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  • 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 sayingis

  • 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!

Hey, Brother Zhang, (Yeah?)

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