L. Being Inclined to Court Trouble

Let’s take a look at the next manifestation: being inclined to court trouble. Do you know what kind of people are inclined to court trouble? In the church have you encountered this type of person who is inclined to court trouble? Regardless of their age, gender, or what profession they have in the world, if they always court trouble and always do things that violate laws and regulations, bringing negative impacts to the church and forming huge obstacles to the gospel work, then the church should handle these people promptly. First, give them a warning, and if the situation is too serious, expel them or clear them out. You cannot show them any courtesy. What kind of people are those who are inclined to court trouble? For example, some people, when doing business or running factories in the world, associate with shady individuals and often do things that violate laws and regulations. Today, they’re evading or underpaying taxes; tomorrow, they’re engaging in fraud and deception, or even getting involved in legal cases for causing death. Because of these things, they frequently receive court summons, spend their days engaged in lawsuits, and are constantly embroiled in disputes. Can such people believe in God with sincerity? That is impossible. There are also some people who claim to believe in God but behave in very strange and abnormal ways. Today, they are harassing the opposite sex; tomorrow, they might sexually assault someone and get reported. Would you say these people are inclined to court trouble? (Yes.) So, can such people believe in God with sincerity? (No.) These people who are inclined to court trouble, after believing in God, still always associate with shady individuals from society and constantly give rise to disputes, such as disputes over emotional matters, finances, property, or personal interests. Or, because of some incident that causes tension in one of their relationships, or due to their ill-gotten gains being split unevenly, there are always people looking to cause them trouble. When the brothers and sisters occasionally visit their home, they may encounter these shady people. Even when they are at gatherings or doing their duty, these shady people sometimes show up at the door or send harassing messages, so anyone in the company of these people who are inclined to court trouble is likely to be dragged into their troubles; in particular, the church’s work and reputation are even more likely to be drawn in and damaged by these people. Tell Me, is it good for such people to remain in the church? (No.) This kind of person must also be cleared out and handled.

There are also some people who, regardless of what profession they have in society, always want to be at odds with the government, with government officials, or with certain social groups and public figures. Today, they’re exposing the government’s unfair actions; tomorrow, they’re suing some group or organization, demanding compensation for damages; the day after, they’re exposing a public figure’s private life, causing people to come looking for them. Is this courting trouble? (Yes.) Even after they come to believe in God, they still want to keep getting involved in societal matters. When they see something that makes them feel dissatisfied and indignant, they always want to stand up for justice to show themselves off, or write a comment or article to pass judgment on the rights and wrongs of the matter. What happens in the end? They don’t accomplish anything, but end up causing themselves a boatload of trouble, getting entangled in lawsuits and having their reputation ruined. And there are always shady people from society looking for them, wanting to retaliate or take action against them, so they live in extreme fear. To escape this kind of life and avoid trouble, they buy several houses, explaining, “As they say, ‘A crafty rabbit has three burrows.’ Only one of my three houses is known to the public; no one knows about the other two. I’m keeping them for the church to use and for the brothers and sisters to stay in.” Do you think the brothers and sisters would be safe staying there? (No, they wouldn’t.) Their words sound all very nice, and their intentions in doing this are good, but with their character and their flaw of being inclined to court trouble, who would dare stay at their house? If you stayed there, people might think you’re part of their family. If someone is looking to beat them up but can’t find them, wouldn’t they just give you a beating instead? Some people are inclined to court trouble. When they’re out driving ordinarily and go through a remote area, they might get stopped by someone, who then drags them out of the car, savagely beats them, and gives them a warning. They know it’s because they offended someone first and brought trouble on themselves, and that whoever they offended wanted to torment them. Isn’t that exactly what they deserved? This type of person is the type that is inclined to court trouble. After they start believing in God, regardless of what matter the church is discussing, they always want to butt in; they want to have their say on the matter and make some comments, also trying to get people to listen to them. If the church doesn’t adopt their suggestions, they become downright dissatisfied and resentful, unaware of their own abilities. No matter how many losses they suffer, they never remember them or draw lessons from their failures. Such people spell trouble even when they believe in God. For one thing, they don’t understand the truth but still always want to get involved in the church’s work, trying to meddle in everything, with the result that they disrupt and disturb the church’s work. For another thing, whenever they spend a lot of time with any brother or sister, they also bring trouble on them. People of this type who are inclined to court trouble are a huge pain. Do you think people who court trouble are people who don’t make waves? Are they people who keep to their proper place? (No.) They are definitely not people who keep to their proper place. Generally, people who live decent lives tend to keep to their proper place. As long as societal matters have nothing to do with their belief in God, they absolutely don’t get involved in or inquire about them. This is called being rational, understanding the times, and understanding the sense of things. This society and humankind are so wicked and complicated. As nonbelievers say, “In this chaotic era and chaotic world, people need to learn how to protect themselves.” Moreover, you’re always commenting on societal matters and wanting to get involved in them, but that is not the path you should be walking in life. Doing those things has no value and is not the right path in life. Even if you are able to speak fairly, that still doesn’t count as a just cause. Why not? Because there is no fairness in this world; evil trends do not permit it. If you can truly speak fair words and honest words in God’s house, that has value and significance. But if you speak fair words and honest words in this evil, corrupt, and chaotic world of man, such words easily invite trouble and bring danger. Wouldn’t it be very stupid to say such words then? Doing this not only wouldn’t allow you to live in a way that has value, but it would also bring you no end of trouble. So, smart people see that these societal matters are a scourge and distance themselves and avoid them, while stupid people head toward them, bringing a great deal of trouble upon themselves. Some people in particular, after training in martial arts for a few days, learn a few flashy techniques and gain a little fame, and then want to fight for justice and rob the rich to help the poor. They want to take on the role of a knight-errant or swordsman, going around righting wrongs, and they even step forward to help whenever they see injustice. As a result, this leads to trouble—they don’t realize how complex society is. Tell Me, when you step forward to help, won’t you end up offending some people? Won’t you ruin the careful plans that some people have made? (Yes.) When you ruin the careful plans those people have, will they let you get away with it? (No.) You might say, “What I’m undertaking is a just cause,” but even if it is a just cause, that won’t do—this world won’t allow you to undertake just causes. If you do, you’ll be courting trouble. Fools don’t get this, they can’t see through the world. They always think that, since they are a knight-errant, they should step forward to help others. But in the end, they mess up somebody’s careful plans, and that person seeks revenge on them and refuses to let up. This is how they court disaster. The other person secretly starts finding out their name, where they live, what their family situation is, who their family members are, whether they have any influence in that area, and how best to take action against them. Once they have a clear understanding about all this, they then start making their move on the “knight-errant,” whose life becomes difficult from then on. People of this type frequently court trouble and, no matter how great the losses they suffer, they never learn their lesson. When they encounter something they see as unjust, they still want to fight for justice, and to step forward and help. Not only do they bring trouble upon themselves, but they also put their family in harm’s way, and sometimes even drag friends or colleagues around them into it. If they believe in God and enter the church, the brothers and sisters could end up getting put in harm’s way by them as well. For example, if they get into trouble in society and someone wants to retaliate against them, and that person knows that you attend gatherings with them, they might come to you for information about their personal and family situation. So, will you tell that person or not? If you do, it’s tantamount to betraying them, which will bring trouble upon them; if you don’t, that person might torment you. There are too many evil people in this world, and evil people are all beyond reason. If someone offends them, they will resort to any means to get revenge. Isn’t that the case? (Yes.) No matter what kind of trouble people who are inclined to court trouble get into, it always causes trouble and disturbance for the performance of their duty and can also affect the church’s work to varying degrees. If someone constantly courts trouble, do you think fellowshipping the truth with them can resolve this problem? (No.) People of this type often lack sound reason. Even when they get into trouble, they don’t see it as trouble; they might even think they have a sense of justice. In such cases, fellowshipping the truth with them is useless because they are people with distorted comprehension, they are absurd individuals. Absurd individuals don’t easily accept the truth. Some people might say, “They are facing difficulty; how could we disregard them? How could we not show them some pity? We should treat them with love.” Treating them with love is fine, but can they accept it? If they do not accept the truth whatsoever and continue to hold onto their own views, is it appropriate for you to keep fellowshipping the truth endlessly with them? (No.) Why is it not appropriate? (People of this type don’t sincerely believe in God. Their essence is that of disbelievers. Even if we fellowship the truth with them, it won’t resolve the problem, and they can still bring a lot of trouble to the church.) So, should people of this type be cleared out? (Yes, they should.)

There is another type of people who are inclined to court trouble. In the church, they are always inciting the brothers and sisters to do certain things. For example, they say: “That action taken by the government and the policy they formulated are unreasonable. As Christians, we must practice righteousness, we have to speak up and cannot tuck our tails like cowards. We need to march in the streets with banners and protest, fighting for the well-being of the brothers and sisters, our church, and all humankind!” And what is the result of this? Before they can even march, the government already finds out, and the court sends a summons. Tell Me, is it fortunate or unfortunate for the church to have such people? (Unfortunate.) Some people say: “It turns out that our church has such a talented person—this person is leadership material! Look at the people in our church; they are all meek and toe the line, with no influence in society. They are timid and don’t dare to take on any major matters, and they are very afraid of courting trouble. This person is different—they are courageous, insightful, and decisive; they also have influence in society, they are capable, and when they see injustice, they dare to stand up and step forward. Even when faced with a legal case, they don’t get flustered or anxious. Their mental capacity makes them naturally suited to being an official. If this person were involved in politics, they would either be a representative or at least the governor of a province. We are not good enough. Thus, the church should select them to be leader. If they lead us, we will surely obtain salvation!” Some foolish people hold those who are inclined to court trouble in society in particularly high regard and idolize them, even wanting to elect them as church leaders. Do you think this is appropriate? (No.) Why is it not appropriate? Doesn’t the church need such “capable people?” (The church does not need such people. Church leaders must lead God’s chosen people to eat and drink God’s words together in gatherings, pursue the truth, and do their duty to spread the gospel. Even though such people may appear to have so-called courage, insight, and decisiveness on the surface, they are unable to do this kind of work and will bring endless trouble to the church. Therefore, they are not fit to be church leaders.) Let Me tell you, it is a mistake for this kind of person to remain in the church, and it would be even more disastrous to elect such people as leaders. Where would they lead the church? They would turn the church into a religious group! This is because when they see injustices in society, they will file lawsuits; when they see evil people bullying the poor, they will fight for them; when they see corrupt officials brutally harm the people, they will want to champion justice on behalf of Heaven. Consequently, you would all also gradually become knights-errant fighting for justice. In this way, could you still obtain salvation? On the surface, people who are inclined to court trouble may seem quite competent, but in the end, what happens? They are all eliminated for disrupting and disturbing the church’s work, because the path they follow is not the right path. No matter what kind of trouble they court, they are not walking on the right path, nor are they following God’s will. Nothing they do has any connection with the church, with God’s work, or with God’s intentions; everything they do is distanced from God’s intentions and departs from the right path. The nature of their courting trouble is that they are dealing and entangled with devils; they are being plagued by devils. Therefore, God’s house must draw a clear line between itself and such people. If they repeatedly court trouble, refusing to listen no matter who tries to advise them, and they court trouble without learning from their mistakes, even committing reckless misdeeds, then they should be persuaded to leave. You can say: “Look at all the trouble you’ve courted, how much of an obstacle it has been to the church’s work, and how many people’s performance of duty has been affected. How do you not realize this? Your breadth of mind is far too broad—it’s broad enough to encompass the whole world. A person like you should strike out into the world; you ought to cultivate yourself and govern the nation, bringing peace to the world. You are suited to associating with high-ranking officials; only then can you ride above the everyday and spread your wings and soar. Staying with people who believe in God all day—won’t that just hold back your grand ambitions and limit your ability to spread your wings and fly? Look at us—none of us have grand aspirations. We are focused solely on believing in God, reading more of God’s words to understand some truths, and doing less evil, and then perhaps we can receive God’s approval—that’s all. We are all people slandered and insulted by worldly people, rejected by the world, so you aren’t meant to associate with people like us. You’d be better off if you returned to the world and strove there; maybe you’ll achieve great success and realize your ambitions.” Is persuading them to leave in this way appropriate? Is this a good way to resolve the issue? (Yes.) This is how the church should handle such disbelievers; resolving the matter this way fully aligns with the truth principles.

What other types of people are inclined to court trouble? There’s a type of person who is particularly popular with the opposite sex and is always flirting with shady individuals. They aren’t pursuing a proper romantic relationship; instead, they maintain very close and improper relationships with multiple people of the opposite sex. Because they can’t handle these relationships properly, it’s possible that the people they flirt with will become jealous or even seek revenge on each other. Is this trouble for them? (Yes.) This too is a major trouble. Some people might not care about these matters, but such things often bring trouble to their personal lives and their faith, and it can even affect their personal safety. These troubles constantly follow them, and those who frequently interact with them can’t help but become implicated as well. Whether they are genuinely in a romantic relationship with these opposite-sex individuals or merely flirting with and using each other, we aren’t concerned with such matters. What are we concerned about? We are concerned about whether the troubles they bring will have any detrimental impact on the brothers and sisters or the church. If there is an impact, the church should step in to resolve and handle the issue, advising them to take care of these troubles properly. As for how they take care of it, we won’t interfere. If, no matter how they are advised, they still refuse to listen and do not take care of or resolve these troubles, then they should be isolated and given a warning: “You need to first take care of your personal troubles. Once they are taken care of, you can resume doing your duty. If you don’t take care of them properly, you will remain isolated.” Although they are believers and may even do their duty—perhaps an important duty at that—because of the serious problems in their personal lives and because the trouble they court could affect the church’s work, the church leaders cannot ignore it, as these troubles pose potential risks. For example, the people they get into relationships with might learn some of the church’s circumstances or personal information about the brothers and sisters from them. If they were to leak this information to ill-intentioned individuals or to the great red dragon, it would be harmful both to the church and to the brothers and sisters. Therefore, for the church, these troubles or potential risks are all brought by them, so the church should have them resolve their personal troubles first. If they fully take care of the troubles, God’s house can make a decision to accept them again based on their circumstances. But if they continue to not resolve the troubles and still want to do their duty, what should be done? (They should not be allowed to do their duty.) In that case, they must be persuaded to leave or be cleared out. In short, whether it’s church leaders or the brothers and sisters, once they discover that there are people in the church who are inclined to court trouble, they should address the matter according to principles and handle it promptly. They should not wait until these individuals bring danger to the brothers and sisters or bring trouble to the church’s work before handling and resolving it.

Some people are quick to provoke trouble and get into fights and brawls. They always feel they can throw a good punch, always wanting to defeat everyone in the world, or, if they know a little fancy martial arts, they always want to use violence and force against others. Isn’t this kind of person also inclined to court trouble? (Yes.) There are also those who do not keep to their proper place wherever they go. They don’t follow rules or observe public order and always want to be unconventional. When driving, they insist on running red lights, or insist on making a left turn where it’s not allowed, and when pulled over and fined by the police, they refuse to accept it and want to report the officer. You see, they dare to report anyone. Even though the police act according to the law, they still want to report them—they flout the law. Aren’t these imbeciles also inclined to court trouble? (Yes.) This kind of person who is inclined to court trouble thinks that they have God to rely on because they believe in Him, and that the church has large numbers of people and great influence, and they thus fear nothing. They commit reckless misdeeds everywhere to show off their capabilities and to show how formidable they are. Even after getting into legal trouble, they don’t know to reverse course. In the end, what do they say? “This world is truly evil. I was arrested just for standing up for justice. This world is truly unfair!” They still refuse to admit their mistakes. They provoke and bring trouble upon themselves, yet they complain that it’s unfair to them. Isn’t this utterly absurd? (Yes.) No matter how evil and dark the world is, it is unwise of them to provoke trouble. God has never asked anyone to provoke trouble, nor has He asked anyone to use the banner of believing in God to fight for justice and enforce justice on behalf of Heaven. Some people say, “The laws of this world are not the truth, so there’s no need to follow them.” Even though the law is not the truth, God has never told you that you can break the law at will, nor has He told you that you can kill or commit arson. God asks you to obey the law and follow public order in society, to know to observe moral norms and follow the rules wherever you go, to not be provocative, and to not court trouble. If you break the law, you will bear the consequences yourself—don’t expect God’s house to take responsibility for you, because this is personal behavior and only represents you as an individual; God’s house never instructed you to do anything illegal. No matter which country you are handling matters in, God’s house has you check the law and consult a lawyer. Whatever the lawyer says is appropriate, that’s what you should do. If the lawyer didn’t advise you to act a certain way, and you act blindly, bungle matters, and break the law, you will bear the consequences yourself—don’t bring trouble to God’s house. Even if the approach the lawyer suggests is not the best option, you must still follow the lawyer’s advice. As long as it is legal and does not cause significant harm to God’s house, it can be done. God’s house has always told people to consult lawyers and handle matters according to the law. However, some people think, “God’s house does not belong to the world, so we should not follow the trends of the world! The law does not represent the truth—only God is the truth, and God is supreme. We only submit to the truth and God!” While this statement is correct, you are still living in this world and have to deal with many realistic issues. Therefore, you cannot violate the law, nor can you violate the truth principles. God’s supremacy refers to God’s identity and status; it is not a reason for you to engage in illegal activities or act despotically in society, do whatever you want, and court trouble everywhere. God has never encouraged or required anyone to break the law in doing anything, but rather tells you to follow the law and observe societal rules, that if you break the law and get penalized, you must accept the penalty, and that you shouldn’t cause an issue or court trouble. If you are always courting trouble, always thinking that because you believe in God, you have God backing you, and so you fear nothing, I’m telling you, you’ve got it wrong! God does not back your fearlessness in the face of all things, and God’s house will not pay for your scoundrel-like logic. Don’t ever think that just because there are many people in God’s house and it has great influence, you can do whatever you want. If you think this way, you are wrong. This is Satan’s logic. God’s house has never said such a thing, and neither has God. God’s house does not encourage anyone to act this way. It is true that God’s house has many people, but the number of people—whether many or few—is not to back anyone, embolden anyone, or shield anyone from trouble and smooth things over. God chooses people so they may follow Him and follow His will, so that they can be up to standard as created beings and fulfill the duty of created beings. It is not so that you can go against the world, it is not to have you spout grand-sounding ideas in the world, and it certainly is not for you to teach the world a lesson. Believing in God is not about going against the current; it has nothing to do with going against the current or despising the world. So, don’t misunderstand God’s intentions for people, and don’t misinterpret or misunderstand the significance of believing in God. What is the purpose of God choosing people? (It is for people to follow God, follow God’s will, and do the duty of created beings.) God chooses people in order to gain them, to gain true created beings, to gain humans that truly worship God; it is so that a new humankind will emerge, one that can worship God. The purpose of God choosing people is not for them to go against this world or humankind. Therefore, those who are inclined to court trouble should be kept away from the church and away from places where people do their duty as much as possible, so as to avoid affecting others’ performance of duty.

As for those who are inclined to court trouble, no matter what kind of trouble they court, if it brings trouble to the church and affects the brothers’ and sisters’ performance of duty, leaders and workers should step in and resolve the matter. It absolutely must not go unchecked. They should promptly understand and grasp the situation, clarify the root of the problem, and then come up with a reasonable solution and handle it. Why should it be handled? For one thing, these troubles can affect church work, church life, or the brothers’ and sisters’ performance of duty. For another, whether these individuals who are inclined to court trouble are seen by others as talented or as loafers and scoundrels, as long as they bring trouble, they should be handled in a timely manner. So how should they be handled? It’s not about handling the trouble, but handling the people responsible for bringing it. By cleansing them away from the church, the root of the trouble is resolved, and the issue is thus handled. You must never be lenient just because some people who are inclined to court trouble appear to be capable or gifted in your eyes. If you can be lenient with them, then you are truly a very muddleheaded person and unfit to be a church leader, and the brothers and sisters should remove you from your position. If you don’t safeguard the interests of God’s house and don’t protect the brothers and sisters, but instead protect evil people and troublemakers, even idolizing them beyond all measure, treating them as honored guests and gifted individuals, thinking they are talented people that are hard to come by in the church, using them for major tasks, and even smoothing over their troubles for them—then you are wholly unfit for the role of church leader. You are a muddled person and a false leader, and you should be dismissed and eliminated. If a church leader refuses to listen to advice and insists on protecting some evil person who is inclined to court trouble or using them for major tasks, the brothers and sisters should not only remove the leader but also bundle them together with this person who courts trouble and clear them both out. Don’t you idolize the person who courts trouble? They feel protected by you too, and you get along so well—well then, sorry, but you both need to go. God’s house doesn’t need either of you! If there are people who are inclined to court trouble in a church, and the upper-level leaders are unaware, while the church leader is muddleheaded and lacks discernment, then the brothers and sisters who understand the truth must step in to resolve the issue. For one thing, they should promptly report the matter to the upper-level leaders. Additionally, they must unite with the other brothers and sisters to fellowship and discern the false leader. Once it is confirmed that they are a false leader, they must be dismissed or removed, and a new leader should be elected—someone who can safeguard the interests of God’s house, the work of the church, and church life. Is practicing this way appropriate? (Yes.) Cleanse this church leader and the person who is inclined to court trouble away together. Aren’t they two people who get along well together due to their shared vile qualities, envying and admiring each other? Then fulfill their wish and let them return to the world together—God’s house doesn’t want people like them. If they stay in the church, they will only court and create trouble, causing great harm to the church’s work. They should be cleansed away. Wherever they want to go and however great trouble they want to court is their own business. In any case, it has nothing to do with the church and won’t implicate the church. Won’t that resolve the issue? (Yes.) This solution is quite good. That concludes our fellowship on the twelfth manifestation, regarding people who are inclined to court trouble.