If others in the church still like to hear good sermons or messages, you need to stand and not be dragged down by them. Two days ago I heard someone share that the church is a restaurant. When I heard this, I said amen. Afterwards, however, I did not feel quite at ease inside. I would ask, “What do we eat in this restaurant?” If we eat a meal that is ordinary and plain, this is all right. However, if we eat sweet rice pudding every day, then soon we will be ready to be put in a coffin. When I went back to my room after hearing the sharing concerning the church being a restaurant, I could not sleep peacefully. Then last night someone said that since the church is a restaurant, it needs good cooks. I also felt uncomfortable when I heard this word. Finally, this morning when a sister was speaking lengthily on how we need good cooks, I was made clear by her speaking. I realized that all this speaking is trying to drag me back to religion. Eventually it will cause me to change in nature. I, however, have no intention to be a cook in a restaurant. Therefore, immediately I said to myself, “I must stand.” We do not want restaurants! Down with restaurants! We do not want cooks! We do not want preachers! We do not want pastors preaching sermons! We do not want to eat at restaurants. We want to eat ordinary and plain meals at home. Who should cook? We all should cook for ourselves! Everyone has to do his own cooking. The church is not a restaurant. The church is a home. We eat ordinary and plain meals at home, and everyone cooks and eats for himself.

Our eyes must be opened. Do not let them become blurred. We must “be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength.” We need to see through the stratagems of the enemy. In Matthew 16 Peter first told the Lord, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This was revealed to him by the Father who is in the heavens (vv. 16-17). A short while later, however, he said, “God be merciful to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You!” (v. 22). This was Satan! A moment earlier Peter was in the heavens; a moment later he had become the devil. We must beware of the stratagems of the devil. I am not saying that what fallen Christianity preaches concerning standing is not the truth. I am saying that it is too low. Today we must see that Ephesians is not talking about filthy things such as dancing, playing cards, being seduced, and falling into temptations. What does Ephesians speak about? It speaks about the heavenly visions, such as the eternal purpose of God, the all-inclusive Christ, the unsearchable riches of Christ, the great power, and the abolishing of the ordinances through the cross. Ephesians does not speak only about the Lord’s crucifixion for the redemption of our sins. It says that on the cross the Lord created the two-the Jews and the Gentiles-in Himself into one new man. The Jews and the Gentiles have all been crucified. We should stand in this! There are neither Greeks nor Jews, Chinese or Japanese in the church as the new man. In the church there is only the new man.

Let me test you again. From today onward, where will you stand? Suppose someone were to say to you, “We should stand on not losing our temper and on not playing mah-jongg.” If they were to say this, you should reply, “Go away! This is a low preaching! Today I am standing in the visions in Ephesians. I do not need the low preaching.” Suppose someone else were to say, “Our meetings have become lifeless, so we need to ask Brother So-and-so to come here.” What would you say to this? You should not say “Go away!” to this. Instead, you should say, “I am standing!” Does saying this mean that you are proud? It does not. We must see something eternal, something exceedingly great-the mystery of God and the mystery of Christ. We must see that the all-inclusive Christ is in us, and every one of us must say, “O Lord, I will stand today!”

At this point I would like to ask you another question. Suppose that after you have declared that you will stand, the saints in the meetings gradually revert to sitting comfortably, then to sitting silently, and then eventually to sitting “deadly.” If this happens, what will you do? At that time, the sisters should remind the brothers, saying, “Brothers, stand!” Someone else should rise and say, “Praise the Lord, I cannot sit anymore. I have a great power in me!”

I firmly believe that through these messages you have seen a vision and that something has entered into you. I absolutely believe that, even if you are willing to let yourself fall, and even if you were to jump into the lake of fire (needless to say this is impossible), you will bring with you what has been impressed into you, and no matter how much you try, you will not be able to get rid of it. Even if you regret what you have seen and want to get rid of it, it is too late. It is the Lord’s mercy that He not only has shown us the heavenly visions but has also caused the visions to be branded into us so that, regardless of how hard we may try, we cannot wash them away. I absolutely believe that we will not be able to forget the visions that we have seen. Now we need to stand! We must stand in every local church!
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