4. Their Behavior When They Are Promoted or Dismissed

In the church, some people have a bit of caliber and some ability to carry out work. When they get promoted, their enthusiasm is great, they actively do their duties, take responsibility, are willing to pay the price, and also have loyalty. However, when they are dismissed from their position because of an incapacity to perform the work and lose their status, their attitude toward God changes. When they had status, they spoke to God like this: “The brothers and sisters of our family are like so, our family’s building needs to be renovated, our family’s yard needs to be tidied up….” Everything is about “our family.” When they were promoted, they became part of God’s house, they were seemingly of one heart with God, like family, able to take care of the work of God’s house in consideration of God’s heart and alongside Him, and interact with God as equals. When they were promoted and placed in an important position, they felt honored, and at the same time, felt their responsibility. Whether speaking to Me or to the brothers and sisters, they often said “our family.” Upon hearing this, you’d think this person is not bad, has a good heart, is warm-hearted, treats God’s house as their own home, cares so much about and has so much responsibility toward everything, and thinks out everything in advance, appearing to be someone who pursues the truth and is enthusiastic about paying the price. But do they still speak like this after they are dismissed? Once they are dismissed, they no longer have the same mood—that attitude is gone. They no longer say “our family,” and when asked to do something, they are no longer so enthusiastic. What do they think? “Before, when you promoted me, I had status, and I was wholeheartedly with you. Now that I have no status, we are no longer a family, so you do it yourself. Don’t confer with me about how you do it, and don’t let me know, it has nothing to do with me. I’ll just deliver messages for you and that’s all—I’ll do a bit of whatever you ask me to do, but I am no longer of one heart with you.” They then treat you as an outsider. If you ask them to do something, they work as if they’re just doing a job for someone else, superficially going through the motions. Previously they might have done five tasks, but now they just do one or two, just going through the process, muddling through, doing some superficial work, and that’s it. Why is this so? They say: “Before, I was wholeheartedly with you, helping you with this and that, treating your matters as my own, as our common task, working on your behalf. But then you just dismissed me without considering my feelings at all! You don’t consider my feelings—how can I work for you? If you promote me again and give me status, that’ll be okay. But if you don’t give me status, then forget it. If you want to call on me to do things again, it won’t work as well as before. If you use me, you have to give me fame and status. If there is no status, and you instead just give a command and expect me to do some work, where’s the recognition in that? There should be some explanation!” Now when you speak, it’s no longer effective. When you ask them to do something, they’re no longer as dedicated as before, no longer devoting their whole heart and mind; their attitude has changed. If you ask them to do something again, or if God’s house asks them to do something, they treat it as an extra task, as an outsider’s affair, as if them going to do it is already giving you great face. They feel that if they don’t do it, it seems unjustifiable, especially since they believe in God. But if they do go to do it, they do so unwillingly and just go through the motions. Why do they do this? They think, “I trusted you 100% before, treated your matters as my own, but then you threw me aside just like that, which hurt my heart and my self-esteem; you ignored me. Fine, if you’re unkind to me, don’t blame me for being heartless. If you use me again, I can’t possibly be like before, because our relationship has already broken down. I’m not so easily ordered around, to come when called and go when sent away. Who am I? If it weren’t for believing in god, would I let others manipulate me like this?” When antichrists are dismissed and lose their status, their attitude can undergo such a significant change. When they had status, although they called God’s house “our family” and spoke of it often, they didn’t really treat the matters of God’s house as their own. After being dismissed and losing their status, if God’s house asks them to do their duty, they are unwilling to do so without negotiation, and even then, they require an explanation or some sort of recognition. Some even say, “Last time you dismissed me, throwing me aside just like that. If you want me to do something now, unless the man used by the holy spirit personally speaks to me, or god incarnate himself comes to speak to me, otherwise, forget it!” How presumptuous they are! Tell Me, should God’s house use such people? (No.) They think they are someone significant, but in fact, God’s house doesn’t value such people. No matter how talented, capable, or skilled at leadership you are, God’s house will not use you. Some may ask, “Is it because You won’t bow to evil people?” No; this is the administrative decree of God’s house and its principle in using people. If antichrists were allowed to hold power in God’s house, would it be a good or bad thing for the brothers and sisters, for the church? (A bad thing.) Can God’s house do such a bad thing? Absolutely not. Before they were revealed to be an antichrist, God’s house reluctantly promoted them to render service. Once they were revealed to be an antichrist, could God’s house still promote them? It’s not possible. They are engaging in fantasy and thinking quite wishfully. Some antichrists think like this: “Humph, god’s house can’t function without me. No one in god’s house can take on this work besides me. Who could replace me?” Antichrists want to make this claim. Let’s show them whether God’s work can proceed smoothly and achieve completion without these antichrists in God’s house.

The smooth progress and development of various kinds of work in God’s house now—does it have anything to do with clearing out and expelling all sorts of antichrists and evil people from the church? It’s extremely related! The antichrists do not realize this; they are unaware that it is precisely because of their being cleared out, expelled, and restricted that the work of God’s house can progress smoothly—they even put on airs and complain! What are you complaining about? You think you’ve got talent and brains, caliber and the ability to do work, but what can you do in God’s house? These people merely play the role of Satan’s lackeys, of disturbing and sabotaging God’s work. Without their presence, the church life of God’s chosen people, the life of doing their duties, and their everyday life would all be more tranquil, smoother, and more peaceful—something antichrists don’t realize. These antichrists overestimate their capabilities and don’t realize what they really are. They think that God’s house cannot function without them, that the work cannot be carried out and the various technical tasks cannot proceed without them. They do not understand that it is righteousness and truth that hold power in God’s house. Why don’t they know? Why can’t antichrists understand such a simple matter? This only shows that antichrists have an essence that is averse to the truth and hostile toward it. It is precisely because they are averse to the truth and hostile toward the truth that they do not know what the truth is, do not know what positive things are. On the contrary, they think that their wicked, malicious behaviors that resist God are good and correct, without any mistakes. They believe that only they understand the truth, are loyal to God, and only they are worthy of holding power in God’s house. They are wrong! It is the truth that holds power in God’s house. All antichrists are to be condemned, rejected, and eliminated; they cannot possibly have a place in God’s house and can only be forever rejected.

Some antichrists possess some gifts, a bit of caliber, and some capability, and are skilled in playing power games. They think that in God’s house, they should be the ones to be promoted and placed in important positions. But looking at it today, that’s not the case. These people have been condemned, restricted, and rejected, and some have even been cleared out or expelled from the church. They never imagined that such “noble” figures like themselves, with great abilities and high aptitudes, would actually stumble in God’s house and be rejected. They just can’t understand why. So, should we continue to work on them? There’s no need. Can you reason with Satans? Trying to reason with Satans is like preaching to the deaf; there’s only one way to describe Satans—impervious to reason. It’s like how some people say, “God asks people to be honest, but what’s so good about being honest? What’s wrong with telling a few lies, deceiving people? What’s wrong with being crooked and deceitful? What’s wrong with being disloyal? What’s wrong with being slick, with being perfunctory? What’s wrong with judging god? What’s wrong with having notions about god? What’s wrong with rebelling against god, what big mistake is that? It’s not really a matter of principle!” Even some people say, “Isn’t it very normal for someone capable to establish their own independent kingdom? In this world, it’s all about the big fish eating the little fish, a world of the strong preying on the weak. If you have the ability, you should go ahead and create your own kingdom, what’s wrong with that? Everyone has as much power as their ability determines, and should govern however many people their power allows!” Others say, “What’s wrong with being promiscuous? What’s the issue with promiscuity? What’s wrong with following wicked trends?” And so on. After hearing these words, what do you feel? (Disgusted.) Just disgusted? After hearing these words, one feels, “We all wear the same human skin, so why do some people not only not detest these negative things but even cherish them? And why do some people detest these things? Why is there such a big difference between people? How come those who are averse to the truth and positive things don’t love positive things? Why do they cherish negative things so much, even considering them as treasures? Why can’t they recognize the wickedness and loathsomeness of these negative things?” Such reflections arise in people’s hearts. When hearing those words from the antichrists, people feel disgusted in one sense and speechless in another. The nature of such people is unalterable; they cannot change, which is why God says He doesn’t save devils or Satans. God’s salvation is for humankind, not for beasts or demons. People like these antichrists are exactly what God refers to as devils and beasts; they cannot be counted among humankind. This is clear, isn’t it?

5. Their Behavior to the Church in Changing Circumstances

How antichrists treat Christ depends on their mood—how many aspects of this item were fellowshipped just now? They treat Christ a certain way when confronted with being pruned, that’s one aspect. What else? (When they engender notions about God incarnate, when they’re promoted or dismissed, and when Christ was being hunted.) That totals four aspects. Let’s continue the fellowship. Antichrists are averse to the truth, so they believe in God not to gain the truth—they believe in God to receive blessings; they have their own plans, intentions, and purposes. Moreover, they like power and influence, so they believe in God with a wait-and-see attitude. How do they wait and see? It means that while they believe, they also observe to see if the number of people in God’s house is increasing, how the gospel work is expanding, whether it is smooth or not, and whether the influence of God’s house is continuously growing. Additionally, they also observe whether the number of people doing their duties in God’s house is increasing, whether there are more and more people willingly rendering service to God, and whether there are more and more people willing to do things for God’s house. They also observe the social and educational background of those doing duties in God’s house, what their identity and status in society are really like. Through observation, they see that more and more people believe in God, the number of people in God’s house is increasing, and more people are willing to forsake their families, jobs, and prospects to do their duties in God’s house. When they notice these things, they feel they can no longer remain indifferent and should also devote themselves to the work of God’s house, to the ranks of those doing duties, becoming a member so that they too may have a share in the future blessings. Although they can do their duties in God’s house and play a role there, they never give up on their prospects and destiny, and remain continuously calculating in their hearts. Because this group, these antichrists, have such ambitions and dispositions, it determines that their attitude toward Christ and God will change as the status and fame of God’s house continue to rise. Therefore, in the process of doing their duties, in one regard, they are vigorously planning, calculating, and managing for the sake of their own prospects and destiny; in another, they are also watching the development of God’s house, its influence abroad and domestically, whether the number of people is gradually increasing, whether the scale of the church is continuously expanding, whether the church has connected with some well-known people in society, whether it has gained a certain level of renown in the West, and whether it has established a solid foundation. They are constantly watching and inquiring about these matters. Even some people who do not participate in the church’s work and do not do their duties are constantly calculating for the sake of their own prospects and destiny, showing great curiosity about the development of the church. Thus, they both search for this information on the church’s website and inquire about these matters within the church. When they find out that the work of God’s house overseas is expanding smoothly and becoming more promising, that the work in the West is expanding better and the situation is improving, they feel reassured in their hearts. Does their feeling of reassurance indicate a true change in them? (No.) While they feel reassured, their attitude toward God incarnate, toward Christ, is merely a little more “respect” and admiration, without true submission.

When Christ was working in mainland China, antichrists often wondered, “Can god incarnate be arrested? Can he fall into the hands of the governing authorities?” When they thought this way, they developed a bit of contempt for this “insignificant person.” When they heard that God incarnate often had no place to call home, no place to rest His head, and was hiding wherever He could to avoid being caught, their slight curiosity and very reluctant “respect” for God incarnate were completely shattered. However, when they heard that God incarnate, Christ, was in the United States, in the land of freedom that humankind yearns for, they felt envy toward God incarnate—not respect, but envy. But when they heard that God incarnate was in the West, rejected, slandered, condemned, and judged among humankind, waves of turmoil arose in the depths of the antichrists’ hearts: “You are god, why don’t people accept you? You are god, why doesn’t the religious community accept you, but instead spreads so many rumors about you? Why don’t you come forward to defend yourself? You should hire a team of lawyers! Look at those defamatory and slanderous words online, the rumors created by the religious community that make you sound so terrible! We feel embarrassed to follow you, and it’s awkward to even mention these things. You are condemned in the East and in the West, rejected by the religious community, by humankind, by this world. We feel dishonored following you.” This is the mentality of the antichrists. While feeling dishonored in their hearts, they also developed disdain and sympathy—a most reluctant sympathy—for this “insignificant person” as they saw Him in their eyes and hearts. How did this sympathy arise? They thought, “You are doing such great work without worrying about personal gain or loss, which could be considered selfless dedication. Enduring such great suffering and humiliation, what are you aiming for? Logically speaking, you must be a good person; otherwise, how could you endure such great humiliation and suffer so much pain? It’s quite pitiable and not easy; you must feel very wronged in your heart.” Thus, they felt a bit of sympathy for Christ. They pondered, “If it were me, I couldn’t bear such great suffering; I’d argue my case to humankind. In one regard, I’d hire a team of lawyers to erase those false rumors online, and in another, show some miracles and wonders in the religious community to let them see who god is—who is true and who is false—to shut the mouths of those who slander and condemn, to punish them and teach them a lesson. Wouldn’t they not dare to do it anymore? Why don’t you do that? Why don’t you ever defend yourself? Is it because you lack the power, the courage, or the bravery? What’s really going on? Could it be cowardice? Oh, you have so much hidden in your heart, enduring such great injustice and keeping silent, still expanding the work, and speaking patiently and earnestly to the people in the church, supplying them, yet they always have notions and are rebellious. Your heart must be suffering! Seeing that you can endure all this, you are indeed a pretty good person, deserving of sympathy.” That’s how their sympathy came about. This is the sympathy of the antichrists. From the beginning of exposing antichrists until now, this is the only kind of “good” they have done. How well is this “good” done? Is it genuine? (No.)

The antichrists follow Christ and have accepted the words spoken by Christ for many years, yet they have never felt honored for being able to accept Christ as their Savior in this life, nor have they ever felt honored to suffer as Christ did, being condemned and rejected by the world just like Christ. Instead, they regard the sufferings of Christ as leverage and evidence with which to despise and deny Christ. They do not have the willingness or attitude to share in all these sufferings with Christ. Rather, they stand as onlookers, observing all the sufferings Christ endures, observing how humankind treats Christ, and they base their treatment of Christ on these observations. When God’s name is proclaimed and the gospel work gradually expands among all humankind, and the prospects of the gospel work look promising, antichrists gradually draw closer to God incarnate, feeling a bit of respect and envy for Him. At the same time, they make great efforts to draw closer to God’s house, striving to become a member of God’s house and a part of the expansion of God’s work. Is it just that? Is it that simple? No; they change their attitude toward God’s house and Christ based on the status of the expansion of various work projects in God’s house, doing so at any time and any place. If they hear that among humankind, and especially in the West, a certain race of people says, “These words are truly God’s words, they really have authority! From God’s words, we see God’s essence, we are certain that this ordinary person is God, and this way is the true way,” the antichrists secretly rejoice in their hearts: “Fortunately, I didn’t leave; it really is the true way! Look, even the Westerners are saying where god incarnate is. I should listen more to his words, I need to hurry and listen to the sermons!” At this moment, the antichrists feel that God’s voice is so beautiful, so purifying to their souls, and they feel it should be cherished. However, when God’s house faces some occasional setbacks in the expansion of its work overseas and among humankind, or when God’s house’s work is disturbed or affected, interfered with by external forces, or even when God’s house faces some difficulties, the antichrists become unsettled in their hearts again: “Where is god incarnate? Is he speaking? How is this matter being handled? Does god make things right? Have god’s chosen people been frightened? Are there any who have left god’s house? Are there any well-known or senior people from the outside world speaking out or taking action for god’s house, or standing up for it? I heard there aren’t any. What should be done then? Is god’s church done for? Should I get out while I can?” Is this turmoil significant? At this moment, when listening to God’s sermons again, they think: “Don’t talk about those empty words or speak so loftily anymore. I’m not listening to you now. God’s house could be engulfed by the world at any moment; what use are those words? Can they save people? The influence of god’s house can disappear in the blink of an eye; its people will all scatter just like that.” They no longer like to listen to what I say. Is there any respect left? Any sympathy? (None.) What remains? Just a desire to watch and mock. Some people say nasty things behind the scenes, speak damaging words, and gloat over the misfortunes of God’s house: “I think trouble is brewing, I don’t think you can stand firm. Are those truths of any use? Are your words effective? What now? Trouble has come, hasn’t it?” Their demonic side emerges. Isn’t everything antichrists do just what devils would do? They lack even the most basic human morals; they are utterly wicked, biting the hand that feeds them! They eat from God’s house, enjoy the sustenance of God’s words, enjoy God’s protection and grace, but at the first sign of trouble, they side with outsiders, betray the interests of God’s house, and gloat over its misfortunes. What are they, if not devils? They are devils through and through! When they see God’s house gaining momentum, they “plop” right down on their knees in front of God incarnate, as if they were followers of God. But when they see God’s house besieged and condemned by Satan, they no longer prostrate themselves before God. Instead, they stand proud and tall, believing themselves too dignified to kneel before anyone, waiting eagerly to mock you. The tone and volume of their speech when they talk to you also become louder; they start speaking officiously, acting abnormally, their demonic demeanor emerging, changing swiftly. Tell Me, when will these people ever fear God? (Never.) That’s exactly right, that’s a very true statement. These people are of Satan’s ilk; they will never fear God because they do not accept the truth—they belong to Satan. This is the nature essence of those belonging to Satan, the hideous face of antichrists, who belong to Satan. They are always ready to mock God’s house, always looking to ridicule God incarnate, constantly preparing and gathering material with which to deny Christ and deny God’s essence, and they are always ready to side with outsiders and betray the interests of God’s house. The more troubles God’s house faces, the happier and more delighted antichrists are. When the brothers and sisters can do their duties normally and everything about the work in God’s house is in order, they feel uncomfortable and discontent, wishing for troubles to promptly befall God’s house, hoping the work of God’s house doesn’t proceed smoothly, that it encounters setbacks and obstacles. In short, if everything is going well in God’s house, and the brothers and sisters can do their duties normally and act according to the truth principles, antichrists find no joy in their hearts. When the brothers and sisters listen to God’s words, practice according to His words, honor God and Christ as great, and can bear witness to and exalt Christ, it’s the most unbearable time for antichrists, the time they are most judged and tormented.

Antichrists inquire about various news in God’s house. If they cannot find out for a long time how the expansion of the gospel work of God’s house is progressing, how the various professional tasks in God’s house are developing, whether they are proceeding smoothly, whether the number of people overseas is increasing, whether the scale of the church is expanding, whether churches have been established in various countries, or if they cannot hear about more aspiring individuals or people of renown in society entering God’s house, then they feel that believing in the incarnate God is boring and uninteresting. They stop paying attention to the incarnate God and even consider joining other more vibrant or influential denominations. However, if they occasionally hear some good news about God’s house, such as videos of brothers’ and sisters’ testimonies sparking interest and drawing significant attention in some human rights organizations, their hearts are filled with happiness, hope, and joy. For instance, if God’s house receives attention or coverage from a well-known group, they become even more delighted and excited: “It seems this ordinary person is not simple at all; it looks like he’s going to accomplish something great!” If the name of the church is fortunately mentioned by a prominent figure or even a leader, antichrists become even more stirred up: “In this life, I have made the biggest and most accurate choice, which is to follow almighty god. From now on, I have decided never to leave almighty god, to treat him as god, and to revere him in my heart, because this god is respected by the leader So-and-so. If he respects him, then I should respect him too. This god has been named and recognized by leaders, so what regrets could there be in believing in him and following him? Shouldn’t I follow him even more resolutely? From now on, I am determined never to entertain the idea of leaving the church of almighty god. I must perform well, endure more suffering, pay a greater price, confer more with the brothers and sisters when doing things, and follow whatever the church says. Maybe in the future, as the church expands and gains greater renown, I might get a high-ranking title and stand out!” Thinking about this, they feel delighted in their heart: “I made such a good, such an accurate choice! How clever am I! I had even thought about leaving before—how foolish and ignorant I was at that time! I was young and impulsive, prone to making wrong choices and judgments. Now that I’m older, I’ve become more stable and know how to hide, and I finally see hope. Thankfully I didn’t leave, didn’t believe those rumors, and wasn’t misled or swayed by them. That was quite dangerous! I need to be more careful in the future. It seems this person is extraordinary, and I must treat him well!” Upon getting excited and impulsive, they bought some health products and some nice things to offer, writing on them: “Dedicated to my beloved God, with the following items.” At the bottom, they signed: “Specially presented, respectfully submitted by So-and-so on such-and-such a date.” This was a special and valuable gift, but there’s a story, an ulterior motive behind it. Hearing this, wouldn’t you say, “So this is how You’ve been understanding the offerings people give to God”? It’s not that I understand it this way, nor do all people act in this manner, and not all offerings come with such motives. However, it cannot be denied that some people’s act of offering things is indeed influenced and driven by such intentions and such a background. Is this an objective view? (Yes.)

When antichrists calculate everything in their minds, their primary consideration is self-interest. They are selfish and despicable, having their own calculations in everything. Regarding the progress of the various tasks in God’s house, most of those who pursue the truth, as well as the majority of all ordinary believers, don’t wish to know or inquire about such matters, because knowing about these general affairs has no relevance to pursuing the truth. Being aware of them is of no use; it doesn’t mean you possess life or the truth, nor does ignorance of them imply you are of small stature. These matters are unrelated to the truth and do not aid in understanding the truth or achieving fear of God whatsoever. This is a level that people with reason can reach. However, antichrists cling to these matters tenaciously, treating them as the supreme truth. They inquire and collect information about these matters. After collecting information about these matters, they don’t just keep it to themselves; they spread it everywhere, believing that every brother and sister is curious about these things, though in reality, many people are not interested. I rarely inquire about these matters Myself. If I happen to meet someone involved, I might chat about it, but I don’t actively seek out people to inquire. There’s only one situation where I do inquire: concerning how some work should be done, the progress of your work, and whether there are any problems or oversights. Only in this case do I inquire, but apart from this, I absolutely don’t inquire out of curiosity or concern. My inquiries are related only to the work, not to the source of the information or curiosity. Antichrists, who do not love the truth, are keen to delve into these matters, and they have a specific purpose in doing so. They use external situations and environments, including the church’s circumstances in various periods and among different denominations, races, and ethnic groups, to judge the rightness or wrongness of God’s work and even to judge whether Christ is God. What sorts of creatures are they? Are they believing in God? Clearly, they are disbelievers. No matter how much truth you fellowship, they cannot hear or understand it. However, they inquire in great detail about the external evaluations of the church and the church’s status and circumstances in various countries, virtually indistinguishable from disbelievers. These are the manifestations of disbelievers with a hidden agenda. Are there any such people around you? You might not have noticed. Each time we gather and expose the various essences of antichrists, a portion of these people are condemned. Once exposed, their true colors recede, and they dare not show themselves. Especially after this fellowship, some people will no longer dare to inquire. But although they may not dare to ask directly anymore, they still gather rumors behind the scenes. They stop asking among the brothers and sisters but secretly inquire on the internet. In addition, they go out of their way to find out what nonbelievers, denominations, and Western countries think and say about our church, almost like they’re crazed. Isn’t this a bit deranged? They are obsessed, they can’t help themselves. People who do not love the truth and are averse to the truth are beyond reasoning.