I was formerly the president of a mission of the “China Gospel Fellowship” in the Pentecostal Church. Since 1997, there had been people preaching Almighty God’s end-time work to me many times, but I always stopped them before they finished their words and said, “I may receive you when you come to preach a male Christ. But if you still preach that your God is a female, then don’t come! You say God has come, but how come I haven’t seen him? Have you seen him?” Every time I met the brothers and sisters who testified God’s end-time work, I always rebuffed them with these words. Then, I went around “guarding the church” to prevent those “heretics” from disturbing our churches. I treated Almighty God, the “Eastern Lightning,” as “a cult.” And I, together with my upper leaders, collected the rumors that resisted and slandered Almighty God from various denominations and sects, and with my imaginations added, we printed them into booklets, The Sound of the Trumpet in the Church and Resist the Heresy—the Eastern Lightning, and then distributed them to all the churches in my charge. And I said to the brothers and sisters wherever I went, “The ‘Eastern Lightning’ is a cult. If you read their books or fellowship with them, you will be deceived. You must stay away from them. Don’t fellowship with them. They are of an underworld organization which is against the Communist Party. Their key persons even have guns. And they seduced people with beautiful men and women. If you join them, you cannot drop out. If you try to do so, they will gouge out your eyes or cut off your nose, or even your whole family will be in danger!” I wantonly sealed off the churches in such a way at that time, yet I regarded myself as faithful to the Lord, responsible for the churches, and a guard for the churches. Little did I realize that I had become an antichrist. Now, I regret it very bitterly.

In 1999, one of my co-workers received a book of Almighty God’s word and showed it to me. I flipped through it critically. When I read God’s stern words of judgment, I felt a great aversion to it. In order to keep the brothers and sisters from reading this book, I even tore it up and threw it into the excrement of the outhouse. Afterward, the brothers and sisters who preached the end-time gospel preached to me many times, but every time I refused them coldly. Nevertheless, through contact with them many times, I found such a fact: No matter how I treated them and no matter in what way I spoke to them, they all had a common manifestation, that is, they had love, were patient, never lost temper and persuaded me with kind words. That was what I couldn’t find in the believers of our denomination. To be frank, such a living out as theirs really made me admire, but as I was deceived by the rumors and always considered that anything apart from the Bible was a heresy, a cult, I dared not accept it all along.

One day in mid-April 2002, I received a call from my upper leader, and he invited me to Qingdao for a theological training. On the third day of the training, I realized that they were the preachers of Almighty God, the “Eastern Lightning” sect, as I considered. “I’m deceived. I’m finished!” I thought to myself, “If I refuse to accept their way, they will gouge out my eyes or cut off my nose, or even my life will be in danger.” So, I made up my mind inwardly, “This time I’d rather lay down my life for the ‘true way’ than accept it. I’ll set an example for the believers even if I may be martyred for the Lord. Since I can’t leave anyway, I’ll stick your preaching out. As long as what you preach doesn’t agree with the Bible, I won’t believe it. In the past I didn’t give you a chance to preach. Now you have it.” They fellowshipped with me about the Bible for thirteen days, mainly centering on the direction and several key principles of the Holy Spirit’s working: First, God’s work is always progressing forward; second, God’s work is ever new and never old and is never repeated; third, God does his work by ages, stages, and steps; fourth, God’s work counters man’s notions. And they especially fellowshipped with me about the root of the Pharisees’ resisting Jesus, the difference between the substance of the work of the New Testament and the work of the Old Testament, the relationship between the Old Testament and Jesus, and so on. As I listened to their fellowship, I didn’t find anything wrong or misinterpretation in it. It was all based on the proper meaning of the scriptures and was what I had never heard before. But later, when they fellowshipped about the difference between the Age of the Law and the Age of the Grace and the Pharisees’ resistance against God because of their sticking to old things when the Age of the Law turned into the Age of the Grace, I felt an aversion to it. I shouted at them, “Stop beating about the bush. Do you think that I don’t know what you’ve got in your sleeves? If you want to talk about the third stage of work, just say it!” Seeing that I was in a great rage, they took out two books Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs and The Word Appears in the Flesh, and some tapes of God’s word. Then they began to read God’s word to me, but as I resisted it strongly in my heart, I didn’t take anything in. It was really true that “where there is God’s work, there is satan’s disturbance.” At that time, I felt very bad in my heart, my head was dizzy, and I even wanted to throw up. So I stopped them and said, “It’s merely a recount of the Bible in vernacular Chinese. Could this be God’s word?” I was really so arrogant that I lost my sense. After that, whenever they read God’s word, I recited the scriptures aloud to interrupt them purposely. Whenever they played the tapes of hymns or God’s word, I pretended to be asleep. And sometimes, I even spoke offensive words to mock or dig at them. Like this, in the whole three days, regardless of how I treated them or what I said to them, they never lost their temper or contradicted me with words but fellowshipped with me patiently. That was just the opposite of my original thought that if I didn’t accept their way, I would be in danger, my eyes would be gouged out, my nose would be cut off, and so on. Then, I observed them secretly and found that their daily prayer before God was sincere, either in the presence of people or behind their backs, which was far more than I could do. They were not like those of an underworld organization at all. Although I didn’t listen attentively to their new songs, honestly speaking, both the words and tunes of the songs were very touching. Furthermore, though I was so unfriendly and arrogant, the host entertained me with warm hospitality all the time. In addition, during the more-than-ten-day stay with them, I found that they were steady and decent and that they kept a very clear distance from the opposite sex and behaved properly in having meals, fellowshipping, and accommodating. There was not at all the “sexual seduction” as I had fabricated. So, my misunderstanding about the people in this stream gradually disappeared and my resistance against them was also removed, and I said to the one who gave the testimony, “I ask you three typical questions. If you can make them clear to me and show me biblical proofs, I will believe. Otherwise, I’d rather die than believe.”

“First, I don’t believe that God will be incarnated in the flesh again, because the Scripture says that Jesus will come with the glorious resurrected body on the white cloud. Second, I cannot accept that God is female, because I believe that God will never change. Third, I don’t believe that God will be incarnated in China, because the Scripture says that he will stand on the Mount of Olives and appear to the entire universe.”

With regard to my first question, they fellowshipped about Luke 17:24-25, which says, “For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.” Actually, they were the scriptures I had recited and expounded often in the past. I had thought that they referred to the fact that Jesus suffered and was rejected when he was incarnated the first time. But at that time when I read them carefully, I realized that they were a prophecy about the Son of man’s second coming. Furthermore, the whole passage from verse 22 to verse 37 in Luke 17 was prophesying signs of the Son of man’s second coming, and the Lord said that first he must suffer many things, and be rejected by this generation the second time. Since it was a prophecy, it clearly refers to things about the second incarnation. Moreover, if Jesus came on the white cloud with a spiritual body, how could he suffer? Who would not bow his knees and worship him? Who would dare to resist him? Hebrews 1:6 says, “And again, when he brings in the first-begotten into the world (or, And when he again brings in the first-begotten into the world), he said, And let all the angels of God worship him.” Since it says that God “again” brings in the first-begotten into the world, it proves that Jesus was the first incarnation into the world and the incarnated flesh this time is “the second incarnation” into the world, which refers to God’s returning in the flesh. They also read me the piece of God’s word “Corrupt Mankind Needs Even More the Salvation of the God Incarnated in the ‘Flesh,’” which made me utterly convinced. God says, “The incarnated God comes into the flesh completely because of the need of corrupt man, because of man’s need but not God’s need. All the price and sufferings are for the sake of mankind, not for God’s own benefit. With God, there is no such thing as gain or loss or reward. What he gains is not what he later reaps but what he should have originally. All that he does and all the price he pays for mankind are not for the purpose that he can receive more rewards, but are only for the sake of mankind. Although when he works in the flesh, there are many difficulties unimaginable to man, in the end the results produced by the flesh’s working will far surpass the results of the Spirit’s working directly. Although when the flesh works, there are many difficulties and he cannot have the same great identity as the Spirit or do supernatural deeds as the Spirit, much less have the same authority as the Spirit, the working of this inconspicuous flesh is much higher in substance than the direct working of the Spirit. This flesh himself is the need of all people. For those to be saved, the use value of the Spirit is far lower than that of the flesh: The working of the Spirit can cover the entire universe and reach the mountains, rivers, and lakes; but the working of the flesh can more effectively touch everyone who contacts him, and the flesh who has form and image can better gain people’s understanding and trust and can better deepen their knowledge of God and deepen their impression of God’s practical deeds. The working of the Spirit is mysterious and unfathomable, and mortal beings can hardly foresee it, much less see it, but can only imagine it without any basis. The working of the flesh is normal and practical and full of wisdom and is a fact that mortal beings can see with their own eyes, and people can all personally taste God’s working wisdom, without any need to use their rich imagination. This is the exactness and the real value of the working of the God in the flesh. The Spirit can only do some things invisible and unimaginable to man, such as, the inspiration of the Spirit, the moving of the Spirit, and the guidance of the Spirit. However, to people with mind, these works of the Spirit cannot give them a clear idea but can only give them a moving or a roughly similar idea, and cannot give instructions with words. But God’s working in the flesh is quite different from that. The working of the flesh can give exact guidance of words, clear wills, and clear required goals, and people do not need to grope or imagine, much less guess. This is the clarity of the working of the flesh, which is quite different from the working of the Spirit. The working of the Spirit can only be applicable to a limited scope and cannot replace the working of the flesh. The exact goals for people required by the working of the flesh and the real value of the knowledge people gain through it far surpass the exactness and the real value of the working of the Spirit. … The greatest advantage of God’s working in the flesh is that he can leave his followers exact words, exact charges, and his exact wills for mankind. Then his followers can preach all his works in the flesh and his will for all mankind in a more accurate and practical way to everyone who accepts this way. Only when the God in the flesh works among men has the fact been really fulfilled that God is with men and lives with men and has the wish been realized that all men see God’s face and God’s work and hear God’s personal word.”

After they fellowshipped about the first question, though I considered it a satisfactory answer and felt much better, I still had doubts. Then, they fellowshipped with me about the second question, “In Genesis 1:27, it says, ‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.’ This verse proves that man and woman both have God’s image. So who can conclude that God is male or female? Man was created in God’s image, so was woman. Therefore, it exactly proves that God is Spirit and has no gender and that God can do his redemptive work in an image of male and also complete his work of conquering and perfecting men in an image of female.” Then we ate and drank the piece of God’s word “The Two Incarnations Complete the Significance of Incarnation,” in which God says, “Every stage of work God does has practical significance. At that time when Jesus came, he was a male; this time when God comes, he is a female. From this you can see that God’s creating both man and woman can be for his work and that with God there is no distinction of gender. When his Spirit comes, he can put on any flesh as he likes, and this flesh can represent him. Whether this flesh is male or female, he can represent God as long as he is God’s incarnated flesh. … With God there is no distinction of gender. He works in whatever way he likes, and he works without any restrictions and in a very free way, but each stage of his work has practical significance. God has been incarnated twice. Needless to say, his incarnation in the end time is the last one, and he has come to manifest all his deeds. If in this stage God were not incarnated to personally work for people to see, then in their notions they would forever believe that God is only male and not female.” Faced with these words of the truth, I had to be convinced, “Can I, a little created being, interfere with the Creator’s freedom? Can I direct God how to do his work? Isn’t it that I’m blaspheming the Holy Spirit if I circumscribe God’s gender?” Thinking back to my circumscribing and judging and resisting God’s work in the past, I felt extremely ashamed and guilty.

In regard to God’s being incarnated in China, they fellowshipped with me about Matthew 24:27-28, which says, “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” Here, “the east” refers to the east of the world—China, and “the west” refers to the western countries. And then we read Malachi 1:11, “For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; …said the LORD of hosts.” They said, “The ‘rising of the sun’ also refers to China, because China’s Mount Tai is the place where the sunrise can be seen first in the world. And this is known to all. Moreover, it is an acknowledged fact that China is in the east of the world. As to the word ‘my name shall be great among the Gentiles,’ we see from God’s works that God did the first two stages of his work in Israel and all the countries outside Israel are called Gentile nations. Over two thousand years, the gospel has spread out from Jerusalem, from the west to the east, and China is the last to receive Jesus, so it is called a Gentile nation. If this stage of work were still started from Israel, how could God be great among the Gentiles? How could this verse be fulfilled?” One brother read the following God’s words to me, “Today, God conquers you just for the purpose that you will acknowledge that God is your God, others’ God, and even more the God of all those who love him, and is the God of all created beings. He is the God of the Israelites and the God of the Egyptians. He is the God of the British and the God of the Americans. He is not only the God of Adam and Eve, but also the God of all the offspring of Adam and Eve. He is the God of all things in heaven and the God of all things on earth. Both the family of Israel and all the families of Gentile nations are in the hand of one God. He not only worked in Israel for thousands of years, but he was born in Judea, and today he has descended to China, the dwelling place of the great red dragon. He was born in Judea, so he was the King of the Jews. Today he has descended among you, so isn’t he your God?” “In this final age, I will let my name be called great among the Gentile nations and let people in the Gentile nations see my deeds and call me the Almighty because of my deeds, so that the words of my mouth will be fulfilled soon. I will let all people know that I am not only the God of the Israelites, but also the God of people of all the Gentile nations, even the nations cursed by me. I will let all people see that I am the God of all created beings. This is my greatest work, is the purpose of the plan of my work in the end time, and is the only work I will accomplish in the end time.” Hearing these words of God, I was very enlightened in my heart. “Yes! The God I have been expecting has now descended among us, yet I do not dare to believe. Then what have I been expecting? God has come to China to do his work, and this is a super great blessing coming upon us. What reason do I have to refuse it? How can I, a little created being, fathom God’s deeds? Thank God’s inspiration! So that I can understand that God is the God of all created beings in the world, not belonging to any country or race. Since God has done his work in China in the end time, we should unconditionally obey it, because in everything God does there is God’s good purpose, and it is all for saving corrupt mankind.” Just like this, I was utterly convinced. It was God’s wonderful work and word that conquered me, and so I knew that I was arrogant, ignorant, blind, and foolish. At that moment, I had enjoyment in my heart, and my misunderstandings and notions about God disappeared, and the barrier against the brothers and sisters was removed. We talked and laughed heartily….

Later, I ate and drank God’s word with a seeking heart, and the Holy Spirit inspired me greatly. I felt that every piece of God’s word was particularly sweet, not as shallow and common as I thought before, that every word of God was with authority and power, and that it was truly God’s own utterance and was the irrefutable truth! I regretted very much that I was so arrogant and self-right in the past that I understood the words out of context while ignoring the background and the inner meaning of God’s words and thus committed the monstrous sins of blaspheming the Holy Spirit and tearing up what the Holy Spirit said to the churches. At that time I even more hated myself, so I knelt down before God and prayed, “O the only true almighty God! I deserve to die ten thousand times. I’m not worthy to come before you. For so many years, I have been judging and slandering you and greatly sealing off the churches. This has seriously hindered the spreading of your end-time gospel, and thus many brothers and sisters have been locked in the darkness, unable to come before you. O God! I’m a sheer, real antichrist, and should have been cursed and cast into hell. I’m unpardonably sinful. Yet, you didn’t treat me according to my evil deeds or punish me, but have been sparing no efforts to save me, waiting for me to turn back. O God! Your love is so great that it makes me feel terribly ashamed. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to start a new life. I’m willing to mend my ways sincerely, spread your gospel widely for the rest of my life, testify your wonderful deeds, and bring more deceived brothers and sisters before you, so as to make up for my indebtedness to you and repay your great love!”

Since I followed Almighty God, I have truly enjoyed the sweetness and abundance of God’s words. I deeply feel myself unworthy. At the same time, I have also tasted the hardships of God’s working on earth. Seeing that God has expended great effort and price for mankind, I felt ashamed all the more. Especially when I saw that God says the word “Then I have to trouble you to choose once again…,” I couldn’t control myself anymore and was moved to tears, feeling that God loves man so much and God is so great! At that moment, I couldn’t tell clearly whether it was regret, enjoyment, moving, or comfort. All sorts of feelings welled up in my heart. The supreme God has to “trouble” me, a sinner, to choose once again, and this really makes me extremely ashamed. God’s heart is as boundless as the sea and sky! His desire for mankind is that all men can be saved and none will perish or be destroyed!

Under the enlightenment of God’s words, my former imaginations, notions, and misunderstandings have been thoroughly dispelled by God’s words, God’s work, and the facts. I have understood what theory is, what reality is, what notion is, what truth is, what imagination is, and what fact is. In the past, I was self-right, self-important, arrogant, and self-conceited, and didn’t seek or investigate God’s new work but only blindly condemned God and sealed off the churches according to my imaginations and notions, playing the role of satan. Today I have realized it, yet it is too late to regret! Dear brothers and sisters, I hope that you can take warning from me. Don’t be stiff-necked to resist God anymore. Seek immediately! Now, God’s gospel work is about to be concluded and the disasters have been poured down one after the other. Just as God says, “…God warns and exhorts mankind again and again because in his hand is prepared an unprecedented disaster. This disaster is unbearable to man’s flesh and man’s soul, and it is not merely to punish man’s flesh but aimed at man’s soul. You should know: When God’s plan falls through and when God’s warnings and exhortations are not repaid, what anger will he unleash? This has never been tasted or heard of by any created being. So I say that this disaster has never occurred before and will never occur again in the future. This is because God’s plan is that he would only create mankind once and only save mankind once. This is the first time and also the last time.”