The Power of Prayer—Witnessing a Miracle Amidst Despair (Audio Essay)

By Zhao Zhihan

As we journey through life, every one of us will experience some extraordinary events which become inscribed on our memory and will never be forgotten. The experience that has left me with the deepest impression was the time my husband was involved in a car accident, when no one knew whether he would pull through or not, and the days that followed, during which I felt at a complete loss and was at the end of my tether. But what was different for me was that, because God was with me and I had His guidance, I thus had a support, and through praying to God and relying on Him, I witnessed a miracle in the midst of my despair. During that disastrous time, what I gained more was understanding of God’s authority and sovereignty, and a true appreciation of God’s love … https://reurl.cc/p4x48

On the evening of August 13, 2014, I was on my way home after running some errands and it was almost midnight. Just as I got to the community gate, I was unexpectedly halted by my eldest sister and her husband and my second sister’s husband. I thought this was very odd: What are they all doing here so late? Before I could think anymore about it, my eldest sister rushed over to me and said, crying, “Zhihan, where on earth have you been? We’re going out of our minds with worry. Your husband has been in a car accident. Our brother called, he wants you to go to the hospital right away.” When I heard this sudden ill news, I simply couldn’t believe my ears and I just stood there. I thought to myself: “My husband was in a car accident? How could that be? He was on the phone to our son at dinner time….” My two brothers-in-law then told me how the car accident had happened and told me what the doctors had said, that my husband was in a serious condition and that even if he would be lucky to survive, there was a 99 percent chance he would be brain-dead…. I wept inconsolably as I listened and felt as though the sky would collapse. I had no idea how to face it all.

Because it was so late, it took some time to find a taxi that would take us to the city hospital. That made me even more frantic, worrying that I wouldn’t see my husband alive ever again. Just as I was feeling overwhelmed and panicked, I suddenly thought of the story of Job that is recorded in the Bible. When trials befell him, all his property was stolen away, his children came to unfortunate ends, and he himself became covered all over with terrible boils. Though this trial brought Job great pain and distress, he had God in his heart, and he chose rather to curse the day of his own birth than speak sinfully. He was absolutely obedient to God, whether God gave, or God took away. Job spoke not one word of complaint but extolled the name of Jehovah and bore resounding witness for God. And so, I hurriedly prayed to God: “O God! When I heard about my husband’s car accident, I was struck dumb and felt utterly bewildered, and I don’t know how he is right now. But when I think of how Job revered and obeyed You, I understand that I should try to be like him and have faith in You. O God! All things are in Your hands, and whether or not there is any hope that my husband will be healed, I ask that You keep my heart from blaming You. I wish to submit to Your orchestrations and arrangements, and entrust my husband into Your hands.” After I’d prayed, my heart gradually calmed down.

Afterward, my brother-in-law found a taxi and we sped to the hospital. By that time, it was already gone 5 am, and my husband had been admitted to intensive care. I quickly found a doctor and asked about my husband’s condition. The doctor said resignedly, “The patient’s injuries are too severe. If he is lucky enough to survive, there is a 99 percent chance that he will be brain-dead. You must prepare yourself for this possibility and find at least 200 thousand yuan in medical fees.” Hearing this, I nearly fainted. I felt very worried: “It’s uncertain that my husband will survive, and it will cost so much in medical fees. If it so happens that his treatment doesn’t work, then not only will I lose my husband, but I’ll also be spending all that money for nothing. Without a breadwinner in our family, how will my son and I manage? If my husband really does become brain-dead, how will I keep this family going?” Right then, I felt like a tremendous weight was pressing down on me, pressing down so hard that I couldn’t breathe. I felt totally helpless and at a loss as to what to do. Everything went black before my eyes, and I slumped feebly against the wall. https://reurl.cc/p4x48

In my helpless state, I could only pour out my pain to God. And so, I prayed to God, saying, “O God! My stature is so small. I’m so weak now that this has befallen me, and I don’t know what to do. O God! Please enlighten and guide me.” After praying, I thought of God’s words, “Like all things, man quietly and unknowingly receives the nourishment of the sweetness and rain and dew from God. Like all things, man unknowingly lives under the orchestration of God’s hand. The heart and spirit of man are held in the hand of God, and all the life of man is beheld in the eyes of God. Regardless of whether or not you believe this, any and all things, living or dead, will shift, change, renew, and disappear according to God’s thoughts. This is how God rules over all things” (“God Is the Source of Man’s Life”). Yes, God created the heavens and the earth and all things, and He also gave us life. God provides us with everything we need, and He rules and arranges the destiny of each and every one of us. Life and death are even more so in His hands, for this is God’s authority. A created being such as I had no control over my future and my destiny, so I should place it all into God’s hands and submit to His sovereignty and arrangements. I then thought of the time Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. When they came to the wilderness and had nothing to eat, Jehovah let manna fall from heaven and provided them with quail to eat, and He promised them that He would give them sufficient to eat every day. Yet some had no faith in God and were afraid that they would have no food on the next day. And so, they saved some manna to eat the next day, but when the next day came, they found that the manna was no longer fit to eat. From this, I came to understand that God is the Creator who supplies and nourishes mankind, and as long as we sincerely believe in Him and obey Him, then His provision for us will never run dry. And yet people don’t have faith in God and are always worrying about their futures and scheming for their own interests. At this point, I realized through self-reflection that I did not have true faith in God and was always worrying and feeling anxious about my future life. Not only could this not solve my problems, but on the contrary it only added to the pressure and burden that I felt. Thinking of this, I prayed to God, entrusting the future life of my family into His hands. No matter what God did, I said in my prayer, I wished only to be able to submit to His sovereignty and arrangements. Just then, the oppressiveness and tension I felt were somewhat relieved. https://reurl.cc/p4x48

I came to intensive care and saw my husband. Because he had a cranial fracture, blood kept leaking from both his ears. He also had three broken ribs, the femur in his right leg was broken, all the toes on his left foot were broken, both his lungs had been injured, and most of his body was black and blue with bruises. I thought of how my husband had been so happy yesterday morning, and how he had called our son yesterday evening, and now he was like this…. The more I thought of it, the more I felt pain piercing my heart.

On the third day since the accident, my husband’s condition suddenly worsened. His breathing became very shallow and his face became waxy, as though he was about to die. Looking at my husband, our family wept and said he may not last the day. Thinking that my husband was going to leave us, my heart was cloven with grief and I was in extreme pain. At the same time, I perceived how insignificant people are, and how helpless and powerless we are in the face of illness. All I could do was pray silently to God and look to Him and entrust Him with my husband. At that time, I thought of a hymn, “God’s Ways Cannot Be Fathomed,” which says, “You exist with the heavens and the earth. Who knows the compass of Your deeds? All we see is one grain on a sandy beach. Stilling our tongues, we await Your disposal.” I hummed this song silently in my heart and understood that God is the Creator, that He rules and administers all things, that God preordains life, death, sickness and old age, as well as the rules that govern change in all things, and that no human being can change them, much less break them. When the Lord Jesus performed His works, He spoke only one word of rebuke to the wind and sea, and they were calmed; with one word, the Lord Jesus summoned Lazarus from out of his tomb and he came alive again after being dead for 4 days. God keeps the keys to hell and controls the life and death of mankind. Only God can bring people back to life, turn nothing into something and something into nothing—the authority of God cannot be measured! As I contemplated God’s deeds, I found my faith in God and I came to believe that all things are in God’s hands. Whether or not my husband would wake up again and to what extent his injuries would develop was up to God. I then prayed to God, entrusting my husband to Him and willing to submit to all of God’s arrangements. https://reurl.cc/p4x48

On the morning of the fourth day, my son and I came to intensive care and asked a nurse about my husband’s condition. She said that there had been no new developments, but that he was a little better than he had been. I cried tears of gratitude, and silently I offered up my thanks and my praise to God.

A week passed, and my husband had not yet woken up. The doctor said to me, “As your husband hasn’t yet woken up, we have to transfer him to another hospital to have an operation. You will need to find several hundred thousand more yuan to pay for the operation.” As he spoke, he pointed to another patient in the ward, and said, “Look at him. His injuries are not as severe as your husband’s, but he has been treated for over 10 days now and his swelling has not gone down and he has not regained consciousness. We have no choice other than to transfer him to another hospital.” Listening to the doctor speak, I didn’t know what to do for the best. I worried that my husband would become brain-dead, and I didn’t know where to go to find the money to pay for his operation. At that time, I was paying for my husband’s hospital fees by overdrawing on my credit card. If his treatment was delayed because I ran out of money, what would I do then? At that moment, worry, anxiety, pain and helplessness overcame me all at once. All I could do was pray to God, look to Him and entrust Him with it all, and ask for His help and guidance. https://reurl.cc/p4x48

On the tenth day, the attending doctor said to me, “I’ll contact the other hospital for you. If your husband doesn’t regain consciousness in the next two days, then he’ll have to be transferred. This is because your husband’s femur must be operated on within a fortnight, otherwise he will be permanently disabled. You must quickly prepare around 400 thousand yuan to pay for the operation. It really cannot wait….” Hearing this, I became incredibly anxious, and I had no idea where I could go to borrow that kind of money. The family gave gifts to the traffic police so they could help us find the one who had crashed into my husband, but to no avail. Our relatives and friends saw our situation and knew that we would never be able to pay any money back, and so they just gave me words of comfort, and not one person was willing to lend us any money. The fickleness of the world and of human feelings caused me to despair. Crying, I prayed to God and said, “O God! All things are in Your hands. Though my husband has been unconscious for 10 days, he still lives, and in this I can see You protecting him. But today, the doctor wants us to transfer to another hospital and the operation will be so expensive. I really don’t know what to do. O God! I ask that You strengthen my faith and open up a way for me. No matter what You do, I wish to experience it with an obedient heart.” After praying, I felt a little calmer. Over these past few days, I had become closer to God through prayer and I had witnessed God’s wondrous deeds with my own eyes. Against all odds, my husband was still alive, and this was all down to God’s care and protection. I believed that, as long as I kept praying to God and relying on Him, God would surely guide me. I had to have faith in God and should not become disheartened and hopeless because of a little setback, for if I did, then how would I experience God’s work?

Later on, I returned home to try and raise some money. Unexpectedly, my uncle was willing to lend me some money and, even better than that, the one who caused the crash was found. Just then, my son called me and said excitedly, “Mom, dad has woken up. The doctor says he doesn’t need to be transferred to another hospital anymore, and is arranging a day for dad to have the operation. Hurry and come to the hospital….” As I listened to my son, I was so thrilled, tears poured from my eyes and my grief became mixed with joy. In my heart, I kept thanking God and praising His wondrous deeds.

Before my husband had the operation on his femur, the doctor had me sign a guarantee form and a notice of critical illness, and said to me, “Although your husband has regained consciousness, due to the serious nature of his injuries, his body is extremely weak. He now has to undergo a lengthy operation and if he can’t bear it then he will begin to move around on the operating table. Therefore, we have to give him a general anesthetic. But by doing this, we face the risk of him not regaining consciousness after the operation. We have seen this happen before in this hospital. As a relative of the patient, you must think carefully about whether you want to take this risk or just leave him in his current state.” After the doctor had finished speaking, I was left in a flurry of indecision. I was at a loss and, for a short while, I didn’t know how I could make this decision. Then I thought of how my husband had gotten through the last 10 days in hospital without being in too much danger. Not only had he not had to be transferred to another hospital, but instead had woken up before the operation—had these not been the wondrous deeds of God? Whereas the patient who had not been as seriously injured as my husband had not yet regained consciousness despite being treated for over 10 days. In the end, that patient had to be transferred to another hospital, and it was uncertain whether or not he would survive. I thought of how my husband had been protected by God all along, so whatever came next would also be ruled by God. Man’s life, death, fortune and misfortune are all held in God’s hands, and I had to submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements. And so I thought no more about the matter and, as I signed the forms, I said a silent prayer to God: “O God! I believe that my husband’s life and death are in Your hands, and it is not the doctors who have the final say. I wish to rely on You and look to You as I experience this situation. No matter what happens to my husband in the end, I believe that everything You do is for the best, and such a tiny created being as myself should obey the Creator.” https://reurl.cc/p4x48

(Source: Megapixl)

I hadn’t expected that my husband’s operation would go so well and, as I watched him move away from danger little by little, the stone in my heart finally gave way. The doctor said to me in amazement, “Your husband waking up is completely beyond what we imagined. It really is a miracle!” I knew deep inside that this was all God’s protection, and I thanked God’s kindness from the bottom of my heart. After the operation, however, my husband had completely lost all memory and he didn’t even recognize me. He lost his temper easily and had the IQ of an infant, and I was extremely worried. I consulted the doctor and asked whether my husband would ever be like he used to be, but the doctor said, “He is suffering from postoperative amnesia and it’s hard to say when he will recover. When your husband’s injuries have healed, he can go to the rehabilitation center to recuperate….” As I heard him say this, I began to languish in worry once again: “If my husband stays like this, he’ll be like a simpleton. What can I do?” With this worry, I couldn’t eat or sleep, and just as I was at my wits’ end, I thought of God’s words, “Which is to say, where a person goes after they die and are reincarnated, whether they are male or female, what their mission is, what they will go through in life, their setbacks, what blessings they enjoy, who they will meet, what will happen to them—no one can predict this, avoid it, or hide from it. Which is to say, after your life has been set, in what happens to you, however you try and avoid it, by whatever means you try and avoid it, you have no way of violating the life course set out for you by God in the spiritual world” (“God Himself, the Unique X”). God’s words brought me to understand that God long ago preordained all the things we are to experience in our lives. Whether it be hardship or good fortune, it is not up to us what happens, and we cannot predict it. But every stage we experience throughout the course of our lives is meticulously arranged by God and His good intentions are behind them all. God hopes that we will come to have true understanding of His disposition and what He has and is as we experience these environments, and He hopes that they will enable our lives to grow. Thinking back to my experiences over those past few days, just when my husband’s life was about to be extinguished because of that car accident and I was feeling helpless and in pain, it was the timely enlightenment and guidance of God’s words which made me understand His sovereignty and authority. Only then did I let go of the worry in my heart and I found the faith to rely on God; when I was facing the enormous cost of the operation and didn’t know what to do, I prayed sincerely to God and God opened up a way for me. Not only did He solve my lack of money, but He also caused my husband to regain consciousness. Afterward, I truly experienced God’s love and guidance. God never left me even for a moment, and every time I felt helpless and weak, God was there to guide me over the hurdles with His timely words. Without God’s guidance, I wouldn’t have known how to get through all that pain. Only now do I understand that, if I hadn’t experienced this situation, then I would never have been able to truly know God, my understanding of God’s authority would have remained forever theoretical, and my faith in God would not have increased. These situations bring the most benefit to my life and I no longer wish to avoid them, and I am willing to rely on God to follow the onward path, and I believe that God will guide me. https://reurl.cc/p4x48

My husband stayed in the city hospital for 21 days before he was transferred. After that, I prayed to God every day and placed my husband in God’s hands, and I patiently taught him how to speak and to recognize all kinds of things and the people around him. Imperceptibly, he no longer lost his temper and was able to recognize relatives. Seeing my husband get better day by day, I was overjoyed, and the doctors all said to me in astonishment, “It’s inconceivable. No one would have thought that he could recover so quickly. It really is a miracle! The patient next to him was in a similar car accident and still hasn’t regained consciousness 6 months after the accident. It’s still in question whether or not he will survive. You have truly been lucky!” Hearing this, I kept thanking and praising God in my heart, for it was only God’s protection that had allowed my husband to survive.

After my husband was discharged from hospital, his recovery quickened. Not only could he walk on crutches, but his basic memory came back. I told him about all that had happened since he was admitted to hospital, how I had relied on God and how God had guided me through those days of extreme pain and weakness. His eyes brimmed with tears as he said to me, “When I’m better, I shall bear testimony that God saved me, so that more people will know of God’s almightiness and His wondrous deeds.” When I heard my husband say this, I felt real gratitude for God’s salvation.

Through this extraordinary experience, I truly saw God’s wondrous deeds, and I saw that God is the Ruler of all things. God does indeed control the life and death of every single person, and no created being can ever surpass His power and authority. As the word of God says, “Man’s life originates from God, the existence of the heaven is because of God, and the existence of the earth stems from the power of God’s life. No object possessed of vitality can transcend the sovereignty of God, and no thing with vigor can break away from the ambit of God’s authority. In this way, regardless of who they are, everyone must submit under the dominion of God, everyone must live under God’s command, and no one can escape from His control” (“Only Christ of the Last Days Can Give Man the Way of Eternal Life”).

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主耶稣回来时， 我们该怎样认出他呢

李弟兄对迎接主再来是否根据主耶稣的形象认识主有困惑，就来赵弟兄家寻求探讨。一见到赵弟兄，他就开门见山地说：“经上说：‘加利利人哪，你们为什么站着望天呢？这离开你们被接升天的耶稣，你们见他怎样往天上去，他还要怎样来。’（使徒行传1:11）经文中说得很清楚，主耶稣走的时候是以犹太人的形像升天的，等主再来的时候肯定也是以犹太人的形像降临，一直以来多数信主的人都是这么领受的，应该没错啊。但为什么最近有一部分弟兄姊妹说我们这样领受错了，还说我们这样领受是在定规神呢？我现在还真有点看不透了。主再来时，到底会不会以犹太人的形像降临在我们中间呢？如果真的不是这样，那主回来时，我们到底该如何才能认出他呢？对于这些问题啊，我现在还真有点看不透了。赵弟兄，你信主多年，也熟读圣经，你能谈谈你的领受吗？”李弟兄开门见山地对赵弟兄说。

“这事不好说，万一主回来不以犹太人的形像来，咋办呢？咱可不能保证咱们的领受就是对的，也就是说主重归是犹太人的形像。咱们根据字面意思理解经文容易定规神啊，当初的法利赛人不就犯了这方面的错吗？经上说：‘因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在他的肩头上。他名称为奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。’（以赛亚书9:6）当初的祭司长、文士、法利赛人看到这处预言就展开了丰富的想象，认为弥赛亚来了，是来担当政权的，肯定是降生在王宫，而且他的长相肯定是威风凛凛、超凡脱俗、与众不同。但当主来作工时长相普通，像平凡人还有正常人性，也没有出生在皇宫里，而是降生在马槽，在穷木匠的家庭中长大。法利赛人一看主的外表长相、出生与他们头脑想象中的神不一样，就否认并定罪主耶稣。正如耶和华神说：‘我养育儿女，将他们养大，他们竟悖逆我。牛认识主人，驴认识主人的槽，以色列却不认识；我的民却不留意。’（以赛亚书1:2-3）法利赛人祖祖辈辈信神、事奉神，但当主耶稣来作工时，他们仅凭主耶稣的出生、外表长相来衡量神，却不根据主耶稣的说话作工来认识神，因着主耶稣的外表长相、出生家庭背景不合他们的观念，再加上主耶稣作的工与旧约律法不相同，他们就把主耶稣当成普通人对待。面对主耶稣的作工，他们丝毫不寻求考察，而是随意论断、定罪，当他们看到很多犹太百姓都听主耶稣讲道时，他们害怕百姓都去跟随主耶稣，没有人再跟随他们，为了保住他们的地位、饭碗，公然大肆造谣、亵渎、毁谤、定罪主耶稣，甚至还联合罗马政府把主耶稣钉死在十字架上，最终遭到了神的咒诅。法利赛人的失败教训让我们明白了，不能根据我们的观念想象来理解圣经预言，也更不能凭着我们的观念想象来定规神的形像。”赵弟兄交通道。

李弟兄若有所思地点点头。

赵弟兄接着交通：“神的形像不是一成不变的，就像在律法时代，神在荆棘、火焰中向摩西显现过（参阅出埃及记3:1-4）。恩典时代，主耶稣在门徒面前改变过面貌，衣服洁白放光，根本不是犹太人的形像（参阅路加福音9:28-29）。经上记载说：‘神是个灵（或无个字），所以拜他的必须用心灵和诚实拜他。’（约翰福音4:24）神是灵，本是无形无像的，神能升到至高处，也能道成肉身降卑为人，但神不管以什么样的形像显现，他的实质仍然是神自己。我们来看一段神话语，对这方面就清楚了，神的话说：“在全宇之上、在全宇之下神最大，他就能用一个肉身的形像把他自己都说明吗？神穿上这个肉身是为了来作一步工作，肉身的形像并没有什么说法……他道成肉身的长相与他的经营无关，只是为了他当时的工作，但神道成肉身又不能没有一个特定的长相，所以他就选择合适的家庭来决定他的长相。若长相有代表意义，那凡是与他相仿的五官端正的都代表神，这不是大错特错吗？”（摘自《作工异象 三》）从神的说话中我们可以知道，其实神肉身的形像并没有什么说法，没有代表意义，与神的经营没有任何关系，肉身的长相并不能代表神的性情，也不能代表神原有的身份，当然更不能把神的实质表明，那我们也就不可能从神肉身的形像认出神的身份了。我们都知道当初那些跟随主耶稣的人，虽然他们见过主耶稣，与主耶稣接触过，甚至十二门徒与主耶稣朝夕相处过，但除了彼得经圣灵指示才认出了主耶稣的身份之外，其余的人都没有因着“亲眼看见”过主耶稣而认出他就是道成肉身的神自己。跟随主耶稣多年的门徒犹大，为了三十块钱就出卖了主耶稣，他如果真认定主耶稣就是弥赛亚，他还敢这样做吗？所以，我们要认识神并不是借着见到道成肉身的神的面才认识的，神道成肉身的形像不是人认识神的途径，认识神关键得认识神的实质，即认识神的作工、说话、性情。我们也绝不能把神肉身的长相当作神原有的形像，不能定规说‘神是犹太人的形像，神就永远是这个形像’，咱这样定规神，当主再来时不是我们想象中的犹太人的形像，我们就不接受，那我们就很容易重蹈法利赛人的覆辙，也很容易错过神的末世救恩啊。”

李弟兄听赵弟兄这么谈，觉得有道理，点头回答：“是啊，神的形像真不是我们人能定规的，看来我所认为的‘主耶稣要以犹太人的形像再来’这样的观点不成立啊。那主耶稣回来了，我们怎样才能认出他呢？”

赵弟兄点点头，继续交通道：“咱们迎接主的再来关键得会听神的声音。我们都知道在主耶稣作工期间，很多跟随主的人都是从主的说话中认出主耶稣就是要来的弥赛亚。就如撒玛利亚妇人，当她听到主耶稣说：“你已经有五个丈夫，你现在有的并不是你的丈夫。”（约翰福音4:18）主的这句话把她埋藏在心底的秘密说出来了，她知道只有神鉴察人暗中的隐情，因此她认出了主耶稣就是要来的弥赛亚。之后她便高兴地向城里人见证主耶稣，很多撒玛利亚人就来虚心聆听主耶稣的道，获得圣灵开启，从主的说话中认出了主。正如他们对撒玛利亚妇人所说：‘现在我们信，不是因为你的话，是我们亲自听见了，知道这真是救世主。’（约翰福音4:42）还有拿但业，他因着主耶稣对他说：‘腓力还没有招呼你，你在无花果树底下，我就看见你了。’（约翰福音1:48）他便认出主耶稣就是弥赛亚……从中看到，咱们要认识神，得从神的说话中来认识，而不是根据神外表的长相。在迎接主来的事上，咱得像拿但业等人注重听神的说话，只有这样我们才能迎接到主。正如主耶稣所说：‘我的羊听我的声音，我也认识他们，他们也跟着我。’（约翰福音10:27）”

“诶，说到这里，我突然想到主耶稣预言过：‘我还有好些事要告诉你们，但你们现在担当不了（或作：不能领会）。只等真理的圣灵来了，他要引导你们明白（原文作：进入）一切的真理；因为他不是凭自己说的，乃是把他所听见的都说出来，并要把将来的事告诉你们。’（约翰福音16:12-13）‘圣灵向众教会所说的话，凡有耳的，就应当听！’（请参看启示录2-3章）从预言中看到主耶稣末世再来还要发声说话，所以当有人给咱见证主回来说话作工了，咱就得留心倾听神的声音，因为我们只有从神的说话作工中才能认出主，才能迎接到主的重归，跟上羔羊的脚踪啊！”李弟兄激动地说道。

赵弟兄点点头，继续交通道：“咱们迎接主关键得根据主的说话作工啊。我想到撒玛利亚妇人，主耶稣把撒玛利亚妇人埋藏在心底的秘密说出来了，她看到只有神鉴察人暗中的隐情，认出了主耶稣就是要来的弥赛亚，之后她便高兴地向城里人见证主耶稣。很多撒玛利亚人就来虚心聆听主耶稣的道，获得圣灵开启，从主的说话中认出了主，正如他们对撒玛利亚妇人所说：‘现在我们信，不是因为你的话，是我们亲自听见了，知道这真是救世主。’（约4:42）还有拿但业因着主耶稣说出他在无花果树下的事，认出主耶稣就是弥赛亚……从中看到，咱们要认识神，得从神的说话作工中来认识，而不是根据主耶稣外表的长相。在迎接主来的事上，咱得像拿但业等人注重听神的说话，正如主耶稣所说：‘我的羊听我的声音，我也认识他们，他们也跟着我。’（约10:27）”

赵弟兄点头表示赞同，说道：“是的，感谢主的带领！”

—— 小华

🔎[ Bible Prophecies Q&A ] 🔎
❓❓All believers in the Lord want to enter the kingdom of heaven, so what’s the criterion for entering into it? Is it working hard or doing the will of God? This article will tell you the answer.

What Are The Criteria For Entering The Kingdom Of Heaven?

By Jinze, China

In the last meeting, Pastor Ma talked about these two verses “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). He said: “It is now the last days, and the prophecies of the advent of the Lord have basically been fulfilled. So we should continue to work hard for the Lord, run around more and spend more, and in this way, we’ll be raptured to the kingdom of heaven at the Lord’s appearing. I remember in the past when there were no churches here, only a few brothers and sisters followed the Lord. Then, I started to run around for spreading the Lord’s gospel. No matter it was rainy, windy, or snowy, nothing could prevent me; sometimes I even had no time to harvest the crops. Some unbelievers laughed at me, but I didn’t care, because I knew the Lord approved of me, and that this was the suffering I ought to bear to enter the kingdom of heaven. …” Hearing Pastor Ma’s fellowship, all the brothers and sisters cast gazes of admiration upon him, and I was secretly pleased, thinking: “Since I began to believe in the Lord, I have been doing my utmost to sacrifice and expend for Him. It seems that my hardships will not be in vain.”

However, Brother Zhen raised doubts about Pastor Ma’s viewpoint that we could enter the kingdom of heaven by working hard. Brother Zhen said: “We believers in the Lord all think if we work tirelessly, following the example of Paul by preaching and expending for the Lord, we’ll be directly raised into the kingdom of heaven at the Lord’s return. Practicing in this way seems right in man’s eyes, and no one disagrees, yet as believers in the Lord we should seek the truth in everything. Though practicing in this way conforms to people’s conceptions, does it conform to God’s will? We should know that God’s words are the principles of our actions, and the standard by which all people, things, and matters are measured. If we practice in accordance with God’s words, we’ll surely gain God’s approval; if we go against His words and practice based on our own conceptions and imaginings, then we’ll definitely be detested and rejected by God........

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After listening to Brother Zhen’s interpretation, I felt some resistance in my heart: “While the price I have paid is not as great as that of the pastors and elders, my expenditures and sacrifices are passable. In the church, I’ve enthusiastically participated in various activities and sacrificed a lot for them. I think what I have done is in accordance with God’s will.” When my view was doubted, I could hardly accept it; yet after hearing Brother Zhen’s fellowship, I found his words were reasonable.

Brother Zhen continued with his fellowship: “The Lord Jesus said, ‘Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity’ (Matthew 7:21-23). From the Lord’s words we can see the Lord Jesus only said ‘but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.’ He didn’t say that all those who work hard for Him would be blessed and enter the kingdom of heaven. Think back to the time when the Pharisees traveled over land and sea to spread the gospel, toiling and laboring. They took hard work for God as a capital, making people worship and follow them. When the Lord Jesus came to do His work, they saw that many Jewish people followed the Lord Jesus. Afraid that they would lose their status and livelihood, they fanatically resisted and condemned the Lord Jesus, and finally colluded with the Roman government to nail Him on the cross. So no matter how hard they had labored for God, all they did was resisting God and doing evil. So how could they enter the kingdom of heaven? Let’s look at the people of every denomination and sect today. Many of them can suffer, pay the price, and work tirelessly for the Lord, but they never put the Lord’s words into practice, nor do they exalt or testify to God during their working and preaching. Instead, they often establish themselves to make others admire and follow them. Everything they do is to maintain their own position and income, and even more to enter the kingdom of heaven. Such kind of sacrifices is nothing more than making a deal with God. So how could they be those who do the will of God? It is clear that we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven only through working hard, and that working hard is not the criterion for entering the kingdom of heaven.”

When we were listening attentively, Pastor Ma asked with a defiant look: “Then can you tell us what it means to do the will of God?” Brother Zhen answered calmly: “Doing the will of God means that people obey the work of God, regard practicing God’s word and obeying Him above all else. They can abide by God’s commandments, work for the Lord as required by God, and truly dedicate themselves to the Lord, without thought of what they might gain in return. All they do is not for reward or for laurels, but for practicing the truth, obeying God and loving Him. Those people are the ones who do God’s will. The Lord Jesus once taught us: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment’ (Matthew 22:37-38). This is the Lord’s requirement of us. When we abandon other things and expend ourselves for the Lord, if we can put God’s words into practice, love God and satisfy Him with all our heart and soul, then this is following God’s will. But if we don’t practice the Lord’s words and His commandments, we are certainly not those who do the will of God. We all know Peter recorded in the Bible, who gave up everything to work for the Lord. He could sincerely dedicate himself to the Lord, so the Lord Jesus entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of shepherding the churches. From Peter’s letters we can see that he never testified how he sacrificed or spent for the Lord, or how much work he did, but rather, he always testified the Lord Jesus’ redemption, love and salvation for man. Besides, no matter what kind of hardship, sicknesses, persecution or tribulation he experienced, he never forgot the Lord’s instructions, but shepherded the churches with all his heart and mind. In the end, he was nailed upside down on the cross, and was able to love God to the utmost and obey God until death. It can be seen that Peter was a man who obeys God’s will and was qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Pastor Ma was about to open his mouth to speak when Brother Zhen added: “Pastor Ma, whether we believers and followers of the Lord can enter the kingdom of heaven should be based on the words of the Lord, ‘Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.’ Doing the will of the heavenly Father is the only criterion for entering the kingdom of heaven, because the Lord Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me’ (John 14:6). Christ is the truth, the gateway to the kingdom of heaven, which none may bypass. Only by practicing God’s words and following His way can we enter into the kingdom of heaven. However, Paul’s words, ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness’ (2 Timothy 4:7-8), are not the standard of entering the kingdom of heaven. Paul was just an apostle preaching the gospel, a corrupt person like us. If his words are in keeping with the truth and the words of the Lord, then we can put them into practice; otherwise, we shouldn’t do so. Is this not correct?” Pastor Ma felt awkward about Brother Zhen’s inquiry, and beads of sweat burst out on his face.

Pondering Brother Zhen’s words, I was sunk in deep thought: “What Brother fellowshiped is reasonable. I always want to enter into the kingdom of heaven and gain the reward by sacrificing and expending; am I not following the example of Paul? This kind of expenditures won’t be approved by God. Working hard for the Lord doesn’t mean doing the will of God, and is not the criterion for entering the kingdom of heaven. Only by practicing God’s words, loving God and obeying Him with our whole heart and mind can we abide by His way and His will, and only this is the criterion for entering the kingdom of heaven.” Thank God for His enlightenment and guidance.