Catholic Readings and Reflections: Are Members of the Clergy Appointed by God?

By Ah-dong, Spain

Editor’s Note: Many Catholics believe that members of the clergy are appointed directly by God. They think that by submitting to their priests, they are, in effect, submitting to God. Ah-dong had also espoused this belief, but after a period of investigation and seeking he came to understand the principles guiding how God uses and appoints people. After he had reached this new understanding, his old views on the matter changed and he welcomed the Lord’s return. Want to know how he became reunited with the Lord? Read on to learn more about Ah-dong’s experience.

That Was Close! I Nearly Let the Lord Pass Me By (Part 2)

By Weilian, United States

Seeking Jesus’ Return: Why Would God Incarnate of the Last Days Be a Woman?

After that I reached out to Brother Zhao online and told him the source of my confusion. “The Bible says, ‘He that has the bride is the bridegroom’ (John 3:29). And ‘Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready’ (Revelation 19:7). It’s written that the ‘bridegroom’ will marry the ‘bride’, so doesn’t the ‘bridegroom’ refer to the Lord being male when He returns? However, you testify that the Lord has returned as a woman. This is something I don’t understand. Brother, can you share fellowship on this?” Brother Zhao responded, “I used to think that since the Bible says that the bride will adorn herself to welcome the bridegroom, when the Lord returns He will certainly be male and couldn’t possibly be a woman. So is this understanding of the prophecy actually accurate, or not? If it’s as we take it, when God comes He has to be a man, and only a man can be called the ‘bridegroom’ so the ‘bride’ without a doubt refers to a woman, then which of our brothers, who are male, could become a ‘bride’ and attend the wedding banquet of the Lamb? Wouldn’t they all be cast out by the ‘bridegroom’ into the darkness, weeping? God is the God of all creatures; He is the God of all men and all women, so how could He only save women and not men? That is to say, our concept that the ‘bridegroom’ should be a man comes from looking at things from a worldly viewpoint. It’s just a literal understanding of the Bible, our own notions and imaginations. It is not remotely in line with the true meaning of what was prophesied in the Bible, and it is even less in line with the truth.

"Judgment Awakened My Heart" | Praise and Worship Hymn With Lyrics

"Judgment Awakened My Heart" | Praise and Worship Hymn With Lyrics

Verse 1

What should I seek in my faith?

Now I have had an awakening.

Before, I believed in the Lord just for blessings.

I enjoyed God's grace quite greedily.

But judgment awakened my heart.

That Was Close! I Nearly Let the Lord Pass Me By (Part 1)

By Weilian, United States

Not long after I finished high school, I was tricked into joining a pyramid scheme by a friend. I really wanted to get out of it, but there was just no way for me to do it. I was helpless and in pain and felt that my future was dark, devoid of light—I was totally lost. In July 2016, in the midst of my pain and helplessness a copy of the Bible made its way into my hands; I learned that God created the world and human beings. I was moved by the Lord Jesus’ redemption of mankind and silently said to God, “If you’re really such a loving, merciful God in this universe, in this world, I ask You to help me escape from my pain and lead me to a place where I can change my fate, a place full of hope.” I made this entreaty often, and amazingly, less than one month later I was on my way to the United States.

2020 English Christian Song "The Joy of Praising God" | Kids Worship With Dance

2020 English Christian Song "The Joy of Praising God" | Kids Worship With Dance

Verse 1

God has blessed us young people.

We have now returned to God’s house.

Here the life of the church we lead.

We read God’s words, pray, draw near to Him.

How joyous it is to be with God!

His words guide us and protect us,

keep us away from worldly lures.

We’re now not lost in online games.

Christian Diaries: Falling into Temptation and Finding Victory Through God

Zhang Lei

Thursday, February 1, Sunny

This morning right after breakfast, even before I had finished my devotionals, my little sister came to my house and told me excitedly: “It’s really easy and fast to start an online business these days. I have a friend who’s been doing really well in her micro-business. Why don’t you give it a try?” She saw that I wasn’t saying a word, so then said: “Hey, give it a shot! There aren’t many barriers to entry and you don’t need to invest much money. Besides, your time would be really free. No matter where you are, you can share pictures of products on your Moments; the time is not limited like going to work.” After hearing her say this I thought: “I don’t have the time to be a micro-entrepreneur. I was just dismissed from my duty, so I really need to read God’s words and reflect on myself, then I need to perform my duty again.” Thinking of that, I flatly refused.

The Hostility in His Heart Is No Longer Growing

Liu Yi

Liu Yi had a lot of friends in school because a sense of brotherhood and getting along well with his classmates were really important to him. In his life, when he saw nice people being bullied, he would go to bat for them. In general, he could get along with just about anyone, and he would rather take a bit of a loss than take advantage of someone else. Liu Yi felt that he was someone who possessed good humanity. But only when reality came upon him, when something really encroached upon his own interests, he discovered the vile satanic disposition buried deep within his heart …