The Church of Almighty God | Chapter 9

Almighty God says: Since you are one of the people of My household, and since you are faithful in My kingdom, all that you do must meet the standards that I require. I do not ask that you be nothing more than a drifting cloud, but that you be gleaming snow, and possessed of its substance and even more its value. Because I came from the holy land, not like the lotus, which has only a name and no substance because it came from the mire and not the holy land. The time that a new heaven descends upon the earth and a new earth spreads over the skies is also the very time that I formally work among man. Who among man knows Me? Who beheld the moment of My arrival? Who has seen that I not only have a name, but, moreover, am also possessed of substance?

I sweep away the white clouds with My hand and closely observe the skies; in space, nothing is not arranged by My hand, and beneath space, no man does not contribute his own tiny effort to the accomplishment of My mighty enterprise. I do not make onerous demands of the people on earth, for I have always been the practical God, and because I am the Almighty that created man and knows man well. All people are before the eyes of the Almighty. How could even those in the remotest corners of the earth avoid the scrutiny of My Spirit? Although man knows My Spirit, he also offends My Spirit. My words lay bare the ugly face of all people, and lay bare the innermost thoughts of all people, and cause all upon earth to be made plain by My light and fall down in the midst of My scrutiny. But though man falls down, his heart does not dare to stray far from Me. Among the creatures, who does not come to love Me because of My deeds? Who does not yearn for Me as a result of My words? In whom are not born feelings of devotion because of My love? It is only because of the corruption of Satan that man is unable to reach the realm as required by Me. Even the lowest standards that I require produce misgivings in him, to say nothing of today, the era in which Satan runs riot and is madly despotic, or the time when man has been so trampled by Satan that his entire body is caked in filth. When has man’s failure to care for My heart as a result of his depravity not caused Me grief? Could it be that I pity Satan? Could it be that I am mistaken in My love? When man disobeys Me, My heart secretly weeps; when man opposes Me, I chastise him; when man is saved by Me and resurrected from the dead, I feed him with the utmost care; when man obeys Me, My heart rests easy and I immediately sense great changes in all things in heaven and on earth; when man praises Me, how could I not enjoy it? When man witnesses Me and is gained by Me, how could I not be glorified? Could it be that all man does is not governed and supplied by Me? When I do not provide direction, people are idle and quiescent, and, behind My back, they engage in those “laudable” dirty dealings. Do you think the flesh, with which I clothe Myself, knows nothing of your actions, your behavior, and your words? Many years have I endured the wind and the rain, and so too have I experienced the bitterness of the human world, yet upon closer reflection, no amount of suffering can make man of flesh lose hope in Me, much less can any sweetness cause man of flesh to become cold, downhearted, or dismissive toward Me. Is man’s love for Me really limited to either no pain or no sweetness?

Today, I inhabit flesh and have begun to officially carry out the work that I must do, yet though man fears the voice of My Spirit, he disobeys the substance of My Spirit. I need not elaborate upon how difficult it is for man to know the Me of the flesh in My words. As I have said before, I am not exacting in My requirements, and it is not necessary for you to achieve a full knowledge of Me (for man is lacking; this is an inherent condition, and acquired conditions are incapable of making up for it). You need only know all that is done and said by the Me in fleshly form. Since My requirements are not exacting, it is My hope that you can come to know, and that you can achieve. You must rid yourselves of your impurities in this filthy world, must strive to make progress in this backward family of emperors, and must not cut yourselves some slack. You should not be the slightest bit lenient toward yourself: You would need to devote great time and effort in order to know that which I utter in a single day, and the knowledge of even a single sentence spoken by Me is worthy of a lifetime’s experiencing. The words I speak are not vague and abstract, they are not empty talk. Many people hope to gain My words, but I pay them no heed; many people yearn for My fatness, but I give them not a bit; many people wish to see My face, yet I have ever hidden it; many people listen intently to My voice, but I close My eyes and tilt back My head, unmoved by their yearning; many people fear the sound of My voice, but My words are always on the offensive; many people are fearful of seeing My face, but I deliberately appear to strike them down. Man has never truly seen My face and has never truly heard My voice, for he does not truly know Me. Even though he is struck down by Me, even though he leaves Me, even though he is chastised by My hand, he still does not know whether all that he does is truly after My own heart, and is still ignorant of just whom My heart is revealed to. From the creation of the world until today, no one has ever truly known Me, or truly seen Me, and though I have become flesh today, you still do not know Me. Is this not a fact? Have you ever beheld even a little of My actions and disposition in the flesh?

In heaven is where I recline, and beneath heaven is where I find rest. I have somewhere to dwell, and I have a time for when I display My powers. If I were not on earth, if I did not conceal Myself within flesh, and if I were not humble and hidden, would heaven and earth not have already been changed long ago? Would you, the people of Mine, not have already been used by Me? Yet there is wisdom to My actions, and although I am fully aware of man’s deceit, I do not follow his example, but instead make an exchange for it. My wisdom in the spiritual realm is inexhaustible, while My wisdom in the flesh is everlasting. Is this not the very time in which My deeds are made plain? I have forgiven and pardoned man many times, right up until today, in the Age of Kingdom. Could I really delay My time any longer? Although I have been somewhat more merciful toward the fragile man, once My work is complete, could I still bring trouble upon Myself by doing old work? Could I wittingly allow Satan to accuse? I do not need man to do anything but accept the reality of My words and the original meaning of My words. Though My words are simple, in substance they are complex, for you are too small, and have grown too numb. When I reveal My mysteries directly and make plain My will in the flesh, you take no notice; you listen to the sound, but do not understand the meaning. I am overcome with sadness. Although I am in the flesh, I am unable to do the work of the ministry of the flesh.

Who has come to know My deeds in the flesh among My words and actions? When I reveal My mysteries in writing, or speak them aloud, people are all dumbstruck, they close their eyes in silence. Why is what I say incomprehensible to man? Why are My words unfathomable to him? Why is he blind to My deeds? Who is able to see Me and never forget? Who is able to hear My voice and not allow it to pass them by? Who is able to sense My will and please My heart? I live and move among people, I have come to experience their lives, and though I felt that everything was good after I created them for man, I take no joy from life among man, and am not gladdened by the happiness among man. I do not detest and reject man, but neither am I sentimental toward him — for he does not know Me, he finds it hard to see My face in the darkness, and has difficulty hearing My voice, and is unable to discern My words, amid the clamor. Thus, superficially, all that you do is in obedience to Me, but in your heart, you still disobey Me. The whole of mankind’s old nature, it can be said, is like this. Who is an exception? Who is not one of the objects of My chastisement? But who does not live under My tolerance? If man were destroyed by My wrath, what would be the significance of My creation of the heavens and earth? I once warned many people, and exhorted many people, and openly judged many people — is this not much better than directly destroying man? My aim is not to put man to death, but to cause him to know all My deeds amid My judgment. When you ascend from the bottomless pit, which is to say, when you free yourselves from My judgment, your personal considerations and plans will all disappear, and all people will aspire to satisfy Me. And in this, will I not have achieved My aim?

March 1, 1992

from Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh