Whenever I think of those gloomy days in which I was fooled and deceived by satan and therefore dared not accept God’s new work, I even more loathe and abhor satan and all the schemes it has carried out.

At that time, my wife and I were both key co-workers of the Praise Church. In our meetings, we often heard our leader say, “The people of ‘Eastern Lightning’ are extremely vicious. They are full of wiles and have a connection with an underworld organization. Once you become their target, you have to accept their way. Otherwise, they will torture you cruelly in secret. Several people will follow you secretly, fling you onto the ground, break your legs with steel bars, and then run away. So many people’s ears have been cut off or eyes have been gouged out by them in other places. They either buy you off with money, giving you eight or ten thousand yuan, or give you whatever you lack. What’s more infuriating is that they are promiscuous, licentious and corrupt….” Those appalling words scared us so much that we even dared not step out of our front door. Fear of and disgust with “Eastern Lightning” grew in our hearts. During that period of time, I also followed the herd and served as satan’s accomplice. Although I was guilty of the most heinous sin, I received Almighty God’s salvation and got the invaluable word that God had brought to mankind in the end time—The Word Has Appeared in the Flesh. At the same time, I also saw the joy and happiness shown by the brothers and sisters who lived in the light. How enviable! Under the care and keeping of God’s love, they were full of cheers and laughter and had neither estrangements nor fleshly entanglements. Though on earth, they led a life as if they were living in heaven. To achieve their common goal, they strived to the utmost heart to heart and hand in hand, they feared neither hardship nor tiredness, and they suffered misunderstandings and bore humiliations, never losing heart or getting disappointed. There, I saw that the group of people led by Almighty God were like the crack troops of the kingdom. Although they expressed corruptions sometimes, they could know themselves. So, all the rumors that we had heard before collapsed by themselves before the facts. What’s more, it’s stipulated explicitly in Article 4 of God’s Administrative Decrees: “Men have corrupt nature and even more emotions. So, they are forbidden to serve alone in coordination with someone of the opposite sex. If they are discovered to do that, they will be expelled, regardless of who they are.” As for the hearsay that they would cut off people’s noses and ears or gouge out people’s eyes, it was even more made out of thin air. Not until then did I understand that those rumors were the “masterpieces” of some people with ulterior motives (satan’s schemes). Their intention was to wreck God’s work and blind people’s eyes. They attempted to possess the brothers and sisters for their own enjoyment and forever deprive them of the opportunity to accept the true way. Thinking of that, I couldn’t help shivering all over. How fortunate! I had almost been ruined at their hands! For that, I even more thanked God for his tremendously great salvation. However, satan vainly hoped to war against God until the end. It continued making a last-ditch struggle and used vile means and dirty tricks to attack us. Yet it could never know that God’s wisdom was manifested on the basis of its schemes.

Since the time when the news that my wife and I had accepted God’s end-time work spread over the Praise Church, a big stir had been created and many leaders, both senior and junior, had been angered, feeling restless about it. To drag us out of God’s hand, they employed all possible means, hard and soft, to disturb us, and they also said many blasphemous words. Although they had plotted all sorts of schemes, they still didn’t succeed. Thank God! We saw through their lies under the shining of God’s light. Finally, at their wits’ end, they played their final trump card: They spread the rumor in the churches that we were bought into “Eastern Lightning” with 15,000 yuan and asked everyone to stay alert and reject us resolutely. As the one concerned, I was struck dumb at their words and felt completely fogged, overwhelmed with indignation. I pondered where that rumor came from. Oh! Actually they had twisted the story. Before I accepted God’s new work, I had taken out a loan of 15,000 yuan to buy a car. My wife mentioned that to a sister in the course of their casual conversation. Considering we were short of money for the time being, the sister offered to lend us some money first so that we could repay the loan earlier and therefore avoid the interest. However, I always felt it was not proper and didn’t want to put a burden on her. So, after thinking it over, we decided to decline her kindness. Because I was busy and it was pretty far to go there, I asked a brother of my former denomination to take my wife to that sister’s home by bike to tell her our decision. Unexpectedly, after the news that we had accepted God’s new work spread, the above scene appeared. And the rumor spread wide and far and was way out of line. Based on mere hearsay, they said that we were bought off with 15,000 yuan and joined “Eastern Lightning” out of our greed for money. In that way, they slandered God’s work and deceived those brothers and sisters who hadn’t yet come before Almighty God. Their intention was so vicious and was as clear as daylight! Just when they were exerting themselves to make up rumors to excite others to hatred, Almighty God’s hand of punishing the wicked came upon a person of our village who was involved in making up those lies and who took the lead in resisting God. One day in early April 2003, he suddenly fell down in a latrine and never got up.

The war in the spiritual realm was getting more and more intense. Within a short period of time, rumors about us flew everywhere. Satan was still unwilling to give up. After one plot failed, it plotted another. They said that I must have done something disgraceful because they saw I was always ashamed to lift up my head when coming across people. They also said that my wife had gone insane, now laughing, now crying…. The gossip was indeed a fearful thing! Last June, my wife came down with heatstroke because of the hot weather, and after a doctor’s treatment, she turned much better. To make her strong enough to perform her duty as soon as possible, I went to that doctor again to get some more medicine. However, the doctor said, “I’ve heard that your wife is vomiting and pooping blood. Don’t buy medicines here anymore. Go to a big hospital quickly!” His words threw me completely, and I got so angry that I kept asking him who had said that. But then I thought, “Let it be. As long as we have a clear conscience, others don’t really matter.” Later, my wife went out to perform her duty and was seldom at home. Then, they found more things to make up. All those intriguing stories, for example, my wife had been taken away by others, she had disappeared, or whatever, ran wild and spread to every family of our village. Hearing those, my wife and I felt that we had reached the limit of our patience. Indeed, if they were out to condemn us, they could always trump up a charge! However, just when we found it difficult to carry on, God’s inspiration and guidance made us understand and realize that behind that matter was precisely a war in the spiritual realm. Satan was just using those vile and shameless means to keep those ignorant brothers and sisters firmly in its hand. At that time, I thought of that song:

    “I have given my heart to you, loving none but you….

    I love you like a lily, being unswerving in wind or rain.

    I will suffer for loving you, never thinking about tomorrow.

    Whether it is a gale or a storm, I am willing to experience them.

    I will endure all griefs and sorrows, and offer you all my love and affection.

    Even if sufferings may drown me, and rejections may besiege me,

    I will not complain or regret; I have given you my all. …”

Immediately, I felt consoled and all my worries were gone. From then on, we no longer got angry at the rumors they made up maliciously and were finally delivered from satan’s power and influence of darkness.

Thank God for melting our hearts with his love. Thank God for supporting us with his word. Thank God for inspiring us, comforting us, and keeping us through those days and nights. Here, how we hope that all the brothers and sisters who are fooled and deceived by lies can see clearly from our experience satan’s true face, which was to afflict people, and see through its schemes and intrigues! Dear brothers and sisters, do remember! Do remember! Never ever believe slanders again. Otherwise, you will ruin yourself!

Return quickly! Because the almighty God Godself has already come, and his glory has lighted up the whole universe!

Li Zhong

Jiyuan City, Henan Province