After my wife accepted Almighty God’s salvation in the last days, she many times tried to persuade me, “Almighty God is the second-coming of the Lord Jesus—the only Redeemer of us mankind. Now is the last days and the disasters around the world are occurring one after another. Only when we come before God, can we receive His protection. So you need to accept His work quickly….” However, I always refused it by saying I busied myself with work. Afterward, through my wife and the brothers and sisters of the church many times fellowshiping with me about God’s work, I accepted it in June, 2007.
Despite my acceptance of God’s work in the last days, I still believed man couldn’t survive in this society without money, so I was constantly engaged in earning money, not taking belief in God seriously. Later, through two special experiences, I changed my views and finally understood the true meaning of the words of the Lord Jesus in the Bible, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
It was in October, 2007, I had a business trip to Shantou, Guangdong province. First by train and then by bus, I got there at 4:15 a.m. before daybreak. When I alighted, the driver warned me, “Take care, for this city is rough.” His words reminded me that there was several thousand yuan borrowed from the accounting department and some materials on software in my bag. So I felt a little uneasy: What if I get robbed? But what I was afraid of eventually happened. At that moment, four dark figures came out of the shadows and walked up to me. One of them asked me hypocritically, “Where are you going? Need a ride?” Another one began to rob my bag. Surrounded by them, I couldn’t get away and thought to myself: I’m finished! They’re robbers. If they robbed me and then took me to an unpopulated place to kill me, no one would know. Just then, I suddenly thought of the words my brothers and sisters always told me, “You have just believed in Almighty God. If you encounter something when away from home, you should pray to Him to protect and help you.” So, I cried out to God desperately in my heart, “Almighty God, I met four robbers here and they are robbing me of my bag. I’m greatly fearful. O Almighty God, please help me!”
At the crucial moment, from not far away came a strange man, who said to the robbers, “Hey, guys! He is my fellow townsman. I came to pick him up.” Finding we had the same accent, they let me go. My heart was finally released. Knowing God had listened to my prayer and commanded this man to save me, I really thanked Almighty God! Then that man said to me, “From your accent I perceived you are my countryman, so I came to help you, otherwise I wouldn’t. Those guys are hoodlums, who specially blackmail and rob nonlocal people. It’s not rare here that nonlocal people are robbed and killed….” Hearing his words, I was so scared and thought in my heart: But if God commanded this man to come here, I would have probably been robbed and even been killed. From this experience, I practically saw God is the only one true God who rules over all things and that He is really by my side and is my ever-present help. Just as God’s words say, “Until, one day, you will feel that the Creator is no longer a riddle, that the Creator has never been hidden from you, that the Creator has never concealed His face from you, that the Creator is not at all far from you, that the Creator is no longer the One that you constantly long for in your thoughts but that you cannot reach with your feelings, that He is really and truly standing guard to your left and right, supplying your life, and controlling your destiny. He is not on the remote horizon, nor has He secreted Himself high up in the clouds. He is right by your side, presiding over your all, He is everything that you have, and He is the only thing you have” (“Knowing God Is the Path to Fearing God and Shunning Evil”).
Three days after I reached that company, a fellow townsman working there said to me, “Several fellow townsmen from other companies are coming here. It’s broiling today! Want me to take you to the cross-sea bridge by motorcycle? We can take a swim in the sea.” Hearing the words, I was very happy and thought: I’ve been looking forward to swimming in the sea. Moreover, nothing is more comfortable than swimming in such hot and sticky weather. So I decided to go with them. However, unexpectedly, when we were about to leave, someone suddenly ran there to tell me the boss wanted me in his office for there was some urgent business to deal with. Having no choice, I went back to the company. Then I was told that the agent of that company arrived two days ahead of the schedule and wanted to discuss the business affairs with me right now. That day we were tied up until 11 p.m.
At dawn the next day, I was awakened by the noise outside. So I got out of bed to see what happened. As soon as I opened the door, a fellow townsman ran to me in a fearful panic and said, “You’re so lucky! Last night the tide in the sea went out ahead of time and then the power plant on the upper reaches of the river was letting out water. The currents were so strong, rolling in great waves, that many people swimming in the sea were swept away. Only one of our five people here survived, while the other four all died including the one who wanted to take you there by motorcycle.”
Hearing his words, I was stunned, breaking out in a cold sweat. Only after quite a while did I realize that in order to save me, God commanded the agent to come ahead of time. At the thought of this, I couldn’t help offering thanks and praises to God again. Had it not been for the mercy and lovingkindness of Almighty God and for His maneuvering man and thing to protect me from the disasters, I would very possibly have died, which really allowed me to see God’s marvelous deeds.
That night I couldn’t fall asleep but kept tossing and turning in bed, with the disturbing pictures of those fellow townsmen in my mind. How can they die so easily? Alas, Man’s life is so fragile. No one knows what will happen to himself. Meanwhile I also realized without God’s protection and care, everyone would run the risk of being stricken by the disasters and being captured by Satan at any time. Before leaving, I came to the cross-sea bridge. When seeing the warning signs that were just put up, I was overcome with emotion: Had it not been for the protection and care of Almighty God, I would have gone to swim with my fellow townsmen that day and definitely have drowned in the strong undercurrent. Thank Almighty God so much for His salvation toward me!
Back home, I saw God’s words say, “Those who live outside My word, fleeing the suffering of trial, are they all not drifting through the world? They are akin to autumn leaves fluttering here and there, with no place to rest, much less My words of consolation. Although My chastisement and refinement do not follow them, are they not beggars drifting from place to place, wandering the streets outside the kingdom of heaven? Is the world really your place of rest? Can you really, by avoiding My chastisement, attain the faintest smile of gratification from the world? Can you truly use your fleeting enjoyment to cover up the emptiness in your heart, the emptiness that cannot be concealed?” (“What It Means to Be a Real Person”).
Thinking about myself, I used to believe that money was the most important thing in the world. For the sake of possessing a lot of money and living a life of superiors, I rushed about and strived hard. As a result, I had gotten totally sucked into the vortex of money and couldn’t free myself from it. Even when God’s salvation of the last days came upon me, I didn’t want to accept it. However, I heard that in this disaster, a few wealthy people who drove limousines there to take a swim were also swept away by the waves, which allowed me to see even if one is very rich, has a high status, enjoys the luxury of life and is respected by others, he is still fragile in the face of disasters. God said, “Is the world really your place of rest? Can you really, by avoiding My chastisement, attain the faintest smile of gratification from the world?” Through God’s words, I see that money isn’t everything, nor could it save man’s life. Therefore, for us mankind, money is not the most important thing, much less the target we should pursue; only when we come before Almighty God, accept His salvation and gain the truth and life, can we get His protection and care. This is what is most important. Just as God’s words say, “I want each and every person to see that all I have done is right, and that all I have done is an expression of My disposition. It is not man’s doing, much less nature, that brought forth mankind, but I, who nourish every living being in creation. Without My existence, mankind will only perish and suffer the scourge of calamity. No human being will ever again see the beauteous sun and moon, or the verdant world; mankind shall encounter only the frigid night and the inexorable valley of the shadow of death. I am mankind’s only salvation. I am mankind’s only hope and, even more, I am He on whom the existence of all mankind rests” (“Prepare Sufficient Good Deeds for Your Destination”). This really is the truth. Almighty God is mankind’s only salvation. And the existence of all mankind rests on Him. Thank Almighty God for His exaltation and salvation toward me, so that I can live under His care and protection. All the glory be to Almighty God!