Two Crucial Moments

By Mo Qing

- the testimony of a student of Falun Gung

After I practiced Falun Gong, my sickness disappeared

Between June 1996 and July 2000 I was a loyal student of Falun Gong. Back in 1988 I used to have a lot of problems with my liver, kidney and heart. I had been hospitalized and underwent some long-term courses of therapy, but nothing seemed to work for me. I practiced Qi Gong, and this didn't help me either. Then in June 1996, I read the book of Falun and I began to believe what Li Hong-zhi, the author, claimed about men's potential to turn into gods. I also believed that Li himself was god. So I began to do what the book taught me to do. I stopped taking medications and practiced Falun every day. Soon I started to recover from my ailments and all my health problems disappeared. Because of this, I firmly believed that Falun was the truth.

I was convinced that what Li said was universal truth. As Falun came under political sanctions, I took part in defensive activities and I was twice detained by the police. Furthermore, ignoring advice from my friends and relatives I resigned my jobas a college professor in order to fully participate in Falun activities. I even made up my mind to sacrifice my own life to defend the "universal truth". I asked my partners in the detention center not to stop me when I was ready to sacrifice myself.

In March 2000, my father was seriously ill and I went back to Urumqi to visit my parents. During that time, I tried to get back to Beijing to join the Falun activities, but I failed. In June 2000, my sister, who had been a Christian for many years, came back from America. She talked to me about the Gospel of Jesus. She told me that the brothers and sisters in her Bible study group in America had been praying constantly for my elder sister and me to quit Falun Gong. But every time she preached the Gospel to me, I refused to listen. I didn't want any interference, and I thought that her preaching was, in the words of Li, "a test coming my way".

I wept when I received the Bible

One day at the end of July 2000, I advised my sister that she ought to practice Falun. I told her a lot of Li's teachings. For instance, Li said that Christianity could not help eastern people. He said that Christ had told his disciples not to go to the East, but His disciples had disobeyed Him and that was why Christianity ended up in China. Li also said he was the only god still helping men in this world, and that all the other gods were worrying about themselves in the light of this "universal truth". Li claimed that the Lord was not the highest god, and so on.

I advised my sister to give up on God. My sister, however, asked me to read the Bible. She said that in the Bible Jesus had told His disciples to go to all corners of the world and preach the good news to all nations. Jesus also told His disciples that false Christs and false prophets would appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect.

She said that all Li said about Christianity was a lie. After I had read through the Bible, I had to agree with her. She also said that God was supposed to be omniscient, but how could Li call himself god when he didn't even know what the Bible said ?

My sister's words shocked me. I remembered Li's claim that there were many ways to attain divinity in the universe and that he knew every single one of them. But why did he not know the teachings in the Bible? Didn't he say he had a lot of incarnated bodies? At least one of his incarnated bodies should have known.

I very much wanted to read the Bible to get these things straight. I did not have the courage, however, because Li forbid his disciples to read anything other than his own books. Li said reading other books would have a negative impact on Falun practice. I struggled, not knowing which was correct, Li's teachings or my sister's preaching.

Well, my sister would never lie to me, and I decided to take a hard look myself. So I made up my mind to go ahead and read the Bible. Even though I might fail in my practice of Falun in this world, I could still make up for it in my next life. In great agitation, I took the Bible from my sister's hand. To my great surprise, even before I started to flip open the first page, tears started to flow from my eyes. I felt as if there was so much I wanted to talk to someone about.

Then after the tears came peace. Those tears had caught me completely by surprise because I had had no intention of crying at that time. My sister told me it was the work of the Spirit. I couldn't quite understand this, but I thought I should read the Bible first.

For the first few days, I could not quite understand the Bible. So I gave it up and went back to Falun. But with the help of people around me, I began to feel that Jesus was more credible. After all he had been willing to be nailed on the Cross for the salvation of mankind. Such a great sacrifice was simply incredible. So I decided to come back to the Lord.

At the very moment I decided to believe in the Lord, my previous sickness returned. The pains in my chest stopped me from participating in any physical or mental exertion and all I could do was to lie in bed. Li Hong-zhi said he would withdraw all he had given me once I stopped practicing. So for three days I relapsed into a state of confusion.

Finally I realized I had a stronger desire to find the truth than to find healing for my sickness. For this reason, even if I died of lung cancer, I would still go on believing in the Lord and I would stop practicing Falun. How wonderful it was! Once I decided what to do, my whole sickness went away. It was obvious that the Lord had cured me!

Who is in charge?

Although the Lord had wonderfully revealed Himself twice in a row, I was still skeptical because I had been under Falun influence for a long time. I wasn't sure if this was really from the hand of the Lord. I remembered clearly Li Hong-zhi's claim that he controlled all religions. I was deeply puzzled because I was not sure of my faith and I had a hard time figuring out who was really in charge. Consequently, subconsciously I tested God and I also complained to Him.

But God is love. He often revealed to me through the Bible that He was the only true God. When I had a lot of doubts, He would reveal himself to me through miracles and through the people around me. He often answered my prayers and He rebuked my unbelief through the Bible and through the people around me. I could feel His Word hitting my heart like a hammer and at the same time I could feel His love.

One day I felt extremely depressed. So I prayed boldly, "Is it really you, Lord, who is in control? Please answer me." In case Li was really controlling Christianity as he claimed, I added, "Do not answer if you are not God." At that moment, my heart was clearly touched by the Spirit. And this was once again in contradiction to what Li claimed that God no longer responded to the prayers of those who believed in Him. So I was able to determine that God was really taking care of me. On the other hand, I was able to strengthen my faith through spiritual literature and the testimonies of brothers and sisters. Emotionally and intellectually, I truly believed that God was the only Almighty God. I also truly experienced God's love, justice, faith, patience and forgiveness.

However, words from the books of Falun still came back to my mind, unlike what Li claimed that his words would be erased from one's mind if one stopped believing him. These words tortured me and once I even questioned whether Jesus was really a historic figure.

It dawned on me that this was the devil's interference. So I tried all I could to free myself from this kind of interference. I failed and the torture intensified. Then as I read the Bible I drew inspiration from it. I kept on praying to the Lord and asking Him to cleanse me. So gradually the interference diminished until it hardly existed.

It was the Bible that made me believe that the Lord is the true God. I was deeply touched by the Lord's care for orphans, widows and the poor, His pity for animals, His passion for sinners, His love and forgiveness toward His disciples, His anger toward the wickedness of man, His voluntary atonement on the Cross and His forgiveness toward the ones who nailed him on the Cross. I began to realize that what Falun promoted was something very selfish and that Li was not a god at all.

True or false?

I'd like to testify to all students of Falun Gong that the Lord alone is the true God and that it is God alone who is Creator and Sustainer of this vast universe. When I decided to abandon Falun Gong and believe in the Lord, I went through a short time of illness and a moment of healing. My experience demonstrates that God is the only true God sustaining this universe. Li claimed that those who no longer believed in him would fail miserably if they turned to another god because no gods would care for those who broke his rule. But now God has cured me and delivered me. So you see Li is not the Highest One.

In addition, Li's false testimonies also proved he was no god. Li had said that the April 25 Event was not a conspiracy and he did not know about it until after it happened. But it was all too obvious to us whether the Event was a conspiracy or not and whether Li knew about it ahead of time. I personally heard a message passed down from the Falun organizational hierarchy that called for all students to go to the Square on a voluntary basis. The message also stressed that all be notified so that all would get an equal chance at perfection. Besides, God is omniscient. If Li really did not know what was going to happen on April 25, then he was no real god.

"No lie comes from the truth." (I John 2:21) The Bible also teaches us: "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thirstles?" (Mt. 7:15-17) So please take a moment to think about Falun Gong and see what kind of fruit it bears. Be responsible for yourselves and think with your own conscience!

The Bible says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) I'd like to speak to all through my personal experience that truth withstands testings. I realise that we all want to find the true God. In order to prevent ourselves from falling away from the true God and losing our souls forever, please pray to this one and only God, like this: "Oh God, who delivers us and is our true Master. We are limited and we are not able to tell who is the true God. But we want to ask you whether Li is the real god. If he is, please make us continue to believe him. But if he is not, please bring us to you."

I believe the one and only God will respond to your prayer and reveal Himself to you in a way most appropriate to you. This is because God says: "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jer. 29:12-13) "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9)

By the way, I am now much healthier than I was when I practiced Falun Gong, although I do not do the exercises any more since I believed in the Lord. Three times have I had physical checkups and all the indicators have been normal. I have gained about 20 pounds to reach my normal weight. Those who knew me for quite a while can tell right away.

Shortly after I accepted the Lord, my sister also abandoned Falun and turned toward God. She prayed to God, "Oh Heavenly Father, do you really exist? If so, please deliver me out of this maze and show me the way." As soon as she uttered the phrase "Heavenly Father", the Holy Spirit filled her and tears ran down her cheeks. She accepted the Lord instantly.

So we have walked out of the shadow of Falun Gong.

The author came from Beijing. She lives in America.