﻿Hey, Brother Zhang, (Yeah?)
I heard you ran into some trouble investigating the true way.
Yes, I did.
People tried to deceive and disturb me,
threaten and tempt me, they harassed me constantly.
Sounds like they tried a lot!
Who were they?
Who were they? (Yeah.)
Modern Pharisees!
Modern Pharisees? (Yeah.)
Wait, what do you mean by that?
To answer that,
we have to start with Pastor Tang at our church.
When Pastor Tang heard I believed in Almighty God,
he came to my house every other day,
like some kind of news reporter!
News reporters?
One day, I was singing a hymn at home,
What's that?
Someone knocking.
Who?
I opened the door and looked,
and saw Pastor Tang and 3 of his co-workers at my doorstep.
"Brother Zhang,
I heard people from Eastern Lightning came to see you.
Have you accepted Eastern Lightning?"
Demanding a public confession!
Pastor Tang,
recently I've read a lot of Almighty God's words,
and I've found that they're the truth.
They have authority and power, (Right.)
and expose and judge the truth of mankind's corruption.
When I read them, I was certain that judgment begins with the house of God, (Right.)
and my heart verified that Almighty God's words are the voice of God. (Indeed.)
Almighty God has begun the work of judgment,
and the Lord Jesus has returned!
Hey, so what did Pastor Tang say?
"Brother Zhang,
how many times have I told you,
no matter how lofty Eastern Lightning's sermons seem,
you shouldn't listen, read, or come into contact with any of them.
Why didn't you listen to me?
I've tried so hard to—" (Hey …)
Did you ask Pastor Tang
whether his "three prohibitions" have a basis in the Lord's words?
Hah, no matter whether it does or not,
whenever anyone preaches the Lord's return,
the pastors and elders always use these "three prohibitions"
to stop believers from studying the true way.
Doesn't that go against the Lord's words? (Right.)
When it comes to welcoming the Lord,
the Lord Jesus clearly said,
Revelation also prophesies:
And,
The Lord Jesus also said,
Exactly.
The most important way to welcome the Lord is listening to His voice. (Yeah.)
If someone testifies that the Lord has returned,
we have to be wise virgins and actively seek the Lord's voice. (Yeah!)
Only then can we receive the Lord. (That's right.)
But the pastors and elders
try to prevent believers from hearing the Lord's voice,
and don't allow them to seek the true way.
Isn't that exactly the opposite of what the Lord said? (It is.)
Hey, so, didn't you fellowship with him about that?
I fellowshiped exactly that to him.
So Pastor Tang …
Only looked impatient.
I said,
"Pastor Tang,
Eastern Lightning testifies the Lord has returned.
Why don't you let us listen for God's voice? (Yep.)
Why do you stop us from investigating the true way? (Exactly.)
If the Lord Jesus really has returned,
doesn't that make you Pharisees? (That's right.)
To know whether Almighty God is God's appearance at work,
we have to see what truths Almighty God expresses, (Right.)
and whether His words are the voice of God,
and then we'll know, won't we?"
You know, if he had any fear of God in his heart,
his attitude would have changed when he heard that.
Is there any need to investigate?
Eastern Lightning testifies that God has returned incarnate.
Is that even possible?
Look at how arrogant he is.
What does it say in Revelation?
The Lord will descend on clouds with glory,
and kindreds of the earth will wail.
That's …
Without those visions appearing,
how could the Lord possibly return?
At any rate,
a Lord Jesus that doesn't descend on clouds is a fake,
and any who claim the Lord has come incarnate can't be trusted.
Don't you dare accept it! (Hey, hold on, hold on.)
The Bible does prophesy that the Lord will descend on clouds,
many prophecies describe the Lord's return as the coming of the Son of man, (Yes.)
but if the pastors and elders say that the Lord can only return on clouds
based on a few verses in the Bible,
isn't that twisting the Lord's words and taking them out of context? (Right.)
You have to ask him.
Yes, I do.
Pastor Tang,
are you certain that "with clouds" is the only way the Lord comes?
That's right.
The Lord Jesus also said about His return,
And "Son of man" refers to God incarnate.
The Lord Jesus is incarnate flesh,
and called the Son of man. (Right.)
Jehovah God is Spirit,
so we can't call Him the Son of man. (Right.)
So, when the prophecies say the Son of man will return,
they refer to the incarnate God coming in secret.
Yes! The prophecies are very clear.
The Lord will return as incarnate flesh. (Yeah.)
So how did Pastor Tang react?
The more I fellowshiped, the angrier Pastor Tang looked.
Hah! He wouldn't accept it!
Pastor Tang,
in the matter of awaiting the Lord's return,
why don't you investigate all the prophecies about His return? (Yeah.)
Why be fixed on the Lord's return being on clouds?
Why spread these fallacies
and say that any Lord Jesus that doesn't return on clouds is a fake
and that any who claim the Lord has come incarnate can't be trusted!
That's denying the Lord's words,
and judging and condemning the appearance and work of the returned Lord!
Yes, that's right.
We've all heard the fallacies and lies from the pastors and elders,
and we look up blindly at the sky and wait for the Lord to descend on clouds.
When we hear others testify that the Lord's returned and is speaking,
we don't seek to hear the Lord's voice.
Doesn't that make us foolish virgins?
We've been forsaken by the Lord and don't even realize it!
Luckily we've read the words of Almighty God
and know that in the last days,
the returned Lord descends in secret as the incarnate Son of man (Yeah.)
to express the truth and do the work of judgment in the last days,
after He makes a group of overcomers,
God will bring the great disaster, reward the good, and punish the evil.
That is when God will descend on clouds and appear openly.
Right!
That fulfills the prophecy in Revelation:
It says very clearly.
If we miss the chance to be made into overcomers by the incarnate God,
when we finally do see the Lord descend on clouds,
we should wail and gnash our teeth. (Yeah.)
The pastors' falsehoods could really ruin people!
"Enough!
Whether or not the returned Lord is incarnate,
I can't say for sure,
but it's certain that He will descend on clouds!
We just have to wait for Him to descend on clouds,
and then we will be lifted up into the kingdom of heaven!
Any Lord Jesus that doesn't come riding white clouds,
I refuse to accept!"
It's like talking to a wall,
nothing gets through.
"I'm the pastor,
and I'm in charge of the Lord's flock,
so I have the authority to stop them from investigating Eastern Lightning.
I'm protecting the flock.
I refuse to believe that when the Lord comes on clouds,
He will forsake me!"
He's a fool to the bitter end. He refuses to accept the truth!
When he finished, Pastor Tang left in a huff.
Maybe now you can get a few days of peace!
The next day, Elder Hu came to see me.
He wanted a public confession too?
Well,
Elder Hu came with a basket of fruit,
a box of health supplements,
and a big smile, neighborly as can be!
Watch.
Here he comes.
"Brother Zhang!
Since I heard you've started believing in Eastern Lightning,
I haven't been able to get a wink of sleep at night!"
What's the matter?
I hate …
I hate myself for not watching the sheep.
I owe the Lord!
The Lord is just about to return,
but Eastern Lightning is taking all the best sheep
from the church's flock! (Look at that.)
Tell me, how will I explain this to the Lord?
These are the people who have been raptured at the Lord's return!
He has no idea!
He is so ignorant!
Brother Zhang, I don't mean to criticize,
but how could you accept Eastern Lightning?
In the Bible it says,
So, any who preach the Lord's return can't be trusted, (No.)
and any who claim the Lord has come incarnate
are spreading heresy and false teachings.
You can't believe these things!
I'm saying this out of concern for your lives!
Hey, wait.
Any who preach the Lord's return can't be trusted? (He said this.)
Does it say those words in the Bible? (No.)
Did the Lord Jesus say that? (No.)
Did the Holy Spirit say that? (Still no.)
The Lord prophesied many times He would return,
and told us to soberly await Him,
but the pastors and elders say
"Any who preach the Lord's return can't be trusted."
Isn't that denying the Lord's words and the fact of the Lord's return?
Yes.
Isn't that also denying and condemning the Lord's appearance and work in the last days?
Yes, it is.
Well, so what did you say to him?
Elder Hu,
it's true that false Christs will deceive people in the last days,
but the Lord will return, and that's also a fact.
Yes.
The Lord Jesus said to guard against false Christs,
but not that we're forbidden from investigating the true way and receiving Him. (Yeah.)
Why is it that when we investigate the true way,
you bring up these verses to stop and limit us?
Does being on guard against false Christs mean we shouldn't receive the Lord?
Absolutely not!
The Lord said those who perform miracles to deceive people are false Christs.
He never said the Son of man who descends to express the truth and do the work of judgment
is a false Christ. (That's right.)
These pastors and elders, to stop us from investigating the true way,
blatantly twist the Lord's words
and spread these evil ideas and fallacies!
So, I said to him,
"Elder Hu,
you say that any who preach the Lord's return can't be trusted,
and any claim that the Lord has come incarnate is false.
This is spreading evil ideas and fallacies to deceive people, (Right.)
and it's judging and resisting God!"
When you said that,
Elder Hu must have been furious with you.
"What you're saying … is …
actually kind of true.
But, false Christs really have appeared in the last days,
and deceived many people into following them.
Eastern Lightning testifies that the Lord has returned.
I stop you from investigating out of concern for your lives!"
This again. ("Why don't you understand my intentions in this?")
Hey, so wait, wait, wait,
if we don't study the true way or receive the Lord
because we're afraid of being deceived by false Christs in the last days,
that's like starving to death for fear of food poisoning. (Yeah.)
The appearance of false Christs
reveals whether people can hear the Lord's voice. (That's right.)
God's sheep will hear His voice.
That's what I'm saying!
Elder Hu,
if you're really concerned about our lives,
you should lead us in investigating the true way
based on the Lord's words. (Right.)
We can read Almighty God's words,
look at whether what Almighty God expresses is the truth, (Right.)
and then we'll know if Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus, won't we?
Yeah.
Only Christ is the source of the truth,
so whoever can express the truth is Christ, (Right.)
and whoever can express God's voice is Christ. (Right.)
Those who can't express the truth but still claim to be Christ are definitely false Christs.
Right, that's the principle for discerning the real Christ and false Christs. (Right.)
Elder Hu,
based on the fact that what Almighty God expresses is the truth and the voice of God,
I determined that Almighty God is the returned Lord Jesus,
and is the appearance of Christ in the last days.
It's absolutely right. I'm certain about it.
Amen!
Almighty God expresses all of the truth to purify and save mankind,
does the work of judgment beginning with God's house,
reveals the mystery of God's 6,000-year management plan, (Right.)
and shows the path to full salvation and entry into the kingdom of heaven.
This is the real proof that the Lord has returned!
Exactly. (Hey!)
Get out the word of Almighty God and read it for him.
I did, but before I could open the book,
Elder Hu waved his arm and said,
"Stop!
You know the church's rules!
No hearing, no reading, and no contact!
You want me to hear Eastern Lightning's sermons?
I think you're beyond help!"
Alright, so Elder Hu is a blind man on a donkey,
and he wants to ride it to the end!
Elder Hu,
have you ever read Almighty God's words? (Right.)
Have you investigated the work of Almighty God?
Can false Christs express truth?
Can false Christs do the work of judgment in the last days?
Can false Christs purify and save people?
I just don't understand
why you're so afraid of us reading Almighty God's words.
What is it you're scared of?
Good question!
"You! You …"
And then he just left? He didn't try to stop you?
If only it was that simple.
To stop us from investigating the true way,
these pastors and elders rack their brains,
and will do everything they can to deceive us.
Hah, you see?
After that,
Pastor Tang and Co-worker Sun came to see me.
They just don't give up!
"Brother Zhang,
I suggest you stop being stubborn.
If you bring your brothers and sisters back,
and stop believing in Eastern Lightning,
I promise I'll make you a church elder,
and any problems your family runs into will be taken care of by the church.
So what do you think?"
He's using money and status to lure you in!
When I heard that, words couldn't express how mad I was.
You would be!
Pastor Tang,
do we believe in and serve the Lord for status and income? (No.)
Is that what someone who believes in the Lord does?
It looks like they believe in the Lord just for the money and status!
Before Pastor Tang could answer,
Co-worker Sun spoke up.
And he had a very unique way of speaking.
Xiang, give me a beat. (OK.)
"Hey, hey, hey …
Now listen, Brother Zhang,
I don't mean to be rude,
but Pastor Tang does this
because he cares for you.
All these years,
Pastor Tang has taught you how to preach,
and how to live your life.
What should people live by?
Their consciences, that's what.
You led all the church's best sheep away
to believe in Eastern Lightning.
If they believe in Eastern Lightning,
the church the pastor worked so hard to build will fall, won't it?
Now who will he preach to?
Whose pastor will he be?
You really still don't know
the pastors and elders rely on the gospel for living every day?
Why don't you consider the pastor's feelings?"
They really took the mask off that time.
They showed their real faces!
That's right.
These pastors and elders are full of flattery and tricks.
They stop believers from seeking the true way to protect their status and income,
and they say it's to protect the flock.
They really are cunning!
That's absolutely how it is.
The pastors and elders take our offerings to God,
and they resort to anything to control us (Yes.)
and keep us trapped in religion.
They stop us from reading Almighty God's words
because they're afraid we'll hear God's voice,
turn to God, and stop taking care of them.
They're stopping us from entering the kingdom of heaven!
These pastors and elders truly are black-hearted and merciless!
They are despicable!
Pastor Tang,
I finally understand now
how Pharisees of the past resisted the Lord Jesus and harmed believers.
It's the way you resist Almighty God and harm us today.
That's right.
You won't stop until you doom us all!
Pastor Tang,
use your conscience and think about this. (Yeah.)
Even if you don't enter the kingdom of heaven,
don't stop the rest of us! (Exactly.)
Why do you want to drag us down to hell with you? (Right.)
Why do you want us all to become the children of hell?
What are you, a demon?
That's saying what a lot of us believers feel.
When Pastor Tang saw that I was determined,
he got so angry he snarled at me.
"Don't try to scare me with the Pharisees' endings.
Everything I do is to safeguard the true way
and protect the flock. (Oh no.)
I have faith that the Lord sees my heart.
If Almighty God really is the returned Lord Jesus,
then I'll take on the sin of resisting God.
I'll bear it!"
Isn't that what the Pharisees said?
"Zhang Yi, Zhang Yi,
since you're so determined to follow Almighty God,
that makes us enemies!
And I'm warning you,
if you take any more sheep from my church,
I won't be so nice about it.
I'll call the police!
Let's go!"
That's the manifestation of modern-day Pharisees!
It's just a shame
that so many believers still lack discernment.
They suffer at the hands of their pastors and elders,
and can't hear the voice of God.
Even their rights and freedom to investigate the true way have been stripped from them.
Even worse,
some people still believe in and worship their pastors and elders,
and listen to them in everything.
They even let the pastors and elders tell them how to investigate the true way.
Isn't that giving their life over to devils and Satan?
That fulfills the words in the Bible,
That's a fact.
As we believe in the Lord,
we need to be wise virgins, and listen for the Lord's voice.
Only then can we escape the deception and control of our pastor and elder, Pharisees,
and be lifted up into God's presence.
Amen!