I have been among you, associating with you for several springs and falls; I have lived among you for a long time, and have lived with you. How much of your despicable behavior has slipped away right in front of My eyes? Those heartfelt words of yours are constantly echoing in My ears; millions and millions of your aspirations have been laid upon My altar—too many even to be counted. However, as for your dedication and what you expend, you give not even one iota. You do not place even a tiny drop of sincerity upon My altar. Where are the fruits of your belief in Me? You have received endless grace from Me, and you have seen endless mysteries from heaven; I have even shown you the flames of heaven, but I have not had the heart to burn you. Nevertheless, how much have you given Me in return? How much are you willing to give to Me? With the food I have given to you in hand, you turn around and offer it to Me, even going so far as to say that it was something you got in return for the sweat of your own hard work and that you are offering Me all that you own. How can you not know that your “contributions” to Me are all just things that have been stolen from My altar? Moreover, now you are offering them to Me, are you not cheating Me? How can you not know that what I enjoy today are all the offerings upon My altar, and not what you have earned from your hard work and then offered up to Me? You actually dare to cheat Me this way, so how can I pardon you? How can you expect Me to endure this any longer? I have given everything to you. I have opened everything up to you, provided for your needs, and opened your eyes, yet you cheat Me like this, ignoring your consciences. I have selflessly bestowed everything upon you so that even though you suffer, you still have gained from Me everything that I have brought from heaven. In spite of this, you have no dedication at all, and even if you have made a tiny contribution, you try to “settle accounts” with Me afterward. Will your contribution not amount to nothing? What you have given to Me is a mere grain of sand, yet what you have asked of Me is a ton of gold. Are you not simply being unreasonable? I work amongst you. There is absolutely no trace of the ten percent that I should be given, let alone any additional sacrifices. Furthermore, that ten percent contributed by those who are devout is seized by the wicked. Are you not all scattered from Me? Are you not all antagonistic toward Me? Are you not all wrecking My altar? How could such people be seen as treasures in My eyes? Are they not the swine and dogs that I loathe? How could I refer to your evildoing as a treasure? For whom is My work actually done? Could it be that its purpose is just to strike you all down to reveal My authority? Do your lives not all hinge upon a single word from Me? Why is it that I am only using words to instruct you, and have not turned words into facts to strike you down as soon as I could? Is the purpose of My words and work merely to strike down mankind? Am I a God who indiscriminately kills the innocent? Right now, how many of you are coming before Me with your entire being to seek the right path of human life? It is just your bodies that are in front of Me; your hearts are still at large, and are far, far away from Me. Because you do not know what My work actually is, there are a number of you who wish to depart from Me and distance yourselves from Me, hoping instead to live in a paradise where there is no chastisement or judgment. Is this not what people wish for in their hearts? I certainly am not trying to compel you. Whatever path you take is your own choice. Today’s path is one accompanied by judgment and curses, but you should all know that all that I have bestowed upon you—whether it be judgments or chastisements—are the best gifts I can grant you, and they are all things that you urgently need.

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. You Are All So Base in Character!