Hey there brothers and sisters! Hello all!
And so, shall we perform crosstalk for the audience?
Sounds good! (Yeah!)
But first let's introduce ourselves. I'm Liu Xin.
And I'm Zheng Yang.
As for me, I'm Yu Shunfu.
My age 35.
I've followed the Lord since I was small, and He has taken care of me. (Yes. That's true.)
I'm very grateful that the Lord gave me a good pastor.
We all call him Pastor Liu. (Pastor Liu?)
He has quite the spiritual stature. I see him about most everything in fact.
I asked him for help getting married, finding work, buying a house …
The way he works and gives sermons—(Hey, hey …)
What's up?
I think I understand now.
You clearly don't believe in God,
but you do believe in Pastor Liu!
Exactly! Just Pastor Liu from your mouth.
Crack some seeds in your teeth,
and goodness only knows,
just what bugs might crawl out!
Oh yeah? Just what do you two know?
It is like what our pastor says,
we just haven't believed long enough,
and we're too young in life.
When anything happens, we must ask our pastors for advice.
If we just do as they say, then we can't go wrong!
Are you guys hearing all this?
Here's an example.
We host brothers and sisters for meetings.
They are hosts.
And before we knew it our home was famous within the community.
That's all true. Yes.
People from the CCP United Front started to take notice!
That sounds like some serious trouble!
Not a good sign at all!
Then a few days ago they came to talk to me.
To talk about what?
What'd they want to talk about? To question me of course!
An interrogation!
"Oh! You believe in God!
So these meetings you hold, who attends them?
Just where do they come from?"
When they asked that, I became terribly nervous!
If I told the truth, I'd be Judas,
but to say I didn't know would make me a liar!
That's a tough spot!
So what did you end up doing?
Well, silence is golden.
I just took some time to ponder, and to ponder, and to ponder,
and to ponder, and to—(Okay! What did you ponder?)
I pondered all that Pastor Liu told me.
Oh. You could remember? (Yep. I remembered.)
Pastor Liu would tell us:
Those who believe in the Lord shouldn't tell lies.
Yep. That sounds right.
Pastor Liu also said we should always obey the Bible:
That is what I pondered. (And then?)
I told them everything. (What?)
Oh dear heavens, no! How could you go and tell them everything?
So what happened next?
Then demise.
Then demise?
What are you saying that doesn't make sense?
Whose demise?
Do you two speak English?
The word demise means to guess.
Oh! You mean "surmise." (Demise means "guess"?)
"Surmise."
"Surmise," "demise," "surmise," "demise" … (Okay, okay. So what happened?)
That United Front office person said, (Yeah?)
"Apparently then, you believe in God and not the Communist Party.
That's troublesome!
You are against the Party."
He accused you of a crime!
And that's not the half of it!
Before I knew it he grabbed me and dragged me away! (Oh no!)
Yes! And then eight big and brawny men came and threw me down on the floor.
Wham, wham! They all slapped me! And then they started kicking me.
Wham! Wham …
Enough!
Hey, you scared me!
She must have PTSD.
I'm … I'm a wreck. Ah … heavens!
That must've really hurt and yet you still ended up as a Judas!
That's right! Telling the truth to Satan?
Just how big of a fool are you? (No, you're a fool!)
Come now just let her finish.
What did the Lord Jesus say?
Yes, right!
With those non-believers who are wicked and oppress us,
you absolutely never should tell them the truth,
or they will persecute us!
You see? She's a living example!
What're you saying?
Hey,
It means that we need to use wisdom.
Use wisdom.
But in our hearts, we should be "harmless as doves,"
and not try to cause harm.
If our hearts are turned to God,
and we strive to be righteous, we're not lying,
rather we're being wise.
Yeah, that's more like it!
Following the Lord's way and obeying God,
now that is the truth!
If you ask me, this is all because the CCP police are so unreasonable!
They promise religious freedom,
but who knew the Chinese constitution was just some grand fairy tale?
What's that mean?
It is all a big lie, come on!
"Religious freedom" is just what they say for foreigners to hear.
That's right.
Listen, let's not talk about these depressing things.
Right! Talk of happy things!
Hey! Something happy really did happen! (Oh?)
I'm so excited about it!
Well what is it? What's up? (Why are you happy?)
A good friend told me:
The Lord is back!
Wow! That's big news! And good news!
That's fantastic!
Indeed.
She said He's here (Yeah?)
to do His work in the last days,
expressing truth, as well as performing the work of judgment beginning in the house of God.
Right, and that fulfills the Bible's prophecy,
We need to investigate further! (Right!)
Once I heard the good news I knew, (Yeah?)
I had to share it with Pastor Liu!
Pastor Liu must have been so excited when he heard it! (Wrong!)
What?
Our pastor responded …
Look! Her pastor spoke again. (That's right.)
Yep, there's Pastor Liu.
"My young Sister Yu."
The pastor looks quite old.
"No matter how many years you have believed,
in life, you are still extremely young.
If something so important had happened,
we pastors and elders would be the first to know!
Therefore, you should stay here in our church and be obedient.
Don't read, don't hear, don't have contact.
Just follow us in your belief.
When the Lord finally does arrive,
I can personally guarantee that He won't reject you!"
What kind of a thing is that to say?
When he put it like that,
I thought Pastor Liu has got to be right!
That's an utterly absurd theory!
He's taking away your right to seek the true way!
And … and you thought he was right?
Hey,
our pastor has studied theology, memorized the Bible,
worked for the Lord, preached for years,
and has endured so much suffering and—
What's your point?
When the Lord returns,
our pastors and elders will be the first to know!
And me, as long as I follow them,
I'm guaranteed to be raised up to the heavenly kingdom!
Oh boy. You're living in some kind of fantasy.
That's just unrealistic! (Hey, you be nice.)
Look, she's losing her temper.
Now listen closely my friend,
don't obey the pastor so blindly. (That's right!)
Reflect back on all those Jewish leaders.
They all knew the Bible by heart,
and they all traveled throughout the world to spread the gospel.
But when the Lord Jesus appeared to do work,
did He give revelation to those leaders?
Indeed, did He give revelation to those leaders?
Did they recognize that He was the Messiah they were waiting for?
Well no.
Then who did recognize the Lord Jesus?
Hey! Hey! I know this one! (Yeah?)
It was people who loved the truth
and yearned for the appearance of God.
For instance, Peter, John, and also James.
Yes, right!
They all were humble as they searched for the Lord,
and heard His voice,
so God gave them enlightenment,
and they recognized that Lord Jesus was their Messiah.
That's right.
Even though those Jewish leaders had great status as well as prestige,
they were arrogant, stubborn,
and they failed to try to seek the truth.
They believed in God but resisted Him,
and so were condemned.
In Matthew chapter 25 verse 6,
And in Revelation He said,
Amen!
The Lord was telling us
that when He returns, He will knock on our doors and speak,
and allow us to hear His voice. (Right.)
But if your pastor tells you,
"Don't read, listen, or have contact,"
how'll you be able to receive the Lord? (Exactly!)
Hey, that's actually a very good point.
But our pastor has declared …
You see? Looks like we learned it too.
In the Bible, does it or does it not say…? (What?)
Pastors and elders were established by God,
so concerning the Lord's return,
I think that we have to listen to them.
Aren't those, the words of the Apostle Paul?
Correct, the Apostle Paul!
So based on Paul's words,
you think God made them pastors and elders?
Now everyone, do Paul's words represent the Lord?
No way!
Does Lord Jesus stand by these words?
No!
Does the Holy Spirit testify this?
No!
So, that idea, it doesn't stand up!
Turns out the audience only likes you two!
People listen to reason and they respect the facts.
Isn't that right, folks?
Yes!
I can't do this, bye! (Hey! Hey!)
Come back! (Hey, hey, hey! come back!)
This is so awkward!
Now who gets appointed by God? We need to clarify things. (That's right.)
Come, come, come. Come back. Good.
It's no simple matter for God to establish someone.
It has to be someone God favors, who God Himself testifies,
and there must be evidence of the Holy Spirit's work.
Hey! Someone like Moses!
Moses was established by God, and there's proof of that!
Then tell me.
Jehovah God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and then said,
So Moses was indeed established by God!
Right. And then in the Age of Grace,
Peter was established by God.
The Lord Jesus' words prove it!
The Lord Jesus' words are proof!
Well, our pastor has "proof" also!
What proves that?
It's a seminary diploma for pastors.
Come now, there's no diploma that represents God's approval
or proves he has the work of the Holy Spirit. (Yeah.)
I suppose that's true.
All the work of today's pastors and elders
relies purely on caliber and on talent.
They preach theological theories and biblical knowledge. (Yes.)
They exalt themselves and show off at every turn.
They never talk about the Lord's will or God's requirements. (Right.)
When believers have problems,
they don't ever seek what the Lord has to say. (Exactly!)
You can guess what happens!
"But our pastor has declared …"
Do you see now?
Is this not attempting to take the place of God in people's hearts?
That's absolutely right!
Folks believe in God and pastors wreck it.
They lead God's chosen people to worship them instead.
It's nothing but deceiving, cheating, and hurting people.
Do you think God would use someone like that?
God establishes and uses people to carry out His will
and to accomplish His work.
They should be those who fear God, who obey God,
who can carry out God's will, and who are truly loyal to God.
Tell me folks, isn't that so?
Yes!
Wait, why am I starting to feel like maybe my pastor is tricking me?
You don't just feel like it! He's really doing it!
Yes. And now, let's keep going.
Almighty God has appeared within the last days,
and what's more He's expressed millions of words! (Yeah!)
That's a whole lot!
Yes, indeed.
The Church of Almighty God has the truth expressed by Almighty God.
And with God's guidance, they've released all kinds of movies,
MVs, and choirs, and hymns, a cappella, you just name it!
They have everything you'd want! (Oh wow!)
It's all been translated into over ten languages!
They posted them on their website,
so everyone in the world can seek and learn!
Wow! that's so great!
Isn't it?
But, let me ask you this,
just how many pastors and elders willingly investigate God's work nowadays?
They not only fail to seek and investigate,
what's even more despicable—(Yet more despicable)
is the way they all rack their brains,
think up all kinds of tricks to stoop to any level,
to stop our dear brothers and sisters from investigating the true way!
That's right.
Don't you think these pastors and elders are making an enemy of God?
You know, when you put it like that,
the pastors and elders seem exactly like Pharisees.
That's because they are modern Pharisees!
Absolutely right!
Nowadays, if you worship pastors and elders,
and you maintain that they are established by God,
well then, wouldn't you say you're a little bit confused?
Say what?
We say you're quite confused!
Today, I finally understand.
I have been obeying the pastor like an ignorant fool.
I lack good discernment and so have followed the wrong path.
I was close to being rejected and eliminated!
Finally! Now you truly understand!
Thanks to God!
Remember,
as we seek the true way,
we have to focus on hearing the voice of God.
If we just heed pastors and elders,
we risk being rejected and eliminated.
Right.
Mine was such a deeply tragic lesson. (Indeed.)
Brothers and sisters, remember this too:
Believers must hold God above all!
The Bible declares,
Amen!
Thank you, my sisters, for today's reminder.
We believers must honor God above all,
and keep our hearts' "temple" empty for God.
I'm off to investigate Almighty God's work of the last days!
Come back! Come back!
What is it?
We haven't bowed yet!