After Being Tricked Into Pyramid Sales by My Girlfriend …

Because his father was in poor health, to relieve the burden of his family, Xiangyang quit school of his own accord and went to learn the skills of cooking western dishes and of making pastries from his cousin. Two years later, he became an outstanding Western cuisine chef. Xiangyang went to Hangzhou to work in a hotel at the introduction of his classmate. After a few months, on the Internet, he got acquainted with Xiaoqian, a beautiful and sweet-natured girl. They fell in love at the first sight, at the right age, and Xiangyang was completely delighted with her. He loved her with all his soul. Whatever she felt like eating or wearing, he had never been mean with money. They were attached to each other. One day, she called him and said, “Xiangyang, you simply resign from your job and come to work with me, lest we miss each other.” The naive Xiangyang fell for it and immediately gave up his job, going to Xiaoqian.

The next day, she took him to a place where there were lecturers and audiences, with a total of a few dozen people. They taught how to become rich, and everyone was absorbed in listening to the lecture. After one morning’s lecture, Xiangyang considered that what they said about making a fortune was as simple as a pie in the sky. Xiaoqian told him that as long as he invested 5,000 yuan as a share, he would earn 20,000 yuan per year. Though Xiangyang felt some doubt, on thinking that his love-stricken girlfriend was sweet and kind-hearted, he pondered: How could she cheat me? He denied his idea at once, and acquiesced in his girlfriend’s proposal, thinking to himself that it was quick and easy to earn money in that way. At that time, Xiaoqian found his heart was stirred and continued trying to persuade him, “There are four persons in your family, uncle, aunt, brother and you. You simply buy four shares and thus you can gain 80,000 yuan for one year.” Hearing what she said, he felt quite cheerful and thought: I can’t earn much even if I take pains to work for one year. It was irresistible to gain 80,000 yuan for one year. If I do like this for one year, I will be able to buy a car and drive home with my girlfriend. How honorable and wonderful it is before my parents, relatives and friends! Thinking of this, Xiangyang responded quickly, but he hesitated soon. When Xiaoqian saw he was floundering, she asked, “Xiangyang, what’s wrong?” He replied with a sigh, “It won’t work. I don’t have much money.” Seeing that, she said, “You could ask your parents for money. Besides, you are doing the proper business. How could uncle and aunt not support you?” He said with sadness, “It’s not that my parents don’t support me, but that all the money was spent in building the new house not long ago.” Seeing that he was baffled, she had an idea and said with secret thought, “How about this, you could tell uncle and aunt that you’ve changed your job and broke the machine in your factory. So your boss insists on your recompensing for it, and you are detained by your boss. They are sure to be anxious. Then you ask them to borrow some money and remit it to you in haste. If you earn money, you can remit the money to them. How about this?” He, embarrassed, said, “I can’t. I cannot lie to my parents.” Xiaoqian said urgently, “Xiangyang, why are you so literal-minded? This is a white lie. When you make money, you can return them doubly. I suppose that at that time they won’t blame on you but praise you for your ability. I’m concerning with our future! If you miss such an excellent chance … You need to turn it over in your mind.” Seeing the beloved girlfriend help him with sincerity, Xiangyang accepted her advice joyfully. Considering his father’s poor health, he gave his mother a call.

Zhang Jing, Xiangyang’s mother, was very anxious after receiving the call, but because she is a believer in God, she knew that there is God’s permission in everything and that she couldn’t complain that her son was confronted with such matter. It was reasonable to compensate. She prayed in front of God about her son’s matter, and asked God to help her out. After prayer, she was much calmer within and began to raise money everywhere. Unexpectedly, when she scraped together 20,000 yuan and hurried to go to the bank to remit the money to Xiangyang, the power went off in the bank and she had to go back home. When she came back, the brothers and sisters, hearing of this matter, came to communicate with her and told her: “Now there are many people involved in pyramid scheme. Your son needs so much money one time, and is he cheated? You could pray to and relay on God more in it, and God will reveal the fact. There is God’s good intention in the cutoff of power in the bank. Don’t send money to Xiangyang blindly. It’s better to seek first.” Hearing the fellowship, Zhang Jing realized that she should take the big deal seriously. So she kept praying inside and sought God’s will.

Seeing Xiangyang’s parents still didn’t send money, and for fear that they saw through her scheme, Xiaoqian urged Xiangyang to phone home at intervals of five minutes. Faced with such situation, Xiangyang’s mother recollected the fellowship of the brothers and sisters and seemed to understand something. She prayed to God earnestly about how to deal with it. Then under the guidance of God, Zhang Jing suddenly thought of her brother Luming who engaged in diplomacy, and informed him of this. As soon as he received the call, Luming returned from Zhengzhou City. After hearing the detail, Luming judged: “Xiangyang must be deceived by those who are involved in pyramid scheme. Luckily, the money hasn’t been transferred yet.” Zhang Jing knew that it was God who protected her in secret and made a way out for her. That night, Luming drove his sister and brother-in-law to Hangzhou City. Luming let his sister stabilize Xiangyang and tell him that the money would be sent soon, and meanwhile, he had his local friend cooperate with them. Using sending money as bait, they asked Xiangyang and Xiaoqian to come out. Then they went through a lot of trouble and finally saved Xiangyang out.

After returning home, recalling what had happened in that period, Xiangyang seemed to have a nightmare. He was bitterly painful and very puzzled about why his beloved girlfriend deceived him. He felt he was so foolish. Seeing that he was depressed all day, Xiangyang’s mother decided to spread the gospel to him and allowed him to know from God’s words the source of suffering and to get to know God’s salvation. Hence, she communed God’s words with him, “One after another, all these trends carry an evil influence that continually degenerates man, that lowers their morals and their quality of character more and more, to the extent that we can even say the majority of people now have no integrity, no humanity, neither do they have any conscience, much less any reason. So what are these trends? You cannot see these trends with the naked eye. When the wind of a trend blows through, perhaps only a small number of people will become the trendsetters. They start off doing this kind of thing, accepting this kind of idea or this kind of perspective. The majority of people, however, in the midst of their unawareness, will still be continually infected, assimilated and attracted by this kind of trend, until they all unknowingly and involuntarily accept it, and are all submerged in and controlled by it. For man who is not of sound body and mind, who never knows what is truth, who cannot tell the difference between positive and negative things, these kinds of trends one after another make them all willingly accept these trends, the life view, the life philosophies and values that come from Satan. They accept what Satan tells them on how to approach life and the way to live that Satan “bestows” on them. They have not the strength, neither do they have the ability, much less the awareness to resist” (“God Himself, the Unique VI”). After reading God’s words, Zhang Jing said blandly to her son, “Xiangyang, from God’s words, we can see the people nowadays live in the world controlled by Satan and are attracted by trends, one after another, started by Satan. On the surface, the economic is advanced. The ways to make money emerge in endlessly. People’s heart is attracted by them and they all want to gain a lot of money without working hard and want to take possession of others’ money. In order to attain this goal, they take advantage of and cheat one another, having lost the normal humanity and rationality; for money, the ties of kinship are forgotten. How can there be true love between people? Think about it, how can there be such good things like a pie in the sky? Satan hoodwinks and harms us human taking advantage of our greed, and we can only be deceived by this evil trend without truth. I thought you were honest and good, but I never believed you could cheat me because of being allured by money and interest. Son, if not for God’s protection, we would have already been cheated of our money, so we should give thanks to God. From now on, we should make money dutifully. Don’t take unfair advantage. Penny wise, pound foolish.” Xiangyang said, “I’m very much to blame. I was totally blinded by Xiaoqian’s sweetness and affection. I only thought of making a big money and then of feeling proud and elated, so that I was dazzled by money and fame. Mum, sorry, I was wrong.” His mother said, “Child, you’re not entirely to blame. We should hate that the society is so evil and dark. At that time you didn’t come before God and didn’t have truth, how could you discern good from evil, beauty from ugliness? If not for God’s obstruction by the cutoff of power in the bank, the fellowship, help and reminding of the brothers and sisters, I may have been cheated by you. So it’s God who loves people most. God’s words reveal, ‘First let’s talk about what happens if God doesn’t save you; that is, if you don’t believe in God, where will you be? You will be entirely under Satan’s domain, you will be caught up in evil trends and you will be in the midst of corrupt mankind. Being in the midst of corrupt mankind is the same as being inside what? Where will you be? (In a nest of devils.) In a nest of devils, inside a dye vat, right? So if someone doesn’t believe in God, what will their final end be? (They will go down into hell.)’ (“Man is the Greatest Beneficiary of God’s Management Plan”). Think about it, now for money, people may use any means, scheme against, plot against and cheat one another. It was foolish of you to believe that what Xiaoqian did was to help you, love you. Son, let’s devote ourselves to belief in God. If we don’t believe in God, we can only be teased by Satan and be in Satan’s evil trends, more and more deeply, to the point of being harmed and swallowed up by Satan.” Through God’s words and mother’s fellowship, Xiangyang understood: After being corrupted by Satan, for their own interests, people use one another, without true affection and love. I was so foolish. Without the protection of God whom my mother believes in, the consequences would be unimaginable. The world of sensual pleasures externally attracts people, but it is like a hell on earth if we live in it. There are so many kinds of traps that it’s impossible for us to guard against. And we’ll be taken in as soon as we are not careful. Thinking of this, Xiangyang nodded slowly.

After that, Zhang Jing often fellowshiped God’s words with Xiangyang. Under the leading of God’s words, he gradually walked out of the miseries and lived the church life. Together with the brothers and sisters in the church, he saw the Church of Almighty God is entirely different from the world: When they reveal corrupt dispositions, the brothers and sisters all know themselves respectively. They are simple and open and guide one another to the face to help enter into God’s words. Without intrigue between the brothers and sisters, they are close to each other, like a family and share everything together. A few months later, Xiangyang knew more and more truths, and took the initiative to fulfill his duty in the church.

One day, sitting by the table, holding tightly to a book of God’s words, Xiangyang was thankful inwardly that in such an evil age, he could come before God and be shepherded and watered by God’s words. He was overcome with emotion. He saw God’s words say, “In this vast world with so many people, God has predestined and chosen you from among all of humanity; you were born in this era, in the country of the great red dragon, and He allows you to be able to perform the duty you are performing now. You have been favored by God and have been chosen by Him. Is this not a blessing? This is a blessing—God favors you and allows you to spend for God and perform your duty in God’s family. … This opportunity is given to you by God, is it not? (It is.) Is not God’s giving you this opportunity and allowing you to live in this way, to spend for Him, something that gives righteous confidence? (It is.) … You should treasure this opportunity and feel pride, and honor (“A Person Can Live Life With Dignity Only by Submitting to and Revering God”). Reading these words, Xiangyang couldn’t help having the depths of gratitude to God and gave thanks to God for His salvation of him. He felt he was too blessed that in such a dark and evil era, he could be chosen, saved by God, and wouldn’t be devoured by Satan.

In years of experience, Xiangyang has tasted deeply that only the Church of Almighty God is a piece of pure land. The brothers and sisters don’t guard against each other, they are intimately connected, and don’t keep anything from each other. Xiangyang is incomparably contented and happy. Living in the world of God’s words, he has found the true path of life—the main mission of a creation is to perform his duty and satisfy God. He makes a resolution secretly: In the following days, I will try my utmost to do my duty and repay God’s love.