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  • Go ahead and tell us.

  • Sure.

  • Before I found God, I was instructed by the CCP.

  • Making a name for myself and bringing honor to my home

  • was all I thought of.

  • Later, I tested into graduate school and became a lawyer.

  • I always had a sense of superiority and entitlement.

  • Therefore, wherever I went,

  • I always tried to show off.

  • I expected that others would see things my way

  • and do things according to what I said.

  • Back then I didn't recognize my arrogant disposition.

  • I felt I was a great person.

  • After I found God,

  • thanks to Almighty God's word,

  • I could recognize my own arrogant disposition.

  • I could plainly see my ambitions and desires

  • and my self-righteousness.

  • Most of the time when I'd speak or do things, I consulted with no one.

  • I had to get my own way.

  • Though I'd gained some self-awareness,

  • to my mind, these weren't big problems.

  • I remember reading God's word,

  • I considered,

  • So what about those of good humanity?

  • Or people who are obedient to God?

  • Do they still need to change?

  • What exactly is meant by a changed disposition?

  • I had thought that we were believing in Christ and that Christ is a practical God,

  • so shouldn't belief in Christ mean obeying Christ?

  • So obeying Him means being compatible with Him.

  • Especially when I thought about how I had given up my career,

  • and left my family,

  • which was me expending for God,

  • I assumed it showed that I believed in and was compatible with Christ.

  • However, what I didn't know then and didn't grasp

  • was that I had to change my life disposition to become compatible with Christ,

  • so I did my duties out of enthusiasm.

  • Yeah.

  • I also didn't know what life entry and dispositional change were.

  • You could say I lacked life experience.

  • When did I come to gain some true understanding?

  • It was after I experienced very harsh pruning

  • that I began to honestly reflect on myself

  • and saw that my own nature was quite arrogant.

  • I did not know to seek the truth or practice God's word in my duty

  • and I had no obedience to God.

  • It was clear that I was not compatible with Christ.

  • After undergoing this pruning,

  • I finally gained a real appreciation of what God meant when He said,

  • Thanks be to God!

  • In two thousand fourteen,

  • because of my faith, I was persecuted by the CCP and forced to flee abroad.

  • After I arrived,

  • church members saw that I worked hard and was of good caliber,

  • so they chose me as church leader

  • and often nominated me to participate in certain events

  • as well as to give media interviews.

  • But those things became my capital.

  • I was already arrogant

  • and so with this capital I became impossibly so.

  • I felt that the church couldn't possibly function without my assistance

  • and that my work's crucial.

  • When other people wanted to discuss matters with me that I saw as trifling,

  • I didn't wanna bother and thought they were fussing over nothing.

  • If they persisted in asking me, I would become annoyed.

  • "Why come to me with such trifles?

  • It's beneath me. Deal with it yourself."

  • And if they kept asking,

  • my tone immediately became questioning and critical

  • and I would even lecture them as if I were superior.

  • When I treated others like this, even I felt it was inappropriate.

  • I felt it was hurting them in some way.

  • But you have to know,

  • living with that arrogant disposition I had lost all humanity.

  • Even that shred of self-reproach eventually vanished.

  • This was how I would behave, not just at work but in all of life.

  • In all that I did in the course of my duties,

  • I wanted to have the final say.

  • When I discussed things with the others

  • and I heard opinions or suggestions I didn't like,

  • I rebuked them without hesitation and even belittled their opinions.

  • Everything had to go just as I said.

  • I hardly ever raised my problems at work

  • for discussion and seeking with my co-workers,

  • because I thought

  • I had been doing my duties for a long period of time and gained enough insight,

  • that I could work things out by analyzing and studying them

  • and my co-workers weren't familiar with the work,

  • so they didn't quite understand.

  • I thought if I spoke to them,

  • they wouldn't be able to add anything nor understand better.

  • I thought the process of discussion was simply a waste of time,

  • a hollow gesture.

  • In time I stopped wanting to work with them.

  • When my superiors came to check in on my work, I also became annoyed.

  • I didn't want to accept anyone's supervision or advice.

  • At the time, I actually felt that my state wasn't right.

  • My co-workers warned me.

  • They would say,

  • "You're arrogant and self-righteous, you don't wanna work with anyone.

  • You reject supervision and ignore advice about your duties.

  • You won't let others help you with your work."

  • These warnings and offers from my co-workers

  • were in fact a form of pruning but I ignored them.

  • Though I was arrogant and hadn't achieved much life entry,

  • nor had I achieved much change,

  • I was still doing my duties,

  • so this wasn't a major problem.

  • I didn't accept any help from my brothers and sisters.

  • I took it lightly.

  • I thought my arrogant disposition as well as my satanic nature

  • weren't things that I could change overnight.

  • I thought it was a long-term process

  • and that for the moment I should focus on my work and my duties.

  • But when we live within an arrogant disposition, it doesn't mean we feel nothing.

  • My heart felt very empty throughout that time.

  • Sometimes after I had completed a task,

  • I would ask myself,

  • "While I am in the process of doing it, or once it is done,

  • what truths have I gained?

  • Which principles have I practiced? Has my life disposition changed?"

  • My answer was always no.

  • Why was that?

  • Because each day I was scrambling to finish my work

  • and when I had too much to do, I grew full of anger.

  • It was as if a little thing could shatter my self-control.

  • When I prayed I just went through the motions.

  • I had nothing to say from the heart.

  • Nor did I get any light from reading God's words.

  • At the time, I was feeling utterly empty,

  • also I was always anxious.

  • The way it felt was the more work I did, the further I was from God.

  • My heart couldn't feel Him.

  • I feared being abandoned by God.

  • So with a tremendous sense of urgency I prayed to God:

  • "Dear God! I know I can't save myself

  • and I can't control myself,

  • so I ask You to save me."

  • Not long after, I suddenly experienced yet more pruning.

  • One time, the brother from the above asked about my work,

  • he had discovered a large problem

  • in how I had handled the spending of the church's money.

  • He found out that when I made the decision of how to spend this money,

  • I hadn't discussed it with others or the decision group.

  • So he said to me,

  • "This is about church expenses,

  • why didn't you discuss it with the decision group?

  • Is it just for you to decide?"

  • I felt there wasn't anything I could say in response to this.

  • At the time I just didn't know how to answer the brother.

  • Why was that?

  • I didn't know why because I had never thought about it.

  • After that, I started to think back.

  • During that period, because I was living within my arrogant nature,

  • I lacked any normal sense,

  • I didn't realize that my duties were God's commission to me

  • and I should have done them by principles and sought the truth.

  • I didn't know that I should've made all these decisions

  • with co-workers and the decision group.

  • I lacked that sense because of my arrogant disposition.

  • And I wasn't even aware of it.

  • I had even thought

  • this was something I understood,

  • I didn't need to seek or look into it.

  • The brother dealt with me, saying,

  • "You are arrogant. You lack all sense.

  • These offerings were given to God by His chosen people,

  • and should've been spent according to principle.

  • The offerings have been squandered,

  • so we have to look into responsibility."

  • In response, I didn't say anything,

  • but inside I still felt I was right.

  • It's not like I had stolen the offerings!

  • I had spent them while performing church work,

  • so why should I bear any responsibility?

  • Soon after our leaders came to the church to meet with us

  • and they fellowshiped and analyzed my problem using God's words.

  • I had also fellowshiped on my understanding of myself,

  • but in my heart I could tell I was using my fellowship

  • simply to let out the defiance and the lack of understanding

  • that had been building up in my heart.

  • I felt I worked hard despite making no contribution.

  • They perceived that I lacked genuine understanding of my nature.

  • After speaking with my brothers and sisters,

  • they dismissed me from the leadership.

  • I didn't actually feel much regret at that moment.

  • But after that the leaders started reviewing the details of every expense

  • and during that process I understood

  • that in fact there really were some problems.

  • As the losses from my mistakes piled up and the amount grew and grew,

  • it passed beyond what I could afford to pay

  • and I started to feel afraid.

  • I began to reflect about how I had spent that money

  • and my disregarding and dismissive attitude,

  • I genuinely felt regret and so I began to loathe myself.

  • I hadn't realized that relying on my own satanic nature

  • could cause such losses to the church.

  • Faced with all the facts, I couldn't help but lower my head.

  • In truth, I wanted to slap myself in the face.

  • I couldn't believe that I had actually done those things.

  • After that, I heard the brother's fellowship.

  • I'll read you the notes that I took.

  • Each word of the brother's fellowship was like a dagger piercing my heart.

  • Maybe there were others who didn't know the background to these issues

  • but I was well aware that every word of what he said was referring to me

  • and that my condition was laid bare.

  • When I heard the brother say that people like this are Satan

  • and that they must be expelled,

  • I felt overwhelmingly shocked.

  • I felt as if I had just been sentenced to death.

  • I thought, "That's it. Now I will never be saved,

  • this is the end of my life of belief in God,

  • my belief in God is forever over."

  • At the time, I was terribly afraid.

  • I had always felt that God took very good care of me.

  • I had both a good education and job,

  • my assigned duties were all very important

  • and others looked up to me,

  • therefore, I always viewed myself as very special to God.

  • I thought I was the key person to be trained in God's house.

  • I never imagined I'd be loathed and eliminated by God

  • for offending His disposition.

  • From then on I felt that

  • God's righteous disposition brooks no offense,

  • that God's house is ruled by truth and righteousness

  • and allows no one to engage in misconduct.

  • We should do our church duties according to principle and seek the truth,

  • not simply do whatever we might want,

  • or behave however we might like.

  • I thought that since I'd caused problems and misspent the church's offerings,

  • I had offended God's disposition

  • and no one could save me.

  • I just had to wait to be eliminated by God's house.

  • In the days that followed,

  • each morning I opened my eyes and felt a moment of deep terror.

  • I became depressed and lacked the strength to leave my bed.

  • I felt that I didn't know where I would be next

  • that the mistake I had made was far too great and no one could save me.

  • I could only go before God and tell Him what was in my heart.

  • I said to God,

  • "God, I was wrong.

  • I had never imagined that things could possibly turn out this way.

  • I didn't know You before and I didn't revere You.

  • In Your presence I was arrogant and self-righteous

  • and was completely without sense,

  • therefore I am now undergoing this pruning and this judgment.

  • I see Your righteous disposition.

  • I would like to obey You and learn lessons from this situation.

  • I beg You God don't leave me, I can't be without You."

  • In the days that followed, I continued to pray like this.

  • One morning soon after, I heard a hymn of God's words.

  • I'll read it for you now.

  • Thanks be to God!

  • When I heard this hymn of God's words,

  • I felt I had found a hope of saving myself.

  • I sang the hymn over and over again.

  • The more I sang, the more strength I felt.

  • I realized I was exposed, pruned and dealt with this way

  • because what God wanted was that I could repent and change.

  • God didn't want to eliminate me.

  • But I did not know God yet.

  • I guarded myself against God

  • and so I lived in a state of despair,

  • all because I thought God didn't want me.

  • But that day I saw God's word

  • and realized God's will was not as I'd thought.

  • Amen!

  • God knew my spiritual stature was still immature.

  • He knew that under these circumstances I would become weak

  • and even loose my determination to seek the truth.

  • And so God used His words to encourage me

  • and make me realize that one must always pursue truth,

  • no matter what the circumstances are.

  • Amen!

  • When people fail and fall and when they are pruned,

  • these are first steps in the process of being saved.

  • Amen!

  • As long as we can reflect on ourselves and can repent and change,

  • then after we go through these steps, we experience growth.

  • Amen!

  • Once I understood this,

  • I no longer misunderstood God as much and wasn't as guarded.

  • I felt that no matter what God arranges,

  • it would be beneficial to me; God was responsible for me.

  • Yes.

  • After that, I gathered up all my courage

  • ready to face whatever came next.

  • Of course, I later grew calm and reflected.

  • Just why had I failed and fallen so badly?

  • What was the root of my failure?

  • Only after I read God's word did I finally understand.

  • God's word says,

  • In the past, I admitted my own arrogance theoretically,

  • but I had no genuine understanding of my nature.

  • I was vain and would live within my own notions and imaginings.

  • I felt that my arrogance was justified,

  • so when my brothers and sisters pruned me and tried to help,

  • I ignored it and disregarded it.

  • But when I read God's word, I understood

  • my arrogant conceited nature was the root of my resistance to God.

  • It was a satanic disposition.

  • When people live with such an arrogant nature,

  • resisting God becomes involuntary.

  • I thought of how large my ego became

  • when I did church leader duties.

  • I thought I was better than others and could do anything.

  • I always wanted to have my way.

  • What's more, I wanted to take over and lead the work of my whole group

  • and make my brothers and sisters do what I wanted.

  • I never once thought

  • about whether or not my thoughts and decisions were right,

  • or if they were biased,

  • or if they would cause loss to the church work,

  • until I heard the brother say

  • that whenever things happened to him, he would go and ask God,

  • because he was afraid of doing the wrong thing

  • and he'd only act after receiving God's answer.

  • The brother from the above possesses the truth

  • and has a God-fearing heart and acts on principle.

  • Yet he still doesn't dare trust himself.

  • When things happen to him, he asks God and has God decide.

  • A good church leader must seek the truth in all things.

  • As for me, I lacked a God-fearing heart and didn't seek God.

  • When things happened, I relied on my own imaginings to direct me

  • and treated my ideas as the truth.

  • I considered myself important.

  • Isn't that a satanic disposition?

  • I was no different from the archangel who wished to sit equal with God.

  • And that offended God's disposition!

  • Yeah.

  • Once I finally understood this,

  • I felt my arrogant nature was terrifying.

  • It made me live without sense.

  • It made me do many things that harmed people and offended God.

  • It made me live like a monster.

  • But God is righteous.

  • How could God allow a person as full of satanic dispositions as I was

  • to run amok and disrupt the work of God's house?

  • Therefore, I deserved to be dismissed from my leadership duty,

  • I had done this to myself.

  • In the years I'd believed in God,

  • I'd relied on my gifts and my notions to do my work

  • and rarely sought the truth.

  • After all that time, I had little reality of the truth.

  • In short, I was spiritually impoverished.

  • I wondered how come I cannot seek the truth?

  • Why do I always think my own ideas and judgments are right?

  • In actuality, this proved that I had no place for God in my heart,

  • much less did I have a God-fearing heart.

  • Being exposed by God in my duty

  • was God's reminder and warning for me

  • and if I didn't turn things around,

  • then I would be eliminated and sent to hell.

  • Once I understood these things,

  • I felt that God's judgment, chastisement, pruning and dealing

  • are God's protection and love.

  • God's good intentions drive it all.

  • Amen!

  • - Thanks be to God! - Thank God.

  • God judges and chastises not out of hate,

  • but to save people from Satan's grasp and their satanic dispositions.

  • Once I understood this,

  • I had fewer misunderstandings of God and was less guarded.

  • I felt that no matter what God arranged for me in the days to come,

  • God's sovereignty drove it and I wished to obey Him.

  • Thanks be to God!

  • My duties had some follow-up work I needed to complete

  • and I felt that this work was God giving me a chance to repent,

  • so I felt I should do it seriously.

  • After that in the course of my duties,

  • when I discussed my work with other members,

  • I no longer relied on my arrogant disposition

  • thinking myself right and making others listen.

  • I let my brothers and sisters share their viewpoints

  • and then decided what to do after considering everyone's ideas.

  • Of course, when our views would differ,

  • I could still be arrogant and hold to my own views,

  • unwilling to accept others' advice.

  • But I'd remember how I'd failed in the past and how I'd been pruned

  • and I'd feel afraid

  • and then I would pray before God.

  • I would consciously forsake myself,

  • after which with my brothers and sisters,

  • I could seek the truth with a heart that feared God.

  • I felt secure doing my duties like this

  • and my decisions could withstand scrutiny.

  • When I was partnered with my brothers and sisters,

  • I realized that some of my ideas were one-sided.

  • Fellowshiping with my brothers and sisters and then delving into things,

  • at least to me,

  • in matters of the truth and of principle and of insight,

  • was extremely helpful.

  • Whenever I observed how my brothers and sisters responded to important things

  • by seeking, praying to God and fellowshiping with others

  • and that they didn't trust themselves,

  • I wondered why I didn't seek the truth and so easily trusted myself.

  • I saw that my arrogance made me capable of anything.

  • I was so deeply corrupted by Satan

  • and was no better than the others.

  • It was after that, that I realized

  • I might have a bit more knowledge than my brothers and sisters,

  • but deep in my spirit, I couldn't compare to them.

  • My heart was less God-fearing than theirs.

  • In this respect, the others were far beyond me.

  • And when I saw that, I realized

  • each of my brothers and sisters had their own strengths,

  • which was quite different from how I saw them in the past.

  • I felt that my brothers and sisters were in fact better than me,

  • so I began to keep my head down

  • and I was able to get along with others and I could work well with them.

  • Thank God.

  • When I finished the follow-up work,

  • I calmly waited for the church's decision about me.

  • Never would I have expected

  • the brother would say

  • that he had seen that I was still able to perform my duties after being pruned

  • and that I had known myself a bit,

  • so I could continue my duties.

  • Amen!

  • He also pointed out some problems with how I did my duties.

  • When I heard the brother say that I could continue my duties,

  • at that moment,

  • there wasn't anything to say but thanks be to God.

  • Thanks be to God!

  • I felt that, after this having been exposed,

  • after experiencing intense pruning,

  • I finally had known my satanic nature a bit.

  • Yes.

  • But the price was so extremely high.

  • Because I had relied on my corrupt disposition,

  • I had caused great losses to the church

  • and so in truth, I should've been punished.

  • But God didn't treat me according to my transgressions

  • and allowed me to continue my duties.

  • - Amen! - Thanks be to God!

  • I personally experienced God's mercy and tolerance!

  • Each time I think back on all of this,

  • I feel regret for all the losses I caused to the church

  • because I had relied upon my satanic nature.

  • these words totally convinced me.

  • - Amen! - Thanks be to God!

  • But I also feel

  • that God's chastisement and judgment, God's pruning and God's dealing

  • are God's greatest protection and love for corrupt mankind!

  • - Amen! - Thanks be to God!

Go ahead and tell us.

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