By Jessica, the Philippines

In August of 2021, I accepted Almighty God’s work in the last days. Three months later, Marjorie and I were both elected to be church leaders. Marjorie had accepted God’s work in the last days three months prior to me, and despite not being in the same church, we would attend co-worker gatherings together and discuss church work. Once, during a gathering, Marjorie spoke about an experience she was having. She said she had fallen ill, but continued to do her duty. Even though her husband oppressed her, she still didn’t become negative or shrink back. I really admired her and thought she had good stature. If I had been in the same situation, it might have influenced my ability to do my duty. I had a really good impression of her. She bore a burden in her duty and didn’t give it up even while her husband oppressed her. I thought this showed she was the type of person who practiced the truth and was commended by God. Later on, a new church was formed and Marjorie and I parted ways.

One day, five months later, our supervisor, Maria, posted a message in our group chat, saying that in our gathering that night we would be discussing how to discern antichrists, and then she sent a link to Marjorie’s Facebook page and told us not to interact with her because she was an antichrist. I was shocked. I just couldn’t believe that Marjorie was an antichrist. I thought of how passionate she was about her duty, how she was able to make sacrifices, expend herself, and undergo suffering. Even when faced with illness and oppression from her family, she was able to continue doing her duty—could someone who sought the truth like that really be an antichrist? Maria must have made a mistake! I just couldn’t believe that this was true. The supervisor sent another message saying that she hoped I would block Marjorie on Facebook so I wouldn’t be disrupted or deceived by her. I had a little trouble accepting that. It seemed unfair to treat Marjorie that way. She was passionate and enthusiastic in her duty and had even encouraged and helped me before. I didn’t know what had happened with her or why she had been deemed to be an antichrist. I felt really confused and sad and I didn’t want to block her. So I said: “Marjorie isn’t an antichrist, she just has certain notions. It’s not necessary to block her. Try to see things from her perspective and imagine how she feels.” At the time, the supervisor fellowshiped with me, but I wasn’t having it. She also sent me an experience testimony video on discerning antichrists and told me to have a look, saying that the video would be helpful for me. But I just ignored it. After that, I sent a message to Marjorie to ask her what happened. Marjorie said: “I was spreading certain notions, so I was removed from the group chat and everyone blocked me. It was really hurtful to me. I don’t need to explain myself, God will scrutinize my actions. Are you guys discerning me too? I’m feeling really down. Everyone is discerning and abandoning me.” She also said a lot about how dissatisfied she was with the supervisor. I also developed a bias toward the supervisor after hearing her out. I thought she wasn’t handling things fairly. If Marjorie had certain notions or issues, she should assist her and fellowship with her, not immediately conclude she was an antichrist. As for that night’s gathering on discerning antichrists, I didn’t attend and just went to sleep instead. I felt pretty down and didn’t know how to deal with the situation. I prayed before going to sleep, not wanting to stray from God and live in that kind of state. I asked God to enlighten me so that I could understand what His will was in all of this.

The next morning, I felt much more at peace. I looked over the fellowship content from the previous night and came across a screengrab from a conversation between the supervisor and Marjorie. Marjorie said: “There’s no way God has incarnated in the flesh. Who among our brothers and sisters has seen God? Almighty God’s words don’t accord with the Bible, they go beyond the Bible.” I was shocked to see that Marjorie had said these things. She was wantonly spreading notions and didn’t even believe in Almighty God’s work. Only then did I realize that I hadn’t really understood the reason why Marjorie had been deemed an antichrist and hadn’t really looked into her behaviors. I’d just concluded she couldn’t be an antichrist based on my own impression. I was so blind and arrogant! I saw a passage of God’s words that said: “Some people are able to bear hardships, can pay the price, are outwardly very well-behaved, are quite well-respected, and enjoy the admiration of others. Would you say that this kind of outward behavior can be regarded as putting the truth into practice? Could one determine that such people are satisfying God’s will? Why is it that time and time again people see such individuals and think that they are satisfying God, walking the path of putting the truth into practice, and keeping to God’s way? Why do some people think this way? There is only one explanation for it. What explanation is that? It is that for a great many people, certain questions—such as what it means to put the truth into practice, what it means to satisfy God, and what it means to genuinely possess the reality of the truth—are not very clear. Thus, there are some people who are often deceived by those who outwardly seem spiritual, noble, lofty, and great. As for people who can speak eloquently of letters and doctrines, and whose speech and actions seem worthy of admiration, those who are deceived by them have never looked at the essence of their actions, the principles behind their deeds, or what their goals are. Moreover, they have never looked at whether these people truly submit to God, nor have they ever determined whether or not these people genuinely fear God and shun evil. They have never discerned the essence of the humanity of these people. Rather, beginning with the first step of getting acquainted with them, they have, little by little, come to admire and venerate these people, and in the end, these people become their idols. Furthermore, in some people’s minds, the idols whom they worship—and who they believe can abandon their families and jobs, and who seem superficially able to pay the price—are the ones who are truly satisfying God and who can really attain good outcomes and good destinations. In their minds, these idols are the ones whom God praises. What causes them to believe such a thing? What is the essence of this issue? What are the consequences it can lead to? … The direct consequence of this is that people use human good behavior as a substitute for putting the truth into practice, which also satisfies their desire to curry favor with God. This gives them capital with which to contend with the truth, which they also use to reason and compete with God. At the same time, people also unscrupulously put God aside, placing the idols they admire in His stead” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. How to Know God’s Disposition and the Results His Work Shall Achieve). After reading God’s words, I started to reflect. I always judged people by their outward behavior, thinking those that made sacrifices, endured suffering and paid a price were seekers of truth and lovers of God. But this standard of judgment wasn’t in accord with the truth and led me to be deceived by people’s outward behavior. I thought of how the Pharisees would often explain the scriptures to people in synagogues. Outwardly, they seemed pious and seemed to endure suffering, make sacrifices and do good deeds, but when the Lord Jesus came to do His work, they didn’t seek and investigate, instead wantonly resisting and condemning Him and ultimately nailing Him to the cross. From this, I realized that people who outwardly display good behavior aren’t necessarily good people. Only those that submit to God, love and accept the truth are truly good people. As for those that don’t love the truth and don’t accept the truth at all, even if they outwardly do good things, they are just being falsely pious. Outwardly, Marjorie was able to endure some suffering and pay a price, but deep down she was fed up with the truth and hated God. She even publicly judged and denied God. She was one of Satan’s ilk. But I only saw how she outwardly endured suffering and made sacrifices, and so I believed, based on my notions, that she sought the truth, was responsible and devoted in her duty and couldn’t possibly be an antichrist. When the supervisor asked us to practice discernment and block Marjorie, I even became biased against her and didn’t want to do my duty. I didn’t have the slightest discernment of Marjorie and, as a result, I was deceived. I was truly foolish.

The next day, I saw that Marjorie was spreading rumors and fallacies on Facebook, saying that our church followed a mere person, not God. Seeing how she slandered the Church, I really regretted that I hadn’t blocked and rebuffed her and had even tried to defend her. So I messaged her, asking her why she was doing these things. Marjorie replied and slandered The Church of Almighty God, and even urged me to leave the Church. I just ignored her. Two months later, I learned from the supervisor that Marjorie had sent messages to her in which she slandered and condemned the Church and even said she was going to send slanderous videos to newcomers. She also spread many of her ideas about God’s work in a group chat. Marjorie’s aunt also developed notions and left the church. Marjorie spreading notions to deceive people was clearly resisting despite knowing the true way. That’s a very serious offense—she was an antichrist. Through Marjorie’s behavior I could see that she had notions about God’s work, but she didn’t try to resolve them through seeking the truth. She had even spread rumors and fallacies, blasphemed God, slandered the Church, and deceived brothers and sisters into denying and straying from God. I thought Marjorie was truly treacherous and deceitful, like a sly fox that deceived people into straying from and denying God. She was truly very dangerous to the other brothers and sisters. Later, I came across this passage of God’s words. “Those among brothers and sisters who are always giving vent to their negativity are lackeys of Satan, and they disturb the church. Such people must one day be expelled and cast out. In their belief in God, if people do not have a heart of reverence for God, if they do not have a heart of obedience toward God, then not only will they be unable to do any work for Him, but on the contrary will become those who disturb His work and who defy Him. Believing in God but not obeying or revering Him, and instead resisting Him, is the greatest disgrace for a believer. If believers are just as casual and unrestrained in their speech and conduct as unbelievers are, then they are even more evil than unbelievers; they are archetypal demons. Those who give vent to their poisonous, malicious talk within the church, who spread rumors, foment disharmony, and form cliques among the brothers and sisters—they should have been expelled from the church. Yet because now is a different era of God’s work, these people are restricted, for they are decidedly to be cast out. All who have been corrupted by Satan have corrupt dispositions. Some have nothing more than corrupt dispositions, while others are different: Not only do they have corrupt satanic dispositions, but their nature is also extremely malicious. Not only do their words and actions reveal their corrupt, satanic dispositions; these people are, moreover, the genuine devil Satan. Their behavior interrupts and disturbs God’s work, it impairs the brothers’ and sisters’ entry into life, and it damages the normal life of the church. Sooner or later, these wolves in sheep’s clothing must be cleared out; an unsparing attitude, an attitude of rejection, should be adopted toward these lackeys of Satan. Only this is standing on the side of God, and those who fail to do so are wallowing in the mire with Satan. People who genuinely believe in God always have Him in their hearts, and they always carry within them a God-revering heart, a God-loving heart. Those who believe in God should do things cautiously and prudently, and all that they do should be in accordance with God’s requirements and able to satisfy His heart. They should not be headstrong, doing whatever they please; that does not befit saintly propriety. People must not run amok, waving the flag of God all over the place while swaggering and swindling everywhere; this is the most rebellious sort of conduct. Families have their rules, and nations have their laws—and isn’t it even more so in the house of God? Does it not all the more have strict standards? Does it not all the more have administrative decrees? People are free to do what they want, but the administrative decrees of God cannot be altered at will. God is a God who does not tolerate offense from humans; He is a God who puts people to death. Do people really not know this already?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. A Warning to Those Who Do Not Practice the Truth). Through God’s words, I realized that those that always spread notions, sow negativity and disrupt the church are Satan’s lackeys. They do not love the truth and don’t have the slightest fear of God in their hearts. Those that form cliques and cause ruptures, those that spread notions and rumors denying and blaspheming God, are all demons and they all must be cast out and punished by God. Those led astray by rumors and stand with the evildoers and antichrists will also be cast out unless they reject them. Marjorie didn’t read God’s words or seek the truth to resolve her notions, nor did she seek with other brothers and sisters. Instead, she questioned and denied God, and even spread notions, openly judging and blaspheming God. She also sowed discord and roped in other brothers and sisters, deceiving them into standing on her side and forming biases against the supervisor, which disrupted church work. Marjorie was truly evil. Her essence was that of a truth-hating, God-hating antichrist. If it weren’t for the enlightenment and guidance of God’s words, I would have been tricked into standing with her and taking God as my enemy. I also realized that the purpose of reading God’s words and fellowshiping on discernment of antichrists is to help brothers and sisters understand the truth and gain discernment so that they don’t get bothered and deceived by antichrists. Expelling antichrists from the church is done to protect God’s chosen. Despite being a leader, I didn’t have discernment of this antichrist and believed her lies. I even stood on her side and defended her. I saw that I had become an accomplice to Satan. I sympathized with, protected and showed love for an antichrist. This was an act of cruelty against God’s chosen. I realized how foolish I’d been and really despised myself, so I came before God in prayer, repenting and asking for His forgiveness.

Later, I saw these passages of God’s words: “The standard by which humans judge other humans is based on their behavior; those whose conduct is good are righteous, while those whose conduct is abominable are wicked. The standard by which God judges humans is based on whether their essence submits to Him or not; one who submits to God is a righteous person, while one who does not is an enemy and a wicked person, regardless of whether this person’s behavior is good or bad and regardless of whether their speech is correct or incorrect” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God and Man Will Enter Into Rest Together). “When God becomes flesh and comes to work among men, all behold Him and hear His words, and all see the deeds that God works from within His body of flesh. At that moment, all man’s notions become foam. As for those who have seen God appearing in the flesh, they shall not be condemned if they willingly obey Him, whereas those who purposefully stand against Him shall be deemed an opponent of God. Such people are antichrists, enemies who willfully stand against God. Those who harbor notions regarding God but are still ready and willing to obey Him will not be condemned. God condemns man on the basis of man’s intentions and actions, never for his thoughts and ideas. If He were to condemn man on the basis of his thoughts and ideas, then not a single person would be able to escape from the wrathful hands of God. Those who willfully stand against the incarnate God shall be punished for their disobedience. With regard to these people that willfully stand against God, their opposition stems from the fact that they harbor notions about God, which leads them in turn into actions that disrupt God’s work. These people intentionally resist and destroy the work of God. They do not merely have notions about God, but they also engage in activities that disrupt His work, and for this reason people of this kind shall be condemned” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. All People Who Do Not Know God Are People Who Oppose God). God’s words are clear: God judges people based on their essence and their attitude toward the truth. Some people may have notions about God’s work, but if they’re able to seek the truth and put aside their notions, God won’t condemn them. Those that always have opinions about God incarnate, don’t accept the truth and even question and deny God are all God’s enemies and antichrists, no matter how good their outward behavior is. God condemns such people and casts them out. I only used to consider people’s outward behavior. I thought Marjorie must be devoted to God and a seeker of truth, because she was passionate, made sacrifices, expended herself and was a church leader, but I didn’t consider her essence or her attitude toward God and the truth. Marjorie had certain notions about God’s work and she didn’t accept fellowship from other brothers and sisters. She also spread her notions and publicly denied the incarnated God. Her essence was God-hating and truth-hating—she was an antichrist. I was misled and tricked by Marjorie’s outward illusions and sided with an antichrist. I really lacked discernment. Only then did I realize that we must judge people and things by God’s words and the principles of the truth, not just on people’s outward behaviors.

After that, I saw another passage of God’s words that said: “God is purifying the church, cleansing it of disrupters and disturbers, antichrists, evil spirits, evil people, nonbelievers, those who do not truly believe in Him, and those who cannot even render service. This is called clearing the field; it is called winnowing. … You can see that God does everything in its time. He does not work haphazardly. His management work follows the plan He has made, and He does everything in a step-by-step fashion, not haphazardly. And what of those steps? Each step of work God does on people must take effect, and when He sees it has, He does the next step of work. God has figured out to Himself how His work may take effect, what He must say and do. He does His work according to what people need, not haphazardly. Whatever work will be effective on people, God does it, and whatever is immaterial in terms of effectiveness, God assuredly does not do it. For instance, when there is need of negative object-lessons on which God’s chosen people may develop their discernment, false Christs, antichrists, evil spirits, evil people, and disturbers and disrupters will appear in the church, on which others may develop their discernment. If God’s chosen people understand the truth and can identify such people, then those people have rendered their service, and there is no longer value in their existing. At that time, God’s chosen people will rise up to expose and report them, and the church will immediately cleanse them away. All God’s work has its steps, and all those steps are arranged by God on the basis of what man needs in their life and their stature” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Resolving One’s Notions Can One Embark on the Right Track of Belief in God (3)). After reading God’s words, I realized that though many people do a duty in the church, not all of them are God’s chosen and not all are His sheep. Wolves have hidden themselves among the flock. God allows antichrists, evildoers and nonbelievers into the church to help us gain discernment, learn lessons and be able to distinguish good from evil. Despite doing her duty in the church, Marjorie didn’t truly believe in God. She just came into the church to analyze God’s work, not to seek and understand the truth. She was a wolf in sheep’s clothes and an evil one cast out by God. God is now purifying the church and exposing each kind of person. No antichrists, evildoers or nonbelievers can remain hidden in the church, but will all be exposed and cast out through God’s work. Only those that truly believe in God, love the truth and seek the truth will remain, and only they will be purified and saved by God.

Through this experience, I gained some discernment and learned some things. First, I can’t just consider people’s outward behaviors, how much they endure suffering and expend themselves, because many people can do these things, especially religious frauds. Second, I shouldn’t adore mere people, because God detests the adoration of people. One should only look up to and worship God. Third, as a church leader, I need to consider my brothers and sisters’ life entry, and prioritize things that are beneficial to them. Fourth, when faced with issues, I should have a God-fearing heart, and learn to seek and wait. I shouldn’t recklessly judge and condemn based on my own notions. That’s liable to offend God’s disposition. Fifth, I should read more of Almighty God’s words to understand the truth. Only with the guidance of God’s words can we see through Satan’s evil plots and stand on the side of truth. I also realized how precious the truth is. Only by understanding the truth can we really grasp things and discern all kinds of evildoers, antichrists and nonbelievers. In the future, I will read more of God’s words and base my actions and judgments of people and things on God’s words, with truth as my principle. Thank God!