2. How Antichrists Treat Those Stronger Than Themselves

When it comes to antichrists’ desire to protect their own reputation and status, they not only display and reveal their nature essence when they are being pruned—antichrists encounter many other kinds of situations and matters. Therefore, the second topic we will fellowship on is how antichrists maintain their status and reputation within groups of people. While in a group of people, what behaviors do antichrists exhibit that can illustrate that in everything they do, they are trying to protect their own reputation and status? Is this topic clear or not? Is its scope large or small? Is it representative or not? (It is representative.) This topic is directly related to the nature essence of antichrists. What manifestations do antichrists display while living among groups of people? What sort of attitude and what actions do they use to protect their reputation and status? First of all, if antichrists have no status, are they still antichrists? (Yes.) You need to have a clear understanding of this concept. Don’t think that only people with status can possess the essence of antichrists and be antichrists, or that ordinary people without status are not antichrists. The scope is actually quite large. Any person who possesses the essence of antichrists is still an antichrist, regardless of whether or not they have status, and whether they are a leader or an ordinary believer; this is determined by their essence. So, what manifestations do people with the essence of antichrists exhibit while they are ordinary followers? Which nature essence revelations serve as sufficient proof that they are, in fact, antichrists? Firstly, let’s look at how they live within groups of people, how they treat others, and the attitude they harbor toward the truth. What we ought most to fellowship on isn’t what antichrists eat, what they wear, where they reside, or how they get around, but how they protect their reputation and status while in groups. Even if they are ordinary believers, they are still constantly trying to protect their reputation and status, constantly revealing this sort of disposition and essence, and doing these sorts of things. Therefore, this enables us to take a step further in our understanding of the disposition and essence of antichrists. Whether or not antichrists have status, and no matter when or where they are, the disposition and essence of antichrists are always being revealed and manifested in them. This is not restricted to any space, geography, or people, events, and things.

When antichrists do a duty, no matter what it is and regardless of the group they are in, they demonstrate a distinct form of conduct, which is that in everything, they always want to stand out and exhibit themselves, they always tend to constrain people and control them, they always want to lead people and call the shots, they always want to be in the limelight, they always want to draw people’s eyes and attention to them, and they want admiration from everyone. Whenever antichrists join a group, regardless of its numbers, who the members of the group are, or what their profession or identity is, antichrists first take stock of things to see who is imposing and outstanding, who is eloquent, who is impressive, and who is qualified or has prestige. They evaluate who they can beat and who they can’t, as well as who surpasses them and who is inferior. These are the first things they look at. After quickly assessing the situation, they begin to take action, setting aside and ignoring those who are beneath them for the time being. They go first to those who they believe are superior, who have some prestige and status, or those with gifts and talent. These are the people they first measure themselves against. If any of these people are held in esteem by the brothers and sisters, or have been long-time believers in God and are in good standing, then they become targets of antichrists’ envy, and of course are seen as competition. Then, antichrists quietly compare themselves to these people who have prestige, who have status, and who command the brothers’ and sisters’ admiration. They begin to ponder such people, examining what they can do and what they have mastered, and why some people esteem them. Watching and observing, the antichrists realize that these people are experts in a certain profession, as well as the fact that everyone holds them in high regard, because they have believed in God for longer, and they can share some experiential testimony. Antichrists regard such people as “prey” and recognize them as opponents, and then they form a plan of action. What plan of action? They look at the aspects where they do not match up with their opponents and then begin to work on these aspects. For example, if they are not as good at a certain profession as them, they will study that profession, reading books more, looking up all sorts of information more, and humbly asking others for instruction more. They will participate in every kind of work related to that profession, gradually accumulating experience and cultivating their own power. And when they believe that they have the capital to contend with their opponents, they frequently come forward to express their own “brilliant views,” and often deliberately refute and belittle their opponents, to embarrass them and muddy their names, and thereby highlight how clever and extraordinary they are, and suppress their opponents. Clear-sighted people can see all of these things, only those who are foolish and ignorant and lack discernment cannot. Most people just see the antichrists’ enthusiasm, their pursuit, their suffering, price-paying, and external good behavior, but the true situation is concealed in the depths of the antichrists’ hearts. What is their core objective? It is to gain status. The target on which all their work, all their toil, and all the price they pay is centered is the thing in their hearts they worship the most: status and power.

In order to obtain power and status, the first thing antichrists do in the church is try to win other people’s trust and esteem, so that they can convince more people, and make more of them look up to and worship them, thereby achieving their goal of having the final say in the church, and holding power. When it comes to obtaining power, they are most skilled at competing and fighting with other people. People who pursue the truth, who have prestige in the church, and who are loved by the brothers and sisters, are their primary competition. Any person who poses a threat to their status is their competition. They compete with those who are stronger than them unflinchingly; and they compete against those who are weaker than them, without feeling any pity at all. Their hearts are filled with philosophies of battle. They believe that if people do not compete and fight, they won’t be able to obtain any benefits, and that they can only get the things they want by competing and fighting. In order to obtain status, and to take a preeminent position within a group of people, they do whatever it takes to compete with others, and they do not spare a single person who poses a threat to their status. No matter who they interact with, they are full of the desire to do battle, and even as they grow old, they still fight. They often say: “Could I beat that person if I competed against them?” Whoever is eloquent, and can speak in a logical, structured, and methodical way, becomes the target of their envy and of their imitation. Even more so, they become their competition. Whoever pursues the truth and possesses faith, and is able to help and support the brothers and sisters frequently, and enables them to emerge from negativity and weakness, also becomes their competition, as does anyone who is an expert in a certain profession, and somewhat esteemed by the brothers and sisters. Whoever gets results in their work, and obtains the recognition of the Above, naturally becomes an even greater source of competition for them. What are the mottos of antichrists, no matter what group they are in? Share your thoughts. (Fighting with other people and with Heaven is a source of endless fun.) Isn’t this mad? This is mad. Are there any others? (God, don’t they think that: “In all the universe, only I reign supreme”? That is, they want to be the highest, and no matter who they are with, they always want to outdo them.) This is one of their ideas. Any others? (God, I thought of four words: “The winner is king.” I think that they always want to be superior to others and stand out, no matter where they are, and they strive to be the highest.) Most of what you’ve spoken about are kinds of ideas; try using a sort of behavior to describe them. Antichrists do not necessarily want to occupy the highest position no matter where they are. Whenever they go to a place, they have a disposition and a mentality compelling them to act. What is this mentality? It is “I must compete! Compete! Compete!” Why three “competes,” why not a single “compete”? (Competition has become their life, it is what they live by.) This is their disposition. They were born with a disposition that is wildly arrogant and difficult to contain, that is, seeing themselves as second to none, and being extremely egotistical. No one can curtail this incredibly arrogant disposition of theirs; they themselves cannot control it either. So their life is all about fighting and competing. What do they fight and compete for? Naturally, they compete for fame, gain, status, face, and their own interests. No matter what methods they have to use, so long as everyone submits to them, and so long as they obtain benefits and status for themselves, they have achieved their goal. Their will to compete is not a temporary amusement; it is a kind of disposition that comes from a satanic nature. It is like the disposition of the great red dragon that fights with Heaven, fights with the earth, and fights with people. Now, when antichrists fight and compete with others in the church, what do they want? Without a doubt, they are competing for reputation and status. But if they gain status, what use is it to them? What good is it to them if others listen to, admire, and worship them? Antichrists themselves cannot even explain this. In reality, they like to enjoy reputation and status, to have everyone smile at them, and to be greeted with flattering and fawning. So, every time an antichrist goes to a church, they do one thing: fight and compete with others. Even if they win power and status, they are not done. To protect their status and secure their power, they continue to fight and compete with others. They will do this until they die. So, the philosophy of antichrists is, “As long as you are alive, do not stop fighting.” If an evil person like this exists within the church, will it disturb the brothers and sisters? For example, say that everyone is quietly eating and drinking the words of God and fellowshipping on the truth, and the atmosphere is peaceful and the mood pleasant. At this time, an antichrist will simmer with dissatisfaction. They will become jealous of those fellowshipping on the truth and hate them. They will begin to attack and make judgments of them. Will this not disturb the peaceful atmosphere? They are an evil person who has come to disturb and disgust others. That is what antichrists are like. Sometimes, antichrists are not seeking to destroy or defeat those that they compete with and suppress; as long as they attain reputation, status, pride, and face, and make people admire them, they have achieved their goal. While they are competing, they reveal a kind of clear satanic disposition. What disposition is this? That, no matter what church they appear in, they always want to compete and fight with other people, they always want to compete for fame, gain, and status, and they only feel that they have accomplished their goal when the church is thrown into disarray and turmoil, when they have gained status and everyone yields to them. This is the nature of antichrists, that is, they use competition and fighting to achieve their goals.

What is the motto of antichrists, no matter what group they are in? “I must compete! Compete! Compete! I must compete to be the highest and greatest!” This is the disposition of antichrists; everywhere they go, they compete and try to achieve their aims. They are the lackeys of Satan, and they disturb the work of the church. The disposition of antichrists is like this: They begin by looking around the church to see who has believed in God for many years and has capital, who has some gifts or talents, who has been of benefit to the brothers and sisters in their life entry, who has more prestige, who has seniority, who is well spoken of among the brothers and sisters, who has more positive things. Those people are to be their competition. In sum, every time antichrists are among a group of people, this is what they always do: They compete for status, compete for a good reputation, compete to have the final say over matters and the right to make decisions in the group, which, once they have gained it, makes them happy. Are they able to do actual work after they gain these things? Absolutely not, they do not compete and fight in order to do actual work; their goal is to overpower everyone else. “I don’t care if you’re willing to yield to me or not; in terms of capital, I’m the greatest, in terms of speaking skills, I’m the best, and in terms of gifts and talents, I have the most.” No matter what area, they always want to compete for first place. If the brothers and sisters choose for them to be supervisors, they will compete with their partners to have the final say and the right to make decisions. If the church puts them in charge of certain work, they will insist on calling the shots about how it’s carried out. They will want to strive to make everything they say and all the things they decide succeed and become a reality. If the brothers and sisters adopt somebody else’s idea, will this get past them? (No.) That means trouble. If you don’t listen to them, they’ll teach you a lesson, make you feel that you couldn’t do without them, and show you what consequences there will be if you don’t obey them. That is how conceited, odious, and unreasonable the disposition of antichrists is. They have neither conscience nor reason, nor even a shred of the truth. One can see in the actions and deeds of an antichrist that what they do has none of the reason of a normal person, and though one may fellowship about the truth to them, they do not accept it. However right what you say is, it does not fly with them. The only thing they like to pursue is reputation and status, which they hold in reverence. So long as they can enjoy the benefits of status, they are contented. This, they believe, is the value of their existence. Regardless of what group of people they are among, they have to show people the “light” and “warmth” they provide, their talents, their uniqueness. And it is because they believe they are special that they naturally think that they should be treated better than ordinary people, that they should receive people’s support and admiration, that people should look up to them, worship them—they think all of this is their due. Are such people not brazen and shameless? Is it not trouble to have such people present in the church? When something happens, it’s common sense that people should listen to whoever speaks correctly, submit to whoever makes a suggestion that is beneficial to the work of God’s house, and adopt whoever’s suggestion is in line with the truth principles. If antichrists say something that isn’t in accordance with the principles, everyone else might not listen to them, or adopt their suggestion. In that case, what will antichrists do? They will keep trying to defend and justify themselves, and think of ways to convince others, and make the brothers and sisters listen to them and adopt their suggestion. They won’t consider what effect it might have on the church’s work if their suggestion is adopted. This is not within the scope of their consideration. What is the only thing that they’ll consider? “If my suggestion isn’t adopted, where will I be able to show my face? So, I have to compete, and strive for my suggestion to be adopted.” Whenever something happens, this is how they think and act. They never reflect on whether this is in accordance with the principles or not, and they never accept the truth. This is the disposition of antichrists.

What is the primary manifestation of antichrists’ complete lack of reason? They believe that they have gifts, that they are capable, possess good caliber, and that they ought to be worshiped and supported by other people, and put in an important position by God’s house. Furthermore, they believe that God’s house should adopt and promote all of the suggestions and ideas they put forward, and if God’s house doesn’t adopt them, they become very angry, set themselves against God’s house, and establish their own independent kingdoms. Doesn’t this revelation of the disposition and essence of antichrists cause disruptions and disturbances in the church? It can be said that all of the actions of antichrists cause immense disruptions and disturbances to the church’s work and the life entry of God’s chosen people. When antichrists compete for church leadership positions and prestige among God’s chosen people, they use every means they can to attack others and elevate themselves. They do not consider how badly they may harm the work of God’s house and the life entry of God’s chosen people. They only consider whether their ambitions and desires can be satisfied, and whether their own status and reputation can be secured. Their role in churches and among God’s chosen people is as demons, as the evil, it is as lackeys of Satan. They are absolutely not people who genuinely believe in God, nor are they followers of God, let alone are they people who love and accept the truth. When their intentions and goals have yet to be achieved, they never reflect on and know themselves, they never reflect on whether their intentions and goals are in line with the truth, they never search for how to walk the path of pursuit of the truth to achieve salvation. It is not with a submissive state of mind that they believe in God and choose the path they ought to take. Instead, they rack their brains, thinking: “How can I get into the position of a leader or a worker? How can I compete with the leaders and workers of the church? How can I mislead and control god’s chosen people, and turn christ into a mere figurehead? How can I secure a place for myself in the church? How can I make sure that I have a firm footing in the church and gain status, guarantee that I succeed and do not fail, and ultimately achieve my goal of controlling god’s chosen people and establishing my own kingdom?” These are the things that antichrists spend their days and nights thinking about. What disposition and nature is this? For instance, when ordinary brothers and sisters write testimony articles, they think about how to express their experiences and understanding faithfully in writing. So, they pray before God in the hope that He will grant them more enlightenment regarding the truth, and enable them to gain a greater and more in-depth understanding of it. Whereas, when antichrists write articles, they rack their brains pondering on how to write in a way that will make more people understand them, know about them, and admire them, and thereby gain status in the minds of more people. They wish to use this most ordinary, minor thing to increase their fame. They cannot even let this sort of opportunity go. What sort of people are they? Some antichrists, upon seeing that others can write experiential testimony articles, wish to write something that is more wonderful than anyone else’s experiential testimony, in an effort to compete with them for status and prestige. And so, they fabricate and plagiarize stories. They even dare to do things like give false testimony. In order to make a name for themselves, to make more people know about them, and spread their name, antichrists do not hesitate to do all kinds of shameful things. They won’t even pass up the tiniest opportunity to become well-known, to obtain status, and to be esteemed among a group of people and looked upon with special respect. What is the purpose of being looked upon with special respect? What consequences and goals do antichrists wish to achieve? Antichrists want others to see them as extraordinary people, people who are nobler than anyone else, and who excel in certain areas; they want to leave a good impression in the minds of others, a profound impression, and even gradually make other people envy, admire, and look up to them. While striving with all their might to achieve this goal, they also keep walking the same path as they did before.

No matter what group of people they are in, regardless of if they are pretending or toiling, what’s hidden in the depths of antichrists’ hearts is nothing more than a desire for status. The essence that they reveal and manifest is nothing more than fighting and competition. No matter what antichrists do, they are competing with others for status, face, and interests. The most common manifestation of this is competing for a good name, a good appraisal, and status in people’s minds, so that people will esteem and worship them, and revolve and center themselves around them. This is the path that antichrists walk; this is what antichrists compete for. Regardless of how God’s words condemn and dissect these things, antichrists won’t accept the truth, or accept the judgment and chastisement of God’s words, or give up these things that are judged and condemned by God. On the contrary, the more God exposes these things, the more cunning antichrists become. They adopt more covert and slippery means to pursue these things, so that people cannot see what they are doing, and mistakenly believe that they have given up these things. The more God exposes these things, the more antichrists find ways to use more devious and cleverer methods to pursue and gain them. Furthermore, they use pleasant-sounding words to conceal their ulterior motives. In sum, antichrists absolutely do not accept the truth, reflect on their behavior, or come before God praying and seeking the truth. On the contrary, they are even more dissatisfied in their hearts with God’s exposure and judgment, to the extent that they adopt a hostile attitude toward these things. Not only do they not give up their pursuit of reputation and status, they cherish these things even more, and think of ways to hide and conceal this pursuit, and to stop people from seeing through and spotting it. No matter the situation, antichrists not only fail to practice the truth, when their true colors are revealed, that is, when they accidentally reveal these ambitions and desires of theirs, they feel more worried that others will see through their essence and true face on the basis of God’s words and the truth, so they try to conceal this, and do their utmost to defend themselves. What is the purpose of them concealing this? It is to protect their status and reputation from suffering losses, and to conserve their strength for their next fight. This is the essence of antichrists. No matter when, or what the situation is, the goals and direction of their comportment won’t change, neither will their goals in life, or the principles behind their actions, or the desire, ambition, and aim in the depths of their hearts of pursuing status. Not only will they do their utmost to strive to attain status, they will escalate their efforts to obtain it. The more God’s house fellowships on the truth, the more they will cleverly shy away from using some obvious behaviors and manifestations that other people can see through and discern. They will switch to a different kind of method, and cry bitterly as they admit their mistakes and condemn themselves, winning people’s sympathy, making them mistakenly believe that they’ve repented and changed, and making it harder for people to discern them. What is this essence of antichrists? Isn’t it a bit devious? (It is.) When people are this devious, they are devils. Can devils truly repent? Can they truly put aside their ambition and desire to pursue status? Devils would rather die than put aside this ambition. No matter how you fellowship the truth with them, it will be useless, they won’t put aside this ambition. If, in this situation, they lose the fight and are exposed by the brothers and sisters, they will still continue fighting, and competing for status, face, the final say, and the right to make decisions when they move on to the next group. They will compete for these things. No matter what the situation, or what group of people they are in, the principle they always observe is to compete: “Only I can lead; no one else may lead me!” They are absolutely unwilling to be ordinary followers, or to accept other people’s leadership or help. This is the essence of antichrists.