Fellowship From the Brother Above – December 5, 2025 (Part Five)

Right now, is any leader or worker—no matter who they are and regardless of whether they are in a Chinese church or a church in other countries—perfect? No one has been perfected. Everyone is still in the process of experiencing God’s judgment and chastisement, and of being cleansed and saved. Is it appropriate to make such stringent demands of people? Now is the very time for everyone to help one another to do the church’s work well. If someone is a false leader who does no real work at all and cannot resolve any problems, then once everyone fellowships and gains clear discernment of them, they should be dismissed. If they are not a false leader, and have merely revealed some corruption but can still do some real work, they can be considered up to standard as a leader. As long as they can do some real work and do not delay the life progress of God’s chosen people, they are a leader who is up to standard, a pretty good leader. Where would you go to find a perfect leader? They simply do not exist right now. Can you see this clearly? (We can.) In the future, situations like this will appear in the churches around the world: People will report that such-and-such a leader has revealed corruption, or that such-and-such a leader is not fit for use, or that a leader didn’t handle a certain matter well. So when these things happen, how should you handle them? If you find that a leader has merely revealed a little corruption and you dismiss them and hold a new election, is that appropriate? (No, it is not.) If you do that, there will be no suitable candidates to serve as church leaders. Remember this: Churches in all countries must implement democratic elections, electing leaders and workers once a year. Holding an election every six months is not permitted, nor is holding one every two years. For example, if an election is scheduled for January this year, then elections will be held in January every year thereafter, once a year. If a church elects its leaders and workers in June this year, then the next election will be held in June of the following year. So what are the principles to be followed in these subsequent elections? Any leader or worker who can do some real work and whose work yields quite good results can be re-elected. If they have served as a leader for a year but have not done the work well, and the various items of the church’s work have not really yielded any results, then the brothers and sisters will not vote for them in the next election. They will naturally lose the election, and so they will only serve for one term. Some leaders and workers do their work quite well, so everyone votes for them year after year and they never lose an election. This shows that they possess the truth reality, does it not? (It does.) In church elections, no leader is allowed to arbitrarily designate candidates—for instance, designating that these two people will be leaders and those three will be deacons is unacceptable. What are the only circumstances, then, in which it is acceptable to designate church leaders and workers? When a church is newly established. The brothers and sisters have only just accepted this stage of work. They don’t know each other and are not familiar with one another. Only those who preached the gospel to them have some understanding of them. In this situation, the gospel workers should first do some research together to determine the candidates, and then the district decision-making group decides who the church leaders and deacons will be. In the first term, leaders and workers are appointed by designation. When the second term comes round, everyone will already be familiar with one another, so a democratic election must be held. Thereafter, democratic elections will be held every year, and leaders are not allowed to designate candidates. If someone pursues the truth, and everyone benefits and gains every time they host a gathering, the results of the church life are quite good, and everyone feels liberated and free in their spirit, then the brothers and sisters will definitely vote for them again when the elections come around, and they will continually be re-elected. If this person always has the final say when hosting gatherings, always runs a one-man show, and makes everyone listen to them, and so nobody gains any edification at all and ultimately, nobody wants to attend gatherings anymore, then when election time comes, a good person should be quickly elected to serve as a leader and replace them. If, before the election comes, this leader has already been revealed to be a false leader or an evil person, then the district decision-making group can dismiss them directly and promote a new leader according to the principles. If it happens to be time for a new election, they will naturally lose the election, which is the best outcome. Do you understand? (We do.) Then how are the district decision-making group members selected? They are selected and promoted from among the church leaders. Suppose a church leader does the church’s work particularly well and this church has much of the Holy Spirit’s work, and before a year or two have passed, the brothers and sisters are all able to share experiential testimonies and possess the truth reality. Everyone is able to be simple and open and speak from the heart, and they are all able to share true experiential testimonies. No one speaks words and doctrines, and anyone who does speak words and doctrines is reproached by everyone. Look, is the atmosphere of this church not upright? (It is.) When people possess the truth reality, the atmosphere in the church is upright. This is the result achieved when a leader who possesses the truth reality does church work. If anyone just shows off words and doctrines and speaks empty words, everyone will ignore and reject them. If they have a little conscience and reason, this won’t happen many times before they feel ashamed, and they will never do it again. An upright church atmosphere is the result achieved by the leadership of people who possess the truth reality; if people without the truth reality lead the church, they will not be able to achieve this result. Therefore, people who possess the truth reality can lead the church well, and will be candidates when district leaders are selected. How are candidates selected? First, look at which churches have the best church life, and then select candidates from among the leaders of those churches. For example, if there are ten churches in this district, and two of them have an excellent church life, then those among the leaders of these two churches who play major roles in the church work will be the district decision-making group candidates. How does that sound? (Good.) Say someone who failed to bring about a good church life when they previously served as a church leader is elected as a district leader—is that not a mistake? (It is.) If they can’t even bring about a good church life, are they qualified to be a member of a district decision-making group? They are not qualified to be a member of a district decision-making group; even making them a candidate is a mistake. So how should members of a regional decision-making group be elected? How are the candidates for a regional decision-making group selected? The principles for selecting candidates for a regional decision-making group are the same as those for electing church leaders and members of district decision-making groups. Anyone in a district decision-making group who can lead the work of all the churches in the district well, and whose work yields very good results, can become a candidate for a regional decision-making group. After electing the members of the regional decision-making group, the members of the pastoral area decision-making group are then selected from among the regional decision-making group—those whose work yields the best results are the candidates for the pastoral area decision-making group. Electing people in this way makes it less likely that false leaders and antichrists will take power, and the problem of false leaders and antichrists can be resolved from the root.

Some people say, “Are leaders and workers who have been elected according to the principles perfect?” Not necessarily. They too will reveal corruption, but at most they will have a bit of an antichrist disposition, and they will not go so far as to walk the path of an antichrist. Then, can they still become an antichrist if they do not walk the path of an antichrist? (No.) In that case, they cannot become an antichrist. Which problem is easier to resolve: the problem of being an antichrist or the problem of walking the path of an antichrist? (The problem of walking the path of an antichrist is easier to resolve.) And which is easier to resolve: the problem of walking the path of an antichrist or the problem of having an antichrist disposition? (An antichrist disposition is easier to resolve.) The problem of having an antichrist disposition is easier to resolve than that of walking the path of an antichrist. All corrupt mankind has an antichrist disposition; this is very normal. So what, primarily, does having the disposition of an antichrist involve? It involves being arrogant and conceited—this is the most serious—and it also involves having ambitions and desires. Then what are the manifestations of an antichrist? For one thing, they are especially arrogant and conceited. They are arrogant to the extreme, and they are no longer restrained by reason. For another, their ambitions and desires are particularly strong. They always want to hold greater power and control more people. When a person’s ambitions and desires are too intense, they cannot control themselves. Even if they have some reason and understand a little truth, they cannot control or restrain themselves, and they are capable of establishing an independent kingdom and doing whatever they want. Is that not so? (It is.) Remember this: An antichrist mainly has two characteristics. The first is that they are especially arrogant and self-righteous and refuse to yield to anyone. The second is that their ambitions and desires are particularly strong; they always want to hold power and do great things. These two things drive such a person to become an antichrist and establish an independent kingdom. If they only have an arrogant disposition but no ambitions and desires, then they might just reveal some corrupt dispositions through their actions, such as safeguarding their own face and status to make people look up to them. In that case, their problem is merely that of having these corrupt dispositions, and they will not go so far as to establish an independent kingdom. Once someone tries to establish an independent kingdom, the issue is no longer as simple as that of just revealing corrupt dispositions. They will do things to mislead and ensnare people, and because they want to hold power, they will turn all the coworkers around them into their own people, into people who support them and submit to them absolutely. In this way, the antichrist’s power base takes shape, and they go about establishing an independent kingdom. Therefore, the first manifestation of an antichrist is being especially arrogant and self-righteous, and always wanting to have the final say. If anyone shows this manifestation, they are at the very least walking the path of an antichrist. If their ambitions and desires are also particularly strong, and they go so far as to promote all those who support them, worship them, and walk the same path as them to be their assistants, eliminating all those who are not to their liking, then they have been revealed. They are not only capable of walking the path of an antichrist, but also capable of establishing an independent kingdom. This is how antichrists, evil demons, show themselves. Do you understand? (We do.) So how should you discern an antichrist? First, look at whether they are capable of walking the path of an antichrist. If they are especially arrogant and self-righteous, refuse to yield to anyone, and want to have the final say in everything, this will lead them to embark on the path of an antichrist. A person who embarks on the path of an antichrist cannot cooperate with others. They are particularly autocratic, and they just do whatever they want. Second, look at whether they have the ambition and desire to hold power. If they not only have an arrogant disposition but also have ambitions and desires, then they will go about establishing an independent kingdom. So what are the main things that prove that someone is establishing an independent kingdom? They regard those who pursue the truth and those who have discernment of them as thorns in their side. They exclude and suppress these people, and ultimately take them down and eliminate them. Then, they replace everyone around them with people who listen to them. Every single one of these people is at their beck and call and serves them. This is how an antichrist’s kingdom takes shape. Anyone like this is absolutely shown to be an antichrist. Look at whether any leaders or workers exclude positive individuals who pursue the truth, exclude honest people, and exclude those who submit to and love the truth. These are things that antichrists do. If a situation in which positive individuals are excluded and suppressed arises anywhere, it shows that an antichrist has appeared there. Is that clear? (It is.) For example, say someone is especially simple and honest, can practice the truth, and can also discern anyone who does not practice the truth. They can also offer people advice, and can rebuke, exhort, and help people. In some matters, they can expose people, and they do not try to maintain interpersonal relationships. Tell me, are people like this not very honest and simple? These are precisely the people who God delights in. The work of the Holy Spirit is in them, and those who have the work of the Holy Spirit are the best people. Tell me—what is the problem if people like this are excluded and suppressed in a church? (An antichrist has appeared in this church.) This kind of thing can only happen when an evil person or antichrist holds power in a church. Honest people like this are not only able to be simple and open, but also willingly practice the truth and uphold the principles. Even when faced with people who do not accept the truth, they can still uphold the principles and are not afraid of offending people. Although they have some flaws and sometimes lack wisdom, they are, without a doubt, simple and honest people. These people are treasures to the church, and they are precisely the kind of people that church leaders and workers should water and cultivate. But antichrists do not like such people. Tell me—why is that? (Because these people can discern and expose them, and threaten their status.) They can discern antichrists, discover the problems in antichrists, and expose them, so antichrists regard honest people as thorns in their side. Is that not so? (It is.) If honest people are always suppressed and excluded in a certain church, then there are definitely problems with the leaders and workers of that church. Otherwise, how could people who sincerely believe in God and are simple and honest be suppressed and excluded? This is a problem. In God’s house, it should be the honest people who prosper, but these honest people are suppressed. This is sufficient proof that an antichrist or evil person has appeared in that church. Let’s look at another problem: If people who pursue the truth and have good caliber, or who can share experiential testimonies and have a relatively deep and practical comprehension of God’s words, are suppressed and excluded, and are not promoted and cultivated, what is the problem? (The problem is also that an antichrist has appeared.) It’s the same problem. When these positive individuals are excluded and suppressed, it means that an antichrist has appeared. If the church leaders and workers were right people, it would be absolutely impossible for these positive individuals to be suppressed and excluded. Instead, it would be the negative individuals, such as antichrists, evil people, and disbelievers, who would be restricted and dealt with. By restricting these negative individuals, leaders and workers are safeguarding the work of God’s house.

Say that, in a certain church, the church life is particularly good, and the brothers and sisters can all open their hearts to fellowship on the truth, and no one causes disruptions or disturbances. How is this achieved? (Through leaders and workers who are up to standard holding power in the church.) It is achieved through positive individuals who pursue the truth holding power in this church. They can uphold the truth principles and have dealt with all the antichrists, evil people, and disbelievers. The church life is no longer disrupted or disturbed by these negative individuals. Guileless people, honest people, and those who sincerely believe in God and love the truth all hold power in the church and can all do their duty with one heart and mind—so it is natural that the church life is good. Is that not so? (It is.) Let’s take an example. Say there are twenty people attending gatherings in a church, and five of them do not love or pursue the truth. Furthermore, they always like to talk in gatherings, want to be in the limelight and spout words and doctrines. Can the church life in this church achieve good results? (No.) These five people will completely mess up the church life. So, if you want the church life in this church to improve, and you want the remaining fifteen people who are relatively fond of fellowshipping the truth and have a pure comprehension to be able to gather and fellowship on the truth normally, how should you practice? Under what circumstances can they gain liberation in their spirit, and speak and act freely without hindrance? (Of these fifteen people, two or three must cooperate with one heart and mind and lead the others in restricting those five evil people.) That’s right. Two or three of the leaders and workers must cooperate with one heart and mind to restrict the evil people. If only one person does this, they will not achieve results. Those five evil people are quite powerful when they unite. Could you, as one person, no matter how well you fellowship, overcome the strength of five people working together? Therefore, there must be two or three church leaders and workers cooperating with one heart and mind so that these five evil people can be restricted. Then what specific methods must these two or three people adopt to be able to restrict them and completely subdue them, and make them live church life obediently and properly? To start with, a warning must be issued. For example, you can say, “We need to establish some rules for our gatherings. During a gathering, no one can ramble on. No one can go off-topic or talk about external matters. In our gatherings, we all fellowship on God’s words and fellowship on the truth. If anyone wants to talk about external matters, they can go outside to talk or talk after the gathering is over. They cannot talk about them during the gathering.” Once you clearly state the rules and principles of the gathering, the evil people will behave themselves for a few days, and the guileless people and honest people who love the truth will have the opportunity to speak. Their spirits will be liberated, and they will be able to fellowship on the truth. The more they fellowship on the truth, the more enjoyable it will be. They will reap a harvest at every gathering, and then everyone will want to attend gatherings. Isn’t this sort of church life pretty good? So how was this good church life achieved? By restricting the evil people. They no longer do things that disturb the church life, good people hold power in the church, and so a good church life has emerged. But the evil people will only behave themselves temporarily. After a while, they will think, “It won’t do for you to always have the final say. I have no status in the church anymore. I need to find a way to have the final say myself.” Then the evil people will get restless again and want to rise up and do things. So what things will they do? They will try to find something to use against the church leaders. If you say something wrong or do something unreasonable, the evil people will seize upon these things and argue with you. They want to refute you and bring you down so they can hold power. Is this not a tactic commonly used by evil people? (It is.) Tell me, can any leader or worker make absolutely no mistakes? Can any leader or worker reveal absolutely no corruption? Currently, everyone has a corrupt disposition, and nobody has been cleansed, so it is impossible for anyone to make absolutely no mistakes and reveal absolutely no corruption. But when these evil people see you reveal a little corruption or do one thing wrong, they feel their opportunity has come. They seize upon these things and band together to attack and judge you, trying to crush you as a leader and make you utterly lose face. At this time, will you not lose all desire to be a leader? (Yes.) The other leader in the church sees that you have fallen and that there is no one to cooperate with them with one heart and mind, so they also lose their energy for doing their duty. In this way, the evil people’s schemes succeed. With no one to keep them in check, they run amok in the church. Tell me, what is the problem when leaders and workers do not dare to shoulder the work after evil people get leverage over them and torment them? (They are constrained by evil people.) They have fallen for the evil people’s schemes. These evil people want to beat you down, make you negative, get you to quit, and prevent you from holding power in the church so that they can hold power in the church themselves. Once evil people hold power in the church, upright practices are suppressed, and crooked and evil practices gain the upper hand. Is that not so? (It is.) Thus, the evil people begin to disturb the gatherings again. Smug and self-satisfied, they spout words and doctrines and run a one-man show, not allowing the brothers and sisters to speak. Seeing that these people are not good people and are not to be trifled with, everyone chooses to keep their mouths shut and say nothing. Tell me, can anyone gain edification when evil people brazenly spout words and doctrines in gatherings? (No.) Then there is no enjoyment in gatherings, and over time, the brothers and sisters stop attending gatherings and instead read God’s words at home by themselves. That means there is no true church life any longer. So who got church life into such a mess? (The reason is evil people causing a disturbance, but the leaders didn’t fulfill their responsibility either. They were constrained by the evil people and were not devoted to God’s commission.) For one thing, the reason is evil people causing a disturbance; this is obvious. But did these two leaders have stature? Did they overcome Satan and the evil people? (No.) Satan gets leverage over you and says you have revealed corruption, and you lose the desire to be a leader. This shows such a lack of stature. If you have truly revealed corruption, you should publicly admit your mistake, and reflect on and know yourself. Hearing this, everyone will think, “They are a good leader. When they reveal corruption, they can publicly expose it and admit their mistake. They can treat their own revelations of corruption correctly, and can accept the truth to reflect on and know themselves. Moreover, their understanding is quite deep, and they are truly remorseful and hate themselves. We don’t have such experience.” Everyone will applaud and approve of you as a leader, and those few evil people will be shamed. Will they still be able to get any leverage over you? (No.) Tell me, if leaders practice in this way, will they not bear testimony? But this leader did not do this. They fell for Satan’s schemes, feeling that because they revealed corruption they were too ashamed to face anyone and were unworthy of being a leader, so they wanted to resign. Seeing that they wanted to resign, Satan was happy, thinking, “Oh, tormenting you really achieved a result! I wanted you to resign. It’s best that you resign and take the blame. If you don’t resign, how can we take power?” Has this leader not lost their testimony? (They have.) I tell you, these things are constantly happening in churches everywhere, so you must master the principles for handling these things. Otherwise, if you fall for Satan’s schemes, there will be trouble, and it could ruin all of God’s chosen people!