Week of October 22
The God-man Living
"But you did not so learn Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him as the reality is in Jesus." (Eph. 4:20-21)
"Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers." (Rom. 8:29)
The desire of God's heart is that "the reality...in Jesus," the actual condition of the God-man living of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels, would be duplicated in the many members of Christ's Body by the Spirit of reality to become the reality of the Body of Christ, the highest peak in God's economy.
The four Gospels show the pattern of the life that God desires, the mold of the life that can satisfy God and fulfill His purpose. Jesus lived a life in which He did everything in God, with God, and for God. God was in His living, and He was one with God; this is what is meant by the reality is in Jesus. To learn Christ as the reality is in Jesus is to be molded into the pattern of Christ, to be conformed to the image of Christ.
When we live in the mingled spirit, we are learning Christ according to the reality in Jesus by the Spirit of reality. We learn from Him as our model so that His biography becomes our history. The living of the Body of Christ as the new man should be exactly the same as the living of Jesus revealed in the Gospels. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing, msg. 5, I, A, D)
Semiannual Training Live Registrations
This is the last week to sign up for a live seat at the next Semiannual Training in Anaheim, December 25 to 30. For LA saints, registration and payment are due Tuesday, October 31 at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Registrations for our local video trainings are due December 10.
Let us pray for as many saints as possible to seize the opportunity to participate in this training. May we receive mercy from the Lord to be found faithful in participating in the semiannual trainings so that we may be trained in the divine revelation, be constituted with the biblical truths, and partake of the riches of Christ in the written and interpreted Word for the building up of the church as the radiant testimony of Jesus and the organic Body of Christ. (Past issues of LSM's digital newsletter contain helpful fellowship on the burden for semiannual trainings, the need for training and regulations, and the purpose of training donations.)
UCLA
Thank you, saints, for your persistent prayer during this busy time of outreach at the start of UCLA's fall quarter. We have much to thank the Lord for: there have been experiences of salvation, many opportunities for shepherding, organic connections between students, as well as a sweet coordination among the laboring saints. Please join us in prayer for the following:
- May the Lord continue to gather and connect the students together into small Bible study groups to enjoy the rich fellowship in the word during the week.
- This Friday evening, October 27, there will be a meeting on the UCLA campus for all college students in LA, the first gathering of its kind this school year. Please pray for the Spirit to flow mightily in this time and for a fresh word to be imparted into the students.
- This Lord's Day at Hall 5 there will be a special topic on Morning Revival geared toward new students and younger believers. May the Lord bless this fellowship and blend the students and community saints!
SoCal High School Conferences
The Fall 2023 High School Conferences on "The Lord's Coming" will take place October 27 to 29 with sisters in Cerritos and brothers in Huntington Beach. Please pray for the Lord to gather the young people this weekend for them to hear the Lord's speaking and to be mutually encouraged and built up with one another. Pray for this generation of high schoolers to become "those who have loved His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8).
North and South America Korean-speaking Conference
There will be a North and South America Korean-speaking Blending Conference this weekend. The two online sessions are Saturday, October 28 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm and Lord's Day, October 29 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. The Zoom link is tinyurl.com/2023koreanconf.
The speaking will cover messages from the October ITERO on "Living and Serving according to God's Economy concerning the Church." Please pray that the Lord will release His timely words to saturate the saints with the present Christ and the burden from the throne. Pray that all the saints will enjoy the blending in the oneness of the Body of Christ and be filled with Body consciousness.
Germany Gospel Trips - Frankfurt and Heidelberg
The church in Frankfurt and the closely related group in Heidelberg had a good two weeks of gospel. In addition, five other cities where a few saints live were each visited for a day or two. In addition to local saints, others from the US, Western Europe, Russia, Taiwan, and South Korea participated. Each serving day began with singing, pray-reading, reports from prior days, and prayer. Often days ended with dinners for blending of local and visiting saints. The visiting saints also took part in meetings on three Lord's Days.
Each day we went out to a campus and often also to a community location. A total of 1,100 German Recovery Version NTs were distributed plus 137 in English and 71 in other European languages. Some of the languages requested do not yet have a Recovery Version translation.
The Frankfurt team received contact information from 31 people. Please pray for the willingness of these ones to remain in contact, for local saints to rise up and continue the contact begun by the visiting saints, and for in-person times with them to occur in homes or on campus or at coffee shops.
European Brothers Training and Blending Conference
The European Brothers Training to review the messages given at the October 2023 ITERO in Manila will take place October 24 to 27. This will be followed by an International Blending Conference from October 27 to 29. Both will take place in Baarlo, The Netherlands. Please pray for the perfecting and building up of the leading brothers and of all the European saints through the rich speaking of the Lord's word.
Israel
During this difficult time of conflict, please continue to pray:
- That the minds and hearts of the saints will be guarded and protected.
- For the safety of the saints all over Israel, and that none would be harmed.
- That the saints serving in the military will be protected from physical harm and that they and their families will be supplied and comforted.
- That the white horse of the gospel will run in Israel, that many will turn their hearts to God, be unveiled concerning the Lord Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior, and receive Him.
- That the Lord as the Ruler of the kings of the earth would exercise His authority over the situation, manifest His victory over His enemy, and do something to further His economy.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 5 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing.
- 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.
- Bibles for America's recent post entitled "What Does God Want?" is available at blog.bfa.org.
- 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.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting continues this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
- SCYP Children's Work Conference: Saturday, November 11, conducted in a hybrid format, with an in-person location in Anaheim. Translation will be provided. Register by November 5 at scyp.com/children.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas. Saints from LA interested in possibly attending in Dallas should RSVP by October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla.
- 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.
Week of October 8
God's Central Work - His Building
"That He would grant you...to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith..." (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.
We have within us certain nutrients created by God as a preparation for His coming into us to grow in us; God has created the human spirit with the human nutrients along with the human heart as the soil for the divine seed. 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. 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. (An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery Before His Appearing, msg. 3, II, B, C.1-5)
ITERO
The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones was held last week, October 5 to 7, in Manila, Philippines. The general subject was "Living and Serving according to God's Economy concerning the Church." Please pray for the brothers who received the training to bring what they have heard to the Lord in prayer to see and experience these things. Pray for the brothers to be good ministers of Christ to serve the churches according to God's economy.
Blending Trip to Taipei
Twelve brothers from LA are visiting the churches in the Taipei area this week until October 15. Please pray for the Lord's covering and blessing of every aspect of this blending trip and for the brothers to seek the Lord's speaking and leading for the benefit of the churches there and the church in LA.
SoCal Junior High Conferences
The Fall 2023 Junior High Conferences will be held October 14 to 16 with sisters in Diamond Bar and brothers in Irvine. The topic is "The Pearl of Great Value: The Church." Please pray for the Lord to gather the young people this weekend for them to hear the Lord's speaking and to be mutually encouraged and built up with one another. Pray for each junior higher to see a vision of the church and touch the Lord's heart concerning the church.
LA Korean Festival
The 50th Los Angeles Korean Festival takes place this week in Koreatown. On October 13 and 14, we will set up a gospel table at Olympic Blvd and Normandy Ave to distribute the NT Recovery Version and some spiritual books, followed by a Bible seminar. 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.
Israel
Pray for the Lord's interest in Israel and for the ruling of the heavens over the entire situation so that the saints and churches will be protected, Satan will suffer loss, and God's kingdom will advance in the spreading of the gospel and the building up of the Body for the carrying out of His eternal economy.
Germany Gospel Trips
Gospel trips are taking place in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria from October 8 to 22. Please pray every saint participating to be filled with the life-giving, sanctifying, and speaking Spirit and for those people whom the Lord has prepared to come in contact with and respond to us. Pray especially for the contact of university students, including many first-year students, at the beginning of this new academic year. Through these gospel trips, may the Lord gain many students and others as remaining fruit for the spread of the Lord's testimony in these German-speaking countries.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing, vol. 1.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting resumes this Wednesday at 7:25 pm.
- Semiannual Training: December 25 to 30 in Anaheim. For LA saints, registration is now open until October 30 (live) and December 11 (video) at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Past issues of LSM's digital newsletter contain helpful fellowship on the burden for semiannual trainings, the need for training and regulations, and the purpose of training donations.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas. Saints from LA interested in possibly attending in Dallas should RSVP by October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla. This site also has an information packet with hotel information and children's registration.
- 2024 ICSC: The next International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference will be in Taipei from February 10 to 11, 2024. Registration to attend the conference and blending trips must be done by locality. For LA saints, go to tinyurl.com/ICSC2024LA for more information; the registration deadline is November 28, 2023.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The September 2023 newsletter features a helpful introduction to the 1968 classic, The Economy of God, the first ministry book published by Brother Lee in English in the United States.
- Bibles for America's recent post entitled "What Should I Do When I Sin after I'm Saved?" is available to read and share at blog.biblesforamerica.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 September 17
Arriving at the Goal of the Out-Resurrection
“To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if perhaps I may attain to the out-resurrection from the dead.” (Phil. 3:10-11)
“Do you not know that those who run on a racecourse all run, but one receives the prize? Run in this way, that you may lay hold.” (1 Cor. 9:24)
To arrive at the out-resurrection means that our entire being has been gradually and continually resurrected. God first resurrected our deadened spirit (Eph. 2:5-6). Then from our spirit He proceeds to resurrect our soul (Rom. 8:6) and our mortal body (v. 11), until our entire being—spirit, soul, and body—is fully resurrected out of our old being by His life and with His life. (Life-study of Philippians, p. 188)
Paul was desperate. By any means, he wanted to arrive at the goal of the out-resurrection. We all need to have this sense of desperation infused into us. We need to be desperate to attain to the out-resurrection.
This is the only way for the Lord to go on in His recovery, the only way for the Lord to build up His church, the only way for Him to prepare His bride, and the only way for us to bring the Lord back. The unique way is to be conformed to the death of Christ so that we may attain to the out-resurrection from the dead. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Experience of Christ,” pp. 391, 483)
Blending Trip to Taipei
“And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands.” (Rev. 1:12)
According to footnote 121: To see anything requires the right position with the right angle. First, the apostle John heard the voice (v. 10), and then, when he turned to see the voice, he saw the golden lampstands. He was rightly positioned, but he still needed the right angle to see the vision concerning the churches; so he turned.
In preparation for the brothers' visit to Taipei during the week of October 8 to 15, do pray for the brothers going to continue seeking the Lord's speaking, and that upon hearing His voice there would be the proper turning to see the vision concerning the churches, especially in Taipei and Los Angeles.
Also pray for the well-being of each brother, that each one would remain physically healthy and strong in the coming weeks and for the entirety of the trip. May the Lord bind any sickness, ill effects from travel, or change in time zone and diet, so that each brother would receive the full benefit from fellowshipping with the brothers in Taipei.
UCLA Fresh Start
Throughout 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 year.
UCLA Follow-up
Over the summer, we received more than 300 names and contact information for freshmen who have showed some interest in fellowship with us. These ones will be moving into the dorms throughout this week. Please pray for many profitable face-to-face interactions with these ones including our upcoming Lord's day morning meeting on campus this weekend.
SoCal College Meeting
This Saturday evening, September 23, for the first time in a while, there will be an all-Southern California Praise and Ministry Meeting for college students in Irvine. Please pray for the Spirit to flow mightily in this time and for the word to be richly imparted into the students!
LA High School Bible Clubs
There are a number of high school Bible clubs across LA that our young people have started. The Fairfax High School Bible Reading Club meets on Thursdays with an average of 20 people coming to each meeting. The Venice High School Bible Club meets on Mondays during lunch and averages around 10 members. Los Angeles County High School for the Arts is just beginning a new Bible club this Friday and 25 people signed up to attend the club in this weeks club rush. Please pray that:
- The students would be courageous and proud of showing up to read the Bible.
- The Lord would work in each member (including teachers) to gain them.
- They would see, experience, know, and enjoy the Lord through His Word.
- Each club would have a comfortable environment for students to be fully open!
Lisbon, Portugal
The saints in Lisbon have been meeting as the church since October 2022. The number of adult saints who meet regularly is 20 to 25. The Lord is adding to the church from the local Portuguese people as well as from immigrants from Portuguese-speaking countries. Since February 2022 more than 3,200 copies of the NT Recovery Version have been distributed in the greater Lisbon area. At the beginning of the fall 2023 semester more than 160 copies were given to students at the University of Lisbon; a good number have asked for further contact.
Please pray for the openness of these new contacts, for the strengthening of the small groups, and for the Lord to send more laborers to sow the seed of His Word and care for the open ones.
Germany Gospel Trips
Continue to beseech the Lord of the harvest to thrust out at least 100 workers for the gospels trips taking place October 8 to 22 in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Pray that an adequate number of saints from overseas would respond and be released for these trips. Registration deadline is September 29 at bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 6 of Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians. Next week, we begin An Overview of the Central Burden and Present Truth of the Lord's Recovery before His Appearing (July Semiannual Training).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: Saints are invited to attend this week's ministry meeting in person at 7:25 pm at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim or online at www.lsmwebcast.com. The general subject is “The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul's Epistles—First Corinthians.”
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas. Saints from LA interested in possibly attending in Dallas should RSVP by October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla. This site also has an information packet with hotel information and children's registration.
- December Semiannual Training: December 25 to 30 in Anaheim. For LA saints, registration is now open until October 30 (live) and December 11 (video) at tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla. Past issues of LSM's digital newsletter contain helpful fellowship on the burden for semiannual trainings, the need for training and regulations, and the purpose of training donations.
- 2024 ICSC: The next International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference will be in Taipei, Taiwan from February 10 to 11, 2024. Registration is required to attend in person and must be done by locality. For LA saints, registration will open next week; the deadline is November 28, 2023. Both the live and archived messages will also be available to view at www.lsmwebcast.com.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including newsletters and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily.
- 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 10
Taking Christ's Death as the Mold of the Christian Life
“To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” (Phil. 3:10)
“I now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body, which is the church.” (Col. 1:24)
It is crucial for us to realize that Christ is in resurrection. When we experience Christ in His resurrection, we are infused with all the elements of resurrection, and this infusion enables us to partake of His sufferings for the Body. In other words, we must have the dispensing of Christ's resurrection so that we may experience His cross, His death. It is by knowing Christ's resurrection that we experience His death. The more we know His resurrection, the more we shall be put into His death to share in the fellowship of His sufferings. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 1548)
Like Paul, we should aspire to know and experience Christ, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings and to be conformed to His death as the mold of the Christian life. The mold of Christ's death refers to Christ's experience of continually putting to death His human life that He might live by the life of God. If we put to death our natural life, we will have the consciousness that we have another life, the divine life, within us; this life will be released, and then in our experience we will be conformed to Christ's death. In the mold of Christ's death the natural man is killed, the old man is crucified, and the self is nullified. If we allow our circumstances to press us into the mold, our daily life will be molded into the form of Christ's death. (Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians, Key Statement 3; msg. 5, II.C, D.4-6)
Southern California Special Training on the Eldership
The final term of the Special Training on the Eldership begins this Saturday, September 16 in Cerritos. The burden of this five-year training is to strengthen the present eldership and the responsible brothers, to perfect and raise up the next generation of elders and responsible brothers, and to gradually bring more of the next generation into their organic function.
Through this training, may an unprecedented one accord among the churches in Southern California be ushered in. May the Lord bless the churches in Southern California with many blended brothers who have been perfected to care for His glorious testimony in each locality!
Blending Trip to Taipei
“For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they also from the Jews.” (1 Thes. 2:14)
During the week of October 8 to 15, a group of leading and responsible brothers from the church in Los Angeles will travel to Taiwan to blend with the church in Taipei. It is God who is blending the Body together! The burden of this trip is to learn from one another and to be perfected into one for the increase of the testimony of Jesus in Taipei and Los Angeles. Please pray:
- For the preparation of each brother going to be fully emptied out and poor in spirit to properly receive the fellowship from the brothers in Taipei.
- For the healthy blending between the churches for the mutual help and learning for the advancement of the God ordained way in both localities.
2023 SCYP Blending Meeting in Arcadia
The 2023 Young People's Blending Meeting will be held in Arcadia this Saturday, September 16. The afternoon session and dinner from 4:30 to 7:00 pm is only for pre-registered 7th graders, their parents, and the serving ones. The evening session from 7:00 to 8:30 pm is open to all the young people from grades 7 through 12, their parents, and the serving ones; no registration required.
Lord, gain this generation for Your move to bring You back!
Gospel in Hawaii
In coordination with the brothers in Hawaii, Bibles for America sent over 2,400 gift packets containing pocket NTs, gospel tracts, and ministry books to be given to people who have been affected by the fire, community leaders, firefighters, volunteers involved in the relief effort, and other residents.
Please continue to pray:
- For the Lord's brooding over Maui and preparation of many open vessels to receive His gospel, that they may gain God in this time of loss.
- For the Lord to direct all the NT gift packets that are being distributed, to get them into the hands of the seeking ones.
- For the local contacts whom the saints have connected with so far, that the Lord as the Chief Shepherd would lead and guide the saints in their shepherding care to bring these new ones into the church life.
- For all the saints laboring together, that the Lord would lead their coordination in the Body regarding the ongoing assembling and distribution of the gift packets as well as the follow-up effort.
Chinese-speaking Conference in Paris
Praise the Lord for His continued shepherding of the saints in Europe, especially the Chinese-speaking saints. The upcoming autumn Chinese-speaking conference will be in Paris from September 15 to 17. This conference is intended not only for the Chinese-speaking saints, but also for the building up of the Body of Christ. Please pray for the Lord to keep advancing rapidly in Europe according to His desire to obtain the reality of the one new man.
European University Training
The European University Training is taking place in Glasgow, Scotland from September 8 to 13. The general subject of this year's training is “The Kingdom.” Pray that the Lord will raise up many university students in Europe to pursue Him and gain Him for His Body.
Germany Gospel Trips
Let us continue to beseech the Lord of the harvest to thrust out at least 100 workers for the gospels trips in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria taking place October 8 to 22. Pray that an adequate number of saints from overseas would respond and be released for these trips. Also pray for all the local saints in these German-speaking countries to be willing and able to participate in one or more days of the gospel. Pray that the sanctifying Spirit will prepare many divine appointments with key university students, and that He will use these gospel trips to gain much remaining fruit!
For more information, go to bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips. Registration deadline is September 29.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 5 of Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: Saints are invited to attend this week's ministry meeting in person at 7:25 pm at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim or online at www.lsmwebcast.com. The general subject is “The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul's Epistles—First Corinthians.”
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas, TX. Saints from LA interested in possibly attending in Dallas should RSVP no later than October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla. This site also has an information packet with hotel information and children's registration.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry's many digital resources, including apps and free booklets, may be found at lsm.org/daily. The August 2023 newsletter features the second part of an interview with Brother Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work along with reports on the Africa Ministry Depot and the Lord's move in the Balkans.
- 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 27
Striving Together with One Soul for the Gospel
“Only, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, that…you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving together along with the faith of the gospel.” (Phil. 1:27)
“For I have no one like-souled who will genuinely care for what concerns you.” (Phil. 2:20)
Paul charges us to conduct ourselves “in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,” which is to “stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving together along with the faith of the gospel.” To be with one soul and to be like-souled for the gospel work are more difficult than to be in one spirit for the experience of Christ; Timothy was a brother who was like-souled with the apostle Paul.
To be with one soul requires that, after having been regenerated in our spirit, we go further to be transformed in our soul. If we are not one in our affections, thoughts, and decisions, we are not with one soul; as long as we are not one in soul, we are not in the fellowship unto the furtherance of the gospel, and our conduct is not worthy of the gospel. When all the members in the church are in one spirit with one soul, this oneness will be convincing, subduing, and attractive, and we will experience Christ and enjoy Him. (Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians, msg. 3, I.C, 1-4)
May we all we go further to be transformed in our soul for our experience and enjoyment of Christ and for the oneness that is convincing, subduing, and attractive!
USC
Last week was the first week of classes at USC. Over 30 students joined us for our first welcome meeting of the fall semester. Please pray for the follow-up with these ones who attended and with the more than 100 names we received from tabling. Pray that we can fellowship face to face with many of these students throughout the next two weeks, connecting with the ones prepared by the Lord to cherish and nourish them with the Lord Himself! May the Lord richly supply all of the saints, students, and trainees in their prayer and visitations!
Gospel in Hawaii
In response to the recent fire disaster in Hawaii, the churches there are engaging in gospel outreach with Bible distributions every day from August 23 to 30 at three shelters for people who have lost their homes. Please ask the Lord to continue to supply:
- Access to distribution locations.
- The serving saints with His compassion and peace to reach the suffering people.
- Openness in these people to receive Him, experience Him, and be brought into fellowship with the saints.
- More of Himself for the strengthening of a shining testimony throughout Hawaii.
Germany Gospel Trips
In Matthew 9:37-38 the Lord “said to His disciples, The harvest is great, but the workers few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest that He would thrust out workers into His harvest.”
Saints are invited to join the campus labor at the beginning of the university year in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria by participating in the gospel trips taking place October 8 to 22. It is hoped that up to 100 saints from overseas would go and blend with the local saints to carry out one work for the gospel in these countries. So far, around 40 saints have registered. The sign up deadline is September 29.
Let us beseech the Lord of the harvest to thrust out 100 workers for October; pray that an adequate number of saints from overseas would respond and be released for these trips. Furthermore, pray for all the local saints in the German-speaking countries to be willing and able to participate in one or more days of the gospel. Pray that the sanctifying Spirit will prepare many divine appointments with key German, Swiss, and Austrian students, and that He will use these gospel trips to gain much remaining fruit!
For more information and blending opportunities, go to bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips.
Ukraine
Please continue to pray that:
- The Lord will keep all the saints in the involved countries open to Him for His divine dispensing.
- The Lord will meet the practical needs of the saints and preserve their tripartite being for His interests.
- The brothers who are fighting in the war will be preserved in their tripartite being.
- The Lord will comfort and sustain those who have lost loved ones in the war.
- The enemy will be bound in his attack on the Lord's interests in Russia, Ukraine, and Europe.
Turkey
Pray for a house which is big enough in a good area and with good sound insulation for meetings in the central area of Istanbul.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians.
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The weekly ministry meeting continues on August 30. This semester's general subject is “The Crucial Points of the Truth in Paul's Epistles—First Corinthians.” Saints are invited to attend in person at 7:25 pm at the Ministry Conference Center in Anaheim or watch online at www.lsmwebcast.com.
- Thanksgiving Conference: November 23 to 26 in Dallas, TX. Saints from LA who are interested in possibly attending the in-person sessions in Dallas should RSVP no later than October 31 at tinyurl.com/thanksgivingconfla. This site also has an information packet with hotel information and children's registration.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry has consolidated many of its helpful digital resources, including apps and free booklets, at lsm.org/daily. The August 2023 newsletter features the second part of an interview with Brother Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work along with reports on the Africa Ministry Depot and the Lord's move in the Balkans.
- Bibles for America's recent posts “Author Spotlight: Who Is Witness Lee?” and “What It Means to Have a Good Conscience and Why It's So Important” are available at blog.bfa.org.
- Germany Gospel Trips: October 8 to 22. For more information and blending opportunities, go to bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, please visit gtca.us.
- 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.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- 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 13
Denying Our Self and Turning to Our Spirit for God's Desire
“The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.” (2 Tim. 4:22)
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” (Rom. 8:6)
We must see that God does not want anything other than Christ Himself. God's goal in His recovery is to recover Christ as everything to us. In order to take Christ as everything and gain Him in all things, we must learn to continually deny our self and turn to our spirit. The way to follow the Lord, enjoy the Lord's riches, live in the reality of the Body of Christ, and function in the New Testament ministry is to continually exercise to reject our self, lose our soul-life and turn to our spirit.
Prayer is the real denial of the self. Actually, we do not need to pray in a lengthy way. It is sufficient simply to call “O Lord Jesus.” Even such a short prayer means “no longer I but Christ.” Our prayer testifies that we do not exercise our self-effort to deal with the situation….Instead, we apply Christ. To pray is to practice the vision concerning Christ with His death and resurrection being our replacement so that we may be fully “Christified” to satisfy the desire of God's heart. (Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians, msg. 1, I.D, IV, C, I, 1-3)
LA Truth School Follow-up
Our 2023 Truth School concluded this past Saturday with a rich overflow from the young people as they shared their enjoyment from the previous week on “The Bible.” Although the Truth School has concluded, our young people are pressing on as they begin their academic school year.
Please continue to pray for our YP to guard the good deposit by letting the word of Christ dwell in them richly (Col. 3:16) so that they might further enter into the experience of enjoying the Word of God as a Person. Furthermore, through their enjoyment, may the Lord release opportunities for them to overflow to their friends and classmates as fruit-bearing branches abiding in the vine (John 15:4).
FTTA
The Fall 2023 term of the Full-time Training in Anaheim as well as the Boston Extension (XB) begins this week on August 13. Please pray for the perfecting of these young saints—especially for the larger incoming FTTA class—in truth, life, and service for the advancement of the Lord's move on the earth.
Ukraine
Please continue to pray that:
- The Lord will keep all the saints in the involved countries open to Him for His divine dispensing.
- The Lord will meet the practical needs of the saints and preserve their tripartite being for His interests.
- The brothers who are fighting in the war will be preserved in their tripartite being.
- The Lord will comfort and sustain those who have lost loved ones in the war.
- The enemy will be bound in his attack on the Lord's interests in Russia, Ukraine, and Europe.
Malaga Meeting Hall
The current financial need for purchasing the last available commercial block on the same floor as the meeting hall in Malaga, Spain is for 81,000 euros by the end of September to close the purchase and for an estimated 335,000 euros for remodeling.
Please pray for this need to be met for the furtherance of the Lord's move in Europe. A report concerning this property is available at lme.org/reports.html. Saints in LA who are burdened to contribute may give through the Church in Los Angeles designated for ‘Malaga Meeting Hall'.
Iceland
Situated in the far north Atlantic between North America and Europe, Iceland is an island nation with a population of approximately 375,000 people and is one of the few European countries without a lampstand. Currently there are no Recovery Version, ministry books, or literature available in the Icelandic language. However, up to 98% of the country can speak English, making the way open for the vast riches in the ministry to reach the Icelandic people.
In the last few years, saints from the UK, the US, and Finland have visited Iceland to distribute the English NT Recovery Version as well as shepherd two couples who live in Iceland that have been reading and enjoying the ministry.
In March 2023, over 140 English NTs and a few ministry books were distributed in the capital city of Reykjavik, including in the city center and the campus of the University of Iceland. Not only did many stop by our Bible table to pick up a Bible, but there were also many meaningful conversations with Icelanders who are seeking reality. After sharing from the footnotes and speaking of their experiences of the Lord, the visiting saints testified of an unprecedented openness, especially among the young people. Surely there is an urgent need to bring the gospel of the kingdom to the Icelandic people.
We continue to look to the Lord that He would gain this nation!
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 1 of Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians (Memorial Day Conference).
- Wednesday Night Ministry Meeting: The ministry meeting will resume next week, August 23.
- Bibles for America's recent posts “Author Spotlight: Who Is Witness Lee?” and “What It Means to Have a Good Conscience and Why It's So Important” are available at blog.bfa.org.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry has consolidated many of its helpful digital resources, including apps and free booklets, at lsm.org/daily. The July 2023 newsletter contains an interview with Brother Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work.
- Germany Gospel Trips: October 8 to 22. For more information and blending opportunities, go to bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- 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.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, please visit gtca.us.
- 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 July 30
Being Faithful and Diligent to Minister Food at the Proper Time
“Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time?” (Matt. 24:45)
“If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of God which was given to me for you.” (Eph. 3:2)
The household spoken of in verse 45 refers to the believers (Eph. 2:19), who are the church (1 Tim. 3:15). To give them food is to minister the Word of God with Christ as the life supply to the believers in the church. We all must learn how to minister the life supply to the household of the Lord at the appointed time. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 741-742)
Do not say that others have a gift of teaching to teach you the Word of God and minister spiritual food to you but that you do not have such a gift. There is not such a thought here. All of the Lord's servants received the gift for their commission.
Every day is a proper time for us to minister the proper food to anyone...We all have to rise up and wake up to be diligent, to be faithful, to be prudent and not foolish, to minister the proper food to the needy ones at the proper time. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 5, “The Way to Practice the Lord's Present Move,” pp. 515, 518)
LA Truth School
The LA Truth School begins this Friday evening, August 4 and concludes the following Saturday, August 12. The topic is “The Bible” and the burden is to impress on our young people that the Bible is God's word for them to know and enjoy in their teenage years. Please pray for:
- The preparation of the hearts of every young person to be soft towards the Lord during Truth School.
- All of the young people to be full of joy and released during the singing times.
- The full participation in the Bible pursuit in small groups during the week.
LA College Student Internship
From July 26 until this Friday, August 4, eleven college students are joining our campus full-timers in Los Angeles for a summer internship, where they will learn to be properly supplied and equipped to serve the Lord Jesus for His purpose. The burden of this internship is for the students to increase their enjoyment of Christ as life, strengthen their daily life practices of being in the Word, and enrich their experience of the house-to-house church life in LA so that they all can be normal, coordinated, and fruit-bearing branches on their campus.
Please pray for the Lord to cover all the details of this week's schedule and for each participant to fully open to the Lord in the midst of many activities. May the students be built up with one another, strongly connected with some saints, and burdened for their campus ahead of the upcoming school year.
European Young People's Conference
The European Young People's Conference is taking place this week, July 30 to August 5, in Małe Ciche, a small village near the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland. The European Family Conference is also happening concurrently in the same location. A total of 1290 saints, including 400 young people and 200 children, from 41 countries (31 European countries) are registered. Please pray for:
- The Lord's speaking to the young people and their response. May the Lord meet the particular needs of the young people and open “The Significance, Preciousness and Enjoyment of the Birthright” to them.
- The Lord to raise up more families for the church life.
Germany – Gospel Trips
Registration is open to join the churches and the developing localities in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in their gospel labor from October 8 to 22. For more information and blending opportunities, go to bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips. Lord, release the saints—including some from LA—to participate!
Bibles for Europe – 2024 Paris Olympics
Bibles for Europe continues to distribute the NT Recovery Version to many countries throughout Europe. We are currently distributing the Recovery Version in English, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Although the Recovery Version does not exist in every European language, the prevalence of the English language across Europe, especially among the European young people, makes the English NT Recovery Version accessible to nearly the whole continent.
The 2024 Summer Olympics will be hosted in Paris, and we would encourage all the saints to open to the Lord regarding this next milestone in the Lord's move in Europe. Millions of people traveled to London during the 2012 Olympics, and it could be expected that as many will travel to Paris to visit this famous city. In addition, the UK torch relay had been designed to be within one hour of 95% of the UK population. This provided an unprecedented opportunity to reach the local people as they gathered to watch the torch, and we believe the same will happen in France.
The Paris Olympics is still a year away, and we do not know how many Bibles to expect to distribute during this international gathering. We are looking to the Lord as the brooding and life-giving Spirit to prepare this city and the many visitors that will come to receive the Word of life.
We would like to invite the saints in the Lord's recovery to join us in Europe next year by praying, giving, and going. The distance by train between London and Paris is just a little over two hours, and the saints are welcome to stop by Bower House to blend with the saints in London before or after Paris. We had many experiences in London that will be very useful for the Paris distributions. May the Lord bless the coordination and one accord among all the saints that He may use this event to gain His seekers in France for the sake of His move in Europe.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 4 of Making Ourselves Ready for the Lord's Coming (ICSC). After next week, on August 14, we will begin Knowing, Experiencing, and Enjoying Christ as Revealed in Philippians (Memorial Day Conference).
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry has consolidated many of its helpful digital resources, including apps and free booklets, at lsm.org/daily. The July 2023 newsletter contains an interview with Brother Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work.
- FTTA: A video of the graduation meeting on July 1 is available for a limited time at ftta.org.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- Bibles for America's recent post “What It Means to Have a Good Conscience and Why It's So Important” is available to read and share at blog.biblesforamerica.org.
- 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.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, please visit gtca.us.
- 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 July 23
Giving Heed to the Lamp Shining in a Dark Place
“The night is far advanced, and the day has drawn near. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the weapons of light.” (Rom. 13:12)
“And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Pet. 1:19)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psa. 119:105)
If the church does not pay adequate attention to [the prophecies in the Bible], many believers will inevitably lose faith, be deceived by lies, be destroyed because of a lack of that knowledge, and forget the Lord's coming by not being watchful. If the believers do not have the prophecies in the Bible, they will fall into darkness. The present age is the nighttime. When the Lord Jesus comes, the day will dawn, and the next age, the kingdom age, will be the daytime.
The day is a metaphor illustrating a time coming that will be full of light, as a bright day dawning, with the morning star rising, before its dawning, in the hearts of the believers, who are illuminated and enlightened by giving heed to the shining word of prophecy in the Scripture. This will cause and encourage the believers to earnestly seek the Lord's presence and be watchful so that they will not miss the Lord in the secret part of His coming (parousia), when He will come as a thief.
If we continually give heed to the shining word of the Scriptures, we will have the kingdom as the day dawning in us and Christ as the morning star rising in our hearts before His actual appearing as the bright morning star. Christ as the morning star will be given to the overcomers as their first reward; we need to make ourselves ready for the secret appearing of the Lord as the morning star. (Making Ourselves Ready for the Lord's Coming, msg. 3, I.C-D, III.B, 1, D.4-5)
North America College Training
Last week, July 16 to 22, 92 Los Angeles-related saints (including 66 college students and recent graduates and 26 serving ones) participated in the NACT held in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. It was an exciting and immensely enjoyable week filled with released singing, enlightening ministry of the word, blending with other students from around the globe, and time after time of rich, personal fellowship with the Lord in His word!
Our students were equipped with a vision of the most excellent way of love (1 Cor. 12:31; 13:8)—God as love, and love for the Lord Himself, for the brothers, and for the whole world—as well as a hunger for the truth, who is just the reality of the wonderful person of Christ (John 8:32, 36). They were also helped to spend time with the Lord in the morning to behold His beauty and inquire in His temple (Psa. 27:4), and they enjoyed practicing with one another how to contact students on their campus for the sake of the gospel (1 Tim. 2:4). This was such a special occasion and invaluable opportunity for every attendee and even more so for the Lord and His interests in this young generation. We sincerely thank the saints for all their prayers throughout the year leading up to this week.
As all the trainees return to work or classes or transition into their next life stage, may we continue to pray for the lasting impact of this training on their love for Christ and the church, their pursuit and defense of and constitution with the truth, and their splendorous consecration to the Lord to offer themselves to Him willingly in this day of His warfare for His soon return (Psa. 110:3).
LA Truth School
“But there is need of one thing, for Mary has chosen the good part.” (Luke 10:42a)
For the preparation of all of the different services that will take place before and during our upcoming Truth School (August 4 to 12), please pray for all of the serving ones to choose the good part of loving and listening to the Lord. All of the services—including music, food and activities—are wonderful opportunities for those serving to enter into the Lord's desire and preference to serve Him by caring for our young people.
Although the deadline to register has already passed, the young people, parents and serving ones are still able to register and are encouraged to do so. Lord, release any late registrations!
Chinese-speaking Perfecting Training
The 2023 North America Chinese-speaking Saints' Perfecting Training will be held in Anaheim from July 26 to 30. The training continues the burden from the previous three years, which is to focus on perfecting the saints in the churches in the areas of truth, life, and service, so they can be mature in life and strengthened to function in their service to build up the Body of Christ. The subject of this year's training is “The Application of the Interpretation of the New Jerusalem.”
Please pray for the Lord to:
- Strengthen, protect, and prepare the saints who have registered for this training.
- Cover all the practical needs of the training so that the burden of the training can be fully released.
- Encourage and perfect the saints for the day-to-day church life.
European Young People's Conference
The European Young People's Conference will take place July 30 to August 5 in Małe Ciche, a small village near the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland, for young people from 13 to 19 years of age. There will also be the European Family Conference taking place concurrently in the same location. The burden of the EFC is that the Lord would raise up families for the church life. The schedule includes activities such as singing, stories, family talks, crafts, games, workshops, and informal times of fellowship.
In total, 1290 saints, including 400 young people and 200 children, from 41 countries (31 European countries) are registered for this five-day gathering. Please pray for:
- The Lord's speaking to the young people and their response. May the Lord meet the particular needs of the young people and open “The Significance, Preciousness and Enjoyment of the Birthright” to them.
- The Lord to raise up more families for the church life.
Germany – Gospel Trips
Registration is open to join the churches and the developing localities in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in their gospel labor from October 8 to 22, especially on the campuses at the beginning of the university year. For see more information, additional opportunities for blending, and registration, go to bit.ly/GermanyGospelTrips. Lord, release the saints—including some from LA—to participate!
Egypt
The July 2023 newsletter of the Lord's Move to Africa contains an update on North Africa, specifically a report on the 2023 Cairo International Book Fair and the Arabic publication work.
- reurl.cc/N097b5 (English)
- reurl.cc/GAO3n3 (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of Making Ourselves Ready for the Lord's Coming (ICSC).
- FTTA: A video of the graduation meeting on July 1 is available for a limited time at ftta.org.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry has consolidated many of its helpful digital resources, including apps and free booklets, at lsm.org/daily. The July 2023 newsletter contains an interview with Brother Ron Kangas concerning the history of the Life-study publication work.
- A Timely Speaking of Supply: Enjoy a free weekly video from messages given by Brother Lee at lsm.org/timely-speaking.html.
- Bibles for America's recent post “What It Means to Have a Good Conscience and Why It's So Important” is available to read and share at blog.biblesforamerica.org.
- 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.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration within North America, please visit gtca.us.
- Ways to Give: Information about the church's online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks, are at www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.