Week of November 17
Experiencing Christ as the Life-giving Spirit
“But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed into Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:39)
“And when He had said this, He breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)
As the last Adam in the flesh, through the process of death and resurrection, He “became a life-giving Spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45). As He is the embodiment of the Father, so the Spirit is the realization, the reality, of Him. It is as the Spirit that He was breathed into the disciples. It is as the Spirit that He is received into His believers and flows out of them as rivers of living water (John 7:38-39). It is as the Spirit that through His death and resurrection He came back to the disciples, entered into them as their Comforter, and began to abide in them (14:16-17). It is as the Spirit that He can live in the disciples and enable them to live by and with Him (v. 19). It is as the Spirit that He can abide in the disciples and enable them to abide in Him (v. 20; 15:4-5). (Life-study of John, 2nd ed. pp. 535)
The normal Christian life depends upon our knowing and experiencing the Spirit; without Christ being the life-giving Spirit, we cannot experience anything of God in His economy. (Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1), msg. 8, II.D)
2024 International Thanksgiving Blending Conference
The International Thanksgiving Blending Conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from November 28 to December 1. Please pray for all the saints traveling, for the speaking brothers and their families, and for all the practical preparations and services. Pray also that as many saints as possible will participate through webcast, whether by watching individually or with others. May the Lord take more crucial steps in the advancement of His purpose during this gathering!
Both live and archived messages will be available for free (without subscription) until December 31 via the “Thanksgiving Conf.” button at lsmwebcast.com. Conference outlines will be available to download beginning Thursday, November 21.
SoCal College Conference Follow-up
Thank you, saints, for your prayers for this past weekend's college conference at Oak Glen. Nearly 200 college students from around Southern California attended, which is an excellent turnout! A total of 75 saints from LA attended, including 47 students (18 of whom did not grow up in the church life). From the first meeting we could sense the Lord's blessing, as the atmosphere was full of joy and some of our students were aggressive to share right away. Throughout the weekend we could sense the Lord's particular speaking and shepherding of each student. The fellowship during mealtimes, in cabins, and in groups was also quite sweet, and the students made an effort to blend with others.
Please continue to pray for the Lord to bring our students on in their experience and enjoyment of Christ according to what they have seen this past weekend!
FTTA
The application deadline for the Spring 2025 term of the Full-time Training in Anaheim is Saturday, November 30. Please pray for many college graduates and young working saints to answer God's call to go to the training in next term.
French-speaking Europe
Beseech the Lord to supply all the saints who live in French-speaking Europe, and all who are there on “shepherding trips” for weeks or months, to labor diligent in ministering Christ to the seeking contacts so that these ones may grow in truth and life and be added to the church. Also beseech the Lord to thrust out more workers into this harvest and to release the long-term visas.
Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans
The Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans (CEEB) geographical region encompasses the northern part of Central Europe, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. It also touches Romania in the east before turning south to the Balkan countries, including Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, and Turkey.
Today there are approximately 700 adult saints meeting in 34 local churches in the eleven countries mentioned above. Please pray for them to continue faithfully in giving the Lord the cooperation He needs and desires for the carrying out of His move in this region before the end of this age.
The next CEEB Blending Conference will be May 16 to 18, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.
Things Which Must Quickly Take Place (Rev. 22:6)
“The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.” (1 Cor. 10:26)
“The king's heart is like streams of water in the hand of Jehovah; He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Prov. 21:1)
For the Lord's visible manifestation (Matt. 24:30) and the seven preceding years (Rev. 11:2, note 4; Dan. 9:27, note 1), Europe and Israel are the crucial geographic regions. Leaders in both regions are considering how to get ready for and respond to potential U.S. policies when the President-elect takes office. Petition the Lord that His will be fully accomplished to prepare the relationships between the United States, Europe, and Israel for those seven years.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 8 of Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1).
- SAVE THE DATE: Lord's Day, December 8 we will have our fall LA Joint Meeting—all halls, all languages—beginning 10:00 am at Hall 2. Lunch will be provided.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting 7:25 pm.
- Semiannual Training: December 23 to 28 in Anaheim. The firm deadline to register for video training in LA is December 8 at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
- Bibles for America's latest blog post “Knowing the Truth concerning God's Forgiveness” is at blog.bfa.org.
- Free e-Booklets: Living Stream Ministry offers free e-booklets to read and share. For example, sixty nuggets and gems have been extracted from the Life-study of Philippians with timely topics such as “The Rich Word for Living Christ” and “The Way to Be Freed from Anxiety.” These e-booklets may be accessed for free at www.lsm.org/life-study-philippians.
- Europe Blending Fellowship: A recording of the fellowship during the post-ITERO blending conference in Warsaw can be viewed at lsm.org/blending. The video begins with a 78‑minute speaking by Brother Ron Kangas and concludes with reports on the Lord's present move in Europe. Translation is available by following instructions for selecting a language track.
- The LA Years: This oral history project at www.layears.org documents the early years of the church life in Los Angeles from 1958–1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand testimonies.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of November 3
The Word of God as the Anointing Spirit
“And John testified, saying, I beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abode upon Him.” (John 1:32)
“And He said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, You shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51)
Christ as the Word of God speaks for God through His becoming the anointing Spirit for the transformation of God's redeemed people into stones (John 1:32-42) for the building of God's house (Bethel—v. 51)…In His becoming the anointing, life-giving, and transforming Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45), Christ speaks to us further how God carries out His economy organically by His divine life for His divine purpose according to His heart's desire.
We need to be watchful to not allow anything in our daily living to replace Christ as the anointing Spirit in our spirit. Christ is the anointed One becoming the anointing One and also the anointing; to live in the principle of antichrist is to be anti the anointing (anti means “against” and “in place of, instead of”).
To be anti Christ is both to be against Christ and to replace Christ with something else. If we replace Christ with something of our own behavior and character, we are practicing the principle of antichrist in the sense of allowing certain things to replace Christ Himself.
We need to repent for having a daily living in the principle of antichrist, allowing culture, religion, ethics, and natural concepts to replace Christ as the inner anointing; this is to be against the anointing, anti the moving, working, and saturating of the Triune God within us.
We should pray, “Lord, we want to live and walk in, with, through, and by the anointing—the moving, working, and saturating of the Triune God within us.” (Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1), msg. 6, V, A-B.5)
United States
“Our Father who is in the heavens…Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.” (Matt. 6:9-10)
Pray for our heavenly Authority to have His way in all the elections. Petition Him to use the outcome of these elections for His will to be accomplished increasingly and His kingdom to be developed further in the United States and on the whole earth.
Ask the Lord to keep all His people at peace in Him, looking to Him, regardless of the results of the elections. Also, if there are contentions after the elections, or if people have disappointments, pray that these would expose the vanity of politics and open more people to the gospel. May these elections and the resulting governments bring us onward to our Lord's return!
Bibles for America
In early October, BfA began to offer free physical copies of The Knowledge of Life to residents of the US and US territories. We first announced the offer to the subscribers of the BfA Blog, and recently started advertising it on social media. So far, we have received over 2,500 orders.
Please pray for all those who have ordered this book, that they would be brought into a deeper experience of God as life in order to fulfill His eternal purpose. Please also pray that the Lord would bless and supply the laboring saints as they prepare and ship all the orders!
SCYP Children's Work Conference
This year's Southern California Children's Work Conference will be conducted in person only in Anaheim this Saturday, November 9 from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm. The conference is for parents with children under 12 years of age and for the saints who are serving with the children's service. Matters related to the burden and vision for the children will be covered along with practical fellowship related to raising up the next generation for the church life. More information is at scyp.com/children.
French-speaking Europe
The wonderful response this year is the result of specific prayer which began in 2021. The saints prayed many days each week with no discussions and no plans for activities, only looking to the Lord for a breakthrough in the gospel and in raising up of churches. This consistent prayer led to coordination in the Body with churches in many nations cooperating in prayer and in the work to let the Lord accomplish far beyond what the churches in France could do alone. Praise the Lord for His move!
“The harvest is great, but the workers few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest that He would thrust out workers into His harvest.” (Matt. 9:37-38)
Beseech the Lord to supply all the saints who live in French-speaking Europe, and all who are there for weeks or months, to shepherd many contacts to growth in truth and life and into the church life. Also beseech the Lord to thrust out more workers into this harvest and to release the visas for them to live in France and in the surrounding nations.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 6 of Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- Semiannual Training: December 23 to 28 in Anaheim. Registration for the live training in Anaheim is closed, but for video training in LA remains open until December 8 at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 28 to December 1 in Atlanta, GA. Interested LA saints can get more information on hotel rates and RSVP at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- Post-ITERO Blending Fellowship: A recording of the blending fellowship in Warsaw after the ITERO can be viewed at lsm.org/blending. The fellowship opens with a 78‑minute speaking by Brother Ron Kangas and concludes with several reports on the Lord's present move in Europe. Translation is available by following instructions for selecting a language track.
- Bibles for America's recent blog post “What Is the Church according to the Bible?” is at blog.bfa.org.
- Free e-Booklets: Living Stream Ministry offers free e-booklets to read and share. For example, sixty nuggets and gems have been extracted from the Life-study of Philippians with timely topics such as “Pursue toward the Goal for the Prize of the High Calling” and “The Way to Be Freed from Anxiety.” These e-booklets may be accessed for free at www.lsm.org/life-study-philippians.
- The LA Years: Chapter 6: Visiting Seekers Throughout America is published at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in Los Angeles from 1958–1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of October 20
Cooperating with the Lord to Set Up His Kingdom
“Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Col. 1:13)
“Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.” (Matt. 6:10)
The Lord Jesus came to establish the kingdom of God for the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose. As God incarnated, the Lord Jesus came to establish the kingdom of God—to establish a realm in which God can carry out His purpose through the exercise of His authority. To establish the kingdom of God, the Lord Jesus stood as a victorious man, defeating Satan and withstanding all hardship, opposition, and attack. The Lord Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom so that rebellious sinners might repent and be saved, qualified, and equipped to enter into the kingdom of God. The Lord bound Satan, the strong man, and entered into his house to plunder his goods so that sinners might be brought into the house of God through regeneration for the kingdom of God. As the Lord cast out demons by the Spirit of God, He was destroying Satan's kingdom and bringing in the kingdom of God. (Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1), msg. 4, I.B, 2, a-d)
Whatever the Lord did on earth was entirely based on submission. He did nothing that opposed God's authority. Everything was in submission, in perfect cooperation with the authority of God. In this realm the Lord set up the kingdom of God and executed His authority. The church today must also allow God's authority to have a free way and manifest His kingdom through submission. (CWWN, vol. 47, “Authority and Submission,” p. 148)
Let us pray that the Lord would subdue all rebellion, including any rebellion in us, that He might set up His kingdom on earth in order to have a realm in which He can carry out His purpose!
United States
“For neither from the east nor from the west, and neither from the south, does exaltation come; for God is the Judge: He puts this one down and exalts that one.” (Psa. 75:6-7)
“And it is [God] who changes the times and seasons; He deposes kings and causes kings to ascend.” (Dan. 2:21a)
Let us cooperate with our heavenly authority to pray that His will in heaven be fully accomplished on earth in all the elections in the next few weeks. We are not praying for any specific candidates, nor do we take any position on whether or how saints might vote. But we are praying for God's operation…so that He may have the time and the opportunity to preach the gospel, to save sinners, and to build the church for the spread of His kingdom. (Cf. Rom. 13:1, note 4)
LA College Students
This Friday evening, students from around Los Angeles will gather together on the UCLA campus for dinner and a large group fellowship. Please pray:
- For the Lord to strongly call both newer students and existing students to pay the price and come with an open heart and spirit.
- For the full release of the spirit, especially during the singing.
- For an anointed word concerning experiencing Christ as the shepherd and overseer of our souls!
In addition, this Lord's Day, UCLA students will return to meeting at Hall 5 after over a month of welcome meetings on campus. Please pray for the approximately 60 students, including around 25 new contacts, to enjoy the blending and fellowship with all the saints!
Southern California High School Conferences
The Fall 2024 High School Conferences will be held October 25 to 27 with sisters in Cerritos and brothers in Huntington Beach. The topic is “The Good Land—Part Two.”
Please pray for the young people to come to know Christ as a good and spacious land for us to experience and enjoy in every situation (Exo. 3:8; Col. 2:6). Pray also that they would be encouraged by and blended with other young people across Southern California.
LA Chinese-speaking Blending Retreat
This weekend, October 25 to 27, about 70 Chinese-speaking saints from Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Irvine and LA will be at Oak Glen for a twice-yearly blending retreat. Please pray:
- For the Lord to cover all the practical services, the saints' health and safety, and everyone's inward condition so the Lord can have His full way this weekend.
- For the removal of our veil so that every saint can get the heavenly vision of God's economy and be infused with the divine life.
- For the blending of saints from different localities.
May the bountiful supply of the Body of Christ shepherd and encourage all the saints!
International Blending Conference, Baarlo
The annual blending conference in Baarlo, The Netherlands for the saints in Europe and beyond will be held this weekend, October 25 to 27. Please pray for the Lord's rich speaking to the saints for the spread of His kingdom in Europe. Around 800 saints are registered. Please pray:
- For the ministering brother to be strengthened body, soul and spirit for the release of the Lord's word.
- For the blending of the churches and the saints.
- For the advance of the Lord's recovery in Europe through the word of the ministry and the fellowship released in this time.
France – Shepherding Trips
Please continue to pray for many who participated in the gospel trips to return for one to three months to meet the urgent need to participate in follow-up shepherding trips to care for all the new contacts. Also pray that those burdened to serve full-time in French-speaking Europe will receive the needed visas.
A letter is available at lme.org/reports.html concerning this need. As the Lord leads, saints in LA burdened to give may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
Bangladesh
Pray for the Lord's table meeting to be strengthened and that the saints will not be lost due to the outward sociopolitical circumstances, but be strengthened in the Lord and not abandon their gathering together to praise and worship the Lord.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 4 of Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1).
- Post-ITERO Blending Fellowship: A recording of the blending fellowship in Warsaw after the ITERO can be viewed at lsm.org/blending. The fellowship opens with a 78‑minute speaking by Brother Ron Kangas and concludes with several reports on the Lord's present move in Europe. An outline in English for the message portion can be downloaded. The total video length is 2 hours and 15 minutes. Translation is available by following instructions for selecting a language track.
- Bibles for America's recent blog post “What Is the Church according to the Bible?” is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- 2024 North & South America Korean-speaking Conference: Via Zoom from November 2 to 3. Detailed information in Korean can be found at tinyurl.com/2024KoreanConf.
- SCYP Children's Work Conference: Saturday, November 9, conducted in person only in Anaheim. Translation provided. Register by November 3 at scyp.com/children.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 28 to December 1 in Atlanta, GA. Interested LA saints can get more information on hotel rates and RSVP at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- Semiannual Training: December 23 to 28 in Anaheim. Registration is open for LA saints at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Registration due October 31 (live) or December 8 (video).
Week of October 6
The Lord Sowing Himself as the Seed of Life into Us
“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love…” (Eph. 3:16-17)
“But the one sown on the good earth, this is he who hears the word and understands, who by all means bears fruit and produces, one a hundredfold, and one sixtyfold, and one thirtyfold.” (Matt. 13:23)
Ephesians 3:17 reveals that the Triune God has come into us to do a building work with Himself as the element and also with something from us as the material. This is illustrated by the parable of the sower in Matthew 13.
The Lord sows Himself as the seed of life into men's hearts, the soil, that He might grow and live in them and be expressed from within them. The rate at which we grow in life depends not on the divine seed but on how many nutrients we afford this seed. The more nutrients we supply, the faster the seed will grow and the more it will flourish. If we remain in our soul, in our natural man, there will not be any nutrients for the growth of the divine seed, but if we are strengthened into our inner man and if we pay attention to our spirit and exercise our spirit, the nutrients will be supplied and Christ will make His home in our hearts.
On the one hand, God strengthens us with Himself as the element, and on the other hand, we afford the nutrients. Through these two, God in Christ carries out His intrinsic building—the building of His home—in our entire being. (Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1), msg. 2, IV.E, 1, 4, 5, 7)
ITERO Follow-up
The October 2024 International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones was held October 4 to 6 in Warsaw, Poland. The general subject of the eight messages was “Living in the Reality of the Kingdom of God.” The emphasis was subjective, experiential. We all have been born into this kingdom where Christ is our life and everything; now we exercise to live and serve here all the time.
Approximately 1,200 brothers attended in Warsaw and many more are still receiving the messages by video. The need now is that all we have heard be absorbed, digested, lived out, and spread throughout the churches. Please pray for this, that we all enter more into living in the reality of the kingdom to be built together, to serve to spread the recovery, and to fight the spiritual warfare to conclude this age and allow the Lord to come back in glory.
SoCal Junior High Conferences
The Fall 2024 Junior High Conferences will be held October 11 to 13 with sisters in Diamond Bar and brothers in Irvine. The topic is “The Word of God.” Please pray for the Lord to gather the young people this weekend to be nourished by the Lord's word (Matt. 4:4) and to be mutually encouraged and built up with one another.
Sacramento Meeting Hall
Please pray for the completion of the purchase of a new meeting hall property in Sacramento and for the Lord to release the funds to pay the purchase price $3.25 million by the October 15 deadline.
Once the 2.48-acre property is secured, there will be some retrofitting, upgrades and repairs estimated at around $1.2 million for a total cost of $4.45 million. A detailed letter with a brochure of the property is at www.churchinsacramento.org. As the Lord leads, the saints in LA may give through the Church in LA designated for “Sacramento Meeting Hall.”
Gospel Week in Europe
This week, following ITERO, there are gospel activities in multiple cities and European nations, concluding Lord's Day, October 13. Pray for good blending among local and visiting saints in prayer, in enjoying the Lord, and in contacting people. Pray also that the infusion from ITERO be released into more people, especially native Europeans for the strengthening and building up of the recovery in Europe.
France – Shepherding Trips
A letter in English is available at lme.org/reports.html concerning an urgent need for short-term shepherding trips to French-speaking Europe to care for the seeking ones who were contacted during the Bible distribution trips. This next stage of the move requires more concentrated, detailed contact with new ones, hence burdened saints are requested to stay for a longer period of time. Please pray:
- For many saints who participated in the gospel trips to return for one to three months to meet the urgent need to participate in follow-up shepherding trips to care for all the new contacts.
- That those burdened to serve full-time in French-speaking Europe will receive the needed visas..
As the Lord leads, saints in LA burdened to give may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
Czech and Slovak Translation Work
The current population of the Czech Republic is a little over 10 million, and the population of Slovakia, about 5.5 million. Today there are three lampstands in the Czech Republic and two lampstands in Slovakia, with approximately 50 local saints in each country. In 1996 we began to translate the ministry from English into Czech and Slovak, and that work continues to this day. At present a total of 140 books and Life-studies are available in these languages. In addition to the ministry books, most of the up-to-date speaking given during the “seven feasts” is made available to the saints in both countries in the form of outlines, morning revivals, and translated recordings of the spoken messages.
There is a burden to translate the NT Recovery Version into the Czech and Slovak languages. One team of Czech and Slovak translators will work together to produce the two versions simultaneously. Please pray with us while we progress in our fellowship, coordination, and practical preparation for this project to begin in the summer of 2025. May the blessing come to the people of these two countries!
Middle East
Please pray that recent developments in Israel and the surrounding region will be under the ruling of God's throne so that He will work out the counsel of His will. Pray for the saints there to be strengthened into their inner man, so that they are not shaken by what is happening, but live a life that expresses God and cooperates with God's move.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 2 of Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- Semiannual Training: December 23 to 28 in Anaheim. Registration is open for LA saints at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Registration due October 31 (live) or December 8 (video).
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 28 to December 1 in Atlanta, GA. Interested LA saints can get more information on hotel rates and RSVP at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- SCYP High School Conferences: October 25 to 27 in Cerritos (sisters) and Huntington Beach (brothers). Registration is due October 13.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of September 22
From Earthen Vessels to Children of Light
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.” (2 Cor. 4:7)
“For you were once darkness but are now light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” (Eph. 5:8)
Through the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the Christ of glory as the excellent treasure is received by the believers; now the shining reality of Christ, the embodiment and expression of the Triune God, is the treasure within us. This priceless treasure has made us, the earthen vessels, ministers of the new covenant with a priceless ministry. This is by the divine power in resurrection. The excellency of this power is surely of God and not out of us.
As God is light, so we, the children of God, are children of light. We are not only children of light—we are light itself; we are light because we are one with God in the Lord. If we walk as children of light, we will bear the fruit described in Ephesians 5:9. The fruit of the light must be good in nature, righteous in procedure, and real in expression, that God may be expressed as the reality of our daily walk. (The Christian Life, msg. 6, III.A, B, V.A-B, D, 1).
Please pray for all the saints to enter into their priceless ministry as shining children of light in their daily walk.
Laboring in Resurrection as a Flock of Shepherds Under Christ
“And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1 Pet. 5:4)
“But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace unto me did not turn out to be in vain, but, on the contrary, I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me.” (1 Cor. 15:10)
Christ is the Chief Shepherd, and the believers are shepherds. As the Chief Shepherd, He must have a flock of shepherds under Him. If we shepherd people apart from Christ, this is not in resurrection but in the old creation; when Christ shepherds through us, our labor is in resurrection. (SoCal Labor Day Conference, msg. 2, III.A.2, B.1)
UCLA Welcome Week
Thank you, saints, for praying for our first Lord's Day welcome meeting on September 22. We had a phenomenal turnout on campus, much more than expected, and the majority of the students stayed for further fellowship over lunch!
We desperately need your further prayers for the following matters as we head into UCLA's “Zero Week,” during which all of the freshmen are readily available before classes start this Thursday:
- Welcome Bible study on Wednesday: Connect students and nourish them with some food from the Word.
- Large Group Fellowship on Friday evening: Spirit-filled singing to the Lord, encouraging fellowship, and further shepherding of the students.
- Follow-up contact: Refreshing visitations and one-on-one contact with many freshmen multiple times throughout the week.
- Next Lord's Day on-campus meeting: Many would endeavor to return with open hearts for our second Lord's Day welcome meeting (even despite the late football game the night before!).
LA Korean Festival
The 51st LA Korean Festival will be held at Seoul International Park this weekend, September 26 to 29. The saints will be out in the streets of Koreatown on Friday and Saturday, setting up tables to preach the gospel and distribute Recovery Version NTs. Next month, on October 12, we will host a Bible seminar. For the Lord's move in Koreatown, please pray:
- For the most suitable location for distribution without any obstructions.
- For our gospel table to be filled with joyful volunteers serving together in one accord.
- For the Lord to call and meet the sons of peace He has prepared and who are seeking the church.
- For the Lord to open the hearts of our contacts and acquaintances as we invite them to the seminar.
Paris Chinese-speaking Conference
Praise the Lord for His continued shepherding of the saints in Europe, especially the Chinese-speaking saints. The annual Chinese-speaking conference in Paris, France will take place this weekend, September 27 to 29. Pray for the release of the Lord's word and the blending among the saints in this conference. May the Lord keep advancing rapidly in Europe according to His desire to obtain the reality of the one new man.
France
“I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be restrained.” (Job 42:2)
With the Olympic Games distribution trips now concluded, there is an urgent need to care for the ones we have contacted over the last five months. So far, four graduates of the FTTA Extension in Boston and two serving families have applied for a one-year visa to live and serve in France. Please pray earnestly:
- That these saints and those who apply after them will receive the needed visas as soon as possible.
- That a number of those who participated in the gospel trips will have the echo of the Lord's burden in their heart to return to France for one to three months to meet the urgent need of shepherding.
- All reports, as well as more information on migration, are posted at lme.org/reports.html. Saints in LA burdened to give may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
Madrid House Purchase
In September 2018 a meeting hall was purchased for the church in Madrid, Spain. In March 2021, one of the houses next to the meeting hall was purchased. The church was much blessed by the Lord since these two properties were purchased which enabled the church to experience a quantum advance. They caused the church to increase and the care for saints of all ages prospered, especially for the young people. Having these properties allowed the church in Madrid to take better care of visiting saints, gather all the responsible brothers of the Iberian Peninsula, and serve as one of the European hubs for FTTA gospel trips.
On August 17 of this year, the owner of the other house next to the meeting hall notified us that she wanted to sell and gave us the first right of refusal. The two-story, three-bedroom house is in very good move-in condition and the asking price of €1.36 million (around US$1.5 million) is reasonable. With this additional property, the entire city block will be owned by the church.
On September 6, the church signed a contract with a down payment of €250,000. A second and third installment of the same amount must be submitted by November 6 and January 6, respectively; the remaining balance must be paid in full by March 6, 2025. Please pray for the advancement of the Lord's move on the Iberian Peninsula through the purchase of this property.
A letter in English, Spanish, and Chinese can be downloaded at lme.org/reports.html. As the Lord leads, saints in LA may participate in giving through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Madrid House.”
Vicenza, Italy
“Greet all the ones leading you and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.” (Heb. 13:24)
Vicenza (vee-chent-sa) is a city in northeastern Italy, approximately 37 miles west of Venice and 120 miles east of Milan. On September 29, the saints in Vicenza will hold their first Lord's table meeting. Please pray that there will be a strong beginning of the church life in that city, and that Vicenza will be part of the next step of the advance of the Lord's move in Italy.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 6 of The Christian Life. Next week, we will begin Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1) (from the July Semiannual Training).
- December Semiannual Training: December 23 to 28. Registration for LA saints will open next week.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- 2024 SCYP Parents & Serving Ones' Fellowship: Saturday, September 28, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm in Fullerton. Translation provided. More information at scyp.com/fellowship.
- SCYP Junior High Conferences: October 11 to 13 in Diamond Bar (sisters) and Irvine (brothers). Registration deadline is September 29.
Week of September 15
Allowing the Lord's Measurings to Increase the Flow of Life
“Then He measured a thousand cubits, and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be crossed.” (Ezek. 47:5)
“He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)
In order to live the Christian life, we need to enjoy the flow of life out of the house of God. For the increase of the flow of life, we need to be measured by the Lord as the man of bronze (Ezek. 40:3). To measure is to examine, test, judge, and possess. The four measurings of a thousand cubits, which is a complete unit, indicate that as creatures, we need to be thoroughly measured by the Lord so that He may take over and thoroughly possess our entire being.
The more we allow the Lord to examine, test, and judge us to possess us, the deeper the flow becomes. The depth of the flow depends on how much we have been measured by the Lord. The more we are measured by the Lord, the more we are restricted and limited by the flowing of the grace of life until eventually we are lost in and carried along by the flowing Triune God as a river in which to swim. In one sense we lose all our freedom, but in another sense we are really free.
The river causes everything to live; the flow of the river produces trees, fish, and cattle. The river waters the dry, parched land and heals the death waters; this watering and healing are for the purpose of producing life. The river is unable to heal the swamps and marshes; a swamp or marsh is a neutral place, a halfway place, a place of compromise and lukewarmness (47:11). For the flow of life and for the church life, the Lord Jesus desires and requires absoluteness. By being absolute we will be in the flow, and the flow will not be a trickle but a river to swim in; then everything shall live wherever the river comes.
Our enjoyment of Christ as the flow of life is for us to be sowers, planters, waterers, begetters, feeders, and builders with the ministry of life for the marvelous organic building of God, the magnificent house of God. (The Christian Life, msg. 5, I, F-H.2; II).
Becoming God in His Function of Shepherding
“Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion but willingly, according to God.” (1 Pet. 5:2a)
According to God in 1 Peter 5:2 means that we live God; only those who live God can shepherd according to God. In order to shepherd according to God, we need to become God in life, nature, expression, and function.
We need to be filled to the brim with the divine life, enjoying the Triune God as the fountain, the spring, and the river to become a totality of the divine life, even to become the divine life itself. We need to become God in His attributes of love, light, righteousness, and holiness. We need to be the reproduction of Christ, the expression of God, so that in our shepherding we express God, not the self in its disposition and peculiarities. We need to become God in His function of shepherding the flock according to what He is and according to His goal in His economy. (SoCal Labor Day Conference, msg. 2, II.E, F, 1-4)
Pray for the saints to become God in life, nature, expression, and function (but not in the Godhead) so that they may shepherd others according to God.
UCLA Fresh Start and Follow-up
This week, we are spending much time together with the students in our UCLA corporate housing to get to know one another, be built up together, and be prepared to participate in the Lord's move on the campus. Please pray that the Lord would give each student a new and strong beginning in the Lord and link them with companions that they can pursue with throughout this academic year.
Meanwhile, we are also burdened for the follow-up care of new contacts. Over the summer, we received nearly 400 names of incoming freshmen interested in further contact and fellowship with us. These ones will be moving into the dorms throughout this week. Please pray for many profitable face-to-face interactions with them, including our Lord's Day morning meeting on campus this weekend.
Sacramento Meeting Hall
Update: The seller has extended the deadline to October 15 for the purchase price of $3.25 million to be fulfilled; once the 2.48-acre property is secured, there will be some retrofitting, upgrades and repairs estimated at around $1.2 million for a total cost of $4.45 million.
A detailed letter with a linked brochure of the property is at www.churchinsacramento.org. Saints in LA may participate in giving through the Church in LA designated for “Sacramento Meeting Hall.”
2024 Paris Olympics Gospel Trips Follow-up
The Bible distribution during the recent Olympic Games in Paris concluded on September 9. The Lord has done more than we could ask or think. Praise the Lord! We are now faced with an urgent need: to care for the ones we have contacted over the last five months. Please pray:
- That a number of those who participated in the Torch Relay or Olympic Gospel Trips will have the echo of the Lord's burden in their heart to return to France for one to three months to meet the urgent need for the continued shepherding of the dear new ones the Lord has put into our hands.
- That all those who have applied to migrate and serve in France would get their visas approved in a timely manner so that a new Paris-based team could begin coordinating and serving by mid-October.
- That many students, families, and mature saints would have open hearts to hear and respond to the Lord's call to migrate within the next few years for the Lord's interest in France.
- That the Lord will raise up new lampstands in Rouen, Lille, Versailles, Mertzig (Luxembourg), Geneva (Switzerland), Marseilles, Toulouse, Caen, Nantes, and Montpellier.
All reports, as well as more information on migration, are posted at lme.org/reports.html. Saints in LA burdened to give may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
Bangladesh
Over the summer, student protests turned into a nationwide anti-government movement. During this time saints mostly stayed at home and they occasionally would hear gunshots and explosions. In early August, the prime minister fled to India, the military took control, and a provisional government was announced, bringing an end to the protests.
Social order is gradually being restored. In Dhaka, the saints have resumed in-person bread-breaking meetings. However, the situation outside the capital remains difficult and chaotic, so the saints in these places have stayed online for corporate gatherings. The intercession of all the saints is needed:
- For the restoration of social stability as soon as possible and for people's hearts to be open to the gospel through the turbulence of the external environment.
- For the saints to turn to the Lord and experience Him as peace in the midst of the situation.
- For the new government, that regardless of the changing environment, everything would work to advance the Lord's interest and the gospel.
For a detailed update with photos, see the September 2024 issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter:
- lmasia.org/newsletter/2024-newsletter/september-3 (English)
- reurl.cc/7dV9X9 (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 5 of The Christian Life. After next week, starting September 30, we will pursue Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1) (from the July Semiannual Training).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- 2024 SCYP Parents & Serving Ones' Fellowship: Saturday, September 28, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm in Fullerton. Translation provided. Registration due September 22 at scyp.com/fellowship.
- SCYP Junior High Conferences: October 11 to 13 in Diamond Bar (sisters) and Irvine (brothers). Registration deadline is September 29.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 28 to December 1 in Atlanta, GA. Interested LA saints can get more information on hotel rates and RSVP at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
Week of September 8
The Christian Life—a Life of Abiding in the Lord
“Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
“That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.” (Rom. 8:4)
Our abiding in Christ, the vine, by being one with the Lord in our mingled spirit is not only a divine fact but also a spiritual factor that affects our entire spiritual life. It is in and by abiding that we have the genuine holiness, spirituality, and victory over sin, the world, Satan, our flesh, and the self; it is in and by abiding that we become practical members of the Body of Christ; and it is in and by abiding that we live the normal Christian life and church life. When we are abiding in the vine, we have no problems, because we are one with the Son of God, who has conquered every enemy and dealt with every negative thing. When we abide in the Lord, we lack nothing, and we need to do nothing other than enjoy what He has accomplished, because all that He has accomplished becomes our experience when we are one with Him.
To abide in the Lord by unceasing prayer means that we have a constant and unceasing trust in the living One, who is one spirit with us. We need to see this. More than fifty years ago I spent much time seeking holiness, a victorious life, and spirituality. I bought all kinds of books and spent time reading them and practicing what they outlined. However, nothing that I practiced was effective. Through the years the Lord in His mercy allowed us to discover the secret for all the “how-tos.” This secret is to abide in the mingled spirit.
If the church is in a poor and low condition, our abiding will help the church be uplifted and enriched. The real remedy to the church's poor condition comes from our abiding in the Lord. Today the reason there is much spiritual death among the saints is that we do not abide in the Lord by remaining in our mingled spirit to worship God, receive His instant word, and dwell with Him. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, pp. 165-168, 172-173)
Taking the Shepherding Way
“The way that can save people effectively must be by small vital groups, and everyone in this small vital group must be a shepherd. After a short time the church will be revived. No other way is more prevailing than this shepherding way.” (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, “Crystallization-study of the Gospel of John,” ch. 13, p. 451)
Shepherding the believers is very crucial for their growth in life. We must take the shepherding way to preach the gospel and revive the church. We should pray, “Lord, I want to be revived. From today I want to be a shepherd. I want to go to feed people, to shepherd people, and to flock people together.” (SoCal Labor Day Conference, msg. 1, III.C, 1)
Pray that the saints would receive the burden to participate in Christ's wonderful shepherding and to take the shepherding way to preach the gospel and revive the church.
Bibles for America – San Francisco
In August, saints gave away copies of the NT Recovery Version at City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University. The saints distributed 58 NTs and obtained information from 68 new contacts for follow-up. They were able to have Bible studies with some of these students, and a number of them prayed to receive the Lord.
Please pray for the continued follow-up with these students. Pray that the Lord would keep their hearts soft and open as they are contacted by the saints, and that they would be nourished to grow in the divine life. Pray also that many more saints would be filled with the spirit of the gospel, especially as classes begin on campuses across the US.
Sacramento Meeting Hall
After much prayer and diligent searching, the church in Sacramento has found a facility that will meet the needs of the Lord's increase and spread in that city and the surrounding area. This larger property would meet the need for:
- Safety for the saints attending the meetings.
- Enlarging the capacity for blending meetings with area churches which are increasing in number.
- Providing for larger blending meetings for the North Central Valley churches and seeking ones.
- Outreach at nearby Sacramento State University, in coordination with nearby campus teams.
Located 10 minutes' drive from Sacramento State University, the 2.48-acre property includes multiple buildings connected by covered walkways and three paved parking lots. After some remodeling, the seating capacity of the main hall can be increased from 390 to over 500. An additional “fellowship hall” seats around 200 and has no need of upgrading; it could be used by the saints in Sacramento immediately.
The church must fulfill the purchase price of $3.25 million by October 1, after which there will be retrofitting, upgrades and repairs estimated at around $1.2 million for a total cost of $4.45 million.
A detailed letter with a linked brochure of the property is at www.churchinsacramento.org. Saints in LA may participate in giving through the Church in LA designated for “Sacramento Meeting Hall.”
2024 Paris Olympics Gospel Trips
The final Olympics gospel trip ended on September 9. The Lord has done more than we could ask or think. Now our eyes are turning to the urgent need before us: there must a way to care for the ones we have contacted during our consecutive gospel trips.
Many saints from the gospel teams have expressed the desire to return soon and spend one to three months where they have labored. We felt that this was the Lord's speaking on how the urgent need could be met. The co-workers in Europe have begun to fellowship about how retired saints and those serving full-time might be able to return soon so that the shepherding of our new ones could continue. A letter is being prepared to inform the saints on how they may participate in this way. Please pray:
- That the saints, retired or full-time, who have participated in the TR or OL gospel trips would have the echo of the Lord's burden in their heart to come for one to three months to meet the urgent need for the continued shepherding of the dear new ones the Lord has put into our hands.
- That all those who have applied to migrate and serve in France would get their visas approved in a timely manner so that a new Paris-based team could begin coordinating and serving by mid-October.
- That many students, families, and mature saints would have open hearts to hear and respond to the Lord's call to migrate migrate within the next couple of years for the Lord's interest in France.
All reports, as well as more information on migration, are posted at lme.org/reports.html. Saints in LA burdened to give may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
India
Pray for the leading brothers' training in various states in September, that the speaking and leading of the ministry would become the speaking and leading among the churches.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 4 of The Christian Life (from the Memorial Day Conference).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- Thanksgiving Conference: Atlanta, GA from November 28 to December 1. Interested LA saints can get more information on hotel rates and RSVP for updates at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- The LA Years: Chapter 6: Visiting Seekers Throughout America is published at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in Los Angeles from 1958–1974.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of September 1
Enjoying the Spirit for the Body
“And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify them that they may serve Me as priests.” (Exo. 30:30)
“For I know that for me this will turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:19)
This all-inclusive compound Spirit, typified by the holy anointing oil, is the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the supply of the Body of Christ, by which we can live Christ for His magnification in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body. The holy anointing oil is solely for the purpose of anointing God's dwelling place and the priesthood (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5); hence, only those who are for God's dwelling place and for the priesthood can have the enjoyment of the compound, all-inclusive Spirit.
As believers, we have been anointed with the compound ointment, with the all-inclusive Spirit. Psalm 133:2 describes how the anointing oil flowed down from Aaron's head to his beard and then to the hem of his garments; this signifies that the whole Body is anointed with the Spirit. In order to be “painted” by the ointment (1 John 2:20, 27), we must be one with the church; then we will spontaneously enjoy the application of the anointing oil with all its elements. How marvelous is the oneness produced by the application of this ointment! (The Christian Life, msg. 3, III.C, II.C, IV, B)
2024 SoCal Labor Day Blending Conference Follow-up
“I hope that there will be a genuine revival among us by our receiving this burden of shepherding. If all the churches receive this teaching to participate in Christ's wonderful shepherding, there will be a big revival in the recovery.” (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, p. 92)
The past weekend's Southern California Labor Day Blending Conference was on “Shepherding in the Ministry of the Apostles.” Please pray:
- That the word spoken at the Southern California Labor Day Blending Conference will operate in the saints, giving the Lord more ground to blend the body together (1 Cor. 12:24).
- That the Lord's timely speaking concerning shepherding will operate in the saints to meet the need of the churches in Southern California.
Sacramento Meeting Hall
As many know, two and a half years ago the church in Sacramento experienced a terrible tragedy at the meeting hall that took the lives of three young children and one of the leading brothers. This has obviously affected many of the local saints, some of whom are still reluctant to set foot in that hall. In addition, there has long been increasing crime and vandalism in the neighborhood and a lack of parking. This has motivated the brothers to seek another (larger) property that would meet the need for:
- Safety for the saints attending the meetings.
- Enlarging the capacity for blending meetings with area churches which are increasing in number.
- Providing for larger blending meetings for the North Central Valley churches and seeking ones.
- Outreach at nearby Sacramento State University, in coordination with nearby campus teams.
After much prayer and diligent searching, the church has found a facility that will meet the needs of the Lord's increase and spread in Sacramento and the surrounding area. Located 10 minutes' drive from Sacramento State University, the 2.48-acre property is already zoned for religious and community-related activities and includes multiple buildings connected by covered walkways, three paved parking lots, and a courtyard. After some remodeling, the seating capacity of the main hall can be increased from 390 to over 500, which will meet the blending need of the nearby churches. An additional “fellowship hall” seats around 200 and has no need of upgrading; it could be used by the saints in Sacramento immediately.
The church in Sacramento is now under contract to fulfill the purchase price of $3.25 million by October 1, after which there will be retrofitting, upgrades and repairs estimated at around $1.2 million for a total cost of $4.45 million. After obtaining the new property, there will be the need of selling the old one.
A detailed letter with a linked brochure of the property is at www.churchinsacramento.org. Saints in LA who feel led of the Lord to participate in giving may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Sacramento Meeting Hall.”
European University Training
“Who has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Cor. 3:6)
The European University Training will be held from September 6 to 11 near Edinburgh, Scotland. The general subject is “Becoming a Genuine Minister of Christ.” Please pray:
- That the students would have hearts fully turned and opened to touch the Lord of glory (2 Cor. 3:16, 18).
- That the serving ones would enjoy the energizing treasure as their serving supply and manifest the resurrection life (2 Cor. 4:7).
2024 Paris Olympics Gospel Trips
As we enter our final gospel trip (OL5), ending September 9, we feel that the Lord has done more than we could ask or think. In the places where we have been continuously laboring for over 40 days, the Lord has been gathering a small group of new believers to enter into the church life with us. It is our hope that these ones would become either the increase to existing churches or the nucleus of new churches. Everyone participating has acquired a taste for the day-by-day and house-to-house church life as our living instead of simply having scheduled meetings. The God-ordained way has been practiced, not just as a work to gain people, but as a normal living carried out in the Body of Christ.
Now our eyes are turning to the urgent need before us. There must a way to care for the ones we have contacted during our consecutive gospel trips. We trust the Lord to thrust out workers through migration, and there will be a full-time team based in Paris, but neither of these fill the urgent need we have now.
Many saints from the gospel teams have expressed the desire to return soon and spend one to three months where they have labored. We felt that this was the Lord's speaking on how the urgent need could be met. The co-workers in Europe have begun to fellowship about how retired saints and those serving full-time might be able to return soon so that the shepherding of our new ones could continue. A letter is being prepared to inform the saints on how they may participate in this way. Please pray:
- That the saints, retired or full-time, who have participated in the TR or OL gospel trips would have the echo of the Lord's burden in their heart to come for one to three months to meet the urgent need for the continued shepherding of the dear new ones the Lord has put into our hands.
- That all those who have applied to migrate and serve full-time in France would get their visas approved in a timely manner so that a new Paris-based team could begin coordinating and serving by mid-October.
- That there would be open hearts to hear and respond to the Lord's call to migrate.
All gospel trip reports, as well as more information on migration, are posted at lme.org/reports.html. Saints in LA burdened to give may do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
Israel
Please continue to pray for the situation in Israel and the Middle East, that through the prayers of the saints the evil rulers and authorities in the air, and the human agents used by them, will be bound, and God's interests will be furthered and His chosen ones preserved.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of The Christian Life (from the Memorial Day Conference).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- 2024 SCYP Blending Meeting: Saturday, September 7 in Arcadia. Contact serving ones for more info.
- Thanksgiving Conference: Atlanta, GA from November 28 to December 1. Interested LA saints can get more information on hotel rates and RSVP for updates at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- LSM Newsletter: The August issue of "Having This Ministry…" includes an explanation on the deeper and intrinsic significance of the name Jehovah. Go to newsletters.lsm.org/having-this-ministry.
- Bibles for America's latest blog post “One Major Function of the Word of God: To Testify Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ” is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of August 25
The Christian Life Being a Grafted Life
“…You, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among [the branches] and became a fellow partaker of the root of fatness of the olive tree.” (Rom. 11:17)
“Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)
The Bible reveals that the relationship God desires to have with man is that He and man become one. As believers in Christ, we should live a grafted life—a life in which we are one spirit with the Lord and live in an organic union with Him. (The Christian Life, msg. 2, II, I)
Such is the real nature of the Christian life. The Lord Jesus as the true vine is the superior tree…As you enjoy the root of the fatness of this cultivated olive tree, your poorer life is subdued, and you begin to flourish…
What are the results of the grafting? When the fatness of the better tree supplies the grafted branch, all the negative things are taken away. Then the original function of that branch is restored and strengthened. The fruit is still what it was before the grafting, but the problem factors have been overcome. We are the problem branches that God has grafted to Christ. The fatness of His life comes into us, carrying away all the poor elements in us. He uplifts the original function that God had for us, strengthening and enriching it. Then naturally and spontaneously, our whole being is saturated and transformed, and a marvelous fruit comes forth.
By the Lord's grace we have repented, and through repentance and believing we have been grafted into the divine life. In this grafting we grow together with Him. Then in resurrection His life grows in us. The divine life is in us, supplying us. This is the Christian life. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 1, “Life Messages Volume 2,” pp. 284-289)
May we all see and apply this truth of the grafted life in our daily lives, continually partaking of the root of fatness to live a grafted life with Christ.
2024 SoCal Labor Day Blending Conference
This weekend's Southern California Labor Day Blending Conference will be held in person at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim. The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, August 31
Message 1…………....... 4:00 to 5:45 pm
Dinner Break………..... 5:45 to 7:00 pm
Message 2…………....... 7:00 to 8:45 pm
Lord's Day, September 1
Lord's Table……...... 10:00 to 10:30 am
Message 3…….. 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
A major purpose of this conference is to carry out the blending among the churches and the saints in the region for the reality of the Body of Christ; therefore, in-person attendance is encouraged as much as possible. Translation will be provided in the MCC by FM radio and the Listen Everywhere app. Please pray:
- For this conference to be well-attended and for the saints in this region will pay the price to come, so that all may be blended under the Lord's speaking.
- For the Lord's covering of the ministering brothers, as well as their families, and that He will use the brothers to speak His timely word to meet the need of the churches in Southern California.
- For all the practical preparation and coordination involved in carrying out this conference.
USC
Classes begin this week for USC. Please pray:
- For the Lord to empower our own students to spread the fragrance of Christ to their friends and classmates.
- For the Lord to call new students, especially freshmen, to connect with us face-to-face this week at our welcome events, tabling, and small groups.
- For the harmonious prayer and coordination among students, trainees, and serving ones so that each student can be shepherded and cared for.
Hall 2 College-age Saints
Classes also begin this week at CSUN and the LA Valley, Pierce, and Mission Colleges. Hall 2 has students at each of these colleges. Please pray that:
- The college-age (students or working) would have a heart for the Lord and His move among their generation.
- Saints will be raised up by the Lord to regularly shepherd the college-age.
- All college-age saints will get firmly connected this year with other saints and find a home in the church life.
2024 Paris Olympics Gospel Trips
Three years ago, in France, a small group of saints began to come together to pray for the Lord to have a way to gain more people and for more lampstands in this country. These saints were not content to have the situation remain the same. They met to pray a number of times every week. Eventually, this group became the coordinating ones for the current distributions.
Last March the Lord began to move by bringing co-workers from France, UK, Germany, Spain and Poland together for days of prayer and fellowship. The Lord erased all the boundaries on the map. The fellowship and coordination became that of the reality of the Body of Christ! Through this the Lord led us to labor in a very specific way on places where churches could be raised up.
The view changed from only distributing Bibles for 50 days to also practicing Acts 2:46-47. The day-by-day and house-to-house church life is for the raising up of churches. This was the Lord's answer to the three years of prayer. Together we are participating in the Lord's present move.
Without migrations the Lord's testimony in Russia, UK, and Germany would not have been established. We are now at the same point in the French-speaking European countries. If the Lord could gain France as He did in the UK and Germany, Europe would be entirely different.
Migration is the move of the Body on earth. Please pray:
- That there would be open hearts to hear and respond to the Lord's call to migrate.
- That all those who have applied to serve full-time in France would get their visas approved in a timely manner. By mid-October these ones will join in His shepherding care for all the ones saved and baptized.
Subscribe to receive trip reports and testimonies at courantdevie.myflodesk.com; archived reports are at tinyurl.com/2024gospeltrips. Fellowship on migration to serve in France is at lme.org/reports.html.
Saints in LA burdened to give man do so through the Church in LA designated for “Paris Olympics.”
Ukraine and Russia
Please pray concerning the ongoing developments relating to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and that the Lord will protect the tripartite being of all the saints and will rule in the heavens over every aspect of this conflict so that His economy could advance on earth.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 2 of The Christian Life (from the Memorial Day Conference).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting on “The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul's Epistles—Galatians” continues this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- Thanksgiving Conference: Atlanta, GA from November 28 to December 1. Childcare for those in K to 6th grade will be provided. Saints from LA who are interested in attending can get more information on hotel group rates and RSVP to receive any pertinent updates at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- LSM Newsletter: The August issue of "Having This Ministry…" includes an explanation on the deeper and intrinsic significance of the name Jehovah. Go to newsletters.lsm.org/having-this-ministry.
- Bibles for America's latest blog post “One Major Function of the Word of God: To Testify Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ” is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Week of August 18
Living Christ by Loving Christ
“For to me, to live is Christ.” (Phil. 1:21a)
“And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.” (Mark 12:30)
“Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him.” (John 14:23)
The Christian life is a life of living Christ. Our living should be Christ, and the way to live Christ is to love Christ. To love God means to set our entire being—spirit, soul, and body with the heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30)—absolutely on Him, that is, to let our entire being be occupied by Him and lost in Him, so that He becomes everything to us and we are one with Him practically in our daily life.
To live the Christian life is to love Jesus the Son of God so that we will be loved by the Father and the Son and enjoy the Son's manifestation to us and Their visitation to us for Them to make a mutual abode with us. The Christian life is a life of loving God and loving one another with God Himself as our love. Christ lived in this world a life of God as love, and He is now our life that we may live the same life of love in this world and be the same as He is in His lost-one-seeking and sinner-saving ministry journey. (The Christian Life, msg. 1, I, B, D-E)
2024 SoCal Labor Day Blending Conference
“In the blending of the churches we receive nourishment, we receive revelation, and we receive a vision of God's eternal purpose concerning Christ and the church. Such a blending is not only for our own mutual spiritual benefit but is also for the mutual building up of the Body of Christ” (1993 Blending Conference Messages concerning the Lord's Recovery and Our Present Need, ch. 2).
The co-workers in Southern California are burdened to conduct a blending conference among the saints and the churches during the upcoming Labor Day weekend. The schedule will be as follows:
Saturday, August 31
Message 1…………...... 4:00 to 5:45 pm
Dinner Break……….... 5:45 to 7:00 pm
Message 2…………..... 7:00 to 8:45 pm
Lord's Day, September 1
Lord's Table…….... 10:00 to 10:30 am
Message 3…… 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
All conference meetings will be held in person at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim. A way to participate online will be provided for saints who live too far from the LSM campus or for other reasons cannot attend in person. Because a major purpose of this conference is to carry out the blending among the churches and the saints in Southern California for the reality of the Body of Christ, in-person attendance is encouraged as much as possible. Please note that childcare will not be provided at the MCC.
Ahead of this special conference, please pray:
- For the saints to set aside this Labor Day weekend to be gathered and blended together.
- For all the practical preparation and coordination involved in carrying out this conference.
- For the Lord to cover the brothers who will be ministering the word, as well as their families.
- That the Lord will use this conference, and all the services related to it, to blend the saints in Southern California for the reality of the Body of Christ.
Wednesday Night Ministry Meetings
A new term of mid-week ministry meetings begins this Wednesday, August 21 at 7:25 pm at the LSM Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim. All the saints (in good health) are invited to attend in person to support the release of the word. The meeting will also be live-streamed and archived at lsmwebcast.com (subscription or payment required).
Please pray for the ministry of the Lord's word week by week to His recovery. Pray for the Lord's continued blessing of the Full-time Training in Anaheim and covering of all trainees and serving ones.
2024 Paris Olympics Gospel Trips
The OL3 Olympic Games gospel cycle concluded on Monday, August 19. The OL4 cycle will run from August 20 to 29. These trips include five teams in and near Paris, plus teams in Lille and Rouen, as well as in Luxembourg. In all of the distribution and appointments, the goal is to strengthen the Lord's testimony, gain people into the church life, and raise up new churches in French-speaking Europe.
Please continue to pray:
- For the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:19) to the full-timers currently serving in France, that the Lord strengthen them in spirit and soul and body, and be their wisdom in all the practical and spiritual matters they face week by week.
- For the continuing shepherding of people contacted in trips since early May, that they remain open to fellowship, and that the shepherding saints be diligent to continue nourishing them.
- For the migrating of many more to France to raise up a team of at least 20 full-timers and to open many homes for group gatherings. May the Lord thrust out workers into His harvest in France and open a way for these saints to obtain a long-term visa.
- That the Lord will raise up new lampstands in Rouen, Lille, Versailles, Mertzig (Luxembourg), Geneva (Switzerland), Marseilles, Toulouse, Caen, Nantes, and Montpellier.
Subscribe to receive trip reports and testimonies at courantdevie.myflodesk.com; archived reports are at tinyurl.com/2024gospeltrips. A special report on the Lord's move in France and a presentation on migration to serve in France given at the recent July Semiannual Training are at lme.org/reports.html.
Saints in LA burdened to give for the distribution can do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”
UK & Ireland Blending Conference
The 2024 UK & Ireland Blending Conference will take place August 24 to 25 in Leeds. Please pray for the Lord's rich speaking to the saints and for the saints' response in joining themselves to His speaking for the carrying out of His move in Europe. Pray that the saints and churches in the UK and Ireland would be blended together for the further building of the Body of Christ and the preparation of His Bride.
Bangladesh
Please continue to pray for the restoration of social stability as soon as possible and for people's hearts to be open to the gospel through the turbulence of the external environment.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 1 of The Christian Life (from the Memorial Day Conference).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting resumes this week starting at 7:25 pm.
- 2024 SoCal Labor Day Blending Conference: Saturday, August 31 from 4:00 to 5:45 pm and 7:00 to 8:45 pm; Lord's Day, September 1 with table meeting at 10:00 am, then message from 10:30 to 12:30 pm. In person at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim; no childcare will be provided.
- Thanksgiving Conference: This year's conference will be held in Atlanta, GA from November 28 to December 1. Childcare for those in kindergarten through 6th grade will be provided during the meetings. Saints from LA who are interested in attending can get more information on hotel group rates and RSVP to receive any pertinent updates at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- Bibles for America's newest blog post “One Major Function of the Word of God: To Testify Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ” is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
- The LA Years: Chapter 6: Visiting Seekers Throughout America is published at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in Los Angeles from 1958–1974.
- 500 Life-studies App: To learn more about the burden for the Life-studies, including the 500 Life-studies app, please visit 500lifestudies.org.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.