In recent years, disasters have been on the rise—global pandemics, frequent occurrences of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and escalating wars have claimed many lives. The prolonged three-year pandemic, in particular, has taken away numerous lives. In the face of these disasters, people are seeking a way out, and Christians are no exception. They have increased their frequency of reading the Bible, attending church gatherings, and engaging in prayer. They believe that by staying committed to reading the Bible, praying, attending gatherings, and serving the Lord, they can be safeguarded by God and spared from disasters. However, witnessing many pastors and believers succumbing to disasters, a sense of panic and helplessness begins to grip their hearts. They are puzzled as to why these individuals, who regularly read the Bible, pray, and serve the Lord, did not receive God’s protection. So, how can one receive God’s protection amid disasters? This is currently the most pressing concern for many Christians.

To understand why many pastors and believers from various denominations died in disasters, we need to first comprehend who can receive God’s protection amid calamities. We know that the great tribulation of the end times is prophesied by the Lord in the Book of Revelation. After the calamities, a new heaven and a new earth–the realization of Christ’s kingdom on earth–will come to pass. The great tribulation is a watershed between the old era and the new era. So, who can receive God’s protection during disasters and enter His kingdom? Let’s look at a few scriptures, “Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Revelation 14:4–5). These are God’s promises to the overcomers, and only the overcomers can receive God’s protection during disasters, survive in the end and enter God’s kingdom ultimately. These overcomers are those who closely follow the footsteps of the Lamb, have been saved and perfected by God, purified from sin, and stand as honest individuals, representing the firstfruits devoted to God and the Lamb. When God destroys this wicked humanity with disasters, only this group can receive God’s care and protection, avoiding the ordeal of the great tribulation. After the great tribulation, God will lead them into a new era–the kingdom of Christ.

When it comes to this, many may ask: How can one achieve purification, be perfected by God, and be made into an overcomer? This involves the salvation work the Lord will do in the last days. Let’s consider a few scriptures on this matter: “And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47–48). “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:12–13). “Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth” (John 17:17). From these scriptures, we can see that when the Lord returns in the last days, He will use the truth to carry out the work of judgment. That is to say, God will express many truths to judge and purify humans, guiding them into all truths. As a result, people can be saved from sin, break free from satanic corrupt dispositions and escape from Satan’s dark influence. Eventually, individuals who are able to put God’s word into practice are those who are following God’s will—they are exactly the overcomers perfected by God. Some might wonder: Why is it essential to undergo God’s end-time work to be perfected and become an overcomer? In the Age of Grace, what Jesus carried out is the redemptive work, and what He preached is the way of repentance. Through His crucifixion, people could be redeemed from sin, and by praying and repenting, they received forgiveness, experiencing inner peace and joy. However, Jesus only did one stage of the work of redemption, not the work of judging and purifying people. That’s why, after repenting and confessing sins to the Lord, people often still struggle with the bondage of sin. Thus, the Lord prophesied that He would return in the last days to perform the work of judgment and express all the truths that can purify people and enable them to attain sanctity. These truths guide us in shedding our corrupt dispositions and show us the path and direction to follow. Only by accepting and practicing these words of truth can we gradually cast off corruption, become obedient to God’s ways, and receive His care and protection during disasters. God says, “Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering; He did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to become the sin offering and bear the sins of man, but it also required God to do even greater work to rid man completely of his satanically corrupted disposition. And so, now that man has been forgiven of his sins, God has returned to the flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment. This work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and they shall gain the truth, the way, and the life” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Preface).

“Christ of the last days uses a variety of truths to teach man, to expose the substance of man, and to dissect the words and deeds of man. These words comprise various truths, such as man’s duty, how man should obey God, how man should be loyal to God, how man ought to live out normal humanity, as well as the wisdom and the disposition of God, and so on. These words are all directed at the substance of man and his corrupt disposition. In particular, the words that expose how man spurns God are spoken in regard to how man is an embodiment of Satan, and an enemy force against God. In undertaking His work of judgment, God does not simply make clear the nature of man with a few words; He exposes, deals with, and prunes over the long term. All these different methods of exposure, dealing, and pruning cannot be substituted with ordinary words, but with the truth of which man is utterly bereft. Only methods such as these can be called judgment; only through judgment of this kind can man be subdued and thoroughly convinced about God, and moreover gain true knowledge of God. What the work of judgment brings about is man’s understanding of the true face of God and the truth about his own rebelliousness. The work of judgment allows man to gain much understanding of the will of God, of the purpose of God’s work, and of the mysteries that are incomprehensible to him. It also allows man to recognize and know his corrupt essence and the roots of his corruption, as well as to discover the ugliness of man. These effects are all brought about by the work of judgment, for the essence of this work is actually the work of opening up the truth, the way, and the life of God to all those who have faith in Him. This work is the work of judgment done by God” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Christ Does the Work of Judgment With the Truth).

The individuals who undergo God’s end-time judgment and emerge as overcomers are the ones perfected and gained by God. God intends to lead this group into the next era and into His own kingdom, as it was planned by God even before the creation.

Nowadays, only The Church of Almighty God is testifying that the Lord Jesus has returned, and that He is Almighty God, Christ in the last days. Almighty God has expressed all the truths for saving humanity, carried out the judgment work starting from the house of God, and has already made a group of overcomes before disasters. The words expressed by Almighty God and the resounding testimonies of the overcomers have been uploaded online for people from all nations and walks of life who love the truth and seek the appearance of the Lord to seek and investigate. As various disasters begin to occur frequently, everyone is compelled to seek the true way. An increasing number of people are accepting Almighty God’s end-time work and seizing the opportunity to be perfected by God and become overcomers. The most urgent task now is to quickly follow the footsteps of the Lamb and accept God’s work today, and only then will there be a chance for us to be protected by God amid the disasters.

God says, “Does this not show that in this current age, God cannot wait to complete His plan and save the people He wants to save? Under these circumstances, what does God care about the most? Not how those who do not follow Him at all or those who oppose Him anyway treat Him or resist Him, or how mankind is slandering Him. He only cares about whether those who follow Him, the objects of His salvation in His management plan, have been made complete by Him, whether they have become worthy of His satisfaction. As for the people other than those who follow Him, He merely occasionally provides a bit of punishment to express His wrath. For example: tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. At the same time, He is also strongly protecting and looking after those who follow Him and are about to be saved by Him. God’s disposition is this: On the one hand, He can have extreme patience and tolerance toward the people He intends to make complete, and He can wait for them for as long as He possibly can; on the other hand, God passionately hates and loathes the Satan-type of people who do not follow Him and oppose Him. Although He does not care whether these Satan-types follow Him or worship Him, He still detests them while having patience for them in His heart, and as He determines the ending of these Satan-types, He is also waiting for the arrival of the steps of His management plan” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself I).

From God’s words, we can sense His urgent intentions and earnest care. During God’s work of salvation, His primary concern is the people He intends to save. Anyone who is willing to accept God’s work and salvation becomes the object of God’s mercy. He will safeguard us from falling into calamity, granting us opportunities for repentance and transformation. Ultimately, if we can gain the truth as our life, becoming individuals who truly know God, obey God, fear God, and distance ourselves from evil, then God will lead us into the next era, allowing us to enjoy the wonderful destination He has prepared for humanity. On the other hand, those who reject God’s end-time work of salvation and even resist and condemn God’s end-time work are the ones who hate the truth and belong to the devil Satan; they are not the objects of God’s salvation. For them, God will not show mercy, and in the end, they will be dealt with through the unfolding disasters.

Do you want to understand God’s end-time work and seize the final opportunity to be perfected by God and become one of the overcomers? Please don’t hesitate to contact us through the online chat window at the bottom of our website, and let’s communicate online.