How The Church of Almighty God Came Into Being
Like the churches of Christianity, The Church of Almighty God came into existence because of the work of God become flesh. The churches of Christianity came to be because of the appearance and work of the Lord Jesus become flesh, and The Church of Almighty God came to be because of the appearance and work of the incarnate Almighty God of the last days. Thus, churches throughout the ages have been produced because of the appearance and work of God become flesh. God expresses many truths each time He becomes flesh to do work, and many people come to accept and follow God because of these truths expressed by God, thus giving rise to the churches. From this it can be seen that the churches are formed from those who accept the work of God and follow God. These gatherings of God’s chosen ones are called churches. Two thousand years ago, the incarnate Lord Jesus appeared and performed His work, preaching, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17), and He did the work of redemption, and expressed the truths that the people of the Age of Grace should put into practice and enter into, many people then began to believe in and follow the Lord, and thus the Christian churches of that time came into being. Afterward, the gospel of the Lord Jesus spread to every country and territory, until the last days when it had spread to the ends of the earth, and Christian churches thus emerged in every country. These were the churches of the Age of Grace. In the last days, the incarnate Almighty God appears and works in mainland China. Upon the foundation of the work of redemption of the Lord Jesus during the Age of Grace, Almighty God carries out the work that “judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17) as prophesied in the Bible. To all mankind, Almighty God reveals all the mysteries of God’s six-thousand-year management plan, and expresses all truths for the purification and salvation of mankind. Because of the appearance and work of Almighty God of the last days, many people from various denominations of the religious world, people who have believed in the Lord for many years, have finally heard the voice of God and seen that the Lord Jesus has returned and has carried out the work of judgment of the last days. They all verify that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus returned, and because of this they have accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days and returned before Almighty God; thus The Church of Almighty God came into being and was established. The Church of Almighty God is therefore entirely the result of the appearance and work of Almighty God. It was personally established by Almighty God, and not by any person. At least several million people in mainland China have accepted and now follow Almighty God. Every Christian in The Church of Almighty God fully recognizes that Almighty God is the Lord Jesus returned, Christ of the last days, and the appearance of God. The Christians of The Church of Almighty God pray to the name of Almighty God. What they read, listen to, and fellowship are the words of Almighty God, and what they hold to are all the truths expressed by Almighty God. These truths are the way of everlasting life brought by God during the last days. God has incarnated in the last days to perform His work, and He has personally appointed and testified to the man used by God, that he might cooperate in the work of God—just as when the Lord Jesus worked, He personally chose and appointed the twelve apostles. These people who are used by God, however, merely cooperate in God’s work, and they are incapable of working in God’s stead. The churches were not established by them, and the one whom God’s chosen ones believe in and follow is not those who are used by God. The churches of the Age of Grace were not set up by Peter, Paul, and the other apostles, but rather they arose because of the work of the Lord Jesus; they were personally established by the Lord Jesus. Likewise, The Church of Almighty God of the last days was also not set up by the man used by God, but rather it arose because of the work of Almighty God. It was personally established by Almighty God, and is shepherded by Himself. The man used by God merely waters, provides for, and guides the churches, performing the duty of man. Although God’s chosen ones are led, watered, and provided for by the man used by God, the One whom God’s chosen ones believe in and follow is Almighty God—which is a fact that no one can deny. Most in The Church of Almighty God are people from Christianity, Catholicism, and other denominations who have believed in the Lord for many years. They all understand the Bible, and after they accept Almighty God’s work of the last days, they testify in these various denominations that the Lord Jesus has returned, that He is Almighty God, and that He has expressed the truth and done the work of judgment of the last days. As a result of seeing that the words of Almighty God are the truth and the voice of God, many people come to accept Almighty God. They are the first group of people who are caught up before the throne of God. Now, Almighty God’s words have been published online for all the world to see, there is a growing number of all manner of videos testifying to God’s work of the last days, and more and more people from all over the world are seeking, investigating and then accepting Almighty God’s work of the last days, thus fulfilling the prophecy in the Bible that “all nations shall flow to it” (Isaiah 2:2). Ultimately, all those who truly believe in God shall return to Almighty God; this is inevitable, for it was long since planned by God, it is God’s decree, and no one can change it! It is just as Almighty God has said: “My people will assuredly listen to My voice, and each and every one of those who sincerely love Me shall assuredly return before My throne” (“Chapter 1” of God’s Words to the Entire Universe in The Word Appears in the Flesh).