There are some performing their duty in the church who are clearly incapable of taking on technically demanding jobs, yet they insist on being on the team. They believe they’ve learned a related professional skill before, they understand this specialism, they know the ropes, and so they insist on taking on this job. They don’t understand the truth and, moreover, on the basis of them not understanding the truth, they don’t fellowship or work with others, much less do they seek the truth principles, insisting that they understand and know about it. So, is there a difference between knowing a professional skill and knowing the ropes on the one hand, and understanding the truth principles on the other? By knowing a professional skill and knowing the ropes, does that mean one understands the truth principles? (No.) These people with no spiritual understanding believe that knowing a professional skill means that they understand the truth principles, and so they can boldly set to doing the job with a free hand, not listen to anyone, and not have to do the job according to the rules of God’s house. They believe that this is their business and no one else can intervene or ask them about it—the job will be as they make it, and what they do is taken as the standard. Isn’t this how antichrists behave? Isn’t this a serious problem? If one only knows a professional skill and doesn’t understand the truth, what consequences will come of them performing their duty? (They’ll cause disturbance to church work.) Only disturbance? Won’t they become arrogant and conceited? Won’t they do things that shame God? (Yes.) Through performing your duty, the effect you are to achieve is to bear witness to God; you don’t purely engage in a profession, but rather you achieve the effect of bearing witness to God through performing your duty, and therefore this professional skill is merely in the service of the duty you’re performing. A professional skill is no representation of the truth, and being proficient in a professional skill doesn’t mean that you understand the truth or that you can do the job in accordance with the truth principles. Some people object to this, saying, “I came to god’s house, I know this professional skill, I know the ropes, so god’s house should give me important tasks and think highly of me. It shouldn’t embarrass me or stick its nose in anything that falls within the scope of my professional skill. I should be the one teaching others. God’s house shouldn’t arrange for those who don’t know the ropes to work with me. These people don’t deserve to work with me.” Is this a correct way to think? (No.) Other people don’t deserve to work with them—isn’t this the way an antichrist thinks? If there is no one in God’s house who deserves to work with you, do you then deserve to perform this duty? Who do you think you are? Have you been made perfect? You don’t deserve to perform this duty! Only because God exalts you do you have the chance to perform this duty. You should understand the principles of performing your duty. You’re now bearing witness to God, not engaging in a profession. That bit of professional skill you know is merely used to render service and used in the service of this duty. Therefore, no matter how technically demanding the duty you perform is, you must always focus on the truth principles in every part of it so that you can achieve the effect of bearing witness to God. If you can’t achieve this effect and the duty you perform brings shame on God, what use will your technical abilities have then? Will they be of any value? No, they won’t. Therefore, don’t take that little bit of professional skill and technical ability as the truth—they are not the truth and are not worth cherishing. If God’s house didn’t use you, if God didn’t exalt you, your little bit of professional skill and technical ability would amount to nothing. When compared with the truth, those things aren’t worth a dime!

It can be said that the imposture of antichrists is a means they employ to have a place in people’s hearts—they use the means of imposture to mislead and misdirect people. That these people can engage in imposture shows not only that they fundamentally do not accept or acknowledge the truth, but also that there is an even more realistic interpretation that can be applied to these people: They have no spiritual understanding. What does “they have no spiritual understanding” mean? It means that they don’t understand God’s words or the truth. And because they don’t understand the truth, they therefore have no idea what kind of people God loves, and so they imagine this kind of spiritual person and then engage in imposture and pretense. They act like this kind of person, believing that by doing so they can get God and other people to like them. Actually, the opposite happens, as people like this are precisely those whom God detests and condemns. So don’t be someone like this. If you also want to be someone like this, if you often engage in imposture and pretense in this way, and you mislead people in this way, then you are following the path of an antichrist. You must learn to say, “I have weakness, I have negativity, I have corrupt dispositions. I’m an ordinary person, I’m nothing special. There are many things I don’t understand and don’t know how to do. I’m often weak and misled by Satan so that I fall into the temptation of Satan. In terms of studying technical skills, I can master one or two at most, and I can learn how to generally do them. I know how to do this bit of professional skill, and I have this bit of special skill. I’m an ordinary person, I’m not of high caliber, and my perception is so-so. In terms of the truth, I understand only as much as God gives in fellowship. I can’t understand anything that God doesn’t lay bare or explain clearly, and my caliber is so-so. Brothers and sisters choose me to be church leader or team leader, and this is God exalting me, and it is not because I’m better than others. I have nothing to brag about.” Can you say such a thing? Have you ever said such a thing? Do you think this way in your heart? If you always feel in your heart that you’re great, wonderful, a cut above the rest, one in a million, that you’re special in any group you find yourself in, that you’re top-notch, that if you spend a month or two in a group of people your special skills, talents, caliber, and perception can be witnessed by all and be seen as better than that of ordinary people—if you always measure and position yourself in your heart in this way, then you are in great danger and a lot of trouble.

There are very few among all of mankind who are genuinely able to understand the truth, much less are there any perfect people or people who can do anything—everyone is ordinary. Some people think they’re not ordinary, so how does this idea come about? It comes about by them having something they’re good at; some are good at singing, some at acting, some at technical skills, some at physical labor, some at social interaction, some at politics, some at business, and so on. None of these things have anything to do with the truth, yet they often give you a misapprehension and make you mistakenly think that you’re a cut above the rest. Why is it wrong for these things to make you mistakenly think that you’re a cut above the rest? These things you’re good at and this so-called “cut above the rest” do not mean that you can understand the truth, that you can surpass ordinary people in terms of understanding the truth, or that you possess favorable conditions in terms of being in pursuit of God’s salvation and being made perfect—they don’t mean these things. You must recognize this matter clearly! From the time God began to utter His words and perform His work until now, He has spoken countless words and performed countless works, and has even one person among all of corrupt mankind seen in God’s utterances that He is the Creator and that the words He speaks are the truth? Can even one person see in God’s words His identity and status and then stand up to bear witness to God’s identity and status? Not a single one! This fact proves that, in terms of the caliber, minds, and perception of all of mankind, they do not possess the necessary conditions for comprehending the truth, never mind the fact that all human beings possess Satan’s corrupt dispositions. Some people say, “If we don’t possess the necessary condition for comprehending the truth, how come we now understand a little truth?” Isn’t that because I’ve spoken so much about it? I’ve spoken so much that I don’t even feel like speaking anymore and am fed up with speaking. Every time I speak and fellowship with you, I have to separate the topics into main topics, middle topics, and subtopics, constantly explaining things in detail, and you still don’t understand, so what then must your caliber be like? Some people are still extremely arrogant and self-righteous, but what do you have to be arrogant about? I see that there is nothing admirable about most of you. After performing technical jobs for so many years, how many among you truly understand the truth principles, can follow the truth principles, and can perform your jobs in accordance with the truth principles? You don’t do any job well, no matter what it is, and always the Above has to personally instruct you how to do things. If not, then nothing turns out right, and if any job proceeds without the Above following it up and instructing you how to do it, then problems arise. Tell Me, do such people have anything to boast about? No, they don’t, yet still they pretend in every respect to be perfect, spiritual, great, and supreme people—aren’t they shameless? You really are troublesome! No matter what topic I fellowship on, I have to do it in detail, the more detail the better. It won’t do to explain things a little more simply. This is what people’s caliber and bit of perception are like; they’re pitiful in the extreme and yet they still believe they’re great. I’ll finish My fellowship on this aspect here.

c. By Towering Over All

Now we’ll fellowship on the third aspect: by towering over all. No matter what antichrists do, they always want to tower over all—this is the most prominent manifestation of their nature. When anyone wants to tower over all, this problem is a very serious one, and such people are all genuine antichrists. What does “towering over all” mean? Antichrists possess the essence of Satan, the archangel; they are innately unwilling to be normal or ordinary people. If they are made to be ordinary people, to live an ordinary life, they will be unwilling to do so and feel discontented about this, and they will be in a constant struggle. Why will they be in a constant struggle? Because they want to cause a stir and pull off some tricks for others to see, so that other people know there is a top dog like them between the heavens and earth. They want to make a name for themselves, so that others know they are a fish that’s too big for its pond, like the nonbelievers say. What kind of things are these fish that are too big for their ponds? They are evil spirits, unclean demons, archangels, Satans, and devils. Antichrists inherently do not wish to pass their days being content with their lot in life, living the life of an ordinary person; they don’t quietly keep to their own duty or act like well-behaved ordinary people—they are not content with being like that. Therefore, no matter how they behave on the surface, in their innermost hearts they always feel unhappy with their lot in life and they will do certain things. What things? They will do certain things which normal people could never come up with. They like to be in the limelight and they won’t hesitate to endure some suffering and pay a bit of a price. There is a saying that goes: “New officials are eager to impress.” Once an antichrist becomes a leader, they feel they must perform some marvels and make some “achievements in their career” to prove that they are not ordinary. What is the most serious problem here? Although they are doing things in the church, and although they adopt the guise of doing their duty, they never go seek with God on how to do their duty or how to do the church work well, nor do they earnestly try to ascertain what the rules of God’s house are, what the truth principles are, or how to act in a way that benefits the work of God’s house and the brothers and sisters, brings no shame on God, bears witness to God, enables the church work to progress smoothly, and ensures no careless mistakes appear in their work. They never ask about these things and they never inquire about these things—they do not have these things in their heart, their heart isn’t filled with these things. So, what do they inquire about? What is their heart filled with? It’s filled with thoughts about how they can show off their talents, and show that they’re different from the rest, and show off their leadership style in the church, so that other people can see that they are a pillar of the church, and that the church couldn’t do without them, and that only with them can all church work progress smoothly. Judging by the manifestations of antichrists, and the motivation and original impetus of their actions, what position do they place themselves in? They place themselves towering above all. And how is this manifested? (They are defiant toward everyone and always want to have the final say, and make other people do what they say.) There is a problem with their being defiant toward everyone; there is a hidden meaning within this. That is, when they do the church work, they are not doing their duty, nor are they being considerate of God’s intentions, and so they don’t feel there is any need to seek the truth principles, to bother finding out what the church’s rules are or what principles are required by God’s house—they don’t even pay attention to anything I say. What principles do they adhere to? They adhere to such principles and motivations as serving the church and serving the brothers and sisters in order to carry out their own business. As long as they can get a foothold in the church and among the brothers and sisters, and come to have prestige and the power to call the shots, then that’s enough, and they will have achieved their so-called “result” in doing their duty. What is their aim? It’s not to fulfill the duty of a created being or to be considerate of God’s burden, but rather to serve the church and serve the brothers and sisters and, while doing this, to control all of these things. Why do I say they want to control all of these things? Because when they are doing things, they first come to gain a foothold for themselves, to gain a certain renown, their repute grows, they come to have the power to call the shots and make decisions, and then they can make God a mere figurehead and take God’s place. Within the scope of their influence, they make the incarnate God a mere figurehead, a puppet, and this is what “towering over all” means. Isn’t this what antichrists do? This is how antichrists behave. Antichrists use the opportunity of doing their duty to fully show their gifts and talents, and display their unique thoughts and deeds, in order to win people’s favor and be noticed by more people. They then obtain the power to call the shots, to make decisions, and to control things in the church, and this leads to many people obeying them and submitting to them, and God becomes the outsider—isn’t this them making God a mere figurehead? This is the aim antichrists want to achieve with their actions, and this is what happens in the end to any place where antichrists reign.

If a church has an antichrist in power, what state will the brothers and sisters there be in? They will only do what the antichrist says, they will just stick to regulations in everything they do, they won’t understand the truth, and they won’t seek the truth. No matter how much they suffer or how great a price they pay, they will make no progress at all in life entry. Even I will be rejected in such a church when I go there. Among them, this antichrist is nominally a leader, but in fact the antichrist has become their master and their god. In any church controlled by an antichrist, the truth and God are turned into mere figureheads. This is what it means when an antichrist towers over all. Isn’t this serious? When the people in a church are controlled by an antichrist, and outsiders go there to do work, won’t these people have to take their cues from their master whenever they speak and act? They are under a unified command, they act in unison, and no one dares to speak out of turn. After just one look from their master, these people know what is meant by it, and then they act accordingly. If I ask them something, they converse with each other in their own dialect. This means that they don’t want Me to know what they’re saying, they want to avoid Me, and they think of Me as an outsider. Isn’t this a problem? What’s the nature of their wanting to avoid Me? This is the disposition and essence of an antichrist—they want to control the church and control people. No matter what antichrists do, they absolutely will not do things in accordance with the truth principles, much less consider the interests of God’s house; they are trying to establish their own kingdoms and engage in their own business. How is this doing their duty? This is them establishing their own kingdoms under the guise of doing their duty. Since antichrists have this kind of nature, even if they don’t say they love status and want status subjectively, the moment they do something and stretch out their hand, they rush down the path of antichrists, their demonic nature is revealed, and they try to establish their own kingdoms. The moment they do anything, they try to engage in their own business; the moment they do anything, they try to proceed according to their own means and methods. When the Above arranges something and it reaches them, antichrists don’t implement it, but instead they study it, deliberate on it, and fellowship on it. What’s their aim in fellowshipping on it? To get everyone to discuss it to see if it’ll be adopted or not, and whether it’s workable or not—not to implement it. Everything God says and does is the truth, but this changes when it reaches an antichrist, it changes into something for them to study. They study, analyze, and discuss it, and in the end, they get everyone to negate God’s requirements of man and God’s arrangements. In their hearts, they think, “You’re not the truth, you’re just an ordinary person. What you say doesn’t count for anything, and if you want to have the final say in my jurisdiction, then you can forget it! I’m in charge here now so everyone has to do what I say. I have absolute power to call the shots and make decisions, and you can only be a figurehead here. I must have the final say on everything within the scope of my work and influence. Even if you understand the truth, and everything you say is the truth, that won’t work on me!” This is an antichrist and a devil, right? So, when they reach the territory of an antichrist, the church’s work arrangements, the Above’s requirements, and the truth principles do not get implemented at all. What can be done about these things not being implemented? When a church doesn’t implement them, this means that there’s something wrong with the leaders and workers there, and these stumbling blocks and obstacles should be handled. Do you think there’s nothing God’s house can do to you? If God’s house can use you, then it can handle you, too. Do you think this is the world? Do you think that if you have influence, act like a tyrant, and if you’re cruel, despotic, and vicious enough, there’s nothing anyone can do to you? If so, then you’re wrong! This is God’s house, God’s house is ruled by the truth, and it treats people in a principled way. God’s house may use you, and God’s house may not use you and eliminate you—whether you are used or not is decided by a word from God. If you cause disturbances and obstruct things in an unreasonable manner here, then you will ultimately be eliminated; if you make efforts to render service, if you stay here and know your place and behave yourself, then God’s house will keep you to render service and see how your rendering service turns out.

The essence of antichrists establishing their own kingdoms is that of towering above all, disregarding God, disregarding the truth, and disregarding church rules. They just serve the name “church,” they just serve the title “God’s house,” they just serve the group of people called “brothers and sisters,” and they never do the duty of a created being, much less do they follow God or submit to His words—this is them establishing their own kingdoms. This is the essence of antichrists, and this essence is that of towering above all. Now, is this essence condemned or approved of? (Condemned.) And since it is condemned, these people should be rejected among you. Some muddled, ignorant, and blind people follow, praise, admire, and worship such people when they see them, and they even want to bow down to them—they’re so foolish! Where can antichrists lead you? When they lead you, it’s like the great red dragon leading you, and they won’t stop until they’ve led you into the ditch or the bottomless pit. Once they’ve totally ruined you, they’ll give you a kick; you won’t gain anything, and you will have believed in God for nothing. If you’re blind and can’t see through these people, and you obey, submit to, and follow these people, then you’re terribly ignorant, and you deserve to die. So, what should you do if you encounter such a person? When you encounter someone in the church who engages in pretense and imposture, who towers over all when doing anything, who despises the truth, despises God, and despises church rules, everyone should take a stand to prune them and reject them. If they can labor in God’s house in a well-behaved manner, then keep them to labor; if they are not well-behaved and are always unreasonably obstructing things, then you should implement the administrative decrees of God’s house and cleanse them away.

May 23, 2020