Regarding how to pursue the truth, we have been fellowshipping on the topic of “letting go of notions and imaginings about God incarnate” during this period of time. Within this topic, we fellowshipped on the content regarding “having a tacit understanding with God,” didn’t we? (Yes.) Last time, we fellowshipped on the topic of the man used by the Holy Spirit serving God, which pertains to having a tacit understanding with God. We fellowshipped on two aspects of the content. Tell Me, what do these two aspects refer to? (One is promoting and cultivating people; the other is not forming factions.) These are the two primary aspects of the content. Both of these aspects involve the content of serving God, and they involve the work people should do in serving God, as well as some deviations that often arise and some problems that should be avoided in serving God. What we previously discussed were some things people should do and some matters they should pay attention to with these two aspects of work, as well as the principles they need to abide by in doing these two aspects of work. From when the man used by the Holy Spirit began doing his work up to now, he has continuously been doing these two aspects of work, has always adhered to the principles for doing these two aspects of work, and has also achieved the results and realized the significance of doing these two aspects of work. Through fellowshipping on these two aspects of content, are you clear on why these two aspects of work must be done, and what the matters to pay attention to are and what the principles are when doing these two aspects of work? (We are a bit clearer now.) I did not fellowship in too much detail on the principles of these two aspects of work—promoting and cultivating people, and not forming factions; I merely gave you a bit of simple prompting with regard to the topic of serving God. In the process of serving God, these two items of work are indispensable, and they are two very important and crucial items of work. The reason I fellowshipped on these two items of work is that they are related to the broad topic we have been fellowshipping on—“having a tacit understanding with God.” As a person who serves God, if one wishes to achieve a tacit understanding with God, these two items of work—promoting and cultivating people, and not forming factions—must be done. That is, in the process of your serving God and in your work, you should do these two items of work, and you should also adhere to the principles for doing these two items of work. These are two indispensable items of work. You must understand this clearly. We have done some general fellowshipping on the purpose and significance of promoting and cultivating people, and we have also fellowshipped a bit on the matters to pay attention to and the principles to adhere to regarding the work of not forming factions, as well as the significance of doing this aspect of work. As for what some of the detail work is like and how to do the specific work, you should gradually grasp the principles and work out the details in the course of doing your duties and in your daily lives. For example, while fellowshipping on other aspects of the truth before, we fellowshipped on details regarding the work of promoting and cultivating people, like which people to promote and cultivate, how to promote and cultivate them, how to observe the people who have been promoted and cultivated, how to learn about them, how to follow up on their work, and how to cultivate them to enter the truth reality and reach the point where they act according to the principles, thereby bringing them to the point where they accord with God’s intentions and are fit for God’s use. In the work of promoting and cultivating people, you need to practice and experience this for yourselves, gradually feeling your way until you grasp the principles. In short, having been in contact and associated with the man used by the Holy Spirit for so many years, you should have understood or should have confirmed that the work of promoting and cultivating people is an important item of work done by the man used by the Holy Spirit in the process of serving God. Additionally, not forming factions is also one of the principles followed by the man used by the Holy Spirit in the process of serving God—this is something you can all feel, isn’t it? (Yes.)

In terms of serving God, apart from the manifestations in these two respects—promoting and cultivating people, and not forming factions—the man used by the Holy Spirit displays another manifestation in the process of doing his work that we are going to fellowship on today. This manifestation is not abandoning his work. This is a manifestation of the man used by the Holy Spirit accepting God’s commission and doing the work, and it is a very important manifestation that involves having a tacit understanding with God. Is not abandoning one’s work an aspect of practice, or a manifestation of humanity? (It is both.) This is a specific aspect of practice in the work of the man used by the Holy Spirit, and it is also an aspect of the reality that he lives out in his humanity. This aspect of not abandoning his work is manifested very specifically and very practically in the process of the man used by the Holy Spirit serving God. Every person, in the course of believing in God, doing their duty, and serving God, often has states of negativity and weakness or of evasion, regardless of the kinds of difficulties they encounter. This is because, while believing in God, people will inevitably encounter many difficulties in daily life and survival, or difficulties with their duty, as well as personal difficulties. These difficulties often trouble and impact people, leading them to develop weakness, negativity, and evasiveness, or to have misunderstandings about God, and to be unable to feel the Holy Spirit’s work, in special environments and special contexts involving things like their own interests, life and death, and so on. In such situations, when people do not understand God’s intentions or lose faith in God, or when they see no hope and they cannot feel the obvious work of the Holy Spirit, most will choose to give up the responsibilities they ought to fulfill. Whether they give them up temporarily or give them up permanently, their giving up like this is, in My view, abandoning their work. That is, when people encounter difficulties, falling into negativity and weakness, falling into misunderstanding God, and falling into being disappointed with God, they will choose to give up and evade the responsibilities they ought to fulfill instead of facing the difficulties head-on or enduring the pain to stand fast to their posts. In My eyes, this kind of manifestation and this kind of behavior is abandoning one’s work. If the problem of abandoning one’s work appears in ordinary believers, it has little impact on the church’s work, and only affects the individual. But when it’s someone who’s serving God, no matter what level of leader or worker they are, if they abandon their work and give up on it, the impact this has on the work of God’s house will be much greater. Not only will it affect church life, but it will also affect the work of spreading the gospel. The church’s work, or the overall work of God’s house, will thus all affected, disturbed, and even damaged because of this person’s evasiveness and their abandoning of their work. If a district leader abandons their work, or gives up their duty and mission and flees, it will cause the work of the entire district to be affected or even to stall. Should a regional leader or a leader or worker at an even higher level abandon their work, one can imagine what kind of situation would arise in the work of God’s house. If leaders and workers do not do real work, do not implement work, or do not follow up on the work, this won’t have much of an impact for the first few days—the brothers and sisters will be able to eat and drink God’s words normally, and gather and do their duties normally. If leaders and workers never do real work, over time, with the brothers and sisters not receiving work arrangements from the Above and not receiving watering, provision, support, and help in terms of life entry, the hearts of the people in the church will become scattered, church life will yield no good results, the church’s work will also stagnate, and the church will lose the Holy Spirit’s work—these are the consequences that will occur. So, leaders and workers abandoning their work is a very serious problem. If such a situation crops up in the course of serving God, then that leader or worker, or leaders and workers at the next level up, should take responsibility. In actuality, this responsibility is something you cannot bear—why, then, do I speak of taking responsibility? Because, when you come before God to give an account, you will not be able to give one. God entrusted His chosen people in one or more churches and the work of those churches to you, but when some special circumstances arose, you stopped working and instead attended to your own private affairs and difficulties, laying down the burden of the church’s work. In God’s eyes, this is a serious transgression you committed while serving God; this is something God detests and something God condemns.

After he accepted God’s commission, the man used by the Holy Spirit has never shrunk back and has never abandoned his work in the process of serving God, no matter what difficulties he encountered. In the beginning, the Holy Spirit worked on him and entrusted the churches to him. At that time, he did not understand many truth principles. Under those circumstances, he worked solely by relying on the enlightenment and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and also relied on the insights and understandings he had gained in the process of believing in God to do the church’s work. In the process of doing the church’s work, he would inevitably encounter many difficulties, hardships, and perplexities coming from his life and coming from his work. In this context, the man used by the Holy Spirit continually persevered in doing the work. No matter how great the difficulties he faced, and no matter what hindrances he encountered, he constantly traveled to churches everywhere doing the work of providing for the churches and watering the churches, all along feeling his way and experiencing things, doing the work better and better all the way up to now. This is the practical manifestation of him not becoming negative and slacking off or abandoning his work in serving God, no matter what difficulties he encounters. When he first began leading the churches, traveling from church to church, providing for the churches, and performing the administrative and personnel management work of the churches, he also faced many difficulties. Looking at it from a human perspective, no one had ever led churches, and no one had ever done church work before; much of the church’s work was starting from scratch. For man, this is the greatest difficulty. Why say it is the greatest difficulty? Although the man used by the Holy Spirit had the work of the Holy Spirit and had the enlightenment and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and could shoulder this commission, he himself was just an ordinary person, without any special gifts, and he was not born knowing how to do the work of the church. This is because his identity was simply that of a member of ordinary corrupt humankind; he did not possess God’s life, but just the life of an ordinary person. That is to say, he was not born knowing how to do the work of God’s house; it is only that, after accepting God’s commission, he had the moving of the Holy Spirit and the leading of the Holy Spirit. As far as he was concerned, at the very beginning, he knew nothing about the work of God’s house, nor about the Holy Spirit’s work or God’s work; he started from scratch in doing every item of the work of God’s house. What does it mean that he started from scratch? It means that for every item of work he did, he needed to come before God to pray and seek. After receiving the leading, illumination, enlightenment, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, he would then feel his way and experience. During this process, he gradually found some paths and principles of practice, and afterward he gradually took the various principles he had figured out and implemented them in the church’s work. As he implemented them, he experienced the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and the leading of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, he also summed up his experience, learned to discern people and discern things, and learned to feel out the trends of the Holy Spirit’s work and the methods of the Holy Spirit’s work, as well as the leading and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. This process was very natural, and also very practical and very specific; it was not at all empty.

Did the man used by the Holy Spirit encounter many difficulties in the process of feeling his way as he led the churches and did the overall work of God’s house? (Yes.) Difficulties constantly accompanied the process. Every step taken and every item of work done was the newest work; it was an attempt, it was also an experience, and even more so, it was a form of progress. What did the man used by the Holy Spirit do when he encountered difficulties? After God became flesh and appeared, he could discuss and fellowship with Me. Before God had testified to the incarnate God, what did the man used by the Holy Spirit do when he encountered difficulties? (He would pray and seek.) He had to pray, and he had to seek. He had a drive to never shrink back. What is the colloquial term for this? Putting one’s nose to the grindstone. He put his nose to the grindstone to resolve difficulties. No matter what difficulty he encountered, he could not fall, he could not wait, and he could not rely on others, because no one else understood. The church was entrusted to him, and with it, the work of the church was entrusted to him. When he encountered some difficulty and fellowshipped about it with others, they could not understand and it was beyond their reach. At that time, he was very lonely, and it was very hard for him. When he fellowshipped with the co-workers around him, none of them took it seriously, saying, “What are you talking about? We can’t understand and it’s beyond our reach. We’ve never thought about these things.” No one was concerned about these things, no one understood these things, and no one could appreciate just what the difficulties he was facing were. Under those circumstances, even if he wanted to rely on others, he wasn’t in the position to do so, and he couldn’t count on anyone. He had to pray before God, and he had to seek and wait. Some people say, “Then couldn’t he just pray-read God’s words and find a path in God’s words?” At that time, not so many of God’s words had been expressed. Now, various aspects of the truth have been spoken of comprehensively and have all been explained clearly, and on top of that, if he encounters any difficulties, he can fellowship directly with Me; once he understands through fellowship, he will go and implement it. In the very beginning, these conditions did not exist. So what did the man used by the Holy Spirit do when he encountered all sorts of difficulties? He had to face them alone. He could not evade them, nor could he count on anyone, much less could he shift the responsibility onto anyone else. Some people say, “Since he has no way to resolve difficulties when they arise, and has no one to count on, and he has to wait when praying to God, not knowing when the Holy Spirit will enlighten and lead him, he might as well just not do the work, and let nature take its course. He can just do it when he wants to, and do it when he is able to.” Is it acceptable to do the work willfully like this? (No.) Why is it unacceptable? Among those who have accepted God’s commission, most probably do not have this experience: When God entrusts you with an item of work, and this work contains many specific items of work and a lot of specific content, as well as problems that are involved in these items of work and the content of this work, the Holy Spirit gives you some feelings so that you can see the problems within and see the work you should do, but when it comes to how to do it, you have to seek and feel your way for yourself. Only the man used by the Holy Spirit, or someone who has accepted a major commission from God, has these feelings and has these insights, and, even more so, has a burden and responsibility in this regard. When encountering a difficulty, he feels that no matter how great the difficulty before him is, this work must be done; he has this insight and also has this moving. This is done by God; God moves people in this way. This is how God uses people: He gives you some insight and moves you somewhat, making you aware in your consciousness that a certain item of work should be done a certain way. It might be that in your subjective consciousness you have not yet realized the significance and value of doing this work, or the results that are subsequently to be achieved, and you do not know about these things yet. But when the Holy Spirit moves you, you feel that doing it a certain way is good, and that it should be done this way. The man used by the Holy Spirit receives such a moving from God; he feels that he should do this work this way and should lead the churches in this direction, so he puts his nose to the grindstone and puts all his strength into doing it. No matter what hardships he encounters, and no matter what difficulties there are, he keeps pushing forward with the work. Especially with some important work, others might not have realized its importance yet, and other leaders and workers might not have any path or direction at all for this work. But when the man used by the Holy Spirit feels the necessity of doing this work, he brings this burden before God to pray and seek. Most people do not have this burden and sense of responsibility. When there is no work to do, those who are somewhat better at most do spiritual devotions and learn hymns, while most others just get together to chat idly. Most leaders and workers merely do whatever work that the Above tells them to do and implement whatever work that the Above tells them to implement; once they have implemented it, that is the end of it. They have no burden for the church’s work, and do not have an attitude of cooperating in a positive and proactive way; it’s already quite good if they do not abandon their work. However, the man used by the Holy Spirit lives with this burden and responsibility no matter what the circumstances are. When encountering some special difficulties, one of the methods he uses to resolve them is to seclude himself and pray, seeking the path and principles of practice for resolving those difficulties. While others are eating, drinking, having fun, and chatting idly, and some even bickering, laughing, and joking, he listens to hymns, prays, and seeks by himself on the side. Outwardly, he is listening to hymns, and it seems as if nothing major is happening; he isn’t doing any work, isn’t fellowshipping or preaching, and isn’t guiding any aspect of work. But I know that, in his heart, he is pondering, he is seeking, he is praying, and he is waiting for the leading of the Holy Spirit, or waiting for a result, while carrying a burden. This is one of the methods the man used by the Holy Spirit uses to resolve difficulties in the work: to seclude himself and pray, seeking a path to resolve the difficulties. There is also another method. When circumstances do not allow him to be alone, or when he has no quiet environment, he also has a way: He gathers the leaders, workers, and brothers and sisters together to fellowship, and in the process of fellowshipping, he feels out the moving of the Holy Spirit, feels out the leading of the Holy Spirit, feels out the enlightenment the Holy Spirit gives him, and seeks how exactly the current difficulty should be resolved, and what principles should be followed to practice and to implement the next step. It might be that while gathering or chatting with leaders and workers, he figures out some principles and paths. He then feels very happy, as if a heavy burden has been lifted and he feels somewhat relieved. However, the specific implementation plan has not been completely finalized, so he looks for opportunities to continue fellowshipping on these matters with the leaders and workers. Sometimes he fellowships for a whole morning, and sometimes fellowships for a whole afternoon, until he determines an accurate implementation plan. Outwardly, he is chatting and fellowshipping about work with leaders and workers, but in fact, only he himself knows in his heart that he is doing this to resolve difficulties and problems that have arisen in the church’s work, while the leaders and workers do not know and are all unaware. There is yet another method the man used by the Holy Spirit uses to resolve difficulties in work, which is to learn from the leaders and workers about some things that have happened in the churches in various places and the situations that have arisen in the church’s work, as well as the various states that appear in the brothers and sisters, after which he prays and seeks, and finds the principles and paths to resolve the difficulties. When encountering these difficulties, outwardly he still lives normally, eating three meals a day and resting on time, and then fellowshipping with leaders and workers and fellowshipping with the brothers and sisters around him. Sometimes he also goes out to relax, visits the market to find cassette tapes of songs or buy books. Outwardly, his daily routine is no different from usual; sometimes, even, in terms of form, he isn’t doing work. In his heart, however, he is always thinking about the work and pondering problems. Especially when the church encounters some major difficulties, or when some difficulties arise in some important work, or when someone is causing disturbances, he always carries a burden in his heart to seek how to resolve these difficulties and problems.

The man used by the Holy Spirit has some practical practice in not abandoning his work. That is, when facing difficulties or when facing problems in church work, he does not try to find fallback options or leave a way out for himself, nor does he consider or plan for himself. Moreover, he does not become negative or weak, much less does he complain. Rather, he faces the difficulties in a positive and proactive way, tries every means to find a path to resolve them, constantly prays and seeks, and then awaits God’s enlightenment and awaits God’s leading. These are all specific manifestations of not abandoning his work. Doesn’t he have specific practices? (He does.) He has specific practices, and they are not supernatural at all. Judging from these practices of his, he has the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and also has the leading of the Holy Spirit, and he also accepts the Holy Spirit’s guidance. However, when he encounters difficulties, God does not directly give him supernatural words or supernatural thoughts on how to face them and how to resolve them, nor does He tell him what to do in a straightforward, incisive, and explicit manner; there are no specific instructions—he can only rely on himself to feel his way and seek. If one doesn’t have a burden, doesn’t have genuine faith or sincerity toward God in their heart, and doesn’t have a heart that is considerate of God, then when they encounter difficulties, they will easily complain about God and misunderstand God, and then become weak, become negative, and retreat, and even set aside and ignore the commission God has given them. By contrast, when the man used by the Holy Spirit encounters various difficulties, he also doesn’t receive any supernatural revelations or supernatural leading, and he also doesn’t receive any explicit instructions from God’s words, but he does not become negative or weak, and does not harbor the extravagant hope that God will speak to him in a voice of thunder or put a word in his heart telling him what to do. He also does not ask God to tell him in explicit words which direction to lead the churches and which direction to do a certain aspect of work, or, when encountering difficulties, how he should handle them, where he should start, and what principles he should abide by. He makes no demands of God, and God does not work in this way either. But even under such actual circumstances and conditions, and during such a process, he still prays to God, seeks and awaits God’s leading, and awaits the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, without being negative or weak. When encountering these difficulties, he himself also feels that they are difficult and feels that they are not easy to resolve. However, some people do not understand this person, and might say, “He is the man used by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works on him. In his eyes, everything is very easy. The Holy Spirit enlightens and guides him within, so of course it’s easy! It’s not easy for us; we don’t have that special identity, and we haven’t received that kind of special leading from the Holy Spirit. The man used by the Holy Spirit is different. Since he is the man used by the Holy Spirit, the truths he understands, the work he can do, and his abilities surpass those of ordinary people and are higher than those of average people. He is smarter than average people, and his ability to assess things is more supernatural than that of average people.” This viewpoint is completely and utterly wrong. The reason the man used by the Holy Spirit can take on these items of work and can shoulder this commission and this responsibility given by God is that, first of all, in terms of humanity, this person possesses the four conditions for having a tacit understanding with God that we mentioned before, which are possessing genuine belief, being sincere toward God, being considerate of God, and having an understanding of God’s intentions. Only then does he gradually gain the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment and gain God’s leading in the process of doing the work and in the process of serving God. This enlightenment and leading are God’s special and gracious treatment, and of course, they are also obtained because he himself possesses those four manifestations of humanity. The Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, guidance, and help that he obtains, as well as God perfecting him, are not at all supernatural. A large part of this is gained in exchange for his own effort, his own positive and proactive cooperation, his own sincerity, and the price he pays; it is not something God bestows upon him arbitrarily. It is not that, regardless of what this person’s innate humanity is like, and regardless of whether he is willing to do the work, God imposes all of this on him, constantly making him work and constantly enlightening him, directly telling him what to do no matter what difficulties he encounters—this is not the case. When encountering various hardships and various difficulties, especially when faced with the frantic suppression of the great red dragon and extremely adverse environments, he never abandons his work—that is, he never gives up on the church’s work, never gives up on the commission given by God, and never gives up on the overall work of God’s house. Instead, he uses his sincerity, and uses his faith, devotion, and consideration for God to fulfill his responsibility. There is nothing supernatural here; he works in a particularly normal and particularly practical way. Moreover, the work God does on the man used by the Holy Spirit—His enlightenment, guidance, and leading of him, and even His discipline, judgment, and chastisement of him—is all done according to the extent that his normal humanity can comprehend, can achieve, can attain to, and can experience and appreciate. It is not supernatural at all. At the same time, the enlightenment and illumination, as well as the principles of practice and paths of practice, that the man used by the Holy Spirit gains when encountering difficulties are all accumulated and formed through experiencing and seeking bit by bit in the process of serving God. These are not supernatural either. These principles of practice and paths of practice that he has accumulated, as well as the truth reality he possesses, are not gifts. What does it mean that they are not gifts? It means that this person was not born with some supernatural abilities. The instincts in all aspects of his humanity are normal; the caliber of his humanity and his IQ, along with his strengths, interests, hobbies, and ability to assess things, are all within the scope of normal humanity, and not supernatural at all. Sometimes, after resolving some problems, the brother asks you, “Isn’t handling this matter simple?” Some people keep silent, thinking, “God has bestowed more upon you than us, so it is certainly simple for you to handle anything.” Some people even say, “The Holy Spirit works on you, so of course everything is clear to you, and everything is easy for you. You know how to do everything, and know how to handle any problem. If the Holy Spirit worked on us, we would be just like you; we’d be no worse than you!” Are these words correct? (No.) These words are completely and utterly wrong; this is a misunderstanding. The man used by the Holy Spirit can handle many problems, and in every matter he can understand God’s intentions and can grasp the principles, and he knows what the criteria involved are. He handles many problems with ease, and to people it seems particularly simple and particularly easy, but this ability of his is not innate. It involves his personal effort and the price he pays, as well as God’s gracious treatment and God’s leading; there is also God’s enlightenment and illumination, as well as God personally perfecting him. The principles of the truth that he has gained, the perfection from God that he has gained, and the principles and abilities he has mastered for handling various problems—none of these things are innate, nor are they inborn gifts, nor are they entirely given by the Holy Spirit or done by the Holy Spirit; rather, he has gained them through his seeking, the price he has paid, and his performance in various regards under the work and leading of the Holy Spirit. These gains he has made have already become his life. Isn’t this the case? (Yes.) You view it like this: “The man used by the Holy Spirit is also a human, he is also a corrupt human being—it’s just that he has experienced God’s judgment and chastisement and is used by the Holy Spirit. So why is it so easy for him to handle problems? With just a few sentences he can take a problem and explain it clearly. Why is it so strenuous for us to handle matters?” Some people think this is a gift, and some people think this is God’s doing. Both of these viewpoints are wrong. In one respect, this is not an innate gift; in another respect, the fact that the man used by the Holy Spirit has the ability to do the work today is because he has experienced God’s perfection, and he has put in his personal effort and hard work. This is because when the man used by the Holy Spirit first began serving God, he also did not understand many things. Like everyone who serves God, he would also encounter some difficulties, and he would also encounter some matters where he did not understand God’s intentions; he would feel confused and feel lost, and of course, he would also have his own notions and imaginings. However, when he encountered these matters, the man used by the Holy Spirit chose to use his sincerity to do his utmost to carry out the work God asked him to do, and to do his utmost and put his nose to the grindstone to complete the tasks God gave him and the responsibilities God gave him. No matter what period it has been, no matter what kind of difficulty he has encountered, and no matter whether the conditions have allowed for that difficulty to be resolved, the man used by the Holy Spirit has never given up or retreated, so he has reaped a great harvest along the way. Precisely because he does not retreat, and he cooperates in a positive and proactive way, seeks the truth in a positive and proactive way, and comes before God to pray in a positive and proactive way no matter what situation he encounters, in the course of his positive and proactive cooperation, God enlightens him bit by bit, allowing him to see the truths in every aspect that he should understand, the principles and methods of doing work, as well as the goals God intends to achieve in doing each aspect of work and the significance of doing that aspect of work, allowing him, bit by bit, to understand them all and grasp them all. A very important reason he has been able to reap this harvest is that, when encountering various difficulties, he has never retreated; rather, like Noah, he has always stuck to his post since accepting God’s commission—no matter what difficulties he encounters, he prays and relies on God, trying every means to resolve them, and has never abandoned his work. What does not abandoning his work mean? It means he has always carried out the various items of church work in a step-by-step, orderly manner, and has done his utmost to do whatever he can do and whatever he can think of within the limits of human capability, fulfilling his responsibilities and duties.

When God gives a person a commission or uses a person, when God works on a person or enlightens and guides them to understand His intentions, understand an aspect of the truth, and understand an aspect of principles, none of this work that God does is supernatural. It is all given to people when they proactively cooperate and proactively seek. God does not impose upon people in His work. If you have a heart that seeks and have a burden, and can cooperate in a positive and proactive manner when encountering various difficulties, then God will give these things to you, and enlighten and guide you to understand the truth principles. However, if you choose to evade and retreat when encountering difficulties and are unwilling to cooperate, God will not impose upon you. God will not force this responsibility upon you, nor will He force these ways, methods, and principles for doing work upon you for you to understand. God does not force people against their will. If you are willing to accept God’s commission, and you can proactively cooperate, and can pay a price to seek, God will enlighten you to make you understand. If you are unwilling to do this work and you choose to give up and to abandon your work, God will not force you against your will. You have your freedom; if you are unwilling to do it, God’s work will continue to move forward just the same. God has chosen you, but you do not cooperate, you choose to give up the commission, you are unwilling to be considerate of God’s burden, and you cannot satisfy God’s intentions, so God will find someone else to do this work. God will place this burden upon whoever can accept His commission, is willing to be considerate of His burden, is willing to pay a price, is willing to be devoted and offer up their entire being, and can complete God’s commission. God looks at your manifestations, looks at what you choose, and looks at your attitude toward His commission. Regarding accepting God’s commission, the man used by the Holy Spirit chooses to cooperate in a positive and proactive manner, puts in all his strength, and offers up his entire being. Since he has accepted God’s commission and has accepted this responsibility, he perseveres to the end as a matter of bounden duty, and does not betray God. No matter what difficulties he encounters, it comes down to this: drawing the bow fully and exerting all his strength, putting his nose to the grindstone and being devoted, and never deserting his post. Perhaps the man used by the Holy Spirit also often says this to you: “If, no matter what difficulties we encounter, we put our noses to the grindstone, and see God’s commission through to completion, we will not have lived our lives in vain. There is no trick to completing God’s commission. It just comes down to this: drawing the bow fully and exerting all our strength, and putting our noses to the grindstone and being devoted!” Does he often say this to you? (Yes.) The words, “No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must put our noses to the grindstone,” spoken by the man used by the Holy Spirit in the process of serving God are not a slogan, nor are they empty talk. This is how he acts, and this is how he supports and helps you. Whether you can accept it or not, and whether you practice this way or not, this is how he himself acts. In his own experience, he has received God’s enlightenment and illumination, has received God’s help and support, and has received God’s leading and guidance, and he has kept his nose to the grindstone doing the work all along. In doing any item of church work, he does not focus on tricks, but rather does it in whatever way achieves results. The tasks God has given, what he understands, what he ought to do, and what he can do, as well as the work God leads him to do—he single-mindedly implements all of it. He often says to you, “You must do your utmost in doing your duty. Don’t be slippery and slack off, don’t covet comfort, don’t abandon your work, and don’t seek a way out or seek benefits for yourselves.” He says this, and he acts this way too. From the time he began serving God up to now, the man used by the Holy Spirit has always fellowshipped with you like this, supporting and helping you. Why does he say this? He is not shouting slogans to put on a show for others; rather, this is exactly how he himself acts. He himself might not even know why doing many items of work in God’s house is so simple and so easy for him. No matter what the problem is, he can clear it up with just a few words. How to handle whatever problem someone reports, or how to carry out any aspect of church work—in his view, these things are particularly easy and particularly effortless. Why is this? It might be that, along the way, he has not summed things up, and he does not know why he now has such a harvest and has such work capability. However, as I see it, this is inseparable from his personal effort, the path he walks in serving God, his sincerity toward and consideration for God, and the character he possesses. When things happen, you often do not know how to handle them, and do not know how to experience them. You feel that the difficulties you encounter are immense and you do not know how to resolve them. Yet, in the eyes of the brother, it is very simple. He then fellowships the truth principles with you, telling you that you must pray and seek, and go and practice the principles once you understand them. You then think, “How does the brother know everything? Why is it so easy for him to handle matters? This is God’s doing; he was born with this ability. We don’t have that ability, nor have we been shown special favoritism by God.” Most people have misunderstandings about the fact that the man used by the Holy Spirit does work with particular ease and joy. No one knows what suffering he has endured and what kinds of prices he has paid behind the scenes, how he practices and how he treats God’s commission in the process of serving God, how he holds fast to this commission and this burden given by God, and how he fulfills his responsibilities and achieves results. You just see that it is particularly effortless and particularly easy for him to handle everything, but no one knows what the details of his practice behind the scenes are like. Isn’t this the case? (Yes.)

No matter what item of work God’s house undertakes, when it first begins that work, it starts from scratch. There are basically no experts or personnel with professional knowledge, and there are also basically no qualified professional technical personnel. Moreover, no one is clear about the principles of each item of work, including the man used by the Holy Spirit. It can be said that every item of work, including the gospel work, is done starting from scratch. What does starting from scratch mean? It means that no one has done this work before and no one has experience. No one can tell you how to do it, what the path is, what the matters to pay attention to are, what God’s intentions are, what the principles God requires are, what the scope for doing this work is, what problems might arise in doing this work, how you should face them, how you should handle and resolve them, and so on. There is not a single experienced person who can tell you any of these details. It all starts from scratch. Especially for the work of God’s house that involves professional knowledge, when the man used by the Holy Spirit first begins doing such work, he ponders, feels his way, and seeks all on his own. With some things he will touch base with Me, and I will fellowship with him, and he will gain some inspiration from this and arrive at some paths of practice. Sometimes, doing work that has never been done before inevitably entails facing many difficulties. What should be done then? The man used by the Holy Spirit proactively shoulders this work, and then consults, inquires, and feels his way. While doing this work, he also seeks the principles of practice with a humble and God-fearing heart and a heart that yearns for God, doing the work while feeling his way. In this process, through the enlightenment and leading of the Holy Spirit, every item of work is done better and better, is done more and more smoothly, and is done in a way that increasingly achieves the result of safeguarding the work of God’s house and bearing witness to God. You are following the leading of the man used by the Holy Spirit. Under his support, help, and leading, as long as you can be obedient and can do things according to the principles, that is enough; doing your duty will then become so easy for you. For the man used by the Holy Spirit, he is the bellwether and is the head of the household. When doing every item of work, whenever he encounters a difficulty or faces a choice to be made, he must clearly discern how to do it to achieve better results and how to do it to safeguard God’s testimony. This principle is dominant in his heart. As for work related to professional skills, he himself does not understand the relevant professional knowledge. Isn’t this facing a difficulty in the work? What should he do when facing a difficulty? He has to learn. Learning something from scratch is not easy and involves difficulties. Things like people’s energy, people’s knowledge, and people’s life experience are all limited. Under these circumstances, with the man used by the Holy Spirit guiding and presiding over a certain item of professional work as a complete layman, do you think he has difficulties? Is it difficult for him to do this work? (Yes, it is difficult.) He always says, “I’m just a layman.” He does not say this out of false modesty; he truly feels that he is a layman and does not understand professional skills. Yet, relying on his sincere heart, and relying on his yearning heart and his humble heart, he puts his nose to the grindstone to fulfill his responsibilities, wanting to shoulder this work, do it well, and safeguard it well, so that the work can progress. Sometimes he will search online for videos or learning materials related to the professional work, such as videos and resources about musical composition, melody, singing techniques, and dancing, drawing on some of the content in them. Those who are uninformed might think that when he has free time, he even listens to nonbelievers’ songs and watches nonbelievers’ dances. In fact, what is he focusing on in his heart? What is his purpose in doing these things? His aim is to do these items of work of God’s house well, so that they can achieve better results in bearing witness to God. He himself does not possess any professional knowledge for doing this professional work, yet he still focuses on learning, researching, and pondering how to resolve various problems and difficulties in the work; his aim is simply to get these items of work on the right track. Considering his age and energy, isn’t the fact that he can pay such a price and can do these things a manifestation of him putting his nose to the grindstone? (Yes.) Isn’t this him doing his utmost? (Yes.) This is the practical manifestation of him doing his utmost. When encountering such great difficulties, difficulties involving professional skills and specialized knowledge, he has never retreated, nor has he given up on doing this work. What is the specific manifestation of him not giving up? It’s that he has never pushed the work onto others because he does not understand professional skills and is a layman. Instead, he takes the lead in urging everyone to look for materials and to learn. Once he finds suitable learning materials, and finds the principles of practice and paths of practice, he fellowships with you, so that you too can grasp the principles and practice according to the correct path. He often points out the path for you, having you look up resources and find paths. Lacking any principles, you search blindly—blind in both eye and heart—and sometimes you pretend to understand when you don’t, not even knowing how to learn. Left with no choice, the brother has to instruct you personally, telling you directly what resources to look for. In the end, you finally learn a little something and achieve some results in doing your duty. You see, from this one very specific, very small matter, it can be seen that he has a sincere heart in serving God, and has also done his utmost, which colloquially is called putting one’s nose to the grindstone. The man used by the Holy Spirit always gives it his all in doing the work. He has not held back any energy, has not coveted comfort, and has not sought leisure. He shoulders all the work himself; he has not relied on you, nor has he pushed the work off onto you. He has not shirked his responsibilities. By rights, you have believed in God and done your duties for quite a few years now; you should be able to shoulder this burden, and should complete the various items of professional work independently. You should not always depend on the brother. Yet, you are never able to do the work independently, and always need the brother to help and lead you in doing it. As for whether you are actually lazy or have poor caliber and don’t know how to do it, we won’t talk about that aspect. Let’s just say that a lot of the work the brother does is actually done in your place and to help you do your work. It is your responsibility, but he shoulders it all alone. Does he not have difficulties? He gets exhausted too! Furthermore, in doing work, he does not just do single-item work. The work done by you leaders at any level is just single-item work; only the brother does overall work, comprehensive work. No matter what difficulty arises in any item of work, none of you do your utmost to resolve it, and none of you want to share the burden; you all push it onto him alone. Has the brother ever complained? He has never complained. He just sometimes says to Me, “These people really have poor caliber! No matter how much I fellowship, they don’t understand the principles and can’t achieve results!” He says this occasionally, but the work is not delayed or abandoned whatsoever. Moreover, he proactively discovers problems and proactively looks for work to do. When he discovers problems, he resolves them promptly. When he sees that a certain team always fails to grasp the principles in doing their duty, and that problems resolved before have reappeared, he guides them and fellowships with them again. Sometimes I say, “This is just what the caliber of these people is like; as long as the various aspects of the church’s work can achieve results and can progress smoothly and normally, that is enough. If you’re exhausted, rest for a while.” Even when I say this, he does not rest, and insists on doing the work without a break. It may be that due to your poor caliber or your lack of diligence in learning, the principles the brother guides you in have a negligible effect on you in the short term, but he still does his utmost to guide and help you, without being lazy. Even if it only has a little effect, he feels that he is fulfilling his responsibility; once his responsibility is fulfilled, his heart is at ease. The man used by the Holy Spirit always says, “If the work isn’t finished, I can’t eat and can’t sleep soundly.” Only when the work is finished does his heart feel at ease, and only then does he take a break. If you leaders and workers had even half the sincerity that the man used by the Holy Spirit has toward God’s commission, your work would be much better than it is now. But you do not have this sincerity. The brother has guided you for such a long time, yet you do not put your heart into learning and do not make much progress. Even so, the brother does not give up. He still guides you every few days, and after guiding you, he does not just wash his hands of the matter; when he discovers problems, he continues to fellowship with you and guide you until the problems are resolved. You see, in accepting God’s commission, not only does he have a sincere heart, but he can also put his nose to the grindstone and do his utmost to complete God’s commission. From the time he began serving God, he said he would dedicate his whole life to God, and then he practiced and pursued according to the resolution he had made before God. In the process of serving God, he takes both doing church work and handling the various affairs of the church as the norm of his life and as the entirety of his life. He is continuously fulfilling and continuously putting into practice the oath he swore before God and the resolution he made before God, never complaining about hardship or fatigue. If there is too much work, he is too busy, and he feels exhausted, then he finds ways to regulate himself, exercising or going outside for a walk, and puts all his remaining time and energy into doing the church’s work. In this, he is different from you. You’re always shouting, “I will dedicate my entire youth to God! I will never marry and will dedicate my whole life to God! I will serve God my whole life!” Yet when the work is a bit hectic and a bit exhausting, when your flesh suffers a bit of hardship and you cannot enjoy comfort, you feel wronged. You also feel wronged and complain when you have to shoulder even one more item of work. You always want to do just a little bit of work and spend the rest of your time enjoying comfort and enjoying the life of the flesh. When the work is slightly pressing and there is a bit of pressure, or when a slight difficulty arises, you complain about hardship and complain about fatigue, act up, and even want to abandon your work and want to escape, sinking into a mood of despondency and becoming particularly emotional. How can you possibly do the work well like this?

Since the man used by the Holy Spirit began to believe in the Lord up to now, over so many years, no matter how many things he has experienced, how many environments he has experienced, or how many dangers he has experienced, and no matter how many unusual and special circumstances have arisen in the churches, or how many special incidents he has experienced, he has consistently held fast to his duty. He has continuously fellowshipped the truth to water and provide for the brothers and sisters, given guidance to leaders and workers, and done the various items of the church’s work, such as gospel work, church watering work, work regarding the life entry of God’s chosen people, work regarding leaders and workers serving God, and the administrative and general affairs work of the church. Over these years, he has continuously been putting all his heart and strength into doing each item of work; this is the norm of his life. If you were to live like this, you would feel it was dull and uninteresting; even though you believe in God, you would still feel empty. But the man used by the Holy Spirit is different. He feels that living to complete God’s commission is the most meaningful and the most valuable thing. Nonbelievers like to eat, drink, play, and have fun, and they like to travel; some men like to race cars or play with electronic gadgets, and some women like beauty treatments, getting their hair done, or dancing. These things, popular among nonbelievers, are not interesting to him. When he has a little free time, he just sits there alone, thinking about and pondering problems, such as what the nature of a certain thing done by a certain leader or worker is and how it should be handled, what problems have arisen in the gospel work and how they should be resolved, and so on. When he chats with you, he fellowships on these things. Whatever he fellowships about when he comes into contact with you is exactly what he usually ponders and thinks about in his heart; what he holds in his heart are precisely these matters of the church. So you see, when he handles problems, he can explain the principles clearly with just a few sentences, and the way he handles problems also looks very simple. Behind the scenes, however, how many years he has experienced; how many years he has prepared; how many difficulties he has experienced; how many times he has come before God to pray and seek when facing these difficulties, receiving the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, and ultimately arriving at the principles of practice in various aspects—you do not know any of this. It might be that the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment he has received is even more than the words of God you have read. This comparison might not be very apt, but what is the meaning behind saying this? It is to let you know what kind of price the man used by the Holy Spirit has personally paid and what path he has walked in the process of doing church work and serving God—it is to make you be clear on these things.

During the period when the man used by the Holy Spirit was doing work in mainland China, the problem he encountered most frequently was constantly facing dangerous environments, where his personal safety was threatened. Wherever he went, he had no place to hide, no place to take shelter, and no place that was absolutely safe. There were even several times when he came face to face with the CCP police and escaped right from under their noses. This was the kind of danger he faced. For the man used by the Holy Spirit, danger or death could befall him at any moment. Even under such adverse environments, he did not retreat, he did not give up the commission entrusted to him by God or the responsibility entrusted to him by God, and he continued doing the church’s work. When he encountered danger, and he could no longer stay where he was, he would go to another relatively safer place. When he first arrived there, he would still have lingering fears, but within a few days, he would again convene some leaders and workers for gatherings, preaching, fellowshipping, and discussing work every day. After a period of time, they would be sold out by someone unknown or reported by nonbelievers, the place would also become unsafe, and he would have to quickly relocate to another place. Upon arriving at the new place, similarly, within just a few days, he would again convene nearby leaders and workers, along with ordinary believers who were relatively earnest in their pursuit, to gather and fellowship, discuss work, and resolve problems. Within those adverse environments, the man used by the Holy Spirit put life and death aside. Moreover, in every item of work he was performing, he always stepped up the pace, urging and pushing people to do it. Most people do not have this sense of urgency; they do church work just like they go about their daily lives—without anxiety, without feeling rushed, acting slowly and leisurely like an old ox pulling a cart. But the man used by the Holy Spirit felt hurried when doing work. For example, regarding the work of printing books of God’s words, the man used by the Holy Spirit would constantly urge: “Print them quickly. Once the books are distributed into the hands of the brothers and sisters, it will be fine; the books will be absolutely secure. We cannot let the great red dragon seize them. Strive to take this work and get it done as quickly as possible, so that God’s chosen people all have God’s words in their hands.” Regarding the recording of cassette tapes for hymns and sermons, he also urged and pushed people to record them quickly. When doing work, he always had a sense of urgency, yet there was always an endless amount of work to do, and his entire being was constantly in a highly tense state. Tell Me, if a person is always in a state of high pressure and tension, will their body also be affected and be harmed? (Yes.) This is true for anyone, including the brothers and sisters in mainland China who have been in an environment of persecution for a long time. Their nerves are always highly tense, and many people often have a dream where, just as they’re holding a gathering, the police come knocking on the door, and everyone hurries to run away—they constantly have this sort of dream. With the man used by the Holy Spirit bearing such a heavy burden and doing such important work in that high-pressure environment, tell Me, could his health be good? When a person is under high pressure, their brain is stimulated, and their body feels exhausted and feels pained. Yet, even when encountering such environments, he did not abandon his work. When he encountered a dangerous environment and there was no suitable place to hold co-worker gatherings, or when the situation was particularly tense for a period of time, with the Communist Party’s arrests and persecution becoming increasingly frantic and the environment becoming more adverse than before, the man used by the Holy Spirit would become unable to eat anything. When people encounter dangerous environments, or when they fret and get worked up over something, feeling anxious in their hearts, they lose their appetites. But in order to maintain normal bodily functions, they still have to eat; if they constantly don’t eat, their bodies will collapse, and they won’t be able to do their duties. So the brother would eat some green onions dipped in sauce, and have a few bites of rice, and that would count as a meal; he never had special meals prepared for him. In those adverse environments, if people have little faith, are not sincere toward God, and do not have hearts that are considerate of God, and if they also do not have God’s leading, then no one could hold on. With God’s leading, in addition to him doing his utmost to cooperate, the man used by the Holy Spirit has carried out the work of God’s house up to the present, completed God’s commission, and also led you to the present. That dangerous environment of mainland China brought immense hindrances and disturbances to church life and church work, creating great difficulties. It was extremely dangerous for the man used by the Holy Spirit to do work in such an adverse environment as mainland China. Once he were arrested, there would be no need for an interrogation—he would be shot directly; death would be certain. Yet he still did not give up his duty, nor did he give up the commission given by God because he feared the dangerous environment. He did not give up for a single day. Not only did he not give up outwardly, but he did not even have such thoughts or plans inwardly. He continuously persevered in working in this way, leading and supporting leaders and workers at all levels, allowing leaders and workers at all levels to benefit greatly as well. He himself faced great danger and great pressure, yet he still had to support leaders and workers in doing church work well, and support ordinary brothers and sisters in how to use wisdom to respond, how to experience, how to satisfy God’s intentions, and how to bear witness for God when encountering dangerous environments. When it comes to these manifestations of the man used by the Holy Spirit when encountering dangerous environments, tell Me, in God’s eyes, are they up to standard? Is God satisfied? (Yes.) It is one hundred percent certain that God is satisfied. He has these practices when encountering such environments, and he has paid so many prices for the commission God gave him. Of course, at the same time, he has also reaped quite a lot. He has felt God’s protection and God’s leading, and more than that, he has reaped a harvest in terms of life entry, gradually being perfected by God. God does not treat people unfairly. If you are sincere toward God, if you pay a genuine price, if you fulfill your oaths, and if you are willing to be considerate of God’s burden, God will place a burden upon you. If you can carry one hundred pounds, God will place one hundred pounds upon you. If you say, “I’ll put in some more effort and carry one hundred and fifty pounds,” God will gradually place that upon you according to your stature and according to your resolve. While placing this upon you, God works His life into you. This is the greatest result that a person who serves God and has a tacit understanding with God ultimately reaps.

While the man used by the Holy Spirit was doing church work, he faced great danger. As the environment became increasingly adverse, the great red dragon’s arrests became increasingly frantic, pressing hard step by step. By the year 2000, there was almost nowhere to hide. He fled from this province to that province, and fled from this place to that place; there were not even any relatively safe places left. It wasn’t that the brothers and sisters wouldn’t host him, but rather that the overall environment did not permit it. Under those circumstances, the man used by the Holy Spirit still did not abandon his work. He still did everything he could, among those he could come into contact with, to water and provide for leaders and workers, and guide them in doing church work. At that time, the most important item of the church’s work was gospel work. This work started in 1995, and by 2000, it had already been ongoing for more than five years. There were constantly newcomers joining the churches in every province, the churches faced many new problems, and a lot of new work emerged. Under such circumstances, with no guarantee of safety, the man used by the Holy Spirit still went to some places to get in contact with leaders and workers to provide guidance on the work, and in his spare time, he also composed some hymns of life experiences to encourage the brothers and sisters, using the form of hymns to support the churches. Although the environment was so adverse, the brother did not shrink back, and he did not give up. Instead, he tried every possible means and did everything he could to do church work, without leaving the scope of church work and without leaving the environment of church work. Occasionally, if he went to a place that had a dog market, the brother would also go to look at various dogs to relieve stress and unwind—his life was not dull, right? (Yes.) He did not stop doing church work even when encountering such great difficulties, and no one saw just how difficult things were for him. Look at those big shots in the world—when they encounter difficulties and are under particularly great pressure, they find a place with no one around and wail loudly, flip tables, and smash things, and some simply run away. They find things so difficult that it reaches this point. Some nonbelievers do not give up when they encounter difficulties while engaged in their careers. This is because they have no choice—their enemies are too great in number, and those looking to kill them or get revenge on them are too numerous, so they do not dare to give up. Once they give up and lose their power, the knife will be at their throats, so even on a knife’s edge, they have to persist in pressing on. In doing church work, the man used by the Holy Spirit does not rely on that kind of willpower to do it. He relies on faith in God, believing that everything is in God’s hands, and believing that everything is subject to God’s sovereignty; he relies on a heart of submission to God, having a sincere heart toward God, and having an attitude of submission to God. On this foundation, he is ready at any time to accept God’s sovereignty and arrangements, and then he offers up all his strength and offers up his entire being for the commission from God that he has accepted. There is nothing at all complicated about how he is able to do these things; there are no shortcuts or tricks involved. In fact, he experiences all this and serves God by relying on his own effort, and his own sincerity toward God and attitude of submission to God. It might be that some of the things he experiences seem very difficult to people. Some people think in their hearts, “How did the brother make it through? That was God’s doing! The brother is the man used by the Holy Spirit. He prays to God, and God gives him some supernatural feelings, and then he isn’t afraid anymore. His flesh doesn’t feel the pressure. He transcends it all.” Tell Me, is this the case? (No.) In fact, it is not like this. When he encounters dangerous environments, he is also afraid, he is also afraid of death, and he also worries and feels anxious. The feelings you have when you hear that a certain place has a dangerous environment and the brothers and sisters have been arrested are basically the same feelings he has. You feel panicky; some of you feel a tingling sensation in your scalps, some of you experience weakness in your legs, and others hyperventilate. Does the brother have these feelings? He has them too, but he can choose to not give up his duty, to not abandon his work, and to still do his utmost. Does this have to do with his character? (Yes.) He can choose not to give up his duty—tell Me, is this supernatural? (It is not supernatural.) One thing that cannot be denied is, no matter what danger he faces, his attitude remains one of persevering in not giving up his duty, absolutely not being a deserter, and not betraying God, feeling that if he were to betray God, he would deserve to die and deserve to be cursed. When he chooses this kind of attitude, God continually acts as the driving force in his heart and gives him strength. When the pressure a person bears exceeds their limit, God will work; God will support them, and God will give them strength. Most people are paralyzed by fear and go weak with fear when encountering these dangerous environments, not daring to do work. Some people even say, “When things happened to me, I didn’t feel God giving me strength, nor did I feel any miracles.” You are right; the fact that you didn’t feel it or ultimately didn’t gain the strength God gave you is directly related to your personal attitude toward God, your attitude toward your mission, and whether your heart is right. If the brother also chose to abandon his work, and also chose to shrink back and save his own life, he would not gain the strength God gives either. If, when encountering these dangerous environments, he subjectively chose to not do church work and to wait until the danger passed before doing it, God would not press him. God would not force him, saying, “You have to do it even if you are afraid; even if you’re asked to die, you must do it.” God does not impose upon people. What does this mean? This is telling you that when things happen, your mindset and your attitude toward the commission God gives are very important; whether you choose to save your life or choose to be loyal to God, what you think in your heart, and what the inclination of your heart is, are crucial. It might be that the inclination of your heart is: “I choose not to abandon my work; it is my bounden duty to do the work God gives me. I choose to do the work with the attitude of braving danger and not fearing death, and to do the work at the risk of death.” When you have such an attitude, God will protect you and enable you to avoid these dangers, and at the same time give you strength so that you have faith. What you’re clearly facing is the powerful regime of Satan, yet in your heart, you have faith in and have submission to God’s sovereignty. When you do the work, God will set up a suitable environment for you, allowing you to do it and to complete it without bearing risks. When facing these difficulties and dangers, the man used by the Holy Spirit also experienced many things that people could not have expected. While he was experiencing these things, God pushed these dangers away. When God pushed these dangers away, the man used by the Holy Spirit did not know it. He did not have this extravagant desire, and did not think beforehand, “God definitely won’t let me encounter danger, He definitely won’t let me die. When the time comes, God will take the danger and push it away. I am doing this work, so God has to constantly protect me and not let me die.” He did not think this way. He never had this extravagant hope. What did he think? He thought in his heart, “No matter what difficulties or dangers I encounter, even if God allows me to be arrested and has me die, before that happens, I must do the work well, I must complete God’s commission and the mission God gave me, get the church’s work on the right track, and get the leaders and workers on the right track.” These were the considerations and plans in his heart. He never thought about how to escape when encountering danger; he just did his utmost and was devoted like this, doing church work with sincerity. He did not think about breaking free from any environment, but rather tried every possible means to finish the work, and complete God’s commission and the mission God gave him. However, in this process, many wondrous things and things people could not have expected happened. Several times, when he encountered the great red dragon’s roundups, he wondrously escaped danger. From a human perspective, could the man used by the Holy Spirit do work like this in such an adverse environment, with the great red dragon having cast an all-encompassing dragnet, without a single mishap? No human can ensure that there is not a single mishap; only God can do this. That is, even though you may risk your life to do your duty, God would absolutely not let you fall into the hands of Satan’s regime. Only God can do this—it simply depends on whether He does. If you are a person who serves God, if you are a person used by God, are a person God intends to use for important tasks and for a big role, and are a person who is indispensable to God’s work, God will guarantee your safety absolutely, and there will not be a single mishap. Even if you are right under the noses of Satan’s regime and Satan’s lackeys, God will guarantee your safety. When most people do not experience these things, they do not have this faith in God, nor do they have such an appreciation or such an understanding of God’s sovereignty.

In that adverse environment where the great red dragon had laid an airtight dragnet, the man used by the Holy Spirit still intensively held co-worker gatherings and came into contact with leaders and workers to do the various items of church work. In this process, he also encountered danger many times, but he always wondrously escaped danger. In the words of the great red dragon, he got away every time. Early on, when he was in his hometown in the Northeast, the largest arrest operation took place. At that time, many local brothers and sisters were arrested. That arrest operation contained God’s good intention—to shift the center of the Holy Spirit’s work from the Northeast region of mainland China to the Central Plains region. Through that environment, God brought the man used by the Holy Spirit and some important leaders and workers to the Central Plains. At that time, after the man used by the Holy Spirit successfully escaped danger, he took a train all the way to the Central Plains and began church work in the Central Plains. This was equivalent to the work of the Holy Spirit officially unfolding in the Central Plains region of mainland China, and then this work was done on a larger and larger scale. After experiencing that dangerous environment, those several important co-workers from the Northeast also came to the Central Plains. After the man used by the Holy Spirit met with these co-workers, a phrase they often used was “a mix of joy and sorrow, along with millions of thoughts.” They then began doing work in the various churches of the Central Plains region. Printing books of God’s words, convening leaders and workers for co-worker gatherings, preparing locations to host co-worker gatherings—each item of work began to unfold. Before long, the great red dragon began its arrests and persecution again, and environments continued to befall them. The man used by the Holy Spirit held co-worker gatherings in several provinces of the Central Plains region, fellowshipping the truth to provide for and support people, learning about the church’s work, and resolving the various problems and difficulties that arose in the work, and also intermittently experienced several major persecution campaigns. In one of those instances, a large gathering was to be convened for leaders and workers at all levels and brothers and sisters who could be cultivated from the local churches. Because he had to handle some other matters, the man used by the Holy Spirit dispatched a sister to preside over the gathering in his place. That very night, the gathering location was raided by the police, and many people were arrested. It was not until the next morning that someone came to report the news to the brother. Upon hearing it, the brother quickly left the area. If he had left any later, once someone sold him out, the brother might have been arrested as well. Actually, their reporting of the news was not very timely, but God did not permit the man used by the Holy Spirit to be arrested. Even though the report came late, he still left safely and successfully escaped danger. There were several other times when the brother was in the middle of holding a large gathering, and the brothers and sisters patrolling outside reported that they had spotted police cars heading their way from about a mile out, so the brother quickly evacuated. Such situations happened many times. After moving to another place and then resting for a day or half a day, the brother would, harboring the mood of unease, continue coming into contact with leaders and workers to do work. He did not give up, and he did not become weak, much less did he become negative. You see, if it were an average person, they would be scared out of their wits after encountering danger twice. The man used by the Holy Spirit was wanted by the Communist Party. Once arrested, death would be certain; he himself was also clear about the consequences of being arrested by the Communist Party. But during those years in mainland China, he did the work braving such adverse environments, accompanied by the frantic persecution of the great red dragon. Something would go wrong here today, and a situation would arise there tomorrow, often accompanied by incidents of leaders and workers being arrested, but he consistently persevered in doing church work. Whether it was the church’s watering work, gospel work, or general affairs work, he never paused. There was even one year where the great red dragon launched a crackdown, and the arrests and persecution of believers in God became even more frantic. That was the most dangerous time, yet the man used by the Holy Spirit still did not stop doing church work. One time, brothers and sisters from other provinces brought some newcomers of good caliber whom they intended to cultivate to the Central Plains region to attend gatherings. When the man used by the Holy Spirit heard that these newcomers were particularly zealous, had particularly good comprehension, and were people who could be cultivated, he hurried to hold gatherings for them. Later, because the situation was too tense, after holding gatherings for a few days, he had them evacuate quickly. Within that kind of dangerous environment, if an average person encountered this matter, they would think, “The situation is so tense right now. Even if the few people who came have good caliber, and even if holding a gathering for them might be somewhat helpful, it’s not as if they will be perfected all at once. It’s better not to hold the gathering; it won’t be too late to gather after the situation calms down.” If an average person encountered this matter, they would postpone this work. However, under those circumstances, the man used by the Holy Spirit still continued to do the work. Had he not gone, he would have felt uneasy in his heart. He said, “The brothers and sisters have traveled a long way to get here, and they all want to listen to some fellowship. It would be inappropriate if I didn’t go. I can’t just let them come for nothing, right? If I fellowship, they will be able to gain a bit more. Even if it is dangerous, I must go. God protects!” He brought his faith and brought his sincerity, and he also braved the risks. Although he also knew what the consequences would be if something really went wrong, he still persevered in doing the work like this, and he did not abandon his work. He felt that these people had good caliber and could be cultivated, so he did not push this work onto others, but instead did it personally. No matter how dangerous the environment was, the man used by the Holy Spirit just continuously persevered in doing the work like this.

Of course, the man used by the Holy Spirit is also an ordinary person. All throughout his journey of serving God, he has certainly experienced many environments, and it is only with this, combined with his own efforts, as well as God’s leading and God’s perfection, that his faith has gradually grown greater and greater. In the beginning, his faith in God was somewhat fanciful, but whether it was fanciful and carried personal notions, or whether it carried some genuine nature—no matter what it was like—what he gave was his sincerity and what he paid was a genuine, personal price. Moreover, with the goal of completing God’s commission, following God’s will, and enabling God’s work to spread smoothly, he has always persevered in his work without ever giving up. In terms of enduring the persecution of the great red dragon and enduring the persecution of Satan, the man used by the Holy Spirit has never abandoned his work. After experiencing these environments, escaping the persecution of the great red dragon, and coming to a Western country, he still often says he gets headaches. You see, experiencing the persecution of the great red dragon and enduring such great pressure and risks brought about some adverse physical reactions. Even after going overseas, the man used by the Holy Spirit has continued to live under the shadow of the great red dragon’s persecution. The great red dragon has still not given up its manhunt for the man used by the Holy Spirit. It has sent certain special personnel to find where the brother lives and harass him. Tell Me, how unbridled and how wicked is this devil! But even under such circumstances, the man used by the Holy Spirit has not abandoned the commission given to him by God, and still carries on doing the work of the church. Judging from his personal experiences during his journey along the path of serving God up to the present, the man used by the Holy Spirit has also been constantly experiencing the environments set up by God, constantly developing genuine knowledge of God, and his faith in God has become increasingly genuine and real. Ultimately, what the man used by the Holy Spirit has gained is just as he said himself: “Man is insignificant before God. No matter what man does, no matter how he plans, and no matter what his personal state is like, he is held in God’s hands; this includes his fate, which is also held in God’s hands. Whether man lives or dies, how his life goes, and under what circumstances he dies are all held in God’s hands. The only thing man can do is complete the mission given by God, fulfill the responsibilities of a created being, and submit to the orchestrations and arrangements of the Creator.” This is what he often says. Ultimately, he boils it down to this: “Submit to the orchestrations and arrangements of the Creator, without making your own choices. Throughout my journey along this path of serving God, the things I planned and the things I did not plan are all being accomplished according to God’s desires. The things I have experienced, whether they were anticipated beforehand or whether they were not anticipated, are all under God’s orchestrations, and are all subject to God’s sovereignty. No matter how great a matter they encounter, people are all held in God’s hands, and they need only to submit.” Perhaps when he said this twenty years ago, it was with some personal notions or personal subjective intentions. However, what do I sense and confirm from the fact that he is able to say these words after serving God all the way to the present day? That his submission is more genuine and precise than it was ten years ago, twenty years ago, or thirty years ago; it is no longer a notion and imagining, and it is not a slogan or doctrine. Rather, it comes from the heart; it is a principle of practice and a path of practice he has derived after experiencing God’s salvation and perfection along the way and ultimately gaining knowledge of God. You see, after an ordinary person accepts God’s commission, he practices according to God’s words and God’s requirements, does his utmost to cooperate with God’s work, genuinely suffers and pays a price, and pursues the truth to walk the right path. What he ultimately gains is unconditional submission to the Creator. To be able to achieve this is to be fully gained by God. For the man used by the Holy Spirit to be fully gained by God, one principle he has adhered to in the process of serving God is this: At no time does he abandon his work, and at all times he persists in fulfilling his responsibilities, completing the commission given to him by God, and doing the duty of a created being well. When encountering any difficulties, and when encountering any setbacks and failures, he always chooses to not abandon his work, and to remain loyal to the very end. He treats completing the mission given to him by God, doing the work of God’s house, and doing the duty of a created being as the norm in his life, and as the main content of his life and survival. He uses the life of his flesh and his lifelong energy to complete the commission given to him by God. This is something the man used by the Holy Spirit has achieved. In the process of serving God, the man used by the Holy Spirit has always been experiencing the persecution of the great red dragon and experiencing the persecution of Satan’s regime. Nevertheless, he still perseveres in doing the work, and still does not give up his mission; he takes God’s work of the last days and spreads it to all countries and places in the world, allowing the work of God’s house to always progress smoothly, and takes God’s words, God’s work, and God’s intentions and conveys them to every one of God’s chosen people. In terms of experiencing the persecution of Satan’s regime, the man used by the Holy Spirit lives up to his mission. No matter how frenzied the great red dragon is, and no matter how adverse the environment is, he does not abandon his work. He never pushes this responsibility onto others to do in his place and then acts as a bureaucrat, enjoying a life of ease. Instead, for every item of work, no matter how you are doing it, he personally inquires about it, personally takes charge of it, personally follows up on it, and personally guides it. When he encounters professional work that he does not understand or is a layman in, he also personally learns it and personally does it. He does not shrink back, much less does he shirk responsibilities. This is one manifestation of the man used by the Holy Spirit not abandoning his work in the process of serving God.

There is another manifestation of the man used by the Holy Spirit not abandoning his work while serving God. That is, when some special circumstances arise in the church—such as when antichrists appear, when there are different voices, and when there are various judgments against the man used by the Holy Spirit—does he become weak? Does he abandon his work? (No.) He does not abandon his work. The judgments, smears, and slanders against the man used by the Holy Spirit that come from the great red dragon, Satan’s regime, the religious world, the nonbelieving world, and all kinds of evil people and antichrists within the church—none of this affects him doing the work of God’s house well. When ordinary people encounter these things, they will feel a bit distressed in their hearts, and it will affect them in doing the work. If they hear these things a lot, they will even think, “Doing the work of God’s house is too hard. I have to withstand such great pressure, and withstand so much judgment and condemnation. I didn’t do those things, and I’m not that kind of person! I ask God to defend me and vindicate me. If God doesn’t defend and vindicate me, I won’t be able to carry on doing this work.” Many people will act this way. But when encountering these things, the man used by the Holy Spirit does not do this. On the contrary, when he encounters these things, not only does he not become weak, but he feels even more that the task God has given him is a weighty one, and he feels that the burden on his shoulders is heavy. When he faces so much slander and smearing from the wicked forces of the great red dragon, as well as the judgments and false accusations of the religious world, are the brothers and sisters affected and disturbed when they hear these things? Actually, when encountering these things, humanly speaking, the man used by the Holy Spirit should be comforted, and the brothers and sisters should comfort him, saying, “You are not that kind of person. God knows, and we know too. You didn’t do those things; you are our good leader.” But the brothers and sisters do not understand him. Instead, he has to comfort the brothers and sisters, and he must lose no time in doing the work of the church, so as to keep the brothers and sisters and the leaders and workers from being affected by these slanders and judgments from the great red dragon, from the religious world, and from various other forces. The more he finds himself in such situations, the more the man used by the Holy Spirit steps up the pace of his provision and support for the leaders and workers, and the more he steps up the pace of his arrangements and planning for church life. At the same time, within the church he strictly manages and properly does the administrative work, checking which churches have had antichrists emerge and cause disturbances to the church’s work, brazenly propagating the baseless rumors and slanders that come from the regime of the great red dragon, Satan, and from the religious world, disturbing church life, and affecting the brothers and sisters in doing their duties normally. Upon discovering such people, he uses administrative decrees to handle and address them, promptly safeguarding church life, and also promptly safeguarding the normal and smooth progress of the work of God’s house. This is doing work against the current, and this is difficult too! You see, when God is constantly making utterances and speaking, and when the Holy Spirit is working mightily, everything goes smoothly. When people clearly see God working, and clearly see miracles, they all have zeal and are like a ball of fire; when the church’s forces are great, the work is also easy to do—no matter how God’s house fellowships, people all say it is good, and all say it is right, and most people will show support and will not cause trouble for you. However, once the church encounters Satan’s frenzied repression, where Christians are persecuted, arrested, and imprisoned, and even Christ is condemned, forsaken by the world, and misunderstood by the whole of humankind, and the church faces disintegration, most people will lose faith in God. Some people will even follow suit in doubting God and doubting God’s work, thinking, “Believing in Almighty God and believing in this stage of God’s work is so difficult. I might as well wait until the environment calms down before I continue believing.” They just act as bystanders, wanting to forsake God, not daring to believe anymore. They think, “The forces of Satan’s regime are too great, and the forces of the religious world are too great. With our church’s small number of people and meager forces, we cannot stand firm at all.” They do not believe this is God’s work, they do not believe that God’s leadership is present, and they do not believe God can lead these people just as He led Moses and led the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea; they do not believe God has this ability. When encountering the repression and persecution of the church by the powerful, wicked forces of the great red dragon, most people choose to evade it out of fear. Some leaders and workers even dare not state their positions or express their viewpoints; especially when they see that most brothers and sisters have no zeal and are negative and weak, they just go whichever way the wind blows. They do not dare to require the brothers and sisters to be devoted to God in doing their duties, and they do not even dare to prune anyone who causes disruptions and disturbances, and instead just say a few perfunctory words to them. They adopt an attitude of compromise toward the wicked regime of Satan and mighty forces, while at the same time preparing a way out for themselves. When encountering these difficulties, when encountering the persecution of the church by Satan’s regime and powerful forces, and when the church is in a disadvantageous position in this world, is suppressed, and even faces being banned, most people choose to evade and compromise; they do not stand up and fight, and do not dare to rise up to safeguard the work of God’s house. Many leaders and workers adopt a wait-and-see approach, seeing which way the wind blows. If this wind blows over and the church is temporarily free from danger, they will step forward to do the work. If this wind does not blow over in the short term, and even blows stronger and stronger—and, as people see it, the church faces the danger of being banned—some leaders and workers will become negative, and will abandon their work and not dare to do it. They think, “If I continue doing the work, I might be arrested and beaten to death, and I will be swallowed up and eradicated by this wicked age and by this powerful regime of Satan.” This is what many leaders and workers think. They hold this fear in their hearts. However, when the man used by the Holy Spirit faces these difficulties and dangers, he knows what they mean, and he also knows what he should do. The more dangerous the time is, the less he eats and the less he sleeps, working around the clock, using all his strength to safeguard the existence of the church, to safeguard the stability of the church, to safeguard the leaders and workers’ ability to do the work normally, and to safeguard the normal operation of the work of God’s house, making it so that the work does not stop, and so that all aspects of the work proceed in an orderly manner. At the same time, he protects the environments in which the leaders and workers and key personnel in various areas do their duties, doing everything possible to find suitable people capable of handling these external affairs to resolve these problems, and he steps up the pace of his performance of this aspect of the work. You see, is he not putting his nose to the grindstone and being devoted? Is he not doing his utmost to complete God’s commission? (Yes.)

Ever since the gospel of God’s kingdom began to spread in 1995, the siege and slander against God’s house by Satan’s regime, the religious world, and various other forces, as well as certain media in the world, have never ceased; up to the present day, with the gospel having spread to all countries and places in the world, the siege from these quarters has not ceased. One of the most severe incidents among these was the Shandong Zhaoyuan case fabricated by the Communist Party. Do you all know about this? (Yes.) At that time, there were already quite a few of God’s chosen people in China. It could be said that the church had reached a certain scale in China, and it had developed a certain amount of influence in the religious world and in society, which caught the attention of the CCP. The expansion of the scale and the expansion of the influence of our church made the CCP feel restless and uneasy. It felt that its regime was being threatened, and that the faith of the Communist Party was facing a crisis, so it engineered the Zhaoyuan case to frame and falsely implicate the church, using this to suppress and ban the church. After the Zhaoyuan case occurred, some with shallow foundations, some with little faith, and some who were timid, as well as some disbelievers, including some of those who ate their fill of loaves, became afraid and did not dare to believe anymore. There were a few situations when it came to not daring to believe. Some people completely believed and accepted the rumors fabricated by the Communist Party. They believed that our church was a man-made group and was of human origin; moreover, although they had not personally witnessed any of the things the Communist Party had smeared the church over, they believed them anyway. That is, they completely and one-sidedly believed the rumors fabricated by the Communist Party. People of this type are disbelievers. Some people felt that what the Communist Party said was not necessarily true, but as for just who was telling the truth and who was lying, they did not know. People of this type did not believe that God had done new work, nor did they believe the Communist Party, but they also did not seek the truth to know the true way. On top of that, believing in God meant taking such great risks—they could be arrested and imprisoned, and beaten to the point of disability or death at any moment—so they simply stopped believing. This was one group of people. Another group of people did not dare to believe simply out of timidity. They knew that the Communist Party always lies and always fabricates unjust, false, and wrongful cases; the unjust cases fabricated by the Communist Party are countless, and it has killed countless people, and kills people without blinking an eye. They knew that the Zhaoyuan case was fabricated by the Communist Party, and they also knew that these words spoken by God were the truth. But they were just timid, and they were scared out of their wits by the Communist Party’s rumors and the wave and momentum of wickedness manufactured by the Communist Party, and didn’t dare to believe. They pondered, “Almighty God is the true God. If I follow this stage of God’s work and persevere in believing to the very end, I will gain blessings. But right now, the forces of the Communist Party are too great. If I were to be arrested, I’d be subjected to torture and might even be beaten to death. I’d better just believe secretly at home. I won’t attend gatherings, I won’t do my duty, and I won’t preach the gospel; this way, no one will know that I believe in God. It won’t be too late to come out and believe after the Communist Party perishes.” At that time, many people became negative and weak, not daring to attend gatherings or do their duty anymore. Some people left the church. Even among leaders and workers, there were those who were weak, there were those who abandoned their work and didn’t dare to do the work, and there were even some who did not dare to believe anymore. Under those circumstances, did this weighty task, this heavy burden of providing for and supporting God’s chosen people and strengthening their faith, not fall upon the man used by the Holy Spirit again? (Yes.) If you have a burden for the church’s work, then no matter what happens, and no matter how great the difficulties and resistance you face, you will know what you should do and how you should do it. If you do not have a burden for the church’s work, and you do not have sincerity toward or faith in God, then you will not dare to do any work. In particular, when facing the wicked forces of the great red dragon, and when facing Satan’s mighty power, even if you know what you should do and know how you should do it, you will not dare to do it. However, the man used by the Holy Spirit withstood the threats of mighty forces and still carried on doing the church’s work. The more the church faced difficulties, faced dangers, and faced desperate situations, the more he felt that his responsibility could not be shirked, and the more he stepped up the pace in convening leaders and workers, as well as brothers and sisters, for gatherings, to fellowship on life entry, to fellowship on God’s intentions, and to fellowship on how people should face these environments and how they should practice when encountering them. The more he found himself in such situations, the more he stepped up the pace in holding gatherings, and stepped up the pace in convening leaders and workers to teach them how to do the work, what work to arrange and implement, how to arrange and implement the work, and how to support the brothers and sisters to get through the difficulties. The work the man used by the Holy Spirit does is the work of God’s house, and what he battles and contends with are Satan’s mighty power and the wicked forces of the entire world. From a human perspective, with the little bit of courage people possess, they would be scared out of their wits. During that period of time, the CCP’s television stations comprehensively reported negative news that attacked, discredited, and condemned The Church of Almighty God. This caused many websites and radio stations around the world to follow up and report the fallacies and heresies of the CCP regime that attacked, discredited, and condemned The Church of Almighty God. Even some world-renowned television stations were reporting fake news and false information to slander and condemn God’s church. Faced with the overwhelming reports by the news media, people simply could not stand firm relying solely on their meager faith and meager strength; they would all shrink back, hide, and lie low until it blew over, not knowing what they should do, and unable to find a way forward. People would have doubts in their hearts: “Where is God? Since these are God’s words and this is the true way, and it is God personally doing the work and God who has appeared, how could He let the church face such danger? How could He bring the church and the work of God’s house into this kind of environment? How could we face such a predicament?” Ordinary people would become timid and afraid, and they would hide away and wait three to five months until the storm had calmed down before doing the work again. They would protect themselves well first, and once their own safety was guaranteed, they would then turn back to check on the church’s work. Regardless of how many people were left, ensuring their own safety would be the priority, and preserving their own lives would come first. But when the man used by the Holy Spirit encountered these overwhelming slanders and rumors, what did he choose? He chose to fight to the death with Satan’s forces and Satan’s regime, to stand firm in his testimony for God, to hold fast to his post, and to properly safeguard God’s work and properly safeguard God’s testimony; this was his responsibility. If the church’s work stopped, if the work of spreading the gospel was disturbed and sabotaged by the great red dragon, and if the church was banned, he believed that this would mean he had not fulfilled his responsibility and that he bore an unshirkable responsibility. He would always say, “If I cannot complete the commission given to me by God, I deserve to be cursed!” No one imposed such a burden on him, and no one told him what he must do when encountering the siege and slander of Satan’s forces. Relying on his faith in God, and relying on his sincerity toward God and his consideration for God, he took on this responsibility as a matter of bounden duty. In his view, this responsibility was his to bear, and he was the only suitable person to complete this work. Of course, this was not monopolizing power, nor was it engaging in power plays; he was persevering in doing this specific work and fulfilling his responsibility. When the CCP was attacking, discrediting, and condemning the church, and frantically persecuting God’s chosen people, it could be said that all the brothers and sisters were facing immense trials, refinement, and temptations. Especially for brothers and sisters who had only believed for three to five years and had not yet laid a foundation in the true way, this was a great trial. If no one promptly supported, provided for, and led them, those with shallow foundations, the timid, and those of poor caliber would fall behind and lose the opportunity to be saved. However, when the church encountered this kind of special environment, the man used by the Holy Spirit stepped up the pace of his instructing and training of the leaders and workers, and stepped up the pace of his performance of the various items of church work. He did not slack off in the slightest, and he did not shirk any responsibilities in the slightest; instead, he stepped up the pace of his work, and both the pace and efficiency of his work were double what they had been before. I remember that during that time, the brother would start holding gatherings and fellowshipping right after getting up and eating breakfast in the morning, resolving the problems that arose in the church’s work and in church life. After eating in the afternoon and resting for an hour or two, he would start fellowshipping on the work again. During the busiest times, besides fellowshipping in the morning and afternoon, he would also fellowship for another hour or two in the evening. After those busy years passed, all aspects of the work got on the right track. Those years were all about stepping up the pace of the work. I stepped up the pace of My preaching, and the brother stepped up the pace of his cooperation, also holding gatherings and preaching; and he spent the rest of the time instructing and training leaders and workers, as well as guiding them in doing various items of work and handling various matters. If some people have an impression of this, at most they only know: “During that time, the brother always fellowshipped with us and guided us in doing the church’s work.” But you might not know the background against which this happened, nor do you know why the brother did this, because you do not have that sincerity or that burden, or it may be because your stature is too small to see this clearly. When the church faced immense threats and pressure, and at the crucial moments when the church’s work was facing disturbances and facing sabotage, the man used by the Holy Spirit showed even more consideration for God’s intentions. Under these circumstances, it was even more the case that he devoted all his strength to doing the work, trying to find ways to resolve various difficulties and problems. For one thing, he sought God’s leading and sought God’s guidance; for another, he personally cooperated in a positive, proactive manner. For twenty-four hours a day over several consecutive years, aside from time for eating, sleeping, and resting, he was basically working around the clock, expending several times as much time and energy as an ordinary person to do the church’s work. This was the price paid by the man used by the Holy Spirit to safeguard the church’s work when the church faced its greatest difficulties, and by now, the peak of this most difficult period has passed. Because the man used by the Holy Spirit is someone who has personally done the work, someone who has experienced these matters firsthand, and someone who has handled them firsthand, he has a particularly deep impression of which years were the busiest and what work was done at that time. And what work was done that led the various items of the church’s work to proceed in an orderly manner and become stable, and led to a breakthrough in the work, as well as what difficulties he faced at the time, and which difficulties were not easy to handle—he himself knows all these things, but none of you know them. While others likewise serve God, likewise experience God’s work and experience God’s salvation, and also enjoy God’s leading and provision and enjoy God’s grace, the man used by the Holy Spirit has expended many times the energy, heart’s blood, and price of an ordinary person; ultimately, he was perfected by God, completed the commission given to him by God, shouldered the work of God’s house, and has led you up to the present. Precisely because he expended several times the energy, time, and price of an ordinary person, you have all ultimately gained something, haven’t you? (Yes, we have gained something.) In all fairness, what you have gained is quite a lot. As the head of the household and your bellwether, the brother has, all along, led you in experiencing God’s work and led you in doing various items of work, getting through many difficulties; he has also enabled you to smoothly experience every instance of refinement, trial, and temptation—and even the siege and suppression from all quarters of society, as well as the repression and persecution from the CCP’s mighty forces—all the way to today.

Having followed God up to the present, most people doing their duties full-time have gained some life entry, and their faith in God is greater than before. From My observation, some people are able to be obedient and submissive in doing their duties. I feel very happy about this. Although these people’s caliber is very limited, their improvement in work capability is very limited, and what they have gained in life entry is also very limited—in particular, the burdens the leaders and workers can shoulder and the work they can do are also very limited—one praiseworthy manifestation among most people is that they are more obedient and submissive than before. This obedience and submission, in My eyes, means they have become a bit sensible, and have something of the likeness of adults. Although you are still very far off in terms of pursuing the truth, and you are also very far off in terms of life entry, judging from your obedient and submissive attitude, if you pursue the truth, there is absolutely hope for you to ultimately be saved. It is not that there is only a little hope; there is absolutely hope. So, to attain salvation, you must put in effort. Whether you serve God as a leader or do various duties, you must all learn from the man used by the Holy Spirit. He can serve as the most realistic example for you to emulate, the one you can most readily see and touch—right? (Yes.) In the past, when you were doing church work and first came into contact with the brother, I was a bit worried when he pruned you; I was on edge for you, afraid that you would not be able to endure it and would become negative and weak, because you only understood a bit of words and doctrines, had no stature to speak of, and had no genuine faith in God; you only believed in your hearts that there is a God, had a certain zeal and a certain guileless drive, and were willing to do your duties. I said, “With their stature being so small, when you prune them like that, will they become negative and weak?” The brother said, “Enough of the truth has been fellowshipped to them, and they all understand it in terms of doctrine, but they just cannot adhere to the principles. It won’t do to not prune them.” I said, “In that case, pruning should be carried out.” But after the brother has pruned you for so many years, I have drawn one conclusion: Sometimes it is unnecessary for Me to worry about you; you have indeed benefited from experiencing pruning, and you are able to be obedient and submissive in doing your duties. In any case, whether the brother pruned you, or provided you with positive leading, provision, support, and help—all of which was due to him serving God and doing the work, and due to him needing to complete the commission given to him by God—it has ultimately been of great benefit to you, hasn’t it? (Yes.) It is precisely because he continually fulfills his responsibilities and fulfills his obligations toward you, treats God’s commission sincerely, and treats you sincerely, that he ultimately achieved a tacit understanding with God, completed the commission given to him by God, and fulfilled the responsibilities given to him by God, while also enabling you to make it to today and gain what you have today, right? (Yes.) You see, when the church encountered such a major environment and faced being attacked, slandered, and even persecuted and banned by the religious world and the CCP’s mighty forces, if the man used by the Holy Spirit had not promptly seized the time to do the work, but had instead cast you aside and left you to your own devices—having no sense of responsibility and no sincerity toward you, just shouting slogans, going through the motions, and leaving it at that, then enjoying life and not fulfilling his obligations—in that case, would you be able to reach the point you’re at now in doing your duties? (No.) You certainly would not be able to reach it. Not to mention anything else, just the fact that the brother always urges you to step up the pace of a certain item of work and complete a certain item of work quickly—this sense of urgency of his will influence you and drive you, won’t it? (Yes.) When this sense of urgency is transmitted to you, you do not dare to slack off. On top of that, man is somewhat servile. You are always afraid of the brother checking on your work, afraid that the brother will find problems, get angry, and prune and scold you. In order to render an account, in order to complete your tasks, in order to make the brother happy, and in order to leave a good impression on the brother, you put your noses to the grindstone to do it. For example, in the past you produced one hymn every two weeks, but now you can produce one hymn a week. You are always thinking about exceeding your assigned targets, always afraid of the brother urging you. Although the brother is a bit harsh on you in doing this, has him using this method to do the work led you to become better or worse? Has it led you onto the right path or led you astray? (It has led us onto the right path. We also now have a sense of urgency in doing our work.) The brother’s way, style, and mindset in doing the work—you have learned them all. Later, I heard that some brothers and sisters in the gospel team also started to practice this way. Some people dawdled somewhat in doing their duties and had preached the gospel for a month and still achieved no results, so the supervisors called them out by name during a gathering, saying that so-and-so’s results in doing their duty “scored zero.” These people felt ashamed and could not bear the embarrassment, and afterward, they had a bit of a sense of urgency in doing their duties. I think practicing this way is quite good. Although this method is a bit inconsiderate and lacks a human touch, a good message is conveyed here: Under such strict disciplining, pruning, supervision, and urging from the brother, most people have developed a sense of urgency in doing their duties. They are always afraid of having someone check up on them, afraid of having their work inspected, always afraid of having their progress tracked and data checked, always afraid of being asked about the specific details of their work, afraid of delaying the work’s progress, and afraid of being cleared out of the full-time duty church for having no results in doing their duties. Therefore, they step up the pace of their work. Most people have developed a sense of urgency in doing their duties. Although this sense of urgency cannot currently be considered sincerity, nor does it reach the level of devotion, at least they achieve results in doing the work. So, put in a bit more effort, learn from the brother, and have a bit of sincerity in doing your duties. Do not go through the motions, do not shout slogans, and do not do things just to complete tasks, but rather, render an account to God, and be worthy of your own conscience and reason. If you can have a bit of sincerity and have a bit of devotion, and strive toward the truth principles, you can be up to standard in doing your duties. Now, most of you who do your duties have the correct attitude, have a drive, have kept up with the pace of the work of God’s house, and do not dare to be lax. Even though you are afraid of being pruned for not doing your duty well, at least there is fear in your hearts. Before, you didn’t even have fear; your scumminess was too severe, and you were too willful, acting on your own whims in everything you did. You thought to yourselves, “You may be anxious, but I am not. I don’t want to do things that fast. Your being considerate of God’s intentions has nothing to do with me. I still don’t know what it means to be considerate of God’s intentions; I will be considerate of them once I know what it means and how to do it.” It is different now. You think to yourselves, “You are considerate of God’s intentions, and you ask me to step up the pace of my work and to complete the task within a certain amount of time, so I must complete it on time. If I cannot complete it, you will prune me, scold me, or even dismiss and eliminate me. If I cannot do my duty, then won’t my hope of being saved be gone? In order to be saved, I must do my duty well; I must get you to say that I do my duty well.” Your condition has become somewhat active and positive, but you are still lacking a bit when it comes to practice, right? (Yes.) You must strive toward the truth principles. Whether you encounter pruning or encounter any difficulties, you must learn from the brother. You should observe how the brother acts and what he does when encountering difficulties, and how he treats his mission and treats the commission given to him by God. You must seek the principles of practice from this. Don’t always ponder, “I must do things for the brother to see. In order to keep the brother from scolding me, to make it so that he is satisfied with me and has a good impression of me when he inspects the work, and to ensure he continues to use me, I must do well.” If you do things just to render an account to the brother, this is not the principle you should abide by; you must pursue being considerate of God’s intentions and satisfying God. Your performance of your duty first must pass muster with the brother; that is the first step. The most important thing is that you must gain God’s approval. Achieving this means that you have the truth reality. This is the principle people should abide by. If you do your duty only to satisfy the brother, then your starting point is wrong; this is not believing in God and submitting to Him. You must have a place for God in your heart, and you must always ponder, “If the brother is satisfied, is God satisfied? If the brother is satisfied and does not prune me, but God is still not satisfied, that proves that I still have not fully reached the point of doing my duty according to the truth principles. I still must seek the truth and act according to the principles. Once I am able to satisfy God, then I can be sure. If God is satisfied and God accepts me, the brother will also be happy to see it.” You should focus on and pursue the truth principles. From the brother’s words and actions, his way of speaking, and his ways and methods of doing the work, you should observe how he does his duty well to satisfy God and achieve being perfected by God, and then you should do as he does and emulate him. Emulating him does not mean emulating the way he speaks and acts, but rather emulating and learning the principles by which he does things. You should look at what principles he abides by in doing every item of work, how he achieves satisfying God, how he completes God’s commission, what mindset he carries in doing the work, which truth principle he adheres to, and what aspect of the truth reality he possesses. You should search in this direction, and after finding the principles, you should act according to them and practice them. Practicing this way will make you progress quickly.

When the church encounters a particularly significant event, if it is something you have experienced before, if it is the kind of thing you have done and handled before, and you have experience, you will know how to proceed. However, many matters are ones you encounter for the first time. How to handle this type of matter in a way that accords with God’s intentions, and how to act so as to not go astray or cause serious consequences—these are things people cannot easily see clearly, and people are not entirely sure about them in their hearts. What should be done if people cannot see things clearly? Then they must grasp the principles. No matter what they encounter, and regardless of whether it is a major matter or a minor matter, if they cannot see it clearly, they should seek the truth, and they should pray to God and ask for God’s leading. This is a principle that everyone who does their duty or serves God must possess, and everyone should practice and experience in this way. Therefore, when the church faced major tribulations and trials, the man used by the Holy Spirit did not choose to evade them, nor did he detach himself from the brothers and sisters and the church’s work. Instead, he persevered in doing the work, exerting his utmost effort to do the work well. In that adverse environment, he did not let the church’s work stop, but rather enabled the church’s work to progress normally and smoothly. Of course, the man used by the Holy Spirit has received training and has been perfected by God in the process of constantly experiencing the various problems that arise in the church and handling all aspects of the church’s work. Ultimately, he came to understand God’s intentions and understand the truth principles in every item of work. This is then of greater practical use in doing every item of church work. With him guiding you in doing the work, you don’t have to take detours; you are, in effect, eating what is ready-made. You don’t have to feel your way or seek; you can just practice directly according to the principles that the brother fellowships. However, you cannot ask the brother about everything and wait for him to vet things for you, thinking whenever you encounter some matter, “We don’t need to worry anymore, we don’t need to seek God’s words, and we don’t need to fellowship or discuss anything. We can just ask the brother directly. Whatever the brother says, we will do; wherever the brother brings us, we will follow. If the brother tells us to go east, we will not go west. That saves us so much trouble!” If you have this kind of attitude, and you always rely on the brother like this, ultimately the brother will be perfected by God, and he will gain a great deal, while you will gain nothing at all. Will you not have harmed yourselves? Have you ever pondered over this matter? (We haven’t pondered it before.) Then is it not time to ponder it now? (Yes.) You see, people’s outward appearances are all more or less the same—all human in appearance—but their inner pursuits, and how they think and how they choose in their hearts regarding the commission given to them by God, are different, aren’t they? (Yes.)

When the church faces major matters, the man used by the Holy Spirit can cooperate closely and tacitly with God, and he does not abandon his work. He leads God’s chosen people in the church to keep moving forward under God’s arrangements and leading, enabling the work of God’s house to progress smoothly. Aside from this aspect, when he personally encounters some smears and slander, he is not affected, and he does not abandon his work. For example, when someone has a misunderstanding about him, or when there are some slanders and rumors about him in the religious world—when facing these things, and when his personal reputation and renown are damaged—according to My observations and what I’ve learned, he does not seem to be affected much by these things, and he does not care how outsiders evaluate him, especially how the religious world comments on him and judges him. He is not affected by these things. For example, when he first went overseas, he heard that the Communist Party had fabricated rumors saying he had absconded with a huge sum of money and bought a luxury mansion in some country. The man used by the Holy Spirit heard people fabricating such rumors more than once, and also saw these rumors online, but he was not constrained. What is his viewpoint when encountering these types of things? He often quotes a common saying: “Will you stop planting cabbages just because you hear a rabbit cry?” I say this mindset is not bad. When you need to plant cabbages, you should not be constrained by the cry of a rabbit. The cabbages are for you to eat; a rabbit eating them does not keep you from planting them. If it wants to eat the cabbages, then you should find a way to deal with it—there is always a way to deal with this type of problem. He is not affected or constrained by these things, and he just does what he ought to do; the church’s work is also not affected by any external public opinion or slander. Actually, when the man used by the Holy Spirit encounters these things, what does he think in his heart? He adheres to one principle, which is: “No matter how the external environment changes, the mission given to me by God is what I ought to do, and I must complete it. As for how the outside world slanders me, what attitude it has toward me, whether it looks up to me or looks down on me, and what reputation I have in the outside world—these have nothing to do with my mission.” When some people hear the outside world fabricating rumors about them, making things up out of thin air to slander them, causing a negative impact on their renown, their stature is too small for them to bear it, so they stop doing their duties. No matter what commission they are given, they do not do the work. They think, “Since God uses me, He should settle these external rumors and slanders for me and restore my good reputation. If God doesn’t settle them for me, then I’m in no mood to do the work; I can’t do this work.” For most people, if they accept a minor commission, and do a bit of their duties and fulfill a bit of their responsibility, they always try to set conditions with God. After doing a bit of work, they always want to exchange it for grace; after doing a bit of work, they feel they have merit before God and are qualified to bargain with God. No matter what happens in the outside world, as long as what God does is not to their liking, does not accord with their wishes, and goes against their wishes, they complain about God in their hearts, and want to abandon their work and stop doing the work. Even if they do the work, they do it perfunctorily and just go through the motions. If their personal problems are not handled well, it can affect them in doing their duties, and can affect them in completing the commission given to them by God. Tell Me, are such leaders and workers up to standard and worthy of trust? (They are not up to standard, nor are they worthy of trust.) Such people are not worthy of trust! Whatever happens in the course of their personal lives and survival can affect them in completing God’s commission. If something is even slightly not to their liking, they throw a tantrum and act unreasonably, stop doing their duties, and abandon their work. Only when these external matters are resolved, when all these matters go their way, and when they are in a joyful mood, do they remember that the church still has work, and only then do they think of shouldering the burden and continuing to do the work. They do not take the commission given to them by God seriously, always treating it as the smallest matter. In their hearts, the commission given to them by God is not as important as their reputation, and not as important as their prestige among people. The moment someone has a misunderstanding about them, or has some personal prejudice against them and judges them behind their backs, or is somewhat unconvinced by them, or has some opinions or some different suggestions about their work, they become unhappy, abandon their work and stop doing the work, and act unreasonably before God. Any minor incident that arises in their lives, or even a single instance of taking issue with someone or having a dispute with them, can affect them in completing God’s commission, and can affect them in fulfilling their responsibilities. However, as for the man used by the Holy Spirit, from the time I came into contact with him up to now, from what I have seen and what I know, he has never once been constrained in the process of handling any matter. He always says, “Will you stop planting cabbages just because you hear a rabbit cry?” Looking at it from a human perspective, the man used by the Holy Spirit has very strong psychological resilience; looking at it from the perspective of the truth, this person has faith in, has sincerity toward, and is considerate of God. His faith in, sincerity toward, and consideration for God exceed his concern for his own reputation. Even though some people have slandered him, causing a very adverse impact on his personal reputation and renown, he does not care. In his heart, completing God’s commission and shouldering the church’s work are more important than anything else. No matter how great your renown is and no matter how much prestige you have before people, if you have not completed God’s commission and the mission God gave you, then you are in trouble. Nothing you say will be of any use; you must render an account to God, because this mission was given to you by God. The duty you do came from God; it was not given to you by God’s house or by your leader, nor was it something you demanded yourself—it was given to you by God. Since your duty was given to you by God, you should not be constrained by anything. Whether the seas run dry and the rocks crumble or you find yourself at the ends of the earth, and no matter what persecution, tribulation, setbacks, or failures you encounter, as long as you can do your duty, you should not abandon your work, you should not give up, and you should not evade it. If you evade it and become a deserter, then you are a Judas, and you are forever an arch-sinner. In the matter of accepting God’s commission, the man used by the Holy Spirit has always been fulfilling his responsibilities and doing his duty based on the resolve to be considerate of God’s intentions. He said, “As long as God’s work does not stop, I will keep pushing this little cart of mine.” These are his exact words, meaning: “As long as God’s work does not end, and God does not tell me to stop, then I will put my nose to the grindstone and keep doing the work. I will stop only if God no longer uses me, God’s work ends, and God tells me to stop. If God does not tell me to stop, then as long as I am alive and have a breath in me, I will keep doing the work.” Tell Me, is his faith great? Is his drive great? (Yes.) Do you have this drive? (Not yet.) Most people are still always hoping: “When will God’s work end? When will the great catastrophes arrive? How much time is left? Can we enjoy a bit of a life of the flesh? All these years of preaching the gospel and doing our duty have been so busy, we haven’t rested properly during the New Year and other holidays, we have forsaken our families, and we can no longer enjoy family affection—when will this end?” People simply do not have a resolve or a mentality, namely, to guard their mission and duty in this lifetime as if they were their very life. Although you chant such slogans and make such vows, your actual actions have not followed through. By contrast, even when his personal reputation and renown are subjected to smears and slander, the man used by the Holy Spirit does not become negative and weak or try to defend and vindicate himself like some people do, much less does it affect the work. He carries on doing the work as usual, unshaken no matter the circumstances. This work, this mission, was given to him by God, so he just keeps doing it without stopping.

Whether you are people who serve God or are brothers and sisters doing your various duties, if you want to achieve a tacit understanding with God and be considerate of God’s intentions, this may truly be beyond your reach right now. But at the very least, you must possess true faith in God and a sincere heart; you should first achieve these two things. So how should you practice to achieve these two things? The way to do it is this: In the duty you do, you must at least do your utmost, without being half-hearted or perfunctory. For example, say you do your duty in a dance team, and the man used by the Holy Spirit fellowships with you on the principles of choreography and what kind of dances to choreograph, and also tells you what materials to study and how long you have to complete the work. After taking notes, you discuss and fellowship together with everyone. Where fellowship has not made things clear, you wait and seek further, or you consult other dance teams; once you understand, you implement it immediately. If you still do not quite understand, then you continue to experiment and try to get a feel for it; once you understand, you hurry to do it and put it into practice. First of all, you must have a sincere heart toward your own duty. What are the manifestations of possessing a sincere heart? We just talked about one aspect of the practice of the man used by the Holy Spirit, which is that in serving God, he never abandons his work, no matter what difficulties he encounters. What should you do when you encounter some things that are difficult? Don’t be afraid—without difficulty, your stature could not be demonstrated and your caliber could not be demonstrated. Life is full of various difficulties, and people spend their lives facing one difficulty after another. While constantly facing difficulties, if you seek the truth principles and get these difficulties resolved, won’t you then gain the ability to resolve difficulties? Won’t your caliber and character improve? Plus, when you have the principles for resolving difficulties and put them into practice, won’t you then have life entry? Through resolving difficulties, you gain the reality of the truth—won’t your life gradually grow? So, having difficulties is a good thing. The more you are confronted with difficulties, the more your sincerity is revealed, and the more your faith in God is tested. Don’t be afraid of having difficulties, and don’t be afraid of failures and setbacks. Of course, in your daily lives, some interpersonal conflicts often arise, or someone may be dissatisfied with you, or even judge you behind your back and look down on you, along with all kinds of other disappointing and unpleasant things; you should not be constrained by these things, nor should you let the emergence of these problems or difficulties affect you in doing your duty. If you have time to handle them, you can seek how to handle them according to principles; if you are very busy with your duty and have no time to handle them, then you can set these daily chores, trivial matters, and disputes over right and wrong aside, and prioritize doing your duty well—this is the most important thing. Some people say, “I can’t. Someone judged me behind my back, and it hurt me. I feel awful inside, I’m in a bad mood, my spirits are low, and I am constrained and disturbed in doing my duty. I can’t overcome this matter—what should I do?” In that case, you should sincerely and earnestly pray to God, and ask God to help you and give you strength. You should say, “God, I want to do my duty well, but now a dispute has arisen. I feel very agitated in my heart. I don’t want to pay attention to this matter, but I am always constrained by it in my heart. I ask You to help me and give me strength, so that I can overcome it and not be constrained by it, and so that I can do my duty well.” After praying, try hard to overcome it and to rebel against it. As you make efforts to cooperate, these trivial matters will not interfere with you at all, nor will they be able to affect you in doing your duty. If you are sincere in doing your duty, if you truly believe that God scrutinizes you and that God will see your attitude in doing your duty, if you have such faith in God, and if you pray sincerely like this, God will absolutely help you get through the difficulty and cast off the constraints of such disputes, and you will be able to do your duty normally. If your praying is just to test God, and you just pay lip service to wanting to do your duty well, but your subjective intention is to get entangled in the dispute and defeat the other party, God will see that you have no sincerity and ignore you, and you will not do your duty well. What is the ultimate result of not doing your duty well? Your duty can only be abandoned, and it will be hard for you not to abandon your work. Do you understand? (We understand.) Although in the process of doing your duty there are many times when you do not want to abandon your work, do not want to get entangled in disputes, and do not want to be constrained by any people, events, and things, and you just want to do your duty well, when things actually happen to you, you cannot control yourself. Your own will is particularly strong, and you insist on getting entangled in disputes with others. At this crucial moment, God does not look at how nice your words sound; God just looks at your heart, at what your subjective intentions are. If your inclination is to bicker over right and wrong, to defend your own interests, and to argue with the other party to get the matter straight and settle who has the upper hand, then God will simply not work at all, and He will not enlighten or lead you. When God sees that your desire to do your duty well is not genuine, but your desire to defend your own reputation and status is genuine, God will ignore you. God will say that you are a liar, and that you are not an honest person. Under these circumstances, God will not work on you, because the Holy Spirit never does useless work. God first looks at what your subjective intentions incline toward. Suppose you are inclined to get your duty done well and bring God’s commission to completion, but your personal strength is minimal, the forces you face are very powerful, and the disputes you face are very troublesome and very hard to resolve; seeing your sincerity, God will help you settle all of this. You see, the man used by the Holy Spirit also lives among corrupt humankind and lives in this material world, and he also encounters these things, such as people’s judgments, smearing, and slander, people’s hostility toward him, and even people vying with him for status and vying with him for renown among others, and so on. But no matter what he encounters, he always chooses to fulfill his responsibilities well and complete the mission given to him by God, and does not fail God’s exaltation of him. He has always carried this mindset in doing church work: No matter what he encounters, he views the church’s work and the mission given to him by God as his top priority, and the commission and mission given to him by God he guards as if they were his very life. So, when he has such an inclination in his subjective intentions, God for His part scrutinizes him and sees his sincerity. When God scrutinizes him and sees his sincerity, those things that can cause man to be constrained, troubled, and affected, and that can even sway man’s thoughts and views and sway the path he walks, are imperceptibly resolved under God’s leading, and very easily at that. Doing church work is just like this; difficulties often arise, and problems often appear. The brother always says, “Will you stop planting cabbages just because you hear a rabbit cry?” After hearing this saying, most people also know that the principle behind it is correct, but when it comes to putting it into practice, why are they unable to do so? Why is there difficulty then? This is directly related to people’s subjective attitudes toward their duty and toward their mission. That is, between your duty and God’s commission on the one hand, and your various personal interests on the other, you choose your personal interests; what you treasure is your own fleshly interests, your reputation and status, and fleshly enjoyment. You take eighty or ninety percent of your heart’s blood and energy and dedicate it to your own fleshly interests, and use it to defend your own fleshly interests, while treating your duty as a side job. In that case, how much sincerity can you have toward doing your duty, toward God’s commission, and toward God? (Very little.) For some people it might be less than ten percent. Is it possible for you to exchange that little bit of sincerity for the truth and to exchange it for God’s perfection? (No.) God’s perfection and the truth are priceless treasures! You expend less than ten percent of your energy and think you can exchange it for the truth, exchange it for being perfected by God, and exchange it for God’s recognition and acceptance—tell Me, would God give those things to you? (No.) You must bring forth a hundred percent of your sincerity; only then can you, like the man used by the Holy Spirit, gain the truth, and gain God’s perfection and God’s approval. The truth itself is a priceless treasure, and nothing can be exchanged for it. The truth is the capital that enables a created human being to qualify to live forever. Just think how valuable that is! It is impossible for you to gain the truth just by expending a little, putting in a bit of effort, and shouting a few slogans. Let alone gaining the truth, even gaining a bit of the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment and leading requires a certain amount of sincerity and earnestness, and additionally, you must pay a price to gain the Holy Spirit’s work—how much more so for gaining the truth! That requires a period of diligent pursuit, and you must endure much suffering and pay many prices to achieve it. This is because the truth is to serve as your life; once this life is worked into you, you will not have to taste death—you will not die. What does not dying mean? (It means gaining eternal life.) Eternal life, looking at it literally, means surviving forever, living on forever, and not dying, because you have the foundation for living, and have the capital to live. So how can you gain the truth, this priceless treasure? At the very least, you must have some sincerity. If you only have ten percent sincerity, is that enough? I think even fifty percent is not enough; you still will not be able to gain the truth. You might be able to understand some surface-level truths, but you will not be able to gain the deeper truths—the truth and life of the aspect of knowing God, the aspect of submitting to God, and the aspect of fearing God and shunning evil. If you want to have these truths worked into you to become your reality, and to become what you naturally reveal and live out, then you must offer up a hundred percent of your sincerity; this is not something that can be bargained over. Therefore, if you want to gain the truth, you must reflect on how much sincerity you have offered up, and whether you have held any of it back. In the process of doing your duty, and with the people, events, and things you encounter, how much time do you spend disregarding your duty, neglecting proper tasks, pursuing fleshly enjoyment, pursuing status, fame, and gain, and showing off and exalting yourself? How much time in doing your duty do you spend being perfunctory, relying on others, and being unwilling to endure suffering and pay a price, as well as abandoning your work when encountering issues, and acting willfully and not being considerate of God’s burden when encountering issues? You should earnestly examine all these things.

Look at how the man used by the Holy Spirit has followed up on your work over the years. When he fellowships the truth with you to support and help you, how does he do it? Is any of his own will mixed in? Has he ever abandoned his work? Has he ever shirked his responsibilities? Even his pruning of you is done with such sincerity, and even his scolding of you and disciplining of you are done with sincerity—none of it is going through the motions. He sincerely fulfills his responsibilities and fulfills his obligations toward you. Where does this sincerity come from? It is based on his sincerity toward God. He accepted God’s commission with sincerity, and has since used his sincerity to try to bring God’s commission to completion and do it well. So how does he practice this? He does not just say a few words, express his stance, and leave it at that. Instead, he gets this work done on you in a down-to-earth manner. You should be able to appreciate this, right? (Yes.) Therefore, even his pruning of you and his scolding of you are done with sincerity. He himself also feels indignant when he prunes and scolds you. If he were not responsible toward you and had not the slightest bit of sincerity, and he did not care about or take to heart any mistakes you made, could he feel indignant? When you fail to do your duty well and cause the work of God’s house to suffer harm, if he did not safeguard the interests of God’s house, did not keep these things in his heart, and did not care what your performance of duty is like—just wanting everyone to get along and keep things pleasant—and had no sense of responsibility or burden toward you whatsoever, then would he feel indignant when you violate the principles in doing your duty? If he didn’t feel indignant, could he prune you? (No.) Tell Me, is he willing to get angry? (He is not willing; it’s that we are too exasperating.) That is right. You are too exasperating. No matter how many times things are fellowshipped, you still violate the same principles; no matter how things are explained, you cannot remember them. In the end, some brothers and sisters are at a loss as to what to do about themselves, and ask the brother, “We have to be punished this time, don’t we?” The brother, also at his wit’s end, says, “Let’s not punish you this time.” From pruning you to ultimately discussing with you whether you should be punished and how you should be punished—you see, the brother simply treats you as family. He uses all kinds of methods to lead you and help you. In the end, he cannot even work up the anger to prune you. He can’t decide whether to laugh or cry, and this is the scene that arises. If the brother did not have a burden for your life entry and your performance of duty, did not have sincerity toward the work of God’s house, did not treat it as his own business, and did not take it to heart, would he do these things to you? (No.) When most leaders and workers see people acting in violation of the principles or disrupting and disturbing the church’s work, do they get angry? A few individuals who possess a bit of a sense of justice get angry. But after getting angry, they ponder, “They have also paid a price in doing their duty; I can’t really criticize them. I should just exhort them a bit, talk things over with them, and ask them to do it properly.” Then they say to the person, “God exalts us to do our duty and gives us the opportunity to be saved. We must have a conscience and must repay God’s love!” They just offer a couple sentences of exhortation like this and leave it at that, without caring whether the problem has been resolved. While the man used by the Holy Spirit is doing the work and fulfilling his responsibilities, no matter what kind of problem he encounters or what kind of situation arises in the church, he personally always abides by one principle, and always holds fast to this responsibility, guided by the right attitude, in order to complete the commission given to him by God. What is this mentality of his? It is that, no matter what happens in life, no matter what happens in the external environment, and no matter how people, events, and things change, people must complete the mission given to them by God—this is perfectly natural and justified. In his view, no matter how well you manage your personal life, if you have not completed God’s commission, you have not done the task given to you by God well and have not done the work given to you by God well, and you have not satisfied God’s intentions, then nothing you say is of any use. Therefore, no matter what he encounters, he is not constrained, affected, or disturbed; he does what he ought to do, in the way he ought to do it. God’s commission and the mission God gives to people are the top priority; people must hold fast to them at all times. That is, no matter what happens, as long as God’s work does not stop, doing the church’s work and doing the work of God’s house is the mission given to you by God, and you must persevere in it to the very end. In this lifetime, given that God has chosen you and given you this mission, you are destined your whole life to live for the mission God has given you, and to live to complete the commission God has given you. If you neglect proper tasks and let your mind wander to other things, fail to shoulder God’s commission, and fail to fulfill your responsibilities well, and are indebted to God and indebted to the brothers and sisters, then after you die, you will be too ashamed to face God, and you will have no way to render an account to God. Therefore, guided by this mentality, on the path of serving God all these years, no matter what difficulties he has experienced, no matter what environments he has experienced, and no matter what difficulties the church’s work has encountered, the man used by the Holy Spirit has not laid down the church’s work, and has not abandoned the work of God’s house. He has continued doing the work step by step up to the present, and he will continue doing it this way in the future. He has always been doing the work—this is the norm of his life.

Have you understood this fellowship? (Yes, we have.) What have you understood? (That we must hold fast to our duty and hold fast to the commission given to us by God at all times. No matter how great the difficulties are, we cannot give up; we must pray to God and seek the truth to resolve problems. In addition, whether our reputation and status are damaged or our personal fleshly interests are damaged, we must let go of our personal interests, not be constrained by these things, and hold fast to the commission God has given us.) There is also the most important point, which is that serving God, doing the work of God’s house, and accepting the responsibilities and mission given to you by God is a lifelong matter; you must not hold a temporary viewpoint. If you always hold a temporary viewpoint, thinking, “After I do my duty for two or three years, God’s work will end, and I will have succeeded in believing in God; my life will have been worthwhile and I will have come out ahead,” then you will not be able to walk to the end of the path; you are not up to standard as someone who serves God, and you have no sincerity toward God. So what kind of people are those who hold a temporary viewpoint? They are opportunists. Since you do not even have sincerity toward God, can you have sincerity toward the church’s work and toward the brothers and sisters? (That would be impossible.) When a major incident occurs in the church, or when something happens that involves your own reputation and status and your own interests, you wouldn’t possibly choose to safeguard the church’s work, and you wouldn’t possibly satisfy God’s intentions. People like this, who hold a temporary viewpoint, are in great danger. When the church’s work proceeds normally, they can follow along in their belief, but once the church encounters unprecedented persecution and a crisis arises, they will face temptation, and it is uncertain whether they will be able to continue following God. Can such people follow God to the end of the path? (No.) Holding a temporary viewpoint in doing one’s duty is a dangerous signal. Some people think, “My holding a temporary viewpoint shows that I am shrewd and know how to seize opportunities. Look how foolish you are! I’ll offer a bit of sincerity only when God’s work is about to end and the gospel of the kingdom has spread to every country in the world. If God’s work still has a few years or even decades left and won’t end anytime soon, then I will just go about my days and pursue the world first, and come back to do my duty when God’s work is about to end.” You are quite clever and quite calculating, and you have everything worked out quite nicely. People might not know your plans, but God does. You have no sincerity toward God, so God will not give you any burden to shoulder. In that case, the work of God’s house, serving God and doing your duty, and being saved in the future will have nothing to do with you. In the process of serving God, aside from having faith in God, having sincerity, and being considerate of Him, the man used by the Holy Spirit also treats every item of church work as his own work. Living this life means doing the work, and doing the work means living. Treating the church’s work as his own work, and doing the work just like going about his daily life—isn’t this mentality quite good? (Yes.) Do you have this mentality? (Not yet.) Do not forget: To be able to do your duty well and complete God’s commission, there is no trick and no shortcut. It comes down to these words: Put your nose to the grindstone and be devoted. At all times, put your nose to the grindstone and do your utmost. You must offer up your sincerity and go all out to do your duty well; otherwise, it’s impossible for you to be perfected by God, right? (Yes.)

Alright, that concludes our fellowship for today. Goodbye!

February 22, 2025