Prayer, Week of June 10
Praise the Lord!
"O Jehovah our Lord, / How excellent is Your name / In all the earth!" (Psa. 8:9)
"You are awesome, O God, from Your sanctuaries. / The God of Israel, He gives strength and power to the people. / Blessed be God!" (Psa. 68:35)
"Let everything that has breath praise Jehovah. / Hallelujah!" (Psa. 150:6)
Praise is the way to display Christ's victory and overcome spiritual attacks. The ultimate goal of Satan is to stop all praises to God. Prayer signifies spiritual warfare, but praise signifies spiritual victory. Whenever we praise, Satan flees! (Memorial Day Conference, msg. 6, II.E.1)
May the church in LA and all the churches in Southern California be filled with abundant praises!
'Tis the local church proclaiming, Jesus is Lord!
All the saints with joy are naming Jesus as Lord.
All His work He has completed, Satan and his hosts defeated;
On the throne of glory seated, Jesus is Lord!
(Stanza 1 of Hymns, #1096)
The Secret of Enjoying Christ as Our Peace Offering
"And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful." (Col. 3:15)
"These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
The issue of enjoying Christ as our burnt offering, our meal offering, our sin offering, and our trespass offering is the enjoyment of Christ as the peace offering. Christ is the peace offering between God and God's people for their co-enjoyment in fellowship to have the vital-group church life, to have the Lord's table meeting, and to consummate in the New Jerusalem as the ultimate peace offering.
We need to learn the secret of enjoying Christ as our peace offering—the peace of God, which surpasses every man's understanding (Phil. 4:7). We must learn the secret of how to take Christ as life, how to live Christ, how to magnify Christ, and how to gain Christ in any environment and in any matter. We need to let our requests be made known to God, talking with Him and conferring with Him in everything.
The result of practicing fellowship with God in prayer is that the peace of God, God as peace, is infused into us for our enjoyment as the counterpoise to troubles and the antidote to anxiety so that Christ as our forbearance can be known to all men. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 10, I, Banner 4, II.C.1.a,c)
Oak Glen
The churches in Southern California took possession of Oak Glen Christian Conference Center at the end of 2015. Since then, important upgrades have been made, including seismic retrofitting of the gymnasium, landscaping, bathroom renovations, and new single-family residences. More importantly, the facility has been enjoyed by the saints and churches in the Lord's recovery for blending retreats.
However, as of now, we still owe $3.25 million for the purchase. This amount needs to be paid off in order to avoid further interest expenses, which would be around $200,000 per year. Such money could be better spent on new cabins and other renovations.
As a convenience to the saints, ONLINE DONATIONS may now be made via PayPal or credit card at https://socalblendingcenter.org. (There is also an option for automated recurring monthly donations. For example, if 4,000 saints would donate $50 per month, the need could be met within a year and a half.) Gifts may also be made to the church designated for OAK GLEN.
"We make known to you, brothers, the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in much proving of affliction the abundance of their joy and the depth of their poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality" (2 Cor. 8:1b-2). Lord, grant us and all the churches in Southern California the same grace experienced in Macedonia!
College Graduation
At the end of the school year, our graduating college seniors have many choices to make regarding their future. As Watchman Nee once wrote, "If God leads you to walk a way that you know, it will not benefit you as much as if He would lead you to take the way that you do not know. This forces you to have hundreds and thousands of conversations with Him, resulting in a journey that is an everlasting memorial between you and Him" (CWWN, Set 1, vol. 7: The Christian (5), p. 1144).
Please pray for the graduates to have many conversations and transactions with the Lord so that He would shepherd and guide them according to His desire and for His purpose.
BfA in Anchorage, Alaska
This summer, Bibles for America volunteers in Anchorage plan to give away ministry books and 2,000 free copies of the NT Recovery Version at the following venues:
- From June 9 to September 9, Saturday Market & Festival in downtown Anchorage: popular among locals and tourists from around the world.
- From June 30 to July 1, Air Show at the Elmendorf Air Force Base: attracts thousands of Alaskans and military personnel.
- On August 26, kick-off at the University of Alaska Anchorage: attended primarily by incoming freshmen.
Please pray for the volunteers as they labor throughout the summer, that the books would get into the hands of the hungry ones, and for each recipient to be enlightened and nourished by the Word of God.
Lyman, Wyoming
Usually the church in Lyman has a spring conference but we need to replace the roof on our meeting hall. In fellowship with the churches we are going to have a weekend of roofing and fellowship June 16 and 17. Lord, use this practical time together to further Your interests in the mountain states!
Germany
From Thursday, June 7 to Lord's Day, June 10, there was a book fair in Düsseldorf. Bibles for Europe had a booth there with many saints taking turns to serve and distribute free NT Recovery Versions. In total, 797 German copies and 48 English copies were given out. People were not required to leave their contact information, though some chose to do so. Please pray:
- That all recipients would touch the living and operative word of God in the pages of their Bible;
- That many would be motivated to contact BfE; and
- That the local saints would be buoyant and bold in following up with these contacts.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The church in Addis Ababa is currently in the process of purchasing a property that may be used for meetings and trainings. The plan is to renovate an existing building into offices and residences, and build a meeting hall for up to 1000 saints and a hospitality and blending center. This site will also serve as a center for the furtherance of the Lord's move in Africa. The selling price is just over $2.5 million, well below market price. A down payment of $365,000 is expected by June 15 for commitment. The church in Addis Ababa will raise at least $100,000. Please pray for this transaction and for the Lord's will to be done. You may give to the church in LA designated for ADDIS ABABA.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 10 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 2.
- Summer Training Webcasts in LA: Last chance to sign up by June 12 at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
- Southern California Blending Conference: Outlines, audios, and videos will be at socalblending.org.
- Audio messages from the Children's Work Conference in Diamond Bar on April 28 are available at the Southern California Young People website (http://www.scyp.com > Stores > Serving ones > Children's serving ones fellowship > choose English or Chinese > 2018 Children's Parents and Serving Ones Conference).
- Audio of the May 6 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/greatgrace.
Prayer, Week of June 3
Southern California Blending Conference
"God has blended the body together…" (1 Cor. 12:24b)
"In the blending of the churches we receive nourishment, we receive revelation, and we receive a vision of God's eternal purpose concerning Christ and the church. Such a blending is not only for our own mutual spiritual benefit but is also for the mutual building up of the Body of Christ." (1993 Blending Conference Messages concerning the Lord's Recovery and Our Present Need, ch. 2)
"Are the churches in every area willing to be blended together as one? There may be fifteen churches in a particular region, but the question is whether or not they would be willing to be blended together. We may like to be independent under the cloak of being local." (One Body and One Spirit, ch. 1)
"From now on, the churches should come together frequently to be blended. We may not be used to it, but after we begin to practice blending a few times, we will acquire the taste for it. This is the most helpful thing in the keeping of the oneness of the universal Body of Christ." (The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6)
This weekend, June 9 to 10, the Southern California Blending Conference will be held at the Ministry Conference Center (1200 N Hubbell Way, Anaheim, CA 92801). For the last three years, we have held similar conferences, and each time all who attended were encouraged. This practice of gathering the churches in Southern California has afforded the Lord an opportunity to speak a specific word for the present need of the Lord's recovery. Bring your personal FM radio for translation into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. The schedule is as follows:
SATURDAY: 4:00–5:45 pm Meeting 1; 5:45–7:00 Break (no food for sale); 7:00–8:45 pm Meeting 2
LORD'S DAY: 10:00–10:30 am Lord's Table; 10:30 am–12:30 pm Meeting 3
Children's service for K–6 will be provided during all sessions in Anaheim at 1853 W Ball Rd.
PLEASE NOTE: Lord's Day, June 10, there will be no meetings in any of the halls in LA.
Please pray strongly for the Lord to gather all the saints for this special time of blending and that He will speak a timely word to meet the present need of all churches in Southern California.
Summer Training Webcasts in Los Angeles
This year's Summer Training (July 2 to 7) will be a continuation of the Crystallization-study of Leviticus. For those who cannot attend the live sessions in Anaheim, the church has arranged for multiple webcast locations in Los Angeles: 3 simulcasts in English (Halls 2, 4, 5); 1 simulcast in Chinese (Hall 3); 2 simulcasts in Korean (Halls 1, 2); 1 simulcast in Spanish (Hall 1), and 1 delayed webcast in Spanish (Hall 2). The deadline to register is June 12 ($105). For more information, please fellowship with the registration coordinator in your district.
Ask the Lord to increase our number participating in His speaking to the churches in this training. Lord, make us willing and ready to be trained to live a holy, clean and rejoicing living!
Balkans Conference
This November will mark the sixth year since David and Elda Chang migrated from Los Angeles to serve in Albania. With a population of just under 3 million people, this small country is located in the Balkan Peninsula, across the Adriatic Sea from Italy; to its east is Macedonia and to its southeast is Greece. Over the years, many saints from LA have had the blessing of visiting the Chang family there. This fall, there is a wonderful opportunity for even more saints to visit and blend.
The saints in the Balkans warmly extend an invitation to all the saints and churches in the Lord's recovery to participate in a weekend regional conference in Tirana, Albania on November 2 to 4, 2018. They are thankful to the Lord for the prayers of all the saints and churches throughout the earth, and now invite you to consider going to blend with them for the strengthening and spread of the Lord's testimony in this region. We pray the Lord will bless this gathering for His further move in the Balkans, Europe, and the whole earth. Detailed information is at https://amanatrust.org.uk/events/conf2018.
It would be a tremendous blessing and encouragement if a good number of saints from LA could attend. Please contact David Ho <dave.t.ho@gmail.com> for questions or guidance about participating.
FTTL Graduation
The graduation meeting of the Full-Time Training in London will be this Saturday, June 9 at Bower House. Please pray for the Lord's blessing on the graduating trainees to be useful, living and functioning members of the Body, as well as for a new crop of first-term trainees from the UK and Europe.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The church in Addis Ababa was raised up in 2001 with just over 50 saints who were mostly university students. Since then, the church has grown to over 350 saints and there are over 20 localities in Ethiopia where the saints are meeting. Furthermore, 58 saints have now passed through at least one year of the two-year Full-time Pursuing Training; several have the burden to serve in a full-time way.
With over 105 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa. And there is a growing hunger in this country for the truth. But the church in Addis Ababa does not have a proper meeting facility. There is hardly any more room for the general meetings and no space for children and young people's meetings.
After some years of fellowship, prayer, and searching, a suitable property is now under consideration. The land is 1.75 acres and may be used for both meetings and trainings. The plan is to renovate an existing two-floor building into offices and residences, and build a meeting hall for up to 1000 saints and a hospitality and blending center. This property will also serve as a center for the furtherance of the Lord's move in Africa.
The market price for the property is $3.5 million, but the selling price is just over $2.5 million, since the current Orthodox Christian owners are favorable toward us, feeling good that the name of the Lord will be called on this property. A down payment of $365,000 is required by June 15, with full payment to follow within two months. The church in Addis Ababa will raise at least $100,000.
We present this to the Body for the consideration and prayer of the Body. Please pray for this transaction and for the Lord's will to be done. If the Lord so burdens, you may give to the church in LA designated for ADDIS ABABA.
India and Sri Lanka
The Lord's Move to Asia Newsletter describes the recent nationwide trainings for serving ones and young people in Sri Lanka. It also has a report on sisters' prayer and vital groups in India.
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/E-2018-05.pdf (English)
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Asia-2018-05.pdf (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 9 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 2. Continue to Week 10 after the SoCal Blending Conference.
- Audio of the May 6 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/greatgrace.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Registration for the webcast ($105) is due June 12. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The Summer School of Truth in Los Angeles is July 20 to 28. The topic is: The Church.
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of May 27
Taking Christ as Our Trespass Offering
"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, / And from my sin cleanse me." (Psa. 51:2)
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
"But the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life." (John 4:14b)
The trespass offering signifies Christ as our offering resolving the problem of sins in our conduct. Taking Christ as our trespass offering with the confession of our sins in the divine light is the way to drink Christ as the living water for us to become the New Jerusalem. It is also the way to keep ourselves in the fellowship of life for our growth in life unto the maturity in life.
The more we receive the forgiveness of sins, the more we will fear God and love God. Furthermore, when Christ as the sin-dealing life is ministered to the saints, this life kills the germs, destroys the problems, and maintains the oneness of the Spirit.
In taking Christ as our trespass offering, we need to make a thorough confession of all our shortcomings, weaknesses, wrongdoings, and sinfulness in order to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. After such a thorough and fine confession, we will be filled with the Spirit essentially and economically to make us buoyant and bold in our God to speak the gospel of God. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 8, I-II)
May we daily experience Christ as our trespass offering for God's purpose!
Memorial Day Conference
Please pray that the burden released in last weekend's Memorial Day Conference messages would be worked into and worked out through the saints in all the churches. The general subject was "The Spiritual Warfare of the Church as the New Man." The church as the new man must engage in spiritual warfare to defeat God's enemy, fulfill God's purpose, and bring in the kingdom of God (Banner 1). Praise the Lord for His timely speaking! May all the saints be drawn personally and corporately to love Him and "offer themselves willingly / In the day of Your warfare, / In the splendor of their consecration" (Psa. 110:3a).
Summer College Training
Every summer, the college training provides a rich opportunity for the Lord to gain more ground in our students, including those who just graduated from high school. These trainings have greatly influenced our students' personal pursuit, church life, and involvement with the gospel work on their campuses. Please pray that the Lord would overcome all obstacles and release our college saints to attend this special time of training.
This year's college training is July 9 to 15 at Oak Glen. The topic will be "A New Heart and a New Spirit." The early registration deadline is June 3 ($375) at http://www.collegetraining.org.
Bibles for America
In order to better serve the Spanish-speaking community, we are making improvements to the Bibles for America Spanish website, including the enhancement of the Bible-ordering process and the transition of the translated blog posts to a better platform. Please pray more Spanish speakers would visit our website, order a Bible, and be nourished by the blog and downloadable e-books.
Munich, Germany
There are at least 142 people asking for further contact. Many of these, if not most, are native German-speaking students. There have been many positive responses with at least 34 new ones, and 13 have already come to either a home meeting or a barbecue. There is a great need for a mature American or Canadian (preferably) couple to migrate to Munich permanently, as well as housing for the saints who are going there to labor.
Madrid, Spain
After several years of prayer and searching, the church in Madrid has found a place suitable for church meetings, for Bibles for Europe storage, and for 11 full-timers to have a base for the work in Spain and Portugal. Initial payments were made last month; the remaining amount is due at the end of July. The current need is approximately US$500,000.
Please pray for this transaction to be completed and for the timely financial supply for this purchase. You may donate to the church (any amount, small or large, as the Lord leads), designated for MADRID.
Bulgaria
Many of the saints from Sofia and surrounding cities will be gathering in a village near Sofia the first weekend in June for a time of sharing and mutual fellowship. We will have four meetings centered on the book Basic Lessons on Service. Please pray that the Lord's presence and shining will be prevailing in all the speaking, reading of ministry excerpts, and fellowship for the strengthening of His move in Bulgaria.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 8 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 2.
- Audio of the May 6 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/greatgrace.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Late registration for the live training including payment ($255) is due June 12. Registration for the webcast ($105) is also due June 12. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The Southern California Blending Conference will be June 9 to 10 in Anaheim. General information and specific information about children is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
- The Summer School of Truth in Los Angeles is July 20 to 28. The topic is: The Church.
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of May 20
The Reality of the Sin Offering
"Since therefore the children have shared in blood and flesh, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death He might destroy him who has the might of death, that is, the devil." (Heb. 2:14)
"Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the ruler of this world be cast out." (John 12:31)
One of the main responsibilities of the church is to maintain, proclaim, and testify the victory of Christ in the midst of warfare. (The Ministry of the Word, Vol. 22, No. 1, p. 208)
In His crucifixion Christ destroyed the devil. In Heb. 2:14, the Greek word translated "destroy" can also be rendered as "bring to nought, make of none effect, do away with, abolish, annul, discard." In His humanity and through His work on the cross, Christ has destroyed the devil. Christ died not only as the Substitute of fallen men, who had been bitten by the serpent, but also to destroy the devil. Hallelujah, through Christ as the reality of the sin offering, the devil has been destroyed! (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 7, V.C-D)
Stanza 3 and chorus of Hymns, #889:
By the blood of Christ the Victor
Claim His full authority;
Just apply the blood of Jesus
And defeat the enemy.
By the blood of Christ the Victor
Overcome the enemy;
By its virtue and its power
You will win the victory.
Memorial Day Conference
"The seasons (feasts) appointed by God as holy convocations signify the gathering of God's redeemed people to have a festival with God for His joy and enjoyment so that the redeemed may participate in it with Him and with one another. According to Leviticus 23, there were seven annual feasts. Seven is the number of fullness. The seven annual feasts were in the fullness of God's riches." (Truth Lessons, Level 3, Vol. 2, ch. 8, sec. 2)
This weekend's Memorial Day Conference (May 25 to 28), in Kansas City, Missouri is one of our seven New Testament "feasts." Many localities, including various halls and districts in LA, will be partaking of this time via webcast. Lord, prepare us all to feast with You for Your joy and for our enjoyment with You and with one another!
Perfecting for the Building—the Need for Training
In the Body of Christ, the gifted members are "for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12). It can be difficult to gain this kind of perfecting merely by participating in the ordinary church life. This is why we all need a time of training. Pray for more saints in North America to sense of this need for training, whether for a few weeks, for a term or for one or two years. May the Lord burden us to rise above our nominal church life.
The middle-age training has included saints aged 22 to 80. A university degree is not required. Everyone who attends receives some benefit in life, truth, service, and gospel, as well as an opportunity to blend with trainees from many parts of the earth. Ask the Lord to bring many saints to the middle-age training fellowship at the Memorial Day Conference. Perhaps some saints in Los Angeles could even spend some of their vacation days to visit training short-term, or plan to attend full-time immediately upon retirement. May we give the Lord the ground in us to perfect us unto the building up of His Body.
Southern California Blending Conference
The conference will take place June 9 to 10 in Anaheim. Meetings will be Saturday 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and Lord's Day 10:00 am. Bring your FM radios for translation. All information, including children's service, is posted at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Serving ones needed: The conference also provides many opportunities for blending and sweet coordination through service. There is a need for many serving ones from LA for children's service (including parking ushers), restroom cleaning, and Lord's Table ushers. Sign-up at http://tinyurl.com/scbcla.
Children's registration: All children from kindergarten through 6th grade need to be pre-registered. Please visit http://tinyurl.com/2018scbc and fill in the electronic form. The registration deadline is June 3.
Munich, Germany
Please pray for a solid, mature, American (preferably) couple to migrate permanently to Munich as well as housing for the saints who are going there to labor.
Woodland Camp Training Facility
A video update and a written report on the development of a training facility at Woodland Camp in London are available by clicking on 'Reports' at amanatrust.org.uk. Those who wish to give through the church may designate offerings for 'UK Building Fund.'
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 7 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 2.
- Audio of the May 6 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/greatgrace.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Late registration for the live training including payment ($255) is due June 12. Registration for the webcast ($105) is also due June 12. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The Southern California Blending Conference will be June 9 to 10 in Anaheim. All information, including children's service, is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. To volunteer for services, please sign up at http://tinyurl.com/scbcla.
- The Summer School of Truth in Los Angeles is July 20 to 28. The topic is: The Church.
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer
Prayer, Week of May 13
Taking Christ as Our Sin Offering
Romans 8:1-4 says, "There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death. 3 For that which the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh, 4 That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit."
Taking Christ as our sin offering means that sin in the nature of fallen man is condemned, that our old man is dealt with, that Satan as sin itself is destroyed, that the world is judged, and that the ruler of the world is cast out!
As a result of Christ being our sin offering and condemning sin in the flesh, it is possible for us to walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. (CS Leviticus, msg. 6, IV.B, VI)
May the Lord bring us deeply into the revelation, appreciation, and application of Christ as our sin offering!
Sixth Grade Follow-Up
Praise the Lord for all the sixth graders who attended last weekend's conference at Oak Glen. They were able to hear a clear word on conviction, salvation and hope. The speaking was exposing and at their level. More than 100 prophesied during the last message, many for the first time in their lives. Please pray:
- to thank the Lord for gathering these ones and speaking to them;
- for the need and desire for baptism to increase in each sixth grader; and
- for the companionship among them to be established for their going on.
Summer School (Restaurant) of Truth
The Summer School of Truth is a time that gives life to the young people in the form of God's word as "food." This summer, from July 20 to 28, is indeed an appointed time to minister Christ as life and life-supply to those who are entering 7th to 12th grades. Sign-up will begin soon. We ask the Lord that as many young people as possible in LA could attend. Please pray that the Lord would lead the serving ones as they begin to fellowship and coordinate for this critical time.
Southern California Blending Conference
This conference will be Saturday afternoon and night, June 9, and Lord's Day morning, June 10, in Anaheim. Translation will be provided. All information, including children's service, is posted at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
The conference also provides many opportunities for blending and sweet coordination through service. There is a need for many serving ones from LA for children's service (including parking ushers), restroom cleaning, and Lord's Table ushers. Information and sign-up are at http://tinyurl.com/scbcla.
BfA Billboard near the University of Oregon
A group of saints in Eugene, Oregon have sponsored a billboard ad that offers free copies of the New Testament Recovery Version. The billboard is located near the University of Oregon, and will be up for the next 12 months. Please pray that many students and members of the community will see the ad and respond by ordering a Bible from the BfA website.
Conference in Germany
The annual conference of the churches in the German-speaking countries will be May 19 to 21 in Berlin. We will review the messages from the February conference in Taiwan on "The Goal of the Lord's Recovery–To Bring Forth the One New Man." Please ask the Lord to:
- bring new people, such as those who received a Recovery Version in recent months, to the conference;
- release His word richly in German and all translation languages;
- lead us into the reality of putting off the old man, being renewed in our mind, and putting on the new man.
Madrid, Spain
After several years of prayer and searching, the church in Madrid has found a place suitable for church meetings, for Bibles for Europe storage, and for 11 full-timers to have a base for the work in Spain and Portugal. Initial payments were made last month; the final amount of 600,000 euros ($740,000) is due at the end of July.
Pray for this transaction to be completed and for the timely financial supply for this purchase. You may donate to the church (any amount, small or large, as the Lord leads), designated for Madrid.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 6 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1.
- Audio of the May 6 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/greatgrace.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Late registration for the live training including payment ($255) is due June 12. Registration for the webcast ($105) is also due June 12. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of May 6
The Grace of God in a Local Church: Its Abundance, Expression, and Maintenance
Abundance: Acts 4:33, "…great grace was upon them all."
Expression: Acts 11:23, "Who, when he arrived and saw the grace of God…"
Acts 11:23, note 1, The grace that was seen by Barnabas must have been the Triune God received and enjoyed by the believers and expressed in their salvation, change in life, holy living, and the gifts they exercised in their meetings, all of which could be seen by others.
Maintenance: Acts 13:43, "…Paul and Barnabas…urged them to continue in the grace of God."
Brother Minoru's sharing on the abundance, expression, and maintenance of grace is at http://tinyurl.com/greatgrace.
Many verses unveil our cooperation to maintain grace, advance in grace, and grow in grace:
- We exercise our spirit because grace is with our spirit (Gal. 6:18).
- We come forward to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace (Heb. 4:16) and to enthrone the Lord so that grace as a river may flow (hymn 770, v. 1).
- We receive the living word of His grace, which is able to build us up (Acts 20:32).
- We let the word of Christ dwell richly in us so that we sing with grace in our hearts to God (Col. 3:16).
- We partake of grace by loving our Lord Jesus Christ with God's incorruptible love (Eph. 6:24).
- We enjoy grace by abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:10, 58).
- We abound in grace by liberal giving of material riches (2 Cor. 8:1-7).
Lord, bring us into every aspect of cooperation with Your grace! Cause Your grace to be expressed much more throughout Los Angeles!
Sixth Grade Conference
The sixth grade conference is May 11 to 13 at Oak Glen. Please pray for the Lord to prepare the hearts of all of the sixth graders leading up to the conference, to give each of them a definite experience of salvation, and to companionize them as they go on as young people in the church life.
Spanish-Speaking Brothers' Perfecting
Every spring we have a special time of fellowship and perfecting in the truth with the Spanish-speaking elders, responsible brothers, and serving brothers in Southern California. This year it will be Saturday, May 12 in Anaheim. May the Lord bless this special time with His speaking and presence.
The Church in Strasbourg, France
The resumption of the Lord's table in Strasbourg will take place on May 13. Despite the enemy's efforts to frustrate throughout the last decades, the Triune God has kept on flowing. May the Lord solidly establish an unshakable and un-uprootable golden tree, living, growing, budding, and blossoming here in Strasbourg. A lot has taken place and we pray for His mighty flow to flow forth from the house, toward the east, reaching every part and every person in this city.
Woodland Camp Training Facility
A video update and a written report on the development of a training facility at Woodland Camp in London are available by clicking on 'Reports' at http://amanatrust.org.uk. Those who wish to give through the church may designate offerings for 'UK Building Fund.'
Germany
Please continue to pray for:
- the further sowing of the German NT Recovery Version, and the reaping into the church life of many among the 30,000+ recipients who were contacted in October 2017;
- the spreading of the Lord's testimony throughout Germany; ask the Lord to supply the saints bountifully in traveling to and shepherding the scattered seekers and to gradually burden some experienced in the church life to migrate for the raising up of additional local churches.
India and Nepal
The Lord's Move to Asia Newsletter describes the current situation and burden of the 177 churches in India. It also has a report of a winter gospel trip and blending in Nepal by students from Taiwan.
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/E-2018-04.pdf (English)
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Asia-2018-04.pdf (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning revival: REPEAT Week 5 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1.
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The Bible ends, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen." (Rev. 22:21)
Audio of the May 6 joint meeting of the church in LA is available at http://tinyurl.com/greatgrace. - The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Late registration for the live training including payment ($255) is due June 12. Registration for the webcast ($105) is also due June 12. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City. Saints from LA attending should RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children) to receive any updated announcements.
- The Southern California Blending Conference will be June 9 to 10 in Anaheim. General information and specific information about children are at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
- The Summer School of Truth in Los Angeles is July 20 to 28. The topic is: The Church.
- Information on Germany and Europe, see the right side of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of April 29
Church in Los Angeles, a Corporate Meal Offering
We need to eat Christ as our meal offering so that He can live again on the earth through us in His divinely enriched humanity. By eating Christ, we become the reproduction, duplication, and enlargement of Christ as the meal offering—the church as a corporate meal offering, composed of humanity oiled with divinity in resurrection through Christ's death and without leaven or honey. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg 5, II., II.A, IV.)
"As the living Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me." "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." (John 6:57, 63)
"The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ? Seeing that there is one bread, we who are many are one Body; for we all partake of the one bread." (1 Cor. 10:16b-17)
The whole church in Los Angeles—with all of our halls, districts, and languages—will come together from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm on Lord's Day, May 6, to blend together as the Lord's one testimony in this city. This will be at LA Trade Tech College; a map is posted at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Plan to arrive by 9:20 am to allow time for parking (free) and walking to the meeting place.
Please entreat the Lord to gather all the saints to praise Him, to partake of Him, and to become more constituted as the corporate meal offering.
No lunch will be served. We encourage everyone to plan toward lunch with others in homes or restaurants for blending. Pray for this.
Southern California Blending Conference
This conference will be Saturday afternoon and night, June 9, and Lord's Day morning, June 10, in Anaheim. Translation will be provided. There will be child care for all three meetings; details will be announced later.
We urge all the saints in the churches to reserve this time to gather together for corporate blending and to enter into the Lord's present speaking to the churches in Southern California. May the God of peace be with all the saints.
The Gospel to All the Nations
The burden of a conference in the Washington, D.C. area May 4 to 6 is the gospel to all the nations, with a view of reaching African Americans, as well as others of African descent, for the Lord's testimony. All the saints are needed to pray and participate, regardless of ethnicity. Our burden is to find a way to reach, contact, and reap a number of people of African origin both from the college campuses and from our communities for a fuller testimony of the one new man among us.
One-Week Trainings in Europe
Another series of one-week spring trainings will be held in London. The subject is Truth, Life, the Church, and the Gospel—the Four Great Pillars in the Lord's Recovery. These trainings begin Mondays, April 30, May 7, May 14, and May 21, and end on Saturdays. The trainings also include perfecting in Christian living, time with FTT London and the church in London, and a church history outing.
Lord, enlarge and enrich Your recovery in Europe!
Bibles for Australia at the Commonwealth Games
Over 1,600 copies of the NT Recovery Version were given away by 120 Bibles for Australia volunteers at the recent Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. Although they were not permitted to set up tables, the volunteers approached people as they walked through the crowds, and gave Bibles to those who were open. Many volunteers testified of the joy they experienced from presenting God's Word to people, and look forward to giving away Bibles in their daily lives.
Please pray for the Lord to operate in the hearts of those who heard the word of the gospel and received a free Bible. Pray also that the volunteers who participated in this event would be energized to spread the Word of God in their localities.
Germany
Trainees from FTTA-XB are coming May 3 to 21 to strengthen the Lord's move among the churches and in all of Germany. Pray for this strengthening and for their blending with the local saints.
One Weekend, Three Conferences in Europe
There will be a conference in Rome May 5 to 6. It will be preceded by a prayer meeting at the church in Rome's meeting place Friday night, May 4.
There will be a conference in Bucharest, Romania from May 4 to 6.
There will be a French-speaking YP conference the same weekend. Please pray to release the young people from France, Belgium, and Switzerland to be separated from this wicked world and to be companionized with each other.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 5 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1. Next week, after the joint meeting of the whole church, we will REPEAT week 5.
- The 6th Grade Conference will be May 11 to 13 at Oak Glen. Registration was due April 29.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Late registration for the live training including payment ($255) is due June 12. Registration for the webcast ($105) is also due June 12. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
Prayer, Week of April 22
Constituted to Be a Duplication of Christ's God-Man Living
"Your words were found and I ate them, and Your word became to me the gladness and joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Jehovah, God of hosts." (Jer. 15:16)
"Receive…the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints." (Eph. 6:17-18)
The meal offering typifies Christ in His God-man living and typifies our Christian life as a duplication of Christ's God-man living. By exercising our spirit to touch the Spirit consolidated in the Word, we eat the human life and living of Jesus, we are constituted with Jesus, and the human living of Jesus becomes our human living. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 4, I., II., II.B)
Joint LA Meeting
The whole church in Los Angeles—all our halls, districts, and languages—will gather at LA Trade Tech College from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm on Lord's Day, May 6, to blend together as the Lord's one testimony in this city. There will also be a special fellowship with brother Minoru Chen. Please pray that the Lord would gather all of the saints from all parts of the city to praise Him, to become of one accord for His move, and to be the new man, where Christ is all and in all!
No lunch will be served at the college. We encourage everyone to plan toward lunch with others in homes or restaurants for personal blending. Pray for this.
Children's Work Conference & 6th Grade Preparation Meeting
These times of fellowship are Saturday, April 28, in Diamond Bar. These meetings will focus on the burden and vision for the children along with some practices for the families in the homes and for the churches in raising up the next generation. Pray that all who registered will be able to attend and that all will receive the vision and burden.
Poland - Bible Distributions and Conference
For the past five years the saints in Poland have been laboring on the translation of the Recovery Version NT. It was completed in September 2017, and 30,000 copies for free distribution were printed in February of this year. Praise the Lord!
Upcoming distributions will take place on April 23 to 27 in Warsaw and Krakow and on May 2 to 3 in Warsaw. These distribution dates are before and after the International Blending Conference in Warsaw on April 28 through May 1. The conference subject is the same as the recent Taipei conference: "The Goal of the Lord's Recovery—To Bring Forth the One New Man."
The Church in Madrid and the Work in Iberia
The church in Madrid, Spain began in 2001 with 12 saints; today it has more than 100 with about 70 meeting regularly on Lord's Days. The current rented hall is too small for the church, storage for Bibles for Europe and Rhema, and to be a base for 11 full timers who serve in all of Spain and Portugal.
After several years of prayer and searching, the church found a place suitable for all uses, in a safe neighborhood, with good transportation, and acceptable for use by a church. The initial payment of 30,000 euros ($37,000) was last week. Another 70,000 euros ($86,000) is due at the end of April, and the final amount of 600,000 euros ($740,000) at the end of July.
Pray for this transaction to be completed and for the timely financial supply for this purchase. You may donate to the church (any amount, small or large, as the Lord leads), designated for Madrid.
Germany
Please continue to pray for:
- visits of trainees from FTT Taipei (April 3 to May 5) and FTTA-XB (May 3-21) to strengthen the Lord's move among the churches and in all of Germany;
- the continued sowing of the German NT Recovery Version and the reaping into the church life; of the 30,000+ recipients who were contacted in October 2017;
- more young saints from outside Germany to gain admission to German universities; and
- those emigrating to obtain visas, find jobs and housing, and learn the German language.
France
The annual spring conference in Paris will be April 27 to 29.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 4 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1. Next week will be week 5. The week after the joint meeting of the whole church, we will REPEAT week 5.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Live training registration including payment ($205) is due April 27. Registration for the webcast ($105) is due June 12. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The 6th Grade Conference will be May 11 to 13 at Oak Glen. Registration is due April 29.
- The International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- The Southern California Blending Conference will be June 9 to 10 in Anaheim.
Prayer, Week of April 15
Taking Christ as our Person and Living Him
"My children, with whom I travail again in birth until Christ is formed in you." (Gal. 4:19)
"That [the Father] would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith." (Eph. 3:16-17a)
God's central work is to work Himself in Christ into His chosen people, making Himself one with them. God's intention in His economy is to work Himself into us not only as our life but also as our person. If we take Christ as our person, we will live Him out as the proper church life. Taking Christ as our person requires that we love Him to the uttermost.
The way for us to grow in life, which is the way for the Lord to grow within us, is to recover our first love toward the Lord. We grow and enjoy the Lord by loving Him. The Lord loves us all the time, and we need to love Him all the time so that we can spontaneously be one with Him. In this way He will have an opening in every part of our being and will have a way to grow in us. To love the Lord is to be stopped from our doing and is to let Him live in us and take full possession of our being.
Lord Jesus, I open to You. Take full possession of me. Lord, I love You. I present myself to You. Possess me more and more until You reach every part of my being and make Your home in me.
(excerpts from ITERO messages 1, 3, 5)
Joint LA Meeting
The whole church will meet together on May 6 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at LA Trade Tech College for the Lord's table and a special fellowship with brother Minoru Chen. For the sake of the Lord's testimony in this city, let us pray, remind, and encourage one another to attend this gathering and pray strongly for the Lord's move through this time together!
West Coast University Faculty/Staff Blending Workshop
The churches in Southern California will have a workshop for blending and fellowship for those saints at the colleges or universities on the West Coast of the US and Canada who are or intend to be teachers, research staff, post-doctoral fellows, or Ph.D. candidates.
The workshop will be held at Oak Glen, and will begin at 7 pm on Friday, April 27, and continue until noon on the Lord's Day, April 29. Registration and detailed information at http://tinyurl.com/2018faculty.
Junior High Brothers Conference
From April 20 to 22, brothers from across Southern California will gather at Oak Glen for the Spring Junior High Brothers Conference. For this conference we pray:
- for the Lord to prepare the hearts of all of the brothers in Southern California;
- that they would be helped to develop a relationship with the Lord through His Word; and
- that the Word would grow in them richly so that they can speak to their friends.
The Church in Madrid and the Work in Iberia
The church in Madrid, Spain began in 2001 with 12 saints; today it has more than 100 with about 70 meeting regularly on Lord's Days. The current rented hall is too small for the church, storage for Bibles for Europe and Rhema, and to be a base for 11 full timers who serve with the work in all of Iberia (Spain + Portugal).
After several years of prayer and searching, the church found a place suitable for all uses, in a safe neighborhood, with good transportation, and acceptable for use by a church. The church will make an initial payment of 30,000 euros ($37,000) this Wednesday. Another 70,000 euros ($86,000) is due at the end of April, and the final amount of 600,000 euros ($740,000) at the end of July.
Pray for this transaction to be completed and for the timely financial supply for this purchase. You may donate to the church (any amount, small or large, as the Lord leads), designated for Madrid.
European Brothers' Training
This training will be April 20 to 22 in London. It will include videos of all the ITERO messages, group study times, and fellowship about the Lord's move in Europe.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 3 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1.
- The Southern California Blending Conference will be from June 9 to 10 in Anaheim.
- The 6th Grade Conference will be May 11 to 13 at Oak Glen. Registration is due April 29.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Live training registration including payment ($205) is due April 27. Registration for the webcast ($105) is due June 12. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.
- The International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
Prayer, Week of April 8
We Take Christ Daily to Experience Christ Daily
We need to take Christ as our burnt offering daily so that we may experience Christ in His experiences as the burnt offering, not imitating Christ outwardly but living Him as our daily life. By such a union, Christ becomes one with us and lives in us, repeating in us the life that He lived on earth, the life of the burnt offering. (Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, msg. 2, IV, III.B)
"The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it must not go out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it and shall burn the fat of the peace offerings on it." (Lev. 6:12)
"The love of Christ constrains us because we have judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all that those who live may no longer live to themselves but to Him who died for them and has been raised." (2 Cor. 5:14-15)
ITERO
The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones is April 13 to 15 in Anaheim. Let us beseech the Lord that through this training, the Lord will make all the brothers able ministers of the New Testament, effective building material for the universal building up of the Body of Christ, and good stewards and serving ones in our respective local churches. May the Lord also build His Body through the blending of brothers from the whole earth and the serving of all the FTTA trainees.
Ninety-one brothers from L.A. are registered. Pray that there be no hindrance to our attendance.
Summer Training Registration
Registration for the 2018 Summer Training (July 2 to 7) is open now: $205 for Anaheim. Ask the Lord to increase our number participating in His speaking to the churches in this training on Leviticus. Registration deadline for live is April 27 and for webcast is June 12 at: http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla.
GTCA City Near California - Reno, NV
GTCA is the carrying out of the burden to gospelize, truthize, and churchize America. This is a long-term labor to build up the Body of Christ. In past weeks we mentioned the four 2018 target cities in California.
The Lord has been gathering seekers in the Reno area for a number of years to meet as His testimony. Currently, the church life in Reno consists of 41 saints. There are also numerous community and student contacts. Weekly meetings include the Lord's Table and prophesying meeting, a prayer meeting, and a Friday night meeting at the campus house, 1.4 miles from University of Nevada, Reno.
Pray for continued shepherding contacts with those who received New Testaments during the FTTA gospel trip and for a continuing gospel atmosphere among all the saints.
Germany
Please continue to pray for the spreading of the Lord's testimony throughout Germany. Besides the churches currently in Germany, there are seekers in many other cities. In some of these cities there is a weekly campus Bible study. Ask the Lord to supply the saints bountifully in traveling to and shepherding all of these believers and to gradually burden some experienced in the church life to migrate for the raising up of local churches in Aachen, Bielefeld, Bochum, Cologne, Darmstadt, Dresden, Freiburg, Giessen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Leipzig, Limburg, Mainz, Munich, and Tübingen.
Also pray for continued grace to all who are studying the German language.
The Church in Islamabad, Pakistan
Our first stay-in Youth Training was March 22 to 24. The subject was "The Need to Become Age-Turners." The 20 young people were very pleased with the messages, the fellowship among themselves, and the outing at a park; they did not want to go back home. One young brother got baptized. Some of these young people attend and participate in multiple meetings per week. We are so excited to report how the Lord has been working in, through, and out of the lives of these young people!
Our gospel preaching is corporate. District 1 and 2 saints go to their own communities Tuesdays and Wednesdays to preach the gospel. On Thursdays, many District 1 saints go to the community where there's a possibility to establish another district. On Fridays both districts' saints go to another community. Many regular home meetings have been established in these communities and new families are being contacted.
Please pray that:
- the saints would continue to grow in life, especially the youth who just attended the training;
- the number of saints in each locality would grow;
- the Lord would raise up brothers who have a burden to establish a third district;
- for the release of visas for two saints who desire to attend FTT in the Philippines.
Announcements
- Morning revival: Week 2 of Crystallization-Study of Leviticus, Vol. 1 (Winter Training).
- Children's Work Conference & 6th Grade Preparation Meeting: Saturday, April 28, 9:00 am to 12:15 pm (children's work) and 1:00 to 2:30 pm (6th grade). Lunch will be served. Translation will be provided. Please bring your FM radio. The location is the Church in Diamond Bar meeting hall. Donation is $20. Register at http://www.scyp.com/conferences by April 15.
- Joint LA Meeting: The whole church will meet together on May 6 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at LA Trade Tech College for the Lord's table and a special fellowship with brother Minoru Chen.
- The 6th Grade Conference will be May 11 to 13 at Oak Glen. Registration is due April 29.
- International Memorial Day Conference will be May 25 to 28 in Kansas City. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer. Saints from LA attending are requested to RSVP no later than April 29 at http://tinyurl.com/memdayla (adults) or http://tinyurl.com/memchildrenla (children).
- The 2018 Southern California Blending Conference will be from June 9 to 10 in Anaheim.
- The Summer Training will be July 2 to 7 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Live training registration including payment ($205) is due April 27. Registration for the webcast ($105) is due June 12. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and give cash/check payment to their district's registration coordinator.