I sometimes ask people how many years they’ve believed in God when I come into contact with them. Someone says they’ve only believed for three years and feels embarrassed. In their heart, they think that they’ve believed in God for a short time and have small stature, so when they compare themselves to those who have believed for ten, twenty, or thirty years, they always feel inferior, a cut below them. They ponder, “Are You asking this to remind me that I’ve believed in God for a short time, am small in stature, and God’s house made an exception in promoting me, and to make me feel deeply grateful to God’s house?” Why does such a question make them so awkward? It’s because they overcomplicate My question, thinking there’s a plot in My words and that I’m trying to scheme against them. They read several layers of meaning into such a simple question. After saying they’ve believed for three years, they feel that they are in a difficult situation. Aren’t they dissatisfied with My question in their heart? Actually, I pose this question without any particular intention, and I wouldn’t expect it to put you in a difficult situation. So why do you feel like you’re in a difficult situation? It’s because your mind is too complicated. Is there anything wrong with My question? (No.) I’m just asking it casually. If I ask you how many romantic partners you’ve had, that might be inappropriate, as it would be prying into your private affairs. But what I’m asking about is something related to your faith in God—I’m asking you how many years you’ve believed in God. Is that not proper? (It is.) Then why do you dare not answer? This really isn’t My problem; it’s yours. Your mind is too complicated. What is the deal with this complicated mind of yours? Isn’t it that your disposition is wicked and deceitful? (Yes.) Why do I ask you how many years you’ve believed in God? I ask this to find out about your stature, which truths you understand, whether you’ve established a foundation, what difficulties you have, whether you can do a duty, and if you’ve experienced any trials. Based on these things, I determine what to fellowship with you about, what prompts to offer, and that’s all. Such a simple thought of Mine is misinterpreted by you as Me having ulterior motives, making you feel averse toward Me. Tell Me, isn’t this just Me getting trouble in return for My good intentions? (Yes.) When I ask you how many years you’ve believed in God, is there any part of Me that is looking to belittle you? (No.) Is there any malice? Is there any intention to make you feel awkward and look bad? (No.) Whether you’ve believed in God for a few months or one or two years, My intention is just to help you. Seeing that you are quite earnest in your pursuit, quite enthusiastic, seeing you suffer so much, pay such a price, and forsake so much, I want to chat with you so that you can gain something you wouldn’t normally get. Asking how many years you’ve believed comes, on the one hand, out of concern for you, and on the other hand, out of cherishing you. Is there any malice in this? (No.) It is such a proper question, yet what has that person twisted it into? “You want everyone to know I haven’t believed in God for long, that my stature is small and I don’t understand any truth, that I’m worse than others, that I’m inferior, and You want to embarrass me.” If you think that way, can we still interact? (No.) Therefore, for us to achieve interaction and live in harmony, the first thing is that you must trust Me and not doubt or speculate about Me. If there is no interaction between us, where does the problem lie? It lies with people; that is, people have all sorts of difficulties. And what do these various difficulties arise from? They arise from people’s various erroneous thoughts and views. So, what erroneous thoughts and views does the person just mentioned have? They think that having believed in God for three years makes them a new believer in the church, that having believed for only a short time is something shameful and makes them inferior, and that they understand too little of the truth and still cannot share experiential testimonies. Thus, they see themselves as a “second-class citizen,” looked down on by others, and find it embarrassing and humiliating to talk about. On the other hand, others have believed in God for ten or twenty years, while they have only believed for three, and so they worry that others will say to them, “What were you doing all those years? Why didn’t you accept it earlier? Do you have some shameful past?” In the eyes of worldly people, great importance is placed on qualifications, experiences, and backgrounds, and they use these to classify people into different ranks. So what is this person’s viewpoint? They also attach great importance to people’s backgrounds and experiences, so in their heart, there are different ranks depending on whether one has believed in God for three, five, ten, twenty, or thirty years. This ranking makes them feel that their three years of faith are a somewhat disgraceful thing in the church, like being a “second-class citizen.” To them, this is a mark of shame, a humiliation. They view the number of years one has believed in God as very important, and it just so happens that they have only believed for three years. If a zero were added after the three, making it thirty years of faith, then they would feel this was glorious. They would say: “I was among the first batch to accept God’s work. I followed God when He just began to appear and work. All these years, I’ve been preaching the gospel and testifying to God everywhere, fighting alongside God to build His kingdom! I’m a veteran in God’s house, a founding figure!” They would feel this was particularly glorious. Some people, having just accepted God’s work, see that God has expressed so many truths and that there are so many experiential testimonies in God’s house, and they feel they started believing in God too late. If they say they’ve believed for somewhere between one and three years, they find it hard to speak up, and they ponder in their hearts: “Why didn’t I believe all those years? God expressed so many truths, why didn’t I investigate? Who hindered me from believing in God? Who caused me such bitter suffering? It’s those religious pastors; those people are truly devils and Satans who devour people’s souls. If I can’t enter the kingdom of heaven, I’ll have to settle with them!” Then they think again, “Ugh, it’s just my bitter fate; I don’t have that blessing.” But then they think, “No, that’s not right. God is almighty; why didn’t God bring me, this lost little sheep, back to His house sooner?” And so they shift the blame onto God. Actually, no matter what they think, firstly, their viewpoint on believing for three years versus thirty years is incorrect. They use the number of years of faith to rank people, believing that a short period of faith makes one inferior. Having developed this viewpoint, when I ask them how many years they’ve believed, they are ashamed to speak up. Saying “three years” makes them feel very awkward, very embarrassed, very ashamed, as if their worth and rank are instantly exposed. They view this as very important; it is this viewpoint that influences their attitude toward My question. Isn’t that so? (Yes.) Say their viewpoint was: “It’s a fact that I’ve believed in God for three years, and with just three years of faith, my stature is indeed small. When it comes to many truths, I can’t even explain the doctrines clearly. Since God asks me how many years I’ve believed, I’ll just tell the truth. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Before God, everything is open, everything is laid bare. I’ll answer whatever God asks.” If they thought this way, it would be simple. It wouldn’t involve any identity, status, worth, or rank. They wouldn’t be restricted, influenced, controlled, or manipulated by any erroneous thoughts or views, and in the end, they would be able to easily and honestly say, “I’ve believed in God for three years.” Then I would continue by asking, “You’ve believed in God for three years; are you clear on the truths concerning visions?” If it were a person with a complicated mind, they would think: “If I say I’m not clear, wouldn’t that mean I haven’t been attending to my proper work in my faith? Having believed for three years and still not being clear on the truths concerning visions, doesn’t that mean I haven’t been diligently eating and drinking God’s words? But if I say I am clear, then God won’t fellowship on this topic, and I’ll miss this opportunity. If I say I’m not clear, might He fellowship a bit more with me, add a bit more? If I say I am clear, He won’t add anything more for me, but maybe He’ll think highly of me?” You see, they’re thinking in a twisted way again, aren’t they? Isn’t such a person’s mind too complicated? (Yes.) Such people are indeed troublesome. No matter who they’re talking to, they are always calculating how to answer without losing face or suffering any damage to their interests. Additionally, they are always observing others’ attitudes toward them, always calculating how to make others think highly of them, and how to elevate their own status. They’re always calculating these things, so it’s not easy for them to open up in fellowship and speak what’s in their hearts. When I ask them, “In your faith in God, are you clear on the truths concerning visions?” is there a second layer of meaning to this question? (No.) Why do I ask this question directly? Usually, those who have believed for somewhere between one and three years, still need fellowship on the truths concerning visions; this is commonplace. If they are clear on the truths concerning visions, then there’s no need to fellowship on them, and we can talk about other topics. If they say, “I’m still not very clear on the truths concerning visions, especially the truth about God’s work of judgment to save man, which is too profound, and I still don’t understand it. Could You fellowship on it?” then we will have found a common topic, and I will fellowship on it. If everyone hears it one more time, they will gain a bit more, right? (Yes.) Some people don’t understand yet they pretend to. What are you pretending for? You keep pretending, which suggests you understand everything, and that if I say more it would be superfluous. In that case, I won’t say anything, and you won’t gain anything. So, no matter what the situation, if you can speak truthfully, without suspicion, without over-interpreting My words, our conversations and communication can reach the level of lively interaction. We can communicate, engage, and interact within normal humanity, discussing topics we all love. Isn’t that good? (It is.) This way, you will make gains. Some people are very calculating. When I ask them if they are clear on the truths concerning visions, they ponder in their hearts, “What do You mean by asking this? Are You trying to see if I’m certain about the true way, if I’ve laid a foundation, trying to see what my caliber is like, to test my caliber? Then I must say I am clear.” So they say: “These three years, I’ve constantly been eating and drinking God’s words, I’ve watched many movies from God’s house, I often listen to sermons and fellowship, and I often share my own experiential understanding in gatherings. I’m clear on all these truths concerning visions.” What is their purpose in saying this? They want to leave a good impression on Me, to make Me feel their caliber is very good and think highly of them. Do you think I would think highly of them just because they say these few words? (No.) Would I think highly of someone so easily? Absolutely not; they misjudged this matter. If you say you are clear on all the truths concerning visions, then let Me test you. I’ll test you on the truths concerning visions that you often read. Why does God do the work of chastisement and judgment? What is the main effect that chastisement and judgment are intended to achieve? During these three years of your faith, have you had any experience of the work of chastisement and judgment? Have you experienced chastisement and judgment even once? When experiencing chastisement and judgment, did you grasp the truth principles? Did you know what God’s intentions were? Can you share a specific experience? Most people will just spout some doctrines and cannot share any practical experiential understanding. People are lacking too many things, so when we chat, there are many topics to discuss. But no matter what kind of topic is discussed, fellowship about as much as you know. If you don’t know something, just say you don’t know. Don’t think in a distorted way. Whatever question is posed to you, just answer it. Say what you are thinking in your heart at that moment. Whatever the true situation is, just speak of it truthfully. Don’t beat around the bush, don’t embellish, don’t say things that create a false impression just to make yourself look better and package yourself, don’t lie and deceive. These are all things you shouldn’t do. So, no matter what question I ask you or what kind of topic I fellowship with you on, say as much as you know. If I find that you don’t understand a certain aspect of truth, or that your understanding is doctrinal, or that your comprehension is distorted and you have erroneous thoughts and views, I will promptly correct, guide, and help you, so that you can understand this aspect of truth, have a pure comprehension, and have an accurate path of practice. This way, our fellowship will be effective. So, the principle of fellowshipping on a topic is built on the foundation of speaking truthfully, on the foundation of joint fellowship and discussions or exchanges on the truth and positive things, so that people can become clearer on the positive topic being fellowshipped, understand it more accurately, and have a clearer path of practice. It should not be built on the foundation of suspicion, scheming, and deception.

Do you think it’s good to fellowship on topics like the normality and practicality of God incarnate? (It’s good.) And how is it good? (We believe it can resolve our notions and imaginings about God incarnate.) Some people say, “You have laid bare Your true self to us, and now we know what kind of person You are. You’re being too naive by speaking the plain truth! You do have these manifestations of being normal and practical, but how can You speak the plain truth? You have to make people feel that You are mysterious, unfathomable, lofty, and impenetrable. Even if You don’t scheme against people, You have to say that You can. You have to claim to possess the art of manipulating people and the art of using them, to know The Thirty-Six Stratagems, and to be able to exploit all kinds of people to render service for You. Only by speaking this way will people idolize You; You cannot speak the plain truth. Through You speaking such plain truth, how is it that I feel You are not at all mysterious or unfathomable? That You are not like God? Look at those great figures in the world—those who engage in military affairs or politics, and the monarchs of ages past. Which of those great figures, those exceptional people, ever spoke the plain truth? Have any of them ever said that they are normal, practical, and ordinary, just a common person? They are desperate for people to think that they are different from the rest, that they were sent from heaven, and that even though they have now become a common person, they are still mysterious and unfathomable, and that they are impenetrable to ordinary people—only then is it easy to rule people!” Those monarchs all possessed the arts of imperial rule, and their ministers and the common people couldn’t see through to what kind of people they were. How does that saying go? “The emperor’s will is hard to fathom, and his command cannot be disobeyed.” The officials from the nonbelieving world all have this kind of mentality; even a minor division head, section head, or manager has this mentality. They do not want people to see through to their true measure, what defects their humanity has, what mistakes they have made, or what flaws there are in their actions. Once their failings are discovered, they do their utmost to disguise and conceal them, and if their bad deeds are exposed and brought to light, they then find a scapegoat. Their purpose in doing so is to cover up the truth of the matter so that people will continue to look up to and idolize them. No matter what a person like this does, they do it with premeditation and planning to achieve their own aims, so that everyone feels that they are not an ordinary person, that they can control the situation, that they are the one pulling the strings. They would absolutely never let people know that they are a normal, practical, and ordinary person. In fact, they are just an ordinary corrupt human, with many more crafty schemes than the average person, and they are good at engaging in conspiracies and plots. How could they ever let people know how sinister and malicious their humanity is? Wouldn’t that tarnish their image? Corrupt humans all have this kind of mentality, and they are all as hypocritical as the Pharisees, with sinister and malicious hearts. Although they acknowledge in their hearts that God can become flesh, how can they believe that God incarnate would be an ordinary, normal person? They believe in their hearts that if God truly became flesh, at the very least people should be able to, in His flesh, see His divine aura and various signs of God’s identity and essence. They also firmly believe, “In viewing all people, God incarnate must have the perspective and demeanor of looking down on the teeming masses, but I cannot see these things in You. You also always say that You conduct Yourself in a rule-abiding manner and do things according to Your proper station. Doesn’t this completely expose that what You really are is an ordinary person? Wouldn’t the lofty, mysterious and unfathomable image of God incarnate in people’s hearts be utterly destroyed?” Do you think this destruction is good? (Yes, it is. It destroys our notions and imaginings.) I say these words precisely to destroy your dreams and your notions and imaginings, so that you no longer live in a dream but in reality. This is in complete alignment with the truth principles that I require you to observe: that you conduct yourselves in a rule-abiding manner, that you do things according to your proper station, and be an ordinary person standing in the place of a created being, because I Myself do things this way. When I’m engaging with you, and in My personal life, I never speak in a boastful or empty way, nor do I ever show off or flaunt Myself. This is something you can all see and feel. Also, I never scheme against anyone, when I do things I am not slippery and never slack off, and I conduct Myself in a rule-abiding manner. This minimum standard of conscience must be upheld. Some people use schemes when they speak and act, saying pleasant-sounding things to others, and then trying by all means to get them to fall into their traps, to serve them and render service to them. I do not do such things. If I want someone to help Me with something, I will ask them directly. Some people say, “You have this identity and status, so isn’t getting someone to do something just a matter of You saying the word?” Even if it is just a matter of saying the word, I must still handle it in a rule-abiding manner, and I cannot compel people, much less force them to do things they don’t want to do. If you are willing, then do it; if you are not willing, you can refuse. However, if I ask you to do something, I will always speak the plain truth. I will absolutely not beat around the bush or talk in circles to trick you, or lure you into taking the bait, and then have you willingly serve Me and render service to Me; then, after scheming against you, even have you say that you did it willingly and feel like I owe you nothing. I would absolutely never do this. These practices—whether they are what people call the art of using others, rules of the game, tactics for toying with people, or imperial strategies for manipulating others—none of these exist with Me. I do not toy with people—others might, but I will not do so, nor will I imitate or learn from them. I have never read things like The Art of War or The Thirty-Six Stratagems, and I will absolutely not engage in feints or call black white when I speak. When I speak and act, one is one, and two is two. The only exception is when, due to special circumstances, I may phrase things in a wise way, but this is merely out of consideration for people’s weaknesses and difficulties, and their small stature. It is to protect and cherish them, and there is no malice in it, so this is not scheming either. Perhaps some people may be greatly disappointed, thinking, “So it turns out that Your heart and mind do not contain the various schemes of the famous and great people of the world. So it turns out that You are this simple!” Is it not good to be this simple? Not scheming does not mean I cannot see through people; it does not mean I cannot see through to the substance and essence of things; it does not mean I do not know how to handle all kinds of people, events, and things. Without scheming, I can still apply principles to handle all kinds of people, events, and things appropriately and accurately according to the environment and background, getting them to naturally play their roles and live within their rules and laws under God’s sovereignty and arrangements, rather than using tactics, engaging in deception, or toying with people to delude them. The principles by which I do things, the principles by which I handle various problems, and the principles by which I treat all kinds of people, events, and things have all been discussed in My fellowships and sermons over the years. When I speak of these things, I am not shouting slogans; these things come from My thoughts and from My humanity essence, and I also apply My thoughts and views to handle all kinds of people, events, and things. So, when I apply My thoughts and views to handle all kinds of people, events, and things, or handle them according to these principles, would you say the final result is following God’s way or rebelling against it? (Following God’s way.) Therefore, no matter how normal, practical, and ordinary—not at all mysterious—I, God incarnate, may seem to people, this will absolutely not affect your understanding of the truth, nor will I lead you astray. On the contrary, it is precisely because I Myself have principles in how I conduct Myself and act that, if you can pursue the truth, can conduct yourselves and act in an obedient and rule-abiding manner according to the principles I speak of, and practice according to the direction and goals I point out, then sooner or later you will attain salvation, achieve submission to God, and become a person who fears God and shuns evil. This is a certainty. Being able to attain salvation—is this not the goal that those who sincerely believe in God pursue? What else, then, do you seek? As for whether I am mysterious and unfathomable, lofty, or different from the rest, or whether I have some special abilities that you cannot imagine or do not possess, that is not important. Furthermore, it is also not important if you think I am normal and practical and not worthy of your idolization or admiration. What is important? It is that the words that I, this insignificant person, this ordinary and normal person, speak are guaranteed to bring you before God, and guaranteed to enable you to achieve salvation. There is another thing that is certain: If you practice and experience according to these words that I have spoken, it is guaranteed that one day your thoughts, views, and life dispositions will all be transformed, and you will become a new human being. You can become a member of the new humankind—of that I can be certain. Are you sure of this? (Yes.)

Do you now have some new understanding of the manifestations of the normality and practicality of God incarnate? (Yes.) If you see that how I conduct Myself and act, and My thoughts and viewpoints, are all within the scope of normality and practicality, and if My principles for acting and My thoughts and viewpoints can influence you at any time and you will accept them willingly, then I will say something for certain: Because you love the truth in this way, are able to seek the truth from the normal and practical manifestations of God incarnate, and can also accept the principles by which God incarnate conducts Himself and His thoughts and views in various regards, then your pursuits and the direction of your self-conduct will naturally develop in a positive direction. That is to say, as you continue to believe, you will increasingly possess normal humanity and increasingly live out a human likeness, and you will also draw closer and closer to God’s requirements, ultimately gaining salvation. Your making such gains is directly related to the watering and provision of God incarnate, this ordinary, normal person. If you can accept and also love these essences and manifestations of the normality and practicality of God incarnate, as well as the way He conducts Himself and His creeds for doing so, then your manifestations and your humanity will become better and better. What does it mean that they will become better and better? To say you will become more and more like a good person might be a bit hollow. This “becoming better and better” means that your conscience and your rationality will develop in a positive direction. However, if you despise or are repulsed by the normality, practicality, and ordinariness of God incarnate, or even discriminate against, do not accept, feel resistant to, and mock it, then it will be very difficult for you to accept all the truths He expresses, and difficult for you to understand the practical significance and influence of the normal humanity He possesses. On the contrary, you will even be averse to and hate all the truths expressed by God in His normal humanity. In this way, it will be very difficult for you to live out the likeness of a normal person and become someone God is pleased with, because the things you worship are not positive things but negative things. The celebrities and stars of society, and social trends, are what you yearn for and worship. In that case, the path you walk is a wrong one, and as for the direction of your pursuit and development, one thing is certain: You will not develop in a positive direction, but a malignant one. For example, I say that I don’t scheme against people, and some people say, “If You don’t scheme against people, how can You do such great work? When You’re engaging and dealing with people, You have to scheme. If You don’t know how to scheme, You can’t toy with people, and You will not be up to the job.” I say that if you can say such things, you are finished. Your thoughts and viewpoints are not only distorted, but even more so, they are wicked. It is impossible for you to embark on the right path, because your humanity lacks the element of loving the truth and loving positive things. It is impossible for you to embark on the path of salvation.