A few days ago, Sister Zhang was
delivering books of God's words when the police arrested her. Then, yesterday, one of the church leaders asked me if I'd be willing to take over
Sister Zhang's duties. I was a bit hesitant— after all, Sister Zhang had just been
arrested, what would happen next? What if I got arrested for delivering books, too? I was scared. I was so frightened that I didn't
want to take on her duty, but I didn't want to rebel against God, so I reluctantly submitted. I still feel pretty scared, though,
and I am not sure what to do going forward. Sister, when faced with an issue like this,
we should seek the truth. When God entrusts us with His commission
at such times, we are tested by Him. Yes. He's testing to see if our belief in Him is true and if we can safeguard His work. I've actually had a similar experience. Perhaps I can fellowship on this? Yes. I remember this took place
just after I became a church leader. Back then, the CCP was making mass-arrests of The Church of Almighty God members. I couldn't help but feel a bit worried— with things as bad as they were, if I went to gatherings at various
meeting spots every day, I might very well be arrested by the police who would subject me to cruelty and torture. I've always had a weak constitution
and I've never endured any suffering, so how could I possibly endure torture? I got scared thinking about this suffering so I didn't want to accept the duty. But when I thought how
my brothers and sisters chose me, how they trusted me, I couldn't justify not accepting the commission just because I was scared. So I tactfully replied: "Can I do this? I'd never been a leader before, if I encounter some issue that I can't resolve, won't I be delaying the work of the Church?" The leader replied to me in fellowship: "The duties are a chance to train ourselves. Just try to do the best that you can." Yes. After hearing the leader's fellowship,
I accepted the duty. All of a sudden, messages began to arrive
from my leader one after another, notifying me that Sister Wu, Sister Li
and some others had been arrested as were six leaders and co-workers
from some other churches. The messages asked that I stay alert. I flew into a panic. How could so many brothers
and sisters get arrested? I realized that I had just seen
Sister Li only a few days ago, were the police monitoring me as well? If they really were, it was only a matter of time before I got arrested since there were security cameras everywhere. Fulfilling my duties in this environment
was really dangerous … I got really scared whenever I thought about it. I was terrified that I would suddenly get arrested
one day while I was working. From the outside, it looked like
I was fulfilling my duties, but I just couldn't put my heart into the work, and I rarely paused to think about
how best to fulfill my duties. Sometimes, when brothers and sisters
came to me with problems, I wouldn't even be in the mood to help. And then, I got another message from my leader, warning me that the police were forcing
their captives to identify the rest of us. They were setting up road blocks,
searching people's bags. She reminded us to be very careful
whenever we went out. Hearing this, I got even more worried. It seemed that the police had
a lot of information on our church. I wondered if we had been photographed that time when we went to meet with Sister Li? If that had been filmed, then surely the police would figure out
that I was leading church work when they saw my face all over the footage. If they arrested me, they would
torture me and force a confession. Riding home on my electric scooter, I was tense and on edge the whole ride—
the leader's message had disturbed me. Even though it was already dark out,
I didn't dare remove my sunglasses. I didn't want to take the risk
of getting caught on a security camera and getting snatched off the street by the police. That's when a very selfish thought
came into my head. I thought, "Maybe I can talk to my leader and have an older sister take my job. She's already in her 50s— even if she were arrested, the police probably wouldn't use
torture tactics on her." Then I quickly realized how selfish this idea was. Because I was afraid of arrest
and of being tortured, I wanted to pass the job to my elder sister. How ugly, how lowly of me! But still, I couldn't help
feeling afraid and nervous. I would get images in my mind of brothers and sisters getting tortured
and getting tormented. I got more and more scared
and I couldn't help thinking to myself: "Why would they give me such a dangerous job? What if I get arrested, what then? I'm still so young, will I face torture and torment
for the rest of my life?" I was anxious and afraid, so I prayed to God, telling Him about my state. "Oh, Almighty God! I'm continually afraid I'll be arrested,
jailed and tortured. I can't quiet my heart while fulfilling my duties and want to give them to someone else. And I'm always selfishly thinking of my own flesh. I don't want to live in fear and timidity,
to be deceived by Satan. God, I pray that You enlighten me,
allow me to understand Your will. I also ask that You strengthen me
to be brave in these trying times." Yes. I recalled a hymn of God's words - I'll read it for you now.
- Great. Thanks be to God! Singing this song really made me feel so moved. Faced with the pain and suffering of crucifixion, the Lord Jesus showed no signs of regret or of shrinking back despite
the weakness of His flesh. Instead, He walked steadfastly,
carrying His cross to Golgotha, enduring all that agony
to perform the sin offering, to redeem all of mankind
from the clutches of Satan. So great was God's love for us. And how, by contrast, did I treat God? In carrying out God's commission,
I considered only my own safety, and was always afraid
of being arrested, jailed and tortured. I lived in timidity and fear, I went through the motions of my duties,
never achieving any impact. Seeing it was dangerous, I thought of
passing my duties onto an elder sister. How selfish and despicable of me! In those trying times, I gave no thought to bearing witness
for God and humiliating Satan. I thought only of my own flesh, and how to safely fulfill my duties
without suffering and sacrifice, so that I may ultimately gain God's salvation and receive His promised blessings. In the face of adversity, I wanted to abandon my duties
for my own safety's sake, I even rebelled against God, and I realized that my belief in God
was transactional, so I felt ashamed. True. I thought of Peter, who submitted to God
despite all of his hardships. He never worried about his own wellbeing. He devoted himself to God's will,
and to comforting God's heart. Ultimately, his crucifixion
was a shining testimony to God. Yes. Comparing my own actions to those of Peter, I felt ashamed and guilty, so I came before God and I prayed to Him: "God! This situation has exposed
my selfishness and my lowliness. I've been scared of imprisonment and torture, never thinking about bearing witness for You. God, I no longer wish to think about
my gain or loss. I only wish to fulfill my duty to satisfy You. If I do get arrested and persecuted,
I will submit. I'll bear witness for You,
and not be a Judas, this I do vow." Amen! After concluding my prayer,
I felt peaceful and grounded. And then, I recalled God's words that say: Amen! It all made sense! Of course! Attending gatherings and doing duties, I wouldn't ever get myself arrested
without God's consent. Yes. If God has ordained that I should experience
persecution and hardship, then even if I hide inside all day,
I will still be arrested. Everything is in God's hands, so I should embrace whatever happens to me. I'll do my best to implement
all of our safety strategies, but when it comes to being arrested,
I'm willing to submit to God's plan. Yes. The enlightenment I received from God's words
gave me strength and faith, and I immediately felt liberated. From then on, when I went out for gatherings,
I felt calmer and less afraid. Thanks be to God! The CCP continued their
furious campaign of arrests, but seeing how the words of God brought faith
to my brothers and to my sisters, allowing them to continue their work, I was so deeply inspired, and I was able to focus on my duties. I could clearly feel that God was guiding me, I was able to resolve
some of the issues in our church. The church's work was also progressing well. This showed me that no matter how savage Satan becomes,
it could never interrupt the work of God. My faith in God grew even stronger. Thanks be to God! I thought that after experiencing all that,
I might have attained some stature, I never imagined that when God
again orchestrated a scenario for me, I would once again be thoroughly exposed. I received a message from my leader
last July—the news of Sister Liu. It turned out that for the previous few months, the police had been following Sister Liu. They had also been monitoring
the 20 or so brothers and sisters that she made contact with, and that included me. She also said the police had likely
photographed meeting places where Sister Liu had attended gatherings. Because of this, my leader advised me not to come into contact
with any of my brothers and sisters. After reading this,
I couldn't remain calm any longer. I thought: "I see Sister Liu often, and I even went for a bike ride
with her into the county recently. That road was lined with security cameras, if they have any footage of us,
I'm going to be in a world of trouble. The CCP is arresting and persecuting
Christians with wild abandon. If I get arrested during this critical time, who knows the kind of torture
the police will put me through. Will they beat me to death?" The more I thought about it, I became so terrified that I couldn't
focus on reading God's words. Not long after, I learned that books of God's words were being stored
in the apartment that Sister Liu was renting. If they weren't removed soon,
the police would eventually discover them, and God's house would incur damages. Yes. But I was conflicted: After all, the police were hunting down
and arresting believers. If I happened to run into the police
while transporting the books, wouldn't they have all the evidence
they would need? If that was the case, my interrogation
would certainly include torture, and it might even prove fatal to me. Considering all this, I didn't want to go. But I also thought about if I didn't go, was I willing to turn a blind eye
to the possible damages to God's house? I wrestled with these thoughts for some time, couldn't make up my mind on what to do. The next day, I saw this passage
of God's words. I'll read it now. Okay. Amen! - So true.
- Yes. This passage really cut to the quick. An antichrist is evil, selfish and despicable. When it comes to their personal safety, they'd rather the work of God's house
suffer than suffer themselves. They don't have the slightest conscience,
nor do they have any loyalty to God. And what did I do when I encountered danger? I thought only about my own protection
and safety and how to avoid taking risks. When I heard the books were
still in the apartment, I knew that if I didn't remove them, the police would break in and
confiscate all the books of God's words, and God's house would incur damages. I should have prioritized
the interests of God's house and removed those books right away. But I feared that if I showed my face,
I'd be arrested and subjected to torture, and that I might not survive, so I wouldn't go. Wasn't I basically just handing those books
of God's words over to the police? Yes. I always first considered my safety,
not the interests of God's house. I played it safe and betrayed the house of God. This made me so inhumane! On the outside I may not have seemed
as sinful as an antichrist, but my disposition was no different from theirs. I was selfish and despicable. If I didn't repent, I would incur
God's wrath and rejection. Right. Those who truly believe in and are faithful to God don't consider their personal safety. In crucial moments, they disregard their personal interests
and protect God's house. They're of one heart and mind with God. Yes. It was then that I knew I had to
turn my back on my satanic disposition, and no matter the danger,
no matter the threat of torture, I should be ready to risk everything
to protect God's house. I would put my faith in God and remove those books to reduce damages as much as I could. Yes. After that, my prayers continually
revolved around this issue, and I asked God to give me faith and strength, and rid me of all timidity and fear. I thought of a movie I'd watched
two days before titled Branded. The protagonist had been persecuted by the CCP
since she was about 13 years old. In 28 years, she'd been arrested 3 times. The police tortured her. But no matter what they did to her,
even when her life was on the line, she relied upon the words of God
to stand strong every step of the way. She ultimately defeated Satan and stood witness. Yes. And after her release, she kept
doing her duty as a created being. I thought of many brothers and sisters who'd been arrested, tortured
and brainwashed by the CCP, and how they used God's words
to overcome the coercion of Satan. I realized that no matter how
evil and cruel Satan may be, as long as we sincerely rely upon God and are guided by God's words,
we can overcome Satan and stand witness. Yes. This was all very encouraging
and helped renew my faith— I no longer felt fear. Yes. Afterward, I reflected upon myself: The reason I was so unwilling
to accept this kind of dangerous duty, was that I was afraid
of being tortured by the police. I did not want to suffer, much less die. Then I recalled a passage of God's words: Amen! Thank God! I also thought of how God's words say: It was then that I realized, the destiny of everyone
remains in the hands of God. Whether or not I would be
arrested and jailed and tortured, it is all up to God. - I should submit completely.
- Yes. Just like Satan's temptation of Job, Job lost his children and his property,
and his body was plagued with boils. But God would not allow
Satan to take away Job's life, and Satan did not dare defy Him. This is the authority of God. Yes. Job was aware of God's sovereignty, so even while in the grip of extreme suffering, Job didn't blame God and he even said: Amen! In the end, Job thoroughly shamed Satan and earned redoubled blessings from God. Since God began His work, He has ordained and planned who would die
for their faith, who would be jailed, and, in each case, God's kind intentions
are surely harbored within. In the Age of Grace, many saints died while they were
spreading the gospel of Lord Jesus. Take Saint Peter: He appeared to have been crucified
in the inverted position, but his soul rose into the kingdom of heaven and gained God's everlasting
commendation and blessing. Yes. Many who've accepted God's work in the last days, have been arrested and subjected
to torture and abuse by the CCP, but they didn't surrender to Satan. When they got out,
they continued to pursue the truth and they continued their duties, providing many wonderful,
shining testimonies to God. Yes. They are all overcomers made complete by God. Their flesh may have suffered some, but they've gained the truth and God's blessing. Yet, there are those who after being arrested,
were afraid of torture and abuse, and so they betrayed God
and their brothers and sisters and were cast into shame like Judas. All of them gravely offended God's disposition
and were denied God's salvation. Yes. Some people are so afraid of being imprisoned, so they live in fear and don't dare do duties
and they grow apart from God, and they become tares and nonbelievers. The CCP arrests and persecutions have revealed the true believers and the false ones, sorting each according to their kind. Now we know that God is righteous and wise! Yes. I understood, then, that removing the books
before the police found them was God's way of testing me to see if I was loyal and faithful to Him
and would stand witness for Him. After I realized this, I resolved to do my best to fulfill my duty
as much as I possibly could. If I was arrested, I'd risk everything
to stand witness for God, and I wouldn't give in to Satan even in death. Amen! At the time, I felt truly at ease and at peace. I thanked God from the bottom of my heart for His guidance and enlightenment, which allowed me to understand
the truths through these hardships, and taught me practical lessons. - Thanks be to God!
- That's great. The next morning, I woke and I prayed to God, asking that He give me faith and courage, telling Him that I was willing
to submit to His guidance. That day it was raining; no one was out, so I was able
to slip into the apartment, and remove all the books of God's words
from inside the apartment. - Thanks be to God!
- That's great! Yes. When I did that, I felt so calm,
really very happy. Going through all of that
had revealed and really perfected me. It revealed how selfish
and lacking in humanity I was, and it perfected my faith and my submission. It was the guidance of God's word that gave me a new understanding of God's
wisdom, sovereignty and almightiness, and allowed me to practice the truth
in safeguarding God's house. Thanks be to God! I might not know what scenario lies ahead for me, but I'm no longer so timid and so afraid. I'm willing to submit to God's plan
and fulfill my duties. Thanks be to God for saving me! - Amen!
- Thanks be to God! Hearing your story was really helpful for me. Now I know how I should enter in and experience. Thanks be to God!
