1. A Wonderful calling
Exodus 12:41
And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
God’s chosen people came out of Egypt, led by Moses.
When I come to recall how our family came to believe in the Lord, it was indeed a wonderful experience: God Himself called us, guided us, and provided for us all the way.
My grandmother lived in Chaoshan, Guangdong province. My mom said that she often recalled seeing my grandmother kneeling on her bed while praying and there would also be a Bible beside her pillow. During my grandmother’s time, there was no freedom of religion in China, so even until the day my grandmother died, she never preached the Gospel to my mother. After she passed away, my mother, I and my brother came to Fujian on February 8th ,1995. We were Baptized into Christ at the True Jesus Church in Sanshan town, and we received the precious Holy Spirit, this was indeed the wonderful choosing of God.
During that time there was a person who graduated from the Theological training school in Nanjing (who later on became a full time minister at True Jesus Church) who preached to many of the residents in our community as he also lived there (We lived around the Power Supply Bureau of the city). He also gave us the address of the True Jesus Church in SanShan and told us to be Baptized there. (At that time, there were only churches that held Sunday worship in our city, there was no local True Jesus Church). When we started our trip to SanShan, it was very cold, we were also anxious and lost upon our arrival in FuZhou city, all the way until we found the bus that left for ShanShan…Our Heavenly Father was looking after us as Satan was trying to disturb us. All of these were full of the wonderful arrangement of God and His wonderful guidance. Even up to now, upon looking back, I am still filled with excitement and thanksgiving.
What followed was even more wonderful: Before being baptized, the weather was windy and snowy, yet Elder Wang (he was a deacon at that time) still decided to baptize all four of us (three of us in our family and another sister). After we were baptized, the weather calmed down, the winds ceased and the sun was shining, just very much like our hearts of joy, having received a new life! The sunlight upon our shoulders felt warm, we were not cold at all! Another thing that was very miraculous: My mother had very bad motion sickness whenever she was in the car, she would often vomit and become faint. However, after baptism, she no longer had motion sickness. It was only later on that we realized how this was the mercy and providence of our Lord Jesus, so that she could serve. During the time when the True Jesus Church was being established locally in our hometown, she would often need to ride on a bus to go to all the sites where they held regular worship services together with other holy workers, to teach hymns, play the piano and to visit local members, really thank the Lord!
After we were Baptized, we received the precious Holy Spirit. My waist wound from a car accident in 1988(Bone hyperplasia of the fifth lumbar vertebra) was also completely healed by God! My brother was still young at that time but he also was obedient and was Baptized with us, thank God for His guidance! Though I have been a believer for many years now, but upon looking back on this whole journey of coming to believe in the Lord, the excitement and thanksgiving remained just the same as that day, to the point which I cannot calm myself! This is how our loving Heavenly Father choose us to become a part of His people, how blessed are we!
In contrast, if we look at the society nowadays, we will find that it is so hard to preach the Gospel. Even if they are baptized out of pressure, but because they do not understand the Truth, they will still easily forsake God later in their lives. This was the outcome of that sister who was baptized with us, she had already left the True Church a long time ago in spite of having received the Holy Spirit. Little did she know that: [For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance] (Heb6:4-5) How fearful is the Judgement that awaits these who fall away!
In the past years, my family and I were able to live peacefully and healthily under the grace of God. Though there were storms and waves, we were still able to sail through peacefully and successfully because there was the guidance and protection of the Lord, thank God!
2. Being numbered upon return
Numbers 1:45-46
So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war in Israel—all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
Through listening to sermons, reading the Bible, singing Hymns and praying, our spiritual lives can grow. When we are keeping the commandments of the Lord, we should not forget to seek to please Him.
During the year 1995, my mother was moved by the Holy Spirit to give up her career (retire early) when the True Church was just being established locally in my hometown. She focused all her heart and mind into doing Holy Works: Playing the piano, establishing the choir, teaching Religious Education, serving in the local villages where regular services were held. Although there were difficulties and struggles, yet there was joy, the abundance of God’s blessings and His protection!
Our whole family kept the Sabbath, participated in various church Holy Works. Thank God for using us so that we could labor for Him, to be pleasing in His sight!
These were all examples of being chosen by God, being numbered by Him. Our whole family especially found favour in the sight of God, His grace was not only sufficient, but often surpassed our thoughts and wants, just like the raindrops in spring, nourishing and silent. We could not even finish counting His blessings even if we were given three day and nights!
In order to be a person after God’s heart, we need to strengthen our spiritual cultivation in the Truth. We should not sway to the left or to the right and most definitely not forsake the Truth! Lord Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross in order to be the mediator between men and God, so that mankind could be saved! We should treasure this even more, to learn how to be thankful, to be fellow members connected in the Lord, seeking to do more things that are pleasing in His sight, with the Truth as our foundation! We should also actively attend services with love, diligently preach the Gospel, to be good children of God!
3. A different choice
Ruth1:1-2
There will be times when we meet up with difficulties and there may be time when our lives are smooth sailing, but what is important is the decision we make during these times. From the Book of Ruth, we can learn this: At the beginning of the Book, we see Elimelech taking his wife and his two sons, leaving the land of their faith and going into the land of Moab, which was cursed by God. The outcome was recorded in the description written in the Bible: (Ruth 1:3-5) [Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.]. They lost the grace of God because they left the place of His abidance.
From the conversation between Elimelech’s wife and her two daughters-in-law, we can see how the choice of Naomi and the younger daughter-in-law Ruth was wise and correct. They have decided to return to the land which God looked after, where He granted grain and food, for the city of Bethlehem in Jewish means: (House of Bread). In the end they were abundantly blessed by God and their names were recorded within the Bible due to their good deeds as women. At the same time this causes us to understand: our lives are only meaningful if we come to know God, to rely on Him and to walk on this heavenly path without wavering. In the end times, we should be even more watchful and vigilant, to treasure God’s choosing and the status of being the firstborn. We need to treasure this grace of [being able to pray to our Heavenly Father], to imitate Naomi, to become a believer who is victorious by relying on God step by step!
May we all be numbered by God when He counts among His people!
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