Words of Almighty God of the Last Days

Many people behind My back covet the benefits of status, they gorge themselves on food, they love to sleep and give every care to the flesh, always afraid that there is no way out for the flesh. They do not perform their proper function in the church, but freeload off the church, or else they admonish their brothers and sisters with My words, constraining others from positions of authority. These people keep saying they are following God’s will and always say they are God’s intimates—is this not absurd? If you have the right motivation, but are unable to serve in accordance with God’s intentions, then you are being foolish; but if your motivation is not right, and you still say you serve God, then you are someone who opposes God, and you ought to be punished by God! I have no sympathy for such people! In the house of God, they freeload, always coveting the comforts of the flesh, and give no consideration to the interests of God. They always seek what is good for them, and they pay no heed to God’s intentions. They do not accept the scrutiny of God’s Spirit in anything they do. They are always being crooked and deceitful and cheating their brothers and sisters, being two-faced, like a fox in a vineyard, always stealing grapes and trampling over the vineyard. Could such people be God’s intimates? Are you fit to receive God’s blessings? You take no burden for your life and the church, are you fit to receive God’s commission? Who would dare trust someone like you? When you serve like this, could God entrust you with a greater task? Would this not cause delays to the work?

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. How to Serve in Harmony With God’s Intentions

The word “status” is neither a trial nor a temptation, in itself. It depends on how people handle status. If you take leadership work as your duty, as a responsibility you must discharge, you will not be constrained by status. If you accept it as an official title or position, you will be in trouble and surely fall to the ground. What, then, is the mentality one should adopt upon becoming a leader and worker of the church? Where should your pursuit focus? You must have a path! If you do not seek the truth and have no path of practice, then this status of yours will become your trap, and you will tumble down. Some people are different once they gain status, and their mentality changes. They do not know how to dress themselves up, how to talk to others, what tone to adopt, how to interact with people, or what expressions to wear. As a result, they start to construct an image for themselves. Is this not a perversion? Some people look to the hairstyles of the nonbelievers, the clothes they wear, and the qualities of their speech and bearing. They imitate them and follow the direction of the nonbelievers down this path. Is this a positive thing? (It is not.) What is happening here? Though these seem to be superficial practices, they are actually a sort of pursuit. They’re an imitation. This is not the right way. Now, you can distinguish right from wrong in these obvious images and disguises, but can you reject and rebel against the wrong? (Yes, when we’re aware of it.) This is your current stature. When these ideas are fresh in your heart, you can discern and identify them. If you are motivated to pursue status, you can moderate this desire yourself, so you won’t be like the obsessed fan who chases after their idol like a brute animal that has lost its reason. Subjectively, you can identify those ideas. You can rebel against the flesh without any temptation when you’re not surrounded by people. But what if people were to follow you, to revolve around you, to care for your daily necessities, feed and clothe you, and satisfy your every need? What feelings would stir in your heart? Would you not be enjoying the benefits of status? Would you still be able to rebel against the flesh then? When people cluster around you, when they revolve around you as if you were a star, how would you handle your status then? The things in your consciousness, that is, those things amid your thoughts and ideas—appreciation of status, enjoyment of status, greed for, or even infatuation with, status—can you examine your heart to find these things? Can you recognize them? If you can examine your heart and recognize these things inside it, could you rebel against the flesh in that situation? If you don’t have the will to practice the truth, you will not rebel against these things. You will enjoy them and revel in them. Full of self-satisfaction, you will say, “To have status as a believer in God is truly wonderful. As a leader, everyone does as I say. What a great feeling. I am the one who is leading and watering these people. They are now obedient to me. When I say go east, no one goes west. When I say pray, no one dares to sing. That’s an achievement.” You will then have started to enjoy the benefits of status. What will status be to you then? (Poison.) And though it is poison, you do not need to fear it. It is precisely in this situation that you need to have the correct pursuit and the correct methods of practice. Often, when people have status, but their work has yet to achieve results, they will say, “I don’t enjoy status, and I don’t enjoy everything that status brings me.” However, once their work shows some success, and they feel their status is secure, they lose their reason and enjoy the benefits of status. Do you believe that, just because you can recognize the temptation, you can rebel against the flesh? Do you really have that stature? The fact is that you don’t. Your recognition and rebellion are achieved by no more than human conscience and the baseline rationality possessed by man. Those are what tell you not to act in this way. It is the standard of conscience and the bit of rationality you gain from having found faith in God that help you or keep you off the wrong path. What is the context for this? It is that when you love status but have not yet obtained it, you may still possess your little bit of conscience and reason. These words can still restrain you and make you realize that the enjoyment of status is not good and does not conform to the truth, that it is not the right way, and is resistant against God, and displeasing to Him. Then, you can consciously rebel against the flesh and forgo the enjoyment of status. You can rebel against the flesh when you have no accomplishments or merits to show, but once you have done meritorious work, will your sense of shame, your conscience, your rationality, and your moral concepts restrain you? The little standard of conscience you possess comes nowhere near having a God-fearing heart, and your little faith will be of no avail at all.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Resolve the Temptations and Bondage of Status

For you, what is special about being leaders and workers? (Taking on more responsibility.) Responsibility is part of it. This is something you are all conscious of, but how can you fulfill your responsibilities well? Where do you start from? Fulfilling this responsibility well is, in fact, fulfilling one’s duty well. The word “responsibility” may sound as if there’s something special about it, but in the final analysis, it is one’s duty. For you, it is no easy thing to perform your duty well, because there are many things in front of you that obstruct you, things such as the barrier of status, which is the most difficult for you to break through. If you lack any status and are just an ordinary believer, you may face fewer temptations and it will be easier for you to perform your duty well. You can live a spiritual life every day, as ordinary people do, eating and drinking of God’s words, and fellowshipping on the truth, and performing your duties well. This is enough. If you have status, however, you must first break through the obstacle that status presents. You must pass this test first. How can you break through this barrier? This is not easy for ordinary people, because corrupt dispositions are deeply rooted in man. All people live in their corrupt dispositions and are inherently enamored of the pursuit of fame, gain, and status. After finally gaining status with such difficulty, who wouldn’t enjoy its benefits to the fullest? If you have the love of truth in your heart and have somewhat of a God-fearing heart, you will carefully and cautiously handle your status, while also being able to seek the truth in the performance of your duty. In this way, fame, gain, and status will find no place in your heart, nor will they hamper the performance of your duty. If you are too small of stature, you must pray frequently, restrain yourself with God’s words. You will have to find ways to do certain things or consciously avoid some environments and some temptations. For example, say you are a leader. When you are in the company of several ordinary brothers and sisters, will they not think you are somewhat superior to them? Corrupt mankind would see it this way, and this is already a temptation for you. This is not a trial, but a temptation! If you also believe that you are superior to them, this is very dangerous, but if you think that they are your equals, your mentality is normal and you will not be disturbed by corrupt dispositions. If you think that as the leader, your status is greater than theirs, how will they treat you? (They will look up to the leader.) Will they just look up to you and admire you, nothing more? No. They will have to speak and act on it. For example, if you catch a cold and an ordinary brother or sister also catches a cold, who will they tend to first? (The leader.) Is that not preferential? Is this not one of the benefits of status? If you get into a dispute with a brother or sister, will they treat you fairly because of your status? Will they take the side of the truth? (No.) These things are temptations you face. Can you avoid them? How should you deal with this? If someone treats you poorly, you may dislike them and consider how to attack them, exclude them, and get revenge on them, when in fact, there is nothing wrong with that person. On the other hand, some people may flatter you, and not only may you not object to it, but actually enjoy the feeling. Is that not troubling? Wouldn’t you promptly begin to promote and train your flatterer so that they become your confidant and do your bidding? If you did, what path would you be on? (The path of antichrists.) If you fall into these temptations, you are in danger. Is it a good thing to have people in your orbit all day? I’ve heard that some people, after becoming leaders, do not do their own work or solve practical problems. Instead, all they think about are the pleasures of the flesh. Sometimes they even eat food made just for them, while having others wash their soiled clothes. After a time, they wind up being revealed and eliminated. What should you do when you encounter something like this? If you possess status, people will flatter you and treat you with special consideration. If you can overcome and refuse these temptations and continue to treat people fairly, regardless of how they treat you, this proves that you are the right kind of person. If you possess status, some people will look up to you. They will always be around you, fawning and flattering. Can you put an end to this? How do you handle such situations? When you don’t need to be taken care of, but someone extends you a “helping hand” and panders to you, you might secretly rejoice, thinking that having status makes you different and that special treatment is to be enjoyed to the fullest. Do such things not happen? Is this not a real problem? When such things befall you, does your heart reproach you? Do you feel disgust and detestation? If someone doesn’t feel disgust and detestation, and doesn’t reject it, and is free at heart from accusation and blame, but instead loves to enjoy these things, feeling that it is good to have status, does such a person have a conscience? Do they possess rationality? Is this someone who pursues the truth? (No.) What does this show? This is a lust for the benefits of status. Although this does not classify you as an antichrist, you have already started down the path of antichrists. When you become accustomed to enjoying special treatment, if one day, you can no longer receive such special treatment, will you not become angry? If some brothers and sisters are poor and don’t have the money to host you, will you treat them fairly? If they tell you a truth that displeases you, will you use your power against them and ruminate on how to punish them? Will you feel displeasure when you see them and wish to teach them a lesson? Once these thoughts come to you, you are then not far from committing evil, are you not? Is it easy for people to walk the path of antichrists? Is it easy to become an antichrist? (Yes.) This is very vexing! As leaders and workers, if you do not seek the truth in all things, you are walking the path of antichrists.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Resolve the Temptations and Bondage of Status

After coming to believe in God, many people always pursue status and pursue having other people think highly of them. In God’s house, they always want to stand out from the crowd and be at the head of the flock. For the sake of these things, they forsake their families and forgo their careers, suffer hardship and pay a price, then finally they get their wish and become a leader. After becoming a leader, these people’s lives are truly different. They manifest every aspect of the image and style they used to have in their head of how people in office are, from the way they dress and make themselves up, to the way they talk and act. They learn how to talk like an official, learn how to order people around, and learn how to make people handle their private affairs for them. Simply put, they learn how to be an official. When they go to a place to be a leader, it means they are going there to be an official. What does being an official mean? That they “make an arduous effort to win office for the sake of food and clothes.” This is a matter that pertains to physical pleasures. After becoming a leader, what about their life is different from before? What they eat, wear and the things they use are different. When they eat, they are particular about it being nutritious and tasty. They are particular about the brand and style of clothes they wear. After being a leader in a certain place for a year, they have become pale and fat; they are dressed from head to toe in designer clothes; and their cell phone, computer and the appliances in their home are all from high-end brands. Did they have these conditions before they were a leader? (No.) After becoming a leader they didn’t put effort into making money, so where did they get the money to buy all these things? Did the brothers and sisters donate these things to them, or did God’s house allocate these things to them? Have you ever heard of God’s house allocating these things to every leader and worker? (No.) So, how did they get them? In any case, these weren’t things they acquired through their own hard work; rather, they were things they got after gaining status and becoming an “official”—where they enjoyed the benefits of status—by extorting others, and through fraud and seizures. In churches everywhere, were there any people like this amongst all the different ranks of leaders and workers that you came into contact with? When they first become a leader, they have nothing, but in less than three months they have high-end brand-name computers and cell phones. After becoming a leader, some people think they should enjoy a high standard of treatment—when they go out they should ride in a car; the computers and cell phones they use should be better than the ones average people use, must be a high-end brand, and when the model is old they must replace it with a new one. Does God’s house have these rules? God’s house has never had these rules, and there is not one brother or sister who thinks so. So where do these things these leaders enjoy come from? For one thing, they got these things by extorting brothers and sisters and getting rich people to buy these things for them by flying the banner of doing the work of God’s house. Besides this, they bought these things themselves by misappropriating and stealing offerings. Aren’t they scum who fraudulently acquire food and drink? Is this any different from the people in the previous few cases I shared? (No.) What do they have in common? They all used their position to embezzle offerings and get offerings by extortion. Some people say, “By working in God’s house and being a leader or worker, aren’t they qualified to enjoy these things? Aren’t they qualified to share in God’s offerings along with Him?” Tell Me, are they? (No.) If they need to buy some things to do the work of God’s house, in this case God’s house has rules which say they can buy those things, but are these people buying things within the stipulations of the rules? (No.) What do you see that shows you they are not? (If they really needed it for work, they would think something was fine so long as it could be used, but what antichrists pursue are high-end designer things, and they use the best of everything. Judging from this, we can see they are using their status to enjoy these material things.) That’s right. If it was needed for work, something would be fine so long as it could be used. Why do they need to use such fancy and expensive things? Also, when they bought these things did other people participate in the decision and agree with it? Isn’t this a problem? If other people participated in the decision, could all of them have agreed with them buying these high-end things? Absolutely not. It is very obvious that they got these things by stealing offerings. This is clear as day. Also, God’s house has a rule—whether each church is safeguarding offerings or partnering on work, it is never just one person’s job. So, why could these people, as individuals, make use of and spend offerings as they pleased? This is not in line with the principles. Isn’t the nature of these things they do that of stealing offerings? They bought these things and acquired these things without getting the agreement and approval of other leaders and workers, let alone notifying other people, and without anyone else knowing what they were doing. Isn’t the nature of this a bit like stealing? This is called stealing offerings. Stealing is cheating. Why is it called cheating? Because they bought these fancy things and obtained them by flying the banner of doing the work of God’s house. This sort of behavior is called fraud, and it is called cheating. Have I gone too far by defining it this way? Am I making a big deal out of nothing? (No.) Not only this, but after these so-called leaders stay in a place for a while, they feel out very clearly what work the brothers and sisters there do in the world, what social connections they have, and what benefits they can swindle and get from these people, and what connections they can use. For example, whichever brothers and sisters work at a hospital, for a government department, or at a bank, or whoever is an entrepreneur, whoever’s family owns a store, owns a car, or a big house, and so on, they feel those things out very clearly. Are these things within the scope of these leaders’ work? What are they doing feeling these things out? They want to use these connections, and use these brothers and sisters who have special positions in the world to do service for them, serve them, and provide them with conveniences. You think they are doing this in order to do the church’s work, and fellowship on the truth to address the difficulties of God’s chosen people? Is that what they are doing? There is an intent and an objective behind all these things they do. When true leaders and workers work, they focus on solving problems, and focus on doing the church’s work well. They pay no attention to things that have nothing to do with the church’s work. They just focus on asking who in the church is doing their duty sincerely, who is effective in their duty, who can accept the truth and practice the truth, and who is loyal in doing their duty. Then, they promote them, and investigate those people who cause disruptions and disturbances and deal with them according to principle. Only people who practice like this are true leaders and workers. Do antichrists do these things? (No.) What do they do? They do things and make preparations in order to glean desirable things for themselves, and for the sake of their own interests, but do not apply themselves to the church’s work, and do not treat it with importance. Therefore, after they gain their footing in a certain place, they have pretty much felt out which brothers and sisters can provide what services for them. For example, whoever works in a pharmaceutical factory can give them free medicine when they’re sick, and give them high-quality imported medicine; whoever works at a bank can make it convenient for them to make deposits or withdrawals; and so on. They feel all these things out very clearly. They gather these people before themselves with no regard for whether these people’s humanity is good or not. So long as these people follow them and are willing to be their helpers and wingmen, antichrists will give them desirable things, and keep them close and nurture and protect them, while these people work in order to solidify the position of these antichrists in the church, and to maintain the forces of these antichrists. So, when you want to see whether a church leader is doing real work, ask them about the real situation of the brothers and sisters in that church, and how the church’s work is going, and you will be able to see clearly whether they are actually someone who does real work. Some people feel out clearly the family matters and living circumstances of brothers and sisters in the church. If you ask them who works at a pharmaceutical factory, whose family owns a store, whose family has a car, whose family does big business, or who works at whatever local department and can do things for brothers and sisters, they can tell you exactly. If you ask them who pursues the truth, who is perfunctory in their duty, who is an antichrist, who tries to win people over, who is effective in sharing the gospel, or how many potential gospel recipients there are locally, they do not know these things. What sort of people are these? They want to use all of the social connections in the place they are, and unite them to become a small social group. Therefore, the place where these leaders are cannot be called a church. After they are done with it, it has become a social group. When these people get together, they do not open up their hearts and fellowship each other’s experiences and understanding; instead, they look at who has the stronger connections, who has a high standing in society and is very accomplished, who is well-known in society, who has influence in society, and who can provide especially convenient services and desirable things to the leader. Whoever these people are, they have standing in the leader’s heart. Isn’t this what antichrists do? (Yes.) What is it that antichrists are doing? Are they building the church? They are tearing down the church and destroying the church, and disturbing and disrupting the work of God’s house. They are creating their own independent kingdom, their own private group, and clique. This is what antichrists do.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part Five)

Some people have no status and do ordinary duties, and when they gain some qualifications, they also want to get others to serve them. Some people do a few risky duties and also want to order others to serve them. There are also some who do special duties and who regard their duties as a basic condition, a bargaining chip, and as a kind of capital with which to get brothers and sisters to serve them. For instance, some people know special professional skills which others haven’t learned or grasped. When they start doing a duty in God’s house related to these professional skills, they think they’re different from other people, that they’re being put in an important position in God’s house, that they’re now in the upper echelons, and they especially feel that their worth has doubled, and that they’re respectable. Consequently, they think that there are certain tasks they don’t need to do themselves, that it’s only natural to order others to serve them without remuneration when it comes to such daily tasks as bringing them food or doing their laundry. There are even some who use the excuse that they’re busy with their duty to get the brothers and sisters to do this or that for them. Apart from the things they absolutely must do themselves, everything else that they can make others serve them in or order others to carry out, they get other people to do. Why is this? They think, “I have capital, I’m respectable, I’m a rare talent in god’s house, I do a special duty, and I’m a primary recipient of god’s house cultivation. None of you are as good as me, you’re all on a lower level than me. I can make a special contribution to god’s house, and you can’t. Therefore, you should serve me.” Aren’t these excessive and shameless demands? Everyone harbors these demands in their hearts, but of course antichrists ruthlessly and shamelessly demand these things even more, and no matter how you fellowship on the truth with them, they won’t give them up. Ordinary people possess these manifestations of antichrists, too, and if they have a little talent or make some slight contribution, they believe they’re entitled to enjoy some special treatment. They don’t wash their own clothes and socks and get others to do this for them, and they make some unreasonable demands that go against humanity—they’re so lacking in reason! These ideas and demands people have are not within the realm of rationality; to first look at the bottom end of the scale, they do not accord with the standards of humanity and conscience, and at the top end of the scale, they do not accord with the truth. These manifestations can all be put in the category of antichrists striving for their own benefits. Everyone who possesses corrupt dispositions is capable of doing these things, and they dare to do them, too. If someone has a bit of talent and capital and makes some contribution, they then want to exploit others, they want to use the opportunity of doing their duty to strive for their own benefits, they want to have things ready-made for them and to enjoy the happiness and treatment that come from ordering others to serve them. There are even some who give up their families and jobs to do their duty, and during this time they develop some minor illness and consequently get emotional, and complain that no one is concerned about them or looking after them. You’re doing your duty for yourself, you’re doing your own duty and fulfilling your own responsibility—what does this have to do with other people? Whatever duty one does, it is never done for someone else or in the service of someone else, and so no one is under any obligation to serve others without recompense or to be ordered around by others. Is this not the truth? (It is.) Although God requires that people be loving, and that they be patient and tolerant toward others, one cannot subjectively require others to be this way, and to do so is unreasonable. If someone can be tolerant and patient toward you and show you love without you demanding this, then that’s up to them. However, if brothers and sisters serve you because you demand it of them, if they are forcibly ordered about and exploited by you, or serve you on the basis of you hoodwinking them into it, then there’s a problem with you. Some even take advantage of the opportunity to do their duty and often use it as an excuse to extort things from certain wealthy brothers and sisters, getting them to buy this or that and provide services for them. For example, if they need some more clothes, they say to a brother or sister, “You can make clothes, can’t you? Go and make me something to wear.” That brother or sister says, “Get your wallet out then. You buy the material and I’ll make you something.” They don’t get their money out but instead coerce the brother or sister into buying the material for them—isn’t the nature of this act deceptive? Exploiting the relationship between brothers and sisters, exploiting their own capital, exploiting the opportunity to do their duty to demand all kinds of services and treatment from brothers and sisters, to order brothers and sisters to labor for them—these are all the manifestations of antichrists’ inferior character.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part Four)

Ordinary people may lack such power and status, but they, too, wish to make others hold a favorable view of them, and for people to have a high estimation of them, and elevate them to a high status in their hearts. This is a corrupt disposition, and if people do not understand the truth, they are incapable of recognizing this. Corrupt dispositions are the hardest of all to recognize: Recognizing your own faults and shortcomings is easy, but recognizing your own corrupt disposition is not. People who do not know themselves never talk about their corrupt states—they always think that they are okay. And without realizing it, they start to show off: “Through all my years of faith, I have undergone so much persecution and suffered so much hardship. Do you know how I overcame it all?” Is this an arrogant disposition? What is the motivation behind putting themselves on display? (To make people think highly of them.) What is their motive in making people think highly of them? (To be given status in such people’s minds.) When you are given status in the mind of someone else, then when they are in your company, they are deferential toward you, and especially polite when they talk to you. They always look up to you, they always let you go first in all things, they give way to you, and they flatter and obey you. In all things, they seek you out and let you make decisions. And you get a sense of enjoyment from this—you feel that you are stronger and better than anyone else. Everyone likes this feeling. This is the feeling of having status in someone’s heart; people wish to indulge in this. This is why people vie for status, and all wish to be given status in others’ hearts, to be esteemed and worshiped by others. If they could not derive such enjoyment from it, they would not pursue status. For example, if you do not have status in someone’s mind, they would engage with you on an equal footing, treating you as an equal. They would contradict you when necessary, they would not be courteous or respectful toward you, and might even leave before you have finished speaking. Would you feel put out? You do not like it when people treat you like this; you like it when they flatter you, look up to you, and worship you at every moment. You like it when you are the center of everything, everything revolves around you, and everyone listens to you, looks up to you, and submits to your direction. Is this not a desire to reign as a king, to have power? Your words and actions are driven by the pursuit and acquisition of status, and you contend, grasp, and compete with others for it. Your goal is to seize a position, and have God’s chosen people listen to you, support you, and worship you. Once you have taken hold of that position, you have then acquired power and can enjoy the benefits of status, admiration from others, and all other advantages that come with that position. People are always disguising themselves, showing off in front of others, putting on appearances, putting up a front, and embellishing themselves to make others think they are perfect. Their aim in this is to gain status, so they can enjoy the benefits of status. If you don’t believe this, think it over carefully: Why do you always want to make people think highly of you? You want to make them worship you and look up to you, so you can eventually take power and enjoy the benefits of status. The status that you so desperately seek will bring you many benefits, and these benefits are precisely what others envy and desire. When people get a taste of the many benefits status confers, it intoxicates them, and they indulge in that luxurious life. People think only this is a life that has not been squandered. Corrupted humanity delights in indulging in these things. Therefore, once a person attains a certain position and begins to enjoy the various benefits it brings, they will relentlessly lust after these sinful pleasures, even to the point of never letting them go. In essence, the pursuit of fame and status is driven by the desire to bask in the advantages that come with a certain position, to reign as a king, to exert control over God’s chosen people, to have dominion over everything, and to establish an independent kingdom where they can luxuriate in the benefits of their status and indulge in sinful pleasures. Satan uses methods of all kinds to deceive people, dupe them, and play them for fools, giving them false impressions. It even uses intimidation and threats to make people admire and fear it, with the ultimate goal of making them submit to it and worship it. This is what pleases Satan; this is also its goal in competing with God to win people over. So, when you fight for status and reputation among other people, what are you fighting for? Is it really for renown? No. You are actually fighting for the benefits that renown brings you. If you always want to enjoy those benefits, then you will have to fight for them. But if you do not value those benefits and say, “It doesn’t matter how people treat me. I am just an ordinary person. I am not worthy of such good treatment, nor do I desire to worship a person. God is the only One I should truly worship and fear. Only He is my God and my Lord. No matter how good someone may be, how great their abilities, how vast their talent, or how magnificent or perfect their image, they are not the object of my reverence because they are not the truth. They are not the Creator; they are not the Savior, and they cannot orchestrate or reign sovereign over man’s destiny. They are not the object of my worship. No human person deserves my worship,” is this not in accordance with the truth? Conversely, if you do not worship others, how should you treat them if they begin to worship you? You must find a way to stop them from doing so, and help them break free from such a mentality. You must find a way to show them your true face, and let them see your ugliness and true nature. The key is to make people understand that no matter how good your caliber is, how highly you are educated, how knowledgeable you are, or how intelligent, you are still just an ordinary person. You are not an object of admiration or worship for anyone. First and foremost, you must stand firm in your position, and not withdraw after making mistakes or embarrassing yourself. If, after making mistakes or embarrassing yourself, you not only fail to acknowledge it, but also use deception to conceal or sugarcoat it, then you compound your error and make yourself appear even more ugly. Your ambition becomes even more apparent.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. The Principles That Should Guide One’s Conduct

The moment an antichrist gains status, then there’s no holding them back—they see other people as things to be trampled underfoot, and in everything they do they want to steal the limelight, to take full advantage. They strive to gain the upper hand in everything they do, as well as when they speak. Whatever seat they sit in, they want it to be special. Whatever treatment they enjoy in God’s house, they want it to be better than what anyone else receives. They want everyone to think more highly of them and have a higher opinion of them than anyone else. When they don’t have status, they want to snatch it, and as soon as they do have status they become incredibly arrogant. Anyone speaking to them must gaze up at them, no one can walk side-by-side with them, and instead must stay one or two steps behind; no one can speak to them too loudly or too harshly, use the wrong words, or look at them in the wrong way. They will nitpick all, and will have something to say about them. No one can offend them or criticize them; instead, everyone must be respectful to them, fawn on them, and flatter them. Once an antichrist gains status, they will act arbitrarily and willfully everywhere they go, and show off so that others will esteem them. Not only do they revel in status and really value the esteem of others, material pleasures are also particularly important to them. They want to stay with hosts that provide the best treatment. No matter who their host is, they have particular demands regarding what they eat, and if the food isn’t good enough, they’ll find a chance to prune their host. They refuse to accept any substandard pleasures—their food, clothing, lodging, and transportation must all be a cut above, average will simply not do. They cannot accept things that are the same as what the regular brothers and sisters receive. If others are getting up at 5 or 6 a.m., they will get up at 7 or 8 a.m. The best food and items must be reserved for them. Even the offerings that people make must be sifted through by them first, and they’ll keep whatever is nice or valuable, or whatever catches their eye, and leave the leftovers for the church. And there’s one other, most disgusting thing that antichrists do. What is it? Once they have status, their appetite grows, their horizons broaden, and they learn to enjoy themselves, after which they develop a desire to spend money, to consume, and consequently want to have to themselves all the money the church uses for its work, to allocate it however they like, to control it according to their wishes. Antichrists particularly revel in this kind of power and this kind of treatment, and once they do have power, they want to sign their name on everything, like all the checks and various agreements. They want to enjoy that feeling of incessantly scribbling their signature with a pen, of squandering money like water. When an antichrist does not have status, no one can see these manifestations in them, or that they are this type of person, that they have this kind of disposition, that they would do such things. But as soon as they gain status, this all gets revealed. If they are elected in the morning, by that afternoon they become incredibly arrogant, they stick their nose up in the air, their head swells, and they have no regard for ordinary people. The change happens very quickly. But actually, they have not changed—they have just been revealed. They put on these arrogant airs, and what are they going to do? They want to live off the church, to indulge in the benefits of status. Any time someone puts out a spread of delicious food they begin scarfing it down, while demanding health supplements to maintain that stinking flesh of theirs. Antichrists reveling in special privileges often occurs; there are just differences in terms of the degree of severity. When any person who clings to fleshly pleasures becomes a leader, they want to revel in special privileges. This is the disposition of antichrists. The moment they gain status, they become completely different. They keep all the pleasures and special treatment that come along with status firmly and securely in their sights, in their grasp, and will not let go of, loosen their grip on a single shred of them, or allow any bit of them to slip away. Which of these manifestations and practices of antichrists is acting according to the truth principles? Not a single one. Each and every one of them is nauseating and loathsome to behold; not only are their practices and manifestations not in line with truth principles, but they certainly don’t possess the slightest bit of conscience, reason, or a sense of shame. When antichrists have status, aside from recklessly committing misdeeds and working on their own power and status, they not only fail to do anything that would benefit the church’s work or the brothers’ and sisters’ life entry, they also revel in the benefits of status, fleshly pleasures, and people looking up to them and venerating them. Some antichrists even find people to serve them, having the tea they drink served to them by others, having the clothes they wear washed by others, and even having a particular person who scrubs their back when they bathe, and one who waits on them when they eat. Worse still, some even have a set menu for each of the day’s three meals, and on top of this, they want to take health supplements, and to have all kinds of different soups boiled for them. Do antichrists have shame? No, they do not! Would you say that it is somewhat lenient to simply prune that type of person? Will pruning them make them feel shame? (It won’t.) So, how can this issue be resolved? It is quite simple. After pruning, expose them, and let them know what they are. Whether or not they yield to this, they should be dismissed and everyone should reject them.

—The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Eleven

Corrupt man loves to pursue status and enjoy its benefits. This holds for any person, whether you presently have status or not: It is exceedingly difficult to abandon status and be rid of its temptations. This requires much cooperation on man’s part. What does such cooperation entail? Mainly, seeking the truth, accepting the truth, understanding God’s intentions, and clearly penetrating the essence of problems. With these things, one will have the faith to overcome the temptation of status. In addition, you must think of effective ways to rid yourself of temptation and satisfy God’s intentions. You must have paths of practice. This will keep you on the correct path. Without paths of practice, you will often fall into temptation. Though you will want to take the right path, your efforts will not come to much in the end, no matter how hard you try. So, what are the temptations you often encounter? (When I achieve some success in performing my duty and win the high regard of the brothers and sisters, I feel self-satisfied and enjoy this feeling greatly. Sometimes I don’t realize it; sometimes I do realize that this state is wrong, but I still can’t rebel against it.) That is a temptation. Who else will speak? (Because I am a leader, our brothers and sisters sometimes give me special treatment.) That is also a temptation. If you are not conscious of the temptations you encounter, but handle them poorly and can’t make the correct choices, these temptations will bring you to grief and misery. As an example, say the brothers’ and sisters’ special treatment of you includes the material perks of feeding you, clothing you, housing you, and providing your daily necessities. If what you enjoy is nicer than what they give you, you’ll look down on it, and you may spurn their gifts. However, if you met a rich man and he gave you a fine suit of clothes, saying that he does not wear it, could you stand firm in the face of such temptation? You might think over the situation, saying to yourself, “He is rich, and these clothes mean nothing to him. He doesn’t wear them anyway. If he doesn’t give them to me, he’ll just pack them away somewhere. So, I will keep them.” What do you make of that decision? (They are already enjoying the benefits of status.) Why is this enjoying the benefits of status? (Because they accepted fine things.) Is it enjoying the benefits of status just to accept the fine things offered to you? If you are offered something ordinary, but it is just what you need and so you accept it, does this also count as enjoying the benefits of status? (Yes. Whenever they accept things from others to satisfy their own selfish desires, it counts.) It seems you’re not clear on this. Have you ever thought about this: If you were not a leader and had no status, would he still offer this gift? (He wouldn’t.) He certainly would not. It is because you are a leader that he makes this gift to you. The nature of the thing has changed. This is not normal charity, and herein is the problem. If you asked him, “If I were not a leader, but simply an ordinary brother or sister, would you make such a gift to me? If this item were needed by a brother or sister, would you give it to them?” He would say, “I couldn’t. I can’t give things willy-nilly to anyone. I give it to you because you are my leader. If you did not have this special status, why would I give you such a gift?” Now see how you have failed to understand the situation. You believed him when he said he had no use for that fine suit of clothes, but he was deceiving you. His purpose is to have you accept his gift so that, in the future, you will be good to him and afford him special treatment. This is the intention behind his gift. The fact is that you know in your heart that he would never give you such a gift if you had no status, but you still accept it. With your tongue, you say “Thanks be to God. I have accepted this gift from God, it is God’s benevolence to me.” Not only do you enjoy the benefits of status, but you also take enjoyment in the things of God’s chosen people, as though they were your proper due. Is this not shameless? If man has no sense of conscience and lacks all shame, then that is the problem. Is this just a matter of behavior? Is it simply wrong to accept things from others and right to refuse them? What should you do when you encounter such a situation? You must ask this giver of gifts if what they are doing conforms to the principles. Say to them, “Let us look for guidance from God’s word or the administrative decrees of the church and see if what you are doing is in line with principles. If not, I cannot accept such a gift.” If those resources inform the giver that their action violates the principles but they still wish to give you the gift, what should you do? You must act according to principles. Ordinary people can’t overcome this. They long eagerly for others to give them more, and they wish to enjoy more special treatment. If you are the right kind of person, you should immediately pray to God when faced with such a situation, saying, “Oh God, what I’m faced with today is certainly a sign of Your goodwill. It’s a lesson You’ve set out for me. I’m willing to seek the truth and act according to the principles.” The temptations facing those with status are too great, and once a temptation comes, it is hard indeed to overcome. You need the protection and assistance of God; you must pray to God, and you must also seek the truth and frequently reflect on yourself. In this way, you will feel grounded and at peace. However, if you wait until after you receive such gifts to pray, will you still feel such groundedness and peace? (Not anymore.) What will God think of you then? Will God be pleased by your actions, or will He detest them? He will detest your actions. Is the problem simply one of whether you accept a thing? (No.) So, where is the problem? The problem lies in the opinions and attitude you adopt when confronting such a situation. Do you decide for yourself or do you seek the truth? Do you have any standard of conscience? Do you have a God-fearing heart at all? Do you pray to God whenever you encounter the situation? Do you first seek to satisfy your own desires, or do you first pray and seek God’s intentions? You are revealed in this matter. How should you handle such a situation? You must have principles of practice. First, externally, you must refuse these special material considerations, these temptations. Even when you are offered something you especially desire or precisely the thing you need, you must likewise refuse it. What is meant by material things? Food, clothing, and shelter, and items for daily use are all included. These special material considerations must be refused. Why must you refuse them? Is doing so merely a matter of how you act? No; it’s a matter of your cooperative attitude. If you want to practice the truth, satisfy God, and shun temptation, you must first have this cooperative attitude. With this attitude, you will be able to shun temptation, and your conscience will be at peace. If you are offered something you want and you accept it, your heart will feel the reproach of your conscience, to some degree. However, due to your excuses and self-justifications, you will say that you ought to be given this thing, that it’s your due. And then, the pangs of your conscience won’t be so accurate or evident. Sometimes, certain reasons or thoughts and views may sway your conscience, so that its pangs are not obvious. So, is your conscience a reliable standard? It is not. This is an alarm bell that warns people. What kind of warning does it give? That there’s no security in relying on feelings of conscience alone; one must also seek the truth principles. That is what’s reliable. Without the truth to restrain them, people can still fall into temptation, giving various reasons and excuses that let them satisfy their greed for the benefits of status. Therefore, as a leader, you should adhere in your heart to this one principle: I will always refuse, always shun, and absolutely reject any special treatment. Absolute rejection is the prerequisite for shunning evil. If you possess the prerequisite for shunning evil, you are already under the protection of God to some degree. And if you have such principles of practice and hold fast to them, you are already practicing the truth and are satisfying God. You are already walking the correct path. When you are walking the correct path and already satisfying God, do you still require the test of your conscience? Acting according to principles and practicing the truth is higher than the standards of conscience. If someone has the determination to be cooperative and is able to act according to principles, they have already satisfied God. This is the standard God requires of men.

—The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Resolve the Temptations and Bondage of Status