Fellowship From the Brother Above – August 15, 2025 (Part One)

We can all see now that the disasters are growing ever greater, and that the great catastrophes that will destroy humankind are fast approaching. Under these circumstances, how we who follow Almighty God should pursue the truth and step onto the right track of faith in God has come to be of the utmost importance. Yesterday, I watched a video from the church in Brazil and I saw that the mental state of God’s chosen people there is very good. Their faces all glowed with joy and liberation, and there was no trace of sorrow or negative emotions. God also watched this video, and He said, “Their mental state is much better than before. It seems they are certain of this stage of work and have gained some knowledge of themselves. This means they can enter the right track of faith in God.” Entering the right track of faith in God means that people have gained knowledge of God’s work, are certain of it, and that their corrupt dispositions have undergone some changes. In the last days, Almighty God performs the work of judgment by expressing the truth in order to cleanse people’s corrupt dispositions, enabling them to achieve dispositional change, and to bear witness to, submit to, and worship God. When people experience the work of judgment and achieve these results, they are able to enter the right track of faith in God. This is a truth of visions that people who believe in God should understand. The work God does in the last days is the work of judgment, which is different from the work of redemption in the Age of Grace. So, what is the biggest difference between these two stages of work? In the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus performed the work of crucifixion to redeem humankind. In the Age of Grace, God’s greatest and most evident principle of work was to act out of love and show mercy, forgiving people time and again, pardoning them time and again, and being tolerant and patient with them time and again, while also bestowing abundant grace upon them. The disposition God primarily revealed in the Age of Grace was one of mercy and lovingkindness. Therefore, no matter what sins those who believed in the Lord committed, so long as they confessed, they could receive the Lord’s forgiveness. This was the work done by the Lord Jesus in the Age of Grace. But the work Almighty God does in the Age of Kingdom is different from that of the Lord Jesus. In the Age of Kingdom, God performs the work of judgment and chastisement to cleanse humankind. So, what is the disposition that Almighty God reveals? (One of righteousness, majesty, and wrath.) The disposition God primarily reveals in the Age of Kingdom is one of righteousness, majesty, and wrath, with wrath being displayed at the very end. And what does this wrath involve? It involves condemnation, curses, and punishment. God will use disasters to punish and destroy all who resist Him. This is wrath. So, in the Age of Kingdom, how should people walk the path of faith in God? Would it be acceptable to walk the same path that people walked in the Age of Grace? (No.) Those who believed in the Lord during the Age of Grace all emulated Paul, toiling and working based on their enthusiasm and their own will. What do you think are the consequences of walking such a path? They come to feel worthy of bargaining with God. Just as Paul said in the end, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:7–8). What did he mean by this? He meant: “I have labored and worked for the Lord, so the Lord must bestow upon me a crown of righteousness. If He doesn’t, He is not a righteous Lord.” You see, just because they’ve done a little work and expended themselves a bit, such people dare to try coercing and extorting God. In what way do such people have any conscience or reason? Are they not devils? (They are.) Therefore, the path walked by those who believed in God during the Age of Grace was wrong and condemned by God. So, if you were to emulate the path walked by people in the Age of Grace now, what would be the consequences? (We would be condemned and punished by God.) The Lord Jesus said: “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and in Your name have cast out devils, and in Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22–23). What did the Lord Jesus mean by this? He meant that the Lord does not acknowledge the faith of or know those who labored and worked based on their enthusiasm and their own will in the Age of Grace. His attitude toward them is: “Depart from Me, you that work iniquity.” Some people say, “But wasn’t Peter made perfect in the Age of Grace? Peter must have met with God’s approval, right?” It is true that Peter met with God’s approval. In the Age of Grace, only Peter gained God’s approval. But you must not forget that Peter was only made perfect by God in the last seven years of his life. During those seven years, he underwent hundreds of trials, and only when his corrupt disposition was completely cleansed and transformed was he made perfect by God. So what was the path that Peter walked before those seven years? He walked the path of pursuing the truth. He focused on knowing himself, on practicing love for God, and on his own life entry. Therefore, he had some life experience, and was able to provide for the church well and do some real work. The path Peter walked and his service were in line with God’s intentions. In the Age of Grace, only Peter was cleansed and achieved perfection. God approved of him, saying that throughout the ages, he had come to know God best. So, tell me, how is knowledge of God achieved? Is it achieved by understanding the Bible? (No.) If knowing God could be achieved by understanding the Bible, then in the Age of Grace, Paul, who understood the Scriptures best, and many doctors of theology, who also understood it very well, should have known God best. Yet God said that they worked iniquities, and that He did not know them. He only said that Peter knew Him best. What is the reason for this? By what standard does God assess whether people know Him? God does not assess people based on how much they know about the Bible or on the number of theological theories they understand, but on whether they have experienced God’s trials and perfection and thereby gained true knowledge of Him. This is the standard God uses to assess people. If you have experienced many trials and refinements and have been made perfect by the Holy Spirit, and from this you have come to understand the truth and stand firm in your testimony, then you know God best. Therefore, possessing biblical knowledge does not mean that one knows God. It can be said that the more biblical knowledge people have, the worse their corrupt dispositions become. Why do I say this? Who can see through this matter? (The more biblical knowledge people have, the more arrogant they become, and the more likely they are to use the words and regulations of the Bible to delimit God’s work. Therefore, the more biblical knowledge people have, the worse their corrupt dispositions become, and the more likely they are to resist God.) That’s right. Having more biblical knowledge cannot enable people to understand the truth and know God. In fact it’s quite the opposite, and it causes them to fail to know themselves, and become increasingly arrogant, conceited, and full of themselves, to the point that they ultimately do evil, resist God, and suffer His punishment. The Pharisees are a classic example of this.

Tell me, are the pastors and elders of the religious world sent or used by God? (No.) They are not. So where does their power and status to serve God come from? Some get it by studying at a seminary and obtaining a certificate, while others are appointed by the government. Regardless of how they become pastors and elders, it is not testified to by the Holy Spirit, much less revealed from Heaven. It can be said that these people are absolutely not sent or used by God for being in accordance with His intentions. So in what way do they serve God? On what basis do they serve Him? Do they do so to satisfy God and complete His commission? This is worth pondering! Tell me, if such people become leaders, pastors, or elders, can they accept this commission from God? Not necessarily. The first thing they’re likely to think is: “Now that I’ve become the leader and pastor of this church, this church is mine. I call the shots in the work, and because I am the leader and pastor, the people of this church will all have to listen to me.” Tell me, is this way of thinking correct? (No.) This is where things go wrong. I see that some leaders and workers in God’s house think this way. When God’s house promotes them to church leader or district leader, they think, “God’s house has promoted me. This is from God and permitted by God, so I must have the final say in these churches. I am the boss. I must be in charge.” Is this view correct? (No.) If a person has this view, then they are truly lacking in reason. So what is the correct way to treat God’s commission? How does a person who truly has reason treat God’s commission? First, such a person will think, “God has entrusted this church to me and asked me to lead those of His chosen people who are here. This is God’s exaltation and grace. These of God’s chosen people were predestined and chosen by God. If I cannot bring them before God and into the truth reality, then this will be a dereliction of my responsibilities, and it’ll mean that I haven’t done my duty well or fulfilled my responsibility. In this I would be rebelling against God and letting Him down to the greatest degree!” If such a person comes to see this matter clearly, then their attitude toward God’s commission will become correct, and they will come to have reason in their work. They think, “This is the work of God’s house, and the work of God’s house is God’s own work, so God has the final say in this work, not me. I am merely doing my duty and fulfilling my responsibility in God’s work. I cannot bring the work of God’s house under my own power and have the final say in it. I should let God and the truth reign sovereign. I must also have God’s chosen people participate in fellowshipping and resolving the church’s problems along with me. I will accept anything that is in line with the truth, no matter who says it. If what I say does not conform to the truth, God’s chosen people should not accept it, and if what I say violates the truth, God’s chosen people should expose and reject me.” If people can treat God’s commission this way, then they are fulfilling their responsibilities and doing their duties from the position of a created being, and they are completing God’s commission. Whatever you do, do not treat God’s chosen people of this church or district as being under your management and control, and do not try to force them to listen to you. If you do, not only will you be lacking in reason, but you could also be condemned as an antichrist, and that would be trouble. Is this not the case? (It is.) A person who truly has reason is not only able to treat God’s commission from the position of a created being, but after working for a while, they can also reflect on themselves, “In my time as a church leader, have I done any real work? Have God’s chosen people received any help or provision from me? Have God’s chosen people entered the right track of faith in God? Have they come to know themselves? Can they discern negative things? Can they discern heresies and fallacies? If the brothers and sisters have not entered into these truth realities, then I have not done well in my primary responsibilities of serving God, my leadership is not up to standard, and I have been derelict in my responsibility. If this is the case, no matter how much hardship I have suffered or how great a price I have paid, it is useless, and God will not give His approval.” If people can reflect on themselves in this way, they have reason. Furthermore, if they discover that some brothers and sisters have good caliber, that their comprehension of the truth is purer than their own, that their views on things are more accurate, and that they also have God-fearing hearts, they will not become jealous of these people with talents and abilities, nor will they suppress or exclude them for the sake of their own status. They will say, “I am truly not as good as them. I must promote them as soon as possible. Regardless of who it is that is better than me, I will support them and have them do more duties and work to make up for my shortcomings. This way, the work of God’s house can be done even better.” You see, they consider the work and interests of God’s house. Is this not something a person with reason can do? (It is.) This is what people with reason are like. When such people see brothers and sisters who are better than them, they can promptly promote them and cooperate with them with one heart and mind to do the work well. This is like when the Lord Jesus first began His work in the Age of Grace, and He asked John to baptize Him. John felt that he was unworthy, but the Lord Jesus spoke to him from His heart, saying: “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). These words are so good! The Lord did not look at people’s status, but at how to cooperate with them with one heart and mind to complete God’s commission. Is that not the case? (It is.)

Tell me, at what point do people begin to step onto the right track of faith in God? Is it when they become certain of the truths of visions, or is it when they focus on life entry and come to know themselves? (It is when they focus on life entry and achieve knowledge of themselves.) That’s right. When people focus on life entry and on experiencing the judgment and chastisement of God’s words and gain some knowledge of themselves, they begin to step onto the right track of faith in God. The first result achieved by experiencing the judgment and chastisement of God’s words is being able to know oneself. Once people have knowledge of their corrupt dispositions, they will feel a sense of burden for their own life entry. This is because the more they compare themselves against the truth, the more they discover just how deeply corrupted they are, and they feel, “I am so corrupt. I am arrogant, self-righteous, crooked, and deceitful. My intention to gain blessings is deep-rooted and unshakeable. My being able to forsake and expend myself is just because I’m trying to bargain with God for the blessings of the kingdom of heaven. My corrupt disposition is really severe!” When they realize these things, what change will occur in their hearts? (In their hearts they will come to hate their corrupt dispositions, and they will feel that they are not yet true humans, and thus they will want to quickly pursue the truth and dispositional change.) Yes, that’s how it is. When people know themselves to this extent, they feel, “My corrupt disposition is so severe that I could do evil and resist God at any time and place. It won’t be easy for me to attain salvation. It seems that I still have a long way to go on the path of believing in God and attaining salvation. This definitely isn’t something that can be achieved in three to five years. I must quickly pursue the truth and enter the truth reality to achieve dispositional change!” In their heart, they feel that pursuing the truth is a long and arduous task. This is having a sense of burden for one’s life entry, is it not? (It is.) So tell me, is it easy to achieve dispositional change by believing in God? (No.) But religious people do not think so. They know nothing at all of dispositional change. They think that a change in a person’s behavior demonstrates a change in their disposition. Some people say, “My friends and family all say I have changed, and the brothers and sisters in the church do too. Doesn’t this demonstrate a change in my disposition?” Tell me, do these things demonstrate a change in disposition? (They do not.) You now admit in terms of doctrine that these things do not demonstrate a change in disposition, but have you truly seen through to this matter? Why is it that a change in behavior does not demonstrate a change in disposition? Can you give a few reasons? The Lord Jesus said: “I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23). Do you know what this means? Can religious people understand this? Do they have notions about these words spoken by the Lord? (Yes.) They have notions in their hearts! They have so many of them! After reading this passage of scripture, they feel it is inconceivable: “Lord, I have clearly prophesied in Your name, in Your name I have cast out devils, and in Your name I have done many wonderful works. You should approve of me, reward me, and bestow blessings upon me. How can You characterize me as someone who works iniquities?” These people have labored and worked for a lifetime and have carried out many good acts. Many of them have forsaken their families, jobs, and everything in their lives. Some have even spent years imprisoned, suffered much hardship, and been mocked, slandered, and judged. Why does the Lord not approve of them, and instead reject them? In what way did they fail? The main reason for this is that their life dispositions did not change in the slightest. If a person’s life disposition does not change, then no matter how many good acts they carry out or how much hardship they suffer after coming to believe in the Lord, does this mean they submit to the Lord? (No.) Does it mean they truly love the Lord? Does it mean they follow God’s will? (No.) Why is this? This is a practical problem. (Because they still have a corrupt disposition, and their thoughts and actions all resist God.) The main thing is that they serve the Lord based on their own will and corrupt dispositions. Their service is not in pursuit of the truth, nor is it in true submission to God, but rather it is an attempt to make a transaction with God, to use their suffering and the price they have paid to bargain for the blessings of the kingdom of heaven. If people can try to bargain with God, then they have something within them that is hostile to God. Once their attempt to make a transaction fails, they become angry, try to argue with God, and may even curse and resist God. They think, “If the Lord Jesus abandons us and lets us die in the disasters, then we will go to the third heaven and sue God!” Do you think people in the religious world have this view? (Yes.) So tell me, are people who serve with this kind of intention submitting to the Lord or resisting Him? (They are resisting the Lord.) Then can these people be called antichrists? (Yes.) They are antichrists, without a doubt. There is another kind of person who, though they acknowledge the truth, just does not believe in the incarnate God. In their heart, they think, “Although I have become certain by investigating the true way that the words of Almighty God are one hundred percent the truth, Almighty God appears to be just an ordinary person, and I can’t see any hint of God in Him. How can this make me believe that He is God?” So they adopt a certain way of believing: “I only believe in the words of Almighty God, but not in the person of Almighty God.” What do you think of this way of believing? (It is not in accordance with God’s intentions.) If people walk the path of faith in God while holding this view, what will be the ultimate consequence? Can they achieve any kind of change in their life disposition? (No.) Can they come to truly love God? (No.) Can they come to truly submit to God? (No.) Can they come to be of one heart and mind with God? (No.) They can achieve none of these things. So what can they ultimately gain? (All they can understand are words and doctrines.) No matter how many words and doctrines they can understand, they are incompatible with Christ; there will always be a wall between them and Christ, they will never be able to be of one heart and mind with Christ, and they will never gain Christ’s approval.

Many people have taken on the work of church leaders, yet they report nothing about the work to God, bring no problems in their work before God, and seek no truth from God’s house when they encounter difficulties. They have isolated the scope of their responsibility from God and God’s house. What are they thinking? “Did God not hand this work over to me? Given that He did, the work of this church no longer has anything to do with God. I am the boss here, I have the final say in the work, and so there’s no need to trouble God with it. God, You are not allowed to interfere in or inquire into this work. I do my work and don’t need to ask You for instructions or report to You. I don’t need to seek the truth for any difficulties I have. I’ll do things however I want. These people are also under my control, and I can lead them wherever I want.” Tell me, what kind of person is this? (An antichrist.) Throughout many years of work, such a person’s attitude toward God remains one of suspicion, guardedness, and resistance. They have always worked with this kind of mentality. This is a bona fide antichrist. I have seen that many leaders and workers are like this, and they are in danger! So tell me, is the path walked by such people the same as the path walked by those in the Age of Grace who prophesied, cast out devils, and did many wonderful works in the Lord’s name? (It is.) So how does God view these people? What is His attitude toward them? God’s attitude toward them is just as the Lord Jesus said: “I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23). Why would the Lord treat them this way? Because these people never come before God to seek His intentions or to seek the truth. Although such people have accepted God’s commission, they do everything behind God’s back. No matter what difficulties or wrong states such a person has, they never tell God about them or seek fellowship from God. These people keep God at a respectful distance. Are such people not antichrists? (They are.) There are people like this. God sometimes asks them, “What difficulties do you have when doing church work? Have you encountered any problems you can’t resolve? How are the states of God’s chosen people in various countries? Have they established a foundation on the true way? Do they have life entry?” God wants to know about these things, but they don’t tell Him. They don’t report anything they do behind God’s back to Him, and they don’t have a single heart-to-heart word with God. What they mean by their actions is, “Why should I have to report to You on how I do my work? Do I have to report to You about the church I’m in charge of? Is that something I absolutely have to do?” Tell me, is this a good attitude for people to have toward God? (No.) So what is the problem here? Let me tell you, God’s work does not end after He has expressed the truth. God also wants to see how church life is in various countries, whether God’s chosen people have achieved results from eating and drinking His words, whether they have achieved knowledge of themselves, whether they have achieved life entry, how many people can pursue the truth, and how many can preach the gospel and bear witness to Him. These are the things God is most concerned about. These are the things that weigh most heavily on His heart. And yet you, as a leader or worker, do not mention a single word about the churches below. Even if God asks you of these things, you do not tell Him. You do not let God know about these things. It is as if you are saying, “God, You just need to express the truth, and that’s enough. How church work and church life are, and how God’s chosen people are, have nothing to do with You, so there’s no need to trouble You with these things.” You, as a leader, have severed the relationship between God and His chosen people. What problem do you say this is? You say with your mouth that you want to serve God and be considerate of His intentions, but you seal off information about the church so tightly, not letting God know anything about it at all. Is this not a devilish nature? Are you not harboring improper intentions? (Yes.) All who do this are degenerates and devils, and God detests and is most disgusted by such people. So, in serving God, we must often be watchful, pray, and be cautious in walking the path under our feet. We must absolutely not be guarded against or resistant toward God. We should open up our hearts to God and learn to be considerate of His intentions. So, how can one be considerate of God’s intentions? Let’s take an example. Yesterday, when God watched the video of God’s chosen people from the church in Brazil and saw that their mental states were much better than last year’s, and that they had made progress, God was very happy. But can these people preach the gospel and bear witness to God? Can they pursue the truth and know themselves? This is what God wants to know about, but these things cannot be seen from a video. So, as leaders and workers, we must tell God about these things to bring joy and comfort to God’s heart. This is what it means to be considerate of God’s intentions. Remember this! As a leader or worker, you should understand God’s intentions. You should be clear in your heart about what God wants to know, and what brings Him the most joy and comfort. You should simply and openly tell God about these situations. This is what it means to be truly considerate of His intentions. You see, even when it comes to what I am going to fellowship on in today’s gathering, I tell God about it. I say, “Today, I still have to fellowship on how to pursue and gain the truth. If I don’t fellowship on this topic for half a year or a year, the fellowship won’t achieve results. The brothers and sisters get a little illumination upon listening, but then they forget what they have heard afterward. I have to explain everything about this topic clearly before moving on to other topics.” I briefly tell God even about this matter, because this is what He is most concerned about.