What is chiefly manifested when you bear victorious testimony for God at the moment of the great red dragon’s downfall? What is chiefly manifested is this: you have true obedience to God, you are loyal to God, your heart has entirely turned to God, your heart loves God, you expend yourself for God, you are faithful to God; only people such as this have truly turned their backs on the great red dragon and been victorious over Satan, only this is the testimony of overcomers.
Someone who is timid and does not dare to perform their duty when faced with the persecution and abuse of the great red dragon—is this someone who has prevailed over Satan? If there is no change in a person’s life disposition, if they have not the slightest knowledge of God, and still seek their own status and reputation, beguiling people by preaching doctrine, has such a person turned their back on the great red dragon? They have not. The hearts of those who have turned their backs on the great red dragon completely turn to God, their hearts turn to God, their hearts love God, their hearts are loyal to God, their hearts fully obey God, God has taken full possession of their hearts. Only people such as this can truly turn their backs on the great red dragon and defeat Satan, only they are the true overcomers. Say there are those who perform their duty, but when the great red dragon is finally about to fall, they cease to do so and return home. Do such people turn their backs on the great red dragon? Are they overcomers? They have not been loyal to the very end—and this final loyalty is of the utmost importance. If there are those who, during the time of the great red dragon’s mad persecution, start off timid and fearful, and do not perform their duty, but end up seeking the truth, and after seeking the truth for several years, have the true knowledge of God—and who hate the great red dragon all the more in their hearts, and perform their duty for God throughout, and follow God to the very end, and offer the last loyalty, all the way up until the downfall of the great red dragon—do such people bear true testimony? These people bear true testimony, and they are overcomers. If you wish to be made perfect by God and become an overcomer, and someone who is after God’s heart, success can only come by seeking the truth and accomplishing changes in your life disposition.
from “God’s Blessings and Promise to His Chosen Ones” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (VI)
Then, during the last days, those overcomers that have been perfected by God, based on what shall they be defined as the overcomers? Because those people have borne witnesses that are glorious and resounding. What are these glorious and resounding witnesses? Under this harsh environment, under the harsh environment where Satan is feverishly persecuting God’s elects, standing firm in the testimony, continuing to follow God, to fulfill one’s duty as usual, to seek the truth when fulfilling one’s duty, and ultimately holding onto principles when carrying out one’s deeds, standing on God’s side while encountering many trials, without stumbling, without being taken captive by Satan, persevering until the end, such people are the overcomers, such are the witnesses of the overcomers. … Therefore, those people who persevere in their belief in God and their experience of God’s work until the very end, persevering until the arrival of the catastrophe, these people shall be the overcomers. During this period of time, they have endured multiple temptations, sieges, and persecutions from Satan, yet they have not stumbled, they are still standing: These are the overcomers. These people have battled until the end, they are still holding their positions, fulfilling their duties to God’s satisfaction: These are the overcomers. Do you understand? Then some might say: “Therefore, those who persevere until the end shall be the overcomers.” Yet this is not the right interpretation. Such men must experience many trials, and have withstood these trials to become the overcomers. … Some were arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced by Satan. These people did not sign any letters of repentance, they did not compromise, they were released after being imprisoned for a few years, they have stood their ground and borne witnesses. Some were abandoned by their husbands, their children left them, yet they stood their ground, did not fall, and followed God until the end; these men shall be the overcomers. They come from all walks of life, they have encountered all kinds of situation, yet no matter how many trials they have encountered, they have not been struck down, they have stood their ground. These people have persevered until the end in fulfilling their duties; they even seek the truth and accept the truth while they are fulfilling their duties. Their notions continue to diminish, their resistance continues to abate, their conflicts continue to dwindle, and in the end, they feel that they have become compatible with Christ, without any trace of conflicts, without any hint of notions; they shall be the overcomers.
from Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (Series 132)
What is the testimony to being made complete and gained by God? It is loyalty and obedience to God. You are able to faithfully complete God’s commission, you are obedient to God, and in your obedience to God, you are capable of obedience unto death, without ever bowing to Satan. This is resounding testimony, it is the mark of being made complete by God. So what is meant by the words, “The more mature the chosen ones become, the sooner the great red dragon’s downfall”? Being able to follow God no matter how much the great red dragon persecutes and abuses you, still being able to loyally perform your duty, still being capable of obedience unto death, never bowing before Satan—this is the mark of the maturity of God’s chosen ones. All of God’s chosen ones who have been gained by God, who have been made complete by God, and borne beautiful, resounding testimony to God, they are all overcomers made by God’s work of the last days—and, being overcomers, they are the firstfruits, and God will take these people and appear to all nations and peoples with them. This is the group of people who are made perfect before the disaster, they are the testimony that God wishes to see before He departs earth—and, seeing this group of God’s chosen ones who are loyal and obedient to God unto death, who never leave God, God gains comfort and satisfaction. And when the internal strife and downfall of the great red dragon begins, God shall leave earth. And then God shall appear to all nations and peoples, and shall take these people to shepherd all nations and peoples—you understand this now, yes? And so, during the time of the great red dragon’s madness, those who are able to stand firm in their testimony and can perform their duty properly are most blessed by God. Only they are truly loyal to God, only they truly love God.
from “How to Walk the Last Leg of the Path” in Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life (IX)
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