After the Church Falls" | True Stories of Christians in China - VoiceTube: Learn English through videos!

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What are you doing?
You can't tear down the church!
- Yeah, it's legal. - This is a government-approved church.
- Why are you doing this? - What gives you the right?
Everyone back!
You can't tear down our church!
We're loyal citizens.
We have government orders, and we're carrying them out.
Doesn't the government keep its word?
Hey, all of you back!
If you tear down our church,
where will we hold meetings?
Yeah!
Shut up, or we'll arrest you! Back!
Why is traffic so backed up?
An accident?
What? Why are there so many cops?
It's another one of the CCP's church demolitions.
You can't tear down the church!
- No! The church can't be torn down! - You can't do this!
Don't tear down our church!
What are you doing?
- Don't tear down our church! - Get out of the way or else!
You can't do this.
Please don't do it!
Don't! Stay away!
Dammit! They'd rather die!
Get them out of there!
Move! Out of the way! Right now!
Everyone back up.
Take them away!
You can't tear it down!
We love our country and our religion!
Do it!
Dammit!
Everyone back up! Stay behind the line.
Don't do it!
No! Don't do this!
They're beating citizens!
They're beating citizens!
No! Don't do this!
Aren't believers all good people?
Why would the CCP have a problem with them?
It's true!
They're tearing down churches everywhere and arresting believers in God.
It's just evil!
Lord Jesus, please stop our government!
- Don't let them tear down our church! - Lord, where are You?
They're demolishing our church!
Please, Lord, stop these evildoers!
Bind Satan and its devils!
Lord! Lord! Our church is being torn down!
Lord, they're tearing down our church!
Lord, please return soon!
Save us from Satan's evil!
We lost our home!
Lord! …
- There's no justice here. - They're too evil!
But one day the CCP will have to answer for this.
- Right. - It's true.
- They don't care if we live or die. - They're burying her alive!
- Oh no! They're burying her alive! - Buried alive?
Sister Gu!
Go get help!
Sister Gu!
Get help!
Sister Gu!
Go! Quick, someone get help!
Sister Gu!
Save her!
Hey! No photos!
Seal off the site now!
No photos! Let's go.
Everyone needs to go!
Sister Gu! Someone help her!
- Sister Gu! - They don't value human life at all.
Brother Chen?
It will be cloudy to overcast tonight,
with moderate winds from the south changing to strong gusts from the north and local showers.
Tomorrow morning will be overcast to cloudy …
Oh, you're back!
Hey. It is Brother Yu, right?
Hey!
No one could tell it's you in that costume!
Got that right! I almost didn't let him in the house.
With the CCP's surveillance, we all have to learn a few skills.
It's a very useful skill.
You've brought the books of God's word?
Yes. Tomorrow we'll hand them out to brothers and sisters.
- Perfect. - Time for dinner!
Oh, okay.
I need to tell you something.
On the way back,
I passed by Brother Chen's church, it was being destroyed.
- Brother Chen? - Chen Song'en?
Right, the Three-Self preacher.
They even tore down that church?
And when they were doing it, a sister was buried alive.
What?
Buried alive?
It was so cruel!
The CCP's persecution is beyond madness!
They'll use any means they can.
Since Xi Jinping,
persecution of religion's been getting worse.
You see?
Even government-run churches are getting banned.
It seems what he wants is to make China an atheist country,
a demonic prison ruled by Satan!
That's exactly right.
Indeed.
I never imagined
the CCP would destroy the Three-Self Church that it established.
The CCP must really want to fight it out with God.
It won't stop till it destroys God's work.
The demon shows its colors.
Yeah.
Just look at China today.
External relations are so strained,
people can't get by and are demonstrating in the streets.
Why can't the CCP do some actual governing
and solve the people's problems?
Why do they wildly persecute Christians?
It's pure evil.
The CCP's sins are so grave.
It's enraged Heaven and the people yet still won't repent.
It seems it won't stop until God destroys it.
Right.
The saying is true, "Wickedness earns doom."
China under the CCP is just like Sodom in the Old Testament.
Sodom's resistance of God was mad,
so God destroyed it with fire and brimstone.
God's sure to destroy the CCP for resisting Him.
That's correct.
Attention all,
in tonight's operation,
we must arrest all members of The Church of Almighty God on this list at the same time!
Especially Team One,
they are key players, so don't let any one of them get away!
Everyone stay alert!
Roger, chief! We won't fail you!
The CCP intensely persecutes Christians.
So many brothers and sisters are praying to God,
begging God to save them from this satanic regime.
That's right.
We must testify God's work of the last days to them.
Indeed.
We need to do it soon.
Right.
We've shared God's work in the last days to Brother Chen.
He didn't accept it, but he has good humanity.
He's a true believer.
Right.
I think it's time that we try again.
Alright.
Hey! You guys …
Don't shout! We're the police!
All teams, stand by!
Time to go!
Quick! Keep up!
Bad news! The police are coming!
Get out of here!
Let's go!
- Inside! - Don't move! Police!
What are you doing? This is a private—
Shut up!
Search the place!
Let me go!
- What are you doing? - Don't struggle!
Let's go!
- Freeze! Freeze! - Don't move!
Cuff her!
Why are you—
Because you believe in God!
Xiaoling!
- Out of my way! - Grandma!
Freeze!
Stop running!
Police!
Stop right there.
Freeze! You!
Stop there!
After him!
Stop running!
- Move again and I'll kill you! - Let me go!
Get up, old man!
Talk! Where's Yu Congguang?
Out with it!
I don't know!
- Dammit! - Reporting, no one's inside!
Old bastard!
Chief Huang.
You're all useless!
We …
we worked for months, monitoring,
and all the key suspects got away from us!
Why do we pay you?
What do I tell the minister?
The Central Committee sent documents.
Provincial command gave orders.
Getting rid of The Church of Almighty God's our most important task!
Yes, sir.
Our top priority!
Yes, sir.
Then what were you doing? Huh?
Do everything necessary.
Get those suspects that got away!
Yes, sir!
Yes!
Right now, we're using satellite facial recognition systems.
The moment they show their faces, we'll get them.
Sir! We've found a vehicle!
Extracting image, running comparison analysis.
Confirmed.
The men in the vehicle are who we're looking for.
Notify patrol cars! Set up roadblocks!
Yes!
Approaching vehicle, prepare for inspection.
Turn off your ignition now!
Quick! After them!
They're headed South. Set up roadblocks! More roadblocks!
Quick! Quick! Pass him! Pass him!
There, a fork in the road! Quick!
Look, we're surrounded.
Shoot.
We'll jump out!
Hurry!
Zhao Ming!
It's the police!
- Exit the vehicle! - Get them!
Come on!
- Turn off your ignition, step out of the car! - Quick, hurry!
Stop right there!
- Dammit! Where are they? - Do not resist!
Hurry! Search over there!
- You two, that way! - Don't struggle!
Search over there!
You two, that way!
Search over there!
- Search over there! - Quick! Get moving!
Move it! Now!
Go look that way!
- Go! - Hurry!
I thought I'd find you here.
Oh, Brother Yang.
Hi.
The government said they'd protect Three-Self churches.
When we joined that church,
we thought no longer would we be persecuted.
I never imagined the CCP would actually burn crosses, and demolish churches.
They went back on their word.
The CCP always lied. Now they don't hide it.
It never sought to protect religion.
It just wants to control us.
If we still can't see the CCP's true face,
we're really a bunch of fools!
The last few days I've been thinking
that joining the Three-Self Church was truly a mistake.
Let's sit down.
The Bible declares,
We've faith in God but didn't rely on Him,
and instead entered Satan's domain.
We thought United Front Work Department officials would keep us all safe.
Right.
But then what?
They demolished our church.
They destroyed our place of worship.
The Lord didn't protect our church.
It proves the Lord didn't approve of our path.
It's all clear.
Many house churches didn't join our Church.
They were afraid of offending the Lord.
It certainly looks like they chose the correct path.
Hearing you speak reminds me
how Judaism allied with the Roman government against the Lord Jesus,
how they resisted and crucified Him,
which provoked the Lord to punish them all.
It led to the death of the Israeli nation,
even the temple was demolished by the government.
We feared persecution,
and relied on the government, not on the Lord,
and now this has happened to us.
I think that it's quite likely this is God's punishment.
I recall a brother who believes in Almighty God.
He testified that God has returned.
However I refused to accept.
He told me that the path of the Three-Self Church was wrong.
Now, thinking about it,
The Church of Almighty God suffers such torment from the CCP,
yet The Church of Almighty God is thriving,
more and more people accept Almighty God.
Only what comes from God thrives!
Right.
I think the path that he chose may have been correct.
We took the wrong path, and have been forsaken by the Lord.
Have you seen this man?
- There's no one like that in our village. - About this tall.
Shall we take a break here?
China's so huge,
but there's not a single place for Christians like us.
Well.
How come we couldn't find any of the brothers or sisters we were looking for?
Of course it had to be a coordinated arrest.
The CCP's a devil,
and it won't stop till it's killed every last Christian.
The old brother and Brother Zhao were both caught.
I just hope they're okay.
If the CCP arrests you,
you're in a hell run by devils.
And they would skin you alive.
Dammit!
Talk!
Where are they hiding? Talk!
Screw you!
Talk!
I said talk!
Tell us!
Tell us!
Screw you!
Talk!
We'll kill you!
Alright, enough.
Come here! Get over here!
Talk!
Where's the church's money?
Talk!
You old bastard! You'll die if you don't talk!
These herbs are good for reducing inflammation.
To have faith in China is more complicated than arrest.
You're putting your life at risk.
That fulfills the Lord Jesus' word,
It's not an easy thing to gain life.
Indeed.
While the CCP holds power, Christians are persecuted.
That's right.
It reminds me of God's words.
Thanks to God!
In these years of persecution,
we've experienced that God's words are practical.
The more the CCP persecutes Christians,
the more we see the depth of its hatred for God.
Yes.
And from the evil strength of the CCP's hatred,
we can see the true face of the great red dragon.
The CCP's God's enemy!
It's true.
The more the CCP harms us,
the more we forsake them and hate them,
and the stronger our faith in God becomes!
God is truly wise!
God uses the great red dragon as a tool to perfect people's faith and love.
Thanks to God!
When we fellowship like this, my heart is brightened.
If we don't experience His judgment,
we can never be perfected by God.
For years, we've been persecuted by the CCP,
and suffered a lot,
but we've also come to grasp truth.
Isn't this God's grace and blessing?
The suffering we endure is valuable and meaningful.
It's the greatest wealth we possess!
Yes. Thanks to God!
Thanks be to God!
Hey, tomorrow let's find Brother Chen and preach the gospel.
Alright. But let's get going early.
Okay.
Lord!
Lord, where are You?
Oh Lord! Help us now.
Lord, our church was torn down by the government!
Lord! …
- Lord! Please. - We have no place to meet now!
What did we do?
Oh Lord!
Lord! Please have mercy on Your children!
Please forgive those who persecute us.
Show them mercy, and forgive them their sins,
because Lord, they know not what they do!
Lord! Please! Influence the leaders of our nation!
Make them repent for their many sins and no longer persecute us!
Oh Lord!
Please! Please Lord!
Please bless China,
please bless the leaders of our nation.
Grant them wisdom;
make them govern our country well …
The CCP destroyed our church. Why are we praying for it?
That's right.
- I can't do that prayer. - But praying for them accords with the Bible.
That's right.
Hey, everyone.
From the start,
the CCP has tried to eliminate religion.
Right.
They labeled Catholicism and Christianity as cults,
and the Bible as cultic literature.
- Indeed. - Yes. Right.
And what's more,
their persecution of religion has grown worse,
even toward the Three-Self Church.
- Indeed. - Yes.
- That's all true but what can be done? - Let's think about this.
We've prayed for the national government for years.
The CCP has never confessed its sins,
and it still acts like an enemy of God and persecutes us.
It's true.
- I've been thinking about this. - What should we do?
How the CCP resists God,
but we keep praying for the national government.
Does this fit with the Lord's will?
Will the Lord hear us?
- I don't think so. - But what can we do?
If in fact we're praying from the passions of man,
then this could be troublesome!
Brother Yang,
how could our praying for them not accord with the Lord's will?
Right.
The Lord teaches to love your enemies and pray for persecutors.
Amen!
Even if they persecute us, we have to forgive them.
Right.
This is practicing the Lord's word.
How doesn't this align with His will?
That's right.
The CCP's the ruling power.
Obeying the ruling power is entirely aligned with God's will.
Indeed.
If we pray for the CCP, and ask for God to bless this nation,
this is love!
This is glorifying God!
-You're completely right, it's glorifying God! - He makes a good point.
Yes, nothing glorifies God more!
Brother Yu!
Is Brother Chen at home?
Yes, he is. Come on in!
Alright.
Song'en!
Song'en, look who's here!
Brother Yu!
- Brother Chen. - Brother Yu, Brother Zheng.
It's been a long time.
Yes, it has.
More than six months.
- It's really been that long. - Yes, it has.
- Thanks to the Lord! - Thanks to God!
Come in, we'll talk inside.
- Please. - Alright.
Oh, are you having a meeting now?
Yes, we are.
The CCP demolished our church.
Some people here are praying for the CCP.
And right now, they're all debating the matter.
Should we pray for the CCP or not?
No one has a real answer.
Hey, it's good you came today.
Can you fellowship with us?
We surely can.
Is everyone a sincere believer?
If they find out we believe in Almighty God,
will they inform the police?
Right, we have to be careful.
How's this sound.
What if I don't tell them that you believe in Almighty God?
Yes, that works.
Good, let's go in.
- Okay. - Alright.
Brothers and sisters, please meet my friends.
These two are from a house church, Brother Yu and Brother Zheng.
Hello, everyone.
Which house church?
They are both preachers.
The Lord must have arranged for them to visit today.
- Right. - Thanks to the Lord!
Therefore, let us fellowship.
Okay.
- Sit down. - Alright.
- Brothers and sisters, let's all sit. - Let's hear them out.
Brother Zheng, have some water.
Thank you.
- Uh, Brother Zheng. - Yes?
What happened to your face?
The CCP, they were pursuing us.
I got this scratch then. It's fine.
The CCP is despicable!
It seems like they've all gone insane.
They're destroying churches all over.
Ours was destroyed too.
Many brothers and sisters were hurt.
Yeah.
One sister was nearly buried alive.
Yes.
Everyone here is very angry about these things.
- Yes, we are. - That's so true.
We know the CCP resists God and torments Christians,
but some here still insist on praying for them,
asking the Lord to forgive them,
and to bless the nation's leaders.
I don't think this accords with the Lord's will…
Mm. Right.
…but I can't say why.
We're all confused about this issue right now.
- Yes. It's true. - Of course we are.
I'd like to hear what you think about it.
Are you willing to fellowship with us?
Yes, brothers, let's discuss it together.
Alright. Thanks to God!
Then let's fellowship together.
Okay.
The point you just raised which you are all confused about
was how we as believers in the Lord should treat the CCP as the ruling power,
and whether we should pray for it, right?
- That's it. - Exactly.
I imagine this is what you're thinking,
"We've prayed for the CCP for so many years,
but not just has it not repented,
it actually destroyed our church.
They took our offerings for God and smashed the altar.
They've left us with nothing.
Isn't this a devil showing its true colors?
Yes.
We cannot continue to pray for them to be blessed.
So then, just how should we treat the ruling power?"
You're absolutely right about our question.
Now when we pray for the CCP,
it makes us feel uncomfortable.
It's like we're praying for Satan,
as if we're asking the Lord to save and bless Satan.
Right.
How could this be the Lord's will?
Yes, that's exactly the problem.
None of the pastors and elders can explain it.
That's right.
Don't even mention the pastors and elders.
They're the ones who say we should pray for the CCP,
and that's how we'll gain God's blessing.
Right now I feel like I've been fooled by Satan itself.
- Indeed. - That's right.
How could we be fooled by Satan?
It's good that you're aware of it.
That you're now aware means it's not too late.
As a Three-Self church,
you've prayed for the government for years.
You've not received the Lord,
and the government has destroyed your church,
the government smashed your altar.
You don't have a place to hold meetings.
There's nothing left.
- Yes. - It's true.
I don't know whether this is retribution.
Retribution?
Retribution?
But it says in Revelation,
Three-Self churches are the political-religious union of Babylon.
What's more, if you don't come out of Babylon,
if you still pray for the satanic CCP,
you'll offend God's disposition,
and God will not delight in what you do.
Offend God's disposition?
Praying for the CCP's political power offends God's disposition?
Oh, it's so terrible!
I don't agree with what you've just said.
We pray for the CCP and the national government,
'cause it's in the Bible.
Right.
- How could it go against the Lord's will? - That's true.
Yes.
The Lord teaches us,
Amen!
Our pastors and elders also say that we must love all of our enemies.
No matter how they persecute us, we have to forgive them.
Yes.
We have to treat them with love,
and pray that they are blessed.
Doing so glorifies the Lord.
- Yes. - That's right.
How could the Lord not want that?
Brother Liu is right.
God's merciful and loving, He forgives all our sins.
If we pray for the CCP and for the nation's leaders,
it's fully in accordance with the Lord's will.
Nothing's wrong with it.
- That's right! - He makes a good point.
Brother Yu and Zheng, please continue your fellowship.
Alright.
Brothers, based on the Lord Jesus' words,
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"
you believe that praying for the satanic CCP aligns with the Lord's will,
but are you sure that your understanding of that verse is correct?
What's wrong with it?
Do you think the Lord Jesus' teaching to love our enemies includes devils?
If you think your belief and understanding accords with God's will,
what's your biblical basis?
Do you have any other of God's words as proof?
In the entire Bible, did the Lord Jesus ever once say
that you should pray for the ruling power or for Satan and Satan's demons?
He did not.
And did Jehovah God ever say such a thing?
Are such words anywhere in the books of the prophets?
- They say nothing like that. - Nothing at all.
Then since Lord Jesus, Jehovah God,
and all of the prophets never said such a thing,
on what do you base your belief
that praying for ruling powers and the CCP satanic regime
accords with the Lord's will?
- He makes a good point. - I never thought of it like that.
Is it wrong to pray?
Might your understanding of the Lord's will and your reading of the Lord's word be mistaken?
Could we not be clear on the Lord's meaning?
How could we not grasp His words?
You say our belief that we should pray for ruling powers
is based on a fallacious reading of the Lord's word and of the Lord's will.
Then I sure would like to hear what the Lord Jesus' words
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"
mean to you.
What did the Lord Jesus mean by that?
Can you explain it?
- Tell us! - I'd like to hear that.
Yeah.
Can they explain it clearly?
But who did He mean by "enemies"?
Who did He mean by "those who persecute you"?
To truly understand this,
first we need to grasp
God's work is to save man who has been corrupted by Satan,
not to save Satan and devils who deceive and corrupt mankind,
isn't that right?
Since the dawn of man,
every satanic ruling power that opposed God or oppressed God's chosen
in time was punished by God.
God had no mercy for them at all,
just curses and destruction.
So based on this fact, we can be quite certain
that the enemies the Lord Jesus spoke of that we should love were not devils,
nor were they satanic ruling powers that resisted God,
because the Lord Jesus never once said
we should pray for Satan and devils, or pray for satanic ruling powers.
Isn't that the case?
So, just who are these "enemies" that we should love?
We all know mankind is deeply corrupted.
We can all deny resist and judge God.
This has been seen by those who spread the gospel.
Indeed.
Man rejected God when He came incarnate to save mankind.
This is enough to prove that all mankind is capable of resisting God.
Without God's love and salvation, mankind would be doomed.
Isn't this a fact?
- Thanks be to God. - None can deny it.
None who believe in God would dare proclaim, "I don't resist God."
Therefore, everyone who spreads the gospel must do so with love.
Countless times, we have to pray
and fellowship before we can make others' hearts turn and return to God.
Isn't that a fact?
- Yes. - Of course that's how it is.
This proves that when the Lord Jesus declared that we should love our enemies,
that the "enemies" He meant are the mankind God wants to save,
the members of mankind that can be.
He was not referring to Satan and its devils.
Amen!
Now I understand it clearly.
- That's what "love your enemies" means! - Yes.
Now I get it.
Among corrupt mankind are many who don't believe.
They don't grasp what it is to believe,
or what the true way is, or know of God.
Perhaps Satan deceived them,
and they now judge God's work,
and they may condemn, slander or persecute believers in God to a certain extent.
But they don't hate God, nor directly resist God.
If we pray for them out of love,
after we fellowship on the truth with them,
they can accept the true way and return to God.
We ought to treat such people with a loving heart.
Yes.
We should pray to God, to move them to confess, repent, and turn to God.
- Such practicing accords with God's will. - Amen!
- So that's what "love your enemies" means. - So that's what's meant.
There's light in this fellowship.
Yes. Thanks be to God!
However, if we view the Lord Jesus' call to "love your enemies"
as meaning to love an evil ruling power like the CCP, or love Satan,
it's a misinterpretation of the Lord Jesus' words
that goes entirely against God's will.
Today's the first time I've understood that
"enemies" refer to the people God wants to save.
Yes.
- That is the case. - Not satanic ruling powers.
And if there are any who still insist
that praying for a satanic ruling power is the Lord's will,
then I'd like to ask,
in all the years you have prayed for the CCP,
have you been blessed?
Do you feel true peace in your hearts?
Are you sure this idea comes from the Holy Spirit?
No.
We can't be sure.
If you can't verify it,
and you don't feel true peace in your hearts,
then what are the results of your prayers?
Your church has been demolished,
you wail to the heavens, you sob and gnash your teeth,
and you feel endless regret.
These are the results of praying for blessings for the CCP.
Isn't this a fact?
Yes.
It is a fact.
Recently, I've realized that.
It could be our church was destroyed because we took the wrong path in our belief.
This may have been God's punishment.
I never imagined the consequences would be so serious.
God is using this reality to give a clear answer to all your confusion.
Praying for a satanic ruling power is siding with Satan and resisting God.
This offends God's disposition,
and will not come to a good end.
God's will is to save as many as possible.
God uses Satan's persecution, so we can see its demonic face
and escape Satan's influence and turn to God.
Amen!
We all must wake up to this fact.
Amen!
Yes.
If we keep obeying the political power of the CCP
and praying for them to be blessed,
we're clearly foolish and ignorant.
Yeah.
We must be more wise.
- We shouldn't pray for the CCP. It's wrong. - We can't be so ignorant anymore.
The Bible says,
Those words are true.
Right!
If we don't seek the real meaning of God's words in our faith,
or to correctly grasp what God intended to say,
and instead blindly practice based on our own imaginings,
if we pray for the ruling power, if we pray for the devil Satan,
and claim it's from the Lord Jesus,
aren't we resisting and insulting God?
To do this is siding with Satan against God.
If we do not repent,
we will be punished alongside Satan and destroyed.
We'll be sacrificed to a satanic ruling power,
and buried with it.
Do you all think what I've said is true?
It is.
Do you all now see it's a grave problem?
- I didn't realize how serious it was! - How could we not see this before?
Right.
Amen!
I will read another passage.
Alright.
- There is such wisdom in those words. - These words cut right to the bone!
Yes.
By now we should all be clear
that God has no love for Satan or its devils,
only loathing and curses.
Amen!
In our belief,
if we do not side with God and curse the CCP devils,
but instead follow the Three-Self path of relying on the CCP,
and pray for blessings for those devils,
we're offending God's disposition and gravely insulting God.
- Yes, that's absolutely the case. - We are so fortunate for this fellowship.
This is something we truly must think about.
Hello, police?
Brother Yu, Brother Zheng,
your fellowship is very clear and practical.
It seems we were wrong to have prayed for blessings for the CCP.
We misinterpreted.
For so many years, we've prayed for the CCP.
I always had many misgivings about it,
but I couldn't see the matter clearly,
so I didn't realize praying for the CCP goes against God's will,
and is in fact resisting God!
That's exactly right!
But now, having seen that bulldozer, I understand.
The CCP is a demonic power.
Yes.
It opposes God and refuses to repent.
But now, hearing your fellowship,
I completely understand.
Thanks to God!
We believed that idea because Lord Jesus said
we should all love our enemies.
We misunderstood.
Yes, we did.
We thought those enemies included devils, Satan, and the CCP.
To what end?
Though we have prayed for many years, we have achieved nothing.
Where did our prayers lead us?
We've moved further from the Lord, and ever closer to Satan.
Yes.
If we continue this,
the Lord will surely forsake us and destroy us alongside Satan.
Yes.
The Bible says,
That's absolutely true.
I never imagined that the Three-Self path would see us end up like this.
Some must see their graves to fear death.
That's true!
Right. It's shameful to talk about.
You also believe,
but you've received God's blessings,
and you can understand the truth.
But what of us?
Satan destroyed our place of worship,
yet we still prayed for the CCP.
Just what were we thinking?
We've been so ignorant and foolish!
We were so timid, feared persecution,
we thought the Three-Self Church would keep us safe.
We never thought it would come to this.
This is retribution!
Indeed, it's retribution.
Whether or not praying for the CCP is right,
we were still following the Bible.
No one can say for sure if it was correct.
That's right.
And though our church was demolished,
the government didn't arrest us,
which proves the Lord still takes mercy on and protects us.
Thanks be to the Lord!
While you're chased by the CCP,
always on the run, with no place to rest!
- You're worse off than we are! - How could he say that?
At least we can pray for the CCP from the comfort of our own homes!
We are at peace and disaster free.
His arm hurts so badly, isn't that a disaster?
Our church was demolished! Isn't that a disaster?
My thinking is praying for the CCP isn't that wrong.
It says in the Bible,
Amen!
Paul did say powers that be are ordained by God.
Don't the pastors often say
those in positions of power are established by God?
The CCP's the ruling power,
obeying them is entirely in accord with God's will.
Therefore, praying for the CCP is fully in accord with the Bible.
- That sounds very controversial. - Can you believe he said that?
Though our church is gone, we're better off than you,
who never had one to begin with!
Our church is gone. This is God's trial for us.
The CCP didn't arrest us, which is God's grace.
That proves we weren't wrong in taking the Three-Self path.
By believing like this, we all have peace in our hearts,
don't we?
Do you feel that kind of peace?
Those were very harsh words.
It's wrong to say that.
Exactly, that's not right at all.
Brothers, here, have some water.
Alright. Thank you.
Well, Brother Chen,
you said at the moment your church was destroyed,
you realized that the Three-Self path was wrong.
This is priceless.
Thanks to the Lord!
This is the Lord giving us a chance to repent.
We can't keep making the same mistake!
Right.
As to the Three-Self path,
after all your years with it, how have you benefited?
Have you gained entry into the truth?
Have you experienced the Lord's words?
Have you gained knowledge of the Lord's work?
I've never thought about these questions.
What suffering have you all had to endure to witness the Lord?
What persecution from satanic powers?
For generations, those who follow the Lord have suffered all kinds of persecution.
Some have even given their lives for it.
These saints all stood witness.
Can you bear such witness?
- You not only lack such witness… - We should be ashamed.
…you've even mocked Christians who can't return home because they follow the Lord.
Don't you feel ashamed?
This is resisting the Lord!
Now let's look at house churches.
The CCP wildly arrests and persecutes them,
yet in such adverse circumstances, they continue to attend meetings,
follow and testify the Lord.
Even amidst such persecution by Satan, they still stand witness.
Yes.
But you?
You've no persecution nor witness.
You believe in the Lord in safety and comfort.
You use the satanic political power of the CCP as your escort and umbrella,
this is standing on the side of Satan.
The Lord doesn't approve,
because you're on the wrong footing!
That's right.
We've been far too timid.
Amen!
You believe in the Lord,
but don't practice His words or keep His commandments,
and suffer the bondage of Satan.
You're Satan's slaves, and only acknowledge the Lord in name.
You have no true testimony.
The Lord Jesus doesn't recognize you as believers in Him.
So given your present circumstances,
shouldn't you take a moment and reflect?
- We have a lot to think about. - Thanks be to God we are finally hearing the truth.
That's right.
After all you've gone through,
if you still don't grasp the Lord's will,
and if you insist on keeping to the notions of man,
it is truly quite dangerous!
It's so true!
The moment you are forsaken and are condemned,
there is no chance to turn back.
- What he's saying is true! - Yes, they are.
Think back to when the Lord Jesus did His work.
Those who followed Him did not
rely on the Roman government or compromise with Jewish leaders.
They preached,
and they bore witness of the Lord just based on His words.
After undergoing much persecution and torment,
they bore resounding testimony for the Lord.
That is who will gain God's approval.
Amen!
When you relied on the CCP and took the Three-Self path,
did the Holy Spirit verify that choice?
Was it based on the Lord Jesus' words?
No.
Following the Lord should be based on the Lord Jesus' words.
Paul's words that we should obey ruling powers can't represent the Lord Jesus' words.
The Lord Jesus never said people should obey the powers that be,
nor that people should pray for the powers that be.
Isn't that the case?
Yes.
- Yes, that's correct. - That's true!
The Lord Jesus bore all manner of suffering to redeem mankind,
and in time was crucified.
Only those in Judaism dared to condemn the Lord Jesus.
They weren't worthy to receive the Lord Jesus' salvation.
Yes, indeed.
That we are persecuted for following God is God's grace for us,
but some … some people,
they see that we are pursued,
and they laugh at us and mock us for it.
Now tell me, just how do you think the Lord will treat such people?
Will the Lord approve of them?
- Absolutely not. - Of course not.
Yes.
Amen!
The Lord Jesus bore great suffering to redeem mankind.
As those who follow the Lord,
should we not also bear the torment of mockery, slander, and persecution?
- Of course! - Yes, we should!
Are we still followers of the Lord if we solely pursue safety?
And only the Lord knows if such people who claim to follow Him are sincere.
Yes.
As believers, we want to be blessed,
but we don't want to suffer.
- That's not God's will. - Yes, it's true.
They suffer persecution, yet they continue to spread the gospel.
They are sincere believers, and they'll gain God's approval!
Yes.
With the demolition of your church,
God's will has been revealed.
Those who rely on the CCP will all perish.
God wants to save man,
yet God allows the satanic ruling power to persecute His chosen people.
God is using the CCP's behavior
to allow us to clearly see the evil essence of Satan, the devil,
to clearly see how Satan corrupts and harms mankind,
how Satan resists God and makes itself an enemy of God,
and to help us all identify Satan…
Amen!
…so that we can all loathe Satan, reject Satan, and forsake it,
so that we can turn to God, and be gained by Him.
Amen!
This reveals God's wisdom and omnipotence!
- God is wise! - God has such wisdom.
God uses the CCP's service to perfect His chosen people,
but this does not mean these powers are established by God.
Do you think God would create Satan so as to corrupt and harm mankind?
- Absolutely not. - There is no way.
Or a satanic ruling power made to resist Him?
- Certainly not! - Of course not!
No way!
Then, when the pastors and elders use Paul's words
to say that the powers that be are made by God,
and praying for satanic rulers is His will,
isn't this spreading evil fallacies to deceive people?
- Yeah, it is. - Yes, he is right!
That's just what it is.
Yet some people hope to gain safety from Satan,
and that God will bless them?
How could such a thing ever happen?
Brother Zheng, you're absolutely right.
When we joined the Three-Self Church, those were indeed our intentions.
We thought we'd achieve both,
and that we were clever for thinking of it.
We never thought our place of worship would be destroyed.
Finally, I see the CCP's demonic face and feel deeply ashamed.
Thank God!
Thanks to God!
- All our prayers for the CCP were in vain! - How could we be so foolish?
- Yes, that is all true. - You're entirely right.
We've prayed for the CCP for over 20 years,
but haven't seen a hint of its repentance.
That's right.
Instead, things have grown worse.
They're yet more frenzied, and they even tore down our church.
Right!
They're despicable!
The CCP's truly demonic!
We can't pray for the devil anymore!
- That's right, we can't pray for it anymore! - How could a person of faith pray for a devil?
Yes.
At first when I prayed for the CCP,
I felt some peace in my heart.
I used to think if we love the CCP,
they certainly won't arrest or persecute us,
and that would be enough.
I never imagined the CCP would actually destroy our church!
Right! They're detestable!
They're detestable!
And then, when I saw the church come down, my heart broke to pieces.
The CCP is despicable!
Yes!
When I joined the Three-Self Church,
I didn't question if it was right.
I just thought,
since the Lord knows our hearts, it didn't matter which church I joined;
if I sincerely believed, I would be saved.
Right. I had the same idea.
- I had the same idea too. - But now finally, I understand.
Which path we choose in our faith is a critical question.
You're entirely correct!
That's right.
With the Three-Self Church, we haven't been believing in the Lord at all.
We can't speak about the pure truths or the Revelation.
We can just speak of "loving country and religion."
That's right.
We can't even hold meetings in our own homes.
That's right.
Friends from other denominations can't visit!
That's right, plus we have to make reports to the CCP!
If we believe under the constraints of the CCP,
how can we gain the truth as life?
That's right!
- How can we act according to God's will? - Exactly.
The CCP doesn't allow us to spread the gospel.
How can we practice the Lord's words like that?
How can we obey or bear witness for the Lord?
- Yes. - We can't bear testimony!
It's awful!
Believing while in a Three-Self church
is letting ourselves be controlled by the CCP demons!
Yes.
We become prisoners under Satan's bondage!
- He's absolutely right! - That's precisely the CCP's purpose.
- Yes, that's exactly right. - He hit the nail on the head.
In the years we've believed in a Three-Self church,
we've just been going through the motions.
Yes.
We haven't felt the Holy Spirit's work.
And having to salute the flag,
sing the national anthem, and talk about patriotism
is utterly disgusting to me!
Yes.
It's true.
It doesn't seem like belief in the Lord at all!
Now I can clearly see
the Three-Self path doesn't have the Lord's blessing.
If we take it,
we stand with Satan and can't bear witness.
I regret taking that path!
- We lost the ability to bear true testimony. - How could we have consorted with Satan?
How could we have consorted with Satan like we did?
Bad news! The police are coming!
Brother Yang, take these two brothers out the back!
Brothers and sisters, make your way home!
Where is Yu Congguang?
Talk!
Damn you!
Talk!
Dammit, I told you to talk!
Talk!
Talk!
This is the last time I'm gonna ask!
Where's Yu Congguang?
Where's the church's money?
Start talking!
I don't know.
Now!
Talk!
Damn you! You bastard!
You know, you should realize
the CCP's policy is to fully eliminate all religious faith.
In China, as long as the CCP holds power,
no one will be allowed to believe in God.
Christians simply won't be allowed to exist.
The Central Committee said,
for you Church of Almighty God people,
we could deal with you as we want.
We can kill you if we'd like.
So, I suggest you be good and cooperate.
Tell us everything that you know.
Otherwise,
you will not leave this place alive.
It's natural to believe in God.
It is right,
and doesn't violate any national laws.
I have nothing to tell you.
Then do it.
Yes, sir!
Screw him!
You sure about your decision? Hm?
Dammit! More power!
Yes, sir!
Chief, we got word on Yu Congguang's whereabouts!
Wait till I catch Yu Congguang,
then watch what I do with you.
Come!
Chief Huang,
this image was captured this morning on a security camera.
What's next?
Send a search notice to nearby villages!
Right!
Thanks be to the Lord everyone got away safely today.
Yes.
Have arrangements been made for the brothers?
They have. They will be safe.
Thanks be to the Lord!
- Their fellowship today was truly insightful. - Yes.
I've never heard such good preaching.
Yes.
My heart feels brightened.
Thanks to the Lord!
It was so helpful.
Brother Chen.
Yes?
Are they the brothers who preached the gospel to you before?
That's exactly right.
They're from The Church of Almighty God.
They believe in Almighty God!
That's why they spoke so well!
Right!
I've heard The Church of Almighty God has the truth,
and it turns out to be true.
Yes, it really is.
Indeed,
they testified about Almighty God's work to me half a year ago.
What they said sounded correct and insightful,
and I was entirely convinced.
Afterward, Pastor Wang found out,
and so that, plus the CCP's arrests of Eastern Lightning
stopped me from seeking.
But I had always hoped
that I'd see them again and be able to hear their fellowship.
Then, from nowhere,
at the height of our confusion, they showed up.
I'm grateful to the Lord for that.
It was ordained by the Lord!
Yes.
Thanks be to the Lord!
No more can we be constrained by the CCP or the pastors and elders.
Let's investigate Eastern Lightning.
If Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus,
then we have to follow, no matter the cost.
- I agree completely. - You're absolutely right.
Let's arrange for our brothers and sisters to hear them too.
Yes.
The CCP is watching us.
How can we meet again?
We have to find a safe place.
Hey, what if we hold separate meetings?
Yeah, that would work.
It could.
Let's go tell our brothers and sisters.
Alright.
And let's leave separately.
Let's go.
Oh, it'll be cold tomorrow, tell them to wear an extra layer.
Brother Yu.
Yeah?
Who'd of thought we'd be meeting in a cowshed!
Yeah, all thanks to the CCP.
Yes, it is.
You know, at first, I thought following my pastor into the Three-Self Church
was a great way to have it all.
I'd gain peace of mind and God's blessings.
The sound of our church, as it came crashing to the ground,
was the sound of our dream being smashed to bits.
Now I understand
that all the years we prayed for the CCP were in vain!
The CCP's an evil demon, and it will never repent!
Yes.
God will curse and destroy the CCP because it resists God,
but we followed our pastors and our elders in praying for it.
Isn't this opposing and going against God?
This gravely offends God's disposition!
We all have sinned against the Lord,
so we need to reflect to confess and repent.
That you've gained this understanding turns a bad situation good.
Thanks be to the Lord!
Hey, Brother Yang!
Oh, you're here!
- Let's go. - Alright, let's go up to the loft.
Brother Yu, why do you think the pastors and the elders constrain us
and have us pray for the CCP?
Can't they see the demonic essence of the CCP?
Right. They've believed for so long.
Can they really not see it?
Right.
That's actually easy to answer.
The pastors and elders ask you to pray for the CCP
simply because they are timid and fearful.
They wish to please Satan and survive as cowards.
They believe that praying this way will keep them safe,
that they won't be arrested,
and that they'll receive extra privileges.
Can you recall
how Satan tempted the Lord Jesus by pointing to the wealth of all the nations?
"All these things will I give You,
if You will fall down and worship me," said Satan.
That's right.
- Right! - Yes.
Satan's been doing this since ancient times,
and today, it still uses wealth to seduce believers into relying on it,
and it's how pastors and elders lead people into the same.
We're being led by the blind!
They ally with the government, side with satanic power,
and are enemies of God.
The path they walk is the same path as the Pharisees in Judaism.
Right.
That really is the case.
They crave life and fear death, they sold out the Lord,
and they want to sell you out to Satan's domain,
so they try to keep you from accepting God's work of the last days.
See it? What's the problem?
They are betraying the Lord!
That's right!
Not just betraying the Lord and relying on Satan,
they're denying others the kingdom of heaven!
- This is really serious, isn't it? - They deeply harm us!
What does the Lord Jesus say about this?
And the Lord Jesus said,
Yes!
Now let's look at what Almighty God says.
Alright.
- Brother Chen. - Yes?
Read this passage.
Alright.
That's exactly right.
Yes.
Through what's shown in Almighty God's words,
we can see that the pastors' and elders' actions
are no different than the Pharisees' in Judaism.
- They're exactly the same. - That's right.
- They're the same. - Yes, that's right.
As believers in God,
we must be sure that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life.
Amen!
We can never follow the pastors and elders in betraying the Lord.
- Amen! - That's right.
Yeah.
For many years, they have deceived you all
and had you pray for the powers that be.
The result?
You've fallen into darkness.
Yes, we have.
They've ruined us!
That's right!
Today, the Holy Spirit's expressed the words He shall speak to churches,
yet they still prevent you from investigating the true way.
So therefore,
aren't the pastors and elders obstacles on your path to the kingdom of heaven?
- That's correct. - Yes, they are.
Brother Yu, you really have insight into the pastors and elders.
The pastors and elders are false shepherds who resist God.
Yes.
When they led us to the Three-Self Church, and to pray for the CCP,
we all felt that it was wrong.
Yes.
But what did they say?
That they were God's servants established by God,
and to not obey them was disobeying the Lord.
- That's just what they said. - Yes, they did.
So we were constrained.
The result?
We followed the pastors and the elders into siding with Satan.
We have all followed them for more than 20 years,
but we've gained nothing.
That's right!
They truly have ruined us all!
Now, I clearly see
that they led us down the path of resisting and betraying God.
Exactly.
If we follow them, we won't enter the kingdom of heaven,
but we will go to hell and be punished.
- Yes. - The pastors and elders really hurt us!
They're utterly evil!
The pastors and elders are loathsome!
Rather than guiding us all to practice the way of the Lord,
they lead us to relying on a satanic power and betraying the Lord.
- Exactly! - That's right.
And they deceived us by saying we were just being wise,
because with the Three-Self church,
we would still gain the Lord's approval,
as long as we repented, acknowledged the Lord's name,
when He returns, we'd enter the kingdom of heaven.
They're so deceptive!
It seems like everything the pastors and elders said
were just lies to deceive us!
- That's right! - Exactly!
They put us in bondage under the satanic CCP.
They're nothing more than Satan's accomplices!
- Exactly. - Absolutely!
We all should forsake these pastors and elders!
- Amen! - You're so right!
What we need to do is kick away these obstacles.
Yes.
We should never again accept their constraints!
Yes!
Absolutely! If we follow them, we will end up in hell!
Right.
They'd ask us to obey the CCP, and to pray for the government
to keep us constrained by the Three-Self Church, and under Satan's domain,
so we'd give them offerings and provide for them.
That's precisely their goal!
Every day they enjoy our offerings to God,
then turn around and stop us from reading Almighty God's words
and investigating the true way.
They're so evil!
They do this to keep us all trapped in the Three-Self Church.
That's just what they want. They're despicable!
Yes!
They're no different from the CCP.
They're simply devils who resist God!
They're completely ruthless!
Yes!
We must not just spurn the CCP,
we need to reject pastors and elders too to escape the Three-Self Church!
- Yes! - That's right!
We must seek truth and accept God's salvation in the last days.
That's the only way we can escape Satan's domain!
- Indeed. - Thanks to the Lord!
At last we will investigate the true way.
We should have sought Almighty God's work in the last days long ago.
Today's an opportunity the Lord provided, we can't afford to miss it.
That's right.
Thanks be to the Lord!
Brother Zheng.
Yes?
Can you tell us about the work of Almighty God within the last days?
Yes, tell us about it.
Alright.
We know that when the Lord Jesus preached, He said,
Now the Lord Jesus has returned at last.
He is the incarnate Almighty God,
who has appeared to work, speak new words
and do judgment work beginning with God's house.
This fulfills the Lord Jesus' prophecy,
Amen!
And it fulfills this prophecy in Revelation:
The Holy Spirit's words are undoubtedly the words of God.
When God comes incarnate as the Son of man to speak,
it's the Holy Spirit speaking to the churches.
Those who believe in Almighty God have all turned to Him
because they've heard God's voice.
That's what it is.
Then we should read Almighty God's words right away.
Yes.
Everyone, here are some pictures from The Church of Almighty God's website.
Sister Li, hand me the computer.
Let's get a good look at this today!
Yes, we should.
Look at this, these are all gospel films.
So many videos!
Yes.
And crosstalk!
And comedy skits!
And musicals!
There's so much there!
- Right. - This is wonderful!
Such variety!
Right now, the words of Almighty God are available on the Internet,
available to people of all nations to witness Almighty God's appearance and work.
More and more people are reading Almighty God's words,
and are determining that it's the truth, that it's the voice of God,
and that Almighty God's the returned Lord Jesus.
So more people are turning to Almighty God.
That's great.
Almighty God's gospel has spread overseas!
Yes.
That which comes from God thrives!
Amen!
This fulfills the prophecy in the Bible,
Amen!
Amen!
Hey Brother Zheng, show us one of the church videos!
- Yes. - Alright.
Here's a video of readings of Almighty God's words.
Great.
That's great.
Let's get a good look at it!
Amen!
These words really are the voice of God!
Yes.
God's words have authority and power.
No mere human could speak these words.
- Yes. - It's really the voice of God.
Indeed.
Let's read two more passages of God's word.
Alright!
Amen!
Thank God!
- Brother Yu. - Yes?
I'll read next?
Okay.
- Thanks be to God! - Amen!
At last I understand.
Through belief in the Lord, our sins are forgiven,
but that doesn't mean we can enter the kingdom of heaven.
That's right.
First our dispositions must be purified, and we must gain the truth as life.
- Right. - Yes.
Only through Almighty God's work in the last days
might we be purified and enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Amen! - Thanks be to God!
Thanks to God!
That you can have such understanding after hearing Almighty God's words
is truly wonderful.
Thank the Lord for guiding us.
This is what results from God's sheep hearing His voice.
Amen!
God's enlightening us.
Indeed.
So now we all understand
that during the Age of Grace,
the Lord Jesus just did redemption work,
not His work of judgment and purification in the last days.
Yes.
The Lord Jesus only forgave our sins,
He hadn't yet resolved our sinful natures.
Right.
The Lord Jesus had prophesied that He'd come again.
But what is the work He will do when He returns?
Will it be to rapture all believers to the sky to reunite with Him?
Isn't it?
No.
When the Lord Jesus returns,
He'll do the work of judgment beginning with God's house.
- Judgment? - Yes.
He will lift those who accepted the Lord Jesus' redemption before God's throne,
do the judgment and purification work,
then bring them into God's kingdom.
Thanks be to God!
Those who hear God's voice and are lifted before God's throne
will dine at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Thank the Lord.
Those who accept Almighty God, who experience judgment in God's words,
whose dispositions are purified, and who are made overcomers by God
are who will truly be lifted up into the kingdom of heaven.
- Yes. - Thanks to God!
Such people will gain God's approval and blessings and a beautiful destination.
- Amen! - That's great.
They are blessed!
- Yes. - That's my hope!
On the other hand,
those who resist and won't accept Almighty God
are the tares revealed by God's work in the last days.
They are the servants of evil and antichrists who resist God,
and so, they will all be punished and destroyed in the great disaster.
These two are the different endings of the wise virgins and the foolish virgins.
Then we must be wise virgins.
Yes.
Truly, thanks be to God!
That you've been able to awaken and accept Almighty God's work
means you are all wise virgins who have been lifted before God's throne
so as to dine at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Thanks to God.
In this, hasn't every one of us been blessed by God?
Yes!
- I never expected this! - Thank God.
I never thought we'd dine at the marriage supper of the Lamb!
Yes, this really is God's mercy.
We are all truly blessed!
- We are. - Yes.
Thanks to God!
Yes.
Brother Yu,
you've not believed in Almighty God long,
yet you understand much truth.
I admire you for that.
Yes.
Thanks to God!
I've been in a Three-Self church for many years,
and have only gained rote doctrine, with no understanding of truth.
I'm truly so far behind you.
Right.
I must flee the Three-Self Church for Almighty God,
and follow God's footsteps!
Amen!
- Thanks be to God! - Thanks to God!
Thanks be to the Lord! He hasn't abandoned us!
Yes.
We were all misled by the pastors and elders, and controlled by Satan.
We lost our testimony.
Right.
It took the demise of our church, of our place of worship
for us to finally see.
Right.
If God hadn't moved these brothers to fellowship with us
on Almighty God's work in the last days,
we would still be in the dark, without a way out.
That's right.
But today, God has truly saved us and helped us escape Satan.
Now, we all finally have hope of salvation!
- Thanks to God! - Amen!
It's a good thing our church was torn down.
Otherwise, we'd be doomed and not know it!
Yes!
We were such ignorant fools.
And today, we've had the good fortune to hear the words of Almighty God.
Amen!
This absolutely is the voice of God!
- Yes! - Amen!
Thanks to Almighty God!
Amen!
We can't miss this final opportunity!
- Amen! - Thanks to God!
We can't miss this final opportunity!
It's a good thing our place of worship was destroyed.
Yes.
Without the fall of our church,
we might never have had the chance to repent.
Yes.
Thanks be to Almighty God for saving us from Satan's clutches!
Amen!
- Thanks to Almighty God! - We can't waste this opportunity!
Thanks to Almighty God!
- Let's pursue as best we can. - Right.
Yes.

After the Church Falls&quot; | True Stories of Christians in China

After the Church Falls" | True Stories of Christians in China