By Mo Wuwen, China

One day at the end of 2022, I learned that the church leader Lin Hui betrayed God after he was arrested, becoming a Judas. During the interrogation, the police threatened Lin Hui to reveal the information about the church’s finances and the brothers and sisters. They said if he didn’t confess, he would go to prison, and they used his daughter’s future to coerce him. Afraid of suffering in prison and worried about his daughter losing her future, he became an accomplice of the CCP. He led the police to identify a home where the books of God’s words were stored, and even helped the police to brainwash the arrested brothers and sisters. Seeing that Lin Hui had been exposed as a Judas and expelled from the church, I fell into deep thought, “Lin Hui had been doing his duty as a leader for many years. His fellowship with the brothers and sisters was usually quite clear. Logically speaking, someone who pursued enthusiastically like him should have some stature. How could he become a Judas after being arrested? Even Lin Hui, who pursued like this, was unable to stand firm in his testimony. I haven’t been a leader and I don’t understand much truth; what if I get arrested one day? If the police sentence me or use my family’s future to threaten me, will I be able to stand firm in my testimony? If I can’t stand fast and I become a Judas, I’ll be damned for all eternity! Wouldn’t that mean no good future or destination? How could I be saved and enter the kingdom?” The more I thought about it, the more despondent I became, and I lost the motivation to do my duty. Whenever I heard that brothers and sisters in some church had been arrested, I would feel very afraid, constantly worrying that I might also get arrested by the police and fail to stand fast one day. During that time, some sisters responsible for the cleansing work were in a poor state and needed fellowship to resolve their issues. I had scheduled a time and place for the meeting with them. Later, after hearing that there were security risks in that area, I didn’t want to go. “What if I get arrested?” Later, a sister fellowshipped with me, and I finally went and didn’t delay things.

Afterward, I sought how I should understand Lin Hui’s betrayal of God following his arrest. I read God’s words: “Man will be fully made complete in the Age of Kingdom. After the work of conquest, man will be subjected to refinement and tribulation. Those who can overcome and stand testimony during this tribulation are the ones who will ultimately be made complete; they are the overcomers. During this tribulation, man is required to accept this refinement, and this refinement is the last instance of God’s work. It is the last time that man will be refined prior to the conclusion of all the work of God’s management, and all those who follow God must accept this final test, and they must accept this last refinement. Those who are beset by tribulation are without the work of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of God, but those who have been truly conquered and who truly seek after God will ultimately stand fast; they are the ones who are possessed of humanity, and who truly love God. No matter what God does, these victorious ones will not be bereft of the visions and will still put the truth into practice without failing in their testimony. They are the ones who will finally emerge from the great tribulation. Even though those who fish in troubled waters can still freeload today, no one is able to escape the final tribulation, and no one can escape the final test. For those who overcome, such tribulation is a tremendous refinement; but for those who fish in troubled waters, it is the work of utter elimination. No matter how they are tried, the allegiance of those who have God in their heart remains unchanged; but for those who do not have God in their heart, once the work of God is not advantageous to their flesh, they change their view of God, and even depart from God. Such are those who will not stand fast in the end, who only seek God’s blessings and have no desire to expend themselves for God and dedicate themselves to Him. Such base people will all be expelled when God’s work comes to an end, and they are unworthy of any sympathy. Those without humanity are incapable of truly loving God. When the environment is safe and secure, or there are profits to be made, they are totally obedient toward God, but once that which they desire is compromised or finally refuted, they immediately revolt. Even in the space of just one night, they may go from a smiling, ‘kind-hearted’ person to an ugly-looking and ferocious killer, suddenly treating their benefactor of yesterday as their mortal enemy, without rhyme or reason. If these demons are not cast out, these demons that would kill without blinking an eye, will they not become a hidden danger? The work of saving man is not achieved following the completion of the work of conquest. Although the work of conquest has come to an end, the work of purifying man has not; such work will only be finished once man has been wholly purified, once those who truly submit to God have been made complete, and once those disguisers who are without God in their heart have been cleared out. Those who do not satisfy God in the final stage of His work will be completely eliminated, and those who are eliminated are of devils. As they are incapable of satisfying God, they are rebellious against God, and even though these people follow God today, this does not prove that they are those who will finally remain. In the words that ‘those who follow God to the end will receive salvation,’ the meaning of ‘follow’ is to stand firm in the midst of tribulation. Today, many believe that following God is easy, but when God’s work is about to end, you will know the true meaning of ‘follow.’ Just because you are still able to follow God today after being conquered, this does not prove that you are one of those who will be made perfect. Those who are unable to endure the trials, who are incapable of being victorious amid tribulation will, ultimately, be incapable of standing fast, and so will be unable to follow God to the very end. Those who truly follow God are able to withstand the test of their work, whereas those who do not truly follow God are incapable of withstanding any of God’s trials. Sooner or later they will be expelled, while the overcomers will remain in the kingdom. Whether or not man truly seeks God is determined by the test of his work, that is, by God’s trials, and has nothing to do with the decision by man himself. God does not reject any person on a whim; all that He does can utterly convince man. He does not do anything that is invisible to man, or any work that cannot convince man. Whether man’s belief is true or not is proved by the facts and cannot be decided by man. That ‘wheat cannot be made into tares, and tares cannot be made into wheat’ is without doubt. All those who truly love God will ultimately remain in the kingdom, and God will not mistreat anyone who truly loves Him” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Work and Man’s Practice). Pondering God’s words, I understood that in the last days, God is doing the work of separating all according to their kind. The tares and the wheat, the good servants and the evil servants, the sheep and the goats can only be revealed through trials and tribulations. There is meaning in God allowing persecution and tribulation to befall us. For those who sincerely believe in God, it is perfection; for those who seek blessings through opportunism and muddle through, it is a revelation and elimination. Those who genuinely want God will not deny or betray God no matter what kind of persecution or tribulation they encounter, and can seek the truth and stand firm in their testimony. But those who do not sincerely follow God, even if they can superficially abandon and expend for a time, disguising themselves as a believer in God’s house, once the environment God arranges becomes unfavorable to their flesh and their desire for blessings is shattered, they are able to immediately deny and betray God. Those who, in the midst of trials, can practice the truth and stand firm in their testimony are the ones God wants to save and perfect. Those who cannot stand firm in their testimony are the tares that are revealed. God’s work is so wise! I thought of the brother in the church’s movie Memories of My Youth who was only 20 years old. Because of his belief in God, he suffered arrest and persecution by the CCP. To force him to deny and betray God, the police cruelly poured cups of boiling water over his body. But the brother was certain that this was the true way, and he did not deny or betray God despite enduring all kinds of torture. There’s also the movie The Refiner’s Fire, where the police shamelessly stripped the sister naked and used electric batons to shock her in order to force her to betray God. The sister endured immense humiliation and torment. In her pain, she prayed to God, vowing to die rather than submit to Satan, not denying God, not betraying God, bearing beautiful and resounding testimony, and shaming Satan. I saw that brothers and sisters who truly believe in God will not deny or betray God no matter how much danger or tribulation they encounter. But Lin Hui, who had been a leader in the church for a long time, had turned Judas and sold out the interests of the church after being arrested, becoming an accomplice and lackey of the great red dragon to avoid cruel torture, to secure his daughter’s future, and to try and save his own skin. He had believed in God for many years and often fellowshipped a great deal with the brothers and sisters, but he didn’t believe that people’s fates are in God’s hands. When the critical moment came, he was able to deny and betray God. So then, wasn’t all the fellowship he gave to others just words and doctrines? The facts revealed that he had no truth reality at all. He was just a disbeliever who had sneaked into God’s house, vainly hoping to gain blessings through opportunism. In the past, I had only looked at his outward behavior. Because he had been a leader and could speak eloquently, I’d thought that he had truth reality. It was through God’s revelation that I grew in discernment. At the same time, I also saw my true stature. Oftentimes, when no dangerous situations had befallen me, I’d even thought that I had some faith, but when I had found out that someone had been tortured and betrayed God, I had lived in fear and timidity. I hadn’t sought the truth to learn lessons, nor had I thought about how to uphold my duty. I saw that I didn’t have any truth reality. Now is the time for God to test people’s work. I need to equip myself with more truth so that I can stand fast in trials and tribulations.

Later, I also reflected on the root cause of my negativity. I read God’s words: “So do you know what things lie within the depths of people’s hearts? (Faith in God in order to obtain blessings; this is something that lies within people’s hearts.) That’s right, people believe in God in order to be blessed, to be rewarded, to be crowned. Doesn’t this exist in everyone’s heart? It is a fact that it does. Although people don’t often talk about it, and even cover up their motive and desire to obtain blessings, this desire and motive deep in people’s hearts has always been unshakable. No matter how much spiritual theory people understand, what experience or knowledge they have, what duty they can perform, how much suffering they endure, or how much of a price they pay, they never let go of the motivation for blessings hidden deep in their hearts, and always silently toil in its service. Isn’t this the thing buried deepest inside people’s hearts? Without this motivation to receive blessings, how would you feel? With what attitude would you perform your duty and follow God? What would become of people if this motivation to receive blessings that is hidden in their hearts was gotten rid of? It is possible that many people would become negative, while some would become demotivated in their duties. They would lose interest in their belief in God, as if their soul had vanished. They would appear as if their heart had been snatched away. This is why I say the motivation for blessings is something hidden deep in people’s hearts” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Six Indicators of Life Growth). Viewing myself in light of God’s words, I finally realized that my negativity and lack of motivation were mainly driven by my intention for blessings. In the past, when the environment was comfortable, I was enthusiastic in my pursuit and did my duty actively. But looking back, my motivation mainly came from the thought that only by doing my duty well could I have a good future and destination. Now, seeing Lin Hui become a Judas and betray God, I worried that if I were arrested, I would be like Lin Hui and fail to stand firm in my testimony, and then I wouldn’t have a good outcome or destination, so I started to retreat. Even when I was doing my duty, I was just going through the motions, and if there was any danger, I would quickly run back home to hide, not caring how well I did my duty, so long as I was safe. My belief in God was only for gaining blessings and a good destination, and I didn’t want to face any dangers or tribulations. I didn’t seek the truth to learn lessons in the situations God arranged. What difference was there between my belief in God and those of disbelievers who mix in God’s house and don’t pursue the truth, vainly hoping for blessings? If I didn’t seek the truth to resolve this state, I would be sure to fall when trials came upon me. This time, God revealed me through such a situation, and this was His salvation for me. I thanked God from my heart.

Later, I also pondered: Why did I have such a strong reaction when I saw that a leader had been arrested and become a Judas? I thought that leaders were all people who had a fairly good understanding of the truth and who had reality, and that if they were arrested, they should be able to stand firm in their testimony. But did my views align with the truth? While seeking, I read God’s words: “When someone is elected to be a leader by the brothers and sisters, or is promoted by the house of God to do a certain piece of work or perform a certain duty, this does not mean that they have a special status or position, or that the truths they understand are deeper and more numerous than those of other people—much less that this person is able to submit to God, and will not betray Him. Certainly, it does not mean, either, that they know God, and are someone who fears God. They have attained none of this, in fact. The promotion and cultivation is merely promotion and cultivation in the straightforward sense, and is not equivalent to them having been predestined and approved of by God. Their promotion and cultivation simply means they have been promoted, and await cultivation. And the ultimate outcome of this cultivation depends on whether this person pursues the truth, and on whether they are capable of choosing the path of pursuing the truth” (The Word, Vol. 5. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers (5)). “Holding up God’s words and being able to explain them unabashedly does not mean you are in possession of reality; things are not as simple as you imagine. Whether you are in possession of reality is not based on what you say; rather, it is based on what you live out. Only when God’s words become your life and your natural expression can you be said to have reality, and only then can you be counted as having gained true understanding and actual stature. You must be able to withstand examination over long periods of time, and you must be able to live out the likeness that is required by God. This must not be mere posturing; it must flow from you naturally. Only then will you truly possess reality, and only then will you have gained life” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Only Putting the Truth Into Practice Is Possessing Reality). From God’s words, I came to understand that God’s house promotes and cultivates people according to the needs of the church’s work. Some who possess the caliber and prerequisites to be leaders or workers are elected as leaders or workers or promoted to do certain work. This is to give them opportunities to train. However, this doesn’t mean that they possess truth realities, nor does it mean that their stature is greater than that of other brothers and sisters. It’s just that the duties they do and the functions they serve are different. Viewing myself in light of God’s words, I saw that my perspective on leaders and workers was incorrect. For example, when I saw Lin Hui being arrested, I thought that since he was a leader and his fellowship was quite clear, he surely pursued the truth and had realities, and if arrested, he should be able to stand firm in his testimony. When I saw him become a complete Judas, I couldn’t understand it. I even worried that since I hadn’t been a leader or worker, I wouldn’t be able to stand firm if I were arrested. Now I understood that whether a person has truth realities is not determined by what duty they have done or how much doctrine they can speak, but mainly by whether they can practice the truth when faced with matters. I thought of an elderly sister in the church who was responsible for safekeeping the offerings. When a Judas led the police to her home to search and the police threatened her and tried to get her to hand over the offerings, the sister did not fear Satan’s evil forces, and she risked her life to protect the offerings, relying on God to respond to the police wisely, and after the police left, she promptly moved the offerings to safety. In people’s eyes, the elderly sister hadn’t been a leader and couldn’t fellowship or give sermons, but when faced with matters, she could disregard her own safety to protect the offerings and safeguard the interests of God’s house. Such a person bore testimony.

One reason for Lin Hui’s failure was his fear of suffering in prison. Another reason was that when the great red dragon used his daughter’s future to threaten him, he didn’t believe that people’s fates are in God’s hands. Thinking about my own similar state, I looked for God’s words regarding this aspect of state. I read God’s words: “The fate of man is controlled by the hands of God. You are incapable of controlling yourself: Despite man always rushing and busying himself on his own behalf, he remains incapable of controlling himself. If you could know your own prospects, if you could control your own fate, would you still be a created being? … The destination of man is in the hands of the Creator, so how could man control himself?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Restoring the Normal Life of Man and Taking Him to a Wonderful Destination). Pondering God’s words, I understood that God is the Creator, man is a created being, and that people’s fates are in God’s hands. What a person’s fate is like has long been ordained and arranged by God. Even if people plan and scheme for themselves, they cannot control their fates. My worry that the CCP’s police forces would use my family’s future to threaten me mainly stemmed from my lack of true understanding of God’s sovereignty. I came to understand that if I really am arrested and imprisoned one day, whether or not my family will be implicated is all in God’s hands. I am a created being, and I can’t even control my own fate, yet I was worrying about my family’s future. How foolish of me! Even before being arrested, I was worried about being revealed as a Judas, so I tried to save my own skin by hiding at home, not even doing the duties I should be doing, and being completely devoid of loyalty to my duty. Outwardly, I hadn’t directly betrayed God like Lin Hui had as a Judas, but by not doing my duty well, had I not fallen for Satan’s trick and lost my testimony? So I prayed to God, “Oh God, Lin Hui has been revealed as a Judas. I have revealed many incorrect views and I have been timid and fearful, but through this revelation, I have clearly seen my true stature and I see just how little faith I have. Oh God, please guide me to stand firm in my testimony in my future performance of duty.” Afterward, I thought of the sisters responsible for the cleansing work who were in poor states, and I thought about how there was still work that needed to be discussed with them. So I arranged a time to meet with them, and our gathering achieved some results.

This time, the revelation of a Judas allowed me to recognize my true stature and to see how strong my desire for blessings was. I also gained some understanding of my selfish and despicable satanic disposition. At the same time, it also made me see more clearly that believing in God to gain the truth in a country ruled by the CCP is no easy thing. One truly has to put one’s life on the line! Although my stature is still small, I am willing to submit and experience God’s words and work in this kind of environment. Thank God!