The Religious World Has Degenerated Into the City of Babylon
The leaders of the religious world stray from the Lord's way and follow worldly trends, they also cooperate with the ruling power's wild defiance and condemnation of the Eastern Lightning, and they have already begun to walk the path of opposition to God. The religious world has degenerated into the city of Babylon. The Bible says, "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves" (Matthew 21:12-13). "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies" (Revelation 18:2-3).
Sa aking kamakailang mga pagbisita sa mga iglesia, madalas kong narinig na sinasabi ng mga pinuno at manggagawa na ang ilang mga tao, matapos dumalo sa pagbabahaging kasama ako, ay naging negatibo, mahina at kulang sa paghahangad na magpatuloy sa paghahanap. Nadama ng iba na masyadong mahirap ang maniwala sa Diyos at hindi naunawaan ang Diyos. Sinabi ng ilan na ang kanilang kalagayan ay mainam bago sila nakipagkilala sa akin, ngunit sa sandaling nakita nila ako, labis nilang nadama ang pagkagipit at hindi komportable. ... Nang marinig ko ang lahat ng ito, nanghina ang aking puso, at labis na nasaktan-sa tuwing nagkaroon ako ng pagbabahagi sa kanila ay mananatili ako sa loob ng ilang araw, at, upang malutas ang kanilang mga problema, nagpasiklab ako at nagbanggit ng di mabilang na mga sipi ng salita ng Diyos, na nagsasalita hanggang sa ang aking bibig ay natuyo, at sa lahat ng sandali ay iniisip na ang aking mga pagsisikap ay nagbunga ng mga magagandang resulta. Hindi ko naisip kailanman na ang mga bagay ay magiging ganito. Bakit ito nangyari? Inilagay ko ang tanong na ito sa aking mga saloobin nang nanalangin ako sa Diyos, "O Diyos, tiyak na ako ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng nangyari, ngunit hindi ko alam kung saan ako nagkamali. Hinihingi ko ang Iyong patnubay, upang higit kong malaman ang aking mga pagkakamali. Nakahanda akong maghintay na tanggapin ang Iyong pagliliwanag. "
Salita ng Diyos ay totoo, kailan ma'y 'di magbabago. Diyos ang naglalaan sa buhay, tanging gabay. Halaga't kahulugan ng Kanyang salita nababatid ng isip at diwa nila, kahit pa 'di tanggapin o kilalanin. Kahit pa walang taong tumanggap ng salita N'ya, kahalagaha't pagtulong N'ya sa tao'y 'di masusukat. Salita ng Diyos ay totoo, kailan ma'y 'di magbabago. Diyos ang naglalaan sa buhay, tanging gabay.
Hindi kayo nagtutuon ng pansin sa panalangin sa inyong pang-araw-araw na buhay. Palaging nakakaligtaan ng mga tao ang panalangin. Sa kanilang mga panalangin noong nakaraan sila ay nakikisabay lang sa agos at naglalaro, at walang sinuman ang nagbigay nang lubos ng kanilang puso sa harap ng Diyos at tunay na nanalangin sa Diyos. Nananalangin lamang ang mga tao sa Diyos kapag mayroong isang bagay na nangyayari sa kanila. Sa buong panahong ito, nakapanalangin ka na ba nang tunay sa Diyos? Tumangis ka na ba kailanman sa harap ng Diyos? Nakarating ka na ba kailanman sa pagkakilala sa iyong sarili sa harap ng Diyos? Nagkaroon ka na ba kailanman ng masinsinang pananalangin sa Diyos? Ang pananalangin ay unti-unting isinasagawa: Kung hindi ka karaniwang nananalangin sa bahay, hindi ka magkakaroon ng pagkakataon na makapanalangin sa iglesia, at kung hindi ka talaga nananalangin sa panahon ng maliliit na pagtitipon, kung gayon hindi mo makakayang manalangin sa panahon ng malalaking pagtitipon. Kung hindi ka normal na lumalapit sa Diyos o hindi binubulay ang mga salita ng Diyos, kung gayon wala kang anumang masasabi kapag oras na ng pananalangin--at kahit na ikaw ay nananalangin, ang iyong mga labi ay kikilos lamang, hindi ka talaga nananalangin.
Cheng Huize is a co-worker at a house church in China. She has believed in the Lord for many years, and has worked for the Lord with unwavering enthusiasm. She takes on a lot of responsibilities for the church, and she has compassion for her brothers and sisters. As her church grew more and more desolate with each passing day, the wickedness in her church were more and more frequent. The pastor energetically proposed that the church should start a factory, and led the followers down the path to wealth, and also enticed them to join the Three-Self Church so they could rely on help from the Chinese Communist government. This caused a fierce debate to unfold. The pastor stubbornly acted in his own individual interests and did not hesitate to divide the church, leading the believers down the wrong path. Cheng Huize and a few others held fast to the way of the Lord, and fiercely opposed the church becoming a factory and joining the Three-Self Church. Although the elders at the church expressed that they were opposed to this, they only did so to protect their own status and livelihood. Even though the pastor and elders were all harboring secrets in their hearts, locked in constant strife for their own fame and profit, fighting out of envy, when they saw that most of the good sheep and leading sheep in the church had investigated the Eastern Lightning and turned to Almighty God one by one, they joined together with the Chinese Communist government and fought to repress the Eastern Lightning, blocking the believers from coming to study the Eastern Lightning, urging the followers to report them to the police. They set an example by reporting and arresting the brothers and sisters preaching the kingdom gospel. Cheng Huize and others saw that the pastor and the elders had deviated from the Lord's way a long time ago, and the church had already lost the work of the Holy Spirit and had degenerated into a religious place like Babylon the Great, cursed and reviled by the Lord. Because of this, they decided to investigate the Eastern Lightning to search for the manifestation and work of God. After intense debates with the preachers from the Church of Almighty God, Cheng Huize and the others finally began to see clearly that the leaders of the religious world opposed God in substance, and the reason why the religious world declined, day by day drawing nearer to its destruction: The pastors and elders of the religious world, although they could explain the Bible and hold the Bible in high esteem, they only do so for status and livelihood. They are confusing and ensnaring people. They don't hold God in high regard or bear witness for Him, they don't understand God at all. In the last days, when the incarnate Almighty God appears and does His work, they oppose Him without the slightest scruple, they condemn God's work, even to the point where they unite with the Chinese Communist government to arrest believers. This is enough to prove that they possess a satanic nature that hates the truth and hates God. They are modern-day Pharisees, impersonating virtuous people, antichrists who deny that God becomes flesh. The religious world has already completely become a stronghold for antichrists who are enemies of God. They will absolutely meet with God's curses and punishments. Cheng Huize and others were eventually able to differentiate the antichrist nature essence of the leaders of the religious world, and guided the believers to break away from the confusion and control of the Pharisees, to escape without hesitation from Babylon, the city that will be overthrown …
Noong Pebrero ng 2007, ang iglesia ay nakatanggap ng kaayusan sa trabaho na pinamagatang “Tubigan at Tustusan ang mga Bagong Mananampalataya upang Tulungan Silang Magkaugat sa Lalong Madaling Panahon.” Binibigyang-diin nito na “Kinakailangang gamitin ang lahat ng epektibo at sanay na sa pagpapatubig ng mga bagong mananampalataya upang makumpleto ang gawaing ito. Ang mga taong hindi naaangkop sa pagpapatubig ng mga bagong mananampalataya ay hindi dapat gamitin; dapat silang mapalitan upang maiwasan ang pagkaantala ng gawain” (“Ang mga Isyung Kinakaharap ng Iglesia sa Kasalukuyan ay Dapat na Malutas” sa Mga Kasaysayan ng Pagsasamahan at mga Kaayusan ng Gawain ng Iglesia I). Matapos makita ang kaayusang ito, sa halip na gamitin ang mga prinsipyo upang masukat kung ang kapatid na babae mula sa aming distrito na siyang nagdidilig sa mga bagong mananampalataya ay naaakma, may mga patiunang ideya akong pinanghahawakan laban sa kanya: Ang taong ito ay walang interes na ginawa ang kanyang tungkulin at hindi nagtuon ng pansin sa pagkain at pag-inom ng mga salita ng Diyos. Bukod dito, inatupag niya ang laman, kaya hindi siya naaangkop upang tubigan ang mga bagong mananampalataya. Higit sa lahat, inakala niyang siya’y de-kalibre na kaya naman naging mapagmataas siya at minaliit ang iba. Noong nakaraan, pinuntahan niya ang taong namamahala sa gawaing pagpapatubig ng rehiyon at nagsabi ng masasama tungkol sa akin. Kung hindi lang dahil sa mga hinihingi ng trabaho ko, hindi ko sana siya bibigyang pansin pa. Sa pag-iisip tungkol dito, gumawa ako ng plano: bakit hindi ko samantalahin ang pagkakataong ito na palitan siya nang sa ganoon ay hindi ko na siya makita pa? Hindi ba’t napakayabang niya? Papalitan ko lang siya at pagkatapos ay makikita ko kung gaano siya mapagmataas!
Is Obedience to Pastors and Elders the Same as Obedience to God?
Some believers believe that the pastors and elders of the religious world have all been chosen and appointed by the Lord, and that they are all people who serve the Lord. So they believe that only obeying the pastors and elders is obeying the Lord, and that defying or condemning the pastors and elders is defying the Lord. They even believe that, in churches, only the pastors and elders understand the Bible and can explain the Bible, and so long as that which is preached or done by the pastors and elders accords with the Bible and is based on the Bible, then people should obey and follow them. So does this kind of obedience to pastors and elders accord with the truth? Does an understanding of Bible knowledge represent an understanding of the truth and knowledge of God? Exactly what approach should we take to the pastors and elders that conforms to God's will?
Are the Pastors and Elders of the Religious World Truly Appointed by the Lord?
God personally gives testimony to everyone He appoints and makes use of. At the very least, they all receive the confirmation of the work of the Holy Spirit, exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit's work, and can help God's chosen people receive the provision of life and true shepherding. Because God is righteous and holy, everyone He appoints and uses must accord with God's will. Pastors and elders from the religious world all lack the word of God as testimony, and also lack the confirmation of the work of the Holy Spirit. So how could pastors and elders within the religious world be personally appointed and used by God?
Is Faith in the Bible Equivalent to Faith in the Lord?
Most pastors and elders of the religious world believe that the Bible represents the Lord, and that believing in the Lord is believing in the Bible, and believing in the Bible is believing in the Lord. They believe that if one departs from the Bible then he cannot be called a believer, and that one can be saved and can enter the kingdom of heaven so long as he clings to the Bible. Can the Bible really represent the Lord? What exactly is the relationship between the Bible and the Lord? The Lord Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me, that you might have life" (John 5:39-40). Almighty God says, "After all, which is greater: God or the Bible? Why must God's work be according to the Bible? Could it be that God has no right to exceed the Bible? Can God not depart from the Bible and do other work? Why did Jesus and His disciples not keep the Sabbath? ... You should know which came first, God or the Bible! Being the Lord of the Sabbath, could He not also be the Lord of the Bible?" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).
Some religious people believe that all of God's words and work are in the Bible, and that there are no words and work of God besides those in the Bible. Does this kind of view accord with the truth? The Bible says, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written" (John 21: 25). Almighty God says, "What God is and has is forever inexhaustible and limitless. ... Do not delimit God in books, words, or His past utterances again. There is only one word for the characteristic of God's work—new. He does not like to take old paths or repeat His work, and moreover He does not want people to worship Him by delimiting Him within a certain scope. This is God's disposition" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).