Early in the morning, the sunshine shone in through the French windows, and the room was very bright. I was reading the Bible before the desk. Suddenly, I heard some hurried knocks at the door, which startled me. I hurriedly put away my Bible and then went to open the door. I saw Pastor Li and Co-worker Wang.

Pastor Li said angrily, “Elder Liu, these days, Co-worker Chen actually led brothers and sisters to investigate Eastern Lightning. I heard that they read the words of Almighty God instead of the Bible in the meeting, and that they also said that Almighty God’s words are the Holy Spirit’s words to the churches and is the hidden manna. They believe in the Lord but don’t read the Bible. Doesn’t it mean that they have gone astray from the Bible? How could they? I came to discuss this problem with you. We should find a way to save Co-worker Chen. He knows much about the Bible and has good qualities and humanity. And brothers and sisters hold him in high esteem. So, if he accepts Almighty God, I fear that the majority of the brothers and sisters in the church of Chengbei will accept, too.”

”Yeah, most of the brothers and sisters in that church are young and cultured, and have high qualities. And they can be cultivated. If they all accept Eastern Lightning, what should we do?” said Co-worker Wang, with an anxious look.

Hearing this, I was shocked, thinking: “These years, Eastern Lightning rapidly spreads, having shocked the entire religious world. Now, many believers are investigating Eastern Lightning. They read Almighty God’s words online, learn to sing the hymns produced by The Church of Almighty God and download various essays about testimonies from the official website of The Church of Almighty God. Especially the films and videos produced by The Church of Almighty God attract many people and everyone who has ever watched them all think that they are very good and have the work of the Holy Spirit. People in The Church of Almighty God fellowship about all aspects of the truths in a very practical and clear manner. Men can be edified from listening to them. Nowadays, believers have returned before Almighty God one by one, this is an inevitable trend. Some time ago, more than half of the brothers and sisters in the church of Chengnan accepted Eastern Lightning. I heard that through fellowshiping about the words of Almighty God together, they had great enjoyment, gained the illumination and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and got back their former faith and love, as if they were raptured before God. Could it be that the words of Almighty God are really the Holy Spirit’s words to the churches? Otherwise, how can the words have such great attraction? If these words aren’t the utterance of God, then how can they obtain the work of the Holy Spirit and get back their former faith and love after reading it? It’s not simple. But ... God’s words and work are clearly all recorded in the Bible and there cannot be any God’s words and work outside the Bible. Co-worker Chen must know about this, but why does he lead brothers and sisters to investigate the Eastern Lightning? It is too incomprehensible …”

Just then, Co-worker Wang hurriedly said, “Pastor Li, Elder Liu. Let’s hurry to visit the meeting place of Co-worker Chen. After all, they’re just making an investigation and haven’t accepted Eastern Lightning yet. Let’s try our best to persuade them.”

Co-worker Wang’s words interrupted my thinking. I nodded, took the Bible and then hastily went to Co-worker Chen’s home with them. Once I got indoors, I saw that Co-worker Chen, his wife Co-worker Zhao, five or six co-workers and several brothers and sisters who pursue the truth, sitting together, were watching the video produced by The Church of Almighty God, with some books produced by The Church of Almighty God laid on the desk. Co-worker Chen fervently encouraged us to watch the video.

Pastor Li frowned and said unhappily, “Brother Chen, Sister Zhao. Both of you have worked and preached for many years. You should know that we must expound on the Bible at our services. God’s words are only in the Bible, and there isn’t God’s words and work outside the Bible. Why don’t you expound on the Bible during your congregations, but lead brothers and sisters to read Almighty God’s words online? I heard that you still want to accept Almighty God. How could you do this? As believers, we must follow the Bible. Leaving the Bible is the same thing as leaving the Lord’s way, resisting the Lord and betraying the Lord. You should right now repent and confess to the Lord, and ask Him to forgive you.”

I also earnestly persuaded, “Yeah, now, we can see that most of the prophecies of the Lord’s return have come true. At any time, the Lord will return to bring us into the kingdom of heaven. We should lead brothers and sisters to read the Bible more, watch and pray, and wait for the Lord’s return, which is being after the Lord’s heart and following the Lord’s way. Don’t you think so? I was very shocked by the news that you read Almighty God’s words in the meetings. What on earth is going on? We are here for this.”

Co-worker Chen said, “Pastor Li, Elder Liu. For years, the entire religious world has lost the work of the Holy Spirit, living in desolation. Many believers have lost their faith and love. Less and less attend the service. You know the situation very well. We searched for the work of the Holy Spirit here and there because of this also. Now, we have finally found the church which has the work of the Holy Spirit, hearing God’s voice and following in the footsteps of God’s work. Isn’t it a happy thing? I had intended to tell you about it, but feared that you would resist and condemn the way. And just as I expected, you really didn’t seek or investigate, but directly condemned it after you came in. As pastors and elders, why don’t you have reverence for God? Haven’t we always read the Bible for all these years? Haven’t you always expounded on the Bible to us? What’s the result? Have we enjoyed the work of the Holy Spirit? Brothers and sisters don’t gain any supply of life. They’re all negative and cold, and even some of them have left. Can’t you see it? If we don’t seek for God’s appearance and work, or the Holy Spirit’s words to the churches, we’ll be left stranded and starve to death. Now, through reading Almighty God’s words, our spiritual states have become normal, we got back our former faith and love and enjoy the sweetness and happiness of the work of the Holy Spirit. We all can confirm that Almighty God’s words are the truth, God’s voice and feel they are the Holy Spirit’s words to the churches. The more we read, the more truths we understand and the more brightened we feel. We also have paths to follow, as if we just enter into the right track of belief in God. Aren’t you happy to see us blessed? Aren’t you willing to meet the Lord’s appearance? Pastor Li, Elder Liu. We shouldn’t hold onto the Bible anymore. Instead, we should accept the words and work of God in the last days. As pastors and elders, you should seek for the truth.”

After Co-worker Chen finished his words, brothers and sisters all persuaded us to read Almighty God’s words and investigate God’s work in the last days modestly. With a gloomy face, Pastor Li didn’t say any words.

I thought: “What Co-worker Chen said are actually the facts. In recent years, the churches are indeed desolate without God’s guidance. Only The Church of Almighty God becomes more and more thriving though under the persecution and condemnation of the CCP and the religious world. And many brothers and sisters in every denomination who yearn for the appearance of God have returned to Almighty God in succession. It is worth thinking about and considering more deeply. If The Church of Almighty God really comes from God’s work, no power can hinder it; while if it is from men, it can’t be so thriving or develop so rapidly, because we men don’t have such a power. Could it be that the Lord truly has come back and is uttering words? But it seems unlikely. How can there be other words or work of God outside of the Bible? When thinking of this, I said, “Praise to the Lord! After you read Almighty God’s words, you obtain the supply of life and edification, get back your former faith and love and have enjoyment in church life. It’s a happy thing! If you seek and investigate the true way, I won’t oppose it, but if you depart from the name of the Lord Jesus and believe in Almighty God, then that’s a big problem. We believers in the Lord can’t stray from the Bible. God’s words and work are all in the Bible, don’t you know? Why do you search for God’s words outside the Bible? Why do you read Almighty God’s words? Tell me, what’s all this about?”

Pastor Li hurriedly echoed, “Elder Liu is right. God’s words and work are all recorded in the Bible. He won’t utter any words or do any work outside the Bible. For us believers in the Lord, as long as we hold on to the Bible, we’ll surely be taken into the kingdom of heaven by the Lord. So, don’t be so stubborn, or your future will be ruined.”

Sister Zhao sternly said, “Pastor Li, Elder Liu. You said that God’s words and work are only in the Bible, and there are no God’s words and work outside the Bible. On what ground did you say that? Are your views in accordance with the Bible? Did the Lord Jesus ever say that? Did the Holy Spirit confirm it personally? You spoke these words without any proof and completely according to your notions and imaginations. The Bible is only the record of God’s former two stages of works. Dare you say that all God’s words and work during the Age of Law and the Age of Grace are recorded in the Bible? Do you dare to say that all God’s words conveyed by prophets in the Age of Law and all the words of the Lord Jesus in the Age of Grace are recorded in the Bible? It says in John 21:25, ‘And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.’ You must have read this verse many times, and you should know more clearly: During the Lord Jesus’ work in the three and a half years in Judea, He said many words, and many of them are not recorded in the Bible. The words within the Bible are just the tip of the iceberg. What is recorded within the Bible is very limited. How could you say that all God’s words and work are recorded within the Bible? In this sense, are you not liars?”

Another co-worker also nodded, saying, “Yes, the Lord Jesus clearly prophesied, ‘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). And it is said in the prophecy of Revelation in the Bible, ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation 2:7). ‘Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof’ (Revelation 5:5). From these verses, we can clearly see that when the Lord comes again, He must utter His words, open the little scroll and guide us to understand and enter into all the truth. Is it possible that the words of God of the last days can be recorded in the Bible in advance? If nobody compiles them, could these words of God appear in the Bible of their own accord? Why don’t you say words according to the fact?”

These words shocked me and I hurriedly opened the Bible to look up the verses. I thought: The words like “None of God’s words and work exist outside of the Bible” actually aren’t recorded in the Bible. Rather in many places, it prophesied that when the Lord returns in the last days, He will still utter words. And in the prophecy of Revelation, there are seven places mentioning ‘… what the Spirit says to the churches.’ We also often read these verses, but why don’t we understand? In my years of believing in the Lord, the pastors and elders all tell us: God’s words and work are all recorded in the Bible, and His word in the Bible is complete, so God’s utterances and work don’t exist outside the Bible. Therefore, for several decades, I’ve been holding on to this view all the time. Today, I’ve known that it is wrong and not in line with the Lord’s words at all. At that point, I embarrassingly lowered my head.

Then, Co-worker Chen said, “Now the Lord Jesus has returned. He is doing the work of judgment beginning with God’s family, expressing all the truths to purify and save man. All these are God’s words and work. Are these words and work recorded in the Bible? If men don’t compile them in the Bible, could these words appear in the Bible automatically? So, the view that God’s words and work are all within the Bible and that none of God’s words and work exist outside of the Bible is wrong, absurd, and it is completely the product of man’s notion and imagination.”

One sister said, “You’re right. Before, I believed the pastors and elders’ fallacies, thinking that God’s words and work are all recorded in the Bible, and apart from the Bible there are no other words or work of God. Through reading Almighty God’s words these days, I’ve seen that I’m too ignorant and short-sighted. God has indeed expressed much of His words and done a lot of work since the beginning of creation. His words recorded in the Bible are too limited. Many God’s words in the Age of Law and the Age of Grace are omitted, which is a historical fact, and no one can deny it. Moreover, the Bible only prophesies God’s words and work in the last days, but doesn’t record the details of the work. How could we limit God’s words and work to the Bible? How blind and ignorant we’ve been!”

Just then, Pastor Li was very embarrassed, lowering his head. The sister’s words pricked my heart. I thought: “We’re really wrong to confine God’s words and work to the Bible. I’ve never expected that, in just a few weeks’ time, after Brother Chen and Sister Zhao read Almighty God’s words, what they talked about would carry a lot of weight and be truly insightful. I have been convinced! No wonder so many brothers and sisters who truly believe in the Lord and possess high qualities have believed in Almighty God. It seems that Eastern Lightning has the truth to be sought. Is it possible that Eastern Lightning is the appearance and work of the Lord’s return? God’s sheep hear God’s voice, which was said by the Lord personally. It seems that I should investigate Eastern Lightning instead of blindly judging or condemning it.

Co-worker Chen said, “Pastor Li, Elder Liu. Why did the temple at the end of the Age of Law become more and more desolate and finally become a den of thieves? It was because when the Lord Jesus came to do the work of the Age of Grace, the Pharisees held on to the law of the Old Testament, and crazily condemned and resisted the Lord Jesus. They were cursed by the Lord. Shouldn’t we at least examine why? Now, the Lord Jesus has come back. I hope you can seek and investigate God’s work in the last days. Don’t hinder us from investigating the true way anymore. Or else you will offend God and are resisting God like the Pharisees.”

The words of Co-worker Chen touched me. I nodded to the brothers and sisters to show that I would not hinder them from investigating Almighty God and I was also willing to investigate. Pastor Li was amazed at my decision. He ignored me, with his face clouding. The brothers and sisters were very happy and all thanked God.

When I left Co-worker Chen’s home, my heart couldn’t calm down for a long time: It seems that the view that there are no God’s words outside the Bible is incompatible with God’s words. If I kept holding on to this notion and imagination, I’m afraid that I wouldn’t meet the Lord’s return. Thank the Lord for correcting my wrong notion and imagination so that this obstacle is removed from between the Lord and me.