Why the Lord Jesus Gave the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter

Yang Qing

Baffled From Reading the Bible

When I got up early in the morning, I made a prayer, then opened up the Bible to Matthew 16:19, where the Lord Jesus says to Peter: “And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Reading this passage of scripture, I became confused, thinking: “Peter didn’t do any great work nor were the epistles he wrote very famous. On top of that, when the Lord Jesus was arrested and stood trial, Peter denied Him three times. Why didn’t the Lord give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to other disciples, but only to Peter?” I searched and searched through the Scriptures, but nothing resolved my confusion. I had no choice but to go off to work.

Why the Lord Jesus Gave the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter

The Church of Almighty God | Is There Any Biblical Basis for the Statement “Once Saved, Always Saved”

Is There Any Biblical Basis for the Statement “Once Saved, Always Saved”

                    By Yang Xin, Shandong Province

Is There Any Biblical Basis for the Statement “Once Saved, Always Saved”

The sun sank into the west, and the last light of the sinking sun spread across the world as I walked back home after a meeting, thinking of what the pastor had said: “Once saved, then we are always saved, for the Bible says, ‘That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation’ (Romans 10:9-10).

The Lord Has Appeared in the East

Qiu Zhen, China

One day, my sister phoned me and said that she was back from the north and that she had something important to tell me. She asked me to come over right away. I had a feeling about what might have happened and went to my sister’s house after the phone call. As soon as I entered and saw that my sister was reading a book, I felt relieved. My sister saw that I had arrived, suddenly stood up and said: “Sister! This time in the north I got some good news: The Lord Jesus has returned!”

The Church of Almighty God | The Criteria of a Truly Good Person

The Criteria of a Truly Good Person

Moran    Linyi City, Shandong Province

Since I was a child, I always attached a great deal of importance to how other people saw me and their assessment of me. So that I could get praise from others for everything I did, I never argued with anyone whenever anything cropped up, so as to avoid destroying the good image other people had of me. After I’d accepted God’s work in the last days, I continued in this way, upholding in every way possible the good image that my brothers and sisters had of me. Previously, when I was in charge of the work, my leader would often say that my performance was like a “yes-person,” and not the performance of someone who put the truth into practice. I never took it to heart, but on the contrary if other people thought of me as a good person, then I felt satisfied.

The Criteria of a Truly Good Person

Why Does the Chinese Communist Party Force Christians to Join the Three-Self Church?

Why Does the Chinese Communist Party Force Christians to Join the Three-Self Church?

Hou Xiangke (Chief of the Public Security Bureau): Han Lu, you must know that the Communist Party is an atheist party and started out from revolution. The Communist Party is most inimical to God and God’s word. The truth that you accept and the path that you walk are hated the most by the Communist Party. You are an eyesore and a thorn in the side for the Communist Party. Therefore, the Communist Party will severely repress you, punish you, and ban you!

Exposing the Truth of the CCP’s Religious Policy Masked by its Constitution

Exposing the Truth of the CCP’s Religious Policy Masked by its Constitution

Ma Jinlong (Captain of the National Security Team): Han Lu, here is a chance for you to score some points. As long as you tell us who your leaders are and where your church’s money is stashed, we will go easy on you. Naturally, if you do well, it is not out of the question that we let you go.

Why Do Christians Risk Their Lives to Preach the Gospel and Witness for God?

Why Do Christians Risk Their Lives to Preach the Gospel and Witness for God?

Hou Xiangke (Chief of the Public Security Bureau): It is absolutely impossible for you to believe in God and preach the gospel in a country ruled by the Chinese Communist Party. Whoever insists on believing in God and spreading the gospel will be terminated. Do you know how many Christians have suffered tragic death in prison? Do you know how many Christians were killed and their families shattered? No one can defy the power of the Communist Party! If you insist on believing in God and spreading the gospel, then your fate is imprisonment and death! Do you see this outcome clearly?

The Church of Almighty God | Where Does Eastern Lightning Come From?

Where Does Eastern Lightning Come From?

Most followers of the Lord Jesus Christ hear about the Eastern Lightning from their pastors, elders, or preachers, but in actuality no one knows where the Eastern Lightning came from. When it comes to the origin of the Eastern Lightning, everyone has their own opinion: Some people believe it is nothing more than a new denomination in Christianity, others decry it as “heresy” or an “evil cult.” People have these absurd ideas because they don’t know the work of God.

The Church of Almighty God | “Pigeon” Mail

“Pigeon” Mail

“Pigeon” Mail

Su Jie, China

 

    One day in 1999, after the meeting had ended, the pastor said to me, “Su Jie, here is a letter for you.” As soon as I saw it, I knew that it came from the church I established in Shandong. I took the letter and on the way home, I thought as I walked: This letter is so thick, could it be that they have encountered some difficulties? …

The Church of Almighty God | A Clean Break With the Past

A Clean Break With the Past

Fangfang, China

All of us in my family believe in the Lord Jesus, and while I’m just an ordinary believer my father is one of the church’s co-workers. In February 2004, I accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days, and soon after I preached the gospel of the kingdom to my youngest sister. I originally was going to bear witness to God’s work of the last days for my father by equipping myself with some of God’s words and truths. But to my surprise, when my father heard that I’d accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days he went into a frenzy trying to disrupt and prevent my doing so.

This Is How I Welcomed the Lord

This Is How I Welcomed the Lord

Xiyue, Japan

When I was six years old my mother believed in the Lord Jesus, and she would often bring me to church gatherings. I slowly became aware of the fact that man was created by God, that if we are in trouble we should pray to God and rely on God, and that we should thank God for everything. My mother told me: “God loves people, so long as we pray to God and entrust Him with what’s on our mind and truly rely on Him, then He will solve our problems and bestow us with bountiful grace. As long as we truly believe in the Lord then He will come in the future to receive us into the kingdom of heaven!” Listening to mother’s words, my heart felt at peace and free from anxiety, I felt like I had something to rely on, and I firmly believed that one day the Lord Jesus would return to bring us into the kingdom of heaven. I looked forward to and dreamed of the arrival of this day.

The Church of Almighty God | Meeting the Lord Again

Meeting the Lord Again

Jianding, USA

I was born into a Catholic family, and from an early age my mother taught me to read the Bible. At the time, the Chinese Communist Party was re-building the nation after the civil war, and as the CCP was suppressing all religions, I was 20 years old before I finally got the chance to go to church and listen to sermons. The priest often said to us: “We Catholics must properly confess our sins and repent.

The Church of Almighty God | Farewell to Those Days of Wrestling With Fate

Farewell to Those Days of Wrestling With Fate 

A rustic village fallen behind, my parents exhausted from their work, a life in financial straits … these gloomy memories were branded on to my young mind, they were my first impression of “fate.” After I started attending school, the first time I heard my teacher say that “You control your fate in your own hands,” I kept these words firmly in my mind. I believed that although I could not change the fact that I was born into poverty, I could still change my own fate through hard work. As a result, I exerted my full strength to wrestle with my “fate,” and gain a slice of heaven to call my own.

Christian Crosstalk | "Village Lockdown" | A Christian Adventure In Preaching Gospel

Christian Crosstalk | "Village Lockdown" | A Christian Adventure In Preaching Gospel ｜ The Church of Almighty God

The crosstalk Village Lockdown tells the harrowing tale of Christian Yang Ming being tracked by the CCP government's eyes and nearly being arrested while sharing the gospel with her aunt. The two actors provide a vivid, humorous performance showing the hardships suffered by Christians in China who preach the gospel. The CCP government's tactics for striking at and suppressing religious beliefs are sinister; their tricks are myriad and surveillance is everywhere. Even tiny villages are on high alert now, and the government's eyes watch outsiders like hawks. They conduct thorough investigations and Christians' gatherings and preaching are severely limited. But no matter how madly the CCP government suppresses them, Christians are still spreading the gospel of God's kingdom by relying on the wisdom and faith given to them by God.

The Sovereignty of God | The Years I Put Myself Out on Behalf of My Daughter

Yang Yuqing, Japan

The Sovereignty of God | The Years I Put Myself Out on Behalf of My Daughter

I was born in a small village in China, and grew up there living an ordinary, simple life. Because my family was poor, I had to go to work in a big city after finishing junior high school at the age of 16. At the age of 17, I met my ex-husband, who is 12 years old than me. At the time, the concern and care he showed for me was like the sheltering protection I got from my father and the fraternal love that my older brother showed me.

The Church of Almighty God | I Am Following in the Footsteps of the Lamb

I Am Following in the Footsteps of the Lamb

Shen Ai, Singapore

When I was 18 years old my mother got ill, and so she started believing in the Lord Jesus. At the time, I knew the Lord Jesus’ name but didn’t understand anything about faith in the Lord. It was quite a coincidence that I later went to work for a company where most of the employees were Christians. Through interacting with them, I saw how they treated people with love and patience, and I came to believe that Christians were a pretty good bunch of people. During that period, there was a colleague who often told me the story about how the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross in order to redeem mankind.

The Church of Almighty God | Breaking Off the Shackles

Breaking Off the Shackles

Zhenxi    Zhengzhou City, Henan Province

Ten years ago, driven by my arrogant nature, I was never able to completely obey the church’s arrangements. I would obey if it suited me, but if it didn’t I would choose whether or not to obey. This resulted in seriously violating work arrangements during the fulfilling of my duty. I did my own thing and offended God’s disposition, and was subsequently sent home. After several years of self-reflection, I had more or less some knowledge of my own nature, but regarding the aspect of the truththat is God’s essence I still did not have much knowledge.

Understanding God’s Will in the Midst of Difficulties

Understanding God’s Will in the Midst of Difficulties | Almighty God

Xiao Rui    Panzhihua City, Sichuan Province

When I was preaching the gospel I encountered sectarian leaders who bore false witness to resist and disrupt, and called the police. This led to those I was preaching to not daring to come into contact with us, and those who had just accepted the gospel being unable to be confident in God’s work. When I worked very hard but the results were poor, I thought: Evangelical work is so difficult to carry out. It would be so wonderful if God just showed some miracles and punished those who bear false witness as well as those who seriously resist God to show to those who have been deceived.

God’s Disposition Is Righteousness and, Even More, Love

Fang Xin, Beijing

August 15, 2012

Ever since 2007, when I accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days, although I have appeared on the surface to be very busy fulfilling my duties, I have not given my heart to God, and have often felt bound to the point of suffocation by trifling family issues. Every time I think about the fact that my daughter is already thirty years old, yet still hasn’t found a suitable partner, I complain to God; my son only cares about having a good time, and despite not earning any money, he spends profligately, so I complain; and my own old spouse goes to work, but his foreman doesn’t pay him—and I complain about this as well…. I complain left and right, and often misunderstand God.

Without God’s Salvation, I Would Not Be Here Today

Zhang Jin, Beijing

August 16, 2012

I am an elder sister with two faulty legs. Even when the weather is nice out, I have some trouble walking, but when the floodwaters were about to swallow me up, God allowed me to miraculously escape danger.