Corrupt humans all like status; once they have status, they all indulge in the benefits of status. If someone is a leader at any level, or they just have a bit of prestige among people and have a tiny bit of power, they will start acting like they are a big deal. From the moment they gain status, they will use their power to seek personal gain, and they will do many things that violate the truth principles, and even some absurd things. Even if a few individuals can speak some words and doctrines, when they interact and fellowship with people, they will play favorites. If they see someone who is wealthy and has status, who supports them, gets along with them, and flatters them, they will speak more with that person. If they see someone who is poor, does not know how to flatter, whom they find displeasing, or who is a new believer with no foundation, they will come up with excuses to ignore them. You see, do they have any principles in how they act? (No.) Once they have status, they start acting like they are a big deal, know how to talk like a bureaucrat and shout slogans, and know how to assert their status and put on airs. Are there not many such manifestations in people? (Yes.) For example, if there is a problem that others do not understand but they do, and they don’t see anyone asking them about it, they think to themselves: “None of you are begging me or coaxing me, and no one is exalting me or thinking highly of me. If you beg me, I might tell you, but it still depends on my mood. If no one begs me, I won’t say anything; I just won’t let you know. It would only take one sentence from me, but if I do not say it, none of you will understand!” Are people like this kind? (No.) In addition, once people have status, they will do whatever they please. If they see someone who doesn’t yield to them or has complaints about them, they will ponder how to torment and attack that person, and subdue them. You see, I have status and power, but do I have those manifestations in how I treat people, including nonbelievers? (No.) Evil people will think of ways to belittle and torment those they do not like, and even trample them underfoot. I have never done these things to people I do not like, and I rarely ask others to take care of things for Me. I have seen that when some people distribute daily vegetables and food to Me, they specifically pick the bad and inferior ones for Me. When others pick out some good ones, they even swap them for bad ones. When someone sends Me some food, the person in charge of storage just leaves it sitting there and lets it expire and rot. In their hearts, these people think, “You are just an ordinary person, yet you want me to handle things for you. It’s already good enough that I do it this way. I’d only labor a bit for you if you had superhuman abilities, or you were the grand county magistrate.” I figured it out: They were unwilling to do things for Me. I assumed that since they were brothers and sisters in the church, they would at least have a bit of respect for Me. I didn’t expect that they would be unwilling, that they would look down on Me and treat Me like dirt. They would do things for their parents, for their bosses, for government officials, and for people with status. But I was nothing to them, so they wouldn’t do things for Me. I thought to Myself: “So this is the kind of person you are. Then I won’t ask you to do things for Me. If you are unwilling to do it, I won’t force you, and I won’t use My status to suppress you. I am just an ordinary person, and I treat you as brothers and sisters, yet you turn around and treat Me like this. Then I will just find someone else to do it; I won’t use you anymore.” There are quite a few people like this in the church; they are all disbelievers. No matter how many sermons they hear, they do not understand the truth, and they do not have God-fearing hearts at all. Through these kinds of situations, they are revealed. Such people have heard so many sermons, so why do they still treat Me this way? Why do they treat Me worse than their relatives and friends? Aren’t such people too mercenary? (Yes.) There are people like this in churches everywhere. They do not love the truth, so how could they have the slightest bit of true submission to God? Not only are they devoid of submission, but they even harbor hatred. They can give other people good vegetables and food, so why do they specifically give Me the most inferior ones? Who exactly paid for these vegetables and food? Who paid to set up this farm? No one considers these things. Later, when these matters were dissected, some people finally woke up, but at the time, no one took the initiative to expose and handle these people.

In the human world, the highest-ranking ruler of a country is the person with the highest status among people. What do those with the highest status eat and enjoy? Basically, they eat the flesh of the people and drink their blood. Why do I say this? Look at how the dragon robes worn by Chinese emperors in the past were made. They were all custom-made; a single dragon robe was meticulously embroidered using various fabrics and weaving methods for over three years, yet some of these garments might only be worn once or twice in a lifetime. If the emperors did not have that status, could they enjoy these things? (No.) Having status means having power, and having power means one can do whatever one pleases and enjoy all the wealth and glory, without anyone daring to say a word against them. People even feel, “The emperor of our country ought to enjoy these things; it is only right that he does! If he doesn’t enjoy a good life, it reflects badly on us commoners. It is our honor that the emperor is dressed so magnificently!” How lowly these people are! Have they not been conditioned by their rulers? (Yes.) If the incarnate God, having come to earth, enjoys a slightly better life, what would people think? “That won’t do. You are God—You must suffer. If You don’t suffer, are You worthy of us following You? You mustn’t eat well or dress nicely; You must suffer a great deal—only then are You God!” Do such humans have any humanity? (No.) Does this humankind have any good intentions toward God? Aren’t their hearts so rotten? Rulers exploit, control, and grievously harm people, yet people willingly allow themselves to be controlled and grievously harmed by them. God, on the other hand, works to save man; He is concerned for man, loves and pities man, and He bestows everything upon man. Yet what is man’s attitude toward God? Man feels, “It is only right for God to suffer. The more He suffers, the happier I am; I don’t feel bad at all. Since God has come, He ought to suffer like this.” Isn’t this the mentality of human beings? But in fact, no matter which incarnation it is, God has this status and power, yet He has never indulged in them, nor has He coveted worldly pleasures or man’s tributes. You see, anyone in the human world with a bit of status wants to enjoy special treatment; the food they eat and the water they drink are specially provided to them. Does God have anything specially provided to Him? (No.) I eat whatever vegetables the farm grows; it’s all just ordinary home-cooked food. Some kind-hearted people might pick some good vegetables for Me according to the season, but otherwise, there is no difference—I basically eat whatever you eat. Even when you secretly eat some good things and don’t send Me any, have I ever made an issue of it with you? (No.) Some people are never willing to provide Me with good vegetables; they only pick out for Me the leftovers they are unwilling to eat. Seeing Me eat some good vegetables makes them uncomfortable. No matter what I eat, I am eating My own food; I am not eating yours, so why are you unhappy? I’ve never enjoyed anything specially provided to Me, and I have never divided the offerings into portions, setting aside a portion for maintaining My health, a portion for My daily clothing and grooming, and a portion for My travel and entertainment—I have never done this. My life is simple. Most of the offerings are used for the work of God’s house, and to take care of your lives and your basic necessities; I have kept nothing for Myself. Right? (Yes.) Look, what do ordinary government officials enjoy? Those media mouthpieces spend tens of thousands of yuan a year just on cosmetics, and they have special funds for every work expense. Look at what I wear, what I use, and what I enjoy—compared to them, does it even amount to a drop in the bucket? It’s not even that. Let Me give another example. Take the wealthy people with financial means among the brothers and sisters in our church—what do they enjoy? What do they wear and use? (Name brands.) They wear name-brand clothes and accessories, enjoying the lifestyle of the rich and the upper class. In China, some people particularly worship imported goods; they specifically buy foreign products to wear and use. Other than the air they breathe being local, everything they eat, wear, and use is an international name brand. Some of what they enjoy are things we’ve never even seen. What do the rich buy when they have status? Luxury mansions, cars, and cruise ships, as well as private jets, private golf courses, private clubs, and so on. Isn’t what they enjoy extravagant? (Yes.) Do you see Me enjoying these things? (No.) I’ll wear the same pair of shoes for several years, and if they aren’t worn out, I’ll keep wearing them. It really isn’t that I don’t have the money to buy new ones; it’s just one of My living habits. This is how I approach status and power. I have no lofty and grand desires; My life is ordinary, simple, and highly regular. In the eyes of some people, My life is particularly monotonous. It’s characterized only by a regular routine, frugality, and being rather quiet and neat—there is nothing luxurious, high-end, or particularly exquisite about it. But once some people in the church become leaders of a certain level, what kind of manifestations do they have? (They want to enjoy the best of everything.) Once they become leaders, they start acting like they are a big deal and feel they have status. Wherever they go, someone must offer them a seat; if no one does, they get angry. When they speak, others must always let them have their way. Wherever they go, there are always people following them around, someone carrying their bag, and an entourage. If they are out somewhere for a long time and get thirsty or hungry, someone brings food and drink right to them; if they get tired, someone gives them a massage. I say, this is quite something; once they have status, they become special, and they are no longer human beings, right? (Yes.) So, why do I feel nothing about having status? Without status, I get by quite comfortably. When I have status, others always treat Me as a special figure, and I feel awkward and uncomfortable all over. It’s quite nice to not have status, so I just act as if I have no status at all, and interact with people as an ordinary person, feeling particularly free. You feel free, and I feel free too; getting along with people like this is quite good. Generally, after corrupt humans gain status, they always have to have a few people around to wait on them. When they want water, someone must pour it for them; when they want to eat, someone must hand them their chopsticks; when they go out, someone must trail behind them. They also have to buy name-brand clothes, getting a whole new wardrobe from head to toe to match their status. I say, “Serving as a leader is a commission and a responsibility God gives you—is that having status? What real work can you do, that you are already putting on airs? If you can truly do the work, God’s house will provide you with clothing and work equipment, as well as a good cell phone and computer. But you cannot do any real work, and yet you still blindly show off. Do you believe in God just to pursue these things—status, fame, and gain? Why are you so shallow?” I have worked for so many years, and the scale of My work is quite large, but I do not feel that I have status. I do not have any customary perks, nor do I have special personnel to wait on and take care of Me. I am not fussy about these things at all. Would you say I don’t know how to be particular about things? (No, God simply doesn’t care about these things.) If I wanted to be particular, I could be, and I would also know how to pick out nice things. But what is one way in which I am different from you? I approach these things correctly. I will not use My clothing and grooming to match My status just because I have it, nor use it to validate My status and worth. Whatever I buy or own, it is simply because I like it or need it, and I find it suitable for My use. I will not buy or possess something because I have status and power, or because of My worth.

I am talking with you about the topic of how the incarnate God approaches status, so that you can understand Me a bit and know exactly what My viewpoint on status is and how I approach it. Of course, what is it that I most want to tell you here? For one thing, it is necessary for you to know the difference between the incarnate God Himself and corrupt humans in how they approach status. For another, it is to allow man to accurately understand what status actually is, and how he should keep to his proper place and fulfill his responsibilities and his duty. These are the correct thoughts and views everyone should possess. With such correct thoughts and views, when it comes to your duty, your responsibilities, and even the status given to you by God’s house, you will approach these things in accordance with the truth and the principles. I have fellowshipped quite a lot with you on the topic of how the incarnate God approaches status. Some of these things you have already seen and can match up with reality. As for others, you have only heard Me speak of them but have not come into contact with Me, so you have no way to match them up with reality. Whether you have seen them or only heard the facts I have spoken of, it is enough as long as you can comprehend them correctly and believe them. If you still have doubts, then observe things in your daily life over time to see whether what I have said is factual and accurate. When you obtain confirmation, you will know what status actually means to God, how God approaches status, how this differs from the approach of ordinary corrupt humans, and what the truth is that man ought to understand or practice in this regard. Having a basic understanding of this content will enable you to better understand God and more accurately know God. Besides this, it will also help you approach the issue of status correctly, while giving you a correct viewpoint and a correct way to handle it, right? (Yes.)

Alright, let’s end our fellowship here for today. Goodbye!

October 26, 2024