In the last days, it is our greatest hope to receive the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. To help all the people who yearn for God’s appearance to welcome the return of the Lord Jesus Christ soon, our blog will update the latest message on the return of the Lord.
In welcoming the Lord, many people all pay attention to the prophecy of the Lord’s descent atop clouds but ignore the most critical words the Lord Jesus said in Revelation: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The Lord told us the most important thing to greet the Lord is to listen to God’s voice. Just as when the Lord Jesus first came to work, Peter, the Samaritan woman, and others recognized the Lord from His words before they believed in and followed the Lord. Instead, those who could not listen to God’s voice did not know the Lord at all, just like Thomas who believed by seeing with his own eyes. Eventually, such people can only be abandoned and eliminated by the Lord. Just as the Lord Jesus said: “because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:26-29).
Some people say that the Bible is the biggest gift given by God, so we should cherish and read it carefully; some people say that reading the Bible gives them confidence and patience; some people say that reading the Bible makes them understand that they should trust in and depend on God; some people say that if you want to be raptured into the kingdom of heaven, you must read the Bible every day … Regardless of whether these opinions are right or wrong, from these we are certain that reading the Bible, which is an obligatory course every day, is very important for every Christian. Since reading the Bible is so important, then have we ever thought about how we should read it or what elements we should grasp to make our reading of the Bible most beneficial to our lives? Maybe in many people’s opinions, as long as they continue to read it at a set time every day, their lives will gain some edification and benefits naturally; others choose to read Revelation, thinking that only by focusing on studying the mysteries of God’s work can they get edification and benefits in their lives. In a word, everyone has his own means of practice. Then, what are the most crucial things that we should grasp to make our reading be after the Lord’s heart?
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 …
Surprised to Hear That the Lord Has Come Back in China to Do His Work
The main character is a devout Christian who firmly believes in this Bible verse: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). He thinks that as long as he always upholds the name of the Lord Jesus, he can be taken up into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord comes. Out of the blue one day, his wife tells him that God has taken on a new name in the last days, and he’s thrown into confusion. Before long, he discovers in the Scripture that in the Old Testament, God’s name is “Jehovah,” while in the New Testament, His name is “Jesus.” God’s name really can change! He begins letting go of his notions to seek the truth, and ultimately he comes to understand the mystery of God’s names. He accepts God’s new name, thereby attending the wedding feast of the Lamb. So what is the mystery behind God’s names? You can find out from this man’s experience.
The standard by which humans judge other humans is based on their behavior; those whose conduct is good are righteous, while those whose conduct is abominable are wicked. The standard by which God judges humans is based on whether their essence submits to Him or not; one who submits to God is a righteous person, while one who does not is an enemy and a wicked person, regardless of whether this person’s behavior is good or bad and regardless of whether their speech is correct or incorrect. Some people wish to use good deeds to obtain a good destination in the future, and some people wish to use fine words to acquire a good destination. Everyone mistakenly believes that God determines people’s outcomes after watching their behavior or after listening to their speech; many people therefore wish to take advantage of this to deceive God into granting them a momentary favor. In the future, the people who will survive in a state of rest will all have endured the day of tribulation and will also have borne witness for God; they will all be people who have fulfilled their duties and who have deliberately submitted to God. Those who merely wish to use the opportunity to do service with the intention of avoiding practicing the truth will not be allowed to remain. God has appropriate standards for the arrangement of the outcome of every individual; He does not simply make these decisions according to one’s words and conduct, nor does He make them based on how one acts during a single period of time. He will absolutely not be lenient with regard to one’s wicked conduct due to their past service for Him, nor will He spare one from death because of any one-time expense for God. No one can evade retribution for their wickedness, and no one can cover up their evil behavior and thereby evade the torments of destruction. If people can truly fulfill their own duty, it means that they are eternally faithful to God and not seeking rewards, regardless of whether they receive blessings or suffer misfortune. If people are faithful to God when they see blessings, but lose their faithfulness when they cannot see any blessings, and if, in the end, they are still unable to bear witness for God or fulfill the duties incumbent upon them, then they will still be objects of destruction despite their having once previously rendered faithful service to God. In short, wicked people cannot survive through eternity, nor can they enter into rest; only the righteous are the masters of rest.
Excerpted from “God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
– Psalms 54:2
Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
Prayer is a means by which we commune with God, and is also God’s basic requirement of us.
Looking back, Israelites attacked Jericho through prayer; the people of Nineveh repented and asked God to pardon them also through prayer. In our experiences, we also feel that we can unconsciously understand many things we did not understand through prayer; we’ll have faith and our spirit will become strong through prayer when facing dangers and hardships; God will lead us through adversity when we call out to Him in difficulties. We can really experience that there is so much significance in prayer. Share a passage of words, “Prayer is one of the ways in which man cooperates with God, it is a means by which man calls upon God, and it is the process by which man is touched by God’s Spirit. It can be said that those who are without prayer are dead ones without spirit, proof that they lack the faculties to be touched by God. Without prayer, they are unable to attain a normal spiritual life, much less are they able to follow the work of the Holy Spirit; without prayer, they sever their relationship with God, and are incapable of receiving God’s approval.”
If we open our hearts to God and speak the words within our hearts to Him, we’ll definitely feel the power of prayer!
Next, let us speak of the cycle of life and death of those who follow God. This concerns you, so pay attention: First, think about how God’s followers can be categorized. (God’s chosen ones, and the service-doers.) There are indeed two: God’s chosen ones, and the service-doers. First, let us talk about God’s chosen ones, of whom there are but a few. Whom does “God’s chosen ones” refer to? After God created all things and mankind came into existence, God selected a group of people who would follow Him; these are simply referred to as “God’s chosen.” There was a special scope and significance to God’s selection of these people. The scope is special in that it was limited to a select few, who must come when He does important work. And what is the significance? Since they were a group selected by God, the significance is great. That is, God wishes to complete these people, and perfect them, and once His work of management is finished, He will gain these people. Is this significance not great? Thus, these chosen ones are of great importance to God, for they are the ones whom God intends to gain. As for the service-doers, well, let us take a break for a moment from the subject of God’s predestination, and first talk of their origins. A “service-doer” is literally one who serves. Those who serve are transient; they do not do so long-term or forever, but are hired or recruited temporarily. The origin of most of them is that they were selected from among the unbelievers. They came to earth when it was decreed that they would assume the role of service-doers in God’s work. They may have been animals in the previous lifetime, but they may also have been unbelievers. Such are the origins of the service-doers.
The main character used to be a preacher in a house church. She worked for the Lord for years and was always longing for the Lord Jesus to return. She’s firm in her belief that when He returns in the last days, He’ll appear openly riding upon a cloud in His resurrected spiritual body. When she hears the joyful news that the Lord has become flesh and has returned in the last days, she doesn’t believe it or even look into it. Then in a gathering, she sees that there are many prophecies, like “the coming of the Son of man,” “the Son of man comes,” and the Lord comes “as a thief.” These are all prophecies that say when the Lord comes again in the last days, He will do so in the flesh and in secret. She doesn’t dare keep clinging to her own viewpoints, so she begins to reflect and seek. So in what way does the Lord really come and appear to us in the last days? How does the main character welcome the Lord? You’ll find out in Listening to God’s Voice and Welcoming the Lord.
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.
Some Christians think that they are no longer sinners, but are justified by believing in the Lord Jesus, and that they will be taken into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord returns. It is written in the Bible, “Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26). So they consider that, with Jesus Christ acting as their sin offering, as long as they repent to the Lord, their sins can be forgiven, and thus they can be justified through the redemption of Jesus. However, whether or not we have ever thought: It is true that our sins have been forgiven through our faith in the Lord Jesus, but does this mean that we are righteous men and are no longer of sin?
First, we might as well see what the apostle John said about this, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7). The apostle John warned us not to be enticed by people’s exteriors, and that without doing righteousness, a preacher of righteousness isn’t necessarily righteous only by promoting righteousness, whereas the one doing righteousness as well is sure to be righteous. It is perceived that neither promoting righteousness nor doing righteousness can be absent. However, with neglecting to put righteousness into practice, we only think, as long as we endure to the end, we will be justified by faith and will not be counted as sinners, and also we will surely enter the kingdom of heaven. This viewpoint above doesn’t accord with God’s will, nor is there any proof in the Bible.
Next, looking at us, believers in the Lord Jesus today: Although we have some good deeds outwardly after accepting the redemption of the Lord Jesus, such as giving alms and helping others, yet these deeds are still far from proving that we are doing righteousness—merely standing for a good behavior, which can still not correspond to the Lord Jesus. It is because that we, having many corrupt dispositions within, can’t avoid committing sins and resisting God yet. For instance, when we encounter things in our real life, we can’t walk in God’s way or live out His words, filled with selfishness and baseness, crookedness and craftiness, but often reveal corrupt dispositions of arrogance and self-conceit without a heart of reverence for God; when we shepherd the church and suffer hardships to do some work for the Lord’s sake, we can exalt and testify ourselves to be venerated and looked up to; when we serve God, we can attack against each other and raise jealousy and strife between one another to compete for status; in addition, when our labor and sacrifice beget no God’s blessings, we can complain about and misunderstand God; when God’s work is not in accord with our notions, we can judge God; and so on. Aren’t these manifestations above the revelation of corrupt dispositions?
With so many sins existing within us, can we be called the righteous? Let’s see what is written in the Bible, “If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:21-24). These verses also tell us: Since we have accepted the way of the Lord, we must cast off our former corrupt behaviors, live out the likeness of a new man, and ought not to do abominations any more. We should know the ones God finally will get are those who can live out God’s words and righteousness from the inside out, instead of those who only have a few good behaviors on the surface but are still bound by sins within. We, however, have lots of corrupt satanic dispositions, full of sins. How can we be called righteous people for this reason? It is also recorded in the Bible, “But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die” (Ezekiel 18:24). As can be seen from the verse, although we can be justified because of the redemption of the Lord Jesus and our faith in Him, nevertheless this does simply mean that we get an opportunity of being justified from the Lord, rather than represent that we are righteous people. If we can’t seize this opportunity to do righteousness, but live in sin and give free rein to the spread of sin, then how can we become righteous? So faith is inseparable from practice. If we only have faith but no living out in our behaviors, then we can’t receive God’s approval. Thus, the saying of being justified by faith is invalid.
Now that we can’t truly be justified by faith, how can we be justified then? In fact, the Lord Jesus has already set the standard of righteous people. It is said in Revelation 19:7-8, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” From this we see that what God says about the standard of righteous people is based on whether we can do righteousness, in other words, it depends on whether we can live out holiness and the image of a just man. Supposing that we fail to do it, then we will not be justified by God. But, as for us, having many Satan’s corrupt dispositions within, we have not changed our life dispositions, full of sins in our living out, so we cannot glorify and manifest God at all, nor can we live out His words. Then how can we act out righteousness? Therefore, we must get rid of our corruption, not living in sin any longer, so that we can become the ones who accept God’s inspection in everything, follow His will and practice according to His words, have a heart of loving and obeying God in all our actions, achieve changes in our disposition, and finally fear God and shun evil. Such people are righteous ones of whom God approves. Just like Job, in all his life he conducted himself in conformity with the Lord’s way, and had a heart of fearing God and shunning evil in everything. Whether trials of hardships or refinements, he could obey God’s orchestration and arrangement without complaints, without his own choices or demands, and could still praise God’s name. So, Job is the one who truly lived out the image of a righteous man and became a perfect man in God’s eyes.
We think a man can be justified by faith. In that case, we can weigh whether what we do is the living out of a righteous man. For example, since we believe in and follow God today, whether we have changes in our disposition, whether we still live by the old satanic nature, and whether we have tolerance, patience and love to others on the basis of understanding the principles of the truth; on the other hand, whether we act strictly as words said by God without mixture of our own will, notions and imaginations, and whether all we do can be in accordance with Christ? How many, mentioned above, have we lived out? If we would like to be justified, we must remove our corruption, not living by satanic corrupt disposition any more. Only by breaking away from sin to carry out righteous acts can we get the Lord’s approval. Just like the words in 1 Peter 1:15-16, “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.” as well as in Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” We all know that God is holy. So, God does not allow any filthy and corrupt things to exist in His kingdom. Only the ones who are purified and saved by God can enter God’s kingdom.
Welcome the Lord Jesus Christ's Return 