Week of February 4

[View as PDF]

Experiencing the Lord’s Dealing Touch

“And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. And…He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated as he wrestled with Him.” (Gen. 32:24-25)

“Therefore we do not lose heart but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16)

What was wrong with Jacob that the Lord had to wrestle with him? There was nothing wrong. The reason the Lord wrestled with Jacob was because he was still so natural. Here the dealing is not with anything sinful; it is with the natural life, with the natural man. It takes a long time to expose our natural life. We need an extended period of wrestling before this can take place. Through this period of wrestling, our naturalness, like Jacob’s, is utterly exposed.

Most [Christians] devote their attention to dealing with outward sin, wrong doings, and worldliness, never thinking that their natural life, natural strength, must be touched. But the Lord is not only concerned with changing our outward living; He desires even more to touch our natural life. The way of religion is to change man’s outward behavior; the way of God in His economy is to touch man’s inward life in order to change his inward being. This is our need today. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 75, pp. 965-969)

God cuts off our natural life gradually, little by little, according to the degree of our growth in the divine life. The more Christ increases in us, the more He will replace our natural life. (Note 1 on Exo. 23:29)

Let us pray for the Lord to have mercy on us that we could experience His dealing touch so that we may decrease and He may increase in us for His purpose.

ICSC

The 2024 International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference takes place February 10 to 11 in Taipei. The general subject is “Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Course, Keeping the Faith, and Loving the Lord’s Appearing in order to Receive the Reward of Christ as the Crown of Righteousness.”

The conference will also be streamed both live and via archived messages from lsmwebcast.com until March 12; no login credentials are needed. After this date, a subscription or payment will be required. Conference outlines are already available on the website.

Please pray for:

  • The release of the Lord’s timely and fresh speaking to His Body in this first “feast” of the new year.
  • As many saints as possible to participate through the online options, regardless of language.
  • The safe travel, health, and blending of all the saints attending in person, including many saints from Los Angeles.

Bibles for America

Our next expected shipment of 100,000 Bibles has been delayed and is now projected to arrive early this month. Because of this unfortunate delay, we’ve had to briefly pause sending out Bibles while we wait for the new inventory to arrive.

Additionally, the current volatile situation in the Suez Canal is forcing shipping companies to travel all the way around the Cape of Good Hope, adding up to 2 months to estimated shipping times. This situation has delayed a shipment of paper that will be used to produce our next order of 100,000 Bibles, which was previously scheduled to arrive in June.

Please pray that Satan would be bound and that his kingdom would suffer much loss in the coming year. Pray specifically that the Lord would cover every step of Bible production, from the paper shipments to the printing, shipping, and distributing. May all those who place an order remain open and soft toward the Lord as they wait to receive their Bibles.

FTTA Middle-age Training

The Spring 2024 term of the FTTA-MA will be from March 18 to June 29. Please pray for more saints in the Lord’s recovery to seize this opportunity to be perfected. All applications must be received by the training office no later than Tuesday, February 27.

FTTA Gospel Trips

The FTTA gospel trips in Europe ended on February 5. Please pray that the Lord would:

  • Continue to enlarge the view of the FTTA trainees and burden them for His move on the earth.
  • Strengthen the local saints and full-timers to shepherd the newly saved and contacted ones until they become remaining fruit in the churches.
  • Gain more fruit through the new ones who are added to the church life.

To review specific reports and prayer burdens from these trips, please visit ftta.org/gospeltrips.

Bible Distribution in France

Bible distributions in France will take place May 8 to September 10 in many cities associated with the Olympic torch relay and the Olympic games. The goal is to raise up golden lampstands in at least ten key cities. Please petition the Lord concerning:

  • His wisdom to the brothers planning these distributions.
  • His administration of the earth to bring forth the best environment for our activities in every city.
  • Many French people to be open to the gospel, the truth, and fellowship.
  • Praying and going from churches around the earth, including from Los Angeles.

A detailed application form (due February 28) is available at www.amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024Paris. Saints in LA who are burdened to give for the Bible distribution and other associated expenses can do so through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Paris Olympics.”

Tajikistan

Please continue to pray for the Lord’s work among the gospel friends who have read the shepherding materials, that they may be enlightened and attracted to enter steadfastly into the Lord’s word with the saints. In particular, pray for a family, two sisters and a brother to continue to have home meetings with the saints and to come to know the truth fully.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 5 of our guided reading through Genesis.
  2. High School Conferences: At Oak Glen for brothers, March 8 to 10 (registration due February 25); for sisters, March 15 to 17 (registration due March 3).
  3. Junior High Conferences: At Oak Glen for brothers, March 29 to 31 (registration due March 17); for sisters, April 5 to 7 (registration due March 31).
  4. LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry’s many digital resources, including apps and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The January 2024 newsletter features the fourth and final part of an interview with Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work as well as helpful fellowship on nourishing new ones with the hymns.
  5. LSM Radio Programs: Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee is a 30-minute radio broadcast composed of excerpts from Brother Lee’s spoken ministry that focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. The ministry portions are followed by a discussion of the portion presented, including questions and answers. For example, all 134 episodes on Genesis are available for free at www.lsmradio.com/programs/genesis.
  6. Ways to Give: Information about the church’s online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
     
     
     

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of January 28

[View as PDF]

The Fulfillment of Jacob’s Dream

“…How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Gen. 28:17)

“But if I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God…” (1 Tim. 3:15)

The genuine experience of Christ becomes the building material, and this building material consummates in the building of the house of God. Here God has rest and satisfaction, and here we also have rest and satisfaction. Jacob’s dream was first fulfilled when the children of Israel erected the tabernacle after being delivered out of Egypt. That was the first house of God among men, the first fulfillment of Jacob’s dream. The tabernacle indicated that God and man had found rest, that God’s dwelling place on earth was the satisfaction and rest for both God and man. After the children of Israel had constructed the temple in the good land, God had a more solid house on earth. Then, in the New Testament, we have the church as the house of God (1 Tim. 3:15). Eventually, in the new heaven and the new earth, we shall have the New Jerusalem as God’s eternal dwelling place (Rev. 21:1-3). There God and we shall have eternal rest and enjoy eternal satisfaction.

Today we are all in the fulfillment of Jacob’s dream. We not only have the stone and the pillar; we also have the house. In fact, we are the house (Heb. 3:6). This house is the composition of divinity with humanity, the composition of the Triune God with human beings. Here we have the house which becomes the rest for both God and man. Now we are not only in the dream but also in the fulfillment of the dream. Thank the Lord for the stone, the pillar, the house, and the oil. In the church life we experience all four of these. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 72)

Let us pray for all the saints to have genuine experiences of Christ so that we can be the material for God’s house, rest, and satisfaction!

ICSC

The 2024 International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference will take place February 10 to 11 in Taipei. The general subject is “Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Course, Keeping the Faith, and Loving the Lord’s Appearing in order to Receive the Reward of Christ as the Crown of Righteousness.”

The conference will also be streamed both live and via archived messages from lsmwebcast.com until March 12; no login credentials are needed. After this date, a subscription or payment will be required.

Please pray for the release of the Lord’s timely and fresh speaking to His Body in this first “feast” of the new year. Pray also for the safe travel, health, and blending of all the participating saints, including those from Los Angeles.

SoCal College Meeting

This Saturday evening, February 3, there will be a Southern California Praise and Ministry Meeting for college students in Irvine. Please pray for as many as possible to attend, for the Spirit to flow mightily in this time, and for the word to be richly imparted into the students!

FTTA Gospel Trips

The second and final week of the FTTA gospel trips will end on February 5. Please pray that:

  • The Lord will continue to blend and build all the saints to open the way for His full blessing.
  • The sanctifying Spirit will operate in all God’s chosen vessels to prepare them to receive His word.
  • The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to prevail and reach all those the Lord desires to save.
  • The newly saved and contacted ones will be shepherded and become remaining fruit in the churches.
  • The Lord will fully cover the travel, safety, security, and health of all those involved.
  • The Lord will bind all the activity of the enemy to frustrate these gospel trips.

For more specific reports and prayer burdens, go to ftta.org/gospeltrips.

Santa Barbara

From Thursday, February 1 to Monday, February 5, six FTTA trainees will visit Santa Barbara as part of their gospel trip. Please pray for:

  • The shepherding of the students at UCSB, both our own and newer ones, through the trainees.
  • The fresh supply and encouragement to any local saints who may not have been meeting in a while.
  • The Lord to oversee all the logistics and practical needs during this trip so that as much time as possible can be redeemed for shepherding and fellowship.

UK Building Project

With a small team of planners and construction workers, we have begun work on building the new Full-time Training facility on the grounds of Bower House. Volunteers from among the churches are also invited to join in the labor. Our hope is to complete this training center in a little over two years. However, we can only go at the speed of the available funds. Please pray that the Lord will provide the necessary funds through the giving of His Body and that any further construction permissions needed from the local government will be granted without delay.

Updated video and written reports on the new training center can be found at amanatrust.org.uk/page/reports. Additional information can be found at amanatrust.org.uk/page/bower-house-bower-farm.

Offerings designated for “UK Building Project” may be given through the Church in Los Angeles.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 4 of our guided reading through Genesis.
  2. Bibles for America’s recent post, The True Nature of Our Relationship with the Lord Jesus, is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
  3. LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry’s many digital resources, including apps and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The January 2024 newsletter features the fourth and final part of an interview with Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work as well as helpful fellowship on nourishing new ones with the hymns.
  4. LSM Radio Programs: Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee is a 30-minute radio broadcast composed of excerpts from Brother Lee’s spoken ministry that focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. The ministry portions are followed by a discussion of the portion presented, including questions and answers. For example, all 134 episodes on Genesis are available for free at www.lsmradio.com/programs/genesis.
  5. Living to Him has a podcast series particularly helpful to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at livingtohim.com/the-living-to-him-podcast.
  6. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
  7. Ways to Give: Information about the church’s online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of January 21

[View as PDF]

The Most High God, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth

“And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine. Now he was priest of God the Most High. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of God the Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God the Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” (Gen. 14:18-20a)

“Hence also He is able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them.” (Heb. 7:25)

While we walk on this earth, many things happen to us. Apparently, these things just happen. Actually, behind the earthly scene, an intercession is going on. Our Melchizedek, our High Priest Christ, is still interceding for us in heaven. His intercession overshadows us and cares for us.

We need to learn the basic lesson that our God, the One who called us, is the Possessor of heaven and earth. We are living for Him on the earth and we are His testimony. We do not tolerate any damage to God’s interest on earth. When we hear of such damage, we make a quick decision to defeat the enemy and to slaughter the kings.

We need to slaughter some kings daily. We need to slaughter the kings in our mind, emotion, and will. We need to slaughter the kings in our environment, families, and schools. After we have finished our slaughter of the kings, our Melchizedek will come to us, meet with us, and celebrate our victory…That will be the second coming of Christ. When Christ comes in, the whole earth will know the Most High God. Then all the earth will realize that God is the Possessor of heaven and earth. The earth is not possessed by any king, president, statesman, or politician; it is possessed by the Most High God, the Possessor of heaven and earth. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 43, pp. 584-585)

A New Beginning Together in the Word

Please continue to pray that families will take advantage of the current opportunity to get into the book of Genesis together—for example, reading a chapter of the Bible together or memorizing verses together during the week. Also pray that many saints would invite co-workers, classmates, and friends to join with us in getting into Genesis and warmly invite them to come to our Lord’s Day meetings to hear more about this.

FTTA Gospel Trips

From January 22 to February 5, 233 FTTA trainees and former trainees are going out in 36 gospel teams to 23 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, United States, and Canada to join with local saints for the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. Please pray that:

  • The Lord will blend and build the saints so that He will have the free way to fully bless these trips.
  • The sanctifying Spirit will go before the saints to prepare the hearts of those the Lord has chosen.
  • The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom will be prevailing and reach all whom the Lord desires to save.
  • Fruit, even remaining fruit, will be borne in each place visited, and the Lord will add to the churches as His testimony in each of these nations.
  • The Lord will fully cover the travel, safety, security, and health of all those involved.

For regular updates from the FTTA once the trips have begun, see ftta.org/gospeltrips.

Baltic-Nordic Conference

This weekend, January 26 to 28, a conference for the saints in the Baltic and Nordic countries will be hosted by the church in Vilnius, Lithuania. The conference will cover five messages from the recent Semiannual Training on “Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ…” It is a wonderful opportunity not only to get constituted with the truth, but also for saints from different backgrounds to be blended together.

Please pray for the Lord’s rich blessing on this time of fellowship among the saints from the Baltic and Nordic countries, as well as from other Russian and English-speaking churches, for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Bible Distribution in France

Bible distributions in France will take place from May to September in many cities associated with the Olympic torch relay and games. Our goal is to raise up golden lampstands in at least ten key cities. Please petition the Lord concerning:

  • His wisdom to the brothers planning these distributions.
  • His administration of the earth to bring forth the best environment for our activities in every city.
  • Many French people to be open to the gospel, the truth, and fellowship.
  • Praying and going from churches around the earth, including from Los Angeles.

For detailed information and an application form (due by February 28), go to www.amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024Paris.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 3 of our guided reading through Genesis.
  2. Bibles for America’s recent post, The True Nature of Our Relationship with the Lord Jesus, is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
  3. LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry’s many digital resources, including apps and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The January 2024 newsletter features the fourth and final part of an interview with Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work as well as helpful fellowship on nourishing new ones with the hymns.
  4. LSM Radio Programs: Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee is a 30-minute radio broadcast composed of excerpts from Brother Lee’s spoken ministry that focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. The ministry portions are followed by a discussion of the portion presented, including questions and answers. For example, all 134 episodes on Genesis are available for free at www.lsmradio.com/programs/genesis.
  5. Living to Him has a podcast series particularly helpful to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at livingtohim.com/the-living-to-him-podcast
  6. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
  7. Ways to Give: Information about the church’s online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of January 14

[View as PDF]

Walking with God

“And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen. 5:24)

“By faith Enoch was translated so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he obtained the testimony that he had been well pleasing to God.” (Heb. 11:5)

In order to walk with God we must be…one with Him in our thinking, loving, and choosing. As I have already pointed out, it is not easy for one person to walk with another. Suppose, while I am walking with you, I have a different concept from you and say, “Brother, I love you and I want to walk with you, but don’t go that way. Turn this way. I don’t want to go that way.” If I say this, I am not walking with you, I am arguing with you…For you to walk with the Lord implies a great deal: the denial of yourself, the denial of your thinking and your loving, the denial of everything that is of you. It implies that you have given yourself to Him, that you will give in to Him and let Him take the lead. To walk with the Lord is not a small thing. Walking with Him will kill you.

It is not simply a matter of calling on the name of the Lord. It is wonderful and enjoyable to call, “O Lord Jesus,” but what follows the calling? When the Lord says, “Follow Me,” will you follow Him? Will you walk with Him? Never forget that calling is found in Genesis 4 and that walking is revealed in Genesis 5…We must go on from Genesis 4, progressing from calling to walking. Calling may supply you, but it will not kill you. Calling makes you living. However, walking always kills you. But it will also resurrect you. Walking firstly kills you, then it resurrects you to make you so living in enjoying the presence of God. You will be living to the uttermost, not in a natural way, but in a resurrected way. Oh, how we all must walk with God! (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 26, pp. 354, 355)

A New Beginning Together in the Word

As we pursue Genesis together, please continue to pray for all the saints in the church in Los Angeles to be strengthened to read the word and the ministry in a regular way. Also pray for newer and younger ones among us, including those who may not regularly have morning revival yet, to be encouraged to participate more.

FTTA Gospel Trips

From January 22 to February 5, a total of 233 FTTA trainees and former trainees will go out in 36 gospel teams to 23 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, United States, and Canada to join with local saints for the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. Please pray that:

  • The Lord will blend and build the saints so that He will have the free way to fully bless these trips.
  • The sanctifying Spirit will go before the saints to prepare the hearts of those the Lord has chosen.
  • The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom will be prevailing and reach all those whom the Lord desires to save.
  • Fruit, even remaining fruit, will be borne in each place visited, and the Lord will add to the churches as His testimony in each of these nations.
  • The Lord will fully cover the travel, safety, security, and health of all those involved.

For regular updates from the FTTA once the trips have begun, see ftta.org/gospeltrips.

Hall 4 Retreat

This weekend, January 19 to 21, about 75 saints from Hall 4 will be at Oak Glen for our annual retreat. Our burden is that in 2024 we would build up a sweet and pleasant church life like that in the house of Bethany (John 12:1-11). 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 all the saints to sit at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word, filling the weekend with the fragrance of loving Him in all the meetings and activities.
  • For the newer and younger ones to see and taste the church life and become part of testimony of resurrection life in LA!

Bibles for America

In 2023, BfA continued producing digital resources to help people know God and understand the Bible. We launched a new video, How Do Sins Affect My Relationship with God?, which explains God’s wonderful provision for dealing with the problem of our sins after we are saved.

The BfA Blog continues to be read by many seekers across the globe, with posts reaching over 1.3 million people in 2023alone. The single largest age group reading the blog comprises 18- to 24-year-olds, an encouraging indicator of a hunger for the truth in young people everywhere.

Last summer, we upgraded our Spanish blog to make the content more accessible, adding elements like categories and a search function. The Spanish blog alone reached over 615,000 people in 142 different countries, and we continue to work to reach even more with our Spanish language materials.

Praise the Lord for all He has done and will continue to do! May God’s Word run as never before throughout the US and over the whole earth. Please pray that BfA’s digital resources would continue to help people around the world know God and understand the Bible.

To read the full year-in-review report, go to bfa.org/2023.

UK Building Project

Permission has been fully gained to build a new Full-time Training facility on the grounds of Bower House. This new building will be capable of holding at least 400 full-time trainees. The main room will have capacity for almost 1,000 people, conference style, with wall partitions allowing for 3 subdivisions.

With a small team of planners and construction workers, we have currently begun this work on the new training center. Volunteers from among the churches are also invited to join in the labor. However, we can only go at the speed of the available funds. Our hope is to complete this training center in a little over two years in order to meet the need of the growing FTTL. Please pray that the Lord will provide the necessary funds through the giving of His Body and that any further construction permissions needed from the local government will be granted.

Updated video and written reports on the new training center can be found at amanatrust.org.uk/page/reports. Additional information can be found at amanatrust.org.uk/page/bower-house-bower-farm.

To give through the Church in LA for the new training center, please follow instructions at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings. Designate offerings for “UK Building Project.”

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 2 of our guided reading through Genesis.
  2. Bibles for America’s recent post, The True Nature of Our Relationship with the Lord Jesus, is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
  3. Paris Olympics: Information concerning gospel trips during the 2024 Paris Olympics is available at amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024paris. Applications are due February 28.
  4. Upcoming Feasts: The schedule of 2024 conferences and trainings hosted by Living Stream Ministry is available at www.lsm.org/announcements/events.html.
  5. LSM Radio Programs: Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee is a 30-minute radio broadcast composed of excerpts from Brother Lee’s spoken ministry that focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. The ministry portions are followed by a discussion of the portion presented, including questions and answers. For example, all 134 episodes on Genesis are available for free at www.lsmradio.com/programs/genesis.
  6. Living to Him has a podcast series particularly helpful to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at livingtohim.com/the-living-to-him-podcast.
  7. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
  8. Ways to Give: Information about the church’s online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
     
     
     

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of January 7

[View as PDF]

Exercising Our Spirit to Feed on the Tree of Life

"And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow...the tree of life in the middle of the garden..." (Gen. 2:9)

"Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into Me shall by no means ever thirst." (John 6:35)

God created the stomach as the organ for us to receive food and water. In a similar way, He created the spirit as the organ for us to contact Him and receive Him. We would emphasize the fact that to sense and substantiate anything requires the right organ. (CWWL, 1963, vol. 2, "The Living That Fulfills God's Eternal Purpose," ch. 2, p. 232)

The tree of life is the center of the universe. According to the purpose of God, the earth is the center of the universe, the garden of Eden is the center of the earth, and the tree of life is the center of the garden of Eden. We must realize that the whole universe is centered on this tree of life: nothing is more central and crucial to both God and man than this tree. It is very meaningful to see man in the garden standing before the tree of life.

Every morning you should take Christ as your breakfast, every noon you should take Him as your lunch, and every evening you should eat Him as your dinner. You need to feed on Christ at least three times a day. If you do this, the water of life will water you inwardly. You will never be dry. (Life-study of Genesis, msg. 11, pp. 140, 142)

A New Beginning Together in the Word

This week the church in Los Angeles begins seven weeks of getting into the book of Genesis for our morning revival material. There are many opportunities for the Lord to move in special ways among us as we dive into this material together, and this needs much prayer. Please pray that:

  • All the saints will be strengthened to read the word and the ministry in a regular way, making use of various resources such as Life-study messages and radio programs that are freely available.
  • Newer and younger ones among us, including those who may not regularly have morning revival, will be encouraged to participate more.
  • Families will take advantage of this opportunity to get into Genesis together—for example, reading a chapter of the Bible together or memorizing verses together during the week.
  • Many saints would invite co-workers, classmates, and friends to join with us in getting into Genesis and warmly invite them to come to our Lord's Day morning meetings to hear more about this.

A New Term for Our Students

LAUSD, UCLA, USC, and most schools and campuses throughout LA begin their new terms this week. Please pray that:

  • All our students would have a new beginning in the Lord, with the Lord, and unto the Lord!
  • The Lord would protect and keep our next generation from the evil one and cause them to grow humanly and spiritually in a healthy way.
  • The Lord would flow out through our students to water those around them and flow these ones into the church life!
  • That we can immediately reconnect with many contacts from previous terms for face-to-face fellowship and continued shepherding.

SoCal Spanish-speaking and YP Blending Conferences

The Southern California Spanish-speaking conference is this weekend, January 12 to 14 at the Ministry Conference Center (1200 N Hubbell Way, Anaheim). Simultaneously, there will be the Southern California Young People's Blending Conference.

Meetings are Friday 7:30 pm, Saturday 4:00 and 7:00 pm, and Lord's Day 10:00 am. Child care for K–6 will be provided only at the Church in Anaheim District 2 meeting hall; no child care will be provided at the MCC. English-speaking and Spanish-speaking saints are invited to attend all the meetings at the MCC; Chinese and Korean translation at the MCC will be provided only on Lord's Day.

Please pray for the Lord to release some "Marthas" for all the practical services needed during the conference and many "Marys" to attend the meetings with open hearts just to listen to the Lord's speaking and hear what the Spirit is speaking to the churches. May the Lord bless this weekend with His presence, His smile, and His fresh speaking full of life and light!

Bibles for America

BfA has continued giving away physical copies of Basic Elements of the Christian Life, vols. 1-3 to people across the United States. In 2023, we sent out nearly 16,000 sets to people in all 50 states. We continue to hear from recipients how these books have helped them know the Lord Jesus in a more personal way and advance in their Christian life.

For people who live outside the US, 7 of the titles we give away are available to download for free on our website. In 2023, these e-books were downloaded over 313,000 times by people all over the world. Besides the US, the countries with the most number of downloads were India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nigeria. These e-books have also reached many other places including Iraq, where they were downloaded nearly 4,000 times.

Praise the Lord for all He has done and will continue to do! May God's Word run as never before throughout the US and over the whole earth. Please pray that more people would order Basic Elements of the Christian Life, vols. 1-3 and be helped to progress in their Christian life.

To read the full year-in-review report, go to bfa.org/2023.

Bible Distribution in France

Bible distributions in France will take place May 8 to September 10 in many cities associated with the Olympic torch relay and the Olympic games. The goal is to raise up golden lampstands in at least ten key cities. Please petition the Lord concerning:

  • His wisdom to the brothers planning these distributions.
  • His administration of the earth to bring forth the best environment for our activities in every city.
  • Many French people to be open to the gospel, the truth, and fellowship.
  • Praying and going from churches around the earth, including from Los Angeles.

For a revised information letter and an application form (due by February 28), please visit www.amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024Paris.

India

Pray for the 50 current trainees in the FTT New Delhi, that the Lord can continue to perfect them for their usefulness. Pray also for the January 2024 term of the training, that the Lord would release 21 new trainees for the 2 years of full-time training.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 1 of our guided reading through Genesis.
  2. Upcoming Feasts: The schedule of 2024 conferences and trainings hosted by Living Stream Ministry is available at www.lsm.org/announcements/events.html.
  3. LSM Radio Programs: Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee is a 30-minute radio broadcast composed of excerpts from Brother Lee's spoken ministry that focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. The ministry portions are followed by a discussion of the portion presented, including questions and answers. All 134 episodes on Genesis are available for free at www.lsmradio.com/programs/genesis.
  4. Living to Him has a podcast series particularly helpful to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at livingtohim.com/the-living-to-him-podcast.
  5. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
     
     
     

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of December 31

[View as PDF]

Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ for the Lord's Coming

"Remember the word which Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, saying, Jehovah your God has given you rest and will give you this land." (Josh. 1:13)

"Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light." (Col. 1:12)

The general subject of last week's December Semiannual Training was "Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ Typified by the Good Land for the Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, for the Reality and the Manifestation of the Kingdom, and for the Bride to Make Herself Ready for the Lord's Coming."

We need to live a life of laboring upon Christ, a life of enjoying Christ personally so that we may enjoy Him together collectively for the building up of the Body of Christ as the temple, the house, of the living God. God's will is for us to enjoy Christ; we need to seek to enjoy Christ and experience Him in every situation. When we come to the meetings to worship the Lord, we should not come with our hands empty; our hands must be full of the produce of Christ.

If we want to be overcomers, we need to labor on Christ as our good land, to gain Christ as our enjoyment. The issue of our enjoyment of the all-inclusive riches of Christ as the good land is the church as the temple, the dwelling place of God, and as the city, the kingdom of God. (Msg. 12, II.A-B, D, E, V)

Let us pray for the living word of God to pierce into our being. In this new year, may we all renew and intensify our laboring upon Christ, fighting the battle to redeem the time "today" to gain Him and enjoy Him for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ, the new man, and the kingdom of God, so that Christ can come back to inherit the earth.

Eating the Word of God

"Your words were found and I ate them, and Your word became to me the gladness and joy of my heart..." (Jer. 15:16)

As part of our laboring on Christ in this new year, may we all have a renewed and strengthened desire to take in the word of God as our food day by day. Pray for all the saints to set up Bible and ministry reading schedules for 2024 so that God's word can be constituted into us for His purpose!

2024 ICSC – Prayer and Preparation

The International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference will be February 10 to 11 in Taipei. More than 50 saints from Los Angeles are registered to attend. This Lord's Day, January 7, 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm there will be a time of preparatory prayer and important fellowship on Zoom. Saints in LA who will go to Taiwan are strongly encouraged to participate; others, especially those with an interest in international blending, are also welcome to join. The Zoom link will be communicated in each hall.

Please ask the Lord to release many for this gathering and to energize everyone who attends to exercise in the prayer. Also pray for the Lord's anointing on the brothers who will speak. Lord, bring us more into the reality of Your one Body!

Bibles for America

2023 was another record-breaking year for the number of Bibles given away, speaking to the abiding desire in many across the US to read the Word of God. This year, copies of the NT Recovery Version were sent to over 17,000 different cities in all 50 states and 10 US territories. People's hunger for the truth continues to grow, and we're so thankful that we were able to help meet this need.

In 2022, we set a goal of distributing another 2 million Bibles by 2032; thanks to this past year's record numbers, we're on track to meet this goal. In 2023, we gave away more than 215,000 copies of the NT Recovery Version, a 17% increase over 2022 and more than we've ever given away in a single year.

Praise the Lord for all He has done and will continue to do! May God's Word run as never before throughout the US and over the whole earth. Please pray that Bibles would continue to go out without any delays, and that those who receive Bibles would read them regularly and be nourished.

To read the full year-in-review report, go to bfa.org/2023.

FTTA Gospel Trips

Pray for the planning and preparation of upcoming gospel trips, that the Lord would use these trips to many places in the US and around the world to propagate Himself for His church and His kingdom.

Bible Distribution in France

Bible distributions in France will take place May 8 to September 10 in many cities associated with the Olympic torch relay and the Olympic games. The goal is to raise up golden lampstands in at least ten key cities. Please petition the Lord concerning:

  • His wisdom to the brothers planning these distributions.
  • His administration of the earth to bring forth the best environment for our activities in every city.
  • Many French people to be open to the gospel, the truth, and fellowship.
  • Praying and going from churches around the earth, including from Los Angeles.
  • For a revised information letter and an application form (due by February 28), please visit www.amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024Paris.

Sri Lanka

Please pray that the Lord will continue to bless the churches in Sri Lanka, and that by the saints' preaching of the gospel and shepherding of people, there will be the multiplication of districts and small groups for the increase of the church. Specifically, ask the Lord for the number of saints in the church in Colombo to reach 100 by June 2024.

Furthermore, through the campus work, may many young people be gained to join the full-time training for the producing of more living and functioning members in the Body, issuing in a strong and bright testimony of the Lord in Sri Lanka.

For a full report with photos, see the December 2023 issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter:

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: One week of our morning revival material on "Eating the Word of God." Next week, we will begin a guided reading through the Book of Genesis.
  2. SoCal Spanish-speaking Conference: January 12 to 14 at the Ministry Conference Center, Anaheim.
  3. SoCal YP Blending Conference: January 12 to 14 in Anaheim. Registration at scyp.com/blending.
  4. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting will resume in late February 2024.
  5. LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The December 2023 newsletter features the third part of an interview with Brother Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work along with a report on the literature service in Brazil.
  6. Bibles for America's recent post entitled "The Deep Significance of the Birth of Jesus Christ" is available to read and share at blog.bfa.org.
  7. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
     
     
     

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of December 10

[View as PDF]

The Enlarged, Universal Divine-Human Incorporation

"In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." (John 14:20)

"And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." (Rev. 21:22)

We have to see that in the entire universe, there is only one thing that God wants, that is, the universal incorporation of Himself as the consummated God with the regenerated believers. The believers' relationship with the Lord is described by the words union, mingling, and incorporation; union is concerning our oneness in life with the Lord, mingling is related to the divine and human natures, and incorporation is persons indwelling one another, coinhering.

The New Jerusalem is a corporate person, a corporate, great God-man. This corporate person is a couple - the processed Triune God married to the transformed tripartite man. This is the Spirit and the bride being united, mingled, and incorporated together to become one entity. The holy city, the New Jerusalem, is the goal of God's eternal economy. The unique God is eventually enlarged into one city for His eternal enlargement and eternal expression as a great divine-human, universal incorporation. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 11, I, A, V.A, D.3)

Let us pray for all the believers to enter more deeply into the union, mingling, and incorporation with the processed Triune God for His eternal enlargement and expression, the New Jerusalem.

Church in Los Angeles

This past Lord's Day, December 10, the saints from all the halls and languages gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center for our biannual joint meeting. After enjoying the Lord's table together, some rich speaking was released from the recent October ITERO on "Living and Serving according to God's Economy concerning the Church."

Related to their living, the saints were encouraged, in the face of any circumstance that may arise, to "first of all" pray (1 Tim. 2:1). We need to be those who pray in every place, letting go of all the occupying things and lifting up holy hands, without wrath and reasoning (v. 8). Whether the church life is living and fresh and enriched depends on this one thing - that we are being filled continuously with the Spirit. May we be those who are willing, empty, and praying.

Related to their serving, the saints were encouraged to aspire to be good ministers of Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 4:6), realizing that this should be our "real profession." We need to be those who are first nourished ourselves; then we can have something stored up as "honey and milk under our tongue" to "drip" to others (S.S. 4:11). May we aspire to enjoy the Lord in the Word every morning and build up a habit of speaking Christ to all kinds of people daily in season and out of season.

Lastly, through the reporting from some responsible brothers who traveled to Taiwan for a one-week blending trip and from other saints who traveled to Germany for gospel activities, it was clear that the church in Los Angeles is going on in the one fellowship of the Body of Christ. May the Lord continue to bless the church in Los Angeles in life and in numbers as we head into 2024!

Paris Olympics

Gospel trips are being planned for the 2024 Paris Olympics. An 8-minute video of the announcement given during the Thanksgiving Conference is at www.lsmwebcast.com (click on the red rectangle labeled "Reports"); an information letter is at amanatrust.org.uk/page/2024paris. Saints who are interested should read through all the information carefully. An application form is being prepared and will be available soon.

Let us cooperate with the Lord for the spread of His ministry and testimony through this important event. As we each seek the Lord's calling and leading concerning how we can participate, let us pray:

  • For the gospel of the kingdom to be preached all over France in 2024.
  • For Satan to be bound and for his kingdom to suffer loss.
  • That the gates of the New Jerusalem will be open in every direction in France (Rev. 21:13; 22:14).
  • For the French people to repent and to receive forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47; Acts 26:18).
  • That during the Torch Relay Christ's triumphal procession will move from city to city all over France.
  • That we will be able to distribute Bibles freely in every city we visit and that the distribution will be carried out righteously before God and before men.
  • For the church to be raised up in at least ten key cities.

October Gospel Trips - Leipzig, Dresden, Jena

Forty-six adults attended a recent blending meeting of the saints in Leipzig, Dresden, Jena, and the surrounding areas. Through the October gospel trips and the saints' going out regularly to preach the gospel, a number of new ones have been brought into regular times of home meetings and Bible reading. Please pray for the Lord's continued strengthening of the saints in this region, and pray that the new ones would be shepherded into the church life.

Belgium

There will be a conference in Brussels, Belgium this weekend, December 15 to 17. Please pray for the release of the Lord's rich and up-to-date speaking to meet the particular need at this time, and for the blending of the saints for the reality of the Body of Christ.

Chennai, India

From December 3 to 4 there were heavy rains and strong winds continuously in Chennai and surrounding areas. The heavy rains caused a flood and resulted in water-logging throughout Chennai and disrupted daily life. There were 17 casualties and damage to properties.

Among the saints, 21 families were affected in Chennai and 3 families in the nearby localities. Flood water had entered into some of their homes and damaged appliances and furniture; some of the saints' vehicles were also damaged. The saints who are daily wage workers were affected financially as they could not do their job for 3 to 4 days. Brothers are currently visiting these affected saints and taking care of their needs. One family used this opportunity to open their home to their neighbors and share the love of God with them. A sister who was not very regular in the church life testified that this flood has urged her to be more acive in the church life in the light of the Lord's return. We are encouraging the saints to pray, to take care of one another, and to seize the opportunity to preach the gospel to neighbors, friends, and other gentiles.

Please pray that the saints' situation can return to a normal condition as soon as possible, and that they may exercise to care for one another and to preach the gospel.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 11 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
  2. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
  3. Thanksgiving Conference: Recordings may be accessed at lsmwebcast.com at no charge until December 26. The subject was "The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity."
  4. FTTA: The graduation meeting of the Fall 2023 class will take place Saturday, December 23 at 9:30 am.
  5. LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
  6. The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
  7. GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, visit gtca.us.
  8. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
  9. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

 

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of December 3

[View as PDF]

Our Divine Right to Participate in God's Divinity

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name, who were begotten...of God." (John 1:12-13)

"...He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature..." (2 Pet. 1:4)

"Even as He chose us in Him...to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself..." (Eph. 1:4-5)

The phrase participate in means not only to partake of but to partake of for enjoyment. It indicates that we possess something and that we enjoy what we possess. We, the God-men, have the divine right to participate not in heaven but in God's divinity. We all need to realize that we can participate in God's divinity, that is, participate in God.

We human beings were created by God for this purpose. Man was created in God's image and according to His likeness...Now as God-men, those who have been born of God to be children of God, we have the right to participate in what God is and even to become God in life, in nature, and an expression but not in the Godhead.

Through regeneration, we have been graced by God with his divine life...He has put, has dispensed, His life into our being. Since we have been born of the divine life and possess the divine life, surely we are divine persons. For us, God's chosen ones, to be holy is to partake of God's divine nature. Thus, we may participate not only in God's life but also in God's nature. When we partake of God, the aspects of what God is become our enjoyment. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, "Incarnation, Inclusion, Intensification," pp. 214-215; vol. 2, "The God-men," p. 437; The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 64-65)

Day by day, let us partake of God's nature and enjoy all that He is, allowing Him as the Holy One to saturate and permeate our whole being. Wherever we may be, let us remember that we are God-men with the divine right to participate in God's divinity!

Church in Los Angeles Joint Meeting

The whole church in Los Angeles-all halls, districts, and languages-will meet together at 10:00 am this Lord's Day, December 10 at the LA Convention Center. There will be translation to Chinese, Korean, and Spanish via FM radio as well as on Zoom.

Please pray for a healthy attendance and blending, and for the timely speaking of the Lord to shepherd all the saints to develop a proper prayer life and become good ministers of Christ for a proper church life. May the Lord have a breakthrough in us for the sake of His testimony in Los Angeles and for the building up of the reality of the Body of Christ, the preparation of the bride of Christ, and the manifestation of the kingdom of Christ.

Semiannual Video Training Registrations

The general subject of the upcoming Semiannual Training is "Laboring on the All-inclusive Christ Typified by the Good Land for the Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, for the Reality and the Manifestation of the Kingdom, and for the Bride to Make Herself Ready for the Lord's Coming." For saints in LA, the firm registration deadline to participate in this training by webcast is this Lord's Day, December 10 ($130). Information and registration are at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.

Please pray for the release and receiving of the Lord's speaking in this training. May the Lord grant us to treasure these trainings and seize every opportunity to attend them not only to see the intrinsic essence of the divine revelation but also to serve as a proper audience for the unhindered release of the crystals in the Word of God. (For more fellowship on the history and significance of the semiannual trainings, see the April 2022 issue of "Having This Ministry...")

Croatia and Serbia

There are five local churches in the Serbo-Croatian speaking world in the Balkans with approximately 70 adults and 20 children. The sowing through free literature is going well; however, due to the lack of manpower it is not practical to raise up churches. There are many open ones, but the workers are few. We are currently working on the NT Recovery Version in the BCS language (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian). This project is expected to take at least three more years. Our greatest need, as far as the work is concerned, is more visitation and blending. In Zagreb, most of the saints are quite young; pray that some would eventually go to the Full-time Training.

The cities where there are churches currently are Zagreb, Pula, Split and Hvar in Croatia, and Novi Sad in Serbia. The saints in Zagreb meet together almost every day. We feel that the Lord could spread from that city to other parts of the former Yugoslavia, where we have contacts in every large city. We are especially burdened for the city of Belgrade, which is the largest in the area. May the Lord gain what He is after in the Serbo-Croatian speaking world!

Israel

Please continue to pray for the physical safety and spiritual well-being of the young adults currently serving in the army. Also pray that the people from all backgrounds would hear the gospel and receive the Lord's salvation. May the Lord preserve His interests and advance His move in Israel!

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 10 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing. Next week, after our LA Joint Meeting, proceed to Week 11.
  2. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this Wednesday 7:25 pm.
  3. Semiannual Video Training: This Lord's Day, December 10 is the firm deadline for LA saints to register for the video training (December 25 to 30) at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
  4. Thanksgiving Conference: Audio and video recordings may be accessed at lsmwebcast.com at no charge until December 26. The subject of this conference was "The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity."
  5. LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
  6. The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
  7. GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, visit gtca.us.
  8. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
  9. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

 

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of November 19

[View as PDF]

The Full Ministry of Christ in Three Stages

"Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne." (Rev. 1:4b)

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." (Rev. 2:7)

The unique teaching of God's New Testament economy is the teaching concerning the full ministry of Christ in three stages-incarnation, inclusion, and intensification. In order to work together with God as His co-workers, we need to know, experience, and enjoy Christ in His full ministry in His three divine and mystical stages.

[We need] to consider this matter of intensification and to pray desperately, saying, "Lord, I must advance. I need Your grace to bring me onward. I do not want to remain in the work of incarnation nor even in the work of inclusion. I want to advance from inclusion to intensification. Lord, You have been intensified sevenfold, and I pray that I also will be intensified sevenfold to overcome the degradation of the church that the Body may be built up to consummate the New Jerusalem." (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 9, I, B; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, "Incarnation, Inclusion, and Intensification," p. 197)

Thanksgiving Conference

The 2023 International Thanksgiving Blending Conference will take place November 23 to 26 in Dallas, Texas. The general subject is "The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity." The live schedule is below. Please note that listed start times are CST (2 hours ahead of PST):

Meeting 1: Thursday, November 23........... 7:30 PM

Meeting 2: Friday, November 24............ 10:00 AM

Meeting 3: Friday, November 24.............. 7:30 PM

Meeting 4: Saturday, November 25..........10:00 AM

Meeting 5: Saturday, November 25........... 7:30 PM

Meeting 6: Lord's Day, November 26........ 9:30 AM

The six conference messages will be broadcast live at www.lsmwebcast.com. They will also be accessible for viewing anytime after the conference in the "Archives" section without a subscription for 30 days. Outlines are already available for download on the site.

Let us prepare ourselves for this upcoming time of ministry and sanctify these days for the hearing of faith among us. Pray for the release of the Lord's present burden to His recovery in this conference. Pray also that the saints not attending in-person would make use of the online provision to get into the messages, that as many saints as possible may receive this word.

FTTA

The application deadline for the Spring 2024 term of the Full-time Training in Anaheim is Thursday, November 30. Please pray for many college graduates and young working saints to answer God's call to go to the training next term.

October Gospel Trips - Tübingen

Through the gospel trips last month, the Lord brought around 20 students in contact with the saints and many of these students are typical Germans. It seems that the Lord wants to have a new beginning in the church life in Tübingen. On the one hand, the local saints need to be built up together as a corporate vessel to contain His blessing. On the other hand, these new ones need an entrance into the church life. Please pray for the following three matters:

  • Student meetings: the coordination among the serving ones, the mutual encouragement among all who attend, and for all our students to be further connected.
  • Group meetings: for all the local saints to be blended in the small groups for a meal offering church life.
  • Vital groups: for groups of 2s and 3s to be built up together as vital groups to bear the remaining fruit.

Bulgaria

There are currently 22 adult saints, six young persons and two children in the church life in Sofia, Bulgaria. Furthermore, the Lord's testimony in Bulgaria is being strengthened through the blending in His Body and the ministry of the age.

Over the past year, a couple migrated from London and a sister from Berlin moved to Sofia to study at the Medical University. Fourteen Life-studies were printed, so now we have a total of 45 ministry publications available in Bulgarian. The Fall 2023 Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans Conference was held in Sofia from November 10 to 12. Through the Lord's up-to-date speaking and the blending of the saints, it was truly a rich feast for the building up of His Body.

Please pray for the Lord to gain remaining fruit in Sofia through the Bible distribution, Rhema books, and gospel outreach.

For more reports from the Balkan countries, visit churchesceeb.org/reports/2023-reports-english.

Israel

Continue to pray for the physical and spiritual well-being of the young adults currently serving in the army. Pray that the people from all backgrounds would hear the gospel and receive the Lord's salvation.

Cambodia

Please pray for the National Responsible Brothers Training from November 27 to 28. May the Lord gain the brothers' living and service in each locality to be according to God's economy concerning the church and cause them to move forward in practicing the God-ordained way and statistics management.

For a report from the short-term propagation held in August in Cambodia, see the September issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter at lmasia.org/newsletter/2023-newsletter/september-2.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 9 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
  2. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: NO MEETING this Wednesday, November 22. The ministry meeting will resume at 7:25 pm on November 29.
  3. SAVE THE DATE: The next LA Joint Meeting-all halls, all languages-will take place Lord's Day, December 10 at 10:00 am at the LA Convention Center.
  4. Semiannual Video Training: For LA saints, the firm deadline to register for the video training (December 25 to 30) is December 10 at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
  5. 2024 ICSC: For LA saints interested in attending the ICSC in Taipei from February 10 to 11, 2024, advanced registration is required through the Church in Los Angeles. More information is at tinyurl.com/ICSC2024LA. The registration deadline is November 28.
  6. LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has helpful fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings such as group meetings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
  7. The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
  8. GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, please visit gtca.us.
  9. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
  10. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

 
 
 

by Jeremy Tsai

Week of November 5

[View as PDF]

Being Saved More by God's Organic Salvation

"For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled." (Rom. 5:10)

"And those whom He predestinated, these He also called; and those whom He called, these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these He also glorified." (Rom. 8:30)

It is extremely important that we differentiate between the procedure of God's complete salvation and the purpose of His complete salvation. The procedure is judicial, and the purpose is organic. One who has experienced God's judicial redemption may be considered saved by being redeemed only, but he still needs to be saved more by God's organic salvation in the accomplishing of God's economy. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, "The Divine and Mystical Realm," pp. 101-102)

In the aspect of procedure, that which God has fulfilled according to His judicial requirement is redemption, including forgiveness of sins, washing away of sins, justification, reconciliation to God, and positional sanctification.

In the aspect of purpose, that which God has carried out by His life organically is salvation, including (1) regeneration for us to receive the eternal life of God, (2) shepherding for us to grow and exist in the divine life, (3) sanctification in our disposition, (4) renewing in our mind, (5) transformation in our image, issuing in (6) God's building, (7) conformation to the image of God's firstborn Son, that is, maturity in the divine life, and (8) glorification, which is the consummation of God's eternal economy (Rom. 8:30). (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "The Organic Aspect of God's Salvation," pp. 378-380)

SCYP Children's Work Conference

The Children's Work Conference this Saturday, November 11 from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm is for parents with children under 12 years of age and for the saints who are serving with the children's service. This year's conference will be conducted in a hybrid format with an in-person location in Anaheim. Translation will be provided into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.

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. The first session will be on "The Work with the Children Being a Work of Preparation"; the second session will be on "The Vision of the 'One Piece' Work to Gain our Next Generation." Please coordinate with the children's serving ones in your hall if you have any questions.

October Gospel Trips –⁠ St. Gallen

The saints in St. Gallen, Switzerland are encouraged by the seven saints from the US and Canada who joined them over the two weeks of gospel outreach. From Monday to Saturday, they had a distribution table and banners in the city center. They also went out in twos and threes to contact people in the train station and on local college campuses. In total, around 30 Rhema books, 300 tracts, 50 Stream magazines, and 60 NTs were given out; at least 10 people requested further contact. These numbers may not seem too impressive, but they are tremendous in relation to the small church life in Switzerland.

After the two weeks of labor, four new ones attended the Lord's Day meeting. One brother was baptized in the meeting hall after two appointments. All were very open and are now being shepherded one by one. Thank the Lord for what He has done! Prayer is requested:

  • That those who came to the meeting will be remaining fruit and built into the church.
  • That those whom we contacted will respond.
  • That the Lord may release the young adults from the university and college campuses.
  • That saints will have a burden to migrate to St. Gallen for the Lord's move.

CEEB Blending Conference

Today there are approximately 700 adult saints in the eleven countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans countries, meeting in 34 existing local churches and endeavoring faithfully to give the Lord the cooperation He needs and desires for the carrying out of His move in this geographical region before the end of this age.

A blending conference for this region will take place this weekend, November 10 to 12, in Sofia, Bulgaria. The messages will be given in English with simultaneous translation into Bulgarian. The general subject is "Knowing, Experiencing, and Living the All-inclusive Christ." Please pray for the Lord's sweet presence and abundant blessing this weekend, for the blending and rejoicing of the saints together, and for the Lord to advance His move in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

For a report from the CEEB countries, go to churchesceeb.org/reports/2023-reports-english.

Israel

During this difficult time of conflict, please continue to pray:

  • That the Lord will be rich to all the saints in Israel, whatever their present situation.
  • That the Lord will uphold the saints in the cities close to the conflict and the cities that are experiencing rocket attacks.
  • For the young brothers and sisters who are currently serving in the military, that the Lord would preserve them and strengthen their faith in Christ.
  • For the saints' unbelieving and believing friends and relatives who live in Israel, that our dear Lord Jesus would lead them to salvation and to knowing Christ in a deeper way.

Laos

Pray for the two-week propagation in Vientiane and Vang Vieng from November 6 to 20, that the local saints and the visiting saints from FTT Bangkok can coordinate for the Lord's move in Laos.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 7 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
  2. Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
  3. Semiannual Training: December 25 to 30 in Anaheim. For LA saints, the video training registration remains open until December 10 ($130) at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
  4. Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas. The general subject is "The Enjoyment of Christ and Our Growth in Life unto Maturity." Saints from LA who are attending should RSVP at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla to receive any pertinent updates.
  5. 2024 ICSC: For LA saints interested in attending the ICSC in Taipei from February 10 to 11, 2024, go to tinyurl.com/ICSC2024LA for more information; the registration deadline is November 28.
  6. GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, please visit gtca.us.
  7. LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's October 2023 newsletter has helpful fellowship on using the hymns for speaking to one another, especially in smaller settings such as group meetings. LSM's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
  8. The LA Years: Chapter 4: Standing on the Ground of Oneness is now available at www.layears.org, an oral history project documenting the early years of the church life in LA from 1958-1974, including written history, photos, and first-hand accounts.
  9. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
  10. Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

 

by Jeremy Tsai