Prayer, Week of May 9

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The Governing Vision of God's Economy

Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint." This means that without a vision, the people will become loose, like wild horses in their untamed state. The clearest instance in the New Testament where the word vision is mentioned is in the case of Paul. In Acts 26:19, while he was defending himself before King Agrippa, he uttered this word: "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision."

Under the heavenly vision we are directed toward God's destination, and our life is controlled according to God's economy. The governing vision of the Bible is the Triune God working Himself into His chosen and redeemed people in order to saturate their entire being with the Divine Trinity for the producing and building up of the Body of Christ consummating in the New Jerusalem. (CWWL, 1986, vol. 2, "Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord's Recovery, Book 1: The Vision and Definite Steps for the Practice of the New Way," pp. 4-5; CS Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, msg. 10, I.G-H)

Lord, bring all the saints under the heavenly vision of Your economy!

Church in Los Angeles Joint Meeting

The whole church in Los Angeles—all halls, districts, and languages—will meet together on Lord's Day, May 23, starting at 10 am. This time will include the Lord's Table, ministry and encouraging fellowship, and the annual business meeting of the church. There will be translations to Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. The Zoom information will be communicated next week. Groups or districts are welcome to gather, with the usual safeguards, to participate in this meeting.

Please pray for a healthy attendance and participation, and for much blending and mutual encouragement to all.

Our Young People

We are overjoyed to announce the baptism of some of our young people in Hall 2 this Lord's Day, May 16, at 12:00 pm. Allison and Isaac (6th grade) and David (7th grade) have given themselves to the Lord and made the choice to testify before the world that they belong to Him!

Please pray that all three would:

  • Eat a healthy, heavenly diet by reading the Bible with their parents, especially the four gospels;
  • Enter into a daily experience of their wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ; and
  • Find companions with whom they can pursue the Lord together.

LA YP Parents and Serving Ones Fellowship

This Thursday, May 13, 8:00 to 9:00 pm, there will be an important time of fellowship for the parents and serving ones of the young people in the church in LA. The fellowship will be about the burden for the upcoming SSOT and our church Policy for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Please pray that the Lord would bless this time with His burden and heart for our young people, and lead us in caring for them in the church in LA.

LA College Seniors and Recent Graduates

A special time of fellowship with current college seniors and recent college graduates will take place May 16. We are burdened that this category of saints would receive the proper care and shepherding during this critical transition period.

Please pray that this time would be well attended, that the saints would be receptive and responsive to the fellowship, and that the Lord would use this time to shepherd and care for these ones in every way as they move onto the next stage of their human life.

LA Korean-speaking Gospel Meeting

This Friday, May 14 there will be a Korean-speaking gospel meeting. The churches in Santa Clarita and Torrance will join this time. The invitation with Zoom link is at http://www.tinyurl.com/2021gospelmeeting. Please pray that the Lord would bless this meeting and strengthen the saints to preach the gospel.

SoCal Spanish-speaking Perfecting Training

Saturday afternoon, May 15, there will be a perfecting time on Zoom for Southern California Spanish-speaking brothers who have been invited to ITERO. Lord, release many brothers to register and participate in this time of perfecting for the advancement of Your move in Southern California!

FTTA Short-term

During this Spring 2021 term of the Full-time Training in Anaheim, three virtual short-term sessions were arranged for any college students and young working saints interested in visiting the training. The third session takes place next week from Monday to Wednesday, May 17 to 19. During this time, prospective applicants will have the opportunity to fellowship with current FTTA trainees, attend classes, join the gospel teams, and have a time with FTTA staff members.

Please pray for the saints' visitation of the FTTA and for the Lord's continual calling of recent college graduates and young working saints to offer themselves to be trained in these days.

National Full-timers' Retreat

This week, from Monday to Wednesday, May 10 to 12, the full-timers throughout the US and Canada are gathering online to fellowship about their service to the Lord. Please pray that:

  1. The Lord would refresh and strengthen the serving spirit in all of these ones.
  2. All the fellowship would result in an increased one accord for the Lord’s one work in these countries.
  3. Much mutual learning would equip every full-timer to more effectively preach the gospel and shepherd the college students.

India

Please continue to pray for the second wave of the pandemic in India to be under control without further spreading; that the Lord of all can come into the situation to withstand the work of the enemy and to control the worsening situation.

Also pray for the opening of people's hearts, that through God's sovereign arrangement in the environment as the Leader, many can be open to Him as the Savior, and that He would give repentance and forgiveness of sins to the people.

Lord's Move to Africa

The May 2021 newsletter of the Lord's Move to Africa reports on how the Lord is strengthening His testimony in South Africa in three strategic cities—Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. This issue is available to download in English and Chinese at http://www.lmafrica.org/newsletter.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 10 of Crystallization-study of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, Vol. 2.
  2. Living Stream Ministry is offering a free e-booklet, Life's Principle—To Change Death into Life. Formats include PDF, Kindle, Audiobook, and more! Visit http://www.lsm.org/lifes-principle.
  3. July Semiannual Training Registration: LA's Semiannual Video Training will begin on July 5. For schedule and registration, please see our church app or visit http://tinyurl.com/summertrainingla and follow instructions carefully. Registration must be completed by June 15.
  4. Memorial Day Conference Webcast: May 28 to 31. No registration needed; all are welcome!
  5. Summer School of Truth: June 12 to 26 on Zoom. Registration deadline is May 23.
  6. A Timely Speaking of Supply: Each week Living Stream Ministry posts a free video from messages given by Brother Lee at http://lsm.org/timely-speaking.html. This week's video is "The First God-man's Living—from the Manger to the Cross (2)" from The God-man Living, ch. 4.
  7. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of April 25

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Experiencing Christ as Wisdom to Us from God

"In whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden." (Col. 2:3)

"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God..." (1 Cor. 1:30)

For Christ to become wisdom to us from God indicates that there is a transmission of Christ as wisdom from God to us for our daily experience. Christ as wisdom should unceasingly flow from God to us to be our present and practical wisdom in our experience. If we are one with the Lord and receive His dispensing, we will experience and enjoy Him as our wisdom day by day and hour by hour.

"In order that now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies the multifarious wisdom of God might be made known through the church." (Eph. 3:10)

When God's chosen and redeemed people partake of and enjoy the riches of Christ, these riches constitute them the church, through which God's multifarious wisdom is made known to the angelic rulers and authorities in the heavenlies. The day is coming when, through the church, Satan and his angels will be put to shame. They will realize that everything they have done has given God the opportunity to manifest His wisdom. (CS Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, msg. 8, IV.C.1-2, 4; V.D.1-2)

The Practical Way to Be Vitalized

"Do not be slothful in zeal, but be burning in spirit, serving the Lord." (Rom. 12:11)

Pray that the saints would take action to be vitalized by being stirred up in the best love for the Lord through repenting prayers, by practicing to fellowship with the Lord and with the seeking saints to gain companions for their labor, and by reconsecrating themselves to the Lord in being transformed by the renewing of their mind and being burning in spirit to serve the Lord, all of which will usher them into a prayer life in which they pray themselves into the all-inclusive Spirit and learn how to follow this Spirit by exercising their spirit. (http://www.Beseeching.org, Day 94)

Thousand Oaks Gospel Meeting

The church in Thousand Oaks will have a Chinese-language gospel meeting on Zoom this Friday, April 30, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Please pray for the Lord to bring many unsaved people and to speak directly to each one.

West Coast Korean-speaking Blending

This Lord's Day, May 2, all the Korean-speaking saints on the West Coast are invited to join an unprecedented blending conference. The participating churches are not only from California but also include localities in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. We will enjoy the messages from ITERO ("Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life").

Please pray for the Lord to bless this gathering with His speaking, and for all the saints to be enlightened, encouraged, nourished, and shepherded. Also pray for the group times to facilitate more blending for the reality of the Body of Christ.

Central and Eastern European and Balkans Blending Conference

This weekend, from April 30 to May 2, there will be an online blending conference for saints throughout the Central, Eastern and Balkan areas of Europe. The general subject is "The Genuine Church Life." The main language during the conference will be English, but all the fellowship and messages will be translated into Romanian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Czech/Slovak, Serbo-Croatian, Polish, Albanian, Greek, Turkish, and Chinese. Lord bless your move in central and eastern Europe! More information is at http://www.churchesceeb.org.

Albania

The saints in Albania will be participating in this conference. They are requesting prayer in four areas:

  1. That the Lord would give extra grace and wisdom to the translators and proofreaders, so that the audio translation can be made available on a separate channel. May this labor be completed in time!
  2. That the saints would actually join. These wonderful messages would really open up fellowship concerning the proper church life, the Lord's recovery, and the Body of Christ.
  3. For the proper digestion of the messages after the conference.
  4. For the Lord to bring out the proper function of all the saints. May the Lord fan into flame the spirit for the gospel as a way for us all to enter into the deep experience of Christ and into the practice of the God-ordained way.

Angola

Angola is the largest of the six Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa. In 2015, through the coordination and supply of the Body, the church life in Angola was revived with visiting saints from Brazil and South Africa. There are currently around 600 saints meeting in 2 localities.

During the pandemic, the saints in Angola received the burden to join the global prayer for 30 days. Afterwards, the saints in Uige had the burden to continue the practice of daily prayer. Such a prayer life has brought in many blessings. They have witnessed an increase in the number of saints coming into the church life: more than 30 new ones have been baptized. In addition, the Lord has raised up gatherings of believers in two neighboring cities, Maquela and Bungo. May such blessings continue to abound and to flow to other cities in Angola, in particular to the capital city Luanda.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 8 of Crystallization-study of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Vol. 2.
  2. Words of Fellowship to the Church in LA: A new video entitled Meeting Together is posted on YouTube and in our church app, with translations in Chinese, Korean and Spanish.
  3. LA Joint Meeting: Lord's Day, May 23, we will have a meeting on Zoom of the whole church in LA.
  4. 6th Grade Parents & Serving Ones: On May 1 from 10:00 to 11:30 am, there will be a time of fellowship for serving ones and parents of our 6th graders. Translation into Chinese, Korean and Spanish will be provided. Registration is still open at http://scyp.com/6thgrade.
  5. Bibles for America continues to produce impactful videos, both to spread the good news of the gospel and to convey the truths in the Bible. Watch and share at http://www.youtube.com/biblesforamerica.
  6. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of April 18

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The Move of God in Man in the New Testament

"But You have hidden these things in Your heart; I know that this is with You." (Job 10:13)

"And to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things." (Eph. 3:9)

The move of God in man is in the New Testament to meet man's need before God. The move of God in man is from the first coming of Christ to the manifestation of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth. This move is unprecedented in human history. (CS Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, msg. 7, II)

As believers in Christ, we need to grow in the divine life of Christ that we may be transformed into what Christ is through the life-dispensing Spirit, that we may be built up with the saints to be the Body of Christ, the organism of the Triune God in Christ, and to be the new man as God's new creation to carry out God's eternal economy in the consummation of the New Jerusalem as the mingling of the processed Triune God with the glorified tripartite man, to be the corporate God-man's manifestation in eternity. (Life-study of Job, msg. 35)

ITERO

"...O Jehovah, revive Your work in the midst of the years; in the midst of the years make it known..." (Hab. 3:2)

"Practice these things; be in them, that your progress may be manifest to all." (1 Tim. 4:15)

Last weekend's International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones was on "Vital Factors for the Recovery of the Church Life." The speaking was timely, critical, and strategic for the progress of all the saints and churches in the Lord's recovery, which is to build up Zion—the overcomers as the reality of the Body of Christ consummating in the New Jerusalem.

If we practice living the life of a God-man, which is the reality of the Body of Christ, spontaneously a corporate model will be built up, a model living in the economy of God. This model will be the greatest revival in the history of the church to bring the Lord back. (Msg. 1, III)

Pray for the digestion and application of these messages, that the Lord would gain our prayer, practice, and perseverance to cooperate with Him to bring in a new revival that will end this age.

Sixth Grade Students

We are looking to the Lord to save every sixth-grade student in the church in Los Angeles. In recent weeks we have been reading about the Lord's suffering and crucifixion in accomplishing redemption in the Gospel of Mark. Each student has been touched with the Lord's love toward them in addition to having been made aware of their own sins. In total there are 10 students: Jacob, Isaac, Karsten, Isaac, Tyler, David, Zoe, Allison, Felicity, and Betsabe. Please continue to pray:

  • that each student would regularly attend our Lord's Day evening gatherings;
  • that the Lord would convict each one of their sins;
  • that they would confess their sins and touch the Lord with their spirit;
  • that the Lord would appear to each one in a personal and loving way;
  • that they would each experience a special and unforgettable salvation; and
  • that they would have a strong baptism and a good beginning to their Christian life.

Bibles for America

BfA is responding to the public's growing demand for video content by continuing to produce videos, both to spread the good news of the gospel and to convey the truths in the Bible. Videos have proven to be a critical means of reaching people in an impactful way, especially since the start of the pandemic. BfA videos were viewed on YouTube 2.7 million times in 2020, up from 854,000 views in 2019. They are available to watch and share at http://www.youtube.com/biblesforamerica.

In order to continue to reach more people, BfA has begun to prepare a studio space in Irvine. Having our own studio would allow us to streamline our production process and explore more ways to create engaging, high-quality videos. Please pray for the completion of this studio space in a timely way. Pray also that existing videos would reach even more people searching for the meaning of their life.

GTCA

Let us continue to intercede for the Lord's move in this country. The burden to "gospelize, truthize, churchize" America has not diminished! For short videos and updates from the 2020 GTCA cities, including Orlando, Richmond, Pittsburgh, Lexington, and Minneapolis, visit http://gtca.us/updates.

Francophone Conference

A conference for French-speaking saints will be held this weekend, April 23 to 25. The online format is an excellent opportunity for churches to blend from many French-speaking countries, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Senegal. Other countries and territories will also participate, but not at the same time due to timezone challenges; these include some cities in Canada, plus Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.

Please pray that all the French-speaking saints and churches would enter into the up-to-date ministry of the age and touch the up-to-date burden for the Lord's advance. For more conference information, visit http://www.egliseaparis.fr.

Also pray for the ongoing literature distribution through Bibles for Europe. Although we are passing through another period of pandemic restrictions in Europe, the Lord is providing access to new contacts through a steady stream of online Bible orders and Bible study requests. May the Lord strengthen and supply the saints who have offered themselves to the Lord to contact and care for these new ones from all over French-speaking Europe!

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 7 of Crystallization-study of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Vol. 2.
  2. 6th Grade Parents & Serving Ones: On May 1 from 10:00 to 11:30 am, there will be a time of fellowship for serving ones and parents of our 6th graders. Translation into Chinese, Korean and Spanish will be provided. Register by April 24 at http://scyp.com/6thgrade.
  3. West Coast Korean-speaking Blending Conference will take place on Lord's Day, May 2 from 9:30 am to 12:20 pm on Zoom.
  4. Words of Fellowship to the Church in LA: A new video entitled Seasons of Refreshing is posted at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles; and in our church app, with translated versions in Chinese, Korean and Spanish. We hope the saints will be encouraged to contact the Lord for a new beginning.
  5. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of April 4

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Being Constituted God-men for God's Intention

"Yet a little while and the world beholds Me no longer, but you behold Me; because I live, you also shall live." (John 14:19)

"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked." (1 John 2:6)

God does not want us, the believers in Christ, to be a good man; He wants us to be a God-man. Christ's God-man living constituted Him to be a prototype so that He might be reproduced in us and live again in us, the God-men. As the expansion, increase, reproduction, and continuation of the first God-man, we should live the same kind of life that He lived.

The One who lived the life of a God-man is now the Spirit living in us and through us; we should not allow anything other than this One to fill us and occupy us. When we open ourselves to the Lord, love Him, and desire to be joined to Him as one, we are filled and possessed by Him and live out the glory of divinity and the virtues of humanity. (CS Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, msg. 5, II.D, V, V.C, C.4, E)

Christ Being Our Goal

"Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal…" (Phil. 3:13-14)

The pandemic seems to be subsiding in California but there are still many uncertainties. Only the Lord knows what is ahead of us. Gaining Christ is our focus. Decisions about increased in-person or new in-hall meetings will be announced as they are made. We will proceed cautiously and abide by the government requirements. We should all exercise the attitude expressed in Philippians 3:13-14.

Let us pray and encourage one another to forget the times behind and stretch forward to pursue more of Christ and to enter into a fresh experience of meeting and enjoying Christ. May we all look away from the current limitations unto Him and open ourselves to whatever He has for us.

California Junior High Conference

Our first-ever California-wide junior high conference will be this weekend, April 9 to 11. The topic is "The Spirit." Please pray for the Lord to prepare the hearts of the young people and gain the response He desires. Pray also that they would be encouraged by and blended with the other young people across California through the group activities. May the junior high students come to know the Spirit and their spirit.

California Open House Connect Event

This Saturday, April 10 at 3:00 pm, there will be a California-wide Open House Connect Event for high school juniors and seniors. The purpose of this event is to help our graduating high schoolers learn more about starting life as a college student, connect with current college students all around California, and have a strong start to their freshman year.

Our high school seniors are currently hearing back from colleges and needing to make decisions for the fall. Please pray for each one to have solid experiences with the Lord and sweet fellowship with the Body. Pray for the Lord to gain each one at this critical juncture and for His perfect will to be done. May every high school senior learn to follow the Lamb and stay "connected" wherever He would lead them.

FTTA-MA

The middle-age full-time training has been closed for three terms due to the pandemic. It will reopen for the fall term on August 30. Please ask the Lord to 1) arrange the environment to support a full and healthy reopening, 2) be wisdom to the brothers preparing for the reopening, and 3) encourage many middle-age saints around the earth to join this training.

For more information, see http://www.fttamidage.org.

Bibles for America

Although the free Bibles and books from BfA can only be sent to people in the United States, our online resources are enjoyed by people all over the world. In particular, we have been hearing lately from people all over Africa who are reading posts on the BfA Blog.

Please pray for all those who visit http://www.bfa.org to read the BfA Blog, download our free e-books, watch our videos, and access our Share the Good News page. Pray that they would continue to be nourished, enlightened, and enlivened by the resources they find on our website.

Europe

Please continue to pray for the migration of burdened saints to the six designated European cities of Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Rome, and Zurich. More details on these cities can be found at http://lordsmove.org/reports.html.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 5 of Crystallization-study of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
  2. 6th Grade Conference Update: There will no longer be a 6th Grade Conference as previously announced. However, on May 1 from 10:00 to 11:30 am, there is an important time of fellowship for the 6th graders' parents and serving ones via Zoom. It will cover practical matters on how to help the newly saved 6th graders begin to have a healthy Christian life and church life. Translation into Chinese, Korean and Spanish will be provided. Register by April 24 at http://www.scyp.com/6thgrade.
  3. Words of Fellowship to the Church in LA: A video entitled That We May Gain Christ is available to watch at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles and in our church app, with translated versions in Chinese, Korean and Spanish. We hope the saints will be encouraged by this short fellowship to focus on what should be our primary goal in these days of change and uncertainty.
  4. Radio broadcast in Spanish: El Estudio-vida de la Biblia con Witness Lee is broadcast Mondays through Fridays, 9:00 to 9:30 pm, and Lord's Days, 6:00 to 6:30 am. LA County 100.3 FM; San Fernando Valley and Ventura County 90.3 FM.
  5. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of March 14

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Staying in Our Mingled Spirit to Overcome the Enemy

"Now the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." (Rom. 16:20)

"So we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." (Rom. 12:5)

The Greek word rendered "your" in Romans 16:20 is plural; this points to the Body. God will crush Satan under the feet of the Body. Romans 16 does not refer to the Body in a universal sense, but it refers to the local and practical expression of the Body. This means that Satan can only be crushed under the feet of the practical expression of the Body in the local churches.

The only way to overcome Satan is to stay in the in high tower of our regenerated spirit. When we stay in the spirit, we are built up in the Body in a practical way… In the spirit we experience not only Christ as life, but also the Body. In the spirit Christ is both our life personally and the life of the Body. Therefore, in the spirit with the divine life and with the Body of Christ, Satan is overcome and even crushed under our feet. He is defeated not by individuals, but by the Body.

Never neglect your regenerated spirit, the high tower within you where you may hide from Satan…, the place where Satan cannot touch us, the place where we enjoy Christ as our life and experience the reality of the Body. When we are in such a place, Satan can do nothing to us. (LS Romans, pp. 528-532)

California High School Conference

From March 26 to 28 we will have the first-ever California-wide high school conference, which will be held online. The topic is "A Pattern of an Overcomer." Please pray for the Lord to prepare the hearts of the young people. Also pray for an important time of fellowship with the parents and serving ones this Lord's Day, March 21 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

Azerbaijan

Please pray for the printing and distribution of 6,000 copies of the six "rainbow booklets" translated into Azeri which are scheduled to be released this month. Pray for the recipients, that the booklets in their hands will be read and shared, and that they will be nourished and enlightened to seek God's economy.

São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest country in Africa after Seychelles with a population of about 220,000. With the pandemic, the already fragile economy has become even more precarious. The number of saints who have been gathering has reduced, but they continue to praise the Lord in all things and thank Him for His calling. We pray for Lord's move to increase in this country and in this region!

To read more, see the February 2021 newsletter supplement of the Lord's Move to Africa.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 2 of Crystallization-study of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes.
  2. Words of Fellowship to the Church in LA: A new video, Love Prevails, is available to watch now on YouTube and in our church app, with translated versions in Chinese, Korean and Spanish. We hope the saints will be encouraged and supplied by these short and practical fellowships.
  3. LSM Audiobooks are available for select titles on platforms such as Audible and Amazon. Visit http://www.lsm.org/audiobooks.html.
  4. Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee: This 30-minute program focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. Ministry portions are followed by a discussion, including helpful questions and answers. The entire archive is available for free at http://www.lsmradio.com. In particular, saints may be interested in Job (15 episodes) and Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (10 episodes).
  5. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of March 7

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The Mystery Hidden in God

"But You have hidden these things in Your heart; I know that this is with You." (Job 10:13)

"And to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things." (Eph. 3:9)

The forty-two chapters in Job leave us with a crucial question of two parts: What was the purpose of God in His creating of man, and what is the purpose of God in His dealing with His chosen people?

The great answer to this great question is the mystery hidden in God throughout the ages, the eternal economy of God.

God's purpose in dealing with those who love Him is that they may gain Him to the fullest extent, surpassing the loss of all that they have other than Him, so that He might be expressed through them for the fulfillment of His purpose in creating man. (CS Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, msg. 1, I, II, Key Statement 1)

Bibles for America

BfA has recently updated gospel tracts in Spanish, including three new titles: "You Must Be Born Anew," "Who is Jesus?" and "How Can I Know God Exists?" These new tracts will soon be available in print on http://materials.bfa.org. In addition, all the Spanish tracts are now accessible digitally on the Spanish Share the Gospel page on our site.

Please pray that the printing process would go smoothly. Pray also that these tracts would be widely shared with many people who need to hear the word of the truth of the gospel.

FTTL

The Spring semester of the Full-time Training in London begins this week on March 8. Please pray for the perfecting of the young European saints for the Lord's move in these crucial days.

Poland

A seminar was held on February 27 for Rhema Set 3 readers in Poland. Approximately 35 readers and 55 saints joined the seminar by Zoom. The small group times were sweet and enjoyable for all participants. Some readers shared their enjoyment and were very open to the fellowship. One Polish reader from Germany was so happy to have met the saints in the study group that he wanted to have more contact with saints in his area in order to be baptized. Please pray that the readers of the ministry in Poland and all over Europe will be shepherded by the saints into the church life.

Southern Africa

The annual Southern Africa Blending Conference will be online from March 12 to 14. The general subject is "The Intrinsic and Organic Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ." Participating countries include Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This year, there is a particular burden to care for the children in a way that is simple yet full of life, so that they would sense that they, too, are part of the conference.

Please pray that the saints—of all ages—will be cared for by the Lord's presence and enlightened through His Word. May they be unveiled to enter into and cooperate with the Lord's intrinsic move.

On March 15, the new academic year begins at the University of Pretoria with online classes. Recently, during a weeklong national internship for our students in South Africa, the burden was to know Christ and to make Him known. Topics included life, fruit-bearing and the vital groups, as well as considering various avenues (mainly online) to reach students this year.

In the coming weeks, we are looking to the Lord for Him to gain remaining fruit from among the freshmen. Please pray for the Lord to bless us with one accord and be our wisdom as we endeavor to reach these ones by all means possible.

Lord's Move to Asia

The March 2021 newsletter of the Lord's Move to Asia contains reports on Nepal, Turkey, and a recent blending conference in the Middle East. Details and photos are at:
http://lmasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/E-2021-03.pdf (English)
http://lmasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Asia-2021-03.pdf (Chinese)

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 1 of Crystallization-study of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes.
  2. The Spring High School Conference will be California-wide via Zoom, March 26 to 28. Deadline for registration ($15) is this Lord's Day, March 14.
  3. Words of Fellowship to the Church in LA: Seizing Every Favorable Opportunity is available to watch now on YouTube and in our church app, with translated versions in Chinese, Korean and Spanish. We hope the saints will be encouraged and supplied by these short and practical fellowships.
  4. Life-study of the Bible with Witness Lee: This 30-minute program focuses on the enjoyment of the divine life as revealed in the Scriptures. Ministry portions are followed by a discussion, including helpful questions and answers. The entire archive is available for free at http://www.lsmradio.com. In particular, saints may be interested in Job (15 episodes) and Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (10 episodes).
  5. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of February 14

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The Intrinsic Growth of the Church, the Organic Body of Christ

"Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24)

"Holding the Head, out from whom all the Body, being richly supplied and knit together by means of the joints and sinews, grows with the growth of God." (Col. 2:19)

Christ became the intrinsic essence of the church through the release of His divine life as the one grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying there for His multiplication and through the impartation of His divine life as the firstborn Son of God in His resurrection.

The growth of the Body depends on the growth of God, the addition of God, the increase of God, within us. How much God grows within us depends on how much room we give Him to grow. When we give God room in us, He expands and increases within us; this increase is His growth in us. God's growth in us becomes our growth because He and we are one. (ICSC, msg 1, I.B, C; msg 2, I.B.3, 4, a, b)

Spring California College Conference

A California-wide college conference will be held online from February 26 to 28. High school seniors are also invited to join. The registration deadline is this Lord's Day, February 21. More details at https://www.college-conference.com. Please pray for the college students from both Northern and Southern California, including many first-timers and high school seniors, to sanctify this weekend unto the Lord.

Europe

Please continue to pray for the migration of burdened saints to the six designated European cities of Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Rome, and Zurich. More details on these cities can be found at http://lordsmove.org/reports.html.

Myanmar

Pray for the saints and the Lord's testimony to be preserved and protected during the present political turbulence.

Lord's Move to Asia

Pray that the Lord may have a way in the following countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Maldives, North Korea, Palestine, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Yemen.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: REPEAT Week 4 of The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man.
  2. Words of Fellowship to the Church in LA: The second video in our new series, Singing to the Lord in Our Daily Life, is available to watch. Translated videos are in Chinese, Korean and Spanish. We hope the saints will be encouraged and supplied by these fellowships in the midst of these days.
  3. Living to Him has a new podcast series particularly helpful to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at http://anchor.fm/livingtohim.
  4. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of January 31

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Having a Vision of the All-inclusive, Extensive Christ

"And He is before all things, and all things cohere in Him; and He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things." (Col. 1:17-18)

"But Christ is all and in all." (Col. 3:11b)

The book of Colossians reveals that the all-inclusive, extensive Christ is everything in God's economy. We need a clear vision of this wonderful Christ being everything to us. Such a vision will terminate the influence of culture on the experience of Christ and on the church life, and instead of being cultured people, we will be people occupied with, possessed by, and saturated with Christ.

When we have a vision of the all-inclusive, extensive Christ, experience Him as our life and the constituent of our entire being, and live Him instead of our culture, the one new man will appear among us in a practical way, and we will realize the life of the new man. (The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man, msg. 3, II.A-B, Key Statement 2)

International Chinese-speaking Conference

The 2021 ICSC will be held online from February 13 to 14. All saints (not just Chinese-speaking) are encouraged to join all five sessions. No registration needed. The meeting schedule for English-speaking saints in LA is Saturday 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 7:30 pm; Lord's Day 11:00 am, 4:00 pm. Specific details on how to participate will be forthcoming.

Please pray for the blending of all the saints and the building up of the Body through the Lord's up-to-date speaking to His recovery.

FTTA

The Spring 2021 term of the Full-time Training in Anaheim begins Wednesday, February 3. This term will again be conducted remotely. In these days, may the Lord still continue to gain the training He needs in all these dear saints who have consecrated themselves to be trained.

Bibles for America

Two weeks ago, 100,000 Bibles were delivered to the BfA distribution center in Anaheim! Staff and volunteers are continuing to work hard receiving, checking, and storing the Bibles in an efficient way. Please pray for all those organizing the warehouse even as they continue to fulfill Bible orders. Pray especially for the thousands of people who will be ordering their free copies of the NT Recovery Version in the coming months. May they be granted an open heart and a spirit of wisdom and revelation as they read God's Word.

Zürich, Switzerland

Please pray for the migration of burdened saints to Zurich, one of six designated European cities. Zurich (German-speaking) is the largest city in Switzerland. It has a wide variety of cultural activities. It was the first Swiss canton to adopt the Protestant Reformation under the direction of the theologian Ulrich Zwingli. The movement of the Anabaptists (part of the so-called Radical Reformation) originated in this city. There is a burden for a church to be established soon in Zurich, where 25 saints are currently meeting. For a short video presentation, go to https://youtu.be/huCsrOdLytw.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 3 of The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man (Thanksgiving Conference).
  2. Words of Fellowship to the Church in LA: Beginning this month, the leading brothers in LA would like to share some brief words of fellowship with the whole church. These will be posted every other week on our church YouTube channel and within our church app. We hope the saints will be encouraged and supplied by this new videos series in the midst of these days. The first video is called "Rekindling Our Love for the Lord".
  3. Spring California College Conference: Registration is now open for the second all-California online college conference, February 26 to 28. More details at http://www.college-conference.com.
  4. The SoCal Spanish-speaking Conference messages are available at http://audio.socalspanish.org.
  5. Living to Him has a new podcast series particularly helpful to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at http://anchor.fm/livingtohim.
  6. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of January 17

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Delivered Out of Culture, Transferred into Christ's Kingdom

"Beware that no one carries you off as spoil through his philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ." (Col. 2:8)

"Giving thanks to the Father… who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Col. 1:12-13)

The book of Colossians was written because the church in Colossae had been pervaded with culture, and the saints had been distracted from Christ by culture. The enemy of God uses culture to replace Christ; he will try to use the good aspects of culture to replace Christ. (The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man, msg. 1, I, I.B)

In Colossians "the authority of darkness" refers especially to the good aspects of culture and of our natural being. God has delivered us out of all this and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, where we live under a heavenly rule and restriction. Because we love Him, we desire to take Him as our person and as our life. Let us allow the pure Christ to fill our being and replace every aspect of our natural human life with Himself. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 35, 427)

United States

"Let the name of God be blessed from eternity to eternity, for wisdom and might are His. And it is He who changes the times and seasons; He deposes kings and causes kings to ascend." (Dan. 2:20b-21a)

"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. This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim. 2:1-4)

Pray for the saints to know that the heavens do rule in the midst of the present world situation and that the purpose of God's heavenly ruling is to complete God's elect so that Christ may be preeminent. Pray that a peaceful situation would be kept in the United States and throughout the globe for the word of the Lord's recovery to go out. (http://www.Beseeching.org, Days 128, 117)

Our Young People

This past weekend, young people, serving ones, and parents gathered on Zoom to hear the Lord's speaking in the SoCal YP Blending Conference. The topic was "Faith, Love, and Hope" from 1 Thes. 1:3. From LA, 75 junior high and high school brothers and sisters participated, in addition to parents, college students, and serving ones, and we believe each received precious seeds from the speaking and were refreshed by seeing one another.

Praise the Lord for His rich and timely word! Please pray that the faith of our YP in LA would grow, that they would be rooted and grounded in love, and that their hope would be in the Lord's coming.

Recorded sessions may be viewed at http://www.scyp.com/ypblendingconference.

Bibles for America

In 2020, BfA gave away a record 135,000 copies of the NT Recovery Version to people all over the United States, a 20% increase from 2019's total. They are looking to the Lord to give away even more Bibles in 2021. In addition, BfA is continuing their efforts to spread God's Word through digital channels, and is seeing record traffic to the BfA Blog from all over the world. To read more about BfA's milestones in 2020, please visit the 2020 Year in Review.

Our hearts are full of thanks to the Lord for all He has done. Please pray that He will continue to bless BfA's labor in this new year, and use the difficult outward environment to turn many more people to Him.

Lisbon, Portugal

Please pray for the migration of burdened saints to Lisbon, one of six designated European cities. Lisbon (Portuguese-speaking) is the capital of Portugal, the westernmost country in Europe. It stands out in history for being the port through which the Portuguese expeditions of the Age of Discoveries departed. Today it is one of the great European cultural centers. There is a burden that a church will be established there shortly. There are currently 14 saints meeting in Lisbon.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 1 of The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man (Thanksgiving Conference).
  2. The International Chinese-speaking Conference (ICSC) will be held online on February 13 to 14. More details will be provided at a later time.
  3. LSM Audiobooks are now available in English for a handful of titles on platforms such as Amazon and Audible. Visit http://www.lsm.org/audiobooks.html.
  4. Andrew Yu Memorial Meeting: The 70-minute online memorial meeting hosted by the church in Anaheim on January 8 is still available to be viewed at http://www.memorial-meeting.org.
  5. Living to Him has a new podcast series with excerpts from Brother Andrew's speaking, particularly to working saints, available on all major podcasting services at http://anchor.fm/livingtohim.
  6. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.

by Ruolin Fan

Prayer, Week of December 27

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Gaining Christ to the Fullest Extent

"But what things were gains to me, these I have counted as loss on account of Christ. But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is out of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith." (Phil. 3:7-9)

God's purpose in dealing with those who love Him is that they may gain Him to the fullest extent, surpassing the loss of all that they have other than Him, that He might be expressed through them for the fulfillment of His purpose in creating man.

God's purpose in dealing with His holy people is that they would be emptied of everything and receive only God as their gain. He wants His people to gain Him, to partake of Him, to possess Him, and to enjoy Him more and more, rather than all other things, until their enjoyment reaches the fullest extent for them to become the New Jerusalem. (Crystallization-study of Job, msg. 1, VI, II.D.3)

All Things Working Together for Good

Romans 8:28 declares, "we know that all things work together for good to those who love God." The current upswing of the pandemic is very difficult for those who do not daily love and contact God. But divine history is hidden in this human history. During this time, however long it lasts, let us pray that:

  1. We will not wait passively for a better outward situation;
  2. The Lord will strip away more of our natural man and impart more of Himself into us; and
  3. Many people will receive the gospel and turn to pursue the Lord.

A Renewed Consecration

Pray that as we enter into a new year all the saints would see God's need to give Himself to us and dispense Himself into us for the building up of the church, and that they would respond to God's need with a fresh consecration. (http://www.Beseeching.org, Day 190)

Oak Glen

Due to the pandemic Oak Glen has not been able to host guests for the past 9 months. We are using funds that were set aside for improvement projects to pay for the monthly operating expenses. We have reduced our monthly expenses where possible to help conserve the funds on hand.

To date the saints have given $6,372,135 and there is a remaining target of $1,525,000 which we hope the churches in Southern California can meet. This amount will go toward needed and planned improvements for the property including new cabins and a new 300-plus-seat multiple-purpose building.

The remaining giving goal for the church in Los Angeles is $150,000 by the end of 2021. The saints are able to make their offerings on a one-time or regular basis through the church app by selecting the "Oak Glen" designation within the app. We encourage the saints to contribute in the final week of this year 2020 and also to plan for their giving over the coming 12 months.

Our trust is in the Lord that we can continue to pay the monthly expenses and also improve the blending center for the saints.

Bibles for America

2020 has been a groundbreaking year for Bibles for America. Thanks to your faithful prayers, we have been able to continue spreading God's Word not only in the U.S., but also around the world. Below are some of our highlights, which you can read more about on our Year in Review page:

Our hearts are full of praise and thanksgiving to our Savior God for all He's done in 2020. And we trust that through your continued petitions, prayers, and intercessions, He will use BfA to reach even more people with His Word in the coming year.

Barcelona, Spain

Please pray for the migration of burdened saints to Barcelona, one of six designated European cities. Barcelona is a Spanish- and Catalan-speaking city located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Recognized for its cultural, financial, commercial, and historical importance, it is the second-most populous city in Spain and the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the European Union. About 30 saints meet regularly in the church in Barcelona, which took the ground in 2008. The church life is healthy, faithful to the ministry, and steadfast.

For a detailed presentation, go to: https://www.lordsmove.org/pdfs/Barcelona_Spain_2020-Eng.pdf

European Winter School of Truth

The European Winter School of Truth for young people is currently taking place online from December 26 to January 2. The general subject is "The Bible—The Word of God." Please pray for the the young people's participation and openness. Pray also for the spiritual relationship between parents and their children to be strengthened.

Announcements

  1. Morning Revival: Week 3 of Material Offerings and the Lord's Move.
  2. Memorial Meeting for Andrew Yu: Our beloved and faithful brother Andrew Yu departed to be with the Lord on December 20. The church in Anaheim will host an online memorial meeting for our brother on Friday, January 8, 2021, at 5:00 pm. Details will be provided in the coming days.
  3. Ways to Give: Information on setting up online giving through Subsplash, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
  4. Church App: The church in LA has designed a convenient phone/tablet app for the saints of all ages to stay informed with updates and helpful resources. Download at http://www.tinyurl.com/CILAapp.
  5. Church YouTube: Visit http://www.youtube.com/churchinlosangeles for videos from the morning revival, ministry series, and hymns. Feel free to share them with your friends or on social media.

by Ruolin Fan