TRUE JESUS CHURCH (1/2)
Synopsis
The True Jesus Church was instituted in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China on the 1st day of May 1917 in accordance with prophecies recorded within both testaments of the Bible. The Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ chose Wei Embo (with the holy name of “Paul”) as His servant to establish the True Jesus Church, a reformed church of all nations. (Note: Please refer to “The Experience of Paul Wei”).
Location: Who raised up one from the east (Isa. 41:2), and said: I have raised up one from the north; he shall come from the rising of the sun and shall call on My name (Isa. 41:25), and said: I saw another angel ascending from the east.
Isa. 41:2 Who raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings? Who gave them as the dust to his sword, As driven stubble to his bow?
Isa. 41:25 I have raised up one from the north, And he shall come; From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name; And he shall come against princes as though mortar, As the potter treads clay.
Work: Having the seal of the living God... till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. (Rev. 7:1-3)
Rev. 7:1-3 1After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
The Rise Of The True Jesus Church
The True Jesus Church is the spiritual true church that God promised would emerge during the last days. The name “True Jesus Church” itself causes misunderstanding to man as some may think she was named due to man’s haughtiness. In fact, the word “True” causes contention among worldly people and as a result, they do not bother to find out more. This is pitiful indeed as they have lost the opportunity to pursue after truth and salvation.
In fact, the “True Jesus Church” simply means the “Church” of “the True” God” and “the Lord Jesus Christ”.
• The True God has dominion over the universe.
Jer. 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
John 3:33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
• The Lord Jesus Christ is the True God.
John 10:30 I and My Father are one.
Col. 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Heb. 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
• He is the true vine.
John 15:1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
John 7:28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.
• The church is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ that is filled with the Holy Spirit.
Eph. 1:23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
1John 5:6-8 6This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
• The true tabernacle that the Lord has erected is the true church. The true church is spiritual and belongs to God, not man.
Heb. 8:2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
The “True Jesus Church” is not named out of the will of man but is a new name given by the true God Himself. It is similar to how God had sent His angel to Joseph and Mary to tell them about the name “Jesus” before the Lord Jesus Christ was born.
Isa. 62:2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name.
Matt. 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
According to historical records, the True Jesus Church was established by the mainland Chinese. True Jesus Church does not belong to any religious denominations, rather, is a fulfillment of the promise made by God concerning the establishment of His true church.
Num. 23:9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, Not reckoning itself among the nations.
The apostolic church and the spiritual church (i.e. the revival of the apostolic church) were established by the early and latter rain respectively. The early rain (i.e. the autumn rain) refers to the apostolic church that was sowed through the seed of the Holy Spirit while the latter rain (i.e. the spring rain) refers to the true church that was harvested by the Holy Spirit. The establishment of God’s churches mirrors the ecosystem for God pours rain in due seasons (during every autumn and spring) for people to gather grains for food and for fields to grow pastures for the animals.
Deu. 12:14-15 14but in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. 15“However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike.
Jas. 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
Joel 2:23-24 23Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
It is a manifestation of God’s grace in the spiritual sense that the Holy Spirit sowed the seed and poured down the former rain in order to establish the apostolic churches at the appointed time. In addition, the Holy Spirit once again poured down the latter rain to harvest and to establish the True Jesus Church in the last days. In fact, the apostolic churches and the True Jesus Church shall be united as one church to fulfil what God had prophesied through prophet Ezekiel (that a shoot shall come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit).
Isa. 11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
Eze. 37:15-23 15Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 16“As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. 18“And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— 19say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”’ 20And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. 21“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
The prophecy refers to the spiritual kingdom of Judah, a great nation that will be reigned by the Holy Spirit.
When the Lord Jesus Christ was ministering on earth, He said:
Luke 4:25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;
Jas. 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
The Bible verses here mean that though there are many churches, they have no Holy Spirit with them. Hence, they are just like widows.
Lam. 5:3 We have become orphans and waifs, Our mothers are like widows.
Amos 8:11-14 11“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. 12They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, But shall not find it. 13“In that day the fair virgins And strong young men Shall faint from thirst. 14Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, Who say, ‘As your god lives, O Dan!’ And, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives!’ They shall fall and never rise again.”
The apostolic churches gradually drifted away and lost the pure words in their final days. As a result, there was a period of famine without the downpour of the Holy Spirit (just like the era of prophet Elijah) prior to their revival.
During the time of Prophet Elijah, King Ahab (i.e. the King of Judah) disobeyed God whereby he led the people of Israel to worship idols and walked in the path of wickedness. He provoked God to anger and caused God to withhold rain for a period of three years and six months. Consequently, the kingdom of Judah suffered a great famine.
Subsequently, Prophet Elijah offered a sacrifice to God so that His people could differentiate between God’s prophets from false prophets, and the True God from false gods. He rekindled their faith, led them to depart from falsehood and return to the True God. Prophet Elijah was able to achieve this for God accepted his earnest prayers and poured down heavy rain to save the people from the famine.
History teaches us that those who did not listen to the true words of God and the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ but changed the words of the Bible and the instructions of God would suffer from famine and hunger. God would cease to pour down the Holy Spirit. It was not until the revival of the apostolic churches by the emergence of the True Jesus Church through sincere prayers that God poured down the Holy Spirit in abundance once more to contend for the earnest faith that is once for all delivered to the saints.
Jude 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
The apostolic churches were revived for the clarification of the spiritual truth and the manifestation of the true teachings so that believers are able to distinguish between the spiritual church from the world, and the words of God from the teachings of the world. Hence, we will understand the Word and receive the seal of eternal salvation if we exhibit humbleness and diligence in the pursuit of truth.
Eph. 1:13-14 13In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Since the True Jesus Church is the revival of the apostolic churches, she preaches the spiritual truth and the gospel of salvation. As the power of the Holy Spirit works together with her, she is able to perform miracles, wonders, signs and various spiritual gifts as a testimony that she is the only spiritual church of the last days.
Heb. 2:4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
Acts 14:3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
2Cor. 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.
As Nicodemus said to the Lord Jesus Christ, “...for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him”.
John 3:2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
In the True Jesus Church, there are not many who are wise, powerful and of noble birth in the flesh; but Paul said:
2Cor. 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
The True Jesus Church has the Holy Spirit and is able to compare spiritual things with spiritual through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
1Cor. 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Gal. 1:12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1Cor. 2:4-5 4And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1Cor. 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
This is a fulfillment of what God said through David:
Ps. 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
Though the True Jesus Church has not been established for long, she has been chosen from all worldly churches to bear the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ (who is the True God), to serve as His sanctuary and His dwelling place.
Deu. 12:5-6 5But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. 6There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
Deu. 12:13-14 13Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; 14but in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
1John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
1Pet. 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We should recognise the true church that has the Holy Spirit and bears the name of God so that we can seek Him and offer spiritual sacrifices to Him through our prayers.
Through Prophet Jeremiah, God said:
Jer. 6:16 Thus says the LORD: Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Today, we may hear comments about how men have changed and the words that they preach are no longer the same. God has warned us regarding this through prophesies so that Christians who walk in the heavenly path will remain steadfast in their faith and will examine their belief to ensure that the path that they are treading on is still the Old Path. This Old Path refers to the teachings of the apostolic churches and the good way that will lead us to rest and salvation safely.
Heb. 4:9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
Before the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, He told His disciples about the signs of the last days:
Matt. 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matt. 24:32-33 32Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
The disciples were told to learn from the parable of the fig tree (i.e. if they see the restoration of the kingdom of Israel, it means the last day is at hand and the Lord Jesus Christ will come again soon).
During the great flood, God built an ark (which is the spiritual church) that is different from the world for it is the holy city as prophesied in the book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven. The ark is God’s tabernacle erected on earth, the holy city that God dwells among men.
The Lord Jesus Christ specifically highlighted that an ark will be built in the last days (which is the church of the last days) for believers so that they will be saved, just like how Noah and his whole family of eight souls who believed God’s instruction and entered into the ark were saved.
1Pet. 3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
During Noah’s time, those who did not believe were destroyed by the flood. It serves as a warning to us in the last days.
Dear brothers and sisters, do not say ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Just come and see. We should imitate the people of Berea who received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures to find out whether these things were so.
Acts 17:11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Today, we who are in the true church are able to witness with our own eyes, hear with our own ears and personally experience the living Word preached to us in order for us to receive salvation, to be joyful and content in the grace of God.
1John 1:1-4 1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.