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Scripture Reading: Matt. 11:18-19; 12:24; John 8:48; Matt. 5:11; Acts 24:1-6; Dan. 9:27; 8:9-11; 11:36-37; 2 Thes. 2:3-4; Rev. 17:16-17; 19:7-8
As we have seen, the present evil age that Paul speaks of in Galatians 1:4 refers to Judaism. John the Baptist was born not only into Judaism but even into the priesthood of that religion (Luke 1:5, 13). However, he did not live like a priest. He ministered in the wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey and wearing a garment of camel’s hair, the camel being considered unclean according to the Levitical regulations (Matt. 3:1-4; Lev. 11:4). Nevertheless, he was the forerunner of Christ, testifying of Christ and recommending Christ to the people. Because he did not eat and drink in the expected way, people said that he had a demon (Matt. 11:18). The religious people spoke in this way because John’s way was different from their religion. The Lord Jesus also did not come in a legal way. Although He was recommended by John the Baptist, He did not follow John in His way of living. John came neither eating nor drinking, but the Lord Jesus both ate and drank. Because of this, the religious people said, “Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (v. 19).
When the Lord Jesus cast a demon out of a blind and dumb man, the Pharisees, the highest-ranking persons in that evil religion, said, “This man does not cast out the demons except by Beelzebul, ruler of the demons” (12:24; John 8:48). The name Beelzebul was a most evil and ugly name. Beelzebub, meaning “the lord of flies,” was changed by the Jews to Beelzebul, meaning “the lord of the dunghill,” and was used for the ruler of the demons. The real intention of the Pharisees’ word was to say that the Lord Jesus was one with the ruler of the demons and the lord of the flies of the dung hill. Jesus was God manifested in the flesh (1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16). To say that a person is possessed by a demon is a small thing, but to say that God manifested in the flesh has a demon, even the ruler of the demons, is a very serious matter. Although the genuine, typical religion of that day taught people to worship God, serve Him, seek His interests, and hold to His holy Word, it defamed the Lord Jesus to such a great extent. By this we can see how evil religion is.
When the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples, He told them, “It is sufficient for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of His household!” (Matt. 10:25). The Lord said that the religious people would not only reject the ones sent by Him, but they would also say that they were demon possessed. This is because no prejudice is as serious as religious prejudice. The religious Jews said such a thing to the disciples because the ones sent by the Lord Jesus behaved, acted, and worked in a way that was not according to the Jews’ religion, tradition, superstition, and falsehood. Rather, it was according to the truth with which the Lord Jesus had commissioned them.
Today we also have been defamed very much. Some have called us a cult, and they compare our calling on the name of the Lord Jesus to chanting to a Hindu deity. They particularly oppose the scriptural teaching that God is mingled with man to be expressed corporately in the church, calling this a kind of idolatry. Those who oppose us in this way suppose that they are contending for the truth. However, this is to act in the same principle as the Pharisees, who with the rest of the Sanhedrin sentenced the Lord Jesus to death, thinking that this was according to the Scriptures. We do believe that the genuine, proper church has the divine life and partakes of the divine nature, making it the expression of Christ (John 3:15-16, 36; 2 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 3:10, 21), but to interpret our writings as claiming that the church is a part of the Godhead is shortsighted and even blind. Such opposers are short of knowledge, which is a dangerous thing. We are in a battle today, just as the Lord Jesus was at His time.
The Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and while speaking lies, say every evil thing against you because of Me” (Matt. 5:11). Because Jesus predicted that the religious people would speak against the disciples in this way, to be fully welcomed by today’s Christianity may prove that we are wrong. If we are right with the Lord, we must be prepared to be spoken of in an evil way and be given a bad name. Paul says that he ministered through “evil report and good report” (2 Cor. 6:8). The evil reports concerning the apostle Paul came not mainly from the Gentiles but from the Jews, from the source of religion. This is why Paul called that religion the “present evil age.” In Acts 24:1-6 the leading person of that religion, the high priest, came with the elders and an orator to accuse Paul before the governor. The orator said, “We have found this man a pest” (v. 5). Religion considered Paul to be “pestilent,” and they tried to kill his “germs” of Christ.
Recently, while we were at a sacred site in Rome, one brother among us began to call on the Lord. An attendant stopped him, saying that he was desecrating that holy place. This illustrates that there is no compromise between the Lord’s recovery and today’s evil religion. We cannot go along with religion. Some who hear this may be stirred up to go purposely to religious places and interfere with what people are doing there. I would urge you not to do this, because it is neither legal nor proper. We are outside of religion, but we are not wild.
We must not expect that religion will improve. When I was young, I was very bothered, and I asked the Lord why He tolerated evil things and how long He would continue to tolerate them. At that time I did not know the Word very well. Gradually, though, I came to learn that according to the prophecy of the Bible, the Lord in His wisdom will allow religion to continue. As we have seen, fifty years ago the situation of the world and religion was not like it is today. Today the nation of Israel has been re-formed, and Jerusalem has been returned to the Jews. This is a great matter. As we have pointed out, many Jews have now become more zealous and pious. The Catholic Church also has assimilated certain spiritual things. In addition, there are also many in Protestant Christianity who are seeking spiritual things. Some even utilize Brother Nee’s writings related to the matter of life but not those related to the matter of the church. Others, especially in the United States, have used Brother Nee’s books and mine, claiming to practice the local church life as we do but not fellowshipping with the other churches. This is a mixture with religion.
All kinds of religion will continue to grow, and there is already the tendency for Christians to seek spirituality under the umbrella of various religions. This is absolutely against God’s economy. The Lord said clearly, “Upon this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). To seek spirituality in the different religions apart from the church is a compromise and a mixture. Mixture, confusion, and division are all in the principle of Babylon. The entire situation of religion today is Babylonian, because it is filled with divisions, confusion, counterfeits, and mixtures. The Lord desires to have a pure church as a chaste bride for Himself (2 Cor. 11:2). We must be clear concerning this and not be deceived. Because we testify concerning the evils of religion, we are defamed. Therefore, we must be prepared to suffer. The whole earth is filled with religion, which tolerates falsehood.
On the other hand, certain Christian organizations in the United States use the spiritual terminology in my books for their own purposes, without citing my writings as the source. Deep in their spirit and even in their mind many seekers are clear about this ministry, yet some still utilize this ministry while opposing us. The ministry in the Lord’s recovery in the United States began in 1962. At that time I told the brothers that after a few years all the terms we use will be used by others who are not among us. In 1962 almost no one in America spoke concerning the human spirit, transformation, or the local church. Today people have adopted all these terms, but they have turned their back on us. This is not being honest or faithful. This demonstrates the evilness, dishonesty, and lack of conscience in religion.
This trend will continue and will not abate. However, at the end of this age the Lord will sovereignly use Antichrist, the evil incarnation of Satan, to terminate all religions. At the beginning of the last seven years of this age, Antichrist will make a firm covenant of peace with the Jews, but in the middle of the seven years he will break the covenant, persecute the Jews, and terminate all the Jewish religious practices. He will cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and he will set up his image in the temple, sitting in the temple of God to say that he is God (Dan. 9:27; 8:9-11; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; Rev. 13:14-15; 2 Thes. 2:3-4). This will be the termination of Judaism. At the same time Antichrist and the ten kings under him will hate Babylon the Great, that is, the Roman Catholic Church. Because the Catholic Church has exercised its power over the nations, the ten kings will be disgusted with her, turn their back on her, and agree with Antichrist to burn her with fire and destroy her to the uttermost. In this way they will accomplish God’s will, which He has put into their hearts (Rev. 17:12-13, 16-18). Moreover, Antichrist will terminate all religion in his kingdom around the Mediterranean Sea in those three and a half years (Dan. 11:36-37). After sovereignly using Antichrist to do this work, the Lord Jesus will come to destroy him (2 Thes. 2:8; Rev. 19:11-21).
After Revelation 17 and 18 there is chapter 19, in which the wife has made herself ready (vv. 7-8). We desire to be in the bride, not in religion. Therefore, we must be careful not to bring any kind of religious concept into the church. We need to read Revelation 17, 18, and 19 as one section. Chapter 17 speaks of the fall of religious Babylon, and chapter 18, of the fall of material Babylon. After the fall of these two Babylons, there will be loud praises in heaven (19:1-4), and amidst the praises will be the prepared bride. This means that the judgments on religious Babylon and material Babylon will bring in the bride. All religions will be terminated, and the one bride will remain.
The Lord must fulfill His prophecy and promise in Matthew 16:18: “I will build My church.” There is no way for the Lord to do this in religion. In religion people can be saved, love the Lord, and seek Him, but the Lord cannot truly build His church there. This is why we believe that at the end time there is the need for the Lord’s recovery. The Lord must recover the church life. In His recovery the Lord will have the way to build His church. We are seeing the Lord’s work of building today. I am happy to see the young people drink Christ, pray in their spirit, be one, and follow the Body. This produces the building.
In the Lord’s recovery there is much opportunity for the Lord to build His church. Moreover, the Lord is releasing His word in His recovery. Throughout history the Lord’s word has never been released as clearly and richly as it is today, and all the messages that are being released match the current situation. As we have pointed out, people use our messages in spite of the fact that they oppose us. This proves that whether or not they take this way, some of them, at least certain leading ones, are reading the messages. By this they can know the Lord’s speaking concerning the bride, the firstfruits, the different kinds of overcomers, the tribulation, and the way Antichrist will terminate all religion. The Lord is building the church, the messages are going out, and people are reading them, whether or not they will turn to take this way.
The Lord has made the prophecy very clear to us. Antichrist will sign a contract with the Jews for seven years, but in the middle of the seven years, he will turn his back on them. Then he will terminate Judaism, burn Catholicism, and persecute every kind of religion. Before this time, however, near the middle of the seven years, the overcomers in the churches throughout the earth will be raptured, and people will realize what has happened. What will someone who is still in the denominations but has read our messages think at that time? Many who are not among us, and some who are, will be left on the earth. Those who are left will say, “O Lord, forgive me! I am late.” At that time there may be a worldwide revival. Those from the local churches will take the lead, and many others will come this way. During the tribulation those who are in the local churches will help all the Christians to be the late overcomers.
I would encourage you to bring this to the Lord and pray about it. Do you want to be among the firstfruits (Rev. 14:1-5), or do you want to be left on the earth at that time? We are happy that the Lord has His recovery, that the living word is being released, and that many others are reading the messages in order to be prepared for the coming time, which may not be long from now.
What the Lord is doing today is meaningful and up to date. Fifty years ago I did not have this view of the world situation, but since then I have been studying the prophecies in the Bible and watching the world situation. Now I am in the United States ministering the Lord’s living word to the living churches in the Lord’s recovery. This is not a small matter. Some may warn me to be careful and not to stir up opposition. However, because we have been willing to “stir the water” of religion, the Lord has His recovery, He is releasing His word, many others are reading our messages, and the firstfruits are being ripened. When the ripened firstfruits are raptured and Antichrist begins his persecution, there will be a great revival on the earth to produce many late overcomers. I do believe that this will happen. We need to sound the trumpet to wake the sleeping believers. Hallelujah for the Lord’s recovery and for His living word!
In the church life the young saints need to be trained to be one and to follow the church. Then they need to pray and fellowship with the churches in order to seek the Lord’s leading concerning which university campuses they should go to. The older ones should not do the campus work for them; the young ones must rise up to do it. However, they must not do anything in a loose, light, or confused way. We may need thirty to fifty to care for a large campus. After the young ones pray and fellowship, and the Lord shows them where to go, they should go out.
According to our experience, the best way is to go to the first- and second-year students. After their second year it is more difficult to contact these students, because many have settled into their interests and do not change easily. When they first enter college from high school, they are not settled, and they do not know the direction they will pursue. This is the time when it is easiest to contact them. The young ones must do everything that they can each semester to catch the freshmen, learning the proper way and spending everything that they have for them. The older saints can help the young ones if they make themselves young, tender, and approachable to the freshmen.
For the work on the universities we also need married couples with homes. Out of the number that go to work on a campus, there should be some who have homes. The younger saints can take the lead to contact people, and the couples can open their homes to keep the ones who are contacted. We need both functions. In this way all the saints will be useful.
