The second responsibility of leaders and workers is to be familiar with the states of each sort of person, and resolve the various difficulties relating to life entry they encounter in their real lives. How do false leaders carry out this work? Are they qualified for this task? Let us dissect this point. Being familiar with the states of each sort of person—on what basis is this accomplished? It is accomplished on the basis of understanding the words of God that expose the corrupt dispositions and essences of various people. To grasp the states of various people, one must first understand the words of God that expose the various states, corrupt dispositions, and corrupt essences of people, and be able to match them with themselves. The type of dispositions exposed by God refers to which kind of people, what their humanity is like, what kind of manifestations and revelations they have, and what their attitude toward God, God’s words, and their duty is; these states must be matched with God’s words, and by doing so, one is able to grasp the states of various individuals. Therefore, being familiar with the states of various people is firstly achieved on the basis of understanding God’s words and having the ability to comprehend God’s words. False leaders do not have the ability to comprehend God’s words, so can they understand the complex truths about various types of people exposed by God’s words, as well as the various states and corrupt essences that are exposed? (No.) They do not understand, do not know the relationships involved here, and do not know the truths involved. Because they do not possess the ability to comprehend God’s words, grasping the states of various people—this very crucial and important matter—is a very troublesome and difficult task for false leaders.

How do false leaders grasp the states of various people? They think, “This person is enthusiastic, that one is petty, this one loves to dress up, that one has little faith....” They only look at these superficial phenomena, but what someone’s attitude toward God’s words and the truth really is, and what their nature essence really is, they do not know. For example, someone has genuine faith and is energetic in doing their duty, but their family difficulties and entanglements affect the results of their duties; false leaders, upon seeing this, will wrongly label them, saying, “This person is a disbeliever. They cannot break away from their family. They’re always thinking about their children. They have savings at home but do not offer them. So this person is very troublesome, and cannot be used for important tasks in the future.” In fact, this person’s issue is not serious; it’s simply because they’ve only believed in God for a short while and have a shallow understanding of the truth that they cannot see through many things. They do not know how to approach their family and children, or how to handle their assets. They are still in the period of praying and seeking, and have not yet found the accurate principles and methods of practice. They have the will to practice the truth, but when faced with family entanglements and difficulties, they are temporarily a bit weak and not very active in doing their duty. However, they can complete the work assigned to them by the church earnestly, which is something most people cannot do. Judging from their caliber, humanity, and their attitude toward the truth, they are a good person. But false leaders do not see it this way because they do not understand God’s words and do not know how to use God’s words as a standard to measure what someone’s nature essence is, or whether the state someone is in is because of their nature essence or temporary weakness, or is an issue of stature; they cannot measure these things. The difficulties that this type of person encounters are those that occur in real life and relate to life entry—can false leaders handle these kinds of issues? Can they solve the difficulties of these people? (No.) Because false leaders cannot accurately grasp the states of various people and cannot accurately discern the good and bad of various people’s nature essence, they also cannot accurately solve the difficulties and problems of various people. Conversely, they regard those who, relying solely on enthusiasm, can run about expending themselves, endure hardship, and pay a price, but have poor caliber and lack comprehension ability, as key targets for cultivation, and they fellowship to solve their difficulties when these people encounter them. But for those who truly have caliber and good humanity, when they encounter difficulties and are a bit weak, how do false leaders solve and address them? When these people face difficulties and they’re actually just a bit weak, according to the situation, they should be supported and helped; one should fellowship God’s intentions to them—they should not be completely written off, much less labeled. But how do false leaders solve such people’s difficulties? They say, “God’s work has already reached such a stage, yet you still cling to your husband, to your children; you even have your children attend university and pursue their prospects. As disasters grow increasingly severe, are there still any prospects in this world? You can’t even take care of your own life, how can you care about those things? God’s work is nearly finished, how pressing is the time! If you don’t devote yourself entirely, can you still be called a created being? Are you still human?” Is this really what these people’s difficulties are about? (No.) The reason these people are a bit weak when they face difficulties is merely because of their small stature, not because they don’t love the truth or are unwilling to do their duty. Therefore, what the false leaders say does not match their state; it is obviously a case of wrongful labeling, not grasping the crux or key aspect of their state, not grasping what they are truly thinking, what kind of person they are, and how they should be guided and helped to solve their difficulties. False leaders do not know how to solve these problems. So, how should one resolve such matters when they arise? You can say, “The issue you are facing is a problem many people encounter. Those who can truly leave their families behind and expend themselves wholeheartedly for God are not acting on impulse, but have prepared for a long time. For one thing, they have understood enough truth and genuinely have the will to break free from their family, to expend themselves wholeheartedly in God’s house, and they can guarantee that they will not regret it later—they have thought it all through. Moreover, during this period, they also pray to God for preparation and to open a way forward, while continuing to equip themselves with the truth, allowing themselves to understand more truths, and to have more faith in putting aside everything to expend themselves wholeheartedly for God. This requires time, prayer, and of course, God’s leading and arrangements. If you have this will, don’t be anxious. Pray to God and quietly wait, and God will make arrangements for you. If your prayers and your will align with God’s intentions and receive God’s approval, if you are ready and you will submit no matter what God does and feel no regret, then God will surely open a way for you. During this period, what people should do is prepare and wait; the only thing they can do is to equip themselves with truth, understand God’s intentions, and allow their stature to grow gradually. When God arranges various environments, if you can choose to submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements without any complaints, this is to have stature—no matter what God does or how He arranges, you will be able to submit.” What do you think of this kind of guidance? (It’s good.) On one hand, you’re fulfilling your responsibility, helping people understand God’s intentions; at the same time, you’re not forcing them beyond their ability, but treating them according to their actual situation. Is this not solving problems with God’s words? Is it not solving the difficulties people face in real life based on their state? (Yes.)

In their performance of their duties, some people are always perfunctory and show no responsibility, they always carry themselves with an official air, and are arrogant, self-righteous, and incapable of cooperating with others, and they bring losses to the work of the church without feeling a hint of guilt. A false leader, upon seeing such a situation, sets out to address and resolve the issue, saying, “This person plays a very important role in this work. It seems there’s no one quite suitable to replace them, so we need to fellowship with them to resolve their difficulties.” During the fellowship, the false leader discovers that this person doesn’t want to do their duty at all. They want to pursue worldly things, to make money from their career and live a good life, and they consider being made to do their duty as asking too much of them. They feel that doing their duty in God’s house means being busy every day, not only destroying their personal family life but also making it impossible to maintain relationships with family members, and that if they violate principles while doing their duty they have to endure being pruned. They find such a life too bitter and they don’t want to live like that. The issue is clear: Their behavior indicates that they are a disbeliever. But how does the false leader handle it? The false leader thinks, “This person is talented among nonbelievers; it’s not easy to find someone like them. Their state has become problematic; I need to quickly put aside the busiest work in my hands to fellowship with them, to help them solve this. How to solve it? God’s words are the most powerful; first, I’ll read them a few passages of God’s words to resolve their unwillingness to do their duty.” The false leader tells them, “Now that disasters have come, people can no longer live good lives. You still want to earn money through a career and live a simple family life, but soon the whole world will be in chaos, and there will be no simple families anymore. Can’t you see through these things? You need to pray to God more. Praying to God will give you faith. You also need to eat and drink more of God’s words. After eating and drinking God’s words a few times, your problem will be solved.” Then, they find five or ten passages of God’s words to read and fellowship with them. The person responds, “Enough with the fellowship. I understand all these words of God; I am more educated than you. Don’t show off.” A whole day of fellowship and nothing is resolved. The false leader thinks to themselves, “I have been doing church work for so many years; I don’t believe I can’t solve your problem.” In the evening, they quickly continue the fellowship, “You need to love and worship God! You have the hope to become a qualified created being. This duty is not easy to come by; you must cherish this opportunity, for if you miss it, there will never be another. With your caliber and conditions being so good, wouldn’t it be a pity for you not to do your duty? Someone with your talents should be promoted and utilized in God’s house; you have great prospects here!” The person says, “Stop talking. If you have me do my duty, my attitude will remain the same. If I’m not allowed to do it, I’ll leave immediately. It’s not like I’m begging to stay here!” The false leader exhausts all their words but can’t persuade this person or resolve their issue. Why is that? It’s because they can’t see through to what this person’s essential problem is. This person, when doing their duty, is perfunctory whenever they feel like it, cheats whenever they feel like it, and just goes through the motions if that’s what they feel like doing; no matter what work they do, they are irresponsible. They are unwilling to put in a little extra effort or say a few more words to resolve some issues, finding it troublesome and bothersome. They clearly know how to do their duty adequately and how to act appropriately but are unwilling to practice in this way. Yet, they continue to do their duty in God’s house. What is the nature of this situation? What is the problem here? (They came with the intention of gaining blessings and making deals.) They came with such hope; such people are known as opportunists. They say, “I heard the world is going to end soon, the apocalypse is upon us, so I don’t need to go to work anymore; I’ve pretty much earned enough money anyway. I might as well come to God’s house for a free meal ticket and to secure a spot for myself, so that I can have hope of receiving blessings later on.” Judging by their attitude and intention in doing their duty, their belief in God is opportunistic; they’ve come to God’s house to freeload, not out of true faith. Their attitude when doing their duty is especially dismissive. To use them, the church has to coax and negotiate with them, and still, they do not perform well. Can a person who lacks even a conscience truly do their duty? They are merely engaging in opportunism and freeloading, they are a disbeliever. Looking at the nature of the two aspects of this issue, in trying to resolve it, did the false leader grasp its essence? (No.) Failing to see through to the essence of the issue, they still regarded this person as a true believer, just someone lacking understanding of the truth, of small stature, momentarily weak and in need of support. From these perspectives, they attempted to fellowship and help, only to be told, “Stop talking. Those doctrines you speak of are useless. I know all that, I understand more than you. How many doctrines do you really understand? How educated are you? I’ve read more books than you’ve eaten meals!” Their nature has revealed itself, hasn’t it? The false leader still believes they are doing the work of a leader, not realizing that this person is in fact a disbeliever. When disbelievers do their duty in God’s house, even their labor is inadequate. Should such people be kept around? (No.) Therefore, this is the principle for handling this kind of person in God’s house: If they can and are willing to labor, keep them; if they are unwilling, quickly cleanse them away, without urging them to stay or admonishing them. Does the false leader know this principle? They do not. They treat the dead as if they were alive, feeding them and giving them water; isn’t that foolish? False leaders do just such foolish things.

In various situations, when different people reveal various states and manifestations, false leaders always fail to grasp the essence of these revelations and cannot resolve the problems that arise from them. Because they do not understand the truth, they apply labels mistakenly and engage in reckless misconduct, mistaking those who are temporarily weak or occasionally negative for disbelievers who betray God. Meanwhile, those disbelievers who superficially possess some gifts, who can do simple work and exert some effort, are considered key targets to be supported. These people feel embarrassed to directly state their unwillingness to do their duty, yet false leaders fail to see through this and persist in persuading them to stay. False leaders do nothing but commit foolish acts; evil people disturb the church, yet they remain blind to this and do not address the issue. Isn’t this engaging in reckless misconduct? How does the reckless misconduct of false leaders come about? They lack the ability to comprehend God’s words and do not understand the truth, so when faced with various situations, they resort to the most superficial doctrines they understand, repeatedly applying them in a way that only serves to cause disruptions and disturbances. Often, not only do they fail to resolve the difficulties people encounter in life entry and not only do they fail to support people from weakness to strength, but they also cause people to harbor notions and misunderstandings about God, making them think the church is trying to recruit them to take advantage of their service, as if God’s house lacks talented individuals and cannot find suitable people. This is the negative impact generated by the work of false leaders. How does this come about? (False leaders cannot comprehend the truth, do not understand the truth, and when they encounter situations, they just apply regulations.) They cannot comprehend the truth, they are only able to memorize some inflexible words and sayings. They lack a real experiential understanding and appreciation of the truth. Thus, when problems eventually arise, they can only say a few dry phrases: “Love God”; “Be honest”; “Be obedient and submissive when faced with situations”; “Do your duty well”; “You need to be loyal”; “You must rebel against the flesh”; “You need to expend yourself for God.” They use these empty doctrines, slogans, and sayings to adorn themselves, and also teach them to others, hoping to influence and have a positive impact on them—but it achieves no effect, and changes nothing. Therefore, false leaders are incapable of accomplishing any work. As they are not even able to resolve the difficulties God’s chosen people encounter in life entry, how then can they do a good job leading the church?

When people encounter various difficulties in real life and do not know how to face them, nor how to practice the truth, they need to seek the truth in God’s words to resolve these issues. If someone of small stature doesn’t know how to seek the truth in God’s words, nor how to find the relevant words of God, then they should seek out those who understand the truth for fellowship to resolve the issue, while also training how to find the relevant words of God and how to comprehend the truth. This means finding in God’s words what the principles and God’s required standards are, how God defines this matter and what He demands in regard to it, and whether there are any specific details explained. If God’s words about this topic are somewhat simple, merely outlining the principles without providing detailed examples, then you should learn to ponder. If you cannot figure it out through pondering, seek more people to fellowship with, fellowship in gatherings, and grope about and seek in the process of doing your duty, gaining enlightenment and illumination, and thus gradually coming to understand what the essence of the issue at hand is. Finally, enter according to the principles of God’s words to arrive at a resolution to these difficulties. For instance, some people are lazy and can never muster the strength to do their duty; but mention eating, drinking, and merrymaking, and they brighten up and become full of vigor, as if suddenly enlivened. How do false leaders resolve such issues? They too have a method: assigning more tasks to these people, leaving them no time to idle. Can this approach solve the problem? Some people are reluctant to do even a small amount of work assigned to them; they just want to freeload, thinking it best not to do any work at all! What is the issue with extremely lazy people? It relates to their nature essence, to whether they love positive things, and also to their preferences and pursuits. There are some people who have a bit of caliber; if they are just ordinary followers without any burden placed upon them, they lack the energy to do their work and don’t find any interest in it. However, if, according to their caliber and the duty they can do, they are given the burden of being a supervisor, allowed to hold some title and undertake some obligations, their interest in the work is piqued. Sometimes, when they become irresponsible in their work or become lazy, they can be pruned; at other times, they can be given some encouragement and praise. Thus, these people, who care about face, are fond of status, and enjoy being flattered, gain the energy to do their duty. When they think of slacking, they ponder, “For the sake of status, for the burden I carry, I must do well.” In this way, the laziness of such people can be partially resolved. When false leaders encounter these kinds of issues related to humanity or states involving life entry that arise in the process of doing duty, they find them very difficult and challenging to resolve. They do not know how to solve these states and problems, or which words of God to use for a targeted resolution. Most of the time, their approach is to persuade or coax people to do well; if persuasion and coaxing don’t work, they resort to getting angry and pruning them. If pruning them doesn’t work, they read a couple of passages of God’s harsh words as a warning, letting people know they should shape up. If that still doesn’t have an effect, their last resort is to arrange for someone to watch over and manage them. They have only these few techniques at their disposal, and if these don’t work, they are out of options.

In summary, regardless of the problem, false leaders are unable to see through to the essence of the problem, struggle to grasp the true states and backgrounds of various people, and even less can they see through to where the root of the problem lies or where to start in order to resolve it most appropriately. They lack these principles and methods for handling problems, so the work of false leaders cannot solve various real issues. They are only able to preach some doctrines, shout some slogans, follow some regulations, and go through the motions. How can such people be fit for the work of leading the church? No matter how much they train or how many more years they believe, they will not be fit for the work of leading the church. Have you encountered any examples of this? (In our church, there was someone doing hosting duty who always made judgmental and attacking remarks, affecting our performance of duty and causing disruptions and disturbances. After we reported this to the leader, he merely insisted that we know ourselves and submit to the environment arranged by God, without solving the actual problem, which affected the work of the church. It was only after a change in leadership that the problem was resolved.) This is a typical manifestation of false leadership. This is a common sort of false leader: those who cannot identify an evil person or antichrist when they encounter one, and tell others to be patient and tolerant, to learn from the experience, and to obey the evil person or antichrist. They do not discern antichrists or evil people, nor do they do anything about them. After so much fellowship about the ways in which antichrists manifest, everyone who understands the truth must now be able to identify a few of them. But are such people as false leaders able to look for how that fellowship corresponds to an antichrist’s behavior? Can they discern antichrists? (No.) And what comes of their inability to discern antichrists? It is possible that an antichrist will wrest power from them, that they will allow the antichrist to control the church and, in the end, do nothing as the antichrist establishes an independent kingdom. If they cannot discern an antichrist, they have no way to treat an antichrist as their enemy and to expose, discern, and reject them; if they cannot discern an antichrist, they are quite likely to treat an antichrist as a brother or sister, with patience and tolerance, which results in the antichrist’s coming to power in the church and controlling it. So, the consequences of not being able to discern antichrists are serious ones, dire beyond reckoning. False leaders do not understand the truth; they cannot discern the essences of different sorts of people. All they do is preach words and doctrines and apply regulations, with love for all, letting everyone repent, and giving everyone a chance, whoever they may be. Is this not the manner of religious clergy? Is it not the manner of the Pharisees? False leaders, when encountering antichrists, usually choose to compromise and give way, even finding an excuse or reason to claim this is treating others with love. Knowing that someone is problematic and is an antichrist, they neither dare to confront nor have the courage to discern and expose them; this is exactly what false leaders do. Even when some brothers and sisters have already discerned that the person is evil or an antichrist, the false leader will still say, “We can’t just judge people or condemn them lightly. That person is so enthusiastic to expend themselves and so willing to pay a price—they’re not an antichrist or an evil person. Just because someone says a few harsh words doesn’t make them evil, right?” False leaders cannot see the essence of people, nor can they see the consequences of the actions of antichrists, still showing love, tolerance, and patience toward antichrists, even encouraging antichrists to reflect, know themselves, and truly repent. No matter how an antichrist tries to know themselves, can their nature change? Can they truly know themselves? Absolutely not. Although antichrists may appear to forsake some things and expend themselves a little on the surface, inside they harbor ambitions and grand schemes. The reason false leaders cannot see through such people as antichrists is that false leaders do not understand the truth, nor can they discern different types of people. They cannot see through to the nature essence of various people, nor do they know how to treat or handle different types of people. When they see others exposing antichrists, they don’t dare join in, and they are even more afraid to take action against the antichrists, fearing retaliation if they offend the antichrists. Their approach to antichrists is limited to preaching doctrines and exhortations. Besides being unable to discern evil people and antichrists, false leaders also cannot resolve the various issues that exist among God’s chosen people. This proves that false leaders have no understanding of the truth at all; they are incapable of resolving actual problems and cannot possibly lead God’s chosen people into the truth reality. No matter what false leaders say or do, you won’t hear any words of light prompted by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, much less will you see that they possess any truth reality. Therefore, false leaders offer no benefit or help in terms of people’s life entry; the little work they do involves preaching words and doctrines, shouting slogans, and going through the motions. They utterly fail at fulfilling the role a leader should play.

That’s all for our fellowship today. Goodbye!

January 9, 2021