The Book of Revelation in the Bible prophesied that 144000 overcomers would be made in the last days. Then how does God make the overcomers?
By Lin Ling, Shandong Province
I was born into a poor rural family, and because our family lacked power or status, I was looked down on by others from a young age, and was often bullied. Each time this happened, I felt especially humiliated and miserable, and I longed for the day a savior would come to change my fate. After I got married, because life was difficult, and my son was often sick, my neighbors talked to me about believing in Jesus, and when I learned that the Lord Jesus could save those in torment from their suffering and troubles, I was very moved. I felt I had finally found my Savior, and so from then on I believed in Jesus, and passionately attended meetings and listened to sermons everywhere I could. But afterward, I realized that the churches were ever more desolate, and that the jealousy, disputes, and scheming within believers were becoming ever more serious. It was no different than the wider society. I couldn’t help but be greatly disappointed, the faith I felt at first gradually faded, and I no longer went to meetings.
In the year 2000, a sister preached Almighty God’s last-days’ gospel to me. When I learned that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus, words could not express the joy I felt in my heart. Every day, whenever I had time, I held God’s word in my hand and read it as a starving man eats. The sincerity in God’s words warmed and consoled me. I felt the Creator’s care, mercy, and salvation for me, and my thirsty spirit gained watering and provision. After that, I lived among the large family of The Church of Almighty God, where I attended meetings and performed my duties alongside my brothers and sisters. We all strove to pursue the truth amidst the watering and provision of Almighty God’s word, there was love between my brothers and sisters, and we all helped one another. There was no scheming, deceit, or disdain of poverty and love of wealth, and much less was there abuse or oppression. In The Church of Almighty God, I genuinely enjoyed a happiness and joy I had never experienced before. However, because I believed in Almighty God, I was arrested and brutally tortured by the CCP government, and then imprisoned for a year. In that dark demon’s lair, it was Almighty God’s word which gave me faith and strength, and which step by step led me to overcome Satan and rise above the constraints of death.
On the night of August 24, 2009, I had just gone to sleep, when I was suddenly awakened by a furious rapping at the door. Before I had time to react, 7–8 police broke down the door and entered the room. As soon as they entered, they shouted, “Don’t move! Get out of bed and come with us!” Before I even had time to put on my clothes, I heard the click of a camera shutter as my photo was taken. The police then turned the house upside down as they searched it, not missing a single scrap of paper. Before long, the house was a mess, as if it had been rummaged through by bandits. Everything was on the floor, and there was no place to walk. Afterward, three police forcibly brought me to a van waiting outside.
After bringing me to the police station, they forced me to stand facing a wall. One police officer interrogated me in a stern voice, saying, “Tell us the truth about your belief in Almighty God! What is your role in the church? Who is your leader? Where is he? Tell us everything!” I said, without fear, “I don’t know anything!” Their frustration immediately turned to rage. They kicked me as they shouted abuse at me and viciously threatened me, “If you tell us, we’ll let you go, but if not, we’ll beat you to death!” As they spoke, they pushed me into a metal chair with a large restraining bar, which they then locked in place. Seeing the way these evil police arrested me with such a show of force, as well as the fiendish expressions and angry gazes they directed at me, and how they treated me, a defenseless woman, as if I had committed a horrendous crime, I couldn’t help but feel panicked and afraid. I thought, “How do they plan to torment me? If they actually torture or beat me, what will I do?” I couldn’t help but pray frantically to God in my heart, “Almighty God! My stature truly is too small, and, surrounded by Satan’s forces of evil, I’ve become frightened. I beg You to give me faith and strength. Protect me, so that I don’t bow my head to Satan and these demons, and so that I can stand firm and testify for You!” This is when I recalled God’s words, “You should know that all things in the environment around you are there by My permission, I arrange it all. See clearly and satisfy My heart in the environment I have given to you. Do not fear, Almighty God of hosts will surely be with you; He has your back and He is your shield” (“Chapter 26” of Utterances of Christ in the Beginning in The Word Appears in the Flesh). Yes, everything happening to me that day had the permission of God’s throne, so although I was trapped in a demon’s lair and faced a pack of vicious, demonic fiends, I was not fighting alone; Almighty God was with me. I could rely on Him, and He was my strong support, so what did I have to fear? Thinking of these things, I no longer felt timid or afraid, I had the strength to battle Satan to the end, and I swore that I would stand firm and testify for God even if it cost me my life!
Source From: The Overcomers’ Testimonies
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Who are the 144000 in the Bible | How to Become an Overcomer | What Christians Need to Know
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