I was formerly a co-worker of the Cross Church. After I returned to the Lord, I received a lot of grace. Because of that, I was very zealous in my pursuit and made a resolution before the Lord that I would serve him all my life. Only two years later, I began to preach and often went to other counties to support the churches. At that time, I felt that believing in the Lord was so wonderful and so meaningful.

In the spring of 1997, without knowing why, the churches began to become desolate, and the believers’ faith and love faded away. They intrigued against each other, deceived each other, complied with each other in public but opposed each other in private, and practiced more and more worldly philosophies of life. The church had become no different from the world. I also became less enthusiastic about the pursuit of loving the Lord and no longer wanted to go to other counties to work. At that time, my leader came back from studying in Wenzhou and said to me, “Now, there’s a gang of people preaching ‘Eastern Lightning.’ They’re especially good at deceiving people. If you don’t accept their way, they will make you disabled. This gang of people are the real ‘heretics’ and ‘cultists.’ You should guard the flock properly and prevent them from stealing the sheep. Don’t let down those leaders above.” Hearing that, I thought to myself, “In that case, these people are not believers in the Lord. If I come across them, I must teach them a lesson.” From then on, I began to be busy.

One day in July 1997, Brother Zhang in our church called me and said, “Someone has gone to Sister Liu’s home to preach ‘Eastern Lightning.’” Hearing that, I immediately made a call to Sister Liu, “You stall them first. I’ll be there in a minute.” Then, I hastily brought along two co-workers and went to Sister Liu’s home by taxi. As soon as I stepped into the room, I saw a brother fellowshipping with Sister Liu. Without saying a word, I rushed up to him, grabbed his clothes, and roared at him, “You devils deceive people everywhere. Today you even want to snatch sheep from our church. Scram now! You are not preaching any gospel. You are ‘heretics’ and are a ‘cult’ which leads people away from the true way.” “Please let go. You’ll understand after we have a fellowship,” the brother said calmly. “There’s nothing to fellowship with you. Go away now! If you come to our brothers’ and sisters’ homes again in the future, I won’t be so easy on you!” I shouted to him furiously and drove him out.

One month later, I heard that the people of “Eastern Lightning” went to a brother’s home. When my co-worker and I hurried there, we found it was that same brother whom we saw at Sister Liu’s home. Before the brother spoke, the co-worker who came with me bawled at him, “You are so good at deceiving people!” As he said that, he punched the brother violently in the face. Immediately, blood ran out from his nose. But he got neither angry nor annoyed, and even less did he blame us. Instead, he said, “I can understand your feelings, but I hope you don’t get angry. Calm down and let’s have a fellowship about the Lord’s coming.” “Stop your nonsense! Go away now! If you come to our church again, we will break your legs!” As I said that, I pushed and shoved him out of the door. Later, when the leader above learned it, he complimented me by saying that I was a good steward with great faithfulness and insight. After gaining the leader’s compliments, I became even more enthusiastic about resisting “Eastern Lightning.” I “guarded” the flock day and night and deeply worried that the people of “Eastern Lightning” would come and steal the sheep. I closed the churches everywhere to outsiders and told the brothers and sisters that no one was allowed to receive strangers without my permission and that whoever received would be expelled. I also said that if the people of “Eastern Lightning” came, they could call the police to arrest them. But even so, I still felt insecure. So I printed the booklet that slandered “Eastern Lightning”—The Sound of the Trumpet in the Church, and distributed it to all the churches so that everyone could reject “Eastern Lightning.” At the same time, I made up my mind that even if I was the only one left in the church in the end, I would by no means believe in “Eastern Lightning.”

On March 14, 1998, my cousin came to my home from Shenyang, and we fellowshipped about the matters of belief in the Lord. She said that the desolation of the churches, the flock being scattered, the co-workers going into business, the believers sleeping in meetings, the co-workers having nothing to preach, and so on, all fulfilled Amos 8:11, “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign LORD, ‘when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.’” My cousin also fellowshipped with me about the principles of God’s working, how to serve God after his heart’s desire, the trend of the Holy Spirit’s working, the relationship between man and God, and so on. I felt great enjoyment after listening. Even our leader had never talked about them before. However, when my cousin fellowshipped that the work of the last days needed to be done personally by God through being incarnated the second time, I couldn’t agree with her anymore and then refused to continue listening to her. I thought to myself, “Isn’t this view of ‘Eastern Lightning’?” My face darkened immediately, and I said, “What you preach is a ‘false way.’ It’s deceitful. I’d rather die than accept it.” Before my cousin found time to speak, I pushed her out of the front door without giving her a chance to explain. Then I bolted the door and said, “From now on, you are not my relative. We are not on the same path. Leave here. Don’t come to my home anymore.” My cousin begged me in tears outside the door, “Brother, open the door. I still have many words to say to you. You should recognize the tree by its fruit because love comes from God….” “I have nothing to say to a person like you.” When my cousin saw that I was so hard-hearted, stubborn, and hostile, she had no choice but to leave in tears. After my cousin left, I also felt very sad and cried. I thought to myself, “Cousin, don’t blame me for being so cruel. Why do you believe in the ‘heresy’?”

From then on, to hinder the steps of the people of “Eastern Lightning,” I offered prayers of cursing “Eastern Lightning” in front at each meeting.

One day in May 1998, when I was cursing “Eastern Lightning” in prayer, I suddenly felt my head swimming. After I opened my eyes, I couldn’t see anything clearly as if my eyes had been blocked by something. It was after quite a while that my eyes recovered slowly. A brother noticed my unusual reaction and asked me what the matter was. I said it was nothing and didn’t realize that it was the Lord’s discipline at all. Two days later, it was a meeting day again. Once again, I offered in front the prayer of cursing “Eastern Lightning” to the depths of hell. But as soon as I finished those words, I fainted. Several co-workers rushed me to the hospital, but no illness was found after the examination. I went back home with misgivings and fear. After I arrived at home, I could not but examine myself: “I have been so faithful in protecting the churches and guarding the flock. How could this kind of thing have happened? Could it be that the one ‘Eastern Lightning’ preaches is indeed the returned Jesus? If not so, why did the Lord discipline me when I cursed it in prayer?” At that time, my cousin’s words came into my mind: “Churches are so desolate. Co-workers have turned into employed laborers. The brothers and sisters who have fully consecrated themselves to the Lord for many years have all left the church to enjoy the warmth of their families and their marital bliss. The remaining co-workers intrigue against each other and scramble for fame and profit. Preachers not only don’t have anything to preach but cannot live out the Lord’s requirements. However, as for those brothers and sisters of ‘Eastern Lightning,’ whatever circumstances they encounter, such as sufferings, persecutions, humiliations, beatings, scoldings, or even being sent to the police station, they never stop their persistent efforts to preach the end-time gospel. No matter how we treat them, they always melt our hearts with love and never hate us. This kind of love and faith can only come from God....” Thinking of that, I opened the Bible. 1 John 4:7-8 says: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” After reading those two verses, I couldn’t help pondering: “Whoever does not love does not know God. Then, I pushed the brother who preached the end-time gospel out of the door and cursed and beat him. I told the brothers and sisters to dial ‘110’ for the police. My cousin traveled so far to my home to preach God’s end-time work to me, yet I drove her away before she had finished her words. Do I have love? ... Is ‘Eastern Lightning’ really the true God?” As I thought of this, I felt a surge of mixed feelings. I knelt down before the Lord and prayed, “O Lord, if what my cousin preached is really your work, then what should I do after having done so many ‘stupid things’? O Lord, please open the door of my heart and give me a seeking heart. O Lord, I don’t want to be an arch-criminal resisting you. May you open my spiritual eyes so that I can make a correct choice.” After I prayed in bitter tears, my heart didn’t feel as heavy as before, and I felt much relaxed and felt peaceful and secure, which I hadn’t felt for a long time.