Yangzi, like all the freshmen, entered her long-awaited university with great excitement. When she just got into her dormitory, she saw friendly senior school sisters were telling them about some safety knowledge, various associations, part-time jobs, and so on. In this small dormitory, people came and went; and then from the noise came someone’s voice, “Are there any religious believers in our dormitory?” This sudden question stunned Yangzi. She raised her head and saw a senior school sister at the door, who was waiting to write something on a notebook. Then one roommate responded casually, “No, there aren’t.” After the senior school sister went away, a ripple of unease welled up in Yangzi’s heart. Thinking that when she newly believed in God, an aunt ever said to her, “Now the Chinese Communist Party frenziedly persecutes and arrests the believers in God right and left. They use various methods and means to look for us believers in God. Never speak of anything about our belief in God in public.” Thinking of this, Yangzi nodded thoughtfully. She gave a small sigh, and then immersed herself in preparing her lessons before class.

One afternoon, the drillmaster said, “This afternoon, your senior school sister will give you a lesson on safety knowledge.” In the classroom, the projector was showing slides about security education, such as, fire safety, theft resistance, fraud prevention and so on. Just as Yangzi watched carefully, one scene before her eyes shocked her. The slides on slandering the Church of Almighty God were shown one after another. Yangzi consciously averted her eyes from them. She was angry and distressed. Because she had read Almighty God’s word, she knew clearly that Almighty God’s word is the truth, and that all the work Almighty God has done is to save man. The CCP wantonly fabricates rumors and condemns the Church of Almighty God, and it is making things out of nothing and confusing right and wrong. Suddenly, the senior school sister’s words interrupted Yangzi’s thoughts: From now on, you roommates should supervise each other. Let others know wherever you go and whatever you do. We should pay special attention to the roommates whose whereabouts are weird. … Hearing these words, Yangzi felt indignant and nervous. “Putting it mildly, the school works to promote friendship between roommates, but in fact, isn’t this watching us? If my roommates supervise me this way, will it be difficult for me to attend meetings? School rules and discipline stipulate that any student who is found attending meetings will be expelled. What if they found I believed in God and told it to the head teacher?” At that point, Yangzi couldn’t help but feel a little flustered. She prayed to God silently in her heart, “Almighty God, I’m willing to commit all this to You. May You give me faith and make a way out for me. Please guide me to attend meetings as usual and stand the witness for You.” After praying, she thought of brothers and sisters’ fellowship that God is almighty and that everything is in God’s hand. At this time, her heart calmed down gradually. Thinking of countermeasures, she felt relaxed and smiled.

One day after dinner, Yangzi was cleaning her table when the branch secretary came in with some forms and put them on her roommates’ desks one by one. Yangzi asked with curiosity, “What’s it about?” The branch secretary said, “Personal Information Form. Hurry up to fill it.” As she said this, she gave one to Yangzi. Yangzi looked at it carefully and found she needed to fill her parents’ names, telephone numbers, work units, and the situation of their religious beliefs on it. She thought: Why does the university always investigate our beliefs? Even though we are people of faith, should we be treated differently? The CCP always proclaims to the public that everyone enjoys freedom of belief, but we have no freedom. It’s really acting one way in public and another in private. But then she thought: That’s not so easy. Anyhow, I can’t fall prey to Satan’s tricks and sell out my parents. … Thinking of this, Yangzi handed in the form after she dashed off it. She had imagined that investigating the students’ religious beliefs was over, but unexpected things were still going on.

Not long after, in a psychology class, Satan’s temptation drew near to Yangzi once again. When the teacher began the class, she especially emphasized, “This is the first psychology class. I hope that everyone can treat it seriously. After we finish this class, you should on the spot write your comments after watching the movie. This is directly linked with your final grade….” With that, the teacher began to play the brainwashing movie of slandering the Church of Almighty God. All of these were out of Yangzi’s expectation. Watching the movie, her heart was so miserable. She repeatedly called to God, “Oh, God! My stature is too small. May You protect me from being disturbed by these rumors. I know You are the true God. You have been incarnated this time in order to save us corrupt people. God, I know my family who believe in God near me and the brothers and sisters who I ever contacted are not as what the brainwashing movie talks about. I really don’t want to watch it. God, may You make a way out for me. …” After prayer, Yangzi saw some classmates beside her were playing with their cellphones secretly. She felt this was a way to avoid watching the movie, so she did the same. Because the longer the students watched the movie, the more they felt it boring, more and more students bent their heads to play with their cellphones. At this moment, the teacher raised her voice intentionally, saying, “Some of you are playing with cellphones. Don’t think I haven’t noticed it. Once you are caught, your cellphone will be confiscated.” Hearing the threats, Yangzi had to stop playing reluctantly.

Yangzi felt this class was very long. The movie was over at length. However, the teacher still didn’t relax her requirements of them and said in a tone of command, “Forty minutes to go before the class is over. Everyone should write a comment on the movie and hand it in to me, and then, you are allowed to leave. If someone still has difficulty writing them at last, he will be asked to write at the head teacher’s office. The head teacher will supervise him personally. This time the classwork is not difficult. You can write your own or your family’s similar experiences. If you really cannot write out, you can write the abnormal behaviors of your neighbors believing in God. You can also discuss it with each other. The more specific and real your description is, the better it will be….” After saying these words, she began to walk around the classroom to supervise them. Later, the classmates began to talk with each another; only Yangzi was isolated. She deeply feared that her classmates and teacher would find her unusual behavior. She was very nervous. Because she knew if she didn’t write, her teacher would suspect her, which would bring danger to her family and her brothers and sisters. But if she wrote, it was not after God’s heart. …

At this moment, Yangzi was greatly upset. She looked around out of the corner of her eye and found the teacher was looking in her direction. In order to avoid the teacher’s gaze, she picked up her pen quickly and wrote down three Chinese words “comments on movie” with difficulty on the notebook. But she didn’t know what she should be pretending to be writing next. Just at this moment, she suddenly remembered God’s words: “Toward those who showed Me not the slightest loyalty during times of tribulation, I shall be merciful no more, for My mercy only extends so far. I have no liking, furthermore, for anyone who has once betrayed Me, much less do I like to associate with those who sell out the interests of their friends. This is My disposition, regardless of who the person may be.” Yangzi was shocked by God’s words. “Yes, at this crucial moment, if I write the words that resist God because I am afraid of my belief in God being found by the teacher, isn’t this blaspheming God? Isn’t this selling out the Lord and friends? This is offending God and God’s disposition. Anyhow, I cannot sell out brothers and sisters, and cannot betray God.” Thinking of this, Yangzi once again came before God to cry out to Him, “O God! My teacher asked us to write what we thought of the movie. I know if I write, then I am resisting and betraying You. If I don’t write, I am afraid that the school will find I believe in You, and then not only will I be expelled, but also my family will get involved. God, I don’t know what to do, please make a way out for me.” The minutes ticked by, Yangzi saw the teacher standing on the platform was viewing the students; the students, who had handed in the classwork, left the classroom one by one. Yangzi’s heart was clenched. Except for the grinding jar which was made by writing, Yangzi could nearly hear the beating of her heart. She dared not imagine what would happen next, but only cried to God constantly. At this time, she thought of the words of God: “Be not afraid; with My support, who could ever block this road?” God’s word immediately gave her faith and strength. “Yes, God is my rear guard, what shall I fear? Isn’t everything in God’s hand? God, I’m willing to commit my teacher to Your almighty hands, may You lead me and help me through this difficulty.” Seeing more and more classmates hand in their classwork, Yangzi’s heart dared not leave God for a single moment. When the bell rang, she had thought that the teacher would deal with her, but a miracle happened. The teacher’s attitude changed suddenly, and she said, “Anyone who hasn’t finished your writing can go on with it after class. If you really don’t know how to write, you can search online. Also, you can write the characteristics and the hazards of other religions. Tomorrow the commissary in charge of study hands all them in.” At this moment, the big stone on Yangzi’s heart was removed and she took a deep breath. She knew that God is right by her side, hearing her prayer and making out a way for her. She offered up her thanks to God unceasingly. After this experience, Yangzi tasted that God was leading her by her side. All people, events, and things are under God’s orchestration. From then on, she had some practical understanding of God’s sovereignty and authority, and her faith in God also increased.

In a trice, “Religious Legal System Publicity Month” in November came. The school asked the students to take part in Religious Knowledge Contest which was held for the provincial colleges on the Internet. One day, after dinner, Yangzi received a group message from her monitor: “At 7:00 tonight, all the students must take part in the religious exam at No. XX Building. Anyone who doesn’t attend it will face the music.” Yangzi knew there must be some words condemning and blaspheming Almighty God in the questions and that once she refused to answer them or gave wrong answers, she would be in trouble. So, she prayed before God again, “O God, I know this contest is Satan’s temptation. God, I don’t want to betray You. I’m willing to commit this exam tonight to Your hands. May You lead me to overcome this temptation.” After prayer, Yangzi was still thinking how to face the coming Religious Knowledge Contest when an unexpected thing happened. Just as the students had prepared their computers and were waiting to enter the question-answering interface, their computers all showed that its system was busy. After trying many times, they still couldn’t enter into question-answering interface. Other classes had the same problem. Some students said, “It’s strange. The whole day we can enter into it, but why is the system busy at this moment?” Hearing these words, Yangzi was extremely excited and gave thanks to God silently. She clearly knew it was God who was mobilizing various people, events, and things to make a way out for her.

Later, the head teacher arranged the exam time again, letting students of the same dormitory answer the questions together. Just at this time, Yangzi was called away to the School Regulation and Discipline exam. Because this exam was directly linked with the glory of the class, and Yangzi needed lots of time to recite some contents, the teacher said there was no need for her to take the exam. Yangzi deeply knew it was God’s guidance and wonderful protection that made her overcome Satan’s temptation time after time. She truly experienced God’s words: “Man’s heart and spirit are held in the hand of God, everything of his life is beheld in the eyes of God. Regardless of whether or not you believe this, any and all things, whether living or dead, will shift, change, renew, and disappear in accordance with God’s thoughts. Such is the way in which God presides over all things.” Indeed. God’s word carries authority and power. Yangzi experienced the omnipotence and omniscience of God, and saw God’s authority exists anywhere and anytime. No matter whether they are living or dead, they are all ordained and arranged by God. God commands everything and His one thought can decide the development direction of everything.

Later, she saw God’s word saying: “For thousands of years this has been the land of filth. It is unbearably dirty, misery abounds, ghosts run rampant everywhere, tricking and deceiving, making groundless accusations,^[1] being ruthless and vicious, trampling this ghost town and leaving it littered with dead bodies; the stench of decay covers the land and pervades the air, and it is heavily guarded.^[2] Who can see the world beyond the skies? The devil tightly trusses all of man’s body, it puts out both his eyes, and seals his lips firmly shut. The king of devils has rampaged for several thousand years, right up until today, when it still keeps a close watch on the ghost town, as if it were an impenetrable palace of demons; this pack of watchdogs, meanwhile, stare with glaring eyes, deeply fearful that God will catch them unawares and wipe them all out, leaving them without a place of peace and happiness. How could the people of a ghost town such as this ever have seen God? Have they ever enjoyed the dearness and loveliness of God? What appreciation have they of the matters of the human world? Who of them can understand God’s eager will? Small wonder, then, that God incarnate remains completely hidden: In a dark society such as this, where the demons are merciless and inhumane, how could the king of devils, who kills people without batting an eye, tolerate the existence of a God who is lovely, kind, and also holy? How could it applaud and cheer the arrival of God? These lackeys! They repay kindness with hate, they have long since disdained God, they abuse God, they are savage in the extreme, they have not the slightest regard for God, they plunder and pillage, they have lost all conscience, they go against all conscience, and they tempt the innocent into senselessness. Forefathers of the ancient? Beloved leaders? They all oppose God! Their meddling has left all beneath heaven in a state of darkness and chaos! Religious freedom? The legitimate rights and interests of citizens? They are all tricks for covering up sin!”

Through reading God’s words, Yangzi understood why the state law stipulates that everyone enjoys the freedom of religious belief while the CCP tried every trick to arrest and persecute the believers in God behind the scenes. It turned out that the substance of the CCP is resisting God. To make people deny God, resist God, always live under its dominion, and to rule mankind forever, the CCP not only spreads various rumors and fallacies on different Internet platforms and newspapers to deceive people, but also stretches out its violent hands to the pure land—school. For example, it forcibly indoctrinates students with atheistic heresies and fallacies from primary school to university, and exploits innocent and kind students to monitor and report the believers in God. Overall, the CCP exercises every contemptible means to make people deny, resist, and betray God, and to put up an impenetrable obstacle to the work of God, so that people will follow it to resist God and finally be destroyed with it. When Yangzi saw clearly the CCP’s evil nature, she felt irritated and disgusted. Meanwhile, she deeply knew that the CCP’s contemptible means by which it resists God are far more than these. It was God’s care and protection that she could stand firm in Satan’s temptations, and the enlightenment and guidance of God’s word gave her faith and strength, making her have the resolution and courage to do battle with Satan’s evil forces. When she relied on God to see through Satan’s schemes, she saw God’s faithfulness and wonderful deeds. God is right by her side, removing her difficulties and anxieties, and being her ever-present reliance. After Yangzi personally experienced these things, her faith in God was not diminished. Instead, she had some knowledge of God’s almightiness and sovereignty, and saw clearly the CCP’s evil substance of hating the truth and being hostile to God. She was more resolved to follow God, pursue the truth and walk the right way of life.

Footnotes:

1. “Making groundless accusations” refers to the methods by which the devil harms people.

2. “Heavily guarded” indicates that the methods by which the devil afflicts people are especially vicious, and control people so much that they have no room to move.