Finding a Church With the Holy Spirit’s Work and Returning to God’s House

Learning How to Discern Whether a Church Has the Holy Spirit’s Work

I then asked Sister Li, “I can accept your fellowship about the root of the desolation of the temple in the time of the Old Testament. But I can’t accept your fellowship about how God is performing new work and has withdrawn all of the Holy Spirit’s work throughout the universe and is working on those who have accepted Almighty God’s work. I acknowledge that my church doesn’t have the Holy Spirit’s work. But some other churches have lots of people and look lively, can you say that they lack the Holy Spirit’s work as well? How can you prove that The Church of Almighty God is from God and has the Holy Spirit’s work?”

Hearing that, Sister Li said patiently, “Whether a church has the Holy Spirit’s work doesn’t depend on how many people it has or whether it appears fervent. Instead, it is determined by whether this church has God’s guidance and whether followers can obtain the provision of life, gain new knowledge of God and have changes in their life disposition. If they only understand some letters and rules, can’t gain spiritual supply and never have any new knowledge of God and their real problems are never resolved, then this kind of church is one without the Holy Spirit’s work. As for how to discern whether a church has the Holy Spirit’s work, let’s read a passage of Almighty God’s words and then we’ll understand it better. Almighty God says, ‘All those who are within the stream of the Holy Spirit are possessed of the presence and discipline of the Holy Spirit, and those who are not within the stream of the Holy Spirit are under the command of Satan, and without any of the work of the Holy Spirit. … Those who accept the new work of the Holy Spirit, will live within the stream of the Holy Spirit, and they will receive the care and protection of the Holy Spirit. Those who are willing to put the truth into practice are enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and those who are unwilling to put the truth into practice are disciplined by the Holy Spirit, and may even be punished. Regardless of what kind of person they are, provided that they are within the stream of the Holy Spirit, God will take responsibility for all those who accept His new work for the sake of His name. Those who glorify His name and are willing to put His words into practice will receive His blessings; those who disobey Him and do not put His words into practice will receive His punishment. … Not so for the people who do not accept the new work: They are outside the stream of the Holy Spirit, and the discipline and reproach of the Holy Spirit do not apply to them. All day, these people live within the flesh, they live within their minds, and all that they do is according to the doctrine produced by the analysis and research of their own brains. This is not what is required by the Holy Spirit’s new work, much less is it cooperation with God. Those who do not accept the new work of God are bereft of the presence of God, and, moreover, devoid of the blessings and protection of God. Most of their words and actions hold to the past requirements of the Holy Spirit’s work; they are doctrine, not truth. Such doctrine and regulation are sufficient to prove that the gathering together of these people is nothing but religion; they are not the chosen ones, or the objects of God’s work. The assembly of all those among them can only be called a grand congress of religion, and cannot be called a church. This is an unalterable fact.’”

The sister continued with her fellowship, “We can see from Almighty God’s words that, the church led by God Himself has the Holy Spirit’s work and is a congregation of those who accept God’s new work and follow the stream of the Holy Spirit. They all have God’s guidance, leadership, care and protection. Those who practice God’s words will have God’s blessings; those who don’t practice the truth will be reprimanded and disciplined by God and may even be punished. Those who don’t accept God’s new work, however, don’t have God’s guidance, much less the Holy Spirit’s work. So, the assembly of them can’t be called a church, but just a religion. For example, in churches of various denominations, pastors and elders preach based on their gifts, notions and imaginations, what they fellowship about isn’t the truth but the doctrines and rules without light, and it can’t resolve believers’ difficulties. Besides, they are especially arrogant and self-righteous and are completely unable to accept others’ suggestions. They pay attention to status and power, strive against their co-workers for profit and status, engage in disputes and divide the churches. The path they are on is entirely a God-opposing path. Because they are outside the stream of the Holy Spirit, God’s discipline can’t be seen in them. As for some religious churches, although they have many people and appear fervent, actually it is just because pastors here are using human methods to retain believers. Although the atmosphere seems lively and fervent at that time, after the fact the churches also become quite desolate as usual and the believers’ enthusiasm fades again. That’s because the believers only get enjoyment from a momentary flourish of excitement, but they can’t gain the watering and provision of the truth at all, and their spirits are still withered and dark. I believe most of those with heart and spirit have this realization. Therefore, such churches are absolutely not ones with the Holy Spirit’s work.”

Hearing this, I understood why the pastors and elders lacked God’s discipline when they did whatever they wanted and attacked and excluded each other. It turned out that God had already forsaken them. As for why some churches had many people and appeared ardent, it was just because pastors adopted some means based on their imaginations to attract believers, but this couldn’t provide the slightest help to the believers’ life. The more I thought about that, the clearer it became. I felt that if the pastors and elders didn’t follow the stream of the Holy Spirit and accept Almighty God’s work, ultimately they could only be eliminated by the Holy Spirit’s work.

The sister went on to fellowship, “Let’s look at The Church of Almighty God (CAG). Since Almighty God appeared to do His work in China, He has suffered frenzied persecution from the atheistic CCP government, as well as the condemnation and resistance of the religious world, but Almighty God’s kingdom gospel has still spread across the Chinese mainland and even expanded to a multitude of countries overseas. Nowadays, Almighty God’s words have been translated into more than 20 languages and published online for people all over the world to seek and investigate. The gospel movies, dance and song videos, musicals, crosstalks and short sketches produced by CAG have been gradually put online for people to watch and investigate, and many of the videos have received awards at film festivals in a number of countries. All this is inseparable from the Holy Spirit’s work and guidance. People of all nations who thirst for and seek the truth have recognized God’s voice from reading Almighty God’s words and determined that Almighty God really is the returned Lord Jesus. One by one, they have returned to Almighty God under His name. After accepting Almighty God’s work, we not only enjoy the sustenance of God’s current words, but also begin to have some changes in our corrupt dispositions through experiencing the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, and more and more live out a true human likeness. Many articles of testimony written by our brothers and sisters also have been posted on The Church of Almighty God website. All this is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work and is completely God’s deeds. This fulfills the following prophecy from the Bible, ‘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. And many people shall go and say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem’ (Isaiah 2:2–3). Almighty God’s work has accomplished this fact. If people are never able to relinquish their notions and follow God’s work, finally they can only fall into darkness and be abandoned by God.”

Hearing Sister Li’s fellowship, I felt that none of the pastors in the religious churches had ever preached so well, and I acknowledged from my heart that The Church of Almighty God was indeed a church led by God Himself. No wonder many true believers in God in all religions and denominations started believing in Almighty God. It turned out that The Church of Almighty God indeed had the Holy Spirit’s work. Meanwhile, the sister’s fellowship shifted my incorrect perspectives. I used to think that God was still at work in the religious churches, so I kept visiting these churches to search for the Holy Spirit’s work. Only now did I understand that when Almighty God came to do new work, the Holy Spirit was no longer working within the religious churches, just like when the Lord Jesus came, the Holy Spirit ceased to work within the temple, and that Almighty God was to call His sheep out of various religions and bring them into His own church.

Returning to God’s House and Obtaining the Provision of the Living Water

Later on, after a period of investigating, meeting and fellowship, I understood many aspects of the truth such as God’s three stages of work, the incarnation of God, and discerning the true Christ from the false ones, and I benefited a lot. Almighty God’s work completely fulfills the Lord Jesus’ prophecy, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come” (John 16:12–13).

Then I accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days and joined a local church. When gathering with my brothers and sisters there, I discovered that the meeting in The Church of Almighty God was completely different from that in the religious churches. In the past, the pastors and elders always preached that God was love and He would bestow everything upon us as long as we trusted in Him, and they also taught us to pray to God for material blessings and peace. In The Church of Almighty God, however, no one prays to God for fleshly comforts, but instead they seek how to love and satisfy God and how to achieve dispositional change. Moreover, at meetings, everyone fellowships, not just one person preaching; brothers and sisters communicate God’s words in light of their practical experiences, and they fellowship with sincerity about whatever difficulties they have. The Church of Almighty God is full of the positive and harmonious atmosphere of pursuing the truth. I am so fortunate to have gained the Lord Jesus’ grace—I’ve found the light, returned to God’s house and received the watering and provision from the wellspring of the living waters.

I now perform my duty of spreading the gospel so that, together with my brothers and sisters, I can bring more people who yearn for and seek the truth before God, and help them follow God’s new work and enter the Age of Kingdom.

By Ruth, United States