“Sister Mary, I heard you’re ready to investigate Eastern Lightning, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Pastor Wu …”

Before Mary could even finish speaking, Pastor Wu said angrily: “Sister, how could you be so foolish? How many times do I have to tell you? We cannot investigate Eastern Lightning. Why won’t you listen to me? I’m telling you, as a co-worker of the church, you should protect the church’s flock. If you go to investigate Eastern Lightning and take a wrong path, the brothers and sisters will be misled by you. Can you shoulder the responsibility? …”

After dinner, sitting at her desk, Mary thought back the words about how Pastor Wu obstructed her from investigating Eastern Lightning during the day. She was confused. She then recalled that some days ago her cousin talked to her about Almighty God’s end-time work and read her some of God’s words. She felt those words were so kind and familiar, just like the voice of God, that she had a sense of inexpressible joy in her heart. She thought: Those heart-shaking words cannot be spoken by anyone else. Eastern Lightning most likely is the true way. But pastors and elders are all familiar with the Bible, and they cannot condemn the true way. Well … is it really right or not if I go to investigate Eastern Lightning?

When Mary was entranced in thought, she heard a sudden knock at the door. Then she remembered that she had an appointment with several co-workers and they would have a meeting in her house that night. She hurried to open the door. It was Sister Liu, saying happily: “Sister, here I am. Have the others come?” Mary said with a smile: “Today you’re the first one. But, it’s quite time they should come.” So saying, they went into the house. As they just began a conversation, the brothers and sisters all came in one after another. Co-worker Sun, who was the last to come, asked curiously: “Hey, Sister Mary, I saw Pastor Wu came to your house this afternoon. What happened to the church?” “Well, Pastor Wu somehow found out that I was ready to study Eastern Lightning, so he came on purpose for this. He asked me not to inspect the way of Eastern Lightning. I’m just worried about it,” sighed Mary. At this moment, Co-worker Zhang, an elderly brother who has insight said: “There’s nothing to worry about. When we hear someone spreading the Lord’s return, we go out to seek and investigate—this is our freedom and our right.” “Yes!” “What the brother said is right,” agreed Sister Liu and several other sisters. Mary said: “I know this. But most pastors and elders in the religious world oppose and convict Eastern Lightning though it is the true way. I am hesitant about whether or not to investigate the way of Eastern Lightning.”

Hearing these words, co-worker Zhang said with a forced smile: “Sister Mary, I feel you’re ‘being clever your entire life but ruined by a moment of foolishness.’ You think that anything the pastors and elders of religious circles resist and condemn cannot be the true way. Is this measurement in line with the truth? Think about it. When the Lord Jesus came to preach and work, He was met with the unbridled condemnation and opposition of the Jewish religious world, and was ultimately nailed to the cross by the allied forces of the Jewish religious world and the Roman government. If, according to our thought that anything the religious world condemns cannot be the true way, then could we actually say that the Lord Jesus is not the true God and that His work is not the true way? In reality, the fact that the religious circles crucified the Lord Jesus two thousand years ago is proof that the religious world always hates the truth and the Christ. When the true God appears to do His work, they often act out a role of resisting God. Therefore, if we think that anything the religious world resists and condemns cannot be the true way, then this kind of our view is simply incorrect.”

Co-worker Sun said: “Amen! I agree with the elder brother’s viewpoint.”

After hearing these words, Mary said knowledgeably: “Right, I’m really foolish. Think back to when the Lord Jesus appeared to do His work. Is it not that those religious leaders who knew the Bible well and often expounded the Bible to people nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross? As for the matter of investigating the true way, it really cannot be based on whether the religious pastors and elders condemn Eastern Lightning or not.”

Co-worker Zhang was full of burden and said: “That’s right! We should treat it according to the words of the Lord. The Lord Jesus said: ‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Matthew 25:6). So, since we have heard the cry that the bridegroom has come back, we should study it in case we miss the opportunity to welcome the Lord’s return.”

Co-worker Sun continued: “Yes. Now is the time that the wise virgins seek the bridegroom’s voice. The biblical prophecies state: ‘I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come’ (John 16:12–13), ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation 3:13). And the Lord Jesus also said: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me’ (John 10:27). From these scriptures we can see that the Lord will return and utter more words. Therefore, the way and the clue we seek the Lord’s appearance and His work is seeking the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches, that is, the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches is the voice of the bridegroom.”

Co-worker Zhang also said: “Mm, now throughout the entire world only Eastern Lightning openly testifies that the Lord Jesus has already returned, and put all the truths expressed by Almighty God on the Internet for people in countries and territories around the world to seek and examine. So, if we want to judge whether Almighty God is the return of the Lord Jesus, we should listen to see whether the words expressed by Almighty God are the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches.”

Sister Liu nodded and said: “Your words are true. If we do not seek and study Almighty God’s work in the last days, it is likely that we will miss the opportunity of hearing the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches. So I feel it is necessary for us to seek and investigate.”

Co-worker Zhang said: “Mm, everyone is correct in saying so. Nowadays, many people from various denominations have begun to seek and investigate Almighty God’s work and words. However, although the religious world is in a desolation situation, there’re still a lot of people who do not seek and study the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches, much less seek God’s voice and the footprints of His work. This is the actual condition of the church in Laodicea. All those whose attitude toward the Lord’s appearance and work is neither cold nor hot are the Laodiceans. Let’s see what God’s attitude toward the Laodicean church is. Revelation 3:15–16, ‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.’ If we simply do not examine and seek when someone spreads that the Lord has come to do His work and express His voice, isn’t this neither cold nor hot toward the news of the Lord’s return?”

At that moment, Sister Wang besides them nodded: “Yes, I think so. Now our top priority is quickly to read Almighty God’s words on the Internet and seek the truth. In this way, we will be able to know whether Almighty God’s words are really what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.”

When Mary discussed with everyone else up to this point, she had a clear path. So she said: “Yes, you’re right. As long as there is someone who cries outside that the bridegroom has come and expressed the words, we cannot rely on our notions and imaginations, nor see the pastors and elders’ attitudes. Rather, we must seek and investigate in person and understand it clearly. Only then will we confirm whether it really is the work of the appearance of the Lord.”