Session 8

Part 1. Opening & What is the true church?

Hello everyone, brothers and sisters! Through these past few days of gatherings, I believe everyone now knows that the Lord Jesus has already returned in the flesh, and that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus. God’s sheep from all denominations have heard God’s voice and have successively accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days, returning before God’s throne. The Church of Almighty God has thus come into being.

Do you want to know how The Church of Almighty God came into being?
Do you want to understand what real results The Church of Almighty God has achieved under God’s leadership?
Do you know that God’s kingdom has already come into being and been established on earth?
Do you know the differences between the church life in The Church of Almighty God and gatherings in religious venues?
Do you know the consequences of believing in God yet being constrained by others and thus failing to follow the Lamb’s footsteps?

Then today, let us explore these topics together. I hope that through today’s gathering, we can resolve some of the doubts in your hearts and help everyone become even more certain that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus.

The Origin and Development of The Church of Almighty God

Brothers and sisters, let us first talk about how a true church comes into being.

Almighty God says: “A true church is formed because of God’s appearance, His work, and His expression of the truth to save humankind. It is produced when people hear God’s voice, turn to God, and submit to God’s work. This is a true church. A church is not organized and established by humans but is personally set up by God and personally led and shepherded by God” (The Word, Vol. 5. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers (22)).

The brother Above’s fellowship: "What is a church? A church is composed of those who sincerely believe in God and pursue the truth. These people gather together to eat and drink God’s words, worship God, do their duty, and experience God’s work, thereby gaining the work of the Holy Spirit. Only such a gathering can be considered a church. Evil people do not belong in the church. If a group of people who do not pursue the truth and do not practice the truth in the slightest gather together, this is not a church. What, then, is it? It is a religious venue, or it can be called a disorderly crowd. Therefore, to measure whether a church is a true church, first, look at what kind of people make up the group, and second, see if they have the work of the Holy Spirit. If there is no work of the Holy Spirit, it is not a church. If it is not composed of people who pursue the truth, it is not a church. If a church does not have a single person who truly pursues the truth, then that church fundamentally has no work of the Holy Spirit. If someone is willing to pursue the truth but remains in such a church, they cannot attain salvation. They should quickly leave that disorderly crowd and seek a true church."

After reading these two passages, do you think what is true church?

🟨True church came into being because of God's appearance and His work.

🟨True church is made by the true believers

🟨True church has the Holy Spirit’s work

Brothers and sisters, do you think a true church is established by humans? Or is it set up by God? Clearly, a true church comes into being because of God’s appearance and work; it is personally set up by God, and personally led and shepherded by Him, not founded by any apostle or pastor. Second, who makes up a true church? It is made up of people who sincerely believe in God, worship God, and love the truth. Third, a true church has the work of the Holy Spirit. People can experience God’s realistic work, their knowledge of God grows, and their faith in God increases.

In every age, God does new work. With each new stage of God’s work, believers are divided into two categories. All those who accept and submit to God’s realistic work in the current age and keep pace with God’s footsteps form God’s church. But those who stubbornly cling to the old, who only hold to God’s work of the old age and do not follow God’s newest work have been reduced to religious groups and have long since been eliminated by the newest work of the Holy Spirit.

Now let us see how the churches came into being in different ages!

The Church in the Age of Law: In the Age of Law, Jehovah God issued the laws. All who sincerely worshiped Jehovah and submitted to Jehovah’s laws formed the church of the Age of Law. At that time, people feared God and dared not casually violate the laws.

The Church in the Age of Grace: By the end of the Age of Law, however, people found it increasingly difficult to keep the laws, the temple had become a den of thieves, and everyone faced the danger of being put to death by the law. According to people’s needs, God did a new stage of work. God became incarnate for the first time as the Lord Jesus, appeared and worked, preaching the way of

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

He did the work of redemption and expressed the truths that people in the Age of Grace should practice and enter into. Many people believed in the Lord and followed Him, and thus the Christian church of that time came into being. As for those who still stubbornly clung to the Old Testament laws and did not follow the Lord Jesus’ realistic work, although they were still reading scriptures and praying in the temple, they were merely observing religious rituals. They had long since lost the work of the Holy Spirit, and had been reduced to religious groups, left far behind by the new work of the Holy Spirit. But those who followed the Lord Jesus, because they kept pace with the work of the Holy Spirit, came out from under the law and were brought by the Lord Jesus into the Age of Grace. Later, the gospel of the Lord Jesus spread to all nations and all lands, until in the last days it spread to the ends of the earth. Christian churches in all countries of the world thus came into being. This was the church of the Age of Grace.

The Church in the Age of Kingdom: The Lord Jesus promised those who followed Him,

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3)

“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” (Matthew 24:27).

In the last days, according to His own promise and prophecy, God once again became incarnate and descended in the East of the world—China. On the foundation of the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work, He has done a stage of work of judgment, chastisement, cleansing, and salvation through His word. Since Christ of the last days—Almighty God—officially began His ministry in China in 1991, He has successively expressed millions of words. On the foundation of the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work in the Age of Grace, He has done the work prophesied in the Bible, “Judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17),opening up to humankind all the mysteries of God’s six-thousand-year management plan and expressing all the truths for cleansing and saving humankind. God’s work of the last days has concluded the Age of Grace and ushered in the Age of Kingdom. As the kingdom gospel of Almighty God rapidly spread throughout mainland China, people from all denominations who loved the truth and yearned for God’s appearance read Almighty God’s words, affirmed that these words are all truth and are God’s voice, and that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus. They successively accepted Almighty God, and The Church of Almighty God thus came into being. The Church of Almighty God is God’s church in the Age of Kingdom, while those who only cling to the name of the Lord Jesus but do not accept Christ of the last days are still stuck in the Age of Grace, have long since been abandoned by the work of the Holy Spirit, and their assembly has been reduced to a religious group.

Summary:

The Age of Law: Jehovah’s work and words→ formed the church of the Age of Law, Judaism.
The Age of Grace: The Lord Jesus’ work and words→ formed the church of the Age of Grace, Christianity.
The Age of Kingdom: The appearance, work, and words of Almighty God, the returned Lord Jesus Christ, → formed the church of the Age of Kingdom—The Church of Almighty God.

Part 2. The origin and development of the Church of Almighty God

What kind of church is The Church of Almighty God?

🤔Is the Church of Almighty God made by man or by God?

The Church of Almighty God came into being entirely through God’s work of the last days; it was not founded by any person. The shepherd of The Church of Almighty God is Christ of the last days—Almighty God Himself. This church is personally shepherded, watered, and led by Almighty God. Therefore, in this church, it is God who holds power, God’s words that hold power, and the truth that holds power.

🤔Some people might ask, "Is The Church of Almighty God a Chinese church?

No. China is merely the base and starting point for God’s work in the last days; it is the first stop of God’s judgment work. God simply chose to work in China first, to conquer those who resist Him most, using them as specimens and models, and then, from this point, to expand His work and conquer people throughout the universe. It is just like when the Lord Jesus first worked in Judea—His redemptive work not only redeemed the Jews, but redeemed all humankind. Therefore, the group of brothers and sisters in China were merely the first to welcome the Lord, but this work and salvation are not only for the Chinese people, but for all of humankind. Now, God’s work of the last days has already spread to all countries of the world. God’s sheep from all nations and all lands have heard God’s voice and have returned before Almighty God. Therefore, the brothers and sisters of The Church of Almighty God come from all countries of the world.

🤔Some people might ask, "To which denomination does The Church of Almighty God belong?"

Q To which denomination does The Church of Almighty God belong?


A. The Church of Almighty God is a church personally shepherded, watered, and led by Almighty God in the Age of Kingdom; it does not belong to any denomination.
B. The Church of Almighty God is a denomination of Christianity.

✅ Correct answer: A

Actually, The Church of Almighty God does not belong to any denomination. Let us see how the denominations came into being in different ages.

Because the term "denomination" is often used to distinguish between the various branches that believe in Jesus. Regardless of the denomination, they all believe in the Lord Jesus and belong to the church of the Age of Grace.

Now, The Church of Almighty God is the church of the Age of Kingdom, where people believe in Almighty God—the returned Lord Jesus in the last days. This is different from the various denominations spoken of here. Of course, every denomination may have God’s sheep, people whom God wants to save. In the last days, they hear God’s voice and recognize that the Lord Jesus has returned, so they come out from their own denominations and ultimately come before Almighty God’s throne.

Therefore, in The Church of Almighty God, the brothers and sisters come from different denominations, but today they follow Christ of the last days. So, The Church of Almighty God does not belong to any denomination or religion, but is God’s own church in the last days. Ultimately, all who belong to God from all religions and denominations will return before God’s throne.

Just as the Bible says:

“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16).

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it” (Isaiah 2:2).

Let’s watch a ten-minute video introducing the origin and development of The Church of Almighty God.

🎦🎦 "The Origin and Development of The Church of Almighty God" | Christian Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x8B_Gm3n8o

【Play from 1-12:39’】

Part 3. The Achievements of The Church of Almighty God under God’s Guidance

From 1991 until now, God has been working on earth for over 30 years. In these short thirty years, God has expressed nearly ten million words of truth. Currently, The Word Appears in the Flesh already has seven volumes. Furthermore, besides expressing the truth to its fullest extent, Almighty God has also done great things on earth. So, what facts has Almighty God accomplished?

🟪God Has Already Made a Group of Overcomers in China

🎦🎦 https://youtu.be/fQ7auprPs78

【Play from the beginning till the end, and no need to share the part below 👇If you cannot play the video, then you can read and share by your own】

Almighty God says: “In many places, God has prophesied that He will be gaining a group of overcomers in the land of Sinim—it is in the world’s East that overcomers are to be gained. Thus, the place where God sets foot in His second incarnation is without a doubt the land of Sinim, the exact spot where the great red dragon lies coiled. There, God will gain the descendants of the great red dragon so that it is thoroughly defeated and shamed. God is going to awaken these people, heavily burdened with suffering, to rouse them till they are fully awake, and to make them walk out of the fog and reject the great red dragon. They will wake from their dream, recognize the substance of the great red dragon, become able to give their whole heart to God, rise up from the oppression of the dark forces, stand up in the East of the world, and become proof of God’s victory. Only in this way will God gain glory” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Work and Entry (6)).

Revelation prophesies multiple times that God will make a group of overcomers in the last days, and this group of overcomers will be made from the great tribulation. Therefore, in the last days, God became incarnate in the country that resists God most severely—China, in the East of the world. Since Almighty God appeared and began His work in China in 1991, God’s work has suffered condemnation and resistance from this dark and evil world. God’s work has gone through many hardships. Although The Church of Almighty God has endured repeated arrests and persecution by the atheistic CCP and resistance and condemnation from the antichrist forces of the religious world, no matter how rampant Satan’s forces are, and no matter how they unite to resist God’s work, it is all in vain.

In just over a decade, the gospel of the kingdom spread throughout mainland China. Almighty God’s words and Almighty God’s name became known to every household, and millions of people came under the name of Almighty God. In mainland China, among all denominations, all those who pursue the truth and sincerely desire God have returned before Almighty God. They have been awakened and conquered by the truths expressed by Almighty God, and have also experienced the judgment and chastisement of Almighty God’s words. Their corrupt dispositions have been cleansed to some extent, and they have gradually developed a heart that fears, submits to, and loves God. They are exactly the group of overcomers made by Almighty God in China, a group of people who are of one heart and mind with God. They are successively spreading God’s kingdom gospel.

God’s chosen people in The Church of Almighty God are the group of overcomers made by God in China. They spontaneously and willingly forsake everything to dedicate their bodies and minds to the spread of God’s kingdom gospel. Many brothers and sisters have given up marriage, studies, and families, even forsaking promising futures. Countless brothers and sisters have willingly forsaken their families and jobs to expend themselves wholeheartedly for God. Many young people have given up their studies, marriages, and futures to join the ranks of propagating the kingdom gospel and doing their duty. In order to fulfill the duty of created beings and satisfy the Creator, they have no complaints or regrets, dedicating their youth, their best years, and their entire lives to God, living meaningful lives.

According to incomplete statistics, there are now over 200,000 people who can forsake worldly things and willingly do their duty wholeheartedly. Nearly 460,000 people have been arrested and imprisoned, some even suffering brutal torture but still not denying God’s name or betraying God, and continuing to preach the gospel and bear witness to God after being released from prison. Over one million people have been forced into homelessness due to persecution but still persist in doing their duty. Nearly 20,000 people have been forced to flee to various countries overseas due to persecution to preach the gospel and bear witness to God….

These facts precisely fulfill Revelation 7:14, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,”


and Revelation 14:4, “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.”

In this world, The Church of Almighty God is the most severely persecuted and ostracized among all denominations and spheres, but compared to various religions and denominations, The Church of Almighty God has the largest number of people who expend themselves wholeheartedly for God. These people do not earn a single penny and are willing to sacrifice their own lives to dedicate their youth and their entire lives to God. Besides God personally working, who could gather so many people to willingly forsake everything and expend themselves wholeheartedly for God? If it were not a church personally led by God, who could accomplish such great things? If it were not for God’s words and God’s work, who could perfect people into such a group of overcomers?

🟪Video and Music Production

Under the personal watering and shepherding of Almighty God, God’s chosen people have begun to use their true stories, true experiences, and true gains to bear witness to God in various forms. Some have been made into movies, some into hymns, and so on. Works testifying to God from The Church of Almighty God are constantly emerging, with new videos being released online every day. To date, The Church of Almighty God has independently produced over 6,000 videos, including movies, choral works, song and dance performances, readings, and variety shows.
Videos of readings of God’s words: Over 2,600
Movies and videos produced under the personal guidance of Almighty God: 100
Videos of experiential testimonies produced by God’s chosen people: 1,100
Hymns composed by God’s chosen people: 1,200; Choral works: 22

These hymns come in various forms, including a cappella, solo, duet, and large chorus.

Videos of God’s chosen people singing and dancing: 1,400

There are forms such as Indian dance, tap dance, and Yangge dance. Just by looking at their mental outlook, it is not difficult to see that they have gained freedom and release in God’s words, using various forms to praise God and enjoying the happiness of the good land of Canaan.

These videos are presented in multiple languages—over 40 in total—including Chinese, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, French, Filipino, and others.

Through these facts, we see that The Church of Almighty God is a church that Almighty God personally shepherds, leads, and works in. Because most people have not studied the professional knowledge of filmmaking, music, or dance, it is only because of God’s leadership that such results have been achieved. Isn’t this precisely God’s great power? Wherever God’s footsteps are, there is the work of the Holy Spirit, and there it will surely flourish. The Church of Almighty God is the church of Philadelphia prophesied in Revelation. Only The Church of Almighty God has God’s personal leadership and shepherding. Only the Christians of The Church of Almighty God can be so of one heart and mind in willingly forsaking all to expend themselves for God for the sake of bearing witness to Him. What do these achievements prove? God’s great work has already been accomplished! God’s kingdom has appeared on earth!

🟪The Facts of the Spread of the Kingdom Gospel

🎦🎦https://youtu.be/rQkP5xR3kPU

The truths expressed by Almighty God, like a great light, have rapidly spread from the East to the West, shaking the entire world. People from all religions and denominations who love the truth, upon seeing that Almighty God’s words are all truth and hearing God’s voice, have resolutely come out from their various religions and denominations, accepted Almighty God, and returned before God’s throne. This fulfills the Lord Jesus’ words: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

From 1995, God’s chosen people in The Church of Almighty God began to spread and propagate Almighty God’s kingdom gospel of the last days. In just over a decade, millions of people in China accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days...

Since 2012, in just over ten years, Churches of Almighty God have sprung up like mushrooms after rain in most countries of the world. God’s chosen people have spread His gospel to over a hundred countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. Almighty God’s gospel is being spread widely every moment. Every day, a large number of people from all countries and all lands investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days and accept His gospel. Now, God’s chosen people in Churches of Almighty God in all countries eat and drink God’s current words every day. The more they read, the brighter their hearts become. They enjoy the watering and shepherding of God’s words, understand many truths, and their faith grows ever stronger. Many brothers and sisters in various countries who have just newly accepted the gospel have also begun to stand up and join the ranks of preaching the gospel, all beginning to do their utmost to propagate God’s kingdom gospel and bear witness to Almighty God’s name in their own countries, nations, and among their own peoples. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, more and more sincere believers in God are successively accepting God’s gospel of the last days every day. The spread and expansion of this kingdom gospel is like a mighty force, irresistible. God’s words will lead all of humankind, and God’s words will accomplish all things. All who sincerely believe in God and seek the true way will surely turn to God and submit before God’s throne. All of humankind will know that God has come and that God has appeared. God’s name will be spread throughout the universe to the ends of the earth, and will be honored as great among all humankind!

In just thirty short years, the kingdom gospel of Almighty God has already spread throughout the world, expanding with the speed of lightning. This fulfills the Lord Jesus’ prophecy: “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” (Matthew 24:27).Isn’t this God’s work? Which man has such deeds? This is irrefutable proof of the work of the Holy Spirit, completely confirming that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus. This is something no one can deny! This is the great thing God has done among men.

Part 4. The Church of Almighty God is the precursor of the kingdom of Christ

Some people might ask, "Then what is the relationship between The Church of Almighty God and our being cleansed and saved in the last days? And what is its relationship to our entering God’s kingdom?

The coming of Almighty God has ushered in the Age of Kingdom and concluded the entire old age. Because of Almighty God’s secret descent, a group of overcomers has already been made before the disasters. This is sufficient to prove that Almighty God has already obtained the kingdom and descended. The kingdom of Christ has appeared, and God’s great work has already been accomplished! This precisely fulfills the prophecies in Revelation:

📕 “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).


📕 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

“And in the days of these kings” refers to when the kings of various nations are in power, meaning the last days when this present old world has not yet been destroyed. What does “the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom” mean? It means the kingdom established by God becoming flesh and coming to earth to do the work of judgment and cleansing. These people whom God cleanses and perfects in His work of the last days are the people of God’s kingdom, and the assembly of these people is a kingdom set up by God, the kingdom of Christ.

The Church of Almighty God is the precursor to the kingdom of Christ. Then what does “which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people” refer to? It means that the people of this kingdom, because they have been cleansed, saved, and perfected by Christ, and have gained the truth as their life, can no longer be corrupted by Satan or any demon king, so it is called "never be destroyed." Now, all who accept Almighty God’s judgment work of the last days have the opportunity to receive God’s cleansing and salvation, the opportunity to become people of God’s kingdom, and the opportunity to receive God’s blessings. But those who do not accept Almighty God’s work are people outside God’s kingdom and will only fall into the disasters and suffer punishment in the end.

Let us read a few passages of Almighty God’s words.

Almighty God says: “The kingdom is expanding in mankind’s midst, it is forming in mankind’s midst, and it is standing up in mankind’s midst; there is no force that can destroy My kingdom. … I am now walking amongst My people and I live in their midst. Today, those who have genuine love for Me—such people are blessed. Blessed are those who submit to Me, they shall remain in My kingdom. Blessed are those who know Me, they shall wield power in My kingdom. Blessed are those who pursue Me, they shall escape from Satan’s bonds and enjoy My blessings. Blessed are those who are able to rebel against themselves, they shall be occupied by Me and inherit My kingdom’s bounty. Those who run around for Me I will remember, those who expend themselves for Me I will accept, and to those who offer up to Me I will grant them things for their enjoyment. Those who enjoy My words I will bless; they shall be the pillars that hold up the ridgepole in My kingdom, they shall enjoy a matchless bounty in My house, and no one can compare with them” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Words to the Entire Universe, Chapter 19).

“When each country and each of My chosen people returns before My throne, I will therewith grant all the bounty of heaven to the human world, so that, thanks to Me, that world will brim with matchless bounty. While the old world exists, I will hurl forth My wrath upon each country and promulgate the administrative decrees that are made public to the whole universe, and whoever violates them shall be chastised:

“When I speak to the whole universe, all people hear My voice, that is, all people see all the deeds I have carried out throughout the universe. Those who go against My intentions, that is to say, who oppose Me with the deeds of man, will fall down amid My chastisement. I will renew the multitudinous stars in the heavens; thanks to Me, the sun and the moon will be renewed, the skies no longer being as they were; and all things on the earth will be renewed—this will all be accomplished because of My words. All the countries within the universe will be partitioned afresh and be replaced by My kingdom, so that the countries upon the earth will disappear forever and there will only be the kingdom that worships Me; all the countries of the earth will be destroyed and cease to exist. Of the human beings within the universe, all those who are of the devil will be annihilated. All who worship Satan will fall down amid My burning fire—that is, except for those now within the stream, all will be turned to ashes. When I chastise each people, religious communities will, to varying extents, return to My kingdom, and be conquered through My deeds, because they will have seen that ’the Holy One riding on a white cloud’ has already arrived. All people will be sorted according to their kind, and will receive various chastisements commensurate with their actions; all those who have resisted Me will perish, and as for those whose deeds on earth have not involved Me, they will, because of how they have behaved, continue to exist on the earth under the governance of My sons and My people. I will appear to the myriad countries and myriad peoples, and I will express My own voice on earth, proclaiming the completion of My great work, allowing all people to see this with their own eyes” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Words to the Entire Universe, Chapter  26).

Now the great disasters have already begun, God has already made a group of overcomers, and God’s great work has already been accomplished. This means that God’s work of saving humankind is about to conclude. If one does not investigate the true way now, they will completely miss the opportunity to be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven; they will be utterly condemned and utterly perish. Just as a statement in the administrative decrees of God’s kingdom says, “Except for those now within the stream, all will be turned to ashes.” This means that all those who do not accept Almighty God’s work will fall into the disasters—their hope of survival is nothing but wishful thinking. If we want to be saved by God, the only path is to quickly accept Almighty God’s work. Only then can we have the opportunity to enter the kingdom.

Part 5. What are the differences between the church life in The Church of Almighty God and the gatherings in religious venues?

V. What Are the Differences Between the Church Life in The Church of Almighty God and Gatherings in Religious Venues? Why Is It Said That Attending Gatherings in Religious Venues Cannot Lead to Salvation?【👈No need to read this title】

【Note: this is an important part of our sermon tonight, we need to let the seekers know the difference, if they only attend their local churches, they can not read God’s new words and gain purification】

Then some people might ask: What is the difference between gatherings in our church and those in The Church of Almighty God? We also read the Bible, pray, and have pastors who give sermons to us. Why must we join the church life of The Church of Almighty God?

Q Is there a difference between The Church of Almighty God and the churches of the Age of Grace?

A. Yes.
B. No.

Correct answer: B. No

🟪1. The Ages are different

Then what is the difference?

God has the three stages of work in His management plan, and He does the new work in every Age.

Q Do you think we join the fellowship here online to learn Almighty God’s words, are we belong to the Age of Grace or the Age of Kingdom?


A. The church in the Age of Grace
B. The church in the Age of Kingdom

Correct answer is B.

How do we say our fellowship is in the Age of Kingdom, but the local religious churches we went to are the churches in the Age of Grace?

2000 years ago, before Jesus came to do the work, the people worshiped Jehovah God in the temple. They prayed in Jehovah God’s name and read Jehovah’s words and obey His law. So these people belonged to church in the Age of Law.

Later, when Jesus came to do the work and brought people the new words of God, and did the new work of redemption, people who follow Jesus and prayed in Jesus’ name all can get their sins forgiven. Jesus’ coming ended the Holy Spirit’s work in the Age of Law, and brought people from the Age of Law into the Age of Grace. So the Holy’s Spirit’s work also moved from the churches in the Age of Law into the Age of Grace, and worked among the people who followed Jesus like all of us today.

Now the Lord Jesus has already returned as Almighty God, He has expressed the truth in the sealed book and has started the new work of judgment. Almighty God’s words and work has already brought us from the Age of Grace into the Age of Kingdom. And the Holy Spirit’s work also moved from the Age of Grace into the Age of Kingdom too. So for all of us who joined the fellowship here, we are learning God’s words in the Age of Kingdom.

Now everyone is clear about this point? Let us make a summary:

⛪The Local churches—churches in the Age of Grace
⛪The Church of Almighty God–God’s Church in the Age of Kingdom

Christian churches are churches of the Age of Grace. The Church of Almighty God is the church of the Age of Kingdom, which comes into existence because God has returned in the last days and done a new stage of work. People gathering in religious churches are still eagerly hoping for the Lord’s coming, still remaining in the Age of Grace. But God’s chosen people in The Church of Almighty God have already welcomed the Lord, attended the Lamb’s feast, and have been brought into the Age of Kingdom through the new work of Almighty God. An elder brother in our group said, "After attending these 8-day gatherings in The Church of Almighty God, I have gained more than I did in my whole life of believing in the Lord." Brothers and sisters, do you feel that after attending these few days of gatherings, you understand much more than the pastors in the churches?

🟪2. The contents of eating and drinking are different, and the effects achieved are different

Of course, the reading content in the Age of Kingdom and the Age of Grace is also different. In the Age of Grace, the churches that believe in Jesus read the words in the Bible—words God spoke in the past. Therefore, they only know God’s two stages of work in the Age of Law and the Age of Grace.

What do the churches in the Age of Grace mainly talk about?

Loving others as oneself, being tolerant and patient. Because in the Age of Grace, these words are spoken to make people confess their sins and repent, so that they can have good behaviors. For example, someone might say, "I lied today; I have sinned." When people believe in God in the churches of the Age of Grace, they only recognize these obvious behavioral sins. They never talk about knowing their own corrupt dispositions, or what the root of man’s sinning is, such as why people lie, why people hate others, and so on. These topics cannot solve the problem of people sinning and resisting God, nor can they enable people to know their own corrupt essence or achieve true repentance and change. These topics have been talked about for two thousand years, yet we have not seen anyone break free from the bondage of sin and be cleansed.

What does the church in the Age of Almighty God mainly talk about?

But The Church of Almighty God in the Age of Kingdom mainly reads Almighty God’s present words—The Word Appears in the Flesh. We begin to have knowledge of the root of our sinning and also knowledge of the work God does in the Age of Kingdom. So, what do people talk about in gatherings? Mainly how they experience God’s work of the last days and how they are cleansed and changed. In the last days, God speaks words to directly judge people’s corruption, enabling them to know their own corrupt essence. From this, they see God’s righteous disposition, know God’s disposition, develop a God-fearing heart, achieve true repentance, shun evil, and achieve changes in their life dispositions. This is what it means to be saved by God. Reading Almighty God’s words of the Age of Kingdom, all who believe in God can be led to higher truths. These people are those who are cleansed after experiencing judgment, achieve true salvation, break free from Satan’s influence, and have true knowledge of God’s disposition and God’s work. This is the highest realm achieved in the Age of Kingdom!

🟪3. The testimonies of experiences in the Age of Kingdom are different from those in the Age of Grace

Most experiential testimonies from the Age of Grace are testimonies of enjoying God’s grace after sins have been forgiven. For example, regarding the difficulties people may encounter, illness or poverty, when they pray to God, He will open up a way out for them. These are all testimonies of enjoying God’s grace. However, when people encounter adversity and things that are not to their liking, they can still complain about God, deny Him, and even betray Him at any time and in any place.

The testimonies of The Church of Almighty God in the Age of Kingdom are testimonies of people’s dispositional changes, testimonies of submitting to God, and testimonies of knowing and loving God. People with such testimonies, even when they encounter tribulations and refinement, have no complaints against God and can still submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements. This kind of testimony is much higher than that of enjoying God’s grace in the Age of Grace; this is more practical than that. Look at the experiential testimonies of the brothers and sisters in The Church of Almighty God. They too once lived in sin and suffered greatly.

By reading Almighty God’s words, they have all found the path to resolving their suffering and live with increasing freedom and release. These are things we cannot achieve by reading the Bible, fasting, or going to church to worship. Therefore, only in The Church of Almighty God can we receive the truths expressed by God in the last days, keep pace with God’s newest work in the Age of Kingdom, and have hope of casting off sin, being saved by God, and entering the kingdom of heaven.

Let us make a short summary with the pictures!

Why do we need to join the fellowship in the Church of Almighty God?

Some say. "I also read the Bible and pray every day, and I have my own church. It doesn’t matter whether I attend gatherings of The Church of Almighty God or not; I can still be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven." Do you agree?

Answer: Why can one not be saved by believing in God in religion? The main reason is that the Lord Jesus has now returned. Almighty God’s work of the last days is a new and improved form of work. The emergence of The Church of Almighty God represents the beginning of a new age and the end of the old age. This means that the Lord Jesus’ work in the Age of Grace has already ended, the work of the Holy Spirit has shifted, and God has withdrawn all the work of the Spirit throughout the universe, focusing it on this group of people who accept Almighty God’s work of the last days. That is to say, only by attending gatherings in The Church of Almighty God can we hear God’s current words of the last days and welcome the returned Lord Jesus.

But the religious world has already lost the work of the Holy Spirit. What people fellowship in gatherings are the records and words of God’s past work in the Bible. They cannot enjoy God’s current words and cannot experience God’s work of the last days, so they naturally fall into darkness. At this time, if people do not seek and investigate the true way, they cannot keep pace with the work of the Holy Spirit. How then can they gain God’s salvation of the last days and inherit God’s promises?

It is just like when the Lord Jesus began to work outside the temple. Those who remained in the temple, because they did not keep up with the Lord Jesus’ work and still clung to the old laws and regulations, naturally lost the Lord’s salvation. Similarly, in the last days, Almighty God has done the work of judgment beginning with the house of God. He expresses the truth to judge and cleanse people, enabling them to break free from Satan’s corrupt dispositions and influence, be saved by God, be made into overcomers by God, and be directly brought into the kingdom. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Since we believe in God, we should closely follow the footsteps of God’s work. Wherever the Lamb goes, we must follow God. Now, God wants to bring you into the Age of Kingdom, into the new name of the Age of Kingdom, into The Church of Almighty God of the Age of Kingdom. If we cannot keep up, we will be eliminated and cannot achieve salvation or enter the kingdom of heaven! Let us read a passage of Almighty God’s words:

Almighty God says: “Christ of the last days brings life, and brings the enduring and everlasting way of truth. This truth is the path by which man gains life, and it is the only path by which man shall know God and be approved by God. If you do not seek the way of life provided by Christ of the last days, then you shall never gain the approval of Jesus, and shall never be qualified to enter the gate of the kingdom of heaven, for you are both a puppet and prisoner of history. Those who are controlled by regulations, by words, and by the shackles of history will never be able to gain life nor gain the perpetual way of life. This is because all they have is turbid water which has been clung to for thousands of years instead of the water of life that flows from the throne. Those who are not supplied with the water of life will forever remain corpses, playthings of Satan, and sons of hell. How, then, can they behold God? You only try to hold on to the past, only try to stand still and keep things as they are, and do not try to change the status quo and discard history, so will you not always be antagonistic toward God? The steps of God’s work are vast and mighty, like surging waves and rolling thunders—yet you sit passively awaiting destruction, clinging to your folly and doing nothing. In this way, how can you be considered someone who follows the footsteps of the Lamb? How can you justify the God that you hold on to as a God who is always new and never old? And how can the words of your yellowed books carry you across into a new age? How can they lead you to seek the steps of God’s work? And how can they take you up to heaven? What you hold in your hands are words that can provide but temporary solace, not truths that are capable of giving you life. The words of scriptures you read can only enrich your tongue and are not words of philosophy that can help you know human life, much less the path that can lead you to perfection. Does this discrepancy not give you cause for reflection? Does it not make you realize the mysteries contained within? Are you capable of delivering yourself to heaven to meet God on your own? Without the coming of God, can you take yourself into heaven to enjoy family happiness with God? Are you still dreaming now? I suggest, then, that you stop dreaming and look at who is working now—look to see who is now carrying out the work of saving man during the last days. If you do not, you shall never gain the truth, and shall never gain life” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life).

Part 6. Blocking the way

At this point, some may say, "The return of God is such a momentous event. I must ask the pastor of our church and let the pastor check it out for me. Our pastor has believed in the Lord for many years, understands the Bible, and knows much more than I do. If the pastor says God has not yet come, I will not believe it either." Brothers and sisters, do you agree? Does this idea align with the Lord’s words?

Actually, whenever God becomes flesh to appear and work, religious leaders are always the most fervent force resisting and condemning God.

“This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).

“They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Mat 15:14).

“We ought to obey God rather than men” (Act 5:29).

“For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed” (Isa 9:16).

☘️God’s words are very clear. We believers in God should only look up to and follow God. We should not look up to or worship any religious leaders or spiritual figures, because the pastor is just a corrupt person. The pastor does not have the truth and cannot do the work of saving people. If the pastor’s words are in line with the truth, we should accept and obey them. But if what they say is not from the Holy Spirit, but is his erroneous understanding, and we blindly accept and obey them, what will be the consequences? Wouldn’t it bring you losses?

… For example, some pastors and elders say, “The Lord will definitely come on the clouds. Anyone who does not witness the Lord’s coming on the clouds is false, and anyone who accepts the incarnation of God has believed in a false christ.” If we obey and worship these notions they spread, and welcome the Lord according to their words, what will be the consequences? Then you will not be able to welcome the Lord, and you will follow them to resist the Lord.

Example of the religious leaders for 2000 years ago

2,000 years ago, when the Lord Jesus appeared and worked, the religious leaders of Judaism outwardly understood the Bible and appeared to be loving, yet they frantically condemned and opposed the Lord Jesus. Why did the people who understood the Bible best become those who resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus?

The Pharisees didn't love the truth. They never focused on practicing God's words or keeping His commandments; they only cared about performing religious rituals, walking a path of resisting God. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus came to preach and work, their hypocritical, anti-God, and satanic nature was exposed even more thoroughly.

The Pharisees knew that the Lord Jesus' words carried authority and power. They feared that after people hear God's voice, those who can understand the truth would turn to the incarnate God, which would cause them to lose their status and livelihood. So, they viewed the incarnate God as their greatest threat and unbridledly condemned, attacked, and criticized God, hindering believers from turning to Him.

Not only did they not seek and investigate the essence and source of the Lord Jesus' words and work, but they also maliciously attacked and slandered the Lord Jesus, claiming He cast out demons by the power of the prince of demons. They labeled the Lord Jesus' work, which was full of God's authority and power, as madness, thereby committing the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit and severely offending God's disposition. The Pharisees not only blasphemed and condemned the Lord Jesus themselves but also incited and misled believers to resist and condemn the Lord Jesus, causing believers to lose the Lord's salvation and become their victims and share their demise.

Thus, the Lord Jesus condemned and cursed the Pharisees, saying:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in." (Matthew 23:13)


"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Matthew 23:15)

From this, it's evident that the Pharisees were hypocrites that resisted and committed blasphemy against God, antichrists that stood as enemies to God.They were an evil group that devoured men's souls and lured them into hell. Therefore, the Lord Jesus denounced the Pharisees with the "Seven Woes" due to their evil behavior. This fully reveals God's holiness and righteous disposition which cannot be offended.

These historical facts precisely prove that a person understanding the Bible doesn't mean they know God, nor does it mean they are someone who obeys God's will.

Pastors and elders of today

Today, the religious leaders have repeated the history of Pharisees resisting God.

They don't care how Almighty God's words are the truth, how much authority and power His words have, how they can cleanse and save man. They still stubbornly maintain their fallacy: "Whoever does not descend on a cloud and raise me up into the kingdom of heaven is not the return of the Lord Jesus." They frantically resist and condemn Almighty God.

The pastors and elders stop at nothing to resist and condemn Almighty God, all in an attempt to constrain the faithful and stabilize their positions and livelihoods. They spread baseless rumors, bear false witness and blaspheme Almighty God; they seal off the church and strictly forbid believers from studying Almighty God's work in the last days.

They keep the Lord Jesus in name only, yet fanatically resist and condemn Almighty God. Is that any different from when the Pharisees kept the name of Messiah but resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus? Is their essence not the same as that of the Pharisees: stubborn, arrogant, disobeys the truth, hates the truth? They only believe in a vague God up in heaven, and they deny, resist and condemn Christ incarnate; they are irreconcilable rivals with Christ. Aren't they just antichrists denying, condemning and resisting Christ?

Just as The Bible says, "For many misleaders are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a misleader and an antichrist." (2 John 1:7)

All who do not acknowledge God incarnate are antichrists. All who resist and condemn Christ are antichrists. Therefore, the Jewish Pharisees were exposed as antichrists by the Lord Jesus' work. The pastors and elders in the last days are all antichrists that are exposed by Almighty God's work.

Now, the words expressed by Almighty God were publicly for all to investigate. All different types of gospel movies and videos have already been posted on the Internet to openly bear witness of God's manifestation and work to the whole world. This has caused a big ripple among the religious community and humanity in general. The pastors and elders in the religious community have already seen the growing trend: The words of Almighty God are conquering those of the religious community and humanity in general. No person and no force can stop it. They have become irritable and are frantically resisting and condemning Almighty God. They are trying to outlaw Almighty God's work in the last days and achieve their wildest dreams: eternal control over the religious community and eternal hegemony over God's chosen people. These facts are enough to prove that the religious pastors and elders in the last days are the reappearance of the Pharisees! They are the antichrist demons that work as hard as they can to disturb and destroy God's work and swear to the death to be enemies of God! Their numerous evil deeds have already provoked God's disposition. How can they escape God's righteous judgment and punishment?

The words of Almighty God have authority. Almighty God is the gate to the kingdom and He controls everything. The outcome of man is in the hands of Almighty God. Almighty God has the final say in all things! The Age of Kingdom is the age of being ruled by the truth. So, regardless of your choices, if you do not base your choices on God’s words, but rather on human notions or Satan’s fallacies, you will be abandoned by the Lord and cursed. You must choose based on God’s words to ensure you do not go astray and avoid the path of destruction. If you choose your path based on the notions of Satan’s forces, then you have already embarked on the path to destruction, and your outcome will be the same as that of the religious pastors—punishment.

In the last days, the Lord Jesus returns. Then, what is the problem with some pastors not allowing believers to investigate, and even condemning and judging it? If the pastors have reason, shouldn’t they respect freedom of belief? Shouldn’t they respect the believers’ own choices? By preventing believers from investigating, are they not depriving people of their freedom of belief? They themselves do not enter the kingdom of heaven, yet they also prevent those who want to enter from doing so, keeping them under their own control. Are these true shepherds? This precisely fulfills the Lord Jesus’ words:

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13).

Seek the true way based on the truth

We all want to be wise virgins, but where does their wisdom lie? No matter how the world slanders God's work, or how the religious world criticises it, they can discern after reading God's words that this is God's voice, this is the truth—something no one else could express. So, they accept the true way without hesitation and welcome the Lord.

Therefore, when investigating the matter of the Lord's return, we must think it over with discernment, and see whether what we have shared aligns with the Bible and with the truth. Welcoming the Lord is the most important matter in our lives, we must have our own judgment and examine things personally. We need to pray to God and learn to recognize His voice.

If, after knowing that Almighty God has expressed so many truths, we still don't believe God's words but instead believe the words of pastors, entrusting our right to believe in God, our life and death, and our destiny to them, then we are the most ignorant and foolish people—the foolish virgins.

Therefore, those who close themselves off and remain stuck in their ways are destined not to hear God's voice and welcome Him. Because they believed others' rumors and fallacies and didn't accept the truth, it will be useless to regret when the Lord descends on clouds to reward the good and punish the wicked; they can only blame their own ignorance and foolishness. As it is written in the Bible:

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).

About the rumors online

Some people blindly believe online rumors and immediately block or leave the group. What consequences might this choice have?

you will be condemned because of this. This action will lead you to your own destruction and throw you into a bottomless pit. Such behavior is akin to opening the gates of hell for yourself. Why aren’t you seeking and investigating God’s work? “As soon as I hear this is ‘the Church of Almighty God,’ I won’t listen and will block you,”If you’re not seeking or investigating the truth, or if you’re unwilling to learn what the true way is, what does it show? It shows you lack a God-fearing heart and are not eager for the true way. When the Lord comes and knocks, if you refuse to seek to listen to His voice and shut Him out, aren’t you essentially confining yourself to hell just like the people of Judaism?

Why are you condemning Almighty God ? On what basis do you condemn it? Are you condemning it based on people’s statements or negative propaganda? Have you ever investigated the truths expressed by God or the work He does? If you haven’t heard the truths expressed by God, haven’t conducted an investigation, and are condemning God just based on rumors, then you are following Satan. You listen to whatever Satan says and you say whatever it says, which means you belong to Satan. It’s certain that you cannot be saved. On what basis are you condemning the church of Almighty God? Have you found any of Almighty God’s words that are not the truth? Almighty God has spoken many words, saved many people, and purified many people. Have you seen these results? If you refuse to see the results of God’s work and instead believe in Satan’s rumors, steadfastly rejecting the truth, then you are destined for destruction and will not receive the true way.

When others preach the gospel of the kingdom to you, and you block this person today and that person tomorrow, you are sending yourself to hell by acting that way. You will never obtain the true way, and no matter when disaster strikes, you will surely die. For example, if you block the person preaching the gospel to you today, and if a major earthquake hits tomorrow, you will die. Why is that? It’s because you haven’t accepted the true way! What is the nature of blocking the person preaching the gospel to you? When the Lord sends someone to preach the gospel, it’s like knocking on your door. If you don’t open the door but instead slam it shut when the Lord comes to knock on it, you’re shutting the Lord out of the door. By blocking the person who preaches the gospel to you, you’re sending yourself to hell. So, this act of blocking is fatal; you are making the mistake of self-destruction, and it’s like a moth flying into the flame, leading to self-destruction. You’re opening the door to hell for yourself and throwing yourself into it.

Finally, let's read another passage of Almighty God's words.

Almighty God says: “Those who wish to gain life without relying on the truth spoken by Christ are the most ridiculous people on earth, and those who do not accept the way of life brought by Christ are lost in fantasy. And so I say that those who do not accept Christ of the last days shall forever be loathed by God. Christ is man’s gateway to the kingdom during the last days, and there are none who can go around Him. None may be perfected by God except through Christ. You believe in God, and so you must accept His words and submit to His Word. You cannot only think of gaining blessings while not accepting the truth and not accepting the provision of life. Christ comes during the last days so that He may provide all those who sincerely believe in Him with life. This work exists for the sake of concluding the old age and entering the new one, and this work is the path that must be taken by all those who would enter the new age. If you do not acknowledge Christ, and moreover condemn, blaspheme, or persecute Him, then you are bound to burn for eternity and shall never enter the kingdom of God. This is because this Christ is Himself the expression of the Holy Spirit, the expression of God, the One whom God has entrusted to do His work on earth, and so I say that if you cannot accept all that is done by Christ of the last days, then you blaspheme the Holy Spirit. The due retribution for those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit is self-evident to all. I also tell you this: If you resist Christ of the last days, if you reject Christ of the last days, then no one else can bear the consequences for this on your behalf. Furthermore, from that point onward you will not have another chance to gain the approval of God; even if you wish to redeem yourself, you won’t be able to behold the face of God again. This is because what you are resisting is not a man, what you are rejecting is not some insignificant person, but Christ. Do you know what the consequences of this are? You are not making a small mistake, but committing a heinous sin. And so I advise every person to not bare your fangs and brandish your claws or make arbitrary criticisms before the truth, for only the truth can bring you life, and nothing except the truth can enable you to be reborn and behold the face of God again” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life).

【Review question， send it one by one please】

Q Do you think the online sermon from the Church of Almighty God is the same as your own local church? What are the differences?

Q Would you be willing to continue to join the church life of the Church of Almighty God to learn more and higher truths?

【Then ask the seekers address of city and state, and tell them about the fellowship 3 times a week.】

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