July 22, 2018 – John 14:23

Jesus answered and said to him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our stayed with him.

- John 14:23

The Truth About Sin: The Difference Between Being Saved and Attaining Full Salvation

By Zeng Xin

Whenever the difference between being saved and attaining full salvation is mentioned, there are perhaps some brothers and sisters who will say, “Is there any difference between being saved and attaining full salvation? Doesn’t being saved mean attaining full salvation? We have been saved through our faith in the Lord Jesus, so have we not attained full salvation? When the Lord comes, we will immediately be raptured up into heaven.” But are things really this simple? It would be well for us to seek and discuss this matter.

The Practice of Forsaking the Flesh

• A Hymn of God's Words
• The Practice of Forsaking the Flesh
• I
• If something happens that
• requires you to endure hardship,
• understand and be mindful
• of God's will at that time.
• Don't satisfy yourself,
• put yourself aside.
• Nothing's more abject than the flesh.
• You must seek and satisfy God
• and fulfill your duty.
• With such thoughts God will bring you
• special enlightenment in this matter,
• and your heart will find comfort.

How to Live in Harmony With a Stroppy Roommate

By Wang Liang

“I really can’t stand my roommate! Last night, when I was sleeping deeply, he suddenly woke me up and asked me to play computer games with him. He’s a real pain!”

“What was that? My roommate has gone even further that I just wanna have a fight with him someday.…”

Hearing my classmates’ complaints about their roommates, I recalled how my relationship with my roommate had changed from incompatibility to harmony, and then I offered my sincerest thanks to God.

Does Doing the Will of God Refer to Forsaking Everything to Expend for the Lord?

By Xiaowei

After eating breakfast, Yeqi turned on her computer and logged on to Facebook. She looked up her friend Lina’s account, and as her fingers clattered across the keyboard, she asked, “Are you online? There’s a question I’d like to talk to you about. This morning, as I read my devotional, I came across this verse, ‘Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity’ (Matthew 7:22–23). I’ve been thinking about the Lord’s words, and I’m a little confused. Why did the Lord say that those who prayed, preached, cast out devils, and did wonderful works in His name not only didn’t have the Lord’s approval, but that the Lord actually called them workers of iniquity? What’s going on here? I realize that, in the past, just like these people, I’ve traveled to spread the gospel through wind and rain, enthusiastically expended for the Lord, and given a tenth of my earnings as tithes. I thought this was doing God’s will, and that I would ultimately receive the Lord’s approval. But now, I’m really not sure about these questions, and I don’t know how I should look at the issue.”

A 68-year-old Christian’s Testimony: She Miraculously Recovers From the Sudden Hemorrhage in Her Brain Stem

By Sun Hong

I am a Christian, and I am 70 years old. I once became paralyzed because of an illness, and nearly became braindead. During that period, I gave up any hope of surviving, but at a critical juncture, God’s words gave me faith and allowed me to miraculously regain my life. If God hadn’t saved me, I would have left this world a long time ago.

Suddenly Fainting, Becoming Paralyzed

On April 19, 2017, after getting out of bed, I had a splitting headache. Suddenly, I stumbled and fell on the bed. Half of my body couldn’t move, and I gradually lost consciousness.

Later, my relatives took me to the emergency room at the hospital, where a CT scan was done. The doctor said that the hemorrhage in my brain stem was caused by a rupture of the arterial wall, and if we couldn’t stop the blood, my life was in danger. When my daughter heard that, she sobbed, heartbroken. The doctor didn’t dare delay treatment, and told the nurses to bring me to the emergency rescue unit.

What Is Faith and How to Have True Confidence in God

By Shen Mingxin

What is faith? Many brothers and sisters in the Lord think that as long as they acknowledge God’s name, persist in reading the Bible, meeting and praying, and furthermore are able to sacrifice everything and labor, they are believers who have faith in God. But, this understanding is one-sided. In fact, true faith means that when our mind and body endure great suffering during refinement or adversity, we still don’t misunderstand or complain about God, but instead can obey God and persevere in believing in and following God.

From Biblical records we see: When Job was tempted by Satan, his livestock was robbed from him by bandits, his servants were killed, calamity befell his children, he got sore boils all over his body, and his wife laughed at him and asked him to forsake the name of God. Facing these sudden misfortunes, he endured pain in both his body and spirit. However, he didn’t complain about Jehovah God’s taking away from him, but said, “Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah” (Job 1:21). He bore a strong and resounding testimony for God, which shamed and defeated Satan. Seeing Job’s faith in Him, God blessed Job doubly, bestowing upon him more cattle, sheep, and beautiful children. And finally Job died, full of days. Job is the model of faith and he is worthy of emulation by each of us believers in the Lord.

What Is God’s Will Behind the Parable of the Master and Servant?

By Wang Yan, China

Ever since we were baptized and we returned to the Lord, we have often heard our pastors and elders say, “The apostle Paul said, ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing’ (2 Timothy 4:7–8). As long as we forsake everything, work, suffer and expend ourselves for the Lord, and endure to the end, then when He returns, we will be crowned with glory, be raised up, and enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The Significance of Obeying God

Which Aspects Are Included in Obeying God

Obeying God includes several aspects. The first aspect, which is the most important, is to obey the work of God. Obeying the work of God includes eating and drinking and enjoying the entire word of God, especially the words of judgment and chastisement, the words of pruning and dealing, and the words that reveal mankind’s corrupt essence. These are the most important, but there are also various kinds of words of trials and refinements, such as the trial of “service-doers” and the trial of death. There are also words of particular judgments of God, words that have the quality of God’s chastisements and the quality of refining people, all of which are words that can cause men to undergo refinements.

The Outcome’s Weight in People’s Hearts

It seems like you have got something in your hearts about the way you should walk in and you have developed a good grasp and understanding of it. But whether everything you said turns out to be hollow words or actual reality depends on what you pay attention to in your day-to-day practice. You have reaped a harvest from all aspects of the truth over the years, both in doctrines and in the content of the truth.