Prayer, Week of November 12

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A High and Holy Church Life for God's Habitation

"This is the law of the house: Its entire area on the top of and all around the mountain shall be most holy. Indeed this is the law of the house." (Ezek. 43:12)

"Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word." (Eph. 5:25b-26)

The law of the house can be summed up in two points: the house must be upon the top of the mountain, and it must be most holy....Height is the position of the church and sanctification is the nature of the church.

Is your church life on the top of the mountain? Is your church life holy? We all need to check ourselves by these two aspects of the law of the house. If in our church life we are in resurrection and in the position of ascension and if we are most holy, then we can be God's habitation. (week 20, day 5)

Lord, keep us on Your mountain and continue to sanctify us!

United States

"I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; on behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity." (1 Tim. 2:1-2)

Let us pray for our leaders, and also pray for the restraining of lawlessness in this nation.

More Winter Training and ICSC Registrations

The winter training is a time for us to receive the Lord's fresh speaking. Registration is still open until December 3 for local video registrations; see Announcements for details. In Los Angeles, we will hold simulcasts in different halls and languages from December 25 to 30; there will also be a delayed video training in Spanish.

The International Chinese-speaking Conference (with English translation) is another time to receive the Lord's fresh speaking and participate in the blending of the Body universally. It will be proceeded and followed by church visiting trips. See Announcements for details or contact Lampstand Lee <lampstandlee@yahoo.com> 310-210-5699.

Ask the Lord to release more saints from the affairs of human life and to save us out of any routine church life to participate in these feasts. Ask the Lord to stir our hearts to pursue Him actively: "For it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

College Conference

This weekend, November 17 to 19, students from UCLA will go to Oak Glen for the college conference. The general subject is "Christ's Deep Longing and Good Pleasure." Please pray that the Lord would reveal to each student what is on His heart so that their hearts may become a duplication of His.

Conference in Torrance

We are invited to a conference in Torrance Saturday, December 2, 4 to 6 and 7:30 to 9:30 pm (bring your own dinner) and Lord's Day, December 3, 10 am to noon (followed by a love feast). Attendance from L.A. is limited to 20 saints (plus some children); more information in next week's prayer email.

Germany

Among the 31,000 who received Bibles in October, hundreds are open to and some are seeking further contact. In many cities the number of open people far exceeds the number of saints active in the recovery. Please pray for:

  • the Spirit's moving in the recipients to touch life in the Bible, and be open for continuing fellowship;
  • a rich supply to the local saints to shepherd those who want further fellowship;
  • the Lord to draw many newly contacted students to campus Bible studies;
  • many new lampstands to be raised up in the next three years.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 20 in Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 4.
    After the Thanksgiving conference we will repeat week 21.
  2. The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  3. The Winter Training will be December 25 to 30 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is open until December 3. Saints from LA should register at http://www.tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and give payment to their district's designated registration coordinator.
  4. The 2018 ICSC will be February 16 to 18 in Taipei. Those who wish to attend must register and pay $100 for the conference, which includes hospitality if you need it; organized church visitations trips are also available at an additional cost of $150. Saints from Los Angeles must register before Tuesday, November 28 at http://www.tinyurl.com/ICSC2018LA and give their payment (cash or check only, designated "2018 ICSC") to their district's registration coordinator.
  5. Information about Germany and Europe: see November 5 prayer ("Older Entries" near bottom of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/).

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of November 5

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The Crucified Christ

"For I did not determine to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified." (1 Cor. 2:2)

"But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Cor. 1:23-24)

The death of Christ has become God's power to eliminate all the problems in the universe. Thus, Christ crucified is God's power to abolish all negative things and carry out His plan. The human way of solving problems is to negotiate, but God's way is to terminate. The best way to solve problems among people is to terminate everyone involved.

The crucifixion of Christ has silenced the entire universe and simplified the extremely complicated situation in the universe. When we experience the crucified Christ, all that we are, all that we have, and all that we can do are completely terminated, and His resurrection life is imparted through us into others. (Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, msg. 19, III)

College Conference

This weekend, November 10 to 12, students from USC, CSUN, and CSU Channel Islands will go to Oak Glen for the college conference. The general subject is "Christ's Deep Longing and Good Pleasure." Please pray that the Lord would reveal to each student what is on His heart so that their hearts may become a duplication of His.

Europe

Following last month's ITERO in Leipzig, more than 1,100 saints participated in 30 different blending trips across Europe. The local churches there were greatly strengthened by the flow of life brought by so many visiting saints. Over 35,000 NT Recovery Versions and thousands of pieces of literature were distributed. Many seeking contacts were met, and much prayer is needed that the local saints would have the capacity to shepherd and care for these ones.

The trips concluded with regional conferences in 9 cities with a total attendance exceeding 4,100. For at least 200, this was their first conference. Both Copenhagen, Denmark, and Krakow, Poland, had their first Lord's table on October 15. Please pray:

  1. That all the saints will respond to the Lord's rich speaking with much and thorough prayer that the recovery of the church and the church life would be realized all over Europe.
  2. That the Lord would continue to blend His Body and that there would be a prevailing one accord among all the saints in the local churches.
  3. That all the local saints will be supplied and strengthened to shepherd (1) the many new contacts that have been gained through the Bible and literature distributions and (2) the new ones who attended a conference for the first time.
  4. That the golden lampstands across Europe will shine brightly as the testimony of Jesus in each locality.

England

On November 11, in a suburb of London, Amana Trust will host their concluding seminar on a Journey through the Gospel of John.

The Life-Study of Revelation series is twice a month from September through November in Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds.

Pakistan

The National Blending Conference is November 11 and 12 in Islamabad.

Bangladesh

The Lord's recovery came to Bangladesh in 2008. Since then, 140 local churches have been raised up and the saints are more than 10,000 in number. There is a great need to strengthen the spiritual condition of the saints and the practice of the church life. Reports from a one-week training and a ten-day fellowship about the God-ordained Way are here:

http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/E-2017-10.pdf (English)

http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Asia-2017-10.pdf (Chinese)

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 19 in Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 4.
  2. The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  3. The Winter Training will be December 25 to 30 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is open until December 3. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and give payment to their district's designated registration coordinator.
  4. The International Chinese-Speaking Conference will be February 16 to 18, 2018 in Taipei. Those who wish to attend must register and pay $100 for the conference, which includes hospitality if you need it; organized church visitations trips are also available at an additional cost of $150. Saints from Los Angeles must register before Tuesday, November 28 at http://tinyurl.com/ICSC2018LA and give their payment (cash or check only, designated "2018 ICSC") to their district's registration coordinator.
  5. Information about Germany and Europe:

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of October 29

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The Recovery of the Church in Los Angeles

"Making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ." (Eph. 1:9-10a)

"To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen." (Eph. 3:21)

The recovery of the church is gradual and progressive. This recovery brings forth a proper church life which is:

  • Christ lived out through us in a corporate way (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21a, 3:9-10);
  • A life of being headed up under the unique headship of Christ (Eph. 1:10, 22-23; 4:15-16);
  • The continuation of the divine glorification—the continuation of Christ being glorified by the Father with the divine glory (John 12:23-24; 13:31-32; 17:1, 5, 22; Acts 3:13);
  • The corporate expression of Christ (Eph. 3:16-21; 4:16; 5:27).

For centuries the Lord has been longing for such a church life. We pray that before long this kind of church life will be fully practiced among us in the Lord's recovery. May the Lord be satisfied by seeing such an expression of Himself through the recovery of the genuine church life throughout the earth. (ITERO, msg. 2, IV; msg. 5, II, IV, VI, VII.D)

Lord, make more progress in Your recovery of us to enlarge and spread Your corporate expression in Los Angeles.

Lord, Grace Us in Giving

"Furthermore we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia…" (2 Cor. 8:1)

By this grace, which is the resurrection life of Christ, the Macedonian believers overcame the usurpation of temporal and uncertain riches and became generous in ministering to the needy saints. The believers needed grace to overcome the power of mammon and material things and to release these things from Satan's domination that they might be offered to the Lord for the fulfillment of His purpose. Resurrection life is the supply for the believers to live such a life, a life trusting in God, not in material possessions, a life not for today but for the future, not for this age but for the coming age, a life that overthrows the usurpation of temporal and uncertain riches. (Footnote 1 in 2 Cor. 8:1 and 1 Cor. 16:1)

Lord, give us more of this grace to live such a life!

Thanksgiving Conference

The International Thanksgiving Conference will be from November 23 to 26 (Thursday night to Lord's Day noon) in Phoenix, Arizona. For those who desire to go, please note that the special hotel rate at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix expires on November 1; go to http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/book/livingstreamministry. More conference details are posted at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.

Please ask the Lord to stir our hearts to pursue Him actively and release more saints from Los Angeles to attend this time of blending and hear the Lord's up-to-date speaking.

Bibles for America

BfA is embarking on a major redesign of the Bibles for America Blog, to make it easy for the thousands of online visitors each month to access the hundreds of posts on the blog. The new design will also make BfA videos and podcasts readily available from the blog. Please pray:

  • for efficient and timely implementation of the redesign;
  • for the many subscribers and other readers to be brought into more understanding of the truth;
  • that the redesign will increase the Bible orders and downloads of ministry books.

Germany

From October 9 to 21 in Germany, near 400 saints coordinated to distribute 31,366 Bibles. Please pray for:

  • the Spirit's moving in the recipients to read and touch life in the Bible, and be open for fellowship;
  • a rich supply to the local saints to shepherd those who requested further fellowship;
  • the Lord to draw many newly contacted students to campus Bible studies;
  • many new lampstands to be raised up in the next three years.

European Autumn University Conference

This conference on "The Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus" will take place November 3 to 5 in England. Please pray for:

  • the Lord to release a timely word and speak to each student personally;
  • each student to love the Lord more and have a clearer vision of the desire of the Lord's heart;
  • the advance of blending across Europe and students to sense that they are members of the one Body.

Spain

After ITERO, 80 saints from Mexico, Central America, South America, the United States, and Russia, along with 5 FTTA and FTTA-XB trainees and 5 full-timers from Madrid, joined in Bible distributions in three cities, both on and off campuses. A total of 1,738 Bibles were distributed; 125 people were saved.

The saints were very encouraged by how the Lord was pouring out His blessing. We all experienced that the impact on the distribution of Bibles and the preaching of the gospel comes from the coordination, prayer, and one accord. We are praying that many of the contacts will be gained by the local saints and will come into the church life.

Lyon, France

At the beginning of October, there seemed to be no way to get a campus room for our Bible study. For weeks, we prayed desperately, then went and asked for a classroom, and were assigned a room without a single question asked! Two attendants from last year—both French students—continue to join us. Last Thursday three more students came for the first time after seeing our poster and Facebook page. Praise the Lord! We continue to experience His faithfulness.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 17 in Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 3.
  2. Time Change: Daylight Saving Time ends on November 5. Please remember to set your clocks back one hour this Saturday.
  3. The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix from November 23 to 26. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  4. The Winter Training will be December 25 to 30 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. For the live training, complete registration including payment was due October 29. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is due December 3. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment (cash or check only) to their district's designated registration coordinator.
  5. The International Chinese-Speaking Conference will be February 16 to 18, 2018 in Taipei. Those who wish to attend must register and pay $100 for the conference, which includes hospitality if you need it; organized church visitations trips are also available at an additional cost of $150. Saints from Los Angeles must register before Tuesday, November 28 at http://tinyurl.com/ICSC2018LA and give their payment (cash or check only, designated "2018 ICSC") to their district's registration coordinator.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of October 22

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Church in Los Angeles

"But to Him who is able to do superabundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power which operates in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21)

"The church is a group of people who allow God to be mingled with them and who are mingled with God. This was the situation with the early apostles. They were truly Galileans, but they were also truly one with the God of heaven; they had the appearance of Galileans, but they also had the expression of the God of heaven… A glorious and great God was now mingled with common people, shining forth and being expressed through them." (WL, The Church as the Body of Christ, pp. 46-47)

The whole church in Los Angeles—with all of our halls, districts, and languages—will come together from 9:30 am to 12 noon on Lord's Day, October 29, to blend together as the Lord's one testimony in this city. It has been one year since we had such a gathering. This joint meeting will take place at the LA Convention Center. Plan to arrive by 9:15 am to allow time for parking and walking to the room.

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!

High School Conferences

The Fall 2017 High School Conferences will be this weekend, October 27 to 29. The brothers' conference will take place in Anaheim; sisters' conference in Irvine. Please pray for the Lord to freshly appear to each young person.

The Recovery of the Church

The subject of ITERO was The Recovery of the Church. Some outlines from ITERO were also the base for the eight regional conferences October 14-15 in Europe. Briefly, the recovery of the church is the recovery of Christ as our life to saturate us, transform us, and head us up so that we live out the reality of His Body and be His corporate expression.

Ask the Lord to fill us all with this vision of the church and to bring us into this reality.

This Saturday there will be an all-day meeting for Southern California elders and responsible brothers; the primary purpose of this gathering is to review the nine messages from ITERO. Please ask the Lord to release many brothers to attend and to bless the fellowship for the building up of the churches in Southern California.

Germany

In the first week of Bible distributions, about 300 saints participated and 17,366 Bibles, mostly Recovery Version NTs in German, were distributed in 53 cities. In the second week, focused strongly on college campuses, more NTs were distributed and many contacts begun with students. Numerous encounters with open, seeking Germans occurred. Some people asked for further contact, and all the recipients have a website through which they can request further contact.

Please pray that the brooding Spirit would operate in all the recipients to read His Word, to touch life in His Word, to desire further fellowship, and then to fully enter into the church life.

Pray also that the events in recent weeks would lay a foundation for raising up many local churches in Germany.

Announcements

  • Morning revival: Week 17 in Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 3. REPEAT Week 17 the week following the Joint LA Meeting.
  • Joint LA Meeting (TIME CHANGE): The whole church in LA will meet together on Lord's Day, October 29 from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
  • The International Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Saints from LA who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by October 29. Childcare registration required. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  • The Winter Training will be December 25 to 30 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. For the live training, complete registration including payment ($205) is due October 29. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is due December 3. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://www.tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment to their district's designated registration coordinator.
  • The International Chinese-Speaking Conference will be February 16 to 18, 2018 in Taipei. Information is available at http://www.icsc2018.org. Registration deadline is November 30.
  • Information about Germany and Europe: see September 10 prayer ("Older Entries" near bottom of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/).

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of October 15

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Treasuring God's Blessing

"And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you listen to the voice of Jehovah your God." (Deut. 28:2)

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ." (Eph. 1:3)

The normal life of a Christian is a life of blessing, and the normal work of a Christian is a work of blessing. The day must come when we realize that in our work, in our Christian life, and in our church life, everything depends on God's blessing.

In serving the Lord, we should believe in and treasure God's blessing. We need to learn to live and to practice the church life in a way that does not hinder God's blessing. We should rely on God's blessing and eliminate the barriers that prevent us from receiving it. (Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, Msg. 16, III)

Joint LA Meeting

The whole church in Los Angeles—with all of our halls, districts, and languages—will come together from 9:30am to 12pm on Lord's Day, October 29, to blend together as the Lord's one testimony in this city. It has been one year since we had such a gathering. This joint meeting will take place at the LA Convention Center. 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!

Winter Training Registration

The Winter Training (December 25 to 30) is a time for all the saints to receive the Lord's fresh speaking. Ask the Lord to release more of us from the affairs of human life to participate in this training in Anaheim or in the webcasts in LA. We believe "that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). At the same time, we know that "it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). Ask the Lord to stir our hearts to pursue Him actively.

Registration for the live training is due October 29. See Announcements below for more details.

Junior High Conferences

The Fall 2017 Junior High Conferences will be this weekend, October 20 to 22. The brothers' conference will take place in Diamond Bar; sisters' conference in Fullerton. Please pray for the Lord to freshly appear to each young person.

LA Chinese-Speaking Blending Time

This weekend, October 21 to 22, there will be a blending time for the Chinese-speaking saints in LA at Oak Glen, along with saints from Thousand Oaks. The fellowship will be on "The Humanity of Jesus for Living and Serving in the Church life" based on the book Christ as the Reality. The burden is that we all need to "eat" the humanity of Jesus, so that we may have a proper humanity to live and serve in the church life. Pray for more to be released to attend this retreat, enjoy the Lord, and be blended together!

LA Korean Festival Follow-Up

Praise the Lord for His move during last weekend's Korean Festival! A pastor from the Valley visited our booth on Thursday and received a NT Recovery Version. He read the four Gospels thoroughly, found that this Bible was well translated, and excitedly returned with others to our booth on Lord's Day evening to ask for more copies. We distributed around 400 Bibles and have many positive testimonies like this. The atmosphere was sweet and enjoyable. All the saints enjoyed Jehovah God throughout the distribution.

We very much need and appreciate the prayers of the church. Please pray:

  • that all the recipients would read the Bible and receive the life supply;
  • that many would attend our Bible seminar on November 11;
  • that our saints may maintain the spirit of the gospel and have a daily gospel living.

Bibles for America

BfA recently ran a test on the "Thank You" page that people receive after ordering their free Bible online. A "Download free e-books" button was added to the page for two weeks, resulting in a 20% increase in downloads. This change could potentially result in a total of 250 downloads per day.

Please pray for more people, especially in today's climate of turmoil, anxiety, and fear, to find our website and download these books filled with life and truth.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 16 in Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 3.
  2. Joint LA Meeting (TIME CHANGE): The whole church in LA will meet together on Lord's Day, October 29 from 9:30am to 12:00pm at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
  3. The International Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Saints from LA who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by October 29. Childcare registration required. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  4. The Winter Training will be December 25 to 30 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. For the live training, complete registration including payment ($205) is due October 29. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is due December 3. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla and submit payment to their district's designated registration coordinator.
  5. The International Chinese-Speaking Conference will be February 16 to 18, 2018 in Taipei. Information is available at http://www.icsc2018.org. Registration deadline is November 30.
  6. Information about Germany and Europe: see September 10 prayer ("Older Entries" near bottom of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/).

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of October 8

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"I Am Jehovah"

"And I will take you to Myself as My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am Jehovah your God, the One who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Jehovah." (Exo. 6:7-8)

In these verses, God came not to promise something to Moses but to fulfill the promise that He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thus, He came to Moses not as El Shaddai [for supply and promise] but as Jehovah, the One who is and who will fulfill all that He has promised.

Because Jehovah exists eternally and because He is the reality of the verb to be, He will fulfill whatever He has spoken. In the Lord's recovery today, we are not in the stage of promise but in the stage of fulfillment. We are experiencing God not only as El Shaddai but also as Jehovah, the great I Am. (Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, msg. 15, III.B-D)

Post-ITERO Blending Trips, Conferences & Bible Distributions

The general subject of last weekend's ITERO in Leipzig was "The Recovery of the Church." Blending trips are now taking place from October 8 to 15 in eight regions throughout Europe. The itineraries include free literature distribution and regional conferences this weekend. Between 4,000 and 5,000 saints in total are expected to attend these conferences, which will be in Stuttgart, Krakow, Thessaloniki, Copenhagen, Paris, Madrid, Florence and London.

In Germany, there will be two weeks of Bible distributions. The goal is to strengthen, spread and build up the Lord's testimony in Germany for the building up of the Body of Christ. The burden of the Bible distribution is to gain the local Germans through the distribution of the German New Testament Recovery Version by sowing the Word of God all over this country. Also participating in this distribution will be a total of 125 FTTA and FTTA-XB trainees, along with some graduates and full-time serving ones.

We are in a spiritual warfare. For this we surely need the prayers to cover all our activities and the prayers of authority to bind and to loose as the Lord has bound and loosed in the heavens. Please pray:

  • That the Lord would take a major step in His move in Europe through the propagation of His interpreted Word, the gaining of seeking new ones, and the blending of the saints in one accord.
  • That in Germany the Bibles would specifically get into the hands of as many German students and young professionals as possible.
  • That the Lord would cover the travel of all the saints.

Joint LA Meeting

The whole church in LA will meet together on Lord's Day, October 29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center downtown. For the sake of the Lord's testimony in this city, let us remind and encourage one another to attend this gathering and pray strongly for it.

LA Korean Festival

The LA Korean Festival will take place at Seoul International Park in Koreatown from October 12 to 15. The largest cultural event in the Korean-American community, this popular annual event is expected to attract over 400,000 visitors. Since 2012, the church in LA has used this time to spread the truth by giving out free copies of the New Testament Recovery Version and BfA materials.

Ahead of this year's festival, please pray that:

  • The Lord would use this time to rekindle our spirit for the gospel;
  • Many new ones would joyfully participate in the distribution;
  • Many saints would have a daily gospel living in their schools, work places and neighborhoods.

May the Lord pour out His Spirit upon us during this time, "that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified" (2 Thes. 3:1).

CSUN & UCLA

Last weekend, from October 7 to 8, a group of CSUN and UCLA students gathered for a Freshman Fall Retreat at Oak Glen. A total of 53 students attended, including 10 freshmen and some new campus contacts. The burden of this time was to connect our existing students with these freshmen and contacts. The content of the fellowship was "Enjoying, Growing, Functioning and Building." Many prayed around the camp fire to consecrate themselves to love the Lord and pursue Him. Four new ones were baptized.

Please pray for our follow-up care for all the new ones with the shepherding heart of the Lord.

Polish Recovery Version

The Polish New Testament Recovery Version proof-reading project was completed last month. It is now ready to be printed. We are so thankful to all the dear saints for their support by prayer, by giving, and also by coming to Warsaw to participate in the proofreading. Pray that the Lord's Word will run and be glorified among the Polish-speaking people.

Krakow, Poland

The first Lord's table to begin the church life in Krakow, Poland, will take place on October 15. Please pray for a strong testimony in Krakow for the Lord's move in Poland.

Copenhagen, Denmark

On October 15, coinciding with the regional conferences, will be the first Lord's table meetings in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 15 in Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 3.
  2. Joint LA Meeting: The whole church in LA will meet together on Lord's Day, October 29 at 10:00am at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
  3. The International Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Saints from LA who plan to attend are asked to RSVP by October 29. Childcare registration required. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  4. The Winter Training will be December 25 to 30 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. For the live training, complete registration including payment ($205) is due October 29. Registration for the webcast training ($105) is due December 3. Late fees will be incurred after these deadlines. Saints from LA should register at http://www.tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla/ and submit payment to their district's designated registration coordinator.
  5. The International Chinese-Speaking Conference will be February 16 to 18, 2018 in Taipei. Information is available at http://www.icsc2018.org. Registration deadline is November 30.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of October 1

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Living a Prophesying Life by Loving the Lord

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18)

"He who prophesies builds up the church." (1 Cor. 14:4b)

We need to live a prophesying life by loving the Lord to the uttermost. The more we love the Lord, the more we are qualified, perfected, and equipped to speak for the Lord. Our love for the Lord is the factor, the element, and the very basic essence of our having the authority and impact and of our being powerful in our speaking for the Lord.

If we love the Lord, we will be filled with Him. Whatever fills us within will come out of us. The overflow comes from the infilling. When we love the Lord to the uttermost, we must speak. We must release the One who has filled us within. (Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, msg. 14, II)

Lord Jesus, we love You! Increase our love for You to the uttermost! Lord, perfect us to organically prophesy — to speak You into others — for the building up of the church in oneness "as an exceedingly great army" (Ezek. 37:10)!

International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones

The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones (ITERO) will take place from October 5 to 7 in Leipzig, Germany. Afterwards, many saints will participate in blending trips from October 8 to 15. Attendance at ITERO will also include Persian-speaking brothers. This is a wonderful opportunity for these relatively young brothers in the Lord to give themselves to be trained here and in the future.

Please pray for all the brothers traveling, for the Lord's rich and up-to-date speaking, and for the blending of all the saints.

BfA Tour in Northern California

During the September tour, we gave away 215 Bibles, hundreds of books, and thousands of tracts. Please pray:

  • for these who signed up to be contacted, many of them students at the universities we visited;
  • that the recipients of the Bible would open it, read it, and receive life and light;
  • that people who received ministry books would read them, be nourished, and be helped to know the Lord and His purpose.
  • that those who took a gospel tract would read it and be helped to receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior.

Lyon, France

The church in Lyon held 7 Bible distributions at different universities. On average, 8 to 10 copies would be given away each time. Two of the recipients have attended home meetings thus far. In October, we will use a classroom at the La Doua campus to study the Bible with the ones who are open. We already have two contacts from last year who expressed their willingness to join these times. Please pray for the Lord's blessing on these Bible distributions and for the growth and progress of these contacts.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 14 in Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 3.
  2. Joint LA Meeting: The whole church in LA will meet together on Lord's Day, October 29 at 10:00am at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
  3. The International Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  4. The Winter Training will be from December 25 to 30 in Anaheim and by local webcasts in LA. Registration for the live training must be completed by Lord's Day morning, October 29. Saints from LA should register at https://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla/ and submit payment to their district's designated registration coordinator.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of September 24

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Enlivened from Deadness and Joined Together

Chapter thirty-seven [of Ezekiel] reveals that the Lord comes to revive His dead and scattered people and to make them one….Because they had become dead, dry bones, they needed to be enlivened and joined together. (LS of Ezekiel, ch. 18, sec. 1)

Ezekiel 37:12 says, "Prophesy and say unto [these bones], Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Now I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel."

In John 5:25 the Lord Jesus says, "An hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."

Lord, fulfill Your word in Ezekiel 37. By Your Spirit and Your speaking save us from every grave and every kind of deadness. Enliven us and join us together to be Your army.

L.A. Young People

Please pray that those who serve the young people would care for the young people with the careful attentiveness of a shepherd. Proverbs 27:23 says "Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds." Pray that every young person in the church in Los Angeles would have a shepherd and that all the shepherds would learn the needs of the young people and pray for them in specific ways. Pray also that all our young people would be guarded against this evil age by the Lord strengthening them to open their mouth and speak the gospel. It is by our young people having their feet shod with the gospel of peace that they are separated from the earthly touch of the world.

Southern California High School Juniors & Seniors Fellowship

This fellowship is Saturday morning, September 30 to Lord's Day lunch, October 1 at Oak Glen. It is critical in giving these YP a healthy view of the next few years of their life in the light of God's purpose, and we believe they will find the fellowship relevant and practical.

After the Hurricanes

Please continue to pray for saints in Texas, in the Caribbean, in Florida and throughout the Southeast affected by multiple recent hurricanes and their aftermath. May they be strengthened and encouraged inwardly and may their material needs be met. Please pray for the people in these regions to receive the living and abiding Word of God and to set their hope on the One who is the Savior of all mankind.

Those who feel to give to saints whose homes were damaged can give to the church in LA, designated "Houston" or "Puerto Rico."

Germany

October 5 to 7 our fall ITERO will be in Germany. The saints are preparing in many ways for post-ITERO distribution of thousands of New Testaments by hundreds of saints in dozens of cities, and preparing to serve at the conference in Stuttgart, for which over 1000 have registered. Let us beseech the Lord to:

  • abundantly supply the saints in Germany laboring in preparation for these events;
  • give grace to saints who are now migrating to Germany and for those beginning language schools;
  • uplift the hearts of all the saints there for maximum participation now and in October;
  • strengthen and spread His move in Germany through the events in October.

Europe

Saints in other parts of Europe are preparing for visitors on 24 post-ITERO blending trips, distribution of New Testaments, and seven regional conference. Lord, our petition is for a bountiful supply of the Spirit throughout the recovery in Europe.

India

The 2017 National Blending Conference will be September 30 to October 2 in Chennai, India.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 13 in Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 3.
  2. The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  3. Information about Germany and Europe: see September 10 prayer ("Older Entries" near bottom of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/).

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of September 17

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The Reality and Building Up of the Body of Christ

"But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ. Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love." (Eph. 4:15-16)

For the reality and building up of the Body of Christ, we need to live in the resurrection life of Christ under the unique headship of Christ and grow up into the Head, Christ, in all things. (Knowing Life and the Church, Banner 4)

The reality of the Body of Christ is a corporate living of the conformity to the death of Christ through the power of His resurrection. Because the Body of Christ is in the mingled spirit, to be in the reality of the Body of Christ is to be in the mingled spirit and to live in the mingled spirit. (Msg 6, III.D.)

The growth of the Body of Christ is the increase of Christ in the church, which results in the building up of the Body by the Body itself. When Christ enters into the saints and lives within them, the Christ within the saints becomes the church. The Body of Christ grows by the growth of Christ within us and is built up this way. (Msg 6, V.A.)

College Campuses in Los Angeles

The start of a new academic year is a strategic time to contact the many freshmen who are open to something new and searching for a direction in life. With this goal in view, please continue pray:

  • That the saints would be supplied and strengthened to continue going out on the gospel while there is still an open door at the start of the new semester.
  • For our students to be built up together in the enjoyment of the Lord—especially in twos and threes—to be fruit-bearing branches and feeders of sheep.
  • That the Lord would lead us in our follow-up contact of the new ones, which includes knowing whom to focus our labor on, and that these ones would be open to our saints.
  • For the building up of the vital group living in the homes as a strong net to gain the new students for the church.
  • For much mutual shepherding between the students and the community saints.

Increase in Los Angeles

By May 2018, our church-wide goal is to see a 15% increase to 700 saints meeting on the Lord's Day. As we enjoy the church life, "continuing steadfastly with one accord" (Acts 2:46), let us inquire of the Lord to increase us "with men like a flock" (Ezek. 36:37).

German Elections

On September 24, elections will take place to choose all the members of the national parliament; the parliament will then elect a chancellor, the national leader.

God "gave Him [Christ] to be Head over all things to the church, which is His Body" (Eph. 1:20-23). Lord, exercise Your headship over this election and over the cultural atmosphere in all of Germany for the sake of Your Body!

India

The churches in India request prayer:

  • that the Lord may strengthen the local churches in the major cities there by the constitution of the ministry of the age, the rich experiences of life, and the establishment of the practice of the God-ordained way for the sake of His testimony.
  • that the Lord may continue to spread into many more cities, especially in the North of the country (with a population of approximately 800 million) that many sons of peace and seekers of the truth may be gained for His move.

The current three-page "News of the Churches in India" is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.

Continuing Burdens

Hurricane Harvey: Those who feel to give to the saints in Houston whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Harvey can designate their offer­ings "Houston."

Oak Glen: Lord, grace us (2 Cor. 8:1, 4, 6-7, 9) to give monthly for the payments on this property.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 6 in Knowing Life and the Church (Memorial Day Conference). After week 6 we will begin Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 3 (week 13).
  2. The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/.
  3. Information about Germany and Europe: see September 10 prayer ("Older Entries" near bottom of https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/).

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of September 10

Everything Depends on Our Seeing the Body

"For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body….God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, even as He willed….God has blended the body together." (1 Cor. 12:12-13, 18, 24)

The Body is in opposition to the individual. Just as the Father is versus the world, the Spirit is versus the flesh, and the Lord is versus the devil, so also is the Body versus the individual. Once a man sees the Body of Christ, he is free from individualism. He will no longer live for himself but for the Body. Once I am delivered from individualism, I am spontaneously in the Body.

If we realize that a Christian is nothing more than a member, we will no longer be proud. Everything depends on our seeing. Those who see that they are members will surely treasure the Body and honor the other members. (CWWN, vol. 44, chap. 14, sec. 2, The Mystery of Christ)

Lord, we open our whole being to You. Show us more of Your Body!

Increase in Los Angeles

Since last year, the church in Los Angeles has had a renewed burden for increase with a specific goal of 15% growth. In April 2016, when we began keeping regular attendance numbers, the average total Lord's Day attendance in all the districts was 538. In 2017, the average attendance from January to May was 607. This represents a 12.8% increase, for which we thank the Lord. By May 2018, our goal is to see a 15% increase from this number to 700.

As we enjoy the church life, "continuing steadfastly with one accord" (Acts 2:46), let us inquire of the Lord to increase us "with men like a flock" (Ezek. 36:37).

College Campuses in Los Angeles

USC is already in the fourth week of classes; CSUN and multiple junior colleges are in the third week, and UCLA has not yet started. As the universities in Los Angeles begin the new academic year, many freshmen are open to something new and searching for a direction in life. God wants to gain these ones for His economy. With this goal in view, please pray:

  • That the saints would be supplied and strengthened to continue going out on the gospel while there is still an open door at the start of the new semester.
  • For our students to be built up together in the enjoyment of the Lord—especially in twos and threes—to be fruit-bearing branches and feeders of sheep.
  • That the Lord would lead us in our follow-up contact of the new ones, which includes knowing whom to focus our labor on, and that these ones would be open to our saints.
  • For the building up of the vital group living in the homes as a strong net to gain the new students.
  • For much mutual shepherding between the students and the community saints;
  • That all the saints would provide a warm and Christly welcome to our own UCLA students coming back next week to encourage, strengthen, and supply them.

College Campuses in Germany

  • Please pray for our preparations for an in-reaping of freshmen through the labor on the campuses, including the Bible distributions, at the start of the new academic year in October.
  • At Goethe University in Frankfurt, we will have seven sisters enrolled this fall. Please pray for their living situation and that there would be at least one sister's house near the campus.
  • In October, over 4,000 first-year students come to the university in Tübingen, near Stuttgart. Please pray for the fellowship and coordination needed to contact them and for the release of an apartment near the campus that would serve as a nest to contain and shepherd them into the church life.

Germany

Please continue to pray:

  • That those who are emigrating now will find housing and jobs (for the job-keeping full-timers) and will obtain visas to live and serve long-term in Germany;
  • For the learning of the German language by the saints who have emigrated;
  • For the practical strengthening and building up of the local churches;
  • That the Lord will send an adequate number of experienced brothers who can provide leadership to the work in Germany;
  • That the Lord would guard the local saints and their families from attacks of the enemy;
  • For the saints laboring to prepare for the Bible distributions and the Stuttgart conference in October;
  • That the Farsi speaking new believers would continue to be perfected in the truth and established in the faith, to become faithful witnesses who could teach others.

Polish Recovery Version

The six-week proofreading labor began in mid August. Please pray for the Lord's continued blessing on this project and for the timely completion of all the tasks for the best possible publication of the Polish New Testament Recovery Version.

Announcements

  1. Morning revival: Week 5 in Knowing Life and the Church (Memorial Day Conference). After week 6 we will begin Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel, vol. 3 (week 13)
  2. The Thanksgiving Conference will be in Phoenix Thursday night, November 23 to Lord's Day noon, November 26. Information is at https://churchinlosangeles.org/prayer/ .
  3. Information about Germany and Europe: (this list is included once a month)

by Ruolin Fan