Item Nine: They Do Their Duty Only to Distinguish Themselves and Feed Their Own Interests and Ambitions; They Never Consider the Interests of God's House, and They Even Sell Out Those Interests, Trading Them for Personal Glory (Part Two) Section Two
Antichrists believe in God to gain blessings. They never concern themselves with anything related to God’s house or God’s interests. Whatever they do has to revolve around their personal interests. If the work of God’s house doesn’t involve their personal interests, they simply don’t care and don’t inquire into it. How selfish they must be! When certain antichrists were acting as leaders, the great red dragon plundered large quantities of offerings that were under the scope of their supervision, and an astonishing amount was lost. But these antichrists didn’t blame themselves at all. They even said afterward, “It’s not just my responsibility: How can it all be blamed on me? Besides, this kind of situation is unavoidable.” They felt no remorse at all, they shifted the blame onto other people, and, filled with excuses, they tried to defend themselves. What kind of things are they? Shouldn’t people like this be expelled? Shouldn’t they be cursed and punished? (Yes.) After committing such a significant mistake, these antichrists had absolutely no remorse! What manifestations would a normal person, a person with humanity, a person who is loyal to God, or a person with a God-fearing heart, display if their negligence led to the assets of God’s house being snatched away by the great red dragon? (They would feel remorse, blame themselves, and feel in their heart that they didn’t fulfill their duty properly.) What would they do next? They would think of a way to make amends. From the bottom of their heart, they would feel a sense of indebtedness and remorse; regardless of what others said, they wouldn’t utter a single word of complaint, they wouldn’t defend themselves. They would acknowledge that it was their negligence, their transgression. They would accept whatever God said to them and however God’s house decided to handle them. So why don’t antichrists accept this? Why do they feel full of grievances after being expelled? This reveals the nature of antichrists. These antichrists caused such significant losses to the work of God’s house, so much effort from others went to waste due to them neglecting their duties, and so many offerings were taken by the great red dragon, yet they felt no self-blame, no sense of indebtedness, and they even defended themselves. When God’s house handled them, they refused to submit, and they spread their defiance everywhere. What kind of things are they? Isn’t this courting death? (Yes.) This is courting death. Looking at the core of antichrists, their nature essence is one of hostility toward the truth and God. They lack humanity; they are living demons, Satans, beasts in human clothing. When people with humanity make a small mistake or say something wrong, they feel self-reproach. But living demons, antichrists, don’t feel this. Even after committing such a grave mistake, those antichrists didn’t feel any self-reproach, and they even tried to defend themselves. So, what is the truth to them? Do they acknowledge the truth in their hearts? God’s words are the truth, and God is the truth—do they acknowledge this fact? (They don’t acknowledge it.) They clearly don’t acknowledge it. In their hearts, they consider themselves to be the truth, to be God; they think that apart from them, there is no other God. Are these not devils? (Yes.) These are devils, typical devils. Antichrists don’t inquire at all about the church’s resources, nor do they make any specific arrangements for them. But if they happen to possess something precious themselves, you can be sure they will take excellent care of it. They won’t reveal a word about it even when they talk in their sleep, and you couldn’t even beat it out of them. They guard it exceptionally well. However, when it comes to the resources of God’s house, their attitude is completely different. They actually have this kind of attitude: “What does that have to do with me? I don’t get to enjoy that resource, and it doesn’t belong to me. Even if I take good care of it, it might be given to someone else! What’s the use of guarding it so well?” They don’t consider this matter their duty. Isn’t this lacking in humanity? (Yes.) It is a manifestation of lacking humanity. What is this called? It’s called being unreliable. God has entrusted this work to you, and given you the duties you should perform—this is part of your job. You ought to handle these matters properly, carrying them out one by one, following God’s required principles and the work arrangements of God’s house, and arranging them properly, then your responsibility will be fulfilled. But do antichrists have this mindset or idea? (No, they don’t.) Not at all. This is a complete lack of humanity. What is the specific manifestation of lacking humanity? It is not caring about having conscience or reason, and being selfish and despicable, lacking trustworthiness, being unreliable, and not being worthy of entrusting anything to.
When it comes to matters of personnel within the church, such as who is doing what work where, whether they are doing it properly, whether they are performing their duty effectively, if any instances of disruptions or disturbances have arisen, or what the brothers’ and sisters’ feedback is like, antichrists never inquire in detail or make arrangements regarding these things. For instance, when God’s house asks them to provide various kinds of talented individuals, antichrists merely glance at the written introductions of these individuals without specifically finding out or inquiring about their situations—for example, whether these individuals have a foundation in their faith, how their humanity is, whether they can accept the truth, whether their particular talents and technical skills align with the standards required by God’s house, and if they are suitable for cultivating and taking on important duties. Antichrists just go through the motions regarding these things, putting up a facade, briefly reviewing the written introductions, and that’s it. They never actually interact with the individuals provided, nor do they seek a detailed or in-depth understanding of them. As a result, most of the people they select end up being eliminated because they failed to do their duties or attend to their proper work. How do antichrists view this situation? “It’s not like I’m being promoted to do these duties; I have no part in them. What difference does it make who goes? As long as I approve the recommendations and provide these people, that counts as me doing my job. Furthermore, the individuals who were promoted will owe me a favor. Whether or not they are suitable for cultivation is none of my business.” If antichrists provide unsuitable individuals, causing hindrances to the work of God’s house, do they bear any responsibility? (Yes.) They bear a lot of responsibility, but these devilish things do not carry out any checks at all. Some say, “In certain places with harsh environments, we cannot interact with people face-to-face. How can we carry out checks on them?” No matter how harsh the environment is, there are still methods and approaches to handle these matters. It depends on whether you are responsible and genuinely committed. Isn’t that so? (Yes.) If you offer your loyalty and responsibility, then even if the outcome is not ideal, God scrutinizes and knows it, and the responsibility won’t be on you. But if you don’t offer your loyalty and responsibility, then even if nothing goes wrong and it doesn’t lead to any consequences in the end, God will scrutinize it. The nature of these two approaches is different, and God will treat them differently. Antichrists also scheme when it comes to providing people, they also have motives that are selfish and despicable, and they lack loyalty. No matter what they are doing, antichrists have their own calculations and they do not adhere to principles. Furthermore, in order for concrete work to be done well, they have to show their faces, travel around meeting with more people, endure hardships, and take risks. As soon as something touches on the issue of their own safety, antichrists start calculating again, and their nature is revealed. What is revealed? They believe that interacting with too many people is a risk to their own safety, and that they can’t get into contact with people arbitrarily. Antichrists don’t interact with those they should and don’t meet with anyone, instead they find a safe haven to stay in, hiding and doing nothing more than simple tasks. As for how well other aspects of the work are done, whether there are people causing disturbances, or whether the work arrangements, various books of God’s words, or recorded sermons are being distributed, antichrists never make specific arrangements or inquiries into these things. It’s not to say that they have to take risks, show their faces, and encounter trouble to be considered loyal. What’s the issue here? Who can explain? (When they initially started this work, they never considered how to do it well or whether the recommended personnel were suitable, and they never acted with all their hearts or fulfilled their responsibility. They never thought about these things.) They simply don’t show loyalty. There’s a difference in the nature of how people with loyalty to God work compared to those without it. When they both encounter matters that involve danger, those with loyalty are able to face the danger and do their work, using wisdom and methods to implement the work arrangements. However, antichrists don’t engage in concrete work, regardless of whether danger is involved or not, and work arrangements are never implemented by them. That’s the distinction. Antichrists may verbally inquire about the church’s situation, various tasks, and so on, but even their inquiries are mere formalities, they are just making some surface-level efforts, and they are not meticulous about it at all. From the outside, it might seem like they are doing concrete work, but in reality, they don’t understand the work, they don’t take notes, they don’t ponder over it, and they don’t pray or seek. They don’t put energy into considering how different segments of the work are progressing, or who is responsible for areas where things are not done well, or which church leaders might be unsuitable, or where work hasn’t been implemented. They don’t consider these things, they just go through the motions, and when they identify issues, they don’t resolve them. Some so-called leaders only bring people together for gatherings, inquire about the situation, and analyze and investigate the work. As soon as some concrete work is involved, and it requires them to suffer and pay a price, involves putting their personal safety at risk, and a certain level of difficulty, they don’t do it. They stop work at that point, prioritizing self-preservation. Even when they recognize issues, they don’t make specific arrangements. If they are well-known for their faith, and in danger of being captured, do they delegate these tasks to others? No, they don’t. They don’t arrange for others to do these tasks, and that’s the problem. So, what essence is revealed by people like this? They lack loyalty, they’re selfish and despicable, and consider their own safety in everything. They never inquire about whether the work arrangements of God’s house are being implemented, or about the progress of the work of God’s house, and they don’t care about these things. They haven’t offered their loyalty, and they do not show their loyalty. For them, going through the motions with regard to these matters is enough; they consider this doing work. If the risk is small, they might reluctantly do some work. But if the risk is large, and there is a possibility of them being captured, they won’t do it, no matter how crucial the task is. That is the essence of antichrists. In the depths of their hearts, as long as their interests are secure, they are capable of selling anyone out. Their interests are achieved at the expense of the interests of God’s house; to them, their interests are supreme. Can antichrists be loyal once they take on a duty? (No, they can’t.) Loyalty is impossible for them. Can they consider the lives and safety of their brothers and sisters? (They cannot.) When it comes to their own safety, antichrists will only preserve themselves, pushing their brothers and sisters into the fiery pit, and using them as sacrificial pawns. That is the nature essence of antichrists.
Besides considering their own safety, what do certain antichrists also think about? They say, “Right now, our environment is unfavorable, so let’s show our faces less and spread the gospel less. That way, we’re less likely to be caught, and the church’s work won’t be destroyed. If we avoid getting caught, we won’t turn Judas, and then we’ll be able to remain in the future, won’t we?” Aren’t there antichrists who use such excuses to mislead their brothers and sisters? Some antichrists are very afraid of death and drag out ignoble existences; they also like reputation and status, and are willing to take on leadership roles. Even though they know that, “The work of a leader isn’t easy to shoulder—if the great red dragon finds out that I’ve been made a leader, I’ll become famous, and I might get put on a wanted list, and as soon as I’m caught my life will be in danger,” for the sake of enjoying the benefits of this status, they disregard these dangers. When they serve as leaders, they only care about their fleshly enjoyment, and they do not engage in actual work. Apart from engaging in a bit of correspondence with various churches, they don’t do anything else. They hide in some place and don’t meet with anyone, keeping themselves sealed away, and the brothers and sisters don’t know who their leader is—that is the degree to which they are afraid. So, isn’t it correct to say that they are leaders in name only? (Yes.) They don’t engage in any actual work as leaders; they only care about hiding themselves. When others ask them, “How is it being a leader?” they will say, “I’m incredibly busy, and for the sake of safety, I have to keep moving house. This environment is so unsettling that I can’t focus on my work.” They always feel like many eyes are watching them, and don’t know where’s safe to hide. Apart from wearing disguises, hiding themselves in different places, and not staying in one location, they don’t do any actual work every day. Do such leaders exist? (Yes.) What principles do they follow? These people say, “A crafty rabbit has three burrows. In order for a rabbit to guard against a predator’s attack, it has to prepare three burrows to hide itself in. If a person encounters danger and has to escape, but they have nowhere to hide, is that acceptable? We must learn from rabbits! God’s created animals have this survival ability, and people should learn from them.” Since taking on leadership roles, they have come to realize this doctrine, and even believe that they have understood the truth. In reality, they are terribly frightened. As soon as they hear about a leader who got reported to the police because the place they lived in was unsafe, or about a leader who was targeted by the great red dragon’s spies because they went out too often to do their duty and interacted with too many people, and how these people ended up getting arrested and sentenced, they immediately become frightened. They think, “Oh no, will I be the next one to be arrested? I must learn from this. I shouldn’t be too active. If I can avoid doing some of the church’s work, I won’t do it. If I can avoid showing my face, I won’t do it. I’ll minimize my work as much as possible, avoid going out, avoid interacting with anyone, and ensure that nobody knows I’m a leader. These days, who can afford to care about anyone else? Just staying alive is already a challenge!” Since taking on the role of a leader, apart from carrying a bag and hiding, they don’t do any work. They live on tenterhooks, in constant fear of being caught and sentenced. Suppose that they hear someone say, “If you get caught, you’ll be killed! If you weren’t a leader, if you were just an ordinary believer, you might be let out after just paying a little fine, but since you’re a leader, it’s hard to say. It’s too dangerous! Some leaders or workers who got caught refused to give up any information and were beaten to death by the police.” Once they hear about someone being beaten to death, their fear intensifies, and they become even more afraid to work. Every day, all they think about is how to avoid getting caught, how to avoid showing their faces, how to avoid being monitored, and how to avoid contact with their brothers and sisters. They rack their brains thinking about these things and completely forget about their duties. Are these loyal people? Can people like this handle any work? (No, they can’t.) People like this are just timid, and we can’t definitely label them as antichrists based solely on this manifestation, but what is the nature of this manifestation? The essence of this manifestation is that of a disbeliever. They don’t believe that God can protect people’s safety, and they certainly don’t believe that dedicating oneself to expending for God is devoting oneself to the truth, and that it is something God approves of. They don’t fear God in their hearts; they are only afraid of Satan and wicked political parties. They don’t believe in God’s existence, they don’t believe that everything is in God’s hands, and they certainly don’t believe that God will approve of a person expending everything for His sake, and for the sake of following His way, and completing His commission. They can’t see any of this. What do they believe in? They believe that if they fall into the hands of the great red dragon, they’ll meet with a bad end, that they could be sentenced or even risk losing their lives. In their hearts, they only consider their own safety and not the work of the church. Aren’t these disbelievers? (Yes, they are.) What does the Bible say? “He that loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39). Do they believe these words? (No, they don’t.) If they are asked to take a risk while doing their duty, they’ll wish to hide themselves away and not let anyone see them—they’ll want to be invisible. This is the extent to which they are afraid. They don’t believe that God is man’s support, that everything is in God’s hands, that if something really goes wrong or they actually get caught, it’s permitted by God, and that people should have hearts of submission. These people don’t possess these hearts, this understanding, or this preparation. Do they truly believe in God? (No, they don’t.) Isn’t the essence of this manifestation that of a disbeliever? (Yes, it is.) That’s how it is. People like this are exceptionally timid, terribly frightened, and afraid of physical suffering and something bad happening to them. They become as scared as skittish birds and can’t perform their work anymore. The type of person we talked about earlier simply doesn’t do any work at all, even if they are capable of doing it. Even if they know there is an issue, they won’t handle it. They just protect themselves, and they are particularly selfish and despicable. Both of these types of people are disbelievers. The first type is slippery and treacherous, afraid of hardship and fatigue, concerned with their flesh, and doesn’t engage in actual work. The second type is timid and frightened, doesn’t dare to perform actual work, and is afraid of being caught and persecuted by the great red dragon. Isn’t there a difference between these two types of people? (Yes.)
Are there any examples you know about how antichrists protect their own safety? (God, I know of one such instance. There was a church that got busted by the great red dragon because it was controlled by an antichrist who was running amok doing bad things, and the leaders, deacons, and a few brothers and sisters were all arrested. At the time, the antichrist was afraid of getting caught. Without making arrangements for the work of handling the aftermath, he hid in a remote location. He even refused to stay with a host family, and insisted instead on using offerings to rent a place. Because he didn’t make proper arrangements for the subsequent work and didn’t promptly eliminate hidden dangers, several brothers and sisters were then arrested, and the church’s work was forced to stop. It is clear that antichrists are exceptionally selfish and despicable. In critical moments, they only protect their own interests and don’t protect the interests of God’s house at all.) Antichrists are extremely selfish and despicable. They do not have true faith in God, much less loyalty to God; when they encounter an issue, they only protect and safeguard themselves. For them, nothing is more important than their own safety. As long as they can live and won’t get arrested, they don’t care how much harm is done to the work of the church. These people are extremely selfish, they don’t think of the brothers and sisters at all, or of the work of the church, they only think of their own safety. They are antichrists. So when such things befall those who are loyal to God and have true faith in God, how do they handle them? How does what they do differ from what antichrists do? (When such things befall those who are loyal to God, they will think of any way to safeguard the interests of the house of God, to protect against losses to the offerings of God, and they will make the necessary arrangements for the leaders and workers, and the brothers and sisters, to minimize losses. Antichrists, meanwhile, make sure they are protected first. They are not concerned about the work of the church or the safety of God’s chosen people, and when the church is faced with arrests, it results in a loss to church work.) Antichrists abandon the work of the church and God’s offerings, and they do not arrange for people to handle the aftermath. This is the same as permitting the great red dragon to seize God’s offerings and His chosen people. Is this not a covert betrayal of God’s offerings and His chosen people? When those who are loyal to God know clearly that an environment is dangerous, they still brave the risk of doing the work of handling the aftermath, and they keep the losses to God’s house to a minimum before they themselves withdraw. They do not give priority to their own safety. Tell Me, in this wicked country of the great red dragon, who could ensure that there is no danger at all in believing in God and doing a duty? Whatever duty one takes on, it entails some risk—yet the performance of duty is commissioned by God, and while following God, one must take on the risk of doing their duty. One should exercise wisdom, and one has need of taking measures to ensure their safety, but one should not put their personal safety first. They should consider God’s intentions, putting the work of His house first and putting the spread of the gospel first. Completing God’s commission of them is what matters most, and it comes first. Antichrists give top priority to their personal safety; they believe that nothing else has anything to do with them. They do not care when something happens to someone else, regardless of who it might be. As long as nothing bad happens to the antichrists themselves, they feel at ease. They are devoid of any loyalty, which is determined by the antichrists’ nature essence. In the environment of mainland China, is it possible to avoid taking on any risks and to ensure nothing bad happens while doing one’s duty? Even the most cautious person can’t guarantee that. But caution is necessary. Being well-prepared in advance will improve things a little, and it can help to minimize losses when something does go wrong. If there’s no preparation at all, the losses will be substantial. Can you see the difference between these two situations clearly? Therefore, no matter if it’s regarding gatherings or the performance of any kind of duty, it’s best to be cautious, and it’s necessary to take some preventive measures. When a loyal person performs their duty they can think a bit more comprehensively and thoroughly. They want to arrange these things as well as they can so that if something goes wrong, the losses are minimized. They feel that they must achieve this result. Someone who lacks loyalty doesn’t consider these things. They think that these things don’t matter, and they don’t treat them as their responsibility or duty. When something goes wrong, they don’t feel any sense of blame. This is a manifestation of a lack of loyalty. Antichrists show no loyalty to God. When they are assigned work, they accept it quite happily, and make some nice declarations, but when danger comes, they run away the fastest; they are the first to run, the first to escape. This shows that their selfishness and despicableness are particularly severe. They have no sense of responsibility or loyalty at all. When faced with a problem, they only know how to flee and how to hide, and think only of protecting themselves, never considering their responsibilities or duties. For the sake of their own personal safety, antichrists consistently display their selfish and despicable nature. They do not prioritize the work of God’s house or their own duties. Even less do they prioritize the interests of God’s house. Instead, they prioritize their own safety.
Doesn’t the subsection we just fellowshipped about relate to the ninth item of the various manifestations of antichrists—they never consider the interests of God’s house, and they even sell out those interests, trading them for personal glory? (Yes.) In order to protect themselves, to avoid danger and physical suffering, antichrists adopt a perfunctory attitude toward the work of God’s house and their own duties. They occupy positions without doing actual work. Is this not selling out the interests of God’s house? Is it not disregarding the interests of God’s house, the work of God, and their own responsibilities, in exchange for personal safety? (Yes.) The manifestations we have dissected in this subsection fully expose the selfish and despicable essence of antichrists. What have we primarily fellowshipped about here? Antichrists, out of fear of getting into trouble and in order to preserve themselves, do not fulfill their duties, and show no loyalty to God whatsoever. Is there any truth reality in this manifestation? Is it not a loss of conscience and reason? This is a complete lack of humanity!
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