Item Fifteen: Protect Important Work Personnel of All Sorts, Shielding Them From the Interference of the Outside World, and Keep Them Safe to Ensure the Various Important Items of Work Can Proceed in an Orderly Fashion

Where did we leave off last time in fellowshipping on the topic of the responsibilities of leaders and workers? (Last time, we mainly fellowshipped on the last three manifestations in the fourteenth responsibility of leaders and workers regarding discerning various types of people based on their humanity. These three manifestations are: being cowardly and suspicious, being inclined to court trouble, and having a complicated background.) We finished fellowshipping on the last three topics in the fourteenth responsibility of leaders and workers last time, so today we’ll fellowship on the fifteenth responsibility. What is the fifteenth responsibility? (“Item fifteen: Protect important work personnel of all sorts, shielding them from the interference of the outside world, and keep them safe to ensure the various important items of work can proceed in an orderly fashion.”) “Protect important work personnel of all sorts, shielding them from the interference of the outside world, and keep them safe.” This responsibility involves another aspect of the responsibilities of leaders and workers; it is also a specific item of work that leaders and workers must carry out well. What does this item of work pertain to? (It pertains to keeping God’s chosen people safe.) It involves issues of personal safety. Isn’t this topic frequently encountered in church work? Are you unfamiliar with this topic? (No.) This topic is not unfamiliar to Chinese brothers and sisters, because in the social environment of China, believers are persecuted and arrested, and they need safety guarantees in doing their duty and in all aspects of life. Therefore, this work falls within the scope of the responsibilities of leaders and workers; it is not something optional. Regardless of whether a country has religious freedom, properly arranging placements for personnel who do various important duties is a specific item of work that leaders and workers must undertake. The focus or specific requirements of this work may differ, but it basically all concerns whether the brothers and sisters can do their duties safely and securely, and whether the results of their duties can be ensured. So, do not neglect this work or consider it irrelevant to you because you live in a democratic country. Regardless of the governing system in the country in which you live or whether believers are persecuted there, this work falls within the scope of the responsibilities of leaders and workers; it is work that leaders and workers must carry out—no one is exempt, and it should not be regarded as “extra” work. Today, then, let’s fellowship on all the various issues involved in this topic.

The Scope of Important Work Personnel

First, let’s look at what is meant by “important work personnel of all sorts” mentioned in the fifteenth responsibility. Isn’t this a topic we should fellowship on? (Yes.) So, what does “important work personnel of all sorts” refer to? Let’s first establish the scope of the targets of this work. Who can speak to this? (Important work personnel of all sorts include brothers and sisters in video teams, film production teams, proofreading teams, and hymn teams, and those who do other important duties. Additionally, it includes some brothers and sisters who play key roles in various important items of work, as well as the supervisors of each team.) Who else would like to add on to this? (It also includes leaders and workers.) Leaders and workers must indeed be well protected. Who else? (There are also important personnel handling general affairs, such as finance personnel.) (And brothers and sisters who, because they believe in God and do duties, are wanted or have a police record also need protection.) This is another category, and it is a special group. Let’s summarize how many categories there are. The first category includes leaders and workers. The second category consists of personnel who are indispensable to the various items of work in God’s house, especially the team leaders and supervisors of various items of work and personnel with good caliber, spiritual understanding, and the ability to grasp principles and independently shoulder important work. There are many types of personnel handling various items of work, such as those in text-based work, hymn work, film production work, and so on, as well as those who preach the gospel, testify, or serve as gospel directors, among others. Additionally, this includes personnel handling the work of finance, safekeeping, and external affairs. These individuals play a supporting role in the church’s work and are indispensable; they are all included as part of the personnel handling various items of work. This is the second major category. The third major category includes those who engage in the dangerous work of the church. In particular, in countries with authoritarian regimes where there is no religious freedom, there are some extremely dangerous items of work, such as printing books, transporting books, safekeeping church assets, as well as hosting and arranging placements for personnel doing important duties. Who else is included? (There are also some general affairs personnel who convey information outside; the duties they do are also relatively dangerous.) These individuals are also considered to be engaged in dangerous work. However, these people are definitely not doing this work occasionally; rather, they specialize in carrying out these important and dangerous tasks, such as conveying information, distributing work arrangements, distributing all videos, films, or sermon recordings of God’s house, and so on. In authoritarian countries without religious freedom, leaders and workers must be clear about which of God’s chosen people are doing important duties and undertaking dangerous work. In short, these individuals are also one category of important work personnel, and leaders and workers must give special consideration to their safety; it cannot be overlooked. This is the third category. The fourth category is another indispensable group in church work. These individuals possess special skills and gifts, such as being adept at preaching the gospel, giving sermons, watering the church, or taking responsibility for organizing particular items of work. These individuals may be leaders and workers, supervisors for various items of work, or people engaged in dangerous work. Without such people, there would be a gap in the important work they handle, and no one else could fill their role. Therefore, these individuals should be protected, and their safety should be ensured. This is one category of people. Another category is those who, in countries where religions are persecuted, are wanted or have a police record due to their belief in God. Regardless of the scope of the warrant or the specific work they undertake within the church, as long as they are wanted because of their belief in God and for doing their duty, leaders and workers should find ways to protect them, arranging for them to be placed in relatively safe locations to do their duty. Among all countries that persecute religious faith, China’s persecution is the most severe. In various provinces and regions across China, many people have been arrested or are wanted, unable to return home. There are some similar countries across the world and on every continent that persecute religious faith like China, and in these countries, there are also those who, due to having accepted Almighty God, face persecution and are unable to return home. For those who are persecuted and unable to return home, leaders and workers should arrange for them to be placed in the full-time duty church as quickly as possible. Leaders and workers should settle them in relatively safe environments according to local conditions so that they can do their duties. This is a priority item of work that must be done well. These individuals who have been arrested or are wanted form the fifth category of personnel in need of protection. There is another category among personnel who handle various items of important work that is special. These individuals may not currently be leaders or workers, nor engaged in dangerous work, but they have previously done many duties and their work has covered a wide range. They know of many host families and also know about some personnel doing important duties. Therefore, if such individuals were to be arrested, it would also bring disaster to the church’s work. These individuals should be referred to as “people in the know,” and they should also be included among the important work personnel of all sorts. Leaders and workers should ensure their safety, for the purpose of protecting the safety of all of God’s chosen people and ensuring that the church’s work can proceed normally. Some individuals in this category in particular are quite careless; they do not know to be cautious, and they don’t have much wisdom. They always tend to act out of enthusiasm, doing things recklessly outside. Having never been arrested or tortured, they are unaware of the danger involved and the potential consequences if something were to go wrong, much less do they understand what the severity of those consequences would be. Because they believe that they are just believing in God, not doing anything bad, they don’t fear anything. As a result, after working locally for a while, they may become quite known and come under government surveillance. Doesn’t that pose a danger? Once they are arrested, if they cannot withstand the interrogation by torture, they may become Judases, selling out the brothers and sisters. This would bring enormous losses to the church and implicate other brothers and sisters, putting them at risk of arrest and imprisonment, which would seriously impact the church’s various items of work. Therefore, the church should also prioritize the protection of such individuals. If no safe place can be found locally to hide them, they should be relocated to a relatively safe place elsewhere to do their duty. This is yet another category of people. Due to the special quality of their situation, leaders and workers need to arrange placements for them, so they are also included among the important work personnel of all sorts. How many categories of people are there in total? (Six categories. The first category is leaders and workers. The second is comprised of indispensable personnel who handle various items of work in God’s house; supervisors, team leaders, and gospel directors; and those who can shoulder work. The third category is personnel engaged in dangerous church work. The fourth is those with special skills and gifts. The fifth category consists of people with police records, those being hunted, and those who are wanted. And the sixth category is people in the know.) We have basically covered all the important personnel involved in various items of work, but there is one category to add on: If any brothers or sisters in the church, due to going out to do their duty, being arrested, or facing any other unexpected situation, are unable to care for their underage children, then leaders and workers should arrange for these children to be placed in a suitable household so that they have a means of living. This is also a special item of work. Although this item of work does not pertain to the church’s work, and it only arises from a special set of circumstances, leaders and workers must take responsibility for arranging suitable placements for these underage children. If they do not have suitable relatives, or if their relatives are nonbelievers and unwilling to take them in, then the church should accept them. The church should not only arrange a suitable host family for them but also assign brothers and sisters to be responsible for their care. Once a suitable placement has been arranged for them, if they believe in God, that is certainly ideal, and when they reach adulthood, they can do their duty in the church. If they do not believe in God, then when they reach adulthood and enter society, they will no longer be connected to the church, and our responsibility will be fulfilled. We will not need to concern ourselves with their matters beyond that point. Is this appropriate? (Yes.) Although this work does not involve the church’s various items of work, it should still be included within the scope of leaders and workers’ responsibilities. If there are children of those doing their duty in the church who need placements, unless leaders and workers are unaware of the situation, they cannot ignore it. If they know about it, they should ask questions, handle it, and take on this responsibility to arrange proper placements for them. Leaders and workers should ensure that the brothers and sisters doing their duty—especially those undertaking important work—are free from concern when it comes to this matter. Carrying out this item of work well is not difficult, is it? (No, it’s not.) There are at least six categories of important work personnel. The seventh category is extra, it represents a very special type of circumstance. The various personnel outlined in the first six categories may not all be present in every pastoral area or country. However, regardless of the country, protecting leaders and workers and those doing important duties is a crucial item of work. This is an item of work that all church leaders and workers must pay attention to, and it is a responsibility they must fulfill well.

Shielding Important Work Personnel From the Interference of the Outside World

I. Safety Requirements for Host Families

Now that we’ve clarified who the important work personnel are, let’s look at the specific work leaders and workers must do—namely, protecting important work personnel of all sorts, shielding them from the interference of the outside world, and keeping them safe. So, what specific work needs to be done to effectively shield them from the interference of the outside world, for leaders and workers to be considered as having fulfilled their responsibilities? When it comes to carrying out specific work, some leaders and workers feel they are in a quandary, scratching their heads and getting all hot and bothered, unsure of how to act. There is an important principle in arranging placements for these important work personnel: They must be shielded from the interference of the outside world to ensure their safety. Whether important work personnel are placed in the homes of brothers and sisters or in rented houses, the essential point is that their safety must be ensured. Ensuring their safety means shielding them from the interference of the outside world. So, what must leaders and workers do to shield them from the interference of the outside world? It requires arranging placements for those who are doing important duties in suitable locations. Let’s look at this from two aspects: One is the internal environment of the host family, and the other is the external environment. In terms of the internal environment, first, the host must be a genuine believer, willing to host, able to keep things confidential, act with caution, and deal with the outside world wisely. If any special situation arises, they should know how to respond to it; they should be able to handle and address it proactively rather than passively. Additionally, they should have a decent reputation locally, or perhaps some prestige and connections locally. Even if they lack influence, they should at the very least be people who keep to their proper place and live decent lives and who never court trouble or attract shady individuals to their home. They should not have friends who gather to play mahjong or drink. Additionally, their relations with the outside world and with their neighbors should be relatively normal. They should not be embroiled in any disputes over debts and they should not be in conflict with their neighbors. In other words, their home environment should be relatively quiet, the host should have uncomplicated relationships, and very few outsiders should be coming around to their house to cause disturbances, and so on—all aspects should be suitable. Furthermore, the host’s children or relatives should support their belief in God, or at least not oppose their hosting brothers and sisters, and certainly not go around talking about these things recklessly. Some may say, “It’s not easy to find a host family that meets all these criteria!” This is meant to refer to finding a relatively suitable place; absolute perfection isn’t required. At the very least, the living environment should be appropriate—quiet and free from outside interference—which fulfills the requirement of shielding important work personnel from the interference of the outside world. In some host families, although not every member of the family is a believer, the person hosting has prestige within the household and makes the decisions. Their nonbelieving children or relatives do not dare to interfere with their belief in God or their hosting of brothers and sisters; even if they disagree internally, they would not dare to share this information to people outside the family. If something really does happen, they can even help provide protection. In this way, the brothers and sisters staying at this host home can also remain unaffected by the interference of the outside world. In some cases, the host is timid, being afraid that their children might expose their belief in God, that their neighbors might find out about their belief and report them, and especially that things might go south and they’ll get arrested. Once they start hosting brothers and sisters, they are on tenterhooks every day, unable to eat during the day or sleep at night, spending all day anxious and frightened, like a thief. Whenever they hear that something’s up, such as the government planning to check household registrations or government personnel coming to their home to do something under various pretexts, they become extremely afraid and constantly want the brothers and sisters to leave immediately so that they themselves won’t be implicated. When the brothers and sisters see this, they should immediately relocate, as such a place is not suitable for hosting; it may only be used as a temporary stop for a few days. If the host family’s children, relatives, or friends are evil people who, upon learning that the host is receiving believers, might come to disturb or even turn the brothers and sisters over to the police, then this is far too dangerous. Such a host family is not suitable for staying in. Some parents act like slaves before their children; they may say, “It’s fine, my children listen to me,” but in actuality, their children’s obedience depends on the situation. When their own interests are involved, the children won’t listen to them. Such a person would not dare let their children know that they are hosting brothers and sisters. If their children or relatives found out, they would certainly drive the brothers and sisters away, and the host would be unable to stop them—they don’t have the final say in their own household. Such a person is not suited for hosting; they may have the desire but lack the courage to host. Could a cowardly person really dare to host? If you cannot ensure the safety of the brothers and sisters, then you are not suited for this duty—you should not volunteer for it and you should not make empty promises to leaders and workers, nor should you accept this duty. If leaders and workers arrange placements for brothers and sisters in such a household for hosting, do you think it’s appropriate? (No.) It’s extremely inappropriate. Don’t send the brothers and sisters into the jaws of danger. It could be that the brothers and sisters were quite safe living elsewhere; if you arrange for them to be placed in this person’s home, where the children or relatives are nonbelievers and they could report them as soon as they discover believers are staying there, and thus endangering their lives, wouldn’t woe betide that host? If the host is willing to risk their life to protect the brothers and sisters in such situations and can effectively ensure their safety, and if they typically demonstrate considerable wisdom, then this host family may still be a suitable choice. However, if they cannot risk their life to protect the brothers and sisters, and, when the nonbelievers in their family threaten to report the brothers and sisters and hand them over to the police, they have no solution and can only shrink back like a turtle tucking its head into its shell, not protecting the brothers and sisters and just allowing the nonbelievers to turn them in, then this household is not suitable for hosting. If the brothers and sisters stay there temporarily for a few days, and then immediately relocate to a suitable place as soon as one is found, that is just barely tolerable. It would not be appropriate to stay long-term in such a home to do their duty. The host family must at least be able to protect the safety of the brothers and sisters—this is one requirement for a host family. For those doing their duty to avoid interference from the outside world, for one, their living environment must be suitable; additionally, the host’s own qualities must also be suitable in all regards—that is, they must be able to shield important work personnel from the interference of the outside world. Only if they are able to achieve this can leaders and workers arrange for important work personnel to be placed in their home. If the host has little faith and is incompetent and spineless, unable to have the final say in their own household, and any nonbelieving child or relative of theirs can come in and take charge over them, then this is quite troublesome. Such a place is absolutely unsuitable for hosting. Even if the house is large, with many rooms, a comfortable environment, and otherwise good conditions, it is still not suitable for hosting. A suitable living environment alone is not enough; the host must also be suitable. The key point here is that the host must first be able to ensure that the personnel doing their duties whom they are hosting are shielded from the interference of the outside world. Only then should the living environment be considered. A slightly less ideal environment is still acceptable—whether it’s a smaller space, limited internet, simpler food, or less convenient access to water. As long as the host is suitable, able to respond to danger when it arises, manage various complex situations, and especially properly handle any special circumstances that may arise to protect the safety of the brothers and sisters, then they are up to standard as a host. Our requirements for the living environment of a host family are not high; the most important thing is that it can ensure safety. There’s no need to go into details on this point.

II. Requirements for the Environment at the Site of the Residence

For the external environment surrounding the host family’s residence, whether it is safe is the first thing that the leaders and workers must consider. Regardless of the conditions of the host family or whether the residence is a brother’s or sister’s house or a rented house, it is necessary to consider whether the external environment of the residence is safe; this is the most important point. First of all, it is only suitable if this host family’s belief in God is not well-known and there are no records about their belief at the Public Security Bureau. If, in the past, when the brothers and sisters gathered there, the neighbors would report this to the government, and the government is already aware that this family frequently has gatherings with strangers, then this location is not suitable for hosting. If renting, it is also not suitable to rent the house of such a family. This is one aspect. Additionally, in some places, public security is poor, with frequent incidents of robbery, murder, and other various cases. The residents are also relatively complicated individuals, and police often go there to check household registrations and ID cards, and investigate criminal suspects, among other things. Tell Me, if you stayed in such a place, wouldn’t you frequently suffer from interference? (Yes.) Such places are also not suitable for living. The police come knocking every few days, saying that there has been a theft or murder nearby and asking for cooperation in the investigation, telling people to report immediately if they see the perpetrator. The police always come knocking on doors under the pretext of all sorts of excuses, claiming to be investigating cases, but in actuality, they are checking for outsiders and strangers—more precisely, they are looking for people who believe in God. Would you feel any sense of security staying at such a host home? (No.) Without a doubt, you would be on tenterhooks all day long. Even though these criminal incidents outside have nothing to do with the host family, you still wouldn’t feel at ease. Living in such an environment often makes you feel that your personal safety is under threat. Who knows if one day the police, upon seeing the brothers and sisters, might start questioning these strangers, and end up arresting them. Wouldn’t you say this is a frightening situation? (Yes.) Additionally, most Chinese people lack an awareness of security; as soon as they hear someone knocking, they open the door, and they also typically don’t lock their doors, which easily leads to incidents. In Western countries with freedom and democracy, private residences are considered private domains. If an outsider enters a private domain without permission, it is considered illegal, and the people living there will call the police. The intruder is then held legally responsible. Therefore, if a stranger knocks, you don’t have to open the door—you can refuse. Even if someone has scheduled a visit with you, if you aren’t ready or have changed your mind, you still don’t have to open the door; you can reschedule with them. People in Western countries have this right, they have this legal awareness. However, Chinese people lack this legal awareness. Whenever they hear a knock on the door, they hurry to open it. This shows a lack of vigilance, a lack of self-protection awareness, and an unfamiliarity with related laws. It is because China is a dictatorship, with one-party rule placed above the law, that its legal system is just a facade. The great red dragon acts with total disregard for law and order in China, recklessly committing misdeeds, and the people have no human rights whatsoever. Chinese people don’t pay attention to human rights, nor have they developed a sense of abiding by disciplinary regulations and complying with the law; in particular, they lack self-protection awareness, and most people don’t know to use the law to protect themselves. As a result, there is no guarantee of safety. In summary, in any place with poor public security, residents with complicated backgrounds and identities, frequent inspections, or frequent incidents of various criminal cases, it is easy for people to be affected by the interference of the outside world. Such a place is not suitable for staying in. This is a public security factor to consider when arranging accommodations for important work personnel.

The living environment for those who are doing their duty must be carefully selected; it is best to avoid bustling urban areas and dangerous locations. Which places are we referring to as bustling urban areas? These include places such as those near railways, highways, intersections, and markets. Especially along major railway lines, where countless trains pass each day, and the floors of nearby houses shake with each passing train. In such an environment, it is wholly impossible to find peace while doing one’s duty. Additionally, some people who have spent years doing their duty away from home live with constant anxiety, and their hearts are not in the best condition, making it even less suitable for them to live in such places. If certain work requires a quiet environment, such as recording work or text-based work, there must at least be no noise interference, and safety must also be ensured—this would be ideal. If there is no absolutely safe place, a relatively safe place must be found. In this case, a bit of noise is acceptable, and we shouldn’t set the requirements too high; as long as the living environment is safe, it will suffice. Additionally, if the house is located in a major traffic area, such as near traffic lights or an intersection, there will be countless pedestrians and vehicles passing by each day. Such a house is exposed to the view of numerous passersby, and with a casual glance, people passing by can easily see those inside. Especially when the lights are on at night, the situation inside the house is clearly visible. Would you say such a house is still acceptable for staying in? Is this environment suitable? (No, it’s not.) It is indeed not suitable. People staying in such a place frequently suffer from interference, often seeing strangers observing them. When their eyes meet those of a stranger, they get startled, feeling uneasy every day, constantly sensing they’re being watched—who knows if someone is behind it, directing and controlling things. Do you think one could feel at ease living in such an environment? Also, some houses are of poor quality with bad soundproofing, so when speaking loudly or playing hymns inside, people outside can hear everything. Additionally, some houses are located at the highest point in the community, in which case they are not only prone to lightning strikes but also allow the surrounding neighbors to see the brothers and sisters whenever they step outside. It’s inconvenient for them to even occasionally open a window for ventilation or to cool down; the windows must remain tightly closed with the curtains drawn, so no light ever gets in, and going outside to move around is even more inconvenient. There is constant worry about being observed and noticed by people outside. Although the brothers and sisters don’t come and go all at once, each time someone enters or leaves, people outside can see clearly. In the end, they will have a general idea of how many strangers live in this house. Would you say that people’s safety can still be ensured staying here? (No, it cannot.) Some people think, “Most of the time we are doing our duty indoors, and even if we go outside, we take turns and don’t go out all at once. By practicing in this way, the surrounding neighbors won’t be aware of anything.” But even if you go out in turns, it will still cause trouble if someone notices that you are a stranger. Many nonbelievers don’t lead very nice lives themselves but take particular pleasure in observing and prying into other people’s affairs. Some may even use binoculars to spy on you, watching what you do inside. If they discover that believers are gathering, they rush to report it to the government for a reward. Once such a person has set their sights on you, isn’t this a dangerous situation? (Yes.) Once they’ve set their sights on you, can anything good come of it? You’ll certainly end up being arrested! No matter the country or region, there’s never any shortage of busybodies. Even if they don’t earn a penny for monitoring you, they’re more than willing to do it—they would even pay out of pocket and delay their own work to spend time keeping watch. And if there’s a reward for reporting you, they’ll be even more eager to do so. Especially in a dictatorship like China, there are too many people monitoring those who believe in God. Because they are averse to the truth and feel aversion toward those who believe in God, as soon as they discover believers interacting together or gathering, they report it. If there’s a reward for reporting, they find tireless satisfaction in doing so. Doesn’t this easily bring trouble to the church? (Yes.) If you are being interfered with in this way, isn’t it because the leaders and workers didn’t arrange placements well? If the location and environment for placing important work personnel are unsuitable because the leaders and workers didn’t consider things thoroughly, these are the consequences that result. If the place where one lives draws too much attention, it can easily lead to things going wrong. Once something goes wrong and only then you realize that this place is not suitable for staying in, it’s already too late. Therefore, selecting a suitable living location for those doing their duty is also a key task, and poor selection can easily lead to danger.

III. How Leaders and Workers Should Do the Work of Arranging Placements for Personnel

For the living environment of important work personnel, whether it concerns the internal or external environment, leaders and workers should consider all aspects thoroughly. They shouldn’t be simplistic in their thinking, always assuming that if we don’t interact with the outside world, nothing will happen. Today’s society is incredibly complex, full of all kinds of demons, and no matter the place, there are always busybodies watching you, making it impossible to avoid their scrutiny. You might think, “I haven’t broken any laws or done anything wrong by believing in God. I’m simply doing my duty; nothing should happen to me, right?” But the facts are not as simple as you imagine. Why does the CCP expend so much manpower and resources to resist God and suppress God’s church? Can you make sense of this? You will never be able to. How much can you see through to the nature of devils and Satans? You understand far too little about devils and Satans. This society is incredibly complex, and devils and Satans are wretches that commit evil deeds. What they want most is to arrest God’s chosen people and disturb the work of the church. If you always view Satans as just ordinary people, then you are truly ignorant; it shows that you haven’t seen through the evil of this society, and you certainly haven’t seen through the hatefulness of devils and Satans. Therefore, for leaders and workers to do the church’s work well, they must ensure the safety of those doing their duty—this is of utmost importance. In a country under dictatorial rule, where there is no freedom of belief, ensuring the safety of those doing their duty is quite difficult. However, no matter how difficult it is, suitable living locations must be carefully selected; there can be no oversight in this regard. The work arrangements of God’s house have included fellowship on these matters. Leaders and workers must ensure that brothers and sisters can do their duty free from disturbance and free from the interference of the outside world—as long as they put their hearts into it, they can accomplish this. The only concern is when they act perfunctorily and irresponsibly, only looking out for their own safety while disregarding the safety of the brothers and sisters. This makes it impossible to do the church’s work well. If, due to your oversight, lack of earnestness, irresponsibility, or fear of the environment and trouble, you fail to do these things, resulting in the arrest of personnel doing important duties and threatening the lives of the brothers and sisters—which delays church work and brings harm to the brothers and sisters—then, as a leader or worker, you should bear responsibility. This responsibility cannot simply be resolved by spending some money in compensation or by confessing through prayer; it is not that simple. So, what is the nature of this matter? It is an indelible stain, an everlasting transgression—you have been given a demerit. This “demerit” does not indicate an ordinary mistake; in God’s eyes, it is a transgression. If your transgressions are too many—having committed transgressions in the past, still committing them today, and then committing more in the future—with several major transgressions combined, you will suffer perdition and destruction. God will no longer save you, and your belief in God will have been in vain. Not only will you have no hope of salvation, but you will also face punishment. Therefore, it is crucial that leaders and workers do their work according to principles! Have you memorized this? (Yes.) Leaders and workers should fulfill their responsibilities, and no matter how adverse or dangerous the environment may be, they must do everything possible according to the local conditions to protect the safety of important work personnel and properly arrange placements for them. The goal is to ensure that the church’s work can proceed normally.

In order for leaders and workers to ensure that the places arranged for important work personnel are free from the interference of the outside world, in addition to having requirements and principles for the residence and its environment, there are also requirements and principles for various aspects of the host family’s situation. When leaders and workers find a potential host family, they should first inquire about what the family’s environment and conditions are like, the situation of its members, whether they have any disputes with others, any enemies, any entanglements with the government, whether they are frequently involved in lawsuits, whether they have complicated social relationships, and so on. All these basic situations should be thoroughly inquired and learned about. If the host or their children and other family members have complicated social relationships, and the family is constantly unsettled—frequently being visited by shady individuals who come to look for trouble or to collect debts, or getting threatening letters from bandits or robbers, as well as summonses from the government or the court—these are all very troublesome matters. If you were gathering or doing your duty in this household, wouldn’t these be disturbances? Therefore, when you find this host family, you should first ask questions and learn about their basic situation. It’s best if these issues aren’t present, but if they are and you currently can’t find a more suitable place, then consider whether the host can effectively handle these problems. If the host cannot effectively handle them and cannot get rid of these chaotic issues, then this household is not suitable for hosting the brothers and sisters, as living here would mean they could suffer at any time from the interference of the outside world and outside people, events, and things. These environments are not directly targeting people who believe in God. However, believers are a particularly sensitive group in a country where religion is persecuted, and, moreover, after the government’s exhaustive efforts to spread propaganda, brainwash, fabricate rumors, and defame, nonbelievers not only fail to understand people who believe in God but even come to believe the CCP’s rhetoric, developing a particular hatred and hostility toward believers. Therefore, if they find out that a certain household is hosting believers, it becomes very dangerous both for the host family and for the brothers and sisters. When brothers and sisters live in such an environment, not only do they frequently suffer from interference but also their safety cannot be ensured. So, why continue having them live there? It is clearly a dangerous place, unsuitable for living—they should be quickly relocated. Leaders and workers should not simply arrange placements for the brothers and sisters and then wash their hands of the matter, thinking, “As long as there’s a place for them to eat and sleep, sheltered from the elements, it’s fine. As long as they can do their duty, there’s no problem. Where would we find so many suitable places anyway?” This is highly irresponsible! If no suitable place is available at the time, they can stay there temporarily, but you should immediately seek a suitable location to relocate them to as soon as possible; don’t treat this as a long-term residence.

Some leaders and workers do not carry out real work. They arrange placements for important work personnel in a certain place, ask how the food and rest conditions are, and ask if any nonbelievers have been keeping an eye on them. Upon hearing that nothing unusual has been noticed for a couple of days, they leave the matter alone, not checking in on them again for half a year or more. They believe that they have arranged placements well and fulfilled their responsibility, considering everything done and fine. As for whether the environment will later suffer from interference or if there are any potential safety risks, they pay no further attention. Is this appropriate? (No.) Why is it not appropriate? (After arranging placements, leaders and workers need to follow up. If they don’t, and the brothers and sisters find themselves in a dangerous situation and are unable to relocate, they could end up being arrested.) But some leaders and workers think, “You’re all adults—do I really need to follow up? Can’t you see if there’s danger? If you can’t, then your brains must not be working! If you notice danger, just relocate yourselves—do I really need to tell you?” They reason in this way. Do you think this reasoning makes sense? (It doesn’t.) Why not? (Because ensuring the safety of those doing important duties is inherently the responsibility of leaders and workers; it is work included in their role that they should carry out.) They don’t see this as part of the work leaders and workers should do; they think it’s simply helping the brothers and sisters, like following Lei Feng’s example of doing good deeds. They also don’t view it as being done to uphold the church’s work, seeing it instead as merely the arrangement of placements for personnel, unrelated to church work. Wouldn’t you say this is foolish? What kind of person would think this way? (A person with no sense of responsibility.) Those lazy, disloyal, irresponsible false leaders think this way. They do not uphold the work of God’s house; after arranging a place for the brothers and sisters, they think, “I arranged placements for you in such a good location—what a huge favor I’ve done for you!” They don’t see this as upholding the church’s work. As leaders and workers, if you do not properly arrange placements for important work personnel and do not effectively ensure their safety, then if they encounter danger and cannot do their duty normally, won’t the church’s work be delayed? You must first properly arrange placements for them so that their safety is ensured, and only then can they proceed to work normally. But those false leaders don’t think that way; they drop these people in a location and then ignore them, and don’t check in on them for a long time. When a dangerous situation arises and they can’t reach their leader, they have no choice but to relocate on their own. By the time their leader finds out and finally goes to check, the people are long gone, and the leader has no idea where they went. What kind of person is this? What kind of leader or worker is this? A false leader. Especially for brothers and sisters who have come from other areas and are unfamiliar with the local environment, leaders and workers even more so need to visit and follow up with them regularly. Leaders and workers shouldn’t assume that just arranging placements for them once solves everything permanently; in actuality, this work is far from complete. They need to visit and follow up with them frequently. If it’s inconvenient for leaders and workers to show their faces at the location, they should assign others to check in. At the very least, they need to follow up on this work—assess the living environment of these important work personnel, checking if there is any danger or anything unusual, or if any special circumstances have occurred, and whether relocation is needed. All of this must be learned about and followed up on. If, in the short term, this place appears to be the most suitable, that’s fine, but after a while, they should go back to check on their environment and safety, and whether they have enough food and supplies—all these details should be inquired about. It’s possible that leaders and workers may not understand the work of important work personnel, in which case they shouldn’t interfere with that aspect, but properly arranging placements for them is a responsibility of leaders and workers—failing to do so is a dereliction of their responsibility and shows they are false leaders who do not do real work. Especially for brothers and sisters coming from other areas, they even more so require extra, close attention and should not be treated carelessly. Leaders and workers should check in with them from time to time, seeing if they have any difficulties that need resolving, and whether there have been any issues or special circumstances in the environment where they are doing their duty during this time, for example, whether there has been any unusual activity involving the local government, neighborhood committee, or police station. Leaders and workers should inquire and ask about these things so they can stay well-informed. Then, leaders and workers should fellowship with the host family on principles and paths of practice for properly hosting and protecting those doing their duty, so that the host family fully understands these principles and paths of practice. This is still not the end of the matter. Leaders and workers must also visit and inquire about the situation of the host family from time to time. Any issues they detect should be resolved promptly to ensure that no problems arise. Only then is the work truly done well. If the host encounters difficulties with hosting, such as financial limitations or a lack of wisdom that makes them unable to respond to or handle situations that arise, then leaders and workers must help resolve these issues. Financial limitations are easy to resolve—God’s house can provide the funds for hosting, while the host family only needs to contribute the manpower. If the host lacks wisdom, this is a significant issue. Leaders and workers must clearly explain the necessary wisdom and a few principles of practice regarding this area. If the host still comes up short, then leaders and workers should find a wise brother or sister nearby to cooperate with the host family in carrying out this work well. If the issue lies with the host themselves—such as being timid or fearful of arrest—then leaders and workers should fellowship on the truth to offer support and help, fellowshipping God’s intentions as well as the value and significance of doing this duty. If it’s an issue with the objective environment, it must not be delayed or merely gone along with, and it definitely must not be treated carelessly; it should be resolved immediately. For example, if people have already taken notice of this place, suspicious strangers frequently come and go in the area, and it’s possible someone is monitoring the location, then this poses a hidden danger. So, relocate the brothers and sisters immediately—waiting until something goes wrong will be too late. If the situation is temporary and it’s just a normal, routine procedure, then it can still just barely be coped with: Have the brothers and sisters temporarily leave to avoid it for a day or two, and they can return later. If people have already taken notice, then staying there is no longer an option, and a permanent relocation is necessary. These are some of the detailed issues that leaders and workers need to handle and resolve in this work. This work is by no means just placing a few people in a location with food and shelter and calling it done; there are many details involved. Especially in a country like China, where the environment is particularly hostile and religious persecution is severe, leaders and workers must even more so be exceptionally attentive to and closely monitor the living environment and safety issues of important work personnel. They cannot be careless. All aspects of the specific work must be done well to ensure that the safety of these important work personnel is guaranteed and they can do their duty with peace of mind. In this way, the work is done well. This is the work that leaders and workers must do regarding host families, and there are quite a few details involved here.

Some leaders and workers, after arranging for certain important work personnel to be placed at suitable host homes, completely ignore them and do not consistently follow up on the situation of the host families. They say, “I am busy with church work every day—how could I have time to visit these people? Besides, there is a lot of other work, and it’s also quite dangerous. Doing our work is not easy!” They continually emphasize objective reasons, yet they do not want to fulfill their own responsibilities. What do you think—does this statement of theirs hold up? (No.) Why not? (In fact, doing this work does not require too much time and energy of leaders and workers. They could visit them in passing while out. And if they don’t have time, they could also arrange for nearby brothers and sisters to go visit.) If leaders and workers want to do this work well, even if their own primary work is keeping them a bit busy, they will still make time to focus on this work. If they don’t have time to go themselves, they can arrange for others to go. Whether they arrange for others or go themselves, ultimately, this work falls within the scope of responsibility for leaders and workers. Doing this work well is an important responsibility for leaders and workers, and it cannot be neglected. If leaders and workers are too busy and have no time themselves, and they also do not arrange for others to go, then no one will attend to this matter. If something goes wrong, this would be a dereliction of responsibility on the part of the leaders and workers. To prevent those who are doing important duties from suffering from the interference of the outside world, leaders and workers must take all aspects of issues into account, guaranteeing to the greatest extent possible that they can do their duties in peace and carry out the work at hand in an orderly manner. If important work personnel are well protected, it is equivalent to protecting the important work itself. When important work personnel can work normally, the important work can also proceed in an orderly manner. Therefore, the purpose of leaders and workers protecting important work personnel is, in fact, to safeguard each important item of work. If some leaders and workers say, “You are doing an important duty and I’m being asked to protect you, but I am in a leadership position, and I am not safe either. I can’t even guarantee my own safety, so how can I protect you?”—is this statement correct? (It is not correct.) What kind of comprehension do such leaders and workers have? (Their comprehension is poor; such people are selfish and prone to distortions.) They are individuals who are prone to distortions. Do individuals who are prone to distortions lack rationality? (Yes.) If these brothers and sisters were not doing their duties in God’s house but were instead working jobs and living their lives in the world, would they still need to be protected? Precisely because they are doing church work and important duties in God’s house, and because if they are arrested they may be sentenced to prison or be beaten to the point of injury or disability, severely impacting the church’s work, important work personnel must be well protected. Only in this way can the church’s work proceed in an orderly manner. If they are in some democratic countries where there is freedom of religious belief and believers in God aren’t persecuted, then this work becomes simple for leaders and workers. They basically just need to find a suitable house and, in accordance with local laws and regulations, properly arrange placements for those doing their duty. At most, they just need to ask how things are going with their daily life recently and whether the living environment violates any government regulations. If there is a violation, it is necessary to clarify what the issue is, as well as how it should be corrected and resolved. If there aren’t any violations, but the government is causing trouble, or evil people or unknown individuals are causing harassment, then it is necessary to consult a lawyer to handle these matters properly. In some free, democratic countries, at most only this kind of work is needed. However, in dictatorships where there is no freedom of religious belief, the requirements for the environment and conditions of host families must be stricter, and more work—as well as more detailed work—needs to be done regarding safety. Of course, the difficulty involved in such work is also greater. For the work of shielding important work personnel from the interference of the outside world, if every aspect of the environment is thoroughly considered, interferences stemming from the environment will be relatively reduced. If both the external environment and the internal environment are fully taken into account, then a realistic and feasible path can be found. This way, the environment can be improved to some degree, and interferences can be reduced. This approach is relatively appropriate.

Keeping Important Work Personnel Safe

I. How to Ensure the Safety of God’s Chosen People in Countries Where Faith Is Persecuted

The fifteenth responsibility of leaders and workers is, first of all, to protect important work personnel by shielding them from the interference of the outside world; additionally, leaders and workers must also keep these people safe. The requirements for keeping them safe are even stricter. Let’s first look at which aspects involve safety—what safety-related issues can you think of? To ensure the safety of those doing important duties, it is essential first to guarantee that they are not affected by the interference of the outside world—this is the minimum that must be achieved, and only on this foundation can their safety ultimately be ensured. The safety we’re talking about here simply means being able to guarantee that those doing their duties are not disturbed or arrested and can do their duties normally. It’s as simple as that. If leaders and workers cannot guarantee that those doing their duties will be shielded from interference and arrest, then there is no way for their safety to be ensured. Think about it—what should leaders and workers pay attention to in order to ensure the safety of important work personnel? First, they must arrange for important work personnel to be placed in a suitable location. What does a suitable location mean? It must meet at least two conditions. First, this location must be free from any interference from the environment. Second, it must not attract attention; only a few local brothers and sisters know that this family believes in God and hosts others, while no one else is aware. Only such a place is suitable for hosting those doing important duties. After these important work personnel move in, personal information such as each person’s name and place of origin, as well as specific situations such as the type of church work they engage in and whether they have been arrested before or are wanted by the government, should not be casually disclosed to others. The fewer people who know, the better. Because people’s stature is too small and it’s uncertain whether they could stand firm if they were arrested and imprisoned, they should have self-awareness and refrain from casually inquiring about the personal information of brothers and sisters, to avoid bringing future trouble upon themselves. The principles and wisdom in this regard should be frequently fellowshipped so that everyone understands them. This is not only beneficial to the work of God’s house but also beneficial to each individual. Therefore, leaders and workers should instruct the brothers and sisters of host families to guard their tongues and not disclose the personal information of those doing important duties to other brothers and sisters or to their nonbelieving family members. Is it necessary to do this work? (It is.) Some brothers and sisters of host families are unable to guard their tongues. For example, someone hosted a few leaders and workers, and they became familiar with these people’s personal situations, family backgrounds, and the duties they were doing. Then, they said to their children, “Look, he’s the same age as you. He has believed in God for ten years and even quit his job to do his duty. He used to work in a government department in such-and-such city, with an annual income of tens of thousands of yuan!” You see, as if they were just chatting idly, they disclosed the situation of these people doing important duties to their nonbelieving family members. There are even some who, when hosting brothers and sisters who have previously been arrested and imprisoned, tell their family members, “Look, they were in prison for years and never turned Judas. After being released, they continue to do their duty. Now the government wants to arrest them again, so they can’t go home to reunite with their families, yet they are not negative. See how great their faith is? Why can’t you believe properly?” In this way, they casually disclose important information about the brothers and sisters via the method of instructing their children. Could this lead to future troubles? (Yes.) Is this a problem? (It is.) If nothing happens because of this, fine; but once the great red dragon carries out arrests, their nonbelieving family members are the first to come out and report the brothers and sisters: “Officer! So-and-so is a leader—they’re the one you want.” The person betrayed is then arrested by the great red dragon and beaten half to death, leaving questions about whether they’ll be able to continue doing their duty or live a normal life. This is the consequence of betrayal. Isn’t this caused by the casual speech of the host? (Yes.) If important work personnel are exposed to such safety risks, doesn’t that mean leaders and workers have not done their jobs thoroughly? (Yes.) The host thinks, “Our family members are all good people; they won’t sell you out. They support belief in God—they even buy vegetables and meat when you come!” They treat their nonbelieving family members as if they were brothers and sisters, unable to clearly see what their family is capable of doing or how severe the consequences could be if they were to sell the brothers and sisters out. They are also very inquisitive about the situations of the brothers and sisters, asking, “How many years have you been doing this duty? Have you ever done any dangerous duties? Are you well-known locally as a believer in God? Have you ever been arrested?” Especially when it comes to those who are wanted or have a police record due to their belief in God and are preaching the gospel in another region or country, the host always inquires about their information, asking, “You’re wanted? Is it a local warrant, a provincial warrant, or a national warrant?” “You have a record—how many times have you been arrested? For how many years were you sentenced to prison?” They ask about these matters in extreme detail. The brothers and sisters staying in their home see that they are quite enthusiastic in hosting and that they aren’t bad people. If they don’t share this information, they feel it might seem impolite, which puts them in a difficult position. Some people feel compelled to say a few things, and after speaking, it sometimes inevitably leads to serious consequences. Therefore, leaders and workers should directly instruct the host: “There are a few rules you must follow when hosting brothers and sisters. Do not heedlessly inquire or ask questions—knowing too much about them won’t benefit you. If something happens and you can’t withstand the torment of torture, you may end up turning Judas. In that case, the information you’ve learned and grasped essentially paves the way for you to become a Judas. If that happens, it would leave you with lifelong regret, and you would ultimately face punishment. If you don’t know these details, you won’t become a Judas. So, you absolutely mustn’t inquire or try to learn about these matters. Not knowing protects you and doesn’t affect your hosting or your attainment of the truth in your belief in God. It’s best if you don’t know. You are clear that these brothers and sisters are here to do their duty and that they are not bad people or evil people, so there’s no need to inquire any further. Fulfilling your duty to host them is what’s most important, and guaranteeing their safety is enough.” This is an item of work that leaders and workers must do. Additionally, those local believers who lack a foundation in their faith and are believers in name only, those who are loose-tongued and prone to making inquiries, those who maintain close contact with government personnel, and those who immediately hide away like turtles tucking their heads into their shells when trouble arises—and who might even sell out the church and turn Judas—must absolutely not be allowed to know that host families host brothers and sisters. If some brothers and sisters are needed to help with the work of hosting important work personnel, then only those with a foundation in their belief in God and who possess wisdom should be selected to cooperate. Those without a foundation or wisdom are absolutely not suitable. So how exactly should assistance be rendered? The brothers and sisters of the host families focus on hosting at their homes, while local brothers and sisters with wisdom and faith assist from the outside by providing cover and safeguarding the environment. They should associate with influential people, stay up to date about government policies, trends, and potential operations, and promptly inform the brothers and sisters of the host families. This way, if the government initiates any arrest operations, preventive measures can be made promptly, and there will still be time for evacuation and relocation, or concealment, thus avoiding any danger. Only in this way can the safety of those doing important duties be basically ensured. In short, it isn’t okay for leaders and workers to approach this work with a simplistic mindset; thinking complexly in this regard is always better than thinking simply, because safety issues cannot be ignored—if something goes wrong, it will not be a minor issue!

There are also specific situations to pay attention to in the work of ensuring the safety of important work personnel. Some people take on risky duties, such as transporting books of God’s words, or delivering work instructions or handling the aftermath in compromised areas. Those doing such dangerous work must never live with those doing important duties, nor should they know where those individuals live or which family is hosting them. This is because those doing dangerous work are at risk of being tracked and arrested at any time. If they are caught and subjected to torture, they may betray the church, which would in turn implicate those doing important duties and the host families. Doesn’t this involve the issue of safety? If some personnel doing important duties go out to handle matters and have agreed to return in three days, but they have not returned after three days, would you say this situation is dangerous? Should the other personnel doing their duties evacuate? (Yes.) In such cases, immediate evacuation is necessary; there must be no delay and no risk taken—they can’t have a mindset of relying on luck. Some people are lazy, feel it’s troublesome, and are reluctant to evacuate, saying, “What’s the harm in waiting one more day? Maybe they were just delayed by some special situation.” Waiting one more day only increases the danger. If you evacuate and nothing happens, you can always return, and that would be no mistake. But if you don’t evacuate and wait one more day, an incident could occur, and by the time it does, it will be too late for regret. Therefore, if the brothers and sisters who went out to handle matters do not return within the agreed time, it’s possible that something went wrong. To guard against any eventuality, the related brothers and sisters should immediately evacuate and relocate to a relatively safe place. Once a suitable location is found, they can resume doing their duties normally, without it being too late. Another situation is when the person in the local church who is responsible for the work of arranging placements for brothers and sisters doing their duty is arrested by the great red dragon. What should be done in such cases? (Immediately relocate the important work personnel.) The first priority for leaders and workers is to immediately relocate these important work personnel to a relatively safe place. Above all else, their safety must be guaranteed. They should not be exposed to any risk. After relocating them, subsequent work can then be carried out. Some muddleheaded people always have a mindset of relying on luck: “So-and-so was arrested, but it’s fine; their faith is quite strong, and they’ve always been especially strong in adverse circumstances. They would absolutely never engage in betrayal. So, I can guarantee there’s absolutely no danger—there’s no need for anyone to relocate.” Are these words correct? (No.) There are also people who say, “Even if they do engage in betrayal, they will be selective about it—they’ll only betray information about unimportant matters, which definitely won’t impact your safety.” Are these words correct? (No.) These words don’t hold up! Can people see other people clearly? Even if the person in question has stature, we should avoid speaking too confidently, as no one can bear the consequences if something does go wrong. What other work is needed to protect the safety of personnel doing important duties? When they begin their duties, leaders and workers should clearly fellowship the truth principles related to doing their duty, as well as which principles and wisdom to apply when situations arise. Additionally, when they go out to do their duties, leaders and workers should assign one or two people with societal experience and wisdom to cooperate with them. Only this approach is safe and reliable. Practicing in this way can, for one thing, protect their personal safety. For another, it can help them resolve some issues they cannot resolve on their own. This will prevent certain troubles and guarantee that those going out to do their duties can carry out their work normally. For leaders and workers, guaranteeing the safety of those doing their duties is a very important item of work, especially in countries without freedom of belief. To do the church’s work well, the first priority is to guarantee the safety of personnel doing their duties, regardless of whether they are doing their duties locally or going out to do them. Only leaders and workers who can handle safety work well are fit for God’s use. Those who cannot do this work are people whose humanity is immature, and who lack insight and wisdom. It will be difficult for them to become fit for God’s use.

II. How to Ensure the Safety of God’s Chosen People in Various Countries Overseas

A. Processing the Legal Status of God’s Chosen People

In conducting church work in various countries overseas, the first priority should be to properly arrange placements for personnel doing their duties, guaranteeing their safety so they can do their duties normally. Another important matter is handling the issue of legal status, which must be attended to as soon as God’s chosen people arrive in a new country. Without legal status or if their status is not legitimate, there is always the risk of deportation, no matter how good their living environment may be. Individuals whose status is not legitimate are considered illegal residents, and these people’s safety is at risk; without their safety ensured, they cannot do their duties for long. Therefore, in overseas countries, arranging proper placements for personnel doing their duties is the first task for leaders and workers. Once their placements are properly arranged, the next step is to arrange for them to start processing their legal status. In any country, at the very least, the goal in processing legal status should be to enable brothers and sisters to reside there legally. This is also an important item of work in ensuring the safety of important work personnel. To achieve legal residency, the first requirement is that one’s status must be legal; they cannot be residing somewhere illegally. Leaders and workers should do as much as possible to arrange placements for the brothers and sisters according to the government’s regulations for legal residency. Leaders and workers can either be directly involved in this placement work or follow up on it. If there are matters they cannot see through, they should promptly seek from upper-level leaders and workers. In the absence of special circumstances, they should practice according to the church’s previous rules. Leaders and workers need to make inquiries from time to time, and if they learn that someone has issues with their legal status or any special circumstances, they should arrange for personnel handling external affairs to resolve the processing issues for the legal status of God’s chosen people. Of course, the first step is to find a few specialized lawyers to handle status processing. In hiring lawyers, precautions must be taken to avoid being duped—fake lawyers or those not specialized in processing legal status should not be hired. Leaders and workers should first of all consider these aspects related to the processing of legal status, and these matters must be arranged well. This work is also part of protecting important work personnel and ensuring their safety, so when it comes to doing this work, leaders and workers must not stand by idly. Some people say, “Arranging placements for personnel doing their duties is the work of God’s house; we only need to do it after receiving direct arrangements from the Above. If the Above doesn’t arrange it, we don’t need to bother with it, and even if something goes wrong, it has nothing to do with us. Besides, each country has different regulations on immigration and legal status; we aren’t able to handle such a major issue! Everyone has to just rely on themselves and hope for the best—if they can stay in a country, they stay; if not, they go back.” Are these words correct? (No.) What do you think of this attitude? (It is irresponsible.) In one sense, it’s irresponsible; in another, it is a manifestation of false leaders not doing real work and shirking responsibility. For leaders and workers, arranging placements for important work personnel overseas is also an important item of work. Once placements are properly arranged for them and they can do their duties normally, the immediate next step is to arrange for external affairs personnel to guide them in processing their legal status. Especially when special situations arise during the processing that brothers and sisters cannot handle, leaders and workers should think of ways to find solutions, and not ignore the issue. If there is any problem with processing legal status, it is no small matter and should be handled and resolved as early and quickly as possible. Don’t delay—what can be done today should not be put off until tomorrow; putting it off until tomorrow could lead to consequences which would be terrible beyond imagining. If leaders and workers are negligent and derelict in their responsibility, not giving urgency to the matter and delaying the best time for processing legal status, thus causing personnel doing their duties to be unable to do so normally, who bears the responsibility? These individuals made their requests to church leaders and the processing personnel, and the leaders and workers were aware, but because they either didn’t take the matter seriously or made excuses not to handle it, the legal status processing of some important work personnel was delayed, which impacted certain important items of the church’s work to some extent. So, who do you think should bear the responsibility here? (The leaders and workers.) God’s house has repeatedly emphasized this matter. The leaders and workers are not unaware of it, nor are they uninformed or lacking understanding; rather, they know about it but don’t take it seriously. As long as it doesn’t concern their own matters, as long as it’s someone else’s issues, they put it off whenever possible, ultimately delaying a matter as significant as the processing of the legal status of God’s chosen people. When consequences arise, the leaders and workers must bear the responsibility. This responsibility is not just talk—if it impacts the church’s work, especially the important work of God’s house, then the responsibility borne by the leaders and workers becomes significant. At the very least, they will be given a demerit by God, it will be a transgression—that is the consequence. If it’s something that falls to you to do, something within the scope of your responsibilities, and you don’t do it or ignore it, or delay it due to certain personal reasons, then you must bear the responsibility. Some people say, “I didn’t know how to resolve it; I didn’t have any way forward.” But did you take it seriously and seek from the upper-level leaders and workers at the first opportunity? Some others say they forgot about it because they were busy with other work. Even if they truly forgot about it due to being busy, how can they keep forgetting after someone raises the issue with them and reminds them repeatedly? What problem does this indicate? (They haven’t kept the matter of processing the legal status of the brothers and sisters in their hearts; they have no sense of burden whatsoever.) The fact that they can forget such an important matter shows that they lack a sense of responsibility and are not trustworthy. You can forget something as significant as processing the legal status of God’s chosen people—would you forget the processing of your own legal status? If you wouldn’t forget your own matters but can forget others’, it proves that you have poor character, lack love, and are selfish and base. You’ve completed the processing of your own legal status, yet you treat the processing of the brothers’ and sisters’ legal status as an ordinary, trivial matter—or even ignore it entirely—and ultimately delay the processing of their legal status, this significant matter. Can you bear that responsibility? Aren’t such leaders and workers utterly lacking in conscience and reason? They’re so selfish and base! They care only for themselves and disregard others—what problem does this indicate? Aren’t they false leaders? (Yes.) The essence of their problem is thus fully exposed. They simply don’t want to attend to the processing of the brothers’ and sisters’ legal status; they find it troublesome. In their hearts, they think, “What does processing the legal status of the brothers and sisters have to do with me?” This is the attitude with which they treat the matter of the legal status processing of the brothers and sisters, ultimately delaying this significant matter, impacting the brothers’ and sisters’ performance of duty, and impacting the church’s work. Would you say such false leaders deserve punishment? (Yes.) They should be held accountable because it was intentional; it was certainly not an accidental delay caused by objective factors. If there were a natural disaster, like an earthquake, a flood, or some major political event that interrupted transportation and communication, making it impossible to handle these matters, that would be understandable. But if none of these events occurred, and they still forgot or neglected the legal status processing of the brothers and sisters, delaying such an important matter—these individuals’ legal status—then such a leader or worker is derelict in their responsibility. They shall be given a demerit and held responsible. Do you understand? (Yes.) Seeing that you are a leader or worker, you have the responsibility to do the work you should be doing. For everything within the scope of your responsibility, you must properly handle and complete it according to the requirements of God’s house. But if you intentionally avoid doing or delay it, this is a dereliction of your responsibility, and this dereliction is a transgression. If you intentionally delay a matter and don’t handle it, your failure will eventually become a transgression, and you will be given a demerit by God. You will be held accountable for this matter.

In countries overseas, if there are certain problems with the legal status of God’s chosen people, or if their neighbors or strangers file complaints about them or report them, they may face the danger of being deported. It also may happen that some of God’s chosen people in countries overseas are detained and penalized or arrested and imprisoned by the governments of certain countries on fabricated charges. Regardless of the situation, when leaders and workers know about it, they should not act like turtles hiding in their shells; they should handle this matter at the first moment, with the ultimate goal being to ensure the safety of the brothers and sisters, not allowing them to fall into the hands of evil people. If leaders and workers only care about arranging the work of the church, but pay no attention to the matter of the processing of the legal status of the brothers and sisters, resulting in brothers and sisters being arrested or deported due to lacking legal status, what consequences are these? Haven’t such leaders and workers ruined the brothers’ and sisters’ opportunity to do their duty? Doesn’t this directly impact the work of the church? The nature of this problem is then quite serious. If the leaders and workers have not handled this matter before, they can find among the brothers and sisters someone skilled in handling external affairs to consult a lawyer to handle this matter, striving to achieve the goal of protecting the brothers and sisters and protecting the safety of important work personnel. This is also an important item of work that leaders and workers must perform overseas; local leaders and workers must take the initiative to attend to this matter. In addition to protecting the safety of local brothers and sisters, they even more so must protect the safety of foreign brothers and sisters; only in this way is there assurance for the work of the church. This is the responsibility that the leaders and workers in each country ought to fulfill toward the local brothers and sisters and foreign important work personnel; they should not stand idly by. Some leaders and workers say, “They are foreign brothers and sisters, and we are not familiar with them; there is no personal relationship between us. They were sent by God’s house to preach the gospel here—what does that have to do with us? This mishap is something they brought upon themselves; they didn’t inquire into the situation clearly before coming and didn’t handle these matters well. We have no way to intervene with this mishap; who knows what the government will do to them.” They just use various excuses to evade and avoid these matters, and do not try to find ways to step forward to resolve them. Is acting this way correct? (No.) Why not? (If the leaders and workers do not step forward to resolve these problems, and the brothers and sisters, meanwhile, have no path for resolving the problems, then trouble will certainly arise. The leaders and workers have not fulfilled their responsibility to protect the brothers and sisters—this is a dereliction of their responsibility.) The duty of leaders and workers is to fulfill each and every responsibility that leaders and workers ought to fulfill in God’s house. The scope of God’s house is not limited to the local area, the local region, or a certain country; God’s house has no national boundaries, no regional limitations. Are there racial limitations in God choosing people and saving people? (There are none.) Are there limitations of nationality or region? (There are also none.) There are none. This is the principle by which God does His work; thus, this principle is the truth! No matter which country the brothers and sisters are from, they all believe in one God, follow one God, and also eat and drink the truth that one God fellowships and supplies. They experience the work that one God does, and worship one God. Regardless of skin color or race, in God’s house and before God, they are one—they are one family. Since they are one family, there should not be distinctions among them; there should not be racial or regional limitations; there should not be divisions of “you are Asian, I am European,” or “you are White, I am a person of color”—there should not be these distinctions. If you still make these distinctions in God’s house, then it is clear that you do not regard God’s house as God’s house, and do not consider yourself a member of God’s house. Therefore, when foreign brothers and sisters encounter problems such as deportation or unlawful arrest, regardless of where they come from, what their nationality is, or what skin color they have, they are brothers and sisters—since they are brothers and sisters, when they face problems, the local leaders and workers should step forward and handle this matter in a duty-bound manner, and should not make distinctions among people. This conforms to principles, fully aligns with God’s intentions, and is the truth that people ought to practice.

Currently, many of God’s chosen people from China are going to various countries overseas to preach the gospel and testify to God. After they arrive in these countries, the first thing they must do is process their legal status before they can work with peace of mind. Processing legal status is not a simple matter; it requires the cooperation of people from the local church. Those in charge of churches in various countries should seek out some brothers and sisters who understand their country’s policies and know its laws to help God’s chosen people from China resolve the issue of processing legal status. Resolving this issue is of paramount importance. The leaders and workers of various countries’ churches should make every effort to cooperate, as only by fully resolving the issue of people’s legal status can the church’s work proceed normally; otherwise, the church’s work will be affected. Those in charge of churches in various countries should be prepared with people capable of handling such matters. Doing this benefits the church’s work and is also a manifestation of being considerate of God’s intentions. Some leaders and workers might say, “We have never handled this kind of matter, and we don’t know what to do either.” In this situation, they should seek out people who understand these types of affairs. Among God’s chosen people in each country, there are those with education and knowledge, and there are also those who understand national laws and policies. For them, handling these matters only requires a bit of consultation to find a path—isn’t that so? In handling this type of matter, you should not be passive and inactive; if you do not understand something, you should find a lawyer to consult. As long as the relevant kind of lawyer is found, there will naturally be a path. We may not understand this matter, but the lawyer will. Having a heart that seeks is the right attitude; having a heart that seeks is a manifestation of having a sense of responsibility. If certain difficulties arise, you should pray, seek, and fellowship together with one heart and mind, and after finding the principles and path to resolve the problem, you should completely resolve it. Only then can the church’s work proceed smoothly. If, when discovering a problem, leaders and workers can promptly learn about it, follow up on it, and resolve it, are they not responsible leaders and workers? (They are.) Such leaders and workers not only have a sense of responsibility but can also promptly resolve problems, which means they have hope of becoming leaders and workers who are up to standard. Regardless of their depth of understanding of the truth, if they focus on resolving problems, then they are able to do real work. At the very least, they can achieve making fewer mistakes or no mistakes; and even if they do make some mistakes, they can promptly correct them to recover some losses, ultimately achieving the goal of safeguarding the work of God’s house. Do you think fulfilling this responsibility is difficult? (No.) In fact, it is not difficult; it depends on whether people have loyalty in doing their duty and whether they can fulfill their responsibility in their work. You just need to put in some thought, spend a bit of time, and invest some energy; it does not require you to spend money or take on any risk. You just need to step forward to help resolve problems and handle matters well, and in this way, you can become up to standard. So, this is not a difficult matter, and for leaders and workers, it should be easy to achieve. But there are some people who cannot accomplish even something this easy, and it is very clear that this is not due to insufficient caliber or ability, or to conditions or the environment not allowing it, but rather because they are unwilling to do it. When special situations arise that involve the legal status or residency of important work personnel, or matters concerning their placement, leaders and workers have the responsibility to undertake this work. It does not matter who you are arranging placements for, or their nationality or race; all you need to do is accept this from God. This work is entrusted to you by God; it is your responsibility and obligation, as well as your mission. This work which you accept comes from God, not from any person, so you should not concern yourself with who these people are that you are arranging placements for. Some people might say, “Protecting the local brothers and sisters is acceptable, but it’s not our concern if foreign brothers and sisters come here.” Do people who say this have a sense of responsibility or humanity? (They do not.) They consider the local brothers and sisters as brothers and sisters, but do not consider foreign brothers and sisters as brothers and sisters—does this stand? (It does not.) Does this conform to the truth? (It does not.) Why does it not conform to the truth? (False leaders are not considerate of God’s intentions; they ignore foreign brothers and sisters, and do not step forward to handle issues when problems arise—they do not safeguard the work of God’s house.) False leaders shirk responsibility with various excuses and do not do real work. They claim they are willing to expend themselves for God and are willing to practice the truth, but when it truly comes to critical matters of the church’s work, they hide. This is being irresponsible. For all issues related to protecting the safety of brothers and sisters overseas, leaders and workers must handle them promptly, treating it as a responsibility and a task to be completed. They should not make excuses to avoid it, nor allow their neglect of this work to affect the progress of the various items of work of God’s house.

B. Providing All Brothers and Sisters With Basic Legal Knowledge

What other aspects of the work related to the safety of brothers and sisters overseas can you think of? (In overseas countries, leaders and workers also must provide all brothers and sisters with some basic legal knowledge, so they develop a sense of legal awareness and avoid engaging in activities that violate the law.) Leaders and workers should provide all brothers and sisters with basic legal knowledge and understanding of various government regulations. They should learn more about these areas from local brothers and sisters in the country they are in, such as immigration policies and policies related to daily life, and then organize brothers and sisters to study these so that they strictly adhere to national government regulations and refrain from doing anything that violates the law. In particular, God’s chosen people from China, who have been under dictatorial rule for so many years, lack legal knowledge and do not understand the importance of law. As a result, they act casually and carelessly, like uncivilized people. When they come to live overseas, they appear very ignorant and often do things that show a lack of understanding of the rules. For example, in some Western democratic countries, social order is managed very well, with regulations prohibiting noise from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.—no sounds such as dogs barking or the rumble of construction machinery are allowed. If anyone violates these regulations and is reported, the police will handle it. In mainland China, no one manages these matters; wherever there are people residing it will be wantonly noisy, with the sounds of loud music, dancing, drinking, and partying, and no one intervenes. If anyone tries to do something, they may face retaliation, so Chinese people have no choice but to endure it. Western countries are different; everyone is protected by the law. If your dog frequently barks in the middle of the night, disturbing your neighbors’ rest, they will file a complaint against you. What you are doing affects others’ normal lives, you have violated legal regulations—it is legitimate for them to use the law as a weapon to file a complaint against you. There are also people who continue construction work until 11 or 12 at night, affecting their neighbors’ rest and resulting in complaints. The police then come to issue a fine and warn them not to make noise during the designated hours. Some people even lack awareness of environmental cleanliness, littering and leaving garbage strewn all over the streets. Western democratic countries are especially orderly. Residents have set times for throwing out garbage, and garbage trucks come on scheduled days to collect it. After the collection, the streets remain clean. Those who do not understand this may litter, which is also considered a violation of regulations. This impacts public sanitation and the appearance of the city, so complaints may be filed against them. Chinese people, not following the rules, often get complaints when living overseas. After being reported many times, they develop opinions about Westerners, saying, “Westerners just love to file complaints; they file complaints over every little thing,” to which I say, “They filed complaints against you over so many matters, and you haven’t reflected on yourself but instead blame them for filing complaints. Were they right to file the complaints, then? Were the things you did right or not?” They were entirely right to file those complaints; you harmed their interests and affected their lives, so why shouldn’t they file complaints against you? This is done to safeguard social order and demonstrates that this country is governed by law; everyone is protected by the law, and the law in this country is not for show—everyone can use the law as a weapon to safeguard their own rights and interests. They are filing complaints against you because you don’t understand the law and have violated local regulations. You should first learn the local regulations and act according to laws and regulations—then, do you think they would still file complaints against you? (They wouldn’t file complaints anymore.) So why do Chinese people never file complaints, no matter how serious the matter is? (They have been oppressed by the government for too long. They don’t dare to file complaints. Chinese people also don’t have any concept of defending their rights.) China is not a country ruled by law. It is not governed according to the law. China’s laws are merely for show, and filing a complaint there is useless. If you do file a complaint, and the other party has power and influence, they may go after you. If you have no influence, you wouldn’t even dare to file a complaint; filing a complaint could easily bring trouble upon you. So when Chinese people encounter persecution—especially in cases where someone is killed—no matter how unjust the death, the matter is simply settled privately if the perpetrator pays some money. Why don’t the victim’s family members file a lawsuit? They know they would never win; it would cost a lot of money, yet they would still not obtain justice, nor would the perpetrator be brought to justice, so they choose not to pursue it legally and instead settle it privately. China’s laws are merely for show; China is not a country governed by law, with no arena for seeking justice. Filing a lawsuit is pointless. So, no matter what illegal situations Chinese people encounter, they dare not file complaints. This is because the Communist Party does nothing but commit misdeeds, is beyond reason, and does not govern according to the law. In China, as long as one is an ordinary person, no matter how serious the issue they face is, it does not count as a matter of concern in the eyes of the Communist Party—no one will address it. Things like affecting others’ rest, or even cases of theft, robbery, and burglary, are simply not considered issues by the Communist Party. In Western countries, however, it is different. The West has a democratic system and is a society ruled by law; so long as someone’s rest is affected, there will be a complaint filed, and the police will come to look into it and handle the matter. Westerners have this legal awareness and do not do such foolish things; only those who come from overseas and do not understand the rules do these foolish things. When Chinese people first begin living overseas, they often receive complaints. Over time, they learn about the local laws and regulations and no longer dare to do things that violate the law or disturb others. Therefore, leaders and workers should organize the brothers and sisters to learn about the various laws and regulations of the country they are in. No matter what they intend to do, they must first consult the law—even if raising chickens or pigs in their own yard, they should first check the government’s regulations. They can look up information online or consult with local brothers and sisters and in this way find accurate answers. In all matters in various Western countries, the government has specific regulations. For example, in construction, there are regulations on how high electrical outlets must be from the floor and how far apart each outlet must be. There are also specific standards for the thickness of stair railings and the width of stair balusters. Each step of construction is inspected by government personnel, so instances of buildings that violate construction codes or unregulated construction are rare. If residents want to build a house, a tool shed, or a small storage shed in their yard, they must obtain government approval. If they want to raise chickens or ducks, there are regulations on how far the enclosure must be from their neighbors’ property. Even if leaders and workers do not understand these laws and regulations, if church work involves these matters, then the leaders and workers must pay attention to them. They should first consult local laws and government regulations; becoming clear on these matters is beneficial to our performance of duty. Although legal matters are not directly related to the internal work of the church, providing basic legal knowledge to everyone is still beneficial. At the very least, they can gain some knowledge, understand some rules, learn how to live properly, and achieve a semblance of humanity. Additionally, leaders and workers should fellowship with those responsible for external affairs, helping them develop legal awareness. For minor matters, it is unnecessary to consult a lawyer—they only need to understand local regulations and strictly follow them. For major matters, however, they should consult a lawyer to gain an understanding of the local laws. In summary, no matter what is being done, all actions must comply with laws and regulations. Practicing in this way for a period of time will allow people to experience the importance of following laws and regulations, and they will follow rules when doing things. This is also beneficial to the work of the church.

C. Principles to Follow When Dispatching People to Preach the Gospel

In terms of protecting the safety of those doing important duties, there is another area of work that leaders and workers must attend to, which is to protect the safety of those going out to do their duty. What principles should be followed when dispatching people to go out and do their duty? First, consideration should be given to people’s age and gender, as well as their insight and experience of life—leaders and workers cannot be muddleheaded or casual in this regard. For example, if you are dispatching gospel workers to preach the gospel in an unfamiliar place, what kind of people would be suitable to dispatch? (People with some insight and wisdom.) If a certain church does not have many suitable people, with most being young people who lack experience of life and insight, who do not know how to handle situations—especially challenging problems—when they encounter them, who speak without principles, and who also lack wisdom, then they would be unable to do the work. If such people are dispatched, not only will they be unable to solve problems, but they are also likely to impact and delay the work. Therefore, when dispatching people to go out and do their duty, it is necessary to choose those with mature humanity and wisdom—only such people are suitable. If there are not enough suitable people, then let young people pair up with older people to go do their duty. For example, suppose there’s a young sister around 25 or 26 years old who, despite having believed in God for quite some time, possessing faith and stature, and having done her duty for a long time, would not know how to keep herself safe if sent to do her duty in an unfamiliar place—in such a case, it would be necessary to find a local brother or sister with experience in society to pair up with her to do the duty. Of course, if the location of a duty is a familiar area or a place where there is already a church, then young brothers and sisters can go. However, if people are going to an unfamiliar place, especially one with poor public security, to preach the gospel or do other work, then their personal safety must be considered. For leaders and workers, no matter whom they are dispatching to go out and do work, safety is the first consideration. If it is unclear what kind of people the potential gospel recipients are, or whether these people might do inappropriate things, then caution should be exercised when dispatching people to preach the gospel. In the past, I heard that some leaders and workers would often dispatch young sisters—around 18 or 19, or in their early 20s—to unfamiliar places to preach the gospel, and reportedly, some unfortunate incidents occurred. Regardless of what actually happened, ultimately it was related to the leaders and workers not being thorough in their considerations when doing the work. Leaders and workers should take these factors into account in their work and should not casually assign very young sisters or brothers to unfamiliar and dangerous places to do their duty. There was a leader who once arranged for two sisters, aged 18 or 19, to go preach the gospel. When someone said they were too young and unsuitable for this, the leader then found a 21-year-old sister to go instead, thinking, “You said 19 is too young, so I found someone who’s 21. That’s older, isn’t it?” What was this leader’s caliber like? They were prone to distortions, weren’t they? (Yes.) Being only two years older than 19—could she have had experience of life? Could she have had experience in society? When facing difficulties or dangerous situations, might she have ended up crying? Although she was two years older, in terms of age, she was still too young and not capable of taking on this work. At the very least, it is necessary to find a brother or sister who is in their 30s or 40s, or their 50s or 60s—they are older and have experience in society; when encountering situations, they have the wisdom to handle them, preventing any dangerous situations from occurring. Young people have not seen or experienced many things and do not know how to handle them; when encountering danger, they may not even realize it, which makes it easy for incidents to occur. Older people, having seen more of the wickedness in this society and this humankind, tend to be more alert to people. Based on their experience in society and knowledge from real life, they can make some reasonable judgments about what kind of danger might arise in certain situations, how high the level of danger is, which individuals are evil people, and what kinds of things certain people might do. When encountering dangerous situations, they also have the wisdom to escape danger. Young people, on the other hand, lack experience. When encountering situations, they cannot perceive the potential dangerous consequences. Therefore, when it comes to safety issues, older people are more thorough in their considerations than young people. When leaders and workers arrange for people to go out and do their duty, they should consider the local conditions and arrange for relatively older people with some wisdom and experience to partner with young people to do their duty. Leaders and workers must be thorough in their considerations of these matters.

No matter in which country church work is done, ensuring the safety of those doing their duties is an item of work that leaders and workers must pay close attention to. No matter who is dispatched to do which work, they must possess a certain caliber and have some capability in order to be competent for the work and so that their safety can be ensured; in particular, this is even more so the case in areas or countries with poor public security. Leaders and workers should regard the safety of those doing their duty as the primary consideration, not carelessly disregard it. Some people say, “It’s fine. What we are doing is performing duties in God’s house—we have God’s protection, so no one will die. What could possibly go wrong?” Is it right for them to say this? (No.) Why not? (Speaking this way is irresponsible, and this viewpoint is also very detached from reality.) People should do their utmost to fulfill the responsibilities they are able to fulfill and attend to what they are able to consider; they should not test God, or gamble with the safety of the brothers and sisters. God can protect people, but if you do not consider the problems that you are able to consider, and you use the safety of the brothers and sisters as a wager to test God, God will reveal you—who made you so extremely foolish, doing such idiotic things! Therefore, leaders and workers should not use this kind of talk as an excuse to do irresponsible things; ensuring the safety of those doing their duties is your responsibility, and you should fulfill your own responsibility. Having attended to everything you are able to consider and able to do, then as for what you have not considered, how God will act in that regard is God’s own matter and has nothing to do with you. Some people indiscriminately push all responsibility onto God, saying, “God is responsible for people’s safety, we don’t need to be afraid; we can preach however we want. With God, all is free and liberated; we don’t need to worry about those things!” Is this kind of statement correct? (No.) According to this kind of statement, people do not need to seek principles when things happen; if that were the case, what would be the use of the truth that God has expressed? It would be useless. Over these years, God has patiently and painstakingly spoken so many words to teach people, with the purpose of enabling His chosen people to know how to survive, how to pursue the truth, and how to conduct themselves in this evil world and among this evil humankind, so as to accord with God’s intentions. It is not for you to test God, nor is it for you to act however you wish according to words and doctrines and without principles. For leaders and workers to do a good job in the work of preaching the gospel, they must first and foremost guarantee people’s safety. In order to do so, they must first find out and grasp the specific circumstances of those doing their duty, dispatch suitable people, and also understand what to do in various situations to guarantee people’s safety. If a location is particularly chaotic, no one has acquaintances there, and the safety of whoever goes there to preach the gospel cannot be guaranteed, then do not dispatch people there for the time being; do not take this risk, do not make unnecessary sacrifices. No matter which duty is being done or which work is undertaken, it does not need you to strike out into the world or risk your life, nor does it need you to wager your safety or your life. Of course, in the environment of China, taking risks to do one’s duty is unavoidable. The government persecutes those who believe in God, and even knowing full well that there is danger, you must still believe in God, follow God, and do your duty; you cannot abandon your duty, and no work can be stopped. The situations in overseas countries are all different—some are authoritarian countries similar to China, while others have democratic systems. In countries with democratic systems, the work of preaching the gospel can proceed smoothly, and various items of work can also be carried out more smoothly. But in some countries with authoritarian characteristics, the people are both barbaric and backward, and it is not easy for them to accept the true way. When the gospel is preached to them, not only do they not investigate it, but they can blindly condemn it, and might even report the situation to the police. In such cases, do not dispatch people to preach the gospel there; instead, choose places where safety can be ensured to carry out the work. These are all things that leaders and workers should consider carefully. For example, in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, or India, which have very complex religious backgrounds, certain religious denominations have great influence and control the entire society, to the extent that even the governments yield to the influence of these religions. In such countries, then, do not dispatch additional people to preach the gospel there; it is sufficient for only local churches to preach the gospel. In some countries, the situation varies across different states or provinces, and the local laws and regulations differ from the national laws and regulations. For example, certain regions have special religious backgrounds, and in those regions, church and state are unified. In some cases, the religious leaders have even greater authority than local government officials and can openly violate some national policies. If you preach the gospel in such regions, there will be potential safety risks. These potential risks are not limited to fabricating rumors about you or to driving you away—they could also arrest you, lock you up in prison without charge, and even subject you to torture, crippling or killing you, and the government wouldn’t intervene. In fact, the leaders of most religious denominations hate outside religions. Because their influence is too great and they are not restrained by the law whatsoever, no one dares to hold them accountable no matter how savagely they persecute the gospel workers, and even local government officials are unwilling to offend them. Once you start preaching the gospel in their territory, they can torment you however they wish. Therefore, leaders and workers must be especially cautious when dispatching people to preach the gospel somewhere. First, they must investigate and learn about the situation in that place—whether there is freedom of belief, how powerful the religious forces are, and what consequences might occur if people preaching the gospel there are reported. These matters must be clearly understood before determining whether or not to dispatch people there. If, after learning about some place, it is determined that it is unsuitable for preaching the gospel, then no one is permitted to dispatch people there to preach. This is also a part of the work that should be done to ensure the safety of the gospel workers. Some leaders and workers have a distorted comprehension, and say, “It’s fine; God will protect us. The tougher the challenge, the more we should take it on. There are so many people who believe in the Lord in that place, so why shouldn’t we go preach the gospel there?” Someone tells them, “There are private prisons there. If we go there to preach the gospel, not only will we be detained, but we might even die there. We can’t go!” Those foolish false leaders think this over, “The great red dragon has so many prisons, but we don’t fear it—so why should we fear a bunch of private prisons over there? Prisons can hold our bodies but cannot hold our hearts! Don’t be afraid—just go!” They then dispatch wave after wave of people, and in the end, none of them return; they are all detained. The false leaders are dumbfounded. What is the problem here? (Such false leaders are blockheads.) Such false leaders are scoundrels; they are irresponsible, sending people into the jaws of danger. Why don’t they go themselves? Since they are not afraid of danger, then they should go first. If they go, return safely, and gain people, then others can go after them. No matter what, people’s safety must be guaranteed in preaching the gospel. Absolutely do not take risks in areas where it is dangerous and unsuitable for preaching the gospel. Do not assume that any place outside mainland China is safe; this is an illusion, a distorted understanding. Only ignorant people think this way—such people understand far too little about this world! Do not assume that because most Western countries have freedom of belief and there are relatively many people who believe in the Lord, you can openly preach the gospel and openly express various statements exposing how dark and evil the religious world is; if you do this, the consequences will be unimaginable. You must understand that when preaching the gospel, whether to religious people or to nonbelievers, you are facing corrupt humankind, humankind that resists God. Do not think of this matter too simplistically.

If leaders and workers want to guarantee the safety of gospel workers, they must thoroughly consider all aspects of the issue, and in the event that any problem arises, it should be promptly handled, and afterward, experiences and lessons should be summarized to find the principles and path of practice, determining how to practice going forward—this is also an important item of work that must be done. There are some matters that leaders and workers have not considered or encountered before; after problems arise, they should summarize: “Should we still go to that kind of place? Is this way of dispatching people correct? Should we adjust the plans, strategy, or direction for the next steps in preaching the gospel or doing any other important work?” In the continual process of summarizing, the leaders and workers should gradually determine the methods and principles of the work, so that the more they do the work, the more specific it is and the more it reaches the expected standard, with fewer contingencies occurring, or no contingencies occurring, or even, without making important work personnel take on any risks. To achieve this result, leaders and workers should frequently summarize experiences and gain an understanding of the various environments and situations that are faced in various regions when preaching the gospel. The more information they obtain and the more accurate it is, the more accurate the principles and plans for handling matters will be, ultimately achieving the result of ensuring people’s safety. In this way, it can be ensured that the work of preaching the gospel proceeds in an orderly manner.

III. How to Deal With Leaders and Workers Who Do Not Pay Attention to Safety Work

Some leaders and workers have poor caliber and lack a sense of responsibility; they are unable to do real work and are also too lazy to do real work. In the areas they are responsible for, those doing important duties frequently encounter safety risks, requiring them to move or relocate, making them unable to do their duty with peace of mind. Even matters that should not occur happen frequently. For example, some leader or worker finds a host house which is situated in a low-lying area. When heavy rain and flooding are expected, fearing the house will be submerged, the brothers and sisters staying there need to move in advance—taking work equipment, pots, pans, and everything else, moving for two days straight. This makes everyone terribly exhausted, with their heads hanging low in despair. They say, “We’re moving every few days, always on the run. When will this end? Can’t we find a safe and reliable house where we can do our duty normally?” Such leaders and workers cannot even shoulder this bit of work; the brothers and sisters under them can neither eat nor sleep well, nor do they have adequate accommodations. Their living conditions are always temporary, with everyone prepared to flee disaster at any time. Once they finish using their everyday items, they quickly pack them away, since at any moment the situation might arise where a household registration check is announced. In fact, everyone knows this means checking for those who believe in God, so they must be ready to relocate at any time. Consequently, those doing duty are always fearful and have no sense of security. Doesn’t this impact the results of their duty? Isn’t this related to the work that the leaders and workers are doing? (Yes.) How are they doing with this work? (They are doing it poorly, not fulfilling their responsibility.) Some leaders and workers are irresponsible and lack dedication. They themselves do not have high standards for living conditions; as long as there is a place to shield them from the wind and rain, that is enough. Therefore, they also do not make every effort to find a safe and stable place for the brothers and sisters to live. Some leaders and workers have poor caliber; they do not know what kind of environment is quiet and suitable for living, or suitable for brothers and sisters to do their duty. They rent a low-lying house that no one else wants to rent, and after the brothers and sisters move in, within a few days they develop eczema, itching all over. What is going on? The house is too damp, with water seeping up from the floor. Can anyone live in such a place? Such leaders and workers cannot even solve this problem, they cannot find a house suitable for doing duty—what kind of caliber is this? Some other leaders and workers rent houses that constantly leak rain, let in drafts, have no soundproofing, or lack internet, water, or electricity—how can anyone live there? They ignore good houses and insist on renting these deficient ones—doesn’t this impede matters? Although the brothers and sisters aren’t roughing it outdoors, many basic facilities of the house are missing; they would be better off living in a tent. Even if most brothers and sisters are accustomed to hardship, feel that enduring this level of hardship is nothing extreme, and they can tolerate it, doesn’t constantly being tormented like this every few days affect their performance of duty? Therefore, if leaders and workers have poor caliber and lack a sense of responsibility, they cannot shoulder this work; they should promptly resign and recommend someone who can do this work well to take over, so that they don’t impact the lives and the performance of duty of the majority of important work personnel. Arranging placements for those doing important duties does not require considering every single aspect, but the basic living environment must at least be ensured. Only when there is assurance in this regard will the church’s work not be affected. Is this work easy to do? (Yes.) It’s simple to just say it’s easy to do, but if leaders and workers are muddled people with poor caliber and lack any sense of responsibility, they simply cannot do it. When leaders and workers cannot do this work or cannot do it well, so many people end up suffering the consequences, living every day as if they are fleeing a famine—how can they do their duty like this? Some false leaders do not understand the truth principles yet still like to be in the limelight. They cannot do the work well but refuse to step down, clinging to their position and not leaving. How should such leaders be dealt with? (They should be dismissed.) Dismissing them is easy; the problem is whether there is someone better to take over their work. If there isn’t, can you shoulder this work? Can you guarantee that important work personnel have a stable living environment? If one person cannot handle it, can the three or five of you coordinate together to shoulder this work? If you also cannot manage this work—if you cannot even do such a simple task, being unable to even ensure a basic living environment—then you must temporarily endure a bit more hardship and suffering. If you can still persist in doing your duty, and God, seeing that your resolve to endure hardship is sufficiently firm, sends someone who handles things reliably and who can resolve problems to do the work, then your days of suffering will be over and replaced by good times. If no one like this comes to resolve these problems, then you must accept your fate—you are destined to endure hardship, you are meant to endure it; you must settle your heart and endure it. In fact, enduring this bit of hardship is worthwhile; it is much better than being in prison and suffering torture. At least you are not subjected to torture or interrogation; you can still read God’s words, do your duty, and live church life together with the brothers and sisters. Although there are some scares, setbacks, and bumps in the road, and you frequently have to relocate, this is still an extraordinary experience in your life, from which you can learn lessons and gain something. Isn’t this quite good? (Yes.) People should have the resolve to endure hardship, and let God orchestrate as He wills. If you truly cannot endure this hardship, you may earnestly pray to God in your hearts: “God, we ask You to look upon us who are suffering—how pitiable we are! We follow You with no complaints or regrets! We ask You, in view of our unwavering loyalty to You, to bring an end to this life of hardship! We ask You to send a suitable leader or worker to find us a suitable place! We are constantly roughing it outdoors, moving from place to place every day, and we don’t know how long this will continue. We don’t want to be displaced any longer—please find us a stable dwelling!” Is it appropriate to pray in this way? You may pray this way; based on the needs of the environment, you should pray this way.

Enduring hardship, when looked at from another angle, is not such a bad thing; enduring some hardship can hone your will. What does it mean to hone your will? It means that through constantly enduring this hardship, you become numb to it and no longer recognize it as hardship; no matter how much hardship you endure, you no longer feel pained. However, when confronted with situations, you must learn some lessons, gain some insight, and learn how to discern people. If a leader or worker has extremely poor caliber and cannot even do the work of arranging placements properly, how could they provide for and lead God’s chosen people? Such people are not fit to be leaders or workers. God’s house is not without money to rent houses, and it is not willing to see brothers and sisters constantly without a fixed place to live. God’s house does not advocate for people to always endure hardship or live difficult lives every day, though of course it does not shy away from people enduring any hardship either. But if leaders and workers cannot even handle the work of arranging placements, and doing anything proper is truly a struggle for them, then what is there left for them to boast about? Each and every one of them looks presentable, has diplomas, and is a person of status, yet handling this small matter is such a struggle for them. In that case, there’s nothing to be done—you can only accept it from God. This is the hardship people ought to endure; you should let God orchestrate as He wills. This is correct. Perhaps one day, this hardship will be followed by better days, and this kind of life will no longer continue. No matter what kind of environment you are in, you should maintain an attitude of submission and avoid complaining. If a certain leader or worker is unreliable and does not do the work well, do not let it affect your sincerity and loyalty to God, and do not let it affect your submission to God and attitude of submission toward God. In this way, you will have stood firm in this matter. Leaders and workers are just ordinary people. If they have poor caliber and cannot do the work, or if they are false leaders who do not fulfill their responsibility, that is their personal problem and has nothing to do with God’s house. It is not God’s house that instructed them to act this way; it is merely that they have been revealed because of their irresponsibility. They cannot complete the work entrusted to them by God’s house, and thus can only be dismissed and eliminated. In such circumstances, when God’s chosen people endure this hardship, they must accept it from God and let God orchestrate as He wills. Even if leaders and workers have not done the work well or they have any problems, the fact that God is the truth, the way, and life is forever unchanging. Your following God, submitting to God, and accepting God’s words should never change. These are eternal truths. While doing your duty, no matter what unpleasant matters arise, you should accept them from God and learn the lessons within. You should quiet yourself before God and pray to Him, and not let yourself be affected by the outside world. You must learn to adapt to various environments and learn to experience God’s work in all kinds of environments. Only in this way can you achieve life entry. Some people have small stature; when hardship arises, they complain and become worried, feeling distressed and losing faith in God—this is extremely foolish and ignorant! Leaders and workers who do not do real work have been revealed and eliminated, but what does that have to do with you? Why would you become negative and distant from God just because they arranged things inappropriately? Isn’t this utterly rebellious? (It is.) When people do something wrong, you may discern and reject them, but do not reject God or reject the truth. The truth is not wrong, God is not wrong. God’s original intent is not for people to endure such hardship; but for corrupt humankind, enduring some hardship is indeed necessary. Enduring a bit of hardship is beneficial to you; the benefit is that you learn lessons and learn to seek the truth to resolve problems. If you are able to endure various hardships, you gain some endurance, and become able to stand firm in your testimony in all kinds of environments. Being able to endure hardship hones your resolve to submit to God. This is God’s original intent and the result God wants to see in you. If you can understand God’s intentions and act and practice according to God’s intentions; if you can refrain from abandoning God no matter what kind of people or environments you encounter; and if you can learn to practice the truth, have submission to God, have a correct comprehension and attitude, maintain unchanging faith in God, and refrain from complaining about God or distancing yourself from Him in your heart, regardless of how much suffering your flesh endures; then you have stature.

Leaders and workers must protect the safety of those doing important duties, shielding them from the interference of the outside world. This work involves many details. For one thing, leaders and workers should understand how to specifically implement these detailed tasks. Additionally, when encountering certain special situations, they must make accurate judgments, then find the appropriate principles and develop specific plans for handling the situations. The ultimate goal is to ensure the safety of all sorts of important work personnel. Only in this way can it be guaranteed that the work of preaching the gospel proceeds in an orderly manner. Adhering to this principle is correct; this is the goal and principle of leaders and workers in doing this work. If leaders and workers adhere to this goal and principle accurately, then they are basically up to standard in doing this work. What other problems are involved in this work? Some people say, “I’ve never been a leader or worker before, nor have I encountered these kinds of matters. I don’t know what I should do in this work, and I don’t know how to do it. So, I don’t have to do it—who cares whether you’re safe or not? You handle it yourselves.” Is it acceptable for them to simply wash their hands of the matter? (No, it isn’t.) Such leaders and workers should be removed. If you don’t do real work, what use are you? Do we keep you around as a decoration because you look good? Leaders and workers like this must be dismissed and eliminated; they should not be allowed to occupy a position without doing any work. False leaders do not do real work—they don’t have a conscience or reason, do they? If they truly had a conscience and reason, why would they not seek the truth to resolve problems when they arise? No one is born knowing everything; everyone learns as they go. If you can seek the truth, you will find a way to do the work well. If you have a sense of responsibility, you will think of a way to do the work well. Doing leadership work is actually not difficult; as long as one can seek the truth, it is easy to do the work well. Additionally, leaders and workers have partners; as long as two or three people are of one heart and mind, any work is easy to accomplish. Currently, many leaders and workers are training; they are training in seeking the truth in all things to resolve problems. At this point, at least some leaders and workers are competent in leadership work and are fully capable of doing the work of spreading the gospel well, right? (Right.) So, we’ll fellowship up to this point for today. Goodbye!

July 20, 2024