During the Chinese New Year holiday, while gathering with family and visiting friends, I experienced a relative sharing about the Church of Almighty God cult.
My Christian aunt, who had fallen into the heresy of the Church of Almighty God, also known as "Eastern Lightning," rarely joined family gatherings after her conversion. Unexpectedly, this year, she and her family members came to celebrate the New Year at my house. During the meal, she inquired about our faith, asking about whether we attended church services. Then she began to talk about her belief, stating, "The Almighty God has come, right here on earth." She claimed that Jesus had returned to the earth in the name of "Almighty God" and that he was currently abroad, emerging from Hunan Province.
I had heard about my aunt's involvement in the cult before. Despite numerous attempts to dissuade her, including reporting to the police, her family members failed to pull her out, as she remained steadfast. My mom mentioned that when my aunt initially joined the cult, she would bring people to our house repeatedly, helping with chores and trying to induce my mom to join. Failing to convince my mom, my aunt eventually gave up. Though her family cut off financial support and confiscated her phone for an extended period, she was still stubborn, for the heretical ideology had already taken root in her mind.
During this recent close interaction with my aunt over a few days, I observed that they primarily targeted believers and tried to persuade them to attend their lectures and watch videos after the debate. They would share with non-believers who were willing to listen, but if there was resistance, they wouldn't engage.
Regarding their teachings, they focus on the law, grace, and the kingdom of God, emphasizing the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. Although they practice Biblical communication, they deny the authority of the Bible, claiming it is outdated. They assert that people are in the era of the new heaven and earth described in Revelation, with God's new revelation found in the Almighty God’s books The Word Appears in the Flesh and The Scroll Opened by the Lamb. They also claim that those who believe in the Almighty God will not suffer from diseases and disasters on earth.
My aunt mentioned that she was just here to give us a heads-up and suggested contacting more experienced individuals in our area if we wanted to delve deeper. She mentioned that the Church of Almighty God are present in diverse cities and regions but operated in relatively secretive locations, which made it challenging for outsiders to find them. They distribute videos, testimonies, and teaching materials exclusively through their internal channels. They target acquaintances, especially family members, which is their consistent strategy.
I learned from my cousin that, initially, acquaintances, under the pretext of arranging a marriage for my aunt's child, pulled my aunt into a cult. Over three days, a group of people staged a performance in front of my aunt, convincing her that Christ had truly returned and was standing right in front of her.
According to my cousin, at that time, her mother was in a state of half-belief and half-doubt regarding what she saw and heard. Upon returning to serve the church, she shared her experience of seeing "Christ" and the various events she underwent. Instead of giving support and guidance, fellow church workers informed others that she had fallen into a heretical cult without extending a helping hand. Her family members, who did not have faith in or support her belief in the first place, responded with criticism and complaints after learning from the church that she had joined a heretical cult. The care from the cult shattered her last line of defense, prompting her to join the organization when she was wondering if this was a heresy.
In my experience, when a believer enters a cult, pastors and staff workers first communicate with them, attempting to win them back with the truth and dispel their erroneous thoughts. If the person is deeply entangled, the church informs believers not to believe the information spread by that person.
Currently, my aunt firmly believes in Almighty God, is busy recording her "testimony" of experiencing Almighty God every day, and is eager to share her faith with others. The family is trying every means to keep her close, preventing her from going out, but they are at a loss for how to bring her back.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
春节假期，和家人的团聚，一起聚餐、聊天、游玩，走亲访友。但这个假期也给笔者留下了感伤事件。
本来是基督徒婶婶落入全能神异端之后，就很少与家族人们聚在一起了，没想到今年婶婶同她的家人一起来到笔者家过年。饭桌上言语间询问我们信仰的情况，是否去聚会。接着就讲起了她所信仰的，“神已经来了，就在这个地上，”婶婶说，耶稣已经再次来到了这个地上，从湖南出来的，现在在国外，他的名字叫“全能神”。
早前就听闻婶婶进入异端邪教后。家人多次劝阻，甚至报警去抓都无法将其拉出来。妈妈说婶婶刚进入异端邪教时曾三番五次带人来家里，帮助她干活，拉她一起走。妈妈对于她们说的言论，知存偏差，也辩解不过，就不过多与其争论。婶婶见多次拉不动妈妈也就放弃了。后来很长一段时间婶婶的家人切断了她与异教徒的往来，不给钱，不给手机。但异教邪说的思想早已根深蒂固在她的心里，任何人劝说也于事无补。
此番几天与婶婶的密切接触，笔者发现他们的目标人群主要是有信仰基础的信徒；对于非信徒，愿意听的也会分享，明显抵触的就不交流了。但对于基督徒，是极力要和你辩一辩的，且想办法让你去听他们的课程，看视频见证。
提到课程，他们拉拢一个人主要围绕律法、恩典、神的国三个方面来讲，落脚点在地上建立神的国度。他们以圣经作为基础和人交流，但否认圣经的权威，称圣经已经过时了。这个时代，是启示录中新天地的时代，有神全新的启示，都在“全能神”的书籍《话在肉身显现》和《羔羊展开书卷》这两本书中。并称信“全能神”的人在地上不会遭受疾病和灾难的折磨。
婶婶说她只是过来做下预热，如果我们想要深入了解，给我们联络所在地更成熟的人进行讲解。她提到全能神遍布在各个城市的各个区域，活动地点较为隐秘，不是内部人几乎找不到。他们拍摄的一些视频资料，和见证故事，讲道课程全部需要通过他们内部渠道观看。对熟人传教特别是亲人入手，是他们一贯方式。
从婶婶的女儿那里得知，起初熟人以 为婶婶的孩子相亲为由把她拉入邪教。三天的时间，几个人联合起来在婶婶面前演了一场戏，让婶婶深信，基督真的来了，就站在她面前。
据姐姐回忆，当时婶婶对她所见所听的也是处于半信半疑状态。回到服侍教会，和同工去讲她看见了“基督”和经历的种种。等来的不是教会同工真理的挽回，而是告知教会所有人她进入异端了。教会同工没有在第一时间拉她一把；没有信仰且原本就不支持婶婶信仰的家人，从教会那里得知她进入了异端邪教，对婶婶更是没有关爱，只有指责和抱怨。来自异端邪教的关怀，攻破她内心最后一道防线。本来还在异端邪教边缘徘徊的婶婶，最终进入了他们的组织里。
在笔者的经历里，对于正统教会有人进入异端邪教，牧者同工第一时间先是与其交流，用真理去挽回，摒除错误思想；如果实在陷入至深，只能告知教会信徒不要听信此人传的信息。
目前婶婶对“全能神”深信不疑，每天忙着记录自己经历全能神的“见证”，见人就分享她的信仰。家人除了想办法通过各种事情留她在身边，不外出，也想不出什么办法拉回她。
亲历全能神：警惕亲人传异教“福音”
During the Chinese New Year holiday, while gathering with family and visiting friends, I experienced a relative sharing about the Church of Almighty God cult.
My Christian aunt, who had fallen into the heresy of the Church of Almighty God, also known as "Eastern Lightning," rarely joined family gatherings after her conversion. Unexpectedly, this year, she and her family members came to celebrate the New Year at my house. During the meal, she inquired about our faith, asking about whether we attended church services. Then she began to talk about her belief, stating, "The Almighty God has come, right here on earth." She claimed that Jesus had returned to the earth in the name of "Almighty God" and that he was currently abroad, emerging from Hunan Province.
I had heard about my aunt's involvement in the cult before. Despite numerous attempts to dissuade her, including reporting to the police, her family members failed to pull her out, as she remained steadfast. My mom mentioned that when my aunt initially joined the cult, she would bring people to our house repeatedly, helping with chores and trying to induce my mom to join. Failing to convince my mom, my aunt eventually gave up. Though her family cut off financial support and confiscated her phone for an extended period, she was still stubborn, for the heretical ideology had already taken root in her mind.
During this recent close interaction with my aunt over a few days, I observed that they primarily targeted believers and tried to persuade them to attend their lectures and watch videos after the debate. They would share with non-believers who were willing to listen, but if there was resistance, they wouldn't engage.
Regarding their teachings, they focus on the law, grace, and the kingdom of God, emphasizing the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. Although they practice Biblical communication, they deny the authority of the Bible, claiming it is outdated. They assert that people are in the era of the new heaven and earth described in Revelation, with God's new revelation found in the Almighty God’s books The Word Appears in the Flesh and The Scroll Opened by the Lamb. They also claim that those who believe in the Almighty God will not suffer from diseases and disasters on earth.
My aunt mentioned that she was just here to give us a heads-up and suggested contacting more experienced individuals in our area if we wanted to delve deeper. She mentioned that the Church of Almighty God are present in diverse cities and regions but operated in relatively secretive locations, which made it challenging for outsiders to find them. They distribute videos, testimonies, and teaching materials exclusively through their internal channels. They target acquaintances, especially family members, which is their consistent strategy.
I learned from my cousin that, initially, acquaintances, under the pretext of arranging a marriage for my aunt's child, pulled my aunt into a cult. Over three days, a group of people staged a performance in front of my aunt, convincing her that Christ had truly returned and was standing right in front of her.
According to my cousin, at that time, her mother was in a state of half-belief and half-doubt regarding what she saw and heard. Upon returning to serve the church, she shared her experience of seeing "Christ" and the various events she underwent. Instead of giving support and guidance, fellow church workers informed others that she had fallen into a heretical cult without extending a helping hand. Her family members, who did not have faith in or support her belief in the first place, responded with criticism and complaints after learning from the church that she had joined a heretical cult. The care from the cult shattered her last line of defense, prompting her to join the organization when she was wondering if this was a heresy.
In my experience, when a believer enters a cult, pastors and staff workers first communicate with them, attempting to win them back with the truth and dispel their erroneous thoughts. If the person is deeply entangled, the church informs believers not to believe the information spread by that person.
Currently, my aunt firmly believes in Almighty God, is busy recording her "testimony" of experiencing Almighty God every day, and is eager to share her faith with others. The family is trying every means to keep her close, preventing her from going out, but they are at a loss for how to bring her back.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Story: My Aunt Spreads Heretical Gospel to Family Members
