bible—but you are not, you are one of those who believe in God, and you’d best seek God’s will of today” (“Concerning the Bible (4)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

The Lord Has Opened the Scroll | "The Essence of the Flesh Inhabited by God" (Word of God)

Almighty God says, "All of this was proof that He was a normal man, which proved that God’s incarnate flesh was a flesh with normal humanity, not a supernatural one. His job was to complete the work of God’s first incarnation, to fulfill the ministry of the first incarnation. The significance of incarnation is that an ordinary, normal man performs the work of God Himself; that is, that God performs His divine work in humanity and thereby vanquishes Satan. Incarnation means that God’s Spirit becomes a flesh, that is, God becomes flesh; the work that He does in the flesh is the work of the Spirit, which is realized in the flesh, expressed by the flesh. No one except God’s flesh can fulfill the ministry of the incarnate God; that is, only God’s incarnate flesh, this normal humanity—and no one else—can express the divine work."

Know more:

What is the work of the Holy Spirit? How is the work of the Holy Spirit manifested?

The Word of God in the Last Days | "Only Those Who Know the Work of God Today Can Serve God"

Almighty God says, "In your belief in God, how should you know God? You should come to know God based on the words and work of God today, without deviation or fallacy, and before all else you should know the work of God. This is the foundation of knowing God. All those various fallacies that lack a pure acceptance of the words of God are religious conceptions, they are an acceptance that is deviant and erroneous. The greatest skill of religious figures is taking the words of God that were accepted in the past and checking the words of God today against them. If, when serving the God of today, you cling to the things enlightened by the Holy Spirit in the past, then your service will cause an interruption, and your practice will be outdated and nothing more than religious ceremony. … God feels no nostalgia for what He spoke and did in the past; if it is obsolete, then He eliminates it. Surely you are able to let go of your conceptions? If you cling to the words that God spoke in the past, does this prove that you know the work of God? If you are unable to accept the light of the Holy Spirit today, and instead cling to the light of the past, can this prove that you follow the footsteps of God? Are you still unable to let go of religious conceptions? If that is the case, then you will become someone who opposes God."

Recommend more: Signs of the End Times

Gospel Q&A | How does one distinguish between the work of God and the work of man?

     The Answer from God’s Word:

    The work of God Himself involves the work of all of mankind, and it also represents the work of the entire era. That is to say, God’s own work represents the movement and trend of all of the work of the Holy Spirit, whereas the work of the apostles follows God’s own work and does not lead the era, nor does it represent the working trend of the Holy Spirit in the entire era. They only do the work man ought to do, which does not at all involve the management work. God’s own work is the project within the management work. Man’s work is only the duty of men being used and bears no relation to the management work. Due to different identities and representations of the work, despite the fact that they are both the work of the Holy Spirit, there are clear and substantive differences between God’s own work and the work of man.

Gospel Q&A | How does one actually confirm that Almighty God is the returned Jesus?

     The Answer from God’s Word:

    First, He is able to open up a new age; second, He is able to supply the life of man and show man the way to follow. This is sufficient to establish that He is God Himself. At the very least, the work He does can fully represent the Spirit of God, and from such work it can be seen that the Spirit of God is within Him. As the work done by the incarnate God was mainly to usher in a new age, lead new work, and open up new circumstances, these few conditions alone are sufficient to establish that He is God Himself.

Gospel Q&A | We have been forgiven our sins and justified through faith in the Lord, and furthermore, we have given up many things, expended ourselves, and labored tirelessly for the Lord. I believe this type of faith will allow us to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven. Why do you say that this won’t gain us entry into the heavenly kingdom?

      Bible Reference:

     “Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Mat 7:21-23).

     “But as he which has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be you holy; for I am holy” (1Pe 1:15-16).

      “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb 12:14).

In Your Faith in God You Should Obey God

     Why do you believe in God? Most people are confounded by this question. They always have two entirely different viewpoints about the practical God and the God in heaven, which shows that they believe in God not in order to obey, but to receive certain benefits, or to escape the suffering of disaster. Only then are they somewhat obedient, but their obedience is conditional, it is for the sake of their own personal prospects, and forced upon them. So: why do you believe in God? If it is solely for the sake of your prospects, and your fate, then you’d best not believe. Belief such as this is self-deception, self-reassurance, and self-appreciation. If your faith is not built upon the foundation of obedience to God, then you will ultimately be punished as a result of opposing God. All those who do not seek obedience to God in their faith oppose God. God asks that people seek the truth, that they thirst for God’s words, and eat and drink God’s words, and put them into practice, so that they may achieve obedience to God. If your motivations are truly thus, then God will surely raise you up, and will surely be gracious toward you. No one can doubt this, and no one can change it. If your motivations are not for the sake of obedience to God, and you have other aims, then all that you say and do—your prayers before God, and even your every action—will be in opposition to God. You may be soft-spoken and mild-mannered, your every action and expression may look right, you may appear to be one who obeys, but when it comes to your motivations and your views about faith in God, everything you do is in opposition to God, and evil. People who appear as obedient as sheep, but whose hearts harbor evil intentions, are wolves in sheep’s clothing, they directly offend God, and God will not spare a single one of them. The Holy Spirit will reveal every one of them, so all can see that every one of those who are hypocritical will be surely detested and rejected by the Holy Spirit. Don’t worry: God will deal with and resolve each of them in turn.

The Church of Almighty God | God's word | Preface

     Though many people believe in God, few understand what faith in God means, and what they must do to be after God’s heart. This is because, though people are familiar with the word “God” and phrases such as “the work of God,” they do not know God, much less do they know His work. No wonder, then, that all those who do not know God are possessed of a muddled belief. People do not take belief in God seriously because believing in God is too unfamiliar, too strange for them. In this way, they fall short of the demands of God. In other words, if people do not know God, do not know His work, then they are not fit for God’s use, much less can they fulfill the desire of God. “Belief in God” means believing that there is a God; this is the simplest concept of faith in God. What’s more, believing that there is a God is not the same as truly believing in God; rather, it is a kind of simple faith with strong religious overtones. True faith in God means experiencing the words and work of God based on a belief that God holds sovereignty over all things. So you shall be freed of your corrupt disposition, shall fulfill the desire of God, and shall come to know God. Only through such a journey can you be said to believe in God. Yet people often see belief in God as something very simple and frivolous. The belief of such people is meaningless and shall never gain the approval of God, because they tread the wrong path. Today, there are still those who believe in God in letters, in hollow doctrines. They are unaware that their belief in God has no substance, and that they are unable to gain the approval of God, and they still pray for peace and sufficient grace from God. We should stop and ask ourselves: Could believing in God really be the easiest thing on earth? Does believing in God mean nothing more than receiving much grace from God? Can people who believe in God but do not know Him, and believe in God yet oppose Him, really fulfill the desire of God?

Do You Know? God Has Done a Great Thing Among Men

    The old age is gone, and the new age has come. Year after year and day after day, God has done much work. He came into the world and then in turn departed. Such a cycle has continued on through many generations. This day, God continues to do as before the work that He must, the work that He has yet to complete, for to this day He has yet to enter into rest. From the time of creation to this day, God has done much work, but did you know that the work God does this day is much more than before and the scale much greater? This is why I say that God has done a great thing among men. All of God’s work is very important, be it to man or to God, for every item of His work is related to man.

What are the essential differences between the incarnate God and those people who are used by God?

    Bible Verses for Reference:

    “I indeed baptize you with water to repentance. but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Mat 3:11).

    Relevant Words of God:

    Christ is the flesh donned by the Spirit of God. This flesh is unlike any man that is of the flesh. This difference is because Christ is not of flesh and blood but is the incarnation of the Spirit. He has both a normal humanity and a complete divinity. His divinity is not possessed by any man. His normal humanity sustains all His normal activities in the flesh, while His divinity carries out the work of God Himself. Be it His humanity or divinity, both submit to the will of the heavenly Father. The substance of Christ is the Spirit, that is, the divinity. Therefore, His substance is that of God Himself; this substance will not interrupt His own work, and He could not possibly do anything that destroys His own work, nor would He ever utter any words that go against His own will. …

Gospel Q&A | 11. I believe that God exists, but I am young and still have so much to do in life. Can I still achieve salvation if I wait until I am less busy to believe in Him?

    The Answer from God’s Word:

    Man’s life has not the slightest warmth, and is devoid of any human flavor or light—yet he has ever inured himself to it, abiding a lifetime bereft of worth in which he rushes about without achieving anything. In the blink of an eye, the day of death draws near, and man dies a bitter death. In this world, he has never accomplished anything, or gained anything—he only hurriedly arrives, and hurriedly departs. None of those in My eyes have ever brought anything, or taken anything away, and so man feels that the world is unfair. Yet none are willing to hurry away. They merely await the day when My promise from heaven will suddenly come among man, allowing them, at the time when they have gone astray, to once more behold the way of eternal life.

The Hymn of God's Word "All Things Live in the Rules and Laws Set Down by God"

1. Thousands of years passed by, humans still enjoy the light and the air bestowed by God. Humans still breathe in and out the breath exhaled by God Himself. Humans still enjoy things created by God, the fish, birds, flowers and insects. Humans enjoy all the things, all the things provided by God. Continually day and night still replace each other. As usual the four seasons alternate. Flying in the sky, the geese depart in winter and return in spring. Swimming in the water, the fish never leave the rivers and the lakes, their home.