In my hometown, gatherings are often held in small groups that are located conveniently for the elderly, the sick, and the disabled.
My house is one of the locations for small group gatherings. More than 20 years ago, my family became a host family. Initially, I didn't realize that I was serving the Lord. As I knew, it was only for my convenience so we gathered at my house.
At that time, my husband and I were lacking faith and understanding. On Saturday nights, my husband usually went to gather in Xinzhuang—a village around two miles away, and sometimes they met at my house.
Having no root of faith, we were attacked by Satan—my husband stopped attending gatherings without reason and others did not come to my house either. It was an attack from Satan, but we did not realize it at that time.
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we realized it was Satan who frightened and disturbed us. As the result, we hadn't attended a gathering for more than three years. But I still read the Bible from time to time—a young brother gave the Bible to me as a gift. The Holy Spirit enlightened me and showed me how great my sin is and how great God's love is—He never leaves or forsakes me.
In the winter of 1999, some people who were refining small pots of oil came to the empty place by our yard to refine oil. One young worker Guilin who is a believer often came to our house to preach the gospel in his spare time. I told him I had believed in Jesus before, but not in the last three years. Even though I wanted to believe in Jesus, I couldn't go to church.
He said, "Is it okay to have a gathering at your house?” “Sure”, I replied. He said he would ask others to gather at my house, and I agreed.
Then my husband and I started to host the gatherings and serve the Lord again. Gradually, we realized that we were serving the Lord through gathering. It’s not easy work since the devil often attacks and disrupts Lord’s ministry.
In the first two or three years, some people rumored that we believed in "heresy" and insulted us with harsh words. I felt bad and began reading the Bible (I didn't like reading the Bible at that time), and God enlightened me with these verses:
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for, in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)
God’s word comforted and encouraged me so much that I didn't mind what others said about me with rumors, slanders, and insults.
Then, Satan used people among us to create conflicts, saying that I was not willing to host them. A few members who did not know the fact stopped coming to my house at the gathering time. But one Wednesday afternoon, the Lord’s servant came back suddenly and asked, “Where should we meet this afternoon?” “Liuzhuang”, they replied. The gathering in our house resumed.
Besides, people from the Church of Almighty God or Eastern Lightning heretical cult also came to disturb us. At first, we didn't know they were from Eastern Lightning because they said they were believers. Many members were deceived, slandering us as traitors, and suggesting moving the meeting place to somewhere else. They stopped coming to my house at the gathering time again. Surprisingly, God sent his servant to lead the gathering on one Wednesday night (the gathering time) during that period of time, and they followed the servant to attend the gathering.
“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:40-42)
在我们这里，聚会常常以小聚会点为基础，这样便于各地的老弱病残肢体参加。
我们家就是一个小聚会点，我们做接待家庭快20多年了，最初的几年里，根本不知道是接待服侍主，只知道为了方便我，所以在我们家聚会。
那时候，我们不但没有信心，而且什么都不懂。大多数星期六晚上，我丈夫都到二三里远的新庄聚会，有时他们也来我们家聚会。
由于我们信心没有根基，仇敌撒但趁虚而入——不知什么原因，丈夫不愿意去聚会了，因此，他们也不来了。其实，这是撒旦的搅扰，那时却不知道。
这些年在圣灵的光照指示下，我才知道那是撒但魔鬼对我们的吓唬和搅扰。因那搅扰，我们三年多时间都没有聚会。不过有位小弟兄送给我的一本圣经，我有时间还看。也就是在这时候，圣灵光照我，叫我看见了自己的罪过……然而，爱我们到底的主不放弃我们。
在1999年冬天的时候，有炼小锅油的人到我们家院子边的空地方炼油。有两个烧火的年轻小工，其中一个信主的，名叫桂林，他有空就到我们家传福音，叫我信主。我说我们先前信了，只是这三年多时间没有信，我想信，也去不了教会……
他说，到你们家里来聚会，可以不可以啊？我说，可以啊。他说，我跟他们说说，要他们来你们家聚会。我说好啊。
从此，我们又开始接待服侍主，在我们家聚会。这十来年我们才知道，我们做的是接待服侍的工作。
接待服侍主是不容易的，别的不说，只说仇敌魔鬼会常常攻击搅扰接待服侍主的事工。
刚开始那二三年，有人造谣说我们信的是“黑道”，还辱骂我们很难听的话。我听了后心中不好受，就去读圣经（那时还不爱读），主指示我读到了这经文：
马太福音5：10-12 为义受逼迫的人有福了，因为天国是他们的。人若因我辱骂你们，逼迫你们，捏造各样坏话毁谤你们，你们就有福了。应当欢喜快乐，因为你们在天上的赏赐是大的……
这使我大得安慰和鼓励，就不在乎别人怎样造谣，诽谤，辱骂我们了。
接着，仇敌利用肢体们造矛盾，生是非，说我不愿意他们来我家聚会了。这样一来，使不明真相的肢体们都信以为真，到该聚会的时候，也不来聚会了。神眷顾坚立这里，那个星期三的下午，主差他的工人突然回来了，说：今天下午该哪里聚会？他们说，该刘庄聚会……这才来我们这里聚会了。
随后，东方闪电也来搅扰，当时我们并不知道他们是东方闪电的，因为他们也说是信主的……可不少肢体受仇敌的欺骗，说我们是叛徒等等，建议把聚会点挪到别处去，当聚会的时候，他们又不来我们这里聚会了。令他们无论如何也没有想到的是，那个星期三晚上（聚会时间），神差派他的仆人，突然来开礼拜，他们随着也来聚会了。
“人接待你们，就是接待我；接待我，就是接待那差我来的。人因为先知的名接待先知，必得先知所得的赏赐”（马太福音10：40-42）
主坚固我们做接待家庭近20年
In my hometown, gatherings are often held in small groups that are located conveniently for the elderly, the sick, and the disabled.
My house is one of the locations for small group gatherings. More than 20 years ago, my family became a host family. Initially, I didn't realize that I was serving the Lord. As I knew, it was only for my convenience so we gathered at my house.
At that time, my husband and I were lacking faith and understanding. On Saturday nights, my husband usually went to gather in Xinzhuang—a village around two miles away, and sometimes they met at my house.
Having no root of faith, we were attacked by Satan—my husband stopped attending gatherings without reason and others did not come to my house either. It was an attack from Satan, but we did not realize it at that time.
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we realized it was Satan who frightened and disturbed us. As the result, we hadn't attended a gathering for more than three years. But I still read the Bible from time to time—a young brother gave the Bible to me as a gift. The Holy Spirit enlightened me and showed me how great my sin is and how great God's love is—He never leaves or forsakes me.
In the winter of 1999, some people who were refining small pots of oil came to the empty place by our yard to refine oil. One young worker Guilin who is a believer often came to our house to preach the gospel in his spare time. I told him I had believed in Jesus before, but not in the last three years. Even though I wanted to believe in Jesus, I couldn't go to church.
He said, "Is it okay to have a gathering at your house?” “Sure”, I replied. He said he would ask others to gather at my house, and I agreed.
Then my husband and I started to host the gatherings and serve the Lord again. Gradually, we realized that we were serving the Lord through gathering. It’s not easy work since the devil often attacks and disrupts Lord’s ministry.
In the first two or three years, some people rumored that we believed in "heresy" and insulted us with harsh words. I felt bad and began reading the Bible (I didn't like reading the Bible at that time), and God enlightened me with these verses:
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for, in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)
God’s word comforted and encouraged me so much that I didn't mind what others said about me with rumors, slanders, and insults.
Then, Satan used people among us to create conflicts, saying that I was not willing to host them. A few members who did not know the fact stopped coming to my house at the gathering time. But one Wednesday afternoon, the Lord’s servant came back suddenly and asked, “Where should we meet this afternoon?” “Liuzhuang”, they replied. The gathering in our house resumed.
Besides, people from the Church of Almighty God or Eastern Lightning heretical cult also came to disturb us. At first, we didn't know they were from Eastern Lightning because they said they were believers. Many members were deceived, slandering us as traitors, and suggesting moving the meeting place to somewhere else. They stopped coming to my house at the gathering time again. Surprisingly, God sent his servant to lead the gathering on one Wednesday night (the gathering time) during that period of time, and they followed the servant to attend the gathering.
“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:40-42)
God Uses Our House to Host Small Group Gatherings for About 20 Years
