Prayer, Week of December 13
The Law of the Spirit of Life for God's Economy
"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Jehovah: I will put My law in their inward parts and write it upon their hearts…" (Jer. 31:33)
"For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death." (Rom. 8:2)
Romans 8, the subject of which is the law of the Spirit of life, may be considered the focus of the entire Bible and the center of the universe; thus, if we are experiencing Romans 8, we are in the center of the universe. The center, the centrality, of the new covenant is the inner law of life; the law of the divine life, the law of the Spirit of life, is the automatic principle and the spontaneous power of the divine life. God is in us now as a law that operates automatically, spontaneously, and unconsciously to free us from the law of sin and of death; this is one of the biggest discoveries, even recoveries, in God's economy.
Ultimately, our enjoyment of the indwelling Spirit as the automatic law of the divine life, the law of the Spirit of life, is in the Body of Christ and for the Body of Christ with the goal of making us God in life, nature, and expression but not in the Godhead to accomplish the goal of His eternal economy—the New Jerusalem. (Crystallization-Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 12, III.D, A, D.1, VI)
Semiannual Video Training – Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
The church in LA's Semiannual Video Training begins Monday, December 21. Please pray for the saints to receive and respond to the Lord's burden in His up-to-date speaking. Ask the Lord to prepare all who have registered to be good listeners and absorbers of the word, and to fully participate in study times. Lord, impart more of Yourself into us for the fulfillment of Your purpose!
LA YP Parents & Serving Ones Time
This Thursday, December 17 from 8:00 to 9:00 pm, we will have an all-LA YP Parents & Serving Ones Time. We will use this time to open to the Lord in prayer, receive a fresh burden for our young people, and have helpful fellowship about how to care for the next generation among us. Contact the local serving ones in your area for the Zoom link and passcode.
Please pray that the Lord would bless this time and lead us in the church in Los Angeles.
LA Campuses
Pray for the Lord to be exhibited and for all of the students to be mutually encouraged at the UCLA end-of quarter meeting this Saturday, December 19. Also, pray for all of the college students in LA during their winter break, that they would continue to pursue the Lord day by day and remain in the fellowship with the saints throughout the break.
LA Migrations
Ken and Sylvie Day and their youngest son Daniel are returning to Lyon, France after being away for 9 years. They will leave Santa Clarita on December 15 for Knoxville to visit another son. Then, in mid-January, they will travel to France. They are so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to return and participate in the church life and labor there. Steffen, the oldest son, has already been in Lyon since August to pursue a master's degree and is going on with the church there.
Lord, strengthen and enlarge the church life in Lyon and in the surrounding cities!
FTTA Graduation
"Because out from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36). The virtual graduation for the FTTA Fall Class of 2020 is this Saturday, December 19 at 10:00 am, followed by a recognition of the FTTA-xB (Boston Extension) at 12:00 pm. The video links will be at http://www.ftta.org. Please pray for:
- the Lord's leading of all 42 FTTA graduating trainees to follow the Lamb wherever He may go;
- the wisdom of the brothers in planning for how the Spring term would be carried out;
- many college graduates and young working saints to answer God's call to go to the FTTA next term.
Bibles for America
Bibles for America is responding to the desperate need for the gospel to be preached by increasing our gospel video production. Here are some of the titles we will release later this month and in early January on our website and YouTube channel: "The Deep Significance of the Birth of Jesus Christ," "Why We Need to Preach the Gospel," "Preaching the Gospel with BfA Resources," "The Greatest Truth in the Universe," "Jesus, the Real Solution to Our Problem."
Please pray that these videos will be widely viewed by many hungry sinners. Pray also that they will effectively convey the gospel of Jesus Christ and bring many to salvation!
Tübingen, Germany
The public administration in Tübingen has issued a permit to the saints to distribute Bibles from December 18 to 19. Please pray for the sweeping Spirit to begin to operate until it finds some local seeking households, and for the coordination among the saints to carry this out as a priesthood.
European Winter School of Truth
The European Winter School of Truth, for young people ages 12 to 18, will be online December 26 to January 2. The general subject is "The Bible - The Word of God." Please pray for the saints preparing for the WST, the willingness of all the YP to participate, and for the Lord's specific shepherding of each one.
Announcements
-
Morning Revival: Week 12 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
After the semiannual training, beginning December 28, we will use Material Offerings and the Lord's Move for three weeks. - Ways to Give: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash, and where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- New 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.
- 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.
Prayer, Week of November 29
The All-inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Our Culture
"Because in Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and unto Him. 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. 1:16-18)
The kind of Christ who replaces culture is the all-inclusive, extensive Christ, the preeminent One, the centrality and universality of God's economy. The Christ who can replace our culture and become everything to us is the all-inclusive, extensive Christ.
In His salvation God not only saves us from sin, judgment, the lake of fire, the world, and the self; He also saves us from everything that replaces Christ, including our culture. The all-inclusive, extensive Christ is in us, and we need to allow Him to fill our entire being and replace our culture with Himself.
When we have the 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. (Thanksgiving Conference, msg. 1, VI.A,C,D; Key Statement 2)
Semiannual Video Training Registration
For saints in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, the upcoming Semiannual Video Training will be from December 21 to 26 for English, Chinese, and Korean, and December 21 to 28 for Spanish. Registration must be completed by Tuesday, December 1. The cost is $125 per person (no shared seating). Details are at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
This training will be a Crystallization-study of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. May the Lord gather us, His people, to enlighten us, deal with us, and infuse us with more of Himself. May we all prepare ourselves and exercise to maintain a high training atmosphere in LA to receive the Lord's timely speaking. Pray for the speaking brothers that the burden of this training may be fully released.
SoCal Chinese-speaking Gospel Meeting
"For to this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." (1 Tim. 4:10)
On Saturday, December 12, there will be a Chinese-speaking gospel meeting for all the churches in Southern California. Please pray for the saints' contacting of their relatives and acquaintances to invite them to this meeting. Pray according to the desire of our Savior God that all men would be saved and would come to the full knowledge of the truth.
LA Migrations
Over the years, many saints in LA have migrated to other parts of the country and the world for the sake of the Lord's move; our recent history is no different. Periodically, we will use this space to mention and pray for saints and families who have migrated out of LA for the sake of the Lord's move elsewhere.
Last week, we prayed for the Du Plooy family who migrated to Pretoria, South Africa to continue serving the Lord there. In particular, we asked the Lord to release the best housing arrangement for the church life. We have received this update: Hannes and Heidi have found a place to live and will begin moving in on December 1, just a few weeks after their arrival. Thank you, saints, for your prayers!
Iberian Peninsula Conference
This year's Iberian Peninsula Conference will be held online from December 5 to 6. The fellowship will be based on messages given by Brother Lee in 1992 on the overcomers. Please pray that the Lord will enable many to join and for the Lord to abundantly bless this time for His move in the Iberian Peninsula.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The first Lord's table in Amsterdam will take place this weekend. There is a desperate need for an established testimony in this city. Rather than wait an unknown period of time for the easing of travel and meeting restrictions, the saints will gather in Amsterdam and invite everyone else to participate and support them via Zoom. The link is http://bit.ly/thechurchinamsterdam; the time is this Lord's Day, December 6 at 3:00 pm (Amsterdam), 6:00 am (Los Angeles).
Please pray for a strong beginning of the church life and the raising up of a golden lampstand for the testimony of Jesus in this important European city. Praise the Lord!
Announcements
- Morning Revival: REPEAT Week 10 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- New Church App: The church in LA has designed a convenient phone/tablet app for the saints to stay informed with updates, videos, and other helpful resources. Download at http://www.tinyurl.com/CILAapp.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- 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.
Prayer, Week of November 22
Praying for Recovery
"For thus says Jehovah, When seventy years are fulfilled for Babylon, I will visit you and establish My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think about you, declares Jehovah, thoughts of peace and not for evil, to give you a latter end and a hope." (Jer. 29:10-11)
Jeremiah prophesied that the captivity of Israel in Babylon would be for seventy years. The word about seventy years was a comfort to Jeremiah, assuring him that the miserable situation of his country and his people, of the temple and the city, would last only seventy years.
Because Daniel understood the prophecies in Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10-14 concerning the seventy years of Israel's captivity, he set his face "toward the Lord God to seek Him in prayer" (Dan. 9:2-3). As God's co-worker on earth, Daniel understood God's will from the Scriptures and prayed for God's will according to the Scriptures. (Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 10, III, A, C, 1)
Now the Lord wants to recover the experience of the riches of Christ. He wants not only to call His faithful people out of Babylon and back to the proper church life, but also to recover and bring back all the different aspects of Christ which have been lost. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2453)
Thanksgiving Conference
The general subject of the upcoming 2020 International Thanksgiving Conference is "The All-Inclusive, Extensive Christ Replacing Culture for the One New Man." For the church in Los Angeles, we will gather by languages on Zoom to enjoy the messages together.
The English-speaking schedule will be as follows at http://tinyurl.com/laconfmeeting:
Meeting 1: Friday, November 27…………... 10:00 AM
Meeting 2: Friday, November 27…………..... 7:30 PM
Meeting 3: Saturday, November 28………. 10:00 AM
Meeting 4: Saturday, November 28………... 7:30 PM
Meeting 5: Lord's Day, November 29……. 10:00 AM
Meeting 6: Lord's Day, November 29……... 4:00 PM
We are looking to the Lord and expecting Him to use the current world situation to do something extraordinary among us during this time. Please pray for the release of His Word through this ministry. Let us prepare ourselves for this upcoming time of ministry and sanctify these days for the hearing of faith among us. Pray for the Lord's blessing upon this conference. May it turn out to be a real memorial among us to the shame of God's enemy and to the glory of God's grace!
Semiannual Video Training Registration
For saints in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, the schedule will be December 21 to 26 for English, Chinese, and Korean, and December 21 to 28 for Spanish. The registration deadline is next Tuesday, December 1; the cost is $125 per person. Details are at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
LA Migrations
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Over the years, many saints in LA have migrated to other parts of the country and the world for the sake of the Lord's move; our recent history is no different. Periodically, we will use this space to mention and pray for saints and families who have migrated out of LA for the sake of the Lord's move elsewhere.
In mid-November, Hannes and Heidi du Plooy from Hall 5 moved to Pretoria, South Africa to continue serving the Lord there. Thank you, saints, for your prayers! They had a smooth journey and Niels, their young son, did very well. Please continue to pray for their adjustment. They are currently staying with Hannes's parents while looking for a place to live within the next two months. Pray for the Lord to release the best housing arrangement for their transition and for the church life.
Bibles for America
Recently, an increased number of saints in the churches have registered with http://materials.bfa.org to order gospel tracts, Bible offer cards, and other distribution materials from BfA. Many churches have also placed orders for Bibles and books for physical distributions wherever possible. We're thankful to the Lord for the saints' desire to spread the Word of God in spite of ongoing environmental restrictions.
Please pray that the Lord would bless every Bible, book, tract, and offer card that gets passed out. Pray also that we all would be priests of the gospel during this difficult time when people are hungry for the life and peace found in God's Word.
Honduras
Please pray for the Lord to continue to protect His interests, including the saints and the churches, in Honduras, Nicaragua, and the rest of Central America. Pray for the gospel of the kingdom to be proclaimed and the hearts of the people to be open to receive it.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 10 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations. We will REPEAT Week 10 after the Thanksgiving Conference.
- Ministry & Gospel: The fall series on "Genesis: A Book of Seeds" concluded last Lord's Day, November 22. All videos may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- The December Semiannual Training for saints in LA will be held online beginning Monday, December 21. Registration ($125) at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla closes on December 1.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
Prayer, Week of November 8
Having Secret Fellowship with God
"Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah and whose trust Jehovah is. And he will be like a tree transplanted beside water, which sends out its roots by a stream, and will not be afraid when heat comes; for its leaves remain flourishing, and it will not be anxious in the year of drought and will not cease to bear fruit." (Jer. 17:7-8)
"And the remnant of those who have escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward." (Isa. 37:31)
The revelation here reveals that according to God's economy, the one who trusts in God is like a tree transplanted beside water. The tree grows beside water by absorbing all the riches of the water into it; this is a picture of God's dispensing. In order to receive the divine dispensing, we as the trees must absorb God as the living water to be dispensed into our being in order to become our very constituent.
In order to grow in life for the building up of the Body of Christ, we need to absorb God by taking root downward and bearing fruit upward. This means that we need to have hidden times of fellowship with God. The empowering, enlightening, enjoying of rest, rejoicing, believing, solving of problems, overcoming of trials, temptations, and hardships, and comforting for a Christian all depend upon his secret fellowship with God through prayer and God's word. (Crystallization-Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 8, I.A.1-2, B.3)
United States
"Let every person be subject to the authorities over him, for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are ordained by God." (Rom. 13:1)
To be subject to the authorities is to recognize God's authority and to respect His government over man. God ordains the authorities over man in order to maintain peace and security in human society so that He may have the time and the opportunity to preach the gospel, to save sinners, and to build the church for the spread of His kingdom. (Footnotes 3 and 4 on Rom. 13:1)
As the church, the Body of Christ, let us continue to trust in the Lord's sovereignty and cooperate with Him by praying and laboring together with Him for the advance of His economy.
Semiannual Video Training Registration
The December Semiannual Training will again be conducted as an online video training. For saints in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, the schedule will be December 21 to 26 for English, Chinese, and Korean, and December 21 to 28 for Spanish. The registration deadline is Tuesday, December 1; the cost is $125 per person (no shared seating). Details are at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla.
May the Lord grace and motivate many saints to consecrate themselves for this training, to be infused with the Lord's up-to-date word, and to register on time.
SCYP Children's Work Conference
This Saturday, November 14, from 9:00 to 12:15 am, the Children's Work Conference will take place for for parents with children under 12 years of age and for the saints who are serving with the children's service. The two sessions will cover matters related to the burden and vision for the children along with fellowship related to some practices for the families in the home and for the church in raising up the next generation for the church life. Translation into Chinese, Spanish and Korean will be provided. Register by November 10. For more information, please fellowship with the children's service coordinators.
Bibles for America
To increase our reach on YouTube, we are improving the BfA YouTube channel in a number of ways. One focus is updating our graphics, making it easier for people to see our free Bible offer and connecting them with related content and the BfA Podcast. Please pray that the Lord will use this channel to reach people who are searching on YouTube for the basic truths in God's Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray also that the Lord would be our wisdom as we continue to update our YouTube presence.
Honduras
Last Wednesday, Hurricane Eta moved into Honduras with heavy rains that flooded and caused deadly landslides. In and around the northern city of San Pedro Sula, at least 30 homes of the saints have been damaged; many saints were evacuated to the meeting hall. Some families have lost everything—appliances, furniture, clothing—but they are smiling, happy to be alive and unharmed. The saints are coordinating to deliver food and medicine as well as carefully assess all the needs and situations.
Please pray for the Lord to continue to protect His interests, including the saints and the churches, in Honduras and the rest of Central America. Pray for the gospel of the kingdom to be proclaimed and the hearts of the people to be open to receive it.
Offerings for the saints affected by the hurricane may be given to the Church in Los Angeles designated for 'Honduras.'
Canada – Abbotsford and Guelph
On Lord's Day, November 8, all the churches in Canada—across five time zones—gathered together on Zoom for an unprecedented blending meeting. After a word of fellowship concerning renewal, revival, and restoration, it was announced that Abbotsford, British Columbia and Guelph, Ontario—both GTCA target cities for this year—had taken the ground. Praise the Lord for establishing these two new lampstands! Please pray for the Lord to continue vitalizing the saints and energizing them to preach the gospel on the campuses and in their communities for the spread of His testimony.
For more information about the Lord's move in Canada, visit http://www.lordsmoveincanada.org.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 8 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- Ministry & Gospel: Our Ministry & Gospel Meetings this month continue on November 15 and 22. The entire series may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- SCYP Children's Work Conference is Saturday morning, November 14. Register by November 10.
- The Thanksgiving Conference will be online from November 26 to 29. No registration required; details will be announced closer to the date.
- The December Semiannual Training for saints in LA will be held online beginning Monday, December 21. Registration ($125) at http://tinyurl.com/wintertrainingla closes on December 1.
- New Online Platform for Giving: Information about the church's new online giving platform, Subsplash Giving, as well as where to mail checks while our meeting halls are closed, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of October 25
Waiting on Our Faithful God
"It is Jehovah's lovingkindness that we are not consumed, for His compassions do not fail… Jehovah is my portion, says my soul; therefore I hope in Him. Jehovah is good to those who wait on Him, to the soul that seeks Him." (Lam. 3:22, 24-25)
When the situation around us seems to be hopeless, we need to realize that our God can never be defeated. Whatever He has spoken, He will be faithful to fulfill. Therefore we should believe all that the Bible says. In addition, we need to realize that God is the portion of His people, and we need to put our hope and our trust in Him. We need to trust in Him and wait on Him whether He answers us now or later. Even if he seemingly does not answer our prayer, we should continue to pray and wait on Him. The eventual result will be according to His purpose, and we will be the ones benefited by Him. May we all learn this lesson. (Life-study of Lamentations, p. 9)
Although God is true, living, compassionate, and faithful, in order to test His people, He often delays in fulfilling His word. To wait on the eternal God means that we terminate ourselves; that is, we stop ourselves with our living, our doing, and our activity and receive God in Christ as our life, our person, and our replacement. We need to learn the lesson of waiting on the Lord. (Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 7, IV.B.1-2.a)
The Prevailing Prayer of the Church
"Truly I say to you, Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (Matt. 18:18)
The prayer in the church as a house of prayer is in the position of ascension, and with this position of prayer there is the authority of prayer. When we have the heavenly position and authority, our prayers become God's administration, the executing of God's will. This is the prevailing prayer of the church—the prayer of the age. (ITERO, msg. 5, II.G)
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)
"This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision is a command of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wills and sets up over it the lowliest of men." (Dan. 4:17)
Pray that the Lord would sovereignly rule to preserve America's leadership in the world situation so that He may have the way to accomplish His purpose that His bride would be prepared. 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. Pray that the saints would see that the Most High God is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and gives the kingdom to whomever He wills. (http://www.beseeching.org, Days 115, 117, 127)
Church in Los Angeles Joint Meeting
The whole church in LA—all halls, districts, and languages—will meet together this Lord's Day, November 1 from 10:00 to 11:30 am. There will be translation into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. The Zoom link is http://tinyurl.com/lachurchmeeting.
Let us be those who wait on the Lord, seek Him, and call unto Him. Please pray for His lovingkindness, compassions, and faithfulness to refresh and encourage all the saints to pursue Him more in these days. Pray for the Lord to gain a brighter testimony and expression of Himself in this city!
Orange County
As of Monday, at least 85,000 residents in Irvine and Yorba Linda were under mandatory evacuation due to two large brush fires. Please pray for the protection of the Lord's interests. Also pray for such "shaking" to open the hearts of people to receive the gospel and stir us to speak the gospel more.
All-California College Conference
This fall we will have our first-ever All-California College Conference. It will be held online from November 6 to 8 on the topic of "Loving the Lord's Appearing." The registration deadline is this Thursday, October 29. Please pray that many college students from both Northern and Southern California, including many first-timers, would sanctify this weekend unto the Lord and register on time!
European Online Training
Amana Trust will conduct the Autumn Online Training for saints in Europe from October 31 to November 21. This three-week event will explore four great matters in the Bible—truth, life, the church, and the gospel. The online sessions will consist of spoken lessons, group times, and opportunities for personal time with the Lord. The schedule is four Saturday mornings and three Wednesday evenings for a total of five hours a week.
Zürich, Switzerland
The church life began in Zurich in 1978 and grew to 120 saints. The turmoil in the late 1980s left only a few. Now we pray for the restoration of the Lord's testimony in Zurich. A five-minute video with history, photos, and specific prayer burdens is at http://tinyurl.com/Zu-Sw.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 7 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Next week, we will REPEAT Week 7.
- Daylight Savings Time will end in the early morning this Lord's Day, November 1. Please remember to move your clock back one hour before you sleep on Saturday night, October 31.
- Ministry & Gospel: There will not be a Ministry & Gospel Meeting this Lord's Day, November 1. The series resumes the following week, November 8. Previous meetings can be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- Interim Instructions for Giving: Instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of October 4
Loving the Lord's Appearing
"He who testifies these things says, Yes, I come quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20)
The general subject of this past weekend's ITERO was "The Christian Life, the Church Life, the Consummation of the Age, and the Coming of the Lord." Through the eight messages and small group study sessions, we saw our need to be trained by the Lord to live a normal Christian life and church life with the consummation of the age and the coming of the Lord in view. May the Lord enlighten all of us to see the signs of the times and open to Him in a fresh way for Him to train us, minister to us, live in us, and operate in us. While we live in the physical human realm, may we also live in the divine and mystical realm with an inner corporate sensation that the Lord is coming.
"Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those who have loved His appearing." (2 Tim. 4:8)
Loving the Lord's appearing and loving the Lord Himself are inseparable. We should love the Lord's appearing and look forward to it with earnest expectation and joy. We should have a living that loves the Lord's appearing; this causes us not to be discouraged but to remain faithful to the end. As those who love the Lord Jesus, take Him as our life, live Him, and magnify Him, we should await His coming and love His appearing; this should be our heart's desire and our living as those who hope to enter into His joy, be saved into the Lord's heavenly kingdom, and receive the crown of righteousness. (Msg. 7, III.A, C.1-2, H)
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col. 3:16)
"Your words were found and I ate them, and Your word became to me the gladness and joy of my heart..." (Jer. 15:16)
We need to let the word of Christ dwell in us so that we may experience the functions of the word of God operating within us, ministering the riches of Christ into our being. The word of God enlightens, nourishes, and waters us to quench our thirst. The word of God strengthens, washes, and builds us up. The word of God completes, perfects, and edifies us by sanctifying us. By allowing the word of Christ to inhabit us, we can become a God-man filled with Christ as the reality of the attributes of God. (Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 4, III.D.1-4)
Lord, cause us all to allow You to dwell in us richly and have the first place in our being!
United States
The elections for the U.S. president and congress, along with some senate seats and governorships, will take place Tuesday, November 3. We pray to release on earth the authority of the "Ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5) for His choice of elected officials.
Our prayers should be aimed at the Holy Land, the holy city, and the holy temple; this means that our prayers should be aimed at the interest of God, that is, at Christ and the church as God's interest on earth. To pray properly, we must pray to God in the name of the Lord Jesus, aiming at God's interest for His economy; to pray in the name of Jesus is to pray for the interest of God on earth, which is Christ as God's portion to us, as God's kingdom, and as God's dwelling place. (ITERO, msg. 5, II.E.1.b, 2)
Bibles for America
During this time of restriction and upheaval, BfA is more burdened than ever to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ by producing more gospel materials, particularly videos. We are exploring different formats and content to appeal to all kinds of people, and endeavoring to decrease production time in order to create these videos more quickly.
Please pray for the Lord's leading and the supply of the Spirit as we labor on these videos so that people from every walk of life would be touched to repent and be saved. Pray also for the Lord to provide persons with the specific skills needed to carry out this ongoing burden.
Myanmar
There are currently 79 churches in Myanmar (also known as Burma) with over 5,000 saints. On June 18, 103 trainees graduated from the Full-time Training in Yangon. A new term began on June 22 with 69 trainees. Four times a week, trainers from the FTT in Hamilton, New Zealand give online classes; local trainers take care of the rest. Please pray for all FTTY trainees to be gained by the Lord for His economy.
Since the beginning of this year, the electronic version of the Holy Bible Recovery Version in Burmese has been available from the Google Play Store for saints to enjoy the Lord's word at every time and in every place. The translation work continues to progress with four ministry books scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020. Please pray for the timely supply of grace to the ones laboring on this project. Pray for these publications to feed the saints richly and to meet the various needs in the churches.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 4 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- LA Joint Meeting: Lord's Day, November 1, we will have a meeting of the whole church in LA.
- Ministry & Gospel: Our Ministry & Gospel Meetings for this month will be October 11, 18 and 25. The entire series may be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- Interim Instructions for Giving: Instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving, which includes Zelle, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles
Prayer, Week of September 27
God's Faithfulness in Fulfilling His Economy
"They are saturated with the fatness of Your house, and You cause them to drink of the river of Your pleasures." (Psa. 36:8)
"God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Cor. 1:9)
God intended to dispense Himself into man as man's satisfaction so that He might be enlarged, but man became unfaithful and unchaste and forsook God for idols. An idol in our heart is anything within us that we love and treasure more than the Lord and that replaces the Lord in our life.
Although we are unfaithful, God is faithful. God is faithful in His purpose to turn us from idols and bring us back to Himself. Our peace, safety, health, and possessions may become idols to us, but God is faithful to take these things away so that we may drink of Him as the fountain of living waters. If we realize that we have been unfaithful to God, we may repent and weep, but then we should begin to drink of the living waters, praising God, giving thanks to him for everything, and enjoying Him. This is what God wants. God is not interested in anything other than our enjoyment of Christ. (Crystallization-Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 3, II.C, C.1, III.A, A.5, B)
ITERO
The International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones will take place by webcast this weekend, October 2 to 4, with brothers participating from around the globe. The general subject is "The Christian Life, the Church Life, the Consummation of the Age, and the Coming of the Lord."
Please pray for the rich and timely supply of Christ to be ministered to all the brothers that they may grow in life and be equipped further in their function and service. Through such perfecting times, may the Lord gain all the brothers as able ministers of the New Testament, effective building material for the universal building up of the Body of Christ, and good stewards and serving ones in their respective local churches.
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)
The elections for the U.S. president and congress, along with some senate seats and governorships, will take place Tuesday, November 3. We pray to release on earth the authority of the "Ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5) for His choice of elected officials.
UCLA Fresh Start
The UCLA Fall Quarter opens this week with classes beginning October 1. Last Thursday, as part of our campus club's Fresh Start welcome week, we held an online "meet-the-staff night" where the newer full-timers shared their testimonies. Originally intended just for our existing students, this meeting was expanded to include freshmen we met in the summer. At least 12 new freshmen joined, which was very encouraging!
Please pray that our freshman contacts—both those who attended and those who did not—would receive the follow-up care and shepherding. May the Lord make us a corporate net for "catching men alive" (Luke 5:10) for His purpose!
United Kingdom – Brexit
Brexit negotiations enter a key stage in the coming months. Please pray for a relationship between the UK and the European Union that will not hinder blending among the churches, visitation by the co-workers, or participation in trainings and conferences in the UK and Europe.
Lord's Move to Asia
The LMA newsletter is now available in web format as well as PDF download. The September issue contains reports and prayer burdens from Vietnam and Central Asia:
- English: http://lmasia.org/uncategorized/september
- Chinese: http://lmasia.org/zh-hans/月刊/2020-newsletter-ch/九月
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- Ministry & Gospel: There will not be a Ministry & Gospel Meeting this Lord's Day, October 4. The series resumes the following week, October 11. Previous meetings can be viewed and shared at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
- SCYP Fall Conferences: The junior high conference will be held online from October 9 to 11 (registration was due September 27); the high school conference is from October 23 to 25 (registration due October 11). The cost is $15 per person.
- Interim Instructions for Giving: Since our meeting halls are still closed, instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
- Receive prayer and announcements by email: sign up at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/prayer.
Prayer, Week of September 13
Being Tenderhearted and Filled with Intimate Concern
"...The Lord is very tenderhearted and compassionate." (James 5:11)
"But I, I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent on behalf of your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved less?" (2 Cor. 12:15)
"...You are in our hearts for our dying together and our living together." (2 Cor. 7:3)
Jehovah is the tenderhearted God, and in being tenderhearted, Jeremiah was absolutely one with God; thus, God could use the prophet Jeremiah, an overcomer, to express Him, speak for Him, and represent Him, even in his weeping. In order that God may be fully expressed through us, we need to have spiritual emotions, be tenderhearted with one another, and be able to serve God with tears. (Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, Key Statement 1; msg. 1, VII)
If we have ability to carry on a work but lack an intimate concern, our work will be fruitless... As long as we have the proper concern for people, we are well on our way to be qualified to be used of God for their salvation. A very good testimony of this is in the book Seen and Heard. In that book, the writer, James M'Kendrick, tells us of standing in front of a group of unbelievers and weeping, without saying a word. Nevertheless, a number were saved, for he had a deep concern. Eloquence, gift, and power can never touch people as deeply as your concern for them. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 382-383)
SCYP Gospel Meetings
This Saturday evening, September 19, there will be three different young people gospel meetings according to the content covered during the SSOT: (1) The Container and the Content; (2) Two Spirits; and (3) A Certain Man. Young people are encouraged to invite their friends, and the Fall Advance website (http://www.scyp.com/falladvance) provides helpful invitations and promotional videos.
Please pray for our own young people's heart for man to be enlarged, for the invitations to go out, and for many junior high and high school friends to respond positively to the invitation and attend on time.
Southern California College Meetings
This semester, we will be having a monthly meeting on Zoom for all the college students in Southern California. Our first such gathering is this Thursday, September 17 at 7:30 pm. Please pray for the college students to be gathered together, for the Lord to release a timely word, and for the students to mutually incite one another to freshly pursue the Lord!
BfA Gospel Materials
Bibles for America has just launched a new gospel video called "The Greatest Truth in the Universe" based on a quote from Watchman Nee. All the saints can share this video with family, friends, neighbors, and anyone who needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray that it will help many people receive Jesus as their Savior and personally experience the greatest truth in the universe.
For more videos and gospel materials, visit http://gospel.bfa.org (English) and http://gospel.bfa.org/es (Spanish).
Gospel to All the Nations
The next gospel to all the nations session will be held by Zoom on Saturday, September 19 at 1:00 pm (Los Angeles time) with fellowship from John 4 on "Life Meeting the Need of Every Man's Case." This particular session will focus on "The Need of the Immoral—Life's Satisfying." All the people out of every nation are invited to join! Those of African origin are specifically encouraged to join and to invite their friends, relatives, and colleagues to come and see how the life of Christ meets the need of every person and to enjoy the pure ministry of the Word as the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14). The Zoom link and more information are available at http://www.gospeltoallthenations.com.
European Chinese-speaking Autumn Conference
We praise the Lord for His continued shepherding of the saints in Europe, especially the Chinese-speaking saints, through the two annual Chinese-Speaking Conferences in London and Paris. The Lord's Move in Europe is advancing rapidly according to His desire to obtain the reality of the one new man. With this goal in view, the Chinese-speaking Conference is not intended only for the Chinese-speaking saints, but to be a part of the building up of the entire Body of Christ.
The church in Paris will host the next conference from September 18 to 20. The general subject of the five messages is "Living the Christian Life under the Government of God to Experience Christ and Grow in Life for God's Building." High-quality translation will be provided in French and English. For more information, visit http://zh.legliseaparis.fr/conference-langue-chinoise.
Please pray for both the speaking and the hearing, and for the overcoming of any language barrier so that the saints may rejoice together in the Word that the Lord desires to speak to His Body.
European University Training Follow-up
The European University Training took place online from August 23 to 27. Thank the Lord for gathering 110 students (204 saints in total) for these five messages concerning "Samuel—An Age Turning Nazarite." To apply what was released, there were workshops on the gospel and fellowships on life practices. Please pray that every saint would:
- Respond to the Lord's speaking by going to the Lord willingly to offer the Nazarite vow of consecration that the Lord would have a people raised up by Him to turn the age;
- Be vitalized and joined with others to be priestly prophets: bringing man to God and God to man on all the campuses throughout Europe; and
- Receive, digest, apply, and practice the life practices to have a Nazarite living of calling, praying, pray reading, and spending personal time with the Lord.
Lord's Move to Asia
The August issue of the Lord's Move to Asia newsletter contains reports and testimonies of the Lord's shepherding care of the saints and churches in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Turkey:
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/E-2020-08.pdf (English)
http://lmasia.org/temp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Asia-2020-08.pdf (Chinese)
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 1 of Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations.
- SCYP Fall Conferences: The junior high conference will be held online from October 9 to 11 (registration deadline September 27); the high school conference from October 23 to 25 (registration deadline October 11). The cost is $15 per person.
- Interim Instructions for Giving: While our meeting halls are closed, instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Interim Guidelines for In-person Meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of August 30
The Preparation of the Bride
"Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." (Rev. 19:7)
"And the grace of our Lord superabounded with faith and love in Christ Jesus." (1 Tim. 1:14)
God's economy in the New Testament is to obtain for Christ the bride, the church, through His judicial redemption and by His organic salvation in His divine life. The bride, however, cannot be prepared quickly; this preparation is a gradual work that takes place over a period of time.
The readiness of the corporate bride depends on the maturity in life of the overcomers. In order for the bride to mature, her faith and love need to be fully developed. In addition to being mature in life, the bride must be build up as a corporate person. (A Timely Word, msg. 6, III.C, IV)
Let us pray for our faith and love to be fully developed so that we may mature in life, and for all of us to be build together as the bride for Christ's satisfaction!
Labor Day Weekend Blending Conference
From September 4 to 6, the churches in the entire state of California will blend together in an online conference. Such a conference of all the churches in California is unprecedented and should be a further advance in the blending of the entire Body for the Lord's unique testimony.
The four meetings will be conducted online and will include both spoken messages and breakout sessions for mutual sharing and blending of all the saints. Translation of the messages and all special fellowship will be provided in Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. Details regarding the meeting schedule and links to join the meetings for each language can be found at http://www.labordayconf.com. The outlines should be available for download by Tuesday, September 2, after the evening prayer meeting.
Let us sanctify the Labor Day weekend by setting aside our time and presenting our tripartite beings to hear what the Spirit would speak to the churches. May the Lord infuse us with His words and His burden for His present move and interests on the earth.
Our Young People – 2020 Fall Advance
The Southern California Young People (SCYP) Fall Advance began Saturday, August 22, and will conclude with three gospel meetings on Saturday, September 19. Short videos are released each week, and the young people and their parents are encouraged to watch these videos together. Please pray for our junior high and high school students as they begin the new school year.
For more information, visit http://www.scyp.com/falladvance.
South Africa
The new term of the Full-time Training in Pretoria began three weeks ago with 7 on-site trainees and 9 remote trainees (residing in their own countries). Both sets of trainees face practical challenges. For example, those in Pretoria must remain at the training center and may not yet visit saints' homes or have in-person gospel appointments; these restrictions can easily lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Those participating from other countries may have challenges such as poor Internet connection or lack of other resources. Please pray for the trainees to not lose heart. Also pray for the FTTP serving ones to be one with the Lord in shepherding the trainees during these uncertain times.
Announcements
-
Morning Revival: Week 6 of A Timely Word Concerning the World Situation and the Lord's Recovery.
UPDATE: Next week, beginning September 7, we will digest outlines from the Labor Day Conference; prophesying on September 13 may include conference overflow or Week 6. After that, on September 14, we begin Crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations. - Ministry & Gospel: There will be no English-speaking Ministry & Gospel Meeting this Lord's Day, September 6 due to the Labor Day Weekend Blending Conference. It will continue on September 13.
- Interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.
Prayer, Week of August 16
Prayer with Authority by Having Full Faith
"And Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God." (Mark 11:22)
"And He told them a parable to the end that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1)
In Mark 11:20-24 the Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray by faith for executing God's will according to God's economy. This prayer is a prayer with authority. A prayer with authority does not ask God to do something; instead, it exercises God's authority and applies this authority to deal with problems and things that ought to be removed. The church can have such a prayer with authority by having full faith, being without doubt, and being clear that what we do is fully according to God's will. (A Timely Word, msg. 4, I, D, 1, 4)
God is watching to see whether the church is faithful to its ministry. The ministry of the church is prayer—not small prayers, but prayers that pioneer the way for God. God is accomplishing His work. But the church first prays and prepares the way before God finds the way. The church must have big prayers, serious prayers, and strong prayers. (CWWN, vol. 22, "The Prayer Ministry of the Church," ch. 1)
Our Young People
On July 30 the church in LA held an online meeting attended by more than a hundred young people, parents and serving ones. The burden was to incite the YP to care for others in the church—for example, the high schoolers would care for junior highers, and junior highers would care for the children.
This Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 pm, SCYP will begin its 2020 Fall Advance for all the young people, parents, and serving ones in Southern California. The subject of the first session will be "A Time to Remember and Rejoice in Our God of Tenderheartedness and Lovingkindness." For more information on how to participate in this time, visit http://www.scyp.com/fall-advance.
Most of our young people return to school this week. Pray that they would experience the Lord's love and compassions so that they would spontaneously care for others. Please contact and pray for our YP as they continue their schooling from home.
LA Campuses
USC classes begin on August 17, CSUN on August 24, and UCLA has been having online orientations throughout the summer. Please pray for the students, serving ones, and those related to the campus in their outreach to new students, which is much different than in previous years.
LA Ministry & Gospel Meetings
On August 16, we began a new series of the English-speaking Ministry & Gospel meeting called "Genesis: A Book of Seeds." The first session was on "Image and Dominion." The burden of these meetings is to reach our friends and family as well as the younger ones in the church through an approachable ministering of the word. Furthermore, we will proceed with a particular sensitivity to new ones that we contact in the coming weeks from the campus work.
Saints, let us all reconsider before the Lord whom we can shepherd to these times. All saints are welcome to invite guests and accompany them to this time. The Zoom link is http://tinyurl.com/lachurchmeeting. Videos from previous meetings may also be viewed and shared at any time at http://youtube.com/churchinlosangeles.
May we help the white horse run through our prayers and invitations. Lord, expand Your burden for the gospel in our hearts to multiply Your testimony in Los Angeles!
European University Training
The university training, usually held in London, will take place August 23 to 27 and be expanded to include all of Europe. Given the present environment, the training will also be delivered online. The subject, "Samuel—An Age-Turning Nazarite," will be a timely and relevant word.
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 4 of A Timely Word Concerning the World Situation and the Lord's Recovery (from the Memorial Day Conference).
- Labor Day Weekend Blending Conference: The churches in the entire state of California will blend together in an online conference from September 4 to 6. There will be four meetings. Details regarding the schedule and the way to join will be announced in the coming weeks..
- Interim Instructions for Giving: Since our meeting halls are still closed, instructions for where to mail checks and options for online giving, which now includes Zelle, are at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/members/offerings.
- Updated interim guidelines for in-person meetings are posted at http://www.churchinlosangeles.org/covid19.